Hacking Essay -- essays research papers fc

As the world becomes more and more reliant on computers the computer hacking industry is greatly rising. With people such as Kevin Mitnick, who is known as a "computer terrorist" (Kjochaiche 1), computerized information isn't safe any more. Kevin is known as "the most high-profiled computer criminal and responsible for more havoc in the computer world today."(1) He considered this a fun and easy task. He got caught and thrown into prison, but once he got out nothing changed. Kevin stated that as long as the technology is there it just calls to people to break into it. Computer hackers usually start off young, thinking that it is nothing but a little harmless fun. But as they get older, they realize it has turned into an addiction. The definition of a hacker according to the Hacker's Dictionary, "a person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities."(Hackers 1) "The Internet is just another playing field." (Kjochaiche 3) "Hackers regard hacking as a game in which their mind is up against that of the system designers." (Hackers 3) The Internet allows the hackers to take files, programs, passwords, and other information from users that are using it. They use this as a tool to make it easier to beat "the system". There are three major types of hackers, one with good intentions but gets slapped in the face due to the bad reputation of others, there are the hackers with bad intentions, and there are the hackers that fit in between. The bad hacker category is the largest by far. "A bad hacker's motives are to punish someone or retaliate against the owner of a computer system."(2) Computer terrorists fall under this category. Some bad hackers may also hack just to challenge the programmer. The hacker feels that if they can break into it then they are much more superior than the person who actually wrote the software. They can feel so superior that t hey might enter a virus to eliminate a program that was not worthy of their abilities. One of the other many goals of a hacker is to steal passwords. Hackers can steal your password about four different ways. Intercepting your password through email is "not that difficult."(How are they getting my password? 1) This is by far the easiest method because all they have to do is take the email as ... ... out. â€Å"More often than not the hackers are soloists.†(Kjochaiche, 6) It is proven that when hackers work together they get caught more often. Hackers will always do their work just like doctors will always treat patience. With the growth of technology comes new threats, and new problems. â€Å"This will continue to be on the rise due to advances in the world.†(Hackers, 3) Millions and millions of dollars will be put to end this but this will not work because new ways of hacking will always be made. Bibliography Works Cited Computer Hackers [Online] Available Http://www.mc2.nu. Dellert, Brian. Interview with a Hacker [Online] Available http://www.rabble.com/xpress/1997.03.01/hacker.com January 3,1997. Espy, Bob. Crime on the Intenet [Online] Available http://www.techforum. com/tsld009.htm. Hackers [Online] Available http://scitsc.wlv.ac.uk/~cm5220/home.html. How are they getting my password? [Online] Available http://geocities.com/yosemite/2215/password.html. Kjochaiche, Ahmad. Kevin Mitnick: Computer Terrorist [Online] Available http://www.rmit.edu.au/lectures/. Orman, Neil. Is your computer hacker-proof? [Online] Available http://www.amcity.com/austin/index.html Septemeber 1, 1997

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 12

â€Å"I can't believe you keep coming back,† Dante told me when I showed up at his shop the next day. To no one's surprise, the place was empty. â€Å"Me either,† I admitted. I never felt welcome here, yet I didn't feel I had anywhere else to go. â€Å"How do you stay in business?† â€Å"Beats me. I don't suppose you're here to give me the best night of my life? You missed your El Gaucho chance, though.† â€Å"I'm here because I had another dream.† â€Å"You're using me, succubus.† He sighed and sat down at the chintzy table. â€Å"Okay. Give it to me.† Settling down across from him, I recapped the latest dream events. â€Å"Not really much in the way of new developments,† he pointed out afterward. â€Å"You got, like, thirty more seconds of plot.† â€Å"Does it mean anything?† â€Å"Hell if I know.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You are the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"Nah.† He rested his chin in his hand, elbow propped on the table. His expression was typically lazy. â€Å"I'm a very good interpreter. There's nothing to interpret in your dream, though, unless it's just your subconscious lamenting your infertility. Which is likely. It also suggests you have bad taste in music. Is ‘Sweet Home Alabama' really playing each time?† Now I sighed. â€Å"The dreams clearly aren't prophetic either since we know it's impossible for you to have a kid.† He drummed his fingers on the table, face thoughtful. â€Å"You sure you might not adopt or something?† â€Å"She was mine,† I said firmly. â€Å"My own flesh and blood. I could feel it.† â€Å"Okay. Far be it from me to argue delusional maternal instincts. But like I said, it doesn't really matter. The content, I mean. What matters here, I guess, is the energy loss.† I could have hugged him. â€Å"Finally, someone fucking thinks that's important.† â€Å"It's a pattern now. Can't really blame it on anomaly anymore.† â€Å"So what's it mean?† â€Å"You sure you want the opinion of the worst dream interpreter ever?† â€Å"Good grief! Get on with it.† â€Å"If you were human, I'd say without a doubt that you were being preyed on.† I flinched. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† He reached across the table and caught my hand, flipping it over absentmindedly while he thought. I was too caught on the word preyed to care about him touching me. Little Kayla's words popped into my head. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams. â€Å"You and I both know there are plenty of supernatural beings walking the world. Some walk the dreamworld and don't really have humans' best intentions at heart. Not that you do either. And honestly, some aren't too different from you. They crave human life and energy, and they can suck it out of dreams.† â€Å"But they can't do that to me?† â€Å"Mmm.† He let go of my hand. â€Å"I don't see how. You don't make your own energy. You steal it too. But who knows?† I shivered. The idea of some creature – some parasitic creature – latching on and sucking out my life made me ill. I was fully aware of the hypocrisy, however, seeing as I did the exact same thing all the time. â€Å"So†¦what kind of creature might be capable of doing that?† â€Å"Dunno. Not my specialty.† â€Å"But you're a dream expert! Shouldn't you know about dream†¦creatures?† â€Å"Supernatural creatures are Erik's thing, not mine. You should ask him.† â€Å"You're the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"So I hear.† His earlier seriousness flitted away. â€Å"So†¦are we going to have sex now?† I stood up. â€Å"No! Of course not.† Dante threw his hands up. â€Å"What more do you want? I actually gave you useful information this time. And it's not like you couldn't use the fix – small or no.† â€Å"It's more than that,† I said. Suddenly, I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦I know you now.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"If you were some anonymous guy, there might be a chance. But now you're like a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Friend wasn't quite the word I was looking for. â€Å"†¦an acquaintance.† He appeared genuinely baffled for once. It was almost amusing. â€Å"I'm really not following this, succubus.† â€Å"I've got a boyfriend, remember? When I have anonymous, casual sex, it's not really cheating. But if I do it with someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦you like?† Was it my imagination, or was there something hopeful in his eyes when he asked that? â€Å"No, I don't think I like you. But I don't exactly dislike you either. The point is, you aren't anonymous. It would be cheating.† He stared at me for several moments, and whatever glimmer of hope I thought I'd seen was definitely gone. â€Å"No wonder succubi are so good at passing as human women. You've certainly got the head games and complete lack of rationality down.† â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"You always have to go. Where to now? Some anonymous guy?† I rose. â€Å"No, I'm going to find Erik and see if he can actually give me useful information.† â€Å"I did give you useful information!† â€Å"Debatable.† â€Å"Well, let me lock up, and we'll see what Lancaster has to say.† I froze. â€Å"What do you mean ‘we'?† Dante grabbed some keys from behind the counter. â€Å"You've piqued my curiosity. I want to see how this turns out. Besides, you owe me for my help, seeing as you won't put out.† â€Å"‘Help,' indeed,† I muttered. He walked to the door with me. â€Å"Did it ever occur to you that in spite of how unuseful you think I am, I'm still kind of concerned about what happens to you?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It actually hadn't.† But I let him go with me over to Arcana, Ltd. When we stepped inside, we found Erik unpacking a box of books. He smiled without looking up, having sensed me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid, always a – † He stopped when he noticed Dante. For the first time in our friendship, I saw Erik look angry. It was disturbing. Frightening, even. â€Å"Mr. Moriarty.† Dante nodded his greeting. â€Å"Always nice to see you.† The expression on Erik's face showed the feelings weren't mutual. He straightened up from his work and walked over to the counter. Crossing his arms over his chest, he peered at both of us. â€Å"What can I do for you?† No cordial host or tea chats today. The air between the two men suddenly felt thick and oppressive. I spoke uncertainly. â€Å"We†¦that is, Dante thinks he has an answer to my dream problems.† Dante laughed, wearing his trademark smirk. If he bore Erik the same animosity, he was hiding it well. â€Å"I wouldn't call it an answer, succubus. More like a theory.† â€Å"I've had the dream again,† I told Erik. â€Å"More than once now. And I still keep losing my energy. Dante says it could be some kind of†¦dream creature preying on me.† I stumbled over the words. The concept was still too ludicrous. â€Å"But he didn't know what kind. He said you might know.† Erik shifted his eyes from Dante to me. I could tell the old man was still unhappy about us being there together, but he cared about me too much and couldn't stop himself from helping me. I wondered at what point over the years I had earned such regard. And how. He sighed and gestured us to the table. We all sat down, but no tea was offered. â€Å"Something like that going after a succubus is hard to imagine,† Erik said at last. â€Å"That's what I thought,† said Dante. His lighthearted mask had slipped a little. He looked much as he had in the store, thoughtful and curious. He reminded me of a mechanical engineer I'd once known. The guy couldn't help himself when it came to fixing some technical problem. Give him something in pieces, and he had to analyze it and figure it out. Dante might give me a hard time, but his nature, corrupt or not, couldn't stay away from this. Erik's eyes studied me, hard and intent. I was an intriguing puzzle for him too. â€Å"If I had to pick†¦I'd say the symptoms most match Oneroi.† I'd heard of them. They'd been in the Greek myths I'd grown up with. â€Å"Dream spirits?† Dante considered. â€Å"More than spirits. They're the children of Nyx and Erebus.† I shuddered. I'd heard of them too. Nyx and Erebus. Night and Darkness. Primordial entities of chaos. They were powerful and dangerous. The world had been born of chaos, true, but it was also a fact – even science agreed – that the universe was always trying to move back toward chaos. Nyx and Erebus were destructive – so much so that they were now locked away, lest they tear the world apart. The possibility that their children could be sucking away my life made me feel sick again. Dante was still turning this theory over in his head. â€Å"Yeah, that'd be the closest. But they still don't match one hundred percent.† â€Å"Nothing does,† admitted Erik. â€Å"I've never heard of anything attacking a succubus.† â€Å"What do Oneroi do exactly?† I asked. The two men exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to explain. Erik was the one who stepped up. â€Å"They visit mortals in their dreams and feed off the emotions such dreams stir up. Victims of Oneroi wake up drained and sick.† More irony. Legend said that succubi visited men in their dreams too and took their life. â€Å"That's what's happening to me,† I argued. â€Å"Why couldn't it be them?† â€Å"It could be them,† agreed Dante, â€Å"but like we said, the details don't fit. Oneroi can seize control and shape what you dream. But the dreams they stir up are usually nightmares. Fear and other dark emotions tend to be more intense – they offer more for the Oneroi to feed off of. Your dreams are short, and they're†¦fluffy.† â€Å"Fluffy?† â€Å"Well, I don't know. Not nightmares. They're intriguing to you. They bring out emotions – fascinated, happy emotions. They're giving you visceral reactions, I suppose, but not the type that the Oneroi usually go after.† â€Å"And,† continued Erik, â€Å"there's also the fact that you aren't an ideal choice for them. You're inefficient. You're a conduit, a link to the mortal world and their energy. If Oneroi are stealing from you, they have to wait for you to get your power from someone else first. Far simpler for them to take directly from a human.† I suddenly realized I'd forgotten something. â€Å"One other weird thing happened†¦more than the energy loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained about waking up feeling cold and wet. â€Å"I guess that's kind of weird,† said Dante, â€Å"but I don't know that it's really related to this.† â€Å"Well, except later that day, I read this article about a guy who went crazy and tried to swim across the Sound. He thought it would help his family – and it did because he drowned and they got his insurance money. When I read the article, the wet and cold feeling came back. It was like†¦for a second, I was him. I felt exactly what he'd felt. Like I was drowning too.† â€Å"Empathy,† said Dante. â€Å"You read it and imagined what it must be like.† â€Å"No.† I frowned, trying to bring the feeling back. â€Å"I†¦I felt him. I knew it was him I was feeling. That guy. The same way I knew the girl was my daughter. It was in my gut.† Dante looked annoyed. â€Å"Would have been helpful to know this earlier.† â€Å"I forgot. I didn't really see it as relevant until now.† â€Å"Have you ever had anything like this happen before? Knowledge of something you didn't experience?† â€Å"I don't think so.† Erik glanced at Dante. â€Å"Clairvoyance?† â€Å"I don't know. Unlikely. Too many variables. None of them mesh.† Dante turned his gaze back on me. â€Å"Have you talked to your own people about this?† I shook my head. â€Å"Jerome's been gone. I mentioned the first dream before he left, but he didn't seem very concerned.† â€Å"Well, I don't know what to make of it,† Dante said. â€Å"Nor I,† said Erik kindly. â€Å"But I will look into this for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I told him. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† We stood up, and like that, the momentary truce between Erik and Dante vanished. Erik looked stormy once more. Dante appeared smug and condescending. â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† Erik began stiffly. â€Å"You know I have nothing but the highest regard for you, and I am more than happy to assist you in any way you need. I also recognize that Mr. Moriarty can also offer you help. But I would prefer it if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦if you don't bring me around anymore,† finished Dante. He saluted. â€Å"Noted, old man. Meet you at the car, succubus.† He turned and walked out of the shop. Erik's mood didn't vanish with Dante's departure. I could still sense the fury radiating from him. Erik had said Dante was corrupt, but really, so was I. Erik didn't have this kind of reaction around me. There was something I was missing here. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Erik. â€Å"I didn't know it would bother you so much.† â€Å"You couldn't have known,† he replied wearily. â€Å"And after all, I was the one who directed you to him.† â€Å"I'll keep him away,† I promised. I thanked him again and went out to meet Dante. He leaned against my car, his thoughts obscured by a lazy smile. â€Å"Why does Erik hate you so much?† I asked. Dante glanced down at me. â€Å"Because I'm a bad man who does bad things.† â€Å"There's more to it than that,† I said. â€Å"And you don't seem that bad. The worst things you've done are trick customers and offer useless information. Although†¦well, you actually were pretty helpful just now. But like I said, I don't think you're as bad as your reputation implies.† â€Å"How would you know?† I shrugged. â€Å"Instinct.† In one swift motion, Dante snaked his hand behind my neck and pulled me to him. I put a hand on his chest and started to push him away and then stopped. There was a warmth in his body, the eagerness of a man who'd been deprived of something for a very long time. To my surprise, I felt arousal burning in me – a yearning of my own to touch someone who wasn't all business. I experienced that feeling a lot, and it usually got me into trouble. My succubus nature woke up, wondering if energy might be on its way. And despite my lofty talk earlier about not sleeping with people I was acquainted with, I suddenly wanted him to kiss me. I wanted his energy – just a taste. His mouth moved toward mine. I started to close my eyes and part my lips – then, abruptly, he stiffened. Releasing me, he stepped back. I opened my eyes, staring in astonishment. â€Å"What the hell?† I asked. â€Å"You backed off. And after all the grief you've given me about sleeping with you.† â€Å"You're drained and hungry, succubus,† he said. â€Å"It'd be like taking advantage of a drunk girl.† â€Å"Right. And you've never done anything like that.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm not eighteen anymore.† He opened the car door. â€Å"Are we going or not?† I studied him a bit longer, thinking again I saw that hope and compassion from earlier. I was starting to wonder if a lot of his cattiness was just bravado, hiding the same insecurities everyone in the world had. I kept my psychoanalysis to myself, however, and joined him in the car. We drove back to his shop, our usual flippant banter obscuring anything serious that might have happened.

The Theory Of Natural Selection - 843 Words

The theory of natural selection creates a harsher lenses in which man views fauna, one with only clinical observance and without emotion. Natural history seemingly becomes a chronicle of cruelty and triumph of the strongest and a eulogy for the weaker. Instead of being daunted by this, Charles Darwin’s reaction to this methodical cycle was relief. It can be seen throughout his  ¬Origin of Species in which he uses double meanings in order to mediate the brutal perception of nature that comes from his theories. Darwin’s loaded language inconspicuously reminds the reader of moral norms and to consider nature as something separate from man and God. Darwin was educated by the Anglican Church even though he was a never a practicing cleric. Therefore in his writings he uses morally loaded language to reflect Christian Bible’s morals. The black-and-white of nature in the â€Å"ejecting†¦foster brothers†¦ants making slaves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  detracts from the overall theme of love taught in the Bible which encourages not only the love of brothers but also charity and kindness. By Darwin’s time, slavery in England had been abolished and abhorred for decades. These actions seen in nature are not readily welcome into the lives of men. God still holds man to a standard of logic and fairness which is grounded in the Bible. As a Christian, Darwin should be confused where nature is full of selfishness and death and God commands kindness. And if God created nature specifically as horrendous as he had, then whyShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Natural Selection1220 Words   |  5 PagesNatural selection, a term often used in relation with the concept of evolution. Being as such, ones’ perspective is often led to take sides on a matter that they know little about. One side states that such a concept is full of lies and seeks to throw you from the path of belief. The other says that it proves that man came from a simpler being and that the supernatural is non-existent. Being someone of Christian faith, I was led down the path of the former. It is in my nature, however, to not blindlyRead MoreThe Theory Of Natural Selection963 Words   |  4 Pageswith a physical document, and doing homework online is now the norm. People have adapted to the new age, and those who have not adapted are being left behind--this is where the theory of natural selection meets modern cognitive science. Steven Pinker, the author of How The Mind Works, argues that the concept of natural selection is not as linear as society may think it is with today’s information. There is more to evolution than straightforward â €Å"survival of the fittest†. Using his background knowledgeRead MoreThe Theory Of Natural Selection1595 Words   |  7 Pagesto where we are, and what our origins might say about our present. In particular, the way in which evolution is applied to various species, natural selection, is said to dictate which members of a certain species survive according to their proclivities determined by genetics. A natural question to arise from the assertions of the theory of natural selection is how this applies to humans now. It’s not as if one could kill their boss in order to get a promotion; that sounds and feels absolutely, morallyRead MoreThe Theory Of Natural Selection1534 Words   |  7 PagesA theory discovered by Charles Darwin, and released to the public in 1859, answered many questions for scientists who weren’t able to figure it out. Using the Theory of Natural Selection, he came up with the Theory of Evolution. In the Evolution theory, it states the genes th at allow a species to thrive are passed down from parent to offspring and it also provides us with an insight of the changes an organism goes through over time, in which it relies on Natural Selection to do so. Despite doubtersRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of evolution by natural selection proposes that all species are related (Eade, S. and profile, V. 2014). There is estimated to be between 6 million and 100 million different species in the world, with more species undiscovered than those discovered; this is all owing to the concept of evolution (Borenstein, S. 2014). Evolution is defined as the â€Å"change in the characteristics of a species over many generations (Linstead, 2012).† The most widely accepted theory of evolution is natural selectionRead MoreNatural Selection And The Theory Of Evolution1536 Words   |  7 PagesNatural selection and The Theory of Evolution were just two of the things that Charles Da rwin conquered through the exploration of The Galapagos Island. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. While Darwin was still in high school, his main interest was nature, he was especially interested in beetles. Darwin’s father, Robert Darwin, who was best known as the father of the naturalist Charles Darwin, wanted Charles to become a doctor. Due to lack on interest in the medicine fieldRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection965 Words   |  4 Pagesinterested in their origins and have found explanations using evidence that validates the story, but where is the proof? In 1859 a man by the name of Charles Darwin wrote a novel called the Origin of Species basically expressing the theory of evolution by natural selection. An extremely complicated story, but a very effective explanation of life as we know it. We can get more into that later. The world is evolving rapidly and in evolution we are trying to uncover hidden mechanisms inside creatures body’sRead MoreEvolutionary Theory Of Natural Selec tion1164 Words   |  5 Pagesindividual to the environment, that mutation can be passed onto a new generation. If the mutation weakens the individual to the environment, that mutation will not be able to withstand multiple generations through progeny. This mimics Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which states that the individuals best fit to the environment have a higher survival and reproductive rate. Over time, these mutations contribute to genetic variation within species (yourgenome). The basic building block of all living thingsRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1027 Words   |  5 PagesPart A: Evolution of Polar Bears Introduction The theory of evolution by natural selection (Darwinism), first formulated in Darwin s book On the Origin of Species in 1859, is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and that have more offspring. The first three ideas were already under discussion among earlier and contemporaneous naturalistsRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1726 Words   |  7 PagesDiscussing Darwinian and Modern Evidence in Support to The Theory of Evolution by Natural selection Evolution is the gradual development of life on Earth. It is responsible for the unusual carnivorous plants (species such as Dionaea muscipula), the beautiful coloured plume of the male peacock, even the possibility of cells adapting to protect against continual low exposure to radiation (Russo, GL. et al 2012). Without it, the lavish diversity of organic life we interact with every day would be non-existent

Phillis Wheatley - Slave Poet of Colonial America

Dates: about 1753 or 1754 - December 5, 1784Also known as: sometimes misspelled as Phyllis Wheatley An Unusual Background Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa (probably Senegal) about 1753 or 1754. When she was about eight years old, she was kidnapped and brought to Boston. There, in 1761, John Wheatley bought her for his wife, Susanna, as a personal servant. As was the custom of the time, she was given the Wheatley familys surname. The Wheatley family taught Phillis English and Christianity, and, impressed by her quick learning, they also taught her some Latin, ancient history, mythology and classical literature. Writing Once Phillis Wheatley demonstrated her abilities, the Wheatleys, clearly a family of culture and education, allowed Phillis time to do study and write. Her situation allowed her time to learn and, as early as 1765, to write poetry. Phillis Wheatley had fewer restrictions than most slaves experienced -- but she was still a slave. Her situation was unusual. She was not quite part of the white Wheatley family, nor did she quite share the place and experiences of other slaves. Published Poems In 1767, the Newport Mercury published Phillis Wheatleys first poem, a tale of two men who nearly drowned at sea, and of their steady faith in God. Her elegy for the evangelist George Whitefield, brought more attention to Phillis Wheatley. This attention included visits by a number of Bostons notables, including political figures and poets. She published more poems each year 1771-1773, and a collection of her poems was published in London in 1773. The introduction to this volume of poetry by Phillis Wheatley is unusual: as a preface is an attestation by seventeen men of Boston that she had, indeed, written the poems herself: WE whose Names are underwritten, do assure the World, that the POEMS specified in the following Page, were (as we verily believe) written by Phillis, a young Negro Girl, who was but a few Years since, brought an uncultivated Barbarian from Africa, and has ever since been, and now is, under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a Family in this Town. She has been examined by some of the best Judges, and is thought qualified to write them. The collection of poems by Phillis Wheatley followed a trip that she took to England. She was sent to England for her health when the Wheatleys son, Nathaniel Wheatley, was traveling to England on business. She caused quite a sensation in Europe. She had to return unexpectedly to America when they received word that Mrs. Wheatley was ill. Sources disagree on whether Phillis Wheatley was freed before, during or just after this trip, or whether she was freed later. Mrs. Wheatley died the next spring. The American Revolution The American Revolution intervened in Phillis Wheatleys career, and the effect was not completely positive. The people of Boston -- and of America and England -- bought books on other topics rather than the volume of Phillis Wheatley poems. It also caused other disruptions in her life. First her master moved the household to Providence, Rhode Island, then back to Boston. When her master died in March of 1778, she was effectively if not legally freed. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family, died that same year. A month after the death of John Wheatley, Phillis Wheatley married John Peters, a free black man of Boston. Marriage and Children History is not clear about John Peters story. He was either a neer-do-well who tried many professions for which he was not qualified, or a bright man who had few options to succeed given his color and lack of formal education. The Revolutionary War continued its disruption, and John and Phillis moved briefly to Wilmington, Massachusetts. Having children, trying to support the family, losing two children to death, and dealing with the wars effects and a shaky marriage, Phillis Wheatley was able to publish few poems during this period. She and a publisher solicited subscriptions for an additional volume of her poetry which would include 39 of her poems, but with her changed circumstances and the wars effect on Boston, the project failed. A few poems were published as pamphlets. George Washington In 1776, Phillis Wheatley had written a poem to George Washington, lauding his appointment as commander of the Continental Army. That was while her master and mistress were still alive, and while she was still quite the sensation. But after her marriage, she addressed several other poems to George Washington. She sent them to him, but he never responded again. Later Life Eventually John deserted Phillis, and to support herself and surviving child she had to work as a scullery maid in a boardinghouse. In poverty and among strangers, on December 5, 1784, she died, and her third child died hours after she did. Her last known poem was written for George Washington. Her second volume of poetry was lost. More About Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley: Analysis of Her Poems Suggested Reading on This Site African American History and Women Timeline 1700-1799African American Writers Recommended Books Phillis Wheatley - Bibliography Vincent Carretta, editor. Complete Writings - Penguin Classics. Reprint 2001.John C. Shields, editor. The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. Reprint 1989.Merle A. Richmond. Bid the Vassal Soar: Interpretive Essays on the Poetry of Phillis Wheatley. 1974.Mary McAleer Balkun. Phillis Wheatleys construction of otherness and the rhetoric of performed ideology. African American Review, Spring 2002 v. 36 i. 1 p. 121. Childrens Books Ages 8-12:Kathryn Lasky. A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet. January 2003.Susan R. Gregson. Phillis Wheatley. January 2002.Maryann N. Weidt. Revolutionary Poet: A Story about Phillis Wheatley. October 1997.Young Adult:Ann Rinaldi. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley. 1996.

Why Some People Fail to React or Act during an Emergency...

SECTION I The presence of other individuals in an emergency situation tends to make people less likely to help a victim. This is known as the bystander effect. Having others around you makes you feel less responsibility and want to make the correct social decision. If a person were by himself or herself, this effect would not happen because they are not feeling judgment of those around and all the accountability is on them. The articles for this paper look at experiments conducted to test the bystander effect and how participants act according to social norms. For example, the murder of a woman in the middle of a New York street took place and not one of the thirty-eight witnesses helped her. This may seem insane but research shows most people would react the same. Social and group norms have a great influence on the social psychological concept of the bystander effect. This concept has been thought to happen due to factors of diffusion of responsibility, social influence, audience inh ibition, and an overall lack of a sense of community (Chekroun, P., 2002). SECTION II New York Times reported a story of a woman who was stabbed and died in the middle of the road in a section of New York City. The public failed to assist the woman although there were more than thirty-eight witnesses. Such cases of murders are rare, but this incident received little public attention. It was only when the New York Times covered it that the public began to gain attention. The murdererShow MoreRelatedEssay on Stress: The Silent Disease 1747 Words   |  7 Pagesto how many people really have stress in each individual’s life. People do not consider what the reasons are for the feelings and emotions they experience. There are all different types of stress, and stress can do a lot to a person. Each person also handles stress in a different way. 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Business Diploma Development of KPI

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Diplomafor Development of KPI. Answer: Introduction Customer satisfaction is the key to achieve the business success in this competitive scenario. The study will identify the two major concerns of establishing the effective customer service. The first concern is to handle the complaints of the customers and retaining them by fulfilling their queries and offering the relevant services. The second concern is to train the employees the proper way of dealing with the customers. More specifically, it is necessary to guide an underperforming employee to bring the most efficient work outcome (Zohar 2014). The development of the relevant KPI would help in resolving such issues and establishing the efficient customer service process. The study will also focus on the recommendations that will resolve such challenges and bring more efficiency to the organisational functionalities. Development of KPI (Key Performance Indicator) The case scenario is highlighting is one of the premium customers of the company did not receive the widget equipment for the mining project. However, the company promised to deliver the equipment within three days whereas even after a week it was not delivered to the client. Mary, one of the customer service team members was an underperforming candidate. She sometimes behaves very rude to the customers. In fact, in this case, she started arguing with the client due to misunderstandings. However, the issues can affect the organisational functionalities in a significant way. The development of some of the key performance indicators is essential for this case scenario. The major KPIs of customer service are as follows: Overall Satisfaction Satisfaction Improvements Customer Retention Net Promoter Score Conversion Rate Average Resolution Time Active Issues Resolved Issues Employee Productivity Employee Retention/ Employee Turnover Complaint Escalation Rate The set of KPIs addressed above are developed to handle the customers complaints and managing the underperforming employees. It is necessary to pay the attention towards the performance parameter of the associated staffs to bring the most effective outcome (Parmenter 2015). The further plan will be developed to mitigate the merging issues and provide the customers remarkable services. Development of the KPI Plan for Monitoring the Team Members Performance Task/responsibilities Key outcomes Actual Performance Overall Satisfaction Performing the regular customer satisfaction survey Daily for 3 months Satisfaction Improvement Improving the satisfaction by bringing the changes in the business process and establishing the innovative ideas (Dickson 2015). 1st month Customer Retention Involving the satisfied customers for offering the customer service. 3 months Net Promoter Score Customers would provide the net score depending on the satisfaction level. Monitoring the result on a regular basis for 3 months. Conversion Rate Conversion rate goes higher if the communicator from the customer service team is efficient enough to convince the customers (Goetsch and Davis 2014). The improvement of the communication and convincing power of the team members is essential. Therefore, the training should be provided for 1 week. Average Resolution Time The customer service provider needs to answer the queries quickly. The quick response of the service provider crates the significant impacts on the customers minds. The customer service provider needs to be knowledgeable enough for resolving the queries promptly. Active Issues If the staffs are unable to response too quickly, it is necessary to deal with one issue at a time. Too many issues may create confusions. Resolving one issue at a time will generate confidence to deal with other challenges. The staffs need to receive proper training to confront such situation. Resolved Issues The staffs can take a look on the past resolved issues to derive knowledge about the customers responses (Anitha 2014). It will be helpful enough in understanding the proper process of dealing with such challenges Guiding the employees in an appropriate way and sharing the past experiences with them would help in handling the customers in a better manner. Employee Productivity Application of the useful method of measuring the employee productivity is essential. Taking feedbacks and monitoring the performance of the employees would be helpful to measure the employee productivity. Employee Retention/Turnover If the employees are comfortable with the work environment, they tend to focus on their jobs and stay for longer time. The proper motivation and training provides to the employees would be helpful enough in retaining them for longer time. Compliant Escalation Rate The complaint escalation rate determines the satisfaction rate of the employees (Dhar 2015). The changing demands of the customers may bring more escalations. It is necessary to be much responsive and make the modifications as per the needs. Table 1: KPI Plan (Source: Created by Author) Questionnaire for Customer Satisfaction feedback Q.1) How far are you satisfied with the quality of the widget equipment offered by our company Options Response Rate Response Number Total Respondents Highly Satisfied 5% 1 20 Satisfied 15% 3 20 Neutral 25% 5 20 Dissatisfied 35% 7 20 Highly Dissatisfied 20% 4 20 Table 2: Quality Satisfaction (Source: Created by Author) The derived information from the responses is indicating that majority of customers are not really happy with the quality of the services. It is essential for the company to keep the attention towards the quality parameter that will be beneficial in attracting the customers for future. According to you what are the major areas that need improvements? Options Response Rate Response Number Total Respondents Communication 20% 4 20 Quick Response 15% 3 20 On time delivery 35% 7 20 Quality Service 30% 6 20 Table 2: Improvement Areas (Source: Created by Author) The responses extracted in this process is indicating that majority of the customers opt for on time delivery of the services. It is essential to maintain the proper time schedule and deliver the products to the customers on time. Hence, the company needs to focus on timely delivery of the services. Along with the scheduled timeline, it is even necessary to keep the focus on the responses of the employees, quality parameter of the service, and the communication process. Recommendation The above study highlights the company has been facing the issues due to the poor handling of the customer service problems. It is essential for the company to keep focus on the performance parameter of the associated employees who usually communicate with the customers and convince them to purchase the service. Therefore, it is essential to keep focus on the following recommendations that will help in developing the effective customer services. Providing the Proper Training and Development Session When the employees receive the proper guidance and training from the management, it becomes easier for them to handle the customers queries. It is noted that the customers requires quick responses and expected service delivery on time. In order to fulfil such needs, the employees need to receive the proper information and work methods. It will be helpful enough in resolving the issues that the customers are facing. Establishing the Transparent Communication Maintenance of the transparency in communication is essential for retaining the customers as well as employees. When a customer orders something, it is the responsibility of the employees to keep the entire information including the delivery time. When the customer does not receive the service within the proper time, the employees can resolve the queries by communicating in a significant way. On the other hand, the management needs to focus on motivating the employees and providing them the comfortable atmosphere to work. The establishments of the transparent communication are much helpful in identifying the demands of both the employees and the customers. Development of the Employees Interpersonal Skills The management needs to provide the proper guidance to the employees for improving their interpersonal communication skills. As per the regulations, the customers have the full rights to lodge a complaint against the company if the expected services are not received. Similarly, the employees should not behave rude to the customers in any circumstances. The right body language and polite response would be considerable for retaining the customers and the reputation of the company. References Anitha, J., 2014. Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee performance.International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. Dhar, R.L., 2015. Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment.Tourism Management,46, pp.419-430. Dickson, P.R., 2015. The adoption of customer service improvement practices.Marketing Letters,26(1), pp.1-15. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Parmenter, D., 2015.Key performance indicators: developing, implementing, and using winning KPIs. John Wiley Sons. Zohar, D., 2014. Safety climate: Conceptualization, measurement, and improvement.The Oxford handbook of organizational climate and culture, pp.317-334.

Religious Practices and Meaning

Introduction Religious practices and meaning are constructed in relation to other social institutions like economics and politics. From the anthropological perspective, religion may alter economic and political structures or the latter may change religion, as well.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religious Practices and Meaning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Relationship between social institutions and religion Religion plays a vital role in political change. Most religions take conservative stances about social matters. Many of these social issues are subject to political change. Consequently religion affects the overall direction that political change follows. For instance, Muslims have always had a conservative stance about women’s place in society. Some feminists in the Middle East have tried to oppose this view by advocating for better protection of women’s rights by the Quran. Strong Islamic believers have responded to these efforts by making religious decrees against such reformers. A number of them have even called for their death (Andreatta Ferraro 364). Therefore, religion and politics are intertwined because sometimes religion stalls major political changes. Muslims have always opposed different political values, as these are viewed as western and foreign. The same thing has taken place in predominantly Catholic states. This church has always taken a conservative stance against major political initiatives like abortion or gay rights (Andreatta Ferraro 149). On the other hand, religion may be a source of revolutionary change within a certain community. This happens when religious leaders take on reformist or revolutionary roles. A case in point was one by the Buddhist priests in Vietnam. A number of them burnt themselves to death in order to protest against the US-led war. This prompted US authorities to reconsider their position in Vietnam, and eventually led to their withdrawal. Another scenario occurred in South American during the 1970s. Catholic followers created a militant version of their faith in order to fight for the rights of the poor and the oppressed. Many of them lost their lives since they clashed with political authorities. Similarly, African American religious leaders have speared political change through mobilization and stimulation of the masses. Martin Luther King Jr. was first a religious leader before he became a political one (Andreatta Ferraro 364). His revolutionary stances led to substantial changes in civil rights movements and the liberation of black people. Furthermore, the Nation of Islam, which was an African American version of Islam, sensitized many blacks about marginalization in the American state.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These sentiments led to radical civil reforms, albeit through other r eform vehicles. As such, religious institutions have been a platform for political change from time immemorial. They have fought against injustice and inequality, and thus taken on a political dimension. Therefore, religion can alter political environments if members of a certain faith feel threatened. Conversely, social institutions such as economics can also alter religious practices or movements. In this regard, a dramatic change in the economic fate of a particular group may cause a religious revival of the affected group. This stems from the devastation and sense of hopelessness that the changes create. One such example was the case of a Native American group. These individuals were attacked by the Europeans and lost their land in the sixteenth century (Andreatta Ferraro 365). They could no longer carry out their traditional economic practices. Therefore the hunters, traders and warriors in this community lost their only means of survival. Many of them felt dehumanized and def eated. A series of antisocial behavior started developing, such as alcoholism. In response to this disorganization, a prophet emerged known as Handsome Lake. He created a new Native American religious movement that merged old practices with new concepts. For instance, it completely prohibited alcoholism. Furthermore, it embraced the western view of family institutions. The prophet advised men and women to participate in economic activities equally. It also encouraged members of the faith to adopt a series of agricultural practices from the Europeans. As such, an external economic change caused religious changes in the community owing to the devastation that the economic alterations created (Andreatta Ferraro 365). Another illustration of how economics affects religion is through the lives of Indonesians in the 1990s. In the previous decades Indonesians had been economically prosperous, with most of their investments emanating from the central government or foreign investors. Howeve r, in the late nineteen nineties, the economy of the country collapsed. Banks went bankrupt, foreign investors existed and unemployment levels reached massive proportions. As such, most people were disillusioned and extremely stressed. The Muhammadiyah Islamic organization arose in response to this situation. It claimed to be the ultimate solution to Indonesia’s problem (Andreatta Ferraro 365). Its followers were approximately 30 million in number.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religious Practices and Meaning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This movement emphasized the importance of getting back to Islam’s moral values. Most Indonesians had abandoned their religious principles during the previous decades of economic prosperity. They were corrupt and cared little about religious teachings. However, in this period of crisis, the teachings of the Islamic organization seemed quite relevant to them, so there was a revival of traditional values. The movement also initiated a number of local economic projects such as job programs, health services and schools. Religious authorities in this group wanted to create some sort of economic independence in order to place economic control in the hands of locals rather than government bodies or foreign investors. Religion and economics are interrelated because failures in economics can lead to religious revivals that intend on fixing the economic problem. When discussing the relationship between religion and politics, one must look at the question of separation of church/ religion from state. The latter has been the subject of controversy in some western nations like the United States. Many citizens argue that religious expression in public institutions ought to be restricted. They also claim that religion should not interfere with public policies. However, other individuals do not share these same sentiments. Conservatives and Republican s tend to vote for people with strong Christian values. A number of them use Christian values in order to guide their policy stances. On the other hand, a certain block of voters also vote for leaders who hold similar religious stances as their own. Consequently, religion affects politics as a social institution because political representatives need to epitomize the overall religious values of majority of the population (Moro Myers 9). Religious nationalism is also another way of looking at the relationship between religion and politics. Many nations of the Middle East merge their political institutions with their faith. In fact, Arabic identity has become synonymous to Islam. Religious nationalism causes members of such nations to abandon ideas about tolerance and democracy as these are seen as contradictory to their principles (Andreatta Ferraro 368). As a matter of fact, many fundamentalist Islamic nations reject the concept of individual freedom. They believe that followers m ust sacrifice their selfish interests in order to propagate the true way. They treat western states as enemies and sources of retrogression in their nations. As a result, most of them have used their foreign policies in order to eliminate western influences from their society. Others have tried to cut ties with western nations in order to preserve their religious principles. Economic concerns have been thrown into this equation. Some western nations, such as the US, have invaded fundamentalist nations in order to fight for freedom and democracy in those nations. However, other analysts believe that the US simply uses this excuse to protect its economic interests in those oil-rich nations. Therefore, religion, which causes these nations to scorn democracy and personal freedom, gives some western nations excuses to invade their land.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, economic reasons underlie these invasions. A typical scenario was the September eleventh attacks. It was asserted that the US was conducting a war against terror when it decided to invade Iraq (which may have been partly true). Therefore, a fundamentalist religious act of terror propelled this political decision to go to war with another nation. Nonetheless, because Iraq has oil reserves, the US government may also have intended to secure its own economic interests when entering this nation. Religious stances affected economic and political actions between these two nations. In other circumstances, religious fundamentalists may impede economic and political development. Middle Eastern states initially banned books from western nations in order to protect their citizens from western influence. A number of these countries still censor particular books today. They also control other forms of mass media, such as, television in order to minimize indoctrination of the Islamic peo ple. These radical decisions have placed followers in a cocoon, and condemned them to economic stagnation. Furthermore, since concepts such as democracy are seen as foreign, then political development is also undermined (Andreatta Ferraro 204). Politics and economics are dependent on religion in order to function. Religion helps to make people obedient and responsible. The values taught in many religious institutions promote cooperation and cohesion. They make people perform good deeds and keep their promises. Such values tend to create a very conducive atmosphere for economic activities as trade depends on trust between the exchanging parties. On the other hand, this purpose of religion also strengthens political institutions because religion encourages many people to respect others’ rights. Many people will do as they are expected to without law enforcement because of their knowledge of right and wrong. It would be much harder for politicians to pass certain policies if th ere was no respect for human rights. Religion is a predecessor to proper political laws and regulations. The Ten Commandments are an example of how this interaction occurs. The commandments instruct followers on how they can interact with each other and with God. Most of them restrict the harm of other people through stealing, killing and coveting. If these religious teachings are obeyed, then good relationships will arise and social order will prevail. Because of this, religion plays a political role because it promotes order, which paves the way for political prosperity (Moro Myers 44). A number of economic premises tend to coincide with particular religious stances. Liberal capitalists tend to stay away from religious beliefs. Nations with many liberal capitalists will not consider religious values when making political decisions. Conversely, economic conservatives tend to thrive in countries with highly religious persons. Economic conservatives as well as Christians believe tha t liberalism leads to social degeneracy. They claim that a return to traditional values would protect people from drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, gun violence and family disintegration. Conclusion Economics and politics can transform religion when frustrations arise in these social institutions. Here, religious leaders may become change agents in politics or economics. On the other hand, religious values may undermine economic and political development through views held. Works Cited Andreatta, Susan Gary Ferraro. Cultural anthropology: An applied perspective. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Moro, Pamela James Myers. Magic, witchcraft and religion: a reader in the anthropology of religion. Boston: McGrawhill, 2010. Print. This essay on Religious Practices and Meaning was written and submitted by user Libby Blake to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.