Midterm Writing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Midterm Writing Assignment - Essay Example During this period Richard Cobden and John Bright who came from the â€Å"Manchester School†, tried their best to bring about peace and harmony among the people by opposing war and imperialism which was rampant. Therefore, the term â€Å"Manchesterism† stood for the spreading of peace and goodwill among all people at all levels. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was a Jew, became an artillery officer in the French army because of his dedication and skill. In October 1894, he was sent for training which suddenly came to a grinding halt when he was accused of handing over military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris. He was promptly arrested and accused of treason. There was no evidence or conclusive significance that Dreyfus was in any way involved, but yet he was convicted because the Army thought that they may be blamed for lending support to a Jewish officer. The Dreyfus Affair became a political scandal. The word â€Å"Eugenics† is taken from the Greek root which meant "good" and "generation" or "origin†. During the late eighteenth century it was used to denote â€Å"Science† of hereditary or good breeding. Gregor Mendel who worked with the cross breeding of pea plants, made popular the concept of genes ushering research in the field of genetics. One strand of genetic research trailed off into the realms of social history which in the beginning of the twentieth century came to be popularly known as â€Å"Eugenics†. During the 1840’s, Britain was going through a heavy crisis period. They were faced with a lot of economic problems and working class unrest. Investments and rail-road building took their toll as there was widespread famine in Ireland and Britain faced some of its most miserable days. Hence, this period was called the â€Å"Hungry 40’s†. Barriers or restrictions that are imposed on foreign competitors would certainly hamper trade relations between countries

Virtual reality Essay Example for Free

Virtual reality Essay Abstract The contemporary world is greatly characterized with the usage of highly developed technology, tools, gadgets, and appliances. One just needs to look around him to see the truth to this statement. Be it in business, education, travel, medical, practically everything and anything, one uses technology to conduct daily living. These technologies underwent several processes and upgrades to be what they are today. Nonetheless, each technology still undergoes enhancements that would help individuals in going about their daily lives. The initial process with which technology evolved into what it is today was first conceptualized, then improved to what man utilizes today. A concrete example of this would be the television which is a common appliance in todays world. Before the television became to what it is today (digital), it was first conceptualized, designed, produced, tested, developed and enhanced. As these things were first conceptualized, hence, the term virtual reality was coined. It is, therefore, a usual question whether the initial process was real considering that it was merely a concept, a virtual reality. It is in line with the above that the primordial purpose of this paper is to scrutinize whether virtual reality is indeed real or just a figment of mans imagination. VIRTUAL REALITY 3 Virtual Reality: Is It Real? Todays technology has been conceptualized in the not so distant past and has been LABELLED AS VIRTUAL REALITY. WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO UTILIZE REALITIES AND THINGS IN ORDER TO HELP MAN IN his daily living, several researches conducted studies and experimentations in order to produce materials that will be able to make life a lot easier to the end users of the same. If one has an intensive scrutiny of the experiences any person would have today, technology is always used and is in great demand. Technology is used in business, in education, in medical, in warfare practically in anything and everything. These became realities as they were first conceptualized prior to the production of the gadgets and things that man uses today. From conceptualization, experiments were conducted to ensure that these products would eventually meet its purpose and would ultimately be of benefit to the users of the same. Safety and costs have been one of the primordial considerations. This raises the question that many would query. At the stage of conceptualization (virtual reality), would one consider these concepts as real or not? It is the objective of this paper to focus on this. At the end of this paper, the reader will be able to: 1) understand what virtual reality is; 2) see a short history of the development of virtual reality; 3) realize the usage and advantages of the end-products of virtual reality; 4) comprehend whether virtual reality is real or not. The meanings of Virtual Reality and Reality Many have always asked, What is virtual reality? What is reality? . Oxford Dictionary (online publication, 2010) defines virtual reality as almost or nearly as described, but not VIRTUAL REALITY 4 completely or according to strict definition. Late Middle English defines it as possessing certain virtues. The word virtual comes from the Latin word virtue, virtuosus. The etymology of the word reality comes from the Latin word realis which means relating to things. Oxford Dictionary defines it as â€Å"the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia defines virtual reality as computer-generated environment and within which people can interact it can immerse people in an environment that would normally be unavailable due to cost, safety, or perception restrictions. D. Petechuk stated that virtual reality combine state-of-the-art imaging with computer technology to allow users to experience a three-dimensional simulated environment. Ilkka Maunu Niiniluoto, in his article Virtual worlds, fiction and reality has referred to Michael Heim in giving meaning to the word, virtual reality. In his book Virtual realism (1998), Michael Heim states that virtual reality is a technology or an emerged field of applied science. John C. Briggs, on the other hand, in his article, The Promise of Virtual Reality, wrote, Virtual reality can be defined as a three-dimensional, computer-generated simulation in which one can navigate around, interact with, and be immersed in another environment Virtual reality provides a reality that mimics our everyday one. What would virtual reality mean to ordinary people? When one hears this word, people would usually associate it as something that has to do with computers. While others would think that it is a dream world where anything and everything is possible to happen, there are also others who would think that virtual reality is a conception concocted not only by the mind but also by the very person who has thought of the concept concerned. There would also be a group VIRTUAL REALITY 5 who would think that virtual reality is the stepping stone through which different gadgets currently used have gone through: conceptualized, tested, revised and produced. A Short History of the Evolution of Virtual Reality This section will focus on the discourse of D. Petechuk entitled, Virtual Reality. Petechuk stated that the concept of virtual reality would date back to World War II. The pilots who were then training for their combat missions needed training for the mission that they had. There was a need for flight simulators; however, the technology then was not sufficient. The trainees had only basic simulation. Through the years, technology advanced and so did virtual reality. Ivan Sutherland, according to Petechuk, conducted experiments with the first head- mounted three-dimensional displays the user was able to view a computer-generated three- dimensional cube floating in space and, by moving his or her head, inspect various aspects of the cube and determine its dimensions. This was in 1966. By 1970, Sutherland built the first full functional head-mounted display unit. There were many big industries who also ventured into the development of virtual reality. One of them was General Electric Corporation that built one of the first computerized flight simulators in 1972. In 1975, Thomas Furness III developed the prototype Visually Couple Airborne Systems Simulator whereby the pilots had an abstract view of flying conditions instead of a reality- based image pilots became totally immersed in the graphic representation. VIRTUAL REALITY 6 Mary Alice Ball, in her book review, Virtual Worlds, Real Challenges: Papers from SRIs 1991 Conference on Virtual Reality, wrote: Virtual reality is still in its infancy, and researchers are intent on developing and refining new and better tools. Mary Ball further wrote that virtual reality has the potential to take us beyond our physical limitations and guide us to new insights Virtual reality uses technology to create human-machine interfaces that permit control of multiple peripheral devices with relative ease. Through the years after this, big investments were poured into the research as to how virtual reality could produce things that would be used daily. As there are a lot of advantages and uses of the things produced through virtual reality, focus and attention were given for the development of virtual reality to what it is today. This would be discussed in depth in the following section. The Applications of Virtual Reality As stated earlier, the contemporary world is characterized with a lot of technologies that have been developed through the many years. When one looks around, it is very evident that varied products of virtual reality have been created that ultimately helps any one in conducting his daily business in live. Many of these technologies have gone through the process of being conceptualized, tested, revised, and enhanced. The many things man uses today went through a long process of evolution and are still undergoing improvements so that the maximum usage of the same would be attained. These products did not just come out of thin air. The process through which they have been developed has been long and tedious. VIRTUAL REALITY 7 Beth Stackpole in her article, Virtual Reality Gets Real, stated that the militarys use of virtual reality touches training, product development and command and control platforms. She further reiterates that virtual reality technology and simulators are actively used to train military personnel on how to pilot aircraft or handle weaponry. Patrick Mays in his article entitled, Making Virtual Reality Real, Creating VR models takes no longer than any other computer modeling: Most of the massing of a large project can be completed in only a few days. John Briggs in his article entitled, The Promise of Virtual Reality, discusses at length the varied applications of virtual reality. It must be noted, however, that this article was written in 1996. He writes that technologys present state of advancement has been overstated. Coverage in numerous magazines and newspaper articles, on TV shows, and even in TV ads suggests that virtual reality is now fully developed. Unfortunately, this is not true Virtual reality is with us now in a very early and rudimentary form. Virtual reality is greatly used in businesses today. Many companies are able to create visualizations of the stock market. Currently, this is now being conducted in many companies, most specially the big ones. A stock broker or analyst can quickly see patterns for a market sector as a whole, as well as the activity of specific stocks and can bring in-depth information to the screen and give the broker an opportunity to rapidly buy or sell a stock. Virtual reality has also played a great role in empowering people with disabilities. In his article, Briggs reported that virtual reality is used to confirm the accessibility of buildings for people with disabilities. It is also used in teaching students how to use a wheelchair and training VIRTUAL REALITY 8 people who are intellectually compromised on how to get from one point to another using different form of transportation. In the same article, Briggs has touched on how virtual reality may be used in education and training whereby the trainees walk through a virtual factory and learn about health hazards a more engaging experience than reading a manual or attending a lecture. Likewise, through virtual reality astronomy students will be able to explore galaxies and study their properties. English students will be able to be on stage where Shakespearean plays are being presented. History students will be able to go to different historical events and would have the possibility of participating in them. These are examples of what Briggs thought on how virtual reality will affect and effect the seemingly uneventful past life of man. Briggs is therefore simply reiterating the simple fact that virtual reality is the biggest factor that will be utilized by any person as virtual reality will make things a lot easier for man to conduct his daily businesses. As virtual reality is constantly evolving, it will spice up mans life, mans living and his mere existence. As different facets of life will ultimately be immensely influenced by virtual reality, it goes without saying that virtual reality will continue to develop and be made user friendly to its end users man himself. The constant enhancements will proceed so that virtual reality and the products it produces will be of much better utility for all to avail of. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, one would clearly see that virtual reality has produced numerous technologies currently used in daily living. These have given any one for that matter a choice to make life easier or not. However, these things were not produced out of thin air, so to VIRTUAL REALITY 9 speak. There have been a lot of processes that were implemented to have the technologies that we have today. Based on what is existing, these technologies were conceptualized, altered, refined, improved, and enhanced. The fact remains that they have all been based on existing realities. Concretely speaking, before man landed on the moon in 1969, there were a lot of processes that occurred. The astronauts did not just land there per se. There were a lot of trainings conducted and one of them was the effect of weightlessness for a long period of time. Creating this atmosphere was first conceptualized and the atmosphere to produce the same scenario as it would appear on the moon itself was created. The garment they wore, the numerous pieces of equipment they used were first conceptualized, produced, tested, and refined to ensure the safety of the astronauts and to lessen the effects of many factors. These all started with virtual reality. Likewise, another example one may look at is the robots used in highly advanced countries where the robot detonates or make safe explosives that may cause harm or danger. This was also conceptualized at the beginning, produced, tested and refined to ensure its effectivity in pursuing the purpose for which it was built. What is being simply emphasized is the fact that virtual reality is based on what exists and it is not a figment of ones imagination. As such, it is real. The basis of virtual reality is reality itself. In Argumentative Logic, the argumentation would be: Virtual Reality is based on reality. Reality is what exists; what is reality. Therefore, Virtual Reality is reality; it is real. VIRTUAL REALITY 10 References: Ball, M. A. (1993, June). Virtual Worlds, Real Challenges: Papers from SRIs 1991 Conference on Virtual Reality. Information Technology and Libraries, 12(2), 291. Briggs, J. C. (1996, September). The Promise of Virtual Reality. The Futurist, 30(5), 13. Mays, P. (1998, October). Making virtual reality real. Architecture, 87(10), 162. Niiniluoto, I. M. (2012). Virtual worlds, fiction, and reality/Mundos virtuales, ficcion y realidad. Discusiones Filosoficas, 13(21), 13. Petechuk, D. (2004). Virtual Reality. In K. L. Lerner B. W. Lerner (Eds. ), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (3rd ed. , Vol. 6, pp. 4225-4229). Detroit: Gale. Virtual Reality Gets Real. (2008, January 7). Design News, 63(1), 85. Virtual Reality. (2013). In The Columbia Electronic Encyclopediaâ„ ¢. New York: Columbia University Press.

Kinesics And Proximics And The Cultural Impact Cultural Studies Essay

Kinesics And Proximics And The Cultural Impact Cultural Studies Essay The process of sharing ideas and feelings with others is all-important. Communication is the human interaction that all humans can not do without. Our very first parents initiated this behaviour taking hundreds of centuries to develop and refine to what is today. Despite differences, humans share the same communication behaviour all over the globe. It is the communication behaviour that is common and shared by all. In particular, differences occur in methods by which this people or that nation communicates. As a vital activity for all human beings, communication has long been studied. Scholars and researchers of different disciplines, including psychology and sociology, have immensely contributed to this complex and multifaceted concept. John Fiske suggests that communication is a multidisciplinary area of study rather than an academic subject in the common sense of the word (Introduction to Communication Studies, 1). Thus, providing a definition for communication is not a simple tas k one might think, it is complicated and illusive. It is a process that enables receiving and getting our messages across to others as a response. Along my readings on communication, I have come across a wide range of definitions and approaches to the concept of communication. Researchers have given countless definitions. Dance and Larson once tried to count these definitions to find that they exceed a hundred and twenty. Since Dance and Larson trial, other additional definitions have been introduced. Samovar and Porter in Communication Between Cultures hold to the definition advanced by Ruben and Stewart which defines human communication as the process through which individuals in relationships, groups, organizations and societies respond to and create messages to adapt to the environment and one another (22). My aim in this paper is to discuss the concept of non-verbal communication as. Yet, I see that pursuing in clarifying what communication is stands relatively pertinent since it serves as an entry to our conceptualization of the aspect of non-verbal communication. The paper attempts to shed light on that dim part of human communication and aims at discussing the different aspects of non-verbal communication in relation to culture. As culture has a very particular connection with communication in general, importance is as well given to the role culture plays in non-verbal communication. It is all the time culture that shapes our view and use of silent language. Body language (Kinesics) and Proximics (The use of both time and space) and their relation to culture form the two main points approached in this paper. Consciously or unconsciously, individuals communicate with others using a set of non-verbal messages and signals that render them effective members within their communities. It is noticeable that children primarily begin their communication essays trying to send messages even before learning their primary uttering. Inspecting the human behaviour provides clues about the use of non-verbal messages. Humans communicate a great deal using body gestures, signals and signs. Non-verbal communication has always been referred to as body language. It is that hidden dimension of human communication. Exceptional of this concept is that an individual can send messages through without even being aware of his or her engagement in this communicative interaction. Normally, a person in a simple communication process chooses the words he or she would use to get his or her messages across. Yet, a simple sigh of a person sitting in a waiting room is actually a message unconsciously communicated to others sitting in the same room meaning that he might be tired or annoyed waiting for a long time. Non-verbal communication seems by now intricate and multidimensional. Kinesics explores our body movements messages Body language develops our communication. Language is essential and all-important in human communication. Yet, it is not the only channel through which individuals get to communicate between each other. Another language emerges as a relatively significant avenue of meaning transfer. Humans can particularly communicate and get their messages across to others using simple body movements. Gestures, postures, signs, touches, and smells have been all referred to as body language. Most people communicate and send messages to others without being conscious and well aware they use another language or channel that has its unique rules and principles. We all understand and get what others might tell us by a certain hand movement or eye blink. Body language stands as a permanent channel of our non-verbal communication. It is learned through our enculturation process remaining rooted and can hardly be altered. Body language is that hidden part of the communication skills we get out of our language and culture learning. Obviously, the basic function of body language is meaning transfer. Humans unconsciously developed a set of body gestures, signs, and signals that carry messages and meanings by which they communicate between each other sending and receiving messages swiftly and conveniently. Scholars have previously come to know the importance of body language the fact that results in the development of a body language vocabulary which they have named Kinesics (Britannica 2002). Kinesic cues are those visible body shifts and movements that can send messages (Communication Between Cultures, 174). Action does communicate something. Sometimes a situation can not be clearly worded. Hereby the need for a gesture a signal or a body movement comes to express what is intended to be communicated. A person who is talking with his intimate friend can refer to a previously agreed on fact or idea by a simple eye blink when another foreign person is present in the discussion. In this particular situation for inst ance, the fact or idea intended to be communicated can not be if one of the intimate friends does not resort to their conventional non-verbal communication system. Eye contact is highly appreciated by several people belonging to different cultures. It is really a noteworthy channel of communication. Beyond this, the pupils of a person can communicate a whole range of messages and meanings. By way of illustration, a mans widening or shrinking pupils obviously carry meaning. This might mean that the person is probably surprised, excited, normal or even sad. In some cultures, when someone tends to break eye contact, he or she might intend to communicate to others that he or she is depressed or in a troubled situation. Body language, as a major part of non-verbal communication, bears a number of channels through which individuals come to communicate among each other. Examples include ones personal way of dressing. A person can consciously or unconsciously communicate to his society, to his family, to his friends or classmates etc a set of meanings and messages just by the way he or she dresses. Consider a person wearing a suit with a jacket, trousers and a necktie and another dressed in a dungaree. At first glance, you are likely to say that the first person is may be attending a formal meeting when the second one is may be working somewhere or present in an informal context. Clothing can be a relatively efficient way or channel of communication. Arabs, in general, place high premium on the way they dress. They plainly still stick to their traditional garments. We, Moroccans, usually wear Jellabas in Fridays to communicate our respect for the holy day. We may also tend to manifest our respect of ou r prophets Sunna. Clothes can determine how other people treat each other. Humans draw upon other peoples way of dressing to create their first impressions. By first impressions, people create standards on which they rely on to treat others. Postures or sitting habits are another aspect of our bodies non-verbal communication (Communication Between Cultures, 174). It is always culture that teaches, defines and classifies these body shifts as being normal, acceptable, uncommon or offensive. Asian people, for instance, as a form of respect. Military people placing their hands at their foreheads in a special manner tend to communicate their respect to others who rank higher than them. Sitting cross-legged can be offensive to others in some cultures when it can also be interpreted as a sign of feeling comfortable. The use of body gestures aforementioned in the example of eye contact as an avenue of communication can be further considered and illustrated. In some cultures, peoples use of body language goes hand in hand with their verbal communication. The majority of people make use of their hands as well as facial expressions accompanied with verbal communication so as to get their messages across to others. In some cultures, people can not even bear leading a debate with someone who limits himself or herself to verbal communication excluding any sort of helping gestures and movements. Lets take teaching as an example. Predictably, good teachers are supposed to use their hands, and move on so that their students could well get the points they talk about. Conversely, teachers who would stand before their students speaking and further speaking without any kind of body movements or signals are to be uncommon and discretely different. Students might describe one of these teachers as statuary. It d oes really make a difference. Body language does help the verbal communication when used simultaneously. Culture profoundly impacts our Kinesic behaviours. Throughout considering non-verbal communication, we cannot dismiss the contribution that culture has to communication. The concepts of culture and communication are indispensable. For non-verbal communication, culture has as well an effective role in shaping, determining and understanding the non-verbal behaviour. It is an oversimplification to say that culture has but a simple influence on the non-verbal behaviour. Culture does profoundly affect our non-verbal behaviour or body language. Samovar and Porter in Communication Between Cultures go beyond this to say that a cultures non-verbal language can be as unique as its verbal (166). Our daily non-verbal behaviours are culturally based and every culture along its individuals enculturation process shapes, in one way or another, its members non-verbal behaviours. Individuals or members of a community come to learn the preponderance of their kinesic behaviour along their conscious and unconscious learning of culture. In Communication B etween Cultures it is clearly argued that Culture is invisible, omnipresent, and learned, non-verbal communication has the same qualities [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] culture is all-pervasive, multidimensional and boundless; it is everywhere and in everything (Samovar and Porter 170). Culture is described as being everywhere and in everything; it is also invisible, omnipresent, learned, all-pervasive, multidimensional and boundless. All these descriptions denote that culture has an all-embracing aspect. The cultural contribution over the non-verbal behaviour is undeniable. Yet, there are other non-verbal behaviours that seem to be universal. Facial expressions like happiness, sadness, fear, surprise are present in every culture. Facial expressions profoundly affect our communication. Yet, Cultures differ in relating to facial expressions, Asians, for example, tend to keep their personal feelings secret as opposed to Arabs who can be plainly seen crying. Smiling is a universal non-verbal behavi our that may have different interpretations depending on the culture in which it is acted out. The same as it can be a sign of happiness in one culture; it can be a way of hiding ones feelings or avoiding to answer to certain embarrassing questions. Eye contact is highly important in maintaining and promoting relationships. People can send infinite messages through their eyes. In Eastern cultures, people value eye contact and think of it as primordial in their interpersonal communication. In other cultures like the Asian ones, maintaining eye contact for a considerable amount of time when interacting is seen as sign of rudeness or impoliteness. Children come to learn their cultures non-verbal system through the whole process of their enculturation or socialization. They firstly notice how their parents do exchange ideas and communicate non-verbally between each other trying later on to imitate their non-verbal system unconsciously getting a whole set of culturally bound body movement and gestures. Children who grew up in countries other than their native ones are observed to develop non-verbal systems utterly different from the one of theirs. They, consequently, behave in a different manner for they have been socialized and encultured with a different society and culture. At the same level and as we may observe, children get the bulk of our social and cultural norms non-verbally. Samovar and Porter write most of culture is automatic and subconscious (Communication Between Cultures, 33). Through this process, they come to get the preponderance of their cultures non-verbal system. Examples of cultural dissimilarities in human kinesic behaviour are numerous and uncounted. This clearly reveals how culture impacts our kinesic behaviour generation and our perception of it. Proximics examines space and time communication Space and time can alter our communication Developed by the U.S anthropologist Edward T. Hall, the study of Proximics concerns the use of both space and time for purposes of communication. The concept might be somewhat dim and unnoticeable in the communication process. Two ordinary people, for instance, can be part of a conversation without being aware and conscious about their involvement in culturally based proximic behaviours. The fact that they are sitting side by side, talking face to face, arranging their home furniture in a particular form, discussing for a considerable amount of time or just for few minutes is rarely observed as a distinct non-verbal communication situation. Through various situations people can unconsciously convey messages to others by the distance they hold in a conversation or by the time they do allot to a certain matter discussion. Human relationships as being intimate or independent are relatively significant factors that indicate and determine the space hold by partners in a communication situation. One cannot bear conversing with one of his intimate friends or family members if they stand afar from each other as they should be conventionally nearer. Strangers, however, who are not familiar with each other, cannot closely approach when they communicate. They are not to hold the same space as two intimate friends, couples or relatives may do since they share an independent tendency toward one another. They still are not involved with each other. Peoples use of space in their communication may vary according to the culture those people belong to. As aforementioned, culture has an all-embracing aspect. It is omnipresent and all pervasive. It denotes the space hold by individuals in a communication situation. Consider Arabs and westerners as a case in point, Arabs approach each other when they converse and rank t hat a normal behaviour. The same distance for a westerner in a conversation will be embarrassing and not usual. Today, people communicate with each other using modern electronic means of communication when they are in extremely distanced countries. People might be hundreds of miles far from each other holding tight relationships thanks to modern technologies. The presence of space in this context is not highly important since it is an inherent feature of communicating through these mediums. Individuals who communicate using internet, telephone or satellite facilities know pretty well that there is space between their partners. Much of the factors that shape and determine the non-verbal proximic behaviour are not of influential contribution to the process of communication held by means of new technologies that facilitates communication from afar. Individuals are not to convey messages using the proximic behaviour of space when they intercommunicate through chat rooms, phones or satellites. Time usage is another noteworthy proximic non-verbal behaviour. Beside space, the use of time can be of major significance to the process of communication. Time allotment for a certain subject to be discussed or to a certain problem to be solved would tell whether this subject or problem is of major or minor importance. In particular, when you end a conversation in few minutes without completing the subject of discussion, your communication partner might understand that you may not be in your mood, you do not want to pursue or develop the discussion further, you do not appreciate him, his ideas or he may think other things you cannot know simply because of the time you have allotted to communicate with him. Therefore, time is crucial as a proximic non-verbal behaviour. Factors that shape the concept of time are several and different. Time usage can be regulated by factors such as the individuals personal relationships. When you allot an important amount of time to discuss with someone, this might mean that this person counts for you, he might be one of your intimate friends or relatives. Human relationships do affect the concept of time. Another worth noting factor is everyday personal life occupations or what Ron Scollon and Suzanne Wong Scollon prefer to call time urgency. (Intercultural Communication, 159) The two writers deal with the concept of time from a different angle. They write time urgency or hurry sickness is a syndrome of behavior in which the person continually tries to accomplish more than can be humanly accomplished (159). The amount of time allotment in doing something or discussing something with someone is profoundly affected by peoples everyday occupations. Scollon and Scollon relate the aspect of time urgency with culture. The y argue this sense of time urgency is no longer a cultural characteristic of just this one generation (American males). It is a characteristic of the Asian salary man and is spreading throughout the world rapidly (159) those people who adopt this aspect of time urgency often see other people who adopt opposed views as conservatives, uncooperative or opposing progress (160). People differ and vary in this context taking into consideration the culture they belong to. Cultures shape our perception and use of time and space. Culture and the non-verbal proximic behaviour do really have an interaction. Culture is always that set of beliefs and values that inherently shape and determine our behaviours in using both time and space for purposes of communication. Culture allows us as well to understand what other people would communicate to us by holding a certain space or allotting a certain amount of time for a communication situation. Individualism is an inherent characteristic of western cultures. German people, for instance, do not demand proximate spaces in their daily interaction. Eastern societies, in contrast, place high premium on being collectivist. Consider the space hold by two individuals in a simple conversation. In an eastern context, a somewhat far disposition for the two individuals is culturally abnormal and unusual since they are accustomed of being near to each other when conversing so as to reach a better communication. The same space for an American, a British or a Swedish is normal and usual. It is embarrassing, in a western context, to hold adjacent positions standing much closer and nearer to the person in a discussion or conversation. Closely connected to this, Edward T. Hall, when referring to the contribution of culture on the aspect of space, argues each person has a bubble of space in which he or she moves and in which he or she feels comfortable. Intrusions into that space are acceptable only under circumstances of intimate contact. Outside of that space is a second bubble of space in which normal interpersonal contacts take place. Then outside of that is a third bubble of public space (Intercultural communication, 185). These bubbles are spaces that individuals in a certain culture hold when communicating with different people ranging from intimate, familiar to unknown. It is culture that shapes these spaces and these bubbles are aspects of culture. Cultures transfer these meanings through a variety of channels such as proverbs, folktales, myths and legen ds. Culture does even affect our home furniture arrangement. To take an example, Americans arrange most of their furniture to be TV centred. They point their sofas toward television sets. Distinctly, Collectivist societies organize their furniture to agree with their sitting habits. Arabs, for example, value talking and conversing rather than praising silence like Asians which results in a furniture arrangement convenient to their way of thinking that promotes their family interaction. The concept of time urgency abovementioned is an aspect of culture as well, an overall view of different cultures would tell that people belonging to these cultures differ in their views toward time urgency. Some cultures urge their members to take advantage of time and call for no time wasting when other cultures undermine hurry and advice being conscious, deliberate and careful in behaving and taking actions they are to do. Cultures are different in their perception of future. Arabs, Asians or nations who have histories dating centuries are said to be past-oriented (Communication Between Cultures, 189). Arabs openly show their pride of their history. It reveals their real success. Americans, however, do not relate to their history. Their culture is said to be future-oriented. They plan for their future and promote change. Conclusion: In general terms, Non-verbal communication arguably and allegedly has a close connection to culture. In trying to see a difference between communication in general and culture, some researchers have reported that communication is culture and culture is communication. They could not see an apparent and clear distinction between the two aspects. Culture could not have been developed without communication and communication could not have existed without culture. The two aspects are also indispensable for human existence. The non-verbal system developed by a certain culture is also a significant aspect of culture that helps attaining effective communication. Most people do not give much attention to their non-verbal behaviours as they are within the frontiers of their own culture. Problems of non-verbal communication do occur when individuals who belong to a certain culture confront and try to communicate with other individuals belonging to other cultures. By way of illustration, an Arab in a western country would use some gestures, signs or may hold a space in discussions which would be strange and odd for a westerner. To exemplify further, Americans use a sign pointing their middle finger up trying to communicate something agreed on. This specific sign is unknown and can not be understood when used in another culture like the Arab one. Thus, the need to be culturally sensitive in our communication is of great significance. We should bear in mind that there are cultural differences that shape and impact the non-verbal behaviour. Avoiding cultural miscommunication and misunderstanding and promoting intercultural effective communication c an not be attained without understanding and accepting other cultures with all the embedded aspects, values, beliefs that lie beneath it. Communication with others ought to be endowed with all forms of acceptance and tolerance. Stereotyping and prejudging often taint any human interaction. Another thing we should bare in mind is that a good communicator is always that one who accepts differences and diversity and view them as normal.

Independent Study Project :: essays research papers

Comparative Study of Murder Mysteries; Agatha Christie and Sheila Radley   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novels Death of a Maiden and Appointment with Death, written by Sheila Radley and Agatha Christie, are murder mysteries describing a betrayal of trust. While both are similar in this way, it is the differences between the two novels that make the similarities remarkable. By comparing the victims, the killers, and the investigators, the differences in the novels are revealed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The victims in the novels, Mary Gadge and Mrs. Boynton, were murdered in very different ways. Mary Gedge was drowned in Ashthorpe river in her home town of Godbold;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The girl lay face-down, arms outstretched, rushes woven among her fingers. She wore a long dress of cotton, sprigged with tiny flowers, and the hem of the dress swung and rippled round her legs with the motion of the water. Gathered flowers--enamelled buttercups, mauve lady’s smock--floated about her body and clung to her hair and her dress wherever they touched. It looked a quiet way to die. (pg 6 Radley) Mrs. Boynton on the other hand, died a quiet and unexplainable death. Miss. Gedge was a young woman in the prime of her life loved by everyone, while Mrs. Boynton was a grouchy old shrew whom even her family couldn’t stand. It was because of the differences between the victims that the police inspector’s investigations were completely different. In the case of Miss. Gedge inspectors Tait and Quantrill could not find any substantial evidence pointing towards a motive. Tait compared the fate of the Page #2 young woman to that of Shakespeares’s Ophelia. Ophelia committed suicide in the play Hamlet reflecting the inspectors original view of Mary Gedge’s death. In the case of Mrs. Boynton, on the other hand inspector Poirot had numerous suspects with convincing motives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The motives of the killers, were a lot alike. In some ways they can be both viewed as mercy killings. Miss. Gedge was killed by Jean Bloomfield who used to be Mary’s teacher. Jean killed Mary because she saw a lot of herself in Mary, and didn’t want to see Mary travel the same downward path that she did in her later years. Mrs. Boynton was put out of her misery by Lady Westholme, because of the suffering she imposed on herself and them. Mrs. Bloomfield didn’t have a reasonable motive, where as in the killing of Mrs. Boynton I can understand. She was described as a mean over powering lady who forced the lives of her children to revolve around her, â€Å"The old woman’s mouth widened into a malicious smile as she looked at Raymond.

Piping

Introduction: The term fabrication applies to the cutting, bending, forming, and welding of Individual pipe components to each other and their subsequent heat treatment and nondestructive examination (N DE) to form a unit (piping subassembly) for installation. The term installation refers to the physical placement of piping subassembly, valves, and other specialty items in their required final location relative to pumps, heat exchangers, turbines, boilers, and other equipment; assembly thereto by welding or mechanical methods; final NEED; heat treatment; leak testing; ND cleaning and flushing of the completed Installation.Depending on the economics of the particular situation, fabrication may be accomplished in a commercial pipe fabrication shop, or a site fabrication shop, where portions of the piping system are fabricated into subassembly or modules for transfer to the location of the final installation. As a general rule piping NAPS 21/2 (DNA 65) and larger for nuclear and fossil power plants, chemical plants, refineries, industrial plants, resource recovery, and generation units are most often shop fabricated.Piping NAPS 2 (DNA 50) and smaller Is often shop fabricated where special heat treatment or cleaning practices may be required: otherwise it is field fabricated. Pipelines and other systems involving long runs of essentially straight pipe sections welded together is usually field assembled. In recent years, the infusion of new bending technologies, new welding processes, new alloys, fracture toughness limitations, and mandatory quality assurance (QUA) programs have made piping fabrication and Installation much more complex than In the past.Greater emphasis Is being placed on written procedures for QUA and quality intro (ICQ) programs, special processes, and qualification and certification of procedures and personnel. Improper selection of fabrication or installation practices can result in a system, which will not function properly or will fail before its expected life span. Accordingly, fabrication and installation contractors must work closely with the designer and be aware of the mandatory requirements of the applicable codes, the unique requirements and limitations of the materials, and those of the fabrication and installation techniques being applied.Codes and Standards Considerations: A great many codes and standards apply to piping. It is incumbent on the fabricator and/or Installer to be familiar with the details of these codes and standards since some codes have the force of law, As an example, the SAME 331. 1 Power Piping Coded is referenced by SAME Section I Power Boilers: for piping classed as Boiler External Piping. The latter that is law in most states, contains rules for code stamping, data reports, and third-party inspection. Piping under SAME Section 1113 also has legal standing. Most other piping codes are used for contractual agreements.Most codes preference SAME Section for nondestructive examination methodol ogy and SAME Section XIX for welding requirements. Each of the codes covers a deferent piping practices, some have mandatory requirements, while others only have recommendations. Heat treatment requirements may vary from one to another. The manner in which the code-writing bodies have perceived the hazardous nature of different applications has led to differing NEED requirements. Generally, the codes are reasonably similar, but the owner, designer, fabricator, and installer must meet the specifics of the applicable code to ensure a satisfactory installation.It is essential that the designer be very familiar with the code being used and that purchasing specifications for material, fabrication, and installation be very specific. Reference to the code alone is not sufficient. In the design, a particular allowable stress for a specific material, grade, type, product form, and/or heat-treated condition was selected. The specifications issued for material purchase and fabrication must ref lect these specify to assure that the proper materials and fabrication practices are used. It is also incumbent upon the fabricator and/or installer to be very familiar with the applicable code.Each project should be reviewed in detail. â€Å"Standard shop practices† may not always produce the desired result. Communication between the designer, fabricator, and installer is essential. All should be familiar with the various standards used in piping design. Most piping systems are composed of items, which conform to some dimensional standards such as SAME 836. MM and SAME 836. MM for Pipe, 816. 57 for flanges, etc. The Manufacturers Standardization Society (MS) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) issue other dimensional standards.The Pipe Fabrication Institute (IF) publishes a series of Engineering Standards, which outline suggested practices for various fabrication processes. These standards give excellent guidance for many aspects of piping fabrication not covered by t he codes. The American Welding Society (SAWS) publishes a number of recommended practices for welding of pipe in various materials. Materials Considerations: Piping systems are fabricated from a great variety of metals and nonmetals, material selection being a function of the environment and service conditions. Materials must inform to the standards and specifications outlined in the governing code.Some codes such as SAME Section Ill impose additional requirements on materials beyond those in the material specifications. All fabrication and installation practices applied to these materials must be conducted so as to assure that the final installation exhibits all of the properties implicit in the design. For example, hot bending of certain austenite stainless steels in the assassination range will reduce their corrosion resistance if they are not subsequently heat-treated. Accordingly, a heat treatment to restore these properties should be specified.

Book Review Breadwinning Daughters Young Women Working in a Depression

Book Review Breadwinning Daughters Young Women Working in a Depression During the 1930s, the Great Depression affected many states leading to major changes in different sectors of their economy. Canada was one of the countries that became a victim of the Great Depression. Owing to this, the issue has attracted the attention of many researchers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: â€Å"Breadwinning Daughters: Young Women Working in a Depression- Era City, 1929-1939† by Katrina Srigley specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim of this review is to examine the work of one of such researchers, Katrina Srigley. This paper seeks to analyze her book, Breadwinning Daughters: Young Women Working in a Depression- Era City, 1929-1939 (2010). The Great Depression era affected the live style of young women in Canada. They experienced many changes while trying to adapt to the economic difficulties brought about by the depression. Her book explores the impact that the Great Depression had on young women within Canada. This paper gives a summary and evaluation of the book besides its relevance to the course. The Great Depression era affected the economic stability of the Canadians notably, the young women. During this era, Canada experienced the lowest prices of the commodity that acted as the major source of revenue to the national wealth (Kottman 610). Additionally, the Canadian agricultural sector faced subsequent crop failures due to the drought that occurred between 1933 and 1937. Owing to this economic breakdown, most of the Canadian population became depended on the government in respect of not only their food, but also other basic needs such as clothes, etc. Following the economic hardships, the Canadian population dropped significantly. The birthrates decreased from 13.1 to 9.7 per 1000 people within seven years. The government’s supply of food offered to most of the Canadian population was not enough to satisfy the needs, thus this fact led to inc rease of cases of malnutrition among the nation. However, there were no reported cases of starvation within that period.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Rooth and Taylor, the rate of unemployment rose by 27% subjecting most of the families to more hardships during that time (572). However, many people moved from their rural homes to search for better lifestyles in the urban centers. Among those who moved to the Canadian cities were young women. The major reason that made them to move to the cities was the hope to find some job there. They intended to utilize their wages to support their families during the depression era. Research has shown that the number of women who joined the labor force rose to 1.3 million representing one-quarter of the employed people in Canada during that period. The technological advancement played a pivotal role in enhancin g the employment of young women during the Great Depression era. The mechanization of many industries led to the laying-off of many unskilled old men because plants and companies were eager to hire the skilled people, and young women were a major part of them. Another reason that led to the creation of feminine jobs was the increased demand of white-collar jobs. Clerical jobs were the major white-collar professions. Many young women got jobs in this sector. However, the phenomenon of employing women in the major economic sectors appeared to be a new dawn in the Canadian society because before the Great Depression era, women assumed domestic jobs. That era led to the incorporation of women in the Canadian labor market who were seeking promising jobs just as their male counterparts. In her book, Breadwinning Daughters: Young Women Working in a Depression- Era City, 1929-1939, Srigley argues that the Great Depression led to economic concerns not only to the government, but also to the entire Canadian population (2010). She points out that many researchers focused their studies on the male population leaving out their female counterparts. In an attempt to seal the gap that these researchers have created in the Canadian history, Srigley focuses on the lives of young women during the Great Depression era. The book presents the findings of the research she carried out during a period of three years.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: â€Å"Breadwinning Daughters: Young Women Working in a Depression- Era City, 1929-1939† by Katrina Srigley specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More She interviewed more than eighty women who had been experiencing the hardships of the Great Depression during their youth. She focused on their lives at work places, homes as well as in various places within Toronto. The book closely examines the impact that the Great Depression era had on the young women during the 1930s. Many young women moved into the urban cities where they secured jobs earning minimum wages. The sole purpose for entering the labor force was to give financial support to their families. Srigley also brings to her audience’s attention that young women could not afford jobs with the same stature as their male counterparts could. They only got jobs with low wages with little or no power and privileges. The author argues that within the Canadian labor market in the 1930s, women had a limited choice on the nature of the job they would take. Most of the women ended up in clerical or personal service jobs irrespective of their academic qualifications. The young women faced many challenges during the Great Depression era. One of such challenges was racial discrimination. In her book, she records the encounter of one black woman who despite having achieved one of the best grades in college could not secure a job because of her race. She remained jobless for many years, but suc ceeded to endure it all. Another challenge that most young women faced was discrimination based on social class. The book records that young women from poor families were always discriminated, especially those who depended on the government relief supplies. The author gives an example of the mode of dressing that was appropriate for making public appearances by giving the description as well as the photos of one of her interviewee. The young women in the urban centers were insecure to some extent. The murder of one of such women made the rest of the females to live in constant fear of a similar accident that could happen to them. They also faced gender-based discrimination in that employers gave young women the jobs that the men were not willing to take.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The book also presents the price that the young women had to pay to maintain their jobs. For instance, most of them had delayed marriages while others had to forego marriage to continue supporting their families. The author also notes that young women had to truncate their education to secure as well as maintain their jobs. She explains that truncation of their education increased their vulnerability to jobs with low wages that had no privileges. In her research, Srigley found out that jobs, such as nursing, teaching and clerical works, did not allow women to get married. As a result, most young women chose their career over family life, although it was a major source of stress to them. The women who chose other careers did not attract much attention to this fact if it did not present a significant threat to domesticity. Most of the women that Srigley interviewed admitted that truncation of their education as well as foregoing marriage were the most difficult choices they had ever m ade. The idea of employment for young women also opened a world that they would not have experienced to them. For the first time in their life, they were able to make decisions without the influence of their parents or even close relatives. They could go to places that they would not have accessed before, such as public recreational centers and clubs. The author finds out that most of them obtained a lot of satisfaction and joy from the support that they offered to their families. The author reports that one of her interviewees decided to get married leaving her parents to languish in poverty, and this decision made her to live with guilt throughout her life. Young women formed a major part of the Canadian population during the Great Depression era, which is an important aspect of the Canadian history. The book highlights the plight of women in a male dominated society during one of the hardest times in the history of Canada. The use of interviews in data collection makes her piece of work outstanding. It gave her the privilege of obtaining first hand information from the people who had a personal experience of the hardships that women faced during that period. The women had fresh memories of their experience in the Great Depression era thus making them the best source of information for any researcher. Her findings are in line with other research works that have shown that racial discrimination was rampant in the Canadian society during the 1930s.Young women would not have evaded gender-based discrimination because employment of women was a new phenomenon in the Canadian labor force that had to face some objection from members of the society. The choice of Toronto as a centre for the research was a good idea because it was one of the most affected places in Canada during that time, thus giving a good representation of other similar places. Other cities that portrayed a similar trend during the Great Depression era are Hamilton, Tilbury, Ontario and Windsor (W allace 112). The book gives a general representation of the Canadian young women who were victims of the Great Depression. Major changes occurred during the 1930s in Canada. For instance, one can attribute the rapid growth of urban population to the migration of young women to the cities while searching for jobs. Additionally, it highlights the possible decrease of Canadian population towards the end of the 1930s. We can attribute the decrease to the inability of women to get married due to their jobs, which resulted in a low rate of establishing families within the Canadian population. The acceptance of young women in the labor force was also a major change in the Canadian history since prior to the 1930s men were the sole providers for their families. The book outlines most of the reactions of the larger community to the economic constraints that faced the nation during that time. For instance, the government offered support to most families in form of relief supplies. To some ext end it also assisted in eliminating racial discrimination in that it helped black women secure jobs. Men’s reaction to the phenomenon was significant in the lives of women during that time. Most young men were afraid of marrying working class women since they thought they would lose their power in the family. Some men however supported the move by young women to look for jobs especially their fathers. They recognized the contribution of their daughters to the economy and granted them the permission to pursue their careers. Moreover, their employers who were predominantly men offered jobs to the young women and had faith that they would carry out their roles as expected. Being the first lot of Canadian women to get jobs, the young women understood that it would not be easy for them. Their view of life had to change significantly. They had to make decisions about some important aspects such as marriage and their education. They had to choose between their jobs and their educati on as well as between their jobs and marriage. It also called for one to stand by their decisions. The book employs the possible techniques that can enhance the reader’s understanding of the text. Besides giving her text a systematic approach, she uses photos in her work to enable the reader to have the broader picture of her work. However, she did not exploit all the possible reasons that made most young women to truncate their education. Research has shown that, due to the hard economic times in Canada, most parents could no longer afford to support their children’s education that is why they head to terminate their education. In such cases, the need for a job was not the major cause of truncating their education. Moreover, the book does not address the movement of many urban dwellers from the cities to the rural areas in the mid 1930s and the place of young women during that movement. The book is very significant in understanding Canadian business and labor history. It provides important information on one of the hardest moments in the history of the Canadian economy that caused the loss of the nation’s economic power during the 1930s. The author presents one of the acts that helped in reviving Canadian economy from the impact of the Great Depression in the employment of young women during the 1930s. According to Canadian culture, women were supposed to take domestic duties. The author argues that the efforts of young women in earning wages, though new to the society, were instrumental in reviving the nation’s economy. It also provides important information that enhances the understanding of the economic relationship of different aspects in a nation. For instance, the acceptability of women in the Canadian labor force and the struggle that came with it. The Canadian young women had undergone many challenges before the society accepted and appreciated their contribution to the entire society. They had to truncate their education a nd bear the hostilities in a male dominated society. The book shows that once given the opportunity, women were able to prove to the rest of their society that they were able to contribute significantly to the economy of the nation. It seeks to explain the point and the circumstances that forced the Canadian young women to quit their domestic cores and join the labor force. This equips me to have a better understanding of the Canadian business and labor history. Additionally, since the book revolves on the happenings of the Great Depression era, other researchers can use it as reference for their works. It can act as the basis of future works of research on the topic for people who seek to exploit some of the aspects that Srigley does not tackle to be instrumental in enhancing people’s understanding of the subject. Kottman, Richard. â€Å"Herbert Hoover and the Smooth-Hawley Tariff, Canada: A Case  Study.† Journal of American History 62.3 (1975): 609-630. Print. Roo th, Tim and Taylor, Rebecca. â€Å"Exports and Internal Adjustment during the Slump:  The British Market, Australia and Canada during the 1930s.† The Journal of European Economic History 30.3(2001):569-594. Print. Wallace, Iain. A Geography of Canadian Economy. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print.

10 Hobbies That Look Great On Your Resume

10 Hobbies That Look Great On Your Resume The going advice might  tell you to leave your hobbies off your resume- there isn’t enough space and potential recruiters are most eager to see your skills and experience. But there are a few situations in which adding a few of your hobbies to your resume can actually add value to your candidacy and help you stand out from the crowd. You can and should include any hobby that has some bearing on your proposed job duties, or something that would endear you to a more creative company like Google. Just remember: if you put it on your resume, it’s fair game in the interview.Here are a few hobbies that might actually make things easier for you to land a job.1. YogaBelieve it or not, a dedication to yoga shows a commitment to staying calm and in control. The ability to breathe through tough moments will look like an asset in a fast-paced, high-energy environment. Shows you can handle pressure.2. Extreme AdventureIf your bosses to be are impressed by risk and pushing boundari es without losing your cool, listing extreme adventure sports on your resume can show you have these valuable traits- which might just land you a leadership role.3. Video ProductionDitto any kind of design, especially if you’re going for a gig in production or event planning. Who knows when you might be asked to livestream or broadcast content in the course of a job?4. Endurance SportsThese show dedication, perseverance, and grit. Who doesn’t think these qualities are appealing in a potential hire? Particularly in sales or business roles.5. Creative HobbiesYou like to cook or paint or take photographs, or do any sort of design, you might be in a better position to list these on your resume and appeal to jobs that are not just looking for hard skills, but a little creative je ne sais quoi. 6. Team SportsShow you can be part of a team- especially if your team experience is leaner in the work sphere and you are applying for a team-based job.7. WritingA bit of creative wri ting can both showcase your creative side, but also show your strengths as a writer or editor- both incredibly useful skills in communication for almost any job. It’s a highly sought after skill that most people are just not that great at. Show your stuff!8. Community InvolvementBeing active in your community or volunteering suggests that you are caring, service-oriented, and comfortable with collaboration. You might even show yourself as perfect for a managerial role without even trying too hard.9. BloggingAs long as your blog is professional looking and not too salacious in content, an interest in blogging can be a real asset. Bonus points if your blog matches your online presence/personal brand and if the content is current, well-written, and free of mistakes.10. Playing an InstrumentPlaying an instrument takes talent, yes, but also determination and dogged practice. Show you’re willing to put in the time and commitment to improve, and your future boss just might be lieve you.That being said, while your hobbies are important, it’s also important to build the functional aspects of your resume because that is what will ultimately determine whether or not you get your foot in the door.And one way to make sure your resume is top notch is by keeping up with certain resume trends. If you can keep up with trends, you will be able to keep your resume updated and efficient.

Alicia Essays - Uniforms, Childrens Clothing, School Uniform

Alicia Essays - Uniforms, Childrens Clothing, School Uniform Alicia The use of uniforms will strip identity, stifle creativity, and unnecessarily burden the families that cannot afford them. Another problem that will surface due to the carrying out of school uniforms is the suppression of the individual's creativity and expression. Many students' express who they are through the way they dress. One major conflict that arises is the issue on that clothing is a form of symbolism. Some say it could be a form of speech which is a fact through media and others. Yes, students should be able to dress the way they want, schools should have the right to set standards and create more of a dress code, not a unique uniform that each student must wear. Misconduct will always occur in schools not matter what type of clothing students wear, students who are problems will always seem to be a problem. School uniforms are somewhat outrageous to the concern inverse self security of right to the students, a better idea would be to put restrictions to clothing. A dress code may decrease misconduct. There is a high proven doubt it would not eliminate misconduct if uniforms were inforced. ...school uniforms will not eliminate the group barriers and unsafe school... Principal Ramon Leyba, from Phoenix, Arizona. The use of uniforms has already been fulfilled in several long-standing social environments. The punishment system uses uniforms to brand those persons who are imprisoned. Likewise, the military also uses them to separate and remove the individualism inside of the soldier. In both cases, individual identity is stripped away and the subject is forced to appear as the same outward appearance as every other subject. Which causes a surpressed environment of no choice in any manner. It is said some students may face certain pressures to stay hip but it really doesn't effect a huge majority. This type of acts will always be present in any manner of what a student wears due to their body or different appearances. Uniforms robs us of our outlook in time on fashion that we would lack of viewing towards the future offspring. Some memories of our time period in the evolution of the clothes industry of style would vanish from existence due to a graphical out look of a uniform. Their is depraving of expression as if a teenager wants to show the rest of the world that he/she loves Jesus, then he or she might wear a T-shirt that states a positive view on the subject. Similarly, a student might want to wear green colored clothing to show his or her support for St. Patrick's Day. School uniforms would end both of those examples listed within this paragraph and many, many more. Parents against uniforms The published information on the effects of school uniforms is rising on propaganda no severe studies have been conducted on the effects of a Uniform Policy. President Clinton's proposed solution, requiring public schools students to wear uniforms in class, borders on the pathetic. Instead of attacking the roots of the problem, Clinton and other politicians have come up with a quick fix, one that makes for nice headlines, but does little to stem the increase in violence among teens. Requiring all students to wear uniforms would be just another example of suffering because of the actions of a few. The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that clothing is a mode of self-expression and as such, protected under the First Amendment. Therefore, say experts, public schools must offer parents the right to decline to have their children wear uniforms. Those students that do not wear them cannot be punished. Parents say.we are taking responsibility for our kids and stopping the government from doing OUR job!! Do Uniforms Promote Discipline? A national study released in October of 1998 by Educational Testing Service found that there was no evidence to support claims that uniforms reduce discipline problems. The results of these findings were reported on October 14, 1998, in the Shreveport Times in an article titled Uniforms Not a Discipline Factor in School. The address for the study's web site is: ets.org/research/pic/orderclass/oicchap1.html The last issue that needs to be addressed is the unnecessary burden that will be placed upon those families of limited

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 16

Economic - Essay Example The HS2 railway would be a great investment for the United Kingdom (Cowen, 2011). Since the railway line will run from London to Leeds and then Manchester, it would ease congestion on Britain’s railway line. However, critics of the projects argue that high-speed railway would not benefit the country accordingly because of the price tag. Despite the opposition, it is rational to argue that the HS2 project is a necessity in Britain. Given enormous growth in freight and passengers, the new line would help ease these problems. Having high-speed railway line in Britain would mean expansion and growth of areas outside London. As discussed in the paper, the HS2 railway line would contribute a lot to the economy of Britain. The benefits of the projects justify the revised costs given its long-term investment (Nash, 2010). The high-speed railway line in Britain will open up the region and in turn encourage trade among European nations. This project means that Britain has embarked on expanding its international trade, taking advantage of the newly competitive exchange rate to penetrate new markets. It will encourage new foreign investments, expand and ameliorate its tourism industry and improve the education and skills base to continue providing a platform for new employment. In addition, under the Economic Recovery Plan of Britain, the government with the new project will appreciate the role of the public sector in economic growth. The project has also mobilized a variety of cross-public activities, which are aimed at supporting the Scottish economy through the effects of the global recession (Nash, 201). With the aim of escalating economic recovery in the Northeast England, the approval of the High-speed railway will encourage competition among firms in Northeast England. The project will aim at making the Northeast region a more cohesive, ambitious, and attractive for investment and working based on

Risk Assessment in Relation to Environmental Management Research Proposal

Risk Assessment in Relation to Environmental Management - Research Proposal Example The orientation is positive rather than negative. Environmental management systems are seen as adding value to products and services, creating a competitive advantage, improving community image, reducing costs, and increasing the bottom line. A risk management approach, with heavy emphasis placed on prevention, control, and technical systems, can make a positive and effective contribution to environmental management systems. Risk managers can and should be a part f developing and operating environmental management systems. While risk managers are currently involved in environmental issues, they could be much bigger contributors. Individuals or groups with undisciplined approaches to problem-solving typically derive solutions with no real understanding f the problem. This typically results in solutions that are temporary in nature and end up being costly to the organization. According to Sheldon and Yoxon (2002), an organization cannot manage what it does not measure. Effective employees, managers, and leaders in an organization are those who follow logical, systematic approaches in their quest to solve problems and make decisions in the problem-solving process. There are numerous tools that are used in the decision-making process, such as brainstorming, backward planning, incubation, and risk analysis. This paper will focus on providing an analysis f the decision-making tool called risk analysis and apply it to the world f mobile computer manufacturers. In order to understand the risk analysis technique, we must define the concept frisk. We must also clarify the distinction between the concepts f problem solving and decision-making, two concepts that are frequently confused with one another.

Acids' Alkalis and PH Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Acids' Alkalis and PH - Term Paper Example Cl2(aq) + H2O(l) Cl-(aq) + HOCl(aq) + H+(aq) When a dilute solution of NaOH is added to an aqueous solution of chlorine, the OH- ions will react with the H+ ions (strong acid-base reaction). This will lead to a decrease in the concentration of H+(aq). According to Le Chatelier's principle, the reaction will shift to the side that opposes this change. This means that the reaction will shift to the right. (d) the temperature of an equilibrium mixture of 1 (d) is decreased 3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g) H = - 149 kJ mol-1 The reaction is exothermic. According to Le Chatelier's principle, a decrease in the temperature of the equilibrium mixture causes the reaction to shift to the side that opposes that change. This entails that the reaction will shift to the right. 8 marks 3. Sulphur dioxide and oxygen were allowed to reach equilibrium at 450oC in a vessel of volume 1 dm3. 2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g) The equilibrium mixture was found to contain 2 moles of sulphur trioxide, 0.5 moles of sulphur dioxide and 0.25 moles of oxygen. (a) Write an expression for Kc including units. [SO3 (g)]2 Kc = mol-1 dm3 [SO2(g)]2 [O2(g)] (b) Calculate Kc at 450oC. 22 Kc = = 64 mol-1 dm3 0.52 x 0.25 (c) What effect would adding a catalyst have on the position of equilibrium Adding a catalyst to the above reaction causes the forward and reverse reaction rate constants to be increased by the same amount. This means that equilibrium will be reached more quickly but will...This will lead to a decrease in the concentration of H+(aq). According to Le Chatelier's principle, the reaction will shift to the side that opposes this change. This means that the reaction will shift to the right. The reaction is exothermic. According to Le Chatelier's principle, a decrease in the temperature of the equilibrium mixture causes the reaction to shift to the side that opposes that change. This entails that the reaction will shift to the right. Adding a catalyst to the above reaction causes the forward and reverse reaction rate constants to be increased by the same amount. This means that equilibrium will be reached more quickly but will have no effect of the position of equilibrium (Brown, LeMay and Bursten, 1991). Kc is the ratio of the forward and reverse reaction rate constants. As seen above, the catalyst will increase these reaction rates by the same amount. There will hence be no change in the value of Kc (Brown, LeMay and Bursten, 1991). When ammonia is dissolved in water, it accepts H+.

Homeostasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeostasis - Essay Example This is because they could lead even to the eventual death of the person. The body system is requires consistent regulation in order to allow other functions to remain constant. Therefore, homeostasis as a biological function is tasked with regulation of the internal conditions to ensure that the human body is stable. On that account, as a medium of maintaining a dynamic range of environmental qualities, homeostasis possesses control mechanisms that have receptors of sensing stimulus. This means that information is sent to a particular control center that determines various stimuli that often elicit a change in organs, muscles, and other vital body structures (Szablewski, 2011). Therefore, instead of holding an internal environment within a given point, homeostasis has the potential of giving a negative feedback that reduces the activity of the organ systems and any other output. Regulation of blood pressure, for instance, is the operation of the negative feedback especially when it assists in the decrease of the heart rate through vasodilation. However, with a set point instead of working range of temperatures, the body can get overworked. This is because the negative feedback mechanism is devoid of regulatory changes that respond effectively to the stimulus. Consequently, a homeostasis imbalance necessitates inefficiency and defective body control systems. A set point equally results to an internal environment with physical changes, risk of illnesses and aging that could destabilize the overall body system. Alternatively, a homeostatic imbalance creates a high concentration of salt in the blood system causing a decline of oxygen in the body. It, thus, generates a chain of homeostatic emotions that include thirst, breathlessness, and warmth (Wood et al., 2012). Likewise, a set point is retrogressive in the body system because it fails to restores vital

Counter-Point Written Response to Reading Essay

Counter-Point Written Response to Reading - Essay Example To avoid going to court and risk getting being convicted and suffer its dire consequence, pretrial arrangements are usually resorted to as a damage control measure of corporations who are subjected to a criminal charge. The most common measures employed to control the collateral consequence of litigation comes in the form of pretrial agreements. Types of Pretrial Agreements a. Plea agreements Plea agreement is the most common form of pretrial agreement whereby a corporation pleads guilty to the most provable charge in the indictment. It requires an admission of guilt as a mitigating factor and in exchange for a lesser punishment including the avoidance of a jail term. The following memoranda sets the guidelines of a plea agreement between government prosecutor and the corporation investigated of a corporate crime. The Thompson Memo The Thompson Memo guidelines, Plea Agreement with Corporations set the limit of a prosecutor’s ability to bargain. Per Thomson memorandum, prosecut ors should only bargain to the most serious cases which is also known as â€Å"top count† policy. This memorandum requires the accused corporation to plead guilty on the charge and its provisions ensure â€Å"punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation, and compliance with the agreement. The deterrence mechanism of this policy comes in the hefty fines, mandatory restitution and compliance measures. The McNulty Memo The McNulty memo was drafted by Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty as Guidelines for Prosecuting Corporate Fraud. This new memo removed few of the restrictions in the Thompson Memo to ensure the complete and fruitful corporate cooperation. The provision that were removed from the previous memo includes; â€Å"that the corporation waive attorney-client and work product protection, make employees and agents available for debriefing, disclose the results of internal investigation, file appropriate certified financial statements, agree to governmental or third-party aud its, and take whatever other steps are necessary to ensure that the full scope of the corporate wrongdoing is disclosed and that the responsible culprits are identified and prosecuted†. Filip Memo The Filip Memorandum is a revision of McNulty Memo and was updated on August 28, 2008. This process of revisions of the policy culminated in the incorporation in the final policy form into the United States Attorney’s Manual (USAM). This memo requires the prosecutors to ask permission from DOJ before requesting waivers of attorney-client privilege and work product protections during criminal investigations. In summary, Filip Memo; Prohibits prosecutors from asking protected materials from charged corporations. Not to treat refusal of such request as non-cooperation Prohibits prosecutors from including the disciplinary action of corporations in their evaluation of cooperation; and Refusal to cooperate in the part of corporation is not an admission of guilt b. Deferred prosecuti on agreements (DPA) The usage of deferred prosecution agreement as a resolution to a corporate criminal investigation is rare. It is an alternative disposition towards a corporate criminal case whereby government files the charge against the corporation in a court and agrees to â€Å"defer† the prosecution of the case and to dismiss the charge if the corporation pays the fines and rehabilitate itself. c. Nonprosecution agreem

Answer 6 questions from an essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer 6 questions from an essay - Assignment Example One would not be sitting in front of the computer or holding a pen if he had no idea as to what he wanted to write about. It is the urge to self edit that makes it hard to get started with the writing process. 2. When Ms. Flowers said that â€Å"writing is not just self-expression, it is communication as well†, she refers to the fact that anything that can be read by others imparts a specific message that is understood by others. It is a form of communication that easily proliferates the world and allows for a deeper understanding and meaning of the authors work. 3. The madman is the story idea in your head that you have to get down on paper. The architect is the part of the author that storyboards the ideas of the madman in order to create a coherent story outline. The carpenter is the part of the writer who actually writes the story based upon the concept of the madman and the design of the architect. While the judge is the part of the writer that decides whether the work is solid enough to be presented either to his publisher or the public in various forms of readable media. 4. I feel that I am already applying this writing process to the way that I write because I have a tendency to keep going back to edit my work for various mistakes and possible mistakes until I get everything â€Å"perfect† in my mind. 5. The biggest similarity between Ms. Lamont and Ms. Flowers lies within the way they describe their drafting stage in writing. Anne Lamont calls it a shitty first draft, Betty S. Flowers calls is the madman in action. Both start off with a piece of writing that needs further work and is nowhere near ready for publication but is instead in the first stages of the writing and editing process. 6. I believe that the advice of Ms. Flowers will be the more helpful writing process for me because, as I mentioned previously, I have already began to write most of my work in the method that she has described. I am the ultimate madman, architect,

Homeostasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeostasis - Essay Example This is because they could lead even to the eventual death of the person. The body system is requires consistent regulation in order to allow other functions to remain constant. Therefore, homeostasis as a biological function is tasked with regulation of the internal conditions to ensure that the human body is stable. On that account, as a medium of maintaining a dynamic range of environmental qualities, homeostasis possesses control mechanisms that have receptors of sensing stimulus. This means that information is sent to a particular control center that determines various stimuli that often elicit a change in organs, muscles, and other vital body structures (Szablewski, 2011). Therefore, instead of holding an internal environment within a given point, homeostasis has the potential of giving a negative feedback that reduces the activity of the organ systems and any other output. Regulation of blood pressure, for instance, is the operation of the negative feedback especially when it assists in the decrease of the heart rate through vasodilation. However, with a set point instead of working range of temperatures, the body can get overworked. This is because the negative feedback mechanism is devoid of regulatory changes that respond effectively to the stimulus. Consequently, a homeostasis imbalance necessitates inefficiency and defective body control systems. A set point equally results to an internal environment with physical changes, risk of illnesses and aging that could destabilize the overall body system. Alternatively, a homeostatic imbalance creates a high concentration of salt in the blood system causing a decline of oxygen in the body. It, thus, generates a chain of homeostatic emotions that include thirst, breathlessness, and warmth (Wood et al., 2012). Likewise, a set point is retrogressive in the body system because it fails to restores vital

Answer 6 questions from an essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer 6 questions from an essay - Assignment Example One would not be sitting in front of the computer or holding a pen if he had no idea as to what he wanted to write about. It is the urge to self edit that makes it hard to get started with the writing process. 2. When Ms. Flowers said that â€Å"writing is not just self-expression, it is communication as well†, she refers to the fact that anything that can be read by others imparts a specific message that is understood by others. It is a form of communication that easily proliferates the world and allows for a deeper understanding and meaning of the authors work. 3. The madman is the story idea in your head that you have to get down on paper. The architect is the part of the author that storyboards the ideas of the madman in order to create a coherent story outline. The carpenter is the part of the writer who actually writes the story based upon the concept of the madman and the design of the architect. While the judge is the part of the writer that decides whether the work is solid enough to be presented either to his publisher or the public in various forms of readable media. 4. I feel that I am already applying this writing process to the way that I write because I have a tendency to keep going back to edit my work for various mistakes and possible mistakes until I get everything â€Å"perfect† in my mind. 5. The biggest similarity between Ms. Lamont and Ms. Flowers lies within the way they describe their drafting stage in writing. Anne Lamont calls it a shitty first draft, Betty S. Flowers calls is the madman in action. Both start off with a piece of writing that needs further work and is nowhere near ready for publication but is instead in the first stages of the writing and editing process. 6. I believe that the advice of Ms. Flowers will be the more helpful writing process for me because, as I mentioned previously, I have already began to write most of my work in the method that she has described. I am the ultimate madman, architect,

Cirque Du Soleil Essay Example for Free

Cirque Du Soleil Essay Danielle Savoie cant fold herself into a pretzel or spin around on her head. But she walks a tightrope every day managing the information systems that make it possible for the Cirque du Soleil to entertain more people each year than the Yankees and Red Sox combined. The circus, which features astonishing acrobatics and Broadway-caliber music and dance productions, started out as a novelty in 1984 with one show and little fanfare. But this year, 11 different shows on four continents will entertain more than 7 million spectators paying up to $125 each to see a circus without animals. Savoie, the companys vice president of information technology, is struggling to keep pace. Why? Over the past five years, the number of software applications used by Cirque du Soleil employees has ballooned from roughly 40 to more than 200. Although these tools run a wide range of operations—from handling human resources and finance to making costumes and scheduling performing artists—these applications could not share data. This shortcoming threatened productivity or even the prospects for a show to go on without major headaches if, for example, a spotlight wasnt delivered to the right place or a performer couldnt be quickly found to replace someone who had bec0me sick. Savoie realized the organization needed to install software that would give employees access to these applications and databases without completely redesigning the systems setup, which she had pieced together on the fly. Consider the logistics that Savoie and the Cirques 3,300 employees must track: Six of the 11 shows are constantly in motion, touring North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. More than 250 tractor-trailers haul 700 tons of equipment around the world each day. More than 20,000 performers must be scheduled, transported and tracked for these shows. So must costumes and stage equipment. The database for just the alterations of these costumes has 4,000-plus entries and is growing every day. This juggling act, which combines acrobats, dancers and trapeze artists with elaborate lighting and musical production, has made Cirque du Soleil a $500 million corporation in just two decades. All of which is great news for Guy Laliberte, the shows co-founder and a former fire-eating stilt-walker. But for Savoie and her staff, Cirque du Soleils fantastic growth and unique culture created an information systems disarray not uncommon to any organization that grows real big, real fast with neither the luxury of time nor the benefit of experience to develop an ideal plan to deploy software to manage the free-wheeling monster. When I got here in 2000, I was the only I.T. person, Savoie says. Now we have 100 people on staff. Because of the way weve grown, we have to make up for lost time right now. During this boom, Cirque du Soleil added show management software used to make or order costumes and assign artists, as well as point-of-sale systems for merchandise. Many of the applications were developed in-house because of Cirque du Soleils unique business. Where did Savoie start? With basic applications to support day-to-day operations in the midst of the growth spurt. The company implemented SAP software for human resources, logistics and finance in 2000 and, later, installed a full-blown version of SAPs enterprise resource planning software for procurement, costume manufacturing, and event and artist scheduling. But it was using Microsoft Windows 2000 and Office XP for most of its other applications, including the companys Web site, its intranet, the point-of-sale system, and myriad other programs such as one to track the performers medical records. Most of these applications, however, couldnt communicate with each other. Moreover, the individual troupes traveling through North America or Europe were running their applications on different operating systems, and as a result, these troupes acted more like independent businesses instead of parts of a larger organization. And the arrangement made it difficult for workers across these different business units to collaborate, Savoie says. We had data in lots of different places, but could only combine it and analyze or utilize it manually, she recalls. As recently as six months ago, for example, production managers on any traveling troupe arriving at its destination would begin by conducting an inventory of all the equipment needed for a given performance. The lights, speakers, stage, decorations and the posts needed to suspend the enormous tent were all tracked with paper and pen. And when the manager realized something was missing, he or she would have to pick up a phone and call back to company headquarters in Montreal to get a replacement. Usually, the item in need made it to the location in time for theperformance. When it didnt, the crew would either have to buy a replacement locally, scramble to get it from another troupe or just do without. Equipments one thing, but performers are harder to replace in a pinch. There is a finite number of people on the planet who can pull off the acrobatic feats that take place during a Cirque du Soleil show. There are more than a dozen Olympic medalists in the organization. Scheduling performers based on the characters needed for each show is a full-time job. Each character has specific costume and makeup instructions, which are stored in a database. Then theres the matter of feeding the performers and support staff. In these traveling cities, more than 300 meals are prepared each day requiring thousands of pounds of meat, seafood and fresh produce. Getting on the Same Page To give employees access to data and tools from more than 200 applications running on multiple operating systems, Savoie embarked on a year-long project to install IBMs WebSphere Business Integration Server Express Plus software to connect her disparate systems. The goal: Organize all the application environments onto a single, standardized platform for access and development. We wanted to [streamline] our in-house applications with the financial data we have with our SAP applications to create one vision of all our information, Savoie says. We needed a common language for all our applications. The IBM WBI Express software was implemented on IBM eServer xSeries 245 and 355 systems. The project took just over a year from start to finish and cost roughly $175,000. Savoie and her team, along with IBM consultants, broke up the project into four separate pieces. The first phase took place during 18 weeks in which Cirque du Soleils information-technology staff and IBM consultants deployed the methodology of the project. They essentially determined what functions and applications they wanted to integrate into the SAP planning system as well as how they wanted to collect, disseminate and access information from the various applications. This is the most important part of any integration software implementation, says Yefim Natis, an analyst at Gartner who tracks IBM WebSphere implementations. You dont just plug this in. You have to think through all the processes and get all the people involved in the same room to discuss what they want and how they want to do it. Savoie says this part of the project was fairly straightforward. For example, they didnt want to reconstruct existing connections between applications used in the field by production managers. They merely wanted to be able to gather all the inventory, sales and performer data into one field and have it accessible to everyone from either a PC or a handheld device. Next, Cirque du Soleil spent four months building the Web interface to the planning system so that information could be accessed, edited and analyzed from the corporate intranet. The project was completed in May. Under the five-month-long third phase, financial information was consolidated. Data on ticket sales, procurement, merchandising and other financial matters that had been stored separately on either the Windows operating system or the SAP system was now connected so that executives could get a snapshot view of the entire company. Finally, the developers spent the last 2 1/2 months integrating the Cirque du Soleil intranet with its online help-desk system so performers, managers and other staff could resolve problems quicker instead of exchanging phone calls about scheduling deliveries or other issues. Now that everyone had access to the same information regardless of the application or operating system from which it had originated, Cirque du Soleil could begin to make strategic business decisions with a global vision. For example, when a key performer was unavailable to work because of illness or injury, the staff could sift through the database of all performers with that particular expertise from any computer in the organization. Then they could find a replacement who was available and closest to the production in need. At the same time, they could pull up the performers work history, measurements and biography to aid the costume designers in making alterations, and the marketing staff who create the programs and advertising materials. All sales conducted at the fixed and mobile sites—T-shirts and the like—are now automatically downloaded to the system and available to executives in real time, rather than an unpredictable and often delayed collection of manual documents from far-flung locations. When new products are needed to stock the show in Sydney or Seattle, Cirque du Soleil now knows exactly how manyT-shirts it needs by size and style, and can order them in bulk for delivery the next day. The operational efficiencies are important, but the flexibility our developers now have is just as important, Savoie says. Now, when we install another best-of-breed application or develop one of our own, we dont have to worry about what works with which system. We know that it all can be adapted to one common language. Efficiency Behind the Scenes Back on the streets, the production managers are also benefiting from the behind-the-scenes improvements made in Montreal. Now that the integration software has been implemented, production managers use an entirely new system to create an inventory of equipment necessary for the new mobile city. Instead of checking off a paper list of all the lights, cameras, speakers and stage materials needed for a production, each piece of equipment is tagged with a bar code thats scanned by a handheld device connected to the network. Cirque du Soleil says these mobile devices have cut in half the time it takes to inventory an entire 180,000-square-foot mobile city, and virtually eliminated errors. Its something that no one sees because it doesnt affect the day-to-day performance, Savoie points out. Its too early to say exactly how much money weve saved, but I know that going forward, the time well save just on the development side makes it worthwhile. [pic] Cirque Du Soleil Base Case Headquarters: 8400 Second Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1Z 4M6 Phone: (514) 722-2324 Business: Provides live performances that combine acrobatics, opera and traditional circus performers in 11 different production groups scattered throughout the world. Vice President of Information Technology: Danielle Savoie Financials in 2004: Reported sales of more than $500 million. Challenge: Implement IBM WebSphere Business Integration software to connect all of its disparate systems and applications. BASELINE GOALS: †¢ Grow revenue by 8% to $540 million in 2005, from $500 million in 2004. †¢ Reduce development time for software connecting business and performance-related applications from eight to six weeks. †¢ Trim time spent connecting business software applications to corporate intranet from 20 to 16 weeks. - Cirque du Soleil performs balancing act with CGI [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] Integrator takes over IT functions for Montreal-based entertainment company [pic] [pic]4/11/2006 5:00:00 PM [pic][pic]by Vawn Himmelsbach, www.itbusiness.ca | | |Cirque du Soleil has signed a 10-year IT outsourcing contract with CGI, valued at $130 million. Montreals world-renowned| |entertainment company, which combines circus and theatre, wanted to offload some of its less strategic IT functions as | |its operations expand around the globe. | |â€Å"We have very rapid growth and we wanted to leverage the infrastructure provided by CGI,† said Danielle Savoie, CIO of | |Cirque du Soleil. | |As part of the contract signed last week, CGI is in charge of providing IT operations, help desk and application | |evolution of Cirques global infrastructure, including its Montreal headquarters, four permanent shows in Las Vegas and | |one permanent show in Orlando. | |This involves transferring 84 IT positions to CGI from Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Las Vegas and Orlando. A certain | |number of technicians have stayed on with Cirque to perform more strategic IT roles. | | CGI is also in charge of the IT infrastructure behind Cirques travelling shows. On tours, only one technician is | |required to set up the IT infrastructure, such as point-of-sale and ticketing applications (since Cirque runs a | |centralized IT infrastructure out of Montreal). | |Cirque will keep IT strategy and direction in-house, as well as global planning and architecture design. â€Å"We didnt want | |to lose this strategic knowledge,† said Savoie. â€Å"When we want to re-engineer some part of our business processes, its | |important to have this knowledge.† | |CGI will manage its PCs, servers and the help desk, said Normand Paradis, vice-president of business engineering with CGI| |Group Inc. in Montreal. â€Å"We will also take over support and evolution of the portfolio of applications.† This includes a | |wide range of applications, from administrative functions like payroll to tour equipment, costumes and merchandise. | | Over the course of the lifecycle of these applications, modifications are made to respond to new business requirements, | |said Savoie. â€Å"Every year we have to make some evolution in this portfolio,† she said, adding CGI is now responsible for | |these modifications. | |â€Å"They have over 100 applications of various sorts we will be maintaining for them from strictly administrative to | |(costumes),† said Paradis. | |â€Å"They design and build these costumes (and) we provide the IT support behind that,† he said. â€Å"But its just one of the | |things they do – for them its really all about intellectual property.† This includes costumes, music, even the acts | |themselves – all of which are part of the intellectual property theyre managing. And they have to use a lot of systems | |to do that, he said, in order to protect it properly. In its aquatic show â€Å"O† in Las Vegas, for example, costumes | |deteriorate quickly in water, so CGI will keep track of items like costumes, diving equipment and maintenance. | |â€Å"On top of that they run a large financial system and large payroll system,† he said. â€Å"For a circus, doing the payroll is| |not exactly their core activity, but it better get done because if the guys dont get paid youre not going to see too | |many shows.† | |This is the beginning of CGIs foray into the entertainment and sporting event sectors, which it began last year with the| |World Aquatic Championships in Montreal. CGI expects its partnership with Cirque du Soleil to strengthen its expertise | |within these areas. â€Å"For us its working with a major player,† said Paradis. â€Å"They have a very strategic brand [and] they| |are well known on a global basis.† | |The transition process to outsource these IT functions started last week and will take place ov er the coming 12 months. |