Memory of a Young Boy in The poem My Papa’s Waltz by...

My Papa’s Waltz The poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke presents a memory from a young boy waltzing with his father. The waltz is a metaphor that represents the relationship the boy has with his father. Although the poem may seem like a happy and sweet story of a father and son dancing in the kitchen there are also some darker underlying tones. The speaker, who is the young boy, is directing theses words towards his father, but does not actually express them directly to the father, instead the speaker is just reflecting upon them in his head. In the first stanza of the first line the reader finds out the father has been drinking, a lot, so much that his son also feels dazed from the alcohol on the fathers breath. Also the boy, â€Å"hung on like death† (3) this is a simile, meaning that he is hanging on tightly even though it may be hard. In the same line the speaker uses the word â€Å"death† this makes the poem feel a little somber and not very happy. At the end of the stanza in line four we find out that the boy was having difficulties waltzing with the father, the dancing they were doing was awkward for the young boy because the father was inebriated and loose from the drinking. Since the waltz represents the relationship they hold, this could very likely mean that it is not easy to be with his father every so often.  Dancing with the father was not a quiet and graceful moment, but the young boy seems to accept it. In the second stanza we find out they are doing moreShow MoreRelated Childhood Memories in My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke and Piano by D.H. Lawrence613 Words   |  3 PagesChildhood Memories in My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke and Piano by D.H. Lawrence My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke and Piano by D.H. Lawrence are two poems in which grown men recall memories of their childhood. My Papas Waltz has a quietly sad, almost resigned tone as Roethke relives his nightly dances with his father as a young boy. Lawrences Piano is somewhat dreamy as a man is taken back by a song to his childhood. While both are presented to us through similar personasRead MoreMy Papa s Waltz By Theodore Roethke844 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke, and â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden are the poems that talk about the relation between son and father. Both speakers in the poem are grown men and reflect memories of the day they spend with their father when they were in childhood. About the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† Baird states that â€Å"Theodore Roethke imaginatively re-creates a childhood encounter with his father, but also begins to attempt to understand the meaning of the relationship between them†(Read MoreComparing and Contrasting quot;My Papas Waltzquot; and quot;Pianoquot;699 Words   |  3 PagesIn comparing and contrasting the poems, My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke and Piano by D. H. Lawrence, the reader could also compare and contrast the childhood lives of the poets themselves. Roethkes father, Otto Roethke, was a drunk and a figure of terror to his son (Seager 26). His mother was an angry woman and Theodore was a desperate child consistently in the middle of his parents opposition (Seager 28). D.H. Lawrences father was a drunk, almost illiterate miner (Squires and Talbot 34)Read MoreAnalysis Of My Fathers Song818 Words   |  4 PagesThe poems â€Å"My Father’s Song† by Simon J. Ortiz and â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke, these two poems express uniqueness and similarities. In the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† a young child describes his time spent with his father. In the poem â €Å"My Father’s Song† a grown man remembers the previous memories of time spent with his father, when he was a child. These two poems coincide through tone, word choice, and figurative language to show the relationship between a father and son. The boy portraysRead MoreAnalysis Of My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke1059 Words   |  5 Pages Theodore Roethke’s poem, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† has spurred passionate academic debates among professors, scholars, and students; the imagery, context, and diction of the poem clearly supports the interpretation that Roethke writes â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† reflecting on his relationship with his father. A relationship in which, notably, causes harm to the author. However, through all the nights Roethke spent in pain and in horror, his love for his father still exists. While many people believe that the authorRead MoreAnalysis Of My Papa s Waltz By Theodore Roethke1258 Words   |  6 PagesWith My Father When introduced to â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke, there is a sense of nostalgia; like watching an old black and white movie. Contradictory to the title however, the poem depicts a perplexing scene of a father drunkenly dancing his son up to bed. There is a bit of controversy about this poem over whether this is about a childhood memory of a son’s cherished moment with his father, or if it is about a violent, dysfunctional family situation. In fact it is both. Theodore RoethkeRead MoreAnalysis Of My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke1062 Words   |  5 PagesTheodore Roethke’s poem, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† spurs passionate academic debates among professors, scholars, and students; the imagery, context, and diction of the poem clearly supports the interpretation that Roethke writes â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† reflecting on his relationship with his father. A relationship in which, notably, causes harm to the author. However, through all the nights Roethke spent in pain and in horror, his love for his father still exists. While many people believe that the author tellsRead More A Defining Moment in My Papa’s Waltz Essay687 Words   |  3 PagesA Defining Moment in My Papa’s Waltz  Ã‚   An older boy remembered his father, a hardworking blue collar man. He remembered how his father would walk into the home each evening with scraped hands and perspiration stained shirts. His father was a tough man. He was the kind of man that refused to go to the doctor and rarely hugged his children. Yet, he was a good man. The boy remembered how his father provided for the family and often times his smallest actions proved his paternal love for themRead Moreâ€Å"My Papa’s Waltz†1568 Words   |  7 Pagesdetermine what Theodore Roethke’s poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† conveys. Readers either interpret the poem as telling the happy memory of a little boy playing with his father or as describing a scene of child abuse. From my point of view, the poem is more likely to be about the enjoyable time between the father and the son and I would explain this by discussing on the word choice, tone and rhythm of the poem. Before analyzing, the first thing to look at is the background of the poet, Theodore Roethke. Roethke’sRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem My Papa s Waltz 856 Words   |  4 Pageslife. A positive interaction often yields admiration, love or a sense of support. A negative relationship may yield distrust, animosity or a sense of solitude. Theodore Roethke’s poem, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† describes the admiration of his hardworking father. The speaker, a young boy, depicts roughhousing with his father in the form of a waltz; expressing his desire to stay up and spend more time together though their relationship is detached. Seamus Heaney’s â€Å"Digging,† instills a sense of respect, pride

The Minimum Drinking Age Act - 1490 Words

On July 17th, 1984, President Reagan passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (1). This meant that in order to purchase and publicly posses alcohol, one must be twenty-one years old (1). Today, many push for a reversion back to a drinking age of eighteen years old. The reasons on both sides are many, and all of them will be explored and diagnosed. As the reasons pile on, though, it will become clear that the drinking age should return to eighteen. The first reason that the drinking age should be lowered, and possibly the most obvious, is that an eighteen-year-old has the right to vote and serve in the military. If you are of the mental capacity to decide you will die for this country rather than let it be overtaken, as well as logically determine who you want leading the country, you should absolutely be able to drink alcohol. This is the easiest argument to make and there is not much of a counterpoint to contradict this specifically. A similar argument is that an eighteen-year-o ld is tried as an adult in court. Someone who is capable of making essentially every other decision in their life as an adult suddenly cannot decide whether they should drink or not. Logically, having one outlier like this does not make sense. It is a hypocritical stance and there simply should not be this disparity in age. A counterpoint often made here is that a higher drinking age has to do with one’s brain development. The simple fact here is that â€Å"There’s no magic that happens physically toShow MoreRelatedThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1211 Words   |  5 Pages Some people find it hard to understand that at the age of eighteen you can fight and die for your country, but you cannot legally drink or purchase alcoholic beverages. Others find it hard to believe that there are people who want people under the age of twenty-one drinking. The important question is: should the drinking age be lowered to eighteen instead of remaining at twenty-one? The legal drinking age is the age at which a person can consume or purchase alcohol. These laws cover a wide rangeRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1692 Words   |  7 PagesNational Minimum Drinking Age Act. This act stated that all states must raise their minimum drinking age to 21. Individuals under the age of 21 would now be prohibited from purchasing or being in public possession of any alcoholic beverage. Though not every state was keen on this idea, they all jumped to raise the minimum drinking age due to the government threat that they would lose up to 10% of their federal highway funding if they ignored the request. However, since the National Minimum Drinking AgeRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act Of 19841407 Words   |  6 Pages17 the United States Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Signed by President Ronald Regan, which requires that states prohibit people under the age of 21 from purchasing or publicly process alcoholic beverages as a condition of receiving State highway funds. Initially intended as a comprehensive approach to reduce the number of alcohol related deaths on the nations highways. Not prohibiting a person under 21 from drinking under certain exceptions some such as religious purposesRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act Of 19841219 Words   |  5 Pagesand college-aged students. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because adults can legally marry, begin a career and support a family, as well as serve in the military and prison. Along with these and many other reasons, the rebellious nature for wanting to participate in illegal activities is an immense driving force for why teens and young adults drink illegally. Why is the Minimum Legal Drinking Age 21? State governments decided their own individual drinking age after Prohibition ended in 1933Read MoreProhibition Of The National Minimum Drinking Age Act1376 Words   |  6 Pages1993, the drinking age was set at twenty one but was later lowered to eighteen because of the passage of the 26th amendment which lowered the voting age to eighteen. In order to combat drunk driving, The National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed and stated that states must raise their drinking age to twenty one or lose 10% of their funds to pay for their highways. The organization MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving) was the group who put pressure on congress to pass The National Minimum DrinkingRead MoreThe National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 Is Not Working738 Words   |  3 Pagesworking. The NMDA, National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which states that people under the age of 21 can’t consume or purchase alcohol, has only served to heighten the problem that is currently being faced. The only realistic way to make real progress while reversing the negative effect the NMDA act has had and is having is to abolish the NMDA act and introduce a new act that establishes different phases to introduce alcohol to minors. In essence, the purpose of the NMDA act was to decrease the numberRead MoreAlcohol And Substance Abuse And The National Minimum Drinking Age Act2083 Words   |  9 Pagesstarted to arise. One being the legal age to start drinking alcohol. The national minimum drinking age act was signed on July 17th, 1984 to the law, with the drinking age at minimum being 21 (Archer M.D.). An adult is any person who’s reached the age of maturity as directed by law (Archer M.D.). Legally, being 18 years old in the U.S. is considered to be the adult age, but the consumption of alcohol has always been withheld from the young adults of today, until the age of 21. When you’re 18 year old, youRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe National Minimum Drinking Age Act made all 50 states raise the legal drinking age to 21(Dejong). The debate is on whether the age should be lowered or not. Statistically, having the age at 21 has been very helpful in keeping the nation safe. If there is not an issue with age now, would it make sense to lower the age and create unnecessary problems? In this case, the negative effects outweigh the positive. Simply because there is no good in lowering the age. The legal drinking age has been setRead MoreNational Minimum Drinking Age Act Essay719 Words   |  3 PagesIn 1984 the United States Government approved the National Minimum Drinking Age Act that required that â€Å"the States prohibit persons under 21 years of age from purchasing or publicly possessing alcoholic beverages as a condition of receiving State highway funds.† Even though this bill was nowhere near the magnitude of the prohibition act that was passed less than a century before it, the act still damaged the relationship between individuals, firms, and the United States government. Although theRead MoreThe National Minimum Drinking Age Act Of 19841084 Words   |  5 Pagesresponsibilities consuming alcohol at the average age of 18. However , unlike most countries in the world the United States has determined to establish their drinking age to be set at 21 years of age. This antiquated position is unjust to many young American adults. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 should be revised and reconstituted to the legal age of 18. To provide a more suitable America that is secure and reasonable for all young adults. The drinking age needs to be lowered so that it can reduce

The Minimum Wage and Why we Should Leave It Essay Example For Students

The Minimum Wage and Why we Should Leave It Essay When was the last time a value meal from McDonald, let alone any other fast food chain, did not cost five dollars or more? When was the last time premium gas was under a dollar a gallon? Its hard to remember, isnt it? Wouldnt it be great if everything cost a nickel, like back in the good ol days? According to the laws of economics, its not logical for things to have gotten more expensive competition should drive prices down. Then why have prices continued to rise over the years? The continuing demand of more money for less work has forced Uncle Sam to raise the minimum wage innumerable times in the last half century, which results in higher prices for the rest of us. Another raise in the minimum wage would, as all the others before it, raise prices for consumers, which would again result in another demand for a raise in the minimum wage. Its a viscous cycle that must be stopped before it loses control. Not only does a raise in minimum wage result in a raise in the cost of living, it also causes the dismissal of hardworking people who are happy with their current income. When the firing axe starts to fall, seniority often determines who goes and who stays. The more a single employee costs a business an hour, the fewer employees the business can afford to employee an hour. This results in the dismissal of employees to compensate for a raise in labor costs, which creates a smaller staff, which results in slipshod service. Although most reasonable people would rather pay more for better service, the plain fact of the matter is that the service hasnt really gotten any better. The service is better than it was when there werent enough employees so people assume the service itself has gotten better, while the truth is that the service is just as haphazard as before. The laborers are simply replaced because of a need for more employees, more often than not by people who have never worked in those positions before. By having a staff that is constantly fluctuating, the business hurts itself the service is hurt because the new employees are in need of training, and in the end it is us, the consumers, who feel the real pain The pain we experience is that of rising costs in the market its that sharp pain we feel every time we reach for our wallet, but it is in no way as painful as the fact that we give bonuses for no reason in the form of raises in the minimum wage. The argument that minimum wage should be raised says people need more money to make a living in a world of ever rising costs. The truth is that they, the people who demand more money, are the ones raising the cost of living. Some would say that the high cost of living is brought about by the devaluation of the dollar and the effects of inflation. Truth be told, inflation is also caused by the flooding of the market with bills printed to pay the high costs of laborers in the market. Laborers who are comprised primarily of teens and the elderly, both of which usually have an alternate form of income either in the form of parents or social security. I offer an alternative to the minimum wage. If people would respect their money and understand the value of the dollar then they would have to learn skills that would promote them in the job market. The minimum wage could be kept for the handicapped and the disabled, people who for the most part arent able to advance themselves in the working world. The most positive thing about the current minimum wage is that it is substantial enough to make teens respect their money, but also low enough to force them to save. Its been said that if we do not know our history, we will be doomed to repeat it. The argument over the minimum wage makes it abhorrently obvious that this statement is true. .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .postImageUrl , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:hover , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:visited , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:active { border:0!important; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:active , .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3f3252a357200719905a4953c9f5434e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Digital Choice: Photography Today Essay The time for action is now, before we .

Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Essay Example

Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Paper For many people, the title of D. H Lawrences short story seems to be inappropriate in relation to the story, as the title seems to infer that the two main characters in the story are Fanny and Annie. However, this is exceptionally misleading, as Annie is not seen at all within the story. Fanny, is the main character in the story, together with her fiance, Harry. Perhaps, a more suitable title would be Fanny and Harry as the story chronicles their relationship. Much of the tale concerns Fanny and her feelings towards her return to Moresby and her impending marriage to Harry. The first scene is set in the local station where Harry is picking up Annie. The scene is hugely important to the book as it gives the reader certain assumptions about the two main characters, which the reader carries through throughout the story. Her entrance into the story tells the reader a great deal about her personality. Lawrence uses the colour of red and in particular the image of fire, to describe her fiery nature, in the light of the furnace together with, The pulse and darkness of the red fire from the furnace towers in the sky illustrates this point. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, when Fanny meets Harry, the author uses gloomy colours to describe the scene, The flames had sunk, there was a shadow. This image is reinforced by the colour of scarf Harry is wearing, his red-and-black scarf knotted round his neck, this could suggest the two personalities in the relationship, Harrys black drabness coupled with Fannys fiery nature. We later learn that Fanny was once a ladys maid but had rejected that lifestyle to come back to marry her first love, a foundry worker. However, we can see that Fanny is not entirely happy with the scenario she is in, this is best illustrated when she is comparing her arrival with her arrival at Gloucester, her previous dwellings, Compare this with the arrival at Gloucester, the carriage for her mistress, the dogcart for herself everybody so polite to her. This is followed by quotes such as She had come home -for good and more importantly What a comedown! Her relationship with Harry is one she feels committed to by obligation and does not seem to possess a true love for him. We can derive this from the passage from the opening scene when the sky turned dark when she met him. When she thought about Harry her thoughts were not exactly brimming with compliments, He had his attraction even for Fanny and she felt he was like a doom to her. At this stage the reader feels that the only reason that Fanny does not love him is due to his mannerisms, His way was common. An interesting way to look at Fanny is to see her relationships with both her aunt and Mrs. Goodall, Harrys mother. Her Aunt Lizzie seems to be very knowledgeable about Fannys situation The two women sat and talked far into the night. They understood each other. Lizzie seems to be against the marriage and believes Fanny is going into it for the wrong reasons, You cant wonder you know, child, if he doesnt seem so keen, its your own fault. Fannys answer typifies her feelings towards Harry, Oh aunt, I couldnt stand him when he was keen. I can do with him a lot better now The fact that Fanny can just do with him shows Fannys true feelings towards the relationship. Lizzy attitude toward her nieces predicament is displayed after Fanny has gone, Poor Aunt Lizzie, she cried woefully over her bright niece when she had gone to bed. Fannys relationship with her future mother-in-law, Mrs. Goodall is somewhat different, Between Fanny and Mrs. Goodall, his mother, there was naturally no love lost. Lawrence uses Mrs. Goodall as a direct contrast to Fanny, Mrs Goodall has a distinct hate of the upper class, She fairly hated the sound of correct English. This seems like a match made in hell, however we see that Mrs. Goodall does have a slight liking towards Fanny, For Mrs. Goodall was impressed by Fanny a woman of her own match or perhaps because she had been left two Hundred Pounds by her Aunt Kate. This shows the reader how Fanny is perceived by other people. What the reader can deduce from this is that Fanny seems to get on with people despite the fact that she seems to look down on the residents of Moresby. Annie has a more abstract role in the story. Annie has a very small part to play in the story. In fact, we do not see her at all. However, her impact on the story is unmistakable. Annie comes from a very poor family, shes a tanger-s We know her mother, Mrs Nixon is a rather evil woman, as we can see from the description that Harry is relating to Fanny, Shed half-kill if they made a mark on the floor. This apparently turned Annie into a bit of a wildchild, Ay, she is alright. But she is always in an out th pubs with th fellows. Mrs. Nixon berates Harry for causing Annie to get pregnant. She first reveals this in a church. This is very important, as the church has great meaning to the story. The church is the symbol of love in Fannys life. She first went their with her first fianci Luther, the true love of her life, her cousin Luther at her side, young, clever as well as where she had the most admiration for Harry, for he was a soloist in the choir where he had a certain winsomeness, the church itself had been vividly depicted by Lawrence, and again the little old chapel was a bower, this is all done to build up the moment on the unsuspecting reader. The author does this to make the reader feel the same sense of disbelief about the accusation as the rest of the congregation did, Fanny, startled like the rest. At this point the plot changes completely, no more is Harry the man who was not very marked and becomes this womaniser who has copulated with a young girl. In one moment, Fanny goes from aggressor to victim and Harry from victim to aggressor. However, in my opinion Fanny knows more about Mrs Nixon and her daughter Annie, for she has seen Mrs Nixon before, Fanny stared across the darkness, and saw a woman with a black bonnet what is interesting as black was the colour used to describe Harry in the first scene. Black symbolises mystery and seediness, which the story turned into after Mrs Nixons revelations. Fanny seems to have accepted Harrys past after Harry admitted sleeping with her, it is no more mine than any other chaps and her role as the victim is confirmed when she chooses to stay in Harrys house after he had admitted it, Ill stop with you tonight, mother. Calling Mrs. Goodall mother is telling the reader that she is still going to marry Harry, despite his past misdemeanours. Harrys behaviour is Lawrences message to society. The story written in 1921, the year women got the vote, hence, became emancipated. However, in most places, especially in the Industrial Midlands and the North, men still had a very low regard for women. Harry seems to treat women like sex objects. He is marrying Fanny despite the fact that she had already rejected him once. This means he must realise that fanny does not love him, but he still is going ahead with the wedding. This coupled with the fact that he slept with an underage girl, Thatll not get you out of it, in court shows us that he treats women with disdain and gives them little respect. Harry, though does not seem to be bothered with the outcome of his escapades and it seems that the local community seem to believe him rather than Mrs Nixon. Lawrence is trying to show the public that if a woman had done what Harry had done then she would be labelled a Whore or a strumpet and would be ex-communicated from the community. However, men represented by Harry seem to get away with this sort of behaviour. The author is also attacking the institution of marriage. Most of the marriages in the book were false. Fanny and Harrys relationship is also seemingly doomed. In the 1920s women started coming out of failed relationships. However, the culture beforehand was just to grin and bear it, which Lawrence is deploring.

Free Essays on Lost Momentum

Momentum was founded by Delma Iles in 1982. She is well known through out the state of Florida, and has been awarded many different merits. She’s an M.F.A. recipient from New York University, in Dance. She came to Florida aspiring to change, or add to the growing world of arts here in Miami. Since then she has choreographed around 40 different works, all of which for some reason have been given some positive acclaim. Perhaps because I have not seen these other pieces, I am not so easily persuaded that this show was just a fluke. That this company may in fact be talented and all the merits were well deserved, and not awarded simply for merit’s sake. On December 3, Momentum performed a few different pieces from their own repertoire and a fairly new, bold piece that was exciting to watch. These together were presented as â€Å"Dances for the Holiday Spirit.† Unfortunatly, the piece I enjoyed most was choreographed by another artist, Irmah DelValle, not Delma Iles. Briefly, it is to be said that though Irmah DelValle is the Artistic Assistant, it may someday (hopefully sooner than later) be her bold ideas that sky-rocket this company to a new level in the dance community. The piece choreographed by Irmah DelValle was titled â€Å"An Anguished Cry.† (2000) A very exciting piece that used only women, either due to a lack of men, or more over I feel to make a bold statement. Their costumes were reminiscent of the later 80’s. With hot pink and green shirts that blended splendidly into the shadowy cast background and lighting schemes. The movement was more modern with little to no use of any contemporary ballet technique. It was perhaps this contrast that added something more spectacular to its presentation. The women whom performed this gave themselves whole-heartedly to the choreography, something that was not done in any of the other pieces. There were many moments where the audience was captivated, boldly sitting on t... Free Essays on Lost Momentum Free Essays on Lost Momentum Momentum was founded by Delma Iles in 1982. She is well known through out the state of Florida, and has been awarded many different merits. She’s an M.F.A. recipient from New York University, in Dance. She came to Florida aspiring to change, or add to the growing world of arts here in Miami. Since then she has choreographed around 40 different works, all of which for some reason have been given some positive acclaim. Perhaps because I have not seen these other pieces, I am not so easily persuaded that this show was just a fluke. That this company may in fact be talented and all the merits were well deserved, and not awarded simply for merit’s sake. On December 3, Momentum performed a few different pieces from their own repertoire and a fairly new, bold piece that was exciting to watch. These together were presented as â€Å"Dances for the Holiday Spirit.† Unfortunatly, the piece I enjoyed most was choreographed by another artist, Irmah DelValle, not Delma Iles. Briefly, it is to be said that though Irmah DelValle is the Artistic Assistant, it may someday (hopefully sooner than later) be her bold ideas that sky-rocket this company to a new level in the dance community. The piece choreographed by Irmah DelValle was titled â€Å"An Anguished Cry.† (2000) A very exciting piece that used only women, either due to a lack of men, or more over I feel to make a bold statement. Their costumes were reminiscent of the later 80’s. With hot pink and green shirts that blended splendidly into the shadowy cast background and lighting schemes. The movement was more modern with little to no use of any contemporary ballet technique. It was perhaps this contrast that added something more spectacular to its presentation. The women whom performed this gave themselves whole-heartedly to the choreography, something that was not done in any of the other pieces. There were many moments where the audience was captivated, boldly sitting on t...

Ways to Reduce Fluoride Exposure

Ways to Reduce Fluoride Exposure If youre looking to reduce your intake of fluorine and fluoride (one is the element, one is the ion, both are toxic), it may help you to know what everyday products contain them and what steps you can take to limit your exposure: Dont drink unfiltered public water. Assume its fluoridated unless you know otherwise. Most home water filters will not remove fluoride.Dont take fluoride supplements.Try to limit drinking soda because its generally made with fluoridated water. Reconstituted fruit juice, beer, and wine also tend to be made with fluoridated water. Read labels on bottled beverages and look for water purifed using reverse osmosis or distillation. If those processes are not specifically named, assume the water is fluoridated.Read the label on bottled water. Again, look for water purified using reverse osmosis or distillation.Consider using unfluoridated toothpaste.Avoid drinking black or red tea. Black and red tea come from two different types of plants, but both leaves naturally contain high amounts of fluorine. If you drink tea, brew it yourself, using unfluoridated water.Choose organic fruits and vegetables since the US National Organic Program does not permit the use of the pesticides that leave high fluoride residues. Expect tinned fish and canned food items to contain fluoride.Avoid or limit your consumption of mechanically deboned chicken in any form, including chicken nuggets, canned chicken, and baby food. Traces of fluoride (from bones) remain from the deboning process.Fluoride may be used as a preservative in many products.Sometimes you will be able to see this on the product label.Avoid black or red rock salt or items containing black or red rock salt.Avoid using chewing tobacco.Avoid long term use of medications that contain fluorine.If you use a fluoridated toothpaste, rinse your mouth with water after brushing your teeth.If you need anesthesia, ask your doctor about options using drugs that do not contain fluorine.Avoid overheating teflon pans while cooking, as some of the teflon (a fluorine compound) may be released into the air.

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example From the article, it has been found that in the year 2010, the US Department of Defense had allocated almost US$ 663.8 billion for procurement purposes which had increased to US$ 708 billion in 2011. The article defines that procurement function in defense departments is also termed as acquisition management. With respect to procurement, there is an increased stress upon government, because acquisition in case of security aspect requires efficient preparation, employment, management, direction and vigilant monitoring. The article states that the procurement activities within the US Department of Defense comprise numerous risks which can generate negative outcomes on the national security. The article provides several strategies for controlling procurement risks such as relocating, controlling and avoiding mechanisms. Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. (2011). Procurement data standard and other enterprise initiatives. Retrieved from http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/pdi/eb/procurement_d ata_standard.html The article is developed by US Department of Defense. It is based on the ‘Procurement Data Standard’ (PDS) system and other professional initiatives of the US Military. This article is designed for providing brief description about the PDS system and its specific characteristics. The article includes information about procurement though PDS system and its related aspects. From the article, it has been found that PDS is an e-business system which shares the procurement activities with different defense departments of the US. PDS can enhance the visibility of contract oriented information, empowering employees to make better business decisions with respect to procurement of different products for the US Military. PDS can support future migration and procedures of procurement in the defense departments. The article specifies that PDS accommodates connecting monetary information with contract activities which is termed as ‘Financial Data in Procureme nt’ (FDIP). The article provides information about the concept of FDIP which is also much important for procurement activities. The article is quite useful as it offers substantial knowledge about e-business function of the US Military. United States Department of Defense. (2011). Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Policy. Retrieved from http://prhome.defense.gov/RSI/REQUIREMENTS/INSOURCE/docs/OFPP%20Policy%20Letter%2011-01,%20Performance%20of%20Inherently%20Governmental%20and%20Critical%20Functions.pdf This article is based on the policy on procurement of the US Department of Defense. It is a non-academic article which is designed for providing direction on administering the performance of integrally managerial and critical functions of the US Military about procurement activities. The article includes the actions which must be performed by the US governmental organizations and it also outlines the tasks of the US government which can enforce responsibilities of dif ferent managerial departments. For instance, with respect to procurement, governmental agencies must keep away from any contractual performance and also must prevent over-reliance on particular suppliers. The article commended certain steps for governmental activities in order to guarantee effectiveness of procurement operations and address critical functions. According to the article, the government agencies must abide by all stated policies of procurement to make

Shipping Strategies in Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shipping Strategies in Transportation - Essay Example Shipping was traditionally viewed as a direct service from port to port, with the misconception that direct shipping represents the most efficient mode of moving goods (Hanley 2003). But increasingly, this is not the case due to a number of converging factors. First, this has to do with the fact that in order to support traffic on a certain route, ports need to be of certain size. Moreover, with direct shipping, routes and scheduling have become very complex, and that complexity has led to inefficiencies. Ports that are able to create mechanisms to improve efficiency in this environment will gain a greater share of the market. An examination of the shipping volumes at major ports conducted by Hanley (2003) shows that a very significant proportion of the trade is handled by a small group of port operators. Lambert's (1999) study illustrates that the top ten ports (1.4 percent of ports) in the world out of a total of 700 ports surveyed handled 38 percent of the global container cargo in 1997. Should this be extended to the top 25 ports (3.6 percent), the volume handled would increase to 56 percent or over half. Formulation of shipping strategies in the complex environment is the focus of Coyle, Bardi, and Novack's (2006) study. The study provides a very useful approach to in a fast-paced and hastily changing industry. The very appropriate scenarios that these authors are focusing on are the metropolitan areas which have been the essential hubs of economic integration, fostering and benefiting from innovations in commercial, manufacturing, communications, and transportation technologies. In the twenty-first century, nevertheless, only those metropolitan areas that adapt to global economic trends and provide the infrastructure and services that support knowledge-based and technology-driven industries will stay geographic nodes of worldwide business transactions. Persistent technological innovation, particularly in globally interconnected digital communications, transportation, and logistics systems, has spawned the fast growth of service and manufacturing industries connected through virtual networks and supply chains, and is increasing the demand for rapid delivery of high quality goods, services, and information in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Globalization, the mobility of factors of production, and advances in information and transportation technology are essentially and persistently changing the economic bases of metropolitan areas and the requirements for attracting and maintaining competitive economic activities. Shipping Strategies: A Review Complexity of Direct Shipping From a global system point of view, the complexity of direct shipping is one facet that is often overlooked but is essentially critical. For instance, sustaining direct point-to-point shipping among ten ports necessitates 100 services from one region to another. Should this be doubled to 20 ports from a region to be connected to another 20 ports in another region, then it will require 400 services. The complexity in ensuring these connections is evident. What is less evident is the need for more ships and consequently, more crowded sea-lanes just to provide the necessary connections. Probably, the most significant point is the need for enough traffic to justify such services. Current trade volume in the

The Great Gatsby in the American Dream Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby in the American Dream Essay The 1920s and 1930s represent two decades in our countrys history that were very much connected to one another but extremely different in the economy. The Great Gatsby takes place during the roaring 20s, a time of extravagant parties and attempts at finding happiness after World War I. On the other hand, The Grapes of Wrath takes place during the 30s while America is suffering from the Great Depression and people are leaving their homes and lives to find success and work in California. Although the times were very different economically, both were taken over by people striving for the American Dream of wealth and social status in an attempt of getting happiness, success, and a better life. During the 20s, people wanted to escape the terrors of the war and during the 30s they were attempting to survive during the devastation of the Great Depression. Both The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath do an amazing job of representing peoples desires for the American Dream and more specifically the failure rather than success that came as a result of their efforts. The American Dream depicted by The Grapes of Wrath is very different from the dream of the 20s and The Great Gatsby. For one, money and wealth is much scarcer and extravagant parties are far from peoples minds. In The Grapes of Wrath there is a very distinct line between the rich and the poor and this separation increases as those who are rich go to all lengths to ensure that they remain in the upper class. Many of the upper class seem to live in California where there is land and opportunity, while much of the lower class consists of dust-bowl farmers who have been forced to leave their land and travel to California in search of work. The land owners in California are afraid that these dust-bowl farmers will eventually take over their property and make it their own, so they are doing everything in their power to ensure that the poor farmers are not successful. Even still, they hire them for their dirty work and treat them poorly as there are many more to take their place. Many of the poor farmers begin turning their backs on their families and friends in an attempt at succeeding as individuals. This selfish attitude is the same attitude held by the California land owners who are unwilling to share their fortune with anyone else due to fear and lack of trust. The Grapes of Wrath builds up several different dreams for the American depending on their background. The California land owners dreams consist of eagerness for wealth and greed to remain in a position of power over the dust bowl farmers that are working their land. On the other hand, many of the poor farmers have simple dreams of just keeping their dignity and not allowing themselves to give up on their families. In the end, it is the Joad familys ability to keep their dignity and hold together as a family that helps them to rise above all of the tragedies they encounter. The Grapes of Wrath concludes with a much more hopeful tone than The Great Gatsby and passes on to the reader the importance of men joining together and doing what is right for all of mankind as opposed to what is most beneficial to the individual. Jim Casys death in Chapter 26 is a perfect example of how the California land owners are threatened by the idea of the poor farmers joining together and revolting. His death is also an example of how a man or woman can make an unselfish decision and risk what is best for them individually to do what is best for all of mankind. Tom is very struck by Casys bravery and finds the power within himself to follow in Casys footsteps and help unite people to fight the injustices of their current situation. His own dream becomes an attempt to do all he can to better life for the common American man. The American Dream was not only different in the 20s than it was in the 30s, but it has continued to evolve and change up through today. Despite the differences in these dreams, there is a central goal to all of them: the pursuit of happiness. In both of these books and much of the world today, people seek and dream of attaining just utter happiness. For centuries, lots of people have been trying to obtain money, careers, success, and more. Although these dreams are separate from one another, they are all just a means by which people feel they may hopefully obtain their dream of being happy. The question is when will people begin to realize that it is not these materialistic goals that will provide them with happiness, but rather things like humility, love, family, and religion? These are true sources of happiness and real answers to the American Dream.

Talking to Ghosts :: Personal Narrative Psychology Essays

Talking to Ghosts During my research, I was reminded of an incident in my psychology class that led me to write about this topic. It was a Friday and I walked into my psychology class thinking we were going to prepare for our upcoming class, but I was all wrong. My professor walked in and claimed he had ESP, which is extrasensory perception. He said that he could read people’s minds and know what we were thinking. My teacher asked us to write anything simple on a piece of paper and fold the paper in half. My classmates wrote a message on the paper and handed the papers to him. One by one he read them and had most of my classmates, including me believing he could do that. To my surprise, what he said was completely false and he went on to say how there is no such thing as ESP and psychics because there were not any tests to prove that there were. By this time I was upset because I couldn’t argue my point and I knew other wise to his theory of there are no psychics and no ESP. If psychics were false and ESP was false than what could be said about a renowned psychic, Sylvia Browne and one of my best friends, who as of right now will be known as â€Å"Bob†. My friend â€Å"Bob† and I have known each other for a year now. I never truly found out about her special gift till we started talking and realized that we were exactly alike. See my friend told me that she can talk to ghosts and spirits. She has instances where she is not herself, but someone else from a different time and a different place. She, my friend, trusted me and knew I wouldn’t treat her like a crazy person who needed psychiatric help. Before I get to her story, I should probably explain the difference between ghosts and spirits and to do that I went to books I own by Sylvia Brown. In Sylvia’s book The Other Side and Back ghosts were explained as people who do not realize they are dead. Ghosts are earthbound because they either committed suicide, have regrets of their mistakes they made, feel the need to stay behind for loved ones or they just died so quickly that they have not realized the truth.

Agree or Disagree: Your Job Has Greater Happiness Than Your Social Life Essay

Society changes at an unprecedented speed. So does people’s views toward their jobs. This has aroused a heated discussion whether people’s jobs own more happiness than their social life dose. From my point of view, compared with working, my social life means more. To begin with, admittedly, there exist some people who relish their job and consider it whole part of their life. For instance, an honorable professor in my university spends all his lifetime with his students and colleagues. He poses all his heart to the studying field of Chinese film. Only by referring to this concerned field, can he have the eyes lustrous. Without any other social activities, he lives a very satisfying life. However, it literally differs person to person. As for me, job is merely one aspect of my life. True, it provides the opportunity to enlarge my vision on profuse communicating methods and help me be seemingly mature. But the vision is limited to certain fields, knowledges without any connections with job still stay in an uncultivated state, such as skills of veraciously making friends, spirits of exploring new areas, kindness to others and so on. Lacking these crucial elements, I wonder whether it can be a happy life. Perhaps even more significantly, social life can help maintain a good health status. People could select a multitude of activities which make benefits for their physical health. For people like me, I play tennis every weekend, resulting in that I have not caught a cold for almost three years. And this offers the requisite basic of a happy life. In addition, social life also could be make advantages of by diverting concentration then assuage spiritual pressure. We could travel and spot various scenery with diverse people, make fun of different circles of friends, experience other’s lifestyles, explore deeper information of beloved fields. In sum, social life could better life quality and life contentment due to many reasons discussed above. Therefore, not only working, but also combining social life, life could be more variegated.

How John Locke Inspired Maria Montessori Essay

Childhood John Locke was born on August 29, 1632, in Wrington, a village in the English country of Somerset. He was baptized the same day. Soon after his birth, the family moved to the market town of Pensford, about seven miles south of Bristol, where Locke grew up in an old fashioned stone farmhouse . His father was a county lawyer to the Justices of the Peace and his mother was a simple tanners daughter. Both his parents were Puritans and as such, Locke was raised that way. His early life was spent at home in the country, where he was taught by his father; this explains why he favored the tutorial form of education. Early Adulthood In 1647, John Locke enrolled in Westminster School in London where he earned the distinct honor of being named a â€Å"King’s Scholar†, a privilege that went to only select number of boys and paved the way for Locke to attend Christ Church University, in Oxford, perhaps Oxford’s most prestigious school . He studied medicine, which played a central role in his life. After graduating in 1656, he returned to Christ Church two years later and received his Master of Arts. He graduated with a bachelor’s of medicine in 1674. Educational Theory In order to fully understand Locke, it is necessary to realize that his aims and methods were largely determined by the place and time in which he lived, and by the schools in which he attended. John Locke’s theories center around the case that the human mind, at birth is a â€Å"Complete, but receptive, blank slate. † It is the experiences placed upon this blank slate throughout life that determine a child’s characteristics and behaviors. Locke rebelled against the traditional theories of original sin and did not agree that children were born into the world as evil beings but instead believed that things could only be added to a child’s blank slate through experience. John Locke believed that â€Å"The well educating of their children is so much the duty and concern of parents, and the welfare and prosperity of the nation so much depends on it, that I would have everyone lay it seriously to heart. † Locke’s Thoughts concerning Education occupy an important place in the history of educational theory. He believed that â€Å"the minds of children are as easily turned, this way or that, as water itself. † For Locke, â€Å"Educating children, required instructing their minds and molding their natural tendencies. Education develops the understanding, which men universally pay a ready submission to, whether it is well or ill informed† Because children are born without a natural knowledge of virtue, early education greatly shapes their development, where even little and almost insensible impressions on their tender infancies have very important and lasting consequences! † Locke’s method of education is meant to be observed by parents even from the time their child is in the cradle, long before the teaching that comes from books. He encourages parents to watch their children, for through observation, parents can understand their child’s distinctive inclinations. Specifically, they should pay particular attention to their child â€Å"in those seasons of perfect freedom† and â€Å"mark how the child spends his time† Once armed with such information, parents can better know how to motivate their children towards the right and can craft their methods of education accordingly. Above all, Locke believed that children could reason early in life and should be addressed as â€Å"reasoning beings† by their parents and not regarded as â€Å"only a simple plaything, as a simple animal, or a miniature adult who dressed, played and was supposed to act like his elders†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Their ages were unimportant and therefore seldom known. Their education was undifferentiated, either by age, ability or intended occupation. † Locke, on the other hand, thought of children as human beings and proposed the fostering of children’s education in a gradual manner. Locke urged parents to spend time with their children and to plan their children’s education according to their individual characters. He suggested using â€Å"play† as the chief strategy for children to learn rather than rote memorization or punishment. How did John Locke inspire Dr. Maria Montessori? John Locke’s theories on education influenced many educational theorists among those was Dr. Maria Montessori. Locke’s theories inspired and helped her to develop the Montessori philosophy of education, over 100 years ago which is still the basis for how children learn in Montessori programs all over the world. Maria was inspired by Locke’s belief that each Child is a Unique Person? and believed that every child is different and has different skills and needs for development. She believed that if an adult watches and listens carefully, the adult can prepare an environment in which a child can thrive. – Locke’s method of education is meant to be observed by parents even from the time their child is in the cradle, long before the teaching that comes from books. Maria Montessori believed that each child possesses a unique individual pattern that determines much of the child’s personality, temperament, skill and ability. Montessori called this pattern, â€Å"a spiritual embryo†, as it is determined before birth. This pattern, she believed is revealed only during the process of development, so a great importance is placed on the quality of a child’s environment, activities and the freedom to develop. – Locke, â€Å"for through observation, parents can understand their child’s distinctive inclinations. Specifically, they should pay particular attention to their child â€Å"in those seasons of perfect freedom† and â€Å"mark how the child spends his time† Once armed with such information, parents can better know how to motivate their children towards the right and can craft their methods of education accordingly. † ?While John Locke’s referred to a child’s mind being of that of a blank slate, Maria Montessori compared a child’s mind to a sponge that absorbs information. Children will absorb everything they see, hear, taste, smell and touch in order to gain knowledge. Every child has different life experiences, however all Montessori activities can build upon each foundation in an individual way to create memories, problem solving, reasoning, understanding and, of course, absorption. – Locke also claimed that all ideas came from experience and that there were two aspects of experiences – sensation and reflection. Sensation informs us about things and processes in the external world. Reflection refers to a human’s internal sense that informs itself about the operations in its own mind. Maria Montessori’s method focuses on the child’s environment and the teacher who organizes the environment and effectively outlined the six components to a Montessori environment as freedom, structure and order, reality and nature, beauty and atmosphere, the Montessori materials, and the development of community life. ? Maria Montessori set forth her philosophy and method as the way education should be presented to all children. She believed that in a Montessori classroom, children could achieve self-discipline and achieve freedom for their own development. Consequently, she saw her method of education as the way to insure that adults in the future would be thoughtful, independent, clear thinking problem solving individuals who contribute to society in a meaningful way. – Locke believed that education â€Å"made† the man. He felt that the impressions made in infancy have important and lasting consequences. Any association of ideas made in childhood has a critical and life-long effect on a person. Hence, negative association would be damaging for an individual. ) Although John Locke influenced Dr. Montessori greatly, they did not always agree on everything for example. Maria Montessori believed that children are empty vessels and learn by sensory. John Locke’s point of view about children is that teachers play an extremely crucial point in teaching. Because of the â€Å"Tabula Rasa† (empty mind) theory, teachers become the only source of information for the children. He also stated that the teachers â€Å"pour† knowledge into the students. This point of view is exactly opposite to what Maria Montessori believed. John Locke believed that children never play an active role in learning, they are just receivers – traditional school system. Yet, Maria Montessori believed teachers or directresses’ are only helping the students by awakening their potential powers and that children are the active learners, teachers are only the helpers. John Locke believed that â€Å"play† has an important strategy in learning. Maria Montessori never used the term â€Å"play† as we always â€Å"work! References 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Plato. standford. edu/entries/locke) 2. â€Å"John Locke,† The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, http://www. iep. utm. edu/locke/, accessed December 27, 2012. 3. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/locke/ 4. http://www. marxists. org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/locke. htm 5. http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/locke. html.

Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council The WritePass Journal

Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council Abstract: Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council Abstract:1 Introduction2. Background2.1 Aim2.2 Staffordshire ICT:2.2.1 Organisation Structure of SICT:2.2.3 ICT Delivery Model3 Hardware and Software System3.1 Hardware:3.2 Software System:3.3 Business Environment3.3.1 SAP Services:3.3.2 System Development:4 Work Placement4.1 Job Description:4.2 Daily Basis Tasks:4.3 Responsibilities:5 Project Descriptions:5.1 PISCES Reporting:5.2 ECC6 Upgrade Testing:5.3 In House Applications Development:5.3.1 Time Recording5.3.2 School Crossing Patrol6 Benefits:6.1 Interpersonal Development:6.2 Technical Skills Acquired:7 Conclusions:  References and Bibliography:Related Abstract: This report is delivered in accordance to the experience gained from a year placement at Staffordshire County Council. It includes the organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities involved during the placement period. It also illustrates one’s interpersonal and technical skills acquired from the work experience. The report is produced in conclusion to what was learned and achieved by the end of the placement year. 1 Introduction The role of Industrial Placement programmer was appointed in SCC as a part of sandwich degree for placement year on 21st June 2010. It was a fixed term contract until 21st of June 2011. The unit was ICT under Strategic Core Directorate. The contractual hour of work were 37 hours per week and was under probation period for 6 months. The assigned role was of a student placement Programmer in MIS Team. This offered role provided an opportunity to gain exposure in providing business analysis support, working on technical specification, completing new developments and supporting existing systems within a team environment. A year placement in SCC has turned out to be the first step into a professional world. It was an opportunity to experience a wider variety of work in a diverse working environment and knowledge of an organisation structure. There were opportunities to deal with the business and clients directly and understood the importance of delivering services to them efficiently and within the given timeframe. 2. Background Fig 1: Staffordshire County Council Logo Staffordshire county council first came into existence on 1st April 1974 when the Local Government Act 1972 came into force. During the restructuring of an existing local government structure, entirely new ‘two-tier’ system replaced an administrative counties and county boroughs and created metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Staffordshire county council is situated in Staffordshire, seventh largest shire county in England which is in the West Midlands with a population of over 800,000. It is a big organisation and Staffordshire’s largest employer with 32,279 jobs. Besides serving the large population its responsibility include more than 400 schools, libraries, a wide range of complex social services in very different urban and rural communities, an extensive road system, and some of the countrys most important natural areas. For the better improvement of the prosperity, health, safety and environment of the whole county, it works with other partner organisations such as district and parish councils, police, and fire and health authorities. Some partner Local Authorities in Staffordshire are as follows: Cannock Chase District Council                                                    East Staffordshire Borough Council  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lichfield District council                                                                      Newcastle Borough Council South Staffordshire District Council                                        Stafford Borough Council Staffordshire Moorlands District Council  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Tamworth Borough Council etc. The organisation structure of SCC consists of three directorates which are â€Å"Development Services†, â€Å"Children, Young People and Families† and â€Å"Social Care and Health† along with Strategic Core which is made up of the Chief Executive’s Office, Finance, ICT, Communities and Culture and Law and Governance. More focus has been given to Customer Services and strategy by concentrating on ‘People’ and ‘Place’ rather than in current structure providing the needs of customer better than ever before. 2.1 Aim The aim of Staffordshire County Council is to provide high quality services providing value for money and focused on, and delivering around the needs of our customers and communities. To provide better services to the customers, SCC’s new Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015 called â€Å"Staffordshire Unites† has been set which intends to achieve the vision of SCC i.e. â€Å"Through pride and passion in our county we will maximise opportunities for improved wealth, health and well-being. Staffordshire County Council is here for Staffordshire People. 2.2 Staffordshire ICT: SICT is the central unit of SCC. SICT works in collaboration with other council services and partners to improve the delivery of services through the efficient use of ICT. SICT Service Management, SICT Improvements and Staffordshire Learning Technology (SLT) are the three main functional areas identified by SICT for delivering the requirements of the authority in an efficient way. SICT service management takes responsibility of management of ICT infrastructure and its daily services such as Help Desk function, desktop function, desktop equipment, applications etc for the whole SCC, including schools and council’s partner. SICT Improvements develops ICT services such as project management, tendering services and system development of the ICT systems which add value to the business by helping them to transform their services. ICT services are delivered to all County schools and the other education establishments on a trade basis by Staffordshire Learning technology. 2.2.1 Organisation Structure of SICT: The current organisational structure of SICT is mainly divided into three functional areas in order to enable the transformation of the services throughout the Staffordshire by the efficient use of the ICT. All of these service areas report to the Director of ICT Sander Kristel. Refer to appendix E – pg no. 24 2.2.3 ICT Delivery Model Fig 2: ICT Delivery Model (sourced from intranet) 3 Hardware and Software System 3.1 Hardware: The approved hardware packages used in SICT consist of standard equipments such as thin Client devices, laptops and desktop PCs for design application which include 22† inch TFT, keyboard and mouse. Standard printers in use are HP DeskJet 7000(manual), HP LaserJet 3015dn, and HP LaserJet CP3535dn etc. 3.2 Software System: SCIT provides standard SCC Desktop Software Applications for ICT devices which includes software packages that are approved and available as additional cost options. The standard SCC Desktop Software Applications are listed below: Standard Software Name and version of product    Additional SoftwareName and version of product1) Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows XP Professional1) Project SoftwareMicrosoft Project 20032) Office SuiteMicrosoft Office 2003 Professional2) Design softwareMicrosoft Visio 2003 Professional3) Internet BrowserInternet Explorer 83) IXOSIXOS4) PDF File viewerAdobe Acrobat Reader 8.04) TRIMTRIM 5)Anti-Virus ProtectionMacAfee Virus scan Enterprise 8.05) AutoCADAutoCAD6) Desktop Support Remote Control eLANDesk 8.7 The additional software packages downloaded for work purpose are listed below: Software Name and version of product 1) Netbeans Netbeans 6.0 2) Microsoft Visual Studio 1) Visual studio 2008 2) Visual studio 20103) Microsoft SQL Server  Microsoft SQL Server 20084)SAP1) SAP BW (3 environments : development, QA, Production) 2)SAP NetWeaver Portal 7 3)Reporting Tool : a)   Report Designer, b)   BEx Query Designer c)  Ã‚   BEx Web Application Designer and BEx Analyzer 4) ECC6 5) SAP CRM5) Microsoft Visual SourceSafeMicrosoft VSS 2005 3.3 Business Environment 3.3.1 SAP Services: The SCC runs SAP as its corporate ERP and is implementing a SAP Children’s Social Care Solutions which were first introduced in 2003. The core SAP ERP Services of SCC are HR, Payroll, Finance and Procurement whereas the SAP Social Care Solutions are based on CRM, RM, BI and adobe forms. SCC also uses SAP Security based on Roles and authorisation. The SCC runs the following systems which require SAP interfaces; SAP SCUK, ECC6, TRIM, Respond, LG45/SAP CRM, FACE, Trojan, Contact point, Capita One Range of Service. The main objective of integrating these systems with SAP is to provide ‘single source’ of information more system integration in future improving the performance and productivity level of the services provided the customer. Fig 4: SAP Social Care Technical environment (sourced from intranet) 3.3.2 System Development: There are currently over 200 application range of in house written and purchased system used in SCC to provide different services. Among them several application systems are used corporately, within Directorates or for specific group. These applications are designed and created with the effective use of wide range of technologies such as dot NET, Java, Oracle and SQL database. There are several application systems that are used corporately, within Directorates or for specific group. GIS/ Local view – graphical information systems ONE/SIMS- education management system Web- CMS, collaboration Oracle LG45 CRM – CRM system for Staffordshire connects partnership The major system developments are related to SAP, Customer First, Traffic management, Adult and children case management system 4 Work Placement 4.1 Job Description: The job title was Student placement programmer, involved working with senior developers of MIS team and Solution Design team and reporting to the placement supervisor. 4.2 Daily Basis Tasks: The day to day jobs included updating appointed tasks in SharePoint (a web application to record projects and task done or appointed to an individual), recording the hours of work done in Time Recording system, monitoring scheduled data load in BW and updating it in the web portal, helping customer with their problems through remote connection to their machine and reporting the work to the appointed business client. 4.3 Responsibilities: Scheduling Data Loads and Maintaining Process Chains in BW BW is one of the application systems of SCC that are relevant to â€Å"Information†. Extraction, Transformation and Load (ETL) Layer is responsible for extracting data from a specific source, applying transformation rules and loading it into the Data Warehouse. The master and transactional data from different source systems are loaded into BW InfoObjects such as DSO, Info cube, Multiprovider etc. The InfoObjects are used to extract data out for creating reports. The data load in BW is performed by using process chains which need to be scheduled so, that the data load runs automatically on its scheduled date and time. Data load was scheduled every month for daily, weekly and monthly ones and all the jobs automatically get cancelled on bank holidays. Maintaining Consistency between all environment in BW System The SAP BW Solution operates on three tier system as follows: DEV (Development) QA (Quality Assurance and Test) PRD (Production) All the developments were carried out and tested first in development environment before transporting developed objects across QA for further testing. After successful testing in QA, the objects are transported again from development to production environment for publishing live updated data. For better performance and future reference it was necessary to maintain all three environments inline as automatic updates are only available for production system. Consistency between all environments were maintained regularly by manually carrying out data loads in DEV and QA environments and adding missing objects which already exist in production system. Managing BW transport Normally in SAP BW , the objects that are either installed from Business content or developed in DEV systems can be transported from DEV systems to QA and Production systems.SAP BW allows to transport works like configuration, objects, roles, and business Explorer(BEx) objects. Transports can be internal transport i.e. between different systems of BW or external transport which is between source systems such as ECC6, CRM to SAP BW system and takes place using RFC (Remote Function Call) during uploading. Internal transportations are carried out according to the need of the user at anytime whereas external transportation takes place only in certain days and has to be informed b filling the transport request form. Transport packages created in DEV environment has its own transport ID which is needed to identify one’s transport to avoid conflicts. The results of either successful or failed transports are displayed in BW system that enables to manage transport across different system. Meetings with team members, business client and placement tutor Team meetings in MIS team were held normally twice in a month whereas in solution design team it used to be once in a week where team manager will notify the latest happenings and news of the SCC, any projects that is going to be start, any health and safety matters, feedbacks of the customer on the ongoing or released projects and other work related issues The meetings with business clients were attended to discuss about the specification and requirements of the products they requested and the deadlines when they want it to be delivered and feedback of the finished product. The placement visit from our placement tutor took place in the office twice in a year. The visit was very beneficial as the tutor tracked down the progress of our work by consulting with our supervisor and team member. The assessment and the advice from the tutor were very helpful to find the state of one’s capability to carry out job and encouraging oneself to keeping up the hard work. Attending inductions, trainings and demos SCC organises inductions and trainings for all the internal employees for their benefits and to maintain their standard of working. In the beginning of the placement period, induction had to be attended where briefings were given about the organisation structure, health and safety policies, rules and regulation, equality and diversity, security policy and other work related issues. In accordance to the job role, ICT Training centre of SCC also gave ICT induction to provide the information on standard equipments and software, computer security, electronic filing and corporate software which helped to get on with the job during first stage. Any applications developed or changed had to be presented to the customer for which demos were conducted upon the request of customer. Creating, Maintaining and Deploying BW Reports In accordance to report specifications reports were designed and created using BEx query analyser and BEx web designer. The web templates were later published into SAP web portal. Writing new applications and maintaining existing system As a developer’s main responsibility, new application were designed and written upon the request of business and also maintained the ones which are already in use. The maintenance required addition of new functionality and validation, updating the version of software and implement further testing. Reuse of code, performance issues, functionality and robustness were the major points to be implemented whist developing a new application. Implement Testing Implementations of testing were required to ensure the functionality and robustness of the applications and reports created for business clients. Unit testing were done for the block of codes written in java or visual basic for applications in accordance to the test plan designed by the development team. Helping Customer with their problems and issues: Customers were provided all the information and solutions to their queries and problems. If necessary they were given further help through remote connection to their machine or through individual phone calls. The issues like setting up customer’s account in ECC6 system, installation of software and showing how to use application functionality were dealt whist providing customer the easy and effective way to solve a problem. 5 Project Descriptions: 5.1 PISCES Reporting: PISCES is the new Social Care solution for Children’s system which went live on 25th of April 2011 after the successful migration of business partner cases into the system from CISS database system. Reports for PISCES system are produced using SAP BW suite of reporting tools. The reports are accessed via the SAP Portal, using standard Internet Web Browser. Two of major reports of PISCES namely â€Å"Children Subject to CPP Statutory Visits† and â€Å"Looked after Children Statutory Visits† was created in accordance to the given specification from CYP F directorate. The reports were created using the BEx Query Designer and BEx Web Analyser which were later published into Web portal for user access. Refer to Appendix B- pg no 21 5.2 ECC6 Upgrade Testing: SCC upgraded SAP R/3 source system to SAP ERP central component ECC6 which went live on 25th of October 2010. SCC uses ECC6 as the main enterprise resource planning software for Human Resources, Payroll, Finance and Procurement to collect and combine data from these different modules and provide to the organisation under one instance. The main reason behind this upgrade was to enable products to function upon foundation of central component. SAP BW uses ECC6 as one of its main source system and projects the source system changes. It is necessary to ensure that upgrading the source system on SAP BW environment would not impact the data modelling object built-in SAP BW system. To implement the changes in production system, tests were first required to carry out in development environment followed by QA environment. In this project, the assigned role was of a tester and the responsibility was to implement testing in accordance to a test plan designed by BW analysts. The test involved switching of the source system, data reloading to have the initializations and deltas to come from the new system. During test the old source system (both transactional and master) were deleted in the BW system before reloading data from ECC6 to ensure the consistency in the data from a system. After the successful completion of testing in BW Development and QA environment, the upgrade was finally implemented in production system which was also tested after the go live process. 5.3 In House Applications Development: The system development areas involved adding functionality to the existing applications, rewriting codes for the existing system, analysing business requirements, designing, implementing and testing the new systems, writing user guides and technical manuals. The software development team use Agile Software development to develop their new system and maintain existing system. The advantage of Agile based approach is modification of the requirements which is often applicable in a fast changing environment and deliver functionality rapidly to ensure customer satisfactions. 5.3.1 Time Recording The Time Recording application is an electronic time recording system used by SCC’s staff to record their flexi time. It allows user to know the duration of time they have worked, whether they are up or down on their time. Using this application senior managers calculate the average working pattern and needs of their staff of to see the true cost of projects and resources. It provides a central repository of the time recording information and an easy interface with level of functionality to the user. This application comprises of custom frontend developed by using Java programming language making it user friendly and SAP backend architecture providing the scalable and robust underlying architecture. For this existing application, it was required to add a new functionality to the system which allows user to filter the list of products and its related activities from the frontend and restricts user to input any times following the 30th April for any given financial year. A new custom filtering form was created to implement these functionalities. Refer to Appendix C – pg no. 22 5.3.2 School Crossing Patrol School Crossings is an application designed and developed for Road Safety Office to manage the information about school crossings, patrols that staff a school crossing and the physical location of the actual school crossings. It was required to design the new system to replace the existing Access database which did not meet most of the needs of the School Crossings Patrol service and was not supported by ICT. Thus, this application was rewritten as it is crucial to the running of the service both operationally and from a performance management perspective. The new system consists of a web based frontend written in Visual Studio 2010 IDE using ASP.Net and Visual Basic (VB) and the backend uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database.   There is an integration of SAP into the new system to avoid data duplication. The database for this system was designed and created which was then integrated with the frontend application. Designing of basic framework, applying windows authentication and validations, adding functionality such as establishing hyperlinks, creating menus for web page, data grid views, adding, editing and removing data from the frontend were the tasks involve during implementation of this project. 6 Benefits: The placement was beneficial in regards to development of personal and technical skills. More self-confidence was build to face any real time problems and challenges. 6.1 Interpersonal Development: During the placement period, working with two teams with a wide range of members enabled to successfully initiate, maintain and manage positive social relationships with them in a range of contexts. Providing good customer services in a manner that customer is provided all the required information and quality products in time. Working cooperatively and effectively as a part of a diverse professional team contributing more effort with best conduct. Improvement of communication skills and ability to communicate confidently with the seniors and other colleagues about the work related problems and query. Ability to prioritise time during work to fit around study commitments and social life. Understanding of the establishment and functions of organisation structure. Analysing business requirements and importance of delivering quality services before deadline. 6.2 Technical Skills Acquired: A year experience in SCC has enhanced the technical knowledge and skills in programming and developing systems. Sound knowledge of SAP software, architecture and its modules such as ECC6, CRM, BI and SAP NetWeaver. Better understanding of Business Intelligence, analytical, reporting and Data Warehousing solution provided by SAP BI System. Efficient use of reporting tool â€Å"SAP NetWeaver BI† and a web browser â€Å"SAP NetWeaver Portal†. Introduction to the ABAP programming language specifically used in SAP modules. Practical experience of using object oriented programming language, utilising the concurrency/multithreading concepts and implementation of Hash table in java for better performance and memory management purpose. Integration of SAP ECC6 with java application by the use of Remote Function Calls (RFC) modules from the java platform. Use of ASP.net programming language to create web based GUI application and adding a windows authentication for security. Creation and population data tables, views using SQL statements and design database diagrams in Microsoft SQL server. 7 Conclusions: In conclusion, an experience of a year placement at SCC has been invaluable and memorable moments of the life. It has been very beneficial providing knowledge of organisation structure, working environment and methodologies, customer services and development of both technical and personal skills. There is a strong belief that everything learned during this period will contribute in final year project on analysing requirements, managing time, selecting the suitable programming language and IDE for developing application, utilising new programming and testing methodologies. It will help in the accomplishment of future career goals i.e. to stand out as a successful developer in any competitive business market.   References and Bibliography: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Staffordshire County Council History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire [accessed 09/04/2011] 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Staffordshire County Council (2011) Organisation Information staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/home.aspx [accessed 10/04/2011] 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/bi.epx [accessed 10/04/2011] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_NetWeaver_Business_Intelligence [accessed 10/04/2011]

How to Ask for Information - ESL Education

How to Ask for Information - ESL Education There are a number of formulas used when asking for information in English. Here are some of the most common: Could you tell me...?Do you know...?Do you happen to know...?Id like to know...Could you find out...?Im interested in...Im looking for.. These two forms are used for asking for information on the telephone: Im calling to find out...Im calling about... After you study these constructions, take the asking for information quiz to check your understanding. More English Functions DisagreeingContrasting IdeasMaking ComplaintsAsking for InformationGiving AdviceGuessingBeing Imprecise or VagueSaying No NicelyShowing PreferencesMaking SuggestionsOffering HelpGiving WarningDemanding Explanations Construction Formula Question Word Example Finish Could you tell me when the next train leaves? Do you know how much that vase costs? Do you happen to know where Tom lives? Id like to know what you think about the new project. Could you tell me when the next train leaves? Could you find out when she is going to arrive? Formula Gerund (-ing) Example Finish Im interested in buying a boat Formula Noun Example Finish Im looking for information on holidays in Spain. Formula used only on the telphone Question Word Example Finish Im calling to find out... if flight AZ098 will leave on time today. Formula used only on the telphone Noun Example Finish Im calling about... the offer published in todays newspaper.

The Rachel Wade Murder Trial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rachel Wade Murder Trial - Research Paper Example The prosecutors of the trial were legal representatives for the state of Florida, as well as for the parents and family of Sarah Ludemann. Assistant State Attorney Lisset Hanewicz spoke on the behalf of the victim (Judd, 2010). The defense was Rachel Wade and and her defense attorney, Jay Hebert. The jury of six also played a role - perhaps one of the largest roles - in the trial. Finally, no court situation would be complete without the presiding judge, Joseph A. Bulone. There were two witnesses present during the time of the murder, and they were also present for the trial. Jilica Smith had been in the vehicle with Sarah Ludemann when the girl had driven over to Rachel Wade’s house in the early morning of April 15. Janet Camacho, the sister of the boy in the love triangle, had also been present during the altercation. She had attacked and subdued Rachel Wade after Wade had stabbed Ludemann (Thalji, 2010). Another friend of Sarah Ludemann, Ashley Lovelady, though not present for the incident of April 15, was able to act as a witness for the behavior that had been displayed by both girls in the months prior to the murder of Ludemann. As the arguments between Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann had been lengthy and done most commonly over the Internet or cell phones, evidence against the prosecution and defense was great since most of these arguments had been saved or were easily accessible. Furthermore, the testimonies given by witnesses were able to further confirm that there had been difficulties between Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann. Most of the evidence that had been gathered had benefitted both sides of the trial. Since both girls had been fighting against each other for the past year, the evidence found was capable of speaking for and against both of the girls. Neither of the girls had roles of innocence in the year of fighting that had gone

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business law - Essay Example For claiming the business deal undertaken by Sally to be a contract, there must be four significant aspects which are: Offer and Acceptance: Any legal contract must have proper offer and acceptance where one party makes the offer and the other agrees to it. Offer is demarcated as an instance when one individual indicates the willingness to make a business deal. Offer is made by a party by considering the acceptance of other party. The true purpose of offer should be to make legal association2. An offer is an appearance of readiness to contract on specific terms. Offer must be made with the aim that will become obligatory on acceptance. Offer allows the party to approve it and delivers the base of agreement. Offer can exist when objective is involved in purchaser’s words or conduct i.e. intention to commit certain act lawfully to the terms the purchaser recommends3. Communication: Effective communication is a vital aspect for a business contract. The offeree should know regardi ng the offer. The communication should be developed or sanctioned by the offeror. The purchaser cannot approve to something which he/she has no knowledge. Accordingly, the seller should communicate the offer in an intended way4. Consideration: Consideration is essential for proving the validity of contract. Only an ordinary statement of agreement cannot develop a contract. Consideration is regarded as a promise to provide something and gain something in exchange of it5. Assurance: The conditions of contract which are involved in the offer should be clear enough so that they can provide sensible basis for defining the reality of breach in relation to the contract and thus help to enforce action. In terms of product sale, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) provides criteria in several occasions such as price, time, location of delivery, or payment rules4. Step 3: Application of Law to the Fact In the context of the case study, the above aspects of a legal contract were missing. For instanc e, proper offer and acceptance was not made by the parties. Peter and Burt both had stated to Sally that they intend to purchase the bike. However, it differs from an offer because they did not reach an agreement with Sally that they will purchase the bike. The second essential element of contract i.e. proper communication was absent between Sally and the parties. Although Peter has offered a deal to Sally regarding purchasing of the bike, without his awareness the offer of Peter has been accepted by Sally which was her intentional communication for selling. Furthermore, communication should be made or certified by the offeror. With respect to mutual consideration, it can be observed that the contract had lack of consideration. Although Peter and Burt had specified that they expect to purchase the bike, they had not promised about purchasing. Ultimately, there was no assurance of parties about purchasing. Peter and Burt had not specified any time for purchase in the e-mail and Sally also did not approve any reasonable time for delivery of the bike to Peter. Without a reasonable time, offer cannot be measured as lawful. Step 4: Conclusion Judging from the above aspects, it can be observed that Sally has not made proper contract with any of them i.e. Peter and Burt. There was absence of communication, assurance and consideration. Besides, appropriate offer and

God In You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

God In You - Essay Example Dreams illuminate our lives; however, the peaks are higher than the imagination. Jeremiah feels a great joy to participate in God’s work in the hearts and lives of people. God keeps his servants humble and saves them from temptation and self-centeredness. The devotion should be continuous and constant. The commitment is for life; and our dreams should be greater than our memories. When disciples worry about the future and ask to see the Father, Jesus answers that the Father dwells in Him and He is acting on his behalf. Jesus told his disciples that all his words, the miracles he accomplished and all deeds are God’s actions, not His. Jesus Explains that his presence is not necessary, God’s work will continue and that they may even have greater accomplishment than Him. He urges them to look in the future and not look back. Even though Jesus’ hint that his disciples can do greater work may be blasphemous, he invokes their beliefs and faith. In fact, the promi se of doing greater work is linked to the coming of the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus had to leave for the Holy Spirit to come, which he clearly explained to his disciples. Therefore Jesus’ crucifixion, then ascension, was followed by the pouring of the Holy Spirit that becomes the third part of the Trinity. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, â€Å"Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole† (NKJV, Acts 4: 8-10). Jesus advocates the importance of the spiritual over the material and the eternal over the temporal. â€Å"Then Jesus, being filled with the

Intercultural communication- individual reflection

Intercultural communication- individual reflection Intercultural Communication- Individual reflection The essay looks at the reflection of the group work exercise. In doing so it looks at firstly what is meant by culture. On the basis of defining culture, it further looks at the communication barriers within intercultural teams when working within groups. Based on some theoretical models, the essay tries to identify the issues that arose during the group work. Some analytical view has been given to these issues based on the theoretical concepts to try and give some recommendations and guidelines for effective intercultural group work. Definitions and Special terms: Culture can be defined in many ways. A historic perspective of culture accentuates on traditions being inherited and amassed over time focus on fleeting down the culture. According to Gibson (2002), culture is not used in the senses of literature, music and art; it is more than in the sense of a shared system of attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviour. The way people greet each other, dress, negotiate and resolve conflict, and even the way visual information is seen and perceived. Moreover Gibson (2002) illustrates the concept of culture by using various models such as iceberg model, onion model and tree model. The iceberg model reflects the tangible expressions of culture and behaviour are above the surface of the water, and the attitudes, beliefs, values and meanings underlie the water. The onion model is a layer of culture, which can be peeled away to reveal underlying basic assumptions. For instance, the out layers are behaviour, products, rituals and symbols, under layers are f undamentals, such as attitudes, beliefs and values. Furthermore, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) describe this is explicit and implicit level of culture. Gibson (2002) describes, the tree model contrasts visible and hidden culture, with the roots providing an image of the historical origins of culture. Moving between cultures is like transplanting a tree—to be successful, the roots have to be protected, and support will be needed in the new environment. The main difference in conditioned assumptions and preferences which is seen between cultures stems from what Hofstede calls the collective mental programming, which differentiate member of one group from another (1980:21). This process as per many researchers has resulted in cultural values (Kirkman Shapiro, 1997). The Values , stated as a broad capability to prefer certain states of affairs to others (Hofstede, 1980: 19), shows significant influences on individual capabilities (Geletkanycz, 1997; Shackleton and Ali, 1990). In this regard cultural values, assumptions and preferences, build the underlying main structure of culture, whereas methods of activity and behaviours are the cultures only visible manifestation (Schein, 1985). As a result, the values associated within a culture are reflected in the conditioned assumptions and preferences, which helps members during the daily actions. Indeed there may be cultural differences within different countries (Locke, 1995), National cu ltural values are found to vary in a systematic manner more across cultures than within them (Adler, 1997; Hofstede, 1980). Within any group work, communication is vital. Then again within different members of the group from diverse backgrounds the communication tends to be diverse as well. What actually is meant by such intercultural communication? According to Stoner (2009), communication is a verbal statement meant by one person. However, Littlejohe (1992) argues communication to be the transmission of information or symbolic communication such as language, signs, imagers by means of which they are often transmission. Mehrabian (1981) identified, there are three ways of human face of face communication such as body language, voice tonality, and words. Rosengren (2000) describe, communication is a combination of nonverbal, visual and understanding the field of communication. According to Tian (2000), Communication is one of the most important functions to master in order for any business to succeed in todays increasingly competitive markets, particularly for firms doing business internationally. Gudykun st (1994: 129-136) suggests three ways of interpreting other persons behaviour: Perception checking Listening effectively Giving feedback According to Gudykunst (2005), theorizing the communication within culture has had a tremendous progress within last 20 years. Initial attempts of theorizing the subject had been based on the values and assumptions of the cultures, but over the time most theories are supported by the researches. In order to reflect back on the intercultural issues that came up during group work, these have been addressed based around the theoretical models of cultural dimensions developed by researchers and explained within the model definitions in an analytical manner. Collectivism versus individualism: Looking at the cultural dimension of collectivism versus individualism, it can be said that there was a sense of social connectedness (Earley Gibson, 1998) within the team. It can be said that in contrast to individualism, whereby individual team members tend to look after themselves, there is a sense of collectivist efforts towards the team putting their interests towards the group work (Hofstede, 1991). There is a sense of collectivist team effort of finding pleasure in working together like a social group (Chen et al., 1998; Cox et al., 1991; Earley, 1998). Being in a collectivist culture the team members feel closely connected and committed to the project (Boyacigiller Adler, 1991). There is emphasizes on harmony and cooperation within group members (Kim et al., 1994) and reciprocal cooperation of each member to assist in each tasks (Cox et al., 1991). Yet there was a sense of lack of direction by the group leader. For e.g. the leaders authority or instructions were not adhered to which led to many tasks being unaccomplished. The carefree attitude of the group members was evident throughout the project. As mentioned by Hamden-Turner Trompendaars (1993), Hofstede, 1980 and Triandis, 1983, the group members considered themselves as independent self-controlling entities and emphasized their identity as unique, independent individual. There was a more of an individualistic orientation whereby; individuals focussed on personal gain in combination or regardless of others often taking a competitive stance so as to maximize ones own gain, while hurting those of other team members (Pruitt, 1981; Graham, 1986; Graham et al., 1988). Power Distance: The dimension of power distance reflects a cultures acceptance of social inequality. In different words, power distance refers to the limit that those in lower social groups accept as a given the power and status of those in higher groups.In societies where power distance is at higher side,there is mostly a universal acceptance of notion ,that those with higher status deserve the respect they are afforded without any question Unquestioning tends to greater levels of loyalty in organizational context and the taking of actions only after total approval of the superior. In high power distance cultures, policy of centralized decision making is followed rather than exception (Hofstede, 1980), presenting formidable barriers to teams that are highly interdependent (Shane, 1993). Thus, this should not be taken as a surprise that research suggests that members with a high power distance orientation will o seek approval before initiating any action, since they are accountable to having those at the top of the hierarchy make final decisions (Ueno and Sekaran, 1992). Generally, individuals with high power distance orientation are uncomfortable in determining authority and having decision-making powers given to them (Adler, 1997; Hofstede, 1980, 1991). Within the group, team members at times were with a sense of low in power distance and inclined to be more of egalitarian in nature. These group members largely (though not completely) viewed each other as equals. Specifically, members within this cultural dimension interacted vertically within the group work and always seeking for approval and resources from those in power of other teams (Katz and Tushman, 1983). However, it is argued that the method of equality diminishes hierarchical power in organizations and further it encourage acting without full sanction from ones superiors in low power distance cultures. Hence, these members followed agendas of their own and were bypassing the leader (Howell and Higgins, 1991). That said these practices did not preclude those individuals from helping, when needed. Such member were always on wait for those in power but only if the need arose (Howell and Higgins, 1991). Consequently, members low in power distance orientation were more effectiv e in supportive of team actions requiring upward interactions, while members high in power distance were less effective and indeed reluctant to do so. Uncertainty avoidance: Uncertainty avoidance has been defined as the limit to which the members of a culture feel afraid by uncertain or unpredictable situations (Hofstede, 1991: 113). Individuals from high uncertainty avoidance cultures feel uncomfortable dealing with uncertain situations, and therefore look for clarification when theey are in doubt (Hofstede, 1980). Cultures high on uncertainty avoidance prefers for structure and clarification, which results in an increment of formal rules and regulations in those cultures. In contrast, individuals from low uncertainly avoidance cultures tend to prefer a less regulated or strict organizational structure, hence opting to deal with ambiguous situations rather than seek clarification (Hofstede, 1991). In terms of uncertainty avoidance, it can be said the group members were threatened by the unknown situation of a group member leaving the team. In such there was a breakdown of the project events, which led to some low confidence within each members as this member was the group leader and also had strong characteristics. As per Hofstede such situation leads to not only less confidence and less motivation, but also lacks innovative thinking. Thus the uncertainty avoidance led to a resistance in innovation and creativity by the team members. It was this uncertainty avoidance, which led to a threat situation for the whole team. Avoidance/Addressing behaviour Another dimension, which was noticed during the project work, was avoidance / addressing behaviour. The group either denied there was a conflict existing or even acknowledging that a conflict exists. The team members tended to change the subject, when someone tried to discuss thereby involving avoidance behaviour cultural dimension. Avoidance tactics included topic shifting to avoid the specific issue of conflict, avoiding a member altogether, postponing discussion, talking about abstract things rather than the conflict on hand, silence and denying that a problem exists (Canary, Cunningham Cody, 1988). Avoidance behaviour as per Weldon et al., (1996) exists when members do nothing to deal with the situation. As previously mentioned the group had a more of a collectivist approach. Hence research suggests, collectivists are more of avoiding a conflict than individualists who address it more likely (Adler et al., 1992, Barnland, 1975, Cupach, 1982, Graham, 1984, Graham et al., 1987). Recommendations Guidelines: Addressing the above issues, it can be said diverse cultures within a team tend to correspond to basic assumptions preferences and highly influence them to move towards a cultural dimensions addressed above. Let us look at some recommendations based on the theories surrounding these dimensions to provide guidelines for future project. It is important that within a group the collectivist approach seems apt when working towards a project (Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (1997:52). They further add the manager or leader to be seriously affected by individualist approach. It is important to note certain areas of vital importance like negotiation, decision-making and motivation. As a leader there should be incentive based projects. This should relate to the achievement be it in academic terms or in a company project in monetary terms based on performance. Based on the empirical studies, the issue of power distance relates more towards individualism (Bochner Hesketh, 1994; Bond, Wan et al., 1985; Franke, Hofstede et al., 1991). It is this individualistic approach at times, where there should be focus on equality among team members versus hierarchical structure. This is based on the assumption that treating members within a group as equal individuals is the best way to motivate them (Hampden Turner Trompenaars, 1993). Research suggests that interaction with outside constituents enables members to deal with any external threats or opportunities, which might confront them by allowing members to understand the ambiguities within their environment (Ancona Cadwell 1992a; Lyonski et al., 1988). It is the acquisition of information, which reduces the ambiguities and avoids uncertainties. Members should not rely on one team member and should look for support either within themselves or look for outside support from their tutors and avoid ambiguities or uncertainties (Hofstede, 1991). As for avoiding conflict by not addressing it, it is best to move towards a direct behaviour dimension of culture. This should include acknowledging conflict and overt actions in contrast to not acknowledging it (Chua Gudykunst, 1987). As per Weldon et al., 1996, members using overt actions will conduct conflict management behaviour in a professional manner. In conclusion it is important to note that the cultural dimensions play an important role within any team and it project. The interaction of team members effects from a combination of cultural values be it from a specific country. Each team has a varied combination of people and therefore there are various challenges, which may imply different norms and styles. However there needs to be some agreement on how to make decisions, a leaders attitude on how to deal with conflict etc. Bibliography: Applegate, J. L. and Sypher, H. E. (1988) Constructivist theory and intercultural communication research. Beverly Hill: Sage Baldwin, J. R. (2006). Redefining Culture: Perspective across disciplines. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum associates Bochner, S. (1994) ‘Cross-Cultural Differences in the Self Concept: A Test of Hofstedes Individualism/Collectivism Distinction. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Vol. 25: 273-283 Boyacigiller, N. Adler, N. (1991) ‘The Parochial Dinosaur: Organizational Science in a Global Context. Academy of Management Review. Vol. 16 (2): 262-290 Charles, L. Y. (2003) The art of investigative interviewing. Burlington: Butterworth-Heinemann Cox, T. H., Lobel S. McLeod, P. (1991) ‘Effects of Ethnic Group Cultural Differences on Cooperative Behaviour on a Group Task. Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 34 (4): 827-847 Gibson, R. (2002) Intercultural business communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Golden, T. Veiga J. (2005) ‘Spanning Boundaries and Borders: Toward Understanding the Cultural Dimensions of Team Boundary Spanning. Journal of Managerial issues. Vol. 17 GudyKunst, W. B. (2005) Theorizing about Intercultural Communication. London: Sage Publication Ltd. Gudykunst, W. B. (2003) Cross Culture and Intercultural Communications. London: Sage Publication Ltd. Jehn, K. Weldon, E. (1995) ‘Conflict Management in Bicultural Teams The International Journal of Conflict Management. Vol. 6 Issue 4 Kim, U. et al, (1994) Individualism and Collectivism: Theory, Method and Applications. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Press. Kim, Y. and Gudykunst, W. (1988) Theoretical perspectives in intercultural communication(pp. 41-65). Beverly Hills: Sage Tian, R.G. (2000) Understanding consumer behaviour: psycho-anthropological approach: North American Journal of Psychology, [Vol. 2 No.2, pp.273-9.] Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (1997) Riding the Waves of Culture (Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business). 2nd ed. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Trompenaars, F. Wooliams, P. (2003) Business Across Cultures. England: Capstone Publishing Ltd. Tuckman, B.W. Jensin, M.A.C. (1977) ‘Stages of small group development revisited. Group and Organizational Studies, Vol.2, pp 419-427. Wing, L. (2005) ‘Leadership in high-performance Teams: A model for superior team performance. Team performance Management. Vol. 11 No.1/2 pp 4-11.