Incventive plans and organisational objectives Essay

Incventive plans and organisational objectives - Essay Example Basing incentives on the traditional plans such as promotion may not necessarily result in meeting of the company’s objectives. The incentives can be either in the form of momentary or non-momentary rewards (Bohlander, 2010). Monetary rewards include salary increments and bonuses, while non-monetary include recognition and promotion. How incentives plans help or do not help in achieving the organizational objectives Research has shown that incentives based on performance results in immense success in, attainment of the company goals. Such an incentive plan harmonizes the company’s preferences with the individual employees’ preferences. In hiring new worker, this kind of plan can be particularly useful in screening out only the beast employees who are merited to do a certain job. It acts as a motivator pushing the worker to increase their job input. Another benefit accrued to performance-based incentives is that workers tend to give better results in situations wh ere their performance is assessed individually compared to team assessment (Bohlander 2010). Workers tend to be loyal to such companies and show a desire to work in such firms or longer period. A firm that uses performance based incentives attracts competent workers who are not afraid of being put under the spotlight. An incentive plan may fail to fulfill its intended objective if the employees are not made to understand the intention of the incentive. They should honestly communicate the objectives of the plan. This will integrate the employees in the plan, by making clear communication. The rewards obtained from its implementation should exceed the cost. The most effective incentive plan is self-sustaining. An incentive plan may fail depending on the type of incentive used. Not all incentives work for everyone. The management should settle for an incentive plan that favors the majority of the workers (Caruth & Handlogten 2001). Failure to sufficiently differentiate between high an d low performance may result in the incentive plan not achieving its purpose. For instance, if the incentive given to the higher performers has minimal difference to the one given to the average performer, the high performing workers may feel that the company does not recognize their effort. This would result in the workers being demoralized and demotivated: the opposite of what the company intended to achieve by coming up with the plan. The incentive should measure up to the effort the workers put in the job. The employees who show less effort should receive less reward compared to the higher performers. Another reason why an incentive plan may fail is if it is inflexible. For it to be fruitful, it should first be introduced on a trial bases targeting a small group. This is to ensure it is effective and correcting the flaws that it may have before it is implemented. The plan should be constantly modified to meet the needs that may arise (Caruth & Handlogten 2001). The timing may al so ensure the success or failure of the plan. For it to be successful, the timing of the issuing of the reward should be tied to the qualifying event. The basic salary should be harmonized with inflation as well as to the increase in responsibilities. The company should also identify the persons eligible for the incentive plan. This is because

How Important Is Money Essay Example for Free

How Important Is Money Essay To different people money is important in many ways. Money is used to do a lot, you use it to buy a house so you have somewhere to live instead of living under a bridge, you use it to keep your car running properly, and without money a lot of people wouldn’t be happy. Without money people cannot live healthy. You need money to buy food, clothing, and personal hygiene products. Some people go over bored and think that money is a necessity to have and whine up going over board and buying things non-essential to natural living. To me money is less important as long as I have enough to get food for my family, a roof over my head, clothing on my family and myself, power to my house, and gas in my car or money to ride the bus I am completely happy and that is what is important about money to me. It would be nice to have some extra here and there but as long as my family and I can survive that is all that matter. How would you pay your bills if you didn’t have money? How would sick children get the help they need without money? Both of these questions are questions that have been a big deal in my life. The answer to each is you would be able to. Even if you didn’t have money and you needed assistant that still involves someone donating the money. Money is an important aspect to everyone in this thing called life. Then again to other people money might be important in other ways. It all depends on who we are talking about when we ask the question â€Å"How important is money? † Without money we wouldn’t be able to go to school and prepare for life or get college degrees and further our educations. We wouldn’t be able to pay for medications that help heal us of any diseases or pain management. I do subscribe to the notion that money isn’t everything but I also believe that it is a major, critical facet of life today. If we can take the need for money out of our life’s equation then we will be free to live life as it’s meant to be lived but as long as it remains a means for survival nobody can tell me money isn’t important or doesn’t create an immense amount of unhappiness and stress. I think it’s very easy to say money isn’t important when you’ve got a lot of it but when you haven’t got it; it’s the most stressful part of living life. Many will argue that money is an object that, while making life a little easier, doesn’t or can’t buy happiness.

billy budd Essay -- essays research papers

Billy Budd & Typee takes place around the late 1700’s. Billy Budd is assigned to The British naval ship H.M.S. Bellipotent from his previous ship the Rights-of-Man, a merchant ship. Billy's commanding officer, Captain Graveling, doesn’t want to let one of his best men go, but has does not have choice in the face of the superior ship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Billy packs up his gear and follows the officer of the Bellipotent. After Billy gives a good-bye to his old ship mates, He settles in quickly among the company of the Bellipotent. He is useful and eager in to work, and is assigned to foretopman and gets to know more experienced sailors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Billy is very upset by the sight of a violent wiping given to one of the ship's crew. Hoping to avoid a this kind of punishment, Billy works harder at his duties, but finds himself not measuring up to certain officers. So Billy goes to get advice from the Dansker, an older, more experienced sailor. After explaining the situation to him, the Dansker tells Billy that Claggart, the master-at-arms, holds a grudge against Billy. Refusing to accept this, Billy dismisses the Dansker's opinion but continues to debate his situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later, at a lunchtime, Billy accidentally spills his soup pan in the ship's dining room after a sudden shake of the ship. The soup trickles to the feet of the passing Claggart, who makes an light hearted remark about the spill. The rest of the men la...

Invisible Man Essay: Inner, Outer, and Other Direction -- Invisible Ma

Inner, Outer, and Other direction in Invisible Man Ralph Ellison wrote his novel, Invisible Man, in an attempt to open our eyes.   Ellison created his nameless character, the Invisible Man, in order to establish a medium for the message of the novel.   It is the opinion of this student that if one chooses to further examine the protagonist character, then she or he can better understand the themes behind Ellison's narrative.   As one analyzes the novel, he or she soon recognizes a number of predominant character traits that can be associated with the Invisible Man.   This student was fortunate enough to experience a lesson of that which the characteristics of inner, outer, and other direction were discussed.   Once an understanding of concepts from the lesson was established, the assessment of Ellison's work became less painful.   The characteristics are simple. Inner simply represents an individual's self-motivation for taking an action.   Outer represents an individual's attempt to please others in the actions the he or she takes, and other signifies an individuals attempts to emulate those around him.   The protagonist in Invisible Man displays each characteristic during the course of the novel, but two dominate his mindset and eventually aid in formulating Ellison's theme.   This scholar will attempt to examine each characteristic in the following paragraphs, and it is hoped that the reader will attain a better understanding of the novel itself.   The inner character attribute is nearly non-existent in the Invisible Man.   This, for the most part, can be contributed to ideologies that the character feels compelled to adopt during the span of the novel.   Although the content of each ideology differs, there are a number of const... ...imply reveal himself to society, combined with his persistence to act the part of another, prevents for true self identification.   As with Bledsoe, Ellison's protagonist remains lost and unfulfilled.   Ellison successfully creates a character capable of expressing inner, outer, and other direction, but often choosing only the latter two.   The lack of inner direction renders the Invisible Man incapable of establishing himself.   The ideologies and principles presented by others never reflected the narrator's true beliefs, and throughout the novel, he struggled to contour his mind and heart to their demands.   Ironically, the reader is faced with the dismal fact that despite the narrator's abilities, he remains just the same as he was presented in the first chapter.   He is a man without an identity.   Works Cited: Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man New York: 1952.

Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast

Stephanie Ferrone Mrs. D’Addario ENG3U October 26, 2012 Beauty or Beast? Her thin, fine lipped smile transformed into an â€Å"Angelina Jolie† like pout. Rosy, red, round, cheekbones as high as the Himalayans stick out on her face. Her jaw line is sharp and defined. Everywhere she walks she turns heads, people stare. What are people thinking? Beauty or beast? A girl as described above would be the typical face of a cover girl, that would be plastered on the front page of magazines everywhere. These magazines call out to teenagers and woman, brainwashing them to think that if you want to be beautiful, you have to look a certain way.Plastic surgery is a harmful way to convert yourself into society’s unrealistic depiction of beauty. Having cosmetic procedures done can have many health risks, can create a false idea of beauty, as well as an addiction to this unhealthy habit. There are many health concerns associated with cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgery can cause ex cessive bleeding, scarring, necrosis which is the death of tissues, as well as more serious effects such as nerve damage which can eventually lead to muscle paralysis. In some extremely rare cases, uncontrolled bleeding can even lead to death.In 2007, hip-hop superstar Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, passed away at the age of 58 after receiving a breast reduction and tummy tuck. She suffered extreme bleeding after going home to recover from the operation. According to the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, one of 51,459 patients dies from cosmetic operations. Plastic surgery can be terribly dangerous to your body, but it can also be equally dangerous to your mental health aswell. Media and society have raised the bar for every teenager and woman.Ordinary people are constantly being bombarded with ads on how they should look, and what society believes is beautiful. Plastic surgery creates a false idea of beauty, which is impossible to live up to. According to The Ame rican Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, from 1997 to 2010, the increase in cosmetic procedures has increased by over 115 percent. Due to the increase of plastic surgery, teens and women are more exposed to it, which is making them be more critical toward their bodies. Being unhappy with your physical appearance leads women to get cosmetic procedures.Women go into the operating room with high expectations, thinking that once they look a certain way it will change their life, fix their problems and open up doors for them. It is important to understand that there is no such thing as physical â€Å"perfection†. Plastic surgery is only a mask that women use to hide their flaws and insecurities. Most woman do not understand this, and if their results do not turn out the way they desired it to be, it can be very devastating for some patients and lead them into depression.The Aesthetic Surgery Journal states that 13 percent of plastic surgery patients are unhappy with the outcom e of their procedures. If women continue to be unhappy with their physical appearance it can be followed by a serious addiction to cosmetic operations. Cosmetic surgery addiction is the ongoing desire to receive plastic surgery to the point of excess. Addicts are usually physically distinguishable because of their fake, unnatural appearance. Nearly half of plastic surgery patients have had more than one cosmetic procedure.The percent of patients in 2008, returning for another surgery after their first procedure has increased from 37 to 44 percent since 2002. It most cases, people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) suffer from plastic surgery addiction. Symptoms of BDD are constant low self esteem, obsessive thoughts about body defects, and envying the physical appearance of others. Unfortunately, most people suffering from BDD will not seek psychiatric help, and will continue to receive cosmetic procedures even if advised not to by their surgeon. Cosmetic surgery addiction can be v ery dangerous to ones physical and mental health.In conclusion, plastic surgery can be incredibly risky for your health, can create a completely unrealistic idea of beauty and can lead to a serious uncontrollable addiction. It is not worth to lose your life just because of the desire for high cheek bones and plump lips. It is important to remember that the idea of physical perfection does not exist and that looking a certain way will not change your life for the better. Most of us are so focused on comparing our body to others and obsessing over our physical appearance that we often forget beauty comes from within.So with all this being said, how do you define true beauty? Works Cited â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery Addiction. † – AllTreatment. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . Flinn, Mary. â€Å"Negative Psychological Effects of Cosmetic Surgery. † EHow. Demand Media, 18 Mar. 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Health Risks of Cosmetic Surgery. † Health Risks of Cosmetic Surgery. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Kanye West's Mom Dies after Cosmetic Surgery. † NY Daily News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast? † Plastic Surgery: Beauty or Beast? N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Plastic Surgery Demographics. † : Who's Getting Cosmetic Surgery? N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. .

Ethics of Jurassic Park essays

Ethics of Jurassic Park essays Upon reading Michael Crichtons famous Jurassic Park, there were things that sparked me that the movie didnt. This paper, though, is not to compare the movie from the book, but to analyze the ethics behind the making of Jurassic Park. Was it right or wrong for Hammond to make this dangerous amusement park? Was he going too far in bringing back the past into the present? Questions like these help us see the true meaning of this book-responsibility of using ones power to do incredible things and even doing the impossible, while knowing what consequences ones actions might bring. Looking at the ethics of the book, we need to look at the theme incorporated-total responsibility for ones actions and accepting the consequences for any decisions made by the party. By defining ethics as standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which involves the ability to discern from right and wrong, one can see that from reading Jurassic Park, Hammond and his associates are the ones to look at. The people behind the making of the amusement park should not be blamed, but should be looked at because of their decisions. Their ability to not discern from right and wrong and not evaluating the consequences of their action, led the park to a disaster-to the newly made animals and to the humans as well. And by answering one basic question, the ethics of Hammond and his associates can be looked at more extensively. The question dealt with is: Was it right or wrong for Hammond to make this dangerous amusement park? For this question, two views need to be looked at, of course-right or wrong. Through the eyes of Hammond, he wanted to make a mark in humanity, bring back the past, and wanted people to enjoy what they missed by reliving what happened back in the Jurassic era. To him, building this for the people would ...

How to Do the Flame Test

How to Do the Flame Test You can use a flame test to help identify the composition of a sample. The test is used to identify metal ions (and certain other ions) based on the characteristic emission spectrum of the elements. The test is performed by dipping a wire or wooden splint into a sample solution or coating it with the powdered metal salt. The color of a gas flame is observed as the sample is heated. If a wooden splint is used, its necessary to wave the sample through the flame to avoid setting the wood on fire. The color of the flame is compared against the flame colors known to be associated with the metals. If a wire is used, it is cleaned between tests by dipping it in hydrochloric acid, followed by a rinse in distilled water. Flame Colors of Metals magenta: lithiumlilac: potassiumazure blue: seleniumblue: arsenic, cesium, copper(I), indium, leadblue-green: copper(II) halide, zincpale blue-green: phosphorusgreen: copper(II) non-halide, thalliumbright green: boronpale to apple green: bariumpale green: antimony, telluriumyellowish-green: manganese(II), molybdenumintense yellow: sodiumgold: ironorange to red: calciumred: rubidiumcrimson: strontiumbright white: magnesium Notes about the Flame Test The flame test is easy to perform and does not require special equipment, but there are drawbacks to using the test. The test is intended to help identify a pure sample; any impurities from other metals will affect the results. Sodium is a common contaminant of many metal compounds, plus it burns brightly enough that it can mask the colors of other components of a sample. Sometimes the test is performed by viewing the flame through blue cobalt glass to strip the yellow color from the flame. The flame test generally cant be used to detect low concentrations of metal in a sample. Some metals produce similar emission spectra (for example, it may be difficult to distinguish between the green flame from thallium and the bright green flame from boron). The test cannot be used to distinguish between all metals, so while it has some value as a qualitative analytical technique, it must be used in conjunction with other methods to identify a sample.

Are you ready to be your own boss

Are you ready to be your own boss Let’s be honest: if you have a job, you have boss issues. Even if you like your boss, even if you work well with your boss, even if you are pretty happy at work†¦ there will inevitably be some kind of disagreement or frustration. It happens to literally everyone. When these issues pop up, whether serious or just mildly annoying, you might fantasize about what it would be like to ditch the aforementioned boss and go your own way. But not everyone is cut out to be their own boss for real. Before you quit and commit to the ideal of the boss-free lifestyle, let’s look at some of the questions you should ask yourself first if you’re serious about making this work.Does your personality mesh with the freelance life?Remember that once you embark on your new career as a business owner or freelance professional, it’s going to be just you taking care of everything. That means your own personality is going to play a large part in whether this is truly the right c hoice for your career. If the answer to any of these questions is â€Å"yes† or â€Å"kinda,† then you might want to reconsider making the jump right now.Do I need a lot of guidance in setting my own tasks- and finishing them?Do I need a lot of input from others before I can get started on a project?Do I give up quickly if a task is difficult?Am I hesitant to ask other people for things?Do I panic when things go wrong?Do I have trouble prioritizing projects or tasks without input?If the answer is â€Å"yes† to all or most of these questions, there’s no shame in that. And it’s not a dealbreaker. It just means you’re likely not ready (yet). These are all things you can work on overcoming, if your goal is to be more independent and take-charge in your work life. But when you become your own boss, you already need to have a pretty self-directed working style.Where do you get your validation?After your personality, it’s time to consider wh at makes you feel valued, and what motivates you, professionally. Ask yourself the following questions:Am I driven by my own sense of ambition or self-satisfaction?Do I need positive reinforcement from others to feel like I’ve done a good job?Again, needing an external source for these things isn’t a personality flaw. But if you are someone who takes validation and feelings of success from how others see you, then you might not find the boss role very rewarding or fulfilling. Being honest about what drives you is the key element here.What’s your social style?If you’re going freelance, there’s a good chance that at first it’ll be just you in your home office, or whatever space you’ve set aside for your new work life. And I can assure you that while pets are great, they’re not really helpful when you need to bounce ideas or chat about last night’s awards show. Here’s what you need to ponder:Am I prepared to chug alo ng solo for long periods of time, with no coworker chat breaks or face-to-face interactions to break up the work day?Am I okay with most work communication happening via email or phone?Do I need a lot of feedback from others throughout the day?Do I feel lonely if I don’t have much interaction with others during the day?And if you’re the boss, it can also mean having to shut down distractions around you as well, if your new work environment has disruptions like family members, loud noises, etc. Being the boss means you’ll likely have to both embrace and enforce the solitude factor as necessary to get things done.Are you prepared for a boss-level workload?The main difference between being the boss and acting like a boss is the workload. You can fake-it-till-you-make-it on a lot of things, like confidence. But the work you do is going to be challenging when you’re doing it on your own.Am I ready for long hours, or potentially working on weekends or holidays? Am I prepared to be a jack-of-all-trades if necessary, or do I prefer to stay in my lane?Am I prepared for the frustrations that can come with being in charge?Do I feel comfortable managing others?Realistically, work-life balance may be one of the toughest things to manage if you’re out on your own. The 40-hour work week (or whatever you’re accustomed to now) will likely balloon, once you’re doing the work of managing your business on top of the day-to-day operations of your job. If the idea of answering emails at 10 p.m. makes you want to hide, then you might want to reconsider your readiness to take this step.And if your business expands and you end up taking on employees or other contractors, you need to be prepare to manage them as well- not just yourself. Being the boss means keeping everyone focused on getting the work done.What’s your financial personality?One of the most important factors to breaking out on your own is the financial aspect.Am I pr epared to handle the logistics of income/payments, taxes, benefits, and accounting?Am I financially literate?Am I ready to make sacrifices if things don’t go well, financially?Am I good at paying bills on time?These are basic infrastructure questions. Whether you work for a big company or a small one, there are departments and policies in place, and usually there are people whose job it is to handle different aspects of workplace necessities like paychecks and benefits. When it’s a company of one, guess who’s responsible for all of that infrastructure? It may be possible to outsource a lot of the paperwork and financial details, but it will still require a degree of organization and management on your part. Being the boss means owning every aspect of your business, because your name and reputation will be on every document, every contract, every customer or client relationship. If you’re not very solid on financial issues (or don’t yet have a plan to become so), then you might not be ready to be the boss just yet.If you’re considering busting out on your own, there are lots of things to consider: your business plan, your finances, your future career goals. But before you even get to the point of nailing those down, you need to do a brutally honest assessment of whether you’re emotionally and personally ready even to start that journey. Being your own boss can be incredibly rewarding, and just may be the jump that your career needs. However, if you’re not ready to commit to all of the challenges as well as those rewards, then it just might not be the time to do this. And if you’re just not ready yet, it doesn’t mean that you never will be the boss- it just means there’s a little work to do in the meantime.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS 10 QUESTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS 10 QUESTIONS - Essay Example If there are adverse economic conditions affecting the business environment in one country, they may escalate and affect other countries and have a high chance of ending up adopting global proportions. Most of the smaller global firms might find themselves unable to adequately compete on the international market as a result of lack of enough resources. This might cause them to eventually be forced out of business. Political Risk is the risk that a business or individual’s investments could end up suffering a huge loss mainly due to a result of a country’s instability or political changes in a country’s legislative body, government, military control or other foreign policy makers. It is also commonly referred to as geopolitical risk, while economic risk is the risk that a country’s macroeconomic conditions like government regulations, exchange rates and political stability will affect a business entity’s investment in that country to be economically unsustainable as a result of its profit revenues not being sufficient enough to repay its debts and cover its every day operating costs. On the other hand, legal risk is the risk that a company’s business transactions will contravene the regulatory policies in a country or parties in a business contract are not able to enter into any business contract. Managers can manage political risks by better understanding the political uncertainties in a given country and employing the use of mitigation tactics like risk diversification, intellectual property safeguards and buying political insurance. A subsidy is a form of assistance made mostly by governments mostly in the form of tax deductions or cash payments, to businesses like producers and have the result of being distributed as subventions within a given industry with the intention of preventing the overall decline of that industry in the interest of the general public. 4. (TCO D) Despite its advantages, FDI has been described as an "expensive"

The European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The European Union - Essay Example This was in the 1920s and the name of the organization was Patt-European Union. However, real integration in Europe was achieved through the European Economic Community (EEC). The vision of this organization was â€Å"broad enough to achieve real integration across a wide range of policy issues† (â€Å"The political landscape,† 209). The European Economic Community was the pioneer of today`s European Union. It was established by six western European nations; Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands France, Italy, and West Germany, (â€Å"The political landscape,† 209). A major step was taken towards the building of the nations in 1992, with the treaty of European Union also referred to as the Maastricht treaty, signed at an intergovernmental conference that was held in Dutch (â€Å"The political landscape,† 211). This treaty was ratified in 1993, and provided for the continued deepening of cooperation among member nations in different areas, and cooperation into three forms referred to as the pillar of the union. These are the European Community, the common foreign and security policy, and the cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs (â€Å"The political landscape,† 212). The European Union is an umbrella that stands over these three constituent pillar organizations. In 1990, the European Union removed all trade barriers allowing free movement of people. During these years, the European Union had an integrative development to have a single currency. This began when Maastricht treaty set a timetable at was set to achieve monetary union. The second step was the establishment of the European monetary institution that was to strengthen the coordination of the monetary policies of the member states. Nevertheless, Denmark rejected the idea of a single currency and feared that the adoption of the Euro would steer unacceptable erosion of the Danish political sovereignty (â€Å"The political landscape,† 212). Sweden took a go slow approach, hoping to join

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

Assignment Description - Research Paper Example In brief, this book is of very much help for both HR executives and students alike. 2. Joshi, G. Employee counseling-are we ready for it? Retrieved 20 April 2011 from http://www.123oye.com/job-articles/hr/employee-counselling-hr.htm This article draws attention to counseling as a trend that has immense impact on employees of an organization. The writer compares counseling to a tool that helps to achieve organizational goals. The importance of employee counseling is briefly discussed here in it. It also tries to mention the basic qualities of a counselor and how his advice should be. This work has simplified the complex and vague concept of counseling in to an interesting piece of writing which is easily understandable by all from various walks. 3. Yadav, L. B. (Ed.). (2000). Readings in Social and Labor Welfare. New Delhi: Anmol Publications PVT LTD. This book brings together rich information on all vital matters of labor as well as social welfare. This highlights the importance of g iving employee welfare the prime consideration. The historical development of the policy of labor welfare is elaborately discussed in this that it provides the reader with a clear cut idea about how it became as we see today. The structural frame work of employee welfare is well established so as to help an organization to develop a healthy atmosphere from existing working condition. 4. Roberts, G. (1997). Recruitment and Selection: A company Approach. UK: CIPD Publishing. This book serves as a helping material to the process of recruitment and selection. The writer has endeavored to bring in an analysis of all the fundamental aspects of recruitment and selection processes which will be of great interest and help for the students concerned. Still, the main aim of this book is to assist those people who are very much involved in the recruitment and selection trials of individuals at whatever levels; for, it provides practical guidance with sufficient coverage of issues. 5. Amstrong, M. (2000). Strategic human resource management: A guide to action. US: Kogan Page Publishers. This book is a broad compendium of human resource management definitions and explanations about aligning of strategies with organizational goals. Its main aim is to bring down the gap between decisions and actions by citing formulation of human resource strategies and ways of implementing them. This book is divided into four segments which represent the human resource management, the practicalities of implementing strategic human resource management strategies and organizational and functional strategies from practical point of view. 6. Callaway, P. L. (2007). The Relationship of organizational trust and satisfaction: An analysis in the US federal work force. Florida: Universal Publishers. This book is meant for professionals and students who are in the field of business management, organizational studies and human resource management. This provides an over view about what job satisfaction actually is. It cites trust and job satisfaction as of strategic importance. In the study conducted in seven selected US federal agencies, it indicates that if effective communication is done at proper times the top managements truly give their ears to the employees’ concerns and make no difference between males and females. 7. Hamlin, D. (August 8, 2009). Why the importance of HR manager should not be under estimated? Helium: Human Resources. Retrieved 20 April 2011 from

Social media make your life worse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social media make your life worse - Essay Example Social media is a platform where people from different backgrounds interact, exchange ideas or information in virtual networks. It depends on mobile and web based technologies to create platforms through which communities use, share and discuss the already existent information or content. Social media changes how communications are effected between organizations, communities and individuals at different levels. Social media has always been associated with positive incomes yet this is not the case, however its benefits are countless (Nigel 60). The negative side of the social media has impacts felt hard and they could destroy one’s view of the social sites, the world and even themselves. The benefits of using social media include; building good reputations, online marketing, career opportunities and income. For the individuals, they are able to improve their social relationships as well as networking as observed from an interview conducted between Crawford and Wang. Crawford ad mits to the advantage of the social media by saying â€Å"social media increase our social interaction and give us more ways to make social connections. It is help to make some new friends, something like that, everyone should like social media.† Social media uses different technologies that include; use of blogs, wall posting and crowd sourcing. Social media could interfere with the way someone views some ideas hence make one’s life worse if it’s not used in the right manner for the desired purpose. As Crawford states, â€Å"Social media wastes our time in chatting but we are totally updated with the present news which were happening around us. So, don't see social networking as threats but just as the opportunities where we can interact with the people globally.† It is evident that as much as social media has attractive features that make one glued to their mobile phones or computers for more time, it leads to time wastage as internet users spend more t ime on the social media site that on any other site. A research in the US shows that the total time spent on social media in mobile phones and personal computers increased by 37% in a year that is 121 billion minutes in 2012 compared to 88 billion minutes in 2012. Some school children even spend more time on social media than on their books; this corrupts their mind and makes them not concentrate on their school work. All this time wasted or spent unwisely in the social media leads to poor grades in school and under performance in the work stations. Social media has always been criticized because of its exclusiveness that is most sites do not allow the transfer of information from one site to another. This therefore leads to disparity in the sharing of information that is available due to untrustworthiness, informational reliability, media content ownerships and the different meanings of information as displayed by these social platforms (Kaplan 72). Information from one site to ano ther cannot be transferred to another hence creates individualism, which allows them to advertise and display their own information (Nigel 42). Some information that is displayed on most social media sites is destructive rather than constructive to one’s mind and view of daily activities. Some information regarding cults, death, use of warfare weapons could make one curious and ready to venture or find out the truth about such information. Pornographic pictures and linkages destroys one’s brain because they tend to be addictive, this leads to an increase in the number of rape cases, violence and other activities that are against our way of culture and belief as people from different backgrounds (Nigel 55). Social media leads

Choosing MBA Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choosing MBA Program - Essay Example The most vital factor considered when choosing an MBA program is the cost of the program. In Canada, the most expensive business administration programs are offered in Rotman (Toronto), Ivey (Western), Queens, Schulich (York) and Desautels. Their prices range from $50,000 to around $100,000. Also, the cheapest business administration programs range from $5,000 to approximately $10,000. They are offered in institutions such as the University of Quebec, Royal Military College, Sherbrooke, Laval and Memorial (MBA Programs.org., 2012). The other factors considered when selecting an MBA program include the teaching quality, peer group, competition, international accreditation, reputation of the school, curriculum, and bilingualism among other factors (Hecterra Inc., 2012). All these factors are of vital importance before an individual selects his or her Masters in Business Administration program of choice. When one earns a Masters in Business Administration degree, they are able provide m anagement skills and business skills. Furthermore, the program shapes one’s vision to do international business. Most school profiles provide convenient information regarding the programs (Bragg, 2011). In Canada, these programs at accredited schools are similar to those in Anglo-Saxon countries. This is because the accreditation standards are not similar in most countries. Some states have various legal requirements for accreditation. Firstly, the learners cover a wide field of programs. Afterwards, in their second year they specialize on their curriculum of interest. Most of the business administration programs provide training which goes beyond general business management. Additionally, the programs allow the individual to earn joint degrees (Corbett, 1998). The full-time and part-time Masters in Business Administration programs are often seen as the tradition education model. This is mainly because the students cover a wide range of topics in their first year. Lucky enoug h, the part-time MBA programs are flexible because, the student can multitask. This asserts that learners are able to work while subsequently pursuing their studies since; there programs require less class time (Corbett, 1998). In this case, I have chosen to specialize in the accounting field. The Master of Accountancy is regarded as a graduate professional degree which prepares the learners for public accounting. Furthermore, this field of specialization provides the learner with 150 credit hours as required by most states before taking the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination. The program runs for a period of one year which contains over twelve semester credit courses. On the contrary, the accounting field is not liable for preparing the learners to undertake (Certified Public Accountant) CPA examinations. From research, after graduating, one enters into the consulting or the corporate accounting field. Alternatively, the graduates have the capability to pursue Certifie d Internal Auditor (CIA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) among other certificate programs. For online accredited programs, accounting allows learners to perform duties such as financial planning, information technology operations, reviewing corporate budgets among other operations. The Master of Accounting Program (MAcc) also develops the learner’

Social media make your life worse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social media make your life worse - Essay Example Social media is a platform where people from different backgrounds interact, exchange ideas or information in virtual networks. It depends on mobile and web based technologies to create platforms through which communities use, share and discuss the already existent information or content. Social media changes how communications are effected between organizations, communities and individuals at different levels. Social media has always been associated with positive incomes yet this is not the case, however its benefits are countless (Nigel 60). The negative side of the social media has impacts felt hard and they could destroy one’s view of the social sites, the world and even themselves. The benefits of using social media include; building good reputations, online marketing, career opportunities and income. For the individuals, they are able to improve their social relationships as well as networking as observed from an interview conducted between Crawford and Wang. Crawford ad mits to the advantage of the social media by saying â€Å"social media increase our social interaction and give us more ways to make social connections. It is help to make some new friends, something like that, everyone should like social media.† Social media uses different technologies that include; use of blogs, wall posting and crowd sourcing. Social media could interfere with the way someone views some ideas hence make one’s life worse if it’s not used in the right manner for the desired purpose. As Crawford states, â€Å"Social media wastes our time in chatting but we are totally updated with the present news which were happening around us. So, don't see social networking as threats but just as the opportunities where we can interact with the people globally.† It is evident that as much as social media has attractive features that make one glued to their mobile phones or computers for more time, it leads to time wastage as internet users spend more t ime on the social media site that on any other site. A research in the US shows that the total time spent on social media in mobile phones and personal computers increased by 37% in a year that is 121 billion minutes in 2012 compared to 88 billion minutes in 2012. Some school children even spend more time on social media than on their books; this corrupts their mind and makes them not concentrate on their school work. All this time wasted or spent unwisely in the social media leads to poor grades in school and under performance in the work stations. Social media has always been criticized because of its exclusiveness that is most sites do not allow the transfer of information from one site to another. This therefore leads to disparity in the sharing of information that is available due to untrustworthiness, informational reliability, media content ownerships and the different meanings of information as displayed by these social platforms (Kaplan 72). Information from one site to ano ther cannot be transferred to another hence creates individualism, which allows them to advertise and display their own information (Nigel 42). Some information that is displayed on most social media sites is destructive rather than constructive to one’s mind and view of daily activities. Some information regarding cults, death, use of warfare weapons could make one curious and ready to venture or find out the truth about such information. Pornographic pictures and linkages destroys one’s brain because they tend to be addictive, this leads to an increase in the number of rape cases, violence and other activities that are against our way of culture and belief as people from different backgrounds (Nigel 55). Social media leads

Second paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Second paper - Essay Example t France lack sufficient outlets since Germany is situating obstacles of trade, the U.S have become protectionists, huge markets are attenuating causing intricacy in access them as well as the large states empty alien goods into the French markets. He states that currently, competition, demand and supply commandment, liberty of trade, and consequences of conjecture, all exude in a vast circle and this makes it an immense economic intricacy and tremendously grave predicament. Jules argues that it is necessary to take safety measures against the South American market being uncertain and possibly occupied by goods from North America. He maintains that greater races have the right since they have an obligation to advance substandard races. In addition, those European states exonerate themselves with munificence, with sumptuousness and genuineness of the responsibility of advanced civilizing. He affirms that the French colonial development policy has put them below the empire that has led them to Tunisia then to Madagascar. That the policy was stimulated by the verity that a navy like one they have cannot be exclusive of docks that are secure, defenses, as well as delivery centers on the soaring seas. According to Jules, these contemplations advantage the complete interests of nationalists. The naval warfare settings have changed significantly. Refuge, areas of supply, docks for security and provisioning are deeply required and thus the need of Tunisia, Indochina and Saigon, as well as Madagascar. The strengths of the ideas developed by Jules rely majorly on the economic factors brought about by the period. This is in form of exports and trade ties that the two regions benefitted from each other. Since countries like France were weak in form of trade, it would benefit from trade carried out by its neighbors (Ooi 2004). The weakness is in form of policies being implemented by the superior nations. This point can be used by other regions to implement slavery and

United For Israel Essay Example for Free

United For Israel Essay Unity of Israel is needed today more than ever. All the inhabitants of Israel should come together at this moment and show solidarity in the wake of the external problems that are posed to this holy nation. Zionism as described in the holy books used by Christians and Jews has to be fulfilled. The establishment of the State of Israel in 1947 after the dreaded Holocaust was the initial stage in the fulfillment of the prophetic Zion. The Holocaust carried out by the Nazi was a traumatic experience to the Jews and the Christians alike. Israel at the moment is faced by numerous threats from the enemies who have surrounded it. Unity in Israel is a necessity for us to face the impending danger that can be associated to the Holocaust during the Second World War (Merkley, para 1). Following the decision by the United Nations to establish a Jewish State in November of 1947, the world generally agreed that justice had been done to the Jewish people. Thus diligent friends of the Zion agreed that the creation of Israel as a just move was relative one. At the same time, the continued occupation of various territories by Israel at present can be defended in terms of justice with some claiming that some people have suffered injustices due to the Israel occupation. The historical relationship between the churches and Israel has been influenced by their 1948-49 Israel’s Independence war whereby most church leaders had to rework the moral arithmetic finding ‘justice’ in the claims advanced by the Arab Palestinians and little ‘justice’ in the Israel’s position on the matter (Merkley, para 3). However, conservative Christians have remained consistent in supporting the claims advanced by Israel. This has been driven by the notion that Christina Zionists have prioritized the case for the Restoration of the Jews as ordained by the scriptures and therefore resisting any such activities amounted to sinning (Merkley, para 6). In the current world, the World Council of Churches remains to be among the most formidable organizations that reprimand the activities of Israel in the Middle East. Christian Zionists in Israel and around the world should not be swayed by this rhetoric and support the course taken by Israel. This letter was meant to convince the Christians to come and join the ranks of the Zionists spearheaded by the Jews. This is not in the best interest of the Jewish state alone but must be looked at in terms of that tiny piece of land is the battleground for the survival of Jews and Christians alike and for the one God who bestowed that land to the Jewish people as the fountain from which would flow the morality, the willingness to fight the forces of evil in the name of that one God (Weisman, para 5). The Zionist movement is faced with various threats and these forces of evils shall rule by the sword if left unchecked. Christians need to join in the battle for the security of Israel which also expands to include the security of Christianity itself. It must be noted that if left unchecked, the evil forces shall destroy the Jewish people and the Christians will also be destroyed (Weisman, para 5). The alliance between the Christians and the Jews is not something to negotiate about now as there is no time for the negotiations. Zionists and those supporting the movement must unite to defeat the anti-Zionist tendencies that are witnessed in the world today. Israel is the epicenter of all this and that collaboration between the Christians and Jews is a necessity. Surrounded by enemies from virtually all directions, the Zion state faces eminent threat from its adversaries (Weisman, para 5). I appreciate the differences that have existed between the Jews and the Christians but this should not be our weakness in this crucial moment. Our perception about the messiah and his second coming must not be the wedge to separate us. I know that Fundamental Christians talk of the Jewish conversion before the Second Coming of Messiah. I know that they hold the belief that those Jews who would have not been converted before the end of the world would perish in a Holocaust during the Battle of Armageddon (Robinson, para 16). These views should not divide us as we believe in the same God and we have to defend the prophetic Zion as inscribed in our Holy Scriptures. Conclusion: I conclude this letter to my friends, the Christians with a call to unite. We have a task at hand that calls us to come out in defense of God’s promise. Unity at this moment in time is more important than ever, and we shall be judged harshly by history if we let this moment pass and our divisions cost us the right to fulfill what the scriptures had prophesized. Zionism has come to pass and right now we are on track towards this fulfillment. There are various challenges as of now but this generation of Jews and Christians have to come together to accomplish what was started after the end of the Second World war through the creation of the Jewish State. Work Cited: Merkley, Paul, C. Christian Attitudes towards the State of Israel: A Birds-Eye View. 2003. Retrieved on 24th July 2010 from; http://christianactionforisrael. org/attitudes. html Robinson, B. A. Christian Zionism: Christian Support For The State Of Israel: The Politics And Theology Of Armageddon. Retrieved on 24th July 2010 from; http://www. religioustolerance. org/chr_isra. htm. Weisman, Inez. Christians and Jews in Common Cause. 2010. Retrieved on 24th July 2010 from; http://christianactionforisrael. org/commoncause. html

Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Ontological Argument

Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Ontological Argument The a priori and analytic argument posed by Anselm states that God must exist solely by definition; it uses the subject of God and predicate of perfection. In Proslogian 2 Anselm defines God as being than which no greater can be conceived  [1]  . Strengths of the Ontological Argument The main strength of Anselms argument is showing that the concept of God is not illogical, though explaining that everyone, even a non-believer must have a concept of God in the mind and because of this have a concept of God existing in reality. By definition, God cannot exist in the mind alone, as no greater can be conceived as something greater could be thought of, namely that same thing existing in both mind and reality. Hence, God must exist in reality by the meaning of the word God. The argument succeeds as it is deductive and clear conclusions can be drawn from it, this leaves the argument with only one answer; God exists. Because of its a priori nature It also offers an actual proof for Gods existence which can be logically debated rather than relying on changeable evidence. Weaknesses of the Ontological Argument The main weakness of Anselms argument is posed by Gaunilo of Marmoutier, a contemporary of Anselm, Gaunilo posed, using reductio ad absurdum, that if the logic of the argument were applied to anything other than God, its conclusion would be unreasonable. The analogy of a perfect island was formulated, and using the same argument as Anselm reasoned that as the perfect island could be thought of, then it also must exist. Though Gainilos perfect island does have flaws itself as it pointed out by Rowe if we follow Anselms reasoning exactly, it does not appear that we can derive an absurdity from the supposition that the island than which none greater is possible does not exist.  [2]  It does highlight the many flaws in Anselms, mainly that something cannot be thought into existence, as Russell states the argument does not, to a modern mind, seem very convincing, but it is easier to feel convinced that it must be fallacious than it is to find out precisely where the fallacy lies.  [3]  Russell draws a clear distinction between existence and essence and argues that the essence of something can be defined but this does not constitute existence. Russell argues that the word exist is used incorrectly in Anselms argument  [4]  . Russell states that to define something is to provide an intention and to add existence would be an extension of that intention, Anselm does provide both as the idea which is said to exist, then that which nothing greater can be conceived must exist, as it is the totality of all ideas. Russell believes that this only constitutes God being the greatest thing one can think of, but does not prove God exists in realily. Anselm responds to this with Proslogian 3, by explaining that something that cannot not exist (necessary existence) is greater than something which could not exist (contingent existence), That God Cannot be Thought Not to Exist  [5]  . This however can be disputed is God is not thought of as a necessity and also as necessary existence can only be applied to God then it is unverifiable. Another weakness in Anselms argument is posed by St Aquinas, as Anselm states God is that which nothing greater can be conceived then to understand God in this way is to be equal to him, which Anselm cannot be, as he is human. Descartes begins his argument from the position that he has certain ideas that have necessary qualities; necessary  [6]  meaning a priori. For example, it is necessary of a triangle that it has three sides and three angles totalling 180 degrees. Because these properties are demonstrably undeniable, he could not have invented such ideas himself. These ideas possess their own undisputable nature which is, regardless of will, perceived clearly and distinctly. Because of this, they must be true. So, if one is able to draw such an idea from ones mind, then whatever one predicates of that thing is truly a predicate of it. Because it is clearly and distinctly recognised that actual existence is a property of God, actual existence is truly of Gods nature. Therefore, Descartes reasons, God exists. This argument only succeeds if existence is regarded as a predicate; Descartes argues that God possesses necessary existence in the same way that a triangle does three sides; this analogy is a main weakness of Descartes argument. It may be easy to understand what it means for a triangle to have three sides, but if the properties of a triangle, such as the number of its sides, then the mental concept of the triangle changes (and becomes a square/rhombus/etc.) it is very difficult to see how existence, or the lack of it, changes the mental concept of God, and so we may be reluctant to say that it is necessary of God. Kant argues that there are differences between something having certain predicates, such as in the case of the triangle, and something existing, in the case of God. Kant argues that the examples given by Descartes are of judgements  [7]  and it is not necessarily true that three sides exist at all. It is only necessarily true that, given a triangle, there are three sides consisting in it. By this understanding, existence is separate from the predicates that determine how a subject is. If Kants view is correct then The Ontological Argument fails, if existence is not a real predicate that is added on to the subject then to deny existence you take away the whole subject. The principle of the Ontological Argument regards this as being as an attribute. The Ontological argument can only succeed using faith in something which cannot be quantified, therefore can only really be used to prove the existence of God by someone who is already a believer, as Barth suggests it can tell what theists believe about God but not whether he exists  [8]  . Because of this the argument ultimately fails, as it claims to be a proof but that proof will never be able to be measured.

Compare the ways in which the authors of The Red Room, The Black Essay

Compare the ways in which the authors of The Red Room, The Black Cottage and The Signalman create fear, suspense and tension. GCSE PROSE STUDY COURSEWORK: Compare the ways in which the authors of "The Red Room", "The Black Cottage" and "The Signalman" create fear, suspense and tension. In this essay i will be analysing the way three accomplished authors create an atmosphere of tension, fear and suspense in their three short stories. Once i had read their stories i instantly noticed how comparable the stories were. They write about fear and suspense in ways only you can comprehend if you have experienced it yourself. The stories seem to be filled with the authors' own experience of fear, suspense and tension, they incorporate this into their story and give the reader the exact feeling of what they personally felt themselves. They make sure that the reader knows how the characters feel and makes the reader become fond of the characters. The reader can really empathize with the writers, because they write in a first person narrative. The stories contain vivid description seen through the eyes of the narrators. The stories were written in victorian times and have a certain gothic style to them. The victorians believed it was immoral to isolate yourself from hummanity and cut yourself off from compassion - there is evidence of this in all three stories. In "The Signalman"(Charles Dickens) the signalman isolates himself from the rest of the world, therefore making the reader feel alone and this plays tricks on his own mind: " "Did it ring your bell yestersay evening when i was here, and you went to the door?" " Twice." " Why see," said i, " how your imagination misleads you. My eyes were on t... ...that the maid could well be alot smarter than the attackers and could escape from the terrorfying situation she is in. "The Signalman", Alot of climax and suspense becomes apparant in this story because the character tries to find out whether the supernatural that haunts him is real: ""Will you come to the door with me and look for it now?" He bit his under lip as though he were somewhat unwilling, but arose." Dickens shows here, that the once arrogant and self admired narrator is frightened of what might be on the other side of the red room's door. This then creates an understanding for the reader that even the most arrogant person will be afraid, once in the presence of the red room. With these examples you can see how the writer creates fear, suspense and tension, and why these stories are so brilliantly appraised as excellent pieces of writing.

The End of the American Civil War Essay -- American History Historical

The End of the American Civil War The purpose of this paper is to show the events surrounding the end of the American Civil War. The two sides which were at war was the union and the confederacy. Which was basically the United States separated into 2 sections going at war with each other. In this document, I will speak about those people who were involved on the battlefield towards the end of the war. The war started in 1861 and was beginning to end by January of 1865. By then, Federal (Federal was another name given to the Union Army) armies were spread throughout the Confederacy and the Confederate Army had lost a lot of men. In the year before, the North had lost an enormous amount of lives, but had more than enough to lose in comparison to the men of the South. General Grant became known as the "Butcher" (Grant, Ulysses S., Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, New York: Charles L. Webster & Co.,1894) and many wanted to see him removed. But Lincoln stood firm with his General, and the war continued. This paper will follow the events that took place between the winter of 1864-65 and the surrender of The Confederate States of America. All of this will most certainly illustrate that April 9, 1865 was indeed the end of a tragedy. CUTTING OFF THE SOUTH In September of 1864, General William T. Sherman and his army cleared the city of Atlanta of its civilian population. It was from there that General Sherman and his army began its famous "march to the sea". The march covered a distance of 400 miles and was 60 miles wide. For 32 days no news of him reached the North. He had cut himself off from his base of supplies, and his men lived on the land through which they passed. On their route, the army destroyed anything and everything that they could not use but was presumed usable to the enemy. In view of this destruction, it is understandable that Sherman quoted "war is hell" (Sherman, William T.,Memoirs of General William T. Sherman. Westport, Conn.:Greenwood Press, 1972). Finally, on December 20, Sherman's men reached the city of Savannah and captured it. From there Sherman telegraphed to President Lincoln: "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton" (Sherman, William T., Memoirs of General William T. Sherman. Westport, Conn.: Greenw... ...n opinion. Yes, slavery was the cause of the Civil War: half of the country thought it was wrong and the other half just couldn't let them go. The Union dead numbered 360,222 and only 110,000 of them died in battle. Confederate dead were estimated at 258,000 including 94,000 who actually died on the field of battle. The Civil War was a great waste in terms of human life and possible accomplishment and should be considered shameful. Before its first centennial, tragedy struck a new country and stained it for eternity. It will never be forgotten but adversity builds strength and the United States of America is now a much stronger nation. Works Cited: 1."The Civil War", Groliers Encyclopedia, 1999 2.Catton, Bruce., A Stillness at Appomattox. New York: Doubleday, 1963 3.Foote, Shelby., The Civil War, Vol. 3. New York: Random, 1974 4.Garraty, John Arthur, The American Nation: A History of the United states to 1877, Vol.1, Eighth Edition. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers, 1995 5.Miers, Earl Schenck, The Last Campaign. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1972 6.Korn, Jerry, Pursuit to Appomattox, The Last Battles. Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1987

Crimes Essay

Crime prevention is a major responsibility of law enforcement organizations. It is necessary to promote and maintain peace and order to the community by executing measures that lessens or diminishes crime rates as impacted by lawbreakers in society. Several solutions bring about the decrease in crime rates in the community. These solutions do not only depend on the roles and responsibilities expected to be carried out by law enforcement agencies, but also require cooperation from the people in communities and the government. Crime prevention should be a group effort because the will to prevent crime is everyone’s concern. With this in mind, one possible solution for crime prevention is motivating the community to be vigilant and cooperative in responding to criminal offenses. Law enforcement agencies cannot prevent crime without the help of other members of the community. In this case, the roles of victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers are magnified. When victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers experience criminal offenses of any gravity or kind, they should report it to the police. This catches the attention of law enforcement agencies allowing them to respond to the situation in a timely and apposite manner. Aside from experiencing criminal offenses, people should be able to inform the police of concerns regarding potential offenses observed in the community. Staying one step ahead is better, and by informing the police of concerns or observations, law enforcement agencies are able to plan ahead to prevent crimes from happening. Another way to prevent crime is by being cautious or vigilant about oneself and his surroundings. People should take safety measures in order to protect themselves, their property, and other people from the harmful nature of offenses. This includes following tips on safety precautions as advised by the state, law enforcement agencies, and concerned citizens or private organizations (HCSO, 2008). Engaging in a joint effort by the neighborhood, such as the establishment of neighborhood watch groups, is also one possible way to reduce or eliminate crime. Crime prevention does not only necessitate cooperating with the police, but also with other members of the community. Neighborhood watch groups are composed of people from a neighborhood who are concerned with the community’s safety and are willing to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies for crime prevention. Through collaboration and teamwork, people in the neighborhood are able to counter crime by evaluating their neighborhood and determining what steps to take in order to increase peace and order in their area. (Solutions for America, 2003) Technology and innovation also play a major part in reducing or eliminating crimes committed by offenders in the community. Law enforcement agencies use information technology in order to prevent crime and capture offenders. Crime rates, data sheets, and other background information about crimes, criminals, usual victims, and environments where crimes take place, etc. re stored electronically in a database managed and maintained by law enforcement agencies. Through this system or database, law enforcement agencies are able to share or view this information whenever needed for reference when it comes to predicting criminals patterns of potential risks that may cause the rise in crime rate in a particular situation. (SCRA, 2008) Continuous research and innovative techniques are being employed by private organizations in order to improve technologies that are being used by law enforcement agencies. For instance, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center or NLECTC is active in research and experimentation in order to improve the quality, features, and functions of law enforcement technologies, making them more suited for crime prevention and criminal capture. Since technology demands high fees, it is the role of the state or federal government to allocate funds for this cause because technological advancement improves the performance of law enforcement agencies. Using technology automates law enforcement work, making it more efficient and timely in crime prevention. SCRA, 2008) Some of the gadgets that law enforcement use that assists in reducing or eliminating crimes committed by offenders include lightweight body armors, drug-recognition tools (through pupil scanning), cars (such as the Lotus Exige S which increases road safety for police officers especially when in pursuit), gunshot location technologies (computer that supervises specific areas to detect gun shots), video intelligence softwares for computers (may be used in houses, business companies, etc. or surveillance purposes), LED Incapacitator (it is a flashlight which emits LED light that restrains individuals when they look directly at it), and armed robots (apparently, some robots are utilized by law enforcement agencies by arming it with taser guns. (Gizmag, 2008) Focusing on rehabilitating crime offenders is also a plausible way in preventing criminal offenses. Restorative Jus tice is one way of rehabilitating criminals in order to reintegrate them back into society. It includes motivating jailed offenders to contribute to the community as a form of penalty. Restorative Justice also focuses on restoring damages to the victim and the community as a result of criminal actions taken by offenders. As a way to pay for crime offenses committed by offenders, they should be able to take necessary actions to patch up the relationship between the victim and the community to the offender. Through the penalties imposed to criminals, they are able to learn how to become responsible and cooperative citizens who area belt to make the right decisions. Moreover, restorative justice eliminates recidivism because it provides offenders the chance to correct their mistakes and become a valuable and accountable part of society.

Digital Fortress Chapter 85-87

Chapter 85 Greg Hale lay curled on the Node 3 floor. Strathmore and Susan had just dragged him across Crypto and bound his hands and feet with twelve-gauge printer cable from the Node 3 laser-printers. Susan couldn't get over the artful maneuver the commander had just executed. He faked the call! Somehow Strathmore had captured Hale, saved Susan, and bought himself the time needed to rewrite Digital Fortress. Susan eyed the bound cryptographer uneasily. Hale was breathing heavily. Strathmore sat on the couch with the Berretta propped awkwardly in his lap. Susan returned her attention to Hale's terminal and continued her random-string search. Her fourth string search ran its course and came up empty. â€Å"Still no luck.† She sighed. â€Å"We may need to wait for David to find Tankado's copy.† Strathmore gave her a disapproving look. â€Å"If David fails, and Tankado's key falls into the wrong hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore didn't need to finish. Susan understood. Until the Digital Fortress file on the Internet had been replaced with Strathmore's modified version, Tankado's pass-key was dangerous. â€Å"After we make the switch,† Strathmore added, â€Å"I don't care how many pass-keys are floating around; the more the merrier.† He motioned for her to continue searching. â€Å"But until then, we're playing beat-the-clock.† Susan opened her mouth to acknowledge, but her words were drowned out by a sudden deafening blare. The silence of Crypto was shattered by a warning horn from the sublevels. Susan and Strathmore exchanged startled looks. â€Å"What's that?† Susan yelled, timing her question between the intermittent bursts. â€Å"TRANSLTR!† Strathmore called back, looking troubled. â€Å"It's too hot! Maybe Hale was right about the aux power not pulling enough freon.† â€Å"What about the auto-abort?† Strathmore thought a moment, then yelled, â€Å"Something must have shorted.† A yellow siren light spun above the Crypto floor and swept a pulsating glare across his face. â€Å"You better abort!† Susan called. Strathmore nodded. There was no telling what would happen if three million silicon processors overheated and decided to ignite. Strathmore needed to get upstairs to his terminal and abort the Digital Fortress run-particularly before anyone outside of Crypto noticed the trouble and decided to send in the cavalry. Strathmore shot a glance at the still-unconscious Hale. He laid the Berretta on a table near Susan and yelled over the sirens, â€Å"Be right back!† As he disappeared through the hole in the Node 3 wall, Strathmore called over his shoulder, â€Å"And find me that pass-key!† Susan eyed the results of her unproductive pass-key search and hoped Strathmore would hurry up and abort. The noise and lights in Crypto felt like a missile launch. On the floor, Hale began to stir. With each blast of the horn, he winced. Susan surprised herself by grabbing the Berretta. Hale opened his eyes to Susan Fletcher standing over him with the gun leveled at his crotch. â€Å"Where's the pass-key?† Susan demanded. Hale was having trouble getting his bearings. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† â€Å"You blew it, that's what happened. Now, where's the passkey?† Hale tried to move his arms but realized he was tied. His face became taut with panic. â€Å"Let me go!† â€Å"I need the pass-key,† Susan repeated. â€Å"I don't have it! Let me go!† Hale tried to getup. He could barely roll over. Susan yelled between blasts of the horn. â€Å"You're North Dakota, and Ensei Tankado gave you a copy of his key. I need it now!† â€Å"You're crazy!† Hale gasped. â€Å"I'm not North Dakota!† He struggled unsuccessfully to free himself. Susan charged angrily. â€Å"Don't lie to me. Why the hell is all of North Dakota's mail in your account?† â€Å"I told you before!† Hale pleaded as the horns blared on. â€Å"I snooped Strathmore! That E-mail in my account was mail I copied out of Strathmore's account-E-mail COMINT stole from Tankado!† â€Å"Bull! You could never snoop the commander's account!† â€Å"You don't understand!† Hale yelled. â€Å"There was already a tap on Strathmore's account!† Hale delivered his words in short bursts between the sirens. â€Å"Someone else put the tap there. I think it was Director Fontaine! I just piggybacked! You've got to believe me! That's how I found out about his plan to rewrite Digital Fortress! I've been reading Strathmore's brainstorms!† Brain Storms? Susan paused. Strathmore had undoubtedly outlined his plans for Digital Fortress using his BrainStorm software. If anyone had snooped the commander's account, all the information would have been available†¦ â€Å"Rewriting Digital Fortress is sick!† Hale cried. â€Å"You know damn well what it implies-total NSA access!† The sirens blasted, drowning him out, but Hale was possessed. â€Å"You think we're ready for that responsibility? You think anyone is? It's fucking shortsighted! You say our government has the people's best interests at heart? Great! But what happens when some future government doesn't have our best interests at heart! This technology is forever!† Susan could barely hear him; the noise in Crypto was deafening. Hale struggled to get free. He looked Susan in the eye and kept yelling. â€Å"How the hell do civilians defend themselves against a police state when the guy at the top has access to all their lines of communication? How do they plan a revolt?† Susan had heard this argument many times. The future-governments argument was a stock EFF complaint. â€Å"Strathmore had to be stopped!† Hale screamed as the sirens blasted. â€Å"I swore I'd do it. That's what I've been doing here all day-watching his account, waiting for him to make his move so I could record the switch in progress. I needed proof-evidence that he'd written in a back door. That's why I copied all his E-mail into my account. It was evidence that he'd been watching Digital Fortress. I planned to go to the press with the information.† Susan's heart skipped. Had she heard correctly? Suddenly this did sound like Greg Hale. Was it possible? If Hale had known about Strathmore's plan to release a tainted version of Digital Fortress, he could wait until the whole world was using it and then drop his bombshell-complete with proof! Susan imagined the headlines: Cryptographer Greg Hale unveils secret U.S. plan to control global information! Was it Skipjack all over? Uncovering an NSA back door again would make Greg Hale famous beyond his wildest dreams. It would also sink the NSA. She suddenly found herself wondering if maybe Hale was telling the truth. No! she decided. Of course not! Hale continued to plead. â€Å"I aborted your tracer because I thought you were looking for me! I thought you suspected Strathmore was being snooped! I didn't want you to find the leak and trace it back to me!† It was plausible but unlikely. â€Å"Then why'd you kill Chartrukian?† Susan snapped. â€Å"I didn't!† Hale screamed over the noise. â€Å"Strathmore was the one who pushed him! I saw the whole thing from downstairs! Chartrukian was about to call the Sys-Secs and ruin Strathmore's plans for the back door!† Hale's good, Susan thought. He's got an angle for everything. â€Å"Let me go!† Hale begged. â€Å"I didn't do anything!† â€Å"Didn't do anything?† Susan shouted, wondering what was taking Strathmore so long. â€Å"You and Tankado were holding the NSA hostage. At least until you double-crossed him. Tell me,† she pressed, â€Å"did Tankado really die of a heart attack, or did you have one of your buddies take him out?† â€Å"You're so blind!† Hale yelled. â€Å"Can't you see I'm not involved? Untie me! Before Security gets here!† â€Å"Security's not coming,† she snapped flatly. Hale turned white. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Strathmore faked the phone call.† Hale's eyes went wide. He seemed momentarily paralyzed. Then he began writhing fiercely. â€Å"Strathmore'll kill me! I know he will! I know too much!† â€Å"Easy, Greg.† The sirens blared as Hale yelled out, â€Å"But I'm innocent!† â€Å"You're lying! And I have proof!† Susan strode around the ring of terminals. â€Å"Remember that tracer you aborted?† she asked, arriving at her own terminal. â€Å"I sent it again! Shall we see if it's back yet?† Sure enough, on Susan's screen, a blinking icon alerted her that her tracer had returned. She palmed her mouse and opened the message. This data will seal Hale's fate, she thought. Hale is North Dakota. The databox opened. Hale is – Susan stopped. The tracer materialized, and Susan stood in stunned silence. There had to be some mistake; the tracer had fingered someone else-a most unlikely person. Susan steadied herself on the terminal and reread the databox before her. It was the same information Strathmore said he'd received when he ran the tracer! Susan had figured Strathmore had made a mistake, but she knew she'd configured the tracer perfectly. And yet the information on the screen was unthinkable: NDAKOTA = [email protected] â€Å"ET?† Susan demanded, her head swimming. â€Å"Ensei Tankado is North Dakota?† It was inconceivable. If the data was correct, Tankado and his partner were the same person. Susan's thoughts were suddenly disconnected. She wished the blaring horn would stop. Why doesn't Strathmore turn that damn thing off? Hale twisted on the floor, straining to see Susan. â€Å"What does it say? Tell me!† Susan blocked out Hale and the chaos around her. Ensei Tankado is North Dakota†¦. She reshuffled the pieces trying to make them fit. If Tankado was North Dakota, then he was sending E-mail to himself†¦ which meant North Dakota didn't exist. Tankado's partner was a hoax. North Dakota is a ghost, she said to herself. Smoke and mirrors. The ploy was a brilliant one. Apparently Strathmore had been watching only one side of a tennis match. Since the ball kept coming back, he assumed there was someone on the other side of the net. But Tankado had been playing against a wall. He had been proclaiming the virtues of Digital Fortress in E-mail he'd sent to himself. He had written letters, sent them to an anonymous remailer, and a few hours later, the remailer had sent them right back to him. Now, Susan realized, it was all so obvious. Tankado had wanted the commander to snoop him†¦ he'd wanted him to read the E-mail. Ensei Tankado had created an imaginary insurance policy without ever having to trust another soul with his pass-key. Of course, to make the whole farce seem authentic, Tankado had used a secret account†¦ just secret enough to allay any suspicions that the whole thing was a setup. Tankado was his own partner. North Dakota did not exist. Ensei Tankado was a one-man show. A one-man show. A terrifying thought gripped Susan. Tankado could have used his fake correspondence to convince Strathmore of just about anything. She remembered her first reaction when Strathmore told her about the unbreakable algorithm. She'd sworn it was impossible. The unsettling potential of the situation settled hard in Susan's stomach. What proof did they actually have that Tankado had really created Digital Fortress? Only a lot of hype in his E-mail. And of course†¦ TRANSLTR. The computer had been locked in an endless loop for almost twenty hours. Susan knew, however, that there were other programs that could keep TRANSLTR busy that long, programs far easier to create than an unbreakable algorithm. Viruses. The chill swept across her body. But how could a virus get into TRANSLTR? Like a voice from the grave, Phil Chartrukian gave the answer. Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet! In a sickening revelation, Susan grasped the truth. Strathmore had downloaded Tankado's Digital Fortress file and tried to send it into TRANSLTR to break it. But Gauntlet had rejected the file because it contained dangerous mutation strings. Normally Strathmore would have been concerned, but he had seen Tankado's E-mail-Mutation strings are the trick! Convinced Digital Fortress was safe to load, Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet's filters and sent the file into TRANSLTR. Susan could barely speak. â€Å"There is no Digital Fortress,† she choked as the sirens blared on. Slowly, weakly, she leaned against her terminal. Tankado had gone fishing for fools†¦ and the NSA had taken the bait. Then, from upstairs, came a long cry of anguish. It was Strathmore. Chapter 86 Trevor Strathmore was hunched at his desk when Susan arrived breathless at his door. His head was down, his sweaty head glistening in the light of his monitor. The horns on the sublevels blared. Susan raced over to his desk. â€Å"Commander?† Strathmore didn't move. â€Å"Commander! We've got to shut down TRANSLTR! We've got a-â€Å" â€Å"He got us,† Strathmore said without looking up. â€Å"Tankado fooled us all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She could tell by the tone of his voice he understood. All of Tankado's hype about the unbreakable algorithm†¦ auctioning off the pass-key-it was all an act, a charade. Tankado had tricked the NSA into snooping his mail, tricked them into believing he had a partner, and tricked them into downloading a very dangerous file. â€Å"The mutation strings-† Strathmore faltered. â€Å"I know.† The commander looked up slowly. â€Å"The file I downloaded off the Internet†¦ it was a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan tried to stay calm. All the pieces in the game had shifted. There had never been any unbreakable algorithm-never any Digital Fortress. The file Tankado had posted on the Internet was an encrypted virus, probably sealed with some generic, mass-market encryption algorithm, strong enough to keep everyone out of harm's way-everyone except the NSA. TRANSLTR had cracked the protective seal and released the virus. â€Å"The mutation strings,† the commander croaked. â€Å"Tankado said they were just part of the algorithm.† Strathmore collapsed back onto his desk. Susan understood the commander's pain. He had been completely taken in. Tankado had never intended to let any computer company buy his algorithm. There was no algorithm. The whole thing was a charade. Digital Fortress was a ghost, a farce, a piece of bait created to tempt the NSA. Every move Strathmore had made, Tankado had been behind the scenes, pulling the strings. â€Å"I bypassed Gauntlet.† The commander groaned. â€Å"You didn't know.† Strathmore pounded his fist on his desk. â€Å"I should have known! His screen name, for Christ's sake! NDAKOTA! Look at it!† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"He's laughing at us! It's a goddamn anagram!† Susan puzzled a moment. NDAKOTA is an anagram? She pictured the letters and began reshuffling them in her mind. Ndakota†¦ Kadotan†¦ Oktadan†¦ Tandoka†¦ Her knees went weak. Strathmore was right. It was as plain as day. How could they have missed it? North Dakota wasn't a reference to the U.S. state at all-it was Tankado rubbing salt in the wound! He'd even sent the NSA a warning, a blatant clue that he himself was NDAKOTA. The letters spelled TANKADO. But the best code-breakers in the world had missed it, just as he had planned. â€Å"Tankado was mocking us,† Strathmore said. â€Å"You've got to abort TRANSLTR,† Susan declared. Strathmore stared blankly at the wall. â€Å"Commander. Shut it down! God only knows what's going on in there!† â€Å"I tried,† Strathmore whispered, sounding as faint as she'd ever heard him. â€Å"What do you mean you tried?† Strathmore rotated his screen toward her. His monitor had dimmed to a strange shade of maroon. At the bottom, the dialogue box showed numerous attempts to shut down TRANSLTR. They were all followed by the same response: SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. Susan felt a chill. Unable to abort? But why? She feared she already knew the answer. So this is Tankado's revenge? Destroying TRANSLTR! For years Ensei Tankado had wanted the world to know about TRANSLTR, but no one had believed him. So he'd decided to destroy the great beast himself. He'd fought to the death for what he believed-the individual's right to privacy. Downstairs the sirens blared. â€Å"We've got to kill all power,† Susan demanded. â€Å"Now!† Susan knew that if they hurried, they could save the great parallel processing machine. Every computer in the world-from Radio Shack PCs to NASA's satellite control systems-had a built-in fail-safe for situations like this. It wasn't a glamorous fix, but it always worked. It was known as â€Å"pulling the plug.† By shutting off the remaining power in Crypto, they could force TRANSLTR to shut down. They could remove the virus later. It would be a simple matter of reformatting TRANSLTR's hard drives. Reformatting would completely erase the computer's memory-data, programming, virus, everything. In most cases, reformatting resulted in the loss of thousands of files, sometimes years of work. But TRANSLTR was different-it could be reformatted with virtually no loss at all. Parallel processing machines were designed to think, not to remember. Nothing was actually stored inside TRANSLTR. Once it broke a code, it sent the results to the NSA's main databank in order to – Susan froze. In a stark instant of realization, she brought her hand to her mouth and muffled a scream. â€Å"The main databank!† Strathmore stared into the darkness, his voice disembodied. He'd apparently already made this realization. â€Å"Yes, Susan. The main databank†¦.† Susan nodded blankly. Tankado used TRANSLTR to put a virus in our main databank. Strathmore motioned sickly to his monitor. Susan returned her gaze to the screen in front of her and looked beneath the dialogue box. Across the bottom of the screen were the words: TELL THE WORLD ABOUT TRANSLTR ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW†¦ Susan felt cold. The nation's most classified information was stored at the NSA: military communication protocols, SIGINT confirmation codes, identities of foreign spies, blueprints for advanced weaponry, digitized documents, trade agreements-the list was unending. â€Å"Tankado wouldn't dare!† she declared. â€Å"Corrupting a country's classified records?† Susan couldn't believe even Ensei Tankado would dare attack the NSA databank. She stared at his message. ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW â€Å"The truth?† she asked. â€Å"The truth about what?† Strathmore was breathing heavily. â€Å"TRANSLTR,† he croaked. â€Å"The truth about TRANSLTR.† Susan nodded. It made perfect sense. Tankado was forcing the NSA to tell the world about TRANSLTR. It was blackmail after all. He was giving the NSA a choice-either tell the world about TRANSLTR or lose your databank. She stared in awe at the text before her. At the bottom of the screen, a single line was blinked menacingly. ENTER PASS-KEY Staring at the pulsating words, Susan understood-the virus, the pass-key, Tankado's ring, the ingenious blackmail plot. The pass-key had nothing to do with unlocking an algorithm; it was an antidote. The pass-key stopped the virus. Susan had read a lot about viruses like this-deadly programs that included a built-in cure, a secret key that could be used to deactivate them. Tankado never planned to destroy the NSA databank-he just wanted us go public with TRANSLTR! Then he would give us the pass-key, so we could stop the virus! It was now clear to Susan that Tankado's plan had gone terribly wrong. He had not planned on dying. He'd planned on sitting in a Spanish bar and listening to the CNN press conference about America's top-secret code-breaking computer. Then he'd planned on calling Strathmore, reading the pass-key off the ring, and saving the databank in the nick of time. After a good laugh, he'd disappear into oblivion, an EFF hero. Susan pounded her fist on the desk. â€Å"We need that ring! It's the only pass-key!† She now understood-there was no North Dakota, no second pass-key. Even if the NSA went public with TRANSLTR, Tankado was no longer around to save the day. Strathmore was silent. The situation was more serious than Susan had ever imagined. The most shocking thing of all was that Tankado had allowed it to go this far. He had obviously known what would happen if the NSA didn't get the ring-and yet, in his final seconds of life, he'd given the ring away. He had deliberately tried to keep it from them. Then again, Susan realized, what could she expect Tankado to do-save the ring for them, when he thought the NSA had killed him? Still, Susan couldn't believe that Tankado would have allowed this to happen. He was a pacifist. He didn't want to wreak destruction; all he wanted was to set the record straight. This was about TRANSLTR. This was about everyone's right to keep a secret. This was about letting the world know that the NSA was listening. Deleting the NSA's databank was an act of aggression Susan could not imagine Ensei Tankado committing. The sirens pulled her back to reality. Susan eyed the debilitated commander and knew what he was thinking. Not only were his plans for a back door in Digital Fortress shot, but his carelessness had put the NSA on the brink of what could turn out to be the worst security disaster in U.S. history. â€Å"Commander, this is not your fault!† she insisted over the blare of the horns. â€Å"If Tankado hadn't died, we'd have bargaining power-we'd have options!† But Commander Strathmore heard nothing. His life was over. He'd spent thirty years serving his country. This was supposed to be his moment of glory, his piece de resistance-aback door in the world encryption standard. But instead, he had sent a virus into the main databank of the National Security Agency. There was no way to stop it-not without killing power and erasing every last one of the billions of bytes of irretrievable data. Only the ring could save them, and if David hadn't found the ring by now†¦ â€Å"I need to shut down TRANSLTR!† Susan took control. â€Å"I'm going down to the sublevels to throw the circuit breaker.† Strathmore turned slowly to face her. He was a broken man. â€Å"I'll do it,† he croaked. He stood up, stumbling as he tried to slide out from behind his desk. Susan sat him back down. â€Å"No,† she barked. â€Å"I'm going.† Her tone left no room for debate. Strathmore put his face in his hands. â€Å"Okay. Bottom floor. Beside the freon pumps.† Susan spun and headed for the door. Halfway there, she turned and looked back. â€Å"Commander,† she yelled. â€Å"This is not over. We're not beaten yet. If David finds the ring in time, we can save the databank!† Strathmore said nothing. â€Å"Call the databank!† Susan ordered. â€Å"Warn them about the virus! You're the deputy director of the NSA. You're a survivor!† In slow motion, Strathmore looked up. Like a man making the decision of a lifetime, he gave her a tragic nod. Determined, Susan tore into the darkness. Chapter 87 The Vespa lurched into the slow lane of the Carretera de Huelva. It was almost dawn, but there was plenty of traffic-young Sevillians returning from their all-night beach verbenas. A van of teenagers laid on its horn and flew by. Becker's motorcycle felt like a toy out there on the freeway. A quarter of a mile back, a demolished taxi swerved out onto the freeway in a shower of sparks. As it accelerated, it sideswiped a Peugeot 504 and sent it careening onto the grassy median. Becker passed a freeway marker: SEVILLA CENTRO-2 KM. If he could just reach the cover of downtown, he knew he might have a chance. His speedometer read 60 kilometers per hour. Two minutes to the exit. He knew he didn't have that long. Somewhere behind him, the taxi was gaining. Becker gazed out at the nearing lights of downtown Seville and prayed he would reach them alive. He was only halfway to the exit when the sound of scraping metal loomed up behind him. He hunched on his bike, wrenching the throttle as far as it would go. There was a muffled gunshot, and a bullet sailed by. Becker cut left, weaving back and forth across the lanes in hopes of buying more time. It was no use. The exit ramp was still three hundred yards when the taxi roared to within a few car lengths behind him. Becker knew that in a matter of seconds he would be either shot or run down. He scanned ahead for any possible escape, but the highway was bounded on both sides by steep gravel slopes. Another shot rang out. Becker made his decision. In a scream of rubber and sparks, he leaned violently to his right and swerved off the road. The bike's tires hit the bottom of the embankment. Becker strained to keep his balance as the Vespa threw up a cloud of gravel and began fish-tailing its way up the slope. The wheels spun wildly, clawing at the loose earth. The little engine whimpered pathetically as it tried to dig in. Becker urged it on, hoping it wouldn't stall. He didn't dare look behind him, certain at any moment the taxi would be skidding to a stop, bullets flying. The bullets never came. Becker's bike broke over the crest of the hill, and he saw it-the centro. The downtown lights spread out before him like a star-filled sky. He gunned his way through some underbrush and out over the curb. His Vespa suddenly felt faster. The Avenue Luis Montoto seemed to race beneath his tires. The soccer stadium zipped past on the left. He was in the clear. It was then that Becker heard the familiar screech of metal on concrete. He looked up. A hundred yards ahead of him, the taxi came roaring up the exit ramp. It skidded out onto Luis Montoto and accelerated directly toward him. Becker knew he should have felt a surge of panic. But he did not. He knew exactly where he was going. He swerved left on Menendez Pelayo and opened the throttle. The bike lurched across a small park and into the cobblestoned corridor of Mateus Gago-the narrow one-way street that led to the portal of Barrio Santa Cruz. Just a little farther, he thought. The taxi followed, thundering closer. It trailed Becker through the gateway of Santa Cruz, ripping off its side mirror on the narrow archway. Becker knew he had won. Santa Cruz was the oldest section of Seville. It had no roads between the buildings, only mazes of narrow walkways built in Roman times. They were only wide enough for pedestrians and the occasional Moped. Becker had once been lost for hours in the narrow caverns. As Becker accelerated down the final stretch of Mateus Gago, Seville's eleventh-century Gothic cathedral rose like a mountain before him. Directly beside it, the Giralda tower shot 419 feet skyward into the breaking dawn. This was Santa Cruz, home to the second largest cathedral in the world as well as Seville's oldest, most pious Catholic families. Becker sped across the stone square. There was a single shot, but it was too late. Becker and his motorcycle disappeared down a tiny passageway-Callita de la Virgen.

Report Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report Summary - Essay Example There are so many things at stake with regards to the effect of the internet on people. Among others, a person’s social, psychological and intellectual behavior may be affected by the use of the internet. One of the questions asked by intellectuals and social critic is whether the internet makes people smarter (Greenblatt 777). Thompson agrees that the internet makes information accessible but is concerned about how this information is being filtered by Google (Greenblatt 777). On the other hand, Levy is worried that the information overload of the internet no longer gives people time to think and process the data that they learn (Greenblatt 778). The second question raised by the critics regarding the internet is whether it shortens the attention span. Some people have observed that they cannot read long documents anymore because they are distracted by different graphics, hyperlinks, email alerts and audios or videos that pop out while reading documents (Greenblatt 778). Lehrer meanwhile states that the internet helps develop the skill of paying attention to different things at the same time (Greenblatt 780). He goes on further to say that the internet â€Å"allows all sorts of new connections† (Greenblatt 780). For Thompson, it is not an addiction to the internet; rather, it is more of a need to communicate any time (Greenblatt 781). Staudenmaier states that excessive use of the internet cannot be considered an addiction because it does not involve drugs and alcohol use (Greenblatt 781). On the other Cash argues that internet use can be an addiction which can result in health, relationships and work problems. (Greenblatt 780). She goes on further to say that in China and Korea internet addiction is already a primary health concern. When logging off becomes an extreme difficulty with individuals, it can be considered an addiction already. A significant statistic that strikes one is that which showed that