Wednesday, August 26, 2020
James Cook
James Cook Essay Alice Holder James Cook Essay Alice Holder In 1788, the Europeans attacked Australia after the First Fleet of British boats arrived in Botany Bay on the eighteenth of January, however then moored in Port Jackson, which we know as Sydney, New South Wales. At that point, there were Over 750000 Aboriginal individuals in Australia. Lieutenant James Cook had announced Australia to be land nullius (no oneââ¬â¢s land) in 1770 after which the pioneers concurred together that they could make the land their own. Cook accepted that the Aboriginals lived well.They had all that they required in that time, and were in his view to be more advantageous and more joyful than most Europeans. Cookââ¬â¢s sentiment can be viewed as substantial in light of the fact that in 1788 the indigenous individuals had exceptionally complex social structures, and correspondence was a solid piece of their lives. There were different various clans or gathering social affairs around this timeframe , and the Aboriginals wanted to get together to talk and see one another, regardless of whether they were discussing their day, their issues, or anything. They had a wide range of gatherings of individuals to converse with, or allude back to, and a large portion of these connections were reasonably strong.A not many of these gatherings were family relationships, strict gatherings, countries, and moiety and physical structures. Family is an exceptionally solid perspective in the native culture. More often than not they had more distant families and the oldest not many in the family took on significant jobs in caring for the family and assisting. Correspondence and social events were underestimated in the families, aside from the relative standard, which is the point at which you can't talk straightforwardly to your mother by marriage. This standard applies to the two people, and in the event that correspondence was important, at that point they would talk by means of third individual , yet never make one on one correspondence with the person.This is a case of Cook accepting that the aboriginals were wealthy in companionship, family and correspondence, since they had such a significant number of various clans to allude back to, and are incredible at correspondence and engaging with others and gatherings. In this season of life, there wasnââ¬â¢t the nearby shop to proceed to purchase your food and fundamental needs. There wasnââ¬â¢t a move school close by to gain proficiency with the most recent moves. There wasnââ¬â¢t skewering classes to figure out how to battle for your food, everybody needed to master everything without anyone else, or learn off each other.The Aboriginal culture was exceptionally lucky in having the ability to get what they need, wether that was battling for food, making weapons, and so on. They kept warm by resting or simply sitting in the middle of two little flames, and they additionally had dingos, which is an outdoors hound which they dozed close to keep warm. They created skewering abilities since that was the main way they could get food to live off. They were never debilitated and just appeared to take advantage of what they had, and never had awful considerations about what they had, in light of the fact that they realized they had the best, and all they expected to endure; and they were wealthier than the normal European.In rundown, Cookââ¬â¢s see that aboriginals were not savages is assuredly right. They had all that they expected to carry on with a long and upbeat life contrasted with the Europeans. Numerous individuals didn't accept this, and had an away from of the Aboriginal culture in their mind, yet this wasn't right. Customary Life, Housing, (date obscure), Aboriginal Culture, [web page], <http://www. aboriginalculture. com. au/lodging. shtml>, [accessed eighth May 2012]
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Need help to write reflection paragraph for my project about the Assignment
Need assistance to compose reflection passage for my venture about the system venture on ( Cesim Business Management Simulations ) - Assignment Example We took in this throughout the game. Here and there, there just ideas that are unreasonably unique for us to comprehend in a study hall setting and just value it in a business setting. For instance, we chose to make our expenses and cost low in the last not many rounds believing that it would it increment our net benefit by holding the findings down. Hypothetically, our suspicion ought to be correct however it is simply too shortsighted to even consider assuming that net benefit will increment whenever cost will be diminished in light of the fact that there are likewise different interesting points in making benefit. For our situation, we decrease our expenses and cost to just 740,749 which is one of the most minimal in the game. Hypothetically, in the event that our reasonings were little, at that point our net benefit ought to be high. We understand that it doesn't really follow along these lines. Diminishing expenses, particularly those that are basic in producing incomes isn't ge nerally sound for the business. We are likewise not productive in utilizing our assets to create income. We may have perhaps the most reduced expense in the game regarding numbers however in the event that we relate this to the income created, we are in certainty one of the costliest business if not the costliest. Presently, this would be hard to acknowledge in a study hall conversation. We have a ton of fixed resources yet it didn't produce income and just brought about us devaluation of 437â 722 which can be considered as the most noteworthy in the game regardless of whether it isn't the most elevated in numbers term since it just created a business income of 1â 273â 665. These erroneous suspicions, drove us to do inadequately in the last scarcely any rounds of the game. We were doing extraordinary in the initial hardly any rounds however wrong presumptions pulled us in the read as it were, in the last scarcely any rounds since we had wrong suppositions. Beneficial thing this was only a game in such a case tha t this was the reality, our group would have lost our shirt. The game filled its need of letting us see how different ideas and parts in
Sunday, August 16, 2020
What are the Pros and Cons of Cigarette Smoking
What are the Pros and Cons of Cigarette Smoking Addiction Coping and Recovery Personal Stories Print The Pros and Cons of Smoking A List Compiled by an Ex-Smoker By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Updated on January 07, 2020 Mixmike / Getty Images More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Personal Stories Methods and Support Overcoming Addiction Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Most long-term smokers have a love/hate relationship with cigarettes. From the moment we awake in the morning until we lay our heads down on the pillow at night, cigarettes punctuate each and every activity of our daily lives. It becomes a very heavy load to carry over time. When we decide to quit, untangling the associations weve built up over a lifetime of smoking takes conscious effort;?? something that smoking cessation forum member Zoe illustrates beautifully below. In her list of pros and cons, Zoe takes a critical look at how smoking made her feel. A powerful exercise in stepping out from behind the smoke screen that nicotine addiction forces us to live behind, a pros and cons list allows us to uncover the truth about our relationship with smoking. From there, the work of healing can begin ... as it did for Zoe. From Zoe I made a list of what I liked about smoking vs. what I hated about smoking ... and though I really missed it at first, looking at this list made me see that I didnt like smoking as much as I thought I did. What I Liked About Smoking The bonding I experienced with other smokers.The feeling of creating a ritual.Watching the cigarette burn and watching the smoke swirl.Momentary gratification. What I Hated About Smoking The after-smell on my clothes, furniture, car, house, everything. Yuck.Not being able to breathe properly.The constant nagging cough. All day, all night.Lots of phlegm, lots of throat-clearing and losing my voice mid-sentence.Painful heartburn every night and every time I drank coffee.Feeling winded after extremely mild activity.Severe throbbing headaches, occasional migraines.Lingering colds and bronchitis.Racing heartbeat, more sweating.Increased rate of hypertension.Dizziness after smoking too fast or [having] too many cigarettes.Nausea from smoking too much.The constant coppery, ashy taste in my mouth.Yellow skin, teeth, and fingernails.Scaly, unhealthy-feeling skin.Anxiety from the fear about what I was doing to myself and the consequences.No relaxation, always feeling in need of something. A constant feeling of not being satisfied.Mini-withdrawals throughout the day.Feelings of shame while spending time with nonsmokers.Not accomplishing tasks because of wasted time smoking.The late-evening/middle-of-the-night trip to the gas station.Going out in bad weather to smoke alone.Feelings of inadequacy and substance dependence.Driving my cat out of the room every time I lit up.Dry mouth and constant feelings of thirst.Coughing so hard that I made myself sick.Trembling hands and fingertips.Fear. Of being unable to quit, of dying an untimely, painful death.The stinging feeling in my lungs when I tried to take a deeper or slower breath.Getting smoke in my eyes.Burning my lips on the filter.Trying to light short butts and feeling my eyebrows singe. Ouch!Re-lighting a previously torched cigarette, so I dont waste any tobacco.Overflowing ashtrays, ashes, and dust everywhere.Burn holes in my car upholstery and on my clothes.Will I fall asleep smoking?Will I catch something on fire?Dry, chapped lips.The cost. All that money wasted on ruining my health and well-being.My nails and hair grew very slowly.Smoking fueled my compulsiveness relating to other bad habits, such as nail-biting and binge-eating.Having to reapply my lipstick after smoking.The filthy taste of cheap tobacco.Having to crack the car window in the pouring rain. Wet leg, wet arm, water in my eyes.Tar build-up on windows and furniture.The way my hair and skin smelled.Limited motivation and energy.Spilled tobacco in my purse, on my dresser, on my computer desk.Lighting the filter end by mistake...Dropping a cigarette while driving.Trying to tap my ashes out the car window ... while the window is rolled up.Dropping hot ashes or losing the tip of a cigarette.Oops! Tapped ashes in my drink.Feeling exiled in the smoking section/smoking room.Dulled sense of taste and smell. Maybe you should sit down and make a list like this for yourself. It might give you the nudge towards where you know you want to be.~Zoe A Word From Verywell Zoe is right. Crafting your own list of pros and cons is an eye-opening way to see just what smoking means to us, good, bad and ugly. A list will help you build motivation to quit smoking once and for all. Think about how smoking makes you feel, both physically and emotionally. Try to honestly list out all of the positives and negatives and it will reinforce your desire to stop the madness that smoking is.?? The resources below will help you understand what to expect as you move through the process of recovery from nicotine addiction. Why You Should Consider Quitting SmokingWhat to Expect from Nicotine WithdrawalPersonal Quit Stories Dont fear smoking cessation. Dig your heels in and go. The discomforts are all temporary and give way to outstanding benefits that will continue to grow with time.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Quotes from James K. Polk
Read the words of James K. Polk, the eleventh President of the United States.Ã No President who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our government. There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress...than I had any conception of, before I became President of the U.S. In executing this power by levying a tariff of duties for the support of Government, the raising of revenue should be the object and protection the incident. To reverse this principle and make protection the object and revenue the incident would be to inflict manifest injustice upon all other than the protected interests. Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our countrys peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family. I cannot, whilst President of the United States, descend to enter into a newspaper controversy. I prefer to supervise the whole operations of Government myself rather than entrust the public business to subordinates and this makes my duties very great. Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our countrys peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family. Although in our country the Chief Magistrate must almost of necessity be chosen by a party and stand pledged to its principles and measures, yet in his official action he should not be the President of a party only, but of the whole people of the United States. The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government. While the Chief Magistrate and the popular branch of Congress are elected for short terms by the suffrages of those millions who must in their own persons bear all the burdens and miseries of war, our Government can not be otherwise than pacific.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Signature Assignment Portrait Of An Early Learner Essay
Portrait of an Early Childhood Learner Trissy Coppens Arizona State University Foundations of Diversity, Human Development, and the Young Child ECD 549 Larry Sidlik, Dr. Michael Roberts, Monique Davis December 4, 2014 Portrait of an Early Childhood Learner (MHC Early Childhood Solutions, n.d.) Did you survive the ââ¬Å"terrible twoââ¬â¢s?â⬠Well congratulations and welcome to the what lies ahead for you and your three year old child. The next few years are called the ââ¬Å"magic yearsâ⬠because it seems like magic that your child is finally listening to you and for your child it is an opportunity for their imagination to run wild. As parents we have watched our children grow and develop in the areas of height and weight, remembered when they firstâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦In this domain Piaget stated that the child who is still in the preoperational stage canââ¬â¢t conceptualize abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. They canââ¬â¢t mentally manipulate information. The child is able to form stable concepts as well as magical beliefs and their thinking is still egocentric, which means that the child has difficulty seeing the viewpoint of others. Piaget split this stage into the symbolic and intuitive thought substage. In the symbolic fun ction stage children are able to understand, represent, remember, and picture objects in their mind without having the object in front of them. Vygotsky stated that children learn cognitive tasks through their interactions with older peers and adults. Not only do younger children watch and imitate older people or peers as they complete tasks, but these older guides also help younger children accomplish tasks they couldnââ¬â¢t accomplish on their own. He calls this the zone of proximal development which he describes what children can do alone and what they can do with assistance. Another theorist named Bandura coined the term observational learning which means people learn appropriate social behaviors by observing and modeling others. This type of learning is most effective during childhood. Vygotsky believed that the important part of the cognitive development is language. He observed that very youngShow MoreRelatedHuman Resources Management150900 Words à |à 604 PagesTo ease employee and managerial anxieties about the changes, GE Fanuc promised that no employees would lose their jobs. Managers and supervisors affected by the elimination of levels were offered promotions, transfers to other jobs in GE Fanuc, or early retirement buyouts. Additionally, employees were promised profit sharing, which has resulted in up to three weeks additional pay in profit sharing bonuses in some years. The test of the change is in the results. 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Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Fi515 Chapter 1 Mini Case Free Essays
MINI CASE a. Why is corporate finance important to all managers? Corporate finance is important to all managers because it provides managers the skills needed to identify and select the corporate strategies and individual projects that add value to their firm and forecast the funding requirements of their company and devise strategies for acquiring those funds. b. We will write a custom essay sample on Fi515 Chapter 1 Mini Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Describe the organizational forms a company might have as it evolves from a start-up to a major corporation. List the advantages and disadvantages of each form. The organizational forms a company might have as it evolves from a start-up to a major corporation are proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. The advantages of a proprietorship are: â⬠¢Easy and inexpensive to form, â⬠¢Subject to few government regulations, and â⬠¢Income not subject to corporate taxation. The disadvantages of a proprietorship are: â⬠¢May be difficult to obtain the capital needed for growth, â⬠¢Unlimited personal liability for the businessesââ¬â¢ debts, and â⬠¢Limited to the life of its founder. The advantages of a partnership are: â⬠¢Relatively easy to establish, â⬠¢Increased ability to raise funds, Prospective employees become attracted to the business if given the incentive to become a partner, â⬠¢May benefit from the combination of complementary skills of two or more people, â⬠¢Can be cost effective, and â⬠¢Provide moral support and will allow for more creative brainstorming. The disadvantages of a partnership ar e: â⬠¢Partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners, â⬠¢Profits must be shared, â⬠¢Disagreements can occur, â⬠¢May have limited life, â⬠¢Has limitations that keeps it from becoming a large business, â⬠¢Partners have to consult with each other before making decisions, and â⬠¢Unlimited liability. The advantages of a corporation are: â⬠¢Unlimited life, â⬠¢Easy transferability of ownership interest, and â⬠¢Limited liability. The disadvantages of a corporation are: â⬠¢Earnings may be subject to double taxation, and â⬠¢Complex and time-consuming set up. c. How do corporations go public and continue to grow? What are agency problems? What is corporate governance? Corporations go public and continue to grow by selling stock to outsiders or venture capitalists, attracting lending from banks or raising additional funds through an initial public offering (IPO) by selling stock to the public at large. Agency problems are conflicts of interest arising between creditors, shareholders and managers because of differing goals. Corporate governance is the relationship between all the stakeholders in the company. d. What should be the primary objective of managers? The primary objective of managers is stockholder wealth maximization, which means to maximize the fundamental price of the firmââ¬â¢s common stock and not just the current market price. 1)Do firms have any responsibilities to society at large? Yes, firms have responsibilities to society at large. Corporate social responsibility is operating a business in a manner that accounts for the social and environmental impact created by the business. This means a commitment to developing policies that integrate responsible practices into daily business operations and to reporting on progress made toward implementing these practices. 2)Is stock price maximization good or bad for society? Stock price maximization is good for society. Shareholders are members of society. Consumers benefit when companies develop products and services that consumers want and need, which leads to new technology and new products. Employees benefit generally when companies successfully increase stock prices, it opens up growth and addition for more employees. 3)Should firms behave ethically? Yes, firms should behave ethically. There is no room for unethical behavior in the business world. Most executives believe that there is a positive correlation between ethics and long-run profitability. Conflicts often arise between profits and ethics. Companies must deal with these conflicts on a regular basis. Failure to handle these situations properly can lead to huge product liability suits and even bankruptcy. e. What three aspects of cash flows affect the value of any investment? The three aspects of cash flows the affect the value of any investment are the amount of expected cash flows, the timing of the cash flow stream, and the risk of the cash flows. f. What are free cash flows? Free cash flows are the monies available for distribution to all investors after paying current expenses, taxes, and making the investments necessary for growth. g. What is the weighted average cost of capital? The weighted average cost of capital is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. . How do free cash flows and the weighted average cost of capital interact to determine a firmââ¬â¢s value? Free Cash Flow = Sales Revenues ââ¬â Operating Costs and Taxes ââ¬â Required Investments in Operating Capital. Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) is affected by market interest rates, market risk aversion, cost of debt, cost of equity, firmâ â¬â¢s debt/equity mix, and firmââ¬â¢s business risk. Therefore, free cash flows and the weighted average cost of capital interact to determine a firmââ¬â¢s value by the following equation: Value=FCF1+FCF2+ â⬠¦ +FCF00 (1 + WACC)1(1 + WACC)2(1 + WACC)00 i. Who are the providers (savers) and users (borrowers) of capital? How is capital transferred between savers and borrowers? Households and some foreign governments are the providers (savers) of capital. Non-financial corporationââ¬â¢s net users and U. S. governments are users (borrowers) of capital. Financial corporations are slight users (borrowers), but almost breakeven. Capital is transferred between savers and borrowers by direct transfer, through an investment banking house, or through a financial intermediary. j. What do we call the price that a borrower must pay for debt capital? What is the price of equity capital? What are the four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money, or the general level of interest rates, in the economy? The price that a borrower must pay for debt capital is called the interest rate. The price of equity capital is the cost of equity equals required return equals dividend yield plus capital gains. The four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money, or the general level of interest rates, in the economy are production opportunities, time preferences for consumption, risk, and expected inflation. k. What are some economic conditions (including international aspects) that affect the cost of money? Some economic conditions (including international aspects) that affect the cost of money are country risk and exchange rate risk. Country risk depends on the countryââ¬â¢s economic, political, and social environment. Exchange rate risk is dependent on the non-dollar denominated investmentââ¬â¢s value. l. What are financial securities? Describe some financial instruments. Financial securities are pieces of paper with contractual provisions that entitle their owners to specific rights and claims on specific cash flows or values. Some financial instruments are: â⬠¢U. S. Treasury Bills à Sold by U. S. Treasury à Default-free risk à 91 days to one year ââ¬â original maturity â⬠¢Money Market Mutual Funds à Invest in short-term debt; held by businesses and individuals à Low degree of risk à No specific maturity (instant liquidity) â⬠¢Consumer Credit Loans à Loans by banks/credit unions/finance companies à Risk is variable à Original maturity is variable â⬠¢U. S. Treasury Notes and Bonds à Issued by U,S, government à No default risk, but price falls if interest rate rises à 2-30 years ââ¬â original maturity â⬠¢Municipal Bonds à Issued by state and local government to individuals and institutions à Riskier than U. S. overnment guides, but exempt from most taxes à Up to 30 years ââ¬â original maturity m. List some financial institutions. Some financial institutions are commercial banks, investment banks, savings and loan, mutual savings bands, credit unions, life insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and hedge funds and private equity funds. n. What are some different types of markets? Some different types of markets are physical asset markets, financial asset markets, spot markets, future markets, money markets, capital markets, mortgage markets, consumer credit markets, and world, national, regional and local markets. . How are secondary markets organized? Secondary markets are organized by location and the way that orders from buyers and sellers are matched. 1)List some physical location markets and some computer/telephone networks. Some physical locations markets are New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Some computer/telephone networks are NASDAQ, government bond markets, and foreign exchange markets. 2)Explain the differences between open outcry auctions, dealer markets, and electronic communications networks (ECNs). Auction markets are markets where participants have a seat on the exchange, meet face-to-face, and place orders for themselves or for their clients. The two largest auction markets for stocks are the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange is a modified auction with a ââ¬Å"specialist. â⬠Dealer markets are markets where ââ¬Å"dealersâ⬠keep an inventory of the stock (or other financial assets) and place bids and ask ââ¬Å"advertisementsâ⬠, which are prices at which they are willing to buy and sell. There are often many dealers for each stock. A computerized quotation system keeps track of bid and ask prices, but does not automatically match buyers and sellers. Examples of dealer markets are the NASDAQ National Market, NASDAQ Small Cap Market, London SEAQ, and German Neuer Market. Electronic communication networks (ECNs) are computerized systems that match orders from buyers and sellers and automatically execute the transaction. It is a low cost to transact. Examples of ECNs are Instinet (U. S. stocks owned by NASDAQ), Archipelago (U. S. stocks owned by NYSE), Eurex (Swiss-German futures contracts), and SETS (London stocks). p. Briefly explain mortgage securitization and how it contributed to the global economic crisis. Mortgage securitization is the pooling of various mortgage loans and their usage as collateral to issue securities. This process allows the originator of the mortgage loans to restructure its balance sheet by reducing the receivables and using the funds received from the sale of securities to invest elsewhere. Mortgage securitization allows the originators of the loans to diversify their risk besides enabling them to secure immediate liquidity for assets which would otherwise have face some difficulty in trading. http://www. economywatch. com/finance/high-finance/mortgage-securitization. html) Mortgage securitization contributed to the global economic crisis in many ways. â⬠¢Homeowners wanted better homes than they could afford. â⬠¢Mortgage brokers encourage homeowners to take mortgages even though they would reset the payments to amounts that the borrowers might not have been able t o afford because the brokers got a commission for closing the deal. â⬠¢Appraisers were over-appraising house values and getting paid at the time of the appraisal. â⬠¢Originating institutions (e. . , Countrywide) were quickly selling the mortgages to investment banks and other institutions. â⬠¢Investment banks created CDOs and got rating agencies to help design and then rate the new CDOs with rating agencies making big profits despite the conflicts of interest. â⬠¢Financial engineers used unrealistic inputs to generate high values for the CDOs. â⬠¢Investment banks sold the CDOs to investors and made big profits. â⬠¢Investors bought the CDOs but either didnââ¬â¢t understand or didnââ¬â¢t care about the risk. â⬠¢Some investors bought ââ¬Å"insuranceâ⬠via credit default swap. When the mortgages were reset and the borrowers defaulted on them, the values of the CDOs plummeted. â⬠¢Many of the credit default swaps failed to provide insurance beca use the counterparty failed. â⬠¢Many originators and securitizers still owned sub-prime securities, which led to many bankruptcies, government takeovers, and fire sales including New Century, Countrywide, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and many more. PROBLEMS (2-6)In its most recent financial statements, Newhouse, Inc. reported $50 million of net income and $810 million of retained earnings. The previous retained earnings were $780 million. How much in dividends was paid to shareholders during the year? Dividends Paid= (Previous Retained Earnings + Net Income) ââ¬â Recent Retained Earnings = ($780 million + $50 million) ââ¬â $810 million = $830 million ââ¬â $810 million = $20 million (2-7)The Talley Corporation had a taxable income of $365,000 from operations after all operating costs but before (1) interest charges of $50,000, (2) dividends received of $15,000, (3) dividends paid of $25,000, and (4) income taxes. What are the firmââ¬â¢s income tax liability and its after-tax income? What are the companyââ¬â¢s marginal and average tax rates on taxable income? Taxable Income$365,000 Less: Interest Charges(50,000) Plus: Dividends Received4,500? $15,000(1 ââ¬â 0. 70) = $4,500 Total Taxable Income$319,500 Tax Liability= $22,250 + ($319,500 ââ¬â $100,000)(0. 39) = $22,250 + ($219,500)(0. 39) = $22,250 + $85,605 = $107,855 After-Tax Income: Total Taxable Income$319,500 Less: Tax Liability(107,855) Plus: Non-taxable Dividends Received10,500? 15,000(0. 70) = $10,500 Net Income$222,145 Marginal Tax Rate = 39% Average Tax Rate= Tax Interest Income/Taxable Operating Income = $107,855/$319,500 = 0. 33757 or 33. 76% (2-9)The Shrieves Corporation has $10,000 that it plans to invest in marketable securities. It is choosing among ATT bonds, which yield 7. 5%, state of Florida muni bonds, which yield 5% (but are not taxable), and ATT preferred stock, with a dividend yield of 6%. Shrieveââ¬â¢s corporate tax rate is 35%, and 70% of the dividends received are tax exempt. Find the after-tax rates of return on all three securities. ATT Bonds ââ¬â $10,000 x 7. 5% = $750 Taxes = $750 x 35% = $262. 50 $750 ââ¬â $262. 50 = $487. 50 ATT Bond Yield = $487. 50/$10,000 = 0. 04875 or 4. 875% ATT Preferred Stock ââ¬â $10,000 x 6% = $600 Tax Exemption = $600 x 70% = $420 Taxable Income = $600 ââ¬â $420 = $180 Taxes = $180 x 35% = $63 $600 ââ¬â $63 = $537 ATT Preferred Stock Yield = $537/$10,000 = 0. 0537 or 5. 37% Florida Muni Bonds ââ¬â $10,000 x 5% = $500 Not taxable, so no tax deductions Florida Muni Bonds Yield = $500/$10,000 = 0. 05 or 5% How to cite Fi515 Chapter 1 Mini Case, Papers
Monday, May 4, 2020
Davy Crockett free essay sample
Davy did many thing through out his childhood all the way up to his adulthood. Davy was born in Tennessee on August 17, 1786 . John crockett (davyââ¬â¢s father) sent Davy to work for a man who was taking a herd of cattle to Virginia at age 12. Davy helped the man drive cattle for over 200 miles from Tennessee to Virginia. The trip was a little over 2 weeks, and then Davy finely returned home. Soon after, the man Wanted Davy to keep working for him. Davy was homesick but he still said yes. About one month later Davy could not stand being away from his family. So he ran away from the mans house and headed home. At age 13 Davy set out on his own, and learned to become one of the worlds greatest/and craftiest backwoodsman around. Legend says that Davy was friends with a bear and could get a raccoon to come down from a tree by just grinning at it . At age 16 Davy moved back to Tennessee with his family. In 1811 Davyââ¬â¢s family moved to Tennessee. They made there home near what is now the border of Alabama. By 1813 the white men had made the native Americans very made. The native Americans were called the creeks. The reason for the creeks being made is because the white men took there land. The white men thought the creeks were going to attack so they attacked first. the creeks fought back against the white men. This started a war. Davy helped the creeks fight against the white men. When Davy got back from the creek war, Polly gave birth to a daughter. Polly died in the summer of 1815. In 1816 Davy married Elizabeth Patton to care for his two children, let alone her own three children. In 1816 Davy almost died of malaria, and in 1818 Davy becomes a ââ¬Å"court refereeâ⬠in Lawrence country, Tennessee. In 1821 David Crockett was elected to the state legislature at age 35. In 1827 David Crockett was elected to the House of Representatives in Congress. David Crockett served in congress from 1827-1831, and then he served in Congress again from 1833- 1835. when he was in Congress he often made speeches and told many of his adventures. Books came out filled with information and stories about Davyââ¬â¢s life. They even made a lay about Davy called the lion of the west in 1831. David Crockett and a congressman Thomas Chilton wrote a book about Davyââ¬â¢s life. Davy was a legend while he was still living, and still is a legend to this very day. in 1835 David Crockett moved to Texas. Texas was not a state when Davy moved there. Davy was now 49 years old and he wanted to explore the frontier . Davy joined the Texas army. David fought in the Texas revolution in 183 6. the Texas Revolution was over a Mexican government that ruled Texas. The people who lived in Texas wanted to be free from the Mexicans.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sentence Paragraph free essay sample
Is she not gallant, full-bosomed; does she not dance in the waves, like you at our wedding? (1). Clearly, the wife is too focused on being the center Of attention, and not wanting to share the spotlight with even a figurehead of herself that she cannot see that her husband loves her. This demonstrates that the skippers wife is overrun with feelings, compelling her to take the eyes off of the figurehead. Later in the fable, she becomes so envious of the figurehead that she steals the beautiful blue eyes from it, Now she has your blue eyes too. You had better give me the stones for a pair of earrings, she said. No, he said again, I cannot do that, and you would not ask me to if you understood. Still the wife could not stop fretting about the blue stones, and one day, when her husband was with the skippers corporation, she had a glazier of the town take them out, and put two bits of blue glass into the figure-head instead, and the skipper did not find out, but sailed off to Portugal. We will write a custom essay sample on Sentence Paragraph or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (1).This passage illustrates that the skippers wife is so desperate for all of his attention that she goes to the extreme of stealing the gems so she can wear them as earrings. This act shows that she is so stricken with greed that she hired a glazier to install the lee glass to the figurehead and take down the pure blue gems just to have them for herself wear as earrings. One of the last main events that happened in the tale, is the point where she starts loosing her vision, Oh God, the wife then cried, that the ship was back in the harbor of Elisions. Then I should have the glass taken out, and the jewels put back. For did he not say that they were my eyes? But the ship did not come back. Instead, the skippers wife had a letter from the Consul of Portugal, who informed her that she had been wrecked, and gone to the bottom with all hands. And it was a ere strange thing the Consul wrote, that in broad daylight she had run straight into a tall rock, rising out of the sea. (1).This shows that because she took the gems off the figurehead, the skipper/figurehead could not see where he was going so he crashed into a large rock sticking straight out of the water. This is important because the rock represents her jealousy and the blue gems represent their pure love, so when she took the stones, it was almost destined for the jealousy to destroy their relationship. In conclusion, the wife of the story looses her vision, to demonstrate how jealousy blinds you from the obvious.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
European leaders Essays - British East India Company, Stamp Act
European leaders Essays - British East India Company, Stamp Act The goals and interests of European leaders diverged from those of colonial citizens, resulting in the colonists growing distrusts and dissatisfaction towards various issues such as territory, taxation, and settlement protection. These clashes between European leaders and the colonial citizens sprouted rebellious behavior that eventually led to war. The conflict that rooted from the differences of motives between the European leaders and colonial citizens was exemplified through the Stamp Act of 1765. The British Parliament had enacted this legislation in order to raise money that was lost in result of the French and Indian War. The British required several kinds of taxes on all items consisted of paper. Although the Europeans saw the act as simply a way to regain lost revenue, the colonists thought differently. The colonists thought the Stamp Act was unfair due to the lack of approval from the colonial legislatures. They felt that the taxes violated their rights as British citizens. The British leaders only cared about earning profit, but the colonists cared about representation and equality. This led to resistance that was demonstrated through boycotting British goods, debates in colonial legislatures, and mob actions such as feathering tax collectors. The different goals and interests between European leaders and colonists resulted in a constant cycle of Parliaments efforts to pass legislatures and the colonists rebelling. After the Stamp Act was eventually repealed, the Declaratory Act was then passed in 1766. The British leaders strongly believed they had full authority over the thirteen colonies and this act affirmed their power. The Declaratory Act was passed to remind the colonists who was in charge. However, many of the colonists gave no care and continued to celebrate over their political victory of the repeal of the Stamp Act; but there were several colonists that were angered because this act hinted that more taxation acts would be coming their way. The British leaders were only interested in money and authority, something the colonists were fully counter to. It was completely evident that the British authority cared solely for capital and complete control over the colonies. Though, the true colonists defiance wasnt fully evident until the Boston Tea Party. In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which was meant to expand the British East India Companys monopoly on tea trade to all the colonies. This act allowed the company to sell its large tea surplus at a lower price compared to colonial competitors. The Tea Act was the final straw in the series of shunned policies and taxes imposed on the American colonies by the British. Although this act didnt impose new taxes, the colonists were angered with the fact that the British East India Company authorized monopoly on tea. Other tea companies werent happy about this act and the colonists saw Britains efforts to earn more revenue as another mean of taxation without representation because it meant that they couldnt purchase tea from anyone else without spending more money. Once again, British authority and the colonists divergence in objectives sparked yet another riot. The Sons of Liberty, a secret group of protesters, ignited a symbolic act that would change the course of history later that year. They stormed three British ships and dumped crates of tea overboard. This act showed how far Americans were willing to speak out for their freedom. In conclusion, it is apparent that the goals and interests of European leaders and colonial citizens were extremely diverse. While the British leaders focused on wealth and authority to benefit the mother country, the colonists strived for government representation and liberty. Both of these different points of view clashed and led to extreme extents, such as boycotts and rebellions, and eventually the Revolutionary War.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
What factors contributed to success (or not) of these major building Essay - 1
What factors contributed to success (or not) of these major building projects - Essay Example A good construction plan is the basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work. Developing the construction plan is a critical task in the management of construction, even if the plan is not written or otherwise formally recorded. (bpo.knowledgehills.com). In managing a construction project, it is common to adopt primary emphasis on three basic elements, namely, task, resource and time. They are interrelated, and any alteration in one will affect the other two. The main objective behind time management is to complete the project in minimal time. But this should not be achieved by compromising on the quality or cost factors. It should be taken care that by optimizing performance at any stage does not have an effect on the overall project such that it does not bring in an element of benefit. Even though all these objectives were taken into account while planning The Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, some flaws on the part of the managing team brought up a delay in the completion of the project. This was undesirable, in a project of such importance. Until September 2004, the delay that had occurred was as a result of delays with structural steelwork. It was noted that the time required to fabricate massive cruciform steelwork took longer than the estimated time. As all stages of work are interrelated, the delay in the ending of stage one of the construction process, took itââ¬â¢s toll on the starting of stage two, which again caused an unprec edented delay. Further more; to add to the miseries, bad weather was a great hindrance to the smooth proceeding of the activities, thus bringing in more delay. Europes largest glass floor and a glass external lift, ââ¬Å"which caused most of the recent delays to the towers opening date because of safety doubts.â⬠(Lindsay 2005). All these were defects of proper project management, which led to the inefficient utilization of time. All these resulted in the
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
It is important to preserve the rule of law in Hong Kong but somehow Essay
It is important to preserve the rule of law in Hong Kong but somehow its existence in Hong Kong is more of a myth than a real - Essay Example One can hence derive the idea that the legality and equality form the roots of Hong Kongââ¬â¢s legislature and every other principle revolves around it. To promote equality, the countryââ¬â¢s legislature involves a ruling system specially designed to restrict the discretionary powers of the government. It provides the courts with a guideline for ensuring that constitutional powers are not exploited in any way by the government officials. So, any unreasonable decision or any attempt of exercising excessive power is always made invalid or futile by the court orders. The rule of law holds an important place in the Hong Kong system of legislature. It most certainly, is one of its greatest strengths. It is something that ensures the countryââ¬â¢s status as a leading centre in the financial market in terms of finance and commerce and provides a secure environment for the businessmen to work in. Thus, it is the defining ideology upon which the people of the country put their trust and faith. They are proud of possessing an independent judiciary and are very concerned about upholding the integrity of their legal system. Any threats or criticism against the rule of law is severely dealt with. It is very important to realize the rule of law actually needs a very transparent legislation to work effectively. Without a clearly defined set of laws that are justified and comfortable for every citizen of the country and an independent and strong judicial and enforcement bodies, it is impossible to govern a country by the rule of law. Hence, the rule of law resembles the British legislation as it was proposed when Hong Kong was under the British colonial rule. Although, there was much concern that the rule of law would be compromised when Hong Kong was remerged with its motherland, it did not happen so and it still remains fair and just. For those who say that the rule of law is a myth are certainly very wrong in my personal opinion. Hong Kong has always preserved the core values of its legislature that involves freedom of speech and defending the human rights. The justice department works free from any outside interference or pressures and is responsible for maintaining law and order and defining the working principles for different matters in the society. Moreover, the responsibility of giving the government legal advices is handed over to the Secretary of Justice. Not to forget the fact that the countryââ¬â¢s legal system consists of about 5000 lawyers and about 700 law firms. Through all such measures, the judiciary of the country has been improved to quite a great extent. The courts in Hong Kong are mainly operated by its judiciary which is independent of both the executive and the legislative councils as mentioned earlier as well. The word ââ¬Ëindependentââ¬â¢ is highly stressed upon because it holds the true essence of the rule of law. The legal body in Hong Kong enjoys a lot of protective measures and cannot be questioned by the government. This allows the system to be utterly transparent and just. The highest post in Hong Kongââ¬â¢s judicial council is that of Chief Justice, who is then assisted by other officials of different ranks and responsibilities. To ensure that the system remains profound, the rule of law r
Monday, January 27, 2020
Packet Sniffing Software Is A Controversial Subject Information Technology Essay
Packet Sniffing Software Is A Controversial Subject Information Technology Essay Packet sniffing software is a controversial subject and a double-edged sword. It can be used to analyze network problems and detect Internet misuse. But at the same time, it allows hackers and people with malicious intention to sniff out your password, get your personal information, and invade your privacy. That is also why securing and encrypting data is so important. In this paper, the definition of packet sniffing will be introduced and several functionality and possible uses of packet sniffers will be explained. Also, information on how to protect against sniffers and man-in-the-middle attacks will be provided. An example of a packet sniffer program, Wireshark, will be given, followed by a case study involving the restaurant chain Dave Busters, which will show the negative consequences that can occur when organizations are not aware of the threat of packet sniffing by hackers. Definitions A packet sniffer is a computer program or a piece of computer hardware that can intercept and log traffic passing over a digital network or part of a network (Connolly, 2003). Packet sniffers are known by alternate names including network analyzer, protocol analyzer or sniffer, or for particular types of networks, an Ethernet sniffer or wireless sniffer (Connolly, 2003). As binary data travels through a network, the packet sniffer captures the data and provides the user an idea of what is happening in the network by allowing a view of the packet-by-packet data (Shimonski, 2002). Additionally, sniffers can also be used to steal information from a network (Whitman and Mattord, 2008). Legitimate and illegitimate usage will be explained in later sections. Packet sniffing programs can be used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM). This type of attack occurs when an attacker monitors network packets, modifies them, and inserts them back to the network (Whitman, et al., 2008). For example, a MITM attack could occur when two employees are communicating by email. An attacker could intercept and alter the email correspondence between each employee, without either knowing that the emails had been changed. MITM attacks have the potential to be a considerable threat to any individual or organization since such an attack compromises the integrity of data while in transmission. Packet sniffing programs work by capturing binary data that is passing through the network, and then the program decodes the data into a human-readable form. Ã A following step called protocol analysis makes it even easier for the data to be read. Ã The degree of these analyses varies by individual packet sniffing program. Simple programs may only break down the information in the packet, while more complicated ones can provide more detailed information and analysis, for example, by highlighting certain types of data such as passwords that pass through the network (Packet Sniffing, Surasoft.com, 2011). As for todays networks, switch technology is commonly used in network design. This technology makes it increasingly easy to set up sniffing programs on servers and routers, through which much traffic flows. In addition, there are already built-in sniffing modules being used in todays networks. For example, most hubs support a standard called Remote Network Monitoring (RMON). This kind of standard allows hackers to sniff remotely with the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), used in most network devices, and only requires weak authentication. Network associates Distributed Sniffer Servers are used by many corporations. These servers are set up with passwords that are quite easy to guess or crack. In addition, computers with Windows NT system usually come with Network monitoring agent, which also allows remote sniffing (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Essentially, these sniffing programs are set up for the use of network administrators. However, the threat exists that hackers ca n gain access to the network and view the program logs. Packet sniffers capture all of the packets that travel through the point where the sniffer is located. Ã For example, if the program was installed next to the server of an organization, the user could have access to all the data being transferred across the company through that server. Ã Typical types of packets intercepted by attackers include the following: SMTP (email): The attacker can intercept unencrypted emails (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). HTTP (web): Web traffic information and history can be easily captured (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Telnet Authentication: Login information to a Telnet account can be intercepted (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). FTP traffic: Access to an FTP account can be sniffed in cleartext (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). SQL database: Information from web databases is also vulnerable (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Functionality and Possible Uses of Packet Sniffers Good and Bad Uses Like any tool, a packet sniffer is a double-edged sword because it can be used for good or bad purposes (Orebaugh, Ramirez, and Beale, 2007). It can be used by security professionals to investigate and diagnose network problems and monitor network activity (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Conversely, it can be used to eavesdrop on network traffic by hackers, criminals, and the like, who can use the data gathered for harmful purposes (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Professionals such as system administrators, network engineers, security engineers, system operators, and programmers use packet sniffers for a variety of uses, including troubleshooting network problems, figuring out system configuration issues, analyzing network performance (including usage and bottlenecks), debugging during the development stages of network programming, analyzing operations and diagnosing problems with applications, and ensuring compliance with company computer usage policies (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Good: Troubleshoot Network Problems When an error occurs on a network or within an application, it can be very difficult for administrators to determine what exactly went wrong and how to correct the error. Many consider the packet sniffer to be the best tool for figuring out what is wrong with programs on a network (Neville-Neil, 2010). Examining packets as a starting point for solving problems is useful because a packet is the most basic piece of data and holds information, including the protocol being used and source and destination address (Banerjee, Vashishtha, and Saxena, 2010). Basically, at the packet level of analysis, nothing is hidden when all layers are visible (Neville-Neil, 2010). Understanding the timing of what happened is another important factor in debugging network problems (Neville-Neil, 2010). This information can be easily attained by using a packet sniffing program. Essentially, packet sniffers allow you to find out the who, what, and when of a situation, all of which are vital to understanding how to fix a problem (Neville-Neil, 2010). Once these things are known, the administrator can determine what is causing the problem and how to go about fixing it. As soon as a problem occurs, the first recommended step is for the network administrator to use a packet sniffing program to record all network traffic and wait for the bug to occur again (Neville-Neil, 2010). If the administrator already had a packet sniffing program with logging in place, then he or she could go back and examine the log records. Assuming the administrator did not have a log previously set up, the next step would be to only record as much information as necessary to repair the problem (Neville-Neil, 2010). It would not be a good idea to record every single packet of data because if too much data is collected, finding the error will be like finding a needle in a haystack although the administrator has likely never seen a haystack that big (Neville-Neil, 2010). For example, recording only one hour of Ethernet traffic on a LAN will capture a few hundred million packets, which will be too large to sort through (Neville-Neil, 2010). It goes without saying that the admini strator should not record the data on a network file system because the packet sniffer will capture itself (Neville-Neil, 2010). Once the data is recorded, the administrator can examine the packets to analyze and understand what occurred to solve the problem. Good: Network Optimization In addition to solving network communication problems, packet sniffers can help administrators plan network capacity and perform network optimization (Shimonski, 2002). A packet sniffer allows users to view data that travels over a network packet by packet (Shimonski, 2002). However, rather than having to examine each packet, the appropriate sniffer program will perform the analysis for the administrator. The tools are especially useful because depending on the packet sniffing program used, the packet data will appear in an easy-to-understand format. Packet sniffers can often generate and display statistics and analyze patterns of network activity (Shimonski, 2002). Data can appear in graphs and charts that make analysis and comprehension easy. Additionally, the network administrator can filter by selected criteria to capture only the relevant traffic rather than having to sort through irrelevant data (Shimonski, 2002). Knowing what programs and which users use the most bandwidth can help administrators manage resources efficiently and avoid bandwidth bottlenecks. Good: Detect Network Misuse Packet sniffers can be used to monitor application traffic and user behavior (Dubie, 2008). This can be used to detect misuse by company employees or by intruders. To use a packet sniffer to monitor employees legally, a network administrator must do three things. First, he must be on a network owned by the organization, second, he must be directly authorized by the networks owners, and finally, he must receive permission of those who created the content (Whitman, et al., 2008). Permission by content creators is needed because packet sniffing is a method of employee monitoring (Whitman, et al., 2008). Typically, an employee will sign a release form when first employed that allows the employer to monitor the employees computer usage. By using a packet sniffer, employers can find out exactly how each employee has been spending his or her time. Packet sniffers can be used to see all activity and administrators can monitor for behaviors such as viewing inappropriate websites, spending time on the job on personal matters, or abusing company resources. For example, a packet sniffer program could show that a particular employee was downloading music at work, both violating organizational policies and using a large amount of network bandwidth (Dubie, 2008). Packet sniffers are also used to detect network intrusion, log traffic for forensics and evidence, discover the source of attacks such as viruses or denial of service attacks, detect spyware, and detect compromised computers (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). A packet sniffer and logger that can detect malicious entries in a network is a form of an intrusion detection system (IDS) (Banerjee, et al., 2010). The packet sniffer IDS consists of a database of known attack signatures. It will then compare the signatures in the database to the logged information to see if a close match between the signature and recent behavior has occurred. If it has, then the IDS can send out an alert to the network administrator (Banerjee, et al., 2010). Despite this use of packet sniffers to detect intrusion, hackers have methods of making themselves very hard to detect and can use packet sniffers for their own advantages. Bad: Gain Information for Intrusion Intruders maliciously and illegally use sniffers on networks for an innumerable number of things. Some of the most common are to capture cleartext usernames and passwords, discover usage patterns of users, compromise confidential or proprietary information, capture voice over IP (VoIP) telephone conversations, map out a networks layout, and fingerprint an operating system (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). The previously listed uses are illegal unless the user is a penetration tester hired to detect such types of weaknesses (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). An intruder must first gain entry to the communication cable in order to begin sniffing (Orebaugh, et al., 2006). This means that he must be on the same shared network segment or tap into a cable along the path of communication (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). This can be done in many ways. Firstly, the intruder can be physically on-site at the target system or communications access point (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). If this is not the case, the intruder can access the system in a variety of ways. These include breaking into a certain computer and installing sniffing software that will be controlled remotely, breaking into an access point such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and installing sniffing software there, using sniffing software that is already installed on a system at the ISP, using social engineering to gain physical access to install the software, working with an inside accomplice to gain access, and redirecting or copying communications to take a path that the intruders comp uter is on (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Intruders can use sniffing programs designed to detect certain things such as passwords and then use other programs to have this data automatically sent to themselves (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Protocols that are especially vulnerable to such intrusion include Telnet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3), Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Simple Mail Transfer Program (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Remote Login (rlogin), and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Once the intruder has access to the network, he can collect data and use it as he likes. Common examples of stolen data include credit card numbers and proprietary organizational secrets, but include anything the hacker desires. Although organizations may use a primarily switched network, they are not protected from sniffer attacks because many programs exist that allow packet sniffing in a switched network (Whitman, et al., 2008). Because intruders who use packet sniffers do not directly interface or connect to other systems on the network, they are considered to be a passive-type of attack (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). It is this passive nature that makes sniffers so difficult to detect (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). In addition to this, hackers use normally use rootkits to cover their tracks so that their intrusion will not be detected (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). A rootkit is a collection of Trojan programs hackers use to replace the legitimate programs on a system so that their intrusion will not be detected (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Rootkits replace commands and utilities that the hacker inputs and clears log entries so that there will be no record of his entry (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Though it is difficult, there are some ways to detect rootkits. Methods of detection include using an alternate, trusted operating system, analyzing normal behaviors, scanning signatures, and analyzing memory dumps (Rootkit, Wikipedia , 2011). Removing rootkits can be very complicated and difficult and if the rootkit is in the central operating system, reinstalling the operating system may be the only option (Rootkit, Wikipedia, 2011). The threat of eavesdropping by intruders is large and challenging. However, there are some defenses that can be taken to prevent hackers from using packet sniffers against an organization. Protecting Against Packet-Sniffers and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks Packet sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks compromise the integrity and confidentiality of data while in transmission. Ã Fortunately, there are several techniques that can be used by organizations and individuals to protect against these threats and reduce risk. Ã Specifically, technology, policy, and education are typically used to cover all aspects of security. Ã Technology Encryption is the best form of protection against any kind of packet interception (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã The reason behind this is that even if the data is captured by the packet sniffer, the information is completely unreadable by the attacker (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). By using this technique, messages are encrypted once the data leaves the senders computer. Ã Both sender and receiver hold a key that decrypts the message being transferred. Ã Most popular websites apply a level encryption by using the HTTP Secure (HTTPS) protocol. Ã With this technology, the connection between the web server and the users computer is encrypted; making the information intercepted by a third party useless. Ã Currently, most popular websites such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Twitter use the https technology. Ã However, some sites (such as Amazon.com) use https only at the login page and fail to provide a secure connection afterwards. Ã In order to assure complete security, it is im portant to apply the https protocol throughout the users browsing experience. Ã The main disadvantage of this feature is that it slightly slows down the users connection. Ã Email can also be protected from packet sniffers by using encryption. Ã Email extensions such as Pretty Good Protection (PGP) can be easily implemented using standard email platforms like Microsoft Outlook (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Once sender and receiver start using the encryption techniques, intercepted email messages cannot be interpreted by an attacker (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Another way to protect against sniffers is by using One Time Passwords (OTP). With this method, a different password is sent every time the authentication is requested to the user (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Similarly to the case of encryption, if a third party intercepts someones password, this information will be useless since these can only be used once (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã This technology can be extremely useful to ensure security; however, remembering new passwords for each login can be very challenging and frustrating for most users. A new security technique called quantum encryption is also provides good protection against sniffing attacks. Ã This technique consists of making each bit of data as small as a photon (McDougall, 2006). Ã The data is then transferred across fiber-optic lines. Ã Ã If the information is picked up and intercepted by any kind of packet sniffer, the entire photon message is disrupted, ending up the entire transmission (McDougall, 2006). Ã A technology like this would make it impossible to intercept information since the communication will be cut in the case of interception. Ã However, it requires fiber-optic Internet connections, which many service providers do not own and its installation can be expensive. Policy Information security professionals can help secure employees connections by requiring the use of any of the technologies explained before. Ã For example, if certain employees need to access websites that are outside of the organizations network, they should be allowed to use only websites that use the https protocol such as Google and Yahoo. Ã Policies requiring Access Control Lists (ACL) can also help prevent sniffer attacks. Ã All secured networks and assets should be supported by an ACL to prevent unauthorized access. Ã Additionally, physical security policies should be implemented to efficiently protect the computer and server rooms in the organization. Ã Unauthorized access to these locations could cause the installation of sniffer programs and equipment. Education Every security initiative should have a training program supporting it. Ã Basic but regular training sessions given to employees about the dangers of packet sniffing can prove to be very valuable when protecting a network. Ã Security facts such as not allowing strangers to computer rooms should be explained to all employees. Example and Demonstration of a Packer-Sniffer Program: Wireshark Originally named Ethereal, Wireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer (sniffer) typically used by network and security professionals for troubleshooting and analysis (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã However, many potential attackers also use it to perform man-in-the middle attacks and gain information for password cracking. Ã Wireshark is available for most operating systems (including OS X, Windows, and Linux) and allows users to see all the traffic that goes through a specific network (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Wireshark differs from other packet-sniffer programs mainly because of its easy-to-understand format and simple Graphical User Interface (GUI) (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Wireshark can be easily set up to capture packets from a specific channel. Ã Once the program is running, all the network packets are shown in the screen. Ã The top panel (summary panel) shows a summary of the entire packet, including source, destination, and protocol information (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Since one quick web browse can provide a large amount of packets, Wireshark solves packet browsing issues by categorizing each packet according to its type and showing each category with a specific color in the GUI. Ã Additionally, the user has the option of applying filters to see only one type of packets. Ã For example, only packets dealing with http functions may be shown. Ã The middle panel in the GUI is called the protocol-tree window. It provides decoded information of the packet (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Finally, the bottom panel (data view window) shows the raw data of the packet selected in the Summary panel (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Figure 1 shows a screenshot of Wireshark while running and graphically shows the three main panels of the GUI. Figure 1 Screenshot of Wireshark while running and the three main panels. To troubleshoot network problems, Information Systems professionals use Wireshark by installing the sniffer program in various locations in the network and seeing which protocols are being run in each location (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Additionally, if the sniffer is placed in a location where it can capture all data flowing to the main server, Wireshark can detect network misuse by providing the source and destination of all packets. Ã For example, if an employee in a company uses his computer to access inappropriate websites, Wireshark will show the employees and the websites IP addresses in the source and destination columns with detailed information about the website in the info column and the protocol tree panel. It is easy to see how useful Wireshark is for network troubleshooting and identifying misuse; however, the program can also be used with malicious intent. Ã For example, the program can be used to find out passwords on unencrypted websites. Ã To demonstrate this case, the username john_doe_user and password 123mypasswrd were used to log in to the unencrypted and unsecured www.bit.ly website. Ã At the same time, Wireshark was set up to capture all packets in the computer. Ã After the packets were captured by the sniffer, the data can easily be filtered by the http category. Ã In the info column, a packet labeled POST means that someone has entered text to a website. Ã After clicking on this specific packet, all the username and password information can be seen in the center section of Wireshark (as shown in figure 2). Ã Unencrypted and unsecured websites are very vulnerable to these types of attacks. Ã On the other hand, websites using the https security feature prove to be safer for users. Ã For example, the same situation as before was applied to the encrypted website www.facebook.com by trying to log in, but Wireshark was unable to capture any packets with login information. Figure 2 Wireshark screenshot showing username and password. Other types of malicious attacks can also be performed with Wireshark. Ã For example, some toolkit add-ins to Wireshark such as Dsniff and Ettercap can be used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks and password cracking (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Ã Even if the incoming data is encrypted, these tools can crack some passwords by using dictionary brute force attacks (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Case Study: A costly attack at Dave Busters In 2007, the popular restaurant chain Dave Busters experienced the power of malicious packet-sniffing software attacks. Ã A multinational group of hackers was able to penetrate the companys corporate network and install basic packet-sniffing software at 11 of the chains restaurant locations (Thibodeau, 2008). Ã During a four-month period, the attackers were able to intercept customer credit card data going from Dave Busters restaurant locations to the corporate headquarters network in Dallas (McMillan. 2008). Ã Extremely sensitive information such as credit card numbers and security codes were sold to criminals, who used this data to perform fraudulent transactions to online merchants (McMillan, 2008). Ã The attack proved to be very profitable for the hackers. Ã For example, from information coming from only one restaurant location, the criminals were able to gain over $600,000 in profits (McMillan, 2008). Ã It was estimated that approximately 130,000 credit or debit ca rds were compromised by this attack (Westermeier, 2010). To access Dave Busters network, the attackers simply drove around a restaurant location with a laptop computer and took advantage of vulnerable wireless signals to access the computer networks (Westermeier, 2010). Ã Malicious sniffing software was then installed in the network to intercept credit and debit card information (Westermeier, 2010). Ã The packet-sniffing software was written by one of the groups hackers and consisted of SQL injection attacks (Thibodeau, 2008). Ã However, many organizations have stated that the code was not very impressive. Ã For example, the CERT Coordination Center described the programs source code as a college-level piece of technology (Thibodeau, 2008). Ã Additionally, the malicious code had one weakness: it would shut down every time the computer that was monitoring rebooted (McMillan, 2008). Ã Therefore, the criminals had to go back to the restaurant location, gain access, and re-start the packet-sniffer every time this happened. The fac t that this costly program was developed by someone with just basic programming skills and how they consistently gained access to the network highlights the lack of protection of Dave Busters security systems. Ã According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Dave Busters information security systems and policies did not provide the necessary security features to protect customers information (Westermeier, 2010). Ã The attackers were able to access the network not just once, but repeatedly over a time frame of four months (Westermeier, 2010). Ã The fact that the company was oblivious to these multiple intrusions during a long time period proves that they were vulnerable to attacks and that Dave Busters did not apply any Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to their networks, nor did they monitor outbound traffic (Westermeier, 2010). Ã Additionally, sensitive customer information was not given special protection. Ã Credit card data was transferred across simple unprotected and unencrypted networks (Westermeier, 2010). Ã What could Dave Busters have done? First of all, private networks should have been protected in a better way. Ã It was just too easy for hackers to gain access and install malware. Ã By allowing only a specific group of IP addresses, or granting only temporary access, the firm could have been safe from unauthorized access by strangers. Ã But even in the case of hacker access, tools such as IDS can help monitor the network during an attack. Ã If the company had implemented an IDS in their network, the unauthorized intruders would have been detected in time to prevent losses. Additionally, by treating sensitive data differently than regular communications, the company could have considerably reduced the threat. Ã Dave Busters could have simply used readily available firewall systems to the networks that held customer data (Westermeier, 2010). Encryption devices could have also proven to be useful. Ã If link encryptors had been used, the intercepted data would have been completely useless for the hackers. Ã Data isolation could have also been useful. Ã The firm could have separated the payment card systems from the rest of the corporate network (Westermeier, 2010). Sensitive information did not necessarily require connection to the Internet; so the company should have separated these transmissions from the network. Finally, a general company-wide policy requiring access restriction, IDS installation, firewall usage, and sensitive data isolation throughout all restaurant locations could have been extremely useful. Ã A uniform and thorough information security policy along with a comprehensive training program given to specific employees would help enforce the security features. Ã Considering that Dave Busters had not implemented any of the security features explained in this section, it is obvious that their story would have been different if these techniques had been used. Conclusion Packet sniffing is a sophisticated subject that wears two hats. It can be used for either good or evil depending on the intentions of the person using the program. It can help with analyzing network problems and detect misuses in the network for good purposes. Meanwhile, it can also help hackers and other cyber-criminals steal data from insecure networks and commit crimes, as in the case of Dave Busters. The best way to protect data from being sniffed is to encrypt it. Necessary policies and training also help with the protection. As technology evolves, there will be more and more ways to commit cyber crime. Extremely sensitive data like credit card information and health care data should be well protected, from the perspectives of both the business and personal. In order to protect this information, organizations and individuals must be aware of the threat of packet sniffers.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Education of Shelby Knox Essay
The education of Shelby Knox was a complete mind-blower for me. The video follows young Shelby Knox, from Lubbock, Texas, as she aspires to get sex education into schools in Lubbock. This town preaches abstinence, and the townââ¬â¢s people appear to be incredibly ignorant. Ignorant may be an understatement . The teen pregnancy rates here are twice the national average, as are the sexual transmitted disease rates. They donââ¬â¢t believe in teaching sex education because the townââ¬â¢s people believe very strongly in the idea that sex isnââ¬â¢t permitted until marriage. Shelbyââ¬â¢s fight goes for naught as the town holds their ground. The video also shows Shelbyââ¬â¢s unique relationship with her parentââ¬â¢s, and the resistance they even have with her and her fight for sex education in schools. The film also touches on gays and their fight for equal rights within the schools. Lubbock , Texas is a place I would never like to visit. The people there seem to be living in the 1800ââ¬â¢s still. Shelby and the youth commission were fighting for a very good cause. Sex education is very important. It can teach the rewards, dangers, and consequences of having sex. As the old saying goes, knowledge is strength. If these kids donââ¬â¢t have the knowledge, how can they ever be expected to make smart decisions? Based on the bible and their commitment to the church? It is absolutely ridiculous that religion is even mentioned when this topic comes up. The town, as mentioned above, has earned twice the national average for teen pregnancy and std rates. The church angle clearly isnââ¬â¢t working. I agree with Shelbyââ¬â¢s fight, it is very courageous of her. I disagree with the towns council, the residents , and the school boards stance on the issue. I do believe this film covered all perspectives and issues at hand. No, Shelby Knoxââ¬â¢s fight didnââ¬â¢t turn out the way one would have hoped, but it did enlighten every viewer to the fact that Lubbock, Texas and the vast majority of their residents are incredibly naiive. I do not like the religious views, on the subject, shared by the vast majority of the people in this film. Religion should not even be mentioned when the issue of sex education in public schools comes up. Shelby maybe should have spoke up on that issue a little more. Coming from a family that has never preached religion, I never really realized how crazy some people can be over t. It all makes no sense to me. The video was about sex education. Religion has to be tied into it for whatever reason. I donââ¬â¢t understand the downside to teaching our countries teenagers the dangers and consequences of sex. It is in our nature to have sex. Suppressing teenagers from knowledge and their sexual urges based on religion is a complete joke. I learned that religion shouldnââ¬â¢t even be mentioned when it comes to such issues. I also learned that Mr. Ainsworth is a crazy person, and I need to keep my future kids as far away from that guy as possible. The society we live in today needs to wake up, and stop basing important decisions on religious beliefs. This video ties directly into all of our course material. Sex is a huge part of life, for all of us, beginning with puberty. Americaââ¬â¢s teenagers need to be educated on every aspect of sex and its consequences. As std rates, teen pregnancy rates and overall teenage sex rates continue to climb, it is more important than ever to educate them. This class, Psych 240, should literally be installed into every high school across the country. Teaching about every aspect of sex can only be beneficial to our country.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
How effective an adaptation of the play Macbeth is the film ‘Macbeth on the Estate’?
Macbeth on the Estate is a modern adaptation of Macbeth. It is set on a modern, run-down housing estate in Birmingham. The major changes from the play are the setting and the characters. There are much fewer noble qualities about the people and places shown. Instead, the setting is very run-down and poor. The characters are also corrupt and indulgent. A lot of the blame for the bad things that happen in the play seems to be given to characters. For example, the possibility that the witches control Macbeth, and he is not in control is implied to be untrue by suggesting that the effects that seem to be supernatural are simply caused by drugs and the poor conditions. There are also some things done that cannot be done in a theatre, such as camerawork to direct the audience. I believe that the film is a reasonable good conversion of the play into a modern film. I believe that it managed to portray the meaning of the original in a modern way that is easy to understand for modern people, as well as making suggestions about the story. I like how every aspect of Shakespearean world was converted into something of the modern world, for example the castle being converted into a social club. What I don't like about it is the fact that the language wasn't changed from the original text. Although it is quite important to keep the film similar to the original, so as not to forget that it is the same play, I think it made the film too much like the original play. I believe that if the setting is changed, the modernisation should be completed by making the language more modern. The point of the film is, after all, to give a modern slant. The language is the most out-of-date part and the most difficult-to-understand part of the play, and I believe that modern language should have been included. I will answer the question of how the ideas have been modernised mainly by giving various examples and explanation of what has been shown in their modernisation. I will answer the question of how the beginning and ending of the play have been changed by describing both beginnings and endings, explaining the changes made and also by giving reasons for changes. I will discuss the change in theatricality by first describing the differences between what can be done in film compared with theatre, and then describing and explaining the particular changes. I will discuss the characters by giving a description of the general change in the characters, and why this is, and then by analysing the change in each character individually, with possible reasons for these changes. I will then discuss how and why the adaptation loses its social and historical meaning and adds a meaning of its own. Shakespeare plays are often modernised to make them more accessible to modern people. This is so that people now can understand the plays, and can understand the meanings behind the plays, because they have been put into a modern context that we can relate to. Some ideas are not actually just translated; they are completed changed, or some are added. For example, the idea of Macbeth being totally evil is changed. Because this modernisation is a film, which means that it has certain ways to direct the audience in a certain way, a select few of the ideas from the original play are translated. An example of these is the idea that Macduff is a complete hero. Although I do not like the fact that only a few ideas are translated, I believe that on the whole, the few that have been translated have been translated well. The beginning and ending of a play or film can be very important for the meaning behind it. Beginnings give the audience a place to start from, to understand the story. They introduce the story and characters, and give the producers a place to start the story from. Endings are useful to round off the story, and give the producers a place to end the story. They are also useful to round off the story for the audience, whether it is a resolved ending or a cliffhanger. The very beginning scene of the play involves the three witches discussing Macbeth. This gives and impression of them controlling the plot, and makes this scene seem like the original source of Macbeth's evil. The beginning of the film is very different to that of the play. Macduff says an invented dialogue, although the audience does not know who he is at the time. The beginning has a lot of subtle references to the setting and the meanings. Macduff recites the new speech on a large wasteland. When the camera first shows this setting, before Macduff enters the scene, there is nothing restricting the view, and the whole of the frame is used, including the very extremities, so there is no particular focus point. This makes suggestions about the idea of confusion and the lack of focus in the story. The fact that the camera fades in re-enforces this with a feeling of fog. This barren landscape could be a battlefield, possibly like one in the play, reflecting the war-like culture. The fact that we don't know what it is re-enforces the idea of confusion, and also the idea about the audience deciding themselves about the true meaning of the play. The shot of Macduff is very close to him, and he looks right into the camera. This gives the impression that he is talking directly to the audience. This and the fact that Macduff is in the very first scene, rather than the witches, give an impression that Macduff is controlling the whole story, instead of the supernatural. I believe that Macduff is used as part of the way that the director makes him a larger part of the story, to ask questions about his true character. There are many differences between a play and a film. The main one is that with a play, the audience can interact much more, and can decide the story for themselves. This mainly comes from lack of direction, and the ability to imagine elements of the story. One way in which this is done is by not directing the audience's view. In a film, because there is a camera, the audience's view can be directed onto a particular character or object. This means that the audience's view can also be sub-consciously directed towards a particular meaning to the film. In a play, on the other hand, the audience is free to look at whichever characters they wish, to watch their actions and reactions to other events. This adds an element of the audience being able to decide what really happens in the play, and being able to decide which ideas are true, as well as the director being able to direct the audience to parts which show their own feelings. Another way in which is this is achieved is the difference in how the setting is portrayed. A film can be shot in different locations, making the setting much more believable, and making it seem much more like the characters are in the place where they are supposed to be. One again, this allows the audience to be directed, and shown exactly what the director believes the setting is, leaving no room for imagining it. A play has a much less vivid, defined setting. It is demonstrated by symbolic references to the actual things, meaning that the audience has to imagine them more. This means that a film is better if the director wants to deliberately highlight a particular idea to the audience, and wants to tell them something that they believe in. A play is better for giving a more open story, in which the audience is independent, and decides what is true about the story. Although the setting and characters are updated in the film, the language is not. As I have already mentioned, personally, I do not believe that this is very effective, because I think that if some parts are modernised, all the parts should be, although it is quite important to keep the conversion similar to the original. Tension can be shown very well in film, by using particular camera angles or special effects. This means that the tension in the film is shown much better, which is good, but only some elements of tension are properly shown, because the director has chosen to use only certain ideas. Because of the differences between film and theatre, the audience can also be directed towards certain elements of tension. In film, visual images can be used very well, because it is a visual medium, by using special effects. I do not believe that visual effects are used to a great extent in Macbeth on the Estate. The images used are not particularly used much more than they would be in a play. I do not believe that the potential for visual effects is used fully. Instead, the film loses some of the quality of the language from the play, which is an oral medium, making the film a less effective adaptation. It may be true, though, that the director has chosen to do this because what she wants to tell us is done much more subtly by using changes in the characters and setting. The soliloquies in the film are not adapted from the play very much. No elements that are exclusive to film are used, such as visual effects, making the soliloquies very similar to the originals. This is again because the director only wanted to make subtle changes. The actor can change their character by showing different body language, for example facial expression, and can use different tones to change the meaning of what the character is saying. The way that an actor can change the character is subtle, by changing subtle things not mentioned in the script. The part can be changed in many different ways. Some of these are quite significant, such as changing the original lines, adding soliloquies and changing things that are described directly in the original script. Others are less significant, and only involve changing parts that are not directly expressed in the original script, for example set locations and body language for the actors to use to help slightly change the emotions and related things, which make up the characters. The main alteration to the characters was to make them seem corrupt and not noble, to put them and society partly to blame for everything. It is mainly the characters that are very noble in the play who are changed, to make them seem less so. The major of these is King Duncan. In the play, he was known as a good and much-loved king. In the film, although he is liked a lot by the main characters, he has lost his nobility and kingliness. Instead of his castle, he has a social club, and he is very indulgent. Although all of the characters drink and smoke, he does these to more extent, and he almost never seen without a pint of beer. As well as having un-noble habits, he is also quite a sleazy character. For example, he hassles Lady Macbeth and is unpleasant to some of his servants. He is the main element in the way that the new director shows the environment around Macbeth as being corrupt and his character is changed more extremely than the others, in this way, because he is seen as the figurehead of the nobility in the play, being the most noble. Duncan's son, Malcolm, seems to be changed to also reflect the corrupt environment, but not as much. As in the play, he does what his father does, and copies him, but this is different in the film. He joins in with the indulgence, but this could just be the result of the world around him. Like in the play, he is quite good-natured, and a good person. The director could have used this to make suggestions about young people, not just now, but always, compared to adults. I believe that the fact that she shows the young people joining in with what the adults are doing, implies that they copy what the people around them do, and they quickly become just like the rest of society. The fact that he is a good person, and is not like his father suggests that people are born good and not corrupt, though, and are not like their environment until it indoctrinates them, and it becomes normality to them. This is one of the suggestions that the director makes about society that is true about today and Shakespeare's day. Donaldbain rarely appears in the film, and he is only slightly changed, in the same way as Malcolm. Banquo is changed much in the same way as the other people around the royalty; he has also lost nobility and is part of the corrupt society. Fleance remains more or less the same as in the play, but he has more of an element of innocence. He is younger than he seems to be in the film, and he has a very close relationship with his father, relying on him heavily. He seems to be very distressed by the events in the story, and there is strange thing at the end of the film: he points his hand at the camera as if it is a gun, and fires. This could be to show that he has been indoctrinated by the corrupt society, and he is no longer fearful of firing a gun, and killing someone, because Macduff shot Macbeth. I think that he could symbolise the pure good in the story which struggles to survive in the terrible environment, and then in the end has to give up and be lost into the corruption. Macduff is changed the most in relation to the other characters. In the play, he is Scottish, like most of the other characters, meaning that his background does not make him stand out from the others. On the other hand, in the film, all of the other characters are changed into English people from Birmingham. He, on the contrary, is from the West Indies, and so stands out from the other characters due to his background. This is to make him more obviously a very significant character in the story. The director has done this because she wants to portray Macduff as more of a main character than in the film, and wants to ask us about whether or not he is really as heroic as he is shown as in the play. This was because the film explores the good and evil in all of the characters more than in the play. In the play, Macduff was very blatantly shown as a purely good character, though in the film, we are made to question ourselves about whether Macduff is really as honourable as he might seem. The director probably did this because she wanted to show that there can be evil in everyone, and no one is either pure good or pure evil. Making Macduff stand out more helps illuminate what she wanted to convey to the audience. Lady Macduff is one of the characters who has been changed relatively little: in the play, she is quite a good person, and does not have too much character that is shown; also in the film she has little character shown, other than her kindness and motherliness. Although she joins in with the corrupt society a bit, she only does to moderation, and seems quite innocent. I believe that this was because the director did not want to dilute her messages, and the characters that could not help her portray her messages and did not have much significance were kept quite bland, so as not to take away the focal point from the more important characters. The innocence may have slightly helped a suggestion of feminism. The three witches are changed a lot from the film: they have become three children. I believe that the director chose to do this to help her argument about the corrupt society; she implies that they may not really have any powers, and they just cause the characters to believe in the supernatural, and so carry out the predictions themselves. This implication can be valid to show that today's society is corrupt, and may have changed since Shakespeare's time, but it could also be used to disagree with Shakespeare, and accuse the supposed supernatural occurrences of his day on the general nature of people. Lady Macbeth is one of the few characters that have had less blame put on her than in the play for the events in the story. The audience is made to feel sympathy for her, unlike in the play, which is done in a number of ways, for example by inventing something about some lost child. The changes to her are all part of the general trend that the characters' personalities are diluted into being partially good and partially bad, to make everyone, and our society, to blame for the events. I believe that the director very strongly and effectively puts across this message, and makes Lady Macbeth seem more innocent very well. This also suggests a hint of feminism. There seems to be a hint of feminism in the conversion because the female characters are shown as much more innocent that the male characters, but it is not a very strong hint. Macbeth is also relieved of some blame. In the play, he was portrayed as a thoroughly evil man, and his evil deeds were blamed solely him or the witches controlling him. He is also part of the suggestion that society creates evil, and just does what he does because of his society. The characters are mainly changed to help put across the message that the director wants to give the audience about the story. She wants to imply certain things about the individual characters, but she also uses this to give a new impression about society. Although she wants to make implications about how today's society, and how it would change the situation in the story, she may also want to make implications about timeless aspects of society that have always existed, and possibly to disagree with Shakespeare about how society was then. Although Shakespeare made a great deal of suggestions about society, I think the new director has taken the story further, and made new ones, as well as making alterations and her own touches to the original ones. Although the film seems quite bland and without many of these meanings at first, and it is difficult for the audience to realise these subtle messages when first seen, I think that she has been very successful in showing us her personal feelings about the play and in making suggestions to us about society, as long as the audience can pick them up. Any modernisation of the play inevitably results in the loss of some of its social and historical significance. This is because to understand what is meant by the play, people would need to know what the world was like at the time, and what was happening. When a play is modernised, it stops being about that world, and is about the modern world. There are a lot of modern issues in the film. Some of these are similar to those found in the original play and are only modified, and some are completely new, and are just relevant to modern life. An example of one which is only modified is the violence. The film shows that violence still exists, but in compliance with the idea of there being no nobility, the fighting is changed into dishonourable gang warfare. The modernisation is equally as much about the original play and modern society. Most of the messages behind it concern both in different ways. The best example of an idea, which complies with both, is the idea of no nobility. It works to do with the modern world because it could imply that the nobility is lost, but it could also imply that it never existed, and the people in Shakespeare's time were just as bad as now. My argument is mainly about how the director has used lots of minor alterations to tell us of her opinion of the original story. I believe that she has used the modernisation to make it easier for modern people to understand, but also as a tool to suggest that what Macbeth does is not entirely the fault of the people who were seen as completely evil before. I think she was very successful in taking Shakespeare's meanings on further, and developing new, separate ideas, as well as some contrasting with him, for example, not showing the main characters as completely good or evil, which I believe adds a very good personal touch to it, and shows very subtly, yet effectively, her personal beliefs. The main ideas I believe she wanted to put across are: nobody is completely to blame; everyone has no evil and some good; a hint of feminism; the world of Shakespeare's time exists with us today; there could be other possibilities of why the events in Macbeth happened, that Shakespeare did not include. I think that the film can be appreciated on many different levels: as a simple modernisation for easy understanding, and also as a subtly constructed message about the personal feelings of one person, which can be enjoyed by the observant audience, and can also prompt us to think about what we think about the story, and to wonder what it is really about.
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