Essay on Group Culture

Essay on Group Culture Essay on Group Culture Ashley Newton CS 204: Professional Presence Unit 7 Assignment October 13, 2014 Group Culture The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), is the second oldest and fifth-largest CPA organization in the United States. Affiliation with the PICPA represents commitment to the CPA profession. Being a member of the PICPA insures professional and personal support. The organization helps to refine your skills, expand knowledge, connect with like-minded individuals, and achieve bigger and better things at every stage of your professional life. PICPA members gain access to the most up-to-date courses and technical resources, discounts on resources, opportunities to connect with thousands of other professionals, and more to advance their careers and enhance the quality of service to their companies and clients. With over 22,000 members, the PICPA is one of Pennsylvania’s premier professional organizations for CPAs. The PICPA experience has been described as empowering, invigorating, fun, and valuable. Members of the PICPA include individuals in public accounting, industry, government, and education. They are partners, presidents, CEOs, executives, managers, and business professionals. The organizational structure of the PICPA is composed of a council, foundation of education and research, committees, chapters, and PICPA staff. Membership of the PICPA is composed of eleven geographical chapters across the state, each led by a chapter president and slate of officers. Ethics is at the core of the CPA profession and is one of the reasons CPAs are regarded among the most trusted business professionals. As a required component of the CPA continuing professional education regime in Pennsylvania, but also because CPAs have a strict code of professional ethics and conduct. Issues regarding ethics are often routinely in the news. CPAs are often a part of these discussions. Affiliation with the PICPA represents adherence to the Code of Professional Conduct. The PICPA follows the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct. These consist of the principles and rules as well as interpretations and other guidance. A PICPA Professional Ethics Committee is responsible for investigating complaints against members and maintain the PICPA Code of Professional Conduct. As part of the PICPA membership, they offer help and resources for future CPAs. Upon graduation, candidates must meet two requirements to sit for the CPA Exam: receive a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and completed at least 24 semester credits in accounting subjects sanctioned by the State Board of Accountancy. A pre-evaluation will identify academic deficiencies in your education prior to submitting a first time application for the CPA Examination. For information on the exam content, the AICPA has a downloadable document available. Candidates who have graduated with 150 credits are required to complete one year of work experience through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice within five years of the date you apply for your license. All experience must be of a caliber satisfactory to the State Board of Accountancy and verified by an individual who is currently licensed to practice as a CPA in Pennsylvania. As part of the PICPA website, a PICPA Career Center page was established. This link contains employment listings, business opportunities, and an internship directory. Members have exclusive access to certain sections and can post open positions at a special rate. Non-members may post ads without a discount. A career bank link is also available to search for accounting jobs outside of Pennsylvania. The PICPA Foundation for Education and Research provides a broad spectrum of high-quality programs chosen to enhance professional competence and address timely topics. Onsite training opportunities are available to any member. They offer convenience and

Biography of Ronald E. McNair (Ph.D.) - NASA Astronaut

Biography of Ronald E. McNair (Ph.D.) - NASA Astronaut Each year, NASA and members of the space community remember the astronauts lost when the space shuttle  Challenger  exploded after launch  from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on January 28, 1986.   Dr. Ronald E. McNair was a member of that crew. He was a decorated NASA astronaut, scientist, and talented musician. He perished along with the spacecraft commander, F.R. Dick Scobee, the pilot, Commander M.J. Smith (USN), mission specialists, Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka (USAF), and  Dr. Judith.A. Resnik, and two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. Christa McAuliffe, the teacher-in-space astronaut. The Life and Times of Dr. McNair Ronald E. McNair was born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. He loved sports, and as an adult, he became a 5th-degree black belt karate instructor. His musical tastes tended toward jazz, and he was an accomplished saxophonist. He also enjoyed running, boxing, football, playing cards, and cooking. As a child, McNair was known to be a voracious reader. This led to an often-told story that he went to the local library (which served only white citizens at the time) to check out books. The tale, as recalled by his brother Carl, ended with a young Ronald McNair being told he couldnt check any books out and the librarian called his mother to come get him. Ron told them hed wait. The police arrived, and the officer simply asked the librarian, Why dont you just give him the books?   She did.   Years later, the same library was named in Ronald McNairs memory in Lake City.   McNair graduated from Carver High School in 1967; received his BS in Physics from North Carolina AT State University in 1971 and earned a Ph.D. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. He received an honorary doctorate of Laws from North Caroline AT State University in 1978, an honorary doctorate of Science from Morris College in 1980, and an honorary doctorate of science from the University of South Carolina in 1984. McNair: the Astronaut-Scientist While at MIT, Dr. McNair made some major contributions in physics. For example, he performed some of earliest development of chemical hydrogen-fluoride and high-pressure carbon monoxide lasers. His later experiments and theoretical analysis on the interaction of intense CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser radiation with molecular gases provided new understandings and applications for highly excited polyatomic molecules. In 1975, McNair spent time researching laser physics at   E’cole D’ete Theorique de Physique, Les Houches, France. He published several papers in areas of lasers and molecular spectroscopy and gave many presentations in U.S. and abroad. Following his graduation from MIT, Dr. McNair became a staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. His assignments included the development of lasers for isotope separation and photochemistry utilizing non-linear interactions in low-temperature liquids and optical pumping techniques. He also conducted research on electro-optic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite space communications, the construction of ultra-fast infrared detectors, ultraviolet atmospheric remote sensing. Ronald McNair: Astronaut McNair was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978. He completed the one-year training and evaluation period and qualified for assignment as a mission specialist astronaut on space shuttle flight crews. His first experience as a mission specialist was on STS 41-B, aboard Challenger. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 3, 1984. He was part of a crew that included spacecraft commander, Mr. Vance Brand, the pilot, Cdr. Robert L. Gibson, and fellow mission specialists, Capt. Bruce McCandless II, and Lt. Col. Robert L. Stewart. The flight accomplished proper shuttle deployment of two Hughes 376 communications satellites, and the flight testing of rendezvous sensors and computer programs. It also marked the first flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and the first use of the Canadian arm (operated by McNair) to position EVA crewman around Challenger’s payload bay. Other projects for the flight were the deployment of the German SPAS-01 Satellite, a set of acoustic levitation and chemical separation experiments, Cinema 360 motion picture filming, five Getaway Specials (small experimental packages), and numerous mid-deck experiments. Dr. McNair had primary resp onsibility for all of the payload projects. His flight on that  Challenger mission  culminated in first landing on the runway at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1984. His last flight was also aboard Challenger, and he never made it to space.  In  addition to his duties as a mission specialist for the ill-fated mission, McNair had worked up a musical piece with French composer Jean-Michel Jarre. McNair intended to perform a saxophone solo with Jarre while on orbit. The recording would have appeared on the album Rendez-Vous with McNairs performance. Instead, it was recorded in his memory by saxophonist Pierre Gossez,  and is dedicated to McNairs memory. Honors and Recognition Dr. McNair was honored throughout his career, beginning in college. He graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina AT (‘71) and was named Presidential Scholar (‘67-’71). He was a Ford Foundation Fellow (‘71-’74) and a National Fellowship Fund Fellow (‘74-’75), NATO Fellow (‘75). He won the Omega Psi Phi Scholar of Year Award (‘75), Los Angeles Public School System’s Service Commendation (‘79), Distinguished Alumni Award (‘79), National Society of Black Professional Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (‘79), Friend of Freedom Award (‘81), Who’s Who Among Black Americans (‘80), an AAU Karate Gold Medal (‘76), and also worked up Regional Blackbelt Karate Championships. Ronald McNair has a number of schools and other buildings named for him, plus memorials, and other facilities. The music he was supposed to play onboard Challenger does appear on Jarres eight album, and is called Rons Piece.   Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Ogallala Aquifer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ogallala Aquifer - Assignment Example This has resulted to unfavorable economic realities which include reduced agricultural production, reduced revenue, lower tax revenues and also a reduction in the availability of community services (Kabbes 84). Reduced agricultural production can be attributed to increased irrigation cost as a result of the decline in the water levels of the Aquifer. Pumping the reduced water level is capital-intensive bearing in mind that the farmers in the region depend on natural gas to pump water. This, therefore, has increased the cost of irrigation. The increased cost of irrigation as a result of the declining water level has resulted to small profit margins for the Texas Panhandle producers (Kabbes 84). As a result of the decreased profits in agricultural production in the Texas Panhandle region, farmers have opted to practice non-irrigated farming, conservation tillage, precision irrigation systems, as well as different crop selection. They have adopted an alternative of cotton farming since it requires less water. This has had a positive impact since cotton farming has turned out to be profitable, from the fact that it requires far less irrigation water as compared to corn and alfalfa. The reduced production costs have produced an increased economic return, leading to an increase in the acreage for cotton (Kabbes 85). Reduced groundwater has also resulted in a decrease in the economic activities members of the public engage in. With increased cost of production, a number of farmers have been pushed out of the farming business, rendering them jobless. This has created a double effect of them having to rely on the working group, meaning limited contribution in the economy. The reduction in the water levels of the Aquifer has also produced environmental impacts, with the most prominent one being land subsidence. The intensity of increased water pumping has resulted in land subsidence of vast areas. The land subsidence can permanently reduce the aquifer’s storage

Eng lit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eng lit - Essay Example Victorian era, Rudyard Kipling’s â€Å"Man Who Would be King† from the later Victorian era and George Orwell’s 1984 written in the period known simply as the 20th century. Beginning with William Blake’s short poem â€Å"London†, written in 1794 and included in his collection entitled Songs of Experience, traces of political unrest can be found as the scenes and sounds of a walk down the London streets are reported. The first hints that something is not right within the city can be found in the first lines of the poem, â€Å"A mark in every face I meet, / Marks of weakness, marks of woe† (3-4). These comments wouldn’t necessarily suggest a poor political situation, except that the signs of decay and desperation are seen in every face encountered as the speaker walks down what is presumed to be an average London street. This is reinforced in the second stanza as the speaker says, â€Å"In every cry of every man, / In every infant’s cry of fear, / In every voice, in every ban, / The mind-forged manacles I hear† (4-8). In this, it is apparent that someone is controlling these people, although it remains unclear if the ‘mind-forged manacles’ are of their own creation or someone else’s. However, because of the inclusion of infants, who cannot possibly be imposing harsh times on themselves as well as the mention of bans, which are posted laws, it is indicated that the hardships being experienced are imposed from a higher source, such as the government. This is again reinforced in the third stanza when the speaker indicates that the decay of the city has reached even as far as the churches: â€Å"How the chimney-sweepers cry / Every blackening church appals† (9-10) and the city’s defenses as â€Å"the hapless soldier[‘s]† sigh is made visible as it â€Å"runs in blood down palace-walls† (12). Throughout the poem, then, although no specific mention is made of issues affecting the people, the affects are nevertheless made clear. Something is not working

Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships in Lifelong Learning Essay Example for Free

Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships in Lifelong Learning Essay Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Lifelong Learning In this assignment I will be addressing the role of a teacher, their responsibilities to their learners and the relationships a teacher has with other professionals. I will also look at my own role and responsibilities in the lifelong learning sector and how I can meet the needs of my learners while working within the boundaries of the role of a teacher. This assignment will explain how to meet the needs of learners through referral to specialist professionals and how to promote appropriate behaviour in a safe and supportive learning environment which values equality and diversity. Government legislation dictates certain behaviour and actions to be taken by a teacher in given situations. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 (SENDA) provides legal rights for disabled students whom are at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ that the responsible bodies require reasonable steps to be taken to prevent that disadvantage. These steps could include physical changes to the educational establishment, delivering course material relative to the needs of the learner and providing learning material in different formats. The Equality Act 2006 was passed to establish the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). The CEHR has a statutory remit to promote and monitor human rights; and to protect, enforce and promote equality across the nine protected grounds age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation and gender reassignment (EHRC 2013). This makes sure that discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief within public functions, education and several other areas. They also place a duty on public authorities to promote equal opportunities between men and women. These legislations, along with many more, place responsibility on me as a teacher to be able to deliver the same criteria to learners regardless of gender, social background and ability. Working in a young offender’s institute I only deliver lessons to males aged 15 to 18. These young people however are at different levels of education, have varied social backgrounds and ethnicity. It is my responsibility to ensure these learners can all complete the necessary tasks to achieve a qualification. If I do not feel I have the resources personally to meet the special needs of an individual learner then I can refer them to any of the more specialized staff within the establishment such as SenCo for special educational needs or YOT for help getting the learner into further education when their sentence is fully served or during their sentence if possible. The learners can display negative attitudes towards other young people or staff of differing social backgrounds or ethnicities. It is my responsibility to challenge these negative attitudes in an attempt at changing the perception the learner has about these people by discussing the effects that their opinions have on individuals. If I feel I am not reaching the learner and their views are not changing I can refer them to the chaplaincy or their keyworker who can provide relevant courses that are aimed at these specific areas. It is important that I promote the relevance of equality to the learners so that they feel comfortable sharing a work space with others of differing race or gender. Through this the learners will then learn to value and respect diversity in people and what a person from differing backgrounds can offer, rather than use it as a barrier to their own learning. In my role as a teacher it is my responsibility to identify and meet the needs of my learners. I can identify some of their needs before I have any contact with them by asking for any information ESS or SenCo have about any learning needs I should be aware of such as dyslexia so I can adapt learning material for them. Once I am aware of the learner’s specific needs then I can talk to them about achievable targets to set which they agree to and set these targets out in their ILP (Individual Learning Plan). I find that learner’s are more receptive to targets that they have agreed to rather than targets they have forced upon them. This can help if a learner has problems with authority as they see they are working with the teacher towards their own goals. Everyone wants structure in their lives, and no more so than your most poorly behaved students (Cowley 2005). Keeping problems from inappropriate behaviour to a minimum is important for all in the class as it is disruptive for all learners. It is important that I set out what is appropriate behaviour once a learner has started on my course. We discuss what they think is expected of them and what I expect of them and sign an agreement which outlines these expectations. Now the learner is aware of how they should behave during their time with me I positively reinforce their good behaviour with praise during the lesson for good work, at the end of the lesson I point out a few things they did well and at the end of the week I have well done slips I give to learners who have produced good work and behaved well all week. These slips allow the learner points to spend on items from the shop on their wing and when issued are recorded as positive behaviour on C-Nomis to make other professionals aware that the learner has performed well. And if your students do choose to push the barriers you have given them, you must be prepared to sanction them accordingly (Cowley 2005). However if a learner is misbehaving during lesson time I will remind them of the agreed behaviour expected of them, if their behaviour fails to improve I will ask them if they have any issues outside of class that could be causing them to ‘act out’ and if I cannot help with these issues I will refer them to another professional who can help such as their personal officer. If their poor behaviour continues I can record this on C-Nomis to make other professionals aware that this behaviour needs addressing. In teaching in a prison keeping on top of learner behaviour helps maintain a safe learning environment as if I allow certain poor behaviour to go unchallenged it could lead to dangerous situations. Also each learner is made aware of various health and safety issues they may face during class time as when they start the course they need to complete a health and safety unit. This covers areas such as spotting hazards, using fire extinguishers and working on portable access equipment safely. Involving the learner in identifying risks and hazards within the class environment helps them realise these dangers. Within a safe learning environment each learner can focus on their individual tasks and I can focus on their individual needs. When each learners needs are being met and the learners feel they can ask for help from their teacher a supportive environment has been achieved. As a teacher in the lifelong learning sector I must be responsible for having the relevant skills and qualifications to fulfil their role. Having appropriate levels of skill in literacy and numeracy means I can produce materials for the learners to use and keep record of the progress the learners are making. Most worksheets and lesson plans are produced using a personal computer; this would not be possible if I was without the necessary ICT skills. Various interpersonal and life skills are required to be a good teacher such as; being adaptive, committed, confident, creative, decisive, diplomatic, enthusiastic, focused, honest, intelligent, patient, organised, positive, professional, reliable, responsible and supportive. These skills and many more enable me to create a positive learning environment where learners can achieve their potential and as I evaluate myself I can ever improve the learning experience. When teaching a subject it is important that I have the relevant skills, qualifications and experience within this subject to be able to deliver quality lessons. It is imperative that I identify the needs of each individual learner so the learners feel valued and can receive appropriate tutorials and assessment for their level of ability as they achieve. I must also meet the needs of the organization I work for by following the code of conduct the organization has produced. I will continue to attend CPD (Continual Personal Development) events to further develop and expand my skills to the benefit of my learners. In my role as a teacher I have a responsibility to other professionals to keep my lesson punctual so it does not over run into another teacher’s lesson and that I inform other teachers or colleagues of any behavioural problems with specific learners so appropriate measures can be applied to remedy this. While I like to keep my learning environment relaxed and friendly it is important to be aware of the boundaries in my role as a teacher. These boundaries mean I should not become over familiar with my learners which could be detrimental to the learning environment and deal with learner’s emotional problems in a professional manner referring them to other professionals who are there to accommodate these needs. These boundaries differ from other professionals as they are specific to a teaching role and are vital for keeping a teacher safe in their practice. In summary a teacher has many important roles and responsibilities to learners choosing to continue their personal development in lifelong learning and must always strive to improve the learning environment within current legislation.

New Meaning to Broumas Little Red Riding Hood :: Little Red Riding Hood

New Meaning to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood  Ã‚   There is more to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood than meets the eye, or perhaps that is exactly where the analysis comes into play because the formalistic approach of analyzing literature consists of looking at a piece of literature and stating what is obviously there. The formalistic approach does give the work a deeper meaning than it first had, but the details are usually plain and easily noticeable. Generally they are very obvious, thus easily overlooked. The formalistic approach may be limited to pointing out the continual use of one word, but after noticing this fact a new meaning must be found as well. The reader is able to develop a broader understanding to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood after using the formalistic approach to delve deeper into the poem. The formalistic approach reveals Broumas' use of repetition and choice of words give extra significance to her poem Little Red Riding Hood. The easiest way to set about using the formalistic approach is to first read the poem paying careful attention to repetition, breaks, and description that may not have been noticed during the first reading. Using this technique on Little Red Riding Hood reveals an emphasis placed on the word old. Broumas writes, I grow old, old Without you, Mother, landscape Of my heart. The use of old can be read in two different ways. One approach could place more emphasis on the repetition of old, whereas the other could draw it toward "old without you." Either way it is read one realizes that the author is growing old without her mother. However reading it the first way adds about ten more years to her life because she is very old. The second way can be taken to literally mean that the author is a lot older without her mother. The description of her mother foreshadows a strict parent. It takes a lot of work to landscape a yard, and if the mother landscaped her daughter's heart it took a lot of work and a lot of rules. Broumas continues the poem with a description of her mother giving birth. She uses phrases like "stretching it like a wishbone", "skin strung on a bow", and "tightened against the pain" to reveal to the reader that labor is not easy, in fact just the opposite because it is strenuous and very difficult. New Meaning to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood :: Little Red Riding Hood New Meaning to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood  Ã‚   There is more to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood than meets the eye, or perhaps that is exactly where the analysis comes into play because the formalistic approach of analyzing literature consists of looking at a piece of literature and stating what is obviously there. The formalistic approach does give the work a deeper meaning than it first had, but the details are usually plain and easily noticeable. Generally they are very obvious, thus easily overlooked. The formalistic approach may be limited to pointing out the continual use of one word, but after noticing this fact a new meaning must be found as well. The reader is able to develop a broader understanding to Broumas' Little Red Riding Hood after using the formalistic approach to delve deeper into the poem. The formalistic approach reveals Broumas' use of repetition and choice of words give extra significance to her poem Little Red Riding Hood. The easiest way to set about using the formalistic approach is to first read the poem paying careful attention to repetition, breaks, and description that may not have been noticed during the first reading. Using this technique on Little Red Riding Hood reveals an emphasis placed on the word old. Broumas writes, I grow old, old Without you, Mother, landscape Of my heart. The use of old can be read in two different ways. One approach could place more emphasis on the repetition of old, whereas the other could draw it toward "old without you." Either way it is read one realizes that the author is growing old without her mother. However reading it the first way adds about ten more years to her life because she is very old. The second way can be taken to literally mean that the author is a lot older without her mother. The description of her mother foreshadows a strict parent. It takes a lot of work to landscape a yard, and if the mother landscaped her daughter's heart it took a lot of work and a lot of rules. Broumas continues the poem with a description of her mother giving birth. She uses phrases like "stretching it like a wishbone", "skin strung on a bow", and "tightened against the pain" to reveal to the reader that labor is not easy, in fact just the opposite because it is strenuous and very difficult.

Part Six Chapter I

Weaknesses of Voluntary Bodies 22.23 †¦ The main weaknesses of such bodies are that they are hard to launch, liable to disintegrate †¦ Charles Arnold-Baker Local Council Administration, Seventh Edition I Many, many times had Colin Wall imagined the police coming to his door. They arrived, at last, at dusk on Sunday evening: a woman and a man, not to arrest Colin, but to look for his son. A fatal accident and ‘Stuart, is it?' was a witness. ‘Is he at home?' ‘No,' said Tessa, ‘oh, dear God †¦ Robbie Weedon †¦ but he lives in the Fields †¦ why was he here?' The policewoman explained, kindly, what they believed to have happened. ‘The teenagers took their eye off him' was the phrase she used. Tessa thought she might faint. ‘You don't know where Stuart is?' asked the policeman. ‘No,' said Colin, gaunt and shadow-eyed. ‘Where was he last seen?' ‘When our colleague pulled up, Stuart seems to have, ah, run away.' ‘Oh, dear God,' said Tessa again. ‘He's not answering,' said Colin calmly; he had already dialled Fats on his mobile. ‘We'll need to go and look for him.' Colin had rehearsed for calamity all his life. He was ready. He took down his coat. ‘I'll try Arf,' said Tessa, running to the telephone. Isolated above the little town, no news of the calamities had yet reached Hilltop House. Andrew's mobile rang in the kitchen. †Lo,' he said, his mouth full of toast. ‘Andy, it's Tessa Wall. Is Stu with you?' ‘No,' he said. ‘Sorry.' But he was not at all sorry that Fats was not with him. ‘Something's happened, Andy. Stu was down at the river with Krystal Weedon, and she had her little brother with her, and the boy's drowned. Stu's run – run off somewhere. Can you think where he might be?' ‘No,' said Andrew automatically, because that was his and Fats' code. Never tell the parents. But the horror of what she had just told him crept through the phone like a clammy fog. Everything was suddenly less clear, less certain. She was about to hang up. ‘Wait, Mrs Wall,' he said. ‘I might know †¦ there's a place down by the river †¦' ‘I don't think he'd go near the river now,' said Tessa. Seconds flicked by, and Andrew was more and more convinced that Fats was in the Cubby Hole. ‘It's the only place I can think of,' he said. ‘Tell me where – ‘ ‘I'd have to show you.' ‘I'll be there in ten minutes,' she shouted. Colin was already patrolling the streets of Pagford on foot. Tessa drove the Nissan up the winding hill road, and found Andrew waiting for her on the corner, where he usually caught the bus. He directed her down through the town. The street lights were feeble by twilight. They parked by the trees where Andrew usually threw down Simon's racing bike. Tessa got out of the car and followed Andrew to the edge of the water, puzzled and frightened. ‘He's not here,' she said. ‘It's along there,' said Andrew, pointing at the sheer dark face of Pargetter Hill, running straight down to the river with barely a lip of bank before the rushing water. ‘What do you mean?' asked Tessa, horrified. Andrew had known from the first that she would not be able to come with him, short and dumpy as she was. ‘I'll go and see,' he said. ‘If you wait here.' ‘But it's too dangerous!' she cried over the roar of the powerful river. Ignoring her, he reached for the familiar hand and footholds. As he inched away along the tiny ledge, the same thought came to both of them; that Fats might have fallen, or jumped, into the river thundering so close to Andrew's feet. Tessa remained at the water's edge until she could not make Andrew out any longer, then turned away, trying not to cry in case Stuart was there, and she needed to talk to him calmly. For the first time, she wondered where Krystal was. The police had not said, and her terror for Fats had obliterated every other concern †¦ Please God, let me find Stuart, she prayed. Let me find Stuart, please, God. Then she pulled her mobile from her cardigan pocket and called Kay Bawden. ‘I don't know whether you've heard,' she shouted, over the rushing water, and she told Kay the story. ‘But I'm not her social worker any more,' said Kay. Twenty feet away, Andrew had reached the Cubby Hole. It was pitch black; he had never been here this late. He swung himself inside. ‘Fats?' He heard something move at the back of the hole. ‘Fats? You there?' ‘Got a light, Arf?' said an unrecognizable voice. ‘I dropped my bloody matches.' Andrew thought of shouting out to Tessa, but she did not know how long it took to reach the Cubby Hole. She could wait a few more moments. He passed over his lighter. By its flickering flame, Andrew saw that his friend's appearance was almost as changed as his voice. Fats' eyes were swollen; his whole face looked puffy. The flame went out. Fats' cigarette tip glowed bright in the darkness. ‘Is he dead? Her brother?' Andrew had not realized that Fats did not know. ‘Yeah,' he said, and then he added, ‘I think so. That's what I – what I heard.' There was a silence, and then a soft, piglet-like squeal reached him through the darkness. ‘Mrs Wall,' yelled Andrew, sticking his head out of the hole as far as it would go, so that he could not hear Fats' sobs over the sound of the river. ‘Mrs Wall, he's here!'

Barilla Spa (A) Case Study Essay

Executive Summary Sales representatives at the Barilla SpA, world’s largest pasta producer, are seeing customers changing due to long re-order lead-time and frequent stock-outs. Even with a high inventory levels, Barilla is still not able to cope with the fluctuating demand. The fluctuation in demand is seen as the bullwhip effect that is caused by sales strategies that have been put into place that is very product focused. This causes excessive demand from week to week depending on the product that the promotion or incentive is been aimed towards. There is also a lack of data sharing and poor communication throughout the whole supply chain which does not bring visibility for production forecast. With the Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD) that was brought in from the logistics manager, neither internally nor externally is supporting the new system. With the lack of understanding of the new system and the positive results it will bring, it will be hard to convince buy-ins from different angles. The initiative should be tested first from Barilla’s own facilities and prove out the methods and be able to visualize the improvements to the rest of its supply chain. During the implementation and test phase, there should be dedicated teams which monitor the data and metrics coming from the new system. Daily meetings should be held to discuss issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. As inventory levels drop, issues with the distribution system will arise which provides a priority of issues to resolve. Once the system has been proven, the results will be the biggest selling points to have the implementation through the whole supply chain and for everyone to understand its benefits. Issues Identification Barilla is experiencing issues to meet their fluctuating demand from the distribution centers even when carrying additional inventory throughout the supply chain. Brando Vitali has came with a proposal of a Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) but neither the sales team in Barilla or the buyers at the distribution centers are agreeing with the approach. At the same time, these teams are already noticing that our customers are leaving due to the lack of servicing we are able to provide. Distribution centers were asked to carry more inventories to prevent occurrences of stock outs but the suggestion was not accepted. In return, they issued a complaint regarding the number of SKUs Barilla has which makes it impossible to manage and the long manufacturing lead-time due to the tight heat and humidity specifications. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Fluctuating Demand: The fluctuation in demand is caused by a combination of reasons. The trade promotions and volume discounts that Barilla uses as sales strategies are one of the biggest influences. There were also no limits to the quantities that the distributors are allowed to order per each â€Å"canvass† period. The incentive program for Barilla’s sales representatives is also causing inconsistency to the demand; they would be pushing for the SKU’s that would bring them a higher incentive. Barilla is also experience a growth in their export market; it was expected to reach 20-25% per year. With this increasing growth, Barilla does not have any sophisticated forecasting technique that would prepare them to meet the demand. There is a minimal visibility for Barilla to see where the volatility is in the demand is coming from. This is creating the Bullwhip Effect throughout their whole supply chain. The poor communication and cooperation between retailers, distribution centers and manufacturer is the reason that they all are maintaining higher inventory than required. Resistance to Changes: There were many resistances to this new initiative when it was being brought up internally and externally. When there is a lack of understanding of the results that a new initiative will bring, there will always be resistance to change. Sales team fears that that they would see a reduction of responsibilities and distribution centers were defensive when they misinterpret the approach as saying they don’t know what they are doing. Alternative and/or Options Alternative #1 – Continue to promote the Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) initiative To be able to eliminate the Bullwhip Effect, there must be an increase in visibility through the whole supply chain. With better communication and an understanding and trust between vendors, it will eliminate the volatility in demand. This will improve the service levels from distributors to retailers and at the same time reduce the inventory carrying cost. With the visibility, it will better Barilla to forecast their demand and improve their production planning process. While achieving this, it will reduce their manufacturing cost and their inventory cycle. Alternative #2 – Eliminate product focus sales strategies Instead of promoting particular products in each canvass period that will cause excessive demand, Barilla should maintain a constant competitive pricing through the year. Barilla should also eliminate their product-focus incentive policy for their sales representative and create incentive programs that will not allow them to focus on a particular SKU. Recommendations and Implementation Barilla should continue to promote the Just-in-Time Distribution initiative. As this is a new concept for the distributors and retailers, Barilla should prove out this initiative at their own facility. With the results, they can then have bigger bargaining power to promote this idea to its whole supply chain. As for anything else to be successful in a company, it is important for top management to be actively involved. Employees need to be aware of the importance of this project in order for it to be successful and for them to understand positive results it will bring to the company. During the implementation, there would be decrease in inventory levels. Before, the inventory levels were used as a buffer to hide the problems that prevents us from working with a lower inventory level. As we decrease the inventory levels, the problems will arise and it will identify for us what issues we need to resolve as a priority. If the problem requires a longer time to resolve, then the inventory levels can be raise to prevent affecting customers from stock-outs. Then the focus would be to resolve the issue and the inventory levels can be lowered again. With this approach, it will help prioritize the issues that need to be address and which ones will help lower our inventory levels. Monitor and Control To monitor the affects of this initiative, there are a few key performance indicators that need to be set-up. Stock Out Rate – This will immediately show the trend with the current system and be able to visualize that JITD will increase service levels. Inventory Levels – Visualize inventory levels at all firms to demonstrate the win-win scenario that this initiative will bring. Re-order Lead-time – To show with the increase communication, it helps for manufacturers to respond faster There should be daily meetings held with the key departments to ensure that the information is communicated in an effective manner. The meeting should be held at the same time in the same form to create a drum-beat system that will create a habit for the stakeholders to inform of any issues that they have encounter and to gather as a group to resolve.

Minority Interest essays

Minority Interest essays The term minority interest in the balance sheet of Eastman Kodak appears in the balance sheet as reported by all the major sources. The term is used with a meaning not common in most other applications. In the financial world, the term minority is normally used to mean a group of shareholders who are not associated with the group who are running the company. Often enough this group is just interested in the dividends and other benefits that they can get from the company. Some companies also give large and regular dividends, and this stops the price of the share from increasing very much. These shares are termed in the stock market as "widow's shares" as a person can depend on them for regular income. However, any share will normally declare a dividend, as that is seen as one of the obligations of the managers of the company. The dividend normally does not yield as much as fixed deposits in financial institutions as the shareholder can earn much more through the appreciation of the share price and selling it when the prices are high after having bought the share when the prices were low. This is the expected action of the "investors". In the case of Eastman Kodak, the term minority interest is shown against the declaration under the heading of liabilities, but not under current liabilities, and along with mortgages, deferred taxes/income, convertible debt, long term debt, non-current capital leases, and other non-current liabilities. In short this is viewed as a long term liability to the minority shareholders. The important point to note is that the figure for this has been shown as N/A for the year ended 31st December 2003, whereas for all earlier years from 1999, this has been shown as 0. The total number of shares outstanding is also not shown. Is it be...

Alphadon - Facts and Figures

Alphadon - Facts and Figures Name: Alphadon (Greek for first tooth); pronounced AL-fah-don Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago) Size and Weight: About one foot long and 12 ounces Diet: Insects, fruit and small animals Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, prehensile tail; long hind legs About Alphadon As is the case with many of the early mammals of the Mesozoic Era, Alphadon is known primarily by its teeth, which peg it as one of the earliest marsupials (the non-placental mammals represented today by Australian kangaroos and koala bears). Appearance-wise, Alphadon probably resembled a small opossum, and despite its tiny size (only about three-quarters of a pound soaking wet) it was still one of the largest mammals of late Cretaceous North America. Befitting its small stature, paleontologists believe that Alphadon spent most of its time high up in trees, well out of the way of the stomping tyrannosaurs and titanosaurs of its ecosystem. At this point, you may be wondering how a prehistoric marsupial ended up in North America, of all places. Well, the fact is that even   modern marsupials arent restricted to Australia; opossums, to which Alphadon was related, are indigenous to both North and South America, although they had to reinvade the north about three million years ago, when the Central American Isthmus rose up and connected the two continents. (During the Cenozoic Era, after the demise of the dinosaurs, huge marsupials were thick on the ground in South America; before their extinction, a few stragglers managed to find their way via Antarctica to Australia, the only place today where you can find plus-sized pouched mammals.)

Homeland Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Homeland Security - Assignment Example I chose to study the New Town High School because this is the school that my daughter attends. She is involved in a number of the school activities, both curricular and co-curricular ones. Besides, this school is in my community and my neighbors’ children attend the same school. For these reasons, any security threat to the school is also a threat to our community; hence it is our responsibility to oversee the security of the school Interviews I interviewed the school principal, a teacher, a parent from the parent teachers’ committee, my daughter, and a junior student. The school principal has a good knowledge of security issues that the school faces, and takes part in formulation of policies that are instituted to address the issues. The teacher has been a member of staff for four years now and his interaction with both the students and administration enables him to access information from the two sides. The parent from the parent teachers’ committee has been a member of the committee for three years now. She interacts with students through her daughter who is a student in the school, and with teachers and faculty in the board. Being a parent in the school, she is concerned about the security issue of the school and lives in the same community the school is in and will give valuable information. My daughter is currently a senior in the school having attended it for the past four years. She actively participates in the school functions such as drills enabling her to interact with other students in an informal capacity, thus being able to pick up any useful information. Lastly, I will interview one junior student who, just like my daughter, participates in a number of activities in the school. The names of the two interviewees are withheld for obvious security reasons. Interviewer: Mr. Principal, could you please tell us the greatest challenges to security and safety of students and staff in the school. Principal: The greatest security chall enges are the manmade threats such as terrorist threats, arson, computer malware, and unprofessional conduct. This is because while we are able to predict and control or prevent natural disasters, we are not able to easily detect and prevent manmade threats because of their malicious intents. The school’s intelligence services are not so sophisticated to get hold of malicious plans beforehand, thus prevention is difficult. Interviewer: What measures has the administration put in place to keep the school safe from natural disasters. Principal: When constructing the premises, we ensured that they were away from fault lines that could lead to earthquakes. We are in constant touch with the meteorological department for any updates on looming disasters. With the break of avian and swine flu, we increased the stock in our clinic with sufficient equipment to detect and treat such pandemics. Besides, our hygiene standards are good with qualified personnel to keep such sanitation outb reaks away. Interviewer: Your school comprises a majority of black students. How are you able to ascertain that they are not a security threat, especially with respect to drug and gang activities. Principal: We are in the process of instituting a full time intelligence service with the help of the Department of Homeland Security. So far, we just look out for any strange activity among the students and investigate. Interviewer: What

Is prehospital paramedic pain assessment effective Essay

Is prehospital paramedic pain assessment effective - Essay Example This paper was able to establish that pain assessment is favoured by some practitioners because it can reduce the patient’s trauma and anxiety, making him more relaxed and easier to assess for other symptoms. Pain assessment is not favoured by some practitioners because it is often inaccurate. It is also subjective, depending on the paramedic’s assessment of the patient. Some patients may not verbalize their pain, and others may exaggerate their pain experience. Nevertheless, pain assessment in the prehospital setting can be made on a case- to-case basis, depending on the physical environment, on the condition of the patient, and on the other symptoms being manifested by the patient. The paramedic responding to an emergency may find the patient in varying states of pain, consciousness, and anxiety. The paramedic is obligated to render emergency care to such patient; such care primarily includes interventions to assess and ease the airway, breathing, and circulation of the patient. Pain assessment during this time is still a controversial matter. While some practitioners believe that pain assessment during the prehospital setting is appropriate and ultimately beneficial to the patient, others do not agree. Opponents to pain assessment in the prehospital setting believe that such assessment will only cause delay in the care of the patient, and the process will ultimately yield inaccurate results. This paper shall address and review this controversy by assessing studies and reports written on the subject matter. Such studies shall be searched through index searches in library materials (books, magazines, and journals). Key words such as paramedic, pain assessment, and prehospital shall be used in the index search. The same key words shall also be entered through internet browsing using the Google search engine. The NCBI, Medscape, BMJ, NHS, DOH, NICE, and such other relevant databases shall also be searched in the hope of uncovering relevant