Developing Brand Positioning Strategy for Canadian Club

Developing Brand Positioning Strategy for Canadian Club Whiskey [pic] Developing branding strategy for Canadian Club A. Assess and fully critique the success of Canadian Club’s repositioning strategies used in the case. Use brand theories and concepts to evaluate the company’s branding strategies listed in the case. According to Keller(1993) the effective brand positioning gives a brand a competitive advantage or â€Å"unique selling proposition† that determines a reason why consumers are buying this product or service (Keller, 1993).Similarly, Kay (2004) argues that brand’s strength depends on its successful positioning within consumers’ mind. Furthermore, it is claimed that strong brands should possess â€Å"difference† and â€Å"consistency†, however the difference should be meaningful for consumers. In the case of Canadian Club whisky it aimed to differentiate its quality and uniqueness through exciting advertising campaigns such a s â€Å"Adventure Series†, â€Å"Hide A Case†, â€Å"CC Find-A-Case Challenge† or â€Å"Damn Right Your Dad Drank It†. Also, Keller (1993) claims that brand knowledge consists of brand awareness and perceived brand image among consumers.Brand image is further divided into favourability, strength and uniqueness of brand associations. Therefore, in the case of Canadian Club a brand image is conveyed through unique and distinctive experiences that consumers associate with a brand. For example, introduction of â€Å"Adventure Series† advertising campaign in 1920s aimed to increase CC’s global sales whilst showcasing print ads of travellers going to remote locations all over the world and performing brave actions. After that they were relaxing with a glass of CC.As a result a brand’s image is distinctive from the category as it appeals to its target audience as a unique and exclusive drink associated with adventures. Also, it benefits cons umer experientially. In addition, Keller (1993) claims that developing a brand equity requires four value stages: marketing program investment, customer mind-set, market performance and shareholder value (Keller, 1993). Furthermore, marketing program should be clear, relevant, distinctive and consistent throughout all the marketing communications.For example, CC introduced â€Å"Hide-A-Case† campaign in 1967 which aimed to challenge drinkers to search for bottles of Canadian Club kept hidden at remote locations all over the world. CC cases were hidden in places such as the Swiss Alps (Switzerland), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Angel Falls (Venezuela) etc. Therefore, the campaign was interactive and engaging which is another distinctiveness for the category. Also, the campaign was communicated through the hints of where to find CC cases published in magazine ads or sport pages in daily newspapers.Therefore, it was relevant for targeted audience and consistent throughout all the communications. Other campaigns involved â€Å"CC Find-A-Case Challenge†(1981) and â€Å"Find A Case Challenge†(2004) which were similar to earlier launched â€Å"Hide-A-Case† campaign, however CC cases were hidden in locations such as in Death Valley in California, on top of a skyscraper in New York City, etc. Also, the campaign involved a form of contest where teams were participating in 7 different fun-filled events or games assessing their physical and mental skills like CC Poker Run, Roll the Barrel, CC Hockey Challenge etc.The winning team was awarded of US 10000. Hence, all these campaigns were interactive, engaging and communicating brand’s uniqueness and exclusivity to the target audience. However, due to failure to address declining sales in 1990s the company had to develop new repositioning strategy for a brand. Therefore, they launched â€Å"Damn Right Your Dad Drank It† campaign aiming to expand their target audience into young male d rinkers. The campaign was based on nostalgia branding concept. According to Kay (2006) reviving brands is a viable strategy.Furthermore, it is claimed that retro branding or nostalgia branding is where perception towards brand depends upon consumers’ nostalgic leanings can be a powerful management option (Kay, 2006). Similarly, Kessous and Roux (2002) argue that nostalgia can be used to reposition company’s product in the market and differentiate it through creating emotional appeals to the consumers of their past experiences (Kessous, 2002). Therefore, nostalgia is defined as a preference towards objects (people, places or things) which were common when one was younger.The nostalgia can be further classified into â€Å"first-time nostalgia† and â€Å"long-standing nostalgia†. However, nostalgia branding is usually used within confectionary or sweets market which is why pursuing this type of strategy for Canadian Club whisky was criticised as being risky. Furthermore, whisky category itself is viewed as drinks for mature and old consumers and there was a threat to strengthen this image even more whilst using nostalgia branding. However, the campaign succeeded as it was relevant to the target audience (young males) and consistent to its brand image as it provoked masculinity and stylishness.Also, it was consistent through all the marketing communications such as billboards, point-of-sale items, radio advertising, out-of-home advertising, in-market events, and experiential elements. In addition it was distinctive to the usual category’s advertising campaigns that usually consisted of stereotyped â€Å"sex sells† ads playing on hot chicks and smoking’ bods or â€Å"James Bond† appeal. Finally, the brand’s image and values were clearly communicated through the campaign. Therefore, nostalgia branding enabled company to reposition itself from being an exclusive and sophisticated drink into more of a mass market product.Finally, Shamma (2011) claims that total brand equity consists of product and corporate brand equity which depends on company’s market, social and financial performance. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between company’s corporate brand and socially responsible marketing and total brand equity (Shamma, 2011). Similarly, Grace and King (2011) talks about employee brand equity, which is the result of positive and productive employee brand-related behaviour and is strongly linked with brand’s strength (Grace and King, 2011).In contrast, Kay (2004) argues that corporate branding differs from product and service branding as it is aimed at different target audiences. For instance, corporate branding usually targets company’s shareholders and employees whereas product and service branding is focused on consumers who are not really interested in corporate brand identity (Kay, 2004). However, it is also claimed that some companies, esp ecially those that started as niche businesses that appealed to small segments of socially conscious customers succeeded in creating strong and distinctive corporate brands.Referring to CC and Jim Beam corporation consumers are not that concerned about company’s overall image, however introduction of corporate social responsibility and socially responsible marketing could enhance employees’ satisfaction and therefore employee brand equity. B. You have assumed the role of, Brand Manager for Canadian Club. Develop a brand positioning plan to strengthen the Canadian Club brand for the next three years (2014-2017). Suggest a variety of branding strategies that are appropriate for the brand’s identity and target market.Use current research about the brand and the whiskey industry prior to answering this part of the assignment. Use theory to justify your arguments! Canadian Club whiskey belongs to UK spirits market which was estimated to be worth ? 11. 09 bn. at curre nt prices in 2011 (Keynote, 2012). The UK spirits and liquors market is expected to grow by 16. 4% reaching a value of ? 13. 42bn in 2016. Thus, there is an opportunity for Canadian Club to further increase and strengthen its share of market. Canadian Club whiskey is a prestigious brand owned by Beam Global Spirits & Wine Corporation which is US-based company.It also owns brands such as Jim Beam, Courvoisier and Tequila Sauza. Since 1920s Canadian Club differentiated itself as a high quality, exclusive whisky offering experiential experience for its drinkers. Its current target market is those from legal drinking age to 34, however company is looking forward to strengthen its appeal among younger consumers in order to capture their life-time loyalty (Twiss, 2012). Referring to its main competitors the direct competitors are Diageo’s Johnnie Walker scotch whiskey and Jack Daniels â€Å"Tennessee Whiskey†.Diageo is a leading distiller which currently owns more than 35% o f the spirits and liquors market globally and is expanding to emergent markets such as India and Asia (BBC, 2013). It also owns brands such as Smirnoff Vodka and Gordon’s Gin. Furthermore, Scotch whiskey is the leader of whiskey category in UK and worldwide and its exports were worth ? 4. 23bn in 2011 (BBC, 2013). However, there is an increasing trend among younger consumers to choose vodka and other â€Å"white† spirits to mix them in their cocktails.Therefore, in order to sustain and increase its market share Canadian Club needs to tackle competition arousing not only from â€Å"dark† spirits but also from â€Å"white† spirits such as vodka, rum, gin etc. Referring to category’s recent adverts Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky (Diageo) launched a new global advertising campaign in September 2012 entitled â€Å"Where Flavour is a King†. The campaign uses facebook application to educate users about different flavours that make up each Johnnie Wal ker label (MarketingWeek, 2012).Meanwhile, Jack Daniels â€Å"Tennessee Whiskey† has recently introduced their â€Å"Legend† campaign where it is positioned as a whiskey of â€Å"Rock & Roll† era (International Business Times, 2013). On the other hand, Canadian Club recently introduced its â€Å"Beer fairies† campaign in Australia featuring unattractive beer drinker possessing all the negative traits associated with beer drinking. The campaign seeks to position CC as a refreshing alternative through the use of parody and provocative advertising (Campaign Brief, 2012).Furthermore, it introduced â€Å"Join the Club† campaign where company’s CEO is represented as a brand ambassador and is sharing his â€Å"Whiskey wisdoms† with consumers about masculinity and manhood. It is evident that several classic liquor companies have been recently using manly images in order to appeal to growing macho men population. For instance, John Jameson and its campaign â€Å"legend of John Jameson† with images of its founder arm-wrestling or Canadian Wiser’s whiskey and its â€Å"Wiserhood† campaign featuring a â€Å"society of uncompromising men† who applaud any man who resists an occasion that threatens his manhood (Krashinsky, 2012).Also, many of spirits and liquor companies are incorporating social media when creating a branding strategy in order to target younger and more affluent audience. For instance, Canadian Club whiskey fans are encouraged to share their â€Å"Whiskey Wisdoms† on facebook in order to get an access to exclusive content, invitations to local events and wisdom (Lukovitz, 2012,). Similarly, Smirnoff promoted its Vodka Ice drink through social media whilst encouraging fans to participate in a drinking game and share experiences and photos on facebook page.According to Avery and Fournier (2011) open source branding is a new concept in marketing where a â€Å"brand is embedded in a cultural conversation such that consumers gain an equal, if not greater, say than marketers in what the brand looks like and how it behaves† (Fournier, 2011, pp. 194). It is enabled through social media technologies such as blogging, video sharing, social bookmarking, social networking, and community platforms (Fournier, 2011).Furthermore, it is evident that engaging with the â€Å"right† individuals through social media platforms can help to promote word-of-mouth for a brand, spread brand knowledge, generate sales and increase return on investment (Kumar, 2012). However, since the marketers do not have so much control on the overall brand’s image in open source branding social media can also have a negative impact on brand’s equity.Therefore, it is claimed that when incorporating social media in their marketing activities companies should take into consideration four powerful and challenging Web-enabled themes: The Age of the Social Collective, The A ge of Transparency, The Age of Criticism, and The Age of Parody (Fournier, 2011). Referring to social collectiveness it is evident that online communities provide an opportunity for in-depth discussion of shared interests among consumers, therefore strengthening group bonds. Also, some of the companies developed their business models based on social collectiveness concept.For instance, Groupon offers a variety of daily deals for restaurants, spas, massages and other activities for its members but offers are valid only if enough people sign up to receive them (Fournier, 2011). The Age of Transparency and The Age of Criticism claim that due to significant technology changes the news and opinions about particular brand spread very fast and can have a significant impact on brand equity (Fournier, 2011). For instance, due to transparency BP recently experienced a fiasco with its leaking Deepwater Horizon oil rig.The news had a significant impact on negative brand’s reputation as B P was pursuing an image of the environmentally-friendly petroleum company and was developing activities to strengthen this image. Similarly, there is a power of disappointed company’s internal employees revealing market’s and firm’s secrets to a wider public that can damage company’s image. Criticism enabled through social media technologies can also have a great impact on company’s brand equity even if a small number of consumers is complaining. For instance, when introduced its new product formulation called Dry Max,Pampers had to deal with a negative impact arousing from consumers who claimed that a product caused diaper rash and was not suitable for consumers. Finally, The Age of Parody refers to online users’ view of social media being a pastime or a source of entertainment. Therefore, it is not surprising that many companies are trying to grab consumers’ attention through creating funny and interactive campaigns that go viral. H owever, the difficulty is to evaluate the impact and reach of these campaigns. Another recent trend in social media applications is mobile marketing and mobile social media.With increasingly powerful mobile devices, many social media applications have gone mobile in order to reach customer instantly without any time or location limitations (Kaplan, 2012). Thus, mobile marketing is defined as â€Å"any marketing activity conducted through a ubiquitous network to which consumers are constantly connected using a personal mobile device† (Kaplan, 2012, pp. 130). In contrast, mobile social media is defined as a â€Å"group of mobile marketing applications that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content† (Kaplan, 2012, pp. 31). It is also claimed that mobile social media applications can be classified according to users’ time and location sensitivity. For example, quick-timers involve transfer of traditional social media applications to mobile devices to increase immediacy such as posting Twitter messages or Facebook status updates. In contrast, space-timers involve exchange of messages with relevance for one specific location at one specific point-in time, for example Facebook places, Foursquare and Gowalla.Space-timers are the most sophisticated form of mobile social marketing applications as user’s participation does not primarily depend on user’s monetary motivation. According to the theory the increasing willingness to check in certain locations through Foursquare can be explained through self-presentation and self-disclosure concepts, and impulsiveness theory which claims that individuals often struggle between displaying long-term control and giving into short-term temptations (Kaplan, 2012).Therefore, lots of companies are collaborating with Foursquare to promote their sales and discounts, develop relationships and loyalty programs. Furthermore, it is estimated that by 2020 a mobile device will be the primary Internet connection tool for most people in the world (Kaplan, 2010). However, when integrating mobile social marketing applications companies should also make sure that it is integrated into the lives of consumers, offered activities or promotions are individualized according to each user’s preferences and interests and users are involved through engaging in conversations.Otherwise, it can become intrusive, annoying and threaten personal privacy. Nevertheless, mobile marketing provides high rate of personalisation, interactivity, low cost of reaching large audience at the right time at the right place, immediate, one-to-one communication, does not depend on time and space etc. Hence, followed the benefits of increased brand awareness and sales through social media and mobile social marketing applications here are proposed brand positioning strategies for Canadian Club 2014-201 Strategy OneFirstly, a new brand positioning campaign called â€Å"Canadian Club-Unexceptional Qua lity† will be launched in September 2014. A campaign will focus on promoting major brand’s assets quality and exclusivity in order to capture wider audience. The main company’s strategy will be to use facebook application to educate users of brand’s quality and suitability for various occasions in order to increase the usage. It will involve posts of various taglines such as â€Å"There’s no better way to impress a woman than†¦ Canadian Club-Unexceptional Quality† or â€Å"To be well groomed is an exception†¦Canadian Club is Unexceptional! † in order to strengthen marketing communications message. The campaign is also going to encourage users to post and share photos of various occasions when CC can be consumed. This way brand tries to engage with audience whilst suggesting that CC is not only old men drink and can be consumed during various occasions. Additionally, in order to boost users’ confidence and strengthen th e relation between brand’s image and quality the campaign will provide tips on their facebook page for exclusive Canadian Club consumers of how to best dress up when drinking Canadian Club.These tips will only be accessed if users liked a page. This campaign’s aim is to engage users in open and active conversations about the brand and its quality, as well as increase awareness. The campaign will be supported by billboards, radio and youtube videos. Strategy Two Secondly, since company aims to target younger audience in order to capture their life-time loyalty the use of mobile social marketing is essential. Therefore, it is suggested to develop a mobile application that either engages, interacts or benefits consumer.Furthermore, many of the companies nowadays collaborates with mobile social media applications such as Foursquare in order to generate users’ word-of-mouth, facilitate sales promotions and discounts or develop relationships through loyalty programs. Hence, Canadian Club will use foursquare website to promote brand’s image and increase sales. Therefore, users will be encouraged to check-in at five high class luxurious bars, restaurants or hotels listed on Canadian Club’s foursquare web page in order to get a 40% discount for a suit for upcoming occasion from a local high quality retailer.The check-ins should be followed by user’s comment about Canadian Club’s exceptional quality and shared on facebook with his friends. The number of discounts will be limited and the promotion campaign will run until all the discounts will be given away. Users will be updated of the remaining promotions on Canadian Club’s facebook page and personally reminded how many more locations they need to check-in if entered a competition. The campaign firstly will be tested in US and then adopted in emerging markets such as India, China, Russia. Some adjustments will be made if needed to adapt to local market. Conclusion sFor decades Canadian Club whiskey was known for its exclusivity and unexceptional quality. A brand always tried to differentiate itself from competitors whilst launching various interactive and exciting advertising campaigns that were unusual and innovative for the category. Therefore, when suggesting different brand positioning strategies for 2014-2017 Canadian Club should remain enforcing its distinctive image and promoting high quality in the market. Hence, a number of social media and mobile social marketing strategies were suggested in order to capture younger users’ attention and build life-time loyalty towards the brand.For instance, the use of facebook application to educate users about Canadian Club’s high quality and suitability for various occasions is suggested, which will increase brand’s awareness whilst engaging in users’ conversations and encouraging them to share comments and photos. Also, due to increasing number of mobile applicationsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ users and forecasts of mobile phone becoming as a primary internet connection tool marketers should pay a great attention into mobile social media marketing when developing a brand positioning plan.Therefore, a Canadian Club’s collaboration with Foursquare website was advised in order to grab consumers’ attention, spread word-of-mouth and increase sales whilst asking users to check in at 5 high class listed locations to get a 20% discount for a high quality suit from a local retailer. Overall, both of these strategies will allow Canadian Club to position itself as high quality and suitable for various occasions drink among younger consumers and will help to achieve a competitive advantage through the use of mobile social marketing. References E-jounals: Fournier, S. , 2011.The uninvited brand. Business Horizons, [Online]. 54, 193-207. Available at:http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681311000024  [Accessed 02 March 2013] Kaplan, A. M. , 20 10. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, [Online]. 53, 59-68. Available at:http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681309001232  [Accessed 03 March 2013] Kaplan, A. M. , 2012. If you love something, let it go mobile: Mobile marketing and mobile social media 4Ãâ€"4. Business Horizons, [Online]. 55, 129-139. Available at:http://www. ciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681311001558  [Accessed 06 March 2013]. Kay, M. J. , 2006. Strong brands and corporate brands. European Journal of Marketing, [Online]. 40, issue 7, 742-760. Available at:  http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1562577&show=abstract[Accessed 11 March 2013] Keller, K. L. , 1993. Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Csutomer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing, [Online]. 57, 1-22. Available at:  http://www. jstor. org/stable/1252054? seq=2&uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101887384081  [Accessed 12 March 20 13] Kessous, A. , 2008.A semiotic analysis of Nostalgia as a connection to the past. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, [Online]. 11, issue 2, 192-212. Available at:http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1718576&show=abstract  [Accessed 11 March 2013] King, C. , 2011. Employee brand equity: Scale development and validation. Journal of Brand Management, [Online]. 19, issue 4, 268-288. Available at:  http://www. palgrave-journals. com/bm/journal/v19/n4/abs/bm201144a. html  [Accessed 14 March 2013] Kumar, V. , 2012. Increasing the ROI of Social Media Marketing. MITSloan Management Review, [Online]. 4, issue 1, 55-61. Available at:  http://scholar. google. co. uk/scholar? q=Increasing+the+ROI+of+Social+media+Marketing&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_vis=1  [Accessed 03 March 2013]. Shamma, H. M. , 2011. Integrating Product and Corporate Brand Equity into Total Brand Equity Measurement. International Journal of Marketing Studies, [Online]. 3, i ssue 1, 11-17. Available at:http://scholar. google. co. uk/scholar? q=Integrating+Product+and+Corporate+Brand+Equity+into+Total+Brand+Equity+Measurement&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_vis=1[Accessed 14 March 2013] Websites and Industry Reports: Campaign Brief. 2012.Canadian Club hires comic legend John Cleese to poke fun at ‘beer fairies' in new campaign set to launch tomorrow via The Works, Sydney. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. campaignbrief. com/2012/04/canadian-club-hires-comedian-j. html. [Accessed 05 March 13] Fraser, D. 2013. How Scotch whisky conquered the world. BBC News. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/uk-scotland-20946411. [Accessed 15 March 13] Joseph, S. 2013. Johnnie Walker launches first umbrella brand campaign. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. marketingweek. co. uk/news/johnnie-walker-preps-umbrella-brand-campaign/4003702. article. Accessed 11 March 13] Key Note (2012) Spirits and Liquors Market 2012. Hampton: Key Note Krashinsky, S. 2012. M ustache marketing: Selling ‘whisky wisdom’ to younger drinkers. [ONLINE] Available at:  http://m. theglobeandmail. com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mustache-marketing-selling-whisky-wisdom-to-younger-drinkers/article5508749/? service=mobile. [Accessed 05 March 13] Lukovitz, K. 2012. Canadian Club Intros â€Å"Join the Club† Campaign. Marketing Daily. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. mediapost. com/publications/article/188057/canadian-club-intros-join-the-club-campaign. html#axzz2O2P5U9uX. [Accessed 14 March 13]

Life and Music

Music is as diverse as the people listening to its many different genres. My wife and I are just two of the millions of people around the world who listen to music almost everyday. However, my wife and I have a lot of differences when it comes to music although I can say that we share the same passion for it ever since when we were still at a young age. For my part, learning music was at first an academic task because it was part of a class that I had to take during my earlier days in school. There was simply no chance for me to enjoy music as people should.When I was ten years old, I bought my first AM transistor from my classmate. It was the first time in my life when I got the chance to enjoy the music of the Beatles and other bands playing country music at the time. That moment in my life opened the windows of my imagination inasmuch as it sparked a great deal of musical interest on my part. From then on, I simply just could not have enough of music and I was stuck with the pleas ure of listening to tunes over the radio. My wife has a strong cultural influence coming from the Philippines because she, too, is a Filipino.I recall my wife telling me that she always watched â€Å"An Evening with Pilita Corales† together with her parents when she was still young. Pilita Corales is considered as the Queen of â€Å"Kundiman†Ã¢â‚¬â€traditional love songs written and sung in Filipino language—in the Philippines. If my wife was fond of watching that show way back then, I was fond of watching â€Å"Lawrence Welk† on the television together with my father and mother. Apparently, our differences in our earliest exposures to music hold one reason why my wife and I still have differences today in terms of music.It is interesting to know that despite the fact that my wife lived in a country that is perhaps one of the most culturally rich countries in the world, she enjoyed spending time in the playground than doing folk dances which often involv ed materials that were indigenously available. Those dances, as she recounted, were always played to the rhythm of local music which, at that time in her life, never seemed important to her. She was too young in fact that she found it more fun to play in the school’s playground than to spend some of her idle time listening to local music and performing local dances.I had the same experience when I was still as young as my wife during her childhood days. The only difference, perhaps, was that I was doubly busy or I had a tougher time at school for I did not only have to learn English but I also had to study music as part of the school curriculum. I had to catch up with my school work and so I barely had the time to realize the pleasure of listening to music and enjoying what it had to offer beyond sensory experience. Today, things have changed a lot—and for the better. Fortunately, my wife and I soon learned and appreciated music in our lives.In fact, my wife and I bega n to watch musical plays like â€Å"Annie†, â€Å"The Lion King†, â€Å"Blue Man Group†, â€Å"Tarzan†, â€Å"Mama Mia† and â€Å"Miss Saigon† soon after we got married. Perhaps it was the moment in our lives when we realized that we shared one thing in common after all—the love for music. Each time we are able to watch a musical play, we always love the live performance due to the outpouring emotions that one can feel before a stage of actors and actresses giving justice to a number of different melodies and rhythms that can not be easily heard beyond every performance night.Max Weber understood music as â€Å"a deeply meaningful part of a society’s culture† (Turley, 2001, p. 635), which is perhaps why sooner or later people will begin to realize the importance or the role of music in their lives, regardless of whether or not the music they are listening to is indigenous or foreign. That being the case, it is easy to se e why people can relate music; music touches our inner soul and reaches for the depths of our being that we oftentimes find difficult to express, let alone reach.For me, music helps us remember a lot of things simply because music holds memories. As I see it, music expresses feelings even if there are no words to it and it also raises our level of thinking about freedom. Howard Gardner even categorized our abilities to appreciate and even produce music as part of multiple human intelligences (Pfeifer & Scheier, 1999), which makes sense to say that it is crucial for human beings to have an ear for music. Doing so can broaden our mental horizons and enable us to appreciate life even more.While my wife enjoys listening to the music of the Monkees, Carpenters, Beatles and Michael Jackson as much as I do, I still try to go beyond the sheer pleasure of listening to their music. I teach art and I try to incorporate music into my profession. As much as possible, I try to play music whenever I have my art class so that my students will be able to express their feelings more whenever they hold their brushes and begin painting images with beautiful colors. The way I see it, music is so strong it can evoke our inner feelings and give us the inspiration to make stunning artworks.Because music can stir our emotions and our memories, music can push art students and artists to greater lengths. In general, music helps people unlock the rarely touched parts of their being (Grant, 2003, p. 173). I cannot imagine my life and my wife’s life without music as it has already been an integral part of who we are. Music helps my wife and I remember a lot of things about our past and our culture. It also helps us appreciate our lives and our marriage better each day without having the need to force ourselves to listen to music.

The Making of a Great Place to Work – the Story of Marriott International

The making of a Great Place to Work ® – the story of Marriott International A friend was narrating his story of an experience at the Ritz – Carlton hotel. He was suffering from a sore throat and decided to take his mother’s advice and called room service asking for a glass of hot milk mixed with a spoon of turmeric. Three years later after checking into the same hotel, he promptly receives a phone call from the room service, â€Å"Sir, would you like your favorite hot milk with turmeric! Much as he hated drinking hot milk with turmeric, my friend was impressed by the memory of the hotel’s staff. The Ritz-Carlton is one of the many brands of Marriott International. â€Å"Take care of the associates, and they'll take good care of the guests, and the guests will come back. † This was what J Willard Marriott said many decades ago. The founder of Marriott has since been vindicated many times over. Today, Marriott International has nearly 2,900 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Between now and the end of the year it will add another 100 properties to take the tally to 3000 properties. Marriott International, Inc. , is a leading lodging company. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D. C. , in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, the company manages and franchises hotels and resorts under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, The RitzCarlton Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; operates conference centers; and manages golf courses. Marriott consistently makes it to Fortune’s Best Employer’s List. And it is number 5 amongst the Top 25 Great Places to Work ® in India. Visit a Marriott property and you will sense the enthusiasm and energy of their Associates (They call their employees Associates). I decided to visit their Juhu property and talk to a few employees to find out what makes this hotel an employer of choice. Here’s what I found. 1. A strong Brand Marriott International does not own the hotels it operates. It owns the brands and runs the management. In this sense it is a true professional services firm. A lot of people can construct a world class property; it takes a Marriott management team to make it a world class hotel. â€Å"When I was working with a rival chain, I kept on wondering, if Marriott can do it, why can’t we,† confided a senior manager. â€Å"When I decided to shift from Delhi to Mumbai, I had a colleague who used to work in Marriott in Mumbai. She almost forced me to come for an interview at Marriott,† shared the current head of Training.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India 2. True Empowerment Empowerment is the cornerstone of â€Å"the Marriott way. Marriott has numerous examples of how their Associates feel empowered. Employees decide when to give a fruit basket or other complimentary items to guests. There is a high degree of pride in the unique relationships they form with their guests. One example quoted was how an Associate in a restaurant offered the most expensive bottle of champagne to an unhappy guest- as a complimentary gift! Such examples are applauded and recognised. In the employee website, as well as, the company website you will find a number of stories of exemplary behaviour of Associates. . Guarantee of fair treatment Marriott employees feel empowered because they know that fair treatment is a cornerstone of the Organisation’s philosophy. This is what J W Marriott, Jr, current Chairman and CEO has to say, â€Å"I want our Associates to know that there really is a guy named Marriott who cares about them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bill, as he is affectionately called, makes sure these are not empty words. Each manager has to give an undertaking of fair treatment. There is a process of escalation of employee grievances (Speak Out process), right up to him. Indeed, as the current HR Manager found out, getting a call from Bill’s office to enquire about an employee grievance is not surprising. Considering that Marriott employs over 150,000 employees globally, this is a strong example of the emphasis placed on fair treatment. And for employees too shy to write to Bill, there is always the option of anonymously calling up the Integrity hotline, a 24 by 7 toll free number. As one employee commented, â€Å"A very unique thing in this place is the work culture. I think all Associates are treated equally. At an individual level there are differences but no one turns their back when someone actually needs help. † 4. Communication If fairness ensures that employees are not penalised for doing the right thing, communication processes are what ensures that employees know what the right thing is. This is what Bill Marriott says in his blog (http://www. blogs. marriott. com), â€Å"Many years ago, Marriott did something revolutionary at the time for hotels. We not only began asking guests about their stays, what they liked and didn't like, but we also took that information and created databases and tracking mechanisms so we knew how each hotel was doing. Marriott is the only hotel I know of which has a daily newspaper, called the Daily Packet. The Daily Packet is a communication tool which comprises of the Hospitality Basic of the Day, Events for the day, Daily Birthdays, Special guest recognition of associate efforts, HR eye opener for the day, Daily occupancy rate, etc.  ©Great P lace to work ® Institute,India So the chances are the Associate who offered the bottle of champagne to the customer, did it with the full knowledge of how well the business is doing, and whether she can afford to spend that much on service recovery. An important part of the communication process is the performance communication. Every quarter the GM addresses the associates and shares the Balance Score Card which comprises of the Revenue, Guest Satisfaction Survey results, Turnover rate, Audit Scores etc. The winners for departmental and individual recognitions schemes are awarded during this Quarterly Associates Meeting. This is followed by the department head along with the line manager conducting a quarterly performance review with the Associates. This is to give the Associate feedback and an overview of the last quarter and set his goals and action plan/development for the next quarter. 5. The Marriott way I cannot end an article on Marriott without emphasising their 12 rules of success. Like any other great Organisation (Remember J&J’s Credo), Marriott has defined its 12 rules of success as under: 1. Continually challenge your team to do better. 2. Take good care of your employees and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back. 3. Celebrate your people's success, not your own. . Know what you're good at and mine those competencies for all you're worth. 5. Do it and do it now. Err on the side of taking action. 6. Communicate. Listen to your customers, associates and competitors. 7. See and be seen. Get out of your office, walk around, make yourself visible and accessible. 8. Success is in the details. 9. It's more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific exper ience. 10. Customer needs may vary, but their bias for quality never does. 11. Eliminate the cause of a mistake. Don't just clean it up. 12. View every problem as an opportunity to grow. The above rules are supported by 20 Basics – basic behaviours that exemplify the above rules. Marriott’s brand beliefs can be summarised in one line as their spirit to serve- their Associates, Customers and Community. In line with the above Marriott have awards for Community Service and Diversity. Do not be surprised if you see hundreds of Marriott employees (joined by enthusiastic guests) descending on Juhu beach to clean it up. They did precisely that. Just as they took care of 26 school kids and many others during Mumbai floods. Great Place to work ® Institute,India I recall visiting a friend of mine in the HR department of a reputed five star hotel in the beginning of my career. The HR department was in the basement. My friend took me to the staff canteen, a dimly lit place where we were served some beaten rice (Poha) from an Aluminium Container, in a steel plate. I was amazed to see the difference between the basement and the other floors. Times have changed. The HR department in Marriott is at the same level as the Reception. And the basement is no less. For Marriott the â€Å"Heart of the Organisation† is as important as the â€Å"Front of the Organisation†. As you walk through the â€Å"Associate Corridor† which is designed to make you proud to be in Marriott, and enter the Associate canteen, you can’t help exclaiming,† Are all restaurants in this hotel as good as the Associate canteen?! † ____________________________________________________________ ____________ The author is CEO of The Great Place to Work ® Institute, India. He can be reached at [email  protected] in Views expressed are personal.  ©Great Place to work ® Institute,India

Did Father Flynn get what he derserved at the end of the film, Doubt Movie Review

Did Father Flynn get what he derserved at the end of the film, Doubt - Movie Review Example This in effect operates as a promotion and when Sister Aloysius is told of Father Flynn’s departure, she repeats â€Å"in the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God†. The denouement of the film poses more questions than at it answers and has fuelled polarised debate as to whether or not Father Flynn is actually innocent, which in turn poses the question as to whether Father Flynn gets what he deserved at the end of the film. On the one hand, Father Flynn’s departure and silence at the end could be interpreted as an admission of guilt, which would lend itself to the argument that Father Flynn did not get what he deserved as he effectively ends up in a higher position of authority by the end of the film. On the other hand, the audience learns that Sister Aloysius lied about speaking to a nun at Father Flynn’s previous church, which in turn leads the audience to question the guilt of both Aloysius and Father Flynn. Therefore overall, in contrast to the archetypal Hollywood blockbuster, the film’s conclusion leaves many issues unresolved, which in turn projects the central theme of doubt throughout the film onto the audience. In turn, it is submitted in this paper that ultimately it is impossible to decipher whether Father Flynn gets what he deserves at the end of the film. Whilst questions about Father Flynn’s conduct remains throughout, Sister Aloysius’ relentless pursuit of him not only serves to heighten the anticipation from the audience’s perspective as to whether or not he is guilty; it arguably serves to operate as a microcosm of gender conflict within the Catholic Church (Smith 218). Whether or not Father Flynn is guilty of abuse further serves to highlight the irony of the battle between him and Sister Aloysius who is also guilty of lying to remove Father Flynn from the Church. The irony is that within the Church’s infrastructure, Sister Aloysius’ position as a nun is inferior to Father Flynn.

Impact of WorkLife Balance on Employee Performance Essay

Impact of WorkLife Balance on Employee Performance - Essay Example In this paper, the main discussion will be centered on reviewing the relevant literature about the measures that can be implemented by the organization in order to create a fine balance between the needs of the employees and the company so as to enhance positive outcomes for both parties. According to Beauregard and Henry, â€Å"Competing demands between work and home have assumed increased relevance for employees in recent years, due in large part to demographic and workplace changes such as rising numbers of women in the labour force, an ageing population, longer working hours, and more sophisticated communications technology enabling near constant contact with the workplace†. In as far as work balance is concerned, the employees should also be in a position to cater to their own family needs and interests. There are likely to be positive outcomes for both the employees and the employers. Research has shown that employees who are not given the opportunity to pursue their own goals are less satisfied in their work compared to those who are given the autonomy to make decisions that can impact on their goals and the needs of the organization. Jackson and Schuler argue that employees are not only motivated by financial gains but the autonomy to make decisions as well as to pursue their personal goals. This helps to create quality relationships between the employees and the organizations where mutual understanding can be enhanced. Against the rising demand of the need to create good industrial relations where dialogue between the employees and the employers can be supported to work together for the betterment of the company as a whole, the UK government has established The Partnership at Work Fund and it was launched under the Government grant scheme through the Department of Trade and Industry in 1999.

Historigraphy of the American West Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Historigraphy of the American West - Essay Example Alexander Mackenzie and Thomas Jefferson, George Catlin and Paul Kane, Frederic Remington and the North West Mounted Police: the United States West intertwined with the Canadian West - there are thousands f other such moments, innumerable cruxes, and myriad border-crossings. The problem, ever and always, is in how we "Americans" understand these things. (Canadians, f course, are also "Americans" in the sense f being f this continent.) Each f us, Canadians and United States people, living within a national myth borne f exceptionalism, seek to assert our country's historical narrative - especially the narrative f West: expansion - "Westward the Course f Empire Takes Its Way" or, in Canada, the Laurentian thesis propounded to the Canadian Pacific Railway (completed in 1885): Pierre Berton's "The National Dream" (or Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy) (Kaye). Yet these parallel narratives, historically intertwined as they were, and are, have too infrequently crossed, too infre quently been probed and understood as the interconnected fact-based stories they are. The significance f Jefferson's response to his worried moment over Mackenzie's transcontinental success is clear: the massed bulk f the University f Nebraska Press's The Journals f the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1983-99, 13 vols.) looms, the narrative versions f Lewis and Clark have piled up (though they were slow to start - the first, by Biddle, did not appear until 1814), James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking series stands mythologizing them yet, especially in its third volume, The Prairie (1827). And two words - Undaunted Courage - have recently again broadcast Lewis and Clark throughout the United States through Stephen Ambrose's popular retelling f the story f their voyage f discovery. Yet early in Wallace Stegner's Wolf Willow (1962) - arguably the paradigm border-crossing Western text, a paradigm as autobiography, as history, as art - there is an invocation f the Lewis and Clark expedition on the upper Missouri in May 1805: "They came watchfully," Stegner writes, "for they were the first. They came stiffened with resolution and alert with wonder." "Every river and creek that came in from south or west brought word f the Stony Mountains and the passes that might lead to the Great South Sea; every stream from north or northwest was a possible trail to the Saskatchewan in Prince Rupert's Land. More and more, as they moved westward, the country that lay between them and these desired goals was not merely unknown, it was un rumored" ( 19). Stegner's invocation f Lewis and Clark here - one that is both precise and careful - serves him an important narrative purpose: he places them on the Milk River bluffe (so called because Lewis and Clark renamed them for Euroamerican s), staring northward toward the Cypress Hills, the mythic place f his boyhood in Saskatchewan to which he returns through Wolf Willow. Standing at the apex f the continent, Lewis and Clark, Stegner writes, "would have been looking down the imperceptible hill that led to Hudson Bay" (42). Such a careful placement f these paradigmatic explorers in a paradigmatic text by a writer who was a literal border-crosser, and so also something f a paradigm himself, is indicative. Stegner was born in the United States, he self-identified as American but, having spent his

Technologies in Shipping and Port Management Essay

Technologies in Shipping and Port Management - Essay Example Nowadays, the bulk carriers are the biggest workers of the fleet, transporting raw materials such as iron ore and coal (Shipping Facts, 2010). Tankers are useful in transporting crude oil, potentially hazardous chemicals, and petroleum products. Tankers often look quite the same as bulk carriers, but the deck of the tankers is usually flushed and covered by oil pipe and ventilation systems (Shipping Facts, 2010). In the same period, a further potential design was intended to revolutionize the transfer of cargo on land as well as, on the ocean, and this design was the freight container. The idea, which had been first developed in the United States during the 1950s, was to pack cargo into rectangular metal boxes, which could be transported by road, railway or ship (Overview of Shipping and Navigation history, 2010). Now container ships, which carry most of the worlds manufactured goods and products, are usually done through scheduled liner services (Shipping Facts, 2010). With the exception of the aforementioned ships, there are two other types of ships that are popular in shipping, one of which are ferries, which usually fulfil shorter trips for a mixture of passengers and commercial vehicles. Most of these ships are Ro-Ro (roll on - roll off) ferries, where allow vehicles to drive straight on and off, making it a speedy and easily accessible way to travel. The other type of ship is known as a specialist ship.  

Lived experience interacting with organizations that highlights either Essay

Lived experience interacting with organizations that highlights either motivation or stress - Essay Example The impact of motivation manifests in the supermarket, which equally faces the challenge of ensuring that the employees are motivated to perform well. Motivation is not only a personal urge to perform but also a fundamental necessity for one’s success in life, and individuals must therefore know how to motivate themselves. This is so because the workplace has many challenges required to be overcome by individual employees, and hence the need for motivation. In light of this, the management of reference organizations bears the responsibility of knowing how to motivate the employees though the management unfortunately lacks control of the derived motivation. As a result, the employees have a duty to derive personal motivation and to control the motivation generated by the management with a view of boosting the overall performance of the organization. Motivation may refer to a psychological force that stimulates or reinforces action geared towards a specified direction for purpos es of attaining a certain goal. Motivation aims at controlling and ensuring persistence in all goal-directed behaviors. As seen above, motivation is an employee’s quest to satisfy or fulfill their personal need. Various theories seek to address motivation, but in this context, McClelland's Need Theory stands out. McClelland's Need Theory of motivation asserts that unsatisfied needs are the motivators of human actions. McClelland's Need Theory further acknowledges the different levels of needs that derive human motivation where individuals must satisfy specific lower needs before satisfying higher ones. Nevertheless, the theory notes that individuals must bear the will and get the opportunity to satisfy such needs for them to derive motivation. Employment in different organizations acts as a better opportunity and measure for motivation among individuals. Indeed, through my interactions with the employees and management at the supermarket, I got the opportunity to experience v arious needs and the resultant motivation among the employees. My experience allowed me to confirm the complexity of the motivation phenomenon and the needs of individuals, which form a good base to address motivation in an organization. Just as the needs theory highlights, only the unsatisfied needs influence behavior among employees working for different organizations. At the supermarket, I experienced individuals with different levels of motivation based on their unsatisfied needs and other factors. The low-paid employees and junior employees seemingly manifested very low levels of motivation probably because they had very many unsatisfied needs. An interview and consistent observation of the employees, during and after work, established that low pay and low job levels demotivate reference employees from performing better. On the other hand, the management, high-paid workers, and the senior employees of the supermarket had very high levels of motivation based on the comfort of th eir work status. The management, high-paid workers, and the senior employees kept urging, pressuring, and encouraging the seemingly poor motivated employees to perform better. It is arguably true that the need for higher pay, promotions, better working conditions, and recognition acted as a motivation for the employees to perform better at the supermarket. The need to be in control and influence other employees, search for a competitive position, and the need

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 105

Summary - Essay Example as an agent of black culture was unquestioned, being rejected by the people he represented, at time when they were required to be struggling for each other, was a rejection while being in the minority (Adelt, 2010, 13). Remarkably, this is what brought his feelings of being black twice. This photograph is one of a black man in a sea of white rock and roll fans. Although this combination of audience was one B. B. King was not accustomed to and one that he was not comfortable with, the photograph shows him greeting the fans showing that he was appreciative of the opportunities that presented themselves. The photograph on page 25 is the B. B. King’s â€Å"Indianola Mississippi Seeds† album cover. The cover photograph was of a watermelon curved out in the shape of a guitar placed in from of an old amplifier. At a time where there were still purist in the music industry, the photograph expressed the need to remain true and the guitar gave a clear rock reference. This image is not fixed to any racial construct. Post WW II Germans and Europe at large had a respect for jazz and blues and American artist found a growing audience. This was revealed by the shift in the racial construct of blues and what they represented, restriction. The American Folk Blues Festival brought Memphis Slim and other African American blues performance to both Germany and other European countries (Adelt, 2010, 78). This was an attempt at modernizing Germans with African American blues. This was a noble cause however, they were not fully prepared to accept an art form that had primarily been performed black to a black audience and were not yet ready to accept a primitive form of art while wanting to be modern. This complicated dialogues of racism in that in rejecting the blues, which served as an anti-racist strategy they, we in fact being ignorant and rejecting the artist that sang the music, which could be viewed as a form of prejudice or ignorance of the things that transpired among

Cloud Computing Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cloud Computing Assignment - Research Paper Example According to a theoretical viewpoint, the terms ‘cloud’ indicates the abstraction of resources, technology, and its location which are significant in establishing the incorporated infrastructure of computing which comprises of systems, networks, and applications. Most of the information technology experts view the concept of cloud computing as a model instead of technology. According to them, this model is used by the customers to plug into the â€Å"cloud† to access IT resources which are priced and provided â€Å"on-demand†. Essentially, IT resources are rented and shared among multiple tenants much as office space, apartments, or storage spaces are used by tenants (David, 2010). The concept of cloud computing is a substitution for the service providing or the data centre through the delivery of an internet connection. At the basic level, the concept of cloud computing relies on shared services and very broad infrastructure convergence. A very precise def inition of the model states that it is a computing system based on the internet technology where the software, platform, infrastructure, devices and other resources are provided by the virtual shared server on pay-as you- use basis. Therefore, all such information which is provided by the digitized system in the model is the cloud computing. These services can be accessed by users with the help of ‘internet cloud’ even if the users do not have any prior knowledge on the resource management. Thus, this technology can enable them to focus more on the basic business functions and processes instead of wasting time on gaining the knowledge on the resource management of the business processes. The usage of cloud computing does not require the ownership of any type of infrastructure. In this way they are able to avoid huge expenses. They only use the resources and pay for it and most of the infrastructure of cloud computing comprises of the services which are built on servers and delivered with the help of common centres. These types of data centres permit the business organizations to introduce their applications and make them more efficient and faster with an ease of maintenance and manageability. Moreover, they also make the Information Technology able of adjusting the resources quickly in order to meet the varying and uncertain business demands (Luit Infotech, 2012). History The fundamental concept of cloud computing originated in the 1960s, with John McCarthy giving his opinion that the concept of computation needs to be established as a public utility some day. Then, Douglas Parkhill's , in his book, The Challenge of the Computer Utility, published in 1966, thoroughly discovered almost all the advanced features of cloud computing, which include elastic provision, the usage of the private, public, community and government forms and the comparison to the electricity industry. There were other scholars and researchers too, during 1950s, who worked upo n the features, operations and feasibility of the cloud computing model. The real term "cloud" has been taken from the telephony in the companies of telecommunications, which had continued to offer the customers point-to-point data circuits until 1990s. Then, they began offering Virtual Private Network (VPN) services which lead the IT

Motivation in Educational Institutes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Motivation in Educational Institutes - Essay Example And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth. The profesion of teaching has had far more impact on development of a society than most people realise. After parents, the teacher is the most important person in the toddler's life. This interaction forms the foundation for the future life of the child, as to how he or she will contribute to the betterment of the society when he grows up to be an adult. With such an important role to play in lives of the future citizens of a nation, neither parents nor a country can afford to take chances. If a teacher is motivated, he or she can turn around the very lives of the children who come into their contact. This author has personal experiences with some such teachers, who actually turned life upside down in a short period of few years spent with them in a school. However, in today's context, thin budgets, materialistic lifestyles and big fat payscales available for other jobs have made teaching a last resort for most professions. In these circumstances, the teacher cannot be expected to stay motivated enough towards his students, and a good teacher is always an exception than rule. Under these circumstances, the administration has no choice but to evolve ways and means to increase motivation levels of teachers so that they can perform their jobs upto required levels of competencies without compromising the future of the the very students they are entrusted with. AIM This paper aims at bringing out some novel ways of improving motivation levels of teachers in modern educational institutions. BACKGROUND THEORIES Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well. - Aristotle During past few decades, most governments and local schools have enacted some plans to recruit, reward, and retain the best teachers. Merit pay and career ladders were intended to provide financial incentives, varied work, and advancement opportunities for seasoned teachers. These, along with across-the-board pay raises, work environment premiums for difficult assignments, and grants or sabbaticals for research and study, were expected to improve teacher performance and motivation. Things did not move as expected and motivation levels of teachers continue to concern authorities even now. Additional aspects given due consideration were the historical contexts, factors affecting them internally and externally, and how new opportunities are devised for better motivation of teachers. - www.osba.org/lrelatns/teacherq/motivate.htm According to Johnson (1986), motivation aspects of teachers can be improved by three theories: Expectancy theory. Individuals are more likely to strive in their work if there is an anticipated reward that they value, such as a bonus or a promotion, than if there is none. It is true that monetary compensation is still the most important motivator in the present times. Teachers also belong to the same society as any other professional; have same dreams about lifestyles and the life they want to

SwoT Essay Example for Free

SwoT Essay Before identifying the potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats Sharp faces in solar panel market. We must first examine the solar panel industry as a whole. The future growth of industry and the demand for solar panels is contingent on two economic drivers. These two factors include what types of energy will be used to fuel the growth of developing nations and how and where the energy is produced. The first economic driver that could potentially increase the growth of the industry lays in the fact that securing traditional energy as a means of fueling growth is ecoming increasingly more expensive with an ever-growing demand. The growth in demand for traditional energy can be attributed to the development of countries such as China and India. The second economic driver that will dictate the growth of the industry is the fact that over the next few decades developing nations will shift away from centralized energy production to more local production. On the grounds that developing countries dont have the current infrastructure such as electrical grids and decentralized energy production is much more cost effective than building such infrastructure (Bradford, 2006). In closing, the future growth of the solar industry hinges on developing nations using renewable energy to fuel their growth and leap frog the expense of constructing infrastructure to distribute traditional forms of energy with decentralized production. After identifying the two drivers that will dictate the future growth of the solar panel industry, we can examine the projections made about the future growth of the industry. The current market is over five billion dollars annually with new markets continuing to develop. Predictions have been made that the solar cell manufacturing ndustry will be a twenty- five billion plus industry by 2010 (CSU, 2007). While the solar panel industry has experienced a steady stream of growth for the last six years with growth estimated at a rate of thirty percent annually (Businessweek, 2006). In conclusion, the solar panel industry has experienced a consistent annual rate of growth that will only continue to increase with the growing trend towards renewable energy. Now that we have examined the economic drivers that will fuel the growth of the industry and the current growth the industry has experienced we can began to xamine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats Sharp faces. The foundation of Sharps strength in the solar panel industry stems from their experience manufacturing solar powered fuel cells. Since 1963 Sharp Corporation has been mass producing solar powered fuel cells. This translates into roughly forty years of production experience. With Sharps solar panel division being the second largest producer within the industry. Another crucial strength that Sharp possesses is its effective utilization of its working capital generated from its sale of consumer lectronics. Sharp uses this working capital to fund research and development and gain a foothold in developing markets as a means of achieving their long-term goal of becoming an industry leader. Sharp is currently allocating billions of dollars to the research and development of new cutting edge technology before industry rivals beat them to the punch (Hall, 2008). In addition, to investing in new technology, Sharp is increasing their production capacity with construction of a new factory in to produce solar panels suitable for the climates in Southern Europe, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Africa (Williams, 2008) pcmag. Finally, Sharp has Just recently announced a partnership with Italian energy company costing 1. 05 billion dollars to build several solar power-generating plants in the next four years. With Sharp collecting royalties from Enels sales generated from the new plants. In summary, one of Sharps biggest strengths is their ability to effectively utilize their working capital and take the necessary actions to accomplish their long-term goal of being the industry leader. After evaluating the strengths Sharp brings to the ndustry, we can begin to evaluate their weaknesses within the industry. One of the greatest weaknesses of Sharp stems from the fact that they are headquartered in Japan. Which has the highest production costs in the entire world . The high production costs of manufacturing in Japan poses a serious threat by hampering their ability to offer prices competitive with those of the competition. Who manufacture their products in countries with much lower labor costs. Another weakness of Sharp is the susceptibility to changes in the value of other countries currency eroding their sales (Funding Universe, unknown). In summary, the weaknesses of Sharp Corporation consist of manufacturing in the world most expensive country and their vulnerability to changing exchange rates negatively impacting their sales. After reviewing the weaknesses of Sharp within the industry we can now examine the opportunities Sharp has within the industry. With the growing trend towards transitioning to renewable energy sources, there are multiple opportunities within the industry that Sharp can capitalize on as a means achieving growth. One of the greatest opportunities presented to Sharp Corporation within the industry is Europes oal to obtain twenty percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. Even if only a quarter of the renewable energy quota were generated through solar power, the entire industry would have to multiply their production by twenty-five (Schenker, 2008). Europes commitment to renewable energy presents Sharp with the opportunity of unlimited demand for their solar panels. On the grounds that the industry will most likely not be able to increase production capacity to meet the ambitious goals Europe has set for themselves. In summary, Europes commitment to enewable energy poses a substantial opportunity for Sharp to increase their presence within the industry. With the growing trend of modernization brought on by globalization developing nations present Sharp with yet another opportunity to achieve growth. Solar energy has proven to be one of the best solutions for providing electricity to the rural communities around the globe. With 1. 6 million people in developing countries not having access to electricity grids. Sharp has the opportunity to invent and manufacturer solar panel products, which are suitable to the needs of those living ithout, access to electricity (EPIA, 2009). So, as Sharp continues to improve production efficiency and cut costs, they are presented with the valuable opportunity of developing solar panel specifically suited to the needs of those in developing nations. The opportunity to provide solar panel products to developing nations would out the goal of taking action that help Sharp become a global company while contributing to the construction of a sustainable society (Sharp, 2009). In summary, the developing world and the 1. 6 million people without electricity present Sharp ith the opportunity of new markets while helping to strengthen their dedication to social responsibility. After examining the opportunities that are currently available to Sharp within the industry, we can begin to examine the current threats Sharp faces. Before February 2008 Sharp held the ranking of number one producer within the industry. However, they have recently been replaced by Q-cells. Founded in 1999 in Germany, Q-cells was able to surpass Sharp due to their ability to acquire the necessary amount of poly silicon during the recent shortages (Calflnder, 2008). In ummary, the German company Q-cells poses a serious threat to Sharp, with their ability to rise to the number one position ten years after going into business. Sharp also faces a serious threat from manufacturers abroad, whose governments provide larger subsidies than the Japanese government. Sharp faces a serious threat from competitors in China, where the government subsidies aimed creating a stronger market for domestic manufacturer is three times as large as the current subsidies offered by the Japanese government. In summary, Sharp faces an international threat from manufacturers within China whose government subsidies far surpass hose offered in Japan. In conclusion, what once began as small metal works shop has transformed into an international corporation. With the foundation of their success being attributed to the corporate culture created by its founder Tokuji Hayakawa. His emphasis on the importance of investing in the development of new technologies is the reason Sharp is where they are today. With Sharps abundance of working capital, and the opportunities that exist within Europe and developing nations Sharp will almost certainly be able to reclaim their spot as the number one industry leader.

Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate

Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate PRALINE The term ‘cocoa’ comes from the word ‘cacao’ that is taken directly from Mayan and  Aztec languages. Chocolate has been derived from cocoa beans, present in the centre to the fruit of cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, which originated from the South American region.(Afoakwa 2010) Chocolate is one of the most popular products throughout the world. The fact that it is solid at room temperature but melts in the mouth, giving a smooth delicate taste, makes it one of the most yearned product. From a more technical point of view, chocolate is a complex food made of solid particles of cocoa powder, sugar and milk powder in a continuous fat phase. The production of chocolate consists of multiple steps among which tempering are one of the most important step. During this the temperature of the chocolate will be varied to get the right crystalline form of the fat. Chocolate pralines are a lot more complex product since they also contain a soft  filling which will interact with the chocolate shell. Migration can happen from the filling to the shell which can result in structural damages like cracking. Another effect can be fat bloom which is a grayish haze on the praline surface. This occurs due to the migration of the liquid fat through the shell to the surface and crystallizing. Cracking and fat bloom are two major issues that lead to reduced shelf life in chocolate  pralines. The main suggestions for crack formation are that cracks form due to moisture or  ethanol migration through the chocolate shell, or due to an unbalanced distribution of  moisture in the filling that causes some parts to shrink and other to expand. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Most of the fat inside chocolate must be cocoa butter. Cocoa butter consists of different triacylglycerols (triglycerides), each of which will solidify at a different temperature and at a different speed in correlation with time. To make it more complicated there are six different ways the crystals can pack together. If the fat is present is not right or if the chocolate has not been crystallized properly, then fat bloom occurs. All fats are made of mixtures of triglycerides i.e. they have three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. In cocoa butter there are three main acids which account for over 95% of those present. Almost 35% is oleic acid (C18:0) and almost 26% is palmitic acid (C16:0). Since the cocoa butter has few main components that it melts rapidly over such a small range of temperature range i.e. between room and mouth temperatures. POSt molecules are palmitic acid (P) in position 1, oleic acid (O) in position 2 and stearic acid in position 3. If the stearic and oleic acids are inverted then this would become PStO, which is quite atypical even though the constituents are similar. The stearic and palmitic acids are saturated acids i.e. the hydrocarbon chain which makes up the fat does not have any double bonds. In unsaturated fats this chain has one or more double bonds, as is the case for oleic acid. About 80% of the cocoa butter has oleic acid as the middle acid. 1% to 2% of cocoa butter has saturated long chain trisaturatedtriglycerides (SSS) where the saturated fat is mainly palmitic or stearic and the melting point is high. From 5% to 20% on the other hand consists of two oleic acids and is mostly fluid at room temperature. When the above two have been combined then fat of the cocoa butter will be partially fluid at room temperature. If the temperature is raised fat will melt according to the proportions of the different types of fat present. The property of to crystallize every time differently is known as polymorphism. As the structure becomes denser and gets lowered in energy, it becomes more stable and harder to melt. Polymorphic forms are solid phases of the same chemical composition that differ among themselves in crystalline structure but yield identical liquid phases. Because of their shape the fat molecules fit together with other molecules like stacking chairs which can be done in two ways i.e. via double chain packing and triple chain packing. There are basically 3 polymorphs (ÃŽ ±,ÃŽ ²,ÃŽ ²Ã¢â‚¬â„¢) each with their own specific properties. The melting range and stability of the polymorphs are in the following range: ÃŽ ±Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The least stable polymorph will crystallize first and transform to a stable polymorph as a function of time. Cocoa butter has six polymorphs. However the chocolate industry numbered them as I to VI. Forms V and VI are the most stable and are triple chain packing whereas the other forms are double. Form V is good for confectionary products as it is responsible for the hardness with a good snap, glossy appearance and the resistance to bloom. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Mixing different fats (Fat eutectics) It is important that after mixing two or more fats the final product should sets at a suitable rate and has the correct texture and melting properties in the mouth. An unstable structure can form when other fats have been mixed with cocoa butter. Even though the fats are triglycerides it will be like fitting another size of chairs within the stacks. Disruption would be less if only a less amount of other fat is present. The actual hardness can be near to the expected one. When cocoa butter is mixed with vegetable or other fat in equal proportions then the softening effect is largest. The original vegetable fat made by Unilever and many other that are now in the market are known as cocoa butter equivalents. These are like cocoa butters and can be put in any proportion without causing any major softening or hardening effect. Other fats can be used only if almost all the cocoa butter is replaced and these are known as cocoa butter replacers. The vegetable fat should crystallise in the same way as cocoa butter (i.e. using the chair analogy, have the same size and shape chair) so that it can be added to the cocoa butter without causing eutectic effect. Cocoa butter contains palmitic (P), stearic (S) and oleic (O) on a glycerol backbone, with the majority of the molecules being POP, POSt, and StOSt. From nuts or seeds of fruits generally two types of fractionation are used to obtain the easy melting and the hardest melting fraction. In dry fractionation the fat is kept at a more predefined temperature and then by pressing and filtering the liquid part is separated from solid. In solvent fractionation the fat is dissolved in acetone or hexane. After this the higher melting triglycerides are crystallized and filtered out. The StOSt and the increased amounts of POSt are hard to obtain. By altering the proportions of StOSt it is possible to make the chocolate so that it will not melt until the temperature is several degrees higher than the normal cocoa butter, but cannot put behind the feeling of stickiness in the mouth. (SLETTENGREN 2010) Legislation: In June 2000, the European parliament agreed to permit the use of vegetable fat other than cocoa butter in chocolate. This directive came into force on August 2003 and for the first time, harmonised chocolate legislation across all the member states of Europe. A number of restrictions were placed on use of vegetable fat by the EU in terms of where oils should be sourced from, and what processing methods have to apply. To maintain miscibility and compatibility with cocoa butter (as is required by the EU Directive) it is necessary to use vegetable fats which contain a similarly high levels of these triglycerides. This means that a) these triglycerides would often need to be concentrated by fractionating the permitted base oils and b) the resulting fats would be needed to blend together to get an optimum mix of the three triglycerides. Even though the CBEs show equivalence with the cocoa butter at all compositions but they have been restricted to a maximum level of 5% of the total compo sition in EU chocolate.(Geoff Talbot 2008) Development of Heat Resistant Chocolate using high melting fat Chocolate generally melts at 33.8 °C when solid cocoa butter transitions to liquid and the crystals of cocoa butter are in stable form V. The development of heat resistant chocolate would allow it to be enjoyed in tropical and humid climates. Three main methods have been developed to make heat resistant chocolates: enhancement of the microstructure of the materials, addition of a polymer and increasing the melting point of the fat phase. The approach that is used for the development of heat resistant chocolates for this thesis is to incorporate fats with higher melting points. (Stortz and Marangoni 2011) (Stortz and Marangoni 2011) One specific example of this was done by Jeyarani and Reddy (1999) and focused on using mahua (Mahua Latifolia) and kokum (Garcinia indica) fats to increase the melting point of cocoa butter blend. The kernels found in the fruits of mahua trees consist of semi-solid fat. Conversely, kokum kernels contain a hard, brittle fat with a melting point 39-43 C. The oils are fractionated and then blended. After that these fats were evaluated for their ability to increase the melting temperature of and replace the fat phase in chocolate products. Fractionation were used to separate the stearin fraction from kokum and mahua fats because it was reported that addition of fats rich in 2-oleodistearins to cocoa butter can increase the solid fat content (SFC) , increase the melting point and decrease the tempering time of chocolate. The meted successfully produced a fat phase that achieved higher SFCs at elevated temperature than conventional chocolate. However, once the temperature reached 37.5 C the SFC of most of the blended fats was less than 20% indicating that the heat resistance of the chocolate would be lost at temperatures higher than this. Another attempt was done to improve the heat resistance via replacement of some cocoa butter with kokum fat. Kokum fat was refined but not fractionated. It was blended with cocoa butter at different levels. The chocolate had good sensorial properties. However, the heat resistance of the chocolate was not as desired considering the melting temperature is only 34.8C with 5% inclusion of kokum fat. Finally , the chocolate formulas exceeded some countries’ legal limits for inclusion of NCVF.(Stortz and Marangoni 2011) Gel Filling: Hydrocolloids: Hydrocolloids are a heterogeneous group of long chain polymers (polysaccharides and proteins) which are characterised by their property of forming viscous dispersions and/or gels when dispersed in water. Presence of large number of hydroxyl (-OH) groups increases their affinity for binding water molecules which results in hydrophilic compounds. Further, a dispersion is produced which is intermediate between a true solution and a suspension, and the properties exhibited are that of a colloid. Considering these two properties, they are aptly termed as hydrophilic colloids or hydrocolloids. The important reason behind the ample use of hydrocolloids in foods is their ability to modify the rheology of food system. This includes the two basic properties of food system namely, flow behaviour (viscosity) and mechanical solid property (texture). The modification of texture and/or viscosity of food system modify its sensory properties, and thus, hydrocolloids are used as important food additives to perform specific purposes. Hydrocolloids have a wide range of function. These include thickening, gelling, emulsifying, stabilisation, and controlling the crystal growth of ice and sugar through the basic properties for which hydrocolloids find extensive use as thickening and gelling. Hydrocolloids disperse in water to give a thickening or viscosity producing effect. This water thickening property is general for all hydrocolloids and is the primary reason for their overall use. Gel formation is the phenomenon that involves the association or cross linking of the polymer chains to form a three dimensional network that traps or immobilises the water within to form a rigid structure that is resistant to flow. In other words, it becomes visco-elastic showing both the characteristics of a liquid and a solid. The textural properties (e.g. elastic or brittle, long or spreadable, chewy or creamy) of a gel vary widely with the type of hydrocolloid used. The other sensory properties such as opacity, mouth feel and taste also depend on the hydrocolloid employed. (Saha and Bhattacharya 2010) Gels: Gels may be defined as a form of matter intermediate between solid and liquid and show mechanical rigidity. They consist of polymer molecules cross linked to form tangled and interconnected molecular network immersed in a liquid medium, which in food system is water. Food technologists use the word ‘gel’ for high moisture foods that are more or less retain their shape when released from their container. A gel is a visco elastic system with a storage modulus (G) larger than the loss modulus G†. Hydrocolloids form gels by physical association of their polymer chains through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic association and cat ion mediated cross-linking and differ from synthetic polymer gels, which normally consisted of covalently cross-linked polymer chains. Hence hydrocolloid gels are often referred as â€Å"physical gel† The knowledge of the conditions required for gelling of particular hydrocolloid dispersion, the characteristics of the gel produced and the texture it confers are very important aspects to design a specific food formulation. The formation of gel involves the association of randomly dispersed polymer segments in dispersion in such a way so as to form a three-dimensional network that contains solvent in the interstices. The associated regions known as junction zones are formed by two or more polymer chains. The gelation process is mainly the formation of these junction zones. Hydrocolloid gelation can engage the hierarchy of structures, the most common of which is the aggregations of primary inter chain linkages into â€Å"junction zones†, which forms the basis for the three-dimensional network characteristics of a gel. The physical arrangement of these junction zones within the network can be affected by various parameters like temperature, presence of ions and inherent structure of hydrocolloid. For the gelation of hydrocolloids, the three main mechanisms proposed are ionotropic gelation, cold-set gelation and heat-set gelation. Ionotropic gelation occurs via cross-linking of hydrocolloid chain with ions, typically a cation mediated gelation process of negatively charged polysaccharides. Ionotropic gelation is carried out either by diffusion setting or internal gelation. In cold set gelation, hydrocolloid powders are dissolved in warm/boiling water to form a dispersion which on cooling results in enthalpically-stabilised inter-chain helix to form segments of individual chains leading to a three-dimensional network. Gelatine gel is formed by this mechanism. Gelatin: Gelatin is substantially pure protein food ingredient, obtained by the thermal denaturation of collagen, which are the structural mainstay and most common protein in the animal kingdom. Today gelatine is usually available in granular powder form. Ref: website Gelatin forms a thermo-reversible gels with water, and the gel melting temperature ( Various factors affect the gel formation by hydrocolloids which include concentration of the gelling agent, pH of the medium, molar mass/ degree of polymerisation, temperature, ionic composition and solvent quality. Rheological characteristics of gel involves characterizing a gel n the basis of various parameters like modulus of elasticity, yield stress, shear modulus, storage and loss modulus, complex viscosity , gel strength and compliance. These parameters are usually determined by conducting tests like compression test, dynamic oscillatory rheometry, creep and texture profile analysis, etc by employing instruments like universal texture measuring system, controlled shear rheometer. Addition of sucrose results in an increase of true rupture stress in all these gals. The gel sweetness is related with mechanical properties of gel like gel strength, rupture stress, rupture strain and particularly with the amount of deformation required to break the network and its resistance to deformation. Besides co-solutes like sucrose, concentration of hydrocolloid, shear rate and temperature are also important variables that influence the rheological status of hydrocolloid gels. The blending of different polysaccharides offers an alternative route to the development of new textures. The major interest lies in the development of synergistic mixtures with improved or induced gelation.(Saha and Bhattacharya 2010) References: . Afoakwa, E. (2010). chocolate science technology. Geoff Talbot, H. S. (2008). Cocoa butter equivalents and improvers Their use in chocolate and chocolate-coated confectionery. Focus on Chocolate vol 19 n 3(May/June 2008): 28,29. Saha, D. and S. Bhattacharya (2010). Hydrocolloids as thickening and gelling agents in food: a critical review. Journal of Food Science and Technology-Mysore 47(6): 587-597. SLETTENGREN, K. S. (2010). Crack formation in chocolate pralines. Stortz, T. A. and A. G. Marangoni (2011). Heat resistant chocolate. Trends in Food Science Technology 22(5): 201-214.

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change Introduction Generally, obesity is the accumulation of fatty deposits build up inside a persons body. This occurs when the tissues become excessive fat. Worse, obesity may interfere with and injure organs and eventually cause serious health problems. Being overweight is associated with a higher risk if you have a medical problem such as diabetes and heart disease. Apart from limiting the physical and social activities, life expectancy was much shorter in the patient. The problem of obesity is becoming more prevalent among students. Obesity is the second most common disease in Malaysia after heart disease. Studies show that 15% of children aged 12 to 19 years have a problem of overweight and fatness. This problem is higher among children who come from poor families because of a lack of awareness of the importance of having the ideal body weight as compared to richer households. In this assignment, students are required to tell the causes of obesity and the ways to overcome it. Main body What causes obesity in teenagers? Among them are neither balanced diet. Balanced means that the calories and energy that must be earned at a rate equal to the amount of energy released or calories to be obtained through the diet and can only be removed through activities, exercises and so on. Teens often take advantage of snacks such as crackers, instant noodles and soft drinks as well as foods that are high in fat. They did not know that actually these foods contain high calories. Increases a persons weight when they eat more than what can be burned by the body and excessive calories are stored as fat. Weight gain and obesity and obesity resulting from excess intake of calories will not occur in a certain number or a week, but the fat in the body will be collected and stored for several months and years. To ensure that weight is always on a normal BMI or ideal weight, one must ensure that the energy in the body is at a normal, balanced diet. In addition, the duration of sleep can also contribute to obesity. If a person in bed, the individual is likely to have the disease of obesity. If a lack of sleep, the same problem will be faced, namely the risk of weight gain. Hormone released by the body during sleep will control the rate of appetite and energy levels in the body. For example, the hormone insulin to control sugar levels in the body when a person is sleeping. Therefore, if a person lacks sleep, the energy content of sugar in the body similar to diabetics. If teens do not have to sleep on an ongoing basis, they will have high hormone in the body called ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that is responsible for increasing the rate of an appetite. At the same time, when a lack of sleep, the individual will also have low leptin content in the body. Leptin is responsible to suppress appetite. The main causes of this obesity is genetics. A gene of a person have a strong influence on a person’s weight. It is like, if a person has obesity, the person maybe inherited it from the parents. Obesity also tend to run in their families, or few of a family member has obesity since young. The chances of being obesity are greater if any one of their parents are obese or both mother and father are being obese. The genes in a person’s body could affect the amount of fat which is in your body. Even a child could adopt the habits of or from their parents, which is something like eating habits. Eating not in a very proper and controlled way will lead a person to obesity too. A person’s lifestyle choices are one the causes of being obesity. Overeating also can contributes to obesity. Nobody is following the food pyramid and control their eating habits according to the food pyramid. Some of them are in diet, but are they following the proper diet? These peoples thinks that they are in a correct way and following a good lifestyle. But they are eating a diet which is very high percentage in calories come from sugary, high in fat, refined foods promotes weight gain. In children lifestyle, there is no activity, outdoor activity which involves physically. These children are very inactive in physical activity. They are more interested in inactivity such as playing games, watching television, listening to music and so on. Lack of exercise contributes obesity to adults and it also makes them difficult to maintain weight loss. Age of a person is also playing an important role of being obese. As a person get or grew older, the person will tend to loss muscle if the person is less active. Muscle loss of a person can slow down the rate which it burns calories of a person’s body. If a person does not reduce the calorie intake as he grew older, the person might gain weight and being obese. Menopause is another cause of being obese. Many women gain their weight during menopause and gain more fat around their waist. Pregnancy is another factor for a woman being obese. Women gain weight when they are pregnant to support their babies gowth and development. But after giving birth, some women can easily lose their weight and for some women it is very hard to lose their weight. They even gain more weight. This may lead them to obesity. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity. People who sleeps fewer hours are like people who likes eating food that is higher in calories and carbohydrates, which also brings them to overeating, gain weight and obesity. Getting a good sleep helps us maintain a healthy balance of the hormones which can makes us feel hungry or full. Lack of sleep results in a higher sugar level, which may increase our risk for getting diabetes. To prevent obesity caused by this problem, we should eat more vegetables, fruits and other protein sources such as fish. We also need to reduce the use of oil to fry food and cooking by steaming, baking or boiling. In addition, laziness and dislike of exercise is also a cause of obesity. When we pamper the body by not doing any exercise movement, the fat will continue to accumulate in our body. Finally, a chubby little body, plump, and fat. Therefore, we must exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Among the exercises that can be done by those who are lazy or difficult to perform the movement was brisk walk, swim, or play badminton. This exercise can prevent injuries. In addition, the increase in fast food restaurants and food sold in packages or cans also be a cause of obesity. Fast food restaurants such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut favorites, especially those who work because they no longer need to bother to cook a meal after a hard days work. Although the food is provided by fast food restaurants are tempting, people should be aware that food intake should be reduced because the food is not nutritious and contain levels of salt, sugar, and fat. Among the steps that can be taken to prevent ourselves from this problem is to adopt a well-balanced diet. We must take into account the need of carbohydrates, fat and nutrition in accordance with age. Therefore, we must make the food pyramid as a guide in the selection menu or foods for a healthier life. In addition, we must eat on time regularly, especially the three main meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) was the slogan healthy eating, healthy life to ensure that people eat a healthy diet. This is because we are not only healthier but happier and more secure life without diseases if we are wise in choosing healthy foods and a balanced diet every day. Aside from the diet and doing regular exercise, we should not be fooled by slimming products rising galore in the market. Various slimming products sold and advertised that can obscure the users eyes. Users should be careful because often ingredients in slimming products can be harmful to health, but, most of the product is not a guarantee of safety from the Ministry of Health. Therefore, use of this product is not safe and can cause a variety of negative effects that can affect health. Use of these products is not able to lose weight otherwise detrimental to health. Therefore, we must seek the advice and insights of a qualified physician before using any slimming products available in the market.

Hugo Chávez Essay -- Biography Chavez President Venezuela Essays

Hugo Chà ¡vez El Comandante! El Comandante! If you scream that in the streets of Venezuela, there is only one person you could possibly be referring to – Hugo Chà ¡vez. The current president of the South American country, Venezuela, has been in power for the past four years. His time in office has been criticized by most and glorified by some. He has had the backing of other countries such as Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Libya and Iraq. On the other hand, the United States has had a continuous growth of confusion for Chà ¡vez’s actions. The leader’s intentions have been surrounded by a circle of uncertainty. Chà ¡vez’s life as president or even before those days has been far from interesting. Hugo Chà ¡vez has been a leader, a commander and a revolutionist. Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as was born in Sabaneta de Barinas, a small town in the lightly populated savannah. His young life was simple. He grew up selling bananas and sowing corn. He enjoyed the academics and had a thirst for knowledge. Chà ¡vez excelled in baseball, the country’s national pastime. Josà © Là ³pez, Chà ¡vez’s baseball coach, described the youngster as, â€Å"A tough little kid, mischievous, a real talker and dreamer, but as tenacious as hell† (Rother). As he grew up he had a growing curiosity towards the military and those with power. He was assigned to many regions where he performed different duties. He also had the opportunity to meet numerous people. A former classmate and friend of Chà ¡vez, Jesà ºs Hernà ¡ndez recalled, â€Å"We were a group of four or five captains who used to jog together in the afternoons, and one day in 1983 Chà ¡vez suggested we swear an oath to fight against corruption and for the welfare of our country†¦from that moment on, we began to study the pr... .... Is this the president we have been waiting for Works Cited Buxton, Julian. Failure of Political Reform in Venezuela. Aldershot, New Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, 2001. Ellner, Steve, and Daniel Hellinger, eds. Venezuelan Politics in the Chà ¡vez Era. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2003. Rother, Larry. â€Å"Chà ¡vez Shaping Country to His Vision.† The New York Times. On-line. Internet. 28 July 2000. Available WWW: http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas Schemo, Diana Jean. â€Å"Renegade Officer Favored in Venezuelan Election.† The New York Times. On-line. Internet. 6 December 1998. Available WWW: http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas â€Å"Venezuela’s Chà ¡vez plans to rule until 2013.† CNN Presents. CNN. 14 July 2002. Wilson, Scott. â€Å"Political Deadlock Bolsters Chà ¡vez.† The Washington Post 20 January 2003: A15.