Cyber Attacks on Financial and Energy Sector Thesis

Cyber Attacks on Financial and Energy Sector - Thesis Example As it is with most cases the views on the risks of cyber attacks, both perceived and real, vary between two groups of expert opinions. While some experts opine that cyber attacks are not only inevitable but imminent and could bring all sectors of the US economy to a standstill, others say that the threat of cyber risks have been blown out of proportion, as critical structures of the country are well protected. According to Richard Clarke (White House cyberspace advisor till 2003), as quoted in the Washington Monthly, 2002, companies know that they will lose a certain amount of revenue from cyber attack and since cyber attack is not considered to be an important threat, the amount spent on cyber security is even less than the amount spend on coffee in the office. Financial institutions, which not only include banks and other depositories but also investment companies, insurers, security dealers, etc, comprise the critical financial sector of the US economy. As more and more of the financial sector is getting dependent on information technology, the risk of cyber attacks has become very real. In the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection of 1996 and 1997, analysts clearly predicted the growing risk that the financial sector would be facing due to systems vulnerability. Almost every sector today works with data that is on the system rather than being physically on paper. This has not only increased the vulnerability of the sector but also made it more system-dependent. Cyber attacks are taking various forms such as theft of credit cards, misuse of private information, and stealing of intellectual property; the estimated costs by way of financial loss was found to be approximately USD 200 billion in 2004. The Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) reported 80,000 cases of cyber attacks on the financial, defense, aerospace and computing industries, among others, in March 2007. Here is an example to

Chinese-American Immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese-American Immigrants - Essay Example The sourness of living where dignity is flushed and third and fourth degree works(which in America they do not accept to deal with and leave to women to do) was the only was to find a means of living to survive. Thus the laundry business ran by Maxine's father when he was kicked out of the business of gambling. As children from Chinese immigrants, Maxine did not understand the relation between myth and reality and talk-stories were a way to sense the factuelles and weave a mentality that could help her understand America and become American yet not forgetting her heritage of Chinese background. A journey of sufferings does not stop at the point where problems concerning finance stops but extends to the beloved ones who suffer in silence besides the person and try to find a way out of it. Being a man responsible for a family, Maxine's father was in the place of a woman when dealing with the American society(now he has to obey the father when yet unmarried(illegal immigrants),obey the husband when married(the legal laws and registration of legal papers),obedience to the sons when widowed(the happiness of father when he planted his plants in the garden a steady and slow into the future of the family ,remembering the suffering he was suffering when out of a job.).Yet the ethics of a woman in a male society where immigrants were not seen as unwelcomed beings drove the family to work in the 'third-grade' industries -the laundry. The work being hard and tiring, the father was experiencing the problem of facing reality through a woman's eyes (whether he saw or did not see or reali ze this). China men is a story about growing up in a Chinese background in American reality with a family to support, from the point of view of Maxine who had no access Chinese realities but what she sees in reality as a child surrounding the family and working on. As seen for sure, the reality was harsh and the fact that women were unpreferable to men made Maxine want to prove herself and thus conflicted inside her with herself as to the fact if she would ever become a pride in the family and to it when ever growing up in America with her strict and unbent mother from Chinese heritage. Brave Orchid was the motive for Maxine to grow up into a strong character and she recited the story from the point of view of her male relatives and especially her father's because she understood that understanding someone from a different gender and being in their shoes made her understand the factuality and beliefs she carried on in life. China Men is in fact a biography of the father and an autobiography of Maxine's feelings and point of view of life through her father's stories from his living reality. Life was harsh and getting legal registration of documents and facing racism in America for Chinese people who came poor from their countries doing their best to be better in the land of the golden mountains of gold made he see what reality is truly like from someone who is far away from home, estranged and widowed having nobody to support them. Yet their happy times did not fade away as they were able to recollect their shattering

The Topic Of Spanking Children

The Topic Of Spanking Children One day last summer, I hung out with my friends Elizabeth and Kisha. Elizabeth is a young mother with a 3-year-old son named Raine. Elizabeth did not know how to control her son; on that day, the three of us went to a strip mall to shop for clothes, and Raine was with us. While we were shopping, Raine wandered off many times from his mother, and she rarely told him anything. Then, he threw huge tantrums whenever he saw something he could not have. I bit my tongue so much that day because despite how I felt about his behavior, it was not my place to tell anyone else how to raise his or her children. He was very bratty; he made a scene in a convenience store we all walked into, becoming disobedient and defiant with Elizabeth and screaming at her. Still, I said nothing out of good taste. Finally, the topic of whether or not I would make a good father came up because I saw a couple with children who were behaving well; I enjoy children when they are well-behaved. I was making no attempt to attack Elizabeths parenting even though her son was horrible. I was merely conjecturing my own capabilities at parenthood. I could no longer bite my tongue. The girl with the out-of-control child, of all people, had the audacity to imply that I may not be a good parent. Before I realized it, I told her, Well at least my children will know how to conduct themselves in public and will not talk to me any kind of way. He is clearing acting up and disrespecting you, but you refuse to spank him. Because of this, Elizabeth and I do not talk much anymore. I suggested that she spank Raine. She obviously did not believe in spanking bad children. I thought it was very foolish of her to have this mindset because she never employed any other disciplinary technique that was successful in altering his behavior. She, along with others, believes that spanking is wrong. I do not think that it is absolutely right, but I do believe that the positive outweighs the negative; parents should be allowed to spank their children when it is necessary. There is an appropriate way for parents to do this without abusing their children. Though, it is not absolute, spanking can still be very effective. Children are not perfect beings who do not make mistakes. Children need to be taught respect and appropriate behavior. They need to know that there are consequences for not following the rules. What exactly is spanking? Kazdin and Benjet define spanking as the act of hitting a child with an open palm on the buttocks or the extremities (hands and legs) with the intent to discipline without leaving any bruises or injuries (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Larry Winget, a father and also the author of Your Kids are Your Own Fault: A Guide for Raising Responsible, Productive, Young Adults, agrees with this definition and believes that spanking should be used to alter undesirable behavior in children, not to hurt them (Winget, 88). What is discipline? Any attempt to change or control a childs behavior is discipline (Brown, 69). Discipline can be divided into two sub-categories: autonomy-granting techniques and restrictive techniques. Autonomy -granting techniques allow a child to correct his or her behavior on his or her own accord. These techniques are generally non-punitive and include lecturing and oral disapproval. U. Bronfenbrenner affirms that middle class parents tend to use these t echniques which include reasoning, isolation, and guilt (Brown, 68). Research shows that families with higher socioeconomic statuses (SESs) tend to have punishments that are very lenient in correcting misbehavior. Restrictive techniques force a child to alter his or her behavior by incentive: punishment (Brown, 68-9). And obviously, spanking is a form of punishment, and therefore is included with time-outs, grounding, privilege revocation, and all other restrictive techniques. Whether or not parents should be able to spank their children, and to what extent, is a very controversial debate. Like any debate, there are contenders of the idea. These contenders make some valid, however flawed, statements against spanking. One is that spanking instills fear into children, and children who will comply with the rules via spanking will not do so out of respect; they will succumb out of fear (Davis, 141). Another argument is that spanking is abusive and condones violence as an acceptable way to solve a problem (Davis, 143). These claims are true only when the spanking turns into abuse. Davis included a question from a parent answered by M. Senn, an opponent of spanking. He asked: Q: Should I hit my child back when he hits me? A: No, you should not. If you strike him back, you are teaching him that the only way to respond in anger is by physical blows, and it may turn into a fist fight (Davis, 141). There is so much wrong with this all together. For one, if a child is audacious enough to hit his own parents in a non-life-threatening scenario, the ones who conceived him, then he deserves to be punished. He or she should also realize that if he or she has enough moxie to hit anyone, parent or not, then he or she should be brave enough to get beat down if it escalates to something more serious. In others words, do not throw a punch if you cannot take one. A child is headed in the wrong direction if he or she thinks that he or she can be violent without suffering any consequences. And, one can certainly not hit a random person out on the streets and expect not to be retaliated against. We live in a society where skirmishes turn into bloodbaths because people think that they can handle them with their fists. Ideally, fighting is not the answer, but parents should certainly not condone abuse by their own children. That is crazy. And if parents have to spank their children to convey th at message to them, then I support it one hundred percent. Tibbetts affirms that spanking is but a single act among many that supports civilized behavior against the natural barbarism of the American brat (Davis, 144). Leaving children undisciplined is like leaving people to anarchy; it just will not work. There are many adults who lack the judgment and reasoning capabilities needed to function in society. And, children are still developing mentally and physically in order to be able to cope as adults. Why would one assume that children, non-adults, will be fine if left to their own devices? Opponents of spanking believe that it encourages the development of bad character in kids; children who do not want spankings become very deviant by lying to avoid them (Davis, 140). However, one parent with an 8-year-old named George chose not to spank him and found that it permitted George to be dishonest and defiant. The father saw an improvement in Georges behavior after he decided to span k him and noted that he only had to spank his son a few times by the time George turned thirteen (Davis, 137). Opponents argue that the people who support spanking are religious fundamentalists who base their reasons to justify it on the Bible, a book that some, depending on their own particular beliefs, view as unsubstantial (Davis, 139). Proverbs 13:24 reads that he who spares the rod does not love his child, and that he who loves his child will discipline him or her promptly. Despite how one may feel about Christianity and the Bible, the practicality and cogency of this statement cannot be disputed. Only a negligent parent and fool will let his or her children run amok and not discipline them. And, one final belief that opponents share is that spanking is addictive because of its easiness to execute and gives parents the satisfaction of getting out anger (Davis, 142). Spanking should not be about seeking a thrill, getting revenge, or relieving stress on behalf of the parent. It s hould be simply to discipline the child and nothing more. Anything else and spanking is at risk of becoming abuse. Kazdin and Benjet agree that spanking isnt necessarily positive nor negative, but can be depending on other conditions. Spanking is negative only when it becomes abuse. Physical abuse is punishment that is severe, excessive, and physically harmful and dangerous to the child. Physical abuse can involve the use of objects. It is also noted to be directed at parts of the body that are not included in the proper definition of spanking: the buttocks or extremities (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Slapping a child in the face is considered physical abuse. Punching a child is definitely a form of abuse. Allow us to examine the movie Mommie Dearest. The film told the story of Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of the late actress Joan Crawford. In the film, Christina and her brother were subjected to the harsh abuse and strictness of their mother. There was a scene in the movie when Joan was upset with Christina for hanging her own clothes with a wire hanger. Because of this, Joan beat Christina with the same wire hanger to teach her a lesson: do not hang your clothes with wire hangers. How preposterous does that sound? If that is not a clear image of physical abuse, then I do not know what is. There was no reasoning behind it. To say that the punishment was excessive would be an understatement; it was uncalled for, period. Joan Crawford must have had mental issues because responsible, mentally fit parents do not act this way. Another film depicting child abuse is Precious. The film depicted the life of a 16-year-old, African-American girl named Claireece Precious Jones who was obese, illiterate, and suffered severe forms of mental, physical, and sexual abuse from her parents. In one scene, Preciouss mother Mary attempted to hit her in the head with a cooking pot. This was because she thought Precious told an adult from her school to come to the house to discuss the benefits of education and alternative schooling with Mary in regards to Precious. Discussing education is a justifiable reason to try to give ones own child a concussion. The reality was that the adult came to Precious and Marys home of her own accord; Precious even warned the adult to not come because she knew Mary would react this way. In another scene, Mary forced Precious to eat a huge plate of pigs feet Precious made for Mary because it was not of her liking. She glared at Precious coldly, making sure that Precious ate every bit of it befo re she would make Precious cook dinner again, right this time. This was why Precious was morbidly obese. In yet another scene, Mary attacked Precious and her newborn when they finally came home after leaving the hospital. Mary did this because she was angry with Precious for coming clean to a social worker about the abuse she suffered. Mary was also jealous of Precious because Marys boyfriend (who was also Preciouss father) preferred to sleep with Precious and not her; both of Preciouss children, the newborn included, were products of rape from her father. In this scene, Mary waited for Precious to come home with the baby and asked Precious if she could hold him. Then, she told Precious to get her something to drink. While Preciouss back was turned, Mary tossed the baby to the ground and then threw a flower pot at the back of Preciouss head, causing it to shatter. She hurled more objects at Precious and cursed at her. She then charged at Precious, and a violent scuffle ensued. Lucki ly, Precious and her baby able to leave the apartment with minor injuries. Precious ran down the staircase with the baby and fell down; they both were miraculously fine. Fortunately, she moved herself and her child out of the way before a television came falling down the stair well from the floor of her mothers apartment; Mary, out of hate, tried to kill her own daughter and grandson. Although the Precious movie depicted an overly extreme case of physical abuse among other abuses, it defined it nonetheless. With that being said, proper spanking done from a responsible parent should never be mistaken for abuse. Spanking, when done properly, is actually a great tool for discipline. Studies show that 74% of American parents of children age seventeen and younger use spanking as a disciplinary technique while 94% of parents with children age three to four spank (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Spanking cannot be as bad as some people make it seem if virtually all parents do it. E.T. Gershoff concluded with an analysis of 88 studies that spanking had negative effects only when it was abusive (Kazdin Benjet, 100-01). Sweden passed a law in 1979 banning spanking to prevent child abuse. However, child abuse cases increased six-fold from 1981 to 1994 (Larzelere, 5). Spanking is not that issue that people should worry about; abuse is the issue. One father concurs that spanking prepares children for the real world; in the real world, people are punished for breaking the rules. He states, To have rules for behavior without the threat of physical punishment is like having laws without jails (Davis, 138). To the people who argue that spanking promotes fear in children, is fear really a bad thing? Is it not that same fear that prevents many children from getting in trouble in the first place? Is it not fear that scares adults from committing crimes that will otherwise put them in jail or prison? Is it not fear that promotes safety and good judgment in people anyway? People argue about deviant behavior to avoid punishment. If people, children included, are doing the right thing to begin with, then they should not have to worry about being punished. It is as simple as that. Let us consider the story of the little boy who burned himself after playing with the stove after his mother told him not to. She understood that the fire looked cool but advised him not to touch it because it will burn him. Out of his own defiance and curiosity, he touched the fire anyway and so forth. Analogously, spanking is the fire. He did not listen to his mother and had to suffer the consequences: being burnt. And ho pefully, he learned first-hand that fire burns and that he should not touch it if he does not want to get burnt again. Analogously, children should behave accordingly if they do not want any spankings. And, that is the practicality that makes spanking effective; it presents the child with an unfavorable outcome if he or she decides to be disobedient. Larry Winget agrees that children who are effectively and appropriately punished have more love and respect for their parents because their parents are showing that they care enough to correct potentially self-destructive behaviors in their children (Winget, 86); Janis Cambell believes that people tend to raise their children the way that their parents raised them (Cambell, 199). If this is true, then it is safe to say that Larry Winget respects and loves his parents, and they spanked him whenever it was necessary; he does the same to his children, and they love and respect him. Properly spanking a child when it is necessary can aid in ensuring that the child in question is not going down the wrong path and getting into trouble. Dianne is contemplating spanking her child. How does she go about it properly? Dr. Diana Braumrind states that Parents should first use verbal disciplinary reasoning to correct misbehavior. If that fails, then use non-physical punishments such as time-outs. If the problem persists, then use non-abusive spanking to correct the behavior (Larzelere, 4). Larry Wingets approach to discipline involves mak[ing] the punishment about the behavior and not about the person. With his experience as a father, he believes that parents should stress that they are spanking their children to alter their behavior, not because the children are bad people. He urges parents not to attack their childrens personalities (93). Doing so could potentially harm their mental developments. Winget continues by stating that parents need to make the punishment fit the crime (92). Do not spank a child if he or she forgets not to smack at the dinner table. Do not spank him when the both of you are at the grocery store and he asks for Skittles despite you telling him that you were not buying any candy prior to walking in. If you say no and he throws a massive tantrum and knocks items off the shelves, then spank him. Only spank a child when it is absolutely necessary. Winget affirms that anger is an appropriate response to [an] offense, and that a parent should wait to administer punishment because he or she may lose his or her temper and do something he or she may regret: seriously injuring the child (91, 92). Most of all, Winget stresses that a good parent will talk with his or her child so the child can have a better understanding of why he or she is being punished. Talking allows the parent to exercise judgment when listening to the child and figure out why the child did what he or she did so that the parent can determine how to punish the child. This can also help the parent to decide whether or not a spanking is even necessary (92-93). Good parents who spank their children are not the vicious , evil monsters that people believe them to be. The procedures mentioned by Braumrind and Winget show sympathy to the child. Although spanking can be a great means of discipline, it is not the most perfect method. No discipline is. However, it can be very effective. The first flaw with spanking is that it may not work on every child. Winget agrees that different kids require different punishments, and that spanking is an effective tool with some kids. Wingets son Tyler responded better to discussions and lectures while his other son Patrick responded better to being spanked (87; 88). The second imperfection with spanking is that its efficacy is subjected to severity and frequency (Kazdin Benjet, 100). Spanking loses its effectiveness when it is overused and is the only method of discipline, and it is very easy for parents to exhaust this method (Winget, 88). I can recall children from my childhood who were spanked almost everyday by their mothers and were still problematic. I remember these mothers spanking their kids and nothing else; they never asked them why did you do it? Rather, they found the neares t belt, or switch (long twig from a tree), or loafer and began whipping with the deepest frustration. In a study, Kazdin and Benjet found that occasional, mild spanking accompanied with other disciplinary techniques showed to be the most positive, effective form of punishment (101). One study states that parents from lower SESs tend to spank their children more while middle-class parents favored reasoning, isolation, guilt, and the threat of loss of love over spanking (Brown, 68). Researchers concluded that the parents of the lower SESs had higher levels of stress; stress is linked to physical abuse (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). However, M.L. Kahn did a study stating that working-class (lower SES) parents tended to spank when their childrens behavior was most extreme, but held back whenever they sensed that spanking was not the appropriate course of action (Brown, 68); These parents displayed good judgment while chastising their children. Though spanking is not the utmost, ab solute way of effective discipline, it can still be an effective tool when coupled with other methods and used with proper judgment. Despite all the benefits of spanking and the preponderance of parents who support it, society still frowns upon it. There are many people, doctors and others with merits, who consider proper, mild, non-abusive spanking still abuse. It has become a secretive thing for parents because of the taboo surrounding it despite it being legal; critics have been known to rebuff its legality by comparing it to cigarettes, saying that both are legal, harmful, and habitual (Davis, 142). This argument does not serve good parents who only seek to eliminate bad behavior any justice. Non-abusive spanking is not harmful, and the parents who are successful at correcting misbehavior do not have to spank frequently in order for it to become a habitual thing (Davis 137). With spanking becoming more, and more secretive, parents have been very conscious of how they discipline their children in public places. Parents who suffer the unfortunate circumstance of their children misbehaving in places like the groc ery store face a catch-22: being considered as unfit if they ignore it, or being viewed as abusive if they attempt to correct the misbehavior (Brown, 70). These parents worry about the nosy, meddlesome, old women who believe in all children being cherubs incapable of mischief. They worry about being scrutinized and ultimately reported to authorities for simply trying to raise children to the best of their abilities. Whenever a child is knowingly misbehaving the way children do from time to time, these old women tend to pardon it by saying, Oh, he is just being a kid. Dont punish him. But, whenever a child is extremely offensive, they have the temerity to question and challenge the parenting skills of the adult. Parents are embarrassed when their children act up in public and view it as an emergency situation because of three beliefs concerning parenthood in American society: that children turn out well with good parents, that contemporary parents are not as good as their predecessor s, and that there is no such thing as bad kids only bad parents (Brown, 70). Parents feel judged by these beliefs. With parents judgments conflicting with the mores, it is no wondering why there is so much controversy surrounding the right of parents to spank. While researching, I stumbled across some interesting facts. Studies show that fathers tend to spank their children more than mothers despite mothers being the main disciplinarians who also spend the most time with the children; mothers tend to yell at their children more (Cambell; 199, 202). I remember being spanked by my father more so than by my mom in my childhood. And I also remember her lecturing me more so than my father. Another fact is that younger parents are more likely to spank their children more than older parents (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). That caught my attention because I thought it would be the older group that favored spanking; the old people I grew up around where staunch advocates of spanking problematic children. Boys tend to be spanked more than girls (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). I can see this as being true because the boys I grew up with tended to misbehave more so than the girls. Parents who spank their children more than once often forget how many times they have had to so (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). Losing count is only expected for things that have been done with a sufficient amount of frequency. The final fact that I learned was that Caucasian parents are more likely to spank their children, despite other ethnic groups general acceptance it, particularly African-Americans (Giles-Sims, Straus Sugarman, 171). That, too, was interesting because I always thought Caucasians generally disagreed with spanking. There has been quite a handful of research done on spanking. The issue of spanking is one containing opposing view points. One side of the argument is in dissent about the issue, claiming that it is abuse while the other side supports it as an effective tool. Fact of the matter is, spanking definitely works and is very popular among American parents despite societal tendencies to discourage it. Ideally, if all children did not misbehave, then parents would not need to spank them. A mother in her right mind does not even want to think about spanking her child, let alone having to do it. It becomes a conflict for her because she will see her child misbehaving and know that she will have to spank him. I remember my own mother telling me that spanking will hurt her more than it will hurt me because I would eventually understand my wrong along with the consequences that entail. I would get over it; she, on the other hand, would bear the burden of her conscience because she would be placed in a position to where she would have to spank the child she loves so that he would learn to do better, not because she is angry. Non-abusive spanking should never become synonymous with abuse because abuse is detrimental; proper spanking is the opposite. Non-abusive spanking is not always the best solution, nor is it the only option to every crime committed by the child, but is very effective when done correctly; there is a proper way parents must go about executing it. And finally, there has been extensive research done on the topic. Parents should be allowed to spank their children so that they will become responsible adults with a great understanding of appropriate behavior to have in American society, or any society for that matter.

Terrorism: We Must Fight ISIS :: Terrorism, ISIS

The world is at a rough point. ISIS has been taking over Iraq and Syria and no one there has been able to resist the spread. Some people from other countries wish to go fight lethally or non-lethally against the terrorist threat. There are also some that go to fight for ISIS. Allowing foreign volunteers to fight for the enemy should be recognized as a terrorist action. What should stop them from going to train with terrorists only to go back to their home country and spread terrorism there? The real issue is how countries view what is a terrorist country. A country may revoke a right of citizenship if someone wishes to go fight in a terrorist country. It could also be that the country considers a foreign volunteer to be a samaritan for a cause that they feel passionate enough that they would want to fight and possibly die for. The other part is the human element. It is natural for a human to go to a place and possibly fight for someone else because they feel that they need to help fellow humans with their cause. This reason is why the world sees so many foreigners fighting in countries like Syria and Iraq. This is also why some people go to fight for ISIS. ISIS is a major problem for Iran. Because we are neighbors to Iraq, we have a greater danger of being invaded. When it comes to volunteers, we have been sending over personnel to train Shia militants to fight ISIS. This effort, however, might not be enough. ISIS keeps growing stronger with its numerous amount of recruits. While others may go to Syria to fight against ISIS, the number is still not enough. Some people may think that we are a source of terrorism, we are not and are trying to fight it. The Sunni jihadists are after us, and we need Shias to fight with us (Byman). What we need are fighters from other countries to help assist in fighting against ISIS. There have been too many foreigners going to ISIS, women included. In October 2014, there were 4 women alone who tried to go fight for Syria but were arrested (Erlanger). Our problem is that we need the use of foreign volunteers in these armed conflicts because ISIS in Syria and Iraq are both way too close to home, and fearing an attack from them is quite possible.

The Lost Thing

THE  LOST  THING Shaun  Tan Teacher’s  Notes By  Nancy  Mortimer               Contents †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Introduction   Language  and  Literacy   Visual  Literacy   Design  and  Layout   Discussion  Points The  Lost  Thing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Shaun  Tan   Teacher’s  Guide  2009  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Page  1  of  8   www. hachettechildrens. com. au INTRODUCTION The  Lost  Thing  is  the  first  picture  book  that  Shaun  Tan  has  both  written  and  illustrated,  and  the   result  is  a  wonderful,  warm,  humorous  story  that  will  be  read  and  enjoyed  by  a  wide  range  of   ages. There  is  so  much  to  pore  over  and  ponder  in  this  book  that  it  will  be  a  welcome  addition  to   the  resources  that  teachers  have  to  draw  on.The  story  is  a n  age? old  and  familiar  Ã¢â‚¬Å"lost  dog  story†Ã‚  told  by  the  boy  and  addressed  to  the  reader. It  is  a  matter? of? fact  anecdote,  full  of  interest  and  compassion,  but  the  accompanying   illustrations  make  The  Lost  Thing  extremely  challenging. The  juxtaposition  of  text  and  drawings   make  a  book  that  is  both  thought? provoking  and  filled  with  food  for  thought. The  Lost  Thing  can  be  used  in  the  classroom  from  middle  primary  right  through  to  upper   secondary  and  a  great  deal  can  be  gained  by  those  who  read  it. The  Lost  Thing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Shaun  Tan   Teacher’s  Guide  2009  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Page  2  of  8   www. achettechildrens. com. au LANGUAGE  AND  LITERACY The  language  the  story  is  written  in  is  simple  and  ostensibly  straight  forward,  however   Shaun  Tan  is  constantly  challenging  the  reader  with  his  unexpected  use  of  words  and   concepts  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  look  at  the  meaning  of  the  word  weird  for  instance  and  the  summary  of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœthe   thing’:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It  was  quite  friendly  though,  once  I  started  talking  to  it†Ã‚  when  depicted  on  the  page   is  a  huge,  indefinable,  outlandish  creature. The  narrator  tells  the  story  in  a  familiar  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What  I  did  in  the  holidays†Ã‚  mode. Question:  What  is  the  effect  of  this  simple  language  and  minimal  text?Question:  What  was  a  real  dilemma  for  the  narrator? (Page  16)  Ã‚      Satire   Satire  in  literature  holds  the  mirror  up  for  us   to  look  at  our  society,  our  foibles  and   ourselves. Look  at  the  place  of  satire  in  The  Lost  Thing. Metaphor  Ã‚   Look  at  The  Lost  Thing  as  being  a  metaphor  and  thus  having  different  meanings  from  what   appears  on  the  surface. Discuss  this  with  the  class. Understatement  Ã‚   Look  at  the  place  understatement  plays  in  The  Lost  Thing. Opening  Ã‚   Look  particularly  at  the  beginning  of  the  story  and  comment. The  Lost  Thing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Shaun  Tan   Teacher’s  Guide  2009  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Page  3  of  8   www. achettechildrens. com. au Ending  Ã‚   What  is  the  impact  at  the  end  of  the  story? What  do  you  think  has  happened  to  the  narrator? Characters  Ã‚   Do  a  character  study  of  the  narrator,  outlining   what  he  is  like  and  what  he  enjoys  doing. What  other  characters  are  in  the  story? What  part  do  they  play? Activity:  Look  at  the  lost  thing  itself,  and  make  a  list  of  words,  which  describe  it. Humour   What  makes  the  story  humorous? Where  does  the  humour  come  from? Discuss  with  the   class  different  sorts  of  humour  and  look  at  the  ingredients  that  comprise  hum

Preparing for Employment in the Travel and Tourism Industry Essay

A) * Identifying customers needs 1. There should be a staffing plan for any company 2. When a vacancy arises for whatever reason, the impact of the vacancy should be considered against the staffing plan. 3. There may be an opportunity to move staff into different positions better suited to company needs 4. Sometimes major restructuring takes place without a vacancy having arisen, due to changes in the business or economic circumstances of the company, for example a takeover of another company or a major economic downturn. * Job descriptions A job description is a general statement explaining the purpose, duties and responsibilities of a job. It should include the following:- 1. Job title and department 2. Job purpose- the main duties of the role 3. Responsibilities – to whom the job holder is responsible, and all the responsibilities of the post 4. Physical conditions – where the work is performed, the hours, any hazards or special conditions 5. Social conditions – in teams, with client, or alone 6. Economic conditions – salary range, commissions, bonuses, pension, sick pay 7. Prospects for promotion and training. 8. Date it was written – this is important because duties and responsibilities may change over times. * Person specifications A person specification is used to match the right person to the job. It describes a desirable personal attributes of the job holders. It is usually based on a seven-point plan which includes:- 1. Physical make-up – does the job require any special physical characteristics such as strength, good eyesight or height? 2. Attainments – what type of education is needed? What special occupational experience or training is required? 3. Intelligence – how much general intelligence should be evident? 4. Special aptitudes – is a skill in writing or drawing needed? Does the applicant need o be reliable or hard working? 5. Circumstances – does the applicant need o be mobile? Does he or she have to travel away from home? 6. Interests * Advertising Advertising is used to find suitable candidates. There are many possible locations for placing advertising. The most important consideration is reaching the right people, but cost must also be taken into account. The following could be used: – 1. Job centre – usually used to recruit unskilled or semi-skilled staff. As the department for education and employment provides the service which is free. Job centres will also pre-interview for the company. 2. press – local press is ideal for local companies 3. Radio – frequently used for recruitment; more suitable for local jobs. 4. ‘Milk round’- companies visit universities searching for suitable graduated applicants. 5. Internet – on their own websites or through specialist recruitment sites. 6. Recruitment agencies – general or specialist. There are specialist travel and tourism agencies. To fill a permanent position, the agency charges a percentage of the annual salary for the post, so they are expensive. * Roadshows When companies send their recruitment team to venues in major cities to undertake a recruitment drive and it is often called a roadshow. They advertise their presence locally and potential applicant turn up and find out about career opportunities with that company. ‘The milk round’ is a particular type of roadshows when companies travel to universities in an attempt to recruit students who are about to graduate. * Recruitment agencies There are organisations who earn their income by charging a fee to companies for undertaking their recruitment for them. Some are specialist companies. An example of a recruitment agency specialising in travel and tourism is Holiday Resort Jobs, and they have an online resort jobs directory. * Short-listing applications The initial methods of selection involve comparing applications to the job specification and person specification. A list of essential criteria may be used, which will result in many applications being rejected by the organisation. At Canvas Holidays an interview checklist is used to help decide who should be short listed. Essential recruitments include availability, a bank account, and experience (which should involve working with the public), experience of overseas travel or camping. Desirable recruitments include a language and experience of working with children. * Telephone, group and individual interviews * Psychometric testing These are used to test ability or personality. They usually take the form of fairly lengthy questionnaires and the respondent is judged as suitable for a position or not depending on the responses given. The tests are used to support other selection methods rather than as a selection tool that stands alone. * Offer of employment If a person is successful at interview then they can expect to receive a letter which constitutes an offer of employment. This is followed by a contract which lays out the terms and conditions of employment and it will include details such as:- 1. hours of work 2. location 3. start and finish times/shift times 4. holiday entitlement 5. rate of pay * Contracts A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do, or refrain from doing, an act, which resulting contract is enforceable in a court of law. It is a binding legal agreement. The contract lays out the terms and conditions of employment and it will include details such as:- 1. hours of work 2. location 3. start and finish times/shift times 4. holiday entitlement 5. rate of pay * Induction B) From the prospective of the application, include a description of the different stages including:- * Researching opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and can find jobs in these sources which are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites * Producing a CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your own work experience, education and skills. The purpose of a CV is to bring a person to the attention of an employer and get them to the interview stage. Everyone’s CV should be constantly updated, and although you will keep a basic CV on file you should adapt it to fit the particular requirements of each job you apply for. Of altering the emphasis of the CV to make the relevant points stand out. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information Give your name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. There is no need to give your gender, marital status or number of children, if any. No need to mention your age either, but if you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where you list all your employment, starting with you current or latest job. If you have never has a job, include any periods of work experience or voluntary work you have done. For each job give the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. Add a list of your responsibilities in that position, list them too. Education List your qualifications. As with work history, start with your most recent qualification or course. Include schools from secondary onwards. Do not include GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. Writer the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications you achieved there. Skills List any other skills you have. Examples include languages, with an indication of your level, driving, licence, and first-aid certificate or lifeguard qualifications. Include your key skills and IT qualifications here too. For IT, say which software packages you can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Profile Some people choose to start their CV with a brief personal profile. It sums up your skills and experience and gives the employer an instant idea of whether you are suitable for the post. It can easily be adapted to fit a particular post. * Speculative enquiries Letters of application may be speculative- this means a letter is sent even if you don’t know whether a job vacancy exists. * Responding to advertisements When you are writing a response to a job advert, you must always remember to make sure you say which advert you saw the job. Highlight your skills, qualities and qualifications that match job. * Preparing for interview * Advanced preparations The individual has to prepare their interview clothes the night before. They also have to prepare for the question that might be asked from them about the company, why they would like the job? They also need to research their journey, the time it will take to arrive at the place where the interview is being held. The individual must also research about the company for example products and services. * Telephone screening Telephone interviews are very common, they are less time consuming. The telephone interviewee can create an impression of themselves to the other person that is interviewing them on the other end of the phone (telephone interview) 1. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the duration of your telephone interview * Stand up-good body language will affect your voice * Use appropriate language, not slang * Introduce yourself * End the call properly 2. When you are specking :- * Use your voice to make a good impression * Make sure points are clear over the phone * Attending interview * Personal presentation The dress code is very important; you have to look smart for all of your job interviews Make sure that all of your clothes are clear, crease free and your shoes are polished. Make sure you are clean and well groomed. * Projecting a positive image and attitude Make sure that you are friendly at the interview, always make sure that you engage very good eye contact with your individual also have to make sure they know their information from the interviewer about the company. Always remember to be confident * Body language Pay attention to your body language during the interview, make sure that you appear relaxed not stressed. * Responding to and asking questions Questions are often asked about instances where you are able to demonstrate your skills prepare example of questions that may be asked in the real interview. * Time management Always be punctual and on time for all of your job interviews. To save time work out your journey route a few days in advanced for your interview and pre-buy coach/train tickets before your interview day. * Evaluation You may have to apply for many jobs before you receive an offer for employment. Some companies will offer you feedback. If you receive good feedback you have shown your strengths to the interviewer in order to obtain your ideal job! If the feedback from the interviewer is bad, then they will notify you about weaknesses for the interview that took place. After this procedure, you need to reflect on these weaknesses and make sure that you turn these weaknesses into strengths * Responding to job offers If you are offered a job, and you wish to accept it, you may receive and accept the offer by telephone but make sure that you formally accept the job offer in writing. * References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Task 3B (M2) * Researching opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and can find jobs in these sources which are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites * Producing a CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your work experience, education and skills. The purpose of your CV is to bring you to the attention of an employer and get you to the interview stage. A person’s CV should be constantly updated, and although you will keep a basic CV on file you should adapt it to fit the particular requirements of each job you apply for. Of altering the emphasis of the CV to make the relevant points stand out. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information Give your name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. There is no need to give your gender, marital status or number of children, if any. No need to mention your age either, but if you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where you list all your employment, starting with you current or latest job. If you have never has a job, include any periods of work experience or voluntary work you have done. For each job give the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. Add a list of your responsibilities in that position, list them too. Education List your qualifications. As with work history, start with your most recent qualification or course. Include schools from secondary onwards. Do not include GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. Writer the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications you achieved there. Skills List any other skills you have. Examples include languages, with an indication of your level, driving, licence, and first-aid certificate or lifeguard qualifications. Include your key skills and IT qualifications here too. For IT, and you should also talk about which software packages you can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. Alternatively, you can state that referees are available on request – this gives you time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details. Profile Some people choose to start their CV with a brief personal profile. It sums up your skills and experience and gives the employer an instant idea of whether you are suitable for the post. It can easily be adapted to fit a particular post. * Speculative enquiries Letters of application may be speculative- this means a letter is sent even if you don’t know whether a job vacancy exists. * Responding to advertisements When you are writing a response to a job advert, you must always remember to make sure you say which advert you saw the job. Highlight your skills, qualities and qualifications that match job. * Preparing for interview * Advanced preparations The individual has to prepare their interview clothes the night before. They also have to prepare for the question that might be asked from them about the company, why they would like the job? They also need to research their journey, the time it will take to arrive at the place where the interview is being held. The individual must also research about the company for example products and services. * Telephone screening Telephone interviews are very common, they are less time consuming. The telephone interviewee can create an impression of themselves to the other person that is interviewing them on the other end of the phone (telephone interview) 1. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the duration of your telephone interview * Stand up-good body language will affect your voice * Use appropriate language, not slang * Introduce yourself * End the call properly 2. When you are specking :- * Use your voice to make a good impression * Make sure points are clear over the phone * Attending interview * Personal presentation The dress code is very important; you have to look smart for all of your job interviews Make sure that all of your clothes are clear, crease free and your shoes are polished. Make sure you are clean and well groomed. * Projecting a positive image and attitude Make sure that you are friendly at the interview, always make sure that you engage very good eye contact with your individual also have to make sure they know their information from the interviewer about the company. Always remember to be confident * Body language Pay attention to your body language during the interview, make sure that you appear relaxed not stressed. * Responding to and asking questions Questions are often asked about instances where you are able to demonstrate your skills prepare example of questions that may be asked in the real interview. * Time management Always be punctual and on time for all of your job interviews. To save time work out your journey route a few days in advanced for your interview and pre-buy coach/train tickets before your interview day. * Evaluation You may have to apply for many jobs before you receive an offer for employment. Some companies will offer you feedback. If you receive good feedback you have shown your strengths to the interviewer in order to obtain your ideal job! If the feedback from the interviewer is bad, then they will notify you about weaknesses for the interview that took place. After this procedure, you need to reflect on these weaknesses and make sure that you turn these weaknesses into strengths Task 3b (M2) use the guideline you produced in task 3b (a) as the basis for a detailed assessment of your personal performance when applying for work and for attending an interview. Research opportunities Before a person applies for a job they have to carry out research to find suitable jobs to apply for and I did the same thing to find the right job for me. Ways to find cabin crew jobs are as follows:- 1. Newspaper (local and national) 2. Trade magazines such as Travel Trade Gazette and Travel weekly, leisure opportunities and caterer online 3. Careers specialists 4. Recruitment agencies 5. Company websites For my research opportunities I used the Virgin Atlantic and the cabin crew careers website to find out about the company and to get detailed information of what and what not Virgin Atlantic provides to their member of staff. Also to get information about what they want in their staff and what the roles and responsibilities of cabin crew when working with such a big company like Virgin Atlantic. Producing your CV Curriculum vitae literally means an account of your life, it is a summary of your work experience, education and skills. The purpose of your CV is to bring you to the attention of an employer and get you to the interview stage. I updated my CV before the day of interview so that whatever I have gained so for which I have forgotten to put down could be updated and to also show how much experience I have gained. Your CV should include: * Personal information * Work history * Education * Skills * References Personal information In personal information sector I have put down my name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. I have not put down my gender, marital status, because there is no need for me to put it down in a CV. I also don’t have to mention my age, but sometimes you are young it is a good idea to put your date of birth as there may be jobs you are not eligible for because of you age. Work history This is where I have listed all my employment, starting with my current or latest job. This includes all the work experience I have done. For each job I have given the job title, the name of the company and what it does, if it is not well known. I also have added a list of my responsibilities in that position. Education I have listed all my qualifications. Starting with my most recent qualification or the course I am doing. I have also talked about my secondary school education onwards. I have not included my GCSEs below ‘C’ grade. I have also put down the name of the college/ school and against it the qualifications I have achieved there. Skills I have listed all the other skills I have other than my education. Examples include languages, with an indication of my level. I have also included my key skills and IT qualifications too. For IT, I have motioned about the software packages I can use. References It is usual to include the name and addresses of two referees. One must be an employer or tutor. In my CV have put down that the referees will be available on request – this will gives me time to ask referees for permission to give their contact details.