On His Blindness – John Milton

On His Blindness (Sonnet XIX) is a petrarchan sonnet about how Milton comes to terms with his loss of sight. The sonnet talks about how he looks for help with his blindness in religion, Milton was a devout Puritan. This strongly influenced Milton’s thinking, his family were often involved in many political and religious controversies. A lot of Milton’s writing was influenced by the Bible and Greek writers such as Homer. Milton follows the typical Petrarchan sonnet form of fourteen lines all in one stanza.This stanza is internally split into an octet (eight lines) – this usually asks a question, here it is Milton complains about his blindness and how he thinks it’s unfair for it to happen to him. The sestet (six lines) – answers the question asked in the octet, here Milton talks about how patience is a virtue. In the sestet there is a quote from the ‘Parable of Talents’, this emphasises Milton’s strong religious beliefs. It has an Iambic pentameter, five stressed then unstressed syllables.Milton uses the contrast of light and dark to understand his affliction ‘My light is spent’ this implies that his time with sight had run out. Alliteration is used ‘dark world and wide’ this emphasises Milton’s struggle to come to terms with his blindness. This contrast helps give an understanding of his blindness. There is a strong link to the ‘Parable of Talents’ Milton uses the Parable to guide him and give him encouragement to come to terms with his blindness. The extended metaphor on lines three to five which implies that being blind is something that Milton is ashamed of and doesn’t want others to know.Milton writes in the past tense which implies that he’s moved on from his issues and he has comes to terms with his blindness. The use of pre-modifiers ‘fondly ask’ to emphasis his problem. Compound sentences show how deep and complex his argument about his blindness is. Enjambment shows that his thoughts on his issue are continuous and that he doesn’t stop thinking about it. However caesuras are used which implies that he swaps from one thought to another quickly. Milton’s rhyming pattern of ‘ABBAABBACDECDE’ follows the typical Petrarchan sonnet form.The audience for this poem would typically have been a society which was ‘God-fearing’. At this time the church and religion was very influential and everyone had to attend church services. Therefore Milton’s audience was universal as everyone would seek approval from God as the most people had a strong belief in heaven and hell and would want God to look down on them positively to send them to heaven. In conclusion Milton used imagery such as metaphors and connotations to help us understand what he’s going through and the struggle he’s facing coming to terms with his blindness.

Introduction to Ambisonics

The development of Ambisonic surround sound systems started in the 1970’s. They were based on a mathematical model of directional psychoacoustics, which was developed by Michael Gerzon. The model which he developed, described directional psychoacoustics in a mathematical form, so that it could conveniently be used in calculations relating to surround sound system (Mallham 10) Ambisonics can be defined as a method of recording information about a soundfield and reproducing it over some form of loudspeaker array so as to produce the impression of hearing a true three dimensional sound image.Simply put, Ambisionics is a system of recording and playback of sound fields. The model was developed by Gerzon. It used several previous theories of loaclization, and hence was more directional as compared to other systems, resulting in benefits such as reduced listening fatigue, good inter-loudspeaker imaging with reduced susceptibility to the detent effect – the tendency for appare nt source locations to be pulled towards the closest loudspeaker. This later feature improved image stability (Cotterell ch-1 16)Ambisonics is basically a two-part system of recording and playback, which is built upon strong mathematical foundations and theories of human hearing. The term soundfield, mentioned above, is a word used for describing sounds in the environment. It usually implies 3 dimensions. For recording in Ambisonics, an array of microphone capsules are built into one microphone called a Soundfield microphone. This Soundfield mike recording are then processed and encoded into a special format, called B-format, which may be written on and distributed using many different types of media.In the endy, a decoder is used to process and recover the soundfield, This can be played back in many types of listening setup, giving a unique output for every speaker available (Adams 2) As is seen in above, Ambisonics employs a signal set, known as â€Å"B-format†. This is bas ed on the principle of encoding direction, without reference to the loudspeaker layout used for reproduction. This results in Ambisonic systems being adaptable to multiple loudspeaker layouts. Using an Ambisonic decoder, appropriate loudspeaker feed signals can be derived from the transmitted B-format signals.Generally the number of loudspeakers exceeds the number of B-format signals. This is done to obtain good performance from Ambisonic systems, since in the number loudspeakers usually gives better results (Adams 2) It is observed that the Brain can process Soundfield information in several ways. However, much of this processing is seen to rely on the differences between sounds reaching the ears. As an example, if a sound is played to on the right side, because the right ear is closer, it will first receive the sound than the other ear.This is termed as Interaural Time Delay (ITD). Again, in this case the sound would be quieter in the left ear, not only because it is farther away, but because the body and head will absorb some of the sound. This is termed as Interaural Level Difference (ILD). The brain also pays attention to the timing between and relative loudness of sounds coming directly from the source and sounds reflected off of walls and other surfaces. This means that sources that are farther away tend to have more reflected energy than direct energy reaching the ears.These ear-brain interactions are called psychoacoustics (Adams 2). When a Soundfield recording is done, more efforts are made to gather and record as much information about a very small volume of space, as possible. This information comprises of just – measurements of air pressure and air pressure changes. By just adding an omnidirectional microphone to the pair of figure eight units, it is seen that one can capture all this information, with simple low order microphones. The three hree capsules should be acoustically at exactly the same place in the soundfield i.e. , The capsules are arranged to be truly coincident. This becomes even more difficult when theer is an addition of an up-down oriented figure eight capsule in order to record height information.. This problem has been overcome in the Soundfield microphone which uses four small capsules situated on the surface of a notional sphere to sample the incoming sounds (Mallham 12) Building upon recording techniques for stereo developed by Alan Blumlein in the 1930s, Ambisonics extends this recording of information into the third dimension.The idea is to record not only the pressure at a location, but also the pressure changes in different directions – front-back, left-right, and up-down. With proper decoding of this information using mathematics as well as psychoacoustics, a soundfield can be produced by speakers in the room, which reconstructs what was going on in that small volume at the listener's location (Adams 2). In Ambisonics the horizontal figure eight units are mounted front-back and side- to-side rather than at 45 degrees (Adams 2).Basic Ambisonics Technology The Ambisonic surround sound system can be considered as a two part technological solution to the problems of encoding sound directions, and reproducing them over loudspeaker systems in such a way that the listeners ears are under the impression that the sounds they are gearing are from speakers which are correctly located. Technically speaking, this can take place over a 360 degree horizontal only soundstage i. e. pantophonic systems or over the full sphere i. e. periphonic systems (Mallham 14)Ambisonic offers a hierarchy of encoding schemes from a stereo compatible UHJ format (Sinclair 27) There is no need to consider the actual details of the reproduction system when doing the original recording or synthesis Encoding Equations – The position of a sound within a three dimensional soundfield is encoded in the four signals which make up the B format: X = cosA. cosB (front-back) Y = sinA. cosB (left-right) Z = sinB (up-down) W = 0. 707 (pressure signal) Where, A is the anti-clockwise angle from centre front and B is elevation (Mallham 14)B- Format A number of different signal sets may be used at some stage of an Ambisonic system: A-format signals – The output signals of the microphone capsules making up a soundfield microphone. This signal set is not available to the outside world; it is utilised only within the soundfield microphone itself. C-format signal – The signal set which is conveyed to the listener via a recording or transmission medium, when it differs from B-format, is termed C- format. The â€Å"C† is sometimes said to stand for â€Å"consumer†.The C-format signal sets were proposed as part of the initial development of Ambisonics are together known as the UHJ hierarchy (Cotterell Ap-2 16) With Ambisonics, a sound field is decomposed into spherical harmonic components, termed W, X, Y and Z. These are collectively called B-Format (Leese 7). B-fo rmat is based on the principle of encoding direction, without reference to the loudspeaker layout used for reproduction. As a result of this, ambisonic systems are adaptable to multiple loudspeaker layouts; an ambisonic decoder derives appropriate loudspeaker feed signals from the transmitted B-format signals.To obtain good performance from ambisonic systems, the number of loudspeakers should exceed the number of B-format signals used; a further increase in the number of loudspeakers will usually give improved results (Cotterell ch-1 18) B- format signals can also be expressed in terms of derivatives of sound pressure. The nth-order B-format signal set consists of the signals obtained from coincident microphones having polar patterns corresponding to the (n +1) linearly independent spherical harmonics of all orders up to and including n.A signal set of any order can be extended to a higher order merely by augmenting it with additional signals; it is not necessary to change any of th e existing signals. Thus, an nth order soundfield microphone is distinguished by its ability to provide outputs which are the nth-order B-format signal (Cotterell ch-4 1) B-format signal is the primary signal format for Ambisonic use. Ideally, the B-format signals would be communicated directly to the listener.Unfortunately, this has not always been possible – in particular, the need to distribute recordings via two-channel media, retaining compatibility with existing stereo and mono equipment, led to the need for alternative signal formats to be employed (Cotterell Ap-2 16) Enhanced B-Format; BE-, BF- & BEF-Format Enhanced B-format signal sets have been proposed in connection with B-format decoders, which are optimized specifically for use with HDTV, or more generally for use in support of visual media (Cotterell Ap-2 19)The primary motivation is to produce a frontal sound stage which is more stable with respect to movement by the listener, and specifically to lock centre-fr ont acoustic images in place with respect to a screen. Thus, the motivation is substantially the same as for the use of the centre channel in cinema-oriented surround sound formats. Hence, two extra signals are defined, denoted as E and F, which have directional response patterns. (Cotterell Ap-2 16) Ambisonics and Stereo The B format signals are not at all stereo compatible.However, it is possible to combine the three (X,W,Y) components required for horizontal work in such a way that not only is a good stereo compatible two channel system produced but with a suitable decoder much of the original surround sound image can be recovered. This resulting Soundfield is also not perfect, but carefully designing the encoding equations can make it possible to place the defects in areas where the ear is less susceptible (Mallham 10) This encoding method, called UHJ coding, is used to produce stereo compatible Ambisonic records, tapes and broadcasts.The X,Y and W signals are combined in the fo rm of a two-channel compatible stereo signal (Brice 225). This is done using the following equations Left = (0. 0928 + 0. 255j)X + (0. 4699 – 0. 171j)W + (0. 3277)Y Right= (0. 0928 – 0. 255j)X + (0. 4699 + 0. 171j)W – (0. 3277)Y The above decoding equations are such that a decoder for any of the levels will always extract the correct information from high level inputs – in other words the system is upward compatible (Mallham 10) B+ format Another extension of the B-format, mentioned above, was developed by Dr. Thomas Chen.He calls it as â€Å"B+format†. This gives an optional enhancement to the Ambisonics listening experience. Definition B+ format is the standard 4 channels of B format material known as W, X, Y, and Z plus 2 channels of L/R dry stereo recording. This method of recording separates the dry/direct sound from the ambient/room sound in recording and reproduction. Each serves a distinct purpose and is ideally suited to it. (Chen 1) The à ¢â‚¬Å"+† which is seen in B+ Format denotes the presence of a close-miked standard stereo recording simultaneous with a soundfield recording.This is decoded to the front-half of the rig to give the impression that there is a set of stereo speakers on its surface in front of the listener. The angle between them is around 60 degrees (Adams 2) Chen is the inventor of B+ format. This format extends Ambisonic B format with two additional channels. Going by his definition of the format, one can see that, Chen suggested B+ format by combining the 1st order ambisonic B-format with two additional channels L/R dry channel recording (Trond 2) One way to look at this idea is that the format separates the dry signal and ambience.This means that the dry and ambient signal can be dynamically mixed depending on the space used for playback as well as the preferences of the listener (Trond 3) Why use the B+ format Chen considers that the sound system he ahs created, would provide the following feature:. †¢ Ambient – The system would be ambient. This means that the whole acoustic event could be captured and regenerated, such that it manages to give convincing impression to the listener’s ears, which a conventional stereo sound systems doe not. A soundfield must be present on reproduction.†¢ Accurate – The system would be accurate. This means that the direction of the sounds must be exact, as per the specifications or requirements i. e. front-stage, to the sides, above or below, behind. †¢ Sounds would be free from audible distortions of tone, timbre or position. The system must equally suit all types of singers, without any particular voice sounding good or bad. †¢ Scaleable – The system would support the group listening no matter the size of the group, and the same system could be used by an individual without compromising on the sound quality.The scaling factor would be adjustable †¢ Approachable – The system wo uld be easy use without any complications, physical or otherwise, on the behalf of the listener. For e. g. – No head clamps or enforced body positions or forbidden head directions or microscopic sweet spots or compulsory narrow listening seat. †¢ Practical – The system would be easily tailored to suit the ordinary domestic listening environments, at least as good as what conventional a stereo does.†¢ Compatible – The system would be able to satisfactorily replay the recordings of mono and stereo material; while sound recorded using the technology would replay satisfactorily on conventional stereo systems or would be able to readily convert to match them. For example, FM stereo being broadcast as a mono-compatible Sum and Difference rather than directly as a Left and Right signal. (Chen 2) As mentioned above, B+ Format consists of B format ambient-recorded signal plus two channels of L/R direct recorded signal. It is recorded on 6 channels and when repr oduced it is decoded into as many channels as the listeners wishes. (Chen 3)By using the two channels of L/R direct recorded signal , the directional sound clues from the direct signal as well as the sound of the instrument are present only in the front i. e. – instrument setting experience. There is no vertical height information in this pair, which is added to the frontal speaker array (Chen 3) By enabling the ambient and direct information to be stored separately, the listener can choose the balance of direct and ambient information at the time of reproduction. This will allow for many different sized reproduction spaces. The larger space will need less ambient information while the smaller spaces will need more.In addition the listener can choose the amount of preferred ambience (Chen 3) Time, Location and Spatial Representation The direct sound gives the best directional and instrumental timbre information. Hence, the direct sound should arrive earlier than the ambient s ignal. Also, the direct sound doesn't have any spacious or enveloping qualities (Chen 4) The ambient sound best gives spaciousness, spatial depth and envelopment to the reproduction of sound. B format presentation is known to be inaccurate in presenting location and therefore many scientists are trying to improve the reproduction with higher order of B format decoding.Also, first order of B format is considered to be satisfactory for presenting the ambient sound because it is not well localized (Chen 4). Storage Requirements As mentioned in the section above, B+ Format recordings require 6 channels of storage. This can be obtained with either SACD or DVD-A using MLP compression. Chen says that the advantage of using B+ format disks is that one is not limited to the speaker arrangement that the format will dictate but rather a decoder will determine your listening set up or you can set the decoder for your listening set up (Chen 5) Recording Techniques for B+ FormatDirect Recording S tereo Mics – Recording of the direct channel done by conventional means. Can use stereo microphone techniques: X/Y, M/S or OCT. Stored as L/R or M/S. Direct signal should contain little reverberant information. Recorded using direction microphones. Spot Mics – Spot microphones or flanking microphones to balance recorded sound. Need to add ambience to the spot microphones and to flanking microphones. The ambience added should be in B format and added to the B format channel. Multi Track Techniques – Multi-track techniques used to generate the direct signal and to add ambience in B format.B-Format Recording Room Recording – Room ambient recording done with the Soundfield microphone generating a B format output. The location of the Soundfield microphone is typically at the location in the room where the direct and reverberant sounds are equal. B-Format ambience by convolution –This is a digital technique where a room ambience is measured in B format a nd then is impressed upon another signal. B format ambient information can also be obtained with multiple reverberation devices. At least 3 engines are needed to generate B format reverberance, one for each axis (Chen 5)Techniques for Monitoring B+ Format Ideal decoding with 16 channels Decoding of the B+ format is ideally presented as 16 channels. This is arranged as two rings of 8 speakers with 45 degrees of separation between them. From stereo, it is known that the maximum separation between speakers without a hole in the middle is 60 degrees Thus by using an upper and lower ring of eight speakers vertical/height information can be presented. The listener usually presents the L/R stereo on the front speakers without height information.In this case the listener should be able to adjust the balance of dry versus ambient sound. For this Chen has developed decoders for 16, 12, 10 channels of 3D surround or without height as 8, 6, or 5 channels (Chen 6) Decoding in the present control room The listener can use the present control room to work in B+ format. In this case the decoding is done with 60-degree speaker spacing with two rings of 6 speakers. The front up and down speakers will be combined and the present control room speakers will be used for the sum of the front up and down signals.After this listener can use his present console to obtain the L/R stereo mix and use a pair of auxiliary sends to sent to the B format ambience generator (Chen 6) Software for the B+ format Dr Thomas Chen has developed exciting and powerful software for the Creamware Pulsar system, providing multiple, configurable B-format and B+ format decoding, mixing and signal manipulation subsystems. He intends to make this software available commercially, either through Creamware or direct, in the near future.

Difference between US and South Korea transprotation Research Paper

Difference between US and South Korea transprotation - Research Paper Example Notable areas that have witnessed tremendous development include the public transportation sector. The growth in the economy has led to the rapid expansion of air, land and sea transportation. To this end, the period of rapid growth in the transport sector can be traced back to the early 1990’s. During this period, South Korea was emerging as a formidable trading nation globally. Consequently, the transportation sector garnered 7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product in 1999. Apart from the rapid economic growth, increase in population density in Seoul and the greater metropolitan area created an incentive for growth of the public transport sector. To this end, a raft of reforms in the transportation sector enabled Seoul to gain a competitive edge against established public transport networks globally. The subsequent sections will elaborate on the reasons for development of South Korean public transport network. Furthermore, the positive effects of the public transport develop ment to the South Korean society will be discussed. In addition, a comparative analysis of the differences between the South Korean public transport and the United States model will be comprehensively discussed. Reasons for Development of South Korean Public Transport In order to understand the development of South Korea’s public transport, a background of the precipitating factors is essential. Foremost, Seoul and the wider metropolitan areas of Gyeonggi and Incheon province have witnessed rapid population growth since 1942. The effect of population growth from 9 million to 25 million by 2010 increased demand in transportation. Furthermore, coupled by a rapidly growing economy, the public transportation sector was in need of reforms to mitigate over the crisis. Consequently, the reforms initiated touched on technology, infrastructure and policy affecting public transport. To this end, the reforms undertaken were based on visionary and integrated approach. The vision was to m ake ‘Seoul a clean and attractive city’(Kuranami et al 8-1). Consequently, the focal themes were centred on three areas. These were: environmental sustainability through a low carbon emission transport system; human centred traffic system; social inclusion, and economic growth through the building of demand management. Reforms in the public transit sector were undertaken by the Seoul Metropolitan government (SMG). Foremost, the SMG introduced rapid transit corridors for the buses to ease congestion. This involved redesigning of the bus routes and the introduction of feeder routes. Second, the SMG implemented a uniform fare structure and an automated ticket system across all modes of transportation and designated routes. Consequently, the SMG maintained the decision of fare regulations as well as schedules and routes. In addition, a colour coded numbering system of the buses was introduced in order to specify the types of services they offered. In terms of infrastructura l development, median bus right- of- ways were expanded to accommodate the Bus Rapid Transit services. Moreover, the bus lanes were increased and upgraded as well as the expansion of the length of curb side bus lanes. Railway transport equally experienced development strategies that boosted development of So

Risks Assessment of Work Environment of Titanic Cove Resort Essay

Risks Assessment of Work Environment of Titanic Cove Resort - Essay Example This paper analyzes all the hazards, which are present in the workplace of Titanic Cove Resort as well as the risks associated with each hazard. Moreover, this paper puts forward suggestions and suitable measures for dealing with these hazards in order to reduce their riskiness. Cost-benefit analysis has also been done to state the costs and benefits related to non-compliance with the legislation, hazards and recommended controls. In the end, risks assessment table has been attached in order to provide the glimpse of overall situation at Titanic Cove Resort. Along with that, an action plan has also been prepared to notice how the suggestions and measures can be put into effect. WHS legislation is the legalities and laws that are formulated for the health and safety of workers of organizations. All the employers and workers are required to comply these laws. Non-compliance with these can be hazardous for not only the workers but for the overall organization because if the workers are not performing up to the mark due to hurdles in working environment lack of good health, then it can result in monetary as well as non-monetary loss of the company. Examples of monetary losses include loss of profits, increased costs etc whereas non-monetary losses include loss of reputation, brand image, and goodwill. Complying with WHS Legislation is compulsory for every organization. Titanic Cove Resort also needs to comply with WHS Legislation because the number of hazards and associated risks are present in the work environment of the respective organization. Breaches of Legislation can provide a glimpse of the expected losses that might result in non-compliance with the WH S Legislation. A slight glance at the results of Breaches of WHS Legislation has been mentioned below.

Oz Jet Boating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Oz Jet Boating - Essay Example The competitive low prices offered by Oz jet boating attracts many customers because of its affordability. Adults part with $75, children with $45 and whole family parts with $195 for a boat tour. The purpose of this research paper is to describe Oz jet boating as a tourism company giving details of the products it offers and finally conduct a situational analysis of the company. The target consumer group is a young population. Boat tours appeal the young who are adventurous in nature. Social media, advertisement agencies and internet are the channels used to advertise Oz jet boating to the world. Oz jet boating offers flexible ways of booking for the tourist tours through the email, telephone or any outlets located at the harbour. Oz jet boating is a tourist company based in Australia. The products offered are sightseeing activities at the Opera house, Harbour sides, Shark Island, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Taronga zoo. The major rivals in the tourism industry include Sydney Harbour boat tours, Sydney Harbour and Sydney Harbour cruises. Prestige harbour cruises offer charter boats for hire used in corporate events, weddings and social gatherings (Sydney Harbour, 2014). Sydney Harbour tours are famous for its day guide tours. It also offers fresh food from the sea and beverages at Watsons Hotel. The charges are $129 for adults and $89 for children (Sydney Harbour Boat Tours, 2014). Sydney Harbour Escapes, on the other hand, is a family business started back in 2000 that offers boat services and tour activities (Sydney Harbour Escapes, 2014). Oz jet boating needs to creatively and innovatively offer differentiated and unique products that give it a competitive edge above its rival customers. Proper care ought to be taken in pricing of the products in such manner that it will offer competitive lower prices than rival companies offer but also obtain profits from such prices. The consumer target group should be diversified and not limited to the young population onl y. Touring activities should be designed to include activities that will appeal to the ageing population and by thus doing revenue streams will increase. Advertising channels used must reach myriad people so that the public is familiar with the company and its products.

Make an argument for what you believe the THEME of this short story is Essay

Make an argument for what you believe the THEME of this short story is - Essay Example In my opinion, the main theme in this short story would be the perception that Indians hold about their fellow Indian Americans, which revolves around the issue of class and acceptance, and how most of them would choose to interact with individuals who hold opposing views from what is expected by society (Johansen 347). What this means is that; Indian Americans will only accept their own if they have been accepted by the white man’s social order. It is through this story that one can see how the Indians learn to see themselves or the changes they wish to see, even if they seem impossible to attain. Countless individuals believe that the Indian Americans themselves have already labeled themselves depending on how society demands (Johansen 352). This is seen through the short story that talks about an Indian American basketball team that is going to face off against another Indian team, but has to overcome challenges in order to play. Before the start of the game, arguments and discussions ensue over the authenticity of one group of the Indian players. In order to play, it was required that the players had to have BIA enrollment cards, or have at least one-quarter of Indian blood (Forbes 225). In my opinion, it may be difficult to prove how authentic one’s race may be, especially to a group that is of the same race, who consider themselves superior due to various factors. The irony that arises in this situation is seen in the manner in which these different groups of individuals seem to accept the fact that being labeled is fine, and that it seems to divide them but they do not pay attention to it. It is funny to think of one group of individuals, all minorities, being prejudiced against each other because they do not have their names or enrollment numbers in a government database. This labeling proves that even as the white society left the Indian communities, and all other races alone, fighting and racism would still continue. The only difference

Lead Paint and Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lead Paint and Crime - Research Paper Example Statistics indicate that approximately 38 million houses In the US were painted before the 1978 ban on lead paints (Seymour, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation of Lead poisoning and its contribution towards antisocial behavior. Lead Poisoning Painting is a technical process, which ensures that an end product such as a house, vehicle, furniture, toys among others, get an appealing look, which is important while dealing with the dynamic nature of tastes and preferences in different individuals. However, not many people take time to question the integrity of the paints being used to satisfy their requirements either due to ignorance or due to sheer lack of interest. However, it is also common to find that in urban areas, where majority of people live in rental houses, it is difficult to establish the type of paint that has been used on the walls or other painted surfaces. Such people are susceptible to Lead poisoning especially if they are living in houses painted using Lead bas ed paints. Small children living in such surroundings are the worst affected especially if the paint has already started peeling off to the ground. This is due to the fact that they are identifiable with the habit of collecting and feeding on anything that comes their way especially while they are crawling on the floor (Seymour, 2010). The paint particles disintegrate into smaller particles after which they mix with the dust on the floor such that it becomes easy for the whole household to inhale them without noticing. In addition, the peelings from the roof and the walls can find their way onto the food and water that is not well covered after which unsuspecting persons can ingest them thereby putting them at risk. It is therefore not a wonder to find that CDC estimates indicate that more than 250000 children in the US suffered from Lead poisoning between 1997 and 2009. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Lead concentration in the blood is considered dan gerous if it exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Lead is tasteless and it does not contain any peculiar smell and therefore, it is not easy for a layman to identify it. In addition, people who have ingested it do not show immediate signs and symptoms, which can trigger the urgency to seek medical attention. Instead, it continues to accumulate in the blood system and the bones thereby causing a slow progressive damage to vital organs in the body of the victim until such time when the body begins to react negatively to the poisoning. During this time, the affected person begins to portray symptoms such as; memory loss, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, and muscle pains (Fancher, 2010). The affected person may also experience constant headaches, depression, and loss of appetite among others, which are common in adults. Young children exhibit some of the above mentioned symptoms and others such as vomiting, abdominal pains, mental disabilities and retarded growth whereby t he child takes long to master basic techniques such as talking. In general, Lead poisoning is highly damaging to some of the most important organs in a human body such as; the brain, kidney, the nervous system as well as the blood. Blood is highly important as it facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the brain and extreme organs such as the limbs (Fancher, 2010). Lead in the blood

Developing a technology model for a social entrepreneur case that you Research Paper

Developing a technology model for a social entrepreneur case that you can pick - Research Paper Example First factor addresses the social problems or needs by approaching some innovative ideas and techniques. Second factor addresses significant awareness and efforts towards balancing responsibility in the best interest of stakeholders. The main aim of social entrepreneurship is to achieve social and environmental goals by working for the welfare of society. On the other hand, the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship is based on entrepreneurs. The term â€Å"social entrepreneurs† is accredited to the class of people who recognise the social difficulties and try to solve them with the help of primary entrepreneurship approaches. In present world, there are many organizations that are using social entrepreneurship models for the welfare of human being. Social entrepreneurs come in many types ranging from large non-profits to single-person causes. They also come in differing orientations such as non-profit or profit making organizations. (examples) The essence of any social entrepreneurial venture is to solve a problem or cater to a need in the society. Social entrepreneurs all over the world use different ways to solve the problems that concern our society such as poverty, illiteracy, and pollution. The use of technology in this cause has been able to develop some excellent business models and social development ventures. Technology entrepreneurship (or Technopreneurship, as commonly called today) and social innovation make an excellent combination for the development of the world. Many small, medium or large social ventures have sprouted up which use technology to solve the problems. With the help of PCs, notebooks, PDA, mobile phone devices, GPS, and wireless technologies, entrepreneurs find it easy to come up with innovative and cost effective solutions. One such venture is â€Å"Engineers without borders† which we will study in this paper to see how they add value through technology to their target market and society in general. â€Å"Engineers without

Macy's case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macy's case - Essay Example Macy’s has for some period has been one of the most influential and innovative players in departmental store sector, contributing to adoption of numerous managerial and technological innovations that include data processing, store merchandising, inventory control, among others. By the 50s, almost every state, in America, had its own departmental store. However, fifty years later, this had changed drastically with a decline in sales. Macy’s decided on converting regional departmental stores into one brand while also repositioning the store in order to differentiate it from its competitors. While the move was derided in some quarters as futile due to the demise of the departmental store as a whole, some analysts were of the idea that the store’s strategy was vital in revitalizing the declining industry. Which factors in the external environment could affect (positively and negatively) the success of Macy’s new strategy? Which internal factors could affect th e success of the company’s strategy? Departmental stores are currently in danger of extinction. While there were thirty-five major chains of departmental stores in the 80s, there are only thirteen left in operation today. Conventional departmental stores in the 90s accounted for two and a half percent of total income for American households, which have dropped to 1.6%, forcing departmental stores to reinvent their business strategies or suffer the risk of being run out of business. This results in the emergence of two models in for the departmental store sector in search for a profitable return. One has been the strong retail brand. The approach has been successful for departmental stores in the promotion and creation of in-house merchandise brands. Departmental stores are, therefore, able to promote their brands and name, assuming that the brands will reach a significant level of popularity, as opposed to relying on individual third party brands. Another model involves the s howcase approach that involves leveraging vendors of brands that are accountable for a substantial share of the retail process. The key, in this model, is the promotion of the shopping experience attraction, although this model leads to lower margins of profit. One factor that affects retail sales is the economic environment that dictates the consumer’s expendable income. At Macy’s 2005 consolidation, the retail business operated under positive economic conditions. This changed in 2008 with the advent of the economic recession that stretched throughout 2010. Some improvement was noted in 2011, although this was tempered by the increased oil prices and an increase in cotton prices. Another factor was industry products and services with the new departmental store model of the 90s utilizing decreased space and coming to resemble specialty-clothing stores. Women’s products, such as cosmetics and apparel wear accounted for sixty percent of floor space, men, and child ren accessories accounted for 20%, and household goods accounted for 20%. The new model did away with traditional departmental store wares. Departmental stores placed increased emphasis on fashion, differentiating them from low-end competitors and responding to complaints of blandness from customers. Departmental stores also began attempts at developing unique positions from a selection of five categories including low end, lower middle, upper-middle, high-end

Telecom Sector report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Telecom Sector report - Research Paper Example persistent security challenges, robust growth in connectivity demand and continued innovation in services and devices that are utilized in the communication industry. Continued innovation and emergence of new technology has been of essence to the industry as the industry approaches maximum penetration into the United States market. It will be a challenge for the telecom industry to repeat the high performance that were registered in the past ten years as mergers yield higher concentration and consolidation of the players. The management of the telecom industry has hopes that the new technology and innovation will continue to create new opportunities as well as growth of the industry. The industry has recorded $ 750 billion of revenue across all segments. The revenue is expected to grow by +3.9% every year to reach almost 1.2 trillion dollars in total revenue (Huemann, 2014). As the number of the telecom segments continues to grow and penetrate into the market, growth over the next 10 years is more likely to slow as to nearly half of the growth that was registered in the last ten years even though the revenue is expected to increase by over $ 40 billion. The United States telecommunication industry encompasses advanced technology based services that includes the internet, wireless communication, satellites and fiber optics in addition to the traditional areas of local and long distance telephone services. The sector is also linked with entertainment of various types. Cable TV systems for example Comcast are offering high speed internet access and local telephone services. This paper will provide returns of the telecom industry; provide financial analysis, present tables and graphs showing the valuation multipliers, provide a description of telecom sector and discuss the social and economic factors that impact on the performance of the industry. Innovation, ingenuity, reasonable approach to spending and cost control will help propel the industry to the next level

Psychological Disorders Essay Example for Free

Psychological Disorders Essay This paper aims to discuss three psychological disorders along with its primary symptoms and usual signs of trouble linked with the disorders. It also intends to state why it is important to be aware of these symptoms. The first one is categorized as â€Å"mood disorders† (Types of Psychological Disorders, n. d. , n. p. ). The primary symptoms exhibited here include: strong/severe and insistent feelings (Types of Psychological Disorders, n. d. , n. p. ). Furthermore, one of its subcategories known as â€Å"Bipolar Disorder† show the following signs: 1) if an individual is in a positive mode, he or she is extremely energetic; 2) but if she or he is depressed, his or her self-esteem tends to fall so low to the point of contemplating on suicide; 3) he or she may also â€Å"become engaged in too much eating, drinking, sexual activities, etcetera† (Types of Psychological Disorders, n. d. , n. p. ). With this psychological disorder, it is important to be aware of the symptoms because there are other mood disorders which also exhibit some of the symptoms/signs linked with â€Å"Bipolar Disorder†. The second is known as â€Å"personality disorders† (Franklin, 1999, n. p. ). One of its sub-categories is named â€Å"anti-social personality disorder† wherein the primary symptom exhibited is disobeying rules (Franklin, 1999, n. p. ). The usual sign linked with this, on the other hand, is â€Å"lying† and the worse is that it is carried out just for fun (Franklin, 1999, n. p. ). Last but not least is â€Å"anxiety disorders† (Franklin, 1999, n. p. ). One of its subcategories is known as â€Å"phobia† which exhibits the following primary symptoms: â€Å"tight feelings of fear† (Types of Psychological Disorders, n. . , n. p. ). The usual sign linked with it is when a person is too scared even if his or her extreme fear is unreasonable (Ticao, 2001, p. 358). On a final note, with these psychological disorders, it is important to be aware of the symptoms because there are other mood, personality, and anxiety disorders which also exhibit some of the symptoms/signs linked with â€Å"Bipolar Disorder†, â€Å"anti-social personality disorder†, and phobia, respectively.

International Expansion Strategy for Snow Mobile Business

International Expansion Strategy for Snow Mobile Business Entry into new markets Pirilla is a company newly set up in Scotland. The company manufactures snow scooters (which, for the sake of this report, will be synonymous to snow mobiles) and is pondering whether to go international, and if so, where to, and how to go about it. Pirilla produces two basic models, a 125cc and a 400cc model in six colours As far as the internationalisation goes, the markets under scrutiny are Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, and Luxemburg. According to a recent feasibility study, the budget only allows for two countries to be entered in an initial wave. In general, there are four basic ways of entering foreign markets: Exporting Licensing Joint venture Direct investment Of course these can come in hybrid forms as well, but by and large these are the main types that one would take into consideration when wanting to go international. The four modes are listed in ascending order of involvement in the respective foreign market, i.e. exporting the snow mobiles to any of the countries would ceteris paribus mean less local involvement than licensing etc. Exporting is very often the initial mode of entering a foreign market, especially if no structured approach has been driven in the past (i.e. structures such as those of e.g. large pharmaceutical companies, which tend to allow for immediate licensing agreements in the target country at the very least). The export approach can be a quick and dirty way of tapping a foreign market, but it may well be a sustainable way of handling foreign business if it turns out there really is no point in high degrees of local engagement. Licensing involves production abroad, but carried out by another party, i.e. the licensee. Just like exporting it does not involve any direct investment, so if the licensee is trustworthy and knows how to employ the (intangible!) assets placed at his disposal – i.e. production know-how, brands, sales strategies and areas etc – this way can turn out very beneficial as local expertise is teamed up with the licensor’s product. The downside is obvious: It is crucial to find a licensee that meets the required standards. Joint ventures do entail quite a bit of involvement in the foreign market. They are ideal if there are a number of large players and we need to gain a certain size quickly, and the partner is reliable and has similar strategic goals. However, there are many downsides to this structure. If both partners share a common competitive goal, chances are both will try to prevent the other one from getting ahead at all, which may be counterproductive as resources and up being used on controlling/confining the partner rather than on furthering the common cause. Many time joint ventures are formed for certain parts of the value chain only, e.g. for RD inbound and/or outbound logistics. The entry mode requiring most commitment is usually the one that involves foreign direct investment (FDI). The trade-off is between control and resources that have to be available. Given the high level of resources that go abroad in this case, the company should be pretty sure about what it is doing and how it is going about it. For this reason, FDI is not usually the mode of first choice for new companies. The most apparent argument in favour of a foreign entry is the limited size of the market at home. No figures are available for the number of snow mobiles registered or sold in Scotland or the UK, but it does not take much ingenuity to figure out which are the countries that provide better opportunities than the home market in terms of potential sales figures, i.e. Scandinavia, and, as far as Europe goes, probably Russia. This intuition is first of all simply based on the climate. When was the last time you saw a snowmobile in the UK? In fact, the economic impact of snowmobiling in the Scandinavian region is around USD 1.6bn per year, third behind the USA and Canada (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, Snowmobiling Facts: Snow Facts, n.d.). McDonald’s has opened drive-through restaurants for snowmobiles in northern Sweden. This is possible because the vehicles have to stay on marked tracks (US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, 2002). International coverage means higher sales number, which can lead to economies of scale. The learning associated with higher output will enable the company to cut costs and produce at more efficient levels, which will ultimately put it in a position where it can position itself in a competitive market without having to forego profit margins. According to data by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, there are 409 snowmobile dealerships in Scandinavia. Rather than to wait for the pull of the market which may or may not come if Pirilla were to confine itself to operations and sales in the UK, the company should induce that pull by an initial push to the market. In other words, it would be advisable to penetrate the market at sufficiently high levels, i.e. to be present in large numbers of these dealerships. Having achieved this initial level of penetration, the company could then operate from a solid base and take further marketing activities from there. As far as cons to going international go, the first that comes to mind is the relatively low degree of operative experience currently prevalent within the company. Internationalisation always adds another dimension to the business, and it is easy for newcomers to make mistakes. Or in more optimistic terms, the learning curve is steep in this area. Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, I would advise the company to go international and benefit from the business potential abroad, but to do so by only exporting the snowmobiles at first (with a slight â€Å"twist† though – see underneath). The countries I would go for are Sweden in Finland. The rationale for Sweden and Finland is compelling, I believe. As pointed out earlier, Scandinavia commands high sales in snowmobiles, which is no surprise at all, given its climatic situation, particularly in the northern parts, where snowmobiles are a substitute for cars. Seeing that I have to limit my choice to two countries due to budgetary constraints, these two are the one I would choose. Sweden is my first choice, and Finland makes a convenient second given the similarity in climate and landscape. Also, both countries are members of the European Union, which tends to make exporting business easier. In the target countries I would try to find an exclusive importer/distributor so as not to make things too complicated. As I pointed out earlier, there are a number of hybrid forms when it comes to modes of entry to foreign markets, and for the given situation, and in another scenario, one could also invest a small portion of FDI to create a central export hub that makes logistic sense to ship the vehicles to (i.e. somewhere north of Lulea, at the border of Sweden and Finland). From this hub the vehicles could then be further shipped to their final destination. Note that there is also an alternative to this logistical package, i.e. if feasible, the ship could call at several ports en route. But this scenario would mean further logistical involvement in the target country, and at this stage I think we should rather avoid that. Hence I would stick with the aforementioned option of an exclusive importer/distributor. I would suggest segmenting the market into Private riders Professional riders Institutions Private riders buy snowmobiles mainly for recreational activities, partially as substitute for their cars. According to a survey conducted by a number of universities in western USA, the reasons for owning a snowmobile (in the USA) are: To view the scenery To be with friends To get away from the usual demands of life and to do something with the family To be close with nature (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, Research Uncovers a Great Deal of Interest in Snowmobiling, n.d.). 67% of all riders are below 50 years old, with the average age of all snowmobile owners being 41 and having family and one kid (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, Snowmobiling Facts: Snow Facts, n.d.). Professional riders are people who may find it difficult to get to certain destination the â€Å"conventional† way and prefer (or, given the road situation, have) to use snowmobiles, or people who use them as part of their profession in the first place. Doctors, vets, hunters, ski instructors, and people in the tourism industry spring to mind. The third group, institutions, are bodies affiliated in some way to the state, such as law enforcement units (police, mountain police, rangers etc), and institutions in the corporate sector with employees/members (in the widest sense) exposed to outdoor work. The three groups will of course require different marketing approaches particularly with regard to the promotion policy. Production I am going to base my model for the export markets Sweden and Finland on Swedish statistics and will extrapolate the Finnish case, based on the rationale that many of the variables will be the same in both countries. It is difficult to make a compelling case for the UK market, if there is indeed such a thing. According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, there are about 2.6mn registered snowmobiles in the world: 1.69mn in the USA, 601,000 in Canada, and 318,000 in Scandinavia (Facts and Statistics about Snowmobiling, n.d.) . This pretty much adds up to (slightly above) the 2.6mn, which means that the number of snowmobiles in the rest of the world is negligible, and including the UK. My model is based on the specific demographics of Sweden. According to the information provided by the International Trade Administration of the US Department of Commerce (2004), there are currently about 130,000 snowmobiles in Sweden (or one for every 69 inhabitants). 8,000 units are sold every year. If these were only replacement purchases, the useful life of a snowmobile would be around 15 to 16 years. Whether these ARE in fact only replacement purchases or not does not really matter (of course parts of these 8,000 units are sold to first-time owners) – the relevant bit is the ratio of new sales in terms of existing units in the market, which is 6.67%. In other words, the turnover of existing numbers is 6.67% per year. Given the similarities between Sweden and Finland not the least in connection with climate and culture, I have extrapolated the demographic parameters of Sweden into the Finnish case (i.e. one snowmobile per 69 inhabitants, 6.67% of total units sold every year). My estimate puts the total number of snowmobiles in Finland to 75,000 (based on an estimated 5.2mn inhabitants in Finland, as given by the CIA (CIA World Factbook, n.d.)), and taking into consideration the annual sales ratio of 6.67%, I have come up with annual sales of a total of 5,000 snowmobiles in Finland. The four largest producers of snowmobiles are based overseas: Artic Cat, Bombardier Recreational Products, Polaris Industries, and Yamaha Motor Corporation. All of them sell to Scandinavia, but while those that have all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in their product range sell them in the UK, I have not found a dealership that sells snowmobiles in the UK. My advice is to assume a markets size of about 10% of the Scandinavian model. For Scotland, the market size thus works out at 7,400, and annual sales could come in at around 500 (N.B. I am assuming that the market for snowmobiles in England is negligible in size). Traditionally the ratio of the market share of the three largest players has been 4:2:1 (see also Ries Trout, 2001). And it is safe to say that the top three spots have been taken by the aforementioned large producers, and a quick search on the web shows that there are a few smaller players as well. So our goal should be to achieve a market share of 5% in the three markets we are going to enter (i.e. UK/Scotland, Sweden, Finland). Hence the annual sales targets are: Sweden: 5% x 8,000 = 400 units Finland: 5% x 5,000 = 250 units Scotland: 5% x 500 = 25 units Let’s top it up by an additional 25 units in case the base case for Scotland/UK is too pessimistic, and we end up with an annual sales target of 700 units, which will also be our production target. Unfortunately no data have been provided with regard to any preferences for the 125cc or the 400cc model. I would strongly suggest to carry out some market research in this particular field, otherwise we run a large risk of producing the wrong article. However, if you say you are willing to take that risk, I would advise you to split the production two thirds to one third in favour of the 125cc units (i.e. 467 125cc’s and 233 400cc’s). This way the capital tied up in production and storage of finished products is less than in the case of a 50/50 split. Also, my guess is that the market for private (i.e. recreational) riders is probably largest, and they may be more reluctant to go for the substantially more expensive option – as opposed to professional riders and institutions, who might find it worthwhile to invest in the faster package. But again – I strongly recommend additional market research in this area. Most of the snowmobiles currently in the market are above 500cc, so both of our models will create a niche. If we position the models well, we may attract new first-time buyers (see below, â€Å"Advertising/Promotion†). As far as the colours are concerned, the same is true: We have too little data to base a decision on. In contrast to the aforementioned issue of 125cc vs. 400cc, I would suggest to build equal numbers of all colours. Pricing I understand that marginal costs of production are GBP 6,450 for the 125cc model, and GBP 8,990 for the 400cc model. I am not sure if you are aware that these costs are already above the SALES prices of all but the most expensive models made by the top four producers! The one 125cc model available in the market is for kids and is priced at GBP 1,800, although I don’t believe an adult version would change much in terms of pricing. The 500cc to 600cc models on the market are in the region of GBP 5,000 to 7,000. There are two options: First, we can try to cut costs. Given that we are new to the market, I doubt that we can achieve prices that are higher than those of our competitors – let alone prices that are 50% to 75% above those in the market! The second option, in general, to achieve a price that is beyond anything in the market is to convince the target buyers that our product is unique. As I pointed out earlier, our product is unique in that its engine size is smaller than those on the market, and we can use this to our advantage. However, I believe that we can throw all the money we want at advertising agencies, but trying to make people buy snowmobiles that are effectively inferior in terms of performance to those on the market at 50% mark-ups, that is the proverbial horse that won’t run. Even more so as we are new to the market – why should anyone trust us? So my advice is to go back to the drawing board and cut costs to an extent that we can afford a mark-up of 20% on top of marginal costs and still be in the range of other producers (i.e. around GBP 5,000 to a maximum of 6,000). There are no large price differentials among the three markets we have targeted (and certainly not among the two Scandinavian countries), so my advice applies to all of them. Distribution channel As pointed out earlier, I would advise the company to find a reliable dealership with nationwide coverage (or partners) and sign a contract of exclusivity with him. This way we could benefit from existing infrastructure, and we would not have to worry about the â€Å"final mile†. Another option would be to have the ship call at numerous ports and thus avoid an exclusive agreement. This option would come with increased levels of flexibility, but at the same time it would require more planning on our side (N.B. the same goes for the building of a central hub at the Swedish-Finnish border, which would also involve a small portion of FDI, as pointed out earlier). For a start, I would prefer to sign a one-year exclusivity agreement. This would also have to include a reliable form of on-site after-sales service for cases of warranty etc. Advertising/Promotion There are numerous magazines that deal with snowmobiling on a purely â€Å"funs-sports† or a more technically advanced level. These will have to be our no.1 medium of advertising. We should also support our exclusive dealer in his efforts to sell our products – i.e. POS advertising on his premises and at downstream dealerships he may sell to. On top of the snowmobiling magazines, we should advertise in trade magazines of the professional groups I identified as potential buyers earlier on: Hunters, vets, doctors, ski instructors. There could also be publications of regional associations, which would allow us to find our target groups more easily (as we want to address hunters in northern parts of Sweden and Finland – no point in targeting these groups in, say, Malmà ¶). I doubt that radio, let alone TV commercials are within our budgetary limits. The institutional group should be addressed by a sales person directly. We may want to stress the fact that our product is unique in that it is probably more economical and hence environmentally agreeable due to the comparatively small cubic capacity. This could be our niche, as there are hardly any snowmobiles with said specifications on the market (most units are above 500cc). Entry into new markets We should try to consolidate our experience before rolling out into other markets. The top players are already there, so it is no question of capturing any first-mover advantage. I would suggest to enter Norway next, and Russia in a subsequent wave. Norway is similar to Sweden, and it is part of the EEC, so any lessons learnt in Sweden and Finland can probably be easily implemented in Norway. Russia will be a different animal altogether and should not be tackled before we have all structures safely in place. Reference list CIA n.d., The World Factbook. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association n.d., Facts and Statistics about Snowmobiling. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from http://www.snowmobile.org/pr_snowfacts.asp International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association n.d., Research Uncovers a Great Deal of Interest in Snowmobiling. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from http://www.snowmobile.org/pr_research-06-aug.asp International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association n.d., Snowmobiling Facts: Snow Facts. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from http://www.snowmobile.org/facts_snfcts.asp International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association n.d., Snowmobiling Facts: Snowmobiling in Europe. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from http://www.snowmobile.org/facts_europe.asp Porter, ME 1998, Competitive Advantage, Free Press, London. Ries, A and Trout, J 2001, Positioning: the Battle For Your Mind, McGraw-Hill Education, London. US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, International Market Insight: Snowmobiles, 2002. Retrieved 27 August, 2006, from http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr111748e.html

Quantitative Research in Health, Safety, and Environment

Quantitative Research in Health, Safety, and Environment Casey Bird Abstract In this article, quantitative research in the health, safety, and environmental (HSE) field will be discussed. The primary quantitative tool utilized is the safety committee. With the safety committee, direct communication lines with management on issues in the field can be achieved. Quantitative research provides the ability to understand other peoples safety needs or perceptions (Austin Sutton, 2014). It allows an organization to become a safety-first culture. In order to achieve this type of culture the organization needs to be aware of needed enhancements. This is why quantitative safety research is vital to an organization. This paper will discuss the methods utilized for quantitative research, and how the effectiveness is measured in that research. MGs safety committee will be utilized to reflect other quantitative tools. This includes Stop Work Authority (SWA), Core Values policy, and regular HSE meetings. This paper will also inform the reader on the importance of quantitati ve research to enhance any organizational programs. Quantitative Research in Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) A vital primary tool utilized in the health, safety, and environmental (HSE) field is the safety committee. The committee is required to provide input on incidents, recommendations, and better practices to enhance the overall organization (Kellerman, 2012). A safety committee is one way that management and frontline employees can disseminate share knowledge opinions. This sharing of information can be vital as there are different levels of insight from the employees on this committee. By having different levels of insight, an organization is able to grow and expand. The safety committee is also utilized in workplace inspections to provide insight as well as to increase production levels. A supervisor is may be busy supervising employees and production levels which could compromise safety. With a designated committee performing safety inspections, it allows the supervisors to fully perform tasks safely. A safety committee is also paramount as another tool for quantitative research. Quantitative research is a systematic process that examines relationships and interactions (Burns Grove, 2005). In order to be more proactive towards accident prevention, an organization should work towards becoming a safety-first culture. In becoming a safety-first company, an organization should initially understand the needs of the employees. This can be accomplished by utilizing questionnaires. Every safety committee member is given a questionnaire at the beginning, middle, and end of the time served on the committee. It is required each member serve a tenue of one year on the committee. So each questionnaire provides a starting point to understand individual views and on-going needs for the organization. Questionnaire results could show other immediate needs of an organization, such as more support from management.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It also reveals various best practices to utilize in specific opera tions that keep people safe, and increase profit margins. These best practices allow for a much higher successful implementation rate, due to employee buy-in. With safety committee providing quantitative research to the organization, it truly provides direct money-saving tasks to an organization (Kellerman, 2012). In addition to the safety committee, all employees are issued Stop Work Authority (SWA). A SWA gives any employee the right and obligation to stop any unsafe tasks or condition. As cited in Morrison (2015), if employees utilized SWA every time an issue arises, majority of incidents and fatalities would be eliminated. However, a gap commonly seen in SWA is employees do not utilize it as often due to fear of retribution from the employer (Morrison, 2015).   To overcome this issue, MG Resins has implemented a Core Value policy. MG Resins is a polymer production plant that is under construction. The Core Value policy defines employee roles and responsibilities, including the safety committee. It outlines that all employees have the right and obligation to utilize a SWA for any individual or group tasks without any retribution. If any retaliation occurs, it should be reported to management immediately. In order to effectively and efficiently close any gaps involving HSE issues, management holds regularly scheduled meetings with employees. These meetings include weekly, monthly, and quarterly held review meetings with employees. During these meeting with management top HSE issues are presented and discussed with employees. Employees are constantly encouraged to engage in the discussion. With employees feeling that their insight is needed and approved, the more proactive effects an organization will achieve. This increase in employee involvement also increases employees morale to work in a safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly workplace. MG Resins has greatly improved since implementation of these quantitative research tools. With these quantitative methods of the SWA, Core Value policy, and regular HSE meetings more employees are freely voicing opinions and reporting incidents. There were zero recordable injuries, zero environmental spills, and only two first-aid cases this year to date. Management has also fully supported and embraced proactive solutions to reduce and eliminate future incidents. With this quantitative involvement, management is now able to effectively document and understand HSE issues directly via employees. With more proactive employee involvement, the more likelihood the organizations goals and visions should be achieved. As a matter of fact, one employees quantitative feedback allowed MG to increase production rates by eliminating human involvement and establishing robotics. One production line required employees to physically bag and tie-off the final product. To complete only one order could take up to four hours. During an HSE meeting this topic was brought up not only for safety reasons, but for production as well. This proactive action of implementing robotics allowed employees to perform other critical tasks, while the robotics completed this one lengthy task. In my opinion, as a safety professional, quantitative research is a required necessity to improve any organization. The future use of quantitative research is solidified in the MG organization as well as in the HSE field. Without quantitative research employers and safety professionals would not be able to be as proactive in their programs. The future of quantitative research should include researching newer technologies. The newer generations are becoming more tech-savvy, and this may be an opportunity to get in-touch with a bigger audience. The more input an organization can receive, the greater the potential for the organization to succeed. Management needs to grasp this opportunity to support the employees and customers in order to enhance the organization. However, a roadblock with many safety professionals is the ability to convince upper management that quantitative research is vital in supporting production operations. It is my opinion, that at times, management disregards safety at employees detriment and well-being. It is only when a tragedy happens, that management will then seek out safety. A good safety professional must find common ground for proving to management that quantitative research and production go hand-in-hand. Before tragedies occur, it is my opinion, that implementing a quantitative safety program can be an asset for any organization. Any organization, including MG, would do well in finding a balance between implementing quantitative safety and production. When all levels of management and employees equally understand that no safety will be sacrificed for production, it is then that the companys goals will be achieved. References Austin Z. Sutton J. (2014). Qualitative research: getting started.Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4275140/ Burns N., Grove S.K. (2005). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique, and utilization. Retrieved from http://www.health.herts.ac.uk/immunology/Web%20programme%20-%20Researchhealthprofessionals/definition_of_quantitative_resea.htm Kellerman M. (2012). Safety committees: Just hype or do they really benefit a company.Retrieved from http://www.usfsafetyflorida.com/Resources/Consultant-s-Corner/Safety-Committees-Just-Hype-or-Do-They-Really-Benefit-a-Company Morrison K. (2015). Stop-work authority: Empowering workers to halt a dangerous situation can help prevent injuries, experts say. Retrieved from http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/12346-stop-work-authority

No “More” Socialism: Debunking Raphael Hythlodaeus’ Argument Against P

George Orwell, in his famous essay, â€Å"Why Socialists Don’t Believe in Fun,† aptly described the problem of any utopian ideal. â€Å"It would seem that human beings are not able to describe, nor perhaps to imagine, happiness except in terms of contrast†¦ Nearly all creators of Utopia have resembled the man who has toothache, and therefore thinks happiness consists in not having a toothache. They wanted to produce a perfect society by an endless continuation of something that had only been valuable because it was temporary† (Orwell). In Thomas More’s Utopia, Raphael Hythloday is used as a conduit from which More expresses his distaste with private property. Raphael is used to lay out the Utopian alternative economic and civic system, to the common-place â€Å"peasant subsistence economy† of More’s England through his description of the idealist island of Utopia (Overton 4).Raphael’s case against private property is built upon two principle supports, mainly, what are perceived as fallacies and failures in a peasant subsistence capitalistic economy, and how seemingly intuitive the socialistic alternatives of the island of Utopia are in solving the tribulations which so perplex the world’s peasantry. If we analyze Raphael’s argument, we find that it is in effect duplicity. The assumptions made in both the construction of Utopia and the deconstructions of England’s economic system are both contradictory and completely over-simplified. With our advantage of economic and historical hind-sight we can see that Raphael lays blame without knowledge, and we can see that he ineffectively creates an island a s doomed to fail as Gorbuchev’s Soviet Union, leading to oppression on the scale Orwell’s 1984. Raphael’s tear-down of the idea of private property ... ...lopedia of Philosophy. Web. 01 May 2012. . Hunt, E. K. History of Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002. Print. Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, David McLellan, and Samuel Moore. The Communist Manifesto. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford UP, 1998. Print. Mill, John Stuart, and W. J. Ashley. Principles of Political Economy, with Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. New York: A. M. Kelley, eller, 1965. Print. More, Thomas, and George M. Logan. Utopia: A Revised Translation, Backgrounds, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2011. Print. Orwell, George. The Collected Essays, Journalism, and Letters of George Orwell. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968. Print. Overton, Mark. Agricultural Revolution in England: The Transformation of the Agrarian Economy, 1500-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print.

Maxine Kumin :: essays research papers

Maxine Kumin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maxine Kumin, who experienced many different views of the world through travel, feels the most comfortable in New Hampshire, her rural home. In any area that she travels, she always makes a similarity to her home, as expressed in her poems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her poem, â€Å"The Long Approach†, she is driving in her Saab hatchback from Scranton to her farm in New Hampshire. She also discusses her plane ride back from Orlando to New Hampshire the week before. Throughout the poem she makes references back to the animals she cares for and comes in contact with on the farm. Her knowledge of rural life is shown, by describing details of animals; such as, â€Å"eel-thin belly†, â€Å"life as loose as frogs†, â€Å"slag heaps stand like sentries shot dead†, and â€Å"I'm going home with the light hand on the reins†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next in her poem, â€Å"How It is†, she puts on a blue jacket that belonged to her recently deceased friend, whom played a major role in her life. By putting on the jacket, she tries to relive the past by, â€Å"...unwind(ing) it, paste it together in a different collage...†. In this poem, Maxine Kumin, uses plants to describe her feelings, as in; â€Å"scatter like milkweed† and â€Å"pods of the soul†. These similes show what she sees and feels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Longing to be Saved†, is a dream, where her barn catches fire. â€Å"In and out of dreams as thin as acetate.† She visualizes herself getting the horses out, but they â€Å"wrench free, wheel, dash back†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In, â€Å"Family Reunion†, she writes that â€Å"nothing is cost efficient here†. Vegetables are grown on the farm, and animals are raised to be killed. â€Å"The electric fence ticks like the slow heart of something we fed and bedded for a year, then killed with kindness' one bullet and paid Jake Mott to do the butchering.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Waiting for the End in New Smyrna Beach, Florida†, Maxine Kumin notices in her venture in Florida a homeless couple with a baby. In her poem she describes the couple watching the passing cars at Lytle and South Dixie to an â€Å" egret grazing the canals who darts and pecks and lunges and after an eternity at Lytle and South Dixie the light changes.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her last poem written in the booklet, â€Å"Getting Through†, she describes different types of snow.

Madame Bovary - Emma, Christianity, and Adultery Essay -- Madame Bovar

Emma, Christianity, and Adultery In Madame Bovary, Emma is depicted as a slave to her desires, namely, to the desire for what she calls love. The origin of these desires appears to stem from her childhood habit of reading romantic novels while she lived in the convent. Because of her idealized picture of what romantic love is supposed to be, she searched desperately for this in real life, but to no avail. It appears that Emma’s suffering is due to her disillusion with reality and her own naivete about the nature of relationships with other people. However, time after time, Emma looks into the face of morality in the respect of her religion. After she does so, rather than reconcile with her faith and repent her adulterous sins, Emma proceeds to commit them again, with a new and refreshed energy. In one of my previous papers I analyzed the role Christianity assigned to love and concluded that Christianity causes people to be enslaved by their Love for God. Although Emma never experienced the same type of Love f or God that I discussed, her Christian upbringings played a significant role in shaping the way she looked upon life. Specifically, Christianity contributed a great deal to Emma Bovary’s choice to commit adultery in her search for Love. The teachings of Christianity encourage the very thing Emma did throughout her entire lifetime—expect better things to come. Worldly things are not to be coveted because grander rewards will come in Heaven. Christians are taught to dream of a better future, eternal life, peace, and happiness. Moreover, Christianity makes its followers live in expectation of something better, and actions are motivated by expectations of these eternal rewards. Christians also martyr those who sacrifice and suffer since the sacrifice of Christ is a symbol of God’s Love. By acting in the imitation of Christ, the rewards and expectations will thus be fulfilled in Heaven. Therefore, in Christianity, Love is used to achieve transcendence. It is a passion that consumes, controls, and allows one to be content with unhappiness and suffering. Emma wanted happiness and an end to suffering just like other Christians, and she knew that the solution lie in Love. In the convent, she was inspired by stories from the old maid who slipped her romance novels. In the holy atmosphere of the convent, these stories of â€Å"love, lovers, swee... ...ll is to drag out, as I do, a useless existence. If our pains could be of use to some one, we should find consolation in the thought of sacrifice† (168). Because she felt this alienation from God, she struggled to practice Christianity. She knew what she desired, but she did not know how to attain it. Emma did not know how to be a virtuous woman and happy woman at the same time. The break between worldly love and heavenly love lead her astray and towards adultery, and the lack of guidance from the Church caused her to become confused. Finding worldly love has become more and more important today, and many people will travel the same roads as Emma in pursuit of the celestial lover, trying to make their sufferings and sacrifices of use to some one. Like Emma, they are motivated by the ideas that they deserve better and that happiness is found in Love. These ideals caused Emma to commit adultery and tragically end her life; she represents the modern person trapped between the ideals of the Christian tradition and modern times. Because of this conflict of interest, the modern man, as demonstrated by Emma Bovary, will suffer from insatiable and conflicting desires.

Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process

Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process Prepared for Professor Suresh Radhakrishnan SPHR, MBA BUS 346 Business Communication San Fernando Valley Campus, Burbank, CA Prepared by Isaac Lowe 03-13-13 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ii 2. Overview of Compstat †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 3. Four Compstat Principles †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has established a uniform Crime Reporting †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 5. Computing Year to Date (YTD) Weekl y Averages †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 6.Creating the Crime Summary Report †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 7. Analysis of Crime Data and Strategies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 8. Crime Summary Report †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 9. Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 10. References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 List of Illustrations Figure 1 Crime Data Chart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Figure 2 Year to Date Crime Data Chart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 i Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process Executive Summary Law enforcement has developed strategies to reduce crime by analyzing crime data.Law enforcement has named this crime reduction strategy as the Compstat process. The Compstat concept analyzes the number and location of crimes and arrests as well as an analysis of suspects, victims, days and times to identify crime patterns, clusters, suspects and hot spots. There are four Compstat principles that are in place to ef fectively reduce crime. To reduce crime by analyzing the crime data, a Crime Summary Report and Crime Maps need to be produced so law enforcement can analyze the crime data. When creating the Crime Summary Report, you will need to compute Year to Date (YTD) Weekly Averages.Once you have the YTD weekly average, you can examine your current crime data to see if crime is increasing or decreasing. By comparing the current crime to the previous amount of crime you can see if crime is up or down and determine if the crime reduction strategies in place are working or if adjustments need to be made. The Compstat process and the Crime Summary Report are tools used for crime reduction. ii Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process1 Overview of Compstat Law enforcement has developed strategies to reduce crime by analyzing crime data.Law enforcement has named this crime reduction strategy as the Compstat process. The Compstat process was developed by former New York Police Depart ment (NYPD) Commissioner William J. Bratton in the 1990’s. Compstat, stands for â€Å"Computer comparison statistics,† and is a system for managing police operations. The Compstat concept has been used widely in the law enforcement community in many different forms. The Compstat concept analyzes the number and location of crimes and arrests as well as an analysis of suspects, victims, days and times to identify crime patterns, lusters, suspects and hot spots. Law enforcement will create strategies to address the crime and implement it as quickly as possible. Law enforcement will consistently review, analyze the results and then repeat the process. This Compstat process can lead to the reduction of crime. Four Compstat Principles There are four Compstat principles that are in place to effectively reduce crime. The first principle is â€Å"Timely and Accurate Intelligence† which is knowing what crime is happening in your area. The Second principle is â€Å"Effect ive Tactics† which is having a game plan.The third principle is â€Å"Rapid Deployment† which is reacting quickly to where the crime is happening. The final principle is â€Å"Relentless Follow-up and Assessment† which is analyzing the results and making changes if needed. The first Compstat principle of â€Å"Accurate and Timely Intelligence† is to collect crime data in real time. Analysis the crime data and take action on identified crime trends. The crime data needs to be as accurate as possible. Without accurate and real time crime data, law enforcement will not be as effective in combating crime and implementing crime reduction strategies.Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process2 The second Compstat principle of â€Å"Effective Tactics† is the development and implementation of crime reduction strategies based on the real time accurate intelligence that was gathered. Law enforcement needs to deploy specific resources and proacti ve strategies to target the crime problem. The third Compstat principle of â€Å"Rapid Deployment† is to quickly deploy crime fighting resources and implement strategies to the target area. Law enforcement needs to deploy its resources to where the crime is occurring now.The fourth Compstat principle of â€Å"Relentless Follow-up and Assessment† is to assess the implementation of the strategies had on target area and analyze the results. By analyzing the strategies and reviewing the results, law enforcement can see if the strategies are working. This review process will help law enforcement improve and make real time adjustments to the strategies in place. FBI Established Uniform Crime Reporting To reduce crime by analyzing the crime data, a Crime Summary Report and Crime Maps need to be produced so law enforcement can analyze the crime data.The Crime Summary Report is divided into a summary for each individual crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has estab lished a uniform Crime Reporting Program which are Criminal Homicide, Forcible Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson. These crimes are also known as â€Å"Part One† crimes. Computing Year to Date Weekly Averages When creating the Crime Summary Report, you will need to compute Year to Date (YTD) Weekly Averages. To do this, you will examine the collected crime data and see what the total number was for the specific crime that you are going to examine.Take that YTD total number for that specific crime and divide it by the total week’s crime data of that specific crime. The outcome will be the YTD weekly average. Once you have the YTD weekly average, you can examine your current crime data to Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process3 see if crime is increasing or decreasing. Here is an example of the weekly average formula that you will use when computing the crime data for each specific crime: YTD Crime Total (137 ) / Crime Total for the week (7) = YTD Weekly Average (19. ). This formula will be used throughout the Crime Summary Report to obtain the YTD Weekly Averages for each crime summary. Creating the Crime Summary Report To start creating the Crime Summary Report, first, impute the 2012 and 2013 YTD Part One Averages on the top of the report so you can see the overall crime trend. Second, create a Crime Data Charts from the collected Crime Data. Next, provide an overall summary of all Part One Crime Data. Then give a summary of the Part One Violent Crime summary and Part One Property Crime Summary.Next, provide a brief summary of the each individual crime within Part One Violent and Part One Property Crimes. This brief summary will include an Analysis of the crime data and a Strategy of how to target the current crime problem. Analysis of Crime Data and Strategies The Analysis section of the Crime Summary Report is where you will be analyzing the crime data. By examining the Crime Maps o f where the crime occurred and the Crime Data you will be able to provide a written summary of the crime trend. In Analysis section you will also be using the weekly average formula to help you examine the Crime Data.The Strategies section of the Crime Summary Report is where you will be explaining your strategies to combat the current crime trends. The following is a Crime Summary Report that I have completed for the 9th week of 2013, ending 03/02/13,that can be referred to for an example. Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process4 Crime Summary Report 9th week of 2013 ending: 03/02/2013 20132012 Average Year to Date (YTD) Weekly Part 1 Crime Totals:65. 576. 0 [pic] Figure 1: Crime Data Chart [pic] Figure 2: Year to Date Crime Chart Part One Crime SummaryPart-One Crimes (61) were above the week prior and are below the 2013 Year To Date (YTD) Weekly Average and below the 2012 YTD Weekly Average. There were (3) gang related Robberies and there Reducing and Analyzing C rime Through the Compstat Process5 was (2) gang related Aggravated Assaults this week. The central portions of the Division continues to account for the majority of the part one crime. Part One Violent Crimes (27) were above the week prior and are above the 2013 YTD Weekly Average of (21. 1) and above the 2012 YTD Weekly Average of (22. 2). Robberies increased this week and were mainly in central portion of the Division.Aggravated Assaults increased this week and were mostly spread out through the central portion of the Division. There were no Rapes and Homicides this week. Part One Property Crimes (34) were below the week prior and are below the 2013 YTD weekly average of (44. 6) and below the 2012 YTD Weekly Average of (53. 7). This week BTFV’s decreased with no major clusters. GTA increased slightly this week and were mainly spread out through the western portion of the Division. Burglaries decreased this week with no major clusters. Thefts increased this week and there wa s a small cluster in the central portion of the Division.Part One Violent Crime Summary HOMICIDE: 0 Analysis:None. Strategies:None. RAPE: 0 Analysis:None. Strategies:None. ASSAULTS: 11 Analysis: Aggravated Assaults are above the 2013 weekly average of (7. 1). Aggravated Assaults increased this week and were mainly in the central portion of the Division. Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process6 Strategies: Request patrol & specialized units to continue drinking in public enforcement in directed areas. Officers will be directed to specific areas as needed to suppress the Aggravated Assault problem. ROBBERY: 16 Analysis:Robberies are above the 2013 Weekly Average of (13). Robberies increased this week and were mainly in the central portion of the Division. Strategies: Officer will be directed to specific areas as needed to suppress the Robbery problem. Request Gang Unit to enforce on all gang related crime. Narcotic Unit will conduct undercover operations to specific areas where the Robberies are occurring. Part One Property Crime Summary GRAND THEFT AUTO: 8 Analysis: Grand Theft Auto (GTA) are above the 2013 Weekly Average of (7. 6) and were mainly spread out through the western portion of the Division. Strategies:Officers will be directed to specific areas as needed to suppress the GTA problem. Officers will continue to receive updated GTA stolen vehicle list. The License Plate Recognition Vehicles will continue to be deployed in designated areas. Rampart Special Problems Unit (SPU) and Auto Detectives will also arrange a Bait Car Operation when the bait car is available. BURGLARY THEFT FROM VEHICLE: 4 Analysis: Burglary Theft From Vehicle (BTFV) are below the 2013 Weekly Average of (15. 0). This week BTFV’s decreased with no major clusters. Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process7 Strategies:Officers will be directed through the daily mission to suppress the BTFV problem. Senior Lead Officers will continue the â€Å" Lock it, Hide it, Keep it† flyer campaign. Detectives will utilize Social Media to reach and educate as many community members as possible. Auto Detectives will arrange a Bait Car Operation when the bait car is available. BURGLARY: 2 Analysis: Burglaries are below the 2013 Weekly Average of (4. 6) with no major clusters. Strategies: Officers will be directed through the daily mission as needed to suppress the Burglary problem.Senior Lead Officers (SLO) will continue the â€Å"Lock it, Hide it, Keep it† flyer campaign. Detectives will utilize Social Media to reach and educate as many community members as possible. THEFTS: 20 Analysis: Thefts are above the 2013 Weekly Average of (17. 3) and were mainly spread out through the Division with a small cluster in the central portion of the Division. Strategies: Officers will be directed through the Daily Mission as needed. The decoy car will continue to be deployed in the major shopping centers. Officers will continue to drive through major parking lots of the shopping centers.SLO will continue to walk through businesses on a daily bases and continue to meet with the personnel. The Bike Unit will provide high visibility patrol in the parking lots of the shopping centers. -End of Crime Summary Report- Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process8 After reading the Crime Summary Report we can see how through analyzing the Crime Data and Crime Maps we are able to effectively write a written summary of the crime trends. Furthermore, we are able to analyze our strategies to see if they are effective. The Crime Summary Report gives us a comprehensive account of the current crime trends.Conclusion In conclusion, to successfully reduce the incidence of crime, it is done through comparing the numbers of the current crime to the previous amount of crime. Whether crime is up or down, will help determine if the crime reduction strategies are working or if adjustments need to be made so a different approa ch can be implemented. The Compstat process and the Crime Summary Report are tools used for crime reduction by counting, comparing and mapping crime data for law enforcement to analyze. Reducing and Analyzing Crime Through the Compstat Process9 References Los Angeles Police Department’s Compstat Unit. 2010, March 09). The Compstat Process – Managing Crime Reduction on the LAPD. George Gascon. (2006, January 25). Compstat Plus. David Weisburd, Stephen D. Mastrofski, Rosann Greenspan, and James J. Willis. (2004, April). The Growth of Compstat in American Policing. LAPD Website. Compstat process information Retrieved March, 08, 2013, from http://www. lapdonline. org William J. Bratton and Sean W. Malinowski. Police Performance Management in Practice: Taking COMPSTAT to the Next Level Vincent E. Henry. (2002) A comprehensive study of Compstat in police history and reform

PetSmart, Inc Essay

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets with more than 885 pet stores in the United States and Canada. It supplies a broad range of pet food and pet supplies that are competitively priced. Many of its stores have in-store cat and dog boarding facilities called as pet hotels. PetSmart provides online pet supplies and pet care information, pet training, pet grooming and pet adoption services. The web site of PetSmart is fairly well developed and communicates a good amount of online information to its visitor with links to specific pets like dogs, cats, fish etc. It also provides a link that will help the visitor to locate the store closest to him. The website has an excellent link called petsmartcharities through which PetSmart is able to clearly communicate its social initiatives of saving and providing a lifelong loving home for every homeless pet. It is also very successful in communicating how the visitor can participate in their social initiatives through the purchase of flowers, collectible dog or cat ornaments and wrapping paper and also silver logo charms as gift for pet-loving friends or family members. The mission or the very purpose of the existence of the company that is ‘providing a lifelong loving home for every pet’ is not clearly communicated to the website visitor and can be identified only if the visitor is looking for it. The website is also ineffective in delivering the message with respect to the ethical values and practices of the company in conducting its business. This is a very critical message in today’s business environment for all the stakeholders of the company, specially the informed investors and the customers. A company’s website is a powerful tool for communicating vital information to the concerned. The company should include a clear mission and vision statement at the very beginning on the webpage ‘about us’. A separate link communicating about its core business values, ethical practices and an ethical code of conduct as followed by the company should also be provided.