The Russian Ruble Crisis Of 1998 Economics Essay

The Russian Ruble Crisis Of 1998 Economics Essay The Russian Ruble Crisis of 1998 is termed as among the worst financial crisis to hit the Russian economy. The Crisis is believed to have been triggered by a number of factors. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 is a major cause of the crisis as it led to declines in the world commodity prices (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 7). Just to be appreciated is the fact that Russian economy was heavily dependent on oil. There are other reasons such as the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the economic difficulties it brought to the Russian nation. Another common cited reason is poor financial policy practices by the Russian government as well as political crisis that were witnessed in the nation earlier that year (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 7). The Russian financial crisis had various political and economic consequences. First, the crisis compromised the confidence of the citizens of Russian to the government of president Yeltsin. Indeed, facing much opposition in the parliament, Yeltsin was forced to fire Kiriyenko  as the prime minister and nominated Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov to the position (Tarassova, Kraakman, Black 2000, p. 12). On the economic front, the Russian crisis led to the collapsing of the Russian stock, bond, and currency market on august 13, 1998. This was a direct result of investors fear that the government could devalue the ruble as well as claims of failure by the government to repay its domestic debts. This paper gives a critical analysis on the causes and consequences of the Russian Crisis 1998. Causes of the Russian Crisis 1998 The Russian Crisis 1998 was triggered by a combination of various independent factors. First, the Russian nation experienced a decline in its productivity (Colorado School of Business 2009). According to available statistics, the Russian economic was highly dependent on petroleum, natural gas, metal, timber exports which accounted for an estimated 80 percent of its exports. It is claimed that the Asian financial crisis of 1997 significantly compromised the export demand as well as prices for these key Russian export commodities (Colorado School of Business 2009). All these had the implication of negating the nations ability to pay its workers and its domestic debts, a factor that evidently led the country into a financial crisis. Another cause of the crisis is the fact that the government relied mainly on foreign capital inflows which were marked with extremely high interest rates (McArdle 2010). The sustainable growth of an economy is greatly determined by the ability of the government to finance its affairs from its tax revenue collections. However, the Russian government was in 1998 facing an increase in its internal loan, a factor that called for engagement into external borrowing to finance them (Colorado School of Business 2009). As an explanation of this claim is the move to hike GKO interest rates to an estimated 150 percent by Kiriyenko in June 1998. Irregular internal loan payment is also to be blamed for the Russian crisis 1998 (McArdle 2010). Statistical evidence indicates that despite the many efforts by the government to resolve its internal debts, wage debts, particularly in remote regions continued to grow. This had negative impact on the nations ability to fund key budget items such as communal utilities among others. It is claimed that the government was faced with an estimated $12.5 on wage debts by early August 1998 (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 9). This prompted workers to engage on strikes, a move that further complicated the economic productivity of the nation. Still, the war on Chechnya and its economic implications were cited as a potential cause of the Russian financial crisis of 1998 (Tarassova, Kraakman, Black 2000, p. 27). According to available historical information, the war cost on the Russian economy is approximated at $5.5 billion. Just to be appreciated here is the fact that this cost is exclusive of the costs incurred in reconstruction of the ruined economy of Chechnya after the war (Tarassova, Kraakman, Black 2000, p. 27). The opposition by the left wing parties of the government which led to failure to adopt anti-crisis policies by the government by mid 1998 is also another cause of the crisis. It is also claimed that prior to the meltdown, a loan given to Russian by the world bank and the International Monetary Fund was stolen, thus never functioned to serve its intended purpose. The most cited reason behind the Russian financial crisis is the ruble-dollar exchange rates crisis (McArdle 2010). During this time, the Russian government had ordered the central bank to ensure that the ruble exchange rates remained at a preset range. Based on this reasoning therefore, the central bank was forced to invest its foreign reserves in buying rubles if the exchange rate seemed to go beyond such limits. Indeed, this was a major threat to its ability to maintain reasonable foreign reserve (McArdle 2010). It is claimed that the Russian government and other non-government borrower had borrowed large amounts of foreign investment capital over the 1995-1998 period in the form of US dollars. This meant having a huge US dollar inflow for serving these debts (Marshall 2001, p. 26). However, the central bank had spent most of its foreign reserve in sustaining its floating peg policy on the rubles. This only served to negatively affect the exchange value for rubles as well as the governments ability to settle the huge international capital debts. This was further compromised by the poor government policies which negated investor confidence, causing them to sell most of their rubles and assets in Russian (Marshall 2001, p. 29). Indeed, the collapsing of the stock bond and currency market was a direct result of lack of confidence by investor due to eminent devaluing of the exchange value of ruble by the government. According to available information, the value of the stock market had reduced by an estimated over 75 percent between January and August, 1998 (Colorado School of Business 2009). This, coupled with the other economic problems facing the nation at the time signified a real threat to investments. Economic and political implications of the crisis The Russian crisis of 1998 had various social, economic and political consequences. Following the crisis, the ruble exchange value steadily depreciated reaching 21 rubles per US dollar by the September 2nd 1998 (Colorado School of Business 2009). This move prompted the central bank to abandon the ruble floating peg policies, a factor that saw the value of ruble depreciate to 22.5 by the end of the year. It is estimated that the inflation rate in Russian economy in 1998 reached the 98 percent considerably hiking the welfare costs of its citizens (McArdle 2010). The crisis oversaw the closure of various banks in Russia such as Inkombank, Oneximbank and Tokobank. It is claimed that the wage debts by coal miners in the nation grew to more than one percent of the governments overall budget (Colorado School of Business 2009). Still, the crisis led to an increase in food commodities in the nation by 100 percent (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 13). In a move to stabilize its inflated economy, the government quadrupled the prices of imported products. All these served to negate the social and economic lifestyle of the Russian citizens. Another consequence of the Russian crisis is that it led commodity and financial controls through administrative techniques by region governments (Tarassova, Kraakman, Black 2000, p. 27). Governor Aleksandr Lebed for example signed a resolution for bringing down commodity prices in the Krasnoyarsk Krai region. It is also claimed that the eastern region imposed banns for commodity flow beyond the port city to safeguard the food supply for the city residents. In Baltic, tax to the federal government was suspended. All these had the end result of compromising regional budgets and GDP from 18.2 percent in 1997 to an estimated 10.8 percent during the first quarter of the 2000 financial years (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 16). The Russian crisis led to a heated political crisis on the Yeltsin government. By august 23, 1998, Yeltsin fired the then prime minister Kiriyenko (Owyang, Chiodo 2002, p. 16). However, his intend to reinstate Chernomyrdin as the prime minister and his successor for the presidency received massive opposition by the parliament. This is because Chernomyrdin was claimed to have failed in implementing economic reforms in March 1998 when he was the prime minister (Tarassova, Kraakman, Black 2000, p. 31). The parliament nevertheless anonymously approved the appointment of Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov as the prime minister in September 11 as he was perceived as capable of resolving conflicts by Russias quarreling political interest groups. Conclusion It is clearly established that the Russian crisis 1998 was caused by structural weaknesses of Russias fiscal management as well as currency crisis, transparency and contagion. The ruble floating peg policy by the central bank compromised its foreign reserves thus limiting its ability to settle its international capital debts (McArdle 2010). This was further complicated by its huge wage debts and the eroded investor confidence which led to the sale of most their assets including rubles and stocks. Therefore, the crisis is a real example of the social, economic, and political implications of having poor government policies.

Stereotypical Old West Lawman in the Radio Series Gunsmoke :: Gunsmoke

Stereotypical Old West Lawman in the Radio Series Gunsmoke When considering the attributes of the Old West lawman, the mind frequently turns to the lawmen made familiar through works of fiction, created for the purposes of entertainment. One specific example of such a fictional depiction of "the lawman" exists in the episodic radio series entitled, "Gunsmoke." In this series, Matt Dillon, the Sheriff of Dodge City, repeatedly exhibits many qualities, which could be labeled as stereotypical. After analyzing several Gunsmoke episodes, and reviewing the analyses of many others, one trait, which seems to be present in Matt Dillon, is that of invincibility. Matt Dillon shoots the "bad guy" but never gets shot. He is always victorious. He always wins. We can see this pattern exemplified in three diverse situations. First, Dillon always wins a face to face gunfight. Secondly, Dillon is victorious even when he is ambushed or unprepared for an attack. And finally, Dillon wins even when no physical violence or gunplay takes place. The turnover rate, not to mention the stress level, for authentic sheriffs of the Old West was probably quite high. For a radio sheriff, like Matt Dillon, there was undoubtedly a lot of comfort in the assurance that he had to be in the next episode. No quick drawing, ne'er do well would ever best him. The gunfights were frequent and always ended the same way. In the episode entitled "Crack Up" for example, a known killer named Nate Springer, comes to Dodge specifically to do away with Dillon. After much planning and plotting, when the smoke clears from the climactic gun battle, it is Springer sprawled in the dust as the victorious Dillon reholsters his trusty weapon ("Crack-Up." 02-26-55). Similarly, in the episode entitled "Monopoly," an experienced killer named Cam Speckle, who has had a notorious past and had succeeded in outdrawing and killing a man in the street just moments before facing Dillon, falls victim to the Marshall's uncanny accuracy ("Monopoly" 5-22-54). These are onl y two of the innumerable instances in which Marshall Dillon conquers all comers. Another situation from which Marshall Dillon emerges unscathed, is the classic ambush. A determined killer lays in wait, trains his weapon on Dillon, and misses. This very scenario took place in the episode entitled "Paid Killer." Ed Granger, a killer for hire, has accepted $5,000 in gold to kill Matt. He picks a deserted street, takes careful aim and attempts to shoot Dillon, who is nonchalantly strolling down the sidewalk. Stereotypical Old West Lawman in the Radio Series Gunsmoke :: Gunsmoke Stereotypical Old West Lawman in the Radio Series Gunsmoke When considering the attributes of the Old West lawman, the mind frequently turns to the lawmen made familiar through works of fiction, created for the purposes of entertainment. One specific example of such a fictional depiction of "the lawman" exists in the episodic radio series entitled, "Gunsmoke." In this series, Matt Dillon, the Sheriff of Dodge City, repeatedly exhibits many qualities, which could be labeled as stereotypical. After analyzing several Gunsmoke episodes, and reviewing the analyses of many others, one trait, which seems to be present in Matt Dillon, is that of invincibility. Matt Dillon shoots the "bad guy" but never gets shot. He is always victorious. He always wins. We can see this pattern exemplified in three diverse situations. First, Dillon always wins a face to face gunfight. Secondly, Dillon is victorious even when he is ambushed or unprepared for an attack. And finally, Dillon wins even when no physical violence or gunplay takes place. The turnover rate, not to mention the stress level, for authentic sheriffs of the Old West was probably quite high. For a radio sheriff, like Matt Dillon, there was undoubtedly a lot of comfort in the assurance that he had to be in the next episode. No quick drawing, ne'er do well would ever best him. The gunfights were frequent and always ended the same way. In the episode entitled "Crack Up" for example, a known killer named Nate Springer, comes to Dodge specifically to do away with Dillon. After much planning and plotting, when the smoke clears from the climactic gun battle, it is Springer sprawled in the dust as the victorious Dillon reholsters his trusty weapon ("Crack-Up." 02-26-55). Similarly, in the episode entitled "Monopoly," an experienced killer named Cam Speckle, who has had a notorious past and had succeeded in outdrawing and killing a man in the street just moments before facing Dillon, falls victim to the Marshall's uncanny accuracy ("Monopoly" 5-22-54). These are onl y two of the innumerable instances in which Marshall Dillon conquers all comers. Another situation from which Marshall Dillon emerges unscathed, is the classic ambush. A determined killer lays in wait, trains his weapon on Dillon, and misses. This very scenario took place in the episode entitled "Paid Killer." Ed Granger, a killer for hire, has accepted $5,000 in gold to kill Matt. He picks a deserted street, takes careful aim and attempts to shoot Dillon, who is nonchalantly strolling down the sidewalk.

Laundry :: essays research papers

Fold your shirt Find a flat, open space to fold your clothes. A bed, or a clean table or floor are all good spots. Put each folded garment out of the way in a clean space as you finish with each piece. It's best to fold items when they are still warm. Lie the garment on a flat surface and smooth out the wrinkles. If smoothed when warm, they'll stay that way. Shirts: Hold the shirt by its shoulders. Flap up and down once or twice so it hangs straight. Lay it face-down on the folding surface and smooth out any folds. You can do an extra neat job by pulling gently on the side seams to smooth out the back. Now start folding. Fold the shirt lengthwise along the line of the outer edge of the collar or neck band. Smooth the sleeve out, using your fingers to pull at the seam, making it slightly taut. Fold the other side over. Fold it lengthwise, along the line of the outer edge of the collar. Repeat the sleeve-smoother technique. Fold the shirt in half. Take the bottom edge of the shirt with both hands and fold it up to the collar. You're done--onto the next one! To Fold a Shirt: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lie the shirt flat. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold arms over until they meet in middle of the shirt. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold shoulders over until they are equal with each other. To Hang a Shirt: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hang the shirt on the hanger as shown above. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Or, if there are clips on your hanger, clip the shirt on the shoulders. To Fold Socks: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place one sock on top of the other. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grab three of the top layers of elastic with one thumb, while holding one layer with the other. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roll your thumbs away from each other until the elastic on the sock is fully turned inside out. To Fold Underwear: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold the two sides of the garmet together until they meet. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold over once more if necessary. Folding laundry is an important skill that every person should know since it will be imperative when it comes time to do your laundry in college. Having your laundry folded crisp and tight is very important. You always want your clothing fresh and neat every time you get dressed. It is a good idea to fold clothing while they are still warm because this will help avoid wrinkles and make for a smoother fold. The longer you wait to fold your laundry the more wrinkled and dirty it will get.

Random Drug Testing is a Waste of Time Essay -- Essays on Drug Testing

Her grades fell. She was always tired. She never seemed to be able to focus at school. Classes she used to be interested in became utterly mundane. Friends she used to care about became replaceable. She stopped spending time with her family. She sat on the bench at every soccer game instead of becoming the star player her coaches thought she could. This is what addiction to drugs can do to a young person’s life. Addiction can take away everything that once made that young person happy. The only thing that matters anymore is the drug, getting high, and getting higher. It is a horrible and tragic thing that destroys so many young lives. Some people think that in order to prevent these situations, the best solution is random drug testing. But this is not a reasonable solution whatsoever. Many more students are using and selling drugs as they roam around the campus, but will never be â€Å"caught† with such a fickle and illusive process. Random student drug testing is not a plausible solution for the drug problem in public schools; it is unreliable and it infringes on the lives of those students involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those who support random drug testing argue that the growing trend of drug testing a small population of students in a school is effective at attacking the drug abuse problem, because fewer students will use when there is an obvious consequence (Drug Testing in School Activities 2). They believe if a drug problem is identified early enough, there is a better chance for rehabilitation. This is true, and with this approach, maybe one life can be saved (Legal Issues of Dwiggins 2 School Drug Testing 1). Of course it is worth all the trouble of drug testing many innocent students if one drug addict can be identified and helped, but would it not be much better if that same student’s drug problem, and hundreds more, could have been prevented altogether? (Student Drug Testing News 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We cannot identify a drug problem in a significant number of students if only a small percentage is tested; a solid drug education program would be much more effective. It takes something a lot more earth shattering than the DARE program to steer young people away from experimenting with drugs. Sure, DARE does a great job at teaching kids different ways to say no, but do they ever really learn why they are saying no? Does DARE ... ... Joan. â€Å"Drug-testing case generates sparks; Lawsuit over school policy hotly debated.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  USA Today 20 March 2002, A02. â€Å"Drug Testing In Schools Should Be Sensibly Restricted.† Tampa Tribune 22 March 2002, 18. Franz MD, Joseph C. â€Å"Drug Testing in School Activities.† Fall 1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (14 April 2002) Greenberger, Robert S. â€Å"Court to Hear Arguments on Case Pitting Drug Tests Against Privacy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Wall Street Journal 15 March 2002, B5. Lane, Charles. â€Å"Court to Weigh Drug Testing by Schools; Justices to Decide if Choir, Club   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Members’ Privacy, Like Athletes’, May Be Breached.† The Washington Post 17 March   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002, A10. â€Å"Legal Issues of School Drug Testing.† (25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 2002). â€Å"Student Drug Testing News.† (25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 2002). â€Å"Urban75 Drug Infoâ€Å" (5 March 2002) Random Drug Testing is a Waste of Time Essay -- Essays on Drug Testing Her grades fell. She was always tired. She never seemed to be able to focus at school. Classes she used to be interested in became utterly mundane. Friends she used to care about became replaceable. She stopped spending time with her family. She sat on the bench at every soccer game instead of becoming the star player her coaches thought she could. This is what addiction to drugs can do to a young person’s life. Addiction can take away everything that once made that young person happy. The only thing that matters anymore is the drug, getting high, and getting higher. It is a horrible and tragic thing that destroys so many young lives. Some people think that in order to prevent these situations, the best solution is random drug testing. But this is not a reasonable solution whatsoever. Many more students are using and selling drugs as they roam around the campus, but will never be â€Å"caught† with such a fickle and illusive process. Random student drug testing is not a plausible solution for the drug problem in public schools; it is unreliable and it infringes on the lives of those students involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those who support random drug testing argue that the growing trend of drug testing a small population of students in a school is effective at attacking the drug abuse problem, because fewer students will use when there is an obvious consequence (Drug Testing in School Activities 2). They believe if a drug problem is identified early enough, there is a better chance for rehabilitation. This is true, and with this approach, maybe one life can be saved (Legal Issues of Dwiggins 2 School Drug Testing 1). Of course it is worth all the trouble of drug testing many innocent students if one drug addict can be identified and helped, but would it not be much better if that same student’s drug problem, and hundreds more, could have been prevented altogether? (Student Drug Testing News 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We cannot identify a drug problem in a significant number of students if only a small percentage is tested; a solid drug education program would be much more effective. It takes something a lot more earth shattering than the DARE program to steer young people away from experimenting with drugs. Sure, DARE does a great job at teaching kids different ways to say no, but do they ever really learn why they are saying no? Does DARE ... ... Joan. â€Å"Drug-testing case generates sparks; Lawsuit over school policy hotly debated.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  USA Today 20 March 2002, A02. â€Å"Drug Testing In Schools Should Be Sensibly Restricted.† Tampa Tribune 22 March 2002, 18. Franz MD, Joseph C. â€Å"Drug Testing in School Activities.† Fall 1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (14 April 2002) Greenberger, Robert S. â€Å"Court to Hear Arguments on Case Pitting Drug Tests Against Privacy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Wall Street Journal 15 March 2002, B5. Lane, Charles. â€Å"Court to Weigh Drug Testing by Schools; Justices to Decide if Choir, Club   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Members’ Privacy, Like Athletes’, May Be Breached.† The Washington Post 17 March   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002, A10. â€Å"Legal Issues of School Drug Testing.† (25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 2002). â€Å"Student Drug Testing News.† (25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 2002). â€Å"Urban75 Drug Infoâ€Å" (5 March 2002)

Should Smoking Be Illegal

Introduction/Thesis Statement: People who smoke should have the right to smoke if that is their desire. The Bill of Rights states that as an American we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For some people, smoking makes them happy and calms them down in stressful situations. As an American it should be your choice as to whether or not you smoke. Our forefathers based our constitution on our basic human rights. Increasingly vocal â€Å"smokers'-rights† groups, allied with some civil libertarians, have decried the work of governmental â€Å"nannies† that â€Å"refuse to treat smokers as adults. † Clark, C. S. (1992, December 4). Crackdown on smoking. CQ Researcher, 2, 1049-1072. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from CQ Researcher Online,http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1992120400. Jefferson City, Missouri just recently passed its own smoking ban, which is city wide. This means that any citizen that might want to smoke will have to hide somewhere to do it. Apparently the smokers, were absent during this election. Making smoking illegal will only have even more far reaching consequences. Small businesses, particularly restaurants, hotels and transit providers, have warned us that smoking bans will cost them the clientele that sustains their livelihoods. Due to current city ordinances in Columbia, Missouri that have banned smoking, there have been at least fifteen local businesses that have gone out of business. News Tribune (2010), Smoking Ban Passes Anti- smoking groups have also been accused of feathering their own nests, spending more on salaries and fund raising than on research. It has been accused of being an industry that provides â€Å"employment for an army of smoker-bashers, and for many, the opportunity to amass personal fortunes,† writes Fred Phillis, a Trumbull, Conn. , public relations consultant and smokers’-rights activist. There is no denying the health risks that are involved when someone smokes. There are over 400,000 deaths per year that have been directly linked to smoking. This should still be our choice to make, just as it is our choice about whether to watch TV or not. While there have been health issues related to second hand smoke, we cannot lose sight of the fact that, they can always go somewhere else to sit. Non-smokers do not have to sit by smokers. There is much to be said about not smoking, my own grandchildren are allergic to cigarette smoke. Also the University of North Carolina researchers reported that children of smokers showed a 38 percent higher chance of ear infections Clark, C. S. (1992, December 4). Crackdown on smoking. CQ Researcher, 2, 1049-1072. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from CQ Researcher Online,http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1992120400. It is still our choice to not smoke around our grandchildren, someone didn’t tell us not to. In the classic mold of social scapegoating, smokers have been stigmatized, ghettoized and threatened with cultural annihilation. â€Å"Smokers are being made to feel like social pariahs,† declares John F. Banzhaf III, a George Washington University law professor who founded the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Conclusion/Closing: â€Å"What we are also losing in this whole debate is science, which has become political,† says Walker Merryman, a vice president of The Tobacco Institute. Those are the business people who hav e to try to operate when their economic life is threatened? † In conclusion I have but one thought â€Å"Give me a place, even if it's outside. But you just can't legislate it out of my life. †

Privacy and Security Breaces at Acxiom

Privacy and Security Breaches at Acxiom: Case Study Chapter 4 Privacy and Security Breaches at Acxiom: Case Study Chapter 4 Acxiom might be the most important organization that most of us have never heard of. They are the â€Å"world’s largest processor of consumer data, collecting and analyzing more than a billion records a day† (Bigdoli, 2012). Acxiom was founded in 1969, and its’ headquarters is located in Little Rock, Arkansas (About Acxiom, 2013). â€Å"Its customers include nine of the country's top ten credit-card issuers, as well as nearly all the major retail banks, insurers, and automakers† (Behar, 2012).Unfortunately, Acxiom has been faced with some breaches of security that have led the company make some important security changes/upgrades. In 2003, Daniel Bass, a 24 year old computer-systems administrator was found to have stolen the data of millions of individuals from Acxiom’s databases. He spent two years collecting this information and stored it on compact discs (Behar, 2004). He broke into their system by simply cracking passwords (Behar, 2004). Bass was not the only hacker to crack Acxiom however.While authorities were investigating Bass, they ultimately discovered an additional hacker group from Boca Raton, Florida, who had cracked the passwords for the same server that Bass had gotten into as well. While they accessed information for millions of people; it did not appear that either hacking incident resulted in the defrauding of any of the individuals whose data was stolen (Behar, 2012). Acxiom definitely needed to do something to beef up their security measures and protect their customers’ data.They first hired a chief security officer, which had not been a position until these incidents. The chief security officer instituted mandatory encryptions, as well as working to prevent cybercrimes. Acxiom additionally began to conduct security audits (both conducted from inside and outside firms) to test f or weaknesses in security. As far as privacy is concerned, Acxiom is considered to have one of the most stringent privacy policies there are. You can read it here: http://www. acxiom. com/about-acxiom/privacy/.They had a privacy officer long before they had a security officer. In terms of privacy, we are left questioning whether the government should have access to the information that is collected. I believe that the government should have only limited access. Acxiom was able to help the government with the investigation of the terrorist 9/11 attacks (Behar, 2004). The government should only be granted access to information relevant to important cases, not just have free reign to interpret all of the data any way they see fit.Other organizations might also feel they need access to this private data for security reasons. While I do not see how this could ever happen, the possible organizations that might feel they need access to such information might be school districts, private se curity firms, real estate professionals (especially high end), colleges and universities. While safety is an important issue at all of these places (and most others), having access to this sort of information does not guarantee safety, but in fact places unfair targets on many harmless individuals.References About Acxiom. (2013). Retrieved from Acxiom: http://www. acxiom. com/overview/ Behar, R. (2004, February 23). Never Heard Of Acxiom? Chances Are It's Heard Of You. How a little-known Little Rock company–the world's largest processor of consumer data–found itself at the center of a very big national security debate. Retrieved from CNN Money: http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/02/23/362182/index. htm Bidgoli, H. (2012). MIS2. Boston: Cengage Learning.

Citizen Kane in a Century

The film most likely to be seen and reviewed one hundred years from now is Citizen Kane. The reason Citizen Kane will most likely withstand the next century above the others is the timelessness the concept of the film carries. Based on the media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, the film conveys the sense that the media is controlled by the few with the most money and the most power, a concept that lends itself especially well to film in terms of plot development and tension. Plot and tension garner a large audience that might not otherwise be united on what makes a successful film.For instance, Welles’ use of then-innovative cinematic techniques might be the wedge between an average movie-goer and a film critic, but the use of these techniques added dimension to the plot and tension in ways that previously been unexplored. Now seen as part of the cinematic canon, low camera angles make Kane’s character appear larger-than-life, adding to the dramatic tension. Facial close -ups also added to film’s mood, as the audience became enmeshed in the complexity of the characters and what happened to them.The use of flashbacks was also innovative, telling a story onscreen in a then-unconventional way, adding layers and giving the audience cues into the nature of Kane’s rise to the top of the journalism field, the power and wealth it allowed him, and the crushing fall the fickleness of the media to which he was pushed. Citizen Kane will survive the coming century because it broke ground in narrative technique as well as cinematic creativity, paving the way for all the other films viewed this semester. Martha Stewart: The New Kane?Citizen Kane updated for the times would ambitiously look at the rise, fall, and subsequent rise of home-decorating mogul Martha Stewart. The star would be Cate Blanchett, as she would fit the role physically as well as act the role remarkably. Hilary Swank would play Stewart’s daughter, Alexis, and her husband, An dy, would be Robert Downey Jr. Extensive research would be done, of course, to make the parallels between the real life person on which the film is based and the fictional character representing that person.The title character would be Ruth Helen Kane so as to keep the original film title in tact, to keep the parallel somewhat acute (Stewart’s middle name is Helen), and to play on the word ruthless. The film would be shot using the same cinematic techniques in the same way as Welles used in his original film—heavy use of flashbacks, facial close ups, low camera angles, extended and uninterrupted scenes, subjective use of lighting, and focus shots. The difference would be that the film would not end with the character in jail, but would follow the steady rise back into her original position of power.Martha Stewart as subject would testify to the short attention span of the public today, as well as insinuate that power and wealth make everyone forget the past, alluding t o the 1984 Orwell ominously warned us about. This remake of the 1941 classic film would stay true to the original in the exploration of power and corruption but resonate with audiences today because of the obsession with celebrities and a desire to see them disgraced. Personality and CharacterWoody Allen is a personality star because he never breaks away from the same persona—an eccentric, extremely intelligent, inherently nervous New York Jew. His performance in Annie Hall cements his status as the eccentric, intelligent, nervous New York Jew because he says so throughout the film and throughout the others he writes, directs, and stars in. William Holden is a character star because he plays a believable Max Schumacher, and watching the film I see Max, the character, not Bill, the leading man.Compared to Annie Hall, where I see Woody, the writer/director/actor, rather than Alvie, the character, Holden’s performance makes me see the character, not the actor. Dustin Hoff man is another character star. His Ben Braddock recalls a vivid sense of youth that anyone can relate to, and Hoffman plays him so well that it would be easy to see Hoffman as Braddock in subsequent films were Hoffman not an excellent actor. Billy Bob Thornton is yet another character star, delivering one of the best performances of all the films this semester.The seeming detachment from emotion Karl breathes is conveyed in a clean, authentic manner, making Thornton more of a vessel for the character rather than a messenger. Robert Duvall is a character actor through and through. His characters in Apocalypse Now, Network and even in The Conversation are different from each other, and his long list of credits reveal that Duvall remains a diverse actor in a variety of roles. He does not come off as pigeon-holed into an actor playing the same character in different roles.Narrative in Annie Hall and Citizen Kane Annie Hall begins at the end of the relationship, with Alvie talking direct ly to the audience about his relationship with the title character, Annie Hall. The story is told through the use of flashbacks of Alvie’s previous relationships and his childhood, told often as if he is himself telling Annie these flashbacks. Such a scene occurs specifically when he and Annie go to Coney Island with Alvie’s friend and Alvie is telling Annie about his mother and father and family.The present Annie and Alvie walk in to the past Alvie’s home to look in on past Alvie’s parents and family and house. The scene cuts through the narrative barrier in flashback and brings the presents visibly into the past rather than separating the two. Allen uses the flashback in this way to show how people are forever bound to the past and carry it with them as if they always lived in it. Citizen Kane also relies heavily on flashback to tell its story and begins much the same way Annie Hall does, at the end of the story, Kane’s death.The audience sees Ka ne die, learns that he has in fact died via newspaper media, and then systematically learns about the road to his death. The reporter sent to investigate the man behind the mogul uncovers the life of Kane, told via the people who were closest to him. The use of flashback works especially well in learning how Kane came under guardianship of Thatcher, and the flashback is revealed via Thatcher’s memoirs rather than Thatcher himself. Such use of flashback reveals how much information is attained when first-hand sources are unavailable.