An Event in Your Life

Chapter 1 The Bertolini: Summary: We open in Florence at the Pension Bertolini, a pension for British travelers. Young  Lucy Honeychurch  and her cousin,  Charlotte Bartlett, are bemoaning the poor rooms that they have been given. They were promised rooms with views. The two women sit at dinner in their pension, along with the other guests. Lucy is disappointed because the pension hostess has turned out to be British, and the decor of the pension seems lifted right out of a room in London. While Miss Bartlett and Lucy talk, an old man interrupts them to tell them that his room has a nice view. The man is  Mr.Emerson; he introduces his son,  George Emerson. Mr. Emerson offers Miss Bartlett and Lucy a room swap. The men will take the rooms over the courtyard, and Lucy and Charlotte will take the more pleasant rooms that have views. Miss Bartlett is horrified by the offer, and refuses to accept; she begins to ignore the Emersons and resolves to switch pensions the next day. Ju st then,  Mr. Beebe, a clergyman that Lucy and Charlotte know from England, enters. Lucy is delighted to meet someone she knows, and she shows it; now that Mr. Beebe is here, they must stay at the Pension Bertolini. Lucy has heard in letters from her mother that Mr.Beebe has just accepted a position at the parish of Summer Street, the parish of which Lucy is a member. Mr. Beebe and Lucy have a pleasant talk over dinner, in which he gives Lucy advice about the sites of Florence. This vacation is Lucy's first time in Florence. Soon, almost everyone at the table is giving Lucy and Miss. Bartlett advice. The torrent of advice signifies the acceptance of Lucy and Miss Bartlett into the good graces of the pension guests; Lucy notes that the Emersons are outside of this fold. After the meal, some of the guests move to the drawing room. Miss Bartlett discusses the Emersons with Mr.Beebe; Beebe does not have a very high opinion of Mr. Emerson, but he thinks him harmless, and he believes no harm would have come from Miss Bartlett accepting Mr. Emerson's offer. Mr. Emerson is a Socialist, a term that is used by Mr. Beebe and Miss Bartlett with clear disapproval. Miss Bartlett continues to ask Mr. Beebe about what she should have done about the offer, and if she should apologize, until Mr. Beebe becomes annoyed and leaves. An old lady approaches the two women and talks with Miss Bartlett about Mr. Emerson's offer. Lucy asks if perhaps there was something beautiful about the offer, even if it was not delicate.Miss Bartlett is puzzled by the question; to her, beauty and delicacy are the same thing. Mr. Beebe returns: he has arranged with Mr. Emerson to have the women take the room. Miss Bartlett is not quite sure what to do, but she accepts. She takes the larger room, which was occupied by George, because she does not want Lucy to be indebted to a young man. She bids Lucy goodnight and inspect her new quarters, and she finds a piece of paper pinned to the washstand that h as an enormous â€Å"note of interrogation† scrawled on it. Though she feels threatened by it, she saves it for George between two pieces of blotting paper.Chapter Two In Santa Croce with No Baedeker: Summary: Lucy looks out her window onto the beautiful scene of a Florence morning. Miss Bartlett interrupts her reverie and encourages Lucy to begin her day; in the dining room, they argue politely about whether or not Miss Bartlett should accompany Lucy on a bit of sightseeing. Lucy is eager to go but does not wish to tire her cousin, and Miss Bartlett, though tired, does not want Lucy to go alone. A â€Å"clever lady,† whose name is Miss Lavish, intercedes. After some discussion, it is agreed that Miss Lavish and Lucy will go out together to the church of Santa Croce.The two women go out, and have a lively (but not too involved) conversation about politics and people they know in England. Suddenly, they are lost. Lucy tries to consult her Baedeker travel guide, but Miss Lavish will have none of it. She takes the guide book away. In their wanderings, they cross the Square of the Annunziata; the buildings and sculptures are the most beautiful things Lucy has ever seen, but Miss Lavish drags her forward. The women eventually reach Santa Croce, and Miss Lavish spots Mr. Emerson and George. She does not want to run into them, and seems disgusted by the two men. Lucy defends them.As they reach the steps of the church, Miss Lavish sees someone she knows and rushes off. Lucy waits for a while, but then she sees Miss Lavish wander down the street with her friend and Lucy realizes she has been abandoned. Upset, she goes into Santa Croce alone. The church is cold, and without her Baedeker travel guide Lucy feels unable to correctly view the many famous works of art housed there. She sees a child hurt his foot on a tomb sculpture and rushes to help him. She then finds herself side-by-side with Mr. Emerson, who is also helping the child. The child's mother app ears and sets the boy on his way.Lucy feels determined to be good to the Emersons despite the disapproval of the other pension guests. But when Mr. Emerson and George invite her to join them in their little tour of the church, she knows that she should be offended by such an invitation. She tries to seem offended, but Mr. Emerson sees immediately that she is trying to behave as she has seen others behave, and tells her so. Strangely, Lucy is not angry about his forwardness but is instead somewhat impressed. She asks to be taken to look at the Giotto frescoes. The trio comes across a tour group, including some tourists from the pension, led by a clergyman named  Mr.Eager. Mr. Eager spews commentary on the frescoes, which Mr. Emerson heartily disagrees with; he is skeptical of the praise and romanticizing of the past. The clergyman icily leads the group away. Mr. Emerson, worried that he has offended them, rushes off to apologize. George confides in Lucy that his father always has t hat effect on people. His earnestness and bluntness are repellent to others. Mr. Emerson returns, having been snubbed. Mr. Emerson and Lucy go off to see other works. Mr. Emerson, sincere and earnest, shares his concerns for his son. George is unhappy. Lucy is not sure how to react to this direct and honest talk; Mr.Emerson asks her to befriend his son. She is close to his age and Mr. Emerson sense much that is good in the girl. He hopes that these two young people can learn from each other. George is deeply saddened by life itself and the transience of human existence; this cerebral sorrow all seems very strange to Lucy. George suddenly approaches them, to tell Lucy that Miss Bartlett is here. Lucy realizes that one of the old women in the tour group must have told Charlotte that Lucy was with the Emersons. When she seems distressed, Mr. Emerson expresses sympathy for her. Lucy becomes cold, and she informs him that she has no need for his pity.She goes to join her cousin. Chapter Three Music, Violets, and the Letter â€Å"S†: Summary: One day after lunch Lucy decides to play the piano. The narrator tells us that Lucy has a great love for playing; she is no genius, but she is talented and passionate, always playing â€Å"on the side of Victory. † Mr. Beebe recalls the first time he heard her play, back in England, at Tunbridge Wells. She chose an unusual and intense piece by Beethoven. At the time, Mr. Beebe remarked to someone that if Lucy ever learned to live as she plays, it would be a great event. Now, Mr. Beebe makes the same remark to Lucy directly.Miss Bartlett and Miss Lavish are out sightseeing, but it is raining hard outside. Lucy asks about Miss Lavish's novel, which is in progress. Lately, Miss Lavish and Miss Bartlett have become close, leaving Lucy feeling like a third wheel. Miss Catharine Alan enters, complimenting Lucy's playing. She discusses the impropriety of the Italians with Mr. Beebe, who half-agrees with her in a subtly a nd playfully mocking way. They discuss Miss Lavish, who once wrote a novel but lost the thing in heavy rains. She is working on a new book, set in modern Italy. Miss Alan talks about Miss Lavish' first meeting with the Emersons.Mr. Emerson made a comment about acidity of the stomach, trying to be helpful to another pension guest. Miss Lavish was drawn to his directness. She tried to stand up for the Emersons for a while, talking about commerce and how it is the heart of England's empire. But after dinner, she went into the smoking room with them. A few minutes later, she emerged, silent. No one knows what happened, but since then, Miss Lavish has made no attempt to be friendly to the men. Lucy asks Miss Alan and Mr. Beebe if the Emersons are nice; after some discussion, Mr. Beebe gives a qualified yes and Miss Alan a no. Mr.Beebe, though he does not say it, does not approve of the Emerson's attempts to befriend Lucy. Mr. Beebe feels badly for the Emersons nonetheless; they are thoro ughly isolated at the pension. He silently resolves to organize a group outing so that everyone will have a good time. Evening comes on and the rain stops. Lucy decides to go out for a walk and enjoy the last bit of daylight. Clearly, Miss Alan disapproves and Mr. Beebe does not approve entirely. But Lucy goes out anyway; Mr. Beebe chalks her behavior up to too much Beethoven. Analysis: Music and Lucy's relationship to her music is one of the novel's themes.Mr. Beebe's comment becomes the reader's hope for Lucy: perhaps one day she will play as well as she lives. Forster speaks in this chapter's opening pages of music's transcendent abilities. It can be the gift of anyone regardless of social class or education. Through Beebe's statement, Forster is suggesting that these qualities also apply to passionate living. To live life well is within the grasp of anyone, despite the prejudices and proprieties of Lucy's world. Her choice of unusual Beethoven pieces is indicative of her passion . She needs more of an outlet than music, but for now her music will have to do.Music puts her in touch with her desires and feelings; the passion of Beethoven makes her resolve to go out alone, despite the disapproval of others. Chapter Four: Summary: Lucy goes out longing for adventure, hoping for something great. She buys some photographs of great artworks at a junk shop, but remains unsatisfied. She wanders into the Piazza Signoria; it is nearing twilight, and the world takes on an aura of unreality. Nearby, she sees two Italians arguing. One of them is struck lightly on the chest; he wanders toward Lucy, trying to say something, and blood trickles from his lips.The light strike was actually a stabbing. A crowd surrounds them and carries the man away. She sees George Emerson, and then the world seems to fall on top of Lucy; suddenly, she is with George Emerson, sitting on some steps some distance away. She fainted, and George has carried her here. She thanks George and asks him to fetch her photographs, which she dropped in the square; when he leaves to get them, she tries to sneak away. George calls to her and persuades her to sit down. The man who approached her is dead or dying. A crowd surrounds the man, down by the fountain, and George goes to investigate.George returns, and they talk of the murder. They walk back to the pension along the river, and George suddenly tosses something into the water. Lucy angrily demands to know what he threw away, suspecting that they might be her photographs. After some hesitation, George admits that they were. He threw them away because they were covered with blood. At George's request, they stop for a moment. He feels something incredible has happened, and he wants to figure it out. Leaning over a parapet, Lucy apologizes for her fainting and asks that he not tell anyone at the pension what happened.She realizes that he is not a chivalrous man, meaning he is a stranger to old-fashioned ideas of courtesy and propriety , but she also realizes that George is intelligent, trustworthy, and kind. She says that events like the murder happen, and that the witnesses go on living life as usual. George replies that he does not go on living life as usual. Now, he will want to live. Analysis: Forster spends the first part of the chapter explaining Lucy's character. She is naive, but she has some strength and passion. She is frustrated by the constraints on her gender, but she is also no firebrand by nature.She feels that she should be ladylike, in the old-fashioned sense of the word, but in practice she wants to be more free and adventurous than that label allows. She feels her emotions most passionately and deeply after she has played piano. Forster often uses the landscape to mirror Lucy's mood. After she finished playing the piano, the rain cleared, mirroring Lucy's tendency to know her own desires most clearly after playing music. As she wanders into the square, the world seems touched by unreality. She longs for an adventure, and she is conscious of being in a different place and wanting to see something rule.It is twilight, a transitional time between day and night, and Lucy is about to have a very confusing and important experience. She is rescued by George, and she cannot seem to decide what to think about it. For his part, George is as taciturn and strange as ever. Forster lets us into his characters' heads, but with George and Mr. Emerson we have only their outward actions and dialogue. Lucy's experience is confusing not only because she watches a man die, but also because she is not sure how to deal with George and how he makes her feel.She recognizes that he is not chivalrous or proper, but she sees goodness in him. She stops by the river and feels somehow comfortable with him, but she nervously asks him not to tell anyone that she fainted and he carried her. For George too, the experience is important. For whatever reason, and in ways that Forster will not allow us to see directly, he is changed. He tells Lucy that he will not return to life as he lived it before; now, he wants to live. The experience has made him appreciate life, perhaps in part because he shared something extraordinary with Lucy.

Executive Summary Victoria Chemicals Essay

Problem Definition: The organization, Victoria Chemicals, must determine whether or not to improve engineering efficiency through facility improvements at its production plant Merseyside Works. Relevant Facts: The Merseyside Project was evaluated with respect to the following criteria: (1) Impact on earnings per share (2) Payback (3) Discounted cash flow (â€Å"DCF†) and (4) Internal Rate of Return (â€Å"IRR†). The initial assessment of this project was based on assumptions challenged by the experts at Victoria Chemicals. This analysis reflects a more conservative approach that includes potential risks of cannibalization, loss of sales following reconstruction of Merseyside and the purchase of rolling stock in 2010. Analysis Summary: The Merseyside Project met Victoria Chemicals’ internal criteria for consideration of projects despite the introduction of potential risks into the analysis of the projection (Exhibit 1). The NPV was GBP 9.24 million with an IRR of 20.2%. The payback period is 5.5 years and the average annual addition to EPS was minimal but positive. The cannibalization of sales from Rotterdam was included by reducing sales volumes by 5% for the first five years (Exhibit 2). Further, the affect of closing the factory for construction was modeled by reducing sales volumes to 99% for the first five years to reflect the fact that certain purchasers (approximately 1%) may be lost during this time but eventually recovered. Lastly, the purchase of rolling stock in 2010 was included because it reflected the anticipated growth of the firm in other areas that were included in the projection and as such neglecting to include this cost would be false representation of the anticipated growth. Factors that were ignored in the initial projection that increase the attractiveness of the project were added to this analysis including the inflation rate of 3% and the removal of preliminary engineering costs. Conclusion/Recommendations: It is recommended that Victoria Chemicals go forward with the Merseyside Project. This project meets the specified performance hurdles despite the inclusion of potential threats. One major concern of the project is that the payback period is delayed to over 5 years under this assessment and the average annual addition to EPS is minimal. The declining EPS during the initial stages of the project make the organization more vulnerable to a corporate raid. However, polypropylene is priced as a commodity and as such, the only way to improve financial performance is to improve manufacturing cost efficiency. Further, the educated shareholder will recognize that the declining EPS is due to investment in capital assets and is not necessarily a reason to sell shares. Thus, while the capital investment in this project and shutdown for construction may be damaging in the short-term to EPS, in the long-term it will improve profit margins significantly has potential to earn an NPV of GBP 9.24 mill ion.

Relationship between russian and the european union

Russia stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia with an area of 17,075,200 square kilometres making it the largest country in the world in terms of land mass. This country   shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.Since the termination of the USSR in December 1991, Russia has become an influential member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia's worldwide role decreased greatly compared to that of the former Soviet Union.Russia is an essential partner in terms of engaging and building a strategic partnership with.   The 2003 European Security Strategy has rightly placed this country as a key player on geo-political and security issues at global and regional levels.Russia plays an important role in the UN Security Council and has significant influence in the European neighbourhood and in Central Asia. It must likewise be noted that Russia is a major supplier of energy products to the EU.It may be considered to have a small market but Russia is a large market for EU goods and services, with considerable potential for growth. And if that's not good news yet, listen to this: Russia is a key ally in EU efforts in its fight against new threats to security, including terrorism, pollution, crime, illegal migration and trafficking.Russia and the European UnionThe European Union’s primary objective is to enlist Russia to build a genuine strategic partnership, founded on common interests and shared values to which both sides are committed in the relevant international organisations such as the UN, Council of Europe, and OSCE, as well as with each other in the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). As Ivanov mentioned these interests and values involved democracy, the rule of law, human rights and market economy principles (2000, pp. 33).Shishaev says that the EU and Russia are already cooperating on various i ssues which include modernisation of Russia’s economy and its consolidation into the world economy, security and international issues (1999, p. 42).Shishaev further explains that â€Å"EU relations with Russia is guided on a large spectrum of particular EU policies, including external policies like the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and trade policy; the external aspects of general EU policies such as on energy, transport, environment, etc.; the external dimension of freedom/security/justice activities; and the principles retained for development cooperation and assistance† (1999, p. 42).Likhachev reported that the common ground for EU relations with Russia is the PCA which came into force on December 1, 1997 for an initial duration of 10 years. This agreement shall extend beyond 2007 on a yearly basis.PCA sets the main objectives, establishes the institutional framework for bilateral contacts, and calls for activities and dialogue in a number of areas. The conditions of the PCA embrace a wide range of policy areas including political dialogue; trade in goods and services; business and investment; financial and legislative cooperation; science and technology; education and training; energy, nuclear and space cooperation; environment, transport; culture; and cooperation on the prevention of illegal activities. Rules of procedure for the dispute settlement provisions of the PCA were adopted in April 2004 (2000, pp. 20-24).The EU laid down its basic approach to relations with Russia in a â€Å"Common Strategy† in 1999 which was not extended beyond June 2004. An in February 2004, the Commission adopted a Communication which adopted measures to improve the effectiveness of EU-Russia relations, specifically in the wake of increased mutual dependence, the forthcoming enlargement, and the unresolved conflicts in some countries bordering Russia.The current institutional framework for relations with Russia as mentioned   above, is expec ted to change under the provisions of the new agreement with the view to creating a more concise and streamlined approach.During the Summit held in May 2003, the EU and Russia mutually decided to strengthen their cooperation by coming up with so-called four ‘common spaces’ in the framework of the PCA. It was agreed to make a common economic space; a common space of freedom, security and justice; a space of co-operation in the field of external security; as well as a space of research and education, including cultural aspects.Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 35-37) pointed out the ‘the purpose of the common economic space   is to create an open and integrated market between the EU and Russia which will bring down barriers to trade and investment and promote reforms and competitiveness, based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and good governance'.Among the wide range of actions that were perceived are a number of new dialogues. Cooperation is b eing stepped up on regulatory policy, investment issues, competition, financial services, telecommunications, transport, energy, space activities and space launching, etc. Environment, including nuclear safety and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, also figures prominently.Meanwhile, Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 124 – 127) also reported that work on a common space for freedom, security and justice has made a big leap with the end of negotiations on the Visa Facilitation and the Readmission Agreements which were signed during the recent the EU-Russia Summit last May 25 in Sochi, Russia. Ratifications are being done by both the EU and Russia.Working together on fighting terrorism and other forms of transnational illegal activities such as money laundering, drugs and human trafficking will continue as well as on document security through the introduction of biometric features in a range of identification documents.Forsberg (1998, pp. 201-204) illustrated that the comm on space on external security, meanwhile, underlines the shared responsibility of the parties for an international order based on effective multilateralism, their support for the central role of the UN, and for the effectiveness of, in particular, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.Currently, there are ongoing activities to strengthen cooperation in the five priority areas identified in the Road Map which include strengthening dialogue and cooperation on the international scene; fight against terrorism; non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD); crisis management; and civil protection. Under the first priority, particular attention is given to securing stability in the regions adjacent to Russian and EU borders.Standing on the relations with Russia through its involvement in EU Research and Development activities and in particular the Framework Programme for Research and Development. The objective is to capitalise on the strength of the EU and Russian research communiti es and promote joint research activities in areas of common interest. Relationship between russian and the european union Russia stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia with an area of 17,075,200 square kilometres making it the largest country in the world in terms of land mass. This country   shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.Since the termination of the USSR in December 1991, Russia has become an influential member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia's worldwide role decreased greatly compared to that of the former Soviet Union.Russia is an essential partner in terms of engaging and building a strategic partnership with.   The 2003 European Security Strategy has rightly placed this country as a key player on geo-political and security issues at global and regional levels. Russia plays an important role in the UN Security Council and has significant influence in the European neighbourhood and in Central Asia. It must likewise be noted that Russia is a major supplier of energy products to the EU.It may be considered to have a small market but Russia is a large market for EU goods and services, with considerable potential for growth. And if that's not good news yet, listen to this: Russia is a key ally in EU efforts in its fight against new threats to security, including terrorism, pollution, crime, illegal migration and trafficking.Russia and the European UnionThe European Union’s primary objective is to enlist Russia to build a genuine strategic partnership, founded on common interests and shared values to which both sides are committed in the relevant international organisations such as the UN, Council of Europe, and OSCE, as well as with each other in the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).As Ivanov mentioned these interests and values involved democracy, the rule of law, human rights and market economy principles (2000, pp. 33).Shishaev says that the EU and Russia are already cooperating on various i ssues which include modernisation of Russia’s economy and its consolidation into the world economy, security and international issues (1999, p. 42).Shishaev further explains that â€Å"EU relations with Russia is guided on a large spectrum of particular EU policies, including external policies like the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and trade policy; the external aspects of general EU policies such as on energy, transport, environment, etc.; the external dimension of freedom/security/justice activities; and the principles retained for development cooperation and assistance† (1999, p. 42).Likhachev reported that the common ground for EU relations with Russia is the PCA which came into force on December 1, 1997 for an initial duration of 10 years. This agreement shall extend beyond 2007 on a yearly basis. PCA sets the main objectives, establishes the institutional framework for bilateral contacts, and calls for activities and dialogue in a number of areas.The conditions of the PCA embrace a wide range of policy areas including political dialogue; trade in goods and services; business and investment; financial and legislative cooperation; science and technology; education and training; energy, nuclear and space cooperation; environment, transport; culture; and cooperation on the prevention of illegal activities. Rules of procedure for the dispute settlement provisions of the PCA were adopted in April 2004 (2000, pp. 20-24).The EU laid down its basic approach to relations with Russia in a â€Å"Common Strategy† in 1999 which was not extended beyond June 2004. An in February 2004, the Commission adopted a Communication which adopted measures to improve the effectiveness of EU-Russia relations, specifically in the wake of increased mutual dependence, the forthcoming enlargement, and the unresolved conflicts in some countries bordering Russia.The current institutional framework for relations with Russia as mentioned   above, is expec ted to change under the provisions of the new agreement with the view to creating a more concise and streamlined approach.During the Summit held in May 2003, the EU and Russia mutually decided to strengthen their cooperation by coming up with so-called four ‘common spaces’ in the framework of the PCA. It was agreed to make a common economic space; a common space of freedom, security and justice; a space of co-operation in the field of external security; as well as a space of research and education, including cultural aspects.Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 35-37) pointed out the ‘the purpose of the common economic space   is to create an open and integrated market between the EU and Russia which will bring down barriers to trade and investment and promote reforms and competitiveness, based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and good governance'.Among the wide range of actions that were perceived are a number of new dialogues. Cooperation is b eing stepped up on regulatory policy, investment issues, competition, financial services, telecommunications, transport, energy, space activities and space launching, etc. Environment, including nuclear safety and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, also figures prominently.

Criminal Law and Historical Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminal Law and Historical Focus - Essay Example (Landau, 2002) In presenting England's criminal law, Blackstone a common lawyer of earlier generation, chose not to highlight settled procedural distinctions and arcane terms, but instead he invoked a distinctive kind of legal wrong he identified as "public" in nature. The terms crime and criminal law, while enjoying wide linguistic currency, were not always the part of technical vocabulary of the law. In the medieval period, English law was explicitly differentiating between civil and criminal materials. And as is immediately disclosed by the titles of such works as Lord Kames "History of the criminal law" (1758) and William Eden's "Principles of penal law" (1771), eighteenth-century jurists certainly supposed there existed a general category of law that might serve as the object of their scholarly attention. English law, according to a familiar complaint, simply lacked much by way of system or coherent organization, particularly as compared with Roman law, which hitherto dominated university law studies and which set the relevant standard for juristic elegance. "It was thought impracticable to bring the Laws of England into a Method", explained by one of Blackstone's eighteenth-century precursors, "and therefore a Prejudice was taken up against the study of our Laws, even by Men of Parts and Learning". On this basis, English law along with the Canadian law was unable to become an object of rational learning, and instead had to be mastered through the practical, craft-like techniques of legal apprenticeship. Blackstone, as a lawyer was confident of the English law's credentials as a rational system, but the efforts of other lawyers were not considered "failure" to bring changes in the system after negotiations. Law Reform Law reform was supposed to be the one and only asset, exclusively the preserve of lawyers, and Bentham's combination of the wisdom of the reformer and the craft of the lawyer recognized its potential to divide the legal profession. The common lawyer's innate respect for existing institutions and his appreciation of the subtleties of the status quo not only made novelty in the early years of entering into the criminology, but also it particularize the concept of jurisdiction in the early years of reform, as an object of suspicion. The means and scope of amendment were a further cause for division, even after its need was established. There was a disturbing element of self-examination in law reform to which some lawyers found it difficult to respond with enthusiasm. The status quo would always find friends in influential positions, particularly in respect of criminal law reform amongst the judiciary. Law - A Profession towards Criminal Trial Process As the pace and scale of law reform increased it became an intense preoccupation of the legal profession and for the eighteenth century lawyers, acted as a charm to enter into such a jurisdiciary profession. It was the dominant theme of professional literature of that period that lasted the debate over the role of counsel and advocacy in the criminal trial, for a longer period of time and consideration in this work, could be traced in parliamentary debates, select committee minutes, the evidence and reports of the Criminal Law Commissioners, periodical and professional journals, biographies and other professional lite

The Economic importance of Transportation Essay

The Economic importance of Transportation - Essay Example ailure at any point of the transport network that we have could be disastrous as the IRU (2002) tells us that, â€Å"Any transport network failures may be assimilated to ‘blood clots’ obstructing free movement of people, goods and services, and hindering sustainable development of world economy (IRU, 2002, Pg. 1).† For America in particular, there exists an extensive road, rail, air and sea based transport network that links all the cities and towns within the continent from New York to Juno. However the vast transport network in America was not built overnight but rather it took decades of planning, positioning, regulations, infrastructure development and a tremendous monetary investment before the network could take a useable form. Of course, for the majority of the citizenry, the most commonly seen and perhaps the most often used system for transport remains the road and highway networks that cut across the land. Economic concerns certainly come up when the road network is planned or even when a new road/highway is to be made by the government. These economic criteria define the goals of such an element of the transport network. For example, the economic goal of the road could be to alleviate pressure and thus save time for individuals who are driving from one point on the city to another. It could also be to provide more routes for accessing a point of economic interest such as a shopping mall. Even the nature of what is going to be transported by the route is an important consideration since roads going in or coming from an industrial zone may have different specifications as compared to the roads that are in use in residential zones (Weiner, 2004). An established transport network can even guide the economic development of a region since industries may be more interested in locating to a region that has an extensive road network permitting the easy movement of heavy trucks or other equipment. Access to railroads or airports may be important for

Summery Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Summery - Article Example This has raised question concerning the superiority of each strand of paradigm to another. This diverts attention of the main issues which are: activities to be included in requirements engineering, what institutes a requirement, and issue that need more attention. Requirements engineering activities involves the incorporation of standard mechanisms in fashions that are advanced instead of persisting with the exercise of reinventing the constituents themselves. What constitutes a requirement explains the complete statement of what the system will do without regarding to how it will do it. To understand this we should differentiate functional and non-functional requirements. Issues that are fundamental include: backing-up market-driven inventors, ranking requirements according to desirability and necessity, integration of design artifacts, accessibility of requirements methods and tools, and coping with incompleteness. For effective management of these requirements we should seek to avoid common mistakes like underestimating the cost of the shifting requirements, discovering wrong requirements when it is too late, lack of understanding the main user needs and problems, and lack of communication of urgencies and status to the team. The main objective for requirements engineering is to narrow the gap between research and

Examine how effectively one local authority empowers young people by Essay

Examine how effectively one local authority empowers young people by facilitating the election of a young mayor - Essay Example Apart from this, the other policies being undertaken by the government include the establishment of the ‘Youth Innovations Zones’. In fact, in recent scenario, the UK government is undertaking prudent strategies in order to accelerate the youth participation. The youth participation is increasing in the areas such as building futures, developing engagement and augmenting participation in learning as well as work among others (Department for Education, 2011). The UK government’s effort in providing the young generation with the power to generate opportunities for themselves can be well identified by ‘Young Mayor’s Project’. London Borough of Lewisham is known for its history that reflects about the encouragement and the involvement of young people’s participation pertaining to the local democracy. This particular project is determined as a strategy to encourage citizenship along with the participation of Lewisham’s young people. This study intends to discuss the effectiveness of the local authority in empowering the young people by facilitating the election of a young mayor in the London Borough of Lewisham. Furthermore, the concerned study will provide a reflection on the young people policies and practices. It will further evaluate the notion of youth participation and citizenship for the work with young people. ‘Young Mayor’ is regarded as a young person, who is usually elected by a group of young people to represent themselves. ‘Young Mayor Scheme’ is looked upon as the election process. In accordance with the ‘Youth Mayor Scheme’, it can be determined that this particular scheme executes considering the cabinet based system. One of the key constituents of Lewisham‘s Young Mayor Scheme is that it involves 25 young advisers for the purpose of decision making. In this regard, it can be well ascertained that their prior responsibilities include conveying the information and the concerns of the young

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR Essay

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR - Essay Example Professional courses in management and administration provide the requisite knowledge based curricula that are intended to meet the challenges of the changing times. MBA or masters in business administration is the professional course that imparts and helps to develop and understand the pros and cons of the business so that people pursuing this course are able to manage it with more proficiency and creativity. With the whole range of modules, covering the various core areas of business, the highly demanding professional degree is designed to motivate the professionals to be creative and improvise and improve the business processes to compete effectively with the changing business trends. Therefore, it is important to know whether the MBA degree, provided by the different universities are indeed able to meet with their pre-meditated goals of equipping the students with the requisite skill and knowledge that would meet the wider implications of the business acumen needed to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing times? The purpose of the study is to gauge the impact of the professional course on the creative inputs of the students in the real life situations and evaluate the extent of motivating factors which would influence his business decisions. In the era of globalization, the emerging trends in business are crucial to understand and therefore, it becomes imperative to know whether MBA produces the professionals who are not only good administrators but also develop the traits of entrepreneur and intrapreneurs who are equipped to improve and improvise the business processes to optimise the intended output, within the parameters of organizational goals and objectives. It is also important to know whether the graduates of the MBA are able to meet the criteria within the defined parameters or are sufficiently motivated to exploit their entrepreneurial skills to further improve their aims and objectives. The universities facilitate higher studies in the

Visual Thinking Strategies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Visual Thinking Strategies - Research Paper Example As I scanned my badge in, I turned to their teacher and politely asked, â€Å"Is this your first educational trip to the MFA, are you here to see the new Linde wing?† â€Å"No,† she replied, â€Å"we’re here for a VTS tour.† â€Å"That is wonderful,† I exclaimed. After pausing, I politely stated, â€Å"I am just about to write a paper on VTS, would you mind telling me where you are from?† Kindly responding, the teacher stated, â€Å"We are a social studies class from the Boston public school system, and we have a partnership with the MFA. This is our last lesson of the curriculum and it ends with a VTS tour at the Museum.† In my opinion, teachers in all subject areas find themselves with the challenge of bringing that subject to life for their students, especially students who struggle to grasp the concepts of the course. Constantly trying new strategies and educational techniques, the best teachers try to reach those students in an unconventional way. In this case, I presume the social studies teacher turned to Suzi Fonda, Manager of Teacher Programs and School Partnerships at the MFA, to help her students draw connections between the content studied in the classroom and the collection of American Art currently displayed at the MFA. Since the culture and environment of the museums considerably differs from those prevalent in the classrooms, educators frequently wonder whether the productive techniques used by the museum educators are applicable in the environment of the classroom. In this paper, I will examine the productivity of Visual Thinking, and its connection to the classroom. Upon providing an in-depth look at VTS itself as a teaching tool, I will then examine further the applicability of the technique to the school classroom, more specifically within the social studies curricula, and evaluate its results and make recommendations if any as to how it may be improved. In particular, I will utilize class readings, discussions, case studies, and museum curricula, and I will transfer these experiences into my evaluation. Finally, I will conduct interviews with two Directors of Education, both of whom are involved in the VTS implementation at their art museums, and I will discuss their concerns, results and issues of the program. Curriculum In a typical VTS lesson, students look carefully at a work of art, and talk about what they observe. This method uses art to build the capacity to observe, think, listen and communicate. The guiding principle is that self-discovery is a powerful way to learn, and that such self-directed learning is stimulated by discussion amongst peers.1 Th e curriculum of VTS is fundamentally based on the discussion held among the students. The role of a teacher in it is that of a facilitator of discussion among the students. There are three basic questions that the facilitator uses in order to guide the students towards the path of conducting the discussion among themselves. These three questions include; â€Å"What is going on in this picture?† (Walker), â€Å"What do you see that makes you say that?† (Walker), and â€Å"What more can you find?† (Walker). The facilitator identifies the responses of individual students by their respective names, and points towards the relevant parts of the painting while paraphrasing the responses. In addition to that, it is equally important for the facilitator to keep track of the various threads of conversation so that they can be interlinked and the students can be provided with the opportunity to connect their thoughts with the thoughts of their class fellows. These question s have been designed in a very prudent manner. â€Å"The wording of the first question gives tacit approval of the story-finding, playing to the beginner’

Tibmer Jack Essay Example for Free

Tibmer Jack Essay Timberjack was the world’s leading manufacturer of heavy equipment for the professional logger, with an overall market share of 25%. In 1995, Timberjack had 1,600 employees, generated sales of 627 MM USD and a net profit of 88 MM USD. Industry Background In the past the forests were cut manually using the chain saws, and the cut logs were taken out of the forest using horses. The logs were cut as per the requirements manually. But in the twentieth century this started transitioning, and in 1960-1990s there was surge in the use of machinery in forest cutting, loading etc. Timberjack, Blount, Caterpillar, John Deere, and Valmet were the companies providing machinery for cutting forests. Timberjack was the company catering to the 25% of the market share. Product Offering As the old manual chain saw methods for cutting trees were disappearing, feller bunchers, skidders, delimbers and log loaders were used instead. Timberjack provided a variety of heavy equipment that served the new method of cutting trees. The price of these equipment was well attached to pulp and lumber prices which in turn are highly dependent on the on the overall strength of the economy Timberjack follows a series of steps to select and decide its future manufacturing software package. The process is straightforward, which goes through DFP, vendor list, narrow down vendor list, site visit and implementation consulting for the final two vendors. Basically, Timberjack is taking one step after another throughout the processes. While it might not be a perfectly precise analogy of system development life cycle, it does share characteristics with the traditional waterfall model of SDLC (system development life cycle). A typical process of traditional SDLC is usually comprised of the following steps: 1. Project planning, feasibility study 2. Systems analysis, requirements definition 3. Systems design 4. Implementation 5. Integration and testing 6. Acceptance, installation, deployment 7. Maintenance In Timberjacks case, the life cycle starts with the decision from headquarter that a unified software package will be implemented for the whole organization, even for distributed locations. During this phase, the organization identified its current short coming of the existing solution and the necessity to move to a new system, as well as cost-benefit implications and a rough schedule. A decision of ;to build or to buy; has also been reached, which is to buy. During the second phase of the SDLC, there are various types of implementation model. According to Timberjack, it seems that it is following a waterfall model which characterizes with a prolonged need analysis phase. Once a whole list of function requirement is made, it is hardly changed later on. As a matter of fact, Timberjack devoted major time and investment into this phase. The RFP spanned nearly as long as four months and cost 75,000 USD. Although the RFP was treated as valuable outcome, the effort was less appreciated by the Sweden operations because they were in need of a quick replacement of their current software system. The following steps of SDLC, including system design, implementation and etc will depend on which vendor Timberjack eventually selected. Therefore, again, Timberjack took the time evaluated and investigated extensively. Timberjack considered several key metrics that were: cost, time of development and deployment, flexibility of customization and etc. Using the criteria, Timberjack was able to narrow down the vendor list to two bidders. With further review and consideration, Timberjack would finally be able to locked down one vendor that suited best to their situation.

Riddells Safe Helmets Marketing Plan

Riddells Safe Helmets Marketing Plan Riddell, the brainchild of John Tate Riddell, has a long and illustrious history of introducing innovative sports equipment. Since 1929 the Riddell Sports has been producing technologically innovative performance equipment aimed at providing athletes efficient safety gear (Riddell, 2012). A wide range of sports equipment is manufactured by Riddell Sports ranging from its most popular product the football helmets to other sports equipment such as shoulder pads, face masks, body pads and helmet chin straps. In 2006 Riddell Bell Holdings and Easton Sports merged their operations forming Easton-Bell Sports (Riddell, 2012). Riddell has been a prominent brand of Easton-Bell Sports ever since 2006 along with its other brands such as Easton, Giro and bell (Riddell, 2012). Football is a tough sport and medical researches prove that there exist strong chances that regular players will suffer from at least one concussion while playing for a school, college or professional football team (Hyde Gengenbach, 2007). Concussion is an injury to brain that is caused by a punch or violent strike on the head (Hyde Gengenbach, 2007). The medical implications of concussion can be mild like suffering from a headache to severe like going into coma. Concussion is a serious problem plaguing American football. Nearly 63,000 students participating in ten different high school sports suffer from mild concussions each year with two-third of them suffer concussions while playing football (Hyde Gengenbach, 2007). Among football players brain injury is the most common cause of death. It is the responsibility of coaches along with the school and college authorities to ensure that athletes are provided proper safety gear for taking part in any sport. Along with this parents an d athletes themselves should take proper steps to prevent any injury which includes use of appropriate head gear, avoiding dangerous on-field practices such as head-on tacking and head shots in hockey (Hyde Gengenbach, 2007). In case of a concussion the athletes should not be allowed to return back to field until they are cleared by a neurologist after a thorough examination for possible brain injuries. The above statistics show that there exists a huge market need for safety sports gear. This need was effectively tapped by Riddell (Riddell, 2012). The Riddell Sports uses a variety of innovative sports technologies to manufacture safety equipment for athletes that helps them in improving their performance on field (Riddell, 2012). Through effective marketing of its sports safety equipment Riddell can ensure it retains the top spot in safety sports equipment manufacturing for many years to come (Riddell, 2012). Below is a detailed marketing plan for Riddell Sports that examines the marketing strategies currently adopted by Riddell and the possible strategies it can adopt for better promotion of its products. SWOT analysis Strengths: The main strengths of Riddell Sports are outlined below. Riddell is one of the leading football helmet suppliers for schools, colleges and professional football teams. Riddell is the official helmet provider of the National Football League (NFL). Low cost manufacturing and assembling facilities along with excellent relationship with suppliers throughout the world. Riddell also provides state of the art reconditioning services for football safety gear and equipment in US that uses cutting edge technologies like Riddell Staph-Fighter to get rid of viruses, bacteria and molds developed inside the sporting gear. Weaknesses: The main weaknesses of Riddell Sports are outlined below. A limited marketing budget to develop consumer brand awareness. Inability to tackle competition from emerging protective football equipment manufacturers such as Schutt and Rawlings. Opportunities: The main opportunities for Riddell Sports are outlined below. An exceptionally motivated product development team that is keen to develop innovative products offering complete safety solutions to athletes. Through optimization of supply chain operational efficiencies can be gained. Football helmet manufacturing remains an extremely lucrative business with sales for safety football gear rising from $308 million in 2009 to almost $327 million in 2010. Threats: The main threats being faced by Riddell Sports are outlined below. Strong performance of Schutt Sports at all levels of football manufacturing grabbing almost 57% of total market share of safety football manufacturing (Brown, 2011). The strong re-emergence of Rawlings after a gap of two decades. In its first year of operations in 2011 it captured about 6%-7% of the market (Brown, 2011). Marketing Plan for Riddell Sports Industry Analysis The sports equipment industry is a very fast growing industry which makes a projected $3 billion a year. According to Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) an estimated 1 million athletes were a part of high school football teams in 2002. These figures point out towards tremendous potential for sales of football related equipment and accessories. Riddell Sports is currently the market leader in football helmet sales closely followed by Rawlings Football, Schutt Sports and Xenith. Target Market Description The target market for football equipment and accessories can be divided into four main groups: Youth league programs focused on young athletes High school students College students Professional athletes Demographics: The target market of Riddell Sports may comprise of both unmarried young men mainly falling in the 9-25 years age bracket to the married men falling in the 25-35 years age bracket. Psychographics: Riddell Sports mainly aims to target men of around 9-35 years of age who play football this is the reason the Riddell Sports advertisements are mainly shown during NFL games when men are most likely to be watching the television. Interest is another common factor in determining psychographic trend, the target market of Riddell Sports takes equal interest in football. The interest level may vary while some may be interested in watching football on television others are more interested in playing on-field, but all are connected by their love for the game. Geographic location: In the US certain geographical areas are well-known for their love for football (Delaney Madigan, 2009). Significant evidence collected over a period of time proves that football is very popular in Texas, Florida and Alabama (Delaney Madigan, 2009). Thus, the Riddell Sports should concentrate all its energies on effectively marketing its football gear in these areas. Marketing Strategy Mix Product Review: Riddell Sports manufactures football helmets and equipment as well as helmets and equipment used in baseball, lacrosse and other team sports (Riddell, 2012). Riddell Sports may be divided into three main product categories among which are described as below: Football helmets: Riddell manufactures varsity football helmets, youth football helmets, football helmet face masks, and football helmet accessories (Riddell, 2012). Shoulder pads: In this category Riddell also manufactures varsity football shoulder pads, junior varsity shoulder pads, youth football shoulder pads (Riddell, 2012). Reconditioning services: Riddell also provides a cleaning and repairing service for helmets in order to repair any broken parts and pass the helmets through a Riddell Staph-Fighter machine in order to completely sanitize the sports equipment and get rid of molds, viruses and bacteria hidden in the sporting gear (Riddell, 2012). The Riddell Staph-Fighter machine has an amazing kill rate of more than 99.99% of the bacteria (Riddell, 2012). Placement: The version of football that closely resembles rugby and requires athletes to wear helmets is more popular in North America and Europe. Thus, the Riddell Sports placement strategy will be more closely focused on targeting the North American market. Pricing: The pricing strategy of Riddell Sports is based on close monitoring of the prices of competitors products and then developing its pricing strategy accordingly. Riddell Sports continuously strives to remain in line with its competitors prices including Rawlings Football, Schutt Sports and Xenith. Price for Riddells football helmets will also be made competitive with substitute products as well. Distribution Strategy: Riddell Sport has worlds most diversified distribution network for helmets used in athletic and recreational activities. Riddell Sports will be distributing its football equipment through a combination of channels such as: Mass merchants Sporting goods stores Independent specialty retailers Positioning Statement Riddell Sports is positioned as the official helmet of the National Football League (NFL). This is a very powerful positioning statement for Riddell since the competitors cannot imitate it as long as the Riddell Sports is the official helmet supplier of the NFL. Another important reason why it is a powerful positioning statement is because the positioning statement is visible to the customers (Reynolds, 2001). During NFL matches they can see the logo of Riddell Sports on the helmets and other safety equipment worn by athletes. Competitor Review: In the US protective football manufacturing equipment market there are three major companies that have the potential and operational and financial ability to snatch market share away from Riddell Sports. These companies are: Schutt Sports: Offering substantial competition to Riddell Sports in the football helmet manufacturing market. Xenith: Offering substantial competition to Riddell Sports in the youth football helmet market, high school football helmet market and college football helmets market. Rawlings Football: Offering substantial competition to Riddell Sports in the football helmet and apparel manufacturing market. Other competitors of Riddell sports include: Diamond Sports: Offering substantial competition to Riddell Sports in the softball and baseball equipment manufacturing market. Douglas Protective Equipment: Offering substantial competition to Riddell Sports in the shoulder pads manufacturing market. Marketing Communication and Promotion Strategies Press Releases: In the marketing communication context press release is a very effective tool for announcing the arrival of a new product or service into the market. Press releases are usually prepared to convey positive information about the organization. The format of a press release is the same whether it is being prepared for radio, television or newspapers. Riddell Sports actively releases press releases announcing the arrival of new products in the market. Some press releases issued by Riddell in recent times are: On December 12, 2011 Riddell Sport released a press statement announcing that it has entered into a exclusive partnership with National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) to educate athletic administrators about latest safety equipment for athletes (Riddell Press Releases, 2012). On January 12, 2012 Riddell Sports announced though a press release that it was acquiring Gunthers Athletic Service; a West Coast company specializing in sales of sporting equipment and uniforms. The press release further mentioned that the strategic move of acquiring Gunthers will help to boast Riddells presence in West Coast (Riddell Press Releases, 2012). On February 14, 2012 Sports announced though a press release that it was renewing its helmet and equipment partnership with USA Football, which is footballs regulating body in the US (Riddell Press Releases, 2012). Consumer Brand Awareness Strategies Billboards: Non-traditional billboards effectively advertising Riddells safe helmets erected in college stadiums, densely populated neighborhoods can help the consumers to identify with the products of Riddell helmets. Magazines: Riddell Sports can prominently advertise its product offerings through major US sports magazines, since these magazines are read by athletes and sports buffs that are more likely to take interest in advertisements related to sports goods and equipment. Magazine based advertising is a very good way to promote sales of a firms goods and products. Prominent sports magazines through which Riddell sports can advertise its product offerings are: Soccer America Sporting News Sports Illustrated Social Media: Contemporary marketing scenario has been taken over by emerging social media channels (Weinberg, 2009). Various social media channels can be used by Riddell Sports for advertisements of its goods and services, some of the many social media channels that can be used by Riddell Sports are: FaceBook YouTube Twitter Pinit Reddit Mixx Delicious Media Strategy Print Advertising: Riddell can increase consumer brand awareness by advertising through various print media channels such as magazines, newspapers, industry periodicals, in-house publication and a direct mail campaign (Hackley, 2010). Event Marketing: Organizations around the world create events that are tied around marketing of their own products (Trehan Trehan, 2007). Riddell Sports can also use various event marketing tactics to increase its customer base, some of these tactics are mentioned below: Organizing promotional events at various schools and colleges where exhibition football matches are held and the winning team is provided free product samples including premium items bearing companys logo for example t-shirts, hats, mugs etc. In addition to this Riddell Sports can also sponsor local art exhibits, music concerts and various other festivals where there are chances that a large number of men and adult boys will be in attendance, since the main target market for Riddell safety helmets are the above mentioned two groups of consumers. At different locations on the event site large banners and signage featuring Riddells products can be erected which would subconsciously work to increase consumer brand awareness. Organizing such events greatly contribute to increasing consumer brand awareness and can be am effective marketing ploy that can reap great benefits for the sponsoring organization if used wisely. Sales Promotion tactics: Sales promotion is one of the most popular tactical weapons available to organizations around the globe which can be effectively utilized to enhance firms distinctive capabilities along with giving the organization a unique edge over its competitors (Hackley, 2010). The Riddell Sports can use various sales promotion strategies to boost firms sales. Some of the most powerful tactics which can be used by an organization are: A great sales promotion tactic can be that of a offer of a price-cut on a prestigious product of the organization. For example Riddell Sports can offer price-cut on its $376.99 The Game Changer brand of helmets or its $248.99 Revolution Speed brand of helmets (Riddell, 2012). Offering customers a free product when they buy a higher priced helmet. For example customers buying one Game Changer helmet worth around $380 would be given a free chin strap worth $8 (Riddell, 2012). Another popular consumer demand pulling marketing tactic can be the use of coupons (Fifield, 2012). Coupons are a very well-known means of offering targeted customers discounts on selected items (Fifield, 2012). In the case of Riddell helmets these coupons can be distributed in magazines, or advertised on the sports page of local newspaper from where it can be cut and presented to nearby retailer carrying Riddell helmets for a discount of a specified item. Coupons may also be distributed through direct mail or in stores and shopping malls. Broadcast media: Broadcast media includes television and radio (Ranchhod, 2007). Organizations across the world use broadcast media for marketing of their products and services because of the ability of this particular medium to reach a large number of people either internationally or nationally (Fifield, 2012). One of the main benefits of broadcast media is its ability to create vivid product messages that are memorable and compelling (Ranchhod, 2007). Riddell Sports also ran one such memorable television commercial during the National Football Leagues Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys game (Riddell, 2012). Worlds Apart Television Commercial: This television commercial was aired in 2011 (Riddell, 2012). The 30 second commercial which featured top-quality Riddell football equipment gave the message that players may represent entirely different football teams but they are same because they are wearing protective gear and helmets made by Riddell (Riddell, 2012). The particular television commercial designed by HeadRush advertising agency received amazing feedback from television viewers across the US (HeadRush Creative, 2011). Celebrity Endorsements: The TEARS (Trustworthiness, Expertise, Physical Attractiveness, Respect, and Similarity to Target Audience) model has been developed to describe the reasons why using a celebrity as an endorser for a firms product can produce a positive impact on the overall sales of the organization (Fifield, 2012). When customers see their favorite celebrity using a product they can easily identify and recall that particular product when they go for shopping (Hackley, 2010). The use of well known celebrities in advertising is a great marketing tool that has been effectively used by Riddell for marketing of its safety sports gear. The Riddell Sports has a long standing history of roping in top of the class athletes for celebrity endorsement of Riddell products. Some of the famous athletes endorsing Riddell products are: Dave Mirra the American BMX athlete who holds the record for winning the highest number of X-games medals endorses Riddell helmets. Tony Hawk also endorses Riddell helmets. He is also famously known as birdman, for his amazing antics using skateboard. Tony Hawk holds the record for being the vertical skateboarding champion for 12 years in a row. Tanner Hall, the legendary American skier also endorses Riddell helmets. Tanner Hall has defined and pushed the limits for freestyle skiing, at the age of 28 years he holds the record for most career gold medals and thus, is a perfect choice for marketing the Riddell helmets.

Youth Justice And The Medias Society Criminology Essay

Youth Justice And The Medias Society Criminology Essay This essay will start by highlighting how the media may shape societys response to young people who break the law through the moral panic model. The medias role will be outlined and youth crime data summarised. The urban disturbances of the early 1990s and the death of James Bulger will both be discussed in turn. In both cases a description of the event will be followed by an outline of the media response, identifying elements typical within the moral panic model. An attempt will be made to understand the reaction of society to media representations associated with young law breakers. Finally, in each case the action undertaken by the agents of control will be examined. This essay will attempt to construct arguments challenging this model throughout, and suggest that moral panics may also have sources within societys elite through hegemony. It is acknowledged that arguments surrounding hegemony may link in to the groundbreaking youth justice legislation of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, introduced after the period discussed in this essay. The impact of this legislation is acknowledged, however for the purposes of the media and societys response to young people who break the law it will not be discussed. The Moral Panic A moral panic may be outlined as the identification of a threat, for example to social values. This threat is simplified by the media with distorted representation resulting in raised social anxiety. Agents of control respond, resulting in either the panic diminishing or social changes taking place (Thompson cited in Newburn 2007 p95). The deviancy amplification cycle describes how heightened deviance may be attributed to stigma arising from media exaggeration or the treatment from agents of control (Brown 2005, Cohen 2002). Young highlights how this may quickly create problems through exaggerating an outsider lifestyle (Young cited in Kidd-Hewitt 2002 p119). Although studied by Jock Young in 1971 (Kidd-Hewitt 2002), Stanley Cohens Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972) was described as the first systematic empirical study of a moral panic in Britain (Muncie 2004 p119). Cohens study of Mods and Rockers in Clacton during the Easter bank holiday in 1964 argued a clear relationship between young law breakers, the media, the general public and the police. Cohens work may be associated with Tannenbaums labelling and Lemerts primary and secondary deviance, all with origins in Mead and Cooleys symbolic interactionism (Newburn 2007). The media have constructed and processed information and ideas regarding deviancy since the industrial age, meaning society usually experience this commercially and politically constrained representation of deviance second hand (Cohen 2003). Hall et al (1978) explain how the media may have an assumed objectivity and frequently communicate an assumed social consensus, but they often have structured access to elite interests or primary definers, and reproduce their biased message. Cohen outlines elements which may appear in the media as stereotyping and stigmatising, a moral emphasis, and the requirement for further action. Information may be exaggerated and the use of symbols may be apparent with deviance represented through identifiable items such as clothing (Cohen 2002). Attitudes that may arise in a moral panic include the perception a disaster has occurred, the prophecy of doom (Cohen 2002 p38) where it is perceived events will happen again, and how at the height of a moral panic other unrelated events may be presented as connected. Perceived origins of a panic may include behaviour being likened to a disease, spreading and infecting. Nostalgia may appear along with disillusionment at the way things have become, impulsive activities may be described as premeditated, and behaviours may be perceived as newly developed (Cohen 2002). Youth Crime The ability of the media to influence public views of youth crime (Allen 2004 cited in Smith 2007) is evident through a rise in crime perceived by the majority of individuals who cited the media as a key information source (Hough and Roberts 2004). This is illustrated by 89 per cent of offenders known to the police being over the age of 18 yet nearly a third of survey respondent attributed most crime to children (Smith 2007). It is also suggested respondents perceived an exaggerated risk of being a crime victim (Goldson 2002 p391). It is advised that crime data should be treated with caution because an exact figure of occurrences does not exist (Tierney 2006). 20 per cent of the 5.4 million recorded crimes in 2006/07 were attributed to 10 to 17 year olds (Newburn 2007, Nicholas et al 2007) and approximately 80,000 crimes per annum are accountable to other agencies. These figures are not included in official crime data, along with 40 per cent of police reported crimes (Maguire 2002). Youth crime declined overall between 1985 and 1993 (Newburn 2002 cited in France) with relative consistency between 1993 and 2000 (Flood-Page et al 2000 cited in France). Offender and victim surveys highlight crimes not included in official data the dark figure (Newburn 2007) with estimated rates varying from eleven times more crime occurrences (Sparks et al 1977 cited in Tierney 2006) to a figure 39 times greater (Farrington et al 2006). Some crimes frequently undertaken by children have a smaller dark figure meaning proportionately more youth crime may be included in crime data. Crimes associated with younger people have estimated occurrences per actual conviction of six times for burglary, 77 for shoplifting and 132 for assault. Crimes associated with older offenders have rates of 809 occurrences per conviction for fraud, and 1463 for thefts from work (Farrington et al 2006). Early 1990s Urban Disturbances During the 1970s ideas surrounding the majority of crime being committed by a minority of individuals emerged from the Magistrates Association (Muncie 2004) and strategies during the 1980s were partly responsible for a reduction in youth crime (Pitts 2001). This increased sharply in the early 1990s by 111 per cent (Pitts 2001) and the Criminal Justice Act 1991 introduced an increasingly desert based sentencing policy, limiting the ability to consider previous crimes (Thomas 2003). From mid 1991 urban youth disturbances emerged from Cardiff, Oxford and in Newcastle notably on the Meadowell Estate where two young car thieves died in a police chase (Newburn 2007). These disturbances involved car related crime and resulted in conflict primarily between male youth and the police, and resulting in many arrests (Brown 2005). Individual younger children, identified by pseudonyms also appeared to be participating in unrelated activities such as domestic burglary Wykes (2001) argues that the poverty, substance misuse and lack of opportunity particularly experienced by the socially excluded Meadowell youth was largely ignored by the media. This supports Jewkes argument that the juvenile cultural resistance suggested by Cohens model may be exaggerated as a primary source of continued deviance (cited in Newburn 2007). The Media Exaggerated and distorted communication may have shaped societys perception of the level and type of offending being based on emotive, ambiguous and inaccurate information from the police and media (Garland cited in Goldson 2002). Labelling and stereotyping claimed hardcore child super crooks were responsible for 90 per cent of offences and were the number one crime problem (Daily Star, 30 November 1992 cited in Muncie 2004 p28). Reporting restrictions led to the identification of younger deviants through pseudonyms such as Ratboy, Homing Pigeon Boy, Spider Boy and The Terror Triplets (Muncie 2004). Deviant activities were distorted describing joyriding, ram raiding, and hotting (Muncie 2004) with frequent use of the term riot argued by Brown (2005) to be indicative of a moral panic. The graphic representation of deviance and the macho urban male youth stunt driving (Brown 2005 p59) supports McRobbie and Thorntons (2002) argument that moral panics may be entertaining. Moralising was also apparent with depictions of defiant youth as a ten year old in an SAS mask swaggered free from court resulting in calls for further action (Brown 2005 p60), although it is argued that a moral factor may not always be evident in a moral panic (Jewkes 2004 cited in Newburn 2007). The Terror Triplets illustrate the nature of the press coverage. The triplets were not persistent offenders with one previous conviction between them, and they all experienced health issues ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to epilepsy and a speech impediment with their education described in court as inadequate (guardian.co.uk 2002). Societys Reaction One panic surrounded the serious persistent young offender, frequently termed bail bandits (Brown 2005 p61) which failed to recognise that persistent offenders usually engage in petty crime, many are vulnerable children who are neglected or abused, with mental health and education issues (Muncie 2004). Vague and imprecise descriptions of youth deviance were highlighted by the police and media on an increasing basis with this lack of distinction fuelling social anxiety regarding the level and type of juvenile offending taking place (Garland cited in Goldson 2002). The inability of the criminal justice system to deal with youth crime was also a source of concern with Ratboy, who had accrued 55 offences between the ages of ten and 14, symbolising the inability for law and order to be maintained (Muncie 2004 p28). Despite decarceration and diversion reducing known juvenile offending in the 1980s, it was increasingly believed penal liberalism had gone too far (Goldson 2002 p390). Fiction increasingly replaced factual and rational information to conjure up monsters that seem to lurk behind the gloss and glitter of everyday life (Pratt 2000 cited in Goldson 2002 p390). Brown (2005) argues the moral panic had mutated into a total panic about the majority of young peoples lives, making the suggestion that Cohens model may provide an insufficient explanation. Childhood was considered to be in crisis, and as with Cohens prophecy of doom (2002 p38) idea, further deviance was expected (Pratt 2000 cited in Goldson 2002). Jewkes (cited in Newburn 2007) argues that the cohesiveness of societys reaction may be overstated in Cohens moral panic model. McRobbie and Thornton (2002) agree, noting how audiences may be sophisticated, understanding varying styles of interpretation which may fragment messages further, such as the ironic in-house publishing style in the Sun newspaper. Increased sources of information since the early 1990s such as the internet may cause further fragmentation. Agents of Control The extensive coverage escalated concerns prompting a Home Affairs Committee in July 1992 to consider youth crime, persistent young offenders and the youth justice system (HAC 1993 cited in Muncie 2004). It was concluded that an increasing minority of young offenders were committing a high volume of offences, despite a lack of evidence (Farrington 2002) and the idea of a persistent group being arbitrary (Hagell Newburn in Muncie 2004). Smith argues that the government responded through introducing the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992, which was imprisonable for five years (Home Affairs Committee 1993; Childrens Society 1993 cited in Smith 2007, Brown 2005), later increased to 14 years in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (statutelaw.gov.uk 2008). Hegemony Brown agrees with Cohens suggestion that the agents of control have no choice but to respond in their socially sanctioned manner suggesting that high media coverage prompted the police action towards joyriding which had been occurring for some time (Brown 2005). The elite-engineered moral panic model provides an alternative explanation, describing how societys powerful elite may be the source (Goode and Ben-Yehuda cited in Newburn 2007). Marxist philosopher Gramsci explains such activity through hegemony, something Hall et all include in their model of the moral panic (Hall et al 1978) and something Smith (2007) cites as significant. Hegemony describes the persuasive communication of a societal consensus of belief systems through the media, gaining legitimacy for elite actions (Althusser 1977 and Cohen 1985 cited in Smith 2007, Smith 2007, Brown 2005). Prior to the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992 The Lord Chief Justice and the Magistrates Association were overtly discontent with political interference and the limited capacity to increase sentences the Criminal Justice Act 1991. A sophisticated campaign (Smith 2007 p25) during 1991 by powerful members of the police also emerged relating to persistent young offenders, argued to have resulted in a media moral panic (Brown 2005, Downes and Morgan 2002). The Death of James Bulger In February 1993 the well documented abduction of two year James Bulger by ten year olds Robert Thompson and John Venables occurred. Taken from a shopping centre, the boys walked for two miles to a railway track where James was attacked and murdered (Muncie 2004, Brown 2005, Smith 2007). Following nine months custody and a month long trial the boys were found guilty of the murder (Morrison 1997). The boys are now living under assumed identities, understood to be outside of the UK. 27 murders of children by children have occurred in the last 250 years (Muncie 2004) with four 10-13 year olds convicted of murder between 1979 and 1992 (Cavadino 1996). Children are considered to be at greater risk from people who know to them (Morrison 1997) highlighted by sexual abuse and torture of James Bulger which it was argued suggested indicated the sexual abuse and torture experienced by at least one of attackers (Sereny 1996). The Media The hostile and sensationalist approach to this case contrasted sharply with a similar Norwegian case which was treated as a tragic accident (Muncie 2004 p6) and a similar case from Stockport in 1861 where rehabilitation was the ultimate public response. Exaggerated and irrational labelling stigmatised the boys as spawn of satan, freaks of nature, and monsters (Muncie 2004 p4). Sereny (1996) argues that the response to the boys as innately evil highlights how insufficiently it was attempted to understand issues in their lives, with which Morrison agrees (1997). A consensus regarding a new type of deviance was evident as we will never be able to look at our children in the same way again. Concerns of reoccurrence were evident with parents everywhere are asking themselves and their friends if the Mark of the Beast might not also be imprinted on their offspring (Sunday Times cited in Muncie 2004 p4) advising For Goodness Sake Hold Tight To Your Kids (Sun 16 February 1993 cited in Mason 2003 p197). Blurring of the boundary between the media and the audience (McRobbie Thornton 2002) may be seen with the widely broadcast CCTV footage of James Bulger in a shopping centre with his assailants. The Bulger family created a petition in conjunction with the Sun newspaper and a television phone in of nearly 300,000 names demanding Thompson and Venables never to be released (Morrison 1997). Retributive comments broadcast on television included James father Ralph stating one day theyll be out of jail and Ill be waiting for them and Jamess uncle Jim threatening when we get hold of them, we will fucking kill them (Morrison p234). McRobbie and Thornton (2002) also explore the idea of pressure groups or the folk devils themselves blurring this boundary further and widening the debate by either appearing in or producing their own media, although this is not evident in this case. By 1995 young people were being represented as the savage generation (The Sunday Times 5 February 1995 cited in Kidd-Hewitt 2002 p117). Cohens its not only this (Cohen 2002 p39) idea was evident through frequent and omnipresent panics which blamed the breakdown of the family, the availability of drugs and the crimogenic media (Kidd-Hewitt 2002, Thornton cited in Newburn 2007). McRobbie and Thornton (2002) argue unlike the novelty described in Cohens model, this has become a basic media response. Society Despite this crimes unusualness, societal anxiety increased surrounding both the governments capacity to control the crimogenic capacity of younger children, and the protection of younger children (Pitt 2001, Muncie 2004, Brown 2005). Crime data suggests a trend of younger childrens involvement in crime through a fall in the peak age of offending, but this is also accompanied by earlier desistance (Criminal Statistics 1995 cited in Coleman 1997, Criminal Statistics 2005 cited in Coleman Schofield 2007). Adult perceptions regarding age-appropriate behaviour were challenged (Brown 2005) and with childhood on trial (James Jenks cited in Muncie 2004 p4) innocence shifted to potential evil and hate (Muncie Hughes 2002). It is also argued that resulting public and legal attitudes towards children have become more punitive as a result of this case (Hendrick 2002 p39) with misrepresentations fuelling harsher measures (Smith 2007). The well established panic surrounding crimogenic media also emerged (Brown 2005), a youth culture anxiety as seen as early as 1917 when the deteriorating influence of cinema was highlighted (Russell cited in Pearson 1983). In the Bulger case the film Childs Play 3 was the subject of this panic despite evidence in court suggesting this film had not been viewed by the boys (Morrison 1997). Brown (2005) argues that the films character Chucky who physically represented a child but behaviourally represented an adult was used as a symbol of the challenge to age-appropriate behaviour. More tenuous associations include the use of batteries in James Bulgers attack (Morrison 1997). Agents of Control It is argued that doli incapax (incapable of crime) where it must be proven that a child understands right and wrong was reviewed for ten to thirteen year olds in response to this case. Although the principle was initially retained it was later revoked in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Bandalli 2000 cited in Gelsthorpe Morris 2002). Despite protection under the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) mental health provision was limited during the boys nine months in custody and minimal allowance was made for their age with the trial in an adult court and their identities exposed to the international media, argued to have heightened the campaign of hate (Scraton Haydon 2002 p313). Upon release Dame Butler-Sloss favoured the 1998 Human Rights Act over freedom of expression, granting anonymity to Thompson and Venables for the risk of retributive injury or death (cited in Scraton Haydon 2002). The UK government breached articles relating to a fair trial, fixing sentence and periodic review of sentence in the European Convention of Human Rights (Muncie 2004, Scraton Haydon 2002). The sentence had already been increased from eight years to ten by the Lord Chief Justice. Final sentencing authority rested with Michael Howard (Sereny 1996) who increased it for a second time to 15 years, citing public concern and the Bulger petition (Morrison 1997). This illustrates Cohens argument that sometimes agents of control have to act. Once overturned, the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 removed the capacity for the Home Secretary to intervene in sentencing decisions (Muncie 2004). With crime becoming second only to unemployment on the agenda (Pitts 2001), the intention to incarcerate 12 to 14 year olds through secure training units and secure training orders was announced, ten days after James Bulgers death and only months after ending custody for 14 year olds in the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (Smith 2007). More punitive measures were introduced in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 where the maximum sentence for fifteen to seventeen year olds doubled to two years (Newburn 2002). Hegemony The end of the bi-partisan consensus on crime was apparent in the 1970 Conservative Party manifesto (Pitts 2001) with punitive rhetoric becoming associated with political success (Smith 2007). By the 1992 general election a return to bi-partisanship was argued in the form of being tough on crime as a means to political victory (Downes Morgan 2002). Following Labours 1992 defeat policies were transferred from the reinvented and electorally successful Democrats (Pitts 2001) argued to have rescued the Labour Party from perpetual opposition (Pitts 2001 p18, Hudson Lowe 2004) which included a punitive approach towards crime. This was evident the month before James Bulgers death when the Shadow Home Secretary, Tony Blair declared how New Labour were tough on crime, tough on causes of crime (cited in Pitts 2001 p19). Political posturing is argued to have become part of youth justice continuing throughout the 1990s with Labours new approach suggested to have heightened Conservative government punitiveness. It is argued that rather than being a catalyst for policy change, the murder of James Bulger may have accelerated the punitive turn. The abolition of doli incapax may be associated with this event but it is argued that events prior to James Bulgers death were already influencing youth justice policy (Smith 2007). The tone of political communication highlights the argued political exploitation of youth fear with labels like vermin (Goldson 2002 p392). John Major illustrated an assumed punitive consensus (Hall et al 1978), saying how society needs to condemn a little more and understand a little less and Kenneth Clarke called for increased court powers, emphasising hostility towards really persistent, nasty little juveniles (Smith 2007 p25). McRobbie and Thornton argue hegemony is overstated due to the potential plurality of reactions (2004 p72), something Jewkes also points out, describing how public and media cohesion is overstated (cited in Newburn 2007 p100), although it is noted that fragmented hegemonic activity may be seen, for example with Thatcherism and the Daily Mail (McRobbie Thornton 2004). Following on from the deviance amplification model, it may be argued that in some cases governments may increase deviancy through the interventions they initiate (Brown 2005). Conclusion It has been suggested that the media is powerful in shaping societys response to young people who break the law, being a primary information source. One of the ways in which the media shapes societys response is by creating the impression that youth crime is more widespread that really is the case. The problems that some deviant youth experience are grossly under represented such as the health issues of The Terror Triplets and the potential that at least one of James Bulgers attackers may have also been a ten year old victim of sexual abuse. Problems also include the failure to circulate general information such as the dark figure of crime for fraud, the adult age of most known offenders or a fall in the peak offending age. The simplified and exaggerated way in which youth are represented is argued to cause widespread societal panic and irrational fears, for example the anticipation of similar repeat activity in the case of rare crimes such as the murder of James Bulger. Explanations for the activity such as its not only this may feed the panic, resulting in greater fears about unrelated factors and in the case of the early 1990s lead to a total panic about youth. Authority action may be influenced by the public interest generated by a moral panic, and in the case of hegemony societys response to the media may be the provision of consent for authority action. It was argued that moral panics also have the potential to be entertaining and do not always include moralising. The cohesiveness of response to a moral panic may be overstated with the plurality of media highlighted. The idea of a total panic about youth was considered and the blurring of boundaries illustrated as having the potential to diffuse anxieties through debate widening, or heighten concerns and inform state action, as with the petition in the Bulger case. In conclusion, evidence may support the model described by Cohen, it is suggested however that other perspectives highlight that the way in which the media and society interact with respect to young people who break the law is more complex.

The Brownfield Problem Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Brownfield Problem Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real, or perceived environmental contamination that can add cost, time, and uncertainty to the redevelopment process. Throughout the country there are an estimated 450,000 brownfields. These vacant properties exist mostly in cities, serving no practical purpose, and act as both eyesores and environmental as well as economic pitfalls. The inner cities, where most brownfields exist, were once the only choice developers had in deciding where to build industry. However, since the birth of environmental laws and regulation, the redevelopment of these properties has become a complicated and often very costly procedure. This procedure causes many businesses and corporations to look outside of the inner cities and urban areas for locations to grow and develop. This trend not only leaves the inner cities vacant and economically useless, but also leads to urba n sprawl, a phenomenon that leads to the development of greenfields, or the pristine, undeveloped land outside the confines of massive urban areas. Many sites across the country that were once used for industrial, and/or, commercial use have been abandoned by the companies who used them. Some of these sites are contaminated; however, some of them are merely perceived as being contaminated. In those cases, the sites have been linked to big industry, or nearby sites. In the past, any such site has been avoided or ignored as a possibility for redevelopment. This situation is caused largely by federal and state environmental laws and court decisions that impose or imply potentially serious liability. The circumstances surrounding this uncertain liability has encouraged businesses to build in previously undeveloped and non-urban areas, that are referred to as greenfields, where they are confident that no previous industry has been active. A report from the General Accounting Office finds that: "As states and localities attempt to redevelop their abandoned industrial sites, they have faced a number of obstacles, including th e possibility of contamination and the associated liability for cleanup." This situation has lead to a number of far-reaching problems including social, economic, and enviro... ...ization to determine the extent of environmental contamination and the cost of removal or remediation. Then, funds should be set aside either from the Superfund Trust Fund or general revenues to provide resources to local governments to develop brownfield site inventories, site assessments, and brownfield redevelopment strategies, the main goal of which would be to attract private investment. EPA should expand their Brownfields Initiative to include funds for preparation and implementation of brownfield redevelopment strategies. Federal funds should be made available for the creation and capitalization of local revolving loan funds for local governments or the private sector to perform activities such as removal, remediation, and small business development at brownfield sites. HUD should provide resources to accelerate actual development, through leveraging private sector investment and other means, to move beyond cleanup and remediation. All agencies need to find ways to assist by providing resources that will aid in the redevelopment of brownfield sites. Bibliography: EPA Homepage Brownfields Inc. Homepage Chicago Tribune; 3,1:2, May 30, 1996. Urban Land; Vol. 55, #6, pg 43.

Fading Away :: Short Stories Anorexia Eating Disorders Essays

Fading Away "Maddie, are you sure you don't want anything more? You didn't eat much," Mrs. Whitman turned from her dishes to ask her daughter. "I'm fine. I'll eat a big lunch," Stacie said, gulping down her last bit of water. "Maybe you do. But I never see you eat much. For breakfast it's a pancake with jam. Even if you did eat all your lunch like you say you do, when it comes to dinner time, you eat like a bird. Stacie, I think you need to eat more," Mrs. Whitman told her daughter, relieved that she had finally confronted her about her meals. "I eat enough. You don't see me all day long. I eat at other times during the day, too. Just because I don't eat chips when I come home from school or snack on cookies. Just because I'm trying to be healthy, you criticize me for making an effort," Stacie defended, raising her voice. "It's not about choosing healthy foods to eat. I admire your self control. I really do. You know I have difficulty saying no to deserts and different things. But Stacie, I can see you're not eating enough. Those jeans you're wearing, they fit you perfectly when you picked them out this summer but now you need a smaller size. I understood that you wanted to lose a few pounds; all of us can stand to shed a few pounds. But you've kept losing. You look good, I admit. You look very good but I'm worried. You need to eat more. You're so active, running every morning, school, volleyball. You need food to keep you going," Mrs. Whitman explained. Her heart was beating quickly now and her body became warm. Tears welled up in her eyes but she continued gazing at her daughter, hoping she had made a connection, a break through. "I said I eat enough!" Stacie shot back angrily. "I am fine. I've lost weight and thank you for noticing. Something you've never been able to do. You and your stupid Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and diet pills and every other dumb T.V. trash diet you send away for. You're really going to lose weight when you eat out and catch fast food all the time! I heard Big Macs do wonders! 'Just eat these pills and they'll give you all the nutrients you need and reduce your appetite too, '" Stacie mocked.

Vip Ltd. Industry : Moulded Luggage

JV CAPITAL SERVICES PVT. LTD www. sharetrading. in VIP LTD. INDUSTRY : MOULDED LUGGAGE NSE Symbol : VIPIND CMP 115 RISK PROFILE: MEDIUM BUY TARGET 210 Key Data : 52 week H/L : Market Cap (Rs Cr. ) : Face Value : Beta : P/E : Div % : BV : PBV : (Source : Company) 294/32 314 10 0. 92 26 0. 87 48. 9 2. 3 VIP Industries is engaged in the travel product business. The Company operates in two business segments: luggage & accessories and furniture. The products manufactured by the Company includes plastic moulded suitcase, plastic moulded briefcase and vanity case.The Company’s portfolio of brands includes V. I. P. , Carlton, Delsey, Footloose, Alfa, Aristocrat and Skybags. The Company’s subsidiaries include Carlton Travel Goods Ltd. and Blow Plast Retail Ltd. INVESTMENT RATIONALE Despite the slowdown in the global trends of economy, the luggage markets performed flat. VIP Industries is the largest player in Indian luggage market. One of the large segment of Indian luggage mark et is the canteen Store Department (CSD). VIP luggage continues to enjoy a prominent position and is one of the most respected brands in CSD.Apart from the domestic market, the company also exports sizeable quantity of luggage to Europe & gulf and has presence in Africa & many other countries. With a view to expand and to access the international markets, the company during FY09 has set up a wholly owned subsidiary in UK. The company has also acquired the well known international luggage brand ‘CARLTON’. These developments are expected to augment export sales of the company significantly. The company has been focusing on creating exclusive outlets to increase market share.Share Holding Pattern (%): 35. 73 % 43. 44 % VALUATION: 12. 90 % 0. 97% 6. 96% Promoters DIIs Others FIIs corporates Relative Performance Analysis: SENSEX VIP IND We are cautiously optimistic for the moulded furniture segment of the company. In case of luggage segment the management of VIP is very posi tive. The product portfolio of the company has been widened by introducing new products which offers good growth prospects. In FY08, earnings of the company have decreased. Revenues reflect a decrease in income from operation.Net loss reflects higher administrative, selling and other expenses with increased extraordinary items expenses. Currently the company is trading at a P/E 14. 14x of CY09 EPS. Albeit the price earning ratio of the company is high, we maintain a ‘BUY’ on the stock as it is in an expansion mode with a promising business model. (Rs cr) Financial Summary Year Net Sales Total Expenses PAT EPS FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 (Source : JVCS RESEARCH) 297 329 557 544 272 303 404 504 7. 27 7. 9 22 14 4. 73 4. 94 5. 20 6. 60 SEPTEMBER 02’2009 JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD. INDUSTRY PROFILEIndian Luggage industry is currently undergoing a consolidation phase. The luggage market comprises of three segments: the premium segment with 15% of total market share, the popular segment and the standard segment. VIP Industries is the most dominant player in the premium segment with a market share of 44% in popular segment The luggage market is dominated by the unorganized sector with 5% market share. Northern & western India are the biggest markets in the industry. The organized sector (8%) is growing at lesser pace when compared to the unorganized sector (25%) 50 200 150 100 50 0 I nde x e d Sa l e s Tr e nds BUSINESS UPDATES: In the moulded furniture segment, VIP industries enjoys a small market share, where the company has a huge potential to grow in this business. The company is now able to get the orders from Pune and is able to successfully execute the same in time. During the year, VIP industries has strengthened its distribution hold by significantly increasing its market presence through opening of new shops for Aristocrat & Alfa Brands across the countries. This will significantly contribute in the balance sheets of the company.J u n à ¢â‚¬â€œ 08 M a r – 08 D e c – 08 M a r – 09 S e p – 08 J u n – 09 FINANCIAL FORECAST: (Rs cr) Earning Estimates Particulars Mar ‘09 June’09 117 118 8. 5 3. 6 4. 30 -0. 3 1. 0 0. 34 205 172 32 4. 2 29. 9 5. 6 20. 1 7. 10 Sep’09E 112 102 11 4. 0 10 -. 7 4. 9 1. 6 Dec’09E 151 129 24 3. 0 25 4. 8 12. 8 5. 1 25 20 15 10 5 0 I nd e x e d Pr o fi t Tr e nds Net Sales Total Expenditure PBIDT Depreciation PBT 08 08 ar -0 -0 ar -0 n- p- D ec Ju M Se M Ju n- 09 -5 Tax PAT EPS (Source : JVCS RESEARCH) 8 20 10 0 8 9 †¢ 08 08 ar -0 -0 ar -0 n- p- D ec JuSe Ju n- 09 – 10 8 8 9 In Q1FY10, the company has posted a turnaround result for the quarter. Net profit for the quarter under review clocked at Rs20cr compared to Rs 1cr only. Healthy performance was due to spurted growth in operating profit by 640bps to 10. 4% % 33% fall in interest cost. During H1CY09, the company has launched school bags section priced range between Rs 3 00 & Rs 900 and it aims to sell 70000 bags by the end of FY10. The company is planning to expand its retail network in FY10 as the rentals have touched almost bottom.To grab the change in consumer trend, the company has launched two models with different ranges in hard luggage system. VIP has slashed prices following the decline in prices of raw materials. †¢ Operating Margin Net Margin M M JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD. OUTLOOK The luggage industry is expected to grow in the current scenario with the factors like: †¢ †¢ Improved travels on month on month basis, passengers carried by various domestic airlines grew by 27% Introduction of new lighter hard luggage with using polycarbonate as basic input. RISK & CONCERNSA major area of concern for the company is its dependence on China to produce most of the soft luggage. The recent changes in the economic scenario in the world along with the new labour regulations in China and the slowdown of production in China poses a mi x of opportunity in terms of reduction of rates but also the threat of rate increases. For hard luggage, the prices of major raw materials have come down in the last quarter thereby the company may get the cost advantage with more scope of better margins. RECOMMENDATION: Currently the stock is trading at a P/E of 14. 9x with an EPS of 8. 10, we maintain a buy on the stock. EPS for CY09 is expected to Rs 14. 19 as company returns back to profitability. Taking the historical P/E of 15x, we arrive at a price target of Rs 212 for a time horizon of 610 months. The price volume trend analysis depicts that the stock is moving in some strong hands. Increasing volumes by major institutional investors gives a clean picture of their keen interest in VIP Industries hence we expect the stock to give handsome returns of more than 80% in next 6 months. JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD.Research Desk Sajiv Dhawan Ashit Suri Sanjeev Kapoor Narendra Singh Rajeev Kumar Satyendra Singh Bijaya Swain General E nquiries Managing Director Head of Research Trading Desk Trading Desk Trading Desk Back Office Accounts Dept Tel: 011- 41654860 [email  protected] com [email  protected] com 011-41654860 011-41654861 011-41654862 [email  protected] com 011-41654874 / 75 [email  protected] com RISK PROFILE: Low Risk: Fundamentally Sound companies, with low beta. Expected market out-performance is 0—10% Medium Risk: Expected market out-performance is 10-20%.Preferably for the Investors with a maximum time frame of 6 months. High Risk: High Beta Stocks, expected market out-performance is more than 20%, Preferably for the investors willing to take advantage of market momentum and are aggressive in nature. Disclaimer Appendix This document has been prepared by the Research Desk of M/s JV Capital Services Pvt. Ltd and is meant for use of the recipient Ltd. only and is not for circulation. This document is not to be reported or copied or made available to others. It should not be considered to be taken as an offer to sell or a solicitation to support any security.The information contained herein is obtained and collated from sources believed reliable and we do not represent it as accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. The opinion expressed or estimates made are as per the best judgment as applicable at that point of time and are subject to change without any notice. JVCS Pvt. Ltd. along with its associated companies/ officers/employees may or may not, have positions in, or support and sell securities referred to herein. Investors are advised to maintain strict stop loss. JV CAPITAL SERVICES