Coconut Oil Essay

Edible oils are found in large amounts in our daily diets hence adding up to a great amount of fatty acids in our system. Examples are in our stews, some soups, several rice dishes, fried or grilled meat and fish. Many have thus perceived that oil has been the cause for several of the ailments that have plagued and still plague our race, especially heart disease and other related cholesterol issues (Blonz, 1991).Nature gives the best source of oils, such as palm kernel and coconut oil. Coconut oil was maligned as one of such oils by the American Soybean Association (ASA), when the true cause was rather the vegetable oils in our food. Why was coconut oil the victim and what truly does coconut oil do? Coconut is scientifically known as Cocos nucifera. Coconut oil, just one of the many products from the coconut plant, comprises medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) found also in breast milk, which strengthen the immunity of babies to diseases.Coconut oil is in two main types; RBD (Refined, bleached and deodorized) coconut oil and Virgin coconut oil (the others that are often seen on the market are just versions of these two).The difference is characterized by the amount of processing the oil undergoes. RBD oils are made from dried coconut meat, ‘copra’ as Virgin oil is made from fresh coconut meat, ‘non-copra’. Another method for differentiating them is by their smell and taste (Fife, 2005). Virgin coconut oil is highly favoured due to its flavoured taste and sweet aroma in comparison to its counterpart, RBD oil which is bland. Coconut oil is referred to generally as the â€Å"functional food† by dieticians, since it possesses health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Diabetic and hypoglycaemic patients have at certain instances being prescribed coconut oil, based on scientific evidence that it gives the user energy, much more than those found in glucose or insulin, not fat as do the other oils (vegetable oils) we take in daily, which contain long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) which require the pancreatic enzymes and bile from the gall bladder, necessary for fat digestion. After breakage of the LCFAs, the individual fatty acids are then absorbed into the intestinal walls and converted into little fat bundles (lipoproteins). As the lipoproteins circulate the body through the blood, small fats are released from them, thus causing the fat that collects in arteries, clogging blood flow and thus leading to atherosclerosis and its kind. LCFAs are found largely in vegetable oils which we consume incessantly every day, in our meals, like our beef, chicken, some butter, corn and in most palm oils. MCFAs on the other hand, are easily soluble in water so they are easily taken into the intestinal tract, needing very little activity from the enzymes and bile, thus travel straight to the liver through the portal vein as they bypass the lipoprotein formation stage. So, they do not circulate the blood as other fats do they just produce the needed energy for the body’s usage. This was proven by Applegate (1996) as essential for use by even athletes and some other professionals. Due to the easy ability of MCFAs to be digested, they tend to also improve the absorption of nutrients, taken with it. The inclusion of coconut oil in diets, enhances calcium, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and some of the B vitamins uptake by the body, this is possible by the coconut oil being able to quickly get into the bloodstream as it needs less work done on it by the enzymes and other factors present. The coconut oil can be applied on the skin of patients or people whofind it difficult to ingest substances or have problems with their digestive tracts. Consumers of coconut oil have also testified that, it serves as a sort of weight manager. The underweight and malnourished have testified that it increased their weight considerably, as the overweight and obese said they experienced loss in weight, all because the presence of coconut oil controls the rate of metabolism. Metabolism is evaluated by measuring energy expenditure, which is the rate at which calories are consumed. The MCFAs found in coconut oil, according to research has been seen to cure, even prevent the most infectious of diseases, making it difficult for fungal (ringworm, athlete’s foot and candidiasis), bacterial (ulcers, pneumonia and gonorrhoea) and viral (influenza, measles, hepatitis C) infections to exist in any condition in which they both exist. For this reason, many medical professionals have instilled the practice of adding coconut oil to their formulas. These sightings of the antimicrobial property of coconut oil, were first reported by Jon Kabara, Ph.D. in 1966, when trying to solve food preservation problems. Parasites, such as giardia were also discovered to be affected by this action of the oil. According to Fife (1996), the antimicrobial action undertaken by coconut oil, can be briefly explained based on the size of the trans fatty acid (medium) and its reaction when in man. The MCFAs in coconut oil (namely, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid) are broken down to short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs (monolaurin, monocaprylin and monocaprin); only then, do they become activated in the digestive tract. Each SCFA has a specific function, thus they synergistically work together to destroy germs. As a result, studies are on the path to obtain the cures for the currently tormenting infirmities that we live with, AIDS and SARS, to name a few are still under the microscope, undergoing gruesome tests to see how best they can be eradicated. Truly nature is serving us with a panacea, but whether we’ll take it depends on us. To further buttress on the attributed medical prowess possessed by coconut oil, consider Porfirio (Paul) Sorse, a Filipino, who later turned an American because the Philippines were a U.S. territory and served as cook in the First World War. Paul was considered by many as a remarkable individual who lived by coconut oil. He was hailed by those living close to him as a physician, all because he miraculously cured many conditions with the application of coconut oil to the affected region, be it internal or external. He was even approached by somepharmaceutical companies, all in search for his secret formula in making the oil, which he refused. Paul used the oil for every imaginable use; as a lotion, in cooking, as a drug, for massages and the lot. Paul died at the ripe age of 102, not suffering any ailment, as he never smoked or drunk in his entire life but survived on coconut oil (Fife, 2005). Coconut oil can cure every ailment in this world though not yet completely proven with scientific facts for some of them. Many ailments have so far being treated with coconut oil and have been flushed out of the systems of the ill. Though the list is quite lengthy, it contains many familiar names, a few include; aches and pains, acne, allergies, arthritis and stiff joints, asthma, athlete’s foot, atherosclerosis, bad breath and body odour, insect bites and stings, bladder infection, bacterial and viral infections, blisters, blood pressure, boils, bruises, cancer, candidiasis, cataracts, colds, liver disease, constipation, dandruff, diabetes, insomnia, indigestion, nose bleed, obesity, ulcer and wrinkles. As a medicine, coconut oil can also be included in diets to treat illnesses, that is serving as cooking oil or even just mixed with any food. It can also be applied on the skin as a lotion, hair pomade, massaging oil or suntan oil. The direct application of coconut oil to the skin, allows the body easily get access to the nutrients for energy, as a result giving the skin the much sought smoothness that the ailment might have tampered with. In other words producing a more happy, healthy and beautiful handsome you free from any ailment as the immunity of the human is enhanced. These facts go a long way to disprove the evidence provided, that coconut oil is the cause of heart diseases and explains why coconut lovers or coconut bearing communities live longer and experience at times no illness in their lives. REFERENCES Applegate, L. (1996). Runners World. Nutrition, (31), 26-27. Blonz, E.R. (1991, January 23). Scientists revising villain status of coconut oil. Oakland Tribune, p. 22. Fife, B. (2005). Coconut cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut. Colorado: Piccadilly Books Limited. Fife, B. (1996). Coconut: Eat fat, Lose weight. Retrieved April 3, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://www.simplycoconut.com//

Coffee and Starbucks Essay

Starbucks began in 1971 when three academics—English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegel, and writer Gordon Bowker—opened a store called Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice in the touristy Pikes Place Market in Seattle. The three partners shared a love of fine coffees and exotic teas and believed they could build a clientele in Seattle much like that which had already emerged in the San Francisco Bay area. Each invested $1,350 and borrowed another $5,000 from a bank to open the Pikes Place store. Baldwin, Siegel, and Bowker chose the name Starbucks in honor of Starbuck, the coffee-loving first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick(so company legend has it), and because they thought the name evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. The new company’s logo, designed by an artist friend, was a two-tailed mermaid encircled by the store’s name. The inspiration for the Starbucks enterprise was a Dutch immigrant, Alfred Peet, who had begun importing fine arabica coffees into the United States during the 1950s. Peet viewed coffee as a fine winemaker views grapes, appraising it in terms of country of origin, estates, and harvests. Peet had opened a small store, Peet’s Coffee and Tea, in Berkeley, California, in 1966 and had cultivated a loyal clientele. Peet’s store specialized in importing fine coffees and teas, dark-roasting its own beans the European way to bring out their full flavor, and teaching customers how to grind the beans and make freshly brewed coffee at home. Baldwin, Siegel, and Bowker were well acquainted with Peet’s expertise, having visited his store on numerous occasions and spent many hours listening to Peet expound on quality coffees and the importance of proper bean-roasting techniques. All three were devoted fans of Peet and his dark-roasted coffees, going so far as to order their personal coffee supplies by mail from Peet’s. The Pikes Place store featured modest, hand-built nautical fixtures. One wall was devoted to whole-bean coffees; another had shelves of coffee products. The store did not offer fresh-brewed coffee by the cup, but samples were sometimes available for tasting. Initially, Siegel was the only paid employee. He wore a grocer’s apron, scooped out beans for customers, extolled the virtues of fine, dark-roasted coffees, and functioned as the partnership’s retail expert. The other two partners kept their day jobs but came by at lunch or after work to help out. During the start-up period, Baldwin kept the books and developed a growing knowledge of coffee; Bowker served as the â€Å"magic, mystery, and romance man. â€Å"1 The store was an immediate success, with sales exceeding expectations, partly because of a favorable article in the Seattle Times. In the early months, each of the founders traveled to Berkeley to learn more about coffee roasting from their mentor, Alfred Peet, who urged them to keep deepening their knowledge of coffees and teas. For most of the first year, Starbucks ordered its coffee beans from Peet’s, but then the partners purchased a used roaster from Holland and set up roasting operations in a nearby ramshackle building. Baldwin and Bowker experimented with Alfred Peet’s roasting procedures and came up with their own blends and flavors. A second Starbucks store was opened in 1972. By the early 1980s, the company had four Starbucks stores in the Seattle area and could boast of having been profitable every year since opening its doors. But the roles and responsibilities of the cofounders underwent change. Zev Siegel experienced burnout and left the company to pursue other interests. Jerry Baldwin took over day-to-day management of the company and functioned as chief executive officer; Gordon Bowker remained involved as an owner but devoted most of his time to his advertising and design firm, a weekly newspaper he had founded, and a microbrewery he was launching (the Redhook Ale Brewery). Howard Schultz Enters the Picture In 1981, Howard Schultz, vice president and general manager of U. S. operations for Hammarplast—a Swedish maker of stylish kitchen equipment and housewares—noticed that Starbucks was placing larger orders than Macy’s was for a certain type of drip coffeemaker. Curious to learn what was going on, he decided to pay the company a visit. The morning after his arrival in Seattle, Schultz was escorted to the Pikes Place store by Linda Grossman, the retail merchandising manager for Starbucks. A solo violinist was playing Mozart at the door, with his violin case open for donations. Schultz immediately was taken by the powerful and pleasing aroma of the coffees, the wall displaying coffee beans, and the rows of red, yellow, and black Hammarplast coffeemakers on the shelves. As he talked with the clerk behind the counter, the clerk scooped out some Sumatran coffee beans, ground them, put the grounds in a cone filter, poured hot water over the cone, and shortly handed Schultz a porcelain mug filled with the freshly brewed coffee. After three sips, Schultz was hooked. He began asking the clerk and Grossman questions about the company, about coffees from different parts of the world, and about the different ways of roasting coffee. Next, Schultz met with Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker, whose offices overlooked the company’s coffee-roasting operation. The atmosphere was informal. Baldwin, dressed in a sweater and tie, showed Schultz some new beans that had just come in from Java and suggested they try a sample. Baldwin did the brewing himself, using a glass pot called a French press. Bowker, a slender, bearded man with dark hair and intense brown eyes, appeared at the door and the three men sat down to talk about Starbucks. Schultz was struck by their knowledge of coffee, their commitment to providing high-quality products, and their passion for educating customers about the merits of dark-roasted coffees. Baldwin told Schultz, â€Å"We don’t manage the business to maximize anything other than the quality of the coffee. â€Å"2 Starbucks purchased only the finest arabica coffees and put them through a meticulous dark-roasting process to bring out their full flavors. Baldwin explained that the cheap robusta coffees used in supermarket blends burn when subjected to dark roasting. He also noted that the makers of supermarket blends prefer lighter roasts because they allow higher yields (the longer a coffee is roasted, the more weight it loses). Schultz was struck by the business philosophy of the two partners. It was clear from their discussions that Starbucks stood not just for good coffee, but rather for the dark-roasted flavor profiles that the founders were passionate about. Top-quality, fresh-roasted, whole-bean coffee was the company’s differentiating feature and a bedrock value. It was also clear to Schultz that Starbucks was strongly committed to educating its customers to appreciate the qualities of fine coffees, rather than just kowtowing to mass-market appeal. The company depended mainly on word-of-mouth to get more people into its stores, then relied on the caliber of its product to give patrons a sense of discovery and excitement. It built customer loyalty cup by cup as buyers of its products developed their palates. On his trip back to New York the next day, Howard Schultz could not stop thinking about Starbucks and what it would be like to be a part of the Starbucks enterprise. Schultz recalled, â€Å"There was something magic about it, a passion and authenticity I had never experienced in business. â€Å"3 Living in the Seattle area also had a strong appeal. By the time Schultz landed at Kennedy Airport, he knew he wanted to go to work for Starbucks. Though there was nothing in his background (see Exhibit 2) that prepared him for the experience, Schultz asked Baldwin at the first opportunity whether there was any way he could fit into Starbucks. The two quickly established an easy, comfortable rapport, but it still took a year of numerous meetings and a lot of convincing to get Baldwin, Bowker, and their silent partner from San Francisco to agree to hire Howard Schultz. Schultz pursued a job at Starbucks far more vigorously than Starbucks pursued him. There was some nervousness at Starbucks about bringing in an outsider, especially a high-powered New Yorker, who had not grown up with the values of the company. Nonetheless, Schultz continued to press his ideas about the tremendous potential of expanding the Starbucks enterprise outside Seattle and exposing people all over America to Starbucks coffee—arguing there had to be more than just a few thousand coffee lovers in Seattle who would like the company’s products. Schultz believed that Starbucks had such great promise that he offered to take a salary cut in exchange for a small equity stake in the business. But the owners worried that by offering Schultz a job as head of marketing they would be committing themselves to a new direction for Starbucks. At a spring 1982 meeting with the three owners in San Francisco, Schultz once again presented his vision for opening Starbucks stores across the United States and Canada. He flew back to New York thinking a job offer was in the bag. But the next day Baldwin called Schultz and indicated that the owners had decided against hiring him because geographic expansion was too risky and because they did not share Schultz’s vision for Starbucks. Schultz was despondent; still, he believed so deeply in Starbucks’ potential that he decided to make a last-ditch appeal. He called Baldwin back the next day and made an impassioned, though reasoned, case for why the decision was a mistake. Baldwin agreed to reconsider. The next morning Baldwin called Schultz and told him the job of heading marketing and overseeing the retail stores was his. In September 1982, Howard Schultz took on his new responsibilities at Starbucks. Starbucks and Howard Schultz: The 1982–85 Period In his first few months at Starbucks, Schultz spent most of his waking hours in the four Seattle stores—working behind the counters, tasting different kinds of coffee, talking with customers, getting to know store personnel, and educating himself about the retail aspects of the coffee business. By December, Jerry Baldwin decided that Schultz was ready for the final part of his training—roasting coffee. Schultz spent a week at the roaster examining the color of the beans, listening for the telltale second pop of the beans during the roasting process, learning to taste the subtle differences among Baldwin and Bowker’s various roasts, and familiarizing himself with the roasting techniques for different beans. Meanwhile, he made a point of acclimating himself to the informal dress code, blending in with the culture, and gaining credibility and building trust with colleagues. Making the transition from the high-energy, coat-and-tie style of New York to the more casual ambience of the Pacific Northwest required a conscious effort on Schultz’s part. One day during the busy Christmas season that first year, Schultz made real headway in gaining the acceptance and respect of company personnel at the Pikes Place store. The store was packed and Schultz was behind the counter ringing up sales when someone shouted that a customer had just headed out the door with some stuff—two expensive coffeemakers it turned out, one in each hand. Without thinking, Schultz leaped over the counter and chased the thief up the cobblestone street outside the store, yelling â€Å"Drop that stuff! Drop it! † The thief was startled enough to drop both pieces and run away. Schultz picked up the merchandise and returned to the store, holding up the coffeemakers like trophies. Everyone applauded. When Schultz returned to his office later that afternoon, his staff had strung up a banner that read â€Å"Make my day. â€Å"4 Schultz was overflowing with ideas for the company. Early on, he noticed that first-time customers sometimes felt uneasy in the stores because of their lack of knowledge about fine coffees and because store employees sometimes came across as a little arrogant. Schultz worked with store employees on developing customer-friendly sales skills and produced brochures that made it easy for customers to learn about fine coffees. Schultz’s biggest idea for Starbucks’ future came during the spring of 1983 when the company sent him to Milan, Italy, to attend an international housewares show. While walking from his hotel to the convention center, Schultz spotted an espresso bar and went inside to look around. The cashier beside the door nodded and smiled. The barista (counter worker) greeted Howard cheerfully, then gracefully pulled a shot of espresso for one customer and handcrafted a foamy cappuccino for another, all the while conversing merrily with those standing at the counter. Schultz judged the barista’s performance as â€Å"great theater. † Just down the way on a side street, he entered an even more crowded espresso bar, where the barista, whom he surmised to be the owner, was greeting customers by name; people were laughing and talking in an atmosphere that plainly was comfortable and familiar. In the next few blocks, he saw two more espresso bars. When the trade show concluded for the day, Schultz walked the streets of Milan exploring espresso bars. Some were stylish and upscale; others attracted a blue-collar clientele. What struck Schultz was how popular and vibrant the Italian coffee bars were. Most had few chairs, and it was common for Italian opera to be playing in the background. Energy levels were typically high, and the bars seemed to function as an integral community gathering place. Each one had its own unique character, but they all had a barista who performed with flair and exhibited a camaraderie with the customers. Schultz was particularly struck by the fact that there were 1,500 coffee bars in Milan, a city about the size of Philadelphia, and a total of 200,000 in all of Italy. His mind started churning. Schultz’s first few days in Milan produced a revelation: The Starbucks stores in Seattle completely missed the point. Starbucks, he decided, needed to serve fresh-brewed coffee, espresso, and cappuccino in its stores (in addition to beans and coffee equipment). Going to Starbucks should be an experience, a special treat; the stores should be a place to meet friends and visit. Re-creating the Italian coffee-bar culture in the United States could be Starbucks’ differentiating factor. Schultz remained in Milan for a week, exploring coffee bars and learning as much as he could about the Italian passion for coffee drinks. In one bar, he heard a customer order a caffe latte and decided to try one himself—the barista made a shot of espresso, steamed a frothy pitcher of milk, poured the two together in a cup, and put a dollop of foam on the top. Schultz concluded that it was â€Å"the perfect drink,† and thought to himself, â€Å"No one in America knows about this. I’ve got to take it back with me. â€Å"5 Schultz’s Growing Frustration On Schultz’s return from Italy, he shared his revelation and ideas for modifying the format of Starbucks stores with Baldwin and Bowker. But instead of winning their approval, Schultz encountered strong resistance. Baldwin and Bowker argued that Starbucks was a retailer, not a restaurant or bar. They feared that serving drinks would put them in the beverage business and dilute the integrity of Starbucks’ mission as a coffee store. They pointed out that Starbucks was a profitable small, private company and there was no reason to rock the boat. But a more pressing reason for their resistance emerged shortly—Baldwin and Bowker were excited by an opportunity to purchase Peet’s Coffee and Tea. The acquisition took place in 1984; to fund it, Starbucks had to take on considerable debt, leaving little in the way of financial flexibility to support Schultz’s ideas for entering the beverage part of the coffee business or expanding the number of Starbucks stores. For most of 1984, Starbucks managers were dividing their time between their operations in Seattle and the Peet’s enterprise in San Francisco. Schultz found himself in San Francisco every other week supervising the marketing and operations of the five Peet’s stores. Starbucks employees began to feel neglected and, in one quarter, did not receive their usual bonus due to tight financial conditions. Employee discontent escalated to the point where a union election was called, and the union won by three votes. Baldwin was shocked at the results, concluding that employees no longer trusted him. In the months that followed, he began to spend more of his energy on the Peet’s operation in San Francisco. It took Howard Schultz nearly a year to convince Jerry Baldwin to let him test an espresso bar. After Baldwin relented, Starbucks’ sixth store, which opened in April 1984, became the first one designed to sell beverages and the first one in downtown Seattle. Schultz asked for a 1,500-square-foot space to set up a full-scale Italian-style espresso bar, but Jerry agreed to allocating only 300 square feet in a corner of the new store. There was no pre-opening marketing blitz and no sign announcing Now Serving Espresso—the lack of fanfare was part of a deliberate experiment to see what would happen. By closing time on the first day, some 400 customers had been served, well above the 250-customer average of Starbucks’ best-performing stores. Within two months the store was serving 800 customers per day. The two baristas could not keep up with orders during the early morning hours, resulting in lines outside the door onto the sidewalk. Most of the business was at the espresso counter; sales at the regular retail counter were only adequate. Schultz was elated by the test results; his visits to the store indicated that it was becoming a gathering place and that customers were pleased with the beverages being served. Schultz expected that Baldwin’s doubts about entering the beverage side of the business would be dispelled and that he would gain approval to take Starbucks to a new level. Every day he went into Baldwin’s office to show him the sales figures and customer counts at the new downtown store. But Baldwin was not comfortable with the success of the new store; he believed that espresso drinks were a distraction from the core business of selling fine arabica coffees at retail and rebelled at the thought that people would see Starbucks as a place to get a quick cup of coffee to go. He adamantly told Schultz, â€Å"We’re coffee roasters. I don’t want to be in the restaurant business . . . Besides, we’re too deeply in debt to consider pursuing this idea. â€Å"6 While he didn’t deny that the experiment was succeeding, he didn’t want to go forward with introducing beverages in other Starbucks stores. Schultz’s efforts to persuade Baldwin to change his mind continued to meet strong resistance, although to avoid a total impasse Baldwin finally did agree to let Schultz put espresso machines in the back of two other Starbucks stores. Over the next several months, Schultz—at the age of 33—made up his mind to leave Starbucks and start his own company. His plan was to open espresso bars in high-traffic downtown locations that would emulate the friendly, energetic atmosphere he had encountered in Italian espresso bars. Schultz had become friends with a corporate lawyer, Scott Greenberg, who helped companies raise venture capital and go public. Greenberg told Schultz he believed investors would be interested in providing venture capital for the kind of company Schultz had in mind. Baldwin and Bowker, knowing how frustrated Schultz had become, supported his efforts to go out on his own and agreed to let him stay in his current job and office until definitive plans were in place. Schultz left Starbucks in late 1985. Schultz’s Il Giornale Venture Ironically, as Schultz was finalizing the documents for his new company, Jerry Baldwin announced he would invest $150,000 of Starbucks’ money in Schultz’s coffee-bar enterprise, thus becoming Schultz’s first investor. Baldwin accepted Schultz’s invitation to be a director of the new company, and Gordon Bowker agreed to be a part-time consultant for six months. Bowker urged Schultz to make sure that everything about the new stores—the name, the presentation, the care taken in preparing the coffee—was calculated to lead customers to expect something better than competitors offered. Bowker proposed that the new company be named Il Giornale (pronounced ill jor-nahl-ee ) Coffee Company, a suggestion that Schultz accepted. In December 1985, Bowker and Schultz made a trip to Italy during which they visited some 500 espresso bars in Milan and Verona, observing local habits, taking notes about decor and menus, snapping photographs, and videotaping baristas in action. Greenberg and Schultz then drew up plans to raise an initial $400,000 in seed capital and another $1. 25 million in equity—enough to launch at least eight espresso bars and prove the concept would work in Seattle and elsewhere. The seed capital was raised by the end of January 1986, primarily from Starbucks and two other investors who believed in Schultz and his ideas, but it took Schultz until the end of the year to raise the remaining $1. 25 million. He made presentations to 242 potential investors, 217 of whom said no. Many who heard Schultz’s hour-long presentation saw coffee as a commodity business and thought that Schultz’s espresso-bar concept lacked any basis for sustainable competitive advantage (no patent on dark roast, no advantage in purchasing coffee beans, no way to bar the entry of imitative competitors). Some noted that consumption of coffee had been declining since the mid-1960s, others were skeptical that people would pay $1. 50 or more for a cup of coffee, and still others were turned off by the company’s hard-to-pronounce name. Being rejected by so many potential investors was disheartening (some who listened to Schultz’s presentation ? didn’t even bother to call him back; others refused to take his calls). Nonetheless, Schultz continued to display passion and enthusiasm in making his pitch and never doubted that his plan would work. He ended up raising $1. 65 million from about 30 investors; most of this money came from nine people, five of whom became directors of the new company. One of Howard Schultz’s earliest moves during the start-up process was to hire Dave Olsen, who in 1974 had opened a coffee bar, Cafe Allegro, near the busiest entrance to the University of Washington campus. Olsen was a long-standing Starbucks customer, having discovered the quality of Starbucks’ coffee beans, gotten to know the owners, and worked with them to develop a custom espresso roast for use in his cafe. Olsen’s successful Cafe Allegro had become known for cafe au lait, a concoction equivalent to the Italian caffe latte. When Olsen heard of Schultz’s plans for Il Giornale, he called Schultz and expressed an interest in being part of the new company—he was intrigued by the Italian coffee-bar concept and was looking for a more expansive career opportunity. Olsen not only had coffee expertise but also had spent 10 years in an apron behind the counter at Cafe Allegro. Schultz immediately picked up on the synergy between him and Olsen. His own strengths were in forming and communicating a vision, raising money, finding good store locations, building a brand name, and planning for growth. Olsen understood the nuts and bolts of operating a retail cafe, hiring and training baristas, and making and serving good drinks. Plus, Olsen was fun to work with. Schultz put Olsen in charge of store operations, made him the coffee conscience of the company, and gave him the authority to make sure that Il Giornale served the best coffee and espresso possible. The first Il Giornale store opened in April 1986. It had a mere 700 square feet and was located near the entrance of Seattle’s tallest building. The decor was Italian, the menu contained Italian words, and Italian opera music played in the background. The baristas wore white shirts and bow ties. All service was stand-up—there were no chairs. National and international papers hung from rods on the wall. By closing time on the first day, 300 customers had been served, mostly in the morning hours. Schultz and Olsen worked hard to make sure that all the details were executed perfectly. For the first few weeks, Olsen worked behind the counter during the morning rush. But while the core idea worked well, it soon became apparent that several aspects of Il Giornale’s format weren’t appropriate for Seattle. Some customers objected to the incessant opera music, others wanted a place to sit down, and many didn’t understand the Italian words on the menu. These â€Å"mistakes† were quickly fixed, without compromising the style and elegance of the store. Within six months, Il Giornale was serving more than 1,000 customers a day and regulars had learned how to pronounce the company’s name. Because most customers were in a hurry, it became apparent that speedy service was a competitive advantage. Six months after opening the first store, Il Giornale opened a second store in another downtown building. A third store was opened in Vancouver, British Columbia, in April 1987. Vancouver was chosen to test the transferability of the company’s business concept outside Seattle. To reach his goal of opening 50 stores in five years, Schultz needed to dispel his investors’ doubts about geographic expansion. By mid-1987 sales at the three stores were equal to $1. 5 million annually. Il Giornale Acquires Starbucks In March 1987 Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker decided to sell the whole Starbucks operation in Seattle—the stores, the roasting plant, and the Starbucks name. Bowker wanted to cash out his coffee-business investment to concentrate on his other enterprises; Baldwin, who was tired of commuting between Seattle and San Francisco and wrestling with the troubles created by the two parts of the company, elected to concentrate on the Peet’s operation. As he recalls, â€Å"My wife and I had a 30-second conversation and decided to keep Peet’s. It was the original and it was better. â€Å"7 Schultz knew immediately that he had to buy Starbucks; his board of directors agreed. Schultz and his newly hired finance and accounting manager drew up a set of financial projections for the combined operations and a financing package that included a stock offering to Il Giornale’s original investors and a line of credit with local banks. While a rival plan to acquire Starbucks was put together by another Il Giornale investor, Schultz’s proposal prevailed and within weeks Schultz had raised the $3. 8 million needed to buy Starbucks. The acquisition was completed in August 1987. After the papers were signed, Schultz and Scott Greenberg walked across the street to the first Il Giornale store, ordered themselves espresso drinks, and sat at a table near the window. Greenberg placed the hundred-page business plan that had been used to raise the $3. 8 million between them and lifted his cup in a toast—†We did it,† they said together. 8 The new name of the combined companies was Starbucks Starbucks as a Private Company: 1987–92. The following Monday morning, Schultz returned to the Starbucks offices at the roasting plant, greeted all the familiar faces and accepted their congratulations, then called the staff together for a meeting on the roasting-plant floor. He began: All my life I have wanted to be part of a company and a group of people who share a common vision . . . I’m here today because I love this company. I love what it represents . . . I know you’re concerned . . . I promise you I will not let you down. I promise you I will not leave anyone behind . . . In five years, I want you to look back at this day and say â€Å"I was there when it started. I helped build this company into something great. â€Å"9 Schultz told the group that his vision was for Starbucks to become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of. He indicated that he wanted to include people in the decision-making process and that he would be open and honest with them. Schultz said he believed it was essential, not just an intriguing option, for a company to respect its people, to inspire them, and to share the fruits of its success with those who contributed to its long-term value. His aspiration was for Starbucks to become the most respected brand name in coffee and for the company to be admired for its corporate responsibility. In the next few days and weeks, however, Schultz came to see that the unity and morale at Starbucks had deteriorated badly in the 20 months he had been at Il Giornale. Some employees were cynical and felt unappreciated. There was a feeling that prior management had abandoned them and a wariness about what the new regime would bring. Schultz determined that he would have to make it a priority to build a new relationship of mutual respect between employees and management. The new Starbucks had a total of nine stores. The business plan Schultz had presented investors called for the new company to open 125 stores in the next five years—15 the first year, 20 the second, 25 the third, 30 the fourth, and 35 the fifth. Revenues were projected to reach $60 million in 1992. But the company lacked experienced management. Schultz had never led a growth effort of such magnitude and was just learning what the job of CEO was all about, having been the president of a small company for barely two years. Dave Olsen had run a single cafe for 11 years and was just learning to manage a multistore operation. Ron Lawrence, the company’s controller, had worked as a controller for several organizations. Other Starbucks employees had only the experience of managing or being a part of a six-store organization. When Starbucks’ key roaster and coffee buyer resigned, Schultz put Dave Olsen in charge of buying and roasting coffee. Lawrence Maltz, who had 20 years of experience in business and eight years of experience as president of a profitable public beverage company, was hired as executive vice president and charged with heading operations, finance, and human resources. In the next several months, a number of changes were instituted. To symbolize the merging of the two companies and the two cultures, a new logo was created that melded the Starbucks and Il Giornale logos. The Starbucks stores were equipped with espresso machines and remodeled to look more Italian than Old World nautical. The traditional Starbucks brown was replaced by Il Giornale green. The result was a new type of store—a cross between a retail coffee-bean store and an espresso bar/cafe—that became Starbucks’ signature format in the 1990s. By December 1987, employees at Starbucks had begun buying into the changes Schultz was making and trust had begun to build between management and employees. New stores were on the verge of opening in Vancouver and Chicago. One Starbucks store employee, Daryl Moore, who had voted against unionization in 1985, began to question his fellow employees about the need for a union. Over the next few weeks, Moore began a move to decertify the union. He carried a decertification letter around to Starbucks stores and secured the signatures of employees who no longer wished to be represented by the union. After getting a majority of store employees to sign the letter, he presented it to the National Labor Relations Board and the union representing store employees was decertified. Later, in 1992, the union representing Starbucks’ roasting plant and warehouse employees was also decertified. Expansion into Markets Outside the Pacific Northwest Starbucks’ entry into Chicago proved far more troublesome than management anticipated. The first Chicago store opened October 27, 1987, the same day the stock market crashed. Three more stores were opened in Chicago over the next six months, but customer counts were substantially below expectations—Chicagoans didn’t take to dark-roasted coffee as fast as Schultz had anticipated. At the first downtown store, for example, which opened onto the street rather than into the lobby of the building where it was located, customers were hesitant to go out in the wind and cold to get a cup of coffee in the winter months. Store margins were squeezed for a number of reasons: It was expensive to supply fresh coffee to the Chicago stores out of the Seattle warehouse, and both rents and wage rates were higher in Chicago than in Seattle. Gradually, customer counts improved, but Starbucks lost money on its Chicago stores until 1990, when prices were raised to reflect higher rents and labor costs, more experienced store manag.

Paintings of Vincent Van Goh and Paul Cezanne Essay

Paintings of Vincent Van Goh and Paul Cezanne - Essay Example The essay "Paintings of Vincent Van Goh and Paul Cezanne" analyzes Vincent Van Goh and Paul Cezanne and their individual works â€Å"The Rocks† and â€Å"The Ravine†. . What can be demonstrated through art, as well as what this paper will show, is that to fully enjoy and understand art, the key idea to keep in mind is that understanding and interpretation comes through finding and knowing what it is that draws you to the masterpiece and how you got there in the first place. Just as with the case of history books, the paintings by the great artists of the time serve as a historical record of the goings on of the time. Often times painters chose to express the world around them the only way they may have known how, and that was through some for artistic expression. Little bits of color, as they are arranged throughout the canvas, find themselves forming together to create images of life, love and the wonder, as well as the amazement that can come with it. They serve as a portal to the imagination as no other artistic creation can. Many people travel to museums such as the Louvre in Paris to experience the greatness that hangs along its walls. To stare into the eyes of the portraits of subjects, or to witness the grander and vastness of the great seascapes and landscapes which provide for a sense of freedom from that which may be otherwise hindering creative thought. With that being said, the works in this analysis pay tribute to the notion that, with creative expression, can come insight.

International Relations since 1914 Literature review

International Relations since 1914 - Literature review Example The following sections of the paper will be dedicated to analyzing the views of four authors, Fergusson, Williamson, Howard and Schroeder, as regards the causes of the war. Fergusson, in The Pity of War, talks about how the arms race between different countries in Europe contributed to tensions that eventually led to the war. At the beginning of the century, Britain had a well established naval force which was deemed to be the strongest in the world. Germany was quickly catching up and France’s military was known to be one of the strongest at the time. Both Britain and France were weary of Germany’s rapid military and arms expansion. Britain saw Germany as a threat to its monopoly in naval power. However, according to Fergusson, the Germans never did catch up with Britain. Thus according to Fergusson, the main cause of the First World War was the race to control the seas. The tensions continued to escalate until the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo finally lit the fire that led to the beginning of the World War 1. In his article The Origins of World War I , Williamson looks at the long term and short causes of the war. ... Williams also talks of alliances which created heightened suspicions particularly between Britain and France on one hand and Germany on the other. He also talks of nationalism and imperialism as some of the long term causes of the tensions that led to the war. These tensions according to the author were consolidated by events in Morocco, the Balkans and Bosnia. The Sarajevo assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was the final event that finally gave way to war. In The Coming of War, Michael Howard talks about the Balkan crisis, the military situation in European nations and the arms race as the main causes of the war. He talks about Germany’s growing confidence and ambition to overtake Britain as the greatest power in Europe at the time. On the other hand, Schroeder starts his article World War I as Galloping Gertie: A Reply to Joachim Remak by highlighting what other author think to have been the causes of the war, he then goes ahead to argue why he thi nks that these reasons are not true and gives his own argument of what he thinks led to the war. He considers the events that were happening at the time: the arms race, crisis in the Balkans and Germany’s ambitions and states that the war was â€Å"a normal development in international relations† (322). Fergusson’s argument is that Germany’s military ambition and Britain’s plans to retain her monopoly on the seas cased much tension between these two competing countries. Alliances were formed to strengthen the countries’ chances of winning at war. Fergusson’s argument about arms race being the cause of the First World War is clearly articulated throughout the article. On the other hand, Williamson explores both the long term and short term causes of the war and gives solid

Book of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - Essay Example Wharton uses setting, characterization, and symbolism to depict how isolation has emasculated Ethan Frome. The setting of the book is Starkfield, a fictional New England village, which depicts isolation's impact of emasculation on Ethan Frome. Starkfield is an isolated and cold place, which also shapes its small-town culture. It is quite distant from other cities and constantly experiences harsh, cold weather. The weather resembles a cold blanket that hangs on people's attitudes toward life. The community is also poor, which is why Harmon believes that those who get away from Starkfield are better off: â€Å"Most of the smart ones get away† (Wharton Chapter 1). The weather and geographical location can get under people's skin, as they make it easier to feel lonely and hopeless. One description of the setting highlights the sadness and hopelessness of Starkfield: â€Å"Beyond the orchard lay a field or two...huddled against the white immensities of land and sky, one of those l onely New England farm-houses that make the landscape lonelier (Wharton â€Å"Ethan†). The whiteness of the field makes the isolation even more immense, where white means nothingness and the absence of color stands for the absence of life. In addition, the farm houses can be compared to the townspeople. They also feel isolated from each other. They may gossip about one other a great deal, but they are detached from truly doing something for each other. For instance, people feel sorry for Frome after the â€Å"smash-up,† but they do not offer him any real empathy. Frome must have felt lonelier, because of the lack of human connection that would help him make sense of his tragic life and provide better companionship than what Zeena can offer. Furthermore, the coldness of the setting seeps into people's hopes, by freezing their dreams. Ethan once dreamed to be an engineer, but because of lack of social and financial support, he did not become one anymore. Then, he dreams of being with Mattie, but because of his poverty, which can be rooted to the land's barrenness and the moral thinking that it would be wrong to leave Zeena, he does not fight for his love for Mattie. The ending shows that he becomes colder as a person, who is no longer capable of happiness. Ethan Frome is a dynamic character, who changed from an ambitious dreamer to a caregiver to the doomed â€Å"patient.† Before, Frome envisions himself as an engineer, which is why he is interested in the engineer's books. Later on, because his family is detached from family relations, he has become the primary caregiver to his parents. Harmon affirms this and says: â€Å"I guess it's always Ethan done the caring† (Wharton 1). Instead of breaking free from Starkfield, he becomes increasingly bonded to it, especially after marrying Zeena. When Zeena got sick, Frome finds himself the carer once more. In addition, Wharton shows that the setting is Ethan Frome itself, where he is â€Å" an incarnation of the land’s frozen woe with all that was warm and sentient in him fast bound below the surface† (Wharton 1). Carroll stresses that Ethan is as â€Å"mute and melancholic† as Starkfield, as if he is â€Å"one of the outcroppings of slate that push up through the snow† (2). He is like a slate, especially when he realizes the reversal of gender roles in his marriage. Zeena undermines Ethan's masculinity by constantly siphoning his money and time. Ethan re-establishes his manhood with Mattie, however, since the latter

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Art - Article Example In developing these skills, one may reach a point at which one can recognize the cubist mess of a Picasso among the random abstract paintings of an amateur at a garage sale. However, it is better to start with more classical pieces in learning to appreciate the characteristics of true art. One such example is an oil on canvas painting executed by Emile-Jean-Horace Vernet in 1830 commonly referred to by its subject matter – Portrait of the Marchesa Cunegonda Misciattelli with Her Infant Son and His Nurse. By examining this painting, one can begin to pick out the elements of quality that make this work stand out as valuable whether it was shown in the sacred halls of a museum or in the darkened spaces of a corner coffee shop. The painting, part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the University of Arizona’s Museum of Art in Tucson, depicts the image of a woman sitting at the keyboard of a piano or similar instrument. Although her hands are on the keys, presumably in action, her attention is focused over her right shoulder on the small baby held in the arms of another young woman standing behind the first woman’s chair. The baby, seemingly wearing nothing more than the blankets swaddled around him, is reaching out toward the woman in the chair while the woman holding him has captured one of his hands in hers. The nurse also has her attention fully focused on the baby, seemingly making him the primary focus of the image. However, other elements of the painting manage to pull the attention away from this tiny person to redistribute attention throughout the available space. The distribution of attention begins with the fundamental form of the pyramid. Recognized as the most stable geometric shape, artists frequently use the pyramid form in their paintings to demonstrate stability and serenity – the concept that all things are in proper

The Cold war and realism in International Relations Essay

The Cold war and realism in International Relations - Essay Example Even after the fall of Soviet Union the subject continues to attract much attention of the scholars. The desire to understand the rise and fall of a great power has combined with the urge of better understanding the future course of history. Various scholars have attempted to understand the volatile nature of modern international relations. International Relation theories help a great deal in understanding the historical events and when we talk about Cold War, the theory of realism dominates the other theories towards a better understanding of the facts. The theory has its pros and cons but it hold itself true in many cases while trying to understand the cold war phenomenon. The end of World War II marked the start of the cold war. The cold war was essentially a struggle of power between the west led by United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Although both were partners during the World War II but their differences arose soon after the war on the future shape of the world. The USA led the western block whereas USSR created the eastern block comprising over eastern European countries and countries annexed by USSR. The cold war was multifaceted. It signified a bi-polar world where both US and USSR were striving for hegemony on political, military and economic fronts. Both had their ambitions but had the fears of other’s dominance resulting in efforts of balance of power as well. The cold war reached it culminating point when USSR invaded Afghanistan and tried to reach the warm waters whereas US used its diplomacy and resources to stop USSR. It ended in 1991 when the later collapsed due to economic, military and political turmoil. The cold war is named as such because through out this era no actual war took place between the two sides but the threat of such war kept looming the political world throughout. Such was the tension between the two sides that the world at large feared a World War

MANAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MANAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example ersonal styles. My own results from taking the inventory report that my strengths lie mostly in musical, existential and intrapersonal intelligences, as I got a perfect score on these sections. Next to these, I scored 90 in Kinesthetic and Verbal intelligences, followed by a score of 70 in naturalist, interpersonal and visual intelligences. I scored lowest in logical intelligence, garnering a score of 60. VARK Test VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/Write and Kinesthetic learning styles. It is an online questionnaire that asks 16 questions to measure which reflects the learning style of the test-taker. VISUAL- learners who would like to  see it on the whiteboard, flip charts, walls, graphics, pictures, colour. AUDITORY-learners who would like to sit back and listen. ... Team roles improve self-knowledge and understanding among individuals and teams. They also depict a current behavioral pattern at a certain point in a person’s life. Preferences are not fixed, since many factors can influence behavior, whether a new job, promotion or circumstances outside work. My Belbin Test Results Preferred Roles: Teamworker Manageable Roles: Resource Investigator/ Plant Least Preferred Roles: Shaper MBTI (Myers-Briggs test) This theory measures psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The preferences indicate the differences in people based on the following: How they focus their attention or get their energy (Extraversion or Introversion) How they perceive or take in information (Sensing or Intuition) How they prefer to make decisions (Thinking or Feeling) How they orient themselves to the external world (Judgment or Perception) Myer-Briggs Test Result: ESFJ & ENFJ Self-Assessments Self-assessments are effective ways f or individuals to evaluate themselves to see how far they have come in terms of progress in one area or another and to know their strengths and weaknesses. Self-assessments can come in various forms. Some are simple reflective practices while others entail taking some tests. Self-assessments, including those done by practitioners in clinical environments are truly helpful in one’s learning and professional development as individuals who assess themselves either through reflective practice or test-taking, find ways to be better learners. This begins with the realization that they need to improve on the weaknesses reflected in the assessment as well as honing the

The Branches of Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Branches of Government - Research Paper Example This is inclusive of the president who also cannot function as they please. Other parties in the government also have the right to impose the vote of no confidence on the president. Due to the tendency of many governments to usurp power, analysts argue that if left to run governments, a lot of leaders would end up running countries as private businesses. However, Campbell indicates that in the US the case is totally different (2). The constitutional makers of US divided the government into sections that would specialize in formulating laws, another section that would implement the laws formulated whilst the last the section would see administration of justice in the country. The Congress was mandated to be the law makers in the government whilst the president through the backup from the departments and agencies in the executive arm of the government to put in force the laws put in place. In line to this proposition, it is justified to argue that the president heads the non elected members of the government. It is also vital to note the establishment of the Supreme Court by the judicial authorities (Campbell, 111). This clearly aided in the checking the systems put in place in the government. The states and the citizens also have their administration authorities through the state governmental units present in all states. This is referred to as the governmental units that are legally authorized to operate within their jurisdiction. Of essence, the Executive that comprises of the president, vice president and cabinet members plays the role of ensuring that the daily operations of the country function effectively, such collection of duties, representation of the country in international forums, and safeguarding the country’s security amongst others (Campbell, 25). The Legislature, which comprises of the congress make up laws, and ensures