The Iran-Contra Affair Essays - IranContra Affair,

The Iran-Contra Affair The tangled U.S. foreign-policy scandal known as the Iran-contra affair came to light in November 1986 when President Ronald Reagan said yes to reports that the United States had secretly sold arms to Iran. He said that the goal was to improve relations with Iran, not to get releases of U.S. hostages held in the Middle East by terrorists (although he later agreed that the arrangement had in fact turned into an arms-for-hostages swap). People spoke out against dealings with the hostile Iranian government all over the place. Later in November, Att. Gen. Edwin Meese discovered that some of the arms profits had been used to aid the Nicaraguan "contra" rebels at a time when Congress had prohibited such aid. An Independent special prosecutor, former federal judge Lawrence E. Walsh, wa appointed to investigate the activities of persons involved in the arms sale or contra aid or both, including marine Lt. Col. Oliver North of the National Security Council (NSC) staff. Reagan appointed a review board headed by former Republican senator John Tower. The Tower commission's report in February 1987 criticized the president's passive management style. In a nationaly televised address on March 4, Reagan accepted the reports judgement without serious disagreement. Select committees of the Senate (11 members chaired by Democrat Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii) and the house of representatives (15 members, headed by another Democrat, Lee Hamilton of Indiana) conducted televised hearings in partnership from May to August. They heard evidence that a few members of the NSC staff set Iran and Nicaragua policies and carried them out with secret private operatives and that the contras received only a small part of the money. Former national security advisor John Poindexter stated that he personally authorized the diversion of money and withheld that information from the president. William J. Casey, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, who died in May 1989, was implicated in some testimony. His testomony still remained in doubt. Clearly however, the strange events shook the nation's faith in President Reagan and ruined U. S. prestige abroad. Special prosecutor Walsh continued his investigation. On March 11, 1988 Poindexter's forerunner as national security advisor Robert McFarlane pleaded guilty to criminal charges of witholding information from Congress on secret aid to the contras. A year later, Peter McFariane was fined $20,000 and given two years probation. On March 16, 1988, a federal grand jury indicted North, Poindexter, and two other persons on a number of charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. The trials were delayed by legal maneuvering that in part involved questions of releasing secret information. In May 1989 a jury convicted North of 3 of the 12 criminal counts he was ultimately tried on. In July the court fined North 150,000 and gave him a three- year suspended sentence. The North convictions were later set aside by a federal appeals court, which found defects in the trial procedure. On April 7, 1990, Poindexter was convicted on 5 counts of deceiving congressional investigators and sentenced to six months in prison. In July 1991, Alan D. Fiers, Jr., CIA chief of covert operations in Central America in 1984-86, admitted that he had lied to Congress and that there had been a CIA Iran-contra cover up. Shortly after, his CIA superior Clair E. George was indicted.

Writing and Publishing Resources

Writing and Publishing Resources Roundup of Writing and Publishing Resources Here at Reedsy, we’re fortunate that we get to work with some of the finest talent in the publishing industry - and these experts have shared their experiences and knowledge with us in the form of interviews and how-to guides. In fact, we’ve published articles on so many topics that it’s hard to keep track of them all.In this post, we want to share some of the best Reedsy articles so far, sorted in a way that mirrors the publishing journey taken by most authors. Check out Reedsy's roundup of writing and publishing resources! #amwriting To make this information even easier to digest, we've compiled it into our beautiful Book Launch Checklist! You can simply download it for free below, then follow the steps to publication! How Do You Write Your Book?If you have any questions or topics you’d like to see covered on the Reedsy Blog, post them in the comments below.

Taxation - Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Taxation - 2 - Assignment Example Correspondence audits usually entail a single issue such as dependent exemptions. Regardless of the three types of audit, IRS tax examiners make decisions as to whether to commend changes to the reported tax or to the audited tax issues. After the tax examiner recommends a change, the taxpayer has the right to appeal or agree with their tax change. The outcome of the taxpayer appeal determines whether the auditor’s recommendations may or may not be collected or assessed. The law states that an assessment of tax must be made within three years from the date the tax return was filed. However, there are circumstances under which this rule does not apply. i) If a taxpayer omits more than 25% of their gross income from their tax returns documentation. From a government point of view, an audit seeks to verify and ascertain the details on taxpayers’ return documentation. This would ensure that every individual is accountable for their tax obligations to the government. Persons at high risks of audits include households and individuals who list their deductions, especially if the deductions in specific categories such as charity or medical expenses are more significant than average. Another group of individuals at a higher risk of audit is professionals who run businesses such as doctors, and lawyers. These professionals often run their businesses on their own and are in charge of accounting functions of the business activities. As such, they are at high risk of IRS audits. b) This would be tax avoidance. Mr. P is considering the time period variable to reduce the burden of tax. It makes good business sense to for MR. P to record the sale of the asset in the previous year where the tax rate is less by

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses Assignment

Consumer Compliance- week 5 Discussion Post Responses - Assignment Example A mortgage and a Deed of Trust helps in making sure that the loan is paid back by the lender. They secure the loan’s repayment by placing a lien on the property (Bevans, 2009). In a mortgage, the lien gives the right to the lender to sell the property and recover money while a Deed of Trust gives a lien to a trustee. In case of default, a mortgage requires that the judicial foreclosure which is often costly while a Deed of Trust allows for non-judicial foreclosure which is often faster and less costly (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). Both the documents help in securing a loan and provide mechanisms for recovery the loan incase the borrower defaults. A mortgage gives foreclosure rights to the lender while a Deed of Trust gives the rights to the trustee. Even though Deed of Trust seems to be the most efficient method because it allows for faster foreclosure time than a mortgage, it complicates the process because it has more parties involved (Haupt & Haupt, 2006). However, incorporating a trustee facilitates the foreclosure process because that is their area of specialization. They have the necessary man power to easily foreclose. Nevertheless, a Deed of Trust requires that proper notices be posted and rules followed, which makes it equally time-consuming (Bevans, 2009).Bottom of

Marketing Challenges of Sony Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Challenges of Sony Company - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Sony continuously conducts product researchers making its customers constantly in wait for whatever new development it has and these activities primarily help it to be positively pushed to its competitive advantage. However, there should be other major important information that should be clearly elaborated in order to understand the prevailing challenges that the company faces. This primarily includes the various changes in the marketplace which particularly should always involve political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors and more. Under political factor, it is always common to look at the government’s conservatism when it comes to dealing with business. One perfect example would be the case of privatisation. In every government, there is always a strong stand on controlling the rise of certain organisation. In Japan for instance, various organisations are faced with remarkable challenges becaus e the government is trying to protect the interest of small organisations in their respective industry. However, the ability of Sony to leverage its core competencies together with other organisation is a proof that there is always the right timing in politics. For instance, Sony’s intent to leverage its core competencies with a Swedish telecommunication company in order to beat Nokia resulted to the birth of Sony Ericsson. This joint venture is a remarkable proof that finding the right place for each organisation is needed in order to enhance its core competencies. This at some point has specifically involved the prevailing political stand of a nation which basically has great impact on the entire business process of an organisation. For instance, a government saying no to privatisation may significantly create an impact to those organisations planning to leverage their core competencies through it. This is a proven trend in the whole business industry of electronics. For in stance, every profit organisation in this industry is simply trying to be a cut above the other by reaching its competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is something that needs to be worked out because it serves as something that will enhance core competencies. The Sony Ericsson merging is an act of enhancing the core competencies of the companies involved. However, the main point is to actually consider having a high level of competitive advantage. In the same way, politics is involved in here and this is the reality, to beat the opponents and be the market leader in a specific industry. Sony Ericsson is attempting to beat Nokia and many other market leaders n the mobile phone industry. In reality, Sony is highly affected by the ever-changing trends and the market share of its competitors. Sony is a diversified company covering different market segments for its diversified products. Its diversification from purely an electronic firm reminds its potential to grow. However, all o f these are fueled by the ever-changing strategies conducted by its competitors who have certain focus in their respective industry. For example, the varying strategic moves of Nokia, Samsung, LG Electronics and Apple Incorporated triggered Sony to do more and try its best much even harder. This is due to the fact that each competing organisation tries to create their own competitive advantage in order to become the key player in its industry. Each of these competing organisations has specific core competencies that differentiate it from the other.

Effect of Culture on Marketing Strategy

Effect of Culture on Marketing Strategy Current cultural diversity in Sri Lanka is evolvement from its rich history and commenced from the civilization of Yaksha and Naga tribes and more importantly nourishment from the Buddhism. Further, Sri Lankan culture is influenced by Indian invasions and from going through Portuguese, Dutch and British rules; Sri Lankan culture is diverse like its natural heritage.   In the early 19th century, the British rule introduced democracy, modern education, legal and commercial agriculture system. Now Sri Lanka is a mirror of its own ancient and modern cultures which is diverse from its cities to far villages across the island. Sinhalese and Tamil are the most widely spoken languages in Sri Lanka, with around 74% of population can speak in Sinhalese, while more than 18% can speak Tamil. Muslims also speaks Tamil as their main language. The colonization started with the Dutch followed by the Portuguese and finally long standing ruling by the British had an impact on the languages, as well as opening the history to the international trade. In addition to Sinhalese and Tamil, English is also used by the Sri Lankan population which was concentrated to urban areas initially are now expanding to rural areas with the more prominence to English is given in the education system and increased IT literacy. English is maily used for commercial and official purposes. Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and a multi-ethnic country and Buddhists account for approximately 69% of the population, followed by the Hindus with around 15% of the population. Also inherited from India, Hinduism too has a long and rich history in the country. Most Hindus are Tamils and they account for a majority in Northern Sri Lanka, as well as in the Eastern, Western and Central regions (up country) of the country. Islamic community accounts for around 8% with a majority are domiciled in the Eastern and Western regions; as well as around 8% followers of Christianity. Having a healthy literacy rate of around 90% (source: United Nations Development Program Report 2009) and around 83% of the population having secondary education ranks Sri Lanka on top among other developing nations. The complex ethnic and religious mix of Sri Lankan society and also traditions and rules inherited from colonization have given rise to a mixture of laws which include Roman-Dutch Law, English common law, , Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law (Thesawalamai Law). Accordingly, Sri Lanka is a country rich with culture and cultural diversity. Its people live their daily lives very close to their religious beliefs, adherence to traditional norms, family orientation (close bond with their families in all aspects of life from birth to death), mother centric society and attachment to native foods (mainly rice) and etc. can be considered as main cultural values. Hence, whatever the product or service that marketers are confronted of promoting, they will have to consider the Sri Lankan culture and cultural values to be a major influencing factors to the success of the product or service. Further, the fact that the culture is not static (dynamic) and change over time and people get adjusted puts the Marketer in a more challenging situation as he needs an understanding of all aspects. Cultural Values Societies have values that are shared by its members. As stated above, values serve as guiding principles for culturally acceptable behavior. It defines what is right? What is wrong? What is important or unimportant?. The values emphasize those objects, conditions that those members consider important. Values are more related to the norms of a culture, but can be more abstract than norms. For example raising of the national flag during nationally significant occasions or even in the case of a wedding or singing the National Anthem in national ceremonies and also government establishments (including some private entities) prior to commencement of work are values. Further, they reflect the value of patriotism. In the recent past in Sri Lanka patriotism has taken a new wing particularly in the aftermath of successful war and now it has extended to trading and commercial world with the theme Buy Ours (Ganna Ape De). Therefore this new trend has bearing on consumer behaviour. As an exampl e, recently launched KIK COLA (Elephant House) advertisement features that till the last drop Sri Lankan with primary focus on Coca Cola. Even Lanka Bell advertisements mainly based on the theme 100% Sri Lankan. Why are cultural values so important? The cultural values of a community give it a unique identity of its own. People are the driving force of this uniqueness. Culture is shared among the people in the community, society or sub group. Culture is passed down from one generation to the other and gets evolved over time. It links people of a region or society together. The customs and traditions the society follow, the clothing they wear, the festivals, the food they eat, and importantly, the cultural values they follow, binds them. Analysis of how Sri Lankan Cultural Values Affect the Consumption of Selected Products and Services First we will get a brief understanding of Sri Lanka as a Customer. According to the Annual Report of the Central bank of Sri Lanka (2009) the population statistics can be summarized as follows, Mid-year population (000) in 2009 : 20,450 Mn Age distribution (000) in 2009 0 14 years: 5,378 Mn 15 64 years: 13,784 Mn 65 years and over: 1,288 Mn Also the Per Capita income is in the rage of USD 2,000 and is expected to double corresponding to the GDP growth by 2016. Having an understanding of what culture is, what cultural values are in general and the Sri Lankan culture and cultural values, we will now evaluate how those aspects have influenced the consumption of several products and a service in the Sri Lankan market. Herbal Soaps Sri Lankan culture is very much related to the nature. All most all the aspects of the Sri Lankan culture are linked with the wonders of the nature. Ayurvedic medicine is a treatment method unique to Sri Lanka and all Sri Lankans (irrespective of what religion they belong to) know and have faith on its healing capabilities. We did not see herbal soaps in the market at the beginning and until recent past only a few manufactures saw the opportunity in herbal products. Then we saw even foreign brands like Lux and Lifebuoy taking up the herbal route since the herbal soaps prove to be profitable and attract a larger target market segment because herbal soaps are very much in line with our values and beliefs particularly it reflects our attachment to nature. Generally Sri Lankans value old things. Ayurvedic medicine has been practiced in Sri Lanka for thousands of years and people still have faith in it and values it. This has been used by various marketers and now we can almost get anythi ng in its herbal format. Child Milk Powder The bond between the mother and her child is cherished and valued in almost in any civilized culture. When considering the modern era, generally the state of that bond in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries much more stronger than in any other country. The bond between the child and the mother is built mainly through the nurturing aspect of that relationship. In the Sri Lankan context (mother centric culture) it is deeply believed that there is nothing more vital to child than the love and warmth of a mother and mothers milk (breast milk). Breast feeding is fading away in many European countries and getting used to supplement formulas, but in Sri Lanka it still holds strong. Sri Lankan mother generally breast feed their children for at least for two to three years. In this context child milk powders have an enormous challenge because it is widely believed that there is no replacement for breast milk. Hence, what the marketers approach has been to place the product as a suppleme ntary which provides the nutrition and protection from deceases. If it were to come as a replacement for breast milk, the product wouldnt have survived for long. This situation also facilitated with the increase in working women in Sri Lanka but culturally Sri Lankan women are mostly supposed to be housewives and to take care of the children. The Brands like Anchor Pediapro, Cow Gate, Nan, Enpro Grow, Enpro Lac are some of the child milk powder available in Sri Lanka market. Automobiles Sri Lanka has been using automobiles since the period in which British were in power. First automobiles seen on the Sri Lankan roads were European made. But now we can see automobiles from India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and various other countries and also the assembly of vehicles was commenced in Sri Lanka in the recent past. At first, European vehicles were used by the higher end of the society and now also European vehicles are driven by upper class people in the country. Those vehicles are priced higher and can be afforded by only those people. But when the Japanese entered the market (in 1960s), they came up with economical vehicles that can be afforded by the middle class people as well. There is strong belief among the Sri Lankans still that if someone wants to buy a good vehicle with quality, economical fuel consumption, durability and moderate prices they would first select the Japanese vehicles among other countries which offer same features. This belief a nd attitude is further proven by the high prices in the second hand market for Japanese vehicles and people prepared to pay more for Japanese vehicles. European vehicles are relatively less valued in the second hand market. Hence the demand for Japanese vehicle is geared by the beliefs among the Sri Lankan people (adherence to traditional norms) that a Japanese vehicle is economical and gives value for money and trustworthy. However, we have recently seen Indian brands promoting their vehicles to be the most economical but still we cannot see the trust on Japanese vehicles going down. Pain Relief Balms Sri Lanka having a rich heritage in Ayurvedic medicine, people were used to applying Ayurvedhic oils and pastes to their every day bruises. The recipes and formulas have been passed down through generations and some recipes are household known facts. During the last decade or two we saw the market bombarded with various balms to be used for bruises and to relive pain. Wintegino, a famous UK brand, can be highlighted for usage among the people and now sprays (other than balm) with the same effect can be seen in the market. However, it is a known fact that Siddhalepa a brand which has its roots in the Ayurvedic medicine tops all such balms and oils in the market by sales, and it has been doing this for decades. The secret of this success is the faith/beliefs that Sri Lankan people have on Ayurvedic medicine which the effects have being proven over centuries. The people still has the faith (beliefs) that Ayurveda is the safest way of medication with minimal or almost no side effects. Si ddhalepa is proven product with real Ayurvedic essence. Unless it is to be used in quick and convenient manner (in a sport event to be treated to injured players, where most likely a spray would be used) Ayurvedic balms are preferred by Sri Lankans where the demand is directly linked to cultural beliefs and rich heritage. Pawning of Jewelry The provision of financing for immediate money needs by pawning jewelries has become a prominent business segment for financial services sector including the banks (formal banking sector). However, traditionally pawning business was dominated by the village merchants (Poli Mudalali) and despite the high interest rates and also the low security of jewelries pawned the people still used to go these village merchants simply due to reason that culturally the pawning were deemed as a sign of severe economic hardships and economic mismanagement of the particular person and family. Particularly in rural areas and areas close to Colombo, the people have a very close relationship with their families, relatives and neighbors and hence the negative points of view formed by others are considered to be very critical and long lasting. Therefore people used to go in times (especially night times) to the money lenders to ensure the confidentiality and did not turn up at banks. However, the money circulation on pawning is considered to be very high and which provided a new perspective to finance sector to expand this business segment. Accordingly, in the recent past all financial institutions are heavily promoting the pawning business as it is risk free (due to security in terms of gold) and profitable. For this purpose, the first initiative was to have separate areas for pawning customers to confidentially attend to the matter which was major relief from a severe cultural burden. This situation coupled with low interest rates and high security for the customers reduced the negative trends or beliefs towards pawning in Banks. In fact today the all banks and other financial institutions use advertising heavily and also sales promotions are in place to attract customers namely providing the highest amount per pound, facility to settle the amount in installments, giving gifts on each pawning, raffle draws and etc. Analysis on How Cultural Values are Important for Marketing Strategic Decisions Based on preceding sections it is obvious the impact of culture and cultural values on consumer behavior. Accordingly, cultural values has to be considered in marketing and developing marketing strategies as they have a significant impact on the purchasing behaviour of the consumers. How culture and cultural values could influence the buyers/consumers buying decisions? This is not a simple process which someone could easily conclude but rather it requires a detail examination. Since the consumers are culturally different, the processing of information in a cursory and spontaneous manner reflects culture-based differences. As an example when you go pass a roadside billboard or when you watch a TV advertisement, they will influence/persuade you provided it in line with your cultural values or norms. When coming up with a marketing strategy for a product, it is important to understand the level of the culture of the market since behavior at different levels of the culture varies. From the marketing perspective four levels of cultures could be identified and according to Srnka (2004) they are Supraculture, Macroculture, Mesoculture and Microculture as shown in Figure 1 in next page. Four Levels of Culture Based on a Marketing Perspective Source: Article by Dr. Katharina J. Srnka on Cultures Role in Marketers Ethical Decision Making: An Integrated Theoretical Framework 2004 As we move down the cultural levels the approach of the marketer needs to be customized to the target market, because when we move down the number of people in that level comes down as well as the detail of their preferences increases. It is not possible to assess the impact of a respective consumers cultural background on marketing strategies in general, because the specific elements of the marketing- mix, i.e., 1.price, 2. place, 3. product and 4. promotion strategies are all more or less affected by culture and hence each component of the marketing mix should be compatible with the cultural context as non compatibility of even one component may result in products or services being rejected by the target market. Pricing, which is the first element of the marketing- mix, refers to decisions about the actual product or service price the consumer has to pay and considers production costs, as well as the consumers willingness to pay, which might especially be affected by his or her cultural background. The willingness to pay represents the valuation of products. Since consumers learned during the process of which products they should approve of and which they should not, the culture influences the appreciation of certain products as well as the willingness to pay. On the other hand, decisions concerning pricing interact with the economic development of a country. Hence, cultural background might serve as a determinant of the target market and pricing mechanism. In the context of distribution policy (place), culture might also be important to differentiate between several target markets, even if the characteristics of the culture do not have a direct impact on decisions concerning product distribution. Nevertheless, different cultural values have to be considered when distributing products because consumers from different cultures have different buying habits. For example, in Sri Lanka liquor is prohibited to be sold near any religious places due to the strong religious foundation followed by Sri Lankans. Thus, cultural background has to be taken into account in determining the distribution channel of products, but the differences between cultures that are of interest for decisions on distribution policy are observable, which makes it easier to consider these differences in product distribution. The third element of the marketing- mix, product development, is much more affected by the consumer s cultural background. As the product attributes are expected to bring about solutions which should satisfy different cultural background of consumers, culture has to be considered in the development of products. Otherwise, products may not be in accordance with what the consumers expect the products to be. Moreover, products which are preferred in certain usage situations such as religious ceremonies vary because of culture and as an example in a Hindu wedding which mostly conduct in Hindu Kowil are served with vegetarian foods. The PIZZA HUT had pizzas made out of all meats namely chicken, beef, pork and mutton. However, Muslims due to their religious preaching do not eat pork and also do not turn up in places where pork is served. Also having Halal certification is a must for Muslims to have chicken. Accordingly, PIZAA HUT has now stopped serving pizza made out of pork and got certi fication from All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama Committee for Halal Certification. The fourth element of the marketing- mix is the development of communication strategies (promotion) which broadly consists of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing and publicity. It is argued that even the branding and packaging also form part of IMC. IMC are very much culture sensitive and hence should be designed properly. As an example, Anchor always uses the theme Trusted by Mothers for its milk powder and it is a powerful communication strategy. Whereas once Nespray (full cream milk powder) had an advertisement featured by famous Actress Sriyani Amarasena and in that it was emphasized that she was given Nespray milk by her parents which she did for her daughter and now same milk is given for her granddaughter. But this advertisement was not popular as it was considered as an insult to motherhood. Further, if a Marketer wants to communicate that its product is particularly appropriate to certain usa ge situations, it is not satisfactory to only observe consumption patterns, it is also necessary to get to know the reasons for culture specific consumption habits. Hence, in order to convince consumers of the appropriateness of certain products, it is of major importance to know the reasons why consumers prefer some products over the others. Generally IMC strategy should consider differences in religions, languages, differences in infrastructure and legal parameters. The interdependency between culture specific buying motives and the development of communication strategies is due to the main elements of culture such as symbols, heroes, rituals and values. As advertising plays a major role in a companys communication strategy (IMC) and is affected by all kinds of cultural dimensions and hence advertising especially has to consider cultural values and cross cultural differences. As an example the Avenger mens perfume advertising included that after applying the perfume the person appeared for the advertisement become violent or very emotional with girls. However, this promotional strategy was not successful as it was not culturally acceptable in the Sri Lankan context. Also the recent advertisement on Provado, an agro chemical produced by Heyleys Agro Products Limited, has an advertisement for which famous musician Sunil Perera appeared and it had double meaning phrases and there were many complaints against this from all levels from agricultural community and hence certain parts were edited/deleted and the new version is probably acceptable. Further, the Ceylinco Insurance which uses negative approach in advertising is not culturally viable though the norm that all things including human lives are uncertain since culturally we are still not prepared to accept or think of a death or other form of hazard. Conclusion If a marketing strategy is able to influence the behaviour of a potential customer in manner that makes potential customer convert to an actual customer (makes him to buy) the marketing strategy can be judged to be a success. To do that effectively it is required to understand what makes people behave in the manner they do especially their buying behaviour. Many studies have proven the behaviour of a person is mainly influenced by that persons culture and the cultural values that person holds. According to this study it is clear that the demand for products and services are created by the influences of cultural values pertaining to the respective culture. Further it can be stated that a successful marketing strategy adopted in Sri Lanka needs to address and consider the cultural diversity and uniqueness aspects in the Sri Lankan culture which influence the Sri Lankan customers purchase of products or use of services in a continuing manner.

A Simple Proposal Essay -- essays research papers

A SIMPLE PROPOSAL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Major League Baseball has probably some of the most exciting players in sports today. Players such as Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter make watching baseball fun. But there are some people in Major League Baseball that I have forgotten who display probably more talent than those 3 combined. The people that I am talking about, are the umpires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You might be shocked when I say that but believe me, they are great athletes. Can you imagine working in the same conditions they do? To do this, you would need to be able to stand up to managers kicking dirt at you as well as dealing with players arguing at you for calls you have made that should have no controversy over. Working an entire season does wear d...