Five Forces Analyses Of Fulham Football Club Marketing Essay

Five Forces Analyses Of Fulham Football Club Marketing Essay If existing competition is interpreted as simply emanating from other Premiership football clubs, then it is unlikely that customers will shift their support en masse to a competitor, such as London neighbours Chelsea FC. Despite the fact that some fans do attend both grounds, football is one of those products, where, what Brassington and Pettit term competitive marketing, in which promotion deliberately compares products (i.e. a BMW with a Mercedes) is inapplicable. (Brassington and Pettit 2005: p.306) Threat of New Market Entrants Similar considerations as above apply in this respect. There have been instances of new entrants competing for local market share, such as the case of MK Dons and Wimbledon AFC. However, that situation arose out of a particular set of circumstances, (i.e. control of business premises) rather than a straightforward competitive proposition. Power of Suppliers In common with all other UK businesses, Fulham FC will enter a new and more hostile environment in January 2011, when the VAT rate rises to 20 per cent. Fulham will also have to contend with inflation in its business-to-business transactions, i.e. those with building contractors, caterers, transport and hospitality service providers, insurers, utilities providers, communications and administrative contractors, security providers, and the police service. However, the Clubs principle suppliers are its contracted players and there is little to suggest that they are prepared to reduce their fees, rather player wages increase year on year. Bargaining Power of Buyers This could be a major threat to Fulham FC, in the short, medium and long term. As discussed above, the impending introduction of VAT must be regarded as exerting a downward pressure on consumer demand. Although it only represents a  £0.50p increase on a  £20 ticket, the real effect of the rise upon actual consumer demand should be viewed holistically. Fulham supporters will be paying 2.5 per cent more for all of their discretionary living expenses, with a commensurate reduction in their disposable income. If buyers (supporters) stop coming to games Fulham FC will be forced to reduce prices. Threat of Substitute Products A major consideration for Fulham FC, substitutes from outside of football may become significant, especially if alternative sports and leisure offerings were available at a competitive price. This should be considered a proportionate rather than total threat; if, for example, a percentage of football supporters switched to an attractive new product, such as basketball, ice hockey, speedway, or similar, it could impact negatively on club revenues, rather than eliminating them. 1b The Major Points for Consideration for Success in the Football Industry? It may be argued that the most important point for consideration in the success of a football business is liquidity and/or capitalization. It is definitely the case that the best-financed clubs often have the most realistic prospects of winning major trophies. In recent years such investment has become associated with the chairmanship of super-rich entrepreneurs such as Abramovich at Chelsea, and Fayed at Fulham. The latters support of the club even included the opening of a concessionary outlet on the fifth floor of his Harrods store in Knightsbridge. (Brennan et al. 2003: p.229) However, as the Financial Times indicates, dependence upon a wealthy benefactor implies contingent risks, especially if supporters are expected to replace such capitalization on the departure of the former. (Kavanagh 2010) In May 2010, Fayed sold the Harrods store to Qatar Holdings for a reported  £1.5 billion. (Arnold and Rigby 2010) Earlier meetings between Fayed and Lakshmi Mittal prompted speculation that a sale of the heavily indebted Fulham club was immanent. (Smith 2005) The important point here is that, as elsewhere, Fayeds capitalization of the club is secured through debt, a liability which would remain, should he depart. (Buhler and Nufer 2010: p.9) 2 The cost of Premiership players is constantly increasing and yet Fulham must continue to purchase strong international players if it is to continually improve. Fulhams wage/turnover ration is reputed to be around 120 per cent for the 2000 season. In what areas should Fulham Football Club focus its revenue generation activities so that it covers its costs in the longer term? Brennan et al point out; the rationale of footballs primary consumers (i.e. ticket-buying supporters) cannot be analyzed through conventional marketing considerations, since consumption of football is mediated through a variety of non-commercial criteria. Moreover, since the core product is the game itself, Fulham cannot avoid investment in the requisite skills base. (Brennan et al 2003: p.229) Since the Club cannot capitalize its skills-base (i.e. playing and managerial staff) to the extent of the top Premiership clubs, it must pursue the CRM (customer relationship marketing) strategy already adopted. As Brennan et al. express it, †¦since marketers cannot influence the outcome of the game†¦emphasis should be placed upon†¦an offering that†¦extends to an overall package built around the game. (Brennan et al. 2003: p.230) However, as Hooley et al. indicate, effective marketing and segmentation can only succeed if there are commercially significant differences within the customer base. (Hooley et al. 2004: p.271) It cannot be assumed that Fulhams 1999 market research based on an 800-strong participant sample provides enough data about these. (Brennan et al. 2004: p.232). It should therefore commission contemporary market research within a larger sample, i.e. at least 5,000 participants or 25 per cent of aggregate attendance. This data should then be use to Concentrate on developing a CRM (customer relationship marketing) approach with existing customers, through personalized e-commerce, loyalty and reward schemes etc. Their continued support will secure a stable income in the long term, and this is vital, even if it is at a reduced level. As Christopher et al. indicate, in mature markets featuring intensifying competition, existing customers imply less costs and are therefore more profitable to sell to. (Christopher et al. 2002: p.46) Hasten the development of its youth academy output and attempt, wherever possible, to engineer advantageous contractual conditions with players. This could also be used to enhance Fulhams Corporate Responsibility profile, in support of a cause-related marketing approach. (Pringle and Thompson 1999: p.xix) Continue to develop the Fulham Business Club as a means of partnership and investment with local and national businesses. As the Club states The objectives of the business club are straightforward to provide a framework for Fulham supporters in business to come together on a social and informal basis. (Fulham FC 2010) This should nurture what Buhler and Nufer term an industrial marketing perspective, †¦concentrated towards strong, lasting relationships. (Buhler and Nufer 2010: p.22) Concentrate on diversification essential to club revenues, as Brennan et al indicate. (2003: p.236) Since 2009, Fulham FC has been in partnership with Fenway Sports Group, owners of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. This pairing was regarded by many as unorthodox; the Red Sox are a leading US baseball side, whilst Fulham, although in the Premiership, cannot be regarded as falling into the equivalent category in English football. This stands in contrast to the earlier partnership between Manchester United and the New York Yankees. However, a spokesman for the Boston team asserted that Craven Cottage is 150 years old and Fenway Park is almost 100 years old. Both clubs have strong heritage and strong local ties in the cities in which they play. (Garrahan 2009) The arrangement allows Fenway to benefit from the growing American interest in the English Premier League; it has even been suggested that Premiership games could be played in Boston. Meanwhile, Fulham benefits from Fenways established marketing of sports in the US, a largely virgin market in comparison to UK/Europe. The important point here is that this partnership could yield valuable new market shares in the US if the Fulham/Fenway partnership succeeds, increasing revenue and profitability accordingly. 3 Fulham has a relatively low fan base and a ground capacity that is currently hindered by the need to obtain planning permission approval. How important are the fans in the generation of revenue? Why couldnt Fulham simply focus on television spectatorship? Fulhams ground capacity is low by Premiership standards, with a 25,700 capacity, including provision for 6.500 away fans. (Fulham 2010) However, an over-reliance on television revenues might expose the Club to a loss of revenue as prices rise. Even before the forthcoming VAT increase, British Sky Broadcasting has raised both the wholesale and retail prices. (Fenton 2010) In addition from January 2011, pay-per-view subscribers will begin to pay VAT at 20 per cent. The precise effects of this are unpredictable, but precedents elsewhere suggest weakening consumer demand e.g. the German Bundesbank calculated that a VAT rise in 1997 depressed domestic private consumption by 0.5 over the succeeding decade. (Unattributed 22.7.10) The important point here is that pay-per-view subscriptions nor match attendance represent a recession-proof source of income. On this basis alone, over-reliance on TV receipts is a risky strategy. Also in football marketing generally, it is not the case as Porter argued that a †¦firm gains competitive advantage by performing strategically important activities more cheaply or better than its competitors. (Christopher et al. 2002: p.121) Physical and televised spectatorship cannot be entirely divorced; there is a relationship between the two. Television spectators derive their appreciation and enjoyment of the game partly through the visual and aural stimulus of the crowds behavior at the ground, as well as the uncertainties inherent in the game itself. (Brennan et al. 2003: p.230) Half-empty and quiet grounds, therefore auger badly for the uptake of pay-per-view. It must also be considered that even neutral supporters hold in high appreciation, highly charged grudge-match atmospheres. It must also be remembered that, in the specific business scenario of English Premiership football, increased revenue is not the panacea which the question seems to suggest, since it would not necessarily lead to increased profits. Essentially, Fulham cannot escape the effects of what independent observers term the dysfunctional business model of the English Premier League, in which †¦clubs are continually driven to maximize wages rather than profitability. (Kavanagh 2010) As the Financial Times reports, Premier League wage inflation during the 2008-9 season was 11 per cent; a  £39 million increase in club revenues was dwarfed by a  £132 million rise in total wage costs. At  £1.3 billion, these accounted for 67 per cent of revenues. (Kavanagh 2010) What this means is that increased revenue, whether derived from ticket receipts or TV revenues, would undoubtedly be taken into account by players agents when negotiating future contracts and salaries. Therefore in relative terms, Fulham FC might be no better off. Fulham might also realise profits through marketing the output of its youth academy. However, the professional services group Deloitte reported that transfer expenditure was down 22 per cent to approximately  £350 million in 2010, compared to  £450 million in each of the previous years. Moreover, much of the 2010 total (40 per cent) is accounted for by the  £115 layout of Manchester City. (Blitz 2010) As a Deloitte spokesman put it †¦an absence of new owners and clubs striving to improve their financial balance has diminished the vibrancy of the transfer market. (Blitz 2010) It must also be borne in mind that Premier League rules now limit the overall size of first team squads to 25 players, of whom the overseas contingent must be no greater than 17. (Blitz 2010). To date however has had little impact on the domestic-overseas balance: accountants Grant Thornton reported that only 16 per cent of 2009-10 expenditure was on home-grown players, 20 per cent down on the previous years figures. (Blitz 2010). As one Financial Times commentator puts it Fulham have several advantages over Chelsea their tickets are cheap and easy to get hold of, their ground is picturesque and closer to my house, and their supporters unlike Chelseas thuggish, hyped-up followers are amiable and philosophical. (Rachman 2009) However, as suggested above, it is this exclusivity and character which may limit the scale ability of the brand; if it starts trading down to a wider but less stereotypically Fulham type of fan, its brand equity may be diluted. As Brennan et al. indicate The role of the brand is to act as an important link that brings the club, supporters and potential sponsors together. Building a brand that emphasises values is important to the supporters and other stakeholders alike†¦ (Brennan et al. 2003: p.240) Furthermore, there are inherent dangers in the categorisation of consumers into convenient segments. As Brennan et al. also argue Individualism is becoming increasingly important in society and paramount to ones sense of self†¦ therefore †¦Classifying supporters on the basis of their supposedly homogeneous behaviour may not serve any real purpose. (Brennan et al. 2003: p.236) As discussed above, contemporary market research data must be secured to establish a viable segmenting strategy in contemporary terms. In conclusion Fulham cannot focus solely on television spectatorship as revenue generation is directly linked to the fans, an empty ground will lead to lower Television viewers and lower television viewers means less people likely to become Fulham fans who aspire or wish to watch live games at Craven Cottage, Fulhams home ground, which in turn negatively affects all other revenue generating elements like merchandising etc.

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 5

What?† Thea said. This was something she could speak out about. â€Å"Blaise, are you out of your mind?† â€Å"I hope you're not saying you don't want to do spells,† Blaise said dangerously. â€Å"That's part of it, you know.† â€Å"I'm saying there's no way we can get enough blood to fill this without them noticing. What are we going to tell them? ‘I just want a little to remember you by?'† â€Å"Use your ingenuity,† Vivienne said musically, twining a red-gold strand of hair around her fingers. â€Å"In a pinch we could always use the Cup of Lethe,† Blaise added calmly. â€Å"Then no matter what we do, they won't remember.† Thea nearly fell over. What Blaise was suggesting was like using a nuclear bomb to swat a fly. â€Å"You are crazy,† she said quietly. â€Å"You know that maidens aren't allowed to use that kind of spell, and we probably won't even be able to use it when we're mothers, and probably not even when we're crones. That's stuff for the elders.† She stared at Blaise until the gray eyes dropped. â€Å"I don't believe in classifying some spells as forbidden,† Blaise said loftily, but she didn't look back at Thea and she didn't pursue the subject. As she and Dani left the patio, Thea noticed that Dani had taken one of the small vials. â€Å"Are you going to the dance?† â€Å"I guess so.† Dani shrugged lithe shoulders. â€Å"John Finkelstein from our world lit class asked me a couple weeks ago. I've never been to one of their dances before-but maybe this is the time to start.† Now what did that mean? Thea felt uneasy. â€Å"And you're planning to put a spell on him?† â€Å"You mean this?† She twisted the vial in her fingers. â€Å"I don't know. I figured I'd take it just in case†¦.† She looked up at Thea defensively. â€Å"You took one for Eric.† Thea hesitated. She hadn't talked to Dani about Eric yet. Part of her wanted to and part of her was scared. What did Dani really think of Outsiders, anyway? â€Å"After all,† Dani said, her sweet face tranquil, â€Å"they're only humans.† Saturday night Thea took a dress out of the closet. It was pale green-so pale that it almost looked white-and designed along Grecian lines. Witch clothes had to feel good as well as look good, and this dress was soft and lightweight, swirling beautifully when she turned. Blaise wasn't wearing a dress. She was wearing a tuxedo. It had a red silk bow tie and cummerbund and it looked fantastic on her. This is probably going to be the only dance in history where the most popular girl has on cufflinks, Thea thought. Eric arrived right on time. He knocked at the front door of the shop, the door that only Outsiders used. Night People came around back, to a door that was unmarked except for what looked like a bit of graffiti-a spray-painted black dahlia. Okay, Thea thought. She took a deep breath before she unlocked the door and let him in. This is business, business, business†¦. But the first moment wasn't as awkward as she'd feared. He smiled and held out a corsage of white orchids. She smiled and took it. Then she said, â€Å"You look nice.† His suit was pale fatigue brown, loose and comfortable looking. â€Å"Me? You look nice. I mean-you look wonderful. That color makes your hair look just like gold.† Then he glanced down at himself apologetically. â€Å"I don't go to many dances, I'm afraid.† â€Å"Don't you?† She'd heard girls talking about him at school. It seemed as if everyone liked him, wanted to get close to him. â€Å"No, I'm usually pretty busy. You know, working, playing sports.† He added more softly, â€Å"And I have a hard time thinking of things to say around girls.† Funny, you never seem to have a problem around me, Thea thought. She saw him looking the shop over. â€Å"It's my grandmother's store. She sells all kinds of things here, from all around the world.† She watched him closely. This was an important test. If he-a human-believed in this stuff, he was either a New Age geek or dangerously close to the truth. â€Å"It's cool,† he said, and she was happy to see that he was lying. â€Å"I mean,† he said, obviously struggling to find a polite way to praise the voodoo dolls and wand crystals, â€Å"I think people can really affect their bodies by changing their state of mind.† You don't know how right you are, Thea thought. There was a clack of high heels on wood, and Blaise came down the stairs. Her shoes appeared first, then her fitted trouser legs, then all the curves, emphasized here and there with brilliant red silk. Finally came her shoulders and head, her midnight hair half up and half down, framing her face in stormy dark curls. Thea glanced sideways at Eric. He was smiling at Blaise, but not in the goofy, dying-sheep way other guys smiled. His was just a genuine grin. â€Å"Hi, Blaise,† he said. â€Å"Going to the dance? We can take you if you need a lift.† Blaise stopped dead. Then she gave him a blistering glare. â€Å"Thank you, I have my own date. I'm just going to pick him up now.† On the way to the door, she looked hard at Thea. â€Å"You do have everything you need for tonight- don't you?† The vial was in Thea's pale green clutch purse. Thea still didn't know how she could possibly get it filled, but she nodded tightly. â€Å"Good.† Blaise swept out and got into a silver-gray Porsche that was parked at the curb. Kevin's car. But, as Thea knew, she wasn't going to pick up Kevin. â€Å"I think I made her mad,† Eric said. â€Å"Don't worry. Blaise likes being mad. Should we go now?† Business, business, business, Thea chanted to herself as they walked into the school cafeteria. It had been completely transformed from its daytime identity. The lights and music were oddly thrilling and the whirl of color out on the dance floor was strangely inviting. I'm not here to have fun, Thea told herself again. But her blood seemed to be sparkling. She saw Eric glance at her conspiratorially and she could almost feel what he was feeling-as if they were two kids standing hand in hand at the edge of some incredible carnival. â€Å"Uh, I should tell you,† Eric said. â€Å"I can't really dance-except for slow ones.† Oh, great. But of course this was what she was here to do. To put on a show of romancing Eric for Blaise. A slow song was starting that minute. Thea shut her eyes briefly and resigned herself to fate-which didn't seem all that awful as she and Eric stepped out onto the floor. Terpsichore, Muse of the Dance, help me not make a fool of myself. She'd never been so close to a human boy, and she'd never tried to dance to human music. But Eric didn't seem to notice her lack of experience. â€Å"You know, I can't believe this,† he said. His arms were around her lightly, almost reverently. As if he were afraid she'd break if he held her too hard. â€Å"What can't you believe?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"Everything, I guess. That I'm here with you. And that it all feels so easy. And that you always smell so good.† Thea laughed in spite of herself. â€Å"I didn't use any yemonja this time-† she began, and then she almost bit her tongue. Adrenaline washed over her in a wave of painful tingles. Was she crazy? She was blurting out spell ingredients, for Earth's sake. He was too easy to talk to, that was the problem. Every so often she'd forget he wasn't a witch. â€Å"You okay?† he said as her silence stretched on. His voice was concerned. No, I am not okay. I've got Blaise on one side and the laws of the Night World on the other, and they're both out to get me. And I don't even know if you're worth it†¦. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† she said abruptly. â€Å"Why did you knock me out of the way of that snake?† â€Å"Huh? It was in a striking coil. You could have got bit.† â€Å"But so could you.† So did you. He frowned as if stricken by one of those unsolvable mysteries of life. â€Å"Yeah†¦ but that didn't seem so bad somehow. I suppose that sounds stupid.† Thea didn't know how to answer. And she was suddenly in terrible conflict about what to do. Her body seemed to want her to lean her head against Eric's shoulder, but her mind was yelling in alarm at the very thought. At that moment she heard loud voices at the edge of the dance floor. â€Å"Get out of the way,† a guy in a blue jacket was saying. â€Å"She smiled at me, and I'm going over there.† â€Å"It was me she was smiling at, you jerk,† a guy in a gray jacket snapped back. â€Å"So just back off and let me go.† Expletives. â€Å"It was me, and you'd better get out of the way.† More expletives. â€Å"It was me, and you'd better let go.† A fistfight started. Chaperones came running. Guess who's here? Thea asked herself. She had no trouble at all locating Blaise. The red-trimmed tuxedo was surrounded by a ring of guys, which was surrounded by a ring of abandoned and angry girls. â€Å"Maybe we should go over and say hi,† Thea said. She wanted to warn Blaise about starting a riot. â€Å"Okay. She sure is popular, isn't she?† They managed to worm their way through the encircling crowd. Blaise was in her element, glorying in the adulation and confusion. â€Å"I waited for an hour and a half, but you never showed up,† a very pale Kevin was saying to her. He was wearing an immaculate white silk shirt and exquisitely tailored black pants. His eyes were hollow. â€Å"Maybe you gave me the wrong address,† Blaise said thoughtfully. â€Å"I couldn't find your house.† She had her hand tucked into the arm of a very tall guy with shoulder-length blond hair, who looked as if he worked out four or five hours a day. â€Å"Anyway, you want to dance?† Kevin looked at the blond guy, who looked back impassively, his cleft chin rock hard. â€Å"Don't mind Sergio,† Blaise said. â€Å"He was just keeping me company. Do you not want to dance?† Kevin's eyes fell. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I want to†¦.† As Blaise detached herself from Sergio, Thea leaned forward. â€Å"You'd better not do anything too public,† she hissed in her cousin's ear. â€Å"There's already been one fight.† Blaise just gave her an amused glance and took Kevin's arm. Most of the boys followed her, and with the crowd gone, Thea saw Dani at a small table. She was wearing a sparkling gold dress and she was alone. â€Å"Let's go sit,† Eric said, before Thea could even get a word out. She threw him a grateful look. â€Å"Where's John?† Thea asked as they pulled chairs to the table. Dani nodded toward the pack following Blaise. â€Å"I don't mind, though,† she said, sipping a cup of punch philosophically. â€Å"He was kind of boring. I don't know about all this dance stuff.† Thea knew she meant it was different from Circle dances, where everyone was in harmony and there was no pairing off. You danced with the elements and with everybody else, all one big interconnected whole. Eric volunteered to get more punch. â€Å"How's it going with him?† Dani asked in a low voice when he was gone. Her velvety dark eyes searched Thea's curiously. â€Å"Everything's okay so far,† Thea said evasively. Then she looked out toward the dance floor. â€Å"I see Viv and Selene are here.† â€Å"Yeah. I think Vivienne already got her blood. She stabbed Tyrone with her corsage pin.† â€Å"How clever,† Thea said. Vivienne was wearing a black dress that made her hair look like flame, and Selene was in deep violet that showed off her blondness. They both seemed to be having a wonderful time. Dani yawned. â€Å"I think I'll probably go home early-† she began, and then she broke off. Some kind of a disturbance had begun on the other side of the room, in front of the main entrance. People were scuffling. At first, Thea thought it was just another minor fracas over Blaise-but then a figure came staggering out under the lights of the dance floor. â€Å"I want to know,† the voice said in dissonant tones that rose over the music. â€Å"I want to knoooow.† The band stopped. People turned. Something about the voice made them do that. It was so obviously abnormal, the cadence wrong even for somebody who was drunk. This was someone who was disturbed. Thea stood up. â€Å"I want to knoooow,† the figure said again, sounding lost and petulant. Then it turned and Thea felt ice down her spine. The person was wearing a Halloween mask. A kid's plastic mask of a football player, the kind held on with an elastic string. Perfectly appropriate for a Halloween dance. But at Homecoming, it was grotesque. Oh, Eileithyia, Thea thought. â€Å"Can you tell me?† the figure asked a short girl in black ruffles. She backed away, reaching for her dance partner. Mr. Adkins, Thea's physics teacher, came jogging up, his tie fluttering. None of the other chaperones seemed to be around-probably because they were out somewhere trying to control fights over Blaise, Thea thought. â€Å"Okay, let's settle; settle,† Mr. Adkins said, making motions as if the figure were an unruly class. â€Å"Let's just take it easy†¦.† The guy in the Halloween mask pulled something out of his jacket. It glinted like a rainbow under the colored dance floor lights, reflective as a mirror. â€Å"A straight razor,† Dani said in a hushed voice. â€Å"Queen Ms, where'd he get that?† Something about the weapon-maybe the fact that it was so weird, so old-fashioned-made it scarier than a knife. Thea pictured the way even a safety razor could slice flesh. Mr. Adkins was backing away, arms held out as if to protect the students behind him. His eyes were frightened. I have to stop this, Thea thought. The problem was that she had no idea how. If it had been an animal, she could have stepped out and tried mind control. But she couldn't control a person. She started walking anyway, slowly, so as not to attract attention. She skirted the edge of the crowd around the dance floor until she drew parallel with the masked guy. Who by now had switched to a new question. â€Å"Have you seen her?† he said. He kept asking it as he walked, and people kept backing away. Vivienne and Selene drew to either side with their dates. The razor glittered. Thea looked toward the opposite end of the dance floor, where Blaise was standing with Kevin Imamura. With no Buck, no Duane to protect her. But Blaise didn't look frightened. That was one thing about Blaise-she had magnificent physical courage. She was standing with one hand on her hip and Thea could tell that she knew exactly who was coming her way. In between moving couples, Thea glimpsed something else. Eric was on the other side of the dance floor, holding two cups of punch in one hand and one in the other. He was keeping pace with the masked guy, just as she was. She tried to catch his eye, but the crowd was too thick. â€Å"Have you seen her?† the masked guy asked a couple right in front of Blaise. â€Å"I want to knoooow†¦.† The couple split like bowling pins. Blaise stood exposed, tall and elegant in her black suit, lights shimmering off her midnight hair. â€Å"Here I am, Randy,† she said. â€Å"What is it you want to know?† Randy Marik stopped, panting. His breath made a muffled noise against the plastic. The rest of the huge room was eerily silent. Thea moved closer, walking silently. Eric was pulling in from the other side, and he saw her for the first time. He shook his head at her and mouthed, â€Å"Stay away.† Yeah. And you're going to tackle him armed with three party cups of punch. She gave him a look and mouthed, â€Å"You stay away.† Randy's hand was trembling, making the razor flash. His chest was heaving. â€Å"What is it, Randy?† Blaise said. The toe of one high heeled shoe tapped the floor impatiently. â€Å"I feel bad,† Randy said. It was almost a moan. Suddenly his head didn't seem well connected to his neck. â€Å"I miss you.† His voice made Thea's flesh creep. He sounded like a person with the body of an eighteen-year-old and the mind of a four-year-old. â€Å"I cry all the time,† he said. With his left hand, he pulled off the Halloween mask. Kevin recoiled. Thea herself felt a wave of horror. He was crying blood. Bloody streams ran down from each of his eyes, mingling with regular tears. A spell? Thea wondered. Then she thought, no; he's cut himself. That was it. He'd made two crescent-shaped incisions under his eyes and the blood was coming from them. The rest of his face was ghastly, too. He was white as a corpse and there was fuzzy stubble on his chin. His eyes stared wildly. And his hair, which had always been strawberry blond and silky, stood up all over his head like bleached hay. â€Å"You came all the way from New Hampshire to tell me that?† Blaise said. She rolled her eyes. Randy let out a sobbing breath. This seemed to make Kevin braver. â€Å"Look, man, I don't know who you are-but you'd better keep away from her,† he said. â€Å"Why don't you go home and sober up?† It was a mistake. The wild eyes above the bloodstained cheeks focused on him. â€Å"Who are you?† Randy said thickly, advancing a step. â€Å"Who†¦ are†¦ you?† â€Å"Kevin, move!† Thea said urgently. It was too late. The hand with the razor flashed out, lightning quick. Blood spurted from Kevin's face.

An Examination of the Power of the Dark Side

Entrepreneurship does have a Dark Side and It Is powerful, Indeed. With rare exceptions, the literature about entrepreneurship Is positive and supportive and implies that uniform benefits accrue to the economy, to businesses, and to individuals as a result of entrepreneurship. This is only half the story. A small number of researchers have examined the dysfunctional aspects of entrepreneurship and pointed out that a Dark Side definitely exists (Sets De Varies, 1985; Solomon & Winslow, 988; Winslow & Solomon, 1987; 1989).This paper will look at those who turned to the Dark Side for their very existence. The authors have surveyed prisoners who have been convicted of a felony and who are serving sentences In a Federal Prison in the Midwest. The participants were enrolled In a continuing education course Involving entrepreneurship and small business startup Ideas and they all espoused a desire to â€Å"go straight† when their sentences had been served. How did they become criminal s? Did they view their criminal satellites as entrepreneurial ventures? Will they become legitimate entrepreneurs in the future?Can entrepreneurship education alleviate the problems faced by these offenders when released and is there a greater or lesser chance of acidifies when these inmates are given the opportunity to study entrepreneurship while still incarcerated? If they exist, are Dark Side Entrepreneurs different from main stream Entrepreneurs? These were the questions which drove our research. A major problem facing society today Is the Impact that the growing number of inmates serving sentences have on the economic vitality of our nation.The problem has been exacerbated because our Jails are not only filled with first time-offenders but with a large population of repeat offenders, those returned to prison because nee were unmade to malting a crime-Tree Testily rater Deluge released. According to the Bureau of Justice (2000), in the United States released prisoners were re-a rrested at an average rate that was greater than 60%. The high percentage of re-arrested former prisoners is a clear indication that Just serving one's sentence is not a deterrent to committing more criminal acts.The economic cost to society and to those directly affected by criminal activity is tremendous. According to the Bureau of Justice (2000), one of every fifteen people in the U. S. Will be incarcerated. That figure is staggering. During the past 25 years, the penal system in the United States has implemented a strategy of â€Å"lock ‘me up and throw away the key. † As a result, there has been an unprecedented growth in the prison population in the number of incarcerated inmates even though the crime rate has been decreasing.Further exacerbating the situation is that incredibly high rate of recidivism. According to the Three State Recidivism Study (Stouter, Smith, and Tracy, 2001) released inmates reported that less than half had a Job awaiting them after they we re freed from prison. While most (about 87% of those who had received training hill in prison and 83% of those who did not participate in training) believed that they had a place to stay after they were released, the remainder were released as homeless, left to roam the streets, mostly in urban areas.The economic cost of incarceration and the cost to society of criminal activity, plus the lost wages due to imprisonment of convicted workers and the cost of providing welfare for their families is creating a substantial burden on local, state and federal budgets. The combination of rising costs multiplied by an ever greater number of incarcerated inmates is putting pressure on the penal system to find an alternative, deter strategy for success after release. Is there a strategy that can lead to a lower prisoner population through a decrease in recidivism?

Robert Frost Explains Why Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Robert Frost examines what role fences play in shaping relationships between neighbors. Do neighbors get along better because of walls separating their properties? Frost quotes his neighbor several times as saying â€Å"good fences make good neighbors.† But the idea has several interpretations. The most obvious meaning is that walls separate people from one another and that this separation eliminates the possibilities for feuds or disappointments, or trespassing, both literally and figuratively, on a neighbor’s domain. A second possibility is that fences make for good neighbors because each year Frost must work with his neighbor to repair the fence. The joint cooperative effort means that the neighbors have a reason to get together at least†¦show more content†¦Frost views the wall as unnecessary. Frost accepts that sometimes walls are necessary. He mentions cows crossing over to neighbors’ property as an example. But Frost and his neighbor have no lives tock. They have only trees, and Frost points out that his apple trees are not going to cross the property boundary to eat the pine cones of the neighbor’s pine trees. Frost sees no need for a wall, yet he recognizes that maintaining the wall keeps the neighbor happy. In this way the unnecessary wall is necessary. Several similes are used in the poem. One is the presentation of the neighbor grasping stones in each hand â€Å"like an old-stone savage armed.† This creates a vision of a rustic and unimaginative neighbor stuck in his ideas like someone from the Stone Age. The stone-age is tied to mere survival without any beauty or imagination. The neighbor lives in such a rut. Frost uses trees as a metaphor to define himself and his neighbor: â€Å"He is all pine and I am apple orchard.† The apple orchard is productive as well as beautiful. The pine trees exist and do not produce such a beautiful fruit. Pine trees are sturdy and unimaginative, like the neighbor. The tone and feel of the poem are natural and conversational. The forty-five lines appear in an uninterrupted stanza. It appears to the eye as a wall of sorts. Each line of this blank verse poem is in iambicShow MoreRelatedFrosts Mending Wall Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesRobert Frosts Mending Wall represents two opposing ideas through its dialogue between two neighbors. The narrator represents a newer way of thinking while his neighbor embodies an older mindset. In the poem the two neighbors are repairing a wall or fence that separates their property line. Although neither of the two men has anything that could cross the fence, the young man has apple trees and the old farmer has pines. The wall has been broken down by the winter that sends the frozen ground swellRead MoreRobert Frosts Mending Wall1210 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis Mending Wall, By Robert Frost In Mending Wall, Robert Frost uses a series of contrasts, to express his own conflict between tradition and creation. 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