What a Society Prepares Itself For :: Personal Narrative Racing Death Papers

What a Society Prepares Itself For I'm from Texas. And when I lived in Texas, which was before I lived in New York, my friends were Texans. I don't mean to say they were the all-got-up-in cowboy hats, tight jeans, bit belt buckles, and snakeskin boots kind of Texans a lot of people tend to think about. But I do mean to say they were the beer drinking, football playing, pick-up driving, bar brawling kind of good 'ol Texas boys that don't really exist anywhere else but where I spent the first eighteen years of my life. And, although you might never be able to tell from my long hair, baggy pants, lack of shoes, and the random book I'm usually reading, I was one of them. We'd go to Mexico on school breaks and hop keg parties on the weekend. And on one Saturday night, I went and watched some drag races with my friends at this little speedway in a town called Ennis, which is outside of Dallas. We drove out in two trucks, the seven of us, drinking beer on the way. When we got there it wasn't quite as nice a place as the Texa s Motor Speedway (I've been to the Texas Motor Speedway also, you see), or the Indianapolis Speedway, but it is a similar atmosphere. It was dusty, loud, and smelled like tire rubber and motor oil. A majority of the crowd seemed to be either drinking beer, betting on the races, or both. But it wasn't just an "overweight, sweaty, wasted, smelling-of-beer-and-marijuana, American, middle-aged man" gala weekend attraction either. There were plenty of hard working middle class men (mostly men) that had nice houses in the suburbs of Dallas who worked hard all week long, maybe even owned their own business, with their kids going to college at Texas A&M, or Texas Tech, or the University of Texas, or maybe even Rice. And as the night went on, I began to notice something. The first thing was that my friends knew a hell of a lot about racecars. That was odd because nine out of ten of my friends barely went to school half the time, much less studied, and yet they knew the intricate details of the speed, weight, torque, and horsepower of the cars. My second observation, more subtle yet more striking than my first, was that ever yone was getting along impeccably. What a Society Prepares Itself For :: Personal Narrative Racing Death Papers What a Society Prepares Itself For I'm from Texas. And when I lived in Texas, which was before I lived in New York, my friends were Texans. I don't mean to say they were the all-got-up-in cowboy hats, tight jeans, bit belt buckles, and snakeskin boots kind of Texans a lot of people tend to think about. But I do mean to say they were the beer drinking, football playing, pick-up driving, bar brawling kind of good 'ol Texas boys that don't really exist anywhere else but where I spent the first eighteen years of my life. And, although you might never be able to tell from my long hair, baggy pants, lack of shoes, and the random book I'm usually reading, I was one of them. We'd go to Mexico on school breaks and hop keg parties on the weekend. And on one Saturday night, I went and watched some drag races with my friends at this little speedway in a town called Ennis, which is outside of Dallas. We drove out in two trucks, the seven of us, drinking beer on the way. When we got there it wasn't quite as nice a place as the Texa s Motor Speedway (I've been to the Texas Motor Speedway also, you see), or the Indianapolis Speedway, but it is a similar atmosphere. It was dusty, loud, and smelled like tire rubber and motor oil. A majority of the crowd seemed to be either drinking beer, betting on the races, or both. But it wasn't just an "overweight, sweaty, wasted, smelling-of-beer-and-marijuana, American, middle-aged man" gala weekend attraction either. There were plenty of hard working middle class men (mostly men) that had nice houses in the suburbs of Dallas who worked hard all week long, maybe even owned their own business, with their kids going to college at Texas A&M, or Texas Tech, or the University of Texas, or maybe even Rice. And as the night went on, I began to notice something. The first thing was that my friends knew a hell of a lot about racecars. That was odd because nine out of ten of my friends barely went to school half the time, much less studied, and yet they knew the intricate details of the speed, weight, torque, and horsepower of the cars. My second observation, more subtle yet more striking than my first, was that ever yone was getting along impeccably.

Behavior Management of Exceptional Children

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN: TRANSITION SERVICES Transition Services is defined by the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) as a coordinated set of activities for a student, designated within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities including: post-secondary education, career training, adult services, independent living, community participation, and integrated employment (including supported employment. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual needs of each student, taking into consideration his/her preferences and interests. IEP goals and objectives are required for the following areas: * Instruction * Related Services * Community Experiences * Development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives * Daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation are required. â€Å"The importance of the transition specialist, or career education specia list, in the types of projects cannot be underestimated. The relationships these staff members maintain with the participants are crucial to the structure and success of these services†(Bullis and Cheney, 1999). Vocational Assessments Vocational Evaluation is a comprehensive process that systematically uses work activities, (either real or simulated), as the focal point for assessment of capabilities, vocational exploration and guidance. The purpose of vocational evaluation is to assist individuals in vocational development. Vocational evaluation incorporates medical, psychological, social, vocational, cultural, and economic data into the assessment process to determine realistic vocational areas. Transition Planning Transition planning begins at a very early age. It continues through each educational phase of the student's life, culminating with adult living. A continuum of services focuses upon a student's preparation for transition through participation in career awareness activities, career exploration, vocational training and employment. A continuum of Transition Services has been developed to serve as a guideline for transition planning. The continuum begins at preschool and ends at age 22. Transition planning is documented in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) beginning at age 14. â€Å"There is a lack of student and parent output, little documentation of transition plan specifics for each student, and IEP that were almost exclusively academically focused with no obvious links between goal/objectives and transition outcomes. Indeed, these weaknesses in the use of the IEP process and document planning for transition directly affect the implementation of transition services†(Collet-Klingenberg, L. L. , 1998). It is the responsibility of the IEP chairperson – usually the special education teacher – to arrange IEP / transition planning meetings for students at age 14 and older. The IEP notice to parents must include the following information: * The purpose of the IEP meeting is to develop / review the IEP and to consider Transition Services for inclusion into the IEP. * The student is invited to attend the IEP meeting. * Appropriate agency representatives have been identified and invited to the IEP / transition planning meeting. The IEP transition meeting must include all required IEP participants, plus two other representatives, as follows: * Parents or Legal Guardians * Special Education Teacher * Regular Education Teacher * Public Agency Representative (if appropriate) * Student * Other Individuals at the discretion of the parent or agency * Interpreter, when the parent or legal guardian is deaf or not proficient in the English language. * Career Education Teacher / Coordinator If the student does not attend the meeting, steps should be taken to ensure that his/her preferences and interests are considered. If an invited agency representative is unable to attend the meeting, other steps shall be taken to obtain participation. The IEP /Transition Planning meeting participants will provide input for expected outcomes. The following questions may be discussed. * What are the interest, preferences, and goals of the student after graduating or exiting school? * What support would be required to reach post-secondary goals? * Will the student be referred to an adult agency? * What type of adult agency service(s) is needed after graduation, if any? Who will be responsible for the referral(s) (i. e. special education teacher, the school based staff, parent, student, others? * Who will follow-up to ensure that the linkage between the school and adult agency(ies) was established? The IEP Team will develop transition goals and objectives that focus on the desired adult outcomes (long range transition goals). Students' preferences, strengths and limitations, career / vocational skills development, n eeded support services, job availability, medical and transportation requirements are also considered. Parents' expectations of desired student outcomes should be obtained and considered. What exactly is the Transition Plan? The Transition Plan is a part of the IEP. It includes long-range transition goals, indicating the students' preferences and interests after exiting school, are identified. â€Å"The skills needed to be successful in post secondary educational and vocational; settings, such as self-awareness, awareness of appropriate career options, and the ability to engage in self-advocacy when necessary, takes many years to develop† (Janiga,s. , J. ; Costenbader, V. 2002). Transition Services needed to achieve the long-range goals are determined. Agencies involved in transition planning while the student is still in school should be identified. That involvement is considered â€Å"agency linkages†. Transition goals and objectives are written. Agency responsibilities should be recorded in the IEP on the Transition Plan. Transition activities (objectives), persons re sponsible for the activities, and timelines are recorded. If an agency fails to fulfill its responsibilities, the IEP Team must reconvene to identify alternative strategies. Transition plans are reviewed, discussed and developed annually. The special education teacher, who completes the Transition Checklist, maintains a summary of transition planning. The Transition Checklist is reviewed and updated annually at the IEP meeting. A copy of the Transition Checklist is provided to the parent / guardian for further reference and planning. To assist in the development of transition plans at the IEP meeting Guidelines for transition services agenda is used. The guidelines outline what should be done before, during and after the IEP meeting. Records Keeping The special education teacher maintains a portfolio for each student, beginning at age 14, or grade 9. The portfolio documents a collection of evidence of the student's skills, abilities, and employment competencies (see your school's Special Education Coordinator or your school-based Transition Coordinator to obtain the portfolio). The student is responsible for participation in the development and maintenance of his / her transition portfolio. Portfolios are maintained as documentation of transition services activities. Adult Agencies An adult agency representative can attend IEP / Transition meetings for students who are 16 years of age, or in the 11th grade, and thereafter, if considered necessary by the IEP Team. An agency representative may attend IEP / Transition meetings for student's age 14 or younger, if considered necessary by the IEP Team. Some students will move from school to adult life requiring little or no more involvement with adult agencies than their non-disabled peers. Examples of such agencies or services are community colleges, vocational technological schools, other post-secondary educational institutions and the military. Other students may require time-limited adult services, such as the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). There are also students who will need ongoing support from adult agencies such as the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration (MRDDA). The IEP Team will determine which services may be appropriate for such students. Adult agencies may include, but are not limited to, the following: * Rehabilitation Service Administration Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration * Commission on Mental Health Services * Others Private agencies representation may be invited by parent / guardian or student of appropriate: * College / Community College * Vocational Technical Schools * Adult Education Services/ Training * Armed Forces * Others Transportation for Special Education Transport ation is a related service for special education students when it is necessary in order for a student with a disability to participate in an appropriate educational program. The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) makes individual decisions about transportation during the development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and placement. The MDT must consider the following: * Determine a need for specialized transportation and reflect the need in the student's IEP * Review the student's need for transportation at any IEP review * Qualifications for transportation include the following: * Limited sensory or physical endurance Significantly reduced intellectual development; and/or reduced problem solving skills Parents must do the following in order for transportation to be provided for their children: * Provide accurate address information to the Division of Special Education and ensure that it is updated if necessary during the school year * Call your child's principal of any address changes during the school year. It can take 3 to 10 school days to make transportation changes during the school year * Have your child ready when the bus arrives in the mor ning * Meet the school bus in the afternoon. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bullis, M. , ; Cheney, D. (1999). Vocational and Transition Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders. Focus on Exceptional Children, 7, 1-24. Collet-Klingenberg, L. L. , (1998). The Reality of Best Practices in Transition: A Case Study. Exceptional Children, 1, 67-78. Janiga, S. , J. ; Costenbader, V. , (2002). The transition from High School to Postsecondary Education for students with Learning disabilities: A Survey of College Service Coordinators. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 5, 462-8, 479.

Rationale †how women are treated in soap operas Essay

I am going to be investigating into how women are treated in soap operas. The reason I have chosen to carry out this study is due to the fact that I think that women are given very stereotypical roles within soap operas and it is very hard for them to break out of those boundaries and those specific labels they have been given. The method I will take to reach my objective is to use the content analysis approach. This is a method I will adopt using Meehan’s research. My aim is to compare how much or how less has changed within that period of time. I hypothesise that in comparison to Meehan’s analysis of soap operas women are still labelled in the same categories. From this method I should be able to reach to a conclusion as to whether my hypothesis is correct. The method of research I am going to use is content analysis of magazines, TV and newspaper. Content analysis involves the very careful quantification of the content of the media messages. It is able to give a general impression about media content, which can be the basis of theoretical work or policy and programme development. Therefore the way I will carry out my research is by using Meehan’s study that was carried out in 1960s and 1970s on soap operas and how he categorised the women within the soaps into specific groups. I will carry out my research using a lot of primary resources. To investigate this concept I am going to look at the model, which is similar to the hypodermic syringe model. I am also going to use the feminist approach to try to explain some of the reasons as to why there are so many stereotypical views within soap operas towards women. I am going to be looking at Ferguson’s feminist cult theory. This highlights how there are many stereotypical views within the soap operas. Context She is seen in Meehan’s content analysis study of the presentation of women in soap operas shows that in American drama serials there are only 10 female character types that are presented, they are; The Imp, a rebellious tomboy character. She is adventurous, not really sexual, often finds herself in trouble, she is the opposite of what society expects a women to be and the trouble she gets into is often a result of this. The Goodwife, she is domestic, attractive, home-centred and content. She does not wish to become involved with the world outside the home, leaving this to her lovely husband. The Harpy, is an aggressive single woman. She is powerful, even overpowering and not afraid to take on or chase after men. The Bitch, is a sneak and a cheat. She is manipulative, dangerous and deceitful. She lacks the power to be a real villain (invariably male) but she causes real trouble for the forces of good. The Victim, is the passive female who suffers accident, disease or violence, depending in the type of show or it could be to domestic violence. The Decoy, she is a heroine disguised as a victim. Apparently helpless and dependent, she’s actually strong and resourceful. She is quite likely to be mistreated, hurt or captured, but she is capable of overcoming her difficulties. The Siren, is a woman who uses her sexuality to lure her victim to a sticky end. The Courtesan, is close to being a prostitute and perhaps has been one. The Witch, has extraordinary power despite this she is invariably dominated by a man and is persuaded often reluctantly to suppress her powers or use it for his aims. The Matriarch, prestige and authority. a positive light despite the fact that she is too old to be sexually attractive. Her status is almost of that of a hero. This study shows that women are portrayed as neater good or evil, never a combination. It also shows that â€Å"good† women are portrayed as submissive, sensitive and domesticated. â€Å"Bad† women are portrayed as rebellious, independent and selfish. Male evil characters are always counterbalanced by good ones, this is not so with female evil characters. The number of occupations which women are portrayed as holding is limited to a few, primarily housewife, receptionist and whore, male roles are also few in number compared to reality, but are more exciting, such as doctor, spies, detective and astronaut. While studies such as Meehan’s, could be criticised for being dated and referring to the series of the 1960’s and 70’s. The content recycling of such series on satellite and cable channels means that they are still relevant. Moreover, many of the point she makes are relevant even in more recent television. The number of women portrayed in the media depends very much on the medium concerned and the genre type. Soap operas have relatively high proportion of women, though they are still outnumbered by as much of 7 men to 3 women in some types of soap opera. In advertisements, there are three all male ads to every one all female ads. A study conducted by Beuf (1974) was based on 63 interviews with boys and girls between the ages of three and six. Some girls had abandoned their ambitions even by this early age. Several girls mentioned that their ambitions could not be realised because of their sex. The implication is that because of the small number of high-status female models in the media available for girls to model themselves on, the ambitions of real women are limited. The power of the media in this respect is thought to be very strong. This is not surprising as the Average American girl will have spent more time in front of the TV by the time she is 15 than she will have spent in the classroom. Beuf also argues that women suffer anxiety and stress due to this and because advertising and soap operas create concerns in women particularly about; their body image, the constant need to spend money on products to make them more attractive and desirable for males and also the competition with other women to fight and keep their man. Liberal feminists argue that individuals are trained by the mass media and other social institutions into patterns of behaviour which are performed unconsciously. Sex-roles in particular, have been built up over a long period of time and have become embedded in our culture. Radical feminists identify men as the enemy. They believe that men consciously and unconsciously manipulate social institutions for their own benefit and to the detriment of women. Men hold the dominant positions throughout the media and are able to use them to reflect the images of women which they desire. According to socialist feminists the role of the media is to sustain and perpetuate the capitalist system and the supporting role of women in it. Davies says that those who control the media are almost all rich men, there is every incentive for them to present the capitalist, patriarchal scheme of things as the most attractive system available and to convince the less privileged that the oppression and limitations of their lives are inevitable. According to Skirrow, for example video games are particularly unattractive to women, as they are part of a technology which is identified as male power, and they are about mastering a specifically male anxiety in a specific male way.

Stakeholder Theory Application

Stakeholder theory, popular in the sass, advised that corporations should look beyond the shareholders theory of profit minimization, and take into consideration other stakeholder groups that the company is associated with, and have involved in their legitimate interests or contribution to the company (Ninja and Howell, 2011). Groups of stakeholder might be customers, employees, suppliers, authorities, shareholders etc†¦ Yet they share the different but significant influences in business operations and take into account responsibilities to work for their interests which elates to the company. This critical review aims to understand the conceptualization of stakeholder theory in business ethic model, address the argument/challenge circulate the application of the theory, and criticize to find a solution or suggestion for the dispute in the limitation of individual work.Business ethic model is a form of applied or professional ethics which can be assigned into all aspects of busin ess conduct, possibly individual's manner or organization's culture, controlling the way of working as well as behavior. Within the context of business ethic model, stakeholder theory acts as a managing tool for managers to resolve conflicts from reciprocal to antagonistic influencing powers inside or outside the company. A business ethic model may vary from low to high level of compliance.Once noticed the groups of stakeholders and their level of interest/association with the company, managers can also leverage their priorities' supervision in motivation as well as attempt to resolve the conflicts in orders. In another words, stakeholder theory is serving the business ethics as boosting up the equitable capitalism and co-produce the Corporate Social Responsibility (CAR) internally and externally (Kale, J. , 2006) One of the main arguing points in the application of stakeholder theory to business ethic model is the implementation of this tool in the complicated reality of business e nvironment.Stakeholder groups are various in ranges and diversified in competing interests. In the ethic model, it is more and more complicated with the term subjective â€Å"moral† which is belonging to the very own perspectives of individual/organizations to set a specific standard. Then how ND which measures should company take to detect, use and control those valuable source of information to achieve maximized productivity from stakeholders? If it is possible to employ the tools, then could the company balance all these differences to achieve stable and sustainable stage of interests?Kale discussed that â€Å"the manner and depth to which any particular interest should be served can be determined on the basis of nature and degree of the (role-specific) responsibility involved† (Kale,J. 2002). SUGGESTIONS FOR INFLECTING TOOLS The result of this determination process can be found in the criteria that business eight set for themselves in the attempt to set up competin g interests, in according with their strategy, business model and organization culture.Obviously, in the nature of business, the most powerful and influenced stakeholders, defined by businesses, are the persons will take lead to the organization's operation. However, with what standard that the business uses to detect their substantial groups of stakeholder is a challenge for each organization's own culture. Once the corporation identify groups of stakeholders and their interests, it is necessary for it to create value proposition ND propose for the groups, typically in finance benefits (price, volume, target, etc†¦ , functional activities (productivities, choice of flexibility, etc†¦ ) or emotional interests (security, trust, etc†¦ ). This value proposition then needs to be balanced with the â€Å"return on investment† perspective of business; in another word, business need to determine what they are seeking from each stakeholder group. It is important and cri tical for the company after this assessment stage that they should compare the capabilities needed with offers of interests they have to create a profitable model to engage the trade-offs among groups of stakeholder.This tool helps become a mean to manage and track competing interest and return on investment for the business in accordance with a set key performance indicators established from the beginning. CONCLUSION Stakeholder theory is applied to business ethic model as a useful tool to identify and manage competing interests within the business ethic environment. It is discussing successfully in this review about the possibility and method that business use the theory as an implementing tools and applicable standards to identify interest and capture the returned benefits.

Answer 3 questions about multilateral clearing arrangement Case Study

Answer 3 questions about multilateral clearing arrangement - Case Study Example f proprietary transactions of the member, the liquidator can initiate the transfer of all customer positions held by the member in default to other members of good standing, take control or liquidate the defaulting member’s proprietary positions, use the margin and security deposits of the member towards the default. In the event that all of the above are still insufficient to cover the default, the liquidator can still apply other funds such as guaranty funds paid by all members and insurance, if any (Dale 1998, pp. 23-24). Q2 The clearing house does not have a right to institute liquidation proceeding against ‘K’ as of 4:30 pm because there was no default yet. Default is the inability of a party to pay its obligations and in this case, its failure to complete a transfer of funds or securities in accordance with the rules of the clearing house, when it is due. Since there was no demand yet for ‘K’ to pay at 4:30, considering that under this particular clearing house rules the business day ends only at 5 and demand to pay at 7 pm, ‘K’ is not yet considered in default. Due process demands that ‘K’ is notified of its obligations, be given time to contest, and a demand for payment on it be made. Only when payment is due and a party is not able to pay can it be deemed in default and be made subject to a liquidation process. Q3 Initially, the clearing house must impose stringent membership rules on potential participants. These rules must require members to have, not only adequate capital, but also to adhere to strict financial and operational requirements upon admission as members such as maintaining a certain net capital as well as separate customer funds and property from their own funds and property. Moreover, members must also satisfy the clearing house that they are operating under sound risk management control. As a risk management control on the part of the clearing house, it could institute a predetermined threshold for each member, which

The New Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The New Deal - Essay Example 24). This period was also the start of complex social programs and signaled the wider acceptance of trade unions in the United States. The New Deal policy was triggered by the initial crash for the US stock market, which occurred on October 24, 1929 followed by October 29 "Black Tuesday" in which the stock market fell even more than it had the week before. These events catapulted into a worldwide economic depression (Chandler 1970). This economic depression was manifested in the US through a 4 percent to 25 percent increase in unemployment incidence, alongside reduction of manufacturing output by approximately a third. Due to deflation of currency values, prices fell, making the repayment of debts much harder. The drop in values of the mining, lumber, and agriculture industries caused these items to drop as well. The impact of the depression was however not as severe in white collar and service sectors. "Throughout the nation men and women, forgotten in the political philosophy of the Government, look to us here for guidance and for more equitable opportunity to share in the distribution of national wealth I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people. This is more than a political campaign. It is a call to arms." Roosevelt formed the "Brain Trust," a group of academic advisers whose formation was aimed at assisting in his recovery efforts. Extensive government intervention in the economy was sought instead of allowing laissez faire to run its course (Chandler 1970). Some vocal conservative opposition attacks were faced by the New Deal, such as the American Liberty League led by democrats, particularly the 1924 and 1928 presidential candidates John W. Davis and Al Smith. There was also a large group of New Deal opponents called "Old Right," led by politicians, intellectuals, writers, and newspaper editors (Chandler 1970). This first New Deal of 1933 had goals of short-term recovery programs based on the assumption that the federal government headed by Roosevelt can solve the financial problems. Some of the policies promoted and implemented by the Roosevelt government are banking reform laws, emergency relief programs, agricultural programs, and work relief programs (Chandler 1970). Many organized liberal groups gained much of what they demanded, except the Socialist Party, which was practically destroyed. The First New Deal was described as a mixture of self-contradiction, experiment, and pragmatism (Chandler 1970). Eventually, the economy recovered form the low point of 1932, sustaining the improving until 1937 when the Recession of 1937 regained the 1934 levels of unemployment. Economists and historians disputed the concept of the New Deal being responsible for the economic recovery (Chandler 1970). The New Deal was critiqued by several historians and Barton Bernstein spoke of the so-called 'conservative achievements' of liberal reform due to its inadequacies. Howard Zinn also gave considerable emphasis to flaws, limits, and conservative stances but failed, among others, in providing theoretical framework for understanding the New Deal (Foner 1997, p. 143).

HCI Reading Journal- Peer Review #3 Research Paper

HCI Reading Journal- Peer Review #3 - Research Paper Example Unlike most phones that are rigid, it is true that the Samsung galaxy and other several android smart phones allow the users to group the apps based on their usability and relationship. I also keep all my social media apps in one folder and video and music in another. This way I am able to easily and conveniently access my files and applications. I agree with you that the ability to add distinct colors to each folder makes it cool and more organized. It is true to say that the design of this interface was purely user centered and it was anchored on satisfaction of the user needs. There is no better way that a user interface will be user friendly than when it allows the user a substantial degree of customization. The concept is not only cool but an eye opener. After watching the explanation from this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKnqECcg6Gw I was able to understand why the digital interface has the dark outline due to the fading between colors. I agree with ou that this is great in-depth info that I definitely will have to consider if I ever want to add this feature in my user interface. The only thing I can say about this observation is that the greatest mistake Microsoft made on windows 8 was to eliminate the start button. Each time I use windows 8 I keep asking myself whether Microsoft ever did a usability testing or evaluation. If so I must say that was a big flop is usability considerations. I agree with you that the elimination of the start button was a big let down to the users of the interface. Additionally the whole interface is more complex and needs a lot of memorizing. That is just increasing the users cognitive load something that Heim (2008) cautions designers against. The recent versions of MS office are more user friendly, well organized and basically cool just as you put it. This is one good example of great user interface design that is focused on simplicity and user friendliness. The