Internet Security Many People Today Are Familiar With The Internet And

Internet Security Many people today are familiar with the Internet and its use. A large number of its users however, are not aware of the security problems they face when using the Internet. Most users feel they are anonymous when on-line, yet in actuality they are not. There are some very easy ways to protect the user from future problems. The Internet has brought many advantages to its users but has also created some major problems. Most people believe that they are anonymous when they are using the Internet. Because of this thinking, they are not careful with what they do and where they go when on the net. Security is a major issue with the Internet because the general public now has access to it. When only the government and higher education had access, there was no worry about credit card numbers and other types of important data being taken. There are many advantages the Internet brings to its users, but there are also many problems with the Internet security, especially when d ealing with personal security, business security, and the government involvement to protect the users. The Internet is a new, barely regulated frontier, and there are many reasons to be concerned with security. The same features that make the Internet so appealing such as interactivity, versatile communication, and customizability also make it an ideal way for someone to keep a careful watch on the user without them being aware of it (Lemmons 1). It may not seem like it but it is completely possible to build a personal profile on someone just by tracking them in cyperspace. Every action a person does while logged onto the Internet is recorded somewhere (Boyan, Codel, and Parekh 3). An individuals personal security is the major issue surrounding the Internet. If a person cannot be secure and have privacy on the Internet, the whole system will fail. According to the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), any website can find out whose server and the location of the server a person used to get on the Internet, whether his computer is Windows or DOS based, and also the Internet browser that was used. This is the only information that can be taken legally. However, it can safely be assumed that in some cases much more data is actually taken (1). These are just a few of the many ways for people to find out the identity of an individual and what they are doing when on the Internet. One of the most common ways for webmasters to find out information about the user is to use passive recording of transactional information. What this does is record the movements the user had on a website. It can tell where the user came from, how long he stayed, what files he looked at, and where he went when he left. This information is totally legal to obtain, and often the webmaster will use it to see what parts of his site attracts the most attention. By doing this, he can improve his site for the people that return often (Boyan, Codel, and Parekh 2). There is a much more devious way that someone can gain access to information on a users hard-drive. In the past, the user did not need to be concerned about the browser he used; that changed when Netscape Navigator 2.0 was introduced. Netscape 2.0 takes advantage of a programming language called Java. Java uses the browser to activate programs to better enhance the website the user was viewing. It is possible for someone to write a program using Java that transfers data from the users computer back to the website without the user ever being aware of anything being taken. Netscape has issued new releases that fix some but not all of the two dozen holes in the program (Methvin 3). Many people do not realize that they often give information to websites by doing something called direct disclosure. Direct disclosure is just that, the user gives the website information such as their e-mail address, real address, phone number, and any other information that is requested. Often, by giving up information, a user will re ceive special benefits for registering such as

About the United States Attorneys

About the United States Attorneys The United States Attorneys, under the direction and supervision of the Attorney General, represent the federal government in courtrooms across the entire nation. There are currently  93 U.S. Attorneys based throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One United States Attorney is assigned to each of the judicial districts, with the exception of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands where a single United States Attorney serves in both districts. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her particular local jurisdiction. All U.S. Attorneys are required to live in the district to which they are appointed, except that in the District of Columbia and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, they may live within 20 miles of their district. Established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the United States Attorneys have long been a part of the countrys history and legal system. Salaries of the U.S. Attorneys   Salaries of U.S. Attorneys are currently  set by the Attorney General. Depending on their experience, U.S. Attorneys can make from about $46,000 to about $150,000 a year (in 2007). Details on the current salaries and benefits of U.S. Attorneys can be found on the Web site of the Department of Justices Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management. Until 1896, U.S. Attorneys were paid on a fee system based on the cases they prosecuted. For attorneys serving coastal districts, where the courts were filled with maritime cases dealing with seizures and forfeitures involving expensive shipping cargo, those fees could amount to quite a substantial sum. According to the Justice Department, One U.S. Attorney in a coastal district reportedly received an annual income of $100,000 as early as 1804. When the Justice Department began regulating the salaries of the U.S. Attorneys in 1896, they ranged from $2,500 to $5,000. Until 1953, the U.S. Attorneys were allowed to supplement their incomes by retaining their private practice while holding office.   What the U.S. Attorneys Do The U.S. Attorneys represent the federal government, and thus the American people, in any trial in which the United States is a party. Under Title 28, Section 547 of the United States Code, the U.S. Attorneys have three main responsibilities: prosecution of criminal cases brought by the federal government;prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; andcollection of money owed to the government which cannot be collected administratively. Criminal prosecution conducted by U.S. Attorneys includes cases involving violations of the federal criminal laws, including organized crime, drug trafficking, political corruption, tax evasion, fraud, bank robbery, and civil rights offenses. On the civil side, U.S. Attorneys spend most of their courtroom time defending government agencies against claims  and enforcing social legislation such as environmental quality and fair housing laws. When representing the United States in court, the U.S. Attorneys are expected to represent and implement the policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. While they receive direction and policy advice from the Attorney General and other Justice Department officials, the U.S. Attorneys are allowed a large degree of independence and discretion in choosing which cases they prosecute. Prior to the Civil War, the U.S. Attorneys were allowed to prosecute those crimes specifically mentioned in the Constitution, namely, piracy, counterfeiting, treason, felonies committed on the high seas, or cases resulting from interference with federal justice, extortion by federal officers, thefts by employees from the United States Bank, and arson of federal vessels at sea How U.S. Attorneys are Appointed U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States for four-year terms. Their appointments must be confirmed by a majority vote of the U.S. Senate. By law, U.S. Attorneys are subject to removal from their posts by the President of the United States. While most U.S. Attorneys serve full four-year terms, usually corresponding to the terms of the president who appointed them, mid-term vacancies do occur. Each U.S. Attorney is allowed to hire and fire Assistant U.S. Attorneys as needed to meet the case load generated in their local jurisdictions. U.S. Attorneys are allowed wide authority in controlling the personnel management, financial management, and procurement functions of their local offices. Prior to enactment of the Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill of 2005, on March 9, 2006, mid-term replacement U.S. Attorneys were appointed by the Attorney General to serve for 120 days, or until a permanent replacement appointed by the president could be confirmed by the Senate. A provision of the Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill removed the 120-day limit on the terms of interim U.S. Attorneys, effectively extending their terms to the end of the presidents term and bypassing the U.S. Senates confirmation process. The change effectively extended to the president the already controversial power of making ​recess appointments in installing U.S. Attorneys.

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Example for Free

Are Governments Controlling The Internet Essay Prior to the 21st century society greatest inventions were the automobile, the telephone, the airplane as a means of communication and transportation. Now individuals are blessed with the Internet. It is commonly regarded that the Internet is a manifesto of technology that allows human beings to interact with one another using networking services. The Internet has broken down the barriers and means of traditional communication. In cyberspace, people can talk with each other regardless of location. It can be defined as a â€Å"unique medium† with no geographical location but available to anyone (p. 21). It is not only used for communication but information searching, listings of products and services, advertising of large/small businesses, and much more. In essence, the Internet can be regarded as a separate entity from our own physical world – a digital utopia. The question being raised is, with the large scale of the internet, how is it maintained or even controlled? Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu’s book Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World gives a perfect example of how the Internet is being directly (and indirectly) controlled by territorial government. As each section of the book is uncovered, it is clearly pointed out that national governments through control of local and global intermediaries and coercion exercise dominate control over the digital empire. The book is subdivided into three large sections. In the first section Wu and Goldsmith marks the impression to the readers that the Internet is in fact a â€Å"libertarian state† where users can freely express themselves. The authors argue at the commencement of the Internet there are no actual â€Å"rulers† or â€Å"governors† of the Internet rather it was the upheaval of a Digital American Revolution, that’s built on â€Å"language and reason and our fail in each other† (p. 22). The authors later indicate that it was open because it was willing to â€Å"accept almost any kind of computer or network†. Thus it is a society that is ruled by the humanity that resides within the Internet. â€Å"Humanity united might do better than our lousy systems of government, throw away the constructs of the nation-state, and live in some different but better way† (p. 7). Section two establishes that users from different geographical regions want their information presented in their local language. As the author pointed that language is one of the most important aspects on the internet. It gives the example that people in Brazil, Korea and France do not want English versions of Microsoft products but rather want a version they can fully understand (p. 50). As the next section unravels we start to notice how digital humanity needs rulers and starts to get involved how national governments are governing the borders of the internet. It proves that government uses coercion and local intermediaries to restrict and even block content that is on the internet. An example would be Nazi merchandise and hate sites appearing on French networks and even an incident in China where a 15 year old girl Liu Di was punished by the Chinese government when she was making an argument comparing the Chinese government and a prostitute. It also points out how controlling Governments can be a beneficial factor in regulating illegal activities such as file sharing and copyrighting. The final section of the book shows how the government aims to make the borders of the Internet a haven that protects its citizens from harm. This section explores the aspect of globalization and competing countries in controlling the Internet. Europe, U. S. and China all wishes to have a centralized power over the Internet. If two out of three countries that are in favour of online gambling while the one third is not, how can a borderless digital society solve this problem? The sections encourages decentralized governments to work together to adapt to people’s needs and respond in a more positive manner (p. 53). For the struggle of ultimate control lies within national governments – and a problem of clashing government interests and priorities can be a serious concern for the future of the Internet (p. 171). Wu and Goldsmith both agreed that this is the â€Å"beginning of a technological version of the cold war, with each side pushing its own vision of the Internet’s future† (p. 184). In order for the book to draw readers closer into fully understanding the Internet the authors must not only make a compelling argument but the style and construction of the book is also important. This essay will discuss four areas in which the book was successful or non-successful into helping readers understand the importance of national governments and their role on the Internet. The notable points in creating a compelling argument lie within the thesis, the method(s) of research, the evidence that supports the thesis and the overall evaluation/recommendation. The first point that’s important in this book is the thesis. The thesis is the main point the authors are trying to make throughout the entire book. In the book Who Controls the Internet Wu and Goldsmith stated their thesis in the conclusion rather than the introduction. Instead they decided to allure readers by telling a short story in the introduction to foreshadow readers into the overall point of the book. In my opinion the thesis of the book can found on page 180 where it reads â€Å"Beneath of fog of modern technology, we have seen the effects of coercive governmental force on local persons, firms and equipment† (p. 180). Ironically, this is not the thesis that users anticipated on hearing when they decide to read the book. On the back cover of the book it reads â€Å"a book about the fate of one idea – that the Internet might liberate us forever from government, borders and even our physical selves†. (Wu and Goldsmith) Wu and Goldsmith prompted readers with a general idea then throughout the book used examples and heated evidence to prove that idea wrong. It gives readers the perception that the Internet is in fact a challenge to governmental rule rather than the idealistic entity of freedom and liberty. The thesis was not always stated at the end of the book rather the author hinted their thesis throughout chapters to reinforce their main point along the way. For instance in chapter 5, Wu and Goldsmith talk about how local intermediaries are present and how government uses coercion to control these intermediaries, thus â€Å"ruling the internet† (p. 65). The authors stated that it would be extremely easy for individuals to â€Å"overlook how often governments control behavior not individually, but collectively, through intermediaries† (p. 68). The authors use the example of HavenCo to reinforce their thesis. In the book HavenCo was described as â€Å"the first place on earth where people are free to conduct business without someone looking over their shoulder† (p. 65). Shortly after, HavenCo became the object of negativity where porn and other offensive content were being hosted. Due to their business model they would not seek out cooperative intermediaries. However falling into a downward spiral, HavenCo became desperate so they looked towards national governments for assistance. However the government would not oblige since it was hosting offensive content and demanded that HavenCo remove the material. Of course, without this aspect â€Å"HavenCo was nothing†. And now without the support of powerful government officials and intermediaries HavenCo is now a â€Å"jumbled pile of network equipment, rotting and obsolete† (p. p. 84-85). The authors presents the readers with a clear and indirect thesis in each chapter, and as each chapter passes they are vividly trying to reinforce their thesis by providing real life evidence that happens in the midst of the digital society. Other notable examples that are highlighted in the book that supports the thesis would be the Chinese government sometimes with help from Yahoo, seize political dissidents and put them in prison (p. 181). Next, the government that are threatening Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and search engines and credit card companies with fines so that they can filter out offensive net communications. And, it is clear that Jon Postel and the Internet’s founders give up control over their creation under implied threats of governmental force. And finally, under the aspect of file sharing (where it was debated it would be hardest to control) governments have executed hidden but important ways to fuel coercion on the economy of file-sharing and â€Å"tilts the playing field to favour law-abiding companies like Apple† (p. 181). The authors have a very climatic way to communicate their thesis to the reader, By presenting support evidence and a strong conclusion they are in fact proving to readers that the government does control the internet. The next section uncovers the methodology that the authors used to present their topic. In order to prove their thesis they need an abundant amount of information. Not only does this information provide historical insight in the topic but it grants validity in the matter. In the book the authors have presented much needed evidence that governments control the internet, as each chapter is unraveled the readers are engulfed with powerful side stories of the lives of specific individuals that resided in the digital age. The book uses a combination of statistical information and encoded facts, personal biographies and appealing stories. If we direct our attention to the sources at the end of the book we notice that the authors use a hefty number of secondary sources. The only notable errors that are present in their methodology were that the sources they used were a little out of date. Old sources will lead to skewed results and that might cause a misinterpretation of the research. The book was written and published in 2006 but the majority of sources they used were within the 1998-2001 timeframe. Although they did use several sources that were recent (2005) it still does not change the fact that the Internet and technology are always changing in real time. With this change it’s rather hard to keep up and readers can be misinformed of with irrelevant information rather than significant information. Although with these slight flaws in the book, the methods were applied correctly in the sense that it is very easy to understand. They have broken the entire book into three parts; each part builds up information for that peak ending (or thesis). The methods were appropriate in the sense that the authors had a balance of evidence to support their claim. For example, the information gathered was not all focused on the government’s point of view but rather an equal split between government, organizations and individuals. It would be naive to think that a proper thesis can be proved without the support of evidence. Methodically the authors predominately still influence the readers with horror stories and statistics of government coercion on digital societies to prove their thesis. For example, the chapter on China outlines President Bill Clinton’s visit to the foreign land. Clinton observed that users required national ID cards before logging on. Regulated cafes also featured cameras pointed directly at the computer screen and police officers would occasionally monitor users right behind their back (p. 97). In China the Internet is far from being a liberating force but rather it is the major attraction for government surveillance. As previously mentioned Liu Di was arrested on personally insulting the government over the Internet, shortly after Liu Di’s story was printed in the press as a warming to all other civilians using the Internet. Throughout the book we see many stories that mimic the true horrors of the Internet, presented in a non-fictitious way to leaves readers shunned into believing the overall message of the book. Other factual occurrences that are displayed in Wu and Goldsmith’s methodology are the Kazaa/Napster case where digital piracy was at its initial state. Napster, a company located in the United States was battling with court officials to stay alive. With no luck, a simple U. S. ourt order was easily enforced and that led â€Å"to a total system collapse† (p. 108). Another factor that stands out with the evidence was that it’s very diverse in the geographical sense. The authors not only present their ideas from the American standpoint but tackles on other regions of the world. In the introduction the authors commences a deep discussion on global borders of the internet, the evidence and support was from a simply disgruntled individual that didn’t like seeing Nazi merc handise on the French site of Yahoo (p. p. 1-10). By using this intrinsic method of communicating the thesis they are successful in the sense of drawing readers. This chapter rather than supporting the thesis, they argue against it saying that the Internet â€Å"cannot be regulated†. Using factual data, they are offering both sides of the story in a very objective manner. This helps readers understand the thesis a little better and perhaps even raise serious questions on a political, global and technological standpoint. Who Controls the Internet is a very accurate portrayal of the digital society. It tells readers the important message that originally the Internet was designed to liberate individuals and it was designed to escape government and borders, but without the government mingling in affairs the Internet as we know it today wouldn’t flourish. One of the few appealing factors of this book is that it speaks out in a very clear and engaging style. Within each chapter the author conveniently uses sub-headings to divide important topics and that each chapter features several compelling stories. The two authors, who are both lawyers does an excellent job of communicating the legal issues to the readers without heavy use of legal jargon. Despite the many praises the book gets, it still has some flaws. In my opinion the flaws are contained within the unnecessary pictures and images that are included. Many (if not all) of the pictures are unneeded. For instance on page 4 it shows a rather large photo of the Palais de Justice, where the Yahoo case was litigated and similarly on page 66 shows a picture of Sealand where HavenCo was initiated. Although visualizations are nice they have no purpose in proving the thesis. How can a picture of Jon Postel who is described as â€Å"a rambling, ragged look, living in sandals, and a large, unkempt beard† help readers understand the dominate government forces on the Internet. In another part of the book Wu and Goldsmith dedicated half a page to Steve Jobs and as a background; shows a skull and sword insignia and was labeled â€Å"Piracy†. In retrospect the authors should have gotten rid of filler photography and replaced it with diagrams, which brings up the next flaw, the limited use of diagrams within the book. A diagram can help readers understand the point the author is trying to prove in either a passage or chapter. Back to the Steve Jobs example, if the authors showed using a diagram how Apple and national governments were combating internet piracy it would strengthen their thesis in proving that government controls most sides of the Internet. Or even a timeline that showed how government intervened with such programs such as Napster, Kazaa and then taking on Apple. This book appeals to a large audience of graduate, undergraduate students and professors teaching either politics or information technology. The benefits include that readers of this book can raise important questions and use these questions as the foundation for political debates. The content is not the only contributing factor in a well rounded book, Wu and Goldsmith does an excellent job in constructing the book that’s easily presentable to the reader. Even an individual with very little prior knowledge of the Internet can understand the book. Each term is defined when it is firstly introduced. Next, at the end on page 187 the authors implemented a â€Å"frequency used abbreviations† section and the definition in case the reader is having a hard time following due to the technological jargon. In conclusion, there are four areas that were used to critically analyze the book. They are the thesis, the methodology, the evidence used to construct the book and the personal evaluation. This book presents many important topics that relate to past, presents and futures of the technological era. It is telling a story where digital democracies suffer at the ends of coercive governments. It is not just powerful nations have the power to reshape the Internet’s architecture, more specifically it is the United States, China and Europe using their dominate power to reestablish their own version of the Internet. Are Governments Controlling The Internet. (2016, Nov 16).

O-zone Depletion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

O-zone Depletion - Research Paper Example In this context the problem of ozone depletion can be explored. The ozone layer can be thought of as a giant sunshade that covers around 9 to 19 miles above Earth surface protecting the plants and animals of the earth from the harmful ultraviolet B rays (U.V B) radiated by the Sun. Stratosphere contains Ozone (O3) in the form of a layer surrounding it. The stratospheric span is around 30 miles above the surface of the earth. The harmful U.V rays are absorbed by the ozone layer that prevents it from entering the earth surface. However, if and when ozone is found on the earth surface, it can act as a very harmful pollutant. Moreover, ozone is responsible for the greenhouse effect. (Ozone Depletion  Losing Earth’s Protective Layer, n.d.) This paper attempts at discussing the underlying causes and effects of Ozone depletion and tries to make a comparative study of the various environmental policies taken to combat the problems related to ozone layer depletion and its possible so lutions.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causes and Effects of Ozone Depletion: In recent years, ozone layer depletion has been a subject of concern for the scientists. Ozone layer depletion was first discovered in the 1980s with Antarctica being the earliest of the victims. Ozone depletion in stratosphere is being considered the foremost problem regarding environmental degradation, which threatens the very existence of life on the planet. A large stratospheric hole had been discovered just above Antarctica which is increasing everyday letting the harmful U.V B rays to enter the earth surface which is resulting in elevating the risk of skin cancer, immunological and genetic damages and cataracts in the eyes. It is also causing skin burns in whales and massive damage to essential food crops such as wheat, rice etc., and increase in production of harmful vitamin D. Moreover, impact of anthropocentric activities in the troposphere and stratosphere ha s been on the rise, which also results in depletion of ozone layer. This has allowed Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) like halocarbon refrigerants (CFCs, halons, freons) emanated from man made cars and factories to reach the stratosphere and degrade it further. The halocarbons are chemically photo dissociated and enabled to release halogens, which through a series of chain reactions destabilizes ozone and converts it to oxygen (Melott & Thomas, 2011). In the past one and a half decade some measures have been undertaken in terms of international protocols and policies in order to combat this environmental threat.  To understand and improve upon these measures an evaluation of these policies and protocols might help. International protocols and their evaluation    Kyoto Protocol:   The Kyoto Protocol treaty comprises of a set of rules by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiated at Kyoto, Japan in 19th of December 1997 agreed five years back at th e Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and have been operational since 16th of February, 2005. It is a legally binding protocol according to which the industrialized nations would have to make a cut in their collective emissions of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases by 5.2%  and were expected to reduce emissions by 29% within 2010.The aim was to reduce overall emissions of six main harmful greenhouse gases including methane, CFC and nitrous oxide, calculated over a 5- year period average of

Choose One Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Choose One - Research Paper Example There are several advantages of implementing information technology in an organization. One of the biggest advantages is the reduction of cost and increase in efficiency. Apart from that, it also provides companies with the opportunity to gain better control over the operations and other activities. For a manufacturing entity like PPQ Parts manufacturing company, the significance of information technology is more. Such controls can be easily achieved by integrating certain software packages with the existing system of the company. The coordination becomes easier and rapidness of work increases. This paper aims to analyze and recommend software for the company’s materials requirements planning (MRP), capacity requirement planning (CRP), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) needs. The pros and cons of the software packages will be highlighted and on the basis of that suitable software will be recommended to the company in each of the categories. Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) Material requirement planning is an inventory control and production planning system used for the purpose of managing manufacturing processes (Heisi, 2002). Most of the MRP systems are software-based. In the context of a manufacturing industry, it should have integrated planning system for determining requirements of raw materials for production. The two of the most known software in this category are Fishbowl Inventory Manufacturing Software and E2 Shop System Software. a) Fishbowl Inventory Manufacturing Software: - Fishbowl Inventory Manufacturing Software is specially designed for the manufacturing companies for providing cutting-edge solutions related to the management of raw materials. Moreover, it also keeps record of the company’s materials requirement planning. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of the software are presented below: - Advantages 1. The software is easy to use and has the ability to generate bills automatically (Fishbowlinventory, 2013). 2. The interface is user friendly and with only few hours of training employees will be able to get familiar with it. Disadvantages 1. One of the biggest disadvantages of this software is that the system requirements are too high. 2. The software is considerably more expensive than other material requirement planning software. b) E2 Shop System Software - E2 Shop System is a significant and renowned material requirement planning software. This software can be highly beneficial for the company as it gets easily integrated with the system. Moreover, this software can be used by both small and medium enterprises as well as large scale manufacturing companies. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of the software are presented below: - Advantages 1. The software has the ability to carry out multiple tasks such as accurate quoting, order entry, materials management and quality control among others (marketplace, 2009). 2. This software can be used by both small and large enterprises. Dis advantages 1. Although the software greatly help companies to increase the efficiency but has a number of drawbacks. The system is highly complicated and for that reasons lot of training needs to be provided to the employees who will be using it. 2. In order to run this software, a lot of resources is required and is highly vulnerable to virus attacks and

Western society Essay Example for Free

Western society Essay Marie Chiu is a Chinese national who is now residing in the United States and is studying at a Californian State as a Middle School Student. She has moved to US because of the urge of her parents for her to take her studies and later on work in the said country. She is currently living with her parents in California as she takes her studies in a state university. Memory and Learning Humans as individually different as they are, have different terms of learning that actually helps them in becoming the persons that they are at present and further towards the future. The ability of humans to remember the impact of the past experiences that they once had and the persistence that they have towards understanding the situations that they dealt with before makes them a lot stronger in facing the changes as well as the challenges that they need to understand for the sake of establishing their future. Memory and Learning- THE Interview As an Asian, it was not that easy for her to adjust to the western lifestyle. Although she has her parents right beside her, it could not be denied that the effort she places on actually being able to adjust with the American lifestyle has brought her stress during her first months of staying in the country. Today however, she has already been able to cope up with the said adjustments after being able to stay in the US for at least a year now. As a cognitive learner, she says that her being able to understand and immediately adapt to the culture of a foreign land. She primarily used her experiences as well as the moral learning she particularly gained from her ancestors in China to be able to face the challenges that she needed to face the new life offered to her in the United States. As a student, she is able to remember as much information as she could retain in her mind. Most of the time, she notes this particular ability in connection with her wanting of becoming a fast learner as she actually feels the pressure and the need of being one especially that she is living in a new society. She points out further that this attitude towards learning particularly sprung out from her wanting to adjust faster to the American society. As part of the learning process, she prefers learning necessary informations on the western culture as well as with her studies [formal education] in people-filled areas. She noted that this procedure has actually helped her see how the things she reads from the book is seen accurately applied with the people’s dealings as she sees them. She further explains that this is the process by which she integrates reading and observing at the same time. IT is through this that she is able to see the accuracy of what she learns from the books. Personality Development Society is generally composed of individuals who have multi-diverse personality and characteristics as influenced by many social factors including philosophy and culture. In this aspect, many social factors influenced and affect the development of the individual resulting to its uniqueness from the general field. Each person has his or her own personality based mainly on his or her philosophy, culture, lifestyle and others. One of the most influential sociological factor in the modern society is the perspective of interactionism. In this sociological perspective, individuals in the society have the philosophy wherein they can eliminate or negate the effects particularly the negative side of social labeling. This promotes the personal view that individuals can breakthrough the sociological definition of their existence levied upon them by the society as a whole. In addition, the sociological perspective of interactionism points out the individuals can resist against the influence of sociological status quo in the development of the personality of each individual. Thus, this sociological perspective ideally promotes the concept of individual rights for their own free will. Personality Development- The Interview As a non-native American, her personality has been mainly influenced by her traditional origins and the influences that she primarily received from transferring in the country. Moreover, she was able the fact that she was able to adapt to the American lifestyle already, she is then considered reformed as a person. In terms of culture and social awareness, Anna Marie Chiu is now more open to accepting the different dimensions of cultural changes especially if she knows that those changes would do her well as an individual. During her examination at school, she remembers taking the Myers Briggs Test [which is an examination aimed to scale the personality of an individual based upon the measurements of attitude that the questionnaires are based from]. As she took the said examination, she was able to understand why she is the way she is. She considers the examination results highly accurate and considerably acceptable on her part. The understanding particularly placed on her being culturally different from the society that she is presently living in actually convinced her that the examination results actually showed her how she could be able to adjust to the Western society through utilizing her strengths as an individual and at the same time regulating her weaknesses.

What Joe Darby Did Essay -- Morality, Ethics

Which is more unethical, a soldier who has been under the stress of war and not fully trained for the job abusing enemy prisoners, another soldier who after seeing pictures of horrible prisoner abuse and becomes a whistle-blower or the Secretary of Defense leaking the name of a whistle-blower? That is the question I will look at in this paper. Being a part of a team or group is very important to most people, acceptance and friendship is something we all long for. So when reserve soldier Joe Darby saw some pictures of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq he was taken aback. After a lot of soul searching he knew what he must do. This decision would change many lives forever. Nonetheless I feel the real ethical issue in this story is not what Joe or his fellow soldiers did in 2004 but what Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did. When Joe Darby first saw the images on those photos of Iraqi prisoners being tortured and abused by not just his fellow soldiers but by people he had known since high school he was torn between two choices. Those choices for Joe were, should he do or say nothing to protect his friends or should he do what was ethically correct. He chose the latter; â€Å"I knew that some people wouldn't agree with what I did... They view it as - I put American soldiers in prison over Iraqis (Joe Darby, 2004)† The photos showed Iraqi prisoners naked and posed in sexually suggestive ways. Some of the Iraqis in the photos were dead. Joe knew what was happening in these photos were wrong but because of the fear of repercussions it took him three weeks to turn them over and only after he was promised anonymity. He felt that was the end of it and he could go on doing his job. When the accused soldiers were removed he st... ... moral and ethics to bring it to his superiors they were dealt with and punished appropriately. That should have been the end of the story, however when Donald Rumsfeld spoke the name Joe Darby in his statement he erased all the hard work many public sector administrators have done for decades to put ethics into government. It is totally astonishing that a man of his experience and knowledge would betray a whistle-blower the way he did. This writer hopes that this will be a lesson for anyone in the public life as to what not to do and may we learn from Joe Darby that loyalty above all but honor is the best way to make ethical decisions. Works Cited Bryan, D., (2007). â€Å"Abu Ghraib Whistle-blower’s Ordeal† Web. Retrieved 06 March 2012 The American Society for Public Administration (1999). â€Å"Article I, Section 4 of ASPA's Bylaws†. Web. 23 February 2012

The Economics of Running a Genomics Company

Genset IPO Prof. Nahata FIN 9774 1. What are the economics of running a genomics company? What is the role of large pharmaceuticals in genomics? How competitive is the genomics industry? Running a genomics company is extremely capital intensive. Research and development, patenting, and developing marketable products cost a lot of money. The associated dangers of working with patents are also at issue here. Genset must be able to defend its patent in court against patent trolls, which can layer additional costs upon the capital intensive primary business activities of the firm. At this point in time, the patent situation surrounding mapped genes is also tentative. The US courts have yet to rule on the patent status of genes, making the market for patented genes suspect. The other difficulty of the genomics industry is turning research into revenue. It takes a very long time to turn a patented gene into a medical product, which has to pass through several rounds of scrutiny before entering the market. Even if Genset is able to find a major gene, they might not see returns for several years. Large pharmaceutical companies are integral to the genomics industry. Genset researches genes that are related to a wide variety of diseases. However, many mapped genes will not be linked to any underlying genetic disorder. The genes that are linked to treatable disorders must be researched to discover chemical compounds that interact with genes to treat the underlying disorder. While Genset has the intellectual capability to research the genes, they are not capable of developing drugs to interact with the genes they have mapped. Through licensing agreements, genomics companies could decrease the risk and amount of time before they could report positive earnings. The licensing agreements generated revenue immediately by selling some or all of the rights to future applications of specific genes. Thus the genomics companies did not have to wait for the future applications to mature before they could realize positive earnings. The industry is also extremely competitive. There are 114 biotechnology companies in France, with an additional 1,050 in the United States. Several genomic companies have already passed through their IPOs with mixed success. Competition is fierce to discover every human gene. It is a race to see who finds and catalogues all the human genes by the end of the millennium. By early 1996, there was an intense race to map all genes and genomics companies were getting closer to finishing the task every day. There is also heavy competition between the genomic companies and pharmaceutical companies. 2. What is happening at other genomics companies? What is Genset's competitive position in the genomics industry? Many genomics companies have passed through IPOs and private funding rounds. At 250 employees, Genset is larger than all the other comparable companies provided in the case. Many other companies are operating in the sequencing business, developing libraries of sequenced genes. Beyond private companies, many research universities, government-sponsored facilities, and research institutions are also sequencing genes. While progress has not been lightening fast, it is worth noting that there is a finite supply of genes in the human genome. The amount of genes that are functional from Genset’s perspective is unknown. While competition to discover every gene was fierce, Genset was engaged in the systematic and comprehensive analysis of the genetic map of the humans to identify and patent genes and regulatory regions related to selected common diseases. Genset was a unique firm because it was both creating a library of genes and researching the genetic causes of diseases. They intended to discover drugs to treat these diseases and enter into strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to develop and market these drugs. Genset not only researches genes, but it also is the world’s largest creator of synthetic DNA. Bradys believes that this line of business is extremely important to Genset’s future. Part of the desired $70 million will be devoted to tripling the output of synthetic DNA by updating its sequencing machines and increasing its workforce. Part of the money was needed to finance more equipment purchases and further research for its DNA mapping and sequencing operations to beat its competition. The industry is expanding quickly, with many small, nascent firms popping up, searching for private funding. The landscape is expanding quickly, with each firm trying to find ways to monetize their findings as quickly as possible. 3. What are the key success factors in genomics? What are the risk factors? What is the nature of cash flows in genomics? To be successful in genomics, a firm must have capital to acquire the necessary equipment and personnel to quickly map and patent genes. Given the finite amount of genes available to map, the genomics industry is truly deadlocked in a race to sequence the human genome. While raising the necessary capital is difficult, the more difficult aspect of the genomics industry is finding ways to monetize their research. Genset is fortunate to be the world leader in synthetic DNA. While their research may take years to pay off, their synthetic DNA operation gives them a reliable revenue stream. Genset is unique within the genomics industry in that respect and another: they are not just sequencing genes; they are also researching the genetic causes of diseases. This additional research makes their genetic patents and research more valuable to pharmaceutical companies that will be assured that they are pursuing worthwhile genes. To achieve profitability, Genset needed to successfully discover genes related to particular diseases, find partners to develop the products, conduct clinical trials, get regulatory approvals, and successfully manufacture and market such products. But the risk with this plan was that, Genset was based in France and patented its discoveries in France and the Euro zone countries. They were also unsure if the discovered gene fragments or genes (without known functions) could be patented. This was a BIG risk, in that any other firm could discover the gene’s function and patent it. Also since they did not have any patents in America, where they were considering raising money put a big question on the viability of the plan. There was also the possibility that the patents, mainly on which the firm’s value was based on, were broad enough to give the firm a competitive advantage besides any patent could be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by others. . Are Genset's cash flow projections reasonable? How much cash does the company need and when? To achieve profitability, Genset needed to successfully discover the genes associated with particular diseases and find appropriate strategic partners to develop products, conduct clinical trials and obtain regulatory approvals. Genset entered into a three-year strategic alliance with Syntehlabo SA which fo cused on discovering genes associated with prostate cancer. They were also under discussions with an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson to target schizophrenia. Their financial projections showed that in the future the company expected its revenues to come primarily from these types of contract revenues. The company has also filed three patent applications in France relating to its gene sequencing techniques. They are projecting their revenues based on successfully discovering these genes. Genset is looking to acquire approximately $70 million to finance more equipment purchases and further research. The company needed $30 million for capital expenditures including expansion of its TGS high throughput sequencing facility, the construction of a new mapping facility and polymorphism scanning lab. Another $40 million would fund ongoing research and development expenses. The funds were needed almost immediately. Without this technology and research, Genset would fall behind with no chance to recover. Raising this capital would be Genset’s largest financing project and would augment the $54. 2 million of funding raised through private equity (70. 4%), bank loans (13. 5%), government bonds (7. %) and other loans (8. 9%). We believe that Genset’s cash flow projections could be overstated since a major part of their cash flow source is contract revenues which would have to be made with Pharmaceutical firms. The case mentions that currently all the patents that Genset has are registered and protected in Europe. Most pharmaceutical firms on the other hand are based in North A merica with it being the largest market and unless all the patents that Genset are are registered and protected in North America, we believe they would not be in a position to achieve those cash flows. Hence we have discounted these cash flows by 40% initially. Also we believe that post an IPO and strategic investors from North America, Genset will develop the capability and expertise to pursue these patents listed in N. A and achieve the growth that they expect now. Thus we have a terminal growth rate of 5% factored in our model. However we have factored in the capital expenditure schedule that the firm has planned on the onset and that has been factored in the model since these expenses are essential in the pursuit of the firm’s future projections. 5. What is the current state of the financial markets? Are they conducive for an initial public offering by Genset? Would a private placement be a better alternative? The current state of the financial markets is healthy. Recent IPOs by other genomics firms have fared very well, despite the inherent risk in the business. Gene research is seen as the future of science, just as physics was the driving science of the early twentieth century. Given the success of recent offerings (with Human Genome Sciences and Myriad Genetics being the most successful), Genset is correct o investigate the possibility of a public offering. US capital is flowing into genomics at a steady clip, making it an appealing source of funding. The conditions associated with private funding make it less appealing to Genset. Genset is also unlikely to be able to raise their capital requirements through private funding alone. They have already received $54. 2 million in private funding, with 59. 3% of their shares owned by private investors. Private investment in biotechnology is at an all-time high, but funds are restricted from putting more than 10% of their total capital into any one business. This may require that Genset form deals with multiple funds, further dividing their remaining equity. Also there is a possibility that post these deals, while Genset would further dilute their equity there could be a situation where they could again be short of funds and raising funds in the future via this route could/could not be difficult. However once you access the public markets there is always the option of accessing the markets continuously for multiple capital raising activities. Thus going public sounds much more attractive. Also in the future, given the right strategic partner and if making continued contract revenue agreements becomes difficult they could also enter into a partnership or joint venture. Given that the firm would then have stock that is listed on the bourses makes this much more easier and hence going public is an extremely attractive choice. 6. Should Brandys take such extreme measures to issue stock in both France and the US? Why is he doing it? What additional costs and requirements are raised in doing so? Bradys is understandably weary about issuing stock in both France and the US. The offering would cost Genset twice as much, losing roughly 20% of their raised capital to fees and services. Before the offering, Genset would need to review their financials and prepare their past statements to comply with both US and French law. They would also need to secure accountants, lawyers, and underwriters in both France and the US, which will cost the firm a hefty price. Bradys is pursuing this option to expose the firm to as many possible sources of funding as possible. The US capital market is deeper than that of France. However, since the firm is French, it is able to draw some of the most talented French scientists to its firm. The US genomics market is deeper, making the pursuit of human capital more difficult. Bradys understands that if he were to only make an offering in France, he would be incapable of raising their required funds. Bradys needs the US market not just for capital. He also needs the US pharmaceutical industry and patent protection. By having American capital, Genset can more effectively lobby the US government for the patent protection they need to make their mapped genes intellectual properties. It is also worth noting that Genset has plenty of cash reserves and is not as badly in need for capital as Bradys believes. While the US has yet to weigh in on patent protection for genes, the increased amount of commerce on the side of genomics indicates that the courts will most likely uphold the rights of companies to patent their library of genes alongside their patented processed. 7. Why is Genset going public now? Does it make sense? Genset is going public now because they need $70 million in capital to advance their research and to not fall behind other genomics companies. There are some positive points to going public now. Tapping into the US market makes sense because of the higher amount of venture capital expenditures over their native France. If Genset does not find a way to raise this capital, they will most likely fall out of competition among their direct competition. The drawbacks to going public are many. No other similar genomics business has raised $70 million in their IPO. The highest previous offering was by Human Genome Sciences, which raised $66. 7 million. However, Human Genome Sciences did not face the challenges of Genset. Most offerings lose 10% of their raised capital to offering related services. Genset could conceivably lose 20% of their offering value, as they must prepare for offerings in both France and the US. A dual offering would require accountants, lawyers, and services for two different markets in two different languages. If Genset were to achieve their desired level of $70 million, they would need to raise roughly $87. 5 million in capital, before related costs are tabulated. It makes sense that Genset go forward with an IPO at this time, although it is not without its dangers. If their IPO fails, the firm would be tainted and they would be hard pressed to raise capital elsewhere. They could instead seek more private capital, which would not preclude an IPO in the future. Even if another round of private capital falls short of the $70 million mark, they could receive bridge funds that would carry them to another round of funding through venture capital or an IPO. However, given the amount of firms entering the market, Genset could easily hurt their value by waiting. The markets could grow weary of genomics companies and fail to pony up capital to even the best companies. Genset should strike while the iron is hot, not wait until the market has cooled down. Genset must firmly trust their advantage of having the most talented French scientists in the US market. The flood of US-based genomics firm has diluted the talent pool of American scientists. Genset has a strong advantage in this respect. Coupled with their superiority in synthetic DNA and competitive edge in DNA sequencing, Genset is certain to be a much sought after stock. 8. What valuation would you put on Genset's stock? Be sure to support your valuation with specific analysis. You could try to be creative here! We estimate Genset’s stock to be priced at $10. 57 per share. We are using a beta of 1. 6 which is based on the weighted market capital of all comparable companies. The reasoning behind this is that the majority of the listed firms are in the US and hence it is difficult to find closely comparable firms. We also use the P/E based valuations since the value of the firm will also depend on how the comparable firms have performed in the market post IPO. The terminal growth rate is 5% which is reasonable since we haven’t accepted the revenue streams given to us by the firm. We have reduced them to 60% of the firm’s estimates since the numbers look highly optimistic and could be difficult to achieve given the fact that the firms' patents are registered only in Europe and could not be easily marketable in the US where most development and pharmaceutical firms are based. The revenues depend on agreements with pharmaceutical firms and if these agreements are subjective then the associated revenues will also be subjective. The core valuation itself comes from a variety of inputs that we considered. While we also did comparable company valuations, we agreed upon considering using the adjusted present values method which realizes a share price closest to that using a range of share prices obtained using the multiples method. We used a range of discount rates and P/E values associated with them, from the range of comparable firms given to us. We believe this gives us a range of valuations and taking out the High-Low values, we use the median Net Present Value of the firm and the associated stock price derived from it thus ending with a share price of $10. 57 and a NPV of $44. 796mn. We believe this is fair onservative valuation and reflective of the risk as well as the potential associated with the firm. This reflects a good middle ground for the investors to get in on a company with great potential as well as for the firm to capitalize on its unique position in the biomedical space. Adjusted Present Value Approach Inputs Tax Rate Unlevered Cost of Capital Cost of Debt Growth Rate (Product Sales – 2001 – 2003) Terminal Growth rate Other Income/Loss Depriciation (Straight Line) CAPEX (every year) All Value in Thousands 40% Asset Beta (comps) Risk Free Rate Market Risk Premium Terminal growth rate 1. 7 6. 05 7. 09 13. 62% 16. 2% 15. 00% 5. 00% 0 20% 3% $10,000. 0 DEBT 20,000 Adjusted Present Value (APV) (A) NPV of Unlevered Investment Date Revenues Expense Other Income/Loss Depreciation and Amortization EBIT EBIT(1-T) Add: Depreciation Gross Cash Flow Less: Capex Less: Change in WC Free Cash Flow Terminal Value PV Factor PV of Future Cash Flows (at time 0) NPV of Unlevered Investment (B) PV of Interest Tax Shields Date Debt (D) Interest Expense Tax Shield Terminal Value of Tax Shield PV Factor PV of Tax Shields (at time 0) NPV of Tax shield Infinite Horizon 1996 1 $12,700. $23,300. 0 $0. 0 $15,662. 6 $26,262. 6 $15,757. 6 $15,662. 6 $95. 0 $20,000. 0 $0. 0 $20,095. 0 1997 2 $21,300. 0 $26,800. 0 $0. 0 $17,662. 6 $23,162. 6 $13,897. 6 $17,662. 6 $ 3,765. 0 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $6,235. 0 1998 3 $44,600. 0 $31,500. 0 $0. 0 $19,662. 6 $6,562. 6 $3,937. 6 $19,662. 6 $15,725. 0 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $5,725. 0 1999 4 $68,600. 0 $36,700. 0 $0. 0 $21,662. 6 $10,237. 4 $6,142. 4 $21,662. 6 $27,805. 0 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $17,805. 0 2000 5 $129,200. 0 $46,500. 0 $0. 0 $10,000. 0 $72,700. 0 $43,620. 0 $10,000. 0 $53,620. 0 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $43,620. 0 2001 2002 2003 6 $148,580. $53,475. 0 $0. 0 $12,000. 0 $83,105. 0 $49,863. 0 $12,000. 0 $61,863. 0 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $51,863. 0 7 $170,867. 0 $61,496. 3 $0. 0 $10,000. 0 $99,370. 8 $59,622. 5 $10,000. 0 $69,622. 5 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $59,622. 5 8 $196,497. 1 $70,720. 7 $0. 0 $10,000. 0 $115,776. 4 $69,465. 8 $10,000. 0 $79,465. 8 $10,000. 0 $0. 0 $69,465. 8 $673,852. 8 0. 3601 $267,668. 6 $71,549. 8 0. 8801 $17,686. 4 $331,280. 9 0. 7747 $4,829. 9 0. 6818 $3,903. 3 0. 6001 $10,684. 5 0. 5282 $23,038. 3 0. 4649 $24,108. 7 0. 4091 $24,393. 8 1 $12,163. 2 $1,965. 0 $786. 0 2 $33,437. 2 $5,401. 9 $2,160. 7 3 $4 2,913. $6,932. 8 $2,773. 1 4 $41,347. 9 $6,679. 9 $2,671. 9 5 $27,550. 7 $4,450. 9 $1,780. 4 6 $20,000. 0 $3,231. 1 $1,292. 4 7 $20,000. 0 $3,231. 1 $1,292. 4 8 $20,000. 0 $3,231. 1 $1,292. 4 $8,000. 0 0. 860916465 0. 74117716 0. 63809162 0. 54934358 0. 47293893 0. 407160916 0. 350531536 $676. 68 $1,601. 50 $1,769. 49 $1,467. 82 $842. 00 $526. 22 $453. 04 0. 301778371 $2,804. 25 $10,141. 00 NPV of Project $341,421. 92 total debt market cap genome therapeutics 1. 4 131. 4 human genome sciences 6 697. 4 incyte pharmaceuticals 0. 1 244. 8 millenium pharmaceuticals. 2 7 myriad genetics 0. 307 sequana therapeutics 4. 1 189. 9 cash 0. 01065449 0. 008603384 0. 000408497 0. 002931596 0. 021590311 9 107. 5 41 17. 8 72. 5 41. 3 EV (calc) 123. 8 595. 9 203. 9 -10. 6 235. 4 152. 7 revenue 11. 2 9. 6 11. 1 22. 9 3. 6 12. 4 revenue multiple (calc) EBITDA 11. 05357143 0. 6 62. 07291667 -31. 1 18. 36936937 -10. 1 -0. 462882096 65. 38888889 -5. 2 12. 31451613 -6. 1 28. 12273006 0. 053571 -3. 23958 - 0. 90991 0 -1. 44444 -0. 49194 EBITDA multiple (calc) 206. 3333333 -19. 1607717 -20. 18811881 -45. 26923077 -25. 03278689 19. 33648503 MEAN MEDIAN HIGH LOW 28. 12 15. 34 65. 39 -0. 46 19. 4 -20. 19 206. 33 -45. 27 Base Case Total Revenue Total Expense Depreciation Taxable Income Taxes After Tax Depreciation Capital Expenditures FCF Terminal Value FCF Post Terminal Value PV – 1996 5. 84 2173. 6575 0. 6771654 1996 12700 23300 15662. 6 -26262. 6 0 -26262. 6 15662. 6 20000 -30600 -30600 $313,353. 57 1997 21300 26800 17662. 6 -23162. 6 0 -23162. 6 17662. 6 10000 -15500 -15500 1998 44600 31500 19662. 6 -6562. 6 0 -6562. 6 1999 68600 36700 21662. 6 10237. 4 3378. 342 6859. 058 2000 129200 46500 10000 72700 23991 48709 0. 596237 0. 30626 depreciation capex Depreciation 1992 1991 0. 19413 0. 016384 0. 017899 0. 107211 0. 053256 0. 080234 includes patent purchase+investing activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 20 32 19. 2 11. 52 11. 52 5. 76 19662. 6 21662. 6 10000 10000 3100 18521. 658 10000 10000 4 8709 593323. 1 3100 18521. 658 642032. 1 51144. 45 Conservative 1996 Total Revenue Total Expense Depreciation Taxable Income Taxes After Tax Depreciation Capital Expenditures FCF Terminal Value FCF Post Terminal Value (B) PV of Interest Tax Shields Date Debt (D) Interest Expense Tax Shield NPV of Tax Shields FCF including tax shield Total Net income NPV of Plan $44,796. 5 7620 23300 15662. 6 -31342. 6 0 -31342. 6 15662. 6 20000 -35680 -35680 1997 12780 26800 17662. 6 -31682. 6 0 -31682. 6 17662. 6 10000 -24020 -24020 1998 26760 31500 19662. 6 -24402. 6 0 -24402. 6 19662. 6 10000 -14740 -14740 1999 41160 36700 21662. 6 -17202. 6 0 -17202. 6 21662. 6 10000 -5540 2000 77520 46500 10000 21020 6936. 6 14083. 4 depreciation capex Depreciation 1992 1991 0. 019413 0. 016384 0. 017899 0. 107211 0. 053256 0. 080234 includes patent purchase+investing activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 20 32 19. 2 11. 52 11. 52 5. 76 10000 10000 14083. 171549. 5 -5540 185632. 9 14787. 57 1 $12,163. 2 $1,970. 4 $788. 2 $10, 143. 89 ($34,892) 2 3 $33,437. 2 $42,913. 2 $5,416. 8 $6,951. 9 $2,166. 7 $2,780. 8 4 5 $41,347. 9 $27,550. 7 $6,698. 4 $4,463. 2 $2,679. 3 $9,785. 3 20000 $3,240. 0 $1,296. 0 $8,000. 000 $16,084 ($21,853) ($11,959) ($2,861) $23,869 PV – 1996 Shares Outstanding Share Price $34,652. 16 4,574 $7. 58 Present Value $28,139. 37 $118,630. 13 $7,862. 21 $68,507. 03 Rate 0. 2 0. 2 0. 3 0. 3 PE 11 25 11 25 Share Price $6. 15 $25. 94 high $1. 72 low $14. 98 10. 57 median

Hamburger Hill Essay

The entire mountain is a rugged, uninviting wilderness blanketed in double- and triple-canopy jungle, dense thickets of bamboo, and waist-high elephant grass. Local Montagnard tribesmen called Ap Bia â€Å"the mountain of the crouching beast. † LTC Weldon Honeycutt, commander of the 3d Battalion, 187th Infantry (the â€Å"Rakkasans†), called it â€Å"Hill 937. † The Soldiers who fought there dubbed it â€Å"Hamburger Hill. † The ? ght on Hamburger Hill occurred during Operation Apache Snow, the second part of a three-phased campaign intended to destroy North Vietnam Army (NVA) bases in the treacherous A Shau Valley. The American and South Vietnamese units participating in Apache Snow knew, based on existing intelligence and previous experiences in the A Shau, that they were in for a tough ? ght. Beyond that, however, they had little evidence as to the enemy’s actual strength and dispositions. Masters of camou? age, the NVA completely concealed their bases from aerial surveillance. When the NVA moved, they did so at night along trails covered by triple-canopy jungle, again confounding observation from above. They effected their command and control mainly by runner and wire, leaving no electronic signature for the Americans to monitor or trace. Technology, therefore, provided scant assistance to the American battalion commander trying to â€Å"see the enemy† during Apache Snow. He had to generate his own tacticalintelligence. Patrols, captured equipment, installations, documents, and occasionally prisoners provided combat commanders with the raw data from which to draw their assessment of the enemy order of battle and dispositions. Gathering this information took time, though. Moreover, intelligence about the enemy’s strength and dispositions did not necessarily illuminate his commander’s intent. It took days to ascertain this, and the learning experience proved decidedly unpleasant for the Americans. On 11 May, Honeycutt dispersed his Rakkasans and scoured the vicinity to the north and northwest of Ap Bia Mountain. When Bravo Company made heavy contact with some NVA late in the day, Honeycutt adjusted his estimate of the enemy’s strength from â€Å"a few trail watchers† to a reinforced platoon or even a company. The Rakkasans could still deal with a force that size, but they would have to concentrate to do so. For the next three days, Honeycutt fought the mountain and the NVA to bring his scattered companies together for a coordinated battalion attack. Despite the fact that, since the initial assault, no company was more than about 1,500 meters from the crest of the mountain, it took two days to consolidate the battalion for a three-company assault. Time and again, the American infantrymen found themselves hampered as much by the topography as by the enemy. The rugged terrain slowed dismounted movement to a crawl. Between 12 and 14 May, for example, Delta Company was virtually immobilized when it went down a steep ravine and was caught there by the enemy. In one grueling ? ve-hour period, the company labored to advance a total of only 500 meters. The steep, mud-covered slopes, more than the enemy, kept this company from ful? lling Honeycutt’s intent. In the end, the troops had to abandon their attack and withdraw the way they had come. These three days were a period of intensely unpleasant â€Å"discovery learning† for Honeycutt and his men. Map reconnaissance and helicopter over-? ights did not indicate that his initial scheme of maneuver was impractical. It took Delta Company’s three-day ordeal to do so. Though Honeycutt had a long and distinguished record as a combat commander in both Vietnam and Korea, he underestimated Ap Bia Mountain and the NVA facing him. Although his estimate of the enemy strength was incorrect, his miscalculation was not immediately apparent to him or to any of the American leadership. It took three days of assaults by Bravo and Charlie Companies, each bloodily repulsed, before the situation became clearer. The enemy was stronger than anticipated, much stronger than company strength, and he grew more powerful every night as he received reinforcements from Laos. The NVA commander’s demonstrated tenacity and willingness to replace heavy losses indicated he intended to put up a stiff ? ght for Hill 937 (Scalard).

1812

1812 Much debate has gone on to determine the grounds for the War of 1812. Through historical evidence and insight it is easy to see that the fight for neutral rights was the cause of the War of 1812. The seizures of American ships and impressments of the American people violated international law. The Indian attack on America gave the American people reason to believe that the British had been a part of breaking the United States Neutrality Laws. American people also preferred war to being controlled by Great Britain.British impressments and seizing of American sailors and ships had made Madison furious, and he intended to do something about it. Madison did not want to go into a war though; he wanted to preserve the neutrality. "The United States have in vain exhausted remonstrations and expostulations" ¦without effect,"  said Madison in his war message to congress. Madison tried many different embargos, but nothing worked.The original treaty of the Louisiana Purchase

Social violence; racial tensions within Los Angeles county jails Essay

Social violence; racial tensions within Los Angeles county jails - Essay Example There was report of fighting in Pitchess Detention Center on the Northern fringes of LA where a group of Latino inmates started throwing furniture on a group of African American inmates leaving one dead. This violence led to string of more clashes between Latinos and African American in other jails as well. Observers believe that jail violence is much more than just jail violence. It depicts a great chasm between Latino and African American communities in the new setup. A recent study in 2000 found that state lawmakers have passed more than 400 tough crimes laws since 1992, but sheriff's budget increased only 1 to 2 percent. Further pressure has been the recent budget cuts of $166 million due to which most of non-violent inmates were released after serving 30 percent of time. Leaving only the most violent people behind the walls. Even though the county taxpayers paid higher amount of tax this year compared to previous two years, things have hardly improved. In LA county jail; state parole violators occupy at least 3000 beds along with new convicted felons that makes it un-necessarily crowded jail. There has been a series of jail clashes mainly between African Americans and Latino inmates. One recent riot involved about 2000 inmates with 100 injured and one dead. The jail authorities need more lock up for higher risk inmates; however it is not possible due to cut in budgets; as a result gang members and violent criminals freely move among the non-violent offenders which often give rise to violence. Even though there are some twin tower modern correctional facilities that are county high security lockup; but women and mentally ill patients occupy them. The jails are also short of manpower. Some county jails have one guard for every 50 inmates. Even in the best county jail the ratio is 1 to 10. After the recent spat of violence the county sheriff wanted to hire 1100 deputies to counter the violence, but hiring fast is also a problem. In another incident two inmates were found dead who were injured during a violence rage in county jail. The reason vary but one clear reason for such escalation in incidents has been tougher sentencing laws, such as California three strikes guidance, that have led to increasing number of high risk prisoners staying longer with minor offenders. However, it is not mere jail where the tensions and violence are so visible, schools are also caught up in similar problem. For the past few decades public schools were predominately populated by African Americans, but the Latino shift in population is changing the tide increasing tension between these two communities. One example was the 2005 widespread fighting between Latinos and Africans Americans that led to deployment of police officers around LA county school. Ironically in 1960s there was a strong alliance between Black Panther Party and the LA Raza Unida Party, where dozens of African Americans and Latino activist joined hands together to fight against discrimination. That honeymoon period seems to be on decline due to massive Latino immigration and higher birth rates that is changing the balance for African Americans. It is plain but painful truth that relation between African Americans are entangled in cultural and racial misconceptions and misunderstanding. The rise of hatred and social violence is far off cry from the early days of civil rights where African Americans

Law and the Media Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law and the Media - Case Study Example The reason that was given for this was that it seemed that these file-sharing companies were not innocent by reason of lack of knowledge as they had, The court unanimously agreed that "distributors of technology that enables copyright infringement can be found liable for their users' actions, but only if a plaintiff can point to evidence that the distributor took "affirmative steps" to foster infringement."4 The court also said that actual knowledge was required to prove that these ISPs (Internet Service Providers) were liable for the copyright infringement. It is misleading to call this case "Grokster" because this company and the other jointly accused companies opted for an out of court settlement with the plaintiffs and Steam Cast was the only company that decided to go on to contest the case. This company then moved for a summary judgement at the US District Court for the Central District of California, and was not allowed to keep its communications and business plans privileged and confidential. It was found that Stream Cast was guilty of devising the Morpheus software and the Open Nap network to find itself the same consumer base as Napster. Its open advertising to promote its business and blatantly allowed its users to infringe copyrights of Music companies and was even guilty of encouraging and assisting them in such means. The whole business model was based on copyright infringement according to the presiding Judge Wilson5 .The Company was freely distributing this software and relying on sponsor revenues. The fact that it took no "meaningful" steps to halt its activities or prevent its customers from doing so . The only flimsy excuse that the company had was that it had given a warning to its customers in its user-agreement, yet it did little to enforce this agreement. Judge Wilson said in his concluding speech that, "This court finds that no reasonable fact finder can conclude that Stream Cast provided Open Nap services and distributed Morpheus [software] without the intent to induce infringement".6 Legal issues and academic opinion arising from the case The age of information technology has made the internet the copyright infringer's playground. The convenience and low cost at which this has been done has prompted the law enforcement authorities to stand up to the challenges of the protection of intellectual property rights .This problem arose in the case of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing. This judgement has given a new dimension to the law of Copyright.