Deception Point Page 10

The President dropped a sugar cube into his mug. â€Å"As surprising as this may sound, the NASA discovery I'm referring to was made by EOS.† Now Rachel felt lost. If EOS had enjoyed a recent success, NASA certainly would have announced it, wouldn't they? Her father had been crucifying EOS in the media, and the space agency could use any good news they could find. â€Å"I've heard nothing,† Rachel said, â€Å"about any EOS discovery.† â€Å"I know. NASA prefers to keep the good news to themselves for a while.† Rachel doubted it. â€Å"In my experience, sir, when it comes to NASA, no news is generally bad news.† Restraint was not a forte of the NASA public relations department. The standing joke at the NRO was that NASA held a press conference every time one of their scientists so much as farted. The President frowned. â€Å"Ah, yes. I forget I'm talking to one of Pickering's NRO security disciples. Is he still moaning and groaning about NASA's loose lips?† â€Å"Security is his business, sir. He takes it very seriously.† â€Å"He damn well better. I just find it hard to believe that two agencies with so much in common constantly find something to fight about.† Rachel had learned early in her tenure under William Pickering that although both NASA and the NRO were space-related agencies, they had philosophies that were polar opposites. The NRO was a defense agency and kept all of its space activities classified, while NASA was academic and excitedly publicized all of its breakthroughs around the globe – often, William Pickering argued, at the risk of national security. Some of NASA's finest technologies-high-resolution lenses for satellite telescopes, long-range communications systems, and radio imaging devices – had a nasty habit of appearing in the intelligence arsenal of hostile countries and being used to spy against us. Bill Pickering often grumbled that NASA scientists had big brains†¦ and even bigger mouths. A more pointed issue between the agencies, however, was the fact that because NASA handled the NRO's satellite launches, many of NASA's recent failures directly affected the NRO. No failure had been more dramatic than that of August 12, 1998, when a NASA/Air Force Titan 4 rocket blew up forty seconds into launch and obliterated its payload – a $1.2 billion NRO satellite code-named Vortex 2. Pickering seemed particularly unwilling to forget that one. â€Å"So why hasn't NASA gone public about this recent success?† Rachel challenged. â€Å"They certainly could use some good news right now.† â€Å"NASA is being silent,† the President declared, â€Å"because I ordered them to be.† Rachel wondered if she had heard him correctly. If so, the President was committing some kind of political hara-kiri that she did not understand. â€Å"This discovery,† the President said, â€Å"is†¦ shall we say†¦ nothing short of astounding in its ramifications.† Rachel felt an uneasy chill. In the world of intelligence, â€Å"astounding ramifications† seldom meant good news. She now wondered if all the EOS secrecy was on account of the satellite system having spotted some impending environmental disaster. â€Å"Is there a problem?† â€Å"No problem at all. What EOS discovered is quite wonderful.† Rachel fell silent. â€Å"Suppose, Rachel, that I told you NASA has just made a discovery of such scientific importance†¦ such earth-shattering significance†¦ that it validated every dollar Americans have ever spent in space?† Rachel could not imagine. The President stood up. â€Å"Let's take a walk, shall we?† 11 Rachel followed President Herney out onto the glistening gangway of Air Force One. As they descended the stairs, Rachel felt the bleak March air clearing her mind. Unfortunately, clarity only made the President's claims seem more outlandish than before. NASA made a discovery of such scientific importance that it validates every dollar Americans have ever spent in space? Rachel could only imagine that a discovery of that magnitude would only center on one thing – the holy grail of NASA – contact with extraterrestrial life. Unfortunately, Rachel knew enough about that particular holy grail to know it was utterly implausible. As an intelligence analyst, Rachel constantly fielded questions from friends who wanted to know about the alleged government cover-ups of alien contact. She was consistently appalled by the theories her â€Å"educated† friends bought into – crashed alien saucers hidden in secret government bunkers, extraterrestrial corpses kept on ice, even unsuspecting civilians being abducted and surgically probed. It was all absurd, of course. There were no aliens. No cover-ups. Everyone in the intelligence community understood that the vast majority of sightings and alien abductions were simply the product of active imaginations or moneymaking hoaxes. When authentic photographic UFO evidence did exist, it had a strange habit of occurring near U.S. military airbases that were testing advanced classified aircraft. When Lockheed began air-testing aradical new jet called the Stealth Bomber, UFO sightings around Edwards Air Force Base increased fifteen-fold. â€Å"You have a skeptical look on your face,† the President said, eyeing her askance. The sound of his voice startled Rachel. She glanced over, unsure how to respond. â€Å"Well†¦ † She hesitated. â€Å"May I assume, sir, that we are not talking about alien spacecrafts or little green men?† The President looked quietly amused. â€Å"Rachel, I think you'll find this discovery far more intriguing than science fiction.† Rachel was relieved to hear NASA had not been so desperate as to try selling the President on an alien story. Nonetheless, his comment served only to deepen the mystery. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"whatever NASA found, I must say the timing is exceptionally convenient.† Herney paused on the gangway. â€Å"Convenient? How so?† How so? Rachel stopped and stared. â€Å"Mr. President, NASA is currently in a life or death battle to justify its very existence, and you are under attack for continuing to fund it. A major NASA breakthrough right now would be a panacea for both NASA and your campaign. Your critics will obviously find the timing highly suspect.† â€Å"So†¦ are you calling me a liar or a fool?† Rachel felt a knot rise in her throat. â€Å"I meant no disrespect, sir. I simply-â€Å" â€Å"Relax.† A faint grin grew on Herney's lips, and he started to descend again. â€Å"When the NASA administrator first told me about this discovery, I flat out rejected it as absurd. I accused him of masterminding the most transparent political sham in history.† Rachel felt the knot in her throat dissolve somewhat. At the bottom of the ramp, Herney stopped and looked at her. â€Å"One reason I've asked NASA to keep their discovery under wraps is to protect them. The magnitude of this find is well beyond anything NASA has ever announced. It will make landing men on the moon seem insignificant. Because everyone, myself included, has so much to gain – and lose – I thought it prudent for someone to double-check the NASA data before we step into the world spotlight with a formal announcement.† Rachel was startled. â€Å"Certainly you can't mean me, sir?† The President laughed. â€Å"No, this is not your area of expertise. Besides, I've already achieved verification through extragovernmental channels.† Rachel's relief gave way to a new mystification. â€Å"Extragovernmental, sir? You mean you used the private sector? On something this classified?† The President nodded with conviction. â€Å"I put together an external confirmation team – four civilian scientists-non-NASA personnel with big names and serious reputations to protect. They used their own equipment to make observations and come to their own conclusions. Over the past forty-eight hours, these civilian scientists have confirmed the NASA discovery beyond the shadow of a doubt.†

Popuarity of fast food outlets Essay

10. Discuss the causes of popularity of fast food. In recent years, there have been many studies conducted on fast food. According to the results of these studies, fast food has become an indispensible part of human life and has become quite popular. There are numerous reasons for the popularity of fast food restaurants among which the two most important ones are that they are cheap and easily available. To begin with, one of the most significant reasons why many people today opt for fast food restaurants is that fast food is cheap. That is to say, because the cost of the ingredients of fast food is low, the prices are also low . Therefore, as expected, people have more of a tendency to eat fast food. For instance, students have generally limited pocket money and they tend to spend their money carefully. Thus, this situation compels them to eat fast food because it is more affordable for them. Briefly, the cheapness of fast food is one of the leading causes of its popularity. Another important reason why fast food restaurants are so popular is that they are easy available. In other words, today fast food branches are very widespread and people can find them almost everywhere. People can eat food without searching for a restaurant for a long time and when they find it, they don’t have to wait for long. To illustrate, students have limited time between classes and they can easily get fast food such as toasts and hamburgers in a place close to their school. In short people do not need to spend much time eating thanks to fast food. In conclusion, there are a myriad of reasons why fast food restaurants are very popular. We always focus on the neglect effects of eating in fast food restaurants but actually we need to examine the causes of its popularity. Two main reasons are that fast food is affordable and easily available. Nevertheless, people, especially children, should be well informed about negative effects of fast food.

Asda Marketing Plan

To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144. Asda Marketing Plan To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144.

Sport and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Sport and media - Essay Example 208). The article relayed the information which focused on stereotyping, social representations and perceptions of identity of an ethnic, cultural, or minority group. A media example which is related to the reading is one that was revealed by Nittle (2014) who disclosed that Native American Indians depicted in films or television shows were usually stereotyped as: warriors, savages, maidens, stoic, magical men, and living in the wilderness. As such, their identity as a social, ethnic, and cultural people has been restricted to these images. It was therefore emphasized that â€Å"representations of Native American women as â€Å"easy squaws† have real world consequences. American Indian women suffer from high rates of sexual assaults, often perpetrated by non-Native men† (Nittle, 2014, par. 3). The assertions could be contributory to the negative and detrimental impact of American Indian mascots to the minds of American Indian students, in general. It was therefore commendable for Fryberg, Markus, Oyserman, & Stone (2008) to conclude that: â€Å"the only way to reduce the negative impact of these constraining American Indian mascot representations is to either eliminate them or to create, distribute, and institutionalize a broader array of social representations of American Indians† (p. 216). One shares the same conviction to create a more positive image of American Indians in the long run. Fryberg, S., Markus, H., Oyserman, D., & Stone, J. (2008). Of Warrior Chiefs and Indian Princesses: The Psychological Consequences of American Indian Mascots. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 30, 208–218. Nittle, N. (2014). Five Common Native American Stereotypes in Film and Television. Retrieved from About.com Race Relations:

Too Many Derivatives from Which to Choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Too Many Derivatives from Which to Choose - Essay Example The latter two methods are called as derivative markets. In this case the management does not take into account hedging using forward currency contracts as the banks have increased the charges for these services manifold. Hedging using forward contracts simply transfers the risk from the firm to the bank and hence the bank charges a large amount for these services. Now the management has to decide between currency future and options. The future currency contract is a legal contract between a buyer and a seller in which they agree to buy or sell the currency at a future date, at an exchange rate that is fixed or agreed upon today. Though the future contract looks very similar to forward contract, the futures contract brings in more liquidity it is traded in the futures market. It is similar to share market. The most important benefit of futures contract is that firm can release itself from the futures obligation by buying the contract even before the contract expires. Other benefits include liquidity, leverage and convergence of the futures price and spot price on the day of expiration of the futures contract. A currency option is a contract between a buyer and a seller where the buyer of the option enjoys the right but not the obligation to buy or sell the currency at a specified exchange rate before a specified date. There are two types of options. They are call option and put options. Call option gives the buyer the right to buy and the put option gives the buyer the right to sell the currency. Options minimize the risks to a great extent. This hedging option is not of significant importance to our book firm as the option is mainly beneficial for firms bidding for overseas projects. Options are highly flexible and offer a wide range of strategies. But they are more expensive when compared to forwards or futures contract. Hence the most suited derivative for the book firm is futures contract. The best

Reading and Writing about Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading and Writing about Arguments - Essay Example People should always think of media as a place you can get information like reading an online newspaper, or report listening. Unfortunately, most people have confined abilities to offer their thoughts with such matters. Some of the social media websites of bookmarking include Blink list, Simpy, and Delicious. Social news website includes Propeller, Digg, and Reddit. The social news site interacts by commenting and voting for articles. Social networking websites include Facebook, Twitter, and Whattsup. The site interacts by adding friends, joining groups, and discussing issues (Rubinstein, Eli, and Jane 98). Among the social websites listed, many people are using social networks such as Tumbler, Twitter, and Facebook. Since internet rapidly propagates, the social network has also progressed. The internet makes the life convenient and faster. With the advancement in technology, people are using Smartphone's, and iPhones to access the internet with much ease. Accessing the social networ k, helps users to contact families, friends, and others living far away. If not properly used social networks can be easily abused. It is therefore important to regulate and understand the importance of social media for young children. The paper therefore, argues on how the negative impact of social networks outshines the positive effect. It is true that the social network has been abused that is why their limitations are so advanced. Social network especially Twitter and Face book is addictive. It has always been believed that alcohol and drugs are more addictive than the addiction of social networks. This is far from the truth. Whether the users are trawling news feed, uploading photos, or posting a comment. There is no shortcut in wasting time on social networks (Qualman 53). Youths login into their accounts after every single minute, and this has become a habit among young people. In the United Kingdom clinics are diagnosing thousands of addicts in a year (Rubinstein, Eli, and J ane 13). The researchers have found that features such as likes and retweets raise the "feel-good "chemicals of the brain. When the users lack endorsements they provoke anxiety and anger. People using the social network do not recognize it as a problem. According to Mr. White a psychologist believes that social network only becomes a problem when it starts interfering with the life of a person. Therefore, I feel social media pose a threat of addiction to others which is not good. Social networking can cause physical and mental disorders to users. Other people argue that social media is healthy because users share their feelings and thoughts easily. That through social media, people connect, and share feelings (Rubinstein, Eli, and Jane 23). This is misleading because, there is no physical meeting. Therefore, its useful impact is very minimal to the parties. According to the study conducted by Nielsen, participating in a social network is harmful. This is because in social media, cas es of bullying are rampant. A phenomenon called "Face book envy" which assumes that the life of online friends is better than the others (Qualman 34). Young people with problems of mental health, social media can easily exacerbate the condition. The stigma experience and online negativity from the online friends because they admit their depression or contact other problems. Also in ages when devices to access internet are everywhere, face to face meeting is fading away as people have resorted to meet screen to screen

Cultural Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Studies - Essay Example The basic understanding has been brought forward by the rationale as provided by Geert Hofstede as well as a number of other thinkers, researchers of current times as well as of the past. The fact that cultural studies and its attainment is significant lies in the rationale that comes from the discussion of value, authority, power and its linked associations. This is because cultural studies are inter-twined with such elements which require understanding of pertinent issues within the related domains of culture and not only that but also the whole paradigm under which a society operates in entirety. Issues of structuralism, where an attempt at studying the human sciences is of utmost significance, are raised ever more so often. What this does is to establish a need for connecting the very basis of mythological and other fields with the complex systems comprised within the inter-related parts of the structural domains. (Hawkes, 2003) The inter-disciplinary tangents within the cultural studies make it all the more interesting, more so due to the fact that there is a cultural harmony amongst the different regimes which bring about the association of the varied disciplines in the first place. The inter-disciplinary issues could focus a little towards the anthropological, literary theory and/or psychoanalysis aspects so that the relation within the cultural studies is one of a significant one all this while. Similarly, post-structuralism is also an important ingredient of this debate as it brings to light the quintessential domains of intellectual developments related with different philosophers and critical theorists who have written meticulous tendencies with respect to different eras. Cultural understandings become even more essential when one comprehends the fact that the same phenomenon is in close alliance with postmodernism and its sub-forms. (Waterbury, 1993) Thus theory and practice play alongside each other towards the betterment of the

Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Task 2 - Essay Example Decision making is often seen as the central job of the managers who decides what is to be done, who has to do it, where, when and how it is to be done. Decision making is regarded to the first step in the planning even when it is done quickly by taking a little time to decide and also influences an action just for a minute (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). There are various theories related to philosophical, mathematical and economic sources. This study highlights on the various theories of decision making. The Classical Model The classical decision theory is straightforward. It assumes that there is only one best solution to the problem; the decision maker needs to identify it, select it and then finally implement it. According the following sequential steps has been designed. Step 1: Identification of the problem The actual and the desired outcome should be determined and then any type of disparity existing between the two should be identified. Step 2: Diagnose the problem The informat ion should be collected and should be analysed properly in order to gain a clear explanation of the nature of the problem. Step 3: Define the alternatives After understanding the nature of the problem the potential options to the solution of the problems must be developed. Step 4: Examine the consequences The probable consequences of all the potential alternatives should be examined rigorously. Step 5: Make the decision The best amongst the potential alternatives must be chosen. While choosing the best alternative one should see that the objective and the goals are maximised. Step 6: Do it The decision must be implemented. The classical model leads to the optimization of strategy. This approach stands on the classical economic theory that is based on the assumptions of apparent goal, full information and cognitive ability to deeply analyse the problem. However practical problems exists that follows this perspective. Decision makers are human beings who have emotions, feelings and a variety of interests. Compromise and diversity are the stuffs that are their everyday requirement. One objective may be favoured over the other but no one allows one single goal that is an unrealistic one dimensionality to dominate in the working life (Hoy and Miskel, 1991). The notion that the organizational goals are simple and clear is oversimplification. Goals of the organization are often conflicting and complex. The problem of improbability is essential for the organization. Dealing with the problem of improbability has now become a common agenda in the organization share (Mintzberg, 1983). However there is no such common criterion for dealing with the improbability in the decision making (Thompson, 1967). It is virtually not possible to select the best alternative when the consequences are not known. Improbability makes optimizing an impractical choice. The unnecessary demand for human cognition that cannot be met is another problem with the optimizing strategy. Neither any o rganization nor any person is capable and smart such that they can conduct maximum utilization of anything. Even the modern computers are incapable to achieve this feat. For instance the computers are incapable of handling the huge quantity of information that is required to choose the simplified move in the game of chess (Feldman and Kanter, 1965; Hoy and Miskel, 19

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 145

Discussion - Essay Example The best null hypothesis in this case is; The quality of products manufactured in overseas plants is not better than the quality of products manufactured in U.S. plants. This hypothesis will be essential in helping to compare the quality of products produced in the overseas and local plants. Since it is a comparison that is being made, it is crucial to use words that portray a disparity between the local and abroad products. While conducting the research to ascertain the hypothesis, the appropriate tests to be carried out include an evaluation of the costs and benefits of both local and overseas plants. The research should assess which of the two options is the cheapest. In addition, the purpose of the study should be to portray why local manufacturing will produce quality products compared to overseas production. Since the local manufacturing plants are already established compared to foreign plants that are to be introduced, they will yield better results. When conducting the statistical test, I would chose a significant level to determine whether there is statistical significance in the results. The best approach to use is by checking the test that will give a lower probability of an error. The possible outcomes of my statistical tests is that they will yield positive results based on the hypothesis being tested. However, there are limitations since the variables being compared have significant diffe rences (Downing & Clark,

Web based Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Web based Health Care - Essay Example Sites need to sign up for the HONcode to ensure that they follow the eight principles of this code. Through this then individuals can check out for the red and blue seal of the HONcode on the websites they visit to look for information on different health conditions. One example of a site is the American Diabetes association that provides continuous care to the diabetes patients and enables other individuals to learn about the management, diagnosis and symptoms of diabetes. It also advises individuals on what to eat and what foods to avoid by giving out recipes. The main objective of this site is to cure and prevent diabetes and to improve the lives of all the individuals affected by diabetes. The eight principles of the HONcode comprise of: the authority of the data provided, information privacy and confidentiality; accurate attribution of sources; the transparency of economic sponsorship; the significance of evidently separating editorial content from advertising; complimentary data that does not replace but supports the patient-doctor relationship, and back up assertions concerning performance and benefits. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) website is one of the sites that are abiding by the eight rules of the HON code. In authoritative, when the site publishes a journal about diabetes and made available online for individuals to access it and benefit from the information, the authors of the journals and their qualifications are always indicated. Besides, the sites abides with the third code which is privacy, since if a visitor shares information online to the site, the site does not let the information known to any user of the site as it ensures the information is made private and confidential. Also, if information has been acquired from other sources, the site ensures that it has included the citations, the page of the journal from where the information was retrieved, and the date the journal was published. Through this, the site is trying to

The different between the two families depicted in Flight & your shoes Essay Example for Free

The different between the two families depicted in Flight your shoes Essay The story Flight is about an old man trying to come to terms with his granddaughter growing up. It is form a collection of short stories. The scene is set and the mood of all the characters are established right at beginning of the story. The old man has some pigeons, which he keep as pets. Flight is based around the similarity between the way the old man looks after his pigeons, and how he would like his granddaughters to be controlled and trained the same way. The pigeons are symbols representing his granddaughters. We see, however, that the birds return home. Whether his granddaughters will is another matter. There is a contrast when you look at the syntax in Your Shoes.Which is different from Flight. Here, we have a first person narrative, and because a character is speaking to us, we have the rhythms of speech, changes of direction in the flow of sentences and short, broken speech.This not the cone in Flight which is third person narrative and less personal. Structuarally, the story is very clever. We gradually learn about the woman speaking. At first, we sympathise with her; then learn how she has been horrible to her daughter; how she has tried to control her and keep her unspoilt like the shoes; how she has made the decisions for her; and how, just as she did not get on with her mother, so too this mother-daughter relationship has also collapsed. We are convinced, from the words coming from the womans own mouth, that the failings are her fault. And we move to a final scene in which she is pathetic and sad, locked away from the husband she never loved, pretending love for her daughter and the pair of shoes which symbolises how she would like her daughter to be. Flight is all about growing up and leaving home to starting a new life. For the mother, in this story,Flight this is a natural process, it seems, and she is happy to see her daughters fall in love and marry. The mother is crying,, however because of her father s attitude her father has made all the girls so unhappy by wanting them to be like his birds. Or might it be that she somehow sees his point and is wishing that life could be as simple as he would like it to be that she knows everything might be easier if we could simply return to the coop? Or is she crying for him, because he is so sad and so unfair and wrong? It is up to us to decide! The old man has lost three other granddaughters through marriage. He saw them transformed inside a few months from charming petulant spoiled children into serious young matrons. He is scared of what marriage will do to Alice. When he loses Alice through marriage, he thinks that everything will be gone there will be no more granddaughters at home for him to cherish and he is worried that the girl he loves will change as her sisters did. He is scared of being lonely. He would be left, uncherished and alone, with that square-fronted, calm-eyed woman, his daughter. Therefore, when Alice leaves, he feels that his whole life will be ruined. When he releases his favourite bird (which we can link to Alice), all the other birds go too, because Alice was the one person he had left to love. If she goes, all his capacity to love goes. The mans life will be entirely different with the loss of all his granddaughters it will be entirely different with the loss of all his birds. When he says farewell to one favourite, everything else crumbles for him too. Ending he is now aware, at least that he is how he perceives things. However after releasing the pigeon he turned slowly, taking his time; he lifted his eyes to smile proudly down the garden at his granddaughter. She was starting at him. She did not smile. She was wide-eyed, and pale in the cold shadow, and he saw the tears run shivering of her face. The daughter was still with him.

Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Julius Caesar Essay Rhetoric and Power- Examine the ability to make things happen by words alone. Rhetoric and Power is a theme well used in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Mark Antony deceives the conspirators into believing he is on their side when he discovers them with Julius’ corpse, Brutus’ speech after killing Julius Caesar makes the Romans believe Julius was a bad person, Mark Antony’s speech after Julius Caesar’s death makes the Romans furious at the conspirators. In the last two situations we see the point of view the countrymen go from one thing to a completely different thing just by the use of words. â€Å"Let each man render me his bloody hand† (III,i,185). Antony convinces the conspirators that he knows they must have had a good reason for killing Caesar. He shakes their hands showing a gesture of friendship. Well at least that’s what he wants them to think. â€Å"Friends am I with you all, and love you all† (III.i, 222). The conspirators still not fully certain Antony’s trust ask him if they could depend on him. Antony calls them friends and tells them he loves them. Antony is using only words to convince the conspirators he is on their side. â€Å"not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more† (III.ii, 20-21). Brutus tells the countrymen that he loved Caesar but his love for Rome was greater. He tells the Romans that if Caesar were a live they would all be slaves. Brutus tells them that Caesar was too ambitious and that’s why he killed him. â€Å"I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death†(III.ii.44-45). Brutus ends his speech by telling the Romans he will sacrifice himself for Rome because of his tremendous love for it. At this point the Romans are all understanding to Caesar’s death and think that what Brutus did is okay. They all begin to chant for him. â€Å"When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious† (III.ii, 91-93). Mark Antony tells the countrymen of all the good deeds Caesar did that show he wasn’t as ambitious as Brutus says he was. â€Å"The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones†(III.ii.75-76). Antony states to the Romans that all the bad things that one does is always remembered, but the good they have done is buried with them. He tells them this because it seems as if the Romans have completely forgotten everything Caesar has done for them. Then Caesar continues his speech by telling the Romans how many times poor Caesar was stabbed. He tells them how Caesar loved Brutus and that didn’t stop Brutus from killing him. Antony makes the Romans believe that everything the conspirators did isn’t a good deed but an evil murder. He gets all the Romans against the conspirators all through a speech he made to them. The power to make things happen by words is used a lot through out Julius Caesar. Antony’s speech alone led to the death of Brutus, Cassius, and 100 senators. Brutus’ speech made the evil act the him and conspirators committed seem like a good deed to the Romans. Antony’s deceiving words made the conspirators believe he was on their side.

Techniques of Spoofing Attacks

Techniques of Spoofing Attacks Spoofing is sending fake address of a transmission to gain entry which is illegal into a secure system. It is creates fake responses or signals in order to keep the session alive and prevent timeouts. It captures, alters, re-transmits a communication stream that can mislead the recipient. Hackers use it to refer especially to the TCP/IP packets of addresses in order to disguise a trusted machine. The term spoofing has spread all over the world. The term spoofing refers to stealing the passwords and personal information of a particular person from the internet. The word spoof came into existence by the British comedian Arthur Roberts in 1852.In the 19th century, Arthur Roberts invented the game spoof and thus the name. This game had the use of tricks and non-sense. The first recorded reference to this game in 1884 refers to its revival. Very soon the word spoof took on the general sense of nonsense and trickery. The word spoof was first recorded in 1889.[4] TYPES: Types of Spoofing covered are as follows: 1. E-Mail Spoofing 2. Caller ID Spoofing 3. SMS Spoofing 4. Website Spoofing 5. DLL Spoofing 6. IP Spoofing 1.1.1 Definitions: 1) E-Mail Spoofing: Basically email spoofing is of the type in which the sender address and other parts of the email are altered so that it appears as if it is sent from a different source 2) Caller id Spoofing: Caller id is the way of making fake calls to other people wherein the number of the sender appears as if he/she is calling from another number. 3) SMS Spoofing: SMS Spoofing allows us to change the name or number of the text messages appear to come from. 4) Website Spoofing: Website Spoofing is a method of misleading the people or perhaps the readers that the website has been made by some other organization or by some other known person. 5) DLL Spoofing: DLL code runs in the context of its host program, it inherits the full capabilities of the programs user with spoofing. 6) IP Spoofing: IP spoofing is the way in which the sender gets unauthorized access to a computer or a network by making it appear that a certain message has come from a trusted machine by spoofing the IP address of that machine. SECTION 2 EMAIL SPOOFING 2.1 INTRODUCTION: This is considered to be one of the most used techniques of spammers and hackers. They spoof their return e-mail addresses. That makes it look as if the mail has come from some other person. This is a form of identity theft, as the person who sends the email acts to be someone else in order to distract the recipient to do something. 2.2 OBJECTIVE: The objective of spoofed mail is to hide the real identity of the sender. This can be done because the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) does not require authentication. A sender can use a fictitious return address or a valid address that belongs to someone else. The mails that are spoofed can be very annoying, irritating and at times dangerous. Having your own address spoofed can be even worse. If the sender or probably the hacker uses our address as the return address, then our inbox may fill with receivers complaints as well as they might report us in the spammers as well. This type of spoofing can be very dangerous. 2.3 MOTIVES: These might be the possible motives of an attacker: 1. This is spam and the person who sends doesnt want to be subjected to anti-spam laws 2. The e-mail constitutes threatening or harassing or some other violation of laws. 3. The e-mail contains a virus or Trojan and the sender believes you are more likely to open it if it appears to be from someone you know 4. The e-mail requests information that you might be willing to give to the person the sender is pretending to be, as part of a social engineering. 2.4 PHISHING: Phishing is associated with Email spoofing. Phishing is the practice of attempting to obtain users credit card or online banking information, often incorporates e-mail spoofing. For example, a phisher may send e-mail that looks as if it comes from the banks or credit cards administrative department, asking the user to log onto a Web page and enter passwords, account numbers, and other personal information. Thereby obtaining the users confidential information.[2] 2.5 WORKING: This is the most easily detected form, in e-mail spoofing it simply sets the display name or from field of outgoing messages to show a name or address other than the actual one from which the message is sent. Most POP e-mail clients allow you to change the text displayed in this field to whatever you want. For example, when you set up a mail account in Outlook Express, you are asked to enter a display name, which can be anything you want, as shown in Figure 2.1. Fig 2.1:ÂÂ  Setting the display name in your e-mail client The name that we set will be displayed in the recipients mail program as the person from whom the mail was sent. We can type anything you like in the field on the following page that asks for your e-mail address. These fields are separate from the field where you enter your account name assigned to you by your ISP. Figure 2.2 shows what the recipient sees in the From field of an e-mail client such as Outlook. Fig.2.2ÂÂ  The recipient sees whatever information you entered When this simplistic method is used, you can tell where the mail originated (for example that it didÂÂ  notÂÂ  come from thewhitehouse.com) by checking the actual mail headers. Many e-mail clients dont show these by default. In Outlook, open the message and then clickÂÂ  View | OptionsÂÂ  to see the headers, as shown in Figure 2.3. Fig 2.3:ÂÂ  Viewing the e-mail headers In this example, you can see that the message actually originated from a computer named XDREAM and was sent from the mail.augustmail.com SMTP server. 2.6 PREVENTIVE MEASURES: Although legislation may help to deter some spoofing, most agree that it is a technological problem that requires a technological solution. One way to control spoofing is to use a mechanism that will authenticate or verify the origins of each e-mail message. The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an emerging standard by which the owners of domains identify their outgoing mail servers in DNS, and then SMTP servers can check the addresses in the mail headers against that information to determine whether a message contains a spoofed address. The downside is that mail system administrators have to take specific action to publish SPF records for their domains. Users need to implement Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) SMTP for sending mail. Once this is accomplished, administrators can set their domains so that unauthenticated mail sent from them will fail, and the domains name cant be forged. SECTION 3 CALLER ID SPOOFING 3.1. INTRODUCTION: This type of spoofing is all about changing the Caller ID to show any desired unidentifiable number on the persons caller id who receives the call [1]. Caller id spoofing is a way of calling someone without them knowing who actually the person is, by hiding the phone number from their caller id. It is also known as the practice of causing the telephone network to display a number on the recipientsÂÂ  Caller id displayÂÂ  which is not that of the actual originating station. Just asÂÂ  e-mail spoofingÂÂ  can make it appear that a message came from any e-mail address the sender chooses, Caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to have come from any phone number the caller wishes. Because of the high trust people tend to have in the Caller ID system; spoofing can call the systems value into question hence creating problems for various parties associated with it. NAMES OF COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE THE CALLER ID SPOOFING FEATURE: SpoofCard Phone Gangster StealthCard TeleSpoof 3.2 WAY TO MAKE TEXT DISPLAY ON CALLER ID DISPLAY: With the help of the Spoof Card, Stealth Card, TeleSpoof and many more we can make the text show up on the caller id display instead of number. We have to choose some text from the huge list of funny caller id text phrases and that text will be displayed as our phone number. Some texts are shown below in the image. Fig 3.1 Text that can be shown in the caller-id display 3.3 USES: Caller-id spoofing can be used in the following places: Doctor needing to disguise home number so that he doesnt get unwanted calls on his home number Worried spouse wanting to find the truth Calling back an unknown number to find out the unknown identity without revealing original number Hiding your location 3.4 METHOD: Caller ID can be spoofed in many different ways and with different well advanced technologies. The most popular ways of spoofing Caller ID are through the use ofÂÂ  VoIPÂÂ  orÂÂ  PRIÂÂ  lines. Other method is that of coping theÂÂ  Bell 202ÂÂ  FSKÂÂ  signal. This method, calledÂÂ  orange boxing, uses software that generates the audio signal which is then coupled to the telephone line during the call. The object is to deceive the called party into thinking that there is an incomingÂÂ  call waitingÂÂ  call from the spoofed number, when in fact there is no new incoming call. This technique often also involves an accomplice who may provide a secondary voice to complete the illusion of a call-waiting call. Because the orange box cannot truly spoof incoming caller ID prior to answer and relies to a certain extent on the guile of the caller, it is considered as much aÂÂ  social engineeringÂÂ  technique as a technical hack. 3.5 MOTIVES: Sometimes, caller-id spoofing may be justified. There are necessary reasons for modifying the caller ID sent with a call. These can be the possible places where caller-ids are spoofed: Calls that come from a large organization or company, particularly those companies that have many branches, sending the main number is a good option. Consider this example. A hospital might have the primary number 777-2000, and around 250 lines functioning inside the main building, and another 200 at the clinic that is located around 50 miles away. I t may happen that most of the numbers will be in the form of 777-200XX, but it might also happen that many of them have an unrelated and unidentifiable numbers. Therefore if we have all calls come from 777-2000, it lets the call recipients identify that the incoming call is a hospital call. Most of the calling-card companies display Caller IDs of the calling-card user to the call recipients. Many Business owners and dealers use Caller ID spoofing to display their business number on the Caller ID display when they are calling from a place outside the office premises (for example, on a mobile phone). Skype users have an option of assigning a Caller ID number for preventing their outgoing calls from being screened by the called party (Skype Caller ID in the USA is 000123456). Google application Google VoiceÂÂ  displays its users Google Voice number when the users make calls from the service using their landline numbers or mobile phones. Gizmo5ÂÂ  sends the users Gizmo5 SIP number as outbound Caller ID on all calls. Because Gizmo5 IDs are in the format 747NXXXXXX, it is possible to confuse calls made from Gizmo5 with calls made fromÂÂ  area code 747. Fig 3.2. Software for Caller id Spoofing SECTION 4 SMS SPOOFING 4.1 INTRODUCTION: SMS Spoofing allows us to change the name or number of the text messages a recipient would appear to receive. It replaces the number from which the text message is received with alphanumeric text. This type of spoofing has both legitimate and illegitimate applications. The legitimate manner would be setting your name or company name or the product name for or from which the text message is sent. So thereby the text message received will display the name or the company name or the product name and the purpose in the case for e.g. a product (publicising it) would thus be served. The illegitimate way would be when a person or a company would use the name of some other person or name or a product with the intentions of causing losses to the concerned. 4.2 MOTIVES: SMS Spoofing takes place when the user from sending end changes the address information so as to conceal the original address from reaching the user at the receiver end. It is done mostly to impersonate a user who has roamed onto a foreign network, needs to be submitting messages to the home network. Generally these messages are addressed to destinations that are beyond the range of home network with the home SMSC (short messaging service centre) being hijacked hence causing messages to be sent to other network 4.3. IMPACTS: Following are the impacts of this activity: 1) Due to the hijacking of the home SMSC, The home network can bring in termination charges caused by the delivery of these messages to interconnect partners. This is termed as quantifiable revenue leakage. 2) These messages can be of concern to the partners involved. 3) It is possible that it comes under the notice of the customer that he is spammed and the message sent maybe of personal, financial or political importance to the concerned person. Therefore, there is a risk that the interconnect partners might threaten to stop the home network from functioning until and unless a suitable remedy is found and properly implemented. Hence, the consequence of this would be that the Home subscribers will be unable to send messages into these networks. 4) While fraudsters generally use spoofed-identities to send messages, there is a risk that these identities may match those of real home subscribers. This implies, that genuine subscribers may be billed for roaming messages they did not send and if this situation does arise, the integrity of the home operators billing will be under scrutiny, with potentially huge impact on the brand itself. This is a major churn risk. 4.4 USES: A person sends a SMS message from an online computer network for lower more competitive pricing, and for the ease of data entry from a full size console. They must spoof their own number in order to properly identify themselves. A sender does not have a mobile phone, and they need to send an SMS from a number that they have provided the receiver in advance as a means to activate an account. 4.5 THREATS: An SMS Spoofing attack is often first detected by an increase in the number of SMS errors encountered during a bill-run. These errors are caused by the spoofed subscriber identities. Operators can respond by blocking different source addresses in their Gateway-MSCs, but fraudsters can change addresses easily to by-pass these measures. If fraudsters move to using source addresses at a major interconnect partner, it may become unfeasible to block these addresses, due to the potential impact on normal interconnect services. SMS Spoofing is a serious threat to mobile operators on several fronts: 1. Mischarging subscribers. 2. Being charged interconnects fees by the hubs. 3. Blocking legitimate traffic in an effort to stop the spoofing. 4. Assigning highly trained and scarce resources to tackle the problem 4.6 EXAMPLES: Messages sent from Google are sent with the Sender ID Google. Skype sends messages from its users with the mobile number they registered with. Note that when a user attempts to reply to the SMS, the local system may or may not allow the replying message to be sent through to the spoofed origin. A user who does not have a mobile phone attempts to sign up for a Foxy tag account, which requires an SMS from a phone number that the user registers with. A dynamically assigned number from an anonymous SMS service will not work because the user is not given the dynamic number in advance to register with. Fig 4.1 this picture above shows the process of sms spoofing. SECTION 5 WEB SPOOFING 5.1 INTRODUCTION: Website spoofing is a type of spoofing which creates a website or web pages that are basically run with the intention to mislead users into believing that the particular website is created by a different group or a different person. Another form of website spoofing is creating false or fake websites that generally have the same appearance and layout as the original website and tricking people into sharing their personal or confidential information with the false Website. The fake websites can have a similar URL as well. Another technique associated with false URL is the use of Cloaked URL.This technique uses methods of domain redirection or URL forwarding which convincingly hides the address of the actual website. Website spoofing is often associated with Phishing. It can also be carried out with the intention of criticizing or making fun of the original website or the website developer or fraud as well.[3] 5.2 CONCEPT: So we can say that web spoofing basically enables an attacker/spoofer to create a shadow copy of the entire World Wide Web. Accesses to this fake Web are monitored through the attackers system, which helps the attacker to keep a watch on all of the victims web-activities. These activities include passwords and personal information (bank account numbers). It can also happen that in the victims name, the attacker sends certain information to the web servers or send any kind of information to the victim in the name of any Web server. Basically, the spoofer controls everything The victim does on the Web. 5.3 CONSEQUENCES: As the spoofer or the attacker has complete control(observing capability as well as modifying capability) over any data that is transmitting from the victim to the web servers and also all the data transactions from the servers to the victim , the attacker can misuse this in many ways. Some of the misusing ways are surveillance and tampering. 5.3.1 Surveillance: The attacker can conveniently spy on the traffic, registering which pages and sites the victim visits or surfs as well as the content of those pages. For example, when the victim fills out a particular form on a particular site, the entered details are transmitted to a server. The attacker can record all these details, along with the response sent back by the server. And as we know, most of the on-line commerce is done using forms; this information can also give the attacker -the account passwords and other valuable data of the victim. This is highly dangerous. Surveillance can be carried out by the spoofer even if the victim has a so called secure connection to the web-server. So basically, even if the victims browser shows the secure-connection icon (usually an image of a lock or a key) . It can be possible that the attacker is still successful in his Surveillance. 5.3.2 Tampering: Surveillance is basically just observing and registering confidential data of the victim. The spoofer can also MODIFY any of the data that may be travelling in either direction between the victim and the servers. This is called Tampering. If there are any forms submitted by the victim to the web servers, the attacker can bring about changes in the data entered. For example, if a person is purchasing a certain product on-line, the spoofer can change the product details, product number, shipping address etc. The attacker can also change the data returned by a Web server, for example by inserting misleadingoffensive material to trick the victim or to cause problems between the victim and the server. Misleadingoffensive material to trick the victim or to cause problems between the victim and the server. 5.3.3 Using the Web: It is not really difficult to spoof the entire World Wide Web, even though it might seem to be difficult. The attacker does not really have to store all the contents of the Web. The Web in its entirety is available on-line; so the spoofers server just has to fetch the required page or pages from the real Web whenever it needs to provide a copy of that page on the false Web. 5.4 Working of the attack: For this attack to work, the main duty of the attacker is to sit between the victim and the rest of the Web. This arrangement of sitting between the victim and the web is called a man in the middle attack. 5.5 Method: One of the most frequently used methods for web spoofing is URL Rewriting. 5.5.1 Url Rewriting Once the attacker fetches the real document, the attacker rewrites all of the URLs in the document into the same special form by same spoofing technique. Then the attackers server provides the rewritten page to the victims browser. This is how URL rewriting is used for spoofing. 5.6 Protection: Web spoofing is one of the most dangerous and undetectable security attacks that can be carried out in the web-world today. But of course, there are certain preventive measures that can be taken: 5.6.1 Short-term protection: These are the steps to follow for short term protection: a) Disable JavaScript in your browser so the spoofer wont be able to hide the evidence of the attack; b) Your browsers location line should always be visible; c) Observe URLs displayed on your browsers location line, and make sure that the URLs always point to the server you think youre connected to. 5.6.2 Long-term protection: There is no fully satisfactory long-term solution to this problem. But few things that can be done: a) Changing browsers can help, so they always display the location line. But the users have to know how to recognise the correct URLs. b) Using improved Secured-connection indicators. Fig 5.1.The picture above gives an idea of how web spoofing is done SECTION 6 DLL SPOOFING Dynamic Link Libraries or DLL are software object modules, or libraries, linked into a program while it is running DLLs are a feature that allows programs to share common codes so as to help developers to make programs easily and efficiently.DLLs are extensively used in newer versions of Windows. Fig 6.1.This picture above is hardware id DLL 6.1 INTRODUCTION: DLL code runs in the context of its host program, it inherits the full capabilities of the programs user with spoofing. The DLL spoof causes a legitimate program to load a DLL with a Trojan horse instead of legitimate DLL. DLL spoofing can occur even if the legitimate DLL is beyond the attackers reach. Since when a program loads DLLs it searches through a sequence of directories looking for the required DLL. Spoofing occurs when the attacker succeeds in inserting the infected DLL-file in one of those directory in such a way that program finds it before it finds the legitimate DLL of the same name. Hence even if the file is write-protected or the attacker doesnt have access to the directory which contains the legitimate DLL then also he can attack the program. Whenever a user runs a program there occurs a linking algorithm which is used to find the file that holds the DLL. Usually it is the one with DLL suffix. Linking algorithm searches through three different categories: 1. Programs directory: It is the directory which holds programs file. 2. System directory: Contains a series of entries. As we have discussed earlier to spoof the user only needs to insert an infected or malicious DLL file into the working directory. If the infected DLL file has the same name as the legitimate DLL then the algorithm will link the fake DLL file to the otherwise trusted program. The infected DLL can then create a new process. It runs in the full capabilities of the user who runs the, it perform the task and request the original DLL file as asked by the user so as not to arouse suspicion. With the help of fake DLL the attacker can now do whatever task he want which is under the capabilities of the fake DLL. Among the three above mentioned directories, the program directory and the system directory are most vulnerable as the location is predefined. But in the case of working directory this task is hard to perform as the directory is set by the program only and hence its directory is unknown to the user. Fig 6.2 dependency walker 6.2. WORKING OF ATTACK: This is where the social engineering skills come into play. The attacker tries to convince the user to open a simple file. This simple file can be a image too and can be located at any remote place like http://. Now the victim (in this case our user) tries to open that file (in this case the image) through a preinstalled software on his machine like a image viewer. Now this image viewer is vulnerable by the binary planting attack. Now the image viewer may require a DLL file to load dynamically. As the full path name gas not been specified before hand, image viewer will give instructions to Microsoft Windows to search for the required DLL file in a particular order. Directories in order: Working directory The system directory The 16-bit system directory Windows directory Current directory Directories which are listed in PATH environment variables Usually Current directory is the directory in which the image viewer file is stored. Now the attacker has control over one of the directories which windows search for, and hence he will be able to place a malicious copy of the dll in that directory. In such a case the application will load and run the malicious DLL without verification. And now the attacker has gained full control of the affected machine, and now he will be able to perform all the unwanted actions on the machine such as hack into the existing account, create a new account, access important files on specific directories and more. In such a case web securities like firewall has become an essential instrument to block and prevent the downloading of such malicious files from a remote network location. 6.3 TARGETS: The easiest and the most obvious targets for DLL spoofing are the machines running on windows. As here the registry has not been properly updated with a safe-search order for loading DLLs. The safe-search order is not an issue for the PCs running on XP as there are few infectious program and registries which point to fake DLLs or the DLLs which do not even exist. Such program or entries are the real cause of spoofing in the case of XP. Trojans, web caches and email are some of the ways in which codes are placed in the file system. Since obviously having a misconfigured programs or the search path does not mean that the machine will start running malicious code. As we know this breach is more harmful then the DLL spoof as ordinary user can easily place malicious file in the current folder like in Shared Documents. So when another user with privileged rights opens the document in the same directory, then this directory will become the Current Directory for the machine it will search for the DLLs before the system directory and hence allowing the ordinary user to operate the machine with privileged rights. Now one may ask that simply placing the DLL in the shared directory or a web cache will not allow it to be loaded, for the DLLs to be loaded they must be kept in either of system directory, the application directory or a path provided by the application that tries to load the DLL. So the answer is that being able to write to system and application file space already implies administrator privileges so there would be no need for DLL spoofing. Hence it arises the need of online security against the spoofing and accessing to administrator privileges. Now one may ask that simply placing the DLL in the shared directory or a web cache will not allow it to be loaded, for the DLLs to be loaded they must be kept in either of system directory, the application directory or a path provided by the application that tries to load the DLL. So the answer is that being able to write to system and application file space already implies administrator privileges so there would be no need for DLL spoofing. Hence arises the need of online security against the spoofing and accessing to administrator privileges. 6.4 PROTECTION: Microsoft Windows install auxiliary services like FTP server, telnet and web server which are not critical. If those services which are not needed by the administrator are removed then the threat is reduced at once. Microsoft, which we already know seems to have greatest problem with spoofing, tries to solve this problem using their Microsoft Authenticode Certificates. Well Microsoft needs to update DLLs continuously as outdated DLL could be dangerous in this world of hackers.Now the question arises that how we know that this DLLs are updated. Microsoft solved this problem with Microsoft 2000, by digitally signing the drivers by Windows Hardware Quality Lab(WHQL) tests. The drivers that passed were given a Microsoft digital signature. As mentioned earlier, in the present time this signing is done with Microsoft Authenticode Certificates. An authorized signer is used for these purpose which is known as thwarted. In present time many designers came up with a variety of tamper resistance. They concluded that even though a particular approach may seem effective, only Microsoft would have the resources, scope and platform control to make it practical . Here are two concepts which contain handling of drivers: Protected Path: Specifically known as PVP (Protected Video Path) and PUMA (Protected User Mode Audio). These are the mechanism used to support DRM (Digital Rights Management) rules about safe content presentations. Protected Environment: It is a kernel mechanism to ensure that kernel-mode drivers are safe for protected contents. These drivers should be signed by Microsoft and must implement specific security functions. All the kernel-mode drivers should be signed to ensure there safe origin and also that they are not tampered with. New mechanisms like OCP (Output Content Protection) are used in the versions after Windows Vista. Though at higher level OCPs Protected Path and Protected Environment make sense but it includes great complexity, management process and supporting infrastructure. Also implementation of OCP means device drivers get numerous new security responsibilities. Going back to DLL, a new complexity is revocation. Authorization is not useful unless it can be revoked when a compromise is discovered. For this Microsoft runs a revocation infrastructure that distributes a Microsoft Global Revocation List to identify no longer authorized driver software. Software revocation is problematic because of potential effect on users who may suddenly be unable to play content through no fault of their own. So revocation is likely to occur well, only after updates are distributed. So we have seen that after all the measures used by Microsoft, there is a long window of content vulnerability SECTION 7 IP SPOOFING 7.1 INTRODUCTION: IP spoofing refers to the creation of Internet Protocol (IP) packets with a forged source IP address, called spoofing, with the p

Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and violates the right to life. It's hard for me as a Swede to understand that a country such as USA still have that kind of punishment. For many people and nations the USA serves as a model, so it is to me very difficult to imagine how you can persuade nations like Burma and China to respect basic human rights when you don't do it yourself. Body A. Concerning the Death Penalty Capital punishment -- the death penalty -- is supposed to select the worst criminals who committed the worst murders and punish them and protect society by taking their lives. In numbers far beyond our greatest fears, innocent people are being convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Nationally, more than 75 innocent people have been freed from death row in the last 20 years. Here in Illinois alone, we've executed 12 and we've exonerated 11. That's almost a 50% error rate on the most fundamental question of guilt or innocence. B. The poor are often represented by incompetent or underfunded lawyers. Some people are on death row not because they committed the worst crimes, but because they had the worst lawyers. In Illinois, as in most places, there are no minimum standards for death penalty defense work. Any lawyer can defend a client in a capital case, with no experience. There is some very good lawyering going on in death penalty cases in Illinois, but there's also some very bad lawyering. C. The death penalty is e...

Step into my Parlor… : Perceptions of Cultural Survival among the Kyapo and Yanomani :: Essays Papers

Step into my Parlor†¦ : Perceptions of Cultural Survival among the Kyapo and Yanomani When caught in the web of global media, the â€Å"cultural survival† of indigenous communities becomes a potent international issue. As affirmed in a 1997 UN declaration, international communities receive, â€Å"with gratitude, the message of harmony and respect for all life brought to us by ancient [indigenous] people whose culture may†¦make a worthy contribution to the world community† (Neizen 2). With the â€Å"politics of shame† winnowing away at the public integrity of Brazil, the two cultures of the Kayapo and Yanomami are strategically set in the international web as endangered peoples suffering â€Å"onslaught of civilization†, yet still worth some â€Å"contribution to the world†. Yet to what degree is their â€Å"worthy contribution† qualified by dominant international definitions of their ‘culture’? The global reception of "threatened" indigenous cultures is colored with pre-existing values and assumptions. In contrast to the dominant consumerist culture pulsing in global politics, indigenous groups are seen to offer elements of fantasy rather than diplomacy, and provide a kick-back to the â€Å"primitive† ideology of early man. As the general public enjoys indigenous romanticism like a favorite Hollywood movie, romanticizing indigenous cultures through media is quite common. Yet, romanticism creates an indigenous cultural dichotomy. Sustained interaction with governments broker change among indigenous people and elements of culture assimilate. Interaction provokes Kayapo demands for goods â€Å"from fish hooks to cooking pots† (Rabben 48). The Kayapo became dependent on whites â€Å"for goods they wanted but had no way of producing themselves† (47). Dominant society assumes that â€Å"cultural survival† is only achieved by preserving a static and untransformed people. To safe guard indigenous authenticity and exotic appeal, the common assumption is such that native ways of life must not be influenced or changed in anyway. However, to survive as a people in the modern world, indigenous cultures must be aware of their civil rights, for negotiations with imperialistic governments are essential. In 1981, the Kayapo were cheated out of 99.99% of their mining profits because they did not know â€Å"enough arithmetic to perceive the trick† in the white man’s contract (71). Only after years of litigation were they able to win 5% profit. The Yanomami are constantly pressured to â€Å"assimilate into Brazilian society as the poorest of the poor† rather than remain a fractioned culture (86). â€Å"Cultural survival† thus becomes a question of protecting the collective rights of an indigenous people from governmental abuse, while educating the people to the extent that they people may choose and protect their own future in a world of inescapable influence.

The Farm Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

The Farm In the summer, the creek bubbles and the leaves are in bloom. In the winter that same creek is frozen and everything around it is blank and barren. The memories for me in this part of the world are unforgettable, even though some are happier than others. I can still remember a particular dreadful event on the farm like it was yesterday. I was walking through the house on a hot summer day. I dare not go outside because I knew I'd die of heat exhaustion. In the house alone were my sister and I. My mother had run into town to do some errands, and my dad was out on the farm doing some chores. The phone rang and I casually picked it up. It was my dad. â€Å"Adam,† he said, sort of anxiously, â€Å"I need you to come down the lane and give me a hand.† My sister was listening in on the conversation as usual, and my Dad dared not to give me any specifics because he knew of this. As I apathetically told him yes, I went on to the porch, grabbed some shoes and wondered what on earth he could possibly need help with. I stepped outside and the burning sun immediately attacked me. I had no doubt that if my Dad needed a hand with some hard work it would be dreadful. Just two weeks earlier he needed me to help him put some barbed wire on some fence posts. It was an awful job, and may have been the worst two hours of my life. I had helped my Dad on the farm throughout my childhood, and I knew by the particularly terrible jobs I had to help him with before, that I should always fear when he asked for help. I hopped into my steaming hot truck and started back down the lane. As I drove down further back, I remembered the terrifying tornado that had struck our house, and had ripped an entire line of trees out of the ... ...m high school here. I had also spent times playing make-believe with my brother during my elementary years. I had even gone as far as attempting to raft down the little flooded creek. What a great place, how could I ever forget it? We dug a hole right under some old, dried up looking trees. We threw her down about three feet and buried her. The one animal that had been important throughout my entire childhood was now gone. The one place that was important my whole childhood, I was about to leave. The trees, the grass, the creek and the lane, so important, yet it was time to leave them. As I had left Patch, I had left the farm. I haven’t been on the farm behind my house for the two years since Patch’s death. I guess it was time for me to grow up. I miss my dog, and I miss being young. But life goes in circles, and it’s always time to start anew.