Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Mexican Drugs Cartels

The Mexican Drugs Cartels Mexico City is well known for drug trafficking which took place smoothly without any interference. The emergence of the Mexican drug cartels was initiated by Miguel ngel Fà ©lix Gallardo, who was a Judicial Federal Police agent in Mexico in the 1980s.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mexican Drugs Cartels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The drug trafficking was easily achieved because he developed a wells of the illegal drugs traded Mexico’s drug cartels are known to control nearly 70 percent of the total traded illegal drugs in the United States. Among the major drugs traded include, cannabis sativa and methamphetamine as well as heroin. Additionally, it is estimated that 90 percent of the total cocaine supplied to the United States come from Mexico having been produced in Columbia. This is estimated to earn them approximately $13.6 billion to $48.4 billion on yearly basis. Recent research findings revea l that the Mexican economy would drop considerably by 63 percent should drug trading be cleared completely (Randal, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mexican Drugs Cartels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current cartels Apparently, there are two major alliances of drug dealers in operation since February 2010; one composed of Tijuana cartel, Los Zetas, Juarez cartel and Beltrn-Leyva Cartel‎‎, and the other one made of Sinoloa cartel, Gulf and La Familia cartel (Randal, 2009). Transnational organized crime (TOC) It is also referred to as transnational crime, which is planned offense, practiced across national borders between states. Transnational organized crime is dreaded most because of its deleterious effect on national security affecting social, economic, and political development of the society. Some of the planned offences include human trafficking, trafficking of firearms, drugs trafficki ng, money laundering, trafficking of migrants where the most prevalent one is peddling of drugs which attracts huge profits. There is a dire need for the governments to cooperate with UNODC in finding a solution to the impending problem as well as prevent further development of these offences (Fukumi, 2008). The increased involvement in trade between nations because of modernization and globalization has paved way for more involvement in criminal activities. However, the ancient form of governance has ceased, replacing it with loose networks that are now dominant in the drugs trafficking. It has been observed that these organized crime â€Å"groups involved in drug trafficking are commonly engaged in smuggling of other illegal goods† (Stares, 1996). Indeed, the fight against these well-established or organized gangs is an uphill task since these groups are deeply entrenched and are hard to dislodge. Some of the recommendations to curb their operations may include use of elect ronic gadgets to fast track the criminals, carrying out impromptu inspections of people and vehicles, enacting tighter rules of disclosing criminal activities (Seelke, 2010). The effect after government interference This took effect when Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched war against drugs in an effort to combat the violent crimes that were committed by the drug traffickers. Both the military forces and the police came together to cut back the brutal murders as security was an issue all over Mexico. However, this has not borne much success as corruption of the government officers has led to the criminals being set free (Randal, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current status of the state is that of an incompetent government which has no power over these criminals; indeed, the state is now in panic as brutal blood shedding and violence are the norm of the day as more powerful, wealthier and influential gangs of drugs have come up to bribe the police force leading to escalation of crime. However, the government has not given up; it is determined to recruit more honest and reliable police and military forces to execute justice and good governance. The government is also strategizing on setting up federal police troops who would campaign against drugs as a way of reforming the corrupt groups. The government has incurred a lot of expenses in quest for security and peace in Mexico. The war on drugs has so far adversely affected the economy of Mexico as the government tries to curb the impending crimes (Rakrf, 2008). In addition, the Mexican government faces a great challenge of gaining confidence in the state as drug trafficking is so much entrenched in the peoples’ daily life as it brings much more food on the table than any other source of income. Conclusion It is quite clear that the fight against these forms of organized crimes will never end as long as the enacted laws have been breached or are not well established. The fight against its further penetration into the less prevalent areas has not been very successful. This may partly be attributed to lack of cooperation among states to prevent consumption of hard drugs, and partly because of corruption among government officials (Seelke, 2010). More stringent laws should be enforced on the criminals and drug policies should be re-examined to ensure there is no loophole left for drug traffickers to operate. On the other hand, the government should strive to provide the necessary machinery that is lacking in the society, which makes them result to crimes, as well as try to eliminate unemployment, under-development, poverty, over-population, tribalism, environm ental deprivation and illiteracy (Stares, 1996). References Fukumi, S. (2008). Cocaine trafficking in Latin America: EU and US policy responses. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Grayson, G. (2010). Mexico: narco-violence and a failed state? Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Randal, C. A. (2009). Mexican Drug Cartel Violence Spills Over, Alarming U.S. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23border.html Rakrf, J. (2008). Calderon defends war on cartels. Retrieved from https://mexicoinstitute.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/calderon-defends-war-on-cartels/ Seelke, C. R. (2010). Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U. S. Counterdrug Programs. NY: DIANE Publishing. Stares, P. B. (1996). Global habit: the drug problem in a borderless world. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Everything You Need To Know About Footnotes

Everything You Need To Know About Footnotes While the rules regarding footnotes vary according to the citation style used, there are two distinct purposes for footnotes:To provide necessary information to text in the form of a citation.To provide supplementary information to text, such as clarifying an idea or expounding on it for further inquiry.Regardless of their purpose, a footnote is usually added to text as a superscript, starting at 1, and with a corresponding number at the bottom of the page (known as the footer) where the citation or additional information is included.See the example below, which shows the superscripted footnote numbers, along with the footnotes and the way they are formatted on the paper. Keep in mind that the gray line is the bottom of the paper, so your footnotes will be printed that close to the end of the page.An example of superscripted footnote numbers.Why are footnotes used?Footnotes are the least intrusive way for an author to provide citations or supplemental information about a topic. In so me cases, such as when using Chicago Style, footnotes are often used instead of in-text citations with a bibliography at the end of the paper. Footnotes allow an author to guide his or her reader to additional information or further study, without disrupting the flow of the sentence.Another great use of footnotes is to define or explain a word or idea that might require further explanation to a general audience. A definition or explanation can be provided within the footnote without any visual or logical disruption in the text.Style guides and footnotesThe Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) requires the use of footnotes instead of in-text citations. Other styles, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) also allow the use of footnotes. However, while CMS requires footnotes for citations and supplemental information, APA and MLA suggest footnote use for supplemental information only.Modern Language Associations (MLA) rules regarding fo otnote useBelow are the rules regarding footnote use in MLA style, taken from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.MLA discourages extensive use of explanatory or digressive notes.MLA Style does, however, allow you to use endnotes or footnotes for bibliographic notes, which refer to other publications your readers may consult.Following are some examples:See Blackmur, especially chapters 3 and 4, for an insightful analysis of this trend.On the problems related to repressed memory recovery, see Wollens 120-35; for a contrasting view, see Pyle 43; Johnson, Hull, Snyder 21-35; Krieg 78-91.Several other studies point to this same conclusion. See Johnson and Hull 45-79, Kather 23-31, Krieg 50-57.Or, you can also use endnotes/footnotes for occasional explanatory notes (also known as content notes), which refers to brief additional information that might be too digressive for the main text:In a 1998 interview, she reiterated this point even more strongly: I am an artist, not a politician! (Weller 124).MLA style has a few additional rules concerning footnote use:For footnotes placed in dependent clauses, such as this one,1 add the number after the comma.Footnotes should follow the period at the end of a sentence.2The only exception to a footnote following the punctuation would be this one3- the dash. When a dash is used as punctuation following a word, the footnote connected to that word should come before it.American Psychological Associations (APA) rules regarding footnote useAPA style discourages the use of footnotes and endnotes, according to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, as detailed below.APA does not recommend the use of footnotes and endnotes because they are often expensive for publishers to reproduce. However, if explanatory notes still prove necessary to your document, APA details the use of two types of footnotes: content and copyright. When using either type of footnote, insert a number formatted in superscript following almost any punctuation mark.Footnote numbe rs should not follow dashes ( - ), and if they appear in a sentence in parentheses, the footnote number should be inserted within the parentheses.Scientists examined- over several years1- the fossilized remains of the wooly-wooly yak.2(These have now been transferred to the Chauan Museum.3).Also keep in mind, when using the footnote function in a word-processing program like Microsoft Word, place all footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they appear. Footnotes may also appear on the final page of your document (usually this is after the References page). Center the word Footnotes at the top of the page. Indent five spaces on the first line of each footnote. Then, follow normal paragraph spacing rules. Double-space throughout:1 While the method of examination for the wooly-wooly yak provides important insights to this research, this document does not focus on this particular species.Chicago Manual of Style rules regarding footnote useThe Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) uses foo tnotes as the primary way to cite sources. While in-text citations can be used, footnotes are most typical for this style. As with MLA, the footnotes should follow the punctuation unless the punctuation is a dash. There are more specific rules regarding footnote placement and numbering for this style that can be found the Purdue Online Writing Lab.Footnote examples for all style guidesScientists have discovered varied lifeforms in this habitat.6Im allergic to shellfish,7 so lets not order the shrimp.For years, scholars have studied the book carefully8- a fact that suggests there has been much effort put into understanding it.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content

Using Google Analytics To Write Smarter Content Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. But who is your audience? Thats the BIG question, isnt it? Smart content is content that perfectly fits your audience. #ContentMarketingNearly every blog post that talks about content marketing starts with Know Your Audience and then tells you why thats important. Only if youre really lucky will they tell you how to figure out who your audience is, or how to write for multiple audiences.  But wouldnt you love it if they said click this button and were going to tell you who your audience is, what they like, and where they live? This is your lucky day. You can write smarter content thats a perfect fit for your audience using Google Analytics and their Audience data. Google Analytics has always been a great source of audience information, but these specific reports are even more helpful. To get started, youll want to log into your Google Analytics account. Find Audience in the left-hand column. Beneath that you can see the different sections and reports available. Clicking on these sections will reveal the sub-sections well be covering in this post. There are four key areas where Google Analytics can tell you specific traits about who is reading your content. #1 Demographics: Age And Gender Google Analytics can give us a good picture of what age and gender  our audience is made of. Using and the data we have as an example,  and see how this plays out. As we dug into our own data recently, we were blown away by the high Pinterest use by our users, and the pattern we saw in the topics of the blog posts in our system. 90% of social shares in came from Pinterest. The most popular topics for users on Pinterest were food and home. Heres what we know about the Pinterest network outside of users. 90% of Pinterest users are women. 52% of Pinterest pins are about food,  18% of pins are about home, 15% are about lifestyle. Does our blog attract a larger female audience or not? It would seem that that might be the case, with 90% of our social shares happening on Pinterest and with 90% of Pinterest users being women, but just because we have a high number of female users of doesnt mean thats who is reading our blog. By looking at the data Google Analytics provides, we can get a better picture. It looks like most of our audience is between the ages of 25-34, and it tips slightly toward more female readers. And that is super useful information, because: We can research to find out what topics that age group prefers. We can see that we are writing for two audiences at once, almost equally male/female. Think of it this way: If you were writing a blog that focused on fun things to do now that you are retired, you should see your readers age skew towards 55+. If you dont, something is wrong. Or, if you do see those ages topping your graph, but you decide to write about the latest technical gadgets and change directions, you will likely see your traffic take an initial hit because youll be shedding your current audience and trying to attract a new one. Knowing the age and gender of your audience helps you create content that is appropriate for them. If you want to take this even further, you can also see traffic spikes and dips on specific dates in the detailed Google Analytics report of age/gender demographics. If you dont publish more than one post a day, you can easily see which posts appealed to specific audiences the most. Youll note that this data isnt for 100% of your total sessions (upper right corner). Well talk about the missing data in a bit. Creating smarter content means knowing the demographics of your audience, and writing to fit them.#2 Interests: Affinity And Market Segment Discovering  what specific topics your audience is interested in reading about is like finding gold. According to Google, the affinity category was built for businesses interested in running a TV ad on a local station, or those currently running a TV ad who would like to extend the reach of a TV campaign to an online context for an efficient price. The In-market segment are those people  who are researching products and actively considering buying a service or product like those you offer. The Other category is for those who arent in either affinity or in-market, but are likely to visit your sites offerings based on interests theyve shown online. Google Analytics is providing this information to help you buy ads, not write content, so when it comes to the interest categories available, they are definitely ad-focused. Even though  you arent using this information to purchase ads, it can still help you see what topics your readers are interested in. For , we currently have readers that are interested in tech, entertainment, and social media. That makes sense; our content seems to be fitting the people who would be interested in our product.  Our content is  attracting the right reader. What is fascinating is the In-Market segment, which tends to resemble the kind of content users are creating. Remember how much of our user base was using Pinterest, and what the typical Pinterest content was? Home, food, and lifestyle!  Our users have distinct interests in the content they are creating, and have created an interest trail online that is reflected here. It helps to know what specific kinds of topics to write about, and to not have to worry that someone outside of your demographics might not like it. While you  dont purposefully want to alienate, you dont have to worry about making everyone happy, either. #3 4 Geography And Mobile The last two that will be useful are geography and mobile demographics. Knowing where your readers are located is helpful, not just because of language, but because it makes you aware of the different cultures you are addressing.  s readership is heavily skewed toward the United States, but we do have readers all around the world. This fits, again, with our user base. Being aware of the different cultures can help you: Know whether or not your holiday-themed posts will make sense to your audience. Avoid content that is a cultural/social faux pas in countries your audience resides. Avoid phraseology or comparisons that would confuse or offend your audience. If you have a younger, technologically skewed audience, youll probably see a similar level of mobile usage that we do. Other audiences may not be using their phones and tablets as much as they use a desktop. Knowing that your audience is skewed heavily towards mobile (as ours is)  reminds you to make sure  that your content is readable on the devices people are using to read it. Responsive web design, crisp graphics, sign-up forms that function in the mobile app–these are all things to keep in mind. At this stage in the game, most users are mobile for most sites. Using  Google Analytics Demographics  For Smarter Content Now that you know this is available, how can you put it to work for your own content? Learn About Demographics Knowing that most of your readers are female and around age 25 wont help you much if you dont know what kind of things interest the average 25-year-old female. There is plenty of research and information online, but you have to know how to find it. Here are a few sites that specialize in demographics: Pew Research Center Market Research Demographic Research As always, data is only as valuable as your ability to interpret it into something usable for you. Create Reader Personas This data that Google Analytics is providing you tells you who is reading your content now. It doesnt mean you cant change your content, but it does give you an idea of what to change it to if you want to keep your current audience. You can use the information Google Provides to  create a kind of reader persona that helps you stay focused on what you write. With a user persona in mind, you can write conversationally as if you were speaking directly to them. You know better what to write when you know who you are writing it for. The Missing Audience Data In Google Analytics Remember that 25% of total sessions issue I pointed out? The data that Google uses to compile these reports isnt the whole picture; it isnt 100% of your total sessions.  Google gathers this data using third-party DoubleClick cookie and device identifiers. That means that when a cookie isnt associated with a specific user, Google cant come up with demographics and interests for you. In other words, the data you have is only partial. Its a subset of your users, and doesnt match your overall traffic that you see elsewhere in Google Analytics.  Additionally, Google doesnt want you to be able to identify specific users, and so some data is removed if that data hits a threshold where an identity might be determined. Still, even with those two gaps in place, you are being given a wonderful amount of specific data about your current audience.  It is a significant tool for guiding you, and you wont find this level of information elsewhere.  Remember, Google Analytics audience reports are  not the end-all method of determining who your audience is, but they are  certainly another tool for your content marketing toolbox. Enable Google Analytics Demographics Before you can use Google Analytics demographics and accessing this information, you will need to enable it in your Google Analytics account. Google provides a step-by-step walk-through to help you do this. You may need to update your analytics tracking code to make demographics work, and adjust your privacy policy as well. Once you have everything in place, you can access data about your site visitors and create content better suited to them. Get This Free Audience Demographics Dashboard To make all of this easier to track in Google Analytics, I created a custom dashboard for us in our Google Analytics account. If youd like to use the same dashboard in your own Google Analytics, you can easily install our custom dashboard here. Each visual widget is linked to the report supplying the data, so its easy to dig into more detail if you want to just by clicking the title of the widget. Our custom Google Analytics audience demographics dashboard makes all of this easy. Feel free to customize this dashboard any way youd like for your own use.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Business in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business in Action - Essay Example Another purpose of this report is to urge other companies to emulate the nine building blocks in their business model in order to ensure that they attain a competitive edge in the local and international markets. Business in Action (Student’s Name) (Instructor’s Name) (Course Name) (Date) Executive summary One of the major aspects that have made Coca-Cola a successful company is the use of value proposition that entails quality brands that meets the needs of is consumers. Through production of quality brands that are non-carbonated in nature such as Minute Maid, Dasani and Fruitopia, the company recognizes the needs of its market segments. In its customer segmentation, Coca-Cola adopts two major aspects that include mass marketing and niche marketing. Similarly, the company has embarked on creating a strong customer relationship through the use of personal assistance as well as communities. Key activities that are utilized by Coca-Cola in its business model include prod uction and problem solving. To ensure continuity in its production, Coca-Cola has assets that were valued at 86.17 US$ as at 2012. Additionally, through its large number of employees, the company is in a position to effectively distribute its brands in the local and international markets. Major partnerships that are adopted by Coca-Cola in its operations include strategic alliances and coopetition. Key companies that Coca-Cola has formed partnership with include Minute Maid, Odwalla, Fuze beverage and Barq’s. To ensure effective distribution of its products, Coca-Cola has employed wholesalers and retailers as well as a strong sales team. In this way, the company is able to effectively penetrate new markets. Through transaction revenue as the major source of revenue streams, Coca-Cola has continued to increase its annual revenue an aspect is significant in its expansion strategies. In its cost structure, Coca-Cola adopts two techniques that includes cost-driven and outsourcing of its distribution system. Table of Contents Executive summary 3 Table of Contents 4 1. Introduction 5 1.1.The offer/ value propositions 5 1.2.Customer segments 6 1.3.Customer relationships 6 1.4.Key activities 7 1.5.Key resources 8 1.6.Key partners 8 1.7.Channels 9 1.8.Revenue streams 9 1.9.Cost structure 9 2. Conclusion 10 References 11 1. Introduction Based on the stiff competition in the current business atmosphere, local and international companies have adopted various strategies to face off their competitors. Besides putting in place appropriate marketing strategies, firms that are focused at retaining their customers and attracting new clients should emulate an effective business model. One of the major companies that have come up with appropriate business model is Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Company is the world leader in the soft drink industry. Being headquartered in Atlanta US, Coca-Cola operates in more than 200 countries. With more than 500 brands, Coca-Cola has atta ined a competitive advantage over its rivals such as Pepsi and Starbucks. Some of the major brands that have made the company benefit from strong customer awareness and loyalty include Coke, Caffeine Free New Coke, Minute Maid Soft Drink, Alhambra, E2, Sprite, and Georgia among others. Through the diversified product line, the company has effectively met the needs of its consumers an aspect that has not only resulted to increased revenue for the company but also a strong positive customer-product

Friday, October 18, 2019

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Research - Essay Example Research based solutions are beneficial because they take into account the most recent advancements in the medical field in question while also coming up with practical solutions on how to confront the existing problem. A good example of this is the use of virtual doctor’s assistants in order to leave more registered nurses free to perform the existing duties. Virtual assistants will not just be helpful in ensuring that a lot of medical personnel are liberated to fulfill other duties, but will also contribute towards the streamlining of the use of information technology in various respects by medical organizations. Many hospitals still struggle to implement electronic records that function well. Virtual assistants will help in ensuring that there is better tracking of the records of patients’ health every day. This will in turn reduce the number of doctor visits on a daily basis, empower the patients in terms of their healthcare, and reduce the incidence of serious medi cal problems. The use of virtual assistants is not a reality in many parts of the world and its practicality is still doubted by many healthcare experts (LittleJohn, Campbell, Collins-McNeil, & Khayile, 2012). In addition, there is not much research that has been conducted to substantiate the claims that this is one subject that can help in dealing with staff shortages among other problems. However, it is evident that the use of virtual assistants has more potential benefits than any other solution to date. A virtual assistant will even be able to monitor doctor prescriptions, reducing the incidence of visits to the doctor and thus saving costs. In recent times, health-related developments such as health-monitoring and data tracking have began to be accepted in the mainstream as viable health care solutions. Virtual assistants also need to begin being seriously considered as a serious answer to the majority

Womans Suffrage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Womans Suffrage - Essay Example In America both groups originated in the ideals of American democracy and Protestant individualism. But these ideals when applied to women were everywhere met with contradictory economic and social institutions which subjected women to traditional male authority or questioned their capacity for independence and initiative. â€Å"With the flood of post-civil war suffragist rhetoric came an equally full and passionate cry from the anti-suffragists, or antis as the suffragists called them. Threatened by the suffragists new conception of modern government†(Oates 1991) Religion profoundly helped to legitimize woman’s quest for equality. Of the five women who planned the Seneca Falls convention in the summer of 1848, four were Quakers. Historian Margaret Bacon has asked why the tiny Religious Society of Friends contributed such a disproportionate number of leaders to the feminist cause. It turns out that Quakerism was a veritable seedbed for the new feminism. As early as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Quaker women had served as traveling ministers, on occasion leaving behind husbands and children, so strongly did they feel called to the Lord’s work. Well before the Revolution the American Friends had also established a tradition of separate women’s business meetings of the monthly meeting. In addition, Quaker women who felt moved by the Holy Spirit to speak in meetings were expected to do so.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

ECN 302 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECN 302 - Essay Example Over half of the Americans have a contrary view and claim that all the government intervention achieves is causing more damage than benefits, while six percent believe that it had no effect and 17% were found to be unsure (Fox, 2012). In a contemporary era, whereby auto bailouts, maximum debt and Dodd-Frank reform, interventions by the government, seem to be the Obama administration’s solution option, according to the article. The article claims that this stand has created a deep partisan gap between supporters and the opposition of the viewpoint. It highlights that the proposition is gains support mostly from democrats while most republicans and independents oppose the approach. It further explains that more divisions resulted due to class differences, as the wealth class claimed that economy management by the government was helpful while the middle class respondents believed that government control destroyed the economy (Fox, 2012). The model states that the economy will be boosted when the governments spends enormous sums of borrowed funds. The article highlights these as it highlights how the $787 stimulus package involves federal tax reductions and expenditures on infrastructure and other government projects. These will help to address the recession crisis. The model is used to address the sluggish US economy more with the current