Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short Story - Essay Example â€Å"The Lottery† highlights the fact that societies must adjust themselves to the need of changing times. Leaving behind the past beliefs, which have no meaning, is the only way to reform the society in a progressive manner. The central point about the story is the blinding faith in the past traditions and customs that these villagers would not like to change. This connects the story to the kind of superstitious values that the village people were following. An example of this can be traced to the fact that the lottery box has almost lived its life and become worn out, as this box is used every year for the ritual of conducting annual lottery draw in the village. However, the people of this village would not like to change the box as it has the pieces of wood taken from the earlier box, which was probably used for centuries. Although the lottery conductor, Mr. Summers raised the point of replacing this box, the people of the village would not listen to him as no body wanted to replace it. The draw of lottery had nothing to do with the age or construction of the box. Such blind beliefs are found in most of the countries. For example, people in India would not conduct an important business during certain period of the year, which is considered inauspicious. Like the tradition of celebrating the Halloween, which this village also enjoyed, worshipping the dead is not considered a good sign in India. Such traditions leave along-lasting image on the psyche of the people, who are not prepared to change the age-old beliefs. Such beliefs are worldwide. For example, the Irish village folks believe that ghosts will occupy the house, after they vacate it. Hence, they have the tradition of breaking the doors and windows of the house, before vacating it. Although such beliefs are followed blindly, no body has a logical explanation to justify them. However, people invoke stars and

Explain the Concept of Ideals in Plato’s Writings Essay Example for Free

Explain the Concept of Ideals in Plato’s Writings Essay â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living† according to Plato. He argued that we should always pursue knowledge and ask questions to do this. A key part of Plato’s philosophy is epistemology – his theory of how we know things. His concept of Ideals, also known as Forms, is Plato’s explanation of how true knowledge can be sought. Plato understood that there are concepts that we can all recognise in various things, for example the concept of beauty. We all recognise beauty in art, nature, people, or music, and we all understand the idea when we hear the word used. Although we can all recognise beauty, our opinions of what classes as beautiful are widely varied and subjective. The conclusions Plato drew from this is that beauty must exist, otherwise we would not know it at all. This is the Perfect Form of Beauty. However, we must have only partial knowledge of it or we would not have subjective opinions. Forms are absolute versions of concepts and ideas. They are perfect ideas of everything and therefore they do not change – perfect things cannot change for the better and would not change for the worse. They are also eternal as to begin or to stop existing is a change. They cannot live in this world as it is constantly changing and forms are unchangeable, so they can only exist in the Realm of the Forms. The form of Beauty is absolute and true; it is not an opinion but an idea or concept, therefore no-one can know the real meaning of Beauty as it cannot exist in this world and it is eternal. We will never know forms fully as we are imperfect. Forms give us knowledge and allow us to have some understanding of the truth. Although, we know that we do not know them fully as we can form our own opinions on things, e.g. what is beautiful and what is not. Forms are in the Realm of the Forms, we can recognise them as this is where our soul originates from, however because they come from there and not from where we are, we do not know them fully. Also as they are perfect we cannot understand them fully. In the Realm of the Forms there are Ideals of everything we have a concept of such as Beauty, Justice, Truth, and the Form of the Good. The Form of the Good is the highest of the forms and is the foundation and essence of everything. The Form of The Good represents Plato’s idea of goodness and is what you should most want. For Plato this was eudaimonia, living a good and fulfilled life. All other forms such as beauty, justice or truth are part of eudaimonia and so part of Good. The Form of the Good is therefore the most important Form as it gives us full and true knowledge of what we should pursue. It is our ultimate goal and the source of all truth and goodness. In this way, it has influenced the development of the Christian idea of God. Plato uses the Cave Allegory to present his ideas about Forms. He does this by using symbolism, by representing the Forms as objects outside of the cave. He then represents the Form of the Good as the sun; the sun shines light onto the objects outside, allowing us to see them. The light represents knowledge and the objects represent Forms – the Sun shows us the Forms and gives us knowledge. The prisoner’s journey illustrates Plato’s concept of Ideals or Forms – they provide truth but must be pursued individually and by looking away from things that keep us ignorant.

Education - What is it Really Worth? Essay -- Educate Education Essays

Education - What is it Really Worth? Carl Jung believed that, One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is a vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child (Fitzhenry 135). Education is important to succeed in life, but it needs to come along with compassion and learning on a personal level rather than in an autocratic atmosphere. Everyone has different views of education, but what they all have in common is how necessary it is when one wants to become a self-actualized individual. Education also plays an important role in getting a job in todays world and leading a self fulfilled life. Authors such as Bell hooks, Mike Rose, Jon Spayde, and Adrienne Rich all see education through the eyes of the excluded and emphasize the importance of education and what its really worth. I believe that education helps us achieve what we want to do but its actually up to each and every one of us to carry through. Every one of us could be educated but it doesnt necessarily mean that we learned anything to help us in the real world. We also need to self educate ourselves and not always rely on the classroom. We could do this by reading newspapers, magazines or even watching the news to expand ones awareness of the worlds issues. We need to be able to think for ourselves and make our own decisions rather than relying on what we have been taught in school. I am not saying that we should disregard what we have been taught, we just need to be able to relate to what we have been taugh t and make our own decisions. Education is especially valued in North America, it is very hard to truly succe... ...homework and sitting in class, it also about learning to work with others and making choices about the future. Works cited Fitzhenry, Robert I., ed. The Harper Book of Quotations, Third Edition. NY: HarperPerennial, 1993, 135. Hooks, Bell. Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education. The Presence of Others. eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, NY: Bedford/ St.Martins, 2000, 93-103. Rich, Adrienne. What Does a Woman Need to Know? The Presence of Others. eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, NY: Bedford/ St.Martins, 2000, 65-71. Rose, Mike. Life on the Boundary. The Presence of Others. eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, NY: Bedford/ St.Martins, 2000, 105-118. Spayde, Jon. Learning in the Key of Life. The Presence of Others. eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, NY: Bedford/ St.Martins, 2000, 58-63.

Project Management Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Project Management Project management is an essential part of the work environment and its purpose within business, academic backgrounds and research are crucial to the development of solutions and products that enable a company to be successful. The idea of project management is quite simple; a group of people are detached from the company and given a goal to focus their efforts on. The size of the group is entirely dependant on the size of the company. When looking to put together a project management team, there are two key factors that many, if not all, companies take into consideration; the skills that each individual possess in the team and whether these skills can be utilised in such a way to achieve their goal in a team environment. Each company requires different qualities that a successful applicant for Project Manager should fulfil. While trying to find a job in the summer, I came across a job posting for a Software Project Manager for a small team. Some of the required attributes that a candidate should possess are as follows: â€Å"A desire to motivate, share knowledge and provide for continuous learning†¦excellent communication skill†¦ Must be able to enthuse and engage at all levels of business†¦Develop findings and recommend solutions to customers as applicable. A good â€Å"all-rounder†.†1 Since many large companies and organisations no longer just restrict their services to their domestic customers, another key requirement for a Project Manager seems to be the ability to contribute in an international market. For example, in the current business world, there are very few companies and organisations that will limit their research only to Japan, for instance. As a result, the openings for project managers seem mainly to be located in the European countries such as France, Germany and the UK. Thus having a position in a project management firm is not only a lasting responsibility to national business and research but it is also an international commitment. Project management also varies in accordance with the size of the companies that it is carrying out its work for. In a small business, the project management team may be assigned projects of a local nature where their performance will be assessed on a small scale. For example, if the team was to make a project management plan for a small local company, the c... ... two sectors are managed separately, so in a way it can been seen as a type of project management since both sectors are detached form each and come together when a new product is being made. Within these two sectors, there are many different projects being undertaken in order to make its products better. Measuring the performance of these two sectors is done by looking at their yearly revenue and seeing how it changes, i.e. does it go up, down or fluctuates. Another way to measure the success of project management within Monsanto is to see how well the new product is received by the public by doing a type of census that will allow Monsanto to attain data that will help them to see where they have gone wrong so that they can improve their services in the future. References Websites - www.monster.co.uk - www.tenstep.com - www.pmtoday.co.uk - www.projectmanagement.com - www.financial-conferences.com - www.monsanto.com Books - Project management for Dummies – Stanley Portney - The Art of Project Management – Scott Berkun - The Practice of Project Management; A Guide to the Business-Focused Approach – Enzo Frigenti and Dennis Comninos

Currency War Between China and Usa Essay

Currency War: Currency war, also known as competitive devaluation, is a condition in international affairs where countries compete against each other to achieve a relatively low exchange rate for their own currency. As the price to buy a particular currency falls so too does the real price of exports from the country. Imports become more expensive too, so domestic industry, and thus employment, receives a boost in demand both at home and abroad. However, the price increase in imports can harm citizens’ purchasing power. The policy can also trigger retaliatory action by other countries which in turn can lead to a general decline in international trade, harming all countries. Reasons of Currency War Between USA and China: Competitive devaluation has been rare through most of history as countries have generally preferred to maintain a high value for their currency,but it happens when devaluation occur. China keeps its dollar artificially low so that countries like the US will buy its goods. China is the US’s largest trading partner and if they didn’t sell their goods for super cheap, markets like India would be able to under cut the Chinese and then the US would buy goods from Indian instead of China. There is so much trade between China and the US that China profits immensely without needing it’s Yuan to appreciate. This of course hurts the average Chinese person in that their labour is devalued but it beneficial for the country as a whole as it has quickly become a super power economicaly. In 2008, a trader paid one Ghana Cedi for one U.S. dollar, but at the beginning of April 2012, the same trader travelling to Dubai paid GH ¢1.74 for one U.S. dollar. This means that year-on-year decline in the value of cedi against the US dollar was 74 per cent over a three-year period. A point to note is that during the global economic crises of 2008-2009, the cedi depreciated by 25 per cent against the dollar. Between 2010 and 2011, the cedi again depreciated 18.5 per cent against the US dollar. For last month, the cedi exchange rate depreciated 4.29 percent against the US dollar. So is the current downward slide in the cedi value as a result of the slowdown in the global economy or due to internal structural weaknesses? This question requires a detailed research work beyond the scope of this article but it is a very relevant question to ask at this time. In economics, depreciation is basically the symptoms of an underlying problem, specifically imbalances in the Balance of Payment (BOP), emanating from excess demand for dollars. So instead of discussing the depreciating cedi, I will rather focus my attention on the causes or factors that cause currency to depreciate and what the government can do to arrest this problem in special cases. Before then, I must let readers know the difference between currency fluctuation and depreciation. Fluctuations in currency value are a common event and are usually no cause for concern. The minor daily increases and decreases in value are generally due to â€Å"random walk† and not due to an economic event or fundamental problems. However, changes in currency value become significant when the decline in value of the currency is an ongoing trend. Technically, when currency depreciates, it loses value and purchasing power, with impact on the real sectors of the economy. Although, the economic effects of a lower cedi take time to happen, there are time lags between a change in the exchange rate and changes in commodity prices. Factors that determine the value of a currency include the current state of the overall economy, inflation, trade balance (the difference between the value of export and import), level of political stability, etc. Occasionally, external factors like currency speculations on the foreign exchange market can also contribute to depreciation of the local currency. Such being the case, a government can intervene into the foreign exchange market to support its national currency and suppress the process of depreciation. Currency depreciation can positively impact the overall economic development, though. It boosts competitiveness through lower export costs and secures more income from exported goods in a similar way devaluation does. On the contrary, depreciation makes imports more expensive and discourages purchases of imported goods stimulating demand for domestically manufactured goods. Globally, governments intentionally influence the value of their currency utilising the powerful tool of the base interest rates, which are usually set by the country’s central bank and this tool is often used to intentionally depreciate the currency rates to encourage exports. Factors that can cause a currency to depreciate are: Supply and Demand †¢ Just as with goods and services, the principles of supply and demand apply to the appreciation and depreciation of currency values. If a country injects new currency into its economy, it increases the money supply. When there is more money circulating in an economy, there is less demand. This depreciates the value of the currency. On the other hand, when there is a high domestic or foreign demand for a country’s currency, the currency appreciates in value. Inflation †¢ Inflation occurs when the general prices of goods and services in a country increase. Inflation causes the value of the cedi to depreciate, reducing purchasing power. If there is rampant inflation, then a currency will depreciate in value. What causes inflation? †¢ Printing Money. Note printing money does not always cause inflation. It will occur when the money supply is increased faster than the growth of real output. †¢ Note: the link between printing money and causing inflation is not straightforward. The money supply does not just depend on the amount the government prints. †¢ Large National Debt. To finance large national debts, governments often print money and this can cause inflation. Economic Outlook If a country’s economy is in a slow growth or recessionary phase, the value of their currency depreciates. The value of a country’s currency also depreciates if its major economic indicators like retail sales and Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, are declining. A high and/or rising unemployment rate can also depreciate currency value because it indicates an economic slowdown. If a country’s economy is in a strong growth period, the value of their currency appreciates. Trade Deficit A trade deficit occurs when the value of goods a country imports is more than the value of goods it exports. When the trade deficit of a country increases, the value of the domestic currency depreciates against the value of the currency of its trading partners. The demand for imports should fall as imports become more expensive. However, some imports are essential for production or cannot be made in the country and have an inelastic demand—we end up spending more on these when the exchange rate falls in value. This can cause the balance of payments to worsen in the short run (a process known as the J curve effect) Collapse of Confidence If there is a collapse of confidence in an economy or financial sector, this will lead to an outflow of currency as people do not want to risk losing their currency. Therefore, this causes an outflow of capital and depreciation in the exchange rate. Collapse in confidence can be due to political or economic factors. Price of Commodities if an economy depends on exports of raw materials, a fall in the price of this raw material can cause a fall in export revenue and depreciation in the exchange rate. For example, in 2011, a ton of cocoa sold for US4,000 per ton. Currently, it is going for US$2,300 per ton, translating into fewer inflows of dollars. Interest rate Differential I will use the International Fischer Effect to explain the relationship between the expected change in the current exchange rate between the cedi and the dollar, which is approximately equivalent to the difference between Ghana and US’ nominal interest rates for that time. For example, if the average interest rate in Ghana for 2011 was 24 per cent and for US was three per cent, then the dollar should appreciate roughly 21 per cent or the cedi must depreciate 21 per cent compared to the dollar to restore parity. The rationale for the IFE is that a country with a higher interest rate will also tend to have a higher inflation rate. This increased amount of inflation should cause the currency in the country with the high interest rate to depreciate against a country with lower interest rates. Market Speculations Market speculations can contribute to a process of spiraling depreciation after smaller market players decide to follow the example of the leading dealers, the so-called market makers, and after they lost confidence in a particular currency start to sell it in bulk amounts. Then only a quick reaction of the country’s central bank can restore the confidence of investors and stop the currency rates of the nation’s currency from continuous decline. When the currency depreciation is based on market speculations, in other words, not backed by fundamental economic factors, then the central bank comes to the rescue- intervene. A sterilised intervention against depreciation can only be effective in the medium term if the underlying cause behind the currency’s loss of value can be addressed. If the cause was a speculative attack based on political uncertainty this can potentially be resolved. Because after a sterilised intervention the money supply remains unchanged at its high level, the locally available interest rates can still be relatively low, so the carry trade continues and if it still wants to prevent depreciation the central bank has to intervene again. This can only go on so long before the bank runs out of foreign currency reserves. In conclusion, currency depreciation is the result of fundamental deficiencies with the domestic economy which must be corrected over a period of time to restore balance. However, where the depreciation is out of speculative attacks on the currency, then the central bank can intervene to correct the temporary anomalies, which, often is short term in nature. Lastly, intervention in the foreign exchange market by the central bank to correct fundamental weaknesses, just like the Ghanaian situation will not work, because, very soon, the central bank will run out of international reserves; hence, the cedi must therefore seek its equilibrium level. The writer is an economic consultant and former Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics at Alabama State University. Montgomery, Alabama. Currency War in the Great Depression During the Great Depression of the 1930s, most countries abandoned the gold standard, resulting in currencies that no longer had intrinsic value. With widespread high unemployment, devaluations became common. Effectively, nations were competing to export unemployment, a policy that has frequently been described as â€Å"beggar thy neighbour†.[30] However, because the effects of a devaluation would soon be counteracted by a corresponding devaluation by trading partners, few nations would gain an enduring advantage. On the other hand, the fluctuations in exchange rates were often harmful for international traders, and global trade declined sharply as a result, hurting all economies. The exact starting date of the 1930s currency war is open to debate.[23] The three principal parties were Great Britain, France, and the United States. For most of the 1920s the three generally had coinciding interests, both the US and France supported Britain’s efforts to raise Sterling’s value against market forces. Collaboration was aided by strong personal friendships among the nations’ central bankers, especially between Britain’s Montagu Norman and America’s Benjamin Strong until the latter’s early death in 1928. Soon after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, France lost faith in Sterling as a source of value and begun selling it heavily on the markets. From Britain’s perspective both France and the US were no longer playing by the rules of the gold standard. Instead of allowing gold inflows to increase their money supplies (which would have expanded those economies but reduced their trade surpluses) France and the US began sterilising the inflows, building up hoards of gold. These factors contributed to the Sterling crises of 1931; in September of that year Great Britain substantially devalued and took the pound off the gold standard. For several years after this global trade was disrupted by competitive devaluation. The currency war of the 1930s is generally considered to have ended with the Tripartite monetary agreement of 1936.

Portrait of a Serial Killer Analysis Essay

Portrait of a Serial Killer Analysis Essay Portrait of a Serial Killer Analysis Essay Sample Portrait of a Serial Killer Analysis Essay Sample When one hears about a new serial killer in the neighborhood, the usual stereotype depicts a raging maniac who rapes and tortures young girls. Such a description can characterize a serial killer but only a small percentage. On the average, many murderers are no more insane than any other person. In fact, the serial killer can appear in any form. A well-groomed nurse who poisons her infirm patients to â€Å"play God,† an exhausted mother who smothers her children to stop them from crying, a disturbed man who murders prostitutes to punish them for their sins, a high-maintained prostitute who kills her clients to avenge herself for all the insults and abuses she experienced, a respectable father and a member of the community who slaughters strangers to exert power at least in some sphere of his life (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 410). All these cases can fit into a serial killer profile. It is true that in many cases serial killing is predetermined by sexual lust that is aggravated by a sadistic component (Purcell, 2006). However, it is not always the case. Apart from killing for any kind of pleasure and cases of schizophrenia or â€Å"voices form God†, there are other factors that contribute to the necessity to kill people (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 442). Gaining profit may seem a motif not strong enough for engaging into the frenzy of serial murder. However, there are cases when women killed their husbands to provide themselves with their insurance (Ramsland, 2006, p. 4). The main factor for serial killing is still the desire to dominate. The overwhelming majority of researches prove that serial killers come from dysfunctional households or from families where children were not connected to their primary caretakers. It led to alienation and emotional closeness (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 179). Despite the fact that white males in their late twenties take leading places in Serial Killer Top 100, females also found their way of escaping depression and ennui of their lives in putting other human beings to death. Even young children picked on the trend for serial murder. Schurman-Kauflin wrote about the three cases of school students committing serial killings, all in the late 1990s (2000, p. 22). The fact that in one case an 11-year-old female is the lead suspect in the serial murders of 4 children cannot help but frighten. We come across the horrifying examples of people’s cruelty every day. It is impossible to always screen them off with â€Å"I cannot believe it.† We have to believe it and do something. The society has to address the issue of serial murder. The first step is to learn about the factors that contribute to the development of sadistic and perverse personalities. When we know who can commit it and in what circumstances, then we can resist and combat it. If we do not do it now, they can come and get us later. Our perception is often distorted by fiction and mass media. We are left with a wrong impression about the serial killers’ preys and that it will never involve us and our families. However, not knowing, or not understanding, how the serial killers operate and thinks will make us walk right into their hands. At the moment, there is a wealth of information on the subject. We just need to tap into it and make conclusions. Warned means armed. What Makes a Serial Killer? It is a general knowledge that serial killing involves individual psychopathology. After watching movies about exceptionally weird serial killers people begin to think that only sociopaths or mentally insane people may kill other human beings premeditatevely and repeatedly. However, it is not always the case. Scholars say that antisocial behavior â€Å"reflects a disorder of character or personality rather than of the mind† (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 420). On the whole, serial killers can tell right from wrong and are aware of what they do. They are even capable to control their wild fantasies, however they choose not to (p. 419). Until recently the majority of psychiatrists considered mental insanity to be the primarily cause for multiple murders (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 419). Apart from the movies on extravagant serial killers (Silence of the Lambs, for example) that fed off such an opinion, there were cases when murderers suffered from schizophrenia or imaginary voices that ordered to kill. However, according to Fox and Levin, â€Å"only one in twenty sexually sadistic serial killers studied by Warren, Hazelwood, and Dietz was psychotic† (p. 419). If not mental illness thrn what makes a serial killer? Do they hate people? It is true that sociopaths fit the mold to commit multiple murders. They lack remorse, do not sympathize, and care exclusively for their own pleasures in life. Simply put, they have no conscience (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 420). At the same time, sociopathy in its pure form can rarely be met, even in serial killers. However, serial killers may suffer from â€Å"borderline personality disorder† when a person has fits of bad mood, â€Å"impulsivity, intense anger, chronic feelings of boredom †¦ a profound sense of abandonment and rejection† (p. 420-421). In such a case, people are capable of qualms of conscience and remorse. In order to overcome it, murderers may compartmentalize their victims by applying some criteria to them (Ramsland, 2006, p. 179). For example, they do not feel pangs of guilt towards the strangers and can murder them easily. Another loophole for their conscience can be an expl anation to themselves that their victims â€Å"deserve† the punishment. For instance, prostitutes are filthy and it is their own fault that they fall a prey to sex criminals; vagabond alcoholics became subhuman and therefore, it is not a sin to kill such beingd; gays are seen as AIDS carriers and by eliminating them they make the world a better place (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 423). The myth of the victims â€Å"deserving the punishment† makes serial murderers unable to feel remorse. The fantasy world screens off from them the startling reality. Therefore, it may happen that while on trial the serial killers are subjected to the numerous evidence against their world view. Seeing what the victim’s relatives and friends suffer may prompt the murderer to perceive what he or she had done and repent. That was the case of Milwaukee’s Jeffrey Dahmer who apologized to the families right in the courtroom for murdering, abusing, and cannibalizing his seventeen victims (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 424). Criminologists, psychologists and other related experts continue to look for reasons for such inhuman behavior. Both health issues and environment can influence a person to develop into a maniac (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 448). Among biological factors, Fox and Levin mention the presence of head trauma or frontal lobe epilepsy and the chemical imbalances in the brain (p. 448). Environmental premises may include unsuccessful adoption cases, child abuse, and humiliation or rejection (p. 448). In fact, serial killers, when caught, tend to play the abusive childhood card. Sociopaths are especially good liars because they have enough cold-blooded boldness to lie convincingly. There were cases when serial murderers managed to fool psychiatrists with their tales of child abuse such as the cases of the Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi and the Genesee River Killer Arthur Shawcross (p. 449). The problem with a psychotic serial killer is the following. In order to be named a serial killer, a person should murder no less than four people (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 408). Most psychotic killers are very sloppy, act impulsively and do not pay enough attention to cover the traces. That is the reason they get caught before they kill enough victims to be classified as a serial killer (Brown, 2003, p. 36). The FBI offered the organized/disorganized distinction between multiple murderers. There are serial killers who are well-organized, intelligent, have romantic partners and children, good workers, curious about their crime in mass media, from a fine family; and another type of serial killers who are disorganized, less intelligent, lonely, jobless or an unskilled worker, and do not follow the investigation of their crimes (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 428). Definitely such descriptions are very polarized, and in real life it is difficult to find a killer who ideally fits the profile. Rather the profiles are used â€Å"as a tool to focus on a range of suspects† (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 428). They give clues and provide a direction to search for a suspect. Therefore, it is difficult to foresee whether a person can develop into a serial killer or not. A range of biological and behavioral peculiarities influence it. However, in general it would be wise not to think all serial murderers are insane or they all are evil. Rather they are extremely self-centered, are not thoughtful of consequences, and experienced violent treatment before. Time to Take into Account Startling Rates of Female Serial Killing Edna was a single African American female who was known for a jobless status and her promiscuous sexual relations to pay her rent. Having babies almost every two years for 10 years, Edna miraculously lost them to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when they were in her care with no other witnesses. With no relatives and no steady job, Edna managed to work on sympathies of the general public and jurors when her case was brought to court even after she admitted to suffocating the fifth child. Edna served 10 years for killing five children (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 184). A typical serial killer profile is a white male in his late twenties or early thirties (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 413). However, there already exists statistical and scholarly information on female multicide (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 3). Despite making only a small percentage of total multiple murders (one eighth of the general number), female serial killing is on the rise. In the last thirty years, there were recorded 26 female serial killers in the United Stated, which is a huge increase from previous years (p. 12). It should not be ignored. Women are rarely thought of as murderers so female serial killers may go unpunished for years making more and more harm. Their seeming innocence is what makes them more dangerous than men. Indeed, there is a difference between male and female killers. If not in the commonalities of the background, which are often similar, such as violence and abuse in childhood, than in methods of committing a crime (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 4). Male perpetrators rarely use firearms preferring to â€Å"take an active part in producing [their victims’] suffering and misery† by stabbing or strangling (Fox Levin, 1998, p. 416). Meanwhile female serial killers typically suffocate or poison because due to average physical abilities they choose their prey among elderly and young who are weaker than them (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 10). Both male and female serial killers choose the weakest as their victims but they look for them in different surroundings. Female multiple murder usually involves elders or children in care, while male serial killing sees easy prey in prostitutes, young women, and homeless alcoholics (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 18). According to recent studies, female serial killers tend to be care-givers (p. 17). They come from traditional families with sex roles defined conventionally so they choose female dominated professions of nurses, teachers, cooks or other types of caketaking (p. 17). However, the idea that women can be premeditate and murder people in their care is still unacceptable to many people. In fact, so strong is people’s disbelief in female serial killers that they often simply refuse to believe that a frail woman can conceive and execute a cold blooded murder, especially a series of them. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin tells the case of the nurse’s aides Gwen Graham and Cathy Wood of Michigan who played the game of spelling â€Å"murder† with the initials of their victims who they smothered to death at a nursing home (p. 13). Even after the women vividly described their crimes to police, â€Å"to this day, many refuse to believe that [they] could commit such atrocious acts† (p. 13). In any case, both male and female serialists share a common characteristic – they come from an abusing household (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 179). Violence breeds violence. Therefore, multiple murderers see the same hostility and unloving attitude as they have experienced in their families in their childhood. â€Å"With this expectation of abuse and distrust comes emotional isolation, which manifests itself in the forms of being emotionally flat and failing to feel empathy for others† (p. 179). As a result, being very lonely and isolated, the serial killers believe that they can restore their psychological balance through exerting power. In their case, it can be done through serial killing. The researchers ruled out the tornado effect that begins as a feeling of powerlessness in the face of humiliation and abuse experienced in their childhood. It accumulates into rage and anger which breed violent thoughts and fantasies. When another act of humiliation and powerlessness happens a next bout of more violent fantasies follows. After that usually the female multiple murderers begin to take it on small animals and later on children. The next step can be murder (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 192). In addition, the feeling of inadequacy and anger is intensified by their inability to express themselves. There is evidence that the female offenders often suffer from verbal difficulties. â€Å"Much like male offenders, this leads to increased levels of isolation and anger, which in turn becomes suppressed aggression† (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 124). When being children they had troubles in recognizing and describing their emotions, both written and verbal. Apart from a lack of education, the reason for it may be the detachment from other people. Not having close relationship with parents or siblings and being isolated from their peers, due to difficulties in communication and feeling different, such children shut down emotionally (p. 125). It can contribute to all other factors that constitute a profile of a serial killer. Primarily, it is up to the society to turn their gaze to the problem of the female multiple murders. Very often public opinion is not ready to accept and, therefore, to punish the female offender. So strong is the belief in caring capacities of women and their inability to act so atrociously. If it concerns a one-time murder we can believe that a woman could be driven to despair by an abusive father or a partner but to assume that a woman could kill her children, one a year, it is beyond our comprehension and, hence, impossible. Schurman-Kauflin mentions the case of the 72-year-old Maria Noe from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who received probation after confessing the murder of her eight children (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 13). Her advanced age and her gender influenced the jurors not to put her to prison. However, it is nothing else than a serial killer and it deserves to be judged with all severity. The method of choosing a victim among people in direct care and the geographical proximity of murder cases in close vicinity make the female serial killer extremely dangerous. You never know who will be her next prey: your neighbor, your child, or even you. The detectives, criminologists, and other related experts polish their profiling skills. Even if through profiling a criminal cannot be indicated at once, the results of the research demonstrate commonalities in the backgrounds and behavioral patterns of assailants (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 213). Therefore, it narrows a search. Those who want to help in apprehending serial killers and, for example, to become a profiler, first of all, need to extensively study the multiple murders and its motivation. Without understanding the psychology of a serial killer and his or her background it would be impossible to track them. With proper academic training (Ph.D. or a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Psychology, or Sociology) and homicide investigative experience, a good profiler should have first-hand experience with serial killers; otherwise, there can be blank spaces in the understanding of their motivation (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 218). Not all multiple murderers are eager to allow to dig into their heads and research the subject of their crimes. Especially female convicts are rather reticent concerning their background and what their reasons for killing were (p. 95). Some may think that so many efforts are excessive in the era of computers. However, in the case of studying human psyche, no machine can outdo an intelligent individual. Until today, computer profiling served as to point in the right direction rather than as a reliable source of exact information (Schurman-Kauflin, 2000, p. 219). Apart from difficulties to systemize all relevant information, computers simply do not have intuition which is very helpful when working with people. â€Å"A good profiler gives direction, elucidates difficult subjects, predicts behavior, aids in investigative techniques, provides interview suggestions, and helps in court situations† (p. 218). Besides the work of professional experts, each of us can armor oneself against becoming a potential victim. It is obligatory for everyone to educate oneself what we can do to protect ourselves. Questions to check the understanding of the material provided 1. Are the serial killers mentally insane? 2. What is an average portrait of a serial killer? 3. How female serial killers chose their victims? 4. What is the tornado effect? 5. What was the most startling information you learned from reading the magazine?

machiavelli, Aristotle, August essays

machiavelli, Aristotle, August essays Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince examines the nature of power and his views of power in the leadership that he observed in his time. Machiavelli discusses power over the people, dictatorial power, and the power with the people. The struggle to retain, hold, and apply one power is human nature and this nature is agreeable with Aristotle's argument that "man is a political animal." In The Prince, Machiavelli discusses two distinct groups of people, the political elite, including nobles and the public. Machiavelli claims that ambition and dictatorial power drive most nobles and princes. Because shared power is only effective between the prince and his people and not between the prince and the nobles because the people depends on the prince and the prince needs his people but since nobles and the prince are driven by the same motivations shared power would be useless. "Whether men bear affection depends on themselves, but whether they are afraid will depend on what the ruler does" (p.60-61). While Machiavelli emphasizes power over in relations between the political elite, he discusses a different kind of power in the relationship between a prince and the public. Machiavelli notes that a prnice can share power with the people, since a prince can trust the people much more than he can trust the nobles. Nobles" can not be satisfied if a ruler acts honorable but the people can be thus satisfies, because their aims are more honorable than those of the nobles are for the latter only want to oppress and the former only wants to avoid being oppressed" (p. 35). The people are not unforgiving and greedy so the prince can place more trust in the people. Since the prince can trust the people the people will feel empowered and the people will in turn protect the prince rather than revolt against him, "when you arm them, these weapons become your own" (p 72). In this way the prince power is greater. The prince's pursuits for power the nat...

Arizona vs Grant Essays

Arizona vs Grant Essays Arizona vs Grant Paper Arizona vs Grant Paper Arizona v. Grant Arizona v. Grant The U. S. Supreme Court limits how police searches a vehicle after Arizona v. Grant. April 21, 2009 the U. S. Supreme Court adds new limits on how law enforcement officer can search the passenger compartments of a vehicle. Due to this ruling, police officers require having either evidence of a crime for which the suspect is being arrested for, or the officers are completing a weapons check that could be within reach of the suspect. Arizona v. Grant makes important changes within the Fourth Amendment. After New York v. Belton, the U. S. Supreme Court had allowed officers to search the passenger compartment of any vehicle when the person was being arrested that was driving or was a passenger in without a warrant. Belton’s justification was the fact that a person can constitutionally be search for weapons and any other evidence, and further that any officer can search the immediate area of control for weapons or any other evidence. Since the new ruling with Arizona v. Grant overturns the ruling of New York v. Belton, and sets a new standard for what is allowed during a search in a car related arrested. New Ruling The new ruling in Arizona v. grant adds modifications to the Fourth Amendment in regards to police searches. The changes state, â€Å"Police may search the passenger compartment of a vehicle incident to recent occupant’s arrest only if it is reasonable to believe that the arrestee might access the vehicle at the time of the search or that the vehicle contains evidence of the offense of arrest† (Arizona v. Grant 07-542. ) The U. S. Supreme Court ruled against the fact that officers can justify search a vehicle in traffic violations or any situation where no other evidence of crime had occurred. Example of those would be: failure to appear, driving without a license, failing to pay child support. Arizona v. Grant allows checking for weapons within reach of the suspect, or anywhere reasonable within reach of the suspect. The main changes within Arizona v. Grant is police officer are no longer allowed to pull an individual over for a traffic violation, have the driver exit the vehicle, place them in hand cuff to be able to fully search a vehicle, which was commonly practiced by law enforcement agencies. Surveillance by Police The Fourth Amendment protects U. S. citizens’ rights under the U. S. Constitution â€Å"to be secure in their persons, house, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. † The U. S. Supreme Court looks at surveillance as a form of search and seizure and should require a person’s consent or a have warrant. However, the US Patriot Act, which was signed by Present George Bush in 2001 which states that The â€Å"Patriot Act,† allows law enforcement alone approve searches without oversight by the courts in, performed for national security matters. In regards to Arizona v. Grant that if the traffic stop was at any thought was a national security threat that the vehicle could be searched without a judicial warrant under the Patriot Act. Surveillance by School Officials At one time people did not have to worry about the children while attending school, however with statists stating that 100,000 students a day bring guns to school and 160,000 students skip class a day because of fear or being harmed (Davis. ) Surveillance has been a key part of keeping students staff while attending school. In Commonwealth v. Cass, 709 A. 2d 350, 357 (Pa. 1998), the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently listed several reasons that justified the school officials ‘heightened concern’ as to drug activity in the school. These factors include: * Information received from unnamed students; * Observations from teachers of suspicious activity by the students, such as passing small packages amongst themselves in the hallways; * increased use of the student assistance program for counseling students with drug problems; * Calls from concerned parents; Observation of a growing number of students carrying pagers; * Students in possession of large amounts of money; and, * Increased use of pay phones by students. † The conditions might be a little inexplicit, however under any suspicion can lead to weapons and or controlled substance being retrieved. A random locker search should only happen under the circumstance that places the students at amendment risk. Which regard to surveill ance with security cameras, law states that surveillance cameras cannot be placed were it invades person privacy, such as restrooms, or locker rooms. Surveillance by Security Personal After 911, there have been many changes in the Fourth Amendment in regards to the Patriot Act as it allows law enforcement alone approve searches without oversight by the courts in, performed for national security matters. TSA has played an important role in private security in keeping passengers safe while flying, however due the new body scanners, people question if it violates their Fourth Amendment right. TSA is backed by the 9th Circuit Court of the United States, as it ruled in 1973 to search passengers in airports. This ruling suspends limited aspects of the Fourth Amendment while undergoing airport security screening. On the U. S. V. Davis (482 F. 2d 893,908) has a key piece of the wording which gives TSA the searching powers it states, â€Å"â€Å"noting that airport screenings are considered to be administrative searches because they are conducted as part of a general regulatory scheme, where the essential administrative purpose is to prevent the carrying of weapons or explosives aboard aircraft. (482 F. 2d 893,908)† In regard to Arizona V. Grant police have to have probable cause to search, however airport security does not have to follow those rules under U. S v. Davis ruling. Conclusion April 21, 2009, changed the way police officers completed their search of a vehicle and the passenger compartment. After Arizona v. Grant, law enforcement must have probable cause that a crime has occurred or officers are completing a weapon sweep, that only the suspect could have reasonable reach too. When 911 occurred security in the United States changed. The Patriot Act was adopted and it allowed law enforcement alone approve searches without oversight by the courts in, performed for national security matters. U. S v. Davis gave TSA their searching powers, without violating peoples Fourth Amendment rights. Until the U. S. Supreme Court changes the Fourth Amendment, after Arizona v. Grant law enforcement have to probable cause to search a vehicle. References Commonwealth v. Cass, 709 A. 2d 350, 357 (Pa. 1998) Kathy Davis, John Kelsey, Dia Langellier, Misty Mapes, and Jeff Rosendahl Surveillance in Schools: Safety vs. Personal Privacy Locker Searches students. ed. uiuc. edu/jkelsey/surveillance/locker. htm justice. gov/archive/ll/highlights. htm U. S. V. Davis 482 F. 2d 893,908

The soicial functions of design and public design Research Paper

The soicial functions of design and public design - Research Paper Example A growing number of organizations, especially in the public sector; this across Western societies, are constantly seeking out innovations in the sphere of public design and design in general. The resultant effects of the global financial crisis have thrown many governments and their respective administrations into immense challenging situations. Every society has its own culture and traditional practices that make it unique. The cultural practices of different societies, in the world, are made and challenged by social groups depending on their benefit or detriment. Design and public design is one of the ways through which the process of constructing and challenging cultural issues. for instance, graphic design communicates the cultural and social beliefs that are practiced by political and economic groups and the society, at large. It is part and parcel of a process where beliefs and values are changed and transferred from one place to another. It does this in order to teach people n ew cultures and ways of doing things that are practiced in other societies. Design has a social role because it serves to change the beliefs and mindsets that people have about certain issues of life. In this case, change means the altering or transforming of beliefs and attitudes that affect people. For example, graphic design is a manifestation of the cultures that exist in different societies. Through design, people reproduce social power and imbalances, ways of communication and ideologies challenged or supported by people. Design amplifies and controls communication through publicizing messages without having to publish them. Design is a form of communication that travels through the world collecting and passing information about cultures and ways of interaction through criticism and viewpoints. For example, during the 1979 elections in Britain Graphic design was a radical and a driving force for social change through the support of right wing party ascension towards government . Design has been as a force that forges resistance to social order and authority that are discriminative upon the people (Ellis, 2010). Design and public design are also important to the society in the sense that it constructs and reconstructs racial and gender identities among societies. Race and gender are artificial concepts that are formulated in the mindsets of people and are beyond biological differences between people. Race and gender concepts are created and created and communicated through aspects, such as design and public design. This is because design travels throughout the world without difficulties. It communicates sociological concepts throughout the world without distinguishing distance, time or space. This way, they create social identities that are translated into beliefs held by people (Richard, 1990). Most European countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece, just to name but a few have faced bankruptcy for some time. This has necessitated, due to the tremendous pressure present, a dramatic shift towards reforming the public sector, including pension systems among others. Even those governments in less dire situations are also undertaking similar if not as radical measures as their counterparts. Examples include the United Kingdom’s introduction, through its coalition government; the notion of ‘Big Society’

Applying SWOT analysis to Vauxhall as a firm bases in EU Essay

Applying SWOT analysis to Vauxhall as a firm bases in EU - Essay Example The foremost impact of political policies and regulations is seen on the socially responsible conduct of businesses in the region. Due to the increasing pressure of environmental activists and consumer groups, car manufacturing businesses in the region are forced by the political administration to manufacturer automobiles that are safer with minimum harm the ecological environment (European Monitoring Centre on Change, 2004). Additionally, the Political administration of the region also works together towards providing relief to automobile manufacturing businesses in the form of levies on taxes, easing recruitment regulations and providing incentives for incorporating social responsibility framework in business practices. The economic outlook of EU region is somehow unstable. There are countries in the continental alliance that are experiencing an economic downturn and are forced to provide bail-out plans to businesses in their respective countries. Spain and UK are the biggest example of financially unstable countries in the region. As a result, the purchasing power and spending trends of consumers in financially unstable countries of the region is reflecting a unfavorable trend. On the contrary, the car manufacturers in EU region are considered as a vital economic stimulator. This is because, in the manufacturing of automobiles, the manufacturers utilize other complimenting products such as textile output, aluminum, copper, steel, computer chips, iron, lead, plastic, vinyl and rubber. Considering this assertion, it can be said the car manufacturing is an important driver of the region’s economy (European Commission, 2009). The society in EU region perceives their vehicles to be reflecting their social status. Majority of the societies in EU region prefer vehicles that are environment friendly and designed keeping in view the

LEADERSHIP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

LEADERSHIP - Essay Example stitutions and hospitals to recruit nurses, who have efficient leadership skills that would be beneficial to provide good quality health care to the patients (The Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, 2015). Possessing a powerful and effective leadership skill is very essential for the nurses, especially who are in the top most positions. The role of a nurse is to provide care to the patients and provide medicines to the patients as being prescribed by the doctor. Sometimes, in the absence of doctor or registered practitioner, the nurses are required to take decisions regarding the medicines to be provided to the patient in case of emergency. It is very essential for a nurse to be a good decision maker that is an important element of leadership skill, which would help to take important decisions in emergency situations (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005). Therefore, a nurse should possess effective leadership skills as well as styles that would help in leading, controlling, organizin g and planning their activities, which would serve beneficial in delivering effective healthcare services to the patients (National Academy of Sciences, 2011; CNA, 2010). From my past experience in a well-known healthcare organization, helped me to understand how the quality of nursing is being influenced by the leadership styles and skills possessed by the nurses. I was being appointed as a trainee in the healthcare centre from where I gained practical experience regarding the leadership qualities possessed by the nursing professionals working in the healthcare centre. The leadership skills possessed by the head nurse of the organization inspired me the most. She was prominent and experienced in every aspect of decision making that are required for providing good quality healthcare in the organization. Moreover, she was highly cooperative with the team members and the junior nurses and supported them to carry out their activities in an effective manner. She always tried to make sure

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Review - Essay Example In these chapters, Campbell shows how slaves arrived in Texas, whose population increased from around 5,000 to over 160,000, thereby composing over 30 percent of the region’s population by 1860. In the other parts of the book, Campbell provides a survey examining the standpoints of the slave owners, and the economic conditions, life, and culture of the slaves. Through this, Campbell demonstrates his grasp and understanding of a wide array of sources, and utilizes 181 slave narratives from the Federal Writers Project interviews, which he uses in a quantitative analysis. There are several extensive studies on the thirteen out of the fifteen states that allowed slavery during that era. Texas is one of the two states that lack relevant research on this topic. Campbell sees this issue and decides to resolve it by producing this empirical work that uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to that explains five fundamental topics: 1) the development and escalation of s lavery; 2) the psychological and physical conditions of slavery; 3) impact of slavery to slave owners either individually or collectively; 4) legal and economic functions of slavery; and, 5) effect of Civil War to slavery. Campbell presents a few statements regarding the uniqueness of the conditions of slavery in Texas. For one, since Texas was originally within Mexico’s jurisdiction, and since Mexico is opposed to slavery, this situation created a group of black people who were considered bondsmen for a year less than a century. These blacks were neither slaves nor free people. Similarly, freed slaves who remained in Texas were viewed as neither citizens nor property. However, chapter 4 of the book suggests that the slavery economics in Texas is similar to those in the other southern states. Campbell explores this concept as well in other chapters as he tackles the slaves’ work conditions in chapter 6, and treatment and material situation in chapter 7. This book leans toward portraying that despite a few distinctions, the conditions of slavery in Texas do not differ from the other states, making it a good source of information about history, but not too much on slavery. Evaluation of Sources The book showcases 15 tables, 9 maps, and 4 appendices that provide vital data mostly on the geographic growth and economic nature of slavery. It also contains a massive bibliography regarding slavery in Texas. It is striking how the author utilizes a wide array of sources to complete the book. He uses the qualitative research method to present sources gathered from court and plantation records, contemporary newspapers, census, diaries, and letters. These sources provide insights on the concepts of protecting the society from slaves and protecting the slavery institution. He also uses the quantitative research approach to present sources gathered from narratives of former slaves, probate inventories, tax records, and government consensus. The narratives cons ist of 181 stories told by former slaves that depicts their feelings and views on the â€Å"peculiar institution.† He took the common data among the narratives and turned

Lakshmi Mittal and the Growth of Mittal Steel Assignment

Lakshmi Mittal and the Growth of Mittal Steel - Assignment Example This paper discusses the consistent growth of Lakshmi Mittal and all the issues it met, including in the final stages before merging with Arcelor. The strategy it undertook concerning foreign direct investment (merging and acquisition) undoubtedly enabled it reach greater heights. Arcelor Mittal Steel Company is a company that was started as a result of a merger between two steel companies namely Mittal Steel and Arcelor. The origin of the company was in India with Mittal being started in the early 1970s. The company, just like any other investment, faced some key issues and challenges as it developed. However, all these challenges have to be overcome by identifying available opportunities and making use of them. Competition in India was very stiff leading to limited growth opportunities. The main competition came from state and the privately owned companies. This led to the decision of Mittal to expand its borders to other countries, beginning with Indonesia. It is evident that Mittal in its foreign direct investment chose to use the method of merger and acquisition, rather than Greenfield investment. This is so because the merger method offers a lot of advantages. The local companies to be merged to or acquired are already conversant with the local customs and the institutions associated to the acquired firms. Furthermore, there is an advantage of easy access and relations with distribution systems. Mittal company only had to make improvements on what the merged firms had done, so as to establish itself in a competitive position and eliminate the potential competitors. Marinescu and Constantin (2008) say that â€Å"from financial point of view, the acquisition necessitates a smaller initi al investment. Capital is injected step by step, leading to lower market risk as opposed to a Greenfield† (n.p.). In as many countries that Mittal developed, there are a lot of advantages that are achieved by the host nations. Apart

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Review - Essay Example In these chapters, Campbell shows how slaves arrived in Texas, whose population increased from around 5,000 to over 160,000, thereby composing over 30 percent of the region’s population by 1860. In the other parts of the book, Campbell provides a survey examining the standpoints of the slave owners, and the economic conditions, life, and culture of the slaves. Through this, Campbell demonstrates his grasp and understanding of a wide array of sources, and utilizes 181 slave narratives from the Federal Writers Project interviews, which he uses in a quantitative analysis. There are several extensive studies on the thirteen out of the fifteen states that allowed slavery during that era. Texas is one of the two states that lack relevant research on this topic. Campbell sees this issue and decides to resolve it by producing this empirical work that uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to that explains five fundamental topics: 1) the development and escalation of s lavery; 2) the psychological and physical conditions of slavery; 3) impact of slavery to slave owners either individually or collectively; 4) legal and economic functions of slavery; and, 5) effect of Civil War to slavery. Campbell presents a few statements regarding the uniqueness of the conditions of slavery in Texas. For one, since Texas was originally within Mexico’s jurisdiction, and since Mexico is opposed to slavery, this situation created a group of black people who were considered bondsmen for a year less than a century. These blacks were neither slaves nor free people. Similarly, freed slaves who remained in Texas were viewed as neither citizens nor property. However, chapter 4 of the book suggests that the slavery economics in Texas is similar to those in the other southern states. Campbell explores this concept as well in other chapters as he tackles the slaves’ work conditions in chapter 6, and treatment and material situation in chapter 7. This book leans toward portraying that despite a few distinctions, the conditions of slavery in Texas do not differ from the other states, making it a good source of information about history, but not too much on slavery. Evaluation of Sources The book showcases 15 tables, 9 maps, and 4 appendices that provide vital data mostly on the geographic growth and economic nature of slavery. It also contains a massive bibliography regarding slavery in Texas. It is striking how the author utilizes a wide array of sources to complete the book. He uses the qualitative research method to present sources gathered from court and plantation records, contemporary newspapers, census, diaries, and letters. These sources provide insights on the concepts of protecting the society from slaves and protecting the slavery institution. He also uses the quantitative research approach to present sources gathered from narratives of former slaves, probate inventories, tax records, and government consensus. The narratives cons ist of 181 stories told by former slaves that depicts their feelings and views on the â€Å"peculiar institution.† He took the common data among the narratives and turned

United States National Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

United States National Security - Essay Example Michael Ignatieff (2002) characterizes weak and collapsing states as the chief source of human rights abuses in the post-cold war world as these states comprise the world's most poor population that are easily disposed to resorting to violence against other groups, their own governments or international terrorism primarily in a battle of survival. James Wolfensohn, formerly of the World Bank, calls for a global strategy that includes measures designed to address "the root causes of terrorism: those of economic exclusion, poverty and under-development."(Wolfensohn, 2002) This paper outlines why are failed and failing states significant threat to United States national security by first establishing whether failed and failing states are in a position to pose a significant threat to the United States. The paper will look into the reasons why they are a threat and in case it is established that failed or failing states are not a threat to US security, the essay will discuss the reasons thereof. It is also relevant to determine the scope and level of post-911 threat perceptions in the corridors of power in Washington as well as define what is a "failed" and "failing" state. Though the concept of failed or failing state is relatively new, it has quickly established itself as part of the international relations lexicon and the strategic vernacular apparently since the year 2000, and it has many definitions. Various characterization in the literature are: fragile states (Goldstone et al, 2000), difficult partners (OECD, 2001), Low Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS) (World Bank, 2002), poor performers (AusAid, 2002), difficult environments (Torres & Anderson, 2004), weak performers (ADB, 2004), failed and failing states (Rotberg, 2004) and countries at risk of instability (Government of the UK, 2005). CIA's Instability Task force defines state failure as the collapse of authority of the central government to impose order in situations of civil war, revolutionary war, genocide, politicide and adverse or disruptive regime transition. Rotberg (2004), on the other hand characterizes failure of the state as being marked by an inability to provide basic political goods-especially security, dispute resolution and norm regulation and political participation-to many, if not most, of its citizens. A failed state may face restrictions on its sovereignty, such as political or economic sanctions, the presence of foreign military forces on its soil or other military constraints such as a "no-fly" zone. A prestigious journal, Foreign Policy, and the Fund for Peace, in independent research organization in their joint-project called "Failed States Index" (FSI) define a failing state as the one in which the government does not have effective control of its territory, is not perceived as legitimate by a significant portion of its population, does not provide domestic security or basic public services to its citizens and lacks a monopoly on the use of force. A failing state may experience active violence or simply be vulnerable to violence. According to the yearly survey on state instability conducted by Foreign Policy and Fund for Peace, there are some sixty states that are most likely to qualify as failing states. Twelve social, economic, political, and military indicators were used to rank 148 states in order of their vulnerability to violent internal

Advertising Is Harmful Essay Example for Free

Advertising Is Harmful Essay Today I went to the bathroom in Tyson’s mall, and I saw a Lenovo camera advertisement stuck in front of the stool. It made me feels like a camera recorded everything in the bathroom. No matter where you go, walking on the street, taking the bus or subway, looking for websites or watching TV shows you always see advertisements. So I believe advertisements are harmful. Some people say that advertisements won’t brainwash them, because they know what they really want. I don’t agree with this, because advertisements affect our subconscious mind. For instance, I have read a newspaper article about a mother who came home and asked her child what he wanted to eat and her child said McDonalds. The mother asked him why McDonalds and the kid said because he always saw it on the TV so he wants to try it. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Although a child didn’t really know how McDonald food tastes, McDonalds had been advertised so many times on the TV that the children make the decision to have it for dinner. Not only are kids influenced by advertisements, but adults also are. For example, I bought a Dell laptop last year, but returned it a week later. I saw the Dell advertisements everywhere, at the college, the website, and even walking on the street, so when I wanted to buy a laptop, Dell became my first choice. I returned it a week later, because my friend told me Lenovo laptop has the same configuration as the Dell laptop but the price was much cheaper. This example demonstrates how the advertisement induces people to buy products. When people have seen advertisements many times, they have good impressions of the product in their minds. So not was only I had been influenced by advertisements, but most people are also. For example, most people bought IPhones rather than other phones because IPhones adverti sements around everywhere. Often an advertisement not only disturbs our daily lives, but also provides untrue information. Companies always show perfect products in their advertisements, but the real products are much worse. For example, last month I went to Burger King, and I saw a big poster outside the store that showed a man held a hamburger with two hands and open his mouth as big as he can to eat a hamburger. However, he only bites little of the hamburger, because it was too big. And it only cost 99 cents! When I bought it, I felt I had been cheated. It was delicious, but it was smaller than my hand and can be finish within a bite. Also most of the reducing weight advertisements are untrue too. Some companies exaggerated their products in the advertisement to misleading people to buy the products. Some of the advertisements said the medicines could help people reduce around 5 to 20 pounds per month. As we all know, obesity is one of the most serious problems in America, so many people tried to reduce their weight in many ways. However, the result is not as the advertisements showed. Those drugs helped people reduce the weight but also had side effects. For instance, drugs harm people’ health by increasing the risk of diseases, and people would also rebound a weight heavily after they stopped the drug. While not all advertisements are untrue, some advertisements provide exaggerated information that let us waste money and also harm our health. We waste our money to buy advertised products we don’t need. An advertisement may make us feel lower class than other because not having the newest product. For example, The Apple Company has most successful advertisement campaign, because most of people would like to buy their new products. For example, the IPhone5 commercial shows IPhone5 is tallest, thinnest and lightest iPhone. Many people changed Iphone4S to the IPhone5 because the commercial shows IPhone5 is better. However, it has similar systems and the same function as Iphone4S. Another reason people buy the IPhone5 is they had low self- esteem. Like my friend who bought IPhone4S last winter and bought IPhone5 now. And he told me, when there has a better product then he wouldn’t use worse one, because that makes him feel he was lower class than others. In this case, people wasted money to buy the newest advertised products to satisfy their vanity. There are too many advertisements in our world now, because companies try to increasing the sales. However advertisements always mislead people to waste money. Government must provide a law to stop untrue and exaggerated advertisements. And parents also need to take time to explain to their child that some products they saw in commercial are harmful. For example, when child asked to buy a quick food or candies, parents must explain to them those foods are unhealthy.

Literature Review On Web Usage Mining Computer Science Essay

Literature Review On Web Usage Mining Computer Science Essay The Internet has become the largest database ever existed. During the early times of this decade it has been estimated that the internet is having more than 350 million pages [11]. But through a research conducted a few years ago it was found that the indexed part of World Wide Web alone consists of a minimum of 11.3 billion pages [12]. Also the number of people using the internet is growing exponentially. A survey conducted by Computer Industry Almanac itself is an evident for this fact. According to the results of the survey the number of online users had crossed one billion in 2005 while it was only 45 million in 1995. They had also predicted the number to cross two billion by 2011[13]. For the users of the internet finding the required information from this large volume of data has become extremely difficult. So it has become essential to find efficient ways for information retrieval. Also it has been found that more than 90% of the data is in unstructured format. So organizing and structuring this data has become a very important issue among researchers. With this large amount of information available on the web business processes needs to transcend from simple document retrieval to knowledge discovery. Business people were trying to get useful patterns from the available data which will help them for better understanding of their customer needs which in turn provides better customer satisfaction. Literature Review on Web Usage Mining Web mining helps the web designers in discovering the knowledge from the information available in the web. Also it helps the users in getting the fast retrieval of the information they are looking for. Three major areas of web mining are Web content mining- Trying to get useful information from the text, images, audio and video in web pages Web structure mining- Trying to understand the link structures of the Web which will help in categorization of Web pages. Web usage mining- Trying to get useful information from the server logs to understand what the users are looking for. It also helps in personalization of web pages. Though all the three categories of web mining are interlinked, in this research we were going to discuss about the web usage mining. Web usage mining helps the web masters to understand what the users were looking for so that they can develop the strategies to help the user to get the required information quickly. Web mining is generally implemented by using the navigational traces of users which give the knowledge about user preferences and behavior. Then the navigational patterns were analyzed and the users were grouped into clusters. The classification of navigational patterns into groups helps to improve the quality of personalized web recommendations. These web page recommendations were used to predict the web pages that are more likely to be accessed by the user in near future. This kind of personalization also helps in reducing the network traffic load and to find the search pattern of a particular group of users. Data mining techniques like, clustering, sequential pattern mining and association rule mining were used in web mining. All these techniques were used to extract interesting and frequent patterns from the information recorded in web server logs. These patterns were used to understand the user needs and help the web designers to improve the web services and personalization of web sites. Web Access Sequence Generally the web usage mining will be done based on the navigation history stored in the logs of the web server. This navigation history is also called as Web Access sequence which will contain the information about the pages that a user visit, the time spent on each page and the path in which the user traverse with in the website. So the web access sequences will contain all the details of the pages that a user visited during a single session. This data that we get from the log files will be subjected to various data mining techniques to get the useful patterns which can describe the user profile or behavior. These patterns will act as the base knowledge for developing the intelligent online applications, to improve the quality of web personalization, web recommendations etc The web mining can be generally classified in to two categories online mining and offline mining. In offline mining we use the data stored in the log files to find the navigational patterns while in online mini ng the requests of users in his current active session will be used. Current user profile will be decided by matching the recommendations from both the online and offline methods. Several systems have been designed to implement the web usage mining. Among many Analog is one of the first systems developed for Web Usage mining. It has two components online component and offline component. The offline component will reformat the data available in the log file. Generally the web server log will contain the information like IP address of the client, the time in which the web page is requested, the URL of the web page, HTTP status code etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Then the data available will be cleaned by removing the unwanted information after which the system will analyze the users activities in the past with the information available in the log files of the web server and classify the users session into clusters. Then the online component will classify the active user sessions based on the model generated by the offline component. Once the user group is found then the system will give a list of suggestions to each user request. The suggestions will depend on the user grou p to which the user belongs. Clustering Techniques One of the important portions of web usage mining is the process of clustering the users in to groups based on their profile and search pattern. The clustering of the users session can be done in several ways. Christos et al. represents each page as a unique symbol which makes the web access sequence to a string [1]. Consider S as the set consisting of all possible web access sequences. Then the web mining system will process this set S in offline as a background process or during the idle time to group the pages in to clusters such that similar sequences were in the same cluster. The formed clusters were represented by means of weighted suffix tree. The clustering is done by constructing a similarity matrix [1] which then is given as input to k windows clustering algorithm [10] to generate the clusters with very similar Web access sequence. When two web access sequences have the same length then the global alignment has to be taken into account rather than the local alignment. Also the scores were calculated for both the local and the global alignment. A simple way to calculate the scores is to assign a positive value to a matching sequence and a negative value for a mismatch. Two web access sequences were said to be similar if they have the maximum alignment in their sequence. Some times the web pages listed in the sequence may be unimportant to the user. The user may have reached that page by a wrong click. In such cases the users will immediately leave that page. So the user will stay only for a short time in these kinds of unimportant pages. So before considering the web sequence alignment we have to take care of all these factors in order to get the useful patterns. C.Suresh et al had proposed an approach in which the clusters were identified based on the distance based clustering methods also they had developed a framework to compare the performance of various clustering methods based on the replicated clustering. In traditional methods, the distance between two user sessions will be calculated using the Euclidean-distance measure. But experiments show that the Sequence Alignment Method is better in representing the behavioral characteristics of web users than the Euclidean-distance method. Cadez et al [14] categorizes the users session as general topics and the behavior of each particular topic is represented by morkov chain. Fu et al. [15] uses Balanced Iterative Reducing and Clustering using Hierarchies (BIRCH) algorithm for clustering at page level. BIRCH is a distance-based hierarchical algorithm and it is used for clustering the web user sessions. It has been noticed that the increase in the number of pages is diminishing the performance of the BIRCH algorithm. Since each website contains hundreds of pages considering each page as a separate state will make the clustering unmanageable. To overcome this difficulty the authors proposed an approach to generalize the sessions using attribute-oriented induction. In this new approach the clustering of pages will be done at the category level. It is has been always a difficult job to map a particular page to a specific category but it can be done by using clustering algorithms. The commonly used algorithm for clustering is k-means algorithm but the major disadvantage of k-means algorithm is, we have to specify number of clusters to be found in advance which is not possible in real world scenario. To overcome this problem, researchers were using the fuzzy ART neural networks, an unsupervised learning approach. In this approach there is no need to specify the number of cluster in advance. The main issue with fuzzy ART neural network is the category proliferation which leads to the unrestricted growth of clusters. Sometimes the fuzzy ART network will produces a large number of clusters with only a few members in each cluster. After considering the merits and demerits of both the algorithms the authors had proposed a hybrid approach called FAK. The FAK algorithm has two phases in the first phase fuzzy ART is used as an initial seed generator to generate the clusters. From the identified clusters we will remove the cluster whose centroids were nearer to others t hereby addressing the category proliferation problem. The first phase will be followed by applying the k-means algorithm in the second phase to get the final clusters. They found that the FAK algorithm performs much better than the other methods. The most important to be considering during the clustering is the number of user sessions that should be taken into account for clustering. In most cases the designers will decide it is enough to consider the first N sessions of a user for the decent recovery of his web cluster. Also they will decide whether to consider or not the sessions with the short session lengths because those sessions may not be helpful in identifying the clusters. So the two main factors we have to consider while performing the clustering is the number of user sessions to be considered and the minimum session length. Combining the web content mining and web usage mining An experiment was conducted in order to extract the navigational pattern of the websites user [6]. The experiment aims at predicting the users gender and whether they are interested in certain website sections. The results of the experiment were analyzed and it is found that the model was only 56% accurate. The reason for low accuracy is found to be the failure to include the web content in the classification model. It is believed that exploring the content of the page will helps in better understanding of the user profile thereby the classification accuracy will be improved. The web usage mining and web content mining can be combined together and it is used in the area of web personalization. In the web personalization the contents of the web page will differ for each user according to their navigational pattern. In this technique the web links that the user may visit in the near future will be predicted based on their profile. Those predicted links will be dynamically displayed in the webpage that the user requested. Also web links of the frequently visited pages will be highlighted at the same time pages which were not visited for a long time will be removed. This hybrid approach is implemented by doing an initial clustering based on the contents of the web pages followed by the Web Access Sequence alignment. Text clustering can be done effectively by spherical k-means algorithm [10]. Since the multiple sequence alignment consumes more time and space it can be effectively replaced by the iterative progressive alignment. Weighted suffix tree is used to find the most frequent and important navigational pattern with little memory and computational costs. It has been proved that the content exploitation has improved the performance by 2-3%. In the model proposed by Liu [7] the contents of the web pages and the information from the web server log files is used together in order to extract the meaningful patterns. The extracted contents of the web page represented by means of character N-grams. The users of the web site can be classified by two approaches namely proactive and reactive approach. The proactive approach tries to map each request to a user before or during the users interaction with the site. While the reactive approach maps each request to a user after the user completes the interaction with the site. In order to use the proactive approach the browser cookies needs to be enabled and it is necessary that the user must be aware of cookies. So it is always easy to use reactive approach which does not require the user to have any prior knowledge. An experiment has been conducted with 1500 sample sessions to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the system is 70% accurate in classification and 65% i n prediction. The success of the website also depends on the user perceived latency of documents hosted in web server. It is obvious that short User Perceived Latency will have a positive effect towards the user satisfaction. This has been also proved by a study conducted by Zona Research Inc. in 1999. The study shows that if a web site takes more than eight seconds to download then a 30% of the visitors is more likely to leave the site [35]. User perceived latency is influenced by many factors like fast internet connection, increasing the bandwidth of ISP, etc One way to reduce the UPL is by using the browser cache. In this approach frequently accessed will be pre-fetched and stored in browser cache. Generally Web cache is implemented by using the proxy server. All the requests from the user to a web server will be interpreted by the proxy servers. If the proxy server has a valid copy of the response then it will give the results to the users. Otherwise the requested will be forwarded to the original server. The real server will send the response to the proxy server. The proxy server will retain a copy of the response in the cache and then send the results to the users. The main Problem with the web cache is if the cache is not up to date then the users will be provided with stale data. Also if a large amount of users access a web server simultaneously then it may results in severe caching problems which may results in the unavailability of the web pages. To overcome all these issues author suggested an approach which combines the web prefetching and caching together. In this approach we have to first identify the objects that needs to be pre-fetched in a web cache environment fr om the information available in the log files. After identifying the objects we have to group these objects into clusters for each client group. When a user requests for an object first he will be assigned to one of the client group then the proxy server will fetches all the cluster objects of that particular client group. Finally the requested object will be delivered to the user. To have a minimal UPL we have to predict the users preferences based on the pages he had already visited. The importance of the page is determined by the weights assigned to the page by the algorithm. If two or more pages have the same weight then we rely on the page rank. Page Rank [22] is A probability distribution used to represent the likelihood that a person randomly clicking on links will arrive at any particular page. Page rank can be assigned to the document of all sizes. If a document is having a page rank of 0.5 then it means that if a user clicks on a link randomly then there is 50% probability for the link to land on the particular document. Consider a web site consisting of four pages P1, P2, P3, and P4. Initially the page rank of all the pages will be same. Since there are four pages each page will be assigned with a page rank of 0.25. If all the pages P2, P3 and P4 posses link to only P1 then each of the three pages will contribute 0.25 page rank to P1. The page rank of P1 can be calculated by using the following formula. PR (u1) = PR (u2) + PR (u3) + PR (u4) If suppose page P2 is having another one link to page P3 and if P4 is having links to all the three pages then the link-vote value will be divided among all the outbound links of a page. So Page P2 will contribute 0.125 to page P1 and 0.125 to page P3. Similarly P4 will contribute one third of its page rank value to P1. The general formula for calculating the page rank value for any page is as follows. PR (u) =à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ PR (v) Bp is the set of all pages linking to page P L (v) is number of links from page v Web Page recommendation is an important section in web personalization. Weighted Association rule mining is used to predict the page recommendations. In this method we assign a weight to each web page. The importance of the page is determined by the weight assigned to the page. In this approach the weight for each page is assigned based on the frequency in which the page is visited by the user and the time spent by the user on a particular page. The frequency weight of a page FW is calculated using the following formula FW (p) =Number of visits on a page (P) Total number of visits on all pages X PR (P) Where PR is the page rank of p. Time spent on each page reflects the relative importance of each page for a user. Bcause the user will spend more time on the page he is interested in and he will quickly traverse the other unwanted pages. The two factors that we have to consider while calculating the actual time spent on a page is as follows. The size of the web page and the transfer rate, the assumption is that the transfer rate is constant for a user then the time spent on a page will be inversely proportional to the amount of useful information available to the user from that page. The weight of a page can be calculated using the following formula TW (P) =Time spent on a page (p)/page size of (p) Max pÆ P Time spent on a page (p)/page size of (p) Based on these two values the total page weight is calculated as follows W (p) =FW (p) +TW (p) According to the page rank algorithm, the link to important page will appear as an outbound link in many pages. Web prefetching reduces the latency. In prefetching the networks idle time is utilized to fetch the anticipated web pages. In [7] Chen et al. proved that the cache hit ratio had enhanced to 30-75% through pre-fetching. Also the access latency can be reduced by 60% when we combine the caching and pre-fetching techniques [8]. Pre-fetching takes place only if the network bandwidth is less than the predetermined threshold also only the web pages that are not available in the cache will be pre-fetched. Pre-fetching increases the network traffic but at the same time it helps in reducing the latency. Several approaches were available for web pre-fetching like Top-10 approach, Domain-top approach, etc In top-10 approach web proxies will be periodically updated by the web servers regarding the most popular document information. The proxies will then send this update information to the clients [9]. In domain-top approach the web proxies will first search for the popular domains and then it looks for the important documents in each domain. A suggestion list will be prepared for the user with the knowledge of the proxy server about the popularity of domains and documents and this list will be used for users future requests. In this dynamic web pre-fetching technique user preference list will be maintained for each user which will contain the list of web sites which will be available for immediate access to the user. This user preference list will be stored in the database of the proxy server. Dynamic web pre-fetching technique uses the intelligent agents to monitor the network traffic. When ever the network traffic is low then the system increase the pre-fetching similarly in a heavy traffic it will reduce the pre-fetching thereby helps in utilizing the idle time of the network also maintains the traffic constant. The number of web links to be pre-fetched depends on the usage of bandwidth and weights of the web pages. While assigning the weights to the web pages preferences will be given to the links which are accessed frequently and recently. By using this technique the cache hit ratio has been increased by 40-75% and latency is reduced to 20-63%. The log file modeling is the important task in web usage mining. If we use an accurate model for modeling the web log file then the accuracy of web page prediction scheme will also increase. The most commonly used model is Markov model. In markov model each page represents the state and the visited sequence of a pair of page represents the transition between two pages. The accuracy of the traditional first order markov model is less because of the lack of in-depth analysis. In contrast the second order markov model is more accurate but the time complexity of the model is high. In [11] they had proposed a hybrid approach called dynamic nested markov model in which the second order markov model is nested with in the first order markov model. In the dynamic markov model the insertion and removal of nodes is much easier. The node will contain all the information about the web pages like the web page name, inlink list which is a list that contains the name of the previous web page, count of the web page which will represents the number of times the current web page is reached from the previous web page and the outlink list contains the list of nodes which contains the name of the next web page and its count. In this model the number of nodes will be always same as the number of web pages. Since we have replaced the transition matrix structure in the traditional markov model with the dynamic linked list the time complexity of the proposed model is less than the traditional model. Also the model covers The experiment conducted with the web site that serves 1200 users and receives a minimum of 10,000 requests per day. The experimental data is split into three sets DS1 which contains 3000 pages, DS2 with 1000 pages and DS3 with 1500 pages. It has been shown that DS1 has taken 537 ms and DS2 has taken 62 ms and DS3 has taken 171 ms. So it is evident that time taken for DNMM generation is directly proportional to the number of web pages and the size of the log file. The latency can also be reduced by client side pre-fetching. A prefetching model proposed by Jaing [3] is based on the users search pattern and the access rate of all the links in a web page. Each link will have a counter which will be incremented whenever it is clicked by a user. The access rate is the ratio of the links counter value to the counter value of that particular page. The pre-fetcher will fetch the web pages whose access rate is high. The main advantage of this model is that this model can be executed independently in clients machine. But the disadvantage of this model is that it will increase the processing overhead of the clients computer. Initially the web pages will contain one HTML document it may include some images. But in recent days several HTML documents were embedded in to a single web page. In such cases the browser displays the embedded documents along with the requested documents. These embedded documents decrease the prediction accuracy of the system. Also if the user requests a page by typing the URL in the browser navigation bar then these requested will not be taken in to account by any link analysis method. To overcome these drawbacks kim has proposed a prefetching algorithm. In this algorithm the request patterns were represented by means of a link graph. The nodes of the graph represent the unique URL of the HTML documents and the edges represent the hyperlink or an embedded link and it is directed from the referring document to the referred document. When a user requests a webpage then the access counter value of the node corresponding to that particular web page or document will be incremented by o ne. Also when a user traverses from one page to another page then the access counter value of the corresponding edge will be incremented by one. It has been assumed that the user is browsing a page that is displayed on the browser if the user does not make another request within a minimum interval of time. By this time the prefetching module will be executed and the prefetched documents will be stored in the cache. Agarwal, R. (2010). An Architectural Framework for Web Information Retrieval based on Users Navigational Pattern. Time, 195-200. 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