Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Essay

For so long, businesses tend to overlook the repercussions of their actions. They are so focused at maximizing the potential profits and minimizing the costs that the negative environmental, economic and social impacts of their operations are not considered. Nowadays, in an era wherein citizens are looking at the morals of companies, CSR or corporate social responsibility initiatives are the new trend regarding business ethics. Companies set up foundations and the like to create and implement CSR programs to show that they are also concerned about our society and the world that we live in. The reports on corporate social responsibility by Hewlett Packard and Toshiba are the ones that are going to be looked at in this paper. Both reports are remarkable but I am more impressed with Toshiba’s report. HP’s report has provided an easier way of understanding and locating the key and relevant information needed than Toshiba’s report but Toshiba has provided greater amount of details in the firm’s initiatives and the issues are covered more effectively than HP’s. The reports have shown a great deal of presenting their performance on issues relating to the environment, economy, and society as specific details of their programs towards these areas are also shown in the report allowing an assessment of these. I trust the reports of these two companies because it would be unethical to make fraudulent claims on ethical reports. It would be a big backlash on the company’s integrity and honesty. The report of HP has not presented details as to whether it is audited but independent parties or not. On the other hand, Toshiba’s report is audited by Shinnihon Integrity Assurance Inc. (SIAI) as to the compliance of the report to fundamental provisions of AA 1000 relating to the firm’s accountability to its stakeholders and if the report is put together based on the GRI Guidelines requirement. (www. corporateregister. com). Toshiba also presented the eco-efficiency report done by Shin Nihon Environmental Management and Quality Research Institute Co. , Ltd. so that an impartial and reliable report is assured (www.  corporateregister. com). International standards and codes are becoming more popular nowadays due to their CSR nature. These standards are aimed at promoting environmentally and socially aware companies the guidelines presented in them. Toshiba has received certification for ISO 9000 and 14000-series. Currently, they are working into adopting the ISO 9001 or the certification on quality management system and implementing the ISO 14001 or the certification on environmental management system (www. corporateregister. com). They have been guided by the principles of the UN Global Impact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) which is geared towards socially accountable investing (www. corporateregister. com). On the other hand, HP has implemented the standards from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC) Guidelines which are aimed at protecting the confidentiality and transfer of personal information from customer and employees as these are increasingly becoming a problem in the information technology industry (www. hp. com). They have also been guided by the principles of the UN Global Impact (www. hp. com). The initiatives are consistent with the core competencies of the firms because they are not just geared towards external works such as donations etc. They also focused on the internal aspects of their company like requiring their suppliers to adhere to CSR programs or that they use a system wherein they would be able to collect and recycle their used products from customers. These would give them an upper hand than their competitors who are not implementing CSR internally. These also became consistent with the company’s core values because of its orientation at improving the standards and code of conduct with the firm’s premises. Applying CSR internally in the company’s operation is a remarkable thing. This is because it bears cost that could mean a decrease in the firm’s profits than is expected. Whereas if the company would just donate, the amount of money that they will give is already fixed. For example, $10 million is allotted to the recycling program of the company but due to unforeseen events like unexpected cost for implementing the program it bloated to $100 million. Whereas if they had just donated the $10 million, they would not have incurred additional cost and their operation not jeopardized. I would say that HP should include the international standards certifications and benchmarks that their company has on their CSR report. They should also get a third party point of view with regards to the auditing of their report to show the transparency in their report. As for Toshiba, I would say that they should not clutter too much information to their CSR report. They should only include those that are relevant to which is related to the CSR initiatives of the company. They should also get more independent auditing. Although they have third party perspectives for their AA 1000 and their eco-efficiency, there are still other international standards or benchmark claims in the report that needs to be audited and certified true by pertinent authority.

Google Globalization Essay

Globalization has completely altered the way in which the world operates. The barriers that once hindered our ability to communicate and interact with people across the world have diminished. Globalization has become ingrained in all fields: business, government, economic, social. Google began in 1996 as a project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Larry and Sergey were both studying at Stanford University California. In their research project they came up with a plan to make a search engine that ranked websites according to the number of other websites that linked to that site (and ultimately came up with the Google we have today). Before Google, search engines had ranked sites simply by the number of times the search term searched for appeared on the webpage, and the duo set out to make a more â€Å"aware† search engine.†¨ The domain google.com was registered on September 14th 1997 and Google Corporation was formed a year later in September 1998.†¨ Google started selling advertisements with its keyword searches in 2000, and so Google Adwords/Adsense was born. These advertisements used a system based on the pretence that you only paid for your advertising if some clicked on your ad link – hence the term Pay Per Click (PPC) was born. The term PageRank was patented in September 2001 – this term is actually named after co-founder Larry Page and not, as some think, named because it is the rank of a page (webpage).†¨ Also in 2001 co-founder Larry Page stood down as the CEO of Google and former CEO of Novel. Eric Schmidt. was appointed as the new CEO of Google.†¨ Google moved its offices to its large Google estate (nicknamed GooglePlex) in Mountainview California in 2003, and is still based there today.

Article Rebuttal Essay Example for Free

Article Rebuttal Essay Essay Topic: Art , African American Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Barack Obama (128) , rebuttal (10) For the past 17 months, shown on every television news channel across the United States. The case of George Zimmerman, and the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Like every year, the media will take a case and publicly turn the story into a circus. The rebuttal article for this paper is a story written by Oliver Knox of Yahoo.com titled, â€Å"Obama: Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.† Further discussion will analyze the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used by Oliver Knox, and identify any logical fallacies in the argument. The article is about President Barack Obama making his first public comments on the George Zimmerman acquittal. The president stated that many African Americans believe the outcome and aftermath of the trial would have been different if Trayvon Martin had been white. The president later stated that when he first heard about this story, his thoughts said this could have been his son (Obama, 2013). Then getting more personal by saying this could have been me 35 years ago (Obama, 2013). By using personal experiences, the president discussed his life as a young African American dealing with racism in the United States. I find that the reliability, credibility, and validity of this article and author Oliver Knox highly trusted, convincing, and believable. News articles written and posted by Yahoo.com reports a straightforward message to their audience. Reporting stories down the middle, never too left or right with the occasional bias author either for or against a particular topic. Keeping political views down to a minimal. This particular article matches other similar articles written on the same news story. Second, Oliver Knox wrote the story on the statements and words of the president as he addresses the American public. Third, the genuine author of this story is President Barack Obama himself, Oliver Knox just wrote his statement. The audience that the president focused on in his address is the African American people. Using his own personal experiences, the president can relate to the ongoing outrage of the African American  public. President Obama feels the pain and disappointments of the outcome of the case. Because of this story first came out 17 months ago, many logical fallacies surfaced about this case. First, the media leaned toward a killing of an innocent young 17-year-old boy, minding his own business. Then showing a photo of this boy at the age of 12. Then here comes George Zimmerman, looking for trouble and looking for a fight by picking on a young African American boy. Would the story stay the same if George Zimmerman was African American with the same outcome, the public will never know what happened that night. Meanwhile, the story set the tone for future stories about this case. Raising the question about race possess anything to do with the incident between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. The logical fallacies of this article happened when President Obama expressed his concerns and personal experiences with the American people. This incident could easily be him 35 years ago as a young person dealing with racism in America. Concern that African Americans think that this case developed on race. A belief in the legal system would have a different outcome if Trayvon were white. Even after juror number B37 came out stating that race had no issue to the outcome of the case. Both the jury and legal experts stated that Zimmerman and Trayvon made poor judgment the night, which led to the death of Trayvon. Statements by the jury referring the only reason for Zimmerman’s acquittal because the way the â€Å"stand your ground† law is written. This article also provided some good highlighted points. The president encouraged his audience to support and encourage the young people of this country by helping them achieve and succeed in life. To be more influential and guide them on the right track. If the young people do not have the support from family, friends, neighbors, and the community, who will help them stay on the righteous path (Obama, 2013). This news article written by Oliver Knox and other journalists in this country, reporting the feelings and concerns addressed by this nation’s leader. Stating the issue of racism still lives in the lives of some American people. Relating to his own personal feelings on racism and demanding change to overcome these barriers. So the people, as a nation will never see another George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case again. References Knox, O. (2013). Obama: Trayvon Martin ‘could have been me 35 years ago’. Yahoo New.com. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure - Essay Example It is the sole responsibility of the gov- ernment through the docket of health to protect vulnerable adults by enacting laws and policies in favour of the physi- cal, financial, and emotional well-being and security. adult. The need to control environmental health hazards is addressed here. This will help prevent vulnerable clients from living in conditions of extreme sordid dirtiness and lack of hygiene. The fact that most physical and mental help them, while they are physically and mentally advan- taged to decide on whom to handle their welfare on their behalf should they become vulnerable. Family members also protect the individual from molestation and domestic assault. respond appropriately to incidences of abuse reported to them in a manner that will facilitate acquisition of relevant information. A nurse or doctor must listen carefully and actively to what the client is reporting and record vital information. sive report (Myall et al. 2009). The client must be reassured that he or she has done the right thing to report any form of abuse and that inform them the next course of action as well as people who are

The challengs facing kindergarten teachers for deal with children whom Essay

The challengs facing kindergarten teachers for deal with children whom English is an additional language - Essay Example There was the definition of the research question and the explanation of the significance of the paper. The second chapter looked into the literature of challenges faced by kindergarten teachers when dealing with children whom English is an additional language. The chapter critically evaluated the consideration of the essence of bilingual education in the kindergarten. This chapter mostly focused on various policy issues in the UK related to kindergarten classrooms that teach English as a second language. The third chapter concentrated on the research methodology and design. This was a qualitative research because the results are expected to describe challenges facing ESL kindergarten teachers, rather than predicting the challenges. The fourth chapter dealt with the outcome of the study. The discussion of these findings is in chapter five. The section dealt with the interpretation of results of the study into the challenges faced by teachers of kindergarten pupils with EAL. The last chapter focused on the conclusion and recommendation of the study. Here, the paper identified implication for the change and summarized the key findings. According to Clarke (2009), most parents who English are not their families’ first language, worry how their children will cope in an English-speaking kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers are used to helping children whose English is an additional language. Statistics indicate that, one in nine kindergarten pupils learns English as an additional language in the UK (Colombo, 2014). A language mismatch between teachers and the children they teach in Kindergarten, as noted in a study by Bialystok (1991), can result in uncomfortable classroom experiences for some children and teachers. The children that join Kindergarten and find familiar environments and teachers who speak English, feel they are moving ‘around the same

POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES(FISCAL POLICY AND MONETARY POLICY) Essay

POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES(FISCAL POLICY AND MONETARY POLICY) - Essay Example The most open similarity between the two policies is that both work together concurrently to control the rate of employment, currency value stabilization and work towards the realization of economic stability in the states. They both optimize economic growth in the states by controlling the flow of currency in the market. When government expenditure is high through the effect of fiscal policy and the economy goes down due to inflation, the Fed, through monetary policy intervenes to reduce inflation and maximize economy growth (Beetsma 327). The government is the prime body that deals with and regulates the entire economy of its states. The congress therefore makes decisions on which strategy to apply and when appropriate. This mandate of the government over both policies is a major similarity since the government has the mandate to choose between the fiscal policy and the monetary policy whenever any of the two needs to be inculcated to realize economic stability. Both the policies are effective in their own ways. The monetary policy is oversees and inculcated by the Fed and effects on the slowing down of the growth in the economy of the states. That means the government does involve itself in the realization of this policy. However, the fiscal policy is overseen by the government and is utilized in the boosting of economic growth and stability (Beetsma 256). The fiscal policy is more influential since it aims at controlling the rate of government expenditure and escalating the flow of money in the economy. It involves government spending and trimmi9ng of taxes, both of which are politically appealing and highly supported as disputed to the momentary policy which does not increase spending but reduces the effective spending by the federal government. The fed has the highest influence and greatest ability in the influence towards slowing economic augmentation and leading to

Evaluating Vodafone's competitive position Essay

Evaluating Vodafone's competitive position - Essay Example In the United States, Vodafone owns majority control of the company Verizon Wireless giving them exposure to a wide range of competitors and customers. Vodafone also strives to acquire new markets and technology to offer the best to their customers. "We are reflecting the different approaches that will be required to continue to succeed, both in terms of our existing operations and in capturing new revenue streams for the future," said Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin (BBC News April, 2006) With Vodafone companies spanning the globe, Vodafone has the ability to "respond to changing market conditions and seize opportunities," as they become available. (Gartner, May 2006)Vodafone is capable of wholesale buying around the world. This had the added advantage of setting global trends convincing buyers of the stronghold that exists within the company. In addition, a higher profit margin can be achieved when offering innovative service. Through cost leadership, Vodafone has restructured its leadership team in order to lower costs and integrate new technology. In April, Vodafone sold its deteriorating Japanese affiliate and made the president, Jim Morrow head of the new European market.

Measures to avoid the collapse of Jarvis construction Essay

Measures to avoid the collapse of Jarvis construction - Essay Example Jarvis Construction Company could have avoided collapse by ensuring an intensive analysis of the environment prior to formulating strategies. This should have been followed by a clear plan of implementation to ensure the mission of the construction firm remains on track (Adamson and Pollington, 23). Organizational strategic management demands that a company must remain in control of its strategies of operations. Jarvis construction lacked extensive external analysis in the United Kingdom construction industry. This caused the management to squander the opportunities available within the construction market. The conflict between price water house coopers and Jarvis was an early indicator of strategic collapse of weakening. The management of the company failed to appreciate the fact that strategies are not always implemented exactly as planned (Radosavljevic and Bennett, 19). Strategic organizational management in the construction industry demands flexibility depending on the market pr essures and the need to retain competitive advantage. The unforeseen environmental events affected the performance of the company adversely (Adamson and Pollington, 23). This could have been avoided by appreciating the gap between the strategies which are intended and those realised. The invariable changes in the course of implementation lead to profit warnings and inevitable losses. The management needed to have a constant strategic action with is dynamic and responsive to market pressures. The management of Jarvis Company could have invested in skilled and analytical thinkers. The training of personnel capable to digesting data and bring out the desired direction. The first change in the construction and the rising competition was not addressed in time. The failure of the company to adapt to the environmental influences has a profound effect on the firm (Radosavljevic and Bennett, 19). The management of the company needed to utilize industrial organization to ensure that the indus try maximized its competencies and resources (Adamson and Pollington, 23). This would have course Jarvis Construction Company to influence the strategies of the rival companies or even alter the industrial structure in the United Kingdom. An analysis of the operations shows that Jarvis Construction Company lacked a distinctive competence despite the strong reputation and decades of experience, the construction giant succumbed to the gradual market pressure which can be attributed to lack of operating strategy. The value of the company continued to fall (Radosavljevic and Bennett, 19). The management of Jarvis Construction Company failed to enhance its tangible and intangible assets. These included information, equipment, capital and knowledge. The management of the Jarvis admitted failure in delivery of quality services of London-Glasgow express. This could have been avoided by ensuring that the operational strategy is run effectively and effectively. The risk management strategy of the company needed to be reinvented to address the current threats to within the construction industry (Adamson and Pollington, 23). This is evidenced the results of the Potters Bar crash in Hertfordshire in 2002. The company needed to invest in sustained competitive advantage through excellence in service delivery. Systematic and comprehensive financial strategies could have been used to ensure the company avoided a financial meltdown. The financial advisers of Jarvis Construction Company should have helped the company to capitalize of the favorable market situations. Overreliance of a single client posed directly threats to the financial stability of the

Guerrilla warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Guerrilla warfare - Essay Example The following paper presents an argument and demarcates the line between the Just warfare and guerilla war. in order to present the debate the paper will first explain the Just Warfare theory so that it becomes convenient to contradict the guerilla warfare. Before the paper progresses in to the details of ethics and sheds light upon the guerilla warfare analysis, it is important to understand the Just warfare theory and its ethics. The just warfare theory is a Christian philosophy that emphasizes upon the three factors: 1. Killing humans is inhumane. 2. States shoulder the duty to protect their citizens and defend justice. 3. Protection of an innocent life, defending the moral values often requires violence and force. However, it is imperative to mention that the Just war theory lays down conditions in order to judge the reasons before a war is waged. The Just war theory was deduced by Christian theologians but is open those who believe in other religions or does not believe in any a t all. However, the theory states clearly ethics and guidelines that may allow a war to take place. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight here that the theory does not in any way justify war neither is it for individuals. Despite the fact, it is not for the individuals to use the theory to decide if the war should be necessitated, however the individuals can use to weigh the pros and cons of war and if they should take part in it or not. Moreover, theory was formulated not to provide a justification for the war rather it was deduced to prevent war and give states the reason to resolve conflicts in an amicable manner instead picking weapons. The doctrine of just war very easily deceives a person in drawing connotations that war is justified and hence a good thing. Nevertheless, doctrine strictly speaks against waging wars and highlights that under certain circumstances it can be waged. However, it is the entire theory that implies that war is a lesser evil but it remains evil ev en if it is waged under duress for the purpose of protection (BBC). The historic literature available suggests that after World War II most of the states have remained in conflict with each other, whereas some had avoided the idea of war altogether some still engage in warfare. State versus state wars still occur, one of the prime example of the war is Anglo-American invasion of the Iraq; wars of such kind have become rare in today’s world. Most of the wars have become internal conflicts. Most of the states today have to face stateless enemies, which are later labeled as faceless attackers. These kinds of wars are referred to as Guerilla wars. These well-trained attackers attack the conventional army leaving abruptly after the attack. Usually, the conventional armies are not prepared for such attacks. Nevertheless, most of the countries that indulge in such wars are those who do not afford to fight openly or lack the tactics to fight the enemy (Robinson). Although, waging war has ethics and requires approval from the UN many countries fight covetously by deploying their men in different states that spread terrorism by killing innocent people. One such war was waged against the approval of the UN in 2003, which is commonly known as the invasion of Iraq. Although, the

The book of Luke and Acts Essay Example for Free

The book of Luke and Acts Essay The book of Luke and Acts are of the same author. It is addressed to Theophilus. On the introduction of the book of Luke, Luke wrote: Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:3-4). With that verse it is clear that Luke did investigated the accounts of Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we try to study the Bible from Matthew to John, all of the accounts are similar. They only differ in the details of the accounts. Luke is not the direct disciple (not one of the 12 disciples) of Jesus Christ but he was able to reconcile what he wrote with the books of John, Matthew and Mark. With the same accounts found in Matthew, Mark, and John, we can conclude that he understands Jesus’ purpose here on earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the book of Acts, Luke elaborates the things that make a Christian. He mentioned even how a Christian should act. He even wrote some of the accounts of the believers after Jesus ascended to heaven. In his books he never mentioned about how he understands the death of Jesus, but on his writings we can say that he fully understand the death of Jesus; that is to redeem us from our sins.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, it is the faith that convicts him to tell the people that Jesus is innocent of a sin deserving to death. As we can see on the accounts of Jesus on the book of Luke, Jesus did not commit things that deserve death but rather it is because of the fear of the Pharisees that the attention of the people will be diverted to Jesus. They are afraid that their positions will not be honored by the people. It is for that reason that Luke really is convicted to tell the world not only the innocence of Jesus Christ but the truth and the love that Jesus offer on the cross to save His people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, faith is the motivation of Luke in telling such thing to people. We can even attest that when we have faith on a certain thing we can do even the impossible things just to pursue or stand on the faith that we have. Work cited: The Holy Bible (1988). The New International Version. Broadman Holman Publishers: Nashville

Public Sphere By Jurgen Habermas

Public Sphere By Jurgen Habermas Public sphere, according to Habermas, is a democracy approach in which different groups of people coming together to share their opinion towards social and political issues (Lubenow, 2012). Harbermes point of view was based on the concept of deliberative democracy. To him, democracy is achieved through the involvement of public into the political system. Habermess concept was force moving towards communicative power in democracy terms. Habermas s idea (as cited in Lubenow, 2012) communicated that the public sphere is an interactive structure which make-up by the state, the political system, and also the private sectors in this civil society. Thus, the function of public sphere is to provide a social platform where public opinion is heard. Added, the public sphere play the role of articulating public opinion which involves integrate themes, arguments and contributions, and to carried the voice of the public in discussing the issue faced by the current civil society and to generate res olution as well as to aid in decision making processes (Lubenow, 2012). Generally, the Habermasian idea on democracy is based on the central of public sphere. In simple words, public sphere is an open platform for each and every citizen to discuss and share their view on political issue in equal chances and status (Maia, 2007). The concept of public sphere emerges from two perspectives. The historical perspective which means a lots of different individual persons assembles to form a public to debate political issue or matters of common interest. Besides that, the public sphere is described from a normative perspective. This sphere constitute to a new source of power legitimation through rational and critical debates. This highlighted that democracy is a new form of domination which members need to give acknowledgement to the norms and decisions made (Maia, 2007). However, there were some later theories that developed as advancement in explaining the public sphere. For instance, Hannah Arendt proposed the agonistic concept of public space. In his explanation, his criticize that the loss of public space in the modern society. Arendts political point of view stresses the changes in the social world contributed to the decrease of public sphere. The interaction of social with politics is more of not a concrete one whereby people behave accordingly to the social set of so called norms instead of acting and thinking critically. Arendt also accounted public space is the space for freedom and execution of power through speech and persuasion (Benhabib, 1992). Another model that explained the public sphere is the liberal model of public dialogue. This particular concept is from Bruce Ackerman in which he conveyed liberalism is a form of political culture based on conversational constraints. Ackermans concern was the way different groups can resolve the problem of living together harmoniously yet do not share the same thoughts of good. Conversational restraint is the path to understand the phenomenon. The concept of it emphasizes on neutrality when dealing with disagreement between two parties. When disagreement occurs, in is important to not fight back in another dimension of moral truth or value but to use dialogue to identify the norms that enforce mutual trust and respect reasonably according to respective culture (Benhabib, 1992). The difernces of this two model concept and model as compare to Habermass model of public sphere is that in Habermass view is that public sphere should be more democratic affected by both social norms and political decisions. Moreover, public sphere should not be based merely on legitimation from public dialogue, but instead judged by the model of practical discourse (Benhabib, 1992). The history and development of public sphere begin as a bourgeois society to guaranteed free speech, free press, and free assembly (Fraser, 1990). Public opinion is formed as a result of these free discussion and debate. Public sphere therefore offered an idea on how democracy should be. It should be open, able to be accessible, and not restricted to any rational discussion of public matters (Fraser, 1990). Having said that, the idea of Habermas on public sphere also has certain limitations. According to Fraser (1990), Habermas fails to recognize other, nonliberal, nonbourgeois, competing public spheres, which caused him only to focus on merely liberal public sphere. Besides that, Habermas idea rest on a class-and gender-biased and also a conflict when trying to adopt his idea in this new century and era since his idea was a way long ago developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Therefore, his idea was rethink and revisit by scholars from time to time in democracy term. Another neglected yet important factor influencing the public sphere is the influence of media and mass communication on democracy (Maia, 2007). Habermas (as cited in Rasmusseri, 2007) elaborated that the function of media in public here is for members of the community to raise issues, provide arguments, specify interpretations and propose solutions. In his paper, Rasmusseri (2007) studied the use of internet and its contribution to the political public sphere among the multiple views in the diverse population which can be convenient yet complicated. Media included the main stream media (the press, cable TV, and broadcasting) and the new media (networking such as internet) is playing an important role in todays society in communicating to the public audiences on social and political issues. However, the mass media filters the information before sending it out so that receivers more or less receive the same information more or less in the same manner (Rasmussen, 2007). The internet-ba sed communication is called as the new media provides more opportunities for members in the public sphere to give feed-back and comment. However, there was also a problem of validity and reliability of the sources of information because such information comes from a wide range of users from the internet and different participants giving own individual opinions for events, topics, and views. The divergence of sources leaves validity and reliability of the information hard to be determined. Habermas, later on, revise and clarify some of his earlier concept. He focuses more on sovereignty within large group instead of individuals preferences and choice. Thus, he made the conclusion that democracy is much determined on deliberation yet not ones will (Maia, 2007). (Maia, 2007) (Rasmussen, 2007) (Fraser, 1990) (Lubenow, 2012) Seyla Benhabib, Models of Public Space: Hannah Arendt, the Liberal Tradition, and Jurgen Habermas, in Craig J. Calhoun, ed., Habermas and the Public Sphere (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1992), 73-98.

Foreclosure Essay -- Real Estate

Recent setbacks in the mortgage and financing sectors of the economy have modified the process of real estate acquisitions. Specifically, entry level investors with un-established or insignificant credit history have experienced difficulty securing collateralized loans with competitive interest rates. This is not to say that a weak credit history was disregarded prior to the real estate and bond market collapse in 2008, though, it has certainly become more difficult to attain financing for the purchase of real property.1 Fortunately, the proposed scenario for this essay indicates that I, the investor, acquired $150,000 cash to purchase a distressed property, which presents a unique opportunity from both investment and financing perspectives. However, achieving the greatest return on my investment requires a solid financial strategy, which includes: 1. Defining my risk parameters, familiarizing myself with the process of purchasing a distressed property, and performing thorough due diligence, prior to engaging in the purchase. 1. Exploring my financing options 1. Estimating a potential return on investment (ROI) For this exercise, I will focus on purchasing a distressed property to generate rental income, as a long-term investment. Therefore, the following sections of this essay will discuss my financial strategy as is relates to a distressed real estate purchase. DEFINING RISK PARAMETERS A Brief Discussion of Risk Management Regardless of investment type, an investor’s portfolio must account for risk. Whether it relates to stock or real estate acquisitions, risk directly correlates to the returns one can expect on an investment. Accepting higher levels of risk typically indicates that potential returns c... ...ategy, given $150,000, I chose to pursue an all-cash purchase of a distressed property, located in a generally stable area along the outskirts of Philadelphia. The property will likely be a two-story, 2 bedroom, tenant- occupied row home, priced between $115,000 and $125,000. The purchase price leaves approximately $25,000 - $35,000 cash, which I can use towards capital expenditures, and as a financial buffer in the event of tenant default. Additionally, from my knowledge of rental rates in the area, I am confident that I can earn $800 - $950 per month, which yields a ROI of 8% to 12%. My decisions were based on a logical and well-planned approach. Although accounting for risk is imperative, and success is never guaranteed, following my detailed financial and investment approach for acquiring a distressed property can maximize my present and future returns.

Justice After War :: essays research papers fc

Justice after War History – Wars – Writing Task Wartime is definitely a time of much violence and many things happen during this time, but what about after war†¦ â€Å"The just war tradition is typically evoked when discussing the decision to launch a war (justice of war) and when evaluating the conduct of forces during war (justice in war). But the tradition does not explicitly specify principles for assessing justice after war, nor does it discuss state obligations upon achieving military victory.† This excerpt was taken from an article by Tony Lang and Mary-Lea Cox. Once victory is earned by one side it must take responsibility to pave the road to peace in that country by building a new political system. This is summarized in Thomas L. Freidman’s view when he says â€Å"you break it, you own it†. But maintaining peace in war-trodden country is not easy. There is jealousy from that country, the urge to take revenge; while this is happening the victors have to discuss how to maintain justice. Maintaining the balance between these two is a tedious task. In many conflicts through history the aftermath has been more of a problem to the defeated than the war itself, becoming financially crippled, becoming underdogs of the world, being restricted. These are all problems faced by the dark horse of the battle, after a battle keeping a stability of even-handedness and retribution is a daunting task. Many trials through time have been subject to comments by critics that have made points that justice had no role in the final judgement. In the Nuremberg Trials, of the 21 defendants that were held in custody 11 were sentenced to death (over 50%), three were acquitted and the rest were subject to heavy jail terms. The Nazi atrocities that they were put on trial for were for good reason, though they had been wishing to give them all a fair trial it is obvious that excessive urges to take revenge caused an imbalance in the balance between revenge and justice. Those to be prosecuted were done so because of the brutal â€Å"war crimes†, â€Å"crimes against peace† and â€Å"crimes against humanity† they had committed. The prosecutors were dominated by a large percentage of Jews, who at this time, excusably, had a fervent hatred for the Nazis, since the Nazis had also had a fervent hatred for them. But this just shows how hard it would have been for these prosecutors to not have had revenge govern their thoughts throughout the trial.

Essay --

Topic: Thalassemia disorder Thalassemia is an inherited co-dominant blood disease. It is characterized by reduced synthesis of the hemoglobin and less red blood in children affected by this disorder. Hemoglobin is the means through which red blood cells carry oxygen in our body. We need two forms of globin genes to make beta globin chains in our body, one from each globin gene. If one or two of these genes are defective, it produces beta thalassemia which is the less severe form of this disease. This disorder is a very common genetic disorder facing millions of people worldwide. People with mild Thalassemia usually do not need treatment. On the contrary, people who are severely affected will need regular blood transfusion. This form of the disease is common among people in the Mediterranean. This form can also be seen in North America and parts of Asia. This disorder is caused by changes in the DNA of cells that make hemoglobin, the substance in human red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your entire body. This disease is a inheritance disorder passed from parents to children. When parents have low count of hemoglobin and high could of red blood cell it is then transferred to their new born child. There are various types of this disorder. It depends on gene factor relating to the child’s parents. The more altered genes, the more severe your condition. Hemoglobin particles are made of alpha and beta parts that can be affected by mutations. There are three major forms of this disorder that are categorized based on the severity of symptoms. They are minor, intermediate and major. Children with the minor or trait of the disorder do not experience any symptoms and may not require treatment. Children with the intermediate f... ... spleen. When the patient spleen cell is removed, their bodies become susceptible to bacterial infections. Some patients with this disorder also experience bone deformities where the bone of the face and other parts of the body are affected. Treatment option for the disorder includes; blood transfusion, which is done to replace the affected hemoglobin, Excess iron removal from the blood stream by administering folic acid to the patient, bone mirror transplant and sometime a surgery may be required In a research conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians, patients with this disorder trait have a normal life expectancy provided to live a health live style – health eating regular exercises. However, those with the more severe form of the disease (beta thalassemia major), on average live 17 years and generally die before their thirtieth birthday. Dabah Bono

Coping with Stress Essay

This project will take an issue that is very prominent in today’s society and attempt to look, in detail, how families of military war casualties are coping with the death of their loved ones and which coping strategies seem to be most influential in helping them get back to leading a life that closely resembles what they had before loss. This topic of military coping is important, especially in this time, because there have been so many casualties due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (see Appendix A) By looking at these conflicts, but also those such as the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, we would essentially hope to find common themes or strategies that make coping just a little bit easier for those who are left on the home front. This topic is important to investigate because of the amount of people affected each day by military death- the total deaths are in the thousands and rising every moment. War is a phenomenon that is not going to be disappearing anytime soon, and if there is a way to help those being influenced by tragedy in a more efficient and effectual way, the benefits are immense. The audience for this study is most likely going to be students, but there is also the potential for the military to take an interest in order to help the families of the victims. Mental health counselors, community counselors and psychiatrists may find the information  from the study helpful because of the implications it will have on how people deal with death and how it may be possible to engage those dealing with death in better coping strategies. Much of what has been studied in the realm of coping and stress management has been done with the focus on the individual and how people deal with stress in general. This begs the question â€Å"what is stress?†. Stress is most commonly defined as a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension, and for the sake of this study that is the way it would be defined. Many researchers still feel that the term stress is highly ambiguous because there can be so many different levels. Stress can be caused by an event such as abuse, a natural disaster, an attack, a life threatening ordeal, or even just a dramatic unexpected change in lifestyle. Most of these topics have been studied, and through looking at this previous research, it is seen how very few researchers focus on how people cope with the stress of losing a loved one to an event such as war. Perhaps documentation of how people have coped with death throughout history is rare, or perhaps there has just not been a lot of studies done on the topic. When searching keywords such as â€Å"coping†, â€Å"death†, and â€Å"military† into a psychological search engine, only seven results were retrieved, and of those seven, there were only two or three that seemed they would benefit this research positively. These few articles that that were found that generally focused on post-traumatic- stress disorder, or PSTD. They studied (both quantitatively and qualitatively) how families felt they were influenced by the war, whether it by deployment, responsibility at home, the unknown, and of course, death. It was found that it is indeed important to look at everyone involved and try to work together to get through the trauma of war. The researches should not forget parent-child relations and should not forget that it takes time and understanding of an individual to help cope with the loss (Dekel et al., 2010, page). The other article that was looked at did not focus so much on a study, but the history of coping with loss during both war and peace times. It covered a broad range of time and explained how the military had continually developed counseling and groups to help those who were affected by the war. It looks at how the loss can be integrated into one’s life as a whole, and is looked at as positive for the  soldier (Bartone et al., 1994, page). This suggestion for coping, also known as hardiness in another article, seems to be a reoccurring idea when coping with trauma. If one can integrate the tragic event into their life and think of positive ways to let it influence them, they seem to be more likely to be able to deal with their stress or loss. Optimism was another element of this article, focusing on how if people believe that something is going to be positive, it has a greater impact on how they deal with stress (Maddi et al., 1999, page). Yet another strategy that can be involved with coping is forgiving. It is often through the idea of forgiving the person or people that harmed someone important to you can be a strong motivator to getting over a stressful situation because it allows some sort of closure and understanding (Hodgson et al., 2007, page). All of these factors- hardiness, forgiveness, empathy- must be taken into consideration while doing this research on coping. Historically research often focused on negative consequences of specific factors. We all know the effect that trauma, poverty, abuse, divorce, and other factors of such sort have on psychological development and what life long effects it has for an individual. In the last 20 to 30 years researchers finally began to shift their focus on resiliency and how people develop positive coping skills despite adverse life events. â€Å"The recent broadening of coping theory might be a reaction to to earlier conceptualizations of coping that neglected to include such aspects as goals, purpose, and meaning†. (Schwarzer & Luszczynska, 2008, p22) People want to feel successful in their lives and will look for opportunities for growth. They work hard for â€Å"more resources, desire to maximize gains, and build up resistance factors either to ward off future crisis or to grow and cultivate their capabilities for their own sake† (Schwarzer & Luszczynska, 2008, p22). Resilience studies with children and adolescents have identified the following major factors to play a role in buffering how they cope with stress and trauma: IQ, parental quality, connection to other competent adults, internal locust of control, and social skills (Tiet et al., 1998, p1191). In addition there have been many studies that focused on gender  differences when coping with stress and this are well documented when it comes to adults. â€Å"Research concerning gender differences that may influence coping in children and adolescents revealed mixed results.† (Eschenbeck et al., 2007, p18) This could be attributed to level of development, environmental factors, and gender socialization. The study completed by Eschenbeck and coleagues (2007) however demonstrated that â€Å"girls scored higher in seeking social support and problem solving† (Eschenbeck et al., 2007, p20). Other studies also identified that social supports and problem solving skills were most influential factors in coping with adverse life events and linked these factors with â€Å"greater social competence and fewer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems† (Clarke, 2006, p12) for children and adolescents. Children in military families are more often exposed to stressful situations. Yet according to reports from counselors and other school personnel military children tend to be resilient. â€Å" They are used to changing schools, enduring long separations from a parent, and saying goodbye to old friends and making new ones.† (Hardy, 2006, p11) These children often are being taken care of by family members other than their mothers and fathers, such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, or close family friends. They may experience relationship conflicts within the setting of their families as the boundaries of the family is shifted due to temporary and permanent losses. â€Å"The effects of this kind of loss are displayed in ways that potentially impede successful adolescent development.† (Huebner et al., 2007, p121) Much of the work with these youths have been focused on concept of fostering resiliency. This approach focuses on â€Å"(a) finding meaning, (b) tempering mastery, (c) reconstructing identity, (d) normalizing ambivalence, (e) revising attachment, and (f) discovering hope† (Huebner et al., 2007 p 120). It seems to be that choosing to research along the lines of how military death influences families will be a topic that has been studied little before, and thus hopefully the information that we gather will be helpful in organizing more constructive ways for families to cope with loss. Study Design It was determined that the setting for the research project would be twenty families with adolescents ages 12-18 chosen from the upstate New York region (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse). The families selected would be those who have lost someone in the war within the last year. We would gather information through the use of personal interviews, family interviews, group discussions and observation. Using qualitative methods in this research will be more beneficial because it will better help us understand what people are directly feeling- we will be able to see their reactions and work with them and empathize with them to hopefully make them feel more comfortable. Using qualitative studies will also help us to see the reactions of those in the groups and if there are certain individuals who benefit from the interaction with others. We will also be able to better compare the depth of grief and the coping strategies to the others in the groups. Since it would be necessary to see how coping skills develop over a period of time, it seems that this study would be longitudinal, over the period of 6 months to a year. This would help us to see the progress of the individuals and of families in their ability to cope with having lost someone. Analysis of the study will be based on how well individuals and families are able to overcome loss and what social factors allowed them to get to a more stable state of being. To figure the results we will have looked at how the individual or family functioned when they first learned of the loss compared to how they functioned 6 months to a year down the road. If we have chosen someone who has lost their loved one more than 6 months ago at the beginning of the study, they will be a good point of reference as to where those who more recently lost someone should be in six months. It is easy to see this study in a circular formation due to the fact that deaths are still occurring and there are constantly more people and families to interact with. Potential Limitations The idea behind this research allows many different paths to explore, but that is also a challenge that must be faced. Each term we use in the research has to be clearly defined so that the people we are studying do not  get confused or put off by anything that may be asked. Also, it has to be taken into consideration that many people react different ways to trauma to begin with, and that may be hard to determine at first. Some people may get depressed, others may get angry, and yet others may just try to go on living as they were before. Each person spoken with will have to be individually looked at to determine their premier coping style and from that point progress will have to be determined. The type of death that each soldier faced is yet another factor to consider, as it may be easier for the family to deal with death of someone who was injured and then died from those injuries. If that is the case, there is more of a chance that the family got to say goodbye than if the soldier was killed unexpectedly by enemy troops in another country. One of the other important limitations to consider is the openness of the people and families being interviewed. They may see the death as a private family matter and thus have a hard time letting an outsider into the mix. All of these limitations, though, can hopefully be avoided or at least overcome, with patience, empathy and respect for all involved. References Bartone, P. & Ender, M. (1994). Organizational Responses to Death in the Military. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C. Death Studies, 18, 25- 39. Cameron, A., Palm, K. & Follette, V. (2010). Reaction to stressful life events: What predicts symptom severity? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 645–649. Clarke, Angela (2006). Coping with interpersonal stress and psychosocial health among children and adolescents: a meta analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(1), 11-24. Dekel, R. & Monson, C. (2010). Military-related post-traumatic stress disorder and family relations: Current knowledge and future directions. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15, 303–309. Eschenbeck, H., Kohlmann, C.-W., Lohaus, A. (2007). Gender differences in coping strategies in children and adolescents. Journal of Individual Difference, 28 (1), 18-26. Hardy, L., (2006). When kids lose parents in our war in Iraq. The Education Digest, 72(4), 10-12. Hodgson, L. & Wertheim, E. (2007). Does good emotion management aid forgiving? Multiple dimensions of empathy, emotion management and forgiveness of self and others. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships SAGE Publications (www.sagepublications.com), 24(6), 931–949. Angela J Huebner, Jay A Mancini, Ryan M Wilcox, Saralyn R Grass, & Gabriel A Grass. (2007). Parental Deployment and Youth in Military Families: Exploring Uncertainty and Ambiguous Loss. Family Relations, 56(2), 112-122. Retrieved July 29, 2010, from Platinum Periodicals. (Document ID: 1260882231). Leland, A. & Oboroceanu, M.-J. (2010). American war and military operations casualties: Lists and statistics. Congressional Research Service, 7-5700. Retrieved July 29, 2010 from www.crs.gov (RL32492). Maddi, S. & Hightower, M. (1999). Hardiness and optimism as expressed in coping patterns. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice & Research. 51(2), 95-105. Schwarzer, R., & Luszczynska, A. (2008). The Prevention Researcher, 15(4), 22-24. Tiet, Q. Q., Bird, H. R., Davies, M., Hoven, C., Cohen, P., Jensen, P. S., & Goodman, S. (1998). Adverse life events and resilience. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37(11), 1191-1201.

Afghan-war prisoners Essay

Some insurgents’ failed attempt on an US military convoy was provocation enough for them to gun down 16 civilians, leaving another 25 severely wounded. The groups – dead and alive, contained woman and children. It is an event of March 4, 2007, took place in Iraq, on the Jalalabad highway in eastern Nangarhar province. The day next US army again responded the terrorist attack by 2000-pound aerial bombing in the civilian area, killing five women and three children. This happened at the Kapisa outpost. These are regular features in Iraq; between January 2006 till date, more than thousands of civilians were killed by US attack. Back home, US authorities are no less active under the ‘anti-terrorism’ movement. Ahmed Alenany, an Egyptian physician, was picked up from the road of New York City and was detained for five months, charged with overstaying, in spite of his valid ground of filing for its extension well before the expiry. His fault was that the police found two pictures of WTO in his car and he held a roadmap when arrested. That was one bubble on the sea. The United States securely took away 650 Afghan-war prisoners to their military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they are reportedly passing their days in small single-person cells. India: On July 2005, four Kashmiri youths went to attend a wedding in Vilgam, Kupwara, and while out in the open at night for smoking away from the disapproving adults, three of them were gunned down by the Indian army all on a sudden. Later army admitted its mistake and wanted to compensate, though there was enough effort to suppress this news. India is also experiencing zero tolerance in counter-terrorism, especially after the militant attack on its parliament on December, 2001. They have even created a special law, â€Å"POTA† , which is capable of detaining anyone under the slightest suspicion on any ground of terrorism, that would later arrest 131 Muslims for the Godhra carnage of Hindus in 2002, who later retaliated with the killings of 2000 Muslims throughout the Gujrat state, were mostly able to slip past this law. China: Charged for â€Å"crimes of terror† and â€Å"incitement to separatism†, the popular religious leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was arrested in Sichuan on a night in December 2002 and sentenced to death. He was linked to the series of bombings. Same fate met his co-defendant Lobsang Dhondup, even quicker as he was executed. Now the open secret was that the authorities were up against his activities all the time, as he was a known supporter of the Dalai Lama. Egypt: This country has a track record of arresting hundreds of people either for their proximity to the Muslims, or for possessing â€Å"suspicious† literature. In a known case, 94 such victims, allegedly belonging to an â€Å"Islamic Group† though none heard about its name), were arrested in May, 2001. It was before the September 11 attack and after the attack, they were charged additionally for plotting to kill the government officials! The hapless victims belong to almost all rank and file – Doctors, engineers, professors, to name a few. They were dragged into the military courts whose norms, understandably conform to the trial standards set internationally. Accordingly, 51 were convicted! Georgia: Armed by the US support Georgian authorities have targeted the Chechens at Pankisi Gorge, a place which Russia also labelled as a â€Å"haven for the terrorists†. Here the governmental approach to the human rights violations is indicative of non-caring, as it is echoed by the words of its President Eduard Shevarnadze, who, right after extraditing five Chechens to Russia (October 5, 2002) without holding any court, said, â€Å"International human rights commitments might become pale in comparison with the importance of the anti-terrorist campaign†

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 5

The next morning, I awoke to breathless news from Rosalyn's servants that her prized dog, Penny, had been attacked. Mrs. Cartwright summoned me to her daughter's chambers, saying nothing had stopped Rosalyn from crying. I tried to comfort her, but her wracking sobs never abated. The whole time, Mrs. Cartwright kept giving me disapproving glances, as if I should be doing a better job calming Rosalyn. â€Å"Y have me,† I'd said at one point, if only to ou appease her. At that, Rosalyn had flung her arms around me, crying so hard into my shoulder that her tears left a wet mark on my waistcoat. I tried to be sympathetic, but I felt a stab of annoyance at the way she was carrying on. After all, I'd never carried on like that when my mother had died. Father hadn't let me. You have to be strong, a fighter, he'd said at the funeral. And so I was. I didn't cry when, just a week after Mother's death, our nanny, Cordelia, began absentmindedly humming the French lullaby Mother had always sung. Not when Father took down the portrait of Mother that had hung in the front room. Not even when Artemis, Mother's favorite horse, had to be put down. â€Å"Did you see the dog?† Damon asked, as we walked into town together that night to get a drink at the tavern. Now that the dinner where I was to publicly propose to Rosalyn was just days away, we were heading out for a whiskey to celebrate my impending nuptials. At least, that's what Damon called it, elongating his accent to a flat Charlestonian drawl and wiggling his eyebrows as he said it. I tried to smile as if I thought it was a great joke, but if I began talking, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back my dismay about marrying Rosalyn. And there wasn't anything wrong with her. It was just †¦ it was just that she wasn't Katherine. I turned my thoughts back to Penny. â€Å"Y Its es. throat had a gash in it, but whatever the animal was didn't go for her innards. Strange, right?† I said as I rushed to keep up with him. The army had made him stronger and faster. â€Å"It's a strange time, brother,† Damon said. â€Å"Maybe it's the Yankees,† he teased with a smirk. As we walked down the cobblestone streets, I noticed signs affixed to most doorways: A reward of one hundred dollars was being offered to anyone who found the wild animal responsible for the attacks. I stared at the sign. Maybe I could find it, then take the money and buy a train ticket to Boston, or New Y ork, or some city where no one could find me and no one had ever heard of Rosalyn Cartwright. I smiled to myself; that would be something Damon might actually do–he never worried about consequences or other people's feelings. I was about to point out the sign and ask what he'd do with one hundred dollars when I saw someone frantically waving at us in front of the apothecary. â€Å"Are those the Salvatore brothers?† a voice called from up the street. I squinted across the twilight and saw Pearl, the apothecary, standing outside her shop with her daughter, Anna. Pearl and Anna were two more victims of the war. Pearl's husband had died at the Vicksburg siege just last spring. After that, Pearl had found a home in Mystic Falls, and she ran an apothecary that was always busy. Jonathan Gilbert, in particular, was almost always there when I walked by, complaining about some ailment or purchasing some remedy or another. Town gossip was that he fancied her. â€Å"Pearl, you remember my brother, Damon?† I called as we walked over the square to greet them. Pearl smiled and nodded. Her face was unlined, and a game among the girls was trying to determine how old she was. She had a daughter who was only a few years younger than me, so she couldn't be that young. â€Å"Y two certainly look ou handsome,† she said fondly. Anna was the spitting image of her mother, and when they stood side by side, the two looked as if they could be sisters. â€Å"Anna, you look more beautiful each year. Are you old enough to be going to dances yet?† Damon asked, a twinkle in his eyes. I smiled despite myself. Of course Damon would be able to charm both a mother and a daughter. â€Å"Almost,† Anna said, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. Fifteen was the age when girls were old enough to stay through dinner and hear the band strike up a waltz. Pearl used a wrought-iron key to lock the apothecary, then turned to face us. â€Å"Damon, can you do me a favor? Can you make sure Katherine gets on tomorrow night? She's a lovely girl, and, well, you know how people talk about strangers. I knew her in Atlanta.† â€Å"I promise,† Damon said solemnly. I stiffened. Was Damon escorting Katherine tomorrow night? I hadn't thought she'd come to the party, and I couldn't imagine proposing in front of her. But what choice did I have? Tell Father that Katherine wasn't invited? Not propose to Rosalyn? â€Å"Have fun tonight, boys,† Pearl said, breaking me out of my reverie. â€Å"Wait!† I called, the dinner momentarily forgotten. Pearl turned around, a quizzical expression on her face. â€Å"It's dark, and there have been more attacks. Would you like us to escort you ladies home?† I asked. Pearl shook her head. â€Å"Anna and I are strong women. We'll be fine. Besides †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She blushed and glanced around, as if afraid to be overheard. â€Å"I believe Jonathan Gilbert wants to do that for us. But I do thank you for your concern.† Damon wiggled his eyebrows and let out a low whistle. â€Å"Y know how I feel about strong women,† ou he whispered. â€Å"Damon. Be appropriate,† I said, slugging him on the shoulder. After all, he wasn't on the battlefields anymore. He was in Mystic Falls, a town where people liked to eavesdrop and loved to talk. Had he forgotten so quickly? â€Å"Okay, Auntie Stefan!† Damon teased, raising his voice in a high lisp. I laughed despite myself and slugged him again on the arm for good measure. The punch was light, but felt good–a way to unleash some of my annoyance that he was able to escort Katherine to the dinner. He good-naturedly slugged me back, and we would have broken out into an all-out brotherly brawl if Damon hadn't pushed open the wooden door to the Mystic Falls Tavern. We were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic smile from the voluptuous, red-haired barmaid behind the counter. It was clear that Damon had made himself at home here on several occasions. We elbowed our way to the back of the tavern. The room smelled of sawdust and sweat, and men in uniform were everywhere. Some had bandages on their heads, others wore slings, and some hobbled to the counter on crutches. I recognized Henry, a dark-skinned soldier who practically lived at the tavern, drinking whiskey alone in a corner. Robert had told me stories about him: He never socialized with anyone, and no one ever saw him in the light of day. There was talk that maybe he was associated with the attacks, but how could he be, if he was always at the tavern? I peeled my eyes away to take in the rest of the scene. There were older men tightly grouped in a corner, playing cards and drinking whiskey and, in the opposite corner, a few women. I could tell from the rouge on their cheeks and their painted fingernails that they weren't the types to spend time with our childhood playmates, Clementine Haverford or Amelia Hawke. As we walked past, one of them brushed my arm with her painted fingernails. â€Å"Y like it here?† Damon pulled out a wooden ou table from the wall, an amused smile on his face. â€Å"I suppose I do.† I plunked down on the hard wooden bench and surveyed my surroundings once again. Being in the tavern, I felt I'd stumbled into a secret society of men, just one more thing I knew I'd have little chance to discover before I was a married man and expected to be at home every evening. â€Å"I'll get us some drinks,† Damon said, making his way to the bar. I watched as he rested his elbows on the counter and easily talked to the barmaid, who tilted her head back and laughed as if he'd said something hilarious. Which he probably had. That's why all women fell in love with him. â€Å"So, how does it feel to be a married man?† I turned around to see Dr. Janes behind me. Well into his seventies, Dr. Janes was slightly senile and often loudly proclaimed to anyone who'd listen that his longevity was due exclusively to his prodigious indulgence in whiskey. â€Å"Not married yet, Doctor.† I smiled tightly, wishing Damon would come back with our drinks. â€Å"Ah, my boy, but you will be. Mr. Cartwright at the bank has been discussing it for weeks. The fair young Rosalyn. Quite a catch!† Dr. Janes continued loudly. I glanced around, hoping no one had heard. At that moment, Damon appeared and gently set our whiskeys on the table. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, drinking mine down in one gulp. Dr. Janes hobbled away. â€Å"That thirsty, huh?† Damon asked, taking a small sip of his own drink. I shrugged. In the past, I'd never kept secrets from my brother. But talking about Rosalyn felt dangerous. Somehow, no matter what I said or felt, I still had to marry her. If anyone heard even an inkling of regret from me, there'd be no end to the talk. Suddenly, a new whiskey appeared in front of me. I glanced up to see the pretty bartender Damon had been talking to standing over our table. â€Å"Y look like you need this. Seems you've had out a rough day.† The barmaid winked one of her green eyes and set the sweating tumbler on the rough-hewn wooden table in front of me. â€Å"Thank you,† I said as I took a small, grateful sip. â€Å"Anytime,† the barmaid said, her crinoline skirts swishing over her hips. I watched her retreating back. All the women in the tavern, even those with loose reputations, were more interesting than Rosalyn. But no matter who I glanced at, the only image that filled my mind was Katherine's face. â€Å"Alice likes you,† Damon observed. I shook my head. â€Å"You know I can't look. By the you end of summer, I'll be a married man. Y ou, meanwhile, are free to do as you please.† I'd meant it to be an observation, but the words came out as a judgment. â€Å"That's true,† Damon said. â€Å"But you do know you don't have to do something just because Father says so, right?† â€Å"It's not that simple.† I clenched my jaw. Damon couldn't understand because he was wild and untamable–so much so that Father had entrusted me, the younger brother, with the future of Veritas, a role I now found stifling. A sliver of betrayal shot through me at this thought–that it was Damon's fault I had to shoulder so much responsibility. I shook my head, as if trying to remove the idea from it, and took another drink of whiskey. â€Å"It's very simple,† Damon said, oblivious to my momentary annoyance. â€Å"Just tell him you are not in love with Rosalyn. That you need to find your own place in the world and can't just follow someone's orders blindly. That's what I learned in the army: Y have to believe in what you do. Otherwise, ou what's the point?† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not like you. I trust Father. And I know he only wants the best. It's just that I wish †¦ I wish I had more time,† I said finally. It was true. Maybe I could grow to love Rosalyn, but the thought that I could be married and have a child in just one short year filled me with dread. â€Å"But it'll be fine,† I said with finality. It had to be. â€Å"What do you think of our new houseguest?† I said, changing the subject. Damon smiled. â€Å"Katherine,† he said, drawing the name into the full three syllables, as if he could taste it on his tongue. â€Å"Now, she's a girl who's difficult to figure out, don't you agree?† â€Å"I suppose,† I said, glad that Damon didn't â€Å"I suppose,† I said, glad that Damon didn't know that I was dreaming of Katherine at night, and by day pausing at the door to the carriage house to see if I could hear her laughing with her maid; once I even stopped by the stable to smell the broad back of her horse, Clover, just to see if her lemon and ginger scent had lingered. It hadn't, and at that moment, in the barn surrounded by the horses, I'd realized how unbalanced I was becoming. â€Å"They don't make girls like her in Mystic Falls. Do you think she has a soldier somewhere?† Damon asked. â€Å"No!† I said, annoyed once again. â€Å"She's in mourning for her parents. I hardly think she's looking for a beau.† â€Å"Of course.† Damon knit his eyebrows together contritely. â€Å"And I wasn't presuming anything. But if she needs a shoulder to cry on, I'd be happy to lend it to her.† I shrugged. Even though I'd brought up the subject, I was no longer sure I wanted to hear what Damon thought of her. In fact, as beautiful as she was, I almost wished that some far-flung relatives from Charleston or Richmond or Atlanta would step forward to invite her to live with them. If she were out of sight, then maybe I could somehow force myself to love Rosalyn. Damon stared at me, and I knew in that moment how miserable I must have looked. â€Å"Cheer up, brother,† he said. â€Å"The night is young, and the whiskey's on me.† But there wasn't enough whiskey in all of Virginia to make me love Rosalyn †¦ or forget about Katherine.

How does Robert Swindells create sympathy for Link, and homeless people, in his novel, Stone Cold? Essay

In the novel â€Å"Stone Cold†, Swindells tries to create a sympathetic atmosphere for, one of the main characters, â€Å"Link† and other homeless people in general. To do this; he uses a variety of techniques in his novel to help get the reader too sympathise with Link and the other homeless people. The first technique he uses is first person narrative. This is shown when Link says; â€Å"they avoid looking at me. Right now I’m sitting in a doorway watching the passers-by†. This uses first person narrative as the words â€Å"me† and â€Å"I’m† have been used, meaning Link is saying it. He implies that it is the pedestrians trying to â€Å"avoid† him, acting like he is not there. As if he’s invisible. Which is shown when Swindells uses the word â€Å"they†- also making the reader feel as if Link is addressing them, engaging the reader, making them feel pity and guilt towards Link. He also uses first person narrative when he says, â€Å"It was still dark, and bitterly cold as I began to peel of my sleeping bag†. Again, he uses first person narrative as he uses the words â€Å"me† and â€Å"I†. This creates sympathy as he uses strong words like â€Å"bitterly† which makes emphasises the fact how col d he is. As words like â€Å"dark† has been used it gives the reader an insight of link’s feelings of how frightened he is, as he â€Å"peels† of his sleeping bag, constantly in pain- in the depths of despair. Secondly, the author creates sympathy by showing the reasons for becoming homeless, how easy it seems to become homeless and that it’s not always their fault for ending up on the streets. This is shown right at the beginning of the book when Link states; â€Å"But that’s not why I ended up like this. No Vincent’s to blame for that†. As soon as the reader finishes reading this, they are instantly curious of: Who Vincent is? Why he done what he did? Also, how he done it? This is emphasised when Link says, â€Å"Vincent is to blame.† Using a short sentence and leaving the reader on a cliff-hanger. This creates sympathy for Link as it shows how it was not in any way link’s fault for becoming how he is and makes the reader think of what dreadful thing Vincent done too make a fourteen year-old boy run away from his warm, safe and secure on the â€Å"Stone Cold† pavements†, in the freezing, frightening and reckless streets of London. Thirdly, when Link arrives in London it is his very first time, during this time period he is presented to be very naà ¯ve; making many vital mistakes which can never be fixed. This is shown as Link uses the metaphor, â€Å"You’re on the old downward spiral and that’s that,† When Link says the word â€Å"old† in the metaphor to describe the â€Å"spiral† it makes it seem as if Link has many mistakes before Link was homeless, causing the reader too sympathise with Link. Also, Link stats; â€Å"that was my second mistake†, causing the reader too expect more mistakes too come in the nearby future. The fact that Link uses a metaphor, heightens the fact that once you make the first crucial mistake. There’s no going back. Fourthly, Swindells creates sympathy by showing that there is no government aid or support for Link and the other homeless people. This is implied during Link’s search for money when he says; â€Å"You mean I’ll get no benefit- nothing?† The author creates sympathy as he makes the government seem like they are doing nothing to help Link, making the reader portray an egotistical image of them. After he says this he adds â€Å"-nothing† to really emphasise the fact that the government isn’t giving Link (and the other homeless people) one single penny. This enforces the fact that link has nothing creating sympathetic atmosphere. Fifthly, the author tries to make sympathy for Link by showing how badly Link is treated by: his family, the general public, his landlord Rat face and even the other homeless people! Vince –Link’s mum’s boyfriend- is shown to treat Link exceedingly bad due to violence, which is shown when Link states, â€Å"Vince started slapping me around the head!† When this is said it builds up a reputation for Vince; making him seem like a diabolical man, giving the reader an insight of Vince’s true monstrosity and show the upsetting reality of Link’s depressing life. Hence sympathy created for Link. Also when the word â€Å"head† is mentioned it causes the reader to feel more sympathy for Link due to the head being a very important and could seriously injure someone; showing the sheer hatred of Vince towards Link. The dreaded Landlord, known as â€Å"Rat-face†, also treats Link horribly, this is shown when Link says; â€Å"He had a bunch if my shirt in his fist and his face was an inch away from mine† This creates sympathy towards Link as it shows how threatening Rat-face is being towards the fourteen year old boy, Link. When words like, â€Å"fist† are used it give the reader a sense of danger and helplessness from Link; making the landlord over-powering, intimidating and a more authoritative person. Link is also shown disrespect from other homeless people who show no mercy towards him, this is shown when the other homeless man says; â€Å"Sod off, kiddo, before I drop yer† As the man states the word, â€Å"kiddo† it reminds the reader how young and vulnerable Link is towards other threatening people. It also shows that the homeless person know he is young; portraying an evil image of the man as he bully Links around. Sixthly, the author creates sympathy by the use of detailed description of the terrible weather conditions endured by Link and the other homeless people. This is shown when Link says,† Spend one January night in a doorway and you’ll know why† Link tells the reader how harsh the weather is without actually describing it; he implies how disgraceful it is by saying â€Å"you’ll know why† making a cliff-hanger and causing an effect on the reader as they are left to make up in their minds what horrendous conditions Link – and the other homeless people- had to stay in. Link also says; â€Å"It was dark and bitterly cold as I began to peel of my sleeping bag† As the author adds extra detailed words like, â€Å"bitterly† it gives the reader a real sense of the sheer coldness of being on the streets. Swindells also says the phrase; â€Å"peel of my sleeping bag† showing how uncomfortable Link is and how easy tasks can become very difficult. Link also states, â€Å"It was raw morning with a sneaky wind which came out of the side streets and went right through you† Swindells emphasises how freezing cold it is by using the metaphor; â€Å"went right through you† getting the reader to feel for Link and sympathise with him as he is forced to be prey to the brutal winds. Also when the term, â€Å"raw morning† is used it gives the reader an idea of fresh; yet bitter conditions. Seventhly, and finally, sympathy is created as a sense danger is found throughout the whole novel of â€Å"Stone Cold†. As soon as Link becomes homeless he soon becomes aware of the dangers, this is shown when Link states; â€Å"There are guys so desperate or so crazy, they’ll knife you or batter your head in for your sleeping bag and the coppers you’ve got in your pocket† When this is said it gives the reader a sense of despair and how much people will do for so little. Also, as Link is going through this it makes the reader sympathetic for Link as they realise his helplessness and how he’s at the Brink if despair†¦Also in Shelter’s narrative he says; â€Å"Nobody knows they’re there, they’re invisible.† When this is says it shows how professional Shelter is at murdering people; giving the reader a real sense of danger for Link as he has many encounters with this skilled murderer, showing Link’s vulnerability . When shelter says; â€Å"They’re invisible† he uses a metaphor to show that no one will ever find them and it’s like the victims are not even there. In conclusion Robert Swindells uses many successful ways and techniques to create sympathy for Link and the other homeless people in his novel, â€Å"Stone Cold† This builds up to create a sympathetic atmosphere throughout the whole of the book.

Critically discuss whether or not recent changes to police oversight Term Paper

Critically discuss whether or not recent changes to police oversight have made the police more accountable to communities.'' - Term Paper Example Additionally, an endeavour that takes a more time is needed to develop an outline that will guide police oversight and accountability to ensure uprightness in the structures of the police force is reinforced. Accountability denotes a range of definitions that include the state of answerability, openness, efficient management and responsiveness (Newburn, 2008). Police accountability entails holding individual police officers together with law enforcement agencies responsible for efficiently delivering fundamental services that involve the control of crime while maintaining order (Calderon and Hernandez-Figueroa, 2013). This should be done while treating the people fairly and within the confines of the law. The police are supposed to maintain laws that deal with the due process, searches as well as seizures, arrest of offenders, discrimination and the laws that are associated with equal employment, sexual harassment and so on. In a society that is of a democratic nature, the political processes together with the officials who are elected are supposed to make sure the police are accountable and they represent the will of the people. The process of making sure the police maintain a certain l evel of accountability is vital as far as the maintaining of the faith the public has in the system is concerned (Kagari and Thomas, 2006, p. 41). The police themselves can be considered as core players as far restoring and maintaining the integrity of the police is concerned and their accountability is not limited to the police as well as the independent police agencies (Prenzler, 2009, p. 93). The different bodies which form the state all play a particular role while the role of the public is more than being clients that have the ability to share their concerns since they are supposed to share responsibility that will allow for fair and efficient policing. The police are guided by the rule of law as well as legislation that

External Scanning and Analysis (Tata Motors) Essay

External Scanning and Analysis (Tata Motors) - Essay Example This is evident by the increasing demand for automobiles, new technologies in the industry, emergence of news products, and ratification of novel regulations to govern the industry. Such challenges create both opportunities and threats to Tata Motors in terms unique market demands. The market trend for automobiles is thriving with young people proving to be the potential buyers for cars. Automobile firms target youngsters who like trendy cars and other vehicles. Despite these changing trends, most organizations have also defined their demands on the kind of vehicles they prefer. Such demands have forced Tata to adjust to the new technologies in making fresh and economical vehicles capable of competing favorably in the market. Companies reminiscent of BMW, Toyota, and Mitsubishi among others threaten Tata Motors. The company has to conform to the new market trends and environmental changes or flourish to extinction. Nevertheless, Tata Motors has thrived to enhance its market share glo bally thus announcing astounding intensification in its revenues in the recent financial years. This illustrates that the company understands its environment and competes favorably with other rivals despite the challenges. Evaluating opportunities together with threats â€Å"Opportunities and threats† form exterior aspects that analyze the market trends during the formulation of future strategies.2 The opportunities deeming for Tata Motors are numerous but depends on its approach to the dynamic automobile markets. One of the opportunities is that the company is able to develop its market presence in many countries globally to enhance its market reach. Additionally, despite the stringent competition in the industry, its rivals might flop. This gives it a chance to boost its market breadth. Another opportunity is that the new lifestyle trends are favoring the Tata cars particularly the ‘Nano-car’ model. Majority of the youngsters prefers to by the state of the art cars giving the company an opportunity to improve and emerge with new products. Additionally, the company targets global niche markets in the compact car models. This grants it an opportunity to storm virgin markets and take root before the flock of other brands. The company also gathers a global influence that grants its some publicity in the market. The market volumes, seasonal fashion influences, partnerships, and well-orchestrated distribution channels are other opportunities enjoyable by Tata Motors globally. The threats engulfing the industry incorporate political and legislative aspects that influence the global markets. Most countries have set rules that might disfavor the automobile industry in terms of importation and use of automobiles. The global uproar on the environmental conservation forms another threat to Tata Motors and other industry players. The threatened world economy, season, climatic concerns, credit pressures, enduring competition, technology developments, a nd changing market demands are other threats that face the automobile industry. Using â€Å"Porter’s 5-forces framework† in evaluating the industry The â€Å"porter’s 5-forces model† illuminates the nature of competition within an industry3. The automobile indu

The meaning and influence of leadership to SAMSUNG Essay

The meaning and influence of leadership to SAMSUNG - Essay Example This document focuses on the different leadership theories and tools. It further illustrates the implementation of these leadership theories in Samsung to understand the importance of leadership management. 2- Background of Samsung Samsung Group is a multinational conglomerate organization having numerous of business subsidiaries and affiliation (Samsung, 2013). Samsung is one of the prominent information technology leaders globally. The organization operates and manages more than 200 hundred subsidiaries (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012). The organization has successfully sustains it market positioning in the global IT market and economy. Samsung is reported to have the largest annual growth and profits (Samsung, 2013). The prominent Samsung industrial subsidiaries includes, Samsung Electronics (ranks fourth largest information Technology Organization), Samsung Engineering and Samsung C & T (13th and 36th largest construction companies in the world), Samsung Life Insurance (14th largest insurance organization of the world), Cheil Worldwide (15th largest advertising agency) and Samsung Everland (the oldest theme park and Everland in South Korea). The success of the organization lies in its strong leadership and strategic management. 3- Literature review Trait Theory of Leadership Trait theory primarily focuses on the heritable attributes, behavior patterns and personal characteristics of the leader (Northouse, 2010). The theory defines that the different personal characteristics and patterns fosters the leader effectiveness in the different groups and organizational situations (Northouse, 2010). Some of the scholars argue that the leadership traits are not acquired; perhaps individuals possess leadership traits that cannot be developed whereas this perspective has been criticized over the period as some of the scholars believe that the leadership traits can be acquired. Leadership behavior Ethical Leadership is the approach of the leaders to develop awareness about the right and wrong. It develops code of conduct for the leaders to make decisions and embed ethical attitudes and behavior (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007). Ethical leadership allows to influences the attitudes and values, foster leader’s behavior and the empowerment of employee. Contingency theory believes that the leadership style shall be appropriate with the dynamic conditions. Fielder’s Contingency theory states that the effective leadership is dependent on the leadership style that is changed with the changing conditions. (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012) The theory assumes that either the leaders are task oriented or relationship oriented; the style leadership adopts shall be according to the preferences of its orientation. It suggests that the task oriented leaders are more focused on the accomplishment of the tasks, whereas the relationship oriented leader’s aims to develop effective communication and interpersonal relationship with its employee (Lunenburg & Orn stein, 2012). Therefore, the leader’s favorability in every situation is the major concerns to develop effective leadership (Daft & Lane, 2008). Fielder’s contingency theory primary focuses on the leader’s personality and the psychological disposition. It further suggests that it is necessary to focus on at least one element of the leader-led situations, though it does not provide a complete description about the issues, but it allows

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Psychology - Essay Example During the development of the personality the primary caregiver must connect with positive regard to the child in order for his or her personality to develop correctly. This becomes the basis for congruence and the personality is more directly connected between the real self and the perceived self. This Rogers perceives as a required psychological adjustment, â€Å"...which is characterized by an openness to experience without defensiveness, congruence between self and experience, and living by an internal locus of evaluation rather than by externally determined conditions of worth." (Demorest 144) His methods puts the clients back in control and Rogerian Therapy is basically a client centered non-directive approach whereby the therapist acts as a conduit for the client so that he can view him or herself more clearly. As human beings we have an "idea" or concept of who we are and what we really should be, hence we create an Ideal Self that we constantly strive for, often in vain. If the perceived self, our own self-image, is not aligned with the actual self, how we really are, there will always be personality problems and dysfunction as one relates to one's self and the rest of the world. (Kail & Wicks).

Three Possible Reasons Why the Funding Was Overlooked Essay

Three Possible Reasons Why the Funding Was Overlooked - Essay Example This essay talks about the Children’s Summer Expense Project and its failure. This paper analyzes why the project failed and presents the three possible reasons why the funding was overlooked and in what three ways that the Children’s Summer Expense Project could be saved. The possible reasons that could have led to overlooking funds are a failure to be ready for an emergency, having life insurance for many individual’s emergencies, and keeping unnecessary large amounts of money. It is not advisable to have so many life insurances for emergencies because they will hold back a lot of money which may never be recovered. This strains the budget because a lot of money is given away with no returns. Keeping a lot of spare money is also not advisable because a person will be tempted to spend it even on things or plans that are not in the budget. The three ways that the Children’s Summer Expense Project could be saved is through daily services program, weekly food distribution program, or the monthly outreach program offered by Making A Way Foundation. This is because every day Making A Way offers property of all type to the needy by reprocessing collected, discarded, utilizable stuff to those in need. Every week, Making A Way presents the way to delivering thousands of pounds of different goods to churches. The products are distributed to single parents, shelters, and senior citizens, low-income families, and scores of all the others that may be in desperate need of these essentials.

Managing people and developing, leading team Essay

Managing people and developing, leading team - Essay Example I am a member of the Libyan students’ society in Leicester; I was involved in a social program that was working with young Libyan people. The organizations involved in coordinating the social program were Libyan Red Crescent and some civil society organizations. The main objective of working with the civil society was to carry out charity works and equip community members with assertive skills with respect to observance of civil rights. Working with young Libyan people was both fun and challenging at the same time because of the stubborn nature of young men when they grow up. This program offered a platform to sharpen my skills, as they will be needed during the next visit. It was crucial that we avoid past mistakes and use new techniques. I worked with young Libyan people in Libyan secondary school in Leicester and Taiba mosque near Libyan school. The project was organized based on the presumption that most young people need some motivations to navigate life and still lead he althy lives. The charity programs helped to reduce the desperation of the locals who were faced with a high rate of unemployment. I applied my aesthetic skills in helping restore the dignity of girls who have been victims of rape and other abuses. There were a lot of activities that indulged young Libyan people, for example, participating in lectures about first aid, playing football, visiting interesting places and others. In order to accomplish the project’s objectives, there was need to partition ourselves into various teams and use the teams as a means of getting to the end. We organized ourselves into strategic teams, which were headed by my fellow colleagues. There was a need to identify common values, goals, and objectives. This was crucial in the management of conflicting interests and desires. The boys were teenagers in their early and late teens, and had a lot of enthusiasm for fun games. Our aim was to use the principles

Plea-bargaining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plea-bargaining - Essay Example The advantage of this system is that there is no need for a trial, a right that the defendant waives losing the chance for acquittal. However, the defendant â€Å"escapes† with a lesser charge than would have been the case had trial been done. The state saves on the cost of conducting a trial (Grossman & Katz, 1983). For the system to be operational, there are issues that are pre-negotiated including the reduction of charges, recommendations regarding the sentence itself or the guarantee that the prosecution would not oppose a request for probation. The process of plea-bargaining after the crime is committed and the accused person is arrested. The accused pleads guilty in exchange of an agreed sentence recommended by the judge. There are three types of pleas bargains. These are charge bargaining, count bargaining and sentence bargaining. The first type of bargain is where the defendant agrees to plead to a charge that is lesser than the one he is charged with. The second is wh ere the defendant will have the number of charges that he faces reduced in number and the third is where the defendant simply pleads guilty with prior knowledge of what the sentence will be. The process of plea bargaining is a private matter where only the accused, the defendant counsel, the prosecutor and in some cases the judge may be in attendance. The offer of plea bargain is used to locate stolen goods, to help arrest other culprits or to know the location of a kidnapped victim or a killed individual. A plea bargain does not undermine the system of law. Although the facts indicate that the practice usually leads to reduced sentences to guilty parties without the process of trial, there are benefits that aid in offsetting the negative sentiments expressed in relation to the practice. There are many advantages to plea bargaining as there are disadvantages. Considering the success rates of plea bargaining compared to that of trials, the practice inadvertently aids in the reduction of criminals on the streets as well as guarantee speedy dispensation of justice (Goldstein, 1997). In exchange, the prosecution gets information that might be valuable to the conviction of more serious crimes or may get information that might be the missing link towards the conclusion of a case in a court or an investigation. There are instances where plea bargaining has been considered as lacking. The prisoner?s dilemma scenario plays out during plea bargains (Schulhofer, 1992). Consider two people who have been accused. The prosecution will attempt to unearth the facts of the case by offering a plea bargain to one party so that he can testify against the other party. Regardless of whether both parties are guilty or not, the person who confesses will give false information incriminating even those who may not be guilty in an attempt to get himself out of the larger sentence. Another scenario is when the defendant cannot raise bail. Such a defendant will plead guilty to the charges leveled against him regardless of whether he is guilty or not. Such a person considers the length of time that trials usually take and chooses to plead to a plea bargain that might present a lesser time than that which he would have faced awaiting trial. Some critics argue that plea bargaining does not always result in saving on costs (Kipnis, 1979). They consider that a prosecutor who has a remote chance of getting a conviction may enter a plea bargain with the aim of getting reduced time for the defendant. If such a defendant accepts the deal, he will increase the cost to the state as he will be catered for in a jail. On the contrary, if the trial had dragged on until the end, the defendant would have been acquitted and that would have carried no extra cost to the state. There are