Edit and adjust accordingly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Edit and adjust accordingly - Essay Example Agency source of power has to do with the power to make decisions on the use of the agency’s human and material resources. This includes the restructuring of the organization, changing staff schedules, unbundling of production process or entering into strategic partnership for the purpose of improving quality of goods and services and/or empowering clients. Closely related to agency source of power is legitimate power. This is the power one has by virtue of his position in an organization. Having legitimate powers means having authority or control over the behaviours and performances of others. The president of a company has legitimate power over all other employees of the company. He can give every other person orders and expect him/her to obey. Expert power is the power that even individuals at the lower levels of the organizational structure can acquire and accumulate. The possession of superior knowledge, ideas, skill, experience and abilities, and how these are used can earn one reputation and power. An employee with expert power is a master in his professional niche and he can use the power s/he accumulates to sway others into taken decisions that affect the overall functioning of the organization. Until my employment, the company I am working with was into hotel business. It nearly crumbled due to superior competition. The business was sustained with returns from the president’s plantation. The ‘management’ of the hotel was then lead by a president and had two-level organizational structure. No line managers. No board meetings. It was small. Every employee reported to the president. Two of the four senior employees were sons of the president. They were presidents-in-the-waiting. The business was on the verge of been mismanaged as family business if not for the president’s foresightedness. He knew his children were incapable of managing the inherited business. The hotel needed

Financial statements analysis and financial models(question answers) Assignment

Financial statements analysis and financial models(question answers) - Assignment Example a company, without seeking for debt finance, the following are two ways a company can adopt in order to increase the sustainable growth rate: first, the utility rate of assets should be increased in order to increase the revenue generated, thus, increase the net income. An increase in the net income increases both the ROE and the payout ratio. Second, the company can depend on either retained earnings or equity finance to fund the undertakings of projects with positive net present value. ROE = Profit margin*Total asset turnover*equity multiplier = (0.55*1.9*0.063) = 6.5835%. Sustainable growth = (ROE*b)/1- (ROE*b). 0.09 = (0.065835b)/ 1 – (0.065835b). b = 1.2546 = (1 – payout ratio). Therefore, payout ratio = (1.2546 – 1) = 25.46%. Consequently, for the growth rate to be achieved, the dividend payout ratio must be 25.46%. The interpretation means that the company will use 25.46% of the net income to fund dividend payment. The approximate sustainable growth rate SGR = (ROEb)/1- (ROEb). ROE = (Net income/equity) = (95,000/230,000) = 41.30%. The payout ratio = (42,000/95,000) = 44.21%. Therefore, SGR = (0.413*0.4421)/1 – (0.413* 0.4421) = 0.1826/ (1- 0.1826) = 22.34%. The exact sustainable growth rate = 22.339124%. Since the value of equity never changed during the period, the ROE is remains unchanged. Therefore, the approximate sustainable growth rate is similar to the above determined

Clubs, Clubs, and More Clubs Essay Example for Free

Clubs, Clubs, and More Clubs Essay According to the BoomerProject. com, there will be seventy-eight million ‘boomers’ turning fifty by 2006 that will spend two trillion dollars annually on ‘goods and services and just shopping around. ’ Advertisers, marketers and various club organizations are fighting to attract these trillions of dollars by offering exclusive experiences, luxury condominiums and timeshares, private residential communities, among a multitude of other diversions. According to this same 2005 study, in 2006 thirty-nine additional timeshare plans, including single site and multi-site vacation clubs, are forecasted to open having three thousand nine hundred ninety-eight dedicated timeshare units and, thirty-two projects with four thousand eight hundred and thirty-one condo hotel units are forecasted to open. This article summarizes the different kinds of clubs that are attracting boomers by the millions: The Country Club, the Golf Subdivision, Lot Sales/Sporting Club, the Condominium Club, the Fractional Club and Private Residence Club, the Destination Club, the Timeshare Plan Club, the Multi-Site Timeshare Plan Club (Vacation Club), and the Crossover that implements elements from all of the other options. Indeed, clubs, clubs, and more clubs abound as our baby boomer generation is exiting the workforce and entering the leisurely land of retirement. Boomers have trillions of dollars of expendable income and whichever club concept proves to be the most popular and exclusive will attract top dollar when it comes to luxury, convenience, status, and location.

Triple Bottom Lines And Sustainable Development Construction Essay

Triple Bottom Lines And Sustainable Development Construction Essay In this assignment, the notion of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting is being analysed critically. The term created by John Elkington is being defined with its concept and general principles (social, environment, and economic lines) discussed in this report. Representations of TBL in the Business and Government Organisations sectors is further explored with its five different interpretations Wait and see, Packaging information for community right to know, stakeholder alignment, endorsing core principles, and holistic cultural perspective. The relationship between sustainable development and TBL is discussed in the report by considering the environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability, with a backing example of the TBL Toolkit and the The Capital Works Sustainability Statement practiced in the city of Melbourne. Lastly, the application of TBL in sustainable construction and its indicators of social and environmental, and economic performance used in the construction sector are discussed in the report. Lastly, a case study has been done on Enviro-Cottage constructed in Spring Hill, Brishbane. The project has addressed TBL reporting considering the sustainable development and construction. INTRODUCTION Triple bottom line (TBL) reporting is becoming more common across many sectors of society. Although the concept was born out of the corporate and business world to report corporate social responsibility conveniently, it has been embraced by many organisations to give social and environmental agendas more prominence in the face of corporatist globalisation (Price, R n.d.). The term Triple Bottom Line was formed by John Elkington in 1997. Based in UK as a consultant to companies like BO, DuPont and the World Bank, John Elkington has been described by Business Week as a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades (John Elkington 2010). Instead of the usual financial bottom line, Elkington define and the expanded baseline for measuring performance using social, environmental and economic bottom lines (Centre for ISA Information Sheet 7 n.d.). Elkington stated on his book, Cannibals with Forks that: The triple bottom line focuses corporations not just on the economic value they add, but also on the environmental and social value they add and destroy. At its narrowest, the term triple bottom line is used as a framework for measuring and reporting corporate performance against economic, social and environmental parameters (Elkington,, J 1998). Generally, Triple bottom line is an integrated management approach that consists of managing, measuring and publicly reporting performance in business and government sectors (Potts, T 2004). TBL also acts as a medium to discuss issues regarding the organisation and the community. According to A tool for measuring, communicating, and facilitating change in local governments by Tavis Potts, TBL is a correspondence and process for reporting on sustainability and using the results to engage communities in an ongoing discussion. For sustainable organisations this means balancing the needs of the organisation against the environmental, economic and social factors as depicted in Figure 1 to enhance the quality of life. Figure . Triple Bottom Line Model (Source: Triple bottom line: a ticket to the game or the emperors new clothes? 2005). Representations of tbl Business Sector In the business sector, the growing tension between increasing social values and conventional forms of value creation has forced consideration of sustainability (including TBL reporting). Pressure has been applied on organisations to be more socially and environmentally responsible in their pursuit of profit (Beilin, R Paine, M, Pryor R 2007). As an example, BP Australia reported that a TBL approach to business provides them with a sustainable competitive advantage and it is also a good business sense. It demonstrates to stakeholders the integrity of a business or industry, thus improving its reputation, increases investor confidence and enhances marketing and profit opportunities. Governments Sector Similar to businesses, local governments have adopted the TBL in response to community concern about issues of environmental sustainability. In the Governments sector, the field of organisational accountability has broadened. Government organisations must now consider the wider impacts of their practices on other local, regional, national and even global stakeholders (Beilin, R Paine, M, Pryor R 2007). Growing government interest in corporate social and environmental responsibility is expressed in policy at local, State and federal levels. TBL reporting has changed the appearance of the role of government in regulating private businesses and industries. TBL has come to demonstrate good public relations in government organisations with its integrated focus on social, environmental and economic outcomes of practice. Principles of Triple Bottom Line The three vital aspects of corporate and government performance are based on Triple Bottom Line are the economic, social and environmental line. TBL is also interpreted in 5 ways in business and governments sectors. The Economic Bottom Line The economic bottom line is the organisations record of economic performance (revenue and profit) and integrity. Even though the companies are still making profits in the business, profit is viewed as the economic benefit enjoyed by the employees and community as a whole within a sustainability framework. The Social or People Bottom Line The social bottom line is the organisations record of social or people performance as it affects employees, consumers, and communities. This also refers to fair, ethical, and beneficial business practices toward employees, community, and country in which a corporation conducts its business. The Environmental Bottom Line This is the organisations record of performance as it considers all the issues related with environmental concerns. The goal of 21stà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ century companies is to not only help protect the environment by producing Green or environmentally responsible products but also to have their own sustainable, environmentally sound business operating practices. This means organisations are to function in an environmentally responsible approach, such as taking steps to reduce their own environmental footprint, consuming less energy and little or no non-renewable resources, and producing less waste. Five interpretation of TBL Five broad categories capture the current diverse state of TBL performance measurement and reporting in Australia according to Triple Bottom Line Measurement and Reporting In Australia. The five categories are more to show the diverse business rationales and analysis of community expectations for triple bottom line measuring and reporting (Suggett, D, Goodsir, B 2002). Wait and see Wait and see is the category where organisations are satisfied with their present approaches to communication and accountability. Examples of such companies are Fosters and Woolworths. This may due to the reason that a change is not necessary in their business priority, and there is a sense of potential benefit as it is still early in their business to use the TBL approach without understanding the directions of the business. Packaging information for community right to know By observing the community right to know attitude and supporting the notion of greater responsibility to the community for their business performance, other organisation make an obligation to their stakeholders to be open and transparent. To meet this commitment, they collect and package internal information or report for external audience. This report shows the values they seek to meet, their performance against those standards and a description of their activities. Examples of companies practising this approach of TBL in environmental reporting are Wesfarmers and Orica. As they keep on collecting data, reporting and verifying approaches, those organisations do not see that a change in approach is required to embrace social or economic scopes. Stakeholder Alignment This approach analytically seeks the relationship between stakeholders expectations and corporate strategy. In order for TBL reporting to drive maximum value, it is necessary that the information reported aligns with business strategy and objectives and accurately reflects the focus of the company activity. This serves to strengthen the significance of companies developing indicators in a structured way that reflects their objectives and the requirements of key stakeholder groups. As the stakeholders could be the shareholders, investors, employees, customers, suppliers, the community and government, organisations practicing this approach will be required to set up new management systems and in a long run is intensive on the business resource. One example is the WMC. WMC continues to expand in this direction and a number of other companies have embarked on the first steps, such as Westpac and ANZ. Endorsing Core Principles A few organisations outline their response to stakeholder expectations into values that guide their business activity: sustainability principles. Examples of organisations are Rio Tinto and Shell. This approach is directed at integrating these core principles into management practices. Holistic Cultural Perspective Organisations in private ownership define their business purpose and their commitment to sustainability values and accountability as a whole. Their business success depends on this cultural perspective. The Body Shop is the often-quoted example and the Co-operative Bank in the United Kingdom. Sustainable development Sustainability is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while at the same time preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only for the present generations, but also for future generations. Sustainable development ties together the concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges (Sustainable construction gives a competitive edge n.d). Conceptually, sustainable development can be broken down into three constituent parts: Environmental sustainability Economic sustainability Social sustainability Sustainable development is often portrayed as the act of balancing economic, ecological and social concerns, and the triple bottom line is commonly used internationally to prove corporate performance on sustainability and its approach to sustainable development in the corporate world. However, in sustainable development, triple bottom line also concentrates on the external structure of development and excludes the internal structure of development. In other words, TBL also focuses on technological, economic and institutional development while excluding cultural and personal development (Riedy, C 2003). As an example, the City of Melbourne is using TBL approach to accomplish the goal of sustainable development. The city has developed a TBL Toolkit which includes checklists, guidelines, templates and case studies for the application of TBL decision-making and reporting (Triple-Bottom-Line Evaluation Approach Shows Promise for Local Government 2004). Part of this tool is the The Capital Works Sustainability Statement and it is a rating system that recognizes the degree to which a project contributes to the Councils sustainability objectives. The Capital Works tool is being applied to different ways, such as the bidding of capital works, budget approval process, and evaluating criteria against of capital works. Through this TBL approach, councils are able to demonstrate responsibility and transparency in decision making and administration. Moreover, TBL approach in the public sector including local government has helped to develop global standards and procedures in reporting decisions at all levels (Triple-Bottom-Line Evaluation Approach Shows Promise for Local Government 2004). Application of tbl in sustainable construction Construction activities worldwide consume 40 per cent of all raw material exploited globally (Sustainable construction gives a competitive edge n.d.). For this reason, the use of sustainable building materials can help improve the global environment significantly. The public demand for sustainable solutions is growing, and in the years to come contractors who are able to document that they build sustainably will have a strong presence in the market. In order to make construction sustainable, one has to practise TBL in order to consider the environmental impacts of extraction, transportation, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these materials. It is easy to understand why TBL has received acceptance in sustainable construction. Indicators of social and environmental performance are used to diversify work and practices of construction sector. TBL allows organisations to assess quantitatively and qualitatively how they are achieving their key performance indicators (Triple bottom line: a ticket to the game or the emperors new clothes? 2005). TBL has been applied to the construction sector in the UK where the phrase Sustainable Construction has been coined. The UK Government is seeking to apply sustainable development practices to the construction industry. Leading construction companies in the UK, USA and Europe now report annually on social and environmental performance as well as financial performance. Jim Lammie, director of Parsons Brinckerhoff in a speech on sustainability of 8 September 2004 said that over 77% of construction companies in the UK had a sustainable development policy to deal with regulation, competitive edge, client policy, enhanced reputation, legal risks and future investments as well as addressing ethical obligations. Lessons from the construction industry overseas have a place for Australian construction companies who want to outperform their counter-parts in an increasingly aware society. Implementing daily practices to elicit performance under TBL can be as simple as adopting recycling programs , giving to the workforce through university sponsorship programs and adopting best practice voluntary standards. When a full assessment of practices are made construction players may find that they are already carrying out sustainable practices but are not reaping the reward through reporting their practices to stakeholders. Truly sustainable construction practices may mean assessing projects and work practices with TBL in mind (Triple bottom line: a ticket to the game or the emperors new clothes? 2005). The triple bottom line concept of sustainable construction could be achieved through the application of sustainable design principles at early stages of planning and construction. By making these decisions beforehand, it creates a home that is safer, more secure, flexible, comfortable, environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient in a long-run. A sustainable construction project is designed and constructed to include the principles of sustainable design which attempts to balance soc ial, environmental and economic considerations (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). The triple bottom line approach to sustainable construction is a balanced integration of social, environmental and economic design factors. Social Sustainable buildings are designed for the people considering access, safety, security and design that consider the clients future needs throughout the different stages of lives young families, older users or users with varying abilities. Sustainable constructed building is safe, easily adaptable to suit a diverse range of needs and comfortable for people with varying abilities and at different stages of their lives, especially the elderly with our ageing population (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). Socially sustainable construction can also strengthen social networks and allow people of every age and ability to participate in their community throughout their life. An aesthetically pleasing and stimulating built environment will reinforce the sense of well being of residents and people in the local community of the building. The local community and streetscape should also be considered, ensuring sympathetic development, enhancing the streetscape and community function (Tr iple bottom line in housing n.d.). Environmental Sustainable construction are resource efficient by incorporating sustainable management of water, energy and waste efficiencies, as well as other features such as passive solar design by considering the orientation, ventilation, insulation, shading and building materials (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008). Resource efficiency is also related to water efficiency in the building, waste efficiency of materials used during construction, and energy efficiency through good passive design and high star-rated green technology appliances and lights. It is also associated to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption. Local market for materials should be considered as well (Triple bottom line in housing n.d.). Besides that, resource efficiency equates to lifestyle benefits for residents of the buildings in terms of improved thermal comfort (social sustainability) and reduced running costs for the home (economic sustainability). Economic Economic sustainability means designing and construction to make a house more cost-efficient in a long-run, considering the selection of low maintenance materials. Extra expense during construction should be provided for longer term operating cost savings as it is important to obtain the choices of design and material right the first time and removes the need to make additional costly changes later. Installation of solar panels or water tanks will also add instant value to a property (Triple bottom line in housing n.d.). The consideration of the local market in the selection of building material suppliers can optimise costs through reduced transportation expenses to the site. Other economic savings can also be done with the amplified focus on the embodied energy that building materials may represent in their journey from the source, through refinement, product manufacture and transport to eventual use on-site in the construction of the home (Sustainable Homes Triple bottom line 2008) . Sustainable construction could cost efficiently over time by improving the design and construction features and the use of low-maintenance materials Usage of appliances with high energy-star ratings that reduce the ongoing costs of running your home should be encouraged. By practicing sustainable construction, energy and water bills are lower and potential future modification costs are greatly reduced, thus making the home more adaptable over its life cycle. Case study: Enviro-Cottage Enviro-Cottage is constructed in Spring Hill, Brisbane. It was built as a workers cottage in the late 1800s. During 2008, the houses were transformed from a traditional Brisbane cottage into a sustainable development for inner-city living. Figure . Conceptual drawing of Enviro-Cottage. (Source: http://www.envirocottage.com.au) Enviro-Cottage as shown in Figure 2 isnt a new, purpose-built house unlike other display homes. It is a renovation project that highlights the simple, technological and the necessary construction methods to help make a home more efficient by using less electricity, water and other resources, while improving how people live in the available space. Some of the ideas are very simple and easy to apply in any home renovation or construction projects to reduce its environmental footprint. Examples of sustainable construction methods used are passive design, thermal mass and solar orientation (Enviro-Cottage n.d.). Other revolutionary sustainable ideas are the installation of solar cell technology, water tank and grey water systems, glass technology, kitchen and laundry appliances, taps and showers, insulation, flooring, paints and other finishes, heating and cooling systems, and energy efficient lighting. The Spring Hill Enviro-Cottage Project has addressed the TBL reporting (Triple bottom line in housing n.d). Examples of the Enviro-Cottage TBL report considerations included in the sustainable development and construction according to Our Brisbane are: Social sustainability Enviro-Cottage is constructed to be multi-purpose. Its multi-use design is suitable for people from different background, such as families, professional couples, or people with disabilities, young couples to families with older/independent children The cottage is constructed using the local Tuff stone to tie to Spring Hills heritage and preservation of the heritage streetscape Open front aspect to connect with local street life Open design to aid easy internal and external surveillance High security features to all doors and windows with simple and consistent locking systems The set back garage is designed and constructed to de-emphasise the role of the car Addition of two off-street parking options takes two cars off the crowded local street Preservation of the heritage streetscape Environmental sustainability Maximum use of passive solar design aspects, taking advantage of natural energy flows, and minimising the scale of overlaid systems lighting, cooling etc No air conditioning required or other mechanical heating or cooling systems Capture, use, recycle and re-use of as much rainwater as possible, inclusion of grey water processing system Generation of required energy needs through onsite photovoltaic system and where possible provision of clean renewable energy back to the community Use of environmentally preferred materials eg. no use of rainforest or old growth forest products Re-use of the existing 1800s building to reduce consumption of new materials Use of materials with a lifespan equivalent to the projected life of the building Source local products and materials where possible, minimising energy used to transport materials Economic sustainability Use of passive solar design and selected enviro-products will drive future operating costs down to a minimum Modular design, flexible usage model, and choice of long lifespan materials, minimising any requirements for future renovations, minimising ongoing construction costs The Enviro-Cottage project has demonstrate sustainable development through TBL reporting and the project signified sustainable living ideas, solution and options which can be in most construction even when it is challenged with the many constraints facing such renovations such as council building codes, existing dwelling condition and design, and smaller block sizes. Conclusion In conclusion, the TBL concept demonstrates responsibility to stakeholders in terms of economic, social and environmental impact. The idea behind TBL reporting is sustainable success which will benefit the organisations. Benefits include better reputation and increased confidence, benchmarked performance, increased operational efficiency, stakeholder satisfaction, and improved risk management of the business. TBL reports may have different representations in the business and government sectors, and each of the sectors has different interpretation of TBL. TBL reporting is one way organisations can add value to their daily practices of their business. In terms of sustainable development and construction, TBL is the union of the three constituent parts social, environment, and economic. TBL is commonly used to prove corporate performance on sustainability as it covers accountability in an economic, social and environmental sense.

Are There Things Which We Should Not Know? Essay -- Science Argumentat

Are There Things Which We Should Not Know? It has been claimed that decisions concerning scientific research topics and the publication of research results are purely methodological, and that any moral considerations refer only to research methods and uses of acquired knowledge. The arguments advanced in favor of this view appeal to the moral neutrality of scientific knowledge and the intrinsic value of truth. I argue that neither is valid. Moreover, I show three cases where a scientist’s decision to begin research clearly bears moral relevance: (1) when starting an inquiry would create circumstances threatening some non-cognitive values; (2) when achieving a certain piece of knowledge would threaten the existence of the individual’s private sphere; and (3) when there are reasons to think that humankind is not prepared to accumulate some knowledge. These cases do not prove the existence of some intrinsically ‘morally forbidden topics,’ but show that the moral permissibility of any given inquiry is n ot a priori guaranteed but needs to be judged in the same way that its methodological soundness is judged. Judgments concerning research topics have both methodological and moral aspects and these two cannot be separated under the threat of distorting science. Making such judgments requires knowledge not only of scientific methodology, but also of its social and philosophical implications. Philosophy is necessary in order to do good science. My search for an answer to the title question is restricted to science which is the main source of our knowledge about the world and to its moral dimension. In order to know anything in a scientific way one needs to investigate relevant themes with scientific means. Are there then topics whic... ... D.O. Dahlstrom. Nature and Scientific Method. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press 1991. 95-105. Gaerdenfors P. ‘Is There Anything We Should not Want to Know?’ in: J.E. Fensted (ed.), Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, New York: Elsevier 1990. 63-78. Glass, B. ‘The ethical basis of science’ in: Bulger, R.E. et al. (eds). The Ethical Dimension of the Biological Sciences. Cambridge University Press 1993. 43-55. Herrnstein R. J. and Wilson J. Q, Crime and Human Nature, New York: Simon and Schuster 1985. Rescher, N. ‘Forbidden Knowledge’ in: Forbidden Knowledge and Other Essays on the Philosophy of Cognition, Dordrecht: Reidel 1987. 1-16. Verhoog, H. Genetic Modification of Animals. Should Science and Ethics Be Integrated? in: A. Lekka-Kowalik and D. Schulthess (Eds). Forbidden Knowledge. The Monist 79 (2) 1996.

Why There is no Model Family? Essay -- Family Psychology, Family Value

â€Å"Family Aint Shit†: Why There is no Model Family A picture that pops into mind when one thinks of the term â€Å"family†: Mother prepares dinner, Father comes home from a hard day’s work, and the children walk into the house from school. The group sits at the dinner table and discusses the day’s activities with a genuine smile on their faces. Everything for this family is perfect. This example is just a traditional family portrait and is far from the reality of many modern families. It is so far from reality that the entire definition of â€Å"family† can be skewed into whatever subjective opinion one wants. Cold-blooded, homicidal menaces to society can create a â€Å"family† by forming a gang which may have more inner peace than a dysfunctional blood family. Friends can consider themselves family even when they share no blood ties. Gay couples, single males, and parents of different ethnicities can adopt a child and form the â€Å"legal† definition of a family. There is no set-in-stone definition of family; with the complexity of the modern world, the term â€Å"family† can be used to describe blood relations or simply any group of people a bond is felt with. The HBO drama The Sopranos promises to make its viewers rethink the term â€Å"family† with a tagline such as â€Å"Meet Tony Soprano, if one family doesn’t kill him†¦ the other family will† (IMDB). The two families the show speaks about are of two different worlds. The first family (often dysfunctional) is Tony Soprano’s blood family that includes his wife and children. The second family (a complete blood-splattered mess) is Tony’s Mafia affiliations. In the episode â€Å"The Happy Wanderer†, Tony takes the role as the head of house in both families and must balance his life between being a Mob boss and bei... ...ll always be there for your family when they need you, and they'll always be there for you. Blood related or not† (Urbandictionary). This definition is a perfect example of why family is about a bond between its members, not something defined by legality. Through many trials and tribulations, the multitudes of different types of families will continue to exist, breaking the mold of traditional ideas and redefining what we come to think of as â€Å"family†. Works Cited â€Å"Family.† Def. 23. Urbandictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. â€Å"The Happy Wanderer.† The Sopranos. HBO. 20 Feb. 2000. Television. â€Å"’The Sopranos’ (1999) - Taglines.† IMDB. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. Vasquez, Adrian. Personal interview. 15 Feb. 2012. White, Rob. â€Å"Indigenous Youth and Gangs as Family.† Youth Studies Australia 28.3 (2009): 47-56. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. Why There is no Model Family? Essay -- Family Psychology, Family Value â€Å"Family Aint Shit†: Why There is no Model Family A picture that pops into mind when one thinks of the term â€Å"family†: Mother prepares dinner, Father comes home from a hard day’s work, and the children walk into the house from school. The group sits at the dinner table and discusses the day’s activities with a genuine smile on their faces. Everything for this family is perfect. This example is just a traditional family portrait and is far from the reality of many modern families. It is so far from reality that the entire definition of â€Å"family† can be skewed into whatever subjective opinion one wants. Cold-blooded, homicidal menaces to society can create a â€Å"family† by forming a gang which may have more inner peace than a dysfunctional blood family. Friends can consider themselves family even when they share no blood ties. Gay couples, single males, and parents of different ethnicities can adopt a child and form the â€Å"legal† definition of a family. There is no set-in-stone definition of family; with the complexity of the modern world, the term â€Å"family† can be used to describe blood relations or simply any group of people a bond is felt with. The HBO drama The Sopranos promises to make its viewers rethink the term â€Å"family† with a tagline such as â€Å"Meet Tony Soprano, if one family doesn’t kill him†¦ the other family will† (IMDB). The two families the show speaks about are of two different worlds. The first family (often dysfunctional) is Tony Soprano’s blood family that includes his wife and children. The second family (a complete blood-splattered mess) is Tony’s Mafia affiliations. In the episode â€Å"The Happy Wanderer†, Tony takes the role as the head of house in both families and must balance his life between being a Mob boss and bei... ...ll always be there for your family when they need you, and they'll always be there for you. Blood related or not† (Urbandictionary). This definition is a perfect example of why family is about a bond between its members, not something defined by legality. Through many trials and tribulations, the multitudes of different types of families will continue to exist, breaking the mold of traditional ideas and redefining what we come to think of as â€Å"family†. Works Cited â€Å"Family.† Def. 23. Urbandictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. â€Å"The Happy Wanderer.† The Sopranos. HBO. 20 Feb. 2000. Television. â€Å"’The Sopranos’ (1999) - Taglines.† IMDB. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. Vasquez, Adrian. Personal interview. 15 Feb. 2012. White, Rob. â€Å"Indigenous Youth and Gangs as Family.† Youth Studies Australia 28.3 (2009): 47-56. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

Btk Killer Dennis Radar

BTK KILLER DENNIS RADAR Dennis Radar also known as the BTK Killer was born on March 9, 1945 to William Elvin Radar and Dorothea Mae Cook he was the oldest of their four children he was born in Pittsburg Kansas he grew up in Wichita and attended Riverview School and later graduated from Wichita Heights High School, according to several reports for him as a child made some confessions that he tortured animals, he also had a sexual fetish for women’s underwear he would later start stealing panties from his victims and wearing them. Dennis Radar attended Kansas Wesleyan University from 1965-1966 then he spent four yrs in the U. S. Air Force from 1966- 1970. In 1973 he attended Butler County Community College where he earned his associates degree in electronics and in the fall he went to Wichita State University he graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in 1979. Dennis Radar later on in life married a lady named Paula Dietz on May 22, 1971 they then had one son and one daughter. Dennis Radar worked as a assembler for a Coleman Company from 1972-1973 which was a camping gear firm where he has two of his early victims. He then work for a short time at a place named Cessna in 1973, then from November 1974 until being fired in July 1988 Dennis Radar worked for a security company that not only installed but also sold alarms for homes as well as businesses he many other jobs but one that was bad is that Dennis Radar started working as a supervisor for Compliance Department at Park City where he was in charge of animal control, zoning, housing problems, and a variety of nuisance cases while in this position his neighbors where he had euthanized her dog for no reason on March 2, 2005, the Park City council terminated Radar’s employment for failing to report to work due to him being arrested for some murders that he was accused for five days early. Radar served as not only a Animal Control but also a Board of Zoning appeals where he was appointed in 1996 and resigned in 1988. On July 27. 2005 Radar’s was arrested by Judge Eric Yost who also waved a 60 day waiting period and granted immediate divorce from his wife Radar did a not contest for the divorce after 33 yrs due to her mental health being in danger not only mental but also physically from their marriage. Dennis Radar had several victims that he had killed. On January 15, 1974 he killed four members from the Otero family he killed Joseph Otero, Julie Otero his wife, Joseph Otero II his son, and Josephine Otero his daughter. On April 4, 1974 he killed Kathryn Bright he also shot her brother Kevin twice but he survived. On March 17, 1977 he killed Shirley Vian. On December 8, 1977 he killed Nancy Fox. On April 27, 1985 he killed Marine Hedge. On September 16, 1986 he killed Vickie Wegerle, and then on January 19, 1991 he killed Delores Davis. One of his victims Anna Williams 63 who in 1979 escaped death by returning home much later then he expected her to come home. He later on wrote a letter that he knew would get him a lot of attention here is the letter I find the newspaper not writing about the poem on Vain unamusing. A little paragraph would have enough. I know it not the media fault. The Police Chief he keep things quiet, and doesn't let the public know there a psycho running around lose strangling mostly women, there 7 in the ground; who will be next? How many do I have to Kill before I get a name in the paper or some national attention does the cop think that all those deaths are not related? Golly -gee, yes the M. O. is different in each, but look a pattern is developing. The victims are tie up-most have been women-phone cut- bring some bondage mater sadist tendencies-no struggle, outside the death spot-no witness except the Vain's Kids. They were very lucky a phone call save them. I was going to tape the boys and put plastics bag over there head like I did Joseph, and Shirley. And then hang the girl. God-oh God what a beautiful sexual relief that would been. Josephine when I hung her really turn me on; her pleading for mercy then the rope took whole, she helpless; staring at me with wide terror fill eyes the rope getting tighter-tighter. You don't understand these things because your not under the influence of factor x). The same thing that made Son of Sam, Jack the Ripper, Havery Glatman, Boston Strangler, Dr. H. H. Holmes Panty Hose Strangler OF Florida, Hillside Strangler, Ted of the West Coast and many more infamous character kill. Which seem s senseless, but we cannot help it. There is no help, no cure, except death or being caught and put away. It a terrible nightmare but, you see I don't lose any sleep over it. After a thing like Fox I come home and go about life like anyone else. And I will be like that until the urge hit me again. It not continuous and I don’t have a lot of time. It takes time to set a kill, one mistake and it all over. Since I about blew it on the phone-handwriting is out-letter guide is so long and typewriter can be traced to my short poem of death and maybe a drawing later on real picture and maybe a tape of the sound will come your way. How will you know me before a murder or murders you will receive a copy of the initials B. T. K. you keep that copy the original will show up someday guesswho? Because Rader did not contest his guilt, most evidence was not tested in court. However, physical and circumstantial facts that would have corroborated Rader as the BTK killer include: †¢DNA analysis of BTK's semen and material taken from underneath the fingernails of victim Vicki Wegerle match the DNA profile of Dennis Rader. †¢Rader's grammar and writing style matches letters and poems received from BTK, though none of his communications were handwritten, but typed, stenciled, stamped with a stamp set or computer generated. †¢A pay phone that the killer used to report a murder in 1977 was located a few blocks from ADT Security (Rader's workplace at the time). †¢Rader had attended Wichita State University in the 1970s. Wichita Police Detective Arlyn G. Smith II and his partner George Scantlin traced BTK's photocopied communications to two photocopy machines, one at Wichita State University and a second copier at the Wichita Public Library. BTK murder victim Kathryn Bright's brother Kevin, who was shot twice by BTK killer. †¢Rader lived on the same street as Marine Hedge, just houses away. The BTK killer's other victims were in and around central Wichita, except for his final victim Dolores (Dee) Davis, who lived a half-mile east of Park City. †¢Two of the victims (Julie Otero and Kathryn Bright) worked at the Coleman Company, though not during the same period that Rader worked there. Rader worked at Coleman only a short time and not at the same location as the victims. Rader's 16 plus hour confession, given fully and freely after receiving multiple Miranda warnings and recorded on over 20 DVDs, in which he alluded to all 10 known murders in remarkable (and grisly) detail. Semen found on Josephine Otero or near the bodies of his victims Josephine Otero, Shirley Vian and Nancy Fox was critical evidence linking Rader to the crimes, and DNA obtained from fingernail scrapings of Vicki Wegerle's left hand matched Rader's DNA, eliminating any doubt that he was her murderer. Other cold cases in Kansas were reopened to see if Rader's DNA matched crime scenes but Rader's confession was limited to the 10 known victims and police and prosecutors do not believe there were any more victims because of the extensive records and memorabilia he kept on each of his victims. He later got caught and had several charges put against him here is just some of the charges he got against him On February 28, 2005, Rader was formally charged with 10 counts of first degree. He made his first appearance via video conference from jail. He was represented by a public defender. Bail was continued at $10 million. On May 3, District Court Judge Gregory Waller entered not guilty pleas to the 10 charges on Rader's behalf, as Rader did not speak at his arraignment. On June 27, the scheduled trial date, Rader changed his plea to guilty. He unemotionally described the murders in detail, and made no apologies. On August 18, Rader faced sentencing. Victims' families made statements, followed by Rader, who apologized for the crimes. He was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms, which requires a minimum of 175 years without a chance of parole. Because Kansas had no death penalty at the time the murders were committed, life imprisonment was the maximum penalty allowed by law. On August 19, Rader was moved from the Sedgwick County Jail to the El Dorado Correctional Facility a Kansas State Prison to begin serving his life sentence as inmate #0083707 with an earliest possible release date of February 26, 2180. According to witnesses, while travelling the 40-minute drive from Wichita to El Dorado, Rader talked about innocuous topics such as the weather, but began to cry when the victims' families' statements from the court proceedings came on the radio. Rader is now being held in the EDCF Special Management unit, also known as solitary confinement for â€Å"the inmate's own protection†, a designation he most likely will retain for the remainder of his incarceration. He is confined to the cell 23 hours a day with the exception of voluntary solo one-hour exercise yard time, and access to the shower three times per week. Beginning April 23, 2006, having reached â€Å"Incentive Level Two†, Rader has been allowed to purchase and watch television, purchase and listen to the radio, receive and read magazines, and have other privileges for good behavior. The victims' families disagreed with this decision. According to Rader's record in the Kansas Department of Corrections database, he had a Class Two disciplinary report concerning â€Å"mail† on April 10, 2006.