The Global Significance of the Middle East Essay

The Global Significance of the Middle East - Essay Example The global significance of the Middle East in a broader sense is defined by religious, economic, and political factors. This religion has enormously contributed in past global civilizations. Its economic hub has benefited uncountable nations through the resources held in this region. Most importantly, the emergence and spread of Islam, and the rise of terrorism threats have placed Middle East at a critical global focus. A notable example here is the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S2. Essentially, the political organization of the region has continued to inform the region’s global influence. The realized global significance of the Middle East is based on its strategic location, resources held, and its relations with the rest of the world. The region is rich in oil and natural gas, resources that drive a great deal of people’s lives globally. Its location also stands in a path that offers global connectivity through transport. Most importantly, linking of a number of countries in Middle East with terrorist activities has made the region significant to consider. Religious and political scrutiny of the region has attracted global attention. Middle East’s global significance has strained its ties and relations with some countries, while streamlining those of its allies. This has resulted in variant views and perspectives regarding this region. Proof of terrorism emanating from the region could justify such strained relations. However, global interdependence holds the significance of Middle East as a positive

Protection of data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Protection of data - Essay Example There are number of organizers and facilitators in the form of computer software, hardware, mobile phones, smart phones, laptops, tablet-pcs, and other such gadgets that allow the user to write the contents, record it and then send it to the destined email account. This entire route of services needs to be protected and secured against any threat that could damage the content and pass malafide contents with an intention to damage network of other people (Voltage 2011) The management of emails and its accounts are done by the email server which has several components out of which two components that are always required consists of Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) and Mail Delivery Agent (MDA). Both of these components perform different tasks. Emails are held by Mail Delivery Agent for delivery to users while emails are sent and received from other servers on Internet by Mail Transfer Agent (Swanson 2004) The Mail Transfer Agent uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) which picks mail from the email clients and sends to its destination server. The Mail Delivery Agent used two standard protocols; Post Office Protocol (POP) and Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP). The main difference between the two protocols are that after downloading the email from POP Server, the mail client removes email messages from the server, living the responsibility for the user to store and preserve it on a local machine (Swanson 2004) Whereas messages are stored in mail server and the backup is also made by the server. Messages are not deleted after downloading from IMAP server. POP is an older protocol and its use is reducing compared with IMAP protocol. The complexity and confusion comes when these two different types of protocols interact on the internet (Swanson 2004) Another component used commonly for protecting external attacks is the firewall software. Crackers and hackers deceive and bypass firewall by tunneling through the protocols used for email accounts as the contents of email are not checked by any protocol or system (GFI Software 2011) Email systems are classified in six ways as given below for which they are exploited for the purposes of information theft, attacking networks of other people and harassing target systems (GFI Software 2011) 1. Attack by trojans and viruses 2. Leakage of information 3. Malicious or offensive content 4. Varying methods of email attacks 5. Vulnerabilities in different software 6. Insufficient protection by security tools 7. Junk emails or SPAM TASK TWO EXAMPLES OF EMAIL EXPLOITS Attacks by trojans and viruses: The use of email has become global and wide spread. The hackers use email to tunnel the trojans and viruses as no security or email protocols check its text. In January 2004, it was reported by CNN that email virus MyDoom cost them US$250 million in productivity lost and expenses for technical support. Similarly in the studies cited by NetworkWorld (September 2003), U.S. companies alone spent an amount of US$3.5 bill ion to fight against the email viruses such as Blaster, SoBig.F, Wechia and others(GFI Software 2011) Trojans are sent by email and as soon as the email is opened it installs specific code which gains the control of servers and confidential information. Security experts in the computer technology call such trojans as â€Å"spy viruses† or â€Å"instructive viruses†; tools for industrial espionage. In October 2000,

Organizational Behavior (1) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Behavior (1) - Assignment Example This paper will describe the 21st century manager and discuss how various organizational cultures influence such managers. The 21st century manager is faced with the duty of managing people in this era of change. This era is characterized by technological innovation, deregulation, globalization, new political systems, a new workforce mentality, more service-oriented jobs and a new emphasis on "knowledge work† (Hofstede, 1980). These are the changes that managers and their organizations ought to progressively respond to in order to achieve effective organizational structures (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin & Cardy, 2008). To discuss how organizational culture influences the 21st century manager, it is important to define organizational culture. Organizational culture is a set of shared mental suppositions that guide action and interpretation in organizations by outlining apposite behavior for various situations (Hofstede, 1980). Cultures develop in organizations due to internal integration and external adaptation. External adaptation mirrors an evolutionary tactic to organizational culture and proposes that cultures exist since they assist an organization to subsist and flourish. If the culture is useful, then it embraces the prospective for engendering constant competitive advantages. Internal integration, on the other hand is a valuable function because social structures are requisite for establishments to exist. Organizational practices are cultured through socialization at the workplace. Work environments strengthen culture on a daily basis by encouraging workers to exercise cultural values (Gome z-Mejia, Balkin & Cardy, 2008). Organizational culture influences managers to embrace behaviors that persuade employees to embark on tasks in a constructive and empowering way. Managers in the 21st century have learnt to embrace the contingency approach to management in a business world that is faced with diverse and ever growing pool of management techniques and

The Making of The Modern World Economy Coursework

The Making of The Modern World Economy - Coursework Example Commerce was revived with the expansion of specialization between its countryside’s and towns. Commerce and trade sprung in most parts of Western Europe especially in Venice and the Northern cities. During the time of exploration, the navigators discovered new paths to explore Asia and America. Commerce grew in these nations due to the establishment of financial companies and the merging of companies (Pomeranz, 2011). There was also the difference in coal availability between China and Europe. China had plenty of coal deposits which made it a huge potential to the West. During the industrial period, coke and coal were frequently used in the transportation. Coal was used to fire steam engines which turned out to be both cheaper and efficient in terms of use, as compared to charcoal. Even though China had used coal during the Ming and Song period, China later abandoned its use due to the Chinese industry shifting to the South. The shift caused the deposits to be far away due to the destructions of Jurchen and Mongol. The technological advancements made Europe to succeed in agriculture, trading, fuel and other resources (Pomeranz, 2011). Labor migration from the Chinese led to improved Agricultural systems in Europe. Most of the European land was idle and underdevelopment as compared with the Asian counterparts. Instead of Europe engaging in the expensive improvement of soil fertility, it embarked on the labor productivity. However due to the increased migration of people to the European nations, it caused food shortages. The problem was easily counteracted through the importation of fertilizers and appetite suppressants foods from America (Pomeranz, 2011). Europe’s success can also be contributed by aggressive persuasion of the imperialist and the mercantilist policies through which Europe used the military and protective methods to safeguard its industrialists based in China. The rise of Europe can

Why quit smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why quit smoking - Essay Example There are many instances where the smokers give up the habit and then succumb to the temptation. This is because they have made only half-hearted measures to quit smoking and unless one is completely determined to quit, the desire would manifest again and again. Some of the measures like reducing the number of cigarettes one smokes or increasing the interval between successive cigarettes are just temporary solutions and do not lead to any long term de-addiction. There has to be a strong willed desire to quit and the resolve has to be stiff. Though these may seem like harsh words, unfortunately they are the ones that can help in smoking cessation. - There are many who believe that â€Å"tapering† off nicotine usage can lead to quitting smoking. However, studies have indicated that the majority of smokers who quit have done so by abruptly quitting instead of tapering over a period of time. This method calls for will power and resolve and certain modifications to the dietary habits can make a difference. If one can reduce the intake of caffeine, sugar and alcohol, they go a long way in making one move away from nicotine. These are stimulants that aid in a cycle of substance addiction and cessation of any one of these can lead to cessation of the other. The high risk groups are those who take one or more than one of these stimulants in large quantities. - Quitting smoking improves the physical and mental fitness of individuals. So, having an exercise regimen goes a long way in aiding the urge to quit smoking. As they say, a jog around the park can be more addictive than a pack of cigarettes. - The effect of the peer group is one of the most important factors in people deciding to smoke and conversely deciding to quit as well. So, make sure that you get the encouragement of co-workers and friends who do not smoke and try to minimize the

The Creation of a Common Market for Financial Services in the European Union Essay Example for Free

The Creation of a Common Market for Financial Services in the European Union Essay Of all the global achievements in the last 50 years, economic integration in Europe may be considered as the most notable of all. From a continent separated by war and differences in culture, Europe has proceeded to become an economic and political leader today. The formation of the European Union (EU), the accession of the 15 European countries to the Community, and the introduction of a single currency which were all deemed too difficult have all become realities, proving skeptics that there is hope for a united Europe. From the beginning, the idea behind united Europe centered on economic prosperity. While conflicts in European countries were political in nature, it was almost always related to resource allocation. The signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957 signaled the start of a gradualist approach to building the European Union as we know today. By preventing the establishment of monopolies, enabling the creation of common policies and granting commercial privileges to the colonies of the Member States, the Treaty of Rome put into motion the progressive economic integration which in turn, led to the longer term objective of political union in the continent (Ocana 2003). The Treaty of Rome paved the way for the creation of a common market wherein persons, services and capitals can freely move across borders. Yet, despite the freedom of establishment set out in Article 43, the freedom to provide cross border services as provided by Article 49 and the free movement of capital espoused by Article 59 (European Council 1957), the focus in these early years were mainly on the abolition of tariffs and excise taxes. Following the recession in the early 1980s (also termed as eurosclerosis), the Heads of States have decided to complete the plans for an internal market. As early as 1985 the potential of a common market for financial services was already recognized. In the 1985 White Paper published by the Commission of the European Communities, it said: â€Å"In the Commission’s view, it is no exaggeration to see the establishment of a common market in services as one of the main preconditions for a return to economic prosperity†¦the liberalization of financial services will represent a major step towards Community financial integration and the widening of the Internal Market† (Commission of the European Communities 1985). This is a fact that the modern day European Commission (EC) still believes in. With more efficient allocation of capital, the Commission hopes to ensure long-term economic performance. More than 20 years after the publication of the 1985 White Paper, Europe is in economic turmoil. Critics have started pinpointing the flaws of creating the EU, and the Commission must again enumerate the advantages of an integrated financial market, as well as report on the developments aimed at this direction. What are the different steps made toward financial integration? What are the specific features of the liberalization program? What are the results achieved from these reforms? These are just some of the issues which will be discussed in this paper. What does a Single Market Look Like? While so many legislators talk about the Single Market for financial services, very few actually understand what it is, and what can be expected from it. In sum, however, a fully functioning unified market allows buyers and sellers of assets to deal with one another, regardless of the location of their systems and infrastructure. It allows market participants, both the intermediaries (brokers) and the end users, to raise funds and profit in all Member States without fulfilling additional licensing requirements. Financial institutions which legally operate in one Member State can open new cross border operations without needing to pay additional fees or acquiring new certification from the host country. These same institutions are also given access to all essential systems and infrastructures they will need to continue their operation (The Working Group in City of London 2000). All financial institutions duly licensed in their home countries can work as intermediaries in the financial market offering the same functions, products and services across all Member States. In the same manner, infrastructure providers are free to offer their services in any country which belongs to the EU (The Working Group in City of London 2000). Needless to say, a Single Market is a venue for competition and innovation. It enables Member States to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the 27 countries and 480 million people in the Community without worrying about the risks. It allows Member States to take advantage of the benefits of free trade, while at the same time erecting safeguards that can protect their own economy from increasing volatility which is a major characteristic of globalization. The Benefits of a Single Market According to the EC, the completion of a â€Å"single market [for] financial services is†¦a crucial part of the European Commission’s overriding objective of achieving more and better jobs in a more dynamic, innovative, attractive Europe† (European Commission 2010). Keep in mind that the financial market deals mainly with savings (whether individual or institutional) which can then be used as capital. With a Single Market for financial services, Member States can hope to achieve the following advantages (The Working Group in City of London 2000: pp. 7-8): †¢ Improved allocation of capital, due to the lower transaction costs and higher market liquidity. †¢ More efficient movement in the security market which allows savings to become investments. †¢ More innovative financial systems which lead to a diversified (hence, a more stable) portfolio of investments. †¢ More efficient financial transactions as brought about by the competition among financial intermediaries in the EU. †¢ Increased opportunity to take advantage of the economies of scale. In the 1985 White Paper, it was stated that in order for the internal market to become a possibility, firms and private individuals must have access to more efficient financial services. With open competition among financial institutions, they will be forced to reevaluate their processes so that restrictions to capital movements are kept to a minimum (Commission of the European Communities 2005). The White Paper also believed that more efficient financial transactions will reinforce the European Monetary System and ensure the stability of the exchange rate (Commission of the European Communities 2005). Even in those early days, it was already known that the free movement of capital coupled with greater financial freedom will enable Member States to enact sound economic policies, hence, promote economic stability. In recent years, the need for a Single Market for financial services has become even more important. With the improvement in technology came the increased access to knowledge and information, which in turn affected strategic decisions and competition. In order to survive a globalized economy, companies have to find more efficient processes so that they can take advantage of the economies of scale. And yet, even the creation of efficient processes will require capital. With lesser restrictions among EU countries, companies can now raise funds from any side of the Community. Aside from this, the high interest rates have led to the increase in the demand for high-yield securities and assets, but with the deceleration in productivity came the need to manage portfolios more actively. Investors have become more wary and will not release capital without the assurance of profit. With a Single Market for financial services, the EU has provided stability in portfolios because of the increase in the number of investment tools available in the Community. A Single Market for financial services allows capital to flow smoothly because it provides investors an attractive market where there are more opportunities to pool risk, as well as improved chances to profit. With the increase in the flow of investments in all financial institutions in the EU, businesses can have additional sources of capital which they can then use to expand their operations, and provide employment. The â€Å"achievement of the Single European financial market is the most crucial [factor] in creating the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion† (The Working Group in City of London 2000: pp. 8). For citizens, a single market for financial services meant that the capability to open bank accounts in any country in the EU, buy and sell shares in foreign companies, purchase real estate – basically to find an investment with the best return. On the other hand, for companies, it means the ability to invest (and own) other European companies and play a big role in their management. The financial market is a global industry where global players seek international markets which will give the best advantages in terms of cost, profit, flexibility and liquidity. An integrated European financial market makes available a number of opportunities – from retail investors, to wholesale financial markets for global traders. Steps toward Financial Integration in the EU The move towards financial integration in the EU can be traced as far back as the 1970s with the release of the major directives in banking, insurance and investments. The first banking directive focused on the establishment of credit institutions within the Community. According to this directive, all banks operating in the Community which have plans of establishing operation on another country must obtain authorization from the supervisory body of the host country. At the time, European Community (EC) banks were subject to restriction, especially in the range of activities they can perform. Many of these restrictions are listed on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Keep in mind, however, that this directive has been issued in the 1970s while the similar legal framework from the World Trade Organization (WTO) was released only in the 1990s. By 1989, a new banking directive was released. The second directive introduced a single banking license wherein the bank’s home country is responsible for checking the financial institutions’ overall solvency, and the fulfillment of minimum capital requirements. Once the bank was licensed in its home country, it can then expand its operations to other Member States without completing separate authorization requirements (Pasadilla 2008: pp. 3). Aside from these two directives, other directives affecting banking policies were released. Some of them were involved the harmonizing of accounting rules, the removal of exchange controls, the setting of minimum capital requirements, and the definition of banking activities. Integration in insurance and investment mirrors the same steps made in banking. Major directives were also released, each one amending the previous. The first directive in this sector paralleled the first banking directive wherein authorization procedures were outlined. In a subsequent directive, the home country control was enhanced and certain supervisory provisions were specified.

Literacy Practices Contain Elements English Language Essay

Literacy Practices Contain Elements English Language Essay In this essay I will attempt to give some of my own examples of literary practices and why I consider them to be creative, linking them to examples from the study material and where relevant build on my knowledge of Carter and make reference to a few of his ideas and theories and weigh them out in said discussion. I shall start off by first explaining what literacy practices are and where we can find them and conclude by giving some examples of my own personal experience. Literacy practices is the way in which people interact with texts and the meanings these hold for them and how these are tied up with individual identity, personal relationships, community membership, religious practices and political manoeuvring. They are influenced by affordances and constraints with technological and socio-historical/cultural factors. These will change and shift as part of technological advances and changes in the social world e.g. in the recognition of social space in households (Cruickshank 2001). Some examples of literacy domains are home, work and social networks and examples of literacy practices are letter reading, filing, writing, diary writing, list making, newspaper reading and even filling a lottery slip. A further relevant term named multiple literacy i.e. is a diverse range of competences which include text literacy, media literacy, information literacy, computer literacy, visual literacy, multicultural literacy, emotional literacy, etc. The essay will also show that creativity is dependent and emergent from the creative literacy practices through which texts are constructed and that the way such a text is read is also considered creativity. There are several examples of literary creativity in everyday life. However I shall mostly be using my own examples and explaining why I find them literary and/or creative. An autobiography is something that most of us think of as creative writing because it is a memory of somebodys past life. One writes about these memories perhaps first by writing letters, then a short story until eventually it emerges into a fully fledge book of its own. But literacy doesnt necessarily have to be a word; it might as well be a sign that we associate something with, like a McDonalds or restaurant sign which children will instantly associate it with. This so-called understanding of environmental print is recognised by children long before individual letters are known, so a child will recognize a McDonalds burger bar sign much earlier before it can actually read the word as a whole. This phenomenon is called emergent literacy and children will notice words, colours, signs, and numbers and gradually begin to recognise their true meaning and start to experiment by copying or trying to describe them on a piece of paper with coloured pens, etc. Carter (1999) identified three models of literariness: The inherency model, which embeds particular properties of language. Literary language is regarded distinct from more practical uses of language which highlights language itself. The socio-cultural model views literariness as socially and culturally determined, e.g. drawing attention that conceptions of literature will vary historically and culturally. Eagleton (1996) There is nothing distinctive about literary language; any text can be seen as literature if it is defined as such. And finally, the cognitive model, which relates literary language to mental processes. Linguistic repetition derives from a basic human drive to repeat and is a kind of cognitive argument, (Tannen 1989) whereas Cook (1994:4) believes that literary texts have an effect on the mind and help us to think in new ways and refresh and change our representations of the world. Gibbs (1994) states human language and human understanding often are metaphorical and that literary metaphor will carry on and extend everyday metaphorical notions. Carter believes creativity is commonly regarded as a process that will result in solution or identification of problems, usually a result of a process of divergent and innovative thinking. (Carter, 2008. p.48) The answer to where we find creativity in language is a broad expression in my opinion, because there are so many places where we would find language creativity in everyday context. However for the sake of example I have decided to give the example of language creativity made by young children because they are still learning how to use language properly and by doing so come up with expressions which really could be considered creative. So to answer where we find creative language we do not have to look far, we simply have to speak with small children because as they are still learning the rules of correct language grammar, they tend to invent new forms of grammar or more correctly, adopt and transmit it into their sentences. For example using flyed instead of flew or biccik instead of biscuit. This is a term I picked up from my younger cousin when he was around 2 years old. Creativity will nearly always depend on the intentions and inferences of the participants is a statement from Carter. (Carter, 2008) Further he feels that creative language use cannot be described as being evaluated by wholly formalistic definitions and depends on elements such as relationships, nature of external task, changing social contexts and speech genres. (Carter, p.167, 2008) He also suggests creativity is seen as a social and interactional act as much as it is a distinctive individual act. (p.44) Furthermore there is also the proposal that repetition is a resource by which conversationalists together create a discourse, a relationship and a world (cited in Carter, 2008, p.101) and it is suggested that spoken language use may be more closely connected with expressions of feeling and identity, than written text. (Carter, 2008, p.112) According to Carter it is important to recognize creativity in context. He feels that while creativity in language can occur in the most situations, it will still remain probabilistic because a brochure may be informal but it can also be creative. (Carter 2008) The above has illustrated two points of view from two different people. One of them is Cooks view and the other is Carters view; and at this stage I will attempt to discuss these ideas and try to demonstrate them in my answer. To recapitulate, Cook sees language creativity as a tool for survival whereas Carter sees it as a process of problem solving. There are 3 areas of language play: Pragmatic Function, Linguistic and Semantic. Pragmatic is the effect of language choice e.g. solidarity, enjoyment, Linguistic is the look or the sound of words e.g. patterning, repetition and Semantic carries inversion of meaning like puns. Literacy activities are a non-specialist way to simply refer to peoples interactions with texts. Even today we relate to people who are able to read and write as literate. Literacy events are social interactions where literacy plays an important role, e.g. discussing a letter from a tax office, reading a bedtime story or helping a friend with a crossword puzzle. They are ways in which people use and interact with texts in particular context and the meaning it holds for them like the frequent email circulation of jokes among groups of friends and the importance of this for the people involved, for example writing Open University assignments plus the meaning and significance of the activity for the student doing the writing. Why are we creative with language? This is not a straightforward question because there may be various reasons why we are creative with our language, it will depend wholly on the situation we find ourselves in, whether it is among close friends and family or in a work environment or even in our free time. And throughout the years we have come up with new words for certain activities like the word texting or tweeting. In a sense this can also be seen as language creativity and a literacy practice because up to a few years ago there was no Twitter and text messaging has only recently become as normal as the email which cant be thought out of our everyday lives anymore. But as everything can be considered as creative, what can be considered literary? Literary language can sometimes be axiomatic and may carry forms of moral injunctions even though it may not direct us to form certain constative speech acts in response to the text. Carter showed two examples in his book, the first being an instructional handbook for motor car repair and the second taken from a well-known novel published in the 1950s in Britain. In the instruction manual medium dependence is not a common characteristic of common literary language even though there may be special cases to the rule. This concludes why we are creative with language; so that firstly we can get along with other people that may not be as articulate or creative with language as we are and as mentioned earlier in the essay, so that the language evolves. Even though some people might argue that language is a god given ability which must be treasured, we cannot argue that throughout our history as many cultures and the outlook of life have changed, so has our language. Take the example of the English language: from becoming a Germanic dialect which came from the Scandinavians at around 1066 which eventually developed into Old English and eventually to the language we speak now, a lot of creativity has been changing ideas which make up the modern English language. In fact English as it is spoken today did not even come close to sounding the way that is sounds now. One could even say it was incomprehensible. And on top of that, next to sounding completely different it also had a completely different alphabet with letters that are no longer used today a rune-like alphabet with extra letters in order to illustrate certain sounds like sh. As we have seen, it is mainly because of creativity that we speak the language we speak today. From the moment we are born we are bombarded with literacy and the correct form of speaking the way that is considered by society to be literary. I have shown some examples of language creativity in young children and given some of my own personal examples and linked them to the question. I have also tried to link the ideas to Carter and how they fit in with his theories and have given some examples of new literacy activities which have become a part of everyday life in the 21st century, such as tweeting. Facebook and Twitter have in that sense become new literacy tools for this age and time. And in the age of the tablet, our literacy practices have made another step to the future. Tablets have made some of the commonest everyday things redundant, like newspapers. Instead of holding a traditional newspaper in our hands which we will eventually put in the paper bin at the end of the day, we can read it on our tablet. And news updates are certainly swifter because instead of having to print it, one types it on the computer and when its done, uploads it directly to the internet for everybody accessible to a computer and Wi-Fi can read. It is very possible that there will be new forms of literacy which will find their way into our everyday lives like the email, Facebook or Twitter. What that may be I, nor anybody else can tell yet but we will recognize it when it comes. We may not immediately recognize it as a new form of literacy but Rome was not build in one day. Give it some time and i n a few years it will become the most normal thing in the world. This essay has shown some of my own examples of literary practices from my personal experience and whether they fit in with the ideas of Cook and other theorists. I have shown how literacy has changed from printed newspapers to being read on tablet devices and how young children become literate by inventing seemingly correct grammar and vocabulary forms in order to express their thoughts. In conclusion it can be viewed that there are many literacy practices which are worthy to be considered creative. Whether it is a childs recognition of a restaurant sign or the creativity of new words in the process of becoming a literate person and even the solving of a crossword puzzle, all of them require us to have at least some knowledge of literacy. By continuously practicing these activities, there is a chance that it will survive for the use of later generations. If we teach our children to be inspired by these activities then we can have a little hope that literacy shall be passed down for the future generations to come. Required word count for essay: 2.000 words Complete word count of essay: 2.036 words