Lead “Respect-Innovation-Teamwork and Dedication

1. Your using the Internet Internet has long been said to create life-changing impacts on the whole world. And I’m no exception as this worldwide network is an indispensable part of my daily life. First, it opens the global media and communication for me. Currently a student living far away from home, with the efficient help of the Internet, I can write email and have an online talk with my parent's and other family members, at any time we feel convenient. This advancement also grants me access to various mearns of entertainment, from my top-rated movies to the articles on the Times Magazine.On top of that, Internet redefines my way of collecting knowledge. Instead of looking up in huge books or turning through thousands pages of an encyclopedia, just typing the keyword in a search engine and a click is enough to get more than what you expect. As long as you are conscious of some faulty information, doing research online is a great idea. When assigned a paper or an essay on a subject, I don’t have to go through piles of books to collect data. With a computer connected to Internet, I can comfortably complete my research, which saves both my time and effort.And lastly, Internet provides me with the chance to study online inexpensively. Taking online foreign language courses, downloading precious e-books, attending lectures by famous university worldwide are some benefits of this. Overall, it seems to me that going online is advantageous in many ways. 2. A famous company You’ve probably heard of VAIO notebooks and ultrabooks, Walkman MP3 players, Cyber-shot ddigital cameras, PlayStation or Bravia TVs. Yes, I’m talking about Sony Corporation, a famous Japanese firm based right at the heart of Tokyo.Primarily focused on Electronics, Game, Entertainment and Financial Services, the company is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets and has historically been notable for  creating it s own in-house standards for new recording and storage technologies, instead of adopting those of others. The name Sony is derived from the Latin word â€Å"sonus† (sound) and a slang word â€Å"sonny,† which connotes smart and presentable young men. First started with only $530 in 1946 as â€Å"Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation,† the company, known as Sony since 1958, has go through many ups and downs.They started doing business in the USA in the 1960s and played a major role in the development of Japan as a powerful exporter during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Their production quality significantly contributed to promoting the â€Å"Made in Japan† brand worldwide. What’s more, it’s Sony that encourages the development of the Compact Disc in the 1980s and the PlayStation in 1990s. Its media presence also greatly expands in this time with the purchase of CBS Records and Columbia Pictures. However, they did experience some problems .Amid the global recession in the 1980s, analysts used to say â€Å"It’s over for Sony,† while the 1990s saw its unrewarding expansion into new businesses. And for the mid-to-late 2000s, it became known for its stagnancy, with a fading brand name. Despite all of the above, Sony with the slogan â€Å"make. believe† still remains my dream future working place. 3. Your health and fitness I really like a healthy lifestyle, and that’s why I take up daily jogging. The place that I go jogging from 5pm to 6pm each day is the Thong Nhat Park, which is only 1km from my house. The main reason why I think this aactivity healthy is because it helps me relaxed.My daily life involves a lot of stress, due to the heavy workload both at school and at my part-time workplace. Usually, the first 15 minutes is spent on my day recap- whether it was a good day filled with great news or a terrible and forgettable day. But gradually all these stress and strains of my life disappea r. The mere thought in my head at this time is all about the beauty of the lakes, the green fields and gusts of wind blowing. As I count every step of mine on the road, I just forget all and feel like I am refreshed, like all the things I’m worry about are eased.By the time I come back, I feel fresh as a daisy and ready to get shined, changed to go back to work. And of course, it also keeps me fit and healthy. In general, it’s an all-round exercise, and I absolutely love it. 4. An unforgettable memory with our class Up to now, college life has been great for me. 5. A modern product you like Some people may think about computer when talking about a favorite modern product of theirs, or they even consider it of utmost importance. But I’d say television. Ever since this wonderful invention, human history has started a new page.First, TV allows us to learn about what’s going on the world and grasp new knowledge inexpensively. Simply by sitting at home in fron t of the screen, an FTU student, for example, still knows that there’s a great tsunami and earthquake in Japan or watches American President Obama’s live speech. Such useful information from around the globe enables us to get a better understanding of the world we are currently living in. Or you can take my friend for another example. Her family couldn’t afford the high tuition fees of preparation courses for the university entrance exam.So she decided to watch and learn from the TV series â€Å"Luyen thi dai hoc. † And she passed the exam with flying colors, thanks to TV. What’s more, TV provides a wide vvariety of interesting programs that many enjoy after a long working day. The visual effects shown in movies, dramas, music shows makes people feel less stressed and relaxed. Imagine how excited you will be when meeting your favorite actor in the latest episode of a Korean drama after completing your assignment, with the help of TV, of course. Plu s, TV offers numerous shows and series which cater for various groups’ taste.This explains why it remains popular regardless of other mearns of communication’s rapid development. For all of the above, television is among my top choices. 6. Vietnamese business culture The recent years have seen a constantly increasing number of foreigners doing business in Vietnam, and it’s vital that they know basic Vietnamese business etiquette. In my opinion, demonstrating proficiency in Vietnamese business culture will certainly impress our partners. The meeting etiquette in Vietnam is generally warm and accepting; so ensuring your success and prosperous collaboration is all about following some simple rules. First, be prepared.Some basic knowledge about the South East Asia region and Vietnam in particular is enough. Second, you should establish trust with your Vietnamese partner, as they consider it of prime importance. It’s the tie building from trust that binds Viet namese society. What’s more, you should learn the language. You can easily communicate with them in English, but as in any other country, local people appreciate foreigners who can speak and use Vietnamese in contexts. It’s the fastest way to get immersed in this Asian culture and customs. Conversational business Vietnamese is in no way difficult compared to some other Asian languages.

Research of Restaraunt for Business Research

Table of Contents Introduction3 Research Objectives3 Research Questions4 Answers to Research Questions5 Answer to Research Question 1. 5 Answer to Question 2. 6 Answer to Question 3. 7 Answer to Question 4. 8 Answer to Question 5. 9 Answer to Question 6. 10 Recommendations for the Remington’s Restaurant11 References14 Introduction The Remington restaurant, located in Tampa Florida, wanted to better understand their customer’s views and opinions of the restaurant by using a survey method.This method would reveal the perception of the customer to see what category the Remington restaurant is in, what performance the customer expects, and how satisfied the customers are when they leave the Remington restaurant. This is the best way for the Remington restaurant to improve their service because it paints a picture of what how the customer views their services. Even though competition is important to any business, the customers are the biggest asset to the company.By research ing the customer’s perception of the restaurant one will see how the customer chooses the restaurant desired, how important performance is to the customer, and what was the overall satisfactory. One can acquire such information by reviewing and discussing the survey, finding out what is most or least important to the customer, seeing what is expected on how the restaurant performs, and discussing the satisfaction of the customer. In order to get this information, different methods will be used such as coefficient of variation, coefficients of determination and other tatistical techniques. There are six main research questions that will be addressed that will help the Remington restaurant see how the customers view the restaurant as a whole, and show the restaurant where and how to improve their business. Research Objectives 1. Discuss the type of survey used by the Remington Restaurant and how effective it is by using a research survey design. Compare effectiveness of the res earch to the other research designs of the subordinate data, experiments or observation in the context of collecting information for this project. . Describe the demographic profile of the average Remington customer. 3. Classify and describe which influence is most important to the customers in selecting a place to eat, and what is the least important factor that influences customers in selecting a restaurant. 4. Examine the Remington Restaurant scores on each of the six perception of portions of food, knowledgeable employees, food quality, swift service, atmosphere, and prices. 5. Justify if the Remington Restaurant is providing the expectations that customers want when choosing a restaurant. 6.Decide if there is a connection between being satisfied with the Remington Restaurant and the service, food portion, smart employees, quality of food and fast service. 7. Review the surveys to see what the Zagat Review Research Questions 1. What kind of survey did the Remington Restaurant us e? What kind of result was found by the research design? Compare the effectiveness of the survey research to the other subordinate data, experimentation or observation in the perspective of gathering information for this project. 2. What is the demographic profile of the average Remington Restaurant customer? . Which is most important to the customer when selecting a restaurant and what is least important when selecting a restaurant? 4. How does the Remington Restaurant score on each of the six perception measures of food portions, smart employees, food quality, fast service, atmosphere and prices? 5. Is the Remington Restaurant producing a good influence when selecting a place to eat? 6. Is there a connection between customer’s satisfaction with the Remington Restaurant with the perception of large food portions, smart employees, food quality and quick service?Answers to Research Questions Answer to Research Question 1. The purpose of this section is to answer the first rese arch question. The first question, which is; what kind of survey did the Remington Restaurant use? What kind of result was found by the research design? Compare the effectiveness of the survey research to the other subordinate data, experimentation or observation in the perspective of gathering information for this project. The type of survey that the Remington Restaurant used was the self-administered Internet survey.This kind of survey is probably the cheapest survey for the person collecting data. It involves minimum personnel and low cost as compared with other methods. Since 73% of American households are actively using the Internet, an Internet survey would be the best idea to cover a large location fact while conserving energy, money, and time (Cooper, Schindler, 2008). Internet survey’s can also give one access to graphs, charts and percentages automatically. Also, the Internet survey will be able to give one an idea of the customer’s attitude and perception of the Remington’s Restaurant.By using secondary information one would be able to see general information such as, what the demographic is of the average family is in the area, what is the general income, and how many times the family eats at restaurant in a week. By shifting the focus off of the Remington’s Restaurant and on to the genre of restaurants the Remington’s Restaurant is associated with would dilute the information the Remington’s Restaurant wanted to know about their customer’s satisfaction with the Remington’s Restaurant. Methods such as observational and experimental research would not be ffective for the Remington’s Restaurant. The observational method would not be effective because it would only tell one the behavior of the people such as body language. The experimental method would require a laboratory setting and would not be practical. The main goal for the research is to find out how the customers perceive the perfo rmance of the restaurant and their satisfaction. Also, the Remington’s Restaurant wants to know how their customers select a restaurant. Answer to Question 2. The purpose for this section is to answer the second question.The second question is; what is the demographic profile of the average Remington Restaurant customer? The main variables are as follows: the children who live at home, viewed advertisements, gender, income, age, and familiar competitors. The questionnaire was simple and easy to understand. The applicant had to answer just one number on each question. On the table below one will see the demographic of people who visit the Remington’s Restaurant most often. In statistics the number (or in this case the persons) that occur most frequently is the mode.The information is from the results from the survey taken by customers. Table 1: Demographic Description of the Remington Restaurant’s customers ——————— —————————- VariableCentral TendencyResultStd. Deviation Age335-491 Gender0Male0 Number of Children11 to None1 Advertisements 0No0 Income235k-50k1 Competitors1Outback1 ————————————————- One can see by looking at the table above that the people who visit the Remington’s Restaurant frequently are males who are between the ages of 35 and 49, and make 35,000 to 50,000 a year.These men also have one child, have not seen advertisements for the Remington Restaurant, Outback, and Longhorn. One can also see that the major competitor is Outback Steakhouse. Answer to Question 3. The purpose for this section is to answer the third question which is; which is most important to the customer when selecting a restaurant and what is least important when selecting a restaurant? The variable for this question are as follows ; large food portions, smart employees, excellent food quality, fast service, good atmosphere, and good prices. The choices for these questions are fixed.The applicant had a choice to rate each variable from 1 to 7, which 1 was strongly disagree and 7 was strongly agree. The answer below includes the mean and standard deviation. Table 2: Remington’s Patron’s Criteria In Restaurant Selection ————————————————- ————————————————- VariableMeanStandard Deviation Large Portions5. 86 Quality of Food61. 02 Speed of Service71 Atmosphere5. 95 Reasonable Prices51. 04 From the information from the table above one can see that anything rated over 5 is important to the customer.The variable competent employees were rated under 5 and therefore not important to the majority of customers. Answer to Question 4. The purpose of this section is to answer the fourth question, which is; how does the Remington Restaurant score on each of the six perception measures of food portions, smart employees, food quality, fast service, atmosphere and prices? One will see what kind of perception the customers have of the variables listed in the question. These questions were asked in the same format as the third section. The questions had fixed answers from 1 to 7 with 1 strongly disagree and 7 strongly agree.The answers in the table include the mean and standard deviation. Table 3: Remington’s Patron’s Perceptions ————————————————- ————————————————- VariableMeanStandard Deviation Has Large Portions3. 91 Has Quality of Food6. 9 6 Has Speed of Service31. 21 Has Atmosphere61. 21 Has Reasonable Prices5. 81 Has Competent Employees41. 35 ————————————————- One can see from the table above that large portions and speed of service is below average. Food quality, atmosphere, and reasonable prices are above average.Competent employees are average. Answer to Question 5. The purpose for this section is to answer the fifth question; is the Remington Restaurant producing a good influence when selecting a place to eat? The variables in this case are similar to the previous question and include large food portions, competent employees, food quality, fast service, atmosphere, and reasonable prices. These variables were rated by the customer and given a choice to choose one number for each question. The numbers that represented the answers for the questions were at a range from 1 to 7.The number 1 represented that the customer strongly disagreed and the number 7 was that the customer strongly agreed. Table 4: Importance and Perceptions ————————————————- ————————————————- VariableWhat Customers Expect (Mean)Actual Performance (Mean) Quality of Food66 ————————————————- Fast Service63 One can see here that the Remington’s Restaurant is performing how the customer expects them to perform as a restaurant. This is almost one of the most important factors of the restaurant.The quality of food as expected, but the fast service needs improving. Answer to Question 6. The purpose of this section is to answer the final question, is there a connection between customer ’s satisfaction with the Remington Restaurant with the perception of large food portions, smart employees, food quality and quick service? From the table below one will find the correlation between the variable and the satisfaction of the customers. Table 4: Importance and Perceptions ————————————————- ————————————————-Variablerr2 Large Portions. 41. 17 ————————————————- Competent Employees. 55. 31 ————————————————- Food Quality. 33. 11 ————————————†”———- Speed of Service. -. 6. 004 ————————————————- Good Atmosphere. 40. 15 ————————————————- Good Prices. 06. 004 One can see here that there is a weak and positive relationship between the large portions and satisfaction. The large portions were 17% of the change in satisfaction.Having competent employees was a modest and positive correlation with satisfaction. If the competence of the employees increases, so does the satisfaction. There was a weak positive relationship with the food quality and satisfaction. Food quality was only 11% of satisfaction. There is also a weak and negative correlation between speed of service and satisfaction. In the end one can see that the competent employees are rated the highest in customer satisfaction. R ecommendations for the Remington’s Restaurant Regarding question one. The Remington’s Restaurant has done a good job in the survey method.The self administered, web based survey is the best way to cover a large geographical area in a short amount of time. The survey method is also a good way to retrieve data fast. One of the most important aspects about the survey method is how one can rate an attitude toward something. Regarding question two. The Remington’s Restaurant main customer was a 35-49 year old male who makes 35,001 to 49,000 dollars a year and has one child. The main customer has never seen an advertisement for the Remington’s Restaurant or any of its competitors.A good recommendation for the Remington’s Restaurant would be to advertise more. Also, the competition has not made an impact in the advertising category and would be in favor of the Remington’s Restaurant to pioneer this field. Regarding question three. The average custo mer held competent employees, atmosphere and quality of food of high importance. Being that the Remington’s Restaurant is in the food business, it should strive to keep the quality of food as a high priority. Having competent employees is an asset to the company but should not be valued over the quality of food.Regarding question four. When one looking at table 3 one can see that the Remington’s Restaurant is doing well with the quality of food, atmosphere and employees, but there are areas that need much improvement. Large portions and the speed of service are below average and must far exceed the customer’s expectations. Any business should not settle for average or below average results. Training the employees on time management and having a smooth flowing system to better serve the customers would be ideal in this situation.Also, if the portions can not expand anymore the restaurant should offer the customers free appetizers that are cheap and filling. Bread and chips would be a good start for this process. Offering the customer cheap food will allow for the portions to stay the same and not lose any money on the main courses. Regarding question five. The food must stay at the top of the priority list. The customers value food the most and should expect the food to always be outstanding. A strict procedure to test the quality of the food must be practiced on a regular schedule to ensure that all customers are receiving the same unique aste of the restaurant. Regarding question six. The employees must know what they are serving. The customer’s rated the employee’s knowledge 31% which is over a third of the satisfaction. It may be just a fraction, but it can also the opening and closing of a sale. When a customer feels like he is being taken care of, the sales will increase and the testimony of the company will prosper. Most people do not eat alone and will bring others with them References Cooper, D. & Schindler, P. (2008) . Business research methods (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin

Arthur Anderson LLP

Arthur Anderson LLP Business Model Many conscientious and assiduous business professionals presuppose that success is determined principally by their capacity to offer products and services, meet customer demands and requirements, and run their operations using effective and efficient techniques.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Arthur Anderson LLP specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in today’s dynamic, networked, and ever changing business environment, the business model has become a central tool of trade since it is inseparable from the product, process and operational approaches of a business enterprise in shaping how success is realized (Chesbrough, 2006, p. 18). More often than not, the difference between success and failure is thinly veiled in the type of business model adopted by an organization. Before its uneventful entry into questionable deals and fraud charges, Arthur Anderson LLP’s business mod el revolved around the concept of ‘thinking straight and talking straight,’ as proposed by its founder, Arthur Andersen (Smith Quirk, 2004, p.93). According to the case, the organization’s business model was founded on three fundamental tenets – honest accounting, elimination of conflicts of interests, and accountability to the investing shareholders rather than the organizations they audit. This rational plan helped the public auditing firm to generate and capture value in terms of increased revenue and clients during its heydays. Strategy A good business model can be enhanced by the right mix of business strategies. A strategy goes beyond a business model to secure an organization’s competitive advantage in the market, hence success (Chesbrough, 2006, p.26).Anderson’s business model had dictated the â€Å"standards for honest and law abiding accounting,† (Smith Quirk, 2004, p. 93).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This had enabled the firm to gain confidence and trust from the public to a point where it adopted the strategy of diversifying its products through market segmentation by coming up with a management consulting arm of the firm. The organization also utilized an expansionist strategy to keep up with industry trends and beat stiff competition from other firms offering the same products such as Delloitte and KPMG (Squires et al, 2003, p. 43). The strategy of segmenting products worked against the firm, and indeed against the founder’s strategy of a ‘one-firm’ philosophy, after the consulting arm of the organization disembarked from the parent company to form Accenture. Team building, morale raising and yearly training programs forms a cluster of other strategies practiced by Anderson’s to sharpen its focus in the market (Smith Quirk, 2004, p. 93). Strategic Dilemma An organization’s strategic plan is as important as its business model, and is fundamentally important for the organization’s success. The use of ineffective or fraudulent strategies heralds an era of difficulties and legal tussles as it can be witnessed through Anderson’s case. In business terms, the firm’s descent from conscience-oriented and honest accounting maestro to a disgraced organization accused of obstructing justice is not an issue that happened overnight (Squires et al, 2003, p. 67). Rather, it originated from a succession of management misrepresentations and compromises on genuine accounting principles over the decades to limit the stream of professional fees charged on Enron for services rendered from drying up.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Arthur Anderson LLP specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The demand for the auditing partners to boost pro fits became intense after the organization expanded from a closely aggregated partnership of professionals sharing the same values to a global behemoth (Squires et al, 2003, p. 27). The management of the audit firm responded by forcing accounting partners to turn into salesmen, inarguably upsetting the fragile balance between safeguarding the interests of the public investors and satisfying the needs of a client, in this case Enron’s fraudulent needs. Ethically, the firm’s profits over professional services strategy matured into a rather insurmountable situation, where the management was caught in between a rock and a hard place. By turning a blind eye to the happenings at Enron, the auditing firm had committed it self to an ethical dilemma between what its values, business model, and strategies stood for on the one hand and what they were actually doing in practice on the other. The firm was supposed to be guided by a policy of openness and conformity to set rules and guidelines yet it was busy concealing vital information by shredding and deleting important files (Smith Quirk, 2004, p. 103). Also, on numerous occasions, the firm had breached fundamental ethical issues concerning conflicts of interests. The Pros and Cons of the Entire Debacle The failure by Andersen to draw a line between safeguarding the interests of the shareholders and gratifying the whims of its clients marked the departure point for the firm’s legal woes. In taking this line of thinking, the management must have been guided by the desire to generate more profits and kickbacks rather than the aspiration to offer quality auditing services. Consequently, profit was advanced over reputation. In this respect, Andersen stood to gain more profits by turning a blind eye on the fraudulent and corrupt nature of financial transactions and underhand dealings committed at Enron.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the firm did not imagine the nature and magnitude of its shady dealings with the energy giant. Its reputation as a credible public auditing firm was at stake, and so was its survival as auditing firms thrives on their ability to gain and maintain public trust and confidence. The firm could not escape the public wrath either due to the fact that it was principally charged with the responsibility of detecting fraud by virtue of being Enron’s auditors for over 16 years (Smith Quirk, 2004, p. 101). The Consequences Andersen suffered irreversible consequences due to its underhand dealings with Enron. The public confidence and trust that the firm enjoyed over the decades was completely swept away within days after the shocking revelations judging by the way its shares price plummeted in just a matter of days. After the deception allegations were made public, the organization suffered yet again through the loss of major clients and key members of staff who felt that the cr edibility of the organization had been compromised by corrupt senior managers. Their insatiable appetite of profit over reputation heralded a major accounting scandal. Due to its unprofessional accounting practices despite being in the know, the firm was found guilty of obstructing justice by a Houston federal court, effectively sounding the death knell of one of most prominent public accounting firms the world has ever witnessed (Smith Quirk, 2004). Indeed, the account of the eventful birth and sad demise of the organization is loaded with critical lessons for managers and auditors – that the policy of openness and equal application of professional standards is the only way to go (Squires et al, 2003, p. 56). Reference List Chesbrough, H. (2006). Open Business Models: How to thrive in the new innovative  landscape. Harvard Business Press. ISBN: 1422104273 Smith, N.C., Quirk, M. (2009). From grace to disgrace: The rise and of Arthur Andersen. Journal of Business Ethics Ed ucation, Vol. 1, Issue 1, pp. 91-130 Squires, S.E., Smith, C.J., McDougall, L., Yeack, W.R. (2003). Inside Arthur Andersen:  Shifting values, unexpected consequences. FT Press. ISBN: 0131408968

I wish I were…

I wish I were†¦ I wish I were I wish I were By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders whether to use was or were in the following examples: I wish I wereorI wish I was If only it wasor If only it were What is the rule?   With these examples, the choice is obvous because the words wish and if only make it clear that the speaker is talking about something that is not so. In such a case the subjunctive is called for: I wish I were If only it were Sometimes the choice whether to use the subjunctive or the indicative is not so clear. To a large extent, English speakers dont pay much attention to the subjunctive. As long ago as 1926 H.W. Fowler called the subjunctive in English moribund. He went further and suggested that it never was possible to draw up a consistent table of uses of the subjunctive in English that would correspond to such tables for Latin. Although the subjunctive is not a big deal in English, some uses of it are still alive and not difficult to master. Depending on context, the choice between indicative and subjunctive can be as obvious as the examples with wish and if only. If I were/if he were/if she were These forms are called for when the statement refers to a state outside reality: If he were Governor he could pardon you. (Hes not the Governor.) If I were you, Id fix that leaky roof. (Im not you.) If she were an animal, shed be an armadillo. (Shes not an animal.) If I was/if he was/if she was These forms are called for when the statement refers to a state of being that existed, or could have existed in actual time: If he was ill, no wonder he left the oysters untouched. If I was unkind to you in those days, please forgive me. If she was lost in the woods, no one can blame her for being late. Sometimes the speaker must decide according to intended meaning: If she were sensible, shed order a background check on him. (I know her and shes not sensible.) If she was sensible, shed order a background check on him. (I dont know if shes sensible or not. She may be.) In his DCBLOG, David Crystal gives this example overheard in conversation: A If Jane was right for the part, Id cast her. B But thats the point. Is she right? A Well if she were, Id cast her, thats all Im saying This example shows an intermingling of indicative and subjunctive to achieve nuances of meaning. Stated rule at OWL DWT article on Mood Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"A Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

Profile of Charles Starkweather, 1950s Spree Killer

Profile of Charles Starkweather, 1950s Spree Killer Charles Starkweather had all the makings of growing up to be a respectable man, but greed, resentments, and jealousy ate at his soul and turned him into a cold-blooded killer that murdered at will during an eight-day killing spree. With his 14-year-old girlfriend at his side, the two killed anyone that got in their way, regardless of their relationship to their victims. Childhood Years Starkweather was born on November 29, 1938, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Guy and Helen Starkweather. Unlike many serial killers, Starkweather grew up in a modest and respectable home with hardworking parents who provided for their seven children. Those who knew Charles as a child described him as well behaved and mild-mannered, as were all the Starkweather children. It was not until Charles started school that a deadly monster inside of him began to grow. Elementary School Years Born with genu varum, also known as bow-legged, Starkweather had to endure some early challenges. He also developed a speech impediment and was teased by his classmates. Suffering from undiagnosed severe myopia, which prevented him from being able to see objects twenty feet away, Starkweather was labeled as a poor student and perceived as being slow by his teachers, despite his 110 IQ. It wasnt until he was 15 that his inability to see was diagnosed, but it was too late for Charles, who was already severely lacking in primary education. Middle School Years Starkweather was one of the kids that sat in the back of the class, distracted and seemingly annoyed by having to be there. But when it came to gym time, his self-esteem shined. Physically he had developed into a robust and coordinated athlete. That could have been a positive factor in his life. Instead, Starkweather became one of the school bullies who his fellow students feared. As he grew older anyone who appeared better than him, regardless of if he knew them, was a possible victim of his quick kicks and hard fists. High School Drop Out At the age of 16, Starkweather dropped out of ninth grade and worked at a warehouse. He developed a passion for fast cars and renegade attitudes. Around this time James Dean hit the big screen in the movie classics, East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause. Starkweather identified with James Deans role as Jim Start, the troubled and rebellious teenager. He started dressing like Dean with tight jeans, slicked-back hair and cowboy boots. Starkweather embraced the hood persona and all the attitudes that went with it. He had developed into a moody, ego-driven defensive trouble maker who had little control over his quick temper and brewing rage. Caril Fugate Caril Fugate was the 13-year-old younger sister of Starkweathers best friends girlfriend. The four began double dating, and the young impressionable Caril became infatuated with her James Dean look-alike boyfriend. Starkweather was equally infatuated with Caril. She was pretty, as rebellious as he was and she adored him. What little money Starkweather made was spent on keeping Caril happy. It did not take long for the word to get around that Caril was his, and anyone else who might be interested would be risking their lives to pursue her. He left his job at the warehouse after several run-ins with his boss and began working as a trash collector. He liked the job better. It allowed him more time to see Caril after she got out of school, something Carils parents did not like. When rumors circulated that Starkweather and Caril were going to get married and that she was pregnant the Fugates decided to stop the relationship. This did little to deter the two. They continued to see each other. The Unobtainable Starkweathers life was falling apart. His father had kicked him out of the house after the two argued over an accident that Caril had in a car that he and his father owned together. Carils parents totally rejected Starkweather and forbade their daughter from seeing him. He lost his job as a sanitation worker and got locked out of his room for not paying his rent. It is at this point that the depressed and frustrated Starkweather decided that he had no future, but what little future he did have was going to be spent with Caril Fugate and all the material things that up to now had been unobtainable. First Murder On December 1, 1957, Robert Colvert, 21, was working at his job at the Crest gas station, when Starkweather robbed, kidnapped, then shot him in the back of the head on a dirt road outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. The day before Colvert had refused credit to Starkweather who was short on cash and wanted to buy Fugate a stuffed animal. This hurt Starkweathers pride, and he wanted to get even. He could also use the $108 that he robbed from the station. As far as killing Colvert, in Starkweathers mind, the kid deserved it. He shouldnt have humiliated him the day before by refusing him credit. The following day Starkweather told Fugate about the murder. She did not end the relationship after hearing the news. For Starkweather, this was a sign that their relationship was forever sealed. What was going through the mind of Starkweather in the weeks before January 21, 1958, is not known, but the pressure of having to one day face the consequences for murdering Colvert were surely mounting. But now with the monster inside of him unleashed, there would be no going back to his normal, dismal life. The Bartlett Family According to Starkweather, on January 21 he decided to try to mend his relationship with Fugates parents. He went over to their house to invite her stepfather Marion Bartlett to go hunting. He also brought Fugates mother Velda Bartlett two pieces of carpet. The Bartletts, who believed that their young daughter was pregnant by Starkweather, were not swayed by his good intentions and an argument broke out. Starkweather became unhinged and shot Velda in the face and Marion in the back of the head. The Bartletts daughter (Fugates sister), two-and-a-half-year-old Betty Jean, was also not spared. Starkweather shut off her frightened cries by slashing her repeatedly in the throat with a knife. Then to make certain no one survived the massacre, he stabbed all of his victims again. He then put Veldas body inside the commode of the family outhouse. He put Betty Jeans body inside a box of garbage and also placed her in the outhouse. Marions body was left on the floor of the chicken coup. Life Goes On Starkweather and Fugate lived in her dead parents house like a couple honeymooning for the next six days. To those who stopped by they were greeted with a handwritten note stuck on the front door that said, Stay away Every Body is sick with the Flue. Friends and family of the Bartletts werent buying the flu note, and after a lot of persistence the police did a physical search of the home and found the bodies, but not before Starkweather and Fugate had fled. August Meyer Now on the run, Starkweather, and Fugate weaved through back roads and made it to Bennet, Nebraska, where August Meyer, 70, and a long time friend of the Starkweather family lived. As they made their way up the rough dirt road that led to Meyers farm their car got stuck in the  snow. The couple abandoned it and continued on foot to the old mans house. What transpired afterward is unclear, except that Starkweather and Meyer got into a confrontation and Meyer ended up dead from a shotgun blast that removed a large portion of his head. Well fed from food from Meyers kitchen and loaded up with the dead mans guns and whatever cash they could find, Starkweather and Fugate headed by foot to the nearest main road. If they were to survive, they needed to get their hands on a car. Robert Jensen, Jr. and Carol King The couple hitched a ride with Robert Jensen, Jr., 17, and 16-year-old Carol King. Without wasting any time, Starkweather forced Jensen to go to a torn down school that was nearby. The terrified couple was led to a storm cellar. There Starkweather shot Jensen six times in the head and King once in the head. When the police discovered the young couple, it was noted that Kings pants had been pulled down and her genitals had been slashed, but there were no signs that she had been sexually assaulted. Starkweather later said that Fugate was responsible for the slashing. She thought Starkweather was sexually attracted to King and acted out of jealousy. A Strange Turn of Events As more of Starkweathers victims were discovered the manhunt for the fugitives intensified. At first, Starkweather talked about going out of state to Washington, but for some strange reason the couple turned Jensens car around and headed back to Lincoln. They passed by Fugates family home, but when they spotted the police cars that surrounded the house, they headed to the more affluent side of town where the rich lived. The Wards and Lilian Fencil Starkweather was familiar with the big homes that lined the streets from his days as a trash collector. One of the wealthiest homes belonged to C. Lauer Ward, 47, and his wife Clara Ward, also 47. Ward was the president of the Capital Bridge Company and the Capital Steel Company and one of the wealthiest men in town. On January 30, 1958, now eight days on the run, Starkweather, and Fugate forced their way into the Ward home. Inside were Clara and their live-in maid Lilian Fencl. Starkweather told the women that they had nothing to fear, then ordered Clara to fix breakfast. He liked being waited on by the woman whose trash he had collected so often. He then tied each of the women up in separate rooms and stabbed them to death. Annoyed by Claras barking poodle, he crushed the dogs neck with his rifle, leaving it alive to suffer. When C. Lauer Ward returned home from work, he met with the same fate as his wife and Fencil. Starkweather shot him dead. The F.B.I. Starkweather and Fugate loaded up C. Lauer Wards 1956 black Packard with supplies and decided to get out of town. When the Wards bodies were discovered the Governor put the F.B.I. and the National Guard on the case to stop the fugitives. Merle Collison Starkweather decided that they needed to get rid of Packard after hearing descriptions of them and the car on the radio. Merle Collison was a traveling shoe salesman who decided to pull off on a side road for a nap just outside of Douglas, Wyoming. Starkweather spotted the napping man, pulled over and woke him up. He demanded that Collinson switch cars with him, but the salesman refused. Not having time to argue, Starkweather shot him in the head nine times. Collison had a Buick with a push-pedal emergency brake, and Starkweather did not know how to release it. When he stalled out a passer-by offered to help, he was met with a rifle pointed at his face and the two began to wrestle. At the same time deputy Sheriff William Romer drove up on the pair, and Fugate sprang from the front seat of the Buick, screaming and pointing at Starkweather, saying, Hes killed a man! Starkweather jumped into the Packard and took off with Romer following close behind. Romer called for back up as he tried to keep up with Starkweather who was driving up to 120 miles an hour. More officers joined the chase, and one of them managed to shoot out the back windshield of the Packard. When a piece of the spraying glass cut Starkweather, he thought he had been shot and quickly pulled over and surrendered. In Custody The killing spree of Starkweather and Fugate was over, but the task of putting together the pieces of who did what had just begun for authorities. At first, Starkweather said Fugate was not responsible for any of the killings. Fugate insisted she was a victim and not a participant in any crimes. She told investigators that she had been held hostage and that Starkweather said he would kill her family if she did not go along with his demands. Fugates hostage story quickly dissolved after she admitted to being present when her family was butchered. Both were charged with first-degree murder, and they were extradited to Nebraska to stand trial. The Trial of Charles Starkweather The list of charges against Starkweather was lengthy, and the only defense his lawyers could bring to the table that could save him from the electric chair was an insanity defense. But to Starkweather, going down in history as insane was unacceptable. He used every possible opportunity to thwart his lawyers efforts by announcing that he was indeed sane during his killing spree. Instead, he said he killed his victims out of self-defense, a position no one believed. The jury found him guilty on two charges of first-degree murder and recommended that he be put to death in the electric chair. The court agreed, and he was sentenced to die on June 25, 1959. The Trial of Fugate When Starkweather found out that Fugate said she was his hostage, he stopped protecting her and told the authorities of her activity which included slashing Carol Kings genitals and shooting C. Lauer Ward. He also said she was responsible for Merle Collisons murder and went as far as describing her as one of the most trigger happy people he had ever met. He testified against her in court, although it was pointed out by her defense that he had changed his story at least seven times in the past. Few believed Fugates defense of being a victim and she was found guilty of murdering Robert Jensen, Jr. and given a life sentence because of her age. In the years following her sentencing, she continued to insist that she was a victim. Her sentence was later commuted, and she was paroled in June 1976. Except for one interview, Fugate never spoke publically about her time spent with Starkweather. The Final Curtain Call On June 25, 1959, Starkweathers execution was on schedule. Earlier in the evening, he had ordered cold cuts for his final meal. He was asked if he wanted to donate his eyes, which he said no adding, Why should I? Nobody ever gave me anything. Just after midnight, ​the 20-year-old spree killer was escorted to the execution chamber with his head shaved and dressed in a prison denim shirt and jeans. When Starkweather was asked if he had any final words, he merely shook his head no. There was to be no last scene for the James Dean wannabe. No words to send journalist off scribbling in their notebooks. He, like other killers before him, was strapped into the electric chair, hit with 2200 volts of electricity and killed.

Problem Solving College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problem Solving College - Essay Example In problem solving one should explore all options one by one until you come across the best one. However, in general, as one gains experience in solving problems, one develops one's own techniques and strategies, though they are often intangible. The computer is not an intelligent machine. It does not have the ability to think about the solution of the problem. Our task is to provide a series of steps, which when written in a programming language becomes a code. The computer runs the code for the solution. The good part is that the computer can run the solution consistently, again and again once we have written the code, saving us from the tedious and boring work. Programs are written to solve problems posed by people. The difficulty of writing the programs is driven by the difficulty of the problems. The difficulty of the problems is limited by the imagination of the people posing the problems. Now we'll see how problem solving by programming is difficult. Programming is a complex skill that takes time to master. To solve a specific problem via programming, you need to understand the nature of the problem. Think about the solution of the problem. Then we will choose a programming language. You need to have knowledge of the programming language you decide to use. ... Depending on the nature of the task problem solving can either be easy or difficult. Let's take a very simple example of finding the largest number from a given list of unsorted numbers. We can easily solve this problem manually, provided the given list of numbers is not too big. If we have to solve the same problem using programming then it is not so easy .We will have to explain the computer all the steps one by one and code it for the compiler to run the solution. Similarly, if we have a list of numbers which is very big, say ten thousand numbers and we have to find the maximum one so it would be easier to write a code for the problem rather than going through the whole list. There are many ways to find the maximum number in a given list of unsorted numbers. We will discuss one of the ways to solve it. Our first step would be to consider the first number as the largest. We will save that number in a temporary location .Then we will compare it with all the other numbers in the list and if we encounter any number greater than the number stored in our temporary location, we will update our location. The last noted item in our memory location is the largest in the list when the process is complete. Hence, we can say that it depends on the nature of the task whether problem solving is difficult with programming or not. Similarly, we consider another example of a factorial generating program. We can easily calculate the factorial of a small number in our minds but think about a program that will return you the factorial of any number you want. It can be as large as you want because you don't have to worry about the computations. The computer is going to

Criticism of a press release from Tourism Organization and relation of Essay

Criticism of a press release from Tourism Organization and relation of its content with theory - Essay Example Ban Kimoon emphasized the role that tourism can play in environmental sustainability and promotion of green growth as well as helping in the struggle to adapt to climate change. His speech was in relevance to the theme of the 2012 world tourism day that sought to emphasize the importance of sustainable energy to the tourism industry. As Ban Kimoon mentioned, the tourism industry stands in a capacity to contribute positively towards environmental sustainability. One of the indicators of the efforts made by the world tourism organization include the dedication of the 2012 world tourism day to addressing issues related to the value of adopting the use of renewable energy sources. Adoption of renewable energy sources by the tourism industry is an effort towards environmental sustainability. Since the industry’s activities involve a lot of transportation and washing. Transport involves both the aircrafts and vehicles. Adoption of energy sources that have minimal carbon emissions is one of the advances the tourism industry is making. Using such fuels minimizes air pollution as well as preventing ozone effects that have resulted to adverse climate changes (International Conference on Sustainable Tourism, Pineda, and Brebbia, 2010). In addition, the industry has a new invention of an online tool-kit that helps hoteliers get a reflection of their total energy consumption rates. In addition, the tool-kit offers the hoteliers strategies of saving energy. Moreover, hoteliers can use this kit in exploring the possible ways of adopting renewable energy sources. The launching of the kit intended to improve energy efficiency in most of the tourism facilities and increase their ventures in renewable energy. The kit bears the name ‘Hotel Energy Solutions’ and hoteliers have a free access to the kit online. This is a positive move towards environmental sustainability. The long-term effects of the use of the