Nuggets of Wisdom :: essays research papers

Nuggets of Wisdom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My family and I often take vacations during the summer for relaxation, or to visit family, etcetera. On one such vacation, I learned a valuable lesson. Parents were created to teach their children little nuggets of common sense, but it is up to the children to listen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We were visiting the Central American country of Honduras. It was a bright, sunny, and hot summer day. Taking a break from sight seeing, and the heat, we took refuge in a tropical style restaurant for lunch. It was a two-story restaurant over the ocean. Along the walls, there were beautiful green foliage that plump, colorful flowers sprung from. Also, throughout the restaurant were wooden poles, painted blue, that hammocks were hung on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The waiter escorted my family and I to our table on the second floor. My parents sat at the table, but I chose a nearby hammock. The hammock was next to the open side of the restaurant. As I lay there, I began to study the ocean. I looked down and watched as the waves rippled, broke, and crashed to the shore. A salt-water smell permeated through the restaurant. A nearby fan oscillated back and forth, blowing a refreshing breeze across my face. All these elements caused me to relax, and slowly I began to sway in the hammock.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon after I got in that comfortable position, the waiter delivered the meal. My parents had ordered fish, and had begun nibbling. Since I was not hungry, I only ordered a drink, which I took back to the hammock to sip on. I began to sway, more vigorously than before, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the sounds. My father looked up from his meal and watched as I swung back and forth. He raised an eyebrow, and with a glint of humorous, wisdom in his eyes my father said, â€Å"David, that hammock is loose. Rock too hard, and you will go flying.† Of course, I paid him no attention. I was thirteen years old, and thirteen year olds know everything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acting as a typical teenager, I began to swing once more despite my father’s warning. My head was in the clouds, as I watched the waves, and the birds. How could something go wrong when everything was so perfect? I did not notice the creaking noise the rope made as its knot came lose. Nor did I realize what was happening when my drink hit the floor causing the glass to break with a deafening sound.

Poetic Diction in Shakespearean Tragedies Essay

Aristotle’s Poetics defines the nature of tragic drama, discusses the six essential elements of drama, states his opinion on the best type of tragic plot, and suggests the most effective means to arouse essential emotions such as pity and fear. He presents here the elaborate structure of justice of virtue rewarded and villain punished, broadly speaking the poetic justice. Now since in the finest kind of tragedy the structure should be complex and not simple, and since it should also be a representation of terrible and piteous events (that being the special mark of this type of imitation), in the first place, it is evident that good men ought not to be shown passing from prosperity to misfortune, for this does not inspire either pity or fear, but only revulsion; nor evil men rising from ill fortune to prosperity, for this is the most untragic plot of all—?it lacks every requirement, in that it neither elicits human sympathy nor stirs pity or fear. And again, neither should an extremely wicked man be seen falling from prosperity into misfortune, for a plot so constructed might indeed call forth human sympathy, but would not excite pity or fear, since the first is felt for a person whose misfortune is undeserved and the second for someone like ourselves—?pity for the man suffering undeservedly, fear for the man like ourselves—?and hence neither pity nor fear would be aroused in this case. We are left with the man whose place is between these extremes. Such is the man who on the one hand is not pre-eminent in virtue and justice, and yet on the other hand does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake. By poetic justice means that the virtuous should be rewarded and the evil doer will be punished. It means that prosperity and adversity are distributed in proportion to the merits of the agents. Judging as such there is no poetic justice in Shakespeare’?s tragedies. Prosperity and adversity are not properly distributed in his tragedies. Such ‘poetic justice’ is in flagrant contradiction with the facts of life, and it is absent from Shakespeare’s tragic picture of life. Thus Dr. Johnson accuses that, in the plays of Shakespeare, especially in his tragedies there is a lack of poetic justice, that he sacrifices virtue to convenience, and that the major figures suffer more than they deserve because of their faults. The  punishment inflicted on them is disproportionate to their sins or wrongs. In actual life this sort of poetic justice is not possible. Shakespeare was a realist and therefore, poetic justice in its pure form is not present in his plays. In fact, Shakespeare mastered the knowledge of his time and stands out as the greatest interpreter of the ideals of Elizabethan Europe. There is no poetic justice in the deaths of Ophelia, Cordelia, Lear, Gloucestr, and Banguo. However, THERE IS POETIC JUSTICE IN THE DEATHS OF GONERIL, REGAN, ORNWALL, AND ADMUND. But the murder of lady Macduff and her children is most tragic unjust. In the same way, in hamlet, there is no poetic justice in so many deaths on stage. However, the deaths of hamlet’?s mother, his uncle, and even of Ophelia’?s father can be justified as coming under poetic justice. But the deaths of Hamlet and even of Ophelia’?s brother do not fall under poetic justice. Again King Lear illustrates in its close the conventional poetic justice that demands the triumph of the righteous cause and the downfall of the wicked. But there is not lacking that more subtle justice, so impressive in â€Å"?Lear†? because unaccompanied by the temporal reward of the good, which reveals itself in the subduing of character to what it works in. Far more terrible than the defeat and death of Macbeth is the picture of the degradation of his nature, when he appears in the scene before the battle like a beast at bay. Hamlet gears up to be a traditional bloody revenge play –? and then it stops. The bulk of the play deals not with Hamlet’?s ultimately successful vengeance on his father’?s murderer, but on Hamlet’?s inner struggle to take action. The play’?s conclusion has a typical amount of gore, but Hamlet is certainly not a typical revenge tragedy. Hamlet talks about revenge as a worthy goal, but his mysterious delay hints that he may actually feel otherwise. The validity –? or the usefulness –? of revenge itself is thrown into question by the play.

Death Penalty Research Paper Essay

I. Introduction The death penalty in the United States is a constant source of controversy. Efforts to abolish capital punishment in America date back to over 100 years and continue to expand in present-day. In addition, all 50 states vary in their retention and application of the death penalty. Currently, the death penalty is legal in 32 states, the distribution of the actual executions however, is quite wide. The five states with the highest number of executions performed account for approximately 65% of the total executions in the country since the US Supreme Court re-affirmed and reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state of Texas alone is responsible for almost 37% of the country’s executions. In contrast, 14 states have executed five or fewer prisoners since 1976. II. History Since the earliest societies, capital punishment has been used as a method of crime deterrence. Historical archives show that the even the most primitives tribes utilized methods of punishing culprits that often included taking their lives in order to pay for the crimes they committed. Murder most often warranted this ultimate form of punishment. As tribal societies formed social classes and man-kind developed its own self-governed republics, capital punishment became a usual response to a variety of crimes, such as sexual assault, military offenses and treason. Written rules were created to alert the people of the penalties that could face them should they participate in any wrongdoing. One of the earliest written documents observed that supported the death penalty was the Code of Hammurabi, written on stone tablets around 1760 BC. The code contained approximately 282 laws that were proposed by the Babylonian King Hammurabi and included the theory of an â€Å"eye for an eye.† Several other ancient documents were also supportive of the death penalty; these included the Christian Old Testament, the Jewish Torah, and the writing of Athenian legislator Draco, who was a proponent of capital punishment for a large number of offenses in Ancient Greece. The earliest forms of the death penalty were intended to be painful, slow and torturous. Some ancient cultures employed methods of crucifixion, stoning, and being burned at the stake among others. Later civilizations found these methods to be cruel, unusual forms of punishment and thus opted for more humane practices. During the 18th and 19th centuries, legislators found less painful and faster  approaches to execution, which included beheading by the guillotine and hanging. These practices were typically large public spectacles and were not any less bloody or violent but death was almost always instantaneous, so they were perceived as being more compassionate. III. In the United States Capital Punishment in the United States dates back to the founding of the original colonies, and was used for a variety of crimes such as burglary, treason, counterfeiting and murder. During the American Revolution, legislators in the United States began to examine and revise policies behind the death penalty. In 1971, the constitution was amended to prohibit any form of punishment deemed â€Å"cruel and unusual.† Although the amendment did not intend to ban capital punishment, it did start a movement towards performing more human executions. Currently, 32 states in the US allow the death penalty, although the greatest number of death row inmates and actual executions occur in only a few of those. California is the state with the largest death row population of 625 inmates, but they do not perform executions frequently. In fact, in the last three years, only two people have been put to death. In contrast is Texas, while also having a large number of offenders on death row (453 ), Texas follows through with executions, executing more people each year than any other state. Their executions constitute 46% of all executions performed in the year 2002. IV. Eligibility Eligibility for the death penalty and determining what criteria qualifies a crime for the death penalty varies by jurisdictions. No† automatic† sentence exists for any crime. The death penalty is assigned to crimes that contain aggravating factors, and are â€Å"monstrous or horrific† in nature. Examples of aggravating factors include intentional, premeditated murder, and murder that results from the commission of certain violent felonies such as robbery, rape, kidnapping, burglary and arson, even if the death results as an accident. These vary by state and in some the list of aggravating factors is lengthy and not well defined which can mean a lot of crimes can potentially be classified as â€Å"capital.† Prosecutors of the jurisdiction in which the crime has occurred make the decision of whether to seek the death penalty in each case. Critics allege that prosecutors are influenced to  consider factors when seeking the death penalty that should not be rel evant, such as the race of the victim and offender, for example. Community and public outrage as well as media attention can also impact the process of seeking the death penalty. (Marcus, 2007) V. Trials Trials for death penalty cases differ from other trials in that they are more intensive, expensive and much more complicated, after all, the outcome could end or spare someone’s life. They attract wide-spread and sometimes sensational media attention that can become distracting and unfavorable for the defendant as well as the other parties involved in the case. Political and public pressure is placed on the judge and prosecutors to secure a conviction and death sentence. Defense lawyers too face a great deal of pressure to save their client’s lives. Another aspect of capital case trials that sets them apart from regular cases is the selection of the jury. Potential jurors in capital cases must undergo a somewhat extensive process before being qualified to participate. The most important criteria they must meet however revolve around the individuals personal views on the death penalty. Qualified jurors must be in support of capital punishment and willing to impose it, th ose that cannot abide by that requirement are excused from jury service. Capital trials are separated into two sections, in the first only evidence and defenses are heard, this is referred to as the guilt phase. At the close of the guilt phase while the jury does not yet deliberate about a sentence, they do however decide to convict or acquit the defendant. Should the defendant be convicted, the penalty phase of the trial begins, during this phase the jury hears arguments and evidence concerning sentencing options. At this time, prosecutors will argue for a death sentence and must present aggravating factors associated with the crime. They will also attempt to stir the jury away from feelings of sympathy for the defendant, by stating past criminal charges or lack of remorse about the crime. In contrast, defense lawyers will argue against the death penalty, trying to persuade the jury to sentence their clients to life imprisonment instead. To do this, defense attorneys introduce mitigating factors such as the defendant’s age, absence of a criminal record, relationships with family members, and  character. In some cases, they may use evidence that could facilitate understanding of why the defendant committed the crime, some examples being mental illness, abuse or neglect as a child, etc. Sometimes family and friends of the defendant can testify for them, this is also permitted for families of the victim, which often take this time to speak about their loss and state their preference for a life or death sentence. After all evidence has been presented and following any testimonies, the jury is excused to deliberate once more, this time deciding on a sentence. VI. Appeals The idea of â€Å"swift justice† is thought to be lost in capital punishment cases. Usually, it takes several years from the time a person is convicted of a crime to the actual execution. One of the aspects of death penalty cases that make them so extensive is the appeals process. Generally, following conviction, a defendant has the right to an automatic or â€Å"direct† appeal to the state appellate court. Courts are required by law to look at these cases. Evidence presented in a direct appeal is very limited, typically dealing with whether objections were sustained or overruled correctly. Within a year of the direct appeal, death row inmates must file again in order to secure their rights, failure to do so would mean the defendant has chosen to waive their appeals. Incompetency on the part of an attorney or lack of one has resulted in many death row defendants missing appeal deadlines, while some may not even be aware of this procedural right. There is no second oppor tunity to file for an appeal once the deadline has been missed, regardless of the circumstances. The next step in the appeals process is referred to as state post-conviction. The defendant will use this appeal to present any state constitutional claims and any evidence to challenge their conviction. Some of the more prevalent claims made in post-conviction appeals include improper and unprofessional conduct on behalf of the police or prosecution, race discrimination, mishandling or inconsideration of pertinent evidence and inadequate representation on behalf of the defense attorney. Evidence that has been newly discovered or was not available at the time of trial is admissible during this phase of the appeals process. Post-conviction relief is not easy to obtain, an in-depth investigation of the case and all  evidence from the trial must be conducted by the defense lawyers. This can be expensive, time consuming and for the many inexperienced and poorly-resourced lawyers that represent these types of inmates, it becomes a challenging task. The inability of the defense counsel to provide sufficient mitigating factors and thoroughly investigate a case is the most prevailing failure observed in capital punishment cases. While it is true that many defendants receive inadequate representation, it is very difficult to obtain relief based on ineffective legal assistance. If the court determines that the defendant would have been convicted and sentenced to death regardless of poor legal representation, then there is no entitlement to relief. Should a death row inmate be denied relief in post-state conviction, he can proceed with a final appeal which is now handled by Federal courts, this is referred to as federal habeas. When a defendant has exhausted all appeals, the last option is to ask for clemency from the governor or President, depending on if it is a state or federal death penalty case. Clemency has been known to only be granted in extraordinary cases and is becoming more and more uncommon. (capitalpunishmentincontext.o rg) VII. Methods 1. Lethal Injection Today, all of the states that have the death penalty employ the lethal-injection. Oklahoma became the first state to adopt this method of execution in 1977, with the first person being executed by lethal injection being Charles Brooks 5 years later in 1977. (deathpenaltyinfo.org) In preparation, the inmate to be executed is permitted a shower, a change of clothing and a final meal of their choice. At the time of the execution, the prisoner is taken to the execution room and where two IV tubes are inserted into his arms, following, a harmless saline solution is started immediately. Then, when the prison warden gives signal, a curtain is raised exposing the inmate to witnesses in an adjoining room. At this time the prison is allowed his final statement. At the conclusion of the inmate’s last words, the execution begins with the drugs being administered as follows: Sodium thiopental: This drug, also known as Pentathol is a barbiturate used as a surgical anesthetic. In surgery, a dose of up to 150mg is used. In execution, up to 5,000 mg are used. This is a lethal dose. From this point on if the prisoner is still alive, he should feel nothing. Pancuronium bromide: Also known as Pavulon, this is a muscle relaxant given in a strong  enough dose to paralyse the diaphragm and lungs. This drug takes effect in 1-3 minutes. A normal medical dose is 40 – 100mcg per kilogram; the dose delivered in an execution is up to 100mg. Potassium chloride: This is a toxic agent which induces cardiac arrest. Not all states use this as the first two drugs are sufficient to bring about death. Saline solution is used to flush the IV between each dose. A minute or two after the final dose is administered, a doctor declares the prisoner dead. The body is then sent to the coroner for verification, an autopsy is sometimes performed. Finally, the body is released to family for burial. 2. Electric Chair The electric chair was an invention by Harold P. Brown who was an employee of Thomas Edison, the sole purpose was to investigate the uses of electricity in executions. The chair was first adopted in 1889 and the first execution took place in 1890 in New York. In execution by electric chair, the prisoner is strapped to the chair with metal straps and a wet sponge is placed in his head to aid conductivity. Electrodes are placed on the head and legs to create a closed circuit. Depending on the physical state of the prisoner, two currents of varying level and duration are applied. This is generally 2,000 volts for 15 seconds for the first current to cause unconsciousness and to stop the heart. The second current is usually lowered to 8 amps. The current will normally cause severe damage to internal organs and the body can heat up to 138  °F While unconsciousness should occur within the first second or two, there have been occasions where it has taken much longer, leading people to highly oppose this method of execution. Clean up post-execution is unpleasant, skin has been found melted on the electrodes and the person can lose control of bodily functions, burning of the skin occurs often. 3. Firing Squad Many consider the firing squad to be the most honorable method of execution. The carrying out of firing squad executions can vary, but generally the inmate is blindfolded and restrained. A group of men then fire a single  bullet into the heart of the condemned. In some cases, one of the shooters is given a blank in order to feel less guilt afterwards. However, none of the shooters know who holds the blank, or if any of them do. Currently in the US, only two states are permitted performing of executions using this method: Idaho and Oklahoma. 4. Gas Chamber The gas chamber as a method of execution has been used in a considerable number of cases. It was first made popular from its use in German prison camps during World War II where it was used to execute millions in one of the worst genocide cases of the 20th century. Although five states in the US still allow its use, death row inmates in all of those states are given the option to choose the lethal injection instead. In gas chamber executions, the executioner prepares the chamber by placing potassium cyanide pellets into a small compartment beneath the execution chair. The prisoner is then brought in and secured to the chair. The chamber is sealed and the executioner pours a quantity of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) through a tube which leads to a holding compartment in the chair. The curtains are drawn back for witnesses to see the execution and the prisoner is asked to make his last statement. After the last statement, a level is thrown by the executioner and the acid mixes with the cyanide pellets generating lethal hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas. The prisoners will generally have been told to take deep breaths in order to speed up unconsciousness, but in most cases they hold their breath. Death from hydrogen cyanide is painful and unpleasant. (aclu.org); (clarkprosecutor.org) VIII. Deterrence In American society, deterrence has always served as a justification for support of the death penalty. Numerous studies conducted have failed to indicate a conclusive deterrence effect. For ex, if the death penalty was truly a crime deterrent, then the states that do not have the death penalty would be expected to have higher murder rates. However, it is just the opposite, states that do not employ the death penalty show consistently lower murder rates. In addition, the United States significantly higher murder rates than European countries who do not allow the death penalty. (Fagan) IX. Conclusion Overpowering evidence leads to the conclusion that the death penalty system in the United States is broken and undeniably flawed. Incompetency in representation, racial prejudice, inadequate funding and human mistake all contribute to a dark reality of the death penalty that is wrongful convictions and inequity. In a system teeming with error, the risk of executing the innocent is authentic. Reform in our death penalty process and procedures is necessary and urgent. It is our provocation to work towards a systematic change that will guarantee fairness and equal access to justice, due process for all persons facing the death penalty. References 1. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/ 2. https://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/execution-methods 3. Paul Marcus, 2007. William & Mary Law School. Capital Punishment in the United States, and Beyond. http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1068&context=facpubs 4. http://www.capitalpunishmentincontext.org/resources/dpappealsprocess 5. Jeffrey A. Fagan. Columbia Law School. Capital Punishment: Deterrence Effects and Capital Costs. http://www.law.columbia.edu/law_school/communications/reports/summer06/capitalpunish

Kellin Quinn Essay

I. Introduction â€Å" I can’t promise that things won’t be broken, but I swear that I will never leave.† -Kellin Quinn. Isn’t that what everyone really wants- what everyone really needs? Not always is a solution to a problem needed. Sometimes we just need someone to help us through our tough times and to help us learn from mistakes that have been made. Kellin Quinn understands this. Not only does he relate to the need to help friends, but Kellin relates to almost all the struggles most teens and, well, pretty much all ages witness. It shows in his music. You see, Kellin Quinn is the singer and pianist of the band Sleeping With Sirens. Their music is about coming from a broken family and how much it hurts because you feel responsible. Difficulties ranging from self-harm to bullying to love are heard in the meaningful lyrics of their songs. Not only do Kellin and the band write about that, but also they have songs that are inspirational, joyful, and that make you want to s mile and appreciate the good in life. II. Caring Kellin is more than just a musical genius; he is one who cares about people as individuals. For example, Marie Fowler was a nineteen year old cancer patient that was diagnosed with only 72 hours to live. Kellin Quinn, her idol, was notified on Twitter and he Skyped her. He told her to be strong and to savor and appreciate the life she has enjoyed. On top of that, Kellin has dedicated his life to music and to make his fans feel better and blissful. He has definitely made my life easier and made me cope well with tragedies. I’m so thankful that I have Sleeping With Sirens in my life. III. Kellin’s Struggles Kellin Quinn’s father left him and his mother when he was young and they had to work hard to pay the bills and to take care of themselves. Kellin was diagnosed with depression and mental disorders because of his difficulties. With a great deal of effort and persistence, he overcame these challenges and is now helping others do the same. Also, Kellin has â€Å"haters† who call him rude and selfish when actually he is the exact opposite. Other negative comments made about him are that he is â€Å"too punk† or that he â€Å"sounds like a girl.† He mostly just ignores the disapproval. Overall, Kellin is a talented and inspirational 26 year old. IV. Impact Kellin Quinn and the band have made my life so much better. I, like many others, have struggled with bullying and many other difficulties. Meaningful music makes these things easier to cope with and Sleeping With Sirens does an amazing job at portraying a message in their lyrics that their fans can relate to. The band has actually saved countless lives. Some teenagers have depression or are struggling in life and feel the need to commit suicide to end his or her pain. In Sleeping With Sirens’ songs, one may notice how the lyrics are meant to make the listener happy and some songs are even specifically written to help self-harmers. â€Å"One day you’ll open your eyes, take a look inside. I just saved your life. Just take a look inside. I hope you know what it’s like for you to be alright. I am for you.† –In Case of Emergency, Dial 411, Sleeping With Sirens. V. Conclusion Overall, Kellin Quinn is an amazing artist who writes and sings about relatable tragedies and moments in his and others’ lives. He is an inspiration to many teenagers, including myself. I will never forget the impact that Kellin as a person and Sleeping With Sirens have had on my life.

Mcdonalds Energy Drink Research Report Essay

The purpose of this report is to investigate past trends and forecasts of the energy drink market. Included in this report, is information on market size, target population and statistical data on growth history and growth projections. The aim is to determine if adding energy drinks to McDonalds offerings will create a profitable segment for their menu. The market research collected and contained in this report consists of secondary data. This research was authorized by: McDonalds Corporation. Current market research shows that the energy drink market has grown into a multi-billion dollar business, which has been reported as being the fastest growing segment in the beverage industry since bottled water. The US energy drink industry is expected to more than double in the 5 years preceding 2013. (Comprehensive Reviews) Eighteen to twenty-four year olds or college students are the largest segment of energy drink consumers. (NutritionJ) The conclusion of this report suggests that the growth of the energy drink market has been greater than most other liquid refreshment beverage sectors in the US in the past five years and that this trend will continue. It is recommended that McDonalds Corporation add energy drinks to their offerings and target college-aged students. Introduction Fast food consumption in the US has declined during the recent economic crisis. To stay profitable, many fast food chains have introduced low-cost or â€Å"value† items too keep sales up. Along with low-cost items, many fast food chains have added specialized items or niche items to attract customers that can more conveniently buy these at a fast food store. McEnergy 3 Energy drinks have continued to gain popularity since Red Bull was launched in 1997. More than 500 new energy drinks were launched worldwide in 2006 and beverage companies are reaping the rewards of the exploding energy drink industry. This report examines the energy drink market and its potential to become a niche item in a fast food chain along with the population to target. Methods. This report was conducted using a secondary statistical data and secondary research that was gathered using a focus group and survey of college age participants. The statistical data was obtained from New York City-based Beverage Marketing Corporation which is the leading research firm dedicated to the global beverage industry. The statistical data regarding the previous growth patterns and growth forecasts will be discussed in the results. The focus group and survey were done by Nutrition Journal and focuses on energy drink consumption patterns among college students. The survey was based on responses from a 32-member college student focus group and a field test, a 19-item survey was used to energy drink consumption patterns of 496 randomly surveyed college students. (nutritionj) The population was defined as undergraduate students at a state university located in the Central Atlantic Region of the United States. 85% of the undergraduates were 18-24 years of age, 12% were 25-40 years of age and 3% 41 years of age or older. Sixty two percent of the entire student body is female. The sampling units were individual college students that were generated with a McEnergy 4 non-probability method of asking students around campus if they would like to participate. (Nutritionj) Results Fifty one percent of participants reported consuming at least one, energy drinks a month. Thirty four percent of participant reported consuming at least two energy drinks a month. Table 1 % of college energy drink users reporting amount and frequency of energy drink consumption by situation in an average month Energy drinks consumed Days/month ________________________________________________ Situation n 1 2 >2 1-4 5-10 >10 Insufficient Sleep 169 64 22 14 74 18 8. Need general energy 165 63 21 16 74 18 8 Studying or project 125 50 36 14 85 10 5 Driving long distance 114 63 23 14 86 9 5 With alcohol 136 27 24 49 73 18 9 Treat hangover 42 74 10 16 74 14 12 N= 253 college energy drink users (nutritionj) The US refreshment beverage market grew by 1. 2% in 2010The growth of the energy drinks market is up 5. 4% in the past year. (beveragemarketing) From 2004 to 2009 the McEnergy 5 overall growth of the energy market is up over 240% (Wiley) The shift from consumption of sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade towards energy drinks should continue. In the last year, carbonated soft drinks remain the largest liquid refreshment beverages category but their volume slipped 0. 8% from 13. 9 billion gallons in 2009 to 13. 8 billion gallons in 2010, which resulted in their market share decreasing. (beveragemarketing) Table 2 U. S Liquid Refreshment Beverage Market Change in Volume by Segment 2009-2010 Percent Change Segments 2009-2010 RTD Tea 12. 5% Sports Drinks 9. 4% RTD Coffee 8. 1% Energy Drinks 5. 4% Bottled Water 3. 5% Value-Added Water 0. 2% Fruit Beverages -2. 0% Carbonated Soft Drinks -0. 8% Total LRB 1. 2% Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation (BeverageMarketing) McEnergy 6 Conclusion The energy drink market has grown into a multi-billion dollar business, which has been reported as being the fastest growing segment in the beverage industry since bottled water. Having grown 240% in the past five years, the only beverage sectors to grow faster that energy drinks last year were ready-to-drink tea, ready-to-drink coffee and sports drinks. McDonalds already distributes these other three beverages and would benefit by adding the next fastest growing beverage sector, energy drinks. Despite the large market share that carbonated beverages owns, there is a demand and shift towards other beverage sectors as evidenced by a decrease in carbonated beverage market share last year. A large segment of energy drink consumers is the college-aged consumer. With over 50% of college students drinking at least one energy drink a month and 34% at least two a month, this would be a good population to target. Recommendations Include energy drinks to the offerings at McDonalds fast food restaurants. Target college-aged students with initial locations and marketing strategies. McEnergy 7 References: – Gonzalez de Mejia, E. & Heckman, M. A. & Sherry, K. (2010). Energy Drinks: An Assessment of Their Market Size, Consumer Demographics, Ingredient Profile, Functionality, and Regulations in The United States. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1541-4337. 2010. 00111. x/pdf – West, T. (2011). The Energy Market is Still Full of Growth Potential Reports. Wholesale News. Retrieved from: http://web. ebscohost. com. lib. kaplan.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=12&hid=123&sid=eeec713f-80bc-4ca6-b6ce-02c68e0f1f50%40sessionmgr112 – The US Liquid Refreshment Beverage Market Increased by 1. 2% in 2010. (March 2011). Beverage Marketing Corporation Reports. Retrieved from: http://www. beveragemarketing. com/? section=pressreleases – Aeby, V. G. & Barber-Heidal, K. & Carpenter-Aeby, T & Malinauskas, B. M, & Overton, R. F. (2007). A Survey of Energy Drink Consumption Patterns Among College Students. Nutrition Journal. Retrieved from: http://www. nutritionj. com/content/6/1/35.

Thailands tourism industry through Royal Thai Airways Essay

Thailands tourism industry through Royal Thai Airways - Essay Example The goal of the research study is to examine the extent and nature of Thailand’s reach as a tourist economy within the global market. Focused on RTA’s Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) market segment, the project proposes to engage the topic of globalization through inquiry into ROP passenger membership, and in particular high wealth, male customers from cosmopolitan hubs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and United Kingdom (UK). At the global level, RTA and by extension the Thai tourist economy has at present, a significant share of the available demand. Well known for its personal service tourism (i.e. sex tourism) economy, Thailand’s beauty and tropical surroundings are compliment the dream world of male fantasies attained through association with luxury market advertising of those services. Nevertheless, Thailand’s sex tourism industry has an alternative image, which is predicated upon the policy concerns of human rights activism against such activities. AIDs an d interrelated discourses on ‘health’ utilized by medical, public health and ‘spa’ businesses are also considered. A full service provider of commercial airline service to customers around the globe, RTA faces a challenge in identity management that is perhaps unparalleled elsewhere in terms of market analysis and communication. Business development, then is fostered through negotiation of gender terms, and precisely so; RTA employs Thailand’s ‘Spa Culture’ as a benefit to ROP members, yet retracts from association with anything pertaining to ‘sex.’

Interview witih a Business Owner Research Paper

Interview witih a Business Owner - Research Paper Example The concentration is therefore on delivering an advertising message which is comprehensive, complete and covered from all angles. Jack decided to pursue this business because he did his Masters in Advertising from one of the most well-known universities in America. His interest in advertising is one of the reasons why he wanted to make it a career for himself, and thus the fact that he now owns this advertising agency. He did his internship at JWT which is again one of the more renowned advertising agencies in the world, and at Ogilvy, which has a name for its own self in the advertising ranks nonetheless. These are some of the most basic reasons why he is into advertising and the manner in which he brings a comfort level to it goes to show that he will continue to remain an entrepreneur even in the times to come. The business form of this advertising agency is in the form of an individually-owned company where Jack holds all the shares of the agency. He is the sole person who is responsible for all the actions, financial issues and strategic moves of the advertising agency and everyone reports directly to him. He is not answerable to anyone which is indeed a definite positive on his part. The other advantages include the fact that he has the maximum profits and can take home whatever he wants because it is his business at the end of the day. The disadvantages include the manner in which he has to make-do with employee morale, losses in income, clients moving out and so on. Therefore the advantages and disadvantages stand head to head with one another when one understands the due role of ownership by Jack in comparison with other business forms. The challenges and rewards of business ownership when understood from Jack’s angle are varied. This is because he has to set the basis of comprehending where he is having a tough time and what kind