On Ophelia’s Madness free essay sample

Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively† (Volataire). In the article â€Å"On Ophelia’s Madness,† Caroll Camden talks about the reasoning behind the mysterious shift in the mentality of Ophelia which eventually leads to death. The thesis stated by Camden is that Ophelia was drawn to madness due to the series of events leading to Hamlets rejection of Ophelia’s love rather than the death of Polonius. Camden uses very specific examples to back up his thesis along with many references to other famous works and critiques. Camden can be considered a reputable critique and his work on Shakespeare can be considered creditable. This is due to the fact that Camden â€Å"served as a visiting professor at numerous leading universities and was a research fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library. He wrote nine books and numerous articles, greatly enhancing the scholarly research on Shakespeare, Marlowe, Chaucer and other writers† (Centre College). We will write a custom essay sample on On Ophelia’s Madness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Camden is a trusted source on this work dealing with Ophelia, because of his contributions that enhanced the knowledge on Shakespeare. I believe that Camden is a trusted source when it comes to Ophelia and I would use him as a source when dealing with anything Shakespeare. When it comes to using Camden as a source, he does a well job of organizing his article but there are a few minor things that bother me. I believed that the author was on base with the way he presented his argument with a plethora of support to his thesis. This is because Camden did a fine job with the way he arranged his paragraphs. I like how he built onto his argument with first presenting us with his thesis, then going against some counter arguments by others, and finally validated his thesis by using examples from both Hamlet and other sources. I found that this structuring of the paragraphs made the article easy to follow along to. What I found to be a minor inconvenience was his occasional use of literary jargon, but they were almost always followed by their definitions. The vocabulary was not a major issue, and it was kept at a level which most readers would understand. Camden argues for the fact that Ophelia is drawn towards madness due to Hamlet rejecting love for her. Camden supports his argument with a wide array of examples. Camden states that â€Å"Ophelia speaks of herself as being ‘of ladies most deject and wretched’. That she returned the love is clearly indicated as she lets the audience know in a soliloquy what is running through her mind, characterizing herself as one ‘that sucked the honey of his music vows. Vows and words of love are music only in the ears of those who return the feelings of love. † The author shares how Ophelia had feelings for Hamlet, and lead him on only to get rejected herself. This furthers his argument that Ophelia was pushed to madness because of rejection. One more push that drove her to madness was the play scene when â€Å"Hamlet asks whether the actor is speaking a true prologue or giving a ‘posy’ for a ring, she agreeably replies that it certainly is brief, only to hear Hamlet’s ‘As woman’s love. His remark is usually glossed as being his comment on the conduct of his mother†¦but Ophelia must think that Hamlet is speaking of her own conduct toward him. † The author gives ample evidence to support his argument that Ophelia was being rejected and driven closer to madness, and when she finally cracks she still shows affection towards Hamlet. This can be seen when Ophelia meets with the king and queen and says â€Å"where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark? This reference was directed toward Hamlet and not Polonius, because this does not fit in with the personality of Polonius and the relationship between him and his daughter. In the beginning of the article, the author goes about refuting the arguments of others and establishing his own argument by saying â€Å"She is not just the â€Å"poor wispy Ophelia† which Katherine Mansfield would make her†¦experiencing what is apparently her first introduction to bittersweet delights of love. And yet her tragedy seems to me to have been misinterpreted by a long array of critics, who have emphasized that her madness is due chiefly to the death of her father. † This goes along with the argument that it was Hamlets rejection of love towards Ophelia that caused the tragic decline of her mental health. Camden does a good job of presenting his agreement in contrast with others. In order to do this he first presents us with the arguments supported by others, and in doing so he can follow that up with his own idea. According to John Draper, â€Å"Ophelia’s madness ‘comes about†¦because that father, whom she loved so dearly, came to a sudden and shocking end. † And L. L. Schucking says â€Å"Grief at her father’s sudden and unexplained death has unbalanced her mind. † Rebecca West says â€Å"No line in the play suggests that she felt either passion or affection for Hamlet. † By presenting the readers with all of the opposing points of view first, Camden can now slowly shift the scene and start to present his own argument. He does this by introducing Roderick Benedix who says â€Å"Polonius’ death as serving a dramatic purpose, ‘inasmuch as it is the cause of Ophelia’s madness†, but at the same time he perceives that ‘No girl becomes insane because her father dies, least of all Ophelia†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and with this Camden can now start to counter the opposing views by talking about Hamlet and Ophelia’s love. Camden says â€Å"I believe it can be shown that the overriding cause of Ophelia’s madness is clearly spelled out in the play; it is more â€Å"the pangs of despiz’d love† which cause her tragic fate than the death of Polonius. I found the article about Ophelia to be very informational largely due to the specific examples used by Camden to argue for his thesis. Camden is a very well reputed author that has spent many years on the research of Shakespeare. The argument for Ophelia driven to insanity largely due to love for Hamlet and not Polonius is strikingly convincing. The opposing arguments to Camden’s thesis were respectfully refuted. Ophelia is guilty of being love sick for Hamlet and this is what caused her demise.

Narrative Essay on Italian Immigrants Essays

Narrative Essay on Italian Immigrants Essays Narrative Essay on Italian Immigrants Essay Narrative Essay on Italian Immigrants Essay Her parents worked hard to gain US Citizenship and come productive members of society. The values that were instilled upon my aunt years ago still hold true today for her and my family today. TOPICS: Italian American, The Great Depression, Working Conditions, Gaining US Citizenship. For my narrative I spoke with my moms aunt, I Like to refer to her as my aunt also, though I know this Isnt the proper title for her. Her parents moved the family here In the early sasss (1911 was her approximate guess on the year) from Italy. When the came here her oldest brother, was already 5 years old. After arriving here the settled onto a small town in Pennsylvania, named Wampum. Wampum was a small (approximately 1,200 residents) suburb of Pittsburgh. Wampum was full of other Italian immigrants so they fit right in. Her father began working at the local lime quarry, where all the other Italian immigrants in town also worked. The quarry produced the lime used by Portland Medusa Cement Co. Her mother stayed home and tended to the family and home. During the next few years, 2 more sons and 3 daughters were born. The first born once immigrating here, a son was killed at the age of 10, by an unidentified hit and run driver. This was very hard on the family, especially her mother; since he had been the first born In the US and had acted as the Interpreter for her. They all spoke Italian around the house, but her father spoke some English at work, and the children all learned English In school. Her mother also took some night school classes as the children got older. The classes taught her sewing, enough English to get by in daily life, and helped her to pass her citizenship test. Her father and brother also eventually became US citizens. My aunt talked about going to school and being made fun of for being both Italian/Catholic in a predominately White/Protestant area. The kids in elementary school would tease her by saying Hunky day go shinny walk, eat your macaroni/ spaghetti with worms on top which would bring my aunt to tears. Her mom would say for her to Just tell them l dont eat macaroni or spaghetti, I eat steak! Looking back she laughs about It but at the time It was very difficult for her. She also had many Issues once graduating High School flying a Job. Many people In the community adulterated against the Italians, both for their ethnicity and their religious beliefs. After graduating High School in 1943 she moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to work as a dental assailant. (l tank tins Is winner seen met near TLS husband, but she didnt want to talk about it to me. ) She was able to get this Job due to WI going on at the time and them now training women to do mens Jobs that were away at war. Another topic she touched on was The Great Depression of the sasss. They were very poor, but they didnt really notice it cause so was everyone else during these times. She talked about walking the tracks in town, looking for coal that had fallen off assign trains. They collect as much as they could and use it to heat their house all winter. They also would plant/tend to a garden during the warm months, which in turn provided enough vegetables to can and eat during the winter. They also had chickens which provided them more then enough eggs to bake what they needed. Her father had built an outdoor oven in the backyard to cook bread in. She remembers the bags that flour used to come in and how her mother would always make a tablecloth and plate mats out of the old pages. In 1939/1940 steel arrived in the area. Her brothers started working in that field. The one worked at B. Wilcox Tube Company, working with the steel they put inside tires. It was a good Job that he stuck with until his death. (she didnt say if it was a work related death) Her other brother worked in the Ellwood City Tube Mill. Her sisters were now old enough to also work and worked in various retail type stores in town. She was the only one who moved away from home. The lime quarry where her father was working was eventually stripped of all the lime. It was then turned into a growing facility for Snowman Mushrooms. This provided lots of new Jobs for the people in town, including the women. (She wasnt sure what the women exactly did there though. ) The last topic she touched on was the amount of religion the family was involved in. They were a very Catholic family, attending Church every Sunday, and also on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Her mother loved going to Church. The priest spoke Latin and he and her mother would talk for hours since Latin and Italian are one in the same language. She was very adamant on telling me and making sure I wrote down that all of the ids graduated from High School, the whole family did in fact become US citizens and also they received NO extra help during The Depression. I know from also talking to my other family members that Italians are big on family, and they like to help each other, but not receive much outside help. The boys in the family are treated like kings. This is very apparent when you look at both my moms brother and my brother. They both seem to do no wrong, and the women bend over backwards to take care of them and make sure their needs are met.

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

Writer's choice - Essay Example These verses are so relevant to the believers today because they advocate for mercy, generosity, sharing and helping of the less fortunate people in the society. These are great values that modern Muslims should possess because of the existing inequalities which has resulted into the segregation of the society into the upper, middle and lower classes each of which has different capabilities. So, it is justified for these verses to encourage people to have the virtue of sharing. If no one cares for the other, then the disabled, sick and poor people will die of hunger. Apart from emphasizing on the role of sharing, these verses relate to the principle of brotherhood. By encouraging people to share with one another, it means that the verses are urging the believers not only to think about themselves, but to extend their concern, love and care for other people as well. By doing this, they will not be limiting their brotherhood to their biological relatives. Instead, they will extend it to everyone from all corners of the world. Once a person gets a conviction that brotherhood is a broader thing, they will consider all the human beings to be their neighbors. So, they will be obliged to share with them their resources, protect them and offer them all the necessary assistance that they might require. I think this will bring peace in the

Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory Essay - 1

Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide - Essay Example Lawmakers should ban cell phone use while driving because a human life is more important than a simple phone call. Even if a driver is using a phone for something important, such as work, they are still putting others at risk. Another persons life is more important than a phone call and there really can be no comparison between the two. Second, driving and talking on the phone should be outlawed because most phone calls are not emergencies. A person would not talk on the phone while in a business meeting, so why should they when they are driving? Discounting work or emergency calls, most calls are either personal or social. If a call is not the matter of a life or death situation then it can wait until the driver can safely stop their vehicle. Finally, drivers need their full attention on the road, so by law they should not be able to use a cell phone while driving. Drivers are required to sit license tests before being able to drive, so this proves that driver have to be skilful. Talking on the phone takes away from these skills. Also, it is just common sense not to talk on the phone while driving, the same way that people would think it is silly to drive and read a book at the same time. To sum up, drivers should not be allowed to use cell phones for all of the reasons listed previously. Not only is a human life more important than a phone call, but also the majority of phone calls are not emergencies and drivers need to be fully focused on the road ahead of

ELO Reflection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ELO Reflection - Assignment Example Auto racing eliminates human interaction in competition and takes a certain amount of success or failure of the hands of competitors. Racers chasing the feeling of adrenaline that one gets only in a race car as they come close to replicating any medication or other human experience. This feeling is addictive and consume. All you think about is running, and if you are not on the track, everything you think you want to go to the race next time. The drivers love their racing cars and love to go fast more than anything else. And once you master a particular form of the race, you want to go even faster. But the faster you go, the more dangerous it can be. You know as the driver how the race can be dangerous? Absolutely. Family members know that it is dangerous? Yes, they do. They know that all can be lost on the track, their families, their jobs and their way of life, if something goes wrong? Of course they do. Every veteran racer has been in a serious accident. It is often the first serious accident that causes the rotor to reassess the situation. Not everyone comes back from this first serious accident, and it is com mon to see riders leave the drivers seat on total because of the insistence of family and friends. I got an opportunity to be a part of the thrill. I remember walking to the rear of the pit garages eventually three-quarters of the way through the race and triggered a latecomer mechanic. I asked him what it was like running with the circus sports, traveling the world in a race to the next. When I went, it was the last year of the (relatively small) V8, and as shelled cars in curves and deep breakthrough, deep in the ears is something that you do not much of what cars and fans are doing as much fun as the race itself is not possible to follow in person. Wind cars tearing eyes, your face pecks rubber patches, and the

Impact of Technology on Print Media

Impact of Technology on Print Media Print and electronic media plays an important role in communication effectively as the world has been globalized. The technology used for communication should not be overlooked, because the interchange of information is necessary in current era. Print and electronic media has globalized the world. The news or communication can be done easily from corner to corner just in few seconds. Technology has impacted the communication in a positive way. In the current world the communication has been distributed between print and electronic media. These two Medias are playing a vital role in communicating between individuals and the society. News, comment, information and entertainment, are the complex set of newspaper, and the arrangement of these contents differs from paper to paper. Most people choose their daily paper to match their specific tastes, and individual newspapers have developed in different ways to provide for these. Many changes have taken place over the period, in the newspapers. The newspapers are filled with advertisements and have many pages on carrying different news. Today journalism has become one of the prosperous professions (Oghakpor, 2007). The number of newspapers has risen sharply which has made the communication to its optimum level whilst profits have also boomed. Development of information and communication technology has made the work of newspaper publication easy and less laborious. Todays newspapers have lots of investigative stories/reports. This contributes to bringing in light big scandals and scams resulting into fall of a person. Which creates negative influences the society and shows that the technology is not been used for the purpose in the right way, as it has to be used for. Magazines charm to an expanding range of reading flavours and happiness. They are designed for standardized or special interest groups. Regardless of their design for special groups, they developed as a mass medium because they appeal to large numbers in a national market that cut across social, economic and educational class lines (Oghakpor, 2007). The magazines can be categorized into two different categories, General interest magazines and special interest magazines. General interest magazines attempt to cater to a wide variety of reading interests. Special interest magazines are mainly focused on one thing. For instance, The Women magazine covers all the things about the women while, Muscles magazine covers all the stuff about building the muscles of either men or women. Its most notable function; however, is correlation that is, interpreting the society by bringing together diverse facts, trends and sequences of events. According to Kipphan 2001, Magazines in essence, are the great interpreters of what is happening in society. There are several magazines in the world, which are published internationally as well, so that people can benefit from them. Or people from the foreign countries order the magazines to remain update, although most of the magazines can be viewed online. According to Hamelink   Linnà © 1994, magazines have been much more visually innovative than newspapers. Their covers blaze from newsstands and market racks, thus attracting the readers attention with colour and allure of advertisements besides their articles. Magazines are published according to the information gathered, i.e. weekly, fortnightly etc. These are basically news magazines but they include sections on arts, culture, sports, films, business, politics, industry, and environment. There are about 500 such general interest magazines focusing on news and current affairs, having largest readership. Textbooks, other books, booklets, pamphlets, brochures, folders, periodicals, wall newspapers, publicity and promotional literature also constitute media for mass reading, information and enlightenment, they less extensively used as compared to the newspapers and magazines, are called the best way of effective communication. Books are non-periodical printed publication of at least 49 pages excluding the cover page, published in any country and are made available to public.  These are published as weeklies, fortnightlies, quarterlies, annuals or dailies, so magazines do. There are bimonthlies and half year lies also. Electronic communication has become almost an essential part of peoples lives. The Internet has been the catalyst for electronic communication, and rarely in human history has anything risen to such prominence in such a short period of time (Hirst Harrison, 2007). There are now many ways to communicate electronically, with, no doubt, more variety to come in the near future. Currently, Televisions, radios, internet, mobile technologies, ipads, e-books, e-magazines etc. are versatile ways to communication technology. Over internet, email has had its critics, notably for the brevity of messages and for the rapidity of reply, which often negates clear thought. But all new things will have critics. Writing to someone by conventional email and waiting for a response takes days or weeks. Waiting sometimes just a few minutes for a response by email seemed quite magical in the early days of the internet. Now this is taken for granted. The problem of spam has never been dealt with satisfactorily, but being able to email photographs on the day they were taken to a loved one on the other side of the world makes up for some of the negatives. Mobile technology has made a tremendous change in terms of communication. In current years the phone contains the features of 3G internet facility which is called the fastest internet on mobile, through which the communication and sharing knowledge becomes easier. Facebook, tweeter, internet browsing, Skype, VoIP technologies can be excessed anywhere without any hurdle. Similarly, Ipads and IPods have also made paradigm change in this global world. It facilitates in the same way as smart phones does, although they are bigger in size. Newsgroups and chat rooms began as early types of social media. Newsgroups rely on peoples posting messages to a relevant group, and members of that group can then comment instantaneously. In recent years, newsgroups have, to a large extent, been replaced by slick social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Chat rooms still have a dubious reputation on the net, because though they can be great places for friends spread around the globe to meet up, unwelcome visitors will often use them inappropriately. Standalone video conferencing, used for business, has also now been matched by instant-messaging programs. Social media may be seen by many as even more important than email now. Facebook and MySpace have an email facility and instant messaging, and Twitter has a direct-message and instant reply facility. Instant messaging, which is also available from the likes of Yahoo! and MSN, is becoming increasingly more advanced. Whereas in the early days of Yahoo! Messenger you could save money on a phone call to someone overseas, now you can not only talk but look at a live video image of that person at the same time. It might be concluded from this that the communication technology have a great impact on the print media and electronic media. Newspapers, magazines, broachers, newsletters, pamphlets have made the vigorous change in communication. All these have to face different audiences and are mainly the most important technological tools to communicate and deliver the message. Despite, the electronic media is massively taking place of print media and globalizing this village. Mobile devices, Ipads, Ipods, Television, radios have made the thing accessible within few seconds.

An Author and his work A Kid in King Arthurs Court :: essays papers

An Author and his work A Kid in King Arthurs Court An Author and His Work :A Kid in King Arther's Court Research Term Paper An Author and His Work Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens to John Marshal Clemens and Jane Lampton Clemens. He was born on November 30, 1835 in a small city called Florida, Missouri, which had a population of one hundred people. "I increased the population by one percent," he said. "It is more than many of the best men in history could have done for a town†¦" (Cox, 7) Samuel, however did not live most of his life in Florida, but moved around throughout his life. His family moved to Hannibal, MO when he was four years old and that was where he went to school.

Global Sourcing Challenge Case Questions Essay

1. Marianna Barner should decline the invitation for IKEA to have a representative appear on the upcoming forecast of the German video program. The producers of the documentary invited them to take part in a live discussion during the airing, and while this offer does sound beneficial for IKEA to educate the public and the producers of the current efforts taken to fight child labor, it would not be in their best interest. This is attributed to the fact that the producers refuse to let IKEA preview the video beforehand and that they are aware that the producers â€Å"planned to take a confrontational and aggressive approach† directly aimed at them. As a result, there is a very high possibility that the representative would then be blindsided with questions and then IKEA’s message of their efforts would not be portrayed accurately. Instead, IKEA should respond to the allegations by releasing their own statement allowing them to explain their efforts once they have had the opportunity to review all evidence and verify the credibility. 2. In regards to the supply contract that IKEA has with Rangan Exports, it would be best if Barner terminates the contract, should sufficient evidence prove that they do indeed use child labor. They stress the importance of taking responsibility for their suppliers, and in the IWAY (IKEA Code of Conduct), it clearly states that they do not accept Child Labourm, otherwise their contract will be terminated. The well-regarded company (Rangan) had signed an addendum that explicitly forbids the use of child labor, so it is important that IKEA upholds their standards and codes in order to maintain a fair position with their other suppliers. It would also be wise for her to then issue a statement or press release about the severed ties with the company, stating the reasons for the decision and maintaining integrity by upholding their own policies regarding child labor, so that the public and other suppliers see that they won’t tolerate unethical behavior or violations to their contra ct. 3. It is suggested that IKEA stays in India and continue operations. The long-term strategy that Barner should take regarding continued operations includes maintaining their code of conduct to uphold their image of being responsible for their suppliers and the environment, while also contributing to an improved quality of life for those in India.

Antigone Versus Socrates in the Crito essays

Antigone Versus Socrates in the Crito essays Sophocles play Antigone illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices sister, Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who interferes with his body shall be punished. This is where the conflict begins. Thus the theme of this play becomes the priority of unwritten law. The question is whether duties to the gods are more essential then obedience of the state and law. Creon calls the rottin g of Polyneices body an obscenity because he believes that burial of the dead is a necessity of human law and not of a citizen. . There is no compromise between the two both believe in the absolute truth of their obedience. Antigone believes that the unwritten and natural law supercedes any form of human written law. Honor and a principled responsibility to gods and family are given equal weight in her self-defense. She says that she fears, not men's condemnation, but penalties from the gods if she does not act The painful evils that beset her life (the loss of mother, father, and brothers) make death a gain in her eyes By contrast, if she had left her mother's son unburied, she would have grieved She expects to win glory for her gesture to the gods. Antigone displays the characteristic trait of pride in the way she justifies and carries out her decisions. She is obstinate in h...

Nero Cafe Financials Essays

Nero Cafe Financials Essays Nero Cafe Financials Essay Nero Cafe Financials Essay THE BEST ESPRESSO THIS SIDE OF MILAN’ ANNUAL REPORT 2008 HIGHLIGHTS FY2008 (JUNE 2007 – MAY 2008) FINANCIAL EVOLUTION STORES 371 REVENUE (? M) 129. 3 108. 8 90. 7 FY08 GROWTH 19% 70. 1 50. 5 REVENUE UP 19% TO ? 129. 3M (2007: ? 108. 8M) LIKE-FOR-LIKE STORE SALES INCREASED BY 2. 4% EBITDA ROSE BY 20. 5% TO ? 24. 1M (2007: ? 20M) PRE TAX PROFIT CLIMBED BY 38% TO ? 13. 2M (2007: ? 9. M) STRONG CASH GENERATION CONTINUES TO FUND ROLL-OUT OF NEW STORES A NET INCREASE OF 61 NEW STORES DURING THE YEAR, BRINGING GROUP TOTAL TO 371 YEAR END LAUNCHED â€Å"NERO EXPRESS† CARTS FOR AIRPORT AND RAILWAY STATION HUBS: OPERATING WITH A TOTAL OF 15 NERO EXPRESS CARTS BY YEAR END (MAY 2008) ENTERED FIRST INTERNATIONAL MARKET TURKEY. OPENED 7 STORES BY YEAR END (MAY 2008) CURRENTLY 393 STORES IN 210 UK CITIES AND TOWNS; ANTICIPATE 410 STORES BY CURRENT YEAR END (MAY 2009) 04 05 06 262 FY08 GROWTH 20% 214 162 10 07 08 04 05 06 07 08 STORE PROFIT (? M) 32. 7 28. 3 FY08 GROWTH 16% 10. 6 23. 0 16. 8 FY08 GROWTH 20. 5% EBITDA (? M) 24. 1 20. 0 15. 6 11. 3 6. 5 04 05 06 07 08 04 05 06 07 08 PROFIT BEFORE TAX (? M) 13. 2 9. 6 FY08 GROWTH 38% 7. 3 5. 1* 2. 4 04 05 06 07 08 *BEFORE GOODWILL WRITE-OFF 01 05 08 09 10 12 FINANCIAL EVOLUTION CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT GROUP INCOME STATEMENT GROUP BALANCE SHEET NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THE EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTORS ADVISERS 13 CAFFE NERO STORES FIGURES FOR 2004 ARE STATED UNDER UK GAAP AND PROFIT FIGURES ARE BEFORE GOODWILL AMORTISATION AND EXCEPTIONALS CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 FINANCIAL EVOLUTION 01 CAFFE NERO HAD THE WIT AND VISION TO WISELY CULTIVATE A MORE ENDURING, SOPHISTICATED EUROPEAN IMAGE SUNDAY HERALD 2008 02 03 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT INTRODUCTION The financial year 2008 (FY2008), for the Caffe Nero Group (â€Å"the Group† or â€Å"Caffe Nero†), was a year of launching into new business areas as well as expanding Caffe Nero’s core UK high street business. Despite a noticeable consumer slowdown from September 07 – May 08, Caffe Nero successfully launched a new division and format called Nero Express; opened in its first international territory – Turkey; progressed its UK expansion by moving into Northern Ireland; continued to rank as the top UK coffee house brand among its peers; and recorded a very solid financial performance. FINANCIAL During FY2008, the Group had success both with top line revenue and with bottom line profit. Although the surrounding economic environment in the UK was challenging, revenue still moved up by 19% to ? 129. 3m (2007: ? 108. m). Like for like store sales were a respectable 2. 4%, marking 44 consecutive quarters of positive like for like store growth at Caffe Nero. Cash flow profit (EBITDA) also progressed significantly despite substantial rises in costs. Commodity prices – wheat, milk, coffee and oil – along with minimum wage and various other ingredient costs, all rose in the period. Whilst this put pressure on our margin, Caffe Nero was still able to grow EBITDA by nearly 21% to ? 24. 1m (2007: ? 20m). Likewise, at the pre-tax profit line, respectable gains were made: pre-tax profit rose by 43% to ? 13. 7m (2007: ? 9. m), which was ahead of management expectations. A second major advancement in the year was to open in our first international territory Turkey. We launched Caffe Nero Turkey in October 2007, which entailed forming a separate JV company based in Istanbul, building a team, developing operational expertise, securing sites and constructing stores. We managed to do all of the above and open seven stores in the year. By the year end we had approximately 100 people in Caffe Nero Turkey. This was a great start for our fi rst overseas territory, and a tribute to the hard work and dedication by our local partners and Turkish management team. The third area of progress was with our core UK business. We opened 39 new stores in the year, including our first foray into Northern Ireland. In a two month period we launched three successful stores in the greater Belfast area, and then, more recently, have opened a fourth store in the same area. The management team has been very pleased by the early results from this new grouping of stores. In total, the Group opened 61 stores in the 12 months to May 08, taking Caffe Nero to 371 stores at year end. BRAND We were proud to note that the Group received accolades from its peers recently. Caffe Nero was ranked as the most respected coffee house brand in the United Kingdom by independent UK coffee operators (Allegra Strategies 2008 Independent Coffee Operators survey) in September 2008. Caffe Nero was also named one of the most respected brands in all of the UK Food and Beverage (F B) industry in a recent survey of several hundred F B executives. It ranked just behind Marks Spencer and Tesco and ahead of Pizza Express and Starbucks. The survey included all types of F B businesses, ranging from food retailers to restaurants and pub groups to food service companies to food manufacturers. Allegra Strategies, â€Å" Top of the Mind† F B executive survey November 2008). During FY2008, the Caffe Nero brand also continued its â€Å"Partnership with the Arts† programme. It promoted and sponsored the RSC’s celebration of 100 years of English history, the Tutankhamen exhibition at the O2 and the First Emperor exhibition at the British Museum. We have co ntinued this partnership at the beginning of FY2009 by sponsoring the Rothko exhibition at the Tate Modern. â€Å"HOT, STRONG AND DELICIOUS COFFEE† HARDEN`S LONDON RESTAURANT GUIDE 2008 Our cash position also remained strong. Despite opening more than 60 stores in the year, the cash position of the Group at the year end was similar to that of the year before, namely more than ? 9m of cash at hand. GROWTH The Group advanced in three key areas during FY2008. The first was the launch of a new sub-brand called Nero Express. Nero Express units are smaller kiosks located in main transport hubs. They provide Caffe Nero coffee and a narrower food menu to â€Å"on the go† consumers. Caffe Nero opened 15 Nero Express units in its first year of operation. Setting up a separate organisation and working out the logistical issues of operating in railway stations and airports was no small challenge. We are very pleased with all the progress that has been achieved in our first 12 months of operating this division, and look forward to growing and strengthening our Nero Express business both in the UK and internationally. CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT 04 05 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT (CONTINUED) CURRENT TRADING The current economic climate remains challenging for most UK retailers. Costs have been increasing over the last 12 months, particularly hitting food and beverage operators, and consumer spending has also been slumping. There is evidence emerging, however, that cost inflation is abating in some key areas such as oil, heat and light, wheat and milk, which will help our margin in the coming months. To date, Caffe Nero has handled the turbulent times relatively well. We opened 22 new stores between June and October (the first five months of FY 2009), giving the Group a total of 393 stores. This total includes 11 stores in Turkey and 16 Nero Express kiosks. Caffe Nero also maintained its positive like for like store sales growth from June – October 08, and sales overall grew by 15%. The consumer environment looks set to remain challenging and will likely soften even further in the coming months. That said, a recent independent report by Allegra Strategies has indicated that the branded coffee market is forecast to continue to experience 6% annual growth. Caffe Nero’s strong brand and low price point, with an average transaction spend of ? 3. 40, will undoubtedly help to mitigate some of the predicted downturn as consumers refuse to relinquish their â€Å"affordable treat† in gourmet coffee. Whilst we anticipate that the second half of the year (Dec – May 2009) will be more challenging for our business than the first half, we remain committed to a measured expansion plan. During this period, we will also focus on our existing estate, with an emphasis on driving marginal revenue, maximising profit and preserving cash. In December we will open our first Middle East store in the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest inside shopping complex. At least two more stores in Dubai will follow shortly thereafter. We also anticipate adding two or three more stores in Turkey by the year end. Regarding the UK market, we will carry on opening stores at a steady pace. In total, we anticipate opening more than 35 stores in the year and remain confident of achieving double-digit sales growth. UK COFFEE OPERATORS RANK CAFFE NERO AS MOST RESPECTED COFFEE BRAND ALLEGRA STRATEGIES, INDUSTRY SURVEY ON COFFEE 2008 GERRY FORD CHAIRMAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE 24 November 2008 06 07 GROUP INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2008 GROUP BALANCE SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2008 Notes 2008 ? 000 2007 ? 000 Notes 2008 ? 000 2007 ? 000 Revenue Cost of sales Gross profit Administrative expenses excluding depreciation, amortisation and impairment and exceptional items Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, impairment and exceptional items Administrative expenses – depreciation, amortisation and impairment Operating profit before exceptional items Administrative expenses – exceptional item Total administrative expenses Operating profit Bank interest receivable Finance expense Profit before taxation Tax on profit on ordinary activities Profit attributable to equity holders of the parent (2) 129,307 (96,591) 32,716 (8,660) 108,819 (80,488) 28,331 (8,290) Non-current assets Goodwill Software Property, plant and equipment Lease premiums Other receivables 831 92 53,019 2,240 1,040 57,222 Current assets Inventories Lease premiums Other receivables Cash and cash equivalents 1,058 543 5,490 9,580 16,671 Total assets Current liabilities Trade and other payables Provisions (24,388) (24,388) Non-current liabilities Provisions Total liabilities Net assets Equity Called up share capital Share premium account Capital redemption reserve Options tax reserve Other reserve Retained earnings Shareholders’ equity 389 13,385 15 – 6,249 29,411 49,449 389 13,385 15 – 6,249 16,182 36,220 (56) (24,444) 49,449 (63) (29,631) 36,220 (29,463) (105) (29,568) 73,893 872 363 1,721 10,399 13,355 65,851 831 125 48,697 2,561 282 52,496 4,056 (11,154) 12,902 (19,814) 12,902 327 13,229 13,229 20,041 (8,894) 11,147 (1,249) (18,433) 9,898 423 (762) 9,559 (5,116) 4,443 08 CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 GROUP INCOME STATEMENT CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 GROUP BALANCE SHEET 09 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AT 31 MAY 2008 2. TAXATION a) Analysis of tax charge in the year Current tax Deferred tax Income tax expense reported on consolidated income statement 2008 ? 000 2007 ? 000 – – 5,585 (469) 5,116 b) Reconciliation of total tax charge The tax assessed for the year differs from the avarage standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 29. 67% (2007 – 30%). 2008 The differences are explained below: ? 00 Profit on ordinary activities before tax Profit on ordinary activities multiplied by standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 29. 67% (2007 – 30%) Effect of: Expenses not deductible for tax purposes Movement in deferred tax asset not recognised Group relief Adjustment for prior year deferred tax Reversal of deferred tax previously recognised Income tax expense reported on consolidated income statement 13,229 3,925 856 2,135 (6,916) – – – 2007 ? 000 9,559 2,868 1,045 – 169 (10) 1,382 5,116 c) Deferred tax Deferred tax recognised in the financial s tatements and the amounts not recognised are as follows: 2008 Recognised Not recognised ? 000 ? 000 2007 Recognised Not recognised ? 000 ? 000 Decelerated/(accelerated) capital allowances Other timing differences Tax losses Deferred tax asset – – – – 2,369 193 139 2,701 – – – – 1. 087 299 149 1,535 CAFFE NERO IS STILL ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING BRANDS IN EUROPE BUSINESS WEEK MAGAZINE EURO 500 2008 Deferred tax assets are recognised once it is considered more likely than not that they will be recoverable against future taxable trading profits arising in the group. 3. AUDITED ACCOUNTS The income statement and balance sheet extracted from the statutory financial statements for Caffe Nero Group Limited. Full accounts are available from 3 Neal Street, London WC2H 9PU. The financial information provided is not inclusive of Caffe Nero Turkey. 10 CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 11 THE EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTORS ADVISERS CAFFE NERO STORES BEBEK FLAGSHIP STORE IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY GERRY FORD CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dr Ford oversees the general management, strategy, and branding of Caffe Nero. Dr Ford first developed his European coffee house concept in 1996. The concept was applied to the five original sites acquired in 1997, and the brand has subsequently been rolled-out throughout the UK. Dr Ford holds a BA from Stanford, an MBA from INSEAD and a PhD from Oxford. He has over 20 years experience managing, advising and investing in small and medium sized consumer goods companies. He also co-founded Paladin, a private equity group which invests in food, consumer brands, and media businesses. In 2005, Dr Ford was named â€Å"UK Entrepreneur of the Year† by the Financial Times, London Stock Exchange and the British public. BEN PRICE FINANCE DIRECTOR Mr Price oversees all financial aspects of the group as well as site acquisitions in the UK. Mr Price has a physics degree from Oxford and qualified as an accountant with Ernst Young, where he worked for five years in the audit practice. Since then he has had over 15 years of senior finance management experience in the retail sector. For three years he was at Dixons, where he became one of the senior finance managers reporting directly to the Group Finance Director. He then served as the finance controller of a furniture retailer before joining Caffe Nero in June 1997 as part of Dr Ford’s original management team. JONATHAN HART MANAGING DIRECTOR, UNITED KINGDOM Mr Hart is responsible for the growth and general management of the day-to-day operation of the UK business. He has over 20 years of retail experience with a number of major-brand companies including Tesco, Woolworths and Dixons, where he was responsible for creating and growing a number of its businesses including The Link, Dixons Tax-Free and international e-commerce. At Dixons he became a member of the Group Executive Committee reporting to the Group CEO and responsible for all of the Group’s high street formats with a turnover exceeding ? 1 billion. ISIK KECECI ASUR MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAFFE NERO TURKEY Ms Asur heads the Caffe Nero Turkish joint venture, and along with her husband, Mustafa Asur, holds a 50% investment stake. Ms Asur has over 20 years management experience in media and branded consumer goods. As Director of corporate development for Bertelsmann AG New York, Ms Asur successfully led several MA projects, later becoming a board member for the largest media conglomerate in Turkey – Dogan Holding. In 2001, she founded Al Shaya Turkey, a multi-brand retail operation including Starbucks, The Body Shop and Debenhams. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Ms Asur was named as the CEO of the most admired company in Turkey in 2004 by the Capital magazine poll and a Global Leader by the Economic Forum in 2005. DIRECTORS G W Ford B J Price J D Hart I K Asur (Turkey) SECRETARY B J Price AUDITORS Ernst Young LLP 1 More London Place London SE1 2AF BANKERS Bank of Scotland The Mound Edinburgh EH1 1YZ SOLICITORS PWC Legal 1 Embankment Place London WC2N 6DX Linklaters 1 Silk Street London EC2Y 8HQ REGISTERED OFFICE 3 Neal Street London WC2H 9PU COMPANY NUMBER 4129005 HEATHROW T5 AIRPORT STORE NERO EXPRESS KIOSK 12 CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 THE EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTORS ADVISERS CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD ANNUAL REPORT 2008 CAFFE NERO STORES 13 CAFFE NERO GROUP LTD 3 NEAL STREET LONDON WC2H 9PU WWW. CAFFENERO. COM Manufactured from 100% Virgin ECF Fibre. Fully recyclable and manufactured from environmentally approved 100% ECF wood-pulp in mills with excellent environmental records. ISO14001 Accreditation    Designed by hattrick marketing 0870 609 3216 www. hattrickmarketing. com

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A Bad Time to Raise Children - Research Paper Example In the modern day, with the advent of technology and the prevalence of various risk factors, children remain exposed to a multitude of negative influences that hamper their development. Therefore, the present day is a bad time to raise children because there are several factors that could adversely impact the growing teenagers such as media, social environment and parenting deficiencies. With the advent of technology, various media contents are becoming easily accessible to people, due to which these have become very common place. Furthermore, in the present day, the concept of freedom of expression receives high consideration and, therefore, the process of censorship of the media content has become highly liberal. The public is being bombarded with various media content including movies, TV shows, print and web media etc. In this scenario, movies, TV shows, and video games etc contain a lot of sex and violence, which can negatively impact children. Research studies conducted on the topic suggest that â€Å"exposure to violent media early in life is a precursor to increased aggressive behavior later in life† (Kirsh 36). Similarly, video games, which are easily accessible in abundance, have become very popular among children and adolescents. These games also contain a lot of violent materials that excite youngsters. Thus, they remain engaged in this activity f or prolonged hours daily. This habit, apart from provoking violent behavior in children, presents the content that encourages them to remain engrossed in this activity, thus diverting their attention from core areas like studies, project work etc. Besides, the easy and cheap availability of computer and internet expose the children to harmful content. In today’s world, any child can view web content of any kind by using his or her personal computer. Thus, in the present day, parents have to exercise extreme caution to make sure that their children do not over-engage in

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