Marketing for Zappos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing for Zappos - Essay Example Consequently, the kind of packaging used should be appealing to the customers especially in their appearance (Stolze, 91). Zappos should also consider the economic and social factors that relate to the environment and the reactions of the targeted consumer groups. A study should be conducted to determine price regulations depending on seasons. Zappos should also analyze the competitive environment and determine the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. As a result, it should take advantage of their competitor’s weaknesses by overcoming their strengths. Any potential future competition should also be analyzed to ensure none or few threats in the market and the continuous improvement of sales at all times. Zappos must ensure that it offers a wide variety of products in addition to the products offered. The products include electronics and their accessories, clothing and shoes. The business should venture majorly on long-term opportunities that ensure continuous flow of income that is mandatory for business continuity. On the other hand, certain short term investments are that are highly profitable should be considered. This depends on the seasons that they are highly demanded and when they are on recession. Products that have long shelf life should be stocked in lesser quantities especially in the low seasons. Consequently, their quantities can be increased in high seasons. This calls for market research to determine such seasons (Hoover, 67). External sources of funds must be considered to ensure that the company is cushioned incase of an emergency. Statistical quality control must be conducted during product expansion to realize what to accept or ignore including the measures to take to protect the company. A number of actions should be initiated once the risks associated with the product expansion are analyzed. This should be followed by business expansion and protection efforts. Zappos must ensure to carry out more research on target

Fanatic perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fanatic perceptions - Essay Example Fanatic perceptions Support is important in every area of life. The support is given to players from fans. The fans have different types of antics that are used to lift up the player’s spirits and encourage them to endure. It is true in the sense that this spirit lifting renders a subtle affect that helps the players get on with the game. Fans and spectators may differ on opinions of what they see and what they believe. It is this inner reaction that is produced by the fans that give off different emotions during the game. Some fans have so much energy built up for the game that they become fanatics. The fanatic can sometimes have violent outbursts while being so caught up in the game. These types of violent actions happens in more cases then are needed. Fans become so caught up in the game that excitement is quickly turned into anger and violence. This anger and violence can be dangerous to those nearby. A good example of how these fanatics lose their self control and cause violence is demonstra ted in an incident that recently happened. The incident happened at a game between the Boston Celtics and the Utah Jazz. Viewing this particular game can demonstrate how fans lose self control. The NBA game held between the two teams could have been prevented by self control. The game shows how spectators come from different walks of life. The spectators from the game have different opinions and feelings toward the game. Not everyone in the crowd will share the same beliefs. Some spectators are attending the game to experience a good time. This is proven by the many beer bottles and whistled that surround this type of spectators. Other spectator’s attend games because of the dedication they have to the home team. These spectators dress in colors of the team they adore. The spectators also may purchase season tickets so that no game is missed. Many bring cameras in hopes to catch that perfect shot which can be kept as a sacred memory. Whichever way the spectator has chosen to show his or her appreciation, it is easily shown. Regardless of the sport, each fan has their own motivation that persuades them to be a fan. These fans are what bring the spirit to the game. Alt hough each fan may have a different motive, the fan is there for one reason and that reason is to support the team. The way people of different walks of life are able to come together and cheer on a team shows dedication. Some fans are so caught up in the moment that they put all ethics aside and turn to violence. This is clearly reviled in an incident at an NBA game. A game between the Celtics and the Jazz left people injured and fans in an outrage. During the game, â€Å"the filmmaker was even struck blurring the camera from taking clear shots of the event†. (gazette.com) Incidents of violence happen quite often, and can often be prevented. The different ways that the fans link their personalities to support the same team are similar to the writings of Karl Marx. These incidents between the fans and the games follow them for the rest of their lives. This is also true with writing created by Karl Marx. KARL MARX People from all over the world have different perceptions on ev ents that happen around them. It is certain that each person in life will hold a different viewpoint then the person next to them. This is true for everything in life. The different perceptions that are shown from the players are similar to the

Analysing Aquafina Bottled Water

Analysing Aquafina Bottled Water Aquafina bottled water is bottled around the country in 33 different locations from municipal tap water. It is both filtered and purified in a process that involves seven separate steps called the HydRO-7 Purification System. Included in the steps are processes such as filtration, exposure to high intensity light, osmosis, polishing, and ozonization. What results is water that has a Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) content of 4 parts per million (ppm), 2.5 times lower than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maximum amount. The packaging of the water goes through a long process and creates some muda. Many of the Pepsi bottling processes are outsourced. For example, the bottles are manufactured by Amcor PET Packaging North America. The process is also very detailed and complicated in order to ensure both safety and a reliable product. We will also be explaining every material in the packaging process. Additionally, we will be discussing the recent boom of the water industry and its environmental implications over the last decade. The amount of natural resources being used to produce the entire bottled water package, is extraordinary, and causing a real problem. The environment is also being contaminated on a daily basis with a majority of the bottles being thrown away as opposed to being recycled. Along with the destruction of our planet, plastic bottles and the water contained within them are starting to be seen as a serious health threat. For the economical part of this paper, we will touch on Aquafinas numbers over the past few years and try to predict the future. We will also make suggestions on how to gain a bigger market share, and how to make safe products in a business perspective. Pepsi-Colas Aquafina, which has reigned as the number-one brand for several years, has become the U.S. bottled water businesss first billion-dollar brand in 2004 has sustained strong growth in 2005 when wholesale dollar sales neared $1.3 billion. Introduction Bottled water is one of the biggest selling beverages in the world due to its convenience and quality taste. Whether due to the uneasiness of the safety of tap water or the convenience of the bottle, bottled water continues to gain profit share for companies in the industry. Specifically for busy college students such as ourselves, it has become increasingly important for us to be able to drink water when not near a water source. Hence, the product we chose to study is Aquafina bottled water. When one purchases a bottle of Aquafina, he will receive the purified water and the bottle in which it is contained including its label, nutrition facts and ingredients, and a sealed cap. Although the Aquafina water bottle is only meant for one use, many choose to refill their bottle with ordinary tap water. Because Pacific Lutheran University contracts its beverages and vending machines through Pepsi, Aquafina is the most consumed bottled water for our campus. This report is the study of the Aquafina bottled water process, value stream, muda, and economic evaluation of the bottled water that is widely circulated not just on our campus but around the world. The HydRO-7 Purification System Purifying the Water Achieving Aquafina water is a complex and complicated process. Aquafina bottles water in 33 different municipal locations around the country from underground formation springs, the same location as our tap water. Whereas tap water is merely filtered and treated to remove bacteria and contaminants, Aquafina takes an extra step by purifying the water using the Hydro-7 purification system which removes substances according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Creator of the state-of-the-art purification system, the HydRO-7 removes substances in seven different steps. The Aquafina website provides the consumer with information related to the filtration and purification steps of its product (www.aquafina.com). Prefiltration In this first step, the system removes tiny particles in the water through a filter. Polishing filter Here, this first polishing filter (of 2) catches any particles that were missed in the previous step. High-intensity light A burst of high energy light imparts energy into the water stream to eliminate naturally occurring organic substances in the water. Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) Here, the system uses pressure and a hyper filter to remove 98% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and organic compounds from the water. The TDS is the sum of all dissolved solids in water in parts per million. This step uses semi-permeable membranes with smaller pore sizes than micro filtration, ultra filtration, and nano filtration to remove substances such as sodium and chloride from the water. Charcoal Filtration This step isolates the elements that affect the taste of the water in a charcoal filter. Polishing Filter This is where the system polishes the hydrogen and oxygen elements in the water to make the water clear. Ozonization The system passes purified, oxygen-rich air through a generating cell. Here, three oxygen molecules are brought together to keep unwanted particles away. When they have done their job, they revert back to double oxygen molecules. Here is a standard Aquafina nutrition facts label found either on the bottle or the packaging. More important than what is in Aquafina water is what has been removed. The Aquafina website suggests that everything that the system removes from the water is unnecessary and perhaps harmful to humans (www.aquafina.com). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a maximum of 500 ppm (parts per million) of TDSs in spring water and the FDA requires 10 ppm in purified water. Aquafina, a purified water, bottles water at 4 ppm, 2.5 times lower than the FDA standard (Mosko, 2004). The process removes the following trace compounds from the water: Carbonates Bicarbonates Chlorides Sulfates Phosphates Nitrates Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium Iron Manganese Calcium and potassium are necessary for the human body, but they are still removed. Aquafina claims that the minute levels in the water have little effect on human health and removing them only delivers a more pure water (www.aquafina.com). However at the end of the purification process,  ¼ of the bottled water that Aquafina bottles is tap water (Mosko, 2004). Aquafina claims to have the purest water in the industry, but even more pure and containing less TDS is Penta water, which goes through a rigorous 11-step process and distributes water with 0.5 ppm TDS. Pentas website also explains the process and the advantages of Penta in detail (http://www.pentawater.com/what.shtml). The Aquafina system at the plant in Austin, Indiana, for example, has bottles 32,000 gallons of water an hour. The system is computer monitored and keeps track of which valves are open and closed and how much is in each tank. The Aquafina system is also used for bottling soft drinks at the plant. All the water is carbon-filtered in one of two tanks; the same process is used for all the water that is used in soft drinks, only the Aquafina water goes through the extra step of ozonization (Investing, 2004). Pepsi/Aquafina Bottling The Bottle Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC (PBV) In July of 2002 the first products were being produced at PBVs new small-bottle PET line in Raleigh, NC in a 200,000 sq ft production/distribution plant. This was a $40 million investment for PBV that gave the company the ability to increase production. PBV has bottling rights for Pepsi products covering most of North Carolina and a portion of Long Island, NY. One of the facilities that upgraded to the PBV production bottling plant was the Raleigh location with the primary goal being the production of bottled water under the Aquafina label, one of the fastest growing products within Pepsi. The need for this upgraded production facility from PBV offers Pepsi the ability to be competitive and cost-conscious (Mans, 2003). Features Individual sanitary enclosures are designed and manufactured by ICS Intl. These contain washing/capping/filling systems on the PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) lines. The fillers are housed in one room, with a common heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The PBV plant features an individual sanitary enclosure for each filling system with monobloc filler guards that are integrated into the face of the enclosure. The enclosures have an epoxy floor that is sloped to a stainless-steel drain, vision panels and a complete air-quality control system. The walls and ceiling are made of insulation sandwich panels consisting of inside and outside stainless-steel panels filled with polyurethane foam. The clean rooms come complete with lighting, doors, an air filtration unit, air conditioning, and an air exhaust system. The air-filtration units maintain pressure in the enclosure to prevent outside air from entering (Mans, 2003). Bottles Aquafina uses bottles that are produced by Amcor PET Packaging-North America. Amcor uses PET to make plastic containers for Pepsi products. Amcors website states that this plastic material is manufactured from various by-products of the oil and gas industries, especially ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. PET consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and can be incinerated without residues for energy recovery. PET is the most valuable of the recyclable plastics. It offers the ability for the container to be lightweight, shatter resistant, resealable and recyclable. The formation of a bottle is blow molded which involves blowing air into a molten plastic tube and then forcing the material to follow the shape of the mold. Injection molding is also involved which is the process of converting plastic pellets by using heat and pressure to inject the molten material into a water-cooled mold. Amcors website explains this technology (http://www.amcor.com/Default.aspx?id=505). Filtration/Sanitation/Air Quality The units have three filtration stages. These stages involve roughing filters, bag filters and HEPA filters for an average air quality of Class 1,000. ICS added an air extractor that sucks the air from the enclosure and ducts it outside the plant to avoid discharging air loaded with sugar or ozone into the surrounding area inside the plant. Air quality is optimized through the limits that are placed on the filler. This also allows the operator to stand outside the room and control the machine (Mans, 2003). Bottling Pre-labeled bottles are delivered to an automatic depalletizer on pallets with cardboard slipsheets between the layers. The depalletizer raises the pallet one layer at a time. A sweep carriage equipped with suction cups swings over and automatically removes the slipsheet and deposits it in a bin for return to the bottle supplier. The depalletizer then indexes the layer of bottles up, and the carriage sweeps the bottles onto a mass bottle conveyor. The bottles on the small-PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) line are then conveyed in mass to two Lanfranchi high-speed bottle scramblers which have rotating turrets that orient the bottles in an upright position. Level sensors in the hopper of each unscrabler turn delivery elevators on and off to maintain bottles in the hoppers. The bottles from both unscramblers converge in single-file and are injected into the neck-guided air-conveyance system, where the bottles are supported by rods beneath their neck finishes. The bottles are then pushed along the chamber by air blowing. The depalletizing workcell includes three depalletizers and is designed to allow two operators to feed containers to three production lines. Empty bottles are conveyed directly via air conveyor into the sanitary enclosure and the infeed star of the monobloc rinser/filler/capper. All bottle-handling within the monobloc is accomplished by supports under the neck rings of the bottles. The bottles are delivered to the gripping heads of the 108-station rinser through the entrance starwheel, and are turned upside down as the unit rotates. Purified water is sprayed into the bottles through nozzles affixed to the gripping heads, and then drains out as the unit continues its rotation. This solution contains ozone for maximum cleaning efficiency when producing Aquafina. Bottles are then turned upright and discharge through a starwheel that also serves as the delivery starwheel to the filler. The filler for these bottles is an isobaric-volumetric machine with 144 filling valves. Each filling valve is connected to the central tank through a product pipe and two gas pipes connected to the carbon dioxide supply. One pipe is used for the bottle pressurization and the other pipe for the pressure stabilization between the tank and the filling valve. When running Aquafina, the system uses nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide. The level inside the filling cylinder is essentially the same as the level in the central tank, and changes in the quantity of fill for different bottle sizes is accomplished by changing the level in the central tank. A piston in each cylinder is adjusted by an external magnetic coupling to set the exact volume to be filled to an accuracy of  ±2 mL. This is done from the operator panel (Mans, 2003). Capping From the filler, bottles travel through another starwheel into the 36-head Arol CSD screw capper. Caps are supplied by Alcoa and are sorted and delivered to the capper by a system from SIDEL, Packaging Systems Div. Caps are loaded into a hopper located outside of the enclosure. Then a nearly vertical belt carries the caps to the top of the enclosure. Caps are contained on horizontal cleats on the belt and if any caps improperly orient they fall back into the hopper. The belt discharges the caps onto a track that carries them down to the capper. A transfer star picks the caps from the track and places them on the capping head, which then rotates synchronously above the bottle turret. The capping head lowers and screws the cap onto the bottle as the unit rotates. Capped bottles leaving the enclosure pass through an Industrial Dynamics Filtec x-ray fill height inspector. The capped bottles then pass two Videojet Excel ink-jet printers that print a freshness date on the bottle cap tamper ring. The plant has installed two of these units to provide redundancy in case one unit malfunctions. For added security a Domino laser printer applies production codes and a freshness date to the bottle. After being coded the bottles then travel onto a multichain mat-top conveyor that slows their transport speed from 350 to 40 ft/min and accumulates the bottles from single-file to mass (Mans, 2003). Label/ Glue/ Packing /Packaging A HiCone machine produces six-packs of 16- and 24-oz, and 500-mL bottles. The bottles are delivered to the machine in two lanes. The two lanes separate six bottles and apply the plastic carrier material. The material is delivered in a continuous web to a large vertical wheel rotating above the bottles. The wheel pushes the web down onto the six bottles, and it is then cut to separate the six-pack. The packs are then diverted into two lanes and fed to a Hartness 2650 continuous-motion case packer that places four six-packs into reusable plastic crates for delivery to the PBV warehouse for distribution. Bottles can also be conveyed to a packing installation incorporating a Model MW7 multipacker and a Model TDL tray former/loader and shrink wrapper, all supplied by Douglas Machine. Each of these servo-driven machines has its own control panel, with intuitive touchscreen interfaces with real-time production data, maintenance scheduling and changeover settings. Bottles are delivered to the multiwrapper where groups of six or 12 bottles are then wrapped in registered film. This is a dual-stream machine that wraps two parallel groups of bottles simultaneously. Bottles are delivered in mass to the machine and are separated into either six or twelve bottle groupings by a proprietary pinless metering system. The groups are then delivered into the wrapping section. The film is placed around the bottle group and the package is conveyed through a heated shrink tunnel. Four six packs or two twelve packs are then delivered to the tray former/loader. The machine forms a tray from a paperboard blank, pushes the wrapped packs onto the tray, and then seals the open sides with hot-melt glue. This glue is applied by a Nordson glue system. Some 500-mL bottles, as well as 20- and 24-oz bottles of all products can bypass the multipacker and be delivered directly to the tray former/loader. After these are placed on the tray, it travels through a shrink wrapper/heat tunnel. Once the products are packaged, they are conveyed past a Videojet ink-jet case coder for application of production codes and then overhead to an automatic palletizer. Each sku is individually palletized to a designed stacking pattern. Individual packages are delivered to the upper level of the palletizer and are assembled into layers. After each layer is completed the platform is then lowered so the next layer can be assembled. Finished pallet loads are released at floor level and are transported by pallet conveyor to an Orion stretch wrapper. PBV uses plastic pallets that have improved palletizing efficiency and eliminated the debris and floor damage that are usually caused by wood pallets (Mans, 2003). Finished Products/ Reductions of Plant Costs Finished products are stacked two or three high, without pallet racks, and are rotated by code dates. The warehouse has been designed to have twin-load pallet racks in the future that will accommodate four-high stacking. The forklifts are also responsible for placing empty pallets into the palletizers. The PBV plant was specifically designed to allow all raw materials and finished goods to be handled on double forklifts. These forklifts allow two pallets to be picked up at a time and greatly reduce loading and unloading time of the production equipment. The dock equipment was engineered to allow the movement of these extra-wide and heavy loads in and out of the building. The double-fork trucks are also used to load trailers with finished products going to the sales centers, unload return trailers with empty plastic pallets and shells, store empty shells and pallets, and feed empty shells to the three lines. Double-fork trucks greatly reduce the number of forklifts and total travel distance in high-volume beverage plants (Mans, 2003). The Need for Water Vs. The Need for Bottled Water Water is a precious resource and the source of life. Its one that many people take for granted on a daily basis, and because of that, a water crisis has been developing over the last few decades. According to a study done in the year 2000, 346,800 million gallons per day (mgd) of freshwater and 61,200 mgd of saltwater were used in the United States (Water, 2006). Based on these numbers, its figured that the typical American single family home consumes, on average, 69.3 gallons of water per day (Water, 2006). Our daily needs include hydrating ourselves, using in food preparation, flushing toilets, showering, kitchen and bathroom sink purposes, and washing clothes and dishes. These uses attribute to the amount of water consumed, both for purposeful reasons, as well as for wasteful and unnecessary reasons. While hydrating ourselves to keep our body functions working properly does not consist of a large portion of the daily water usage among Americans, it is still an amount that is being used and will never decrease. Human beings need, on average, eight to twelve cups of water per day to replenish the approximately ten cups of water lost each day due to body functions, varying either more or less depending on activity level (Lempert, 2004). Because of this physical need, someone realized that they could profit. This profit realization turned into a multi-billion dollar business we now know as the bottled water industry. The thought that one day human beings would spend money on a bottled version of something that they can get from their own home for a fraction of a cent for the same amount, is mind-boggling but has become the norm. Nothing is created without a need or a want; hence, bottled water was created. Since the U.S. is becoming a more on-the-go society each and every day, Americans rely more and more convenience items. One example of this is the rise of fast food restaurants, which happens to be a factor in the current obesity epidemic in America. So, because of this go, go, go! mentality, many just do not have the time to walk to a sink and fill up a glass with water. They instead need to have it right by their side, only needing to open up a cap and just toss it to the side when it is empty and open up the next thats right there. Another beneficial aspect is in times of emergencies, such as a hurricanes or earthquakes, the water supplies to those areas are usually shut down and/or contamin ated. In which case, bottled water is needed for consumption. Besides the convenience and emergency factors, Americans seem to think that bottled water is a safer, and sometimes, tastier, alternative to tap water. Some people fear coming down with gastrointestinal illnesses, while others fear contaminants, such as pesticides, to enter their bodies (Terry, 2005). People live under the impression that all bottled water is safer to drink than tap water because of a typical misconception, the idea that if it is bottled or packaged by a beverage or food company, then it must be safe. This is an idea that can be argued back and forth. Consumption, Recycling, Physical Harm, and Muda The amount of bottled water being purchased is growing almost exponentially each year. According to a bottled water study, based on the year 2004, Americans consumed 6.76 billion gallons of the pricey beverage (Falcone, 2006). This total amount averaged out to 70 million one-serving bottles being drank each and every day (Falcone, 2006). Consuming that many bottles of water everyday is incredible, and it is no wonder that entrepreneurs are coming up with new ideas all the time on how to get into the bottled water industry. A big reason for the increasing amount of bottled water drinkers is because of, as mentioned earlier, the convenience. It is a lot easier to grab a couple of bottled waters from the refrigerator before going somewhere. Aside from the convenience or laziness factor, the rise in bottled water consumption has begun to have a serious impact on our environment. With the amount of bottled water being produced everyday, there is a high amount of left over product once the water has been drank that must be dealt with. That portion left over happens to be the plastic bottle, something that is not the most earth-friendly item. Of the daily amount of bottled water being consumed, 70 million, 60 million are never recycled (Falcone, 2006). On a daily basis, that means that approximately 86% of bottles are thrown away and sent to a landfill, hurting our environment. This also means that 60 million new plastic bottles have to be created each day to replace those that are thrown in the trash, which amounts to more natural resources being used and more future muda being produced. What is more disturbing is that once these bottles are taken to a landfill, they can take up to 1,000 years to fully decompose (Falcone, 2006). First of all, how is someone able to compute that amount, because, after all, bottled water is a fairly new concept? And secondly, wi th 60 million bottles being added to dumps each day all over the U.S., where are the bottles going to be taken to in ten years, when most likely the amount of bottled waste has doubled, or even tripled? So why is it that the majority of plastic bottles are not being recycled? Many experts say that it is because vehicles are not equipped with recycling receptacles (Falcone, 2006). Since a majority of Americans who purchase bottled water are on-the-go all the time, they have less patience and desire to hold onto their empty plastic bottles until they get to a location where a recycling bin is present. It is easier to just throw them in the trash or on the street. It seems ridiculous that it is easier for people to throw a bottle in the trash as opposed to recycling especially when many places are placing recycling bins next to trash cans. This laziness and lack of patience is causing an extreme amount of harm on the environment. To put this idea into perspective the amount of muda in California created ten years from now would create a two lane, six-inch deep highway that stretches the entire coast of California (Wilson, 2003). During the rare 14% of the time when empty bottles of water are recycled, a lot of good can come from them and it is a step in the right direction in helping the environment. The raw materials used to make the plastic bottles can be saved and used for numerous items which helps to save resources from being destroyed to make new products. By looking at California only, it is estimated that one billion plastic bottles get thrown away over the course of a year (Wilson, 2003). This amount calculates to almost three million bottles being thrown away each and every day (Wilson, 2003). That is an incredible, as well as, disturbing, amount of unnecessary trash. If instead of being thrown away each and every one of those bottles were recycled, the materials reused could produce either 74 million square feet of carpet, 74 million extra large T-shirts, or 16 million sweaters (Wilson, 2003). It is incredible to think that a plastic bottle could be turned into other useful items and help save the environment by not using as many natural resources. Some other interesting information about the recycled material is that five recycled bottles can produce one extra large T-shirt, polyesther carpets can be created from the resin contained within the bottles, and the materials of the bottle can be spun like cotton candy and produce filling for quilts and pillows (Recycling, 2006). By looking over these types of statistics, it paints a wonderful picture of how recycling so much can be saved. Many precious fossil fuels are wasted in this process. The transportation of bottled water to other parts of the U.S. as well as being shipped to other parts of the world uses large amounts of fuel on a yearly basis. This fuel is being wasted on a daily basis for a product that a majority of Americans can get for almost nothing just by turning a knob in their own home (Arnold, 2006). Besides wasting fuel on transportation costs, this same precious resource is being consumed during the packaging process. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the type of plastic most commonly used to produce bottles and just so happens to contain crude oil (Bottled, 2005). According to research, 1.5 million barrels of crude oil is used over the course of a year to be able to produce the amount of bottles Americans demand (Bottled, 2005). Putting this amount into perspective, 1.5 million barrels would be enough to fuel approximately 100,000 cars for an entire year in the U.S. (Bottled, 2005). It is no sho ck that our world is currently dealing with a fuel crisis. By wasting such an extreme amount of oil on the production of bottles and transporting the finished product, we are not only hurting the environment but we are ruining the future for the next generations. Previously mentioned was the apparent safeness of bottled water as opposed to tap water. While in some cases this may be true, tap water can be just as good as bottled and it may even be safer. Many scientific studies have been conducted on bottled water over the years and some of the information found is disturbing. Unlike tap water, which is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bottled water is classified as a food. Hence, it is regulated by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) (Mosko, 2004). The two groups have different standards in which companies are to follow otherwise harsh consequences result. Some differences are that the FDA does not require products to be tested for coliform bacteria whereas the EPA specifies that no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform contamination is allowed in tap water (Howard, 2003). Also unlike the EPA, contaminants are not required to be listed after testing whereas additives are required (Mosko, 2004). Since 1990, findings of chem ical contamination and fecal coliform during testing have caused 11 major recalls of bottled water (Mosko, 2004). According to a study done by the World Wildlife Fund, bacterial counts in bottled mineral water can jump 1,000-fold after one week in storage (Mosko, 2004). When bottled water is stored in an un-refrigerated environment for a long period of time, the amount of microorganisms that begin to develop are far greater than the amount contained within tap water (Mosko, 2004). Some water companies, including Aquafina, do not use NSF-certification which tests bottled water for 144 dangerous contaminants (Mosko, 2004). Besides the water being unsafe in many cases, the plastic bottles can also cause a health threat to consumers. When bottled water drinkers notice a taste difference between brands, some of that difference can be attributed to the type of plastic used for the bottle. If the type of plastic used can have an effect on the taste of the water, shouldnt that make a person wonder as to what else the plastic is doing to the water microscopically? One such chemical used in PET bottles, known as Bisphenol-A, is a known endocrine disruptor and carcinogen (Mosko, 2004). This chemical found through testing mixes with the water contained inside the bottle (Mosko, 2004). It is one thing for a person to be inhaling smoke from cigarettes and knowing the possible cancer they are creating within their body. But it is absolutely ridiculous and uncalled for when a person unknowingly harms their body on a daily basis by drinking a product they are told is healthy and necessary for survival. With all of these findings from studies, just how good is that three-dollar bottle of water looking to a person now? Economical and Environmental Analysis in the Business Process First, some numbers on PepsiCo and Aquafina: According to the New York Times, The Pepsi Bottling Group posted better-than-expected profit April 18th as strong sales of Aquafina bottled water and Lipton Ice Tea brands in North America offset rising costs for raw material and fuel (Pepsi, 2006). The company had net income of $34 million, or 14 cents a share, compared with $39 million, or 15 cents a share, in the period a year earlier. Earnings were 3 cents ahead of analysts average forecast of 11 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates. Excluding stock option expense, Pepsi Bottlings profit was 18 cents a share. The company, which is 43 percent, owned by PepsiCo Inc., said revenue rose to $2.37 billion from $2.15 billion. In the United States, sales of noncarbonated beverages, excluding water, grew more than 20 percent in the quarter while sales of Aquafina water grew about 35 percent. Pepsi Bottling said first-quarter sales by volume, a crucial gauge of performance in the bevera ge industry, rose 6 percent worldwide as well as in the United States and Canada. The company said worldwide net revenue per case grew 4 percent, fueled by price increases in the United States that helped offset a 9 percent jump in selling, delivery and administrative expenses (The New York Times, April

Robert E. Lee Essay -- essays research papers

The battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1 through July 3, 1863, considered by most military historians the turning point in the American Civil War (Johnson 84). The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive engagement in that it arrested the Confederates’ second and last major invasion of the North, destroyed their offensive strategy, and forced them to fight a defensive war in which the slowness of their manufacturing capacity and transportation facilities doomed them to defeat (McPherson 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Army of the Potomac, under the Union general George Gordon Meade, numbered about 85,000; the Confederate army, under General Robert E. Lee, numbered about 75,000 (Johnson 90). After the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2 to 4, an important victory for the Confederates, Lee divided his army into three corps, commanded by three lieutenant generals: James Longstreet, Richard Stoddert Ewell, and Ambrose Powell Hill (Johnson 91). Lee then formulated a plan for invading Pennsylvania, hoping to avert another federal offensive in Virginia and planning to fight if he could get the federal army into a vulnerable position; he also hoped that the invasion might increase Northern war-weariness and lead the North to recognize the independence of the Confederate States of America (Johnson 85). In pursuit of this plan, Lee crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains, proceeded up the Shenandoah Valley, and, crossing Maryland, entered Pennsylvania (Clark 86). Upon learning federal troops were north of the Potomac, Lee decided to concentrate his whole army at Gettysburg (Clark 86). On June 30, Confederate troops from General Hill’s corps, on their way to Gettysburg, saw federal troops that Meade had moved down to intercept the Confederate army (McPherson 102). The Battle began on July 1 outside of Gettysburg with an encounter between Hill’s advance brigades and the federal cavalry division commanded by Major General John Buford, supported by infantry under Major General John Fulton Reynolds (McPherson 103). Hill encountered stubborn resistance, and the fighting was undecided until Ewell arrived from the north in the afternoon. The Confederates pushed against General Oliver Howard’s corps and forced the federal troops to retreat from their forward positions to Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Ridge, southeast of Gettysb... ... captured or missing (Johnson 91).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lee retreated west and southwest through Hagerstown, Maryland and into Virginia. Imboden’s wagon train, composing of wagons and ambulances, stretched for over 17 miles (Johnson 190). Meade considered pursuit, but determined that the defensive nature of the Appalachian passes prohibited full pursuit (Johnson 191). Meade did harass Lee’s retreat, which resulted in minor skirmishes and capture of various Confederate units, but did not materialize (Johnson 191). Meade’s decision not to pursue Lee angered Lincoln, who expected a decisive victory (Johnson 192). Also, the lack of vigorous pursuit showed Meade as being too cautious. Lee hurting from Gettysburg, was forced to return to Virginia. The war was far from over and lasted another 2 years (Johnson 192).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gettysburg Address, a famous speech, was delivered later that year by United States president Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (McPherson 192). He presented it in dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery honoring those who died in the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg.

Dramatic Monologue Essay

The Dramatic Monologue is a type of a lyric poem. It was developed in the Victorian period. Robert Browning is said to have perfected the Dramatic Monologue, with poems such as My Last Duchess, and Soliloquy of a Spanish Cloister. As its name states, it is a monologue, hence it is a speech uttered by a single person. In its fullest form, the dramatic monologue has three salient features Firstly, a single person who is patently not the poet, utters the speech that makes up the whole of a poem, in a specific situation at a critical moment. The dramatic monologue must occur at a critical moment, as it is this feature that distinguishes the dramatic monologue from a monologue. It also gives a dramatic effect, as it gives the reader the feeling that the something has happened before which has led to the utterance of the dramatic monologue. For instance, in the poem, The Forsaken Merman by Matthew Arnold, the Mermans human wife has abandoned him and their children in order to go pray in a church. The Merman utters the poem at the time when he realizes that that his wife will never come back. Secondly, this person addresses and interacts with one or more other people, but we know of the auditors presence only from clues in the discourse of the single speaker. The auditor never speaks, but we know of what he or she says and does when the speaker tells us. For instance, in the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot, the implied auditor is Prufrocks lover. We know of her presence when Prufrock addresses her, for example Let us go then, you and I. This first line of the poem tells us then that the poem is addressed to a specific person. Another instance is Oh, do not ask, What is it? This line tells us that the auditor, that is the lover does interact with the speaker, Prufrock, but we know about these interactions only through what the speaker says. Thirdly, the main principle controlling the poets formulation of what the lyric speaker says is to reveal to the reader, in a way that enhances its interest, the speakers temperament and character. This focus on self revelation is what distinguishes the dramatic monologue from its near relation, the dramatic lyric, which is also a monologue at an identifiable  moment but it does not reveal any new facts. For example, in the poem Porphyrias lover by Robert Browning, the lover who is the speaker, through the course of the poem reveals his insanity. He reveals that though Porphyria was beautiful and loved him, he was still dissatisfied until the point of time that he realizes that Porphyria worships him. It is at this point of time that he reveals his insanity, when unable to contain his emotions on realizing the extent of Porphyrias devotion, he wound her hair Three times her little throat around | And strangled her. Thus, such revelations are characteristic of a Dramatic Monologue. A Dramatic Monologue may or may not have all three characteristics. For instance, the poem â€Å"Dover Beach† by Matthew Arnold does not take place at a critical moment. Yet, it is considered a dramatic monologue as it is uttered by a single speaker, and it has an implied auditor, the speaker’s love, whom he addresses in the last stanza â€Å"Ah, love, let us be true†. Thus the dramatic monologue is flexible as a poetic style. Bibliography : â€Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms† -M.H. Abrams, 7th EditionPersonal notes from lecturesPoems :†The Forsaken Merman† – Matthew Arnold†The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† – T. S. Eliot†Porphyria’s Lover† – Robert Browning

Patton-Fuller Hospital Essay

Patton-Fuller Hospital is a community hospital that has remained aiding the community since the year 1975. Yearly examinations have been conducted by self-governing audits to review this year’s financial performance in comparison to preceding years. The financial statement review highpoints the alteration between the audited and unaudited reports classifies the association amongst revenue resources and expenses, despite the fact defining the assets of revenue sources on recording. Financial statement assessments subsidize an excessive level accounting of the statistics controlled in the audit. Financial statements of audited and unaudited statements contain the same type of statistics. Patton-Fuller Community hospital conducts audits agreement with auditing ethics in the United States. Self-governing Auditors ensure audited the balance sheet of Patton-Fuller Community Hospital as of December 31 of 2009 and 2008. The audited balance sheet reports the assets for 2009 which a sum of $587,767. The audited balance sheet reports the whole assets for 2008 of a total $548,535. The upsurge from 2008 to 2009 is 39,232. Liability total for 2009 is $ 462,153. The liability volume for the year 2008 is $213,450. This was a rise from 2008 to 2009 and the amount of the growth is $248,703. The entire equity and liabilities for 2009 is $587,767 and 2008 $548,535. This is an upturn from 2008 to 2009 with $ 39,232. In 2009 the total revenues show for $ 462,982 and then for 2008 $ 42,314. This total increase from 20o8 and 2009 is $41,668 according to the audited revenue and expenses annual report. The increase of $25,869 from 2008 to 2009 is shown from the audited revenue and expenses annual report. The year 2009 had $463,293 and 2008 had $437,424. The effects of revenue can be seen on the financial reporting by the fluctuations versus the expenses. From year to year you can see the fluctuation in revenue for the hospital. The revenues and expenses are grouped together by total revenues, total expenses, and net income. The total revenues include net patient revenues and other revenues. The total expenses include salaries and benefits, supplies, utilities, and depreciation. The net income shows the non-operating income (loss) as well as the investment income. By grouping the revenues and expenses it will help with separation and looking at the reports. The Patton – Fuller Community Hospital’s revenue comes from a  variety of sources, this includes net patient revenue and other different types of revenue. The revenue has definitely increased from 2008. When comparing the revenue received by the hospital to its operating expenses the difference lies in what revenue items are included in each ratio formula. In 2008 the total operating revenue is less than the total operating expenses therefore; the hospital operated at a loss and gave them a negative operating margin. In 2009 the total operating revenue exceeds the total operating expenses therefore; the hospital had a profit that year. As a result there was a positive operating margin. The way in which a hospital’s revenues and expenses are grouped for planning and control varies from hospital to hospital. At Patton-Fuller Community Hospital, the expenses are grouped by salaries and benefits, supplies, interest, and a lot more. During salaries, the staff of the hospital must be paid for the work they do. Members of the staff (therapist or surgeons) have a highly qualified job in which they have spent more time in education which causes them to have higher wages. During benefits, there are hospitals who offer benefits for the employee and their family with a discount. This can be very expensive for the hospital. The hospital needs supplies in order to fulfill their duty and many of the supplies are expensive as well as cheap. Because the hospital has to order the supplies in large quantities, it becomes very expensive. Interest is another expensive thing that the owners of the hospital have to deal with. With the hospital building costing so much, it leads to the owners taking a big mortgage out to pay for the building. When a mortgage is being taking out, interest develops. Another reason for an interest to develop is a loan to buy high price technology or machinery. There are many ways that Patton- Fuller Community Hospital grouped for planning and control for revenues and expenses. Inclusive the analysis of the financial statement originate many constructive results and the audited information and unaudited information enclosed the equivalent data. The revenue sources ensured a confident influence on the hospital and will lead to forthcoming development. Patton-Fuller Hospital Revenue review did not disclose any concealed problems. Financial managers need to carry on making assessments of the daily actions. Reference Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Retrieved July 14, 2014 from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/isoverview.asp?subgroup=hr