Critical Thinking Assignment: Taking a Position

State the key issue from the comic strip.
The key issue from the comic strip is an ethical issue about salary. The two co-workers are debating about increasing their salaries through a “glitch” in the system essentially giving themselves raises that only costs the company a fraction of a percentage of their gross profits. In the end, one co-worker reports the other to the Human Resources Hotline.

Does Anita suspend judgment before taking a position, or does she immediately take a position on the issue? Explain your answer.
Anita does suspend judgment before she takes a position on the matter. She tells Tanya (the other co-worker), “I’ll have to think about it.” This shoes that she is undecided on the matter and is already aware of the ethical situation.

Does Anita use logic when looking into the issue, or is her position based on a moral value judgment? Explain your answer.
At first Anita uses logic when looking into the issue. Her comment is “I dunno. Sounds risky…” which shows that she is more concerned about getting caught than the moral issue of costing the company money. However, in the end she uses moral value judgment when she “turns in” her co-worker Tanya because although it is something that is not right, it does not affect the main character, Anita, other than her conscience.

Does she solve a problem, make a decision, or take action as a result of taking the position she did? Explain your answer.
Anita solves the problem, makes a decision, and takes action as a result of taking the position that she did. She made the decision that what Tanya was doing was ethically wrong; she then both solved the problem and took action at the same time by calling the HR Hotline. She solved the problem in that she made the glitch aware to Human Resources and she took action about Tanya’s embezzlement.

Recall a situation in your life in which you took a position on an issue. The issue could concern a political matter, a family or community topic, or a moral or ethical problem.

State the issue, the position you took, and the considerations that helped you determine your position.
I have a very similar situation to the comic strip; I was overpaid recently by $45 when the accountant miscalculated my overtime. In the end I reported the error to accounting but I almost did not. I figured what’s $45? I can take my wife out to dinner with this? However in the end I wouldn’t feel right about it and I think I would constantly be thinking about it.

Did you suspend judgment before taking a position, or did you immediately take a position on the issue? Explain your answer.
I did not immediately take the position to report the error and I took me a few hours to mull it over. I wouldn’t say that I suspended judgment; it was more I went from the position of not reporting it to the position of reporting it.

Did you use logic when looking into the issue, or was the position you took based on a moral value judgment? Explain your answer.
This wasn’t a logical decision but more of a moral value judgment. I could always claim that I don’t scrutinize my paycheck and that they can deduct the money from my next check for their error in the case of an audit. However, I would always have that part of me nagging me that I knew they made a mistake and I did nothing about this.

Did you solve a problem, make a decision, or take action as a result of taking the position you did? Explain your answer.
I made a decision and took action as a result of the position I took. The decision was that it was morally wrong to keep the extra $45. The action I took was reporting the administrative error to accounting so they could deduct the amount from my paycheck.

Religion Final Project: Baha'i

During the progression of this course in the religions of the world, I have learned a lot more than I thought I would. I thought that this course would be more about the spirituality of religion and not so much the history or teachings of the specific religions. Fortunately, I was very wrong and I prefer that I was wrong. I went into this course with blinders on; I myself am undecided about my own spirituality and I did not want to be swayed by persuasive writing; I wanted to make a decision based on facts and truths and concepts rather than interpretations and threats or bribes. The easiest way for me to do this was to compare the unknown with the known – for me the known was Christianity. I was raised a Roman Catholic and drug to church weekly and accepted this as a way of life. I knew there was God rather than believed there was God. Once out of my parent’s domain, my spirituality evaporated; there were simply too many unanswered questions out there to pursue Catholicism. So I know Catholicism fairly well, I need to compare an unknown religion that perked my interest. This unknown faith is Baha'i.
The Baha'i faith itself is very easy to wrap one’s head around. It can be summarized in a short excerpt from the Baha'i official website (http://www.bahai.org/):
“Throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of divine Messengers, whose teachings guide and educate us and provide the basis for the advancement of human society. These Messengers have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. Their religions come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God. Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of these Messengers, brought new spiritual and social teachings for our time. His essential message is of unity. He taught the oneness of God, the oneness of the human family, and the oneness of religion. Bahá'u'lláh said, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens,” and that, as foretold in all the sacred scriptures of the past, now is the time for humanity to live in unity. Founded more than a century and a half ago, the Bahá'í Faith has spread around the globe. Members of the Bahá'í Faith live in more than 100,000 localities and come from nearly every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession, and social or economic background. Bahá'ís believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the nature and purpose of life and of the future of society. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.”
I really enjoyed this “Mission Statement” of the faith. The religion really can be summarized in a single word – “Unification.” Something that turned me away at first was the potential of the lack of traditions due to the religion being an “infant” compared to the other mainstream monotheistic religions; perhaps it is my Roman Catholic upbringing but tradition in worship is very important to me. But as I thought more, how can you have more tradition than a religion that combines and unifies all of the other monotheistic religions? One can read all of the research in the world and that can do them well in their pursuit of spirituality; however human beings are social creatures and I felt that in order to more deeply understand Baha'ism, I needed to question and interview a Baha'i, preferably a converted Baha'i.
As it turns out, my direct supervisor at my job is a Baha'i; more so he was raised a devout Roman Catholic in a Catholic orphanage. While I was raised in nowhere near the conditions and situations of an orphan, I thought the basic concepts and key stages of life matched up the same. My manager, Wayne, mentioned something to me about his faith when I was first hired and never hearing of Baha'ism before it perked my interest. Listening with half an ear, I determined that he was more or less talking about Islam which I did not really want anything to do with. However, a year and a half later, I was taking this very course and flipping through the syllabus before the class, flipping through the hundreds of pages of reading material, when my eyes fell onto a heading called Baha'i. Remembering my boss’s faith, I read the brief two page summary and hungered for more knowledge on the topic. What better way to get this information than to ask Wayne, a former Catholic. Planning ahead and knowing what my final project for the course would be, I, Nick Taylor, decided I could knock out two birds with one stone; I could do an interview for my final project in the course and learn something that interested me at the same time. At the warehouse where I work, in my boss Wayne Shepard’s office on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at about 1 o’clock in the afternoon, we began the interview. Please keep in mind that I was typing furiously in my laptop as I asked questions and he answered; the answers I have posted in this assignment are not word for word but as close as I can decipher.
Nick: “Wayne, if you had to describe Baha'i to someone who had never heard the word before, how would you do so in 30 seconds or less?” Wayne: “I think I could probably do better than 30 seconds – unification. Everything in Baha'ism is about unification – unifying major religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, world peace, male and female equality, elimination of extreme poverty and wealth, and the unification and harmony of science and religion.”
Nick: “Wayne, I am aware that you were raised Catholic. But perhaps you can tell me about your introduction in Baha'ism and how you converted from one religion to the other.” Wayne: “I never knew my mother or father as they gave me up for adoption. While I do have a brother and a sister, there were adopted by my “parents” as well. Until being adopted when I was 14, I was raised in a Catholic orphanage and things were different then. There was Jesus and God and what the Sisters told us they said was just how it is. There was no questioning why they said that or why it was that way and not this way; that’s just the way it was. I didn’t like the fact that nothing could be questioned – when I was adopted my foster parents did not push religion onto us and I quickly forgot about Catholicism. As a young man however, I had a lot of experiences that could only be described as there being Someone or Something out there. I had a friend in my band who was a Baha'i and I finally let him start talking about it to me. It all really made sense to me the more he talked. Bahá’ís want you to question things and come up with your own interpretations for things. Bahá’ís know that the times change and things that were taught thousands of years ago are maybe not so relevant now; this is really one of our core beliefs: the different Prophets and Messengers don’t contradict each other but complement each other. Each Prophet’s message over rules the Prophet’s message before his. So while Jesus’ message is true and shapes how we live, it was relevant to the time and Muhammad’s message is more accurate for today’s time.”
Nick: “What do you think the benefits of being Baha'i are? What are the negatives?” Wayne: “Well let me start off by saying that I don’t think that there are any negatives. When I was in the orphanage, I found myself saying, “Well I kind of agree with that statement but it’s not really how I feel.” Then I would just kind of go along with the flow. Being a Baha'i, there is nothing that I do not agree with. I like that there is no “wrong” religion and all of them are really the same religion just a different “dialect of the same language.” I like the fact that the religion is modern and combines science and religion; it’s not Creationism versus Evolutionism – the two exist in harmony. Being a Baha'i I really feel that a lot of the unanswered questions I had are now answered and explained.
Nick: “A lot of religions have a Book of Revelations or Armageddon or some prophecy about the End of Days. Does Baha'ism have one and if so what is it.” Wayne: “Baha'ism has an anti-End of Days prophecy; Baha'ism teaches of world peace. Wayne then showed me an excerpt from a book that he called “The Four Valleys”, one of the core Baha'ism texts. I have found the excerpt online to accurately post it (http://www.ufbahai.org/articles/new-cycle.html):
“This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the drawing together of all races and all classes. You are loosed from ancient superstitions which have kept men ignorant, destroying the foundation of true humanity. The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”

Nick: “Wayne, thank you very much for your time so far, you’ve been incredibly helpful. We only have five more questions to go. What are the key concepts of the Baha'ism?” Wayne: “Like I said earlier, you can over-simplify the key concepts of Baha'ism by saying that is all about unification. One concept is that all of mankind is unified. You and I are really brothers because we are both created out of God. Your wife is my sister and my wife is your sister. But that is pretty “standard” as Catholicism and other religions believe that as well. Another really big one is that men and women are equal which was something that was really key to me becoming Baha'i. In the Bible, there is obvious preference given to men. Now you can say that it was written originally with male preference or that throughout the years the Bible has been altered and male preference has been installed into the Bible. But if they made men better than women, what else has been tampered with the Bible? Bahá’ís teach that men and women are both equal in God’s eyes. Another one that I said earlier was the need to question your faith. Christianity asks you to blindly believe and do what God says to do. However, in Baha'ism you need to “see God in with your own eyes and not through the eyes of others.” Science and religion need to be in harmony as well. You can’t believe something spiritually and believe something factually that contradict – such as creationism and evolution because that is not synchronous. Religion and science need to complement each other. Another core belief is that there is only one God. This doesn’t mean that Baha'i’s only have one God; it means that all monotheistic religions share one God. The different religions are from God’s messengers being emphasized – Christianity has Jesus, Judaism has Abraham, and Islam has Muhammad. But there is only one God and all of these messengers “work together.” Bahá’ís also believe in world peace. In order for everything to be unified and everyone to be on the same page, there has to be everlasting world peace.”
Nick: “Why is this religion right and the other ones are wrong? Why is this religion the one to follow?” Wayne: “Baha'ism is not right or wrong just as Christianity is not right or wrong. Christianity is a religion that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who was the son of God. Baha'i’s believe that this is true. Baha'i’s just also believe that Muhammad was also a prophet of the same God, just as Abraham was. Baha'i just expounds and builds upon other religions combining them all. None of the religions are wrong or wasting their time.”
Nick: “According to my research, this religion originated in the Middle East. Is this confined just to the Middle East or is in the West as well?” Wayne: “-laughing- Well we aren’t in the Middle East and I’m Baha'i! I actually went to Israel to study and learn more about Baha'ism after I converted so that is obviously where the main concentration of Bahá’ís are. But yes the religion really is growing in the West. In my community I think we average a couple new people a month that join us for worship.”
Nick: “I just have one more question Wayne. What would you say to someone who was “spiritually challenged” and you could see needed some help?” Wayne: “I would tell them to come to a Baha'i meeting and give them literature about Baha'ism; that is how I got started on it and I never looked back.”
I thought that this interview was extremely helpful in learning about Baha'ism. It is always one thing to read about the religions online and in books and to compile your own conclusions but it is a whole other matter to talk to someone that is actually Baha'i and to “pick their brain” about the faith. However, I wanted to take Wayne up on his advice and attend a Baha'i meeting and learn as much as I could.
Unfortunately, attending the place of worship did not go as I would have hoped. Wayne is the treasurer of his local “chapter” of Bahá’ís. Baha'i is structured with a local committee, these members nominate and vote for a committee above them, so on and so forth until there is the final committee housed in Israel that is the governing body. Anyone that is currently a Baha'i can attend these committee meetings as anything that is happening in the Baha'i communities is everyone’s business. However, as I am not a Baha'i, I could not really see how these meetings were conducted. I could attend but they would not “talk shop” around. Instead, it was basically another interview, similar to what I had with Wayne but with the whole committee, that reaffirmed my interest in Baha'ism. The meeting was held at Wayne’s house and there were 6 other committee members present and the atmosphere was really inviting. Everyone was laughing and on very good terms with each other and really truly happy; they were more than happy to answer my questions and not act like they were doing me a religious favor but an educational favor and enlightening me. I really enjoyed that aspect of the meeting.
I keep finding how interesting it is that mainstream religions that claim to be so different from each other are so much alike. Baha'ism and Christianity are no different and the similarities, understandably since Bahá’ís acknowledge Christianity, are many. Christianity is based off of a single Prophet and Messenger, Jesus Christ. Baha'ism acknowledges and accepts Jesus Christ a messenger and prophet of God. The main beliefs between Christianity and Baha'ism are very comparable as well. Both religions have a very strong moral code such as peace, respect, and worship. The history of Christianity and Baha'ism is also very comparable; both religions were persecuted in their early years. Christians were persecuted by the Romans for many years before Rome itself adopted Christianity. Bahá'í are even now being persecuted, primarily in Iran. Wayne met his wife when he was in Israel, she had fled Iran because of the persecution and they met in Hafsa which is the seat of Baha'ism.
As there are comparisons between Baha'ism and Christianity, there are certainly differences as well. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ was the Prophet and Messenger but Baha'ism argues that Jesus Christ was simply a Prophet and Messenger of God. While Jesus Christ is still incredibly influential and should not be overlooked, he was not the only Prophet. Baha'ism also seems make men and women equals as well while Christianity is still struggling with this. While the Vatican has said that women need to be recognized, it is hard to contradict 2,000 years of tradition. Finally, possibly the biggest difference between Christianity and Baha'ism is the obvious one; age. Christianity is over 2,000 years old while Baha'ism is a mere 150 years old.
The interview that I conducted with Wayne was possibly the most beneficial aspect of all of my research. As I have stated before, there is something that is much more convincing and charismatic about hearing someone say something than reading something that someone wrote. I feel that it is also more beneficial to hear someone else’s interpretation of a message and concept to hear another perspective.
Overall, attending the place of worship was very nice. It would have been great to see and participate in actual worship, but interacting with the committee was a pleasant surprise. Again I was surprised how friendly everyone there was; it reminds me of a trip to Thailand. When I was in Thailand where the population was predominately Buddhist, I thought that the people there were the nicest and kindest people I had ever met. This committee reminded me of that; perhaps it is because Baha'ism has also adopted Buddhist teachings and acknowledges the Buddha as one of the early Prophets of God.
It was nice to see the comparisons between Christianity and Baha'ism as well. Perhaps it is because Christianity is familiar to me and Baha'ism is not; by having Christian elements I am not going completely into foreign territory. However the contrast between the two is nice as well because there are obviously some things that I do not agree with about Christianity or I would be a practicing Christian.
I have really enjoyed learning about Baha'ism. It does seem to answer a lot of the questions and issues that I had with Christianity. The religion itself is new and therefore the concepts are modern and practical in today’s world. I also see the growth and popularity of Baha'ism growing rapidly in the near future; it might actually see me joining its ranks before too long.






REFERENCES
Baha'i Official Website. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from http://www.bahai.org/
Baha'i Association of the University of Florida. Retrieved May 23, 2008 from http://www.ufbahai.org/articles/new-cycle.html

New Religion vs. Old Religion

How are newer religions different from older ones? How are they similar?

I think a lot of the newer religions are different from older ones in a lot of their secondary messages. I think that newer religions leave a lot of room for interpretation for science and today’s culture to fit in whereas older religions don’t really include that. For example, the bible straight out condemns homosexuality but many new denominations and religions don’t say yay or nay about it. Also there is the controversy of science vs. religion and specifically evolution vs. creation. Many new religions allow for this.

A lot of new religions are comparable to older religions as well. Most of the mainstream new religions adhere to the same moral code that all of the traditional religions also have. Also, it is interesting to see how religion compliments science and science compliments religion. For example, many traditional religions could not explain natural phenomena so they explained it with religious stories. However now that mankind has a much deeper and thorough understanding of life and the university, there are some things that we cannot explain with science – such as the complexity of life and a smooth evolutionary chain instead of one with key points – so they explain it with divine intervention.

Internet Privacy

What rights to privacy do people have when using the Internet at home? Are their privacy rights limited? Do those same rights and limits exist at work?

The privacy rights of someone on the Internet at their home is a gray area. Someone should be able to look at whatever they want to look at when they are at their home and on their time. This is basically freedom of speech – not only do you have the freedom to say whatever you want to say, you should have to freedom to see and hear whatever you want to see and hear. However, it is hard to deny that some things should be monitored. What about websites that are created to expose weakness’s in the countries defense network? Should these not be monitored and anyone who wants to read and learn how to commit treason should be allowed to? What about child pornography? Should people be allowed to view not only illegal but immoral things and potentially harm a child? If there are horrible things that can be stopped just by monitoring the websites someone views and then monitoring that person when they are flagged, shouldn’t they be watched?

At work, there should not really be any privacy rights or anything like that. You are at work to work, not do personal things. If you want to do personal things or your management says you are allowed to, then you should be able to but you are at work, using their hardware or software, and they should be able to monitor what you do with it.

'96 Corolla Audio Installation

So my wife still drives her high school car; a 4 door ’96 Toyota Corolla. She has one of those removable faceplates and a long time ago she took it off and broke it and now it doesn’t display any information such as volume status or track number. Also she has audio problems due to a bad hook up in the back. So it needs to be replaced. So first things first, you need to get the overall plate off. This plate has the temperature controls, the clock, a couple vents, and most importantly, the radio “deck”. So in order to take this plate off on the Corolla, there are two screws located underneath the reveal and the upper trim plate.
There were only 2 screws, in this picture you can see the leftmost one. The right screw is just out of the frame to the right. See how dirty the underside is?! That’s a 3rd hand car for you…plus it’s 12 years old. So those 2 screws will allow you to take that whole upper plate off. You need to take out the knobs on your heat controls. Also note that you will need to disconnect the clock, the defrost button, and the hazard lights button.

This is what it looks like with the plate off, and the deck still intact. Note the 3 plugs to the right, these are the for the clock, the defrost button, and the hazard lights. The silver piece in the bottom half of the picture is the receiver for the heat controls. The white plastic box at the top in the back is actually the duct from your A/C and heater. After you get to this step, you need to take the deck out. On this model, there are 4 screws, 2 on the left and 2 on the right as shown below.

After you undo these screws, you can now take out the deck. It’s pretty easy it just slides out (that’s what she said). After it is out, you need to disconnect the cables in the back. The one with all the wires just snaps out – these wires include the power, the ground, and the speakers. Also note the thicker black cord to the right; this is the antenna cable. It’s a simple male jack, just pull it out of the female jack (that’s what she said again), and the whole assembly should come out.

This is also the point where if your wife is like mine, she will come up and ask you if you took the CD out. It’s interesting how they always nag you about the most rudimentary simple and obvious things. But if you are like me, and you DIDN’T take out the CD, this is the point where you hand her the screw-driver, mumble something about it was broken and wouldn’t turn on, and tell her she needs to break into it to get her CD (this is a Third Day CD which you will see later). Getting back on track now, in the back you will notice another connector. That needs to be disconnected as well, if you pull on the now exposed end (do I need to say that’s what she said), you will not expose 2 additional connectors that need to be pulled out and tossed aside as well. You will now take your new deck, which is shown in the picture below. It comes with the stock connector which you need to attach to the back of the deck. After this is connected you need to have a Y connector that you hook up. This will split into 2 plugs which will connect to the cords that you just pulled out behind the dashboard. The connectors I had needed to be spliced together – it’s really simple, just match up the same colored wires. Whatever the unused wires are, cover them up with tape to avoid any potential shorts. Below is the picture of everything spliced together.

Now you just need to install 2 mounting brackets to your new deck and slide it in the slot where the old one was. Simply screw the brackets in, just like they were before. Look below for further clarification.

Once everything is secured and tight (I don’t need to say it anymore), put the trim plate back on, not forgetting to attach the cords for the clock, defrost button, and the hazard lights button. Install the heat knobs again, clean everything up, and your set. Note the now recovered Third Day CD that is now installed in the newly working audio deck that displays the information on the CD. This was really simple – it took me longer to pick out the deck (note how I had to shop for the pink buttons…anything for my wife), and get the accessories and wait for a sales associate to get the deck from behind the counter, than it did to install which was about 30 minutes.

Data Security

Below is a homework assignment from my IT class which is about data security.

Think about where your personal information is stored from an information systems perspective. Is your credit card information saved on file at your favorite online store? Are your medical records stored electronically at your doctor’s office? What would happen if that information were compromised? What are some of the major threats to information systems? Provide three examples to support your answer.

Data security is very important; all of the above listed scenarios can be very harmful to an individual. However, just as harmful as they can be to the individual or the consumer, they can cripple a business.

For instance, imagine that you are the owner of a small resale online electronic store. You buy common mid-range electronics ($100-$500) in bulk and then resell them individually at a higher price to the average consumer via your online store. You have such a good reputation that 30% of your business is repeat customers; they have used the “Private Account” feature on your website to aid them in purchasing another item and it stores all of their previous information: i.e. Credit Card Number, Billing Address, Shipping Address, etc. A disgruntled employee accesses this restricted information and makes some of his own purchases using the consumer information. Not only do you now have to fire an employee, you have two potential lawsuits (one against the employee and the other for the consumers against you), you have most likely lost 30% of your business which might be enough to put you out of one.

A family member of yours has a serious health issue and not only are they at the hospital frequently, they have seen numerous specialists about all of the complications. One of the specialists just runs a small private office and is not part of a larger health system. However, since they are such a small office, they do not take data security as seriously as they should. Not only does this specialist have all of your family member’s medical history, they also have all of their financial information for the insurance company. One day, your family member finds out that on top of their rapidly deteriorating health, they also have recently found that they have apparently been purchasing expensive cars on eBay and have not been making payments deteriorating their credit enough to the fact that the insurance company is threatening to drop the patient from their coverage.

Another example: you are a storage administrator for a health system. You manage the servers and make sure that the server admins can do the backups and restorations that they need to. You are backing up a very old volume of data to tape to take off site so you can delete that data from the server. However, since you are in a rush, you do not have time to validate the backup on tape (actually restore the data once to make sure it works). You just delete the data from the archive. However, due to some data corruption, the tapes are unusable. Internal or external security is just as crucial as inadvertent data corruption.

MS Walk 4

MS Walk 3

MS Walk 2

MS Walk 1

Bead Bar Network Paper

The Bead Bar is a small business that is rapidly expanding and has encountered some success. However, the company has been entirely paper based up until this point; with our help, we are slowly incorporating key information systems to benefit the business as a hole. There are many improvements that we have already recommended, but there are many more that need to be implemented to maximize the potential of this business.
We have already addressed the types of computers and other hardware the business requires, the software and operating solutions required, and the implementation of a database. Now the need for a computer network is imperative to combine all of these improvements and upgrades and connect everyone together.
The use of computers, software programs, and the database will do nothing but to increase efficiency, reduce loss, and save time – all of which equal larger profits. However, by implementing a computer network, the benefits of having the existing information system will improve ten-fold now that communication will be instantaneous. No longer will the order request forms have to be faxed or mailed to the warehouse after everything has been printed. No longer will someone have to same data and information on the database on a CD and then transfer the disk to another computer to update the information. A network is imperative for the Bead Bar; especially due to the fact that the company has several different geographical locations.
The network proposal for the Bead Bar is fairly straight forward. With such a “low-tech” company, IT support and ease of use are crucial so we need to implement something that will be fairly seamless with little to no education. Also, the company has spent a lot of time on making their locations very presentable to appearance is going to be crucial as well. And finally, the need for high end equipment should be minimal as each location should only have a few nodes each. However, looking at the company history, growth is a definite probability so that needs to be accounted for as well.
I recommend that we install and implement a standard Star Network Topology for each geographical location putting each location on each of their own private Local Area Network, or LAN. We will also be implementing an overall Wide Area Network, or WAN, to compliment the numerous LAN’s. The network architecture will be a standard client / server connection connecting to the main server at headquarters. This means that we will have to implement a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, as well in order to keep data transmission secure as there will be financial data being transferred. Also for the Bead Bar on Board, we need to have a networking solution that is viable when away at sea. Distance is a major issue so a satellite connection is the best option.
The Star Network Topology is going to be the best available setup for the Bead Bar. This offers a very simple network solution for the LAN’s. Each location will have at least one desktop computer and an inkjet printer. Since the studios only have a single computer and printer currently, the inkjet printer should be a networking compatible model to allow for further expansion. This way, in the event that more computers are needed per location, a new printer will not be needed. The typical star network at the studios will consist of one desktop computer, one network printer, and the internet gateway, all of which are hooked up a wireless hub. The Bead Bar has spent a lot of money on the presentablilty of their studio’s and do not want to pull wire where customers can see it or have the added cost of labor or materials. The wireless hub also becomes very flexible for future growth and the addition of more nodes; the wireless hub will allow sales people or anyone else to be able to come in and have access to the internet and the network.
A WAN is also going to be implemented due to the different LAN’s needing to be tied together to each other, and most importantly, the main server. The LAN’s are going to need access to the main server constantly to access information on the database; corporate headquarters are also going to need access to the studios and franchises regularly. Each location, besides the Bead Bar on Board, are going to be LAN’s; all of the LAN’s that are incorporated make up the entire WAN.
The Bead Bar on Board is going to need access to the network on a regular basis. Mitch, the Vice President of the Bead Bar on Board, is going to be accessing the network on his hand-held computer. While a broadband internet card on his hand-head computer would be optimal, when the ship is out at sea, signal is not going to be available. Despite the cost, the satellite internet is going to be the only dependable internet connection. If Mitch does not plan on going to sea often, then a normal broadband internet card will work out.
The use of a VPN is going to be required as well. A VPN uses encryption that secures the data as it is transmitted along public media. Since the locations are going to be transmitting financial data, this is going to be crucial. This will also allow senior members of the Bead Bar to travel to other locations and access their applications and the database; they can also work from home which can be a very nice asset.
The network architecture is going to be a client / server setup. This will allow the majority of data to be stored on a single location which is going to be located are the corporate headquarters. Most of the information is going to be on the database, which is centralized; users will need to be able to access information that another user modified in another location just a few minutes ago. This could not be achieved in a peer-to-peer network as everyone would basically have their own database.
The Star Network setup is going to be the best setup for the Bead Bar and all of its locations. This offers a lot of room for future growth and adding additional nodes will be as simple as connecting and using another license key; most wireless hubs allow up to 255 users. This network will also be the easiest to set up and all of the components can easily be hidden. The only issue we might have is if the wireless hub goes down; all of the nodes go through this one device so if we have an issue with it then nothing can connect to anything without some low level tech support.
All of the LAN’s are going to be connected to the main WAN which will allow for quick access to any information that the end user is allowed to have. This will allow all of the LAN’s to be able to connect to each other need be to exchange some information although again, the database is located at the corporate headquarters and the data transferring on the WAN level is going to be between the studio LAN and the corporate LAN. The drawback to this is that if for whatever reason a single LAN goes down, they will be “cut-off” from the other LAN’s.

Since the network architecture is going to be client / server type, all the information is going to be sent from the studio LAN’s to the corporate LAN and visa versa. This will benefit from having all of the information in one location and ease of access. By having everything located at corporate headquarters, you can also have your database administrator and your network administrator employed at the same location. Also, due to everything being client / server architecture, the network administrator can use “push” technology in order to monitor nodes that are not operating properly and to do routine maintenance. Similarly, like the drawbacks of the WAN and connectivity, if for whatever reason the server goes down, then the end users and clients will not have access to crucial information
Having satellite internet connection for Mitch is going to be a huge help on his hand-held computer. He will be able to access the internet and the VPN from anywhere in the world. This will be ideal for Mitch as he is always on the go and does not have a standard office or localized work location. The only disadvantage to this is the cost of the connection. However, unless there is a restructuring of Mitch’s responsibilities and how he completes them, this is the only good option.
A network is necessary to the Bead Bar; it is just a matter of what type of network is going to suit the business the best. The star network topology is going to work the best for the individual LAN’s. All of the LAN’s connected in together are going to create the WAN. The VPN is going to ensure that the data transmitted back and forth is going to be secured and not able to be accessed by outside sources or anyone that is not authorized to the data. Mitch having a satellite internet connection for the Bead Bar on Board is going to make everything on the cruise ships that much more productive and financially viable.
A network for the Bead Bar is going to be crucial to make all of the prior changes we have made as effective as possible. If the whole information system is the human body, the hardware components are the physical body parts and limbs, the database is the brain, and the network is the nervous system. While these components can be individual and separate from each other, installing a network is going to compliment them and bring them all in together.

5 Pillars of Islam

What are the central beliefs of Islam, and how are they reflected in the "Five Pillars” (McInerney, 2003)?

Islam seems very straight forward and only has a few key concepts that are an overview of all concepts and teachings. The following is a statement from the Nation of Islam:

“Islam is an Arabic word which means peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. As a religion, Islam calls for complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God.
A Muslim is one who freely and willingly accepts the supreme power of God and strives to organize his life in total accord with the teachings of God. He also works for building social institutions which reflect the guidance of God.”

The central beliefs of Islam are peace, purity, acceptance, and commitment. There are also the 5 Pillars of Islam that are a roadmap to follow the central beliefs of Islam. The first Pillar of Islam is called the Shahadah – one of the key prayers in Islam: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This Pillar of Islam reflects both acceptance and commitment of the Islam faith. Chanting the Shahadah, one begins to believe and understand that there is only one god, and Muhammad is his messenger – this is acceptance. Commitment is reflected by spreading the word of God; however coercion (unlike the Christian Crusades) is not allowed. The following is an excerpt from the Qur’an – the Islam central text:

“Let there be no compulsion
In religion: Truth stands out
Clear from Error: whoever
Rejects Evil and believes
In God hath grasped
The most trustworthy
Hand-hold, that never breaks.”

The second Pillar of Islam is Salah – the requirement to pray five times a day at fixed times. This second Pillar is a reflection of all four Islamic central beliefs; peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. The reflection of commitment and commitment versus having mandated prayer daily is obvious. Peace and purity are reflected in the mass prayers. Classless, and raceless, worshipers stand / kneel shoulder to shoulder in prayer across the globe at the same times uniting the religion as a whole in brotherhood. A quote from Muhammad: “You must know that a Muslim is the brother of a Muslim and the Muslims are one brotherhood.”

The third Pillar of Islam is Zakat – spiritual tithing and almsgiving; this is basically charitable tax. Every household must give at least 2.5% of their annual accumulated wealth to needy Muslims (not to be confused with an Islamic worshipper). “Saudi Arabia devotes fifteen percent of its kingdom’s GDP to development and relief projects throughout the world. The Islamic Relief Organization that it funds makes a point of helping people of all religions, without discrimination, where there is great need following disasters.” (Fisher, 2005) The third Pillar of Islam is a reflection of peace and purity.

The fourth Pillar of Islam is Sawm, or fasting, is a reflection both of acceptance and commitment. While frequent fasting is encouraged, the only mandatory fast is during Ramadan, representing the first revelations of the Qur’an to Muhammad.

“Because Muslims use a lunar calendar of 354 days, the month of Ramadan gradually moves through all the seasons. When it falls in the summer, the period of fasting is much longer than in the shortest days of winter. The hardship of abstaining even from drinking water during these long and hot days is an unselfish surrender to God’s commandment and an assertion of control over the lower desires. The knowledge that Muslims all over the world are making these sacrifices at the same time builds a special bond between haves and have-nots, helping the haves to experience what it is to be hungry, to share in the condition of the poor. Those who have are encouraged to be especially generous in their almsgiving during Ramadan.” (Fisher, 2005)

The fifth and final Pillar of Islam is Hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is considered very important and a point of pride to have completed the hajj at least once in your life and become a hajji. This final Pillar of Islam reflects all of the central beliefs of Islam.

Which of the Five Pillars do you feel would be easiest to fulfill, and which would be the most challenging (McInerney, 2003)?

Personally I think that the fourth Pillar of Islam, Sawm, would be the hardest. That might be my largest weakness is food. I understand that Sawm is not supposed to be about the physicality of the lack of food but the spirituality of being more in tune with your body and spirit. Knowing that, I would be lying if I said that this Pillar of Islam would be easy to follow.

The easiest Pillar of Islam would be the take the pilgrimage. Now there are factors of finance, time, physical hardship, and mental hardship, but I think this would be the easiest to accomplish. It is more of a matter of what Nike is so fond of saying: “Just Do It.”

Development of Islam in the US

What events and figures have shaped the development of Islam in the United States?

Possibly one of the largest motivators of the Islam movement in the United States was the civil rights movement. “The Christianity espoused by the dominant white population was interpreted as part of the pattern of oppression, and awareness grew that many of the slaves who had been brought from West Africa had been of Muslim faith” (Fisher, 2005). This is the key and most important event that has shaped the development of Islam, the fastest growing religion in the United States. There are other events that collaborate on this but the purpose of the civil rights movement was the largest motivator. There are people who also touted this message and more or less the object of their message was the same: Drew Ali (Moorish Science Temple of America), the Ahmadiyyah Movement, Elijah Muhammad (founded the Nation of Islam), Minister Louis Farrakhan (the current leader of the Nation of Islam), Malcolm X, and the famous boxer Muhammad Ali.

Network Topologies

There are several different types of network topologies; a network topology is the structure and schematic of how network components are physically organized (do not confuse physically with hard wiring vs. wireless). Possibly the simplest network topology is the bus topology. In a bus, all of the devices are connected to a single central cable, also known as the bus or the backbone. This is the easiest network to set up as it is essentially “plug-and-play”; you hook up as many devices as you need too to the backbone and your set. Since this is fairly cheap and easy to install, many businesses use this topology for their networks. Another huge benefit of the bus topology is the room for growth. All you need to add another device is a couple dollar connector. However, there is one critical point in the network that can cause failure in the entire network – the backbone. If the backbone fails for some odd reason, all the devices hooked up to it will not be operating on the network. Below is a picture of a typical bus topology.


Another type of network topology is the star topology. The star network is very similar to the bus topology. Instead of a common central cable or backbone, you have a hub. A hub is a network component that receives information and then forwards, or routes, the information onto the correct destination. Star networks are very easy to install and to maintain, thus inexpensive, as all the devices are hooked up to a single location. Also, if the business grows, you simply attach one more device to the hub and you are ready to go. Like all networks, there are downsides to this specific network and that is the hub. If the hub fails, then all devices on the network do not have their data routed and nothing happens. The upside to this is that you have one simple component to troubleshoot or repair to get your network back again. Another downside is that all the information from many sources must pass through one location. Compare this to a garden hose when you pinch the end the water comes out faster; but in networking data velocity is not your friend, it takes longer to process. So at times this network can be slow if large packets of data are being transmitted from different users at the same time. Below is a picture of a typical star network.


Finally, there is a ring topology. A ring network is different than the relatively comparative qualities of the star and bus topology. A ring network utilizes devices in multiples of three; there is one device that is connected to two other devices. One of the devices it is connected to is in turn connected to two devices: one being the original device and another being a new device. Data transmission then occurs through the devices to their destination, each machine acting as a hub with only two ports. There are benefits to this type of network; if one device, or node, fails then an administrator can pass data through another node maintaining the integrity of the network. However, ring networks are difficult to install and require more specialized components, thus leading to increased costs. The picture below explains the concept of a ring network best.

This is a brief and comprehensive overview of three of several different types of network topologies. As you can see, each topology has their own benefits and negatives – each type of network is dependent on the client’s needs.

Christian Denominations

How has Christianity, a faith based on the teachings of one text (the Bible), divided into so many denominations?

I think that Christianity has so many denominations because it is only based primarily off of one text. By having the teachings of such a major religion be based off of a single source, there is so much room for interpretation. There might not be this room for interpretation in other religions since there are different text’s that collaborate off of each other. Also this religion has shaped the course of history perhaps more than any other religion. Wars have been started, many unjustly, in the name of Christianity. Using religion as an excuse for human motives leads to your own partial reality, which then leads to different denominations and different point of views on what “God really means.”

Religion is also adaptive to the world around you. You try to explain things that happen in your everyday life with religion. With such a geographically widespread religion, followers need religion to define their lives in different ways; another direct cause of different denominations.

2008 Broncos Offseason Analysis

So the draft is over and a whole lot of nothing happens between now and the pre-season. Sure there is training camp and possibly some late trades but all the big splash players are set in their teams; even Chad Johnson as much as he wants to go somewhere probably will not be going anywhere this season. So what do I think of the Bronco’s offseason moves this year? Overall I would grade what we have done this year as a resounding “A”.

First there was the firing of Jim Bates: Assistant Head Coach and Coach in Charge of Defense (not to be confused with Defensive Coordinator). This had to be expected even though it violates that unspoken 1 year grace period rule most franchises employ. Any time a new coach comes in for whatever position or area of responsibility, that position or are suffers for a year. There are growing pains, new coaches have different ways of doing things that players are not used to, terminology is different, and basically the whole style of play and techniques of players are different. So there is a 1 year learning curve. So in year 2, if your area is not cutting it, you’re on the hot seat. But with the Broncos, after 1 year finishing 19th overall and 30th against the run, it was time to say bye-bye. Sure we had Dré Bly and Champ Bailey in the secondary that were supposed to wreck havoc on the passing offense of other teams. But we forgot one thing: the run defense! Oh yeaaaaaaa…the run defense, I forgot about them. Instead of teams and quarterbacks challenging Bailey and Bly, they said, “Screw it, let’s just run against these yahoos.” And they did with a lot of success. So sorry Jimmy, we need to be able to stop the run. Pack your bags Jimmy, we are going to promote Bob Slowik, the Defensive Backs coach, who oh-by-the-way, has been coaching Champ Bailey who is the best defensive back in the league right now, possibly ever.

Then there was the firing of Ted Sundquist. Of course we all know that Mike Shanahan can do no evil with the Broncos and owner Pat Bowlen so this was obviously Shanny’s decision. A lot of sports writers, including the NFL Network, criticized Shanny for this move but I applauded it. Sundquist was the General Manager, or the GM. For those of you that don’t know what a GM does their primary responsibilities are bringing new players in via the trade and free agency, and drafting new talent. First of all the trading had been horrible with Sundquist driving the bus. Look at last year, bringing in a bunch of over the hill veteran players that had already been released by their original teams because they realized what we didn’t: sure these players have had great careers but they are over now. We thought we could squeeze some more life out of them (Simeon Rice and Sam Adams the most notable), and they went down in a blaze of glory. Also look at the wasted draft picks we have spent these last few years. The only highly successful draft would be 2005 when we crushed it with Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler, Brandon Marshall, and Elvis Dumervil – all of whom are starters and in my eyes top 10 players are their position in under 2 years which says something. Sorry Ted, 1 good draft isn’t cutting it; see you later, have a nice life.

Let’s talk about some trades as well. I think that we have done an awesome job with trades this year and I am actually a little disappointed that no one else has been ranting and raving about what we have done. We took San Diego’s starting strong safety Marlon McCree away from them and added him to our roster, he should compete with Hazma Abdullah for the starting SS position; we also added Manuel Marquand for some depth at the SS spot. John Lynch has decided to stay which is good. This will be I’m sure Lynch’s last year but with him staying one more year it allowed us to address some of our core needs this offseason without worrying about an additional starting safety; we can draft one next year with our first pick and be set at the safety position for the next decade. Let’s talk about our new linebacking core, the heart of the Denver defense. Denver’s style of defense requires the need for quick, fast, and agile linebackers and we have been lacking in that department for the last few years. Think of our linebackers as barracudas where as the other teams have sharks. Most linebackers in other teams hang rush in and hit a gap hard in a run plugging everything up on the line, like a shark. However Denver needs quick linebackers: Denver’s linebackers flow as one unit hanging back until the hole opens and the running back appears and then flow to the ball carrier like heat guided missiles. DJ Williams obviously can do this and we have treated him unfairly these last few years. He is quick and freakishly fast and agile for his size but we started him at Strong Linebacker, or Sam, for a few years – then we moved him to Middle, or Mike, last year where he ranked second in the league in tackles directly behind Patrick Willis, the defensive rookie of the year. This year the plan is to start him at Weakside Linebacker, or Will, where his talents suit him best. He can utilize that blazing speed to pursue the backside and should also be picking up 5-7 sacks this year as an added bonus, something that should warrant him a ProBowl look. So now we need to shore up the vacancy at Mike that Williams has now left. Niko Koutouvides (coot-u-veed-s) ring any bells? It shouldn’t as he has been a career backup and special teams player for Seattle since he was drafted in the 4th round 5 years ago. What? How is a special teamer and backup an upgrade over our existing position? How about the fact that he was one of the Seahawks four captains as a special teamer and backup. That says something about his leadership both on and off the field; something imperative in the Mike who calls out every defensive play. And don’t ignore who he was backing up, Lofa Tatupa one of the best middle linebackers in the business. Everyone in Seattle lamented his departure so that speaks well for us. Now that leaves us the Sam position; what to do, what to do? How about Boss Bailey, our best defensive player Champ Bailey’s brother. He is big, freakishly fast for his size and strength, and very strong – the perfect components for our style of Sam Linebacker. So we went out and got him after he was unhappy in Detroit and they were not exactly enamored with him. Next we needed to address our receiver corps. No one has questioned Brandon Marshall’s ability, in fact that was the chief reason Javon Walker wanted out of town: he wants to be the number one but Brandon Marshall is already better than him as a second day pick in his second year – see you later Javon we will see you twice a year when we trounce the Raiders. Marshall will only be better if we get a viable #2 receiver to go on the other side of the field to prevent the double coverage and deep zones. So we went out and got Darrell Jackson, a starter for San Francisco and Seattle, and then we got Sammie Parker who has been the slot receiver in Kansas City and they purged him to get their bevy of draft picks for their rebuilding of their franchise. And finally our Defensive line. We are fairly well stockpiled at Defensive End although it will be interesting to see what happens with Jarvis Moss this year, boom or bust? But our D-Tackle was horrible last year. That is why we were so far behind in stopping the run, our linebackers couldn’t get uncovered to make plays and stop the run…the job of the D-Tackle. So we got Dwayne Robertson, a former 4th overall pick a few years ago for the Jets who just does not fit their system. There is nothing negative about his play, the Jets play a 3-4 defense and Robertson is no nose tackle, he plays the 3 technique primarily where your NT in a 3-4 needs to be a big body and play the 1 or 0 technique. So we snatched him up for a bargain. I loved our offseason trades and FA pickups this year.

So finally we arrive at the draft. After addressing our as many of our core needs, we have some that are left over – offensive line and wide receiver. We still need a burner that we can line up next to Marshall and challenge defenses and stretch the field. And we need a good Left Tackle to pass protect for Jay Cutler and to improve our running game which was not as great as we would have liked last year. So in the first round we pick up Ryan Clady who is perfect for the zone blocking scheme as he has been doing it for 2 years already. Next we need a WR to stretch the field and return kicks. More on returning kicks next. So we avoid the obvious DeSean Jackson because of some slight character issues and pick up Eddie Royal. At first I didn’t know who the hell he was but after doing some research I really like the guy, more than Jackson even. And check out this guy’s interview. None of that urban culture crap, just a good humble kid with a lot of talent that wants to play and do good things.

So what about a recap of the season? I have to hand it to the folks at Mile High Report. They talked about it best and what needed to be done. Check out their article.