Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Why Use Bitcoins Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Why Use Bitcoins - Research Paper Example An answer is proposed to the twofold spending issue fusing distributed system. Bitcoins includes arrange timestamps exchanges by framing a record that can't be adjusted without re-trying the evidence of-work. The longest chain unmistakably demonstrates that it started from one of the biggest pool of CPU quality, and furthermore fills in as verification of the succession of occasions saw. In spite of the fact that as long as a large portion of CPU quality is heavily influenced by hubs which are not working together to assault the system, they will produce the longest chain and outpace aggressors. Insignificant structure is required by the system itself. Leaving and rejoining of the system by hubs voluntarily likewise occurs, while messages are communicated on a best exertion premise; additionally the hubs permit the lengthiest verification of-work chain as proof of what occurred in its nonattendance (Andy). Presentation Commerce on the Internet has come to over transfer on budgetary e stablishments filling in as outsiders depended upon to process electronic installments. The framework despite everything experiences the innate shortcomings of the trust based model, however it functions admirably enough for some exchanges. Since money related establishments can't avoid intervening questions, totally non-reversible exchanges can't be regarded conceivable. While constraining the base commonsense exchange size and removing the opportunities for little easygoing exchanges, the expense of intercession builds exchange expenses, and there is a more extensive degree with respect to the expense in the loss of capacity to make non-reversible installments for nonreversible administrations. There is additionally the requirement for trust spreads because of the probability of inversion. While talking with clients for more data than they would some way or another need, Bitcoin traders must be careful about them (Angry). In spite of the fact that Bitcoins have been end up being i mperative in the dissemination of money, they are at times connected with different dangers which help sellers operating at a profit markets. A specific level of extortion is permitted as unavoidable. These costs and cost vulnerabilities can be sidestepped face to face, using physical money, however no such instruments are available to complete installments over an interchanges channel without a confided in party. An electronic installment framework dependent on cryptographic confirmation rather than trust is required, making it workable for any two agreeable partakers to execute straightforwardly with one another, in this way not requiring the administrations of a confided in outsider. Routine escrow components could without much of a stretch be actualized to secure purchasers, since the exchanges which are computationally unfeasible to converse would shield merchants from misrepresentation. In this paper, we study the utilization of Bitcoins as answers for the twofold spending iss ue fusing shared conveyed timestamp server so as to bring forth computational proof of the successive request of exchanges. The framework encouraging Bitcoin exchanges is secured as long as legit hubs as a gathering run more CPU quality than any gathering of assailant hubs cooperating (Chirgwin). Bitcoin for a free society A free society needs a free market while a free market requires a sound type of money. Bitcoin is a type of cash with great properties like pseudonymous, no presumable hood of solidified records, there is no charge-backs and there is exceptionally modest and extremely quick exchange of assets. This is an enormous preferred position over a trade or money just economy. So as to prevail over the long haul, Bitcoin needs the accompanying 3 theories: I. No state control. So, we ought not endeavor to pick up legitimateness for Bitcoin; the state ought not be asked or associated with Bitcoin activities ii. No bank inclusion: We ought not concentrate on interoperability w ith the customary banking

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Humans and Nature

How Religious Belief Connects with Humans And Nature Humans’ relationship towards nature is confused. Phyllis Trible, a notable researcher, makes reference to in her paper A Tempest in a Text : Ecological Soundings in the Book of Jonah that â€Å"Theological language is environmental language† (Trible 189). It proposes that across the board religion has a reflection on the connection between humans’ conviction and nature. Plus, the two principle characters, Arab and Jonah, from the film Moby Dick and the strict book The book of Jonah, their various perspectives on God are appeared in their contrary activities towards nature. ? In the film Moby Dick, Ahab, the commander, is the image of the pioneers driving in the investigation of the incredible nature. He challenges the secretive nature valiantly. Instead of going to God for help when he experiences stood up to and surprising troubles, he accepts that he can defeat each one of those challenges without anyone else and never stops his undertaking. In the film, Pequod, the whaling transport, is trapped in a horrendous tempest. The sails ought to be put down for easing back ship’s speed in a tempest. Starbuck, one of team part, needs to roll a sail, yet Ahab refuses.Ahab solicits all from his mariners to hold cruises firmly. When Starbucks attempts to roll down sails, Arab dangers Starbuck to stop by utilizing a bolt. Ahab immovably keeps doing combating with the nature as far as possible until at last his boat gets by in terrible climate. â€Å"Ahab challenged that Typhoon’s blustering; stood head to head with it and punched away till it hollared ‘quits’! † (Bradbury 158). Through the entire fight with the tempest, Ahab even ridicules at what he experiences. â€Å"Oh, how the divine beings appreciate playing with us. What’s the purpose of the game, I wonder?Sometimes I’m on the very edge of knowing-and afterward they hurl me back in the box† (Bradbury 158). In Ahab’s mind, he is battling against God, and deciding to place his own will above confidence. Ahab trusts himself over the normal world, and right around a divine being. This conviction loans him force and magnificence that make him fight with nature. In the film, Ahab’s determination on pursuing the white whale makes him act like a saint, notwithstanding, his retaliation of whale additionally causes him to exceed on the limit of nature which drives him to the death.To Captain Ahab, the whale represents the shrewdness known to mankind: â€Å"He is a piece of this fiendish game that runs man from the support and menaces him into the grave, Moby Dick is abhorrent multiple times over, in our current reality where insidiousness is normal as ocean water† (Bradbury 90). So it is Ahab’s fate to dispose of it. In the last piece of scenes, Ahab gets no opportunity of slaughtering Moby Dick, yet he takes part in his self destruction intend to cut at the whale: â€Å"To the last I think about thee! from hell’s heart I cut at thee! ; for hate’s purpose I spit my final gasp at thee, however accursed whale! Subsequently! I surrender my lance! (BRADBURY 174). His arrangement to execute Moby Dick seals the sad destiny for himself and the team of the Pequod. At long last the whale speaks to both respectable harmony and startling passing. Plus, in the book, Ahab sees the graves of different mariners kicked the bucket in murdering whales, and he gets forecasts about his passing from Fedallah. Those things not simply happen incidentally to Ahab. Truth be told, it’s the destiny previously made by God attempt to stop Ahab’s activities of executing the whale. The whale is the mix of logical inconsistencies, an image of the universe's wide and riddle of God's limitless awesome force, destiny. ? God controls what we would consider â€Å"fate† in the throwing of the fortune. In The Book of Jonah, Jona h restricts to God’s will and escapes away which brings about a tempest made by the God in his excursion. Jonah jumps on a boat to Tarshish, and he experiences the tempest: â€Å"The Lord, in any case, heaved such incensed breezes toward the ocean that an incredible tempest seethed upon it; the boat anticipated that itself should split up† (1:4). The tempest is incredible to such an extent that all the mariners begin to go to the God for help. also, the Lord, God of Heaven, I revere he who made the ocean, and the dry land as well† (1†10). Despite the fact that Jonah flees from the Lord and has no idea for the otherworldly state of his shipmates; his life despite everything carried them closer to God. Be that as it may, the tempest just deteriorates. Jonah advises mariners so as to revere God, they can quiet the ocean by tossing him into the ocean. â€Å"If you lift me and cast me over the edge, the ocean will quiet its furious against you, for I for one re cognize that this gigantic whirlwind seething against you is all alone account† (1:12).Jonah has almost certainly that his disobedience to God is the reason for the tempest that took steps to sink the boat they are cruising upon. Henceforth, people dread of unforeseen characteristic power and afterward appeal to God for help. In spite of how the white whale makes Ahab insane which result in Ahab’s demise with the whale, the whale in The Book of Jonah changes Jonah’s perspectives toward God and spares him from his wrongdoing. God doesn't place Jonah into death promptly, rather, he conveys a fish. â€Å"The Lord guided an enormous fish to swallow Jonah.Jonah stayed in the tummy of the fish three days and three nights† (2:1). Jonah is powerless in the fish’s stomach and begins to atone and go to God :â€Å" In my difficulty, I bid to the Lord; he answers me†¦ with respect to me, voicing appreciation, I will offer you forfeits; I will satisfy all that I vow† (2: 10). By singing the thanksgiving tune, Jonah begins to be appreciative to God and he understands that he is as yet interfacing with God. God as a forgiving and liberal figure in The Book of Jonah, he spares Jonah from the fish. The Lord addressed the fish and made it upchuck Jonah upon dry land† (2:11). From a natural perspective, Phyllis Trible mollusks in her book â€Å" If the action word ‘swallow’ recommend that fish is an unfriendly domain for Jonah, the action word ‘vomit’suggests that the fish is an antagonistic situation for the fish†¦ In a bulimic exercise the creature of the ocean rejects human fodder† (Trible 190). This biological peril reviews Jonah’s internal impulses to God: â€Å"Yet God raised his life from the Pit, and to this God he rendered thanks† (Trible 190).In different words, The whale just as viewed as â€Å"hostile environment†, speaks to the nature power that given by Go d. It proposes that people ought to consistently hold their confidence to the God, along these lines, God can safeguard people from the threat and excuse their transgressions. At the point when people are building the relationship with nature, on the off chance that they are conflicting with nature they can't get the outcomes they need, rather, on the off chance that they working alongside nature which can really prompts harmony. In the motion pictures, regardless of whether Ahab arranges his group to pursue Moby Dick over and over, the white whale doesn't give up yet appears to counterattack.It assaults the vessels, wrecks the whaling transport and carries a lot of agony to individuals. God’s force and exemplification of equity are appeared through nature. God cautions people that on the off chance that they despite everything decimate nature resolutely, they will be covered by divine nature in the long run. It is hard for people depending on our own inadequate capacity to w in the fight among nature and them. Interestingly, Jonah assume to lecture God’s will to Nineveh, nonetheless, he is from the nation which is vanquished by Nieveh, along these lines he is hesitant to convey God’s message.God places Jonah into threatening condition and needs Jonah to find out about resistance through Jonah’s apologize. Jonah understands his wrongdoing and begin to trust God again which brings about later God spares his life. His admission to God satisfactorily demonstrates that his humans’ resistance has convinced him to surrender his ill will. People can coexist well with nature and they can keep an agreeable relationship with nature. Notwithstanding, keeping the amicable relationship must be founded on human beings’tolerance to nature.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Maladaptive Behaviors to Relieve Anxiety

Maladaptive Behaviors to Relieve Anxiety Panic Disorder Coping Print Maladaptive Behaviors to Relieve Anxiety By Sheryl Ankrom linkedin Sheryl Ankrom is a clinical professional counselor and nationally certified clinical mental health counselor specializing in anxiety disorders. Learn about our editorial policy Sheryl Ankrom Updated on February 24, 2020 Maladaptive Behaviors. Getty Images Credit: Jetta Productions More in Panic Disorder Coping Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions Often used to reduce anxiety, maladaptive behaviors often result in dysfunctional and non-productive outcomes. If you experience frequent panic (anxiety) attacks and have been diagnosed with panic disorder or another anxiety disorder, you may have inadvertently developed maladaptive patterns of behavior to cope with your situation. People with anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, may use alcohol or other substances to cope with fear and anxiety. Studies show that people with anxiety disorders are up to three times more likely to have alcohol or another substance abuse disorder compared to people who dont have anxiety disorders. Abusing alcohol or other drugs to control stress and anxiety is classified as a maladaptive behavior because it provides only temporary relief from anxiety and actually may create more long-term problems. Substance abuse does not fix the underlying problem, and long-term alcohol or drug abuse can lead to tolerance, dependence, and for some, addiction. Tolerance can result from using a drug over an extended time. The result of tolerance is that the drug does not produce the desired effect or the effect is diminished. Tolerance may mean increasing the amount of the drug to produce the desired effect. The physical dependence on a drug often includes tolerance and can be identified by withdrawal symptoms if the drug is abruptly stopped or decreased. The Effects of Alcohol Tolerance Common withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol or other drug dependence may include: AnxietyDiarrhea/stomach upsetInsomniaMuscle crampsHeadacheDecreased concentrationRapid breathingTremorsSeizures Drug addiction is a brain disease with components of physical and psychological dependence. Detoxification may occur during the ending phase of physical dependence, but the psychological component maintains a steadfast hold. The Risks of Using Alcohol to Relieve Anxiety There is no cure for addiction, and maintaining sobriety is usually an ongoing quest for people who have substance use disorders. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, drug addiction differs from drug dependence and drug tolerance. Not all people who develop tolerance or physical dependence on a drug will go on to develop an addiction. It is believed that certain individuals are predisposed or vulnerable to addiction from biological, psychological, and social influences. Getting Help for Substance Abuse Maladaptive behaviors refer to types of behaviors that inhibit a person’s ability to adjust to particular situations. Maladaptive behaviors prevent people from adapting to the demands of life. Initially, excessive use of alcohol or other drugs may appear to provide relief from anxiety, but the long-term effects of substance abuse can be serious. If you have an anxiety disorder and are abusing alcohol or other drugs, you should talk to your doctor or a therapist. A professional who treats anxiety disorders can also help address your substance use. Using substances to self-medicate anxiety symptoms can feel like a fix in the short term, but its more likely to cause distress in the long run. Get Help With the 7 Best Online Anxiety Support Groups

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Cost Of Computer Crime - 1661 Words

Table of Contents Executive summary 2 What is virus/worm? 3 Legal implication 4 What can companies do? 5 What are governments doing? 6 Classic cases 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Executive summary Data security issues are a serious challenge to everybody who utilizes PCs. The ascent of the PC as a typical business apparatus and the Internet as a typical method for business correspondence and trade have also made a situation those criminals with specialized information can adventure to go after the less actually insightful. The cost of computer crime to business in the United States has ascended to $67 billion as per the 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey. Not a day passes by that a PC security adventure or fraud plan stands out as truly newsworthy. The effect too little and medium measured organizations is gigantic. These organizations have minimal measure of assets to use to shield against programmer assaults and they endure a percentage of the biggest net economic effects when defrauded by an assault. The uplifting news is that there are some basic things an entrepreneur can do to extraordinarily decrease the threats of being exploited by a data security failure. Instruction and attention to the most predominant threats to business data and regularly misused security holes can rapidly close the way to a security occurrence. Pretty much as with conventional robbery attempts, the computer anti-socials will first search for the easy way out when attempting to soften up to aShow MoreRelatedEssay about Compu ter Crimes1116 Words   |  5 PagesComputer Crimes Computer crimes are a major issue in the world today. They are taken place in people’s home, office, and in lots of places. A person should be very cautious about the type of personal information that they enter on there someone else’s computer as well as there own. These things could come back to haunt you in the future. Criminal activity where a computer or network is the source, target, place or tool of a crime is what we call computer crime. Some other terms for computer crimeRead MoreThe Problem Of Cyber Crime988 Words   |  4 Pageslimited since, for those investigating or examining cyber-crime must be highly trained specialists, requiring detective and technical skills, including knowledge of various IT hardware and software, and forensic tools. Nevertheless, in the modern world computer or computer related crime makes up a great amount of percentage of all the crimes happiness which is bound to increase. The Office for Victim Assistance ensures that victims of crimes investigated by the FBI are presented the opportunity toRead MoreForensics : A Important Aspect Of Criminal Justice1009 Words   |  5 Pagesaspect of criminal justice. When a crime is committed and there aren’t any witnesses to the crime, forensic evidence may be the only thing that prosecutors have to work with. The u se of forensics also helps identify the perpetrators of various cyber-crimes. Forensic specialists can search databases, IP addresses, and recover documents to determine who is responsible for a crime. As a result, this makes forensic labs a necessary investment for an organization. The cost of establishing a forensic labRead MoreFour Different Types of Crime1515 Words   |  7 PagesCourse Conover: Dr Hennessey Hayes Tutor: Dr Jacqueline Homel Course Code: CCJ15 Course name: Introduction to Crime and Criminology Assessment number: 1 Due Date: 23.04.10 Extension confirmation number: 14177 Student name: Tamara Chatterton Student number: S2736240 This essay will examine four different types of crime. These include: Property, Violent, White-collar and Internet crimes. To examine these in detail this essay will define and explain each one. It will then describe how they are measuredRead MoreInformation Systems : Computer Crime, Human Error, Equipment Malfunction, And Disaster1694 Words   |  7 Pagesaccounting information systems: computer crime, human error, equipment malfunction, and disaster. These threats also induce to user discomfit and misuse of their information that can possible long term problems which may need a lawyer to defuse the problem. Intrusion into the system have greater consequence to all parties that remains involved with the system. Cybercrimes are the most dangerous in the world today. Attacks have numerous way to assess the computer framework. Eavesdropping and malwareRead MoreHacking, Piracy and Virus Creation950 Words   |  4 Pagesthis era of computer advancements and technological breakthroughs Hackers, Computer Pirates and Virus Creators while there actions are similar there motives can differ, Shamus Ford reports.† In today’s society computer crimes such as Hacking, Computer Piracy and Virus Creation are on the rise. The internet is the most common place computer crimes occur with 77% of attacks occurring via the internet while 33% from an internal system. There are a variety of motives for computer crimes. ResearchRead MoreWith The Advancement Of Technology It Has Changed The Entire1631 Words   |  7 Pagesto be expected that technology would cross over into the world of crime. New computer crime has escalated in the past 10 years. As with the advancement of crime it has also made advancements in crime fighting aspect of criminal justice, these advances help criminal justice professionals in the community while on duty and during the investigatory stage. The advent of technology in the criminal justice system has not only changed crime and law enforcement but also changed the way criminal investigationRead MoreCybercrime Is Defined As A Tool Or A Weapon?1361 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Internet using the computer either as a tool or a targeted victim to commit crimes. Cybercrime is difficult to determine and does not have a clear classification system and uses two dimensions. The computer as a tool and the target consist of the first dimension. The second dimension consists of the crime itself: person, property, and victimless/vice (ebook crime) In the first dimension cybercrime is divided into two categories. The first, being the use of the computer as a tool, making the targetRead MoreCyber Crimes Reflected Through Television Programs800 Words   |  4 PagesCyber Crimes Reflected Through Television Programs Cybercrimes are a culture which has facilitated technological criminal efforts to undermine government and private organizations in order to create disruption and panic on a large scale. Today’s television programming takes a series of intelligence type action roles, which prove the impact of post 9/11. Computer crimes have increased nationwide fears. The television series 24 is an action drama featuring a make believe personality known as JackRead MoreCybercrime Bigger Than Terrorism : Cybercrime1275 Words   |  6 Pagesdownside. Anyone using the internet is exposed to the security risks of being part of a large network. The world can now be referred to as the â€Å"Cyber Age.† Computer crime, also known as cybercrime is a crime conducted via the Internet or some other computer network. The computer can be used to perform the crime directly or indirectly or the computer might be the bull’s eye (the target). A cybercrime is performed for many reasons. This gro up of hackers are motivated by the huge number of people online

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Essay about Single-sex education vs. Coeducation - 962 Words

Education has been an important factor of all of our lives for an exceptional amount of time, but unfortunately, America has been falling behind from other nations in their education system compared to other nations (Pahlke 444). Almost all of our public schools in our country are coeducational and only handful of them are single-sex educational schools. Single-sex education should be taken into high consideration for most students to attend because of the benefits they might gain from them. It is important to look at all possible ways to try and better our education system for the benefit of the children and teenagers attending school. The most important years of schooling that provide a solid background for all students would be†¦show more content†¦Another example of students being more focused in single-sex classrooms is when Hoffman, in his article The Effect of Single-Sex Instruction in a Large, Urban, At-Risk High School, mentions: Girls reported SSI as academically p referable because there were fewer disruptions (Parker Rennie, 2002), better opportunities to concentrate on work (Mullholland et al., 2004), and diminished feelings of embarrassment for speaking up in class (Jackson Smith, 2000; McCoy, 1995). Girls also have claimed that they were disadvantaged in CE classrooms (Jackson Smith) and that SSI classes offered more support, less hassle, and less ridicule and teasing from peers (Parker Rennie).(Hoffman 16) It is clearly noted that the students were in fact more focused in the classrooms without the opposite sex being present which substantially will be a major benefit for our country in helping it increase our academic level back to the top or to be even with the countries that our currently ahead of us in that aspect. Not only are the students more focused in the classrooms with single-sex classrooms, but they also feel more comfortable with each other and arent very concerned with the way they look. They dont need to be worrying about impressing anyone because everyone there is of the same gender so it would be a waste of their time if they tried to impress one another. It is common for them to be able to goShow MoreRelatedResearch On Single Sex Education5097 Words   |  21 PagesMichal Adler Ju;y 12, 2015 Education reform is a widely debated topic nowadays in the United States due to the various immediate needs of improvement in the American public school system. These ideas include a common curriculum, higher academic standards and gender equity in schools. These different ideas are discussed to give parents more choices in their child’s education. One fundamental reform idea that is most commonly discussed is coeducation vs single sex education. This paper will explore theRead MoreSingle Gender Schools Are Better1869 Words   |  8 PagesStudent: Zhenyi Lin Course: ENG 108 Professor: Gabriele Bechtel Date: 12/7/2011 Single Gender Schools are Better According to my personal experience, based on the fact I saw, I think, single-sex schools are inferior to traditional coeducation schools. Even though I used to think that traditional coeducation is better, and it is able to provide opportunities for girls and boys to communicate and exchange ideas. I argue that teaching students separately is detrimental, and even harmful to studentsRead MoreSingle-Sex Education and Co-ed Education Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesSingle-Sex Education and Coed Education. The single-sex format creates opportunities that do not exist in the coed classroom. (Edison 1) Researchers are unaware that both genders brains function differently. This lack of knowledge may be why the real truth about single-sex education being more efficient than co-ed education has not been discovered. Some say single-sex education may be the key for a brighter generation. It shows to improve test score dramatically. The number of public schools experimentingRead MoreResearch On Single Sex Education5889 Words   |  24 Pages2015 July 12, 2015 Education reform is a commonly debated topic nowadays in the United States due to the various immediate needs of improvement in the American public school system. These ideas include a common curriculum, higher academic standards and gender equity in schools. These different ideas are discussed to give parents more choices in their child’s education. Two fundamental reform ideas that are most commonly discussed are coeducation versus single sex education. This paper will exploreRead MoreDo Same-Sex High Schools Promote Educational Success?1584 Words   |  7 PagesDo Same-Sex High Schools Promote Educational Success? By Kyle Neugebauer 3/11/2012 In this paper I am going to try to persuade you that same-sex high schools promote educational success. Single-sex education is an old approach that has recently gained new momentum. When we think about single-sex education, we tend to think just about private schools; however, there is a new push to create same-sex education in public schools as well. There are several arguments and statistics I will useRead MoreComparing and Analyzing the Differences Between Co-Ed Schools and Single-Sex Schools2068 Words   |  9 PagesComparing and analyzing the differences between co-ed schools and single-sex schools The issue of single-sex schools versus co-ed schools is very much debated and controversial. There are strong supporters for both sides, giving good and valid arguments. It is an issue with a long history, receiving great attention from the media, researchers, teachers and most of all, parents. Although there are many studies that try to answer this question, the problem will probably continue to exist and beRead MoreSingle Gender Schools Are Better Than Coed Schools1180 Words   |  5 Pages Have you ever wondered if single-gender schools are better than coed schools? Each side has advantages, but there are also disadvantages to them. My thoughts on this subject is coed schools aren’t as supportive and beneficial as single-gender schools. I think this for many reasons, including that single-gender schools improve student collaboration, self-improvement by not worrying about being judged by the breaking down of stereotypes, and teachers can use better teaching techniques when teachingRead MoreSingle Sex vs Mixed School5702 Words   |  23 PagesSingle-sex education, also known as  single-gender education, is the practice of conducting  education  where male and female students attend separate  classes  or in separate buildings or  schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly insecondary education  and  higher education. Single-sex education in many cultures is advocated on the basis of tradition, as well a s religion and is practiced in many parts of the world. |Contents Read MoreThe Issue Of Public Single Sex Education Essay1407 Words   |  6 Pagespublic single-sex education has increased in the recent years as schools are piled with more pressure to increase their grades and keep teaching method fresh. It’s an old approach to the education but its gaining momentum in public schools as it has been the method in most private schools. According to the report by National Association for Single Sex Education, over two hundred public schools across the United States offer single-sex classrooms. Most public schools are venturing into single-sex educationRead MoreSingle-Sex Schooling Causes Stereotyping and Legitimizes Institutional Sexism2404 Words   |  10 PagesThere is a long history of single-sex schooling, in which males and females attend specific classes or schools only with members of their same sex. This separation of genders may be done for educational purposes or in combination with other f actors, such as social interactions that occur between male and female students. There is some support for the idea that single-sex schooling can be beneficial, especially for outcomes related to academic achievement and more positive academic aspirations (Lee

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Sweet Basil Marketing Plan Free Essays

string(43) " getting optimal exposure from the public\." In order to Increase market share and sales, Sweet Basil will target dine-in, take-out, and take-n-bake pizza lovers In the cities of Treated, Rewind, USA, and Monrovia. The strategies for increasing sales are to first penetrate new markets, then increase usage and size of customer orders. This will be conducted through unbeatable value and the finest ingredients that cannot be received anywhere else in the area. We will write a custom essay sample on Sweet Basil Marketing Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now The marketing mix for Sweet Basil will consist of mobile marketing, flyer distribution, a website, social media outlets, television advertising and email newsletters. The objectives for many of these avenues are to provide coupons and discounts as well as gain consumer loyalty. The business does a great Job already with returning patrons so it is time to focus energy on effectively penetrating new markets. Sweet Basil will look to Increase sales by 40% or $110,400 and achieve a market share of 30% In Treated and 20% In the surrounding clues. This will ensure success and will provide a break even before the first 6 months. 2. 0 Situation Analysis Currently, the economic market condition in the united States and California is primarily recession. Overall, the pizza business is doing k. Tit flat sales of about $38 billion for the past 3 years (Kara 2011). Consumers are becoming much more particular when it comes to value and where they spend their hard earned money. Sweet Basil pizzeria is doing quite well during the recession but it is having trouble inquiring new consumers. Prices of flour, produce, and cheese are on the rise so It Is important to Increase business and revenue to cover these associated costs. These forces are uncontrollable In the macro environment along with the rising unemployment from the recession. It is important to instill value and personalized maintain/increase repeat customers. There are many successful dine-in and take- out pizza companies that fail to provide the opportunity for consumers to purchase take-n-bake pizzas. Consumers are going to ultimately purchase from the establishment that provides the best value and quality mixture. Sweet Basil offers dine-in, take-out, and take-n-bake pizzas, leaving the delivery market to competitors. With this in mind, Sweet Basil is very capable of increasing sales with the development of take-n-bake pizzas and a solid marketing strategy. 2. Market Summary Sweet Basil Pizzeria is an extremely reputable pizzeria in the city of Treated, California. Besides being well known, Sweet Basil also maintains a strong competitive advantage with its owner, James Decrease, being a hotel restaurant management graduate from Purdue University and restaurant industry veteran for well over 25 years. James has been able to carefully select his target market due to his extensive industry experience. As mentioned before, the current pizza market is motionless at around $38 billion per year, which isn’t so bad considering worldwide market conditions. Many loyal customers have been moving due to rising foreclosure rates and this hurts return business. An astonishing 93% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month and approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold every year (Hinkle 2009). This leaves plenty of room for competition and growth for Sweet Basil take-n-bake pizzas in the current market. Even though Sweet Basil’s target market demographics is tailored to consumers in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas in southern California, we reserve the right to increase the area if growth is substantial. The average salary of southern California Jobs is $55,000 a year (Simply Hired 2011), which leaves plenty disposable income for the on-the-go working class individual. Many consumers in southern California lead extremely busy lifestyles, which makes it hard to cook for a family. There are currently seven pizza restaurants/parlors in Treated, California. None of these pizza establishments offer take-n-bake pizzas for sale, so the only real competition is frozen pizzas at the super market. Our consumers enjoy high quality pizza with fresh ingredients at an affordable price. This provides incredible value to the customer and a much better alternative to people having to bake store bought frozen pizzas. Sweet Basil provides its customers with an extensive value for their hard earned none. Consumers choose Sweet Basil pizza because we serve their needs through our unique ingredients and fresh homemade sauce and dough. People want more than Just a bland, regular tasting pizza and we tailor our unique blend of basil, garlic, and oregano to pizza lovers throughout the Los Angels area. Sweet Basil serves over 10 different types of specialty pizzas creating enjoyment for all types of palettes. Our pizza can be picked up with no wait and is never sold unless it has been made within 7 days to increase the quality that you’ll find in the frozen section of the super markets. Since no other pizza establishments in Treated offer take-n-bake style pizzas, we will be able to control the market for consumers that are looking for a fresh alternative. Nearly every single frozen pizza brand from Disgorging to Stouffer increased it’s sales in the 52 weeks between summer 2009-2010 (BIB International 2010). Disgorging made the most out of the entire top 10 frozen pizzas in 2010 Digestion’s sales throughout the world, it’s important to notice that they increased sales from 2009 to 2010 and that the market doesn’t show any signs of decreasing. Pizza is an American tradition that most people love to eat and Sweet Basil’s quality ND delicious ingredients create the competitive advantage. 2. 2 SOOT Analysis * Strengths: Sweet Basil’s strengths consist of a number of things currently going into the take-n-bake market. For one, Sweet Basil is the only pizzeria that currently offers take-n-bake pizzas; the competition is very minimal other than store bought frozen pizzas. Second, Sweet Basil has a stellar reputation amongst the surrounding community, catering to schools and businesses reaching new customers daily. Sweet Basil only uses the freshest ingredients and everything is homemade including the bread and delicious sauce. The pizzeria is located in a prime location, right next too Seven-Eleven, getting optimal exposure from the public. You read "Sweet Basil Marketing Plan" in category "Marketing" Weaknesses: Currently there are a couple of solid weaknesses that can cause some undesired hurdles for Sweet Basil’s take-n-bake pizzas. First off, Sweet Basil has not done any marketing yet for the new take-n-bake concept and all of the marketing in the past has been through word of mouth solely. Another weakness is that consumers are already familiar with the competition and that could make it very difficult to market to consumers that haven’t tried Sweet Basil pizza before. Finally, Sweet Basil pizzeria doesn’t have any distribution outlets other than the restaurant located in the city of Treated and delivery is not offered. These issues certainly need to be addressed and solved so that they don’t affect Sweet Basil pizzeria negatively. * Opportunities: While pizza continues to be popular in America, it is evolving. Fierce discounting and coupling by top players has squeezed other pizza Sellers (Kara 2011). This leaves a great opportunity for Sweet Basil to offer coupons and discounts through a variety of medias and advertising. Another opportunity is that the market appears to be very teddy for take-n-bake/frozen pizza purchases. This can certainly provide Sweet Basil with a chance to reap some of the market share with its high quality, affordable pizzas. Second, Sweet Basil’s take-n-bake pizzas don’t use up any additional resources or time than their freshly made take-out or dine-in pizzas, making start up costs insignificant. One possibility in the future could be to contract with grocery store chains to offer frozen pizzas more conveniently to consumers. Sweet Basil can increase revenue by attracting customers that don’t live close to the pizzeria or prefer o make pizzas at their own home. * Threats: Potential threats for Sweet Basil include possible competition from neighboring pizzerias in the area should they decide to start a take-n-bake operation. Another possible threat could be an increase in direct and indirect costs such as electricity for freezing the take-n-bake pizzas. An increase in gas prices could also be a possible threat for sales of pizza because consumers may not be willing to drive to the pizzeria. An increase in labor costs due to the slightly complex routine behind making take-n-bake pizzas ready for customers. 2. Competition As briefly stated earlier, there are currently 5 other pizza restaurants in Treated and we compete for pizza loving customers on a regular basis. These competitors great sum of customers that can be earned with the proper marketing campaign. The seven places to get pizza in Treated are Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Hungry Hosier’s Pizza, Treated Pizza Co. , Little Caesar, Flying Pizza, and Cost (which is Sweet Basil’s only real take-n-bake competition other than grocery store brands). People can purchase freshly made pizza to order at all of these establishments, but these competitors eave not developed a take-n-bake concept yet. This leaves the market wide open for Sweet Basil to compete with better-known chains such as Cost and grocery store brands. The seven pizza establishments in Treated do not pose as much threat to Sweet Basil’s Take-n-Bake pizzas as the store bought brands and Cost pizza. When considering true competition it is important to observe the characteristics of the take- n-bake pizza that Sweet Basil will offer. The pizzas are going to be 16†³ in length, which is fairly large for take-n-bake pizza. This means that single-serve frozen pizza sonnets really pose a significant threat because we are marketing to larger parties and families who are constantly on the go. Sweet Basil’s large 14†³ pizzas will come with a variety of toppings. With this in mind the only store bought competitors that are offered at nearly all super markets are Disgorging, Tombstone, Red Baron, California Pizza Kitchen, Freshest, and Tony’s (BIB International 2011) in order of popularity/sales. The other main competitor that Sweet Basil has to beware of that is gaining popularity is Cost’s take-n-bake frozen pizzas because they offer more rationalized service and quality than the other brands. Cost pizzas are also larger in size (16†³) and cost a little more than the other brands (Cost 2011). 2. Product Offering The new product offering of Sweet Basil Pizzeria is very concise and direct. The take-n-bake pizzas will only be offered in the 14†³ size and will consist of only five different varieties such as pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, vegetarian pizza, Sweet Basil Favorite (all combo toppings), and BBC pizza. All of these pizzas are made with the finest local produce from Mike’s Foods and ingredients provided f rom JACM DOD service distribution. Sweet Basil Pizza will be extremely fresh, having been made within a week from the date of purchase. Customers can feel assured they are getting a high-quality pizza with greater freshness than any other brand currently in the target market. Valued consumers will also be able to call in orders if they require special toppings or especially large orders. Consumers will also be able to purchase packets of our most popular ingredient â€Å"Sweet Basil†, which is a combination of secret spices containing garlic and basil. This mixture is absolutely delicious and makes any pizza caste even better than it normally would. 2. Keys to Success The major factors that will make Sweet Basil a huge success among the competition in the Los Angels area is our stellar personalized service, finest ingredients, competitive price, and homemade sauce/dough recipe. Personalized service and quality/recipes are the main advantages that Sweet Basil Pizzeria is aiming to use as their competitive advantage. Sweet Basil already has a considerable customer dimension from its fourteen years of success and this must keeping up to date with ingredient costs, researching local stores and purveyors to ampere value/price mixtures. According to the National Restaurant Association, the top trend right now is locally grown produce (Stevenson 2010). Sweet Basil only purchases the finest, locally grown produce from Mike’s Foods in Treated. The new take-n-bake product that sweet basil offers is no more expensive than providing it’s everyday to-go pizzas to valued customers. This makes the overall product cost extremely low and creates a major factor in the success of this new idea for Sweet Basil Pizza. The pizza and restaurant business is a difficult industry to tackle; product/industry knowledge is a necessity to succeed. Sweet Basil is always staying familiar and up to date with current practices in order to remain competitive. This factor is something that Sweet Basil will surely continue to practice and exploit. Continued customer satisfaction is a concept that Sweet Basil will continue to present to its valued patrons. 2. 6. Critical Issues As a pre-established company, Sweet Basil maintains an exceptional product, gaining return customers and recognition daily. The major critical issues for Sweet Basil is to: * Gain market exposure- Sweet Basil doesn’t currently spend any money on marketing to Treated or its surrounding cities. Word of mouth from satisfied customers is a great type of free marketing but it doesn’t increase quickly enough. Sweet Basil will now be able to offer a product to customers that live further away; therefore, it should target more customers using different avenues of marketing. Train additional staff- training is a 2-3 month period depending on the speed of the employee and this could slow the business down if not forecasted properly. Since Sweet Basil doesn’t deliver, it is currently run with no more than 2 employees at a time. If customers and sales increase significantly, sustainability will rely on the ark force. New hiring measure may be needed. * Monitoring quality assurance and customer service- the pizzeria must maintain a reputable amount of quality and service in order to ensure that the growth strategy doesn’t Jeopardize the current benchmark. Quality will be monitored by gaining feedback from customers and allowing them to offer suggestions through questionnaires. * Expansion- expanding through the creation of additional parlors in Dearth’s surrounding cities may be a necessity if it proves both profitable and sustainable. This is more off long-term critical issue but must be recognized nonetheless. . 0 Marketing Strategy The primary target for Sweet Basil’s marketing strategy will be towards households and businesses in the cities of Treated, Monrovia, USA, and Rewind. Americans love pizza and it is clear that everyone in these cities should be marketed because of pizza’s popularity and sustained growth throughout past years. For now, Sweet Basil only offers take-out, dine-in, and take-n-bake services to its patrons, which leaves delivery open to competition. Sweet Basil realizes that they can serve 65-70% of Pizza Power Report). Undoubtedly there is a substantial amount of market share that an be earned with the proper market-challenger attack strategies. Sweet Basil anticipates being able to sell more pizza to current customers, sell to market segments that have not previously been targeted, and gain a higher market penetration. Word of mouth advertising has been Sweet Basil’s sole source of advertising for the past fourteen years and now the time has come to try a new initiative to increase growth and profits. Although word of mouth advertising is extremely effective and well trusted from consumers, Sweet Basil finds that most loyal clients did not hear about the pizzeria until the first couple years of residing in Treated. With this in mind, the pizzeria will kick off some new marketing strategies to increase its overall exposure to the businesses and households in its target market. Sweet Basil will look to gain new customers through new-market segment strategies. More consumers need to be aware of Sweet Basil’s unparalleled service and great tasting pizza; word of mouth advertising will not penetrate as many consumers as supplementary advertising. Sweet Basil also looks to engage in encirclement attacks throughout the before-mentioned cities in order to gain exposure into some of the competition’s territory. Finally, Joint partnership advertising will be conducted to decrease overall advertising costs. Paper flyers will be attached to every take-out box, promoting take-n-bake pizza to current patrons, which well result in increased usage. Flyers that include coupons will be served to residential and commercial properties in order to increase new customers. This will help Sweet Basil primarily increase sales over time but will also help in gaining exposure to the target market. A recent study shows that 46% of pizza consumers report that coupons or promotions influence where they decide to purchase their pizza (Barrett, 2010 Pizza Power Report). If these statistics prove to be true, Sweet Basil will surely be able to earn new business amongst the community. Sweet Basil will also exploit other forms of integrated marketing communications through website development, mass SMS marketing to loyal patrons, and usage of social media platforms. The website will allow consumers to view the menu and leave comments, questions, and concerns, which will be viewable for everyone to see. Catering is a huge source of Sweet Basil’s success and consumers will be able to navigate through catering options and information. People will also be able to add themselves onto the weekly email that will be sent out to include coupons and special promotions. This will help Sweet Basil in obtaining more market exposure to current and new clientele. â€Å"With so many people now using the Internet to search for products and services it is now acknowledged that having a business website is Just about as essential as having a telephone† (Touched, 2001). Sweet Basil will also utilize mass text message marketing in order to promote specials and promos that are offered each week. This will be initiated using Decontrolling. Mom to ensure that these messages can be sent every other week to market different promos and special items to consumers. Each customer will be asked if they would like to receive promotion emails and text messages from Sweet Basil. The success rate for permission based mobile marketing campaigns is around 25% Oarfish, 2006). This will ensure seamless impersonal communication to Sweet Basil’s loyal patrons. Lastly, Sweet Basil’s marketing include the development of a Faceable, Namespace, and Twitter account so loyal patrons can feel more united with Sweet Basil’s service and undeniable quality food. The Namespace and Faceable pages will allow customers to view the menu and catering options that Sweet Basil offers. This type of marketing is virtually free although it is time consuming to continuously update. Sweet Basil will also utilize cable television marketing in order to market to new customers. Advertising will only be targeted to Time Warner Cable’s Foothills and West Covina coverage areas in the San Gabriel Valley (Coverage Area 2011). Mostly sports programs on ESP. and popular shows on Bravo will be targeted to enhance Sweet Basil’s exposure to their target market. This will be exercised during the first 90 days of marketing plan. All of these integrated marketing communications will allow Sweet Basil to reach a large market of new consumers as well as continue to gain increased business with existing patrons. These marketing strategies were also selected due to their low cost and minimal time consumption required. 3. 1 Mission Statement â€Å"We exist to provide the best quality dine-in, take-out, and take-n-bake pizza to the Route 66 communities of the San Gabriel Valley. This will be accomplished through unmatched customer service, value, and great tasting pizza; creating a memorable experience for all to enjoy’. 3. Marketing Objectives Sweet Basil will achieve a few concrete objectives through its current and future marketing actions. The first and most crucial goal for the pizzeria is to conduct new- market segment strategies in order to earn new customers throughout Treated, Monrovia, USA, and Rewind. This strategy will be initiated immediately at the start of Quarter 2 this year now that Sweet B asil’s take-n-bake pizzas are now in production. The target market objective is to increase overall market share, earn new customers, and amplify purchases to increase sales by 40% from now through April 2012. Collectively, Sweet Basil seeks to increase overall market share to 25% of all dine-in, take-out, and take-n-bake purchases in Treated and 13% of market share from Monrovia, Rewind, and USA. This also includes 15% market share transactions from employees of local businesses in Treated and Rewind as well as 25% market share to households in Treated, Rewind, Monrovia, and USA. In order to accomplish these goals, Sweet Basil will have to gain at least 30 new customers every week on average and the goal is to be able to retain 90% of them. This strategy ill allow the pizzeria to maintain strong, positive growth each quarter through it’s increasing customers. Another objective is increasing consumer usage to where customers are purchasing Sweet Basil products at least one more time per week. This will include increasing the purchase volume of each consumer as well. New consumers will be able to be measured by asking them how they heard about Sweet Basil to begin with and afterwards asking them if they would like to receive coupons and promotions by email and text in the future. Sweet Basil’s target is to achieve the before mentioned market share by the end of 2012. Sweet Basil will also set promotional objectives in order to reach new customers through brand and company awareness as well as implementing strategic sales promotions. Millennial will information through word of mouth (Mr.. Youth, 2011). A major objective will be to grow the pizzeria’s followers on Faceable and Namespace to 750 people by the end of 2011 to engage in more promotional initiatives. Seasonal and promotional entrees will be posted on these social media sites every other week to maintain consumer usage. The address, phone number, menu, and catering options will all be included n these sites as well. Sweet Basil will be hiring an individual to hand out door flyers to residential households and businesses in the cities of Treated, USA, Rewind, and Monrovia (starting in the city of Treated). This marketing effort will be conducted every Wednesday and Thursday from am to pm for the residential areas and every Monday for local businesses. Similar flyers will be on every take-out pizza box as well to notify customers of the option to purchase take-n-bake pizzas. No additional employees would have to be hired for the business as long as business doesn’t increase more than 50%. The flyers will include specials and combos that can be purchased in exchange for the coupon on the flyer. Each flyer will have a coupon to receive 1 free slice with a purchase of any take-n-bake pizza. The flyers will also contain a coupon to purchase a take-n-bake pizza for 25% off. Additional specials will be included on the flyer and sponsors will be able to advertise on the other half of the flyer. The sponsors will incur all costs for the production of the flyers and will also include Sweet Basil’s website, Faceable, Namespace, and Twitter information for nonusers.. These flyers will be very similar to the email and text messaging blasts that Sweet Basil will be conducting every other month. Sweet Basil will look to enhance partnership efforts with local businesses, schools, cities, and clubs in order to increase exposure and maintain growth. Catering services and pizza specials will be offered for discount prices depending on the size and occasion of the order. Sweet Basil looks to increase its catering by 5% to businesses and residential areas. This will also help Sweet Basil gain more exposure and market share from satisfied customers. 3. Financial Objectives Sweet Basil will be targeting a number of sound financial objectives in order to increase profits and sustainability. As stated in the marketing objectives, increasing sales by 40% during the first 365 days is the target for Sweet Basil. Overall, Sweet Basil aspires to collectively reach 30% market share for Dearth’s dine-in, take out, and take n bake pizza sales by the end of 2012. The goal for Rewind, USA, and Monrovia will be 20% overall market share. Currently, Sweet Basil obtains 30% of it’s business from take out orders, 50% from dine in business, and 20% from catering. With the current market conditions, Sweet Basil’s overall gross income amounts to $23,000 on average per month. The gross income should amount to at least $32,200 per month on average by April 2012 in order to realize a successful marketing plan. This would amount to an extra $110,400 in gross income a year, which would only be substantial if costs remained low. Sweet Basil doesn’t require hiring an extra employee for the additional expected business so long as it doesn’t exceed a 50% sales increase. Social media sites such as Faceable, Namespace, and Twitter are free which makes it a valuable marketing source financially. Sweet Basil will be using decontrolling. Com to send out SMS blasts including specials and deals for and allows for 5,000 customers to be included. The annual cost for this service then amounts to $960/year while emails are virtually free to send to loyal subscribed customers. Sweet Basil’s website will be created for $1000 through a current part- time employee that is also going to school for web design. This will be built during slow business hours at the restaurant to decrease hourly costs for the web development. The web domain will cost around $100 dollars a year to maintain. One f the expensive strategies for Sweet Basil Pizza is the cost of hiring on an employee to work Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for 24 hours a week handing out flyers. The employee will be paid $8/her, so the annual cost will come out to about $12,000 if gas costs are associated. The flyers will be free to Sweet Basil because the sponsors will incur that cost. The most expensive marketing source will be advertising on Time Warner Cable during the first 90 days of marketing plan initiation. As mentioned earlier, only ESP. and Bravo will be targeted and we will run 4 commercials per day on both networks. With a cost of $40 per spot, Sweet Basil will incur a total cost of $28,800 Just in television advertising costs. An increase in sales will not result in a significant increase in utilities since the restaurant hours will remain the same and because the pizza oven is always left on. The cost of running the oven 2417 isn’t much different from the cost of turning it off at night and the oven takes an hour to warm up to 600 degrees when opening in the morning. After all the costs are subtracted, Sweet Basil can make a return of $67,540 but the increase of ingredients, labor, and materials have not been subtracted from this mount. All of the before mentioned other than pizza ingredients and material will remain the same regardless off 40% increase in sales. 3. 4 Target Markets As stated earlier, Sweet Basil’s target market will consist of all pizza lovers in the Route 66 cities of the San Gabriel Valley. In recent studies, 93% of Americans eat pizza at least 1 time a month, (Pizza Plan, 2011) which means there is a sizeable target market for Sweet Basil to penetrate. There are 21,782 residents in Treated, 46,672 in USA, 37,523 in Monrovia, and 1,433 in Rewind, which brings a total consumer market of close to 110,000 people (city-data, 2009). Rewind consists of businesses for the most part, which gives Sweet Basil an opportunity to increase dine-in sales to workers during the day and catering services for luncheons and special events. Consumers report that 45% of restaurant pizza orders are for take- out and 20% of orders are for dine in (Barrett, 2010). The general strategy for Sweet Basil will be â€Å"differentiation† as described in Porter’s generic strategies (Marketing Management, 2009). Sweet Basil offers an incomparable product compared to the rest because they use the best and highest quality ingredients while having the nines recipes. The key source of this distinction is the â€Å"sweet basil powder† that patrons can top on their pizza after it is made. Take-n-bake pizza is not offered in any other restaurants in the area other than Sweet Basil, which gives them an advantage for consumers that want a more unique taste. Consumers have a need for great tasting quality pizza that can be purchased right when they want it with little wait time and low cost. Sweet Basil certainly meets this need with the before mentioned points of difference and being able to dine-in and take-out as well. ND be out quicker than if they purchased fast food. Many consumers like driving by on their way home from work to get a late night special $6 one topping pizza that is hot and ready between 6-pm to feed their family after a busy workday. Others choose to stock up on take-n-bake frozen pizzas to serve at their convenience. Catering services are offered to businesses and patrons that have the need to feed a large event or party and a much more extensive menu is offered in order to add variety. Sweet Basil patrons range from all ages and nationalities, which is the advantage of offering a product that 93% of people engage in at least once a month. Pizza is also a relatively inexpensive way to feed a family and large parties of people in residential areas. This makes pizza ideal for people that are currently affected by the downfall of the economy and increases in unemployment. High school kids and local workers are a major part of the afternoon dine-in business that Sweet Basil receives during the week. Nearly 95% of Sweet Basil’s business comes from returning customers, which proves that there is room for new customers. This also roves that the product tastes great and has an eminent price-quality comparison. . 5 Positioning Nearly all Americans enjoy eating pizza because it is a delicious and quick meal, which gives Sweet Basil an advantage over selling other products. In a recent survey initiated by Technetium, results show that 68% of those that have children 18 and under living in their household say that pizza occasions usually involve children (Barrett, 2010). This shows that pizza is a very popular amongst famil ies but Sweet Basil does well with single person households and local workers since pizza is sold by he slice until pm. This also helps in closing the gap for Sweet Basil’s consumers and leaves only those that prefer ordering their pizza and having it delivered. Sweet Basil is not trying to offer delivery service any time soon, but many patrons prefer Just coming in to take-out their pizza rather than ordering delivered pizza from a competitor. This is exactly how Sweet Basil positions itself to consumers; the prices are low and affordable, the quality of food and flavor is unrivaled, and the experience is optimal. As mentioned earlier, â€Å"Sweet Basil† powder adds for a uniqueness that ant be tasted anywhere else which positions the business very well. All pizzas are created from scratch, using a large mixer for dough and fresh store bought produce, meats, and ingredients from local purveyors. Pricing strategies are used as well to effectively position Sweet Basil’s food offerings. Sweet Basil sells pizza by the slice for only $1 where other companies may charge up to $3/slice. Sweet Basil also sells its large one topping take-out, dine-in, and take-n-bake pizzas for $8, which is a phenomenal value considering all of the top grade ingredients used. This creates a rice-quality comparison that isn’t reciprocated from any competitors in the target market. Sweet Basil is able to position itself to a completely new market with the recent creation of its take-n-bake pizza. Minute reports that frozen pizza can be found in 66% of all households (Barrett, 2010), which gives Sweet Basil a nice competitive advantage over other pizza businesses in the San Gabriel Valley. Sweet Basil notices possible opportunities if they were to contract and create partnerships with local grocery stores and markets. Another possible opportunity in the future would be to How to cite Sweet Basil Marketing Plan, Essays

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Rescheduling Permission and Feasibility

Question: Disucss about the Rescheduling Permission and Feasibility. Answer: This reflective journal is aimed to report the events occurred last week. I was here last Monday and due to certain issues my practical assessment was rescheduled to Friday 11:00 A.M. Due to some unavoidable circumstances I was unable to attend the rescheduled assessment. Moreover, I did not inform the concerned person about my absence. Being an Enrolled Nurse I understand the significance of the situation and areas of the nursing standards I violated in regard to my actions. Firstly, the assessment was rescheduled with my due permission and feasibility. I agreed to be present on the rescheduled time on Friday at 11:00 A.M. However, I feel the rescheduling caused a certain level of inconvenience on my part, which I did consider during the confirmation of the rescheduled time. Considering the importance of the nursing profession I am aware of the necessity to cope up with such adjustments. In this particular case, I did violate many standards of the nursing practice by acting irresponsibly and not informing anyone regarding my absence. I do have a thorough understanding of the nursing practice standards and will try and point out those I violated during my actions last week. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia provides a series of standards for the enrolled nurses to maintain a standard level of professional conduct. In reagrd to the concerned situation a lot of standards were violated which I have identified in the following sections of the reflective journal. The standards of Professional and Collaborative Practice were violated including standard 1.3, 2.10 and 3.4. Standard 1.3 demands to demonstrate knowledge of and implications for NMBA standards, which I lacked during the occurrence of the events. Standard 2.10 states we need to acknowledge and accommodate according to the preferences of the people receiving care which, I violated during the course of my actions. Further, in case of my absence I did not inform the Registered Nurse violating standard 3.4 which states that appropriate collaboration with the Registered Nurse must be established during practice. Although I had certain personal issues to deal with, as a result of which I could not attend the assessment on the mentioned date, but I hold myself completely accountable for not informing such absence with previous notice. No justification can suffice my irresponsibility towards the matter. My lack of distinct understanding of the Nursing Practice Standards also played a significant factor for such misconduct. Conclusion: However, I situation made me comprehend the gravity of such incidents in the Nursing Practice domain and is going to help be abstain from such actions in the future. My Registered Nurse has been immensely helpful in making me understand the consequences that may follow if such misconducts are prevalent in real-life nursing practice. This is going to help me reframe my decision making capabilities in the future, so that I can provide appropriate care to the person receiving the same by maintaining each and every standards of the profession outlined by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Kiss And Hype Essays - Kiss, Wicked Lester, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley

Kiss And Hype Hype is defined as promotional publicity of an extravagant or contrived kind. It is used to lure the consumer to a certain product or an event of some kind. The competition for the consumer's attention is intense and even desperate at times. Throughout the 1970's, there was a vast machinery of hype surrounding the music industry. Some of what came out of it was original and imaginative, but some was deceptive and outrageous. Whatever it was, it was all aimed at the consumer. The rock group Kiss has been performing for over twenty-six years. In that time, they have sold over ninety million albums, amassed legions of fans, and sold out stadiums around the world. There is a reason for the extraordinary success of Kiss. It has something to do with their music, but it has more to do with the way they are hyped and packaged. So lets unwrap that package. In 1972, Gene Simmons was a sixth grade school teacher in New York City. With guitarist Paul Stanley, he formed a band called Wicked Lester that played in small clubs and bars around New York. That band quickly failed. "Wicked Lester just wasn't the deadly rock n' roll assault squad they had always wanted" (Kitts 12). But Simmons and Stanley felt they could and would become stars. They invested in some large equipment and decided to start a major rock band. From the hordes of drummers, they chose Peter Criss, who had been advertising himself in New York newspapers. They auditioned over thirty guitarists and chose Ace Frehley, who had been delivering liquor for a living. The band was formed and now came the time to sell it. The key step was to persuade Bill Aucoin, director of the television show Flipside, to take over the management of the band. Kiss emphasized style over substance and went heavy on trappings. Makeup came first. It set them apart from everyone else and gave them an aura of mystery. Each member developed his own alter ego. It was the first of many Kiss gimmicks that worked. The costumes came next, complete with black leather, aluminum studs, and seven-inch platform heels. They never allowed themselves to be photographed out of character. "The hype was self-perpetuating. The more Kiss's identities were shielded, the more interest there was in trying to photograph them" (Lendt 40). By 1978, Kiss was the highest grossing live act in the world. Their concerts became main attractions for millions of people. Kiss's formula for success was simple: hit the audience so hard, with a barrage of gimmicks, stunts, and theatrics, that they will not be able to forget you. Everything was intended to project power. The double s's at the end of the Kiss logo were designed to look like lightening bolts. The stage was equipped with drum risers, platforms, and a towering electric sign with a gigantic lit up Kiss logo. A high point, or "hype" point, in the show came when Gene Simmons, the demon, would breathe fire. Another "hype" point would come when Simmons vomited blood. For Kiss, their concerts were the best commercials for their albums. Kiss had to make their way in the 1970's without the help of radio. There were virtually no stations in the country that would play their music. Instead, they promoted themselves in other ways. They permitted no promotional possibility to slip away. Kiss sold t-shirts, hats, belt buckles, puzzles, dolls, jackets, pictures, posters, comic books, and virtually any and everything they could put their logo on. "In some ways it epitomized just how big and different we were that a lot of other bands" (Stanley, Kiss Extreme Close-up). They used all of this promotion to sell records. In the music business, this sort of thing is called, not without reason, exploitation. Kiss is one of the best examples of hype in the music industry. Without their image, along with the package, they might not have ever made it out of the clubs and bars. Few imitators have attempted to copy or adapt the Kiss formula's obvious appeal, and certainly none have surpassed Kiss's success at capitalizing on that formula. In time, Kiss may one day be permanently enshrined as a theme park ride, a Las Vegas casino attraction, or some other modern era mass entertainment spectacle: which is what Kiss was all about in the first place. Bibliography Kitts, Jeff. Kisstory. Los Angeles: Kisstory Ltd., 1994. Lendt, C. K. Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup. New York: Billboard Books, 1997. Kiss Extreme Close-up.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Football match Essays

Football match Essays Football match Essay Football match Essay After these phases, you will be invited to a trial at a club. Talent Identification schemes will simply pick the best individuals i. e. who they believe is most likely to make it as a professional footballer. Some football clubs want to test your fitness and your performance in a football match whilst others just concentrate on the latter. Speed is very important in football today as the game is very fast-moving and hence this attribute is considered by almost all clubs, normally they will judge speed by seeing performers sprint in a football match. It is of vital importance that there are opportunities for football performers for specific populations, who may be under-represented due to a wide range of barriers. In England, there is a whole host of opportunities specifically aimed at disabled athletes, the diagram below shows the importance the country pays to include everyone regardless of their ability: The level of provision for females in England is much lower than that of the provision for males, due to the lack of female teams and the lack of demand for female footballers. The FA funds full-time football development staff in each County Football Association to deliver its development programme. These include 47 Womens and Girls Football Development Officers working strategically across the country to introduce the playing opportunities required. There is a gender imbalance for performers progressing through to elite level of representation. In conclusion, having researched the provision for football performers in England, I can say that there is no shortage of opportunities available and it is mostly at the digression of people to make the most out of them. One positive is that most of them are free and do not require any previous experience which is good as it involves everyone regardless of their ability. To improve provision for football performers, there could be a remit for females to progress through the pathways the same as males. Word Count: 1000 By Rashid Muhidin : Bibliography   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Football_Association.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Law of Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Law of Evidence - Essay Example verse to Duane’s interests and on this basis, the prosecution counsel can contradict by introducing prior oral statements that are inconsistent with the oral testimony provided in the Court2. In order to argue successfully in favor of admitting evidence, the Prosecution will be required to prove that: The major issue the Prosecution will have to prove is therefore the question of whether the evidence of the character of WPC Kite is relevant to the subject matter of the proceedings regarding Diane. The Prosecution could argue that the substance of WPC’s confessions should be admitted as important hearsay evidence on grounds of its relevance in understanding the probative value of the statements in understanding other evidence in the case.3 Further grounds they could use to argue for admission of WPC’s statements are the general provisions for admission of confessions4 admissions by agents5 or by utilizing the provision that â€Å"a statement made by a party to a common enterprise is admissible against another party to the enterprise as evidence of any matter stated.†6 Moreover, since the statements of WPC Kite in Court will be inconsistent with his oral admissions to Duane in the car, this could provide additional grounds for the Prosecution to seek that such evidence be admitted.7 They could argue that since the testimony that WPC Kite will be offering in Court is likely to contravene the Defendant Duane’s assertion that he made unsolicited admissions in the car on the way to the police station, the admission of those oral evidence may be justified in providing evidence of his character and the fact that he did indeed make those statements. 2. In the event Duane wishes to resist the admission of such evidence, the major argument that can be offered is the lack of relevance of WPC’s criminal record in the issue of her theft indictment. For example, in the case of Funderburk8, the issue in question was whether the defendant had sexually assaulted the

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

MEDIATION MEMORANDUM Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MEDIATION MEMORANDUM - Coursework Example hat the grapes and its products were quickly becoming a desired product and I realized that soon the grape producer will find a better offer from another distributor and buyer. I decided to protect myself and my future business investments by drafting a contract which would ensure that the grape producer will always be selling her products to me. The contract also stipulated that the price will not be increased by any cost no matter who will be willing to purchase the products later on and at whatever cost. The son of the grape producer made the delivery and since the contract was time conscious and I did not know what would happen between that delivery and the next, I explained the contract details to the son and he signed the contract. I did not coerce him into signing it and it was therefore a mutual decision after going through the contract to formalize the business deals. I had no prior knowledge of his age as he looked and seemed quite competent in handling the delivery and the payments, and I thought he was of age if he could be sent to handle the business on behalf of his parents. A few weeks later, my fears turned true after the grape producer received a better offer in price and in produce quantity and decided that my business was not worth continuing the business deal. I decided to remind the grape producer about the contract agreement only to find out that the son never mentioned it to the parents. I cannot let my efforts, and the hard work I have put into advertising and marketing the grape products from scratch, go to waste simply because a better offer has been found. It is not fair that I was the one who built the business and now that the product is known to others, I am kept aside and forgotten. The issue at hand is the lack of honoring the contract which has been signed already meaning the terms and conditions of the contract have been agreed upon and hence it can simply not be terminated without the two parties in the contract coming to an

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Identifying Pivotal Talent Positions Management Essay

Identifying Pivotal Talent Positions Management Essay Talent managementis fundamentally HR process which many modern organisation practice to attract, recruit, develop and retain their workforce to achieve competitive advantage. In todays globalised word where companies are stressing for new practices for skilful workforce, talent management become vital for organisation success. Despite the larger number of practitioners and academics trying to define the Talent management, it lacks clear meanings and systematic approach to back its theory. Talent management faces many challenges in practice, as critiques believe its a rebranding of HR practices. Organisation develops their strategies to achieve their objectives and goals. To achieve these strategic goals organisation human capital plays key role. Organisation integrates and aligns its talent management processes with business strategies to create a pool of successful talented worker and then utilise these talent to obtain competitive advantage in overwhelming globalised competition. Talent management practices help identify potential leadership, develop skills, attract talent from external market and create employer image as part of its business strategy. Concept of Talent Management Talent management has received the interest of most practitioner and academics among all HR practices. This has significant increased since the group of consultant from McKinsey came up with the phrase War for Talent in 1997. There has been a recent paradigm shift from traditional HR strategy to talent specific in todays competitive environment. Considering the significant shift the notionof talent management remains valuable. The organisations competitive advantage of its human capital is arguably more important. Talent management can be divided in to key areas of activities and process which systematically help to identify the key positions in any organisation, that can contributes towards the competitive advantage of it. Creating different human resource architecture to create a pool of talented incumbent employees that can fulfil these key positions. It will be vital to clarify that key positions are not limited to top management but it can be lower management, different operations unit or the part time. There is not prà ©cis or set definition of talent management;Author has to make many assumptionswhile defining it. As Aston and Morton described that there isnt a single consistent or concise definition (Aston Marton, 2005). Key function of talent management is to attract, recruit and retain the talent. According to Hartley (2004) its spread of wide range of activities for instant succession planning, employerperformance and management etc. And Creelman (2004) The process of attracting, recruiting and retain talented employees Knez et al (2004) had similar thought that its continuous process of external recruitment and selection and internal development and retention. Talent management generally highlights the selected individuals through carefully set the selection process and activities and they are referred as talented individual. Which are seen as key element in the success of an organisation. Lastly extending the issue to retain these talents. For example HSBC has talent review process for their senior managers that help them to clarify their goals and give business an external view of potential managers. Talentmanagement means differently for different people. For some its managing or finding the best talent in an organisation and for some its recruiting and developing talented people. Talent management aspect that should be included an organisation talent management practice. Performance management Leadership development Workforce planning/identifying talent gaps Recruiting Talent Management for the Twenty-First Century As the 21stcentury unfolds, radical changes happening in todays business and workforce. Companies once dominated by America and Europe now has more ownership across globe. There has been growing urgency and attention on HR practices to continuouslyengage and retains employees.Companies are going beyond traditional approaches in practice to retain their well-performing employees. Employee retention is king. And employee engagement is not far behind. Coos of the nations fastest growing companies overwhelmingly cite retention of key workers as the most critical factor to plan for in the next year ahead (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2004). Similarly demographic changes occurrence are increasing, there are more young people in developing nations who are educated and skilful which has lead the global movement for job as more and more companies seek skilful labour for their varied positions. There demands had created scope and impact for the hunger for skilled workers everywhere. These changes can be summarised in following points Increasing number of young population More global companies operations Increase in outsource and offshore Need for Competitive edge Spread of ownership in other regions Hence globalisation has increasing made difficult to hire, retain and develop talented employees for businesses. Companies are in search for new practices for hiring and then developing, motivating and converting into strategic assets. Furthermore companies need to integrate and align its talent management processes with business strategies to create a pool of successful talented worker and then utilise these talent to obtain competitive advantage in overwhelming globalised competition. The key agenda of companies to attract and retain key talent, which can key factor in organisation influence and effectiveness. A Theoretical Model of strategic Talent Management Strategic talent management deals with all the employees within an organisation. Strategic TM focuses on identifying and creating the pool of talented employees then develop these talents to occupy key positions. Identifying pivotal talent positions The first step of managing the strategic talent management is to identify the key position within an organisation. Most of the literature review suggest the key attention to identify the key performers and their development and retain but latest theories advocates that identifying the key position in organisation which has central role in organisational success. Developing Talent Pool The second step in strategic management is the developing the pool of incumbents talented people. Developing the talented people pool to fill the key positions identified in earlier step. However there are various method of creating talent pool depending on the organisational structure but one thing should be keep in mind that these are highly talented and incumbent people and key positions assigned to these people must utilise to the maximum capacity. There are two key elements to talent pool one that organisation should understand the importance of external labour market and secondly due to increasingly mobility of the external employer it is a possibility to high skill labour from external market. As Peffer and Leblebici (1973) argued that organisations facing the greatest threat from external sources aggressively recruited executives with experience from the external labour market. Create a differentiated HR Architecture There has been continues debate on linking between strategic HR practice and organisation. There is no set HR practice that can help identify or utilise the talent pool rather there are suggestion to apply methods of HR. Practicing the contingency HR practice depending on organisation structure. Lapak and Snell (2002) differentiate between four categories, knowledge based employment, job based employment, contract work and Alliances or partnership. In summary,some HR practices can be best suited for particular organisation but could have different impact on other industry. There is need to define HR practices to utilise the talent pool and appointment to key positions to have successful competitive advantage. Talent Management Challenges Talent Crunch Most companies are facing the shortage of talent employees. Attracting and retaining employee for company growth for all levels its a challenge for companies. For example Essar Group has grown to sixty thousand employees from twenty thousand in last 3 years and more then fifty percent of their employees tenure is less then two years. Creating Value Proposition Companies are finding difficult to create value proposition for their employees with four generations as work force. Its difficult for organisation to create value proposition for every employee with diverse needs, assumptions and preferences belonging to different generation group. Leadership in pipeline The shortage of robust leadership talent pool is biggest threat for organisations. There are not enough talented leaders to replace the existing or to fill the expansion of companies growth. Its becoming more difficult in globalised world to choose skilful leaders with required skills, leadership qualities, business knowledge and global diverse sensibility. Deloitte, for example has talent management and succession planning to improve and retain their employees to become future leaders. Transferring key knowledge and relationships Companies facing difficulties in transferring knowledge to other employees from people retiring or changing jobs. Its a greater threat from companies that are heavily embedded in tacit knowledge such as customer relation. Work/life Balance Issue Companies heavily investing on talent management in developing and retain their employees at mid-level of their careers, they need to consider responsibility of creating balance between work and life. There is fear of employee escaping the organisation pressure to develop skills can lead to high turnover. Redesigning Talent Management Practice Some critiques argue that there is a need to redesign the TM practices and program to attract workforce. The importance of young professional is critical for firms with fresh skills and talent. Father there is rethinking required to link the different roles and relations together to generate better outcome. Short tenure of talent Acquiring and retaining talented employees are critical to organisations. Companys competitive advantage is dependent on retaining the talented people at key positions. There is high turnover of employees in retail business due to market influence and an internal mindset. Gap, for example believes retaining employees for more then three years is key to future business success. Rebranding HR practices Three different prospective can be extracted from literature review. TM was defined and associated, as the part of HR process but defining does not help to understand how to manage talent. Some argue that managing, recruiting and staffing through Internet may require additional skillets for HR staff but it does not help in principle of improving the selection processbut it hep to rebrand the HR practices to keep them fresh as it does not help one to understand the strategic and effective importance of managing talent. Importance of Talent Management In todays competitive market the value of talent employee become the vital part of the organisation. Therefore telnetmanagement plays any important strategic role in an organisation. The organisation gets advantage of employees competence and productivity. They get strong association with organisation and often put best dedication at work, which ultimately shows result on organisation balance sheet. Further it enhancesemployee commitment and pride towards the organisational and it reduces staff turnover. Jack Wiley, executive director of Kenexa Research Institute, said, People have a fundamental need to know how they are doing and what the future holds for them, Organisation with talent management in practice produces competitiveworkforce to adoptchanging and competitive market. Recruit, develop and retain talent, which help in companys financial success. Having effective talentmanagement strategy helps organisation overcome the fear of losing talented employees, itshelp to have backup if not equally talented but replacement to develop the similar talent. Talentmanagement help create short term and long term backup plans. Organisations with various contract or permanent employees often search for replacements. Having backup plans with talent management reduces the losses of time and value spent on finding replacement or recruiting new staff. Continues practice of talent grooming doesnt allow the volume within organisation it creates equally or similar talented workforce. Grooming process increase employees qualities such as leadership, multitask, competence and knowledgebase. Talent management help define ethics and vlaues of workforce of the employees. Reason ethics are important for an organisation because for recent years many fast growing or big organisation being involved in ethical scandals. Understanding and implementing employees ethical values or considering in organisation culture shows workforce importance towards their employee. Talent monument not only important for organisation but it plays equally vital role for employees. Employees get a chance to develop and acquire new knowledge and talent, whichincreases their potential. Every employee understands the importance of new skills, which can leads to their future progress. Employees prefer to stay with organisation where they believe their skills being utilise and continue sly grooming under health talent management scheme. Many organisation demands the demonstration from all its function for their strategy value to organisation. There is growing pressure on HR for its strategic contribution. Financial resources may be the lifeblood of a company, but human resources are the brains. Its long been accepted that sound financial management is critical to business survival. This is especially true challenging economic times. However, having strong talent and sound talent management is queerly critical to business survival. To summarise the important points in bullet points Increase Revenue Improve Product Quality Increase Customer Satisfaction Reduce Cost Reduce Cycle Time Increase return on share hold investment IncreaseMarket share and capitalisation Business Strategy and Talent Management A business strategy of a company is its long-term planning or direction and steps it will pursue to accomplish those goals. A more formal definition can be: Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. (Exploring corporate strategy, 2008) If we look at the reason behind the success and failure the organisation it ultimately come down to talent. Talent leads organisation to make decisions regarding where to invest in financialand human capital. This further leads to how to innovate, compete and how to motivate and achieve the business strategy? Right or wrong decisions are made, which result in success or failure and most of the time CEO of the company takes all the credit or blame depending on the outcome of the decision. Its the talent within an organisation that leads to execution and implementation of the business strategy. People are all there is to an organisation (Garry Hamel, 2003). Collins argues, Having the right people comes before having the right strategies. Rob Ben argues with their sixty years of combine experience of corporations and various business that CEO and senior executives worries as much about talent management as much they do about the financial of the company. This shows that talent management plays as important roles and financials do. Talent management is the central part of any business plan and its more desirable part of HR. Organisation needs talented people to meet the needs to deal with complex business needs. Since the 1990s the business expansion has significantly with low trade barriers, easy communications and company globalisations. Many companies expansion was based on globalisation into India and China. This change has lead to global talent competition across boundaries. There is an increase demand for talented people with shrinking pool of talented people this has increased the business concerns of expansion of their HR activities for the retention of the talent. HR is more strategically driven and company facing problems or lack of success in financial of it eventually leads to executive criticism and public scrutiny which leads to termination of CEO. Figures are not known but itsbelieved executive turnover is high in recent years. The high turnovers mean there could be fault in selection process. Some reasons could be the mismatch between CEO and the business situation and strategy; on other hand many deal effectively different complexity and strategic driven business. Many argue oppose to the above reasons they believe business and CEO face constantly changing businessenvironment and challenges, response should be fast enough to avoid missing the opportunity. This shows the important of HR and talent managementprecisely in business strategy. Since 1990s it been mortgaged that connection between talent management and business strategy has its routes in two trends. The emergence of talent as strategic resource and competitive advantage. The evolution of the Human Resources functions as a strategic business partner (Rob Ben, 2009) Conclusion Given the high level interest shown by different quarters from academics to practitioners and from employer to business itself, talent management is still not reached on concisedefinition and practise. Talent Management has been discussed and pursued heavily between practitioner and press without being linked systematically and peer-review. It has been widely define and discussed which has not potentially contributed to the understanding of concept. Some commentators argue that its been used to rebrand the HR practices of recruitment process to cater the needs of demographic changes.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Purpose of Statement Essay

Adam Koehler Statement of Purpose After taking a multitude of computer science courses over my academic career I have perceived that most of the courses tend to build a student’s knowledge of computer science outward, broadening familiarity over several areas of computer science rather than creating a concentrated depth of knowledge in any one topic. Pursuing a master’s degree in computer science will allow me to more fully develop my knowledge in two areas of particular interest to me: artificial intelligence and computer graphics. By studying these areas in depth, I hope to resolve the disparity between having a wide scope of computer science knowledge and having a more concentrated understanding of a single computer science field. Artificial intelligence is the foremost area of interest that I wish study further. The attraction of artificial intelligence for me lies in its breadth of applicability, both as a method of problem solving in itself and in a symbiotic integration with other areas of computer science. A broad spectrum of applications exist within the artificial intelligence field, ranging from intelligent non-player controlled characters in computer game software to a ubiquitous computing solution that intelligently reacts to a variety of users. This diversity is one of the main reasons that I feel compelled to pursue artificial intelligence further. While I have striven to develop my understanding of artificial intelligence during my undergraduate education, the choreographed requirements of a bachelor’s degree have restricted my research to only a minute sample of artificial intelligence’s applications. During my exposure to the field, I have often been unsatisfied with the level of interaction artificial intelligence displays in response to prompts of varying complexity. I do not believe the field has been developed to its potential in any regard, and feel that considerable progress can be made to improve the interactive experience that users have with an artificial intelligence application. This genuine intrigue combined with my curiosity for the subject matter and the limitless potential of the field are the reason why I wish to pursue a greater depth of knowledge in artificial intelligence. Through the education gained in pursuit of a master’s degree, I hope to be able to enrich the authenticity of many artificial intelligence experiences, from computer games, to interactive toys and beyond. While artificial intelligence holds the most intrigue for me, a secondary area of interest is computer graphics. Akin to artificial intelligence in that I have only touched on the subject during my undergraduate career, I hope to explore the areas of two and three dimensional rendering more acutely. While I have always enjoyed the freedom of creative expression, and embrace its value in many aspects of problem solving in computer science, the rigidity of programming has precluded my pursuit of many artistic interests. I feel that a more in-depth review of the field of computer graphics would be very fulfilling for me, both for its creative liberties and for its application to other areas of computer science. Specifically with regard to my interest in artificial intelligence, I envision graphics applications such as an artificially intelligent avatar, with body and facial expressions that can create more engaging interaction between two users. It is also important to understand just how quickly the field of computer graphics is changing within computer science. I believe that a deeper appreciation for the state-of-the-art in computer graphics will only help me in all future computer science pursuits, and I look forward to the new challenges while pursuing my master’s degree in computer science. My undergraduate education has prepared me for the depth and commitment required of graduate research in the field of computer science. Two projects I have participated in would be research with the Embedded XINU team, and a senior design project also involving the XINU operating system. While participating on the Embedded XINU team I have chosen to aide in the research and development of an external analysis tool for embedded systems development. Personally, I have researched integrating the front end system with the debugging system, developed by another team member, via an open source debugging software. Once complete, it will allow users to access many debugging features, such as single stepping through code, breaking at a certain point in the code, and continuing the execution of the code from the breakpoint. The senior design project involves the creation of a software program to allow users building a XINU operating system to directly use computers with a Windows operating system installed. Currently, a direct or remote connection to a UNIX variant needs to be used to aide development. Both projects have allowed me to see the considerable amount of work and research that goes into software development projects. Each of the projects is team oriented; with tasks split down so that one or more researchers can contribute. The groups function with relative autonomy, without daily guidance of a professor, although guidance is provided on a semi-periodic basis. Overall, these projects have provided useful experiences allowing me to understand both graduate and undergraduate level research and implementation. In addition to these two XINU based projects, I have also completed several course-based projects that assimilate the entire semester’s work into a cohesive project. One such project was a language interpreter written in Scheme that interprets primitive operations including add, subtract, Boolean not, and, or, and xor; as well as complex statements such as variable assignment, print statements, procedure declarations and calls and simple type checking. This and several other projects have helped me develop a wealth of knowledge in the computer science field, and have certainly broadened my interests. However, they have lacked depth in certain areas that I feel truly drawn to exploring. Through graduate studies I hope to explore the fields of artificial intelligence and computer graphics more fully, and negotiate the requirements of intertwining the two more seamlessly than today’s efforts produce. My ultimate goal is to produce meaningful work that combines the acquired in-depth knowledge of both the artificial intelligence field and the computer graphics field, while building on the solid foundation I have created in my undergraduate pursuits.