Ratio Analysis of Hcl Tech Essay Example for Free

Ratio Analysis of Hcl Tech Essay It provides software-led IT solutions, remote infrastructure management and BPO services, focused mainly on transformational outsourcing. The company leverages its extensive offshore infrastructure and global network of offices in 31 countries to deliver solutions across selected verticals including financial services, retail and consumer, life sciences, aerospace, automotive, semiconductors, telecom, media publishing and entertainment. HCL takes pride in its philosophy of â€Å"Employees First, Customers Second† which empowers their 84,403 employees to create a real value for the customers. HCL Technologies, along with its subsidiaries, had consolidated revenues of US$ 4. 5 billion, as on 31st March 2013. HCL Leadership team 2. Objectives of Study Development of industries depends on several factors such as financial, personnel, technology, quality of product and marketing. Financial aspects assume a significant role in determining the growth of industries. All the company’s operations virtually affect its need for cash. Most of these data covering operations area are however outside the direct responsibility of the financial executives. The firm whose present operations are inherently difficult should try to makes its financial analysis to enable its management to stay on top of its working position. In this context I am undertaking financial ratio analysis of HCL Technologies to examine and understand financial performance of the company. Using ratio analysis this project will provide the insights of – * The growth and development of HCL Technologies for last 5 years (FY 08-12) * The behavior of liquidity and profitability of HCL Technologies * The factors determining the liquidity and profitability of HCL Technologies Scope The scope of the study is limited to financial data published in the annual reports of the company every year. The analysis is done to suggest possible solutions for financial growth of the organization. This study is carried out for 5 years (2008-2012). Also data provided by external agencies are used for analysis of future predication. 3. Concept of Financial Statement amp; Ratio Analysis 2 3. 2 Financial Statement To understand the information contained in financial statements with a view to know the strength or weaknesses of the organization, to make forecast about future prospects and thereby enabling the management and external parties to take different decisions regarding the operations. Fundamental analysis has a very broad scope. One aspect looks at the general (qualitative) factors of the company. The other side considers tangible and measurable factors (quantitative). This means crunching and analyzing numbers from the financial statements if used in conjunction with other methods, quantitative analysis can produce excellent results. Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis is the method or process by which relationship/group of items in the financial statement are computed, determined and presented. Ratio analysis is an attempt to derive quantitative measure or guides concerning the financial health and profitability of business enterprises. Ratio analysis can be used both in trend and static analysis. Purpose of several ratios depends on the objective of analysis. A financial ratio measures a company’s performance in a specific area. For example, you could use a ratio of a company’s debt to its equity to measure a company’s gearing. By comparing the gearing ratios of two companies, you can determine which company uses greater debt per equity. You can use this information to make a judgment as to which company is better investment risk. However, you must be careful not to place too much importance on one ratio. You obtain better indication of the direction in which a company is moving when several ratios are taken as a group. Ratios are worked out to analyze the following aspects of an enterprise: a. Solvency: i. Long term ii. Short term iii. Immediate b. Profitability c. Operational Efficiency d. Credit standing e. Effective utilization of resources f. Investment Analysis 3. 4 Significance of Ratio Analysis in Financial Statement Ratio analysis is very important in revealing the financial position and soundness of the business so used by various parties * Management: The group that has the most interest in financial statement analysis is management. Management needs to discover quickly any area of mismanagement so that corrective action can be quickly taken. It mainly helps in: * Decision making: Ratio analysis helps in making decision from the information provided in these financial Statements. Financial forecasting and planning: Planning is looking ahead and the ratios calculated for a number of years a work as a guide for the future. * Communicating: The financial strength and weakness of a firm are communicated in a more easy and understandable manner using ratios. * Co-ordination: Better communication of efficiency and weakness of an enterprise result in better co-ordination in the enterprise * Control: The weaknesses are otherwise, if any, come to the knowledge of the managerial, which helps, in effective control of the business. * Investors or Shareholders Investors are interested in financial statements to evaluate current earnings and to predict future earnings. Financial statements influence greatly the price at which stock is bought and sold. * Lenders: Bankers before granting loans usually require that financial statements be submitted. Whether or not a loan is made depends heavily on a company’s financial condition and its prospects for the future. * Employees: Employees are mainly concerned about the profitability. Their salaries and increments are dependent on the profit made by the company. * Government:

The Abolition Of Prostitution In Malaysia

The Abolition Of Prostitution In Malaysia Last year I spent a lot of time working for the charity entitled The Hope House. This charitable organizations objective is to educate the children that are born into the brothels. The organization intends to build a place where these children can be provided with training in several artistic areas such as: photography, dance, painting etc- which I intend to teach at when I achieve my degree. There is a documentary on this subject matter Born Into Brothels, directed by Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman , which brutally displays what these children endure throughout their childhood. One of the little boys featured in the documentary now attends NYU for photography, which is unheard of by the people in the brothels of Cambodia; Avijit is now one of my closest friends. The involvement I have in this organization sparked my interest to look further into the brothels and examine the different theories of how to essentially stop the red light district. A brothel can be defined as a house where men visit prostitutes ( OED 2. a). A brothel is an institution that enforces the trafficking of women by providing a place where the prostitution can occur. A brothel itself is the actual house where the prostitutes, in most cases, live, and where the prostitutes take their customers(OED 2. a). Throughout my paper I will thoroughly examine the different areas of social, political and economic factors contributing to the continuation and/or abolition of the red light district and the brothels. The economic factors I will discuss in my paper is based on money, and economic stability, the political factors which include the laws and regulations implemented that influence the sex trade, and the social factors which is the Monaghan 3 demand for prostitution- or the consumers of the sex trade. I will thoroughly depict how the economic factors are essentially the ultimate cause of the brothel industry of these three important key factors, and that if the women in prostitution are given economic stability, the brothels would be essentially eliminated as well. It is hard to examine only one particular country in relation to the sex trade because it is a global phenomenon. The sex industry as a whole needs to be considered and analyzed if an individual is trying to decipher the underlying contributor to the red light district, but in the sole purpose of examination and to take a closer look at the problems imbedded in the vicious cycle of prostitution, my paper will focus solely on the brothels of Malaysia. My paper will examine factors that enforce prostitution and therefore will identify the ultimate cause, which in turn will illustrate how to eliminate the sex trade. There are several reasons as to why women enter the prostitution industry, or the brothels. These reasons can range from almost anything and in turn can force a women to result in selling their bodies for money, economic stability. The economic reasons I am referring to in my paper consist of anything concerning money and poverty, social reasons consist of the demand and want for prostitution from the consumers, and the political reasons I am referring to is anything concerning laws for or against prostitution; as discussed above. Throughout this paper it is apparent that the economic factors are the underlying cause of the red light district and will be exploited throughout the history of Malaysia. Monaghan 4 When a woman has sex for money it is dangerous to an individuals health and considered a criminal offense in most countries (100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies. 2010). It is dangerous especially because of STI`s and long term diseases that not only the women have to live with but the customers themselves. According to Ramachandran and Ngeow (2010) more than three quarters of women, associated with prostitution in brothels, suffer from some type of sexually transmited infection. The only reason a woman would exploit themselves and risk their health is because of their need to survive and provide for themselves (Ngeow 2010). Therefore if there were available jobs that would ensure security, they would certainly never voluntarily enter the sex trade. If these women were economically stable , then they would never enter this health threatening trade, which is apparent in the remainder of my paper. I will first examine ideal causes and factors of prostitution by scholars, and t hen examine prostitution more closely by exploiting the sex trade in Malaysia. Malaysia is a third world country and this will further prove my point that women do this for the sole purpose of money and survival, because third world countries are not economically stable. The economic factors that play an important role, primarily in the prostitution industry, is the lack of support and necessities to survive. An individual needs a certain amount of income to provide for their family and when they do not have this income, a woman can sometimes result in surrendering themselves to prostitution. In the article Sexual Trafficking in Women: International Political Economy and the Politics of Sex written by the scholar Andrea Bertone, the idea of economic factors, issues with money Monaghan 5 and debt, being the cause of prostitution is brought to attention. She explores the reasons why women enter the industry, which mainly are caused by lack of money and support for families, as stated above, and how this forces them into the sex trade. Aside from being physically forced into the industry, because some families do force their daughters into it, the only reason and girl or woman, according to Andrea Bertone, would willingly join the industry would be because of survival and economic stability (Bertone 2010). Brothel owners use this against these vulnerable women and tell them that there is a lot of money to be made overseas or in the sex trade, Bertone also states, and they therefore turn away from their families, and move over seas. In most cases, their families never hear from them again. When the brothel owners state that there is a lot of money to be made over seas, and these vulnerable woman leave their families, this illustrates how desperate these women are for ec onomic stability. They will travel many times in inhumane conditions and in unsafe vessels.(Bertone 2010) which shows how determined they are to find some type of economic stability. Bertone also states that one of the main reasons women choose, or are persuaded by others, to leave their country of origin and migrate is economic (2010). This quotation clearly states that the economic factors are the reason in which women travel across the world for prostitution. These women want economic stability and will do almost anything to achieve that. Bertone also states that the women that are vulnerable and targeted in the prostitution industry specifically, the supply sidethe women of the third world, the poor states (2010). This also further suggests that the only reason a women enters the Monaghan 6 sex trade is for survival and for some type of security. The poor states and the women with less money that need to resort to the sex trade are the women that enter it. The third world countries do not have enough resources or money to support these women (International labour office. 1998), so they therefore resort to prostitution. Therefore if poverty was eliminated, in places such as Malaysia, the sex trade would go down sufficiently and would slowly head towards abolition. Malaysia is a good example of how to eliminate prostitution and the brothels as it is an unsafe and very risky trade. The political aspect of the sex trade, the laws and regulations of prostitution, is explored throughout the article Female Sex Work as Deviance by Ronald Weitzer and in Malaysia specifically the article 100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies. In this article 100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies it illustrates the definite laws that Malaysia has against and for prostitution. There is some legalization of prostitution, in Malaysia, but the brothels and pimps are illegal. Interestingly enough the sex trade has gone up in Malaysia the past couple years. Even though brothels are illegal there, there are still many regulated institutions. This contradicts with many North Americans beliefs as the majority of Americans see both prostitution and pornography as immoral; three-quarters believe that we need stricter laws to control pornography; and a substantial number want prostitution to remain illegal (Weitzer 2007). This North American Theory is proved to be false in the case of Malaysia because as the policies and laws against prostitution increase, the more prostitution occurs. Throughout Malaysias history, it is evident that these North American theories do not help the abolition of the Monaghan 7 sex trade. As illustrated in the article 100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies by implementing laws and regulations it most definitely will not help lower the prostitution rates. In the article Female Sex Work as Deviance Weitzer illustrates also how the more policies that are implemented the more sex work there is, Over the past three decades some cities and suburbs have indeed banned or restricted massage parlors, strip clubs, and X-rated video stores (2007). In European and poorer countries, such as Malaysia, the prostitution has had an up rise over the past couple of years (Weitzer 2007). This also illustrates the apparent fact that when policies and regulation on the sex trade are implemented, it just makes prostitution more desirable and valuable. Therefore by implementing policies and influencing the abolition of prostitution through government laws, it does more harm then good, this is clearly not the way in eliminating prostitution and brothel houses. The social factors, that I am focusing on, of the sex industry are the consumers desires. Male desires for sexual wants and needs are not hidden in this trade and can also be considered as a driving factor of prostitution. This is explored throughout Kamala Kempadoo`s Prostitution and Sex Work Studies and The Sex sector: The economic and Social bases of prostitution in Southeast Asia. Prostitution, it was claimed, would never completely disappear, since the vicious instincts to which it corresponds are, unfortunately, inborn in the human species (Kempadoo 2004). Kempadoo illuminates that the sex trade, prostitution, cannot completely disappear unless the want for it disappears, because the want is inborn in the human species. It is true that without Monaghan 8 consumers there would not be an industry in the sex trade as the international labour force analyzes that The sector responds to the changing tastes and sophistication of customers(International labour office 1998). These two articles ultimately illuminate the idea that the consumers control the sex trade and change it to what they want, and that they are the sole purpose for the changes and uprising of the brothels and prostitution. There is a huge difference between the roles that women play in the sex trade and the role that men play in the sex trade, Promiscuous sexual activity was deemed a male right, whereas women were condemned for similar behaviour (Kempadoo 2004). Men have the overall power in this area, according to Kempadoo, but It is not apparent that it is the most important contributing factor to prostitution, although it is apparent they have some contributing factor to the brothels and sex trade. A mans desire, according to Kempadoo, is imbedded in nature and cannot b e changed. So there will always be men who have unfulfilled sexual desires and have a want and need for this fulfillment, but if this desire will never go away, then this is surely not how to abolish the brothels. This is not the way to solve the problem of prostitution, it is the suppliers that must be focused on, not the consumers, or the social factors. This leads us back to the economic factors, which have proven to be the most influential factor in the prostitution sector. If women had economic stability there would be no need or urge pushing them towards the sex trade, therefore this would lower the prostitution rate. The brothels and sex trade are clearly linked to political, social and economic factors, but if a woman had a choice to avoid the brothels awful conditions and health Monaghan 9 risks they would. The political aspects of prostitution such as the laws and restrictions that are posed on prostitution, as demonstrates in Malaysia, are proven to not be a sufficient way of eliminated prostitution, the sex trade, and the brothels. Implementing laws works against the initial idea, and although the intentions are positive, there are many negative outcomes. The North American idea of forcing prostitution to stop by forceful laws, as shown in Malaysia would only result in a failure. The social demands of prostitution are high, but if there were not suppliers then essentially there would be no prostitution. To stop sex work from happening, it is hopeless to try and stop the demand, because as Kempadoo stated, it is natural, and is imbedded in our human nature. I do agree with this. Although the social factors are a huge factor on changing the sex trade, these factors cannot be focused upon when trying to eliminate them. It is essentially the supplies that need to be foc used on. In conclusion of this paper, the economic reasons are essential in the abolition of prostitution. The reason behind why women enter it in the first place is because of economic needs and survival, even though it is a risk to their health. If these women were supplied with economic stability then the brothels and the sex trade would slowly disappear. Even though the political and social factors are important when considering the overall aspects of prostitution and the brothels, the economic factors are the main components in exterminating prostitution.

Distinction Between Absolute And Strict Liability Offences Law Essay

Distinction Between Absolute And Strict Liability Offences Law Essay In general, the criminal liability requires the proof of both actus reus and mens rea before convicting a person. When the necessity for the prosecution to prove mens rea (in the sense of intention, knowledge or recklessness) regarding the actus reus elements of the offence is disregarded, either expressly or impliedly, the offence in question is described as strict or absolute liability offence. What is the distinction (if any) between absolute and strict liability offences? The distinction can be seen by what the prosecution must prove. Strict liability offences do not require proof of mens rea in respect of at least one element of the actus reus, usually the essential element. However, proof of mens rea may be required for some of the elements of the actus reus. Absolute liability offences do not require proof of any mens rea element, but are satisfied by proof of the actus reus alone. The distinction can be seen by examining the issue of causation In strict liability, the prosecution is required to prove the causation of the actus reus and the offence. In Empress Car Co (Abertillery) Ltd  [1]  , the lordship said that, While liability [for water pollution] is strict and therefore includes liability for certain deliberate acts of third parties à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is not an absolute liability in the sense that all that has to be shown is that the polluting matter escaped from the defendants land, irrespective of how this happened. It must still be possible to say that the defendant caused the pollution. In absolute liability, however, a crime may not require any causation link at all, if the specified state of affairs exists. In Winzar  [2]  , the defendant was removed from a hospital by police and was then arrested and found guilty of being drunk on the highway, even though the police officers had put him there. The court held that it was enough to show that D had been present on the highway and was perceived to be drunk. It didnt matter that his presence on the highway was momentary and involuntary. The distinction can be seen by what defences are available to the defendant Many academic papers differentiate strict and absolute liability by the availability of the defence of honest but mistaken belief, which is a common law defence. Where it is available the liability is strict, where it is not available the liability is absolute. The situation becomes complex in case where defence are provided in the statue for the defendant to escape liability. If common law defence is held by court to be excluded from the offence, does the provision of statutory defence disqualify an offence from being absolute? In the case HKSAR v So Wai Lun  [3]  , the court of appeal has the opportunity to look into the case B (A Minor) v DPP  [4]  , and made the following observation. Section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 made it an offence for a person to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 while section 6 made it an offence in relation to girls under 16. Under section 6, a defence was expressly set out where the defendant, provided he was under the age of 24, believed the girl to be 16 or over Lord Steyn said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦since section 5 contained no such defence, it plainly created an offence of absolute liability. So the court is suggesting that unlawful underage sexual intercourse, a traditional example of absolute liability, will not be considered as absolute liability per se in the present of statutory defence in provision. This observation is reaffirmed in the recent case Hin Lin Yee v HKSAR  [5]  by Ribeiro PJ in paragraph 198 (ii) and (iii). In other jurisdiction like Australia, the definition of absolute liability is even more blurred by the fact that common law defence like duress and self defence are available for absolute liability. How does one determine if an offence is one of strict or absolute liability? The question of whether a statutory offence requires proof of mens rea or is strict liability is treated as a matter of statutory construction, the statutory provision enacting the offence must be construed to determine the legislative intention. In Gammon (Hong Kong) Ltd  [6]  , the lordship has summarized the approach to the interpretation: There is a presumption of law that mens rea is required before a person can be held guilty of a criminal offence. The presumption is particularly strong where the offences is truly criminal in character. Truly criminal offence usually refers those dealing with violence against persons or property. The presumption is particularly strong due to the stigma that attached to the offence. The presumption applies to statutory offences, and can be displaced only if this is clearly or by necessary implication the effect of the statute. Sometimes the offence will expressly specify the type or level of mental fault by using words such as willfully, recklessly, carelessly, etc. In such cases, the court must then go on to define the precise meaning of those mens rea words. Where a statute is silent as to the mens rea for an offence, the courts must decide as a matter of general principle or statutory interpretation what level or type of mens rea applies. The only situation in which the presumption can be displaced is where the statute is concerned with an issue of social concern, and public safety is such as issue. Strict liability has often been imposed in regulatory offences concerning social concern and public safety, such as licensing, pollution, health and safety, driving offences, environmental offences and public health offences. Even where a statute is concerned with such an issue, the presumption of mens rea stands unless it can also be shown that the creation of strict liability will be effective to promote the objects of the statute by encouraging greater vigilance to prevent the commission of the prohibited act. In Lim Chin Aik v R  [7]  , the defendant had been convicted under the immigration laws of Singapore by remaining there (after entry) when he had been prohibited of entering. The aim of the law was to prevent illegal immigration. The defendant had no knowledge of the prohibition order and there was no evidence that the authorities had attempted to bring the prohibition order to his notice. Since there was nothing D could have done to determine whether a order had been made against him and thus ensure compliance with the relevant legislation, the Privy Council ordered that the offence was not one of strict liability because it did nothing to promote enforcement of the law. What policies are behind the creation of absolute and strict liability? It is said that the imposition of strict liability encourages greater observance of and compliance with law, especially to the employer who is vicariously liable to employees act, and this is particularly important where matters of public safety, public health and public welfare are concerned. High standards can be achieved and maintained only if those conducting activities involving risks to safety, health, the environment and so on are made to feel that it is not enough just to take reasonable care; they must take all possible care. Secondly, it is said that strict liability, by relieving the prosecution of the task of investigating and proving mens rea against an alleged offender, enhances the efficiency of our administrative and judicial systems. How do the concepts of absolute and strict liability assist or hinder the Prosecution, the Accused and the Court in a criminal trial? Prosecutor It relieves the prosecutor of the virtual impossibility of proving intent or knowledge of the wrongful conduct, particularly where the defendant was a company rather than an individual. No significant hindrance is observed for prosecution in regard to the application of concept. Accused Strict liability draw a clear line between legality and illegality, which may reduce the information cost for the accused to determine whether himself is guilty or not in some minor offence (e.g. speeding). Unnecessary legal fee may also be saved in this regard. On the other hand, the concept imposes liability on accused who have taken all possible steps to prevent the offence being committed and should not be blameworthy. The onus of proof is also reversed to the defendant side. Court The concept allows the court to strike down the many bogus defense that would otherwise succeed if excusable ignorance or mistake were always accepted as defense. On the other hand, the courts need to engage in time consuming debates about whether the legislature intended strict or absolute liability to apply. The difficulties in identifying strict liability offences can be seen from lack of clarity in judgements. Also, the court often need to justify the creation of strict liability does not per se contravene with the Bill of Rights.  [8]   Conclusion Overall I feel that strict liability is necessary, but that it should be used wisely and that statutes should be extremely carefully worded. Other jurisdiction is slowly moving away from creating new offences of strict liability and phasing out some of the older ones, or at least revising the statute and adding possible defences. Hong Kong should also revisit the issue and see if any improvement can be made.

Thomas More and the Utopian Dream Essays -- Thomas More Utopia Philoso

More and the Utopian Dream    To some, it can be paradise, to someone else a heaven on earth, and still to others it can mean the Garden of Eden, the New Jerusalem, or even Biosphere 2. What we have come to know as "Utopia," or, "Any idealized place, state, or situation of perfection; any visionary scheme or system for an ideally perfect society" (Neufeldt 1470), is just a name that was coined for us by Sir Thomas More for an eternal idea. There were centuries of utopian ideas before More came up with his idea for Utopia, but he has become the father of the word's meaning. Some of the previous ideal ideas were sources of information for More's book, just as More led the way for hundreds of other Utopias. Today Utopia is just another word in the dictionary, but it took years to develop it into what it is today. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . and it was very good" (Bib. Gen. Ch. 1, vs.1, 31). According to biblical doctrine, the earth was in a perfect state after God had created it. There was no sin, and the two inhabitants were pure in thought. The Garden of Eden is the first utopian state that we have on record. Ezekiel said that the Lord, Himself, called it "the Garden of God" (Ch. 28, vs. 13); God, being the supreme of all perfect, could only have a perfect garden. But even the most perfect things, it has been proved, can not be perfect forever; that is the way God planned it. There must be opposition in all things, so Satan was allowed to enter into the picture. First Eve, then Adam partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, a sin in the eyes of God. This was God's plan though, and it led the way for the rest of the world. A little further on in the Bible we find out about the ultima... ...lliam, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Utopia. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Neufeldt, Victoria, ed. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1988. "Sir Thomas More." Luminarium. Online. Internet. http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tmore/htm. 16 Nov. 1997. Space Biospheres Ventures. "The Biosphere 2 Project - A Laboratory For Global Ecology: The Experiment Proceeds With New Crew." Sep. 1993. Online. Internet. http://www.biospheres.org/newcrew.html. 22 Nov. 1997. Tarnas, Richard. The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World Views. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. Tod, Ian, and Michael Wheeler. Utopia. New York: Harmony Books, 1978. "Utopia." Catholic Encyclopedia. Online. Internet. http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/15243A.htm. 25 Oct. 1997 Thomas More and the Utopian Dream Essays -- Thomas More Utopia Philoso More and the Utopian Dream    To some, it can be paradise, to someone else a heaven on earth, and still to others it can mean the Garden of Eden, the New Jerusalem, or even Biosphere 2. What we have come to know as "Utopia," or, "Any idealized place, state, or situation of perfection; any visionary scheme or system for an ideally perfect society" (Neufeldt 1470), is just a name that was coined for us by Sir Thomas More for an eternal idea. There were centuries of utopian ideas before More came up with his idea for Utopia, but he has become the father of the word's meaning. Some of the previous ideal ideas were sources of information for More's book, just as More led the way for hundreds of other Utopias. Today Utopia is just another word in the dictionary, but it took years to develop it into what it is today. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . and it was very good" (Bib. Gen. Ch. 1, vs.1, 31). According to biblical doctrine, the earth was in a perfect state after God had created it. There was no sin, and the two inhabitants were pure in thought. The Garden of Eden is the first utopian state that we have on record. Ezekiel said that the Lord, Himself, called it "the Garden of God" (Ch. 28, vs. 13); God, being the supreme of all perfect, could only have a perfect garden. But even the most perfect things, it has been proved, can not be perfect forever; that is the way God planned it. There must be opposition in all things, so Satan was allowed to enter into the picture. First Eve, then Adam partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, a sin in the eyes of God. This was God's plan though, and it led the way for the rest of the world. A little further on in the Bible we find out about the ultima... ...lliam, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Utopia. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Neufeldt, Victoria, ed. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1988. "Sir Thomas More." Luminarium. Online. Internet. http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tmore/htm. 16 Nov. 1997. Space Biospheres Ventures. "The Biosphere 2 Project - A Laboratory For Global Ecology: The Experiment Proceeds With New Crew." Sep. 1993. Online. Internet. http://www.biospheres.org/newcrew.html. 22 Nov. 1997. Tarnas, Richard. The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World Views. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. Tod, Ian, and Michael Wheeler. Utopia. New York: Harmony Books, 1978. "Utopia." Catholic Encyclopedia. Online. Internet. http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/15243A.htm. 25 Oct. 1997

Cyber Terrorism Essay -- Internet Web Cyberspace Terror Essays

Cyber Terrorism Thus far we have scratched the surface of the ever-perplexing problem of terrorism. As it has evolved those in the position of countering it have also gained some valuable experience. Even with this knowledge it is very difficult, bordering on impossible to prevent terrorist acts from occurring. In the recent past there has been an extra element added to this confusing and dangerous equation, the Internet and other computer capabilities. Cyber-terrorism is a realistic possibility but is it as detrimental as other forms of conventional terrorism such as a car bomb? I will argue that the implications of a cyber attack could be just as harmful. Traditionally terrorist acts target a specific locale and are executed precisely in this spot. This has been a limit of the damage inflicted upon those the perpetrator hopes to influence and the general public. This playing field has grown enormously to what could be conceived as boundless proportions. "Individuals or groups can now use Cyberspace to threaten International governments, or terrorize the citizens of a country" (cybercrimes.net). The creation of a boundless area of attack makes it that much harder to determine where an act will be taken. Since it is easy to figure out that for cyber-terrorism to occur computers need to be accessible to the groups or individuals committing acts, why not restrict who can use computers? This has actually been considered but would be rather difficult to do in today's world. "Increasingly, America depends on computers'? (Cyberterrorism~ Fact or Fantasy?). We are not alone in this dependency, more and more of global business and personal activities are conducted via the Internet. This in itself indicates a major difference... ...ding civilian officials are aware of the possibility of organized cyber-attacks and have aligned themselves to work toward ensuring computer safety. Even though there are efforts being made to address the possibility of a computer disaster it will more than likely happen anyway. Cyber-terrorism, the wave of the future, is potentially much more harmful than anything we have seen before. Works Cited Cyberterrorism. www. cybercrimes .net. Online. 3 March 2002. Desmond, Paul. â€Å"Thwarting Cyberterrorism.† Network World 18 February 2002: Proquest. Online. 4 March 2002. Groves, Shanna. â€Å"The War on Terrorism: Cyberterrorists Beware.† Information Management Journal Jan/Feb 2002: Proquest. Online. 4 March 2002. Pollitt, Mark M. â€Å"Cyberterrorism- Fact or Fantasy?† FBI Laboratory: www. cs.georgetown.edu. Online. 3 March 2002.

Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management Essay

Today’s classrooms are more dynamic than ever before. Educational needs of students are changing at breakneck speeds, along with the demands being placed on their teachers. There are associated legal and ethical implications that are evolving as rapidly as the technology that is driving a lot of the change. In order to have a chance to meet the needs of students and legal/ethical obligations, educators must have well developed classroom management techniques. These can get tricky quite often and require balancing the increasingly diverse needs of many different people. To be an effective teacher today is extremely difficult for these reasons. This essay will examine some of the current issues that teachers are exposed to in today’s classrooms by summarizing four journal articles and responding to them. The specific issues will be free speech and what it means in a school setting, cell phones in classrooms, bullying (specifically of students with disabilities), and gender specific dress codes. Freedom of Speech The issue addressed in the first article summary is freedom of speech and how it is interpreted in a public school setting in relation to the distribution of religious materials. This is really not a new topic of debate. Current precedents have been set in court cases dating as far back as1969 and the Tinker vs. Desmoines case. In that case, the court decision reads that, in order to prohibit any students’ expression of opinion, the school must provide evidence to support the fact that the actions being suppressed would be significantly disruptive (Essex, 2006). Because it is an issue of ongoing debate there are cases still being heard all over the country. This article is specifically in response to a case in the New York Supreme Court, where a student was prohibited from distributing religious fliers on school property. The question is, why was the student prevented from expressing her opinion in the first place. According to Essex (2006), one of the requirements placed on schools is that they remain viewpoint neutral. This means that if the literature was suppressed because it was religious in nature, the suppression violated her First Amendment rights, even in the school setting. In all court cases, the real message has been that schools are responsible for making sure parents and students are aware that the schools are merely sending messages indiscriminately from religious and non-secular sources and that they are not in support of any of them (Essex, 2006). Really the essence of the article is that sound policies must be in place, well documented, and consistently followed for a school to be able to regulate what a student says or distributes and there must be no endorsement of any particular ideas from any group or student. Cell phones The next topic of discussion is cell phones in classrooms. The article being summarized is entitled The Only Thing We Have to Fear is†¦120 Characters. In this article, Kevin Thomas and Christy McGee (2012) make arguments for the use of cellphones in classrooms in spite of the fact that 69% have banned them. This paper responds to the many reasons for disallowing their use, and then it goes on to highlight some ideas about why cell phones should be used as educational tools. Both sides of the discussion certainly make valid points. If 69% schools have taken students cell phones away, there must be some reasons. Thomas & Mcgee (2012) identified and responded to four commonly offered rationales, including misuse for cheating, replacing Standard English with textese, sexting, and cyberbulling. It seems rather obvious that these are negative side effects of the technology, however there are also positive results that can be attributed to the use of cell phones. Today, they are relatively affordable and powerful miniature computers. When used properly, the possibilities for better use of time are astonishing. According to Thomas and McGee (2012), teachers need to be modeling appropriate behavior with their portable electronic devices and taking advantage of the benefits because the technology is not the cause of the problems. The problems being associated with cell phones all existed in some form, long before modern technology. Thomas Diamates (2010) reports that courts have supported schools in their efforts to ban cell phone use as long as the school follow established procedures. Bullying The third topic has to do with bullying, specifically students with disabilities. These students stand out in the classroom, as they are â€Å"different† and so they are subjects of increased abuse from fellow students (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Schools and teachers have an obligation to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). This paper looks at the findings in several court cases to establish what is required of teachers in situations where students with disabilities are being bullied. What this article shows is that there are an increasing number of suits against school where disabled children are being bullied. The interpretation of what is considered an appropriate education, and whether or not the school took proper preventative/disciplinary steps in light of the bullying are the reasons for these suits. The findings of this study provide evidence that the courts will generally side with schools that have taken and documented actions to alleviate the harassment. In Brown vs. Monroe County Board of Education (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that for a school to be liable, it must receive federal funds, it must have been aware of and acted â€Å"deliberately indifferent† to the harassment, and the bullying must have been severe enough to deprive educational opportunity (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Basically, schools must make an adequate effort to alleviate the harassment in order to limit their liability, and this has been upheld by the courts in cases like Werth v. Board of Directors (2007), and Biggs v. Board of Education (2002). Dress codes The last article on the list takes a look at how and why public schools can or cannot implement gender based dress codes. Proponents of dress codes list reasons including less distractions, less pressure to dress right, safety, and lower cost to families. Opponents say that dress codes take away students expressive rights, which are already severely limited in school settings. In this particular case, Ceara Sturgis had her picture and name removed from her senior yearbook because she is a lesbian who was more comfortable wearing the school prescribed male outfit. The current question is whether or not this is in violation of her civil liberties. Historically the courts have upheld the rights of schools to implement dress codes with very few exceptions. In Blau v. Fort Thomas Public School District (2005), a father brought suit against the school for violating 1st and 14th amendment rights with their dress code. The court found no violation of rights since â€Å"it is not related to suppression of the content of expression, it furthers a substantial government interest, and it does not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further that interest† (Dowling-Sender, p. 34, 2005). On the other side of the coin, in United States vs. Virginia (1996), schools were required to show a â€Å"legitimate and important† reason for any gender based restrictions (Smith, 2012). In Ceara’s case, the school is going to have to show that it meets all these criteria, and the outcome has some potentially far reaching consequences. What all this means is that teaching in todays classrooms must be dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of their ever-changing legal and ethical obligations as educators. Decisions must be based on sound judgment and carefully documented observations. Teachers, students, and parents must work together and communicate with each other to create the best possible learning environment for everyone.

Books and Music

How do books and music influence our life today? I decided to compare and contrast the differences and similarity's of books and music. They both influence our life today in more ways then I think most people know. They are great things that are very helpful in life. Books are written to tell a story in depth and with a lot of detail, telling everything that happens when, where, and why, but with a longer time. They take time to understand whats going on and what problems or greatness the character(s) are facing in the story.You read and interpret the books  meaning, that the books are set to be more of a one meaning kind of thing, the writer had the idea of what the lesson of the story's are going to be. They also have more a basic outline of how to read and write books to make them good and successful. Music is written to tell a story in a much shorter amount of time. Also instead of reading the story you listen to them. Music is also very influential and it can influence people in many different ways depending on how people decide to take the meanings in. Music can change moods at any given moment depending on the lyrics and sounds they portray. They inspire people and can also be  depressing.They have a wide range of ways they can go on. One big thing about music is that music doesn't really have to have a set layout, meaning, or even make any sense at all. Music and books have some good similarity's also. They are both meant to tell story's of how people feel at certain times and hardships. You can interpret them in your own ways even if thats not how they are meant to be interpreted. You can write either of them any way you would prefer, and its not up to anyone else how you write about them and what you write in them. They are great ways to express your feelings and thoughts to get them out in the world.They can be in different perspectives, teach you things and life lessons, tell about history or past events, and even tell how to handle a situation. They both influence people their own way, they both are good to help learning and comprehension. There are many different kinds that people prefer and enjoy more. Books and music have a lot of likes and dislikes. They both have their ups and downs and both are preferred for their own reasons and by their own people. That is why I compared and contrasted the likes and dislikes, the benefits and disadvantages, and the way the help people and society express themselves in their own way.