National Security: At What Price Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ess

National Security: At What Price Never has information played a more important role in society than it does today. The advent of the Internet has made the distribution and collection of information easier and faster than ever before. Today, the Internet is used for communications, shopping, management, and even financial transactions. Despite the slowing economy, recent years have seen a large increase in Internet usage by corporations, and research indicates that this trend will likely continue. Figures gathered by eMarketeer indicate that Internet based commerce will reach as high as $2.4 trillion by 2004 (B2B). With easy access to information from anywhere on the globe, safeguards must be taken to protect sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. These measures include passwords, protected networks, and secure connections. While much has been accomplished in the area of network security, data encryption remains the most fundamental layer of protection. The goal of data encryption (or cryptography) is to render information unreadable to all except an authorized user (one who knows the password, also called the key). While there are many encryption algorithms and techniques, most involve the use of a "private key" which is the mathematical value that decodes the information. Without the key, a hacker has a chance of one in several trillion to correctly decode the information, making encryption a very effective method of data protection. While encryption fills a critical role in personal and corporate security, the technology can also be used by criminal and terrorist organizations. The same systems that protect your credit card number online can also be used to organize covert operations in safety.... ... Wired News. March 31, 2002 <http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,46816,00.html>. McCullagh, Declan. Senator Backs Off Backdoors. October 17, 2001. Wired News. March 31, 2002 <http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,47635,00.html>. Quotations. n.d. FreedomWriter.com. March 31, 2002 <http://www.freedomwriter.com /quotes.htm>. Schwartz, John. "Disputes on Electronic Message Encryption Take On New Urgency." September 25, 2001. The New York Times Company. February 28, 2002 <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/25/technology/25CODE.html?pagewanted=print>. U.S. Encryption Policy. February 28, 2002. Center for Democracy and Technology. February 28, 2002 <http://www.cdt.org/crypto/admin/>. U.S. Policy on Encryption Should Protect Our Right to Privacy. n.d. Americans for Computer Privacy. February 28, 2002 <http://www.computerprivacy.org/about/>.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 13

I walked back to my room, unsure what to think. Vampiros. Vampires. The word sounded wrong, no matter what language it was in. Coyotes. That was a word that made sense. After all, a coyote was just like a wolf, a wild animal drawn to the confusing tangle of the deep Virginia woods. If Rosalyn was killed by a coyote, it would be tragic, but understandable. But for Rosalyn to be killed by a demon? I laughed, the sound coming out like a short bark as I strode into my bedroom and sat with my head in my hands. My headache had returned with renewed vigor, and I remembered Emily's request that I not eat Cordelia's cooking. On top of everything else, it seemed the servants were turning on each other. Suddenly, I heard three soft raps on the door. The sound was so slight it might be the wind, which had shown no sign of stopping since we got back from the woods. â€Å"Hello?† I called hesitantly. The raps started again, more insistently this time. On the other side of the room, the cotton curtains blew violently in the wind. â€Å"Alfred?† I called, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Father's tale had definitely affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called loudly. I grabbed a letter opener from my desk and held it behind my back as I headed cautiously toward the door. But just as I placed my hand on the doorknob, the door began to swing inward. â€Å"This isn't funny!† I called, half hysterical, when all of a sudden, a figure in pale blue slipped into the room. Katherine. â€Å"Good, because humor has never been one of my strong points,† Katherine said, her smile revealing her straight, white teeth. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I blushed and hastily dropped the letter opener onto the desk. â€Å"I'm just †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Y ou're still recovering.† Katherine's brown eyes locked with my own. â€Å"I'm sorry to startle you.† She sat down on the center of my bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. â€Å"Y our brother's worried about you.† â€Å"Oh †¦,† I stammered. I couldn't believe that Katherine Pierce had come into my bedroom and was sitting on my bed, as if it were perfectly normal. No woman, except my mother and Cordelia, had ever been in my sleeping chambers. I was suddenly embarrassed by my muddy boots in one corner, the pile of china dishes in another, and the Shakespeare volume still open on the desk. â€Å"Do you want to know a secret?† Katherine asked. I stood at the door, clutching the brass doorknob. â€Å"Maybe?† I asked hesitantly. â€Å"Come closer and I'll tell you.† She beckoned me with her finger. Townspeople were scandalized if a couple went walking to the Wickery Bridge without a chaperone. But here Katherine was without a chaperone–or stockings, for that matter –perched on my bed, asking me to join her there. There was no way I could resist that. I gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. Immediately she flipped onto her hands and knees and crawled over to me. Pushing her hair over one shoulder, she cupped my ear with her hand. â€Å"My secret is that I've been worried about you, too,† she whispered. Her breath was unnaturally cold against my cheek. My leg muscles twitched. I knew I should demand that she leave, right away. But instead I inched closer to her. â€Å"Really?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes,† Katherine murmured, looking deep into my eyes. â€Å"Y need to forget Rosalyn.† ou I shivered and glanced away from Katherine's dark-brown eyes toward the window, watching a fast-moving summer storm sweep in. Katherine took my chin in her ice-cold hands and turned my eyes back to hers. â€Å"Rosalyn is dead,† she continued, her face full of sorrow and kindness. â€Å"But you aren't. Rosalyn wouldn't have wanted you to shut yourself away like a criminal. No one would want that for their betrothed, don't you agree?† I nodded slowly. Even though Damon had told me the same thing, the words made infinitely more sense when coming from Katherine's mouth. Her lips curved in a small smile. â€Å"Y ou'll find happiness again,† she said. â€Å"I want to help you. But you have to let me, sweet Stefan.† Katherine laid her hand against my forehead. I felt a surge of heat and ice converging at my temple. I flinched from the force of it, disappointment welling in my chest as Katherine's hand dropped back into her lap. â€Å"Are those the flowers I picked for you?† Katherine asked suddenly, looking across the room. â€Å"Y ou've shoved them into the corner without any light!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. She imperiously swung her legs off the bed and bent to take the basket from under my desk. She drew the shades, then stared at me, her arms crossed over her chest. My breath caught in my throat. Her light-blue crepe dress highlighted her tiny waist, and her necklace lay at the hollow of her neck. She was undeniably beautiful. She plucked a daisy from the bunch, removing the petals one by one. â€Å"Y esterday I saw a servant child play a silly game–he loves me, he loves me not.† She laughed, but then her smile abruptly turned solemn. â€Å"What do you think the answer would be?† And suddenly, she stood above me, her hands on my shoulders. I inhaled her scent of ginger and lemon, unsure what to say, knowing only that I wanted to feel her hands on my shoulders forever. â€Å"Would the answer be he loves me †¦ or he loves me not?† Katherine asked, leaning toward me. My body began quivering with a desire I didn't know I possessed. My lips were mere inches away from hers. â€Å"What's the answer?† Katherine asked, biting her lip in the impression of a shy maiden. I laughed despite myself. I felt as if I were watching the scene unfold, powerless to stop what I was about to do. I knew this was wrong. Sinful. But how could it be sinful if every fiber of my being wanted it more than anything? Rosalyn was dead. Katherine was alive. And I was alive, too, and I needed to start acting like it. If what Father said was true, and I was about to fight the battle of my life between good and evil, then I needed to learn to have confidence in myself and my choices. I needed to stop thinking and start believing in myself, in my convictions, in my desires. â€Å"Do you really need me to answer?† I asked, reaching for her waist. I grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I possessed. She shrieked in delight and tumbled onto the bed next to me. Her breath was sweet, and her hands were cold and holding mine, and suddenly, nothing else–not Rosalyn, not my father's demons, not even Damon–mattered.

Diseases and Conditions of the Endocrine System Essay

Assignment: For each scenario that follows, explain how and why you would schedule an appointment or suggest a referral based on the patient’s reported symptoms. Be sure to first review the â€Å"Guidelines for Patient-Screening Exercises† found on page iii in the Introduction section of your Workbook. 1. A male patient calls for an appointment. He reports experiencing the sudden onset of excessive thirst and urination. He says that he is thirsty all the time and cannot seem to get enough to drink. How do you respond to this phone call? I would first ask the patient if he has been checked for diabetes or if he is a diabetic. The second step I would take would be to schedule him in an appointment for that day, this could be a serious condition related to Diabetes Insipidus which means he will need to get immediate medical attention. 2. A female patient calls the office and says she thinks she has swelling in her neck and is beginning to experience difficulty swallowing. How do you respond to this phone call? I would ask the patient if she had a sore throat or had recently gotten over a cold or respiratory infection. I would also ask her if she is having an allergy to something that she might be allergic to, if she sounds short of breath over the phone I would suggest that she go into the emergency room if we could not get her in that same day to see the physician. 3. An individual calls the office stating he is experiencing periods of rapid heartbeat and palpitations, insomnia, nervousness, and excitability. He states that despite excessive appetite and food ingestion, he is losing weight. How do you respond to this call? I would ask the patient if they have checked their blood pressure and pulse, and if they have a heart condition, high blood pressure or anxiety. I would then request that this patient go through the emergency room immediately to be monitored because of the burst of rapid heartbeats and heart palpitations, these could be signs of high blood pressure (hypertension), a high anxiety attack, or heart attack. 4. A woman calls the office stating that her husband, who has been diagnosed with diabetes, is experiencing excessive thirst, nausea, drowsiness, and abdominal pain. She just noticed a fruity odor on his breath. She wants to know what to do. How do you respond to this call? I would place the caller on hold while I got the physician on the phone, this could be a serious condition and the patient may need immediate medical attention or the physician may want to meet them at the emergency room for further testing. The patient should check their sugar levels and monitor them until their appointment time. 5. A patient calls the office saying she has started experiencing weight loss, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, and frequent urination. She also tells you her mother and aunt have diabetes. She says she just does not feel right. How do you respond to this call? After listening to this patient’s symptoms, and the family history of diabetes, this could be an indication of diabetes mellitus. I would then schedule in this patient the same day so that we can do a diagnostic evaluation and give her the proper treatment she needs, as well as instructions on how to control this illness.

Many MNEs may want to start operations in some foreign country Essay

Establishment mode means that the MNE starts its operations from scratch in the foreign country usually through a wholly owned subsidiary where as in entry mode; this can be accomplished by a subsidiary or through partnership with a local party which involves shared ownership. In this study the authors examine the effect of same variables on both these choices available to a company. They do it through a series of hypotheses. The first hypothesis measures the positive effect of greater institutional advancement on the choice that the company makes. Institutional advancement is defined in the study as pertaining to changes in formal institutions over a period of time. It is argued that regulatory forces are likely to be a big influence on a decision that an MNE makes with regard to its establishment or entry choice. Regulatory forces or rather Regulative forces as described in the study are not limited to laws and regulations only but also include political and other social factors. The authors conclude that institutional advancement has a positive effect on the choice to establish a subsidiary with shared ownership. The second hypothesis postulated by the authors’ measures the moderating effect of institutional advancement on the tendency of a technologically intense firm to either go for establishment mode or entry mode. It is argued that firms which are technology intense should go for establishment mode because their competitive advantages are embedded in their labor force skills and organizational practices so it is more efficient for them to start from scratch. They should hire and train the local labor force. Furthermore in case of a joint venture or share ownership of the subsidiary, protecting the intellectual rights can be an issue. Protection of such rights is dependent on the judicial system. In transition economics where the judiciary is corrupt and intellectual property rights are not respected, an MNE would be reluctant to transfer its technology. Therefore authors conclude that firm with advanced proprietary technology are likely to prefer establishment mode but level of institutional advancement has a positive moderating effect on such a firm going for entry mode. The third hypothesis measures the moderating effect of institutional advancement on a multidomestic MNE to either go for establishment of entry mode. Multidomestic firms are defined as those which pursue multidomestic strategy and want to establish a sustainable local market presence. For such MNEs acquiring a local company is a more attractive option because such acquisition can provide them with local brands, market knowledge, distribution channels and network relationships with the host country’s other businesses and government. How the restructuring and realignment of the acquired entity can be very challenging. The firms in the host country are likely to be following a different paradigm. But on the other hand if an MNE goes for shared ownership or entry mode, it can accomplish more without facing these difficulties. It is argues that a multidomestic MNE requires lesser control on the subsidiary. If this is so then subsidiaries in the host country can have considerable freedom and operate on their own fully leveraging their local expertise.Hence it is concluded institutional advancement has a positive moderating effect on a multidomestic MNE to go for entry mode. Finally the authors have used an international survey to gather the data to support their findings. The survey consists of a questionnaire with 33 open and close ended questions. Furthermore the MNE’s latest establishment mode choice or entry mode choice has been taken as the dependent variable. Critique This study is no doubt a valuable asset for managers and students alike in studying the behavior of MNEs in making their choices when it comes to Foreign Direct Investment but nevertheless it has a few shortcomings and weaknesses. But the biggest shortcoming of this study is the scope. The authors have primarily taken a sample of European MNEs. And the so called economies in transition are basically east European countries which were once under the iron curtain. Firstly we need to consider the fact that Europeans MNEs may be very different from Japanese or American MNEs and so forth. The establishment or entry mode choice for Japanese firms may be dependent on or moderated by variables other than the ones discussed here. Similarly an MNE whether European or Japanese may decide to invest in some country in Central Asia or North Africa or even South Asia. The market conditions in these countries are very different from those of the transition economies discussed by the authors. This means that the findings in this study are not universally applicable. Nevertheless it is a valuable addition to our knowledge regarding MNE behavior in making Foreign Direct Investment decisions. But for any researcher trying to consult this study, it is very important to keep the above mentioned limitations in mind.

The Massachusetts experience with universal health coverage Term Paper

The Massachusetts experience with universal health coverage - Term Paper Example In fact, the Affordable Care Act on Obamacare universal insurance is based largely on the Massachusetts universal health care coverage (Kessler 1). Universal Health Care has an impact on the individuals of a society and implementing it guarantees better health of the people and productivity. Universal Health Care Universal health care is a system of health insurance in which the objective is to ensure that all individuals in the society or any jurisdiction have access to good health care. In most countries, health care is expensive to especially those who are considered below the poverty line - they are unable to access healthcare facilities as they cannot afford. The universal health-care plan promises to change all that by providing insurance to even the very poor. This healthcare is based on several principles, as discussed below. Provision to all Universal care is based on the fact that all people should have access to healthcare. This is regardless of whether they are rich, poor or are in the middle class. The plan has to be such that no person is unable to pay for healthcare services. The cost of the services is spread across all the people using the plan to ensure that all people can be able to make payment regardless of their social class. This is through several options provided to the individuals. Reduced direct spending: Direct payments made by individuals seeking healthcare services to providers are reduced. In this case, the individuals have to cost share the cost with the providers. This can be through co-payments, in which the individuals subscribe to be paying a specified fee per month, deductibles in which the individual is deducted a certain amount of money after a certain period like monthly, quarterly or half yearly depending on their specifications, coinsurance in which insurance is spread across several parties and unofficial payments to the provider at the time when seeking healthcare services (Universal health coverage 3). Prepayment Hea lth care has to be financed by some individuals at some point. In the case of universal health care, individuals who can afford to make contributions every now and then are encouraged to continue making contributions. The payments are made before hand, and it is not necessarily that a person is seeking healthcare services to make the payment. Contributions are made through taxes, payroll deductions, contribution premiums and donor contributions. The contributions can be organized in different ways depending on the jurisdiction (Universal health coverage 4). Risk Pooling: Universal healthcare is based on sharing the cost of healthcare facilities and services. In this case, the cost incurred by any individual when seeking health care services is spread across all individuals that have subscribed to the universal health care services. For the system to be more effective, more people are required to subscribe and make payments. This reduces the chances of fluctuations when services are being provided. When few people subscribe, there are times when the facilities may lack funds, especially when many people are seeking medical interventions at the same time (Universal health coverage 5). Considerations for universal healthcare success Universal healthcare has to be well considered for it to work out properly. The political landscape of the country is

Social Science & Social Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Science & Social Changes - Essay Example Slowly and gradually, these cities came closer forming different nations of the world. In this way, along with the growing population, the societies grew into civilizations and prospered over hundreds of years. The social orders that initially comprised a bunch of people, with the passage of time became large communities and large nations. Now, the whole world is coming closer day by day and is becoming one big global village. The current global trend supports globalization that emphasizes on living like a one big global community. With all these changes in societies, along the course of time, there came many opportunities, new possibilities and broader horizons, but with that equally came many risks, threats, uncertainties and crises. Cultures changed and so did people. With the new developments there came better education, better health, better life style, better communication and transportation, better techniques, procedures and processes, in fact, a whole new way of life; and with passing time, this process of evolution of the societies is becoming faster and faster that the way the social changes have bombarded us in last five decades, it had never done before. If we look at the life of the human being not very different from us who lives fifty years ago, we find such huge differences that it becomes very difficult to compare. Science and technology has prospered so much that the diseases that were thought of as completely incurable can now be treated using advanced techniques and processes. Treatment of life threatening diseases like cancer or life endangering situations like failure of a vital organ of the body is now possible and thus more and more precious lives can be saved. The new researches promise better education and better learning in a vast variety of areas. Researches are being conducted in practically every field of life. Science and technology has made life so easy that many tasks can easily be accomplished by just a flick of your finger over a button so the work that used to take weeks can now be done in days. So many things that man could only dream of as something miraculous are now a part of our every day lives. Life has become automatic; automatic cars, automatic machines, automatic gizmos and gadgets, even automatic homes. All one has to

International relations - foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International relations - foreign policy - Essay Example Countries, big and small alike, have internal domestic policies. Concurrently, they also have foreign policies. These policies are bases of the values and interests that are crucial in guiding how these particular governments act or behave with regards to certain international issues. Policy, here referring to a certain course of actionAccording to Feigert, Graebner, Papademetriou, Mangone, Ransom, Wilson, Wolfe, Piper & Terchek, foreign policy is the foreign component of public policy. (1983) Simply defined, public policy is the choice or the stance that particular governments adopt with regards to certain issues in country. (Dye, 1972) That said, while public policy is concerned with the domestic issues and policies to be implemented within (inside) state borders, foreign policy on its part is concerned with policies that are to be implemented without (outside) the countries borders. (Feigert, et al, 1983) Foreign policy plainly put is the policy that is formulated and adopted by s tate governments for the purposes of governing its relations with other countries in the international arena. The most important thing to note about foreign policy is that it is primarily concerned with state interests. State interest could be in either, political, military and/or economic terms. The reason why a country would like to implement certain policies with regards to other countries has to do with what it stands to gain more than anything else. Shah (2001) posits that every nation/country is in possession of a foreign policy. The reason why foreign policy is important is because it ensures that the needs of the nations/countries are represented in the international community. During the cold war countries mostly used foreign policies as a way of furthering their national interests and agendas. In the course of furthering these agendas, the interests held dear by other nations in the international community did not matter much and were disregarded. In most cases this often led to resentment between different countries with different issues to push forth. (Shah, 2001) The conduct of foreign policy then involves balancing between substitute policies and their perceived costs and benefits. (Feigert, et al, 1983) At the end of the day, countries more often than not, adopt the policies that are most favorable to them and are in sync with what they may want to achieve (national interest). It could be security needs or economic growth. (Shah, 2001) Traditionally, the conduct of foreign policy has often been the duty of the national governments. Nonetheless, other actors within the state realm are involved in the conduct and formulation of foreign policy. These are the smaller regional states and provinces within a nation/country. For this reason, there is always advocacy and lobbying for the type of issues and interests that should be part of foreign policy and which respective government should focus on. This way these state actors are able to influence foreign policy decisions. Despite this, some governments wield such immense powers such that they lo ck out these state actors such as regional states and provinces out of the formulation and consequent conduct of foreign policy. Take the case of India for example. As per the Indian constitution, the central federal government, the executive, is granted all the powers in the land necessary for the conduct of both domestic and foreign policies. Still, even though these actors are given lesser powers, but powers nonetheless by the Indian Constitution, the regional states in India have little or no autonomy. The consequence of this is that their roles are usurped and the central government makes all the crucial decisions with regards to foreign policy. (Dossani & Vijaykumar, 2005) As countries conduct foreign policy they involve themselves in such activities as diplomacy, negotiations, bargaining, cooperation or even coercion, bullying, lying and intimidation. Depending on what their interests are at the end of the d