Sandwich report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sandwich - Lab Report Example Among the foods that have been prepared to become ready to eat include meats, sushi, cheese, cereals, salads and other produce, dry goods including candies and biscuits, and meals that are ready to eat. On the other hand, salads and sandwiches are common ready to eat food that, due to their capacity for contamination, have been associated with strict guidelines for their preparation. Those guidelines conform to regulations that have been put in place in places like New York, and cover such things as changing/replacing gloves, prohibitions against the use of bare hands during the preparation process, and the kinds of food that are considered for inclusion in government codes of sanitation relating to the preparation of such ready to eat fare. It is worth noting that government codes have prescriptions for the degree to which food are to be heated in order to be considered safe for consumption. Since ready to eat food is generally not heated to meet those minimum temperature of reheati ng standards, they are subject to more rigorous regulations in terms of handling to prevent ready to eat food being contaminated with pathogens that can cause illness on wide scale. Food handling in preparation and in transport are by far the biggest sources of contamination when it comes to ready to eat food (Colorado Farm to Market, 2013; NY State Department of Health, 2005; Schaub, 2010; UK Government, 2008). Enterobacteriaceae are a group of pathogens that are used as indicators for when food has not been cooked adequately, or else when food has been subject to contamination after the food had been processed. E.coli, on the other hand, is a pathogen that when present indicates poor hygiene, lack of sanitation, and heat that has not been adequate to kill off the bacteria during the processing of food. Other pathogens include coagulase-positive staphylococci, c. perfingens, b. cereus, v. parahaemolyticus, campylobacter spp, salmonella spp, and L. monocytogenes (NSW Food Authority, 2009; ACT Health, 2002). These same pathogens seem to cross geographic boundaries, and share in common many of the pathogens that are found in ready to eat fare in other nations, such as Hong Kong, where ready to eat food is screened for a similar set of pathogens, including b. cereus, c. perfingens, campylobacter spp, e. coli, v. cholera, salmonella, and L. monocytogenes (Centre for Food Safety, 2007). The Canadian authorities include shigella, v. cholerae, y. enterocolitica, c. parvum, giardia lamblia, hepatitis, and scombroid poisoning to the list of pathogens above, with the most common symptoms and effects of contamination and infection in people being vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, wound infection, and gas gangrene (Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, n.d.). In the US, meanwhile, there is an intense focus on salmonella, e coli and listeria monocytogenes as the pathogens that most commonly infect ready to eat food, including produce. The lines of defense arrayed aga inst such pathogens in food include thermally killing the pathogens, making use of the so-called bacteriophage treatment, and the use of so-called antimicrobial GRAS agents (Food Safety Research Information Office, 2010). It is worth noting that in some of the bacteriological guidelines that were considered for this paper, emphasis is given on rating the quality of the food as

Discussion Questions Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Discussion Questions Week 2 - Essay Example These are some of the most commonly used financial instrument retirement financial plan or portfolio since these investments are considered risk free since they are not affected by economic or financial market cycles, like stocks for example. The time frame of the investments before retirement, the investor’s risk adversity as well as overall investment goals of the individual are the main factors that determine the required rate of return on the principal invested. Stocks and derivatives are the other type financial instruments utilized in a retirement plan. They are not directly affected by time of money, but are subject to fluctuations in economic and market conditions. Therefore they are capable of providing much greater overall level of return, albeit with the appropriate increased level of risk, since your investment is not protected by the issuing bank or the FDIC. In order to best determine the ratio of safe investments versus more speculative ones such as stocks and corporate bonds the investor must decide the portfolio breakdown that best fills their investments goals and acceptable level of risk.. 2) A loan amortization schedule provides a complete timeline of all the payments to be made during the lifetime of the loan contract. It provides the user with a complete breakdown of all the payments, including the amounts to be allocated to principal and interest for each individual monthly payment. It gives the owner to calculate at any time the amount paid towards principal as well as interest at any point during the life of the loan. The amortization schedule could be used to determine interest rate by modifying the cash flow time line equation and solving for the present value interest factor, which would provide you with the loan interest rate. By consulting the PVIF table and looking for the

How the economy was affected by the bubonic plague.

How the economy was affected by the bubonic plague. Medieval people called the catastrophe of the l4th century the Great Pestilence. The Black Death is the name later given to the epidemic of plague that took Europe by storm, between 1347andl35l (C. Warren Hollister). The Black Death is categorized into three specific types of plague: bubonic plague (infection in the lymph nodes, or buboes), pneumonic plague(the infection in the lungs),and septicemic plague(the infection in the blood and the most deadly of the three). Scientists and historians at the beginning of the 20th century assumed that the Black Death was an outbreak of the same diseases, caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis and spread by fleas with the help of Animals like the black rat. Once infected by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, Death could be very quick for the weaker victims. It is estimated that victims would die within three to seven days(Knox). However, this view has recently been questioned by some scientists and historians, (Kelly)and some researchers believe that the illness was, in fact, a viral hemorrhagic fever based on epidemiological interpretation of historical records of the spread of disease. (Lavelle) The plague affected every part of life. Depopulation and shortage of labor rushed changes already built into the rural economy; the substitution of wages for labor services was accelerated, and social stratification became less rigid (Knox). Psychological illness affected the arts; in religion, the lack of educated personnel among the clergy gravely Reduced the churchs hold. [n less than four years the disease carved a path of death Through Asia, Italy, France, North Africa, Spain and Normandy, made its way over the Alps into Switzerland, and continued eastward into Hungary(C. Warren Hollister). After a small break, the plague continued crossing the channel into England, Scotland, and Ireland, and eventually made its way into the northern countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and even as far north as Greenland. In other words, the plague touched almost the entire known world. (C. Warren Hollister) So much death could not help but tear economic and social structures apart. Figures for the death toll vary widely by area and from source to source as new research and discoveries come to light. It killed an estimated 75-2OO million people in the l4th century (Philipkoski). Lack of peasants and laborers sent wages soaring, and the value of land took a serious downfall. For the first time in history the odds were against wealthy landlords as peasants and serfs gained more bargaining power. Without architects, masons and artisans, great cathedrals and castles remained unfinished for hundreds of years. Governments, lacking officials, floundered in their attempts to create order out of chaos.(Knox) Those that were still alive lost all sense of morality and justice, and a new attitude toward the church surfaced. Many saw the plague as a form of punishment from God. Medieval people could find no Divine reason for the four-year nightmare, and dissatisfaction with the church was the driving force to reform movements that, in the end, broke apart the amalgamation of the Catholic Church.(Knox) The middle l4th century was not a good time for Europe. The European economy was already seeing hardships. It was inching towards the limits of expansion, both on its frontiers and in regaining land from forest and swamp (Knox).The entry of the Mongols and the Ottomans caused confusion in trade routes, and certain areas of Europe were on the verge of depression. The Church was also in poor shape. The popes resided at Avignon, not at Rome, to the scandal of many. Blasphemy could be found in England and Bohemia and southern France, and the Church seemed unable to control it. (Kelly) The Holy Land had been lost in the 1290s and efforts to recover it had been Dismal failures. The Black Death intensified the strains of war and a tightened economy. (Knox) There is a relationship here, of course. The effects of the plague were made worse because of these other problems. And the problems themselves were redoubled because of the plague. The Jewish population was another problem. In multiple villages, the common people placed the blame on the Jewish community. Hundreds of Jews were accused of poisoning wells and put to the question, medieval code for torture, and burned. When the Black Death raged through the German lands between 1348 and 1352, over 300 Jewish communities were either destroyed or expelled from their homelands. (class lecture) There was a substantial change in Europes demography because of the Black Death. Birth rates were also at an all time low. The net result was that by 1400, Europes population was half what it had been in 1345. Many medieval church, census, and tax records that have survived show some accuracy of this. Europes population took about six generations to recover.(Knox) The cities were really affected by the plague. Financial business was disrupted as those who borrow died, their creditors have no one to pay them back. There was simply no one to collect from. Construction projects stopped for a time or were abandoned altogether. Guilds lost their craftsmen and could not replace them. There was no industry unaffected by the plague.(Knox) The most immediate effect of the plague here was the severe shortage in labor, consequently, wages rose. Because of the mortality, there was an oversupply of goods, and so prices dropped. As a result the standard of living rose for those still living. With the post-Plague labor shortage, many nobles tried to reverse the process in order to keep their land under cultivation and their income up. Free tenants were taking advantage of the labor shortage to demand better terms from their landlords and that the nobles were reluctant to see their incomes but the labor reduced. Governments tried to fix wages, shortage was irresistible. (The plague video) The Plague caused many peasants to demand a restructuring of society, often religious based. Democracy was in high demand and with it a limit of aristocratic rights and privileges. When ideas of democracy were dismissed, many commoners rose in rebellion. All of the rebellions were unsuccessful A land rent system, with the freedom of the peasants was organized. This system still exists in many parts of Europe, although the desire of peasants to own their land eventually led to migration to places like Russia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas centuries later. Never was there enough land, and dividing it among the sons soon led to economic situations that were left unattended to.(Lavelle) Governments also had to adapt. Land was abandoned, rents were not paid, and tax Revenue declined. This had a drastic effect on the war, as the wages of mercenary soldiers increased while available tax revenue decreased by more than 50 percent. There was fewer trained soldiers available and those that were still around wanted a lot more money or simply had better financial prospects doing something else.(C. Warren Hollister) As a result of the Plague, the French converted to a system of paid, professional, army, whereas the English had been there and done that for quite sometime. Smaller armies were a result of lower taxes. The world after the plague was one of with more opportunity for the creative and capable individuals. While the Black Death killed off medieval society, it gave birth to the beginnings of our own industrialized consumer society.

Reaching Up for Manhood :: Essays Papers

Reaching Up for Manhood Under-privileged, African-American boys are more prevalent in today's society than the typical person would like to recognize or admit. These boys seem to be faced with an ideal in which they need to follow or conform to as any and all cultures have. However, the problem is that for these boys, this ideal or way of living is believed to be met. Black boys growing up in Harlem are expected to act tough, not take any crap from anybody, and always seem to be strong no matter what they may be faced with. Along with this pressure to not express emotion and feeling, people wonder why they take this aggression out on their loved ones. Even though it may seem sexist it is a known fact that males are more likely to partake in violence than the average female. In order to prevent violence, it needs to stop before it starts. To do this, we start at childhood. The social, family, and educational environment must change for the better. This is not an easy task and no one is saying that it is going to take place over night. However, it is known that what we are, what we know, and how we act all reflects on the way in which we grow up and develop. Not to state the obvious, but I was raised very different from what the novel describes as an African-American male. Considering I am a Caucasian female, I was not raised with the attitude that I need to fend for myself. I did not need to learn self-defense in order to stay safe on the playground. My mother did not coach me on which ways to walk home from school. I didn't have to worry about it since the schools were well equipped with buses and money was not a problem for any of the school districts in the area I call home. I could not imagine telling a child not to go to the playground and play after school because it wasn't safe. If put in this type of culture, I would feel like I'd have to shield my child from everything when the reality of it would be that I am not the educator. The "tough" boys on that playground are the educators in a younger boy's eyes and the older boys come from homes that are either struggling or non-existing.

Lenny’s Monologue

Lennie’s Monologue: It’s them sycamores I remember. An’ the river, runnin’ deep and green, tinkling jus’ like the way Aunt Clara’s house keys used to when she was out on the porch about to unlock the front door. I’d hide my mouse in my pocket whene’er I heard them jinglin’ keys, because Aunt Clara ne’er liked ’em rodents hangin’ around her house. I was a smart boy, I really was. I see the clearing an’ I know I’ve found it, I’ve found the safe spot. George’ll come get me here before the water turns black and the sun goes down, he’s always been better at directions than me, plus he’s got an ol’ compass nicked from a farmer back in Weed.Maybe someday George’ll teach it to me. But not soon, he ain’t going to teach me no compass because he gonna be mad when he finds me. The bush is sticking into me like I’m wrapped up in barbed wire. If only I was in a softer bush, a bush made of hair maybe. Like her hair, the girl back at the ranch. She should grow it out and make a blanket for me, like Aunt Clara did with sheep wool. Except I know it ain’t gonna happen because hair don’t grow on people who don’t breathe. But I didn’t mean to do it! I jus’ wanted to touch it, I jus’ wanted to pet it like I pet my mice.I jus’ want to pet my mice†¦. The river still tinkles like ‘em keys, an’ I feel like I should hide my mouse, but I can’t this time. I can’t find me my mouse because she’s back at the ranch. She’s back there lying on the hay like one o’ those torn up beanie-dolls, the beans spillin’ outta her, prolly makin’ a mess o’ the barn. You weren’t so smart this time, Lenny, Aunt Clara couldn’t catch you but George’ll. George is cleverer than Aunt Clara, oh, George is cleverer than anyo ne. Soon he gonna come crashin’ inta here an’ he gonna give me hell over an’ over.He coulda’ had it so easy without me, he coulda’ gotten a nice lil’ place, maybe even a girl. I could go, I coulda gone any time. George, he don’t need me like I need him, why, he don’ need me at all. Here George comes, an’ he ain’t yellin’, why ain’t he yellin’? I like him yellin’ because that’s the only time he tells stories; not even at night when I ask him to, jus’ when he’s yellin’. I know George. I know he can make me feel as worthless as an empty can o’ tuna sometimes, but ever’ time he’ll tell me he needs me; he gonna tell me that I need him, and he needs me.An’ in the end, he does, he does need me because I’m the only one who gives a hoot in hell about ‘im. Thas’ right Lenny, you ain’t useless, George needs you. He says he’s not mad, he wants you to know that he ain’t ever been mad ‘bout you. He ain’t lettin’ you leave him because we gonna get a little place. He says we’ll have a cow, pigs and chickens, an’ he hadn’t forget about the alfalfa for my rabbits! Oh, I can see it now, I can see it right across the river! George promises that ever’body gonna be nice to me. There ain’t gonna be no more trouble, oh, George, can we go there now.I jus’ don’t want no more trouble. I jus’ want it to be me and him, him and me, George and Lenny, Lenny and George, the way it always is. An’ I’ll work harder than I ever worked before, I promise. Why, I’ll work all day and all night, an’ I’ll have the strength because we’ll have all the bread and milk we want. Nobody gonna kick us out because it gonna be OUR ranch. Guys like us got no fambly. They usually make a little stake an†™ then they blow it in. They ain’t got nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about ‘em.But not us. Because I got you, George, an’ you got me. Messages from the book: 1. The Great Depression made life REALLY hard. 2. The American Dream is still what propels everyone forward, in the book it’s George and Lennie’s vision of their own ranch. 3. Racism is still prominent. 4. Sexism is also still prominent. 5. It is called Of Mice and Men because in the Great Depression there is nothing difference between mice and men, everything is all equally fragile, that everyone is in the same boat, making us feel for these characters.

Costco Wholesale in 2012 Essay

Costco is one of United States’ largest retailers, serving over 3600 variants of convenience products at excellent quality with competent prices. Founded in 1983, Costco quickly expanded in its operations to over 598 stores worldwide. One of the unique selling propositions of Costco is the fact that they offer very low prices as compared to their competitors without requiring to compromise quality. This paper will analyze Costco’s key success factors in terms of its strategic management. Business Model Costco’s business model is simple and straightforward; they offer high quality products at affordable rates. The centerpiece of Costco’s model entails high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover. Costco enjoys high inventory turnover which means that they don’t need to stock a particular good for long period of time. Also, before they need to pay the suppliers, they are able to sell it. Which means, they are able to pay suppliers with the cash derived from sales, leading to low working capital. This shows significance in financial health and good financial management. This kind of business model is appealing for several reasons; low prices can generate high number of customers, indicates healthy operations, encourage rapid turnover, decrease warehouse costs and many more. However, in order to keep up with this business model, Costco needs to continually maintain overhead costs, which will be discussed further into the paper. Strategy Costco’s low pricing strategy highly depends upon several factors. In terms of pricing, they offer bargain products at low prices. Their earnings highly come from membership fees, over which members can join in an annual subscription and enjoy promotional rates as members. Even though Costco enjoys less profit margins, they have high number of annual members and earn their profit by membership revenues. In terms of product, their Kirkland Signature is also of good quality as a representation of their brand. They are also ready to experience loss of sales by customers who do not want to purchase in larger quantities. Treasure-hunt merchandising is also a smart  method to continually renew their product lines to encourage members to purchase the item right away in fear of not having them available at the next visit. Jim Sinegal and Core Values as CEO Jim Sinegal shows good examples of leadership as a CEO. He conducts an open-door policy which makes him accessible to staff, thereby increasing employee motivation. Jim also conducts regular store visits as opposed to working at a desk, which shows his willingness to step down to the field to help improve the store. The business environment is made to be causal and unpretentious, so employees feel sense of belonging and are often committed to the organization, in benefit of themselves and the company. Low employee turnover shows the compatibility of the employees and the company, which means that the corporate culture can be maintained or enhanced. Financial Perspective We have come to understand that Costco achieves much of their revenue from membership renewals. Observing the financial data, we see that Costco’s membership fees if four times over from 2000 up to 2011. This signifies their proficiency in making member packages attractive. Their actions in prioritizing members have been successful as we see that members are continually signing up. Therefore, membership is encouraged to be sustained. However, we see that sales also increase significantly over the years, almost 3 times over. Therefore, we can conclude that despite having less marketing activities, Costco is able to attract customers by emphasizing on price efficiency. Their working capital ration (current assets minus current liabilities) is kept at a low level due to high inventory turnover. Competitive Advantage over Competitors A key competitive advantage owned by Costco over its competitors is, without a doubt, their low prices. Although they do not invest much in store layout, store ambiance, labor and marketing, they have low overhead costs which contributes to being able to keep prices low. Also, they offer a wide array of product categories from food products to gasoline, although within a product category, they offer less brands than usual retailers (Llopis, 2011). Strategic Weaknesses in Comparison to Competitors The fact that Costco carries only 3600 selections of merchandises could potentially be a major flaw in their strategy. Generally, other stores carry over 10.000 selections. Customers may initially feel the thrill of shopping at cheap prices at Costco but could eventually dislike the lack of choices in terms of brands and may choose to shop at stores with larger varieties. Secondly, Costco spend less for advertisements and rely on word-of-mouth and certain campaigns. However, their competitors, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club spend much more on advertisements. Presently, Costco’s financial conditions show steady results in sales but the power of marketing is such that customers may choose to shop elsewhere for various reasons. It is also important to note that customers’ switching costs (from Costco to another) is relatively low. Compensations Policies Costco offers attractive compensations as compared to their competitors. The employee benefits covers all aspects such as fixed wages, health benefits, medicinal discounts, eligibility for company profits, counseling services and many more. At a quick glance, we notice that Costco spends much on compensation, despite the comparatively lower amount of labor, due to the vast varieties of compensations. In my opinion, it shows good corporate culture to take care of employees. In most companies, CEOs are the first ones to be rewarded with sky-high numbers. It is different in the case with Costco, where CEOs are paid enough without failing to reward employees appropriately. Conclusions and Recommendations Although from a management and operation point of view, Costco is doing everything to a tee, there are several recommendations provided to further improve its performance: Increase product lines to above 3600 in order to compete in terms of product choice with their competitors, especially after understanding that customers’ switching costs are low. Costco already has a big advantage in terms of prices and can do wonders when they also hold product advantage. Prepare some funds for marketing. Branding and brand awareness are two of the most important factors for warehouses to remain sustainable in the market to be seen as reliant. With more marketing, Costco can retain top-of-mind positioning as the â€Å"place to shop† in customers’ mindsets. Maintain membership fees at a fair rate. Currently, Costco’s membership fees are higher compared to their competitors. They can maintain their fees at this level only if they can provide more attractive member benefits to their customers compared to their competitors. Reference: Llopis, G. (2011, January 31). The Costco Factor: To Win The Business Game, You Need to Change How You Think. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2011/01/31/the-costco-factor-to-win-the-business-game-you-need-to-change-how-you-think/