The Problem of Moral Judgment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Problem of Moral Judgment - Essay Example It is reality beyond suspicion that every political establishment and social set up observes some specific code of law that permits or prohibits the actions of the people, violation of which declares the law breakers as offenders and punishment and penalties are inflicted upon them. Nevertheless, moral values maintain imperative worth everywhere in the world and no society can do away without moral values altogether. Consequently, moral judgment has been debatable subject for theorists, scholars, intellectuals and philosophers since ever. The theorists are in conflict regarding the evaluation of moral judgment. One group of the scholars, led by Sir Bertrand Russell, views moral judgment as entirely the outcome of one’s personal opinion about the goodness or evil of an action i.e. subjectivism, while the other school of thought, led by Blanchard, views moral judgment to be based on objectivism, where it is estimated on the foundation of universal morality and truthfulness, and thus it has no relation with the personal yardstick to measure whether an act or intention is virtue and right or vice and wrong. Hence, conflict of opinion makes moral judgment a problem to be solved in an intellectual manner. Renowned philosopher Ewing is an arch supporter of the idea of objectivism. He is of the opinion that a person cannot be wrong in making statement regarding moral judgment, and thus his views are valid and accurate that must be accepted to be true and apposite one. Moral judgment is a complex phenomenon; consequently it cannot be made by everyone without analyzing the available facts and figures. On the contrary, scholars and intellectuals endorse their statements to accept or reject its validity. No Continuity/Unity to Subjective Agreements: Ewing has explained his argument in six points in favor of the opinion he has made while defining moral judgment, where he submits to state that it seldom occurs in real life while

Not Real Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not Real Apology - Essay Example Although both Lewinsky and Clinton initially both refuted the affair before a grand jury. They eventually admitted to the affair on national television. Clinton later on apologized to his family, the American people and to God for the affair. By conducting a rhetorical analysis of the speech that was given by President Clinton as he apologized, this paper will seek to argue that President Clinton did not want to make an apology to his family and country. An analysis of President Clinton’s speech in his apology reveals some elements that hint at the probability that President Clinton did not really want to apologize to his family and America. These elements include: In his speech, President Clinton alludes to the fact that he had just finished testifying before both the grand jury and the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC). He mentioned that although he had answered the questions in a truthful manner, he had answered a number of questions pertaining to his own private life; questions which he points out no American citizen would ever want to answer. This statement hints at the fact that President Clinton might have been forced to answer a number of questions which he was not quite comfortable with answering. The opening statement also suggests that it is quite possible that Clinton was using the speech not as an apology, but as a means to denounce the OIC and the Grand Jury for the fact that he had been forced to answer a number of private questions pertaining to himself. This position is further strengthened by the fact that in his next paragraph, Clinton does not apologize but instead argues that during a deposition that had been conducted in January, although he had not volunteered any information, his answers during the deposition had been legally accurate. Clinton does not apologize for his relationship with Miss Lewinsky but instead terms it as having been wrong. Immediately after terming the relationship as a personal

Ludwig Van Beethoven Composer History Essay

Ludwig Van Beethoven Composer History Essay Beethoven has always been one of my favor composers. I have heard a lot about him. I used to go to the opera house in Manhattan each time they had something about Beethoven. I listen to his music from NPR at nights. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to fully research this musician. It is just something about his music that I admire, especially symphony # 5 (Emperor Concerto, 1809). I never knew what it is about, but I know that I like it. It is a privilege to finally have the opportunity to research Beethoven. I like classical music. In fact, this is the reason why I took this class. In this research, I will give a brief illustration about Beethovens life, his works, deafness, sickness, and his death. According to Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire, 2006, Ludwig van Beethoven was a composer and a musician. He was born in December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He later died in March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. Beethoven was born in a family that was musician. His grandfather was a musical director at a court in which his father was a singer there. In fact, Beethoven has the same name as his grandfather. Therefore, it was in his genes to be a musician. Consequently, the source stated that his family began to train him to be a court musician as well. Beethoven became a composer not just by his own will but, by following his familys foot step. According to World Eras 2002, (Vol. 9) his parents wanted him to start music lessons at the age of 4. He rejected that idea. World Eras 2002, (Vol. 9) also stated that Beethoven did not have any motivation for music in his early childhood. Nevertheless, he took music classes and proceeded with his duties at the court as his parents had wanted him to. At the court, Beethoven had many duties and responsibilities as he proceeded with his musical professional there. His responsibilities included to play viola in the orchestra and organ in the chapel. For opera performances, his job was to accompany rehearsals and coaches singers. Beethovens passions for music began to develop. As a result, in 1787, Beethoven decided to advance his career. Consequently, he went to Vienna, Austria to study music with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Within a short period of time of being there, he founded himself in an unpredictable situation. He had been informed that his mother was ill. For that reason, it was essential for him to return to Bonn due to his mothers illness. At the age of seventeen, Beethoven got greater responsibilities then just learning about music. He had to grow-up fast and become an adult. World Eras 2002 stated that after the dead of his mother, his father became an alcoholic. As a result, he had to take care of his two younger brothers. Nevertheless, Beethoven never let any of his obstacles impair him from becoming what he wanted to be in his career. By the age of twenty one, he produced two cantatas, three piano sonatas, and three piano quartets (piano and strings). He was on his way to become the greatest musician and composer of all time. In November 1792, Beethoven left Bonn again and went to Vienna. He stayed there for the rest of his life. In Vienna, he worked as a pianist. He gave piano and composition lessons. He conducted and performed his music at private and public concerts. He sold his composition to publishers in Vienna, Germany, later in England and Paris as well. He also composed on commission too. According to World Eras 2002, by 1795, Beethoven was the world most popular composer and pianist in Vienna. His concerts were very financially successful, which help him to tour other cities in Europe as well. He sold a lot of his pieces to publishers. People were even competing to buy his works. World Eras 2002, confirmed that at one point, Beethoven didnt have to negotiate for prices any more. He just had to say his prices and that was it. People would purchase his music for whatever prices. Beethoven had a passion for what he did. He went behind financial success. His enthusiasm was not just about money. He was obsessed with his music. He was able to compose pieces after pieces. World Eras 2002 stated that Beethoven lived completely for his music. He would produce three to four pieces at the same time. In addition to Beethovens passion for music, he also had an obsession for drinking alcohol. According to the Macmillan Encyclopedia, Beethoven was born in an alcoholic family. His father and his grandmother both died from alcohol. So, for Beethoven, I think drinking alcohol was a genetic behavior for him. In Beethovens later years of life, it is reported that he used to drink very heavily. He used to drink every single day. In fact, the article indicated that Beethoven would drink at least one bottle of wine with his diner. So, the drinking problem started to manifest itself by attacking Beethovens health. Consequently, his doctor advised him to stop drinking or drink in moderation. However, Beethoven never stopped. Therefore, his health was at risk. He started to get sick. Unfortunately, Beethoven health started to be his biggest enemy. He was chronically ill. World Eras 2002 also stated that Beethoven was diagnosed with gastrointestinal disorder, respiratory disorder, headaches, and rheumatism. The worst part of his sickness was becoming deaf. For a musician, I think it is a major obstacle. Ludwig van Beethoven was a determine person even deafness couldnt stop him from what he loves to do. In fact, this is when his music was at its best. Yes, he had to wear hearing aids, but that did not affect him until he got to the point of no return. This is when he went completely death. His hearing never got any better even when he tried home remedies that friends had suggested to him. By the time he conducted his ninth symphony in 1824, he was totally deaf. The obstacle of been deaf and been a conductor was overwhelmed for Beethoven. Nevertheless, he managed to continue his work. The Macmillan Encyclopedia 2003 reported that Beethoven used to place his ear near the piano when he was playing so that he can sense the vibration of different notes. Beethoven hearing problems started when he was 28 years old. Sadly, the problem got worst and left him completely deaf by the age of 44. In the medical field, hearing loss or deafness can be due to several aspects such as loud noise, loud music, and genetic disorder, injury to the ears or the head. However, in Beethovens case, Medical Historians were not certain of how Beethoven became deaf. Some article such at Deafness and Hearing Loss believes that it was due to nerve damages and damages done to the bones in his ears. By the time Beethoven conducted his ninth symphony, he was totally deaf. According to a lot of people, the ninth symphony was one of his greatest successes of work. According to The Macmillan Encyclopedia 2003, His symphony # 9 was a combination of his work from early 1793 and late 1823. He combined these pieces to create a master piece. This master piece took him almost 6 years to finish. During the performance of this symphony, he was never aware of the audiences reaction. In fact, one of his soloists had to make him turn to face the audience so that he can see all the applauses from the audience. The audience was mesmerized by his work. This was in fact Beethovens last piece of work. Beethoven suffered with many illnesses before he died. One of the major medical problems that he had, which was visible to the public eyes was distended abdomen. Abdominal distention is the swollen of the abdomen that make it big and hard. So, Beethoven was eager to seek for help. Consequently, he went to extensive operations to relieve the fluid out. However, none of those operations were successful. On March 24, 1827, Beethoven went into a coma. By March 26, he was death. According to Francois Martin Mai (2008), some believe the cause of his death was due to liver disease. Others believed it was lead poisoning, syphilis, infectious with hepatitis, and the list goes on. According to Beethovens autopsy, which was done by Dr. Johann Wagner on March 27, 1827, it was understood that the composer died of cirrhotic and shrunken liver. According to Medical Surgical Nursing 2013, cirrhotic is a disease of the liver. It is due to chronic reaction to hepatic inflammation and necrosis. The book stated that the most common causes for cirrhosis are hepatitis C, D, alcoholism, and biliary obstruction. Nevertheless, people were still debating that his liver damage was due to heavy drinking of alcohol. Back then, alcohol was believed to be contaminated with heavy metals. However, many researchers today belied that Beethoven died of sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disorder of unknown cause that can affect any organ of the body, Medical-Surgical Nursing 2013. According to Dr. Tom Palferman a rheumatologist and an amateur cellist, who reported in the Sunday Times, this is the cause of Beethovens death. The newspaper stated that Dr. Tom had spent over 10 years researching the cause of Beethovens death before he came-up with this diagnosis. He believes that Beethoven died of sarcoidosis disease, which affected hearing and destroyed the liver. As a nursing student, I do see the correlations between the two factors. However, In Dr.s Tom report, there are no evidences to persuade me enough as of these two are the only final facts. There are several types of sarcoidosis such as pulmonary, occult, verrucous, nodular, and fibroblastic sarcoidosis. He never stated what types of sarcoidosis he found in Beethoven. Moreover, sarcoidosis always has some kind of effect on the lungs. The patient might have minor signs and symptom s such as coughing, but there will be something of that nature due to the lymph nodes that the disease attacks. In fact, any system of the body has the potential to suffer the effect of sarcoidosis. In addition, chemical study of Beethoven hair tends to direct people that he had died of lead poisoning. According to PR newswire October 17, 2000, a group of researchers from Hearth Research Institution conducted a four year research to solve the mystery of Beethovens death. The article stated that the researchers had found high level of concentrated leads in eight strands of Beethovens hair. The American Beethoven enthusiasts purchased Beethovens hair in 1994 through the Sothebys in Lyndon for that purpose. The organization proceeded by hiring a high qualify doctor by the name of Dr. William Walsh for the analyses. Dr Walsh was also the director of the Health Research Institution where the analysis was conducted. The result of this analysis was about to become a huge matter in the history of the cause of Beethovens death. In fact, Dr Walsh decided that a press conference was the best way to announce the results. As he proceeded with the conference, he started by informing the public of the signs and symptoms that Beethoven had prior to his death. According to independent analysis, it is proven that Beethoven death is due to plumbism. Plumbism is another term for lead poisoning. But, the analysis did not believe that lead poisoning was the cause of Beethovens deafness. On the other hand, some believe that lead poison was never a cause of his death. According to the New York Time, May 29, 2010, lead poison experts from Mount Sinai school of Medicine in New York tested Beethovens skull. The skull that they tested happened to be the same piece that has been tested in several occasions. The researcher, Dr. Andrew C. Todd report showed that Beethoven skull had no more lead than in the average persons skull. He stated that Beethoven was not exposed to long-term high level of lead. He concluded that Beethoven did not die of lead poisoning. In fact, Dr. Todd suggested that people should stop looking at lead poisoning as a major factor in Beethovens death. So, the question remains, what really killed Beethoven? Regardless of what killed him, Beethoven remains one of the most famous and influential musician and composers of all time. The role that he plays in music can never be replaced. He still plays a crucial figure in the transition between classical and romantic eras in western art of music today. I like Beethoven because his works represents the symbol of strengths, courage, and power. How can you compose music when you cant hear it? This is the power of faith in him. It was unfortunate that he had to die prematurely. Nevertheless, his works will live for evermore. Beethoven was not perfect. He had faults just like other people. As human beings, this is what we do. Unfortunately, some of us choose the wrong path of life without thinking of the consequences. The reasons why people do those thing sometime is unpredictable. A lot of researchers will continue to predict why Beethoven used to drink heavily, why he did a lot of the things he did. But, no one will never really know the true behind any of those things.

John Locke On Property Essay example -- Empiricists, Empiricism

In the Second Treatise of Government by John Locke, he writes about the right to private property. In the chapter which is titled â€Å"Of Property† he tells how the right to private property originated, the role it plays in the state of nature, the limitations that are set on the rights of private property, the role the invention of money played in property rights and the role property rights play after the establishment of government.. In this chapter Locke makes significant points about private property. In this paper I will summarize his analysis of the right to private property, and I will give my opinion on some of the points Locke makes in his book. According to Locke, the right to private property originated when God gave the world to men. Locke makes the argument that when God created the world for man, he gave man reason to make use of the world to the best advantage of life, and convenience. What he means by that is, that God made this world for man, and when he made it he gave man the right to use what is in this world to his benefit. Locke explains that every man has property in his own person, and that nobody has any right to that property but that person. The author states that â€Å"whatsoever then he removes out of the state of nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath mixed his labour with, and joined to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property (Locke pg. 19)†. What Locke means by that statement is that once a person removes something o...

Teen Pregnancy by de Anthony Hall

The numbers of teen pregnancy are rapidly increasing due to mainly unsafe sexual behavior. Without the use of the protection, not only one STD’s a threat, but pregnancy hit hand. Teenagers these days take for granted the materials available to avoid getting into these predicaments. They do not realize at the moment the situations and consequences they would have while they are just living in the moment. How can society prevent the growing rate of teen pregnancy and help those who do become pregnant?Teen pregnancy is closely linked to a host of other critical social issues — poverty and income, overall child well-being, out-of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, health issues, education, child welfare, and other risky behavior. There are also substantial public costs associated with adolescent childbearing. Consequently, teen pregnancy should be viewed not only as a reproductive health issue, but as one that works to improve all of these measures.Simply put, if more children in this country were born to parents who are ready and able to care for them, we would see a significant reduction in a host of social problems afflicting children in the United States, from school failure and crime to child abuse and neglect. (www. thenationalcampaign. org) As a teen, finding out that you are pregnant is a life-changing and scary event. As a parent, finding out your teen is pregnant can both shock you and cause despair as you wonder, now what? Before this ever happens, you can help your teen learn important lessons on how to prevent teen pregnancy.Unfortunately, teen pregnancy is a nationwide problem. However, there are programs set up through the government and other organizations aimed at prevention. (www. pregnantteenhelp. org) In the United States, about one third of all births in recent years have been to unmarried women. Of teenagers who become pregnant, 26% have abortions, 22% marry before childbirth, and 52% have out-of-wedlock births, resulting in single-pregnant families (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2006). The rate of births to teenagers in the United States is among the highest in the world at 45. births per 1,000 females in the 15-to-19 age group (Health in Schools 2002), but since 1991 the rate has been dropping slowing with a 45% drop for African Americans teens. Society could help prevent the growing rate of teen pregnancy and help those who do become pregnant by opening up more health clinics, household and stability, and sex education. A health clinic is an excellent way to prevent teen pregnancy. They could give you the items a teen need to help prevent pregnancy. Such as condoms, birth control, and monthly check ups. Another way to prevent teen pregnancy is household and stability.If teens communicated with their parents this would be another great way to prevent pregnancy because they would teens would be comfortable talking to their parents about sex and what’s the consequences if they do chooses to have sex as a teen. Lastly, sex education is one of the best ways to prevent teen pregnancy. If teens have the information about sex and having kids, they would not want to have any sexual actives. They would learn about birth, STD’s, and the consequences of having a child being a teen. Such as trying to raise the child, health care, money, and support from family or friends.Teens that get pregnant sometimes don’t think about what’s going to happen in the long run. Most teens want have kids because they think it’s cool or popular, but not thinking they are hurting themselves. By their education because if you have a child coming out of high school you may don’t continue your education and go to college and that’s the last thing a new born needs a parent with no education. I believe that teen pregnancy is not the right choice in life because teens shouldn’t try to be adults at an early age because the lack of support.Teens should have the proper e ducation by graduating from high school and going to a university or a higher level education. Teen parents can’t rely on the government to support them their whole life. Now in the year 2010, teens are having children and can’t take care of themselves. Some are living off their parents and I believe that they are hurting their life. It’s mainly teens coming from urban areas. To prevent teen pregnancy I would seek help. I would go to the health clinic, talk to my parents, and make sure I have safe sex. I wish that many people thought the same as me but I know some people are against abortion and prolife.

Nancy’s coffee case study Essay

As the busy president of the $7 million Nancy‟s Coffee Cafà © chain, Beth WoodLeidt wasn‟t able to visit each of their thirty suburban coffee shops as much as she would have liked. Whenever she did journey out like she was doing today, it was with a passion for building brand and enhancing profitability. Beth approached one of her more challenging locations—in a mall in central New York— and surveyed the space with a practiced eye. †¦that front table needs a wipe†¦ the display shelves are dusty†¦the OneCard holder is hidden behind the tip jar†¦isn’t it too early in the day to be out of plain bagels?†¦ She greeted the staff that she knew warmly, introduced herself to new faces, and ordered a cappuccino from a slightly nervous young hire at the counter. As the teenager set about to whip up the best coffee drink of her brief career, Beth took the manager aside to offer a quick rundown on areas for improvement. Beth was just finishing up with her quality assessment when her cell phone buzzed with a call from a former corporate colleague that she had often confided in about the challenges of running a retail business. Beth took a sip of her frothy brew, winked her approval to the relieved girl who had brewed it, and headed out into the mall to chat. When her friend noted that Beth sounded tired, the forty-year-old CEO closed her eyes and nodded into the phone: Gosh, I am tired! Remember about a year ago I started saying that I wanted to figure out where this business was going? Well, I’m still asking the same questions like, how can we attract the capital we would need to grow faster; what is the best exit strategy to shoot for; and what is the best way to enhance the value of what we are building? Sure, we’ll add another two more stores this year, but that’s just not doing it for me. It’s early winter, 2003—and that means I’ve now been running this thing now for over ten years. And, as you know, the story hasn’t really changed; we’re still too small to be acquired, not valuable enough to be worth selling outright, and yet the business is large enough to need someone thinking about it almost all the time; yes, that would be me. We’ve hit a bit of a long plateau here; it’s passed time to make some critical decisions. From Nuts to Beans In 1973, Nancy Wood—then a 36-year-old mother of three—founded a mall-kiosk business to sell dried fruit and nuts. When demand for that fare appeared to be softening, she began the search for a more viable product line. After connecting with master coffee roaster Irwin White at a fancy-food trade show in 1978, she decided to turn her lifelong passion for great coffee into a new business. Nancy‟s eldest daughter, Beth, recalled that the concept was a bit ahead of its time: My mother took her kiosks and slowly began to convert them over to coffee bars she had named the Coffee Collection. She started introducing Kenyan and Columbian coffees, but people responded ‘no way; there is Folgers, and there’s Maxwell House, and Dunkin’ Donuts.’ It was a very strange thing to many people who were being asked to pay a whole dollar for a single cup of coffee—or told they could grind their own fresh-roasted beans at home. They looked at my Mom like she was nuts. In those days it was very much about educating the consumer. By the late 1980s, Nancy‟s son Carter and her daughter Roxanne had joined the venture full-time. While Beth had been contributing to the effort by periodically reviewing the aggregate financials for her mother, she had never taken much interest in the enterprise. So it was, with her mother‟s blessing and encouragement, that Beth earned her BS at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and soon began a rewarding management career in consumer product marketing. Newly married, Beth happily immersed herself in the busy corporate world of high-profile projects and after-hours brainstorming sessions—first with Pepsico, and later, with Johnson & Johnson: I loved the work. I had a good salary, a 401K, stock options, bonus check, company car, great suits; I am loving life. Then suddenly, everything changed! Into the Family Business In 1993, Beth took a leave of absence from J&J to return home and help sort through the heartache and turmoil that followed her mother‟s death from cancer at the age of 56. Sandy Wood had inherited his wife‟s business, but made it clear that if his kids were not interested in keeping the small chain going, then he would either try to sell the sites or liquidate the assets. Operating on the assumption that she would be returning to her corporate job once they had closed the doors on her mother‟s enterprise, Beth carefully examined the financials and visited each of the seven locations to estimate what they might be worth. In the course of that investigation, Beth realized that her mother had developed a solid business model within a largely untapped niche—suburban shopping malls—and she was drawn to the possibilities. Her husband Bill recalled that when Beth asked him to join her in the venture, it didn‟t take much convincing: I was running a division of Bell Atlantic in Pennsylvania at the time. Beth and I had worked together much earlier in our lives; I had really enjoyed that. I have always figured that if two married people were meant to work together, it was Beth and I. We get along very well, and we both know our own place in the sandbox. One of the issues that we discussed was that one of our egos would have to get checked at the door. I was a leader where I was working before, but I understood that this was Beth’s family’s business, and that she was now going to be the face of The Coffee Collection, now named Nancy’s Coffee. With equal amounts of sadness, trepidation and excitement, Beth informed J&J that she would not be returning. Her father was pleased, and said that he would divest his interest in the business by annually gifting equal shares to his three children. As the new CEO of Nancy‟s Coffee, Beth set a course for growth. The Specialty Coffee Industry The Green Dragon, a Boston coffeehouse founded in 1697, became the clandestine headquarters of the American Revolution. It was there, in 1773, that the Boston Tea Party was planned as a protest against the tea taxes being levied by King George on his colonies. By the time the British and the colonists had settled accounts, coffee had become the hot beverage of choice in America. Throughout the 19th century in the U.S., neighborhood coffeehouses proliferated, and home-roasting coffee became a common practice. The industrial revolution, however, fostered a demand for quicker, cheaper, and easier caffeine solutions. With the advent of vacuum packaging and modern transportation, it became possible for a roaster on one side of the country to sell to a retailer on the other side. As with many other food products, quality was compromised to accommodate mass production and efficient distribution. By the 1940s, the coffeehouses had disappeared, and Americans had been sold on the idea that fresh coffee went „woosh‟ when the can was opened. In 1950, William Rosenberg founded Dunkin‟ Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts. While his donut shop took pride in serving what they called the â€Å"World‟s Best Coffee†, it would be twenty more years before U.S. consumers could purchase a truly high-end cup. In the early 1970s, a small cadre of coffee aficionados began to offer a unique brew made from hand-picked beans; fresh-roasted in small batches. Peets, founded on the West Coast by legendary coffee idealist Alfred Peet, quickly set the standard for superb coffee. In Seattle, Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Ziv Siegl, named their coffee shop business Starbucks, after the coffee-loving first mate in Moby Dick. On the East Coast, George Howell was building his chain of Coffee Connection shops in the Boston area. New Yorker Irwin White began making a name for himself supplying fresh-roasted grounds to some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. San Franciscan coffee broker Erna Knutsen coined the term Specialty Coffee, and in 1985, helped to found the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America). SCAA membership grew steadily as these coffee pioneers—Nancy Wood included— developed dynamic, profitable business models by proactively educating American consumers about fine coffee. By the time Beth took the helm of her mother‟s business in 1993—the same year that Starbucks had gone public—upscale consumers had developed a real taste for an excellent brew. Growth without Sharks Beth and her management team undertook an aggressive search for retail space. To facilitate that process, they worked almost exclusively with the regional mall management companies that had been doing business with their mother for years. Beth explained that this path was chosen in part as a way of dodging a direct confrontation with the powerhouse sweeping in from the west: Starbucks had clearly stated that as they came east they were going to do cities like Philadelphia, Boston, DC and Manhattan in a big way. We really didn’t know how to play in that kind of shark tank, so we figured that we’d let Starbucks have that, and play the suburban card. And at the time, that was low-hanging fruit. Clearly stated or not, one of Beth‟s first meetings after coming on board concerned a regional mall lease that Starbucks had been considering for awhile. During that meeting Beth suddenly realized how happy she was to be free of the inefficient, multi-layered bureaucracies that characterized much of corporate America: There were two leases on the table; a Starbucks lease, and one for Nancy’s Coffee. The woman said that the Starbucks lawyers had had the lease for six months—but she was willing to wait. I said, ‘Look, do you want Starbucks, or do you want a leased space?’ When she said, ‘A leased space’, I said, ‘Give me the pen.’ That lease is up next year, and I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Beth noted that Starbucks wasn‟t the only coffee vendor shying away from space in enclosed malls: Establishing your brand in mall locations is not, quite frankly, a strategy for the faint of heart. Managing a mall shop is a difficult business, and it costs a lot of money. That worked for us in a way, since newcomers would get scared off by the idea of paying something like $100,000 a year in rent, when they could be paying $2,000 a month for a Main Street space in ‘Anytown, USA’. The team had learned through their mother‟s experience, however, that these pricey mall locations offered an advantage that few suburban in-town settings could match; a captive base. Mall Sales Throughout the 1990s, Nancy‟s Coffee and its suburban-model competitors like Peets and Caribou had the luxury of being able to choose locations where no other specialty coffee shops were operating. Beth explained that this monopolistic positioning was especially advantageous in a setting with high overhead and two distinct customer groups: Our bread-and-butter customer is the mall employee—the three to five hundred people who come to the mall every day to work. If you can get them to try, you can get them to repeat. Then, obviously, we have our transient customers; the shoppers. We have squarely positioned ourselves to cater to stroller moms; mothers with time on their hands, and kids to entertain. They come to the mall for something to do; they may not always buy, but they always have to eat. So we have lots of cookies, apple juice, and bagels on hand for the little ones, which helps us get the mom for her cappuccino. In a move to foster a loyal base of customers, in January 2002, Nancy‟s contracted with Paytronix—a nascent venture that had developed a swipe-card with both payment and loyalty program capabilities. Beth noted that the One Card system (See Exhibit 1) went well beyond the paper cards used by a variety of food-retailers to encourage repeat business: This is like an electronic punch card that also functions as a debit card— either by putting in a cash balance or by pre-paying for product. For example, we have this one guy—an eyeglass store manager at a mall in New Hampshire—who shells out $150 on the first of each month to buy the 85 cappuccinos he knows he’s going to drink over the next thirty days. We get his money up front, and he gets our $3 drink for less than $2. If you can get mall employees to buy a One Card membership for a dollar a year, they’re going to come to you every day, since for every nine drinks they get one free—they can even get a jumbo mocha in exchange for nine basic coffees. That’s a drink that we sell for four dollars; free to them, and my cost is about seventy-five cents. The One Card is really a nice competitive advantage. We just had a Starbucks open in Buffalo, one floor below us. Our staff was nervous, but I didn’t understand why. I told them that with the One Card, you already have all of your mall employees in your pocket. It worked; that Starbucks kiosk is struggling. By late 2003, Nancy‟s Coffee shops could be found in over thirty locations from Boston, west to Niagara Falls, and from Nashua, New Hampshire, south to New Jersey (See Exhibit 2). Three of the stores had been acquired from the owner of a four-chain enterprise who had come to the stark realization that running coffee shops was not going to be the road to riches that he had once imagined it would be. Beth recalled that they were able to make significant improvements in the stores that they took under management: When we acquired Cafà © Coffee, their gross margins were running in the low thirties. They had been managing the business from Wellesley, Massachusetts, and no one was going out to visit the stores. From a financial standpoint, we hammered down on the employee hours and on the food costs. That helped to drive their gross margins closer to 50 percent. Operationally, we kept some of their people, but not all. We put some of our own people in who had much different operational standards than the Cafà © Coffee people. At one store, we saw an increase in customer count, and in six months that store went from being in the red to being in the black. Just as Starbucks and Dunkin‟ Donuts never said „never‟ with regard to Mall locations, Beth followed through on an opportunity to develop a street-front location. She was excited about the challenge and the possibilities: There are so many locations that are still looking for high-end coffee bars. The question is; are we as a high-end coffee bar looking for that location? We just opened a store on the street in Manchester, Vermont. My rent there is $1,800 a month. I think it will work, but it will take some time to attract a customer base. If we can find some more good towns like that, I suspect that we will probably do more like that versus more Mall expansions.