Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and Assignment

Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and that can apply to each members business - Assignment Example The Landslide Limousine Company will have to recruit knowledgeable and innovative employees and provide incentives to them. Hence, it will be significant to utilize the performance incentives to stimulate growth and remain competitive in the competitive limousine service. Limousine service entails offering the customer the best service. The employees are important in service delivery, and the employers should accord them the privileges such as rest as contained in the Federal Motor Carriers Safety. In order to avoid the high employee turnover, the Landslide Limousine Company will have to utilize merit pay to motivate employees. The company can utilize the number of referrals, as well as, customers surveys as a basis for offering the workers pay on merit package. It is noteworthy that the critical goal of merit pay entails linking the pay to the performance in a way, which is reliable with the operations of the business (2011). The compensation of the workforce will encourage the individual employee to work to attain greater performance. In essence, the pay on merit will stimulate the engagement levels of the employees, as well as, keep them satisfied with the

Star Newspaper Business Study

Star Newspaper Business Study COMPANY BACKGROUND Companys history The Star was first published regionally in George Town, Penang on the 9th of September, 1971. The Star went to become a national newspaper on Jan 3, 1976, when it set up an office in Kuala Lumpur. To adapt a growing staff and a new press incorporating the latest technology, it moved its headquarters from Kuala Lumpur to its present premises in Petaling Jaya in 1981. The Star created histor y on June 23, 1995 when it became the first Malaysian newspaper and the third in Asia to launch a World Wide Web edition. In addition to that, The Star also achieved a new milestone in its corporate history in the same year by being listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. In the year 2000, The Star relocated in stages to its very own 17 storey premises, Menara Star in Section 16, Petaling Jaya. In January 2002, The Stars new printing plant, Star Media Hub was officially opened by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi in Shah Alam, Selangor. The Star also has a new office and printing plant, Star Northern Hub in Bayan Lepas, Penang. About The Star and Sunday Star The Star weekday paper is packaged as a 4-in-1 paper, comprising the Main Paper, StarBiz and StarTwo. The Main Paper covers the latest in regional, national and as well as international news while StarBiz offers a comprehensive coverage of local and international financial news such as market trends, financial reports and latest market updates. StarTwo features articles on lifestyle, entertainment, health, parenting, social issues and et cetera. Every Sunday, there is an additional section known as Sunday Star. For the Sunday Star, it covers current local and as well as worldwide news. Apart from that, Sunday Star also contains an educational section where careers, further education, exams tips and various comments are featured within. Board of Directors The current Executive Deputy Chairman of Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad is Dato Clement Hii Chii Kok whereas the Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer is Datin Linda Ngiam Pick Ngoh. There are two Executive Director in the company which is Tan Sri Datuk Seri Kamal Mohamed Hashim and Mr. Ng Beng Lye. And the Group Editorial / Education Advisor is Dato Ng Poh Tip. Groups Financial Highlights The revenue of the company as at 31 December 2008 is RM 831,040,000. Profit before tax is RM201, 463,000 whereas the profit after tax is RM138, 701,000 which show that the tax expense is RM 62,762,000. Political and Legal Environment There is one law in Malaysia that protects media freedom that is Article 10 of the Constitution. It also notes that there are limits to this freedom, and that these limits are, generally, defined by the Government. The constitution provides freedom for speech of the press. However, some important legal limitations exist. According to the government, it forced restrictions on the media to protect national security, public order, and friendly relations with other countries. The law that provides legislation in the interest of security or public order may restrict freedom of speech. Example, Sedition Act prohibits public comment on issues sensitive such as racial and religious matters. Government used Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, criminal defamation laws, and other laws to limit and threaten political speech. As for Printing Presses and Publications Act, it requires local and foreign publications to apply annually to the government for a permit. This is to make publication of wicked news a punishable offense and authorized the minister of internal security to ban or restrict publications believed to threaten public order, morality, or national security. Besides, it also prohibits court challenges to delay or revocation of publication permits. According to the government, these conditions make sure that the media did not spread twisted news and were necessary to preserve harmony and promote peaceful in a multiracial country. Criminal defamation is punishable by a maximum of two years in jail, a fine, or both. This is along with the government power over annual license renewal and other policies inhibited independent or investigative journalism and resulted in widespread self-censorship. Government had banned some foreign newspapers and magazines and, occasionally, covered up foreign magazines or newspapers. Furthermore, you could point to the guarantees under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) if you want to impress the crowd which covers broadcasting and Internet. The guarantees under this act are no monopoly or oligopoly control of the airwaves and nothing in the Act is to be regarded as censorship of the Internet. No monopoly or oligopoly control of the airwaves is that no group of companies should own enough of the radio and television stations to prevent listeners and viewers from having a choice of material. So far is all good but they have not seen it put into practice as yet. As for censorship of the Internet, it is a bit more of a problem. Although there is not any censorship or control of the Internet under this Act, doesnt mean there isnt any censorship of the Internet. Internet access was widely available and internet subscriptions totalled approximately 13.5 million at the end of 2006. However, criminal offence and preventive detention laws generated some self censorship from local Internet content sources. Examples are bloggers, Internet news providers and NGO campaigners. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) shut down 11 Web sites for breaking rules and regulations concerning the publication of information on the Internet. Neither the MCMC nor the government released the names of the 11 Web sites. The CMA requires certain Internet and other network service providers to obtain a license. Previously, the government stated that it did not intend to enforce controls on Internet use but that it would punish the misuse of information technology. The CMA permits punishment of the owner of a Web site or blog for allowing content of a racial, religious, or political nature that a court deems offensive. Besides that, almost all the newspaper companies are under a political control. This is where the politician uses the publications to spread their news to the public. The biggest press group was Media Prima which is owned by Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad which has close ties with the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and government. Media Prima owns the leading English-language newspaper The New Straits Times, the second biggest Malaysia-language paper Berita Harian, Malay Mail, Harian Metro and the ShinMin Daily News. In addition, Media Prima owns four terrestrial TV channels. However, the acquirement of Nanyang from MCA two years ago which is 2005 has since setup its monopoly in Chinese media. Sin Chew Media Group was being owned by the timber tycoon, Tiong Hiew King. He already corners about 90% of the Chinese language newspaper market, with his control of Sin Chew ,which publishes Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily, and Nanyang Holdings, which has Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press. As for The Star, it was owned by MCA while MIC owned Malaysia Nanban. Economic environment 2009 will bound to be a very challenging year for Malaysia, although Malaysias economy is holding up pretty well this year. The first half of 2009 is expected to be a very tough period for Malaysia. The impact on Malaysia this year has somehow been cushioned but many are beginning to feel the economic downturn towards the year-end. Since the beginning of the global economic crisis, much has been said and published about its economic and financial impact, but relatively little has been said about the socio-economic impact. While it is not difficult to observe the direct and often immediate unpleasant social impact of the crisis, little is known about their indirect and long-term effect on the countrys human development and social capital potential which are increasingly acknowledged in developing economies as a critical factor for sustainable development. Economic pressures are becoming the primary forces determining the behaviour of Malaysian newspaper companies. It is increasingly clear that the responses of some newspaper managers are affecting journalistic quality, producing practices that reduce the social value of newspaper content and that redirect the atten ­tion of newspaper workforce from journalism to activities primarily related to the business interests of the press. This situation has promoted encouraged self-interested behaviour aimed at exploiting market potential, and there is a growing conflict between the role of newspapers as servants of readers and the exploitation of readers to seek additional com ­mercial gain. It should not be surprising that the public increasingly sees the press as just another business that is more concerned with its own economic interests than with the broader interests of those it purports to serve. This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent. The graph above shows the overall performance of Malaysian in economy. We can see the economy started to drop from the middle for second quarter of 2008 till 2009. (Source: CIA World Fact book, September 17, 2009) The print media is already feeling the pinch of the economic downturn. Newspaper adex has fallen for four consecutive months from October to January 2009. In January, newspaper adex declined 4% year on year to RM258.6 million while total adex for the media industry as a whole (TV, radio and print) inched up 2% year to year. This means that newspaper companies suffered a bigger blow than other media channels. As an open economy, Malaysia was badly affected by the global financial crisis and economic downturn. The major decline in exports, in turn, affected domestic demand. Thus, economic growth contracted 6.2% in the first quarter of 2009. However, the decline narrowed to 3.9% in the second quarter, assisted by speedy and effective operation of stimulus packages as well as monetary easing. Economic performance is expected to improve in the second half of the year, supported by counter-cyclical measures and reinforced by stabilization in the global economic environment. As such, the economy is expected to turn around in the fourth quarter, though for the year it is estimated to contract 3%. The current environment exists as the Malaysian newspaper industry faces an uncertain future because of inactive markets, increasing competition from other media for audience attention, use by progressively smaller portions of the population and changes in advertiser media choices. It is a common view that the newspaper business is elastic because people read the papers every day, regardless of the economic climate. People want to know the latest happenings in good times and bad. It is expected to see a slowing down in adex in this year, 2009, with the absence of any major events, together with the weakening economic climate. The lower economic growth forecast has an effect on the newspaper industry including advertising. Last years growth was driven by worldly TV adex (up 20%), newspaper (8%), radio (21%) and point-of- sale (28%). Malaysia Advertising Expenditure Trends Year 1997 to 2008 Circulation Generally, there is a total newspaper circulation rise since 1998. The actual figure in appendix for 2008 should have rose higher though if the data from Nanyang, Malay Mail and Weekend Mail are included. Newsprint has not dead yet and will co-exist with online media. The circulation growth has been steadily all these years which contributed by the increase of the population and the knowledge of society. There are a few online news portals which without print circulation have been gaining huge popularity since last year. This creating a strong competition in online space compared to the print circulation. In English newsprint, The Star is still far ahead of everyone. As for The Sun, it considers that it offers free controlled circulation. Competition in Malay circulation is only reserved for the big three which similar to the online scenario shown in figure 2 at appendix. Harian Metro is gaining popularity in recent years. This had posed a challenged to Utusan Malaysias top position. Another famous trend in the Malay segment is newspaper sales on weekends are generally much higher than working days. Societal About three million Malaysians visited local online news portals daily in March this year, compared with 2.5 million in the same month last year, according to comScore Media Metrix (digital marketing research company). While the figures quoted in May edition of OnMedia, OmicomMediaGroups industry newsletter, were based on average daily readership for the online news sites over the past year from March 2008 to February 2009. In total, the average daily readership for local news portals for that period was about 2.8 million. Malaysiakini led online English news sites with 91,943 average daily visitors over the past year. In second place was The Star Online with 74,417 readers a day. Malaysia-Today.net registered 12,948 readers daily, putting it in third place. The New Straits Times Online came in fourth with an average of 16,871 readers a day. However, in fifth place was theedgedaily.com, the website of The Edge Malaysia, which averaged 3,844 readers daily over the past year. However, according to Google Analytics which monitors online site traffic, since its relaunch in March this year as theedgemalaysia.com, the site has averaged around 14,000 readers daily. For the Malay-language online portals, Utusan Malaysia Online led with an average daily readership of 70,641 over the past year. It was followed by Berita Harian Online which averaged 55,764 readers a day for the past year. myMetro (the website of Harian Metro) averaged 51,767 readers daily, placing it third. ChinaPress dotCom was the most popular of the Chinese-language online news portals with an average of 29,950 readers a day. It was closely followed by nanyang.com which averaged 27,168 a day, and Sinchew-i which received an average of 23,779 readers a day. Key points that emerged from the study, if price were not a factor and if their choice was restricted to paper, online, e-paper and mobile devices. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of respondents would pick traditional newspapers as their first choice for news consumption. While, twenty-nine percent (29%) would make online sources their first choice, with the remaining twenty percent (2%) opting for e-paper or mobile devices first. The gap between traditional newspapers and online was, however, significantly smaller for younger respondents. Both consumers and advertisers have demonstrated a willingness to pay more for high value, topic-specific publications than they would for newspapers providing general news only, wrote authors Marieke van der Donk and Marcel Fenez in the reports executive summary. Financial readers were willing to buy financial online content for 97% as much as they would pay for a traditional paper. Meanwhile, sports fanatics would pay as much as 77% as they would for a traditional paper, for an online edition that focused on sports. The study showed newspapers are still the major sources of news and information for consumers, with survey respondents listing almost equally television, the Internet, and newspapers (free and paid) as their main source of news and information. Moreover, all 4,900 respondents were willing to pay for the general print news content. This is not to say that newspapers should not make the move online, said the report. Over 60% of respondents were willing to pay for general online news. Furthermore, based on the reports findings, a key future trend is the willingness of younger readers to pay for online content. According to the report, newspapers have been able to earn readers trust and loyalty, thus giving them the opportunity to both lead and follow audiences as they migrate online and into the use of portable electronic media like mobile devices. It also noted that although the rapid adoption of the Internet and mobile technology have created a market for mobile devices, especially for those under 35, they are low on the list of preferences for accessing information because of the difficulty of reading content on these devices. Malaysians are not giving up newspapers for the Internet. This research based on the data sourced from Nielsen Media Index from 2006 to 2008. It shows that newspaper consumption levels held steady all through 2008 despite the rise in Internet consumption. Malaysian newspaper consumption holds steady despite Internet. Its written by Emily Tan, Tuesday, 01 September 2009 at 11:24.While the average time a Malaysian spends online has increased by 24% from three hours a day in 2006 to three hours and 46 minutes a day in 2008, the average time spent reading a newspaper has held steady at 49 minutes in the same time span. There is no sign that Malaysians are shifting from newspapers to the Internet, said the report published in PHDs August newsletter — PHD Pioneering. PHD is a media service agency under the Omnicom Media Group. The PHD study found that Malaysians over the age of 30 spend more time reading newspapers and its about 50 minutes daily, while the teenagers and young adults read for about half an hour on average per day. A few online news portals that without print circulation have been gaining a huge popularity since last year, creating a stiff competition in online space compared to the print circulation. As for English newsprint, The Star is still well ahead of everyone, considering The Sun offers free controlled circulation. Newspaper readership in Peninsular Malaysia for the fourth quarter of last year (4Q08) grew about two percentage (2%) points to 55% from 52.9% in the same period in 2007, possibly in tandem with population growth of those aged 15 and above. Bahasa dailies seemed to have gained the most from the slight increase in newspaper readership, growing from 26.8% to 29.3% in the fourth quarter. English dailies saw marginal growth of 0.3 percentage point while Chinese and Tamil dailies saw a drop of 0.2 and 0.4 percentage point correspondingly. This is written by Aznita Ahmad Pharmy, Thursday, 05 March 2009, at 17:44. Technology On the other hand, the media industry is challenged by the rapidly changing environment, birth of new digital technologies and advertising money diverting to new media platforms on the internet. The local media industry has yet to capitalize on the full potential of the internet which will remain the fastest and the next powerful media platform, globally. Largely driving this change is technological development but the industry is also being affected by the impact of globalization of media ownership, the phenomenal growth of the internet, and other ambient media such as outdoor, point of sale, television, bus and taxi sites. The process of creating media strategies has become more complex and dynamic with the introduction of very highly developed software designed to optimize media selection against an unending range of criteria. There is a growing movement away from the use of simple age sex demographics for most media assumptions and an increasing appreciation of the need for a more holistic understanding of current and potential customers, including characteristics such as media usage, buyer behaviour, attitudes, lifestyles and interests. According to Nielsen Media Index, while mainstream media continues to control the Malaysian media scene, the internet is fast catching up. There was a double growth in internet penetration which reaching up to two out of ten people compared to five years ago. The executive director for Nielsen Media Research Malaysia, Andrea Douglas said that internet will become a more important part of the media mix with its continuous growth in the market. She added that Malaysians are decided to go on online news for faster and constant updates. This can be seen by the 35% growth in online newspaper readership over a year, reaching one million readers. Those who only read news online exclusive online newspaper readers, it grew from 55,000 to 70,000 in 2008. The index signified a 21% increase in internet users with almost four out of ten users spending one to two hours on the internet every day. Increasing internet penetration goes hand-in-hand with increased Internet usage. However, news seekers have not abandoned the traditional medium as nine in 10 readers still obtain their news through a hard copy. Apart from more common features such as email, surfing and information gathering, the popular activities for citizen are online TV/music/games (47%), followed by message/chat/blogging (45%) and reading newspaper/magazines (35%). Within the Top 10 categories, nine categories advertised online but the spending only between less than 1% and 3% of the total budget online. Newspaper industry players have to constantly evolve themselves to stay ahead by improving technology and addressing readers preferences. The second Finance Minister, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop urged the industry to play actively its role by involving themselves in developing the digital medium instead of ignoring it. He said it in his keynote address at the Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association forum. Nor Mohamed said that with the online global reach, publish news about the countrys development became faster and easier. He added that to promote Malaysia as a developing and stable nation to potential foreign investors, information reported must be accurate. This image would be able to attract more foreign investments and visitors in Malaysia. As for Group M chief executive officer, Henry Tan said that as technology drove change, consumers, media, media agencies and clients were changing as well. New generation was created by new technology while new media structure and ownership will strengthen competition. The role of media agencies has expanded to more than just planning and buying media spots. Agencies also have to recognize changes in clients and deal with each one differently. Dow Jones Asia-Pacific sales director, Mark Hollands said change was not uncommon in the print media which comprised it to be better and more efficient. Potential new revenue stream and the branding improvement from a strong online presence in the combination of global trend, these have seen that local traditional news organizations begin to put more resources on the online platform. Besides, they also hired people who recognize the benefits of Web 2.0 applications such as social networking site Facebook, and Twitter, the so-called SMS of the Internet. The growing popularity of online news sites where readers can read for free is one reason decision-makers at traditional news organizations find it very hard to raise cover prices for their printing product. A drop in circulation numbers directly impacts the advertising rate which a publication commands. According to the On Media newsletter, the circulation numbers from Nielsen Media Research signified online news portals have not affected print newspaper that much though online readership has increased rapidly over the past year. At present, online news sites still do not enjoy the level of loyalty and commitment shown by readers to newsprint. Online readership tends to change based on economic, political and social events, said the newsletter. Based on Nielsen Media Research and Com Score, the newsletter concluded that readers spend less time reading online news than print. About three million Malaysians visited local online news portals daily in March this year, compared with 2.5 million in the same month last year according to ComScore Media Metrix, a digital marketing research company. The average daily readership for local news portals for that period was about 2.8 million. Malaysiankini led online English news sites average daily visitors over the past year. As for The Star Online was placing second. Utusan Malaysia Online led Malay-language online followed by Berita Harian Online. As for the Chinese-language online news portals, ChinaPress dotcom was the most popular. There are more on societal changes. Managing director of Omnicom Media Group, Andreas Vogiatzakis said that newsprint have little to fear from online news portals. He said that newspapers must learn to pull on their online portals to add value and enhance their offerings to the consumer. The industry has seen a decline in newspaper adex over the past three years, from 58% in 2006 to 54% 2008 said the Nielsen Co Malaysia executive director Andrea Douglas. She said that the reasons for these changes are difficult to said but some categories have changed their spending patterns. There has been a decline in residential ad spending due to the economic downturn and this category is almost fully print advertising. The web has introduced new advertising potential and new media that could be eroding the traditional print share. According to Nielsen Media Research, newspaper in Malaysia has a mainly younger readership, with 65 per cent below 40 and 35 per cent of its readers are above 40 years. Percentage of newspaper readership between 20-29 age is the highest while the age between 50-54 is the lowest percentage of newspaper readership. According to Nielsen Media Research, newspaper in Malaysia has a mainly younger readership, with 62 per cent below 40 and 38 per cent of its readers are above 40 years. Percentage of newspaper readership between 20-29 age is the highest while the age between 50-54 is the lowest percentage of newspaper readership. The readership of age above 55 years old in 2006 increases 3.5% compared with the readership of age 55 years old in 2005. The old generation between the age of 55 and above are still enthusiastic supporters of newspapers while the younger generation appear to be much in tune with computers and the internet. The newspapers are not only challenged by online websites but also the electronic media having regular updates in the news bulletin. Many youngsters enjoyed reading serious news on the internet rather than from the newspapers. Hence, newspaper publisher should focus on public from the age of 55 and above. According to a statistic from Department of Statistics, Malaysia, the population of Malaysia is increasing. The population of age 15 and below is decreasing every year. The decreasing rate of year 2002 to 2004 is 0.3% whereas the decreasing rate of year 2005 to 2008 is 0.2%. The population of age 64 and above is increasing every year by 0.1 % except for the year 2005 and 2006 which remain same at 4.3%. The same pattern of readership frequency could also be observed among the respondents with different educational backgrounds. According to The Public Awareness of Science and Technology Malaysia 2000, the frequency of newspaper readership continued to be the highest among those with tertiary education where 60.0% of them read the newspaper daily. This was followed by those with secondary education (44.1%) with the lowest frequency (28.1%) among those with primary or lower education. In terms of locality, The Public Awareness of Science and Technology Malaysia 2000 also revealed that 49.3% of the urban respondents read the newspaper daily compared to those in rural areas (39.8%). On the frequency of readership, the opposite situation could also be observed in the other categories (a few times a week, once a week, or seldom). For example, about one-third (32.1%) of the rural respondents and similarly about 34.4% of the urban respondents read newspapers only a few times a week. Identify the rivalry currently exists in the industry in which the company is operating. Are there many competitor or just a few competitor or no competitor? There are many competitors around Star Publication. For instance, Berita Harian, Guang Ming Daily, Sin Chew Jit Poh, The Sun Daily, Utusan Malaysia, and also New Straits Times. The largest Star Publication newspaper competitor is the New straits Times. The sell recommendation of analysts on Star Publications (M) Bhd are the countrys largest and most profitable print media group and as well as other media stocks, such as Media Chinese International Ltd and The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, shows the current negativity on the industrys earnings prospects in the coming quarters, if not years. The Nielsen Media Report shows that Stars gross adex dived 20.6% y-o-y in January. Citi Investment Researchs analyst Alyson Shin has noticed that the page count for classified advertisements, which make up 25% of Stars advertising revenue, has fallen 33% to 40 pages from 60 pages in better times. Alyson Shin mention that Star has raised its advertising rates by an average 4% for both classified and display advertisements for the heavier days which is Wednesday to Saturdays. However, this is unlikely to be sufficient to offset the drop in adex in FY (Financial Year) 2009. Factoring in the 4% ad rate hike, we still forecast adex to contract 12% in FY2009, Alyson Shin comments in a February research report. Over the past two decades, Star has grown by shooting up and bounds in terms of earnings as well as manpower, after its English daily, The Star, overtook its main rival New Straits Times. The groups fixed operating costs have blown up. Its total operating costs that inclusive of printing and the newsprint have been above RM600 million in the past three years. This ascend to RM651.2 million in FY (financial year) 2008 versus revenue of RM831 million and net profit of RM138.9 million. The high fixed cost structure is a blessing for the group when advertisers are fighting for space in the newspaper because of the profit margin is getting bigger as the advertisement relative amount rises. Star has been the case this for over the past 10 years. It is the countrys most profitable newspaper with a handsome pre-tax profit margin of 24.2%, compared with its rival NST (New Strait Times) which manages only 9.5%. NSTP lost much of its thump over the past 25 years, especially on two separate occasions. During Operasi Lalang in October 1987, Star Publications (M) Bhds licence was revoked under a plan to crack down on the opposition leaders and social activists. After Star got back its licence, its readership and circulation surged. According to Nielsen Media Research, as at end-2008, NSTPs flagship newspaper New Straits Times had a readership of 308,000 while New Sunday Times readership stood at 263,000. As at end-June last year, New Straits Times circulation, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, stood at 136,530 while that of New Sunday Times was 156,910. These figures cannot rival that of its main competitor, Star Publications, which had a readership of more than one million for both its daily and Sunday paper. Stars circulation was over 300,000 daily. Are the products/ services offered by company very much different from its competitors in terms of price/feature/others. KUNTUM An educational monthly in Bahasa Malaysia for children ages 6 to 12. In keeping with its Learning is Fun motto, the Kuntum Club organises many fun activities and ho Star Newspaper Business Study Star Newspaper Business Study COMPANY BACKGROUND Companys history The Star was first published regionally in George Town, Penang on the 9th of September, 1971. The Star went to become a national newspaper on Jan 3, 1976, when it set up an office in Kuala Lumpur. To adapt a growing staff and a new press incorporating the latest technology, it moved its headquarters from Kuala Lumpur to its present premises in Petaling Jaya in 1981. The Star created histor y on June 23, 1995 when it became the first Malaysian newspaper and the third in Asia to launch a World Wide Web edition. In addition to that, The Star also achieved a new milestone in its corporate history in the same year by being listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. In the year 2000, The Star relocated in stages to its very own 17 storey premises, Menara Star in Section 16, Petaling Jaya. In January 2002, The Stars new printing plant, Star Media Hub was officially opened by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi in Shah Alam, Selangor. The Star also has a new office and printing plant, Star Northern Hub in Bayan Lepas, Penang. About The Star and Sunday Star The Star weekday paper is packaged as a 4-in-1 paper, comprising the Main Paper, StarBiz and StarTwo. The Main Paper covers the latest in regional, national and as well as international news while StarBiz offers a comprehensive coverage of local and international financial news such as market trends, financial reports and latest market updates. StarTwo features articles on lifestyle, entertainment, health, parenting, social issues and et cetera. Every Sunday, there is an additional section known as Sunday Star. For the Sunday Star, it covers current local and as well as worldwide news. Apart from that, Sunday Star also contains an educational section where careers, further education, exams tips and various comments are featured within. Board of Directors The current Executive Deputy Chairman of Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad is Dato Clement Hii Chii Kok whereas the Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer is Datin Linda Ngiam Pick Ngoh. There are two Executive Director in the company which is Tan Sri Datuk Seri Kamal Mohamed Hashim and Mr. Ng Beng Lye. And the Group Editorial / Education Advisor is Dato Ng Poh Tip. Groups Financial Highlights The revenue of the company as at 31 December 2008 is RM 831,040,000. Profit before tax is RM201, 463,000 whereas the profit after tax is RM138, 701,000 which show that the tax expense is RM 62,762,000. Political and Legal Environment There is one law in Malaysia that protects media freedom that is Article 10 of the Constitution. It also notes that there are limits to this freedom, and that these limits are, generally, defined by the Government. The constitution provides freedom for speech of the press. However, some important legal limitations exist. According to the government, it forced restrictions on the media to protect national security, public order, and friendly relations with other countries. The law that provides legislation in the interest of security or public order may restrict freedom of speech. Example, Sedition Act prohibits public comment on issues sensitive such as racial and religious matters. Government used Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, criminal defamation laws, and other laws to limit and threaten political speech. As for Printing Presses and Publications Act, it requires local and foreign publications to apply annually to the government for a permit. This is to make publication of wicked news a punishable offense and authorized the minister of internal security to ban or restrict publications believed to threaten public order, morality, or national security. Besides, it also prohibits court challenges to delay or revocation of publication permits. According to the government, these conditions make sure that the media did not spread twisted news and were necessary to preserve harmony and promote peaceful in a multiracial country. Criminal defamation is punishable by a maximum of two years in jail, a fine, or both. This is along with the government power over annual license renewal and other policies inhibited independent or investigative journalism and resulted in widespread self-censorship. Government had banned some foreign newspapers and magazines and, occasionally, covered up foreign magazines or newspapers. Furthermore, you could point to the guarantees under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) if you want to impress the crowd which covers broadcasting and Internet. The guarantees under this act are no monopoly or oligopoly control of the airwaves and nothing in the Act is to be regarded as censorship of the Internet. No monopoly or oligopoly control of the airwaves is that no group of companies should own enough of the radio and television stations to prevent listeners and viewers from having a choice of material. So far is all good but they have not seen it put into practice as yet. As for censorship of the Internet, it is a bit more of a problem. Although there is not any censorship or control of the Internet under this Act, doesnt mean there isnt any censorship of the Internet. Internet access was widely available and internet subscriptions totalled approximately 13.5 million at the end of 2006. However, criminal offence and preventive detention laws generated some self censorship from local Internet content sources. Examples are bloggers, Internet news providers and NGO campaigners. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) shut down 11 Web sites for breaking rules and regulations concerning the publication of information on the Internet. Neither the MCMC nor the government released the names of the 11 Web sites. The CMA requires certain Internet and other network service providers to obtain a license. Previously, the government stated that it did not intend to enforce controls on Internet use but that it would punish the misuse of information technology. The CMA permits punishment of the owner of a Web site or blog for allowing content of a racial, religious, or political nature that a court deems offensive. Besides that, almost all the newspaper companies are under a political control. This is where the politician uses the publications to spread their news to the public. The biggest press group was Media Prima which is owned by Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad which has close ties with the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and government. Media Prima owns the leading English-language newspaper The New Straits Times, the second biggest Malaysia-language paper Berita Harian, Malay Mail, Harian Metro and the ShinMin Daily News. In addition, Media Prima owns four terrestrial TV channels. However, the acquirement of Nanyang from MCA two years ago which is 2005 has since setup its monopoly in Chinese media. Sin Chew Media Group was being owned by the timber tycoon, Tiong Hiew King. He already corners about 90% of the Chinese language newspaper market, with his control of Sin Chew ,which publishes Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily, and Nanyang Holdings, which has Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press. As for The Star, it was owned by MCA while MIC owned Malaysia Nanban. Economic environment 2009 will bound to be a very challenging year for Malaysia, although Malaysias economy is holding up pretty well this year. The first half of 2009 is expected to be a very tough period for Malaysia. The impact on Malaysia this year has somehow been cushioned but many are beginning to feel the economic downturn towards the year-end. Since the beginning of the global economic crisis, much has been said and published about its economic and financial impact, but relatively little has been said about the socio-economic impact. While it is not difficult to observe the direct and often immediate unpleasant social impact of the crisis, little is known about their indirect and long-term effect on the countrys human development and social capital potential which are increasingly acknowledged in developing economies as a critical factor for sustainable development. Economic pressures are becoming the primary forces determining the behaviour of Malaysian newspaper companies. It is increasingly clear that the responses of some newspaper managers are affecting journalistic quality, producing practices that reduce the social value of newspaper content and that redirect the atten ­tion of newspaper workforce from journalism to activities primarily related to the business interests of the press. This situation has promoted encouraged self-interested behaviour aimed at exploiting market potential, and there is a growing conflict between the role of newspapers as servants of readers and the exploitation of readers to seek additional com ­mercial gain. It should not be surprising that the public increasingly sees the press as just another business that is more concerned with its own economic interests than with the broader interests of those it purports to serve. This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent. The graph above shows the overall performance of Malaysian in economy. We can see the economy started to drop from the middle for second quarter of 2008 till 2009. (Source: CIA World Fact book, September 17, 2009) The print media is already feeling the pinch of the economic downturn. Newspaper adex has fallen for four consecutive months from October to January 2009. In January, newspaper adex declined 4% year on year to RM258.6 million while total adex for the media industry as a whole (TV, radio and print) inched up 2% year to year. This means that newspaper companies suffered a bigger blow than other media channels. As an open economy, Malaysia was badly affected by the global financial crisis and economic downturn. The major decline in exports, in turn, affected domestic demand. Thus, economic growth contracted 6.2% in the first quarter of 2009. However, the decline narrowed to 3.9% in the second quarter, assisted by speedy and effective operation of stimulus packages as well as monetary easing. Economic performance is expected to improve in the second half of the year, supported by counter-cyclical measures and reinforced by stabilization in the global economic environment. As such, the economy is expected to turn around in the fourth quarter, though for the year it is estimated to contract 3%. The current environment exists as the Malaysian newspaper industry faces an uncertain future because of inactive markets, increasing competition from other media for audience attention, use by progressively smaller portions of the population and changes in advertiser media choices. It is a common view that the newspaper business is elastic because people read the papers every day, regardless of the economic climate. People want to know the latest happenings in good times and bad. It is expected to see a slowing down in adex in this year, 2009, with the absence of any major events, together with the weakening economic climate. The lower economic growth forecast has an effect on the newspaper industry including advertising. Last years growth was driven by worldly TV adex (up 20%), newspaper (8%), radio (21%) and point-of- sale (28%). Malaysia Advertising Expenditure Trends Year 1997 to 2008 Circulation Generally, there is a total newspaper circulation rise since 1998. The actual figure in appendix for 2008 should have rose higher though if the data from Nanyang, Malay Mail and Weekend Mail are included. Newsprint has not dead yet and will co-exist with online media. The circulation growth has been steadily all these years which contributed by the increase of the population and the knowledge of society. There are a few online news portals which without print circulation have been gaining huge popularity since last year. This creating a strong competition in online space compared to the print circulation. In English newsprint, The Star is still far ahead of everyone. As for The Sun, it considers that it offers free controlled circulation. Competition in Malay circulation is only reserved for the big three which similar to the online scenario shown in figure 2 at appendix. Harian Metro is gaining popularity in recent years. This had posed a challenged to Utusan Malaysias top position. Another famous trend in the Malay segment is newspaper sales on weekends are generally much higher than working days. Societal About three million Malaysians visited local online news portals daily in March this year, compared with 2.5 million in the same month last year, according to comScore Media Metrix (digital marketing research company). While the figures quoted in May edition of OnMedia, OmicomMediaGroups industry newsletter, were based on average daily readership for the online news sites over the past year from March 2008 to February 2009. In total, the average daily readership for local news portals for that period was about 2.8 million. Malaysiakini led online English news sites with 91,943 average daily visitors over the past year. In second place was The Star Online with 74,417 readers a day. Malaysia-Today.net registered 12,948 readers daily, putting it in third place. The New Straits Times Online came in fourth with an average of 16,871 readers a day. However, in fifth place was theedgedaily.com, the website of The Edge Malaysia, which averaged 3,844 readers daily over the past year. However, according to Google Analytics which monitors online site traffic, since its relaunch in March this year as theedgemalaysia.com, the site has averaged around 14,000 readers daily. For the Malay-language online portals, Utusan Malaysia Online led with an average daily readership of 70,641 over the past year. It was followed by Berita Harian Online which averaged 55,764 readers a day for the past year. myMetro (the website of Harian Metro) averaged 51,767 readers daily, placing it third. ChinaPress dotCom was the most popular of the Chinese-language online news portals with an average of 29,950 readers a day. It was closely followed by nanyang.com which averaged 27,168 a day, and Sinchew-i which received an average of 23,779 readers a day. Key points that emerged from the study, if price were not a factor and if their choice was restricted to paper, online, e-paper and mobile devices. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of respondents would pick traditional newspapers as their first choice for news consumption. While, twenty-nine percent (29%) would make online sources their first choice, with the remaining twenty percent (2%) opting for e-paper or mobile devices first. The gap between traditional newspapers and online was, however, significantly smaller for younger respondents. Both consumers and advertisers have demonstrated a willingness to pay more for high value, topic-specific publications than they would for newspapers providing general news only, wrote authors Marieke van der Donk and Marcel Fenez in the reports executive summary. Financial readers were willing to buy financial online content for 97% as much as they would pay for a traditional paper. Meanwhile, sports fanatics would pay as much as 77% as they would for a traditional paper, for an online edition that focused on sports. The study showed newspapers are still the major sources of news and information for consumers, with survey respondents listing almost equally television, the Internet, and newspapers (free and paid) as their main source of news and information. Moreover, all 4,900 respondents were willing to pay for the general print news content. This is not to say that newspapers should not make the move online, said the report. Over 60% of respondents were willing to pay for general online news. Furthermore, based on the reports findings, a key future trend is the willingness of younger readers to pay for online content. According to the report, newspapers have been able to earn readers trust and loyalty, thus giving them the opportunity to both lead and follow audiences as they migrate online and into the use of portable electronic media like mobile devices. It also noted that although the rapid adoption of the Internet and mobile technology have created a market for mobile devices, especially for those under 35, they are low on the list of preferences for accessing information because of the difficulty of reading content on these devices. Malaysians are not giving up newspapers for the Internet. This research based on the data sourced from Nielsen Media Index from 2006 to 2008. It shows that newspaper consumption levels held steady all through 2008 despite the rise in Internet consumption. Malaysian newspaper consumption holds steady despite Internet. Its written by Emily Tan, Tuesday, 01 September 2009 at 11:24.While the average time a Malaysian spends online has increased by 24% from three hours a day in 2006 to three hours and 46 minutes a day in 2008, the average time spent reading a newspaper has held steady at 49 minutes in the same time span. There is no sign that Malaysians are shifting from newspapers to the Internet, said the report published in PHDs August newsletter — PHD Pioneering. PHD is a media service agency under the Omnicom Media Group. The PHD study found that Malaysians over the age of 30 spend more time reading newspapers and its about 50 minutes daily, while the teenagers and young adults read for about half an hour on average per day. A few online news portals that without print circulation have been gaining a huge popularity since last year, creating a stiff competition in online space compared to the print circulation. As for English newsprint, The Star is still well ahead of everyone, considering The Sun offers free controlled circulation. Newspaper readership in Peninsular Malaysia for the fourth quarter of last year (4Q08) grew about two percentage (2%) points to 55% from 52.9% in the same period in 2007, possibly in tandem with population growth of those aged 15 and above. Bahasa dailies seemed to have gained the most from the slight increase in newspaper readership, growing from 26.8% to 29.3% in the fourth quarter. English dailies saw marginal growth of 0.3 percentage point while Chinese and Tamil dailies saw a drop of 0.2 and 0.4 percentage point correspondingly. This is written by Aznita Ahmad Pharmy, Thursday, 05 March 2009, at 17:44. Technology On the other hand, the media industry is challenged by the rapidly changing environment, birth of new digital technologies and advertising money diverting to new media platforms on the internet. The local media industry has yet to capitalize on the full potential of the internet which will remain the fastest and the next powerful media platform, globally. Largely driving this change is technological development but the industry is also being affected by the impact of globalization of media ownership, the phenomenal growth of the internet, and other ambient media such as outdoor, point of sale, television, bus and taxi sites. The process of creating media strategies has become more complex and dynamic with the introduction of very highly developed software designed to optimize media selection against an unending range of criteria. There is a growing movement away from the use of simple age sex demographics for most media assumptions and an increasing appreciation of the need for a more holistic understanding of current and potential customers, including characteristics such as media usage, buyer behaviour, attitudes, lifestyles and interests. According to Nielsen Media Index, while mainstream media continues to control the Malaysian media scene, the internet is fast catching up. There was a double growth in internet penetration which reaching up to two out of ten people compared to five years ago. The executive director for Nielsen Media Research Malaysia, Andrea Douglas said that internet will become a more important part of the media mix with its continuous growth in the market. She added that Malaysians are decided to go on online news for faster and constant updates. This can be seen by the 35% growth in online newspaper readership over a year, reaching one million readers. Those who only read news online exclusive online newspaper readers, it grew from 55,000 to 70,000 in 2008. The index signified a 21% increase in internet users with almost four out of ten users spending one to two hours on the internet every day. Increasing internet penetration goes hand-in-hand with increased Internet usage. However, news seekers have not abandoned the traditional medium as nine in 10 readers still obtain their news through a hard copy. Apart from more common features such as email, surfing and information gathering, the popular activities for citizen are online TV/music/games (47%), followed by message/chat/blogging (45%) and reading newspaper/magazines (35%). Within the Top 10 categories, nine categories advertised online but the spending only between less than 1% and 3% of the total budget online. Newspaper industry players have to constantly evolve themselves to stay ahead by improving technology and addressing readers preferences. The second Finance Minister, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop urged the industry to play actively its role by involving themselves in developing the digital medium instead of ignoring it. He said it in his keynote address at the Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association forum. Nor Mohamed said that with the online global reach, publish news about the countrys development became faster and easier. He added that to promote Malaysia as a developing and stable nation to potential foreign investors, information reported must be accurate. This image would be able to attract more foreign investments and visitors in Malaysia. As for Group M chief executive officer, Henry Tan said that as technology drove change, consumers, media, media agencies and clients were changing as well. New generation was created by new technology while new media structure and ownership will strengthen competition. The role of media agencies has expanded to more than just planning and buying media spots. Agencies also have to recognize changes in clients and deal with each one differently. Dow Jones Asia-Pacific sales director, Mark Hollands said change was not uncommon in the print media which comprised it to be better and more efficient. Potential new revenue stream and the branding improvement from a strong online presence in the combination of global trend, these have seen that local traditional news organizations begin to put more resources on the online platform. Besides, they also hired people who recognize the benefits of Web 2.0 applications such as social networking site Facebook, and Twitter, the so-called SMS of the Internet. The growing popularity of online news sites where readers can read for free is one reason decision-makers at traditional news organizations find it very hard to raise cover prices for their printing product. A drop in circulation numbers directly impacts the advertising rate which a publication commands. According to the On Media newsletter, the circulation numbers from Nielsen Media Research signified online news portals have not affected print newspaper that much though online readership has increased rapidly over the past year. At present, online news sites still do not enjoy the level of loyalty and commitment shown by readers to newsprint. Online readership tends to change based on economic, political and social events, said the newsletter. Based on Nielsen Media Research and Com Score, the newsletter concluded that readers spend less time reading online news than print. About three million Malaysians visited local online news portals daily in March this year, compared with 2.5 million in the same month last year according to ComScore Media Metrix, a digital marketing research company. The average daily readership for local news portals for that period was about 2.8 million. Malaysiankini led online English news sites average daily visitors over the past year. As for The Star Online was placing second. Utusan Malaysia Online led Malay-language online followed by Berita Harian Online. As for the Chinese-language online news portals, ChinaPress dotcom was the most popular. There are more on societal changes. Managing director of Omnicom Media Group, Andreas Vogiatzakis said that newsprint have little to fear from online news portals. He said that newspapers must learn to pull on their online portals to add value and enhance their offerings to the consumer. The industry has seen a decline in newspaper adex over the past three years, from 58% in 2006 to 54% 2008 said the Nielsen Co Malaysia executive director Andrea Douglas. She said that the reasons for these changes are difficult to said but some categories have changed their spending patterns. There has been a decline in residential ad spending due to the economic downturn and this category is almost fully print advertising. The web has introduced new advertising potential and new media that could be eroding the traditional print share. According to Nielsen Media Research, newspaper in Malaysia has a mainly younger readership, with 65 per cent below 40 and 35 per cent of its readers are above 40 years. Percentage of newspaper readership between 20-29 age is the highest while the age between 50-54 is the lowest percentage of newspaper readership. According to Nielsen Media Research, newspaper in Malaysia has a mainly younger readership, with 62 per cent below 40 and 38 per cent of its readers are above 40 years. Percentage of newspaper readership between 20-29 age is the highest while the age between 50-54 is the lowest percentage of newspaper readership. The readership of age above 55 years old in 2006 increases 3.5% compared with the readership of age 55 years old in 2005. The old generation between the age of 55 and above are still enthusiastic supporters of newspapers while the younger generation appear to be much in tune with computers and the internet. The newspapers are not only challenged by online websites but also the electronic media having regular updates in the news bulletin. Many youngsters enjoyed reading serious news on the internet rather than from the newspapers. Hence, newspaper publisher should focus on public from the age of 55 and above. According to a statistic from Department of Statistics, Malaysia, the population of Malaysia is increasing. The population of age 15 and below is decreasing every year. The decreasing rate of year 2002 to 2004 is 0.3% whereas the decreasing rate of year 2005 to 2008 is 0.2%. The population of age 64 and above is increasing every year by 0.1 % except for the year 2005 and 2006 which remain same at 4.3%. The same pattern of readership frequency could also be observed among the respondents with different educational backgrounds. According to The Public Awareness of Science and Technology Malaysia 2000, the frequency of newspaper readership continued to be the highest among those with tertiary education where 60.0% of them read the newspaper daily. This was followed by those with secondary education (44.1%) with the lowest frequency (28.1%) among those with primary or lower education. In terms of locality, The Public Awareness of Science and Technology Malaysia 2000 also revealed that 49.3% of the urban respondents read the newspaper daily compared to those in rural areas (39.8%). On the frequency of readership, the opposite situation could also be observed in the other categories (a few times a week, once a week, or seldom). For example, about one-third (32.1%) of the rural respondents and similarly about 34.4% of the urban respondents read newspapers only a few times a week. Identify the rivalry currently exists in the industry in which the company is operating. Are there many competitor or just a few competitor or no competitor? There are many competitors around Star Publication. For instance, Berita Harian, Guang Ming Daily, Sin Chew Jit Poh, The Sun Daily, Utusan Malaysia, and also New Straits Times. The largest Star Publication newspaper competitor is the New straits Times. The sell recommendation of analysts on Star Publications (M) Bhd are the countrys largest and most profitable print media group and as well as other media stocks, such as Media Chinese International Ltd and The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, shows the current negativity on the industrys earnings prospects in the coming quarters, if not years. The Nielsen Media Report shows that Stars gross adex dived 20.6% y-o-y in January. Citi Investment Researchs analyst Alyson Shin has noticed that the page count for classified advertisements, which make up 25% of Stars advertising revenue, has fallen 33% to 40 pages from 60 pages in better times. Alyson Shin mention that Star has raised its advertising rates by an average 4% for both classified and display advertisements for the heavier days which is Wednesday to Saturdays. However, this is unlikely to be sufficient to offset the drop in adex in FY (Financial Year) 2009. Factoring in the 4% ad rate hike, we still forecast adex to contract 12% in FY2009, Alyson Shin comments in a February research report. Over the past two decades, Star has grown by shooting up and bounds in terms of earnings as well as manpower, after its English daily, The Star, overtook its main rival New Straits Times. The groups fixed operating costs have blown up. Its total operating costs that inclusive of printing and the newsprint have been above RM600 million in the past three years. This ascend to RM651.2 million in FY (financial year) 2008 versus revenue of RM831 million and net profit of RM138.9 million. The high fixed cost structure is a blessing for the group when advertisers are fighting for space in the newspaper because of the profit margin is getting bigger as the advertisement relative amount rises. Star has been the case this for over the past 10 years. It is the countrys most profitable newspaper with a handsome pre-tax profit margin of 24.2%, compared with its rival NST (New Strait Times) which manages only 9.5%. NSTP lost much of its thump over the past 25 years, especially on two separate occasions. During Operasi Lalang in October 1987, Star Publications (M) Bhds licence was revoked under a plan to crack down on the opposition leaders and social activists. After Star got back its licence, its readership and circulation surged. According to Nielsen Media Research, as at end-2008, NSTPs flagship newspaper New Straits Times had a readership of 308,000 while New Sunday Times readership stood at 263,000. As at end-June last year, New Straits Times circulation, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, stood at 136,530 while that of New Sunday Times was 156,910. These figures cannot rival that of its main competitor, Star Publications, which had a readership of more than one million for both its daily and Sunday paper. Stars circulation was over 300,000 daily. Are the products/ services offered by company very much different from its competitors in terms of price/feature/others. KUNTUM An educational monthly in Bahasa Malaysia for children ages 6 to 12. In keeping with its Learning is Fun motto, the Kuntum Club organises many fun activities and ho

Character Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises Essay

The Character Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises There is a common perception among casual readers--who hasn't heard it voiced?--that Ernest Hemingway did not respect women. The purpose of this essay is to examine one work in such a way as to challenge these heinous assumptions. Hemingway's persona will be left alone. What will be examined is the role of women, as evidenced by Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Rises, and what, if anything, it reveals in the way of settling this account of Hemingway as misogynist. Brett Ashley enjoys a unique position of power in the novel--in today's vernacular, she "wears the pants" in all her relationships. The feminist perspective, no doubt, will find this true, but rapidly move to the conclusion that Brett Ashley's power over men is Hemingway's means of showing what a bitch she is. I'd like to suggest another possibility. Despite Brett's many faults, she is worth loving, and Jake Barnes does just that. Again, the feminist may say, yes he loves her, but as an idol, a doll, a figure admired from afar, as if eternally suspended on a pedestal. I consent that Jake is guilty of this habit, yet; he is always there for her, no matter the pain it inflicts on his self-worth. At the end of the book, when Jake thinks the coast is clear, and he's gathering himself at San Sabastian after much revelry in Pamplona, Brett sends a telegram: COULD YOU COME TO HOTEL MONTANA MADRID AM RATHER IN TROUBLE BRETT. (238) Brett has ditched her intended husband Michael, her lover Robert Cohn, and her number one supporter Jake Barnes, in order to do what? To satisfy herself with a nineteen year old hero of the bull ring. To assuage her fears of aging. For wasn't it pleasant dear, to be ... ...it, and respond accordingly. Hemingway's gift of these characters says to the reader, "Embrace life." That message comes from one who loves people, even when they insist on games and head-trips and violence. Jake is a hero because he grabs the bull by the horns (I know, I know). He could be a pitiful mess of a man, but he is not. He is chivalrous, smart, and well-adjusted. He hurts, and has second thoughts, but he is quick to joke about it. The characters in the novel that show signs of male chauvinism are whipped about by events, and are in no way intended to be admired. Hemingway was no sexist. On the contrary, his work championed the woman's cause, and in Brett Ashley he has given readers a heroine, hell-bent on liberation. Work Cited Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926. Reissued by Collier Books, 1986.

Comparison between Frankenstein and “The Birthmark” Essay

The Industrial Revolution that was happening in the early twilight of the 19th centuries changed the world forever. The introduction of science as a possible cure for all became apparent. Many fascination inventions such as steamboat, cars and electricity were created and the outlook for the future was bright. However, because of this, many scientists turned a blind eye to the dangers of knowledge and unwittingly caused many sorrows in their process to become â€Å"god†. Such examples are introduced in the following two stories: Frankenstein and â€Å"The birthmark†. In both stories, the author created a character that was to symbolize the scientists of the early 19th centuries who believed that anything was possible with science. In â€Å"The Birthmark†, Hawthorne’s character Aylmer tries to remove his wife’s birthmark with his use of science but ends up killing her. While in Frankenstein, the protagonist Victor attempts to use science to create li fe but ends up destroying those there were closest to him. There are many similarities between the two stories, especially between the characteristics of Victor Frankenstein and Aylmer. Both men have a deep passion and love for science that borders on obsession. One of the prevalent themes in both stories is the danger of playing god. In Frankenstein, Victor attempts to go beyond accepted human limits and access the knowledge of life and therefore becoming godlike. The story begins with Walton’s letter to his sister. From the letter, we are introduced to the danger of science. Victor tells Walton, â€Å"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.† (pg 31) The theme of destructive knowledge is then developed further throughout the story as the tragic events and consequences of Victor’s obsession for life is unfold. He cuts himself off from the world and eventually commits himself entirely to his task, â€Å"while I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardour, my cheek has grown pale with study and my person has become emaciated with confinement.† (pg 55) This is similar to what Aylmer went through, â€Å"He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed, and hung over the furnace as if it depended upon his utmost watchfulness†¦ or misery. (pg 70) He was so obsessed about perfection that he forsakes the consequences of his action. Throughout Frankenstein, Victor repeatedly convinced himself that what he is doing is absolutely right and because of this, his fall from grace mirrors those of Aylmer. Both of them have unrealistic goals to achieve and both unintentionally destroy those that are precious to them. For all their similarities, Dr. Frankenstein and Aylmer are still significantly different characters. Victor wants to be god but does not know what to do with the power, â€Å"When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it.† (pg 54) Victor views science as the path to new knowledge: â€Å"in other studies you go as far as others have gone before you†¦ but in scientific pursuit, there is continual food for discovery and wonder.†(pg 52) While Aylmer views science as the path to greater power, â€Å"We know Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man’s ultimate control over nature.†(pg 59) He tries to play god in order to bend the laws of nature and make imperfection to perfection, â€Å"I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless†¦ and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work!† (pg 63) In the end however, it was nature that got the last laugh when the potion that Aylmer gave Georgiana resulted in her death. Both Frankenstein and Aylmer are victims of the destructive fascination for science and nature. Both men try to transcend to godhood and, ultimately, both fail. Perhaps, that is why both Shelley and Hawthorne wrote similar stories in an attempt to illustrate the danger of ambition, science and godhood.

French and Indian War Essay

The French colonies were situated in Canada and their trade and influence reached as far as the Mississippi River. The English colonies were located on the east coast of the Americas. The Appalachian Mountains separated both types of European colonies so there was elbow room for both. Flames began to ignite when war between the mother countries of England and France broke out. Tensions increased when trading and rivalry between two colonies increased. Soon war broke out and it became known as the French and Indian War. Both sides had advantages and disadvantages and there were many lasting effects. The British colonies began to lose in the beginning for many reasons. The colonies were disorganized and many jealousies and disputes arose among them. In addition the colonies’ governors quarreled with their assemblies. The colonies saw themselves, at the time, as trading economic colonies, not an empire or nation. There was no need or want for a military and military organization. The British colonies were unfit to carry out an offensive war. Victory was meek for the colonies but courageous, fearless and heroic generals like Pitt, Amherst, and Wolf helped turn the tide for the British. In addition they began to attack cities instead of forts. The British colonies soon won the war with the Treaty of Paris. The French were incredible and favored victors at the beginning of the war in the Americas. They had a centralized military organization, skillful leaders who ruled with absolute authority, and soldiers inured to war. Of 10 major battles, France won a majority of them. Their location was good. Canada was fortified with vast outworks of defense in the forests, marshes and mountains. They had the help of the Indians who knew the land far better than any European. In Europe, the tide turned for France and soon so did too in the Americas. The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. The details of the treaty provide lasting effects. French power was completely thrown off the continent. However, the French were allowed to retain several islands in the West Indies. France gave Britain all lands east of the Mississippi River allowing the number of frontiers to increase. Spain gave Britain Florida. With all these territorial gains, it paved the road for the British colonies to expand. They soon declared independence from Britain and became America. Americans soon followed â€Å"Manifest Destiny† and America is now what we see as today.

Banking Regulation and Taxation

Banking Regulation and Taxation Banks play a pivotal role in the financial system of any nation. Due to the scope of activities of the banking industry, it is vital for governments to regulate the industry. The global financial crisis portrayed the importance of banks in the financial system of any country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Banking Regulation and Taxation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The collapse of the banking industry led to the ultimate collapse of other industries (Ciro, 2013, p. 84). Governments use taxes as a source of revenue and for regulatory purposes. In the banking industry, governments should use taxation for regulatory purposes. Since the global financial crisis, various governments have introduced various taxes on the financial sector. These taxes are at the domestic and international level. One of the major purposes of these taxes is to increase the Tier 1 capital of banks. This helps in solving the liquidity probl ems that banks may face. In addition, increase in Tier 1 capital enables banks to support their risks (Alworth Arachi, 2012, p. 173). Governments should ensure that there is careful consideration before using taxes for regulatory purposes. It is vital for the government to consider whether banking regulation or taxation would help in achieving the desirable goals. Since banking regulation and taxation should run concurrently, it is vital for the government to consider their interaction. Ideally, these measures should complement each other. Since banking regulation and taxation have various economic costs, it is vital for the government to undertake a cost benefit analysis to determine the most efficient measure. The cost benefit analysis would also help in identifying various problems that these measures may face. This would enable the government to formulate strategies on how to avoid or cope with the problems. It is vital for governments to ensure that they consult relevant banki ng associations before implementing various taxation policies. This would help in determining the most effective tax rate.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, consulting the banking associations would increase banks’ tax compliance (OECD, 2009, p. 117). References Alworth, JS Arachi, G 2012, Taxation and the financial crisis, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Ciro, T 2013, The global financial crisis: Triggers responses and aftermath, Ashgate Publishing, Hants. OECD 2009, Building transparent tax compliance by banks, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Complete List of Mary Higgins Clark Books

Complete List of Mary Higgins Clark Books Mary Higgins Clark began writing short stories as a way to supplement her familys income. After her husband died in 1964, she wrote radio scripts until her agent persuaded her to try to write a novel. When her first novel- a fictional biography of George Washington- didnt sell well, she turned to writing mystery and suspense novels. More than 100 million books later, it is safe to say she made the right choice. All of her suspense novels- some written with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark- have become bestsellers. Mary Higgins Clark is the acknowledged queen of psychological suspense. Here is a list of the books and stories she has written over the years. 1968-1989: The Early Years After the lackluster sales of the fictional biography Aspire to the Heavens, Higgins Clark faced several family and financial crises before finally delivering her second book Where Are the Children? to her publisher. The novel became a bestseller and Higgins Clark had no financial worries for the first time in many years. Two years later, Higgins Clark sold A Stranger Is Watching for $1.5 million. The litany of work that would result in her title The Queen of Suspense was firmly underway. In time, many of her novels would become big-screen movies. 1968 - Aspire to the Heavens (later retitled Mt. Vernon Love Story)1975 - Where Are the Children?1977 - A Stranger is Watching1980 - The Cradle Will Fall1982 - A Cry in the Night1984 - Stillwatch1987 - Weep No More, My Lady1989 - While My Pretty One Sleeps1989 - The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories 1990-1999: Recognition Higgins Clark has won many awards for her work including the National Arts Clubs Gold Medal in Education in 1994 and the Horatio Alger Award in 1997. She has been awarded 18 honorary doctorates, and was chosen as Grand Master for the 2000 Edgar Awards. 1990 - Voices in the Coal Bin and Thats the Ticket (Short stories available as an audiobook)1991 - Loves Music, Loves to Dance1992 - All Around the Town1992 - Lucky Day (Audiobook)1993 - Ill Be Seeing You1993 - Death on the Cape and Other Stories1993 - Mother (With Amy Tan and Maya Angelou)1993 - Milk Run and Stowaway (Short stories)1994 - Remember Me1994 - The Lottery Winner and Other Stories1995 - Let Me Call You Sweetheart1995 - Silent Night1995 - Pretend You Dont See Her1996 - Moonlight Becomes You1996 - My Gal Sunday1997 - The Plot Thickens1998 - You Belong to Me1998 - All Through The Night1999 - Well Meet Again 2000-2009: Higgins Clark Co-Writes With Daughter Higgins Clark added several books a year during this decade and began to write occasionally with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark. Their partnership began with Christmas-themed books and has expanded to other topics. 2000 - Before I Say Good-Bye2000 - Deck the Halls (with Carol Higgins Clark)2000 - Mount Vernon Love Story2000 - The Night Awakens2001 - On The Street Where You Live2001 - He Sees You When Youre Sleeping (with Carol Higgins Clark)2001 - Kitchen Privileges, A Memoir2002 - Daddys Little Girl2003 - The Second Time Around2004 - Nighttime Is My Time2004 - The Christmas Thief (with Carol Higgins Clark)2005 - Where Are the Children?2005 - The Classic Clark Collection2005 - No Place Like Home2006 - The Night Collection2006 - Two Little Girls in Blue2006 - Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea (with Carol Higgins Clark)2007 - I Heard That Song Before2007 - Ghost Ship2008 - Where are You Now?2008 -2009 -Â   2010 to Present: Higgins Clark Books Reign as Bestsellers Astonishingly, all Higgins Clark suspense books have been bestsellers and most are still in print. She continued to write several books a year to add to her impressive portfolio of work. 2010 - The Shadow of Your Smile2011 - Ill Walk Alone2011 - The Magical Christmas Horse2012 - The Lost Years2013 - Daddys Gone A Hunting2013 - Inherit the Dead2014 - Ive Got You Under My Skin2014 - The Cinderella Murder2015 - Silent Night2015 - The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook2015 - Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories2015 - The Five-Dollar Dress (short fiction)2015 - The Melody Lingers On2015 - All Dressed in White2016 - As Time Goes By2016 - The Sleeping Beauty Killer2017 - All By Myself, Alone

7 Movie-Title Mistakes

7 Movie-Title Mistakes 7 Movie-Title Mistakes 7 Movie-Title Mistakes By Mark Nichol One does not rely on the entertainment industry to model proper grammar and punctuation, but is it too much to expect that movie titles make grammatical sense? Evidently, it is; filmmakers and film studio marketing staff have more important things to do than ensure that titles correctly use hyphens and apostrophes, appropriately employ punctuation marks, and form verbs properly, as these movie posters demonstrate. An early poster for The 40-Year-Old Virgin omitted the first hyphen, resulting in a title that didn’t make sense. If it were plural, it could refer to twoscore twelve-month-old babies, but that’s rather complicated. Fortunately, later versions were corrected, and moviegoers were left with a comforting correlation between a photograph of Steve Carell’s dorky-looking title character and a that-figures movie title. The title of the horror-comedy Eight Legged Freaks appears to refer to an octet of people who may be otherwise abnormal but are equipped with legs. However, as an epithet for unusually large and aggressive spiders (apparently based on an ad lib from the star of the film, which originally bore the title Arac Attack), it should read Eight-Legged Freaks; the words eight and legged must outside of Hollywood, that is be hyphenated to signal that they combine as a single term modifying freaks. Shrink, shrank, shrunk. Shrink, shrank, shrunk. I always have to look that kind of stuff up a strategy the makers of this film could have easily employed to produce a grammatically correct title. Depending on where Rick Moranis’s character is in the child-miniaturizing process at the pertinent time, the title should be Honey, I Will Shrink the Kids, Honey, I Shrank the Kids, or Honey, I Have Shrunk the Kids. This man belongs to the ladies. He is in their possession. Ladies claim ownership of this man. He is a ladies’ man. Ladies, is this your man? A citizen who abides by the law is a law-abiding citizen; law and abiding are connected by a hyphen to show that together, they describe the particular type of citizen ostensibly featured in this film (in reality, the protagonist is a law-flouting citizen but that’s Hollywood for you). The lack of a hyphen is excusable in display type on a movie poster or in the film’s credits, but when it is omitted on promotional materials as well, the producers are not law-abiding filmmakers. When you plan to resign from a job, it’s customary to give notice two weeks in advance of your planned departure date. You give a notice of two weeks. The two weeks â€Å"belong† to the notice, so it’s â€Å"two weeks’ notice† (or â€Å"a two-week notice,† though the other form is much more common). This title is a question. The source material for the film is a novel titled Who Censored Roger Rabbit? So, why does the movie title not include a question mark? Some sources claim that filmmakers have a superstition that titles so adorned do poorly at the box office. Tell that to What’s Up, Doc?, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and, more recently, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, among others. This film did very well, but I think would have been just as successful with the perilous punctuation mark. Defenders will say the title is shorthand for â€Å"Find Out Who Framed Roger Rabbit,† but that requires logical contortions not even the rubber-limbed title character can manage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" The Six Spellings of "Long E"List of Prefixes and Suffixes and their Meanings

Practical Application Of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Practical Application Of Ethics - Essay Example In the utilitarian view, this may be beneficial for human in providing freedom. However, human freedom is not the substantial qualification for cloning as a practicing right because it prohibits human rights in production which are not restricted but has many options rather than it.Morality refers to codes of conduct put together and accepted by the society. These codes of conducts give conditions that would be adhered to by all rational persons. The concept of morality refers to the adherence to already existing codes of conduct in the society and applies to all human beings in the universe. Morality is inherent in the manner that it is a personal idea. It is a man-made concept that is defined by the society in which we live. It is also what a person regards as wrong or right. What a person decides as morally right or wrong is determined by person idea and principles. For example; Vegans hold a moral view that exploiting sentient animals for any purpose either food, clothing, entert ainment or scientific is immoral and archaic. Ethics is objective components of morals. Morality encompasses both moral and ethical concepts. If morality consisted exclusively of social system principles that are imposed then there would be no space for personal interpretation; this makes it ethical hence objective. Ethics and morality entail the principle of justice and sustainability which states that equals should be treated equally unless there is sufficient reason for unequal treatment to anyone.

Inquiry 1 creative nonfiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inquiry 1 creative nonfiction - Essay Example fellow classmates at school due to an unfortunate birthmark appearing on her forehead while at home, she receives less support from her kleptomaniac and alcoholic mother together with her absentee father. Her only sources of comfort and refuge comes from her pet rooster coupled by her favorite meals which us sweetened condensed milk. She prefers ti watch a murfs-like cartoon show known as The Noblets. One day as they had gone to the post office with her mother, Mary stumbles across a New York City telephone book and her curiosity drives her into wanting to know more about the Americans. She decides to write to one of the addresses in the book in a bid to establish more facts about the Americans. She randomly chooses Max Jerry Horowitz and proceeds to write him a letter with a hope that they would become pen friends. The letter is well received by Max who is a 44 year old Jewish atheist and he decides to reply back to Mary owing to the fact that they have some shared interests. This leads into the two becoming very good friends which does not go well with Mary’s mother. Max becomes extremely anxious at the point collapse when Mary asked him about love. Upon his release from the hospital, he hesitates to write back to Mary for a long period of time. As a result Mary becomes despondent thinking that Max had completely forgotten about her. There are a number of themes that have been highlighted by the movie upon close examination. Some of the major themes include neglect that is evident by the manner in which Mary is being treated by her parents. They are less concerned about her and do not care about her happiness neither do they seek to understand their only daughter. I think the producers of the film wanted to offer some life lessons to parents all over the world to watch out on how they are playing their roles as parents. This is a wakeup call to all parents to develop an understanding of their children. The theme of depression is made evident in the film in

Assignment 2 Time Constrained Test-x Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

2 Time Constrained Test-x - Assignment Example This should be geared towards addressing most of the challenges and needs that the society may be n need of. Therefore, through incorporating the triple bottom line theory, this paper will explore on how brands should create shared value (Junge 2011). Triple bottom line principles Social structure of the society One of the main characteristics of triple bottom line is the social structure that a brand is exposed too. For any social structure, the individuals expect that, a business that is being carried out should be beneficial to all the individuals involved and contributing to its success. This involves the laborers in the fields, the region and community in which a business is being conducted by a corporation. Therefore, for a good social structure, a corporate must consider the stakeholder and the labor interest to be interdependent (Cunningham&Cunningham 2004). Part of the social structure consideration is that a corporation should make profits that are based on the raw product and labor considerations. The raw material producer should not be given what they deserve. Some companies ensure that the raw material producer always has very little to benefit from. For example, the cement processing companies should consider the raw material value and give enough returns for the extraction of the raw material. The final product matters but if it was not for the raw material then, there would be no cement being produced. It is thus important that all the social aspects are put into consideration (Cunningham&Cunningham 2004). The labor department should also ensure that, there is no child labor in the company. The use of child labor is a form of exploitation and child abuse. More so, there should be fair wages given to the laborers of a company. The wages should match the type of work they do. Some companies undermine fair wages to their employees. This includes extra working hours under extremely tough conditions with very minimal wages provided to the employees. Some laborers even go the whole day without any allowance for food and water (Rauch 2012). It is thus vital that, considering the social structure, a company considers fair wages and also fair working hours. Providing facilities for health care of the community which is part of a business is vital and offering of education in relation to the products and their impacts is also important. For example, if the use of a certain brand of soap has side effects to the animals, then, there should be precautions on how to handle this type of soap and keep it away from pets kept at home. If all these practices are put into place, it is likely that a business will flourish with the customers and employees put into consideration hence, positive outcomes (Rauch 2012). Environmentally friendly Creation of value also entails considering practices that are sustainable in relation to the environment. The products that are produced by a company should ensure that there are minimal negative environment al impacts. Environmentally friendly and sustainable practices involve incorporating of minimal consumptions of energy resources. This should be carried out with the intention of conserving environmental resources. Better options of energy use like the use of renewable forms of energy should be encouraged (Ganesan 2012). Through this, a company involved in a business should be able to incorporate the reduction of waste

Employment Discrimination- Legal research term project Paper

Employment Discrimination- Legal term project - Research Paper Example It is essential to understand the content of employment laws that prohibit discrimination because inadequately following these laws may cost a company vast resources as a result of litigation if that company is not careful to prevent discriminatory practices in its hiring and employment. Employment discrimination is discrimination in the process of hiring, promoting, assigning, terminating, or compensating employees, which includes any kind of harassment or on-the-job persecution.2 Most often, this kind of discrimination is defined in terms of an impact on members of a particular class or category of people, such as ethnicity, gender, or disability. Measuring discrimination relative to the effect on members of protected classes is necessary because without membership in particular classes of people, there would be no basis for people to discriminate or hold prejudices against others. Clearly, discrimination can either occur on an explicit or implicit level, which corresponds to the d ifference between intentional and unintentional discrimination. In the case of unintentional, or implicit, discrimination, there may be subconscious biases or prejudices that a hiring manager may have against people of a certain group (e.g. that physically handicapped people are below average in intelligence) can cause a disparate impact on that group, simply through the manager’s hiring decisions.3 This impact may extend past the hiring process and into the areas of wage discrimination and workplace retaliation for various reasons. There are Constitutional limits on employment discrimination such as the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as a number of Federal laws. Although Constitutional dictates are universal, they apply only to employment in government and not in the private workplace. Among the most important pieces of Federal legislation against employment discrimination is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin regarding terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. This coincided with the granting of civil rights to minorities in the United States in other areas of public life not expressly dealing with employment. One year prior to the CRA, the Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 banned compensation for employees that differs based solely on sex and not on any other factor relative to the job. While it does not exclude other discriminatory practices in hiring, one of the EPA’s conditions is that workers who perform equal work in jobs requiring â€Å"equal skill, effort, and responsibility and performed under similar working conditions† should be provided equal pay.4 Although the pay differential between the sexes has not evened out completely since 1963, the law has been successful in paring much of the deficit. Employment

Financial Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Report - Essay Example Arsenal is a renowned football club and it has received widespread popularity among the football supporters. In the recent decades, football clubs have gained enormous publicity because of the commercialization of the sports. According to Morrow (1996), football clubs are generally involved in three major activities. Firstly, they involve themselves in commercializing by selling tickets and receiving broadcasting fees from media. Secondly, they involve themselves in active trading and disposal of players. Finally, they develop in-house talent through mentoring and training from the beginning. Arsenal is listed as a commercial organization which derives its revenues from football fixtures, broadcasting and real estate development. In fiscal year 2010, football accounted for 59% of the revenues while real estate development proportion accounted for 41% of the revenues. The Arsenal group reported a profit before tax figure of ?55.96 million in 2010 which was very impressive for the shar eholders (Arsenal Holdings Plc, 2010). The organization is committed to a long term strategic plan by carefully investing in talented players and developing them. At the heart of Arsenal lies its Emirates stadium where it aims to continue investing so that it stays best-in-class and has a clear identity as Arsenal’s home. ... However, they do not include any current value for their players or any value at all for ‘home grown’ players. Although it may sound ridiculous to include human as assets but they can be accounted as intangible assets if they fulfill the definitions put forth by financial reporting frameworks. A salaried person is generally expensed in the income statement whereas professional sports players are treated in a different manner in the accounting statements. Wagner (2007) in his publication mentioned that human resources are one of the most critical factors which investors look for while evaluating a company. Thus, we can metaphorically consider every human as vital for the organization and he may be regarded as an asset for the organization but it is not done practically since it differs from the definition formulated by the financial reporting frameworks. We will be analyzing and interpreting this aspect from International Financial Reporting Standards. As per the definiti on of an asset, it is anything that can be controlled by an organization or entity and it expects future benefits will be flowing to the organization from that asset. An asset is controlled if the organization is entitled to certain rights over that asset particularly restricting others from utilizing that asset for their own advantage. The definition of asset is applied in the case of Arsenal as it holds right over its players for a certain period due to the legal agreement arranged between the player and the club. The players are supposed to provide their services to the club according to the terms of contract. Arsenal expects that future benefits will flow from these players as they will be playing for Arsenal, and Arsenal will be deriving its revenues through fixtures and

Literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature - Research Paper Example These poems were recited in the fields as the slaves worked while others were made into strong songs that not only united but also gave the slaves a sense of unity in their black heritage. The late 19th century and for most parts of the 20th century, poems from the black community and other human rights activists were used to bring down the racial divide between the whites and the black communities. Through poetry, a sense of self-discovery was ignited in African Americans and this was able to see them survive slavery and racial segregation. The theme of Racism is one of the most important themes in the history of the modern world. These paper will explore the relevancy of how racism as a theme has been handled in poetry successfully to instill self-discovery attitudes. Racism as a theme has featured in many texts by black poets. However, it is important to note that racism not only occurs when amongst the African American group in the United States. A number of poets from different races and on a global level have handled theme of racism in their texts. Racism can be defined as treating people indifferently based on their race or color of their skin. Denying an individual something or treating someone indifferently due to the color of his skin or origin, is against the basic human rights. In the US, the history of Racism goes back before the founding of the nation during the days of slavery. Africans were taken from their homes in Africa and turned into slaves to work in agricultural plantations while at the same timework as slaves in white homesteads. Working as slaves, African Americans were beaten, killed, tortured and treated like second-rate citizens. The emancipation proclamation in 1864 ended the civil war and abolished slavery while giving African American slaves the right to their freedom (Hathaway, Jarab &Melnick 37-44). However, the freedom that African Americans gained had its own limitations and most of