14 Writing and Productivity Hacks

Consistently producing high-quality content can be physically and mentally draining. It requires a combination of hard work, creativity, attention to detail and a desire to write content that readers will love. To help you work more efficiently and write more engaging copy, here are 14 writing and productivity hacks to keep you on top of your writing game. 1. Stop Over-Researching Do you sometimes find yourself staring at 20 pages of research material for a 700-word article you need to write? You need to cut down on research time. Look at past articles and see how many citations or research stats you used. Stop researching when you’ve reached this number, and save any extra ideas and stats for future articles. 2. Keep First Drafts in Check To avoid writing a first draft that’s three times too long, you need discipline. Write subheadings for your article first, then divide the total number of words you need by the number of subheadings. For instance, a 900-word article with six subheadings needs around 150 words per section. As you write each section, keep this number in mind. 3. Avoid Self-Editing Write the first draft without stopping to edit each sentence. Don’t look up quotes or check spellings; insert a note and return to it later. That’s what the editing process is for. 4. Set Fake Deadlines If you have a week to write an article, challenge yourself to finish it in two days. Having a deadline focuses your mind and also helps you avoid over-researching and procrastinating. This strategy also gives you wiggle room if you do fall behind. 5. Make Headlines More Emotional To make headlines more engaging, appeal to the reader’s self-interest. Intriguing headlines are good: â€Å"Ten Surprising Ways to Use Lentils.† However, appealing to the reader’s self-interest is often better: â€Å"Lower Your Cholesterol With These Ten Awesome Lentil Recipes.† 6. Start Strong Don’t leave your best idea until the last paragraph; put it in the first sentence instead. Many readers will scan the beginning first, so putting your strongest point here will make more of an impact. 7. Set a Timer Eliminate as many distractions as possible, then set a timer for 30 minutes. The only thing you can do in this time is write or research. When the timer goes off, take a 10-minute break and then repeat the process. Many writers find this technique increases their productivity. 8. Add Interest When you’re unsure how to improve your first draft, try the following: Make it more scannable by altering the format. For example, add bullet points. Use your unique personality to add more â€Å"color† to the writing. Incorporate humor, controversial ideas, or trending news stories. 9. Get Readers to Say â€Å"Yes† To make readers feel more engaged with your writing, ask a question. For example: â€Å"Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day?† If the reader is saying â€Å"yes,† you’re more likely to hook them. 10. Use the Active Voice Using an active voice is clearer and more powerful than a passive voice. For example, the passive sentence â€Å"Thousands of writers have been inspired by our blog† is much weaker in the active voice: â€Å"Our blog has inspired thousands of writers.† 11. Be More Specific When you can, try to back up your ideas with a quote from an expert or a relevant statistic. It adds credibility to your copy and makes it more memorable. 12. Finish With a Strong Call to Action Whether you’re writing a blog post, an email or a social media post, try to close with a call to action. They add value to your content: â€Å"Subscribe to our newsletter for more content marketing tips.† Or they can provoke action: â€Å"Use this checklist when you’re next lost for words.† Crucially, they should always focus on the needs of the reader. 13. Keep an Idea File Sometimes, you’ll struggle to think of something new to write about. Other times, you’ll come up with enough writing ideas for a whole month. Put them in a notebook or on your smartphone, then you’ll never be stuck for new ideas. Also, keep a swipe file of any content you come across that sparks your imagination. 14. Avoid Burn-Out Any freelance writer can experience creative exhaustion. When you’re constantly having to write new material, it’s important to look after your physical and mental health. Reward yourself regularly by taking breaks from writing. Physical activity actually boosts mental performance and increases your serotonin and dopamine levels, so try to schedule exercise into your daily routine. Over to You Hopefully, these tips will help you become a more skillful and efficient writer, which will ultimately increase your income from writing. Above all, try to trust in your own writing ability and don’t give up when things get tough. Do you have any more writing and productivity tips for your fellow writers? Share your thoughts on our social media!

How to Get a Recommendation Letter for Graduate School

How to Get a Recommendation Letter for Graduate School The letter of recommendation is the part of the graduate school application that students stress most over. As with all elements of the application process, your first step is to be sure that you understand what you’re asking for. Learn about letters of recommendation early, well before it is time to apply to graduate school. What Is a Recommendation Letter? A letter of recommendation is a letter written on your behalf, typically from an undergrad faculty member, that recommends you as a good candidate for graduate study. All graduate admissions committees require that letters of recommendation accompany students’ applications. Most require three. How do you do about getting a letter of recommendation, specifically a good letter of recommendation? Prep Work: Develop Relationships with Faculty Begin thinking about letters of recommendation as soon as you think youd like to apply to graduate school because developing the relationships that are the foundation of good letters takes time. In all honesty, the best students seek to get to know professors and get involved regardless of whether they are interested in graduate study simply because its a good learning experience. Also, graduates will always need recommendations for jobs, even if they dont go to graduate school. Seek experiences that will help you develop relationships with faculty that will get you excellent letters and help you learn about your field. Choose Faculty to Write on Your Behalf Carefully choose your letter writers, keeping in mind that admissions committees seek letters from specific types of professionals.  Learn about what qualities to look for in referees and dont fret if youre a nontraditional student or one who seeks entry to graduate school several years after graduating from college. How to Ask Ask for letters appropriately. Be respectful and remember what not to do. Your professor does not have to write you a letter, so do not demand one. Demonstrate respect for your letter writers time by providing him or her with plenty of advance notice. At least a month is preferable (more is better). Less than two weeks is unacceptable (and may be met with a No). Provide referees with the info they need to write a stellar letter, including info about the programs, your interests, and goals. Waive Your Rights to See the Letter Most recommendation forms include a box to check and sign to indicate whether you waive or retain your rights to see the letter. Always waive your rights. Many referees will not write a non-confidential letter. Also, admissions committees will give letters more weight when they are confidential under the assumption that faculty will be more candid when the student cannot read the letter. Its OK to Follow-Up Professors are busy. There are many classes, many students, many meetings, and many letters. Check in a week or two before its due to see if the recommendation has been sent or if they need anything else from you. Follow-up but don’t make a pest out of yourself. Check with the grad program and contact the prof again if it hasnt been received. Give referees lots of time but also check in. Be friendly and dont nag. Afterwards Thank your referees. Writing a letter of recommendation takes careful thought and hard work. Show that you appreciate it with a thank you note. Also, report back to your referees. Tell them about the status of your application and definitely tell them when you are accepted to graduate school. Theyll want to know, trust me!

History and Political Science - Critical Summary Essay

History and Political Science - Critical Summary - Essay Example In other words, Canada’s existing electoral system sets an issue of injustice giving the majority of seats to parties that do not represent the will of the voters. The particular view seems fully justified, having in mind that the actual role of elections is to reflect the citizens’ view in regard to the practices of their government; in addition, through the elections citizens can promote their claims for the replacement of persons who have the responsibility for critical governmental decisions. At the next level, it is made clear that the MMP system is often preferred because of its ability to set a balance between the traditional and modern electoral systems (Charlton and Baker 233); this means that the particular system does not lead to radical, and unexpected, changes on a country’s electoral system. The specific characteristic of the MMP system is quite important, guaranteeing the lack of political and social turbulences in the countries that it is first es tablished. Two different views are analyzed. According to the first view, supported by Hiemstra and Jansen, democracy ensures that the government of a state, where democracy applies, represents the majority of people (Charlton & Baker 234). This means, according to the above researchers, that ‘each vote counts’ (Charlton & Baker 234); also, this means that the structure of the House of Commons is aligned with the will of the majority of voters; in the context of Canada’s existing electoral system, there is no such issue (Charlton & Baker 234). The representatives of parties in House of Commons have not, necessarily, attracted the majority of votes. Moreover, it is noted that the MMP system is used in most countries internationally; there would be no reason for Canada to be excluded. Another important disadvantage of the plurality system, the Canada’s existing electoral system, is the limitation of oppositions in a country’s parliamentary body; in th is way, the accountability of the government for its decisions can become unfeasible (Charlton & Baker 236). In general, the plurality system is considered as threatening the democracy (Charlton & Baker 236) and for this reason its replacement by MMP is suggested. There is also the opposite view, supported by N. Wiseman (University of Toronto); according to N. Wiseman, who is a professor of political science, the plurality system guarantees democracy; in fact, it is noted that Canada, due to its current electoral system, is considered as ‘part of an elite group of states that are full democracies’ (Charlton & Baker 248). At the next level, Wiseman notes that the change of Canada’s existing electoral system has been already discussed; it is noted that in 1920s the specific issue was brought before the Parliament for discussion; after a thorough examination of the potential advantages and disadvantages of a PR system, it was held that the country’s electoral system should remain the same (Charlton & Baker 248). Also, reference is made to Canada’s cultural characteristics; it is explained that specific parts of the population, as for example, aboriginals are not expected to participate in elections if these are organized at national level (Charlton & Baker 253). This means that many people in Canada who are loyal to their traditions

Organization Chart Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization Chart - Assignment Example This level also include the general manager. The design of Chicago Bulls organizational structure is a typical functional structure. According to Pedersen et al (2011), a functional structure is organized on the basis of roles and responsibilities. As elucidated by Pedersen et-al (2011), a functional structure analogous to Chicago Bulls structure has high levels of specialization. In other words, each unit or department has its own distinct role. From the Chicago Bulls organizational structure, it is evident that the organizational has adopted a centralized system whereby control managers and staff are allowed to make specific decisions on their own. Operations are also standardized, and the number of processes varies within departments. Specialization and centralization of control is imperative as ability to concentrate on specific functions and ability to make key decisions promotes innovativeness. In a nutshell, a functional organizational structure categorizes processes based on functions, roles, and

BP touts itself as green article, about the BP oil spill in 2010 Article

BP touts itself as green , about the BP oil spill in 2010 - Article Example While BP appears to be the sole responsible entity to the accident, involved negligence in activities that led to the spill identify liabilities to many parties. The contractor company that was responsible for operations at the time of the blast was for example an independent contractor. Similarly, federal supervisors who ought to have detected any form of negligence towards liability approved the operations that preceded the blast. BP however exercised significant control over its contractor. Four parties therefore played a role into the blast that culminated into the oil spill. BP played a role as the owner of the site, â€Å"Transocean and Halliburton† who were the managers of the sight and the federal regulators who had the authority to supervise the operations at the sight (BBC, P. 1). Negligence on all the parties was therefore a major set of events towards the accident. This is because the design that was used at the well’s base for sealing was inappropriate for the applied type of cement. Similarly, preliminary tests were done on the structure and flaws detected, but were misjudged for success. There were also signs of explosion but the workers failed to identify the signs that could have been used to establish preventive measures (BBC, P. 1). The events after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were widely reported by the media together with investigation based documentary and reports from inquiries.

Godlessness And Ethics God Is Dead Philosophy Essay

Godlessness And Ethics God Is Dead Philosophy Essay Simon Blackburns Ethics, A Very Short Introduction identifies seven threats to the field of philosophical inquiry know as Ethics. First among these threats is the death of God. What is meant by this term is that for a considerable portion of human history, the question of what was considered ethical or moral was answered by turning to religious scripture. It follows then, that for those who turn to God or the gods for answers to dilemmas of an ethical nature, the death of such an entity would present a most vexing problem. Without this divine keystone, the entire arch of their morality would crumble under the compounding pressures of everyday life. But not for Blackburn, and certainly not for me. As it was mentioned previously, Blackburn placed the death of God as the first of seven threats to ethics. But to read beyond what a moron in a hurry would interpret as his true meaning reveals that the death of god was placed as the first threat to underscore the argument he makes that while superficially, godlessness may be seen as undermining ethics, in actuality it does much to act as a catalyst for a new beginning in the field of ethics. Blackburn sees the death of god as a positive thing, buttressing his claim by saying that Plato tells us that the ethical laws cannot be arbitrary whims of personalized gods. Â  Maybe instead we can make our own laws (Blackburn 16). Â   Blackburn proposes that humanity would be better served making our own ethics rather than following the booming edicts of a capricious, anthropomorphized, invisible sky-daddy. Thusly, it follows that Gods death is in fact cause for celebration and represents a false threat to ethical inquiry. However, this cele bration may have to be postponed, for if Gods death is the false threat, what then is the real one? The real threat that ethics face from this front is not Shivas wrath, Zeuss lightning or Yahwehs Judgment. Rather it comes from those who believe in the reality of the aforementioned. It was Voltaire who said it best, when he wrote that those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. This threat, the threat religion poses to not only ethics, but humanity as a whole, is best defeated by claiming and defending the assertion that atheism offers a human basis of ethics and morality with greater potential to satisfy those who it was designed to serve, namely us. This position is not without precedent, and it was Socrates who first applied logic to the religious convictions of his fellow Greeks (particularly the ethical conviction that morals must be followed because it is what the religious figure commands) and showed them to be not only conceptually confused but built on a shifting foundation. While avoiding his fate, his footsteps are ones that many have followed. I would like to mention at this point that I am not merely making use of God of popular, modern, Western Judeo-Christian tradition (Though any religious references will most likely be to this conception of God, as it is most familiar to both author and audience). Rather, I mean to say that moral atheism offers a superior alternative to (among countless others) Jesus, Anubis, Baal, Izanami, Zeus, Vishnu, and Quetzalcoatl. As mentioned previously by Socrates, the rejection of divine command lies at the heart of moral atheism. Here I argue that following a command to behave ethically is not in itself ethical behavior, but rather obedience that results in a pantomime of true ethical behavior. Secular humanism in turn, offers a morality that is thought out, argued and reasoned. By having a moral basis in secular humanism, atheism possesses a distinct advantage. Â  This is because, this ethical base, standing as it is, outside whatever religion it happens to find itself near, can look at what is being commanded by divine authority in a way that allows it to more easily evaluate the command itself. This superiority then allows atheists the ability to look at the command, say perhaps, the arbitrary violence of Ezekiel 9:4-7 where the God of that religion commands his (as George Carlin once said, God must be a man, no woman could or would ever screw things up so badly) followers: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. Once the command is looked at, presumably with horror, it is the moral atheist who is more inclined to reject the actions as unethical because they have already been able to find the command immoral. I would like to draw to a close by offering a quick concession to the theists out there. Many of the worlds religions hold out the promise of redemption, the hope that if a human being has violated morality in such a way that no amends are possible, many of the worlds gods have the ability of mercy or forgiveness (often conflated, they are similar put not the same). This is something that atheism does not afford. The logical consequence of this is that an individual is forced to make choices with the knowledge that each and every single one of those choices is adding up to the only value they can ever hope to have in their life. To write this, does not, as the theist may assume, fill the author with a sense of crushing insignificance and nihilism. Rather, it is a great feeling of importance, the weight of each choice is not that of a burden. It is finding the human condition from the moral atheist position to be one were decency, morality and ethics arise without the expectation of p unishment or rewards. With one life to live, what choice do we as a species have but accept that and exult in it. God is dead. Long live us.

Leadership Theories Essay -- Trait Theory

Trait Theory â€Å"Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Northouse, 2010, pg. 3). In an increasingly politically correct, democratic society—where equality of treatment and equity of outcome oftentimes overshadow individual performance—trait theory of leadership has managed to survive. Instead of focusing on the context of a specific leadership situation or the subordinates in an organization, trait theory targets only the man or woman in charge. Essentially, trait theory suggests that potential leaders and great leaders who have already demonstrated success are best analyzed in a vacuum. While trait theory may have fallen in an out of favor over the past century, it does have certain advantages that are especially pertinent to those in the military. Before treading any further into its occupational applicability, however, the reader will benefit from a brief survey of trait theory’s origins, approach, strengths, and critiques. Origins Arguably the first approach to the study of leadership, the trait approach was employed in the field long before it was tackled in the classroom. After all, Sun Tzu preached â€Å"know your enemy† (Sun Tzu, 2006 pg. 34) long before Socrates entreated students to â€Å"know thyself† (Brickhouse, 1996, pg. 74). From ancient battlefields to philosophical mysteries, understanding the inherent characteristics of a person has proven a worthy goal. People’s aspirations to leadership however, had yet to be matched with a theoretical basis for many years. It was not until the early 20th century that the topic found itself under the scholar’s gaze. Approach Initial studies often focused on the â€Å"great man† approach, whereby already s... ... pg. 26). Together, trait theory and LMX theory can help explain not only how perceptions are formed about individuals, but how those perceptions can be detrimental to the organization. More specifically, by using trait theory to form an immediate assessment on an individual, a leader is more likely to place that individual in the in-group or out-group. As a future platoon leader, it is especially important for me to maintain a vigilant stance toward bias. As the stress of the position mounts, I know that I will be more likely to resort to spontaneous judgments about people. Depending how the given situation is resolved, the soldiers involved (or left uninvolved) may feel as if they are members of an in-group or out-group. By knowing and employing these and other theories to my advantage, I hope to emerge as an adaptable and deliberate leader of soldiers.

Guy Gode: Rereading America

What is the Guy Code? According to Kimmel, the Guy Code is the collection of attitudes, values, and traits that together composes what is means to be a man. Pretty much, the Guy Code means that you never show your feelings, be strong, and never give up. All in all, don’t be a sissy. You should never show emotions or admit to weakness. To the world, you must show that there’s nothing to be concerned about and that everything is going to be fine. In my opinion, I would have to say that this is also my understanding of what is means to be a man.I think of them as not letting anyone step all over them and that they think they’re always in control. They try to always win; especially when they’re competing with they’re friends. An encounter that I have observed and experienced that involve the â€Å"gender police† is in Junior High gym class. Guys would always criticize and judge other guys if they screwed up on anything while playing a game. It al ways happened to be the more â€Å"popular† guys in my grade who would constantly watch the â€Å"non-popular† guys just to watch them mess up.They would do this just so they can sit there and call them a bunch of names for example: wimp, dork, faggot, weak, etc. I always felt bad for them because I knew that it would affect them in the long run. This incident has had a lasting effect on me. I always feel bad for the guys who go out for sports who aren’t really good but go out anywase because the guys who are really good will just keep putting them down and calling them names. This makes guys more prone to depression, suicidal behavior.

Unit 4 Essays

Unit 4 Essays Unit 4 Essay Unit 4 Essay Unit 4 Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Unit 4 Explain who (in what roles) within the organization would participate inleadership and membership positions for this team. Leadership and membership positions in a business require the participation of all responsible parties. Organizations are constantly developing measures to deal with arising issues to avoid losses. Teamwork is the most important aspect in safeguarding the vulnerability of corporate internet business. In Mega-Corp, the management is the most important team as it is responsible for establishing incident response policies and organizing the budget and members of staff. The information security team identifies analyses and helps to contain incidences. There are incidents such as illegal admission to telephone lines that require the expertise of the telecommunications team. When the information system is attacked, it is the responsibility of the IT support team to disconnect it from the network. The legal department ensures all plans and policies comply with the laws and federal guidance. This department handles all lawsuits, collects evidence and is involved in suspect-prosecution incidents. Members of Public Affairs and Media Relations department are responsible for informing the media and sometimes the public in case of incidents that require public knowledge. Disciplining employees who are found guilty of causing incidents is handled the human resources department. The business continuity planning professionals are made aware of the incidents in the company and their role is to develop measure in risk assessment and planning responses in certain types of incidents. The incident response team works closely with the physical security and facilities management during incident handling and solving. Describe how this team will interface with the forensics partner Forensic partners are there to make sure that the forensic specialists have all that they need to carry out their work. They are particularly common in this type business. Computer technology Investment network who work hand in hand with other departments in Mega-Corp. These partnerships are there to foster smooth investigations in the laboratory. These partnerships have also opened opportunities for students to get internships in these firms. They thus act as a link between the two. The forensic partners also help in getting a means in which current employees are trained so that they can keep abreast with what is trending in the industry. There is a hierarchy in the business structure, which helps to increase how rapidly the response is to forensic investigation. This is all made possible by the presence of a strong communication network within the company. From top management to lower level employees in Mega-Corp the line of authority is clearly defined and flows seamlessly from one person to another. There is also the inclusion of cyber lawyers that deal with any ambiguity as compared to other law firms. As forensic specialists cannot know everything, the DLA law firm helps them understand computer investigations that are within the confines of the law. These partners are licensed to practice anywhere in the United States. In the event that a case goes to court, they advise the forensic firm parties as appropriately. They also provide them with legal counsel during the trial (Kruse Heiser, 2001). Explain how the organization will establish relationships with local law enforcement and regulatory agencies prior to an incident Mega-Corp has collaborated with other law enforcement agencies so that it can get work for it to do. Organizations such as High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) and InfraGard all give the firm an opportunity to interact and network at local and international levels. In addition to that, they have ties with government departments such as Department Homeland Security. These firms have created applications and programs that make sharing of information easy and fast. These programs include US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-Cert) and the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program that share information with the private sector, including security vendors, academia, and other federal agencies. Through these products, we can report on any potential threats that they feel the country might face (Department of Homeland Security, 2012). Businesses, law enforcement agencies, academic institutions and other law-abiding citizens felt that they needed an institution, which would address security threats. InfraGard was thus born. This organization addresses any potential threats and the institutions could report any of the threats to it. Mega-Corp’s offices should develop a link between the law enforcement agencies and itself. This will ensure that the lines of communication are clear and that whenever there is an issue it can be easily sorted out. This clear line of communication is a boost when it comes to sorting out any issues. The response time is reduced at a high rate, as there is a great working relationship between Mega-Corp and the institutions. Thus, it is mandatory that both teams be educated on the importance of maintaining a good working relationship. This relationship will remain the same as new generations are brought in to work in the institutions and Mega-Corp. Provide support for your selection of team members and leaders For communication to be fostered in a better way, there needs to be a liaison between the Corporate Incidence Response Team and management at Mega-Corp. The Human Resource Director will act as their go between, it is their responsibility to make sure that the policies and procedures are revised often. This will give adequate support to future investigations. The Human resource department will be tasked with providing any assistance that will be needed in the course of any investigation that needs to be carried out. It is also essential that HR be given the necessary backing to help them carry out their job. Therefore, it is important that a partnership is created so that HR has an easier time when creating, educating and implementing these policies in conjunction with the employees of the firm. Departments such as Information Security board of Review (ISBR) are tasked with role of giving oversight and direction with anything that pertains to Information systems security and making sure there is privacy in conjunction with Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Information Systems Security Officer. The Information Systems Security Officer is appointed by the CIO and ISBR and is tasked with the job of ensuring that the Office of Information of Mega-Corp and ISSO have the appropriate Network Security Manager (NSM). In turn, the NSM is responsible for ensuring that the Network Security Officer (NSO) and Information Security Officer (ISO) are appointed at each work station and that they are doing their work without any hiccups. Both ISSO and NSM should have vast experience in cases involving OS. Therefore, when picking the individuals to head these posts considerable care should be taken so that the best candidate is chosen. The individual needs to be an expert in background networ k monitoring, detection, and intrusion. How the execution of the operating system controls and digital protection architecture of the networks via the NSM and review Mega-Corp information security is done by the ISSO. This ensures that information is protected from any unauthorized access. This is made possible as the NSO and ISO will work hand in hand to supervise compliance, procedures, policies and ensuring security integrity of Mega-Corp systems. These departments will work together with the SIRT and HR Department to revise, expand, and implement corporate policies pertaining to security, technology and acceptable usage. There are certain activities that could be characterized as violations of a security policy. They are as follows: Notifications from an intrusion detection tool Suspicious entries in the system or network logs Log discrepancies, such as gaps in the logs or missing log files Unsuccessful log-on attempts Unauthorized new user accounts, or unauthorized root or admin access Strange new files or unfamiliar file names Modifications to system executable file lengths and/or date and time stamps Unrecognized behavior of writing to system files, or changes in system files Unexplained modification or deletion of data Inability of one or more users to login to an account (Denial of service) Sudden unexplained system crashes Noticeable reductions in system performance Unauthorized attempts to capture or analyze network traffic Any threats that are detected in the server Taking note of any anomalies that may take place in the organizations Proper care and diligence needs to be taken when any of these incidences take place in a firm. There should be immediate investigations to know what the cause was from members of SIRT. In addition to that, the departments from Mega-Corp together with DLA Piper should lend a hand in the Subject Matter Expert (SME). The SME is able to bring about difficult technical information by employing the use of terms and concepts that the final user can easily grasp no matter what level they belong to in an organization. This ensures that, in Mega-Corp, there will be content accuracy of corporate policies. Include a communication strategy that will ensure members of this team have all of the information they need to be successful, if called upon to respond to an incident Reporting Procedures When there has been any security threat, detected employees should inform their NSO. It is therefore mandatory that they know the NSO. If the NSO cannot be reached then the NSM should be reached and if he or she is not available then the ISSO and if all else fails contact the office of the ISBR. The CIO can also be notified by the ISBR and all this should be done in a timely fashion so that the effects of the threat are minimized. If the CIO feels that, the breach was too serious then he or she should report to the CHFI for appropriate response options. If it is suspected that criminal activity is involved then proper legal counsel should be sought. Incident priorities Incase of the following ever happens they should be given top priority: Possible life-threatening activity Attacks on the Internet infrastructure Root name servers Domain name servers Major archive sites Network access points (NAPs) Widespread automated attacks against Internet sites Network/packet sniffers Router attacks Root compromises The procedure of handling such incidences is through; Reports, Training scenarios and Documents that can be handed off to law enforcement, when necessary. It is the duty of employees never to disclose any information about incidents, which happen in an organization to anyone apart from those in the chain of reporting (MTU, 2011). After reporting an incident to the right authorities, there has to be thorough investigations into the matter to come up with possible solutions. Timely reporting allows all members of the incident response team to play their roles effectively. Detection, reporting and analysis of an incident guarantee that the incident is contained. Containment includes decision making however, they depend on the type of incident. Incidents can be communicated through various ways including email, phone conversations and notice boards. Communication can also be done in person. Nevertheless, only those within the incident response team should have access to the information about potential and existing incidents. Depending on the type of incident, the response team should develop appropriate measure to counteract further incidents within the organization. The information technology team should be trained on ways to maintain the operations of the system. Every member of the response team needs to be provided with the right resources to recognize report and analyze the incidents in the organization. After discovering what caused the incident, the response team should take effective measures to ensure that it does not happen again and come up with supplementary resources that would be needed to identify report, evaluate and mitigate future incidents. Reference: Department of Homeland Security. (2012). Protected critical infrastructure information (PCII) program. Retrieved at dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0404.shtm Guide for the Role and Responsibilities of an Information Security Officer within State Government, (2008). Retrieved at cio.ca.gov/ois/government/documents/pdf/iso_roles_respon_guide.pdf International Legal Technology Association. (2012). ILTA membership benefits. Retrieved at iltanet.org Job Description of an Information Systems Security Officer, (2012). Retrieved at http://education-portal.com/articles/Job_Description_of_an_Information_Systems_Security_Officer.html Kruse, W.G., Heiser, J.G. (2001). Computer Forensics: Incident Response Essentials MTU, (2011).Information Security Plan. Retrieved at security.mtu.edu/policies-procedures/ISP_Final.pdf Nelson, B., Phillips, A., Enfinger, F., Steurt, C. (2008) Guide to computer forensics and investigations

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was the charismatic leader of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He directed the year-long Montgomery bus boycott, which attracted scrutiny by a wary, divided nation, but his leadership and the resultant Supreme Court ruling against bus segregation brought him fame. He formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests and delivered over than 2,500 speeches addressing racial injustice, but his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968. Fast Facts: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Known For: Leader of the U.S. civil rights movementAlso Known As: Michael Lewis King Jr.Born: Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GeorgiaParents: Michael King Sr., Alberta WilliamsDied: April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TennesseeEducation: Crozer Theological Seminary, Boston UniversityPublished Works: Stride Toward Freedom, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?Awards and Honors: Nobel Peace PrizeSpouse: Coretta ScottChildren: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, BerniceNotable Quote: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Early Life Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Michael King Sr., pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta Williams, a Spelman College graduate and former schoolteacher. King lived with his parents, a sister, and a brother in the Victorian home of his maternal grandparents. Martin- named Michael Lewis until he was 5- thrived in a middle-class family, playing football and baseball, delivering newspapers, and doing odd jobs. Their father was involved in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and had led a successful campaign for equal wages for white and black Atlanta teachers. When Martins grandfather died in 1931, Martins father became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, serving for 44 years. After attending the World Baptist Alliance in Berlin in 1934, King Sr. changed his and his sons name from Michael King to Martin Luther King, after the Protestant reformist. King Sr. was inspired by Martin Luthers courage of confronting institutionalized evil. College King entered Morehouse College at 15. He was uncertain about following in the footsteps of the familys clergymen, questioning religions relevance in addressing segregation and poverty among his people. King rebelled against a life of service to God, playing pool, drinking beer, and underachieving his first two years at Morehouse. King studied sociology and considered law school while reading voraciously. He was fascinated by Henry David Thoreaus essay On Civil Disobedience and its idea of noncooperation with an unjust system. King decided that social activism was his calling and religion the best means to that end. He was ordained as a minister in February 1948, the year he graduated with a sociology degree at age 19. Seminary In September 1948, King entered the predominately white Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania. He read works by great theologians but despaired that no philosophy was complete within itself. Then, hearing a lecture about Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, he became captivated by his concept of passive resistance. King concluded that the Christian doctrine of love, operating through nonviolence, could be a powerful weapon for his people. In 1951, King graduated at the top of his class with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In September of that year, he enrolled in doctoral studies at Boston Universitys School of Theology. Marriage While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, a singer studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. Coretta hesitated about dating a minister but was persuaded when King said she had all the qualities he desired in a wife. The couple married on June 18, 1953. Kings father performed the ceremony at Corettas family home in Marion, Alabama. They returned to Boston to complete their degrees. King was invited to preach in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, which had a history of civil rights activism. The pastor was retiring. King captivated the congregation and became the pastor in April 1954. Coretta was committed to her husbands work but was conflicted about her role. King wanted her to stay home with their four children: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice. Montgomery Bus Boycott When King arrived in Montgomery to join the Dexter Avenue church, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local NAACP chapter, had been arrested for refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white man. Parks Dec. 1, 1955, arrest presented the perfect opportunity to make a case for desegregating the transit system. E.D. Nixon, former head of the local NAACP chapter, and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, a close friend of King, contacted King and other clergymen to plan a citywide bus boycott. The group drafted demands and stipulated that no African-American would ride the buses on Dec 5. That day, nearly 20,000 black citizens refused bus rides. Because blacks comprised 90 percent of the passengers, most buses were empty. When the boycott ended 381 days later, Montgomerys transit system was nearly bankrupt. Then on Dec. 20, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that enforcing segregation on public transit was unconstitutional. Buoyed by success, the movements leaders met in January 1957 in Atlanta and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests through black churches. King was elected president and held the post until his death. In early 1958, Kings first book, Stride Toward Freedom, was published. While signing books in Harlem, New York, King was stabbed by a mentally ill black woman. As he recovered, he visited Indias Gandhi Peace Foundation in February 1959 to refine his protest strategies. Birmingham In April 1963, King and the SCLC joined Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in a nonviolent campaign to end segregation and force Birmingham, Alabama, businesses to hire blacks. Fire hoses and vicious dogs were unleashed on the protesters by â€Å"Bull† Connors policemen. King was thrown into jail, where he wrote Letter From a Birmingham Jail, affirming his peaceful philosophy. The brutal images galvanized the nation. Money poured in to support the protesters; white sympathizers joined demonstrations. By summer, thousands of public facilities nationwide were integrated, and companies began to hire blacks. The resulting political climate pushed passage of civil rights legislation. On June 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedys assassination. March on Washington Then came the March on Washington, D.C.,  on Aug. 28, 1963. Nearly 250,000 Americans listened to speeches by civil rights activists, but most had come for King. The Kennedy administration, fearing violence, edited a speech by John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and invited white organizations to participate, causing some blacks to denigrate the event. Malcolm X labeled it the â€Å"farce in Washington. Crowds far exceeded expectations. Speaker after speaker addressed them. The heat grew oppressive, but then King stood up. His speech started slowly, but King stopped reading from notes, either by inspiration or gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouting, â€Å"Tell em about the dream, Martin!† He had had a dream, he declared, â€Å"that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† It was the most memorable speech of his life. Nobel Prize King, now known worldwide, was designated Time magazines â€Å"Man of the Year† in 1963. He won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year, donating his $54,123 prize to advancing civil rights. Not everyone was thrilled by Kings success. Since the bus boycott, King had been under scrutiny by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoping to prove King was under communist influence, Hoover filed a request with Attorney General Robert Kennedy to put him under surveillance, including break-ins at homes and offices and wiretaps. Poverty In the summer of 1964, Kings nonviolent concept was challenged by deadly riots in the North. King believed their origins were segregation and poverty and shifted his focus to poverty, but he couldnt garner support. He organized a campaign against poverty in 1966 and moved his family into Chicagos black ghetto, but he found that strategies successful in the south didnt work in Chicago. Blacks turned from Kings peaceful course to the radical concepts of Malcolm X. King refused to yield, addressing what he considered the harmful philosophy of Black Power in his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? King sought to clarify the link between poverty and discrimination and to address Americas increased involvement in Vietnam, which he considered unjustifiable and discriminatory toward the poor. Kings last major effort, the Poor Peoples Campaign, was organized with other civil rights groups to bring impoverished people to live in tent camps on the National Mall starting April 29, 1968. Last Days Earlier that spring, King had gone to Memphis, Tennessee, to join a march supporting a strike by black sanitation workers. After the march began, riots broke out; 60 people were injured and one person was killed, ending the march. On April 3, King gave what became his last speech. He wanted a long life, he said, and had been warned of danger in Memphis but said death didnt matter because hed been to the mountaintop and seen the promised land. On April 4, 1968, King stepped onto the balcony of Memphis Lorraine Motel. A rifle bullet tore into his face. He died at St. Josephs Hospital less than an hour later. Kings death brought widespread grief to a violence-weary nation. Riots exploded across the country. Legacy Kings body was brought home to Atlanta to lie at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he had co-pastored with his father for many years. At Kings April 9, 1968, funeral, great words honored the slain leader, but the most apropos eulogy was delivered by King himself, via a recording of his last sermon at Ebenezer: If any of you are around when I meet my day, I dont want a long funeral...Id like someone to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others...And I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. King had achieved much in the short span of 11 years. With accumulated travel topping 6 million miles, King could have gone to the moon and back 13 times. Instead, he traveled the world, making over 2,500 speeches, writing five books, leading eight major nonviolent efforts for social change, and being arrested over 20 times. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan created a national holiday to celebrate the man who did so much for the United States. Sources Abernathy, Ralph David. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography. Paperback, Unabridged edition, Chicago Review Press, April 1, 2010. Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63. America in the King Years, Reprint edition, Simon Schuster, November 15, 1989. Garrow, David. Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Paperback, Reprint edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, January 6, 2004. ï » ¿Hansen, Drew. Mahalia Jackson and Kings Improvisation.† The New York Times, Aug. 27, 2013. McGrew, Jannell. â€Å"The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed the World. X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. Alex Haley, Attallah Shabazz, Paperback, Reissue edition, Ballantine Books, November 1992.

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Describe how European colonists' relations with these populations - Essay Example Since, the 15th and 16th centuries, the western powers were in a scrabble to show dominance either in Europe or in foreign countries by the way of acquiring more territories. As such, they were in a competition for power within European power politics.1 However, even as they did this, they encountered opposition to their plans inform of military resistance and political and diplomatic responses. Ideally, the western powers interacted with the colony populations in through actual colonialism, slave trade, and missionary relations that encompassed religious intrusions. Generally, colonialism involved unequal relationships between the European colonialists’ and the indigenous population. Such relations have been marred with violent acts. This results from the fact that the colonial rulers make fundamental decisions on behalf of the colonies with an aim of fulfilling their interests and denouncing the indigenous people’s interests. This leads to political conflicts and dish armony in the colonies. Additionally, the quest to bring to a centralized control of a vast number of territories jeopardizes the diverse cultures involved and thus the political conflicts. In matters relating to slavery, European colonialists captured and sold Africans to other European traders. This was probably the greatest source of conflict between the colonialists and the indigenous people. The manner in which this process was carried was inhumane and hence the disharmony in their relations. Indeed, the European colonialists looked down on Africa’s rich cultures by mistreating them and subjecting them to slavery. Moreover, they sought to have them denounce their culture and adopt the western culture that did not augur well with the indigenous people hence the continued political conflicts and disharmony. Additionally, even the missionaries contributed a lot to the rise of political conflict between the European

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