Is it worth dying for one’s Christian principles? Essay

This question cannot really be answered with just a yes or no response, any one who answers it must be able to explain why because everyone has their own informed opinion on this question. Some people would say yes because as all Christians believe, there is life after death with God, so there is no reason why we should wish to escape death but the main reason that most people would come up with for saying no is that nothing is as important as your own life and that you should protect it at all cost no matter what is required (there is a limit e.g. most people would not be willing to kill another person). Martyrdom is a strong reason, not so much in that â€Å"If I die I will be a martyr and everyone will praise me!† Which people who say no might accuse Martyrs of doing, and they would say it is wrong to do that, but more in the sense â€Å"Martyr’s were willing to die so should I be willing to show my devotion to God by sacrificing my life for others and to witness the truth.† Some believe that when presented with death there are more important things than one’s self to think of, those being justice, mercy, forgiveness and peace while people saying no would counter with something like dying for your beliefs could be seen as suicide because you would just be letting yourself die and even God does not like people committing suicide. If you were in a place where Christians were persecuted and you died for your beliefs, you would be an inspiration for hope, so that your sacrifice may lead to better things for all people. This is a key point, that every sacrifice no matter how big or how small is important, but people in the same situation might not be willing to die because even Jesus the Son of God didn’t want to die, he prayed to God â€Å"my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.† So people argue that there is nothing wrong with not being willing to die f or one’s Christian belief. In my opinion I would have to say that in most cases it is worth dying for one’s Christian principles e.g. if you were in a place where Christians were being persecuted and people were denouncing their Christian principles, then in order to show them that you should never give up hope and to inspire them, it would be worth openly showing your Christianity which would certainly lead to death. But in other cases it would be a waste, e.g. if you were involved in a project that involved helping others less fortunate than yourself and you were told that if you were a Christian you would be killed, then I would use one of the arguments put forward by someone who might have said yes as reason for saying no which is to put other things before one’s self by thinking about all the people that need your help so desperately. In theory, there are more arguments as to why people should be willing to die for their Christian beliefs, but realistically even people who say yes, would in fact not be prepared to die, although there are some people who would, these are the true martyrs.

Importance of Risk Management in the Adventure Leisure Industry

Critically illustrate the importance, and societal context of risk management within the adventure leisure industry In recent decades the emphasis on risks and risk management within the adventure leisure industry has been has been escalating and is now greater than ever. This emphasis is due to the introduction of more stringent legislation from the associated governing bodies, threatening more severe consequences if businesses do not practice within the regulated guidelines.The objective of this essay is to analyse risks within adventure activities and to determine the importance of the management of risk within this field of outdoor leisure. This will be achieved by researching past occurrences in the leisure industry that have resulted in accident or death, which could have been avoided had a thorough risk assessment been constructed. In addition, by exploring the motivation behind participating in such activities, this essay will uncover the degree to which risk is actually requ ired in order for an adventure activity to occur.As written by (Barton 2007:2) â€Å"We are exposed to risk from the moment of our conception to our death†. If this is the case, then undoubtedly there must be forces set into place in order to manage and assess these risks that we are subjected to in day to day life. If a risk is able to be assessed, the severity of it is able to be calculated. Consequently, the hazard that resulting from that risk is able to be determined and prevented. When planning a leisure activity, it is imperative that the organising party carries out an incredibly thorough and informative risk assessment.Hazards in adventure activities include falls from height, drowning, falling objects, lightning strikes, equipment failure, assault, cold injury, and many more (Barton 2007:12). The reason why a complete and logical risk assessment is necessary is so that leading personnel are able to provide proof that everything in their power has been done in order to prevent the activity resulting in any hazards or injuries to those participating.This will not only supply the organising body with a sense of comfort that the activity they are planning and instigating is safe so as to protect them from any potential legal involvement, but also the availability of a risk assessment is likely to be an appealing factor to prospective partakers‘. Risks are identified by reviewing historical information and industry standards; interviewing subject matter experts; conducting brainstorming sessions with the organising team, vendors, and key stakeholders; and some times through simulation and scenario forecasting (Silvers 2004:52).Wilks and Davis (cited in Swarbrooke, 2003) explain how all discovered risks are able to be rated in order to decide the way in which they should be tackled. This can be done by comparing the predicted frequency of a hazard, by its severity. Frequent incidents with slight consequences can, in most situations, be conside red an entirely tolerable risk, we might even say a trivial risk (Barton 2007:12). By rating a risk, it can be differentiated between a risk that has great potential to cause injury of death, and a risk that can easily be tackled and therefore will barely be influential in the construction of an activity.In March of 1993 four teenagers were killed in a canoeing accident in Lyme Regis whilst on a school trip. The deaths of the young students was widely put down to lack of supervision and negligence which consists in â€Å"the duty of care and consequent injury† (Scott 1993:45). When carrying out such potentially dangerous activities â€Å"One cannot overemphasize the importance of supervision† (Hronek et al 2002:255). The evidence that supported the Llyme Bay legal battle that followed was that ‘the coastguard owed the kayakers a duty of care and that they had conducted the search and rescue operation negligently’ (Fulbrook 2005:27-28).Being careful and pre pared are not only sensible attributes for activity co-ordination, it is ever more important for the organising personnel. This is progressively more significant as the management of risk is increasingly regulated into legislation and policy (Silvers 2004:170). The law is becoming much more focused upon the adventure leisure industry after such events as Lyme Bay illustrated above. Bradford (2000) explains that during the early 1990‘s, organisers of outdoor adventure activities were able to volunteer to abide by codes of practice set up by a variety of independent organisations.A company may have wished to have done so in order to improve their business. By stating that they were operating within an organisations health and safety regulations, they would have been able to project a sense of reassurance across to their customers. Following the tragedy in March 1993, the attitude of many changed dramatically and there was a wide spread belief that more needed to be done to encou rage safer organisations. This would help to prevent any further disasters and deaths. The first development of more enforced regulations being placed into practice was in 1993.The English Tourist Board brought together a group representing most of the voluntary approval bodies and other interested parties, who issued a code of practice for outdoor adventure leisure activities (Bradford 2000). Followed by the Activity Centres (Young Persons safety) Act 1995. The introduction of more intense and purposeful legislation has consequently placed evermore pressure upon the organisers of such activities. This has lead to leisure managers having to direct far more attention to the health and safety of those participating in the activities they are providing.As well as an activity organizing company wishing to protect their customers to the greatest extent for fear of the legal confrontation that may follow if accused of irresponsible and neglectful practice, there are other reasons why an o rganizing body may wish to carry out a thorough risk assessment. If an accident was to occur which involved a member of staff, the employer risks losing money through the provision of sick pay, as well as losing an employee for an undetermined period of time. Pro-active management helps to eliminate such an occurrence arising.In addition, the execution of the introduction of control measures helps to define areas of responsibility and communicates a standard for performance. Despite the owner of an organization having the most recognized power concerning any health and safety issues, authority is able to be un-officially segregated throughout the businesses personal hierarchy. This is determined by the position of power an individual is in within the organization: Manager, assistant manager, supervisor, and so on. The benefit of dividing up job roles and esponsibility in such a way is that every position of employment will experience a sense of responsibility; each to a different de gree, yet still the sensation of business involvement and therefore the motivation to excel in their field will be present. Pro-active management strategies can be the most effective strategies because they are implemented according to the planning of the organization, rather than because of a need to respond to outside pressure and expectations from the public or a governing body Smith (2005:82).Essentially this is the detection and managing of a problematic issue, before it has the opportunity to present itself within the business. Risk assessment therefore plays an intricate part of this process. Successful pro-active management within the organization will help to ensure that the customers along with the members of staff are constantly and consistently satisfied and comfortable. It is evident that the success of an activity regarding its safety and reliance is significantly related to the experience and awareness of the activities leader.Experienced leaders develop a sixth sense of when the odds are beginning to stack up against them and they will automatically see an activity in the wider context, Barton (2007:89). It is therefore imperative that that a leader of any nature of leisure activity is able to predict potential future hazards and subsequently learn from their previous mistakes. According to Barton (2007:89), leader of activities that are not so experienced are less likely to see the signals of an approaching risk, and tend to view minor set-backs as isolated incidents, rather than as bricks in a growing wall.Organisers’ must realise that these seemingly unimportant hindrances will gather pace and build up to a much larger scale problematic occurrence. Despite the increasing demand for safer and risk free activities, a balance must be established in order to keep within legislation created by the governing bodies, whilst still creating the same sense of adventure and possible danger that has lead to the success of an adventure activity. I f every risk in life was assessed and accounted for, and every hazard was liminated, the world would be an incredibly safe, organised, and trouble free place. However, risks cause excitement and adrenalin within one’s life. Without risk, there is no fear of risk, in which case there are no opportunities presented for one to take risks. As explained by Barton (2007:2) If we bring up children to believe that physical, emotional or intellectual risks are to be avoided, then we can hardly be surprised if the future does not bring great people; poets, artists, play writes, successors to Captain Cook, to Darwin, and to Shakespeare.Without some form of risk, engineers could never have designed the great bridges that span the widest rivers, homes would still be heated by fireplaces or parlour stoves, electric power utilities would not exist, polio would still be maiming children, no airplanes would fly, and space travel would just be a dream (Aven 2003:2) The word ‘Adventureâ⠂¬â„¢ implies that there is an element of risk involved in the activity that is to be undertaken.The reason why this is a positive attribute to the organising body is that many leisure seekers are in search of a sense of adventure, risk and an adrenaline rush. Despite the general consensus that every risk should be accounted for and every attempt should be made to ensure no hazards present themselves, without the lingering sensation in the very back of a participant mind that something may go wrong; a rope may break, a parachute may not open, the ‘Adventure’ is almost completely removed from the ‘Leisure Activity’.To conclude, when regarding the adventure leisure industry, the concept of risk management and assessment are fundamental aspects that must be constantly considered when running a business that provides such activities. The laws that have been introduced throughout recent years have placed increasing pressure on organizations to concentrate on the health and safety of their patrons to a much greater degree. Failure to do so, as has been seen in the past throughout such incidents as Lyme Bay, may well result in powerful legal consequences or even closure of their establishment.There is no doubt that risk and uncertainty are important concepts to address for supporting decision-making in many situations. The challenge is to know how to describe, measure, and communicate risk and uncertainty (Aven 2003:4). However, the popularity that adventure leisure activities hold derives from the exact concept of risk itself. Participants of such activities choose to take part in order to; gain a sense of personal accomplishment, face their fears, experience a surge of adrenalin, and ultimately test themselves to their physical and mental boundaries.A balance must be established within the process of managing risk. If this balance can be successfully determined, than the adventure leisure industry will be able to provide the same level of audacious activity, whilst staying within all governing guidelines’, and providing the highest degree of safety for all those that they accommodate for.

Retailer Companies Essay

Amazon Amazon is an online retailer however there have been talks and news articles of the company planning to open a warehouse store in New York City. However being an online only retailer means the company can meet any customer target and offer shopping to anyone. This removes travel time, travel costs and parking costs which appeal to more customers. This can also appeal to younger shoppers aged 16+ who are unable to drive and must pay out a large charge in travel fare. There is also a larger reach in the consumer area and they now have the ability to reach a worldwide target. Also being an online only business they can give specific and limited discounting to their products. New Look New look is a multiple store that usually located in an in town area. Being located in town has many advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages to being an in town store is the easy access by both public and personal transport. However a disadvantage to this is the large travel costs both paying for tickets on trains or busses but also petrol and parking costs. A second advantage in the allotted sale space can be increased and the store can have a larger floor space. However due to this the store costs more to rent and run meaning there are only a small amount of discounts the store is able to give. Pandora Pandora is a multinational company using a multiple store which is usually located in out of town areas. Because of the area where they are placed they have a long travel time making the easiest travel option the car however you can travel to them on public transport but many involve changes and larger fares. However due to the travel costs the areas slightly reduce store costs and also allow free parking. This means that although travel time and cost is high it holds more appeal due to the lower prices and free parking. Best One Newsagents Best One Newsagents is a franchised business that is based in local  locations. The areas that these stores are in are specifically placed in accordance to the surrounding area. They will be in an area where there are many houses surrounding them so that customers have east when going to the store. Due to the fact of them being a local store they are smaller than others and are able to sell items at cheaper prices. This appeals to the customers so that they can get bits they need without going to supermarkets and paying a higher price. eBay eBay is an online only auction site where people are able to sell unwanted items securely. This means they can sell items that people are looking for E.G a new iPad Air would usually be sold at retail price for  £399 but on eBay a new but used one could be sold at up to a 90% discount and that could be a set price or they could use the auction and consumers could bid to see who will be the one to purchase the item. As this is a selling site you will need to receive the money and many use PayPal as it is a secure way to pay the money however you can just pay cash if you are collecting the item.

(Criminal Justice) Police Discretion & Corruption Assignment

(Criminal Justice) Police Discretion & Corruption - Assignment Example Big police departments are more likely to be corrupt. This is because they can develop a sub-culture that will prevent any large scale reformation even when corrupt practices are exposed (Walker & Katz, 2005). Police departments that are located in crime prone areas are also more likely to have corrupt officers because of the reigning apathy in the community in regards to crime. Police officers who are corrupt or abuse their power are not reprimanded or punished enough for their actions. This is the reason why police corruption is not fully eradicated in many places. Examples of allowable discretion include jay walking and littering the neighborhood. This is because laws against both crimes or misdemeanors may be expressed in broad terms that do not fit the vagueness of the misdemeanors (Reid, 2006). This means that it is left to the policeman on the street to interpret how he ought to implement this type of legislation. In crimes such as domestic battery and aggressive hate crimes, the officers in question should use the laws against these crimes to full effect. The officer is right in the suggestions he makes about a police officer using his discretion when determining the right option to take when a driver engages in a misdemeanor. Nash rightly observed that there are a range of options that police officers could use in determining the seriousness of the crime or misdemeanor that has been committed (Policedynamicschanel, 2012). Even though there is not enough time for an officer to learn about all aspects of an individual who breaks the law, it is very important for him or her to determine, through present interactions with the accused, if he should charge him or her, or make an allowance in the case of traffic

Are reason and emotion equally necessary in justifying moral decisions Essay - 3

Are reason and emotion equally necessary in justifying moral decisions - Essay Example Simply put, without it the act itself and the result will be considered irrational and therefore, would never satisfy the criteria of a moral decision which requires the agent of such decision to display an ability to distinguish right from wrong. Obviously, it is the most important element in all decision-making process. But as we explore the issue of moral decision specifically, there is an added element of morality that elevates the role of emotion several notches higher. According to Richard M. Gula (1989), â€Å"discernment is primarily a matter of the heart; it is an aesthetic judgment of affectivity and virtue.† (p. 315) One should take note that we need discernment in determining what is right or wrong and of the possible course of actions available would be most consistent with the requirements of a specific moral problem or case at hand. As such, my argument is that it is not just the intellect that is involved in the assessment and judgment of moral realities. Such process needs a personal response based on one’s experience and emotional state. Reasons serves as the logical framework of a moral decision while emotion plays the pivotal role in terms of motivation. Gula, though talking in the religious perspective, expressed a very powerful illustration, representing all other related cases, by saying that in the decision-making process one’s inclinations and choices, discernment engages the whole network of human intelligence. This process according to him, not only includes the conscious mind and its power of reason but also the unconscious as well, working with the whole body including its physical and emotional response to human experiences. Patricia Greenspan (1995) further explored this area as she put forward the idea that moral decisions and ethics, in general, are subject-independent and emotion-based. She introduced the perspective of guilt

Castration as a punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Castration as a punishment - Essay Example Castration is a method of punishment that involves the authorities chopping off the private parts of the offender. Various debates have existed on whether this method of punishment is fair and it is appropriate to go through several facts that show why it ought to continue. Many people have argued that this method of punishment is not fair for it involves messing with the body parts of a human being. This argument does not have much support for going through the areas that have passed this law; they pass it for it assists in punishing criminals who engage in uncouth activities such as rape (Goldin, 2013). When carrying out rape, the criminals get to mess with the private parts of innocent individuals and thus the reason why it is fair for the authorities to carry out the same type of punishment on the person. Another argument that can be used to show the fact that these people ought to be castrated is the issue of repeat offenders. Many cases exist where the person who carried out the raping crime carries out the same mistake again (Becker, 2012). After being caught and imprisoned for the first time, these people have the ability to feel as if they did not deserve the punishment and as a sign of rebellion may rape again. This matter has existed for a very long time. However, if a person is castrated after carrying out the crime for the first time, then there is no chance that he can carry out the crime again. Castration ought to be a sentencing option to the judges and this ids for the fact that when a person is sentenced to punishment of castration, he goes through much pain and suffering that may be effective enough to act as a warning to other people that may have had similar intentions. Moreover, this method of sentencing ensures that the offender does not carry out the crime again even after the release (Tracy, 2013). There are different cases that have come up over the

Undecided Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Undecided - Research Paper Example The most vulnerable States were the third world countries;this is because they survived on loans, to bridge the deficits in their budget allocations. They also applied for these loans for purposes of initiating development activities within their states. On this note, the two Bretton woods institutions attached these conditions to ensure that the money lent, will carry out intended purposes2. The conditions were imposed for purposes of reducing the borrowing trends of the third world countries, and they were aimed at opening up their markets for purposes of trade, and thus a nation could generate sufficient resources to take care of its budget. On this note, the main aim of the policies was to force a state to open up their economies, and concentrate on trade. They advocated for the removal of trade barriers, and the privatization of the various government parastatals3. On this note, this paper examines the notion that the structural adjustments policies helped in the growth of the t hird world countries. ... tself and determine its own affairs.4 Other scholars argue that the structural adjustments policies were aimed at opening up the economies of third world countries, in order to allow well established companies, a presence in their economies. This in turn will lead to unfavorable balance of trade between the third world country, and the country in which the multinational company comes from. These scholars argue that at the time, third world countries did not have companies that had the capability of competing with these huge companies from Europe and United States of America. These companies controlled numerous resources, including financial and technological resources. On this note, companies operating in Africa, and Asia could not match them in terms of skills, and the resources. These Multinational companies enjoyed economic advantage, and therefore they would make huge profits in these economies, and plough them back into their mother countries, instead of investing a portion of t heir profits in the host country. On this note, this paper examines whether the structural adjustments policies contributed to the decline of the economies of third world countries. Synthesis: There are many arguments for and against liberalization of an economies state. One of the arguments supporting the opening up of a countries’ economy is that it would lead to the growth of the nation’s GDP. Take for instance Brazil, China and India, these three are the world’s fastest growing economies, and this is because they took measures to liberalize their economies, allowing competition, and little government regulation in their sectors. It also needs to an exchange of the much needed foreign exchange, which is beneficial to a nation’s GDP, and for International trade5. Take India for

The absorption and contribution income statements Essay

The absorption and contribution income statements - Essay Example Companies tend to have a need to produce different income statements since different details accrue on each of the statements. In other scenarios, the activities of a business entity may prompt the production of multiple income statements. The reason may be due to the kind of sourcing of the funds and the types of activities and programs that the company undertakes. The user of different income statements is also dependent on the immediate goal of the income statement. Some of the objectives that lead to different losses in profit accounts are the different goals the company may target. They include stablishing the past performance of the business entity, assisting in the future prediction of the future performance of the company or the assessment of the future capability of performance of a particular business entity.  The break-even analysis explains the point in time whereby an operation or a business activity generates no profit and incurs no loss. The analysis is important in establishing the earning impact that a particular marketing activity creates in a specific business activity. An example is the carrying out a break-even analysis after the advertisements of a particular commodity after prior entrance in the market. The analysis can show the differences in periods of supply and the improvement, stagnation or the successive failure of the product advertisement venture. The analysis thus helps managers to establish the diversities that attribute the relationship between sales, costs plus the resulting profits.     

Impact of Globalisation on the Nature of Work in Developing Countries Essay

Impact of Globalisation on the Nature of Work in Developing Countries - Essay Example negatively much more than the male counterparts in the same countries because they are less likely to be able to take up the skilled employment opportunities. Widening Income Gaps There are other disadvantages which come with globalisation. As globalisation creates employment for the skilled people and takes away the same from those who are not professionally trained, this will continue to widen the income gap and these developing countries will end up without a middle class. A country without a middle class is usually at risk of economic and political instabilities, and this is why the issue of globalisation persists.6 Globalisation will continue to expand the gap between the poor and the rich as the few people in the developed countries who have been rich enough to get an education continue to take the top jobs, either locally or even internationally, and be richer, and the majority who do not have an education continue to be jobless and without income.7 Those poor people will not be capable of educating their children, and the trend will continue. On the other hand, the few who are at the top of the socioeconomic ladder will be able to instruct their children, and this means that the few rich will continue to get richer while the majority poor will continue to be poorer. India’s labour market was one of the first to hugely benefit from globalisation as it was the preferred destination for business process outsourcing. As a result of many western camping in Indian cities looking for educated jobless individuals to do their call centre work, many young and educated men benefited and started earning salaries they could not have dreamt of, especially for a call agent. The problem with this was that not everybody in India is educated and when these opportunities came,... This report stresses that â€Å"education differences have played a big role in turning globalisation opportunities into curse for developing countries†. This is a big issue in developing countries because in these countries, few people are educated and thus cannot take advantage of these opportunities brought about by globalisation. Developing countries also have women who are generally much less educated than their male counterparts. This is unlike in the developed world where the gap between the educated males and females is closing up. This means that women in developing countries will be affected negatively much more than the male counterparts in the same countries because they are less likely to be able to take up the skilled employment opportunities. Globalisation has also helped in boosting the local employment numbers in developing countries through supporting local businesses. This paper makes a conclusion that globalisation has both positive and negative impacts. With regard to the labour market, globalisation has brought both favourable and adverse impacts. However, the negative impacts seem to be outweighing the positive ones and, if not put in check, these negative impacts may end up having a serious implication for the global economy rather than only for the developing world. As a result, it is necessary that the issue of globalisation be looked at seriously and any future problems be solved in order to avoid a negative effect on the global economy.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Polymorphisms Are Essay - 1

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Polymorphisms Are Associated With - Essay Example tivity appropriated; then PPAR delta genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells through promoting appropriated fatty acid oxidation. Indeed, following the research data showed that essential role in blood lipid metabolism plays PPAR delta gene. These were establishes from distinguish studies such as treating with a PPAR dalta agonists that increase plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and screening 5’ untranslated region of the human PPAR delta gene for DNA sequence variants where identified four polymorphisms. Such as T/C transition in nucleotide 15 of exon 4 was associated with plasma LDL-cholesterol levels in two cohorts of healthy men, than rare C allele correlated with higher LDL levels, was associated with higher transcriptional activity in vitro, and to affect binding of transcription factor. The conclusion is that DNA sequence variation in the PPAR delta locus is a potential modifier of changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and pla sma HDL cholesterol during regular exercise. (Hautalla et al., 2007) According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancer, mental diseases, osteoporosis, caused 60% of the world’s mortality in 1999, and according to current estimations they will be responsible for 73% of deaths by the year 2020.Endeed homeostasis and energy balance, achieving during exercise should reduced these epidemic dieses from spreading. Homeostasis of energy and fitness is correlated with nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) .The key to glucose, lipid and protein metabolism is hiding in PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma, which stay uncovered, but data confirmed the key role of PPAR delta in lipid metabolism. Involvement was proved in metabolic disorder such as metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. So sensors for fatty acid, PPARs, the controller of metabolic pathway, bona fide members, are encored by 48 genes in humans

Money Laundering Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Money Laundering Regulations - Essay Example Money laundering transactions generate assets that are a result of some illegal act such as drug deals or tax evasion. If a money launderer is able to achieve this goal then the criminal will be able to keep the property obtained from their illegal activity and have an apparent legal source for their newly acquired wealth. The purpose of laundering money is to disguise the assets obtained from the criminal activity as assets obtained through legal sources in an attempt to avoid imprisonment. Money that is laundered starts out as cash or as assets that are already in the banking system. Money is laundered through companies that handle large amounts of cash and investments like banks and other business firms that handle investments. Businesses that deal across international boundaries that handle "high valued goods" are prime targets for money launders. Some examples of businesses relevant to this situation are accountants, tax advisors, estate agents, and antique dealers. Terrorist, t ax evaders, arms dealers, and drug dealers among other criminals involve themselves in money laundering. Overseas accounts and electronic funds transfers can be disguised to look like legitimate company transactions and make money laundering disguise easier for criminals. Money launderers also employ experts to help them launder money. For example, a launderer could simply ask someone for permission to use that person's account for deposits in return for a fee. Another scenario is for the money launderer to approach a business and ask them to set up transactions in which a sum of money is regularly deposited in the company's account. The businesses will then send the money back as a fictitious payment for non-existent goods. Although this method is very popular amongst the criminal underworld, there are other ways of laundering money without a business becoming aware of being involved in a crime. For example, the money launderer could place an order for a robot to be manufactured to a specific standard. The company may ask for a 60% deposit with the understanding that the order won't be put through for three months. Before the three months are up the money launderer cancels the order and gets the deposit refunded minus a penalty. The money launderer will always be willing to pay the penalty because although the criminal will want to get as much back as possible, what the criminal really wants is the money back clean. It is important to bear in mind that money laundering is a process rather than a single act. In an effort to expose and analyze this phenomenon it has become common to use a three-stage model, which encompasses an ideal money-laundering scheme. The three stages are as follows: The Placement Stage, which is when cash is received directly from criminal activity, like from sales of drugs. It is first placed either in a financial institution or used to purchase an asset. At this stage the criminal disposes of the physical cash deposits. The Layering Stage is the stage at which the first attempt at concealment or disguise of the source of the ownership of funds takes place. This stage is called the layering stage because it is where the criminals "layer" financial transactions in an attempt to hid the criminal activity.

Not So Sure It’s Ernest Essay Example for Free

Not So Sure It’s Ernest Essay In The Importance of Being Earnest (1985) by Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) and Sure Thing (1988) by David Ives (1950 ) we witness characters attempting to negotiate personal relationships under the heavy weight of contemporary perceptions. The Importance of Being Earnest takes place in Victorian England, roughly between 1850 and 1900, and Sure Thing is a contemporary play that debuted in 1988. In both plays we are forced over and over again to take an honest look at what is important in the lives of two people who hope to make a love connection. In the Oscar Wilde play in the end we discover that all was not, or rather that all was what it seemed, even if it was not really meant to be. In David Ives one act play we go through the rigors of what we all have come to believe is considered acceptable and end up being forced to look inside of ourselves as the play evolves. Both plays present a brilliant satire on pompousness and the expectations of society. Not So Sure It’s Ernest Although born and raised an entire century apart from one another, both Oscar Wilde and David Ives hit upon a similar note of social cynicism in their respective celebrated plays; The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), and Sure Thing (1988) Both deal with the heavy impact that social mores contemporary to their day seem to have upon the intimate union of man and woman. They both feature characters that seem to question the earnest nature of their own relationships. While Wilde’s London characters appear to be more deeply involved, and to have perhaps more at sake in their remotely settled Eighteenth Century Victorian lives, Ives on the other hand presents an almost transient view of contemporary Post Modern urban life in the mid 1980’s. Make no mistake about it, his is a view poised from the super-charged post-Future Shock-internet age. Yet, together they present a vision of society that is often rather similar in its critique. These are characters whose only options seem to be raw cynicism or stark narcissism, as if the weight of life leaves them with no other choice. Ultimately, both narratives involve a world where the characters try their best to reinterpret what is truly important in their own lives; in order to escape the neurosis that surrounds them. In each plot, comedy plays a fascinating role as if to help us adjust to the psychological dilemma that we witness unfolding before our eyes. As the characters on the stage embark upon a mission to reinvent themselves, triggered either by a startling revelation that all is not quite what it actually seems or simply by the ringing of a bell, we see that happiness is all about what you are willing to believe. These are plays about relationships, and the sometimes overwhelming influence that social and class perceptions have upon whether that ‘love connection’ actually happens or not. Both playwrights take direct satirical aim at male-female relationships and the often bogus nature of courtship and just what it may entail. It is as if love and marriage, or perhaps the respective contemporary mores governing love and marriage is viewed by both of these men with a fundamental contempt. The women appear for the most part strong and somewhat liberated. However, this is satire by the way, and the language involved helps to construct two moral universes with a vision of life that is actually deserving of mockery. In Sure Thing this is aided with the immediacy of a bell which interrupts and determines the success or failure of each exchange. For the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest, we are led to believe that there is actually much more at stake; simply because we are taken through a narrative that is about much more their lives. Wilde wrote during one of Great Britain’s celebrated golden ages. It was the Victorian Age, a time when England commanded the sea and had very few rivals in the world. It was a time of great economic consolidation for the UK, and a time of great expectation and upward mobility for a bourgeoning English middle class. The Germans were often considered crude, and the French were frequently called vulgar in their appetite for free expression. This was the dawn of the modern industrial age, and in Great Britain unlike the character in Wilde’s play, it was really deemed improper in polite company for a man to directly propose marriage to a young woman. Usually, her parents would be the first to know of a man’s intentions for their child, and for the young woman this was actually supposed to come as quite a surprise. Oscar Wilde was one to write narratives that poked fun at English culture and ran contrary to these notions of propriety. This is what much of his literature is all about. The short one-act play Sure Thing, takes place in a post-modern urban American setting. We are simply led into a coffee shop where a prototypical rendezvous takes place between a man and a woman. It is one generation after the sexual revolution, and the nature of boy meets girl is summed up for us in a series of one-liners or pick up lines from Bill to Betty. His success or failure is determined by a bell and also by his and our relative proximity to current perceptions of what is actually socially acceptable and perhaps politically correct. So it is that everything, from his knowledge of literature, to where he grew up, his grade point average, and where he went to school, all elicit relative scrutiny from the overly cynical bell ringer. This is done well within ear shod of an audience that is quickly fit to express its own cynicism as well. It is as if we become Betty’s parents as we look on, in the hopes that Bill will finally get it right and make a proper connection. In the end, Ives is cleverly allowing us to poke fun at ourselves.

Hamlet Appearance Vs Reality English Literature Essay

Hamlet Appearance Vs Reality English Literature Essay In general, mankind tends to hide their emotions and actions to protect themselves or someone else to keep their discrete interests private. In the tragedy of Hamlet, almost all the fundamental characters have lied to each other to protect themselves. The lies may appear to be true if one does not carefully read and understand the thoughts and actions of Hamlet, Gertrude, Polonius, Claudius, and Rosencrantz Guildenstern. The characters may seem to act one way in a scene and then changing themselves in another scene. At the end of the tragedy, the intentions of each of the characters are publicized plus the ultimate consequence of their actions: death. The story revolves around Hamlet where he is the perfect example of someone appearing to be different than what his actions prove him to be. This is done to mislead his true motives and intentions. I will tell you why. So shall my anticipation prevent your discovery and your secrecy to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late-but wherefore I know not-lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises, and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air-look you, this brave oerhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire-why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors (II. ii, 293-303). This is a perfect example of Hamlet stating directly about appearance and reality. The denotation of the first sentence implies that Hamlet is testing the trustworthiness of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet probably already figured out that the King and Queen asked RG to talk to Hamlet to find out whats wrong with him. In the second sentence, Hamlet proves to RG that he is crazy on purpose so the King and Queen wont discover Hamlets true motives. Lastly, it seemed that RG received the message about Hamlet and this gave Hamlet time to think about what actions to take to get revenge. But Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are appearing in a different way. RG are appearing to be Hamlets longtime friends but they are in this situation because of money and greed. They are not aware of the real issues and they really dont care too much about Hamlets feelings. They are also confused about the situation and try to make the best of it, but in the end, Hamlet sends them off to die. Hamlets mother, Gertrude, appears in a way that is disgusting in reality. In Act I. ii, Claudius tries to calm Hamlet over his grief of his dead father but Gertrude wants to keep Hamlet there for her personal family reasons. After this happens, Hamlet rambles on saying, within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears, Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married (I. ii, 153-156).Hamlet is disgraced with the events after his fathers death. After the death of Hamlets father, Gertrude portrayed herself to be a person in mourning by shedding tears and acting as if she was in agony. After Claudius becomes king and they get married, Hamlet realized that his mothers tears were deceptive since she quickly got remarried and showed no remorse over Hamlet senior. Hamlet probably thought that his mother should not have gotten married so quickly to Claudius. This was a dishonorable thing to do to the old king. Hamlet possibly believed that his mother was adulterous and this may have caused him to hate women in general, including Ophelia. Because of this event, Hamlet became harsh on Ophelia, criticizing her wearing makeup because it hides ones true nature. His mothers action changes Hamlets view about Ophelia. He thinks that Ophelia isnt as pure as he thinks and she may also be hiding something. Claudius himself is no different from the rest of the characters. He appears to be someone different than what his actions prove him to be by the fact that he killed his brother, Hamlet. Claudius wanted the power and rulership to carry out his dream. In Act 4, Claudius is talking to Gertrude and says Whose whisper oer the worlds diameter, as levels as the cannon to his blank transports his poisoned shot, may miss our name and hit the woundless air. Oh come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay (IV. i., 41-45). While conversing with Gertrude, Claudius appears to be worried about Hamlets psychological health, not because Hamlet is acting crazy, but because Claudius is fearful that Hamlet may have learn the truth about him while he was praying and from Hamlets performers that portrayed the events that happened almost exactly the way Claudius murdered his father. Claudius wanted to send Hamlet away to be executed but Hamlet managed to make it back to Denmark avoiding death. Literally speaking, the quote mentions how Claudius hates slander and it can travel very far all around the earth. He might be also saying that he does not want a bad reputation for him and his kingdom over certain mishaps. Polonius is the Kings councilor and appears to be a good person at heart. He is Ophelias and Laertes father. As a father normally do, he gives his blessing to his son, to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee (I. iii. 1 78-81). Here Polonius wishes his son the best. Even though Polonius gave Laertes his blessing, he is fearful of what his son might do when he is away on his own, so he sends Reynaldo to spy on him. Polonius is also worried about Ophelia and wants her to stop seeing Hamlet. Polonius uses Hamlets madness as a way to be agreeable with the king and be on his worthy side. Polonius misleads the King and his family into believing that he has good motives and intentions. Polonius speaks thoughtfully and carefully to his superiors so he appears to be very knowledgeable. The characters in this play dont all appear to be who they actually pretend to be. Hamlet appeared to be crazy for a couple of reason but mainly to prevent anyone from discovering his plot. Gertrude appears to be mournful for Hamlet seniors death, but quickly forgets that she is in mourning when she marries Claudius and Hamlet takes out his anger on Ophelia. Claudius also appears to be a nice and caring king for his subjects but in Hamlets case, Claudius knows Hamlet is conspiring against him and is being cautious. Lastly, Polonius seems to be a caring father but tricks his family while trying to be on the kings good side. So something is truly rotten in Denmark.

Definition Essay †Defining the Soul of Man -- Definition Essays

Definition Essay – Defining the Soul of Man "Soul" has, historically, always been tied up with morality and religious dogma, and I believe modern neuropsychology and psychobiology has effectively refuted any scientific basis for a "Soul." To state as fact, "The soul exists," one must first socratically define Soul. More on this later: Soul, or Consciousness, is, without a doubt, tied up within the billions of curious things called synapses and cells, deep inside the brain. There are cases of people without consciousness, without the all important "I." Usually this happens through the onset of a coma, or sometimes the hippocampus is damaged. (which is where short-term memory, a necessary component of consciousness, is located.) These people do not function properly, and are unaware of themselves. (this is very difficult for us to comprehend, as we are self-aware, and so cannot place ourselves in an antithetical position.) Upon death, all brain waves, all mental capacities, and all memories are forever lost. These things are all, again without a scientific doubt, stored in the brain-cells, where they are continually accessed when the brain is alive. But with the onset of death, (which is always and without fail the death of the brain,) these things become locked away in the tiny vaults of a billion cells, never to be accessed again. But this does not irrefutably destroy the belief in Soul. It is much more complex, which is unnerving because a thorough explanation demands numerous paragraphs. There are two major religious beliefs on the soul, and though they may seem diametrically opposed, we must remember that our ideas on the soul exist only because of the conditioned acceptance of these religiou... ...ything that exists is energy, (as is the case), then we undeniably have a "soul." But not in the conscious, creative, spiritual sense, only in a semantic sense. Since consciousness is inextricably linked with soul, and we are only conscious while in our bodies, the "immortal soul" theory breaks down. How do we know it is immortal? Support that. Give empirical evidence for it. You can't, so why believe in something that has no support, aside from an old dogma that has been contradicted a thousand times by science and empirical evidence? But, as I said, if "Soul" means nothing more than "Energy," than we have a soul. But the moment "Soul" means anything else, science refutes it. Works Cited Masson, Jeffrey. "When Animals Weep." New York, Delacorte Press, 1995 De Wall, Franz. "Chimpanzee Politics." John Hopkins University Press, 1989.

Forensic Linguistics Assignment Essay -- Forensic Science

Speech analysis has a type called the voice stress analysis that detects stress in the form of micro tremors in the speech of a person. It is important to note that the voice stress analysis is equivalent to polygraph. Both polygraph and stress have a common problem of not being able to point out deception. This notwithstanding, the speech analysis is apparently being used by both the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. The fact that each and every person possesses a unique voiceprint makes the identification of a speaker to be theoretically possible. This can be achieved through acoustic analysis of the intonation counters, pitch and vowel length. When the pairs of the spectrographs that show the suspect speaker and the known speaker uttering similar words are matched, the speaker can be easily identified (Olsson 2004, p. 71). The fact that voice stress analysis relies on eye comparison is a big problem. Another problem involves the variation that occurs in the same speaker. It is reported that the uttering of the same sentence a hundred times in quick succession does not produce any two identical uttering. Some countries like the United Kingdom, however, prefer auditory analysis as opposed to the acoustic method. In auditory analysis, the speech samples are phonetically transcribed. This analysis is important as it allows the analysts to identify such features that are idiosyncratic like the speech impediments and the unusual realization of phonemes. Besides, the analysts might find the need to profile the social and regional identity of the speaker. Speech analysis nowadays accepts the mixed method as the most accurate and reliable. It can found its application in situat... ... and textual analysis (Gibbons 2003, p. 26). Works Cited Coulthard, M, & Johnson, A 2007, an introduction to forensic linguistics: language in evidence, Routledge, New York. Gibbons, J 2003, Forensic linguistics: an introduction to language in the justice system, Blackwell Pub, Malden. Gibbons, J, & Turell, TM 2008, Dimensions of forensic linguistics, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam. Jordan, SN 2002, Forensic linguistics: the linguistic analyst and expert witness of language evidence in criminal trials, Biola University, La Mirada. McMenamin, GR, & Choi, D 2002 Forensic linguistics: advances in forensic stylistics, Crc Press, Boca Raton. Olsson, J 2008, Forensic linguistics, Continuum, London. Olsson, J 2004, Forensic linguistics: an introduction to language, crime, and the law, Continuum International Publishing Group, London .

Bowers V Hardwick Supreme Court Case Essay -- Michael Hardwick

Bowers v. Hardwick United States Supreme Court Opinion This case, Bowers v. Hardwick, originated when Michael Hardwick was targeted by a policer officer for harassment in Georgia. A houseguest of Hardwick's let the officer into his home, where Hardwick was found engaging in oral sex with his partner, who was another male. Michael Hardwick was arrested and charged of sodomy. After charges were later dropped, Hardwick brought his case to the Supreme Court to have the sodomy law declared unconstitutional. Justice White delivered the opinion of the Court. Justice Burger, Powell, Rehnquist, and O'Conner joined, filing concurring opinions. In Justice White's opinion, or while delivering it, he mentioned a lot of steps that were taken by Michael Hardwick to have his case at the Supreme Court. Justice White also mentioned and compared past court cases that might had relevance or helped make his opinion more valid. The key issue that was focused on by Justice White was whether or not the Federal Constitution grants a fundamental right upon homosexuals to engage in sodomy. There were still laws in many states that made sodomy illegal, and have been in place for a very long time. When making his way to presenting his opinion of the Supreme Court, Justice White went through prior cases such as Loving v. Virginia, Roe v. Wade, Eisenstadt v. Baird, and many more; because the Court of Appeals and Hardwick claimed that these cases construed the Constitution to grant a right of privacy that stretch forth to homosexual sodomy. After reviewing prior cases and accepting the decisions in those cases, Justice White thought none of the rights announced in the previous cases bears any relevance or relation to Hardwick's claim that it is a cons... ...t it refused to notice the fundamental interest all people have in controlling the nature of their sexual relationships. Due to the activity that was conducted in Hardwick's home, the Fourth Amendment played an important role. The Fourth Amendment was not defined by the Court as being a violation for breaking a person's door, a going through their belongings. It was defined as an invasion of his indefensible right of personal security, personal liberty and personal property. Neither Georgia's law nor Georgia's prosecutor provided insufficient evidence and validity to support the conclusion that homosexual sodomy is considered unacceptable behavior in the state of Georgia. In result of this Court of Opinion, the Court ordered the dismissal of Hardwick's complaint because Michael Hardwick had alleged a constitutional claim well enough to withstand a motion to dismiss.

The Life World of Alfred Schutz

The world of everyday life is known as the life-world in Schutz's sociology. People are oriented to the life-world in the natural attitude, in which the world is taken for granted until a problematic situation emerges. Schutz maintained that the life-world is defined by six characteristics. First, it is characterized by wide-awakeness in which the actor gives full attention to life and its requirements. Second, the world is taken for granted; actors suspend any doubt of the existence of the life-world. Third, people work in the life-world — they â€Å"gear into† the life-world.Fourth, people experience the working self as the total self in the life-world. Fifth, the social life of the life-world is characterized by intersubjectivity. Sixth, the actor's flow of time intersects with the flow of time of society. The life world is an intersubjective world, one that existed before our birth; it was created by our predecessors and it was given to us to experience and interpre t. One's life-world, in other words, predates an individual's birth and is given to them to struggle with and attempt to transform.The life-world is therefore constraining, and people are always trying to shape or dominate it Cultural world was created by people in the past as in the present because it originates in and has been instituted by human actions; all cultural objects such as tools, symbols, languages, art, and social institutions point back to the origin and meaning of human action In his analysis of the life world Schutz was mainly concerned with the shared social stock of knowledge that leads to more or less habitual action Schutz views knowledge as the most variable element in our stock of knowledge because in a problematic situation we are able to come up with innovative ways of handling the situation Two aspects of stock of knowledge that is less likely to become problematic: 1. Knowledge of skills- most basic knowledge that rarely becomes problematic 2. Useful knowl edge- definite solution to a situation that was once problematic

Global warming & world Essay

The debate on the cause and effects of global warming has remained a controversy across the political, economic, and academic fronts of the human population. Some opponents of the phenomenon claim that changes in the world climate have been in existence since time immemorial (Kluger). Proponents on the other side assert that mankind activities are to be blamed for the unpredictable climate changes experienced in the modern global community (Kluger). According to available scientific evidence, global warming is the gradual increase in temperatures of the earth’s atmosphere near its surface (Gore 2). Such have been closely attributed to emission of greenhouse gases particularly carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Among the common cited effects of global warming is the evident reduction in mountain ice and glaciers reserves in the world polar region and high mountain peaks (Hudson). This has been blamed for the expansion or rise of sea water levels, a fact that threatens the submergence of low lying coastal islands across the globe (Hudson). Another effect of global warming is occurrence of unpredictable weather patters such as very strong winds and rain storms across the globe, as well as prolonged droughts (Gore 3). Global warming has also been established to be a driving force behind the spreading of diseases as well as cropping of new diseases in the world. This essay is written as a critical discussion on the causes and effects of global warming. Global warming is caused by a combination of natural and artificial causes. According to scientists, global warming is caused by increased concentration of greenhouse gases, such as Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat reflected form the earth’s surface and concentrate it in the atmosphere, thus raising temperatures (Pierce 12). Shrinking of the ozone layer found on the stratosphere also contributed to global warming. Just to note, ozone layer is responsible for absorbing the ultraviolet radiations from the sun. Therefore, the shrinking of this layer leads to an increase in the amount of ultraviolet radiations reaching the surface of the earth, a factor that serves to increase the temperature of the earth (Gore 3). The shrinking of the ozone layer is caused by increased emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. From scientific evidence, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere react with the oxygen, which makes the ozone layer, thus reducing its surface area. Some of the natural causes of global warming include decaying of dead matter and volcanic activities (Pierce 47). These two natural activities are closely attributed with production of carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, and methane, all of which are greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is worth noting that of the naturally occurring greenhouse gases, water vapor has the highest greenhouse effects (Pierce 49). Nevertheless, substantial research evidence has indicated that the effects of natural factors to global warming are negligible. This has been associated with the fact that prior to the intensification of industrialization practices by mankind, the problem of global warming was never felt in the world. Mankind has been blamed for causing global warming through his industrialization practices and other practices such as deforestation (Revkin). The most commonly cited greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. According to available statistics, industries across the globe produce an estimated over 25 billion metric tons annually of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Such amounts are approximated to be more than 50 times the rate of carbon dioxide gas emission caused by natural sources. This high amounts of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by industries are attributed to the fact that the industrial sector is mainly powered by energy got from the burning of fossil fuels (Hudson). Still, the increased level of reduction in the world forest cover, which functions to get rid of carbon dioxide from the air, is found to aid in the high amounts of carbon dioxide gas released into the atmosphere (Gore 8). Another common greenhouse gas produced by mankind is methane. According to available statistical evidence, the production of methane has increased by about 150% since 1750s (Michaels 71). Other greenhouse gases produced by mankind activities are nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons. As an explanation, such gas are found to have a longer reaction cycle life span compared to the most common natural greenhouse gas, water vapor. This makes them more disastrous to the ozone layer. There are numerous effects of global warming. According to available research information, the temperature of the earth surface has increased by between 0. 13 and 0. 22  °C since 1975 (Gore 13). Global warming has led to evident reduction in the world polar and mountain ice and glacier reserves. True to the letter, the levels of ice cover in the world have significantly reduced (Gore 2). The Arctic shrinkage rate in the current time is identified as the highest since the history of mankind. This melting of ice and glacier reserves has led to the rise in sea water levels. Evidence from a recent research indicates that the increasing expanding of sea waters threatens the submerging of islands in the coastal regions (Kluger). Another effect of global warming is the constant flooding witnessed along the coastal region across the global (Michaels 67). Increased earth and ocean temperatures have resulted into increased rate of evaporation of water vapor from the seas into the atmosphere. Just to be appreciated is the fact that such water vapor condenses in the atmosphere to produce conventional type of rainfall along the coastal regions. Still, it is worth noting that due to the high temperatures caused by global warming the rate of water evaporation is quite high. Such is the reason for the common occurrence of flood rains in the coastal regions. Destructive wind and rain storms as well as heat waves are also effects of global warming (Gore 14). From scientific principles, wind is caused by expansion of air. Also, wind is responsible for the transferring of water favor from region to region, thus influencing rain patterns. The world has been marked with unpredictable and destructive winds. This has been closely attributed to the increase in the temperatures of the earth surface which result into expansion of air. It is these strong winds which transfer water vapor from region to region, a factor that compromises the predictability of weather patterns. A good example of this effect is the hurricane Katrina storm in America which killed numerous Americans and destroyed property worth billions on the southern region of the United States of America. Another example is the Greece heat waves which have resulted into lose of life and property (Revkin). These unpredictable climate conditions are to be blamed for the problem of food insecurity affecting the global community. Lastly, global warming has led to increased spreading of diseases across the globe (Michaels 98). Unlike during the past, diseases are no longer region specific. Such have been closely attributed to the changing of weather conditions of the different parts of the world as well as the action of wind in transporting the diseases across climatic regions. Still, the world is witnessing an increase in the number of skin cancer diseases (Kluger). This has been associated with the increased level of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth surface due to global warming. Global warming is also blamed for increased tolerance of diseases to treatment. In conclusion, global warming is a real threat to the sustainable social and economic development of the human community. It is the reason behind food insecurity in the globe and a threat to life and property (Revkin). Another effective of global warming is that it has led to reduction in the level of ice and glaciers reserves in the world. Since the main cause of global warming has been associated with man’s activities such as industrialization and deforestation, there is need for devotion of global efforts towards the adoption of environment friendly production processes. References Gore, Albert. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. New York: Rodale, 2006. Hudson, Paul. â€Å"What Happened to Global Warming? † What Happened to Global Warming? 9 Oct. 2009. 19 Mar. 2010. Kluger, Jeffrey. â€Å"Global Warming Heats Up. † Global Warming Heats Up. 26 Mar. 2006. 19 Mar. 2010. Michaels, Patrick. Meltdown: The predictable distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media. New York: Cato institute, 2004. Pierce, Richard. Energy Independence and Global Warming. Environmental Law 37 (2007): 112-201. Revkin, Andrew. â€Å"A Shift in the Debate Over Global Warming. † A Shift in the Debate Over Global Warming. 6 Apr. 2008. 19 Mar. 2010.

Principles of Business Phase Essay

In the aspect of business management, there are several elements and characteristics that organizational leader take into consideration when analyzing the condition of the economy of a certain society or nation. These elements are mainly the certain advantages and disadvantages of each society compare to others in terms of production, resource consumption, and economic benefit. Ideally, business leaders analyze each society based on the economic advantage they posses thus, establishing its fundamental business characteristic for market selection. In the application of this concept, consider the following scenario and the characteristic of the economic advantage each respective has for market analysis and selection. a) A nation has companies with the capacity to make stereo equipment at a much lower price than other national producers because of lower cost labor. The stereo equipment is of the same quality as other international producers. The characteristic of this society is mainly absolute advantage as their production nature possesses more benefits than the other in terms of resource consumption. Ideally, each business leaders desire to have better and effective production with lesser expenses to gain greater profit. Because this society can produce the same quality standard for their product similar to others while having cheaper production cost, their have absolute advantage than the others in terms of production and market selection. Indeed, business organization will desire to utilize the absolute advantage that this nation has for greater profit. b) A country mines for a high-demand precious gem only found within that country’s borders and distributes the gems to jewelry dealers all over the world. The principle for the economic characteristic in this scenario can be considered as absolute advantage mainly because the highly demanded resources can also be produced by their society making it their concrete advantage over the others. Likewise, this characteristic can also be considered as a comparative advantage scenario as the society can also be viewed as not the most efficient producer only that they are the only possible producers. Considering their condition, they might not be the most efficient producers for other products however, they can find certain advantage through specializing and focusing on the highly demanded product, which can only be found in their resource area. c) An overseas country passes laws to protect certain business practices that other countries may find unsuitable and perhaps unethical. The protection of these business practices are not seen as abusive or exploitive within the overseas country and are also consistent with national social standards. The business principle applied in this scenario can be considered as national competitive advantage as the law passed by this nation becomes their significant advantage over the others namely their concern for protecting certain business practices. Other societies might consider this protection perhaps unethical yet this specific nation implemented them while maintaining their adherence to the national standard. As such, business organizations who see much benefit from this protection will take consider applying their production operation in this nation. Thus, the law they passed protection business operation will become their significant advantage though not absolute above others. Bibliography Johansson, Borie & Karlsson, Charlie & Stough, Roger (2002). Regional Policies and Comparative Advantage. Edward Elgar Publication, USA. ISBN-10: 1840648341. Porter, Michael E. (1998). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Free Press Publication, USA. ISBN-10: 0684841479.

The Cvs Web Strategy: an Evaluation of the Challenges and Advantages

THE CVS WEB STRATEGY: INTEGRATION OF AN ONLINE PHARMACY THE CVS WEB STRATEGY: AN EVALUATION OF THE CHALLENGES AND ADVANTAGES OF INTEGRATING AN ONLINE PHARMACY By Leah Bouk Wingate University 1 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY ABSTRACT This paper discusses the considerations surrounding CVS Pharmacy’s initiative to become a part of the virtual drugstore industry. Specifically, the organizational structure, fundamental design of the autonomous innovation, and strategic positioning of CVS. com were considered in evaluating the drug store’s ability to react to the disruptive technology.This paper serves to evaluate the effective initiatives, problems, and possible solutions to the considerations outlined above. As a result of this analysis, one can deduce that acquiring the web company Soma. com, instead of creating its own online component, was a successful strategy for the autonomous innovation. Shortfalls include not executing a strategy to circumvent the MerckMedco mail order dilem ma. Ultimately, a recommendation is that CVS. com differentiate itself by personalizing customer home pages and by fostering relationships with prescribing healthcare providers. THE CVS WEB STRATEGY TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Landscape†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Organizational Structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Autonomous Innovation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Strategic Positioning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 3 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY THE CVS WEB STRATEGY: AN EVALUATION OF THE INTEGRATION OF AN ONLINE PHARMACY INTRODUCTIONStrict regulation throughout the healthcare and pharmaceu tical industries arguably slows the advancement in technological innovation, especially when compared to the computer and automobile industries. Therefore, innovation in a multiproduct, integrated and hierarchical organization, like CVS Pharmacy, can be slow moving or non-existent. Nevertheless, the healthcare industry is a money-making giant and companies like CVS, which was rated number 47 on CNN’s Most Profitable Companies in 2011, help justify this point (cnn. oney. com). This paper discusses the considerations surrounding CVS Pharmacy’s initiative to cope with the disruptive technology created by the virtual drugstore industry. Specifically, I will discuss the organizational structure by virtue of the autonomous innovation and the strategic positioning of CVS. com. This paper serves to evaluate the effective initiatives, problems and possible solutions to the issues surrounding the onboarding of CVS. com. 4 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY LANDSCAPEIt is important to understa nd the complexity of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry at the time the CVS drugstore chain was exploring the idea of acquiring an online option for its customers in 1999. The process of diagnosing, prescribing, dispensing and delivery was, and still is, extremely regulated. As an example, only licensed physicians have the capability to prescribe medications and only licensed retailers are able to dispense them. In addition, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have already monopolized the management of drug prescribing and dispensing by1999.PBMs put together formularies, through negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies, the retail pharmacies and the employers’ Managed Care Organization (MCO), that mandated which drug could be prescribed for a certain disease. Furthermore, many PBMs require that all 30 day supply prescriptions for chronic diseases be dispensed through mail order and many of the PBMs acquire their own distribution centers to provide this service. Thu s, the Managed Care Organizations, physicians, retail pharmacies and the patient all rely on PBMs to ensure the lowest cost and best care for all involved (Reinke, 2009).Like PBMs, retail pharmacies also enjoy the market power they generate. The paper CVS: The Web Strategy describes the impact of the retail pharmacy by relating that two thirds of all prescriptions filled at retail were filled by drugstores in 1999, which made up a 100 billion dollar market In 1998, CVS was second to Walgreen bringing in 15. 2 billion dollars (CVS: The Web Strategy, 2001, p. 11). 5 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY â€Å"Pure-play† online drugstores and non-prescription health care sites made their debut in the first quarter of 1999 and CVS followed suit by purchasing Soma. om to leverage a â€Å"clicks and mortar† operation that would combine a physical presence with a web presence. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Although it may seem atypical of a multi-product, integrated, hierarchical firm to look exte rnally for innovation, the relationship was a win-win for both CVS pharmacy and the virtual firm Soma. com. This idea is revealed in the essay CVS: The Web Strategy, which states, â€Å"CVS hoped to offer CVS. com the benefits of its buying power, advertising strength, brand name and access to 280 million prescriptions, while retaining the entrepreneurial spirit of the organization† (CVS: The Web Strategy, 2001, p. ). After thorough examination of both options, CVS decided to acquire the start-up company, since it would be quick to implement (only 3 to 4 months), it would bring intangible assets, and it shared the culture and views of CVS. The intangible tacit knowledge that Soma. com would bring to CVS included experienced employees with mail order prescription backgrounds and an understanding of the west coast market, since CVS stores were concentrated in the northeast and Soma. com’s headquarters were on the west coast.This national coverage provided for a larger sc ope that the online store would be able to take advantage of. Moreover, CVS was able to acquire 100% ownership of soma. com, which would allow for vertical integration within CVS. Merging with CVS made sense to soma. com as well. The virtual company was able to benefit from the economies of scale, as the cost of the web division could be spread across increasing units of production or in serving CVS’s growing customer base. Teece describes the benefit of an alliance between virtual and competent manufactures by saying that â€Å"if [virtual 6 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY irms] do indeed establish a strong alliance with a competent manufacturer, they may also have the capacity to be first to market, despite the absence of the requisite internal capabilities† (Teece, 2009, p. 59). Both soma. com and the PBMs, with which CVS works to get reimbursed for medications, would benefit from becoming a part, or affiliated with, CVS due to the company’s strong branding. John M. Gal laugher iterates this point in saying that â€Å"a firm’s brand is the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service, and a strong brand can also be an exceptionally powerful resource for competitive advantage. Adding a website component will also enhance an already prominent brand. â€Å"Tech can play a critical role in rapidly and cost-effectively strengthening a brand† (Gallaugher, 2008, p. 6). While there were many advantages for CVS in acquiring Soma. com, CVS experienced the disadvantages of not owning the complementary asset, Merck-Medco, who refused to reimburse CVS. com for 30 day supply prescriptions. The issue surrounded the fact that MerckMedco already provided a mail order delivery for 30 day supply prescriptions and was not going to relinquish this opportunity to CVS. com.As previously outlined, PBMs were an integral complementary asset to the prescription drug industry in 1999 and served a large majority of CVS’s customers. Teece reveals that â€Å"when the services of complementary assets are required for new technology to yield value to the consumer, they can play an important role in the competitive advantage equation† (Teece, 2009, p25). Furthermore, Teece relates that â€Å"competitive advantage can be gained or lost on how expertly the strategy for gaining access is executed† (Teece, 2009, p25). Further research reveals that in shortly after CVS. om was launched, Merck-Medco and CVS formed an alliance so that CVS customers could purchase their prescriptions on the Merck-Medco site (Conlin, 1999). 7 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY AUTONOMOUS INNOVATION Since CVS was a highly integrated company, incorporating the online pharmacy throughout the rest of the company, or systemic innovation, would be extremely costly and might discourage further innovation. This is what happened to General Motors when the automobile industry switched from drum brakes to disc brakes. Because GM had investe d a great deal of time and money to produce drum brakes, it was slow to move towards producing disc brakes.GM’s competitors, however, who outsourced and relied on outside relationships were forced to make the switch and gained a better position in the industry (Teece, 2003, p. 192). Thus, CVS was smart to opt for an autonomous organizational approach by creating a separate website team managed by Soma. com. This team could react to the changing environment quickly and make recommendations against initiatives that would be time consuming and costly, as they did when the Vice President of Marketing for CVS, Helena Foulkes, argued that all products sold in stores should be available for purchase on the website.Foulkes was focused on learning about the customer through their online activities. Large, integrated companies also tend to focus on customers for innovation, which is not always the best angle. The paper, CVS: The Web Strategy, reveals that the CVS merchandising departme nt spent a lot of time and energy on the internal and external benchmarks, relying on customer activities when making decisions about marketing, promotion, pricing and merchandising. They would then send this codified information to the CVS. com online team (CVS: The Web Strategy, 2011, p. ). Clayton Christenson, an expert in the field of technological innovation, discusses the problem that arises when too much emphasis is placed on the customer. Christenson relates that â€Å"the highest-performing companies†¦have well developed systems for killing ideas that their customers don’t want. As a result, these companies find it very 8 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY difficult to invest adequate resources in disruptive technologies—lower-margin opportunities that their customers don’t want—until their customers want them† (Christensen, 1997). STRATEGIC POSITIONINGAs previously outlined, the initiative to integrate an online pharmacy was not a new concept to t he industry. Therefore, it was important that CVS. com respond to the disruptive technology by differentiating itself from the other online drugstores. CVS. com would offer online patient counseling through a virtual pharmacist, which was available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Tom Pigott, founder of Soma. com relates about the significance of providing this service, â€Å"we had pharmacists, which created an inherent barrier to entry. Anyone can start a vitamin shop, all you need are a ebsite and a supplier† (CVS: The Web Strategy, 2011, p. 6). Another feature of CVS. com that set it apart was the â€Å"clicks and mortar† delivery options. This term refers to an operation that combines a physical presence with a web presence. Helena Foulkes describes a personal testimony of the convenience of the â€Å"clicks and mortar† operation. â€Å"For someone like me who works and has children and doesn’t think about getting to a store till 11’o clock at n ight, it would be extremely convenient to hop online and place an order and pick up that much-needed prescription on the way home† (CVS: The Web Strategy, 2011, p. ). Despite the attempts of CVS. com to differentiate from other online pharmacies, the company’s myopic views were a source of several missed opportunities to leverage competitive advantage. First, CVS. com should have better integrated the Xtra! Frequent Shopper Program, in which customers gained points that turned in rewards, so that consumers could benefit from prescriptions ordered online. Second, CVS. com could have created a more personalized home 9 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY age that, not only stored a customer’s order history, but provided information about side effects and related diseases when a customer entered a prescription. The secure personal homepage could potentially even keep track of doctor’s appointments for the customer, creating a reminder that would be emailed to the customer a day before the visit. The more data CVS. com could capture about their customers, the stronger the switching cost would be. Switching costs exist when consumers incur an expense, money or time, to move from one product or service to another (Gallaugher, 2008, p. ). Thomas Reinke reveals this concept in a peer reviewed journal explaining the reason why companies do not want to switch to other PBMs, â€Å"employers are reluctant to switch vendors because of the work and cost involved and-more importantly-because of the hassle it creates for employees in learning the rules and procedures of a new company† (Reinke, 2009, p. 5). Thus, the more capabilities the customer has on one website, the more data they will enter and the least likely they will be willing to switch to another pharmacy.Finally, competitive advantage could be gained by marketing to physicians who use electronic prescription relay. CVS. com could create an interface just for physicians, easier to use than other s ystems and with added capabilities, such as pop-up restrictions from a patient’s insurance company or current promotions at the point a prescription was entered. Again, if physicians found this service useful, they would not want to learn a new system, sustaining the competitive advantage of CVS. com. SUMMARYThe issues surrounding the quest of CVS to successfully respond to the disruptive technology in a way that would create a sustainable competitive advantage in the drug store industry are examined. By evaluating the organizational structure of CVS. com, one can deduce 10 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY that fully acquiring the web company Soma. com, instead of creating its own online component, was a successful strategy in autonomous innovation that would benefit the company in the long run. In contrast, not executing a strategy to circumvent the Merck-Medco mail order dilemma may have contributed to CVS. com’s slow start in September of 1999.Because the PBM will likely not ag ree to be acquired by CVS, the best solution to this problem is to form an alliance with Merck-Medco, especially considering the market power of both CVS and Merck-Medco. Ultimately, in order to sustain a competitive advantage against companies who offer similar services, CVS. com must differentiate itself by capitalizing on the ability to personalize customer home pages and by fostering relationships with prescribing healthcare providers. 11 THE CVS WEB STRATEGY REFERENCES Christensen, C. M. (1997). The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail.Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press. Conlin, R. (1999, October 6). CVS To Fill Online Orders For Merck-Medco. E-Commerce Times: E-Business Means Business. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from http://www. ecommercetimes. com/story/1380. html Fortune 500 2011: Top Performers – Most Profitable Companies: Profits. (n. d. ). CNNMoney Business, financial and personal finance news. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/performers/companies/profits/ Reinke, T. (2009, October). Large PBMs Transform Old Business Models. Managed Care, 1-4.Shah, A. (1999). CVS: The Web Strategy. Harvard Business School Publishing, 1(1), 1-17. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from the Harvard Business School Publishing database. Teece, D. J. , & Chesbrough, H. W. (2003). When is Virtual Virtuous? Organizing for Innovation. Essays in technology management and policy (pp. 189-197). River Edge: World Scientific Publishing Co. Teece, D. J. (2009). Governance Modes and Technological Innovation. Managing intellectual capital: organizational, strategic, and policy dimensions (p. 64). Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Original work published 2000) 12

Bomb Threat and Explosion Investigation

In addition, other law enforcement agencies may have specific information value. The Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Police Intelligence Group (PIG) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) maintains files on individuals who make threats against political leaders.The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may provide information of imported goods; the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) can provide information on individuals entering or leaving the country; the Firearms and Explosive Division, Civil Security Group, Philippine National Police (FED, CSG, PNP) maintains records on firearms and explosives; the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) maintains records on fugitives; the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHILPOST) may assist in matters related to the mails; the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) may, have files of information and intelligence because they have primary jurisdiction in kidnap-for-ransom cases. On the local level, the local pol ice authorities frequently maintain individual photo or â€Å"mug† files, alias files, business indexes, modus operandi (MO) files, victimization records and crime patterns. In addition, court records, probation and parole files, and other municipal records such as utilities, may prove valuable. Records of businesses, such as the telephone, electric and water companies, may also be helpful.Surveillance and stakeouts are important components of kidnap-for-ransom investigations. These activities may require various forms of electronic surveillance, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, automobile locator systems, videotaping and photography. Such efforts may require assistance from other agencies. The investigator should be familiar, not only with the use of such equipment, but also with the laws surrounding their application. The investigator must know when a court order is necessary for the use of electronic surveillance. In no case should an investigator use extralegal means to secure information. CHAPTER 7 BOMB THREAT AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INTRODUCTIONThe use of explosives, by certain criminals and criminal organizations, has increased since the mid – 1980’s. Statistics also show that homes, vehicles and businesses were the primary targets of bombings and, in eight out of ten incidents, the motive was vandalism and revenge. Bombs are often made out common household items regularly found in the kitchen, garage or under the sink. The pipe bomb, the easiest bomb to construct, is often packed with screws and nails which act as projectiles, similar to hand grenades. These are materials that the bomber relies on, in part, to help conceal their identity. Because they are usually home-made, they are limited in their design only by the imagination of the bomber.When searching for a bomb, the investigator should simply look for anything that appears unusual. The bomb technician decides what is and is not a bomb. The bombing crime scene must be linked to the bomber and, if found intact, the bombs themselves can sometimes reveal the identity of the bomber. Bombs can be constructed to look like almost anything and can be placed or delivered in a variety of ways. The chance of locating a bomb that looks like the stereotypical bomb is almost non-existent. INVESTIGATING THE BOMB THREAT Bomb threats are delivered in a variety of ways. Most are telephoned in to the target. Occasionally, these calls are made through a third party. Sometimes, a threat is communicated through in writing or via a recording.There are two (2) general explanations as to why the bombers communicate a bomb threat: 1. The caller has definite knowledge or believes that an explosive or incendiary bomb has been or will be placed, and that he or she wants to minimize personal injury or property damage. The caller may be the person who placed the device or someone else who has become aware of such information. 2. The caller wants to create an atmosphere of a nxiety and panic that will, in turn, results in disruption of normal activities at the facility where the device is supposedly placed. Whatever the reason, there will certainly be a reaction to it. However, through proper planning, the wide variety of uncontrollable reactions can be minimized.The bomb threat caller is the best source of information about a bomb. When bomb threat is called in, the following steps should be implemented: 1. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. 2. Ask him or her to repeat the message and record every word spoken by the person. 3. Ask the caller about the location of the bomb and the time of detonation of the device. 4. Inform the caller that the building is occupied and the detonation of a bomb could kill or injure innocent people. 5. Pay particular attention to background noise such as motor running, music playing or any other noise. This may give a clue as to the location of the caller. 6.Listen closely to he voice (male or female), voice quality (calm or excited), accent and speech impediments. 7. Interview the person who received the call for the preceding information. RESPONDING TO A BOMB THREAT In response to a bomb threat, the following reminders must be strictly observed by the first responders: 1. Refrain from broadcasting while at the location. Radio transmissions might trigger the explosive device. 2. Anyone involved in the search must not touch any suspected items. Under any circumstances, if a suspicious object is located, it should not be touched or disturbed. 3. Maintain a safe distance from the explosive device. 4. Call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team (EODT) to handle the explosive device. SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIn a raid or search situation in which explosive devices are expected to be encountered, investigations should be accompanied by an explosives expert. This person can be used to inform other police officers of what type of device is at hand and how best to proceed safely with the raid. Other pr ecautions include the following: 1. Only one officer at a time should approach the suspected booby trap. 2. When trip wires are located, both ends of the wire should be checked. 3. Wires that appear to be electric should not be cut. 4. No containers should be opened without thorough examination. ELEMENTS OF BOMB INCIDENT PLANNING To counter bomb incidents, a physical security plan and bomb incident plan should be made.The elements of these plans are as follows: 1. Control 1) Who will be in charge of the incident? 2) Where will the control center be located? 3) How will critical decisions be made? 4) Who will man the control center? 5) What primary and alternate communication system will be employed during the incident? 2. Initiation What procedures will be followed upon receipt of a bomb threat or notice that a device has been found? 3. Evacuation If evacuation is ordered, what procedure will be followed? 4. Search 1) What will be searched? 2) What search technique will be employed? 3) Who will search? 5. Damage Control 1) What damage control measures will be taken? ) Who will take the damage control measure? 6. Detonation 1) What procedure will be followed if a bomb detonates without warning? BOMB – SEARCHING TECHNIQUES A two-person search item is recommended when looking for bombs. When the search team enters the room, they should first move to various parts of the room and stand quietly, with their eyes closed, and listen for clockwork device. Often, a clockwork device can easily be detected without the use of specialized equipment. Even if no clockwork mechanism can be detected, the search team is now aware of the background noise level within the room itself. Background noise is always disturbing during a building search.If a ticking sound is heard but cannot be located, one might become unnerved. The ticking sound might come from an unbalanced air conditioner fan, several floors away, or from a dripping sink down the hall. Sound can transfer throu gh air conditioning ducts, along water pipes and through walls. One of the more difficult buildings to search is one that has steam of hot water heat. This type of building will constantly thump, crack, chatter and tick because of the movement of the steam of hot water through the pipes and the expansion and contraction of the pipes. The room should be divided into two virtually equal parts. An imaginary line is then drawn between two objects in the room.The first searching height will usually cover items in the room up to hip height. The searchers then position themselves on opposite sides of the room and begin searching their way around the room, working toward each other. During the search, all items resting on the floor and positioned around or on the wall area are inspected. Although many minor variations are possible in searching a room, the following are the summary of the basic searching steps: 1. Divide the area and select a search height. 2. Start from the bottom and work yourself up. 3. Start back-to-back and work toward each other. 4. Go around the walls and proceed toward the center of the room.

Taxation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taxation - Assignment Example But at the same time you must keep in mind that starting out in self-employment poses many difficulties and you would have to work very hard with no guarantee of a regular income. But first of all you must assess for yourself if you are suitable for self-employment which requires total self commitment, ability to work long business hours which in turn requires physical and mental strength and, last but not the least, complete support from your family. Then you have to do market research to identify the opportunities available in your selected field. Since you are currently employed with a computer software company it is obvious you have the technical skills, but do you have the business skills to run your business. If you lack these skills you shall have to learn them fast from the information that I am about to provide you and from other sources. When you start out on your own in business you can do so as a sole trader, in partnership or by setting up a limited company. You have indicated that you wish to start your business as a sole trader, which means, you intend to set up your business on your own. Starting out as a sole trader is relatively easy and straightforward but if your business fails your liability is unlimited or in other words all your assets will be legally available and can be used to pay your creditors. If you intend to start your business from your home you are likely to be requiring Planning Permission. In case you are going to use one or two rooms in your home you would need to apply for a partial change of use from domestic to commercial purpose. In case you intend constructing a shed or additional room for your business you may require planning permission for which you shall have to contact your local authorities. Market research is very important before you set up your business in your chosen field but let me caution you that no amount of research will guarantee you success. However, your market