Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Networking and communication sys (sockets) Assignment

Networking and communication sys (sockets) - Assignment Example In contrast, for example, when we send letter through post office, no connection is established between the sender and receiver of the letter .To reestablish connection in this connectionless communication system, next letter is the only option. Fig 2 Connection –oriented and Connectionless Socket Programming(Ginni T. 2010) 3. Analyzing the flow of code from top to bottom gives a better understanding. Set up few variables to store information on the IP address and port on which the socket server will be executed to generate socket. Next, bound it to the specified addresses and port. Wait for incoming requests to establish connections. Once a client connection is received, the socket accepts the request to handle information exchange. Client now sends some data as input, which is read by the server socket and executed. Both generated sockets are terminated after server sends output back to the client (as in Khanna S.1995). Summarizing, the four important steps in socket program ming between client and server involves; opening the socket; opening an input and output stream to the socket; reading from and writing to the socket according to server protocols; cleaning up . 4. Socket is implemented at the client side for sending requests to the machine port, and requires IP/hostname (address) of the server while Server Socket, executed on the server side, listens and answers client queries in reference to its port number. 5. Thread is the smallest unit of processes during execution that can be scheduled by an operating system. It is used for duplication of computer programs, when two or more tasks are executed concurrently. The thread has four high level states namely, ready, running, waiting and dead. Fig 3. A process with two threads of execution (Shaw Philip 2011) 6. Threads can be created by either implementing runnable interface when requirement is of single thread and extending the thread class for multiple threads. Depending on number of threads either o f the two process is preferred. Extending Thread Class Fig4.Thread Creation(Olira G.) is preferred while creating multiple threads. 7. When a thread instead of being scheduled by current operating system is lined up by virtual machine, its called green thread whereas working thread usually handles many concurrent tasks, allocating one thread to perform one task. 8. Thread is the smallest unit of processes during execution, which can be organized by an operating system whereas runnable is an interface used to create threads in the same process. Implementing a Runnable may have some advantages over extending thread while creating single thread. 9. Multithreading is the execution of different parts of a process  called  threads,  simultaneously at the same time without interfering with each other. In reference to multithreading, synchronization is the capability to control the access of multiple threads (or tasks) to the shared resources so that one thread do not alter a shared v ariable while another is in the process and hence, avoiding errors. In the diagram there are three threads of a single process, each with a different query and response. Fig5. Synchronization in Multithreading(LandrieuS.,2008) 10. Preemptive scheduling is the act of temporarily interrupting a  task  being carried out by the processor and resuming it later. Time slicing is the time period for which

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Brand Development For Educational Services

Brand Development For Educational Services Edumentor Educational Services, is an organization operating in its 6th year and is engaged into providing comprehensive, result oriented entrance test preparation for graduation level management courses (BBS/BFIA/BBA/BBE) at various institutes. The USP of the company is its extensive promotional strategies being implemented by the MBA Interns. Over these years, EduMentor has been able to grab a niche for itself in this highly competitive industry as it has always been focuses on product quality and delivery. A major emphasis is on the BBS/BFIA courses at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (CBS), University of Delhi, as this is the best institution in the south East Asian Region for the same .The other institutes are the likes of IP University, Symbiosis etc. This year the company has expanded its horizon by introducing coaching for five new courses i.e. HM (Hotel Management), Mass Communication, Law, B.e.Led (Bachelors in Elementary Education) and CA (Charted Accountancy). Since students get only approximately 2 months to prepare for all the entrance tests, the institute begins its initial batches barely a day after the 10+2 examinations. Also, unlike the competition which consists of major players from the CAT/CA/CS market of other preparatory institutes, like Career Launcher, IMS, P.T. Education, BBA/BBS/BBE/BFIA is the core competency that EduMentor deals in, hence it basically operates seasonally, from about 2 months before the XIIth examinations, to about 12weeks after the same. But now this year with the launch of CA (Charted Accountancy) CPT preparation course, the company plans to operate annually. For other new courses and along with the existing ones the rest over year is spent in refining the course material, and conducting career counseling sessions at various schools (70 schools covered last year) which also provide a database of students which can be used later for over the Phone counseling, sales calls and information regarding free sessions and form dates. The role of the MBA program interns is critical to the complete process. The interns are taken in batches so that one batch works the first half of the critical activity which is the recruitment of a huge ground level workforce of associate level workers Primarily, this team of second batch interns is divided into two groups, the counseling team, that is responsible for career counseling at the respective centers and over the phone counseling of students and parents , which the author was a part of. The second group handles the vital component of the Board Centre activities. This activity aims at maximizing the promotion efforts to the core target audience, i.e., class XII students (mainly commerce stream). During this activity, 350 board examination centers were located by various methods by the team, and compiled onto a list of centers that is divided into North Delhi, South Delhi, East Delhi West Delhi. These zones are handled by zonal managers, under who up to 12 managers handle 4-5 board exam centers each. Each Zonal manager is responsible for building a team under him, which works on the D day i.e. the Board Examination day. 1.1 Company vision: EduMentor was started with the intention of providing specialized coaching to the students who wish to seek admission in BBS / BBA / BBE. Aim was not just to open a coaching institute but rather to create a Knowledge Hub where students are the top priority. That is the reason why our faculty consists only of those who have been to the best in the field of BBA/BBS/BBE, making us ‘The Only Specialist BBA/BBS/BBE Entrance Coaching Institute†. At EduMentor our core competency lies more in mentoring our students with those skill-set and weapons of education with the help of which they can easily fight their own battles and win them in the long run. Students come and go year by year but every year a lot of students are referred by old students making EduMentor. 1.2 Purpose, Scope, and Limitations of Project: Purpose: The purpose of the project is to get an overall idea about the marketing of EduMentor Educational Services. It aims at developing the promotional and business development strategies of the company after thoroughly analyzing the same of the competitors. As the aspects of this project are multidimensional so is its purpose. It will take into consideration the mutual benefit of the company coupled with gaining some practical knowledge about the Education market their overall marketing strategies processes. Value-addition to the Company Find out the various products and courses present in the industry Find various promotional and business development activity being undertaken by the company and the its competitors Make company know the best products, methods and practices present in the market and develop strategies accordingly. Find out the positive and negative aspects pertaining to specific area of operations. Suggest the company the best possible scheme coupled with awareness and timing of benefit. Overall business development of company in terms of revenue and value enhancement and making the company operations more efficient and effective for long term benefit. Academic Benefits: Got an insight of educational products and gain through knowledge of various promotional strategies. Real time experience of interacting with perspective customers and convert them into real customers. Real time experience of doing a market research practical experience in convincing the end-users to fill up the questionnaire Handling a team and act as a leader giving that winning edge which would not have come naturally Scope of Project: The objective of the project includes, the organizational Development at EduMentor Educational Services. EduMentor had entered the market of educational services 6 years back, so the basic aim of this project is Business Development that is generating business for them by attracting students year-by-year by virtue of its product and ensuring effective operational accuracy across all its centers. This would include structuring of the entire business so as to increase the efficiency of the work done at EduMentor. The project would enable EduMentor in Business development of the educational packages by reaching to the maximum number of students. Also it aims at developing promotional strategies (by keeping in mind the requirements of target audience and moves taken by the competitors) to increase conversion of students into these programs. The project will also help in measuring the students preferences for EduMentor educational package and how best EduMentor can come up with an educational package that meets the need/expectation of students based on the survey that will be done. Limitations of the Study: As this project undertaken includes a lot of activities and is very vast so considering the accuracy of all the aspects as required by the study is a major limitation. However, every attempt will be made to overcome any flaw which might occur due to this. Certain other factors which can form drawbacks to the conclusions of the project are: a) Reach The company covers Delhi NCR region, it doesnt go beyond the boundaries of our national capital, hence expansion is limited. b)Finance issues The company is not funded by outside source and due to this problem it has limited resources to offer during various Business deals which cater to improper results at the end of the season for the organization. c) HR issues The company doesnt have enough HR‟s to manage out the activity in spite of the fact that hiring of summer interns from prestigious colleges like ICFAI Hyderabad Gurgaon provides a little edge in management, still occurrence of numerous loopholes tend to occur. d) Work Definition The results and conclusions of the project cannot be generalized as the area of work assigned to me is restricted to the north zone (as Center Management) and NOIDA Zone (as Zonal Manager). 1.3Methodology:  § Ghost shopping In order gain insights of the strategies of competitors a study was conducted to gain knowledge about the business model of various competitors like Career Launcher and IMS and develop competitive promotional strategy for EduMentor accordingly and thus be the best among a few.  § Relation building Interacting with class XII students and their parents in order to get an idea of what all they expect from an institute preparing for BBA/BBS/BBE entrance exam and also to brief them about various options one has after XII. This is done by: e) Conducting counseling in various tuition centers f) On the day of the Board exams, we interact with the parents, do short term counseling and give them brief knowledge of our product and the services we offer.  § Market research The help of a questionnaire would be taken if necessary.  § Business development strategies As a part of business development strategy various activities like Board center activity was conducted throughout Delhi in order to reach the target audience. On the day of the Board exams, we interact with the parents, do short term counseling and give them brief knowledge of our product and the services we offer Also SPD (Sample Paper Distribution) forms an integral part of BCA in order to generate awareness among the target audience. The Board Center Activity is the biggest marketing tool of the organization. CHAPTER 2 PRODUCT DETAILS (STAGE 1) BROAD VIEW: PRODUCT AT EDUMENTOR EduMentor was established with the goal of providing specialized coaching to the students who seek admission in top colleges for the courses like: BBS (Bachelor of Business Studies) BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) BBE (Bachelor of Business Economics) BELED (Bachelor of Elementary Education) HM (Hotel Management) LAW CA-CPT (Charted Accountancy Common Proficiency test) ENG (H) (Common Admission test for English hons (CATE)) At EduMentor the core competency lies more in mentoring the students to the right path of education than merely preparing them to achieve the best results. The product mainly encompasses management courses at the under graduate level. The three major courses which are offered are BBA, BBE and BBS. Providing coaching for these three courses forms the product for EduMentor along with mentoring students for the same. All the courses are three full- time professional degree courses. A BBA/BBS degree provides adequate learning of managerial skills and knowledge of business activities to the students. However, BBE (bachelor of business economics) is a management degree which lays emphasis not only on the management skills but also helps the students to get adequate knowledge about the economy and its functioning. All the three courses have been designed so as to groom professionals for future, rather than mere academicians or â€Å"degree holder†. The course has kept in consideration the needs of the industry, so that students are job ready after their graduation unlike in the traditional sources where they are required to undertake additional professional courses to find a job. The approach to learning is a very practical one, complete with industry case studies, role plays and a lot of industry interaction. EduMentor provides coaching for undergraduate management courses. The primary programs being: BBS (University of Delhi) BBE/BFIA (University of Delhi) BBA (I.P. University, Symbiosis Pune, Christ Bangalore etc.) The Newly launched programs being: BeLed (University of Delhi) HM (I.P. University, Symbiosis Pune, etc.) CATE (University of Delhi) CA CPT (Institute of Charted Accountants of India) LAW (Various Universities throughout India) MASSCOMM (Various Universities throughout India) 2.1) BBS:BACHLOR OF BUSINESS STUDIES It is the prime pitch made by EduMentor; the company pitches itself to be the only specialist institute for its entrance coaching. BBS is a professional degree which has been designed on the same pattern as MBA programs. The subjects for the course are taken up from the curriculum of best ranking MBA colleges in India. During the two years or 4 semesters of BBS, students study the basics of all functions of management namely finance, marketing, human resource and specialize in one of these in the final year. BBS is an outstanding general management program, the curriculum for BBS is rigorous, flexible, and continually enriched with the latest developments in management theory and practice. The academic calendar is based on six semesters each six months in duration, followed by the University examinations. The Bachelor of Business Studies program enables graduates to think conceptually and adapt to change. In particular, the program is designed to: Develop intellectual and interpersonal skills Emphasize the broad economic, financial and managerial dimensions of dynamic business environment Facilitate the integration of academic knowledge and practical work experience Foster a high degree of professional competence in a specialist area Produce innovative and creative graduates Produce graduates who are motivated to continue lifelong learning and who cope effectively with change. Graduates of the Bachelor of Business Studies degree can look forward to a broad range of career opportunities in the dynamic and competitive environment of todays business world. 2.2) BBA: BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BBA aims at transforming a student into a corporate personality. This course with its intensive syllabus and a wide range of value addition modules enables the student to aspire for higher studies in premium business schools and India and abroad. Being a professional course it ensures a healthy balance between theoretical foundation and practical exposure to the present day business world. A quality BBA program offers more skill enhancement and practical knowledge than usual degree courses. Like an MBA program, learning through case studies, group activities, project writing, presentations, summer internship, etc. form an integral part of a BBA program. BBA graduates have an edge over others and are sought after by the industry owing to the exposure the course offers to operational environment in the field of Business. Most of the BBA programs require a candidate to pass in Class 12 / HSC examination. Some of the institutes may demand minimum marks of 50% in class 12 as an eligibility to pursue the program. However, students who have appeared their H.S.C examination and awaiting their results are also eligible to take these tests. 2.3) BBE: BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS BFIA: BACHELOR OF FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS Economists study the optimum use of financial resources for the success of an organization to increase productivity. They study production, distribution and consumption of goods and services on the application of economic policy in particular area such as finance, labor, agriculture, energy and health. The program- Bachelor of business economics is designed to develop broad business analytical skills as well as the technical knowledge required within the economics and finance environment. You will focus on the application of economic, finance and statistical theory to common business problems. Furthermore, class presentations, simulations and group assignments are used extensively to develop essential personal qualities including clear thinking, resourcefulness and the ability to work in a team and perform under pressure. As a BBE graduate one is expected to gain the necessary conceptual abilities, analytical skills and knowledge to equip one for a variety of professional career opportunities in industry, commerce or government service. In BBE the student verifies and reports how something is put into practice. As well as in the ability as in the activity the deepening of knowledge is the core factor. The students have to acquire an insight in the different functions that can be distinguished in a company, such as production, logistics, finance, marketing, informatics, control, etc. Future business economists are to be educated to deal with company problems in an integral way. Special emphasis is placed on ensuring the students qualifications for the job market and providing them with the necessary skills for academic research and further studies. As far as BFIA is concerned most management programs in a developing country are industry specific. Finance is one such area, which also happens to be an important subject, especially in todays global scenario. The rationale behind this course is to introduce students to the subject before they take it up at the MBA level as an elective. Furthermore, the thrust of the programs is on exposing the students to real time business problems, through three years of rigorous industry training, which runs simultaneously with theory classes. They are sent to Housing Finance Companies, Chartered Accountancy Firms and even to the Stock Exchange Board for experience. This course is meant for students who are keen on working in the core areas of finance, mainly with investment companies, capital markets, foreign exchange dealers, banks, mutual fund operations, insurance sector or finance companies. USP: Hard core finance content 30 Papers covered in six semesters. The opportunity for hands on training with our industrial partners. The papers covered in this course range from introduction to business and finance, to focus on areas like corporate taxation, auditing, corporate restructuring, merchant banking, investment analysis, portfolio management, etc. Pre Admission forms are not accepted. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH THIS YEAR 2.4) B.El.Ed: BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION The Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) program is a four-year integrated professional degree program of Elementary Teacher Education offered after the senior secondary (class XII) stage of school. Conceptualized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Elementary and Social Education (MACESE) of the Department of Education, University of Delhi and launched in the academic year 1994-95, the program is an attempt towards fulfilling the need for professionally qualified elementary school teachers. B.El.Ed. is designed to integrate the study of subject knowledge, human development, and pedagogical knowledge and communication skills. Both professional and academic options are available to students who graduate with a B.El.Ed. Degree. The program aims to produce graduates of high caliber in the field of teacher education. A lot of effort is spent in the training of students and giving them a supportive and stimulating environment. A good number of students have been placed in government and private schools as professionally qualified elementary school teachers. Others are pursuing post-graduate studies and research in disciplines like education, linguistics, psychology, languages, history, social work, sociology, mathematics and political science. Many B.El.Ed graduates are pursuing research in educational studies in Central Universities. Some of them are working as teacher educators. 2.5) HM: HOTEL MANAGEMENT The boom in the tourism industry has resulted in the immense growth of hotel industry in India. The hotel industry promises a bright future for anyone who wishes to take up a career in this segment. The students opting for hotel management career courses must have an affinity towards socializing and understanding the needs of the people. As hotels fall under the service industry, the motive of hotel management courses in India is to prepare the students to face the challenges of this competitive world. As far as tourism industry in India is concerned, it is attracting tourists from across the world and this definitely calls for quality hospitality. Hotel Management as a Career Option Hotel management is one of the most interesting career options in the contemporary job market. Career training from a recognized and reputed hotel management institute is just an icing on the cake. In India there are many hotel management institutes and colleges which provide hospitality or hotel management courses. Hotel Management Course Admissions These hotel management courses make one aware of the operating-sections of the hotel industry like front office, general operations, sales and marketing, food and beverage, service keeping and catering. Candidates seeking admission to the hotel management courses in India need to pass their 12th standard examination with English as a subject. Students with a bachelors degree from any recognized university may also join some of the management training schemes offered by various institutions. Admission depends on the performance of the students in the written admission test, personal interview round and group discussion session. The time duration of the courses offered by several institutes may vary from six months to three years. Hotel Management Course Scope Hotel management job opportunities exists both in the private and public sector. One can look for various openings available in the hotels of the nation. Most of the hotels in India offer lucrative pay packages to the suitable candidates. The jobs offered are satisfying as well as highly rewarding. 2.6) CATE: COMMON ADMISSION TEST FOR ENGLISH (H) The Common Aptitude Test for English (CATE) for admission into the highly sought after B.A English (Honors) program offered by the Delhi University (DU). According to the CATE-2010 information bulletin, teachers of English at DU feel that a candidates good performance in the Class 12 English examination does not necessarily mean that they have an aptitude for studying English Literature. Earlier, the entrance tests for admissions to the English Honors course offered by colleges at DU were all conducted individually by the colleges themselves. The university administration had decided to change the system as it was believed that too many English entrance tests would put excessive pressure on candidates. 2.7) CA CPT (Common Proficiency Test) It is an entry level test for Chartered Accountancy Course. It is a test of four subjects i.e. Accounting, Mercantile Laws, General Economics and Quantitative Aptitude. This test is of 200 marks. This test is divided into two sessions of two hours each: A Simplified Entry to the Chartered Accountancy Course CPT will replace existing Professional Education (Course-I) which requires 10-month study period followed by an exhaustive theoretical examination. CPT is an objective type test to be held every February, May, August and November. This will reduce long waiting for entry to the chartered accountancy education and training. Common Proficiency Test will be objective type multiple choice based examination. Candidates will be allowed to opt for Hindi medium Question Paper Booklet for answering the questions. Detailed information will be found given in the Information brochure. PROGRAMMES OFFERED The BBS/BBA/BBE program is offered in two formats: Classroom Correspondence (Till last year) Table 1 Features Classroom Correspondence Program Program Basic Reference Material Yes No Classroom Training Yes No Class Assessment Tests Yes No Comprehensive Tests Yes No Simulated Tests Yes No Competitive Test Ranking Yes No GD PI Training Yes No The company provides a specialist coaching for the management courses, substantiating the claims with excellent course material, results and the best faculty pool from the industry. The advantage of being a firm of CBS alumni initiative provides it with extensive knowledge of the product and process forming the core advantage for the company. CHAPTER 3 SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING 3.1SEGMENTATION The purpose for segmenting a market is to allow your marketing/sales program to focus on the subset of prospects that are most likely to purchase your offering. If done properly this will help to insure the highest return for your marketing/sales expenditures. Depending on whether you are selling your offering to individual consumers or a business, there are definite differences in what you will consider when defining market segments. At EduMentor, the kind of segmentation that is done is, segment marketing, based on a) Nature of school, i.e. public or private schools. Segmenting schools on the basis of its ownership, so that economically less privileged students of government schools can also be targeted, is unique to only EduMentor. No other player in the market, cater to the untapped potential of government school students. b) The segmentation can also be done on the basis of subjects studied at the +2 level. Like on the basis of stream: commerce, Science and humanities. Though student from any stream can apply for these entrances, but the target market becomes a little specific when considering commerce students, because often these entrances and other related courses are the first choice for them. Likewise, even within commerce students, the market can be segmented on the basis of subject mathematics, studied at the +2 level. Mathematics is essential for the entrance exam of BBE; hence, the students with commerce with maths can be motivated in that direction. 3.2TARGETING Targeting is the second stage of the SEGMENT Target POSITION (STP) process. After the market has been separated into its segments, the marketer will select a segment or series of segments and target it/them. Resources and effort will be targeted at the segment. Since BBS is a management related course it is a primary option for commerce students, so the biggest target students for the organization is students with commerce background. Humanities are going out of fashion, and the courses like Mass Communication and Hotel Management have tests on same pattern as of BBS. So, BBA training can help a student aspiring to clear a Mass Communication entrance test and also BBA entrance, like a backup option. After the primary data collection, the strategy used to reach to the prospective customers was done on the following segmentation. 3.3POSITIONING The organization has managed to form a niche for itself, in presence of strong competition from established players in the market. The positioning of the brand has been done from the very beginning, on two important propositions: The organization being the only institute for providing specialized coaching to the students who seek admission in BBS / BBA / BBE. That is the reason why the institutes faculty consists only of those who have been to the best BBA/BBS/BBE MBA institute making us „The Only Specialist BBA/BBS/BBE Entrance Coaching Institute‟. At Edumentor, the core competency lies more in mentoring the students to the right path of education than merely preparing them to achieve the best results. The core team comprises of alumni of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies and the leading MBA institutes which enable the organization to guide the students, the right things at the right time. Plus, the team, being CBSites, are more aware of the changes which have taken place in the pattern of the written test, GD and PI over the years. In fact, the core team consists of members who are involved in suggesting ways of improvement in the selection process at CBS in capacity of being Alumni of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies. Hence the STP (Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning) for EduMentor can be summarized as follows: 3.47 Ps @EduMentor The top most players for undergraduate management coaching is I.M.S. in Delhi with maximum number of enrolments in various consecutive years, so methodology used by the I.M.S was analyzed so as to understand the need of the market and develop the strategies for EduMentor. PRODUCT: The main product of EduMentor is coaching in BBS/BBE/BBA. It has expanded its horizon by diversifying its portfolio covering various undergraduate entrance exam coaching. The undergraduate coaching product comprises of:- BBA/BBA/BBE entrance coaching CLAT : LAW entrance coaching Hotel Management Bank PO Media Fashion B.El.Ed CA CPT PLACE: EduMentor has its centers all over Delhi with a strong distribution channel. The centers are located all over Delhi are easily accessible making it a suitable option for the target audience. The centers are all located at prime locations providing it a higher visibility over the competitors. 13EduMentor Educational Services. PRICE: The price of EduMentor is slightly higher as compared to the other players present in the market. It reflects that EduMentor charges a premium on its price in lieu of its brand value and the market holding. The price of EduMentor varies from one zone to another depending on the demographic factors (mainly income) depending on affordability of the product at the place as well as the competition in that region. The pricing strategy forms the main part of competitor analysis as some segments of the market are price sensitive and respond sharply to the price variations in the market. The price for coaching in Delhi is kept at Rs.12, 500 by EduMentor PROMOTION: EduMentor being a zonal level player enjoys high brand awareness in Delhi and NCR region. The agenda of promotion for the company is to make the audience aware of the product offerings and remind them about them being the market leader. Due to Financial back-up, various ways used by them to do the promotion are:- Mobile ads (bulk SMS) IP College Activity Board Centre Activity Edupro(Ex-Student Referral Program) PEOPLE: Workforce at Edumentor comprises of very few permanent employees and because this company operates seasonally so major chunk of workforce constitutes of 45 MBA interns for three months. This team represents Edumentor in its peak season PROCESS:

Friday, October 25, 2019

City of Alexandria, Virginia Budget Fiscal Year 2011 Essay -- Local Go

The City of Alexandria is recognized as one of the best places to live and do business on the east coast. In 2004, the Alexandria City Council adopted a Strategic Plan for 2004 thru 2015 with the vision of maintaining the city’s vibrant, diverse, historic, and unique neighborhoods. Their mission is to maintain financial stability, provide excellent services that are valued by the customers, and engage the entire community as it plans for the future (City of Alexandria, 2010). In fiscal year 2009, the City of Alexandria received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget. To receive this prestigious award, the city must meet program criteria as a policy document, as an operations guide, as a financial plan, and as a communications device (City of Alexandria, 2010). To maintain the city’s vision, the City of Alexandria continues to conform to program requirements through the city’s Strategic Plan. This paper will discuss in detail the c ity’s long term financial sustainability, by analyzing the city’s legislative guidance, budget outline and overview, revenue fund sources, employee reductions and the Capital Improvement Program overview. The budget does a good job of outlining its overall goals and changes from the previous year. The City of Alexandria’s budget is set by the legislative guidelines (City Charter) required for the City Council to follow. The City Council provides general provisions to the City Manger to prepare and submit the annual budget to the City Council. The City Manager’s responsibility is to submit a general budget, a capital budget, and an explanatory budget message in the form and with the contents provided by the Charter, and the responsibility of the City Council is to es... ...proved%20Budget%20in%20Brief.pdf Capital improvement program overview (2010, May 3). City of Alexandria Virginia. Retrieved December 9, 2010, from http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/FY2011ApprovedBudget-CIP%20Overview.pdf FY 2011 approved budget (2010, May 3). City of Alexandria Virginia. Retrieved December 7, 2010, from http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/FY2011ApprovedBudget-TotalDocument.pdf Legislative references (2010, May 3). City of Alexandria Virginia. Retrieved December 9, 2010, from http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/FY2011ApprovedBudget-LegislativeReferences.pdf Mikesell, J. (2011). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (8th ed.). Boston Revenues overview (2010, May 3). City of Alexandria Virginia. Retrieved December 9, 2010, from http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/FY2011Approved-TotalRevenuesSection.pdf

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Hockey Sport Essay

Hockey is a fast, exciting sport played by two teams on a sheet of ice called a rink. Each team has six players on the ice, one goalie, two defensemen, two wingers, and one center man. The players skate up and down the ice shooting or passing a hard rubber disk called a puck with sticks. They score points by hitting the puck into the net. Hockey is much faster and swifter than any other sport. As the players streak across the ice, their powerful shots and passes can send the puck faster than 100 miles [160 kilometers] per hour. A goalkeeper on each team defends his net from the puck going in. They must often make quick slides across the on their skates, stomachs, knees or backs to stop the puck from going into the net. A puck that crosses the goal line is a called a goal and scores a point for the other team. The side that scores the most goals wins the game. To keep the action fast, hockey has an unusual rule. It is the only major sport that allows players to change or substitute during play. The game is rough and includes lots of hitting and some fights, although fighting is against the rules. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, and Arabs, perhaps among the earliest of stick-and-ball games, played forms of hockey. A sport similar to hockey, called Hurling, is known to have been played during the 1st millennium in Ireland, and other Europeans in the Middle Ages adopted similar sports. The historians don’t know for certain where the name Hockey came from. But most of them thought the name hockey have been adapted by the English from the French word hoquet (shepherd’s crook). How ever was the name first given to the sport in the 18th century, but was not in common usage until the 19th century. Hockey then started in Canada in the mid-1800’s. By the 1900’s it had become Canada’s national sport. Since then, hockey has become popular in many other countries including Russia, Sweden and the United States. Hockey is grouped in many different divisions including minor hockey, which is grouped into age categories, SJHL, WHL, OHL and IHL, which involve the smaller cities in province or state, and NHL, which involve the bigger, better known cities in Canada and the United States. Each period begins with a face-off at the center face-off spot. A face-off also starts play again after it has been stopped for any reason. During play, the puck must normally be kept moving. If it is hit over the boards, held by the goalie, out of the referee’s sight, frozen between opposing players, or is otherwise temporarily out of play, an official blows a whistle for a face-off. A player may move the puck along the ice, pass it to a teammate, or shoot it at the goal, but rules limit these plays in certain ways. One extremely important rule states that no player of the attacking team may be in the attacking zone ahead of the puck. One player must carry or shoot the puck across the attacking blue line before any other player on the team crosses the blue line. For violations of this rule, an official signals the offending team offside and conducts a face-off in the neutral zone. A player may pass to a teammate anywhere in the same zone. The player may also pass from the defending zone to a teammate in their team’s half of the neutral zone. If the pass is received past the centerline an official signals the pass offside and conducts a face-off where the play began. Hockey requires a variety of skills. They include checking, skating, passing, stick handling and shooting. Checking is the way a player takes the puck away from the opponent. There are two main types of checks: stick checks and body checks. For a stick check the player uses his stick to hook or poke the puck away from the opponent. In a body check the player bumps against the opponent with a hip or a shoulder to try any block the opponent’s progress or throw the opponent off balance. Both stick checking and body checking are allowed only against a player in control of the puck or the last player to control it. Skating is the most important hockey skill. Players must be able to turn sharply, skate backwards and perform many other maneuvers while skating at top speed. They must be able to do this with their head up and while stick handling the puck. Passing occurs when a player who has the puck passes it to another player. In most cases the players use their sticks to propel the puck toward the receiver. These passes are either flat passes or flip passes. To make a flat pass the player sends the puck traveling along the surface of the ice. To make a flip pass the player causes it to rise off the ice to avoid interception by an opponent. Sometimes the passer simply leaves the puck behind, so that a teammate can get it, this is called a drop pass. Stick handling is the use of the stick to control the puck. The player first moves the puck with one side of the blade and then with the other side while skating. The player makes some sweeps of the stick some wide and some narrow. In this way the player keeps the opponent guessing as to the next move and also makes it difficult to steal the puck. Shooting is the skill needed to drive the puck into the net and score goals. Most shots are either wrist shots or slap shots. In a wrist shot the blade does not leave the ice. The player uses strong wrist action to propel the puck. For a slap shot the player raises the stick for a back swing and brings it down against the puck with great force. Slap shots are more powerful but less accurate than wrist shots. Offside plays and icing account for most violations of the rules. For these violations, the offending team risks losing control of the puck in the resulting face-off. For more serious violations, players receive penalties ranging from two minutes in the penalty box to removal from the game, but each team must always have at least four players on the ice. If a third player is penalized while two teammates are in the penalty box, a substitute may replace the player on the ice. A teammate may serve the goaltender’s penalty. Hockey has five main kinds of penalties: minor penalties, major penalties, misconduct penalties, match penalties and penalty shots. Minor penalties are given for violations like holding, tripping or hooking resulting in two minutes in the penalty box. The team must play short-handed until the time is up or the other team scores. But if the same minor penalty is awarded against players on both teams they sit for the full to minutes and two different players may replace them on the ice. Major penalties are given mainly for fighting or cutting or drawing blood with a stick, they result in five minutes in the penalty box. The penalized team must play short-handed for the full five minutes, but if a player on each team receives a major penalty at the same time, substitutes may replace both players on the ice. Misconduct penalties are given mainly toward the improper treatment towards an official, which results in ten minutes in the penalty box, but a substitute may replace the penalized player. A game misconduct penalty is given mainly for more serious offences against officials. Match penalties are given for deliberately injuring or attempting to injure an opponent. The offending player is removed for the rest of the game and usually given extra penalty minutes depending on the severity of the incident, which a player on that team has to serve. Penalty shots are free shots at the opposing goal defended by only the goalie. They are awarded against the defending team when an attacking player throws his stick or is pulled down from behind and is so prevented from taking the shot. Those are the rules and regulations of the fun and exciting game of hockey.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Child challenging behaviour

This would be done over a few weeks to see if there is a regular pattern or thing that sets this behavior off and to ensure you know what the nouns person needs to help them stop this challenging behavior. Strengths To find out what that something is that sets off the behavior, and to find ways Of dealing with it. TO understand the needs Of the young person and put into place the right support and get the right specialized professional involved and ensure that they work together to create a plan so that the young person behavior develops in a short time as possible.To use good strategies to ensure that the behavior is improved and if the young person is being Hellenizing make sure that there is somebody to help the person working with the young person that they have support to help them and that he gets the right punishments and rewards put into place to make the behavior change. To also ensure the professional work together and follow the rules, guidelines and put a care plan into p lace that all professionals working with the young person are followed. Weaknesses- The young person might not have a pattern of when the trigger sets off the behavior.The young person may not feel able to talk to anybody so professionals can't provide the right purport and care to help make the young person's behavior improve. Approach to the behavior used would be cognitive behavior therapy as it helps to change the way you think, behave and deal with the behavior. It will help the young person look at the negative behavior, the regular patterns that set the behavior off and ways that you can overcome this bad behavior. This could be the way to talk about how the person thinks about themselves, the world and other people and how what you do effect your thoughts and feelings.It helps you learn skills for the rest of your life to cope and deal with difficult situations that you may have be in and may be in again. Cognitive behavior therapy helps to overcome their difficulties throug h changing their thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. It's to try and help a person think more positively however it's not just to make them think positively it's to help them to change the behavior to help them improve how they feel. â€Å"Cognitive behavioral therapy (CB) can help you make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. NASH. ELK) people who can benefit from this are people with anxiety and panic disorder, depression, phobias (including agoraphobia and social phobia), suspicious thoughts, stress, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anger issues, low self esteem and pain and fatigue. (Craven clinic, 201 2) Strengths- This therapy can help the young person let out there feelings and what is going on in their head but mostly to change how they feel to make them become more positive.To ensure the young person has somebody to turn to and trust as if he is challen ging he may feel everybody is against him and to make sure the young person understands what they have done wrong. Weaknesses- The young person might not attend the sessions as he might not want any help so finding other options to support the young person's wishes to help him and his behavior change. Evaluating the problems and turning to different methods of approaching the young person's behavior such as providing active support for the young person, ensuring partnership working or even behavior modifications programs.Methods of intervention used would be applying medication. The young person has ADD and has to take a medication called Rattail, this helps calm them down as the chemicals in this drug effect there brain and the way they think. The young person must be monitored On a regular basis to ensure the medication is helping and if it is not the must assess the situation incase they need a higher dose. Strategies must be put into place to ensure the young person has the righ t help and support to make sure the young person can try and change their behavior to come appropriate.People with ADD can have poor organization skills, trouble to start and finish things, frequent forgetting things such as appointments, frequent interruptions of others, have poor self control, blurt out things that are rude and inappropriate, have addictive tendencies egg: tapping on the table which distracts others, have trouble behaving in socially appropriate ways egg: such as talking to someone when a teacher is talking to them. These could be improved if the young person has a support worker to be with them to tell them what's right and wrong so they know.They also have emotional difficulties such as sense of under achievement, trouble staying motivated, don't deal well with frustration, easily stressed out, irritable, lots of mood swings, hypersensitivity to criticism, short temper and low self esteem this could also be overcome by a councilor or somebody they trust that the y can talk to. (Help guide, 2012) Strengths – The medication can control the young person's behavior to a certain point, ensuring they have the right support put in place helping them get through all the emotions and feelings they may encounter.To ensure the young person has a dedicated worker to talk to about any concerns or worries that they may have. Weaknesses – if the medication does not work then his behavior could maintain at an inappropriate level. The young person would have to be assessed on a regular basis to see how the medication helps and if there is no progress in the behavior assessing if the doctor needs to give the young person a higher dose of the medication and to also make sure the medication doesn't cause any serious problems with the young person's mental, emotional and physical state of mind.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Father

With a huge percentage of divorce rates in the United States, it is common to find single parent families. In my case, I lacked the parental guidance of a father. This was, and still is a devastating part of my life. Looking back, I cannot recall my father being part of any aspects of my life, aspects that I believe are crucial factors in a child’s developmental process. I look at pictures and see how happy he made me. I just wish that the photo album was bigger. I see gifts that he gave me during Christmas time. I wish that I could give them all back for just one more Christmas day with him I would have to say that one of the most difficult things I have ever been through was my father leaving because I never had the opportunity to have a true father/daughter relationship. My father was never there when I needed advice on significant issues; although, I wanted him to be there more than anything. There was always my mother, but, sometimes, I desperately needed and wanted a second opinion. For example, one day I was watching a football game on television. The announcer said excitingly, â€Å"Tennessee has the first down!† â€Å"First down,† I thought to myself, â€Å"What’s a first down?† I then preceded to walk to the kitchen to ask my mother about this puzzling inquiry. My mother is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but football is not her forte. She looked at me like I was asking her for help with Quantum Physics or something. At that point, I felt a longing for my father’s insights on manly things such as this. When I first turned sixteen I eventually found myself in another bind. This was a time when dating was now acceptable in my mother’s book. So, as I was getting dressed and ready, I began thinking. I was asking myself questions such as, â€Å"What do I say?†, â€Å"What do I do?†, and â€Å"What do boys enjoy talking about?† While all of these questions were racking my bra... Free Essays on Father Free Essays on Father With a huge percentage of divorce rates in the United States, it is common to find single parent families. In my case, I lacked the parental guidance of a father. This was, and still is a devastating part of my life. Looking back, I cannot recall my father being part of any aspects of my life, aspects that I believe are crucial factors in a child’s developmental process. I look at pictures and see how happy he made me. I just wish that the photo album was bigger. I see gifts that he gave me during Christmas time. I wish that I could give them all back for just one more Christmas day with him I would have to say that one of the most difficult things I have ever been through was my father leaving because I never had the opportunity to have a true father/daughter relationship. My father was never there when I needed advice on significant issues; although, I wanted him to be there more than anything. There was always my mother, but, sometimes, I desperately needed and wanted a second opinion. For example, one day I was watching a football game on television. The announcer said excitingly, â€Å"Tennessee has the first down!† â€Å"First down,† I thought to myself, â€Å"What’s a first down?† I then preceded to walk to the kitchen to ask my mother about this puzzling inquiry. My mother is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but football is not her forte. She looked at me like I was asking her for help with Quantum Physics or something. At that point, I felt a longing for my father’s insights on manly things such as this. When I first turned sixteen I eventually found myself in another bind. This was a time when dating was now acceptable in my mother’s book. So, as I was getting dressed and ready, I began thinking. I was asking myself questions such as, â€Å"What do I say?†, â€Å"What do I do?†, and â€Å"What do boys enjoy talking about?† While all of these questions were racking my bra...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Far from Empire - German Colonial History and its Memorials

Far from Empire - German Colonial History and its Memorials Europe’s long and sinister colonial history can still be experienced in many places. Forced-upon European heritage, such as languages or the ominous right to militarily intervene, are found all over the globe. The different colonial narratives of the British Empire, the Spanish Navy or Portuguese traders are well known and often still glorified as a grand national past. Outside of Germany, the country’s colonial history is not referred to often within Germany it is a rather sore topic. Being overshadowed by the two World Wars, it is up to recent historical studies to fully bring it into the light. Even if – in terms of gaining territory, compared to its rivals - Germany’s colonial endeavors weren’t exactly successful, German colonial forces are guilty of terrible crimes against peoples indigenous to their colonies. As are so many European histories of the 17th,18th, 19th and 20th century, the German one is not short of gruesome acts committed in the name of forging a global empire. German East Africa and German-Samoa Even though Germans were part of the European Colonial Expansion right from the beginning, the engagement of Germany as a formal colonial power started its endeavors rather late. One reason was that the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, before that there was no â€Å"Germany† that could, as a nation, colonize anyone. Maybe that is another reason for the pressing necessity to acquire colonies, which seems to have been felt by German officials. From 1884 on, Germany quickly incorporated African colonies such as Togo, Cameroon, Namibia and Tanzania (some under different names) into the Empire. A few Pacific Islands and a Chinese colony followed. The German colonial officers aimed at being very efficient colonizers, which resulted in very ruthless and brutal behavior towards the natives. This, of course, sparked rebellions and uprisings, which the oppressors, in turn, brutally put down. In German South-West Africa (Namibia), the German leaders attempted to segregate all inhabitants by a German upper class and an African working class – following an ideology of deep biologist racism. This kind of segregation was not limited to German colonies. All of European colonialism shows this attribute. But, one can say that German forces were the most efficient as the examples of Namibia and, a Generation later, the occupation of Eastern Europe show. German colonialism was driven by heavy armed conflicts, some of which are rightfully called genocide (e.g. the so-called Herero Wars, which lasted from ca. 1904 until 1907), as German attacks and the following famines were responsible for the death of an estimated 80% of all Herero. The German colonies in the â€Å"South Sea† also fell victim to colonial violence. German battalions were even part of ending the Boxer Rebellion in China. The first period of German colonialism ended after World War I when its protectorates were taken from the Reich, as it was unfit to be a colonial power. But the Third Reich brought a second period of course. A surge of colonial memorials throughout the 1920s, ’30s, and 40s prepared the public for a dawning new colonial age. One, that quickly ended with the victory of the Allied Forces in 1945. Memories and Memorials - Germany’s Colonial Past is Surfacing The last few years of public debate and discourse have made it clear: Germany’s colonial past can no longer be ignored and has to be duly addressed. Local initiatives successfully fought for the recognition of colonial crimes (e.g. through having the designations of streets changed, that bore the name of colonial leaders) and historians emphasized how history and collective memory itself is often a construct rather than an organically grown development. The self-definition of a society or community is created through delimitation on the one hand and the construction of a common past through notions of unifying grandeur, such as military victories, on the other. The composition of the latter is supported by memorials, memorabilia, as well as historic artifacts. In the case of German colonial history, these items are vastly overshadowed the Third Reich and are often only viewed in its context. Recent history and the present show that there is still a long way to go when it comes to processing Germany’s colonial history. Many streets still carry the names of colonial commanders guilty of war crimes, and many memorials still show German colonialism in an exotic, rather romantic light.