The Beginning Of The Vietnam War Essay Example For Students

The Beginning Of The Vietnam War Essay IntroductionThankyou for deciding to continue to read. Here I am not trying to be a complete guide to theVietnam War, but what I think about this hugely misunderstood war. If you want to know about theVietnam war, I highly recomment the book Nam, The Vietnam Experience 1965-75Its an excellentresource, and after a ling time I am still reading it myself, learning new things and understanding more. How it StartedA lot is misunderstood by many people about the Vietnam War. There are a lot of politocs behindthe war, but on the military side, the following is quite an accurate account of the immediate effectswhich started the war. It started on the 8 August 1965 when American Troops stormed ashore at Da Nang, South ofVietnam, ready to fight the bloodiest war known to man. of Vietnam, ready to fight the bloodiest warknown to man. The reason was simple: there was a communist threat and their job was toresist it. We will write a custom essay on The Beginning Of The Vietnam War specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In 1960, President John F Kennedy saw that South East Asia was under imminent threat, so decidedto increase aid to South Vietnam. This was received by Lyndon Johnson in November 1963. Hedeclared that he would not let Vietnam fall the same way as China. The above lead to more corruption, instead of military success; so consequently the US becamemore and moe involved in politics in the South. In January 1964, plans were drawn up for operationsagainst North Vietnam. These included sabotage and spying for the North, and bombing raids andNaval attacks for North Vietnams coast. There were attacks on US Naval vessels by the North Vietnamese (NV). Torpedoes were launchedbut missed, and no American casualties were suffered. After this, Johnson decided to act. He sentout vessels. As the two destroyers approached the coast, a terrible storm broke out: They wereconvinced that and attack was imminent. Crusaders flew over from. They could see the vesselszig-zagging about: They were under attack. Sonars detected 22 incoming torpedoa and they air craftpilots claimed to have hit three enemy craft. As soon as these reports got to Johnson, he ordered airstrikes against coastal targets in the North, and appeared in television commercials announcing hispositive reply. First BloodAfter that, it was all quiet fr the soldiers at Da Nang. They would go out all day, getting hot, sweatyand bored. Every now and then a monkey would set off the alarms, but no real action washappening, it was very frustrating. For a full five months after they had swept the beach, nothing hadstill happened, until now About about 0130 hours (1:30am), a Marine sentry a strange noise outside camp. He threw anillumation grenade into the direction of the sound, and as it exploded so did half the airbase. Afurious VC (Viet Cong) mortar barrage swept accross the field. A team of VC sappers chargedthrough a hole theyd clipped in the fence and lobbed in explosions on the parked aircraft. As quicklythey had come, they had gone The damaged caused was not too extensive, and one American was killed. This hardened theMarines, so they decided to kill them, before they kill us. They did not have to wait long, as in Julythere was a build up of VC near the Marines. There was another VC build up about 60 miles awayat Chu Lai. The Marines went there. On the the 15th August, a VC desertor (who turned up out ofthe blue) revealed that the 1st Viet Cong Regiment (a force of about 1500 men) had set up base only12 miles from the Marines base at Da Nang. Up until now the Marines had not fully used the powerof their weapons, so they took up the offer immediately. .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .postImageUrl , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:hover , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:visited , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:active { border:0!important; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:active , .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1259be2aad4d70461c038b4274dc189b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Perseverance in Mother to Son and The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes EssayA Marine batallion was organised to be highly self sufficient it could move at high speed and couldhave close air support withing minuetes if they ran into anything big. Their air support would be anHH-34 helicopter, loaded with heavy artillary. This was how the marines decided to take the VC onthe Van Tuong peninsula. For the operation to succeed, they had to move fast. Staff officers assembled and the Plan of Action(POA) was drawn up: The Marines were to surround the enemy before they could make a getaway. So they decidedto launch the attack from three separare directions. One Marine company would move overland and dig in along side of the Tra Bong river to block any VC attempts to break out north,while a whole batallion of men would be put ashore on the southern side of the peninsula at AnCuong. The final part would be lifted in helicopeter. With their backs to the sea, the VC wouldbe trapped. Operation Starlite was set to go ahead on 18th August. A Wall Of FireWith the plan ready, they set out as planned. The giant 40 tonne vehicle clawed their way up the AnCuong beach. The Marines poured out their transport towards the huts of the nearby hamlet. Suddenly, the Marines up front walked into a wall of Viet Cong machine gun shooting and mortarsheels exploding fire. The War Had Begun.

Definition Examples of Collage Essays

Definition Examples of Collage Essays In composition studies, a collage is a  discontinuous essay form made up of discrete bits of discourse- description, dialogue, narrative, explanation, and the like.   A collage essay (also known as a patchwork essay, a discontinuous essay, and segmented writing) generally forgoes conventional transitions, leaving it up to the reader to locate or impose connections between the fragmented observations. In his book Reality Hunger (2010), David Shields defines collage as the art of reassembling fragments of preexisting images in such a way as to form a new image. Collage, he notes, was the most important innovation in the art of the twentieth century. To use  collage as a writer, says Shara McCallum, is to map onto your essay . . . the semblance of continuities and discontinuities associated with the art form (in Now Write! ed. by  Sherry Ellis). Examples of Collage Essays Lying Awake by Charles DickensA Now: Descriptive of a Hot Day by Leigh HuntSuite Amà ©ricaine by H.L. Mencken Examples and Observations What Is a Collage?Collage is a term derived from art and refers to a picture made up of pieces of found objects: scraps of newspaper, bits of old cane backing, a gum wrapper, lengths of string, tin cans. A collage can be made entirely of found objects, or it can be a combination of the objects and the artistss own drawing. [Writers] perform a similar act. But instead of gathering scraps of newspaper and string, they arrange scattered pieces of language: clichà ©s, phrases they have heard, or quotations.(David Bergman and Daniel Mark Epstein, The Heath Guide to Literature. D.C. Heath, 1984)The Collage in ProseMany feature stories in daily and especially Sunday newspapers drift into the collage form- or example, a neighborhood in Brooklyn written up in a series of bits that present rather than explain: portraits of people and of terrain, street corner scenes, mini-narratives, dialogues, and reminiscent monologues. . . .You might make a collage essay on the causes of the French Revolut ion that consists entirely of stories, portraits, and scenes. You would have to choose and arrange your fragments in such a way that they tell why the French Revolution happened as it did. Or you might have one that consists entirely of dialogues: between nobles, peasants, middle-class city dwellers, and thinkers of the period; between people who came before and those who came afterwards. Of course you may have to revise and polish some of these fragments to make them as good as possible- perhaps even write some more bits to give at least a minimal coherence.(Peter Elbow, Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1998) Collage: E.B. Whites Essay Hot WeatherMorning is so closely associated with brisk affairs, music with evening and days end, that when I hear a three-year-old dance tune crooned upon the early air while shadows still point west and the day is erect in the saddle, I feel faintly decadent, at loose ends, as though I were in the South Seas- a beachcomber waiting for a piece of fruit to fall, or for a brown girl to appear naked from a pool.* * *Asterisks? So soon?* * *It is a hot-weather sign, the asterisk. The cicada of the typewriter, telling the long steaming noons. Don Marquis was one of the great exponents of the asterisk. The heavy pauses between his paragraphs, could they find a translator, would make a book for the ages.* * *Don knew how lonely everybody is. Always the struggle of the human soul is to break through the barriers of silence and distance into companionship. Friendship, lust, love, art, religionwe rush into them pleading, fighting, clamoring for the touch of spirit la id against our spirit. Why else would you be reading this fragmentary page- you with the book in your lap? Youre not out to learn anything, certainly. You just want the healing action of some chance corroboration, the soporific of spirit laid against spirit. Even if you had read only to crab about everything I say, your letter of complaint is a dead give-away: you are unutterably lonely or you wouldnt have taken the trouble to write it. . . .(E.B. White, Hot Weather. One Mans Meat. Harper Row, 1944) Collage in Joan Didions Essay Slouching Towards BethlehemAt three-thirty that afternoon Max, Tom, and Sharon placed tabs under their tongues and sat down together in the living room to wait for the flash. Barbara stayed in the bedroom, smoking hash. During the next four hours a window banged once in Barbaras room and about five-thirty some children had a fight on the street. A curtain billowed in the afternoon wind. A cat scratched a beagle in Sharons lap. Except for the sitar music on the stereo there was no other sound or movement until seven-thirty, when Max said, Wow.(Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968)Discontinuous or Paratactic Essays[T]he serial arrangement of pieces in a discontinuous essay results in a composition the whole of which can only be taken in gradually and therefore can only be held entirely in mind by a special act of will. Indeed, the fragmented mode of presentation tacitly invites one to consid er each segment in and of itself, in relation to every other segment and in relation to the entire set of pieces, resulting in a complex network of understandings gradually arrived at rather than a whole work immediately perceived. . . .Discontinuous- it works so well to denote the visible and substantive breaks in a segmented piece that it seems to be the most accurate descriptive term. But it might have negative connotations- like many words beginning with disso Ive been pondering a more neutral term, such as paratactic, from the Greek parataxis, which refers to the placement of clauses or phrases side by side without any type of conjunction. . . . Though its hardly so chic and culturally relevant a term as collage, parataxis is certainly more akin to what happens in essays such as [George] Orwells Marrakech, [E.B.] Whites Spring, [Annie] Dillards Living Like Weasels, and [Joyce Carol] Oatess My Father, My Fiction, all of which contain discrete sentences, paragraphs, or longer uni ts of discourse placed side by side without any connective or transitional material between them.(Carl H. Klaus, The Made-Up Self: Impersonation in the Personal Essay. Univ. of Iowa Press, 2010) Winston Weathers on Collage Methods of ComposingIn extreme form, collage/montage can mean something as radical as William Burroughss famous cut-up method, whereby texts written in traditional grammar are arbitrarily cut up, horizontally and vertically, and converted into near-unintelligible scraps of text. The scraps are then shuffled (or folded in) and joined randomly. . . .Less radical, and more usable, are methods of collage that use larger and more intelligible units of composition, each unit- like the crot- communicative within itself simply being joined in the collage to other communication units, perhaps from different time periods, perhaps dealing with different subject matter, perhaps even containing different sentence/dictional style, texture, tone. Collage at its best actually countermands much of the discontinuity and fragmentation of the alternate style by revealing, by the time a composition ends, a synthesis and wholeness that might not have been suspected at any stati on along the way.(Winston Weathers, Grammars of Style: New Options in Composition, 1976. Rpt. in Style in Rhetoric and Composition: A Critical Sourcebook, ed. by Paul Butler. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010) David Shields on Collage314Collage is a demonstration of the many becoming the one, with the one never fully resolved because of the many that continue to impinge upon it. . . .328Im not interested in collage as the refuge of the compositionally disabled. Im interested in collage as (to be honest) an evolution beyond narrative. . . .330Everything I write, I believe instinctively, is to some extent collage. Meaning, ultimately, is a matter of adjacent data. . . .339Collage is pieces of other things. Their edges dont meet. . . .349The very nature of collage demands fragmented materials, or at least materials yanked out of context. Collage is, in a way, only an accentuated act of editing: picking through options and presenting a new arrangement . . .. The act of editing may be the key postmodern artistic instrument. . . .354In collage, writing is stripped of the pretense of originality and appears as a practice of mediation, of selection and contextualization, a practice, almost, of rea ding.(David Shields, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. Knopf, 2010)

M1903 Springfield Rifle - World War I

M1903 Springfield Rifle - World War I The M1903 Springfield rifle was the primary rifle used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the first several decades of the 20th century. Officially designated United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903, it was a bolt-action rifle that utilized a five-round magazine. The M1903 was used by the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and was retained after the conflict. It was not replaced as the standard American infantry rifle until the introduction of the M1 Garand in 1936. Despite this change, the M1903 was still in use during the early campaigns of World War II. In the years after the war, only the M1903A4 sniper rifle variant remained in the inventory. That last of these were retired during the early years of the Vietnam War. Background Following the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Army began seeking a replacement for its standard Krag-JÃ ¸rgensen rifles. Adopted in 1892, the Krag had shown several weaknesses during the conflict. Among these was a lower muzzle velocity than the Mausers employed by Spanish troops as well as a difficult to load magazine which required the insertion of one round at time. In 1899, attempts were made to improve the Krag with the introduction of a high-velocity cartridge. These proved unsuccessful as the rifles single locking lug on the bolt proved incapable of handling the increased chamber pressure. Development Design Over the next year, engineers at the Springfield Armory began developing designs for a new rifle. Though the U.S. Army had examined the Mauser in the early 1890s prior to selecting the Krag, they returned to the German weapon for inspiration. Later Mauser rifles, including the Mauser 93 used by the Spanish, possessed a magazine fed by a stripper clip and a greater muzzle velocity than its predecessors. Combining elements from the Krag and the Mauser, Springfield produced its first operational prototype in 1901. Soldier with M1903 Springfield. U.S. Army Center for Military History Believing they had achieved their goal, Springfield began tooling its assembly line for the new model. Much to their dismay, the prototype, designated M1901, was declined by the U.S. Army. Over the next two years, the U.S. Army laid out a variety of changes which were incorporated into the M1901s design. In 1903, Springfield presented the new M1903, which was accepted into service. Though the M1903 was a composite consisting of the best elements from several prior weapons, it remained similar enough to the Mauser that the U.S. Government was forced to pay royalties to Mauserwerke. M1903 Springfield Cartridge: .30-03 .30-06 SpringfieldCapacity: 5 round stripper clipMuzzle Velocity: 2,800 ft./sec.Effective Range: 2,500 yds.Weight: approx. 8.7 lbs.Length: 44.9 in.Barrel Length: 24 in.Sights: Leaf rear sight, barleycorn-type front sightAction: Bolt-action Introduction The M1903 was officially adopted on June 19, 1903 under the official designation of United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903. Moving into production, Springfield built 80,000 of the M1903 by 1905, and the new rifle slowly began to replace the Krag. Minor changes were made in the early years, with a new sight added in 1904, and a new knife-style bayonet in 1905. As these alterations were implemented, two major changes were introduced. The first was a shift to pointed, spitzer ammunition in 1906. This led to the introduction of the .30-06 cartridge that would become standard for American rifles. The second change was a shortening of the barrel to 24 inches. World War I During testing, Springfield found that the M1903s design was equally effective with a shorter, cavalry-style barrel. As this weapon was lighter and more easily wielded, it was ordered for the infantry as well. By the time the US entered World War I in April 1917, 843,239 M1903s had been produced at Springfield and the Rock Island Arsenal. Equipping the American Expeditionary Forces, the M1903 proved lethal and efficient against the Germans in France. During the war, the M1903 Mk. I was produced which allowed for the fitting of a Pedersen device. Developed in an effort to increase the M1903s volume of fire during assaults, the Pedersen device allowed the rifle to fire .30 caliber pistol ammunition semi-automatically. World War II After the war, the M1903 remained the standard American infantry rifle until the introduction of the M1 Garand in 1937. Much beloved by American soldiers, many were reluctant to switch to the new rifle. With the entry of the US into World War II in 1941, many units, both in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, had not completed their transition to the Garand. As a result, several formations deployed for action still carrying the M1903. The rifle saw action in North Africa and Italy, as well as in the early fighting in the Pacific. A GI with the 36th Infantry Division cleans his M1903 Springfield, equipped with sniper scope. Public Domain The weapon was famously used by the U.S. Marines during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Though the M1 replaced the M1903 in most units by 1943, the older rifle continued to be used in specialized roles. Variants of the M1903 saw extended service with the Rangers, Military Police, as well as with Free French forces. The M1903A4 saw extensive use as a sniper rifle during the conflict. M1903s produced during World War II were often made by Remington Arms and the Smith-Corona Typewriter Company. Later Use Though it was reduced to a secondary role, the M1903 continued to be produced during World War II by Remington Arms and Smith-Corona Typewriter. Many of these were designated M1903A3 as Remington requested several design changes to improve performance and simplify the manufacturing process. With the conclusion of World War II, most M1903s were retired from service, with only the M1903A4 sniper rifle being retained. Many of these were replaced during the Korean War, however the U.S. Marine Corps continued to use some until the early days of the Vietnam War.

Perforating Engineer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Perforating Engineer - Research Paper Example They are mainly employed at oil and mine fields, both offshore and on land (Pts-technology.com). Most perforations job need one to have a degree in either engineering (either petroleum, mechanical, chemical or industrial field), Geology, Physics, Geophysics or Mathematics. Experience from previous jobs that are related to perforation is also a must for a person. Other employers may require specialized training in the perforating process. The specific training includes breakout and completion as an Associate Perforating Specialist (in the USA) or an equivalent industry skill from the relevant country (Jobs.halliburton.com). The engineer must also be registered and certified by the relevant government compliance boards. Basic requirements for a perforating engineer are DOT regulations, explosives safety, basic electricity understanding, federal explosive regulation, crane operations, pressure control operations, wire line performance and maintenance and warrior logging systems operations. Other includes pump-down operations and pressure control operations (Express Energy, 2). Physical and personal attributes are also crucial for the job. Such attributes include the ability to respond to emergencies immediately during emergency situations, ability to perform under pressure and ability to adapt to different climatic and weather conditions; this is because the job involves lots of travelling and a person may have to work under different conditions from what he/ she is used to. Others include readiness to work under various conditions, ability to involve implementation of safety, environmental and health procedures at a site and flexibility. There is a potential of fumes and dangerous chemical inhalation when not proper steps are not taken in the field. There is also a risk of explosives, ionizing radiation and high pressure well-bore environment. Adminapos.com,. Terbaru: Lowongan Wireline Logging Perforating Engineer Januari 2014. N.p., 2014. Web. 23

IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM LAW - Essay Example The ECHR decided in the case of Soering v. United Kingdom, 161 Eur. Ct. H.R. (1989) that this provision meant that individuals cannot be extradited if they are threatened with torture or inhuman or degrading treatment in the requesting country. In this case, Jens Soring fought extradition from Europe to the United States because he would face capital charges in the United States, and Article 3 of the ECHR forbids extradition for this reason. While the European Court of Human Rights decided that transferring a person who would face the death penalty would not violate the Article 3 of the ECHR, if a prisoner or a person would be transferred to a country where he or she faced torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, then this would violate Article 3 of the ECHR (Collyer, 2005). Lilich (1991) states that this judgment was significant because extraditing states must consider the ill-treatment of other states when considering whether to send an individual to that third stat e. The ill-treatment may be beyond the control of the state, and the state may give no assurances that the person would not be subjected to ill-treatment. This decision, according to Lilich (1991) also obligates signatory states to not extradite to other states that would subject the person to ill treatment, and even non-signatory states would not be able to do so. Directly after this case was decided, the ECHR decided several other cases. One such case was Cruz Varas et al. v. Sweden, 46/1990/237/307. In this case, Hector Cruz fled from Chile to Sweden to seek asylum, which was rejected. The court there stated that Mr. Cruz’ extradition did not violate Article 3, in part because the situation in Chile was improving. Another case was Vilvarajah et al. v. United Kingdom, 46/1990/237/307 ,  Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights,  20 March 1991. In this case the petitioner was attempting to ensure that he did not have to return to Sri Lanka. The court in that cas e found that there was only a possibility of ill treatment, therefore there was not a breach of Article 3. In Vivayanathan & Pusparajah v. France, 75/1991/327/399-400 ,  Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights,  26 June 1992, the court decided that there was not yet an expulsion order for the petitioners, who were trying to fight being expelled from France into Sri Lanka. Therefore, they could not decide upon the erits of the case. Tomasi v. France (Series A, No. 241-A, Application No. 12580/87), European Court of Human Rights (1993), found for the applicant, who was abused in custody. Allweldt (1993), states that the prohibition on expulsion of individuals to countries hinges on whether or not there is a real risk that the person would be subject to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. Allweldt (1993) states that the risk that the person faces does not have to be a high probability, just that it exists. There also must be a substantial grounds for the belief tha t the person would be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment in the receiving country. Addo & Grief (1998), states that Article 3 is brief because it sets out normative standards, and that each country is free to adopt these normative standard

How Reading As A Young Child Encouraged Essay Example for Free

How Reading As A Young Child Encouraged Essay When I was a young boy, while my other friends were busy playing ball, riding bicycles, playing games and doing other forms of leisure, I was always listening to my mother as she read comic books to my ears. My mother would always read the interesting comic books to my attentive ears; I would sit with my mother on the sofa as she read the comic books to my ears. I grew up from listening to my mother to reading the comic books on my own. My mother always bought me several books to read every week, as soon as I finished reading one book there was always another book to be read. I developed interest in several comic books, ranging from Iron Man, Spiderman and the likes. I inculcated the habit of reading right from a very tender age. My early reading habit really helped me in life as I developed an undying love for reading and improved greatly on my writing. While growing, I developed from reading comic books to reading more voluminous books, newspaper articles, magazines, novels etc. Books were packed in the shelves of our house. My friends always called our house a library. Reading was always the only option to kill boredom. My flare for reading encouraged me to get involved in writing as I discovered that the more I read the better I wrote. I could relate what I read in several books and combine them into writing something better. My reading habit really boosted my diction and I learnt new words each day I picked up a book to read. I learnt the rules of language, my grammar was greatly improved. Over the years I garnered a lot of experience from reading both fictional and true life stories. I applied some of the knowledge acquired from reading these books to various aspects of my life. Reading lots of books gave me a hint on the ways writers wrote, the style of language used and how best to communicate to a particular audience. I am a testimony of the quote that says that â€Å"A good reader is a good writer†. The more I read, the more I improved on my reading speed and grasped new ideas on how to write. Reading frequently made me a better reader and a good writer. I developed from reading for fun to reading for the acquisition of knowledge. Books like; the Richest man in Babylon, Thinking Big, the tale of two cities and many others were already in the long list of books that I have read . My whole life was affected positively by my reading habit as I read several motivational books that have been spurring me to achieve greatness in life. Through writing I could now transfer my thoughts and imaginations into a book or piece of article. The knowledge that I have acquired over time is what has made me the better person I am today. As I now read more, write better, have better grammar and have become a better man. The saying that you are what you read and you are an expression of what you write is definitely true as I have noticed tremendous changes in my life as a result of the past books I have read. I will have to thank my mother for imbibing the culture of reading in me; if not for her I would not have been a good writer and would definitely not be what I have been fashioned out to be today.

Down Syndrome: An Informative Essay -- Birth Defect Health

Down Syndrome: An Informative Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Down Syndrome is the name for babies born with a disorder related to their chromosomes. It is caused when meiosis occurs and an error occurs in the cells development. The reason for this defect is often because the parent is over 40 or for some other reason their meiosis is not "Up to par."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The actual defect is an extra chromosome is developed during cell development. The abnormal development results in 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46 (23 from each parent). This extra gene causes problems in the child's physical and mental development. There are an estimated 5000 babies with Down Syndrome born in America every single year. While the chances of having a Down Syndrome baby are slim, (1 in 1000) it is still an issue that...

Beer and Company Essay

The South African Breweries Limited is a holding company invested in and taking management responsibility for a portfolio of businesses, principally engaged in meeting mass market consumer needs. Beer is the major profit contributor, but an important balance is provided by interests in complementary beverages, retailing, hotels, and the manufacture and supply of selected consumer goods and services, together with strategic investments in businesses which support the mainstream interests. Company History: The South African Breweries Limited (SAB) is a holding company whose principal line of business is brewing. The company holds an impressive 98 percent share of the beer market in its home country of South Africa, where it sells 14 brands of beer, including local lagers Castle and Lion as well as foreign brands brewed under license–Heineken, Guinness, Amstel, and Carling Black Label. Aggressive overseas expansion following the end of apartheid, however, has also given SAB ownership of, or stakes in, more than 25 breweries in the emerging markets of central Europe, China, and sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, in terms of volume, South African Breweries is the world’s fourth largest brewer. SAB also has a variety of nonbrewing operations, such as carbonated and natural fruit drinks and other beverages, retailing, hotels and gaming, and manufacturing of safety matches and glass. The company has been divesting many of these noncore assets in the late 1990s. SAB’s history is in many ways the history of the South African brewing industry, most notably through the government-ordered merger of the largest breweries in 1956. The company’s history was also greatly influenced by the apartheid system and its effect on the domestic economy, on domestic firms, and on foreign investment in South Africa. Early History The discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand (a region encompassing Johannesburg) in 1875 brought large numbers of prospectors to South Africa. Small outposts for white settlers were transformed into busy cities with new industries. Several brewmasters, most with little experience, began to produce a variety of beers which immediately gained popularity with the settlers. In 1889 a British sailor named Frederick Mead left his ship in Durban and took a job working in the canteen of a local army garrison at Fort Napier. While there, Mead, who was only 20, became acquainted with a businessman in Pietermaritzburg named George Raw. Neither of them knew anything about brewing, but they persuaded the local residents to help establish the Natal Brewery Syndicate. After purchasing a factory site, Frederick Mead returned to England to procure machinery and raise capital. In need of brewing expertise, Mead approached W. H. Hackblock, head of Morgan’s Brewery in Norwich. The two men became friends and Hackblock agreed to serve as chairman of Mead’s company, which was registered in 1890 as the Natal Brewery Syndicate (South East Africa) Limited. The company brewed its first beer in July 1891. Mead remained interested in establishing a brewery in the rapidly growing Witwatersrand. In 1892 he purchased the Castle Brewery in Johannesburg from its proprietor Charles Glass. The expansion of this facility, however, was beyond the means of the Natal Brewery Syndicate, and Mead returned to England to attract new investors. In the final arrangement, Mead formed another larger company based in London called The South African United Breweries. This company took over the operations of both the Natal Brewery Syndicate and the Castle Brewery. After construction of the new Castle Brewery, South African United Breweries made additional share offerings which were purchased by South Africa’s largest investment houses. Subsequent growth precipitated a restructuring of the company and reincorporation in London on May 15, 1895, as The South African Breweries Limited. In 1896 South African Breweries purchased its first boarding houses. That same year, Frederick Mead moved to England for health reasons but continued to occupy a seat on the board of directors and frequently returned to South Africa. From London, Mead directed the purchase of machinery for brewing lager beer from the Pfaudler Vacuum Company in the United States. Patent restrictions and mechanical difficulties delayed production of Castle lager until 1898. The beer gained such widespread popularity that competing breweries rushed to introduce their own lagers. South African Breweries, or SAB, was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1895 and two years later became the first industrial company to be listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Through these listings SAB had greater access to additional investor capital. On October 11, 1899, a war broke out between British colonial forces and Dutch and Huguenot settlers known as Boers. The war drove residents of Johannesburg out of the city and forced the Castle Brewery to close for almost a year. When British troops recovered the area, the brewery had sustained little or no damage. British authorities regarded the plant as an essential industry, and encouraged the company to resume production in August 1900. Disrupted supply lines caused shortages of yeast and other raw materials, but within a year production had returned to full capacity. The Boer War ended in 1902 but was followed by a severe economic depression. The brewing industry was not as adversely affected as others, however, and SAB was able to continue its expansion across southern Africa. The company acquired the Durban Breweries and Distillers company, and established a new plant at Bloemfontein. SAB purchased Morgan’s Brewery in Port Elizabeth in 1906 and, five years later, acquired another brewery in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe). At its northernmost point, SAB established a brewery at Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). W. H. Hackblock died in 1907 and was succeeded as chairman by Sydney Chambers. In 1912 Chambers led the company into an innovative arrangement with its competitor, Ohlsson’s Brewery, to cultivate hops jointly at a site near the city of George, midway between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. A joint subsidiary called Union Hop Growers spent many years developing new hybrids, which delayed the first commercial use of South African-grown hops until 1920. Diversified into Bottles, Lodging, and Mineral Water in Early 20th Century After Frederick Mead died in August 1915, John Stroyan, who succeeded Sydney Chambers a few months earlier, became the most important figure in SAB management. Stroyan faced a serious challenge the following year when hostilities during World War I interrupted the supply of bottles to South Africa. SAB decided to establish its own bottle-making plants in 1917. Actual production, however, did not begin until 1919, the year the war ended. Another economic depression beset South Africa after World War I, but steady growth in the demand for beer reduced many of the detrimental effects of the depression. SAB was financially strong enough in 1921 to purchase the Grand Hotel in Cape Town, an important addition to the company’s lodging business. SAB gained an interest in the mineral water business in 1925, when it purchased a substantial interest in the Schweppes Company. The Great Depression of the early 1930s had little effect on the South African brewing industry; SAB continued to expand its operations and improve its facilities. The company’s biggest problems were shortages of labor and capital. The Spanish Civil War and rising political tensions in Europe during the mid- and late 1930s caused a disruption in the supply of cork to South Africa. Faced with a severe shortage of cork seals for its beer, SAB developed a method of recycling old cork until a new supplier of cork could be found. Castle Beer accompanied South African soldiers to the East African and Mediterranean theaters of World War II, but apart from its involvement in Europe, South Africa was relatively unaffected by World War II. When hostilities ended in 1945, SAB turned its attention to further modernization and expansion. Arthur Griffith-Boscawen, who had succeeded John Stroyan as chairman in 1940, died in 1946, and was replaced by John Stroyan’s son, Captain John R. A. Stroyan. Under the leadership of the younger Stroyan, SAB concentrated on the establishment of a South African barley industry as an extension of the joint agricultural project it operated with Ohlsson’s. Takeover of Ohlsson’s and United Breweries in 1956 South African Breweries entered a new stage of its development in 1950. That year, in the midst of a large corporate modernization program, SAB decided to move its head office from London to Johannesburg. In 1951 the company acquired the Hotel Victoria in Johannesburg, and a second brewery in Salisbury. Captain Stroyan retired the following year and returned to England. His successor, a talented barrister named J. K. Cockburn Millar, died after only four months in office, and was replaced by a solicitor, S. J. Constance. After producing nothing but beer for more than 60 years, SAB began to introduce a range of liquor products. The incentive to diversify was provided by increased taxes on beer. Consumption of beer in South Africa fell for the first time on record and showed every indication of further decline. Officials of the three largest brewing companies in South Africa, SAB, Ohlsson’s Cape Breweries, and United Breweries, met on several occasions in London and Johannesburg to discuss the viability of competition under deteriorating market conditions. In 1956 these officials decided that the three companies should merge their operations into one large brewing concern. SAB acquired all the shares of Ohlsson’s and United Breweries, thus retaining the South African Breweries name. B. C. Smither of Ohlsson’s and M. W. J. Bull of United Breweries joined the SAB board of directors. Although the new company controlled 90 percent of the market for beer in South Africa, antiquated production facilities narrowed profit margins. In response, company activities were centralized in the Transvaal and the Western Province, areas where the three companies had previously competed. In addition, the old Castle Brewery in Johannesburg was closed in 1958. After succeeding Constance as chairman in 1959, M. W. J. Bull initiated a further diversification into wines and spirits. In 1960 SAB acquired the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery and later added Monis Wineries. Bull retired at the end of 1964 and was replaced by Dr. Frans J. C. Cronje, an economist and lawyer with substantial experience in government. The company encountered a severe financial crisis in 1966 when Whitbread and Heineken entered the South African beer market. The most damaging market developments, however, came from government quarters as successive increases in excise duties made beer the most heavily taxed beverage per serving. Consumers began to abandon beer for wine and sorghum beer. SAB was able to reduce the effect of this crisis by increased sales of products from the Stellenbosch winery. South African Breweries CEO Ted Sceales was instrumental in the creation of a new subsidiary called Barsab Investment Trust, jointly held by SAB and Thomas Barlow & Sons Ltd. (later Barlow Rand), the rapidly expanding mining services group. Barsab permitted SAB and Barlow to invest in each other and pool their managerial and administrative resources. It also provided SAB with the resources needed to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. Sceales died following an auto accident in 1967, but the success of Barsab continued under the new chief executive, Dick Goss. South African Breweries first attempted to move its legal domicile from Britain to South Africa in 1950, but was prevented from doing so by complex tax obligations to the British government. Consequently, SAB, which still derived about one-third of its income from investments in Rhodesia and Zambia, was bound to observe the British trade embargo against Rhodesia in 1967. Reincorporated in South Africa in 1970 Parliamentary motions to permit the reincorporation of SAB in South Africa were initiated in 1968. These motions, however, did not gain approval until March 17, 1970. On May 26, 1970, after 75 years as an English company, SAB became a de jure South African company. During the late 1960s SAB began brewing a number of new beers–some under license from foreign brewers–including Guinness, Amstel, Carling Black Label, and Rogue. The company also acquired the Old Dutch and Stag brands, as well as Whitbread in South Africa. While sales of wine and spirits continued to rise, SAB sold a number of its liquor-oriented hotels, and reorganized those that remained under a new subsidiary called the Southern Sun Hotel Corporation. Southern Sun, which operated 50 hotels in South Africa, was formed by the merger in 1969 of the existing SAB hotel interests with those of the Sol Kerzner family. The South African government barred SAB from further investment in the liquor industry and limited its ability to invest overseas. The company then made several attempts to diversify its operations. In 1972 SAB and Barlow Rand decided to alter their collaboration and dissolve Barsab. As a result, two former Barsab holdings, the Shoe Corporation, and Afcol, South Africa’s largest furniture manufacturer, came under SAB control. The following year, SAB acquired OK Bazaars, a large discount department store chain. Certain other investments were disposed of, however, including ventures in banking and food products. Several brewing interests attempted to challenge SAB’s dominant position in the South African market. Various German interests set up breweries in Botswana and Swaziland in a failed attempt to gain a foothold in South Africa. Louis Luyt, a South African entrepreneur, also failed, and sold his breweries to the Rembrandt Group in 1973. The Luyt breweries, which formed the core of Rembrandt’s alcoholic beverage group, were later incorporated as the Intercontinental Breweries. Determined to succeed, Rembrandt’s chairman, Dr. Anton Rupert, committed his company to a scheme of competition based on control of liquor retail outlets. In 1978 Rembrandt acquired a 49 percent share of Gilbey’s, the third largest liquor group in South Africa. The addition of Gilbey’s 100 retail outlets gave Rembrandt access to a total of 450 stores. South African Breweries responded by acquiring Union Wine, an independent liquor retailer with 24 hotels and over 50 retail outlets. Once again, market conditions were not conducive to competition. The government, therefore, proposed a rationalization program in which SAB would take over Rembrandt’s brewing interests and turn over its wine and spirits operations to an independent subsidiary called Cape Wine and Distillers. The program, executed in November 1979, also called for Rembrandt to turn over its Oude Meester wine and spirits operations to Cape Wines, in which SAB, Rembrandt, and the KWV wine growers cooperative each owned a 30 percent interest. The remaining 10 percent interest was sold to private investors. Government Restrictions Led to More Diversification in the 1980s and Early 1990s By the early 1980s the South African government’s system of racial separation (apartheid) and deteriorating social conditions for blacks had become international issues. Many business leaders openly called for change, but the government still prevented companies such as SAB from transferring capital out of South Africa through foreign investments. Often these companies had little choice but to reinvest their surplus capital in South African ventures, which in turn gave them a more crucial interest in the resolution of social and human rights problems within South Africa. Many foreign-owned companies, which faced fewer restrictions on divestment, sold their South African subsidiaries and closed their offices in South Africa. This trend made acquisitions by South African companies easier. SAB took over control of the ABI soft drink concern from Coca-Cola, and later added several clothing retailers, including Scotts Stores (acquired in 1981) and the Edgars chain (added in 1982). A government order in 1979 for SAB to sell its Solly Kramer retail liquor stores was completed in 1986, five years before its deadline. Also in 1986 SAB established a joint venture with Ceres Fruit Juices to sell leading noncarbonated juice brands Ceres, Liquifruit, and Fruitee. In 1987 Murray B. Hofmeyer succeeded Cronje as chairman. Hofmeyer and his successor, Meyer Kahn, continued to diversify through acquisition, adding Lion Match Company, the leading manufacturer of safety matches in Africa, in 1987; Da Gama Textiles Company, a leading South African textile manufacturer, in 1989; and the Plate Glass Group, a manufacturer of glass and board products, in 1992. End of Apartheid Fueled Major Changes in the 1990s The dismantling of apartheid finally began in 1990, with the unbanning of opposition political parties, including the African National Congress, and the release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Major political changes rapidly followed. In 1991 the remaining apartheid laws were repealed. In 1992, an all-white referendum approved a new constitution that would lead to eventual free elections. Finally, in 1994, the first nationwide free elections were held and were won by the ANC, with Mandela elected president. SAB&mdashting largely out of self-interest since 85 percent of the beer in South Africa was purchased by blacks–was well out in front of the political changes as it had begun to hire blacks in the early 1980s. By 1985 28 percent of salaried employees were black, a figure that rose to 48 percent by 1994. Nevertheless, the threat of a government-forced breakup of SAB’s beer monopoly hung over the company following the end of apartheid. Partly in response to this threat, and partly in response to the loosening of laws regarding foreign investment, the Kahn-led South African Breweries aggressively expanded outside its home country starting in 1993. That year, SAB spent US$50 million for an 80 percent stake in Hungary’s largest brewer, Dreher Breweries, the first of a series of moves into the emerging markets of central Europe. In 1996 the company gained joint control of two of the largest breweries in Poland, Lech Brewery and Tyskie Brewery, as well as three breweries in Romania and one in Slovakia. In 1994 SAB created a joint venture with Hong Kong-based China Resources Enterprise Limited; by early 1998 this joint venture had gained majority control of five breweries in China. A third area of foreign growth for SAB was in sub-Saharan Africa, where management control was gained of breweries in Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda during this period. In August 1997 Kahn was appointed chief executive of the South African police service, becoming the first civilian to hold the post. The outspoken Kahn, who had been vocal in calling for the rapid liberalization of the economy and for a restoration of law and order, was made responsible for cracking down on a national crime epidemic. Taking over as acting chairman of SAB was Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s most prominent black capitalist and a former militant trade unionist. By this time, South African Breweries was the world’s fourth largest brewer and had a rapidly expanding international brewing empire. The company was now free to unload its noncore businesses in order to concentrate more closely on brewing and its other beverage operations. Under Ramaphosa, it did just that. In late 1997 and early 1998 SAB divested its holdings in OK Bazaars, Afcol, and Da Gama Textiles, and announced that Lion Match and Conshu Holdings, a footwear maker, were also likely to be jettisoned. These divestments were not proceeding quickly enough for some observers, but SAB had already managed to strengthen its overall position in the face of the continued threat of the breakup of its domestic beer monopoly. Selling off noncore assets was freeing up capital for additional investment in foreign breweries, which would further mitigate the impact of any government intervention. Principal Subsidiaries: Southern Associated Maltsters (Pty. ) Ltd. ; SAB Hop Farms (Pty. ) Ltd. ; SAB International Holdings Inc. ; SAB International (Africa) B. V. (Netherlands); Botswana Breweries (Pty. ) Ltd. (40%); Kgalagadi Breweries (Pty. ) Ltd. (Botswana; 40%); Swaziland Brewers (Pty. ) Ltd. (60%); Lesotho Brewing Company (Pty. ) Ltd. (39%); Tanzania Breweries Ltd. (46%); Cervejas de Mozambique Limitada (65%); Zambian Breweries Plc (45%); Nile Breweries Limited (Uganda; 40%); SAB International (Europe) B. V. (Netherlands); Dreher Breweries (Hungary; 85%); Lech Browary Wielkopolski S. A. (Poland; 32%); SC Vulturul S. A. (Romania; 70%); Compania Cervecera de Canarias S. A. (Spain; 51%); SC Pitber S. A. (Romania; 81%); SC Ursus S. A. (Romania; 73%); Browary Tyskie Gorny Slask S. A. (Poland; 45%); SAB International (Asia) B. V. (Netherlands); China Resources Enterprise Beverages Ltd. (49%); China Resources Shenyang; Snowflake Beer Co. Ltd. (China; 44%); China Resources Dalian Brewery Co. Ltd. (49%); Shenzhen C’est Bon Food and Drink Co. Ltd. (China; 33%); China Resources (Jilin) Brewery Co. Ltd. (90%); Delta Corporation Ltd. (Zimbabwe; 23%); Seychelles Breweries Ltd. (20%); Accra Breweries Limited (Ghana; 50. 5%); Amalgamated Beverage Industries Ltd. (68%); Coca-Cola Canners (Pty. ) Ltd. (24%); Can Vendors (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Appletiser South Africa (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Appletiser Pure Fruit Juices (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Ceres Fruit Juices (Pty. ) Ltd. (35%); Valaqua (Pty. ) Ltd. ; Associated Fruit Processors (Pty. ) Ltd. (50%); Traditional Beer Investments (Pty.) Ltd. ; Distillers Corporation (SA) Ltd. (30%); Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery Group Ltd. (30%); Edgars Stores Ltd. (65%); Amalgamated Retail Ltd. (â€Å"Amrel†) (68%); Southern Sun Holdings Ltd. ; Plate Glass and Shatterprufe Industries Ltd. (68%); Da Gama Textile Company Ltd. (61%); The Lion Match Company Ltd. (71%); Conshu Holdings Ltd. (67%) International Expansion in the Post-Apartheid Era The dismantling of apartheid finally began in 1990, with the unbanning of opposition political parties, including the African National Congress (ANC), and the release of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Major political changes rapidly followed. In 1991 the remaining apartheid laws were repealed. In 1992, an all-white referendum approved a new constitution that would lead to eventual free elections. Finally, in 1994, the first nationwide free elections were held and were won by the ANC, with Mandela elected president. SAB–acting largely out of self-interest given that 85 percent of the beer in South Africa was purchased by blacks–was well out in front of the political changes as it had begun to hire blacks in the early 1980s. By 1985, 28 percent of salaried employees were black, a figure that rose to 48 percent by 1994. Nevertheless, the threat of a government-forced breakup of SAB’s beer monopoly hung over the company following the end of apartheid. Partly in response to this threat, and partly in response to the loosening of laws regarding foreign investment, the Kahn-led South African Breweries aggressively expanded outside its home country starting in 1993. That year, SAB spent $50 million for an 80 percent stake in Hungary’s largest brewer, Dreher Breweries, the first of a series of moves into the emerging markets of central Europe. From 1995 to 1997 the company gained joint control of two of the largest breweries in Poland, Lech Brewery and Tyskie Brewery, as well as three breweries in Romania and one in Slovakia. In 1994 SAB created a joint venture with Hong Kong-based China Resources Enterprise Limited; by early 1998 this joint venture had gained majority control of five breweries in China. A third area of foreign growth for SAB was in sub-Saharan Africa, where management control was gained of breweries in Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda during this period. In August 1997 Kahn was appointed chief executive of the South African police service, becoming the first civilian to hold the post. The outspoken Kahn, who had been vocal in calling for the rapid liberalization of the economy and for a restoration of law and order, was made responsible for cracking down on a national crime epidemic. Taking over as acting chairman of SAB was Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s most prominent black capitalist and a former militant trade unionist. By this time, South African Breweries was the world’s fourth largest brewer and had a rapidly expanding international brewing empire. The company was now free to unload its noncore businesses in order to concentrate more closely on brewing and its other beverage operations. Under Ramaphosa, it did just that. From late 1997 through early 1999 SAB divested its holdings in OK Bazaars, Afcol, Da Gama Textiles, Edgars, Lion Match, and Conshu Holdings, a footwear maker. With the mid-1999 sale of Plate Glass, SAB had trimmed its holdings down to beer, soft drinks, wine and liquor, and hotels and gaming. The year 1999 was a pivotal year in SAB’s history for a host of other reasons as well. Seeking access to capital markets better endowed that those at home, the company in early 1999 shifted its headquarters back to London–reincorporating itself as South African Breweries plc–and moved its primary stock exchange listing from Johannesburg to London, retaining the former as a secondary listing. As part of its London listing, it raised ? 300 million to fund further international expansion. There were also changes on the management front. Kahn returned to the chairmanship, his two-and-a-half-year stint at the police service complete; Ramaphosa remained on the board as a director. In addition, Graham Mackey, who had served as group managing director since 1997, was named chief executive in early 1999. On the international front, SAB acquired a stake in a sixth Chinese brewery in 1999 and began producing beer in Russia at Kaluga Brewing Company, which had been acquired the previous year. SAB’s two Polish breweries, Lech and Tyskie, were merged to form Kompania Piwowarska S. A. The most important brewery transaction that year, however, occurred in October, when SAB acquired from Nomura International plc for $321 million a controlling interest in Pilsner Urquell and Radegast, two brewers in the Czech Republic that combined comprised the leader (with a 44 percent market share) in a nation whose citizens consumed more beer per capita than anyone else in the world. The crown jewel of this deal was the Pilsner Urquell brand, the most famous Czech beer and the original pilsner, first produced at a brewery in Pilsen in 1842. SAB began laying plans to make Pilsner Urquell the company’s flagship brand outside of Africa and to seek entree into developed markets through the export of this brand. Via this acquisition, South African Breweries became the leader of the central European beer market and jumped into third place among global brewing titans. Moving into the Developed World As SABMiller, Early 2000s SAB’s drive into emerging markets continued in the early 2000s. South African Breweries entered the Indian beer market for the first time in 2000, taking a majority stake in Narang Breweries. Control of two more Indian brewers, Mysore Breweries and Rochees Breweries, was purchased the following year. In April 2001 SAB and the Castel group, the two largest beverage companies on the African continent, entered into a strategic alliance whereby SAB exchanged a 38 percent interest in its African division (excluding South Africa) for a 20 percent stake in Castel’s beer business. SAB thus gained a share of a wider array of African breweries, and the two partners also agreed to seek investments in new African markets via 50-50 joint ventures. Also in 2001 SAB entered into a new joint venture in China with the Sichuan Blue Sword Breweries Group, which owned ten breweries in Sichuan province. SAB now had interests in more than two dozen Chinese breweries and had positioned itself as that nation’s number two brewer, trailing only Tsingtao. Yet another development in 2001 was that South African Breweries became the first international brewer to enter the Central American market. In November the company acquired a 97 percent stake in Cerveceria Hondurena, S.A. , the sole brewer and the largest bottler of soft drinks (Coca-Cola) in Honduras, from the Dole Food Company Inc. for $537 million. Simultaneously, SAB and the prominent Meza family of El Salvador created a joint venture called BevCo Ltd. to which SAB contributed its new Honduran holding and the Meza family contributed the bulk of its brewing, soft drink, and bottled water businesses in El Salvador. By fiscal 2002, just eight years after its first brewing acquisition outside of Africa, 55 percent of SAB’s $4. 36 billion in revenues were derived from its non-South African operations. This figure would shoot up to an even more remarkable 75 percent just one year later following the company’s boldest move yet–its takeover of Miller Brewing Company, the number two beer maker in the world’s largest beer market, the United States, whose main brands included Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life, Miller Lite, and Milwaukee’s Best. Consummated in July 2002, the deal consisted of a stock swap with Miller’s owner, Philip Morris Companies Inc., that was valued at $3. 48 billion. SAB additionally absorbed $2 billion in Miller debt. Upon completion of the acquisition, SAB changed its name to SABMiller plc and was now the world’s number two brewer, behind only Anheuser-Busch. Philip Morris (which changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. in 2003) became the biggest SABMiller shareholder with a 36 percent economic interest and 25 percent of the voting rights (the total at which it was capped) and also gained three seats on the SABMiller board. Miller had recorded 2001 revenues of $4. 24 billion but had for some time been losing market share to the number one and number three U. S. players, Anheuser-Busch and Adolph Coors Company, respectively. SABMiller took immediate action to try to reverse Miller’s fortunes, announcing that one of Miller’s nine U. S. breweries would be closed, and bringing in a new CEO for Miller, Norman Adami, who had headed up the South African brewery operations of SABMiller. In March 2003, in a further pullback from noncore operations, SABMiller moved its entire hotel and gaming interests into a new company called Tsogo Sun Holdings (Pty.) Ltd. , which was to be majority controlled by black empowerment company Tsogo Investments. SABMiller held an initial 49 percent interest in the new company but said that it intended to continue to reduce its hospitality holdings. Despite having just completed the Miller acquisition, the company did not shy away from making additional purchases and deals. Early in 2003 Browar Dojlidy, a brewer in northeastern Poland, was acquired for $38 million. In June SABMiller made its first major investment in Western Europe, buying a 60 percent stake in Birra Peroni S.p. A. , the number two brewing company in Italy, for EUR 246 million ($279 million). Later in 2003 Peroni ended its licensed brewing and selling of the Budweiser brand in Italy and instead started import sales of Miller Genuine Draft. Similar synergies between SABMiller’s increasingly global operations were being implemented, such as the launch of Pilsner Urquell and Miller Genuine Draft in South Africa in early 2003 and the introduction of Miller Genuine Draft into several more European countries, including Russia, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Over in Asia, SABMiller consolidated its operations in India under Mysore Breweries; the operations of Mysore were then consolidated with the brewing operations of Shaw Wallace and Company Limited, the second largest brewing group in India, to form a joint venture called Shaw Wallace Breweries Limited, 50 percent owned by Mysore. This deal cost SABMiller $132. 8 million. The firm spent an additional HK$675 million ($87 million) for a 29. 6 percent stake in Harbin Group Limited, China’s fourth largest brewer and the leader in that country’s northeastern region. The SABMiller of the early 21st century, a globally active company with a sharp focus on beverages–mainly beer–was a far different company from the apartheid-era SAB, which was centered largely in South Africa where it had diversified interests. SABM.

Human Resources Function In Pizza Express Essay

Introduction Pizza Express is a public limited company (PLC), which was established in 1965. It has 350 restaurants in the UK and between twenty to thirty international franchises in countries like France, Egypt, Spain and opening soon in the Philippines and it has also expanded by 40% in recent years. It’s a restaurant in different countries, which provides food, and drink services to the customers. The company has different range of employees, 39 in total including cleaners, chefs, waiters and waitresses, supervisors and managers. Role of human resources The organisation has two human resources namely the main HR known as the headquarters and the local HR’s. The local HR recruits the workers by advertising in the media after which they train the selected ones to very high standards so that they deliver high quality services to the customers. This creates a good repetition for the company so they receive more customers therefore increasing profits too. Training the workers on how to use the equipment also helps the company in a way that they will have fewer or no claims for damages in case of accidents. The local HR’s also carry out transfers with other restaurants of the organisation, which helps them maintain the good workers. This can also be a way of practising flexible working conditions for their staff. In case of any member of staff acting against the organisations rules, the local HR’s have to discipline him/her so that they can change and if they fail they lose the job. This helps the company dismiss bad members of staff who can cause trouble or even pass on their bad behaviours to new recruits. Lastly, the local HR’s act as the voice for the workers i.e. they raise any problems that the workforce might be experiencing so that they can be solved. This creates a good relationship between the workers and the management, which is a very important thing if they are to work as a team to deliver good services to the customers. The main HR i.e. the headquarters carries out the more complex tasks of the organisation. It reviews the labour turnover and predicts what staff the company will have to recruit and during what time they will have to. It sets the pay rates and increases in the organisation which is a very crucial thing when carrying out the company’s budget because they don’t want to pay out much or less but just the right amount to their staff. It also recruits it’s own staff and management and train them. It has to be very careful when doing this because it has to makes to sure it gets the right people who will be able to manage the local HR’s or else there will be poor management which can lead to serious problems in organisations. Lastly, it makes the rules and procedures that have to be followed in the organisation. This is very important because it lets the workers know what they can do and can not when on the company’s premises and also for any organisation to run properly and smoothly, there must be rules and regulations in place to be followed. E2 Staff labour turnover The staff /labour turnover for the Kingston branch was not known because they had just opened but for the old branch, they had 50 people leaving with an approximation of 25 staff which means the turnover was 200%. This is mainly because the workers tend to transfer with their managers when they change branches, which happened last year. From the research that I carried out, these were my findings KINGSTON LABOUR MARKET (2001-02) Aged 16 and over Economically active In employment All 124000 85000 81000 Male 63000 48000 46000 Female 61000 37000 34000 WORKING AGE (16-59/64) 2001-2002 IN KINGSTON Working age (16-59/64) Economically active In employment All 102000 83000 80000 Male 55000 48000 46000 Female 48000 36000 33000 AGE BREAKDOWN (full and part-time employment) 2001-02 All Full-time Part-time 16-19 * * * 20-24 11000 8000 * 25-49 53000 45000 8000 50+ 14000 10000 4000 Source: www.statistics.gov.uk KEY * Sample size too small for reliable estimate Pay and hours worked The chefs in the new Kingston branch get a maximum of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8.50 an hour if they are of grade four and those on lower grades 1-4 get a maximum of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6. The waiters get à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.20 an hour with tips as well and cleaners get à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5-6 an hour. They all get double pay on bank holidays and they work a maximum of 48 hrs apart from part time workers who usually have 3-4 shifts a week with no set minimum hours of working. Productivity The businesses productivity depends on how many customers they get i.e. if they produce more if there are many customers to be served and they produce little if there are hardly any customers to be served. Generally, they measure productivity by the average times for making items. The more items they make, the more profits they get and the fewer items they make, the less profits they get. Fulltime/part time working For the particular branch in Rotunda, there are three fulltime workers and twenty part time workers. Changes in working practices The company also tries to please its workers by changing their working practices. This is carried out by exchanging staff with other restaurants since it’s a big company. This helps them get experience in working in different areas and conditions, encouraging more advanced training so that they get promoted which again makes workers feel that their effort is being appreciated by the management and lastly giving them flexible working hours so that they don’t feel that they are being over worked or exploited. Company use of the information The company might have used this information when planning its human resources in a way that when you look at the labour market, there are more people economically active and in this particular area there is relatively low unemployment. This means that they will find it difficult to recruit new staff and it can be very costly in a sense that to attract possible workers, they will have to advertise themselves more, they may have to pay more wages or invest more in training. They may also have to design development programmes so that potential employees see there are promotion prospects in the organisation therefore making them feel wanting to join the company. By also looking at their labour turnover which is very high, they might want to try and find out why many people are leaving. This can help them find the reasons why the workers are leaving and find solutions to them which means they will keep their staff longer. Still looking at their own labour turnover, they can also find out the skill that people who are leaving had and recruit people with the same ones which decreases the budget of training. Since their work force is in the mid 20’s and mostly part time, they can decide to recruit more people between the age of 25-49 because those between 20-24 working part time are very small size of the population. When planning its productivity, the company can decide to recruit more people and give them intensive training to become professionals which also increases efficiency. C1 Analysis of external labour market To interpret my labour market further, I compared it with that of Richmond, London, & UK with also last year’s trends and these were the results. The working-age employment rate in London, Kingston, Richmond & UK (March 2000-2001 and Feb 2001-2002) Area Percentage of population 2000-2001 2001-2002 Richmond 84.5% 80.8% London 70.2% 70.4% Kingston 76.4% 78% UK 74.1% 74.4% From the results above, we see that Richmond had the highest working age employment rate which was 80.8% followed by Kingston which was 78% then UK with 74.4% and lastly London which was 70.4%. Looking at the trends, we see that Richmond’s working age employment has gone down by 3.7%, London’s has only gone up by 0.2%, Kingston’s has gone up by 1.6% and lastly UK as a whole has just gone up by 0.3%. With this information, Pizza Express can decide to recruit workers from London since it has the least working age employment so they will find it easier to recruit people but then it will have to increase spending on transport if the workers are not willing to spend their own money and if they are willing to, Pizza Express will have to pay them high wages so that they can afford the costs. Advertising costs will also go up because they will have to advertise in the media other than on their windows because they are trying to recruit people in a totally different area. Graph showing working age employment rate in London, Kingston, Richmond and UK (2001-02) Economic activity rate by sex (working age 16-59/64) in Kingston & Richmond (March 2000-2001 & February2001- 2002) Area % No. of males % No. of females 2000-2001 2001-2002 2000-2001 2001-2002 Richmond 93.7 89.0 80.5 76.5 Kingston 87.6 87.4 70.1 75.0 From the information above we see that there were a higher number of males in economical activity in Richmond than Kingston with a difference of 1.6%. With the females, the number was still higher in Richmond than Kingston with a difference of 1.5%. Comparing the percentages with last years, Kingston had a very little difference in 2000-2001 than in 2001-2002 of males in economical activity which was only 0.2%. For the females in Kingston, the percentage number went up from 70.1% in 2000-2001 to 75.0% in 2001-2002, a difference of 4.9%. The higher the economic activity rate, the better so when you look at the figures, Richmond’s economic activity rate is high but it keeps going down within the two years so it can be risky wasting their money to advertise in the area while in Kingston, though the figures are low, they keep going up within the two years so it can be safer to carry out their advertising campaigns in the area if they are sure they will keep going up. Economic activity rate of males in Richmond and Kingston (2001-02) Internal staffing information For the Kingston branch, the company had 20 staff and three of them working part time. Most of them are mainly in their mid 20’s though they have no age restrictions at upper end of age band. Most of them are students or local people of the area they are situated in. Since the company has just opened, it has recruited all its work force but in the future as the business expands, they may need more staff. Interpretation of labour market information When we look at the labour market information, we see that Richmond is doing better than Kingston economically. There are more people working in Richmond which means that there are more jobs than in Kingston. This might affect the company in a way that they will find it more favourable to recruit people from Kingston than in Richmond because the labour force will be relatively cheaper. They will also find it hard to recruit people from Richmond because most of them have got jobs and if any, they might want high wages because there is less competition. With the fact that they are also located in Kingston, they may want to recruit the workers from there because costs such as transport and advertising will be low. E3 Recruitment and selection The main documents used when recruiting staff are the staff application form which is used to get details of applicants like their address, date of birth e.t.c. Gathering this information is very crucial because the company can always keep in touch with the applicants, know of any disabilities they have if any and also get information about their qualifications. The second document is the job advert. This is a promotional document of the company attracting the applicants to apply. It talks about the skills needed so the applicants can only apply if they got them therefore saving the company time in sorting out the people with the right skills. It’s made up very carefully with pictures making it very appealing. Basically it’s a form of advertising job vacancies in the company in an easy and attractive way. Lastly, the job description is also handed out to the applicants. This describes what they are expected to do if successful in getting the job. It shows what the job is about in more detail. First, it talks about the aim of the job then the workers responsibilities, what authority is to be held and lastly the standards of performance expected. Effectiveness of documents 1. Job description The job description is effective in a way that it’s lay out is simple and easy to understand. On top is the pizza express logo and pictures to attract the reader. It clearly shows that the descriptions are for waiters/waitresses so they there is no chance of a worker in a different field mistaking it to be meant for them. It clearly outlines the aim of the job in relation to maintaining the company’s standards. Second, it talks about the responsibilities that the worker has when doing the job. Too much text is used here but there seems to be only one strange word, â€Å"Adherence†. This means that language used is quite easy to understand for the reader. Next, it also talks about the responsibilities the applicant will have to carry out if successful and less text is used here so there is less difficulty in understanding the point they are trying to bring across. Lastly, it shows the standards of performance. All the major headings are written out in bold letters and also underlined to make them stand out. 2. Application form The application form is also a very detailed document. It has got a heading on top in bold letters to show what it is, with a pizza express logo which is also a way of promoting the company and showing its loyalty. It’s designed in a simple way asking for relevant information from the applicants. It has got boxes in which they can fill in the information they are being asked. The company tries to avoid collecting irrelevant information by giving them choices in some of the questions where they can only answer yes or no e.g. have you worked for Pizza Express before: Yes ? No ?. It also helps the applicants understand the questions easily. Some questions require a lot of detail and the form provides enough space for the answers like in one question which asks if the applicant is disabled and if their answer is yes, it provides more space to give the details of their disability fully. Lastly, it is typed out on white paper with blue colourings around it to make it more attractive . Generally, no complex language has been used. Everything is simple and straight forward. 3. Job advert Like all the other documents, the job advert is also laid out in a simple way and easy to understand. It is explaining how it is like to work in pizza express by posing questions then giving all the possible answers which are of course attracting the reader to apply. It also talks about the roles and explaining some of the complex words like â€Å"remuneration†. The salaries of the assistant manager and restaurant manager are also shown. This is also done to attract people so that they apply. It has got pictures about a man who has been successful. This shows the chances of success that the applicants are likely to have if they apply. Lastly, it has got detailed information about how you can get in touch with them like telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Stages in filling a vacancy FLOW CHART There are various stages involved in filling a vacancy. First, the job vacancy is identified and then a job description is written up. This is the document describing what the job is about and what it requires the person to do. A person specification is also written out describing what the qualities and qualifications the applicant should have then an appropriate advertising medium is chosen e.g. newspaper e.t.c. The type of medium chosen depends on the size of the company, what type of job is being advertised or even the current financial status of the company. Next, you send out application forms to the people who have replied to the adverts so that they can fill them in after which they send them back and you short list them to get the right ones. There are crucial things that should be considered when carrying out the short listing process like not discriminating people on grounds of their sex, race or ethnicity. After short listing them out, you arrange interviews for the selected ones where you set the date and time to meet. This can give the interviewer time to make up the questions to be asked and the common ones are normally about the candidates work experience history, why they have applied for the job, what makes them think they will be good at, how they will travel everyday if successful e.t.c. This is a good process because you get to see and speak to the candidates and evaluate how they express themselves, test their communication skills, check how they get on with other people and also check their behaviour i.e. if they are polite e.t.c. you might want to carry out other assessments like work sampling or testing then job offer references are made up. Copies of acceptance and turn downs are sent out to the applicants and the successful ones are given a contract and after their induction they start their job with some training. This is the form of help given to them to get used to the work place and equipment they have to use, know better how the job is carried out in the company and also get used to the old staff. This helps them develop more understanding of the company’s cultures working practices which leads them to becoming professional staff and if very hard working, they can end up getting promotions. Conclusion Based on my findings, I conclude that pizza express is doing well with the fact its expanding in other countries which means that it has a big market, a very crucial part in business developments.

The Ultimate Goal of a Customer-Oriented Organization Is to Maximize Its Customer Satisfaction Essays

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Marketing is an organization function and a set of processes for creasing, communication, and delivering value to customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders. (David L. Kurtz Boone 2010, Principles of contemporary marketing PP7) Marketing creates form, time, place, and ownership utilities. Formproduction of the good, driven by the marketing function; Timemake product available when customers want to buy the product; Placemake product available where customers will buy the product; Ownership (Possession) once you own the product, do what you want with it. ( udel. du/alex/chapt1. html, 16-11-2010) Marketing has been a part of business; its importance has varied greatly. Marketing has four eras in the history: the production era, the sales era, the marketing era, and the relationship era. The production era: The prevailing attitude of this era held that a high-quality product would sell itself before 1925. The sales era: In this era, firms attempte d to match their output to the potential number of customers who would want it in about the 1920s to 1950s. The marketing era: Marketing concept is company-wide consumer orientation with the objective of achieving long-run success. The relationship era: This era in the history of marketing emerged during the final decade of the 20th century and continues to grow in importance. Relationship marketing involves developing long-term, value-added relationships over time with customers and suppliers. (David L. Kurtz Boone 2010, Principles of contemporary marketing PP9-11) Now the main era is still in the marketing era. Marketing does not occur in a vacuum. The marketing environment consists of external forces that directly or indirectly impact the organization. We have some environmental forces: societal, political, economic, competitive, and technology. Societal Forces: Pressure to create laws Since marketing activities are a vital part of the total business structure, marketers have a responsibility to help provide what members of society want and to minimize what they dont want. Societal forces pressure political forces to create legal forces governed by regulatory forces. Political Forces: Forces in the marketing environment that are shaped by elected (and sometimes appointed) officials that impact the decisions made by a business organization. Government officials can enact laws that could cause serious harm to specific business sectors. For example, a state that passes laws prohibiting off-shore drilling would dramatically affect oil drilling companys business outlook. Through environmental scanning a business looks at these political forces that might affect them in the short and long term. Economic forces: Marketers may need to adjust their marketing mix as the economy passes through different stages. ( udel. edu/alex/chapt3. tml, 16-11-2010) Customer-oriented organization is one that allows the wants and needs of customers and potential customers to drive all the firms strategic decisions mind is that has the business philosophy incorporating the marketing concept that emphasizes first determining unmet consumer needs and then designing a system for satisfying them. Today, the marketing era is also the most important era, although it has had four eras. The organizations build on the marketing era’s customer orientation by focusing on establishing and maintaining relationships with both customers and suppliers. wordiq. com/definition/Marketing_orientation, Marketing orientation– Definition, 16-11-2010) Marketing mixing is a framework which helps to structure the approach to each market. The mix is a bundle of variables which are offered to the customer. These include the product or service itself and the price which should be charged. In 1960 Jerome McCarthey presented the 4Ps to the world. Product: This me ans the products or services quality, the functions, the features and benefits of its design plus packaging, guarantees and level of after-sales service. Choices can be made about any of these aspects. Price: It includes recommended prices to end-user customers, distributors trade prices, cash discounts, bulk discounts, terms of credit. Place: It means where and when the customer buys and consumes the product or service. Place is sometimes referred to as the marketing channels, physical distribution, logistics or location. Promotion: It means the promotions mix or the communications mix. This mix includes advertising, sales promotions, publicity, direct mail, exhibitions, display, packaging, selling and even word-of-mouth. Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance indicator within business. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction, Wikipedia, 18-11-2010) Customer lifetime value: This phrase relates to a very simple concept. Every interaction you have with a customer should be done on the basis that their value to you is the total of all the purchases they will ever make, not that one sale. For example your most valuable customers are probably not those who make the biggest purchases, they are the ones who come back again and again. This way of thinking also allows you to consider marketing approaches that do not require you to make back he cost of acquiring a customer in a single sale; The cost of acquisition: It has been demonstrated that it is up to 20 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep an existing one. A traditional sales approach can be likened to pouring new customers into a bucket with a hole in the bottom-the weaker your levels of customer retention the larger the hole. saferpak. com/csm_articles/Customer%20satisfaction_%20loyalty%20and%20profit. pdf, Customer satisfaction, loyalty and profit. understanding the links between service and the bottom line, 16-11-2010) Excellent service organizations intensively study the key drivers of people who use their products. Key drivers are the needs, wants, and expectations that are most imp ortant to customers, and they should be part of the organization’s knowledge base. The best way to learn these key drivers is to continually and carefully study customers. Many managers think they understand the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction and intent to return. Most times, however, management’s perception does not represent the customers’ point of view, creating a disconnect between what managers think consumers prefer and what consumers actually want. (http://onlinesuccesscentre. com/tag/key-drivers-of-customer-satisfaction/, â€Å"Customer Relationship Management. 8 Common goals for a CRM Program. What are Key Drivers Of Customer Satisfaction? 18-16-2010) There are three steps to build customer relationships: Determine mutually satisfying goals between organization and customers; Establish and maintain customer rapport; Produce positive feelings in the organization and the customers. ( businessballs. com/crmcustomerrelationshipmanagement. htm,18-11-2010 ) The organization should build up a â€Å"Customer-Centric Business Structure†: Customer segments that the organization wants to excel and dominate; the unique value targeted customers receive through our products and services; the critical few things that must be done well to deliver the customer value; basic building blocks to enable the creation of such critical capabilities. http://doc. mbalib. com/view/24c1de252959a991d26e421ea6a464b6. html,16-11-2010) Customer service deals with a wide range of practices used by businesses to make their customers satisfied. These practices can range from polite and friendly service to going the extra mile to ensure satisfaction is achieved. Many businesses, especially smaller ones, refer to t his as the key factor in the development and success of their business. Companies that strive on developing these techniques always prosper over their competitors. There are four benefits of an effective customer relation management strategy: The organization increases profit. Business studies tell that the longer the company keeps a customer, the more money it will make in the long run. This is due to the fact, that customers always spent a little money in a new business relationship, and a lot more – when the business deals are running smoothly. The organization will survive in a competitive market. Effective customer service has grown in business for staying. With an increasing globalization, faster competition and a fast running technology and the reducing of trade barriers, competition is fierce. There are several suppliers around the world, eager to make business and to snatch your customers and the opportunity to satisfy customers. If you do not deliver to the customers – you will not survive. The organization will reach a higher

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