Information Technology Essay

A number of professions in our society are required to abide by a certain set of rules that regulate their actions due to the nature of work they are engaged in. Examples are those of lawyers, doctors, accountants, who follow codes of ethics that define acceptable and punishable behavior to patients and clients. Now, as we are moving towards the information age, more and more organizations are evolving to system automation as they abandon old manual methods of data storage and maintenance. The field of Information Technology has really changed the way people work. As company’s valuable information and data are stored, IT security professionals, just like doctors and lawyers are tasked with important functions, they hold responsibilities that are concerned with the protection of data and systems from unauthorized external and internal access, prevention of disruption especially from software and hardware attacks, modification and destruction of networks. By handling these delicate information they posses a great deal of power that may be abused. The First issue that highlights the need for a code of ethics for IT professionals is that of privacy, one of the hottest topics in information security. These professionals are able to access crucial information which may be about customers, industries, government agencies, corporations, people and networks, that if used wrongly will result to serious legal implications. An example of which is an IT security personnel, in charge of regulating website access of employees of a company. During the course of blocking off sites and programming firewalls, they can install key loggers that enables them to view whatever a person types on a keyboard, these may include credit card numbers, personal information, notes and emails. Release of such vital information can provide the necessary tools for identity theft, fraud, misrepresentation, blackmail and commission of many more crimes. Another issue linked to privacy of information, is confidentiality. Company information such as new products, financial reports, projected plans and researches can be sold off to competitors, this can lead to serious business damage such as bankruptcy of a business. Third, is the monetary benefit that may be derived from the manipulation of a system. Aside from actual theft of information, IT security professionals can alter programmed security measures and charge additional fees for something that they themselves maneuvered. They can make a system appear to be vulnerable to threats created by them. (Whitman and Mottard, 2007, p. 0-99) Moving forward, a number of companies are able to recognize the need to abide by ethical practices. An example of an ethical security practice is that of Cisco Systems Inc. , a multinational IT corporation that designs and sells network communication technology and services. They once encountered a vulnerability that the company felt would affect the health of the Internet, so the company contacted backbone providers first to ensure their systems were patched to protect them from the threat. (Davidson, 2008, Leading By Example). The company has since then receive various awards for Ethical practices. Another example is the development of a software that would at least prevent and regulate unethical security attacks, such as identity theft. This was the creation of Secure Electronic Transfers (SET) which was as developed by SETco, led by VISA and MasterCard (and involving other companies such as GTE, IBM, Microsoft, Netscape, RSA and VeriSign). A set of security protocols that ensures the safety of information from the buyer to the internet, that also takes into consideration safety of consumers. In conclusion, an organization entrusts valuable assets of network and data security to Information Security Professionals. However, unlike older professions such as medicine and law, most ethical issues regarding this occupation have not been codified to a specific law, and there is still no mandatory association such as (Bar association, American Board for Medicine) that has established a detailed code of ethics that is uniform across all IT professionals. So organizations must take it upon themselves to instill a code of ethics to ensure that these personnel understand the moral and legal implications of their actions.

The Korean War: Tactics and Logistics

The Second World War officially ended in the year 1945. It was a devastating war that many hoped that it should be fitting to end all wars and for a change give the world a breathing space, to be granted that very elusive peace. Yet, perhaps those who wished for a world in harmony after World War II may have underestimated mankind’s appetite of some leaders who wanted to be supreme rulers of the globe. So, five years after the guns were silenced in the Great Theater of war in Europe, another dangerous conflict is brewing in Korea. Here, one can see a display of things to come because Vietnam and Afghanistan are still future events.  In the Korean War the world became witness to what happens when superpowers decide to play chess. Unfortunately, this game is not played the traditional way with wooden pieces and all. This time the chessboard is the Korean Peninsula and the pieces are either the native Koreans or imported as in soldiers coming in from all over the world. It is interesting to note that this is not a World War in the truest sense of the term, but the true players are global leaders who happened to confine their violent resolution in a specific location, Korea. The United States, Russia, North and South Korea, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other Asian nations were participants in this war of attrition. The battle lines were drawn and it was named the 38th parallel. This allowed for a little bearing in a very confusing time, hoping to give a little bit of clarity in a very agitating situation. According to Carter Malkasian, â€Å"It was the only occasion in the Cold War when the military forces of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Soviet Union, and the USA (plus its Western allies) met in combat [†¦] Thus, the Korean War was not merely a war fought between proxies of the major powers, like the latter conflicts in Vietnam or Afghanistan, but a much more significant conflagration† (p. 7). This paper seeks to understand the Korean War. This can be done by looking at a brief historical background before the war and the events that added fuel to the tension between two Korean governments. Since the Korean War like many conflicts is so complicated this study focuses on tactics and logistics, and less on the historical figures that played a major role in this important period not only for Koreans but for Asians in particular and the world in general. Historical Background The Korean War was sometimes called the â€Å"Forgotten War† and this may be so because like Vietnam there are only a few people who understand its significance. Yet an â€Å"†¦outpouring of books, articles and film in the last decade as well as an impressive memorial on Washington, DC’s Mal (and the realization that) †¦it would be practically impossible to understand the Cold War†¦Ã¢â‚¬  have created a revival of interest on this subject (Sandler, p. 1).  The conflict in this area of the world does not surprise the experts and the grizzled veterans of war. In fact the professional soldier can easily read the undercurrent of history and be able to predict what will happen in the struggle for power and supremacy. This was eerily demonstrated by a seemingly prophetic Commodore Matthew Perry when he spoke these words in the year 1856, a century before the Korean War: The people of America will, in some form or other, extend their dominion and their power [†¦] upon the eastern shores of Asia. And I think too, that eastward and southward will her great Russian rival [†¦] The antagonistic exponents of freedom and absolutism must thus meet at last, and then will be fought that mighty battle on which the world will look with breathless interest; for on its issue will depend the freedom or the slavery of the world (as cited in Huston, p. 200). It boggles the mind of the average person when analyzing as to how Commodore Perry was able to ascertain his claims. What is more amazing is the accuracy of his predictions. It is like looking in a crystal ball and seeing very clearly what will happen. And indeed what Perry prophesied came to pass. Russia became a superpower and just like what the Commodore had said, the Russian government exerted tremendous influence over China. And of course his final statement about the necessity of a crucial war that will showcase the fight for freedom as opposed to absolutism was also played out just as he predicted. This can only mean that even before the first bullet crossed the 38th parallel, there are already forces at work even as far back as the late 19th century. Perry was able to read the signs and the saw the root cause of conflicts in this part of Asia. Yet it was only in the 1950s when the seed planted by those who wanted to control this region grew and blossomed into a passion that could only be satisfied with conquest. Blindsided Commodore Perry was praised here because of his foresight, a very important talent that a general should possess. If only the leaders of the free world in the 1950s were as gifted, then things would have turned out differently. But as fate would have it, from the U.S. and UN side was able anticipate what is going to happen. Either they were blindsided by the Communists or they were preoccupied by their paranoia. And that paranoia is brought about by the fear of being overrun by a westward move by the Union Soviet Socialist Republic. Stanley Sandler remarked on this and he wrote: A Soviet thrust into Western Europe seemed a far more threatening contingency than a possible dust-up between two unattractive regimes in a bleak former Japanese colony that most Americans could not find on a map. But Americans [†¦] would become acquainted with Korea in a war that would turn out be the third bloodiest in their history [†¦] and which for Koreans themselves would prove the greatest catastrophe in their national history (p. 2). First Blood It depends which side is asked. For the U.S. and UN Command, it was the North Koreans who drew first blood and attacked without warning nor any form of declaration of war. It seems that history is repeating itself once again for Americans just like in Pearl Harbor. But according to the communist-backed regime they were just retaliating from what the South has been doing for the past several months. The truth of the matter is that both sides were engaged in skirmishes that were serious prelude to war. Sandler asserts that it was an, â€Å"†¦armed conflict between the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea and the Republic of South Korea, which had been conducting mutual border raids for more than a year† (p. 2).  At any rate the U.S. led forces were caught by surprise that fateful day of June 25, 1950. Even if they will deny it, it is now clear that the North were prepared to launch an attack and the offensive move was purely intentional. Buildup Kim Il Sung the de facto leader of the newly established North Korean Regime began to make plans to invade South Korea. This plan was of course made in secret but nevertheless in close coordination with Russia’s Stalin and China’s Mao Tse-tung. According to Allan Millett the origin of this plan can be traced back to a change in the policy of Kim Il Sung’s benefactor to communize the whole Korean Peninsula (p. 102). It seems that Russia is no longer contented with being kept in check by a ridiculous 38th parallel and would like very much to gobble the whole Korean Peninsula. â€Å"The Soviets, however, came to realize that the goal of communizing the entire peninsula could not be achieved through such limited tactics, and decided to resort to more violent means† (Millet, p. 102). In December of 1948 the Soviets made the first tactical move to befuddle the U.S. by withdrawing their troops unilaterally out of North Korea. Then the Russian government turned around and invited the top brass of North Korea and China’s military for a buildup. Millet bared that the troika agreed to â€Å"†¦build up the strength of the North Korea People’s Army (NKPA), around 6 shock divisions, 8 combat and 8 reserve divisions, and 2 armored divisions and to complete the war preparations within 18 months (i.e., by June 1950)† (p. 103). The NKPA was able to do all of these like clockwork revealing a tremendous level of preparedness and dangerous intent. Level of Preparedness While the NKPA was psychologically and physically prepared to engage in battle the ROK (Republic of Korea) army though prepared for future skirmishes and for another round of border raids was not truly ready for a full scale war. The South was not ready to face an enemy dead set in gobbling them up and desiring to unite the whole peninsula once again. It took at least five days after the initial offensive of NKPA for the U.S. to make a coherent response. â€Å"On June 30, US President Harry S. Truman authorized US ground forces to stop the North Korean attack† (Boose, p. 4). This led to losses in the early rounds of the fighting and led Boose to comment, â€Å"It was able to do little to delay the KPA, but additional forces were on the way† (p. 4). Aside from differing interests and the reasonably defective intelligence from the Western nations – or they would have known of an imminent attack – there is the psychological reason for being unprepared. Sandler made a comment why it was unlikely for the Korean Peninsula to be plunged into such a bloody conflict. And he wrote: In looking back (before World War II) †¦ it would be difficult to imagine a more homogeneous and united nation than Korea. [†¦] they are of the same culture with minor north-south variations throughout the peninsula, and the Korean language – Hangul – is universal. Korean cultural homogeneity can be illustrated in its place name, a source of confusion for non-Korean UN personnel throughout the war: Inchon/Ichon, Masan/Musan, Paengnyong/Pyongyan/Pyonggang Pyongchang, Taejon/Taechon, Pukchong/Pukchang†¦(p. 3). That and the eighteen month head start is creating a great advantage for the NKPA. In the end this advantage would create a stalemate and would result in the present division of Korea and the unexpected survival of this communist state even though its patron the great USSR had long been dismantled. NKPA Preparedness The North Korean and the communist forces were not only decisive and aggressive they were able to create a force enough to challenge U.S. and UN supremacy in the South. The book, â€Å"Communist Logistics in the Korean War† by Charles Shrader is an excellent source in getting an in-depth look at what happened on the other side. Too many times the victors or the presumed victors in the case of the Korean War are all too willing to gloss over their mistakes and hype their successes. The focal point of this book is the refutation of the myths perpetuated by the Americans and UN forces that were then passed on to people back home and unfortunately was taken in as gospel truth. Shrader asserts and this is quite a revelation: One of the more persistent myths of the Korean War is that North Korean and Chinese communist solders were able to subsist on a mere handful of rice per day obtained all their arms and ammunition from their enemies, and moved all supplies by animal cart or human porters. Although supply requirements of NKPA and CCF in Korea were amazingly low when compared to the requirements for equivalent UNC units, the Communist forces did generate substantial requirements for formal supply and transport forward of tremendous quantities of food, petroleum products, weapons, and ammunition (p. 89). The U.S. and UN led coalition were more technically advanced but this is not the most important thing in any given war. It is the level of preparedness that is important. That level of preparedness can only be gauged in relation to the environment where a battle will be waged. Let’s say for example that forces are slugging it out in a heavy-forested area with a very steep incline. No matter how sophisticated the military jeeps are, this kind of technology will be rendered effective. In another example where the passageway in a body of water is narrow and shallow no matter how technologically advanced the frigates are it would be foolish to attack using this route since one sunken vessel can immobilize the whole fleet. In other words tactics and logistics are the most important aspects to consider and not just technology. This is the bone of contention in Shrader’s books – the South Korean forces was wrong in thinking that they were technically superior. This led Shrader to remark that:  NKPA-CCF logistical doctrines and methods were characterized by flexibility and innovation, which allowed them to compensate for comparative lack of material resources and modern technology [†¦] NKPA and CCF logistical organizations were equally flexible and often exhibited great variation in form, strength, and equipment of the assigned service units (p. 25). What contributed well to the high level of preparedness by the NKPA – aside from the Soviet support of course – is the broad range of natural resources present in North Korea. This includes water, power, timber, rare strategic materials e.g. tungsten, zinc, graphite reserves, substantial iron ore deposits, copper, lead, cobalt, asbestos, molybdenum, nickel, gold and silver (Shrader, p. 60). This resulted to an almost miraculous surge in North Korea’s war time production of needed materiel that surpassed pre-1945 levels: 1) 166,000 tons of pig iron; 2) 144,000 tons of steel ingot; and 3) 116,000 tons of finished steel (Shrader, p. 61). Summing it all up the major source of military materiel came via USSR which supplied the NKPA with aircraft, tanks, vehicles, communications equipment, heavy artillery, and ammunition. In addition to that, a portion of their needs were supplied by third country suppliers (Shrader, p. 60).  Thus when the communist forces launched the initial attack in June of 1950 their combined forces produced the following massive force in the eve of the attack:  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦135,000 men in two corps comprising eight full-strength infantry divisions, two half-strength infantry divisions, an armored brigade, an independent infantry regiment, a motorcycle reconnaissance regiment, and five brigades of the Bo An Dae, or Border Constabulary (Shrader, p. 90). What is more amazing is the development of the NKPA forces after the 1950s. After suffering setbacks from the retaliatory attacks of the UN command, the NKPA in the middle of 1951 the â€Å"rebuild NKPA included 213,600 men in twenty-three infantry divisions, one mechanized division, one armored division, and two independent infantry brigades controlled by seven corps headquarters. NKPA strength peaked in October 1952 at around 266,000 men in eighteen divisions and six independent brigades† (Shrader, p. 90). If this was not enough to give the South Koreans and its allies a full plate, the Chinese and the Soviets entered the fray in the guise of helping a beleaguered brother-in-arms. The forces supplied by the People’s Republic of China was more than enough to bring this regional level conflict into World War scale. The following data proves the serious intent of the communist bloc: By late November 1950 some 300,000 Chines Communist troops were in Korea: 180,000 in the six armies (eighteen divisions) of the XIIIth Army Group [†¦] 120,000 in the three armies (twelve divisions) of the IXth Army Group [†¦] on 1 July 1952, fify-one CCF divisions with some 540, 200 men manned the line across Korea from the west coast to the central Taebaek Range and were supported by about 10,000 Soviet and Soviet-bloc advisors and technicians (Shrader, p.90).  This is the extent of the level of North Korea’s preparedness and a sample of their resolve to win this war. ROK Preparedness Stanley Sandler in a few words was able to encapsulate the true state of South Korea’s forces before the attack by saying that June 25, 1950 was a Sunday and that fully one-half of the ROK Army was on leave (p. 48).  In the initial stage of the attack which was not at all done quietly and with any subtlety: heavy bombardment, followed by a blitzkrieg attack of some 150 Soviet-built T-34-85, 110 warplanes and a crossing of the 38th Parallel by a rampaging Korean People’s Army. Still there was an awfully delayed reaction to the events at hand. Sandler explained the reason for such a weak response due to the aforementioned soldiers who were on leave, the high number of civilian leaders who were out of the country and the mistaken notion that what just occurred was another border raid.  With regards to the presence of U.S. troops, Gordon Rottman lamented that fact that it was such in great shape a mere five years before the conflict and would have come handy in a time like this. But Rottman revealed that the U.S. government intentionally reduced its military strength not only in Korea but also in the Far East. Rottman comments on the closest source for help which are the forces stationed in Japan and he wrote: Tank companies stationed in Japan had only M24 light tanks as Japanese roads and bridges could not support heavier M4A3 and M26 tanks. M24s were no match for North Korean T-34s, one of the best tanks to appear in World War II. The divisions in Japan also lacked their reconnaissance, military police, and replacement companies [†¦] These divisions consisted of 12,500 to 13,600 troops rather than the full-strength 18,804 (p. 3). At first glance, South Korea does not stand a chance against the forces of Communism. Ironically, the same benefactor who gave NKPA a tactical and logistical advantage (USSR) became the source of their demise. Sensing that the North/South conflict is just a prelude for something bigger Russia’s enemies were banded together for a common cause, which is to prevent the USSR and Communism from expanding worldwide. This resulted in a pledge of commitment to provide support in a scale reminiscent of Word War II. When the NKPA was not able to achieve total victory, this gave the U.S. and UN led coalition to regroup and pose a decent defense of South Korea. Rottman expounded on this idea by saying that: The Korean War was to be the UN’s first commitment of armed forces to conduct and end a war [†¦] the UN called on all member nations to support the military effort in Korea. Fifty-three countries approved of armed action against North Korea: 15 committed ground combat forces, nine provided naval forces, six sent air force elements, and five contributed medical support, either military or civilian (p. 117). Bright Spot In general there is nothing that U.S. armed forces could be proud of in the Korean War. There was really no clear victor, no territory was gained and as mentioned earlier it was the third bloodiest in the history of war where casualties are at a significant high.  The only good thing that could be seen or learned from this incident is the demonstration of what bravery and commitment can do to an organization. Here one can also see the difference between a regular soldier in the U.S. Army as opposed to the brave and the few of the U.S. Marine Corp. Hugh Deane quoted Andrew Greer when describing the essence of being a marine, â€Å"In any small unit battle the outstanding behavior of a few men is always discernible over the others [†¦] The scale is tipped by a few – by the ten percent – who rise to the heights where the enemy and death can be met without a hesitant step† (p. 97). British historian Max Hastings remarked, â€Å"Most of the Eight Army fell apart as a fighting force in a fashion resembling the collapse of the French in 1940, the British in Singapore in 1942. But he reported the praiseworthy strong resistance of the U.S. Marines in the northeast† (as cited in Deane, p. 111). A particular example was raised by Deane when he commented on the enemy’s attack tactics that looked like suicide attempts characterized by sending small units that more often than not gets wiped out. This is followed by wave after wave of such small unit attacks against a selected point until a breakthrough is achieved and here comes the main force. This was effective in demoralizing troops. But according to Deane this would not work against the marines. â€Å"†¦but against the marines in the Northeast the results were often frustrating. The marines constructed strongly fortified outposts in the hilly-forested Chosin area and defended them fiercely with a good deal of success (p. 129). Conclusion Almost all wars are considered a waste of time, money, effort and lives of men. The Korean War was no exception. Considering the following statistics makes one shake hid head over the folly of war:  The North Korean armed forces lost approximately 600,000 men in the fighting, in addition to two million civilian casualties. The Chinese [†¦] an estimated 1 million casualties. Losses to the ROK are estimated at 70,000 killed, 150,000 wounded and 80,000 captured. One million South Korean civilians were killed or injured. The USA lost 33,600 men kiled nad 103,200 wounded (Malkasian, p. 88). What adds insult to injury is the futility of not having a clear victor, no territories were gained and nothing significant was achieved except perhaps for a few lessons in the book of tactics. The level of preparedness of both camps explained the reason for the stalemate. The South Korea side was backed up by a technologically superior U.S. and UN led coalition but it was not mentally prepared to wage this war. Almost every action done on the part of South Korea was mostly reactionary and defensive. Most importantly, the United States was treading on thin ice since a miscalculation and overkill can easily escalate the regional conflict into a global war. With the Second World War fresh from people’s minds there is no incentive to go full force. Although the NKPA was well prepared and very much flexible in their serious bid to unite the Korean Peninsula it does not have the technological edge to overpower the U.S. and UN forces. On a more important note, the attack on South Korea was a supposed to be a defensive act. Therefor the USSR could not be seen as fully involved and thus it can only work from the background.  That sums up the futility of this exercise but nevertheless it is a good prelude to understand the Cold War and the other similar conflicts that came after it like Vietnam and Afghanistan. References Deane, H. (1999). The Korean War. San Francisco, CA: China Books and Periodicals, Inc. Huston, J. A. (1988). Outposts and Allies: U.S. Army Logistics in the Cold War. New Jersey: Associated University Press. Malkasian, C. (2001). The Korean War. University Park, IL.: Osprey Publishing. Shrader, C. (1995). Communist Logistics in the Korean War. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Millet, A. R. (1997). The Korean War. Seoul: Korea Institute of Military History. Sandler, S. (1999). The Korean War: No Victors, No Vanquished. Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press. Rottman, G. (2002). Korean War Order of Battle. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.            

Frank Mccourt: Angela’s Ashes

In this hard world where winning is more important than participating you would sometimes almost forget to be generous from time to time. But when I read Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt I got a completely different view on generosity and the importance of it. This memoir is about the miserable Irish Catholic childhood of the writer. And I think that after this essay you will see that acts of generosity can make the lives of the poor better and that those people afterwards can also help other poor people. Firstly, it were rough times for the McCourt family.Dad -Malachy- was drinking the dole, the family lived in a bad house and children kept dying. The only way the McCourt’s could keep their heads above water was getting help from others. One thing that helped them in their struggle for survival was the St. Vincent the Paul Society. On page 79 they get help for the first time. I quote â€Å"The man in the middle says he’s giving Mam a docket to get a week’ s groceries at McGrath’s shop on Parnell Street. There will be tea, sugar, flour, milk, butter and a separate docket for a bag of coal from Sutton’s coal yard on the Dock road. In my opinion this is generous because I think that generosity means to help someone without gaining profit from it yourself and the St. Vincent de Paul Society doesn’t get anything back for this. That this gift of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is very helpful for the McCourt’s is confirmed by this â€Å"Mam wipes her face at the back of her sleeve and takes the docket. She tells the men, God bless you for your kindness†(page 79). Even though they get some support from the St. Vincent de Paul Society the McCourt family didn’t have enough to be very happy or to not have hunger.Therefore it is very good that others also helped the family sometimes. Another gift that I found generous was that some shopkeepers also gave food to the family for free. â€Å"A few shopkeep ers give bread, potatoes, tins of beans†¦ † (page 90). This, in my opinion, is very generous because those shops are there to make profit and handing out food isn’t profitable for them at all. It’s however very helpful for the McCourt’s. Further on in the book you can also read that Angela could also get credit at Kathleen O’Connell’s shop. Mam says she can now pay off the few pounds that she owes at Kathleen O’Connell’s shop†¦ † (page 133). Of course you could say this isn’t real generosity because Mam has to pay the money back, but I think it is quite generous to give credit to a family that doesn’t have a steady income. Secondly, when Frank is a little older –at the age when he can start working- you can discover a different kind of generosity. The kind of generosity that is more like giving a fishing rod instead of a fish.The first time when you will encounter this type of generosity is w hen Aunt Aggie buys the new clothes for Frank for his job as a telegram boy. â€Å"She takes me to Roche’s Stores and buys me a shirt, a gansey, a pair of short pants, two pairs of stockings and a pair of summer shoes on sale. She gives me two shillings to have tea and a bun for my birthday. She gets on the bus to go back up O’Connell Street too fat and lazy to walk. Fat and lazy, no son of her own, and still she buys me the clothes for my new job† (page 392).I think this is generosity because he now has a suit in which he of course will make a better impression at his new job and he can start making money of his own. In my interpretation Frank appreciated this gift very much because he even cries from happiness â€Å"I turn towards Arthur’s Quay with the package of new clothes under my arm and I have to stand at the edge of the River Shannon so that the whole world won’t see the tears of a man the day he’s fourteen† (page 392). Then after a while he gets fired because he has to deliver a telegram to Mr.Harrington, but he gets falsely accused for stealing ham and sherry. Because of a generous deed of the parish priest he gets his job back. â€Å"She gets a letter from the parish priest. Take the boy back, says the parish priest. Oh, yes father, indeed, says the post office† (page 416). Then when he delivers a telegram to Mrs. Brigid Finucane she asked Frank if he can write letters to her costumers to give her back the money she had leant them. This job yielded him some extra money, so his trip to America came closer and closer. She says, I’ll give you threepence for every letter you write and another threepence if it brings a payment† (page 418). I think it’s very generous from Mrs. Finucane to give this job because it brings Frank closer to his target, going to America. Because of all these acts of generosity towards the McCourt’s and especially Frank McCourt they aren’t the poorest of the poorest. Because they aren’t you can discover some acts of generosity from Frank himself. One generous gesture by him was that he gave his raisin away. I wanted the raisin for myself but I saw Paddy Clohessy standing in the corner with no shoes and the room was freezing and he was shivering like a dog that had been kicked and I always felt sad over kicked dogs so I walked over and gave Paddy the raisin† (page 148). I think it’s very generous to give your food away to someone that has it even worse than you even if you don’t have much yourself. The quote says that Paddy has no shoes. Without acts of generosity towards Frank he probably wouldn’t have them either, so he would have probably eaten the raisin himself.Something else happens much later in the book and that is that Frank throws Mrs. Finucanes’ ledger in the Shannon. This means that a lot of people don’t have to pay her back. †Aunt Aggie’s name i s in the ledger. She owes nine pounds. It might have the money she spent on my clothes a long time ago but now she’ll never have to pay it because I heave the ledger into the river† In my opinion this is a very clear act of generosity because he helps a lot of poor people with this. This is maybe a bit like Robin Hood even.Finally, now we have had a look at how acts of generosity changes the course of events and of lives I think we can conclude that generosity can really change the life of some people. Wouldn’t the McCourt family have died from starvation without generosity? Would Frank McCourt have ever gone to America without generosity? Would Frank have ever been generous to others without generosity from others? I would answer no on all these questions. I also think that generosity leads to more generosity. I hope you will understand this when you look at the last paragraph, because Frank is generous because others have been generous to him.

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

Antropologhy - Essay Example The authors (1995, p.1) write, â€Å"Immigration is the very core of American society; with the exception of the Native Americans, every American is an immigrant.† The authors further opine, â€Å"This large presence of immigrants in our midst can easily give rise to strong expressions of nativism, especially when people are faced with deteriorating economic conditions.†(p.2) On the basis of information provided in the movie/video that I viewed as for the migration of Hmong and the pattern of migration of people of many nationalities to New York City/State, the summing up of the issues are as under: Hmong: Hmong are mainly from Laos, where they are an ethnic minority group. Their influx into USA was due to the American Cold War policies in Laos. Majority of the 200,000 Hmong refugees found their destination to USA. The pattern of migration was not due to economic reasons, but the political development in Laos. Hmong immigrants were mostly settled in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California. To halt the communist takeover in Indochina, USA conducted a ground operation in Laos and the Hmong ethnic community sided with USA. In May 1975, when communist takeover was imminent, evacuation of the Hmong into Thailand began. The first batch of 3500 Hmong arrived in USA in December 1975 and by 2000, more than 100,000 had immigrated and resettled. Most of them arrived in USA due to duress and to escape harassment at the hands of the Communist regime. Assimilation in the American society was a tall order for them. Most of them were farmers in their country and to adjust into a capitalist society was a tough call in the initial stages. Hmong cultural values clash with that of Americans. A good number of Hmong youth have taken to criminality and to gang life. Notwithstanding all these challenges Hmong ethnic group as a whole looks forward to a bright future in the land of their immigration. New York – The Worlds City The City of New York has always been in the limelight for one reason or the other, even before USA formally emerged as an independent Nation. It was the important entry point for the Europeans since 1880s. About 20 million immigrants had reached the point of their first landing Ellis Island till the early 20th century. The European immigration continued unabated during the 18th and 19th centuries. An acute condition of the agricultural products known as potato famine in Ireland was the cause of the first wave of immigrants from Ireland who arrived in 1840s. During this period German immigration also began and gradually increased. They settled in Rochester and Buffalo. European immigration picked up momentum and Eastern European Jews and Italians followed suit. This was in 1880s by which time the number of German speaking Jew immigrants in New York was 80,000. By 1920, it had risen to 2,000,000. Italian immigrants began arriving in 1800s. By 1950, their number had increased to 500,000 including the city and the state. The New York City was like the transit centre. As soon as one wave of immigrants dispersed to other areas, a new wave arrived. Yankees from New England were in the forefront as for migration and most of those arriving in 1790 to 1840 in New York were from this country. The Chinese first entered America in 1849.They came as laborers, seeking employment. They arrived in San Francisco. The Chinese suffered immense discrimination as American workers felt

Analysis of the Movie Crash Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of the Crash - Movie Review Example In the movie, the white undercover cop shot the black undercover counterpart and it is revealed that he had gunned down two other black men in the past, which is a pointer towards his hatred of black people. racism gets to its peak when the advisor of the District Attorney together with the black detective get busy at making sure the white cop is incarcerated and charged with racism without even conducting an investigation into the matter and giving the white cop a chance to defend himself. Racism can affect the society significantly if allowed to thrive. It curtails harmonious living among people of different racial backgrounds. Racism also leads to inequality in resource distribution, where the â€Å"superior† race receives a larger share of the national cake than other races. This breeds animosity between races. Also, racism does not allow all citizens to contribute to the societal building because it promotes a group to feel superior to others, which jeopardizes the chances of working together to better the society. Finally, racism is a killer of morality in the society. It perpetuates moral decadence through stereotyping and prejudice among society  members.

Assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Assigment - Assignment Example The salary review team will work based on the labor laws of the country. This team will be able to evaluate whether these claims form the nurses are substantial (Snow, 2008). The roles of the salary review team would also include a consideration of nurses who require salary increase. This would be in accordance with their job description and their performance while working at the health center. The review team would also analyze the previous performance appraisals in an effort to analyze the level of performance and skills exhibited by the nurses. After the review by the team, it would define new compensation packages for all the employees. This is because different nurses have a diverse range of skills and qualifications. Therefore, increase in salaries depends on the level of each nurse. In addition, I would organize motivation and empowerment programs that would help nurses appreciate the nobility of their profession (p. 5). The program would serve as a forum for helping them realize that the value of their work in providing health care is more important than the compensation

Frame by Frame - Music and Soundscapes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Frame by Frame - Music and Soundscapes - Essay Example There are a variety of transitions implemented in this scene. The beginning of the scene implements traditional continuity editing shots that narrate Nash’s encounter with the military officials. Within this continuity editing there are juxtapositions between the military officials and Nash’s sudden face. This continuity editing gives way to dissolves of Nash’s face, as well as dissolves of the specific numbers he is examining. Rather than functioning within regular continuity, these dissolves demonstrate the passage of time as Nash examines and ponders the flashing numbers. These transitions, as well as the traditional and non-traditional editing techniques, have a variety of effects on scene and viewer. Perhaps most prominently this approach creates a dream-like atmosphere. Rather than conveying the scenes in a direct narrative way, this dream-like explication allows the viewer to viscerally experience Nash’s creative process and the way he is able to so lve these equations. It’s noted that there are three different types of sound in film. Diegetic sound is sound that both the audience and the characters can hear (Stanley, 2011). This is contrasted with non-diegetic sound that occurs outside of the character’s comprehension, but is available to the audience (Stanley, 2011). Finally there is ambient or natural sound; while this is also recognized as non-diegetic it constitutes a more specific articulation of this sound notion ("Types of," 2011). In the ‘Barrels’ scene from Jaws one recognizes the implementation of non-diegetic sound as the film’s soundtrack immediately overlays the narrative events. Additionally, natural and ambient sound occurs with the sound of the ocean and the events on the ship. Finally, there is diegetic sound implemented through discussions on the radio. In the ‘Opposites Do Not Attract’ scene from When Harry Met Sally one recognizes the implementation of natural and ambient sound in the car