Tom Hulce hes hooked on Hamlet, finally Essay Example For Students

Tom Hulce: hes hooked on Hamlet, finally Essay Hamlet. Is it the be-all and end-all, the alpha and omega of roles? Or is it an actors nightmare, a theatrical curse, a challenge that can never be met? Recalling his first Hamlet at the Old Vic in 1929, when he was 25, John Gielgud wrote in Early Stages: How could I seem great enough, simple enough to say those hackneyed, wonderful lines as if I was thinking of them for the first time? How could I avoid certain passages in the manner of other actors I had seen, how could I put into the part my own personal feelingsmany of which fitted the feelings of Hamletand yet lift them to a high classical style worthy of the character? Tom Hulce, now playing his first Hamlet in a production running through Jan. 10 at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., came to the part warily. For seven years, by his account, he and the Shakespeare Theatres artistic director Michael Kahn discussed the possibility of Hulces playing this role-to-end-all-roles, and for seven years they postponed it. I hadnt felt compelled to do it, the 39-year-old actor earnestly tried to explain during an interview last November. I felt that there was no reason to do the play just becausebecause its something you were meant to do. He had seen numerous productions, and I didnt really understand what everyone was carrying on about. But over the years, Ive worked toward trying to nourish a compulsion. Talk, talk, talk Friends like the playwright Peter Shaffer, for whom Hulce had starred in Equus on Broadway and as Mozart in the film Amadeus, nudged him Hamlet-ward. One of the things that made me reticent was that Hamlet just talked too much, said Hulce, who has a reputation among journalists for being reluctant to chat. Peter suggested that he always saw Hamlet as a man who only felt alive when he was talking and that put me on a track. Another friend sent Hulce a tape of 10 famous Hamlets being interviewed about their portrayals, ranging from Ben Kingsley, Jean-Louis Barrault, Olivier, Gielgud, Nicol Williamson and Vittorio Gassman to Innokenti Smoktunovsky, who had starred in a Soviet-made film of Shakespeares tragedy in 1964. (Hulce was watching that film one morning last winter when Kahn telephoned and said, This is it. Now or never.) The diversity of these stars approaches seemed to reassure the actor. It was interesting to hear what hooked them. It was almost as if they were talking about different plays. Finally, a Moscow sojourn in 1991, several months before the crash of the Soviet regime, inspired Hulce to take on the beleaguered Prince of Denmark. In the U.S.S.R. to film The Inner Circle, in which Hulce plays a young revolutionary, he found the environment the closest I had been in my own life to the circumstances of Hamlet. That is a place where you can imagine someone eliminating somebody else and taking over. It is a place where the people who seem to be your friends may very well work for an organization that is not particularly on your side. It is a place where you feel you are in prison. Concentric circles   As we share a dinner break in a gray office at the Shakespeare Theatre, Hulce scarfs down cold sesame noodles and an order of steamed broccoli and, between mouthfuls, praises the role he once slighted. Incredible. When you dive in, something happens to you, he says, almost stammering in the effort to convey his thoughts. This part can embrace everything that you have to bring to it and still beg for more. Now, in his fifth week of rehearsal, he even likes all the talking. Its a great warming kind of experience to speak a lot of it. What kind of man will his Hamlet be? Not for me to say, is Hulces reply. I wouldnt be able to describe myself objectively from the outside. .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .postImageUrl , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:hover , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:visited , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:active { border:0!important; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:active , .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua5cb1ad2e4882bd106c21f9a86e50b5f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Claudius Hamlet (2681 words) EssayHe complains, in fact, that everyone has an agenda about this play. I get questions like, Are you going to play a resolute or an irresolute Hamlet?' He laughs. I dont know. First, you have to explain to me what that means. Experiencing this production as a continual discovery, and his acting process as concentric circles in which he tries to cover as much territory as possible in all directions, he prefers to talk in terms of sudden, often unrelated, insights about the role. He plays Hamlet younger than his own age. I think 39 is very old to be a student, and to be having these agendas with your mother. Its a more interesting play if its somebody who has discoveries to make. On Ophelia: Why would you tell someone to lock herself away from people and the world if you didnt love her? If you didnt have her best interests at heart? It becomes a less interesting evening if theres no love lost. Makes her a fool. And it means hes been writing a great number of pretty terrible love letters. Here is a man who speaks some of the most exquisite sentences ever written, and when his letter is read out loud by Polonius, it is terrible. I love the fact that hes a bad writer. I identify with that. I cant write to save my life. On the soliloquies: In some way, getting confirmation that his world is diseasedalthough the news that his father was murdered by his uncle is not good news is confirmation for Hamlet that hes not crazy, that he is right and there is something rank and gross in nature at work in this place. I think the soliloquies are meant to be shared with the audience. They are his attendant ear. Private angst about acting   Ironically, at the moment in Hulces career when he is wrestling with a character often described as ambivalent, he feels ambivalent about his career. The man who received an Oscar nomination for his performance in Amadeus, a Tony nomination for his portrayal of the wise-cracking lawyer in A Few Good Men, whom Kahn describes as a wonderful actor who is not afraid to try anything says he might consider another, as yet unnamed, line of work. Its a feeling that its time to move on, Hulce says carefully. That this is a phase, and that there is another phase to be entered into. Im not sure what that is. It definitely may not be acting. Ive always admired people who, when they were 50, went and did something else. In some way, the easiest thing would be to continue acting, look at it as a way to make a living and as a job. I think if thats what it becomes, I will definitely stop. His friends note the perfect confluence of stage persona and private angst. To be or not to be. To act or. This is the thing, this is the thing, Hulce exclaims, amazed once more by the general need to find an agenda for this Sisyphean labor known as Acting Hamlet. The point is that, whatever youre feeling, it has a life in this story. There is nothing you bring with you to this role that isnt accounted for somewhere.

Community College Application Essay Sample

Community College Application Essay SampleA community college application essay is not as hard as it sounds, as long as you know what you are doing. Just think about this essay for a moment.First of all, don't be afraid to use different factors in order to illustrate your situation. Try to mix and match different aspects of the essay, so that you can vary the result. For example, the amount of time that you have been taking the courses, if you have taken any other training or courses in order to improve your abilities or if you want to communicate your feelings and ideas in order to be more eloquent. Whatever can help you make your personal situation clear.Secondly, make sure that you choose a community college application essay sample that fits the needs of your own situation. It's important to know how much time you will have to prepare for your essay, so do the best you can and choose the sample that suits you best.Thirdly, write your community college application essay in a way t hat you want others to see you as a student with knowledge and experience. This should come across clearly and make you appear impressive, so try to convey these to the reader through your content. Also, try to make sure that you have the right personal style to reflect on yourself. Your vocabulary and structure should be conversational rather than formal and avoid using lengthy sentences, as this may alienate the reader.Finally, you need to create a real sense of personal vision about yourself with the community college application essay. To do this, start by thinking about how you have been contributing to your field or your community, whether it has been through teaching classes or volunteering in order to make it better or through leading tours and festivals. For example, if you have been a part of the school administration, talk about this and then talk about your personal relationship with the school. Remember that this is supposed to be a personal statement and therefore, try to make sure that your ideas come across clearly.The most important thing about writing a community college application essay is to come up with one which has substance but does not sound too formal or too technical. Do this by selecting a community college application essay sample that reflects your unique personality and gives you a chance to express yourself clearly.Remember, a college education is no longer something that high school graduates need. Nowadays, anyone can go for a career or a job that helps them make a difference in the society.

War on Drugs Essay Example Essay Example

War on Drugs Essay Example Paper War on Drugs Essay Introduction In 1925, American journalist H. L. Mencken wrote, â€Å"Prohibition has not only failed in its promises but actually created additional serious and disturbing social problems throughout society. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic but more. There is not less crime, but more. The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished. † Nearly 90 years later and this is still perfectly applicable today with the United States’ war on drugs.In June of 1971, former president Richard Nixon would famously be the first to declare a national â€Å"war on drugs†, a campaign of prohibition for illegal drug use and trade, citing drug abuse as â€Å".public enemy number one. † Despite a 1972 commission led by former Republican Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shaffer giving a unanimous recommendation to decriminalize marijuana, the Nixon administration ignored these suggestions, and continued the pursuit against drug-related crimes in America.By 1973, the Nixon administration had created a new federal drug control agency known as the Drug Enforcement Administration, which would play a critical role in making drug enforcement a criminal justice issue. In the same year, Operation Intercept was initiated, a plan which would pressure Mexico to regulate its marijuana growers. This is the first time we would see that the war on drugs would come with a high price, with the United States spending hundreds of millions of dollars tightening border regulations, which would cause trade between Mexico and America to come to a complete standstill.Throughout the Nixon and Carter administrations, spending on the war on drugs continued to rise, and incarceration rates began to climb dramatically. But once Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election against incumbent Jimmy Carter, the war on drugs would reach a new level of federal spending. Just Say No, the powerful slogan championed by then-first lady Nancy Reaga n’s anti-drug campaign would teach children to stay away from drug use and unite Americans for the war on drugs. This became a iconic phrase associated with the 1980’s and 1990’s, and would bring the negative aspects of drug use to the forefront of homes.However, the 1980’s were also a decade where crack/cocaine peaked in popularity, becoming cheaper, more accessible, and significantly more common, despite a decade long effort to reduce drug use in the United States. From the time Reagan took office, the federal spending for the war on drugs was just under 2 billion dollars per year, and within Reagan’s 8 years as president, that number skyrocketed to being just over 5 billion dollars per year. (The Atlantic Wire, â€Å"A Chart That Says The War on Drugs Isn’t Working)Federal spending continued to increase exponentially as every new administration entered the White House, growing from 5 billion to 12 billion per year under George H. W. Bush , 12 billion to 18 billion per year under Bill Clinton, and 18 billion to over 20 billion per year under George W. Bush (The Atlantic Wire, â€Å"A Chart That Says The War on Drugs Isn’t Working), and with tax payers not only contributing to the outrageous spending on what seemed to be a fleeting war, incarcerations have also reached staggering heights.According to the Drug Policy Alliance, since 1980, the number of people behind bars for drug-related crimes has increased 1100% (Drug Policy Alliance, â€Å"Drug War Statistics), causing more of an economic burden to be placed on the American taxpayer. These statistics leave us with a few unanswered questions. Why do we continue fighting the war on drugs, what results have we drawn from the war on drugs, and what should be done about the future of the war on drugs?The reasons behind fighting the war are varied and debatable amongst both sides of the political spectrum, however one of the most frequently used points for the wa r on drugs are the health risks involved with drug use, and one of the more commonly used examples for this case are the dangerous of cannabis. In 1974, the Dr. Heath/Tulane University study is released, and California Governor Ronald Reagan announces, â€Å"The most reliable scientific sources say permanent brain damage is one of the inevitable results of the use of marijuana. † (Reagan, 1974 speech. ) Dr.Heath’s study had claimed to administer thirty joints of marijuana a day to Rhesus monkeys, and had begun to atrophy after only 90 days. Autopsies showed that these monkeys had lost brain cells, and had attributed this loss of brain cells to effects of marijuana. This study became the foundation of the governments claim that marijuana kills brain cells. But after six years of the National Organization of Marijuana Reform Laws (NORML) of requesting details on how these tests were conducted, and suing under the Freedom of Information Act, the details were finally revea led.Dr. Heath would administer a gas mask to his monkeys, and pump the equivalent of sixty-three joints into their lungs for 5 minutes a day for three months, meaning oxygen would be completely cut off from the monkeys brain, and they would be inhaling carbon monoxide along with the cannabis, achieving the desired results of dead brain cells under false pretenses. The results from this war have been overwhelmingly negative, but one of the most impactful results drawn from the war on drugs has been the shockingly high incarceration rates.Currently, America holds the highest incarceration rate in the world, 1 in every 99. 1 adults are in either federal, local or state prisons, totaling to 2,288,600 Americans (Drug Policy Alliance, â€Å"Drug War Statistics), each of which the taxpayer must account for. The National Policy Committee presented a paper to the American Society of Criminology in February of 2001 which cited the war on drugs as on of the largest contributing factors for th e increase in incarceration, stating: A major reason for the dramatic increase in the U. S. rison population and associated increases in the number of Blacks, Hispanics and women, has been substantial increases in the numbers of persons sentenced to prison for drug crimes. Back in 1980 the number of prisoners convicted for a drug offense was only 19,000 or about 6 percent of the state prison population which numbered less than 300,000. By 1998 the numbers had increased by 237,000, or 21 percent of the state prison population. Furthermore, the average sentence for drug offenses had increased from 13 months in 1985 to 30 months by 1994.Many of these offenders are simple drug users who have no record of violence and who pose little danger to public safety. (Austin, James et al. â€Å"The Use of Incarceration in the United States†) The reason for the sharp incline of prison population due to drug related crimes in the United States in 1980 is attributed solely to mandatory senten cing, which came with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. This would enact a different minimum sentence for every drug related offense, keeping any person of a drug crime in prison. (The costs of which is $28,323 per inmate, per year. )So finally we ask ourselves, what should be done about the war on drugs? With an almost consecutive record of failure, after four decades are we only now beginning to look at the war on drugs critically. The war on drugs being a total failure has become a shared sentiment by most, with 82% of Americans believing we are losing the war on drugs (Riggs, Mike. â€Å"Poll: 82 Percent of Americans Think the U. S. Is Losing The War on Drugs†), and the Global Commission on Drug Policy releasing the statement, â€Å"The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. (Jahangir, Asma et al. , â€Å"Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. ) Simply by ending our unavailing war, the Drug P olicy Alliance estimates the United States would save 51 billion dollars per year (Drug Policy Alliance, â€Å"Drug War Statistics†), as well as gain revenue from taxed and regulated drug markets and keep many from incarceration due to nonviolent crime (Boesler, Lutz. â€Å"32 Reasons Why We Need To End The War On Drugs†). The war on drugs has proven to be a failure, and in the light of failure it makes no sense to ignore the issue and pretend it will go away.Rather, we must look at the past, the statistics and the truth and understand what effect this war really has on us. Higher spending and greater incarceration are not the answer America needs, and this is evident by the addiction rate staying at a nearly constant 1% throughout the war on drugs. (National Policy Committee, â€Å"The Use of Incarceration in the United States) After four decades and over one trillion dollars spent, all we have truly discovered is that prohibition did not work in the 1920’s an d prohibition will certainly not work now.With countries around the world becoming more social liberal towards this issue, they’ve taken the steps America has yet to: understanding that regulation and taxation are the only real solutions to drug use. And in order to begin to take those steps, it falls on the Americans who’ve seen the war fail, who’ve lived through the reckless spending and the unjust imprisonments to do exactly what was done in 1933 to have prohibition repealed: to speak up and demand reform. Today, with a more critical analysis and understanding of the war on drugs, it seems as though these steps are only now beginning.With Colorado and Washington voting for decriminalization of marijuana in the 2012 election, and with the Obama administration’s refusal to use the term â€Å"war on drugs†, it seems as though a more progressive look is soon above the horizon. Richard Branson, famous CEO of Virgin Group, renowned businessman and mul ti-billionaire put the war on drugs in the simplest terms from an economic perspective when he said in a 2012 CNN article, â€Å"In business, if one of our companies is failing, we take steps to identify and solve the problem. What we don’t do is continue failing strategies that cost huge sums of money and exacerbate the problem.Rather than continuing on the disastrous path of the war on drugs, we need to look at what works and what doesn’t in terms of real evidence and data. † (Branson, â€Å"War on drugs a trillion-dollar failure†) Works Cited Branson, Richard. â€Å"War on drugs a trillion-dollar failure. † CNN. com. 06 December 2012. Web. 27April2013. The Drug Policy Alliance. â€Å"Forty Years of Failure† DrugPolicy. org. Web. 12 May 2013. The Drug Policy Alliance. â€Å"Drug War Statistics† DrugPolicy. org. Web. 12 May 2013. Riggs, Mike. â€Å"Poll: 82 Percent of Americans Think the U. S. Is Losing The War on Drugs† Reaso n. com. 13 November 2012. Web. 3 May 2013. Austin, James et al. â€Å"The Use of Incarceration in the United States† ASC41. com. February 2011. Web. 13 May 2013. Boesler, Matthew and Ashley Lutz. â€Å"32 Reasons Why We Need To End The War On Drugs† BuisnessInsider. com. 12 July 2012. Web. 13 May 2013. Bibliography Breeding, Brian. â€Å"Does Marijuana Really Kill Brain Cells? † Yahoo. com. 11 September 2009. Web. 4 May 2013. National Public Radio. â€Å"Timeline: America’s War on Drugs† NPR. org. 2 April 2007. Web. 12 May 2013. Herer, Jack. Hemp ;amp; the Marijuana Conspiracy: The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Newcastle upon Tyne: Green Planet, 1994. Print. War on Drugs Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Globalization of Rastafarianism Essay Example

Globalization of Rastafarianism Essay Example Globalization of Rastafarianism Essay Globalization of Rastafarianism Essay Rastafarianism has been globalized through music, practice, and symbolism. One could argue that the main catalyst behind the globalization movement was through the music of Bob Marley. He popularized reggae music, and thrust it to the world stage during his musical career. He sang songs that carried the morals of a Rastafarian, and that spoke on social issues of his birthplace in Jamaica. He sang to many about the culture of Ethiopia in which he called â€Å"Zion†, and about the resistance of western culture and society, which he called â€Å"Babylon†. These songs that contained Rastafarian messages were recorded and distributed by Island records. Island records was founded in Jamaica, but then reached out to offices in the United Kingdom and the United States, because of the success of Bob Marley’s records. This led Marley to tour the world and become an international icon. He was then awarded the â€Å"Peace Medal of the Third World†, educated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and awarded the Grammy Lifetime achievement award, for his music and lyrical content. This resulted in a mass acceptance, and adoption of the Rastafarian religion. The music of Bob Marley and reggae music has impacted the lives of people around the globe. In turn, the people who were influenced by Marley have integrated, and built businesses from the Rastafarian culture. Many shops around the globe sell Rastafarian paraphernalia such as incense, giant Jamaican flags, articles of clothing that bear the colors of the Jamaican flag, and marijuana clinics based around Rastafarianism. Although, these shops seem to only support the most basic elements of Rastafarianism instead of the meat of the culture. Many people will purchase these items to portray the image or â€Å"look† of the Rastas. : They will wear the colors of the Jamaican flag, smoke marijuana, grow their air into dreadlocks, and even use the word â€Å"Irie†, the Jamaican word for powerful, pleasing, or feeling good. Many places of cultural diversity seem to have integrated some Rastafarian culture in style, music, and basic ideology. Colonization has played a major role in the Cargo Cults history. Colonization of different civilizations was catalyst behind the cults. Whether it be colonization from Europeans, Japanese, or the interference between the Australian government, their intentions is what challenged faith and knowledge of the primitive peoples. The arrival of foreign peoples, primarily white people, signified the apocalypse. Not only that, but an overall change in power. The emergence of the white man was believed to first cause an apocalypse, which would then lead to a god or higher power to reveal itself and create a world with no sickness, hunger, disease, or age, then turning the cults white and the white men black. The Melanesian Cargo Cults were completely challenged when none of their beliefs became realities. For example, the villagers that resided Wewak were urged by a â€Å"Black King† and his prophets to stop paying taxes to the Europeans. The prophets claimed that an earthquake would cause their government station to be swallowed by the sea. These then led to the imprisonment of four prophets while three other were exiled. Another example would be the case in which Papuans attempted to attack the Japanese. In this incident, the Papuan grew restless of the Japanese colonies, which caused the Papuan to form some sort of military force and try and attack the Japanese. This resulted in several boatloads of Papuan’s being shot down by Japanese ships. Since the Cargo Cults had little to no idea about modern civilizations, they assumed the cargo and technology had to be some sort of magic. It is this inability to cope with modern ideas and technology that continues to sustain the cults. If it weren’t for colonization, the cults may not even exist. The same could be said for the Ghost Dance Religion. One of the main catalyst if not the only catalyst behind the first generation of the Ghost Dance Religion was born out of the revival of traditional Indian ways. These ways were compromised when there were disputes between the Indians and the white men. One of its primary focuses was on the disappearance of the white man and his influence over Indian culture. When Wovoka reinstated the Ghost Dance Religion, it was so appealing to many other tribes outside of Nevada because Indians across America had been under persecution. The Indians had suffered from loss of land, and attempts to rid the cultural ways and identity of native americans. That is why the Ghost Dance Ritual focuses so heavily on Indian customs. It would support the ideals of being Indian such as, respect for land and nature, harmony between one and their community, and a resistance toward western morals and objects. Colonization eventually ended the religion, when Wovoka excited many Indians in Sioux, which lead to the murder three hundred and seventy Indians. Without colonization, the Ghost Dance Religion would have less of a reason to exist. Although colonization may not be the entire reason for the Ghost Dance Religion to exist, the struggle against the white men in order to retain a level of Indian identity was a crucial factor.

Waiting for the Barbarians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Waiting for the Barbarians - Essay Example The book waiting for the Barbarians is one such book written by a linguistic and novelist Coetzee that highlighted some tentative strategies in the question of torture. In the book, he admits torture to be a threatening and a dark fascination on his life. While bringing out the vivid theme of torture in the dark African country, Coetzee faces many dilemmas, for instance, in the dark chamber where his moral judgment is challenged whether to find a middle way between ignoring the obscenities or being part of the obscenities. In as much as torture is necessary in many instances, the question, which the paper attempts to address, is whether torture was necessary while waiting for the Barbarians. The elite unit of colonel Joll and their treatment to the Barbarians is a case in point where torture gets exhibited. He is an administrative officer in charge of running the empire where he get rumors that the natives of the land (Barbarians) are coming back to fight for their land. He is not ha ppy with the idea; therefore, conducts an expedition in the land beyond the frontier. He organizes himself and arrives in one of his government outposts where he is determined to gather information from the local band of uncivilized Barbarians (Coetzee 34). The Barbarians represent an omniscient and present outside threat to the colonel who cannot sit back and wait for the attack. They are seeking to trample security of Colonel Joll and safety of the empire, a factor that does not make the colonel calm and instead uses every means possible to prevent the attack, which is likely to affect the strength of his empire. Instead of using peaceful means, he captures prisoners in a dubious way, which makes him wonder whether there was an army to attack his kingdom. This is because he finds the natives to of similarity to nomadic heathens rather than the barbarian army he suspected. However, he does not stop at this point questioning his intelligence by committing a series of torture on the natives to â€Å"confess† the details and whereabouts of the Barbarians. Although the magistrate is not happy with the way, he handles things he does not intervene or make an attempt of stopping since he understands the barbarian manner. In as much as their confessions and the nature of torture were too much, the truth behind the confessions was only because of torture. This leaves many questions whether the torture was necessary as one prisoner it killed one a prisoner and left another partially black haired woman partially blind (Coetzee 44). The torture of the barbarian girl is another instance where questions arise on the need for torture. She is one of the captives of colonel Joll who gets subjected to punishment with the aim of getting information. The torture vicariously eliminates the validation behind torture as the little girl is left partially blind. Coetzee, for instance, laments, â€Å"the true challenge is how to play the game by the rules of the state, how to establish own authority, how to imagine torture and death on one own terms.† (Coetzee 13) This is a moral question, which makes Coetzee wondering the reasons behind the colonel’s action, where he kills one of the captives, based on his own terms. The magistrate sympathizes with the little girl taking her to his house where he offers her a job as a cook. At a tender age, she receives sexual assault at the magistrate’

Critically examine the European Court of Justice (ECJ)s concept of Essay

Critically examine the European Court of Justice (ECJ)s concept of supremacy of EC Law with the aid of case examples - Essay Example 7). For example, Member States are required to ensure that all of their Treaty commitments are fulfilled and must not â€Å"jeopardise the attainment of the objectives of this Treaty† (TFEU, art. 10). The EC Treaty also confers responsibility on the ECJ to ensure that the Treaty is interpreted and applied for the enforcement of Community law (TFEU, art. 220). The ECJ established the concept of supremacy in Van Gend en Loos v Netherlands (1963) by enunciating two main principles of Community law: direct effect of Community Law in Member States and supremacy of Community law over the national laws of Member States. The ECJ stated that Community law has establishing a new â€Å"legal order† under which Member States have voluntarily surrendered their sovereignty (Van Gend en Loos v Netherlands, 1963, see also Costa, 1964). The UK does not acknowledge the surrender of sovereignty, but instead adheres to a dualist constitutional system. Monalism states automatically incorporate international law into national systems (Schutze, 2012). EC supremacy in the UK is only acknowledged via an Act of Parliament and thus firmly establishes and reinforces Parliamentary sovereignty in the UK. For instance, Lord Denning MR, in anticipation of signing the EC Treaty noted that the UK did not specifically take notice of treaties. It would only take notice of treaties that are embodied in a statute enacted by Parliament (Blackburn v AG 1971). Thus, the UK acknowledges that treaty law is only applied by an act of Parliament not by the direct application of treaty law (Aust, 2008). For example, the European Community Act 1972 (ECA) provides that the EC Treaty will be given â€Å"legal effect† in the UK â€Å"without further enactment† and all national laws must be interpreted in such a way as to give effect to Community law (ECA ss. 2(1) and 2(4)). Even so, when applying Community law, the UK will not apply

Strategic Business Management And Planning Bentley Security Company Marketing Essay

Strategic Business Management And Planning Bentley Security Company Marketing Essay Business is a dynamic field, (education 1951) where things change fast way. If some company makes mistake in its decisions either short terms or long terms it is always on losing side, and sometimes there is no come back from a dog position in a dynamic market. In this case study we will learn how process models and other tools help to analyze the situation of any business and how companies can effectively use these analysis tools to help them in bad situation as in this case study Bentley Security Company is facing. For answering the three questions of the case study we will go into analysis of the situation using by use of process model analysis, porter five analyses and SWOT analysis, while answering to first question. We will also analyze through the analysis of corporate finance, expansion matrix for company, its product life cycle, its product positioning, its value chain and its competitive position. For answering second question we will analyze why company was fail to realize its core competency related to its value productions. In final question we will answer analyze the expected future profits as said by the CEO of the company that if they will be capable of overcoming the issue of bargain price, return over equity, rising debts, changing security Inc into profit generating component of business and by gaining the confidence of the market . In the end we will conclude the study and will sum it up towards some concrete learning outcome, which can be practical in real business situations which we can face as business strategist working with any company. We will see how any company which facing problems like Bentley Security, can make good strategic choices? 1.1 Background of the study: Bentley is a Security Company that has been trading in Gotham City for twenty five years. Recently, the senior management team met to review progress. Finance Director: I am concerned about our recent financial performance and it seems to me that we are in danger of being taken over at a bargain price. Our return on owners equity is 2% below the industry average and we have a large debt arising from the leverage purchase of Security Services Inc. What we can do to improve our financial results as soon as possible and, at the same time, convince the market that we have a long term viable future? Marketing Manager: In my view we have an excellent portfolio and our problem are mainly due to poor cost control. We progressed from our base in producing domestic alarm systems into commercial systems and then acquired Security Services Inc which provides guard and watch services for commercial premises that capitalized on our core skills at each stage. We decided into diversify because the domestic market was saturated and there have been large increases in the number of suppliers because it is now an easy business to get into as the technology has become standardized. The commercial sector was growing due to the current economic boom; but we have been stuck at 12% market share in the commercial systems market and while Security Services Inc had over 300 service contracts when we acquired it, we have not yet been able to attract any new customers. Human Resource Manager: I should point out that I find it difficult dealing with security personnel and this could be one reason for the fact that we dont make much profit on the security contracts. CEO: If we address the short and long term issues mentioned by the finance director, then we shall remove the incentive for anyone to take us over. But in the meantime, we should investigate the possibility of undertaking a management buy-out (MBO). Issues: Others companies have competing price Finance situation is poor 2% less profits /returns on investors equity Increasing debt Poor cost control Increasing saturation in domestic market Growing new rivals No new customer for security Inc Poor performance of security staff Turning point: Before acquisition of Security Inc Bentley was performing well in alarms production, after acquisition of that company things went poor as Bentley was unable to win new customers. Accounts issues: More expenses at corporate HQ More interest payments on debts Effective use of product development Less expenditure on marketing Control of cash flow that is negative Control of loaning Commercial alarms and security Inc required improvement Product development required as more expenses and attentions on warranty demands Price is far less than market in commercial alarm its 500 as compare to 600 and in security personal its 17000 as compare to 20000 per annum Plus Points: 25 years of experience Good performance in domestic and commercial alarm productions Targets: New targets that could make Bentley again in growth can be its financial targets of increasing the profits and reduction of debts and other costs. Further it also required to win investor confidence over its performance in the market. Suggestions by CEO: Removal of incentives for competitors Management buy-out 2 Question One: Use strategic models to identify the actions the management team might take to deal with Bentleys short term and long term problems. 2 Answer: Bentley is an ideal case study to see how a business that was making progress in last twenty five years suddenly started a decline that brought management to sit and analyze the situation before it is too late. To make a better analysis of situation and get solutions for Bentleys short term and long term problems we need to make following analysis 2.1 Corporate Finance As the study shows that Bentley is suffering from financial problems. So, Bentley management required urgent attention and for that there can be few short term and other long term strategies to control over the finance issues. Short Term Choices: Bentley should make right sizing at its head quarter as it has extra staffing on its head office. It should stop debt as its costing more on payments. Bentley should adjust more on marketing their alarms. Long Term Choices Bentley should get more investment than loan by developing its market position. It should put some finance on product development. It should put finance on marketing. It should invest more on its human resource to get competent staff for security Inc. It should utilize its assets and inventories more into alarm production. Expansion matrix Ansoffs Product and Market Matrix Figure 1: Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration: As it is the strength of the Bentley they must try to recapture and get advantage of the existing market by promoting their domestic alarms and commercial alarms and try to get some repositioning of the brand. Market penetration for Bentley required covering of the four main objectives: Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling Increase usage by existing customers. For example by introducing loyalty schemes. Market Development: They can also go for new markets with the existing product range in these new markets. This means that the product will remains the same, but it is marketed to a new customers. Exporting the product, or marketing it in a new region. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country New product dimensions or packaging: for example, New distribution channels New pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segment Product Development: This is a new product to be marketed to existing customers. Here they can develop and innovate new product offerings to replace existing ones. Such products are then marketed to our existing customers. Diversification: Bentley can go for the diversification which can be separated into horizontal and vertical. The horizontal diversification is the addition into the production program like new kind of alarms. The vertical diversification is at the sales stage where company needs to store products according to demand. Product Life Cycle If we compare the two alarms developed by the Bentley we can find that these products are on maturity stage and looking towards a decline as Bentley fail to keep the innovation accordingly. They need more efforts to bring innovation changes and effectiveness of the products so they can put the product back on its growth. Figure 2: Bentley product life cycle Similarly their door supervisors company or security Inc is complete in decline as they fail to generate new customers and now form here it seems total dog stage in a market. Still they can either decide to keep it or they can go back to their core competencies of alarm production. If they want to retain it they need to redesign the human resource management which is completely fail to produce any result since they acquired this company. Figure 3: PLC possibility for Bentley 2.4 Value Chain We can better understand the actions of Bentley through it developed a competitive advantage and create shareholder value by a value chain analysis. In his 1985 book Competitive Advantage, Michael Porter introduced a generic value chain model (M. E. Porter 1998) that comprises a sequence of activities found to be common to a wide range of firms. The aim of these actions is to put forward to the customer a value of product that exceeds the cost of the process, and easily brings in a profit margin. As it can be analyze in value chain model that Bentley have some core competencies and the activities in which it can pursue a competitive advantage as follows: Cost advantage: by better understanding costs and squeezing them out of the value-adding activities. Differentiation: by focusing on those activities associated with core competencies and capabilities in order to perform them better than do competitors. Cost Advantage A firm may create a cost advantage either by reducing the cost of individual value chain activities or by reconfiguring the value chain. As Porter identified ten cost drivers related to value chain activities, So Bentley can go through each and seek what is workable for them in this process: Economies of scale in production of alarms Capacity utilization thats in alarm production Linkages among activities at the company Interrelationships among business units by aligning security inc with alarm business Institutional factors must be controlled especially in security Inc(regulation, union activity, taxes, etc.) At Bentley cost advantage also can be pursued by reconfiguring the value chain. Reconfiguration means structural changes such a new production process, new distribution channels, or a different sales approach. For example, FedEx structurally redefined express freight service by acquiring its own planes and implementing a hub and spoke system. (Fedex 1995-2000) Differentiation Bentley can achieve a differentiation advantage either by shifting individual value chain actions to add to distinctiveness in its alarms or it can get it by reconfiguring the value chain. It can go into forward integration in order to carry out some functions that were performed by its customers like categorization of its alarm systems and models according to customers need. It can adopt a backward integrate to manage over its inputs. It can implement new process technology or utilize a new supply channel. Technology Because technology is in use to some degree in every value creating action, changes in technology can bring competitive advantage. Bentley is using various technologies in both primary activities and support activities as its given below: Inbound Logistics Technologies Transportation of materials Material handling inside production place Material storage at stores Operations Technologies Process of production Machine tools used for production and handling Packaging of the alarms Maintenance of finished goods Testing of alarms Building design operation Outbound Logistics Technologies Transportation of alarms supply to supply stores Material handling inside stores Packaging for supply Communications between all departments involved Marketing and Sales Technologies Media utilization ( Print/electronic/Audio/video) Communications Service Technologies Testing Communications Linkages of Activities Bentley can redesign the alarms for with different shapes and qualities for different customers. This way even it can reduce manufacturing costs. If it is be able to reduce cost in one activity and as a result benefit from a cost reduction in another, from a design change and successfully reduces manufacturing costs and it also further improves due to this costs reduction. Thus it can such improvements the firm has the potential to develop a competitive advantage. Business Units Interrelationships Tangible interrelationships offer direct opportunities to create a synergy among business units. For example, Bentley can make its multiple units share whatever its possible among the business units to share for cost reduction. This sharing of the procurement activity can result in cost reduction. Outsourcing To decide which activities to outsource, managers of Bentley must understand the firms strengths and weaknesses in each activity, both in terms of cost and capacity to differentiate. Managers may consider the following things when selecting activities to outsource. Competitive position Bentley has good track record of twenty five years in alarm business. It is one of good company in market. After it tried to expand its business into security provision (door supervisors) it facing more problem as this new acquisition is not performing well. If we closely analyze the investment situation it still putting les s on alarm business and getting more compare to its security personals business. Company is selling all its products on fair price as compare to market even if they decide to raise price in all precuts still they have advantage over their rivals in the market. They can easily attract customers on this pricing advantage and by creating new innovation in designing or promotions they can still come back into competitive position in the market. 3 Question Two: Is the CEO correct to conclude that these actions will remove all incentive for another company to take over Bentley? 3 Answer: 3.1 Porter Five Analysis of Company In his book Competitive Strategy, Harvard professor Michael Porter describes five forces affecting the profitability of companies. (Porter 1998) These five forces, taken together, give us insight into a companys competitive position, and its profitability. Rivals For Bentley rival is competitor within industry, this rivalry in the industry is very high for Bentley. As these rivals are competing with Bentley over following factors:- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of rivals in market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fixed costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product differentiation New Entrants One of the defining characteristics of competitive advantage is the industrys barrier to entry. In security industry its very low for every one starting security firm as there are many barriers from government and its security regulating agencies. Bentley can enjoy benefits of common barriers to entry: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Patents patented technology can be a huge barrier preventing other firms from joining the market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High cost of entry the more it will cost to get started in an industry the higher the barrier to entry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Brand loyalty As Bentley is in market since 25 years its definatley have some worth related to its products specially its alarm systems. Substitute Products Bently should look keenly for what the companys other competitors are doing, and what other types of products are available in the market as there is advancement in technology so there is high risk from others competitors for Bentley. As is the case dealing with new entrants, company can go into an aggressively price to its products to keep people from switching. Buyer Power There are two types of buyer power. The first is related to the customers price sensitivity. The other type of buyer power relates to negotiating power.Conversely, if a company sells to a few large buyers, those buyers will have significant leverage to negotiate better pricing. Some factors affecting buyer power are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of buyer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of buyers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Purchase quantity Bentley have advantage in its price and durability of products it have less buyers power broblem. Supplier Power When multiple suppliers are producing a commoditized product, the company will make its purchase decision based mainly on price, which tends to lower costs. On the other hand, if a single supplier is producing something the company has to have, the company will have little leverage to negotiate a better price. Here for Bentley things are favorable with less suppliers power as they depend less over the raw materials. A few factors that determine supplier power include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Switching costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Uniqueness of product 4 Question Three: If the team decides on MBO, how much should they be prepared to pay? 4 Answer: 4.1 Management Buyouts (MBOs) A management buyout MBO is the purchase of a business by its management. Some time owners or the shareholders of any business want to sell the shares of the business or company. For that they give opportunity to the existing management to buy the business. As they know the details of the business and are in a strong position both to worth it and also run it. One can assume that they will make good effort for themselves than for other people. A management buyout is a rare thing in business likely to be a great test of any company and its managements skills in business. Bentley can sell its security Inc as its not performing well and putting problem for the business. For a successful MBO Bentley team may require to focus on some pre MBO arrangement. They not only have to secure their own money and career, but they have to show that they have the vision and proper ability to change their organization and to deliver better outcome as results. Another requirement is their enthusiasm and commitment to convince the management who will buy it that their MBO will work. There are following procedures that required to be followed for a successful MBO. Decision to proceed Managers as investors will be keen to invest in Bentley with predictions which offer the chances of gaining the profits they will invest for. As potential returns maybe higher than current returns because people in new setup will work harder. An understanding of the factors affecting Bentley can help to set forward actions properly. Business plan MBOs are normally highly geared, so the Bentley needs to be able to produce cash and success in the short term. They may have tactics which are practical in the long term, though it will be tricky to assure the investors among management that their future is on growth side. Form the management team A very significant part of a successful MBO is to put a management team that has a high-quality record. Possible investors will like to know how they can make adjustments in than the present team. Bentley must therefore put a clear deliberate plan for the business. Arranging the funding Valuing Bentley Company is complex matter and here is no set rule. Whatever investor will give that will be relate to many things. Those are the balance sheet and current profits. The future potential of the business will be vital but sometimes want of the present owners to sell can be important. Agreeing terms The financing for an MBO normally include the decision-making board and its own interest, its equity and debt position. Different management investors will be looking for diverse returns from this deal, base on the assumed risk they will be taking. Deal co-ordination There can be no set rule for the management to invest into the management buyout. Still, they will require showing the guarantee to the company by creation a major asset of their money, although there can be a massive strain resting on their time and skills. Completion Negotiating for buyout is not always very simple, as there is some concern of unsatisfactory present relations as company is going for MBO. Some management buyout teams can pretense their advisers to take opening move toward success. A talk to buy any business is always a complex activity, and there is fact that seller has vital test. The information contain in the factsheets must never be relied lying on top. 5 Conclusion of Study: We can see that Bentley was handling alarm systems selling effectively but after adopting the security firm it went into many problems. Now it is necessary for them to try a successful management buy-out for that, which can make such arrangements that will help it to get maximum future investment to cover its problems related to other products. Furthermore they can go for a right sizing and downsizing to control the gap of expenses and profits. This way Bentley can go back to its profit position as it was in past before adaptation of the security firm.