King Carol Ii Essays - House Of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

King Carol Ii The country I chose for my internet project is Romania and the subject dealt with is the reign of King Carol II. In all my findings in the different web sites searched they all portrayed him as the most disputed among the four Kings of Romania. Although not a particularly good leader for Romania he played a very important part in Romania's history during a very turbulent time period. His controversial reign ultimately gave rise to a personal, corporatist dictatorship. Much of his life was caught in turmoil and his domestic life was a constant source of scandal. The oldest son of King Ferdinand I, Carol was born on October 3rd, 1893 at Sinaia, being the first Romanian King to be born in Romania. In his early years, King Carol I took care of his education, preparing him for his duties as heir of the throne. As a young man he proved to be an intelligent student with an overflowing personality. Troubles for the young man soon to be king were not in the too distant future however. Once King Ferdinand acceded to the throne, Carol at 21 became the heir of the throne. At this same age he becomes senator by law in the Romanian Parliament. During WWI, while the government and the Royal Family were in refuge at Iasi, Carol deserts from the army and ran away with his mistress, Ioana Lambrino, daughter of an army major. They later secretly married in Odessa. A huge scandal soon followed and Carol was sent to the Horaita-Neamt Monastery and later the Court of Ilfov declared the marriage null. Despite all of this, Carol continued to see his lover, from this relationship Mircea the illegitimate son of Carol was born in 1920. Carol was sent away in a long trip to end the relationship with Ioana Lambrino. One year later, Carol met Elena, the daughter of King George and Queen Sofia of Greece. They married the same year and on October 25 their son Michael, future King of Romania, was born. The relations between the two dissolved shortly after the birth of their son and they distanced themselves from each other. Soon after that Carol meets Elena Wolf Lupescu. He eventually falls in love with her. From then on Elena dominates Carol his entire life from then on. They ran to Paris to live together. Carol takes the name of Carol Caraiman. Another scandal soon follows and King Ferdinand decides to withdraw Carol's privileges and names Michael as his successor to the throne. In 1927 King Ferdinand dies, leaving Michael to become King of Romania. Being only four years old a Regency is formed to rule until Michael is 21. The Regency is formed of Prince Nicolae- Michael's uncle, Miron Cristea- The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and Gheorghe Buzdugan- the president of the High Court of Justice. Not long after this Gheorghe Buzdugan passed away and George Sarateanu took his place. In 1930 Carol returns and just two days later, June 8 Carol is proclaimed King of Romania. The return of Carol was facilitated by the political situation in the country. Under his reign King Ferdinand had introduced the universal vote. This led to a proliferation of political parties in Romania: the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. After WWI the situation changed. The Conservative Party ceased to exist and dozens of other parties took its place. The Liberal Party that was responsible for the formation of this government, led by Ionel Bratianu opposed Carol's return for a short time. But shortly after Ferdinand's death, Bratianu passed away too. The government then lost its influence in the political arena, and the Regency had little influence in the political arena as well. In 1928 the Peasants Party took the power, against the liberals. It became a popular new form of government but despite this the new government could not do much to improve the political situation, being faced with the consequences of the world economic crisis. With the idea that Carol would be the person that could end the fights between the parties and the political instability. On June 6, 1930 Carol returned to Bucharest and two days later the Parliament rids the

Free Essays on Imperial Nations

In The Decades Prior To 1914, The Culture Of The European Great Powers Was Profoundly Marked By Their Self-image As â€Å"imperial† Nations, With All That Implied. Discuss To address this question an understanding needs to be established of what is meant by imperialism prior to 1914. Then European events that had occurred will need to be clarified paying special attention to Britain and France. To illustrate the culture of Britain and France and how it related to their self-image as an imperial nation a case study on the events in Africa will be included. Imperialism changed towards the latter part of the 19th Century towards what is now referred to as New Imperialism. New Imperialism has no set definition but has many views such as the Marxist capitalist view taken by Luxemburg and Lenin for example that capital was the seed to imperialism. Woolf however believes that there was a more nationalistic view towards new imperialism. New imperialism is believed to be the internal development of society and relations with other countries, this is a simplistic form of the term however. The more accurate description is a system in which countries gather acquisition or maintenance of territories and claim sovereignty over that territory and the people inside the boundaries . This is often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labour and goods markets. This definition therefore supports the Marxist idea of new imperialism being based on the culture of money and capitalism. The tradition of empire is also important to the definition of new imperialism. This is because for an empire it was vital to be the most powerful and therefore be the one idolised by other countries. Britain is a good example in this century. The tradition of empire meant there was great economic and political rivalry between countries especially in Western Europe to become a member of the European great powers . Cultural changes took place that would... Free Essays on Imperial Nations Free Essays on Imperial Nations In The Decades Prior To 1914, The Culture Of The European Great Powers Was Profoundly Marked By Their Self-image As â€Å"imperial† Nations, With All That Implied. Discuss To address this question an understanding needs to be established of what is meant by imperialism prior to 1914. Then European events that had occurred will need to be clarified paying special attention to Britain and France. To illustrate the culture of Britain and France and how it related to their self-image as an imperial nation a case study on the events in Africa will be included. Imperialism changed towards the latter part of the 19th Century towards what is now referred to as New Imperialism. New Imperialism has no set definition but has many views such as the Marxist capitalist view taken by Luxemburg and Lenin for example that capital was the seed to imperialism. Woolf however believes that there was a more nationalistic view towards new imperialism. New imperialism is believed to be the internal development of society and relations with other countries, this is a simplistic form of the term however. The more accurate description is a system in which countries gather acquisition or maintenance of territories and claim sovereignty over that territory and the people inside the boundaries . This is often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labour and goods markets. This definition therefore supports the Marxist idea of new imperialism being based on the culture of money and capitalism. The tradition of empire is also important to the definition of new imperialism. This is because for an empire it was vital to be the most powerful and therefore be the one idolised by other countries. Britain is a good example in this century. The tradition of empire meant there was great economic and political rivalry between countries especially in Western Europe to become a member of the European great powers . Cultural changes took place that would...

A Report About Bloods Vs Crips

A Report About Bloods Vs Crips My exam paper is about one of the biggest gang wars in the whole world: The Bloods versus The Crips. The reason I have chosen this subject is because not so many people are aware of what’s going on between those two gangs. There are more gangs who are sometimes involved in this war, such as MS-13 (Florence 13) and the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), but the arguments with these groups aren’t half as worse as the war between the Bloods and the Crips. The MS 13 is a Mexican gang. They are the one of the most dangerous gangs in the whole world, sais the FBI. They mostly operate in Mexico, but also in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and in Nicaragua. In the US they operate in states as Texas and California. The Ku Klux Klan is a group of people who are very racial against outsiders. They mostly hate black people (à   Bloods and Cribs), because they weren’t happy about the decision back in the days that all black people were free. But the do not only hate black people, they al so hate other people with a color, people who are anti-catholic and Jews. Sometimes these people get killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. But as I was saying, the conflicts with these groups aren’t half as bas as the conflicts between the Bloods and the Cribs. Everyday people die because of these conflicts. Also everyday more and more people become members of these groups. The two groups operate especially in the West coast and in the South coast, mostly in Los Angeles and Compton. First I’m going to give you some information about The Crips, than I’m going to give you some information about The Bloods. The Crips TheCrips(Community Revolution In Progress) are a primarily, but not exclusively,African Americangang. They were founded inLos Angeles, Californiain 1971 by Raymond WashingtonandStanley Williams. File:Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams mugshot.jpgStanley â€Å"Tookie† Williams met Raymond Lee Washington in 1969, and the two decided to unite their local gang members from the west and east sides ofSouth Central Los Angelesin order to battle neighboring street gangs. Most of the members were very young.Some of them weren’t even 18 years old yet. The most of them were African American, but there were also Mexican people who joined there group. Stanley Tookie Williams(December 29, 1953 – December 13, 2005) was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana andwas one of the two leaders of the Crips. In 1979 he was condemned of four murders that he committed during robberies and he went to prison for the rest of his life. In jail, he write many books about his live and other things, like books including anti-gang and violence literature. Tookie Williams was asked to help the police with the investigation to get the criminals of his gang, but he refused to help and was involved with many attacks on guards, tried to escape a couple, but there wasn’t any evidence that he planned this. In 1993, Williams began making changes i n his behavior, and became an anti-gang activist while onDeath Row inCalifornia. He renounced his gang affiliation and apologized for his role in founding the Crips. He also co-wrote children’s books and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.[1]A biographical TV-movie entitledRedemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Storywas made in 2004, and featuredJamie Foxxas Williams.

Operation Management - Maritime, Oil Spills Research Paper

Operation Management - Maritime, Oil Spills - Research Paper Example Discussion Oil spillage has extreme negative impacts on the environment in terms of pollution. This affects the communities that heavily depend on water for their lively hoods and their survival. The most directly affected by oil spills are the marine plants and animals because they live in the same environment that spillage takes place. Spillage can be as a result of oil seeping from the underwater reservoir, accidents of ships carrying oil and also from land sources. The sea animals are subject to both indirect and direct repercussions of oil spillage. According to Neff (2002), some of the direct effects include; inhalation problems, which commonly affect whales, dolphins and sea turtles. These animals require oxygen for their survival. They animals usually come to the water surface constantly to inhale oxygen. The inhalation of dangerous materials can cause irritation, pneumonia or inflammation of their respiratory organs. Negative impacts can also be felt on their digestion mecha nisms where these animals are unable to either digest or absorb food. Human beings are also directly affected by oil spills. When oil spills, it creates a vapor in the air which is as a result of evaporation of oil in the air since oil is a semi –volatile product. ... Oil spill also affects mangrove trees whose rate of growth tends to be slow when their prop roots are covered with oil (Burger, 1994). Oil spillage has posed a very significant challenge on fisheries which also acts as a food reservoir. Oil spills has affected the genetics of some fish which has affected their egg bearing. Oil spillage may also lead to extinction of certain types of fish in the sea in the near future which may lead to the closure of fisheries if several types of fish become extinct in the sea. Oil spills may cause loss of color on fish and lead to their loss of weight the reasons that may cause fishing to be closed for some time because this fish will be unfit for human consumption thereby causing food shortage (Neff, 2002). Boats and other sea vessels are prone to destruction because of running on viscous and thick layers of oil which have resulted from oil leaked from pipes in the underwater. Some thick oil globules present in the water due to oil spillage may be s ucked in the boat’s systems, which definitely affect the functioning of the boat due to the fact that all systems draw water into the boat near the surface. For it to function well, a very strategic cleanup process is used to disperse and manage the mess. Many ships, boats and other sea vessels may tend to avoid their travelling schedules until the oil spillages under control thus causing congestion of traffic and goods to be transported (Burger, 1994). Trade may also be adversely affected by oil spillage due to various factors. One of factors may be due to interruption of transportation lines where boats and other marine vessels may fail to operate due to oil

English paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English paper - Essay Example She has little brown eyes with curly dark eyelashes. She is smiling wide with glittery white teeth. Queen Latifah is also wearing a pair of gold round earrings on her ears. To make it more attractive, the words† Covergirl† runs across her forehead in bold green letters. In the right hand corner, the words Queen Latifah are written in green letters below. The photo is small from the head to the shoulders just sufficient for the people to see the Covergirl products. Queen Latifah’s clothes and the Covergirl product appear to be of the same color, olive green. She has her hair in a long ponytail. The advertisement succeeds in using logos, ethos and pathos to lure the viewers in buying the products. The first tactic is using logos to make the viewer think about the Covergirl products. Covergirl say that their products are tailored for women of all types of skins and all ethnic backgrounds. The ad claims that the product they are promoting, Covergirl mascara is fade proof, waterproof and ignore-proof. They claim the product has been in existence for a long time and is continually growing and maturing diversely. They say the product is faseproof to mean that the product will remain on the skin no matter how long it is worn in a day. It also weathers sweat and tears. The waterproof quality is meant to lure those who would want the makeup to remain even after rain or a swim session. When they say ignore-proof, they mean that the product will leave your skin looking beautiful like that of Queen Latifah. They have ensured to catch all the aspects of what of what people look for in mascara. The buyers have been guaranteed that the mascara will not fade, wash away or not grab attention . Another appeal that they have employed to lure the buyers is ethos. The ad has featured one of the most popular people in actresses. She must be a big mover of the company’s products. Covergirl wants the customer to have the idea that

The Waste Land Essay Example for Free

The Waste Land Essay T. S Eliot’s The Wasteland, whilst being laden with rich cultural references and allusions, is a confronting representation of re-establishment and rejuvenation across the entirety of a European post-war society. Eliot addresses the cyclical nature of life and death, encompassed by carefully crafted language and structure designed to disorientate the reader. The reader is offered an interpretation of human behaviour which is akin to all beings across the cohort of society, regardless of ethnicity or social class. There is realism to Eliot’s poetry that is confronting and unflinching, perhaps disturbing at times. While his poems are often filled with harsh imagery – imagery of death, despair and degredation –they are often indicative of his own perceptions of the changing environment around him during his time of writing, and are therefore somewhat genuine and personal. The Waste Land attempts to explore the necessity of rejuvenation in a society that Eliot considers to be tarnished and displaced, and has thus created a delicate balance between portraying a war-torn society where â€Å"the dead tree gives no shelter† and â€Å"the dry stone no sound of water†, and communicating the idea of renewal. As the poem progresses, references to season accumulate, and the reader is given a sense of cyclical, passing time. The reader is given anecdotes set in distinctly different seasons, whether they be â€Å"under the brown fog of a winter dawn†, or â€Å"[listening to] the sound of horns, which shall bring Mrs. Porter in the spring†. Such references remind the reader of two things; time is passing throughout the poem, and life is ephemeral, as can be seen in the dialogue: â€Å"That corpse you planted last year in your garden, Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year? † A similar method is implemented by Eliot in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, where the prime focus of the poem is the passing of time and the complications that arise from its influence. Furthermore, The Waste Land draws on a wide range of cultural reference to depict a modern world that is in ruins yet somehow beautiful and deeply meaningful. Languages such as German, French and Latin are implemented alongside abrupt and unannounced changes of speaker, location and time, in order to convey the idea that there are no exemptions to Eliot’s interpretation of common human qualities and experiences. Conversely, social class is also explored – in part II of The Waste Land, â€Å"A Game of Chess†, Eliot juxtaposes a lower-class bar conversation with satire of the opulent, while endorsing – via the comparison of the two – the idea that sexual fulfilment is a critical element in feeling valuable and secure in the society depicted. Indeed, it was Eliot’s opinion at the time that too much emphasis was placed on the importance of fertility, aesthetic appeal and marital security – an idea which is also explored in Portrait of a Lady through the satirical portrayal of a fussing woman, who is described as sitting in â€Å"an atmosphere of Juliet’s tomb†. It could perhaps be considered that Eliot’s prime objective during the early years of his poetry was to paint a picture of the uncertainty and social decay that resulted from the aftermath of WW1 and perhaps even the from the end of the Edwardian era. Consequently, readers must look upon his unpoetic diction and lexicon and remember that he is attempting to create a new type of poetry which reflects the complexity of modern living. Often the sincerity and detailed imagery in Eliot’s work results from a lot of his speakers being vessels through which he expresses himself. It has been speculated that ‘J. Alred Prufrock’ and the speaker of Rhaspsody share the same concerns and characteristics as Eliot; often being solitary, neurasthenic, overly intellectual, and utterly incapable of expressing themselves to the modern complexity of the outside world.

Analysis Of The Machine That W :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Machine That Won the War,† by Isaac Asimov, is a story that teaches a valuable lesson about humanity and also has an ironic twist at the end. The setting is the future of Earth, and a great war had just been won against an enemy race. Two men, Swift and Henderson, are debating over who really won the war for Earth: the giant strategy computer known as Multivac, or the men in charge of making the maneuvers and programming the computer. John Henderson is an excitable man, while Lamar Swift, the military captain, is calm but rational. While the people hailed the computer, the two really knew who the heroes were. Henderson explained the fact that Multivac was nothing more than a large machine, only capable of doing what it was programmed to do. He stated that ever since the beginning of the war, he had been hiding a secret. It was the fact that some of its (Multivac’s) data might have been unreliable. This conflict, as you will note later, helped win the war. The great computer was capable of creating a direct battle plan which Earth forces could use to attack their enemies. However, with Henderson inputting faulty data, this caused some of the battle plans to be unreliable. His internal conflict between himself losing his job and wanting to keep it made him jingle with the programming until it seemed right. This foreshadowing helps the reader to see that someone is going to have to act upon Henderson’s faults if the war is to be won. Swift, the military commander, received these battle plans that Henderson had ‘printed up’ out on the front (the front being the battle front). He, realizing that some of these plans were outrageous, had to act upon a different form of machine. Swift’s motivation for not always acting upon what was laid before him helped change the course of the war. He told Henderson that when faced with the difficult decisions, he didn’t use Multivac’s data all of the time. This conflict, making these tough decisions, helps influence the climax. The climax of the story comes when Swift tells Henderson he used a coin to make all of the though decisions instead of

David Berman Essay

David Berman reviewed the macroeconomic numbers on inventory turns as he prepared for his regular appearance on CNBC’s â€Å"Squawk Box† as a morning co-host. A leading expert on â€Å"consumer related† stocks, Berman and his colleagues including portfolio manager Steve Kernkraut, a seasoned retail executive and analyst, were frequent contributors to various TV shows. On April 4th 2005, Fortune magazine ran a story on Berman called â€Å"King of the Retail Jungle†, and on December 13th, 2004, Barron’s ran a story called â€Å"Smart Shopper† where Berman’s four stock picks as identified, appreciated 30% on average over the next quarter. â€Å"Off air† he was a fund manager as well as founder and president of Berman Capital (which managed proprietary funds) and founder of and general partner in New York-based Durban Capital, L.P. (which managed outside and proprietary capital). Glancing at his notes on macro trends in retail inven tory turns, Berman wondered if he should talk about his impressions on the show. Berman held a bachelors degree in finance and masters equivalency in accountancy from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He had also passed the South African chartered accountant and the United States CPA examinations. Berman obtained his CPA qualification in California while an auditor for Arthur Andersen and Company where he examined the financial statements and operations of a number of retail clients. He had been the auditor of Bijan, the notable men’s upscale clothing store on Rodeo Drive and 5th Avenue. Prior to starting his own funds Berman worked as a portfolio manager and analyst primarily at two Wall Street firms. He evolved his investment style under the tutelage of Michael Steinhardt of Steinhardt Partners, which he joined shortly after graduating with distinction from Harvard Business School in 1991. From 1994 to 1997 Berman worked in consumer-related stocks at another large hedge fund. He subsequently launched Berman Capital in 1997 and Durban Capital i n 2001. Professor Ananth Raman of Harvard Business School, Professor Vishal Gaur of the Stern School of Business at New York University, and Harvard Business School Doctoral Candidate Saravanan Kesavan prepared this case. Certain details have been disguised. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright  © 2005 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617-783-7860. 605-081David Berman Berman believed that his training as an accountant together with his MBA and practices he developed over the years to refine accounting estimates enabled him to notice aspects of retail accounts that would be missed by most investors. The relationship between inventory and earnings and therefore share price, for example, while obvious to a retailer, was seldom recognized by analysts or investors. â€Å"This relationship,† Berman observed, â€Å"is ASTOUNDINGLY powerful, but surprisingly few understand why. Most think it’s just a function of inventory risk. It’s not. It’s primarily a function of how the operating margins can be manipulated by management in the short term by playing around with inventories†. â€Å"For example,† said Berman, â€Å"if a retailer’s inventories are growing much faster than sales, then gross margins would be higher than they ordinarily should be, as the retailer has not taken the mark-downs that a solid disc iplined retailer should take.† â€Å"Interestingly,† Berman beamed, â€Å"there is no law in GAAP that limits the number of days’ inventory to any â€Å"norm,† and as such, the practice of increasing inventories beyond any â€Å"norm† goes unfettered.† Berman continued â€Å"managements sign-off on the inventories as being fairly valued, and the auditors pretty much rely on their word.† Berman believed that â€Å"from an investor’s perspective, it’s a game of musical chairs; you don’t want to be the last person standing. In other words, you don’t want to be an investor when sales slow and when mark-downs of the bloated inventory finally need to be taken to move the goods†. The relationship of inventories to sales was also an important one that Berman focused on. â€Å"In a period of rising inventories on a square foot basis†, Berman says â€Å"it is quite obvious that same store sales should rise as the offering to the customer is that much greater. Simply put, the more offerings you put in a store, ceteris paribus, the bigger sales should be.† â€Å"It is at this time,† Berman argued, â€Å"that the stock price rises, as investors place higher valuations on retailers with higher sales, despite that this higher valuation is achieved primarily due to the higher inventories†. An excellent example of the inventory to sales relationship was Home Depot: In 2001 and 2002 Home Depot’s new CEO, Bob Nardelli1, seemed to struggle in managing the transition from a cash-flow GE-type philosophy to a retailer Home Depot-type philosophy. In his DeeBee Report2 dated June 10th 2003, Berman stated: â€Å"Bob Nardelli learned the power of inventory the hard way. In focusing on cash flow improvement, he dramatically lowered inventories – and yes, increased cash balances – only to see a huge decline in same store sales, and in its stock price {the stock went from around $40 to $22}. And so, under immense pressure, Nardelli reversed course and focused intensely on increasing inventories. Since Q2 of last year, inventories had been building until they were up 25% year over year. And yes, same store sales did improve, as did the stock price.† Recognizing this as potentially a short-fix, Berman continued â€Å"Now the cynical would view this increase in sales with skepticism, noting that it wasn’t of â€Å"high quality† as it was due, in part, to the massive inventory build. It is, however, pleasing to note that Home Depot simply got inventories back to â€Å"normal†, in that it now has turns similar to its’ competitors†. The stock, following the same store sales and earnings increases, which in essence followed the inventories increase, rose from $22 at the start of 2003 to $36 by the end of 2003. When asked about this â€Å"fix†, Berman responded â€Å"it will be more challenging for Nardelli to increase same store sales and margins going forward because his increasing inventories and therefore same store sales is arguably a one-time benefit and is essentially what caused the â€Å"fix†. Berman concluded by 1 Nardelli had worked at General Electric (GE) before taking over as CEO of the Home Depot. 2 A periodic report where Berman discusses his thoughts on retail, focusing on inventories. Given his insights as articulated, Berman believed his fund could value firms more accurately through better valuation of inventory. This was pivotal to his investment strategy. â€Å"You see,† Berman elaborated, â€Å"Wall Street basically ignores inventory. It’s actually quite amazing to me! This gives us one of our edges.† Comparing recently gathered retailer numbers that examined total sales in the U.S. economy to total inventory, for almost 300 retailers, Berman remarked: â€Å"The total sales to total inventory numbers is also a crucial relationship over time, and it gives us a macro edge, if that’s possible to believe. Indeed, at the end of Q2, 2003 I knew there would be serious inventory rebuilding in the economy going forward, as overall sales had grown at a faster rate than inventories. Indeed, in Q3, 2003 we saw a rapid and unexpected increase in GDP from 2.3% to 3.5% thanks in part to inventory rebuilding. This increase continued through Q1, 2 004 when GDP growth reached 5%.† Berman loved to discuss investment opportunities he had spotted by looking carefully at firm inventory: One of the clearest examples was Saucony (Nasdaq: SCNYA), a shoe company based near Boston, MA. Berman identified this company as a strong buy when he noticed in 2003 that even though sales were flattish, inventories had declined about 20% year over year. To Berman, this bode well for future gross margins. He started buying the stock at $14 in late 2003 due primarily to these lean inventories, despite that the stock was illiquid thus presenting greater risk, and despite that management was remarkably coy about sharing information. A year later, the stock had doubled. During this time period, sales rose, as did inventories, and of course, the gross margin expanded significantly, as expected. Earnings per share rose from $0.85 in 2002 to $1.29 in 2004. Berman’s selling, which came shortly after management asked him to ring the Nasdaq bell with them, was again based on a function  of his inventory analysis. This time it was the opposite scenario – inventories were now growing at the same pace as sales, so the trend of sales to inventories had deteriorated – and Berman was worried. To make matters worse, calls to management were not being returned. Sure enough, in March 2005, before Berman had gotten out of this illiquid position, Saucony announced it would miss earnings estimates and the stock cratered 20%. Yet another clear example was Bombay (NYSE: BBA). In November 2003, Bombay Company, a fashionable home accessories, wall dà ©cor, and furniture retailer, announced that sales were up 19% with inventories up 50% year over year. While the retailer beat earnings estimates, the company spoke of early November sales weakness, and the stock declined 20% that day to $10. Despite the decline, and noticing that inventories were up way too much, Berman felt the â€Å"music had stopped.† â€Å"Going into Q4 it was clear they would have to miss numbers again unless the consumer saved them, which would be a shocker†, he said. Just over two weeks later they lowered earnings again and the stock crated another 20% to $8. Remarkably, just four weeks later, after Christmas, management lowered earnings yet again, and the stock declined yet another 20%. â€Å"It was so sweet† exclaimed Berman, â€Å"to see the classic inventory / earnings relationship at work so quickly.† In just one and a half months, the stock declined 50% primarily because of inventory mismanagement along with weaker sales. As Berman prepared to leave for the studio, Christina Zinn, a young apprentice he had just hired from Harvard Business School, walked in and presented him with a stack of papers containing the valuation of John B. River (John B. River Clothiers, Inc. NASDAQ: JONR). â€Å"JONR is undervalued,† Zinn remarked, â€Å"and I think we should invest in this stock. Sales were up 24% in 2004 over the previous year, and gross margins, having risen for four straight years, seem to have peaked at 60% (one of the highest gross margins in all of US retail). 2005, the company’s price/earnings ratio is less than that of its primary competitor, Men’s Wearhouse, which is at 17.5 times estimated earnings. This is particularly strange given that John B. River has been growing faster than Men’s Wearhouse during the last few years.† Inventory Productivity in the Retail Sector Inventory turnover, the ratio of cost of goods sold to average inventory level, was commonly used to measure the performance of inventory managers, compare inventory productivity across retailers, and assess performance improvements over time.3 But wide variations in the annual inventory turnover of U.S. retailers year to year not only across, but also within, firms made it difficult to assess inventory productivity in practice, as evidenced by the following example and questions. Between 1987 and 2000 annual inventory turnover at Best Buy Stores, Inc. (Best Buy), a consumer electronics retailer, ranged from 2.85 to 8.53. Annual inventory turnover at three peer retailers during the same period exhibited similar variation: at Circuit City Stores, Inc. from 3.97 to 5.60; at Radio Shack Corporation from 1.45 to 3.05; and at CompUSA, Inc. from 6.20 to 8.65. Given such variation how could inventory turnover be used to assess these retailers’ inventory productivity? Could these variations be correlated with better or worse performance? Could it be reasonably concluded from this example that Best Buy managed its inventory better than Radio Shack? Inventory turnover could be correlated with other performance measures. Strong correlations, as between inventory turnover and gross margin, might have implications for the assessment of retailers’ inventory turnover performance. (Figure 1 plots the four consumer electronics retailers’ annual inventory turnover against their gross margins (the ratio of gross profit net of markdowns to net sales) for the period 1987-2000.) Relationships among Management Measures Relationships among inventory turns, gross margins, and capital intensity were central to deriving suitable benchmarks for assessing corporate performance. (Figure 2 presents a simplified view of an income statement and balance sheet. Table 1 presents mathematical definitions for inventory turnover, gross margin, capital intensity, return on assets, sales growth, and other management measures based on Figure 2 .) Whereas return on assets, sales growth, return on equity, and financial leverage tended not to vary systematically from one retail segment to another, variation in the components of return on assets was observed between and within industry segments. (Table 2 lists retail segments4 and examples of firms.) Table 3 presents gross margins, inventory turns, GMROI5, and asset turns for supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, apparel retailers, jewelry retailers, and toy stores.) Retailers with stable, predictable demand and long product lifecycles such as grocery, drug, and convenience stores tended to have better â€Å"efficiency ratios† (asset turns and inventory turns) than other retailers, retailers of short lifecycle products such as apparel, shoes, electronics, jewelry, and An alternative measure of inventory productivity, days of inventory, could be substituted for inventory turnover for the present analysis. Classification of segments is based on S&P’s Compustat database. GMROI is defined as gross margin return on inventory investment. Variation in gross margins, inventory turns, and SG&A expenses within and between segments ROE could be decomposed into gross margin and inventory turns, and further into the relationship between capital intensity and inventory turns (see below).Anticipating roughly similar ROE measures for different retailers, all else remaining equal, a change in any of the component metrics on the right side of the equation would be expected to result in a compensating change in some other component metric. For example, for ROE among retailers to be equivalent a retailer with higher gross margins would need to experience a compensating change in some other component, such as inventory turns. Gross margin and inventory turns: Gross margin and inventory turns were expected to be negatively correlated, that is, an increase in gross margin was expected to be accompanied by a decrease in inventory turnover. A retailer that carried a unit of product longer before selling it (i.e., a retailer with slower inventory turns) would expect to earn substantially more on its inventory investment than a retailer that carried the inventory item for a shorter period. For example, Radio Shack, which turned its inventory less frequently than twice a year,  was expected to realize higher gross margins on each sale than retailers such as CompUSA, which turned its inventory more than eight times per year. Retailers such as Radio Shack were said to be following the â€Å"profit path† (i.e., earning high profit with each sale), retailers such as CompUSA the â€Å"turnover path† (i.e., earning quickly after making an inventory investment small profits with each sale). Retailers within the same segment were expected to achieve equivalent inventory productivity. Inventory productivity could be estimated as the product of a firm’s gross margins and inventory turns, termed gross margin return on inventory investment or GMROI (pronounced â€Å"JIMROY†). If GMROI remained stable within a segment an inverse relationship between gross margin and inventory turns would be observed. (Figure 3 depicts the expected relationship.) A correlation between gross margin and inventory turns, although expected, did not, however, imply a causal relationship between the two variables. That is, a firm that increased its gross margin by better managing its inventory turns would not necessarily decline commensurately. The correlation between gross margin and inventory turns could instead reflect mutual dependence on the characteristics of a retailer’s business. Capital intensity and inventory turns: Investments in warehouses, information technology, and inventory and logistics management systems involved capital investment, which, being accounted for as fixed assets, was measured by an increase in capital intensity. Firms that made such capital investments often enjoyed higher inventory turns. Hence, inventory turns could be positively correlated with capital intensity. That an increase in inventory turnover and concurrent decrease in gross margin was not necessarily indicative of improved inventory management capability suggested limits to the use of inventory turnover in performance analysis. If, however, two firms had similar inventory turnover and gross margin values but different capital intensities the firm with the lower capital intensity might possibly have better inventory management capability. It was thus desirable to incorporate changes in gross margin and capital intensity into evaluations of inventory productivity. Zinn’s Analysis of John B. River Berman fidgeted in his chair. He enjoyed opportunities to evangelize to and educate television audiences, but found the wait in the studio tedious. Until called to hold forth on various aspects of managerial performance and investment strategy he would, he decided, wade through the report Zinn had prepared for him. Company Background On November 8, 2004 John B. River Clothiers, Inc., a leading U.S. retailer of men’s tailored and casual clothing and accessories, opened its 250th store. The retailer employed, in addition to the physical store format, two other channels: catalogs, and the Internet. Production of John B. River’s designs according to its specifications was contracted to third party vendors and suppliers. John B. River’s product suite, intended to dress a male career professional from head to toe, was identified with high quality and value. Its upscale, classic product offerings included tuxedos, blazers, shirts, ties, vests, pants, and sports wear. Excepting branded shoes from other vendors, all products were marketed under the John B. River brand. Trends in workplace clothing were an important determinant of John B. River sales growth. Thus, the early 1990s trend towards acceptability of informal clothing in the workplace was cause for concern to a retailer that emphasized men’s formal suits. But in the early 2000’s the pendulum seemed to swing back, with increasing numbers of employees preferring to dress more formally for the workplace. The material in this section is from John B. River Clothiers, Inc’s 2004 10-K Statement Retail stores were John B. River’s primary sales channel. Eighty percent of store space was dedicated to selling activities, the remaining 20% allocated to stockroom and tailoring and other support activities. Tailoring was a differentiating service highly valued by the retailer’s clientele. John B. River catered to high-end customers and so located its retail stores in areas with appropriate demographics. Its seven outlet stores provided a channel for liquidating excess merchandise. John B. River’s catalog and Internet channels accounted for approximately 11% of net sales in fiscal 2003 and 12% of net sales in fiscal 2002. Approximately eight million catalogs were distributed over these two years. Catalog sales were supported by a toll-free number that provided access to sales associates. The primary competitors of John B. River were Men’s Wearhouse Inc. (Ticker: MW) and Brooks Brothers (privately held). Apart from competing with these  specialty retailers, John B. River competed with large department stores such as Macy’s and Filenes, which enjoyed substantially greater financial and marketing resources. Supply Chain John B. River’s merchandise buying and planning staff used sophisticated information systems to convey product designs and specifications to suppliers and third party contract manufacturers and manage the production process worldwide. Approximately 24% of product purchases in fiscal 2003 were sourced from U.S. suppliers. Mexico accounted for 15% and none of the other countries from which products were sourced accounted for more than 10% of purchases. An agent was employed to source products from countries located in or near Asia. All inventory was received at a centralized distribution center (CDC), from which it was redistributed to warehouses or directly to stores. Store inventory was tracked using point-of-sale information and stock was replenished as necessary. John B. River expected to spend between $3 and $4 million in fiscal 2004 to increase the capacity of its CDC to accommodate 500 stores nationwide. Growth Strategy and Risks John B. River had developed a five-pronged strategy for achieving growth. First, it planned to further enhance product quality by elevating standards for design and manufacture. Second, it planned to expand catalog and internet operations. Third, it intended to introduce new products. Fourth, it was moving towards eliminating middlemen from the sourcing of products Fifth, it was committed to providing consistently high service levels by maintaining high inventory levels. Anticipating that growth relied on opening new stores, John B. River planned to expand to 500 stores. Approximately 60 stores were opened in fiscal 2004, increasing store count to 273, and about 75 to 100 stores were planned from  2005-08. Upfront costs associated with opening a new store included approximately $225,000 for leasehold improvements, fixtures, point-of-sale equipment, and so forth and an inventory investment of approximately $350,000, with higher inventory levels during peak periods. John B. River’s growth strategy was sensitive to consumer spending. John B. River relied on its emphasis on classic styles to retain a niche in men’s suits, a strategy that rendered it less vulnerable to changes in fashions but dependent on continued demand for classic styles. Zinn’s Analysis of John B. River’s Financial Statements Inventory: John B. River used the first-in-first out method to value inventory. During price increases FIFO valuation generated higher net income than LIFO valuation. John B. River’s inventory had been growing rapidly over the past four years. Zinn was surprised by the inventory growth, especially that inventory had grown faster than sales. Although inventory grew by 54% in 2003, corresponding sales growth was only 23%. In 2004 however, sales grew 24% while inventory grew by only 4%. Inventory at the end of 2004 however continued to be high at 303 days. Further the days’ payables increased from 54 days in 1998 to 82 days in 2004. Payables as a percentage of inventory however had declined from roughly 33% in 1998 to roughly 27% in 2004. But Zinn was not sure these concerns had much impact on her valuation of the company. Financial ratios: Current ratio and quick ratio had been hovering around 2 and 0.2, respectively.10,11 The large difference between these two ratios reflected the fact that most of John B. River’s current assets were inventory. Obsolescence costs would consequently be fairly high and could place the retailer in financial distress. The other financial ratios were indicative of a healthy company. ROE had increased from 15% to 27% since fiscal 2000. This increase had been largely fueled by an increasing profit margin (0.7% to 5.5% over the same period). John B. River had enjoyed rapid growth in sales over the last few years. Annual Sales growth had increased from 9% in 1998 to 24% in 2004, fueled by sales growth in existing stores (approximately 8% per year) as well as the opening of new stores and increased sales from the retailer’s catalog and internet channels. John B. River enjoyed a healthy increase in gross margins from 51% to 60% over the same period. Tables 4 and 5 provide key operational metrics for John B. River and Men’s Wearhouse. Prospective Analysis: Zinn had taken the Business Analysis and Valuation (BAV) class at HBS and discovered the â€Å"BAV tool.†12 She had used this tool to create a simpler model (used in the present analysis) to capture key aspects of valuation. Table 6 provides some key historical operational metrics for John B. River that Zinn used for her prospective analysis. Current ratio, defined as the ratio of current assets to current liabilities, was an indicator of a company’s ability to meet short-term debt obligations; the higher the ratio the more liquid the company. Quick ratio (or acid-test ratio), defined as the ratio of (cash + accounts receivable) to current liabilities, measured a company’s liquidity. The BAV tool was an Excel-based model developed by Harvard Business School faculty for valuing companies. Key assumptions made by Zinn in performing the prospective analysis of John B. River included the following. 1) Time horizon: Zinn chose a five year time horizon from 2005 to 2009 based on expected sales growth (derived from management projections). Beyond 2009 Zinn assumed the company to have reached a steady state defined by terminal values. 2) Sales growth: Zinn assumed that management’s projections for new stores were reasonable and that the new stores would be equivalent in size and productivity with the retailer’s existing stores. Using growth assumptions about stores and same store sales, Zinn computed sales growth for fiscal years 2005-2008 to be 18% (based on 15% square footage growth and 3% same store sale growth), and 10% for 2009. Sales after 2010 in Zinn’s analysis were expected to grow at the 4% industry standard for retail apparel stores13. 3) Gross margin: Gross margin had been steadily increasing; Zinn expected it to hover around 60% for the next five years and then assumed gross margin to reach its terminal value to reflect increased competition. 4) Other assumptions about the income statement: Zinn assumed that SG&A to sales and other operating expenses to sales would continue at the 2004 levels for the near term (till 2008). 5) Assumptions about the balance sheet: Zinn assumed that current assets to sales, current liabilities to sales, and long term assets to sales would continue at their 2004 levels, that is, the company would maintain a similar capital structure and remain as productive with its long term assets as in 2003. Zinn obtained terminal values from industry norms for â€Å"Men’s and boys’ clothing stores†14. The market risk premium was assumed to be 5%, risk free rate 4.3%, marginal tax rate 42%, and cost of debt 4.5%. Based on these assumptions, the value of a JONR share was estimated to be $43.58. Given the current (April 11th, 2005) closing price of $34.37 (see Figure 4 for historical stock prices of JONR), Zinn rated the stock a â€Å"strong buy.† You’re On the Air in Five Minutes! Berman knew he had to return to thinking about the bigger questions that would be posed by the host of the TV show. Yet he could not take his mind off of Zinn’s analysis. Berman smiled, knowing that his apprentice’s results were diametrically opposed to his own intuition. He recollected his conversation with the CEO and CFO of John B. River during one of the quarterly earnings calls when he was trying to learn about the retailer. When questioned about the steep increase in inventory, the CEO had mentioned that John B. River was planning to grow inventory in certain basic items like white shirts, khaki pants etc. as well as increase product variety to enhance service levels to its customers. Berman was not sure about this strategy of John B. River and wondered if the company’s gross margins were temporarily inflated based on increased inventories over the years. On the other hand, inventory management had improved of late. As reported on the 4th April 2005, Q4, 20 04 sales had increased 24% while inventories were up only 4% year over year.

Homer Adolph Plessy v Ferguson

In 1890, the State of Louisiana passed Act 111 that required separate accommodations for African Americans and Whites on railroads, including separate railway cars, though it specified that the accommodations must be kept â€Å"equal†. On any other day in 1892, Plessy with his pale skin color could have ridden in the car restricted to white passengers without notice. He was classified â€Å"7/8 white† or octoroon according to the language of the time. Although it is often interpreted as Plessy had only one great grandmother of African descent, both of his parents are identified as free persons of color on his birth certificate. The racial categorization is based on appearance rather than genealogy. Hoping to strike down segregation laws, the Citizens' Committee of New Orleans (Comite des Citoyens) recruited Plessy to violate Louisiana's 1890 separate-car law. To pose a clear test, the Citizens' Committee gave advance notice of Plessy's intent to the railroad, which had opposed the law because it required adding more cars to its trains. On June 7, 1892, Plessy bought a first-class ticket for the commuter train that ran to Covington, sat down in the car for white riders only and the conductor asked whether he was a colored man. The committee also hired a private detective with arrest powers to take Plessy off the train at Press and Royal streets, to ensure that he was charged with violating the state's separate-car law. In his case, Homer Adolph Plessy v. The State of Louisiana, Plessy argued that the state law which required East Louisiana Railroad to segregate trains had denied him his rights under the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. However, the judge presiding over his case, John Howard Ferguson, ruled that Louisiana had the right to regulate railroad companies as long as they operated within state boundaries. Plessy sought a writ of prohibition. The Committee of Citizens took Plessy's appeal to the Supreme Court of Louisiana, where he again found an unreceptive ear, as the state Supreme Court upheld Judge Ferguson's ruling. Undaunted, the Committee appealed to the United States Supreme Court in 1896. Two legal briefs were submitted on Plessy's behalf. One was signed by Albion W. Tourgee and James C. Walker and the other by Samuel F. Phillips and his legal partner F. D. McKenney. Oral arguments were held before the Supreme Court on April 13, 1896. Tourgee and Phillips appeared in the courtroom to speak on behalf of Plessy. It would become one of the most famous decisions in American history because, for the first time, it established that state-mandated racial segregation was protected by federal law. Arrested, tried and convicted of a violation of one of Louisiana's racial segregation laws, he appealed through Louisiana state courts to the U. S. Supreme Court, and lost. The resulting â€Å"separate-but-equal† decision against him had wide consequences for civil rights in the United States. The decision legalized state-mandated segregation anywhere in the United States, as long as the facilities provided for both blacks and whites were putatively â€Å"equal†. In a 7 to 1 decision handed down on May 18, 1896, (Justice David Josiah Brewer did not participate) the Court rejected Plessy's arguments based on the Fourteenth Amendment, seeing no way in which the Louisiana statute violated it. In addition, the majority of the Court rejected the view that the Louisiana law implied any inferiority of blacks, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Instead, it contended that the law separated the two races as a matter of public policy.

Life of Margaret Paston, English Matriarch

Life of Margaret Paston, English Matriarch Margaret Paston (also known as  Margaret Mautby Paston) is noted for her strength and fortitude as an English wife born in the Middle Ages, who took on her husbands duties while he was away and held her family together through disastrous events. Margaret Paston was born in 1423 to a prosperous landowner in Norfolk. She was chosen by William Paston, an even more prosperous landowner and lawyer, and his wife Agnes, as a suitable wife for their son John. The young couple met for the first time in April 1440, after the match had been arranged, and they were wed sometime before December 1441. Margaret frequently managed her husbands properties when he was away and even faced armed forces who physically ejected her from the household.   Her ordinary yet extraordinary life  would be almost completely unknown to us but for the Paston Family Letters, a collection of documents that span more than 100 years in the lives of the Paston family. Margaret wrote 104 of the letters, and through these and the responses she received, we can easily gauge her standing in the family, her relationships with her in-laws, husband and children, and, of course, her state of mind. Events both catastrophic and mundane are also revealed in the letters, as is the Paston familys relationships with other families and their status in society. Although the bride and groom had not made the choice, the marriage was apparently a happy one, as the letters clearly reveal: I pray you that you will wear the ring with the image of St. Margaret that I sent you for a remembrance till you come home. You have left me such a remembrance that makes me to think upon you both day and night when I would sleep. -Letter from Margaret to John, Dec. 14, 1441 The remembrance would be born sometime before April and was only the first of seven children to live to adulthood- another sign of, at the very least, enduring sexual attraction between Margaret and John. But the bride and groom were frequently separated, as John went away on business and Margaret, quite literally, held down the fort. This was not at all unusual, and for the historian, it was somewhat fortuitous, as it afforded the couple opportunities to communicate by letters that would outlast their marriage by several centuries. The first conflict that Margaret endured took place in 1448 when she took residence in the manor of Gresham. The property had been purchased by William Paston, but Lord Moleyns laid claim to it, and while John was away in London Moleyns forces violently ejected Margaret, her men-at-arms and her household. The damage they did to the property was extensive, and John submitted a petition to the king (Henry VI) in order to get recompense, but Moleyns was too powerful and did not pay. The manor was ultimately restored in 1451. Similar events took place in the 1460s when the Duke of Suffolk raided Hellesdon and the Duke of Norfolk besieged Caister Castle. Margarets letters show her steely resolve, even as she entreats her family for assistance: I greet you well, letting you know that your brother and his fellowship stand in great jeopardy at Caister, and lack vitual . . . and the place is sore broken by the guns of the other party; so that, unless they have hasty help, they are like to lose both their lives and the place, to the greatest rebuke to you that ever came to any gentleman, for every man in this country marvels greatly that you suffer them to be so long in such great jeopardy without help or other remedy. -Letter from Margaret to her son John, Sept. 12, 1469 Margarets life was not all turmoil. She also involved herself, as was common, in the lives of her grown children. She mediated between her eldest and her husband when the two fell out: I understand . . . that you do not want your son to be taken into your house, nor helped by you . . . For Gods sake, sir, have pity on him, and remember you it hath been a long season since he had anything of you to help him with, and he hath obeyed him to you, and will do at all times, and will do what he can or may to have your good fatherhood . . . -Letter from Margaret to John, April 8, 1465 She also opened negotiations for her second son (also named John) and several prospective brides, and when her daughter entered into an engagement without Margarets knowledge, she threatened to put her out of the house. (Both children were ultimately wed in apparently stable marriages.) Margaret lost her husband in 1466, and how she may have reacted historians known little about since John had been her closest literary confidant. After 25 years of successful marriage, it is likely fair to assume her grief was deep, but Margaret had shown her mettle in dire straits and was ready to endure for her family. By the time she was sixty, Margaret began showing signs of serious illness, and in February 1482, she was persuaded to make a will. Much of its content sees to the welfare of her soul and that of her family after her death; she left money to the Church for the saying of masses for herself and her husband, as well as instructions for her burial. But she was also generous to her family and even made bequests to the servants.

Responsibility of A Correctioanl Captain in the State of Alabama Essay

Responsibility of A Correctioanl Captain in the State of Alabama - Essay Example The correctional captain is endowed the role of supervising Correctional Lieutenants along with Correctional Sergeants and clerical as well as technical staff (Fresno County, 1999). A correctional captain reviews the written materials such as job descriptions, counsels the inmates and their families, inspects areas of operational responsibilities, participates in committee activities, meetings and programs, develops written administrative guidelines, interviews individuals regarding various aspects such as litigation, monitors institutional operations, activities and job assignments along with writing document information. A correctional captain needs to have expert knowledge in the above mentioned fields. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Administrative Regulation (AR) develops the responsibilities, procedures and policies for the implementation and development of professional guidance programs that comply with the federal and state requirements for ADOC employees. ADOC l aw enforcement employees include correctional sergeant, correctional officer, correctional lieutenant, correctional warden, correctional training director, correctional captain, correctional canine handler supervisor, correctional canine handler, correctional community program director and correctional investigative services officer (State of Alabama Department of Corrections, 2008). Responsibilities of a correctional captain include various tasks in terms of financial, managerial and operational area of the organization. In this research study, responsibilities of a correctional captain in the state of Alabama have been discussed elaborately. Explanation of the Responsibilities of a Correctional Captain in the State Of Alabama The responsibilities of a correctional caption are defined and regulated by the Alabama Department of Corrections. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is the agency responsible for imprisonment of convicted felons in the state of Alabama in the Unite d States. Correctional captains generally review the reports, job descriptions, regulations, and trade journals along with making proper employee evaluations and budget expenditures using administrative regulations, directives and laws. They are also responsible for making incoming and outgoing correspondences and job descriptions in order to determine summarized actions required to initiate documentations. They follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with regard to auditing reports, administrative regulations and accounting manuals in order to encourage optimistic community relations, ensure adequate financial solidity, gather and distribute information. Budget expenditure needs to be formulated in a way so that it can ensure proper utilization of organization’s resources and in this regard the correctional captain serves the purpose. To evaluate and ensure accurate, efficient, effective and complete daily operations, a correctional captain delegates particular tasks to the employees regarding the matter of preparation of organizational reports along with controlling of the treatment programs, vehicle maintenance, logistical and fiscal matters using job descriptions and available resources. They take various initiatives to assess and ensure well-organized and efficient daily operations like preparation of technical manuals, proper

Seminar in criminology - Discussion 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar in criminology - Discussion 10 - Essay Example However, it cannot be determined chiefly by looking at the offender’s arrest data. The drawback is that not all forms of crimes get recorded in official police documents. Nonetheless, by measuring the time that has elapsed until the offender committed another crime is one of the ways of measuring recidivism and has no drawback. Interviewing the offender to establish whether he or she has committed more crimes after enrolling in a probation program is also helpful. The drawback is that the offender may lie. Another way to measure would be to make charts of the new offenses that the offender commits over the amount of time that elapses. Lastly, making an analysis of the criminal events that the offender carries out such as violations, convictions and new arrests is also helpful. The drawback in this case is that not all offenders get arrested based on truthful causes. Burgess found that those offenders who had no favorable items and those who had nine unfavorable items were the ones who were not likely to succeed while on probation (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge, 2014). On page 294, it is evident that Burgess found that they only had a 45% chance of succeeding (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge,