A paper about change management and organizational leadership- Case Study

A paper about change management and organizational leadership- situation and how to deal with it using a style of leadership- collegue sample included - Case Study Example Good leaders are those who can dexterously handle the paradoxes associated with the organization, and steer the organization to heights unimaginable. However, many managers always attest to the fact that handling changes can sometimes be challenging. Research show that it is the methods employed in handling implementation that sometimes are not suitable for the prevailing circumstances in a particular organization, and thus the imminent failure witnessed in such situations. Consider a case in an organization, say ABC, in which the management wants to give an overhaul to the current humanistic values. As is the case with humans, change is never something that they are ready to welcome. This necessitates the need for a better approach that will not stir rebellion from the employee. Nickols (2010) for instance, presents an analysis of four strategies that are vital to managing change in any organization. He centers his argument on a number of aspects regarding the nature of change. These aspects include the extent of the change i.e. more radical and transformative changes require a strategy that is environmentally adaptive, and which might fail when dealing with a less radical change. The other aspect is the stakes that the change has, for instance, a change with high stakes requires the application of almost all the four strategies, while moderate stakes are totally against an approach such as the power-coercive strategy. The degree of resistance the cha nge is bound to encounter is another aspect, strong resistance favors the use of power-coercive and/or environmental-adaptive strategy while a weak resistance is more receptive to either or a combination of rational-empirical strategy and normative-re-educative strategy. Another aspect of great importance is the period within which execution of the change is to take place. Here, he notes that Short time changes require power-coercive strategy to execute, while long-term changes thrive well

The impact of human growth, development and identity on cognitive Essay

The impact of human growth, development and identity on cognitive impairment - Essay Example The cognitive development is the acquisition of the ability to reason as well as solve problems. In the case of the 32-year old service user, her cognitive development is interfered with due to the environment she lived. She suffered maltreatment during her childhood and adolescent, making her nondependent in taking care of her needs. She suffered from emotional abuse and neglect during her early years of human development. As a result of the maltreatment, the service user now suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorder, and depression. Irritable bowel syndrome is as a result of stress and anxiety. There are various theories presented to explain the interruptions in cognitive development. According to Erik Erikson’s theory of human development, youths must revolve around two crises during their adolescence stage. The term crises describe internal conflicts linked to human development. The way a person resolves the crisis will determine their personal identity and future growth pattern (Kivnick & Courtney, 2014). However, development theories have criticized Erikson’s theory. The development process is considered much more fluid and flexible than Erikson thought (Porfeli, et al., 2013). Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development classified the cognitive development stages in four, from birth through adolescence to adulthood. A child who passes the four stages progresses from the simple sensorimotor response to the ability to classify objects and after that engage in hypothetical and deductive reasoning (Beilin & Peter, 2013). The four stages include Sensori-Motor, Preoperational stage, Concrete Operational stage and the Formal operations stage. Feud’s theory of personality argues that structure and conflict in the human mind shape personality. He implicated the structure of the mind i.e. id, ego and superego and the solving of these conflicts among these parts in shaping the human

The Spanish Waste Water Environmental Sciences Essay

The Spanish Waste Water Environmental Sciences Essay Aznalcollar, a town in the region of Andalusia, is located in the south west of Spain. The region of Andalusia is the second largest region of Spain, and it is the countrys highest populated region. Andalusia is known to be an economically poor region with the majority of growth in its industry and service sectors. The region can be divided into two major sub regions; in the north, the Sierra Morena Mountains can be found and below this in the south is the valley of the Guadalquivir. This valley is home to the regions most fertile land, which is found along the banks of the river Guadalquivir and its tributaries. One of these tributaries is the river Guadiamar which flows through the town of Aznalcollar. The flow of the Guadiamar River is very seasonal; however it still sustains agricultural activity throughout the area. 45 percent of the Andalusia region is responsible for agriculture. Agriculture is mainly located around the fertile banks of the regions Rivers such as the river Guadiamar. The main agriculture in this area is made up dry land farming of cereals such as barley and oats. Other cereals grown in the area use irrigation. These cereals include maize, cotton, olives and rice. Only 17 percent of Spains cultivated land is irrigated, proving that this region is of great importance to Spains primary sector. Taking the type of crop into account, this land could also allow for the harvest of two successive crops in the same year proving its benefits to the area. Other primary sectors in the region include: fishing and mining which are all located around the Guadiamar River. The Guadiamar River is a valuable source to the population of Aznalcollar, providing a source of food, materials and employment. Fish is the main source of protein in the Spanish diet and it is commonly found in traditional Spanish dishes. Fishing not only provides a source of food to the area but also employment due to its demands. Mining still holds a great level of importance to the Andalusia region. The region is responsible for producing half of Spains mining product by value. The product comes from different provinces of the region including Seville, where various metals are extracted from the mine at Aznalcollar. The Los Frailes mine at Aznalcollar produces around 125000 tons of zinc and 2.9 million ounces of led per year. This mine offers a great source of employment and income to the area from raw materials which are exported. Tourism is also a major beneficial source to the tertiary sector of the region. The coast of Andalusia offers a very obvious source of tourism however The Donana National Park located along the bank of the Guadiamar River, is thought to be a Mecca for bird watchers. The national Park covers 543km ²(337.41  mi ²) of which 135  km ² (83.89  mi ²) is a protected area. It is made up of marsh, shallow streams and sand dunes. In 1963 the park was established as a nature reserve when the World Wildlife Fund joined with the Spanish government and purchased a section of marshes to protect it. Donana National Park is one of Europe most important wetland reserves and a major site for migrating birds. The park itself is internationally recognized for its great ecological wealth and has become a key center in the world of tourism. It has become very popular due to its enormous variety of bird species, permanent residents, winter visitors from north and central Europe or summer visit ors from Africa, such as its numerous types of geese and colorful colonies of flamingo. The park is also home to one of the worlds largest colonies of Spanish imperial eagles. As a whole, the park offers three distinct types of ecosystems: the marismas, the Mediterranean scrublands and the coastal mobile dunes with their beaches. The park attracts a vast amount of tourists annually, which in turn benefit the economy of the area. The park is also used by pilgrims taking part in the Romeria de El Rocio. This event alone can attract up to one million pilgrims each year. It is visible from the information above that the area surrounding the Guadiamar River is extremely dependent on its sourrouding natural sources. The town of Aznalcollar is reliant on the following; agriculture, fishing, mining and tourism. However in April 1998 when the dam of the mining residual tank of a pyrite mine in the locality ruptured, releasing sludge and contaminated waste water. The wastewater entered the Agrio River and the Guadiamar River. Both these rivers had low water levels due to a spring drought. In turn the rivers flooded nearby cultivated fields and threatened to flood the Donana National Park further downstream. This had an enormous affects on the population of Aznalcollar. Initially families living near the river were physically threatened. They had to flee their homes immediately, not only due to rising flood levels, but the fact that the water had been polluted with toxic heavy metals. These families lost vast amounts of their belongings in the flood and the polluted water threatened their health. Fortunately there were no initial fatalities, just a small number of people injured. However it was not recorded but these families were at the greatest risk of contacting terminal disease from the toxic water. PUT IN WHAT AOIFE SAID http://fuentesdeciencia.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/hungria-aznalcollar.jpg?w=480h=268 Initial affects to the area surrounding the Guadiamar River. The cultivated lands along the banks of the River Guadiamar were also destroyed. As the toxic waste water entered the river the level rose and flooded the cultivated land along the river banks. Not only were the crops damaged by the polluted water but by the residual mud. Any of the crops that had little water damage still could not be harvest due to fears of toxic contamination, so all harvest had to be destroyed. This occurrence lead to a great economic loss, believed to estimate at $10million. Not only is this a very large sum of money for a poor region, but it was spread mainly among 2,000 small farmers who had a great dependence on agriculture. This in turn also increased the price of rice, cotton and olives (main crops grown) in the area as they had to be bought and transported from other areas. However not only were harvest effected in 1998, due to the pollution of soils, crops could not be grown for a least another five years, until analysis had deemed the land safe for culti vation. This caused great loss for the farming community in the area as they had to abandon farming for this period and find another source of employment. Pasture farmers were also affected in a similar way. When the area flooded rapidly farmers had to abandon their farms, without any time to bring their animals to higher ground. These animals either drowned from high flood levels or were poisoned from drinking the contaminated water. When farmers could return to the area, their herds had been killed and no vegetation would grow for years after due to level of pollution in the soil. These farmers also had to seek different forms of employment, which deemed very difficult in this poor region. images.jpg Fishing in the area was a great source of income for the community as there was a great demand. However once the contaminated wastewater entered the river all fish stocks were killed by the toxins. Fears also remained within the community years after the incident of how clean the river really was and was it safe to consume fish from the river. Mining was another great source of income for Aznalcollar, as a poor region it depended greatly on its natural resources. However when the incident occurred at the Los Frailes Mine, the mine was closed down instantly due to further risk of contamination to the area. This impacted the area greatly as the mine employed 500 people and an estimated 1800 people indirectly. The employment of the area had a great dependency on the mine. Once the mine closed there were more that 2000 people in the area left unemployed. Also the material extracted from the mine when sold brought a source of income to the area, which was lost due to the closure of the mine. As visible from above the Donana National Park is Aznalcollar main source of tourism and bring in a great source income to the area. The park was not directly affected by the incident however it was under threat from the toxic flood water entering the site. The sand and dirt dikes which were constructed to control the flow of the contaminated water prevented the park from begin affected. However the surrounding areas were covered in a thick toxic sludge. This area was then covered with dead fish, frogs, crabs etc which had been killed by the contaminated water in the river and were then washed up in this area of sludge. Although the park was not directly affected, the birds in the park were attracted to these poisoned animals on the sludge. When the bird consumed these poisons creatures they were poisoned themselves. The number of birds in the park decreased dramatically. Also these birds spread disease from these dead creatures to other creatures inside the park, creating a continuo ue negative affect within the park. The national parks main water source was cut off as it was sourced from the contaminated river Guadiamar. This also created difficulty in the running to the park as a new water supply had to be sourced immediately. The park was closed for a short occasion; so that staff could help assist in the cleanup operation outside the park and so that a new water supply could be sourced. When the park did reopen there was a report in a drop of numbers of tourist visiting the park. The local association for tourism ACETA reported that in 1998 about 40 percent of reservations for tourist visits were cancelled, within the national park which calculated to a loss of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬480,000. This was possibly due to health fears in the areas. One of the most prominent human impacts from the disaster was its affect on human health. Short term health problems resulted in a small number of minor casualties recorded. However the long term health effects were most feared. The toxins found in the water consisted of heavy metals such as lead, zinc, arsenic, cyanide and other heavy metals from the mines reservoir. The fear was that these toxic metals could be consumed by humans through drinking water. Even after the area was cleaned, trace elements of these metals could still remain in water pipes etc. Also the soil which may also contain trace elements of these toxins could transfer the toxins from the soil into crops and contaminate the food chain. The fear behind long term human health effects is the high risks of cancer and neurological disease which can be caused by these toxins. The final human impact caused by the catastrophe at Aznalcollar was the large scale cost involved. It is estimated that over all cost for the Boliden company came to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 89 million, these were figures given out by the Boliden. This figure included the cost of cleaning up the northern sector of the Guadiamar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬27 million, the acquisition of the harvest of 1998 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 11 million, the operations of decommissioning of the tailings lagoon à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 41 million and the loss due to the stop of the mining activity in 1998. The regional government of Andalusia provided à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 145 million for the disaster remediation. This budget was mainly used for cleaning up operations, the acquisition of the polluted land à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 48 million and restoration à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 90 million. The Ministry for Environment provided a budget of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 136.7 million. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 13 million was used in the removal of the tailings; à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 15 million was used for the treatment of toxic water accumulation in the marshlands. The Ministry for Environment has also approved to provide à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 93.7 million for a hydric regeneration plan for Donana National Park and the Guadiamar riverbed. The overall cost of the whole devastation amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 377.7 million, which impacted humans as this was mainly funded by tax payers money. http://awsassets.wwf.es/downloads/mining_in_donana_english.pdf http://www.fhs.se/Documents/Externwebben/forskning/centrumbildningar/Crismart/Forskning/Fallbanken/BOLIDEN_.PDF http://countrystudies.us/spain/57.htm Aznalcollars spilling from IES Gustavo Adolfo Bà ©cquer Lessons Learned Although the disaster resulted in great negative affects for the region, positivity can be taken from the tragedy by learning from mistakes and putting systems in place to prevent a toxic spill of such size from occurring again. There were four main lessons learned: Need to know the possible environmental threats from mining lagoons in further detail and the post implementation to prevent these actions. Nessesity to strengthen the mine legistration due to the inappropriate environmental management of Aznalcollar mine before and after the incident. The good practices in cleaning up activities techniques of the sludge have reduced the pollution levels of the affected area. Oppurtunity to create new restoration projects and to implement the Ramsar Convention recommendations. Need to know the possible environmental threats from mining lagoons in further detail and the post implementation to prevent these actions. The good practices in cleaning up activities techniques of the sludge have reduced the pollution levels of the affected area. The cleanup activities of the emergency were rapid and efficient since the area was flooded by contaminated wastewater. On the 25th of April 1998 in Aznalcollar, Spain, the Los Frailes tailings dam, ruptured. It contained tailings from the mining of arsenic, silver, cadmium, copper, zinc and lead. The Los Frailes mine had a mining rate of approximately 4 million tones per year. The ruptured dam released about 5-7 million cubic meters of toxic tailings sludge and contaminated wastewater into Agrio River, which is a tributary to Guadiamar River. Cause of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure: The actual cause of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure is still to this day exactly 100% clear as the final report has yet to be published and released. The authorities blamed the Swedish-Canadian operator of the mine, Boliden Ltd, and Boliden Ltd claimed instantaneously after this terrible incident occurred that they were not at fault. Immediately after the accident happened it was suspected that a foundation failure occurred in the separation dam thats located between two parts of the impoundments, e.g.: the soil underneath the base of the Los Frailes dam lost its mechanical strength. The separation dam is positioned among the basins, which are filled with tailings from pyroclastic rock and pyritic rock and the foundation failure of this lead to the breaking of the main dam. The Swedish-Canadian operator of the mine, Boliden Ltd, has assured the authorities and the people of Aznalcollar that there was no possible way of foreseeing the foundation failure. There have been many different reports and opinions given as to why the dam failure occurred. The company Boliden Ltd stated at the start, that the cause of the dam rupturing was a landslide, which resulted in the movement of a part of the wall. However, the authorities stated that the damn was not of adequate construction and also that any signs of a probable break were ignored by the company in charge. Three independent investigations were carried out into the cause of the dam failure. One investigation was commissioned by Boliden Ltd and carried out by EPTISA, another was commissioned by the regional authorities and carried out by CEDEX and the 3rd investigation was commissioned by the judge who was in charge of leading the legal proceedings of the accident and was carried out by the University of Bar celona. From the findings of the three investigations it was agreed that the cause of the dam failure was from the formation of sliding surfaces in the marl beneath the foundation. The foundation failure occurred because of the chemical attack of the impounded acidic pyritic sludge on the marl. Marl contains calcium carbonate and clay. The attack of acid on the marl decomposed the calcium carbonate present, which resulted in the deterioration of the mechanical stability of the soil. Fig 1: The breaking of the dam: A large part of soil, which was located underneath the dam, moved towards Rà ­o Agrio (approx. 1 metre). The front part of the moving soil was approx. 20 metres wide and positioned where the junction of the two impoundments. This caused the dam to crack and break suddenly causing the wall to collapse move forward along the separation dam, between the two impoundments. Approximately 5 million cubic metres of toxic tailings sludge and contaminated wastewater seeped through the opening. The bed of Rà ­o Agrio increased by roughly 3 metres and changed its course. Fig 2: Detailed diagram showing before the displacement had occurred and after the displacement had occurred. The Los Frailes dam is approximately 25 meters in height and lies on 4 meters of alluvium, which is situated under 70 meters of blue marl. By the overstressing of the blue marl, it resulted in the dam, alluvium and the marl to slide. This sliding caused the pyrite tailings to liquefy, which then resulted in increasing the loading on the dam while the foundation resistance was decreased. These various processes were the result of the 60 meters of horizontal displacement of the Los Frailes dam. Various other factors were ruled out as being contributing factors to the failure of the dam, e.g.: blasting, earthquakes etc. Fig 3: Actual photograph of the Los Frailes tailings dam failure showing a total of approximately 60 meters of displacement. In the beginning of November 1998, Boliden sent a report to the judge who was in charge of the case. In the report it stated that a new displacement (3 millimetres) of the dam had taken place since the spill. The Government confronted the public, as there was an increased risk of a new spill. Mid-November 1998, the Environmental Protection Department warned that there was still a higher amount of tailings than what was lost when the dam ruptured in April, and if it rains and the dam fills with the rainwater then it would apply even more pressure to the walls of the dam. In February 1999, Boliden Ltd finally admitted for the first time that the tailings dam was not properly designed. They directed the blame entirely on the contractor (Dragados y Construcciones) and the two engineering firms used by them. Interventions: Emergency measures put in place in order to minimize the social, economic and environmental impact of the Aznalcollar spill. An emergency operation had to be put in place in order to minimize the damaged caused by the spill. The Spanish Authorities, the Regional Government of Andalusia and also Boliden Ltd (Apirsa) were involved in the clean up. On the 1st of May 1998, the different administrations created a Mixed Commission of Coordination. The 1st task that was carried out was the immediate removal of the tailings, which were found at the old part of the mine. Removing the tailings was spread out over two operations, in 1998 and 1999. Approximately 99% of the tailings were recovered as a result. According to the Regional Government of Andalusia, the collection of nearly all the tailings means that around 7000 million litres of soil and tailings have been recovered. In 1999, Boliden Ltd was granted the licensing of stabilization works for the dam as it was found that there was a significant movement after the initial spill (17 centimeters) and was a cause for major concern. Another campaign was then undertaken by the Mixed Commission of Coordination, which involved treating the soil. The soil was treated using a chemical procedure, which would result in immobilizing the various heavy metals that remained in the soil. The construction of the Entremuros dike caused the retention of 2 billion litres of acid water. In order to allow the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority to purify the dammed waters, a water treatment plant was constructed beside the Entremuros dike. After the purification process, it would then discharge the purified water to the estuary of Guadalquivir. Another drastic measure was put in place in order to control the environmental quality in the surface waters, the air, the subterranean waters, the estuary, and also a sanitary control program of the people living in the surrounding area who were affected by the Aznalcollar spill. The entire process was established in a series of published laws, decrees and also orders between May 5th 1998 and 1999. Also in May 1998, the Council of Ministers of the Regional Government of Andalusia had approved the various actions that were necessary for carrying out a project of regeneration and adaption for public use. This was called the Guadiamar Green Corridor. The Guadiamar Green Corridor project was developed in 1999. The reason it was developed was to restore the Guadiamar basin and its surrounding ecosystems. The plan of action of the project was described in the Guadiamar Green Corridor Strategy, which was supported by the International Seminary on Ecological Corridors in March 1999. The Guadiamar Green Corridor project is also reveled in the results of an investigation program, which is known as PICOVER. PICOVER was developed between the years of 1998 and 2002. The Regional Government of Andalusia published the conclusions found as a result of this program. The estimated total amount of the PICOVER was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5.8 million. It was divided down into 2 different stages. The 1st stage was developed between 1998 and 2001. The effects of the Aznalcollar spill were studied (on organisms and ecosystems) and the necessary guidelines for the restoration were set out. The 2nd stage was developed between the years of 2002 and 2003. The ob jective of the 2nd stage was to control the factors that were most effected by the spill, which were soil and water. Attention was also given to the species that were considered to be the most important bio indicators e.g. plants, fish, etc. The Green Corridors objectives and the plan of action: To decontaminate the water, soil and also organisms of the riverbed. Also the decontamination of the flooded plains and the marsh that was damaged by the acid water and tailings. Water: The Green Corridor has a technical office, which had set up stations. These stations were put in place to control the surface water (17 stations). From all 17 stations, only one of them has had an increased value (El Guijo). A study that was carried out by the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority back in 2003 concluded that the El Guijo station, which was situated in the Guadiamar River, had continued to present an increased level of zinc, cadmium and copper metals. The El Guijo station, out of the 17 stations, is one of the closest to the Los Frailes mine. It is 2.5 km beneath water. All of the remaining 16 stations are within the legal limits and fit for human consumption. The Guadalquivir estuary was tested after the spill and it showed an increase in the level of contamination. This problem solved itself after a few short months as the contamination level returned to what it was before the spill occurred. Soil: Since the Aznalcollar spill, the process of decontaminating the soil had been successfully carried out for the most part. The monitoring of the soil to ensure the contamination level remains low has continually been followed up, especially focusing on the main affected area (the Aznalcollar mine and the bridge of Doblas). The reason this area was the main affected area was because of its closeness to the disastrous lagoon. This resulted in high levels of zinc, arsenic and lead contamination. Since 2002, the majority of soil areas that were affected were cleaned. The cleaning process eliminated central points of contamination but in some particular stains of the land, minuet residual contamination still remains. Fauna: One of the main populations affected were fish and amphibians. Since the Aznalcollar spill, the riverbed has been recolonized with fish and amphibians and they have survived without any problems. In 2004, it was detected that 6 different species of fish had laid eggs. It was the 1st year since the spill that different species of fish laying eggs was detected. Flora: The contamination of metals in plants has decreased with time. 2.5 million plants have been planted in order to restore the affected area. The majority were planted between the Entremuros marsh and the Los Frailes mine. The Entremuros area was restored by replanting in small plots. This method allowed the ecosystem to improve naturally. To restore the functioning of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems which were damaged or ruined by the Aznalcollar spill. The large amount of area that was affected, from the mine to the entrance to the Entremuros swamp, has now been restored. The aim is to create a fluvial ecological corridor. The gravel extractions, or the agricultural occupation has caused the Guadiamar riverbed to suffer extreme transformations. When the riverbed was being restored it was thought that it was more critical to recover the processes for fluvial dynamics, which had been modified, rather than recreate the original morphology of the river. In 2004, it had been noted that the natural dynamic of the river, particularly the flood plains, had been recuperated. Also, non-indigenous vegetation had been removed as instructed. Since the spill, there used to be many gravel exploitations found on the bed of the river of the Guadiamar, between the upper and middle branches. These were reformed serving two purposes. One use is environmental recuperation and the other is for the use of the public. Entremuros marshes: The main reasoning behind the activities was to ensure the riverbed was recuperated by the removal of the impacts that hindered the natural functioning. The results have shown to be considerably good. The fauna and flora have quickly colonized the area. To promote a model for the management of the various uses of the region so that ecological heterogeneity could be promoted in order to reinstate the different species and natural processes among the mountain range and the coast. Positive results were found on the movement of land animals through the Corridor, in the middle course of the Guadiamar River. There are many communities that began to become established in the Corridor, such as the eagle, rabbit, and the lynx. As a result it has aided the purpose of the ecological corridor of the Guadiamar River. The Corridor has needed to be attached through the northern part as this restored the river basin of the Guadiamar River and the mining region in its upper course. The restoration continues to be followed up, even today, as it ensures its function as a fluvial ecological corridor and the future tendencies of the river. To improve and promote the quality of life of the many people living in the area through the strategies of development fitting with the conservation of the functions of their natural systems. Public use: The Green Corridor is now recognized as a tourist destination. It has tails that can be used for walking, biking and horse riding. A variety of infrastructures have been constructed including recreational areas, a botanical garden, visitor centers, etc. There has been sign posts put up of the area, and also the roads. There have also been guides produced on the infrastructures and programs in the Green Corridor (for public use). Other uses: In the Green Corridor there are many kind of acts prohibited which include hunting, fishing, and raising livestock. Also, on the grounds of the old mine an environmental services site has been constructed. Relations with the surrounding population: Many environmental educational activities were developed in order to educate the population, but mostly for schoolchildren. A lot of the people living in the surrounding area were not aware of the many activities in the Green Corridor and its ideas. To make it clear to the population, it was necessary to cover the wildlife values, historical, landscape etc of the Green Corridor. To contribute to the conversion of the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia as an arrangement of areas, which are connected by ecological corridors and which fluvial ones stand out the most. The Green Corridor had to be declared as a Protected landscape in order to comply with this objective. The Green Corridor does not reach up to the north of Aznalcollar therefore it is not connected as an ecological corridor with the coast and mountain range. To operate as a model of integrated planning of a Mediterranean basin with could be extrapolated to other regions. The WWF has recognized that the Guadiamar Green Corridor operates as a model of basin restoration. The office for the Mediterranean selected one of its projects to be a model of management and restoration of Mediterranean wetlands. The WWF gave the lessons learned of the Guadiamar to Romania to help them after the mine accident of Baia Mare.

Analysis of Dulce et Decorum Est :: Papers

Analysis of Dulce et Decorum Est It is sweet and meet to die for ones country, better known as Dulce et Decorum Est is a great  poem written by war poet Wilfred Owen. It involves a tragic war situation. It is easily understood. The  poem also has a very unique sound to it.    Wilfred Owen was born on March 18th in 1893.He was the eldest of four children born in Oswestry. He was brought up in the Anglican religion of the Evangelical school. An evangelical man is saved not by the good he does but by faith he has in redeeming power of Christ’s sacrifice. He  rejected most of his belief  by 1913; the influence of his education remains visible in his poems and their themes: Sacrifice biblical language, and his description of hell.    In 1913 he moved to Bordeaux, as a teacher of English in the Berlitz School of language: one year later he was a private teacher in a prosperous family in the Pyrenees. He enlisted in the Artists Rifles on the 21st of October 1915 there followed 14 months training in England. He was drafted to France in 1917 the worst war winter. His total war experience will be a short four months, from which only five weeks in the front line. On this is based all his war poetry.    In August 1918, after his friend, the other Great War poet, Siegfried Sassoon had been severely injured and sent back to England, Owen returned to France war was still as horrid as before. The butchery war ended on November 11th, 1918 at 11 o clock. Seven days before, Owen had been killed in one of the last vain battles of this war. The situation of Dulce et Decorum est s a tragic situation. The poems  speaker is Wilfred Owen. He is a soldier who is sent into the front lines of battle.There is not a particular audience that he is looking for.    The occasion is the cold winter  war in the trenches. It is men fighting for their country and dying for an honor. The poem takes place on a cold day in 1917.It is outside on the Western Front in France. The poem is telling our about the hard ships that the soldiers went through. His theme of the poem is about trench warfare.

Gap Years: Are They Worth The Risk? Essay

Every year, students fresh out of high school re locate to a new temporary home for college, ready to start the next chapter of life. While eager to do so, many students do not have a clue to what they want to pursue or pick majors that they are unsure of. A recent study released by ACT, College Choice Report Part 1: Preferences and Prospects, stated that nearly 80% of high school students taking the ACT selected a major they intended to select in college. However, 64% of those students choose a major that did not fit with their academic strengths and interests. This could have the possibility of increasing the number of students who change their majors which is never a bad thing, but time is money in the economy, and money is something that should not be wasted. Many students will not admit such a secret, but most are not ready to start college and are still slightly burned out from the work of high school. A solution to this problematic situation is an old trend, yet still commonly popular around the world, called a â€Å"Gap Year†. Taking time off may seem like a dangerous thought, but it is important to take time to dedicate yourself to finding out who you are, that’s why a gap year can help you save money in the long run, expand your knowledge of the world around you and even help your grades. One of the most difficult periods of life for a young adult, is college. Studying for classes, commuting, new expectations, and the list could go on for a long time, but one thing that tops it all is student debt. It is important to pick the right school and the right major, because if not, a lot of valuable time and money is wasted that could have gone into something that was a much better fit. This is where a â€Å"gap year† could be a helpful solution in the long run. It may not seem like a great idea at first and can even seem ludicrous that this idea could even save money, but if done correctly it can. The idea is that by taking a couple of months or a year off, the student should get a job, something that is new and can tech he or  she a new set of skills, volunteer for a charity or help around the community. â€Å"I’ve had parents tell me their child would probably have dropped out after first semester or year because they were so turned off by their classes in the academic experience, but a gap year helped them get excited and gave them a focus.† (Bull). Doing these activities can help one work through the process of finding their true calling and could possibly help them decide what major is right for them. Instead of diving head first off the highest cliff and into the cold, murky water below, the student has instead decided to take the scenic route and dip their feet into the clear water of the beaches. However, this can also be a bad idea for the irresponsible or lazy people who decide to take a year off. If instead of working they decide to slack off, they have wasted time and money that could be put towards their future and discovering more about the world and themselves. With so much around to explore, there is only a limited amount of time to do so while being young. While being young, our wallets are either empty from not working or full from working too much, and with school and curfews, these limits present a barricade to going far and exploring. College is a time to break these limits and explore, but there are still those barricades to a certain degree, which in life there will always be. But taking a gap year lessens the limits by extreme lengths, even promoting travelling and getting outside the usual comfort zone. By taking time off you learn a horizon of new things and get to explore uncharted areas of life that can be helpful to know for the future. Colleges, like Princeton and the University of North Carolina, are even supportive of this trend and even offer scholarships to scholars who decide to embark on such a journey (Hoder). There are a range of programs that offer to help youth during this time, and these organizations like the American Gap Association and USA Gap Fairs, are expanding very quickly to help young adults travel or with advice on how to tackle their own gap year. One issue with this however, is that there needs to be research and a plan before anything. Many students wait last minute and eagerly just don’t sign up for classes. They then realize that they have no clue what they want to do or that they may have chosen the wrong activity. Choosing the wrong program is similar to choosing the wrong major,  and while it may not be that expensive, it is still money going down the drain. That is why it is a good idea to brainstorm in advance what programs and places to travel may be a better fit and could possibly benefit the student’s future. Grades in high school are very important, but if there is one thing that makes that statement look like a soft teddy bear, it is grades in college, the flaming pits of hell. College is the key to anyone’s future and can make it or break it in certain cases. If pursuing a degree or major that the student is not interested in, there is a higher chance of that student letting their grade slip into turmoil. Robert Clagett, a senior admissions officer from Harvard has found that students who have taken a gap year, before rushing into college life, have GPAs that, on a 4.0 scale, are 0.15 to 0.2 higher than otherwise would be expected. In Randye Hoder’s article, â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year†, she interviews A young woman, Corrine Monaco, who had gone to an academically rigorous school in New York, and by her second semester of her senior year, she was burned out from the hard work. She knew she couldn’t go diving back into school. She decided to then spend a few months traveling across the country. When she finally got to college, she was genuinely excited to be back in the classroom again. â€Å"Taking a gap year was the best decision I ever made.† Monaco said about her experience. It is common sense that someone who is overly worked will, overtime, begin to fatigue, which will show in their work academically or professionally. However, taking time off should be used to focus on the future or beneficial activities, and the main goal should be to return to school. If sight of that is lost, then a gap year could have been for nothing if wasted and nothing was learned. But not going to school doesn’t mean a gap year was also a waste. Some people could cross paths with a great opportunity that would not present itself again if they decided to stay on track and go to school. That is what a gap year is all about, finding ones path outside of the pressure from the world. A gap year can be the greatest experience or a complete waste of time, depending on how one looks at it. A negative stigma follows the trend, with many believing that once you take time off, you will not want to return.  Many people will deny this, but deep down, does anyone? When we take time off and spend it relaxing and exploring life, why would anyone want to return to the monotonous routine of school and work. But a gap year is supposed to solve that and help you find, not a job or something to make money, but a passion or a career that you want to do, not need to do. With society’s strong emphasis on money, which is a necessity of life in our time and era, many students zoom through their youth with their nose to the grindstone, missing out on life and lessons that may only present themselves once. It may not be for everyone, but a gap year is definitely something to consider if one is unsure of life and what direction they would like to take and can be very helpful if done right and with a positive outlook the journey and life itself. Sources 1. Blakmon, Olivia. â€Å"Just the Stats: Majority of College-Bound Students Select Wrong Majors.† – Higher Education. N.p., 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Nov. 2014. 2. Driscoll, Emily. â€Å"Taking a Gap Year: What Students Should Consider.† Fox Business. N.p., 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. 3. Hoder, Randye. â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year.† Time. Time, 14 May 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014. 4. Strutner, Suzy. â€Å"10 Reasons You Should Take A Gap Year.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ marketing plan Essay

1. Executive Summary 1.1 Synopsis of the Situation The history of Angostura aromatic bitters approaches the year of 1822, when a cholera epidemic whipped the population of Angostura in Venezuela, when the young doctor Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert created a somewhat bitter medicine, quite unusual taste, but of proven volatilities effectively relieve the stomach of his many patients. This potion was composed of over 25 botanicals in abundant natural reserves of these tropical lands, including fruits, roots, herbs seeds, bark, and a  good amount of ingredients whose name and proportion remain, even today, in the strictest secrecy. In 1830 a distillery installed and did not take long to become famous on the continent, winning the gold medal at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873. After the death of Siegert in 1870, the family moved in 1875 to Trinidad and Tobago where there continues today making the Angostura aromatic bitters, preserving their behalf to keep the Venezuelan source most of their inputs to date, as well as also the peculiar label in four languages and signature of its inventor, who since then characterizes it. Its initial use was to relieve some stomach ailments. But some additional benefits subsequently discovered is that the strengthened the taste of certain foods and cocktails preparations, which made time disappear from kits home and hospital to become a common ingredient in bars and kitchens around the world . Today is a precious ingredient in the preparation of cocktails and is also used as a seasoning for soups and sauces. Drops of Angostura aromatic bitters is sold in small bottles of 100 cc and 200 cc, the most famous and popular brand Angostura aromatic bitters. Usually drops in drinks (G & T, Mojito, Cuba Libre, Pisco sour), classic cocktails like the Manhattan, Champagne Cocktail, etc. used and refreshments as LLB – (Lemon Lime & Bitters) or â€Å"Fantasia† Rock Shandy, The Chapman, The Gunner. Currently in the Colombian market there is not drop bitters, there are national essences bitter which are manufactured by CONDICOM and Productos El Bosque, which make the basic condiments for cooking. These national essences bitter have an alcohol content of 3 degrees, which makes you need to use a larger amount of product per cocktail or preparation, unlike drops Angostura aromatic bitters which have an alcohol content of 44.7 degrees making them stronger and with 2 or 3 drops per cocktail is enough to make the mixture,  not only because of its alcohol content but the strong flavor of the merged its ingredients. The category of biters brings sustainable growth in the global market of 4.7% in the last 5 years (Source: International Wine & Spirit Research). Angostura is still the leader in this category of bitter. 1.2 Key aspects of the marketing plan We want to be the exclusive distributor of Angostura aromatic bitters in Colombia. For this reason, we have to import the product, market and build brand image of â€Å"Drops of Angostura aromatic bitters† in the country. Also, position the product as a reference category. The key factors of this marketing plan are: Comply with the requirements of law, such as trademark registration and authorization. The trademark registration protects the producer (trademark owner) against any misuse of it by a third; this register is valid for 10 years. The health record is the guarantee that emits a government institution, which certifies that a product is fit for human consumption. Segment drops Angostura aromatic bitters into two distribution channels, which would be the ON-PREMISE (hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and bars) and OFF-PREMISE big retail channel. Define the cities in which the product and the strategic trade partners (sub-distributors) through which will be sell. Define the selling price to the various distribution channels which through which we will reach the consumer. Develop activities that generate image and brand recall, such as trainings, competitions of cocktails, sponsor cocktails menu, accompanied by free-press training in each activity. 2. Environmental analysis Colombia is a country with a population of 48,321,405 people (2013 estimates, source: DANE), it is in the 28th position in the table of population composed of 183 countries and has a moderate population density of 42 inhabitants per km2. At 2013 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Colombia recorded an increase of  4.9%, according to data provided by the DANE. Investment and consumption showed a great performance. The sectors driving growth in 2013 were: mining and quarrying (4.9%); electricity, gas and water city (4.9%); financial institutions, insurance, real estate and business services (4.6%); trade, repair services, restaurants and hotels (4.3%); Transport, storage and communication (3.1%). Source: http://es.tradingeconomics.com/colombia/gdp Colombia is the fastest growing economy in Latin America, surpassing the Pacific Alliance (Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico). In turn, the country ranked 15th in growth in a sample of 75 nations. Source: world bank The unemployment rate in Colombia in 2013 on an urban scale, in the 13 largest cities is 8.7 percent, the lowest since 1995. The investment rate, the percentage of GDP that the country reinvests, reached 28.4%, the highest in half a century and the second in the region. Another important fact is that the force that is moving the economy is internal. Government consumption is growing at rates of 5.7% and 4% households. Within the household consumption stand purchases of durable goods, which accelerated during the third quarter of this has to do with the better performance of income and a higher level of confidence. As for imported spirits market figures in Colombia by categories to December 2013 in boxes of 12 bottles 9 liters each one, are: Alcoholic beverage Number boxes Whisky 403,189 Vodka 66,195 Gin 20,578 Brandy and cognac 1,532 Ron 205,518 Tequila 58,413 Wine 1,178,758 2.1 Strengths and weaknesses Strengths: Recognized as #1 in the world (large gap vs. competition). High concentration and high level of alcohol, making the product more efficient. Strong price position (inelastic). Rich in heritage and legacy (royal warrant). The product is nonperishable. Angostura will continue to make a consistently high quality product that will make people’s food and drink recipes come alive. Angostura train people in the classics, as well, as the cutting edge to make them better bartenders and cooks. Angostura will no longer see itself as traditional and old-fashioned, Angostura will exhibit flare, passion and attitude, and inject a little more irreverence. In ten years from now Angostura aromatic bitters will revolutionize the cocktail industry again and Angostura will be as popular a food ingredient as Lee & Perrin’s. Angostura is one of the most iconic brands in the world. The rich, dark and mysterious liquid adds a distinguishable color and taste to all its creations (adding color and flavor to life). Weaknesses: Low visibility at point of sale (especially ON-PREMISE channel). Consumption tax payable by the category, increasing the price. 2.2 Opportunities and threats Opportunities: Currently in Colombia the food industry (food and drink) is booming, a growth in recent years and still considered one of the 4 most important gastronomic destinations in Latin America. There is no category of bitter in Colombia and would be the first brand in this category, entering with the most recognized brand in the world. Partnerships with other major spirit brands. Partnership with Pernod Ricard and Monin. Improvements made into accessing new markets. Partnership with Bartender Guilds and Associations (The Golden Service, BAR) and schools of mixology. Slow food to capitalize on opportunity.   Currently the non-alcohol cocktails are booming. Threats: In Colombia the regulation of alcohol consumption is very strong. Financial monopoly, departments control the marketing of alcoholic beverages within its territory, to authorize or prohibit the entry of such products. Changing landscape of tax structure. Parallel Trade. Currently in Colombia there are two national brands of â€Å"essences† of bitter, which are CONDICOM and Productos el Bosque. In the future when the category of bitter â€Å"drops† will be develop; international brands reach (Fees Brothers, Bitter truth, Peychaud’s, Bitter Cube, Bittermen’s). This kind product does not enough known in the Colombian market. 2.3 Current objectives and performance The current objectives are: Enter the brand in Colombia. Develop nonexistent bitters category. Create image and brand awareness to achieve the referent category in Colombia. The performance of the marketing plan will be described in the following sections. 2.4 Five forces’ Porter analysis Threat of New Entrants: Capital, economic muscle, expertise, brand, regulation, taxes. Power of Suppliers: The Angostura aromatic bitters’ business in Colombia has only one supplier who is the company who made the product. For this reason, the supplier is extremely susceptible to the demands and requirements of the market and hold very high power. Power of Buyers: The consumers of cocktails and food in Colombia are very price sensitive, but they want to taste new flavors and they are very susceptible to trends. Availability of Substitutes: The bitters drops have no substitutes, as a unique flavor enhancer with the ability to marry flavors in the preparation of all food dishes. Competitive Rivalry: the market of bitters in Colombia has two local brand competitors, but they are not concentrated bitters (drops), they are essences. 3. Marketing Strategy 3.1 Segmentation As we mentioned above, Angostura Aromatic Bitters are used to be added to the cocktails and food to create new possibilities of flavor and a whole range of new and exclusive beverages and dishes. Due to the Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ conditions as an alcoholic beverage for the Colombian market (according with the requirements from INVIMA), Angostura Aromatic Bitters has to pay a special tax. For that reason, the price is higher than the Colombian competitors. Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ segmentation is defined in the two next tables related with the consumer and business markets: Segmentation variables for Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ consumer markets Geographic region South, north, and central Colombian areas City Bogotà ¡, Cali, Medellà ­n, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Pereira, Manizales, Bucaramanga Density Urban Demographic age Above 18 Gender Male and female Religion All. The product has a kosher certification Social class Middle, upper middle and upper classes Behavioral occasions Regular and special occasions Segmentation variables for Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ business markets Demographic Hotels, restaurants, bars, coffee shops It does not matter the size Located in major cities in Colombia Operating variables Customer who use to drink cocktails and gastronomy Purchasing approaches Hotels, restaurants, bars and coffee shops who wants to be different, to supply a different and new cocktails age, to offer to their customers a high quality alcohol and non-alcohol beverages. Situational factors We focus either on large or small orders Personal characteristics We want to serve whatever hotels, restaurants, bars and coffee shops (ON PREMISE) and big retailers (OFF-PREMISE) 3.2 Target Market According with the segmentation, the Angostura Aromatic Bitters ´ targets are  the main and representative hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and bars, from the main Colombian cities, who serves the middle, upper middle and upper classes of the population who are above 18 years (the minimum Colombian age to be permitted to a people to drink an alcohol beverage). 3.3 Positioning (Value Proposition) Angostura Aromatic Bitters will position itself as the premier and unique enhanced flavor to non-alcohol and alcohol cocktail and food. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ competitive edge: industry experience, innovation possibility and high quality. Angostura Aromatic Bitters is a high quality product produced for people who wants to have a new flavor experience related with a non-alcohol and alcohol beverages (new cocktails age) and food. The Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ company is able to use its vast experience and personal passion to create a high quality product to develop innovative and new flavored food and cocktails, for the whole cocktails drinkers and people who want to live a new experience about their food. 4. Marketing Programs 4.1 Product Respected and recognized as the leader in aromatic bitters worldwide; no bar or kitchen is complete without it. Angostura Aromatic Bitters is a high quality product produced from alcohol and many others aromatic plants. Unique flavor enhancer (seasoning) for the preparation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as, any savory or sweet food dishes. Sodium and Gluten-Free. Exported to 150 countries worldwide. Kosher Certified. Tempers the acidity of citrus ingredients for individuals who are acid sensitive (also explains why Angostura aromatic bitters can settle the stomach). Classified as a food ingredient in many countries (in Colombia is  classified as an alcohol beverage). Although the product contains 44.7% alcohol by volume, each drop contains an insignificant amount of alcohol and therefore remains non-alcoholic. 100% Vegan. Because is more concentrated than the competition product, Angostura aromatic bitters yields more and their cost – benefit relationship is higher. Through these features, we want to develop and add value to the Angostura Aromatic Bitters’ consumers and the brand, in order to be successful in Colombia as the product has had successfully in the world. The price of the Angostura Aromatic Bitters make possible to generate revenues to all the different actors involved in the production and distribution chain. 4.2 Pricing Although the price of the Angostura Aromatic Bitters is higher than the Colombian competence, because of the taxes and importation costs, their cost – benefit relationship is higher: Product Volume per bottle Alcohol by volume Drops per bottle Drops per cocktail Cocktails per bottle USD per botle USD per cocktail Angostura aromatic bitters 100 cm3 44.7% 180 2 90 11.4 0.13 Colombian essences bitters 148 cm3 3% 266.4 15 18 5 0.28 The product price is favorable for the dealers allowing them to have a very attractive profit margin: 100 cm3 bottle USD Revenues % of price Selling Price from producer to distributor 3.6 Distributor final price after import and taxes 4.5 0.9 25% Selling price distributor to allied distributors 8.2 3.7 82% Selling price allied distributors to final consumer 11.4 3.2 39% 4.3 Promotion Use the original Angostura aromatic bitters’ webpage to show what the product is and several recipes. Create a viral marketing using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest to show the product. Using the mixologist’s network to develop the brand and product’s uses. Create Youtube videos in order to massify the recipes that used the Angostura aromatic bitters. Create  cellular phones applications (android and iphone) to widespread the access to the people to the product and its uses. Make a cross marketing between hotels, bars, coffee shops and restaurants and all the places where the product will sell, in order to the people knows the benefits and they can learn how they can use the Angostura aromatic bitters. Create contests in each city to involve consumers highlighting their creativity to make new cocktails using Angostura aromatic bitters. The bars, hotels, coffee shops and restaurants would make the winner’s cocktail available, on drinks menu for duration of contest, the winners will be adjudged via customer sales for cocktail. The winners will participate in a national contest to be the Colombian winner and take the chance to go to the â€Å"Legends of the Cocktail† World Tour. Create learning and e-learning courses to teach people the uses of the product. Involve the use of the product in TV specialized food and beverage shows (free-press). Make free samples to the launch time, in order to distribute it across the main restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and bars in each main city of Colombia, to create product recognition. Through these ways of promoting the Angostura aromatic bitters, we want to get consumers massively to become familiar with the product and its uses. 4.4 Distribution The Angostura aromatic bitters will have the next logistics to make the distribution: 1. The company sells us the product directly from their manufacturing plant located at Trinidad and Tobago. 2. We import the product to our warehouse located in Cali – Colombia. 3. We will have one distributor for each main city in Colombia. 4. The selling will be doing by internet, by phone and by visit directly to the client. The dispatching will be centralized from our main warehouse and with the application system help, the product will be send to each regional distributor in order to be dispatched to each client. 5. The main clients will be the restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and bars located in middle and high income areas of each mains Colombian cities. 6. We will sell the product in selected big retail chains and in wine and spirits specialized stores. 5. Evaluation and control 5.1 Performance measures Our strategic objectives are: Expand the distribution by placing products in: 50 retail stores (OFF-PREMISE) 15 wine and spirits specialized stores (OFF-PREMISE) 1,400 on the ON-PREMISE nationwide. Sale of 80% of first import at year 2015 (4,896 bottles during the year). We will evaluate our marketing plan according with this metrics, also external and internal: External metrics Metric Measure Market share per volume Angostura aromatic bitter volume of bottles sold versus total bottles of essences bitters sold Market share per value Angostura aromatic bitter total USD sold versus total USD of essences bitters sold Market share per customers Angostura aromatic bitter total customers versus total bitters’ customers Consumer satisfaction Surveys results from 90% of total Angostura aromatic bitter’ customer (hotels, restaurants, bars) Loyalty Percentage of customers who changed to the competitors Distribution Percentage of customers who received on time and full the deliver Learning Number of courses dictated Internal metrics Metric Measure Financial goals Percentage of financial goals accomplish by period Employee satisfaction Internal survey results Skill levels Knowledge about the product and its uses Learning Number of new learning and e-learning course created. Recipes Number of new recipes created. 5.2 Evaluation procedures The evaluation procedures we will do to do the performance measures are: Surveys Direct customer and channels control visits Statistical beverages consumer Statistical sells Statistics presence of the product in customers.

Cute Graduation Quotes That Say It All

Cute Graduation Quotes That Say It All Do you need to make a graduation speech? Whether youre the valedictorian, class speaker, or the featured guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, you dont want to put the audience to sleep. The crowd is already dressed in black, so you probably want to brighten the gathering with wit and wisdom. While its a formal occasion, you can show a little of your fun side at the ceremony. Here are cute quotes to sprinkle into your graduation speech. These quotes may also be appropriate if youre making a custom graduation card, writing a note to the grad, or posting them a message. After all, you dont want them to think that they are the only ones with the talent and brains to compose a cute but uplifting missive, right? Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way. -Dr. SeussYou have to be odd to be number one. -Dr. SeussYou have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. -Dr. SeussShoot for the moon. Even if you miss, youll land among the stars. -Les BrownJust about a month from now Im set adrift, with a diploma for a sail and lots of nerve for oars. -Richard HaliburtonGo for it now. The future is promised to no one. -Wayne DyerThe young graduate is discovering that among the necessaries of life, the most important is living. -AnonymousIf you think education is expensive, try ignorance! -Andy McIntyreHitch your wagon to a star. -Ralph Waldo EmersonLife has no remote. Get up and change it yourself. -Mark A. CooperMinds are like parachutes- they only function when open. -Thomas DewarIf opportunity doesnt knock, build a door. -Milton BerleLife has a very simple plot: first  youre here and then youre not. -Eric Idle Heres the thing: the world is not going to issue you an engraved invitation to this life. -Sarah HeidtWhenever Id complain or be upset about something, my mother had the same advice: Darling, change the channel. You are in control of the clicker. Dont replay the bad, scary movie. -Arianna HuffingtonIsnt it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different. -C.S. LewisThere are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. -C.S. LewisThe difference between school and life is that in school youre taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, youre given a test that teaches you a lesson. -Tom BodettYou will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today. -Tom and Ray Magliozzi

Free Essays on The Womens Rights Movement

The Women's Rights Movement (1848-1998) The Women's Rights Movement was and continues to be one of the most incredible and inspirational series of events to occur in United States history. One of the more credible aspects of these events happens to be the bold, intelligent pioneers that paved the way for many other women throughout the United States to follow. An important battle fought for was women's suffrage, and in fighting for this worthy cause, various smaller battles were also fought. This great movement would have never occurred if the few brave women, that felt that women were ultimately being treated unfairly by the government would not have taken a stand. These women were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Coffin Mott. Without their motivation to conduct and follow through with the actions that needed to be taken in order to give women the equal rights they were entitled to as American citizens. When these bold women took a stand and made themselves heard, they encouraged hordes of women to participate in their stand for equality. Though countless women fought the many battles for women's rights only a handful stand out in peoples memories. Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in 1815 and died in 1902. During the eighty-seven years of her life she accomplished many goals and over came numerous obstacles. Elizabeth attended Emma Willard's School in Troy where she obtained her education to the fullest extent possible for girls in those days. She was a suffragist and Quaker abolitionist. In 1840 she was chosen as a delegate to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, but was banned because women were not aloud to vote. The year 1848 was a tremendous year for Elizabeth Cady Stanton, for this was the year that the first Women's Rights Convention was ever held. It was put on by Elizabeth with the aid of a few close friends that shared her opin... Free Essays on The Womens Rights Movement Free Essays on The Womens Rights Movement The Women's Rights Movement (1848-1998) The Women's Rights Movement was and continues to be one of the most incredible and inspirational series of events to occur in United States history. One of the more credible aspects of these events happens to be the bold, intelligent pioneers that paved the way for many other women throughout the United States to follow. An important battle fought for was women's suffrage, and in fighting for this worthy cause, various smaller battles were also fought. This great movement would have never occurred if the few brave women, that felt that women were ultimately being treated unfairly by the government would not have taken a stand. These women were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Coffin Mott. Without their motivation to conduct and follow through with the actions that needed to be taken in order to give women the equal rights they were entitled to as American citizens. When these bold women took a stand and made themselves heard, they encouraged hordes of women to participate in their stand for equality. Though countless women fought the many battles for women's rights only a handful stand out in peoples memories. Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in 1815 and died in 1902. During the eighty-seven years of her life she accomplished many goals and over came numerous obstacles. Elizabeth attended Emma Willard's School in Troy where she obtained her education to the fullest extent possible for girls in those days. She was a suffragist and Quaker abolitionist. In 1840 she was chosen as a delegate to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, but was banned because women were not aloud to vote. The year 1848 was a tremendous year for Elizabeth Cady Stanton, for this was the year that the first Women's Rights Convention was ever held. It was put on by Elizabeth with the aid of a few close friends that shared her opin...

Grants A-I-R Opportunities Abound for Writers!

Grants A-I-R Opportunities Abound for Writers! Philanthropy is on the rise. Grants are plentiful, offering funding for specific purposes: publishing, research,   workshops, writing, travel, individual/community projects, seminars and more. Grants often require an extensive application process. Tips for applying for grants: When applying, you will need a finely-honed mission and letters of recommendation from respected peers. When awarded a grant, you will be required to submit a final report of how you spent the funds and sometimes a sample donation of your work will be requested. Grants are not simply free money. They involve many hours of work, but I have found that it is time well-spent. Grants have themes. Grant providers offer grants for specific purposes. Make sure that your project is a good match with the grantors parameters before you begin the application process. Some grants offer funding within specific geographic boundaries. Is your geographical location a match? Grants have a mission. Clearly articulate how you will use the grant money. Include a detailed budget. And explain how this project matches the grants mission. Demonstrate that your requests match the funding guidelines. Explain how this grant will serve your professional career, help others (now and in the future) and expand the grantors mission.   Grants are about you, the grant funder and the impact the project will have on others. If you can communicate these three components, you will be a strong candidate! Some ways grant funds have made a difference: I have received grants to attend writers conferences because improved writing skills helped at work. When I was teaching, I applied for a little-known $4,000 governors grant for teaching excellence and completed graduate level writing courses using that money. The local state educators association funded two $10,000 grants to produce a book with a companion CD about Native American music. A Quaker Lyman Fund funded $2,000 twice for a book and CD about spiritual connections. A local bank offered a grant for a writing project for children. The Alex Tanous Foundation funded two summer projects to bring women to my home for classes for 10 weeks. The Puffin Foundation offers grants to save something endangered. My grant application about authentic Native American music received two grants totaling   $3,000 for two books. Making the most of a residency Artist-in-Residencies (AIR) have also been a welcome gift during the past 10 years. When I accepted   AIR positions at Sleeping Bear Dunes (MI), Acadia (ME), Crater Lake (OR) and Great North Cascades (WA) U.S. National Parks, it became obvious that those without an artistic bent were a bit confused about what I would be doing. Writing and offering one public presentation about my work, was my response. â€Å"Is that all?† some questioned. Yes, that was all. What a gift of time, space and inspiration! You need to have a vision, clear the calendar, craft an AIR project, gather references and complete your application. Each park offered me a unique experience: Sleeping Bear Dunes reflects Native American legends of the Great Lakes, Acadias rockbound coast/islands strengthen the soul, Great North Cascades offers majestic mountains, wild rivers, mammoth trees, and Crater Lake’s mystical quality is magnetic! My fifth AIR on Marthas Vineyard at Turkeyland Cove for 17 days of solitude in a magnificent island house resulted in several publications. I am a writer and a musician. Writers describe their impressions in word paintings. Musicians bring forth inspiration through sound. That is what I do every day during an artist-in-residency. AIR programs offer time for the mind to wander, filling my soul with joy. Profound experiences of beauty and serenity are imprinted upon my soul and will continue to enrich my work for years.

Does North Korea truly desire war with the U.S Research Paper

Does North Korea truly desire war with the U.S - Research Paper Example 4. Ever since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, North Korea has suffered the consequences of dire economic straits2, which, in turn, would most likely lead to the collapse of its totalitarian government; hence directing the tensions outwards would prevent such an event. 5. The apparent development of nuclear devices and the ballistic missile tests, both accompanied by menacing rhetoric and unyielding behavior3, seemingly speak of North Korea’s intention of going to war with the US. CONS: 1. Despite decades of isolation and obviously overestimating the strength of its armed forces, Pyongyang is well aware of the risks of eventual war against the US; moreover, it’s not that clear whether North Korea actually possesses a deliverable weapon4. 2. It’s pretty unlikely that North Korea’s establishment, most notably the dictator, Kim Jong Un, will risk everything in a destructive armed conflict with the US. 3. The threat of nuclear and ballistic missiles tes ts proved to be a very effective maneuver so far5. 4. China’s patience is about to come to an end, which would adversely affect the Sino-DPRK alliance6. 5. What the regime in Pyongyang is really aiming for is its own survival, i.e. ... Eventually, China’s intervention and the overwhelming American naval and aerial superiority brought the war to a stalemate, which, in turn, made both sides to go to the negotiation table8. On the one hand, the present-day North Korean regime – personified by Kim Jong Un – seemingly based on precedents from the 1950 war which didn’t turn fatal for their predecessors, and encouraged by the size of the contemporary North Korean armed forces, might seek a historical revenge. Obama administration’s policy of restrained pressure in regard to saber-rattling regimes, like North Korea and Iran, is probably considered a weakness, which would also boost Kim Jong Un’s desire, if any, to strike the US. On the other hand, Pyongyang is well aware that the regime would pay the price if embarked on such an adventure; as well as should be able to understand the difference between the American military capabilities and those of their own. Somewhere at that poin t of the equation appears the people’s perception of war in both countries, hence the number of eventual casualties that the general public would swallow; which, in turn, would make the war no option for the American public opinion. An act of aggression, however, changes the whole equation; therefore, the regime in Pyongyang probably takes into consideration that could not stake on this card. In case of war between North Korea and the US, Pyongyang would understandably hope for Chinese support, just as in the 1950s; moreover, Beijing’s assistance is currently of vital importance for the North Korean regime. China, for example, goes to great lengths to ameliorate the effects of the extreme UN sanctions on North

Becoming Influential , Nursing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Becoming Influential , Nursing Paper - Essay Example Because of this insensitive attitude, the atrocities against nurses in work places are increasing day by day. As a responsible citizen of the state, I feel this issue is to be brought under public scrutiny on a wider extend. Usually we get alerted only when some inhuman incident strikes the headlines. Rather than waiting for casualties let us take vigilant steps to prevent them. Implementing stringent laws, enhancing more efficient surveillance techniques, conducting awareness programs for nurses and policy makers etc has to be given serious thought to avoid such incidents in future. It is my humble request that these heinous acts need to be highlighted in your newspaper. Collaborative effort of the media and public can bring about positive changes I believe. Looking forward to hearing from you, Yours sincerely, (Name) Introduction Nursing is not just taking care of patients but a big social responsibility which most of us fail to realize. Working beyond the hospital conditions, like a poverty stricken area or a war field, a factory etc demonstrates the social commitment shouldered by a nurse which often goes unnoticed. Likewise a nurse has his/her say in every socially relevant issue. In this context, it is relevant to invite public attention to a very serious threat a nurse experience on a day to day basis. It is ‘physical workplace violence’. Why this Topic? In the present scenario, this is a topic that is worth mentioning as there are increasing number of reports of nurses being physically assaulted in and around Canada in the recent times. Because of such dreadful news coming up from every corner of the country the glory of the profession has come down of late. This can be attributed as one reason for the international shortage of nurses. As reported by Duncan, Estabrooks & Reimer (2000), verbal and physical abuse happen on a routine basis and the most unhappy fact is that 70 percent of the cases go unreported. So what we see or hear is just t he tip of the iceberg. Despite zero tolerance policies, violence at work place is not being reported and this leads to the increasing number of such incidents. Most of the time the administration takes up the role of a silent spectator and sometimes they discourage such incidents to be reported. This inadequate and irresponsible attitude of the administration worsens the issue. Nurses should realize the fact that getting assaulted is not a part of their job. They should unite and rise against not only the atrocities against them but also the deaf attitude many hospital managements take on such issues. So it is high time to raise our voice against such an injustice. How I determined the content for the message The alarming rise of atrocities against nurses in work places, both verbal and physical has become a major social menace which has been ignored by authorities. Addressing this problem was the need of the hour. According to the fifth annual report of National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and practice (NACNEP) nurses are the most assaulted workers among America’s workforce. They are exposed to violence not only from patients but from the patient’s family members and visitors. Violence can be in the form of intimidation, bullying, sexual harassment, shooting, stabbing or stalking. The report says that the psychological consequences of such assaults are shocking.

Cultural Beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Beliefs - Essay Example This paper describes the perceptions in the PEN and how affects the sub-African Saharans behavior regarding their health problems. Cultural Beliefs Culture is a set of rules and beliefs, traditions among other things like art and religion, that is shared by a society. It is where values and behavior is rooted and it is therefore enough to influence perception, judgment, and of course, behavior. AIDS is one of the prevalent diseases in the Sub-Saharan Africa with the rate of 6.1%. It is in fact, one of the worst diseases in the continent, affecting 22.5 million people (HIV positive). AIDS is caused sexually, and sexual practices are behavioral. Since behavior is cultural, it is therefore logical to conclude that one can actually control certain behaviors through culture. In this case, the PEN-3 model, which was created to address and integrate culture in the development, implementation and evaluation of health programs. The PEN-3 model is composed of three domains. These three domains are also composed of another 3 sections each. The three domains are: cultural identity, relationships and expectations and culture and empowerment. Culture and empowerment is a domain that is composed of three more factors which are positive, existential and negative perceptions. They represent all the good and bad facets of culture, hence the positive and negative perceptions.

Evaluation of transferable skills gained during its completion Assignment

Evaluation of transferable skills gained during its completion - Assignment Example This is termed as view of quality. In the gap based view of quality, the quality can be achieved by overcoming the customer perceptions. In case of certain products, the quality is related to certain pre-defined standard level. Conformance to a standard or specification is treated as quality. The customer perceptions are mainly related to the pre-defined quality standards. By minimising the errors on product and service, the quality standards can be achieved, â€Å"From a production/operations point of view, customer satisfaction is about monitoring the quality of delivery of the product and service, the aim being to minimise production errors so saving money and making customers happy.† (Customer satisfaction 2009). Quality and customer satisfaction are closely related. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, quality is an essential factor. In order to measure the customer satisfaction, the examination of the complaints from the customers is an adoptable way. Customer satisfaction is a multidimensional concept. Customer satisfaction and service quality are closely related even though they are independent factors. Thus an increase in the quality level should increase the degree of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the mostly adopted tool for business growth and it is greatly related to factors such as quality and production measurement. The changes in the operational performance and product quality are mainly aimed at improving the degree of customer satisfaction towards them. Customers are the driving force in any business. To enhance the customer satisfaction continuous improvement in the quality level is required for the business. Process service and work environment are subjected to the quality concept. For balancing the needs of customers quality is an essential element. While producing high quality products and services, customer

History of Lichtenstein Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Lichtenstein - Research Paper Example The second fact is that the largest city within the country is known as Schaan located in the north of the capital city. It covers an area of 10.3 square miles and it is located in an area covered by mountains and forest. Its population is estimated to be 5, 806. The third fact is that the country covers an estimated area of about sixty two square miles, and is the sixth smallest independent country in the world. The total population of the country,   according to the census of 2010 is 36,010. The fourth fact is that the ethnic group of the constituting the country is majorly Alemannic Germans, but there are also other small ethnic groups like the Turks and Italians. The fifth fact is that the administrative division of the country is divided into eleven communes who are composed of single villages or towns. The sixth fact about the country is that energy production in the country is 145 million kWh whereas its electricity consumption is 1.36 billion kWh. The last fact about the co untry is that its national day is celebrated on August 15 as a commemoration of its independence from Germany (Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division., 2014). The country Lichtenstein has a had an extensive past as their sovereignty has been changed a number of times. The country’s history is traced back to the year 1866. Different scholars have discovered forms of human existence in the country during the Neolithic age. Forms of colonization started in the areas as early as 800BC by the group known as the Rhaetians. Later during the 15BC, the country was colonized by the Romans and set up the castle known as Schaan castle to protect their territory in the region from the tribe was known as the Germanic people (Newsnet. "History of Liechtenstein.", 1996).  

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Ethics - Essay Example Among the main ethical issues, which various people faced with on a day-to-day basis, is whether to be deceptive or to be honest. Is deceptions justified or is honesty always the best policy? This paper will discuss the ethical dilemma in detail and give examples where both situations are favorable. Honesty and deception From an early age, people are taught that honesty is a virtue and that we will succeed if we continuously conduct ourselves in an honest manner as often as possible. However, it does not take long for people to realize that honesty does not always lead to success, as people who are most deceptive prosper on a daily basis throughout the world. This therefore leads people to have internal conflicts as to whether to adhere to the principle of honesty, since the urge to lie becomes greatly magnified (Dal Cero, 2009). All the great world religions teach that honesty is the desired virtue that all people must try to cultivate. They thus show honesty as being good. On the o ther hand, these religions teach that dishonesty and all its forms is a society vice and should therefore be discouraged. Thus, the religions paint dishonesty as being bad. Due to this, a person’s conscience is calmed if he/she is being honest. However, a person’s conscience is not at ease if he/she is being dishonest. The individual’s conscience is not usually at ease due to the possibility of damaging their reputation if they are discovered to have lied. In most instances, the individual comforts himself by the fact that the negative repercussions of telling the truth would be far much greater. Hence, by lying one avoids negative repercussions (Dal Cero, 2009). However, in most situations, the consequences of lying are much more complicated than their face value. Lying leads self-guilt, damage of the reputation and lack trust by other people should they discover that one was lying (Hall, 2010). Deception can be either verbal or non-verbal. In verbal deception, the individual willingly tells the other person information, which is generally not true. The individual may offer the misleading information in order to benefit from a certain situation. Non-verbal deception is a situation where the individual does actions that he wants to be interpreted in a way that is generally not true. Secrecy or the unwillingness of an individual to offer vital information willingly or upon request may also be considered as deception (Garner, n.d). Deception may also occur in the form of diversionary information. The individual may attempt to control the information that he/she offers and thus substitute the relevant information with information from another topic. By so doing, the individual attempts to reveal information he/she would like the listener to perceive as valuable, which is not the case (Turner, Edgley & Olmstead, 1975). Most people require that their friends and other people who they associate with are honest. However, people always leave room for some lies since the truth may sometimes be painful, hence making lies and pretence to be appropriate at certain times. Telling the truth at all times usually has dire consequences; for instance, imagine a situation where your wife asked you whether she looked fat in a certain dress when it was

History of Lichtenstein Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Lichtenstein - Research Paper Example The second fact is that the largest city within the country is known as Schaan located in the north of the capital city. It covers an area of 10.3 square miles and it is located in an area covered by mountains and forest. Its population is estimated to be 5, 806. The third fact is that the country covers an estimated area of about sixty two square miles, and is the sixth smallest independent country in the world. The total population of the country,   according to the census of 2010 is 36,010. The fourth fact is that the ethnic group of the constituting the country is majorly Alemannic Germans, but there are also other small ethnic groups like the Turks and Italians. The fifth fact is that the administrative division of the country is divided into eleven communes who are composed of single villages or towns. The sixth fact about the country is that energy production in the country is 145 million kWh whereas its electricity consumption is 1.36 billion kWh. The last fact about the co untry is that its national day is celebrated on August 15 as a commemoration of its independence from Germany (Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division., 2014). The country Lichtenstein has a had an extensive past as their sovereignty has been changed a number of times. The country’s history is traced back to the year 1866. Different scholars have discovered forms of human existence in the country during the Neolithic age. Forms of colonization started in the areas as early as 800BC by the group known as the Rhaetians. Later during the 15BC, the country was colonized by the Romans and set up the castle known as Schaan castle to protect their territory in the region from the tribe was known as the Germanic people (Newsnet. "History of Liechtenstein.", 1996).  

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Essay Example for Free

Hills Like White Elephants Essay Essay 1. I believe â€Å"the American and the girl with him† were talking about having an abortion, and how it would change their relationship if they were to have a baby. He was saying that it is the only thing â€Å"bothering† them and making them â€Å"unhappy.† The girl appears undecided, and scared of losing the man. 2. Nothing really happens, except a rehashing of their relationship, which seems to consist of looking â€Å"at things and try[ing] new drinks.† 3. Their relationship is not about communication, but about the girl following everything the man says   because she doesn’t care about herself. She just wants him to love her. He tries to manipulate the girl to agree to the abortion, saying that things between them will not have to change, and that â€Å"things will be like they were,† when she felt he loved her.   He keeps speaking about â€Å"letting the air in,† which makes me think that he wants there to be â€Å"air† in the relationship, and that the non-operation would make him—not them happy again. He feels stifled, and this pressure is reflected in the hot day. The relationship is â€Å"airy† and superficial, without direct communication, because the man does not truly care about her and is concerned only with his interests, and the girl doesn’t care about herself, so she decides to want to do what he thinks is best. 4. The conflict of the story is resolved when the girl decides to have the abortion. The climax is when Hemmingway uses the adjective â€Å"reasonably,† when describing the people waiting for the train. It is a commentary that the man was thinking â€Å"reasonably,† but not from love, even though he says he is. He made his decision out of reason, and she out of emotion. 5. The hills are described as very fertile and the opposite landscape as very barren, and it seems to represent the barrenness of their relationship, as well as the discussion about abortion. 6. I would like to know why the girl said, â€Å"’I’ll scream.’†

Functional Relationship Network Architecture

Functional Relationship Network Architecture A computer network, is referred to as a network, it is a harvest of computers and instruments interconnected via communication channels that enables communications among users and permits users to allocated resources. Networks may be classified according to a wide range of characteristics. A computer network permits sharing of resources and knowledge among interconnected devices. Fig1:Block diagram of computer network Connection method Computer networks can be classified according to the hardware and software engineering that is accustomed to interconnect the individual devices in the network, such as optical fiber, Ethernet, wireless LAN. Functional relationship (network architecture) Computer networks may be classified according to the functional relationships which exist among the elements of the network, e.g., active networking, client-server and peer-to-peer architecture. Network topology Computer networks may be classified according to the network topology upon which the network is grounded, such as bus network, star network, ring network, mesh network. Network topology is the coordination by which tools in the network are organized in their rational family members to one another, independent of physical arrangement. Even if networked computers are physically placed in a linear arrangement and are joined combined to a hub, the network has a star topology, alternatively a bus topology. In this regard the visual and operational aspects of a network are distinct. Networks may be classified grounded on the process of knowledge adapted to carry the data; these include digital and analog networks. Fig2. Mesh topology Fig3. Star Topology Fig4. Ring topology What is a firewall? Fig5. firewall A firewall is a component of a computer system or network that is arranged to avoid unauthorized access where letting agent communications. It is a implement or set of tools that is configured to sanction or turn down network transmissions grounded upon a set of administers and other criteria. Firewalls can be implemented in either hardware or software, or a combination of two. Firewalls are commonly adapted to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks joined combined to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or withdrawing the intranet surpass through the firewall, which inspects each outcome and prevents those that do not find the specified protection criteria. There are several types of firewall techniques: Packet filter: Packet filtering checks each packet that is passing through the network and accepts or refuses it based on particular IP addresses that is user defined. Although difficult to configure, it is effective and mostly transparent to its users. It is vulnerable to Internet Protocol spoofing. Fig6. Packet filters This type of packet filtering pays no heed to if a packet is part of an older stream of traffic (i.e. it stores no information on connection state). Instead, it filters each packet based only on information contained in the packet itself . TCP and UDP protocols consists most communication over the net, and because TCP and UDP traffic by convention uses well known ports for some types of traffic, a stateless packet filter can differentiate between, and hence control, those types of traffic (such as web browsing, remote printing, email transmission, file transfer), untill the machines on each side of the packet filter are both using the same non-standard ports. Packet filtering firewalls work mainly on the initial three layers of the OSI reference model, which means most of the work is done in between the network and physical layers, with a little bit of peeking into the transport layer to find out source and destination port numbers. When a packet originates from the sender and filters through a firewall, the device finds matches to any of the packet filtering rules that are configured in the firewall and removes or rejects the packet accordingly. When the packet goes through the firewall, it checks the packet on a protocol/port number basis (GSS). Application gateway: Applies security mechanisms to some applications, such as FTP server. This is effective, but can degrade the performance Fig7.OSI reference model The benefit of application layer filtering is that it can understand applications and protocols and it can also detect if an unwanted protocol is sneaking through on a non-standard port or if a protocol is being used in any harmful way. An application firewall more secure and reliable as compared to packet filter firewalls as it works on all 7 layers of the OSI reference model, from the application to the physical layer. This is similar to a packet filter firewall but here it also filters information on the basis of content. In 2009/2010 the focus of the best comprehensive firewall security vendors turned to expanding the list of applications such firewalls are aware of now covering hundreds and in some cases thousands of applications which can be identified automatically. Many of these applications can not only be blocked or allowed but copied by the more advanced firewall products to allow only certain functionally enabling network security administrations to give users functionality without enabling unnecessary vulnerabilities. As a consequence these advanced versions of the Second Generation firewalls are being referred to as Next Generation and bypass the Third Generation firewall. It is expected that due to malicious communications this trend will have to continue to enable organizations to be truly secure. Third generation: stateful filters Fig8. Stateful filter Third-generation firewalls, in addition to what first- and second-generation look for, regard placement of each packet within the packet series. This technology is generally referred to as a stateful packet inspection as it maintains records of all connections going through the firewall and is able to determine whether a packet is the start of a new connection, a part of an existing connection, or is an invalid packet. Though there is still a set of defined rules in such a firewall, the state of a connection can itself be one of the criteria which trigger specific rules. This type of firewall can actually be exploited by certain Denial-of-service attacks which can fill the connections with illegitimate connections. Circuit-level gateway: Applies security mechanisms when a TCP or UDP connection is established. Once the connection has been done, packets can go between the hosts without checking further. Stateful filters Fig8. Stateful filter Third-generation firewalls, in addition to what first- and second-generation look for, regard placement of each packet within the packet series. This technology is referred to as a stateful packet inspection as it maintains records of all connections going through the firewall and is able to determine whether a packet is the start of a new connection, a part of an existing connection, or is an invalid packet. Though there is still a set of static rules in such a firewall, the state of a connection can itself be one of the criteria which trigger specific rules. This type of firewall can actually be abused by some Denial-of-service attacks which can fill the connection tables with false connections. Proxy servers Checks all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server hides the right network addresses. Fig9.Proxy server In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, asking for some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource, available from a different server. The proxy server processes the request according to its filtering rules. For example, it may filter traffic by IP address. If the request is passed by the filter, the proxy provides the resource by connecting to the relevant server and requesting the service on behalf of the client. A proxy server may alter the clients request or the servers response, and sometimes it may pass the request without contacting the specified server. In this case, it caches responses from the remote server, and sends back subsequent requests for the same content directly. Types of proxy Forward proxies Fig10.Forward proxies A forward proxy taking requests from an internal network and forwarding them to the Internet. Forward proxies are proxies where the client server names the target server to connect to. Forward proxies are able to get from a wide range of sources. The terms forward proxy and forwarding proxy are a general description of behavior (forwarding traffic) and hence ambiguous. Except for Reverse proxy, the types of proxies described on this article are more specialized sub-types of the general forward proxy concepts. Open proxies Fig11.Open proxies An open proxy forwarding requests from and to anywhere on the Internet. An open proxy is a forward proxy server that is accessible by any Internet user. Gordon Lyon estimates there are hundreds of thousands of open proxies on the Internet. An anonymous open proxy allows users to conceal their IP address while browsing the Web or using other Internet services. Reverse proxies Fig12.Reverse proxies A reverse proxy taking requests from the Internet and forwarding them to servers in an internal network. Those making requests connect to the proxy and may not be aware of the internal network. A reverse proxy is a proxy server that appears to clients to be an ordinary server. Requests are forwarded to one or more origin servers which handle the request. The response is returned as if it came directly from the proxy server. Reverse proxies are installed in the neighborhood of one or more web servers. All traffic coming from the Internet and with a destination of one of the web servers goes through the proxy server. The use of reverse originates in its counterpart forward proxy since the reverse proxy sits closer to the web server and serves only a restricted set of websites. There are several reasons for installing reverse proxy servers: Encryption / SSL acceleration: when secure web sites are created, the SSL encryption is often not done by the web server itself, but by a reverse proxy that is equipped with SSL acceleration hardware. See Secure Sockets Layer. Furthermore, a host can provide a single SSL proxy to provide SSL encryption for an arbitrary number of hosts; removing the need for a separate SSL Server Certificate for each host, with the downside that all hosts behind the SSL proxy have to share a common DNS name or IP address for SSL connections. This problem can partly be overcome by using the SubjectAltName feature of X.509 certificates. Load balancing: the reverse proxy can distribute the load to several web servers, each web server serving its own application area. In such a case, the reverse proxy may need to rewrite the URLs in each web page (translation from externally known URLs to the internal locations). Serve/cache static content: A reverse proxy can offload the web servers by caching static content like pictures and other static graphical content. Compression: the proxy server can optimize and compress the content to speed up the load time. Spoon feeding: reduces resource usage caused by slow clients on the web servers by caching the content the web server sent and slowly spoon feeding it to the client. This especially benefits dynamically generated pages. Security: the proxy server is an additional layer of defense and can protect against some OS and Web Server specific attacks. However, it does not provide any protection to attacks against the web application or service itself, which is generally considered the larger threat. Extranet Publishing: a reverse proxy server facing the Internet can be used to communicate to a firewalled server internal to an organization, providing extranet access to some functions while keeping the servers behind the firewalls. If used in this way, security measures should be considered to protect the rest of your infrastructure in case this server is compromised, as its web application is exposed to attack from the Internet. VPN A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organizations network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can be used by only one organization. It encapsulates data transfers between two or more networked devices which are not on the same private network so as to keep the transferred data private from other devices on one or more intervening local or wide area networks. There are many different classifications, implementations, and uses for VPNs. Fig13 VPN Vulnerabilities:- Unauthorized access: This simply means that people who shouldnt use your computer services are able to connect and use them. For example, people outside your company might try to connect to your company accounting machine or to your network file server. There are various ways to avoid this attack by carefully specifying who can gain access through these services. You can prevent network access to all except the intended users. Exploitation of known weaknesses: Some programs and network services were not originally designed with strong security in mind and are inherently vulnerable to attack. The BSD remote services (rlogin, rexec, etc.) are an example. The best way to protect yourself against this type of attack is to disable any vulnerable services or find alternatives. With Open Source, it is sometimes possible to repair the weaknesses in the software. Denial of service: Denial of service attacks cause the service or program to cease functioning or prevent others from making use of the service or program. These may be performed at the network layer by sending carefully crafted and malicious datagrams that cause network connections to fail. They may also be performed at the application layer, where carefully crafted application commands are given to a program that cause it to become extremely busy or stop functioning. Preventing suspicious network traffic from reaching your hosts and preventing suspicious program commands and requests are the best ways of minimizing the risk of a denial of service attack. Its useful to know the details of the attack method, so you should educate yourself about each new attack as it gets publicized. Spoofing: This type of attack causes a host or application to mimic the actions of another. Typically the attacker pretends to be an innocent host by following IP addresses in network packets. For example, a well-documented exploit of the BSD rlogin service can use this method to mimic a TCP connection from another host by guessing TCP sequence numbers. To protect against this type of attack, verify the authenticity of datagrams and commands. Prevent datagram routing with invalid source addresses. Introduce unpredictability into connection control mechanisms, such as TCP sequence numbers and the allocation of dynamic port addresses. Eavesdropping: This is the simplest type of attack. A host is configured to listen to and capture data not belonging to it. Carefully written eavesdropping programs can take usernames and passwords from user login network connections. Broadcast networks like Ethernet are especially vulnerable to this type of attack Here are a few examples of firewalls :- Untangle Fortiguard Netnanny Websense ClearOS These firewalls can be affected by the above vulnerabilities. One way how a firewall/web filter can be bypassed is by using VPN. As studied above we can VPN to some external network and use that network. So we can bypass the firewall by doing VPN to a remote network and using its default gateway. Below are the precise steps how to setup a VPN server, Client, AD and LB configurations. Complete VPN Configuration Below is the complete procedure on how to setup VPN server and client side Note:- Windows XP and Windows 7 both have the capability to act as VPN servers VPN Server Configuration Open Network connections and follow the below :- Click next on the welcome page Select the options highlighted in the below snags :- Once you have followed the steps above you are done with the server side configuration. VPN Client Configuration Below snags show the client side configuration Once the above steps are followed the client side is also setup The work is still not over Port Forward Port needs to be forwarded from the modem/LB etc Follow the instructions below to get it rolling :- Dial in Rights on AD The final step is to give the user permissions to VPN First RDP to the AD Login Open Active Directory Find the user and go in properties Follow the snag it once the above is done :- The best firewall:- According to the first hand experience we found Untangle to be the best firewall as it is free and has a host of functions too. Below is a screenshot of the untangle dashboard:- Fig14. Untangle dashboard Conclusion:- Our aim was to explain what a firewall is and expose a few vulnerabilities in it. We have studied how a firewall works, its architecture, types of firewalls and vulnerabilities. We have thus compared the firewalls on various parameters and have concluded that Untangle is the best firewall with reference to the features and cost of it.