Analysis Of Albert Camuss The Stranger - 1070 Words

â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus is a thought provoking novel that questions morality, society, justice, religion, and individuality. Camus creates a man that goes against society’s idea of the â€Å"normal† moral standards, making Meursault a stranger in his world. Meursault’s lack of emotion and sympathy towards others is what makes this novel so intriguing. The morbidity expressed by his character makes the book hard to read but also difficult to put down. A majority of people today as well as in Meursault’s time know that lying is wrong, but it is better than dying as a consequence of one’s actions. However, Camus creates a man that is a foil to this idea, and Meursault is made an outsider due to his difference in moral standards, bringing†¦show more content†¦This realization demonstrates the lack of control that people have over time, and by association, death. The reader assumes that since Salamano and his dog grow old together, they may die together. Close to Meursault’s execution, the chaplain asks, â€Å"But if you don’t die today, you’ll die tomorrow, or the next day. And then the same question will arise. How will you face that terrifying ordeal?† (Camus 117). Death, unpredictable and uncontrollable, will occur when it wishes, and through his indifference to time, Meursault asserts that getting upset over something known to be inevitable provides as useless. Meursault doesn’t care about anything enough to stay alive. The question is brought up: Is he depressed? He can’t be, because if he were, then he would have to care about something enough to be depressed about it. We’ve all had periods in life where we’ve felt down and didn’t care one way or the other for the world around us, but the degree of Meursault’s view on life is extreme. He feels nothing for anyone, not even himself. The inability to feel, care, and remorse is not relatable and is inhumane to the normal society. The reader can’t help but try to understand some of the reasoning he has because it is so obscure to us. The meaninglessness he feels towards one’s actions draws the reader’s interest, causing us to be more understanding of Meursault’s morbid perspective on life. The message brilliantly conveyed by Camus makes sense and holds weight. The story is aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Albert Camuss The Stran ger1027 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Stranger, the admirable short novel translated in English, Albert Camus expresses the tragedy of integrity as a modern man can sense it. Meursault, the protagonist, projects Camus philosophy of absurdism, an extension of existentialism, by exploring the seemingly random meaninglessness of life. Thus, Mersalt is the epitome of a absurd man and acts accordingly throughout the progression of the novel. The story is centered around three deaths: that of his mother, the arab, and his own. In eachRead MoreLiterary Analysis: How Meursault Is Indifferent in the Stranger, by Albert Camus874 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary analysis: How Meursault is indifferent in The Stranger, by Albert Camus Although Meursault is the title character and narrator of Albert Camus’ short novel The Stranger, he is also a somewhat flat character. His apparent indifferent demeanor may be a convenience to Camus, who mainly wanted to display his ideas of absurdism. And as a flat character, Meursault is not fully delineated: he lacks deep thought and significant change. His purpose is that of a first-person narrator whose actionsRead MoreHuman Relations in Camus Novel, The Outsider, from an Existentialist View2123 Words   |  9 Pagesmovements across time. The human relations with God, love, society, death etc†¦ are relations that human make to live his life. I study in this paper the human relations in The Outsider novel by Albert Camus from an existentialist view. I want to study Meursault relations who is the main character in Albert Camus’s novel The Outsider , Meursault is being executed because he kills an arab person, but the main reason is that he does not cry at hi s mother’ funeral and lives his life as there is nothingRead MoreThe Individual Versus His Environment in The Stranger and Grendel1674 Words   |  7 Pages The Individual Versus His Environment in The Stranger and Grendel Due to the multifaceted nature of literature, analysis thereof is prone to generalization. One of the most grievous generalizations oft encountered involves failing to distinguish between a character and the novel it inhabits. Take John Gardener’s Grendel and Albert Camus’s The Stranger, for instance. It’s far too easy, when analyzing for dominant ideologies, to slap them both with the label of existentialism and be done withRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Stranger 2900 Words   |  12 Pages Curtis Poindexter Professor Slattum English M01B 11 December 2014 Literary Analysis: The Stranger The novel The Stranger is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mother s death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. It was written by Albert Camus in 1942. Meursault however, is not your typical hero of a story; rather an antihero. He is neither good nor bad, and harbors no emotion. He goes through his life with a preconceived

The Lost Symbol Chapter 62-66 Free Essays

CHAPTER 62 I’m under Second Street. Langdon’s eyes remained tightly shut as the conveyor rumbled through the darkness toward the Adams Building. He did his best not to picture the tons of earth overhead and the narrow tube through which he was now traveling. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 62-66 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He could hear Katherine breathing several yards ahead of him, but so far, she had not uttered a word. She’s in shock. Langdon was not looking forward to telling her about her brother’s severed hand. You have to, Robert. She needs to know. â€Å"Katherine?† Langdon finally said, without opening his eyes. â€Å"Are you okay?† A tremulous, disembodied voice replied somewhere up ahead. â€Å"Robert, the pyramid you’re carrying. It’s Peter’s, isn’t it?† â€Å"Yes,† Langdon replied. A long silence followed. â€Å"I think . . . that pyramid is why my mother was murdered.† Langdon was well aware that Isabel Solomon had been murdered ten years ago, but he didn’t know the details, and Peter had never mentioned anything about a pyramid. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Katherine’s voice filled with emotion as she recounted the harrowing events of that night, how the tattooed man had broken into their estate. â€Å"It was a long time ago, but I’ll never forget that he demanded a pyramid. He said he heard about the pyramid in prison, from my nephew, Zachary . . . right before he killed him.† Langdon listened in amazement. The tragedy within the Solomon family was almost beyond belief. Katherine continued, telling Langdon that she had always believed the intruder was killed that night . . . that is, until this same man had resurfaced today, posing as Peter’s psychiatrist and luring Katherine to his home. â€Å"He knew private things about my brother, my mother’s death, and even my work,† she said anxiously, â€Å"things he could only have learned from my brother. And so I trusted him . . . and that’s how he got inside the Smithsonian Museum Support Center.† Katherine took a deep breath and told Langdon she was nearly certain the man had destroyed her lab tonight. Langdon listened in utter shock. For several moments, the two of them lay together in silence on the moving conveyor. Langdon knew he had an obligation to share with Katherine the rest of tonight’s terrible news. He began slowly, and as gently as he possibly could he told her how her brother had entrusted him with a small package years earlier, how Langdon had been tricked into bringing this package to Washington tonight, and finally, about her brother’s hand having been found in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building. Katherine’s reaction was deafening silence. Langdon could tell she was reeling, and he wished he could reach out and comfort her, but lying end to end in the narrow blackness made it impossible. â€Å"Peter’s okay,† he whispered. â€Å"He’s alive, and we’ll get him back.† Langdon tried to give her hope. â€Å"Katherine, his captor promised me your brother would be returned alive . . . as long as I decipher the pyramid for him.† Still Katherine said nothing. Langdon kept talking. He told her about the stone pyramid, its Masonic cipher, the sealed capstone, and, of course, about Bellamy’s claims that this pyramid was in fact the Masonic Pyramid of legend . . . a map that revealed the hiding place of a long spiral staircase that led deep into the earth . . . down hundreds of feet to a mystical ancient treasure that had been buried in Washington long ago. Katherine finally spoke, but her voice was flat and emotionless. â€Å"Robert, open your eyes.† Open my eyes? Langdon had no desire to have even the slightest glimpse of how cramped this space really was. â€Å"Robert!† Katherine demanded, urgently now. â€Å"Open your eyes! We’re here!† Langdon’s eyes flew open as his body emerged through an opening similar to the one it had entered at the other end. Katherine was already climbing off the conveyor belt. She lifted his daybag off the belt as Langdon swung his legs over the edge and jumped down onto the tile floor just in time, before the conveyor turned the corner and headed back the way it came. The space around them was a circulation room much like the one they had come from in the other building. A small sign read ADAMS BUILDING: CIRCULATION ROOM 3. Langdon felt like he had just emerged from some kind of subterranean birth canal. Born again. He turned immediately to Katherine. â€Å"Are you okay?† Her eyes were red, and she had obviously been crying, but she nodded with a resolute stoicism. She picked up Langdon’s daybag and carried it across the room without a word, setting it on a cluttered desk. She lit the desk’s halogen clamp lamp, unzipped the bag, folded down the sides, and peered inside. The granite pyramid looked almost austere in the clean halogen light. Katherine ran her fingers over the engraved Masonic cipher, and Langdon sensed deep emotion churning within her. Slowly, she reached into the daybag and pulled out the cube-shaped package. She held it under the light, examining it closely. â€Å"As you can see,† Langdon quietly said, â€Å"the wax seal is embossed with Peter’s Masonic ring. He said this ring was used to seal the package more than a century ago.† Katherine said nothing. â€Å"When your brother entrusted the package to me,† Langdon told her, â€Å"he said it would give me the power to create order out of chaos. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I’ve got to assume the capstone reveals something important, because Peter was insistent that it not fall into the wrong hands. Mr. Bellamy just told me the same thing, urging me to hide the pyramid and not let anyone open the package.† Katherine turned now, looking angry. â€Å"Bellamy told you not to open the package?† â€Å"Yes. He was adamant.† Katherine looked incredulous. â€Å"But you said this capstone is the only way we can decipher the pyramid, right?† â€Å"Probably, yes.† Katherine’s voice was rising now. â€Å"And you said deciphering the pyramid is what you were told to do. It’s the only way we can get Peter back, right?† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Then, Robert, why wouldn’t we open the package and decipher this thing right now?!† Langdon didn’t know how to respond. â€Å"Katherine, I had the same exact reaction, and yet Bellamy told me that keeping this pyramid’s secret intact was more important than anything . . . including your brother’s life.† Katherine’s pretty features hardened, and she tucked a wisp of hair behind her ears. When she spoke, her voice was resolved. â€Å"This stone pyramid, whatever it is, has cost me my entire family. First my nephew, Zachary, then my mother, and now my brother.And let’s face it, Robert, if you hadn’t called tonight to warn me . . .† Langdon could feel himself trapped between Katherine’s logic and Bellamy’s steadfast urging. â€Å"I may be a scientist,† she said, â€Å"but I also come from a family of well-known Masons. Believe me, I’ve heard all the stories about the Masonic Pyramid and its promise of some great treasure that will enlighten mankind. Honestly, I find it hard to imagine such a thing exists. However, if it does exist . . . perhaps it’s time to unveil it.† Katherine slid a finger beneath the old twine on the package. Langdon jumped. â€Å"Katherine, no! Wait!† She paused, but her finger remained beneath the string. â€Å"Robert, I’m not going to let my brother die for this. Whatever this capstone says . . . whatever lost treasures this engraving might reveal . . . those secrets end tonight.† With that, Katherine yanked defiantly on the twine, and the brittle wax seal exploded. CHAPTER 63 In a quiet neighborhood just west of Embassy Row in Washington, there exists a medieval-style walled garden whose roses, it is said, spring from twelfth-century plants. The garden’s Carderock gazebo–known as Shadow House–sits elegantly amid meandering pathways of stones dug from George Washington’s private quarry. Tonight the silence of the gardens was broken by a young man who rushed through the wooden gate, shouting as he came. â€Å"Hello?† he called out, straining to see in the moonlight. â€Å"Are you in here?† The voice that replied was frail, barely audible. â€Å"In the gazebo . . . just taking some air.† The young man found his withered superior seated on the stone bench beneath a blanket. The hunched old man was tiny, with elfin features. The years had bent him in two and stolen his eyesight, but his soul remained a force to be reckoned with. Catching his breath, the young man told him, â€Å"I just . . . took a call . . . from your friend . . . Warren Bellamy.† â€Å"Oh?† The old man perked up. â€Å"About what?† â€Å"He didn’t say, but he sounded like he was in a big hurry. He told me he left you a message on your voice mail, which you need to listen to right away.† â€Å"That’s all he said?† â€Å"Not quite.† The young man paused. â€Å"He told me to ask you a question.† A very strange question. â€Å"He said he needed your response right away.† The old man leaned closer. â€Å"What question?† As the young man spoke Mr. Bellamy’s question, the pall that crossed the old man’s face was visible even in the moonlight. Immediately, he threw off his blanket and began struggling to his feet. â€Å"Please help me inside. Right away.† CHAPTER 64 No more secrets, thought Katherine Solomon. On the table in front of her, the wax seal that had been intact for generations now lay in pieces. She finished removing the faded brown paper from her brother’s precious package. Beside her, Langdon looked decidedly uneasy. From within the paper, Katherine extracted a small box made of gray stone. Resembling a polished granite cube, the box had no hinges, no latch, and no apparent way inside. It reminded Katherine of a Chinese puzzle box. â€Å"It looks like a solid block,† she said, running her fingers over the edges. â€Å"Are you sure the X- ray showed it was hollow? With a capstone inside?† â€Å"It did,† Langdon said, moving next to Katherine and scrutinizing the mysterious box. He and Katherine peered at the box from different angles, attempting to find a way in. â€Å"Got it,† Katherine said as her fingernail located the hidden slit along one of the box’s top edges. She set the box down on the desk and then carefully pried open the lid, which rose smoothly, like the top of a fine jewelry box. When the lid fell back, Langdon and Katherine both drew audible breaths. The interior of the box seemed to be glowing. The inside was shining with an almost supernatural effulgence. Katherine had never seen a piece of gold this large, and it took her an instant to realize that the precious metal was simply reflecting the radiance of the desk lamp. â€Å"It’s spectacular,† she whispered. Despite being sealed in a dark stone cube for over a century, the capstone had not faded or tarnished in any way. Gold resists the entropic laws of decay; that’s one of the reasons the ancients considered it magical. Katherine felt her pulse quicken as she leaned forward, peering down over the small golden point. â€Å"There’s an inscription.† Langdon moved closer, their shoulders now touching. His blue eyes flashed with curiosity. He had told Katherine about the ancient Greek practice of creating a symbolon–a code broken into parts–and how this capstone, long separated from the pyramid itself, would hold the key to deciphering the pyramid. Allegedly, this inscription, whatever it said, would bring order from this chaos. Katherine held the little box up to the light and peered straight down over the capstone. Though small, the inscription was perfectly visible–a small bit of elegantly engraved text on the face of one side. Katherine read the six simple words. Then she read them again. â€Å"No!† she declared. â€Å"That can’t be what it says!† Across the street, Director Sato hurried up the long walkway outside the Capitol Building toward her rendezvous point on First Street. The update from her field team had been unacceptable. No Langdon. No pyramid. No capstone. Bellamy was in custody, but he was not telling them the truth. At least not yet. I’ll make him talk. She glanced back over her shoulder at one of Washington’s newest vistas–the Capitol Dome framed above the new visitor center. The illuminated dome only accentuated the significance of what was truly at stake tonight. Dangerous times. Sato was relieved to hear her cell phone ring and see her analyst’s ID on the screen. â€Å"Nola,† Sato answered. â€Å"What have you got?† Nola Kaye gave her the bad news. The X-ray of the capstone’s inscription was too faint to read, and the image-enhancing filters had not helped. Shit. Sato chewed at her lip. â€Å"How about the sixteen-letter grid?† â€Å"I’m still trying,† Nola said, â€Å"but so far I’ve found no secondary encryption scheme that’s applicable. I’ve got a computer reshuffling the letters in the grid and looking for anything identifiable, but there are over twenty trillion possibilities.† â€Å"Stay on it. Let me know.† Sato hung up, scowling. Her hopes of deciphering the pyramid using only a photograph and X-ray were fading fast. I need that pyramid and capstone . . . and I’m running out of time. Sato arrived at First Street just as a black Escalade SUV with dark windows roared across the double yellow and skidded to a stop in front of her at their rendezvous point. A lone agent got out. â€Å"Any word yet on Langdon?† Sato demanded. â€Å"Confidence is high,† the man said, emotionless. â€Å"Backup just arrived. All library exits are surrounded. We even have air support coming in. We’ll flush him with tear gas, and he’ll have nowhere to run.† â€Å"And Bellamy?† â€Å"Tied up in the backseat.† Good. Her shoulder was still smarting. The agent handed Sato a plastic Ziploc bag containing cell phone, keys, and wallet. â€Å"Bellamy’s effects.† â€Å"Nothing else?† â€Å"No, ma’am. The pyramid and package must still be with Langdon.† â€Å"Okay,† Sato said. â€Å"Bellamy knows plenty he’s not telling. I’d like to question him personally.† â€Å"Yes, ma’am. To Langley, then?† Sato took a deep breath and paced a moment beside the SUV. Strict protocols governed the interrogation of U.S. civilians, and questioning Bellamy was highly illegal unless it was done at Langley on video with witnesses, attorneys, blah, blah, blah . . . â€Å"Not Langley,† she said, trying to think of somewhere closer. And more private. The agent said nothing, standing at attention beside the idling SUV, waiting for orders. Sato lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and gazed down at the Ziploc bag of Bellamy’s items. His key ring, she had noticed, included an electronic fob adorned with four letters–USBG. Sato knew, of course, which government building this fob accessed. The building was very close and, at this hour, very private. She smiled and pocketed the fob. Perfect. When she told the agent where she wanted to take Bellamy, she expected the man to look surprised, but he simply nodded and opened the passenger door for her, his cold stare revealing nothing. Sato loved professionals. Langdon stood in the basement of the Adams Building and stared in disbelief at the elegantly inscribed words on the face of the golden capstone. That’s all it says? Beside him, Katherine held the capstone under the light and shook her head. â€Å"There’s got to be more,† she insisted, sounding cheated. â€Å"This is what my brother has been protecting all these years?† Langdon had to admit he was mystified. According to Peter and Bellamy, this capstone was supposed to help them decipher the stone pyramid. In light of those claims, Langdon had expected something illuminating and helpful. More like obvious and useless. Once again, he read the six words delicately inscribed on the face of the capstone. The secret hides within The Order The secret hides within The Order? At first glance, the inscription appeared to be stating the obvious–that the letters on the pyramid were out of â€Å"order† and that their secret lay in finding their proper sequence. This reading, however, in addition to being self-evident, seemed unlikely for another reason. â€Å"The words the and order are capitalized,† Langdon said. Katherine nodded blankly. â€Å"I saw that.† The secret hides within The Order. Langdon could think of only one logical implication. † `The Order’ must be referencing the Masonic Order.† â€Å"I agree,† Katherine said, â€Å"but it’s still no help. It tells us nothing.† Langdon had to concur. After all, the entire story of the Masonic Pyramid revolved around a secret hidden within the Masonic Order. â€Å"Robert, didn’t my brother tell you this capstone would give you power to see order where others saw only chaos?† He nodded in frustration. For the second time tonight, Robert Langdon was feeling unworthy. CHAPTER 65 Once Mal’akh had finished dealing with his unexpected visitor–a female security guard from Preferred Security–he fixed the paint on the window through which she had glimpsed his sacred work space. Now, ascending out of the soft blue haze of the basement, he emerged through a hidden doorway into his living room. Inside, he paused, admiring his spectacular painting of the Three Graces and savoring the familiar smells and sounds of his home. Soon I will be leaving forever. Mal’akh knew that after tonight he would be unable to return to this place. After tonight, he thought, smiling, I will have no need for this place. He wondered if Robert Langdon yet understood the true power of the pyramid . . . or the importance of the role for which fate had chosen him. Langdon has yet to call me, Mal’akh thought, after double-checking for messages on his disposable phone. It was now 10:02 P.M. He has less than two hours. Mal’akh went upstairs to his Italian-marble bathroom and turned on the steam shower to let it heat up. Methodically, he stripped off his clothes, eager to begin his cleansing ritual. He drank two glasses of water to calm his starving stomach. Then he walked to the full-length mirror and studied his naked body. His two days of fasting had accentuated his musculature, and he could not help but admire that which he had become. By dawn, I will be so much more. CHAPTER 66 â€Å"We should get out of here,† Langdon said to Katherine. â€Å"It’s only a matter of time before they figure out where we are.† He hoped Bellamy had managed to escape. Katherine still seemed fixated on the gold capstone, looking incredulous that the inscription was so unhelpful. She had taken the capstone out of the box, examined every side, and was now carefully putting it back in the box. The secret hides within The Order, Langdon thought. Big help. Langdon found himself wondering now if perhaps Peter had been misinformed about the contents of the box. This pyramid and capstone had been created long before Peter was born, and Peter was simply doing as his forefathers had told him, keeping a secret that was probably as much a mystery to him as it was to Langdon and Katherine. What did I expect? Langdon wondered. The more he learned tonight about the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid, the less plausible it all seemed. I’m searching for a hidden spiral staircase covered by a huge stone? Something told Langdon he was chasing shadows. Nonetheless, deciphering this pyramid seemed his best chance at saving Peter. â€Å"Robert, does the year 1514 mean anything to you?† Fifteen-fourteen? The question seemed apropos of nothing. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"No. Why?† Katherine handed him the stone box. â€Å"Look. The box is dated. Have a look under the light.† Langdon took a seat at the desk and studied the cube-shaped box beneath the light. Katherine put a soft hand on his shoulder, leaning in to point out the tiny text she had found carved on the exterior of the box, near the bottom corner of one side. â€Å"Fifteen-fourteen A.D.,† she said, pointing into the box. Sure enough, the carving depicted the number 1514, followed by an unusual stylization of the letters A and D. â€Å"This date,† Katherine was saying, sounding suddenly hopeful, â€Å"maybe it’s the link we’re missing? This dated cube looks a lot like a Masonic cornerstone, so maybe it’s pointing to a real cornerstone? Maybe to a building built in 1514 A.D.?† Langdon barely heard her. Fifteen-fourteen A.D. is not a date. The symbol , as any scholar of medieval art would recognize, was a well-known symbature–a symbol used in place of a signature. Many of the early philosophers, artists, and authors signed their work with their own unique symbol or monogram rather than their name. This practice added a mysterious allure to their work and also protected them from persecution should their writings or artwork be deemed counterestablishment. In the case of this symbature, the letters A.D. did not stand for Anno Domini . . . they were German for something else entirely. Langdon instantly saw all the pieces fall into place. Within seconds, he was certain he knew exactly how to decipher the pyramid. â€Å"Katherine, you did it,† he said, packing up. â€Å"That’s all we needed. Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.† Katherine looked amazed. â€Å"The date 1514 A.D. actually means something to you?† Langdon winked at her and headed for the door. â€Å"A.D. isn’t a date, Katherine. It’s a person.† How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 62-66, Essay examples

My 4 Year Journey in Sudan free essay sample

In the 7th grade I made a decision that stripped me of something valuable: a typical high school experience. Instead of spending 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade in the U.S., I traveled to Sudan. My grades from Junior year reflect my prolonged absence. However, I do not regret my decision to travel to Sudan, because I gained something invaluable: a first hand look into a culture and country like none I had ever experienced. It all began the moment I stepped off the plane into the warm dry air of Khartoum, Sudan. I stayed with my grandmother in a small neighborhood, where people knew each other well. The Sudanese teenagers I met were unaware that American movies did not depict normal American life. Sometimes, after a game of soccer, I would tell my new friends stories about America, or explain my previous daily routines. This allowed me to connect with the children, who began to realize that there were more similarities than differences between our lives. We will write a custom essay sample on My 4 Year Journey in Sudan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One thing that interests Sudanese kids about America is its music. Knowing English, to the Sudanese boys, meant knowing how to rap. Though I tried explaining that I couldnt rap, they continued to urge me. I ended up singing a couple of verses from â€Å"In Da Club,† by Fifty Cent, a song with which they were familiar. It ended with many cheers and laughter. My experiences were not all so enjoyable. One morning, while walking to school, I came across two boys sleeping beside the road. They were no more than eight years old, yet their malnourished bodies suggested an even younger age. The original colors of their disheveled clothes were no longer distinguishable, as though the clothes had been used to clean out a stove. Flies crawled along their parted lips; the sleeping boys could have been carcasses. Kneeling beside them I dropped my backpack to the dirt, and tried to shoo away the persistent flies. I cried. Things like this were ordinary in the streets of Sudan. I felt ashamed of my clean clothes and sunglasses, of the bed that awaited me in my room, and of the lunch I had in my backpack; these kids had nothing but each other for comfort. The next morning I revisited the spot where I first saw the sleeping boys, but they were gone. I once took life’s luxuries for granted, but after living in Sudan I learned to appreciate things I previously failed to notice. The good times I had with my friends created a bond between us that helped bridge cultural differences and my first hand experience with the orphans made me realize how oblivious I had been to the suffering of others. I wouldn’t trade this experience even if I had the chance to, because it has changed me into a mindful person. My experience in Sudan will be the most helpful asset I use to incorporate mindfulness and awareness in the experiences yet to come; the first of which is college.

U.S. Budget Deficit - Good Or Bad Essays - Fiscal Policy

U.S. Budget Deficit - Good or Bad? ?Spending financed not by current tax receipts, but by borrowing or drawing upon past tax reserves.? , Is it a good idea? Why does the U.S. run a deficit? Since 1980 the deficit has grown enormously. Some say its a bad thing, and predict impending doom, others say it is a safe and stable necessity to maintain a healthy economy. When the U.S. government came into existence and for about a 150 years thereafter the government managed to keep a balanced budget. The only times a budget deficit existed during these first 150 years were in times of war or other catastrophic events. The Government, for inezce, generated deficits during the War of 1812, the recession of 1837, the Civil War, the depression of the 1890s, and World War I. However, as soon as the war ended the deficit would be eliminated and the economy which was much larger than the amounted debt would quickly absorb it. The last time the budget ran a surplus was in 1969 during Nixon's presidency. Budget deficits have grown larger and more frequent in the last half-century. In the 1980s they soared to record levels. The Government cut income tax rates, greatly increased defense spending, and didn't cut domestic spending enough to make up the difference. Also, the deep recession of the early 1980s reduced revenues, raising the deficit and forcing the Government to spend much more on paying interest for the national debt at a time when interest rates were high. As a result, the national debt grew in size after 1980. It grew from $709 billion to $3.6 trillion in 1990, only one decade later. Increase of National Debt Since 1980 Month Amount -------------------------------------------- 12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00 * 12/31/1981 $1,028,729,000,000.00 * 12/31/1982 $1,197,073,000,000.00 * 12/31/1983 $1,410,702,000,000.00 * 12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 * 12/31/1985 $1,945,941,616,459.88 12/31/1986 $2,214,834,532,586.43 12/31/1987 $2,431,715,264,976.86 12/30/1988 $2,684,391,916,571.41 12/29/1989 $2,952,994,244,624.71 12/31/1990 $3,364,820,230,276.86 12/31/1991 $3,801,698,272,862.02 12/31/1992 $4,177,009,244,468.77 12/31/1993 $4,535,687,054,406.14 12/30/1994 $4,800,149,946,143.75 10/31/1995 $4,985,262,110,021.06 11/30/1995 $4,989,329,926,644.31 12/29/1995 $4,988,664,979,014.54 01/31/1996 $4,987,436,358,165.20 02/29/1996 $5,017,040,703,255.02 03/29/1996 $5,117,786,366,014.56 04/30/1996 $5,102,048,827,234.22 05/31/1996 $5,128,508,504,892.80 06/28/1996 $5,161,075,688,140.93 07/31/1996 $5,188,888,625,925.87 08/30/1996 $5,208,303,439,417.93 09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 10/01/1996 $5,234,730,786,626.50 10/02/1996 $5,235,509,457,452.56 10/03/1996 $5,222,192,137,251.62 10/04/1996 $5,222,049,625,819.53 * Rounded to Millions Federal spending has grown over the years, especially starting in the 1930s in actual dollars and in proportion to the economy (Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). Beginning with the "New Deal" in the 1930s, the Federal Government came to play a much larger role in American life. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to use the full powers of his office to end the Great Depression. He and Congress greatly expanded Federal programs. Federal spending, which totaled less than $4 billion in 1931, went up to nearly $7 billion in 1934 and to over $8 billion in 1936. Then, U.S. entry into World War II sent annual Federal spending soaring to over $91 billion by 1944. Thus began the ever increasing debt of the United States. What if the debt is not increasing as fast as we think it is? The dollar amount of the debt may increase but often times so does the amount of money or GDP to pay for the debt. This brings up the idea that the deficit could be run without cost. How could a deficit increase productivity without any cost? The idea of having a balanced budget is challenged by the ideas of Keynesian Economics. Keynesian economics is an economic model that predicts in times of low demand and high unemployment a deficit will not cost anything. Instead a deficit would allow more people to work, increasing productivity. A deficit does this because it is invested into the economy by government. For example if the government spends deficit money on new highways, trucking will benefit and more jobs will be produced. When an economic system is in recession all of its resources are not being used. For example if the government did not build highways we could not ship goods and there would be less demand for them. The supply remains low even though we have the ability to produce more because we cannot ship them. This non-productivity comes at a cost to the whole economic system. If deficit spending eliminates non-productivity then its direct monetary cost will be offset if not surpassed by increased productivity. For example in the 1980's when the huge deficits were adding up the actual additions to the public capital or increased productivity were often as big, or bigger than

Good Organization Is Good Strategy With Lindsay Scarpello From OBI Creative

Good Organization Is Good Strategy With Lindsay Scarpello From OBI Creative Does it feel like you are trying to herd cats? Managing your marketing that way is not strategic. Get organized to manage your time, help you predict how long projects will take, and plan ahead to get real results. Today, we’re talking to Lindsay Scarpello, an organizational mastermind with a background in journalism. Marketers need to think like journalists. Learn organizational and time management skills, as well as how processes and workflows are imperative for success. Some of the highlights of the show include: Lindsay’s role at OBI Creative, a research and communications advertising agency Lindsay’s employment background in journalism and marketing Build trust with customers through education and high-quality content Organizational skills needed for marketers to succeed Time Management: You can’t miss deadlines and must be willing to hustle Decipher and present data in a digestible way Find and implement tools to maximize your time; keep using what works for you Lindsay plans ahead to stay organized with her time Be aware of what’s going on by using To Do list apps, notebook, or other tools Build a foundation of organizational skills to boost results and be an investment Organization becomes a habit in your personal and professional life Spend time defining processes to be able to execute them Content Planning Process: Research, build strategy/create steps, receive feedback, and implement How to plan content ahead of time using rules of marketing Be tech savvy and have working knowledge of all Microsoft Office programs Know how your brain works and your company’s goals   Ã‚   Powered by PodcastMotor Actionable Content Marketing powered by By AMP083: Why â€Å"Good Organization Is Good Strategy† With Lindsay Scarpello From OBI Creative 00:00/00:00 1x 100 > Download file Subscribe on iTunes Leave Review Share Links: Lindsay Scarpello OBI Creative Mary Ann O’Brien Wunderlist Evernote Microsoft Office Panda Planner HubSpot Buffer Flywheel AMP on iTunes leave a review and send screenshot to podcast@.com If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Lindsay: â€Å"I think it all goes back to writing. I think being able to write content and create content has been paramount to brand success.† â€Å"In order to engage on social, in order to attract customers, regardless of what kind of customer you have, you have to build trust.† â€Å"You have to be planning ahead because the news doesn’t wait for anyone.†

A Man In The Middle Attack Computer Science Essay

A Man In The Middle Attack Computer Science Essay Today computer networks are used to transmit large amounts of data which may or may not contain sensitive information. Within this document I will be discussing ways in which your networks may become venerable to attacks. Man in the middle attacks, spanning tree attacks, security issues related to trunking, and security issues relating to identity spoofing. What is a Man in the middle attack? Man in the middle attack is a name given to a type of attack where the person intercepts communication being sent across a data network. This type of attack is also known as a Bucket-brigade attack, Fire brigade attack, Monkey-in-the-middle attack, Session hijacking, TCP hijacking, TCP session hijacking etc. Man in the middle attack is an attack that is usually performed on a internal network. Man in the middle attacks are where hackers introduce a rouge device onto the network then intercept communication between two network devices. This is done by sending out a series of ARP requests and ARP responses to two devices making them think that they are talking to each other. An example of a man in the middle attack would consist of two hosts, host one and host two. The hacker would connect a rouge device, host three, most likely on the same switch that both host one and two are connected to. Once that he is able to communicate on the network he would then send out ARP requests and responses to both host one and two making them believe that he is the other host. This will make host one and two re-route there connection through host three. once host one and host two are communicating between each other via the new connection established by host three, the hacker will now be able to capture packets sent between them. Once an attacker has performed a man in the middle attack, they can use this in a number of ways for example Public Key Exchanging, Command Injection, Malicious Code Injection, Downgrade Attacks etc. There are many tools available that network managers will use in order to monitor their networks. These tools can also be used from a hackers point of view as they allow the hacker to capture packets that are being sent across the network. This essentially allows the hacker to see what you are doing. The following tools are commonly used for capturing and analysing network traffic by an attacker WiresharkÂÂ ® is a network protocol analyzer. It lets you capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. It has a rich and powerful feature set and is world’s most popular tool of its kind. It runs on most computing platforms including Windows, OS X, Linux, and UNIX. Network professionals, security experts, developers, and educators around the world use it regularly. It is freely available as open source, and is released under the GNU General Public License version 2. http://wireshark.com Ettercap is a comprehensive suite for man in the middle attacks. It features sniffing of live connections, content filtering on the fly and many other interesting tricks. It supports active and passive dissection of many protocols and includes many features for network and host analysis.

International business management Strategic Information Management Essay

International business management Strategic Information Management - Essay Example SIM is important because information tends to become vague and complicated and very often it can be Organisational Activity can demonstrate a lack of quality in the information.2 A Strategic Information System (SIS) aligns itself with the management strategy and the structure of a Firm and allows the timely response to changes recurring in the business environment and competition issues.3 Wiseman (1985) has defined the strategic information system (SIS) as, "The information system to support or change enterprise's strategy."4 The general perspective of Information management involves a reference to the management of any kind of information .This may involve document management, electronic document management records management, document imaging, process automation and digital asset management.(Wiseman 1985) Historically information management was subject to the nuances of bureaucratic procedures and had a limited role in management decisions.(Galliers 1991).The potential of profit by information management systems has only emerged in the recent decades and the modern businesses view information as a weapon against competition and a strategic resource. (Galliers 1991).The former attitude changed radically in the mid-sixties when organisations started viewing information as a tool for general management support. Until the decade of the eighties however information management was limited to weekly financial and management reporting and accounts of inventory and arrears.(Galliers 1991) During the early nineties these information systems emerged as serving a special purpose. At this point information systems like decision-support systems (DSS)5 and executive support systems (ESS)6 became popular with the main aim of support and the fast expedition of the decision-making process of organisations (managers and executives). (Swatman 1995). Prominent examples of Strategic information systems have included the use of SABRE and APOLLO by the US Airlines in the past for the increase in travel bookings of these Carriers by making sure their names appeared on the first screens of the travel agents.7 In the recent times Information has emerged as a strategic resource to gain competitive advantage, as well as to defeat and frustrate the competition. (Porter 1985).An important example quoted by Porter (1985) of information management is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 the philosophy behind which was to manage information by requiring federal government agencies to develop an information resource officer's role. Such systems being an integral part of SIM ensure the organisations survival in the fast track corporate world. Porter(1985) has also identified a value chain model to help identify problem areas in information systems in order to supply a strategic advantage. Porter (1980) has also identified the competitive forces model which describes a number of external threats and opportunities which can be countered by competitive strategies. See below for a model diagram of both these concepts. The potential of information systems is immense as it can be developed to not only defeat rivals but also to counter the pressure from competing substitutes and an