Maharashtra and People

Chawls are a quintessentially Mumbai phenomenon, whose rise is inseparably linked to the rise of the textile mills. The textile mills were the next big industrial step that Mumbai took after the spurt in cotton trading and the shifting of the ports. The mills flourished in the mid-19th century and the people who worked there were labourers mainly from the Konkan coast and ghats. Often one of the workers is sent back to the villages to recruit more people. These workers are known as ‘jobbers’ and they usually get back people who are from the same family or same village or caste.Once in Mumbai, they live together. Some chawls are built by the government called the Bombay Development Directorate (BDD) chawls and the Bombay Improvement Trust (BIT) chawls. The mill owners built other chawls to lure people to come and work for them, or by private landlords. Many private landlords who built chawls are Muslims, as according to their religion they couldn’t collect interest from money. So this is a way of investing the money. Originally, the migrants come alone to work and leave their families in the villages. So often the rooms are occupied by a different set of workers at different times of the day.When one shift end, one set of people come to the rooms while the other set of people went to work. When the workers brought their families, the entire family and often more than one family stayed one room. Chawls had mushroomed in the 30s to the 70s all over Mumbai. Mumbai was once the textile capital of India even being named Manchester of the East. Cloth mills dominated the skyline of Mumbai till the 90s. It was during these times that people from rural Maharahstra migrated to Mumbai in search of a better jobs and prospect. Landlords cashed on this new influx and built low cost housing called chawls.The idea was to get as many people in one building so as to increase the amount of rent. It was quantity not quality that was important. Ambience The chawl s have fair amount of wood in their structure, the dark stairs made the distinct wooden sound while walking. Common toilets dominated each floor. Leaking pipes and stagnant water gave the dingy chawl a distinct smell of its own. The dark corridors and the low sunlight was so typical of a chawl. The Chawl building have a total of 80 houses and two wings so it was 40 houses on each side.Instead of calling each wing as ‘A’ and ‘B’, they call them Magchi (back side  in Marathi) and Phudchi (front side in Marathi) side. The funny thing is that the people living in the other wing would call them magchi side and the people living in the other wing would call them â€Å"magchi† side. each house sharing a common long balcony. The common balcony would give the 4 houses a sense on one-ness. It was like a big joint family. Each house obviously has a door and this door is open in the morning and remains open till they all go to sleep. They play, they talk, they study, they fight, they do everything in that long balcony.You don’t even have to go and knock on your neighbor door. He is there standing in that balcony. Balcony has a big importance in the life of chawl. It is what a village square was in the old days. This is what the katta is in modern Mumbai. Consider that almost 6-16 families live on a floor. Considering each family has an average of 4 members, the number of people residing on a floor is 24 to 64. The balcony serves as a meeting ground for all these people. The housewives gather in the balcony after their house chores discussing gossips about the girl next door to their children’s annual result to everything in general.The men discuss the latest politics to the irresponsibility of the youths today to the latest in cricket. The children meanwhile played in the balcony. The balcony is a common meeting ground for all families on that floor. Its like a drawing room for members of a big joint family. When there is a long power cuts, they would sit outside waiting for electricity to come back and battling mosquitoes at the same time. Groups would be formed in different  part  of the balcony  and people would just talk. As there is nothing to do, talking was the best option available unless its really late into the night.Especially during full moon  nights, the soft moon light would shine in the balcony throwing a dim light on the occupants. It is at this time, ghost stories are discussed with relish and age is not a factor. The children and the women would always discuss more ghost then the men. Imagine when everything is dark around you that you cannot even see the face of the person sitting next to you, its sheer fun to listen to the ‘true’ scary incident that happened to the friend’s friend’s uncle’s boss’s son’s friend.When your hair stands up after listening to the story, nobody even notices it in the darkness. The balcony is also use d for drying all kind of pulses, clothes, spices and every other thing that can be dried. During the afternoon, it becomes a task to dodge your way through drying clothes, spices and pulses. The size of an average balcony is 4 – 7 feet wide and very long in the range of 50-100 feet. On this long stretch of land they play everything from cricket to playing cards to even playing hockey with cricket bats. The balcony was multipurpose serving as a playground to meeting place to katta.After finishing food, they would come out and look in all direction trying to find out friends who have finished their dinner and lunch. Then they would start talking and the topics could range from everything under the sun right from politics to cricket to non-existent girlfriend to sex. There are never any boundaries about the topic of discussion The balcony is a mini-katta in a chawl. It serves as a playing ground, a discussion room, a drying place, a community hall and sometimes even as a bedroom . The balcony is the first common ground for the big family they call a chawl. ———————————————— Not getting what to name this topic as. plz ben name it. | Mumbai’s chawls have not only   portrayed the deluge of human emotions, but have also laid the foundation for Samaritans in this cross cultural city. These dense dwellings have seen bonhomie at its best like residents sharing meals and neighbours becoming extended families. This is the only place of abode, where they not only share spaces, but also hearts. From Worli to Girgaum, and from Nana Chowk to Cuffe Parade, these dwellings of human bonding and mayhem have dotted the city for years.Chawls have indeed been an essential part of South Mumbai and have added character to its very being, and some of them have even been classified as heritage structures. A day in a chawl Enter any chawl and the scene would more or less be the same — a handful of children indulging in a game of hide-and-seek,   running in and out of each other’s homes with gay abandon; groups of women clustering together exchanging juicy bits of gossip about the latest chawl scandal; a few people standing listlessly just watching the goings-on. All so typically chawlish. Perfection in imperfection, in a way.In the city where the cases of anomie and depression are rising, chawl culture is a huge relief for senior citizens and children. For instance, 63-year-old Sucheta Kelekar, a resident of Dadar, has stayed in her current room all her life and cannot imagine herself living anywhere else. â€Å"Our family moved here in the 1950s, after partition. We’ve always lived in harmony with our neighbours, who are like a family to us. † said she. The flipside With the increase of several high rises in the city, many of these chawls have been demolished and consequently all its residents have moved out in to the suburbs to live in individual apartments.Obviously this has led to the dying out of much of the culture and bonding that chawls usually facilitated. â€Å"Yes, living in an individual apartment becomes pretty lonely after you have lived in a chawl your whole life†, says Salil Shirodkar, who moved from a clustered chawl in Worli to a 1-BHK in Dadar. â€Å"Times have changed though. Earlier it was all about living in one big community where everyone knows what’s happening in their adjacent homes. We’d share everything, from recipes, to toys, to our problems. The present generation doesn’t care about old ties.As soon as they can afford it, they prefer to move into our own flats where they can live in comfort,† Bachelors â€Å"spoil† the party Within the chawls, the genre of inflowing residents is changing from ‘family of four’ to ‘single bed space for bachelors’. â€Å"It is really quite annoying! † excla ims Varsha Patel of Dadar. â€Å"Most residents have moved into the suburbs and rented out their rooms to bachelors who come at odd hours and drink and smoke. They have no interest in mingling with anyone and play loud music till late hours.Chawls used to be all about family bonding but sadly that has now been taken over by individuals who treat their homes like guest houses. † Further echoing this thought is Naveen Mehta of Dadar her neighbour, who summarises the situation aptly: â€Å"Chawls used to be a blend of many communities. Families of Marwaris, Maharashtrians, and Gujaratis would all co-exist in satisfaction. Everyone was â€Å"Santusht†. Now the focus is on the individual. . Chawl Vs. Flat Five-year-old Neeraj is bored. He pretends to watch TV, jumps on the bed and talks to his pillow.His mother, Edna Nair, understands, but keeps the door closed on purpose. It is a rehearsal. She is preparing her son for their new neighbours. â€Å"What if they complain ab out him making a noise,† she says. For the past one year, ever since the Nairs shifted from their 100-square-foot chawl room into a 225-square-foot flat, little Neeraj has learnt to entertain himself at home. His tutelage began from their days in the transit camp two years ago, when the Nairs watched their two-floor decrepit chawl in south Mumbai transform into a nine-storey giant.It was a difficult transition, but it was also called ‘the good life'. Their new apartment has assured them all the things they lacked attached bathroom, separate kitchen, privacy and respect. And a loft that is now filled with utensils instead of people. They have even bought a refrigerator. But Edna is already feeling suffocated. She misses evening chats with other women in the common balcony and worries about expenses. Before they moved in, her sister, who lives in a small flat in Andheri, had warned her about huge maintenance bills and other costs that come with the â€Å"flat system†.Edna knew that once the building was fully ready and they moved in, her 72-rupee monthly chawl rent would soon be history. â€Å"Why should we show that we are rich when we aren't? † asks Edna wondering if it was a good decision to move into a flat. But her mother, Teresa, is happy. For someone who spent 38 years in the chawls delivering milk packets, Teresa didn't want the same life for her grandson. â€Å"I want him to study English in a good school,† she says and the apartment, she believes, takes him a step closer to the kind of life he should lead in the future.It's the case with almost all the families who are giving up their old dwellings in chawls and slums to builders who assure them fantastic lifestyle leaps. While the change from their routine to something that they have only seen on TV seems daunting, there is a strong urge among these people to improve their lives. They yield to the builders and watch their old homes being demolished because they don't w ant their children to suffer. Housewife Suguna Shetty, who would earlier divert all guests to her brother-in-law's flat in Parel to save herself from the embarrassment of exposing her chawl, is now proud of her new residence.The lift in her building doesn't work most of the time, but Shetty who stays on the ninth floor takes heart in the fact that her TV, which used to be on a trunk earlier, now rests in a showcase. Her daughter Deeksha too, likes it here. â€Å"I can ask friends to come over. † Deeksha knows of kids who, while returning from school would actually walk a few steps ahead of their chawls so that their friends would not know where they lived, wave goodbye and then return to the real homes. BMC employee Ravikant Baokar was one of them. â€Å"Nobody likes to say they live in a chawl.If you say you stay in a building, you are automatically respected no matter how small your flat is,† he says. This respect comes in handy while finding alliances. Recently, whe n an engineering student from Baokar's chawl told his prospect's family that he would soon be shifting into a flat, the girl, it seems, immediately agreed for marriage. For slum-dwellers, the shift inspires a desire to look after themselves. LIC agent Raju Gaddam, a resident of Indira Nagar slum, who shifted to a flat two years ago says his language and attire have undergone major changes. I even painted my scooter, when I came here. † His apartment, which he proudly describes as â€Å"east-west† facing, gave him the confidence to buy a refrigerator. â€Å"I wouldn't have bought it in my slum, because I didn't know when my house would be broken down. † Not everybody is happy though. Some find the flat culture very impersonal. They miss the joys of hanging out with their shirtless friends in the compound or borrowing chairs without permission from neighbours anymore. Pandal decorator Rakesh Gautam, whose assistants used to sleep in his house, now has to find a new room for them, due to society rules.Earlier, during festivals or weddings, he would volunteer to decorate mandaps for free. Though he would like to continue the charity, Gautam says, â€Å"I won't be able to use the compound for my decorations anymore. † On his assignments, Gautam has come across other chawl members who shifted a few years earlier. â€Å"They would live in the building in pretty much the same way as in the chawl, until new tenants came in,† he says, laughing. Some would put their cupboards in the stair landing. Kids would brush their teeth in the elevator.The liftman wouldn't complain. â€Å"But when the society was formed, and new tenants came in, things changed,† says Gautam. By now, builders know they are luring people who like to carry their world along, wherever they go. Sudhir Das, secretary of a building full of rehabilitated slum-dwellers, recalls his intensive cleanliness drive. â€Å"Initially, people would spit on the staircase or h ang their clothes in the passage,† he says. They would even keep their doors open. But that changed when there was a robbery. Now, almost all doors are shut.The transition from chawls to flats, unexpectedly, has caused ailments too. Lakshmi Sonar says, â€Å"I have severe back pains and have even grown fat here, as I am confined to these walls. † Also, she doesn't know how to react to sweepers or postmen who ring her doorbell asking for Diwali bonus. â€Å"I hardly get any letters, why should I pay him. † Sunny Wadhawan, director of HDIL (Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd. ) which profits from slum rehabilitation, has built his glassy office building on what used to be the Indira Nagar slum in Bandra.Every day, Sunny who has a guard following him everywhere, faces many complaints from irate slum-dwellers, who are like his â€Å"adopted children†. They sometimes come with complaints of water supply and Sunny calmly passes the task to civic bodies. Yet, it's not surprising why poor people want to trust a builder and allow a lucky draw to decide their new notional homes. Though they loved the natural rustic warmth of their chawls and slums, they know that Mumbai and the times have changed. They know that the warmth of the chawls is the warmth of failure.And they also feel, in the present day boom, their children have the opportunity to escape from the poverty that each of their forefathers suffered. If moving into a flat can make an LIC agent paint his scooter, it can also make children believe they have a brighter future. Raju Gaddam, who studied in night school, now sends his three kids to New English school in Bandra. The products of the school, he believes, are now earning Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh a month. He has just one complaint with the flat culture. â€Å"The passage is too narrow. But then as an afterthought, he adds, â€Å"It's definitely better than a gutter. † Festivals Festivals are the life of the people in chawls. They cannot imagine their life without celebrating anything in their special chawl ways. They regardless of caste, region, religions, sex, creed, age participate in some or the other way. Everyone works single mindedly for the celebrations from preparing the feast to decorations. Everyone contributes in every possible way. Festivals were the most enjoyable period. First festival of the year is Makarsankranti Makarsankranti i. e.Kite flying on 14 Jan. They gather on terraces and it is fun filled day, they give â€Å"Tilgud† going to eachothers house wishing everyone â€Å"Tilgud Ghya God God Bola†( eat sweet and talk sweet). Holi Holi the favourite festival of many is celebrated with a great enthusiasm and zeel. Even after facing scarcity of water throughout the year but in Holi they use water without any hesitation for playing Holi. Even the Government supports them by supplying extra liters of water for them to take bath in the afternoon. Gopal Kala (Dahi Han di) Monsoon session would start with Govinda.They have Handi which is broken with 3-4 Thars (human floors) This is usually local affair but Govindas from various Mandals also go places to parcipate in the competition for breaking the Handis at different places. Ganesh Utsav Ganpati festival the most lovable and appreciable festival of all is Pride of Place. It is not only a festival but also a source of fulfillment and worshipping where people of different religion come together. This festival is not only celebrated in the maharashtrian homes but by people of every religion with the same intensity and Faith in Lord Ganesha.These Chawls have Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Festival and most Marathi homes have Ganpati for 1-7 days and majority of them have Gauri as well. It is 10 days of fun, music, orchestra, competitions,3 act Drama etc culminating in the Grand Visarjan which starts with the grand visarjan pooja and end with immersion of the Ganesh Idols at Chawpathy or beaches till next da y morning, the most difficult part to move and immerse the huge idol requires a great effort and to take it for immersion in deep sea, in darkness with full tide was scary as well.This is difficult also because the emotional trauma they go through while returning home empty handed. In subsequent years focus has moved to huge idols of Ganesh and for them there is nothing to do as cultural programme degenerated to 16 mm movie shows and an evening of orchestra. Navratri Navratri is celebrated by Gujarati residents with Garba and Dandia which is also accompanied by the other members of their Chawl family. They have Dholi and Shehnai and Dandia Ras is more like â€Å"Dholi Tharo†¦ n Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam than what we see these days at Falguni Pathak's show. Diwali Diwali was less noisy-most couldn't afford bursting crackers-and emphasis was on making Kandils usually similar Kandils for entire chawl which gave beautiful look to entire lane and one big Kandil at the enterance of the Chawl. Making sweets, diyas, beautiful Rangolis is a special feature of Diwali. In fact they have Rangoli competition. Entire night is spent in creating Rangoli, some with nationalist or Shivaji themes, others with intricate designs and few with nature as theme.Christmas Christmas and New year were not celebrated as they didn't have Christian families living in the chawls but even then there is a changing trend now a days. YOUTH CULTURE: According to a youngster, who we spoke to, there are many get-togethers taking place in a chawl, as people tend to celebrate their festivals together and also are a part of each other’s sorrows. When we asked him about the places where they usually meet, he told us about what is called the Saarvajanik Vruttpatra Vachanalaya, which also could be called a Public Newspaper Centre.It was rather surprising for us to hear that youngsters choose a place like a newspaper centre to hang out, but what he added on was that, as the place was at the cent re o the colony, and also there was no cost factor involved, it was convenient for the youngsters to meet up in the evenings. We also visited the newspaper centre and sat there for sometime. We saw that there were many newspapers there, but they were either Marathi or Hindi newspapers. This clearly showed that the people staying in the chawls were educated, but in Hindi or Marathi medium schools.And also, what we gathered out of all that is that the majority of the people staying in the chawls are Maharashtrians, and obviously there are people from other castes, but not in huge numbers. We also found out about the small-scale tuition classes, which mainly have students from kindergarten to SSC. These classes have a big market in these chawls, as the parents there are usually working, and they can’t manage the studies of their children. We also spoke to certain friends who stay in chawls. We asked them a few questions regarding the social evils like drugs, prostitution and als o incidents where several crimes are committed on women.They gave us a general idea on things, saying that drugs was not an issue in the chawl as the people there don’t have the kind of time, and more importantly the money to get addicted to drugs. But, it seems that heavy-weight laborers usually drink liquor after they come back from work, and it’s very normal for them to consume alcohol as it lightens their mood, and also relieves them from the stress. Tenement were small so there was no space for residents. You use home to bath,eat food and sleep. Rest of the time you have to be out of the house. So groups were formed according to age and each group had its meeting place.During holidays and vacation half the day was spent in company of friends. With plenty of time on hands you indulge in games-cricket being favorite,but we played Kabbadi,lagori and Marbles. Carrom was very popular,and Table Tennis on small wooden bench. There was no TV, so Radio Ceylon with Binaca G eetmala was hot favorite. We had timeon hand, so could take part in Election campaigns. I remember election meetings of George Fernandes for Lok Sabha. He defeated S. K. Patil of Congress and virtually put an end to Patil's political career in Mumbai. For decades Fernandes was called ‘George the Giant Killer'.In seventy Marathi youth was attracted to Shiv Sena with its ‘Son of soil' ideology. There was constant conflict between socialists and Shiv Sena. Most of us couldn't pursue studies after SSC due to financial constrains. Even passing SSC was tough as at home there was no space to study. We used to go to GMC Gymkhana bldg. on Marine Drive to study. Terrace was another good place. Most got job as clerk in BMC or in Govt. offices. Gujrati boys completed their college education and took jobs in Banks or offices. With hard work and diligence they progressed but couldn't reach very high posts.Very few could break through the Middle class bracket. Caste Systems Residents o f the chawls are predominantly Gujarati and Marwadi,rest are inhabited by Maharastrians. Few of the floor rooms are dorms for those who had come to Mumbai for work leaving their families in village. They work as Mathadi workers and others from Konkan area work as plumbers,painters,peons in small offices. Chawls have Chambhar(Mochi),Bhandari,Khatri,Kasar,Sonar,Brahmins, Desais and Low caste Patels from South Gujarat. There is no caste discrimination. Everyone takes part in Festivals. Even the person who has shoe shop, is in charge of Sarvajanic Ganesh festival .Any Child is not being asked not to play or not to mix with low caste people. Chawl people are aware of the caste but it has no place in their day to day life. This has given Mumbai its unique character. Standard of living: People living in the chawls are mainly from the lower-middle class. They are the ones who actually live lives on meager standards. Normally we do find people living in the societies which consist of the upp er middle class and high class having a high standard of living. They enjoy all the luxuries in life. But this is not the case of the people living in the chawls.Most of the times, they are deprived of the luxuries and rather live life the common man’s way. They rarely go to restaurants to have their meals. According to the survey conducted by us we got to know that the residents of the chawls go to the restaurant just once in two months which is very obvious for them because they cannot afford such kind of expenses. According to the survey, what we found out was that they are people who lead a simple life without any fuss and make the most of whatever they have. Every expense they incur is well planned and thought about. They represent the working class of India.The room is mainly a one room kitchen with a toilet attached as provided by MHADA. We spoke to a youngster who resided in the Nehru Nagar Chawl area which is located near Kurla station. Age Group Wise Activities: Whe n we visited the chawls we decided to categorize the residents living there according to their age group and their activities. 1} Education Class: As the name suggests this class mainly consists of the ones who are still in academics. They are the ones who go to schools and colleges to complete their studies. We may be in an impression that people residing in chawls do not study. But it’s a misconception that we have got.They do work hard and put their hearts out to become prosperous being in the future. But they do have setbacks. Once they sight failure they get distracted from their studies and think money as their only motive. Thus they take up small tasks which yield them money. Thus when studies take a set back they tend to do jobs and that then become a part of their life. 2} Working Class: This class mainly consists of the ones between the age group 30-40. They are the working members of the family. They are the ones who strive hard and earn a living. People living in the chawls do not consider any work small or big.May it be any job; they take it up whole-heartedly and do their work with sincerity. It is their daily bread and butter and hence they do it with dedication. People in the chawls mainly work in small posts. Some of them are agents, private officers, clerks and some of them take up financing and also work in small marketing agencies. Many of them are local garage mechanics who toil the whole day for eating 3 times in a day. They also learn driving and take up driving as their job. The chawl areas do have a lot of drivers. Drivers earn around 4000-5000 every month and carry on their house hold expenses.Many of them get government jobs through influence. For e. g. If a person is already working as a government official, he may use his influence and get a job for his friend. This itself proves the unity within the chawl community. They also do take up small jobs like A/c Mechanic, small electronic goods mechanic etc†¦ 3} Retired and the elderly class: This class consists of the elderly people who have retired from their jobs and have taken a long leave from work. But it is not relief from work for these elderly people. They do get small responsibilities in the house.They do go out to fetch their grand children from schools and kinder gardens. They take care of the small ones if their parents are busy out at work. They look after them the whole day and sometimes also get sleepless nights. But they do enjoy it sometimes but at the same time tends to get very tedious at this very old age. There are some people in this class who have sold their houses and gone to their respective villages to look after their farms. They look after their farms and also sometimes work on it. Thus the elderly and retired people do get to enjoy their long vacation from work but at the same time also work.Thus even at this very old age they have the will power to work and earn a decent sum for the family. Even at this age they prove to be responsible and also help the family in any possible manner. Media and chawls†¦ Still to b added†¦more Katha Centre for Film Studies is back at the Alliance Francaise, Churchgate with a week long program of Film Screenings from Friday, 12th of January to Thursday, 18th of January 2007. After a very successful Inaugural Festival in June 2006, they again bring an eclectic choice of films from the world of cinema specially curate by individuals for whom cinema is a way of life!This festival is in collaboration with the National Film Archives of India, Pane and NFDC. On the 12th and 13th of January, 2007, the Festival began with two days of Indian films dedicated to the theme of Mumbai’s Chawls. Amrit Gangar(a film scholar, writer, curator) had specially put together a package of five feature films, a short film and a compilation on representation of Bombay in films tilted: â€Å"‘CHALCHITRA: CHAWLCHITRA’-:Popular Hindi Cinema and Mumbai's Chawl. † He led an intensive session of discussions and debates on the polemics and politics of space in urban context.They ended the Festival with film enthusiast and cinema buff, Kiran David’s exciting selection which is packed with films from Japanese cinema. Unity In Diversity A Nana Chowk-resident Ranjana Sherlekar said, â€Å"They are so used to being with each other all the time that it’s become a habit. Just the other day, he slipped on a  wet floor while cleaning my kitchen and no one was at home. All he had to scream was ‘help’ and at least ten people came running to his rescue. They’re really like a one big extended family! † she quips.The atmosphere, though filled with camaraderie, may appear a tad stifling to one who has lived in an individual apartment, but it is part of life for chawl residents. For them, living together is their strength Conclusion Change is inevitable â€Å"Change is inevitable, and even the most stable structure cannot avoid that. Chawls have been a victim of changing times: though the occasional bond still remains, its bedrock — which comprised the people who lived there — have all left. They have been replaced by individuals, who have no interest in keeping the community alive,†

Green Haven State Prison Essay

The individual who has been chosen for this paper is Leroy â€Å"Nicky† Barnes who is an African American who became a legend in the history of organized crime. Born in October 15 1993, he is a former crime boss and even drug dealer who was the leader of the crime organization that was notoriously known as The Council, which mainly comprised of African – Americans (Roberts, 6). He was even nicknamed Mr. Untouchable owing to the manner in which his operations were well calculated. He was once a dope addict, but later stopped the habit of using the drug and became a distributor of heroin, as a matter of fact a main one in Harlem, New York. In his autobiography that he wrote about his life, Barnes says that the first heroin that he ever sold was one that belonged to his father, which he was holding for dealing within the street corners. He managed to sell some of this heroine to the older guys within his neighborhood, and he managed to make some easy money, and this made him to even value heroine more (Roberts, 6). Barnes later graduated to dealing for another dealer who was more established than him, whose name was Fat Herbie. This is the man that brought Barnes to the Italians with whom he made contact. With this connection, he was able to have heroine imported for him by the Italians, whose reputation for good heroine was good. In the 1950s, Barnes would make up to 1600 dollars a day from selling heroine packages, and managed to hire a security guy and some street dealers with the money that he got (Roberts, 6). He even bragged that his drugs was one of the best in the streets and kept the quality high, while ensuring that the cut was low. He claimed to know what addicts mainly wanted considering that he was once an addict himself. By the time it was 1959, people had started requesting for his packages and they were so famous that they had a name, and they were called that ‘Nicky Barnes thing’. This was his first step towards success, but it was short lived as he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison in Green Haven State Prison, and this cut short his business operations (Roberts, 6). While in prison he met another Italian who he had earlier been introduced to. His name was Matty, short for Matthew and he educated him on how to run a drug ring. He told him that to be organized; he had to have at least 50 people working under him, as each person would act as a layer of protection (Roberts, 6). Three years later, Barnes was released and now that he had made some serious connections, he knew that he now had to make some big money. He was given a couple of things to start up his operation with including half a kilogram of heroine by Frank Madonna, and a car and house in which to stash his drugs in. he then managed top find seven strong men whom he included in his organization, since he knew that with strong men on his side it would all work. These men who later came to form the council included; Frank James, Thomas Foreman, Joseph Hayden, Guy Fischer, Wallace Rice and Ishmael Muhammed (Roberts, 6). 2. BUSINESSES Barnes later graduated to dealing for another dealer who was more established than him, whose name was Fat Herbie. This is the man that brought Barnes to the Italians with whom he made contact. With this connection, he was able to have heroine imported for him by the Italians, whose reputation for good heroine was good. In the 1950s, Barnes would make up to 1600 dollars a day from selling heroine packages, and managed to hire a security guy and some street dealers with the money that he got (Barnes, 352).. He even bragged that his drugs was one of the best in the streets and kept the quality high, while ensuring that the cut was low (Barnes, 352).. He claimed to know what addicts mainly wanted considering that he was once an addict himself. By the time it was 1959, people had started requesting for his packages and they were so famous that they had a name, and they were called that ‘Nicky Barnes thing’. This was his first step towards success, but it was short lived as he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison in Green Haven State Prison, and this cut short his business operations (Barnes, 352). The manner in which the business between Matty and Barnes was operating was very organized and well planned (Barnes, 352).. Matty would park a car that was filled with drugs at a spot that was pre arranged, then the key would be passed on to Barnes, who would then send one of his men to drive the car to the destination and sell the drugs. The car would then be taken to another pre arranged spot, this time filled with money and the key passed on to Matty. In this way, they both managed to make millions of dollars in their operation (Barnes, 352). 3. Theory Rational choice theory is one theory that seems to fit into this organization which is The Council or even the case of Barnes. This theory is of the notion that man is a reasoning individual who tends to weigh the beliefs and costs the means and the ends and makes a choice that is most rationale according to his understanding (Abadinsky, 98). This theory is related to several other theories including the drift theory and even the systematic crime theory. The theory states that in order for crime to take place there has to be three elements that have to be present; and offender who is motivated, a target that is available and suitable and finally the lack of an authoritative figure that is capable of preventing the crime from taking place (Chainey, 20). This theory fits into the case of Barnes and The Council, more so considering that the motivation that Barnes had was to be successful, the target available was the drug addicts that were present in Harlem and the law enforcers were unavailable to stop their operations. Barnes also used reasoning to weigh the profits and losses in all his decisions, and this managed to define his success. 4. LAW ENFORCEMENT’S RESPONSE Apart from the short three year stint that Barnes served in Green Haven State Prison, Barnes and some of the member of his crew were arrested, with Barnes being sentenced to life. He was charged with the crime of heading a criminal enterprise and also fined 125,000 dollars (Abadinsky, 67). References Abadinsky, Howard. Drug Use and Abuse: A Comprehensive Introduction. New York: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print. Abadinsky, Howard. Organized crime. New York: Nelson-Hall, 1985. Print. Abadinsky, Howard. Understanding Crime: Essentials of Criminological Theory. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print Chainey, Spencer & Ratcliffe, Jerry. GIS and Crime Mapping. John Wiley & Sons, 2005. Print. Clarke, R. V. & Eck, J. Becoming a Problem-Solving Crime Analyst. Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science. London: University College London, 2003. Print. Leroy â€Å"Nicky† Barnes, Tom Folsom. Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments (March 6, 2007 ed. ). Rugged Land. p. 352. Roberts, Sam. Crime’s ‘Mr. Untouchable’ Emerges From Shadows. New York: New York Times, 2007. http://www. nytimes. com/2007/03/04/nyregion/04nicky. html. Retrieved 2010-05-03.

The Politics of Development Looks Different at the Grassroots than at Essay

The Politics of Development Looks Different at the Grassroots than at the National Level - Essay Example This paper highlights that in many developing countries like Malaysia and Vietnam, governments are ruled by a few elite members of society. Since these government officials do not truly represent the majority of the people, they tend to have narrower visions of development. In most cases, their visions of development do not really go past their own personal interests and the interest of the group where they belong to. For many politicians and government officials in both Vietnam and Malaysia, politics and governance is but a means to stay in power and protect their own interests. On the other hand, although there are also a number of people in the Vietnamese and the Malaysian governments that are for the development of the country as a whole, the efforts of these people are often misguided and do not really produce the desired impact into the lives of the people at the grassroots level. For instance, in Malaysia, the thrust of the government to unify the country resulted in the degra dation of culture and diversity among its people. This study outlines that international forces play a big role in the policies that the national governments formulate. In past years, the demand for integration and globalization forces the national governments of developing countries to rethink their priorities and come up with policies that will make their countries globally competitive. The idea that a country could not survive if it does not conform to the requirements of globalization sent the governments scrambling for national development frameworks that will user changes especially in the countryside.  

Misevaluation Affects the Failure of Merger and Acquisition Activities Dissertation

Misevaluation Affects the Failure of Merger and Acquisition Activities - Dissertation Example The literature review chapter highlighted the ideas, views and opinions of different academicians and researchers along with discussing them at length. The literature review illustrated that mergers and acquisitions are often driven by misevaluation that leads to the failure in the long term as the market corrects the misevaluation. Moreover, mergers and acquisitions are driven by managerial optimism that leads to the failure in the long term. A detailed approach has been presented in the chapter that also covers other elements affecting the result of mergers and acquisitions in the business environment. The research methodology chapter is based on secondary research method and case study approach that covers information on the merger of Time Warner and AOL. The study highlighted the reasons of failure along with stating the role of the management and other factors. Overall, the center of discussion was restricted to the impact of misevaluation in mergers and acquisitions. The finding and analysis chapter is based on the findings of the case study along with relating them to the literature review in a logical manner. The last chapter concludes the entire research by stating its strengths, limitations, results and outcomes in a descriptive and analytical manner. Every journey starts with a single idea and enthusiasm that makes the journey an experience. The research journey stated with an idea that took desired shape with the help, support and cooperation of many people. The researcher would like to thank his professor and supervisor†¦. for guiding him in the right direction through motivation and profound knowledge. His ideas often motivated the researcher making him achieve the proposed aim and objectives of the research. His continuous guidance and feedback helped in understanding the intricacies of the research topic along with gaining a new perspective through a thorough understanding of the subject matter. The researcher would also like to thank the University for offering all kind of support in terms of access to library and free access to professors that made the research an easy task. The role

Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Justice - Essay Example These two characteristics, the concern for practical applications of his philosophy and the use of reason to supplant theological directives, distinguished Socrates. His was an attempt to teach people how to better define the highest good, how to attain justice, and therefore how to attain happiness both individually and socially. This essay will examine Socrates’ notions of a highest good and justice, his linking of the individual and society through an integrated philosophical approach, and the implications of different choices regarding public administration and public order. As a preliminary matter, it is important to note that Socrates’ teachings were most directed at the individual. The highest good, therefore, was a condition that each individual was capable of attaining; however, this highest good could only be known through reason and a knowledge of one’s self. Socrates equated this highest good with knowledge and happiness. Significantly, though, he went to great lengths to distinguish true happiness from illusory pursuits of happiness. He did this by drawing distinctions between absolute levels of ignorance and fancy ideals of true knowledge. These distinctions, often grounded in Socrates’ claims that he knew nothing, provided the intellectual framework for subsequently exploring ultimate questions of goodness, justice, and proper forms of public administration. In effect, he tore down common assumptions, challenged certain modes of thinking, and in the process attempted to redefine both the proper focus and method of philoso phical inquiry as well as the practical application of philosophy to man’s life and to social affairs. Central to man’s pursuit of happiness was the intellectual process by which he confronted choices and made decisions. In many ways, Socrates reduced the highest good to a

Corporate Governance in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Governance in England - Essay Example The current system of corporate governance in England endeavors to ensure transparency and accountability of particular individuals in companies via mechanism that reduce or eradicate the principal-agent dilemma Jill (2007p.9). Great Britain shares with the United States of America an arm's length/outsider system of control and ownership, with the ownership in large companies basically being spread over a huge number of institutional intermediaries and individuals as opposed to being placed solely on 'core investors' (for example, a family) and with the shareholders hardly being poised to intervene and participate in managing the business Wolfgang (2008 pg114). Being part of the United Kingdom, the current system of corporate governance in England conforms to the respective provision of UK's combined code of corporate governance (2003). The earliest developments in corporate governance commenced just before the end of 1980s and the early 1990s, following the emergence corporate scandals, for example, Maxwell and Poly Peck, which dealt a big blow to their images. The scandals were due to irregularities in financial reporting and consequently a committee led by Sir Adrian Cadbury was set up to look into the matter and make recommendations. The resultant Cadbury report which was published in 1992, contained recommendations that centered around: the need to separate the role of a company's chief executive and its chairman, the need to have transparent financial reporting and proper internal control. It also set out the process and rules for vetting of non executive directors as well as a code of best practice which were adopted among the rules of the UK's stock exchange Oliver (2005 p.111-115). Borrowing heavily from Cadbury, Rutteman Report: Internal control & Financial Reporting was published in 1994 and sought to provide companies some guidance on how to act in accordance with Cadbury code. This concerned reporting on the Company own system and process of internal control and its effectiveness. In 1995, following complaint about directors' share option and pay, the Green Bury report made recommendation that entailed detailing remuneration of companies' directors in their annual reports. As in Cadbury's case, majority of Green Burry recommendations were endorsed as part of the Listing Rules. In early 1996, Hampel Committee was set up to look into the performance of both Greenbury and Cadbury provisions. It was to examine the extent to which the two reports had been applied and whether the intended objective had been realized. The committee came up with the Hempel Report leading to the publication of the code, in 1998. It covered areas relating to, directors' remuneration, audit and accountability, relations with individual and institutional shareholders and their responsibilities. It also laid down the code governing the operations and structures of the board Jill (2007 p.300). In 2002, remuneration report were introduced which were intended to further solidify the shareholders' powers with regard to the directors pay. In addition to directors pay, the regulations resulted in shareholders obtaining other important information such as performance graphs. The shareholders were allowed to vote in an advisory capacity in approving directors, remuneration report. The code was revised again in 2003, and added to

Write a journal article summary 2 pages summarizing the research Essay

Write a journal article summary 2 pages summarizing the research article using guidelines for journal article summary - Essay Example Psychological benefits of exercise include an individual acquiring an internal locus of control, an increase in confidence, self-control, perception and sexual satisfaction while it decreases anxiety, hostility, tension and depression. Researchers have studied the relationship between self-concept and exercise with the view of determining if exercise improves self-concept in the recent past; this field of research is still growing and more research needs to be done to prove the connection. Thus, the research detailed in the article focuses on the psychological effect of exercise on male and female students. The research study used 22 participants of which 14 were male and 8 were female. The participants were university students who voluntarily offered to participate in the study. The study used two instruments for data collection: the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSSP) and Berscheid, Walster and Bohrnstedt Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ). The PSSP assesses self-perception within the physical domain, and it contained four subdomain scales consisting of six items that were to be contrasted with two descriptions, e.g., people with unattractive or attractive bodies. The BIQ instrument is a questionnaire that was used to assess the participant’s satisfaction with body parts (Asci, 2002). The procedure of the research involved random assigning of the 22 participants to experimental and control groups that were equated by gender. The experimental group consisted of 11 participants, and the control group had the remaining number of participants. The experimental group participated in 10-week long step dance sessions that lasted 50 minutes in three days of the week. Their session was broken down to 10 minutes of warm-up, 25 minutes of step dance, 10 minutes of floor exercises and 5 minutes of cool-down, of which the heart rate of each participant was checked after each session. The control group did not participate in any physical activity for the

Reading report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading report - Coursework Example As far as the notion of nation includes an aspect of community and cooperation in order to build strong nation with invincible values and social order people should unite for common well-being. I agree with Clinton’s assertion of importance of national service, although his suggestions how to implement the service and inspire people to serve others don’t look like the kind of social education, that would make young people to understand the importance of national service, because it more looks like enforcement to serve. The main principle that young people are supposed to learn by serving their country is that not only a country should support people but people in turn have to give something back by serving the community they live in. If, for instance, to make it easier for young people to hold low-paying public service job, as Clinton suggests, so that they could still pay their student loans, it will not make young people more aware of importance of public service. The y will take it as a necessary obligation. In the meantime the concept of social service includes people’s awareness of them being citizens and the fact that citizenship means shared responsibility and co-existence with other citizens. Thus I believe that the very first thing which must be implemented is a special public service education that would make people aware of the fact that human co-existence stands on such things as compassion and mutual aid. Furthermore, people should realize that helping each other is not only an obligation but it is a joy and also a kind of profit; because if they start doing all the public service that is, as Clinton claims, â€Å"must be done† eventually the quality of their lives will become better because everybody else will start contributing more to common well-being. Thus, I believe that Clinton’s aims are reasonable and probably are supposed to maintain national strength, though his

Gabriel Oak Essay Example for Free

Gabriel Oak Essay How do you account for Bathshebas choice of husband when she could have married either Gabriel Oak or William Boldwood? Bathsheba married Troy because he offered her an exciting lifestyle full of lust and venture. On the other hand, she rejected Oak and Boldwood because they offered her a secluded life of security in a traditional living. The book was written in episodes for a Victorian magazine. People of the times expected a happy ending, Hardy wanted to please his readers but incorporate the hardships of life at the same time. He structures the book so that Bathsheba is dragged through her misfortunes and undeserving men, whilst throughout the duration of the book the readers still feel that Bathsheba should ultimately be in wedlock with Gabriel. This is clever of Hardy because despite the tragedy of death there is love to sooth the mind. In the time in which the book was written, men and women were only allowed to be together if the Lady has a chaperone, this was the socially accepted thing. Therefore, if a man got a woman pregnant it would be unacceptable of him not to marry her. Hardy felt that women were treated badly in the eyes of society. He felt that when women were married, the behaviour and character of the man they were married to shaped their lifestyles. In the Victorian period, women who did not marry found it very hard in society. They depended on their own financial security and were looked down upon because they were not married. He felt that women were swept up in the excitement of new love and lust and when they were married without true love, they would regret the mistake for the rest of their lives. Scarlet fever was the nickname for the obsession that the local girls had for the officers in the regiment who settled in their town, their scarlet coats being the basis of this nickname. Hardys Aunt Martha was in fact one of the victims of Scarlet fever. She ran off with a cavalryman, John Breton Sharpe. This may have been his inspiration for the character of Troy: attractive and exciting on the outside but fickle and insecure on the inside. When Troy and Bathsheba first meet, in chapter 24, the corner of her dress gets caught in his spur and as they struggle to untangle themselves he is very bold and brazen to her. He makes flirtatious comments that appeal to her vanity, Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face! Although Bathsheba is flattered by his compliments, she does not know how to handle his over confident behaviour and is eager to get away because she is alone with a single man in the dark; with a reputation to uphold. She suggests that he is only entangling her dress further so that he can keep her there, O, tis shameful of you; you have been making it worse on purpose to keep me here you have! After he finally looses the dress from his spurs, he is even as daring as to make a reference to marriage, I wish it had been the knot of knots, which theres no untying! This makes her even more desperate to get away and on her retreat he makes another remark that makes him ever more attractive to Bathshebas vane nature, Ah, Beauty; good-bye! When Bathsheba, returns home, she learns from Liddy that Troy is high-born and very intelligent; He was brought up so well, and sent to Casterbridge grammar school for years and years. , Hes a doctors son by name and an earls son by nature Nobility of blood will outshine even in the ranks and files. Already, Bathsheba is attracted to Troys Redcoat exterior and his bold flirtatious manner. At their next meeting, Troy succeeds in dazzling Bathsheba with his witty remarks about men and their love for women; Probably some one man on an average falls in love with each ordinary woman such a woman as you a hundred men will always covet and once again he showers her with compliments; I would rather have curses from you than kisses from any other woman. Troy finally achieves to bewitch Bathsheba in chapter twenty-eight. When Bathsheba and Troy meet in the ferns, Troy impresses her with his skill with a sword. He tells her that the sword he is using is blunt when really it is razor sharp; No edge! This sword will shave like a razor. Troy takes the liberty of slicing a caterpillar that had settled on Bathshebas chest and cutting a stray lock of her hair. At this point, Hardy may have been influenced by the poem written by Alexander Pope called The Rape of the Lock. In this poem, Pope writes about a man named Lord Fermor, who cuts a lock of hair from the Lady Arabella except for the loss of your hair, which I shall always name in reverence. This is a symbol of sexual achievement. Later on in the book, we found out that Troy is also in the possession of a lock of Fanny Robins hair, so this would lead us to suspect that Troy regards this as trophy collecting or personal reminders of all the women he has seduced. Troy is the first man to kiss Bathsheba and this has a definite impact on her. The minutes interval had brought the blood beating into her face And enlarged emotion to a compass which quite swamped thought He had kissed her. After this event, Troy travels to Bath and Bathsheba follows him for many reasons. One of these reasons is that when she is on the road one afternoon, she meets Farmer Boldwood. He is obsessively in love with her and shouts at her, threatening Troy and cursing his name; Ill punish him be he soldier or no if he were one hundred men Id hose whip him. Bathsheba is very frightened for Troy and thinks long and hard about what to do in her trivial situation. She decides to go to Bath. She will warn Troy not to come back and to see him one last time before she end their relationship; Her plan was now to drive to Bath during the night, see Sergeant Troy in the morning before he set out to come to her, bid him farewell and dismiss him. Although this seemed like the best thing to do to save anyone from getting hurt, Bathsheba talks with Gabriel about the reasons for her ultimate commitment to Troy; I went to Bath that night with the full intention of breaking off my engagement to Mr. Troy Well I was alone in a strange city, and the horse was lame I saw, at last, when it was too late that scandal might seize hold of me for meeting alone him in that way. I was coming away when he suddenly said he had that day seen a woman more beautiful than I, and that his constancy could not be counted on unless I at once became his And then between jealousy and distraction I married him. Here we see one of the main reasons that Bathsheba married Troy he made her desperately jealous by manipulating her emotions.

The Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

The Death Penalty Essay The death penalty is an interwoven controversy. The law is supposed to bring together the basic principles and purposes of society, including the recognition and protection of individual rights to life, liberty, and the security of people and property. The two separate groups of norms that are woven into the death penalty are desirable social principles and respectable moral principles. The death penalty has shown itself to be an ineffective punishment, due to the fact that, it is an immoral and anti-social practice in today’s society. It does not and will not uphold any of the basic principles that are the basis of the law in this country. This country desires revenge, and that is why we have the death penalty. Do not let people fool you with words such as justice and deterrence, because the death penalty serves neither of these purposes. The fact is, the death penalty is not a deterrent of crime, as the death penalty has been proven not to deter crime. The death penalty cannot be called moral, because taking another human life in such a fashion is not moral. Also, there is always the risk that an innocent man’s life may be taken. Now I ask you, is taking an innocent mans life moral. The discriminate way the death penalty is given to minorities is not a socially acceptable occurrence, especially in today’ s society. Last of all, the death penalty is an uneconomical practice, and wastes valuable social resources in a steady stream of court costs that seem never-ending. When you look at all these circumstances combined, it is futile to argue for the death penalty. The facts shown stand against it. In the end, the death penalty looks to be nothing but legalized murder, and there is no other solution but to execute the death penalty once and for all. Any punishment should contribute to the reduction of crime; accordingly, the punishment for a crime should not be so idle a threat or so slight a deprivation that it has no deterrent or incapacitative effects. Most of all, it certainly should not contribute to an increase in crime.(Bedau 259) Does the death penalty really deter crime. The death penalty lobby wants you to believe the answer to that question is yes. But, in fact, it is a resounding no. there is a wide consensus among Americans top criminologists that the death penalty does, or can do, little to reduce rates of criminal violence. The United States is the only Western nation that still allows the death penalty, and we also have one of the highest crime rates. During the 1980s, the death penalty states averaged an annual rate of 7.5 criminal homicides per 100,000, while abolition states averaged a rate of 7.4 per 100,000. That means that murders were actually more common in states with the death penalty. Also, in a nationwide survey of police chiefs and sheriffs, capital punishment was ranked last as a way of reducing violent crime. Only twenty-six percent thought that the death penalty significantly reduces the number of homicides. There is no hard evidence that proves the death penalty has a deterrent effect on criminal violence. Governor William Weld of Massachusetts bolsters his belief of the deterrent effect of the death penalty with data from his gut. Also, Ken Nunneley, an Alabama assistant attorney general in charge of the states capital litigation division, obtains his data from the same source. My gut tells me it has a deterrent, let me put it that way. Whether or not the or use of the death penalty is, has been, or could be a deterrent to homicide is a huge question that can not be on the basis of gut feelings. In the following research project, Michael L. Radelet and Ronald L. Akers sent out questionnaires to seventy former presidents from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and the Law and Society Association. The presidents were asked to answer some general questions on the basis of your knowledge of the literature and research in criminology.The questions asked were relating to deterrence issues. When asked if they believe or feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder or that it lowers the murder rate. Among the sixty-four that responded to the questions, fifty-six or 87.5 percent believe the death penalty does not have a deterrent effect on possible murderers or murder rates. These results chip away at the most important justification for the death penalty.(RadeletAkers 2-3) I believe the reason the death penalty is not a deterrent, is because murderers do not examine risk/reward charts before they kill someone. If a criminal was in a rational state of mind, life imprisonment should be enough to deter them. The fact is, most criminals are not in a rational state of mind. Besides, no criminal commits a crime if he believes he will be caught. There are many moral arguments against the death penalty, that should make us think twice about our reasons for supporting it. The first is the execution of innocent people. As former Supreme Court justice Harry Blackmun said,the execution of an innocent person comes perilously close to simple murder. In fact, it is simple, and one of the most awful aspects of capital punishment. It is impossible to calculate the risk that an innocent person will be executed, but the risk is not zero, as the record of convicted, sentenced, and executed innocents shows. Since 1900, twenty-three people who we now know to be innocent have been murdered by the state. Three hundred and fifty people have been found not guilty while in death row awaiting execution. Yet, the death penalty lobby continues to support this slaughter of innocent people. The second argument is, does the government have the right to kill? Of course we all know the government has the right to self defense, such as, a policeman firing on an armed and dangerous criminal feeling on an armed and dangerous criminal. If we apply the same standards to civilians that we have for the government. A civilian has the right to shoot an intruder as he is entering his home. What if the civilian catches the intruder, incapacitates him, and has him under his control, then shooting the intruder would be considered murder. That is what capital punishment is simple murder. The next argument that I would like to address is, is there a difference between state killing and murder? The end result is the same; one more dead body, one more set of grieving parents, and one more cemetery plot. Every time we execute someone, we send a very confusing message to the American people about the value of human life. Every time we allow an execution, we as a society sink to the same level as the common killer. the people of the United states have blood on their hands, and it will stay there until we end this horrid practice. The final moral argument is that the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment. It is torture to keep someone locked up when they know they are waiting to be killed. To paraphrase Camus, there is no equal retribution unless the convicted felon imprisoned his victim for years, and everyday informed him the date of his death. Also, the methods of executing people have all been found to be excessively cruel. It often takes ten minutes or more for a felon to die in the electric chair. The only methods that is known not to be painful is lethal injection, about which we know very little. The death penalty is full of many abuses, but the most obvious is racial abuse. A 1990 report released by the federal governments General Accounting Office found a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty. Professor David Baldus examined sentencing patterns in Georgia in the 1970s. After reviewing over 2,500 homicide cases in that state, controlling for nonracial factors, he concluded that a person acaccused of killing a white was 4.3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than a person accused of killing a black. Also, Stanford Law Review published a study that found similar patterns of racial disparity, based on the race of the victim, in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia. For example, in Arkansas, findings showed that defendants is a case involving a white victim were three and a half times more likely to be sentenced to death; in Illinois, four times; in North Carolina, 4.4 times; and in Mississippi, five times more likely to be sentenced to death than defendants convicted of killing blacks. The death penalty is not now, nor ever has been, a more economical alternative to life imprisonment, said Spangenberg and Walsh in an article in the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. A study by the NY State Defenders Association showed that the cost of capital trial alone is more than double the cost of life imprisonment. In Maryland, a comparison of capital trial costs with and without the death penalty for the years 1979-1984 concluded that a death penalty case costs approximately forty-two percent more than a case resulting in a non-death sentence, according to the federal governments Accounting Office. In 1988 and 1989 the Kansas legislature voted Against reinstating the death penalty after it was informed that reintroduction would involve a first year cost of more than eleven million dollars. All these facts summed up show that the death penalty is not for America. All it does is bring down our morale and our dignity. It shows that we have no respect for human life, just like murderers. I hope that someone will read my essay and put the death penalty to sleep for good.

Cybercare Work Placement Review

Cybercare Work Placement Review Ignacio Fernà ¡ndez De Arroyabe The work placement for this module, Work Related Module II, was at Cybercare UK. From October 2016, I have been developing this activity. Cybercare UK is an organisation in London, which offers one-stop-shop to support victims of cyber crimes. The goal of the organisation is to assist victims of cyber crimes in detecting and protecting themselves. In fact, the aims of this company are advocacy for the protection of the individual, respecting rights and responsibilities to ensure security and freedom, in consultation with government, legal and technical services, and charitable agencies. During the time spent at Cybercare, I have worked in a group called Cybercare Business Research Team. The objective of this team has been to identify products for the security of computer systems. For this task, we have followed the work methodology DESP, which consists in detecting problems and vulnerabilities, customer education, and in supporting and offering protection for victims of cyber crime. In this report, we synthesise both the activities carried out and the assessment of the learning outcomes. Thus, we firstly conduct a review of the activities performed, placing special emphasis in the work methodology. Secondly, we evaluate the activities carried out in terms of learning. This learning has been evaluated at three levels: (i) the acquisition of knowledge, (ii) the improvement of capabilities, and finally (iii) the improvement of skills (not only personal skills but also interrelational and leadership skills). In the following sections, I present the review of activities, the academic context in which they have been developed, the evaluation of activities and finally, the conclusion explaining the achievements with this Module. I enclose as Annexes the presentations that I have elaborated for the organisation. 2. Review of Activities As a member of the Cybercare Business Research Team, the work we have done has been to find products for the security of computer systems. Our role was to educate and provide victims of cyber crime with measures (software or procedures) to protect systems; For example, antivirus and search engines that provide you privacy, or network sniffers, for users with more computer skills. As members of the Cybercare Business Research Team, we took care of everyday software, for example, encrypted mail, secure VPN, secure payment methods, etc. The Table 1 shows the activities developing. Table1: Activities performed during the work with Cybercare Research Type Main Duties Research on Antivirus and Secure Browsers -Find the best Cost/Security Antivirus. -Find the best Secure browsers that do not slow down the system. -Compatible with multiple O.S. Research on Network Sniffers -Research for Network Sniffers. -Tutorials to show how to use the Software. Research on Network Ports -Tutorials in explaining what Network Ports are. -Research on how to close ports. 2.1 Dealing with the client needs In the context of my activities in Cybercare Business Research Team, we note that Cybercare is a peculiar organisation in the relationship with its clients since it is not only necessary to provide a service, but also it is necessary to consider the psychological state of the client, as these people have suffered a cybercrime. Therefore, this makes our work affected in several ways: First of all, when finding solutions or helping a client, we have to lead with clear and simple ideas to help them. We assume that their knowledge of computer tools does not necessarily correspond to an expert level. Second, the psychological situation, since apart from customers, they are victims of cybercrime. This means that we have to be especially sensitive, both in the provision of the service and in the relationship with them. These two aspects have been the reason for the first meetings with the company since the relationship with the clients is fundamental. 2.2 Working Methodology: DESP approach. For the accomplishment of our work, and considering the framework of the relationship with the clients, the methodology used in the company is DESP approach. This methodology work consists of four phases: Detect, Educate, Support, and Protect. Through it, we provide an integral service to our clients, following the guidelines of work of the main international regulations, on the implementation of information security systems (Boehm, 1991; CLUSIF, 2008[1]; Infosec Institute, 2016; ISO, 2016). Below we describe the main aspects of the work methodology: The first stage of the work is the detection (Detect). This is probably the most difficult task because when a client needs help, you have to find the possible vulnerabilities or mistakes that they have made and that have allowed the hacker to enter to the system. It is a crucial step, as all the solutions that might be applied depend on finding the problem. If the vulnerability exploited by a hacker is not detected, it will not be possible to implement a solution. To make a good detection analysis, it is crucial to meet with clients, with the aim of identifying and recreating the steps followed by the hacker. For the realisation of this work, we use technical diagnostic toolkits, such as CrystalDiskInfo, which monitors the hard disks and reports the state of their health, then it returns all the S.M.A.R.T. information and shows how many times the disk has been turned on and off (Hiyohiyo, 1998), or even the help of legal agencies (for example, the metropolitan police). The second stage of our methodology is education (Educate). At this stage, we develop an educational programme, suitable for each client. The purpose of this is to instruct the client so that he/she can understand why it happened (identification of vulnerabilities), and how to remedy it (development of information security systems). As we pointed out above, for the development of this educational phase, we must be patient with the client, and very clear and didactic in the teachings, as well as in the recreation of the computer attack. Therefore, for this task, it is necessary both, the understanding and empathy of the employee as the interest towards the client. Moreover, we have to consider, that in many cases the client does not have a high knowledge in IT, for which is essential that it is explained in a language and context that the client can understand and apply later what has been learned, always taking into account that the most important thing is that the user can apply the se remedies or the solutions taught. As a means to accomplish this task, we have used digital and blended training tools and e-learning tutorials. These educational systems have helped customers learn the use of some software, for example, Zenmap. Zenmap is software from the company Nmap[2], which adds an interactive GUI so that the user can easily see the networks to which it is connected, the open ports and all the interactions between the computer and the network. The third stage of our methodology is Support. This stage is intended to help the client in future questions or doubts about what has been learned to protect themselves. Fui-Hoon et al. (2001), Boehm (2008) and ISO (2016) point out that this task is critical for the development of a computer security system. Cybercare considers this stage to be fundamental, unlike other consulting companies that do not give so much importance to the phase of support, in Cybercare we ensure that the customer has the best support possible. This is because if the client does not remember how to apply what they have learned to protect their System, they will repeat the same mistakes made previously. For the accomplishment of this stage, telephone support is usually the most used medium, and combined with online assistance, in the clients system. The last step is protection (Protect). This is the stage in which the system is already protected and the customer has already applied the recommended guidelines to keep the System safe. Normally this is the last process, unless it is necessary to repeat any of the above, either due to new system vulnerabilities or bad habits and/or forgetting to follow practices to defend it. If this is successfully completed it can be said that the system is protected and that the user is out of risk. 2.3 Working within a team environment For the development of our work and the performance of the same, it has been done by working on a team. The importance to the business success of teamwork is well known in the literature (McDonough, 2000; Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). In this sense, in Cybercare, we work as a Research Team, being team work the second pillar on which the methodological work is supported. In this context, the coordination and interaction between the team members were very important, with the aim of finding solutions for our clients, which can satisfy them in all aspects both economic and practical security. My working group was Cybercare Business Research Team. The goal was to work on finding cybersecurity solutions for each client. The assignment of the tasks in our work team was based on the type of products needed. Thus, each member of the group specialised in one type of product. In my case, I was responsible for the antivirus software. For this task, I elaborated a list with all the antivirus that were on the market and classified them considering two conditions, the price and the operating system of the client; also for mobile devices, such as smartphones, PDAs, etc. The second product I had to research in my working group, was secure browsers. In order to perform this assignment, I had to find the best secure browsers that offered the most security and privacy to the user, for the various operating systems, which could allow them to navigate the network with the highest security possible. However, in our situation as students with not much experience in the organisation environment, it was difficult at first to be able to coordinate and divide the assignments properly. This is a fundamental element since in any professional environment the coordination of workers is a critical element, which is why we try hard to learn from it. The situation among the teammates, given that we all have the same background (IT), made communication between us easier since in technical terms we all understood each other. 2.4 Presentations for employers, clients and team members In the implementation of our work methodology, a key element is the presentation of our results to employers, clients and members of the others groups. This methodology followed in Cybercare was considered critical, as Fincham (1999) points out, it facilitates the learning, the interaction and the trust between the company and the clients (Fincham, 1999; Nah et al. 2003). In addition, teamwork required that each member of the Research Business Team had to present at the meetings our results and recommendations, both in terms of solutions and products. Hence, I have made several presentations during my work with Cybercare. In these presentations I showed the characteristics, the prices and the time that would take to get the software or product to be in operation for the company. 2.5 Find the right products for customers As a member of the Cybercare Research Business Team, our work was based on the search for products that offered security for our clients. For this, we looked for products the most affordable as possible, preferably free, since in many cases the user or customer prioritises the software to be free or very low cost. One of the products to look for the clients was an antivirus and secure browsers. For this, we elaborated a comparative spreadsheet (Annexe 1), in which we explain the features of the antivirus and the secure browsers. We also prioritise the cost, thus obtaining two antiviruses per operating system (one free and another low cost but with features better than the free), and secure browsers by Operating System. For the realisation of this work, apart from the Internet search, we had to contact companies to ask about their products specification, for example, Panda Security. The objective was to clarify the various products and classify them both in security level and in cost. 3. Academic Context The work placement is related to my course in many ways. Firstly, it has allowed me to put into practice the knowledge acquired in the modules developed in my Bachelor. Especially, I would like to point out that the knowledge acquired in the CC6004: Network and Cloud Security, CS5001: Networks and Operating Systems and CC5004: Security in Computing modules, have been useful in the accomplishment of my work at Cybercare. Secondly, I had the possibility of interacting with other colleagues, of whom I have acquired knowledge in other areas, which I did not have prior knowledge, or in which my knowledge was superfluous. This is the case, for example, network security or software security. In addition to the implementation of the knowledge acquired in my BSc, I have had the opportunity to improve my capabilities and skills. Working in a company has helped me to gain first-hand in-depth knowledge, not only on customers needs but also on new working methodologies and learned to interact with other colleagues. 4. Activities Evaluation 4.1 Dealing with the client needs Since my experience in a company environment was not as extensive as some of my colleagues, I did not have the opportunity in prior working occasions to deal with clients needs. This, in turn, resulted in that I had to learn many things, which helped me develop my skills and abilities. Specifically, I have developed my client orientation competencies, as the relationship with them was oriented towards the search for adequate protection solutions, in terms of money and time of implementation. Furthermore, I have improved my skills of interrelating with people, especially in dealing with clients. In this respect, we have to consider not only the classic supplier-customer interaction but also we had to qualify the clients psychological state, as the victim of a cyber-attack. This was helpful to see what the requirements in company environment are. As a result of this, I developed my personal skills, such as work and time management and organisational capabilities. 4.2 DESP approach As pointed out earlier, DESP approach follows the standards of consulting in the information sector. This system is very effective in solving cyberattack problems, which has required being able to detect, educate, implement and assist the client, developing and learning to better analyse systems and problems derived from malware or intrusion to the system. This has allowed me to assimilate this methodology, as well as to know how and when to implement it properly and to learn the international standards of computer security. This experience has opened me the doors to a learning process and therefore an increase in my personal skills and abilities, which will allow me in the future to work in the consultancy sector. Windolf (1986) and Sparrow (2007) point out that in the recruitment of personnel in the consultancy sector the most valued capacities are: to detect, educate, implement and help the client. 4.3 Working within a team environment The next challenge for me has been group work. Although at university we have experiences in group work, for example, the elaboration of coursework. However, the experience of a professional job has enriched me in my skills both in a personal relationship and in management. The group work, has in first place, meant the need to plan and organise the tasks in the team. This interaction has been a very interesting experience, for example, analysing the criteria for dividing tasks and adjusting a work plan to the needs of the client. Additionally, in some tasks, I have developed the coordination role. This has allowed me to gain experience in the management of work teams. Having to learn, listen, coordinate, motivate, and lead a team. 4.4 Presentations for employers, clients and team members Personally, before working at Cybercare, I did not have much experience in presentations in a business environment, outside the strictly academic. This experience has, therefore, helped me greatly to improve my presentation skills, in presentations with employers, clients, and team members. More in detail, the presentations meant the implementation of our communication skills, especially in the transmission of ideas, which have to be especially good to be able to express and convince the possible client about the solutions or products more suitable for their Computer security problems. In addition, considering that clients were not IT experts, we had to make a communication effort, to simplify some terms, for example, VPN, Network Sniffer, etc. In addition, attending presentations of other teams helped me to increase my knowledge in areas in which I had not much prior knowledge, such as Networks Sniffers products (this is the case of Wireshark, Nmap or Zenmap). 4.5 Find the right products for customers As already mentioned, much of the time working for the company was spent looking for the products and applications most appropriate to the needs of customers. The best example has been to search, analyse and classify the best antivirus that can be found on the market. This has required looking at all the antivirus for all operating systems, their functions, and features, considering aspects such as the price and the number of licenses that can be obtained for that price. So make a chart with the main features and prices. In order to be able to find products to recommend to customers, we had to acquire an exhaustive knowledge about the product and the market, besides identifying the needs of the customer or user. As a conclusion to this work, this helped me to understand that each customer has different necessities and therefore the product has to be adapted to these needs, thereby increasing my analytical skills greatly improved after this situation (see Table 2). Also, gain a thorough knowledge of antivirus. Table 2: Skills, Knowledge and Capabilities gather. Skills Capabilities Knowledge Clients Personal Interaction Orientation to the clients Client treatment DESP Personal Consultant Work Methodology Working Team Personal Interaction Direction Define and eradicate the problem Networks Team Work Solutions Personal Analytics Anti-Virus, Secure Browsers Network Sniffers 5.   Challenges As in all jobs, motivation is always a great ally in order to perform a task properly. At first you are very motivated to have achieved that position, but then irremediably with the passage of time is just falling into a routine, which ends up gradually losing your motivation, and instead of being something special that put one hundred percent, You end up just putting what you think is just necessary to complete the task. In my case, I always try to be motivated, with ideas, with previously read material to extend my knowledge on the field. But sometimes it is impossible to keep that motivation all the time. For example in my case, to get down to work, I have to travel an hour and a half between trains and the underground. At the beginning, I used that time to read the extra material, that could give me a better idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹the topic that was going to be working that day, but in the end, I end up not reading on trains, usually for lack of motivation. This I think has been one of the great challenges for me, to keep the motivation to one hundred percent, to be able to take full advantage of the experience of working in the company Cybercare. Another great challenge that I had when it comes to successfully carry out the work with the organisation Cybercare, has been the product presentations. This was due to my lack of experience in professional presentations (not academic, since I have had numerous presentations at the University), since professional presentations require a more practical knowledge of the products (such as cost of a product, the availability, the time it would take to have such a product), plus you have to present only what is important, since the rest of the things you say will not serve to the company at all, therefore, they would not pay attention. This has been from my point of view the most difficult challenge, getting the audience (employers and clients) to pay attention and being able to convey the main characteristics of the product. Compared to presentations at an academic level, in which data, such as the history of the product, origin, how you ended up reaching that product, etc., are very imp ortant. In the presentations at a business level, the important thing is: why would the company invest in this product, which is what it makes it better than the rest of the product, and when will they have it. 6. Conclusion In conclusion, after working with Cybercare since last October (2016), I have noticed that I have improved in my personal, interrelation and leadership skills. Being in a business environment the demand by the employers is maximum, so you have to do your best to be able to meet deadlines, and correctly perform the tasks ordered. The Learning outcomes (LO) have helped me to set goals to meet. With the logbooks, I have been able to summarise what I have done during this time, and it has helped me to review the feedback of the employees so that I was able to improve every week. In general terms, the Work Related Module II module has helped me to put into practice my theoretical knowledge learned in the University and has prepared me for the business world for when I finish my bachelor. References Bakker, A.B. and Schaufeli, W.B. (2008). Positive organisational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), 147-154. Boehm, B.W.   (1991). Software risk management: principles and practices. IEEE Software Journal,8, 32-41. Boehm, B.W. (2008). Appraisal of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of an Information Security Management System Based on ISO 27001. SECURWARE, 8, 224-231. CLUSIF (2008). Risk Management. Concepts and Methods. Club de la Securite Infomatique, Paris, France. Fincham, R. (1999). The consultant-client relationship: Critical perspectives on the management of organizational change. Journal of Management Studies, 36(3), 335-351. Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Lee-Shang Lau, J. and Kuang, J. (2001). Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems. Business Process Management Journal, 7(3), 285-296. Hiyohiyo (1998) CrystalDiskInfo software crystal dew world. Available at: http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskInfo/index-e.html (Accessed: 12 January 2017). Infosec Institute (2016). IT Auditing and Controls Planning the IT Audit. Infosec Institute. http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/itac-planning/#gref ISO (2016). ISO/IEC 27001 Information security management. ISO. http://www.iso.org/iso/iso27001 McDonough, E. F. (2000). Investigation of factors contributing to the success of crossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ functional teams. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 17(3), 221-235. Nah, F.H., Zuckweiler, K.M.and Lee-Shang Lau, J. (2003). ERP implementation: chief information officers perceptions of critical success factors. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 16(1), 5-22. Sparrow, P.R. (2007). Globalization of HR at function level: four UK-based case studies of the international recruitment and selection process. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(5), 845-867. Windolf, P. (1986). Recruitment, selection, and internal labour markets in Britain and Germany. Organization Studies, 7(3), 235-254. Annexe 1: Presentation on Antivirus and Secure browsers Annexe 2: Presentation on Network Sniffers Annexe 3. Presentation on Network Ports (Windows) [1] CLUSIF: Club de la Sà ©curità © de lInformation Franà §ais (https://clusif.fr/). [2] Nmap Security   (NMAP.ORG, https://nmap.org/zenmap/).

A critical review of the major opposing views on arbitration & industri

This paper will critically review the major opposing perspectives on arbitration and industrial relations, with particular attention to how government regulation and intervention relate to the changes made to the system after 1996. The major focus of this brief paper will be to demonstrate that Howard’s industrial relations policies resemble those of the late 1800’s, where the Master and Servant Act’s regulated the relationships between employer and employee. These were replaced with the introduction of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration (1904-1921). The outcome from such dramatic change in industrial relations was the forming of unions and major strikes. Subsequently, the new system of employer and employee relations sought to resolve labour disputes and enhance the quality of life for Australian workers. Moreover it was steeped in social democratic ideals and worked to give every Australian a decent standard of living. These ideals have yet shifted back to the individual contract model where the market predetermines wages and working conditions. During pre-federation when free labour came to dominate the colonies; workers exercised their civil citizenship rights through entry into individual employment contracts. The master and servant laws which empowered these individual contracts were imported from Britain and were quickly implemented and regulated in the Colonies. Isaac argues that ‘the master and servant acts †¦ both in concept and practice reflected the harsh penal code used against the convicts’. However, the latter part of the 1800’s brought with it the rising political influence of the working classes and an increasingly powerful trade union. The modification of the master and servant laws through the collectivisation of union groups resulted in a greater role fir state interventions. The 1890’s saw the emergence of many disputes over working conditions and the power employers had over employees, which was legitimised by law. Australian workers were illustrating this through strikes and the formation of unions. In recognising the duty of government to be the protection and economic welfare of its citizens, a court of Conciliation and Arbitration was established in Australia in the 1890’s. The new systems were based in social democratic ideals and worked to give ever... ...ts to replace the idea of "industrial relations" with that of "employee relations" reflect efforts to draw attention away from institutions like tribunals and unions, towards individuals and their direct relationships. Bibliography Bolton, G., (1990) The Oxford History of Australia, vol.5, '1942-1988: The Middle Way', Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Isaac, J., (1998) Australian Labour Market Issues: An Historical Perspective, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 690-15 MacIntyre, P.G., (1985) A Fair Wage in Winners and Losers: The Pursuit of Social Justice in Australian History, Allen and Unwin: Sydney McCallum, R., (1996) The New Millennium and The Higgins Heritage: Industrial Relations in the 21st Century, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 38, no. 2, pp.294-312. Parkin, A., Summers, J., & Woodward, D., (1980) Government, Politics and Power in Australia: an Introductory Reader, Melbourne, Victoria. : Longman Cheshire, pp. 372-74 Schmitthoff, C. (1990) Export Trade: The Law and Practice of International Trade: 9th Edition. London: Sweet & Maxwell Solomon, D., (1999) End of the Era of Arbitration, Courier Mail 27th March.

Internet Security: Is Your Computer Ready? :: essays research papers fc

Internet Security: Is Your Computer Ready?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internet Security. Those are two words that hold a huge importance on our lives today. For the past half-century even more so in the past near quarter-century, computers have become an important staple to one’s own way of living, and the world’s largest network of computers, the Internet, has become one of the most useful and essential resources for legions of users around the world. However, this and e-mail communication can have their drawbacks, and very serious drawbacks at that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are those users, who we call hackers, who have the ability manipulate their own programs to infect, and attack various organizations and institutions around the world. And they perform these acts, â€Å"cyber-crime,† in the form of programs called viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, and spam, or junk mail. Companies also do this in spyware and adware. This is where Internet Security comes into play. Many programs have been created to protect computers and their resources from those who want to invade them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Symantec Corporation’s Norton Internet Security, which has a new version every year, has been recognized as a benchmark program in providing the best protection for computers. This program is actually a combination of other Symantec products: Norton AntiVirus, Norton Personal Firewall, Norton Privacy Control, Norton Parental Control, and Norton AntiSpam. With this combination, Norton Internet Security blocks and removes Internet worms, e-mail worms, and viruses that are script-based, while allowing the user to go about his or her business on the Web. A new version of this product, which incorporates a simpler, easy-to-use approach for the user, has been scheduled to be distributed in fall 2004 (Chapelle 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There can be times when the world’s best software companies can have their efforts backfire on them. One example of such an occurrence is Microsoft Corporation, whose operating systems Windows 2000 and Windows XP have been susceptible to flaws from other popular Internet security programs such as Internet Security Systems’ BlackICE Defencer and BlackICE Agent, resulting in a number of possibilities for opportunistic hackers (Fairplay 1). Microsoft will be releasing later this year a second service pack for their Windows XP operating system, programmed with a stronger firewall for computers running under this OS (Sandusky 1). One should not be surprised by the number of flaws that come with Windows XP, or any operating system.