Alcatraz essay

Imagine you are told exactly when you can eat or shower and when you have to go to bed and when you must wake up. Well many of the prisoners on Alcatraz Island were treated in such a way. If you were a prisoner on Alcatraz Island, every aspect of your life would be controlled by a higher authority. If you like to have a midnight snack every now and then, that luxury would be taken away. If you like to sit around and watch TV for hours, you can forget about that too. Alcatraz has a long history of transformation as to how it came to be known as the inescapable prison island.This reputation did not stop a handful of men to try and do the impossible and escape the island. Alcatraz, also known as â€Å"The Rock†, is a well-known yet mysterious place containing many forgotten memories and lost ghosts. Though no one really knows everything that went on within the concealed walls of the old prison, it still manages to trap the interests of millions of people who visit the national pa rk each day on the small island in the San Francisco Bay. Not only has it trapped the interests of those millions of visitors, but it has also trapped mine as well.Discovered in 1775 by a Spanish explorer named Juan Miguel de Ayala, La Isla de los Alcatraces was nothing more than a small island inhabited by a group of pelicans from which the island acquired its name (Alcatraces means pelicans in Spanish). In 1847, the United States Government began view Alcatraz as more than just an island, but also an excellent location for a military fort; by 1853, a State of the Art military fortress was protecting the Western half of the United States against any foreign invasion.With the eruption of the Civil War, Alcatraz began accepting its first military prisoners in 1861. However, it wasn't until the Spanish-American War in 1898 that the United States realized that the isolation of the island made it an excellent candidate for a prison. The prison population jumped from twenty-six to 450 du ring the war. That number sprang once more after the famous 1906 earthquake when prisoners were transferred from many San Francisco city jails to Alcatraz.With the island becoming more a prison and less a military fort, it was decided that a cell house would be necessary. After the construction of the cell house in 1912, â€Å"The Rock† was born. In the 1920's many inmates were allowed to own small gardens of their own. Baseball fields were created and small teams were formed. It wasn't until the 1930's that Alcatraz went through dramatic changes constituting stricter rules than ever before thus ending the days of gardening and baseball games.In 1963, however, due to the high cost of running an island prison, Alcatraz was officially closed, never to be reopened as a prison. In 1969, a group of Native Americans claimed the island as their own but later ran into trouble with high costs just as the United States had. In 1971, their problems ended when they saw the island go up i n flames, badly damaging the lighthouse and many homes that used to house the cell guards and their families. The remaining Indians left after this fire and once again, Alcatraz was abandoned. The U.S. government decided it would be best to make Alcatraz part of the newly opened Golden Gate Park. Today, the money it attracts from its visitors each year provides the operational costs for the island. Throughout all the changes Alcatraz has went, it has retained one thing up to this very day; its deteriorating walls never cease to capture the amazement and interest of onlookers like you and I. That small, haunted, and mysterious island on the coast of San Francisco that treasures so many memories will always be known as â€Å"The Rock. â€Å"

Facilitate the Counselling Process Assessment Essay

I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. I also declare, if this is a practical skills assessment, that a Client/Interviewee Consent Form has been read and signed by both parties, and where applicable parental consent has been obtained. 1. Name two signs you would look for to let you know Vara is ready to end counselling. Two signs I would look for to let me know that Vara is ready to end counselling are, firstly, if Vara is sounding a lot more confident and she looks a lot happier, then she probably is. Secondly, if Vara started to run out of issues to raise and discuss in counselling. I would be able to recognise that Vara is ready to end counselling. 2. Briefly describe how you would support Vara’s sense of autonomy. I would support Vara’s sense of autonomy by, acknowledging and helping her to recognise, her achievements since beginning with counselling. I would summarise these achievements for Vara. Vara has spoken to her husband Alec, and made him aware of her feelings. This is something she found quite difficult to do in the past. Since Vara communicated her feelings of ‘being fed up and wanting to end the marriage’, Vara and Alec have decided to trial a three month separation. In speaking up for herself she has generated real change in her life. Both Vara and her husband Alec, are looking into the possibility of seeing a marriage counsellor. In seeking this kind of counselling she is showing strength of character, she is looking for solutions and not just running away from her problems. She has the friendship and support of Julie and is trying to increase her work hours as a translator. I would acknowledge that it was Vara that made these changes in her life, not me. This will empower Vara with the confidence to know that she is a strong and capable women who can stand up for herself. 3. Briefly describe how you would inform her about opportunities for further support. I would inform Vara about opportunities for further support, by communicating to her that although our counselling sessions will be coming to an end, she is always able to reconnect with me, if she feels the need. Vara has indicated that she and her husband are interested in pursuing marriage counselling. I could provide Vara with some contacts for marriage counselling in her local area. Or, if she felt more comfortable, I could arrange a referral for her to a marriage counsellor that I think would be a good match for her. 4. Briefly describe three key steps to assist the process of ending the counselling process with this client. I would start this process a few sessions before the final counselling appointment. Firstly, I would encourage Vara to express any concerns she may have in regards to managing on her own without the support of the counselling relationship. I would be encouraging Vara to express her feelings about ending the counselling relationship. This will give Vara an opportunity to reflect and prepare for ending the counselling sessions. I would set the final appointment sometime in the future, so that Vara can have time to adjust to the thought of managing on her own. Secondly, I would plan with Vara to have a longer interval between our appointments, so that Vara can try out coping with her issues on her own. This will enable Vara to discuss any lingering issues that may need some attention before ending the counselling relationship. Lastly I would summarise for Vara the progress she has made, and acknowledge all the accomplishments she has made. She is now a stronger more capable women, who can stand up for herself and take care of herself. I would make sure that Vara knows that I have an open door policy, and that if she ever felt the need to reconnect with me, I would be happy to see her again. 5. Give an example of what you might say to Vara when ending counselling to ensure the underlying issues are managed. An example of what I might say to Vara when ending counselling to ensure any underlying issues are managed is, ‘Vara can you describe for me some of the strategies you have been using to help bring about the changes you have made’. This will give Vara the opportunity to reflect on how she has implemented these changes, and will reinforce the fact that it was Vara who has facilitated these changes, not me. I would also say ‘what do you think could be some coping skills you could use if these issues start to come up again’. This will give Vara the opportunity to reflect on how she has coped with these issues in the past, and to list some coping strategies that work best for her and her situation. Again this will reinforce the fact that Vara is the one who is coping with her situation, not me. I would also say ‘can you tell me again, what some of your underlying issues have been’. This will help Vara identify what the core issues are, and will make it easier for her to recognise if these issues come up again, so that she is ready to deal with them. 6. Provide an example of one of your session client notes. Client session notes. Clients Name: Vara Clients Age: 56 Date of session: 20/11/14 Session # 8 Session Duration: 60 minutes Others present: Nil Status of session: Kept Location: Office Information given by client: Vara is a 56 year old Polish immigrant. Came to Australia 25 years ago. She has raised 3 children who have all left home. Feeling very unhappy and ‘trapped’ in her marriage. Husband is ‘traditional’ male, who controls finances and has a ferocious temper. She has been secretly working and saving money. She wants to live her own life, but fearful of how she will cope on her own. She still loves her husband Alec. Summary of client’s issues: Vara has spoken to Alec and they have agreed to a 3 month trial separation, they are looking into marriage counselling. I have offered her a list of marriage counsellors in her area and offered a referral if preferred. Vara will be living with her friend Julie during her separation, and will be seeking more work hours as a translator. Notes of counsellor: I feel that Vara has made enormous progress in counselling, and believe that at this point she would benefit from marriage counselling. I have agreed to see her again if she feels the need arises.

Crime And Intentional Tort Essay

A crime is defined as â€Å"acts or omissions that are in violation of law† (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). The states and the federal government have enacted criminal laws that define each of the crimes and prescribe penalties in case of violation or commission (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). The two elements of a criminal offense are: â€Å"actus reus and mens rea; one is physical and the other, mental state† (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). Thus, â€Å"actus reus must be causally related to the mens rea for a crime to occur† meaning that the evil intention of the mind must coincide with the physical manifestation through the unlawful act (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). However, as an exception to this rule, the courts have in a line of judicial precedents ruled that in case of strict liability the person who may not be â€Å"at fault or negligent† shall be legally liable for damages to the injured party. The injured party will only have to prove that he sustained damages (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). Moreover, courts allowed liability on the basis of the actus reus alone as being sufficient (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). For instance, the employer is deemed liable for damages for the negligent acts of his employees while in the performance of their duties. Another example would be in the case of product liability where in the company is held liable for the injury sustained by a customer due to defective products. Crimes may be committed by natural and juridical persons. Natural persons are human beings while juridical persons are entities created by fiction of law deemed to be individuals capable of entering into contracts, owning and or possessing properties, enforcing rights and acquiring debts (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). A corporation therefore is a person. Corporations may be held liable for civil damages for the acts and conduct of the employees it employees. This liability is known as vicarious liability (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). Anent criminal liability, a corporation is not capable of committing a crime because it does not have a mind state–lacking in â€Å"mens rea. † It is also a legal fiction and therefore, one cannot put it behind bars. The recent years however, showed a different trend from these arguments. Nowadays, an American corporation engaged in criminal activities such as fraud can be convicted when the criminal conduct of its employee or officer is proven. The federal government through the Deputy Attorney General cited the reasons for indicting corporations as being beneficial to public interests (Thompson, 2003). It â€Å"enables the government to address and be a force for positive change of corporate culture, alter corporate behavior, and prevent, discover, and punish white collar crime† (Thompson, 2003). The federal government not only prosecutes the corporation but also the officers or agents of the corporations who apparently are guilty and culpable. Two recent cases may be cited to illustrate this point. The prosecution of Ebbers where his former finance officer testified against him, resulted in at least a total of 85 years imprisonment consisting of â€Å"one count of conspiracy, one count of securities fraud and seven counts of false regulatory filings† (Associated Press, 2005). It was also discovered that manipulation on the books of accounting resulted in the amount of $ 11 billion (Associated Press, 2005). In another case, Reliant Energy Services, Inc. and four of its officers were criminally charged for â€Å"manipulation of the California energy markets† (U. S. DOJ web site, 2004). Thus, when there is corruption in a company, disrespect for the law, fails to see to it that internal mechanisms are in place to detect fraud and corruption and thereafter fails to cooperate in the investigation, the federal government vows to criminally prosecute the corporation (U. S.  DOJ web site, 2004). In both cases, the corporations involved were charged and prosecuted because of the pervasiveness of the violations such as when directed by upper management or when in conspiracy with the other officers of the corporation (U. S. DOJ web site, 2004). The rule of respondeat superior shall apply in case the violation is an isolated case as when committed by a single officer and with a compliance program being implemented by the corporation. The company can only act through its agents and officers, thus if an overwhelming majority have committed fraud or any criminal act, then such act is considered the act of the corporation—the mens rea being the mental state of the culpable officers and agents. This is penalized in accordance with the Sentencing Guidelines. In the two cases cited, the respective companies are guilty of a felony because the charges were of serious nature with an imprisonment of more than one year (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 1998). Corporate crime can be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the penalty attached by law for its commission.

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam Research Paper - 1

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam - Research Paper Example Unlike Islam as a set of beliefs Hinduism is a collection of different intellectual or idealistic points of view, as Gavin Flood says in this regard that it does not have "unified system of belief encoded in declaration of faith or a creed" (Flood 34). In spite of Hinduism’s numerous traditions and versions including Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Srauta, a common philosophy of Hinduism is founded on the concepts of â€Å"karma, dharma, and societal norms† (Georgis 62) The Islamic faith in the oneness of God fundamentally originates from the Holy book, Quran, which the Muslim believes to be direct revelation or guidance of God descended upon Prophet Muhammad. Etymological Roots of Islam and Hinduism The term â€Å"Islam† derives from the root ‘salaam’ or ‘s-l-m’, where the term â€Å"Hindu† has its root in the word ‘Sindhu’ a local Sanskrit appellation, of the Indus River. Indeed the word, â€Å"Hindu† was incorpora ted in English from the Arabic term â€Å"Al Hind† used to refer to the Indian Subcontinent and the people living in this area. Later the term â€Å"Al-Hind† gets changed into Persian articulation as ‘Hindu’. On the other hand, the etymological root of Islam literally means ‘wholeness and completion’. But a number of other Islamic scholars consent that Islam as a religion has a broader meaning, â€Å"submission to the will of God†. ... But drawing references to the textual evidences in the holy Quran, scholars claim that Islam begins from the birth of Adam, the first man and prophet of Islam. In this way, Abrahamic religions are supposed to be the ancient versions, of Islam, which God Himself annulled because the distortions of His message brought about man. (Nasr 45) But other scholars believe that since God has repealed other religions as well as other versions such as Christianity (the religion preached by Zesu, a prophet of high respect in Islam), Judaism (preached by Moses, another revered prophet) and other religions, the real Islam for modern people is to be considered the one that Muhammad founded in the Seventh Century in Arab peninsula. Unlike Islam’s self-acclamation about its origin in Adam’s the first man’s age, the religious texts o Hinduism do not verify its origin. Rather anthropological researches show that the origin of Hinduism in India dates back to a period between 5500BCE and 2600BCE, commonly known as the late Neolithic age (Thapar 77). Indeed from this period up 500BCE Hinduism prevails as a Vedic religion depending on the religious texts called Vedas. The Vedas is a collection of several versions, of which the Oldest is the Rig Veda. The Vedas advocates the worship of gods such as Agni, Indra, and Varuna. This Vedic religion had undergone lots of changes over the century before the modern Hinduism emerged after the Muslim conquest of India in the early seventh century. Along the protracted path of addition, inclusion and reduction, the early first century texts Ramayana and Mahabharata began to be influential in this religion. Beliefs in

Security of our nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security of our nation - Essay Example As a direct result of the fact that an increased level of interconnectedness and communication links diverse communities and individuals the world over, the nature and scope of existing threats to national security it might be posed by elements that would wish to do the United States harm has been drastically increased. Yet, in order to more completely understand the issues relating to domestic and international eavesdropping/spying that has been proven to exist by the leaks of whistleblower Edward Snowden and others, the following analysis will focus upon the key issues, the stakeholders involved within the scope of this espionage, and the technology involved. By regarding these issues and focusing on the political and ethical ramifications that these issues entail, the analysis will be able to pinpoint the way in which this issue is currently defined. Firstly, with regards to the key issues, it can be understood that the right and expectation to privacy is the first and most presci ent of all. Whereas constitutional scholars have argued for decades over whether or not the Constitution in and of itself guarantees or somehow implies a right to privacy, the fact of the matter is that this has come to be something of an expected norm within the American society and the way of life. As such, the revelations concerning the fact that millions upon millions of phone calls, emails, instant messages, social networks, chats, texts, and web searches are stored and analyzed by a litany of different computer algorithms and analysts has rekindled the debate and focused many individuals upon the key issue of privacy and the means through which personal information can or should be intercepted in the name of national security (Hill 19). The second key issue that exists within this particular analysis is whether or not a domestic spy agency is allowed to intercept communications of American citizens if these communications are not taking place between the individual and someone outside the country and/or taking place between American citizen and an individual who is a suspect or person of interest with regards to national security. This is the more ignored aspect of the debate. Ultimately, the intelligence agencies within the United States, the CIA, the DIA, the NSA, and a litany of others, are all bound by a central and constraining rubric. This central rubric concerns the fact that these agencies are not allowed to spy on United States is within the United States. However, the revelations of whistleblower Edward Snowden point to the fact that agency such as the NSA have flagrantly been ignoring this rule for years. In seeking to gain a greater deal of understanding with regards to the stakeholders of this particular issue, the reader can come to a simple understanding; that each and every individual within the United States and throughout the world is impacted by the actions that are being taken by the National Security Agency and other intelligence gro ups are tracking, recording, and monitoring the communications of individuals around the globe. This delineation of â€Å"everyone† as a potential stakeholder in this process is underscored by the fact that recent documentation and revelations by Edward Snowden and others have pointed to the fact that the information of

Computer Communications & Networks Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Computer Communications & Networks - Lab Report Example What is a TCP/IP Model? Before discussing the communication in networks from the home computer to the X stream, we have to first discuss the TCP/IP model. As illustrated in the Figure 1.1, we can see the comparison of both OSI model and the TCP/IP model. The TCP/IP model is associated with Application layer, Transport layer, Internet Layer and Data link Layer. Likewise, application layer of the TCP/IP model is associated with protocols such as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) etc. The transport Layer is associated with protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP) etc. The Internet layer is associated with Internet Protocol (IP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and lastly, the data link layer that is also called the Network interface layer is associated with Ethernet, token ring etc. for accessing the X stream from a remote location, we will discuss the insights of these five layers of the TCP/IP model. Moreover, Figure 1 also illustrates the resemblance of each layer of TCP/IP to the OSI model. Figure 1 TCP/IP and OSI Model Image retrieved from: (Clarke, n.d) Figure 1.2, demonstrates the functionality of each layer in order to exchange data from the home computer and the X stream server. ... The network access layer than links the transmission to the required segment from the same layer as shown in Figure 1.2 Figure 1.2 Example demonstration via TCP/IP Model Protocol Layering Up till now we have discussed the TCP/IP model, protocols and functions associated with each layer. Protocol layering will demonstrate the functionality of each layer after another along with Protocol Data Units (PDU’s) and packet headers while connecting to the X stream from home computer. Considering the four layers of the TCP/IP model, we will discuss four PDU’s on each layer, as shown in Figure 2, the message initiates from the application layer four of the TCP/IP model. The four PDU’s are 1-PDU, 2-PDU, 3-PDU and 4-PDU. Figure 2 Image retrieved from (James F. Curose & Keith W. Ross, 2000) The layer 4 that is an application layer and considered as a high layer, constructs a message M that is composed of various parameters that needs to be tailored by the application criteria. Likewise, a typical packet may include parameters such as message type and associated data. The packet from the home computer is transmitted in the form of Message M to the third layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack, as shown in Figure 2. Likewise, layer three of the source (Home Computer) breaks the 4-PDU in to two separate parts as M1 and M2. Accordingly, the layer three of the source (Home Computer) integrates with the two separate parts M1 and M2 called as headers that contributes for constructing 3-PDU into two separate parts. Headers are associated with the information that is a requirement for the source and destination on the third layer for enabling services on layer four (James F. Curose & Keith W. Ross, 2000). Likewise, the development

Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing in IT Project Management Research Paper

Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing in IT Project Management - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that in most of the businesses today, the sole aim is to operate at optimum levels, where they reduce as many costs as possible and increase revenues to their best. In cost reduction, it is about reducing expenditure, especially expenditure, and ensuring that they use the cheapest products and services as possible. For instance, a company might be in need of a certain service for just but a short period of time. It could also be in need of such a service seasonally and not throughout. It would then be quite expensive and unnecessary to hire a full-time professional to handle that task for a short period then stay idle for a larger amount of time. In such cases, the company could consider hiring that professional on a contractual kind of a relationship. This is the primary concept lying behind outsourcing. Outsourcing is essentially the act of assigning certain business processes or activities to an external party that can help in handling t hem. Most of the time, large organizations cannot handle all their processes internally, either because they are too complex, bulky, or seasonal. The more common reason is the temporary nature of some tasks, such that the company is not willing to hire professionals permanently to carry out these activities from within. When the company then outsources the work to the external service provider, they accord them the responsibility of handling that activity all by themselves and maintaining the firm’s interests and assets at the same time.

Human Genome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Genome - Essay Example Learning about the diseases imminent in one’s genetic code and sharing it with doctors could facilitate many new opportunities for and ways of curing common diseases. For instance if I receive a genetic test that states that I have a 85 percent chance of developing Parkinson’s disease, I will approach the associated medical experts with these results and will solicit their advice. I will ask them as to what is the realistic likelihood of me developing Parkinson’s disease and will also ask them regarding the medications and treatment I could avail to avoid developing the Parkinson’s disease or to slow down the progress of this disease if I ever develop it. Knowing about this in advance will endow me with much time and resources to deal with it. The biggest challenge before the researchers and research administrators conducting genetic trials is to find the fasters and easier ways of sequencing DNA (Lee, 1991). The other challenge is to decide as to how multiple human genes collaborate to control one single human trait (Lee, 1991). The researchers also need to know as to how to regulate and control gene

Indonesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Indonesia - Essay Example (FAO) The median age for males is 25.7 and for females 26.6, giving a total median age population of 26.1. (Country Reports 2006) The sex ratio (m/f) at birth is 1.05, at 15-64 is 1.0, and at 65 and over is 0.78. With 21 births and 6 deaths per 1,000 people, and 36 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, Indonesia has an annual growth rate of 1.4%. Life expectancy at birth is currently 69.6 years. The crude birth rate per 1000 people is 22.55 as per the 1998 census. (World Health Organization) The total fertility rate (per woman) is 2.4. The primary reasons for the decline in fertility rate in Indonesia are an increased use in contraception, which in turn is due to economic development, an increase in the education rate, and greater work force participation for women. (Shafiqul-Islam et. al 1995) Adult male and female literacy rates are at 93.4% and 85.5% respectively (WHO) The maternal mortality ratio, the infant mortality rate, and the under 5 mortality rate are all declining, due to several factors including increased immunization coverage, economic growth (particularly in rural areas), improvement in health facilities, and greater community awareness and participation. Constraints to reduction in mortality include increasing urbanization and poverty in remote island locations. (WHO) Ethnicity of Indonesia is Javanese 45%, Sudanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%. Religious identity is Islam 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1%. (Country Reports: Indonesia) Indonesia has become a global source of contract migrant workers, who secure jobs in another country for a contracted period. The push factor is the demand for unskilled labor in Australia and Thailand, for example. The scarcity of skilled workers in Indonesia is a major pull factor for immigration into the country. (UN) Figure 3 - Religious Affiliation Resources Average daily protein intake is 65.74 as per the 1999 census. The people of Indonesia consume an average of around 2,800 calories per day. (FAO) Indonesia has faced serious problems with malnutrition due to inadequate production and availability of certain foods. Rice is the staple of the majority of Indonesians, due to availability and expense of meat protein. (FAO) Insufficient awareness of nutritional needs and poor eating habits are among other reasons for malnutrition. Other nutritional issues such as anemia, iodine deficiency, and vitamin A deficiency are also prevalent. (WHO) Forestry is a significant employer in Indonesia, supplying around 3.7 million jobs. An estimated 51-57% of the land area of the country is covered in forest land, equating to 98-109 million hectares. 34% is designated for protection and national parks. Secondary forest products such as plywood, sawn timber, rattan, and paper are among the most important non-oil exports of the country. Switching to sustainable forest resources is crucial because the population of Indonesia is increasing relatively rapidly. The government plans to decrease reliance on natural forest areas for such products, and increase reliance on plantations, with the goal of having