Financial Planning Informative Speech

Speech 4 – Informative Speech We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, â€Å"Stay the course. † Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. ~ Lee Iacocca Finance planning legend. A probably angry Lee Iacocca was indicating that finance is something that has to be pre-planned, planned, re-planned and even post-planned.Financial planning in itself does not involve just setting budgets, wage rates or deadlines. It is all about getting to know realistic work schedule, the manner in which they can be executed, back up plans that can be used and the least cost with the help of which the entire project can be executed. So basically, financial planning and growth forecasting, both i nvolve, the answers to the 4 important questions, why, when, where and how (answers have to be cost oriented). Steps in Long Term Financial PlanningStep 1: Let us take the example of a coffee shop, whereas a financial planner, one has to find legitimate answers to 4 questions, namely: Why should we be producing a specific item on the menu card? (consider cost of production and sales price) When should we produce such an item and for what time duration? (bear in mind seasonal costs, inflation of raw material prices) Where should we produce the item, right in the shop or some production center? (consider transport cost, nature of goods and selling cost) How should one produce the item, manually or mechanically? consider equipment and personnel cost) Step 2: The second step is to assess your business environment. In this step, surveying the competitor's performance, pricing and distribution is an absolute necessity. In such a scenario, you may also prepare a cost sheet of the financial features of production, namely, the money that you would have to invest as a manufacturing cost, its sales cost, and the profit that it would yield. Logically speaking, the sale price should be more than the cost price and the return over asset ratio/return over investment ratio should be healthy.While finalizing these three figures, you will need to take into consideration 3 important aspects. Average spending capacity of your customers. Your competitor's quality, quantity and price. Popularity of the product, potential market, customer retaining capacity of the product, etc. Though the trend of such products is more experimental in nature, they might become full-time, public favorite products, hence it is also important to make a financial provision to recover losses, that arise in the experimental period, until the product establishes itself in the market.Step 3: The third and fourth step are more analytical in nature and from the finance point of view, they are also quite expan sive. The idea that you need to implement in the third step is allocation of resources in such a manner that you tend to make a genuine profit in sales, during the long run. In this step, you will be using and analyzing cash flow statements on almost a daily basis. The key is to have uniform cash outflows for consecutive days/months/years. Cash outflow is basically all expenses and losses. Losses are quite uncontrollable but expenses are definitely controllable.Hence search for raw material sources, manpower and production processes that will help you to maintain a uniform and low per unit cost for the item/product. For example have regular suppliers, who will supply at an agreed and uniform cost. This uniformity will eventually come in handy to curb and control unexpected losses, and will also help you to keep a good hold over the market. The second part of the third step is making monetary provisions. This is absolutely essential due to the fact that no business is risk-free. Such provisions include advance to the raw material supplier, insurance, provisions for bad debts, extra services, etc.Step 4: I would like to call this step as retain, sustain and entertain. This step is quite an advanced one, and basically includes many different aspects, that aim at retaining the customers. The first important function of this step is to generate regular data and cash flow statements. With the help of these statements you will realize whether that very item on the menu is proving to be profitable or not. At the same time, you also need to maintain a statement that records cash inflows and outflows over a longer period of time (in months or a quarter).Thus, you will realize what is profitable for your business, and what your customers want. To sum up the whole theory, it can be said that long term finance planning is a 3 dimensional graph, with customer, product and market being the dimensions. The essence of cost and time are added to every dimension. After all, the key to successful long term financial planning is to facilitate all three dimensions logically, bearing in mind the essence of time and money. Read more at Buzzle: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/long-term-financial-planning. html

How does Jane Austen show her views on the marriage conventions of the nineteenth century Essay

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has consistently been Jane Austen’s most popular novel. It portrays life in the genteel rural society of the day. Jane Austen is considered by many the first real novelist, she had a very unique style of writing when she wrote all of her books, this is what I believe appealed to her readers, the style that she used was described as ‘comedy of manners’. The comedy of manners satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters, such as Mr. Collins. It has been the blueprint for romantic fiction in the writing world. Marriage is a pivotal theme in Pride and Prejudice, the conventions were different in the nineteenth century they were expected to marry for their own financial security. They also had to be married to a higher ranked man but within the same range of class, for example in the book when Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins, they did not love each other but it suited them both to marry. Charlotte Lucas wanted a husband who could financially support her and Mr. Collins was on the hunt for a suitable young wife. He already had asked his cousin and main character in the book Elizabeth Bennet to marry him, she reluctantly disagreed but her mother was not concerned about her feelings, Mrs. Bennet wanted to see all her daughters married Austen uses a lot of different techniques through out the book, she uses a range of satire which is a form of humour where the writer or speaker tries to make the reader or listener have a negative opinion about someone, by laughing at them, making them seem ridiculous or foolish etc. Jane Austen also uses a lot of irony in this book it is a form of humour. When the speaker or writer says one thing but wants you to understand something different, they are being ironic, and example in the book would be where Mr. Bennet has a conversation with his wife about Bingley, he is a very satirical and ironic character because of his extreme politeness and playful innocence, which in result upset Mrs. Bennet. That provides humour for the reader as a result of her dramatic character. Mrs. Bennet’s character is not ironic in the least, but it is the blending of both characters that bring about the irony. Such foils points out to the readers the ridiculousness of human nature. One empathises with Mr. Bennet; his suffering and dissatisfaction is shown through his desire for privacy, his cynical view of mankind, irresponsibility towards his daughters and his indifference, resentment and sarcasm towards his wife. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that every man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. These lines can be read as a statement of fact, Austen is saying that this is just how her contemporaries think, and it is very likely that many of her readers have nodded their agreement to this wise recognition. There is also a sense, however, that such a widely-held view runs the risk of stupidity: some men in possession of a good fortune may see no reason at all for taking a wife, and in any case are not likely to enjoy being viewed as a prize by mothers of eligible daughters. In Pride and Prejudice this is indeed how Mrs Bennet will treat Mr Bingley, and her insensitive presumption begins the novels comedy. Mrs. Bennet has a certain attitude towards marriage; I think Austen wrote Mrs. Bennet in to the story as someone who she is the total opposite too. I think Jane Austen expresses herself through Elizabeth in this novel, she saw herself as a revolutionary woman. In the words of Mrs. Bennet â€Å"If I can see one of my daughters happily married at Netherfield†¦ I shall wish for nothing more,† in this quote she is implying that she does not care about her daughters happiness, mainly for hers. She disguises it very well though, it is made out that she wants what is best for her daughters but she wants her own fortune when she is older. Mr. Collins’ attitude is to get married to a presentable woman in his standard of class. He firstly asks his cousin Elizabeth to marry him, she says no, but he continues to insist, finally he gets the point and asks her best friend to marry him. Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters married and tries to encourage Elizabeth. Charlotte Lucas (Elizabeth’s best friend) accepts his proposal. I think that Mr. Collins asked Charlotte because I think he may want to make Elizabeth envy them. The quote I choose to make my point with is from chapter 19 and reads â€Å"May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning? Before Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs. Bennet answered instantly, â€Å"Oh dear! -Yes-certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy-I am sure she can have no objection, Come, Kitty, I want you upstairs.† And, gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out: â€Å"Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse me. He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am going away myself.† â€Å"No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are.† And upon Elizabeth’s seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added: â€Å"Lizzy, I INSIST upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins.† Elizabeth would not oppose such and injunction-and a moment’s consideration making her also sensible that it would be wisest to get it over as soon and as quietly as possible, she sat down again and tried to conceal, by incessant employment the feelings which were divided between distress and diversion. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as they were gone, Mr. Collins began.† Charlotte Lucas married Mr. Collins, I think her attitude is to be financially secure, I also think she is a little envious of her best friend Elizabeth. I think this quote portrays just that â€Å"The Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases and again during the chief of the day was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. â€Å"It keeps him in good humour,† said she, â€Å"and I am more obliged to you than I can express.† Charlotte assured her friend of her satisfaction in being useful, and that it amply repaid her for the little sacrifice of her time. This was very amiable, but Charlotte’s kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; its object was nothing else than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins’s addresses, by engaging them towards herself.† Elizabeth has a very strong personality she is independent, and very strong headed. There are many quotes that I could select for this, but my selected quote would be â€Å"You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.† I chose this quote because this shows that she does not marry just for money, it is a very respectable deed. Darcy is a very arrogant and rich man; he seems to have a very odd relationship with Elizabeth. He is almost perfect in the eyes of a woman; he was rich, handsome, clever and witty. â€Å"And taking her hand, he would have given it to Mr. Darcy who, though extremely surprised, was not unwilling to receive it, when she instantly drew back, and said with some discomposure to Sir William- â€Å"indeed, sir, I have not any intention of dancing. I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way in order to beg for a partner.† This quote shows how arrogant Darcy is. In conclusion I think that Austen’s final message regarding marriage is that one should not marry for money, but marry for love. She portrays herself in my opinion through Elizabeth and Darcy was a dream couple.

The larger the number of firms in a monopolistic competition situation

This is possible because a monopolistic market favours the company to the detriment of the consumer. The traits  of a  monopoly are high price levels, supply constraints, or excessive barriers to entry.  This type of market would be comprised of one supplying firm and consumers would have no choice  but to purchase solely from this firm.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The larger the number of firms in a monopolistic competition situation, the larger are that country’s exports. This is incorrect as in monopolistic trade there is only one firm and the   monopoly firm’s demand curve is identical to the market demand curve, and the monopoly firm need not consider what it’s competitors are pricing at. The moment another firm enters the trade it is no longer a monopoly.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two countries engaged in trade in products with no scale economies, produced under conditions of perfect competition, are likely to be engaged in intra-industry trade.This is poss ible as any country which can find comparable goods at a better price will take to import of that product. However, generally these are influenced by technological and or human factors. International trade generally takes into account cost and utility, in determining trade.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   History and accident determine the details of trade involving scale economies.This is untrue as what determines scale of economies is cost advantages that a business obtains due to expansion. Economies of scale are utilized by any firm expanding its scale of operation. These are not by accident and are planned. However, historical reasons may play a part in trade between two countries and the scale of economies, but even this has decreased with modern trade practices.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intra-industry trade will tend to dominate trade flows when the following exists: Large differences between relative country factor availabilities.  This is true as trade takes place to fulfill one reaso n – demand. When there is a large difference between two countries on availability and/or price, it naturally spurs demand, and depending on the factors available, Intra industry trade will develop. The rising share of intra-industry trade may grow due to increase of technological transactions and also due to expansion of the intra-firm network through foreign direct investment.6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A tariff always drives a wedge between foreign and domestic prices, raising the domestic price but by less than the tariff rate.True, because when a country implements a tariff, it will create an increase in the price of the goods on the domestic market, and a decrease in price in the rest of the world.7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we add together the gains and losses from a tariff, we find the net effect on national welfare can be separated into three parts.This is true as the aggregate welfare effect for the country is found by summing the gains and losses to consumers, producers a nd the government. The net effect consists of three components – (1) positive terms of trade effect (2) a negative production distortion and  (3) a negative consumption distortion.8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An export subsidy causes the same losses as a tariff.The welfare effects of a tariff and an export subsidy are quite different in a competitive market. The subsidy raises the internal prices at home, while lowering the price abroad.The difference between a tariff and an export subsidy is that former improves the terms of trade while the latter worsens them. The extent of loss or gain will vary on factors employed.

Drug Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Drug Plan - Essay Example There would remain many essential aspects to consider, when addressing the issue of the drug problem nationwide, with prevention being one of the stronger factors. Prevention sought through the treatment of offenders and the increased awareness within the community bodies, of the real dangers that exist within the world of drug exposure. As it would come to the military, most notably the National Guard, those resources would best be suited through placement at the borders. Another monetary option would be the providing of foreign aid to the farmers in the regions of South America and Mexico, so they wouldn't feel as compelled to grow the crops and still would be able to earn something even closer to being considered as being a living wage that they could support their families on. Diverting a substantial portion of the budget available to a measure such as this, along with the usage of the military arm of the government, would be a step toward the opportunity of being able to curb the drug supply at the source. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (2009), "The Trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs inflict tremendous harm upon individuals, families, and communities throughout the country," (National Drug Threat Summary, para. 1).

Report Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Report Plan - Essay Example The basic objective is to formulate the thoughts of various segments of the society in consolidated report. In the last few months or so the right to keep a gun has confronted major debate at national level. The government, law enforcement agencies, civil society, human rights associations and the general public all have forwarded their arguments on the issue and now is the time to reach some conclusion. The report will target conclusions on the issue through in depth analysis of all the arguments surfaced during the Gun Control debate at national level. The report will strive to formulate a national thought and to avoid various controversial arguments surfaced recently on the issue . These controvertial argument can distract the focus of the authorities from the core issue and may cause damage to the national harmony. One such argument reads, â€Å"The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks† (Joe, 2012). There is a need to review all such assumptions as military veterans is common phenomenon all over the world. The report will discuss and highlight the various aspect of the issue in a comprehensive manner without targeting one or the other segment of the society. Various governmental and non governmental organizations will be contacted directly, general public arguments will be collected through open debates and polls. Statistical information will be saught from Police, Arm Control departments etc. Moreover the generl public also be accessed from online sources to make the report interesting and useful. The basic criteria for the report will be based upon the accuracy and correctness of

Legal Methods and Legal Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Legal Methods and Legal Structures - Essay Example The issue of whether wearing religious apparel can be prohibited or restricted has been appeared as an important topic of discussion in several jurisdictions. Unfortunately, no clear or uniform response to this particular issue or claims has been recognised so far. In certain circumstances, courts are involved in justifying the ban on religious attire, while in other circumstances, courts are often seen to lack in making proper jurisdictions concerning the aforesaid issue. A comparison of two religious apparel cases that predominately arise in the context of school has been depicted in the following discussion. In R. (on the application of Playfoot) v Governing Body of Millais School [2007] H.R.L.R. 34, a 16 year old minor named Lydia Playfoot was the claimant. Lydia was pursuing her education from a non-denominational girl’s school in Horsham West Sussex. The Governing Body of Millias School was the defendant, which prohibited Lydia to wear a chastity ring (purity ring) as an insignia of her commitment made towards her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the school has defined a clear set of dress code, which restricted the wearing of apparel other than plain ear studs. Notably, Lydia’s father disagreed with such dress code formulated by the school. Subsequently, she filed a lawsuit claiming for judicial investigation of the defendant’s decision. Her claim was grounded on the fact that the decision of the school prohibiting her from wearing purity ring was against her right to freedom.

MGT 671 LEADER PROJECT INTERVIEW PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MGT 671 LEADER PROJECT INTERVIEW PAPER - Essay Example Finally, during the early part of the first quarter of year 2000, the company was able to gain business eligibility by completing all the necessary documentations necessary for its operations. Shortly thereafter, the first flight of JetBlue Airways took to the skies. The company then proceeded to add more routes as it expands its business operations. Before the year 2000 ended, the company reached a major milestone by reaching a million customers serviced while at the same time earning $ 100 million revenue for the year. All these have been achieved prior to the company’s first anniversary and shortly afterwards the company has flown about 2 million customers (JetBlue Corporate History 2011). The company further expanded its operations as the delivery of its Airbus units continues giving the company about 20 units of operational crafts. The company’s massive fleet continues to grow when in 2003 the company was able to receive its 50th Airbus. As such, a new hangar compl ex was needed and acquired at JFK International. The company grew rapidly and operations expanded extensively necessitating the additional order of 65 more airbuses and 100 more Embraer 190 aircrafts. In flight entertainment was improved further the following year and by the early half of 2004 the company already has on its laurels the honor of flying 25 million passengers. In just five years, the company was able to secure its 71st airbus and was subsequently awarded the prestigious Diamond Certificate of Excellence Award from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). Also, JetBlue was able to receive its Embraer 190 aircraft, the first airline to have such a unit. Furthermore, the company was able to acquire a bigger hangar and is also able to secure a partnership with American Express to integrate credit card payments with their operations. The company further improved its in house entertainment and was even able to pioneer in-flight email and even instant messaging services. In 2008, J etBlue even became the official airline of the Red Sox and the following year even became the official airline partner of the New York Jets. All the while, the company is introducing innovations of the jet liner service and is also expanding its routes. With all these achievements and despite breaching the top 50 in just half a decade, JetBlue was not yet a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) . After a decade, JetBlue established its office in the bustling city of New York and was officially included into the folds of the IATA. Brief Biography of Robin Hayes – EVP, Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Robin Hayes joined JetBlue last May 2008. He was appointed to the commercial side as the Chief Commercial Officer handling the airline’s marketing strategy including sales and revenues as well as the network of the airline. His appointment gave him an Executive Vice President position, a title he also had before he left his previous company (JetBlue Airwa ys, Press Release May 2008). Prior to joining the JetBlue, Mr. Robin Hayes was with British Airways also as an EVP. JetBlue is banking on the experience Mr. Hayes had when he was with British Airways to help their company surge forward faster. No less than JetBlue’s CEO, Mr. Dave Barger, highlighted the vast capabilities of Mr. Hayes emphasizing on the years that he had in the industry as well as the knowledge that he amassed from his

VOTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

VOTING - Essay Example According Lijphart (1999, p69), Cleisthenes introduced one of the earliest recorded systems of democracy in Greece back in 508 BC. This system of democracy required voters to select the least preferred politician who was then exiled for ten years in a distant country. The minimum number of votes that were required to have a politician exiled was 6000.However, if more than one politician received more than the set threshold votes, the candidate with the higher number of votes was exiled instead( Lijphart, 1999,p72). In the thirteenth century, the Venetian state created one of the most developed electoral systems at the time. The Venetian system nominated forty members in ‘Great Council’ and in the mid 13 century, the number of council members elected was increased to sixty (Grofman, & Merrill, 1999, p53) Though Venetians applied different electoral systems, approval-voting system was the most popular. The approval system required voters to cast a single vote for every can didate vying for a position in the council. Eventually, the candidate who garnered the highest number of votes was declared the winner to represent the state in the council (Grofman, & Merrill, 1999, p38). ... Equally important all candidates should be treated equally, without favoring a particular person over another. By treating the candidates equally, Schofield (2001, p584) notes that the voters are presented with a favorable opportunity of electing a person of their choice without bias and prejudice of any sort. Fair elections should also ensure that the victory goes to the candidate with the highest number of votes. Different governments and organizations apply various methods of ensuring effectiveness of the participants’ votes. According to Lijphart (1999, p102), votes become ineffective in electoral processes that lack fairness and transparency to both voters and the candidates. These malpractices include allowing particular voters to cast more than one vote, discriminating voters based on their gender, social and economic status, tribe, or ethnicity. In such cases, the votes become ineffective because people are not given an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice ( Lijphart, 1999, p105). In United states for instance, debate on whether setting the minimum voting age amounts to discrimination of young voters still persist. Candidates should be given an equal platform for presenting their candidature to the electorate. However, Schofield (2001, p587) notes that many electoral systems in the world contain elements of unfairness that favor a particular candidate over another or others. In such cases, the preferred candidate receives preferential treatment in form of positive media coverage, favorable popularity ratings among other practices at the expense of the other candidates. These practices make the vote to be ineffective because the

Rising levels of Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rising levels of Obesity - Essay Example These effects are long term. Consequently, the rise in obesity rates has not only detrimental health impacts, but also economic and social effects both at the state and international levels. With the mandate of the government to provide efficient health care, and promote the welfare of the people, every government has a role to play in curbing the increasing rates of obesity across the world. The government is best positioned to implement prevention strategies through regulation of foods and drinks production, education on best dietary and physical activity practices, as well as treatment. This paper focuses on how governments can intervene appropriately to curb the proliferation of obesity in its population citing South African and Mexican governments as examples. The main factors leading to increased levels of obesity include; increased energy intake, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and changes in family and social perceptions and structures (Astudio, 2013). Increased energy consumption is as a result of the rise in energy dense drinks and foods, large serving sizes, lack of enough time to prepare meals at home leading most meals eaten away with high energy and fats. Besides, computer games and televisions have displaced the old active recreational activities such as riding bikes. Advanced technology and infrastructure have reduced transport-related activities such cycling and walking. Therefore, the government ought to target these aspects to implementing intervention programs to curb obesity. The government can effectively prevent and treat obesity and overweight conditions through well-funded programs, political support, education, inter-sectorial collaboration, evidence-based planning, as well as participatory community initiatives (Astudio, 2013). The government ought to formulate and implement policies

Recent Developments in the use of Titanium Alloys as Implant Materials Essay

Recent Developments in the use of Titanium Alloys as Implant Materials - Essay Example One of the main objectives of implants is to be chemically inert and biocompatible with body so that it may not be deteriorated by the body fluids. Titanium and its alloys are the materials that fulfill these criteria, so they may be used as implants with certain checks that require some studies. Biomedical implant reliability depends on the corrosion, wear, and fatigue resistance of the materials. Unalloyed titanium grades are largely used for implants and other parts which do not have to cope with high loads in the human body, while titanium alloys predominate in applications for endoprotheses and surgical instruments (http://www.metallurgy.nist.gov/techactv1995/titanall.html). Unalloyed titanium and titanium alloys have been used for years in medical engineering for a wide range of applications, some examples of which are listed below: Medical grade titanium alloys have a significantly higher strength to than stainless steels. The range of available titanium alloys enables medical specialists designers to select materials and forms closely tailored to the needs of the application. The effectiveness and reliability of implants, and medical and surgical instruments and devices is an essential factor in saving lives. Implantation represents a potential assault on the chemical, physiological and mechanical structure of the human body. There is nothing comparable to a metallic implant in living tissue. Most metals in body fluids and tissue are found in stable organic complexes. Corrosion of implanted metal by body fluids, results in the release of unwanted metallic ions, with likely interference in the processes of life. Corrosion resistance is not sufficient of itself to suppress the body's reaction to cell toxic metals or allergenic elements such as nickel, and even in very small concentrations from a minimum level of corrosion, these may initiate rejection reactions. Titanium is judged to be completely inert and immune to corrosion by all body fluids and tissue, and is thus biocompatible. 3.1. Objectives: To determine the suitability of titanium for use as surgical implants. Studies of coupled metals in dentistry alloyed with titanium. Development of standards for titanium alloys and for updating existing standards. Studies on response of pure and alloyed titanium to model surgical wound environment. 4. Theoretical Background 4.1. How Implants affects Bogy Functions The oxide film forms the interface between the metal implant and the body, its properties are

To what extent were Human Rights violated in Palestine by Israel since Research Paper

To what extent were Human Rights violated in Palestine by Israel since the war started in 1948 - Research Paper Example The whole menace comes from the issue of land and fights on who should take control. There has been some refugee who fled the original homes in the present day Israel, who finds the way to get back to their homes (Adwan, 30). This issue of going back has been a serious problem. For years, there have been many trials to solve the problem but it led to more problems than good. There have been situations where Israel had put Palestine under suffocating military and Palestine had been terrorizing the Israel. The two dimensions of the rivalry have been worsened by long bitter and the violent history existing between the two nations. Palestinians and Israelis have had divergent views of over last seventy plus years. Peace talk’s processes have been going on, but little hope has been seen because even the 1993 and 1995 Accord, which produced a glimmer hope, has faded away. Over these years of continued conflicts and fights many fundamental human rights of the people of Palestine (Coleman, 84). Owing to the fall of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, the allied supreme council granted the Britain the mandates to rule over the states of the Transjordan and Palestine, which in present day is Israel. It was in August 1920 when it was officially allowed in the Treaty, which was signed. The Arab and Zionist were present at the conference, where they signed the agreement, but it was never implemented (Coleman, 50). The terms and borders, which were specified in the treaty, were not followed. The Eastern side was not supposed to be under any mandate. The idea was used by British to build an autonomous Arab territory under the mandate that partially Hussein was fulfilling. The British handed the mandate of the eastern side to Hashemite Dynasty from Hejaz region. The mandate of Transjordan was terminated in 1946 when it gained independence. The Palestinian nationalism started when reacted to the

Wine project Essay Example for Free

Wine project Essay Moderate cool climate, annual average temperature 10 Celsius. Valleys can be very rainy and windy. Soil Composition Very Calcareous soil, limestone. The soil has perfect balance between permeability and the ability to store humidity from the rain in case of drought. Type of wine A dry sparkling Champagne. Character of the wine Fresh and complex. Has a taste of green apples and nuts. Food Harmony Pol Roger is good with for example oysters and caviar. The saltiness goes very well with the freshness of the champagne. Also nutty cheeses like Edam goes well with the nutty taste of this exclusive Champagne. This match can be too strong for some consumers, while others find it an interesting match. Commercial argumentation One of the best champagne there is with a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pol Roger is not only a wine, it is the gentlemen’s champagne, it gives the consumer a feeling of high excellence. As Winston Churchill would have put it â€Å"In victory, deserve it. In defeat, need it! † The vintage of 2000 is the most popular at the moment, an excellent harvest year. It has a great structure, maturity and perfectly dry. It also has a freshness that makes it a perfect choice for example appetizers like oysters and caviar. Also a good wine to match with dishes containing shellfish, fish or light meat. Cost Sales price Cost sales price: 1149 SEK=132,4 â‚ ¬, sales price 132,4*3=397 â‚ ¬ References Climate Conditions. (2010). Retrieved on August, 19th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/europa/frankrike/champagne/ Soil Composition. (n. d. ). Retrieved on August, 19th, 2013, from Sunny Brown, Winegeeks: http://www. winegeeks. com/articles/139 Character of the wine. (2010). Retrieved on August, 19th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget.se/Sok-dryck/Dryck/ Cost Sales Price . (2010). Retrieved on August, 19th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget. se/Sok-dryck/Dryck/ NAME Chateau Le Pin 2007 Country France Region Right Bank, Bordeaux Subregion Pomerol Village Libourne Estate vineyard Chateau Le Pin Grapes varieties Merlot Climate Conditions Maritime climate, but with warmer summers and colder winters. Sometimes risk for Spring frosts. Soil Composition Clay and silt. A layer of sand covering mainly clay soils. Type of wine Red medium body Character Slightly herbal with a light style. Food Harmony. Goes well with Lam Racks with a cranberry sauce. The fruitiness of the wine and the sauce will make a good match and red medium body will be a good match for Lam Racks. Medium Pasta with tomato sauce with parmesan cheese (not creamy), the wine is soft and goes well with savoury flavour of parmesan. To be on the safe side a softer cheese than a hard cheese as parmesan could be chosen to the pasta. The high umami and saltiness in Parmesan can sometimes counteract the impact of umami of the wine. Commercial argumentation This medium body Merlot wine is one of the most exclusive on the market. This small Pomerol-vineyard (2,7 hectares) makes only a limited amount of wines per year and is known to be one of the world most prestigious vineyards. The vintage of 2007 in Bordeaux had an excellent harvest. It is a wine for consumers with the highest demands on taste and especially exclusivity. It goes well with pasta (not creamy sauces) and with lighter meat. It has a fruitiness that makes it go well with red fruit accompaniments. The exclusivity of the wine makes it a good choice to drink on its own or accompanied with only one cheese, maybe a hard savoury cheese like parmesan. Cost Sales price. 1200â‚ ¬ 1200*2+1600â‚ ¬ References Climate Conditions. (2010). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/europa/frankrike/ Soil Composition. (n. d. ). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Sunny Brown, Winegeeks: http://www. winegeeks. com/articles/139 Character of the wine. (2013). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Bordeaux Traders: http://bordeaux-traders. com/fine-wines/wine/le-pin/ Food Harmony. (2013). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Fiona Beckett: http://www. matchingfoodandwine. com/news/pairings/20080226/. Food Harmony. Wine Spirit Education Trust. (2011). London â€Å"Wines and Spirits – Looking behind the label†, pages 6-8. Cost Sales Price . (n. d. ). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Winesearcher: http://www. wine-searcher. com/find/le+pin+pomerol/2007 NAME La Tache 2005 Country France Region Bourgogne Subregion Cote de Nuits De la Romanee Conti Village Vosne-Romanee Estate vineyard La Tache Grapes varieties Pinot Noir Climate Conditions Sunny, becalmed Soil Composition Limestone ridges together with clay Type of wine Red, complex Character of the wine Full body with a strong and powerful character. Food Harmony The food you are matching with a wine usually have a larger impact on the wine rather than the other way round. Therefor when consuming very exclusive wines like this it can be a good idea to rather match it with finger food rather matching it with food dishes. This wine is worth to be the centre of attention. The interesting thing with complex wines is that you can get the most amazing flavours when matching with the right dish. It is hard to know exactly before you match it how the reaction will be. Therefore it can be interesting to match this wine with finger food. Here are some examples that the finger food can contain of: The full body of the wine makes it go well with red meat (steak) or game meat. It would be nice to match this wine with some salty chips or peanuts. The saltiness will help soften this complex full body wine. Some finger food with acidity could be interesting that may be able to increase the fruitiness and sweetness in this wine. I can also help to decrease the perception of acidity. Commercial argumentation La Tache is well known Vineyard on the sunny ridges of the Cote de Nuis Valley that over the years produced a lot of high quality wines. This red Pinot Noir wine is a complex wine from the great harvest of 2005. The character is strong and powerful which makes it an excellent choice for red meat and game. It is a very exclusive wine that can be stored for a long period of time, but is also good to drink now. Cost Sales price 3800â‚ ¬ *3=11400â‚ ¬ References Climate Conditions. (2010). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/europa/frankrike/bourgogne/cote-de-nuits/ Soil Composition. (2010). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www.systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/europa/frankrike/bourgogne/cote-de-nuits/ Character of the wine. (n. d. ) Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Divin DRC RESEAUCONSEIL: http://www. vin-drc. com/fr/69-la-tache-2005. html Food Harmony. (n. d. ) Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Divin DRC RESEAUCONSEIL: http://www. vin-drc. com/fr/69-la-tache-2005. html Food Harmony. Wine Spirit Education Trust. (2011). London â€Å"Wines and Spirits – Looking behind the label†, pages 6-8. Cost Sales Price (n. d. ). Retrieved on August, 20th, 2013, from Divin DRC RESEAUCONSEIL: http://www.vin-drc. com/fr/69-la-tache-2005. html NAME Carneros district Mondavi 2010 Country USA, California Region Napa Valley Subregion Carneros Village Oakville Estate vineyard Robert Mondavi Grapes varieties Pinot Noir Climate Conditions Long hot and dry summers with cool fogs, mild winters Soil Composition The grapes are grown on the famous terroir Rutheford Bench, which contains of Gravel, sand, silt and clay. The terroir is made of various size of sediment. Type of wine Red, sweet Character of the wine Crispy acidity with a tight structure. Fruity for being a Pinot Noir. Food Harmony Food harmony can be achieved by pairing this wine with dishes with hint of spice like crispy duck with some roasted beetroot. The sweetness and fruitiness goes very well with the spices. The wines fruitiness could also be accompanied with some combination of figs or cherry. Commercial argumentation This Californian wine made of Pinot Noir is an affordable wine with a good price. The estate of Robert Mondavi situated in Napa Valley is well known for its long term good quality wine. Napa Valley region is known to produce a lot of the best wines from USA. The long, hot and dry summers and mild winters makes this a safe choice that next to never makes the consumer disappointed. Easy to match with food, which makes it perfect to share a bottle when customers are eating different kinds of food. Dishes with high umami is usually hard to match with red wine. Because of the sweetness and fruitiness of this wine it can be a good alternative for those kind of dishes, like mushrooms, smoked meat and hard cheeses. Cost Sales price 27$=20,3â‚ ¬ 20,3â‚ ¬*3=61â‚ ¬ References Climate Conditions. (2010). Retrieved on August, 21st, 2013, fr. Systembolaget: http://www.systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/usa/kalifornien/north-coast/ Soil Composition. (2010). Retrieved on August, 21st, 2013, from Systembolaget: http://www. systembolaget. se/Dryckeskunskap/Kartboken/#/kartboken/usa/kalifornien/north-coast/ Character of the wine. (n. d. ). Retrieved on August, 21st, 2013, fr. Robert Mondavi: http://www. robertmondaviwinery. com Food Harmony. (2013). Retrieved on August, 21st, 2013, from Fiona Beckett: http://www. matchingfoodandwine. com/news/pairings/the-best-food-pairings-for-pinot-noir/ Food Harmony. Wine Spirit Education Trust. (2011). London â€Å"Wines and Spirits – Looking behind the label†, pages 6-8. Cost Sales Price. (n. d. ) Retrieved on August, 21st, 2013, fr. Robert Mondavi: http://www. robertmondaviwinery. com/index. cfm? method=pages. showPagepageID=5a5722bc-cc11-fb4f-713e-d64406fbae0csortBy=DisplayOrdermaxRows=12page=1 NAME Laurent Perrier Grand Sicele Country France Region Champagne Subregion Tours-sur-Marne Village Epernay Estate vineyard N/A Grapes varieties Chardonnay slightly dominant together with Pinot Noir Climate Conditions Mild climate, rainy, windy with average temperature of 10,5 Celsius. The weather can be vey different from year to year. That is the reason why many Champagnes are a blend from different vintages, grapes and vineyards. Soil Composition Very Calcareous soil. The soil has perfect balance between permeability and the ability to store humidity from the rain in case of drought. Type of wine A dry Champagne with bright yellow colour Character of the wine A round and well-balanced wine with a character. Expressive aromas of white flowers and tropical fruits. Food Harmony Laurent Perrier Grand Sicele is good with for example oysters and caviar. The saltiness goes very well with the freshness of the champagne. â€Å"Mild slightly chalky cheeses can work well. The classic example is Chaource, a cheese which is often paired with champagne but a mild but flavourful cheese like Gorwydd Caerphilly is good too. Very mild cheese like Mozzarella is an undemanding but also slightly uninteresting match†. Commercial argumentation The roundness and taste of white flowers in its beautiful seductive bottle makes it a perfect choice for romantic celebrations. It is seductive with its fresh aromas of white flowers and fruitiness. Even though it is dry it can be a good match with unsweetened strawberries, but also a good match

Why Do The Sociologists Need Theories?

Why Do The Sociologists Need Theories? In simple terms, theories are used by sociologists to explain how social phenomena has occurred. A theory is used as an explanation by sociologists as to why something occurs in society. Durkheim quotes, sociology is a way to discover ultimate truths about society, for the purpose of social improvement (Seidman, 2008). For most sociologists this quote summarizes the reasons they study society and in turn use theories to explain social phenomena. Theories offer people in sociology and outside sociology another view or take on a certain aspect of society. The more theories there are, the more choice and freedom of thought there is for someone looking for answers as to why society is the way it is. Hence theories are essential to the continuing development of society, providing potential answers to those who seek them. It is natural for humans to ask why and seek answers. Sociologist also use theories to abstract particular information and convert it into more general material, so that others can make sense of it. Further more they use theories to categorise and group sociological happenings into a specific class. In order to illustrate the above, the Neo-Marxist theorists Althusser and Gramsci will be compared, seeing as they both have their own unique approach to Marxism and interpreted Marxs ideas in different ways. Gramsci was the humanitarian Neo-Marxist while Althusser was more of a scientific Neo-Marxist (Kellner, 2005). With Althusser being a structuralist he in turn rejected Marxs Hegelian essentialism, the two kinds of which being economism and humanism (Scott, 2007). Hence Althusser was very much an anti-economist and anti-humanist. Althusser viewed ideology itself a determining inflection that moulds consciousness and ultimately represents a considerably large swerve away from economic determination (Scott, 2007). For Althusser ideology portrayed the relationship between the persons imagination and their actual conditions of existence. He felt that ideology transformed humans into subjects of ideological process that shaped them while at the same time they are conned into viewing t hemselves as self- determining agents. (Benton 1998). Further more Althussers theories can often relate to functionalism (Swingewood, 2000). Gramsci was also a strongly influential Marxist thinker. Like Althusser, he rejected economism, but also rejected crude materialism and instead offer a humanist version of Marxism which focused on human subjectivity (Nield Seed, 1981). He adopted the term hegemony to depict the supremacy of social classà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ over others which in essence referred in particular to the bourgeoisie dominance over the working class (Nield Seed, 1981). As well as hegemony being used as an economic and political tool, he felt it gave the dominant bourgeoisie class the ability to project its own way of viewing the world upon the lower classes who then accept this as common sense and part of life. A key difference between the two Marxist theories is that contrary to Althusser, Gramsci highlights struggle and conflict (Nield Seed, 1981). He claimed that common sense was not a solid state and constantly transformed itself. Gramsci s theory meant a rejection of economism due to th e fact it saw the struggle for ideological hegemony as a major factor in social change. Overall, there were more criticisms of Althussers theories that in turn led many to favor Gramscis theories, with particular credit given to his theory of hegemony. A number of strengths can be found across the board of Marxist theory. Contrary to the mass media, Marxism takes into account the importance of explicit theory (Swingewood, 2000). The Marxist critical theory attracts consideration to the matter of political and economic interests in the mass media and emphasizes the social inequalities in media representation whilst revealing the myth of value-free social science (Swingewood, 2000). Whilst Althussers theories help to attenuate the allegory of the absolute individual, other Marxist attitudes see the media as a site of struggle. Marxist theory accentuates the importance of social class in relation to the media and the publics understanding of media, which remains a valuable factor in media assay (Kellner, 2005). This Marxist analysis is useful in that during the distribution of power in society, certain types of reality end up with more influence than others, which in essence means Marxist theory reveals how the media makes less import ant new seem far more important that it is. Meanwhile more serious and important news is sometimes swept aside and not focused on by the media for a tactical purpose. While the strengths of Marxist theory seem to outweigh the limitations, some limitations can be found. Some contest that Marxism is just another ideology, with some Marxists being accused of being too doctrinaire (following the theory regardless of its practicality). Fundamentalist Marxism is crudely deterministic, allowing not much amplitude for human agency or subjectivity (Swingewood, 2000). Another point is that Marxism is often seen as an elevated form of theory which concentrates on the grand scheme and in turn averting empirical research. This means Marxist analysis of media does not include vigorous enough studies. In conclusion, sociologists need theories to explain social phenomena and explain how the sociological world has come to be like it is. Theories offer people another view on a certain aspect of society. We all think theoretically in our own way, although the key difference that sociological theorists use is that they think theoretically in a systematic manner. Sociological theorists will arrive at different explanations for events than the theoretical approach of a normal person, and therefore will need to create a theory to explain it. Using the example of Marxist theories and theorists, in particular Althusser and Gramsci, it is possible to see why sociologists need theories. Praktische opdracht A.K: Nike Praktische opdracht A.K: Nike Inleiding: Ik heb dit merk gekozen omdat ik er graag meer over wil weten. Ik weet wel dat het eindproduct heel mooi is, maar wat voor soorten textiel ze gebruiken en hoe de import en export wordt geregeld weet ik allemaal nog niet. Ik hoop dat ik doormiddel van dit onderzoek er wel achter zal komen. Deelvraag 1: Hoe is Nike ontstaan? Het begon allemaal toen de vrouw van bouwerman tijdens het ontbijt altijd wafels bakte. Bill kwam op het idee dat je de zelfde manier ook bij schoenen kan doen zodat de schoenen dan ook lichter worden. Hij maakte een paar stuks met de hand, en zag dat er veel vraag was naar de schoenen. Toen dacht hij er aan met Phill om van China de schoenen te exporteren.Toen begonnen ze met hun bedrijfje. Johnson begon een winkeltje met de geà ¯mporteerde schoenen. Het logo Swoosh werd in 1971 ontworpen en kwam op alle artikelen van Nike. De Moon Shoe is de eerste schoenen collectie werd in 1972 geà ¯ntroduceerd, speciaal gemaakt voor atleten, omdat ze lichte schoenen nodig hadden. De schoenen werden ook verkocht in Verenigde Staten. Toen werd ook de eerste sponsorcontract getekend met de Roemeense tennisster Emma Ballard. Er werden een jaar later ook fabrieken en bedrijven geopend in Taiwan en Zuid-Korea. De eerste air schoenen werden in 1979 gemaakt, de schoenen zijn gevuld met gas zodat je je makkelijker kan bewegen met de schoenen. Vanaf de jaren 80 werd Nike het grootste sportmerk ter wereld. Deelvraag 2: Waar wordt Nike geproduceerd: Nike is Amerikaans, maar laat haar producten vooral in Azià « produceren. Nike wordt geproduceerd in landen waar de productiekosten heel laag liggen en de arbeiders het minimumloon krijgen en zo weinig mogelijk rechten hebben, zoals: Zuid-Korea, Taiwan, Filippijnen en Maleisià «. Later werd ook in Vietnam geproduceerd, omdat Nike nog meer landen zocht met lage lonen, maar de fabrieken werden onderneemt door Zuid -Koreaanse en Taiwanese ondernemers. Nu worden Nike producten vooral geproduceerd in China, Vietnam, Thailand en Indonesià «. Maar voor moeilijkere werk ook in Zuid-Korea en Taiwan en in Cambodja, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, El Salvador, Dominicaanse Republiek enz De productie van nike wordt op de volgende manier gemaakt: 1 de model wordt eerst ontworpen. 2 dan wordt het uitgewerkt bij onderaannemers. 3 de onderaannemers produceren het product in fabrieken in lage loonlanden zoals: Thailand, Indonesià «, China of Vietnam, de onderdelen van à ©Ãƒ ©n product worden vaak in verschillende landen gemaakt. Nike wordt natuurlijk in heel Europa verkocht, maar de hoofdkantoor van Nike ligt in Oregon in VS en in Europa ligt de Kantoor in Hilversum. In Australià « Nieuw-Zeeland en verschillende Aziatische landen heb je ook een Nike -Kantoor. Deelvraag 3: Is er een verband tussen globalisering en de verkoopcijfers van het merk? Er is wel een verband tussen de globalisering en de verkoopcijfers van het merk Nike. Sommige landen hebben betere eind producten dan andere landen. Doordat ontstaat er concurrentie. De globalisering speelt een rol bij vestigingsfactoren. De globalisering heeft ook invloed op de economie. Als de globalisering zich ontwikkeld dan wordt het economie ook mee ontwikkeld. Zoals we weten heeft Nederland kwalitatieve concurrentiefactoren, zoals op het gebied van arbeid en kwaliteit. Er is een zeer grote verband tussen globalisering en de verkoopcijfers van Nike. Nike is een succesvolle merk dat bekend is over de hele wereld. Het wordt overal verkocht je hebt in veel landen fabrieken die Nike kleding en schoenen produceren de hoofdkantoor ligt in Hilversum, en de verkoophandel gaat heel goed. Zoals u ziet draagt bijna iedereen Nike kleding. Er zijn fabrieken in verschillende landen in Azià « waar Nike kleding wordt gemaakt. mensen kopen steeds meer merk kleding dat komt omdat het steeds pop ulair wordt voor jongeren die een grote belangstelling hebben voor merk kleding. Of sommige mensen willen daar mee laten zien dat hun welvaart goed is en daar door ze het ook kunnen kopen. Deelvraag 4: Wat zijn de gevolgen voor de lokale economie en lokale milieu in de productielanden? De economie wordt juist beter, want er is dan minder werkloosheid in die landen omdat Nike ook een bekend merk is over de hele wereld en goed wordt verkocht wordt er ook meer geproduceerd en stijgt de economie. Zoals je weet is Nike een Amerikaanse merk en in Amerika is de economie niet zo slecht. Jaarlijks wordt er steeds meer verkocht dan er voor, maar er wordt ook in landen in Azià « Nike geproduceerd en in die landen gaat het een stuk minder met de economie. Als de fabrieken de kleding maken, dan kan het milieuvervuiling groter worden. Hoe meer ze kleding produceren hoe meer de fabrieken voor vervuiling zorgen. Gevolgen voor de milieu: Meer fabrieken in een gebied. Meer vervuiling. Meer grondstoffen in een fabriek. Meer grondstofvervuiling. Luchtvervuiling. lucht wordt vervuild door uitlaatgassen en andere gassen. Watervervuiling. is altijd vervuild door afval en fabrieken. Bodemvervuiling. De fabrieken vervuilen de omgeving. Meer fabrieken werden geplaatst op een plek. Omdat er weinig plekken zijn voor de fabrieken. In fabrieken worden producten gemaakt, en bij het maken van producten komen er schadelijke stoffen vrij. En al die stoffen komen in de lucht terecht, daarom wordt er een doorlopentijd gemaakt zodat het product niet schadelijk kan zijn voor ons als we het inademen. Bij die landen waar producten worden geproduceerd is de grond verzilt waardoor er confectiekleding wordt gebruikt tegen die stoffen. De vezels worden gebruikt voor het maken van touw. Het water stonk, het was te vies om te drinken en het was gevaarlijk. De vervuiling was dat er teveel natuurlijke stoffen van de productie in het water kwamen waardoor er een bodemerosie ontstaat. Bodemvervuiling ontstaat doordat de mens zomaar dingen op de grond gooit die hij niet nodig heeft. En daardoor wordt de bodem vervuilt en als het door gaat zal het erger worden. Deelvraag 5: Waarom verkoopt dit merk goed? Nike is een merk dat heel bekend is geworden naar mate de tijd. Dat komt natuurlijk vooral doordat bekende sporters die merk dragen. De Nederlandse elftal loopt in T-shirts van Nike. Veel voetballers, tennissers, atleten, golfers, voetbalelftallen dragen die merk. En vooral nadat de Nike -sneakers kwamen dat heeft er voor gezorgd dat de verkoop met 25% is gaan stijgen ook de winst is hoger geworden dan was verwacht. Het steeg van 261,2 miljoen dollar naar 326,8 miljoen dollar. De aandelen stegen natuurlijk ook mee van 0,98 dollarcent naar 1,21 dollar. Nike heeft Adidas als de grote concurrent, vooral nadat Adidas-Reebok kwam is de concurrentie nog meer geworden. Puma, Asics en Fila zijn 3 andere merken die het ook moeilijk maken voor Nike. Nike wordt verkocht onder de namen Nike, Air Jordan en Nike Air. Converse, Bauer en Cole Haan, dat zijn de dochterondernemingen van Nike. De actie van back-to-school seizoen van Chuck Taylor Convers zorgde voor een verkoopstijging van 12% in de VS. Doordat bekende sporters zoals Serena Williams de merk Nike dragen vooral tijdens de olympische spelen is dat een steeds betere succes voor Nike. Een paar namen die worden gesponsord en een contract hebben met Nike: Ronaldinho, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer en Michael Jordan. Ook Fc Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United en PSV. Nike heeft over de hele wereld 26.700 werknemers in dienst.In 2006 heeft Nike een winst gemaakt van 15 miljard dollar. Zo kun je zien dat het wel goed gaat met het bedrijf. Hoofdvraag: Is Nike de Belangrijkste merk op de markt? Als we ons meer gaan richten op de sportmerken dan is Nike à ©Ãƒ ©n van de topmerken over de hele wereld. Dat komt natuurlijk vooral doordat bekende sporters die merk dragen. De Nederlandse elftal loopt in T-shirts van Nike. Veel voetballers, tennissers, atleten, golfers, voetbalelftallen dragen die merk. Er is een zeer grote verband tussen globalisering en de verkoopcijfers van Nike. Nike is een succesvolle merk dat bekend is over de hele wereld. Zon wereldberoemd merk als Nike word al snel door vele mensen gedragen. Vanaf de jaren 80 werd Nike het grootste sportmerk ter wereld. Nike heeft Adidas als de grote concurrent, vooral nadat Adidas-Reebok kwam is de concurrentie nog meer geworden. Puma, Asics en Fila zijn 3 andere merken die het ook moeilijk maken voor Nike.

The Importance of Ecumenism

The Importance of Ecumenism That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me (John 17:21) Ecumenism must always be a concept that is central to good Christian living; it is a concept that should be alive and active and a concept that should always be served effectively through thought, through word and through action. Ecumenism is a word that is mentioned a lot within the wider universal church, but what exactly is it? What does it mean, and does it really matter? It is a concept within the Christian faith that aims to restore unity both amongst and within different Christian denominations. Central to the concept of ecumenism are the themes of unity, fellowship and collaboration. Christian unity and thus ecumenism is something that all Christians should be concerned with. For Catholics, ecumenism should be considered a vital mission of the Church, for it was Christ who gave us the gift of unity and thus all of us should strive to enhance, restore and maintain this gift as appropriate. In recent times, more than ever before, He has been rousing divided Christians to remorse over their divisions and to a longing for unity. Everywhere large numbers have felt the impulse of this grace, and among our separated brethren also there increases from day to day the movement, fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for the restoration of unity among all Christians. This movement toward unity is called ecumenical (U.R., 1964). Quite often as Christians it can be all too easy for each of us to identify the divisions and obstacles between ourselves and those of other Christian denominations, but what unites us is far stronger than what divides us. If Christians are to be truly ecumenical in their outlook, then better relationships and better understandings of different Christian perspectives are essential both from an internal and external perspective on the part of the individual. Catholics in particular should remember that within the Roman Catholic Church there are many different rites and that while all are focused on the same God adored in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the different rites are often unique in terms of aspects of heritage, liturgy, tradition, customs and cultures. The key word with regard to the uniqueness of the different rites within the Catholic Church and between other Christian denominations is diversity and diversity should be a source of celebration and rejoicing rather than division and separation. The Ordinariate, for example, as a rite within the Catholic Church has a style and patrimony that is distinct from other rites and groups within the wider Catholic Church and what is important to remember is that diversity is not a bad thing but it is a good thing. Rather than looking at diversity as something that prevents unity or acts as a barrier to it, we should come to understand and appreciate that diversity is actually something that seeks to enhance unity. The Catholic Church embraces with hope the commitment to ecumenism as a duty of the Christian conscience enlightened by faith and guided by love. Here too we can apply the words of Saint Paul to the first Christians of Rome: Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit; thus our hope does not disappoint us (Rom 5:5). This is the hope of Christian unity, which has its divine source in the Trinitarian unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (U.U.S., 1995). In a society where the message of the Gospels appears to be absent in so many ways, all Christian denominations should seek to work together to be people of faith in what can often be a dark and troubled world. Spreading the message of Jesus to those around us is part of our duty as Christians. We must also see the face of God in all of those around us and constantly seek to do what is right and just. For Catholics, working and engaging positively and in cooperation with other Christian denominations who worship or pray in a different manner from ourselves and who express their faith in different ways is essential for unity. What is important is that God must always be our focus, that individuals should strive to be dignified and reverent in their own style of worship and prayer. Further to this, Catholics should acknowledge their duty to engage with other Christian denominations at every opportunity. This can be through local partnerships and national initiatives, there are many opportunities for Catholics to engage with other Christians in a unified manner. For they are of the opinion that the unity of faith and government, which is a note of the one true Church of Christ, has hardly up to the present time existed, and does not to-day exist. They consider that this unity may indeed be desired and that it may even be one day attained through the instrumentality of wills directed to a common end, but that meanwhile it can only be regarded as mere ideal. They add that the Church in itself, or of its nature, is divided into sections; that is to say, that it is made up of several churches or distinct communities, which still remain separate, and although having certain articles of doctrine in common, nevertheless disagree concerning the remainder; that these all enjoy the same rights; and that the Church was one and unique from, at the most, the apostolic age until the first Ecumenical Councils. Controversies therefore, they say, and longstanding differences of opinion which keep asunder till the present day the members of the Christian fami ly, must be entirely put aside, and from the remaining doctrines a common form of faith drawn up and proposed for belief, and in the profession of which all may not only know but feel that they are brothers. The manifold churches or communities, if united in some kind of universal federation, would then be in a position to oppose strongly and with success the progress of irreligion (M.A., 1928) The need for greater care and attention to be shown to the whole human race is very much apparent in todays society and through common fellowship centred on Jesus Christ; Christians of all denominations can be a common and unified voice of faith in our society. The voice of Christians who are united is one that can promote the values of honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, support and sensitivity throughout society and can show to society as a whole that valuing the human dignity and worth of every single person is something of great importance. The path to full Christian unity is an ongoing journey, but all of us must respect our brothers and sisters of different denominations, remembering that unity is something desired by God. Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me.The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit. (C.C.C., 2011) It is fantastic that the Year of Mercy was embraced by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike and even though the Year of Mercy has now officially ended, its legacy will live on for many years to come. In order for us all to be able fully to embrace the concept of Christian unity, forgiveness and mercy must be central elements in our approach to the idea of unity with all of us remembering that unity is like teamwork, it gives us all the potential to allow us to achieve far more collectively than we can on an individual level. In addition to physical action, prayer is a key component in achieving Christian unity. It is though prayer that we become closer to God and while praying may not always be easy, it is a way in which all of us can truly open our hearts and minds to God. Praying for Christian unity is something of great importance and is something we should all try to do, as is praying with our fellow Christians. We must remember that unity begins at the foot of the cross. As with teamwork, unity is a collective effort that has the potential to achieve far more than can be achieved on an individual level. As individuals, we are all precious in the eyes of God, we are all equal and though Christian unity we can all seek to glorify God in collective and sincere manners. Striving for unity both within the Catholic Church and within the Christian faith as a whole must continue. The challenges and barriers to unity must be constantly worked on in order for unity to be achieved. All of us have our part to play, through prayer, acknowledgement, understanding, appreciation, engagement and fellowship with all Catholics and people of the Christian faith. Ecumenism should not be seen as a trivial matter as its aim is ultimately for us all to be one, one with each other and one with God, the father of all. Christian unity is something all Christians should be concerned with. Perhaps we should all ponder on the first few words of Psalm 132 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. All Bible quotes are from The Jerusalem Bible. Catechism Catholic Church, 2011. YOUCAT. English Language ed. s.l.:Catholic Truth Society. Web resourses: internet source 1: John Paul II, 1995. Ut Unum Sint (25 May 1995) | John Paul II. Available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint.html[Accessed 10th February 2017]. Internet source 2: Pius XI, 1928. Mortalium Animos (January 6, 1928) | PIUS XI.Available at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19280106_mortalium-animos.html[Accessed 11th February 2017]. Internet source 3: Vatican II, 1964. Unitatis redintegratio. Available at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html[Accessed 10th February 2017]. Word count 1125.

Free College Admissions Essays: Emerging from the Shadows :: College Admissions Essays

Emerging from the Shadows She stands a staggering 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs a massive 95 pounds, and has short, brown hair and brown eyes. I see my older sister Leslie. Others see a model of perfection. Don't get me wrong, my sister and I are close and have been inseparable since birth. My mother has kept pictures of us ranging from the time we shared a playpen as babies to just recently at Leslie's graduation. For seventeen years, we've shared every life experience imaginable, and we've dealt with the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. But in September, she left home to attend the University of California at Irvine, leaving me to face life alone. However, it gave me the opportunity to live life by myself as Ryan, instead of Leslie's little brother. Since the beginning, I have gone to the same school as Leslie, and almost every year I got stuck with a teacher that she had had the previous year. Being only eleven months younger than my sibling made the memory of Leslie, being the bright student that she is, easier for my teachers to recall. Every September for eleven years I was greeted by all of my teachers with the same "Oh you're Leslie's little brother." This was really no big deal. The following year, my fifth grade teacher said to me, "Oh you're Leslie's little brother?" This normally did not faze me since it happened to me several times before with different people, but on this occasion, it was the same person. This upset me a little. At first this association with my scholarly sister did not bother me too much. If anything I found it beneficial because I believed that it would help me build relationships with my teachers. But with each passing year, the little comments and remarks literally ate away at my identity. Comments like "You did good, but Leslie got a better grade last year," can easily destroy a child's self-esteem. As I became older, I started believing that I was not growing up as myself, but rather as the product of someone else. It almost made me happy to see older teachers leave and others take their place. Unfortunately, school made up only half of the problem. The other half occurred in the one place where it really should not but often did: at home. Free College Admissions Essays: Emerging from the Shadows :: College Admissions Essays Emerging from the Shadows She stands a staggering 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs a massive 95 pounds, and has short, brown hair and brown eyes. I see my older sister Leslie. Others see a model of perfection. Don't get me wrong, my sister and I are close and have been inseparable since birth. My mother has kept pictures of us ranging from the time we shared a playpen as babies to just recently at Leslie's graduation. For seventeen years, we've shared every life experience imaginable, and we've dealt with the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. But in September, she left home to attend the University of California at Irvine, leaving me to face life alone. However, it gave me the opportunity to live life by myself as Ryan, instead of Leslie's little brother. Since the beginning, I have gone to the same school as Leslie, and almost every year I got stuck with a teacher that she had had the previous year. Being only eleven months younger than my sibling made the memory of Leslie, being the bright student that she is, easier for my teachers to recall. Every September for eleven years I was greeted by all of my teachers with the same "Oh you're Leslie's little brother." This was really no big deal. The following year, my fifth grade teacher said to me, "Oh you're Leslie's little brother?" This normally did not faze me since it happened to me several times before with different people, but on this occasion, it was the same person. This upset me a little. At first this association with my scholarly sister did not bother me too much. If anything I found it beneficial because I believed that it would help me build relationships with my teachers. But with each passing year, the little comments and remarks literally ate away at my identity. Comments like "You did good, but Leslie got a better grade last year," can easily destroy a child's self-esteem. As I became older, I started believing that I was not growing up as myself, but rather as the product of someone else. It almost made me happy to see older teachers leave and others take their place. Unfortunately, school made up only half of the problem. The other half occurred in the one place where it really should not but often did: at home.

Irish Immigration To Canada Essay -- essays research papers

Irish Immigration to Canada The Irish began immigrating to North America in the 1820s, when the lack of jobs and poverty forced them to seek better opportunities elsewhere after the end of the major European wars. When the Europeans could finally stop depending on the Irish for food during war, the investment in Irish agricultural products reduced and the boom was over. After an economic boom, there comes a bust and unemployment was the result. Two-thirds of the people of Ireland depended on potato harvests as a main source of income and, more importantly, food. Then between the years of 1845 and 1847, a terrible disease struck the potato crops. The plague left acre after acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot. The failure of the potato yields caused the prices of food to rise rapidly. With no income coming from potato harvests, families dependent on potato crops could not afford to pay rent to their dominantly British and Protestant landlords and were evicted only to be crowded into disease-infested wor khouses. Peasants who were desperate for food found themselves eating the rotten potatoes only to develop and spread horrible diseases.  ¡Ã‚ §Entire villages were quickly homeless, starving, and diagnosed with either cholera or typhus. ¡Ã‚ ¨(Interpreting ¡K,online) The lack of food and increased incidents of death forced incredible numbers of people to leave Ireland for some place which offered more suitable living conditions. Some landlords paid for the emigration of their tenants because it made more economic sense to rid farms of residents who were not paying their rent. Nevertheless, emigration did not prove to be an antidote for the Famine. The ships were overcrowded and by the time they reached their destination, approximately one third of its passengers had been lost to disease, hunger and other complications. However, many passengers did survive the journey and, as a result, approximately  ¡Ã‚ §1.5 million Irish people immigrated to North America during the 1840 ¡Ã ‚ ¦s and 1850 ¡Ã‚ ¦s. ¡Ã‚ ¨(Bladley, online) As a consequence of famine, disease (starvation and disease took as many as one million lives) and emigration,  ¡Ã‚ §Ireland ¡Ã‚ ¦s population dropped from 8 million to 5 million over a matter of years. ¡Ã‚ ¨(Bladley, online) Although Britain came to the aid of the starving, many Irish blamed Britain for their delayed response and for centuries of political hardship as basi... ...t only a contribution to Canada, but to the benefit of humanity. „h Nellie Letitia Mooney Mclung(1872-1951) was an activist and a campaigner for female suffrage. She was a nationally known feminist and social reformer. Mclung was the first woman member of CBC ¡Ã‚ ¦s Board of Governor ¡Ã‚ ¦s and deserves great thanks from Canadian women for her contributions to the women ¡Ã‚ ¦s movement in Canada. „h Robert Samuel McLaughlin(1871-1972), the founder of General Motors, made significant contributions to the advancement of Canadian culture and society as well as to the Canadian economy. He was the benefactor of Queen ¡Ã‚ ¦s University, the city of Oshawa, Knox College, and the planetarium to University of Toronto, which still bears his name. He was also the founder of McLaughlin foundation, which has done much to improve the quality of medical education in Canada. (O ¡Ã‚ ¦Driscoll and Reynolds, pp.654) The Irish Canadian community has repaid their debt to Canada by proving themselves to be productive and showing to us that the hardship many Canadians took on in order to accommodate emigrants was worthwhile. Their gratefulness is evident in the reputations they have established as Irish Canadian citizens.

Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton is known for surviving a shark attack in which she lost her left arm and for overcoming the serious and debilitating injury to return to surfing. On October 31st 2003, Hamilton went for a morning surf with so close family friends. Around 7:30 am, she was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm hanging in the water, when a 15ft tiger shark attacked her, ripping her left arm off just below the shoulder. After returning to the water, Hamilton was pestered by friends to write a book and after the release of â€Å"Soul Surfer† she has never looked back. She is respected by all who know her and identified for being the perfect example of how to live life with optimism, have faith in yourself and dedication towards one’s passion. Hamilton lived with her parents, two brothers and her dog, Ginger. Living in Hawaii and being surrounded by the beach, it’s comes to no surprise that her family were all surfers. Her parents started teaching her however says in her book that she couldn't have done it without support from her brothers. By the age of eight she had won first place in the â€Å"push and ride† division of a Quicksilver surfing contest. Her surfing skills advanced rapidly and in that same year entered her first major surfing competition finishing in first place. She always had the ambition of becoming a professional surfer so began to compete more seriously at the age of nine. She picked up a sponsor, Rip Curl, which aided her with her plans of becoming a professional surfer. All it took was that one split second and her dreams were crushed. â€Å"The water was crystal-clear and calm, the waves were small and inconsistent, and I was just kind of rolling with them, relaxing on my board with my right hand on the nose of the board and my left arm dangling in the cool water. I remember thinking, ‘I hope the surf picks up soon†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ when suddenly there was a flash of gray. That’s all it took; a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightening-fast tugs. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit along with a huge crescent-shaped chunk of my red, white and blue surfboard. † After the accident she even said to her dad that she wanted to be a surfing photographer because she thought she would never surf again. Little did she know that a small amount of encouragement from family and friends, she’d be back in the water, surfing as a professional. The important reminder and angle of this story is clear and simple. When you fall down, get back up and get moving again. The media love Hamilton. The have identified her as a role model for all those who are being held down by disabilities. She has visited many schools hospitals and done many interviews to share her story. She is an inspiration to many and the media have helped her become who she is today. Without the media there is no doubt that she would not be as well-known. Not only the community, but whole world have been positioned to see Hamilton is a positive way. The media puts across that she is a kind-hearted young girl, in which nothing can hold her down. Hamilton used her experience and has become an inspiration to many people around the globe. Between training, she travels to other countries as a motivational speaker to encourage them to conquer hardships and to follow their own dreams. She also wrote her own autobiography, titled Soul Surfer, which was released in 2004. In this national best seller, she describes how she fought her way back to surfing after the incident and how she never lost faith in God. The book will soon be a movie which is still being produced. Hamilton also won the special courage award at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards. She continues to be an inspiration to those who have faced great hardships during the course of their lives. Bethany Hamilton is a hero, because she never lost her courage and faith during her time of recovery. She used all her strength to fight for her life, get back up, and try again even though the odds were stacked against her. It showed that she has the courage and the willpower to overcome life’s obstacles. Those qualities along with her faith make her a true hero. She continues to be the best female surfer even with her â€Å"handicap. † The story of Bethany Hamilton is not finished. I am sure she will continue to contribute many more memorable accomplishments. No matter the outcome, she will forever be a â€Å"Soul Surfer†, for the ocean may have almost taken her life away, but it didn’t take away her faith, her courage, or her outstanding talent. â€Å"†¦One thing hasn’t changed—and that’s how I feel when I’m riding a wave. It’s like, here I am. I’m still here. It’s still me and my board—in God's ocean! †

Analysis of the Movie “Juno” Essay

Sixteen year-old Juno MacGuff is the type of girl that beats to her own drummer, and doesn’t really care what others may think of her. She learns that she’s pregnant from a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker. Juno and Paulie like each other, but don’t consider themselves to be exclusive boyfriend/girlfriend let alone be ready to be a family complete with child. Although she would rather not be pregnant, Juno is fairly pragmatic about her situation. Paulie really leaves all the decisions about the baby to Juno. Initially, she decides that she will have an abortion, but that’s something that she ultimately cannot go through with. So she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. But first she has to tell her father, Mac, and stepmother, Bren, that she is pregnant. Although they would have preferred if Juno was on hard drugs or expelled from school, Mac and Bren too are pragmatic about Juno’s situation. The next step is to find prospective parents for the yet unborn child. In the Penny saver ad section, Juno finds Mark and Vanessa Loring, a yuppie couple living in the suburbs. Juno likes the Lorings, and in some respects has found who looks to be a kindred spirit in Mark, with whom she shares a love of grunge music and horror films. Vanessa is a little more uptight and is the one in the relationship seemingly most eager to have a baby. On her own choosing, Juno enters into a closed rather than open adoption contract with the Lorings. During the second and third trimesters of Juno’s pregnancy which she treats with care but detachment, Juno’s relationships with her family, with Paulie, and with the Lorings develop. She gives the baby to Venessa, when she gives birth. At the end, Juno and Bleeker get together and they realized their feeling to each other. After summarizing the movie, I want to analyze it. The 2007 film release of Juno offers certain challenges to past conceptualizations of girlhood, yet the representation of female sexuality as tied to traditional notions of ‘‘femininity’’ remains substantially unchanged. Juno represents a cultural artifact of changing ideologies of girlhood, yet it also functions as an example of the pervasive ambivalence towards the sexual subjectivity of girls. The representation of girls as sexless is challenged. Rather than a stereotypical depiction of the female body as sexual object, sexual desire is visibly expressed and acted upon by the girl character. Throughout the film, Juno is shown as agentive in the decisions she makes about her body, sexual desire, and modes of self-expression; her classification as a girl who identifies as a ‘‘freak,’’ cares little about what other people think of her, and dresses in grunge style clothing connote an independent self-confidence that is apparent in all of her intimate relationships. Although Juno has received praise for its originality, the story is most notable as a surprisingly familiar cultural fairy-tale. Juno’s character is understandable as a metaphor for conditions of female sexuality that continue to limit girls’ full expressions of sexual desire. Like the character of Juno, girls today are caught between increased expectations of agency on the one hand and continuing restrictions of their sexual expressions of desire on the other. In conceptualizing Juno’s agency it is important to recognize the material and social ways in which Juno’s agentive ‘‘choice’’ is constrained. Juno is not a free agent; her actions and her agency operate in connection to material and social structures influencing her daily livelihood. The central paradox within Juno is that it celebrates agency for girls while simultaneously linking that agency to their physical desirability and role as potential reproducers.

Case Study on Environmental Health Food Safety Division Program

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County: Environmental Health Division Food Safety and Protection Program Table of Contents Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Description of Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Levels of Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Goal and Objective Relevance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Target Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Program Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Personnel Qualifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Current Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Future Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Changes to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Appendix D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Abstract Food is a vital ingredient to the survival of life on earth. Food gives people the energy to carry out everyday tasks. With food being so important to life, should it not be of highest quality? Food is prepared, cooked and consumed every minute of every day. How do consumers know that the food is safe? The group members of We 8 A Lot went on a mission to find out exactly how food consumers are protected and by whom. Through research and interviews with the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County, it was found that there are a group of individuals who work diligently to protect food consumers by inspecting the 6,000 food facilities in Sacramento County. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION FOOD SAFETY AND PROTECTION PROGRAM Introduction For the case study, our group chose to investigate the Food Protection Program that resides within the Environmental Health Division which operates under the umbrella of the Environmental Management Department (EMD) of Sacramento County. The functions of this department not only protect residents and consumers of this county in the matter of retail food safety but, also by the regulation and enforcement of water protection and hazardous materials. On October 1, 2004, an interview was conducted at the Environmental Health Division office located at 8475 Jackson Road, in Sacramento, with June Livingston, Communications and Media Officer and Richard Sanchez, Environmental Program Manager. In the interview, Mr. Sanchez revealed that there are â€Å"close to 6000, food facilities in this [Sacramento] county† (personal communication, October 1, 2004) With this many retail food facilities in Sacramento County and the consumer culture of Americans, the potential for food-borne illness is staggering. Just one instance of improper handling, storage, or cooking of foods in retail food facilities can cause serious outbreaks of infections or in severe cases, death. On average, each day in the United States alone, â€Å"over 200,000 people fall ill with a food-borne illness and of those, fourteen will die† (Sizer & Whitney, 2003, p. 511) Keeping this in mind and the fact that food is one humanity's most basic needs for survival, this agency most definitely warrants study. Since our team was quite large, 8 members, and relative to food, we decided to name it, â€Å"We 8 a lot†. Similarly, due to our team size we decided to split it into halves. One-half of the team devoted their efforts to online and print research while the other half focused on interview and personal communication research. Project tasks were divided between the team members and each member was deemed responsible for his or her content area. Moreover, leadership positions of paper editor, Power Point manager, and team recorder were established on a volunteer basis to avoid any confusion during the project. The members of this team, listed alphabetically are: Simranjot Bains, David Chan, Lynn Gervacio, Safiya Nuur, Joy Pastones, Shantell Payne, Valerie Quitoriano, and Yvonne Rains. History and Development Prior to becoming a department, EMD program elements were housed in the County Health Department. But in 1988, the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) became a consolidated, freestanding department consistent with separate City and County advisory body recommendations to merge and augment environmental regulatory activities. Initial program elements included Air Quality, Environmental Health (includes Food Protection Program), and Hazardous Materials Divisions. The Sacramento Air Quality Management District separated from EMD and County Government in 1995. The Environmental Management Department currently has three operating divisions, with Water Protection which was added in 2003. The organizational chart in Appendix A shows the various divisions of the Sacramento County. The Environmental Management Department is one of ten county service agencies. The organizational chart in Appendix B shows how the EMD is further divided. Within the Sacramento EMD, there are three subdivisions that have been listed above. Under the Water Protection, Environmental Health and Hazardous Materials Divisions, there are also a number of subdivisions. Goals and Objectives The Food Protection Program, which is part of the Environmental Health Division (EHD), is responsible for regulation and enforcement of state and local health codes at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities. The mission of the agency is to protect the health of the public from unsafe food, water and hazardous materials. The Food Protection Program's goal is to ensure food safety practices at all retail food facilities in Sacramento County and to become a world leader in terms of clean and uncontaminated food (http://www. hs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm). Achieved Goals The Food Protection Program of Sacramento County has achieved many goals. First, the agency has increased the number of inspections from once a year to twice a year for facilities that prepare food. Second, it has developed an enhanced â€Å"Prioritized Inspection Frequency Compliance† on their website to assist businesses in the county (http:/ /www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503-prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf. ). This site answers many questions and has information about the laws and requirements. Third, as of July, 1 2003, the Food Protection Program has mandated all businesses to post their most recent inspection report in a visible place for customers to read. Fourth, the agency has â€Å"initiated an ‘Award of Excellence' in Food Safety to recognize operators of food facilities in Sacramento County and all incorporated cities who exhibit excellent food safety and sanitation standards† (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm. ). Long Term Goals The Food Protection Program also has many long-term goals. First, the program seeks to increase the surveillance on food markets such as Raley’s, Bel-Air, Albertsons, Safeway, and smaller, family owned markets. The program wants to inspect these businesses twice a year instead of the current one-year inspection. The second long-term goal of the program is to change from hand written inspection reports to computer-based inspections. In order to do this, the program needs to purchase additional equipment such as laptops or some other computer devices that would allow employees to type their inspection. In order to achieve these goals, the program needs to save money and implement additional training for their employees. (personal communication, September 18, 2004). The third, long-term goal of the Food Protection Program is to generate more interest in this field. Ms. Livingston, who is the Communications and Media Officer of the Environmental Management Department, commented that â€Å"the people [public] are not quite sure who does th[is] work†, referring to the functions of EMD. Ms. Livingston also commented that they will do more â€Å"outreach and awareness programs to let people know that food protection is profession (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Description of Services Some of the services the Food Protection Program provides are permitting, inspecting and re-inspecting of retail food facilities. The agency also provides food safety education to train employees of food facilities to improve compliance in terms of food safety regulations and reduction of the incidence of food borne-illness. It also issues permits for new businesses and provides outreach programs for the public. The Food Protection Program investigates complaints and suspected cases of food borne-illnesses when they do occur. Finally, as a last resort, the agency can enforce closure of food facilities with consistent non-compliance (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf. ). Levels of Intervention The levels of intervention of the Food Protection Program function on primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary prevention of the agency is enacted through education, outreach, regulation, and inspection. The agency inspects food facilities to prevent contamination of food and food borne-illnesses from the public. Secondary prevention of the Food Protection Program is accomplished through the re-inspection process. When businesses have major violations, they are given a two week period to correct the problem. Once the problems have been corrected, the re-inspection process ensures compliance. Finally, the tertiary level of prevention of the Food Protection Program closes food facilities that have consistent major violations and or violations that are not corrected in a timely fashion. Major violations are those that pose public health hazards such as contaminated equipment (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Goal and Objective Relevance The goals and objectives of the agency address the human ecology and heath studied. The agency provides educational programs through scientific principals to protect the heath of the public and the environment. The Food Protection Program Agency completes these tasks through teamwork and a cooperative approach (http://www. emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL. pdf). As Richard Sanchez, emphasized, â€Å"the point [of the program] is not to try and fine people, but the first thing we want to do is to educate people and help them understand what it is that they are supposed to do (2004). † Mr. Sanchez also mentioned that â€Å"when people know what food borne-illness is, they are less likely to violate the laws. One of the big ones is hand washing. Something so simple can prevent so much† (personal communication, September 18, 2004). Target Population The Environmental Health Division goals are to deliver outstanding service to all Sacramento County residents including the incorporated cities of Isleton, Folsom, Elk Grove, Galt, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights. They also aim to service the visitors in the area as well. The population of this county is over 1. 2 million residents, which is about 1200 persons per square mile. There are food venues developing everywhere to meet the demand of the consumers. The venues where food is served, either cooked or prepackaged, will be subject to an inspection and will be given a permit once it has passed. The typical venues consist of: restaurants (fast food, ice cream shops, delicatessens, coffee shops, sandwich shops), mobile food units, bars, taverns, commissaries, bed and breakfasts, school cafeterias, day/child care facilities, senior non-profit nutrition programs, convenience stores, dairies, and farmers markets as well as special or temporary events such as the fair, and craft or street fairs. During the inspection, even the smallest attributes of food preparation and serving styles are observed. EHD is now striving to complete two inspections per year to better the service of the community and lessen the risk for any food-borne illnesses in the future. Program Evaluation The Environmental Health Division of the Food Safety Protection Program does not have a formal evaluation process; however, they do participate in voluntary evaluations. The purpose of an evaluation is to determine whether the objectives of the program are being met and to provide feedback to improve the program. If we were to evaluate this program, we would use summative evaluations, which are used to determine how well the program has met their predetermined short term and long-term goals and objectives. Summative evaluations use two types of procedures, impact and outcome. Impact procedures are used mainly for immediate, short-term effects while outcome procedures are used for long-term effects. For the EHD Food Safety Protection Program, we would assess a set number of food-borne illnesses and a set number of food safety violations and then evaluate how well the program worked to make sure they did not exceed those limits. Even though the food protection program does not have a formal evaluation process, ironically, they won a 2004 Challenge Award from the California State Association of Counties. Out of 163 Challenge Award entries from 38 counties, the Sacramento County Food Safety Education for Restaurants Program was one of the 10 recipients of the Award. The award was based on demonstrated leadership, innovation, creativity, resourcefulness and effectiveness, as well as the potential for successful elements of the program to be used as a model for other counties. One of the reasons hypothesized why they might have gotten the award was because of their affiliations. The Food Safety Program is a member of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), where the annual membership fee is based on the gross revenue of the program. CRA has been representing approximately 20,000 foodservice establishments in California since 1906. Some of the benefits of membership in the CRA are discounts and savings on essential products, programs and services. Moreover, members are also kept informed on the latest industry issues through newsletters, publications, and resources. Program Funding The Environmental Health Division's financing sources come from four different areas: reimbursements, charges for services, reserve release, and other revenues. The department receives no tax money from the government; however, the department does receive some government grants, but not of any significant amount under the food program. Most of the Environmental Management Department’s large grants are given to the Hazardous materials division, rather than the Environmental Health division, under which the food program is directed. The U. S. Federal Drug Administration did give the food program a small grant in the amount of $5,000 to get their staff training sessions. These grants are listed under the reimbursement area. The charges for services category consists of re-inspection fees, which are billed when food facilities use more time than what the permit pays for. These fees are allocated at the hourly rate of up to $149. 00. The third area, the reserve release, makes improvements possible and makes additional money available if needed. This financial source comes from saving extra money left over from the previous month’s finances. Once there is a need for money that isn’t being met by the three other financial resources, then money is taken out of the reserve. Also if improvements need to be made, such as a new computer system, then the reserve covers this cost. The Environmental Health Division earns the majority of their revenues from the services they provide, which is listed under the other revenue area. Every food facility requires a permit from the Environmental Health Division and is charged a fee for their inspection. Some facilities are inspected once a year, but recently the requirements changed for higher-risk facilities (food preparation sites) to be inspected twice a year. The total budget for the food program is $2,840,243, while the entire budget for the whole program is close to $13 million. Another service the Environmental Health Division provides and earns revenues from is the Food Safety Education program (FSE). The program encompasses two classes about food safety, in which they charge $20 per person for attending. They also offer to perform the classes at the actual food facility site for $400. Despite the fact that the Environmental Health Division receives no tax money from the government, Richard Sanchez believes it is a good thing. He states that when there is a tax cut in government funding, then agencies start having to cut people. He proudly claims that they have never had to cut people, but rather they are adding positions (personal communication, September 18, 2004). In fact, most of their expenditures are from staffing fees. The other two financial uses the department covers are reserve provisions and services and supplies. As mentioned earlier, the reserve provisions consist of extra money that is saved until further needed for improvements or in case financial sources are running low. The money spent on services and supplies is directed towards rent and office provisions. Some of the services the Food Program uses are classified into special interfund/intrafund charges and reimbursements. This would include lab analysis services from a Sacramento County agency. If the inspectors want to have a closer look at a particular facility’s food quality, then an analysis of that food would be performed. The services used by the Food Program would not be paid in cash, rather it would be seen as a trade out to the other Sacramento agency in return for services from the Food Program such as a permit or inspection of that agency’s food facility. Personnel Qualifications Currently, in the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department there are 110 employees. Of those 110 individuals, 27 are employed within the Food Protection Program. Employment opportunity of the Environmental Health Division varies from what is referred to as a Level I to a Level IV position of Environmental Health Specialist. The minimum qualifications of the Level I position require one year of experience performing technical support or a completion of twelve semester units from a college or university in physical science, life science, or engineering. The salary offered to the Environmental Health Specialist I is $2509. 00 to $3398. 00 per month. The variation in salary is due to experience. If the employee has just started, the salary begins at $2509. 00, but as the person gains experience within the field, the salary increases up to a certain point; which is $3398. 0 per month. In order to grow within the field at all levels, the employee needs to complete the supplemental questionnaire, which encompasses: the employee’s level of education, experience in technical support and public health contact work, possession of current California driver’s license, knowledge of different cultures, and English fluency. Once the questionnaire is submitted, the panel group sets a date for the employee to take a test. The test is divided into ranks, and usually the first three ranks are chosen for the job. Once, the employee has qualified, then the new title given. The position of Environmental Health Specialist II, ranges in salary from $3659. 00 to $4447. 00 per month. This employee should be able to research, interpret, and apply environmental laws and regulations. This position requires the candidate to have: (1) graduation degree in health science, public health, natural science or physical science, (2) one year of experience in environmental research or regulation, or (3) Registered Environmental Health Specialist certification. The third level of employment known as the Environmental Health Specialist III covers field inspections and research. Some of the duties performed are: organization and analysis of environmental data collected, development and preparation of studies related to regulatory compliance, meeting with business owners to develop solutions to achieve compliance, training and guiding other staff members, and preparation of written analyses and recommendations. This position’s salary starts at $4367. 00 and ends at $5308. 00 per month. In order to qualify for this position, the candidate must have a Master’s degree in health science, public health, physical science, or environmental health and a one-year experience in environmental inspection, enforcement, regulation, analysis, or a previous title of Registered Environmental Health Specialist II certification. Environmental Health Specialist IV is the last level of employment and in this position, the candidate is considered a supervisor and is responsible for a team of scientific, professional, and technical staff. At this level, the candidate is paid from $5392. 00 to $5945. 00 per month. He or she plans, organizes, and reviews the work of the team. The candidate also participates in developing and implanting new policies, procedures, programs, regulations, and guidelines related to inspections, enforcement, compliance, and scientific studies. Besides these positions there are also student intern positions which require the student to perform basic duties such as answering the phone, filing, distributing the mail, and helping in research. The students are allowed to work a maximum of 24 hours per week and the only students who qualify for this position are those who are in their last year of completing their degree. Current Status Currently, the services provided by the food safety program are mandated by the State of California in accordance with local provisions and the California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL), which finds and declares that the public health interest requires that there be uniform statewide health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities to assure the people of this state that food will be pure, safe, and unadulterated. It is the intention of this Legislature to occupy the whole field of health and sanitation standards for these food facilities . . and regulations adopted pursuant to its provisions shall be exclusive of all local health and sanitation standards relating to these facilities. (http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf, p. 4) Since this program is mandated by the state, the food safety program of the Environmental Health Division is at no risk for disruption or dismantling. Twenty-seven, Registered Environmental Health Specialis ts will continue to inspect retail food facilities twice annually (effective July 1, 2003). Although the state mandates inspection twice yearly, Mr. Sanchez, conceded in the interview that markets such as Raley's are only getting inspected once annually. As of the end of September, 2004, the Environmental Health Division has completed â€Å"6,132† inspections of retail food facilities and â€Å"742† inspections of area dairies (http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. , p. 4). Aside from routine inspections and re-inspections of retail food facilities, Environmental Health continues to offer food safety education and certification classes as well as community outreach events designed to inform consumers and retailers about food safety and compliance with state and local health codes. This group attended an outreach event held at Carmichael Park, on September 18, 2004, where the Environmental Health Division booth activities included a hamburger cooking demonstration to demonstrate proper cooking temperatures as well as safe food handling techniques. Other activities performed by the Environmental Health Division include responding to consumer complaints, investigation of cases of food-borne illness, there have been â€Å"180† cases in Sacramento County as of the end September of this year, evaluation of plans for new food facilities, as well as the granting of permits for these new food facilities (http://www. accounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf, p. 4). Moreover, the Environmental Health Division continues to collect fees for their services and proudly distinguishes qualifying retail food facilities with their â€Å"Award of Excellence† for food safety. Last year, ninety-three area establishments were the recipients of this award. Future Needs The Food Safety and Protection Program is a growing program. As the number of food facilities in the Sacramento area increase, so do the needs of the program. Some of the future needs of the program include an increase in the number of employees for the program, improved outreach programs, software program to improve inspections and inspection reports, and an implementation of a restaurant grading system. The first need of the program is an increase in the number of employees. With only 27 employees who actually do work under the Food Safety and Protection Program, the job of inspecting 6,000 food facilities plus other required tasks is certainly overwhelming. One might think, â€Å"Why don’t they just go ahead and hire more people? Working for the EHD not only requires a college degree but employees must also obtain certification deeming themselves Registered Environmental Health Specialists. Now one might think â€Å"What is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist? † To answer the above question, the program needs to create an awareness of the position. This leads us to the second need of the program. The Food Safety and Protection program is in need of an improved outreach program. Up until finding out what personnel qualifications were needed, we did not know what a Registered Environmental Health Specialist was. More concentrated efforts in outreach programs that introduce and educate people about the validity of their profession may generate more interest in the academic setting thus creating more potential professionals. Another need of the program involves a software program to improve inspections and inspection reports. This program needs to make the change from hand-written reports to typed reports. Going from hand-written to automation would make it much easier for people to read and understand the reports. The final future need of the Food Safety and Protection Program is to implement a restaurant grading system. The restaurant grading system would provide to customers knowledge of where the restaurant stands in terms of food safety compliance. According to June Livingston, â€Å"The restaurants would be given a grade ranging from A-F. â€Å"A† of course being the highest grade to be received and â€Å"F† the lowest. A grade of â€Å"C†, would mean that the restaurant meets minimum compliance requirements† (personal communication, October 27, 2004). The program is still working on the grading system in terms of how it will work and getting legislation to approve the system. Changes to the Program The Food Safety and Protection Program is an extremely successful program under the Environmental Management Department. For 27 employees to be able to inspect 6,000 food facilities is an incredible feat. However, with their measured success, there is some room for improvement. If we were administrators of the program there are a few things that we would do differently. One of the changes that we would make is to the outreach programs. Despite the fact that one of the goals of the program is to have more outreach programs, there is something that we would like to add. In addition to having more outreach programs, we would have the programs target people as early as high school. The outreach should also be targeted at people in colleges and universities. By doing this, a larger audience of people would become knowledgeable of the profession and quite possibly decide to take the path to becoming a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. Another change would be to hire on more employees. With more employees, more work can be done and the current practice of multi-tasking would cease to exist. More employees will allow for more inspections of food facilities thus reducing risk to the public. Increasing inspections of food facilities from annually/biannually to quarterly is another change that we would make as administrators. Food facilities currently undergo one, maybe two inspections a year. Every day new discoveries are made in terms of proper food handling, food-borne illnesses and much more. With these new discoveries, it would be particularly helpful and beneficial that inspections be made on a quarterly basis. Also, more frequent inspections would encourage food facilities to really meet compliance and go above and beyond what is needed for food safety. The final change that we would make to the program is to improve inspection report legibility and visibility. If one were to take a look at an actual inspection report and read the comments written, it usually is difficult to read. We would make the inspection reports typed so that everyone would be able to read exactly what was found at the inspection. We would also improve the visibility of the report. Truth be told, not every food facility has their inspection report visible to the public. We would change this by requiring that establishments post the reports either by the cash register, the doors, in the waiting area if applicable or even by the bathrooms. We would further enforce this requirement by charging the facility a certain fee if the inspection report is not fully visible to the public. The addition of a fee for not having the report visible would not only create added revenue for the program, but it would also get the food facilities to comply more strongly in order to avoid getting fined. With these reports visible, the public would have the ability to find out whether or not they are eating at a food safe establishment. References County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Award of Excellence in Food Safety. Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/EH/EMDFoodSafetyAwards. htm County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). California Uniform Retail Food Facilities Law (CURFFL). Retrieved November 3, 2004 from http://www. Emd. saccounty. net/pdf/CURFFL2004. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). County Organization Chart. Retrieved October 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf. County of Sacramento California Website. (2004). Food Safety Program, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. dhs. ca. gov/ps/fdb/HTML/Food/indexfoo. htm. County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Prioritized Inspection Frequency, Retrieved November 12, 2004 from http://www. emd. saccounty. net/Documents/Info/Bulletin0503 prioritized_inspection_frequency. pdf County of Sacramento Environmental Department Website. (2004). Update. Retrieved October, 16, 2004 from http://www. saccounty. net/pdf/EMD-2004-10_Update. pdf. Sizer, F. , & Whitney, E. (2003). Food safety and food technology. In E. Howe, & J. Boyd (Eds. ), Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (pp. 509-556). Belmont,USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. APPENDIX A: THE ORGANIZATION CHART [pic] Note. From â€Å"County of Sacramento California Website† http://www. saccounty. net/portal/about/docs/county-org-chart. pdf Copyright 2004 by County Executive. Reprinted with permission. APPENDIX B: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION CHART Figure 1. The subdivisions within Environmental Management. APPEDNDIX C: PROPOSAL Proposal This case study seeks to explore the Environmental Health Division within the Environmental Management Department of Sacramento County. Investigation in this agency will reveal how the County of Sacramento protects its residents and consumers from potential health hazards and illnesses originating from retail food facilities. Today, the average consumer rarely worries about the risk of dining out or â€Å"grabbing a bite†; however, factors such as improper storage, cooking and handling of foods or poor sanitation practices have the potential to create serious illness and even death. This agency warrants investigation since food is one of man's most basic and vital needs for survival. ———————– Management Plans Private School Inspections Land Use Evaluation Toxic Site Clean Up Well Monitoring Septic Tanks Recycled Water Industrial Storm water Program Risk Evaluation Accidental Release HazMat Land Use Incident Response Storage Tanks Business Plans Mold Information Lead Illness Investigation Tobacco Retailer Program Medical Waste Recreational Health Food Protection & Safety Education Water Protection Hazardous Materials Environmental Health Environmental Management