“Dude, Where’s My Country?” Book Review

â€Å"Dude, where is My Country† is a book written by Michael Moore and published by Penguin Books in 2004. In this book, Moore provocatively and boldly discusses several socio-political events in America. He takes on George W. Bush, the Conservative brigade and corporate wheeler dealers in America and offers wide ranging remedies which place the country’s redemption squarely on the shoulders of the liberal forces. The author dissects America’s problems in topics ranging from tax cuts, the Iraqi war, among others and demonstrates the failure of the nation-state to be a direct consequence of conservative ethos. Moore first seeks to debunk what he calls the ‘Big Lie’, that America is inherently and pervasively conservative. He terms this belief as a propagandist fib, perpetuated by the right in order to put down the liberal masses. â€Å"†¦.. So, in the tradition of all propagandists, they lie. They create an opposite truth: AMERICA IS CONSERVATIVE. Then they pound away with that false message so hard and so often that even their political opponents come to believe that it's true,† Moore asserts (Moore, 2003 page 2). To prove that most Americans are indeed liberal, Moore gives facts which demonstrate majority support for the Civil Rights movement, abortion, the Roe vs Wade ruling, the Green movement, gun restrictions, universal healthcare (or socialized medicine as he puts it), community as opposed to jail service for offenders, gay and lesbian rights and unionization. He then wonders why conservatives hold the rein of leadership in the country and proceeds to offer his ten cents worth. Chapter one poses seven seemingly rhetorical questions to Bush. Home of the Whopper† is the heading of Chapter two and it serves as an allegorical forerunner of the issues presented herein. Here, the author discusses the lies told by the Bush administration before narrating a fable featuring his great-granddaughter who seeks to find out from him the state of the world when oil and plastics were available and seeks to understand the reasons behind the failure of planning. In a sense, this chapter indicts the Bush administration for its lax energy policies and seems to suggest a bleak future for America occasioned by these policies. Chapter four is titled â€Å"The United States of Boo† and it takes the form of an essay. In this chapter, Moore demonstrates that death through terrorism is statistically impossible. As he so ably shows, there are other countless and plausible ways through which Americans can die that terrorism threats count for nothing. The ruse by the conservative war makers is a subterfuge meant to take away Americans’ civil liberties. Nowhere is this more succinctly evidenced than in the Patriot’s Act, Moore infers. The next chapter delineates ways in which ordinary Americans can reduce acts of terrorism. In subsequent chapters, Moore launches into an angry offensive tirade against George W. Bush that is laced with acerbic humor. The Bush years are summarized as a failed presidency and various facts adduced to support this claim. The war against Iraq is presented in great detail and used as an example to show Bush’s weak leadership. Similarly, the Enron debacle, the infamous Bush tax cuts and the collapse of other firms are cited as products of failed economic policies. The author lays bare the association between Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Saudi Arabia. He goes on to make staggering claims about alleged business connections between the Bushes and the Saudi Arabia nobles. Contrary to the wishes of FBI and notwithstanding the fact that only four of the 19 hijackers were non-Saudis, the Bush government shielded the Saudi Arabians from investigations while other Arabs in America were apprehended just like the Japanese were during the post world war II interment. Moore dismisses the high approval ratings enjoyed by Bush in 2004 thus: â€Å"the high ratings for Bush are not an endorsement of his policies. Rather, it is the response of a frightened country that has no choice but to back the man charged with protecting them. America has not fallen in love with Bush-it's more like â€Å"love the one you're (stuck) with. † (Moore, page 6). Railing against the â€Å"Christian Coalition†, Moore eloquently makes pitch for a presidency built around persons who live and understand America as it is. In regard to this, he introduces the â€Å"Draft Oprah for President† movement. Oprah, it seems, is the very representation of this people president that America so desperately needs. A clarion call for liberals to redeem their country from the ‘undesired’ hands of the conservatives is sounded. Moore gravely states that Democrats should not be left to â€Å"screw up† the [2004] election and instead details what he calls â€Å"Operation 10-Minute Oil Change† where everybody is called upon to do something for ten minutes daily in an effort to drive out Bush and his oil cronies. While the book is written in an easy to understand language with poignant examples, some hard facts and disturbing and weighty questions that inevitably stir up reflective thought, one cannot help avoid the feeling that it is grossly subjective and devoid of serious discourse. Additionally, ‘Dude, Where is My Country† seems like an unabashed endorsement of General Wesley Clark and the Democrat platoon. I do not agree with Moore because his book is redolent with numerous misrepresentations, falsities and inaccuracies. In page 69, he deliberately misrepresents facts about American’s dealings with Iraq, conveniently trashing the provisions of UN’s food for oil program. He gives a long list of persons supposedly aggrieved with the Patriot Act in page 111. However, according to the sources he has given, the listed persons were never in any way affected by the legislation. In a brazen display of dishonesty, Moore claims that closure of schools in Oregon in 2003 was as a direct result of the Bush tax cuts whereas they were actually due to a new law that decoupled the state’s income tax system from that of the central government. There are many other claims which cannot stand the test. They seem to have been intentionally twisted so that they can prop his claims. Some of his assertions border on the speculative. A good example of this is the unsubstantiated claim that Saudi military acted in cahoots with Bush and the Saudi government to launch them. While some claims are backed by solid fact, many others are not factual and it is precisely this reason that makes it hard to agree with Moore lock, stock and barrel.

Mutual Fund Project Essay

The fund employs a passive management investment approach. It is a low cost way to gain diversified exposure to the equity market in the United States. The fund invests in 500 of the largest companies in the United States. The companies span many different industries and the fund accounts for about 75% of the United States stock market’s value. VFINX measures the investment return of large-capitalization stocks. The most obvious risk is the volatility that comes with its full exposure to the stock market. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition is made up of 99. 45% stocks and . 55% cash. The expense ratio for this mutual fund is . 17%. This is the annual fee that shareholders are charged. It expresses the percentage of assets deducted each fiscal year for fund expenses, including 12b-1 fees, management fees, administrative fees, operating costs, and all other asset-based costs incurred by the fund. For the Year-to-Date (ytd) rankings in its category, VFINX ranked in at 24 according to Yahoo! Finance. Over the last 10 years, the fund has performed in direct correlation to the S&P 500 being that it is an index fund and there is a beta of 1, meaning that whatever the S&P 500 does, the fund will do as well. VFINX is a good choice if an investor is seeking a mutual fund that offers the stability of large, established companies and the wide exposure of a fund that holds both value and growth stocks. Fidelity Magellan Fund (FMAGX) has ridden the ups and downs over the years of the market’s roller coaster. The fund has gone through many changes over the years and one of the most important key factors to the fund’s performance has been related to the way it was managed. The fund currently has assets totaling 14. billion and its portfolio consists of growth and value stocks across the capitalization spectrum from around the world and the United States. The fund keeps about 20 percent of the holdings in foreign stocks. It is one of the world’s most known actively managed funds and has finally found some stability due to its newest manager, Harry Lange. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the management chose to stay aggressive instead of investing defensively and incurred a bad loss, which lead to the changes in management. FMAGX is classified as a large growth fund and is ranked 24 in its category according to Yahoo! Finance. The 3-year beta is 1. 7, which means that it bears more risk than investing directly in the S&P 500, however this also means that it could provide heftier returns. The mutual fund portfolio’s composition

Essay on The Human Genome Project - 711 Words

A genome is all the DNA in an organism, including it’s genes. Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, acts, processes and fights infections. DNA is made up of four similar chemicals (bases, adenine , Thymine , cytosine , and guanine ) that are repeated millions or billions of times throughout a genome. The human genome has three billion base pairs. The order of these base pairs are extremely important and determine everything in an organism. The Human Genome Project started in the mid-1980’s and was discussed widely throughout the scientific community and public press in the last years of the decade. In the United States, DOE†¦show more content†¦The massive amount of data and related technologies generated by the HGP and other genomic research presents a wide array of commercial opportunities. These opportunities range from medicine and food to energy and environmental resources. Older companies are racing to retool and newer companies are seeking parts in the information revolution with DNA at it’s core. IMB, Compaq, DuPoint, and other big pharmaceutical companies are among those interested in the potential for targeting and applying genome data. In HGP there are two types of sequences, the draft and the high quality. To get the draft sequence, scientist determine the order of base pairs in each chromosomal area at least four to five times to ensure data accuracy and to help with reassembling DNA fragments in their original order. This repeated sequencing is known as genome quot;depth of coverage.quot; The draft sequence for the human genome was completed on June 26, 2000. To generate high quality sequencing , additional sequencing is needed to close gaps, reduce mistakes and allow only a single error in 10,000 bases. The finished version will provide an estimated eight to nine times the coverage of each chromosome. Thus far, high qualityShow MoreRelatedThe Human Genome Project1460 Words   |  6 PagesGene Essay Assignment: The Human Genome Project A genome is the complete DNA set of an organism. These DNA molecules are made up of two strands. Every strand is composed of four nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Complementary strands are paired in certain ways. Cytosine always pairs with guanine and adenine always pairs with thymine. The human genome holds about 3 billion base pairs, found in the chromosomes. Each of the 46 chromosomes are composed of thousands of genesRead MoreThe Human Of Human Genome Project995 Words   |  4 PagesThe Human Genome Project has been introduced to us more than twenty-five years from now. It was Initiated and sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the project was introduced aiming at researching more human genes in order to understand, read genes and find cure for diseases. It guided the medical field to new direction but at the same time created new challenges and problems. The primary objective of the project isn’t wrong or questionable but s ome believe its implications areRead MoreThe Human Genome Project?1023 Words   |  5 Pages The Human Genome Project Today we are learning the language in which God created life . . . humankind is on the verge of gaining immense new power to heal. Genome science will have a real impact on all our lives, and even more on the lives of our children. It will revolutionise the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases. - Bill Clinton, June 2002. The Human Genome Project came into existence in the late 1980 s asRead MoreThe Human Genome Project763 Words   |  3 Pages The author, Francis S. Collins, is the man responsible for the successful completion of Human Genome Project (HGP). HGP is an international multidisciplinary scientific research project which was involved in mapping and sequencing human DNA and determining the various aspects of its function. With this incredible expertise to his credit, Dr. Collins in the book ‘The Language of Life’ talks about personalizing medicine by understanding the DNA of each individual. The author starts by narrating someRead MoreThe Human Genome Project541 Words   |  2 Pages The Human Genome Project (HGP) began in 1990 with funding from the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health with the goal of decoding the human genome. Researchers from across the world are working in conjunction to understand the sequence of amino acid base pairs and how they interact with one another to elicit specific genetic reactions. Once the decoding of the genome takes place, scientists will be able to develop individual treatment plans and understand a number of diseasesRead MoreEssay on The Human Genome Project1579 Words   |  7 Pages Does the Human Genome Project effect the moral standards of society? Can the information produced by it become a beneficial asset or a moral evil? For example, X chromosome markers can be used to identify ethnicity. A seemingly harmless collection of information from the Human Genome Project. But lets assume this information is used to explore ways to deny entry into countries, determine social class, or who gets prefer ential treatment. Whether or not this type of treatment is acceptable to a moralRead MoreThe Human Genome Project ( Hgp )1324 Words   |  6 PagesIn 2000, the $3 billion dollar project--The Human Genome Project (HGP)--came to completion. Geneticists can now provide a patient with a comprehensive map of their DNA sequence. Obtaining such information can tell a patient if they have the gene variant associated with many different genetically linked diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart conditions or even cancer. This medical revolution can indicate what drugs to take, at what dosage and what lifestyle choices can be made in order to preventRead MoreThe Human Genome Project : A Research Project1097 Words   |  5 PagesThe human genome project is a research project which had a purpose of being able to map and understand all the genes of human beings and organisms (National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health 2014a) and to determine the DNA se quence of the complete genome (National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health 2014b). The Human genome project enabled researchers to obtain the instructions they needed to gain an understanding of how to build an individualRead MoreEvolution Of The Human Genome Project1273 Words   |  6 PagesWhile many diseases and viruses are caused by outside sources, some diseases occur from within the human body. Regular ailments can be cured with medicine, or fought off overtime by getting a vaccine, but certain diseases and anomalies cannot be directly treated. This is because they are genetically inherited by certain parts of one’s DNA. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and is inherited from the parents of a person. These strands, found within the nucleus of all cells, determine the appearanceRead MoreThe Human Genome Project A Go Or No?1319 Words   |  6 Pages Is the Human Genome Project a Go or No? Rapid growth in the health field over the past several decades has brought with it many advancements even in the prenatal stages of life, one may think this is all positive, but is it really? With all new technology and advancements in the health field the lives of humans can be heavily impacted by these advancements in the study of human genes. The study of the human genome began in the early 1990s and involved into a global project. The purpose was to

Acid Test For Starch And Glycogen - 1153 Words

Solution #9 Clear, colorless solution. P; Purple Protein Solution (+control) #10 Clear, yellow-orange solution. N Beer #11 Clear, colorless solution. N Distilled Water(-control) #12 Clear, colorless solution. P; Purple Unknown *Table #2 shows the results of biuret test on the given 12 samples, in which 2 are indicated positive: sample #9, the positive control of this section, and sample #12, the unknown. Table #3 Iodine Test for Starch and Glycogen in the Given Samples Samples Observation of Samples†¦show more content†¦P; Reddish Brown 1% Glycogen Solution #8 Clear, colorless solution. P; Blue-Black 1% Starch Solution #9 Clear, colorless solution. N Protein Solution #10 Clear, yellow-orange solution. N Beer #11 Clear, colorless solution. N Distilled Water(-control) #12 Clear, colorless solution. N Unknown *Table #3shows the results of iodine test on the given 12 samples, in which 2 are indicated positive: sample #7, the glycogen solution, and sample #8, the starch solution. The two can also be considered as positive controls for this section. Table #4 Benedict s Test for Oligosaccharides in the Given Samples #1 Clear, colorless solution. P; Brown 1% Glucose Solution (+control) #2 Clear, colorless solution. N 0.3% Glucose -1-phosphate #3 Clear, colorless solution. P; Reddish Brown 1% Maltose Solution #4 Clear, slightly yellow solution. P; Orange Honey Solution #5 Clear, colorless solution. N 1%

Louis Armstrong s Life, His Music And Influence On Others

The person I chose to do my project on is Louis Armstrong. I chose Louis Armstrong because I wanted to do my project on a singer as well as a musician. I chose him because he was one of the few people that I knew about, also because I did some research on him and listened to his music and I thought that he was interesting to write about. My main three things that I’m going to discuss about Louis Armstrong will be his life, his music and influence on others. I’m going to describe how and where Louis Armstrong’s grew up and how he started out his career as a trumpeter. I’m also going to write about how he went through life and how that affected him in the future. Lastly, I’m going to discuss with you how he had an influence on others. I’m going to explain how he impacted the world with his music and how that affected so many people to this day. Louis Armstrong made a great impact in the world and I’m going to teach you all about it. According to biography.com, Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was born into a poor section of New Orleans, which was nicknamed â€Å"The Battlefield.† Louis Armstrong had a tough childhood when he was growing up, his father was a factory worker that had left Louis Armstrong’s family after he was soon to be born. Louis Armstrong’s mom was a prostitute and she often left him at his maternal grandmother’s house. Armstrong had to quit school in the fifth grade because he needed to begin work to support himself. AShow MoreRelatedLouis Armstrong and His Music Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesLouis Armstrong and His Music â€Å"The essence of jazz- making something new out of something old, making something personal out of something shared- has no finer exemplar than Armstrong.† (Hasse par. 3) During the 1920’s a young African American man, otherwise known as Louis Armstrong, helped create and represent a new twist on popular music. This music that became so famous and well loved today is also referred to as jazz. Louis Armstrong had a very successful jazz career performing and composingRead MoreMusic is an art that has been in this world for tens of thousands of years and has proven its900 Words   |  4 PagesMusic is an art that has been in this world for tens of thousands of years and has proven its abilities to bring people together and sometimes even make people happy. Although the jazz era ended almost a century ago, this time influenced by Louis Armstrong was a huge cultural shift that still remains in our society in which African-Americans are a vast part of our music industry amongst pop, rap, reggae, and more. Jazz was a unique form of music, there had never been anything like it before. ItRead MoreKing Of Jazz : Louis Armstrong1617 Words   |  7 PagesJazz - Louis Armstrong At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. The man was Louis Armstrong. He is a husky singer, often with a trumpet in his hand. He played dramatic works of simple structure in Orleans jazz style and with the accompaniment of Dick jazz music. Each of the books on jazz music will mention his name. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (BerrettRead MoreKing Of Jazz : Louis Armstrong1617 Words   |  7 PagesJazz - Louis Armstrong At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. The man was Louis Armstrong. He is a husky singer, often with a trumpet in his hand. He played dramatic works of simple structure in Orleans jazz style and with the accompaniment of Dick jazz music. Each of the books on jazz music will mention his name. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (BerrettRead MoreLouis Armstrong : The Father Of Jazz And The Starter Of A Whole New Way921 Words   |  4 Pages Louis Armstrong was perhaps the father of Jazz and the starter of a whole new way to express the African-American culture, but he was also much more than that. Armstrong was one of the greatest leaders that the African Americans could have asked for, whether or not they knew it at the time. He was not recognized for his leadership skills as much as he was for the iconic jazz music he created. Louis Armst rong expressed black culture through his music and did not make it for people to enjoy, insteadRead MoreLouis Contributions Of The Jazz Music Scene993 Words   |  4 PagesStyle Louis made many contributions to the evolution of jazz as he learned and adapted his style. His use of harmonies and improvisation was before his time and he helped shape the whole genre as it was evolving. His technique with his trumpet playing and how the sound played off of the other instruments was unparalleled at the time. His contributions and techniques play a large part in changing jazz music from a folksy sound to more of the swing sound we attribute to the genre today. Armstrong hadRead MoreEssay on Louis Armstrong: The King of JAzz928 Words   |  4 PagesLouis Armstrong: The King of JAzz Known as the King of Jazz, Louis â€Å"Stachmo† Armstrong was one of the most important figures in early jazz. He was said to have defined jazz music. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on jazz as Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was born on July 4, 1900 in New Orleans. He grew up singing on the streets of New Orleans at a young age and had a troubled childhood. At the age of twelve he was placed in the Waif’s Home For Boys for firingRead MoreThe Famous Jazz Musici Louis Armstrong.louis Armstrong854 Words   |  4 Pagesjazz music is in New Orleans jazz style.This person is Louis Armstrong.Louis Armstrong is a famous jazz musician in US,maybe can say if you listen jazz music ,I am sure that you must know him. His significance of jazz music ,like classical music of Bach rock music of Presley.He was born on August 4,1901 in New Orleans.He was living in a poor family and father go away.He was interested in singing but at that time living is difficult so nobody wanted to spent money to sent him to learn music and nobodyRead MoreLouis Armstrong : The Era Of Jazz1449 Words   |  6 PagesLouis Armstrong once said â€Å"If you ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.† Armstrong was conveying the message that jazz is whatever the performer makes of it, for there are no rules or restrictions on what the performer can do. Louis Armstrong was a famous jazz trumpeter from New Orleans who influenced the era of jazz tremendously throughout the years with his unique style, which included bringing in improvisation to pieces. The quote stated earlier can be applied to life, showing that in order toRead More Biography of Louis Armstrong Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Armstrong was born in one of the poorest sections in New Orleans, August 4, 1901. Louis a hard-working kid who helped his mother and sister by working every type of job there was, including going out on street corners at night to singing for coins. Slowly making money, Louis bought his first horn, a cornet. At age eleven Armstrong was sent to juvenile Jones Home for the colored waifs for firing a pistol on New Year’s Eve. While in jail Armstrong received his first formal music lesson from one

Business Plan Evaluation Pasta Tree

Question: Discuss about the Business Plan Evaluation Pasta Tree. Answer: Introduction Some of the essential facets associated with Pasta Tree refer to its reputation as a fresh pasta producer for retail purposes. The quality of the pasta products facilitated by the company is accountable for improving the prospects for increasing investment from external sources in the company and ensuring feasible expansion. According to cs, Autio Szerb, the notable characteristics of the company reflect on the explicit production facility size as well as the storefront in Sydney which is utilized for providing fresh pasta products to customers. Pasta Tree reviewed the implications of its production capacity and appreciation of quality by customers in order to establish formidable objectives for its business plan (cs, Autio Szerb, 2014). An organizations goals are determined for obtaining reasonable inferences pertaining to alignment with the organizations purpose. The notable goals that could be profoundly observed in the business plan of Pasta Tree refer to the institution of appropriate frameworks to improve sales in the noted supermarket chains within Sydney, expansion of the existing production facility alongside ensuring that product quality, operations and costs are not compromised. Pasta Tree relies on three profound pillars for ensuring sustainable competitive advantage for the business which include value, quality and integrity (Bae, et al., 2014). As per Baum, Frese Baron, Quality aspect of the products facilitated by Pasta Tree reflects on freshness of pasta products while value of the products is derived from provision of nutritional benefits and assortment of flavours. Pasta Tree also emphasizes on integrity by sustaining commitment to the provision of quality and value in its products which lead to the foundation of the trust placed by customers in the organization (Baum, Frese Baron, 2014). The increasing concerns for nutritious and healthy exotic food act as promoters of viable opportunities for the food industry in Australia. Therefore Pasta Tree could find substantial foothold in the Australian market through expansion initiatives which can be validated on the grounds of product demand and the value proposition associated with the products. Description of the business: The organizations history is a credible validation for its capabilities to provide quality, value and integrity alongside facilitating potential opportunities for the expansion of the organizations production facility and improve Pasta Trees competence to provide products in supermarket chains in Australia. Bruni, Gherardi Poggio said that some of the essential highlights that could be presented as critical insights in context of this proposal are directed towards the sustainability of Pasta Trees products performance in supermarket chains (Bruni, Gherardi Poggio, 2014). It also presents substantial challenges for the brand identity of Pasta Tree as supermarket sales would be indicative of the assumption of a common national brand identity for the organization. This would be detrimental for the long term prospects of the organization to realize competitive advantage. The promising operations of Pasta Tree in Sydney could be profoundly observed from the explicit performance of the organization over the course of three years since its establishment (Burrows, 2015). The substantial diversification observed in the organizational structure of Pasta Tree that was initiated with the involvement of two people, its founders, and went on to include four personnel supervising the production, distribution and sales operations. The observation of past performance of Pasta Tree over the course of three years from 2000 to 2002 was indicative of the substantial improvement in gross and sales metrics impinging the existence of potential opportunities that could promote the organizations sales capabilities (Carland, Carland Stewart, 2015). Rationale for the business plan: It is imperative to evaluate the prominent areas in which Pasta Tree could accomplish reasonable business performance objectives that can be integrated in the business plan of an enterprise. The necessity of research in terms of preparation of a business plan could not be undermined under any circumstances. The research for determining the feasibility of a business in a specific location has been characterised by estimation of customer preferences and opinions pertaining to the specific business (Carland Carland, 2015). The research outcomes could be leveraged for the preparation of a viable business strategy that is significantly applicable in the organizations initiatives to cater the selected market segments. The primary market segments that have been emphasized by Pasta Tree refer to the professional people who do not have the opportunity to prepare food at home and therefore could acquire potential implications for higher demand for nutritious food (Carland Jr, Carland Carland III, 2015). Therefore, Pasta Tree has to diversify the distribution network of the organization by including supermarkets, delis and small grocery stores in the locality in order to reach the customers effectively. The pressing objective for business expansion posed for Pasta Tree is the expansion of the production facility which could serve plausible opportunities to realize the outcomes that are expected for targeting the highlighted market segments. Therefore a conclusive interpretation of the industry environment could provide substantial indications towards the feasibility of the business plan as well as underlying elements such as financial analysis, external and internal environment analysis alongside plausible critical reflections on the same. Market analysis and internal competences: As per Carraher Paridon, 201, the Australian food industry could be characteristically analysed through the implementation of models such as the SWOT analysis which provide a conclusive impression of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that can be apprehended in case of Pasta Tree (Carraher Paridon, 2015). The outcomes of the SWOT analysis would be reflective of potentially favourable factors that can be implemented for accomplishing the required competitive advantage in the concerned market environment. Strengths: The Australian food market has been associated with consistent progress and the expansion of prominent global brands in the market has increased the appeal of the market in terms of financial outcomes. Furthermore, the establishment of entrepreneurial establishments in the market allows prolific indications for Pasta Tree to move forward with its plans to expand production capacity. Food preparation and delivery have been subject to radical innovative approaches by entrepreneurs in order to attain credible insights for improving business performance (Drucker, 2014). The commitment of the employees at the Pasta Tree can also be considered as one of the profound favourable aspects in the competences of the organization alongside providing reasonable inputs for completion of work according to deadlines. Another noticeable strength that has been implemented by peers in the Australian food market which could be capitalized on by Pasta Tree refers to the provision of customized food items that provide viable opportunities for attracting the customer attention and accomplish higher revenues flexibly (Glaeser, Kerr Kerr, 2015). Weaknesses: The organizations profound weaknesses are observed in the limited human resources capabilities of the organization alongside a comparatively new product offering. The availability of opportunities to ensure flexible and functional implementation of the organizations business strategies is limited by the organizations new establishment and lack of maturity in the market (Hatten, 2015). Pasta Tree has realized promising aspects for profitability in the third year of operations which would not be sufficient for realization of desired outcomes as observed in the organizations strategic business plan. The lack of a profound market presence accounts for limited accessibility of Pasta Trees products by customers alongside the notable concerns pertaining to marketing activities of the organization (Kirzner, 2015). Opportunities: Pasta Tree can acquire loans from interested contributors that could improvise the availability of resources especially for accomplishing objectives of product and market diversification. Pasta Tree relies on reasonable pricing which can be accounted as one of the prominent opportunities that can facilitate competitive advantage to the organization. Increasing concerns for the health problems such as cardiac and gastro enteric issues can be viably considered as the rationale for the development of healthier eating preferences among people in Australia (Kuratko, 2016). Apart from the professional segment targeted by Pasta Tree, the general supermarket visitors could also account as a profitable market segment for the organization owing to the variable range of pasta product offerings of Pasta Tree. The availability of different products such as spaghettini, linguini and fettuccine is also assumed as a promising opportunity for the organization to establish a formidable market presence in Australia. The customer segment preferences that indicate the potential of the company to engage in service of women specifically can be viable opportunity for Pasta Tree to realize the business plan objectives (Morris, 2015). Threats: One of the prominent threats that could be observed in the case of the Pasta Tree is noticed in the market presence of prominent fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC alongside the increasing popularity of restaurants and drive-by eateries. The food products provided by the peers of the organization are instantly acceptable to the palette of customers thereby limiting their choices for nutritious food. Another prominent threat is observed in the psyche of customers in Australia related to the increasing health clubs and gyms that signifies that the customers can prefer consumption of unhealthy food while reducing the negative effects by working out in the gym (Schaper, et al., 2014). The changes in fiscal conditions could lead to obstructions for financing the expansion initiatives of Pasta Tree that has to be addressed through preparation of contingency measures. Even if the products offered by Pasta Tree provide a unique eating experience to customers, the behavioural preferences of customers are subject to concerns of product diversification and customization. Changes in customer preferences could lead to an increment in the operational costs that could jeopardize the strategies outlined in the business plan for Pasta Tree (Schaper, 2016). Marketing strategy: The identification of a promising marketing mix could account for increasing the capabilities of Pasta Tree to improvise its customer service as well as revenues acquired from retail sales, supermarket sales and local grocery stores sales. The marketing mix that could be presented for Pasta Tree would comprise of four basic elements referring to product, price, place and promotion (Shepherd, 2015). Products: Pasta Tree provides a varied assortment of pasta products with its highly selling products including Fettuccine, Linguini and Spaghettini. Other notable pasta products facilitated by the organization refer to fusilli and Cayenne tagliolini alongside the notable variants of its highest sellers such as Black Linguini, Tomato Fettuccine and Basil Spaghettini. The critical perspective on this aspect of the marketing mix indicates towards the feasibility of the existing product offerings in the Australian market. The intentions of Pasta Tree to expand its production facility should be accountable for improvising the diversity of product offerings. Pricing: The pricing of the products facilitated by Pasta Tree is flexible since it offers the prepared pasta products at an affordable pricing of $3 for two servings. This pricing is definitively attractive for supermarket customers reflecting on its superiority as compared to dry pasta products. Place: Pasta Tree has to select appropriate places for distribution of the pasta products thereby implying that supermarkets and smaller local grocery stores could facilitate substantial opportunities to accomplish business feasibility effectively. One of the critical assumptions that could be observed in case of the aspect of place in the marketing mix of Pasta Tree is the gradual improvement in transition of customers from supermarkets to local community stores (Singer, Amoros Arreola, 2015). The supermarkets have been depicting considerable reduction in market share while smaller stores in specific communities are improving their market share alongside facilitating the services of speciality stores such as fish markets and wine shops which could attract a diverse range of customers. Promotion: The promotion of Pasta Trees products has to be directed towards the display of the products in-store alongside a similar packaging to the dry pasta products. Provision of discounts and participation in socially responsible activities could be accounted as promising influences on the promotional aspect of Pasta Trees marketing mix. The in-store displays are profoundly characterized by coupons that could improve the opportunities for Pasta Trees promotion strategy. Management team: The Pasta Tree was founded by John Wingate and Jill Foreman with the latter assuming charge of production and distribution while John is responsible for sales management. The experience of the founders in the domain of production and sales in the food industry is a notable competence available for the management (Storey, 2016). From a critical perspective, it can be evaluated that the aspects of delivery, store maintenance and production staff management could be subject to insufficiencies associated with distribution and sales while exploring novel prospects for market expansion. Therefore the personnel requirement as highlighted in the personnel plan for the Pasta Tree should be modified in accordance to the revised demands of delivery and store maintenance according to the new business plan. Sources of finance: Pasta Tree could be able to acquire reasonable investments for its operations through initiatives such as acquiring loans, access to long term liabilities, sale of current and long-term assets as well as the dividends and the retained earnings of the organization. The requirement of investments is a profound aspect in the operational framework of the organization leading to concerns for short, medium and long term finances. Sources of financing for an entrepreneurial venture would be imperatively associated with certain advantages as well as disadvantages (Kuratko, 2016). The positive implications of the financing sources could be observed in the stability, security and potential competence to address the mandatory requirements of interest rates and finance. On the other hand the negative implications of financing sources are directed towards the profound variations noticed in the interest rates. Financial plan: The observation of the financial plan for Pasta Trees expansion initiatives could be related comprehensively to the need for payroll of new personnel to be included in the organization. Furthermore, the investments in the expansion of the existing production facility of Pasta Tree present with the storefront in Sydney are also accounted as costs for the organization (Hatten, 2015). Breakeven analysis: The breakeven analysis reflects in the requirement of a monthly fixed cost of $22,490 allowing the derivation of monthly revenue breakeven estimated at $24,989. This could be realized through a prominent reflection on the increase of average variable percent cost of 10%. Conclusion The foremost milestone assumed by Pasta Tree is directed towards the development of the socially responsible initiatives. Other milestones observed in the case of Pasta Tree are inclusive of production facility expansion, institution of production equipment and in-store displays. From a critical perspective, the milestones for Pasta Trees business plan are associated with specific start and dates which are accountable for precision in accomplishing the objective milestones. These milestones could be followed by the formulation of novel strategic business plans indicating examples of milestones such as increment in the payroll of newly recruited personnel such as production and delivery staff, sales management and production management. References cs, Z.J., Autio, E. and Szerb, L., 2014. National systems of entrepreneurship: Measurement issues and policy implications.Research Policy,43(3), pp.476-494. Bae, T.J., Qian, S., Miao, C. and Fiet, J.O., 2014. The relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: A meta?analytic review.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,38(2), pp.217-254. Baum, J.R., Frese, M. and Baron, R.A., 2014.The psychology of entrepreneurship. Psychology Press. 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Glaeser, E.L., Kerr, S.P. and Kerr, W.R., 2015. Entrepreneurship and urban growth: An empirical assessment with historical mines.Review of Economics and Statistics,97(2), pp.498-520. Hatten, T.S., 2015.Small business management: Entrepreneurship and beyond. Nelson Education. Kirzner, I.M., 2015.Competition and entrepreneurship. University of Chicago press. Kuratko, D.F., 2016.Entrepreneurship: Theory, process, and practice. Cengage Learning. Morris, M.H., 2015. Entrepreneurship as Experience.Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. Schaper, M.T., Volery, T., Weber, P.C. and Gibson, B., 2014. Entrepreneurship and small business. Schaper, M. ed., 2016.Making ecopreneurs: developing sustainable entrepreneurship. CRC Press. Shepherd, D.A., 2015. Party On! A call for entrepreneurship research that is more interactive, activity based, cognitively hot, compassionate, and prosocial.Journal of Business Venturing,30(4), pp.489-507. Singer, S., Amoros, J.E. and Arreola, D.M., 2015. 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The Long Bitter Trail Essay Example

The Long Bitter Trail Essay Jackson wasfirst considered a president of the people because he supported the common man and nationalism. He had a strong yet stubborn personality and for the most part began his presidential career as a well liked man. However, some of Jacksons supporters were not fully aware of his views and intentions. When Andrew Jackson had to make a decision on the Indian removal, both he and the government were divided over the whole question of an Indian Removable Act. He eventually became one of the acts largest supporters. In his two terms, Jackson used the powers as president very unfairly. By doing this, Jackson found away to get rid of the Indians.Jackson used the discovery of gold to enacted the Indian Removal Act in 1803 and signed it into the law, which required all Indian tribes had to leave and head west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory; reservations in what is now present day Oklahoma. In 1830 the Indians were battling it out in the Supreme Court. A new law was passed that said Cherokees would be under state law instead of federal law. This allowed them no protection at all. They had no way to protect themselves or their land with this change. They tried to fight this change but the Indians were told they could not sue because they were not a nation outside the United States so the Cherokees lost their case. They were eventually ruled a domestic dependant nation. This would allow them to be able to receive federal protection. Jackson overruled this decision.There is no actual story but the history of the Andrew Jackson and the Indians itself. I think Wallace intended the story for audiences who were interested in that time period and the expansion of the United States. Wallace wanted to inform his readers about how Indians were treated in the 1800s and Andrew Jacksons idea to take their land away just to expand the United States and gain gold. The decision of the Jackson administrati