Examining the influence of street gangs on juvenile delinquency in Thesis

Examining the influence of street gangs on juvenile delinquency in eastern NC - Thesis Example Currently according to police reports of eastern North Carolina the rate of growth of gangs is estimated to be at 35%. This year alone there are about 14,000 gang members with over 500 gangs. Some individuals have even attempted to carry out research on gang activities (Carlie, 2008). The table below was used by the department of Juvenile justice and delinquency prevention in North Carolina. It shows the level of prevalence of gang activity in North Carolina In his own account, Patrick Radden wanted to understand why the groups seemed to be distributed almost everywhere. He took the initiative of carrying out a research on the migration of gangs and the reason for gangs’ prevalence in some of the states, in the US (Kate, 2012). . He was able to carry out on the research explaining in details how the gangs migrated and spread to most parts of the state (Joyce, 2012). According to his research, he was unable to provide quantitative data, his information is only theoretical, and it proves the desire for further exploration. According to the various research activities carried out there is a problem to the society, as well as to the government. However, this works have helped the society to understand the magnitude and type of challenge it is facing. Conversely, the government has strived to establish the level of prevalence of the gang activities in the society together with its magnitude (Karen, Bullocka and Tilley, 2008). Although there is no much data concerning gang activities, what is available is enough to give all parties concerned i.e. the government and the society of the true picture of what is in the ground. The government has already done much concerning the issue of the gangs as well as the society. However, it is clear that what has been done is not enough and there is the need for more to be done (Harlow, 1983). These

English Literature Abstract Expressionism Movement

English Literature Abstract Expressionism Movement Abstract Expressionism Movement While it was generally conceded that Abstract Expressionism was spent, superseded by the rise of minimalism and Pop art in the early 1960s, Gustans work after 1968 signaled the end of the Idealism that had driven the movement. Some artists such as Newman, cited in (the book); had continued to question whether the New York School had existed at all, stating as late as 1965 that: there was never a movement in the conventional sense of a style, but a collection of individual voices. That is why to talk of the movement being dead is ridiculous. But I have found that this book although it in general, covers the factual information necessary to form a coherent opinion, it nevertheless, rambled, leaving the reader with limited knowledge that conceptualized a clear understanding. In essence, I found it hard to read, and that in some places it also repeated facts. Therefore, I gave serious consideration to the other listed books on the same subject, but further extended my research to more generalist books that covered the history of art. In returning to the text, Abstract Expressionism by Anfam (1990), which offers an albeit extended and sometimes incoherent journey through this subject, we can at least in part find some nuggets of information that carefully explain and discuss some of the wider concepts of abstract expressionism. But, to find the most sensible and coherent facts, I had to delve deeply into this volume, which at best, left the reader often lost and in many cul-de-sacs, where opinions were losing the force and direction of their meaning because of very poor signposting techniques used by the author. At best, the useful and expressive textual details were lost and to re-address this and to have some coherent understanding of the importance and standing of abstract expressionism, I had to cross reference many of the themes in this book, to other texts, which at best, allowed me to form an holistic and guided academic opinion on the movement. Therefore, this book review will provide some carefully constructed opinions guided by the chosen text, but, more fully engaged and directed by the supplementary reading undertaken. REVIEW Anfam (1990) in his work, Abstract Expressionism, suggests that there was a group of artists and like-minded people, who founded the movement. In doing so, he cites aspects of the modern history of the USA, in particular, the depression. In widening his argument, he also reveals some of the many parallels with the unrest within the French expressionism movement and equally rambles on to try to offer some formative cross referencing with the many expressive styles of other movements of the era. This discursive and sometimes lively debate is hampered by a clear lack of coherence, it leaves as stated in my introduction, the reader in many a cul-de-sac, with a real battle of wits to find some real and meaningful information that clearly nails down the subject of abstract expressionism in its diluted forms. The work of Pollock is often cited in the text to explain how artists use their work to show feelings and emotions, in part this aspect is explain and discussed in fine details that allow the reader to make some careful informed opinions. In particular Anfam (1990) tries his best to offer through he opening arguments contained in the introduction to the text, a socio-historical foundation for his later discussions, for example: before the second World War opens perspective that enfold the present. In microcosm we might compare of the western political power and culture after 1945. This interesting and meaningful conceptualization, offers some cohesion to the ongoing debate, setting the social and historical scene is crucial, in that, the World had just been through the most devastating periods of modern history, leaving a bereavement and albeit soulless notion of loss that impacted upon all aspects of society. From this vacuous void, came the development of what we know as modern sustainable artistic talents that in part, were able to bring a real flavour of expressing emotions through the wonderful and many diverse styles that were emerging out of this vacuum. The examples could be many, but for Anfram (1990), it is expressed in his notion that modern companies, that is commercial enterprises, became an everyday occurrence, in that, through abstract expressionism, revealed the founding symbols of modernity. Historically according to Anfram (1990) it is worthy of note, that the western world, in particular, the USA and UK, emerged from the devastation of World War I (WWII). But, more prudently, the USA emerged as the creditor, backer and in the main banker to the countries devastated by the war. A factor to only repeated some decades later. This often if not often obscured action by the USA, brought about the fundamental and sustainable changes in consumerism, fueled by the consistency and often aggressive expansion of industrialization across the Western World. Bringing about what we cited today as modern consumerism. However, what is also of crucial note, in particular for engaging artists, is the rise in the popular movements of mass culture and modern technology. Which impacted upon a world that had suddenly started to grow up out of the vacuum of aggressive conflict. What is abundantly clear from the history of art at this time, is that, Abstract Expressionism, although crisp and modern in its outlook, coupled with its diversity, it nevertheless, lacked clear shape, which was in the main, fuelled by the ever pessimistic negative vibrations that the depression and war years had invoked. Shaking off this cloud of pessimism would take some serious shock waves to kick start a new an meaningful movement that signaled the beginnings of what we now know as abstract expressionism (Gombrich 1984; Levey 1968). The early years of Abstract Expressionism, according to most theorist, (Balken 2005; Polcari 1999; Stangos (ed) 1981 Pickeral 2007); appeared to lacked shape against both this over whelming sense of optimism and yet another more negative vein, which had been intensified by the depression period. The clarity of the pre-depression period as seen in the artistic work of Charles Burchfield and Edward Harper, was fuelled by the onset fear that depression would bring, in so doing, their art revealed the styles that poignantly marked this period. This notional and albeit national fear is expressed in many of the texts used for this review, but, equally cited and noted in the core text by Anfram (1990). Interestingly his work reaches a watershed in which we have an interesting and yet revealing discourse about the artists of the period. However, it is not difficult to find his particular favorite. He in particular, cites in his discourse, the life and work of Pollock, citing the many and meaningful paths that his life took and how this impacted upon his revealing and yet sometimes provocative understanding of the thematic aspects of depression, one might even say, it is depressive and yet expressive art! The critique of Pollock by Anfram (1990), is one of the lighter parts of this text, in that we are provided with a snapshot history of this artist, his struggles and battles to live and develop as an expressive artist. In particular, we find a detailed history of his ancestry, to include the occupational aspects, upbringing and lifestyle of this Jewish family, set against a backdrop of his homeland. But, the most revealing facts are the way in which his argument convincingly places the links between Pollock and other artists like: Guston and Benton. This what could be seen a meeting of minds, signaled in part the foundational beginnings of Abstract Expressionism as we know style it. Some of the facts in the text are fascinating, in that, how life paths merge in the meeting of key personalities who make such significant marks on the landscape of art. For example: Anfram (1990) reveals how Pollock met Guston prior to his enrolment in 1930 at the Art Student League in New York, under the direction of Benton. This in itself to the writer seems uncanny and yet perfectly placed in that what came out of the merging of these personal journeys is a breath taking step in the history of modern art. What is fundamentally clear, is that Pollocks own personal history and upbringing reveals a man who had engaged in and fully experienced the construction of depression in all its many sometimes stark and conflicting facets. His journey is clearly a meaningful aspect of the work of Anfram (1990), who lyrically expresses great interest in ensuring his readers are informed of the important fact about Pollock, but, most importantly, showing how this upbringing, made the man and ultimately the artist and his style. It is worth noting some of those facts. Pollock knew all about the depression as his family had to flea the Baltic states, as a Jewish family like that of his peers, Rothko Siskind, he would have to settle in another land to ensure that it would not be so difficult for him to explore his artistic talents, and so his coming to america was a significant step in the story of Abstract Expressionism. For him to have remained in such a stark country that was consistently engaged in political unrest would have changed the focus of this concept of art as we now know it. It is also fairly obvious that Anfram (1990) has a passion for Guston, in that he equally sets his reader on a research quest from his revealing treatment about this artist. He states that Guston has known all about oppression and in so doing, in equal measure his knowledge of the sectarian movement, known as the Klu Klux Klan, whose membership in the 1920 s prior to the 1930s depression topped a staggering five million. If we place both Pollock and Guston alongside each other patterns emerge, in that, Anfram (1990) clearly wants his readers to make some informed opinion and clarity towards how expressionism was founded. Perhaps the missing signposting of his book is in part due to his stop, think and link approach. If we do just that, we can find that, it does not take long to place the constructions of depression in Pollocks background, and the oppression, noted in Guston background bring together the emotional expressive constructions that are revealed by both artists through their conceptualized notion of what they seen and perceive as Abstract Expressionism, that allows the artist in a sometimes breathtaking manner, to engage the viewers of such works, to think outside the box, in other words, see beyond the form, revealing the pain and emotions that are depression and oppression (Gombrich 1984). Anfram (1990) continues his revealing and yet peppered approach to this important movement with his critique of the 1930s depression, treating his readers to, in part have some understanding of the stuggle and battles fought and won by many of the artists of the period. It is obvious that no artist had had an easy journey, on the contrary, the movement had, brought the conceptualization of what is art kicking and screaming into a more coherent and modern take, that allowed for at best, the artist to think and construct outside the box, in so doing, draw in a more liberalized breath of fresh air in to the stifling world of the artist. As the development of Abstract Expressionism, took root, according to Anfram (1990) the 1950s saw a merging of like minded artists, who for the first time were able to finally break with the traditional constructions that had shackled art. This is poignantly revealed in the citation of the New York, Studio 35 conference, in which what is now know as a contradictory discussion allowed for artist to finally discuss and exchange ideas about how each participant broke with the sometimes constrictive traditional media, techniques and constructs that embedded art at its core. The outcome being, what can only be described as a breach of fresh air. What came out of this merging of minds, were a constituted advance in painting, sculpture and even photography. Questions that once thwarted artists were now in vogue and could be explored without constriction: Should it be Abstract or should it be representational? Would foreigner influence vitiates or even strengthens it? Would expression of feeling of the reality of the medium and of everyday? These were the fundamental poignant questions that came out of it in the 1930s, without which we would never have seen to a certain extent, Cubism, Social Realism to name but two aspect of what can be perceived as art outside the box. Briefly it is worth noting some of the constructs that came forward. At this period of time cubism was the normal Art like that of Bombardnent, who was fully engaged in Realism and Cubism. During the 1941 to 1943 period, Clement Greenburg edited an arts magazine, and befriended serial Abstract Expressionists and would cite them as a representation of a new American Art This coupled with the fact that Gorky in his remarks that Social Realism was the form of poor art for the poor people, where as the writers associated with the magazine Parisian Review, which was funded in the 1934 on the Stalinist times, would express diverse and yet carefully constructed remarks that fuelled the debate that has informed and constructed Abstract Expressionism'(Anfram 1990; Gombrich 1984). The text become repetitive in parts in that, it consistently appears to reinforce the facts presented to the reader for example. It over emphasizes the foundations and founder of what is seen to be modern abstract expressionism. Although what is helpful is the authors pick of the best examples of strong abstract expressionists, like: Newman, Pollock, Greenberg, Hofmann, De-Kooning, Gorky, Graham and Krasner. Pollocks artistic methods are carefully followed and explained, in that is it most obvious to the reader that the author is absolutely enthralled with his work. But, interestingly, he again peppers his work with historical facts like, the fact that: the Boston inst of modern Art switched its titular modern to contemporary and the senator George Dondero, denounced non-academic twenty century painting as communist subversion, so Abstraction once again acquired the radical aura that it held for a previous generation (Anfram 1990). Abstract Expressionism always resisted a single collective identity based on style, theories or even social ties. In comparison to Abstract Expressionism and the modern experience by Stephen Polcari 1999, The book under review, is easier to read and one can understand, and can even in formality of the introduction fined relevant and factual information, from which opinions can be formed, for example: there were few Americans Artists, critics, or even modern art historians of the 1950s and early 1960s who did not cut their teeth on it From it very beginnings, Abstract Expressionism has been interpreted in the light of the cultural and intellect of the 1950s artists and theorist, who understood Abstract Expressionism as Harold Rosenbergs typically defined action painting. According to which the artist theatrically expressed their personal anguish on a blank canvas, with little attention to form, style, or subject matter, for Rosenberg, painting was an autobiographical act of self-creation in the everyday world, and the expression of individual personality. Therefore, it can be viewed that the way that Abstract Expressionism looks to the writer, as if, in typical fashion, you just simply splash your thinking and feelings by just letting yourself go and just splurge it onto a canvas and with such painting, you could in fact come up with a not dissimilar work of art. But, never forgetting in the typical construction of this style, to let the paint do all the work with the brushes. In a shape and form of it own. The reviewed book then goes onto explaining where the movement of abstract expressionism came from and what earlier art movements helped it on its way, this gives any reader far better understanding and layout of what the movement conceptualizes. In the words of the author:- giving the art the best pedigree by linking it with impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism this formalist approach focused on the Abstract expressionism stylistic evolution while proposing for them an exclusive concern with the formal questions: purifying the medium, squeezing out illusionism, and remaking space and a optical rather than tactile . CONCLUSION Therefore, it can be attested, that many of the movements discussed as impacting on abstract expressionism are all clearly linked, one could even say that Surrealism been linked to pagan art, in that, they are all from the same family breeding. So therefore conceptual pagan art would notably come under all of these modernist art movements, even socialism can be placed into this context even if it does have its foundations in Russian history. What is interesting is that, all are from a similar systemic background; perhaps, it could be reviewed that they should all be grouped in one mass movement, like that of the early 20th century movement created through, mass observation. But, what is fundamentally of note, in that, art moves and changes constantly, and for any artist, theorist or aspiring artist, it can be very hard to keep up with it evolution. To note this: the big bang theory of abstract expressionism, as ROBERT ROSEBBERG was wittily called it, argued that this abstract work erupted and suddenly. Fully-grown from virtually no where. This perhaps flippant academic remark, makes it sound that abstract expressionism, grew up to quickly upstage, more formal and founding artistic concepts and movements. But, as one can see in the rise of Surrealism, it took between 10-20 years to mature, so inevitably so will this movement, as it has and continues to do so, with ever evolving creations, like the dynamic art being explored in Paganism. Therefore, it can be concluded that art evolves, movements come and go, but the strength and breadth of the artist will always be creatively and in vogue. BIBLIOGRAPHY ANFAM; D. (1990) Abstract Expressionism Thames Hudson BALKEN; D. (2005) Movement In Modern Art Abstract Expressionism TATE Publishing GOMBRICH; E. H. (1984) The History of Art Fourth Edition; Phaidon. Oxford. LEVEY; M. (1968) A History of Western Art Thames Hudson. London. POLCARI; S. (1999) Abstract Expressionism And The Modern Experience UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE STANGOS; N. (1981) Concepts of Modern Art Thames Hudson

Ethical Teachings in Christianity and Islam Essay example -- Ethics,

There are several ethical teachings in Christianity and Islam that instruct Christians and Muslims on how they should act in everyday life. These ethical teachings often require the members of each religion to give generously to the welfare of those in need. This essay will prove that both Islam and Christianity have ethical teachings that instruct people to give to the needy. This will be proved by first defining what an ethical guideline or teaching is, by looking at the Islamic ethical guidelines that instruct Muslims to help those in need and finally through analysing the Christian ethical guidelines that teach Christians to contribute to the welfare of those in need. Ethics is the explicit, philosophical reflection on moral beliefs and practices to clarify what is right and wrong and what human beings should freely do or refrain from doing. Therefore ethical guidelines are the guidelines set out to tell human beings what they should freely do and what they should refrain from based on whether it is right or wrong. Ethical guidelines in Christianity teach Christians how they should act so that their daily living reflects spiritual principles and supports the purpose and value of this world. For example the Ten Commandments were made by God to teach human beings to refrain from things such as stealing, murder and not loving your neighbour. Islamic ethical guidelines can be found in Islamic law. There are laws on how Muslims should treat one another and how they should behave towards Allah. For example the third Pillar of Islam; Zakat, teaches Muslims to give their left over wealth to the poor and needy. This guideline was passed down from Allah to teach Muslims that they should treat the poor and needy with respect and help ... ...welfare to the needy as it teaches that those who give to the needy will be accepted into heaven. Both Islam and Christianity have obvious ethical teachings that require Muslims and Christians to contribute welfare to those in need. The teachings of Zakat, Mohammed’s sermons, the Qur’an passages and the teaching of jihad all instruct Muslims to give their extra wealth to those in need. The Bible passages about the poor teach Christians to give money to the needy as well. These teachings are invaluable to Islamic and Christian society as due to these teachings Muslims and Christians give more money to the poor and thus as a result of these teachings poor people in Islamic and Christian society are better supported. Works Cited Holy Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale, 2005. Print. The Qur’an: Translation. Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Elmhurst: Tahrike, 2000. Print.

The Poison of Human Relationships

â€Å"My wife’s jealousy is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was†(Dangerfield, 2007) This is a quotation from Rodney Dangerfield and it is quote evident that jealousy makes a relationship crucial and impractical. Crucial in a sense that people’s life involved in a relationship is affected and it seems that they become such paranoids. It is Impractical because it really changed one’s way of living including societal and personal development. Fear is the one acting behind the strings in jealousy. Jealousy is a state, wherein a person experiences fear, suspicion or envy cause by a real or imagined threat or challenge to one’s possessive instincts (Webster, 2007). Jealous feelings come up because we are afraid of not getting our needs. Most of the times, we want to be secured of something. We are afraid of being abandoned, of losing one’s affection and love. We are afraid of being abandoned, of losing one’s affection and love. We are afraid of unresolved issues from past relationships. Whenever we are jealous of something or of someone, all that we hear is our self. We become deaf of other people’s explanation. We tend to think and see only the negative side of the story. It’s been an experience that when jealousy comes up, we pity ourselves. We often think that he or she is far better than us. Jealousy is a double edged sword, with the sharper edge pointed towards one’s self. Jealousy is like a poison which spreads throughout the body and affecting everything that it makes contact with. Jealousy often is the result of not feeling good about yourself physically and personally. It weakens our emotional well being. At the same time, it builds paranoia to those who are stricken by it. Jealousy, as stated earlier is sort of a poison that paralyzes all the aspects of a human being. Jealousy is a state by which a person feels that he/she should be the one who experiences what another person is giving to a different person besides himself/herself.   Jealousy present even among family members. A good example would be is when a parent does favor for one if their children but not to the other. While this type of jealousy can be lessened if the parent of the child also gives favors to the child that feels jealous, this may not be the case of a jealous lover. Instead, jealousy is often expressed as anger, leading us to accuse our partner of cheating. Sometimes those who are eaten by their own jealousy even avoid their friends that have something to offer than you wish you had to your loved ones. Most of the time, jealousy is really about feeling threatened that our relationship will be affected by another person or other factors. This often results when one does not feel worthy in a relationship. There is always this thinking that one’s partner has a reason to look elsewhere for attention because one is not good enough. If the person is a friend, then this also involves betrayal, and the hatred may breed between the two former friends. Most of us, when in this situation, are blinded by jealousy. Without knowing the main reason or cause of such situation, we easily conclude and usually, our conclusions lead to a fight or to an argument. We often say that love is blind, but sometimes it is not love that makes us blind but jealousy. Being jealous usually arises from the assumption that you own and want to control another person’s affection and love and want to keep them all to one’s self. This is what we call a conditional love, the person will love another if and only if the other person loves him/her. Jealousy affects health of those stricken by it, aside from the fact that it ruins one’s relationship. Feelings of jealousy can consume a person’s heart making the person irritable and annoyed . It can cause sleepless nights and lack of appetite. Some even turn to alcohol or drugs to deal with their feelings. While others say that jealousy eats relationship alive and offers nothing in return, some believe and claim that being jealous sparks passion and romance. Jealousy can even sometimes strengthen a relationship. It sometimes means that you really love that person, that you really care for him/her and you only don’t want to loose him/her. Though jealous feelings can be frustrating, annoying and painful, somehow it brings up the feeling of sensual happiness. A little jealousy can sometimes help a relationship grow for the better. Too much of anything is detrimental to a relationship. Some scientists and researchers believe jealousy can be genetic. Culture and upbringing play a role in jealousy as well. For example, a violent boyfriend may claim his jealousy as the result of loving her partner so much, when in fact in reality, he may be copying the behaviors of his own father and does no know how else or how it is to deal with jealousy. If jealousy is an issue in one’s life, understanding of one’s behavior and what’s underneath it is essential in dealing with jealousy and preserving mental well being as well as the quality of relationships. Reference: Quotes about jealousy http://www.worldofquotes.com/topic/Jealousy/1/index.html Definition of Jealousy Webster Dictionary.               

Attention to Detail Essay

Paying attention to detail is a key part in today’s society not only in the Marine Corps or the military but in civilian life as well. No matter what career or MOS you are in you need to concentrate and focus on attention to detail. Without it one could miss a crucial part or step in the process and mess something up. It could be as small as a document that you can redo or as big as not getting a bolt right on a plane and destroy millions of dollars of equipment and get someone killed. There is a reason we are constantly told to pay attention and don’t get complicit. In the military attention to detail is key and very important and should be a part of everything you do. An example of attention of detail would be to bring canteens and jerry cans to refill canteens but without checking to make sure there is water in them they are useless. Another would be safety rules on the range. You may know them but if you don’t pay attention you could forget to put your weapon back on safe after firing. Also if you forget to tighten a bolt to the right torque it could cause something to go wrong and destroy millions of dollars of equipment and get someone injured in the process or even killed. In civilian life it is important to pay attention to detail for many reasons. If you work in an office or work with documents all day need to make sure each one is accurate and a filled out correctly. Making sure to use capitation where it is needed and using the right forms and formats. It should take time to fill forms out and make sure they are correct reading them over multiple times. If something is messed up with the forms it could cause issues later when the documents are needed. No matter what you do in life attention to detail is key and should be implemented in everything you do. It could mean everything from as small as a form or as big as a plane. You are told to do something a specific way pay attention to every detail and don’t mess anything up.

Cardiovascular Fitness Essays

Cardiovascular Fitness Essays Cardiovascular Fitness Essay Cardiovascular Fitness Essay Cardiovascular Fitness Definition Cardiovascular fitness is the practice of using and transfer of oxygen to the organs in your body. The daily exercising can help bring oxygen to the body making it more simple to release oxygen. So enhancing your exercising routines is useful. An important thing about cardiovascular fitness is the maximum volume of oxygen you body can retain is called VO2 Max. There are different ways for you to exercise and practice cardiovascular fitness like walking. Cardio fitness can also involve aerobics, but either way fitness can be important in many ways. For example physical fitness can give you a boost in physical and cardiovascular fitness. Being healthy is important because you get to be more active knowing that your fit. Another way it can help is by keeping track of your weight. Obesity has grown in the U. S and just doing simple everyday execises in cardio fitness can maintain your weight and help decrease it. This also can boost someone’s life and can help people’s self-esteem and health problems. Cardio fitness can also help your breathing system which involves your heart and lungs. This is important because people also have harsh issues with their heart and lungs that can lead to serious health problems in their future. Exercising for cardio fitness can stop your breathing system from ever being damaged and can help maintain its healthy ways. All these are explanations on how cardio fitness can help a someone’s life and can make a healthier and stable life. Exercising is an important part for becoming more healthy and fit but doing other things involving health can help like eating a healthy diet and having enough energy to actually do exercises.

Can Jurors Ask Questions During Trials

Can Jurors Ask Questions During Trials The trend of jurors asking questions while a trial is going on is becoming more popular in courtrooms across the country. There are some states that now require it by law, including Arizona, Colorado, and Indiana. Many times highly technical testimony may alienate the average juror to the point where they stop paying attention and begin faking that they understand what is being said. Because of this, lawyers have become more reluctant to take cases where they risk verdicts that are derived from uninformed and bored jurors who do not understand the applicable laws. Case studies of trials that have been reviewed have shown that when jurors could ask questions during the trial, there were fewer incidents of verdicts that lacked a sound understanding of the evidence that was presented.​ CEATS Inc. v. Continental Airlines Experimentation has been done to gauge the effectiveness of permitting jurors to ask questions during trial. An example was in the CEATS Inc. v. Continental Airlines trial. Chief Judge Leonard Davis asked jurors to write down questions that they had after each witness testified. Out of earshot of the jury, the lawyers and judge then reviewed each question, which did not identify which jury member asked it. The judge, with attorney input, selected the questions to ask and informed the jurors that the selected questions were decided by him, not the lawyers, to avoid a juror getting insulted or holding a grudge because their question was not selected. The attorneys could then expound on the questions, but were specifically asked not to include the jurors questions during their closing arguments. One of the major concerns of allowing jurors to ask questions was the amount of time it would take to review, select, and answer the questions. According to Alison K. Bennett, MS, in the article Eastern District of Texas Experiments with Jurors Questions During Trial, Judge Davis said that the additional time added about 15 minutes to the testimony of each witness. He also said that the jurors appeared more engaged and invested in the proceedings and that the questions asked showed a level of sophistication and understanding from the jury that was encouraging. The Pros of Allowing Jurors to Ask Questions Most jurors want to render a fair verdict based on their understanding of the testimony. If jurors are unable to obtain all the information that they need to make that decision, they may become frustrated with the process and ignore the evidence and testimony that they could not decipher. By becoming active participants in the courtroom, jurors get a more in-depth understanding of courtroom procedures, are less likely to misunderstand the facts of a case and develop a clearer perspective on which laws apply or do not apply to the case. Jurors questions can also help lawyers get a feel for what they are thinking and can influence how lawyers continue to present their cases. It is also a good tool to reference when preparing for future cases. The Cons of Allowing Jurors to Ask Questions The risks of allowing a jury to ask questions can mostly be controlled by how the procedure is handled, although there are still other problems that may arise. They include: A juror who wants to display their superior understanding of the case or one that talks too much could become taxing and annoying to other jurors as well as add unnecessary time to the trial proceedings. It also puts lawyers and judges at risk if they display signs of fatigue or annoyance with trying to control someone with these characteristics. The fallout could result in the juror feeling alienated and resentful which could have a harmful effect on jury deliberations.A question could be asked that jurors feel essential, but in reality, has little legal significance to the outcome of the trial. Such a question could end up carrying too much weight when jurors begin their deliberations.There is also a risk that the questions not asked by a jury could imply that they do not understand the evidence being presented or realize the significance of the evidence presented. Alternatively, it may mean that they do not have additional questions because they completely understand what has been presented. This could put lawyers at a disadvantage. If the jury does not understand the evidence enough to ask questions, a lawyer may change their strategy and spend more time with testimony that helps explain the evidence. However, if the jury does have a full understanding of the evidence, additional time spent on the same information could be viewed as repetitive and boring and the lawyer risks being audibly muted by jurors. The risk of a witness answering a jurors question that has been rendered inadmissible.Jurors may take the position of being an adversary of a witness rather than being interested in all of the facts of the case.Jurors may rate the importance of testimony if a judge does not elect to ask a witness a jurors question. They may feel it is not important testimony because it was not worthy of additional time spent to review it.A question may be allowed by a judge by mistake and become the reason the verdict is later appealed.Lawyers fear losing control over their case and trial strategy, especially if a question is asked by a juror that lawyers have purposely avoided mentioning during a trial. There is a concern that jurors with questions may decide on their verdict too early. Procedure Determines Success of Jury Questions Most of the problems that could develop from jurors asking questions can be controlled by a strong judge, through careful review of the questions and through using a proactive process through which jurors can submit questions. If the judge is reading the questions, and not the jurors, a garrulous juror can then be controlled. Questions that do not have significant importance to the overall outcome of the trial can be skipped. Questions that appear to appear bias or are argumentative can be reworded or discarded. However, it does give the judge an opportunity to review the importance to jurors of remaining impartial until the trial is over. Cases Studies of Jurors Asking Questions Professor Nancy Marder, director of IIT Chicago-Kents Jury Center and author of the book The Jury Process, researched the effectiveness of juror questions and determined that the justice is fully served when a jury is informed and understands all the mechanisms that go into their role as juror, including testimony given, evidence shown and how laws should or should not be applied. She goes on to emphasize that judges and lawyers can benefit by taking a more jury-centric approach to court proceedings, which means considering questions that jurors may have through the jurors perspective rather through their own. By doing so will improve the performance of the jury as a whole. It can also enable a jury to remain present and focused on what is going on, rather than have them obsess on an unanswered question. Unanswered questions could promote a feeling of apathy towards the remainder of the trial if they fear that they have failed to understand important testimony. Understanding the Dynamics of a Jury In Marders article, Answering Jurors Questions: Next Steps in Illinois, she looks at the pros and cons of several examples of what can happen when jurors are permitted or legally bound to ask questions, and one major point that she mentions is in regards to the dynamics that occur among a jury. She discusses how within groups of jurors there is a tendency for those who failed to understand testimony to look to other jurors who they deem as being better informed. That person ultimately becomes an authority figure in the room. Often their opinions carry more weight and will have more influence over what the jurors decide. When jurors questions are answered, it helps create an environment of equality and each juror can participate and contribute to the deliberations rather than being dictated to by those who appear to have all the answers. If a debate does arise, all jurors can inject their knowledge into the discussion without feeling uninformed. By doing this, jurors are more likely to vote independently, rather than to be overly influenced by a single juror. According to Marders research, the positive results of jurors moving out of passive roles of observers to active roles which allow them to ask questions has far outweighed the more negative concerns of lawyers and judges.​​​

A Friend of Jims

A Friend of Jims A Friend of Jims A Friend of Jims By Maeve Maddox Theo Smith writes: I am often frustrated by what I call a double possessive. We seem to say and write friends of Jims not friends of Jim when the item possessed   is stated before that which possesses it. But when the possessor is identified first, we say, for example, Jims friends. Whats up with this? The double possessive appears in that of indicates possession and so does the apostrophe s (s) appended to the possessor. What can you tell me about this?    This double genitive construction includes both a friend of Jims and a friend of his. Its one of those English idioms that tries the souls of logic lovers, but it has been in the language for a very long time because it works. The double genitive makes it possible to distinguish between definiteness and indefiniteness. It also eliminates ambiguity. For example, theres a distinct difference of meaning between the following phrases: a photo of Daniel a photo of Daniels Although in use since Chaucers time or before, the double genitive attracted the attention of 18th century grammarians; their disapproval did nothing to stamp it out. Modern style manuals offer guidelines. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, The possessive form may be preceded by of where one of several is implied. â€Å"A friend of Dick’s† and â€Å"a friend of his† are equally acceptable. 7.29 The AP Style Book goes into more detail: DOUBLE POSSESSIVE: Two conditions must apply for a double possessivea phrase such as a friend of Johnsto occur: The word after of must refer to an animate object, and The word before of must involve only a portion of the animate objects possessions. Otherwise, do not use the possessive form of the word after of: The friends of John Adams mourned his death. (All the friends were involved.) He is a friend of the college. (Not colleges because college is inanimate). For a linguists take on the double genitive, read Mark Libermans Genitive Anxiety. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)"Confused With" and "Confused About"7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Research two of the best companies to work for in America Essay

Research two of the best companies to work for in America - Essay Example Both Google and Boston consulting group have things that make them great employers: things like industry leading salaries and care packages, a spirit of hiring from within, good job growth and so forth. Boston Consulting Group even hired its largest crop of new recruits ever in the year 2010, showing that even in the midst of serious economic downturn it is able to promise strong job growth. Google’s revenue continues to grow as well, with its search business and Android platform on mobile devices. That, along with a relatively small pool of employees leaves a large pool of money that allows both companies to spread a great deal of money and benefits to its employees while still remaining profitable. What makes both companies better than any other, however, is the x factor that can’t be quantified. For Google this x-factor is largely the corporate culture, a corporate culture that values innovation, forces its employees to take time to do something that does not relate to their jobs every day to keep them sharp, and allows new ideas to percolate. Boston Consulting Group has a very different type of x-factor. Boston Consulting, as an employer, has one of the greatest commitments to social issues of any company in the country. It has a network set up to do so, called Social Impact Practice Network, which allows its workers to pursue projects in conjunction with the UN world Food Program and Save the Children; furthermore, BCN removed its employees from projects they were working on to give on-the-ground support in Haiti following the earthquake that devastated the country (CNN Money). It is almost impossible to actually determine what the two best employers in the country are. Every year, Forbes publishes a list of the best employers in the country. Each one of those companies has top-notch wages, good job growth in both hourly and salaried workers, and many different kinds of benefits for its employees. In all of these realms, both Boston

A Year In The South(BOOK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Year In The South(BOOK) - Essay Example What follows then is a compelling story of hope, despair and tribulations during the collapse of the confederacy and the raise of a new south to show, that the end of the civil war impacted heavily across all persons from different backgrounds and classes. The end of the civil war brought with it an overwhelming financial crisis. Poverty was widespread and all the southerners were undergoing a turbulent time in making their ends meet. In the book, Cornelia was one of the vast refugees who fled as a result of lack of food during the civil war era (Brown, p.4). Even in her new home, Lexington Virginia, she still had to struggle to obtain food for herself and her seven children. In public she casts herself as a cheerful and jovial figure but when alone she says that she would, â€Å"go up the stairs and throw myself on my knees and cry to God for food† (Ash, p.167). Louis Hughes, on the other hand, is a freed slave battling to gain independence and self-sufficiency for him and his family by envisioning that the end of the war would mark his independence together with the other slaves. He thus engages in the business of selling tobacco plugs within the slave community. The business was booming at the beginning, but with the collaps e of the confederate authority in the state he says that his, â€Å"happy interlude† came to an end (Ash, p.28). Besides the economic downturn caused by the confederate war, Steven V. Ash also manages to capture the social, as well as the political turmoil that were taking shape upon the demise of the confederate south. Samuel Agnew, being the son of a minister and later a minister himself, was exempt from conscription into the confederate military. However, towards the end of the war Agnew is forced to accept the political changes that were taking place in the south. He was forced to accept the freedom of all slaves who toiled in his

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Research Paper

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Research Paper Example On entering Afghanistan in the first lime, the U.S. troop focused on overthrowing the governing Taliban, which had provided haven for al-Qaeda. Although the U.S. troop took several years before fully taking control, on entering Afghanistan, they took less than three months and defeated the Taliban. In 2009, the war still continued. Researchers believe that the economy of Pakistan has since then been destabilized. On coming into power, President Obama, through his advisors documented that the destabilization would be one of the countries biggest foreign policy challenge (Scott, 2003). Therefore, Obama committed another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to increase the number to approximately 55,000 troops. Obama’s commitment into the war has since then seen the war change the name from Afghan war to Obama’s war.U.S. focuses on counter attacking terrorism and promote the stability of the country. Obama’s strategy was to disrupt, dismantle, and conquer al-Qaeda based in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Baker, 2009). It is hopeful that this attack will prevent their return back into the country. Vietnam is another country whose relation is similar to that of Afghanistan as discussed below. Vietnam War, according to historians is arguably a war that caused death many innocent people. As documented by Levy, (2004), this war claimed not less than 2 million people who were civilians, over 200,000 South Vietnamese army troops, over a million soldiers from the north, and approximately 58,000 soldiers from America. Although the communist North eventually defeated South Vietnam, U.S. contributed immensely to end this war through their support to South Vietnam. From the communist perspective, U.S. were to blame for ruining the country. The reason why U.S. was highly blamed was due to the use of herbicides. These herbicides like Agent Orange polluted the Vietnam environment contributing to health hazards. SRV, popularly known as Socialist Republic of Vietnam, was fo rmed by the United Vietnam and its capital set at Hanoi. The relationship that existed between America and the formed SRV was unstable, which caused the U.S. army to react. The two countries (U.S and Vietnam) remained connected due to the concern that U.S. showed to its prisoners who were held in Vietnam during the war. In addition, the Water Scandal contributed significantly to the deterioration of the relation. As a result, communist Vietnam lost trust with U.S. Since U.S. proved persistent, the effects brought about by the post-Vietnam War period impacted U.S. development positively leading to a new world formation. By mid 1990s, there existed no established diplomatic relations. The efforts to have the two countries united seemed unrealizable. However, after creation of Ambassador between the two countries, this dreams seemed close to realization. When this association was introduced, other associations came in and successfully moved forward. For instance, a bilateral trade Agre ement was signed in 2000. Further still, Vietnam was included in the World trade Organization at the start of 2006 (Levy, 2004). Other significant association that occurred during these times was the close visits by senior officials. For instance, the then U.S. president Bill Clinton visited Vietnam in 2000, while the Van Khai, the then prime minister visited US in several occasions in 2005. From 2006, it is evident that the U.S. and Vietnam relation has had a positive turn. In 2007, Nguyen Minh, the Vietnam president visited U.S. for the first time ever

IT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

IT - Assignment Example s the data; prepare prescriptions to be sent to the pharmacies via communication technology; get instant and accurate results from the laboratories directly; communicate with their patients on a regular basis no matter which part of the globe they live in; and, give better suggestions regarding their health and lifestyle. On the other hand, the patients, here referred to as e-Patients, can have access to doctors all around the world with the use of information and communication technology, telemedicine and e-Health systems, get diagnosis (known as remote diagnosis) and treatment regarding their diseases, and thus, remain better informed about their problems in particular and health care in general. Eysenbach writes in his article that e-Health has a major contribution in solving the communication problem between the practitioners providing healthcare in remote areas and healthcare institutions in the city. E-Health brings the best healthcare providers in competition which enhances the quality of healthcare practice. It has created a trustworthy doctor-patient relationship, as e-Health systems ensure the patients’ privacy. It provides tools, known as e-Health tools, which facilitate health services like diagnosis and treatment. These include electronic databases, mobile monitors, health portals, and many more. E-Health is also cost-effective as money is not spent on staffing and traveling resources. The European Union (EU) is the leader in the development of e-Health systems and tools. ICT1 has made it possible to provide faster, reliable, cost-effective, and responsive solutions to mankind in the health sector (Europe’s Information Society). E-Patients use ICT to have a better knowledge about their diseases and other issues. They can communicate with their physicians and fellow sufferers. ICT has enabled the patients to be part of the health decision process who are constantly requesting to view and access the data about their diseases contained in their

Discuss the extent to which rape is central to heroic mythical Research Paper

Discuss the extent to which rape is central to heroic mythical narratives of the Greeks and Romans. What is the effect of associ - Research Paper Example Narratives based on the theme of love often depicted rapes of mortal women by male gods. Such interactions led to the conception and subsequent birth of heroic offspring. When analyzing rape in heroic narratives from its references in art, it is seen that rape was used to develop and project social normality or otherwise. Moorti observes that rape is a central theme in Greek mythology (203). The degree of importance given to rape shows the elements of patriarchy and male supremacy as well as the normality of violent acts with women. The narratives that have been written after 5 BC show that rape was increasingly used as a means of blurring and comfortably transgressing the boundaries between the divine and the mortals. It was also used as a way of expressing identity and personal limits. It served a heuristic purpose, trying to provide solutions for questions relating to existence, religion and politics. Moorti contends that the metaphorical use of rape for taking into consideration major issues should not be regarded as an atavistic practice or linked to a recurrence due to genetics (203). On the contrary, its use shows how legal and illegal issues related to sexuality are addressed. The liberal use of rape in Greek and Roman mythology raises questions regarding the intention behind it. It is observed that one of the reasons why rape was used commonly was that it depicted power and rank. The tales of narratives were in fact representations of the lifestyle and ways of living of the Greeks and the Romans. The social and cultural norms of the civilizations were such that men had the authority to rape women to punish them or simply to assert their control and authority over them. Rape was also carried out by gods for the same reasons. Gods used rape as a tool for asserting the connections and importance of familial relations between them. Despite the fact that the Romans and the Greeks were cultured people, rape was inflicted by men on women on a common scale and the same element was portrayed in heroic narratives. When studying Greek mythology, one can conclude that most of them are largely patriarchal and served to facilitate the image and position of the males in the society (Harris and Platzner 850). By showing that gods also raped, the males were able to justify their actions and prove that they cannot be wrong if they were carried out by gods too (Xanders). Rape in heroic narratives did not have any stigma or negative consequences associated with it. A similar claim is asserted by Smith (12). Smith is of the point of view that drinking and sexual abuse were rampant in the ancient times. Men used to carry out such acts without any remorse or fear because they were characteristic of religious elements and did not embody the disgrace of any misconduct. One such behavioral analogy representing alcohol-induced rape in Greek mythology can be found in the conduct and character of Satyr. Satyr was a forest being which was related to the god o f wine, Dionysus. Satyr indulged itself in excessive wine consumption and rapes of women (Smith 12). Other instances of rape in Greek mythology are seen in Helen’s kidnapping from Sparta, the rape of Alcippe and the rape of Protogeneia by Zeus to name a few (Simon 4). Woodard is of the perspective that when looking at the study of causes, there is an apparent pattern of seeing the human status as that of a victim (366). This is manifested in the supremacy of the gods over the mortals. The early narratives of

Foreign Aid and Dictatorship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foreign Aid and Dictatorship - Research Paper Example Foreign aid also has a positive impact on the democracy of a country, which is one of the economic development pillars in developing countries. Countries experiencing high levels of injustices and poverty are often the recipients of aid, which is directed at saving the lives of those individuals, as well as improving the economy of that country. Public development projects like health centres, schools, and roads in some developing countries, depend entirely on foreign aid, whether in form of grants or loans. The grants and loans form a basic part of some country’s budget allocation, which signifies their economic importance. Accordingly, foreign aid helps recipient countries to improve their living of standards, but on a short-term basis. Besides directly benefiting the government of recipient countries, foreign aid also benefits the private sector and the families in those nations. Families and the private sector access aid through foreign direct investment and remittances (L ahiri 2007: 223). This kind of flow of aid resources may adversely affect the economy positively. Nonetheless, there is clear evidence of a cause-effect relationship between aid and development (economic and otherwise). There has been criticism revolving the issues of aid to developing countries, especially to African countries. Economists argue that inflow of aid affects a government’s consumption instead of investment (Sogge 2002:11). This is common in cases where a government has access to unconstrained aid funds, resulting to increase in government consumption that has a negative effect on the economy of that country. Considering the fact that foreign aid constitutes a major portion of developing countries’ revenues, there is a possibility of a â€Å"windfall† which may generate rent-seeking activities, corruption, and even civil wars. A prime example is World Bank’s Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline aid, estimated at 180 million USD. To avoid corruption, Wo rld Bank gave directives to Chad that the funds should be kept in offshore accounts, and that the purposes of the aid funds were strictly for infrastructure, health, and education (Lancaster 2007:27). Problems began after the government started receiving oil revenues in 2004, with the first bonus received from oil companies, 4.5 million USD, purchasing weapons for the Chad government. In total, close to 12 million USD was directed towards purchase of weapons, leading to suspension of the aid by the World Bank. Another case is Somalia. Experts state that the civil war in the country was a result of different factions’ desire to control the huge food aid to the country (Williamson, 2009). Recent studies highlight several mechanisms that explain why windfalls of resources in recipient countries lead to a decline in their economic growth. All the mechanisms indicate that individuals engage in rent-seeking activities in efforts to appropriate portions of the resources, which lead to a decline in the economic growth (Bealinger 2006: 63). The theories also incorporate the idea of commons, which describes the effects of the aggregate capital stock common access that foreign aid induces. In summary, foreign aid has a voracity effect: which states that if powerful groups exist in an inter-temporal

Discuss the extent to which rape is central to heroic mythical Research Paper

Discuss the extent to which rape is central to heroic mythical narratives of the Greeks and Romans. What is the effect of associ - Research Paper Example Narratives based on the theme of love often depicted rapes of mortal women by male gods. Such interactions led to the conception and subsequent birth of heroic offspring. When analyzing rape in heroic narratives from its references in art, it is seen that rape was used to develop and project social normality or otherwise. Moorti observes that rape is a central theme in Greek mythology (203). The degree of importance given to rape shows the elements of patriarchy and male supremacy as well as the normality of violent acts with women. The narratives that have been written after 5 BC show that rape was increasingly used as a means of blurring and comfortably transgressing the boundaries between the divine and the mortals. It was also used as a way of expressing identity and personal limits. It served a heuristic purpose, trying to provide solutions for questions relating to existence, religion and politics. Moorti contends that the metaphorical use of rape for taking into consideration major issues should not be regarded as an atavistic practice or linked to a recurrence due to genetics (203). On the contrary, its use shows how legal and illegal issues related to sexuality are addressed. The liberal use of rape in Greek and Roman mythology raises questions regarding the intention behind it. It is observed that one of the reasons why rape was used commonly was that it depicted power and rank. The tales of narratives were in fact representations of the lifestyle and ways of living of the Greeks and the Romans. The social and cultural norms of the civilizations were such that men had the authority to rape women to punish them or simply to assert their control and authority over them. Rape was also carried out by gods for the same reasons. Gods used rape as a tool for asserting the connections and importance of familial relations between them. Despite the fact that the Romans and the Greeks were cultured people, rape was inflicted by men on women on a common scale and the same element was portrayed in heroic narratives. When studying Greek mythology, one can conclude that most of them are largely patriarchal and served to facilitate the image and position of the males in the society (Harris and Platzner 850). By showing that gods also raped, the males were able to justify their actions and prove that they cannot be wrong if they were carried out by gods too (Xanders). Rape in heroic narratives did not have any stigma or negative consequences associated with it. A similar claim is asserted by Smith (12). Smith is of the point of view that drinking and sexual abuse were rampant in the ancient times. Men used to carry out such acts without any remorse or fear because they were characteristic of religious elements and did not embody the disgrace of any misconduct. One such behavioral analogy representing alcohol-induced rape in Greek mythology can be found in the conduct and character of Satyr. Satyr was a forest being which was related to the god o f wine, Dionysus. Satyr indulged itself in excessive wine consumption and rapes of women (Smith 12). Other instances of rape in Greek mythology are seen in Helen’s kidnapping from Sparta, the rape of Alcippe and the rape of Protogeneia by Zeus to name a few (Simon 4). Woodard is of the perspective that when looking at the study of causes, there is an apparent pattern of seeing the human status as that of a victim (366). This is manifested in the supremacy of the gods over the mortals. The early narratives of

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES - Essay Example Technology has already achieved its place in the modern business. Unlike the earlier days when technology was seen as just a requirement of the big businesses, in a modern world, smaller businesses have to also use technology to solve most of the challenges they have in order to avoid losing market competitiveness. As Proctor (2009) says, every business has a problem or a challenge which makes it harder to serve its customers in a good way and this means that these businesses have to know how to address these issues. In regard to this, the business should be able to seek to see how it can use technology to be able to overcome these challenges. Carnivore Urban is a city restaurant which offers customers interesting cuisine most of them based on beef. Barbeque is a major part of Carnivore Urban hence the name of the restaurant. Carnivore Urban also offers drinks of all kinds, and it considers itself an entertainment hub, targeted to the common working class people who like to go to the restaurant every day after work to relax. Customers come to the restaurant and order their favourite drink and their food. Each day in the week is a special entertainment treat day where music of different tastes is played, but always to take of the customers. The main advantage is that customers can come in and order a dish of their own unique recipe and have it prepared within a reasonable time. This not only helps the customers to have customized meals which are tuned to their specific taste, it also helps them to eat fresh meals. There is however one problem with this kind of arrangement. Stock management is hard, and some time Carnivore Urban buys too much food material of a certain type which them goes to waste if that day customers don’t order meals requiring that kind of food materials. As Webne (2008) says, managing logistics is a major and vital part of successful business management. For instance, it is possible

Reviewing The Prison Management System Information Technology Essay

Reviewing The Prison Management System Information Technology Essay ICT in prisons was initiated in the year 2002 at Delhi Prisons, Tihar. The Tihar Prisons Complex in New Delhi is the biggest prison complex in Asia comprising of 9 prisons and one District Jail at Rohini with a total strength of more than 11,000 prisoners against a normal sanctioned capacity of 6250 prisoners. In a year, about 70,000 80,000 inmates remain lodged in these prisons for different duration and crimes committed by them. This prison population has about 80% under trials and includes about 480 women inmates. About 400 inmates are foreigners from different parts of the world. Many high security criminals also live here. There has been a substantial increase in number of prison inmates coming to Tihar because of a phenomenal increase in the crime scene at Delhi that has resulted in the increase of the ICT needs and its management at the Tihar Jail Complex. Nearly 1700-1800 visitors meet their relative inmates every day. There was manual system of booking mulaqats (meetings) in each jail for its respective inmates. Centralised visitor record was not available. There was lack of exchange of visitors information within jails and prison headquarters. There was no provision for identification / detection / verification of visitors. Keeping a tab on the movement of visitors / nefarious elements was difficult. There was no control either on multiple meetings with an inmate in a day / week or on number of visitors permissible to meet with each inmate. It was difficult for the jail administration to keep a record of those prisoners whose meetings were stopped by the courts by way of punishment. There was limi ted and unstructured recording of demographic details about the visitors. Managing the prisoner record and monitoring of prisoner / visitor was always difficult since most of the records were normally maintained manually (so the concerned authorities were required to go through all the registers to find out the details and status of the inmate as well as of the visitor). In order to cope up with the increasing number of prisoners being lodged in, the Tihar Administration required a re-engineering and rationalisation of their key business processes and functions of prisoners related information and their computerisation in order to speed up the processing of information. As the technology evolution took place, there arose a need for centralisation of prisoners data to facilitate information exchange and data sharing as well. This re-engineering would be aimed at reducing administrative overheads, speed up responsiveness to users, reduce risks involved in inmates custody, eliminate obsolete processes and reap cost-cutting benefits. 1) Based on your previous internship experience(s), identify any one business process which you have working knowledge of. Prison Management System (PMS) is a G-2-G and G-2-C e-governance application, which encapsulates the manual working-pattern of the prison rule book i.e. registration, movement within the jail and outside and release of the inmate. It captures the inmates photograph and stores the same in the database after reducing it to less than 2.5 KB size. This is directly stored in the central database such that duplicate entry of the prisoner can be identified in a global manner, which helps in tracing out the frequent flyers to the jail. It helps to generate more than 65 reports of administrative, performance and statistical nature. It helps in dealing with over populous prison that is housing inmates, which are more than 3 times of the sanctioned capacity. It facilitates in monitoring the inmate movement (both inside / outside the correction home). It also facilitates, regulates and simplifies the processes of meeting between the visitors who are coming to visit their relations and friends lodged in the correctional home. It is helping the prison authorities in identification / verification of the inmates using fingerprint based identification tools. Video conferencing is also held within the jail complex with courts and inmates are presented before the Honourable Justice. Using both digital and analog cameras, security is enhanced and a central video wall has also been installed. Around 250 300 cameras pan, tilt and zoom round the clock and feed signals at a central location using the integrated network, over which voice, video and data move freely and continuously. 2) Using the Funnel model diagram, briefly explain how this business process fits into the larger scheme of things for the organization. Funnel Model Diagram -Global Environment There has been a substantial increase in number of prison inmates coming to Tihar because of a phenomenal increase in the crime scene at Delhi that has resulted in the increase of the ICT needs and its management at the Tihar Jail Complex. It has been observed that these inmates tend to revert back to their old habits once they are released after the completion of their term. This can be attributed to several reasons ranging from mistreatment in the correction facility to their inability to obtain employment due to past record. Thus the government and the jail authorities have committed themselves to providing a safe as well as secure detention. They also aim to provide reformation and rehabilitation in a manner which results in welfare opportunities for all inmates. In the long term this should result in a reduction in the number of criminals created due to external environment and society. -Corporate Strategies In the last few years, the prison population has steadily grown, adding tremendous pressure to the overall capacity, basic standard of living and treatment to the prisoners remanded. Effective 24/7 security and vigilance by 1300 jail staff was a key area of concern. The jail management decided that an efficient video surveillance system was required to track, monitor and record movements in critical locations. Management of prisoner records and monitoring of prisoner / visitor has always been difficult in Indian jails since most of the records were normally maintained manually, so the concerned authorities were required to go through all the registers to find out the details and status of the inmate as well as of the visitor. In order to cope up with the increasing number of prisoners being lodged in, the Tihar Administration required a re-engineering and rationalisation of their key business processes and functions of prisoners related information and their computerisation in order to speed up the processing of information need of courts and various other national agencies. -Organizational Structure The Tihar correction facility has a clear set of standard operating procedures. The practical benefit of this model is that the correctional system is not overly dependent upon one or two people. It can easily promote or substitute personnel. The jail dominantly follows a bureaucratic model. This model revolves around a strict hierarchical system but it isnt focussed on one dominant personality. Organizational control flows through the hierarchy with a strict chain of command and a formal process of communication. Rules and regulations are written and specific. Additionally, the policy parameters stressed in this organizational structure are clear for all parties, and staff can be held accountable if they do not comply with written norms. On the negative side, for a difficult environment such as the Tihar jail, written norms do not guarantee consistent enforcement. Such norms are not helpful in every situation. Bureaucratic processes (currently) are slow to respond to change and do not encourage staff to demonstrate new initiative at any level of the organization. -Management and Business processes -Technological Platform 3) Explain in detail the working of this business process and what your role in it was. NIC took up this task of automating and streamlining the process of prisoner / visitor movement at Tihar Prisons. Following are the accomplishment in this area of prison management: Establishment of LAN: Establishment of LAN connecting all prisons situated in a big wide spread complex using 5,500 meters of Optical Fiber Cable (12 and 6 core) operated with one Layer 3 switch supported by 16 Layer 2 switches in the entire jail complex. The network has 185 IOs and can be expanded to 300 nodes without any additions / modifications / disruptions to the existing infrastructure. Surveys were got conducted and laying of OFC was found to be the best suitable option; Development and Implementation of PMS: Prison Management System (PMS) comprises of 12 primary functional modules. More than 65 reports of various types have been developed under Client / Server architecture. It has been developed, tested and implemented. This PMS has the following major features: Based on Client-Server Architecture and supports latest GUI features; Centralised Database for supporting powerful fast retrieval of data; Monitors physical location of inmate, their movements within and outside the jail complex, punishments, medical history of the inmate at the time of his / her arrival at the jail, cases filed against him, court hearings among other attributes; Supports more than 65 reports as per the present needs of the various monitoring agencies like National Human Rights Commission, National Crime Records Bureau and Tihar Jail itself. Biometric Tools: The PMS has been integrated with biometrics tools, which stores inmates biometric details at the time of entry and shall be used to authenticate at the time of their movement. The biometric based verification and authentication system is installed in all 9 jails of Tihar Prisons Complex and at District Jail, Rohini, New Delhi with facility to store prisoner photograph. Tihar Prisons was the first prison in India to use this technology for prisoners identification and verification along with the photograph; Photo pass for visitors: Visitor Management System [VMS] is implemented at Central Public Relation Office situated at Gate # 3 and at Gate # 4 of the Tihar Prisons. All visitors coming to Jail to meet their relative prisoners are first being photographed and then they are issued photo pass. Details of the visitors are being kept in the database and this information is shared with police for the investigation purpose. The meeting slip is generated within 45 seconds. The booking is using the concept of call centre. ISO Certification has been obtained for this process; Videoconferencing: The use of videoconferencing facility in prisons has drastically reduced expenditure incurred as compared to physically producing the jail inmates in the courts. Physical production of an inmate requires transportation, escort by armed police personnel, prevention of fights between inmates and nearly 6 hours of time wasted by each inmate. Fear of custody break is always there during the physical production. There are incidents when prisoners have fled after breaking lockups in the courtroom or from the custody of armed security personnel escorting them to court or by armed attack on the police vans by daredevils. Cameras: Using analog and digital cameras, security has been enhanced in the Tihar Prison complex. Cameras have been installed at strategic locations within wards. Each and every inmate can be watched from a video wall and surveillance brief is also sent to DG (Prisons) in real time. These video graphed shots are produced in case of any disputes. Implementation Processes Local Area Network (LAN): It was necessary to establish network in each prison and all prisons are connected over on LAN to capture and share prisoner information. This LAN is using 5,500 meters of Optical Fiber Cable (12 and 6 core) operated with one Layer 3 switches supported by 16 Layer 2 switches in the entire jail complex and having 145 IOs. The network is such that it can be expanded in future without any addition to the existing infrastructure and can support Closed Circuit Television [CCTV] System. Prison Management System (PMS): The application software Prison Management System (PMS), prison inmate information handling system, aims to facilitate modular but tightly integrated software solution for administering and managing the data related to inmates with their case details and other related activities of the inmates along with their photographs and also facilitate dissemination of information over the LAN to all the concerned officials of the correction homes. Visitor Management System (VMS): It aims to manage meetings of the inmates with their relatives and brings transparency in the Mulaqat (Meeting). It facilitates visitors to register their appointments / meetings with the inmates on telephone or in person at Central Public Relation Office of the Prison. Videoconferencing: The use of videoconferencing facility in prisons is for the purpose of remand extension and trial of prisoners (eTrial) in various courts of the country. The Delhi Government for speedy trial has changed the laws. This shall rule out any escape of prisoner from police custody while movement from Prisons to Courts for Court trials and after the trial when they return back to prisons. This shall minimise the manpower of security personnel, transportation cost and production time. VC sessions can be conducted between jail-2-jail, between jail-2-court within city and jail-2-court outside city for many important inmates like Pappu Yadav, who also happened to be MP. Use of Modern Security Gadgets: The use of modern security gadgets like Closed Circuit Television [CCTV] cameras and Biometric based Fingerprint Identification / Authentication / Verification System shall enhance the security of the Prisons and shall help prison administration in the effective management of Prisons / Prisoners. This has also been implemented at Tihar Jail. Tihar is the 1st jail in India where 258 cameras have been installed to provide digital surveillance. Training Training is a key part of any successful project. It should be tailored to the needs identified through the assessment of the work requirement, existing skills, knowledge and capacity of the employees. Training must be held for all levels and this training must be held separately for each level. The superintendent is the head of prison who is assisted by deputy and assistant superintendents. Warders and matrons are the lowest functionaries in the jail administrative setup. Primarily they have to maintain the day-to-day administration of inmates inside the jail, to know the number of prisoners in their charge; to count them frequently during their turn of duty and to satisfy themselves that they have all inmates in their custody. They have to report about any plots for the purpose of escaping or of assault or outbreak or any plan to obtain forbidden articles in the jail complex. Smoking is not allowed in the complex. Warders / matrons working in processes have been identified and provided with additional training developed for their specific functions. They possess good academic qualification, more disciplined and have keen interest to work on computers. Although the basic qualification for the post of warden / matron is only matriculation but a number of staff is having much higher qualification and this increase their interest in learning to use modern gadgets. One more important aspect was behind the training of warders / matrons is that they are from uniformed force and primary their responsibility being the safety and security of the prisons where more than 11000 criminals including hardcore criminals are lodged and we have to work within the security parameters. Monetary incentives were also given to them. Good work done by them was recorded in their annual confidential reports such that they get benefit in future. The Data Entry Operators were hired from private operators and they were provided training on the visitor module of the system. They are on contract and deployed outside the prison for visitor management. They were thoroughly sensitised before hiring for the job, so that they cannot try to connive with the prisoners relatives in any unlawful activity. 4) Draw a Business Process Modelling Diagram (BPMD) describing its working. BPMD (As-Is): BPMD (To-Be): Sample screenshot of the PMS software: 5) Identify any inefficiency (ies) in this business process and provide suitable justification for the same. General Issues / Inefficiencies in business process During the development of application software the requirements were not clear as the user was not supportive in sharing the information and subsequently could not be frozen. To overcome this problem, prototype of each module was first developed and then shown to the user department to get their suggestions / inputs. This regular interaction with the user helps in freezing out their requirements. There was no standard set for fingerprints scanning and matching which leads to non-interoperability of matching fingerprints. Many vendors provided fingerprint-matching solution, which was proprietary. There is no interoperability and standards in matching of fingerprints. The fingerprint solution integrated in the application software was taken after considering the solution to be used for whom, ruggedness of the scanner, omni directional scanning feature, live finger scanning and complete user satisfaction. Storage of photograph consumes lots of memory space. Reducing the resolution of the image and converting .bmp image to .jpeg image handled this issue. This process reduced image of size of 60k to less than 3k. Define the To-be state using certain metrics and (or) benchmarks. Metrics (Primes) along which To-be state was designed: For example, 7) Conclusions It has now become essential to embrace the new technologies in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the development / modernisation / advancement of prisons. Internetworking of all the jails across the India for sharing of information related to prison inmates who had been lodged in various jails of the country should improve the law and order within the state. Tihar Prisons has been pioneer in this area and they have shown it through their IT setup, a role model for other states and even other countries. It is likely that this may be replicated in the SAARC Region.

Comparison of Emily Dickinson Poems :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson’s poems, â€Å"I† and â€Å"VIII†, are both three verses long and convey the irony and anguish of the world in different ways. By paraphrasing each of Dickinson’s poems, â€Å"I† and â€Å"VIII†, similarities and differences between the two become apparent. Putting the poem into familiar language makes it easier to comprehend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I† and â€Å"VIII† are easier to understand after they have been translated into everyday language. In main concept of the first verse of â€Å"I† is that success is valued most by those who never succeed and that fruit tastes sweeter to those that are hungry. The second verse goes on to enforce that those who are alive and well after a battle do not appreciate the victory. The ending of â€Å"I† concludes the statement started in verse two. Its concept is that the one who is dying is the one who truly values the news of triumph. Likewise, â€Å"VIII† starts off with a statement similar to that of â€Å"I†. A hurt animal jumps higher than usual due to the shock of death. The following verse reinforces the idea in a different manner, a hurt rock gushes, broken steel springs, and a cheek is red where it has been hurt. The concluding verse states that people only laugh to mask their pain in order to avoid showing the sa dness that they harbor to the world. Now that each poem has been paraphrased, it is simple to spy similarities and differences in their topics and structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The similarities between â€Å"I† and â€Å"VIII† exist in their use of irony, paradox, and repetition of ideas. Irony is woven throughout both poems. In â€Å"I†, the most apparent ironic statement is â€Å"as he defeated, dying, on whose forbidden ear the distant strains of triumph break, agonized and clear.† While we expect those alive and celebrating their victory to appreciate it most, Dickinson states that the one who has died for his country is the one who really values the win. In â€Å"VIII†, it is stated that â€Å"mirth is the mail of anguish† which appears to contradictory. However, in Dickinson’s poem, it is used as an ironic statement to prove that people go to extreme lengths to hide their pain. Along with irony, both poems contain a paradox. In â€Å"I†, it is â€Å"success is counted sweetest by those who never succeed.† In â€Å"VIII† it is â€Å"the ecstacy of death.† Both poems also repeat the same idea in a number of ways.

Free Essays - Importance of Feste in Twelfth Night :: Twelfth Night essays

Importance of Feste in Twelfth Night Feste, the amusing clown, plays a most important part in the play. He is able to take on several roles, and is indeed "for all waters"; from serious to comic, learned to nonsensical, the wit or the practical joker; just as the occasion seems to suggest. Because he is a part of both the main and sub plot, Feste is the character, who links both parts of the play together, making Twelfth Night a whole. The clown contributes towards the humourous entertainment of this play through his numerous puns and jokes. He is a source of laughter, not because we are humoured by his "foolery"; for he proves to be no fool at all; but rather because he amuses us with his brilliant wit. Having mastered the art of jesting, Feste is sensitive of his profession, always aware of the circumstances he is in and the appropriateness of this folly. Feste is able to prevent any delusions of grandeur by a reminder that foolishness is a condition common to all mankind whether one is king or servant. It is Malvolio's vanity that convinces Feste to take part in the joke played on the steward. As "Sir Topas", and Malvolio's `prosecutor` Feste attempted to help Malvolio realize that there was "no darkness but ignorance". With Feste's help, we are able to attain a better understanding of the other characters in the play- revealing their true personalities, which are sometimes unseen, not only by us, the audience, but also by the characters themselves. He shows Olivia how unrealistic and excessive her mourning for her brother's death has been, he tells Orsino how foolish he is for languishing in a mood of love-sick melancholy for Olivia and points out how mercurial his personality is, and he makes a fool out of the pompous Malvolio. "Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun- it shines everywhere" says Feste. Feste, however, never takes sides with any of the characters, and in this way, he becomes a kind of commentator for the play. He is able to examine the characters, revealing the bare truth about them and he unites the main and sub-plot in a similar way.

Assess The View That The Nuclear Family Is No Longer The Norm

The nuclear family was commonly seen in many countries of the world due to its practicality and replaced the extended family in most societies. The nuclear family is defined by George Peter Murdock as a married male and female couple raising one or more children in one household.This structure became the norm in modern society as it fulfils Murdock’s 4 functions of the family: Sexual; helps maintain a healthy and stable relationship between the parents, Reproductive; to continue the population and produce workers for society, Economic; to support the family by working in society and sharing roles between the man and woman, Education; to serve as a source of primary socialisation for children so that they may function properly in society. Sociobiologists believe that our behaviour is due to biological instincts.The nuclear family proved that it worked so was continued to be used as it was seen crucial to the survival of our species and zoologist, Desmond Morris mentioned that à ¢â‚¬ËœMost successful cultures use the nuclear family’. The ‘cereal packet family’ is a term given by Edmund Leech in 1967 when he recognised the power of the image of the nuclear family. It’s a socially constructed model laden with assumptions of how families ought to be. Such an image creates a normalised social construction of what a family should look like. However, many other family structures are being used which suggests that the nuclear family is not the norm.For example, the Kibbutz lived in an extended family structure, meaning that their entire family lived together and not just their immediate family. The Nayar tribe are an example of people who used the extended family due to living in poverty. The wives would get support from family members and work together to raise the children whilst the men would go out and provide for the family. Felicity Edholm critiqued Murdock’s idea of the nuclear family by saying, ‘the family is sociall y constructed. ’ This means that it has varied from culture and is also not biological for humans.Therefore, Murdock defined the nuclear family from his cultural perspective and completely ignored others. Edholm referred to this as ‘The Unnatural Family’. In the UK today, many other family structures are in place due to a number of things. Since the early 1990s, divorce rates have increased by a fair amount, creating lone-parent families. This also led to a lot of people remarrying, creating reconstituted (step) families. These go against Murdock’s nuclear family due to having both parents living separately or having children from different relationships.In fact, these family structures have become more common than the nuclear family itself. Recently, same sex marriages have been approved in many places around the world, allowing gay couples to start families of their own. This also goes against Murdock’s idea of the nuclear family which involved a couple each of a different sex. In conclusion, the nuclear family is no longer considered the norm due to mass increase of lone-parent and reconstituted families because of a divorce being extremely to get. Although the nuclear family may well work and be very practical in society, it just isn’t easily accessed by many people.

Under Armour

AU has been able o increase its North American brand awareness by showing the advantages of its differentiated product which has improved athletes' comfort and performance. In order to compete in the global markets against Nikkei and Ideas LILA should consider the following four alternatives: mergers or acquisitions, establishment of foreign subsidiaries, joint ventures, or a continuation of the North American strategy to be used in the international markets.The decision criteria used in evaluating each option looked primarily at how to increase CIA brand awareness and market share, the financial strain on ALGA sources, protection of CIA patents and intellectual property, and the level of control maintained by CIA It is recommended that AU pursue appropriate mergers or acquisitions that will increase its resources and competencies internationally and enable AU to more quickly build its market presence. Aqua's big competitors have been selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition.Since CIA won't have the first-to-market advantage they had in the US Market they need to carefully find complementary companies that can assist in both brand cognition and in core understanding of the global markets. Significant resources will be required initially, but it is expected that this investment will be paid back within 3 to 4 years. If this alternative proves unsuccessful AU should consider a joint venture or alliance which shifts some of the risk on to those other participants.For the full recommendation and action plan please refer to pages 12 to 13. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Identification 4 Backgrounds Problem Statement (Scope of Report) 4 Current Strategy 4 Analysis and Evaluation 5 External Analysis Macro-Environments Five Forces Analysis 6 Strategic Group Map 7 Key Success Factors Internal Analysis 9 SOTTO If uncial 9 Alternatives 10 1. Merger and Acquisition s 10 2. Foreign Subsidiaries (Greenfield Venture) 10 3. Joint Ventures and Alliances 11 4.Status Quo – Utilize the IIS Strategy Internationally 11 Decision Criteria 12 Recommendation 12 Action Plan 13 Contingency Plan 13 Appendix A 14 Appendix B 15 Bibliography 16 Identification Background Under Armor (AU), formerly known as KIP Sports, was founded in 1 996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank. KIP Sports was the originator Of performance apparel engineered with supreme moisture management to keep athletes cool, dry, and light throughout the course of a game, practice, or workout. The company's operations started out of the basement of Kevin Plank's grandmother's house.Shortly after founding KIP Sports, Kevin recruited one of his acquaintances from Maryland University to join the company as a partner. Kip Bulks, the gentlemen brought on as partner utilized his excellent credit rating to open 17 different credit card accounts to fund the cash flow requi rements of KIP Sports. By 1 998 the company's revenues had Increased efficiently enough for KIP Sports to acquire a $250,000 small business loan. The company was ever growing with a broader product line and consumer segments and from time to time it would take out additional loans needed to fund their working capital requirements.It was not until 1999 that Kevin recruited another acquaintance, a gentleman by the name of Ryan Wood from high school, to join the company as Vice President of Sales. In 2005, KIP Sports changed their name to under Armor and went public. This initial offering generated net proceeds of approximately $114. 9 million, from the 9. Million Class A Common stock issued. Problem Statement (Scope of Report) Although AU has done well in the present US market, carving out a sizeable market share, it is unknown how their current strategy will be able to compete with fierce rivals like Nikkei and Ideas on a global frontier.Their big competitors have been able to start selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition, so CIA will no longer have the first-to-market advantage that they had in the US Market. If AU hopes to be successful in the lobar market, they will need to analyze their current strategy while exploring other possibilities to make an informed decision on how best to proceed.Current Strategy The company's principal business activities in 2012 were the development, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. 90% of its sales were from North American, though international sales were growing. AU uses a broad differentiation strategy as its corporate strategy. It has developed its own patented fabrics to create a differentiated product that its customers are ailing to pay a premium for.Its growth strategy includes broadening its product lines, targeting additional consumer seg ments, increasing distribution, expanding internationally, and growing brand awareness. Aqua's business strategies include how it will compete in each of its product line offerings of apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. Its strategy is to offer a variety of styles and price levels for its customers that will improve comfort, performance, and mobility no matter what weather condition exists. For its apparel it has designed three lines of gear designed o work in various temperatures (Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires).Its footwear is designed to be light, breathable, and high performing. Its line of accessories (such as gloves, header and bags) has similar differentiated performance features as Aqua's other products. Aqua's main functional strategies include its marketing brand management and promotion strategies as well as its product design and development strategies. CIA has an extremely large marketing budget (close to 1 68 million in 2011 ) which incl udes athlete endorsements, sponsorship of sporting events and advertising costs.It utilizes an in-house promotion and marketing department whose focus is to increase demand and build brand awareness. Aqua's main retail marketing strategy is to obtain as much CIA exclusive floor space as possible in each Of its major retail stores. Aqua's product design and development strategy is to continually upgrade its products and to use â€Å"visible technology†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Thompson, p C-51) to market the benefits of Aqua's products. There is a high degree of collaboration between the sales, product development, and sports marketing teams in identifying opportunities and markets.Aqua's key operating strategies include its distribution strategies and its sourcing, manufacturing and quality control strategies. Its distribution strategies included wholesale distribution (70%), direct-to-consumer sales (27%), and product licensing (3%). AU has two distribution facilities in Maryland, though it expects to add another facility overseas in the future. Many of Aqua's technically advanced fabrics were developed by third parties. These fabrics are available from a small number of sources. In 2011 CIA had 23 main manufacturers which operated in 16 countries.All manufacturers ad to follow stringent quality control processes and had to adhere to a code of conduct with respect to quality, working conditions and social concerns. Analysis and Evaluation External Analysis Macro-Environment The macro-environment is positive for the sports apparel industry without many restrictive influences in the political or regulatory realm. The most strategically relevant factors of the PESTLE analysis (political factors, economic conditions, socio-cultural forces, technological factors, environment forces, and legal/regulatory Factors) include the socio-cultural forces and technological factors as noted below:Socio-cultural Forces Recreational and professional sports are both very popular in North America and throughout the world. With an emphasis on active and healthy living in addition to the â€Å"life skills† learned in playing on sports teams schools and athletic associations offer many sports opportunities for all ages. Professional sports are a multi-billion dollar industry with athletes and coaches making very large salaries. Although there may be aging demographics in some areas of the world enthusiasm for sports remains high.Technological Factors Technology has only continued to improve as sports apparel companies onetime to refine and develop the relatively newly available â€Å"technologically advanced fabrics and specialized manufacturing techniques† (Thompson, p C-43) in an effort to create a more comfortable, drier experience for the athlete. Great strides continue to be made with these products. Five Forces Analysis Competition from Rival Sellers (Strong): Competition among rival sellers is intense. There are approximately 25 brand-name competit ors in the market for sports apparel, athletic footwear and related accessories in which (AU competes.Aqua's major competitors in its sports performance apparel and athletic footwear include Nikkei, Inc. ND the Ideas Group, both highly successful brand-name global companies. AU competes with other top name brands, such as Columbia, Spryer, and North Face in its performance Skewer products. Nikkei is the clear market leader with approximately 17% of the footwear market share and 4. 4% of the sports apparel market share. Customer Bargaining Power (Strong): Since approximately 70% of AU sales are from retailers, the retailers do have Strong bargaining power. 5% of all retail sales are to large retail chains who also sell Aqua's competitor products. They have the discretion as to whether to allocate a certain level of floor space exclusively to CIA or not. Although there is some differentiation in products between competitors many of the products are fairly standardized, increasing cust omer bargaining power. The cost of switching to competitor brands is likely fairly low as all competitors will be fighting for key retail space. Supplier Bargaining Power (Moderate): CIA specialty fabrics and other raw materials come from a relatively small number of sources.In 2011 , a little more than half of the fabrics used came from six suppliers in several different countries. With only six suppliers for such a large volume the suppliers do have some leverage in increasing their prices. It seems that it may be difficult for LILA to find alternative suppliers, though these suppliers must also depend on the revenues from CIA As such, they will not want to price themselves out of the market and they will want to see CIA succeed. Competition from Potential New Entrants (Weak): Given the strength and number of large brand name competitors already in the industry the threat of new entrants is relatively weak.The Ideas Group has several well-known brands within its company, such as R ebook, Rocket, ND Ideas. Nikkei and CIA are also well-known brands. All of these companies participate heavily in sponsoring sporting events and invest significantly in athlete endorsements. As a result, there are high degrees of customer loyalty, making it difficult for new entrants. These large companies also have well-established networks of distributors. All of these things as well as the capital investment requirements limit the potential of new entrants to the industry.Competition from Producers of Substitute Products (Weak): Although it is unlikely that there are significant substitute products in existence, CIA and its success shows that it is possible for a creative company to enter the industry with some sort of product which would be more appealing. Additionally, both Nikkei and Ideas spend significant amounts of money on research and development. It is possible that one of these competitors will be able to develop a next generation substitute product. Us Mary Overall, th e industry competitive forces are moderate to strong.The competition among rival sellers is quite intense and the retail buyers have significant power in working with all of these sellers. Brand image and loyalty re important in this industry. Nikkei is a well-established company and the clear market leader, but the Ideas Group is also a global leader. CIA has done very well at establishing a solid market share in its sports apparel and training/fitness clothing. Strong profitability is evident in this industry as can be seen in the net profit margins among Nikkei, the Ideas Group, and Under Armor.Strategic Group Map Key Success Factors Performance and Reliability – To remain competitive in this industry, CIA products must meet or exceed customer expectations for high performance and reliability. CIA was founded on creating clothing that was cooler, drier, and more comfortable for its athletes. AU must continue producing high quality items which can be counted on. This includ es utilizing high quality standards. New Product Development -? In this competitive environment it is important that AU invest sufficient funds into research and development so that it can gain improvements in its fabrics and its products.Additionally, CIA must keep a sufficient number and styles of products available to be able to meet various consumer segments, such as it has done with Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires. CIA will need to re-examine its product line and its inventory management systems to ensure it is able to better meet customer needs without high levels of excess inventory. Pricing – Due to the number of brand name competitors in the industry with similar products an appropriate pricing strategy is crucial to Aqua's success. CIA will have to remain vigilant in watching competitor prices and discounts given.Brand and Product Image – Each competitor in this industry will need to continually work on communicating and maintaining its overall brand imag e that is consistent with its mission and vision. Additionally, certain key products should have high visibility in terms of the image they represent. Loyalty from customers will be driven in part by these branding images. Customer Support and Services – In part a company is only as strong as it is perceived to be by its customers. Aqua's retailers and its direct sale customers must be treated fairly and be given adequate support when purchasing AU products.Retailers (representing 70% of sales in 2011) will be driven to work with La's competitors if customer support and service is lacking. If Under Armor is able to successfully manage each of these key success actors which matter to its customers it should have continued competitive success for the long-term. Conclusion The external environment is conducive to successful results and profitability for the current competitors in the sports apparel industry. Although CIA is competing against some large global rivals it has been able to gain substantial market share from 0. 6 percent in 2003 to almost 2. 8 percent in 2011.This is compared with 7. 0% market share for Nikkei and 5. 4% market share for Ideas. AU should be able to remain competitive and earn reasonable profits as long s management remains attentive and pro-active With any changes in the environment. Internal Analysis SOOT under Armor has a variety of strengths which allows them to compete in the highly competitive sports apparel industry. Over the years, the business has focused on building an authentic brand with high quality apparel that has allowed them to gain significant market share from their competitors. Below you will find an analysis of their internal and external environments.Strengths Built an incredibly powerful and authentic brand in a relatively short time Became the official footwear supplier of major league baseball Uses superior scenically advanced fabrics Weaknesses International presence is very low Limited number of distrib utors to ship their products Insufficient tools in place to manage inventory efficiently and accurately Opportunities Ability to broaden Aqua's product offerings for wear in a variety of recreational activities and sports Athletic wear, a category historically dominated by men, is seeing significant growth with females Gender equality continues to grow in other parts of the world The reads Highly competitive market Competitors have a well established footprint in international markets Materials used in AU products are petroleum-based synthesis and therefore subject to crude oil price fluctuation If uncial Under Armor financial shows both positive and negatives (see Appendix A for the full financial details). The profitability ratios are in good standing and are relatively stable over the 5 year period 2006-201 1.The gross profit ratio indicates that CIA has enough revenues to cover operating expenses and leave the company with a profit. The net profit margin shows that their after t ax profits per dollar of sale decreased from 9. 05% in 2006 to 6. 58% in 2011. That is a drop of 2. 47%. The return on total assets and return on shareholder's equity have both decreased from 2006-201 1. A return of 12-15% range is average and Under Armor is at 15. 23% as of 201 1 which is within the range. Liquidity analysis shows that the working capital has improved over the years. As of 2011, the company has $506,056 of internal funds to cover its current liabilities. That is $332,667 more that in 2006 showing a big improvement The leverage ratios show the negative side of Under Armor.The debt to asset ratio has been increasing from 2% in 2006 to 8% in 201 1. This means hat 8% of borrowed funds have been used to finance assets. Also the debt to equity ratio has increased from 3% to 12%. This signifies lower creditworthiness, potential excessive debt and a weaker balance sheet. On the other hand, in order for a business to continue growing and compete with the industry taking on additional loans is a requirement. Even though it appears that CIA has the capability to pay off the debts these ratios should be watched carefully to ensure that covenants are not broken. The activity ratios show that AU inventory management efficiency has decreased over the years. Under Armour AU has been able o increase its North American brand awareness by showing the advantages of its differentiated product which has improved athletes' comfort and performance. In order to compete in the global markets against Nikkei and Ideas LILA should consider the following four alternatives: mergers or acquisitions, establishment of foreign subsidiaries, joint ventures, or a continuation of the North American strategy to be used in the international markets.The decision criteria used in evaluating each option looked primarily at how to increase CIA brand awareness and market share, the financial strain on ALGA sources, protection of CIA patents and intellectual property, and the level of control maintained by CIA It is recommended that AU pursue appropriate mergers or acquisitions that will increase its resources and competencies internationally and enable AU to more quickly build its market presence. Aqua's big competitors have been selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition.Since CIA won't have the first-to-market advantage they had in the US Market they need to carefully find complementary companies that can assist in both brand cognition and in core understanding of the global markets. Significant resources will be required initially, but it is expected that this investment will be paid back within 3 to 4 years. If this alternative proves unsuccessful AU should consider a joint venture or alliance which shifts some of the risk on to those other participants.For the full recommendation and action plan please refer to pages 12 to 13. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Identification 4 Backgrounds Problem Statement (Scope of Report) 4 Current Strategy 4 Analysis and Evaluation 5 External Analysis Macro-Environments Five Forces Analysis 6 Strategic Group Map 7 Key Success Factors Internal Analysis 9 SOTTO If uncial 9 Alternatives 10 1. Merger and Acquisition s 10 2. Foreign Subsidiaries (Greenfield Venture) 10 3. Joint Ventures and Alliances 11 4.Status Quo – Utilize the IIS Strategy Internationally 11 Decision Criteria 12 Recommendation 12 Action Plan 13 Contingency Plan 13 Appendix A 14 Appendix B 15 Bibliography 16 Identification Background Under Armor (AU), formerly known as KIP Sports, was founded in 1 996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank. KIP Sports was the originator Of performance apparel engineered with supreme moisture management to keep athletes cool, dry, and light throughout the course of a game, practice, or workout. The company's operations started out of the basement of Kevin Plank's grandmother's house.Shortly after founding KIP Sports, Kevin recruited one of his acquaintances from Maryland University to join the company as a partner. Kip Bulks, the gentlemen brought on as partner utilized his excellent credit rating to open 17 different credit card accounts to fund the cash flow requi rements of KIP Sports. By 1 998 the company's revenues had Increased efficiently enough for KIP Sports to acquire a $250,000 small business loan. The company was ever growing with a broader product line and consumer segments and from time to time it would take out additional loans needed to fund their working capital requirements.It was not until 1999 that Kevin recruited another acquaintance, a gentleman by the name of Ryan Wood from high school, to join the company as Vice President of Sales. In 2005, KIP Sports changed their name to under Armor and went public. This initial offering generated net proceeds of approximately $114. 9 million, from the 9. Million Class A Common stock issued. Problem Statement (Scope of Report) Although AU has done well in the present US market, carving out a sizeable market share, it is unknown how their current strategy will be able to compete with fierce rivals like Nikkei and Ideas on a global frontier.Their big competitors have been able to start selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition, so CIA will no longer have the first-to-market advantage that they had in the US Market. If AU hopes to be successful in the lobar market, they will need to analyze their current strategy while exploring other possibilities to make an informed decision on how best to proceed.Current Strategy The company's principal business activities in 2012 were the development, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. 90% of its sales were from North American, though international sales were growing. AU uses a broad differentiation strategy as its corporate strategy. It has developed its own patented fabrics to create a differentiated product that its customers are ailing to pay a premium for.Its growth strategy includes broadening its product lines, targeting additional consumer seg ments, increasing distribution, expanding internationally, and growing brand awareness. Aqua's business strategies include how it will compete in each of its product line offerings of apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. Its strategy is to offer a variety of styles and price levels for its customers that will improve comfort, performance, and mobility no matter what weather condition exists. For its apparel it has designed three lines of gear designed o work in various temperatures (Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires).Its footwear is designed to be light, breathable, and high performing. Its line of accessories (such as gloves, header and bags) has similar differentiated performance features as Aqua's other products. Aqua's main functional strategies include its marketing brand management and promotion strategies as well as its product design and development strategies. CIA has an extremely large marketing budget (close to 1 68 million in 2011 ) which incl udes athlete endorsements, sponsorship of sporting events and advertising costs.It utilizes an in-house promotion and marketing department whose focus is to increase demand and build brand awareness. Aqua's main retail marketing strategy is to obtain as much CIA exclusive floor space as possible in each Of its major retail stores. Aqua's product design and development strategy is to continually upgrade its products and to use â€Å"visible technology†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Thompson, p C-51) to market the benefits of Aqua's products. There is a high degree of collaboration between the sales, product development, and sports marketing teams in identifying opportunities and markets.Aqua's key operating strategies include its distribution strategies and its sourcing, manufacturing and quality control strategies. Its distribution strategies included wholesale distribution (70%), direct-to-consumer sales (27%), and product licensing (3%). AU has two distribution facilities in Maryland, though it expects to add another facility overseas in the future. Many of Aqua's technically advanced fabrics were developed by third parties. These fabrics are available from a small number of sources. In 2011 CIA had 23 main manufacturers which operated in 16 countries.All manufacturers ad to follow stringent quality control processes and had to adhere to a code of conduct with respect to quality, working conditions and social concerns. Analysis and Evaluation External Analysis Macro-Environment The macro-environment is positive for the sports apparel industry without many restrictive influences in the political or regulatory realm. The most strategically relevant factors of the PESTLE analysis (political factors, economic conditions, socio-cultural forces, technological factors, environment forces, and legal/regulatory Factors) include the socio-cultural forces and technological factors as noted below:Socio-cultural Forces Recreational and professional sports are both very popular in North America and throughout the world. With an emphasis on active and healthy living in addition to the â€Å"life skills† learned in playing on sports teams schools and athletic associations offer many sports opportunities for all ages. Professional sports are a multi-billion dollar industry with athletes and coaches making very large salaries. Although there may be aging demographics in some areas of the world enthusiasm for sports remains high.Technological Factors Technology has only continued to improve as sports apparel companies onetime to refine and develop the relatively newly available â€Å"technologically advanced fabrics and specialized manufacturing techniques† (Thompson, p C-43) in an effort to create a more comfortable, drier experience for the athlete. Great strides continue to be made with these products. Five Forces Analysis Competition from Rival Sellers (Strong): Competition among rival sellers is intense. There are approximately 25 brand-name competit ors in the market for sports apparel, athletic footwear and related accessories in which (AU competes.Aqua's major competitors in its sports performance apparel and athletic footwear include Nikkei, Inc. ND the Ideas Group, both highly successful brand-name global companies. AU competes with other top name brands, such as Columbia, Spryer, and North Face in its performance Skewer products. Nikkei is the clear market leader with approximately 17% of the footwear market share and 4. 4% of the sports apparel market share. Customer Bargaining Power (Strong): Since approximately 70% of AU sales are from retailers, the retailers do have Strong bargaining power. 5% of all retail sales are to large retail chains who also sell Aqua's competitor products. They have the discretion as to whether to allocate a certain level of floor space exclusively to CIA or not. Although there is some differentiation in products between competitors many of the products are fairly standardized, increasing cust omer bargaining power. The cost of switching to competitor brands is likely fairly low as all competitors will be fighting for key retail space. Supplier Bargaining Power (Moderate): CIA specialty fabrics and other raw materials come from a relatively small number of sources.In 2011 , a little more than half of the fabrics used came from six suppliers in several different countries. With only six suppliers for such a large volume the suppliers do have some leverage in increasing their prices. It seems that it may be difficult for LILA to find alternative suppliers, though these suppliers must also depend on the revenues from CIA As such, they will not want to price themselves out of the market and they will want to see CIA succeed. Competition from Potential New Entrants (Weak): Given the strength and number of large brand name competitors already in the industry the threat of new entrants is relatively weak.The Ideas Group has several well-known brands within its company, such as R ebook, Rocket, ND Ideas. Nikkei and CIA are also well-known brands. All of these companies participate heavily in sponsoring sporting events and invest significantly in athlete endorsements. As a result, there are high degrees of customer loyalty, making it difficult for new entrants. These large companies also have well-established networks of distributors. All of these things as well as the capital investment requirements limit the potential of new entrants to the industry.Competition from Producers of Substitute Products (Weak): Although it is unlikely that there are significant substitute products in existence, CIA and its success shows that it is possible for a creative company to enter the industry with some sort of product which would be more appealing. Additionally, both Nikkei and Ideas spend significant amounts of money on research and development. It is possible that one of these competitors will be able to develop a next generation substitute product. Us Mary Overall, th e industry competitive forces are moderate to strong.The competition among rival sellers is quite intense and the retail buyers have significant power in working with all of these sellers. Brand image and loyalty re important in this industry. Nikkei is a well-established company and the clear market leader, but the Ideas Group is also a global leader. CIA has done very well at establishing a solid market share in its sports apparel and training/fitness clothing. Strong profitability is evident in this industry as can be seen in the net profit margins among Nikkei, the Ideas Group, and Under Armor.Strategic Group Map Key Success Factors Performance and Reliability – To remain competitive in this industry, CIA products must meet or exceed customer expectations for high performance and reliability. CIA was founded on creating clothing that was cooler, drier, and more comfortable for its athletes. AU must continue producing high quality items which can be counted on. This includ es utilizing high quality standards. New Product Development -? In this competitive environment it is important that AU invest sufficient funds into research and development so that it can gain improvements in its fabrics and its products.Additionally, CIA must keep a sufficient number and styles of products available to be able to meet various consumer segments, such as it has done with Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires. CIA will need to re-examine its product line and its inventory management systems to ensure it is able to better meet customer needs without high levels of excess inventory. Pricing – Due to the number of brand name competitors in the industry with similar products an appropriate pricing strategy is crucial to Aqua's success. CIA will have to remain vigilant in watching competitor prices and discounts given.Brand and Product Image – Each competitor in this industry will need to continually work on communicating and maintaining its overall brand imag e that is consistent with its mission and vision. Additionally, certain key products should have high visibility in terms of the image they represent. Loyalty from customers will be driven in part by these branding images. Customer Support and Services – In part a company is only as strong as it is perceived to be by its customers. Aqua's retailers and its direct sale customers must be treated fairly and be given adequate support when purchasing AU products.Retailers (representing 70% of sales in 2011) will be driven to work with La's competitors if customer support and service is lacking. If Under Armor is able to successfully manage each of these key success actors which matter to its customers it should have continued competitive success for the long-term. Conclusion The external environment is conducive to successful results and profitability for the current competitors in the sports apparel industry. Although CIA is competing against some large global rivals it has been able to gain substantial market share from 0. 6 percent in 2003 to almost 2. 8 percent in 2011.This is compared with 7. 0% market share for Nikkei and 5. 4% market share for Ideas. AU should be able to remain competitive and earn reasonable profits as long s management remains attentive and pro-active With any changes in the environment. Internal Analysis SOOT under Armor has a variety of strengths which allows them to compete in the highly competitive sports apparel industry. Over the years, the business has focused on building an authentic brand with high quality apparel that has allowed them to gain significant market share from their competitors. Below you will find an analysis of their internal and external environments.Strengths Built an incredibly powerful and authentic brand in a relatively short time Became the official footwear supplier of major league baseball Uses superior scenically advanced fabrics Weaknesses International presence is very low Limited number of distrib utors to ship their products Insufficient tools in place to manage inventory efficiently and accurately Opportunities Ability to broaden Aqua's product offerings for wear in a variety of recreational activities and sports Athletic wear, a category historically dominated by men, is seeing significant growth with females Gender equality continues to grow in other parts of the world The reads Highly competitive market Competitors have a well established footprint in international markets Materials used in AU products are petroleum-based synthesis and therefore subject to crude oil price fluctuation If uncial Under Armor financial shows both positive and negatives (see Appendix A for the full financial details). The profitability ratios are in good standing and are relatively stable over the 5 year period 2006-201 1.The gross profit ratio indicates that CIA has enough revenues to cover operating expenses and leave the company with a profit. The net profit margin shows that their after t ax profits per dollar of sale decreased from 9. 05% in 2006 to 6. 58% in 2011. That is a drop of 2. 47%. The return on total assets and return on shareholder's equity have both decreased from 2006-201 1. A return of 12-15% range is average and Under Armor is at 15. 23% as of 201 1 which is within the range. Liquidity analysis shows that the working capital has improved over the years. As of 2011, the company has $506,056 of internal funds to cover its current liabilities. That is $332,667 more that in 2006 showing a big improvement The leverage ratios show the negative side of Under Armor.The debt to asset ratio has been increasing from 2% in 2006 to 8% in 201 1. This means hat 8% of borrowed funds have been used to finance assets. Also the debt to equity ratio has increased from 3% to 12%. This signifies lower creditworthiness, potential excessive debt and a weaker balance sheet. On the other hand, in order for a business to continue growing and compete with the industry taking on additional loans is a requirement. Even though it appears that CIA has the capability to pay off the debts these ratios should be watched carefully to ensure that covenants are not broken. The activity ratios show that AU inventory management efficiency has decreased over the years.