Summary the book entitled `Youth Gangs in American Society Essays

Summary the book entitled `Youth Gangs in American Society Essays Summary the book entitled `Youth Gangs in American Society Paper Summary the book entitled `Youth Gangs in American Society Paper Essay Topic: The Book Of the City Of Ladies The Jungle Book When a gangster is constantly nagged, abused, condemned and neglected by the society, one turns into a bitter individual. Heartfelt care and concern, an understanding approach, and tender regard for one’s feelings are necessary pre-requisites to heal the inner wounds. Coupled with this, one needs to learn to forgive and forget gangster’s past in order to help one build a new identity. One’s being a gangster is not important; how one became the gangster is the issue. Inequality in society and the related economic, social maladies are the root causes of the criminal activities by the gangsters. The inner core of every human being is essentially divine, even of the worst villain. It just needs to be revealed to help one align oneself with the true personality. Apart from the legal strategies, community-based interventions are necessary to prevent the downward march of the gangster to help to shape as a worthy individual/ citizen and create favorable conditions to jo in the mainstream of the society. Randall G. Shelden holds Doctorate in Sociology from the Southern Illinois University. He specializes in subjects like gangs, female crime and delinquency, crime control and history of criminal justice and he is therefore eminently suited to write the book on youth gangs. In the book, â€Å"Youth Gangs in American Society†, the authors have done research and survey on the basis of the existing literature as for the origin of gangs and their activities in America. The root cause for gangs sprouting up, gang typographies etc are discussed. Gangs have a peculiar culture surrounding them. They have a system of working, their own traditions and unwritten rules of mutual interaction. They are loyal within their ‘own society’.   Given proper chance and avenues of rehabilitation, they are willing and wish to change. Barring a few exceptions, to which criminality is the way of life, others are pushed to the fold of gangs due to circumstances beyond their control. The des perate situations in their lives made them so. Contrary to popular belief that the gangster is a rough and tough individual, there is no denying the fact that an intensely shattered personality lies within the four walls of the prison, when a gangster is arrested and imprisoned, and his psyche needs constant care. Upon acquittal or on release, he has to restart and rebuild his life from the scratch that too amidst a society that is not likely to assimilate him easily and willingly. Whether guilty or not guilty, the prison stamp shall remain for ever on the forehead of the gangster. From where does he get the strength to erase it or will he not mind the impression of additional stamps? A gangster needs the assurance from the society that there is a life outside the gang-life and it is worth a fair try. Gang members belong mostly to the combustible younger generation. They are there because they are not accepted and wanted elsewhere. The authors provide authentic clues to the structural, historical, and cultural context for the birth of gangs. A gang must have a leader to plan strategies and execute them. The authors write, â€Å"A stereotype of the gang leader is someone who is tough, with a long criminal history, and who has strong influence over a long period of time.†(Shelden,   2000, p.36). Just as there are local level problems and national level problems, gangs have a similar identity and the treatment to them needs to be on similar lines at the appropriate levels. Urban gangsters have become a â€Å"class† to themselves. The educated youngsters taking up this mode to become gangsters is the highly disturbing trend. When other than economic factors contribute to the birth and growth of the gang culture, the managers of the society in political, social or relig ious areas, should do concrete thinking   to arrest the trend. The birth of â€Å"girl gangs† is a matter for concern. The steady growth of gangs in Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Chicago and the manner in which they control the underworld activities all over the country, calls for national level strategies to counter them, according to the authors. Piece-meal approach on the basis of victims and the victimizers is no permanent solution to the issue. The psychological and social components need to be clearly identified and continuous long term projects be evolved to give attention to the issues on perennial basis. Nine categories of gangs have been broadly identified by the authors. They are: Hedonistic/social gangs, party gangs, instrumental gangs, predatory gangs, scavenger gangs, serious delinquent gangs, territorial gangs, organized/corporate gangs and drug gangs. (Shelden, 2000, p, 37-38) Gang-culture is nothing new. In good old days, they operated in the jungles and we have often read in fables about the gangs robbing the high-way travelers. Now their presence is in the concrete-jungles and they operate using modern methods and weapons. At the end of the American Revolution, gangs sprouted in New York City and Philadelphia. Their numbers and consequently the number of violent incidents increased in proportion to the levels of immigration and major population shifts in 1800s, 1920s, 1960s and 1990s. The globalization concept has caught up with the gangs speedily and that is the real threat to Nations. So, discussion on issues related to gang culture has often been in the agenda at interna tional forums. Gangs were once not more 10-15 member outfits. Now they have established themselves into international criminal networks with affiliation. Two important Hispanic gangs, Calle 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, established in Los Angeles in 1960s have fraternal links to about 300,000 members in Central America and Mexico. Apart from cities, these gangs are deeply entrenched in the rural areas. About the type of gang members, the authors write, â€Å"The most common method of distinguishing among different gang members is the base on the degree of attachment to, and involvement in, the gang. It might be useful to think of a continuum from complete involvement.†(Shelden,   2000, p.38). The activities of the gangs are the same old stories through the Ages like   extortion, smuggling, arms and drugs trafficking and armed robbery (also bank robberies).When two or more neighboring nations have common porous borders, the operations of the gangs becomes   easy. Rules and regulations vary f rom one country to another.   Countries concerned may not have extradition treaty to secure the deportation of a particular gang leader. The terrorist links with the drug-traffickers has added new dimension to the problem. Such activities are related to social as well as security threat for the Nations. The political leadership in a particular country may overtly or covertly patronize a particular gang to secure political advantage and cause problems for the unfriendly country. The octopus-like growth of gangs needs to be controlled by treating the basic causes. Cosmetic approach to the issue will aggravate the situation is USA. The root causes, like economic reforms, new employment generating schemes and policies and on the operational side, better co-operation, monitoring and exchange of information at the local and national levels, to deny space for gang activities, periodical meeting and better co-ordination amongst the law enforcement agencies and above all, strict monitoring of the entry and movement of the migrant labor force, are some of the steps needed. The co-operative security links between he neighboring countries also needs to be strengthened. The unabated growth of the number of gangs demands serious attention of all wings of administration. The number of cities that had gang problems in the year 1970 was 270. In 1998, they were 2500, the growth rate being more than 800%.The National Youth Gang survey of 2002 reveals that there were 21,500 gangs with the active membership of 731,500. 85% of the gang members reside in 4 large cities. Conclusion: The US administration is seized of the issue at the highest level. The U. S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has initiated programs such as parent training, re-entry programs, tracking of former offenders, job programs for youth, truancy and dropout prevention, etc. Private sectors programs like Boys and Girls Clubs have helped to rehabilitate the street children. In 2005, President George Bush pledged $150 million over three years to faith-based and community groups to help the troubled youth. Randall G Sheldon’s book takes a comprehensive look about the Youth Gangs in American Society, by elaborately discussing   subjects like, what do gangs and gang members look like, the gang structure, criminal activities of gangs, girls and gangs, why are there gangs, gangs in context: inequality in American Society, Community-based and national intervention strategies, legal intervention strategies etc. Human Society today is confro nted with grave and dangerous challenges. The gang culture concerns both internal and external affairs administration of a country. We need to sharpen our insight into the essence of situations we are in and to comprehend better the root causes of the current crises, if we are to set correctly the problems related to the gangs. In the process of industrialization, urbanization and globalization, the human communities have lost sight of common values in forming a cohesive whole and, as a result, all sorts of social contradictions and conflicts manifest themselves. A sense of collectivity is disappearing, ethical norms are tattered; and such social ills as environmental decay, poverty, racial and social discrimination, and violence, which threaten co-prosperity of humanity, are all the more prevalent. Chapters 7 and 8 of the book specially look into this aspect of the gang culture.

Sociology of Religion

Sociology of Religion Not all religions share the same set of beliefs, but in one form or another, religion is found in all known human societies. Even the earliest societies on record show clear traces of religious symbols and ceremonies. Throughout history, religion has continued to be a central part of societies and human experience, shaping how individuals react to the environments in which they live. Since religion is such an important part of societies around the world, sociologists are very interested in studying it. Sociologists study religion as both a belief system and a social institution. As a belief system, religion shapes what people think and how they see the world. As a social institution, religion is a pattern of social action organized around the beliefs and practices that people develop to answer questions about the meaning of existence. As an institution, religion persists over time and has an organizational structure into which members are socialized. Its Not About What You Believe In studying religion from a sociological perspective, it is not important what one believes about religion. What is important is the ability to examine religion objectively in its social and cultural context. Sociologists are interested in several questions about religion: How are religious beliefs and factors related to other social factors like race, age, gender, and education?How are religious institutions organized?How does religion affect social change?What influence does religion have on other social institutions, such as political or educational institutions? Sociologists also study the religiosity of individuals, groups, and societies. Religiosity is the intensity and consistency of practice of a person’s (or group’s) faith. Sociologists measure religiosity by asking people about their religious beliefs, their membership in religious organizations, and attendance at religious services. Modern academic sociology began with the study of religion in Emile Durkheim’s 1897 The Study of Suicide in which he explored the differing suicide rates among Protestants and Catholics. Following Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber also looked at religion’s role and influence in other social institutions such as economics and politics. Sociological Theories of Religion Each major sociological framework has its perspective on religion. For instance, from the functionalist perspective of sociological theory, religion is an integrative force in society because it has the power to shape collective beliefs. It provides cohesion in the social order by promoting a sense of belonging and collective consciousness. This view was supported by Emile Durkheim. The second point of view, supported by Max Weber, views religion in terms of how it supports other social institutions. Weber thought that the religious belief systems provided a cultural framework that supported the development of other social institutions, such as the economy. While Durkheim and Weber concentrated on how religion contributes to the cohesion of society, Karl Marx focused on the conflict and oppression that religion provided to societies. Marx saw religion as a tool for class oppression in which it promotes stratification because it supports a hierarchy of people on Earth and the subordination of humankind to divine authority. Lastly, symbolic interaction theory focuses on the process by which people become religious. Different religious beliefs and practices emerge in different social and historical contexts because context frames the meaning of religious belief. Symbolic interaction theory helps explain how the same religion can be interpreted differently by different groups or at different times throughout history. From this perspective, religious texts are not truths but have been interpreted by people. Thus different people or groups may interpret the same Bible in different ways. References Giddens, A. (1991). Introduction to Sociology. New York: W.W. Norton Company.Anderson, M.L. and Taylor, H.F. (2009). Sociology: The Essentials. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Organizational Buying Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Buying Behavior - Assignment Example than happen often, the organizational key goals and objectives, a change in the government policy, the changing societal practices, technology levels, and the policies and the procedures involved while purchasing in the organization (Wilson, 2010). Additionally an organization needs to identify the need to purchase a product then select the product that meets the needs of the organization. Moreover, the organization needs to have a team to manage the purchase process as well as a budget for the particular purchase. Research for the product is done with their suppliers to identify the best model at a reasonable price. In addition, the organization solicits bids from suppliers who prove to have the product that meets all the required specifications, and then the best supplier is awarded with the contract. Lastly, some of the characteristics of organizational buyers include demand for the production and sale of buyers as well as the fluctuations in demand for the product. In addition, the relationship between the seller and buyer is also a factor that should be considered (Wilson,

Neil v. Biggers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Neil v. Biggers - Essay Example This ruling based on the show up identification brought about the precedence of making a ruling. The other precedence brought about by this case was due to the fact that the writ for habeas corpus in such a case cannot be cannot be accepted by a federal court. This is because of the affirmance according to the U.S.C 2244 (c). This therefore means that even if the case is appealed, the judgment of made by the lower courts still stands and no further action can be taken (Ingram 2011). This was the case when Biggers appealed the ruling of the case in the Supreme Court. Even though the Neil v. Biggers was ruled in favor of the show up identification process even though it was done over seven months after the assault had taken place, conflict of ideas were raised. This has led to development of more criteria which should be considered before judging an individual based on merely identification by an eyewitness. These criteria are proved by a psychologist employed to do so by the court. They look at several things like the time that has elapsed between the time the assault takes place and the identification process. This is meant to ensure that the memory of the plaintiff is still fresh and hence no wrong identification. Another guideline involves the accuracy of the description made earlier. This is done to ensure that there is no discrepancy whatsoever that may lead to the wrong person being incriminated and the assailant to walk free. All this is done before any ruling on the case is done and it ensures that the witness is really sure of what they are reporting before the court or in front of a jury. The other guideline criteria are on opportunity to view the assailant. This will include the physical features of the assailant like height, weight, skin complexion among other physical traits that will make it easy to identify the individual whether in a line up or

Slow Movement from Haydns Emperor Quartet Essay Example for Free

Slow Movement from Haydns Emperor Quartet Essay The slow movement from Haydns Emperor Quartet is said to be one of Haydns greatest works. He uses a simple yet classic melody throughout his piece that is the underlying feature of this movement. The melody is in the form AABCC but the movement itself is in the style of theme and variations. The music in the movement is played sweetly (dolce) and is in cut time. The Introduction to Haydns Emperor Quartet is in GM and has the violin 1 playing the melody. The cello and the Viola have similar rhythmic parts that are playing important harmonies to the violin 1 part. The second violin is harmonizing the melody. Variation 1 is a duet between the two violins where the cello and the viola do not play. Violin 2 has the melody throughout the variation. Violin 1 is playing sets of semiquavers which give the different harmonies in this variation. Most of the notes in the violin 1 part are in intervals of 3rds and 5ths or are in scale order. This variation is always soft (sempre piano). In the next variation the bass instrument of the quartet has the melody (the cello). The violin 1 plays on the off beats for most of the variation with groups of semiquavers filled in as a small counter melody. Violin 2 is harmonizing between the melody and the violin 1 part. The viola is playing long notes every so often emphasizing the melody. Variation 2 is quite heavy and dense in harmonies and instruments in contrast to the first variation which was quite light. In variation 3 the viola has the melody. Throughout this variation there are mostly three instruments playing at one time. The instrument that do not have the melody come in and out though the piece. Violin 1 comes in with the viola at the beginning and has a similar line to its part in variation 2. Violin 2 comes in at bar 3 with syncopated notes and then goes into a small melody of its own. The cello do not come in till about halfway through the  variation where it plays a simple harmonic rhythm. Variation 4 is similar to the introduction in that the violin 1 has the melody again but Haydn has made it different by changing the other parts. Also in bar 5 the melody moves an octave higher to what it was in the introduction. The other three parts have similar rhythmic lines. The start of the variation has mostly crotchets and minims but in bar 10 Haydn has made use of quavers till the end of the piece. The cello changes clef in bars 7 to 14 to an alto clef then back to a bass clef. The three parts having the similar rhythmic lines helps creates a thick texture of harmonies. The ending bars draw a closure to the movement with the long cadence ending softly.

The Hard Nut Essay -- Drama

The Hard Nut ============ The Hard Nut Is Based On The Nutcracker and Mouse King by ETA Hoffmann, the dance company they used was the Mark Morris Company and the music is by Tchaikovsky. The director of the Hard Nut has not been original, as he has used the same music from the original Nutcracker. The video is a live recording. Act 1 The opening scene starts with three people on the stage dressed as young children, they have their backs to the audience and are dressed in a black and white style, and the curtains are drawn. The curtains go up and Act One Begins. The scenery is black and white there is also a big door bigger than the characters on the stage. The three main characters on the stage are children we can tell this by the way they are acting and the facial expressions they pull. The director is dealing with gender issues a lot of the women are played by men. The dance style they are using is ballet. The huge door opens and the set changes to a living room style setting. It is around Christmas we can tell this, as there is a Christmas tree in the corner of the stage. The characters are dressed in green and red which are the colours of Christmas. In the days were the musical is set they did not have coloured televisions the television starts to go colour and the music starts to be multipurpose as if there is a fire. Throughout the play the use of humour is quite big. The three children are now obviously in their Christmas suits the oldest girl showing off all dressed up whilst the other is quiet and dressed in pink different from the rest, she is overlooked by people very sensible and very shy. Everybody on the stage pairs up and are dancing in duets apart from the youngest child who is in the pink, she is being ignored but is trying hard to involve herself. The girl then notices a man coming into the house she makes a fuss and everybody notices and acts surprised. The man appears to be a joker always wants to be the centre of attention and loves the quiet girl. He brings in two life size presents and the young girl and boy open them, two giant toys come out and begin a duet but they are using the people around them to do the duet including the children. They are using sharp isolated movements acting like robots, using different motifs. The family then get back into partners and begin the duets again... ... look on their faces and start running around in circles and the kiss again! The characters start to run diagonally across the stage in duets and form a huge circle. The use lots of pirouettes all at the same time and then exit the stage with leaps. It leads to the girl and the nutcracker again, showing that they are deeply in love. They perform another duet and kiss again and again. They use movements to show they are in love like smooth runs and turns. They travel away from each other and come back together showing they are reaching for each other’s love! The music becomes grand and they both take centre stage, a new drop down sheet comes down with all different toys on and the music gets faster and faster. They run of and the black and white scene from the start comes back. The stage is now back to the opening scene with the television programme on. The maid comes in going mad and turns the television off. The audience start clapping as the characters come on in duets bow and go through the door apart from the girl and the nutcracker. They finally come on last and the curtain goes up all the characters are in positions and the girl and nutcracker join them.

Learning Team Skills Assessment Paper and Matrix

Learning Team Skills Assessment Paper and Matrix Team A is made up of skilled individuals. The team is researching business ideas for a consulting firm. The team’s plan is to review the members’ strengths and weaknesses and evaluate what type of consulting firm would best suited for the qualities of the team members. In addition, Team A will review the opportunities and qualifications the team believes are required to strengthen the management team and company. Team A believes the general management skills and the strengths of the partners will provide the team with advantage and opportunities to convince potential customers that the team has the necessary skills to be successful. Team Skills Summary/Analysis The pool of individuals who will develop this organization is comprised of dynamic talent and energy. Every corporate officer has obtained a college degree in business administration demonstrating discipline and motivation. Within experiential categories, which are characterized by skills and strengths, the team brings together qualities that complement and build on those of other members. The skills are comprised of management level proficiency within accounting, employee development, human resources, business law, computers and information processing, marketing, and E-business. Strengths are centered on personal relations within human resources and organizational competence. These skills and strengths will combine well to develop a consulting firm that will uphold our team commitment to our client providing the best-qualified candidates to meet and exceed their requirements and expectations. Consulting Firm Options for Team A Medical Staff / Personnel Consulting Two of Team A’s members have work experience in the medical field which would benefit a Team decision to pursue a firm to provide consultation for medical staff or personnel. Kellie Wolinski currently works for the United Health Group as a Territory Developer. Kellie’s job function involves educating providers, facilities, and senior groups about Medicare Plan Options that will provide the consulting background for our medical staffing and personnel-consulting firm. Mary Ann Senatore is currently employed at JFK Medical Center as Resource Coordinator of Cardiovascular Services, allowing er to assume the administrative role for payroll, purchasing, and human resource functions. Performing the function of medical staff or personnel consultation would require identifying and recruiting candidates for employment. Team A could use knowledge of industry needs to help fill essential positions in the medical field. The consulting company would develop a database of professional s able to fill clients’ needs. Team A would provide background checks, accreditation checks, and confirm any specialized training or certification prior placing professionals in the database. Professionals in the system would be encouraged to pursue advanced training in specialized fields to meet the demand of the firm’s clients. Team A would provide the professionals with resume services, coaching through the interview process, salary negotiations, and provide relocation assistance services. Internet Advertising/Marketing Consulting Tracy Schneider has experience working with Internet marketing through work experience with her own business. Team A could use Tracy’s experience and educational background of the team’s members to start an Internet marketing consultation firm. The goals of the firm would be to help clients attract, retain, and convert Internet traffic into viable business leads. The firm would provide Internet public relations, brand management, and product reputation management. Jessica Mazakas marketing skills will be an asset in obtaining and retaining clients. The firm would work with clients to identify individual target markets and establish business goals by combining off line and online business activities. Proper branding and brand recognition services retain consumers through brand loyalty initiatives. Broadcasting Technology Consulting Team A is also considering consultation services in the field of broadcast technology and online training programs for broadcasting professionals. Team A’s members could apply experience from the online training environment at the University of Phoenix to the online training needs of this sector. Ryan Bierbaum’s experience in gaming networks may be beneficial to the inner workings required for broadcasting technology. The firm could also provide consultation and project management for system integrations and technology system upgrades by collaborating with product suppliers. One other area of interest is the design of content specific software design technologies. Plans to Develop Skills As indicated, Team A has a diverse mixture of skills. Each team member has identified his or her own strengths, skills, and weaknesses. Through our combined strengths, we will be able to provide our clients with the services they require. Our weaknesses will allow those team members to benefit, learn, and grow through other member’s strengths. This complement of skills allows us able to move forward with our consulting firm.

Agriculture and Tractor

The tractor industry reported a strong 28. 3% growth in sales volumes during 2009-10, thereby ending the phase of cyclical correction that had pulled down tractor sales during the preceding two years (200709). Significantly, the revival of 2009-10 happened despite the droughtlike conditions in many States during the kharif1 season dampening sentiments.The key factor enabling the demand growth of 2009-10 was strong rural liquidity, which in turn was sustained by several factors, including: higher minimum support price (MSP) for crops; greater ability of farmers to make cash purchases (including the usage of Kisan Credit Card which are increasingly being used to part-finance tractor purchases); enhanced employment opportunities (with rural employment schemes being implemented by the Government of India); an improved credit environment; and continuance of replacement demand.These factors apart, non-agricultural use of tractors (for haulage in construction and infrastructure projects) co ntinued to increase, benefiting tractor demand. Also, with infrastructure projects and rural employment schemes increasing employment opportunities, availability of labour for agricultural activities continued to decline, persuading even farmers with medium-sized land holdings to either rent or purchase tractors. On a regional basis, the performance of the eastern, northern and western parts of the country was robust during 2009-10 in terms of tractor demand, while that of the southern region was moderate.A strong growth in tractor volumes, albeit on a low base, was witnessed in the eastern States, including Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, which had a good paddy crop. Tractor volumes in the northern and western regions also reported strong growth during 2009-10, especially in the second half (H2) of the year, benefiting from a low base (H2, 2008-09) and a satisfactory kharif crop in some States. The southern region reported moderate performance in terms of tractor demand (growth of 11. 9% in 2009-10), being impacted largely by the de-growth in Andhra Pradesh (AP)—a key southern market—where rainfall was irregular in 2009-10.However, in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, higher MSPs for rice along with some revival of interest of public sector banks (PSBs) in tractor financing led to strong tractor sales volumes. Historically, tractor demand has been fairly volatile, being influenced by cyclical trends, availability of finance, and crop patterns (monsoon). After four years of strong growth during 2003-07, the fiscal years 200708 and 2008-09 both reported a marginal decline in tractor sales volumes, largely reflecting cyclical corrections.In addition to the cyclical dips, during H2, 2008-09, the industry also had to cope with the 1 Kharif season in India is during the south-west monsoon (June-October) ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective liquidity crunch, which pushed up interest rates, even as financiers resorted to more stringent lending norms in the face of rising non-performing assets (NPAs). However, the situation improved during 200910 as credit availability improved on the strength of greater liquidity in the banking system.While tractor financing has traditionally been done by PSBs, of late, private banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), despite their higher interest rates vis-a-vis the PSBs, have been able to increase their penetration of this market on the strength of faster loan processing and use of more liberal credit norms. Overall, with tractor demand being closely linked to agricultural output, growth in farm mechanisation and farmers’ remuneration, the long-term demand drivers for the industry remain robust.The currently low levels of tractor penetration in India, strong Governmental focus on availability of finance for agriculture mechanization tools and on rural development, increase in the use of tractors for nonagricultural purposes, and the growing emphasis on tractor exports au gur well for the industry. Background Chart 1: Annual Trends in Tractor Sales Volumes Chart 2: Monthly Trends in Tractor Sales Volumes Source: Industry, ICRA’s estimates Source: Industry, ICRA’s estimates The tractor industry reported a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 20% in volume terms during the period 2003-07.The long up-cycle in demand was supported by several factors, including excise duty exemptions on tractors (2004-05), thrust on rural development, improved availability of finances for tractor purchase, and low interest rates. The growth also came on a low base, with the preceding three fiscal years (2000-03) having witnessed a prolonged phase of volume correction. The cyclical correction during 2000-03 had been aggravated by the build-up of channel inventory with the major players having pushed aggressively for larger sales.In contrast to this phase of cyclical slowdown, the one that happened during 2007-09 was less severe, with volumes declining by around 3%, despite the intermittent tightening of the liquidity situation during H2, 2008-09. The demand slowdown during H2, 2008-09 also impacted the profitability of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), that is, the tractor manufacturers, because of the high price inventory they were carrying. However, the situation improved on the cost structure front in H1 2009-10 with the softening of commodity prices preparing the ground for the industry to earn higher profitability margins.The pickup in volumes also lowered the overhead expenses for the tractor manufacturers, boosting their profitability. While the OEMs did not lower the listed sales price of tractors, the benefit of lower steel prices was passed on to the end customers via discounts. This is an accepted practice in the industry; given that once prices are lowered it is difficult to raise them subsequently. However, during H2 2009-10, the tractor majors increased the prices with the reversal of commodity prices an d the discounts have also come down. ICRA Rating Services Page 2 ICRA Rating FeatureChart 3: Trends in Profitability Margins of Select Players Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective Source: Company releases, ICRA’s estimates; refers to Profit before Interest and Tax (PBIT) and volume in the tractor segment Capacity utilisation in the tractor industry had hit a low during 2002-03, following large capacity additions and a volume slump. After that, capacity utilisation improved steadily, but remained moderate at around 50% during 2008-09. In 2009-10, the tractor volume growth has helped the OEMs improve their capacity utilizations; however, there is still excess capacity in the industry.Thus, over the medium term, most tractor manufacturers would not need to make any significant capital investments in building capacities. As discussed, the domestic tractor industry has to cope with demand volatility on account of cyclical trends and the strong linkages it has with agricultural pr oduction and monsoon rains. Many of the industry players have thus diversified into related products, including generator engines and cranes, besides focusing more on exports, to gain some insulation against the volatility in domestic tractor demand.As for tractor exports, while a major part of that currently goes to USA, the OEMs are now exploring various other markets across Europe, Asia and Africa for future exports. Industry Trends by Region The biggest markets for the tractor industry include States like Uttar Pradesh (UP), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, which together accounted for around 50% of the total tractor sales in India during 2009-10. The tractor industry witnessed a strong y-o-y growth of 28. 3% during 2009-10, with most of the States reporting positive growth during the year.Chart 4: Trend in Tractor Sales across regions Chart 5: Trend in Tractor sales across States Source: Industry, ICRA’s estimates Source: Industry, IC RA’s estimates The northern region remains the largest tractor market in India with sales of around 1,67,000 units as of 2009-10. This region reported a growth rate of 35. 7% in volume sales in 2009-10 over the previous fiscal, with the key contributors including UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The northern region benefited from higher MSPs (for crops), limited availability of labour (forcing higher mechanisation), and increasing non-agricultural use of tractors.Additionally, increased infrastructure development activities (especially highways) led to appreciation in land values and use of tractors for non-agricultural purposes. In some cases, farmers also received compensation for the Government’s acquisition of select land patches (adjoining highways), which increased the availability of cash with them. Feedback from industry players ICRA Rating Services Page 3 ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective suggests cash purchases (including purchases u sing Kisan Credit Card) in some northern States increased to 35-40% of the total tractor volumes in 2009-10 from 10-15% in the past.Tractor volumes in UP grew by 42. 7% during 2009-10, with H2, 2009-10 reporting particularly strong growth (around 51% y-o-y) mainly on the back of high sugarcane prices for the kharif crop and improved irrigation facilities. In the case of Punjab, tractor volumes remained strong for the fifth straight year in 2009-10 (y-o-y growth of 42%). In Rajasthan however, growth in tractor volumes was relatively subdued in 2009-10 (around 24% y-o-y) as compared with the figure for the northern region as a whole.Tractor sales in Rajasthan were especially low in H2, 2009-10 versus H1, 2009-10, due to lower kharif output on account of deficient rains and inadequate financing availability. In the eastern region, tractor volumes continued to report strong growth in 2009-10, albeit on a small base, and went up by 53. 8% over 2008-09, being driven mainly by the higher M SPs announced for paddy. Within the region however, many financiers remained reluctant to finance tractor purchases in some States like Bihar. Nevertheless, in Bihar, tractor volumes grew 66% over 2008-09 to around 29,000 units in 2009-10, thereby accounting for over 50% of the totalsales in the eastern region. The Bihar market, where tractor penetration had been low historically, has shown sustained growth over the last few years and become one of the important markets for the tractor industry. Overall, in the eastern region, growth in tractor volumes is expected to moderate, going forward, as the benefit of a low base get diluted gradually. The western region reported sales of around 92,000 tractor units during 2009-10—a growth rate of 35. 7% over the previous fiscal—benefiting particularly from the strong performance that Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP posted during H2, 2009-10 (55% y-o-y growth over H2, 2008-09).The factors contributing to the strong growth in the reg ion during H2, 2009-10 included a benign base effect, higher crop prices (of sugarcane and cotton in Maharashtra, and of cereals and soyabean in MP), and greater availability of retail finance. The performance of the southern region in terms of tractor sales was relatively modest during 2009-10, with the growth rate being around 11. 9% over the previous fiscal. While most States in the region reported healthy growth, AP, which is the largest tractor market in the south, de-grew by 10. 4% in 200910.The AP market has been undergoing a volume correction since 2007-08, with the preceding four to five years having witnessed a large and sustained volume growth; this factor apart, the de-growth of 2009-10 was also aided by irregular monsoons. The other big market in the southern region, Karnataka, reported growth of 74% in tractor volumes in 2009-10 mainly on the strength of higher MSPs for rice; however, volume growth is expected to moderate in 2010-11 because of the base effect. In Tamil Nadu, tractor sales were flat during H1, 2009-10, but the performance improved in H2, 2009-10 mainly because of improved retail financing by the PSBs.Industry Trends by Tractor Horse Power (HP) The Indian tractor market has traditionally been a medium HP market, with 31-40 HP tractors accounting for around 47% of the total industry volumes. In 2008-09, the 31-40 HP category had reported sales of 157,602 tractor units, which was about the same as the previous year’s figure but lower than the 2006-07 statistic by 7%. In 2009-10 however, this category reported a strong revival, with the volume growing by 22%2 over 2008-09; the revival was led by UP, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The other major segment in theIndian tractor market is the 41-50 HP range, which accounts for around 23% of the total industry volumes. This segment grew by around 10% during 2009-10, thereby underperforming the growth in overall tractor volumes (around 19%) that year. The main reason for this underperf ormance was the low growth that the southern region, the biggest market for this segment, reported in 2009-10. 2 The HP wise y-o-y growth rates are based on 9M 2009-10 tractor volumes. Page 4 ICRA Rating Services ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA PerspectiveThe >51 HP segment of the Indian tractor market also underperformed the industry growth rate in 200910 mainly because of the de-growth in the exports which is a key demand area for these high HP tractors. Some Long-Term Demand Drivers for the Industry Low penetration of tractors in Indian agriculture: Indian agriculture is characterised by low farm mechanisation, fragmented land holdings, and high dependence on monsoon rains (in the absence of adequate irrigation facilities). Tractor penetration in India is low at around 13 tractors per 1,000 hectares as against the global average of 19 and the US average of 29.While this does indicate the relative backwardness of Indian agriculture, it also points to the significant scope that exists for raising tractor penetration, which bodes well for tractor demand over the long term. Government support for the agricultural sector: Although agriculture contributes just around 20% to India’s GDP, it provides employment to a large rural population, which is why the sector remains a strong focus area for the Government. The tractor industry benefits significantly from the Governmental focus on agriculture, with measures such as nil excise duty ontractors (even the excise duty on tractor parts has been lowered from 16% to 8%) and inclusion of tractor financing under priority sector lending (by PSBs) serving as long-term demand drivers. Financing of tractor purchase is of great significance for the industry, it being a key demand facilitator. Export of tractors: Indian tractor manufacturers have been increasingly targeting the international markets over the last few years. The industry exported a total of around 37,900 tractors during 2009-10, with the USA , Africa, South America, and some Asian countries being the top destinations.The industry leader, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), has acquired Yancheng Tractors, the fourth largest tractor manufacturer in China (in terms of FY2008 volumes), to improve its presence in the country. In the developed markets, Indian tractors have a relatively marginal presence, with sales being largely restricted to the hobby farming segment. Outlook Tractor sales are expected to remain healthy in fiscal 2010-11, given the good rabi crop this time around, the continuing firmness in the prices of agricultural products, and the healthy monsoons anticipated during the coming kharif season.Moreover, improving farm mechanisation levels (with labour availability in rural areas declining), increasing non-agricultural use of tractors, higher credit disbursements for agriculture, and sharper Governmental focus on the farm sector (larger budgetary allocations) are also expected to encourage tractor sales. The indust ry’s profitability is however expected to remain moderate in the medium term, considering the high competitive intensity and low capacity utilisation levels, although larger players could benefit from scale economics.As for margins, while they have seen an improvement in 2009-10, they would remain vulnerable to adverse changes in commodity prices. While some States in the northern region have achieved high levels of tractor penetration and farm mechanisation, on an all-India basis, the penetration remains low, which along with the current shortage of farm labour and consequently rising labour costs, may be expected to lead to greater mechanisation and use of tractors.The long-term prospects for the Indian tractor industry hinge on agricultural growth and Government support in areas such as financing availability, tax exemptions, and fiscal stimulus for rural development. Overall, ICRA expects the long-term growth rate for the Indian tractor industry to trend around the histor ical average of 6-8%, supported by increasing tractor penetration. ICRA Rating Services Page 5 ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective Annexure I: Structure of the Indian Tractor IndustryThe Indian tractor industry has around 13 national players and a few regional players. The industry is dominated by Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) with a market share of around 41. 1%, followed by Tractors and Farm Equipments TAFE, which holds around 22% of the market. The other major players include Escorts (12. 1%), L&T-John Deere (7. 8%), and International Tractors Limited (8. 9%). During the last few years, the industry has seen some consolidation with M&M acquiring Punjab Tractors (PTL) and TAFE acquiring Eicher Tractors.Most of the tractors sold in India are in the 21-50 HP range, with the 31-40 HP category alone accounting for around 50% of this. The long-term prospects of the Indian tractor industry are highly dependent on Government policies for the agriculture sector. Histor ically, most tractor sales are done on credit even as over the last few years financial institutions, facing an increase in their non-performing assets (NPAs), have resorted to some tightening of credit norms. Also, during 2009-10, there has been a sharp increase in cash purchases, reflecting the rise in disposable incomes in the rural markets.Most of the tractor financing done by banks comes under priority sector lending, a directed-lending mechanism of the Government of India. In terms of volume, India is one of the largest tractor markets in the world, besides China and the USA. The prospects of the domestic industry are highly linked to monsoon rains, which remain a key factor in determining agricultural production. Better irrigated States like Punjab and Haryana have a high tractor density (over 100 per 1,000 hectares), while States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra, MP and WestBengal have low levels of tractor penetration—a pointer to th e substantial growth potential that the latter set offers. On an all-India basis, tractor penetration remains low at around 13 per 1,000 hectares. Besides being used in farming, tractors find application in activities such as harvesting and irrigation, land reclamation, drawing water and powering agricultural implements. In addition, lately, the tractors are also being used for non-agricultural purposes including haulage in construction and infrastructure projects which has expanded the tractor market.The Indian tractor market, thus, is expected to grow in future and remain one of the biggest tractor markets in the world. Chart 6: Trend in State wise market share Source: Industry, ICRA’s estimates Annexure 2: Region-wise Market Shares of Various Players The market shares of the top four players in the Indian tractor industry did not change much during 200910 in comparison with 2008-09. M&M remained the market leader with around 41. 1% market share, followed by TAFE with a mar ket share of around 22%, Escorts with around 12. 1%, and International Tractors (ITL) with around 8. 9%.ICRA Rating Services Page 6 ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective Chart 7: Movement in Regional Market Shares of Select Players 2009-10 vs. 2008-09 (bps) Source: Industry, ICRA’s estimates M&M remains particularly strong in the southern region (50. 4% market share during 2009-10). However, L&T John Deere (LT-JD) was able to increase its market share in the region by around 250 bps in 2009-10, mainly at the expense of M&M (market share down by 140 bps) and Escorts (down by 140 bps).In the western region too, LT-JD performed well in 2009-10, increasing its market share by 190 bps, even as TAFE lost market share by around 90 bps there. In the northern region, where M&M has been traditionally weak, the company increased its market share by 140 bps during 2009-10, even as ITL and Escorts lost market shares by around 90 bps and 60 bps respectively, there. In t he eastern region, M&M was able to raise its market share by around 140 bps in 2009-10 at the expense of Escorts and TAFE.ICRA Rating Services Page 7 ICRA Rating Feature Tractor Industry: An ICRA Perspective ICRA Limited An Associate of Moody's Investors Service CORPORATE OFFICE Building No. 8, 2nd Floor, Tower A; DLF Cyber City, Phase II; Gurgaon 122 002 Tel: +91 124 4545300; Fax: +91 124 4545350 Email: [email  protected] com, Website: www. icra. in REGISTERED OFFICE 1105, Kailash Building, 11th Floor; 26 Kasturba Gandhi Marg; New Delhi 110001 Tel: +91 11 23357940-50; Fax: +91 11 23357014Branches: Mumbai: Tel. : + (91 22) 24331046/53/62/74/86/87, Fax: + (91 22) 2433 1390 Chennai: Tel + (91 44) 2434 0043/9659/8080, 2433 0724/ 3293/3294, Fax + (91 44) 2434 3663 Kolkata: Tel + (91 33) 2287 8839 /2287 6617/ 2283 1411/ 2280 0008, Fax + (91 33) 2287 0728 Bangalore: Tel + (91 80) 2559 7401/4049 Fax + (91 80) 559 4065 Ahmedabad: Tel + (91 79) 2658 4924/5049/2008, Fax + (91 79) 2658 4924 Hyderabad: Tel +(91 40) 2373 5061/7251, Fax + (91 40) 2373 5152 Pune: Tel + (91 20) 2552 0194/95/96, Fax + (91 20) 553 9231  © Copyright, 2010 ICRA Limited. All Rights Reserved. Contents may be used freely with due acknowledgement to ICRA.All information contained herein has been obtained by ICRA from sources believed by it to be accurate and reliable. Although reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information herein is true, such information is provided ‘as is' without any warranty of any kind, and ICRA in particular, makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any such information. All information contained herein must be construed solely as statements of opinion, and ICRA shall not be liable for any losses incurred by users from any use of this publication or its contents.

uh oh essays

uh oh essays Earl. It rhymed with girl. He always took a lot of heat for that. But that was before the Easter egg. The extraordinary Easter egg. Earls extraordinary Easter egg... He got it as a gift from his mean cousin Katie that never was and never will be nice to him (she kept teasing his name). It looked like nothing special to him. Probably just some chocolate inside but it definitely wasnt an ordinary egg. This egg contained extra-terrestrial contents that have enormous potential. As he unwrapped the cheap aluminum wrapper encasing the egg, a little note fell out. At first, what seemed like an encoded language scribbled on the note moved its lines around and became American English. This is the pod of life and destruction. In the pod contains objects from the seventh dimension. Its purpose is to continue the mere existence of the universe by destroying much of it. 3,465,735,180,261 EUs received 32 EUs needed Note: The reader of this is cursed with the occupation of feeding the pod the energy it needs to complete its objective. Nice prank Kate but this is too stupid to be funny or scary, Earl thought. As he was about to throw it out, he noticed that the egg felt warm to his touch. He easily broke open the plastic shell and inside was a very strange looking object. It looked like a cool blue rock that shimmered like water. It felt like slick rubber but it bended and changed shape like Jell-o. This is weird, Earl though. As he was running out the kitchen door to ask Katie about this, the thing slipped out of his hand and a bounced straight up a couple hundred feet. While it was still going up, it disappeared. Uh-oh, Earl thought, its going to do whatever its supposed to do! Then, it warped back into existence right in the palm of Earls hand! Weird, Earl thought, better not tell Katie right away. At night, he put the pod under his pillow. It just made him feel safer when it ...

Mood vs. Tense

Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense Mood vs. Tense By Maeve Maddox Judging by comments I’ve read on this and other language sites, many people are not quite clear as to the difference between the grammatical terms mood and tense. For example, I’ve seen such expressions as â€Å"subjunctive tense† and â€Å"progressive mood.† Because both tense and mood have to do with verbs, the confused terminology is understandable. Tense, however, refers to time, whereas mood refers to manner of expression. Tense The three possible divisions of time are past, present, and future. For each, there is a corresponding verb tense: Present: He walks now. Past: Yesterday he walked. Future: Tomorrow he will walk. Each of these tenses has a corresponding complete tense: perfect, past perfect (pluperfect), and future perfect: Perfect: He has walked every morning since Monday. Past Perfect: He had walked a mile by the time we joined him. Future Perfect: By tomorrow, he will have walked twenty miles. Each of these tenses has a continuous or progressive form: Present Continuous: I am still walking. Past Continuous: I was still walking when you phoned. Future Continuous: I shall/will be walking when you reach town. Perfect Continuous: I have been walking since early morning. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been walking for an hour when you phoned. Future Perfect Continuous: When you see me, I shall have been walking for six hours. Mood Mood is the form of the verb that shows the mode or manner in which a thought is expressed. Mood distinguishes between an assertion, a wish, or a command. The corresponding moods are: Indicative (assertion), Subjunctive (wish), and Imperative (command). Note: Unlike some languages, English does not have an â€Å"Interrogative Mood†; questions are formed by changing word order and not by altering the verb. The word indicative derives from Latin indicare, â€Å"to declare or state.† Indicative Mood expresses an assertion, denial, or question about something: Assertion: I liked him very much before he did that. Denial: He is not going to remain on my list of friends. Question: Will you continue to see him? The word imperative derives from Latin imperare, â€Å"to command.† Imperative Mood expresses command, prohibition, entreaty, or advice: Command: Go thou and do likewise. Prohibition: Stay out of Mr. MacGregor’s garden! Entreaty: Remember us in your prayers. Advice: Beware of the dog. The â€Å"true subjunctive† equivalent to the Latin Optative Mood (opare, â€Å"to wish†) is rare in modern English. Examples of the â€Å"true† subjunctive: â€Å"If I were king,† â€Å"God save the Queen!† In most contexts dealing with unreal situations, speakers used a mixed subjunctive. The use of the auxiliaries may, might, should, and would creates a mixed subjunctive in which one verb is in subjunctive and another in indicative mood: If I should see him, I will tell him. He came that they might have life. According to the Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar, The distinctive subjunctive forms are now confined to the verb be and to the third-singular forms of other verbs; they are still common in American English, while in British English they are confined to very formal styles. In American English, the subjunctive often occurs with the following verbs: suggest: I suggest that she refuse his offer. demand: They are demanding that he go to London for an interview. propose: The father proposed that his son be locked up to teach him a lesson. insist: We all insisted that he accept treatment. British usage tends to use should in such constructions: I suggest that she should refuse his offer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireList of Greek Words in the English Language8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors

William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily - Essay Example In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the narrator has highlighted some of the extremes of isolation and seclusion which are the true reflections of Emily’s physical behavior and mental attitude towards herself, the relatives and the society in general. The character Emily is emerged as a true personified character which covered the main theme of the story under the umbrella of isolation. This feeling of being isolated led Emily to react in a certain way which kept everybody out of the enlarged circle drawn on the basis of isolation. Thesis Statement â€Å"Emily’s life is a reflection of isolation that can be experienced from her acts, behaviors and attitudes.† In the story â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the narrator presented several times the withdrawal of the character Emily. Emily withdrew herself from her close relatives even from her father, her lover, the community and townspeople around her. Every now and then the proofs of her seclusion from different peop le around her are found in the story. The script witnessed that Emily lived a substantial period of her life with his father only. After her father’s departure, his lover entered into her life, entered into her house but never came out. The townspeople looked the corpse of her lover, Homer, after the death of Emily. There were no signs of Emily getting married to any man and involving herself towards creation of a family which also reflects as how badly she wanted to be stay away from the people. No women of the town had ever seen her house till†¦ Her isolation with man and woman of the town can be observed in the beginning of the story where narrator describes the event of Emily’s funeral. The narrator states that â€Å"The women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant--a combined gardener and cook--had seen in at least ten years.† This shows that how unaware were the women of that town that even at this sad occasion, every women was looking at her house more than sharing grief of the death of Emily. To all the women, the personality of Emily was hidden and none of those women ever had any relationship wtih Emily. The other thing that can be observed from the narrator’s statement is that there was only a single servant, elder in age, had the duties of gardening and cooking. This shows that not even a single woman ever entered into her house and maintained any sort of relationship with Emily. People of the town observed her presence very rarely even after†¦ The story also depicts her isolated behavior of living in the town. For instance, at one point in the story, the narrator describes her persistent isolated behavior even after the death of her father and after the departure of her lover. Her father kept her away from the men till the end of his life. In this way, she remained isolated from men and it can be said that her young age was spoilt by her father. There is al so an evidence of her isolation when her lover disappeared from her life, which can be characterized as another incident of her isolation. The narrator states these lines in the story showing her isolation as â€Å"After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all.† These lines tell her isolation in many ways like isolation due to death of her father, isolation due to departure of her lover, and isolation due to lack of her interest towards the town as anyone hardly observed her presence in the town even after the disappearance of those people. Emily had no interest towards†¦ The reason behind her isolation was the way her father brought her up to stay away from the people especially from men. Even when was she was in her thirties, she was still single. The