Thursday, October 31, 2019

Motivation and Teams Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation and Teams Case Study - Essay Example Abraham Maslow argued that unsatisfied needs motivate employees to meet their needs in order to feel satisfied. The various needs include physiological needs (bonuses), security needs (job security), belongingness needs (group cohesiveness), esteem needs (promotion to senior positions), and self-actualization needs (responsibility for profitability (Fargus, 2000). After satisfaction of the physiological needs, the employee’s demand moves to security until the next higher level. For example, an employee satisfies his physiological needs such as water, food, and clothing. After the satisfaction is met, the employee feels motivated and proceeds to satisfy the next needs. Expectancy theory explains that work motivation is a function of an employee’s belief. The managers encourage employees to believe that if they sacrifice and work hard, they will succeed. For example, an office messenger believes that he will receive reward if he performs, which is fuelled by the belief th at working hard leads to high job performance (Fargus, 2000). Goal setting theory illustrates that managers should establish goals for their employee’s, which will find use in assessing their performance. For instance, a manager who tells his staff that they have two weeks to finish processing some work motivates the employees to work harder before the expiry of that date in order to attain their objectives. Equity theory argues that employees are motivated to achieve goals after believing that they will remain rewarded fairly for their efforts. For example, two personnel working together perform effectively when their salary output is similar. Job enrichment theory illustrates that the best way to motivate employees is to raise their responsibility over the way they function (Fargus, 2000). For instance, a subordinate staff having several responsibilities has great autonomy; hence, feeling satisfied. Finally, management

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sole Trader Companies Essay Example for Free

Sole Trader Companies Essay Sole trader companies are the ones which are opened individually. For example, there is one person and he fascinated about doing business so he can invest money into the business and he has to do it by himself. It means he has to find out where can sources of finance come and how to control it because he must work by himself without shareholders. There are some sources of finances as follows: * Retained earnings: this is profits of a company after removing taxes, salaries and expenses or something like that and this source should be applied after few months from the beginning. For example, after removing all of expenses like sundry costs, training courts costs we have the balance in our savings account about 9500 pounds. Pizza hut can use that money actively to purchase for their raw materials it is also an advantage of them when they can control their expenditure and save some money so that they can use their money without thinking about charging fees or interests. However, if they base on the money which is saved too much they are going to meet problems because the situations of company will be different depends on different economics phase so they need to think of some ways to make sure that saving money will not take a lot of place in their account. * Selling assets: in case the entrepreneur set up their business but they have problems in capitals so they should sell some products to get money to invest and getting profits. For example, pizza hut can sell their old machines, equipment, or even their own logo. This is seemed to be a risk way because after selling assets they will be lose their control in their business a little and it can lead to situations of having not enough assets to support for producing. * Personal capital: The owners can invest their own money into business for expansion. This will prevent him from the burden of interests from borrowing and he or she can control their business by himself or herself without depending on others one. * Debt finance: it is often used when people start to set up a business, entrepreneurs will ask for borrowing money from their families and friends  first and finally then they will ask for borrowing from others business’s helps. In short, debt finance is used for subscribing the borrowing action of a business to report for their productions. In case Pizza hut is a Public Limited Company Public Limited Companies is the ones which are created from 2 or more than 2 persons. And those persons are called shareholders and each shareholder will own a part of the company which is depends on their financial ability by the ones called shares. The more shares you owned the more donation you have in control of company. By this way the company can mobilize capital easily and there are some sources of finance as follows: * Issuing shares: business can collect money by issuing shares to stock exchange and outsides the business there are going to be some people want to invest money to make profits for themselves so they can use their money to buy the shares and by that way the business can get money and for the person who invested money they will have a position in the business and they will receive dividend each month. * Venture capital: venture capital is becoming increasingly important sources of finance for growing business. This can be done by individuals or groups of shareholders, they have to look for a lot of potential companies or projects and making decisions exactly is not being lacked of. Otherwise, they can easy to meet debts for dividends for example or they can go to bankrupt because they are lost a lot of money for failure projects. * Bank loans: Business can raise their fund by borrowing money from banks and this is seemed to be a good way to get money immediately. However, the business has to think a lot about the interest rate and the repayment ability in case they don’t want to go to bankrupt because of debts. And, business consider loans as long or short term plans to support their business and the considering is depended on the purposes and the amount of money the business want to borrow. For instance, if the business had 1 billion and they borrow 100 million, it would be considers as short – term loans because the amount of money they borrowed is not main money for projects because it too small compare to 1 billion. 1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages * Debt finance: Advantages: everyone when they want to set up a new business so borrowing money is very necessary because it will help the entrepreneur feel more confident and they are going to be stronger in doing business. Disadvantages: besides, they have to think about ways of repaying loans to others. The reason is that they will create a trust and increase their reputation so that they can borrow in next times easily. So, doing business is not always favorable so it requires businessmen to think about ways of existing a lot and when they go to bankrupt there will be not easy for them to face with creators and in the worst case they can be a prison. * Issuing Shares: Advantages: businesses can raise their funds easily by issuing shares and they can expand their business as well. This mobilization capital will not create a debt which the business has to repay. Besides, issuing shares can help business attract and keep good force of staff and the business can connect to potential partners. Disadvantages: The businesses have to accept high fees of issuing. Issuing shares can disperse the ownerships, controllerships and revenues as well. * Bank loans: Advantages: Bank loans are seemed to be a good resources for a business to raise their funds because the business can get mortgages from bank easily and the mission they need to complete is that try to earn profits as much as possible to repay. Disadvantages: In case, the business make lost so that will be a really big issue because if they did not repay on time they will lost their assets but the thing is they have to delay the debts and that’s the reason for interests are going to be increased immediately and the delayer the more interest. Finally then, the more money cannot be paid the more risks of bankrupting.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The disadvantages of homeschooling

The disadvantages of homeschooling Abstract This report attempts to provide a perspective on the disadvantages of homeschooling. Homeschooling has become a controversial issue in recent years. Homeschooling opponents opine that it is not an alternative pathway for education alongside the standard public educational system because there are still many flaws existing in this system. Homeschooling is not an effective approach to provide children with education due to scarcities of qualified educators, homeschooled children unable to well-develop their social life as well as parents have to invest massive time and dedication. Parents act as arbitrator in their childrens education. They hope that through homeschooling they can convey the message they want to for their children. In reality, homeschooling is not as easy as they think. It takes decades to judge the success of their choice. Therefore, homeschooling is a high risk venture. Many disadvantages are worth searching for. 1.0 Introduction Homeschooling experienced a renaissance during 1970s and 80s when a few parents questioned whether existing private schools or public educational system were a right choice for their children. They wondered if they might be capable to do better than the existing system. Parents realized that they could do better job. Consequently, they told their friends about the benefit of homeschooling and their friends spread the news gradually. As a result, this was the first step to the proliferation of homeschooling. However, the baby steps of homeschooling were rocky. In the early stages, homeschooling was prohibited by legislators. Many homeschooling parents were taken to court. They faced risks of being arrested and their children might be removed from their home. Nonetheless, there were parents who insisted to homeschool their children. They struggled with the court battles. In the past, very few curriculum suppliers sold the materials and resources required to homeschoolers. The only way to continue their fight was to craft their own curricula and do more research. They continued teaching quietly and let their childrens achievements prove the critics incorrect (youcanhomeschool.org, 2010). According to Ray (2002), there are approximately 1.6-2.0 million children being taught under homeschooling by their parents. Homeschooled families grow at estimated rate of 7-15 percent per year. According to the statistics of HSLDA (2010), the main reason parents choose homeschooling is religious conviction, which is about 49%; 15% agree that homeschooling can provide a positive social environment; 14% are for academic excellence; 12% choose homeschooling because of their childrens specific needs; and 5% are for flexibility and curriculum choice. Even though proponents of homeschooling claim that there are many benefits, the question still exists; do you agree that homeschooling is disadvantageous? Homeschooling is not an effective approach to provide children with education because homeschooling lacks qualified educators; parents are required to invest massive amounts of time as well as dedication and homeschooled children will face social difficulties in their future. This report is mainly focused on the disadvantages of homeschooling. The reasons why homeschooling is not a right choice are listed in this report. The statistics and data are mainly come from United State. The comments of organization and personal views are put into the report to show the reality of homeschooling.Body Content 2.0 Homeschooling lacks qualified educators According to Koonar (2006), many statistics have shown that many homeschooling endeavors failed to achieve the target and objective due to the scarcity of qualified educators. Parents choose homeschooling instead of public education because they believe that teachers have to teach 15 to 35 students in a class, hence, they cannot pay one-on-one attention to each child. In fact, certified educators have attended relative teaching classes and they have passed the state examination in order to obtain their teaching certificates. They are more experienced and have a deeper understanding of the children. They possess systematic teaching skills to convey the concept and knowledge to the children. Certified educators can fulfill the various learning requirement of each children and they can comprehend how to handle children with diverse behaviors. In contrast, parents who lack instructional skills are unable to express well what they want to give to their children. If an educator cannot expr ess her ideas to words, how can the learner absorb the essence of teaching? Children will lose interest in learning. Parents who simply put their children in a room with lots of books will definitely result in the failure of homeschooling. As a result, parents will gradually lose confidence towards homeschooling. They feel guilty if their children cannot achieve the academic target they set up. It is crucial to help children build up interest and curiosity in learning. Standard curriculum can help children to develop this interest. 2.1 People do not have faith in homeschooling According to Allison (n.d.), a number of people do not believe in home schoolings academic quality because it does not follow the standard curriculum. The standard curriculum focuses on an omnibus of personal development. They are being taught discipline, communication and time management since young. Whole aspects including positive characteristic build-ups are covered. Children can follow the pace of their peers and they do not isolate from them. In contrary, homeschooling children set their own pace and they are more likely to concentrate only on specific areas that they are interested in. Unlike the standard curriculum, homeschooling is unable to provide comprehensive development. Also, positive values are not instilled in the core of their hearts since they are young. Hence, home schoolings academic is not comparable to standard curriculum. Some home schooled children are required to take additional tests to ensure that they are academically ready to enroll in college or univers ity. People are still in doubt regarding home schoolings academic quality because the curriculum is not certified by authorities. Homeschooling advocates claim that they can prepare the course that is suitable for their children. Parents are given the absolute authority to guide their childrens education, ranging from schedules, curriculum and also the development that they want to pass on to their children. However, parents are not capable of delivering the knowledge effectively. According to HomeSchoolingExplained (n.d.), parents need to do more research to teach more effectively. More research is able to expose parents to the proper methods of teaching their children better. According to Williams (2007), at the beginning of homeschooling education, parents do not encounter difficulties in teaching. Conversely, as children get older, preparations get harder. The task is easier when children are young. They need to do more researches in order to teach lessons. Such a situation causes the parents physical and emotional burdens. Parents will feel more stress in preparing lessons. 3.0 Social problems among homeschooled children Homeschooled children do not posses well-developed social skills as they are not exposed to different types of people. According to HomeSchoolingExplained (n.d.), they would not have the same social life with children who went to school. Children who are under the standard curriculum are provided with the benefit of socialization. They are exposed to a wide range of perspectives and ideas because their classmates come from different background and personal beliefs. This can provide inspiration to them so that they are stimulated to think and criticize positively. Homeschooling noticeably decreases the chance for children to communicate with other children in a learning atmosphere. Even though home schooled children have siblings to interact with, this situation is still not enough to fully develop their social skills. According to Hegarty (n.d.), home schooled children are not comfortable when people are around them, excluding their family members. They will not hang out with others because they lack interaction skills. Besides that, according to Williams (2007), although home schooled children have friends, they are not as bonded because they seldom meet and mix together. They are lonely as they are confined in their homes and they cannot share their happiness and sadness with their friends. Homeschooled children face many social problems; they cannot interact with different groups of people properly and this will detrimentally affect their future life. 3.1 Freedom of children are abstained According to Allison (n.d.), homeschooled children would not enjoy their childhood because their freedom is constrained by their parents. There are many other things they have to learn through experience and it cannot be taught through educational settings. For example, by exploring nature, children are able to understand more about the relationship between living and non-living organisms. Even if homeschooled children have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, their time is limited and it is dependent upon their parents. In contrast, children who attend school are more likely to come into contact with many new things; this is important to sate their curiosity and stimulate their mind. All knowledge and discovery must only be done through personal experience. Some homeschooled parents argue that their children will not face the sociability dilemma. However, for those who are home educated for long periods of time and eventually made a decision to attend school are found to be lacking in social skills. According to Allison (n.d.), as they are exposed to social environments such as working or entering a college/ university, they experience physiological problems that mainly result from communication. They are cooped up at home and seldom interact with others; once they are around people, they will feel scared and uncomfortable as they do not know how to handle the situation. They are forced to adapt to a new social environment that they never experience before. It is difficult for them to manage the circumstance that they have never encountered before. So physiological problems will arise and lead to a lot of troubles. 4.0 Time commitment and dedication According to Koonar (2006), homeschooling is a procedure that entails a massive amount of dedication and time. Homeschooled children require parental supervision in order to motivate them towards academic excellence. Hence, parents need to spend a large part of the day with their children. The key success in the home schooling process is constant parental control. Kids are kids; they cannot do by themselves in their studies without parental supervision. Parents have to keep astride with their children. Moreover, according to AllAboutParenting.org (n.d.), parents require time to organize outdoor activities and field trips, prepare and instruct lessons, and seize the chance for their children to nurture their social skills. Homeschooled communities often schedule weekly or monthly gatherings with each other for that purpose. Parents have to manage their time well and be diligent and active in such communicative activities. Hence, parents will not have much time left for doing other thi ngs. Furthermore, parents have to discover and develop their own hobbies and interest. These activities are not easy tasks. Unlike trained educators, they have experience assisting children in finding out their interests. Since most of the time is used for homeschooling, parents do not have the luxury to relax and enjoy. They suffocate because of homeschooling. 4.1 Additional financial burden Either one of the parents is forced to give up his/her full-time job for homeschooling. There are additional costs for purchasing the curriculum needed. This includes the cost of materials for projects, field trips, computer softwares and other resources. Each child needs approximately $400 each month to sustain his/her study. For those families that rely on two earnings, this can be a serious disadvantage. This may put stress on parents who are both breadwinners of the family. Homeschooled communities cooperate together to organize activities such as Scouts, learn side-by-side, sport teams, 4-H clubs and dance classes so that children can socialize with other children. However, these are costly, so they are additional financial burdens for the family. Homeschooling supporters opine that the home educated children have close-knit family relationship as children spend most of the time with their family. However, the fact is there are conflict between parents and children due to their different personalities and opinion. According to AllAboutParenting.org (n.d.), homeschooled children may have the desire to attend school. They wonder what they are missing out compared with their peers. Their desires will become more intense when parents are not active in involving their children in outdoor activities. At this time, parents who are committed in homeschooling programs will feel challenged. Children will fall out with their parents as they have different point of view. Furthermore, children clash with their parents because they have different personalities. According to Williams (2007), parents and children have different personalities, leading to squabbles. Children require doing their matters in their own way. They do not want to foll ow the words of the parents and parents will feel disappointed. 5.0 Recommendation When people approach this issue, they must examine and investigate both sides. Homeschooling has both its pros and cons. Therefore, it should be addressed in the best possible manner. These scope of these recommendations are confined to Malaysia to handle the issue of homeschooling within the currently population residing here Firstly, to tackle the problem of parents thinking they are able to educate their children better, higher authorities should ban homeschooling by further enforcing the law. Children by the age of 7 onwards must be made compulsory to attend schools no matter it be private or national. Parents who do not adhere to this will be convicted and be brought to court to have this matter settled. Mandatory fines should also be issued should this law be opposed. In addition to the law, schools should increase the number of qualified teachers. Training programs and workshops can be inducted and reinforced to conform to the needs and requirements of current students, and thus should be made compulsory to be attended by teachers. Aside from that, the curriculum of schools should be improved upon to keep up with the pace of education in the world. Syllabus of subjects being taught must be constantly updated in regards to the amount of new knowledge being churned out every single day. Homeschooling can be banned if the ways suggested as above are strictly operated. 6.0 Conclusion Homeschooling is not an ideal choice to educate children. Even though it provides alternative option to the standard educational method, this system is not complete and poses a lot of imperfections. Parents are not well-trained educator so they are unable express well what they want to give to their children. Due to this fact, people do not have faith in homeschooling because it cannot provide comprehensive development to their children. Homeschooled children do not interact with a wide range of people. If a child is deficient in social experiences, they will definitely encounter dilemmas once they continue studying in higher education institution or strive for their career. Their social circle is small and they will face psychology problems as they interact with people. Their freedoms are abstained as well. Furthermore, parents have to invest great amount of time to supervise their childrens education. Parents who are both breadwinner are forced to give up his/her career in order to tutor their children. As a result, the family will face financial difficulty. Parents have difficulty predicting what the result of homeschooling will be. It takes decades to judge the success of their choice. If their choice is a mistake, they cannot return back and start all over again. The consequences are dire; it will affect the childrens growth and future. Parents must take responsibilities and are blamed by their children. Their childrens future is in the hands of their parents. As arbitrators, parents should choose the safest option that is the traditional educational system instead of homeschooling. In a nutshell, homeschooling is not suitable for children. Bibliography: All About Parenting.org (n.d.), Disadvantages of Homeschooling, allaboutparenting, viewed on 10 February 2010, > Allison, L. (n.d), Homeschooling Advantages and Disadvantages, Ezine Articles, viewed on 7 February 2010, Hegarty, P. (n.d.), Schooling Pros and Cons -Learn about Pros and Cons, Ezine Articles, viewed on 7 February 2010, http://ezinearticles.com/?Homeschooling-Pros-and-ConsLearn-About-the-Pros-and-Consid=3587899 Homeschooling Explained (n.d.), Disadvantages of homeschooling you must consider, Homeschooling Explained, viewed on 7 February 2010, Koonar, K. (n.d.), Disadvantages of Home Schooling, Articlebase, viewed on 2 February 2010, Williams, H. (2007), Home Schooling, Green haven Press, Farmington Hill. You can homeschool.org, (2010), Introduction, Youcanhomeschool, viewed on 10 February 2010,

Friday, October 25, 2019

Nuclear Warfare :: essays research papers fc

Nuclear Power Problems The effects caused by a nuclear power accident, on the scale of the April 26, 1986 Chernobyl accident, must override any inclination to side with advocates for nuclear power. Surely we have all heard the expression "I’m only human". If we are indeed only human, and consequently prone to error, we could never perfectly manage and contain an energy as potentially destructive as that of nuclear power, without the possibility of a nuclear accident. Furthermore, the wastes generated by nuclear power, when inadvertently released during a nuclear power accident, have been proven to cause malignant diseases and premature death to those who come into contact with them. Additionally, the vegetation threat we rely on for survival is severely affected when radioactive elements are released into the air and water supply during a nuclear accident. Most alarming, however, is the fact that the general public is vastly unaware of its governments’ use of nuclear waste in the development of nuclear weapon. Most of us can remember the bombing of Iwo Jima and the effects the bomb had on the lives of the millions of Japanese that lived within a twenty mile radius of the city. We can see what happened to the second generation: children born with severe informities such as sixteen fingers and three arms; children born with cancer; and children with mental and physical handicaps. The radiation of a bomb doesn’t always cause instant death, but it is a lingering experience. Japanese people, thought to be healthy, got cancer in later life, and had dis-formed children. Consequently, we must not be swayed by advocates urging us to further develop and expand nuclear power. We must, instead, examine the larger picture; the risks associated with this potentially devastating power. The potential for human error causing a nuclear accident can be ascertained by considering the causes and effects of accidents that have already occurred. In 1952 , at Chalk River’s Nuclear Reactor, four control pads were unintentionally removed, causing a partial meltdown of the reactor’s core. In 1957, a fire at the Windscale Pile No. 1 plant, just north of Liverpool, England, resulted in the contamination of 200 square miles of countryside when it was covered with radiation. In 1976, the core of the Lubmin nuclear plant in Greifswald, East Germany nearly melted down when safety systems failed during a fire. In 1979, the ever so famous, Three Mile Island reactor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania lost coolant in one of its two reactors and a partial meltdown occurred on March 28, 1979.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Economic development in China and India Essay

Foreign trade in China is almost completely dominated by the state. In 1979, China relaxed certain trade restrictions, paving the way for increases in the relatively small foreign investment and trade activity. By the late 1980s, yearly exports totaled about $41. 1 billion and imports $46. 4 billion, and both have increased sharply since then. China has been undergoing a dramatic transformation to a market economy. As a result, it currently is the world leader in terms of economic growth, industrial expansion, and exports. It contains an array of potential consumers that far exceeds the markets in Europe or the Western Hemisphere, and it is rapidly emerging as a new epicenter for industry, commerce, and finance. In addition, the so-called â€Å"greater China† has substantial amounts of technology and manufacturing capability, outstanding entrepreneurial, marketing, and services acumen in Hong Kong, a fine communications network and a tremendous pool of financial. When these resources are combined with the very large endowment of land, resources, and labor on the mainland, China already is a major superpower in the global economy. The people’s Republic of China (PRC or China, for short) has had a long tradition of isolation. In 1979, Deng Xiaoping opened his country to the world. Although his bloody 1989 put-down of protestors in Tiananmen Square was a definite setback for progress, China is rapidly trying to close the gap between itself and economically advance nations and to establish itself as an economic power in the Pacific Rim. Southeast China in particular has become a hotbed of business activity. Presently, China is actively encouraging trade with the West, and it is a major trading partner of the United States. Despite this progress, many U. S. and European multinationals find that doing business in the PRC can be a long, grueling process that often results in failure. One primary reason is that Western-based MNCs do not understand the role and impact of Chinese culture. Since the last few decades there has been a multifold increase in the FDI in China. The Chinese economy has now gaining the power of effecting the decisions of the economic bodies of the world. History of FDI growth in China: The country launched its open door policy 26 years ago. Since the policy introduction the FDI flows in the country received a quick response. In 2004 China was at no. 2nd position in the world of FDI with $64 billion. The Chinese FDI trends can be examined in two phases. First phase: 1979-82 Second phase: 1984-91 Third phase: 1992-99 In the first phase the government establish for special zones with incentive policies. Although there was a high inflow into those regions, the total FDI flow reached US $ 1. 8 billion. In the second phase the provinces were opened and recorded US $ 10. 3 billion. In 1989 however the trend dropped. In the third phase Deny Xiaoping opened China for overall economic reform. The phase was very fruitful for China. The government introduced new policies and market oriented economic reform. In result of these reforms the FDI’s started flowing into the Chinese economy at rocket speed. In November 1999 US-China had an agreement regarding the WTO, according to which many new reforms were made (Sandra, 2001) those included †¢ The sectors relating to the distribution services will be opened for repair and maintenance and China will phase in trading rights and distribution services over three years. The Government for the investment opened the telecommunication industry of China. †¢ The professionals were also allowed access to the service markets of China. The services included according, consulting, Information Technology and Engineering. (Lardy, 2000). FDI in China rose to a peak level of US $ 45463 million in 1998. In the first six months of 2002, actual foreign direct investment (FDI) in China rocketed to 24. 58 billion U. S. dollars, setting a record growth rate of 18. 69 percent year-on-year. (Beijing Time, 2002) On June 22, 2005, CNOOC, a Chinese company made a $18. billion bid to purchase Unocal Corporation, an U. S. energy company. News of the bid raised concern among several Members, many of who contend that the deal would threaten U. S. national security. On June 30, 2005, the House passed H. Res. 344 (Pombo) by a vote of 398 to 15, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a Chinese state-owned energy company exercising control of critical United States energy infrastructure and energy production capacity could take action that would threaten to impair the national security of the United States. On the same day, the House passed an amendment (H.  Amdt. 431) to an appropriations bill (H. R. 3058) that would prohibit the use of funds from being made available to recommend approval of the sale of Unocal Corporation to CNOOC. On May 20, 2005, the Chinese government reported that first quarter real GDP grew by 9. 4% in 2005 over the same period in 2004. On April 15, 2005, the Chinese government reported that its foreign exchange reserves had risen to $659. 1 billion by the end of May 2005. (Morrison, 2005) Some researchers state the fact that the data reported for FDI in China is different from the reality. The Chinese FDI data is overstated. About ? of flight capital later returns (â€Å"round-trips†) as FDI when opportunities emerge. (Gunter, 2004) From the early 1990s most of the researchers from International bodies have calculated wrong FDI. It is Mainland Chinese monies that flowed out to access better financial, regulatory and legal services and round-trip by returning to China as apparent FDI to access the fiscal incentives and improved investor protection offered in China to foreign investors. (Erskine, 2004) Outward FDI: â€Å"The figures on FDI outflows vary. According to China’s BOP statistics, the cumulative total during 1990 to 1997 was US$18. 9 billion, consisting exclusively of equity capital. Since the 1980s, China has been fast acquiring assets abroad. Researchers7 estimate that Chinese FDI in Hong Kong totaled US$20-30 billion by the end of 1993 or 1994. In fact the net wealth of Chinese affiliates abroad can be measured in hundreds of billion dollars. Officially, the Chinese SOEs had as many as 5 666 affiliates abroad at the end of 1998 with a combined FDI of US$6. 33 billion. (Chandra) Both the in-ward and the out-ward FDIs are a strong influencing forces which effect the trade performance of a country. This can be further explained by conducting the following case study. The study reveals increased value to Economy of China due to FDI. Source countries: Among the developed countries Japan & United States are the most important investors in China. Hong Kong is also an important investor and newly industrialized (NIEs. From 1990’s some of the countries like Philippines Malaysia & Indonesia have also increased their investment levels in China. Other countries are also showing interest in investing in China in future. In 2003, Sino-Japan trade reached a record high $132 billion. Examining the fast expansion of the bilateral trade suggests that direct investment from Japan performed a critical role in strengthening the economic integration between the two economies. Japanese affiliated manufacturers in China contributed to the soaring bilateral trade in dual ways: exporting their products as final products and intermediate inputs to Japan, and importing intermediates inputs from Japan for their production in China. In 2002, Japanese affiliated manufacturers exported 1,057 billion yen products to Japanese market (METI, 2003). The effect on China’s exports and its national economy is tremendous. (Xing, 2004) FDI from China: Not much material is provided regarding the subject. Although Hong Kong can be viewed as the destination for out ward flow of FDI from China. Sector and geographical distribution of FDI in China Sector Distribution: â€Å"So far, the major proportion of FDI is drawn for the manufacturing field, which takes up almost 60 per cent of the total contracted FDI by 1998. Next follows real estate with the share of 24. 4 percent. The portion of the distribution industry including transport, wholesale and retailing is 6. 0 percent. Construction comes next with 3. 1 percent. The primary industry such as agriculture, forestry and fishing takes 1. 8 per cent. In the future, service trade, such as finances, telecommunications and wholesale and resale commerce, will take up a larger share as a result of Chinese accession to WTO and further liberalization. Further investment liberalization should also take place in traditional industries. Especially, the expansion of FDI in agriculture will depend on the degree of opening up to the market circulation of agricultural products and the industrialized process of production operations. FIEs also generated nearly one fifth of the total tax revenues and 23. 5 million job opportunities, employing about one 10th of urban workers. These numbers suggest FDI has contributed nearly one quarter to one third of China’s GDP growth. †(OECD, 2004) Barriers in the way of FDI in China: The Chinese government has applied a controlled competition culture which against the liberalization provided by the WTO which lift most of the regulations from the trade & commerce (Yoost, 2005) Many assets in commercial and industrial sectors are state owned. This in turn gives rise to the problem of hidden state regulation imposition of the government on the foreign investors. This strengthens the view that China does not practice liberty in Business. Some of the sectors of economy are still protected by the government. Due to the situation the WTO commitments are not fulfilled which gives rise to local competition for foreign investors Factors attracting FDI in India: â€Å"India is a prime offshore location for low and high-tech activities, its low-cost, English-speaking and IT-savvy labor force, coupled with a large market potential, underpin global executives’ improved outlook and investment confidence this year. † (Rediff. com, 2003) The first set of factors which was involved in bringing the FDI to India was the improvement in technology, cheap labor, cost effective production of the goods, cheap and efficient supply chain. The Indian Government also has the cutting edge of Channeling the FDI in the right direction. They are attracting most of the MNEs towards India because at present the Chinese economy can provide them with all the suitable factors desired. Due to its increase in population India has become a growing and profitable market for most of the MNEs & products (Ahluwalia) The second set of factors, relating to SOEs, will change significantly and alter the market environment that foreign firms will face in India. Many if not the majority, of India’s best SOEs in industries accessible to foreign investors have set up joint ventures with foreign companies. In the foreseeable future, as the number of SOEs in the national economy continues to shrink, India will facilitate the entry of private domestic firms. MNCs will tend to build up their own affiliates rather than look for Indian domestic partners. At the same time, they will face more competition from private Indian firms as their numbers increase. All of these will become attractive features of the Indian market. Foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) have provided an alternative to private entrepreneurship because private Indian firms have been largely discriminated against. In the past 20 years, the highly efficient FIEs have contributed a great deal to the Indian economy. In 2002, even though FDI accounted for only one 10th of the gross fixed capital formation, FIEs contributed one third of the industrial output, one quarter of the value added, more than half of the exports, and nearly three quarters of the foreign exchange balances held in Chinese banks by corporations (Zhang, 2005). â€Å"The government of India eliminated export quotas as part of its effort to double Indian exports to more than $80 billion by 2007. India is the largest cotton cultivating country. The country has vast reservoir of scientific talent, established pharmaceutical industry, diversity of population and unique natural resources. Key to India’s development of biotechnology is the need for a science-based, rules-based regulatory approach, which is the best way to attract private sector investment. † (Larson, 2002) The major empirical conclusions of this paper are: (1) Much of the measured trade effect is through FDI rather than cost, as the theory of FDI would indicate, and that studies which concentrate on cost as the channel significantly understate the extent of such expansion. 2) On the whole bilateral country level, outward FDI has a larger predicted impact on China’s exports than does inward FDI. On the other hand, inward FDI is found having a larger predicted impact on China’s imports than does outward FDI. (3) There is much cross-regional variation and differences in the patterns of FDI-trade links. Regarding to the impact of inward FDI on Chinese trade, FDI is found to boost both export and import growth in Asia, Europe and Oceania. As far as outward FDI is concerned, a unanimous complement link between FDI and trade exists only for Asia, and Africa. (Yong, 2003) The work undertaken in this paper is an improved one because it takes into account all the aspects related to the FDI including a set of countries which contributes towards the FDI in China & India, the contribution made by this paper is in more fully evaluating an important policy question regarding the effect of FDI. Second, it takes into account national changes both in inward FDI and outward FDI over a considerable period of time.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Guilt and Innocence in The Last Night of the World

Guilt and Innocence in 'The Last Night of the World' In Ray Bradburys The Last Night of the World, a husband and wife realize that they and all the adults they know have been having identical dreams: that tonight will be the last night of the world. They find themselves surprisingly calm as they discuss why the world is ending, how they feel about it, and what they should do with their remaining time. The story was originally published in Esquire magazine in 1951 and is available for free on Esquires website. Acceptance The story takes place in the early years of the Cold War and in the first months of the Korean War, in a climate of fear over ominous new threats like the hydrogen or atom bomb and germ warfare. So our characters are surprised to find that their end wont be as dramatic or violent as they have always expected. Rather, it will be more like the closing of a book, and things [will] stop here on Earth. Once the characters stop thinking about how the Earth will end, a sense of calm acceptance overtakes them. Though the husband concedes that the end sometimes frightens him, he also notes that sometimes he is more peaceful than frightened. His wife, too, notes that [y]ou dont get too excited when things are logical. Other people seem to be reacting the same way. For instance, the husband reports that when he informed his co-worker, Stan, that they had had the same dream, Stan didnt seem surprised. He relaxed, in fact. The calmness seems to come, in part, from a conviction that the outcome is inevitable. There is no use struggling against something that cant be changed. But it also comes from an awareness that no one will be exempted. Theyve all had the dream, they all know its true, and theyre all in this together. Like Always The story touches briefly on some of humanitys bellicose propensities, like the bombs and germ warfare mentioned above and the bombers on their course both ways across the ocean tonight thatll never see land again. The characters consider these weapons in an effort to answer the question, Do we deserve this? The husband reasons, We havent been too bad, have we? But the wife responds: No, nor enormously good. I suppose thats the trouble. We havent been very much of anything except us, while a big part of the world was busy being lots of quite awful things. Her comments seem particularly trenchant given that the story was written less than six years after the end of World War II. At a time when people were still reeling from the war and wondering if there was more they could have done, her words could be construed, in part, as a comment on concentration camps and other atrocities of the war. But the story makes clear that the end of the world isnt about guilt or innocence, deserving or not deserving. As the husband explains, things just didnt work out. Even when the wife says, Nothing else but this could have happened from the way weve lived, theres no feeling of regret or guilt. Theres no sense that people could have behaved any way other than the way they have. And in fact, the wifes turning off the faucet at the end of the story shows exactly how hard it is to change behavior. If youre someone looking for absolution which it seems reasonable to imagine our characters are the idea that things just didnt work out might be comforting. But if youre someone who believes in free will and personal responsibility, you might be troubled by the message here. The husband and wife take comfort in the fact that they and everyone else will spend their last evening more or less like any other evening. In other words, like always. The wife even says thats something to be proud of, and the husband concludes that behaving like always shows [w]ere not all bad. The things the husband will miss are his family and everyday pleasures like a glass of cool water. That is, his immediate world is whats important to him, and in his immediate world, he hasnt been too bad. To behave like always is to continue to take pleasure in that immediate world, and like everyone else, thats how they choose to spend their final night. There is some beauty in that, but ironically, behaving like always is also exactly what has kept humanity from being enormously good.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Battered Womans Syndrome

Battered Womans Syndrome Free Online Research Papers This paper looks at the history of men battering their wives. The physical and mental strain placed on the victim is examined, as is the behavior which many women who face these beatings experience. This paper examines reasons why a woman would fight back using deadly force and will show the successful use of the battered woman syndrome as a defense in court. The battered woman syndrome will be viewed as a legitimate cause for self defense and justifiable homicide of the victim’s spouse. Throughout United States history, women have been controlled, beaten and verbally abused by their spouses. This is mainly due to the fact that from the time this country was conceived until the early 19th century, women were viewed by the U.S. legal system as the property of their husbands. The law was written that, by marriage, a man and a woman were recognized as one person in the eyes of the law. The law even went as far as to allow the husband to give his wife â€Å"moderate correction†. This meant that he could strike his wife in order to restrain her as long as he used nothing wider than his thumb. This came to be known as the â€Å"Rule of Thumb†. Since these days of barbaric unions between men and women, the United States government has passed the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment clearly states that â€Å"†¦ [n]o state shall deny equal protection of the laws to any person.† This statement means that the government cannot take away rights protected by the Constitution based on an individual’s race, religion, or sex. As a result of this Amendment being passed, the United States Supreme Court has f ound many laws to be in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, including the â€Å"Rule of Thumb†. (Muraskin, 2007. pp.5-6) Today, domestic violence laws prevent a man from beating his spouse without any consequences. This is assuming that the wife decides to call the police, which often times she will not because of a fear of embarrassment. Therefore, this leads to many women being beaten continuously to the point where the physical and psychological damaged caused can lead to a violent outburst towards their husband, which then results in his murder. In such cases where a woman is beaten to the point of becoming capable of murdering her abusive spouse, the battered woman syndrome can become a very useful tool for the defense counsel in order to gain an acquittal on the grounds that the woman killed out of self defense, thus making it a justifiable homicide. (CRJ30 class notes) First, it is important to take a look into exactly how battering can occur. The reason men batter their wives has been a mystery to society for the better part of the last half century. Social learning theory suggests reasons as to why there are men who will use force and violence against their spouses. Violent behavior will likely not stop once it has been initiated and rewarded, and some victims tend to have great difficulty in either stopping the violence or ending the relationship with their abusive spouse. (Pagelow, 1981. pp.29.) Social learning theory is defined as â€Å"an extension of differential-association and reinforcement theories, holding that social sources, or people with whom one interacts, are the reinforcers that result in the learning of nondeviant and deviant behavior. The type of behavior that is most frequently and consistently reinforced by the people will be the one most often exhibited.† (Pagelow, 1981. pp.35.) A basic proposition of the social learning theory is that reinforcement which follows behavior can increase the probability that this behavior will be repeated. Another proposition of this theory is that intermittently reinforced behavior is the most difficult to extinguish. The theory points out that the two major parts of the learning process are reinforcement and punishment. The emphasis is focused more on the reinforcement than the punishment. This is due to the fact that punishment has been shown to have relatively short-term effects on extinguishing behavior while immediate reinforcement will outweigh the effects of delayed punishment in controlling behavior. (Pagelow, 1981. pp.36.) However, for one to understand the battered woman syndrome, one must familiarize themselves with the kind of physical and mental strain that a battered woman goes through, as well as the psychological trauma which is placed upon the abused. Many critics of the battered woman syndrome blame the victim rather than the abuser. Critics believe that a woman who is beaten by her spouse can simply just call the police in order to stop the violence. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Abused women are often embarrassed by these encounters with their spouse to the point that they would not want to tell anyone, not even the police. This silence about the abuse leads many women to learn how to live with the violence rather wanting to eradicate it from their lives. Many critics of the battered woman syndrome claim that the women who use this defense are pathological individuals. Critics and prosecution alike see these women as having an individual problem rather than seeing domestic violence as a social issue that could affect anyone. To these people, an abused woman is a rare occurrence and women who are abused are mentally ill. The assumption that an abused woman is â€Å"sick† is based on the belief that she is a masochistic and she, as well as the abuser, receives a certain satisfaction from the violence. (Pagelow, 1981. pp. 54-55.) Harvard Law Professor Alan M. Dershowitz believes that a battered woman does not have to take matters into her own hands but rather â€Å"has the option of either leaving or calling the police†. (Reutter, 2005) This is simply not true. An abused woman, who does nothing to stop the abuse, is often stuck in a state of learned helplessness. This means that she believes that she can not control the abuse and she recognizes herself to be completely helpless to it. Learned helplessness consists of three essential components. The first of these components is called contingency. Contingency deals with the objective relationship between a person’s actions and the outcome which they experience. In this case, the actions of the abuser make the abused feel like she is less than her husband and therefore becomes accustomed to the situation. The second component to learned helplessness is known as cognition. This has to do with the way in which the woman perceives, explains, and extrapolates the contingency. There are several steps involved with the cognition. First, she must apprehend the contingency. A person experiencing learned helplessness may view the contingency either accurately or as the complete opposite of what it really is. In the case of domestic violence, the woman perceives the abuse as being somehow her fault because her spouse makes her feel as if she has done something to deserve the beating, when in actuality she has done nothing wrong and he is the one who is in fact wrong. Next, she explains what she has perceived. If she perceives that the abuse takes place because of her wrongdoing, then she will hold herself responsible as the cause for her beating. Finally, she uses her perception and explanation to form an expectation about the future. For example, if her husband beats her every time she has not finished preparing dinner by 6 o’clock, she will then assume to be beaten every time dinner is still in the over when he arrives home. Because of this false perception, she is left open to future abuse to no fault of her own. (Peterson, Maier, Seligman, 1993. pp.8.) Gelles (1976) explained his theory as to why women stay with their batterer in an article he published. His ideas in this article received wide publicity since that time. In the article, Gelles stated, â€Å"Three major factors influence the actions of abused wives. The less severe and less frequent the violence, the more a wife remains with her husband. Secondly, the more a wife was struck as a child by her parents, the more likely she is to remain with her abusive husband. Lastly, the fewer resources a wife has and the less power she has, the more likely she is to stay with her violent husband. In addition, external constraint influences the actions of abused wives.† (Pagelow, 1981. pp. 145) Of course, for any good battered woman defense to be brought into a murder trial, a battered woman needs to set herself up with the right lawyer to present her case to the judge. As attorney Michael G. Dowd stated about his experience with defending a battered woman, [â€Å"Before a battered woman could fight the battle for the hearts and minds of a jury she needed an advocate to present her story. Like a screenplay that needs a good director and the backing of a producer, a battered womans self defense case needed the vision of a lawyer to structure the case and a judge willing to let it be presented to the jury. An attorney or judge encumbered by prejudices about battered women would be an unlikely candidate to advance a defense that contradicted fundamental opinions about the existing social order. Even the unbiased might deny the reality of societal prejudice to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the violence these beliefs tolerated. Obviously the denial of such prejudice renders us powerless to correct an injustice that we cannot admit exists. Too little attention has been paid to the cases of women that were never presented in court, not because of a biased or ignorant judge but as the product of inaction or ignorance of the atto rney charged with her defense. These injustices surface, if at all, as the woman languishes in jail and becomes aware of what could have been done for her case.â€Å"] (Dowd, 1999.) It could be easy for any judge or lawyer to confuse the battered woman syndrome with being a disease because of the word â€Å"syndrome†. The word â€Å"syndrome† suggests that there is something wrong with the woman. If that were the case, then she would not be the victim. In fact, it is merely a syndrome that results from the battering itself. Once periodic beatings take place, there is a sense of imminent danger, and this is a key fact in any self defense case. Imminent does not refer to a specific period of time, however. This fear of danger is that the woman believes she could be beaten at any moment or anywhere. This belief in imminent danger further helps the self defense case. For example, if a woman is beaten repeatedly for years on end, she may feel the need to defend herself even at times when the abuse is not occurring at that exact moment. If she were to kill her husband in his sleep, a jury or a judge may say that it was unprovoked. However, the battered woman’s syndrome suggests that it is self defense because she is always in a state of fear from imminent danger. There is not a single moment of her life where she feels safe, yet she does not run to the police or tell anyone because she believes there is something wrong with her. (Dowd, 1999.) In the 1985 decision for People v. Torres, the judge wrote, [â€Å". . . It is the defendants state of mind and sense of fear which is critical to a justification defense. In this regard, proof of violent acts previously committed by the victim against the defendant as well as any evidence that the defendant was aware of specific prior violent acts by the victim upon third parties is admissible as bearing upon the reasonableness of the defendants apprehension of danger at the time of the encounter.†] The battered woman’s defense has caught the spotlight ever since it was first introduced in Ibn-Tamas v. United States. Since that time there have been hundreds of successful cases involving this defense. There are certain aspects to these cases, however, that differ significantly from abuse cases that do not result in the death of the batterer. First, cases involving deadly retaliation by the abused often contain alcohol abuse, death threats, threats with weapons, more severe beatings and sexual violence towards the woman or other family members. The actually homicide often takes place after an unusual incident, meaning that something was done by the male that was not in his usual repertoire of violence. He could do things like threaten the lives of their children, which would then lead to the woman saying â€Å"he’s never done that before†. This could prove to be a turning point because now the abuser has gone to other forms of abuse other than what she h as learned to live with. (Easteal, 1992. pp.3) Still with all of these studies done, there are many misconceptions and false beliefs about the battered woman’s syndrome. To combat these myths, a good defense team will enlist the help of an expert witness. Without the help of expert witnesses it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to win a case of self-defense. The expert witnesses are able to paint a picture for the jury of exactly what a battered woman’s mind is like in order to help understand a battered woman’s thought process. It is extremely important for a judge to allow the testimony of an expert witness into these cases. In the instances where a judge has not allowed those testimonies, there have been numerous successful appeals of the original decision. (Easteal, 1992. pp. 5) Dr. Easteal sites one specific case in her article (1992) where the battered women defense was successful in gaining an acquittal for self defense. [â€Å"The Diaz Case 1985 (Blackman 1989, pp. 184-6): This case is particularly interesting since it exemplifies the increasing use of a self-defense plea in situations where, in traditional terms, there is no immediate sense of danger since the batterer is asleep (or passed out) at the time of the killing. Madelyns husband, a police officer, had committed numerous acts of violence, including sexual, upon her during their marriage. These included taking her out in the car in winter, making her undress and inviting a stranger to rape her in the backseat while he watched. The day preceding the killing, he had threatened their six-month-old daughter, holding a revolver at the babys head. He had never done this before. The next morning as he still slept, Madelyn left with the three children to go grocery shopping. Having forgotten money, she returned and opened the drawer where the money was kept. She picked up the gun that lay there and hearing a flashback of his voice as he had held the gun to the baby, she fired it twice at his sleeping body. Then she left, went shopping and bought items that he normally liked. Initially, she told investigators that the apartment had been broken into; three days later, she remembered what she had done and confessed. Madelyn was indicted for murder in the second degree, the highest murder charge in New York State. Ultimately, she was acquitted. The jury extended the definition of self-defense to include the circumstances Madelyn described. The jury, with the help of expert witnesses, was able to see that the threat of violence was psychologically imminent.†] (Easteal, 1992. pp. 6) The Diaz case is a perfect example of the battered woman defense at its full potential. The jury was able to view the imminent danger through the eyes of a battered woman rather than through the eyes of the average reasonable American. Therefore, the case for imminent danger was established. Secondly, this is a fantastic example of expert witnesses basically winning a case for the defense council. In a world where domestic violence often goes unnoticed by outsiders, it is important for society to keep an open mind to those who suffer from the battered woman’s syndrome. When this case is presented as self-defense, it can often be seen as a farce and be met with many myths and misconceptions by judges, juries, and prosecution teams alike. However, with the help of expert witnesses to establish the meaning of imminent danger to a battered woman, juries can more likely be swayed to the side of the defense. There is no doubt that the battering of women is a serious issue that can often time result in a deadly backlash, and unfortunately it is often that the batterer had what was coming to him. Society can only expect a woman to take so much abuse with a closed mouth before she finally snaps, and often times homicide is the only answer. However, the battered woman syndrome can prove to be a very reasonable cause for a justifiable homicide by reason of self-defense. References Dowd, M.G. (1999). The Battered Womans Defense Its History and Future. Retrieved April 9th, 2007, from Find Law. Website: http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Dec/1/130513.html Easteal, Dr. P. (1992). Battered Women Who Kill: A Plea of Self- Defense. Retrieved April 9th, 2007, from JSTOR. Website: aic.gov.au/publications/proceedings/16/Easteal1.pdf Muraskin, R. (2007). It’s a Crime: Women and Justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Pagelow, M.D. (1981). Woman-Battering: Victims and Their Experiences. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Peterson, C., Maier, S.F., Seligman, M.E.P. (1993). Learned Helplessness: A Theory for the Ages of Personal Control. New York: Oxford University Press. Reutter, M. (2005). Battered Women Who Kill in Non-Beating Situation Have Self Defense Right. Retrieved April 9th, 2007, from New Bureau. Website: news.uiuc.edu/news/05/0815women.html Research Papers on Battered Woman’s SyndromeUnreasonable Searches and Seizures19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyMind TravelQuebec and CanadaWhere Wild and West Meet

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross

Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross Arthur Shawcross, also known as The Genesee River Killer, was responsible for the murders of 12 women in upstate New York from 1988 to 1990. This was not the first time that he killed.  In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. Early Years Arthur Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, in Kittery, Maine. The family relocated to Watertown, New York, a few years later. From early  on,  Shawcross was socially challenged and spent much of his time alone. His withdrawn behavior earned him the nickname oddie from his peers. He was never a good student failing  both behaviorally and academically during his short time at school. He would often miss classes, and when he was there, he regularly  misbehaved and had the reputation of being a bully and picking fights with other students. Shawcross  dropped out of school  after failing to pass the ninth grade. He was 16 years old.  Over the next few years, his violent behavior intensified, and he was suspected of arson and burglary. He was placed on probation in 1963 for breaking the window of a store. Marriage In 1964 Shawcross married and the next year he and his wife had a son. In November 1965 he was put on probation on a charge of unlawful entry. His wife filed for divorce soon afterward, stating that he was abusive. As part of the divorce, Shawcross gave up all paternal rights to his son and never saw the child again. Military Life In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. Right after receiving his draft papers he married for the second time. He was sent to Vietnam from October 1967 until September 1968 and was  then stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma.  Shawcross later claimed that he killed 39 enemy soldiers  during combat. Officials disputed it and attributed him with a combat kill of zero. After his release from the Army, he and his wife returned to Clayton, New York. She divorced him shortly afterward citing abuse and his propensity to being a  pyromaniac  as her reasons. Prison Time Shawcross was sentenced to five years in prison for arson in 1969. He was released in October 1971, after serving just 22 months of his sentence. He returned to Watertown, and by the following April, he was married for the third time and working for the Public Works Department.  Like his previous marriages, the marriage was short and ended abruptly after he  confessed to murdering two local children. Jack Blake and Karen Ann Hill Within six months of each other, two Watertown children went missing in September 1972. The first child was 10-year-old Jack Blake. His body was found a year later out in the woods. He had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. The second child was Karen Ann Hill, age 8, who was visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. Her body was found under a bridge. According to autopsy reports, she had been raped and murdered, and dirt and leaves were found jammed down her throat. Shawcross Confesses Police investigators arrested Shawcross in October 1972 after he was identified as the man who was with Hill on the bridge right before she disappeared.   After working out a plea deal, Shawcross confessed to murdering Hill and Blake and agreed to divulge the location of Blakes body in exchange for a charge of manslaughter in the Hill case and no charges for murdering Blake. Since they had no solid evidence to convict him in the Blake case,  prosecutors agreed, and he was found guilty and given a 25-year-sentence.   Freedom Rings Shawcross was 27 years old, divorced for the third time and would be locked away until the age of 52, but after serving just 14 1/2 years,  he was released from prison.   Being out of prison was challenging for Shawcross once word would get  out about his criminal past. He had to be relocated to four different cities  because of community protests. A decision was made to seal his records from public view, and he was moved one final time. Rochester, New York In June 1987, Shawcross and his new girlfriend, Rose Marie Walley, were relocated to Rochester, New York. This time there were no protests because Shawcross parole officer failed to report to the local police department that a child rapist and murderer had just moved into town. Life for Shawcross and Rose became routine. They got married, and Shawcross worked various low-skilled jobs. It did not take long for him  to become bored with his new menial life. Murder Spree In March 1988, Shawcross began cheating on his wife with a new girlfriend. He also was spending a lot of time  with prostitutes. Unfortunately, over the next two-year,  many of the prostitutes that he got to know would end up dead. A Serial Killer on the Loose Dorothy Dotsie Blackburn, 27, was a cocaine addict and prostitute who often worked on Lyell Avenue, a section in Rochester that was known for prostitution. On March 18, 1998, Blackburn was reported missing by her sister. Six days later her body was pulled from the Genesee River Gorge. An autopsy revealed that she had suffered severe wounds from a blunt object. There were also human bite marks found all around her vagina. The cause of death was strangulation. Blackburns lifestyle opened up a broad range of possible suspects for case detectives to investigate, but with too few clues the case eventually went cold In September, six months after Blackburns body was found, the bones from another missing Lyell Avenue prostitute, Anna Marie Steffen, was found by a man who was collecting bottles to sell for cash. Investigators were unable to identify the victim whose bones were found, so they hired an anthropologist to reconstruct the victims facial features based on a skull that found on the scene. Steffens father saw the facial recreation and identified the victim as his daughter, Anna Marie. Dental records provided additional confirmation. Six Weeks - More Bodies The decapitated and decomposing remains of a homeless woman, 60-year-old Dorothy Keller, was found on October 21, 1989, in the Genesee River Gorge. She died from having her neck broken. Another Lyell Avenue prostitute, Patricia Patty Ives, 25, was found strangled to death and buried under a pile of debris on October 27, 1989. She had been missing for nearly a month. With the discovery of Patty Ives, investigators realized that it was a strong possibility that a serial killer was loose in Rochester. They had the bodies of four women, all who went missing and were murdered within seven months of each other; three had been murdered within a few weeks of each other; three of the victims were prostitutes from Lyell Avenue, and all the victims had bite marks and had been strangled to death. Investigators went from looking for individual killers  to looking for a serial killer and the window of time between his kills was getting shorter. The press also grew interested in the murders and dubbed the killer as the Genesee River Killer, and the Rochester Strangler. June Stott On October 23, June Stott, 30, was reported missing by her boyfriend. Stott was mentally ill and would occasionally vanish without telling anyone. This, along with the fact that she was not a prostitute or drug user, kept her disappearance separated from the serial killer investigation. Easy Pickins Marie Welch, age 22 was a Lyell Avenue prostitute who was reported missing on November 5, 1989. Frances Franny Brown, age 22, was last seen alive leaving Lyell Avenue on November 11, with a client known by some of the prostitutes as Mike or Mitch. Her body, nude except for her boots,  was discovered three days later dumped in the Genesee River Gorge. She had been beaten and strangled to death. Kimberly Logan, 30, another Lyell Avenue prostitute, was found dead on November 15, 1989. She had brutally kicked  and beaten, and dirt and leaves were crammed down her throat, much like Shawcross did to 8-year-old, Karen Ann Hill. This one piece of  evidence could have led the authorities right to Shawcross, had they known that he was living in Rochester. Mike or Mitch At the beginning of November, Jo Ann Van Nostrand told police about a client named Mitch who paid her to play dead and then he would try to strangle her, which she did not allow. Van Nostrand was a seasoned prostitute who had entertained men with all kinds of particularities, but this one - this Mitch - managed to give her the creeps. This was the first real lead the investigators received. It was the second time that the man with the same physical description, named Mike or Mitch, had been mentioned in reference to the murders. Interviews with many of the Lyle prostitutes indicated that he was a regular and that he had the reputation of being violent.   Game Changer On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, a man walking his dog discovered the body June Stott, the one missing person that the police did not connect to the serial killer. Like the other women found, June Stott suffered a vicious beating before dying. But death did not end the killers cruelty. An autopsy revealed that Stott had been strangled to death. The corpse was then anally mutilated, and the body was cut opened from the throat down to the crotch. It was noted that the labia had been cut off and that the killer likely had  it in his possession. For detectives, June Stotts murder sent the investigation into a tailspin. Stott was not a drug addict or a prostitute, and her body had been left in an area far from the other victims. Could it be that Rochester was being stalked by two serial killers? It seemed as if each week another woman went missing and those found murdered were not close to being solved. It was at this point that the Rochester police decided to contact the F.B.I. for help. F.B.I. Profile The F.B.I. Agents sent to Rochester created a profile of the serial killer. They said  that the killer showed characteristics of a man  in his 30s, white, and who knew his victims. He was probably a local man familiar with the area, and he probably had a criminal record. Also, based on the lack of semen found on his victims, he was sexually dysfunctional and found gratification after his victims were dead. They also believed that the killer would return to mutilate the bodies of his victims when possible. More Bodies The body of Elizabeth Liz Gibson, 29, was found strangled to death on November 27, in another county. She was also a Lyell Avenue prostitute and was last seen by Jo Ann Van Nostrand with the Mitch client who she had reported to the police in October. Nostrand went to the police and gave them the information along with a description of the mans vehicle. The F.B.I agents strongly suggested that when the next body was found, that investigators wait and watch to see if the  killer returned to the body. The End of a Bad Year Had investigators hoped that the busy December holiday season and the cold temperatures might slow down the serial killer, they soon found out that they were wrong. Three women disappeared, one right after the other: Darlene Trippi, 32, was known for pairing up for safety with veteran Jo Ann Van Nostrand, yet on December 15, she like others before her, disappeared off Lyell Avenue.June Cicero, 34, was a seasoned prostitute known for her good instincts and for always staying alert, yet on December 17 she also vanished.And as if to toast in the New Year, the serial killer attacked one more time on December 28, plucking 20-year-old Felicia Stephens off the streets. She too was never seen alive again. A Spectator In an effort to find the missing women, police organized  an air search of the Genesee River Gorge. Road patrols were also sent out, and on New Years Eve, they found a pair of black jeans belonging to Felicia Stephens. Her boots were found in another location after the patrol expanded the  search. On January 2, another air and ground search was organized and right before calling it off due to bad weather, the air team spotted what appeared to be the body of a half-nude female  laying face down near the Salmon Creek. As they went down to get a closer look, they also spotted a man on the bridge above the body. He appeared to be urinating, but when he spotted the aircrew, he immediately fled the scene in his van.The ground team was alerted and went in pursuit of the man in the van. The body, which was surrounded by fresh footprints in the snow, was that of June Cicero. She had been strangled to death, and there were bite marks covering what was left of her vagina which had been cut out. Gotcha! The man from the bridge was apprehended at a nearby nursing home. He was identified as Arthur John Shawcross. When asked for his drivers license, he told the police that he did not have one because he had been convicted of manslaughter. Shawcross and his girlfriend Clara Neal were brought to the police station for questioning. After hours of interrogation, Shawcross still maintained that he had nothing to do with any Rochester murders. He did, however, offer up more details about his childhood, his past murders and his experiences in Vietnam. Shocking Admissions There is no definitive answer as to why Shawcross seemed to embellish the stories of what he did to his victims and what had been done to him throughout his childhood. He could have remained silent, yet it seemed he wanted to shock his interrogators, knowing that they could do nothing to him, regardless of how he described his crimes. When discussing the murders of the two children in 1972, he told the detectives that Jack Blake had been bothering him, so he hit him, killing him by mistake. Once the boy was dead, he decided to eat his genitals. He also admitted that he anally raped Karen Ann Hill before strangling her to death. Vietnam Murders While in Vietnam, along with killing 39 men  during combat (which was a proven lie) Shawcross also used the venue to describe in grotesque details  how he murdered, then cooked and ate, two Vietnam women. Family Reactions Shawcross also talked about his childhood, as if using the experience as a way to justify his horrific acts. According to Shawcross, he did not get along with his parents and his mother was domineering and extremely abusive. He also claimed that an aunt sexually molested him when he was 9 years old and that he acted out by sexually molesting his younger sister. Shawcross also said that he had a homosexual relationship at age 11 and experimented with bestiality not long afterward. Shawcross family members strongly denied that he was abused and described his childhood as normal. His sister was equally vehement about never having had a sexual relationship with her brother. As to his aunt sexually abusing him, It was later determined,  that if he had been abused, he somehow blocked out his aunts name because the name that he gave did not belong to any of his real aunts. Released After listening to hours of his self-serving saga, investigators still were unable to get him to admit to any of the Rochester murders. With nothing to hold him on  the police had to let him go, but not before taking his picture. Jo Ann Van Nostrand along with other prostitutes identified the police picture of Shawcross as the same man they called Mike/Mitch. It turned out that he was a regular customer of many of the women on Lyell Avenue. Confessions Shawcross was brought in for questioning a second time. After several hours of interrogation, he still denied having anything to do with the murdered women. It was not until the detectives threatened to bring his wife and his girlfriend Clara in together for questioning  and that they could  be implicated in the murders, did he begin to waver. His first admission that he was involved in the murders was when he told police that Clara had nothing to do with it. Once his involvement was established, the details began to flow. The detectives gave Shawcross a list of 16 women missing or murdered, and he immediately denied having anything to do with five of them. He then confessed to murdering the others. With each victim that he confessed to the killing, he included  what the victim had done to deserve what they got. One victim tried to steal his wallet, another wouldnt be quiet, another made fun of him, and yet another had nearly bitten off his penis.   He also blamed many of the victims for reminding him of his domineering and abusive mother, so much so that once he began to hit them, he couldnt stop. When it came time to discuss June Stott, Shawcross appeared to become melancholy. Apparently, Stott was a friend and had been a guest in his home. He explained to the detectives that the reason he mutilated her body after killing her was a kind favor he extended to her so that she would decompose faster. Reaching Through the Prison Bars A common trait of serial killers is the desire to show they are still in control and can reach through the prison walls and still do damage to those outside.   When it came to Arthur Shawcross, this certainly appeared to be the case, because, throughout the years when interviewed,  his answers to the questions seemed to change depending on who was doing the interviewing. Female interviewers were often subjected to his long descriptions of how much he enjoyed eating the body parts and organs that he had cut out from his victims. Male interviewers often had to listen to his conquests in Vietnam. If he thought he sensed sympathy from the interviewer, he would add more details about how his mother would insert sticks into his anus or offer up specific details into exactly how his aunt took sexual advantage of him when he was just a child. Shawcross was transparent, so much so that the interviewers,  detectives, and doctors that listened to him,  doubted much of what he said when he would describe his childhood  abuse and his enjoyment of cutting up women and  eating body parts. The Trial Shawcross pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. During his trial, his lawyer tried to prove that Shawcross was a victim of multiple personality disorder stemming from his years of being abused as a child. Post-traumatic stress disorder from his year in Vietnam was also anted up as a reason why he went insane and murdered women. The big problem with this defense was that there was no one who backed up his stories. His family completely denied his accusations of abuse. The Army provided proof that Shawcross was never stationed near a jungle and that he never fought in combat, never burned down huts, was never caught behind a firebomb and never went on jungle patrol as he claimed. As to his claims to have killed and devoured two Vietnam women, two psychiatrists that interviewed him agreed that Shawcross changed the story so often that it became unbelievable. Extra Y Chromosome It was discovered that Shawcross had an extra Y chromosome  which some  have suggested (although there is no proof) makes the person more violent. A cyst found on Shawcross right temporal lobe was said to have caused him to have behavioral seizures where he would display animalistic behavior, such as eating the body parts of his victims. In the end, it came down to what the jury believed, and they werent fooled for a moment. After deliberating for just one-half hour, they found him sane and guilty. Shawcross was sentenced to 250 years in prison and received an additional life sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of Elizabeth Gibson in Wayne County. Death On November 10, 2008, Shawcross died of cardiac arrest after being transferred from the Sullivan Correction Facility to an Albany, New York hospital. He was 63 years old.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Accounting for Business Combination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting for Business Combination - Essay Example The acquirer gains command over the assets and the associated liabilities. It is worthy of stating that when interchange in business takes place, it can be termed as business combination. It is significant for all the business combinations to be accounted for utilising the purchase process of accounting. Control can be gained by purchasing the assets themselves or by means of purchasing control over the corporation possessing the assets (Grant Thornton, 2011). The main objective of the paper is to discuss about accounting for business combination, to identify the current issues and thus to critically analyse them. The paper will endeavour to discuss numerous standards that can be applicable in resolving the issues related to accounting for business combination. Business Combinations One of the main goals of the business organisation is to attain growth. It is often stated by the top managements that growth or expansion is the major goal of the business organisation. A company may dev elop steadily by mounting its range of products. A number of the companies have attained their objective of growth by way of business combinations. The accounting for business combinations is primarily controlled with the help to four principles such as IFRS3, IAS 27, IAS 36 as well as IAS 38.The factor worth considering is that a business combination may be either friendly or might as well be unfriendly. When friendly combination takes place, it is the duty of the boards of directors of both the combining companies to bargain upon communally satisfying terms related to planned combinations. After that the stockholders of the combining companies need to approve the proposal. On the other hand, an unfriendly combination takes place when the board of directors of the company oppose the combination. In such cases, mostly by way of tender offer the acquiring company is capable of interacting with the individual shareholders (Qfinance, 2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Comb ination There are numerous ways through which the companies may expand. A few of the companies might want to expand internally while others may choose to expand externally. An organisation may choose to expand internally by involving themselves in research and development. In case of external expansion, the companies attempt to expand through acquiring one or more companies. Along with quick expansion, there are numerous benefits of external expansion or business combination method in comparison to internal expansion (Deloitte, 2012). When the combination is vertical or horizontal, such combination with an existing company tends to present the management of the acquiring company with a business unit which is established possessing experienced personnel, productive facilities, regular suppliers as well as distribution channels. Furthermore, such business combinations assist companies to compete in an effective way in the international market. Most of the times, it is apparent that th e companies go for business combinations in order to take benefit of the income tax laws. By means of filing a consolidated tax return, the profitable corporations’ tax liability might be minimised because of the losses of unbeneficial affiliates. Diversification occurring from such combinations provides the combining companies with numerous benefits such as greater flexibility, an internal capital market, rise in the debt capacity of the company, greater shield from the rivals over proprietary information, and at times capability to make better use of the organisational resources (PwC, 2012). In spite of its innumerable benefits, business combinat

Friday, October 18, 2019

Air Pollution or Endocrine Disrupters Research Paper

Air Pollution or Endocrine Disrupters - Research Paper Example Such disruptions manifest among humans with most affectations in the male and female reproduction systems. The US EPA has set forth the screening of thousand of chemicals in order to screen endocrine disruptors before they are introduced to the human body. This screening program has proven to be problematic because of the bulk of chemicals which have to be screened. There are thousands of disruptors which have to be tested and testing them cannot adequately be carried out without incurring high costs which the government agencies and laboratories cannot afford. Nevertheless, these tests help establish clear guidelines and standards for government officials and the general public in the assessment of these products and their use by the general public. There are advantages and disadvantages to these tests; mostly these tests are advantageous because they help determine the health impact of chemicals to the general health of the population. The validation of chemicals and the investigat ion of the disruptor effects to the endocrine system can be determined through in vitro and in vivo assays. However, carrying out these tests can also be disadvantageous because of the practical considerations for testing. In effect, there is a need for the government to be more prudent and selective in the programs it would implement to evaluate these chemicals. Moreover, people also need to be more cautious about the chemicals they use because they can have negative impacts on both humans and animals. Introduction We are currently in the midst of an era where we are facing various environmental issues. The Global Warming phenomenon has been explained and explored by various experts and politicians as a major cause of concern to our planet because of its growing impact on all living things. One of these issues pertains to air pollution and their effects to our human physiology. Air pollution largely affects our respiratory system because chemical and air-borne toxins enter our body through inhalation. The respiratory system then helps to process the inhaled gases while exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen which is crucial to our survival. This paper shall consider the role of air pollution in terms of chemical endocrine disruptors which mimic the hormone in our bodies. These chemicals seem to interfere with the actions of hormones – mimicking behavior and upsetting normal growth, behavior, and reproduction of wildlife. This paper shall explain how endocrine disruptors enter the cells. It shall evaluate if these compounds also harm people and how they affect the human body. This paper shall also discuss the pros and cons of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) screening thousands of chemicals that are used as endocrine disruptors before they are introduced to the human body. It shall discuss this student’s opinion on whether EPA is right in conducting the screening. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehens ive assessment of these endocrine disruptors and their impact on the human body. Body There are various chemical toxins which enter the lungs and the respiratory system and which affect the endocrine and the normal processes of our body. Some of these chemicals are known as endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are often seen in our daily use products, including â€Å"plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides†

Criminal Litigation. Case Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Criminal Litigation. Case Management - Essay Example The inclusion of expert evidence in civil and trial has increased remarkably to encompass, for example, modern and innovative scientific procedures and related assessment reports. This paper critically examines how courts have influenced expert evidence at trial. Common law traditions require that expert witnesses are only sought with the permission of the court and that the principal obligation of the experts is to remain impartial to the court during the course of their submissions. The obligations and conduct of expert witnesses are well stated in both the Practice Direction 35 and the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 35, with CPR Part 35.3 specifically indicating that: experts are duty-bound to assist the judicial process on the issues within the scope of their respective professions. The obligation surpasses any duty to the party from whom such a professional has received briefing or who is responsible for their earnings (Gans 353). In addition, Practice Direction 35.2 also indicates that expert evidence should be the impartial outcome of the expert who is free from the duress caused by the long-drawn and challenging litigation procedures. However, the fact that there are two different categories of experts raises the controversy of impartiality at trial. As Sonenshein and Fitzpatrick (14) noted, an expert with clear directions to provide evidence at trial and another expert whose evidence is basically advisory may have clearly delineated mandates. However, the provisions of CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 normally apply in factual evidence provision rather than giving opinion evidence at trial. Expert evidence in court processes is regarded as having the potential to shade more light on issues which are beyond the understanding of conventional fact-finding process. However, members of the court are sometimes ill-equipped to tell whether expert

Not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Not sure - Essay Example In this activity, students were required to write about themselves on the pieces of paper and throw them to one another. This helped the students understand one another’s background and lifestyle in general. I also introduced myself to others and asked them what I wanted to know about them. This activity filled confidence in me so that I could communicate better. I learnt almost all conversation with my team members after this class rather than learning the professional words from the lecture. I learnt how important it was to be good at communication and to be able to engage with teams to get a better understanding of a new field. Since I had not done any prior readings, I did not completely understand this unit’s structure despite the fact that my unit coordinator had clearly explained everything. Besides, I was busy in few advanced professional expressions. I was eager about making a time management plan so that I was clear about the assignment submission due dates, h omework requirements and the prior reading required. It would help improve my efficiency and time management skills. Week 2 In week 2, I liked the searching activity in which I had to use the library resources together with my team members. We discovered a lot of information about our studies by accessing the online data available at the ECU website. I found out that this online library tool enabled us to locate a variety of sources. We could easily locate references of a specific year by looking at the sources for its year range. Our team did a referencing exercise including both end-text and in-text referencing following the referencing guide of ECU. We also reviewed our first pieces of reflection and exchanged views upon that with one another. For example, my team members liked my management plan’s format whereas I liked the terminology abbreviation memorizing process proposed by my mate. This activity helped improve our formatting and research skills, and also improved my ability to cooperate with my team. There was also an activity that our team did which was least interesting. It comprised two scenarios with the same set of questions about the ACE theory of Kathleen Reardon. Understanding it with real examples would have been easier than the case study in the book. Since I had done the pre-reading of the chapter â€Å"Persuasion†, I knew its importance and features already, along with the strategies needed to make effective persuasions. This part went smoothly. However, I needed to develop competence in the theoretical part of the persuasion along with their relevant terms. The learning I have gained from the online library searching activity will help me in the studies in the future and will also improve my cooperation and communication skills. I have also learnt the strategies of persuasion that I will use in my professional career in the future. Most importantly, I have developed good interpersonal skills. Week 3 Week 3 was about managem ent of stress and time. In this week, we did an activity i.e. Exercise 4B that attracted me because it was very much real; we gave a life stress test that helped us identify our stress conditions by answering different questions about our life events. I calculated my scope by ticking off many boxes of life events that were related to me and that might cause stress. I thought I would score the highest since I thought of myself as a highly stressed person, but I was surprised to learn that I had scored the lowest. I learnt that everybody experiences stress, and that

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Forensic Chemical Pathology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Forensic Chemical Pathology - Essay Example First is through the sublingual or (buccal) cavity where some drugs are administered into the body beneath the tongue or the cheek from where they are absorbed from the animal body into the human circulation system (Houck and Siegel, 2006). These drugs are also administered orally, this the most method used in drug administration into the body by many individuals. In addition, the drug can be introduced through rectal organ, a method mostly used in children (Houck and Siegel, 2006). Besides entrance organs, the drugs can also be administered through, parenteral routes that is, through intravenous injection, intra-arterial injection, inhalation, intramuscular injection and topically through the eye, skin and intra-vaginal parts. This is the process by which drug molecules passes from the administration site to the circulation system in the body of human being. This process applies to all forms of drug administration routes except through injections where drug is introduced directly into the blood system (Houck and Siegel, 2006). The absorption of the drug demands that absorption of drug should move from cell to cell through permeable membranes. The process of blood absorption takes place through passive diffusion into the circulatory system of the body. The rate at which the drug is absorbed into the body is always relative to the concentration of the drug taken (Houck and Siegel, 2006). These drugs absorption can therefore take place through lipid diffusion in the cells or by aqueous concentration of solution or by active method. Drug distribution, is the process by which the drug taken leaves the circulation system and moves into the tissues and organs of the body. This process is made possible by diffusion into interstitial fluid and other cells from the circulation. Besides drugs can be transported through active method in hepatic cells, from where they go through enzymatic biotransformation (Houck and Siegel,