Natural Born Japanese Killers :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Natural Born Japanese Killers Americans and Japanese are both fond of pointing out the difference in crime rates. To many Japanese, America is seen as an outlaw nation, bristling with guns. And for many Americans, the juxtaposition of Japan's often ultra-violent entertainment with their low crime rate is fascinating. Japanese pop culture and crime statistics are often cited to defend American entertainment when it is accused of inspiring violence. But for anyone paying attention, startling crimes have a way of popping up in Japan unexpectedly. There were the "Otaku Murders" of 1988 and 1989, where Tsutomo Miyazaki kidnapped and killed four girls of around five years of age, reenacting gruesome scenes from his hentai collection. The serin gas attack in 1995 is another notable incident in the analogs of Japanese crime history. Perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, almost a dozen people were killed during the terrorist attack. I asked a Japanese friend of mine once, "Are there gangs in Japan?" I've since learned that Japan has a long history of gangs, including everything from high school motorcycle gangs to the Yakuza, but he shook his head. He said there were no gangs, but in Japan sometimes kids just go crazy. He told me the story of a boy who would kill people on the street, discretely, and then hide in an alley to watch the ensuing action. He was eventually caught with the murder weapon near one of his crime scenes. This was several years ago, and I wrote the story off as an urban legend. Recently, however, there have been several articles published about teenage boys committing gory crimes in Japan. Over the last year there have been multiple incidents. A 65-year old woman in Aichi prefecture was murdered on May 1, 2000. On May 3, a boy in Saga prefecture hijacked a bus with a knife. He held a six-year-old girl hostage, killed one woman, and wounded five others. There have been more crimes, including knivings in people's homes, baseball bat bludgeonings and matricide, budgeonings with hammers, and, just two weeks ago, a 15-year-old boy on Kyushu crept into a house during the night and attacked a family. All six family members were attacked, and three died. Incidents such as these have been reported in many newspapers and online news sites, but I take the examples above from two articles on the subject. Tim Larimer, a correspondent for Time wrote "Natural-Born

Inspire to educate Essay

Education is an avenue that enables the production of individuals who knows the proper way to live, learn and work together for the foundation of a strong community. Each and every child deserves the chance to be educated. Such learning must be the kind that involves challenges and stimulates them to achieve their maximum potential. On the Importance of Education The importance of education is quite clear. Education is the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use. One can safely say that a human being is not in the proper sense till he is educated. This importance of education is basically for two reasons. The first is that the training of a human mind is not complete without education. Education makes man a right thinker. It tells man how to think and how to make decisions. The second reason for the importance of education is that only through the attainment of education, man is enabled to receive information from the external world; to acquaint himself with past history and receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world (Khan, 2007). Education has an immense impact on the human society. One can safely assume that a person is not in the proper sense till he is educated. It trains the human mind to think the right decisions. In other words, man becomes rational when he is educated. It is through education that knowledge and information is received and spread throughout the world. An educated person cannot read and write and hence he is closed to all the knowledge and wisdom he can gain through books and other mediums. In other words, he is shut off from the outside world. In contrast, an educated man lives in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world. The quality of human resource of a nation is easily judged by the number of literate people living in it. This is to say that education is a must if a nation aspires to achieve growth and development and more importantly sustain it. This may well explain the fact that rich and developed nations of the world have very high literacy rate and productive human resource. In fact these nations have started imparting selective training and education programs so as to meet the new technical and business demands of the 21st century. Keeping the importance of education in mind, the US Department of Education aims to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. It also establishes policies regarding federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds. It also continuously strives to focus national attention on key educational issues and providing equal access to education. The importance of education cannot be neglected by any nation. And in today’s world, the role of education has become even more vital. It is an absolute necessity for economic and social development of any nation (Goel, 2007). Inspiring Children to Learn At one of their forums organized by the Walden University entitled â€Å"M. S. In Education: Teaching in Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Classrooms,† the speakers addressed the issue on how to be able to inspire the children to learn, especially the ones who due to their culture are not supported by their family to succeed in their education. This is what they have to say: Set and environment where they choose to become inspired, where the students choose to make the decision. Many families who are from ethnic minorities are not people who have traditionally been successful in school. You need to initiate the phone call to the parents on a consistent basis and let them know how important they are to their children’s education. Do it in ways that are consistent and that show people you care. This is an idea that transcends culture. A mother’s love for a child transcends culture. If you can get through to the mother, that’s what transcends. You can really be proud of knowing that you have changed a life. I have never met a parent who wasn’t interested in his or her child doing well in school. Don’t think you can motivate people. You set an environment where people elect to be motivated and ultimately empowered. It’s a choice that people make and that sets them up for success. Don’t give up on anyone. Understand people’s prior knowledge of schools, where they came from. Give them a message of hope and inclusion. Don’t give up and don’t try to motivate. Set this environment, and you’ll meet with unexpected success (Walden 2006). The need for such environment has never been so great. As educators, we need to trace the path that realizes the many needs of our children. We’ve come to the realization that we cannot do it alone. We need the role of the parents as part of the team. This involvement nonetheless affirms the role of the parents as primary stakeholders in their children’s future, particularly in education. A team whose aim is to be able to provide for our children a great investment that they made be able to reach their true promise. This teamwork is headed to achieve an increased engagement in the advocacy of parents on behalf of their children’s opportunities in learning. We are after molding fully developed citizens who will do good things to their community in return. Academic achievements are only a bonus and not an end in itself. The realization of the importance of education forbids us to deny our children the ability to achieve their fullest promises. Through this light, we cannot deny our society the benefits of our children’s untapped talents. References Alrisala Organization. (2007). The Importance of Education.Retrieved December 8, 2007 from www. alrisala. org/Articles/mailing_list/importance_of_education. html. SearchWarp. com. (2007, July 6). The Importance of Education. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from http://searchwarp. com/swa230219. html. Results for America. (2007). Learn More About Education. Retrieved December 7, 2007 from http://www. resultsforamerica. org/education/learn. php. Walden University. (2006, June 6). M. S. in Education: Teaching in Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Classrooms. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from www. waldenu. edu/c/Files/DocsSOE/Q-a_Ed_DiverseClassrooms. doc.

Tata Motors Going Global

TATA MOTORS—GOING GLOBAL The wave of liberalization, privatization and globalization, which started sweeping India since the early 1990s, gave Tata Motors (established in 1945) a new direction in the path of globalization. The Tata Motors firstly, realized that if it wants to grow then it cannot afford to keep its business connected solely to the fortunes of one country. Secondly, with the dismantling of import restrictions in the near future or it the rupee begins to gain ground then India may not continue to have the low-cost manufacturing advantage which it has enjoyed so far. In that scenario, a transnational presence across countries that could offer greater cost advantages for manufacturing, will pay off. Thirdly, the automotive business is highly competitive and the competitiveness depends on economies of scale, quality and efficiency which could directly improve if the organization enters the foreign markets. The question that came in the minds of the senior management at Tata Motors was— â€Å"Should we remain an exporter of vehicles, which we have been doing since 1961 or should we venture into the international automobile market as a company that can match the best in the business? The answer was to widen its foreign campaign to more than just exports. As a result, recognizing the need to integrate its international strategy with its domestic one, the company split its previously independent international business arm into the two business units—the Passenger Car Business Unit (PCBU) and the Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU). T he company’s passenger car range comprises the hatchback Indica, the Indigo Sedan and the Marina, its station wagon variant, in petrol and diesel versions. The Tata Sumo, its rural variant, the Spacio and the Tata Safari (the country’s first sports utility vehicle) are the company’s multi-utility offerings. The company’s Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU) has over 130 models of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles ranging from two tonnes to 40 tonnes, buses ranging from 12-seaters to 60-seaters, tippers, special purpose vehicles, oil-road vehicles and defence vehicles. Dr. V. Sumantran, Executive Director, PCBU, says, â€Å"The company has now embarked on a road where we have made exports an integral part of our business. We do not think of sales outside the country as a separate activity. It is now integrated within the mission of each of its businesses. † Ravi Kant, Executive Director, CVBU, says, â€Å"In a cyclical business such as ours, it is important that we hedge against cyclicality. International business offers an opportunity as different countries go through peaks and troughs in demand at different points in time. Our capacity utilization is more effective and risks of downturns can be mitigated. † The two units have classified different markets in terms of size, growth opportunities, product segments and target volumes. After analysis of markets the company has decided to focus on 15 to 20 key countries, where the company will have a significant presence in terms of volumes and market shares, against being present as an exporter in 70 countries. Says Praveen Kadle, Tata Motors Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Affairs, â€Å"Tata Motors does not plan to be all over the world. Supply will follow demand and the company will need to address the markets tor different vehicles as stand-alone projects. For example, the compact- sized Indica will be marketed in countries where the company perceives a substantial market for it, like it did in Europe. The same goes for our commercial vehicles business. † The implementation of new business strategy involves three stages—product upgradation, sales and distribution processes, and deeper penetration into foreign markets. Tata Motors has taken a number of initiatives to strengthen both product reliability and durability. Through its subsidiaries and joint ventures, the company is engaged in engineering and automotive solutions, automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities, machine tools and factory automation solutions, high-precision tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications, and automotive retailing and service operations. The company also draws on the resources of leading international design and styling houses like the Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering, SPA, Italy and Stile Bertoni, Italy. The company has been successful in Sri Lanka and Malaysia where the installation of a sales process system and face-to-face customer meets through road shows and service workshops have started giving results. In order to enter foreign markets the company is following three routes. The first is the traditional method of exports, at which the company has been quite successful, notching up export revenue of Rs. 969 crores in the first nine months of FY 2004—05, recording a growth of 41 per cent from sales in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The second is the setting up of assembly operations in foreign markets. Tata Motors first used this strategy when it set up its first assembly operation in Malaysia in 1974. Since then, the company has successfully used it for expansion into Malaysia, Bangladesh, Senegal, South Africa and Ukraine by way of setting up assembly operations there through its distributors. The third is the route of acquisition and alliances. Tarn Motors entered into a tie-up with MG Rover, U. K. , to supply 1,00,000 Indica to be badged as City Rover. Highlighting the importance of the tie-up, Dr. V. Sumantran, points out that the Rover agreement has been an important step in helping Tata Motors to gain very quick access to a fairly large market. ‘Working alone in this area would have taken us much longer to create a distribution network. The exposure that the company and the products have received through the agreement validates the belief that we have arrived at a significant milestone in promoting the Tata brand,† elaborates Dr. Sumantran. It acquired Daewoo Commercial Vehicles, S. Korea, in 2004, keeping the synergies in mind which are quite significant—a presence in the 250 to 400 HP range of trucks is what the Korean company brings to the table, as this complements the existing product range of Tata Motors which delivers vehicles up to 210 HP. The process gave not just a manufacturing asset base, but access to the market through an already strong brand identity. In 2005, it acquired a 21 per cent stake in Hispano Carrocera, a reputed Spanish bus and coach manufacturer, with an option to acquire the remaining stake as well. Hispano’s presence is being expanded in other markets. Today, Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs. 20, 483 crores (USD 4. 7 billion) in 2004—05, and is the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer. Its immediate goal is to achieve a 20 per cent contribution to its overall revenue from its international businesses by 2006. The leading global auto majors, for whom anywhere from 30—50 per cent of their business accrues from overseas sales, Tata Motors is still a long way off, but Mr. Kadle believes that with its aggressive growth strategy a contribution of around 35 per cent maybe achievable in the next five-six years. Questions 1. What are the objectives that drove Tata Motors towards globalization? 2. What are the entry strategies that are being followed by Tata Motors in order to capture the foreign markets? 3. Discuss the logic behind the entry strategies that are being followed by Tata Motors. 4. In your opinion to what extent Mr. Kadle’s belief of overseas sales contributing 35 per cent of overall revenue, in the next five-six years, appears attainable?

Relationships In A Time That This Novel Is Set Essay

How does Steinbeck present ideas of relationships in a time that this novel is set? Steinbeck portrays a world dominated by authoritative white males. It is the attitude of this social structure that permeate ranch society and those who come from outside these expectations are inferior. Of Mice and Men describes the plight of which women, disabled people, black people and people with mental difficulties endure and suffer simply because they do not fit into the ideal category which we see whilst they interact with each other. Lennie’s brief interaction with Crooks reveals the complexity of racial prejudice during the ranch life. Like many of the men on the characters in the story, Crooks admits to being very lonely. â€Å"This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† When Lennie visits him in his room, Crooks turns him away, in hope that he will prove a point that if a black man cannot enter a white man’s room then it is unacceptable for the re verse to occur. However, his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. In addition, he seems very suspicious of any kindness he receives. The fact that he doubts Lennie being kind to him refers to the strong racism on the ranch. Crooks is not sure how to react to Lennie and his instant reaction is for Lennie to leave. This outsider status causes him to lament his loneliness, but we can see the corrosive effects it has on him as he seems delighted in seeing loneliness in others. For example, he suggests that George is gone for good and it is not until Lennie threatens Crooks with physical violence does he relent. We cannot blame Crooks. On the other hand, this evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behaviour are made evident. We can infer that he is jealous and lonely that he wants to see someone else hurt just like he is. Curley and his wife have an unstable marriage, lacking in respect, compassion and communication. Curley believes that his wife is his posse ssion and shows her off to the other men. Throughout the novel we see Curley asking the other men where his wife is and likewise we see Curley’s wife looking for him. This could be a metaphor that although they are together they are still lonely. Their relationship is unhealthy as he manipulates and intimidates his wife. However, Curley seems very selfish and he did not seem to care for his wife. He used her for sex. Furthermore, the fact that she is referred to as â€Å"Curley’s wife† suggests that women did not have an identity. Curley is too protective over his wife as he knew she flirted with the other men and  Curley felt threatened, especially as she was the only woman on the ranch. There is not trust between them which is very unhealthy and not good. I think she enjoyed flirting because she felt isolated and lonely. Most of the ranch hands looked down upon her and thought she was a â€Å"slut.† This was the typical attitude towards women during this time period. They were seen as possessions of their husband. At the end of the novel, Steinbeck said that when she died, she was released and â€Å"discontent and the ache for attentions were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet.† When she was alive, she was wearing a mask and no one knew her true identify, as there was no one there to understand or get to know the real her but now she is dead, and the mask is off she looks better: â€Å"Her reddened lips made her seem alive.† Finally, in death, she could find the peace and calm that evaded her when she was alive in the harsh society. Ironically, her corpise is praised more in death than she was life. We begin to question Steinbeck’s intentions in giving us an unsympathetic view of this women and in women in general. Whenever she expresses her loneliness they are followed by acts of manipulation or violence. He seems to characterise women as trouble and they are â€Å"the downfall of man.† She is the catalyst of the drama which links to that point also. I don’t necessarily think that Steinbeck was sexist and is instead making a point about society’s sexism. She is the only character without a name, and even Crooks- who at that time was a member of a even more hated social group and if she talks to anyone â€Å"he gets mad.†

The Greeks and Achilles

The opening of Virgil’s epic [â€Å"I sing of warfare and a man of war† or â€Å" I sing of arms and of the man†] is a skillful allusion to Homer’s Iliad [â€Å"Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles†]. Both rely on nouns. Discuss how the two interact in both works. Just as Homer used the first lines of the Iliad and Odyssey to announce the main themes of those poems, Virgil presents the two main themes of the Aeneid in the first line.What are these two central themes? In The Aeneid, Virgil's first two lines â€Å"I sing of warfare and a man at war. / He came to Italy by destiny. † Like with Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, Virgil's central theme for The Aeneid is war, though in a vastly different light than that of Homer's two epics. With Aeneid, the central character Aeneas fleas Troy during a darkened time for his native city, when it is being ravaged in a war between the Greeks and Achilles.The line He came to Italy by destiny tells me that The Aeneid's focus is central to fate and destiny and how so many people during this time put a lot of their energy believing in, and raging wars in the name of both. What universal force is responsible for Aeneas's sufferings as an exile (see line 3)? In accordance with this universal force, what is the purpose of his sufferings? Land and sea are what are responsibile for Aeneas sufferings as an exile while he made the journey from Troy to Italy.Aeneas' suffering was at the hands of Juno, who was angry that with Aeneas' arrival into Carthage meant that the fate of her most favorite city would soon be teasted when the war made it's way from his beloved Troy, where he was fleeing from, to Carthage. Explain the reasons for Juno's hatred of the Trojans. Juno's hatred towards the other Trojan's was because the arrival of another Trojan, Paris, voted in a beauty contest against Juno, a contest that she ended up losing.Compare and contrast Homer’s de scription of the shield of Achilles in the Iliad (XVIII. 572ff. ) with Virgil’s description of the shield of Aeneas in the Aeneid (VIII. 24ff. ). Both Aeneas and Achilles are given shields that help to defend against their enemies. With Aeneas, he is given a shield to help protect Rome from an invasion, whereas Achilles is given a shield to face off and carry out his revenge against Hector. Both similar in their uses are vastly different in design. For Achilles, his holds engravings of common life during his time.

Bad Boys II Movie Review

Bad Boys II Movie Review The film Bad Boys II, starring two cops named Marcus and Mike (Martin Lawrence and Will Smith), is set in Miami where both partners are assigned to look for clues and evidence for an international drug dealer’s arrest. As they start with the investigation and stake outs, they find themselves insulting each other, fighting like little brothers, and messing up operations. Aside from cop work, Marcus soon discovers some information about the whereabouts and actions of his sister (Gabrielle Union), who is also an undercover agent working for the FBI. Stunned, Marcus becomes irritated with his partner and debates if he really should transfer. The movie’s genre was mostly action-packed. The strengths of the action part because the actors were racing against time to achieve a goal, the shootouts that took place, and tons of explosions. The strength of the romance parts shows Mike and Marcus’ sister together occasionally showing their love affections to one another while trying to hide the secret from Marcus. The strength of the comedy part is when the partners argue or when Marcus freaks out about his sister dating his Mike. A weakness throughout the entire movie was there was too many arguments between the partners when the focus of the movie should’ve been on the case. The movie fulfilled all the parts of story plot, but the visual effects and the audio needed work. One problem was that during the night scenes, the lighting throughout the scene wasn’t good because I couldn’t tell who was talking, who the characters were, and where the cameras were supposed to be focused in on. Naturally, actors’ voices tend to be quieter at night to fit the mood in the scene but I could barely hear the characters’ lines. There were no big distractions that deterred my attention away from the focus of the scene, it’s just the work of the audio and visual. This could’ve been fixed by adding mics on the actors adding props like light posts to or candles near them to enhance the lighting in the scene. While the movie is filled with action and is barely slowed paced, certain parts are realistic but not all. For example, when the international drug dealer, Carlos ‘Johnny’ Tapia’s (Jordi Molla) operation is discovered by the cops, he decides to takes Marcus’ sister hostage after discovering she is an agent. In my opinion, this isn’t realistic because you wouldn’t have your sister working as an agent, she wouldn’t be working on the same mission as you, and she wouldn’t get kidnapped to be forced to leave to Cuba with the enemy. Another example is during a chasing scene, Mike is behind the wheel, Marcus and his sister are trying to lose the enemies in pursuit by shooting at them. At one point they cross through a village where there looks to be inhabited by Cubans but there is no people in the huts or around the village. If there are two trucks running through a village, destroying their property, where was everyone? Where did they go? The least the movie directors could’ve done is have people scream in fear to make it look inhabited. Compared to the first â€Å"Bad Boys† movie, this movie is completely differently but does have the same story plot. In the first movie, there is a drug dealer or the antagonist, the two heroes, the sidekick, and operations. The second movie has everything the first movie has just a little more detailed than the first. The difference between the two movies was the time difference. The time was really important when comparing the movies together, because of the advancement in the camera technology, the filters used, and how realistic the explosions were or the actors’ lines. Overall, I believe the movie is an ok movie. It’s a film worth seeing if you’re into action, and like explosions spraying across the television. Aside from being action-packed and funny, it can also be informative, which is something not a lot of movies directors input into movies nowadays. Michael Bay has proven to world yet again that this film can be a hyperkinetic. Bay gives the audience a new surprise around every corner, giving the movie a new kind of excitement. Some of the viewers and fans have also requested a third movie to come out and directors have heard requests and plan on making a sequel, meaning this won’t be the last time hearing from the two bad boys for life.

Emotional Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Emotional Abuse - Essay Example Furthermore, McDonald et al. assert that seven million American children reside in families in which domestic violence is very rampant. Research findings also indicate that domestic violence in more prevalent among couples who have children compared to those who do not have children (Letourneau et al, 2013; Kohl et al., 2005). Increasing interest in domestic violence is based on the realization that domestic violence causes long-term effects on children and children will continue being at risk even after the separation of their parents (Kohl et al., 2005). Childhood represents a crucial period of growth and development, requiring special care and protection. In view of this, a nurturing and secure environment is vital during child development in order to achieve positive emotional, cognitive and psychological developmental outcomes (Swopes et al., 2013; McDonald et al., 2006). Growing environments riddled with fear and violence stymies optimal growth and development, and are likely to result in adverse effects among affected children (Kohl et al, 2005). Within this context, the detrimental impacts of domestic violence on children can be ameliorated if these effects are appropriately identified and addressed. Domestic violence refers to the abuse behaviour that one intimate partner uses to dominate and/or control the other partner (McDonald et al., 2006). On the other hand, child abuse refers to psychological, physical, emotional, social and sexual exploitation of children (Kohl et al., 2005). Domestic violence threatens children’s need for consistency and predictability in the sense that it disrupts normal routines. Children living with domestic violence also experience the distress being experienced by abused parent. Accordingly, these children experience psychological and emotional distress that is detrimental to their normal growth (Howell, Miller & Graham-Bermann, 2012). A review of literature has revealed the following as cross-cutting effects