Add These Trucker Blogs to Your Reading List

Add These Trucker Blogs to Your Reading List This is a bit of a meta-concept- The RJ Trucker Blog has a great bunch of recommendations for blogs by and for truckers you should be reading! Trucking Truth by driver Brett Aquila is a resource for aspiring and rookie drivers with an honest and informative take on how to become and succeed as a driver.Trucker Dump, authored by Todd McCann, is an insider’s look at the issues and opportunities for solo and team truckers alike.Real Truck Driver Blog, run by Robert Allen (one of the hosts of The RJ blog), has a specialized approach to blogging about trucking, sorting his posts by category and recommending headsets and software as well as advice and guidance for new and old drivers.AutoFleet Market Trends Blog, from writer and trucker Mike Antich, reflects the author’s 20 years of management and driving experience. If you’re interested in moving up the ladder into management, definitely check out his blog.One Girl Trucking is written by the semi-anonymous Bethany, an d I’m not even a little sheepish about declaring it my favorite- Bethany’s focus in empowering women behind the wheel (and raising awareness of her extremely cute dog, Poppy Rose).The Daily Rant  by driver Salena is an ongoing series of snapshots of life on the road as she drives all over the U.S. and Canada, documenting her experiences with great photos and entertaining posts.Ask the Trucker, written by Truck Driver Advocate Allen Smith (of TruthAboutTrucking.com), offers  information for drivers and students to raise the standards of the industry and help drivers connect with one another.Daniel S Bridger’s Trucking Blog  is run by a driver and trainer with more than 30 years of experience- he accepts guests posts and contributors, if you’re interested in joining the ranks of trucker-writers!Wheel Beauties is run by Laila, who channels her passion for trucking and big rigs (and toys, racing, photos and specialty vehicles) into this blog and welcome s all enthusiasts to share her excitement for these massive trucks, and support for those who drive them.I feel more informed already!

Criminal law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal law - Research Paper Example The field of criminal law has to be lean and presentable for the sake of shortening the road to justice. One of what now constitutes a criminal offence and ought to be repealed is public drunkenness and nuisance. The law is not quite defined and it is not strange to see most of the criminals in one way or the other to incriminated with crimes related to drunkenness. Two factors are always considered before one is construed to have committed a criminal offence. This is guilty act and guilty mind, while a guilty act is the nature and form of behaviors that individuals poses a guilty mind on the other is the situation in which an individual is self professed as facing guilt (Peter, 189). A combination of the two constitutes a criminal offence and clearly, this is lacking in the case of public drunkenness. A public drunkard has no guilty mind or guilty act. Criminalizing such kind of cases as criminal is not only overburdening the public with bureaucratic system of law enforcement but al so results into giving false impression on the accused (Peter 194). The act of criminology should be clearly defined such that other activities that may be construed as negligence, indecent public exposure or act are separated from the acts of criminals. Other acts that are equally considered criminal offence and should be reconsidered are vagrancy and contravention of the traffic rules. This is a resolution realized after the courts are found to find it so hard to attend to cases due to lack of clarity resulting from them. Spreading criminal offence to include all these has also made the dispensation of justice to be a problem. This is because of the time taken to pass judgments as well as adducing evidence for and against by the prosecutor and the defendant respectively. There are also tendency that the prosecutor do threaten the accused to compound the charges for not pleading guilty and entering into a trial with such parties in the critical conditions (Peter, 201). There will b e a perception that if such activities are not considered as criminal, there will result a situation where several of such cases arising and even overcrowding further the corridors of justice. This is not the case, the only proposal in this case is not to criminalize the situation but the charges against those who will be found guilty of the contraventions will face the equal measure of the law. The aim of the move is to help reduce the burden of the public in response to what is considered mushrooming of criminal offences that are being enacted on a daily basis in a routine manner. This has proved to be over criminalization for the public making the lives of the public difficult in complying with all the regulations that are being enacted as criminal. The public will be enabled to observe the regulation more so those that are considered criminal offences with ease instead of creating several criminal laws at every stage in life are overburdening and irritating to the people involve d. Before a law is enacted to be a criminal offence, the legislation team should be mindful about the public and should ensure that the law meets all the facets of criminology such that it becomes enforceable in the event that the same publics contravene them. Criminalizing everything anytime is not the solution to the problems, in fact

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Strategy - Essay Example In the year, 2010 â€Å"Marks and Spencer plc† took the position of the largest cloth retailer in the United Kingdom. With 885 stores in over 40 countries with 600 stores being in the UK, the company boasted that for everyone on three women were wearing their bras. However, analysts were worried about the sustainability of the company in UK; retailing recovery. In the same year, a new CEO took over the running of the company he was faced with several issues that were associated with the reassessment of the company’s competitive strategy and the present challenges of strategic change. The choosing of 50-year-old Mark Bolland, who previously was the CEO of a UK supermarket chain, was greeted with a very positive response from the public, media and shareholders alike. The new CEO faced several challenges in his new position; he had to implement strategies, which would secure the future of the company that had the most famous name in the shopping malls. The company for long had been the largest retailer of clothes in the UK. This was an organization to which analysts referred to when they were reporting whether the high street has a good or a bad season of sales. An organization, which historically is loved and known by the people of Britain. At the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, investors were nervous. Below are several questions that were raised about the future of the firm that needed to be resolved (Bevan, 2007 p45). Analysis In the year 2009, the company delivered reasonable results in the 2008-09 financial, trade year. This was a period that was hit by the economic recession. In the previous year, the company had registered a ? 1 billion mark in the pre-tax profits for the first time in the decade. The company’s reputation had suffered a great deal when in 1998, it became the first retailer in Britain to make profits that amounted to ?1 billion, however, within the same year the company was issuing profit warnings. This was a self -inflicted catastrophic injury from its premium position. The company managed to limp through the period with the turbulent changes that were hitting it from all directions. With Sir Stuart’s appointment as the CEO of the company in the year 2004, saw the company regain its lost glory, and, as a result, regained its health and returned to the profit level of ?1 billion (Bevan, 2007 p57). When the company was founded and was still being rum by Simon Mark, he was known for his personal, autocratic and top-down management style. He was also known for his infamous attention that he had to detail. He showed this with the way that he dealt with the suppliers. He ensured that he always got his supplies from specific suppliers and always ensured that the goods that were supplied by these suppliers were to specification. By this, he built a relationship between â€Å"Marks and Spencer plc† and the supplying group. This assured customers with high and consistent quality. The com pany became largely successful in terms of delivery of high quality and reliable brand to the customers. By this, the company earned outstanding rewards in profit and market share (Bevan, 2007 p60). Historically the company was run using a trusted, tried and tested recipe; this is in the way the company did business (Bevan, 2007 p65). It was embedded in several fundamental principles that the company was run on: 1. The customers were to be offered high quality and well designed merchandise that was also

Denali National Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Denali National Park - Essay Example It was renamed as Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980, when under National Interest Land Conservation Act, another 4 million acres were added to it. It exemplifies interior Alaska’s character as one of the world’s last great frontiers, its wilderness is largely unspoiled. (nps). It is an internationally acclaimed biosphere reserve under United Nations Man and the Biosphere Program. Wilderness value is an intrinsic part of this park The region is conspicuous by long cold weather followed by short growing seasons. The unpredictability of the weather condition, with unexpected snowfall, is another feature that makes it highly interesting biosphere. The climatic conditions of the park are mostly controlled by the Alaskan range. While the Gulf of Alaska brings in moisture and cold winds from the south, the mountain blocks it, resulting in drier and erratic climatic conditions to the northern parts of the park. It is for these reasons, the south of the park has cool and pleasant summer and relatively warm winters as against the widely fluctuating temperature with long cold winters and short summers of the north. ‘Moist foothill tundra comprises cottongrass (Eriophorum sp.) with dwarf shrubs, green alder (Alnus crispa) and dwarf birch (Betula nana). Drier tundra has mats of mountain avens (Dryas spp.), grasses and sedges. Above the alpine tundra, rock, snow and ice dominate’ (UNESCO). The geological aspect of the park is highly significant to study evolution of the species and understanding the complex ecological principles that are responsible for the extreme weather conditions and huge climate change of the modern times. The park abounds with huge paleontologic resources like fossils of extinct species. The park is part of Morrison Formation Ecosystem which undertakes ecosystem studies. The evidenced of the presence of dinosaurs and other extinct species have made the park extremely popular amongst the students’ community and public.

Dance Critique Essay Example for Free

Dance Critique Essay ?On October 20, 2013 a dance performance called â€Å"Crystal Jubilee† took place in the NMSU Center of arts. It was a combination of several types of dances in which we could see the participation of some dance companies, such as Contemporary Dance Theatre, Dancesport Company and Sol y Arena. As a famous Indian Proverb states, â€Å"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak†. At the beginning of the performance I was so excited as I usually do not attend this kind of events. One of the first dances was â€Å"Blind Trust†, it was a Latin Dance Style most probably to be rumba, two couples performed in this dance, and they were dressed in a combination of blue. The music was â€Å"Track 8† by Police performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The lights were in a soft mood perfect for the type of dance they performed. The message behind this dance was trust as the title states, before they started dancing they covered their eyes showing the public the trust they had between each other to follow their steps. The quality of their performance was very good; you could easily tell that they were advanced dancers. The atmosphere of the dance was romantic; it made me feel like they knew each other for a long time I could feel their connection as they were performing. Later two flamenco dances that were performed astonished me. The first one was â€Å"Farruca†. The music was â€Å"Farruca Solo Compas†. Their costume was the typical large flamenco dress, with their appropriate makeup and hairstyle. The lights were perfect, as they started you could see their silhouettes performing and later they appeared. The quality of their performance was very good, sometimes they were not coordinated, but they did it with a lot of confidence and security. The atmosphere of the dance was so intense and the sound as they tapped their shoes against the floor you could feel the energy they were transmitting. In addition there was also the dance called â€Å"La primera vez† and it was also flamenco. The music was â€Å"Fue en Sevilla† by Salamarina. This dance was as good as the previous flamenco one; you could also feel the intensity of the dance, it was like you just wanted to stand up and start dancing like them. Afterwards I think my favorite dance of the performance took place, it was called â€Å"Ode to the Borderlands†. The dance was a combination of several Latin dance styles. The music was â€Å"Arrecotin Arrecotan† by Celia Cruz, â€Å"Cuando Piendo en Ti† by Jose Feliciano, â€Å"Celia y Tito† by Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. The music was full of happiness and joy you could just smile by hearing to the songs. Their costumes were not so formal but enough to look elegant. I think that the message was just to transmit us energy, happiness, enjoy the dance. The performance quality of the dancers was very good; you could easily tell that they were advanced dancers. The atmosphere of the dance was of cheerfulness, joy, contentment, it made me feel so good, I just wanted to learn more and dance like them. One of the last dances was â€Å"Looking Back, Love Song For Mom†. It was a contemporary dance. The music was â€Å"I Know You By Heart† by Diane Scanlon and Eve Nelson, sung by Eva Cassidy. In this dance there was only one performer, the costume was perfect for the message that she wanted to transmit, and the light was good as we just wanted to focus on the dancer. The message was totally clear for the public and it was beautiful, it was a quick view on a mother’s life. The performance quality of the dancer was excellent. The atmosphere of the dance was of tenderness, it made me feel happy and kind of sad at the same time, because it remind me my mother and how she has fought for us all these years .

Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps Essay -- Film Movie Gi

Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps On the surface, Ginger Snaps can be easily dismissed by critics as a typical B-rated teen-turned-werewolf movie. What distinguishes this movie from other horror films, however, is its subversion of the traditional perspective of its genre. The transformation in the film is suffered by Ginger Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old girl. This lycanthropy coincides with Ginger's first menstrual period, making the subject matter metaphorical for the often fearful transition into the sexuality and identity formation of adulthood. Moreover, the relationship between Ginger and her sister Brigitte deteriorates in such a way that is also emblematic of the human psyche's conflicts. As their paths diverge in the film, each sister is confronted with the instincts of love and death or aggression; Eros and Thanatos in Freud's terms. The focus here will be to view these salient themes in Ginger Snaps through the lens of Freudian analysis. More specifically, this paper will analyze the psychical conflict du e to complications of the instinct toward love or aggression, as represented in the metaphorical transition into adolescence and the relationship between the two sisters. The Sisters Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald share a close relationship that becomes challenged as the narrative progresses. Ginger, who is a year older, is the more dominant, while Brigitte takes a more subordinate role. Both girls are late bloomers, and in Freudian terms, their outlooks and relationship with one another can be seen as the result of an extension of their latency periods. The girls do not deal well with their transition into adolescence—they recognize the budding sexuality of their peers and are th... ...emale sexuality or the "castration" undertones. Female viewers, on the other hand, could be angered by the characterization of female sexuality as being something monstrous and almost inhuman. This is the kind of response, however, that can bring into a dialogue contemporary society's prevailing notions of sexuality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Class Reader, Glossary. "Freud and the Literary Imagination." Compiled by Professor Richard Gray, 2006. Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Ginger Snaps. Dir. John Fawcett. Story: Karen Walton & John Fawcett. Perf. Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle. Lions Gate International, 2000. Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps Essay -- Film Movie Gi Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps On the surface, Ginger Snaps can be easily dismissed by critics as a typical B-rated teen-turned-werewolf movie. What distinguishes this movie from other horror films, however, is its subversion of the traditional perspective of its genre. The transformation in the film is suffered by Ginger Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old girl. This lycanthropy coincides with Ginger's first menstrual period, making the subject matter metaphorical for the often fearful transition into the sexuality and identity formation of adulthood. Moreover, the relationship between Ginger and her sister Brigitte deteriorates in such a way that is also emblematic of the human psyche's conflicts. As their paths diverge in the film, each sister is confronted with the instincts of love and death or aggression; Eros and Thanatos in Freud's terms. The focus here will be to view these salient themes in Ginger Snaps through the lens of Freudian analysis. More specifically, this paper will analyze the psychical conflict du e to complications of the instinct toward love or aggression, as represented in the metaphorical transition into adolescence and the relationship between the two sisters. The Sisters Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald share a close relationship that becomes challenged as the narrative progresses. Ginger, who is a year older, is the more dominant, while Brigitte takes a more subordinate role. Both girls are late bloomers, and in Freudian terms, their outlooks and relationship with one another can be seen as the result of an extension of their latency periods. The girls do not deal well with their transition into adolescence—they recognize the budding sexuality of their peers and are th... ...emale sexuality or the "castration" undertones. Female viewers, on the other hand, could be angered by the characterization of female sexuality as being something monstrous and almost inhuman. This is the kind of response, however, that can bring into a dialogue contemporary society's prevailing notions of sexuality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Class Reader, Glossary. "Freud and the Literary Imagination." Compiled by Professor Richard Gray, 2006. Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Ginger Snaps. Dir. John Fawcett. Story: Karen Walton & John Fawcett. Perf. Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle. Lions Gate International, 2000.

Finance and Dividend Payout Policy Essay

1.What are the problems here, and what do you recommend? 2.What happens to Gainesboro’s financing need and unused debt capacity if: a. no dividends are paid? b. a 20% payout is pursued? c. a 40% payout is pursued? d. a residual payout policy is pursued? Note that case Exhibit 8 presents an estimate of the amount of borrowing needed. Assume that maximum debt capacity is, as a matter of policy, 40% of the book value of equity. In addition, please check TN_26 provided in blackboard which will help you verify this question. Pays no dividends – If it pays no dividends, then Gainesboro would be able to channel all its earnings to fund its growth strategy. Its unused debt capacity would be channelled towards the high cash requirements of the firm’s strategic emphasis on advanced technologies and CAD/CAM. 20% – With a 20% payout ratio, the firm would have positive excess cash from 2009 instead positive excess cash from 2011 with a 40% payout ratio. This will enable the firm to use its excess debt capacity to fund its expansion needs, keeping within the debt-equity ratio of 40%. 40% – With a 40% payout ratio, the projections of 2005 would leave the debt equity ratio at 35%, which still gives the firm some debt capacity, albeit very little flexibility if it wants to keep within the 40% debt equity ratio. Perhaps the firm would have to exceed this threshold to meet its strategic growth needs, and seek more financing. Residual dividend – The financing requirements would be less than that of the 20% and 40% payout, as dividends are paid only after Gainesboro has funded all the projects that offered positive net present values. 3. How might Gainesboro’s various providers of capital, such as its stockholders and creditors, react if Gainesboro declares a dividend in 2005? What are the arguments for and against the zero payout, 40% payout, and residual payout policies? What should Ashley Swenson recommend to the board of directors with regard to a long-term dividend payout policy for Gainesboro Machine Tools Corporation? Each of the three options have their own potential advantages and disadvantages based on the growth stage of the firm and investors perspective i.e, if it is income seeking investor or capital gains investor or creditor. Generally firms that are mature tend to pay high dividends because there are few opportunities for growth; whereas, firms that have high growth prospects pay low/no dividends because they would reinvest the excess cash from the earnings for future growth opportunities. With reinvestments, firm could generate more returns to the investors. This would not only help the firm compete in the market place but could also increase the capital gains of the investors in terms of increase in firm’s share price. Zero Dividend Payout Policy: Because Gainesboro is trying to reposition itself as software and high†technology firm that has high growth potential, it could adopt a zero dividend payout policy. Although, income†seeking investors such as the retirees may be un†attracted to a zero†dividend policy, non-dividend seeking investors who prefer increased value in stock price instead of cash distribution might prefer this option. Moreover from exhibit 4 it can be seen that the firm’s traditional clientele, the long-term retirees, has reduced from 1994 to 2004; while the short-term trading oriented clientele has increased during the same period. 40% Payout: The advantage of this approach is that the firm would start repaying the dividends as it had promised to the investors. This could boost market confidence back in the firm and result in a positive increase in share price. But the disadvantage is that the Gainesboro will have to borrow more funds, which is against the firms strategy, to fund the dividends and its expansion plans Residual Payout: This policy gives Gainesboro the flexibility to pay dividends, no matter how small, to the investors as promised after funding the projects with positive NPVs, which would increase sales and growth prospects for the company. The con of this approach is that there would be lot of fluctuations in the dividends paid over the years, there could also be periods of zero dividends; thereby, imposing negative pressure on the company. Based on the growth strategy of Gainesboro, Swenson should pay dividends as promised to the investors in 2006 and adopt a zero dividend payout policy after 2006. Gainesboro should invest the excess cash to achieve its growth goal; and after the company reaches a mature stage it should start paying dividends like other mature firms in the market.