Alcoholic Beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic Beverage Essay Alcoholism is a chronic problem that includes difficulty in controlling drinking, having to drink consistently to get physical independence, being preoccupied with alcohol, and continually using alcohol regardless of problems it causes (Brick, 2004). Alcohol should not be legal in U. S. because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. Alcohol drinking is like taking a drug. It is a form of drug addiction and drug abuse. Alcoholism is a worldwide problem that affects many people. Drinking alcohol has negative short and long term effects. Alcoholism has been associated with adverse effects on health, family, community, and education (Marshall, 2000). However, the effects on a person depends on particular factors such as how often and how much alcohol is taken, a person’s age, gender, when a person begun drinking and how long they have been drinking, their health, and family history (Begleiter amp; Kissin, 1996). It is in this regard that alcohol should not be legal in the United States. Alcohol is addictive, and people become addicts end up spending a lot of money on alcohol. It means that when they spend all the money they have on alcohol, they forget their families, and are not able to support the community in anyway. Some resort to stealing to sustain their drinking habit. Alcohol addicts sometimes engage in robbery acts to get the money for drinks. Community becomes at risk of destruction with excessive alcohol consumption allowed. When many people engage in excessive consumption of alcohol, education becomes at risk. People drop out of school, and illiteracy level increase in the community. In addition, the progress and development of any community depends on the health of its people. Therefore, when alcohol puts the health of its members at risk, community suffers in the long run. Alcohol affects both female and male differently. Men who consume alcohol, daily have an increased risk of health risks. Such men can experience cancer and heart disease in the long-term and low energy to sexual difficulties in the short-term (Brick, 2004). Men are more likely to suffer from liver cirrhosis, and have higher chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Nearly 26. 6% of deaths among men of between 16 and 24 years old can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Men tend to be more dependent of alcohol (Marshall, 2000). Drinking too much alcohol damages a person’s body organs such as liver, brain, stomach, heart,and intestines. Brain is adversely affected because the brain cells die leading to loss of memory, learning difficulties, brain disorders, confusion, and problems with attention (Blane amp; Leonard, 1999). Liver is highly affected because of the great possibility of developing cancer in the liver, throat and mouth. The stomach may also acquire ulcers. Long-term drinking has also been linked to stroke and heart failure. The nervous system can also experience damage leading to behavioral and physical problems (Dasgupta, 2011). These problems affect health, family, community, and education in the long-term because of expenses associated with alcohol consumption, and possible treatment measures. Alcohol poses many effects on the body such as fertility. It reduces levels of testosterone. As a result, it could decline sperm quantity and quality, and lead to loss of libido. Alcohol is toxic to the testicles, and affects hormones. It could hamper production of sperms, hinder them from developing properly, and slow their movement towards the egg. Alcohol can also limit the liver from metabolizing vitamin A properly. It also depresses the nervous system, and could result in difficulty in getting and keeping erection (Peters, 2008). Many young adults do not realize that alcohol has a fattening effect. Alcohol can reduce the amount of fat that the body burns for energy. The human body makes several attempts to eliminate alcohol 1 / 3 very fast as it cannot remain in the body for storage. The process takes priority over nutrient absorption and burning of fat. In the long-term, there could be a serious damage in the appearance. Other effects include loss of hair in the body, breast enlargement, and withering of testicles (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol has also been associated with worsening of skin disorders such as rosacae. Rosacae skin disorder is responsible for expansion of blood vessels in the face making it redder. Heavy drinking can cause the appearance of pus spots and red bumps. It has also been linked to inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. The effect is common among men of between 30 and 60 years old (Hannigan, Spear, Spear amp; Goodlett, 1999). As mentioned earlier, heavy drinking increases the chances of heart disease, liver damage, bone disease, cancer, anxiety and depression, and type II diabetes. Heavy consumption of alcohol also caused inflammation on the pancreas and irritates stomach. These effects indirectly affect family, community and education (Peters, 2008). Women are not safe from alcohol either. The body of women takes much time to process alcohol compared to men. Women feel more effects of alcohol than men even when they drink the same amount. The fertility of women is at risk with heavy consumption of alcohol. Women are high risk of acquiring breast cancer, and adverse impacts of the menopause. Women are advised in several studies to avoid alcohol when trying to have a baby. Alcohol disrupts menstrual cycle in women, and limits their chances of conceiving. These are bad effects on the body, and not good for family and community in general. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States (Hannigan, Spear, Spear amp; Goodlett, 1999). While drinking less alcohol may make one look good, heavy consumption causes bad skin, tired eyes, and weight gain for both female and male. It also interferes with people’s sleep. Heavy consumers of alcohol often wake up and feel like they have not had enough rest. Alcohol dehydrates the body and skin. It deprives the skin of certain vital nutrients and vitamins. Hence, it is not good for health. Alcohol is also responsible for much divorce among couples due to fights in the family, and lack of finances for family upkeep (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol is depressant. It means that alcohol calms people down, and slows down some body organs. With only 0. 05% level of blood-alcohol, a person begins getting dulled judgment, and his or her inhibitions get released. They then become clumsy and start having slurred speech with only a 0. 10% blood-alcohol level. At 0. 30% level of blood-alcohol, one nearly becomes unconscious. Any addition after that becomes extremely dangerous since at 0. 45%, one can get into a coma. Brain shuts down from 0. 70% and stop controlling the heart, breathing, and one may end up dead. Other short-term effects include blurred vision, blackouts and insomnia. These can lead to injuries, accidents, and even death. Drinking alcohol also causes hangover in the next morning, which is associated with nausea, headaches, heartburn, fatigue, thirst, and dizziness. There are many side effects of alcohol (Peters, 2008). Conclusion In conclusion, consumption of alcohol should be reconsidered in U. S because of its adverse effects on health, family, community, and education. Alcohol should only be taken when necessary. The side effects are adverse and continue to destroy people across the world. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. References Begleiter, H. , amp; Kissin, B. (1996). The pharmacology of alcohol and alcohol dependence. New York: Oxford University Press. Blane, H. T. , amp; Leonard, K. E. (1999). Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism. New York [u. a. : Guilford Press. Brick, J. (2004). Handbook of the medical consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. New York: Haworth Press. Dasgupta, A. (2011).

Defining the Ideal in Platos The Republic Essay -- Philosophy Religio

Defining the Ideal in Plato's The Republic In 1921, Vance Palmer, the famous Australian author and poet, noted, in his essay titled "On Boundaries", that "it is the business of thought to define things, to find the boundaries; thought, indeed, is a ceaseless process of definition". As Palmer noted, humans, by their very nature, attempt to define all things. But, more than that, we attempt to redefine subjects and ideas that have already been defined so that we can better understand what they mean, where we came from, and, perhaps most importantly of all, who we are. Writers, from the beginning of the written word through the present, have, almost in their entirety, strived to cast a new light on subjects that were previously thought to have been completely understood. Specifically, Plato, in his The Republic, struggled to define the ideal in the materialistic world. But, even after accounting for his opposition to the arts, his quest to define the ideal can exceptionally beneficial to the understanding of the theater. O nly through an exploration of these definitions of the ideal can one hope to understand them, and, more importantly, redefine them in the hope to create a new understanding of the medium and to move one step closer to perfection. In his Poetics, Plato defined his view of the world and the ideals that are a part of it. The core of Platonic thought resides in Plato's doctrine of essences, ideas, and forms. Ultimate reality, he argues, is spiritual. This spiritual realm, called The One, is composed of ideal forms or absolutes that exist whether or not any human mind realizes ... ... The perfect play may exist in the realm of Plato's The One, but I doubt that that ideal has ever been recorded. Perfection is something for which everyone has his or her own definition and opinion. How I define the ideal play will not be the same way that others define it -- and that quality is what makes it ideal. For in the unity created through the differing opinions, thoughts, and dreams, the ideal can be seen. And when someone captures that vision, and, most importantly, is able to record that vision in the form of the written word, that person will be the embodiment of perfection. That person will stood on the perfect table and looked into the perfect sky, seen the perfect play, and captured the ideal from Plato's The One. Of course, where can we go from there?

Feasibility Report Essay

The company will sell custom-made cakes, cupcakes and coffee. The revenues from the business will come from the sale of decorated cakes and cupcakes, as well as coffee for customers who visit the shop. The business will raise revenue from service: cake decoration and creation of the centerpieces of many of the most remarkable occasions of the lives of clients. Service revenue will come from different customized cake designs, decoration and bake creations. The business will use many different designs as discussed by Graham (2007) and Wilson (2011). The major revenue source during the initial year will be service revenue, including drink, cakes, and cupcakes sales. The business includes walk-in service. It will have two ordering delivery channels; phone orders and via online ordering. In addition, parking bays will be provided at a fee. The projected revenue from parking bays will be $75000 per year. The revenue from the sale of cupcakes, cakes and drinks is projected to be $100000 yea rly. The revenue from custom-making service will be $50000 annually. Therefore, the total projected revenue will be $225000. Cost Drivers The business will consider the costs in order to stay in business (Marron, 2014); (Kidder, 2012 ). a) Upfront Costs Since the business is new, there will be several starting costs before  official opening. Upfront costs consist of the purchase of furniture and fittings (table, chairs, coffee machines, installation of EFTPOS (electronic funds transfer at point of sale) and computers, cutlery, and front decoration (Ilasco and Seto, 2012 ); (Spencer, 2010). Advertising expenses will consist of the advertising campaign in the initial year. The advertising drive will be geared towards increasing sales to cater for the other costs (Marquis, Demand Media, 2014). Materials for shop decoration will be used to attract new customers. The total cost will include the cost of employing an interior designer. In addition, the business will consider the bond for the rent. This is because the expense must be paid prior before the business is opened. There will be other upfront costs that will include the certificates and legislations required for the business opening (Department of Health, 2014). b) Fixed Costs Owing to the scenic area of Melbourne, the high cost of rent must be taken into account. Utilities like lighting, heating, telephone lines, internet router and air conditioning have to be considered before the official opening. The business will choose a cheap electricity supplier. There are many to choose from (Smart Utilities, 2014). For an attractive design of the display in the shop, an interior designer with experience will be sought once per year. The cost associated with this will be recorded as ‘expenses for design.’ Besides, the parking bays’ rental will be a yearly fixed cost paid to Melbourne City Council (Hamer, Currie and Young , 2011). The parking bays will be provided to increase revenue. The business will take legislations into consideration, because set annual fees will have to be paid to the relevant bodies to ensure business continuation. c) Variable Costs These are the expenses that will change with the output of the business. The main variable cost in the cake and cupcake shop is raw materials used in the production of cupcakes, coffee and cakes such as lollies, vegetables, fruits, flour, milk, coffee beans and chocolate (Leach and Melicher, 2014). The cost of vegetables and fruits will change depending on seasonal and weather changes. There will be other variable costs like package expenses: boxes, bags, staff wages and utilities. The workers in the shop will include 1 baker 1 decorator Junior casual staff Wages will be paid fortnightly. Additionally, the business will offer staff uniforms and training opportunities. There will be allowance of discount expenses owing to the high-inventory turnover and the need to supply fresh products. On special occasions, the business may have deals or offers that will reduce the unit profit. There will be other expenses like machinery maintenance, new fittings and insurance. These will be required as the business grows. Resource Requirements/Mapping Human Resource It will be very easy to get the key employees as it will only involve placing adverts on the street notice boards. There will be an added cost of interviews, as well as paying the Melbourne City Council (City of Melbourne, 2014). Physical Resource Property for lease is available in the area identified. Due to the scenery of the area, the cost of lease is high. However, the expected returns are high. The business premises will be gotten under a one-year lease. This will save the cost that may be incurred in paying monthly costs. Similarly, it will avoid the costs associated with monthly rent increases. Financial Resource The total startup cost is $130000. The business will raise $30000 and $100000 will be obtained from the bank as loan. Costs for maintenance will be catered for by the revenue from the business. Investment Size The business plans to raise $130000 to meet its startup cost. The funds will be used for: Developing the company’s cupcake and cakes store location Financing for the first year of operation Capital to buy baking equipment and ovens The company will contribute $30000 to the venture. The remaining $100000 will be financed by the bank as loan. Projected Startup Costs Initial Lease Payments and Deposits $20000 Working Capital $60000 Security Deposits $20000 Opening Supplies $10000 Company Vehicle and Lease Deposits $2000 Marketing Budget $10000 Miscellaneous and Unforeseen Costs $8000 Total Startup Costs $130000 References Aaron Marquis, Demand Media , 2014. The Average Profit Margin for a Cake Bakery. [Online] Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/average-profit-margin-cake-bakery-14214.html [Accessed 11 05 2014]. Department of Health, V. A., 2014. Starting a food business. [Online] Available at: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/bus/foodbus.htm [Accessed 11 05 2014].  Graham, J., 2007. The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook. Print ed. London: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. J. Leach, Ronald Melicher, 2014 . Entrepreneurial Finance. 5 ed. Stamford: Cengage Learning. Kidder, D., 2012 . The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs. Illustrated ed. San Francisco : Chronicle Books. Marron, D., 2014. Cupcake Economics. [Online] Available at: http://dmarron.com/2009/11/28/cupcake-economics/ [Accessed 11 05 2014]. Meg Mateo Ilasco, Catherine Seto, 2012 . Mom, Inc.: The Essential Guide to Running a Successful Business Close to Home. Illustrated ed. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Melbourne, C. o., 2014. Rates and valuations. [Online] Available at: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/buildingandplanning/ratesandvaluations/Pages/RatesandValuations.aspx [Accessed 11 05 2014]. Paul Hamer, Graham Currie, William Young , 2011. Parking Price Policies – A review of the Melbourne congestion levy. Australasian Transport Research Forum 2011 Proceedings , 1(1), pp. 1-16. Spencer, P., 2010 . Start a Cupcake Business Today. London: InformationTree Press. StartupBizHub, 2014. Starting a Cake Business. [Online] Available at: http://www.startupbizhub.com/starting-a-cake-business.htm [Accessed 11 05 2014]. Utilities, S., 2014. Compare Electricity Rates in Victoria. [Online] Available at: http://www.smartutilities.com.au/electricity-comparison-victoria/ [Accessed 11 05 2014]. Wilson, D., 2011 . Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes. Unabridged, reprint ed. New York City: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Swahili Towns Medieval Trading Communities of the East African Coast

Swahili trading communities were Medieval African towns occupied between the 11th and 16th centuries CE, and a pivotal part of an extensive trade network  connecting the eastern African coast to Arabia, India, and China.   Key Takeaways: Swahili Towns During the Medieval period, the East African coast was dotted with Islamic Swahili towns.  The earliest towns were mostly of earth and thatch residences, but their important structures—mosques, stonehouses, and ports—were built of coral and stone.Trade connected interior Africa with India, Arabia, and the Mediterranean from the 11th-16th centuries.   Swahili Trading Communities The largest Swahili culture stonehouse communities, so named for their distinctive stone and coral structures, are all within 12 mi (20 km) of the eastern coast of Africa. The majority of the population involved in the Swahili culture, however, lived in communities that were made up of houses of earth and thatch. The entire population continued an indigenous Bantu fishing and agricultural lifestyle but were undeniably altered by outside influences brought about the international trade networks. Islamic culture and religion provided the underlying basis for the construction of many of the later towns and buildings in the Swahili culture. The focal point of Swahili culture communities were the mosques. Mosques were typically among the most elaborate and permanent structures within a community. One feature common to Swahili mosques is an architectural niche holding imported bowls, a concrete display of the power and authority of local leaders. Swahili towns were surrounded by walls of stone and/or wooden palisades, most of which date to the 15th century. Town walls may have held a defensive function, although many also served to deter coastal zone erosion, or simply to keep cattle from roaming. Causeways and coral jetties were built at Kilwa and Songo Mnara, used between the 13th and 16th centuries to facilitate the access to ships. By the 13th century, the towns of the Swahili culture were complex social entities with literate Muslim populations and a defined leadership, linked to a wide-reaching network of international trade. Archaeologist Stephanie Wynne-Jones has argued that the Swahili people defined themselves as a network of nested identities, combining indigenous Bantu, Persian, and Arabic cultures into a unique, cosmopolitan cultural form. House Types The earliest (and later non-elite) houses at Swahili sites, perhaps as early as the 6th century CE, were earth-and-thatch (or wattle-and-daub) structures; the earliest settlements were built entirely of earth and thatch. Because they are not easily visible archaeologically, and because there were large stone-built structures to investigate, these communities were not fully recognized by archaeologists until the 21st century. Recent investigations have shown that settlements were quite dense across the region and that earth and thatch houses would have been a part of even the grandest stone towns. Later houses and other structures were built of coral or stone and sometimes had a second story. Archaeologists working along the Swahili coast call these stonehouses whether they were residential in function or not. Communities that had stonehouses are referred to as stonehouse towns or stonetowns. A house built of stone was a structure that was both a symbol of stability and a representation of the seat of trade. All-important trade negotiations took place in the front rooms of these stonehouses, and traveling international merchants could find a place to stay. Building in Coral and Stone The Swahili traders began building in stone and coral shortly after 1000 CE, expanding existing settlements like Shanga and Kilwa with new stone mosques and tombs. New settlements along the length of the coast were founded with stone architecture, particularly used for religious structures. Domestic stonehouses were slightly later, but became an important part of Swahili urban spaces along the coast. Stonehouses often are nearby open spaces formed by walled courtyards or compounds with other buildings. Courtyards could be simple and open plazas, or stepped and sunken, like at Gede in Kenya, Tumbatu on Zanzibar or at Songo Mnara, Tanzania. Some of the courtyards were used as meeting places, but others may have been used to keep cattle or grow high-value crops in gardens. Coral Architecture After about 1300 CE, many residential structures in the larger Swahili towns were built of coral stones and lime mortar and roofed with mangrove poles and palm leaves. Stonemasons cut porites coral from living reefs and dressed, decorated, and inscribed them while still fresh. This dressed stone was used as a decorative feature, and sometimes ornately carved, on door and window frames and for architectural niches. This technology is seen elsewhere in the Western Ocean, such as Gujarat, but was an early indigenous development on the African Coast. Some coral buildings had as many as four stories. Some larger houses and mosques were made with molded roofs and had decorative arches, domes, and vaults. Swahili Towns Primary centers: Mombasa (Kenya), Kilwa Kisiwani (Tanzania), Mogadishu (Somalia)Stone towns: Shanga, Manda, and Gedi (Kenya); Chwaka, Ras Mkumbuu, Songo Mnara, Sanje ya Kati Tumbatu, Kilwa (Tanzania); Mahilaka (Madagascar); Kizimkazi Dimbani (Zanzibar island)Towns: Takwa, Vumba Kuu, (Kenya); Ras Kisimani, Ras Mkumbuu (Tanzania); Mkia wa Ngombe (Zanzibar island) Selected Sources Chami, Felix A. Kilwa and the Swahili Towns: Reflections from an Archaeological Perspective. Knowledge, Renewal and Religion: Repositioning and Changing Ideological and Material Circumstances among the Swahili on the East African Coast. Ed. Larsen, Kjersti. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitututet, 2009. Print.Fleisher, Jeffrey, et al. When Did the Swahili Become Maritime? American Anthropologist 117.1 (2015): 100–15. Print.Fleisher, Jeffrey, and Stephanie Wynne-Jones. Ceramics and the Early Swahili: Deconstructing the Early Tana Tradition. African Archaeological Review 28.4 (2011): 245–78. Print.Wynne-Jones, Stephanie. The Public Life of the Swahili Stonehouse, 14th–15th Centuries AD. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32.4 (2013): 759–73. Print.Wynne-Jones, Stephanie, and Adria LaViolette, eds. The Swahili World. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2018. Print.