Cowgirl Chocolates Essay

1. What are some of the critical strengths and weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business? Can the weaknesses be overcome by the strengths of the business? Some of the critical strengths of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business include product differentiation, quality, flexible return policy, and personalization. Cowgirl Chocolates is very modern creation since it meets the needs of a specific market of spicy and chocolate fans by combining both cayenne, a spice, and chocolate, a sweetener. The business also is known for using premium ingredients in all of the chocolates it offers. The business not only offers a flexible return policy, which gives customers a full refund guarantee if they end up disliking the spicy truffles but also facilitates trial purchases for customers interested in the spicy chocolates. The company also uses personal notes in the Web site orders in order to build customer satisfaction. Some of the critical weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates include having a high production cost, not having a tailored mission statement for this specific business, and lacking focus. Cowgirl Chocolates has to pay a lot of money for the packaging, ingredients, and travel expenses to make the hot caramel dessert sauce. The business also is unfocused because of weak distribution, there is no product definition or market research, and the target market is thus dispersed due to not having a properly defined consumer base. Yes, the weaknesses can be overcome by the strengths of the business if the business spends time focusing on the weaknesses listed in order to build a more successful small business. 2. Using the total product view, describe the â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this product view do you think this product will be readily accepted by consumers? Why or why not? The â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates were offered in several flavors such as plain chocolate, mint, orange, lime tequila, and espresso. The plain chocolate, mint, and orange truffles were wrapped in gold wrappers, the lime tequila truffles were wrapped in green wrappers, and the espresso truffles were wrapped in red wrappers in order for the customer to recognize that this truffle was extra spicy and hot. Personally, I believe the packaging of the truffles is not fully understandable because red does denote something hot, while the other flavors wrappers don’t fully translate to being hot and spicy. The truffles were also available in gift boxes, drawstring muslin bags, a collectible tin, and also in a plastic bag if the customer chose to purchase the truffles on the Cowgirl Chocolates website. Personally, I do not believe that consumers will readily accept this product because the general market of consumers will more than likely purchase sweet, milky chocolates over hot and spicy chocolates. The purchase of Cowgirl Chocolates fully depends on whether the consumer likes the taste rather than attractive packaging and different experience. 3. What market do you think the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† is competing in—the hot and spicy food market, the chocolate candy market, the gift niche market, or other? Personally, I believe the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† are competing in the chocolate candy market because when one thinks of the name â€Å"Cowgirl Chocolates† the word â€Å"chocolate† comes to mind rather than hot and spicy. The hot and spicy food market is strongly associated with spices, sauces, Mexican foods, and Spanish influenced foods. Cowgirl Chocolates thus seems more likely to be successful in the chocolate candy market rather than the hot and spicy food market due to the unique packaging of the truffles, the brand name given to the product, and the premium ingredients and price. 4. What is your assessment of Marilyn’s promotional efforts? In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, should she use a push or pull communication strategy? Personally, I believe that Marilyn has been very effective with her promotional efforts in order to create customer demand. Through the use of her award-winning recognition for packaging at various art shows, advertising in her local newspaper, the Soviet Awards recognition of her unique and tasty products, and presence and involvement with Seattle Chocolates have thus far helped bring some awareness for her product. In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, she should use a pull communication strategy because the more publicity she is able to gain for product and creative packaging, the greater awareness she will thus be able to gain for her business. 5. As you examine Exhibit 2, you will note that Cowgirl Chocolates offers several gift packages (1/4 pound, 1/2 pound, 1 lb., gift bucket, gift basket, nothing fancy) that range in suggested retail prices from $8. 95 to $59. 95. Given these price and packaging alternatives what type of product (convenience, shopping, or specialty) is Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this classification would the buyer decision more likely to be a routine, limited or complex decision? Explain your reasoning. Given these price and packaging alternatives I believe Cowgirl Chocolates are specialty products because they are more expensive and thus for the most part exclusively distributed in either specialty stores or gift stores. By classifying Cowgirl Chocolates as specialty products, buyer decision would more likely be a limited decision because it requires putting though in the shopping process and therefore the decision whether to purchase or not purchase the product the product takes place in a store environment where the display of the products is thus very important to whether or not the customer will thus end up purchasing the product. 6. The suggested retail price and wholesale prices of Cowgirl Chocolates products are displayed in Exhibit 2 along with the product and packaging costs. Based on this information, discuss the relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method. The relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method include recognizing the that the retail prices are pretty much double the wholesale price. Thus, the combined packaging costs and the imported chocolate make these high-quality products very costly even before markups on the products are made at both the wholesale and retail level. Similarly, when one compares the price of for example, the half pound tin, that seems very expensive when compared to a 24 pack of Lindor Chocolate Truffles which costs $12. 00 a bag. 7. Construct a table consisting of the generic marketing mix strategies. Based on what you know about Cowgirl Chocolates, what marketing mix plan would you recommend to Marilyn and why? Based on what I know about Cowgirl Chocolates, I would recommend gift purchases to Marilyn because gift purchases are strongly influenced by both situational and temporary conditions, which thus allow for numerous opportunities to purchase Cowgirl Chocolates. Furthermore, these chocolates are very appropriate to give to a male consumer because research shows that men like hot and spicy foods more so than women. Cowgirl Chocolates would also be a good small gift to someone hosting a party or a dinner since a lot of consumers look around for a small gift in order to say thank you to the hostess.? 8. For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, what benefits and/or potential problems does a website offer? For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, a website offers both benefits and potential problems. The benefits include providing Marilyn the opportunity to build an online customer database and a database with customers who are thus repeat customers. Another benefit includes the business Cowgirl Chocolates to gain online awareness by being features on the appropriate online portals like chocolate candies and unique gift products. The potential problems include the possibility of sales increasing online and Marilyn thus must figure out a way to manage the increasing demand which might include having to pay additional costs in both packaging and shipping and additional labor costs in order to prepare the packages.

Adolescent Moral Development

Morality can be defined as the distinction between what is right and wrong or what is good and bad. Although, moral reasoning depends on culture which makes it difficult to define. Most people don’t look at where these principles are coming from or what guides one through moral development. As children grow and learn, usually from care takers and people who inspire their every need, their morality changes based on several levels. Although researching of moral development goes as far back as Socrates, there are two psychologists that studied morality in depth and they are Lawrence Kohlberg and Jean Piaget.Jean Piaget was a cognitive developmental psychologists spending most of his time working with children and adolescents, including his own. Although, Piaget’s observation of moral development wasn’t in depth like Kohlberg, he allowed for a basic understanding. He believed that moral development occurred in stages. Piaget strongly believed in education and thought interaction in a education setting allowed children maximum potential in cognitive development. Piaget believed in many things, but when it came to moral development there were only two basic principles.The first principle was that children develop moral ideas in stages and could not skip stages, although movement from one stage to the other could vary in length. Lastly he believed that children create their own perception of their world, including whether their actions enforce what is morally right or wrong. â€Å"Piaget's ideas of moral realism and morality of cooperation play a role in Kohlberg's theory. Children in Piaget's stage of moral realism believe that rules are absolute and can't be changed.Punishment should be determined by how much damage is done, and the intention of the child is not taken into account. For example, a child operating in the stage of moral realism would believe that a child who accidentally breaks three cups should be punished more than a child who b reaks one cup on purpose. Eventually, both the damage done and the intention of the offender in a given moral dilemma are considered in this stage of moral development. † Lawrence Kohlberg studied moral development in depth and that is what he is most commonly known for.Although his basic ideas and principles originated from the ideas of Piaget, Kohlberg did an in depth study of the basics of morality and how a child or adolescents move from one stage to the next. Kolberg had developed six stages of moral development. All of the stages were grouped into three levels of sub categories. Stages one and two are pre-conventional judgment and moral development. Stages three and four are conventional judgment. Lastly, stages are five and six are post conventional.When children are born Kolberg believes that they have no morals and as they grow and learn, morals begin to form. The pre-conventional level is where morality begins. This is the basis of moral judgment. The moral values he re in this stage are external. Stage one is based on obedience and punishment. If a child is punished they will try and avoid the situation knowing that they will be punished so that act is known as wrong to the children. Stage two is a slightly more complex stage. Children are now egocentric and are able to exchange thoughts and ideas.Both male and females hold certain roles and have different beliefs. The conventional level â€Å"Those who reason in a conventional way judge the morality of actions by comparing them to society's views and expectations. Conventional morality is characterized by an acceptance of society's conventions concerning right and wrong. At this level an individual obeys rules and follows society's norms even when there are no consequences for obedience or disobedience. Adherence to rules and conventions is somewhat rigid, however, and a rule's appropriateness or fairness is seldom questioned â€Å".Stage three is where children are labeled. In this stage ch ildren are labeled either good or bad. Children try and please others for acceptance and approval. For example, during the Christmas holiday season children try their hardest to be good so Santa will come and bring them Christmas presents. Where as if they are bad they will receive coal. Stage four is where authority comes in and plays a highly important role. Children learn that authority figures are the ones who control and maintain order. Also they try and live up to others expectations instead of their own.The post conventional level is where moral values allow adolescents and adults to distinguish the difference between societies view of right and wrong and the views of their individual views. Most people live by these views of right and wrong. In stage five the world is known as being able to hold their own opinions and views. Stage six is using your own opinions and applying them. For instance choosing to use logic and consistency or the feeling of your own ethics to make und erstandable and logical decisions. While a child grows the formation of morality is highly important.Alcoholics, drug addicts and murderers might suffer from disturbed moral thoughts which might cause an error in their beliefs of right and wrong. For instance, a murderer who grew up in an abusive home atmosphere might think it is okay to be abusive and hurt other people. So therefore there morality was culture based and was encouraged based on the home life sustained. The same for alcoholics and drug addicts. Although, not all people who come from these types of dysfunctional families suffer and act upon there cultural up bringing some may.

Controlled? Assessment: Touching the Void

I was freezing, even my precious finger had gone numb. On lay The Lord knew what I could have done, not me unfortunately. I didn't do anything; just hung there o n that one rope†¦ For was officially stuck. This was like being in the cold burning of hell, as my leg w as starting to get to me. In my mind, I was thinking of Simon. How was he getting on? What was he DOI nag? Decided to give him a shout ‘Simon!! ‘ cry but the strong blows of the wind cancelled out my calls and he d isn't reply. Fearfully looking down, I spotted the crevasse, the hole of darkness.The crave SSE was waiting to eat me; the sparkling ice in the crevasse watching me. I knew for a fact if dropped d I would be dead. So I waited to die. I waited†¦ And waiting†¦ Whoosh! The sound made when found myself falling 200 MPH. Was falling a s fast as an avalanche. The â€Å"shocked† look appeared on my face as I was falling into the b eely of the crevasse. I was the avalanche. My back crac ked the teeth of the crevasse and I continued to fall. The inbreeding fall. Suddenly, I landed on some sort of sloped area. I was trying to stop myself fall inning any lower.This was the point when I noticed I was still alive. I was laughing with happen as, and joy filled my heart, because I was highly relieved to be alive. When I finally stopped laughing g, found myself shaking . Worried, kick to my right. Gasp. I looked, looked away and slowly 10 eked back again, only to see that I was sitting right next to a deeper hole. A hole that resembled the path to out of the world. ‘If had fallen to the right†¦ Only by a bit, I would have ended up as this crevasse see's faces,' say to myself with a smile, relieved that I hadn't .The darkness was scaring me. I hat De the fact that I had to stay there as I had no idea what would happen next. I sat there like an unique cited avalanche, waiting to erupt. Then inspected my leg. Actually seeing how bent and useless it was. After a few seconds of complete utter silence, I erupted. I was screaming, shoo outing, swearing you name it. That lasted for about five minutes before I stayed silent, again. I wished I could have just died as I fell. That way, I wouldn't have had to go through that eternal adamant Ion.The deeper crevasse I was in was full of slippery ice, the ice that made it really radar for me to stand up on my two feet (well one foot be precise). After a few attempts, I s successfully got up. Satisfied that was able to stand up, I checked myself out, see if I was able to stop any bruises and how deep they were. This was the point when noticed that I still had the rope tied around me. If it was tied around me, it was definitely tied around Simon as well. Using my cleverly thou get process I believed that if I pulled the rope, it'll tighten on Simony's body as he would have fell and gotten stuck.

Gender Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Issues - Essay Example Society has assigned role to men and women creating specific gender roles since the begging of time. This essat discusses gender roles, that are rapidly and difference between today’s roles and the gender roles fifty years ago obvious. In the past, women traditionally were expected to get married, and raise a family. Today the role of women has changed dramatically obtaining education and working outside between raising their families and their career. Regardless of this confusion of a result of new gender roles women have more choices then in the past. Men on the other hand are entering into a new gender role and are getting the shorter end of the stick. Women entering the work force are diminishing the amount of jobs available to men. The researcher believes that the situation will somehow grow worse for men in our current 21th century. Mental disorders like depression and eating disorders like anorexia, which has been described in the essay and predominately been female ill ness, will make an appearance in men sooner or later. As the divorce rate increases these days, active fathers whose children are ripped away suffer from depression. Men who choose to be a stay at home dad will suffer from depression and possibly eating disorders. In conclusion, the researcher tries to predict future realities for both genders and suggests in the essay that in order for gender challenges to become nonexistent societies gender roles for men and women should blend equally into one norm for both sexes.

Indecent Behavior in Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Indecent Behavior in Social Media - Essay Example Overt sexuality and vulgar language are the most common areas of indecency identified in the media. However, even with the predominant religion is Christianity, the American culture is growing more and more tolerant and secular, which is impacting the media’s ability to push the envelope. This pushing of the envelope is visible in many of the popular television programs today. For example, with the television program called The Vampire Diaries, the network presented advertisements for the show which stated: â€Å"Catch VD† and â€Å"Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate† which were accompanied by sexualized pictures of the show’s cast(Weiss, 2011). The age group for this show is largely young teenagers, so by advertising in this manner, it illustrates that this sexualized â€Å"indecent† behaviour is becoming more and more accepted by younger and younger audiences. The Parent’s Television Council keeps an eye on the media for things such as this and makes sure to discourage people from watching it and keeps itself a visible force in the media as a group which displays public disagreement with the indecent behaviour portrayed on television. An additional example is the popular reality show known as Jersey Shore. According to the article entitled â€Å"MTV’s Jersey Shore Rides Bad Waves After Viewers Respond,† this reality show promotes a variety of indecent behaviours such as sexual promiscuity, drinking, smoking, and vulgar language(Griffin, 2009). The show pulls in millions of viewers every week and has become one of MTV’s most watched television programs with its stars becoming wealthy and famous. The popularity of this program indicates that people have become more accepting of bad behaviour and are coming to see it as interesting rather than indecent. Ultimately, it is this distinction which has led to the overall change in what our media and society allows: the interesting factor.  Ã‚  

10 Important History Events or Peoples Research Paper

10 Important History Events or Peoples - Research Paper Example The activities to conquer the kingdoms started as raids and as the success of the raids increased, the empire retained the territory they plundered after the resistance ceased. The expansion into central Asia began in 1209, as there was persuasion of the tribes who opposed Chinggis Khan’s rise in power (Newworldencyclopedia.org). Buddhism is a religion that is followed by a population of about 300 million around the world. It originated 2,500 years ago in Siddhartha Gotama, referred to as Buddha .Buddhism is a practice that involves spiritual developments leading to vision into the true nature of reality. In a normal western sense, the practice has not been considered a religion as it does not include the idea of worshiping a god or a creator (Aboutbuddhism.org). Siddhartha Gotama was born in family currently Nepal. At the age of 29, it came to his realization that happiness was not generated by wealth and luxury. The realization led him to exploring different religion teachings and philosophies so that he could learn more on happiness. Buddha was not a god and he did not claim to be one. Buddhists in occasions pay respect to the image of Buddha. They do so neither to ask for favor nor worship (Aboutbuddhism.org). The history of Roman republic is mainly told through the wars that it was involved. Approximately 200 years, the city of Rome was able to expand to become the main power in peninsula Italy. During the time, the military had the passion of achieving power and ruling over the entire Mediterranean world (Web.ics.purdue.edu). The wars that the republic engaged can be classified into four categories including wars for survival and local supremacy within Italy, wars of defensive Imperialism, wars of conquest, and the wars of the late republic. The main wars that the republic was involved were those that aimed for the struggle for survival. The wars were to repel the threat faced by the republic from other

Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Research Report - Essay Example There are several ways of collating data; surveys are the primary means through which data is measured and captured. They have varied purposes, and encompass â€Å"marketing surveys, opinion surveys, and political polls†, among others. The questionnaire has been self-constructed, dealing with the following items: competitive cost, convenience of fast food, cleanliness of the facility, ambience of the store, personalized service, promotional offers, varied menu, being a strong global brand, and other reasons. These close-ended questions had fixed options given for each, and the respondent simply checked which option/s are applicable for him/her. Close-ended questions are questions that the researcher provides, and which may be accomplished by putting a check mark on a box or by encircling a response that corresponds to your choice. Oppenheim (1992) suggests these questions are straightforward and thus easier and quicker to answer; they are very useful in testing specific hypothesis. Most probably, they shall be utilized in the beginning of the investigation, since the unrestricted responses they attract create a better picture of the survey for the researcher. The main advantage of this kind of question is its ability to obtain a summated value. As Chisnall (1997) suggests that mail questionnaire is a predetermined set of questions that is sent to a predetermined sample. Its advantages over other methods include its low price, reassured anonymity, confidentiality, its large target scope and its ability to keep certain standards. Mail questionnaires are advantageous when responses have to be obtained from a sample that is geographically dispersed, or it is difficult or not possible to conduct telephone interviews to obtain the same data without much expense. Respondents can take more time to respond at convenience. However, the return rates of mail questionnaires are

Breaking Prison Rules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Breaking Prison Rules - Essay Example A fact that he may have decided to use to his advantage but to my detriment as an officer. He most likely believes that I would help him communicate with the gun group based upon my openly known supportive stance. But regardless of my personal belief in their cause, my duty as a keeper of the peace must be upheld. Therefore, I know that as a prisoner, he has no right to communicate with the outside world without due clearance and permission from the proper authorities. It is therefore quite obvious that, owing to his situation, I will not be violating his rights as a person when I open the letter and read the content for evaluation purposes. Depending upon the content, I may opt to pass the letter along or, if the letter proves detrimental to public peace or has a direct relevance in the on-going investigation, choose to submit the letter as further evidence to the court through the district attorney or his

Hedge Found Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hedge Found Managers - Essay Example This helps in preparation of a balanced portfolio mix. The management of assets portfolio, which is unregistered and private, can be done through the establishment of an investment structure called hedge fund. These funds are asset classes that use different strategies like hedging and leverage involving placing bets on commodities, interest rate and currencies, based on the prevailing macroeconomic conditions. These funds do not follow the market directions. However, there main aim is to generate the profit by aiming at mobilizing steps to attain positive return on the invested fund. Hence, these funds operate with the view of generating absolute returns, instead of relative returns, regardless of the rise or fall in the stock market indices or directions taken by the financial markets, during a particular period. Accordingly, hedge fund managers need working diligently in this direction. They expect and get the monetary compensation for meeting theset targets. This compensation comprises of the high fee structure that involves profit participation by the hedge fund manger. Considering this, a hedge fund manager entertains only the wealthy investors, which may include cash-rich corporations and individuals along with pension funds, who wish to hedge their investments against any negative correlation with the financial markets. For this purpose hedge fund managers label such customers as ‘accredited investors’. The basic strategy adopted by hedge fund managers is to look for high rewards, which also carry the chances of high risks. While doing so, any oversight on the part of hedge fund managers can result in financial catastrophes of large scale. The example of two collapsing â€Å"Bear Sterns† hedge funds during the year 2007 is significant in this direction. These funds are not allowed for individual investors, as they are

Qualifications of arbitrator 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Qualifications of arbitrator 1 - Essay Example But the case may be different in the laws of other countries. The English Arbitration Act 1996 (EAA 1996) is distinctive from most other national arbitration laws, say, in comparison with its predecessor, the former Act 1950. The law does not provide for any general qualifications for an arbitrator. In Saudi Arabia, there is a quite detailed set of qualifications for the arbitrator taking into consideration the elements of the Saudi Arbitration Law 2012 (SAL 2012) and also the Islamic Sharia (Sharia). Under Sharia, the scholars’ views may vary due to the absence of such provision either in Quran or Sunnah (the two main sources of Sharia). Whilst it is seen by some scholars that it is necessary for strict requirements to be stipulated for whom is selected as an arbitrator, all of these requirements are not mandatory according to the view of some contemporary scholars. The essential aim for this section is to analyse and discuss two aspects. First, the qualifications of arbitrat or stipulated by law. Second, the freedom of parties to determine additional qualifications. This will be carried out in the context of the EAA 1996, Sharia, and the SAL 2012. 1. Qualifications of Arbitrator as Stipulated by Law The English Arbitration Act 1996, like many Western arbitration laws, provides a high degree of freedom for arbitration parties3. This is the case as long as the impartiality of the arbitrator is established. Under this Act, the only restriction is if the chosen arbitrator is a judge of the Commercial Court or Technology and Construction Court of England and Wales. In this instance, an additional approval from the Lord Chief Justice is required.4 The prescribed qualifications, hence, are simple and straightforward, which is markedly different from Sharia or the SAL 2012. Sharia prescribes several qualifications that should be met in the chosen arbitrator. This provides for a system that are bound to have different interpretations. Scholars, for instance, hav e different opinions regarding the qualifications that should be met in an arbitrator based on whether the requirements of an arbitrator are those for the judge or not. Most scholars of the four schools (Maliki, Shafi', Hanafi and Hanbali) see that the qualifications for the arbitrator are those required for a judge.5 This view is dominant on account of the fact that the arbitrator carries out the same function as that of a judge, which includes hearing the litigants and issuing the Judgement. 6 78 In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, due to the dominance of Sharia on its laws as it is the constitution of the Kingdom,9 many writers believe that the Saudi courts require the arbitrator to meet the qualifications of a judge as it is the view of the majority doctrine in Sharia.10 This is in addition to the qualifications stated by the SAL 2012.11 On the other hand, some scholars as Ibn Taimiyah12 and Ibn Hazm Aldhaheri 13 maintain the position that the qualifications of a judge are not neces sarily required for an arbitrator. Therefore, they believe any Muslim can be an arbitrator. The differences, hence, becomes problematic especially in the event of a challenge to an arbitration decision or its implementation. The Sharia law in this paper will refer to the Saudi Law for purposes of clarification. As what has

Homosexuality and Sullivan Essay Example for Free

Homosexuality and Sullivan Essay There is much controversy on the rights of same sex marriage ranging from religious viewpoints to the rights as individuals being able to obtain the same rights as heterosexual couples. In the essay â€Å"My Big Fat Straight Wedding† written by Andrew Sullivan, he asks his audience to see the option of gay marriage through the eyes of each person’s own individuality. In his essay, his language, tone, and arguments seem to speak to a specific audience letting them know change is coming and naturally as it should. He gives examples of his own same sex marriage in California and how it made him feel as an individual. Sullivan’s main point was to prove as individuals we all should have the right to marry whom we want and eventually same sex marriages will be understood and accepted. Starting with the tone of the essay you get a feeling as if Sullivan is speaking to you in a conversation, asking his audience a question. Andrew Sullivan’s first line in the essay sets the tone for the language he uses throughout the text â€Å"What if gays were straight? †(102) Sullivan challenges the reader to find absurdity in even the thought of it. Reading that line alone, I could tell that Sullivan was pro for gay marriage. The tone of the essay comes across as though it is a crime to not think of gay marriage as an individual right. There are many places were homosexuality is still uncommon and it is clear the author might be writing to a younger audience in a more diverse area. Sullivan jumps back and forth through the essay with different attitudes in his text. He provides a passage from a California ruling and then asks his audience a serious question. He sets a tone for his readers to question the government and its laws, providing evidence that the laws easily contradict itself. He then uses examples from reality television show, telling his audience that suggesting homosexuals are now more accepted because they are on T. V. How are readers supposed to take the essay serious if references to MTV’s Real World as made as evidence? What about all the small towns in America who don’t have a monthly television subscription to MTV? If Sullivan wants to the readers to question the definition of individuality and how we use the term, he definitely challenges the reader to think. The definition of ndividual alone shows contradictions in civil right laws and constitutional rights we have as Americans. In some parts of his essay does not seem serious or sincere rather seems as if his readers should know what is wrong. He mocks the laws for not giving homosexuals their own right or individuality and the essay comes off less informative and more sarcastic. Homosexuality may be normal in some states of America but he speaks to his audience as if it is accepted everywhere even though gay marriage is only legal in nine out of fifty states in the United States. Sullivan sets up a whole war of counter arguments in his tone alone, because gay marriage is still not legal everywhere in America and he makes light of the issues still at hand. While reading the essay, there seem were to questions that weren’t fully answered. Sullivan sets up a good argument through his own personal experience of marriage and the sense of comfort he found when he experienced it. There is no better argument than personal experience because no one can argue with someone’s own experience. I found his experience of marriage very sincere because if one has a sense of family you can relate on the emotions you may feel with them. Sullivan touches his audience with the relation of family and the good or bad emotions you can feel when you’re with them. He makes the reader feel empathic towards his wedding, allowing them to stand in his shoes and experience the joy you feel when you are getting married. Although the gay culture is accepted in some parts of the United States it does not answer for all the other places in the United States where it is still uncommon. Just because gay culture is now shown on television, or there are now gay soldiers it does not answer the one question he asks which is â€Å"Why don’t gay people have their own individual rights to get married? † In providing fun pop culture facts he can relate to a younger more diverse audience but it does not change the fact that marriage is not legal. He also goes on in the essay saying that the gay culture is more common in this era and suggests more people are coming out at younger ages. This reference brings out a counter argument. What about all the areas in the United States and around the world where people cannot come out because it is not accepted where they live? It contradicts his whole argument that our country is going in the right moral direction of accepting gay relationships. Are we being racist or is being gay morally wrong? Sullivan leaves his essay open for a lot of counter arguments because his essay suggests that although gay marriage laws were passed in the state he lives in; but in forty-one other st ates gay couples still cannot wed. His reference at the end of his essay, suggests that it written in the time period gay marriage was legal in California. Same sex marriages were legal in California; 5 months later Prop 8 was passed and gay marriage was illegal again. At this point where same sex marriages are not legal in California anymore, the author comes off as arrogant and too confident in his thought of America changing its thoughts of homosexuality because it marriage is not possible for the gay community in California anymore. The language in Sullivan uses comes off as accessible; it is easily read and understood. The author shows his viewpoint on homosexuality with emotional language pointing out an argument and then calling it â€Å"absurd†. With his use of certain words and phrases you can set a tone and even sense a vibe from the reader that he is emotional about the topic. In one of his arguments he says â€Å"This transformation in understanding happened organically. †(103) he leaves his essay open for argument. Saying the world â€Å"organically† suggests that America is slowly and naturally is starting to understand the gay community. Is understanding the gay community going to happen naturally? And if so why hasn’t it happened yet? The language the author uses shows his emotion towards the topic, which eventually starts asking the reader to choose sides. The essay can start to become more bias and less informative. Sullivan also uses the slang â€Å"gays† and â€Å"straights†. In using the slang his essay might be less appealing to a broader audience, because although Sullivan is gay himself, it may offend people gay or not. The tone, text, and content in which Sullivan provides his audience seems like he may have a target group maybe of college students who live in California and comfortable with the gay culture and passionate about same-sex marriages. He seems although he is just reminding his audience of their rights, as individuals and letting them know that the gay community are supposed to be considered as individuals first. It seems to miss the millions of people that are unaware the unfair injustice homosexuals may face. The essay may not touch a broader audience because still in forty one states same sex marriages is still not legal and reading this essay may just remind them of that and prove his whole essay as a false hope.

Agriprocessors - Muckrakers of the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Agriprocessors Muckrakers of the 21st Century Essay Despite common belief, child labor still exists in the United States. In some areas more than others. The government defines child labor as work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. There are companies in America that employ kids who; ââ€"  are under the required age to do jobs in dangerous environments ââ€"  are paid less than minimum wage ââ€"  are not even supposed to be in this country (illegal immigrants) Many of these companies would not be the first place you would look for illegal workers. One such company that was thriving from its illegal ventures was the Agriprocessors Inc. Kosher Slaughterhouse and Meats Packing Plant in Postville, Iowa. The so called â€Å"religious† CEO, Sholom Rubashkin was involved in many behind the counter activities. Besides the $35 million dollars he gained illegally through bank fraud, he was a strong supporter of child labor. His company helped provide fake documents for children who were either under-aged or illegal immigrants, so that they would be able to work for him. Kids as young as 13 were working on slippery, blood-covered floors, using ban-saws and other such limb-removing equipment to cut up livestock. They had little of the proper safety equipment. They were mostly paid minimum wage, but there were some kids that were paid â€Å"behind the counter† to do â€Å"low risk jobs, such as cleaning floors or transporting materials. What is now known as the Postville Raid, occurred in 2008. A large scale raid was performed by Homeland Security and the CIA. It resulted in over 400 arrests of both adult, and child illegal immigrant workers (pictures below). This is just one company that took advantage of children in need. There are many more out there that havent been caught. Not all companies that hire children use illegal child labor. There are plenty of organizations that help kids find jobs that will suit them and are actually able to do. One example of these organizations is Youth Employment Services with IYB. There are also businesses that hire older teens to do jobs such as running a cash register, or restocking shelves. Two examples of businesses that hire older teens are Wegmans and Rite Aid. The circumstances that caused the Postville Raid, were not at all uncommon in the early 20th century. Many children worked in dangerous environments, doing difficult jobs for very little pay. At one point, 19% of all children in the US had jobs. There were many types of jobs for children. They could work in mines, factories, mills, farms, and food processing. They worked long shifts (12 hours was common) and were lucky if they make 80 cents in that time. The government passed few laws regarding these issues at the time. Today’s government is doing its best to shut down any company or business that uses illegal child labor. The problem is that these illegal activities are getting harder and harder to spot. It used to be that children needed to worry about bad working conditions. In modern times, children are being used in downright illegal activities. For example, children are used to transport/smuggle illegal goods throughout the United States. In general, the issues of child labor have changed since the 1900’s. The main difference that separates the modern era from the 20th century, is the existence of laws that protect children and prevent them from performing dangerous jobs. The pictures below are from the Postville Raid. I learned about it from a show I saw on the Discovery channel. There may be a documentary on netflix. if you are at all interested, I would highly recommend watching it.

Economic And Environmental Factors Influencing The Beer Industry

Economic And Environmental Factors Influencing The Beer Industry According to Canadeans latest Global Beer Trends report, global beer consumption will increase 2 billion hectolitres by 2013. However Canadean predicting an average growth rate of 2.8% between 2009 and 2015. According to Huanshu W., (12-02- 2009), the global high-end beer market will reach 65.5 million kiloliters by 2013, an increase of 74.7 percent over 2006. In Asia-Pacific, beer production will reach 13.5 kiloliters, an increase of 125 percent. Furthermore Huanshu W., (12-02- 2009), notes that the China will be one of the main market for beer industry. According to Heineken International (2011), Annual Report (2009), Heineken has market leadership position in Western Europe. Heineken imported various group brands into several Western Europe markets, affects to increase of the consolidated beer volume in Western Europe. Also Heineken is the largest brewing group in Central and Eastern Europe. Acquisition of Amstel helps to expand brand name of Heineken to success in Central and Eastern Europe. Although Heineken expand distribution in Africa and Middle East by brewing varieties of local brands and export the Heineken and Amstel premier brands across the region. According to Heineken International (2011), Annual Report (2009), Heineken has also built a strong market position in Americas by acquisition of FEMSA in year 2010.This made Heineken the national importer, marketer and seller of FEMSAs brands and expand distribution of Heineken brands in Americas. Also Heineken expand distribution in Asia pacific by made joint venture with Fra ser Neave, Asia pacific Breweries. Heineken is brewed at several of Asia pacific breweries throughout the region. Also Heineken beer has a dominant market position, especially in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan Heineken International (2011), Annual Report (2009). Number of rivals in beer industry and their world market share Based on 2007/2008 Beer volumes estimates Source: Beer Institute (2011), Research, 2008 Annual Industry Update According to Beer Institute (2011), Research, 2008 Annual Industry Update, The top 3 brewers are Anheuser-Busch InBevs (ABI), Miller and Heineken.These brewers now produce over 50% of worlds beer consumption. Although 70% 80% average beer market share hold in other developed countries. Beer Industry Growth in China According to Heineken International (2011), Currently China is the largest beer market with a sales volume of 291 million hectolitres of beer in 2004 and an annual growth rate of about 15% with a population of 85 million people. China beer market competition is growing at outstanding rate because all the major beer companies try to increase their share of the market. According to AP-Foodtechnology.com, (06-Aug-2004), In China since 1997 total consumption of beer grew by 16.79 % up to 2003 and reach 24.87 billion litres, also total expenses on beer has risen by 85.99 % in current value since 1996. China government economic reform policies affect to growth of China beer market. Heineken Asia Pacific Breweries combine operations in China According to Heineken International (2011), Heineken and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) was combining in year 2004.This combine leads Heineken to do production and marketing of beer and other strategic activities such as investments for plants, mergers and acquisition in China. Heineken beer will be locally produced to better fulfil the growing demand for Heineken beer in China. Heineken acquired Guangdong Brewery in China Heineken International (2011) noted that the total acquisition of Guangdong Brewery by Heineken is valued at EUR 57 million. Furthermore Mr Thony Ruys, Chairman of Heineken NV said, The Guangdong province is one of the most important beer markets in China. The strong position of Guangdong Breweries in this region offers an excellent platform for further growth of the Heineken brand in china. Guangdong is the largest and prosperous provincial beer markets in China with an estimated volume of 18 million hectolitres per year. Also the partnership with Guangdong Brewery will strengthen the position of Heineken and Asia Pacific Breweries APB considerably in china. Social Issues According to Nugent A.,(25-02-2005), in USA most of beer lovers change their choice to strong beers to light beers (low-alcohol) because they believe that is healthier than regular beers. Light beers calorie percentage is lower than regular beers. However some people argue that light beers are nothing but marketing strategy. Heineken was Introduce to the market in 2005 Heineken Premium Light Larger to compete with other light beer rivals in the market, allbusiness.com (01-10-2006).Furthermore Consumers have reduced their beer consumption because diet and health issues. These consumers think beer effect to body fat because of the percentage of calorie, therefore consumers switch to wine, malt-flavoured alcoholic drinks, BBC News (08-03-2005). Political The beer industry mainly suffers from increase of excise tax by governments and regulations at both federal and state level. Federal and state level regulations affect to beer industry when production, distribution, advertising and labelling. Also percentage of alcohol include in beer, Brewers Association.org. Heineken is a worldwide brewing company therefore governments regulations where it operates heavily affect for Heineken product sales and profit. One example is that government excise tax affect to Heineken sales in Russia. According to Andrew Cleary (21-04-2010), in 2010 first quarter Heineken sales decreased in Russia because excise tax increase by Russian government. Technological Technology helps to brewing industry companies to develop more efficient distribution channels and upgrade facilities with technology that increase the brewing process and improve the quality of the cultivate ingredients and harvesting process. This helps to increase consistency and reduce costs. Heineken is very rich in using information Technology for their production process because its worldwide operations are highly dependent on the availability of information systems, Heineken International (2011). Legal Legal issues affect for beer industry when packaging, advertising and labeling. When advertising beer products target consumer age must be over 21 years. Also some of the countries such as Middle East and other Islamic countries advertising for beer products are banned. Therefore Heineken has to obey rules and regulations according to countries where it operates. Heineken Enjoying Heineken Responsibly is the new marketing strategy that follows obeying the rules, EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com. Environmental Factors that affect to beer industry Recycling Waste According to Beer Serves America (2009), Beer industry brewers and brewer suppliers improvement of the beer packaging lead to increase of the recycle rate of waste plastic, paper, glass, aluminium and cardboard that are used to package manufactured Beer bottles, beer cans and packs. Recycled glass accounts for more than 30% of the materials used to produce new bottles. Overcome from this problem every major brewer companies are successfully recycling waste packages on their own recycle production units. In addition to their own corporate recycling programs, brewers and brewer suppliers encourage the communities they serve to recycle as well. Heineken International (2011), points out that glass is use 76% as a packaging material for beer in Heineken and they distributed beers usually in returnable packaging for reduce waste material environment pollution. Water Conservation and Treatment According to Beer Serves America (2009), Water is the primary ingredient for brewing process. Regular maintenance of faucets and piping allows brewers to quickly identify and repair water leaks; also water meters helps to monitor overall water usage. Some of the brewers in the industry have built on-site water treatment plants for reprocess and purify water for the brewing process. Some brewing industries use Bio-Energy Recovery Systems (BERS) to treat wastewater, reducing its strength and volume while creating a renewable biogas that helps fuel their breweries, Beer Serves America (2009). Heineken International (2011), points out that Specific water consumption at Heineken breweries in 2003 were 5.4 hectolitres per hectolitre of beer and it decrease of 3% compared to 2002. This improvement is because of investment in new water treatment systems. Wastewater from 68% of Heineken production units is treated in on-site plants or in urban plants. Other remaining waste water in production units is discharge after the treatment of on-site wastewater treatment plants. Energy Management Most of brewing industries use alternative sources of energy, such as wind, sunlight and Biogas to power their operations. Furthermore through constant monitoring and maintenance of facilities and adopting technology innovations and techniques use by brewers helps to produce beer with energy efficiency, Beer Serves America (2009). According to Heineken International (2011), Heineken use Renewable energy sources to generate some of the heat required in brewing process. These biogases take from the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. Heineken has 19 anaerobic treatment plants and its the 7th largest user, that use biogas as an energy source. The causes that are affected to change competitive structure and business environment in Brewing industry Acquisition in Beer Industry According to Brown A.,(10-06-2002),Acquisitions accelerate global expansion giving beer companies competent market share in target markets, as well as produce and distribute their own brands through the acquired facilities. Adolph Coors acquisition of the Carling in year 2002 basically gives it position for leading UK lager brand and also offers it platform to extend its own Coors brand throughout the UK. Brown A., (10-06-2002) points out some of the major acquisitions are in beer industry, in 1999 Antarctica and Brahma merged to form AmBev in 2000, Scottish Newcastle Plc Acquired Kronenbourg in 2001, Carlsberg A/S and Orlka ASA completed merger of brewing operations to form Carlsberg Breweries A/S in 2002. Heineken Acquisitions and partnerships According to Heineken International (2011), Annual Report (2009), Heineken has wide international presence through a global network of distributors and breweries. Heineken owns and manages one of the worlds leading portfolios of beer brands and is one of the worlds leading brewers in terms of sales volume and profitability. These following Tables Exhibits some of the major acquisition and partnerships with other brewery companies made by Heineken past years (2004 2010) around the world. These acquisitions are key economic factors that help to drive Heineken to build the long-term future of Heineken brands and business. Also acquisition of other breweries and made partnerships with other brewery companies ensure to improve financial performance and distribution strategies that create values for the company. Heineken acquisitions and partnerships (2004 2010) Global economy crisis Beer industry research: Beer sales depression in recession According to Canadeans news (17/11/10), economic downturn has resulted in reduced sales of beer in Europe and North America. Furthermore Canadeans news (17/11/10), noted that worlds top 4 brewers sale rate is less than in 2008. However, expansions into emerging economies have ensured profitable for large brewers such as AB InBev prominent producer South America and SABMiller prominent producer in Africa. Asia overtakes Europe as worlds biggest beer producer McCurry J. (12 August 2010), noted that economic crisis affected beer sales in Europe, but 5.5% rise in Asias beer production followed .Furthermore he noted according to a study research by the Japanese brewing giant Kirin Holdings, Asia has overtaken Europe as the worlds biggest beer producer for the first time in 35 years. British economic crisis, the lowest level of beer consumption in the UK since 1948 -Star City News According to StarCityNews (03-09- 2010), noted that consumption level of alcoholic beverages in UK has been decrease. Furthermore StarCityNews (03-09- 2010), points out using APBI report, that beer drinkers consume only 13% lower than the year 2004. This percentage is below the average number of beer drinkers in Europe Union countries. Also StarCityNews (03-09- 2010), noted using APBI report data that decrease of the alcoholic beverage consumption affect due to the economic recession in UK and success of the message responsible drinkers which campaigned for the British society for reduce British people drinking habits.Furthermore StarCityNews (03-09- 2010), points out that according to Alcoholic Beverage Industry (APBI) report the tax on beer in the UK also affected to reduce the consumption of beer in UK. UK beer sales fall According to Canadean(27/10/08),news, noted that using British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) report results that overall sales of the beverage in UK decreased by over seven per cent between July and September in 2008, which is thought to be equal to a 1.8 million pint fall. Innovations to Beer Industry (Heineken Draughtkeg) According to TalkingRetail.com (04-05-2007), Innovation of the Heineken unique stand alone Draughtkeg beer system revolutionized the beer industry. Furthermore invention of the DraughtKeg system helps to increment the growth value of the beer category. Competitive Position of the Heineken by reviewing five competitive forces Threat of Substitute products (high) Heineken threat of substitute products is high because customers have many other substitute beverages, such as Liquor, wine, cider, flavoured alcoholic drinks, and non alcoholic beers. The mostly competition come to the industry from the Wine, Liquor and other malt flavoured alcoholic drinks, because they also target the same demographic group. Present market popular substitute product against beer is Smirnoff Ice which is an alternative beer that brewed using a malt base, www.smirnoff.com. Threat of new Entrants (low) Heineken is a large beer company therefore new entrants is low. Also there are many microbreweries throughout Heineken brand distribution countries. But it is difficult to microbreweries to compete with larger companies such as Heineken because advantage of economies of scale, Advertising expenditures and start up capital in beer industry is high. This makes the industry is not attractive for new entrants. Bargaining power of suppliers (low) Bargaining power of suppliers is low. Heineken operates some of own local sourcing projects and Agriculture projects to get raw materials such as Sierra Leone Sorghum Project which is local sourcing project in Sierra Leone is part of the companys Africa-wide strategy to procure at least 60% of its raw materials locally, Heineken International (2011). Due to the size of Heineken, suppliers would not want to lose business with Heineken. In addition Heineken manage supply chain code, both in terms of ethics and the environment therefore Heineken has control possibilities over many of its product inputs, Heineken International (2011). Bargaining power of customers (medium) The bargaining power of customers is a medium threat for the beer industry. Such as taste of the beer, calories, price, and alcohol percentage are concerned by customers when they are going to buy beer product. There is also price comparison and sensitivity in the beer market. According to (comparesupermarketprices.co.uk), Major companies are price their products to the market demand price because among competitors there is huge competitive for price, package and discounts that are given to customers. If one company give a discount other competitors also do. Therefore Customers also have low switching cost because of competitive price. Jockeying for position with rivals (high) Competive forces within beer industry are high. Heineken main competitors are Anheuser-Busch, SABMiller and Carlsberg. Anheuser-Busch has 26% global market share and SABMiller has 17% global market share, Beer Institute (2011), Research, 2008 Annual Industry Update. There is low variation in products and advertising within the beer industry, if one firm launches a new advertising campaign, others will follow. Similarly if one firm launches a new beverage, others will try to copy that beverage. One of the example is Light Beers, according to Miller Brewing Company they produce first Light beer to the USA market in 1977 after that Anheuser-Busch introduce their light beer Bud Light in 1982 and heavily advertised their brand to become first in the market. Furthermore in the beer industry there is competition from both local products and other major brands import products, therefore Heineken has to compete with many type of competitors. Also other threats that affected for competitive po sition are mergers and acquisitions in the beer industry. But Heineken is a large company and recent acquisition of Scottish and Newcastle in 2008 and FMSA in 2010 increased the Heineken global market share, Beer Institute (2011), Research, 2008 Annual Industry Update. Competitor Analysis Heineken Major Competitors are Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller and Carlsberg. Within these 3 competitors Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller are the main competitors to Heineken because of their global market share strength, beer brand and portfolio strength, company revenue and sale of beer volume. Anheuser-Busch InBev According to AB-InBev.com annual report (2009) Anheuser-Busch is the worlds largest beer company and it is the dominant market leader in USA. Furthermore it is the largest global brewer with 25% global market share and one of the worlds top 5 consumer products companies, based in Leuven, Belgium. Anheuser-Busch InBev generated revenues of US$36,758million for 2009 and it portfolio contains more than 200 brands. Anheuser-Busch InBev target consumers are from the lower class of society to the upper class. They have a wide range of precious beer brands and beverages to offer each social class.Anheuser-Busch InBev holds the 1st or 2nd position in 19 key markets. The company employment strength is approximately 116,000 people based in operations in 23 countries around the world, and manages a portfolio of over 200 beer brands including globally recognised brand Budweiser. (www.ab-inbev.com). Furthermore Anheuser-Busch InBev operates in six operational zones, Latin Am erica, North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe. The company strives to be the Best Beer Company in a Better world. SABMiller SABMiller is the worlds second -largest brewing and bottling company measured by revenue and it is only second to Anheuser-Busch. SABMiller based in South Africa, operates in 75 countries across Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, China and India and sells nearly 213 million hectolitres per year and account for 13% global market share. According to SABMiller.com, its owned more than 200 brands and 139 brewers with total number of 69,116 employees. SABMiller revenue for 2009 was US$18,703million SABMiller.com, Annual Report (2009), [Online]. The SABMiller premium beer brand is Pilsner Urquell and also SABMiller is the worlds largest bottlers of Coca-cola products, SABMiller.com. According to SABMiller.com, their mission is to own and nurture local and international brands that are the choice of the consumer. Their strategic priorities are Develop strong relevant brand portfolios that win in the local market, Create balanced and attractive global spread of business, an d increase the profitability of local business, leverage skills and global scale, SABMiller.com. SABMillers significant presence in Africa is the major threat that Heineken to success in Africa. Moreover SABMillers strengthened than Heineken by revenue for year, market share, brewers owned worldwide where it operates. Carlsberg According to Carlsberg.com, Carlsberg is the worlds 4th largest brewery group based in Denmark and employing around 45000 people and account for 7% global market share. The Carlsberg portfolio includes more than 500 brands and well known international premium brand is Carlsberg. In 2009 Carlsberg Group sold more than 135 million hectolitres of beer and sold more than 150 countries, revenue for 2009 was DKK 59,382 million, carlsberggroup.com. Under Export and Licensing agreements Carlsberg sells its products to countries where it has no breweries. Furthermore Carlsbergs products vary particularly in volume, price, target consumers and geographic locations. Carlsberg.com notes that The Carlsbergs ambition is to be thefastest growing global beer company. Carlsberg does not have large footprint according to Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller. But its premium brand name Carlsberg has a significant position in Asia. Competitors Global Products Price and Market Share Comparison (Based on 2009 data) Company Name and Global Rank Global Market Share (2009) Revenue (2009) Globally available Brand Name Description about product Price in UK (02-03-2011) 01.Anheuser-Busch InBevs 25% global market share US $ 36, 758 million Stella Artois Number one Belgian beer in the world and is distributed in over 80 countries.  £1.50 (660ml) Becks The Beck brand is the number one export brand in Germany, and present in more than 100 countries worldwide.  £1.50 (660ml) Budweiser The leading brand of Anheuser-Busch InBev brewed to be universally popular brand and first national beer brand in USA introduce in 1876. Its called the Great American Larger.  £1.94 (660ml) 02.SABMiller 13% global market share US$18,703 million Grolsch Available in over 60 countries worldwide and origin in Netherland. Unique Package style makes it stand out from others.  £1.87 (450ml) Miller Genuine Draft Origin in United States, Available in over 68 countries.  £1.16 (330ml) Peroni Nastro Azzurro Origin in Italy, Also Available in austrailia, Africancountries,France,india, peru,Poland,Romania, Russia,Japan,UK and USA.  £2.13 (660ml) 03.Heineken 9% global market share à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬16.13 million Heineken The Heineken the world drinks today is still brewed using the original, unrivalled recipe invented three generations ago by the Heineken family. Available in more than 170 countries.  £1.99 (650ml) Amstel Amstel is the market leader or one of the top-ranked brands in Greece ,Netherlands, France,Hungary,Spain,Italy,USA and South Africa. Available in more than 120 countries.  £1.46 (330ml) 04.Carlsberg 7% global market share DKK 59,382 million Carlsberg Carlsberg pilsner was launced in 1904, and its the flagship brand in the Carlsberg family. Available in where Carlsberg operate countries.  £0.85 (440ml) Turborg Turborg origin was Denmark but now available in more than 70 different countries. Turbog is the youth brand in the Carlsberg international portfolio.  £0.89 (275ml) Source: Above table Price Comparison according to http://www.comparesupermarketprices.co.uk,

Chasing Ghosts :: Personal Narrative Writing

Chasing Ghosts A rather unnatural wind would blow through our town. We used to sit around the Sunday dinner table and recite prayers from the Bible after my mother had cleared the dishes. But first, in silence we would stare at the dark brown swirls of color in the wood, resting our chins on crossed arms. We could hear the grate and grind of metal forks and knives against plates as my mother soaped the dishes in the kitchen. The hiss of the faucet would stop, and after the sound of her cotton apron’s catching on the splintery wall, the apron left hung to dry, she would emerge from the swinging door, the kitchen light flashing like a strobe into the dining room with each swoop of the door’s swing, yawning open then snapping back shut, on and off, on and off. She would seat herself back at the table, her chair complaining with a low creak and moan as she sat. My father, meanwhile, would be off staring into the cornfield, always inspecting those rows that stood at-the-ready, motionless for miles. Would you like to read tonight, Luke? I know this is one of your favorite stories. This was not a question, so much as a command disguised as thrilling proposition. With silent obedience I would thumb to the desired verse, flipping page by page in order to stall for as long as possible. The whole time she would watch me, her head clamped into rigid position as if her graying hair, having pulled itself into a tight bun, had also cinched itself around her neck muscles. After an interminably long interval, she would utter words of salvation and great joy. Thank you Luke. That was wonderfully read. We would transfer ourselves onto the couch by the television. Father Morrissey would be on. Out the corners of my eyes, I would catch patches of light and color throbbing across the screen. I would stare out the window into the silent boredom that would drape itself over the town with every nightfall. My father would catch me, Luke, watch the television, you will not do this Christian family shame, but I knew that he was as indifferent as I was. From past the miles of drab houses and empty fields and speechless crops, I would wait for it, for anything, to come. At night, while our parents slept, my brother and I would talk.

The Function of the Chorus in Henry V Essay -- Papers Shakespeare Essa

The Function of the Chorus in Henry V "O for a muse of fire," The Chorus introduces the start of Henry V with imagery of flames and war. Shakespeare uses the Chorus to initiate the play and summarise each act to the audience before the next one begins. He is merely a tool to avoid the audience getting too confused. The function for the chorus is merely a practical one, by summarising the plot at every available opportunity; there is little chance for confusion, even if the audience do have to use their imagination. But, we must ask ourselves, if this was Shakespeare's only reason for including the Chorus, why does he not use a similar device in his other plays? Surely in all of his plays the audience have to imagine the setting (the stage of the globe was set in the round, and so had no room for large props and scenery), and many of his plays have more complex plots than this one, so why do we need the Chorus? The answer is the Chorus puts across a very clear view of warfare and Henry's kingship. It is a very romantic, idealised view, which uses over-zealous language, such as "two mighty monarchies" to create a strong glorified impact on the audience. They are building up the audience's expectations of this to be a mighty, glorious play. The use of the imagery of flames and fire repeats itself throughout the Chorus's scenes. "O for a muse of fire" is the very first line, which immediately conjures up a grand image. Flames represent war, but are also a typical representation of courage and bravery. When the Chorus says, "the youth of England are on fire," it imposes upon the audience the idea of keen anticipation and excit... ...nch of salt and are not really to be trusted. Certain productions of Henry V do glorify war, for example Laurence Olivier's production in the 1940's painted a beautiful, majestic picture of war, However after analysing the role of the Chorus in the play, I do not believe this play is a glorification of warfare. Henry's leadership is romanticised in the play considerably more than the idea of warfare. Productions such as Kenneth Brannagh's creation paint a far more realistic view of war, as a bloody, filthy affair. This is more what I feel the subtext of the play is. War is not really idealised in this play, it can be taken as being glorified, but because of Shakespeare's use of the structure of the play, and the Chorus's propaganda fabrications, the character of the Chorus does not in any way add to this glorification.

Benedict Arnold Essay -- essays research papers

“The Dark Eagle'; refers to the hero of Saratoga, Benedict Arnold, who went from highly regarded hero, to the most hated man in the Colonies in a matter of days. In the book: Benedict Arnold: The Dark Eagle, Brian Richard Boylan, analyzes the historical figure not critically, but objectively. He examines the forces that possibly could have driven Benedict Arnold to turn his back on the country that he fought for so dearly. Boylan also points out that the man who Arnold did most of his negotiations with, Major General John Andrà ©, was strikingly similar to Arnold, and that the two men were brought together under one woman, Miss Peggy Shippen. Throughout this book, Boylan suggests that the reader should view Arnold without the general stereotype of him being a traitor. That way you can see the man Benedict Arnold truly was, and read of the reasons that he lost his love for the Colonial army, and its government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Battle of Saratoga was a major battle in the American Revolution; it helped persuade the French into signing a Treaty with the United States that helped turn the tides on the British. Major General Horatio Gates was the commander of the Army of the North. His English counterpart was General John Burgoyne. The open-field battle style considerable favored the British troops of Burgoyne. The American’s had their backs against the wall; they were almost out of options, until their savior literally rode in on horseback. This man was General Benedict Arnold. He rode in from Freeman’s Farm where Gates, Arnold’s superior, had taken his authority away because of Arnold’s “insubordination';. Arnold thought nothing of Major Gates’orders to stay at Freeman’s Farm and rode off with no sign of slowing. “ No Man will keep me in my tent this day!'; Arnold said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike Gates, Benedict Arnold liked to lead and command his men on the front lines. Arnold personally led the charge on Breymann’s redoubt during the Battle of Saratoga, however Arnold was wounded during the final assault in his left knee. While the American troops surrounded and captured Breymann’s forces, Arnold laid in pain on the battlefield. Gates took the credit for the v... ...s suffering came to an end. He was buried in the crypt of St. Mary’s in Battersea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benedict Arnold was considered a military genius; he was able to bring his troops from near defeat to victory. He was highly regarded not only by his cronies but also was highly respected by his adversaries. Arnold was probably the only man to be respected by both the British and Americans prior to 1779. Benedict Arnold was one of the best Generals that had served in the American Army. But by 1779 and 1780 he was seen as the most controversial figure in the Colonies. Today, some people view Arnold as one of the most diabolical men to ever live; others view him as a generally good man that just took one wrong turn that tainted his whole career. The majority of the people in the U.S view him as a traitor of the American public and of their trust. If the British had won the war he would be looked down upon with even more contempt than he is today. However, if Benedict Arnold had died, in his prime, on the battlefield of Saratoga, he would be viewe d much differently all over the world, possibly as the greatest general that even lived.

Intertestament Period

Exploring the Bible 3 October, 2011 Inter-Biblical Period: 400 Years The Old Testament focuses on God’s covenant with his people and the stories of men of great faith and also men of prophecy, foretelling Christ coming. The New Testament, however, focuses on the redemption side. The Redemption side is Christ’s story here on Earth and his ministry to other people. Malachi, the last book written in the Old Testament, was written around 424 B. C. Then 418 years after, the book of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, was written.The Intertestamental Period is the period of history between the two testaments. Since God did not speak to his people directly through prophets, this period is also known as the 400 years of silence. Now, what happened in those four hundred years? The Intertestamental Period was a time where many empires came along, new religious groups formed, and where theological and literature pieces were developed that molded Israel going into the tim e of Christ. Politics in a nation help dictate and run the people, in Israel’s case, they had to deal with many empires coming in.During the Intertestamental Period, they had five key periods of leaders and kingdoms. The Persian Empire arrived around 430 B. C. and they ruled until 332 B. C. The Persian rule was recorded as being mild and tolerant. (Scott, 1783) The Persians were taken over by the Greeks. The Greek period went from 331 B. C. to 167 B. C. (Scott, 1783) Alexander the Great, son of King Philip of Macedonia, was given the control of the Greek army around the age of 20. (Halley, 402) With the control of the army, he was able to sweep over and take over Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.Alexander the Great was very compassionate towards the Jews and he spared the city of Jerusalem. He established Greek cities in his conquered places and he did it with the plan to spread Greek culture and language throughout the world including Israel. After Alexander’s deat h, his empire was separated to his four generals. (Halley, 402) Egypt and Palestine was given to Ptolemy and under him the conditions of the Jews were at a peaceful state. In Egypt, Alexandria was the influential center of Judaism. In 167 B. C. was the beginning of the Period of Independence also known as the Maccabean period.Mattathias was a priest and he was upset at Antiochus motivation to destroy the Jews, so he gathered Jews and raised a revolt. Mattathias had five sons, Judas, Jonathan, Simon, John, and Elezar. (Halley, 404) The Maccabean period lasted until 63 B. C. and the Romans followed after. Palestine was conquered by the Romans under Pompey. Idumean was the first to be appointed ruler of Judea. His son, Herod the Great, succeeded him. (Halley, 404) Herod was a shrewd politician who wanted to get good with the Jews. He was very cruel and brutal towards his people.Politics and leaders are key roles in establishing a nation. In this case, these five empires helped develop rules and guidelines that led the people and that eventually grew and prepared Israel for the coming of Christ. During the 400 years of silence, religion was another area that grew in Israel. During this time, the religion was not set up was polytheistic or monotheistic but instead it was groups of people. For example the four main groups of the religions groups or parties are Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Herodians.These four groups followed what they believed and chose to do whatever they wanted to do. The Pharisees is the group most people probably know because of their role in the Gospels and the fact Paul was one. They took the Law and believed it was their job to take it and to put into new conditions. (Hester, 325-326) The accepted both the Torah and tradition. The Pharisees rejected anyone who didn’t live by the standards they did. On the opposite side were the Sadducees. They were the second main group and they had more power than the Pharisees until 70 A.D. whe n their temple was destroyed. (Hester, 325-326) The Sadducees consisted of the wealthy priests. They were a conservative group and they didn’t try to take the Law and put into a new situation but they instead took and limited themselves to the five books of Moses. After 70 A. D, the Pharisees were the leaders of the Jewish people by giving them a religious life aside from the temple. The other two parties were more political than religious groups. The Zealots were a nationalist group that opposed the Romans.Simon, one of Jesus’ disciples, was a Zealot. The other group, the Herodians, basically supported Herod and his dynasty and supported what he did for the nation. These four groups are the religious groups that developed the main teachings and guidelines people believe until Christ’s ministry began. Even though religion and politics are a big part of a civilization, another key role is the literature and writing of a nation. Literature and writing in Israel or any nation is an influential part because it is what the people follow and speak.In Israel, Hebrew was the language of the Old Testament. This was the main language of religion. Latin was the language of Roman and it was commonly spoken among the people. Greek was another language and it was the language that tied the Roman Empire together. The most common language of Palestine in Jesus’ day was Aramaic. (Halley, 410) Most writings are believed to have been written in Aramaic and translated into Greek. (Halley, 410) The Old Testament was written in Hebrew but was spoken in Greek. Septuagint is a translation of the Old Testament into Greek.The Torah was translated first. It was called the Septuagint because of the 70 translators and Septuagint means 70 in Greek. (Halley, 409) Another type of translation was Targums and they are translations of the Old Testament into Aramaic. They were first oral translations, paraphrases, and interpretations these types of languages and writi ng were influential in the development of the social status during the Intertestamental Period. Even though writing is important the question is what was the theology being taught during this period?Theology is important because it is what the people studied and how they viewed God. The Apocrypha, is writings which the writer assumed the name of a hero long since dead, and rewrote history in terms of prophecy. (Halley, 406) Some of this included, Books of Enoch, Assumption of Moses, Ascension of Isaiah, Book of Jubilees, Psalms of Solomon, and more. These books are the books that were written by people in the period of the 400 years of silence, and they preached about the prophecies that the prophets spoke and also the birth of Christ and the end times.This theology is the closest literature that the people had to connect to God and the prophecies that was spoken. All of these books spoke of Christ coming and his ministry that he will live for and preach. The Intertestamental Period consisted of political powers overtaking each other, religious groups, and theological books and literature that preached Christ coming and that developed the nation of Israel. The political side consisted of Persian, Greek, Egyptian, the Maccabees, and the Romans. The eligious side had the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Herodians and they all had different views and theories. And the language part consisted of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. The theology piece was the Apocrypha, which re-emphasized the prophets foretelling. All these pieces and parts put together made up the Intertestamental Period and it formed Israel and it carried over into the ministry of Jesus. The 400 years of silence at last was broken, and God sent his son Jesus Christ to testify the truth and overcome the world.Work Cited Scott, J. Julius Jr. â€Å"Time Between the Testaments. † ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 2008. 1783-1789. Print. Halley, Dr. Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook: with New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan Publishing House. 2000. 402-412. Print. Hester, H. I. The Heart of Hebrew History: A Study of the Old Testestament. Liberty, Missouri, The Quality Press, Inc. 1962. 313-330. Print.

Descartes’ Second Meditation

In Descartes’ Second Meditation the key philosophical idea of â€Å"I think, therefore I am† is introduced and thus begins a new age in western philosophy. Some of the arguments Descartes provide in order to support his claims are that in order to doubt anything, you must be able to think and if you think, you exist. Descartes brings up the point that there may be no physical world, along with that thought comes the doubt of anything else being real, which again concludes that he is thinking which means he is real.Descartes’ argument in the second meditation is that in order to think at all, whether it is doubt of an existence or belief something to be true it requires thought. Descartes makes the point that being able to have thought means that he must exist and he can know this without any doubt. The main argument that he uses to support this theory is to suppose he is being deceived by an evil spirit into believing all that he knows, when everything he knows i s actually a lie. He claims that whether or not he is being deceived is not important, rather the fact that he is able to be deceived or not be deceived confirms that he does indeed exist.He goes on to show that in order to be deceived, you must be thinking and if you are thinking then by default you exist. Descartes makes us doubt everything through his new revolutionary thought process. He claims that the mind is separate from the body, and even if there is a body at all. By doubting the reality of a physical world he brings into question everything that exists except for the individual existing itself. Descartes then moves from the point that he exists to trying to explain what â€Å"he† is. He claims that he is a thinking thing, and uses the word thing precisely.Descartes opens up a discussion on how being able to think means he exists, but does not include the proof of a body, instead he can only prove that a thinking thing is a mind. He claims that he cannot doubt that he can think, but he can doubt the reality of his body and physical interaction in the world. In going along with his experiment to purge doubtable beliefs, Descartes argues that things he cannot doubt about himself are therefore real, while things that he can doubt about himself are false. Obviously, this makes it much harder for him to believe in the hysical world. Not to confuse, Descartes I don’t believe was trying to imply that a thinking thing might never be wrong about doubting something; instead I see this as a division between the mind and body. Descartes is dealt with the problem of skepticism and how to overcome it. In order to overcome skepticism, he decides he must enforce it strictly upon his experiment and therefore attempt to explain around skepticism. Descartes put a heavy belief on the ability to deceive and how empirical thought is not to be trusted as sense can be deceived easily.Descartes goes into depth about dreams and how when we are dreaming everythin g feels and seems to be real, in fact we would never know it to be false if we never woke up. This proves that the senses not matter how powerful are able to be deceived. This was Descartes way of dealing with skepticism though; he explored it in its most extreme sense. Through experimentation he hoped to find a belief that could not be doubted and render skepticism irrational. Thus the whole thought of I think, therefore I exist begun and was the major belief that could not be denied. Descartes accomplishes his goal by using his enemy: skepticism. hing†. Using Descartes thought process to determine what is real and what is not, one has an extremely hard time confirming the existence of anything except for the fact they too exist. To conclude Descartes found the certain belief that he existed and all other who think exist, therefore Skepticism being true can rationally be denied. Skepticism plays the belief that there are no so called â€Å"true† beliefs and life as we know it is probably a lie, but through experimentation Descartes was able to rationally prove there are beliefs that can be held with certainty.

Child Labor as a crime

Childhood is a vital and powerful experience in each individual's lifetime. It is the most important and impressionable period of learning. Throughout all of the highs and the lows, childhood is remembered forever. Although children have many rights, in some developing countries these rights are not always protected. Older, manipulative adults are taking advantage of children to make a profit for themselves. This is known as child labour, and it happens much more than many people realize. Child labour is corrupt and there is no place for it in our modern world today. Child labour happens in many countries. There are many reasons why children are being exploited. First of all, nothing much seems to be happening to prevent it. Child labour must be eliminated as quickly as possible, before many more children get trapped, like the millions who already have in the past. Secondly, many children are too young to realize that what is happening to them is wrong and illegal. Children under the legal age to work in these developing countries, have more important things they should be involved with than labour. Each child deserves a good education, as well as the opportunity to enjoy life, learn new things, and most importantly have fun. Hard labour at an early age can really affect a person's outcome in the future. This terrible scam does not give children a fair chance in life; the chance for them to achieve their full potential. Child labour involves children working at a very young age. The majority of children are between the ages of five to fourteen years. Children at this age in many developing countries work hard each and everyday with very low pay. Millions of youth are forced to work without any real choice whatsoever. The work absorbs so much of their time that school attendance is impossible. School is a very important period in life. School is where humans learn almost all the information they need to know and to use in the future. Education is a must and children should attend school; they should not be forced to work. One out of every four children in developing countries work. This is a sad statistic. Millions of children work and none of them should have to. The children get paid so very little. Some children at this age, do not know how little they are getting paid. It's not okay that the children are working under these conditions and it is not okay that they are getting underpaid. On average, children will earn less then half the pay of a wage-earning adult with seven years of education. This is happening because of many reasons. Children are more malleable; they will do what they are told without asking any questions. They are much more powerless. They are also more unlikely to organize against oppression and they can be physically abused without striking back. Some customs in developing countries are much different then in Canada. For instance, in some developing countries, some people think that low-caste children should work rather than go to school. They believe this is their only option and that they don't need an education. In these countries, children are forced to mature much too quickly and they are not allowed to be ‘a kid' for very long. Some children are forced to work to support their family. The parents of these youths are mostly not employed and can't find work or are very poorly paid. The child's parents look upon them to bring in some money for the family. The roles of parent and child have been reversed. It should not be allowed. The adults have more experience, more time, usually a better education, and a lot more knowledge. The children should definitely not have to suffer and to be forced to work. Employers get away with paying children a whole lot less. It is mainly because there is no one to stop this from happening. Children become relied on and it is just not fair. Many countries have different laws for a minimum working age. In some countries there are no minimum age for working; the average is fifteen years old. In some countries, the age is between sixteen and eighteen. Any age below fifteen is much too young to be given that much responsibility. The work that is demanded of children is long, and performed in dangerous conditions. This is unacceptable, and would not come close to today's standards in Canada. Children are forced to work long days with little or no food, no breaks, and they sometimes have to work up to six days a week. This is more than the average Canadian has to work, and these employees are only five to twelve years of age. The majority of the employers take no account of the children's legal rights. They are deprived of schooling, play, and social activity. They are also denied the emotional support of friends and family. The children are also vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse. These conditions would be very hard to accept and live with for the average adult, much less a child as young as five. Children in these countries are taught at an early age to accept the conditions of their jobs, and not to challenge them. Most parents of these children are surprisingly not against this. In fact, in some developing countries, the parents of a less wealthy family will often sign over their off-spring to factory owners, or their agents for small loans. The culture is in fact, a lot different in these countries then most cultures in North America, but this should not take place under any conditions. Parents are forced to sell their own children. Most people would think that this is unheard of, but it occurs everyday. This is wrong and should not take place. Children belong to their parents and nothing should have to come between them. The children don't have a choice; they are powerless and they usually don't even know what is going on. Some factory owners have kept the children in captivity, tortured them and forced them to work for twenty hours straight without a break. In some jobs, where a child is forced to do hard labour work, life expectancy has been reduced to twenty-five years or younger. This is almost like murder, and if not murder, certainly an extreme case of child abuse. Child labour is not allowing these children to live a full life. This slavery has to be stopped before it claims the lives of others. Nobody in this world, especially children, are capable of working so hard for so many hours. Recently, many people from the US and Canada have brought this terrible situation to the attention of others. Petitions are now being signed to try to stop what is going on in these poor, developing countries. Craig Kielburger, a young boy from Toronto, is making a name for himself, as child labour activist. At age thirteen, Craig went to Asia for seven weeks, and found out the truth about child labour. He has informed many people about child slavery, and now he has an organization under way, throughout North America. Everybody in this world can really make a big impact on this issue. Since Craig told the world about child labour, thousands of people have pitched in to help solve the problem. UNICEF has done a lot in the last couple years to stop child labour. Slavery was thought to be ended hundreds of years ago, but yet little does the world know, it still takes place today. Abusing power has to be stopped. Taking advantage of innocent little boys and girls, is not right. All children should receive an education so that they can live a better life when they grow up, and feel good about themselves as people. There are a few more key steps that will have to take place to fix this disastrous situation. First, the immediate elimination of hazardous and exploitative child labour is necessary. This means governments must take strong action against anything that hampers the child's physical, social, cognitive, emotional, or moral development. They must also provide free and compulsory education. Birth registration of all children is a must. Registration is essential to ensure the child's rights, such as access to education, health care and other services, as well as, to provide employers and labour inspectors with evidence of every child's age. If these important steps are followed, child labour will go down, and quickly. Child labour is cruel and in appropriate. It infringes on children's rights, and it is just simply not fair. Child labour has been happening for a long time, but the majority of people tend to ignore it and shrug it off. Actions are now being taken to stop child labour. These deeds will slow down, and hopefully end child labour for good. The world will be a richer, happier place for all if child labour is stopped.

How does Salinger present the character of Holden in the opening pages of the text? Essay

Salinger uses a variety of linguistic and literary techniques to create a realistic voice for the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and to give the reader an idea of how this is achieved and presents the major concerns and thoughts of the character and the novel through these techniques. Salinger attempts to create the voice of a contemporary teenager through writing in the vernacular of this intended voice – the use of crude, colloquial lexis that Holden uses resembles this through his repetitive and continuous use of â€Å"phony† throughout the novel, for example â€Å"what a phony slob he is.† The use of colloquial language, coupled with the protagonists conditional direct address to the reader â€Å"If you really want to know†, is used by Salinger as an allusion to Holden being somewhat reluctant to telling us about himself and his past which leans the reader towards thinking that Holden is not well and that there may be something in his past which has caused Holden to be the way he is. The conditional also suggests that Holden views his life as boring and uninteresting, ergo the intensifier â€Å"really† and the conditional â€Å"if† are used by Salinger to convey Holden’s minor reluctance. In addition, the direct address also creates an immediate tenor with the audience which is engaging for the reader. Moreover, the reader learns that the protagonist is a social pariah –â€Å"the whole school was there except me† – an outcast that actively rebels against society and life and this is the reason the character adopts a studied boredom approach to questions. Furthermore, Salinger reinforces Holden’s apparent dismissive attitude towards his own life through the use of the literary reference â€Å"David Copperfield kind of crap†. This conveys the impression that the protagonist does not think his life is worth telling when, further on, it becomes apparent that Holden does actually want to tell the reader about the â€Å"madman stuff† that has happened to him. The reader learns that Holden is uncertain about his future and, indeed, his life in general through the vague expression â€Å"when I go home next month maybe.† This makes the reader wonder if Holden is well mentally and physically, which would explain the â€Å"madman stuff.† The reader becomes aware that Holden as a character has a very limited ability to express himself, and often relies on idiosyncratic phrases to convey his thoughts and feelings where he is unable to with words. An example of this would be Holden’s use of the adjective â€Å"old† in â€Å"old Selma Thurner† which he uses to convey friendly affection feelings towards the character. The protagonist also uses hyperbole to convey his emotions and thoughts, too, though generally in a much more sarcastic manner as illustrated by â€Å"supposed to commit suicide if old Pencey didn’t win†. As noted above, the reader learns that Holden uses the adjective â€Å"old† in a usually affectionate way, but in this instance he is using it sarcastically to convey a negative opinion toward his school. When the reader reads on, they learn that not only is Holden iconoclastically rejecting the education system but he is also rejecting the ideology of capitalism wh ich he views as the main source of the â€Å"phony† population. From this, the reader realises that not only is Holden a countercultural figure but also a cynic towards the capitalism ideology his society is based on. In addition, the protagonist’s repetitive use of blasphemy is used to express his thoughts on a topic, for example â€Å"cost him damn near four thousand bucks† though the reader realises he does not mean the blasphemy – seemingly, Holden does not notice it; it is simply part of his idiolect and is used by the protagonist in an effort to connect with the reader, creating an informal tenor between Holden and the audience. The use of contractions is used by Salinger to create an informal tenor between the protagonist and the reader and are shown to be common in Holden’s idiolect, and indeed the teenage sociolect that Salinger was writing in throughout the novel. This use of contractions, along with the taboo language used throughout the novel, is used to reinforce this image of Holden being a countercultural, rebellious teenager that controversially rejects capitalism and the education system through his countercultural behaviour. Furthermore, the reader becomes aware of Holden’s seemingly strained relationship with his family, particularly his seemingly implied coldness towards his brother, D.B. who is a writer. The italics â€Å"and he’s my brother and all† is used by Salinger to convey the mixed feelings of the protagonist to the reader. The italics is used by Salinger to reflect the sarcastic, verbal intonation of Holden and implies that Holden once liked and possibly admired his brother, but now he views him as â€Å"being a prostitute† – a sell-out, in Holden’s eyes. This reveals to the reader that Holden does not approve of â€Å"phony† actions like selling out your talent just to be successful. In addition, the audience also becomes aware that Holden’s strained relationships extend not only to the general public but to his own mother and father, too; â€Å"my parents would have about two haemorrhages apiece† illustrates to the audience that Holden has little avenue for expressing his emotions which causes the reader to wonder what the cause of Holden’s introversion is, later revealed to be the death of his younger brother who he was close to, Allie. In addition, the reader becomes aware of the protagonists opinions and thoughts on certain topics and their views on people in particular through the constant digression of the main character; Holden uses digression in place of actively expressing himself and it is present throughout the entire novel. Through this digression, the reader gains a valuable insight into Holden’s mind, especially when family and women are concerned: â€Å"she’s a pretty nice girl† reveals to the readers that Holden, despite being a teenager, is not interested in sex with girls despite his later claims to be a maniac, which illustrates an insecurity in Holden towards sex.