Frank Sinatra Essays -- Essays Papers

Frank Sinatra Howard Cosell, a legendary commentator, spoke words about this legendary man that more or less sums up his legendary career. He said "Frank Sinatra, who has the phrasing, who has the control, who understands the composers, who knows what losing means as so many have, who made the great comeback, who stands still, enduringly, on top of the entertainment world. Ladies and gentlemen, from here on in it's Frank Sinatra!" Frank Sinatra, the only singer in history to have hit records in five consecutive decades, led a lot more distinctive life than people were led to believe. It all began December 12, 1915, when a boy named Francis Albert Sinatra was brought into the world. He was the son of Dolly and Anthony Sinatra, a pair of Italian immigrants. He was born and raised in Hoboken, New Jersey where he spent his teenage years unloading trucks for the Jersey Observer newspaper. He then became a copy boy where he found a passion to strive for, journalism. However, the editor at the newspaper said, â€Å"copy boys don’t know enough to be reporters.† So, Sinatra went to secretarial school. He studied English, typing, and shorthand. The newspaper’s editor eventually promoted him to cub sports reporter After achieving his goal to be a journalist, Frank had another passion to strive for, singing. In his spare time, Sinatra appeared in on Major Bowes Amateur Hour, which was a popular radio talent show back in the day. Frank had never been taught to sing he taught himself. He was a natural. So the head of the Major Bowes Amateur Hour promoted Frank. For $25 a week he sang, waited tables, was the master of ceremonies, and a comedian at The Rustic Cabin. In 1939 a man by the name of Harry James discovered Frank while visiting The Rustic Cabin. He immediately signed Frank to sing for his new swing band. After touring with Harry James, Frank started to sing for with Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra. After recording more than 90 songs with them, Frank moved on. He then moved to the popular radio show The Lucky Strike Hit Parade, where he worked as the MC. Frankie was a hit! Everyone loved him. He was the first teen model the country had ever seen. Amazingly enough, he almost caused a near riot at New York’s Paramount Theater in 1944.He then signed a contract with Columbia Records in 1943 and left in 1952. So in 1953 he signed another contrac... ... a severe tragedy, a heart attack. It was the first heart attack Frank had ever had. For the next couple years Frank had not been seen in public. In 1998, Frank was back in the news. Unfortunately, it was about Frank’s Health. Sinatra had died of a heart attack at age 82 on May 14. The nation was astounded. This was the biggest music celebrity news since TuPac’s death. News channels everywhere interrupting their broadcasts for this special bulletin. The first teen idol that the country had ever seen was dead. The most ingenious singer the country had ever seen was dead. It was the second time the music had died. His life has touched the world and has forever changed the art of singing, as we know it. Works Cited William, Dean. â€Å"Sinatra, Frank.† Internet. March 14 2000. Available WWW.http://articles.eb.com. Schoemer, Karen. â€Å"The Kid from Hoboken.† Newsweek. May 25 1998: 57. â€Å"Sinatra, Frank.† Internet. March 14 2000. Available WWW. http://search.biography.com. Wilson, Jeff. â€Å"Sinatra outspoken†. Internet. March 14 2000. Available WWW http://www.nj.com. â€Å"Sinatra, Frank†. The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 17 S-Sn. World Book Inc. 93’.

Scrooge in A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Essay example -- Charl

A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Scrooge is represented from the beginning as a miserable old man being described as a "squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!" I think this a perfect description of him in one sentence. People know Scrooge well and avoid him, this suites Scrooge because he does not like other people and not a big fan of being sociable. The name 'Scrooge' was created by Dickens and is now well known in the dictionary as someone that is mean, this is basically what Scrooge is in the novel, a symbol of meanness. It is described that the people know Scrooge well and avoid him as much as possible. Although this suites him well because he does not like other people, and is not sociable in any way. Dickens makes you dislike Scrooge from the very beginning by using a number of methods such as, the described setting and Scrooge, how he treats the poor, the language used etc. The setting he's in is just like him, cold, gloomy, small and cheap. His treatment to the poor is appalling as when he is asked to give a donation for them he replies, "Are there no prisons?" "And the Union Workhouses?" this is very harsh and selfish, because he is basically saying they should be put in prison instead of trying to get money off of him, this instantly creates bad impression on him. His counting house is described by Dickens to be like a "dismal little cell", this gives the impression that it is cheap, dark and cold because the fire he describes is so small its as if it only has one coal. Being so cheap and not wanting to spend anymore money than he has to he only employs one person Bob Cratchit (... ...ery clear that, is you are not kind to people then you will have something bad happen to you in your afterlife. This is proved clear when Marley's ghost appears, and explains to Scrooge that there is "'No rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse'" as he when he was living acted just as Scrooge does. Dickens portrays Scrooge in many different but excellent ways and makes you feel a real sense of hatred for him by doing this. By setting the novel in the Victorian era it helps to create an image of the destitute poor and how badly people like Scrooge treat them. The actual setting he is in is similar to Scrooges personality and features, the use of similes and other descriptive language all add to Scrooges nasty nature. To sum up what the reader is encouraged to feel in the first chapter is basic hatred for Scrooge.

Resource Allocation Essay

Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources: time, money, people, materials, energy, space, etc. , over the course of a project. The most important resources that project managers have to plan and manage on day-to-day basis are people, materials, equipment and working capital. Obviously, if these resources are available in abundance then the project could be accelerated to achieve shorter project duration. On the other hand, [Avoid using colloquial language, slang or jargon in formal writing (14)] if these resources are severely limited, then the result more than likely will be a delay in the project completion time. Depending on the type of resources, the costs of providing an abundance of such resources to accelerate project completion time can be very high. However, if resources are readily available and excess premiums are not incurred to use them on the project, then project cost should be low, as some project costs are resource related while others are likely to be time dependent. In seeking professional services for the design and construction of our garage with living quarters, the management team has been confronted with a broad variety of choices. The services solicited are based on past history and excellent referrals. The Ransom family has selected the following individuals for the organizational structure of the garage project, all team member functions, responsibilities, qualifications, and capabilities are defined, as well as where each member fits into this structure. [Comma splice and/or run-on sentence. Rewrite as two sentences, or separate with a semicolon. (32)] The Ransom’s are confident that this group of individuals will form a cohesive team to complete the project within scope, budget and time. Ransom Family James Sampson is a low-level manager who will function as project manager. As PM he has been given the authority by the board of directors to resolve any resource allocation issues that may arise. James reports directly to the board of directors. His qualifications are over 20 years of experience in the areas of industrial engineering, materials and operations management. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA specializing in quantitative business analysis and business statistics. James will serve as liaison for the city planning commission. James has the following skills and abilities: principles and practices of contemporary project management, strategic, conceptual and analytical thinking, adaptability and flexibility including ability to manage pressure, ambiguity and change, team leadership, interpersonal, communication, and project management skills. Jody Bryant is a functional manager in charge of Contract Administration and Documentation. She reports to James Sampson. Jody’s qualifications are 18 years experience in the area contract administration and associated policies, and procedures. Her academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA specializing in technology. She maintains contract administration systems that ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts and/or purchase orders. Her responsibilities include: documentation and record keeping, receiving, evaluating and acting on engineering and other change proposals, negotiating cost and schedule impact relating to change orders and other contract modifications. She also ensures timely submission of required reports. Rose Matos is functional manager in charge of structure and on-site management. She reports to James Sampson and Jody Bryant. Rose has 15 years experience designing beams, columns, walls, floors, roofs, and foundations of various structures. She will be responsible for overseeing Big Time Builders, Keep-em Happy Architectural, Martin Grading, and other of contractors such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and industrial engineers. James Vann Haigler is functional manager over quality assurance. Vann, as he prefers to be called, has an extensive background in quality assurance management, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Computer Science. He has over 13 years of experience in QA, 3D graphics applications. Vann reports to James Sampson, and is responsible for the overall management of activities related to the sampling, and release of raw materials and components. This includes, but is not limited to, writing of specifications and SOPs, control of artwork, shop floor testing, resolution of Sub-standard Material Reports, and maintenance of vendor files. He guarantees a level of quality for the end client, and is focused on creating a quality deliverable. Task and Responsibility Matrix After the project is organized, there is a need to define what roles and responsibilities for each member of Team B. Within the project the labor will not be specificity be accomplished by the team members but from sub-contractors, however each task must be carried out in order to complete the project. [This sentence is confusing. Reword for clarity] In order to insure that all tasks are carried out in the necessary order described within the Statement of Work the overseeing of the tasks are divided and assigned to various team members according to the members role which is defined by; responsibility, approval and support. With this in mind, the team has developed a task/responsibility matrix to keep track of these steps.

Pakistan Cement Industry Analysis

LUCKY CEMENT This report studies LUCKY CEMENT as a target against other companies studied as a basis for comparable analysis in the industry. Lucky Cement is the largest cement manufacturer in Pakistan and its upcoming expansion in Karachi will take its capacity from 6. 5mntpa to 9mntpa, further cementing its spot as the market leader. Lucky Cement Limited was incorporated in Pakistan on September 18, 1993 under the Companies Ordinance, 1984 (the Ordinance). The shares of the company are quoted on all the three stock exchanges in Pakistan.The Company has also issued GDRs which are listed and traded on the Professional Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Lucky Cement aims at producing cement to suit every user. The following types of cement are available: ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT (OPC) Ordinary Portland cement is available in darker shade as well as in light shades in Lucky Star with different brand names to s uit the requirement of users. SULPHATE RESISTANT CEMENT (SRC)Sulphate resistant Cement’s best quality is to provide effective and long lasting strength against sulphate attacks and is very suitable for constructions near sea shores as well as for canals linings. It provides very effective protection against alkali attacks. The company currently  produces five brands: * Lucky Cement * Lucky Star * Lucky Gold * Chairman * Lucky  sulphate resistant cement(SRC) CUSTOMERS AND END MARKETS Lucky Cement aims at producing cement to suit every user.At present, it is producing Grey Portland Cement and also Sulphate Resistant cement. The customers are able to get Portland cement both in dark shade as well as in light shade with different brand names to suit the requirement of user. The Portland cement specifically made for prefabrication industry with a lower setting time is also available. In addition, the plant also produce Slag cement for specific users. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS Deal ers, retailers and block makers are the integral part of Lucky Cement's sales strategy.This strong network of more than 200 dealers, located at strategic locations throughout the country, has enabled the company to create an impressive distribution system and access to markets at even the remote parts of the country. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 25. 69%| 37. 26%| 32. 55%| 33. 48%| EBITDA Margin| 23. 91%| 31. 77%| 23. 07%| 25. 87%| EBIT Margin| 18. 14%| 27. 41%| 17. 31%| 19. 83%| Net Income Margin| 15. 79%| 17. 45%| 12. 08%| 15. 26%| Return on Invested Capital| 9. 06%| 19. 2%| 11. 17%| 12. 63%| Return On Equity| 14. 35%| 19. 77%| 12. 50%| 14. 29%| Return On Assets| 7. 82%| 11. 97%| 8. 18%| 9. 63%| Leverage Ratio| 3. 84%| 1. 82%| 2. 33%| 1. 99%| Debt to total capitalization| 45. 51%| 39. 43%| 34. 49%| 32. 60%| PROFITABILITY The profitability of the company is quite decent, a nd shows an upward trend, which can be seen by the financial ratios of the firm. There was a slight dip in the year 2010, but then increased considerably in year 2011. This was mainly due to the decrease in the cost of production for Lucky Cement (decrease in the cost of raw materials).The prospects of the company are bright, which are demonstrated by high net income margin and return on invested capital ratios. GROWTH PROFILE Lucky Cement is growing at a brisk pace, as the overall cement industry is facing a desirable scenario, which is also demonstrated by high return on equity and return on assets ratio. The company is also paying its creditors back shown by the decrease in leverage and debt to total capitalization ratios, which is a positive sign for the firm, and shows that it is growing at a considerable rate. RETURN ON INVESTMENTThe return on investment of Lucky Cement from years 2008-2011 is above 10% on average, which is quite a decent number, and shows the profitability of the firm’s investments. It is 12. 63% in year 2011, and displays a favorable scenario for Lucky Cement. CREDIT PROFILE The credit profile of the company shows a positive sign as the firm’s debt to total capitalization ratio declined from 45. 51% in year 2008, to 32. 60% in year 2011. Moreover, the leverage ratio of Lucky Cement has also seen a decline, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers.ATTOCK CEMENT Attock Cement Pakistan Limited (ACPL) is a public limited company, listed on KSE since 2002. Main business of the company is manufacturing and sales of cement. ACPL, is part of the Pharaon Group, which in addition to investment to cement industry has diversified stakes in Pakistan mainly in the oil and gas sector, power and real estate sector. The Attock Cement project was conceived and the company was incorporated in 1981, the plant finally commenced commercial production on Jun e 1, 1988. The project is a Pak Saudi joint venture and involved initial capital outlay of around Rs 1. billion with foreign exchange component of around US $ 45 million. This made it one of the largest enterprises in the private sector. Pharaon Commercial Investment Company Limited holds 84. 06% of total paid up share capital whereas the general public holds a total of 15. 94% shares. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: The main product of the Company is ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT (OPC) but in addition to this ACPL also produces SULPHATE RESISTANT CEMENT (SRC) and PORTLAND BLAST FURNACE CEMENT (PBFC), which sells under the registered brand name of â€Å"FALCON CEMENT† in the market.DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: At ACPL Sales and Marketing team focuses on delighting customers through making available quality products at the market place. ACPL has a network of dealers all around Pakistan. ACPL keep on recognizing the efforts of its dealers through periodic i ncentive plans based on their sales performance. Sales and marketing forces lead in taking initiatives ahead of the competitors. Few example of ACPL faster first include the export of clinker to the UAE and Qatar, along with cement exports to Iraq. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 22. 27%| 31. 80%| 25. 53%| 20. 23%| EBITDA Margin| 24. 22%| 28. 56%| 20. 12%| 14. 69%| EBIT Margin| 16. 20%| 22. 99%| 16. 59%| 11. 52%| Net Income Margin| 8. 69%| 17. 54%| 13. 25%| 8%| Return on Invested Capital| 14. 06%| 32. 07%| 19. 23%| 13%| Return On Equity| 12. 31%| 31. 24%| 18. 84%| 11. 80%| Return On Assets| 7. 41%| 21. 41%| 14. 40%| 8. 83%| Leverage Ratio| 1. 93%| 0. 90%| 1. 08%| 1. 54%| Debt to total capitalization| 39. 84%| 31. 47%| 23. 56%| 25. 11%| PROFITABILITYThe profitability of Attock Cement is quite satisfactory too but not as good as Lucky Cement. The company’s gross profit mar gin was very low as compared to that of Lucky Cement, however, the firm’s net profit margin is at par. It can be seen that Attock Cement has more operating expenses as compared to Lucky Cement, which it needs to cut and achieve efficiency, to match with the profitability performance of Lucky Cement. GROWTH PROFILE Attock Cement has a very fluctuating, or rather, a very inconsistent growth rate, as can be seen by the return on equity and return on assets ratios.Both the ratios were fairly decent in the year 2008, but then both saw a decline in consecutive years 2009 and 2010, after which they came back to an acceptable level in year 2011. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment of Attock Cement was again very unpredictable, fluctuating drastically between years 2008-2011. It touched a very high 32. 07% in year 2009, but then declined to a level which was similar to that in year 2008. Overall, the return on invested capital was at a satisfactory level as compared to Lucky Cement, which shows the positive nature of the company’s investments. CREDIT PROFILEThe credit profile of Attock Cement is a fairly acceptable one, as can be seen by the decreasing leverage and debt to total capitalization ratios. This means that Attock Cement, like Lucky Cement, is also paying back its creditors and suppliers, which will mean that the lenders will be happy to lend money and raw materials to the company, as they’re able to meet their financial obligations effectively. D. G. KHAN CEMENT D. G. Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC), a unit of Nishat group, is the largest cement-manufacturing unit in Pakistan with a production capacity of 5,500 tons clinker per day.It has a countrywide distribution network and its products are preferred on projects of national repute both locally and internationally due to the unparallel and consistent quality. It is list on all the Stock Exchanges of Pakistan. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: There are two types of cement products of D. G. Khan: * Ordinary Portland Cement * Sulphate Resistant Cement DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: Two different products are produced at DGKCC namely Ordinary Portland Cement and Sulphate Resistant Cement.These products are marketed through two different brands: * DG brand ; Elephant brand Ordinary Portland Cement * DG brand Sulphate Resistant Cement DG Khan  Cement Company  supplies cement throughout Pakistan especially in the provinces of Punjab, Sind and Baluchistan. This extensive distribution is achieved through following regional sales offices: * Lahore Regional Sales Office * Multan Regional Sales Office * Rawalpindi Regional Sales Office * DG Khan Regional Sales Office * Karachi Regional Sales OfficeThese regional sales offices operate in assigned areas and have netweork of dealers in each area to achieve maximum sales in their territories. Moreover, direct sales are also make to institutional Clients for projects. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| 30-Jun| | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | | Restated| PKR| Reclassified| PKR| Gross Profit Margin| 15. 51%| 31. 61%| 17. 93%| 24. 00%| EBITDA Margin| 21. 25%| 28. 05%| 19. 24%| 17. 91%| EBIT Margin| 10. 25%| 20. 33%| 10. 74%| 10. 32%| Net Income Margin| 0. 24%| 2. 46%| 1. 61%| 0. 95%| Return on Invested Capital| 2. 9%| 8. 55%| 3. 77%| 3. 93%| Return On Equity| 0. 01%| 2. 12%| 1. 01%| 0. 60%| Return On Assets| 0. 06%| 1. 03%| 0. 56%| 0. 36%| Leverage Ratio| 8. 73%| 4. 17%| 6. 61%| 5. 91%| Debt to total capitalization| 43. 12%| 51. 54%| 44. 45%| 40. 16%| PROFITABILITY The profitability of DG Khan Cement is very low and unsatisfactory as compared to the other two companies in the cement industry, Lucky and Attock Cement Ltd. DG Khan Cement is paying a hefty amount as interest expense, which can be seen by the lower net income margin ratio of the firm, ranging from 0. 4-2. 46%. However, the EBIT and EBITDA margins of DG Khan Cement were quite satisfactory, and at pa r with the other two companies in the industry. GROWTH PROFILE DG Khan Cement has a very poor growth rate, evident by the very low return on equity and return on assets ratios. The growth of the company is badly hampered by the interest expense and the debt the firm has taken. Furthermore, the debt to total capitalization ratio of the company is also very high (higher than the other two companies in the industry), which was more than 50% in year 2009.These are negative implications for the company, and the investors must be unhappy with the performance of the firm. RETURN ON INVESTMENT: The return on invested capital for DG Khan Cement was also quite inadequate when comparing with that of Lucky and Attock Cement. It was 2. 39% in year 2008, increased to 8. 55% in year 2009, after which it settled on a level between 3-4% in years 2010-2011. This adversity was again due to the high debt ratio and hefty interest payments made by the company, because of which the return on investments w ere very low as compared to its competitors.CREDIT PROFILE: As opposed to its competitors, DG Khan Cement has a really horrific credit profile, as it is maintaining its debt to total capitalization and leverage ratios at a very high level and took up more loan in the year 2009, due to which its profitability is also getting affected adversely, and also its creditors and suppliers will be unwilling to lend DG Khan Cement more in the future, doubting the firm’s ability to pay them back, as it already has outstanding amounts to be received from the company. FECTO CEMENTEstablished at Sangjani, near Islamabad, the ISO 9001:2000 certified Fecto Cement Limited is Pakistan's first anti-pollution cement manufacturing plant and also the first of its kind in South Asia. As one of the most integrated manufacturing units in the country, it has a rated capacity to produce 600,000 tonnes of clinker per annum BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS: It supplies cement throughout Pakistan through a huge properly maintained distribution channel consisting of wholesalers, retailers and finally to the customers. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 8. 3%| 23. 21%| 5. 26%| 18. 33%| EBITDA Margin| | -2. 64%| 13. 88%| -7. 77%| 5. 42%| EBIT Margin| | -51. 03%| 11. 96%| -10. 04%| 2. 78%| Net Income Margin| | -3. 53%| 9. 49%| -7. 17%| 1. 98%| Return on Invested Capital| | -4. 67%| 13. 74%| -8. 02%| 2. 47%| Return On Equity| | -13. 80%| 33. 80%| -30. 20%| 8. 93%| Return On Assets| | -51. 50%| 15. 21%| -9. 33%| 2. 95%| Leverage Ratio| | -22. 30%| 3. 11%| -9. 56%| 11. 59%| Debt to total capitalization| | 61. 52%| 55%| 69. 10%| 67%| PROFITABILITY The company has increased its gross profit margin from last year as sales have improved more than the rise in cost of sales.The net profit margin has improved as compare to the last year as the company was incurring loss in 2010. However, it under performed in comparison to the indus try. GROWTH PROFILE The growth rate has considerably improved from last year but the overall industry growth is much more than Fecto. The company needs to increase its growth by retaining more than half of its earnings and re-investing it to increase its income in the coming years otherwise it will fall way behind the industry and would take a long time to recover. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment has improved from the prior year.This implies that company is capitalizing its assets in a more efficient manner with an increase in the accumulated profits. However, it is not at all satisfactory in comparison to its competitors. CREDIT PROFILE: The debt to capitalization and leverage ratio is very high which means Fecto has more debt as compare to its equity. It has declined from the preceding year but it is fairly high with regards to its competitors. This shows a weak financial position as compared to the industry and poses more default risk for the company. MAPLE CEMENT A t the time of privatization in 1992, the capacity of Maple Leaf to produceOrdinary Portland Cement (OPC) was 1000 tones per day (tpd). A second plant of 4000 tpd was commissioned in 1998 and a third plant of 6700 tpd came into production in 2006. It increased the total capacity to 11,700 tpd. The capacity of White Cement has also increased from 100 tpd to 500tpd with the addition of a new plant. This plant also has provisions for doubling the capacity to 1000tpd. Presently Maple Leaf cement has 9% of the market share of OPC and is a leading brand in Pakistan with a diverse customer base. It is also the largest producer of White Cement in the country with 80% of market share.BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The two main products are: * Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with a capacity of 11700 tones per day. * White Cement, its present capacity is 500 tones per day which shall be doubled to 1000 tones per day in near future. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 20 09| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 16. 94%| 32. 49%| 21. 56%| 16. 64%| EBITDA Margin| | 16. 88%| 23. 19%| 3. 45%| 14. 14%| EBIT Margin| | 5. 73%| 16. 27%| -3. 74%| 4. 47%| Net Income Margin| | -8. 65%| -6. 45%| -18. 96%| -13. 53%| Return on Invested Capital| | 1. 72%| 9. 1%| 1. 69%| 1. 75%| Return On Equity| | -8. 08%| -14. 63%| -50. 32%| -20. 37%| Return On Assets| | -2. 58%| -3. 83%| -9. 90%| -5. 25%| Leverage Ratio| | 13. 47%| 5. 35%| 38. 80%| 13. 52%| Debt to total capitalization| | 68. 02%| 73. 80%| 80. 32%| 74. 23%| PROFITABILITY The net profit margin increased by 5. 43% and settled at 13. 53% as compare to the prior year which was in negative. This is a good sign as the company is moving towards profitability as compare to the last two years. However, the company needs to improve its asset management in order to compete with the industryGROWTH PROFILE The growth rate is improving as compare to the previous year which is surely a green sign for the company. From last year the earnings have fairly increased but Maple Leaf is still under performing as compared to the industry earning. A lot of efforts need to be put in for the company to be competing with the industry. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The return on investment is almost the same as compare to the last year. This means that the company needs to increase its sales in order to get a favorable outcome in the coming years. CREDIT PROFILEThe leverage ratio as well as the debt to equity ratio is fairly high as compare to the industry which refers to declining operational efficiency and ineffective asset management. Maple needs to decrease its reliance on debt to get a better ratio in the coming years. FAUJI CEMENT A longtime leader in the cement manufacturing industry, Fauji Cement Company, headquartered in Rawalpindi, operates a cement plant at Jhang Bahtar, Tehsil Fateh Jang, District Attock in the province of Punjab. The Company has a strong and longstanding tradition of service, reliability, and quali ty that reaches back more than 13 years.Sponsored by Fauji Foundation the Company was incorporated in Rawalpindi in 1992. BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Ordinary Portland cement is the major product. CUSTOMERS: The Company has been set up with the primary objective of producing and selling ordinary portland cement. The finest quality of cement is available for all types of customers whether for dams, canals, industrial structures, highways, commercial or residential needs using latest state of the art dry process cement manufacturing process.FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 18. 56%| 31. 75%| 13. 54%| 17. 35%| EBITDA Margin| | 18. 56%| 17. 12%| 32. 61%| 21. 35%| EBIT Margin| | 16. 96%| 30. 98%| 9. 61%| 12. 48%| Net Income Margin| | 11. 66%| 18. 96%| 6. 57%| 8. 98%| Return on Invested Capital| | 3. 69%| 9. 90%| 1. 95%| 1. 71%| Return On Equity| | 4. 45%| 10. 39%| 2. 60%| 3. 86%| Return On Assets| | 3. 32%| 4. 70%| 0. 93%| 1. 32%| Leverage Ratio| | 4. 18%| 8. 29%| 25. 70%| 20. 40%| Debt to total capitalization| | 25. 0%| 67. 06%| 62. 60%| 55. 90%| PROFITABILITY: The profit margin has increased as compare to the previous year but if we match it with past performance of the company it is still at a declining rate. This decrease is also due to the overall decline in the cement industry GROWTH PROFILE: The growth rate has improved but it is not much satisfactory when compared with the industry. In order to compete with the dominant companies, Fauji needs to utilize its assets in a more efficient manner RETURN ON INVESTMENT:As compared with 2011 to 2010 it has been in the same position, Fauji needs to increase its growth by retaining more than half of its earnings and re-investing it to increase its income in the coming years otherwise it will fall way behind the industry and would take a long time to recover. CREDIT PROFILE: The credit profile of the company is fairly below the industry. However, the leverage ratio of Thatta Cement has seen a remarkable increase, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers.THATTA CEMENT Thatta Cement Company Limited was incorporated in 1980 as a public limited company. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt. ) Limited. The manufacturing facility was commissioned in 1982. The plant based on dry process technology, had a total installed capacity of 1,000 tons per day of clinker. The plant was supplied by M/s. Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan. In the year 2004 the consortium of Mr. Arif Habib and Al-Abbas Group acquired 100% shares of the Company from the Privatization Commission and took over its management control.BUSINESS PROFILE SECTOR: Cement Industry PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: * Ordinary Portland Cement * Sulphate Resistant Cement * Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement * Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag CUSTOMERS AND END MARKETS: Some of the valued customers: * Lucky Paragon (Ready-Mix) * DGDP, FWO (Frontier Works Organization), Siam Group, CGGC, AJK,SAMBU Pakistan, Bahria Icon, Envicrete, Hubcrete and Atlas Ready Mix. FINANCIAL PROFILE | | | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Gross Profit Margin| | 14. 69%| 27. 69%| 17. 96%| 12. 88%| EBITDA Margin| | 8. 95%| 21. 50%| 5. 96%| 0. 79%|EBIT Margin| | 5. 65%| 18. 96%| 2. 63%| -2. 04%| Net Income Margin| | 2. 79%| 11. 36%| 0. 06%| -4. 02%| Return on Invested Capital| | 39. 15%| 84. 50%| 36. 40%| 36. 28%| Return On Equity| | 6. 92%| 26. 45%| 0. 12%| -10. 64%| Return On Assets| | 2. 94%| 0. 07%| 14. 37%| 3. 75%| Leverage Ratio| | 6. 11%| 16. 77%| 7. 25%| 68. 25%| Debt to total capitalization| | 0. 57%| 4. 56%| 0. 46%| 0. 51%| PROFITABILITY The profitability has declined as compare to the previous year due to the performance of the plant was badly affected by frequent interruptions in power supply by HESCO.The substantial loss is also due to the increase in the pr oduction cost such as the purchase price of raw materials and huge increase in fuel and power cost. GROWTH PROFILE The growth rate is declining as compare to the last year mainly due to the increase in COGS and also the company has also invested in the long-term. There is also an increase in the distribution cost which is due to the increase of appreciation in exports related freight and other charges which increased by 11. 61% despite of decrease in sales volume of export by 18. 3%. RETURN ON INVESTMENT: The return on invested capital is same as the previous year which is fairly high as compare to the other companies. This means that return from investments is considerably more than the industry average. CREDIT PROFILE: The credit profile of the company is not much satisfactory. Moreover, the leverage ratio of Thatta Cement has also seen a decline, which shows that the company is paying back its debts and is maintaining a decent credit profile among its lenders and suppliers

Risky Business: Consent, Safety, and Firefighter Culture

A child’s world is full of violence. It appears in video games, films, and TV programs and many parents in the hope of removing their children from some of this violence are encouraging and sometimes pushing their children into participating in sports. Some parents are losing sight of why these children are playing- and that to the children is what they are doing: â€Å"playing. † Many parents come to their child’s practice or game with their own agenda of win, win, win at all costs.These unreasonable expectations of winning, not messing up, being the star player, and making mom and dad proud are everything. †These parents expect perfection from their children. †(Sachs, 2000, p. 62) The major problem seems to be that these parents are not considering what the children want. According to a â€Å"Kid think† survey conducted by Jerry Kirshenbaum for sports, the kids want things like ‘unlimited free throws until they miss in basketball, every one having a turn to play, less violence in hockey, using their hands in soccer, and to have fun†(p. 2). Perhaps the parents should listen to the children on this issue. Originally, the purpose of organized sports for young children was to teach them the basics of the game and skills needed to play, to practice good sportsmanship, and to have fun. If we look back to the beginnings of organized sports over 100 years ago, the purpose then was to get the growing numbers of rowdy children off the streets and to teach them values.Children’s sports are supposed to teach them skills and values-such as fair play, working with others and dealing well with adversity-which kids can draw upon throughout their lives. What has gone wrong with that purpose? Where has this sense of sportsmanship, learning, and fun gone? The incidence of violent behavior among sports parents is increasing throughout the United States and Canada and it needs to be stop. The age range of the children obse rving these incident is 6 to 12 years old, and some as young as 4 and 5 ee these outbursts. Athletic associations and organizers of youth sports are attempting to educate parents on the needs of young athletes, but this effort needs to be expanded to all organized youth sports. (Nack & Muson, 2000; Gardner, 1999) Many organized athletic associations are now requiring parents to attend sportsmanship classes, adhere to parental conduct handbooks, sign codes of conduct, and observe silent Saturdays.Many groups are working to return youth sports to a time of teaching fundamental skills, developing fitness and promoting the development of positive attitudes, values, and self-esteem. Parents across the United States and into Canada need to let go of their own agendas, and athletic associations need to enforce parental codes of conduct through classes and training. As a result, the world of youth sports can be returned to the children where they can all learn to enjoy a sport, learn the sk ills of sport, play, and most of all have fun.

Three Case Studies on Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three Case Studies on Terrorism - Essay Example Basically, their objective during that time is to destabilize Italy through vehemence. Because the said group (red brigades) was adhering on the political beliefs of Marx and Lenin, they strongly rely on the fact that they could change the government system as well as structure through revolution, thus, it inevitably result to chaos and riots. During their early year of existence, they already damaged factory equipment and in their third year, they had done lots of felonious acts like robberies and kidnappings. In 1974, the terrorist group had already done high profiles of crimes like kidnapping and bank robberies which is sort out to be their source of living. This are the ways which they find means in acquiring their money for survival, though allegedly, they rarely kill person unless politically motivated, then, they just used other person as an instrument to gain money. One of their declared goal is to assault the heart of the state which is the State Imperalista delle Mutinazion ali (SIMS) because their perceived their state as an imperial assemblage of multinational corporations. Because of this advocacy, they showed their protest though violent acts that could threaten the state’s security during the next years like the kidnapping of the NATO deputy chief of staff at Southern European land force, James Dozier and the assassination of Marco Biagi, an economic adviser. According to Martin (2003), the Red Brigade an approximate 14,000 number of violent acts with a total of 75 murders because of political reasons. Looking at the facts gathered, one of the reasons primarily why this group was established is because of an ideological influence of Marx and Lenin. As we have notice what was mentioned above, one of the founders belong to the department of sociology wherein political theories concerning state and society was prominent. This could be a factor that shaped the mind of Curcio and the other students to form groups that could change their society and it can be achieved faster through revolutions and violent actions. Thus, as Crenshaw (1981) state â€Å"individual psychopathological is often blamed to be the malefactor† (380). This could be a big and strong factor that could contribute to a social change through organization that can also attract other people. The mind-set of the leaders was already shaped by the circumstances and external influence that they perceived to be right and that would be the Marx and Lenin perspectives. For me, I do not personally disagree with someone who wants to adhere to certain ideas and perspectives, what may be somehow erroneous for this group is the exaggeration in the interpretation of violence. Though they rarely kill person, still, the other means employed to obtain their objective could not be also right. Like for instance, cases on drug trafficking, how could this group relate drugs on changing the political system that Italy had and also, to eradicate the Imperial Corporation t hat is believed to be the main component of their societal and political structure? Also, their high profile of crimes seems to be ambivalent with their main goals. As Crenshaw also identifies in his book ‘The Causes of Terrorism’ the phrase: â€Å"If we focus on terrorism directed against governments for purposes of political change, we are considering the premeditated use or threat of symbolic, low-level

Sarah Palin and MSNBC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sarah Palin and MSNBC - Essay Example About Sarah Palin Sarah Palin is a famous politician, author and commentator in America. She was born on 11 February, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho. Palin has two sisters and a brother. Shortly after Palin’s birth, the whole family shifted from Idaho to Alaska. Her father was a science teacher and her mother was a school secretary. Thus, affiliation with education was inherent in the familial culture in which Palin was brought up. Palin went to the Wasilla High School. In addition to being an exceptional academic student, Palin served in the girls’ cross country running teams and was also the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ head in the school. She earned the title Sarah Barracuda as a result of her exemplary performance in the basketball team as the point-guard and the co-captain. Her contribution led the team to winning the Alaska state championship in 1982. In 1992, Palin was selected in the Wasilla City Council. About four years later, in 1996, Palin was made the mayor of Wasilla. Palin made an attempt to become the lieutenant governor in 2003, but ended up becoming the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s chairman. This firm assumed the role of the protector of the gas and oil fields in the state. Palin is the first Republican woman to be deemed eligible for the vide-presidency and is also the first Alaskan that made use of a major party’s national ticket in 2008, when Palin was nominated for the post of vice-presidency from the Republican Party. Palin resigned from the governorship in July 2009 after which, she launched a campaign in favor of the Tea Party Movement. Since the start of 2010, Palin has been commenting upon the politics from the platform of the Fix News and has been hosting the Sarah Palin’s Alaska show on the television. The fact that the number of viewers of the first episode of her show exceeded five million was an addition to her already lengthy list of records. The Learning Channel had never seen this volume of audiences before this show. Sarah Palin’s Involvement with MSNBC MSNBC is a US-based cable news channel which is projected in several countries including US, Canada, South Africa, Middle East and Germany. The name MSNBC is a combination of Microsoft and NBC, which reflects the joint venture of Microsoft and the NBC unit of the General Electric. This joint venture took place with the establishment of MSNBC in 1996. Originally an insignia of the partnership between Microsoft and NBC, share of Microsoft kept reducing until NBC gained almost complete hold over the news channel. MSNBC has been addicted to Sarah Palin for a long time. Palin’s overrepresentation in the media can partly be attributed to the fact that about two years ago in the Republican presidential ticket, the Alaska governor displayed an electrifying emergence. Although Palin was neither a public official in those days nor was a candidate any more, yet the journalists noticed that any r eport that included her name got listed amongst the most-viewed reports. â€Å"Palin, feeding this co-dependency and indulging the news business's endless desire for conflict, tweeted provocative nuggets that would help us keep her in the public eye -- so much so that this former vice presidential candidate gets far more coverage than the actual vice president† (Milbank, 2011). With the departure of Keith Olbermann, it is expected that MSNBC’