Analysis of Circuit City Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of Circuit City - Case Study Example I do not think that Circuit City performed poorly merely as a result of the replacement of highly paid workers with poorly paid workers. Stating that the organization’s performance was pegged on employee pay is too simplistic. Figure 1 and Figure 2 below are used to support this argument. Figure 1 shows that as Circuit City’s stock prices increase, customer satisfaction (ASCI index) decreases and vice versa. Assuming stock prices truly represent the financial performance of the organization, and also that there is a correlation between worker pay and customer satisfaction, interpreting Figure 1, one could argue that Circuit City gets higher returns when customer satisfaction is low. In this case, we would expect Circuit City to have performed better with the poorly paid workers who offered poor service. On the other hand, Figure 2 shows that the only time stock price increase/decrease corresponded with a similar increase/decrease in customer satisfaction (ASCI index) wa s between 2006 and 2007. This Figure shows no correlation between stock price and customer satisfaction. Best Buy and Circuit City are in the same industry thus we would have expected their graphs of similar variables to display the similar correlation between stock price and ASCI index unless there are other factors affecting the curves. For this reason, we find it inconclusive to state that the replacement of highly paid workers with lower-paid workers did or did not cause Circuit city to perform so poorly.

Competence destroying vs enhancing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competence destroying vs enhancing - Assignment Example There are two types of innovations which are architectural innovation and generation innovations. Architectural innovation is characterized by fundamental changes in the linkages between existing subsystems in an organization. The modifications are made to ensure that the organization achieves its goals and objectives much faster with minimal expenditures. Generational innovations were involved with changes made to the already existing linked subsystems hence it is much broader. Assessing the effects of an innovation to a business is very important since it will determine whether the organization will carry on with the innovation or stop it. At the same time it can be used to point out the weak points of the innovation so as to aid with the process of improving it. The level of competence enhancing and destroying are the major concepts used to determine the effect of an innovation. For instance, in e-business, can be assessed whether it is appropriate to the organization being on a number of factors. For instance, the innovation should cost effective in the sense that there is minimal time spent and financial input towards achieving the organizations

Society’s Curiosity of the Unknown Essay Example for Free

Society’s Curiosity of the Unknown Essay Whenever I am walking home alone, I am always paranoid that something is going to happen to me. I start to think about all of the horrible possibilities that could occur and I always feel as if I am being followed or watched. Even walking in an empty parking lot to my car scares me because I have a fear of being abducted. I, along with most people, was raised to be cautious of things like that. I was taught to always think of the worst thing that can happen, to be safe and to prevent the worst from happening. I am scared of death because I do not know what will happen after that. American’s obsession with the dark side comes from the curiosity of death. This obsession came from the first death of a human being. That was when curiosity about death and the afterlife originated. People do not know what happens after death and we are interested to find out more. Americans today come across the dark side every day whether they realize it or not. Inquisitiveness about the dark side appears in books, movies, and television shows. The piece â€Å"Zombies: why are we so obsessed?† by Eric G. Wilson, refers to all of the zombie and vampire themed books, movies, and television shows in today’s society. â€Å"True Blood,† â€Å"The Walking Dead,† and â€Å"Twilight† are some very well-known examples he uses to capture our attention and also to answer the question why we are so obsessed with death. â€Å"Maybe our obsession with zombies is a reflection of our fear of a pandemic virus that will transform us into flesh-starved corpses. Or perhaps we are afraid of a global financial collapse that would result in cannibalistic hordes haunting burned-out cities,† (1) wrote Wilson. The author of this article does not even know the answer, but that is precisely the point, the answer to the afterlife will forever remain unknown. The answer to our obsession is simply mere curiosity about death and the afterlife. These shows are produced to entertain and meant to provide us some sort of relief to the lingering questions we ask ourselves every day, even though the answers are not concrete, whatsoever. Finding answers to these questions is why there are so many artistic pieces centered around the dark side which began the gothic era, circa mid 12th century. Edgar Allen Poe is one of the first American authors of gothic literature. The reason Poe’s writing is so intriguing is because it relates to society’s curiosity or apprehension of death. His writing is so interesting because any revulsion the reader has about death or the afterlife is diluted because they are experiencing death through someone else’s eyes and not their own. There is nothing more intriguing than the unknown of the afterlife. There seems to be some sort of an addiction to receiving any knowledge or vindications about death or the afterlife. We can get these answers from reading gothic literature such as this by Poe. Poes writing is popular because of how it relates to our fear of the unknown. Americans are often obsessed with the dark side of human nature which is a reflection of this fear. The Masque of the Red Death is one of the many famous pieces of gothic literature written by Poe. The short story takes place in Europe around the time of the 14th century where an epidemic of the Red Death, has killed off half of the population. Prince Prospero shut himself away in his castellated abbey with seven irregular rooms representing the seven stages of life. The most eastern room was light blue, emphasizing life and the subsequent rooms ranged from purple, green, orange, white, violet, and finally, the most western room was black. The black room symbolizes the gothic fear of the end of life. The sun rises in the blue east room, representing the beginning of the day and the beginning of life, and the sun sets in the black west room, signifying the end of the day or end of life. Prospero decides to invite the healthiest aristocrats to a masquerade ball in his castle. He and his guests foolishly feel safe and protected from the disease and death because the abbey is surrounded with â€Å"a strong and lofty wall with gates of iron.† Once inside, no one can escape and no one can get in. In the black room, there is unusual dà ©cor. There is an ebony clock, which symbolizes death. It chimes each hour to remind the partiers of the fear they have about the ending of their lives. The masqueraders were considered grotesque. Towards the end of the story, an uninvited guest representing the red death, who is dressed as a corpse, interrupts the party. This creature walks from room to room and past the guests to the black room, the most western room. No one goes near the shrouded man except Prince Prospero who is following him angrily and â€Å"he bore aloft a drawn dagger.† He confronts the red death. Shortly afterwards there is a scream and Prince Prospero falls to the floor dead. The figure stands in the shadow of a clock and the partiers realize that there is no life form behind this mask. When they realize that, one by one the guests start to die. Poe ends the story with the irony of death being inevitable as much as Prospero and the partiers tried to avoid it. When the ebony clock symbolizing death chimes every hour, the guests stop everything they are doing in order to reflect on death. â€Å"While the chimes of the clock rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation† (2) When the clock echoed its chimes, the people who were the most alive even took time to bring their activities to an end in order to think about death and what happens when their life ends. The oldest of the guests were confused, putting their hands on their heads to consider the lives they have lived and what would happen if and when it all concluded. The guests of the party focus on running away or avoiding death. They do not want to come into contact with it because they do not know what will happen to them. This is why when the clock chimes, everyone goes silent and dazes off trying to view their beliefs on what death would really be like. They also come to the realization when the clock chimes that someday, their lives will end. It is almost as if everybody goes through a tempora ry transformation when the clock echoes and chimes. They take a step back and face the reality that they cannot hide from death forever. However, when the clock stops echoing, these thoughts are diminished and everyone resumes their previous activities overlooking the thoughts they just had, as if nothing had even happened. The guests continue to party with laughter filling the room. Later towards midnight, which is also the end of the day, symbolizing the end of life, this masked stranger suspends the party. The partiers immediately go quiet when they come to this realization that there is something bizarre about this figure. â€Å"There were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2) The partiers discuss in a quiet manner what they think this unwelcoming intruder could represent out of curiosity . They do not gaze away from it, attempting to discover the true inscrutability of this unknown figure. At first the guests are disturbed that something like this would even occur in a ball that clearly reprimanded anything to do with death. They express disapproval and disgust when they first perceive this distinguishing character. However, they then begin to communicate to one another in a hushed tone what they think this craze may be. The guests do not fail to glance away or stop conversing endeavoring to figure out what this spiritual disposition represents out of their curiosity of the unidentified and the unknown. Poe’s gothic literature is not the only piece that represents society’s obsessive curiosity about death. William Faulkner is an American author of gothic literature in the 20th century that is also well known for his gothic writing style. Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is a gothic horror story set in the antebellum South. The story is told in retrospect about a spinster named Emily Grierson. It begins and ends at her funeral and the narrator moves through her life from about the age of 30 until the age of 74. Emily is an eccentric aristocrat who lives with a very controlling father, who imprisons her in their home. At about the age of 30 her father dies but she is so eccentric and resistant to change that she refuses to accept his death for 3 days. â€Å"She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days† (3) Her father left her only the house, and no money. She is in denial of the fact and refuses to accept the deterioration of her social status. One day, Homer Barron, a northern construction foreman and self-proclaimed lifelong bachelor, comes into her life. In spite of the fact that she is penniless, she shows a condescending attitude toward him and feels that she is superior. â€Å"Because the ladies all said, â€Å"Of course Grierson would not think seriously of a northerner, a day laborer.†Ã¢â‚¬  (3) Eventually, she falls in love, but her love is expressed to Homer in the same way her father’s love was shown to her. Love equals control. Her tragic determination to keep Homer in her life and stop time leads her to murder the man. Years later when she dies at the age of 74, neighbors attend her funeral on the pretense of showing respect. However, it is their morbid curiosity that drives them to see her and her house. After her burial, the decomposed body of the entrapped Homer Barron is found in what appears to be a macabre bridal chamber and a grotesque shrine. Death and denial are recurring themes throughout the story. The death of the two men Emily loved most, her father and Homer, her denial of their deaths, her den ial of her diminished status, and finally, her own death weave through the story from beginning to end. Emily’s constant need for attention and approval lead her to be curious about not only death, but life as well. When she meets Homer in the story, she accepts carriage rides from him even when she hardly knows him and someone in her place typically would not associate with a northern laborer. An outcome of her father’s death is Emily’s newfound freedom and her birth of curiosity to what she has been missing out on in life. When she falls in love with Homer, she takes after her father and shows her affection peculiarly by controlling everything he does. Her cousins come to stay with Emily and as a result of this, Homer moves out. Emily then starts to relive her fear of being alone and deprived of attention. When Homer returns, Emily poisons him. Her curiosity about what her life would be like without him drives her to do this and he fear underscores her curiosity. To ensure that this never happens, she kills him. Curiosity about death appears throughout gothic lit erature from past to present but it appears in modern times too. Long Island Medium is a television program on TLC about a woman named Theresa Caputo, who supposedly can come into contact with the dead. The spirits speak to her to reassure those who were left behind of whatever concerns them. This provides closure to the people that have lost those loved ones. Long Island Medium is a well-liked show because it provides people with answers about those they have lost such as if they are okay, if they are in heaven, and what they are feeling. Curiosity about loved ones people have lost is the reason for the show’s popularity and it shows us how society is obsessed with the dark side. â€Å"I have been channeling spirit for 11 years now, and everyone wants to know what happens when they die,† says Caputo. In regular episodes of Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo will be doing necessary daily activities and she will come into contact with the spirits. While at the supermarket, Caputo encounters two women and one of them has a baby in a st roller. She approaches them regularly. â€Å"My name is Theresa and I’m a medium,† she says with a smile on her face. She then goes on to the woman with the baby that she feels that there is energy between a mother and a father having a recognition and excitement towards the baby. She then goes on to ask the mother of the baby if her parents had died. The woman, Vanessa, from East Meadow, tells her story about how both her parents had passed away and she never got to say goodbye. â€Å"Just know that your dad is stepping forward along with your mom acknowledging the birth of your beautiful son,† she says politely. Vanessa smiles somewhat morosely and manages an â€Å"okay.† Caputo persists with telling Vanessa that her parents are watching over the baby by the rocking chair in the baby’s room. Vanessa’s mother’s spirit tells Caputo of the baby’s yellow room in their new house and Caputo says this to Vanessa. Vanessa and her Aunt smile a nd laugh in disbelief. â€Å"Just know that her soul is with you because she says you don’t feel her,† Caputo goes on. Vanessa said she never felt that her mother was with her spiritually. â€Å"I always say that. I can’t believe you just said that,† says Vanessa. â€Å"Your mother is leaning over and kissing you and saying that she’s proud of you and that you’re going to be an amazing mom.† Vanessa nods and begins to cry. It seemed as if she was waiting for some kind of answers for years. She was curious to find out vindications to how her parents were and what they thought of her. Almost every human being has experienced death in some way. An inference on why this show is so notorious is because of the human intellect that there is an afterlife, but it is just unknown. Society preys on any type of justification on what happens after death. There are other modern gothic shows on television that show society’s curiosity about the afterlife and the unknown, but in fictional forms. Pretty Little Liars is a show on ABC family about four girls who are trying to solve the mystery of the death of their closest friend Allison. Shortly after the confirmation of Allison’s death, all four girls start to get disturbing texts and messages from an anonymous person who calls themselves â€Å"A† Their deceased friend Allison was the only one they told all of their secrets to. They figured since she was dead that all of their secrets were safe. However, â€Å"A† knows everything there is to know about all four of the girls’ lives. Every situation that happens to them whether it is financial, romantic, or criminal, A is the first person to know about it. The girls reunite and figure out that they all receive these messages from A. They try to unfold the mystery behind A along with trying to configure the clandestine of their friend Allison’s death. They start to wonder if this A is really Allison and if she is still alive. Attempting to unravel this enigma leads them into life threatening positions which change their reputations and self-confidence. The obsession in finding out the unknown of what happened to their friend and what happens to them in the result of trying to solve this mystery is the consequences of their simple curiosity. In the beginning of this hit series, the girls’ beloved friend Allison, whom they confided in, mysteriously disappeared. Questioning of her disappearance was the uproar of the town. Shortly afterwards, the police found her dead body. When all of the girls start receiving the same, eerie text messages, with information that only Allison knew of them, they start to question if Allison is really dead, or if her spirit is within the messages. Their curiosity of the unknown leads them to questioning what really happened to their friend. If the inhuman had no sense of curiosity, they would not find themselves caught up in the drama an anonymous figure is trying to provoke. Their curiosity leads to this obsession of finding out everything there is to know about their friend’s death and what really happened to her. If society was not curious about the afterlife and death, we would not have all of these books, stories, television shows or movies revolving around the dark side. The essence of mystery is what attracts society to creating any source of material to find any information. Curiosity is simply in our nature. If there were no curiosity, billions of dollars would not be made in trying to provide people with some sort of answers to what they are seeking. Curiosity birthed America’s obsession with the dark side.

Chinese Cuisine in the United States

Chinese Cuisine in the United States Since last century, Chinese food has become very popular throughout the United States. The history of American Chinese food begins before the 20th century. During the Gold Rush in California, a lot of Chinese immigrants came to the United States to build railways. They started making Chinese food in the United States, and after the Second World War, numerous numbers of Chinese restaurants have been built in this country. Since that time, people can easily find a Chinese restaurant in any city of any state. The reason why Chinese food is so popular in America is because many Americans love it. Although, most Americans do not actually know that most of the Chinese food they are eating in the United States is not authentic. American Chinese food tend to focus more on American style cooking, and contrast significantly from tradition Chinese food. Most Chinese food in the United States is deep-fried or stir-fried, but authentic Chinese food is not. Americans should know that they have the option for a better Chinese diet, which is more delicious and healthier. American Chinese cuisine should be replaced by authentic Chinese cuisine because American Chinese cuisine is unhealthy for us due to the cookings poor quality. Chinese American cuisine started adapting to unhealthy cooking methods. The foundation of American Chinese food started when Chinese immigrants arrived in the United States. The first group of Chinese immigrants came from the Guangdong Province of China mainland. When they just arrived in the United States, they tried to make their hometown food. It was impossible for them to find raw food materials and traditional ingredients here. Cooking authentic Chinese food has a stringent requirement for raw food materials; the requirement requires all meat and vegetable products to be fresh. The Chinese immigrants only used all of what they could find for cooking. When railroad work was no longer available, the Chinese workers started to open restaurants. Their main customer groups were Caucasians Americans and Americans usually prefer a sweeter taste in their food. Thus, in order for the Chinese immigrants to make profits from their restaurants, the Chinese food chefs had to alter the taste of their hometown food to satisfy their local customers. Traditional Chinese food is usually saltier with rich flavors. Although, sugar is a very common ingredient for most dishes in the United States, so Chinese food chefs eventually started using sugar far more often for their dishes. Not only that, MSG (monosodium glutamate) is used very often in American Chinese cuisine for a flavor enhancer to stimulate the customers appetite, and to mask meats that are not fresh. Some problems MSG can lead to are diabetes, headaches, obesity, and addiction to MSG products. All these methods are definitely not a natural and healthy way to make food, leading American Chinese foods with higher fats and calories. The lack of professional chefs is another reason to explain why American Chinese food is dissatisfactory. As mentioned above, the earliest Chinese food chefs were railroad workers. They had never been trained to cook. In China, there are a lot of cooking schools. They provide different styles of cooking lessons and a beginner normally needs to spend two years to graduate. There are also eight distinct Chinese cuisines in China: Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Fujian, Hunan, and Anhui. However, American Chinese cuisine only develops from Guangdong cuisine, so many other authentic Chinese cuisines have not even been exposed in America widely. American Chinese chefs though, they usually learn of the skills from other previous chefs and lack a lot of experience and knowledge. As mentioned previously about adding sugar to their dishes, a lot of cooks use it as a method to cover their inexperienced cooking techniques and make their dishes taste more desirable to the Americ an taste. The American Chinese chefs eventually started to create their own dishes as well. Today, a very popular and good example would be Orange chicken. Orange chicken is deep-fried chicken covered with sweet soy sauce. It is the most popular Chinese dish in the United States and it is usually served at most Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, in China, no one has ever heard of Orange chicken because the American Chinese chefs created it in the U.S. Therefore, many American Chinese dishes you may have experienced in the U.S., could be foreign to many people in China. American Chinese cuisine is also fast food. The bad dietary habit of Americans leads American Chinese food to be unhealthy. Americans like fast food, so Chinese American restaurants often cook quickly. They normally can prepare one dish in five minutes, but in an authentic Chinese restaurant, a dish would normally take more than fifteen minutes. How can they cook that much faster? It is because they only use one cooking method, which is frying. Fried foods are most definitely unhealthy for us. It can damage our body and brain in many ways. Fried foods can also cause us to be overweight and lead to obesity. A large percentage of people in the United States have problems with their weight. In recent years, people have turned their attention to their daily diets and claim that it is time to give up fast food. Most people only think restaurants such as McDonalds or KFC are fast foods, but American Chinese cuisine is also considered fast food. The quality of the food is poor and cooking a uthentic Chinese cuisine takes more than simply one method of cooking. American Chinese restaurants simply finish your orders in 5 minutes! You can either sit down to eat it or take it home. When you order Chinese take out and go back home to enjoy your delicious orange chicken, you call your friend and tell him you are having Chinese foodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦No! That is not Chinese food. It is American Chinese food and that is fast food. However, many Americans would disagree with the idea of replacing American Chinese food with authentic Chinese cuisine. The Chinese cuisine in America is westernized to appeal to Americans and that is what they are most familiar with. It would be equivalent to taking their Chinese food away, because technically American Chinese food was invented and invested in America. The Chinese food here is deep-fried, grease-soaked, and as well as imitated (i.e. imitation crab). That sounds a lot like most American foods and replacing American Chinese cuisine would be the same as taking away Americas invention of Chinese food. Another factor is complication. The idea of replacing American Chinese cuisine with authentic Chinese cuisine would most definitely use a lot more money and time. That time and money would go into training new chefs, establishing new restaurants, investing in many new cooking styles, and the list would go on. Also, most Chinese restaurants in America are well established a nd are spread across the states. It is not easy to change something that became successful in its own ways. It is not saying authentic Chinese cuisine is bad, but Americans find American Chinese food good, and in America, if something is good, then there doesnt need to be change. It is true that changing American Chinese food to authentic Chinese food will be complicated, but that complication is worth the investment. Unlike the American Chinese cuisine, authentic Chinese food is a lot healthier. Food is very important to Chinese culture. Most Chinese people are highly likely to pay attention to their daily food. The most important nutritional concept is Yin and Yang. Yin means cold. Yang means Hot. Every food has a specific way of heating or cooling humans body. For example, most spicy foods and meats are generally thought to be Yang. Then, green vegetables and soup are thought to be Yin. An authentic Chinese chef would know of the concept and know how to incorporate the concept to make a balanced meal. In an American Chinese restaurant though, meat is always the main role on the table, which is totally against with the Yin and Yang concept. Authentic Chinese cuisine not only promotes a more balanced meal, it promotes a healthier diet, and this is important for changing the bad dietary habit in America as mentioned earlier. Of course an investment such as this would take up a lot of time and money. It doesnt hurt to start small or at least give it a try. Already well-established American Chinese restaurants should consider lowering the number of fat contents and calories as well as balancing their meals in order to promote a healthier diet. New Chinese restaurant chefs should consider going through extensive training, study Chinese culinary, or develop different choices of authentic Chinese cuisine other than the main Guangdong cuisine that most people are familiar with. Yes, if something is good and familiar to us why change it? Although in America, they also love change! If the change is for the better, why not give it a try? America should certainly attempt some effort to give authentic Chinese cuisine a try. Chinese cuisine restaurants are still spreading rapidly throughout America. Americans should know they have the choice for a more delicious and better diet, therefore Chinese cuisine should be replaced by authentic Chinese cuisine because American Chinese cuisine is unhealthy for us due to the cookings poor quality. Most American Chinese restaurants adapt to unhealthy cooking methods, inexperience techniques, and also Americans should know that most Chinese food they are eating is also considered unhealthy fast food. There should be a Chinese food revolution; people should limit themselves fried Chicken and sweet meat as a choice for Chinese food. The only way to escape from this vicious circle fast is to hire many professional educated Chinese chefs from China and start establishing from there on. However, realistically speaking that may be far complicated and may cost a lot of money. Then again, if the change is worth the investment people should certainly give it a try. Some small starting up ideas include, already established restaurants to alter their meals to promote the Yin and Yang balanced meal concept, new chefs to consider being well educated and trained first, and also encouraging restaurants to create more other authentic Chinese cuisines that differs from todays dominant Guangdong cuisine. Variety will bring more culture to the Chinese cuisine and also shows that Americans have better choices to choose from rather than that orange chicken they always order. A lot of people are guilty of that, but if authentic Chinese cuisine can be brought up in America, then we can start bragging about the real good Chinese food we are having.

The War on Terrorism and the US Propaganda Machine Essay -- September

The War on Terrorism and the US Propaganda Machine Totalitarian regimes control their people by bludgeoning and incarcerating them. Critics of Western societies claim that democratic governments maintain approval for their actions through the "manufacture of consent", a cryptic and insidious form of propaganda. "How?", you ask skeptically. By framing the debate, the theory says. By setting up a debate between two opposing acceptable views--one slightly left of government policy, and the other slightly right--the media can marginalize the radicals and legitimize the party line. Thus the debate surrounding the war in Vietnam was a debate of the hawks ("If we keep fighting we can win") vs. the doves ("It's too costly; we're fighting a losing battle"). There was no question of our right to interfere in the mainstream media, no question of the purpose of the war. You can see the same framing of debate in the US media's coverage of the "war on terrorism". If you look for it, anyway. It all sounds like a conspiracy theory, though, doesn't it? It seems rather far-fetched that the government is controlling the media, even if National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice did "suggest" that the networks broadcast only "abridged" versions of any future appearances by Osama bin Laden and friends. It's much more plausible that the big companies control the government, but I'm not going to open that kettle of fish. So let's forget about conspiracies for the moment, and simply focus on the media coverage: are we getting a fair shake? Increasing numbers of Americans don't think so. Despite the fact that UK is our strongest ally in this conflict, their media has been considerable more even-handed in cov... ...s a "war on terrorism", but kills countless innocent Afghanis because their government refused to give over bin Laden without some evidence of his involvement in the WTC attacks. But if that's the radical view, and the media comments above are mainstream, we'd do well to broaden our scope. British support for the war has fallen drastically, and is now outnumbered by those opposed. If you'd like to find out why, you'll have to look further than CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, etc. Try the Guardian, the Independent, BBC, Fair.org, or just search Google for Noam Chomsky + Afghanistan. Even if our dangerous ignorance is not the result of a conspiracy, we've still got plenty of good reason to alleviate it. Surely we're educated and critical enough to decide for ourselves what constitutes a valid perspective. We don't need the purifying filter of the mainstream media.

Pride in Young Goodman Brown and The Ministers Black Veil Essay

Pride in Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of Hawthorne's characters wrap themselves in a pride of intellect. The characters become victims of their pride and consequently suffer.   Goodman Brown, from "Young Goodman Brown" and Hooper, from "The Minister's Black Veil" are two characters that suffer from a pride of intellect.   Their pride causes them similar problems and they end up living similar lives, although they came from different backgrounds.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hooper and Goodman Brown both become isolated from society.   Hooper had a revelation, and he feels that he truly understands human nature and sin. However, he believes that he is above everybody else because he has this understanding.   This is what causes the major separation between Hooper and society.   After Hooper dawns the veil he can no longer function or act as a normal person, because of this feeling of superiority.   His perception of an ultimate human isolation leaves him the man most isolated in what Hawthorne describes as that saddest of all prisons, his own heart . . . "(The Minister's Black Veil,228).   The veil affects all parts of his life, his fiance leaves him and he can no longer relate to his congregation the same way. "As a result of wearing the veil, Hooper becomes a man apart, isolated from love and sympathy, suspected and even feared by his congregation"(Minister's Black Veil, 228). Goodman Brown suffers the same fate because he also has a feeling of superiority over the rest of the village.   He attains this feeling after he sees all the people that he though were good and pure participating in satanic rituals in the fore... ...de.    Works Cited and Consulted Benoit, Raymond.   "'Young Goodman Brown': The Second Time Around."   The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 19 (Spring 1993): 18-21. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959. James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. Kaul, A. N., Ed..   "HAWTHORNE: A Collection of Critical Essays." Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1966. Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965. Morris, Lloyd., "THE REBELLIOUS PURITAN: Portrait of Mr. Hawthorne." Port Washington: Kennikat Press. Van Doren, Mark., Ed. "The Best of Hawthorne." New York: The Ronald Press Company. 1951. Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Privacy and Computer Technology Essay

Privacy is a valuable interest and is now threatened more than ever by technological advances. Privacy is defined as the ability to control the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information (Fast Trac Course ). At one time people could once feel confident that what others may find out about them would be treated in a way that it would probably do any harm. Information technology has been beneficial for privacy. By having access to ATMs and online banking we rarely have to present ourselves to a teller. Online shopping offers similar benefits such as being able to shop without standing in long lines and being able to compare prices and research products before purchasing. However, since so much of what we do daily is done using a computer, it can pose a serious threat to privacy. This information can then be recreated to create detailed personal profiles that could not have transpired in pre-digital days. Furthermore, this information can be distributed far, wide, and immediately without our consent or even knowledge. Judicial remedies are unlikely to produce a satisfying or sensible balance between companies’ economic prerogatives and customers’ privacy interest. New technologies that has either unconsiously adopted or resourcefully applied privacy practices will continue to threaten personal privacy. Business will have to find ways to address this uneasiness. If companies remain complacent, underestimating the degree to which privacy matters to customers, harsh regulation may be waiting in the wings. The best way out is for businesses and customers to negotiate directly over where to draw the lines. (What is Privacy?) There are many databases and Internet records that track or keep record of information about an individual’s financial and credit history, medical record, purchases and telephone calls. Most people do not know what information is stored about them or who has access to it. The ability for others to access and link the databases, with few controls on how they use, share, or exploit the information, makes individual control over information about oneself more difficult than ever before. For example, the caller Id was originally designed to allow you to screen your calls and protect from receiving unwanted calls from harassers, telemarketers, etc†¦ In turn it involved privacy concerns for both the caller and the person called. Over the years, there has been a clash between privacy and advancing technologies, which can make a compelling argument for overriding the privacy intrusions. The challenge of improving security while protecting privacy is called Real Id. The real ID act provides significant challenges. It was signed into law on May 11, 2005 (public law 109-13). After may 11, 2008 â€Å"A federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a dirvers license or identification card issued by a state to any persin unless the state is meeting the requirements†. The real ID act defines what information and features must appear on the card, what documentation must be presented before a card can be issued, what verification the state must do before a card can be issued, and security measures to prevent tampering counterfeiting and duplication of the card. The Real Id requires states to confirm the identities and documentation of applicants, Make drivers licence and ID cards extremely difficult to counterfiet, and to assure one driver one record so that you will be able to own only one licence which only go for people that has mutliple addresses . The Real Id Act is really the outgrowth of the 911 commision reccomended that the licence be improved and it should be a national standard. Represenative James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) who was the cahir of the house judiciary committee said â€Å"American citizens have the right to know who is in their country, that people are who they say they are , and the name on a drivers licence is the holder’s real name, not som alias.† Historically the licence has been a state function so the act tailors the mandate that you must present this identification. The challlenges comes from the act because the real ID act was written by Congress without expressing privacy protections. Some of the privacy challenges are what information should be stored in the machine readanble zone?, who should have access to the information stored in the machine readable zone?, and what information, if any will be centralized in order to facilitate the necessary data exchange among the state?. I feel that there should be some limitations on the information stored in the readable zone and the data systems protect the personal information from unauthorized uses and disclosure. Information about individuals is used by businesses to provide customers with a huge array of targeted goods and personalized services that consumers have come to expect. If it lands in the wrong hands, this same information can result in harm to the very individuals it was meant to serve. The protection of an individual’s personal information has business implications that extend beyond the privacy of any one individual. Private information relative to certain businesses and industries is protected by various laws. For example the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) laws protect private medical information. Many states have enacted their own laws, and the federal government is regulated by the Privacy Act of 1974. Legislatures are increasingly responding to calls for greater protection of private information, and stories of improper disclosures of large volumes of private information receive prominent media attention. At present, there is no broad, general federal law protecting the privacy of customer information; most protections are aimed at particular types of information (such as medical or student records,) or particular types of businesses (such as medical providers, banks, and financial service businesses). Customers and consumers expect their information to be protected and businesses that recognize the need to make privacy part of their business strategy are ahead of the game. Many companies have gone to great lengths to protect information using technological advances. However, the ability of a business to protect private information it collects as part of its business is only as strong as its weakest link â€Å"the human factor† something that technology just can’t overcome. Having knowledge of privacy and security should be aimed at individuals who work with private information to help understand the ways that this information can be disclosed inadvertently. We are now moving into an era where there will always be a digital observer. Unlike footprints left in the sand, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out and they are growing rapidly. Digital footprints are trails of information left by a person’s interaction in the digital environment (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint). They existed since day one or even before you were born. Internet users don’t realize that every time they use the internet they leave digital footprints. This includes massive amounts of data in the form of email, documents, images, games, music, apps, movies, login and logouts, visits to a web-page, accessed or created files, chat messages or any other material showing the activities being done on a website. What people don’t understand is when you try to reduce your digital footprint you actually make it larger. When trying to reduce your digital footprints interested parties can still use data they have found for evidence, data mining or profiling purposes. This doesn’t mean that you can’t try to protect yourself but you should take precautions when accessing or posting personal information on websites. People need to be proactive and take control of their digital footprint. Due to increased utilization of social media, we should have a heighted awareness of privacy. Being aware of what personally identifiable information that is included in your online profile is very important. Publicy exposed private information on the web can also be used to steal your idenity and money. With more employers’ using the internet to find out about their current or potential new employees, it is good to know in advance what information is floating around the internet about you. You should only put PII in your profile that you wouldn’t mind the entire world including potential or current employers to view. For example, you can find this out by searching for yourself in Google to see what comes up. Also, be wary of strangers. People can misrepresent themselves and their motives so when posting on any social media website it is good to limit who is allowed to contact you and what you tell strangers with whom you communicate with (U.S. Department of State Priva cy Tips). Privacy is so important not just to my online presence but also to my financial documents. Financial privacy is a another term for a multitude of privacy issues, ranging from financial institutions ensuring that their customers information remain private to those outside the institution as well as individuals ensuring that they are protecting their privacy in the privacy of their homes. These documents can be protected by guarding your social security number, calling carefully, and cleaning your name off call lists. Unless you are paying your income taxes, you shouldn’t place your social security number on checks and don’t keep your number in your wallet. A stolen or lost wallet with your social security number can make it easy for someone to obtain new credit in your name. An 800 number is a convenient cost saver, but not if the company you call isn’t reputable. Your call can be the electronic source for undesirable solicitation lists or cause fraud by giving ou t your credit card number to someone who misuses it. You can ask companies you buy from not to release your name to others. You can also have your name eliminated from mass mailing lists by writing to the Direct Marketing Association. Protecting your financial privacy is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The fair credit reporting act guarantees access to your credit report for free. If you at anytime feel your credit has been compromised you should visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website. (How to Deal with a Security Breach) In summary, There are many threats to privacy but there are ways you can prevent compromise by criminals and by privacy invading infestations. There are many things you can do to increase to increase your privacy especially online. Protecting your privacy online requires keeping your computer safe from many types of online dangers. Some of the ways to prevent online dangers are making sure the sites you vist is safe beofre sharing personal information. This incluses your real name, email address, credit card number, etc†¦.The next way is to make sure your online account is properly configured for ideal privacy protection. This includes making sure to use a password that are hard to break. The next way is to protect wireless connection from dangers or intrusions. When connecting to the internet via a wireless connection make sure that you re suing a protected password. The next way is to remove yourself from search databases. This can be done by sending a email through a reputable website such as private eye, 123people.com, or intelius.com. Another way is by increasing the privacy of your browser. This a very important part of protecting your online privacy but it also secures your computer against malware and other threats. Lastly, use a temporary credit card number that is linked to your financial account but is only valid for single or limited transactions. Bibliography (Wikipedia, pg 1) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint Fast Trac Course How to Deal with a Security Breach The Three Basic Forms of Business Ownership What is Privacy?