Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Trader Project Project Management

Introduction The major aim of all organisations is to provide vital goods or services to its clients. Organisations ensure that their activities benefit their stakeholders. Therefore, profit-making organisations must ensure that they generate profits without exploiting their customers. The complex nature of the activities of various organisations necessitates them to strive to improve their efficiency.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Trader Project: Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This enables an organisation to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. From time to time, organisations implement various initiatives that strive to improve their activities. Automation of various activities is one of the major strategies that companies use to improve their efficiency. However, a company has to take extreme care to ensure the successful implementation of various IT projects. Efficient proj ect management enables a company to implement the projects successfully. Some of the causes of failure of IT projects include lack of proper planning, poor leadership, and failure to anticipate various problems that may occur during the implementation of the project. The costs of implementing IT projects ranges from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. Therefore, failure of IT projects may have devastating effects on a company. It may even lead to the collapse of a company. The Trader project faces some of the above problems. These problems led to the inflation of the budget of the project. In addition, they led to a significant delay in the completion of the project. The Trader Project The Trader project strived to automate the activities of Barwest Bank. The aim of the project was to automate documentary letters of credit (LC) and Documentary Collections (DC). In addition, the project would lead to the automation of other financial transactions of the bank. Aut omation would reduce the operational costs of the company. It would enable the company to reduce staffing in the Foreign Service Office (FSO) and Financial Services Branches (FSB) by 25%. The break-even of the automated system was only three years. This was due to its ability to increase the efficiency and reduce operational costs. The budget of the project was  £1,000,000. However, the project exceeded its budget estimates. In addition, the project did not follow its schedule. Implementation of the project lagged behind its schedule by several months. These problems increased the break-even period to six years. In fact, the system may not break-even after six years due to various factors that are beyond the control of the company.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Problems The Trader project faced various problems that hindered its implementation. The problems led to a significant increase in the budget of the project. However, most of the problems were avoidable. The problems that the project faced included: Poor management and leadership styles Poor project planning and control Lack of efficient communication channels Management and Leadership Styles The management and leadership style of a project determines the success of the project. Leaders should ensure that they motivate project members to achieve their objectives. The type of leadership or management style that leaders employ is usually dependent on the type of project. No leadership or management style is suitable in all types of projects (Jones, Steffy Bray, 1991, p. 575). Scope, time constraints, goals, and the personalities and experiences of the team members determine the leadership and management styles that project managers should employ in a certain project (Binder, 2007, p. 24). In the Trader project, the project manager, Gordon Grant, used the wrong leadership and management style. Grant made several decisions that affected the project without consulting team members. Grant introduced a new project member from ABC without consulting other team members. He did not provide information on how the existing team members would accommodate the new team members. In addition, Grant did not address various problems that the project teams faced. Grant did not address the problem that Derek Pringle, one of the project members, faced while running capacity tests. He told him that it was not his duty. This is despite the fact that failure to find a solution would affect the efficiency of the project. Grant wanted various groups to achieve results at all costs. He even told the project group members from Barwest Bank to work during the long Easter weekend to enable them finish the project in time. In so doing, he disregarded the views of other members of the project implementation team. Project Planning and Control Project planning and control determines the time tha t the project management team would take to implement a certain project. Changing the staffing or organisational structure is one of the major methods that companies use to improve their project planning and control. The business process helps in defining project planning and control. Companies usually give project managers the freedom to choose any project planning and control tools. Project managers should determine what activities various project group members should undertake and when they should undertake the activities (Simpson, 2010, p. 28).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Trader Project: Project Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Grant changed the structure of the project implementation team to improve its efficiency. He included a new member from ABC to help existing team members. However, the project manager did not use efficient planning and control methods. The project manager equip ped FSB and FSO branches with only one printer and PC. However, the branches needed three PCs and printers. It was impractical for the branches to share only one printer and PC. In addition, the printers used a printer board that was obsolete. The project manager was unable to coordinate the activities of different team members. This was evident in the situation where the project manager requested team members from Barwest Bank to work during the long Easter weekend. He assumed that team members from ABC would also be working during the weekend. However, members from ABC went on a vacation in Paris during the Easter holiday. In addition, the new software application went ‘live’ before the project manager could solve some of the problems that the application faced. This is a clear illustration of the lack of proper planning and control of the project manager. Communication In an organisational setting, communication determines the efficiency of various activities. Theref ore, it is vital for a company to formulate efficient communication channels. Setting up efficient communication channels is one of the first activities of a project management team. Most project teams meet regularly to discuss the progress or issues facing the project (Koster, 2009, p. 48). Communication between the team members may be virtual or face-to-face. However, efficient communication is useless if the project team members do not strive to solve the problems that the project faces. In the Trader project, group members communicated with each other via e-mails and letters. This enabled them to raise several issues that they faced while implementing the project. However, the project manager did not address certain issues that the group members raised. The project manager did not address the problem that one of the group members, Charles Baker, faced while trying to implement the project.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Baker, it was impossible to use printer boards since they were obsolete. This problem would affect the efficiency of the project since the printer is one of the major components of the new system. However, the project manager did not take concrete steps that would help in solving this problem. In the Trader project, all group members could communicate directly with the project manager. This increased the issues that the managers faced. Most projects require people to communicate with their group leaders instead of communicating with the project manager directly. Leaders of various groups are the only people who should communicate with the project manager directly. Charles Baker communicated with the project manager directly instead of raising his issues with Iqbal Jaffar, his group leader. Communicating with group leaders instead of the project manager helps in solving various issues that group members may face faster (Turner, 2007, p. 785). Solutions Establishing effic ient communication channels is one of the first steps that project managers should take. Project managers should hold regular meetings with various members. The meetings help in communicating the schedule status and task priorities (Gido Clements, 2012, p. 332). Therefore, holding regular meetings would have helped in solving some of the problems that the Trader project faced. From the case study, it is evident that there was no efficient communication between members of the project implementation team. The members strived to address the problems the problems only when they got out of hand. Leadership and management style is one of the major problems of the Trader project. The project manager should have incorporated relevant people in the project implementation team. Since FSO and FSB branches would be the ultimate users of the automated systems, it was vital for the project manager to include representatives of the branches in the project implementation team (Schwalbe, 2010, p. 2 95). In addition, the company should not have implemented the project in a hurry. The company should have taken sizeable amount of time to determine how the project would help in improving the activities of the company. In any project, it is vital for the team members to feel that their input is valuable. This improves the motivation of the team members. Therefore, it is vital for project managers to use democratic style of leadership whenever possible. Democratic leadership enables project managers to consider the views of people who will implement the project (Taylor, 2006, p. 65). In the Trader project, the project manager used autocratic leadership. He did not consider the views of other members of the project implementation team. This made the members feel isolated and helpless. One of the major reasons that made the project manager use this leadership style is time constraints. In addition, he hatched the project without the input of other group members. Therefore, he felt tha t he had intricate knowledge on the project. Use of democratic leadership would have helped in avoiding some of the problems that the project faced. It would have enabled the project manager to avoid storage and printer problems (Kerzner, 2013, p. 58). Project planning and control determines activities that various members of the project implementation should undertake. In addition, it determines the right time that project members should undertake the activities. This helps in coordinating the activities of various project members. Ideally, individual group members should focus on one task at a time. They should perform various tasks according to their priority and ensure that they have few interruptions. Performing high priority work first helps in improving the speed of the project. In the Trader project, the project manager went on leave during a critical part of the project. This created delays in the project since he could not address several issues that occurred during this p eriod. During the implementation of a project, it is vital for various members to provide frequent updates to relevant stakeholders. Regular updates help in recalculating and analysing the schedule of a project. In addition, updates help in adjusting the project plan. In the Trader project, the project manager provided regular updates on the schedule of the project. However, the project manager did not use the updates to adjust the project plan. Initially, the company intended to implement the project within three months. However, the project manager implemented the project after 12 months. This led a significant increase in the budget of the project. Therefore, the project manager should have used the updates to adjust the project plan. This would have curbed the significant increase in the costs of the project. Recommendations The Trader project did not achieve its initial objectives due to the above problems. The project had an over-optimistic cost position. The project plan over looked several factors that haunted the project later. Therefore, the company should ensure that it conducts extensive feasibility studies prior to the commencement of future projects. Feasibility studies would help in determining some of the problems that the project may face in future. In addition, the feasibility studies would help in the formulation of accurate financial plans (Westland, 2007, p. 25). The company should ensure that it formulates various activities that improve the interpersonal relationships of the project group members. Prior to the commencement of a project, the company should hold meetings with the group members. The meetings should discuss how the project implementation team would undertake its activities. This would enable the individual group members to feel that they are a valuable part of the project. Before implementing new systems, the company should ensure that it trains the users of the new systems. In addition, the company should incorporate relevan t stakeholders in the project team. These measures would help in reducing resistance towards the new system. Failure to include employees from the FSB and FSO branches is one of the major factors that increased resistance towards the project. In future, the company should ensure that it formulates suitable contracts with the suppliers of IT equipment. The company should use hardware capabilities instead of hardware configuration to enter into contracts with suppliers of IT equipment. This would have eliminated the need to buy new servers. The suppliers of the IT equipment would have borne the costs purchasing the new equipment. Conclusion Poor leadership, planning, and control are some of the major problems that the Trader project faced. They led to a significant increase in the cost of implementing the project. These problems increased the break-even period of the project from three years to six years. Therefore, the company should ensure that future project managers have skills th at would help them overcome the problems that the project may face. References Binder, J 2007, Global project management, Gower Publishing Ltd, Surrey. Gido, J Clements, JP 2012, Successful project management, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA. Jones, JJ, Steffy, BD Bray, DW 1991, Applying psychology in business, Lexington Books, Lanham, MD. Kerzner, HR 2013, Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Koster, K 2009, International project management, SAGE Publishers, Thousand Oaks, CA. Schwalbe, K 2010, Information technology project management: With Microsoft Project 2007, Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA. Simpson, WP 2010, ‘Project planning and control when time matters: Focus on process to synchronize and drive results’, Production and Inventory Management Journal, vol. 46 no. 2, pp. 26-43. Taylor, J 2006, A survival guide for project managers, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn., New York. Turner, JR 2007, G ower handbook of project management, Gower Publishing Ltd, Surrey. Westland, J 2007, The project management life cycle: A complete step-by-step methodology for initiating, planning, executing and closing a project successfully, Kogan Page Publishers, London. This case study on The Trader Project: Project Management was written and submitted by user Cailyn Cruz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Hidden Victims of Tobacco Essay example

Hidden Victims of Tobacco Essay example Hidden Victims of Tobacco Essay example The Hidden Victims of Tobacco Worldwide, approximately 10 million cigarettes are purchased a minute, 15 billion are sold each day, and upwards of 5 trillion are produced and used on an annual basis (Martin). As the demand for tobacco continuously increases, so does the mass production of this product. Requiring 33 million workers at the early stages of the processing of tobacco and 100 million workers in all stages of the production, the production and labor of tobacco is strenuous (ILRF). Many people are unaware of the cruel child labor that occurs in this industry. In order to support their family, children are forced to in tobacco fields under horrible conditions. Due to a loophole in the United State child labor laws, thousands of children suffer at the expense of wealthy tobacco industry owners. People believe smokers are the victims of tobacco but children are victims legally, academically, and physically. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to smoke tobacco but somehow children legally work in the tobacco fields. Under the loophole in U.S. child labor law there is no minimum age for work on small farms with parental permission, and children ages 12 and up may work for hire on any size farm for unlimited periods outside school hours (Elaws). Only Congress can change the law and give protection to these children working long hours on the farms. The Labor Department tried last year to update and add tobacco to the list of hazardous jobs for children for the first time in decades, but failed because family farms are completely exempt (Elaws). Farm owners beat the system by allowing their entire family to work under one person’s social security number or by hiring a farm contractor who counts as only one employee but goes out and hires whomever they wish. Some Americans are unaware of these major problems in our government. America's youngest and poorest workforce shouldn't be forgott en. In the upcoming campaign, child labor needs to be brought to attention. The government should amend U.S. child labor law to provide the same protections to all working children. Children spend all their time and energy in the fields, which prevent them from getting a good education. Even if they do attend some sort of schooling, they are too tired to give full attention and receive good grades. The children that work in the tobacco do not develop simple life skills that help them in the future. They will continue working manual labor for the rest of their lives without an opportunity to increase their standard of living. Without the ability to find better paying jobs, due to a lack of education, the workers’ children will also be forced into the tobacco industry to help support their family. This cycle will continue for future generations and ruin these children’s dreams. Children are subjected to hazardous manual labor, physical strain, and dangerous environments. The children are forced to do physical tasks such as clearing the land, building tobacco-drying sheds, weeding and plucking tobacco. Some others are given the task of applying pesticide

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Teach the SAT Best Tips for Tutors and Parents

How to Teach the SAT Best Tips for Tutors and Parents SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When I started workingas a professional tutor, I was fresh out of college with few qualifications other than high test scores and some volunteer experience. I struggled with tutoring my first few students - I didn’t feel comfortable giving them assignments and I struggled to figure out how best to use our lesson time. But after years of tutoring, I became thoroughlyfamiliar with the ins and outs of the whole process. I've drawn on my hard-earned knowledge to createthis guide laying out the key steps to helping someone excel at the SATso that you know where to start when tutoring your own student or child. A big part of being a great tutor is being properly prepared - these seven steps will set you on the right path to raising your student's score: Determine the challenges you'll face Learn about the test Set a score goal Gather materials Make a study plan Teach the big picture Analyze weaknesses Bonus: Looking for the very best guides to every SAT section? Check out our top guides for every single section of the SAT. Choose the score level you're aiming for: 800 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring a 600 or above on a section, and you want to get the highest SAT score possible. 600 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring below a 600 on a section, and you want to boost your score to at least a 600 level. These are the very best guides available on boosting your SAT score, section by section. They're written by Harvard grads and perfect SAT scorers. Don't disappoint yourself - read these guides and improve your score today. Step 1: Identify Challenges Before you get started with astudent you need to make sure you're genuinely going to be able to help your student and determineif there will beany special challenges you'll face. Make Sure You're Qualified Don’t assume that because you’re older than your student, you automatically know more about the test than she does. You probably took the SAT at least five years ago, while she took it a few months ago. If you want to be an effective tutor, you'll have to take the time to really understand the SAT (see the next stepfor more on how to do so). Think of it this way: you won’t be able to explain why an answer is wrong to your student if you don’t understand it yourself. Worse, you won’t be able to figure out why your student is missing the question in the first place. A good rule of thumb is that you should be scoring at least 4 points higher than your student. If she's already high-scoring you’ll want to be at or near perfect. Motivating Your Student One of the biggest challenges of tutoring is convincing your student to put in the work needed to improve. The single biggest key to raising standardized test scores is practice. Part of your job is convincing your student toput in the work to raiseher score. If your student is strugglingto motivate, try discussingthe tangible benefits of a higher SAT score withher. Motivating your student can be especially challenging if you’re working with a family member or friend. This kind of tutoring generally works best when the student is still quite young or is independently motivated and simply coming to you for extra help. Step 2: Study the Test As I mentioned above, in order to be a helpful tutor, you have to know the material you're tutoring: that means learning as much as you can about the SAT. Learnthe Format Though it may not seem important, you should start by making sure that you understand the basics of the SAT: how long it is, how many questions it has, and what the different sections are. Keep in mind that the SAT has changed quite a bit over the past decade, so even if you think you know it well from taking it in high school, make sure to review the current version of the test. It’s important to know exactlywhat your student can expect tosee on the SAT. You need to have a solid grasp onboth the different question formats and the material covered by the test - check out our guides to what's actually on each section of the test if you have questions. Reading Math Writing Understand the SAT's Unique Logic The SAT is very different from the kinds of tests students take in their classes. You’ll need to help your student understand these differences and how to use them to her advantage. First of all, remember that the SAT is overwhelmingly a multiple-choice test: it doesn’t matter how your student gets the right answer, just that shedoes. There are a lot of helpful strategies and shortcuts that can help students get to the answer more quickly. Another key point to remember is that SAT questions often include traps meant to trip up the test taker. Work with your student to help her practice reading questions carefully and resisting makingassumptions about what shethinks a question should be asking. Finally, never forget that the SAT is standardized: no matter how there is only ever one right answer and it is indisputably correct. Make sure you can explain not just why an answer is correct but why the other choices are wrong. Before you can be an effective teacher, you have to study up on the material yourself. Step 3: Set Goals Once you feel prepared, it's time to get started with your student, which means you need to establish exactly what she's hoping to get out of tutoring. You'll need to ask her about her personal aimsand the schools she's considering applying to so you can help her determine an appropriate score goal. Determining a Score Goal It’s easy to assume that you just want to get your student’s score as high as possible, but it’s better to have a specific score in mind. Not every student needs a 2400, and setting an achievablegoalgives your student something concrete to work toward. What the goalscore is will depend on what grade your student is in and what schools or programs she wants to apply to. Assuming your student is a junior or senior applying to colleges, you can use our method, which is based on the SAT scores colleges expect from applicants, to calculate a target. Narrowing Your Focus (If Necessary) Keep in mindthat your student mayneed to focus specifically on raising her score on one or two sections. A particularly low score on one section (especially math or reading) can count against an application, and some schools and programs have a cut off score for certain sections. Another consideration iswhether schools superscore, i.e. count only the highest score on each section.If your student is only applying to schools that superscore and already has a solid score on one of the sections, she may want to focus primarily on the others. Step 4: Gather Great Resources Before you get started with tutoring, you need to make sure you have high-quality practice materials to use with your student.When practice questionshave errors or look nothing like the the questions on the actual SAT, students end up confused or frustrated and, even worse, lose some of their trust in you. Let's go through where you can find some of the most helpful resources for the SAT. Official Tests The best practice materials are official ones, since practicing with real tests will give your student the best idea of what to expect on test day. You want to find and use as many of these as possible. Free practice test and questions for the newest version of the SAT Free old official practice tests (If you want paper copies of the free official practice tests) The Official SAT Study Guide, currently $21.00on Amazon General Strategies Practicing with real SATs is the best way to learn the format and logic of the test, but your student may still need some extra help with strategies for the most effective ways to approach the different types of questions. The following resources can help you find the most effective strategiesfor your student to take. SAT Prep Black Book, Second Edition by Mike Barrett and Patrick Barrett PrepScholar's Ultimate SAT StudyGuide 21 Top SAT Tips Alternative practice materials Subject-Specific Materials Another vitalpart of studying for the SAT is reviewing the content it tests. The following books and guides can help you review key concepts from each of the three sections with your student. Reading The Critical Reader, by EricaMeltzer Other SAT Reading prep books PrepScholar's Ultimate SAT Reading Study Guide Math Dr. Steve Warner's SAT Math Series Other SAT Math Prep Books Khan Academy Writing The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, by Erica Meltzer Other SAT Writing Books PrepScholar's Complete SAT Writing Study Guide PrepScholar's Guide to the SAT Essay Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or more? We've put our best advice into a single guide. These are the 5 strategies you MUST be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download this free SAT guide now: Step 5: Lay Out a Plan As a tutor, one of your most important roles is making sure your student stays on track. Let's go over some ways you can help your student meet her goals by her test date. Set a Schedule It’s vital that you have a set schedule for tutoring. Without one, it’s easy for students to procrastinate and fall behind. Start by determining when your student will take the test and then plan out how you’re going to cover everything between now and then. Generally speaking, students should shoot for roughly 40 hours of prep, although that timewill be split between tutoring and independent work. Try to set a specific time for your lesson each week. I prefer to meet with students once a week, but if you're on a tight schedule you can certainly do twice a week. With more than two lessons per week, most students will quickly get burned out and frustrated. Analyze Weaknesses Before you start, spend some time determining what your student needs the most help with. If she’s taken the test before, take a look at her scores. Then, if possible, have her take a full practice test before you get started. Going over it together will help you see why she's missing questions and allow you to focus your efforts on the strategies and content review that will be most helpful for her. From there you can plan out what order you’ll cover the material in. I usually start with a student’s weakest areas and then work through everything until I get to her strongest, revisiting the early concepts occasionally to review. Give Homework As I mentioned above, practice is key to improvement on the SAT. You’ll need to give your student practice questions to do or content to review between lessons. Ideally, you’ll also want to have them complete at least three full officialpractice SATs that simulate actual testing conditions. If you’re a parent or sibling rather than a professional tutor, you probably won't be able to convince your student to do extra homework. Instead, try setting aside an extra time during the week for them to study on their own. Good advice! Step 6: Teach the Big Picture When students sign up for tutoring, they often expect to learn tricks that help them instantly raise their scores. There aren’t really any such simple tricks, but there are helpful strategies that, when used consistently, can make a big difference in students’ scores. You may also need to provide content review for your student, depending on their strengths and weaknesses. The following resources offer ideas for specific strategies you can use with your student (most of which are also included in the more overall guides from the previous section). Reading How to read SAT Readingpassages:This guide explains the reading passageapproachthat we recommend for most students- have your student try it and then tweak the approach as needed. How not to run out of time on SAT Reading: Timing can be a big struggle on SAT reading. This guide will give you ideas on how to help your student pace herself. #1 secret of SAT Reading: The SAT Reading often seems more complicated than it is. This guide will help you and your student understand the logic of the test. Math 21 must-know formulas: Although the SAT provides test takers with some basic geometry formulas, there are other formulas your studentwill need to know. How not to run out of time on SAT Math: For advice on how to help your student get through all the question on the math sections efficiently, check out this guide. How to plug in answers:Make sure your student understands the most efficient way to plug-and-chug, especially if she struggles with solving algebra questions quickly. How to plug in numbers: This strategy will help your student approach questions that ask about abstract variables and unknown quantities. Writing Secret to SAT Writing: The SAT Writing section has its own unique quirks. Make sure you understand them so you can help your student adjust her approach accordingly. How to approach SAT Writing passages: All of the SAT writing questions are presented in context. That means your student needs a strategy for tackling the passages! Step 7: Analyze Mistakes SAT questions follow certain patterns, and the best way to get a feel for the style of the questions is to do a lot of practice. As such, regularly practicing with real SAT questions is one of the most important part of studying for the test, and as a tutor you shouldassign a lot of official practice questions. However, it's not enough to simply give some practice passages to your student, you also need to carefully reviewthe questionsshe misses. Don’t stop at saying, "B is the right answer"- really dig in and help your student understand why shegot the question wrong and how shecan avoid missing similar ones in the future. This process is key to helping your student improve and why it's so important that you understand the test yourself. For more details on how to effectively go over missed questions, take a look at our guide to reviewing mistakes. (Bro. Jeffrey Pioquinto, SJ/Flickr) Review: 3 Key Tutoring Tips The steps above offer a general outline to becoming an effective tutor: what exactly you cover and how you work on it will depend a lot on you and your student. Nonetheless,there are a few big picture ideas that every tutor should keep in mind. Be Prepared Your student will know if you’re not invested in the tutoring process: don't try tobluff your way through with a vaguerecollection of taking the SAT in high school - it won't work. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the test and work up an individualized improvement plan for your student. The more you know about the test the better you'll be able to understand your student's unique needs and the more effective you'll be as a tutor. Focus on Motivation Students who don't put in the work don't improve - it's as simple as that. As such, a big part of your role as a tutor is to set expectationsand encourageyour student to study and practice.In some cases, motivating your studentwill be simple(I've had students who actually requested extra homework), but in others you will need to really emphasizewhy the practice is important and how it will help your student reach her goals. Remember that the SAT Is a Standardized Test Always keep in mind that the SAT tests the same simple rules over and over again, just in slightly different ways. Really knowing the test will be your greatest asset as a tutor. Even if you're just starting out, and aren't that familiarwith the test yet,you can use the fact that the SATis standardized to your advantage. Go over official tests carefully and look for patterns in the questions. Remember that because the test is standardized there is only ever one indisputably correct answer. Help your student understand both what will and whatwon't be covered by the test. Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. What's Next? Are you not sure whether to prep your student for the PSAT and SAT at the same time? Read our complete explanation of the similarities and differences between the PSAT and SAT and which students should study for which tests. Maybe, given the changes to the SAT, your student is considering taking the ACT instead. Check out our take on the pros and cons of each test and our guide to tutoring the ACT. Finally, if your student needs help with other parts of the college application process, take a look at our guides to researching colleges, writing about extracurriculars, and crafting a personal statement. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Alex Heimbach About the Author Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Search the Blog Search jQuery(function(){ var $ = jQuery; var url = 'http://google.com/search?q=site:' + location.protocol + '//' + location.hostname + ' '; var $searchModule = $('.hs-search-module.f5e144e8-cbc3-446a-b21e-169053e0cd50'); var $input = $searchModule.find('input'); var $button = $searchModule.find('.hs-button.primary'); if (false) { $input.val(decodeURIComponent(location.pathname.split('/').join(' ').split('.').join(' ').split('-').join(' ').split('_').join(''))); } $button.click(function(){ var newUrl = url + $input.val(); var win = window.open(newUrl, '_blank'); if (win) { //Browser has allowed it to be opened win.focus(); } else { //Browser has blocked it location.href = newUrl; } }); $input.keypress(function(e){ if (e.keyCode !== 13) return; e.preventDefault(); $button.click(); }); }); Improve With Our Famous Guides SATPrep ACTPrep For All Students The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section: Score 800 on SAT Math Score 800 on SAT Reading Score 800 on SAT Writing Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section: Score 600 on SAT Math Score 600 on SAT Reading Score 600 on SAT Writing Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section: 36 on ACT English 36 on ACT Math 36 on ACT Reading 36 on ACT Science Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section: 24 on ACT English 24 on ACT Math 24 on ACT Reading 24 on ACT Science What ACT target score should you be aiming for? ACT Vocabulary You Must Know ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA How to Write an Amazing College Essay What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide Should you retake your SAT or ACT? When should you take the SAT or ACT? Michael improved by 370 POINTS! Find Out How Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Looking for Graduate School Test Prep? Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: GRE Online Prep Blog GMAT Online Prep Blog TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Company financial accounting and reporting is regulated by a variety Essay

Company financial accounting and reporting is regulated by a variety of sources - Essay Example All the listed companies were asked to follow these accounting standards for maintaining their accounting transaction and developing financial reports. These accounting standards were introduced to enhance credibility and reliability of the financial statement developed by the listed companies of a nation. These accounting standards assisted the accountants and auditors to resolve different controversies related to different accounting practices. Even the managers consider these accounting policies while developing various strategies and policies to be followed by the company. Like other developed nation, the accounting standards were formulated in UK in early 1980s. People identified the necessity of a well structured accounting standard that assures â€Å"relevance, reliability, comparability and understand-ability† in the financial report that is developed by the listed companies (Kirk, 2005, p.9). In UK, the accounting standards are popularly known as Financial Reporting Standards (FRS). These FRS were developed by Accounting Standards Boards (ASB) and all the listed companies are required to adhere to these standards so that a true and fair picture of the companies’ financial condition can be represented. Prior to 1990, the accounting standards were developed by Accounting Standards Committee (ASC) which was later replaced with Accounting Standards Boards (ASB). In the first meeting of ASB, it formally accepted all the accounting standards prevailing in UK GAAP. With time, this board introduced few new standards and modified many existing standards. In UK, the four main constituents responsible for development and maintenance of accounting standards are Financial Reporting council (FRC), The Accounting Standards Board (ASB), Urgent Issues Task Force (UITF) and The Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP). FRC is

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The pianist of willesden lane Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The pianist of willesden lane - Movie Review Example This is exactly same to Jura’s days in London. The director’s message in the play is how music communicates the past and more so the feeling of dismay. Over and above, the information extends to show how great music can cheer someones sad, hard and lonely moment just like the one Jura found herself. This essay analyzes the impact of music in solving various societal ups and downs. In many approaches, the simple behaves of Golabek being seated at the Steinway keyboard that Royal George Live theater is an ideal declaration of the play's main message. This is enough to create the oral cavity area drop wondering about how the world can frustrate. By viewing, this middle-aged lady's arms proceed with service of the development of wonderful songs, the forfeit of her grandma and grandpa are made reveal. Nazis being successful neither in eliminating these close relatives nor its achieved art, did not deter the inheritance of the skill by the next generation. Finally, the Nazi r egime passes and The piano enjoying continues. It is all set out before attendance in the most instantaneous, theatrical way (Golabek 23-30). One of the main themes on how music solves a societal problem is on the reduction of diseases related to boredom. Notably, hard economic moments have compelled people to spend more time working to bridge their problems. As a result, they spend several hours behind closed office doors. This is not healthy for the brain since it tends to be overworked. Additionally, the boredom comes in, and it can reduce the productivity of an individual. To solve this, contemporary offices are fitted with music system where employees at wish can listen during work. Notably, this has created stronger unity in open layout offices because at some point employee are attracted in discussing the music. As a matter of facts, this was eminent at some point where the audience joined in the singing (Golabek 43-57). Another theme that is communicated by the music is pass ion. Passion can be for someone or something. In this case, Juras’ passion was to become a prominent pianist, which was supported by her family. The parent made sure she was far away from timid Nazi’s regime through the Kinder transport program. In real life situations, super achievers have made it with the guidance of passion. For instance, Mandela’s passion to liberate his countrymen made him fear nothing including twenty seven years jail term. The outcome of his dedication was freedom to South Africans. Another case is eminent in sports. Diego Maridona had a passion for football. His passion for the game made him rose to become one of the best world players at some point in his career. He did all within his ability to emerge the best by even scoring a world cup championship goal by hand. It, therefore, is clear that passion should drive every undertaking (Golabek 134-146). The framed picture hung in the blue stage during the play depicts the theme of the hist orical moment. They emphasize that the occurrence was back in gone days. In the picture, it is seen that there is some audience listening to a performance in some old school fashion wears. The instrumentals in the big oval frame are old times instruments. Another theme depicted by the dim stage setup is the struggle. This is true because, at some point, the light goes out completely. Light is a symbol of good things because through it safely is assured. Therefore,

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Orwell’s Totalitarian Government in 1984 Essay -- Literary Analysis

George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power. George Orwell declared himself as a Socialist, and he was a strong believer that people desperately need to maintain a sense of willingness to rebel against the government, in case there is ever need for it (rebellion). Orwell did not fear rebelling and taking a stand for what he believed in. This is evident especially because Orwell wrote this famous novel, that is now classified around the world as must-read literature, to bring awareness to the world, and the potential oppression that could eventually form if things continued in the way they were currently going at the time. Orwell lived in a time when communism was a very clear and present danger that was beginning to be enforced in many parts of the world. During this time, it was believed by many that the central ideas presented by a communist government were ideal for all of society. However, Orwell knew differently. Orwell was able to envision how a seemingly supreme communist government would most definitely come along with the removal of liberties, freedoms, and rights of the people. Or... ...ally become of a world where leaders forced their communist ideas and rules upon all people, and Orwell was brave enough to point out what was inevitable to happen. Works Cited 1. "The Political Ideas of George Orwell | The Socialist Party of Great Britain." World Socialist Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2012. . 2. Orwell, George. 1984, a novel. New York: New American Library, 1949. Print. 3. Arno, The. "Oscar Wilde - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.." The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. . 4. Fuchs, Thomas. A concise biography of Adolf Hitler. Berkley ed. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. Print. Orwell’s Totalitarian Government in 1984 Essay -- Literary Analysis George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power. George Orwell declared himself as a Socialist, and he was a strong believer that people desperately need to maintain a sense of willingness to rebel against the government, in case there is ever need for it (rebellion). Orwell did not fear rebelling and taking a stand for what he believed in. This is evident especially because Orwell wrote this famous novel, that is now classified around the world as must-read literature, to bring awareness to the world, and the potential oppression that could eventually form if things continued in the way they were currently going at the time. Orwell lived in a time when communism was a very clear and present danger that was beginning to be enforced in many parts of the world. During this time, it was believed by many that the central ideas presented by a communist government were ideal for all of society. However, Orwell knew differently. Orwell was able to envision how a seemingly supreme communist government would most definitely come along with the removal of liberties, freedoms, and rights of the people. Or... ...ally become of a world where leaders forced their communist ideas and rules upon all people, and Orwell was brave enough to point out what was inevitable to happen. Works Cited 1. "The Political Ideas of George Orwell | The Socialist Party of Great Britain." World Socialist Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2012. . 2. Orwell, George. 1984, a novel. New York: New American Library, 1949. Print. 3. Arno, The. "Oscar Wilde - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.." The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2012. . 4. Fuchs, Thomas. A concise biography of Adolf Hitler. Berkley ed. New York: Berkley Books, 2000. Print.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Issues of Same-Sex Marriage

6, November 2009 Issue of Same-sex Marriage As the world rapidly transitions into the twenty-first century, a new set of problems arise and the people of the world are faced with challenges that they have never encountered. The majority of world cultures are based around religion and religion comes with many stipulations that are not agreed upon by everyone. In Christian culture, the issue of homosexuality is a conflict that is currently being debated. The direct issue is whether or not people of homosexual tendencies have the right to share a union that is comparable to that of heterosexual couples.Marriage has been described as a legally binding contract, a moral commitment, a change of familial ties, and in some cases, a religious rite. That religious rite is what is being debated. Why shouldn’t two homosexuals be joined by the same kind of relationship that is accepted by everyone? These unique individuals share the same human characteristics as their heterosexual counterp arts, and they hold the same civic responsibilities. Many argue that a same-sex relationship ruins the sanctity of marriage or is morally irreprehensible, but the issue of divorce does the same exact thing.Not to mention, the main argument against homosexual relations is people believe the church has the last word on all moral issues, but after thousands of years, they hold almost no relevance in today’s issues. Pondering the idea of same-sex dealings, people need to take into consideration the fact that unions between two people does not effect outside parties personally; so it should mean next to nothing to them to see two men or two women be bonded by more than plutonic love. The Catholic Church has been active for many centuries. In the early years, the church was the ruling party of the lands in ancient Europe.However, as time progresses, the church slowly lost its power and it was merely there as a support system for its believers. Church theories are known around the w orld, but as time moves ahead, they continue to loose their value. I believe the churches messages are mere suggestions. Due to the fact that the modern countries have spent an enormous amount of time and money shaping their nations into what they think it should stand for apart from church’s principles. The church and its ideals are not nearly as valuable to the modern world.But when dealing with the issue of same sex unions, it is exactly the opposite, people go by what the church says as if the church is the actual government. It is puzzling to hear people speak of their respective churches and what it stands for, as if that church is the last word on all things of moral impact. Perhaps I am a modernist, but I believe that the government can be the only one to issue judgments upon relationships. The institution of a federal government can actually preside over different aspects of relationships, including marriage.The government has recorded over thousands of different way s married couples are given special status under federal law. It is not fair to limit same-sex couples a variety of benefits just because they are gay. Because the issue of same-sex marriage has become a prominent discussion topic, the Catholic Church decided to publish their opinion on the matter. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states, â€Å"all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions† (Griffiths, 10).The church so blatantly stating all Catholics should be opposed to homosexual unions is absurd. It offers no real reason, other than its contradiction to the bible. The bible is a book written thousands of years ago, and some might argue that it holds no real evidence of its events being true. In addition, the bible itself contains homosexual activity; in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, homosexual pursuits are very evident. One could go as far as to say that the Catholic Church is boarding hypocritical.Joseph Cardinal Ratzinge r states in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that in every moral disorder, homosexual activity prevents one's own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God (CDF 18). It is unimaginable how the Catholic Church can come to a conclusion such as this, because they know nothing about homosexuality. All the church sees is the general idea of being gay , and therefore misinterprets the entire culture. With a world as diverse as this one, no one can assume they know everything about a topic that they haven’t experienced for themselves.To generalize that someone is unable to be happy is utterly bizarre because they have no real way of knowing what that person is going through. Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick explain it best in their pursuit for homosexuals’ needs to be incorporated into a wider community, for physic-security and well being just as the rest of the people in society (Curran, McCormich, 345). Homosexualsâ⠂¬â„¢ needs to be accepted into society is parallel with everyone else’s, because it gives people security and the feeling of acceptance.Most people are able to achieve acceptance through their community, but when homosexuals strive for acceptance within their community, they are shut down for their orientation. It is not right to exclude homosexuals from normal society just because they are different. Sexuality is a defining characteristic of ones life; it carves the path on how one will live the rest of their life. Because sexuality holds such an important place in people’s lives, it should not be able to hold them back in anything they want to do.Of course homosexuality is very different from what was considered the norm hundreds of years ago and therefore still somewhat a taboo topic, but homosexuality is not a bad thing. People who oppose same-sex relations are not willing to take the chance and introduce something different into their lives, and more often than n ot, it is just an uncomfortable situation that they are unwilling to face. For same-sex couples to be accepted, we, as a society, must put our judgments aside and experience a world where gay people are able to participate in daily life without being oppressed.I suspect that people would not notice a change from how life is today; the idea of same-sex relationships only affect the people who actually take part in such behavior. I honestly believe that homosexuality would not be nearly as big as a problem as it is today, without the influence of the Catholic Church. The church spews out their opinions on all issues, and provide no alternative; it is either their way or not at all. Same-sex relations should be positively acknowledged with the rights of every other couple in the world, and not ignored.Work Cited Curran, Charles E. , and Richard A. McCormick, S. J, eds. Readings in Moral Theology. 8th ed. New York: Paulist Press. 330-46. Print. Griffiths, Paul J. â€Å"Legalize Same-Se x Marraige. † Commonweal (2003): 10-14. Print. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, â€Å"Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons† (October 1, 1986), http://www. vatican. va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en. html, 18.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Nervous Wedding Day

As the bright yellow-red sun settled along the seashore, the tan soft sand blew on my red like tomato face. I wondered if this uncomfortable scenery was going to be the same as for my angelic wedding in just two days. In just two days, I was marrying the love of my life and I couldn't be more nervous than a shaking and terrified pig at a slaughter house. The day came and this terrible humid weather made me sick, but when I saw my handsome soon to be husband with his glimmering eyes stare at my silky embroider dress, I melted like a popsicle during summer.My experience of this day was memorable because of the horrible weather, my panic attacks, and the fascinating union of my husband and I. All I could think about was how my sparkling makeup looked after the sweat drops that rolled throughout my skin. I kept asking myself why I let my husband choose the venue! The blue water looked as brilliant as the sunshine hit on it, causing such a humid weather. I thought to myself, â€Å"Are my guests going through this too? † I prayed that they wouldn’t be able to notice the nasty drops roaming on their face.As I was getting walked through the isle, all I could see were tiny like ants sweating gallons of drops. It couldn’t be possible, my family and friends were not too pleased. For a minute I felt like running away because of the embarrassment I felt towards my guests and their discomfort. Time was going as slow as the rain clouds reaching the dessert. Finally, the ceremony was over; it seemed like an eternity. Now it was time to jump and party! The humidity was long gone, the beautiful moon shone over my guests. Everything was too good to be true.We greeted the invites with a wide smile from ear to ear and a hug as tight as a corset. Our friends and family started getting served, until a horrible torment of wind came in. â€Å"Oh no! †, I shouted, first the humidity and now sand. My wedding was supposed to be as amazing and magical as a Disne y movie. I started with my horrible panic attacks. I lacked breath like a fish out of the sea, gasping for air. I saw my husband running as fast as a flash towards me, holding me and blowing air to my face with a paper fan. Slowly I recuperated from this horrible attack.I was relieved when I heard the manager from the venue say he was prepared for unexpected weather with his indoor ballroom. I felt like back in high school when the professor cancels a test you didn’t study for. Now that we were inside, nothing could go wrong! After all the troubles, my husband and I enjoyed the juicy chicken bathed in a special sauce, the eight stair white cake and the non-stop dancing of our wedding. I had forgotten the true meaning of this day because the conflicts we encountered. I had not realized that this was the day I married my highs school sweetheart.This was the day my heart, my soul, and all of me were unified to my other half. With the simple thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life with my husband, it made my heart pound so strong that I could hear it rumble in my ears. I felt a warm tingly sensation inside of me seeing myself reflected in the mirror with my long-tailed dress. My feelings moment before my wedding were immensely beautiful, feelings I had never experienced before. So many things went wrong on this day but as long as I went through them with my husband, it should be as easy as the breeze that blew at my wedding.My wedding day experience can be described as memorable. It was such a memorable day because of the horrible weather, my panic attacks, and the wonderful union of my husband and me. The horrible weather made me worried that the guests were as uncomfortable as a fat lady with a dress that doesn’t fit. My panic attacks wore me out just like the feeling after a three hour workout at the gym. This day was hectic and made me nervous, but knowing I had my husband next to me, made everything worth it. I wouldn’t chan ge this memorable day for anything†¦maybe just a better venue!

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Gangs in Prison Essays

Gangs in Prison Essays Gangs in Prison Paper Gangs in Prison Paper Gangs in Prison The Aryan Brotherhood The Aryan Brotherhood originates in the CDC (California Department of Corrections) and BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons). The Aryan Brotherhood was founded in San Quentin, California in the 1960s. The founders were members of other gangs from the 1950s called, â€Å"Bluebirds†, â€Å"Diamond Tooth Gang†, and the â€Å"Nazi Gang†. Barry Mills and Tyler Davis are now the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood. Their basic beliefs and mission is they believe in the betterment and preservation of the white race, in separatism, that no foreigner should rule over the white race, that all who are against or oppress the white race are sworn enemies, in the rights of the white race, in the right to teach white children of the Aryan cultures and heritage, believe only in the support of the white race, and that it is important to guide the upbringing of white children, as they are the heirs to the future. The Aryan Brotherhood is known to be strongest in the southwest and pacific regions. : They are weakest in northeastern regions, where the African-American population is more dominant. It has been stated that the Aryan Brotherhood is growing. As of now, there are approximately 500 members. The criminal activities that they are involved in are murder, kidnapping, racketeering, and drug distribution. At least one example of how dangerous it is in prison for these members is the ABT leader Kelly Ray Ellery and other members ordered subordinates to kill a prospective member and make it â€Å"messy as possible† to send a message to gang members to cooperate with law enforcement. They also ordered to return the man’s severed finger as a trophy. The Black Guerilla Family The Black Guerilla family originated from San Quentin Prison in 1966. The founders of this gang are George Jackson and W. L. Nolen. Their basic beliefs and mission is to eradicate racism, maintain dignity in prison and overthrow the United States Government. They are strongest in San Quentin, CA and Baltimore, Maryland. They are weakest in the southwestern and Pacific regions. Their ranks are growing, they have 50,000 members today. The criminal activities they are involved in while in prison are drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes. One example of how dangerous it can be in prison is the supreme commander, â€Å"Doc† Holiday, proved he still had what it takes to be in the Black Guerilla Family by stabbing a random fellow prisoner to death. The Folk Nation The Folk Nation originated from the Illinois Department of Corrections. I would also like to note that The Folk Nation is not a gang- they are alliances which gangs are aligned. Larry Hoover, the chairman of the Gangster Disciples Nation, created the idea of alliance and persuaded black, white, and Latino gangs from Chicago to join. He did all of this in November 11, 1978. Under their basic beliefs and missions, they maintain a strict code of solidarity, with members promising to hold â€Å"Folk before family† and claiming they will â€Å"not let my brother fall to a knee†. They are strongest in the Midwest and southwest; there is no record of where they could possibly be the weakest, because they are all over the United States. They are continuously recruiting members in the streets and in prisons, therefore stating that they are very dominant and only getting stronger. The criminal activities they are commonly involved in are racketeering, murder, robbery, assault, and illegal use of firearms. The Mexican Mafia The Mexican Mafia originated in 1957 at Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California. Luis â€Å"Huero Buff† Flores from the Hawaiian Gardens gang was the founder of The Mexican Mafia. Their basic beliefs were to control the prison system. They are strongest in northern and southern California, but they are in a decline right now. The most obvious of criminal activities of The Mexican Mafia are extortion (RICO), narcotics distribution, and murder. An example of the danger in the prison system from the Mexican Mafia is in the 1960’s, the Mexican Mafia conducted hits in San Quentin and DVI. Doroteo â€Å"Sleepy† Betancourt and Frank â€Å"moose† Bazure murdered a correctional officer; just to prove their existence. MS13 The MS13 gang originated in Los Angeles in the 1960’s and the 1980’s. They didn’t actually have just one founder; it was a group of young Salvadorans that broke off from other Hispanic gangs. Their basic beliefs are self-protection and protection of their families. They are strongest in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah; they are also strong in Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. They are weakest in the East coast. They are neither growing or in decline, because they no longer exist; they are known now as the Surenos. Their criminal activities consists of drug smuggling, gun running, people smuggling, hits for hire, theft, drug sales, and arson. An example to illustrate how dangerous they are is in a recent Texas incident, a member of MS13(Surenos) participated in a gang rape of a 24-year-old woman and then he kicked her in the neck so hard that he broke it and killed her instantly. In conclusion, I noticed that they all had similarities in criminal activity. All of their beliefs were very different except for one thing, they all focused more on their own races of people. I also noticed that all but the Mexican Mafia are growing in population. I also realized that the strongest and most dangerous gang in the world is MS13 aka Surenos. Although the other prison gangs are growing in threat level and population; MS13 aka Surenos is the largest organized crime entity in the world. Therefore, in conclusion, these prison gangs actually have a lot more in common than what they think they do. The only thing that is really separating them is their racial beliefs. References: History of the Mexican Mafia prison gang; July 25th, 2007; Valdemar, Richard; www. policemag. com Ten members of Bronx drug trafficking crew charged; Jan. 9th, 2013; U. S. Attorney’s office; www. fbi. gov The Aryan Brotherhood; Montaldo, Charles; Jan. 2013; www. crime. about. com Ebook: Corrections Today; Chapter 8 The Prison Experience(males)

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Latin Verbs - Deponents

Latin Verbs - Deponents Deponent verbs are active in meaning and passive in form.This means that if you see a deponent like conor, you must translate it as an active verb; here: I try. In the dictionary, you will see the verb for to try listed as conor, -ari, -atus sum try Conor is the present passive first person singular indicative, but because the verb is deponent, it is translated as if it were active.Conari is the present passive infinitive. Because of the a. you can tell this is a first conjugation verb. Conari is translated as if it were an active infinitive: to try.The third entry in a non-deponent verb is the third principal part, which gives you the perfect active stem. If the verb were laudo, you would seeRemove the i from laud avi and you have the perfect stem. There is none in the case of conor, because in deponent verbs, the third principal part is skipped.laudo, -are, -avi, - atus praiseConatus sum is the perfect passive participle plus the first person of the verb for to be. In a non-deponent verb, this form would give you the perfect passive, but here the form gives you the perfect active: I tried. In a non-deponent verb, the sum would not be added.Except where the forms are missing, deponent verbs are conjugated just as other verbs in their conjugations.Latin Grammar Tips Latin SupineLatin Verb EndingsLatin ImperativesLatin InfinitivesLatin Verbs - Person and NumberLatin Words - Where Do You Add on Endings?Passive Periphrastic

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Internal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internal Analysis - Essay Example Weaknesses of Stilsim: The determination of the internal strengths and weaknesses will help in the analysis of the firm and in identifying the value chain activities. There are a plethora of weaknesses that strike the company's internal processes and some of major ones are mentioned here. There are some basic problems with the leadership of the company. The higher level of the company is faced with lack of communication and information dessimination. Although, Bill Simmons, the CEO of the company is extremely competent and experienced, the rest of the leadership is the contrary. Due to the lack of communication, other business processes are affected as information is not circulated on time. There are three offices that function in three different areas, the information between the three locations are not circulated. This lack of information makes the branches work independently with hardly any synchronization. Adding to the weakness is with the corporate culture of the company. There issue is with the absence of focus among the employees of the company. There is no investment over the development of employees and their skills, there are no trainings provided. The company works on old-fashioned work practices and the employees perform repetitive tasks without any variations or enrichment. Employee guidelines and their job descriptions are not formally documented. As a result of these factors, the employees are not well motivated and satisfied. They do not feel a sense of belonging to the company and have rare understanding of the business value. The lack of employee loyalty also creates demoralization and rivalry among the employees. With the passage of time and the advent of information technology, businesses have to keep up to date with the technological evolutions and maintain their systems in accordance with the advancements in technology in order to gain and maintain a competitive edge. One of the significant weaknesses found with Stilsim was with its techn ological implementations. Most of the systems were old and obsolete. The company does not have temporary methods of work and management which makes causes a great hindrance while competing with other companies. Strengths: The major strength of Stilsim lays in its vast experience of two and a half decades in the industry. Despite the weaknesses, the fact remains that Stilsim has been around for the longest time and by the nature of the business, this is a significant strength. There are loyal customers that have been seeking services from Stilsim and refer the company to others. The experience has led Stilsim to develop a vast network in the industry and even though the employees are not fully satisfied, they are highly experienced as they have been serving the company for a long time. Value Chain Analysis As described before, the value chain comprises of the activities that add value to the end product of the company and help it develop a competitive advantage. According to Porterâ €™s Generic value chain, the primary activities in the value chain of an organization include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing & sales and service respectively. The support of the activities is through the infrastructure of the firm, the human