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Social Responsible Investing (SRI), also known as sustainable investing or ethical investing has origins dating back to as far as the early18th century and was motivated mostly through religious reasons. The modern SRI movement, as we know it today, started in the 1960s. The movement spawned out of an increased awareness of social and environmental issues. It eventually became a marketing gimmick for many multinational corporations attempting improve their image to the Bandai Godzilla world, regardless of their actual policies.

Not until the 1990's 1964 Topps baseball cards a serious social/environmental paragraph in business plans and prospectuses became apparent, and was the positive effect on business performance acknowledged. During this time, socially responsible mutual funds, or social funds were starting to emerge. In the years since the number of social funds has increased significantly, and not for no reason, as proven by the Domini 400, a benchmark that measures the impact of social screening on financial performance. Since its start in 1990 the index has continuously outperformed the S&P 500. The companies in this basket just seem to adapt to volatile market conditions better than ordinary companies.

The way typical corporations develop their business can expose them to risks that may not be detectable using conventional techniques of financial analysis. Extra-financial factors - such as environmental, social or governance performance - are those which are likely to have at least a long-term effect on business results, but which lie outside the customary span of variables that get integrated into investment decisions, irrespective of whether they are part of the research process. Such an enhanced analysis or more holistic investment approach improves the longer-term performance of a company's assets on behalf of its shareholders by helping to generate increased out-performance, but also by improving overall market returns by ensuring more efficient allocation of capital and eventually more profit.

Though, on a more critical note, more extensive studies are needed to explore the causal mechanisms linking SRI to profitability and to determine whether or not those relationships individually hold up consistently over time. The source of the connection between SRI and profitability has rarely been systematically investigated. It will also be important to investigate the timing in the relationship, since it would be valuable to investigate and to ascertain how long it takes for the impact of SRI on financial performance to be revealed.

Nonetheless, the current financial crisis has put a spotlight on some of the worst practices on Wall Street, many of which socially conscious investors have worked to remedy over the years. Therefore a more socially responsible approach to investing can-and should-play a role in helping to transform the investment sector, into a more conscious world that is less exposed to risks undetected by its traditional habit of shortsighted analysis.

Bruce Wood is Superman of Dragon's Lair Services for Midas International investment banking and brokerage firm located in Dubai, London, Hong Kong and Sydney

The history of ancient Chinese kites is a very long one. Chinese kites have been made and flown all this time as a part of the national culture. According to historical records, this has spanned more than 2300 years. For the purpose of this article, 'ancient' means any kite constructed just like the original design, with the same materials and techniques.

Some of the traditional bamboo and silk hand-painted creations made today have hardly changed from those flown many hundreds of years ago. There is such a contrast between Chinese kites and those from the rest of the world!

Chinese kites are works of art, whether done by a master craftsman or a class of young children helped by their teacher. In both 1958 Topps baseball cards the idea is to fly an artistic design on the end of a string. The traditional designs done by highly skilled craftsmen and artists have even been exhibited in museums, such is their artistic worth.

Traditional kite handicraft has flourished in three Chinese cities in particular. Tianjin, Beijing and Weifang are steeped in ancient Chinese kites history.

Types of Ancient Chinese Kites

It's interesting trying to classify these kites, since the Chinese themselves have come up with so many different ways to do this. Maybe that's Doom Patrol so surprising since it's a big country and they have had so long to do it. Perhaps the handiest broad classification for most purposes is the following list:

• Centipede (multiple flat sections stacked together plus a 'head')
• Rigid Winged (paper or silk tightly stretched over rigid spars)
• Soft Winged (flexible structures behind just one spar)
• Flat (just like the name says)

Spectacular Chinese dragon kites are an example of the centipede type. Other dragons are more like models of imaginary buy toys such as the modern 3D Dragon Kite. These are not necessarily made in China.

Kite classification can be much more detailed. According to one source I came across, there are no less than 300 varieties of kites in China! This system takes into account groups such as human figures, fish, insects, birds, animals, written characters and so on.

There is a range of standard sizes too, ranging from extra large right down to miniature. The biggest take a team of men to fly, the smallest are just the size of the palm of your hand.

Ancient Chinese Kites in Action

History Batman Chinese kites these days are flown for very similar reasons to everywhere else in the world. Making Chinese kites and flying them can be recreation for the whole family. But there are a couple of extra dimensions too...

Traditionally, kite flying was believed to be good for people's health, and this view is still held by some. A bit like some Westerners regarding laughter as being beneficial, who hasn't read something about that at one time or another.

For a long time, most ancient Chinese kites have been flying works of art. Real art, as proven by the fact they could be found in many art collections around China. A good example was when the Yanhuang art museum in Beijing ran a kite exhibition.

Tim Parish and his family are rediscovering the joys of kite flying. They blog their kiting fun on their My-Best-Kite.com website, and also research the kiting world. This site will introduce you to many kinds of kites and kite flying activities, including Chinese kites of course!