Coke N Pepsi

CASE 1? 3 Coke and Pepsi Learn to Compete in India THE BEVERAGE BATTLEFIELD In 2007, the President and CEO of Coca-Cola asserted that Coke has had a rather rough run in India; but now it seems to be getting its positioning right. Similarly, PepsiCo’s Asia chief asserted that India is the beverage battle? eld for this decade and beyond. Even though the government had opened its doors wide to foreign companies, the experience of the world’s two giant soft drinks companies in India during the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium was not a happy one.Both companies experienced a range of unexpected problems and dif? cult situations that led them to recognize that competing in India requires special knowledge, skills, and local expertise. In many ways, Coke and Pepsi managers had to learn the hard way that â€Å"what works here† does not always â€Å"work there. † â€Å"The environment in India is challenging, but we’re learning how to crack it, † says an industry leader. THE INDIAN SOFT DRINKS INDUSTRY In India, over 45 percent of the soft drinks industry in 1993 consisted of small manufacturers. Their combined business was worth $3. million dollars. Leading producers included Parle Agro (hereafter â€Å"Parle†), Pure Drinks, Modern Foods, and McDowells. They offered carbonated orange and lemon-lime beverage drinks. Coca-Cola Corporation (hereafter â€Å"Coca-Cola†) was only a distant memory to most Indians at that time. The company had been present in the Indian market from 1958 until its withdrawal in 1977 following a dispute with the government over its trade secrets. After decades in the market, Coca-Cola chose to leave India rather than cut its equity stake to 40 percent and hand over its secret formula for the syrup.Following Coca-Cola’s departure, Parle became the market leader and established thriving export franchise businesses in Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman in the Gulf, along with Sri Lanka. It set up production in Nepal and Bangladesh and served distant markets in Tanzania, Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. Parle invested heavily in image advertising at home, establishing the dominance of its ? agship brand, Thums Up. Thums Up is a brand associated with a â€Å"job well done† and personal success.These are persuasive messages for its target market of young people aged 15 to 24 years. Parle has been careful in the past not to call Thums Up a cola drink so it has avoided direct comparison with Coke and Pepsi, the world’s brand leaders. The soft drinks market in India is composed of six product segments: cola, â€Å"cloudy lemon,† orange, â€Å"soda† (carbonated water), mango, and â€Å"clear lemon,† in order of importance. Cloudy lemon and clear lemon together make up the lemon-lime segment. Prior to the arrival of foreign producers in India, the ? ht for local dominance was between Parle’s Thums Up and Pure Drinks’ Campa Cola. In 1988, the industry had experienced a dramatic shakeout following a government warning that BVO, an essential ingredient in locally produced soft drinks, was carcinogenic. Producers either cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd 10 had to resort to using a costly imported substitute, estergum, or they had to ? nance their own R&D in order to ? nd a substitute ingredient. Many failed and quickly withdrew from the industry.Competing with the segment of carbonated soft drinks is another beverage segment composed of noncarbonated fruit drinks. These are a growth industry because Indian consumers perceive fruit drinks to be natural, healthy, and tasty. The leading brand has traditionally been Parle’s Frooti, a mango-? avored drink, which was also exported to franchisees in the United States, Britain, Portugal, Spain, and Mauritius. OPENING INDIAN MARKET In 1991, India experienced an economic crisis of exceptional severity, t riggered by the rise in imported oil prices following the ? rst Gulf War (after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait).Foreign exchange reserves fell as nonresident Indians (NRIs) cut back on repatriation of their savings, imports were tightly controlled across all sectors, and industrial production fell while in? ation was rising. A new government took of? ce in June 1991 and introduced measures to stabilize the economy in the short term, then launched a fundamental restructuring program to ensure medium-term growth. Results were dramatic. By 1994, in? ation was halved, exchange reserves were greatly increased, exports were growing, and foreign investors were looking at India, a leading Big Emerging Market, with new eyes.The turnaround could not be overstated; as one commentator said, â€Å"India has been in economic depression for so long that everything except the snake-charmers, cows and the Taj Mahal has faded from the memory of the world. † The Indian government was viewed a s unfriendly to foreign investors. Outside investment had been allowed only in high-tech sectors and was almost entirely prohibited in consumer goods sectors. The â€Å"principle of indigenous availability† had speci? ed that if an item could be obtained anywhere else within the country, imports of similar items were forbidden.As a result, Indian consumers had little choice of products or brands and no guarantees of quality or reliability. Following liberalization of the Indian economy and the dismantling of complicated trade rules and regulations, foreign investment increased dramatically. Processed foods, software, engineering plastics, electronic equipment, power generation, and petroleum industries all bene? ted from the policy changes. PEPSICO AND COCA-COLA ENTER THE INDIAN MARKET Despite its huge population, India had not been considered by foreign beverage producers to be an important market.In addition to the deterrents imposed by the government through its austere tr ade policies, rules, and regulations, local demand for carbonated drinks in India was very low compared with countries at a similar stage of economic development. In 1989, the average Indian was buying only three bottles a year, compared with per-capita 8/27/10 1:58 PM Cases 1 An Overview consumption rates of 11 bottles a year in Bangladesh and 13 in Pakistan, India’s two neighbors. PepsiCo PepsiCo entered the Indian market in 1986 under the name â€Å"Pepsi Foods Ltd. n a joint venture with two local partners, Voltas and Punjab Agro. † As expected, very stringent conditions were imposed on the venture. Sales of soft drink concentrate to local bottlers could not exceed 25 percent of total sales for the new venture, and Pepsi Foods Ltd. was required to process and distribute local fruits and vegetables. The government also mandated that Pepsi Food’s products be promoted under the name â€Å"Lehar Pepsi† (â€Å"lehar† meaning â€Å"wave†). For eign collaboration rules in force at the time prohibited the use of foreign brand names on products intended for sale inside India.Although the requirements for Pepsi’s entry were considered stringent, the CEO of Pepsi-Cola International said at that time, â€Å"We’re willing to go so far with India because we want to make sure we get an early entry while the market is developing. † In keeping with local tastes, Pepsi Foods launched Lehar 7UP in the clear lemon category, along with Lehar Pepsi. Marketing and distribution were focused in the north and west around the major cities of Delhi and Mumbai (formally Bombay). An aggressive pricing policy on the one-liter bottles had a severe impact on the local producer, Pure Drinks.The market leader, Parle, preempted any further pricing moves by Pepsi Foods by introducing a new 250-ml bottle that sold for the same price as its 200-ml bottle. Pepsi Foods struggled to ? ght off local competition from Pure Drinks’ C ampa Cola, Duke’s lemonade, and various brands of Parle. The ? ght for dominance intensi? ed in 1993 with Pepsi Food’s launch of two new brands, Slice and Teem, along with the introduction of fountain sales. At this time, market shares in the cola segment were 60 percent for Parle (down from 70 percent), 26 percent for Pepsi Foods, and 10 percent for Pure Drinks. Coca-ColaIn May 1990, Coca-Cola attempted to reenter India by means of a proposed joint venture with a local bottling company owned by the giant Indian conglomerate, Godrej. The government turned down this application just as PepsiCo’s application was being approved. Undeterred, Coca-Cola made its return to India by joining forces with Britannia Industries India Ltd. , a local producer of snack foods. The new venture was called â€Å"Britco Foods. † Among local producers, it was believed at that time that CocaCola would not take market share away from local companies because the beverage market w as itself growing consistently from year to year.Yet this belief did not stop individual local producers from trying to align themselves with the market leader. Thus in July 1993, Parle offered to sell Coca-Cola its bottling plants in the four key cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Surat. In addition, Parle offered to sell its leading brands Thums Up, Limca, Citra, Gold Spot, and Mazaa. It chose to retain ownership only of Frooti and a soda (carbonated water) called Bisleri. FAST FORWARD TO THE NEW MILLENNIUM Seasonal Sales Promotions—2006 Navratri Campaign In India the summer season for soft drink consumption lasts 70 to 75 days, from mid-April to June.During this time, over 50 percent of the year’s carbonated beverages are consumed across the country. The second-highest season for cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd 11 consumption lasts only 20 to 25 days during the cultural festival of Navratri (â€Å"Nav† means nine and â€Å"ratr i† means night). This traditional Gujarati festival goes on for nine nights in the state of Gujarat, in the western part of India. Mumbai also has a signi? cant Gujarati population that is considered part of the target market for this campaign. As the Regional Marketing Manager for Coca-Cola India tated, â€Å"As part of the ‘think local—act local’ business plan, we have tried to involve the masses in Gujarat with ‘Thums Up Toofani Ramjhat,’ with 20,000 free passes issued, one per Thums Up bottle. [‘Toofan’ means a thunderstorm and ‘ramjhat’ means ‘let’s dance,’ so together these words convey the idea of a ‘fast dance. ’] There are a number of [retail] on-site activities too, such as the ‘buy one—get one free’ scheme and lucky draws where one can win a free trip to Goa. † (Goa is an independent Portuguesespeaking state on the west coast of India, famed for its beaches and tourist resorts. For its part, PepsiCo also participates in annual Navratri celebrations through massive sponsorships of â€Å"garba† competitions in selected venues in Gujarat. (â€Å"Garba† is the name of a dance, done by women during the Navratri festival. ) The Executive Vice President for PepsiCo India commented: â€Å"For the ? rst time, Pepsi has tied up with the Gujarati TV channel, Zee Alpha, to telecast ‘Navratri Utsav’ on all nine nights. [‘Utsav’ means festival. ] Then there is the mega offer for the people of Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and Rajkot where every re? ll of a case of Pepsi 300-ml. ottles will fetch one kilo of Basmati rice free. † These four cities are located in the state of Gujarat. Basmati rice is considered a premium quality rice. After the initial purchase of a 300-ml bottle, consumers can get re? lls at reduced rates at select stores. The TV Campaign Both Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola engage in TV ca mpaigns employing local and regional festivals and sports events. A summer campaign featuring 7UP was launched by Pepsi with the objectives of growing the category and building brand awareness. The date was chosen to coincide with the India– Zimbabwe One-Day cricket series.The new campaign slogan was â€Å"Keep It Cool† to emphasize the product attribute of refreshment. The national campaign was to be reinforced with regionally adapted TV campaigns, outdoor activities, and retail promotions. A 200-ml bottle was introduced during this campaign in order to increase frequency of purchase and volume of consumption. Prior to the introduction of the 200-ml bottle, most soft drinks were sold in 250-ml, 300-ml, and 500-ml bottles. In addition to 7UP, Pepsi Foods also introduced Mirinda Lemon, Apple, and Orange in 200-ml bottles.In the past, celebrity actors Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda, who are famous male stars of the Indian movie industry, had endorsed Mirinda Lemon. This wo rld-famous industry is referred to as â€Å"Bollywood† (the Hollywood of India based in Bombay). Pepsi’s Sponsorship of Cricket and Football (Soccer) After India won an outstanding victory in the India–England NatWest One-Day cricket series ? nals, PepsiCo launched a new ad campaign featuring the batting sensation, Mohammad Kaif. PepsiCo’s line-up of other cricket celebrities includes Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, V .S. Laxman, and Ajit Agarkar. All of these players were . V part of the Indian team for the World Cup Cricket Series. During the two months of the Series, a new product, Pepsi Blue, was 8/27/10 1:58 PM Part 6 Supplementary Material marketed nationwide. It was positioned as a â€Å"limited edition,† icy-blue cola sold in 300-ml, returnable glass bottles and 500-ml plastic bottles, priced at 8 rupees (Rs) and Rs 15, respectively. In addition, commemorative, nonreturnable 250-ml Pepsi bottles priced at Rs 12 w ere introduced. One rupee was equal to US 2. 54 cents in 2008. ) In addition to the sponsorship of cricket events, PepsiCo has also taken advantage of World Cup soccer fever in India by featuring football heroes such as Baichung Bhutia in Pepsi’s celebrity and music-related advertising communications. These ads featured football players pitted against sumo wrestlers. To consolidate its investment in its promotional campaigns, PepsiCo sponsored a music video with celebrity endorsers including the Bollywood stars, as well as several nationally known cricketers.The new music video aired on SET Max, a satellite channel broadcast mainly in the northern and western parts of India and popular among the 15–25 year age group. Coca-Cola’s Lifestyle Advertising While Pepsi’s promotional efforts focused on cricket, soccer, and other athletic events, Coca-Cola’s India strategy focused on relevant local idioms in an effort to build a â€Å"connection with the y outh market. † The urban youth target market, known as â€Å"India A,† includes 18–24 year olds in major metropolitan areas. Several ad campaigns were used to appeal to this market segment.One campaign was based on use of â€Å"gaana† music and ballet. (â€Å"Gaana† means to sing. ) The ? rst ad execution, called â€Å"Bombay Dreams,† featured A. R. Rahman, a famous music director. This approach was very successful among the target audience of young people, increasing sales by about 50 percent. It also won an Ef? Award from the Mumbai Advertising Club. A second execution of Coke’s southern strategy was â€Å"Chennai Dreams† (Chennai was formerly called Madras), a 60-second feature ? lm targeting consumers in Tamil Nadu, a region of southern India. The ? m featured Vijay, a youth icon who is famous as an actor in that region of south India. Another of the 60-second ? lms featured actor Vivek Oberoi with Aishwarya Rai. Both are fa mous as Bollywood movie stars. Aishwarya won the Miss World crown in 1994 and became an instant hit in Indian movies after deciding on an acting career. This ad showed Oberoi trying to hook up with Rai by deliberately leaving his mobile phone in the taxi that she hails, and then calling her. The ad message aimed to emphasize con? dence and optimism, as well as a theme of â€Å"seize the day. This campaign used print, outdoor, point-of-sale, restaurant and grocery chains, and local promotional events to tie into the 60-second ? lm. â€Å"While awareness of soft drinks is high, there is a need to build a deeper brand connect† in urban centers, according to the Director of Marketing for CocaCola India. â€Å"Vivek Oberoi—who’s an up and coming star today, and has a wholesome, energetic image—will help build a stronger bond with the youth, and make them feel that it is a brand that plays a role in their life, just as much as Levi’s or Ray-Ban. †In addition to promotions focused on urban youth, Coca-Cola India worked hard to build a brand preference among young people in rural target markets. The campaign slogan aimed at this market was â€Å"thanda matlab Coca-Cola† (or â€Å"cool means Coca-Cola† in Hindi). Coca-Cola India calls its rural youth target market â€Å"India B. † The prime objective in this market is to grow the generic soft drinks category and to develop brand preference for Coke. The â€Å"thanda† (â€Å"cold†) campaign successfully propelled Coke into the number three position in rural markets. cat2994X_case1_001-017. ndd cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd 12 Continuing to court the youth market, Coke has opened its ? rst retail outlet, Red Lounge. The Red Lounge is touted as a one-stopdestination where the youth can spend time and consume Coke products. The ? rst Red Lounge pilot outlet is in Pune, and based on the feedback, more outlets will be rolled out in other cities. The lounge sports red color, keeping with the theme of the Coke logo. It has a giant LCD television, video games, and Internet sur? ng facilities. The lounge offers the entire range of Coke products.The company is also using Internet to extend its reach into the public domain through the Web site www. myenjoyzone. com. The company has created a special online â€Å"Sprite-itude† zone that provides consumers opportunities for online gaming and expressing their creativity, keeping with the no-nonsense attitude of the drink. Coca-Cola’s speci? c marketing objectives are to grow the percapita consumption of soft drinks in the rural markets, capture a larger share in the urban market from competition, and increase the frequency of consumption.An â€Å"affordability plank,† along with introduction of a new 5-rupee bottle, was designed to help achieve all of these goals. The â€Å"Affordability Plank† The purpose of the â€Å"affordability plank† was to enha nce affordability of Coca-Cola’s products, bringing them within arm’s reach of consumers, and thereby promoting regular consumption. Given the very low percapita consumption of soft drinks in India, it was expected that price reductions would expand both the consumer base and the market for soft drinks. Coca-Cola India dramatically reduced prices of its soft drinks by 15 percent to 25 percent nationwide to encourage consumption.This move followed an earlier regional action in North India that reduced prices by 10–15 percent for its carbonated brands Coke, Thums Up, Limca, Sprite, and Fanta. In other regions such as Rajasthan, western and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, prices were slashed to Rs 5 for 200-ml glass bottles and Rs 8 for 300-ml bottles, down from the existing Rs 7 and Rs 10 price points, respectively. Another initiative by Coca-Cola was the introduction of a new size, the â€Å"Mini,† expected to increase total volume of sales and acco unt for the major chunk of Coca-Cola’s carbonated soft drink sales.The price reduction and new production launch were announced together in a new television ad campaign for Fanta and Coke in Tamil. A 30-second Fanta spot featured the brand ambassador, actress Simran, well-known for her dance sequences in Hindi movies. The ad showed Simran stuck in a traf? c jam. Thirsty, she tosses a 5-rupee coin to a roadside stall and signals to the vendor that she wants a Fanta Mini by pointing to her orange dress. (Fanta is an orangeade drink. ) She gets her Fanta and sets off a chain reaction on the crowded street, with everyone from school children to a traditional â€Å"nani† mimicking her action. â€Å"Nani† is the Hindi word for grandmother. ) The director of marketing commented that the company wanted to make consumers â€Å"sit up and take notice. † A NEW PRODUCT CATEGORY Although carbonated drinks are the mainstay of both Coke’s and Pepsi’s produ ct line, the Indian market for carbonated drinks is now not growing. It grew at a compounded annual growth rate of only 1 percent between 1999 and 2006, from $1. 31 billion to $1. 32 billion. However, the overall market for beverages, which includes soft drinks, juices, and other drinks, grew 6 percent from $3. 15 billion to $3. 4 billion. To encourage growth in demand for bottled beverages in the Indian market, several producers, including Coke and Pepsi, have 8/27/10 1:58 PM Cases 1 An Overview launched their own brands in a new category, bottled water. This market was valued at 1,000 Crores. 1 Pepsi and Coke are responding to the declining popularity of soft drinks or carbonated drinks and the increased focus on all beverages that are non-carbonated. The ultimate goal is leadership in the packaged water market, which is growing more rapidly than any other category of bottled beverages.Pepsi is a signi? cant player in the packaged water market with its Aqua? na brand, which has a signi? cant share of the bottled water market and is among the top three retail water brands in the country. PepsiCo consistently has been working toward reducing its dependence on Pepsi Cola by bolstering its non-cola portfolio and other categories. This effort is aimed at making the company more broad-based in category growth so that no single product or category becomes the key determinant of the company’s market growth.The non-cola segment is said to have grown to contribute one-fourth of PepsiCo’s overall business in India during the past three to four years. Previously, the multinational derived a major chunk of its growth from Pepsi-Cola. Among other categories on which the company is focusing are fruit juices, juice-based drinks, and water. The estimated fruit juice market in India is approximately 350 Crores and growing month to month. One of the key factors that has triggered this trend is the emergence of the mass luxury segment and increasing consumer consc iousness about health and wellness. Our hugely successful international brand Gatorade has gained momentum in the country with consumers embracing a lifestyle that includes sports and exercise. The emergence of high-quality gymnasiums, ? tness and aerobic centres mirror the ? tness trend,† said a spokesperson. Coca-Cola introduced its Kinley brand of bottled water and in two years achieved a 28 percent market share. It initially produced bottled water in 15 plants and later expanded to another 15 plants. The Kinley brand of bottled water sells in various pack sizes: 500 ml, 1 liter, 1. 5 liter, 2 liter, 5 liter, 20 liter, and 25 liter.The smallest pack was priced at Rs 6 for 500 ml, while the 2-liter bottle was Rs 17. The current market leader, with 40 percent market share, is the Bisleri brand by Parle. Other competing brands in this segment include Bailley by Parle, Hello by Hello Mineral Waters Pvt. Ltd. , Pure Life by Nestle, and a new brand launched by Indian Railways, ca lled Rail Neer. CONTAMINATION ALLEGATIONS AND WATER USAGE Just as things began to look up for the American companies, an environmental organization claimed that soft drinks produced in India by Coca-Cola and Pepsi contained signi? cant levels of pesticide residue.Coke and Pepsi denied the charges and argued that extensive use of pesticides in agriculture had resulted in a minute degree of pesticide in sugar used in their drinks. The result of tests conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed that soft drinks produced by the two companies were safe to drink under local health standards. Protesters in India reacted to reports that Coca-Cola and Pepsi contained pesticide residues. Some states announced partial bans on Coke and Pepsi products. When those reports appeared on the front pages of newspapers in India, Coke and Pepsi executives were con? ent that they could handle the situation. But they stumbled. 1 One Crore cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd cat2994X_case1_001-0 17. indd 13 10,000,000 Rupees, and US$1 Rs48, so 1,000 Crore US$208,300. They underestimated how quickly events would spiral into a nationwide scandal, misjudged the speed with which local politicians would seize on an Indian environmental group’s report to attack their global brands, and did not respond swiftly to quell the anxieties of their customers. The companies formed committees in India and the United States, working in tandem on legal and public relations issues.They worked around the clock fashioning rebuttals. They commissioned their own laboratories to conduct tests and waited until the results came through before commenting in detail. Their approaches back? red. Their reluctance to give details fanned consumer suspicion. They became bogged down in the technicalities of the charges instead of focusing on winning back the support of their customers. At the start, both companies were unprepared when one state after another announced partial bans on Coke and Pepsi pr oducts; the drinks were prevented from being sold in government of? es, hospitals, and schools. Politicians exploited the populist potential. In hindsight, the Coke communications director said she could see how the environmental group had picked Coca-Cola as a way of attracting attention to the broader problem of pesticide contamination in Indian food products. â€Å"Fringe politicians will continue to be publicly hostile to big Western companies, regardless of how eager they are for their investment,† she said. Failing to anticipate the political potency of the incident, Coke and Pepsi initially hoped that the crisis would blow over and they adopted a policy of silence. Here people interpret silence as guilt,† said an Indian public relations expert. â€Å"You have to roll up your sleeves and get into a street ? ght. Coke and Pepsi didn’t understand that. † Coca-Cola eventually decided to go on the attack, though indirectly, giving detailed brie? ngs by e xecutives, who questioned the scienti? c credentials of their products’ accusers. They directed reporters to Internet blogs full of entries that were uniformly proCoke, and they handed out the cell phone number for the director of an organization called the Center for Sanity and Balance in Public Life.Emphasizing that he was not being paid by the industry, Kishore Asthana, from that center, said, â€Å"One can drink a can of Coke every day for two years before taking in as much pesticide as you get from two cups of tea. † The situation continued to spin out of control. Newspapers printed images of cans of the drinks with headlines like â€Å"toxic cocktail. † News channels broadcast images of protesters pouring Coke down the throats of donkeys. A vice president for CocaCola India said his â€Å"heart sank† when he ? rst heard the accusations because he knew that consumers would be easily confused. But even terminology like P. P. B. —parts per billi on—is dif? cult to comprehend,† he said. â€Å"This makes our job very challenging. † PepsiCo began a public relations offensive, placing large advertisements in daily newspapers saying, â€Å"Pepsi is one of the safest beverages you can drink today. † The company acknowledged that pesticides were present in the groundwater in India and found their way into food products in general. But, it said, â€Å"compared with the permitted levels in tea and other food products, pesticide levels in soft drinks are negligible. After all the bad press Coke got in India over the pesticide content in its soft drinks, an activist group in California launched a campaign directed at U. S. college campuses, accusing CocaCola of India of using precious groundwater, lacing its drinks with pesticides, and supplying farmers with toxic waste used for fertilizing their crops. According to one report, a plant that 8/27/10 1:58 PM Part 6 Supplementary Material produces 300,000 lite rs of soda drink a day uses 1. 5 million liters of water, enough to meet the requirements of 20,000 people.The issue revolved around a bottling plant in Plachimada, India. Although the state government granted Coke permission to build its plant in 1998, the company was obliged to get the locally elected village council’s go-ahead to exploit groundwater and other resources. The village council did not renew permission in 2002, claiming the bottling operation had depleted the farmers’ drinking water and irrigation supplies. Coke’s plant was closed until the corporation won a court ruling allowing them to reopen.The reopening of the plant in 2006 led students of a major Midwestern university to call for a ban on the sale of all Coca-Cola products on campus. According to one source, more than 20 campuses banned Coca-Cola products, and hundreds of people in the United States called on Coca-Cola to close its bottling plants because the plants drain water from communit ies throughout India. They contended that such irresponsible practices rob the poor of their fundamental right to drinking water, are a source of toxic waste, cause serious harm to the environment, and threaten people’s health.In an attempt to stem the controversy, Coca-Cola entered talks with the Midwestern university and agreed to cooperate with an independent research assessment of its work in India; the university selected the institute to conduct the research, and Coke ? nanced the study. As a result of the proposed research program, the university agreed to continue to allow Coke products to be sold on campus. In 2008 the study reported that none of the pesticides were found to be present in processed water used for beverage production and that the plants met governmental regulatory standards.However, the report voiced concerns about the company’s use of sparse water supplies. Coca-Cola was asked by the Delhi-based environmental research group to consider shuttin g down one of its bottling plants in India. Coke’s response was that â€Å"the easiest thing would be to shut down, but the solution is not to run away. If we shut down, the area is still going to have a water problem. We want to work with farming communities and industries to reduce the amount of water used. † The controversies highlight the challenges that multinational companies can face in their overseas operations.Despite the huge popularity of the drinks, the two companies are often held up as symbols of Western cultural imperialism. QUESTIONS 1. The political environment in India has proven to be critical to company performance for both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. What speci? c aspects of the political environment have played key roles? Could these effects have been anticipated prior to market entry? If not, could developments in the political arena have been handled better by each company? 2. Timing of entry into the Indian market brought different esults for PepsiCo and Coca-Cola India. What bene? ts or disadvantages accrued as a result of earlier or later market entry? 3. The Indian market is enormous in terms of population and geography. How have the two companies responded to the cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd cat2994X_case1_001-017. indd 14 sheer scale of operations in India in terms of product policies, promotional activities, pricing policies, and distribution arrangements? 4. â€Å"Global localization† (glocalization) is a policy that both companies have mplemented successfully. Give examples for each company from the case. 5. How can Pepsi and Coke confront the issues of water use in the manufacture of their products? How can they defuse further boycotts or demonstrations against their products? How effective are activist groups like the one that launched the campaign in California? Should Coke address the group directly or just let the furor subside? 6. Which of the two companies do you think has better longterm prospects for success in India? 7.What lessons can each company draw from its Indian experience as it contemplates entry into other Big Emerging Markets? 8. Comment on the decision of both Pepsi and Coke to enter the bottled water market instead of continuing to focus on their core products—carbonated beverages and cola-based drinks in particular. 9. Most recently Coca-Cola has decided to enter the growing Indian market for energy drinks, forecasted to grow to $370 billion in 2013 from less than half that in 2003. The competition in this market is ? erce with established ? rms including Red Bull and Sobe.With its new brand Burn, Coke initially targeted alternative distribution channels such as pubs, bars, and gyms rather than large retail outlets such as supermarkets. Comment on this strategy. This case was prepared by Lyn S. Amine, Ph. D. , Professor of Marketing and International Business, Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Marketing Science, President, Women of the Academy of In ternational Business, Saint Louis University, and Vikas Kumar, Assistant Professor, Strategic Management Institute, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Dr. Lyn S.Amine and Vikas Kumar prepared this case from public sources as a basis for classroom discussion only. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of administrative problems. The case was revised in 2005 and 2008 with the authors’ permission. Sources: Lyn S. Amine and Deepa Raizada, â€Å"Market Entry into the Newly Opened Indian Market: Recent Experiences of US Companies in the Soft Drinks Industry,† in Developments in Marketing Science, XVIII, proceedings of the annual conference of the Academy of Marketing Science, Roger Gomes (ed. ) (Coral Gables, FL: AMS, 1995), pp. 87–92; Jeff Cioletti, â€Å"Indian Government Says Coke and Pepsi Safe,† Beverage World, September 15, 2003; â€Å"Indian Group Plans Coke, Pepsi Protests After Pesticide Claims,† AFP, December 15, 2004; â€Å"Fortune Sellers,† Foreign Policy, May/ June 2004; â€Å"International Pressure Grows to Permanently Close Coke Bottling Plant in Plachimada,† PR Newswire, June 15, 2005; â€Å"Indian Village Refuses Coca-Cola License to Exploit Ground Water,† AFP, June 14, 2005; â€Å"Why Everyone Loves to Hate Coke,† Economist Times, June 16, 2005; â€Å"PepsiCo India To Focus on Non-Cola Segment,† Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, September 22, 2006; â€Å"For 2 Giants of Soft Drinks, A Crisis in a Crucial Market,† The New York Times, August 23, 2006; â€Å"Coke and Pepsi Try to Reassure India That Drinks Are Safe,† The New York Times, August 2006; â€Å"Catalyst: The Fizz in Water† Financial Times Limited, October 11, 2007; â€Å"Marketing: Coca-Cola Foraying Into Retail Lounge Format,† Business Line, â€Å"April 7, 2007; â€Å"India Ops Now in Control, Says Coke Boss,† The Times of India, October 3, 2007; à ¢â‚¬Å"Pepsi: Repairing a Poisoned Reputation in India; How the Soda Giant Fought Charges of Tainted Products in a Country Fixated on its Polluted Water,† Business Week, June 11, 2007, p. 48; â€Å"Coca-Cola Asked to Shut Indian Plant to Save Water,† International Herald Tribune, January 15, 2008; â€Å"Coca Cola: A Second Shot at Energy Drinks,† DataMonitor, January 2010. 8/27/10 1:58 PM

The Desire of Love in “A Mercy”

â€Å"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly. † – Robert Frost The conception of love throughout the novel changes drastically from innocent to a sense of desertion. The way Florence shows her love for the blacksmith illustrates to the reader her inexperience with the emotion. Love was a pretty difficult topic to write on because of the fact that the novel was narrated by so many different characters from beginning to end. The irony on the basis of love is was basically the fact that the blacksmith doesn’t feel the same way for Florence as she feels for him.Later on in the novel I noticed and finally understood the title of the novel â€Å"A Mercy. † It was simply because of the Love of a human. Illustrated in the concluding paragraphs Morrison states â€Å"It was not a miracle. Bestowed by God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human. † Love is often defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, and the way Florence expressed her love for the blacksmith emphasized her youth not only in age but also with the emotion itself. Florence showed consistent signs of jealously and bitterness because she was able to handle such affection.She was regularly bitter with the thought of her mother giving her away when she was younger, not knowing the reason for her mother’s rational decision. One way Florence showed her jealously was when the blacksmith adopted a young boy and began showing him more attention than he gave Florence. Florence, overtake by jealously and rage got into a physical altercation with the young child and in the end ended up breaking the child’s arm. Florence says in chapter 9 that she didn’t try to hurt the young lad, she just simply wanted him to stop crying, but she also goes on to say how she heard his shoulder crack but continued anyway (164).This is what leads me to think that it was done out of her jealously and rage and not by other less harmful means. The incident not on ly caused a huge dispute between her and the blacksmith but it also projected to the reader that Florence was unable to accept the fact that the blacksmith could show affection for someone else, other than her. â€Å"You see the boy down and believe bad about me without question? † (165) Florence goes into detail speaking about how the blacksmith came into the room and his immediate assumption was that Florence had did something to harm the boy.The excerpt that I think hurt Florence the most (165) was when he said to her â€Å"You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind. † Basically telling Florence she is as wild as an outdoor animal and can’t control herself or her emotions. Like a toddler Florence craves independence and attention but yet from the activities that Florence encountered in her past, she also fears desertion. As I stated before, Florence and the blacksmith got into a physical altercation and the blacksmith ended up striking Florence an d he abandoned her by telling her to leave the presence of him and his adopted son.Not only did the blacksmith aim to hurt Florence physically but he also attempted to hurt her verbally because after her told her to leave his presence her called her a (166) â€Å"slave by choice in both boy and mind. † In the novel Morrison compares this sense of abandonment to that of a familiar feeling Florence felt when she was given up at birth. Knowing that that event scared Florence negatively for life, it really gives the reader the ability to feel the wrath of the emotional roller coaster Florence is feeling at this point in the novel knowing she just lost a man she cared so deeply about.The love Florence has/had for the blacksmith soon des and turn simply to hatred because she still can’t realize the mistake she made in hurting Malik. Yes in my opinion the blacksmith was wrong for striking her but she was somewhat lucky that that was all he did. (184) Later, on in chapter 11 F lorence elaborates more on her closing quotes in chapter 9 which was â€Å"the claws scratch and scratch until the hammer is in my hand† (167).But in chapter 11 Florence gets into another tussle with the blacksmith (184) in which she strikes him with a hammer and cuts him severely with tongs before she runs away. Later on in this chapter and the preceding chapter (195) is where readers learn why the novel is titled â€Å"A Mercy. † The novel is named for Jacobs agreement to save Florence from a life that would have been worse than the one she experience on the Vaarks farm. â€Å"It was Not a miracle bestowed bu God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human†

Economic Effects of Immigration in the Philippines

Ten Economic Facts about Immigration INTRODUCTION The Hamilton Project believes it is important to ground the current immigration debate in an objective economic framework based on the best available evidence. In this policy memo, we explore some of the questions frequently raised around immigration in the United States and provide facts drawn from publicly available data sets and the academic literature. Most Americans agree that the current U. S. immigration system is flawed.Less clear, however, are the economic facts about immigration—the real effects that new immigrants have on wages, jobs, budgets, and the U. S. economy—facts that are essential to a constructive national debate. These facts paint a more nuanced portrait of American immigration than is portrayed in today’s debate. Recent immigrants hail from many more countries than prior immigrants; they carry with them a wide range of skills from new PhDs graduating from American universities to laborers wi thout a high school degree.Most recent immigrants have entered the United States legally, but around 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently live and work in America; the majority of these unauthorized workers settled here more than a decade ago. Each of these immigrant groups affects the U. S. economy in varied ways that should be considered in the current debate around immigration reform. Immigrants now comprise more than 12 percent of the American population, according to recent estimates, approaching levels not seen since the early 20th century.Today’s controversies over immigration echo arguments made a century ago during the last immigration peak. While the demographics of U. S. immigrants have shifted dramatically, the concerns voiced about the social and economic impacts of immigration strike a familiar chord. A major economic concern is how immigrants influence the wages and employment prospects of U. S. workers. The economic impacts of immigration vary tremendo usly, depending on whether immigrants are unskilled agricultural laborers, for example, or highly skilled PhD computer scientists.Although their consequences are often conflated, it is constructive to examine the impacts of low-skilled and high-skilled immigrants independently. Another point of controversy in today’s debate involves the impact of unauthorized immigrants on our economic wellbeing. The best estimates suggest that 28 percent of the total foreign-born population could be unauthorized. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, roughly 60 percent of these unauthorized immigrants are from Mexico. (However, unauthorized immigrants make up only about 21 percent of U. S. residents of Mexican heritage. When possible, we try to differentiate the figures to more closely understand the different effects—positive or negative—that unauthorized workers may have on the economy. Of course, there are many factors at play and the economic evidence is only one piece of t he puzzle. These facts are designed to provide a common ground that all participants in the policy debate can agree on. In the months and years ahead, The Hamilton Project will return to the issue of immigration as we offer policy recommendations on the economic issues facing the United States.

Single-Case Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Single-Case Design - Essay Example In the context of this diversity, researchers should be cautious in selecting an appropriate research method. The Single case design method is considered a good example of human studies that has been so called because of the nature of human research and its use of individual samples i.e., only one or few numbers of participants. Gustav Fecner was the first scholar who has used Single case design in 1860 to develop the discipline of psychophysics. During the initial development of this design, Fecner conducted his research on only two participants (himself and his brother). According to Kerlinger and Lee (2000), Fecner is credited with inventing methods that are still used to measure sensory thresholds. According to Kerlinger and Lee (2000), I.P. Pavlov, through his use of this research design, did pioneering work on instrumental conditioning using dogs. Using single cases was the first step, which led to the development and expansion of this method. Single case design encompasses a s et of characteristics that distinguishes it from others. For example, single-case design, or single participant experimental design, is defined as a strategy by which control in experiments over one or just few participants is achieved. That is why the method is sometimes referred to as the N=1 design (Barker, Pistrang, & Elliott, 2002).

Critical response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical response paper - Essay Example She later moved to Edmonton to work with abused children and teens in the child welfare system. At the age of 30, she collapsed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Recovering at home, she began her first novel. Therapy is an important part of recovery and for Goobie, a large part of her therapy is writing. As she was suffering from blurred vision she dictated the story a few minutes into a tape recorder. It was about a girl who decides to stop shaving her legs and enter a beauty pageant. The novel Mission Impossible won an award from the Writer’s Guild of Alberta and was nominated for the Governor General Award for children’s literature. According to Goobie there are a lot of negative messages given to children and teenagers in our society. She tries to reverse these as much as possible in her books. Her writing reflects the issues surrounding the anger and powerlessness of those too young to defend themselves. Beth Goobie has worked for a long time with children who have been physically and sexually abused. Expressing these feelings many of Beth’s novels have aimed to try and save young adults. Both her books, Scars of Light and The Only Good Heart are built on the theme of cults, abuse and emotional torture. Books like these have been therapeutic for her mind and a warning to others. In her words childhood is mostly about programming us to keep us in line so that as adults we stay in line and she tries to encourage kids to see beyond that. Goobie is well known for her quirky and dark young adult novels. She published several of them beginning in 1994. She wrote the much acclaimed Scars of light in 1994, in which she wrote about her traumatic experiences as a child in. The brutally realistic poems won her the Pat Lowther Memorial Award and were nominated for a Governor General’s Award for poetry. This was followed by 2 more Sticks and stones and Kicked out in 1995. In

Training Responsibilities of Supervisors and Managers Dissertation

Training Responsibilities of Supervisors and Managers - Dissertation Example The supervisors and managers, therefore, have a responsibility to look after the needs and aspirations of the employees who work under their aegis and are trying their utmost to give in the best, on a proactively consistent basis. The training realms within any organization remain significant in entirety because the training modules teach so much more than merely training the employees. They tell them the basics related to conducting their respective chores, tasks, and undertakings. They also dictate the exact basis through which work processes get manifested in entirety. What is even more significant is an understanding that the supervisors and managers play their necessary roles at inculcating the kind of training that is needed by the organization in essence. The HRD department is therefore dependent on the supervisors and managers but what is ambiguous is the fact that these supervisors and managers are not a part of this HRD philosophy at all. The supervisors and managers hold t he fort for the organization when it comes to training and its imparting for the sake of the employees who are present in different departments of the organization. The organizations, therefore, find the best ways and means through which the HRD can become an independent department and work on its own to achieve the end objectives and results; all of which remain significant on a proactive basis. The list of responsibilities might comprise of preparing training procedures and plans for the employees, drafting policies which can tell them exactly what to expect of their relevant domains both in the short term as well as in the long run, and coordinating with clients and stakeholders on a constant basis. The training procedures are important to ascertain because these take into consideration the aspects of inculcating the true spirits of the organization on to the employees who remain significant during such undertakings. The supervisors and managers need to come out of their related realms to make sure that the employees are on track and are able to complete their jobs in a proper way.

Andrew Jackson and William T. Sherman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andrew Jackson and William T. Sherman - Essay Example Despite their important places in history, the credibility of both men has been a long debated issue. Known popularly as the ‘Old Hero’, Jackson was revered as a president bigger than life, whose prominence attributed him to an era. Despite his immense impact on the growth of the American economy during the years of his presidency, he is also argued as someone who was under the control of rather than being in control of the forces that governed the economic and political scenario during his era (Sean Wilentz, 2005). In contrast, there is a unanimous agreement to the fact that Sherman managed to succeed in his military offensives largely due to his ability in organization and command in the military and the consistency with which he played a psychological assault on his opponents. He was also known to display his ruthless rage with a sense of clarity (Edward Robins, 1905). Jackson as a leader was known to yearn for the agrarian past, which had dominated the American economy until then. In fact, he is widely regarded as devoting a large time during his term in office in an inconsistent battle towards resisting the prospects of a revolution in the markets (Robert Vincent Remini, 1969). In contrast to these differing personalities, Sherman was a man whose nature could be easily perceived from his behavior. He was someone whose complicated attitude would create a charming and interesting opinion, but would nevertheless do little towards helping anyone embrace him closely. He was known to be short tempered, garrulous and aggressive in his approach. Just like Jackson supported the practice of slavery, Sherman was a known racist (Faunt Le Roy Senour, 1865). Despite his insecurities, he was well acclaimed with the war and how to go about finishing it. Sherman was known to stir controversies with his provocative personality and often provided assurances on issues that others would

Millennium Pest Control Services Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Millennium Pest Control Services - Case Study Example Having completed this initial and important part of the marketing strategy, the firm is now in the process of configuring the value, set the price, communicate the set values to the prospective customers and deliver the values to the utmost satisfaction of the customers. "Consumer-focused marketing is the single most important factor that determines the success of an enterprise. Marketing is not just about selling. It requires a clear and astute understanding of what consumers want and the ability to deliver it to them through the most appropriate channels for a profit. It includes the planning, pricing, promotion and distribution of products and services for consumers, both present and potential." (Katherine Adam, Radhika Balasubrahmanyam, and Holly Born 1999) In today's competitive business environment, achieving the organizational twin objectives of maximizing the revenues and minimizing the costs depends entirely on the organisation's ability to improve upon the technical excellence by adopting innovative methods and improving the value of the products being offered to the customers. At the same time, adopting innovative techniques of production will lead to the creation of organizational values. It is very essential for a firm to constantly aim at the configuration of its value. "Configuring value means defining, creating, branding and pricing the offer" (Mark, 2004) While, the processes of defining and creating values are the crucial tasks in the success of any business, the processes of branding and pricing can be attempted with ease once a proper value is defined and created. The value configuration is a process by which the firm aims to create and occupy an unforgettable place for its products in the minds of the customers. The value configuration describes the ways by which value is created by the company for its customers and the ways by which such creation of value is exhibited as a reflection on the quality of the firm's products and services. This can be achieved by providing the customers the superior quality of the products or services, backed by the after sales services if required. Most of the firms forget the utility and value of the 'after sales service' as an important tool for gaining the brand loyalty. Thus the process of value creation encompasses managing quality in the entire chain of processes until the stage of the final co mpletion of the production or rendering of a service. To define organizational value is a difficult task, as the term takes different connotations under different circumstances depending on the perspectives to which it relates. It can be said that the best known value configuration is the value chain. While Porter's value chain framework (1985) is generally accepted as the common language for representing and analyzing the logic of firm-level value creation, Mark Gabbot (2004) presents the framework of value as an alternative to the traditional 4Ps approach. Adding value to the services and products in an organization is entrusted to the operations management for evolving suitable operational strategies to achieve higher value for the products and services. An organization may adopt all or any of the following strategies for value creation: Trying out different

Writing to Persuade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing to Persuade - Essay Example 003, 22) Those who want the death penalty continued often make their arguments on the grounds of philosophical or psychological speculation stating, â€Å"The fact that a state can be just and apply the death penalty does not, of course, mean that the death penalty cannot be applied in error† (Sorell, 2002, 30). A more reality-based perspective is wanted when discussing the actual issue of the death penalty. Overall, the death penalty is not an effective deterrent to many crimes, including murder. Even though this is one of the main reasons given by its advocates, other conclusions make more rational sense. Murder, is most often done in the heat of passion or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In this state, the person is not cognizant of the outcome of their actions; they are acting on impulse rather than planning out what they are doing. And most murders do happen this way. Those that do not are generally preplanned and worked out so that the perpetrator does not expect to receive any punishment at all. In neither of these cases is the murderer thinking of the death penalty: in the first case, they are not thinking of the future at all, and in the second, they are assuming they are not going to be caught. In both of these cases, the death penalty is not doing anything to stop the murder from happening; it is simply assuring that, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, an eye for an e ye is going to keep making the whole world blind. States that do not have the death penalty do not have greater murder rates than those that do. This exposes the practice as essentially barbaric and

Why should Donuts be banned Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why should Donuts be banned - Research Paper Example However, their taste is not enough to keep the supporters of the ban quiet. They say that donuts should be banned. They should disappear from the bakeries. They should not be present in bakeries that are located outside the hospitals because patients must be stopped from consuming the unhealthy food. For example, the Capital Health banned donuts in bakeries outside hospitals in Tim Hortons. The idea behind was to enable the staff of the hospital and patients to make healthier choices when it came to their eating habits. In 2009, deep fryers were also banned in the hospitals’ cafeterias for the same reasons. Obese people are also at a chance of catching more obesity if they will continue to eat donuts. Also, since kids are so much attracted to this round delight, they consume a lot of them which fills their stomachs with empty calories not providing them sufficient energy and nutrients. This also makes them obese if they do not consume donuts in balance. So, the whole concept r evolves around promoting a healthier lifestyle where people are at least risk of catching diseases associated with sugary food. On the other hand, the opponents of donut ban also have to say something to save some delight for their taste buds. They say that banning something to eat is of no sense. They state that alcohol is also banned for under-eighteen people but this only increases the fantasy. Banning donuts will also increase the demand for them. According to them, a sensible step is to discourage people from eating them. People should be made familiar with the healthier choices they can make. Patients should be taught the drawbacks of eating donuts so that they stop buying them. Patients always know what they have to eat. If they go for donuts, it is their choice. People opposing the ban say that donuts are not the only sugary substance in the market that needs a ban then. The need is to create awareness rather than making eatables disappear

An analysis of obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

An analysis of obesity - Essay Example Obesity results from an increase in the intake of calories than the individual can burn off by engaging in physical activity. In the modern day, lifestyles promote the consumption of food with calories more so the ones that have excessive fats as well as sugar (Egger & Swinburn, 2010, 110). For instance, the working population loves eating take away foods mainly, fries, hamburger and milkshake. The fast food average a total of about 1,500 calories in a single meal yet an average person requires 2,000 to 2,500 calories to maintain a normal weight (Lustig, 2011, p.54). Biologically, the body of an individual who consumes products with excess calories tends to store the excess energy as fat. Lack of Physical Activity The situation worsens because most of the individuals spend a lot of time sitting on sofas or at desks in the work place. Rarely do people with excess body fats walk or engage in cycling to exercise the body because of the overreliance on cars. Obese people always have the desire to relax the body (Freedman, 2009, p.7). It is a lot more likely to find obese individuals watching television or browsing on the internet than going to the gym. Obese children are no exception as many are the cases where parents drive and pick up such children to school (Bouchard, 2000, p. 331). The children have negative attitude towards engaging in tiring exercises and would rather play computer games. Poor Diets Many families have poor diets comprising of either beer, which has a lot of calories or sugary drinks as part the meal.

American history Essay Example for Free

American history Essay In American history, there have been numerous instances in which a greater degree of damage and death which visited out shores. In the three day battle of Gettysburg, more than 51,000 soldiers fell. (Burns, 1989) The invasion of France on June 6, 1944 took more than 6,000 lives. Pearly Harbor claimed more than 2300 lives and introduced Americans to a war that would take more than 400,000 lives. However, the events which transpired on September 11, 2001 will always serve as one of the defining moments for those who lived through it. As with the assassin ion of John F. Kennedy was to our parents’ generation, September 11, 2001 will be for our generation. The news is filled with a multitude of calamities. The Asian tsunami in December of 2004 which claimed 200,000 lives or any number of events which take a toll on the human population, due to the fact that the evening news is saturated with events which should horror us but which really don’t as we have become apathetic against its stimulus, there are sometimes, national tragedies which affect the average American in ways that are hard to explain and fathom for those who are on the outside and looking in. This was the case for Natasha Jackson; a 27 year old African American female who lost two family members on September 11. For her, the day is more than just a time to rally behind the troops and to take time out of one’s day to remember those who died. For Natasha Jackson, 9/11 does not stop but continues 365 days a year. Natasha Jackson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Her father was a police chief in DuPage County Illinois. Natasha was in college while the events of September 11 were transpiring. At the end of her 8am class, which ended at 9:15, and upon walking to her next class, she was overheard some talk about a major news event. She did not realize exactly what had happened until the professor in her next class, told her and the rest of the class what had happened. All of the details would not be known until months and years later. However, by the time the second plane hit the tower, it had become obvious that this was no accident. We had hoped that all of the more than 50,000 people, who, on a daily basis, worked in the Twin Towers, would have been able to vacate the building while it was still standing. This was not the case for nearly 3,000 people who perished when the towers fell. (Burns, 2003) Since I had not known anybody in New York or who were on those planes that were hijacked, I was glad that as for me, the event did not take any of my loved ones. However, I knew that was not the case for thousands of families across the country. America was now at war to defeat terrorism and this would take an additional four thousands American lives to date with more casualties being reported daily. I did not know that the events of September 11 would affect somebody so close to me as I would eventually find out to be the case. Towards the end of September, 2001, as clean up crews were still busy picking up the twisted metal from the site of Ground Zero and plans for a strike against Iraq were being discussed, I learned that two of Natasha’s relatives, were not only affected by 9/11, but were actually killed when the first tower fell. It was something that was hard to realize had hit so close to home even when it was not my relatives that had been affected. More than six years later, Natasha sat down to talk to me about the events of that day and what she felt then as well as now. Natasha commented: â€Å"That day is one that I will never forget for as long as I live. † I was horrified by what I saw on television. However, my reaction was one filled with a bit more panic than my classmates who were watching the same thing as I was. I knew that my aunt, Marilyn Jackson worked in Tower One at Canter Fitzgerald. I would later find out that nearly 800 employees of that firm would die on September 11. (Burns, 2003) † When asked exactly what her initial reaction was, Natasha still finds it difficult to accurately explain what she was feeling. â€Å"I though that I was seeing a movie and that the events in New York was an examples of special effects or something. I really didn’t know what to think. I sat transfixed at what I was seeing and I didn’t get around to calling my father until a couple hours after the towers fell. I just didn’t know how to react. † In the immediate hours after the first tower fell, I actually ran into Natasha. We were not our jovial self for obvious reasons but I assumed that it was due to the events in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon earlier that day. I did not think to ask Natasha if she had known anybody who was killed that day. I knew that she had always had a love affair with New York and hoped to complete her Master’s Degree at New York University one day. I did not know that she had two relatives who lived there in the city. Natasha then explained what her immediate actions were in the hours following the destruction of the first tower and then the second. â€Å"I called my father to ask him the whereabouts of my aunt. He said that he didn’t know and that he would not know for some time. Not only was the event very chaotic, but the fact that he was a police chief in a Chicago suburb, his force went on high alert as there was rumors that The Sears Tower might be targeted. People didn’t know what to think. Everything was a mess. I was a mess as well. I pride myself on being a rational and independent person. I never get anxious but am rather calm and have a strong demeanor. That day, I was not able to contain my composure which only compounded my feelings of anxiety as I did not know how to gather my thoughts. † Natasha then comments on the time when she heard that her aunt was missing and then, a few days later, believed to be dead. â€Å"The next few days, nobody knew where my aunt or many of the other were. I waited by my phone and could not go to class. I tried to separate myself from the various news accounts as there was no shortage of coverage on television. I tried to go for a walk or to go and work out. My attempts did not come to fruition and it only served as a momentary respite from the inner pain and confusion that I was feeling. Eight days later, I received a call from my father who told me that my aunt was probably dead and the possibility of there being any survivors of the attack from those who were in the towers at the time it fell, was very unlikely. The country would later learn that there would not be a single survivor from the fall of the Twin Towers. It seemed unlikely, even before being told that was the case, that anybody could survive that. I still held out hope until I received that call. † The terror that Natasha would feel, would not be confined to only the loss of her aunt, who alone, would be more than anybody could really fathom. What served as a source of added stress, not only was Natasha’s aunt murdered on 9/11, but so too was her uncle. The aunt was from her father’s side and her uncle came from her mother’s side. Gerald Smith was a firefighter and one of the 343 New York City firefighters who died trying to save others in the Twin Towers. (Burns, 2003) â€Å"It is really hard to fathom such a combination punch that misguided and evil people gave to our family. I had been close to my uncle as a child but when he moved to New York, we lost touch. However, as it is the case with most people, those who touch their lives as a child, even though communications might have dropped off, they still reside in an important part of that person’s heart. I had not known that my uncle was still a New York firefighter. However, when my mother called me, not more than two days after being told that my aunt had died, I was told that my uncle died as well. There are no words that could describe what I felt that week. I could not go to class, I barely ate and did not take any visitors at all for the rest of the year. If somebody told me that they I had their condolences and that they understood how I felt, I was so angry inside, that I had to restrain myself from simply punching them in the face. And I am not a violent person by any means. I have strong opinions but usually respect others and would much rather avoid an insulting argument than to engage in one. I just became a very angry and bitter person. † In perspective, I asked Natasha how she now viewed 9/11 and all of the ramifications that it has now had for the country. â€Å"I have considered myself a Democrat for most of my life. However, even though the war in Iraq has been mishandled on a dozen different fronts, I become so angry when I hear politicians from both political parties proclaim that we should simply leave Iraq and that terrorism is really not worth fighting. It seems to me that since America is a very disposable society, people have forgotten what happened on 9/11. I will never forget seeing people jumping 1000 feet to their deaths while the towers burned. When I hear reports of Glasgow, London, Bali and Madrid being victims of more terrorist attacks from a small portion of the Muslim community who have been steered the wrong way, I become very frustrated. Does one have to lose two members of their family in a terrorist attack to remember that America is a very dangerous place and that there are millions of people who would love to attack this country. I still am a Democrat and believe in the principles of the party. I just feel so frustrated, as does most Americans, about the level of unity and as a result, progress that is being achieved in this area. † Natasha spent most of the Fall of 2001, dealing with the deaths of her family members. â€Å" Since there were no remains that were found of both my aunt and uncle, I really didn’t know what to do. I still go to their grave sites but I know that their body is not there. In time, the body would slowly disappear but I wanted to have the same experience that anybody would want who receive some comfort in visiting the gravesite of their loved ones. At least, I wanted to experience that but have been unable to. However, I feel additionally cheated by the fact that the only place where I can visit my aunt and uncle is in my mind. † When asked, Natasha speaks about her life since 9/11. â€Å"I eventually graduated college and even though my plans to receive my Master’s Degree at New York University did not pan out, I still feel close to that city and always will. I went to Boston to work for the Democratic National Convention in the months leading up to the 2004 election. With a degree in political science, I always have been politically aware of my surroundings. I knew that I needed to expand my sphere of influence beyond college and felt that my effort in the DNC, although not successful, still did prove some good. I honored my aunt and uncle in that respect. † It was a trying but successful time for me as I actually got to meet President Clinton while dining at a restaurant in Boston. I walked up to both him and his wife Hillary and introduced myself beyond the Secret Service and Mr. Clinton actually said that he had heard that we were doing good work. Perhaps that was just lip service but it was a great honor for me nevertheless. †

Effects Of Heat And PH On Plant Pigments Biology Essay

Effects Of Heat And PH On Plant Pigments Biology Essay The aim of this laboratory exercise is to determine and consider the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment by using the examples of peas, cranberry juice and blackberry juice. Carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids are the three major groups of plant pigment. The results of this laboratory was that the different colour and texture of peas were caused by different pH. In addition, the heat and pH will influence the structure of carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids so that changes the colour of the plant. Anthocyanins are water soluble that easily lose in water. INTRODUCTION: Plant pigments include a variety of different kinds of molecules that absorbs and reflects light. The various pigments contained in their tissues tell the colors differently because they have differing abilities to absorb and reflect various colors of light (Charley 1982). Most of the pigments occur in a specialised bodies lying in the protoplasm of the cell called plastids. Occasionally, the water soluble pigments are dissolved in the vacuoles however they are not generally dispersed throughout the cell. The main pigments of vegetables and fruits fall into two groups: water soluble and fat soluble (Srilakshmi 2003). Plant pigment can be classified as carotenoids, chlorophylls, and flavonoids. Flavonoid pigments are water soluble and it can be divided in to anthocyanins and anthoxanthins (Brown 2008). Anthocyanins are highly water soluble pigment that range in colour from red to purple. The anthoxanthins are colourless, white or pale yellow. However, flavonoid pigments are sensitive to heat and readily to be lost in cooking water (Charley 1982). Carotenoids and chlorophylls are fat soluble which are found in plastids. Carotenoids are the colour groups of yellow, orange and red. Carotenoids are present as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene, xanthophylls and cryptoxanthin in plants (Hanson 1954). On the other hand, in green leaves they occur in chloroplasts. Chlorophylls are the green pigments of leaves that found in chloroplasts along with some carotenes and xanthophylls. In addition, it is critical for the light reactions of photosynthesis (Srilakshmi 2003). The pigments of chlorophyll that are commonly include chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Chlorophyll a is dynamic blue green in colour and it is present in the florets of blue green broccoli. Chlorophyll b is dull yellow green colour and it is present in stalks. The different heat conditions caused the changes of the structure of chlorophyll which is connected with the loss of magnesium ion from the chlorophyll molecule and replaced by hydrogen therefore affects the colour of vegetables (Stathopoulos 2010). The factors including changes in temperature and pH may influence the colour of anthocyanin in plant food during simmering (Brown 2008). Acid tap water amplifies the red colour of anthocyanins. Alkaline water changes the reddish-blue to blue and then to green. This phenomenon of colour is because the changes in structure of the same basic compound (Srilakshmi 2003). Plant food have been recognised as a good source of carbohydrates and daily fibre. Plant food are also contain minerals and vitamins A, E, C, thiamin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, such as polyphenolics, carotenoids, and glucosinolates, may also have nutritional value (Jongen 2002). However, vegetables lose nutrients when they are cooked, mainly by solution to the cooking water (Charley 1982). The objective of this experiment is to consider the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment by using the examples of peas, cranberry juice and blue berry juice. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The methods and materials required to determine the effect of heat and pH on plant pigment were performed according to the laboratory manual. However, the blueberry juice was changed to blackberry juice. In addition, in the experiment of cranberry juice, group 2 did not collect the value of pH. RESULTS: Table 1: The class pH result of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Peas + Distilled H2O 6.83 6.02 6.06 7.2 6.75 6.96 6.6 Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O 2.49 2.72 2.6 4.8 3.89 3.77 3.4 Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O 12.20 12.88 12.23 12.2 12.49 12.78 12.463 Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O 2.77 2.97 2.5 4.04 3.65 3.68 3.3 Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O 12.41 12.78 12.24 12.02 12.72 12.58 12.458 Canned Peas 5.95 5.37 5.2 6.15 5.90 6.17 5.8 According to Table 1, the example of peas with NaOH and distilled water has the highest average pH that is 12.463, followed by peas with NaOH and cold distilled water that is 12.458, which are very close. The lowest pH is peas with vinegar and distilled water that is 3.3. Table 2: The class colour results of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Peas + Distilled H2O Bright green Bright Green Pea green Green Yellow green Light green 2. Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O Dull green Light/Pale Green Brown- green Faint Green Army green Olive 3.Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O Bright green Green Pea green Green Bright green Bright green 4. Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O Very dull green Pale Green/ Yellow Brown green Faint Green Yellow More green than yellow Green 5. Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O Bright green Bright Green Pea green Green Green uniform Green 6. Canned Peas Brown Pale Green brown Brown Yellow Dark army green Olive Table 2 reflects that sample 1, 3 and 5 have similar colour range which is green, and sample 2, 4 and 6 have semblables colour which is brown. These results shows under the acid conditions, the range of peasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ colour is from green to brown. On the other hand, the colour of peas will stay same under alkaline conditions. Table 3: The class texture results of each group about chlorophyll. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Texture Texture Texture Texture Texture Texture Peas + Distilled H2O Firm Firm Firm Firm Dry hard 2. Peas + Vinegar + Distilled H2O Moderately firm, dry, loss of shape Slightly Firm Firm Firm Very dry Soft 3.Peas + 1N NaOH + Distilled H2O Soft, mushy, sticky, loss of shape Mushy Mush Mushy Mushy Very soft /mushy 4. Peas + Vinegar + Cold Distilled H2O Very firm Very Firm Firm Firm Medium plump Not so soft 5. Peas + 1N NaOH + Cold Distilled H2O Very soft, mushy, loss of shape Mushy Mush Mushy Very plump Hardest 6. Canned Peas Very firm Slightly Firm Softish Firm Firm Very soft According to the result of Table 3, the texture of sample 3 and 5 are mush and soft, and others are firm. This result shows the alkaline caused the mush and soft texture of peas, and the acidity of the water will caused the higher firmness of peas. Table 4: The class pH results of each group about anthocyanins. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O 2.79 3.02 3.06 3.12 3.45 3.12 3.1 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH 5) 4.93 5.07 4.85 4.98 5.09 4.95 5 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH7) 6.69 7.17 7.1 7.2 7.11 6.94 7.0 Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH10) 9.97 10.02 10.04 9.95 10.64 10.0 10.1 Table 5: the class colour result of blackberry juice. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O Dark burgundy Red Red Reddish Red Pink Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH 5) Orange/pink translucent Pink/ Red Grey pink Pink Pink Light pink Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH7) Brown/orange translucent Brown/ Green Dull green Brown greying Light green olive Pink with a hint of yellow Blackcurrant Fruit Drink + Distilled H2O (pH10) Dark black/green Dark Green Dull green Yellow green Dark green olive Yellowish green colour Table 6: The class pH results of each group about anthocyanins. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Average Sample pH pH pH pH pH pH pH Cranberry + Distilled H2O 2.72 2.88 2.92 3.00 3.00 2.9 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH5) 4.25 5.5 4.97 5.02 5.57 5.1 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH7) 7.3 7.2 7.03 7.03 7.82 7.3 Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH10) 10.62 10.1 9.93 10.05 10.41 10.2 Table 7: the class colour result of cranberry juice. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Sample Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Colour Cranberry + Distilled H2O Light pink Pale Pink Pale pink Faint Pink Light pink Pink Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH5) Lighter pink Slight Clear/ Ting of Pink Clear with a pink tinge Clear Pink Lighter pink Dark pink colour Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH7) Light yellow Yellow/ Olive Green Yellow green Faint yellow Apple juice green Brownish Cranberry + Distilled H2O (pH10) Yellow Olive Green Yellow green (slightly greener than 7 pH) Green yellow Apple juice green Olive green According to the Table 4 to 7, although the average number of the pH is close to the laboratory manuals data, the results of each group are slightly different. Because the anthocyanins is very sensitive to pH that even a small different in pH will cause the colour changed (see page 12 to 15). DISCUSSION: The green colour becomes brighter when a green vegetable is first put to cook in boiling water. Greater translucency of plant tissue due to expulsion of intercellular air has been suggested as a possible cause (Charley 1982). As boiling continues, compartmentalization within the cell is disrupted. Constituents, there are organic acid, diffuse from the vacuoles throughout the cell and into the boiling water (Sterling 1944). As the acids contact the chlorophylls the latter are converted to their respective pheophytins. No longer masked by the intense green chlorophyll, the yellow and orange pigments present in green plant tissue now show along with green. This combination together with the pheophytins gives the vegetable a muddy olive green hue (Srilakshmi 2003). Green vegetables that are lower in acid retain a higher percentage of chlorophyll and of their green colour when they are cooked than do more acid vegetables. Vegetables like peas, beans, greens are sometimes canned. During ca nning chlorophyll gets converted to pheophytin due to high temperatures used. Sometimes to retain the colour and to neutralise the acid, alkali is added (Charley 1982). Furthermore, the soda changed texture, any soda not required to neutralize the acid in the cooking water will react with the chlorophyll. The sodium salt of chlorophyll gives to cooked green vegetables an intense and artificial appearing greenness. Vegetables cooked with soda tend to have a mushy texture, due to breakdown of hemicelluloses in the cell walls (Charley 1982).. Anthocyanins have a positive charge on the molecule, and it enables to absorb light and thus have colour. Anthocyanidins are anthocyanins without sugar in their structure . They are pelargonidin, cyaniding and delphindin (Brown 2008). As pH changes, the colour of anthocyanin also changes. In the acid conditions, the molecules have positive charge on the oxygen atom due to the acidity of the cell in which these compounds are formed. This common form at a pH of 3.0 or less, maintains or shifts the hue towards red (Charley 1982). However, as the pH is increased toward a weak acid or even neutral solution, the oxonium (the positively charged oxygen form) is changed to the quinine form. The quinine form has a violet colour. In an alkaline medium still another change takes place as a salt of the violet compound, called a colour base. The alkaline salt of the colour base has a distinctly blue colour (Srilakshmi 2003). Figure 1: The structure of anthocyanin. Red cabbage presents unusually wild swings in colour with a alter in pH, it is because of the presence of more than four hydroxyl groups on the anthocyanin molecule. To ensure that the pH is sufficiently acidic, red cabbage is frequently cooked with addition of some slices of a tart apple in order to avoid the development of a blue, highly unpalatable pigment colour (Srilakshmi 2003). The pigment of bluish green shade was given by the addition of alkali . This shade is probably caused by the presence of anthoxanthins with anthocyanins. On the addition of alkali, the anthoxanthins turn yellow during the anthocyanins turn blue, and then the mixture of the two colours appear green. The addition of alkali alters the structure of anthocyanin molecule and produces a salt (Srilakshmi 2003). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the bright colors of vegetables contribute to the esthetic pleasure of eating. The three major groups of plant pigment are carotenoids, chlorophylls and flavonoids which are effect by the pH and heat. The colour alters differently under variable conditions. Therefore, we need to understand the changes that take place in the colour of vegetables and how to kept the pigment of the plant.

The Internet real-name system

The Internet real-name system The Internet real-name system refers to a system that identifies Internet users by their real name and numbers of ID card. The Korean government announced the implement of real-name system in Korea from October, 2005. That means all the Internet users in Korea cannot put their statements on the forum only when their real name and ID cards are checked by the system. The real-name system extends itself into other countries, which immediately draws attentions from different aspects, as well as some controversy. Arguments and Discussion In recent years, the government and the general public exchange their ideas frequently through the Internet, which makes the net become an important channel for citizens to express their ideas and opinions. In the work report of Supreme Peoples Procuratorate of China, the net has become one of the new reporting channels. However, the main reason for this is the anonymity and amplification of the report from net, which can protect the informer and get quick response from the society (Nali, 2008).The citizens use the net to expose corruption and social problems. Meanwhile, they are committing themselves to the social civilization. The real-name system takes the effect of anonymous statement too easily, which affect the rights of freedom and supervision of the Internet users. This cannot meet the demand of the progress of our times. However, it should be noticed that with the development of the Internet, its cannot be avoided to find some rumors and language violence or other issues. This is also the main reason people would like to use the real-name system to protect the environment of Internet. But this is only the minority of the users. Most Internet users are law-abiding. It is overkill to shrinking spaces for Internet users only because the acts of minority. Form technical aspect, the application of real-name system is also superfluous. In fact, the statement in virtual network is not as irresponsible as most people imagine it. According to de IP address, any Internet users can be checked (Ping, 2005). When considered from the point of economy, the first element should be considered is the cost. With the implementation of real-name system, the registration could be the first problem. The users registration information must be compared with the information recorded in the civil registry office in order to confirm its authenticity. Even though it is technically feasible, the cost of the transformation would be huger than the cost producing from anonymity. Even putting aside the huge cost, the monitoring capability will also be very limited, because the information on the Internet is updating at an amazing speed. Combined with the truth that a lot of sites locate their servers outside the country in order to avoid the real-name system, the results of this system may not be as effective as imagine. The next element should be considered from economical point is the effect real-name system may bring to the shopping websites. Since the leading site EBay used real-name system to offer safety between the buyer and seller, most shopping websites begin to consider the adoption of real-name system. However, there is a need of consideration of the different environment. For example, one of the main features for U.S cities is its large number and relatively small size, which is totally different from other countries, while some country has so many cities that carry more than one million citizens. While at the same time, the Internet in U.S. has gone through a long history when compared with others. As a consequence of these differences, the transaction in one city may be common in China, while has a little chance in the U.S. Thus, there is no need of real-name system with safety of transaction in the same city. The expense of real-name system of shopping websites may be transferred to th e sellers in the form of commission. This may drive a lot of sellers away from this newborn market and bring the expense of the buyers. Take the largest shopping website in Asiataobao.com as an example. According to the survey carried by the website, the intention of real-name system has been received objection from the majority of the buyers, who concerns most about the personal privacy. The Donews which used to be popular among users adopted real-name system, and had its bottleneck when achieved with 2-3 million members. This experience reflects that the real-name system is certain restriction to the websites. For the shopping websites, the purpose of real-name system is to avoid malicious commentary as well as mass advertising by sellers. However, most users hold the idea that the real-name system cannot guarantee the reduction of the malicious commentary. And there is no shopping stage can avoid cheating acts. Meanwhile, some opponents argue that the Internet industry should be self-discipline. Compared with forcing the users to use their real names, it is more important to educate the Internet employees to learn self-discipline. Taking the lack of standardization in shopping websites as an instance, the most effective way to fix this problem is bringing up credit between buyers and sellers. Especially in some countries whose shopping websites are at their starting stage, the real-name system may drive some buyers away, since they are worried about the exposure of personal privacy. When considering the country which already put the real-name system into practice, Korea is the very first choice to analyze. However, the system there is not as effective as imagined. Some websites who require real names only drive their users into other websites without such requirement. Conclusion The Internet should be an open environment. The real-name system would cover too many aspects and people with different ideas. The management of Internet is a global issue, however, due to the different environment and regulations in different countries, there is no common way including real-name system to solve such complicate problem. All in all, the real-name system carries more disadvantages than its advantages. Blindly believe on the effect it brings to regulate the Internet, may receive the opponent results and inhibit the development of this newborn industry. References Nali, Z. (2008). The feasibility analysis of the Internet real-name system, Science,pp.49-54 Ping, A. W. (2005) Dont let the real-name system strangle the Internet. [Online].Retrieved from: http://home.donews.com/donews/article/8/80992.html. Date Accessed: 22, Feb. 2010 The anaylysis of real-name system in Taobao.com. (2009). [Online]. Retrieved from: http://industry.yidaba.com/fzfzpg/200908/210905121006100100000102454.shtml. Date Accessed: 22, Feb. 2010. .

Edsons and Carlsons Raiders Essay -- essays research papers fc

OUTLINE I. Introduction. The Marine Corps today has developed itself into an elite fighting force based on strong naval traditions. The basic Marine is amphibious, which means that the warrior is capable of fighting on land and sea. The idea of an amphibious landing was developed through the training of the Marine Raider Battalions, which was tested and perfected in combat. Although there were two Raider Commanders with very different views on how to prepare their marines, Evans Carlson and Merritt Edson were responsible for training lightly armed Marines for amphibious assaults. II. Body. 1. Historical Background a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forming of the Marine Raiders b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evans Carlson, Commanding Officer, 2nd Raider Battalion c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Merritt Edson, Commanding Officer, 1st Raider Battalion 2. Training a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carlson’s Training b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edson’s Training c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Amphibious Raid d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Close-In Fighting e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Combatative Conditioning f.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  State of Combat Readiness 3. Significant Battles a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Makin Island, 2nd Raider Battalion b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guadalcanal, 1st Raider Battalion c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guadalcanal, 2nd Raider Battalion d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forming of the 3rd and 4th Raider Battalions 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strengths of the Raider Battalions b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weaknesses of the Raider Battalions c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dissolving of the Raider Battalions into the infantry units. III. Conclusion. The Marine Raider Battalions developed an elite fighting force within an elite service. There still exist today the elite units of the Marine Corps, such as the Force Reconnaissance Battalions and the Special Operation Capable Units, but the Raider Battalions were the first specialist of the amphibious doctrines. Although the amphibious landing has been preformed throughout the ages since the invention of the water-bearing vessels, the Marine Raider Battalions tested and perfected this combat operation. Although the two Raider Commanders had very different views on how to prepare their marine... ...s. (New York, New York:HarperCollins, 1997) Alexander, Joseph H. Storm Landings: Epic Amphibious Battles in the Central Pacific. (Annapolis,Maryland: Naval Institute, 1997) Alexander, Joseph H. Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa. (Annapolis, Maryland:Naval Institute Press, 1995) Asprey, Robert B. Semper Fidelis: The United Sates Marines In World War II. (New York, New York:W.W. Norton & Company, 1967) Griffith, Samuel B. The Battle for Guadalcanal. (Philadelphia, Pennsyvania:J.B. Lippincott Company, 1963) Hoffman, John T. From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders In the Pacific War. (Washington, District of Columbia: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995) Hoffman, John T. Once a Legend: â€Å"Red Mike† Edson of the Marine Raiders. (Novato, California:Presido, 1994) Hoyt, Edwin P. The Marine Raiders. (New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989) Isely, Jeter A. and Philip A. Crowl. The U.S. Marines and Amphibious War: Its Theory, and Its Practice in the Pacific. (Princeton, New Jersey:Princeton University, 1951) Marine Corps Monographs, First Greenwood Reprint. The Guadalcanal Campaign. (New York, New York:Greenwood Press, 1969)

The American South :: American History States Papers

The American South So you've moved, or been moved, to the South. Or maybe you're thinking about it. You're wondering: What is this place? What's different about it? Is it different, anymore? Good questions. Old ones, too. People have been asking them for decades. Some of us even make our livings by asking them, but we still don't agree about the answers. Let's look at what might seem to be a simpler question: Where is the South? That's easy enough, isn't it? People more or less agree about which parts of the United States are in the South and which aren't. If I gave you a list of states and asked which are "Southern," all in all, chances are you'd agree with some of my students, whose answers are summarized in Figure 1. I don't share their hesitation about Arkansas, and I think too many were ready to put Missouri in the South, but there's not a lot to argue with here. That tells us something. It tells us that the South is, to begin with, a concept and a shared one. It's an idea that people can talk about, think about, use to orient themselves and each other. People know whether they're in it or not. As a geographer would put it, the South is a "vernacular" region. Stop and think about that. Why should that be? Why can I write "South" with some assurance that you'll know I mean Richmond and don't mean Phoenix? What is it that the South's boundaries enclose? Well, for starters, it's not news that the South has been an economically and demographically distinctive place a poor, rural region with a biracial population, reflecting the historic dominance of the plantation system. One thing the South's boundaries have set off is a set of distinctive problems, growing out of that history. Those problems may be less and less obvious, but most are still with us to some extent, and we can still use them to locate the South. But the South is more than just a collection of unfavorable statistics. It has also been home to several populations, black and white, whose intertwined cultures have set them off from other Americans as well as from each other. Some of us, in fact, have suggested that Southerners ought to be viewed as an American ethnic group, like Italian- or Polish-Americans. If we can use distinctive cultural attributes to find Southerners, then we can say that the South is where they are found.

Bad Coffee :: essays research papers

It was a cold and damp morning, the moisture stuck to skin like flies to fly paper. The loud â€Å"thud thud thud† of the helicopters had awaken me from my trance, after two and half hours of sleep. I had risen just in time for a fresh cup of coffee when all of the sudden a chopper touched down just outside the barracks kicking up all the debris and dirt it could find. The night before had been a hellish one, the mortar blasts and screams of my fellow soldiers had kept me awake nearly all night. And how, my coffee had been ruined by the damn helicopter. I was in the worst place on Earth, Saigon, in 1968. Definitely the wrong place at the wrong time. My orders were simple, so I thought. Meet up with a group of Green Berets just outside of enemy lines, and go north to a small village controlled by American troops, we would get more information soon after we had arrived. That was it, just like king of the hill when I was kid. I met up with my partners in a joint called the Lucky Money, a real run down place, the air filled with stale smoke and the scent of plastic palm trees. Let’s just say the Lucky Money had seen better days. Hell just four months ago Bob Hope had occupied that vacant stage. The atmosphere was filled with tension. At the drop of a pin the whole environment could erupt into total chaos, half the time shoot outs would start in the street just from punks tossing rocks around. The guys I met up with were worn down, not one of them had a good night’s rest in at least a month, you could see it in their eyes. All they wanted was a ride home, and they were going to do anything and everything in their power to get home. The leader of the group, Colonel Jake Denton, had been here two damn years. He didn’t have much to say except he missed his kids. The other three were all from Texas, but none of them knew each other until the army put them together. The mousy looking kid was from Dallas, and he always had a cigarette hanging from his lip, a sure sign of the stress that was building inside him, his name was Jon Weinhard.