Contact Information Essay Example for Free

Contact Information Essay Charlotte, NC (January 1, 2013) Johnson C. Smith University is having a Whitney Houston tribute on February 20, 2013. The school choir along with President Carter is organizing a beautiful tribute on campus. The tribute will be held in Biddle auditorium on that Wednesday. President Carter emailed students to find out who wanted to volunteer for the event and receive community service hours. Johnson C. Smith University will be selling tickets as well. The prices are 2$ for JCSU students, and 5$ for everyone else. Special guests will be Mariah Carey, Brand, and Chris Brown. The event has been posted in local charlotte area newspapers and it will also be discussed on the local news. President Carter said â€Å"This event is a must see, I think myself and everyone who helped did an awesome job. I suggest everyone come out and see this tribute†. After the event Johnson C. Smith University will have food sponsored by FDY food services. The food is free after admission and drinks are free as well. There will also be an autograph signing from the special guests after the event. Special guest Mariah Carey says â€Å"It’s always a pleasure doing events like this. Anytime I can help, and give back, I’m always willing to†.

Prevention Strategies for Escherichia Coli

Prevention Strategies for Escherichia Coli a) As the snack food is made from meat, there are four types of bacteria that will possibly contaminate it which are Escherichia.coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus,and Listeria monocytogenes (FSIS, 2015). Escherichia.coli is a bacterial that is usually present in the intestines of humans and animals. Although, most of them are harmless as they play an important role in the intestinal tract of a healthy individual. However, there are a few of them that are pathogenic as they can result in diarrhea and can be transmitted through the contact of human or animalfaeces. Altogether, there are sixpathotypes that are linked with diarrhea which are as follows Shiga toxin-producing   Escherichia.coli (STEC), Enterotoxigenic Escherichia.coli (ETEC), Enteropathogenic Escherichia.coli (EPEC), Enteroaggregative Escherichia.coli (EAEC), Enteroinvasive Escherichia.coli (EIEC), Diffusely adherent  Escherichia.coli   (DAEC) (CDC, 2015). However, the Escherichia.coliO157 strain, which is classified under Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia.coli (STEC), is considered the most harmful as it causes bloody diarrhea, kidney failure and can result indeath (Anon., 2015). It infects its host by producing large amounts of Shiga toxins that damages the intestinal lining severely to cause Hemorrhagic Colitis or otherwise known as bloody diarrhea. It can also cause Hemolytic uremic syndrome which results in kidney injury (Koo, 2014). Salmonellais a common bacterial that usually cause food poisoning which targets the stomach and intestines. It is normally present in meat, eggs, unprocessed milk and poultry (Bech, 2014). The symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting which usually last for 4 to 7 days. The incubation period is between 12 and 72 hours upon infection (England, 2014). However, one must consume Salmonella contaminated food in order to cause infection (FSIS, 2015). Staphylococcus aureusis a common bacteria found on the skin, nasal passages, throats and hair of healthy individuals.Staphylococcalfood contamination can occur when a person who is infected with the bacteria handles the steakwithout proper sanitary handling procedures. Other possible sources of meat contamination of Staphylococcus aureus can also take place such as the surfaces and equipment that the meat is prepared on (Anon., 2015). Staphylococcal food poisoning happens when an individual ingest the enterotoxins that are produced in the contaminated meat, often due to the improper heating up of the meat to kill off most of the bacteria (USFDA, 2014). Listeria monocytogenesis a bacterium that is usually found in soil, water, uncooked and processed meat, cooked or processed food, smoked salmon, vegetables and dairy products (CDC, 2013). Ingestion of food contaminated with this bacterium can cause Listeriosis which is a serious infection (CDC, 2013). AlthoughListeria monocytogenescan be killed by proper cooking, the bacteria can still contaminate the cooked meat due to physical hazards such as poor food handling practices and sanitation (FSIS, 2015). Another potential food safety hazard that I have identify is the use of herbs and spices to marinate the steak. Herbs come from plants and spices are from seeds, bark or roots of plants (Ward, 2010). Because they are from plants, which contains spore-producing bacteria, this indicates that the bacteria spores is capable of further contaminating raw meat which is in contact with soil and vegetative origin.This would introduce additional microbiological hazards such as Bacillus spp. and spore forming organisms which are able to survive the drying process and continue to germinate to produce toxins. During the process of handling with this dried snack food, there should be a food safety management system such as The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This system is used worldwide by all food businessesto identify and control microbiology activity as well as physical and chemical hazards that might be present during production. It consists of seven principles that govern and maintain food hygiene procedures (ASQ Food, 2014). Therefore, I would advise her to take note of the possible food safety hazards that have been mentioned and the procedures of manufacturing this dried snack food has to be in compliance to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. b) There are several information that I would like to know as to assist the businesswoman in preparing the dried snack food safely for consumers. The following are the information required: Where was the meat from? Normally, the cattle are raised till maturity in a farm where they are given formulated food. During cattle raising, the cattle are injected with antibiotics to prevent diseases. In order to slaughter the cattle legally, a withdrawal period is needed from the time the antibiotics is given. This is to give sufficient amount of time for the antibiotic residues to be released from the cattle. The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would conduct sample testing for antibiotic residues upon slaughtering. Results have shown that the percentages of residue violations are very low and there are no traceable antibiotic residues present in the tissues of the cattle (FSA, 2015). There are several factors that have to be taken into consideration such as the conditions of the farms that the cattle are living and the food that they consume. For example, improper drainage of faeces, design of feeders and drinkers can contribute to the accumulation of bacterial contamination in the farm which leads to the dirty cattle. The cattle are then infected with diseases such as pneumonia, coccidiosis and salmonellosis. Thus, it is important to have a healthy livestock of cattle to avoid all these problems. There are two factors that can contribute to the contamination of meat production chain such as direct and indirect contact of contamination. Direct contact can occur when bacteria that are present on the skin of the cattle such as excrement and mud which can contaminate the meat during the slaughtering process. Whereas, indirect contact could occur when the hands, tools and equipment that are used to slaughter the cattle contains bacteria which will then infect the meat (FSA, 2002). How was the uncooked meat handled? For proper handling of raw beef, place them in a sealed disposable plastic bag. You can either freeze it at -17.8 °C so as to keep it longer (about 6 to 12 months)or refrigerate at 4.4 °C but have to consume it within 3 to 5 days (Safety, 2015). The reason why the meat is to be kept at cold temperatures is because this is to inhibit bacterial growth. Time, temperature and conditions of marinating and cooking the meat? First, the raw steak is marinated with herbs and spices which will introduce additional microbial hazard such asspore forming bacteria to the meat. Thus, for safe marinating procedures, do not marinate at room temperature as most bacteria are able to grow quickly. Instead, marinate the meat in a cold environment so as to avoid entering the danger zone, which is between 4 °C and 60 °C. For beef steak, the approximate time taken to marinate would be 2 to 4 hours (Stradley, 2014). For safe cooking of steak, cook them at a minimum internal temperature of 62.8 °C for about 4 5 minutes per side and allow the meat to rest for at least 3 minutes before eating. This is done to kill off most of the bacteria that might be present on the meat. However, do not cook the steak partially as this does not destroy most of the bacteria and might multiply (USDA, 2015). Time and temperature of the drying process? I would suggest drying the marinated steak strips using an oven at 75 °C as there is a constant circulation of dry air and heat source. The temperature is important in drying this snack food because gentle heatingwill not be sufficient as this does not ensure that any bacteria that might still be present on the meat prior to cooking are killed (USDA, 2015). For example, bacteria such as Bacillus flavother musT  have a maximum temperature cardinal value of 72 °C and if the meat is cooked to the temperature of 60 °C, the bacteria will still be able to survive (Todar, 2008 2012). Thus, they will continue to multiply in numbers and colonize the meat. Storage of final dried meat product? How long is the meat product stored? Always ensure to store dried meat in a vacuum packaging as this will minimize oxygen levels which inhibit the growth of aerobic bacteria. It also helps to reduce the oxidation of the meat which will result in meat spoilage. These will extent the shelf life of the snack food (Anon., 2012). A sealed dried meat product can be stored to a period of 12 months. However, if the dried meat product is made from home, then it can only be kept for about 1 to 2 months (USDA, 2013). Is water activity taken into consideration? Water is a requirement for bacteria growth, thus, it must be removed so as to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. It can be reduced by the drying process and the addition of salt to preserve the meat. How the salt works is that it would absorb all the water on the meat by the process called osmosis (Martin R. Adams and Maurice O. Moss, 2008). Are there hygiene practices done in the preparation of the dried snack food? To prevent cross-contamination, good hygiene practices and procedures are required in regards to handling the snack food. Food handlers should always wash their hands thoroughly with surfactants such as soap before and after handling with meat products. Always clean and disinfect all utensils, equipment and work surfaces before the preparation of the meat product. And do not mix raw and cooked food. Instead, incorporate the use of separate working and storage areas of raw, cooked and dried meat products (FSA, 2015). c) I would suggest the use of aerobic plate count and immunomagnetic separation to test the presence of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia.coli O157 In aerobic plate count, dilutions of the food sample are carried out and are then plated onto agar plates which contain suitable growth nutrients to favor the growth of microorganisms. The plates are then incubated at temperatures that bacteria can grow. After the incubation period, the total numbers of bacterial colonies arecounted; therefore, the total number of viable cells can be estimated (Hayes, 1995). Thelevels of Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) are used as a guidance to determine if the food product is safe for consumption (Agency, 2009). For example, if the Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) levels of bacteria have exceeded the expected level, the product cannot be consumed. For Salmonella spp., the infectious dose is normally 105 organisms, which is quite a big number. Whereas, as for Escherichia.coli O157, the infectious dose isless than 50 organisms (Inc., 2004). For Escherichia.coli O157 and Salmonella, Immunomagnetic separation is used as the â€Å"gold standard† to detect and isolate the bacteria as it is specific and sensitive. Then targeted organism is then isolated which will undergo serotyping for characterization (Inc, 2004). According to the guidelines for the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods, they are to be cooked and processed properly, especially with the addition of herbs and spices. It also includes bacteria that can possibly be from the source of poor hygiene. Lastly, tests on ready-to-eat foods are required so that food products which are not in compliance with the microbiological food safety criteria can be identified to protect public health (Agency, 2009). References Agency, H. P., 2009. Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on the Market. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363146/Guidelines_for_assessing_the_microbiological_safety_of_ready-to-eat_foods_on_the_market.pdf Anon., 2012. Vacuum Packaging of Food Products. [Online] Available at: http://modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/modified-atmosphere-packaging-resources/vacuum-packaging Anon., 2015. E. coli. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/ecoli/ [Accessed 12 May 2015]. Anon., 2015. Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/staphylococcus/ [Accessed 12 May 2015]. ASQ Food, D. a. C. D., 2014. The Certified HACCP Auditor Handbook. 3rd ed. Wisconsin: American Society for Quality. Bech, C., 2014. Salmonella and food poisoning. [Online] Available at: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/salmonella.htm [Accessed 3 February 2014]. CDC, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/sources.html [Accessed 10 January 2013]. CDC, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/definition.html [Accessed 2 January 2013]. CDC, C. f. D. C. a. P., 2015. E.coli (Escherichia coli). [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html [Accessed 16 April 2015]. England, P. H., 2014. Salmonella: guidance, data and analysis. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/salmonella-guidance-data-and-analysis [Accessed 7 June 2014]. FSA, F. S. A., 2002. Red Meat Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/redmeatsafety.pdf [Accessed March 2004]. FSA, F. S. A., 2015. Cleaner cattle and sheep. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/farmingfood/cleaner-animals/cleaner-cattle-sheep FSA, F. S. A., 2015. Food hygiene for businesses. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/food-hygiene FSIS, 2015. United States Department of Agriculture. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. FSIS, F. S. a. I. S., 2015. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. FSIS, F. S. a. I. S., 2015. United States Department of Agriculture. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. Hayes, P. R., 1995. Food Microbiology and Hygiene. In: 2nd ed. London: Chapman Hall, p. 189. Inc., T. A. S. f. M., 2004. Microbiology Australia. In: D. P. Bishop, ed. Qualitative vs quantitative microbiology. 3rd ed. Melbourne: Cambridge Publishing, p. 11. Inc, T. A. S. f. M., 2004. Microbiology Australia. In: D. P. Bishop, ed. Qualitative vs quantitative microbiology. 3rd ed. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge Publishing, p. 20. Koo, I., 2014. Bloody Diarrhea, or Hemorrhagic Colitis, Caused by E. coli O157:H7. [Online] Available at: http://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/diseasesbyname/a/E_coli_O157H7.htm [Accessed 30 April 2014]. Martin R. Adams and Maurice O. Moss, 2008. Food Microbiology. 3rd ed. Guildford: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Safety, F., 2015. Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html [Accessed 12 May 2015]. Stradley, L., 2014. Marinating Meat Guidelines Marinating 101. [Online] Available at: http://whatscookingamerica.net/MarinatingSafely.htm Todar, K., 2008 2012. Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria. [Online] Available at: http://textbookofbacteriology.net/nutgro_5.html USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2013. Jerky and Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index [Accessed 6 August 2013]. USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2015. Beef from Farm to Table. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2015. Jerky and Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index USFDA, U. F. a. D. A., 2014. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/CausesOfIllnessBadBugBook/ucm070015.htm [Accessed 16 December 2014]. Ward, E. M., 2010. Spices Herbs Health Benefits and Adding Spices To Foods. [Online] Available at: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/spices-and-herbs-health-benefits [Accessed 5 August 2010].

Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, and Anxious Patriarchs: Gender, Race, and P

Gender, Race, and Power in Colonial Virginia In Colonial Virginia in 1661, Rebecca Nobles was sentenced to ten lashes for bearing an illegitimate child. Had she been an indentured servant she would also have been ordered to serve her master an additional two years to repay his losses incurred during her pregnancy. After 1662, had she been an enslaved African woman she would not have been prosecuted, because in that year the Colonial government declared children born to slave women the property of their mother's master. A child born to a slave brought increased wealth, whereas the child of an indentured servant brought increased financial responsibility. This evolving legislation in Colonial Virginia reflected elite planter interests in controlling women's sexuality for economic gain. Race is also defined and manipulated to reinforce the authority and economic power of elite white men who enacted colonial legislation. As historian Kathleen M. Brown demonstrates in her book Good Wives, Nasty Wenches and Anxious Patriarchs, the concepts of gender and race intersect as colonial Virginians consolidated power and defined their society. Indeed, gender and race were integral to that goal. In particular, planter manipulations of social categories had a profound effect on the economic and political climate in Colonial Virginia. First, I want to establish that English settlers did not bring a concrete ideology of race to their new colony. As Brown explains, while English traders had contact with other peoples in Ireland and on the West African coast, the everyday English concept of race was very much abstract in the early seventeenth century. That is not to say that the English did not justify their domination of other peo... ...usion that race is deployed "in the construction of power relations."* Indeed a "metalanguage" of race, to use Higginbotham's term, was employed by colonial powers to define black women as separate from English women, and that process is deconstructed in Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, Anxious Patriarchs. However, Brown's analysis rests mainly on the shifting English concepts of gender and race imposed on colonial society by the white elite, becoming at times a metalanguage of colonial gender. Nonetheless, Brown's analysis of overlapping social constructions is instructive for understanding the ways gender and race can be manipulated to buttress dominant hierarchies. Works Cited: *Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham. "African American Women's History and the Metalanguage of Race" in Feminism and History, ed. Joan Wallach Scott (NY: Oxford University Press, 1996), 201.

The Use of Digital Cameras :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Use of Digital Cameras Digital cameras allow computer users to take pictures and store the photographed images digitally instead of on traditional film. With some digital cameras, a user downloads the stored pictures from the digital camera using special software included with the camera. With others, the camera stores the pictures on a floppy disk or on a PC Card. A user then copies the pictures to a computer by inserting the floppy disk into a disk drive or the PC Card into a PC Card slot (Chambers and Norton 134). Once stored on a computer, the pictures can be edited with photo-editing software, printed, faxed, sent via electronic mail, included in another document, or, posted to a Web site for everyone to see. Three basic types of digital cameras are studio cameras, field cameras, and point-and-shoot cameras (Shelly Cashman Series ® Microsoft Word 2000 Project 2). The most expensive and highest quality of the three, a studio camera, is a stationary camera used for professional studio work. Photojournalists frequently use field cameras because they are portable and have a variety of lenses and other attachments. As with the studio camera, a field camera can be quite expensive. Reliable and lightweight, the point-and-shoot camera provides acceptable quality photographic images for the home or small business user. A point-and-shoot camera enables the users to add pictures to personalized greeting cards, a computerized photo album, a family newsletter, certificates, awards, or a personal Web site. Because of its functionality, it is ideal camera for mobile users such as a real estate agents, insurance agents, and general contractors. The image quality produced by a digital camera is measured by the number of bits it stores in a dot and the resolution, or number of dots per inch. The higher each number, the better the quality, but the more expensive the camera. Most of today’s point-and-shoot cameras are at least 24-bit with a resolution ranging from 640 x 480 to 1024 x 960 (Walker 57-89).

Woman in Black

Why do you think Susan Hill called her story The Woman in Black? How effective is it as a title? One of the most important parts of any book can be the title and in this case, Susan Hill has decided on her title as being The Woman in Black. Throughout this essay I will be looking at how Susan Hill has used her title effectively and I will also look at the reasons why Hill might have named her title The Woman in Black.At first it may seem a very simple title but as I will go through in this essay, simple might be the very cause of the effect it makes. Firstly, the story itself is heavily based on a gothic genre which consists of all the things you would expect to see in a gothic novel, haunted houses, isolated areas, dark themes and of course, in this particular novel, this mysterious ‘Woman in Black’. With this gothic genre, comes a gothic title which is definitely identified by one word, â€Å"Black†.The work ‘black’ always creates a negative mood an d shows darkness and links this mood with the story, so you know what sort of things to expect from this book just from the title but more importantly, you want to know why. This is what will encourage the reader to read and enjoy the book. Secondly, I think a sense of mystery is created by the title ‘The Woman in Black’ and this creates questions about the book. This adds to the enjoyment of the book as their will always be tension and suspense in anticipation about the appearance of the Woman in Black.An example of this is when Arthur Kipps calls the woman in at the funeral â€Å"the woman with the wasted face†, this would just seem normal but the fact that this woman is all in black relates us back to the title which creates suspicion about this woman. The main questions I think the title brings up about this book is who actually is this Woman in Black and why is she so important in the book? And these questions will stir around in your head the throughout the novel and will add to the effect that the Woman in Black brings as all will be focused on her.Overall, I think the title ‘The Woman in Black’ forms a better interest for the novel in a variety of different ways and all these different ways, however small or large their effect, build up and create the effect as a whole. I think the effect is most noticeably shown through the entertainment of the novel which the title adds towards as well and the main reason I think Susan Hill named her novel this title was to enhance the entertainment that this novel produces. Woman in Black Why do you think Susan Hill called her story The Woman in Black? How effective is it as a title? One of the most important parts of any book can be the title and in this case, Susan Hill has decided on her title as being The Woman in Black. Throughout this essay I will be looking at how Susan Hill has used her title effectively and I will also look at the reasons why Hill might have named her title The Woman in Black.At first it may seem a very simple title but as I will go through in this essay, simple might be the very cause of the effect it makes. Firstly, the story itself is heavily based on a gothic genre which consists of all the things you would expect to see in a gothic novel, haunted houses, isolated areas, dark themes and of course, in this particular novel, this mysterious ‘Woman in Black’. With this gothic genre, comes a gothic title which is definitely identified by one word, â€Å"Black†.The work ‘black’ always creates a negative mood an d shows darkness and links this mood with the story, so you know what sort of things to expect from this book just from the title but more importantly, you want to know why. This is what will encourage the reader to read and enjoy the book. Secondly, I think a sense of mystery is created by the title ‘The Woman in Black’ and this creates questions about the book. This adds to the enjoyment of the book as their will always be tension and suspense in anticipation about the appearance of the Woman in Black.An example of this is when Arthur Kipps calls the woman in at the funeral â€Å"the woman with the wasted face†, this would just seem normal but the fact that this woman is all in black relates us back to the title which creates suspicion about this woman. The main questions I think the title brings up about this book is who actually is this Woman in Black and why is she so important in the book? And these questions will stir around in your head the throughout the novel and will add to the effect that the Woman in Black brings as all will be focused on her.Overall, I think the title ‘The Woman in Black’ forms a better interest for the novel in a variety of different ways and all these different ways, however small or large their effect, build up and create the effect as a whole. I think the effect is most noticeably shown through the entertainment of the novel which the title adds towards as well and the main reason I think Susan Hill named her novel this title was to enhance the entertainment that this novel produces.

Competition Energy Drinks Essay

The beverage industry, like most food service industries in these economic times, faces many challenges. Not one company is excluded from the challenges of economic conditions, demographics, social and global forces, and regulatory, political, and legal factors. The global economic conditions affect the energy drink industry in many ways. This industry depends highly on the disposable income of its customers. People are very cautious with their money these days and if additional income does not exist to purchase these items, then the companies suffer. In recent projections, however, this does not seem to be the case. The global industry factors show a projected growth of $20 trillion in sales between 2009 and 2014, and demand for these alternative beverages is expected to increase globally as customer purchasing power increases. Social factors play an important part in the industry’s strategy, as well. With customers concerned with healthy lifestyles and exercise, the alternative beverage industry has increased sales in the last decade. Customers demanding low calorie, energy & vitamin-enhancing drinks turn to these types of beverages for their needs instead of carbonated soft drinks. Alternative drinks are consumed by a slim demographic. These products are generally used by young adults, college and high school students, athletes and exercise aficionados. Another branch of these drinks are the energy â€Å"shots,† which have become very popular in the last decade. With new legislation and changing regulations, it is very important for companies to stay abreast of all changes. There has been an increase in negative reports on what affects energy drinks have on people that use them, from high blood pressure to arrhythmia, which as forced some companies to include warning labels on their packaging. There is also a concern with the consumption of these drinks contributing to the obesity issue, many of these drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, and many additives that can contribute to weight gain if consumption is not limited. Competition is fierce in this industry; not only between the two biggest competitors, Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc., but also Red Bull GmbH, Hansen Natural Corporation and privately owned regional brands. The two major companies, Pepsi and Coca Cola, are strong competitors within the alternative beverage market and use both the introduction of new products as well as the introduction of existing products in new markets to increase sales. Pepsi has introduced several new products – Charge, Rebuild, and Defend – three new brands available to consumers interested in vitamin-enhanced drink alternatives. Pepsi has also recently agreed to distribute the â€Å"Rockstar† brand drinks in Canada and the United States. Coca-Cola Company’s strategy is to distribute their existing brands in the new markets of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other Asia/Pacific countries. In order to compete with these two major companies, Red Bull relies on sponsorships and promotion as well as celebrity endorsements. By using advertising in this manner, Red Bull is able to use its slogans and logos in a variety of ways to get their name out into the public. Hansen Natural Corporation utilizes a different approach to boost sales. This company increased their package size and still maintained a competitive price compared to Red Bull. Like Red Bull, Hansen also uses celebrity promotion and sponsorship as a marketing tool. This is not to say that PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Company do not utilize this method of advertising, as they both spend billions on advertising promotions, celebrity, and sporting endorsements. The competitive edge in this case lies with PepsiCo Inc. , whose sales of energy and alternative beverages have surpassed its competitors in the past few years. New entrants are not a strong competitive pressure for this industry. The dominating companies are unsurpassed in their strong brand names and great distribution channels. The industry is fully saturated. These factors make it difficult for new companies to compete against them. Any new company wanting to get into this industry would face high capital start-up expenditures and would surely fail due to the high cost. Substitution of products is also an area where the competitive force is low. With brand loyalty, the market for substitution is very low. Consumers want the brands they are used and won’t accept substitution. Suppliers for the industry do not hold much competitive pressure either. Suppliers to this industry are bottling equipment manufactures and secondary packaging suppliers. The suppliers have little bargaining power, as the two major brands own their own bottling centers. As discussed earlier, changes in this industry’s long-term growth rate is a positive one. Growth is high in this market and is expected to continue to grow. One of the reasons for this is the increasing globalization. Coke is expanding its operations to be more global as are some of its competitors. The changing spectrum of the customer base is not really a factor here. Most of the demographic has not changed much since the introduction of these alternative beverages. Marketing and innovation has to continue to grow so that the company can grow. Regulatory influences and government policy changes are a huge factor in this industry. As the customers call for increased legislation and regulation of the ingredients, the companies have to make adjustments to their drink formulas, and this could prove costly if not monitored closely. Society is constantly changing and this industry needs to transition with these changes. By the introduction of new products and the re-tooling of existing products, all of the competitors can be successful. This industry has several success factors, product marketing, product differentiation, brand name, a strong distribution network and the ability to adapt to change. PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Company have strong aspects of all of these factors which is what has made both of them so successful. PepsiCo Inc.has branched into the food market as well as remaining in the soft drink and alternative beverage markets. Coke has had a similar strategy and relies heavily on their brand name and product recognition. All of the companies have unique and successful marketing techniques such as sponsorships, promotions, and celebrity endorsements. In order to achieve a successful strategic plan, a company needs to establish a group of people to discuss the goals and objectives of their company, sometimes called a task force. The task force should then decide what the company’s goals and objectives are. By drafting Mission and Vision statements, this task force can begin to convey their goals and objectives. Strategic planning is an on-going task for every company. When a plan is established the implementation and monitoring phases begin. To be successful a company should be constantly monitoring its goals and objectives and changing them when the need arises. With competition so high in this industry, a strong strategic plan is critical. In viewing these companies one can see that their plans are very strong. In order to continue to grow and compete in this market all companies need to look forward at the changing times, attitudes and cultures. All of the companies in this market, as with any market, need to maintain their competitive advantage and find new and different ways to achieve it. A comprehensive action plan needs to be put into place and reviewed often. By doing this all companies have a better chance at keeping their competitive advantage and enjoying better profits for their shareholders.

Desiderius Erasmus Essay

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (27 October 1466 – 12 July 1 536), known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. He was most widely known for his critical and satirical writings. He attempted to reform the Church and because of that, was prosecuted by many people. I am going to consider for and against his deeds and make my own Judgement. Most of the opinions differ. Erasmus became humanist because of his education and morality. He was an intelligent and strong- minded person. He travelled a lot, so that he became a European scholar with huge knowledge of classical literature. Erasmus believed that education could change the world and I strongly agree with him. In his work â€Å"Adages† (1500) he aimed to make classical learning opened to a public and more than 800 sayings in Latin and Greek were explained, which means that he really tried to achieve the goal of reflecting every aspect of the Christian humanism. Later, he created â€Å"New Testament in Greek† (1 516), which was the first ork available in Greek, not in Latin, with lots of notes and explanations, in cosequence of, all public got a great opportunity to access this testament and become more educated. He lived as a devout Christian, but was concerned with the corruption that had spread through the religious positions of the Church. However, Erasmus believed that religious revolt led directly to anarchy; therefore he took the side of neither the Pope, nor the reform radical, Martin Luther. In all his criticism of clerical follies and abuses, he had always carefully hedged himself about with protests, that he was not attacking church institutions themselves and had no enmity toward the persons of churchmen. The world had laughed at his satire, but only a few obstinate eactionaries had seriously interfered with his activities. He had a right to believe that his work so far had commended itself to the best minds and also to the dominant powers in the religious world. His criticism of the Church was therefore heard throughout Europe. He preferred reasoning to bloodshed, unlike many others of his time. While he did not criticize the Church as much as Luther had, he did call for an end to the corruption that had seeped to the core of the Church. However, it is thought that Erasmus tried to undermine the Church, destroy its form. Again, in those â€Å"Praise of Folly’ he argued with popes who claimed to be the Christ representatives on earth: ‘Practically no class of man lives so comfortably with fewer cases; for they believe they do quite enough for Christ if they play their part†¦ y means of every kind of ceremonial and display†¦ for them it is out of fashion to pertorm miracles, teaching the people is too much like nard work†¦ and praying is a waste of time’. Without formally speaking out against the Pope, Erasmus implies that the Pope put on a facade as an all-knowing, all-powerful mortal. He states here that the Pope has no true knowledge as to what God expects from his worsh ipers. He cannot believe that these lucky scientists find people to believe them’. With this last statement, he calls to the people of the Church to not accept everything that is told to them from corrupt authority fgures. He gives an attack on the standarts of the members of the Church. Also, in his second edition of the â€Å"New Testament in Greek† he weakened the Church because he undermined the authority of it by criticising texts on which it relied. Finally, I came to conclusion that Erasmus and other Christiam humanists attempted to reform the Church by calling to the return to the simplicity of the first Christians. They tried to stop the corruption. Erasmus tried to broaden and clear the minds of people. In his â€Å"Freedom of the Will† (1524) he stated that humankind could choose his own density. So, he did not want to undermine the Church completely but make it easier to understand. He changed the education bases. From the â€Å"Handbook of a Christian soldier† (1 503): ‘Charity does not consist in many visits to churches, bowing own in front of statues of saints, in the lighting of candels or repeating set prayers. Of these things God has no need. Charity is to love your neighboor’. In my personal opinion, Erasmus was a great man. He reasoned while others fought. He was courageous in his criticism of the Church. He was a pacifist and a man of tolerance. He was disdainful of cardinals who were too much involved with making money and concerns of the world. Erasmus has Just fighted for his views of life, not paying attention on his enemies. Bibliography: â€Å"AQA History AS† https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasmus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasmus#Early_life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Desiderius_Erasmus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canons_Regular