Bakery Industry Analysis - 2365 Words

An Analysis of Yuxi Bakery Industry Professor, Ed Bukszar, Ph.D. Yee Chen September 27, 2010 Introduction The Chinese bakery industry, being in the growth period of its life cycle, has been developing at a high speed these years. There are more and more foreign chain brands such as Breadtalk and 21cake, coming into the Chinese bakery market; and at the same time, many Chinese local brands such as Holiland, Daoxiangcun, and Jiahua, are accelerating to enlarge their scale. Furthermore, innumerous small-scale cake shops have flourish, which is a strong force that cannot be ignored, occupying a large proportion of market. The†¦show more content†¦Bakery industry could adjust itself by the market discipline. On the other hand, rivalry is strong among existing competitors. At first, more and more new competitors entered in this potential market, leading to the fragment of the competition. As showing in the chart 2(2009)[ii] below, the competitive concentration was very high in 2004; the top five bakeries took the most proportion of the bakery market. After the following 4 years, more bakeries grew up into comparable competitors, sharing the market shares with former top five. Competitive concentration becomes lower. Moreover, all bakeries provide homogeneous products and services, with low switching cost. For instant, main products of Xinying and Jiahua, two large bakeries in Yuxi, are almost the same cakes, bread and Chinese pastry. They not only the same products with little difference, but always locate near by each other; accordingly, customers have little switching cost. In addition, lacking of unique core competence makes it easy for competitors to imitate; no matter if it is a new kind of product or the new business model. Huangguan had its second franchise opened in 2009, which combined fashion and leisure, operating in the western bakery model and mainly selling cakes and western pastry. At the same year, Xinying set up a franchise under a new subsidiary brand, Moxi, in same operation idea and model.Show MoreRelatedBakery Industry Analysis 5 Porters1497 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Bakery Industry Analysis Porter’s Five Forces analysis is useful when trying to understand the competitive environment facing a backery industry. It involves looking at internal competition, barriers to entry, the profit-appropriating power of both buyers and sellers, as well as substitutes to the goods produced. Applied to the bakery industry it shows an average net profit that typically does not cover the cost of capital due to low barriers to entry, ease of production and ease of access to ingredientsRead MoreSWOT Analysis : Swot Analysis Of The Indian Bakery Industry1011 Words   |  5 Pagesd. Swot Analysis i. Strength: †¢ Ready Market Base: One of the strengths for the Indian bakery industry is the ready available market for its products i.e. huge Indian population. Indian population has been growing at a steady rate which ensures stable demand for bakery products in India. The chart below demonstrates the population growth of India in the past few years and expected numbers. †¢ Adequate Supply of Raw Material: Industrys main raw materials are wheat, milk, sugar. India fortunatelyRead MoreIndustry Analysis Breadtalk1475 Words   |  6 PagesIndustry Analysis Future outlook and trends For its outlook, BreadTalk planned for the China and regional market and rising food cost. This is the largest challenge for the Bakery business. BreadTalk is going to shorten the supply chain and buying in bulk globally for economies of scale. Shanghai is one of the example that BreadTalk have successfully piloted using frozen dough to arrest rising labour and rental costs while maintaining the quality of our products. This is to encourage that BreadTalkRead MoreEnvironmental Scanning1483 Words   |  6 PagesEnvironment Analysis: Creative Confections I ve always liked to be adventurous with food, especially desserts, said Lavonne Temple, founder of Creative Confections (CC), a small and emerging specialty bakery in Jacksonville, Florida. Starting with cake and candy recipe experimentation in 2002, Temple developed a tidy little business selling scrumptious specialty cakes and candies from a home-based operation. Increasing demand for Temple s upscale homemade confections recently poised CC on theRead MoreMarketing Plan For Panera Bread1704 Words   |  7 PagesPanera Bread is a company that has capitalized on the â€Å"fast-casual† restaurant experience. Their aim was to provide a specialty bakery and cafe experience to urban and suburban workers and dwellers. They are categorized as bakery-cafes and currently have over 2000 stores worldwide. They are currently leading their industry in terms of number of stores and profits; they had $1.8 billion in corporate revenues in 2011, $3.4 billion in systemwide store revenues, an d an average sales of $2.3 million perRead MoreStarting Up the Business, Color Me Cupcake Essay example1158 Words   |  5 PagesColor Me Cupcake will be a small entrepreneurial bakery located in Chicago, IL. Cupcake will be offered in a variety of cupcakes and beverages. This bakery will contain comfortable seating area, WI-FI access, allowing customers to stop in and socialize and conduct business while eating some delicious cupcakes. Color Me Cupcake will have on site company truck selling cupcakes at major events like the Taste of Chicago, and a catering service is also available for customers who are having large eventsRead MoreWal-Mart Legal Compliance and Job Analysis1569 Words   |  7 PagesRunning head: WAL-MART Legal Compliance and Job Analysis Paper Wal-Mart Legal Compliance and Job Analysis BUS530- Human Resource Management [ July 17, 2011 ] The Title VII lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was a justified result of sexual harassment and mismanagement by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart could have taken several steps within Human Resource (HR) policy to help deal with this incident, prevent further incidents, and ensure the defendant was properly employedRead MoreLaurentian Bakeries Case Study1519 Words   |  7 PagesLaurentian Bakeries Case Study Cases in Financial Management Case Synopsis Founded in 1984 Laurentian Bakeries Inc. operates in the industry of manufacturing a vast variety of frozen baked products within their three operating plants in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto. The operating plants produce items such as frozen pizza in Winnipeg, MB, pies in Montreal, QC and Cakes in Toronto, ON- with each representing 30%, 30% and 40% of the total revenue stream respectively. The buyers forRead MorePanera Bread Case Study998 Words   |  4 PagesPanera Bread Company is a national bakery-cafe with 1,504 locations across the US and Canada. This case study provides information regarding the past performance, current analysis, stock valuation, market evaluation, and industry comparison. In this analysis and case study, we hope you, the reader, will gain usable insight on Panera Bread and its value. We will give a recommendation to our readers according to our given information. Panera Bread is a chain of bakery-cafe quick service restaurants inRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Salesforce.com Inc.1440 Words   |  6 Pagespremium high-end and enterprise customers. Therefore, comparing with other competitors who serve only the similar target industries, the customization of Salesforce CRM promotes its users on all industry segments, such as Financial services, health care, life science, communications, retails, government, manufacturing, automotive, higher educations, and non-profit organizations (â€Å"Industries - Salesforce.com.†). Thirdly, the simplicity of the product helps Salesforce to earn a majority share in the CRM

James Rachels s What Is Morality - 1904 Words

In chapter one of James Rachels’s What is Morality, he argues that at the very minimum, morality is using reason to guide one s decisions, while keeping in mind the interests of those who will be affected by one’s choice, without giving more weight to one individual over another. He supports this thesis by describing a couple of morally ambiguous situations regarding humanity and life. Rachels’ first example is Baby Theresa, who was born an anencephalic. Her parents wanted to donate her organs, as she was likely going to die within days anyway. However, Florida Law prevented the taking of organs from anyone â€Å"alive†, and by the time Baby Theresa died, her organs were no longer useable. Rachels goes through the arguments of both the pro†¦show more content†¦However, he mentions that separating the two is not what would kill Mary- she would die because she is unable to sustain herself. Therefore, it is not really â€Å"violating† the sanctity of human life. He realizes that this argument is a bit out there, and amends the argument to conclude that it is not always wrong to kill innocent humans, and this just happens to be one of the odd cases. He concludes that some people will never fully agree with this idea, but that on the whole, the argument for separating Jodie and Mary seems more persuasive than keeping them together. His last example is that of Tracy Latimer, a 12 year old with cerebral palsy who had the brain capacity of a three month old. Tracy Latimer was killed by her father, who was tried for murder and found guilty of only second degree murder. The judge wanted to give him only an one year sentence, but the Canadian Supreme Court insisted he be given the minimum 25 years. Those who supported the Supreme Court’s decision included the handicapped themselves, who used the argument that it is wrong to discriminate against the disabled to oppose the lenient sentence first given. Mr. Laimer argued that this was not a case of discrimination against the handicapped. He killed his daughter because keeping her alive was torture. She had undergone major surgery and neededShow MoreRelatedCriticism Of Cultural Relativism1216 Words   |  5 PagesCultural relativism is the theory where there is no objective truth in morality, and moral truths are determined by different cultures. The primary argu ment used to justify cultural relativism is the cultural differences argument, which claims different cultures have different moral practices and beliefs, therefore, there is no objective truth in morality (Newton). After reading James Rachels The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, I find his criticisms to be persuasive because the argument made forRead MoreThe Morality Of Euthanasia By James Rachels1086 Words   |  5 PagesGretel Herrera-Martinez Panther ID: 3339147 Active Euthanasia Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptable? Explain his view and respond to it. In this essay, we are going to analyze the main ideas included in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† by James Rachels to provide a response to the following question: Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases activeRead MoreThe Origin Of Good And Evil By Richard Taylor And Why Morality Is Not Relative By James Rachels1741 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"On the Origin of Good and Evil† by Richard Taylor and â€Å"Why Morality Is Not Relative† by James Rachels from the book Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature, author, Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, this essay will first try to identify what each of two articles says about the nature of good and evil, and is everything on morality is relative. Taylor from the article â€Å"On the Origin of Good and Evil†, states that morality is not inspirational, but a natural reality which that meanRead MoreCultural Relativism Essay139 8 Words   |  6 PagesRelativism, written by James Rachels, Rachels explains and challenges the ideas presented by Sumner in cultural relativism. Rachels explains, Cultural relativism is the doctrine that all moral values derive entirely from individual cultural codes, and that there are no objective, independently correct moral values. In other words, there are no absolute truths about what is right and wrong because judgements of right and wrong are all relative to a given culture. Rachels starts by explainingRead MoreEthics Is A Theory Of Proper Moral Conduct1276 Words   |  6 Pagesdistinction between what is the case between what ought to be the case. A key player in ethics is the moral agent. A moral agent is a person that has an ability to reflect on moral issues. Moral actions conform to the law and immoral actions do not conform to the law. Relativism Ethical relativist deny any objective moral values. Cultural relativism explains that in different times and in different places people act in different ways; they acquire different values and ideas of what is morally rightRead MoreMoral Relativism And Moral Concepts972 Words   |  4 PagesMoral relativism is a methodological principle of interpretation of the nature of morality underlying ethical theories. It is expressed in the fact that moral concepts and ideas gave extremely relative, changeable and arbitrary. Moral principles, concepts of good and evil are different in different people, social groups, and individuals in a certain way connected with the interests, beliefs, and inclinations of people, limited regarding its value time and place. But this diversity and variabilityRead MoreThe Morality Of Euthanasia And The Application Of Utilitarianism1213 Words   |  5 PagesThe Morality of Euthanasia and the Application of Utilitarianism. Introduction When a patient is in immense amounts of pain from a terminal illness, one of the options to relieve a person from the pain is euthanasia. Euthanasia is seen as a controversial and moral issue because of the different viewpoints. Euthanasia is seen by some as killing, while others see it as removing a person from immense amounts of pain. This paper will first discuss the principles of utilitarianism through BenthamRead MoreThe Element Of Moral Philosophy By James Rachels1161 Words   |  5 Pages In the book, â€Å"The Element of Moral Philosophy†, James Rachels explores the several criticisms of Utilitarianism. In this essay, I will touch on these criticisms, outlining the major implications they propose to Utilitarianism. I will also explain why many of the notions proposed against Utilitarianism are self-serving, and instead serve to improve the general good of a minority population, which contradicts the Utilitarian theory of equating moral aptitude to the general good of a majority populationRead MoreWhat Are Moral Relativism?922 Words   |  4 PagesBrown 9th of September What is Moral Relativism? What is the Cultural Differences Argument in favor of Moral Relativism that was given by Herodotus and, more recently, by Ruth Benedict? What are some of the examples Benedict gave to illustrate her argument? Moral relativism is a philosophical doctrine that asserts that the truth or falsity of moral judgments is impossible to establish objectively. Its proponents claim that there is no moral truth and that any statement about what is good or bad pointsRead MoreCultural Relativism Is Important For Many Reasons1410 Words   |  6 PagesCultural Relativism is defined as, â€Å"The principle that an individual s beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual s own  culture†. Wilson talked about this term extensively in his class and he noticed a common trend within his classroom. The trend was that his students warned him, â€Å"Not to be judgmental or to impose your values on other people.†(Soccio 2007). This is a common trend found with a lot of people in my opinion. In fact, I have the same belief

Necessities of Economic Inequality &Poverty of Coca Cola- Free Solutio

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Brand Management for Coca-Cola Company. Answer: Introduction Coca-Cola is popularly known as the Coke brand name, which is the generic trademark of the company (Chang 1995). In the year 1886 at Atlanta Georgia, Coca-Cola was invented by John Styth Pemberton, who was popular for creating a patent business of medicines (Fraser and Seitel 2010). In the year 1917, Perth accountant had the right to produce the coca cola in Australia. Until 21 years, in the year 1937, the Coca-Cola organization sent their team to Australia to establish the facility of production (Our people 2015). The rolled off the first bottle within the small building in the area of Dowling Street and Crescent in Sydney (Fraser and Seitel 2010). There were around 3300 items supplied in around 200 countries that are offered in wide range of diet as well as various regular sparkling beverages like 100% fruit drinks, energy, fruit juices, tea, sports drink, coffees, soy and milk-based beverages (Fraser and Seitel 2010). Within the corporate brand of Coca-Cola, there are various traditional products, such as diet-cake, Coke, Sprite, and Fanta. All the items of Coca-Cola organization were distributed through the franchisees by different distribution in various parts of the world (Fraser and Seitel 2010). The brand Coke looks to be quite popular carbonated beverage between the various popular products. It is depicted by the trademark and logo of the company (Fraser and Seitel 2010). In the present, Coca-Cola Australia along with the companies bottling partner, such as Coca-Cola Amatil provides around 240 items, which includes cheap and regular soft drinks along with sports drink, water, flavoured milk, and teas. Its the most leading brand that covers up Diet Coke, Coca-Cola, Goulburn, Pump, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Valley, Powerade and much more (Fraser and Seitel 2010). Market Description Market Analysis The size of a market The market share of the traditional carbonated beverage companies all over the world depicts that soft drink market is highly dominated by coca cola in 2015, as the company had attained market share of around 48.6% (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). The international market calculated to have 341.6 billion dollars (Chang 1995). From the five famous soft drink brand in Australia, there are coca cola brands, such as Coca-Cola that is consumed by around 19% of the Australians that are within the age group of 14 and more; next is Coca-Cola Zero that is consumed by 8% of people and Diet Coke is consumed by around 5% of individuals (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). The other brands of Cola are Pepsi Max that is consumed by around 7% of the people. Growth potential Coca-Cola had gained benefit through the rapidly growing global beverage industry all over the world (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). The global beverage industry, excluding the US, is highly expected to get enhanced the value by around $300 billion from the year 2014 till 2020. Coca-Cola has around 30% of the market share in the international beverage industry. If the organization tries to maintain its global market share increased by 2020, it will include $90 billion in the market cap that relies on the expected enhanced in the global beverage value (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Coca-Cola includes the market cap of around 150 billion in the starting of 2014. It provides the organization with the expected compound growth rate of around 6.9%, excluding the share repurchases and dividends by 2020, in case the company failed in gaining any market share (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). It is believed that Coca-Cola with the gain market share as well as reward shareholders with the dividends and repurchases. It wi ll try to drive the growth rate of the company in the double digits for the coming many years (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Coca-Cola had tried to position itself for gaining the benefits of non-alcoholic beverage all over the world. Below figure depicts that the company had strong competitive position all over the world (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Market segments Coca-Cola fails in targeting the particular segment, but tries to adopt the marketing strategy through developing new items (Lynch 1997). Similarly, it makes use of niche targeting and similar targeting strategies that could drive the sales within the competitive market (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Its key product Coca is quite popular all over the world and is accepted by many people of every age group, where else diet cook often targets the niche segment for the people who are quite health conscious (Chang 1995). Coca-Cola make use of competitive positioning strategy to make the way ahead for the competitors in the market for non-alcoholic beverages (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Different layers of market offerings Coca-Cola had around 500 brands along with around 3500 various types of product offerings. All this range of sodas to the energy drinks, to hot soy-based beverages in the Asian market (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Key competitors of your brand The soft drink industry competition are getting tougher (Chang 1995). The key competitors during that period were Parle and Pepsi. Parle is the best and famous brand and covers up Thumps Up, Citra, Limca and various others, Maaza and Gold Spot. During that time, Parle had acquired a market share of around 53%, and Pepsi had covered the markets share of around 20% (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Now Coca-Cola had also formulated various strategies to survive in the fierce ongoing competition (Chang 1995). In the case of that Coca Cola had decided to undertake the Parle, so that organization can take the benefits of including in Parle network (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). This type of decision is proved beneficial for the coke customers, as they were interested in accessing around 200000 retailer outlets along with around 60 bottles of Parle network (Kaye- Jennifer 2005). Coke even provides the various range of items like Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Cherry, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Vanilla, Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Coca-Cola and a wide variety of lime and coffee (Das, Prakash and Khattri 2012). Competition rivalry existing in the industry competition of beverage could be categorized as Duopoly such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Competitors market share is considered as too little to encourage the price war (Das, Prakash and Khattri 2012). Coca-Cola attains competitive benefits by the new global trademarks through achieving the premium cost. It implies that Coca-Cola holds something that competitors failed to do so (Das, Prakash and Khattri 2012). Brands target market- the advertisements of Coca-Cola mainly focus on the young generations and teenagers. As Coca-Cola aims the items to present the high energy people and youth (Das, Prakash and Khattri 2012). On the other side, Coke ads try to change the target market towards Coke for everyone and Coke for all, as it depicts that not only the youths are considered as targeted Coca-Cola group, but each and every person target them (Das, Prakash and Khattri 2012). Perceptual map of your brand versus its key competitors The below perceptual map depicts that there are around three names that describe the different personality attributes (Vartanian, Schwartz and Brownell 2007). Coca-Cola is highly related with the successful as well as down to earth kind of brand (Kim, Han and Park 2001). Pepsi is highly associated with the up to date, spirited as well as a charming personality; where else Thumps Up is linked with the honest and robust brand (Aaker 1997). Brand Problem Identification Coca Cola issues demand as the top brand all over the world, which is the successor within the soft drink industry in the last 100 years (Vartanian, Schwartz and Brownell 2007). Along with this success, they can incur crisis in this way (Kim, Han and Park 2001). In the year 2003, Coca-Cola was targeted by the activist group of engineers, environmentalist, scientist, and journalist related with a centre for science and environment to safeguard from unsafe items (Geuens, Weijters and Wulf 2008). Because these products include pesticide residues that could surpass the international standards (Kim, Han and Park 2001). Coca Cola items were also targeted by the press release that mentions 12 key cold drinks brand were sold near and around the city, which includes poisonous cocktail related to pesticide residues (Ruth and Simonin 2003). This test was done for the three samples, which includes Pepsi, and Coca-Cola brands, that includes 30-36 times the international standards of the residues (Kim, Han and Park 2001). The pesticides explored to cause the diseases like birth defects, cancer, as well as various immune system disruption along with various other health conditions (Kim, Han and Park 2001). Description and Relevance of Selected Brand Dimension For different organizations, there are around three-dimensional branding that created perfect sense (Bhasin 2016). The physical space is mainly used for conducting the business, whether its a satellite office, store or either the world headquarters that look visible and costly to leave the equation of brand building (Kumar 2011). In reason to this, if the brand is considered as the message, space need to be viewed as the way of attaining across the sort like the dynamic billboard, huge or either the mainly ambitious product packaging extension (Vartanian, Schwartz and Brownell 2007). Coca-Cola is usually considered as the single solution through the connoisseurs of soft drink all over the world (Kumar 2011). That is why the successful branding discussion includes the actual thing, in which beverage is involved in the cultural phenomenon (Kumar 2011). Pepsi and Coca-Cola are the two favourite brands of soft drink that occupy 95% of the cold drink market (Vartanian, Schwartz and Brownell 2007). With almost negligible, small as well as functional advantages of the cold drink, and there is no difference in colour, taste or two brand price, marketers need to have the cash in the self-expressive value of the items (Kumar 2011). Failure to have a practical point of difference, the emotional or self-expressionist value of brands is considered as difference focal point. Various other items such as Limca and Sprite is not selected due to differentiation that could assist by colours, and therefore, product personality is highly influenced by the variables (Kumar 2011). Recommendations for Management to improve Brand Performance It is recommended that Coca-Cola organization relies on the performing different models of valuation that includes, analysis of economic profit, Human Resource practices, original price and relative valuation towards earnings valuation model, which is revealed by the company of Coca-cola that is overvalued. Even though they explore the shock to be overvalued, and they think that KO had certain promising viewpoint along with expected issues in the coming time, and it is recommended that it should have hold instead of selling it. The coca cola company is considered as at top in the market of non-alcoholic beverages industry. They had the experience of 20 years standing as the leaders as well as investors to understand why the coca cola has an extraordinary position for enhancing the value of shareholders. Opportunities which exist for the company in near future is increasing the market share within the segment of non-carbonated beverages, business model restructuring as well as better earning results consistency. The issues that coca cola face is related to global competition as Human resource practices are increasing as compared to coke. If the coke thinks to have the reputation in the world market they should try to produce the incentives for the staff, through which they could easily do hard work and try to provide products of high quality. The team of new management should work towards implementing the cohesive goal existing among the two to meet the long-term growth potential of the company. The company is highly committed to offering the inclusive environment for working in which each and every member is treated equitably. It is believed that people are coming from different backgrounds, having various life talents and experiences is considered as the actual business bonus. That is the reason why valuing and respecting the people diversity is always recommended to put them in central of the values and vision of the company. Its also why the policies and practices of the employment are developed for protecting against ensuring equal opportunity and discrimination for all, regardless of sex, age as well as ethical background. References Aaker, J. L. 1997. Dimensions of Brand Personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 12, pp. 1-12. Bhasin, H. 2016. Marketing strategy of Coca cola Coca cola marketing strategy. [Online]. Available at: https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-strategy-of-coca-cola/ [Accessed on: 12th August 2016]. Chang, T.L. 1995. Formulating adaptation marketing strategies in a global industry. International Marketing Review, 2, pp. 1-12. Das, J., Prakash, O., and Khattri, V. 2012. Brand Personality Mapping: A Study on Colas. Asian Journal of Management Research, 2, pp. 1-23. Fraser P., and Seitel. 2010. The Practice of Public Relations, 11th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, UpperSaddle River Geuens, M., Weijters, B., and Wulf, K. D. 2008. A New Measure of Brand Personality. Belgium. Sage. Kaye- Jennifer. 2005. Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Coca Cola India. Journal CaseStudy Competition in Corporate Communications, 1, pp. 1-4. Kim, C. K., Han, D., and Park, S.-B. 2001. The Effect of Brand Personality and Brand Identification on Brand Loyalty: Applying the Theory of Social Identification. Japanese Psychological Research, 3, pp. 195-206. Kumar, R. S. 2011. Consumer Behaviour and Branding. Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd. Lynch, R. 1997. Corporate strategy. Great Britain: Pitman Publishing Our people. 2015. [Online]. Available at: https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/our-people [Accessed on: 12th August 2016]. Ruth, J.A. and Simonin, B.L. 2003. Brought to you by brand A and brand B. Journal of Advertising, 23, pp. 1-12. Vartanian, L. R., Schwartz, M. B., and Brownell, K. D. 2007. Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 23, pp. 1-34.

Magellan Essays - Age Of Discovery, Ferdinand Magellan,

Magellan In the early 1500's, almost four and a half centuries before men first orbited the earth; an expedition completed and led by Ferdinand Magellan performed a task of comparable significance for that time period. Magellan, a Portuguese navigator for Spain, sailed westward with a fleet of five ships from the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in September, 1519. Nearly three years later one ship returned, having circumnavigated the globe and crossed its largest ocean. A Philippine battle is where Magellan died and only left his crew to tell about the voyage. Maximilian of Transylvania, a native of Brussels, was present when the only one of Magellan's ships reached Sanlucar }. Maximilian assisted with the interrogations of the expedition survivors. Besides taking part in the official interviews, he questioned the returned mariners, quickly digested their accounts, and then rushed to get his letter off to Cardinal-Archbishop Lang of Salzburg who was also his father. Initially, Maximilian wrote the letter to practice his Latin and enhance his own fame. The document is important not only for the valuable information it contains, but also because it was the first account released to the European public of the great voyage. Maximilian was the secretary to Charles V and made a lifelong study of overseas affairs. He is credited with having made a terrestrial globe, surpassing all others of the time, and which the precision of the map was proved by Magellan. His letter is undeniably one of the most valuable sources of information about the Magellan voyage. In fact, it was the only printed account of the expedition for some time. Magellan's voyage set sail on the 10th of August, 1519, with five ships from Seville, Spain. Three moths later, Maximilian tells how Magellan's crew was forced to seek shelter for the winter at Port San Julian which is on the eastern coast of South America. In September 1520, he again sets sail after loosing one vessel to a storm. One month later, Magellan sights the straight that was later named after him and proceeds to cross into the ocean that he named ?Pacific? because of its calmness. He reached the Ladrone, Islands on March 6, 1521, and ten days later discovered the Philippines, landing on the island of Cebu on April 7. There he made an alliance with the ruler of the island and agreed to aid him in an attack on the natives of the neighboring island of Mactan. Magellan was killed on April 27,1521 during the Mactan expedition. Following Magellan's death, one of the vessels in his fleet was burned, but the other two escaped and reached the Moluccas on November 6, 1521. One of the vessels, the Victoria, commanded by the Spanish navigator Juan Sebasti?n del Cano, completed the circumnavigation of the globe, arriving in Seville on September 6, 1522. Although Magellan did not live to complete the voyage, he did circumnavigate the globe by passing the easternmost point he had reached on an earlier voyage. The cargo of spices carried back to Spain by the Victoria alone paid for the expenses of the expedition. The passage through the Strait of Magellan was too long and difficult to be a practical route from Europe to the Moluccas. Nevertheless, the voyage laid the foundation for trade in the Pacific between the New World and the East. Although Spain did not immediately recognize the importance of the Philippines, they had become the greatest Spanish trading center in the East. Magellan's voyage would have never received the recognition that it deserved if citizens such as Maximilian didn't properly document it. Magellan's accomplishments in his three-year voyage were countless and forever will be remembered. It is because of explorers and historians like these, that we have the geological perfection of our globe today.

Memento Essay Example

Memento Essay Example Memento Paper Memento Paper Essay Topic: Film A Polaroid photograph, clasped between finger and thumb, showing a crude, crime-scene flash picture of a mans body lying on a decaying wooden floor, a bloody mess where his head should be. The image in the photo starts to fade as we superimpose titles. The hand holding the photo suddenly fans it in a rapid flapping motion then holds it still. The image fades more, and again the picture is fanned. As the titles end, the image fades to nothing. The hand holding the photo flaps it again, then places it at the front of a Polaroid camera. The camera sucks the blank picture up, then the flash goes off. As the Polaroid fades to white, so we begin with a blank slate Its the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man who proves as emotionally empty as the surname suggests. Unable to make new memories since a blow to the head during a raid on his apartment, he remains hell-bent on avenging his wifes death from that same assault. Hampered by his affliction, Leonard trawls the motels and bars of Southern California in an effort to gather evidence against the killer he believes is named John G. Tattooing scraps of evidence and information onto his body, Leonards faulty memory is abused by two others: bartender Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) and undercover cop Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), both involved in a lucrative drug deal. From the very beginning, director Christopher Nolan establishes that the structural arrangement of the narrative of this film will run backwards in a non linear fashion. Although the audience may not be fully aware of it now, they have just witnessed the end climax to the plot. This already captures the audiences attention, subconsciously allowing them to understand that Leonard has just erased the act of killing, the key to understanding the confusing, opened ending. Now that the audience has witnessed this rewound scene they are enticed into knowing the full story, something that they will have to wait for until they have pieced all the parts of the jigsaw together, a device that cleverly hooks the audience for the duration of the film. Essentially running backwards, the films end at the beginning only makes sense once the whole story has unfolded; each scene plays out with Lenny reconstructing the development of events for himself from scribbled notes, photos, maps and clues, only for the next scene to jump back and relate the events which led up to it. This framework of constant revisitation, revision and reconstruction puts the viewer in Lennys point of view: as he pieces events together so, gradually, do we, never fully knowing the full story, and more importantly, never completely knowing what Lenny has done and who he can trust. The film is a kind of narrative test of alertness; visual clues the scratches on Lennys cheek, the smashed window of his car, the comments on his Polaroid pictures and his memento tattoos all hint at the order of events but ensure that the solution, like the identity of the killer, lies tantalisingly out of reach right up to the end. Another visual clue is the parallel plot of the elusive Sammy Jenkins story. After the initial backward sequence we are faced with a short clip of Leonard sitting in his room, shot in black and white so that you know it is the counter plot, in which we can view the protagonists everyday life. Throughout the first ten minutes, and the rest of the film, we view snippets of the two plots pieced together so that just as we get to grips with one of the plots we are thrown back into the other. This plot unveils the tale of Sammy Jenkins, which we later find was a conman whom Leonard, in a state of extreme denial, has reconstructed as a pitiful victim, to enable him to forget that it was he, not Sammy, who killed his own wife. Nolan has deliberately run these two plots side by side, jumping from one to the other in this jigsaw narrative so that the audience can learn of the climax to the two plots at the same time, like a multi-stranded narrative. This helps to build the films tension and disenables the audience to work out the truth before Leonard does. Caught, like Leonard, in the films looping reverse narration, we cant help but cling to his flashbacks of Sammy Jenkins as having some kind of authority. It serves as a case history of Leonards condition and illuminates his attempts to snap out of it he hires a hooker to help him restage his memories of his last night with his wife, only to nod off and forget about it as well as adding an emotionally compelling counter-narrative to the chilly formal intelligence on display, enticing the audience further. The order of mementos narrative is intriguing as it challenges the theories of those such as Todorov. The usual components of narrative structure are composed of three parts in the following order; a beginning with an opening, a middle containing a conflict and an ending with a resolution. By contrasting to the traditional patterns of film, Memento plays with the audiences expectations of the equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium pattern. This contributes to the build in tension and anticipation. Memento also relates to the theory of Vladimir Propp, who was interested in the function of specific characters in narrative. He proposed that there were set character roles including the villain, the hero, the donor, the helper, the false hero, the princess and the dispatcher. However, even though Memento does not contain all of these roles, what with its small cast, but it does manage to question these. This is interesting because the characters roles as perceived by the audience change during the course of the film, what with it being in reverse. In the first ten minutes of memento Leonard is perceived as the hero, Natalie as the helper, princess and donor, and Teddy as the ambiguous John G. and hence villain. However, by the end of the film the audiences perceptions are completely reversed, with Natalie helping to wreck Leonards life and Teddy being an innocent victim. This is effective, adding to the upside down plot, challenging the audiences original perceptions. Memento also uses symbolic codes. Each scene in the first ten minutes has a memento which provides a link forward and back, helping the audience to understand the narrative. For example, in the first scene Leonard takes a Polaroid of Teddys dead body. In the next we have a contrasting memento; a Polaroid of the living Teddy which reads he ides the one, kill him and something scribbled out. In the next scene we see the Polaroid again however; it only says dont believe his lies where the scribble was. This assists in constructing the narrative as the audience can see what point in time they are at, helping the plot to flow more. Thus we can the initial narrative of memento appears extremely complex, which ultimately manages to make complete sense by the final chapter. Memento is a strange mix of several genres which all play a major part in this movie. It is ultimately a detective-thriller, with obvious film noir links to films such as point blank, for Memento is a skewed noir mystery at heart, peopled by manipulative femmes fatales and low-down lowlifes, whose visual settings diners, car-lots, beaten-up motels and set-pieces (including a chase scene in which Lenny forgets who is chasing who) conjure the films downbeat, hardboiled feel. It also bears a lot in common with the noir film Double Indemnity, both with a circular narrative, beginning as they end, the audience constantly aware of the protagonists fate. This typical iconography makes it clear in the audiences mind the genres of this film, which could subconsciously help the audience to unravel Leonards mystery. Even the themes of revenge and betrayal are telling noir characteristics. As a generic -hybrid, this film contains the appealing characteristics of a crime, drama, thriller; hence not only enabling the film to appeal to a wide and varied audience, but also preparing the spectators for an innovative and less conventional film. The film is clearly a detective-crime from the beginning, with the death of Teddy and Leonards conversations on the phone seeking information about John G, also the evidence such as John Gs number plate and description written down on the wall. The film also quickly establishes itself as a thriller, what with the suspense and tension built up within the first few minutes of Memento, which manages to sustain throughout the film. However, although it distinguishes its genres, it still manages to trick the audiences as to each characters role, referring back to Vladimir Propp, what with Leonard appearing the villain and Teddy the victim, and Natalie an innocent who turns out to be the films femme fatale. Thus we can see, Memento is a film in which being confusing, enthralling and frustrating, it revels in teasing and misleading its audience, both through genre typography and narrative structure. Its a mark of Nolans achievement that this final scene which seemingly completes the narrative jigsaw should cast a cloud over Leonards motives. Its a stunning tease, a tantalisingly ambiguous note on which to sign off, one that scatters our sense of certainty as we rerun the events of the past two hours in our heads.

Battle of the Atlantic in World War II

Battle of the Atlantic in World War II The Battle of the Atlantic was fought between September 1939 and May 1945 throughout the entirety of  World War II. Commanding Officers Allies Admiral Sir Percy Noble, RNAdmiral Sir Max Horton, RNAdmiral Royal E. Ingersoll, USN Germany Grand Admiral Erich RaederGrand Admiral Karl Doenitz Background With the British and French entrance into World War II on September 3, 1939, the German Kriegsmarine moved to implement strategies similar to those used in World War I. Unable to challenge the Royal Navy in regard to capital ships, the Kriegsmarine began a campaign against Allied shipping with the goal of cutting off Britain from the supplies needed to wage war. Overseen by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, German naval forces sought to employ a mix of surface raiders and U-boats. Though he favored the surface fleet, which would come to include the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, Raeder was challenged by his U-boat chief, then-Commodore Karl Doenitz, regarding the use of submarines. Initially ordered to seek out British warships, Doenitzs U-boats had early success sinking the old battleship HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow and the carrier HMS Courageous off Ireland. Despite these victories, he vigorously advocated for using groups of U-boats, known as wolf packs, to attack the Atlantic convoys that were resupplying Britain. Though the German surface raiders scored some early successes, they drew the attention of the Royal Navy who sought to destroy them or keep them in port. Engagements such as the Battle of the River Plate (1939) and the Battle of the Denmark Strait (1941) saw the British respond to this threat. The Happy Time With the fall of France in June 1940, Doenitz gained new bases on the Bay of Biscay from which his U-boats could operate. Spreading into the Atlantic, the U-boats began attacking British convoys in packs. These multi-ship groups were further directed by intelligence gleaned from the breaking of the  British Naval Cypher No.  3. Armed with the approximate location of an approaching convoy, the wolf pack would deploy in a long line across its anticipated path. When a U-boat sighted the convoy, it would radio its location and coordination of the attack would commence. Once all of the U-boats were in position, the wolf pack would strike. Typically conducted at night, these assaults could involve up to six U-boats and forced the convoy escorts to deal with multiple threats from several directions.    Through the remainder of 1940 and into 1941, the U-boats enjoyed tremendous success and inflicted heavy losses on Allied shipping. As a result, it became known as the Happy Time (Die Glà ¼ckliche Zeit) among the U-boat crews. Claiming over 270 Allied vessels during this period, U-boat commanders such as  Otto Kretschmer, Gà ¼nther Prien, and Joachim Schepke became celebrities in Germany. Key battles in the second half of 1940 included convoys HX 72, SC 7, HX 79, and HX 90. In the course of the fighting, these convoys lost 11 of 43, 20 of 35, 12 of 49, and 11 of 41 ships respectively. These efforts were supported by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft which aided in finding Allied ships as well as attacking them. Converted from long-range Lufthansa airliners, these aircraft flew from bases in Bordeaux, France and Stavanger, Norway and penetrated deep into the North Sea and Atlantic. Capable of carrying a 2,000-pound bomb load, Condors typically would strike at low altitude in an attempt to bracket the target vessel with three bombs.  Focke-Wulf Fw 200 crews claimed to have sunk 331,122 tons of Allied shipping between June 1940 to February 1941. Though effective, the Condor was seldom available in more than limited numbers and the threat later posed by Allied escort carriers and other aircraft ultimately forced its withdrawal. Guarding the Convoys Though British destroyers and corvettes were equipped with ASDIC (sonar), the system was still unproven and was unable to maintain contact with a target during an attack. The Royal Navy was also hampered by a lack of suitable escort vessels. This was eased in September 1940, when fifty obsolete destroyers were obtained from the United States via the Destroyers for Bases Agreement. In the spring of 1941, as British anti-submarine training improved and additional escort vessels reached the fleet, losses began to lessen and the Royal Navy began sinking U-boats at an increasing rate. To counter improvements in British operations, Doenitz pushed his wolf packs further west forcing the Allies to provide escorts for the entire Atlantic crossing. While the Royal Canadian Navy covered convoys in the eastern Atlantic, it was aided by President Franklin Roosevelt who extended the Pan-American Security Zone nearly to Iceland. Though neutral, the United States provided escorts within this region. Despite these improvements, U-boats continued to operate at will in the central Atlantic outside the range of Allied aircraft. This air gap posed issues until more advanced maritime patrol aircraft arrived. Operation Drumbeat Other elements that aided in stemming Allied losses were the capture of a German Enigma code machine and the installation of new high-frequency direction-finding equipment for tracking U-boats. With the US entry into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Doenitz dispatched U-boats to the American coast and Caribbean under the name Operation Drumbeat. Commencing operations in January 1942, the U-boats began enjoying a second happy time as they took advantage of unescorted American merchant ships as well as the US failure to implement a coastal black-out. As losses mounted, the U.S. implemented a convoy system in May 1942. With convoys operating on the American coast, Doenitz withdrew his U-boats back to the mid-Atlantic that summer. Through the fall, losses continued to mount on both sides as the escorts and U-boats clashed. In November 1942, Admiral Sir Max Horton became commander-in-chief of the Western Approaches Command. As additional escort vessels became available, he formed separate forces which were tasked with supporting the convoy escorts. As they were not tied to defending a convoy, these groups were able to specifically hunt U-boats. The Tide Turns In the winter and early spring of 1943, the convoy battles continued with increasing ferocity. As Allied shipping losses mounted, the supply situation in Britain began to reach critical levels. Though losing U-boats in March, the Germany strategy of sinking ships faster than the Allies could build them appeared to be succeeding. This ultimately proved to be a false dawn as the tide rapidly turned in April and May. Though Allied losses dropped in April, the campaign pivoted on the defense of convoy ONS 5. Attacked by 30 U-boats it lost thirteen ships in exchange for six of Doenitzs boats. Two weeks later, convoy SC 130 repelled German attacks and sunk five U-boats while taking no losses. The rapid turn in Allied fortunes was the result of the integration of several technologies which had become available in the preceding months. These included the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar, continued advances in reading German radio traffic, enhanced radar, and the Leigh Light. The latter device allowed Allied aircraft to successfully attack surfaced U-boats at night. Other advances included the introduction of merchant aircraft carriers and long-range maritime variants of the B-24 Liberator. Combined with new escort carriers, these eliminated the air gap. Combined with wartime ship construction programs, such as Liberty ships, these rapidly gave the Allies the upper hand. Dubbed Black May by the Germans, May 1943 saw Doenitz lose 34 U-boats in the Atlantic in exchange for 34 Allied ships. Latter Stages of Battle Pulling back his forces during the summer, Doenitz worked to develop new tactics and equipment. These included the creation of U-flak boats with enhanced anti-aircraft defenses as well as a variety of countermeasures and new torpedoes. Returning to the offensive in September, the U-boats enjoyed a brief period of success before Allied forces again began causing heavy losses. As Allied air power grew in strength, U-boats came under attack in the Bay of Biscay as they left and returned to port. With his fleet being reduced, Doenitz turned to new U-boat designs including the revolutionary Type XXI. Designed to operate entirely submerged, the Type XXI was faster than any of its predecessors. Only four were completed by the end of the war. Aftermath The final actions of the Battle of the Atlantic took place on May 7-8, 1945, just before the German surrender.  In the course of the fighting, Allied losses totaled around 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships, as well as around 72,000 sailors killed. German casualties numbered 783 U-boats and around 30,000 sailors (75% of the U-boat force). One of the most important fronts of the war, success in the Atlantic was critical for the Allied cause. Citing its importance, Prime Minister Winston Churchill later stated: The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea or in the air depended ultimately on its outcome...

The Trial of Aaron Burr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Trial of Aaron Burr - Essay Example It chronicles not only the alleged attempt to suborn the sovereignty of the U.S. government in the western territories, but also a titanic power struggle between the judicial and executive branches of government. On a deeper level, it offers an early example of the predisposition for interpretation inherent in the Constitution – and its potential vulnerability to political conflict. The point upon which the prosecution’s case turned in Aaron Burr’s treason trial, whether or not levying war constituted an overt act, was contested during a period in which the fledgling American Democracy was testing the very nature of the Constitution and how the law of the land Name 2 was to be interpreted. In The Trial of Col. Aaron Burr, Chief Justice John Marshall renders an opinion on a motion to arrest evidence, in which he quotes from a preliminary opinion regarding the meaning of â€Å"levying.† The judge here accords with the argument put by George Hay, chief prosec utor in the Burr trial, by stating that â€Å"levying war is a fact in the Constitution of which force is an indispensable ingredient† (Carpenter, 444). ... ‘Real life’ interpretation Justice Felix Frankfurter would speak to the issue of interpretation nearly 200 years after the Burr trial: â€Å"The words of the Constitution are so unrestricted by their intrinsic meaning or by their history or by tradition or by prior decisions that they leave the individual justice free, if indeed they do not compel him, to gather meaning not from reading the Constitution but from reading life† (Frankfurter, 1941). In the opinion referred to by Justice Marshall (mentioned above), a pragmatic appraisal of the situation is an attempt to apply the precepts of logic and common sense. â€Å"To constitute the fact of levying war, it is not necessary that hostilities shall have actually commenced, by engaging the military force of the United States; or that measures of violence against the government shall have been carried into execution† (Carpenter, 444). Name 3 It is perhaps surprising that Chief Justice Marshall should have adhe red to such a strict rendering of the Constitution in light of the unstable political climate in 1807. With the new Republic in a fragile and unsettled state, battles over Federalism vs. States Rights, the geographic destiny of the new nation and which foreign powers should be sought as allies (and which to avoid) created a turbulent, even dangerous political situation. As such, one might expect a far more in-depth interpretation of the law, which, after all, must be dynamic enough to address (without being determined by) existing need and current circumstance. As well, one must bear in mind that Constitutional interpretation was as yet a largely unplowed field. Should the document’s language be interpreted according to the framers’ intent? Should the Constitution be regarded as