Assisted Suicide

Matthew Donnelly was a man who had loved life, but Matthew Donnelly became a man that wanted to die. For the past thirty years, Matthew had conducted research on the use of X-rays. Now, skin cancer was consuming his tortured body. He had lost his nose, his left hand, two fingers on his right hand, and part of his jaw. He was left blind and was slowly deteriorating. The pain was unrelenting. Doctors estimated that he had a year to live. Lying in bed with teeth clenched from the excruciating pain, he pleaded to be put out of his misery. His pleas, however, went unanswered because of existing law in the state of Texas. One day, Matthew's brother Harold, who could no longer ignore Matthew's repeated cry for mercy, removed a . 30 caliber pistol from his dresser drawer, walked into the hospital and shot and killed his brother. Harold was tried for murder. (Santa Clara University article) Had assisted suicide been legal in Texas, as it is in Oregon, Harold would not be in the position he is in today. Oregon was the first State to pass the law. In 1997 the Death with Dignity Act was implemented. This piece of legislation enables a competent adult who desires to end their life access to a lethal dose of medication which they administer themselves. In order for a person to qualify for assisted suicide in Oregon, they must be a legal adult and be capable of understanding the consequences of their decision. They must also have a prognosis of six months or less to live due to a terminal illness and have the backing of a registered physician (Volker, 2007). We have a moral obligation to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings and to respect their right to die with dignity. Throughout most of our country today, terminally ill patients lie with incurable diseases and without the means to end their own suffering because the government tells them they can’t. These patients can only look forward to lives filled with yet more suffering and degradation. When such people beg for a merciful end to their pain and indignity, it is cruel and inhumane to refuse their will. Compassion demands that we give these people the choice they currently don’t have. Despite the clear need for a national death with dignity law, assisted suicide remains a controversial topic in today’s society. Opponents of the right to die act have many arguments against euthanasia as the right of all citizens. Some argue that only God is the true owner of when a person should come to their natural end. Others make the case that someone in seat of a terminally ill patient would not have the capacity to make a rational decision and could be negatively influenced by an immoral or poor physician. In response to the critics, I say this. We live in the land of the free and nobody should be able to violate an individual’s freedom by forcing their personal beliefs or spiritual beliefs on others (just as it is written in the Constitution! . Furthermore, as a proponent for assisted suicide I would argue that it is well within an individual’s rights to decide when and how they want to die. Why I understand the concern for patients being taken advantage of, I consider this a problem to be solved as opposed to an impassable wall. Let us come together to create a system, like Oregon, that protects terminally ill patients from being taken advantage of when they are most vulnerable while preserving the rights of those same citizens to choose in what manner they will meet their end. Harold’s story has proved that making it illegal to die when you choose to can lead to desperate acts by either the patient themselves or in this instance, a close family member. We should have the freedom to choose how we live our lives. Whether or not we want to end our lives early or let an illness take its course and let us die naturally are highly personal decisions and an instance where individual opinions are not welcome as law. People deserve to leave this earth with their dignity intact. How that is accomplished should be a personal choice, not subject to public opinion.

Classical Music Essay

Kerala (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™/), also known as Keralam (/ˈkeÉ ªrÉ™lÉ™m/) is a state located in the south-west region of India on the Malabar coast. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital among the 14 districts; other major cities include Kochi andKozhikode. At a population of 33,388,000 in 2011, the state has the lowest population growth rate. It also has the highest literacy rate; It is also considered as the â€Å"cleanest state in India. Production of pepper and natural rubber constitute prominent output in the total national output, as well as in the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, spices are important. Climate Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon. Agriculture Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper[180] and accounts for 85% of the area under natural rubber in the country.[181][66] Coconut, tea,coffee, cashew, and spices—including cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg—comprise a critical agricultural sector.[182][183][184][185][89][186] The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive paddy fields Fisheries Kerala is one of the leading producers of fish in India. about 1.1 million people earn their livelihood from fishing and allied activities such as drying, processing, packaging, exporting and transporting fisheries. Culture-Dance The culture of Kerala is composite and cosmopolitan in nature and it’s an integral part of Indian culture. Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. These include five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal andKrishnanattam, Culture-Music: Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. Development of classical music in Kerala is attributed to the contributions it received from the traditional performance arts associated with the temple culture of Kerala. Culture-Cuisine- Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat Elephants Elephants have been an integral part of culture of the state. Kerala is home to the largest domesticated population of elephant in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as well as individuals.[324] These elephants are mainly employed for the processions and displays associated with festivals celebrated all around the state. Tourism Kerala is a tourist destination: the backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism, and tropical greenery are among its major attractions. Kerala’s beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala. RÄ jasthÄ n, ) Known as â€Å"The land of kings†, is the largest state of the Republic of Indiaby area. It is located in the northwest of India. Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the state. Eastern Rajasthan has the world famous Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. It also has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Sariska Tiger Reserve, and a famous temple in Khatu, Sikar district, Language: Rajasthani is the main spoken language of the state, although Hindi and English are used for official purposes. It is spoken by 13 million peo ple in Rajasthan and other states of India. Economy Rajasthan’s economy is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds.Cotton and tobacco are the state’s cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer ofoilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India and the main opium producer and consumer. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan. The main industries are mineral based, agriculture based, and textiles. Rajasthan is the second largest producer of polyester fibre in India. Rajasthan is pre-eminent in quarrying and mining in India The state is the second largest source of cement in India Tourism: Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry in Rajasthan. The palaces of Jaipur and Ajmer-Pushkar, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jodhpur, Taragarh Fort (Star Fort) in Bundi, and Bikaner and Jaisalmer rank among the most preferred destinations in India for many tourists both Indian and foreign. Culture: The Ghoomar dance from Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer have gained international recognition. Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture.Kathputli, Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindr, Kachchhighori, Tejaji etc. are the examples of the traditional Rajasthani culture. Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colorful art.wall painting in bundi . The block prints, tie and dye prints, Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, and Zariembroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and handicrafts, carpets, and blue pottery are some of the things commonly found here. Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. A Rajasthani traditional dress for females comprises an ankle length skirt and a short top, also known as a lehenga or a chaniya choli. Cuisne Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region.[1] Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Rajasthani cuisine is a splendid array of colorful, spicy and unique dishes. Rajasthani food is incomplete without the mention of the famedDal-Baati-Churma, a distinctive dish of the state. Amir Khusrau AmÄ «rKhusrow was an Indian musician, scholar and poet. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. A Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, AmÄ «r Khusrow was not only a notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. He compiled the oldest known printed dictionary (Khaliq-e-bari ) in 1320 which mainly dealt with Hindvi and Persian words. He is regarded as the â€Å"father of qawwali†. He is also credited with enriching Hindustani classical music by introducing Persian and Arabic elements in it, and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music. The invention of the tabla is also traditionally attributed to AmÄ «r Khusrow. Early life and background AmÄ «r Khusrow was born in Patiyali in Uttar Pradesh. His father, AmÄ «r Sayf ud-DÄ «n MahmÃ… «d, was a Turkic officer and a member of the Lachin tribe of Transoxania, themselves belonging to the Kara-Khitais.[5][6][7] His mother was the daughter of Rawat Arz, the famous war minister of Balban, and belonged to the Rajput tribes of Uttar Pradesh Khusrow the royal poet Khusrow was a prolific classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. He is popular in much of North India and Pakistan, because of many playful riddles, songs and legends attributed to him. Through his enormous literary output and the legendary folk personality, Khusrow represents one of the first (recorded) Indian personages with a true multi-cultural or pluralistic identity. Last Days I 321 Mubarak Khilji was murdered and Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq came to power. Khusro started to write theTughluqnama. 1325 Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq came to power. Nizamuddin Auliya died, and six months later so did Khusrow . Khusrow ‘s tomb is next to that of his master in the Nizamuddin Dargah of Delhi. ————————————————- Tulsi Das TulsiDas also known as Goswami Tulsidas), was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion to the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known as the author of the epicRamcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation ofValmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.[4] He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman, the divine devotee of Rama.[5] Tulsidas lived permanently and died in the city of Varanasi.[6] The Tulsi Ghat in Varnasi is named after him.[3] He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.[7] Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.[8] He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature.[9][10][11][12] The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series. Tulsidas is believed to be a reincarnation of Valmiki Early life Birth Tulsidas was born on the seventh day of the bright half of the lunar Hindu month Shraavana (July–August). After renunciation, Tulsidas spent most of his time at Varanasi, Prayag, Ayodhya, and Chitrakuta but visited many other nearby and far-off places. He traveled across India to many places, studying different people, meeting saints and Sadhus and meditating Tulsidas died at the Assi Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga in the Shraavan (July–August) month of the year Vikram 1680 (1623 CE). Like the year of his birth, traditional accounts and biographers do not agree on the exact date of his death. Different sources give the date as the third day of the bright half, seventh day of the bright half, or the third day of the dark half.[77][78] ————————————————- Works Kamban Kambar (Kampan in casual address) was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Tamil Ramayanam Ramavatharam, popularly known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana. He was born in the 12th century in Tiruvaluntur in Tanjore district ————————————————- Life Kambar belonged to the Ochchan or Occhan caste, traditionally nadaswaram players in southern India.[3][4] But he was brought up in the household of a wealthy farmer in Vennai Nellur in south India. The Chola king having heard of this talented bard, summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarthi or The Emperor of Poets. The Ramavataram or Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas as opposed to Valmiki’s 24000 couplets. Kamba Ramayana is not a translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but an original retelling of the story of the God Rama. The poetic work is well known for its similes. Many Tamil poets, statesmen, kings and common people have praised Kambar for his Kambaramayanam which has more than 10000 songs forming one of the greatest epics of Tamil. Kambaramayanam has more than 45000 lines. Thyagaraja Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (May 4, 1767–January 6, 1847), was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the South Indian classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in praise of Lord Rama — many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Krithis (English: â€Å"five gems†), which are often sung in programs in his honor. Tyagaraja was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur district, in what is now called Tamil Nadu, to Kakarla Ramabrahmam and Sitamma in a Telugu Brahmin family of the Mulukanadu subsect He was named Tyagaraja after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of the temple at Tiruvarur. Tyagaraja began his musical training under Sri Sonthi Ramanayya, a music scholar, at an early age. He regarded music as a way to experience God’s love. His objective while practising music was purely devotional, as opposed to focusing on the technicalities of classical music. Tyagaraja, who was totally immersed in his devotion to Lord Rama and led the most spartan way of life without bothering in the least for the comforts of the world, The songs he composed were widespread in their popularity. due to the labour of love by these musicians and researchers, there is a definitive collection of Thyagaraja’s music. However out of 24,000 thousand songs said to have been composed, about 700 songs remain known. Tyagaraja Aradhana, the commemorative music festival is held every year at Thiruvaiyaru in the months of January to February in Tyagaraja’s honour. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. SAROD The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in Hindustani (northern Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) classical music. The sarod is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet, overtone-rich texture of the sitar, with sympathetic strings that give it a resonant, reverberant quality. It is a fretless instrument able to produce the continuous slides between notes known as meend (glissandi), which is important to Indian music. The sarod is believed by some to have descended from the Afghan rubab, a similar instrument originating in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The nameSarod roughly translates to â€Å"beautiful sound† or â€Å"melody† in Persian . Design The design of the instrument depends on the school (gharana) of playing. There are three distinguishable types, discussed below. The conventional sarod is an 17 to 25-stringed lute-like instrument — four to five main strings used for playing the melody, one or two drone strings, twochikari strings and nine to eleven sympathetic strings. The design of this early model is generally credited to Niyamatullah Khan of the Lucknow Gharana as well as Ghulam Ali Khan of the Gwalior-Bangash Gharana. Among the contemporary sarod players, this basic design is kept intact by two streams of sarod playing Another type is that designed by Allauddin Khan and his brother Ayet Ali Khan. This instrument, referred to by David Trasoff (Trasoff, 2000) as the 1934 Maihar Prototype, is larger and longer than the conventional instrument, though the fingerboard is identical to the traditional sarod described above. This instrument has 25 strings in all. Sarod strings are made either of steel or phosphor bronze. Early sarod players used plain wire plectrums, which yield a soft, ringing tone. Playing The lack of frets and the tension of the strings make the sarod a very demanding instrument to play, as the strings must be pressed hard against the fingerboard. There are two approaches to stopping the strings of the sarod. One involves using the tip of one’s fingernails to stop the strings, and the other uses a combination of the nail and the fingertip to stop the strings against the fingerboard

Case Study on Pepsi

IntroductionThis project aim is to analyze the diversification strategy of PepsiCo in 2008. PepsiCo is the largest food and beverage business in the world. The benefits of PepsiCo’s diversification strategies are identified. The business strategy is analyzed to determine its efficacy across PepsiCo’s consumer business segments and product portfolio. The value chain match ups are determined and analyzed to ascertain their relevance to the success of PepsiCo’s strategy. The competitive strengths of PepsiCo’s three structural divisions and six reporting segments are assessed and related to relevant theories and strategy tools.Summary of the casePepsiCo is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo is a world leader in convenient foods and beverages, with revenues of about $39.5 billio n and over 142,000 employees.The company’s portfolio of businesses in 2008 included Frito-Lay salty snacks, Quaker chewy granola bars, Pepsi soft drink products, Tropicana orange juice, Lipton Brisk tea, Gatorade, Propel, SoBe, Quaker Oatmeal, Cap’n Crunch, Aquatint, Rice-A-Roni, Aunt Jemima pan cake mix, and many other regularly consumed products. The company consists of the snack business of Frito-Lay North America and the beverage and food businesses of PepsiCo Beverages and Foods, which includes PepsiCo Beverages North America (Pepsi-Cola North America and Gatorade/Tropicana North America) and Quaker Foods North America. PepsiCo International includes the snack businesses of Frito-Lay International and beverage businesses of PepsiCo Beverages International. PepsiCo brands are available in nearly 200 countries and territories.Many of PepsiCo's brand names are over 100-years-old, but the corporation is relatively young. PepsiCo was established in 1965 through the mer ger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. Tropicana was acquired in 1998 and PepsiCo merged with The Quaker Oats Company, including Gatorade, in 2001. PepsiCo’s success is the result of superior products, high standards of performance,  distinctive competitive strategies and the high integrity of our people.VisionThe vision of PepsiCo is to be a responsible company that supports continuous improvement of all areas across the globe in which they operate. These areas include the environment, social, and economic conditions creating a better future then the present.MissionPepsiCo’s mission is to be the world's premier consumer Products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages. They seek to produce healthy financial rewards to investors as they provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to their employees, their business partners and the communities in which they operate. And in everything they do, they strive for honesty, fairness and integrity.SWOT AnalysisStrengt hsBranding – One of PepsiCo’s top brands is of course Pepsi, one of the most recognized brands of the world, ranked according to Interbrand. As of 2008 it ranked 26th amongst top 100 global brands.Pepsi generates more than $15,000 million of annual sales. Pepsi is joined in broad recognition by such PepsiCo brands as Diet Pepsi, Gatorade Mountain Dew, Thirst Quencher, Lay’s Potato Chips, Lipton Teas (PepsiCo/Unilever Partnership), Tropicana Beverages, Fritos Corn, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, Doritos Tortilla Chips, Aquafina Bottled Water, Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks, Quaker Foods and Snacks, Ruffles Potato Chips, Mirinda, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, and Sierra Mist.The strength of these brands is evident in PepsiCo’s presence in over 200 countries. The company has the largest market share in the US beverage at 39%, and snack food market at 25%. Such brand dominance insures loyalty and repetitive sales which contributes to over $15 million in annual sales for the company.Finance -As one of the leading beverage and food distributors and producers in the world,PepsiCo obviously has very strong financial backing and has been performing especially well. Their basic financial statement is very promising with revenues above Coca-Cola and the highest PepsiCo has ever seen, as well as low debt and liabilities.20 PepsiCo has shown and average of six percent growth since the year 2000 and has accomplished many growth goals by acquired and manufacturing a wide range of products.The pure size of PepsiCo is a competitive advantage because they produce so many commonly used products throughout the world and are minimally leveraged by market ups and downs.Illustrating this point is their increasing ROE, ROA, and ROI ratios that have experienced great increases over the past several years where soda sales have declined Diversification – PepsiCo’s diversification is obvious in that the fact that each of its top 18 brands generates annual s ales of over $1,000 million. PepsiCo’s arsenal also includes ready-to-drink teas, juice drinks, bottled water, as well as breakfast cereals, cakes and cake mixes.This broad product base plus a multi-channel distribution system serve to help insulate PepsiCo from shifting business climates.Distribution – The company delivers its products directly from manufacturing plants and warehouses to customer warehouses and retail stores. This is part of a three pronged approach which also includes employees making direct store deliveries of snacks and beverages and the use of third party distribution services.WeaknessesOverdependence on Wal-Mart – Sales to Wal-Mart represent approximately 12% of PepsiCo’s total net revenue. Wal-Mart is PepsiCo’s largest customer. As a result PepsiCo’s fortunes are influenced by the business strategy of Wal-Mart specifically its emphasis on private-label sales which produce a higher profit margin than national brands. W al-Mart’s low price themes put pressure on PepsiCo to hold down prices.Overdependence on US Markets – Despite its international presence, 52% of its revenues originate in the US. This concentration does leave PepsiCo somewhat vulnerable to the impact of changing economic conditions, and labor strikes. Large US customers could exploit PepsiCo’s lack of bargaining power and negatively impact its revenues.Low Productivity – In 2008 PepsiCo had approximately 198,000 employees. Its revenue per employee was $219,439, which was lower than its competitors. This may indicate comparatively low productivity on the part of PepsiCo employees.Image Damage Due to Product Recall – Recently (2008) salmonella contamination forced PepsiCo to pull Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix from retail shelves. This followed incidents of exploding Diet Pepsi cans in 2007. Such occurrences damage company image and reduce consumer confidence in PepsiCo products. OpportunitiesBro adening of Product Base – PepsiCo is seeking to address one of its potential weaknesses; dependency on US markets by acquiring Russia’s leading Juice Company, Lebedyansky, and V Wwater in the United Kingdom. It continues to broaden its product base by introducing TrueNorth Nut Snacks and increasing its Lipton Tea venture with Unilever. These recent initiatives will enable PepsiCo to adjust to the changing lifestyles of its consumers.International Expansion – PepsiCo is in the midst of making a $1, 000 million investment in China, and a $500 million investment in India. Both initiatives are part of its expansion into international markets and a lessening of its dependence on US sales. In addition the company plans on major capital initiatives in Brazil and Mexico.Growing Savory Snack and Bottled Water market in US – PepsiCo is positioned well to capitalize on the growing bottle water market which is projected to be worth over $24 million by 2012. Products such as Aquafina, and Propel are well established products and in a position to ride the upward crest. PepsiCo products such as, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips, Ruffles potato chips, Sun Chips multigrain snacks, Rold Gold pretzels, Santitas are also benefiting from a growing savory snack market which is projected to grow as much as 27% by 2013, representing an increase of $28 million.ThreatsDecline in Carbonated Drink Sales – Soft drink sales are projected to decline by as much as 2.7% by 2012, down $ 63,459 million in value. PepsiCo is in the process of diversification, but is likely to feel the impact of the projected decline.Potential Negative Impact of Government Regulations – It is anticipated that government initiatives related to environmental, health and safety may have the potential to negatively impact PepsiCo. For example, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of food products may be al tered as a result of state, federal or local dictates. Preliminary studies on acrylamide seem to suggest that it may cause cancer in laboratory animals when consumed in significant amounts. If the company has to comply with a related regulation and add warning labels or place warnings in certain locations where its products are sold, a negative impact may result for PepsiCo.Intense Competition – The Coca-Cola Company is PepsiCo’s primary competitors. But others include Nestlà ©, Groupe Danone and Kraft Foods. Intense competition may influence pricing, advertising, sales promotion initiatives undertaken by PepsiCo. Resently Coca-Cola passed PepsiCo in Juice sales.Potential Disruption Due to Labor Unrest – Based upon recent history, PepsiCo may be vulnerable to strikes and other labor disputes. In 2008 a strike in India shut down production for nearly an entire month. This disrupted both manufacturing and distribution.PepsiCo’s ProblemNegligence on employe es – One of the main lacking components of PepsiCo’s values is their employees. Of the many concerns they have about the consumer and clients, little is said about the way employees are treated and what expectations and responsibilities are towards them. Programs exist that help employee’s take part in the community, and also future employees by offering school programs and scholarships. However, little effort is directed towards the responsibility of the company to employees. Coinciding with their values, objectives, and commitment, employees are left out of the  grand scheme and mayeven be considered a means to an end. The limited focus on employees may be a problemin the long-run due to retention issues and resulting lack of quality.Poor business strategy – PepsiCo’s business strategies were working out very well for them except for in their international operations. The international segment had relatively low profit margins which meant that PepsiCo needed to implement a new organizational structure that would better utilize strategic fits between the company’s international operations Low Productivity – In 2008 PepsiCo had approximately 198,000 employees. Its revenue per employee was $219,439, which was lower than its competitors. This may indicate comparatively low productivity on the part of PepsiCo employees.Image Damage Due to Product Recall – Recently (2008) salmonella contamination forced PepsiCo to pull Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mix from retail shelves. This followed incidents of exploding Diet Pepsi cans in 2007. Such occurrences damage company image and reduce consumer confidence in PepsiCo products.Conclusion and RecommendationOverall PepsiCo is a successful company with substantial revenue, and a large footprint in the marketplace. PepsiCo should continue to expand their growth and take advantage of potential opportunities by continuing to improve on areas at the corporate top level , in the markets that they currently are in, and in new markets and market segments that they wish to expand into and at last PepsiCo should become more proactive in the health food/product market place rather than being reactive to the market trends. They need to improve their responsiveness and future projections to market trends and changes that can therefore allude to different product segments and target markets.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an opportunity to utilize Essay

The purpose of this paper is to provide an opportunity to utilize community assessment strategies, uncover a community health pr - Essay Example While only a tip of the iceberg is reported, a significant disease burden goes unnoticed. This paper seeks to assess, identify and highlight on community specific healthcare problems in one of the communities, in the US. A unique highlight is given to the community of Georgetown, one of the oldest cities in South Carolina and the headquarters of Georgetown County is seated at Winyah Bay situated at the confluence of three beautiful rivers. The community is a business hub as it hosts a sea gateway second business in the State of South Carolina. Georgetown city is moderately populated with a total population of less than ten thousand people with a population a density of 1,276/sq mi according to 2010 census report. The community is predominated by Black or African Americans, forming 56.7% of the population while the second largest race is whites (U.S. Census Bureau). Other races such as American Indian, Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiian make about 1% of the entire population. Appreciable proportion (over 80%) of the community has received formal education up to high school while less than 21% of people aged 25 years and above have received university higher education. The region has per capita income of less than $20, and about 23.2% of the population is below the poverty line (U.S. Census Bureau). Teenagers (less than 18 years) represent a bigger proportion (about 27.1%) of the total population compared to adults (about 14.7%). Female persons are also the majority representing more than half of the entire population (U.S. Census Bureau). Majority of the youths in Georgetown are unemployed accounting for 13.3% of the population and, therefore, do not have easy access to medical care (U.S. Census Bureau). The high rate of unemployment subject them to risk behaviors such as drug and substance abuse, crime, and risk sexual behavior among others. These behaviors expose the youths to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies. The communi ty had 22 and 113 reported cases of gonorrhea and Chlamydia, as the common etiologies of STDs in 2010. Nationally, in the same year there were 110million reported cases of cumulative STIs with Human Papilloma Virus as the leading pathogen (Satterwhite, 2013). Although Georgetown is ranked below the top ten in HIV infection rates among South Carolina States there, is still a significant HIV infections rate among the youths in this community. About half of the new reported HIV infections are acquired through homosexual behavior while heterosexuality accounts for 40% of all cases. Majority of these new cases were reported in African American at a rate eight times higher than in whites. This difference could be explained by social economic differences between the two races (South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council, 2009). A teenage pregnancy is rated at 30% among teenagers in this community, with most of them giving birth of their firstborns at an age less than 20 years (South Carolina Campaign: to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). There was a drop in U.S teen pregnancies reported (Ventura, Abma, Mosher, & Henshaw, 2009), which was attributed to by a reduction in sexual activeness among the youths, as well as effective use of birth control measures. In contrast teen pregnancies are an existing threat to teen health in Georgetown the drop in cases

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

Interview - Essay Example So many times, the unit has to work with families as a whole† in order to decrease the safety and risk factors that brought the children into states care in the first place†. Johnson’s job seems extremely difficult because they deal with families that have drug and violence problems, mental health issues and societal dysfunctions.  He is exposed daily to violence and other strenuous situations which could really take its toll in a period of time. Still, he performs his duties and responsibilities to reunite the children back with their parents or legal guardians. However, his department’s goals are seldom achieved. Nevertheless, he still continues to work and do his best to make a better place for Texans to live. With the strain employees can get from the situations described above, Johnson does not say he loves or even enjoys it. He claims though that â€Å"it takes a certain mentality to work at my job†. He tries to explain this by further saying, â€Å"There is a high degree of employee turnover and burn-out. My co-workers are all operating under the same level of stress and workload as I do, so there is an inherent bond we all share related to the understanding of what each co-worker has to deal with on a day to day basis†. ... consciously or unconsciously formed an action that benefits them emotionally and psychologically, assuring each other that they understand how they feel because they are going through similar situations. Probably, the knowledge that one is not alone in his struggles is already a great help for the employees especially for them who are dealing with difficult situations. This seems to be a different story told compared to other companies and departments. Nevertheless, perhaps the bond between the co-workers is more of a necessity that is called for by their circumstances and not an unusual occurrence that happen in their office. One negative impact of Johnson’s job is not having enough time with family. He claims that he loves his family, composed of a great wife and two children and mentions their cat and dog with a smile. He says he would really love to stay with them as much as he can. However, his job places restraints on this desire. He says, â€Å"I am on call 24 hours a day, and could have to go into work at anytime†. He further adds, â€Å"I often work more than an 8 hour day†. Asked how he handles situation between work and family, Johnson says he and his wife handle difficult situations the best way they can. He also informs that they learn from past mistakes and move on into better directions. When inquired if he ever tried some solutions to reduce pressure, he expressed his gratefulness for the counseling support given in their department. He also claims that with the nature of their work, it is not uncommon for the employees to seek counseling with therapists because they deal with really horrific situations. Speaking with therapists largely helps employees cope with stress however Johnson claims that whether or not employees are willing to deal with it is

Brooklyn in the 1950's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brooklyn in the 1950's - Essay Example Among these displays, some of the very best include those on 83rd and 84th streets. For the tourists nowadays a 3.5 hours tour shuttle is also offered whose name is â€Å"Tony Muia† This is what Brooklyn looks like at present times but in this article we’ll try to have a look about the outlook of Brooklyn as it was in 1950s. The main reference to the history of Brooklyn is a beautiful book by Colm Toibin named â€Å"Brooklyn†, it is basically a novel based on the life of Brooklyn in 50s. This novel basically depicts a sad life and gives an overview about the pattern of life in Brooklyn at that time. Geographical Location: In 1950s, Brooklyn had the same boundaries as of the Kings County which is now the 2nd most densely populated county of United States after the Manhattan County, if we go far behind in the past then Brooklyn was an independent city until it was included in New York in 1898, but still in 1950s, despite of the merger into New York., Brooklyn maint ained its individuality in culture, art and its architecture and it has harbor different cultures in different areas. Downfall of Brooklyn: In the post war years, Brooklyn was the main supplier of the industrial goods to the whole of the country but by 1950 these industrial supplies began to diminish pertaining to the fact that the major industrial manufacturers started to move to other cities which appeared cheaper to them as well as the Brooklyn port also started to decline as larger ships came into scene which required larger ports having deep harbors which was deficient factor in the port of Brooklyn, at that time, economy was unstable and banks were providing loans for building houses on easy conditions so a large number of white middle class community left their native homes in Brooklyn and moved to other localities which appeared to have more prosperous future for them such as Staten Island and New Jersey. Whole of the Jewish community left their homes in Brooklyn and moved t o other places such as Flatbush, Borough Park, Eastern Parkway and Brighton Beach. Most of the Italians also moved from Brooklyn and what could be regarded as a major blow was the incidence of Brooklyn Dodgers moving to Los Angeles in 1957. This was quite significant as Dodgers symbolized Brooklyn for a very long time so it was a big setback for the residents of Brooklyn and the dodgers wee the unifying factor for the whole diverse ethnic groups residing in the Brooklyn. So everyone in Brooklyn in some way or the other was related to each other through the Dodgers. One such incidence which showed the significance of Dodgers was the defeat of New York Yankees by the Dodgers in 1955 which made their loyal fans felt proud and when this team suddenly became the Los Angeles Dodgers then it was also taken as a sign of the decline of the golden era of Brooklyn. Once all the colors of Brooklyn faded, the manufacturing power of Brooklyn also declined drastically and this can be shown by the fact that the Brooklyn Navy yard was closed in 1966. The Brighter Side: Despite of a large number of people migrating to other areas from Brooklyn, in 1950s there was an influx of a large number of Italians to this area resulting in the predominance of Italians in these neighborhoods and this dominance of Italians still persists in some areas of Brooklyn such as Bensonhurst which is also known as the â€Å"Little Italy† of Brooklyn. In 1950, one major event was the arrival of New York aquarium into the Coney Island. Though the abrupt voting of the Dodgers to join Los Angeles was the significant dilemma for the Brooklyn residents but event after that there were some leaders in Brooklyn like Galamison and Reverend Milton who continued the traditions of the activists to raise their voices against any injustice or

Homeland Security Analysis Speech or Presentation

Homeland Security Analysis - Speech or Presentation Example   The second amendment advocates for a well regulated Militia. It further declares that the right of the militia to own fire arms should not be infringed. It may be indisputable that gun ownership makes a nation safe.   However, the access of the fire arms by criminals may however be uncontrollable.   It is also questionable if the presence of a gun may cause unnecessary harm such as an ordinary argument escalating into a shooting. There are legal issues legal issues/laws that highly conflict with the policy. ii). Background Currently, the Homeland Security is one of the largest federal agencies in the United States of America. The second amendment in the US constitution states that a well regulated militia, is necessary for the security of a free nation and that the citizens have the right to own firearms. Quite often, conflict arises about how the second amendment should be interpreted. Other issues also emerge from a possibility that fire arm ownership causes increased. Ther e is difficulty in establishing a balance between ethical issues, individual's right of self-defense and national security. Each State in the US has fire arm laws clearly stated in their constitution. Most of the States have provisions for the right of an individual to own a firearm. The right to own firearms has been derived directly from the second amendment of the Unites States of America Constitution (William 1994). Most of the State constitutions give reasons for why an individual should be allowed to own firearms. Some these reasons are: a) Self-defense. Twenty four states give this as a valid reason for the use of arms b) State-defense Twenty eight states give this a proper purpose for gun use by individuals. c) Home/Property defense Ten states cite home/property defense as a reason for gun ownership. d) Family defense Five states advocate for this as a reason for gun ownership. e) Hunting and Recreation. Six states give this as another reason for fire arm ownership. The stat e constitutions do not permit confiscation of fire arms except for those used in crimes. iii). Discussion/analysis There is now written limit as to how many guns an individual can own. How many fire arms an individual can own is therefore an individual’s own business. For the sake of security, it is best that every home has access to a gun. Conflict arises from the need to have the public free of guns and the need to allow the public own guns. One can justify each position with the same point. Having guns with the people increases violent crimes and cases of murders by gunshots. On the other hand, ownership of guns increases safety within the public through reduced crimes as people are able to defend themselves. A number of legal issues do arise from the clause on gun/ firearm ownership cited in the second amendment of the constitution of the US. These legal issues are discussed below. a) Right to self defense All state constitutions allow gun ownership for reasons of self de fense. Other than these, recreation activities such as target shooting and hunting are also reasons for firearm ownership. Allowing gun ownership is thus a fundamental step in ensuring personal safety among the citizens. Though there are cases of death reported as a result of gun use in self defense, they are significantly lower to cases of life saving as a result of gun use for self defense. The gun ownership clause thus aids in increased safety among the

HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA - Essay Example Bacterial infections long before the discovery of penicillin used to result in deaths from simple infected wounds. As times progressed, scientific intervention relieved people from the fatality of sepsis. However resistant genes and bacteria seem to have brought back such infections. In the case of Addie Rerecich, a MRSA infection from a single scrape wound resulted, which aggravated upon further treatment and multiplied due to medical intervention, exacerbating her debility to the point where doctors deemed it untreatable, yet bought her some time with surgical intervention. Similarly David Ricci introduced NMD-1 into the United States, leaving doctors who had never treated a patient for such a bacteria; no choice but to quarantine him. Likewise, the alarming outbreak of KPC in New York threatened patient admission in the NIH, leaving the doctors baffled with the inability to control the spread of such a bacteria. The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has thus posed problems for the doctors, pharmacists, microbiologists and researchers time after time due to the fact that medical resources are finite and the invading organisms are gaining strength in their pathogenicity. As a result, medicines no longer prevent their spread as efficiently as they used to. There are many possible reasons that may have fueled the growth of resistant bacteria beyond the control of health specialists. Firstly, the antibiotics are often prescribed for ailments that do not require them, which results in bacteria becoming resistant to a specific class of anti-microbial drugs. Secondly, it is due to the silent spread of these bacteria across individuals who often do not exhibit symptoms unless it is too late and the bacteria have spread. Unlike humans, the bacteria can transmit mutated genes across contaminated water and grow resistant to antibiotic medication even before they have entered their hosts. Moreover, it may also result

Fiancial Information for managers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fiancial Information for managers - Coursework Example The four financial statements are the income statement, balance sheet, the statement of retained earnings, and the statement of cash flow. The purpose of this paper is analyze and describe how managers can utilize ratio analysis to analyze the financial results of an enterprise. Managers can utilize the data contained in the financial statements to perform analysis of the financial state of the company. A technique that can be used by managers to analyze the financial performance of a corporation is ratio analysis. Ratio analysis involves using financial formulas that utilize whose inputs are data retrieved from the financial statements of the company. There are different categories of financial ratios. Two of those categories are liquidity, profitability, and financial leverage ratios. In order to illustrate the value of ratio analysis this paper includes a ratio analysis of Marney Ltd. Appendix A shows financial ratios corresponding to the fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The ratios that are included in the analysis are gross profit margin, operating profit margin, current ratio, acid test ratios, average sales period, and average settlement period for account receivables. The gross margin of a company is calculated by dividing net profit by sales (net income / sales). Managers should seek a high gross margin metric. Firms that have low gross margin are not attractive common stock investments because its profitability is poor and the firm may run the danger of ending up with negative net margins. Gross margin is considered a ratio of broad profitability (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). The gross margin of Marney Ltd in 2008 was 46.3%. The gross margin figure of the company is good. In the following year the gross margin of the company was 41.4%. The movement in gross margin of the company from one year to the other was a reduction in gross margin of 4.9%. A reduction in gross margin is a bad sign. The reduction in gross margin could have occurred due to higher

GS1 Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

GS1 Report - Essay Example Currently, GS1 is the most widely used global supply chain standards system, through it, any organization irrespective of size or geo-relocation can order, trace, deliver and pay for goods along the supply chain. One of the primary techniques used to streamline the supply chain from the raw materials to the manufacturing stage is the use of barcodes; they play a central role in GS1’s functionality. They are a global standard language and they transcend language barriers which have retrospectively posed a serious challenge to the globalization of trade (Crichton 2008). Since their introduction by GS1 as part of the global standardization process, the speed and accuracy of transactions have significantly improved. For the last three decades, GS1 has delivered enterprise solutions and simplified execution of global standards for use in local and transnational supply chains. The chief purpose of GS1 standards is the provision of a structure that facilitates express and operative m ovement of, goods, service and corresponding information. The formation of GS1 was occasioned by a merger between the Uniform Code Council (UCC) and the European Article Numbering (EAN International) in a 1990 cooperative agreement in which they agreed to formally co-manage global standards. The organization has extensive latitude and it governs a global notational membership of over 100 encompassing millions in the 24 industrial sectors. It is highly dynamic and has maintained an exponential growth rate primarily because of its profit reinvestment strategy; all the extra revenues generated by its activities are channeled back to further develop the organization. Supply Chain Management A well designed supply chain is crucial in the quest to expedite day to day business operations so as to reduce the complexity of trade between organizations both locally and internationally. To this end, it is essential that business maintain a set of universal standards, which makes for easier deci sion making in terms of which hardware, software or services need to be purchased or used. Furthermore, universal standards ensure collaboration between traders throughout the supply chain such that identification and sharing of items as well as calculations of quantities across the board can be smoothened. In the long run, this benefit all the stakeholders since goods become easily available and accessible and service provision is more efficient; for instance, in the medical field, errors are reduced and patient safety enhanced. GS1 also plays a key role in combating counterfeit products since it facilitates global traceability and authentication. Relative to the principle of Global Standard, GS1 keeps four global trading products namely; Barcodes, Electronic Business Messaging (eCom), Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) and EPC global. They also provide services such as; Customer Service, Education and Training and Barcode Testing (Moore 2009). In lieu with the new technolo gical development that have been integrated into the business environment, information supply and authentication of data is made easier through the Go scan app that allow users to scan a products barcode and access the product data online. The Shoe Size