Rewards and Opportunties essays

Rewards and Opportunties essays I think that politicians would want to advocate themselves as well as the society which we live in as mostly middle-class because to a certain extent we are and that is where the votes come in. Also it is the standard to be middle-class because it is comfortable and therefore it should seem ideal as if no one should complain. Though it seems as if Mantsios is giving us a lot of data and observations, through this information we see that he clearly is bias against the wealthy when he insinuates that they control the money and the power. He says, People are poor because they have no money and no power to acquire money. The wealthy are rich because they have both. He goes on to say that our pride is a false pride and criticizes the system of education in the united states saying that it leaves much to be desired and is far from egalitarian. Throughout the essay he focuses on the inequality in America and uses irony to emphasize it. 2. Mantsios makes an interesting assertion regarding the media. He claims that the media perpetuate stereotypes which have an influence on our society. I believe this is true and further that the influences are not only substantial but extremely significant. The media (like wealthy individuals) determined how they tell the story of the life we are living today. This gives them control. It is obvious that the media have an influence on us and our beliefs. So, as Mantsios claims, television is such a huge network in the united stated and essentially presents a view and an accurate one at that of where everyone is in terms of class. It also stereotypes categories as to middle class, and minorities. It classifies different American families and indirectly encourages Americans to try and place themselves within specific categories. So in a sense I think that the media is hurting the problem which affects America. The decreasing middle-class size. ...

hitler and germany essays

hitler and germany essays Adolf Hitler, one of the 20th century's most powerful dictators, was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary. He first became interested in politics after witnessing a large protest by German workers. Finding the outbreak of World War I as an opportunity to show his loyalty to Germany, Hitler volunteered for the Imperial Army. Later faced with fierce resistance from the British and French armies and an economy in ruins, German generals requested armistice negotiations with the Allies in November 1918. Hitler and the German soldiers found it impossible to swallow defeat (History Place). Because he believed that the Jews betrayal caused their defeat, Hitler acquired a hatred for socialism and came to equate it with the Jews. He held that the superior Aryan race would be the final victor and would rule the world, but to win this struggle, Germany would have to be ruled by a dictator and would have to have hatred for all other inferior races, especially the Jews. It wa s then that his extreme dislike for the Jews developed (Encarta). After the war in March 1918, Hitler was employed by a Munich army to keep tabs on the racist German Workers Party, later changing its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). After speaking at a meeting held by this organization he amazed the crowd with his speech in outlining the political platform of the organizations Twenty Five Points, which included the union of all Germans, the exclusion of citizenship of anyone other than a German, and a strong central government, thus gaining recognition as a prominent leader. Hitler seized the moment and announced he would return on the condition that he was made chairman and given dictatorial powers. Hitler and the Nazis created a plot in which they would kidnap the leaders of the Bavarian government forcing them at gunpoint to accept him as thei ...

Critically review one concept or practice that has been applied in one Essay

Critically review one concept or practice that has been applied in one aspect of tourism management ( - Essay Example To ensure the survival of travel agents, technology must become a significant tool featured in the forthcoming business strategy ascertaining their competitiveness. Therefore, technology is a threat, while at the same time, an opportunity since it is necessary for travel agencies in readjusting to the latest realities. As a result, re-intermediation through the Internet, along with Interactive Digital Television, brings about the potential opportunities for innovative participants who utilize the up and coming tools. Therefore, after reading the two journals on the argument for and against disintermediation of the distribution channel in tourism, this article examines the leading Internet trends regarding the travel industry (Josà ©, Salastiano & Josà © 2008, p.79). Furthermore, it puts into consideration strategies applicable by travel agents in ensuring their future survival. For a long time now, tourism and technology have proved to be a couple that is highly compatible. The character of service distribution spins around the concept of intangibility, as well as perishability, thus, the manner whereby communication of information happens to be extremely beneficial. In the past, in the tourism sector, this task has vastly been assumed by the travel agent operating as the brokers of information between services’ supplier and consumers. Therefore, travel agent was the early beneficiary of advancements in technology like the CRS and GDS. In the recent past, advancements in Internet distribution and particularly e-commerce, are threatening to assume the responsibility of these systems. The function of the travel agent was acting as a go between, as well as retailer, whereby they were selling travel services for a commission on behalf of principals. They also had an enormous function as advisers for consumers, as well as providers of

Reagan's Economic Policies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reagan's Economic Policies - Term Paper Example Besides, presidential policies are sometimes informed by the desire to discover new idea or to carry on the legacy of the American founders.1 Policies by respective presidential candidates greatly determine if they will win the elections or not; in other words, the electorates vote for a particular candidate based on the belief that his policies will propel America to greater heights of prosperity, as well as promoting national and international safety and security. Throughout the American history, the persons who have graced presidency have had various policies that have had positive and negative impacts to the country. It is well-known fact that these policies have been entrenched in the country’s history and defines each presidency that has existed. This paper will consider the President Ronald Reagan’s policies and actions concerning economic policies and his policies on the air traffic strike in particular. President Ronald Reagan was in office between 1981 and 198 9. He took office in 1981 in the wake of the worst recession since the Great Depression and he was determined to turn around America’s economic fortune. This desire was evident in his inaugural address where he articulated his intention to make the government work. In the address he said â€Å"In the days ahead, I will propose removing the roadblocks that have slowed our economy and reduced productivity.†2 His economic policies became so endeared within the broader America’s economic policies; these policies actually earned the tag of â€Å"Reaganomics.† These policies were aimed at attempting to change the United States economic policy’s course. The economic policies were contained under the Reagan’s Program for Economic Recovery of 1981 which had four main policy objectives: to reduce the government spending growth; to reduce regulation; to reduce inflation through the control of the growth of the money supply; and to reduce the marginal t ax rates on income from capital and labor. These policy objectives were expected to increase investment and saving, balance the budget, reduce interest rates and inflation, restore healthy financial markets, and increasing economic growth.3 It is imperative to understand the historical context that informed Reagan’s economic policy. This historical context not is critical in understanding what exactly was motivating President Reagan towards pushing for his economic policies. As it will be seen from the historical context, Reagan was consciously working within the Constitutional provisions and he was seeking to advance a particular great cause which was to rejuvenate America’s economy. Prior to the administration of President Reagan, the economy of the United States had experienced a decade of increasing inflation and unemployment which was popularly known as â€Å"stagflation.† His immediate predecessors had favoured stimulus that were resulting to money supply expansion. Reagan’s approach to stagflation that was facing the United States was to depart from his the approach used by his immediate predecessors.4 Reagan intended to reduce the growth of government. His policies was based on the supply side economics theory which states that tax cuts encourages expansion of the economy to eventually widen the tax base. To achieve this, he stated his intention of increasing defense spending while at the same time reducing taxes. He enacted lower rates of marginal tax in

Comparison of Associate Degree and Bsn Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Associate Degree and Bsn Essay There are three pathways to become a Registered Nurse (RN) the first is a diploma nurse which consist of one to three years training in a hospital these nurses are strongest clinically since the training is usually hospital based. The other two choices are the Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurse (BSN) all of these graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. This paper will discuss the differences in the competency levels between the ADN and BSN. The Associate Degree Nursing program provides an efficient, economical pathway to becoming a registered nurse. Graduates are competent in clinical and proficient in technical skills required to practice safely in multiple settings and to fully assume the RN role. Associate Degree Programs began in 1952 at Fairleigh Dickinson University. This type of nurse is usually educated at community colleges and completes training in twenty to twenty-four months after pre-requisites are met. The facts would suggest that ADN has less theory and more clinical training and according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing-Fact Sheet â€Å"Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing Workforce† is less likely to notice a critical change in patient condition. The BSN completes their four years of education at the University level training is more focused on patient outcomes and nursing theories. Receiving more theoretical training they are better prepared for management. Also multiple studies show that due to their assessing, critical thinking,communication, leadership, case management, health promotion and their ability to practice across a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings the BSN trained RN has a lower mortality rate and better survival rates for patient resuscitation. (AACN Fact Sheet 2011) At the University of Pennsylvania it was found that surgical patients in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of patient death, 12% lower failure-to-rescue rates when compared with non-Magnet hospitals. This improved outcome was attributed to the higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses on staff. The Journal of Nursing Scholarship published an article in January 2011, researchers found that nurses with baccalaureate education levels had an impact on lowering patient mortality and failure-to-rescue rates. (AACN, 2012) To date it is not sure why advance training improves patient safety and saves lives RNs report a transformative experience when returning for their Baccalaureate degree with changed perspectives about nursing practice and finally seeing the big picture. Post BSN RNs noticed changes in the way they practiced nursing and in knowledge and professionalism they also reported becoming better patient advocates RNs reported noticing subtle changes in their perceptions which included changes in thinking, reasoning and questioning skills. (Whats all the Fuss; http://www. nsna. org/careercenter/fuss. aspx). Having a BSN opens more employment opportunities in 2005 the Department of Veteran’s Affairs began requiring all new hires to possess at least a BSN degree. (AACN 2013). And soon many more hospitals will be requiring the BSN degree. In time we may even see the passing of the ADN. As one of the most dynamic professions nursing requires us to keep our educational knowledge current and progressive to continually meet the ever changing needs of patients to provide excellent care. In 2007 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing based on the Institute of Medicines (IOM) report, â€Å" To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System†, found that most errors were due to system and process problems and felt that BSN and higher educated nurses were better prepared to find solutions because of the curriculum emphasis on leadership and management. (AACN, 2007) The BSN prepared RN has the educational knowledge to excel in leadership and management, wellness and community nursing. The need for higher education is required as the nurse role increasingly becomes more autonomous and as society depends more on the RN to complement the Physician shortage our nation is facing. The baccalaureate degree also leads to higher level graduate degree programs, which greatly benefits the health system. Overall in my opinion each type of nursing degree diploma, ADN or BSN contributes in its own way to the workforce environment. By bringing different aspects of nursing, they all provide quality patient care and become leaders in the workplace. Yet, ADN programs offer an affordable means to access the nursing profession and  offer the nation its largest population of RN’s. For those with adult responsibilities it gives one of the most flexible ways to earn their degree by use of LVN to ADN to BSN ladder of education. References: 1. (2011). Conceptual foundations: the bridge to professional nursing practice . (5 ed. ). Pageburst. 2. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aacn. nche. edu/media-relations/EdImpact. pdf Fact Sheet: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice 3. Fulcher, R. , Mullin, C. M. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aacc. nche. edu/Publications/Briefs/Documents/2011-02PBL_DataDrivenNurses. pdf 4. AACN. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aacn. nche. edu/publications/position/bacc-degree-prep The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing as Minimal Preparation for Professional Practice 5. Orsolini-Hain, L. (n. d. )Retrieved from http://www. nsna. org/CareerCenter/Fuss. aspx What’s all the Fuss? Working Towards a Baccalaureate or Graduate Degree in Nursing 6. Robert, R. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aacn. nche. edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-fact-sheet 7. Rosseter, R. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aacn. nche. edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-workforce.

Essay --

3) There are many causes of child labour, but the biggest cause is money. People build factories in poor areas so that it would attract cheap labour which are the children that they target. Another cause is the lack of protection from the government; the businesses help the economy grow and make the country successful. If the government stops child labour, then the businesses may threaten to move to another country that would also welcome the chance to look good. The government is too greedy and is willing to put children’s lives in danger. Poverty is another reason for child labour. The many that are poor do not have enough money to support their children, so they do not send their children to school. The majority of people don’t have a house to live in, and they don’t have enough money to buy food. So since they don’t go to school, parents send them to work, or they sell their child for money. 4) Child labour effects the knowledge, economy and condtions of the children. When parents are in need of money, they stop their kids from going school and send them to work. The children the...

Contemporary Issues in Management Essay

Coursework Header Sheet 179236-102 Course Coursework Tutor BUSI1475: Contemporary Issues in Mngt Essay G Symon Course School/Level Assessment Weight Submission Deadline BU/UG 50. 00% 01/04/2011 Coursework is receipted on the understanding that it is the student's own work and that it has not, in whole or part, been presented elsewhere for assessment. Where material has been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged in accordance with the University's Regulations regarding Cheating and Plagiarism.Tutor's comments As agreed with Dr Symon Grade For Office Use Only__________ Awarded___________ Moderation required: yes/no Tutor______________________ Final Grade_________ Date _______________ The considerations of going global and operating in countries that sanction the use of child labour. Introduction As a rule child labour is typically defined as the abuse of children within a work environment (Payne, 2006). According to Payne (2006) child labour can be recognised in num erous countries around the world.In 2006 a report produced by the International Labor Organisation (ILO) proclaimed that there were an estimated 166 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 years who were categorised as child workers (Dinopoulos & Zhao, 2007). Payne (2006) asserts that there are several motives surrounding the reason why children work, with one of the main reasons being poverty. However it is assumed that parents would only expect their children to work in order to support the family financially (Luetge, 2005). Subsequently, Dinopoulos and Zhao (2007) state that child labour is mainly deemed to be unacceptable.In many incidences this is due to the unhealthy and hazardous conditions that the children are forced to work in (Dinopoulos & Zhao, 2007). Additionally and just as importantly the obvious obstruction of a child? s path to an education could be viewed as an unacceptable factor of child labour (Dinopoulos & Zhao, 2007). Luetge (2005) views child labour fro m an economic standpoint, stating that as organisations can afford to exchange child workers with adult workers, most well developed countries now regard child labour as unnecessary.Through the use of customer boycotts and the introduction of international labour standards to decrease employment opportunities, it can be viewed that attempts have been made to cease the use of child workers (Edmonds & Pavcnik, 2005). However there is principally nothing to position the eradication of the use of child workers in and around the world (Edmonds & Pavcnik, 2005). With this subject in mind, this essay will seek to look at the concerns that managers need to consider when going global and manufacturing in countries that sanction the use of child labour.This essay will firstly evaluate what impact globalisation has on poorer societies and whether this strategy has a negative or positive influence on the occurrence of child labour. Following on from this, the essay will assess if the use of chi ld labour is in fact ethical and moral by using the utilitarist, relativist and imperialist perspectives. After examining if child labour can be viewed as ethical, this essay will look towards evaluating to what level a corporation should be held socially responsible.Finally, this essay will consider the cultural differences that need to be taken into account when operating multi nationally. Globalisation If an organisation elects to take the business global, there are several issues that need to be considered. For example, when operating in a country that sanctions the use of child labour, will the company have an impact on increasing or decreasing the incidence of child labour (Sethi, 2006)? According to Page 2 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating CircumstancesDinopoulos and Zhao (2007) there is a substantial amount of literature surrounding the topics of economics and child labour. However there is only a limited amount of literature that links child labour directly to glob alisation (Dinopoulos & Zhao, 2007). Subsequently, there has been much debate in regards to globalisation and its effects on developing countries (Kis-Katos, 2007). More specifically questions can be raised into whether globalisation increases or decreases the incidence of child labour (Kis-Katos, 2007).According to Mullins (2007) globalisation is defined as the integration of organisations that trade and contend in a worldwide economy. It has been supposed by Meyer (2000) cited Clegg et al (2008) that employees benefit from organisations going global. A strong argument has been put forward that globalisation leads to the creation of wealth and prosperity among the participating nations (Sethi, 2006). Additionally, many economists consider that increases in trade can have an influential impact into eliminating child labour (Kis-Katos, 2007).Following on from this, Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005) state that globalisation generates a greater demand for adult labour in the participating cou ntries and can increase families? salaries in a way that decreases the incidence of child labour. As outlined by Dinopoulos and Zhao (2007) children mainly work to aid and support their families who are living in impoverished conditions. With this in mind, Bratton and Gold (2007) propose that through globalisation society? s benefit from higher living standards and the eradication of poverty.Although there may be positive aspects of globalisation, many academics have put forward the argument that globalisation has negative outcomes for the participating societies. In contrast to the beliefs of Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005), Timlon (2011) states that globalisation increases the incidence of child labour, by raising the demands for goods produced by children. Sethi (2006) concurs with this view and states that companies maximise their revenues and make use of cheap, unskilled and abundant labour, often in the form of children.Following on from this, it is believed that poorer countries h ave to also struggle with environmental poverty through heightened industrial activity and a lack of sufficient resources as a result of globalisation (Sethi, 2006). Overall, globalisation is said to have a negative impact on poorer societies, through increased poverty, crime and the alienation of local businesses and trade (Clegg et al, 2008). Ethics After assessing the issues surrounding globalisation and its effects on the incidence of child labour, it is imperative to decide if he use of child labour is in fact unethical and immoral. According to Bratton and Gold (2007) ethics can be defined as the moral codes and principles that direct the behaviour of groups or individuals in regards to what is right or wrong. Throughout literature there has been much debate surrounding the area of ethics and child labour (French & Wokutch, 2005). Subsequently, many people have judged child labour to be an infringement of children? s rights and Page 3 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances believe that it is morally wrong (French & Wokutch, 2005).As a consequence child labour has progressed to be one of the leading topics in the area of international business ethics (French & Wokutch, 2005). As stated by Luetge (2005) although the structure of society has been transformed over the years, ethical concepts have remained the same. Therefore despite the disputes over the ethics of child labour, it is still imperative to apply concepts to consider what is ethically right or wrong (Buller et al, 2000). To distinguish whether the use of child labour can be viewed as ethical and moral the utilitarist, relativist and the imperialist views of ethics will be assessed.The Kantian view of utilitarianism is based around reason, intention and duty (Carrigan et al, 2005). It is supposed by Kant that businesses should exist to fulfil the needs of society and organisations have an ethical responsibility to deliver benefits back to the public (Carrigan et al, 2005; Zekos, 2004). With this view in mind, it could be perceived that organisations are acting ethically as they are providing poorer societies with much needed employment. John Stuart Mill? s view of ethics is also categorised under the term of utilitarianism (Carrigan et al, 2005).This concept looks towards the greatest good for the greatest number, by increasing pleasure and decreasing the total amount of pain (Carrigan et al, 2005; Luetge, 2005). Therefore if the use of child workers means that the most people are receiving the most happiness, then this act can be viewed as ethically correct (Mullins, 2007). When looking at the relativist standpoint it can be viewed that ethics are based around the social norms of the society that they are exercised in (Carrigan et al, 2005). According to Galbreath (2006) there are no sets of worldwide ethical tandards and there can be numerous interpretations of ethical beliefs and moral norms. As stated by Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005) and Payne (2006) the use of child labour in many poorer countries is seen as necessary and ethical. However if an organisation does choose to look at child labour from a relativist viewpoint, they need to be aware that many people within the wealthier societies disapprove of this behaviour and in turn they can feel that the use of child labour is unethical (Luetge, 2005). These beliefs are generated because it is assumed that organisations can afford to exchange child labour with adult labour (Mullins, 2007).As a consequence of this, people from wealthier countries can afford to stop purchasing goods made by children and boycott companies that sanction the use of child labour (Nielsen, 2005). According to Buller et al (2000) imperialism is when the host country? s ethical values and norms are applied to every country the company operates in. As it is wrong to even contemplate the use of child labour in the production of goods in many well developed countries, such as the UK, the host country would be se en to be operating unethically, if they were to sanction the use of child labour under the imperialistic stance (French , 2005).Page 4 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) After evaluating the ethics of child labour using the utilitarianist, relativist and imperialist perspectives, it is crucial to understand to what length a company is socially responsible and to whom it is actually responsible for (Kanji & Chopra, 2010). Corporate social responsibility is a vital corporate notion and in a world of heighten globalisation can be located among many large organisations within many countries throughout the world (Welford, 2005).According to Holmes and Watts (2000) cited Barrett (2009) CSR is defined as an obligation made by an organisation to act ethically to improve the economy alongside the quality of family life and society as a whole. Additionally, CSR means that organisations must concentrate on maximising profits, obeying the law and being aware of the ethics and customs of the individual societies (Demacarty, 2009). According to Kanji and Chopra (2010) CSR is also identified as; corporate responsibility, corporate performance, corporate citizenship and sustainable responsible business.As outlined by Kanji and Chopra (2010) CSR can be seen to have many benefits for organisations and is now considered to be a crucial instrument in promoting and enhancing the public image of some of the world? s leading organisations. Following on from this, Carbone (2008) states that by organisations displaying their corporate social responsibilities they can build up a good reputation and obtain loyal customers. In agreement Kanji and Chopra (2010) believe that by building a culture based on ethical values and shared beliefs organisations generate a loyal base of customers.However despite these benefits it is important to recognise to what limit individual organisations should be held socially responsible (Kanji & Ch opra, 2010). Furthermore, stronger and clearer roles and responsibilities need to be established for global organisations in relation to developing countries around the world (Payne, 2006). There are several issues surrounding the area of CSR and corporations individual responsibility (Clegg et al, 2008).In line with traditional views, the neo-classical economist Friedman states that the only responsibility a company has to its stakeholders is to avoid harm (Alzola, 2008). Accordingly, Friedman goes on to say that the firm should have no part in aiding or helping any other party, as the corporation owes society nothing (Alzola, 2008; Clegg et al, 2008). Additional to this, followers of Friedman express that the firm? s only aim should be to make profit for its owners and only pay attention to their shareholders (French, 2007; Palmer & Hartley, 2006).When looking at the traditional view of CSR and child labour, it could be supposed that as long as the children are coming to no harm t he organisation is upholding its social responsibility. In a more contemporary and humanist view, Tonn (2008) argues that CSR should include factors such as; ethics, environmental issues, corporate governance and employee and product safety. In line with this Kanji and Chopra (2010) declare that CSR should concern itself with; fair trading and giving back Page 5 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances o the community, as well as safeguarding and sustaining the global environment. Overall, with the concerns of globalisation and its effects on poorer societies, organisations must show that they are acting responsibly and are accountable to all of their stakeholders including child workers (Payne, 2006). Echoing this belief, Mullins (2007) goes on to state that in order for organisations to satisfy their goals and sustain profit they need to consider their external environment. It has been proposed that organisations inadvertently have an effect on the quality of life and the wellbeing of society (Mullins, 2007).As a result of this, businesses have an economic responsibility to all of their stakeholders including; investors, employees and customers (Kanji & Chopra, 2010). Cultural Differences If a company does decide to operate in a country that sanctions the use of child labour, it is still vital to look at the cultural differences within that society to ensure that the workforce culture is understood and workers are managed effectively (Banfield & Kay, 2008). Culture can be best explained as the divided beliefs, principles and understandings that determine one group from another (Banfield & Kay, 2008).Schein (1997) cited Clegg et al (2008) define organisational culture as the basic principles and norms that are shared by the company? s affiliates. According to Palmer and Hartley (2006) organisational cultural values are a combination of factors such as: how work is planned and practiced; how authority is distributed; how people are compensated and managed and the roles and expectations of employees and employers. Additionally, national culture is the referral of one nation? s features to another (Capon, 2004).According to Pitta et al (1999) it is essential for managers to understand the ethics of the cultures when operating and managing in unfamiliar societies. Janssen (2007) cited Timlon (2011) states that managers need to take into account factors such as; the law, families, religious beliefs, cultural influences and national culture overall. Additional to these beliefs, Adler (1983) proposes that managers need to be aware of the differences across cultures. These aspects can include; concern for time, displays of emotion and an inability to cope with uncertainty (Alder, 1983).A continuation of this view was generated by Hofstede, who formulated and identified five different dimensions of culture (Mullins, 2007). The five dimensions are; power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/ collectivism, masculinity and long term verses short term orientation (Mullins, 2007). As outlined by Ararat (2008) power distance is defined as the level in which power is distributed. For example, people within a high power distance culture will accept that power is unequally distributed (Ararat, 2008).Additional to this, individualism focuses on the proposition that individuals are self-orientated (Moorij & Hofstede, 2010). Whilst collectivism interests itself with people who are mindful of others and care for their team in an exchange for loyalty (Moorij & Hofstede, 2010). Following on from this, masculinity concerns itself with principles such as performance and accomplishment and femininity looks at ideas such as the value of life (Moorij & Page 6 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances Hofstede, 2010). According to Migliore (2011) uncertainty avoidance is defined as people? s adverse feelings to change.For example, within a high uncertainty avoidance culture there will be a large prefere nce towards formality and rigid structures (Migliore, 2011). Finally, long term verses short term orientation looks at the level of future orientation of the culture and their fondness for tradition and short term points of view (Moorij & Hofstede, 2010). Being aware of cultural differences can have positive effects on organisations, as it allows for the effective management of diverse employees (French, 2007). According to Rosenblatt (2011) if cultural differences are managed correctly organisations can obtain a competitive advantage over their opponents.Furthermore, through globalisation and cultural awareness, multinational organisations (MNOs) have been able to incorporate various value systems and develop shared global work ethics to produce an environment where employees are able to connect and organise their activities in order to meet the aims and objectives (Erez & Drori, 2009 cited Rosenblatt, 2011). Finally, Pitta et al (1999) believes that by appreciating the cultural de viations, westernised organisations are able to forecast what worldwide stakeholders expect.If companies choose to ignore the cultural differences of the different societies then this could have a negative impact on the organisation (Pitta et al, 1999). It has been articulated by Pitta et al (1999) that conflict can occur if companies do not understand and respect the cultural differences of the participating countries. Furthermore, Migliore (2011) expresses that the lack of knowledge and understanding for individual and group social norms can have a detrimental effect on performance levels. Ultimately, if cultural factors and differences are not onsidered, this can lead to the failure of an organisation (Pitta et al, 1999). Recommendations When looking to make recommendations to managers it is important that they are aware of the positive and negative effects that globalisation can have on poorer societies and the incidence of child labour. According to Sethi (2006) organisations n eed to ensure they maintain the internal and external environments of societies. It could be supposed that by taking these concerns into account, organisations can reduce the negative effects that globalisation has on poorer societies.From viewing the evidence consolidated in this essay, a strong argument has emerged that even if companies are acting ethically by condoning the use of child labour, wealthier countries will still disapprove of these acts (Luetge, 2005). This is turn can have negative impacts on organisations (Nielsen, 2005). In regards to CSR, recommendations could be made for CSR to include all stakeholders in all of the operating countries. Carbone (2008) states that CSR can aid the organisation? s reputation and can help Page 7 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances to build a loyal base of customers.Subsequently, CSR has been seen to have positive effects on poorer societies through the reduction of poverty, child labour and environmental polluti on (Payne, 2006). According to Timlon (2011) managers need to take many factors into account when managing across different cultures. It could be recommended to managers that in order to manage effectively and succeed they need to understand and respect cultural differences (French, 2007). To accomplish this, managers could apply Hofstede? s five dimensions of culture to identify the cultural preferences and differences across the operating countries.Conclusion In conclusion this essay has assessed the aspects that need to be considered when going global and operating in countries that sanction the use of child labour. This essay discussed the key arguments surrounding the topics of globalisation and child labour. It was discovered that there were contradictory views on whether globalisation increases or decreases the incidence of child labour. Following on from this, the essay examined if child labour could be deemed to be ethical and moral using the utilitarianism, relativism and imperialism perspectives. Although the rguments are not clear cut, modern wealthier societies would have us believe that any use of child labour is unethical and unnecessary (French & Wokutch, 2005; Luetge, 2005). This essay also deliberated to what level a company should be held socially responsible and who should be covered by CSR. It could be believed that organisations CSR should include all stakeholders, and go beyond the traditional perspectives, by looking to safeguard and improve employee? s well-being as well as the global environment. Furthermore, this essay also considered the implications of managing across cultures.It was proposed that managers need to be aware of the differences across cultures (Adler, 1983). One way of identifying these differences, is by using Hofstede? s theory on the dimensions of culture (Mullins, 2007). Finally, this essay offered recommendations that managers could use when looking to go global in countries that sanction the use of child labour. Page 8 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances References Adler, N. (1983), â€Å"Cross-cultural management research: the ostrich and the trend†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 8 No. 2, p226-32 Alzola.M, (2008), „When urgency matters. On non-discretionary corporate social responsibility? , Human Systems Management, Vol. 27, Issue 3, p273-282 Ararat. M, (2008), „A Development Perspective for â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† : Case of Turkey? , Corporate Governance, Vol. 8, No. 3, p271-285 Banfield. P and Kay. R, (2008), Introduction to Human Resource Management, Oxford, Oxford University Press Barrett. D, (2009), „Corporate Social Responsibility and Quality Management Revisited? , Journal for Quality & Participation, Vol. 31, Issue 4, p24-30 Bratton. J and Gold.J, (2007), Human Resource Management; Theory and Practice, 4th Ed, Hampshire, Palgrave MacMillan Buller. P, Kohls. J and Anderson. K, (2000), „When Ethics Colli de: Managing Conflicts Across Cultures? , Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 28, No. 4, p52-56 Capon. C, (2004), Understanding Organisational Context: Inside & Outside Organisations, 2nd Ed, Harlow, Pearson Education Limited Carbone. J, (2008), „Buyers Audit Suppliers? Ethics? , Purchasing, Vol. 137, Issue 11, p58-61 Carrigan. M, Marinova. S and Szmigin. I, (2005), „Ethics and International Marketing? , International Marketing Review, Vol. 22, No. , p481-493 Clegg. S, Kornberger. M and Pitsis. T, (2008), Managing & Organisations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, 2nd Ed, London, SAGE Publications Limited Demacarty. P, (2009), „Financial Returns of Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Moral Freedom and Responsibility of Business Leaders? , Business & Society Review, Vol. 114, Issue 3, p393-433 Dinopoulos. E and Zhao. L, (2007), „Child Labor and Globalization? , Journal of Labor Economics, Vol. 25, Issue 3, p553-579 Edmonds. E and Pavcnik. N, (2005), †žChild Labor in the Global Economy? , Journal of economic Perspectives, Vol. 9, Issue 1, p199-220 French. R, (2007), Cross-Cultural Management in Work Organisations, London, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development French. L and Wokutch. R, (2005), „Child Workers, Globalization, and International Business Ethics: A Case Study in Brazil? s Export-Oriented Shoe Industry? , Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 15, Issue 4, p615-640 Galbreath. J, (2006), „Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy: Strategic Options, Global Considerations? , Corporate Governance, Vol. 6, No. 2, p175-187 Page 9 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances Kanji.G and Chopra. P, (2010), „Corporate social responsibility in a global economy? , Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Vol. 21, Issue 2, p119-143 Kis-Katos. K, (2007), „Does globalization reduce child labor , Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Vol. 16, Issue 1, p71-92 Luetge. C, ( 2005), „Economic ethics, business ethics and the idea of mutual advantages? , Business Ethics: A European Review, Vol. 14, Issue 2, p108-118 Migliore. L, (2011), „Relation between big five personality traits and Hofstede? s cultural dimensions: Samples from the USA and India? Cross Cultural Management: A n International Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 1, p38-54 Moorij. M and Hofstede. G, (2010), ‘The Hofstede Model', International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 29, Issue 1, p85-110 Mullins. L, (2007), Management and Organisational Behaviour, 8th Ed, Harlow, Pearson Education Limited Nielsen. M, (2005), „The politics of corporate responsibility and child labour in the Bangladeshi garment industry? , International Affairs, Vol. 81, Issue 3, p559-580 Palmer. A and Hartley. B, (2006), The Business Environment, 5th Ed, Berkshire, McGraw-Hill Education Payne. A, (2006),?Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development? , Journal of Public Affairs, Vol. 6, Issue 3/ 4, p286-297 Pitta. D, Fung. H and Isberg. S, (1999), „Ethical issues across cultures: managing differing perspectives of China and USA? , Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 16, Issue 3, p240-256 Rosenblatt. V, (2011), „The impact of institutional processes, social networks, and culture on diffusion of global work values in multinational organizations? , Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 1, p105-121 Sethi. P, (2006), „A search for standards to monitor labor conditions worldwide? Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 16, Issue 2, p271-287 Timlon. J, (2011), „Sustainable Strategic Sourcing Decisions? , Strategic Outsourcing: An international Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1, p88-106 Tonn. R, (2008), „Corporate social responsibility: conscienable and profitable? , Long Island Business News, Vol. 55, Issue 30, p158-158 Zekos. G, (2004), „Ethics versus corruption in globalization? , Journal of Management Development, Vol. 23, Issue 7, P631-647 Page 10 Date 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances BUSI 1475 Contemporary Issues in Management Assignment proposal pro forma ? ? ?For completion by Week 5 Must be signed-off by seminar tutor Must be completed electronically Revised question: The considerations of going global and operating in countries that sanction the use of child labour. Original question: The considerations of manufacturing in countries that sanction the use of child labour. The assignment will look at defining the ethical considerations that need to be looked at before operating in countries that sanction the use of sweat shops and child labour. A debate will be made between the ethical theories of what is deemed to be ethically right or wrong and provide justifications.For example the utilitarianism approach (the greatest good for the greatest number). The essay will go on to discuss CSR in terms of its definition, uses and who is covered. For example some companies operation CSR polici es that are only designed to cover the interest of the shareholders. Following on from this the essay will discuss the impact globalisation has on poorer societies and the occurrence of child labour. Finally the essay will debate over the cultural differences found when operating in other countries and the issues that surround managing in these countries effectively. Relationship to course content (e. g. opics featured) The management issues that have been uncovered are: ? Ethics = discussion of types of ethics (consequentialists and nonconsequentialists). What is defined as ethically right or wrong? ? CSR = who should be covered by CSR? ? Globalisation = does it increase or decrease child labour? ? Cultures = cultural differences and how to manage people. http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-11381721 Proposed title URL from BBC News Website Name of student Signature of student Name of tutor Signature of tutor Date Stephanie Grant Stephanie Grant DR Graham Symon 06/01/11 Page 11 Da te 15. 04. 11 Submitted with Extenuating Circumstances

Loblaw

Implementing the Position Defense strategy by doing the strategic alliance with the Wall-Mart in order to share the information technology system and supply chain management Recommendations The Lobar Companies Limited can use the resource of information technology system, which is Electronic Data Interchange form the Wall-Mart in order to improve the own inventory problem and supply chain management. Vendors can know our sales and in stock levels.The company can know when food that is stocked in the inventory will be expired; they can eliminate the stale-date food. Vendors will get the constant amount of orders from the company and delivery to our company on time. Hence, the company can provide the fresh food to the customers. After the company provide the fresh food with full shelves to customers, the customers will have positive attitudes toward the company that lead the increasing in Labials brand image.Moreover, the two companies, Lobar Companies Limited and Wall-Mart Superstores , can also share the transportations to each other. If the Lobar have to delivery the products from the distribution centers to the stores while the unavailable manufacturers' trucks and own fleets, the company can ask the Wall-Mart Superstores for using their trucks to ship the products. Hence, the company can reduce the opportunity cost of waiting own trucks to ship goods.Strategic Intent To become the market leader domestically and internationally in the supermarket industry Strategic Mission Lobar Companies Limited is manufacturer and distributor of food, non-food, photo shop, dry cleansing, a bank, medical clinic, women's-only fitness center, and gas station (some stores) in supermarket industry by providing one-stop shopping estimation with several services to consumers in Canada.

John Wayne Gacy, the Third Most Prolific Serial Killer in U.S. History

John Wayne Gacy, the Third Most Prolific Serial Killer in U.S. History John Wayne Gacy was convicted of the torture, rape, and murder of 33 males between 1972 until his arrest in 1978. He was dubbed the Killer Clown because he entertained children at parties and hospitals as Pogo the Clown. On May 10, 1994, Gacy was executed by lethal injection. Gacys Childhood Years John Gacy was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of three children and the only son born to John Stanley Gacy and Marion Robinson. From age 4, Gacy was verbally and physically abused by his  alcoholic father. Despite the abuse, Gacy admired his father and constantly sought his approval. In return, his father would hurl insults at him, telling him he was stupid and acted like a girl. When Gacy was 7 years old, he was molested repeatedly by a friend of the family. He never told his parents about it, fearing that his father would find him at fault and that he would be severely punished. Gacys Teen Years   When Gacy was in elementary school, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition which limited his physical activity. As a result, he became overweight and endured  teasing from his classmates. At age 11, Gacy was hospitalized for several months at a time after experiencing unexplained blackouts. His father decided Gacy was faking the blackouts because the doctors were unable to diagnose why it was happening. After five years of being in and out of the hospital, it was discovered that he had a blood clot in his brain, which was treated. But Gacys delicate health issues failed to protect him from his fathers drunken wrath. He received regular beatings, for no particular reason other than his father disdained him. After years of abuse, Gacy taught himself not to cry. This was the only thing he consciously ever did that he knew would provoke his fathers anger. Gacy found it too difficult to catch up with what he had missed in school while hospitalized, so he decided to drop out. His being a  high school dropout  solidified his fathers constant accusations that Gacy was stupid. Las Vegas or Bust At the age of 18, Gacy was still living with his parents. He became involved with the Democratic Party and worked as an assistant precinct captain. It was during this time that he began to develop his gift for gab. He enjoyed the positive attention he received in what he felt was a prestigious position. But his father quickly squelched whatever good came out of his political involvement. He belittled Gacy’s association with the Party: he called him a Party patsy. Gacy’s  years of abuse  from his father finally wore him down. After several episodes of his father having refused to let Gacy use his own car, he had enough. He packed his belongings and escaped to Las Vegas, Nevada. A Frightening Awakening In Las Vegas, Gacy worked for an ambulance service for a short time but was then transferred to a mortuary where he was employed as an attendant. He often spent nights alone at the mortuary, where he would sleep on a cot near the embalming room.   On the last night that Gacy worked there, he got into a coffin and fondled the corpse of a teenage boy. Afterward, he was so confused and shocked by the realization that he had been sexually  aroused by a male corpse, that he called his mother the following day and without providing details, asked if he could return home. His father agreed and Gacy, who had only been gone for 90 days, quit his job at the mortuary and drove back to Chicago. Burying the Past Back in Chicago, Gacy forced himself to bury the experience at the mortuary and move forward. Despite not having completed high school, he was accepted at Northwestern Business College, where he graduated in 1963. He then took a management trainee position with the Nunn-Bush Shoe Company and was quickly transferred to Springfield, Illinois, where he was promoted to a management position. Marlynn  Meyers was employed at the same store and worked in Gacys department. The two began dating and nine months later they married. Community Spirit During his first year in Springfield, Gacy had become very involved with the local Jaycees, dedicating much of his spare time to the organization. He became adept at self-promotion, utilizing his salesmanship training to gain positive attention. He rose through the Jaycee ranks and in April  1964 he was awarded the title of Key Man. Fundraising was Gacys niche and by 1965 he was appointed the vice-president of the Jaycees Springfield division and later that same year he was recognized as being the third most outstanding Jaycee in the state of Illinois. For the first time in his life, Gacy felt confident and full of self-esteem. He was married, a good future before him,  and had persuaded people he was a leader. The one thing that threatened his success was his growing need to be  sexually involved with young male teens. Marriage and Fried Chicken After dating in Springfield, Illinois, Gacy and  Marlynn  married in September 1964 and then moved to Waterloo, Iowa where Gacy managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants owned by Marilyns father. The newlyweds moved into  Marlynns  parents home, rent-free. Gacy soon joined the Waterloo Jaycees, and once again quickly moved up the ranks. In 1967, he received recognition as Outstanding Vice-President of the Waterloo Jaycees and earned a seat on the  Board of Directors. But, unlike in Springfield, the Waterloo Jaycees had a dark side that involved illegal drug use, wife swapping,  prostitutes, and pornography. Gacy slid right into the position of managing and regularly participating in these activities. Gacy also began to act on his desires to have sex with male teenagers, many of whom worked at the fried chicken restaurants he managed. The Lure He turned a basement room into a hangout as a way to attract teens. He would entice the boys with free alcohol and pornography. Gacy would then take sexual advantage of some of the boys after they became too intoxicated to put up any resistance. While Gacy was molesting teens in his basement and doing drugs with his Jaycee pals, Marlyn was busy having children. Their first child was a boy, born in 1967, and the second child was a girl, born a year later. Gacy later described this time of his life as being nearly perfect. It was also the only time he finally gained any approval from his father. The Colonel A common trait shared by many  serial killers  is their belief that they are smarter than everyone and that they will never get caught. Gacy fit that profile. With his above-average earnings and his social connections through the Jaycees, Gacys ego and confidence level grew. He became pushy and commanding and would often brag about accomplishments, most of which were transparent lies.   The Jaycee members who were not into hookers and porn began putting a distance between themselves and Gacy, or Colonel, as he insisted on being called. But in March 1968 Gacys near-perfect world quickly fell apart. First Arrest In August 1967 Gacy had hired 15-year-old Donald Voorhees to do odd jobs around his house. Donald met Gacy through his father, who was also in the Jaycees. After finishing his work, Gacy lured the teen to his basement with the promise of free beer and  porn movies. After Gacy supplied him with an abundance of alcohol, he forced him into having oral sex. This experience seemed to unplug any fears Gacy had about getting caught. Over the next several months, he sexually abused several teenage boys. He convinced some of them that a scientific research program that he was involved in was looking for participants and they would be paid $50 for each session. He also used blackmail as a way to force them into sexual submission. But in March 1968 it all came crashing down on Gacy. Voorhees told his father about the incident with Gacy in his basement, who immediately reported it to the police. Another 16-year-old victim also reported Gacy to the police. Gacy was  arrested  and charged with oral sodomy of the 15-year-old and attempted assault of the other boy, charges he strongly denied.   As his defense, Gacy said that the accusations were a lie by  Voorhees  father who was trying to sabotage his efforts to become president of the Iowa Jaycees. Some of his Jaycee friends believed it was possible. However, despite his protests, Gacy was indicted on the sodomy charges. In an effort to intimidate Voorhees and keep him from testifying, Gacy paid an employee, 18-year-old Russell Schroeder, $300 to beat up the teenager and warn him against showing up in court. Voorhees went straight to the police who arrested Schroeder. He promptly  admitted his guilt  and Gacys involvement to the police. Gacy was charged with conspiracy-assault. By the time it was over, Gacy pled guilty to sodomy and received a 10-year sentence.   Doing Time On December 27, 1969, Gacys father died of cirrhosis of the liver. The news hit Gacy hard, but despite his obvious poor emotional state, the prison officials denied his request to attend his fathers funeral. Gacy did everything right in prison. He earned his high school degree and took his position as head cook seriously. His good behavior paid off. In October 1971, after completing just two years of his sentence, he was released and placed on  probation  for 12 months. Marlyn filed for divorce while Gacy was in prison. He was so angered by the divorce that he told her that she and the two children were dead to him, vowing never to see them again. Marlyn, no doubt, hoped that he would stick to his word. Back in Action With nothing to return to in Waterloo, Gacy moved back to Chicago to begin rebuilding his life. He moved in with his mother and got a job working as a cook, and then worked for a construction contractor. Gacy later bought a home 30 miles outside of Chicago, in Des Plaines, Illinois. Gacy and his mother lived in the house, which was part of the terms of Gacys probation. In early February 1971, Gacy lured a teenage boy to his home and tried to rape him, but the boy escaped and went to the police. Gacy was charged with  sexual assault, but the charges were dismissed when the teen did not show up in court. Word of his arrest never got back to his parole officer. First Kill On Jan. 2, 1972, Timothy Jack McCoy, age 16, was planning on sleeping at the bus terminal in Chicago. His next bus wasnt scheduled until the following day, but when Gacy approached him and offered to give him a tour of the city, plus let him sleep at his house, McCoy took him up on it.   According to Gacy’s account, he awoke the following morning and saw McCoy standing with a knife at his bedroom door. Gacy thought the teen intended on killing him, so he charged the boy and got control of the knife. Gacy then  stabbed the teen to death. Afterward, he realized that he had mistaken McCoys intentions. The teen had a knife because he was preparing breakfast and had gone to Gacys room to wake him up.   Although Gacy had not planned to kill McCoy when he brought him home, he couldnt dismiss the fact that he had become sexually aroused to the point of orgasm during the kill. In fact, the killing was the most intense sexual pleasure he had ever felt. Timothy Jack McCoy was the first of many to be buried in the crawl space under Gacys home. Second Marriage On July 1, 1972, Gacy married a high school sweetheart, Carole Hoff. She and her two daughters from a previous marriage moved into Gacys home. Carole was aware of why Gacy had spent time in prison, but he had downplayed the charges and convinced her that he had changed his ways. Within weeks of being married, Gacy was  arrested and charged  with sexual assault after a teen male accused him of impersonating a police officer to get him into his car, then forcing him to engage in oral sex. Again the charges were dropped; this time because the victim had tried to blackmail Gacy. In the meantime, as Gacy added more bodies in the crawlspace under his house, a horrible stench began to fill the air, both inside and outside of Gacys home. It got to be so bad that neighbors began to insist that Gacy find a solution to get rid of the odor.   Youre Hired In 1974 Gacy left his construction job and started a contracting business called Painting, Decorating, and Maintenance, or PDM Contractors, Inc. Gacy told friends that one way he planned to keep his costs down was by hiring teenage boys. But Gacy saw it as another way to find teens to lure to his basement of horrors.   He began posting available jobs and then invited the applicants to his house on the pretext of talking to them about a job. Once the boys were inside his home, he would overpower them using various tricks, render them unconscious and then begin his gruesome and sadistic torture that almost always led to their death. The Do-Gooder While he wasnt killing young men, Gacy spent time reestablishing himself as a good neighbor and good  community leader. He worked tirelessly on community projects, had several neighborhood parties, developed close friendships with his next-door neighbors, and became a familiar face, dressed as Pogo the Clown, at birthday parties and at the childrens hospital.   People liked John Wayne Gacy. By day, he was a successful business owner and community do-gooder, but by night, unknown to anyone but his victims, he was a sadistic killer on the loose. Second Divorce In October 1975 Carole filed for divorce after Gacy admitted to her that he was attracted to young men. She wasnt surprised by the news. Months before, on Mothers Day, he had informed her that they would not be having any more sex together. She was also bothered by all of the gay porn magazines lying around and she could no longer ignore all the teenage males coming in and out of the house. Having Carole out of his hair, Gacy focused on what really mattered to him most; keeping his do-gooder facade in the community so that he could continue to achieve sexual gratification by raping and killing young boys. From 1976 to 1978, Gacy had managed to hide the bodies of 29 of his victims under his house, but because of lack of space and the odor, he dumped the bodies of his last four victims into the Des Moines River. Robert  Piest On December 11, 1978, in Des Moines, 15-year-old Robert Piest went missing after leaving his job at a pharmacy. He told his mother and a co-worker that he was going to an interview with a construction contractor about a summer position. The contractor had been in the pharmacy earlier in the evening discussing a future remodel with the owner.   When  Piest  failed to return home, his parents contacted the police. The pharmacy owner told investigators that the contractor was John Gacy, owner of PDM Contractors. When Gacy was contacted by the police, he admitted being in the pharmacy on the night the boy disappeared but denied ever speaking to the teenager. This contradicted what one of  Piests  fellow employees had told the investigators. According to the employee,  Piest  was upset because he had been turned down earlier in the evening when he asked for a raise. But when his shift ended, he was excited because the contractor that was remodeling the pharmacy agreed to meet with him that night to discuss a summer job. Gacy’s denying that he had even spoken to the boy raised a lot of suspicions. Investigators ran a background check that revealed Gacys past criminal record, including his conviction and prison time for sodomizing a minor. This information put Gacy on the top of the list of possible suspects. On December 13, 1978, a  warrant to search  Gacys Summerdale Avenue home was granted. While investigators searched his home and cars, he was at the police station giving an oral and written statement about his activities at the pharmacy on the night  Piest  disappeared. When he learned that his house had been searched, he went into a fit of anger. The Search The  evidence  collected at Gacys house included a high school ring for the class of 1975 with initials J.A.S., handcuffs, drugs and drug paraphernalia, two drivers licenses that were not issued to Gacy, child pornography, police badges, guns and ammunition, a switchblade, a piece of stained carpet, hair samples from Gacys automobiles, store receipts, and several items of teen-styled clothing in sizes that would not fit Gacy.   Investigators also went down into the crawl space, but did not discover anything and left quickly due to the rancid odor that they attributed to being a sewage problem. Although the search solidified suspicions that Gacy was likely an active pedophile, it did not turn up any evidence linking him to  Piest. However, he was still their prime suspect.   Under Surveillance Two surveillance teams were assigned to watch Gacy 24 hours a day. The investigators continued their search for  Piest  and continued interviewing his friends and co-worker. They also began interviewing people who had contact with Gacy. What investigators learned was that Robert  Piest  was a good, family-oriented kid. John Gacy, on the other hand, had the makings of a monster. They also learned that  Piest  was not the first, but the fourth person who had disappeared after having contact with Gacy. Meanwhile, Gacy seemed to be enjoying a game of cat and mouse with the surveillance team. More than once he was able to sneak away from his house undetected. He also invited the team into his home and served them breakfast, and then he would joke about spending the rest of the day getting rid of dead bodies. The Big Break Eight days into the investigation the lead detective went to the  Piests  home to bring his parents up to date. During the conversation, Mrs. Piest mentioned a conversation that she had with one of the employees working on the night her son went missing. The employee had told her that she had borrowed her sons jacket when she went on her break and left a receipt in the jacket pocket. This was the same jacket that her son had on when he left to go talk to the contractor about a job and never returned. That same receipt was found in the evidence collected during the search of Gacys house. Further  forensic tests  were performed on the receipt that proved that Gacy had been lying and that  Piest  had been in his home. Gacy Buckles Those closest to Gacy were interviewed by detectives on multiple occasions. Afterward, Gacy demanded that they tell him everything that was said. This included the in-depth questioning of his employees regarding the crawl space under Gacys home. Some of these employees admitted that Gacy had paid them to go down into specific areas of the crawl space to dig trenches. Gacy realized it was just a matter of time before the extent of his crimes would be exposed. He began to buckle under the pressure, and his behavior turned bizarre. On the morning of his arrest, Gacy was observed driving to the homes of his friends to tell them goodbye. He was seen taking pills and drinking mid-morning. He also talked about committing suicide and confessed to a few people that he had killed thirty people. What finally led to his arrest was a  drug deal  that Gacy orchestrated in full view of the surveillance team. They pulled Gacy over and placed him under arrest.   Second Search Warrant While in police custody, Gacy was informed that a second search warrant of his home had been issued. The news brought on chest pains, and Gacy was taken to the hospital. In the meantime, the search of his house, particularly the crawlspace, had begun. But the extent of what would be uncovered shocked even the most seasoned investigators. The Confession Gacy was released from the hospital later that night and taken back into custody. Knowing that his game was up, he  confessed to murdering  Robert  Piest. He also confessed to thirty-two additional murders, starting in 1974, and hinted that the total could be as high as 45. During the confession, Gacy explained how he had restrained his victims by pretending to do a magic trick, which required that they put on handcuffs. He then stuffed socks or underwear into their mouths and used a board with chains, which he would place under their chest, then wrapped the chains around their neck. He would then choke them to death while raping them. Victims Through dental and radiology records, 25 of the 33 bodies found were identified. In an effort to identify the remaining unknown victims, DNA testing was performed from 2011 to 2016.   Went Missing Name Age Location of Body January 3, 1972 Timothy McCoy 16 Crawl space - Body #9 July 29, 1975 John Butkovitch 17 Garage - Body #2 April 6, 1976 Darrell Sampson 18 Crawl space - Body #29 May 14, 1976 Randall Reffett 15 Crawl space - Body #7 May 14, 1976 Samuel Stapleton 14 Crawl space - Body #6 June 3, 1976 Michael Bonnin 17 Crawl space - Body #6 June 13, 1976 William Carroll 16 Crawl space - Body #22 August 6, 1976 Rick Johnston 17 Crawl space - Body #23 October 24, 1976 Kenneth Parker 16 Crawl space - Body #15 October 26, 1976 William Bundy 19 Crawl space - Body #19 December 12, 1976 Gregory Godzik 17 Crawl space - Body #4 January 20, 1977 John Szyc 19 Crawl space - Body #3 March 15, 1977 Jon Prestidge 20 Crawl space - Body #1 July 5, 1977 Matthew Bowman 19 Crawl space - Body #8 September 15, 1977 Robert Gilroy 18 Crawl space - Body #25 September 25, 1977 John Mowery 19 Crawl space - Body #20 October 17, 1977 Russell Nelson 21 Crawl space - Body #16 November 10, 1977 Robert Winch 16 Crawl space - Body #11 November 18, 1977 Tommy Boling 20 Crawl space - Body #12 December 9, 1977 David Talsma 19 Crawl space - Body #17 February 16, 1978 William Kindred 19 Crawl space - Body #27 June 16, 1978 Timothy O'Rourke 20 Des Plaines River - Body #31 November 4, 1978 Frank Landingin 19 Des Plaines River - Body #32 November 24, 1978 James Mazzara 21 Des Plaines River - Body #33 December 11, 1978 Robert Piest 15 Des Plaines River - Body #30 Guilty Gacy went on trial on February 6, 1980, for the murder of thirty-three young men. His defense lawyers tried to prove that  Gacy was insane, but the jury of five women and seven men did not agree.  After only two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and Gacy was given the death penalty. Execution While on death row, Gacy continued to taunt authorities with different versions of his story about the murders in an attempt to stay alive. But once his appeals were exhausted, the execution date was set. John Gacy was executed by lethal injection on May 9, 1994. His  last words  were, Kiss my ass. Sources Fall of the House of Gacy by Harlan Mendenhallï » ¿Killer Clown by Terry Sullivan and Peter T. Maiken

Hephaestus, the Greek God of Fire and Volcanoes

Hephaestus, the Greek God of Fire and Volcanoes Hephaestus is the name of the Greek god of volcanoes and a craftsman and blacksmith associated with metalworking and stone masonry. Of all the gods on Olympus, he is arguably the most human, having suffered abuse by the other gods, who by contrast are aloof, perfect, and remote from the frailties of men. Hephaestus is also connected to humanity by his chosen profession, sculptor, and blacksmith. Yet he is one of the children of the marriage of the powerful gods Zeus and Hera, also the most quarrelsome couple in the Olympian heaven. Some of the legends around Hephaestus suggest he was parthenogenic, the son of only Hera unaided by Zeus, an event caused by Hera in anger after Zeus produced Athena without the benefit of a female partner. Hephaestus is the god of fire, and the Roman version of Hephaestus is represented as Vulcan. Hephaestus Two Falls Hephaestus suffered two falls from Mount Olympus, both humiliating and painful- gods arent supposed to feel pain. The first was when Zeus and Hera were in the midst of one of their endless quarrels. Hephaestus took his mothers part, and in anger, Zeus threw Hephaestus off Mount Olympus. The fall took an entire day and when it ended in Lemnos, Hephaestus was nearly dead, his face and body permanently deformed. There he was tended by Lemnos human inhabitants; and when he finally as a wine steward to the Olympians, he was a figure of ridicule, particularly in comparison to the legendarily handsome wine steward Ganymede. The second fall from Olympus occurred when Hephaestus was still scarred by the first fall, and perhaps more humiliating, this one was caused by his mother. The legends say that Hera could not bear the sight of him and his deformed legs, and she wanted this reminder of a failed quarrel with Zeus to disappear, so she threw him off Mount Olympus once more. He stayed with the Neriads on earth for nine years, tended by Thetis and Eurynome. One myth reports that he only returned to Olympus by crafting a beautiful throne for his mother with a secret mechanism trapping her in it. Only Hephaestos could release her, but he refused to do so until he is made drunk enough to return to Olympus and set her free. Hephaestus and Thetis Hephaestus and Thetis Hephaestus is often associated with Thetis, another deity with human traits. Thetis was the mother of the doomed warrior Achilles, and she went to extraordinary lengths in numerous efforts to protect him from his foretold fate. Thetis tended Hephaestus after his first fall and later asked him to forge new weapons for her son. Thetis, the divine parent, begs Hephastus to craft a beuatiful shield for her son Achilles, a shield predestined to bring its bearer death. It was the last futile effort of Thetis; soon Achilles died. Hephaestus is said to have lusted after Athena, another crafts person; and in some versions of Mount Olympus, he was the husband of Aphrodite. Sources ​ Rinon Y. 2006. Tragic Hephaestus: The Humanized God in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Phoenix 60(1/2):1-20.

Compare and contrast snow crash to the matrix Essay

Compare and contrast snow crash to the matrix - Essay Example Bob Rife’s virus from spreading, Neo in the Matrix movie does the same but his fight is directed to machines. Hiro’s fight is simple as compared to the task that Neo engages into. The Matrix movie spreads a darker picture as compared to Snow Crash because of the heroic acts that Neo has to engage into to achieve justice. This paper will compare and contrast the Snow Crash novel and The Matrix Movie. As stated above, the two works present dystopian perspectives into the future where the societies in the two works are grappling with certain problems. The two societies face problems that must be urgently solved so that people can lead happy lives. The struggles can be seen in the main actors’ engagements trying to solve these issues. However, the problems are not entirely the same as in the Snow Crash, Hiro fights against the spread of the virus while in the Matrix, Neo fights with machines. Clearly, this puts The Matrix on the higher edge in terms of the magnitude of the problem. In the movie, The Matrix (1999), the audience has been put in a future dystopian society, where human beings are living a somewhat normal life but again different because they are enslaved and are used as powering gadgets for their rulers electrical requirements. They have been imprisoned and are misused to power the sentient machines. The problem arises from the fact that the sentient machines rebel against the human population because the stormy clouds blocked the sun, which acted as their main source of power. Therefore, for them to survive they have to get power from the human body heat and this is what Neo fights vehemently. Human beings are forcibly put in pods, from where the thermal energy and bioelectricity are taken out of the human beings for use by the machines. The machines also use control the minds of the human beings using cybernetic implants. This is clear in Neo’s statement where he says, â€Å"I don't like the idea that I'm not in control o f my life† (Wachowski and Wachowski). This misuse of the human beings links them to a simulated reality known as the Matrix and is what Neo tries so hard to fight against. This heroic act is like fighting against a ruler or something superior by many standards. This virtual reality world, simulated by the program characterizes the civilized world that has enslaved the minds of human beings, but cannot comprehend this. This is clearly seen when Morpheus says, â€Å"If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain† (Wachowski and Wachowski). Stevenson’s depiction of the future in unpleasant but is not forsaken as people like the one Morpheus and Neo are determined to destroy the entire ruling class having attained enlightenment. For example, Morpheus says, â€Å"I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it† (Wachowski and W achowski). Despite the fact that there is similar injustices in Snow Crash where bleak institutions have replaced the democratic ones, the injustice is not similar because the human beings show the ability to adapt to the changes. In his work, Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson, portrays a similar dystopian that is present in The Matrix. Just like in the movie, where the existence of the machines upsets human beings, the existence of the lethal drug known as the Snow Crash makes life unbearable because of the dependence and makes Hiro, the protagonist determined to des

Review on history Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review on history - Assignment Example The article itself found that in pre-industrial and late medieval history, environmental changes and shocks were able to powerfully affect the lives of those that were considered within the case study. This of course had to do mainly with crop production, animal health and reproduction, and human life expectancy/infant mortality. As a means of gathering the data to inform the result, the researchers relied on ice core analysis from Greenland to help paint a reliable image of what weather patterns in and around this time reflected. Due to the fact that no primary sources can be relied upon due to the unscientific manner that they necessarily represented, it was up to the researchers to find alternate means of providing the data concerning environmental change during the given time (Campbell 2010). The methodology therefore consisted of utilizing these ice cores and comparing the weather results represented therein as a means of comparison with historical records regarding crop yields, quality of life, animal reproduction, and human lifespan/infant mortality figures. ... not something that has taken place in the past and will necessarily not occur again; rather, it is an ongoing and natural process, oftentimes aided on by human destruction of the environment. In such a context, seeking to understand the role that environmental change has directly affected on the lives and livelihoods of past generations is a valuable starting point from whence to seek to draw a level of inference as to what may take place in the future with regards to the same issues today. Finally, with regards to the way the data was presented, it was lain out in a way that with a proper amount of analysis the reader/researcher can readily understand what is being presented. Likewise, the main conclusions that the piece draw necessarily relate to the fact environmental change has a profound and lasting effect on the way that human societies conduct themselves and relate to economic development within the constraints of such environmental change. Key limitations to the research are of course concentric upon the fact that the primary data sources which can be drawn upon are far removed and suspect to a degree erroneous data; thereby leading to inconclusive or incorrect findings. Although this is not a fault of the researchers, it is part and parcel of seeking to perform a level of scientific and social analysis upon a time period that did not keep detailed or conclusive records. In much the same way, the second article, entitled, â€Å"The Economic Impact of the Little Ice Age† helps to shine a light on the means by which the economies of pre-industrial Europe. By means of analyzing the data sets with relation to weather patterns, crop yields, and other economic indicators, the authors are able to provide the reader/researcher with a detailed economic analysis of the