profile of a killer Essay -- essays research papers

During the last decade the world has witnessed a staggering elevation in serial killings. To give some insight into the scale of the problem posed by the serial killer, in the United States can be gained from examining the statistics for just one year. In 1989 (the last year for which detailed figures are available) there were 21,500 recorded homicides, of which some 5,000 are unsolved. Unofficial sources believe that as many as a hundred serial killers may be at large at any given time. Add to this the number of known victims of serial killers, then between 3,500 and 5,000 people are killed by serial murderers every year. (Lane and Gregg 3) These numerous multiple murders, often without consequence and justice, have shocked civilized society with incomprehensible acts of inhumanity. Horrific amounts of body counts and volumes of spilt blood accompany the discovery of each new serial killer. The indescribable events associated with each murder leave such unanswered questions as: what deviations lurk in the mind of a serial killer, what provokes an individual to commit such hideous acts, and what can be done to reduce these inconceivable murders? There are a set of variable elements, which distinguish the "serial" murder from the single-incident ("normal") murder, the "mass" murder, and the "spree" murder. The "mass" murder can be defined as an act in which a single assailant kills a number of people during a short period of time in roughly the same geographical location. The "spree" murder can be defined as a multiple number of killings, which take place during a short period of time, hours or days. The "serial" murder exhibits five distinct sets of characteristics, which help distinguish it from the "mass" murder and "spree" murder. First, the killings are repetitive ("serial") and often escalate over a period of time, sometimes years, which will continue until the killer is taken into custody, dies, or himself is killed. Second, the killings, like "normal" homicides, tend to be one-on-one. Third, there is no, or ve ry little, connection between the perpetrator and the victim. Fourth, although there may be a "pattern," or "victim trait," individual murders within a series rarely display a clearly defined or rational motive. Fi... ...ny police agency, having an unsolved murder, will submit to the FBI Academy a thorough description of the case using a twenty-seven-page questionnaire. VICAP will then alert the crime analyst to similar cases nationwide. During my interview with Dr. James R. Metts, Sheriff of Lexington County S.C., he informed me of the procedures involved in the Shari Faye Smith and Debra May Helmick case. He noted that "the Behavioral Unit in the FBI was extremely helpful in solving this case by giving us a psychological profile of the perpetrator and advising us on how to handle the media throughout the case" (Metts). "America’s fascination with serial killers is reaching an all time high-and may be fueling their deadly deeds" (Toufexis 64-65). Serial killings graphic details in incomprehensible madness almost seem fictional, but the statistics reveal an alarming rise in these murders. Ignoring this terrifying fact will not make it disappear, only increase. The thought "It will not happen to me" is no longer logical due to the constant elevation of serial killings. These callous and meticulous killers are without prejudice or motive, leaving everyone susceptible.

Syrian Civil War: Causation Essay example -- arab republic, ottoman rul

Middle East Project: Syrian Civil War: Causation After four hundred years of indecisive Ottoman rule, and three decades fighting the mandate of the French, the many diverse peoples of Syria finally could call Syria their own. Yet, independence was not synonymous with peace. Without a common enemy, the Syrian people remembered their differences and began to squabble amongst themselves. Even now, seven decades after the formation of the Syrian Arab Republic, peace is yet but a far-flung dream. In June of 2000, then-President Hafez al-Assad, of the previous Ba’ath Party, passed away and his title was left, through an unfortunate accident, in the hands of his second, less determined son, Bashar al-Assad. With his death came strife. Powerful clashing forces previously kept quashed by Ba’ath Party Rule began to emerge yet again, and Syria was plunged into conflict. The Syrian civil war crisis, commonly accepted to have begun with the rule of Bashar al-Assad, had roots in history extending past Hafez al Assad (Ba’ath Party Ruling) and, through a combination of external pressures, environmental and foreign, and internal inconsistency and weakness blossomed into the situation today. The Ba’ath Party, the name Arabic for â€Å"Renaissance† or â€Å"Resurrection† (Polk), was founded in 1947 by Michel Aflaq, a Syrian teacher whose views on nationalism gained him support from Arabs across the area (â€Å"Profile†). Quickly merging with other parties, the now-Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party became real competition to its opposition as its popularity surged among students of the nation. Historically, as Syrian people were (and are) extremely diverse, a wide range of opinions on nationalism and religion have been presented, each addressing a different aspect of ... ...LIO, 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. "Urban and Rural Human Geography in Syria." News and Events: Point of View. Geography Services, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. . Warner, Andy. "Syria’s First Family." Slate. SlateGroup, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. . Washington Post. "Syrian Civil War: A Rising Death Count." Washington Post. Washington Post, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. . Zahler, Kathy. The Assads' Syria. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century, 2010. Print. Dictatorships. Zuhur, Sherifa. "Bashar al-Assad." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.

all I Know Is What I Read In The Papers - Will Rogers -- essays resear

"All I Know Is What I Read In The Papers" - Will Rogers There have been many criteria over the past few centuries that measured one's political clout and influence: divine right, property, money, and acquaintances. In the twentieth century, particularly the past two decades, the political power to influence others resides in information: the more information you have and the more you know how to use it, the more potential influence you have. People rely on the media for their information, as it is the most easily accessible, efficient, and passive way of acquiring knowledge. Unfortunately, the media is not completely reliable as it can and has been manipulated by politicians, their parties, and their governments. This makes the media a powerful weapon as politicians use it to effect voters political choices through advertising, change popular opinion on issues of state, and debasing political campaigns through smear tactics. "You can make a candidate someone they aren't. You can protect them from someone they are, or make them more of what they are".-Senator Norm Atkins(1) "An election is like a one day sale†¦the product (candidate) in a sale (campaign) is only available a few hours on one day".(2) The main goal one hopes to achieve by advertising something is to make it marketable so people will purchase it. Since what a politician hopes to ultimately do is persuade people to vote for, or buy, their political platform, they would be foolish to not take advantage of the captive and passive audience of the advertising mass media. Unfortunately politicians and their management take advantage of this medium to manipulate voters' choices. Two cases of advertising manipulation on voters was during the Canadian National Referendum of 1992 and the Quebec Referendum of 1995. During the National Referendum of 1992 over the Charlottetown Accord "three hours of free broadcast time was made available during prime time on every radio and television network that met the statutory criteria"(3) according to the Referendum Act. The act also states that "half (of the time) is allocated to the ‘Yes' and half to the ‘No' side"(4). This allotment of advertising time did not take into account the print advertisement that was plastered al... ... in that matter"(22). Truedeau floored Bouchard by saying that "the federalists would have done better in the recent Quebec referendum "(23) if the Yes side didn't "make Quebeckers, especially former premier Rene"Levesque, look like victims"(24), Politics is a very dirty game, and if you don't develop a thick skin to deal with the rhetoric then you will not survive the smear campaigns. "I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets"(25) The mass media in all its manifestations has a mandate to be a forum for views both directly and indirectly through advertising and journalist reporting, This massive forum has been the place, for many years, that politicians have had their voice. Like many other institutions, the mass media has been utilized as a tool of the political world with which politicians, their parties, and their governments capture the fixated and passive audience, thus making the media a powerful device to affect voters political choices through advertising, change popular opinion on issues of state, and debasing political campaigns with smear tactics.

The Movie Ball of Fire

The movie â€Å"Ball of Fire† is a comedy film that is released in the year 1941, which tells the story about a group of professors that have been working themselves for several years to finish an encyclopedia and depicts the story of the group’s encounter with a nightclub performer who provides her own profound source of unique knowledge (Ball of Fire-1941). As such, the film is also known as the â€Å"The Professor and the Burlesque Queen,† which presents early movie stars namely Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck for the lead role in the movie (Ball of Fire-1941).For the supporting roles, movie artists like Oskar Homolka, Richard Haydn, Henry Travers, Dan Duryea, Elisha Cook Jr. and Dana Andrews have done an amazing participation in the overall positive outcome of the story (Ball of Fire-1941). Moreover, the movie tells the story of a group of eight mild-mannered professors who are working hard in compiling an encyclopedia. Their work is seen to be monotonous an d boring but things are falling into place.It is until the language expert â€Å"Professor Bertram Potts† realizes that his section on slang is seen to be outdated. In this regard, he decided to venture into the outside world to do his research. In the process he met a nightclub singer â€Å"Sugarpuss O'Shea† who has problems with her mobster boyfriend and needs a place to hide in. The professors allow Sugarpuss to live with them and have been effective in teaching the professors more than the slang language by livening up their academic lives with nylons and conga lines.Professor Potts becomes obsessed with Sugarpuss but when the boyfriend of Sugarpass wants her back, things have started to become complicated. At the end of the movie, Professor Potts has outwitted the boyfriend of Sugarpass and pursue his love for Sugarpuss by proposing marriage to her. In light of the story of the movie, it can be said that being smart does not only mean being good at the teachings o f the book. Hence, the characteristic of being smart and intelligent can never be learned in a secluded area, more specifically in the four corners of the class.As such, the story of the movie has depicted these notions on the realizations of Professor Potts, that his knowledge in slang word is seen to be outdated and requires a need to venture in the real or outside world to be able to acquire new information. Likewise, it is seen that the purpose of receiving a formal education is to guide the person and empower an individual towards the achievement of his or her aspirations in the future. In thoughts, it is seen the formal education is essential to teach and render an individual with all the appropriate and needed knowledge that a person needs to acquire.Hence, there is a need to balance the formal and informal knowledge that can never be acquired and taught in the classroom, which the personal life experiences can only edify. Likewise, the movie â€Å"Ball of Fire† has de picted that the learning that occurs in the school of hard knocks is as essential as that which is taught in the formal education that leads to a balance between the real-life education and the importance of knowledge that the book provides.In the end, it can be said that the movie is set to provide a better understanding about the importance of knowledge that can be acquired in both real-life learning and formal education. As such, it can be seen that knowledge which can only be acquired in real life experiences is as essential as the education that can be learned from school. Hence, both these types of knowledge are essential factors towards the achievement of the person’s future career and personal goals in life. Works Cited Ball of Fire – 1941. IGN Entertainment, Inc. 27 October 2008

Position of Prefect

The King John School Prefect Application Form ————————————————- Surname: Hay First Names: Harry Charles Title: Mr Tutor group: 10-10 Personal Statement You should consider me to be a prefect, as I am a very hardworking, enthusiastic, organised and punctual student who is honest and mature and would love the position of representing the school. I think that all of my achievements which I have received throughout my time at King John, outlines what sort of student I am.I believe that my academic achievements and extra-curricular awards will give me great success if I was to become a prefect. I have received various awards such as prize-giving awards for academic success, sporting achievements, The Jack Petchey award, for my mannerism, politeness, personality and my helpful and courteous attitude towards staff. Last year I gave up my time after school, to help organise a year 10 parents evening. I have also collected achievements such as the 100% attendance award during school, and the student of the term award. My most recent award, is the Duke of Edinburgh award at Bronze level.I am currently working towards my Silver award, which is a two year course. All of my awards I have received academically, and outside of school, I am very proud of. I am always working hard, reaching my potential in everything I do. One example of this is me taking advantage of my lunch and breaktimes, by completing homework, learning with the resources available, and revising for subject examinations, so that after school, during weekends and during school holidays, I can take time to socialise, relax, do extra revision, and fit in any plans I may have, such as training sessions for my Triathlon club.I believe that my positive approach and attitude to learning will help me take up the role of being a prefect. Qualifications Subject| Target Grade| Maths| B| English| C| Science| B| Media| pass| French| C| History| C| ICT| pass| P. E| N/A| Relevant experience The responsibilities I’ve had and have include: * Helping out at a local church club called Anchor Boy’s, by being a leader. I encourage, supervise and help young children to learn every week on a Friday, in various activities including art and craft, games and reading and listening skills. During my role as club captain for my triathlon club, I’ve again given support to people above and below my age. I have presented awards, and made sure the club is running smoothly by organising club sessions, being a marshal for club races, and taking charge of stretches at the beginning and at the end of training sessions. By being part of my triathlon club, I have learnt how to work in a team, and individually. * I have been selected to be a prefect at my previous school, and have been part of the play leading scheme at my junior school.By being both a prefect and a play leader, I’ve h ad to monitor other pupil’s behaviour, and I made sure the students were meeting the requirements of the school rules. This is something I will definitely take into account if I was to become a prefect. Hobbies and Interests 1. Triathlon – I believe that this will support my application, as it promotes my self-esteem. It has made me develop time management skills, learn about adversity and determination. I also learn about goal setting for not only sport, but it also allows me to apply goals circularly. 2.Boy’s Brigade- In this weekly club, I advance habits of obedience, reverence, discipline and self-respect. I think that this will support my application, as it shows my commitment, and personal qualities. 3. Canoeing/kayaking-Whilst learning skills for this sport, I also develop individuality and the ability to work in a team. The role of being a prefect * I see the role of being a prefect as responding to unacceptable behaviour made by students, and reporting it to a teacher if necessary. Prefects respond to incidents which occur, and deal with the matter sensibly.If students; * Intimidate anyone, * Are abusive to anyone, * Damage the property of anyone including School property, * Persistently break School rules, * And are personally disrespectful, Then it should be dealt with, as it is unacceptable behaviour. Prefects are pupils who have more authority than other pupils. They are usually responsible and well-behaved. They are to help the teachers out by spotting trouble and helping students and others around the school that have issues, for example they may direct students, new members of staff or visitors where to go.Prefects will over-look bullying, and refer the pupils to a member of staff. On parents evenings, open days and award nights, and other school related events, prefects should be there, ready to assist anyone. For example; giving out and pouring drinks, directing parents/visitors/students in the right direction, and if nee d be, stay with them. Prefects should be well behaved and good role models towards the school, by being punctual, having a good attitude and wearing the correct uniform smartly. How could the prefect application process be improved?Personally, I think that the layout of the application should be improved, to a more formal standard. I thought the questions listed on the form, are very good, as you can receive a lot of detail from students. I think that the boxes should be expanded to a larger size, as I do not think that there is enough room to fit in lots of content, in some cases. Tutor statement Signed: | Declaration: I confirm to the best of my knowledge that the information given on this form is accurate and that I have not omitted any facts, which may have a bearing on my application. Signed:| Date:|

Everybody Needs Somebody Essay

Many people vacillate to commit themselves to marriage because of the responsibilities involved, but what does the word â€Å"marriage†, that so many desist from means. It’s the state of being united; body, soul and mind to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife consensual and contractual relationship recognized by both the Lord and the law. Moreover, pledging your allegiance, promising to be there† for better or for worse, in sickness and in health†¦..till death do us path†. A lot of individuals make the decision never to marry; there may be certain circumstances why they may feel that way. For example they may have had awful relationships in their past and of the opinion that their significant other will never be found or plainly the bulk just don’t want that type of commitment. Marriage has its advantages by the bountiful, so if you are in love and sure that you want to subsist the rest of your life with him/her, then unquestionably go ahead and walk down the aisle. I confidently disagree that being single is far more advantageous than being married. Marriage offers companionship. In a healthy marriage, you are never alone. Your spouse will always be there to lend a sympathetic ear. Sometimes, of course, your spouse might not be â€Å"actually† listening to you but it is better to talk to someone than being alone. Additionally, it’s satisfying to have someone you trust completely and love unconditionally to have stimulating conversation with. For instance to discuss ideas, major financial matters and practice your humor and simply want o be consoled at the end of the day. In the period 2008, research done in the USA showed that expressing your feeling, merely talking to your spouse and letting them know how you feel, reduces your chance of divorce, dishonesty and senseless arguments. As well, companionship offers support and can be particularly important at times of misfortune. Thus, the companionship that marriage offer beats being single any day. Marriage opens the gates to a rich social life. Basically by having a partner with you, you can have a social life that is not so readily or easily available for a single person. You can visit romantic places together or holiday together. You can spend meaningful quality time with each other also relaxing without any interruptions for a single person; it may be difficult because usually social life is geared around â€Å"couples†. Hence a single person can often be left out or sometimes just not invited. Although it may be true at times, that having children might seem to encumber your social life but really it brings a pulsating change in your social life also much of that life involves being with your children. Marriage puts a stamp of tolerability in society. Research reveals that married men/women have longer lifespan compared to single individuals. This can result in three points 1. Marriage stabilizers men and women this is so because, the need for multiple partners aren’t considered necessary when you are married besides you can be confident that your trustworthy spouse isn’t going to be adulterous 2. In the case of reducing stress, take for example raising a child, although many single parents do raise children successfully. It seems the stress is less when the tasks are shared with a partner.3. The point of being pleased. Many men/women get satisfied sexually by being married. This is so because by being intimate with someone you pledged your life to and love, you are contented both physically and mentally. Consequently, by having sexual relations when single your mate is random. This type of intimacy is fabricated and has no symbolic meaning. At such times having a marriage has its rewards over being single. As stated above marriage has its advantages, the ones mentioned are just a few to start with. Each marriage is of course different, but the connection that is shared among two married persons who have unexplained love, intimacy and forever commitment is extremely sacred. Being married, said by many people is about accepting a person for who they are, faults include. To be so dedicated and honorable that together you can overcome any type of ordeal life throws also learning to grow from those hardships. It’s about making sacrifices and putting your complete trust in your spouse. Knowing, they would refrain from temptation and be honest when it is needed. There are so many types of definitions that could be used to describe what marriage is nevertheless the one that really carries the most sentimental value is the one shared among married couples. It is forlorn that single people choose to remain unmarried, they may not the joy marriage brings to a person, but marriage is a privilege so why not make use of it.

Balance

One fine evening, while walking to my friend’s place enjoying the beautiful climate & cool breeze, making one to be there walking or standing still to enjoy it, I saw a group of kids riding their bicycles like a gang & roaming. A huge van came in the opposite direction, which meant they had to make space, which they have been occupying so far, for the monster vehicle. Due to sudden change of course or rough terrain, one of the kids lost his balance & fell to the safe side of the road. I thought, â€Å"The kid must be new to riding bicycles & hence couldn’t manage his balance when faced with a sudden change†. This thought struck me big, when for a moment I used it comparing the journey of riding our life against any challenge or change. I wondered, â€Å"How easily it made sense? †. Our whole life, aren’t we actually trying to keep all the various forces in a state of balance, where we are not pulled or pushed in by anyone of them so that we are deviated from our actual destined path. If so then what would be a balanced life. I would say a balance life is â€Å"A way of life that enables us to live in accordance with our nature, to improve our character, to better deal with the inevitable hardships of life and to strive for the good of the whole, not just of the individual. † This I believe will lead us to the ultimate happiness in life. So basically, â€Å"Life is a process of developing virtues which are essential for achieving the ultimate goal, happiness, which must be desired for itself†. It must not be confused with carnal or material pleasures, although there are many people who consider this to be real happiness, since they are the most basic form of pleasures. This is not to say that happiness is void of pleasures, but that pleasures are a natural effect, not the purpose. The virtues essential for attaining true happiness is in itself a balance of 2 extremes. For example, Courage is the middle between one extreme of deficiency (cowardice) and the other extreme of excess (recklessness). The middle depends on the situation because of the difficulty of the balance in certain situations can require a different level of action. Recognising this leads to improving the virtues constantly in anticipation of various different situations requiring the higher levels of actions. This holds only for virtues, not vices (hate, envy, jealousy, theft, murder, etc. ) So what endangers the balance of the life? It follows the same principle as in physical world. When there is an excess or deficiency of the struggling forces then the balance is destroyed. Today's modern man usually succumbs in the sin of excess, which can be seen in the excess accumulation of material wealth, food, alcohol, drugs, etc. than what is necessary. But he can descend into deficiency as easily too, like inadequate attention to education, healthy sport activities, intellectual pursuits, etc. For every action that we take in our life we must look to keep it in balance with the corresponding balancing actions. The beautiful example, we must look to for keeping things in balance is nature, until man came along & destroyed the state with his want for excess & lack of attention towards actions for preserving the balance. Since human beings are from nature, isn't it reasonable to conclude that humans should also uphold the balance, just like nature? The problem is that the vast majority of people are unwilling to admit that they are not at the top of nature, just a part of it. The current generation need to overcome their pride and arrogance and look in nature for guidance, because we all depend on it & to leave behind a safer, habitable environment for the next generation to live in. Staring into the sky and imagining ourselves in heaven will not accomplish anything; it is better instead look around & to accept our role in the world and appreciate the beauty of life, and death, which gives meaning to it. This will help us in upholding the balance both within & outside as well.