20 Holiday Office Party Dos And Donts

20 Holiday Office Party Dos And Donts The jolly season of winter is upon us and that means that everyone gets to cut loose and indulge themselves with brownies, cream puffs, cocktails, and gifts, including the tiresome office workers who are probably reading this right now.One thing to bear in mind, however, is that this is a business event first and foremost.Don’t take this the wrong way, while you may enjoy yourselves, it is more of a formal get-together with your colleagues and supervisors.In short, have a good time while keeping it professional as well.Besides, by learning about business holiday etiquette, you can navigate the upcoming season like a pro.This way, your company may even take advantage of the winter sales competition.DOS AND DONTS OF OFFICE PARTIES1.  Do: Respond to the InvitationBe sure to respond to the party invitation within 24-48 hours. It shouldn’t matter whether it comes by email, Evite, Paperless Post, telephone or traditional ways, you have to give your response within the given that timeli ne.Even if you didn’t want to attend the party for whatever reason, it is mandatory to the point in which failing to do so would send a negative message to the executives and upper management, who very likely will take note of your absence.2.  Dont: Drink Too MuchIf your employer is offering you a drink and you don’t mind, then go right ahead.Though since the drink is intoxicating, which evidently drops your inhibitions and twists your judgment, you should limit your intake of it.If there’s one place you cannot afford to lose your senses, it is at an event that’s hosted and attended by your boss as well as your co-workers.Under the influence, you may end up doing something that could make you a target of workplace gossip or controversy, or worse, unemployed.You should consider your limits with better precaution and never go beyond them. Be sure to carry a refreshment in your left hand and leave your right one for the shaking hands of the party guests.Although, if you want ou r honest advice, it’s probably for the best if you don’t drink at all considering the innumerable catastrophes that often result from this drink.Safer alternatives for you would be tea, club soda or even water.3.  Do: Arrive And Leave On TimeJust as youre punctual when you usually arrive for work, you should be just as punctual for when you get to an office holiday party and leave at the very moment it is scheduled to conclude. It is inappropriate to arrive ‘fashionably late.’ You also shouldn’t arrive early, but just plan on getting there within the first 15-20 minutes. Even if you don’t plan on attending, don’t arrive 30 minutes right before the end of the party only to make an appearance.4.  Don’t: Treat an Office Party Like a Singles BarA workplace party gives you the chance to interact with your fellow co-workers in a manner other than the way you normally do in your usual office days.Getting to know them in a different life may even make you look at them differ ently. Though this may end up being a bad thing.For instance, you may find Jessie from accounting to be far more attractive under bar lights than cubicle lights.It is human nature to have desires for the opposite sex, which is exactly why you should keep your instincts under control before your reputation sinks to the endless bottom of no-return.Workplace romances or God forbid, one-night-stands, are bringers of disaster.5.  Do: Read the Invitation CarefullyA great way to avoid an unpleasant evening is to read the office party invitation carefully. It is essential to know the company’s policy on guests, or whether the invitation is ‘Employee Only’ or ‘Plus One.’You should also check whether spouses or dates are welcome.Much of the planning decisions have been meticulously considered, including scheduling and expenses.Just remember that this is an official company-sponsored event.6.  Do: Dress Appropriately Robin Schooling, vice president of human resources for Hollywood C asino in Baton Rouge, says that if your office is having a formal event dress up.If it’s a casual potluck that’s being hosted in the break room, then dress as you do for work.Even if the theme is ugly sweaters, then Schooling recommends wearing the ugliest work-appropriate sweater that you can find and wear it with pride.When attending an office party, it is pivotal to look at what your office is doing and follow up with it.Don’t be the sore loser who wears an ascot or a cocktail dress to the lunch hour Secret Santa gift swap.So leave anything that is too-short, too-tight and too-revealing in the closet.7.  Don’t: FlirtIt’s like Step #4 but it doesn’t go that far.Even so, it’s best not to flirt with co-workers of the opposite gender, even if you intended it to be entirely innocent.The reason for this is because it might send a negative message to your co-workers.At best, flirting or acting in a sexually provocative manner could make colleagues lose respect for you on a personal level.But at worst, it could slap you with a possible sexual harassment allegation.8.  Do: Greet Colleagues, Hosts, and Party PlannersWhen you arrive at the office holiday party, be a professional and shake hands with the party planners and hosts.In fact, if it is a company or partnership that is owned by more than one person, be sure to thank all of them.You don’t have to be a chatterbox or pretend to completely enjoy everything about the party, but at the very least, try to chat briefly or compliment any aspect of the party that you really enjoyed, such as music, food or the decor.And be sure to limit your conversations to only five minutes before moving on to the next person.9.  Do: Remember That This is Still a Business EventWhile it is okay to relax and have fun when you’re at a workplace party, you must never forget that this is still an office event sponsored by your boss.The setting may be different to the casual parties back at home, but your boss is watching your move, as are your coworkers.What we’re trying to say is that you should never expose any side of your personality that may come off as unsettling to your boss and coworkers to the extent where their opinion of you may change for the worse.A perfect example of this is not sharing any personal information or details in a professional setting.10.  Do: MingleBe very careful of your movements as they are being monitored from the entrance to every room you enter by your boss and coworkers.That means that you must refrain yourself from heading towards the bar or the buffet the moment you step foot into the party.As an employee of the event sponsored by your company, you have to give a good impression to the party planners, hosts and guests that are there, by greeting and shaking hands with them.To this with everyone that is there, including your colleagues and boss.Since executives enjoy being at parties, a company party may be one of the few times where you get to meet them in pers on.So go over to them, introduce yourself, state the department that you work in and then shake their hands.This is also a great opportunity for you to become visible to your company’s leadership.Greet and interact with as many of your colleagues and supervisors who are present at the event, even the ones you don’t know very well.Be sure to greet the attendants with the warm smile on your face. But don’t just spend the entire evening with your usual office buddies try to mingle with co-workers that belong to other departments of your company.But more importantly, please resist the urge of getting bored or giving hints to your boss and coworkers that you’re making a run for the exit door.11.  Do: Talk About Something Other Than WorkThere are other sides to your co-workers than just office partners and work.They also have families, hobbies and other interests that may be in line with your own.Yes, this is an office-sponsored event, but it is still a party. So don’t be afrai d to let your colleagues know a bit about your life outside of the organization and avoid bringing stuff that has anything to do with your regular office responsibilities.Also, abstain from having to include sex, politics or religion as part of your conversations.Connecting with your colleagues on a personal level can take you very far in the business. Plus, the management appreciates it when their employees show their social side.Keep your discussions positive and ensure that they do not exceed more than 5 to 10 minutes. Avoid complaining, bragging or gossipping as well.12.  Don’t: Tell Off-Color JokesYou’re free to tell jokes if you want because office parties are usually light-hearted anyways.Just that all may stop if your jokes end up offending your colleagues or boss (or worse, their own boss).It is a well-known fact that not many people enjoy off-color humor, so do your best to avoid coming under such fire.And with that in mind, you should also refrain from using foul, off ensive or perverted language.13.  Don’t: Binge at the BuffetProfessional workplace demands you maintain manners and etiquettes as we’ve been reiterating for the entire article.So if you’re a food person, we’d advise you to eat a small amount of protein to sate your appetite instead of hogging the food table as much as you want.You didn’t get invited to the party for the sole occasion that you’re hungry.Be considerate of other party attendees as well, while also keeping your hands clean at all times when it comes to food.Do not walk around with a full plate, overeating or double dipping the chafing dish and please remember to properly discard napkins, toothpicks, and plates.14.  Put Your Phone AwayYour boss went through a lot of trouble to put this party together so you can mingle with your co-workers and get to know them better.But this can’t be accomplished if you constantly check your phone.Just bear the urge to inspect your social media status and focus on the matte r that is right there in front of you: socializing with your colleagues and boss.If you want to check on your phone occasionally, then do so where no one can see you, but only for a little while since your boss is still monitoring the event.If you wish to make your phone of good use, then start taking pictures and share them on social media.15.  Don’t: Gossip About People Behind Their BacksWhether you’re at work or a work-related event, it is absolutely distasteful to backbite or gossip about your coworkers or supervisors.Some people take it upon themselves to engage in a little malicious talk about those who are never present at the scene.A loose tongue is quite common at parties, especially if you’ve had one drink too many. If left unchecked, you’ll be in for a regretful Monday morning equation.For the sake of the company’s reputation and that too your own job, you must prevent yourself from committing this heinous act.Also, you may even want to consider the feelings of the person you’re gossiping about, especially if gets back to them later on.16.  Don’t Clap for YourselfThis term is often used to describe drinking right after a person in your company who has been recognized for their outstanding achievements has offered a toast.Office parties often hold parties to laud someone’s great work in the organization and if this is the reason your employer’s hosting this party, then the CEO or executive may offer a toast sometime during the evening.So when a toast is being raised for your colleague, be sure to raise your glass at the end of the toast, when the host raises their glass.Be sure not to touch your glass to everyone else’s as it is distracting and unnecessary.Then pause and observe as this is when the star worker offers a toast in response to their achievement.And if you’ve been a star performer as well, you may be honored with a toast as well. So be sure to stand up and thank the person who toasted you, as a symbol of your appreci ation.17.  Do: Offer Your ThanksAfter offering you a drink, some food, music and a chance to really let loose after doing most of your hours for the year, we believe that it is only fair and courteous to express your gratitude to the party planners, organizers as well as your boss for putting together a great office party.It doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate; just a quick ‘thank you’ before you leave is more than enough.18.  Don’t: Bring Uninvited GuestsWhen your boss throws a party, they may intend it to be only for employees.Therefore, you must always consult with them and ask whether it is permissible to bring a significant other or not.Bringing an uninvited guest may not only end up frustrating your boss but also embarrass or upset your guest if they feel unwanted.So always do a preemptive check to see if you can bring spouses, dates or Plus Ones from your side.19.  Don’t: Undermine the Importance of Your Guest’s BehaviorIf your office party does allow you to invite a guest from your side, then you have to choose wisely who you should bring.If let’s say, the guest is your significant other, bring them with you and don’t be shy about making introductions.But don’t bring in some “best friend,” who happens to be a woman that you’ve only interacted with on platonic occasions, just because you can’t handle going alone.It would only defeat the purpose of the party, which is to get to know your colleagues better.You must also never bring anyone who might display inappropriate behavior even if they may be your significant other. Their bad behavior will, in the end, reflect poorly on you.That’s why it is important to have your guest adhere to the same rules that you are expected to follow for the party.20.  Do: Show Up The Next DayEven if you’ve overindulged yourself or stayed late afterward, nothing is worse than calling in “sick” the day after the office party.Still, if you’ve managed to make it to this point after all of the tips mentioned above, you shouldn’t have that much of a problem.But even if you do, there literally is no other way out for you except to suck it up and show up for work.When an office party is celebrated in a respectful and appropriate manner, it creates a sense of mutual trust among your co-workers, shows employee appreciation, develops stronger office relationships and is great for overall employee morale.

William Shakespeare s Twelfth Night - 895 Words

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, starts off very dramatic and with a feeling of sadness and love lost or out of reach. Orsino has fallen for a woman called Olivia, whose brother has died. At the same time Viola’s loses her brother as well tragically in a shipwreck. Following immediately after this she decides to dress as a man, to gain her livelihood working for Orsino. Here we go from the Romantic mood of the story, to the slightly ludicrous but amusing idea of cross dressing or gender bending. Which is a major plot instrument throughout the entire story, an instrument that crates both hilarity and a great amount of drama. On the other hand, the introduction of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew is one with a more of a Carnivalesque tone, with a back and forth of chatter and excessive drinking. Sir Toby is portrayed as a party spirit, perpetually drinking and always making jokes. On the other hand Sir Andrew is not very smart as seen by things he mentions such as, â€Å"Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian or an ordinary man has; but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.† (Shakespeare 1084), that while simultaneously showing his intelligence, also demonstrates a certain hate for religion. His character is well portrayed in the scenes of the movie, simply by his facial expression and the way he carries himself, something that does not translate well when one reads his lines. Consequently, Maria and Feste are Carnivalesque characters that go onShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night2005 Words   |  9 Pagesrole that gender plays in Shakespeare’s work. Focus on Twelfth Night or King Lear—or discuss both plays together. Do you see these patterns repeated? 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This is extremely emotionally tolling both on the nurses and the patients and lying seems like a kinder option. A situation such as this one would be deception to gain something but is helping the person being lied to. In William Shakespeare s Twelfth Night, one main characters, Viola, wakes up on the shores of Illyria after a shipwreck in which her brother has presumably died. She formulates a plan to work for the Duke, Orsino who is hopelessly in love with the sought-after Olivia. ThisRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1106 Words   |  5 Pagescharacters. Before movies, people learned about love in literature. Even in the old literature, love was a common theme. In Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Twelfth Nightâ⠂¬ , different types of love between the characters are investigated. Each of the characters’ relationships play a role in the development of the story. The first and main type of love in â€Å"Twelfth Night is true love. 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Essay on Othellos Flaw in Shakespeares The Tragedy of...

Othellos Flaw in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Othello In Shakespeare?s play Othello, Othello himself is the tragic hero. He is an individual of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. His destruction is essentially precipitated by his own actions, as well as by the actions of the characters surrounding him. The tragedy of Othello is not a fault of a single person, but is rather the consequence of a wide range of feelings, judgments, misjudgments, and attempts for personal justification revealed by the characters. Othello is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride and courage. As the play continues, his character begins to deteriorate and become less noble. Throughout the play,†¦show more content†¦With this dark side, he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. He is not observant and the schemes of Iago work well on him. For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, Othello is still naive when it comes to the corruptness of other people. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all his trust in Iago during times of war and during his marriage to Desdemona. Everyone considered Iago to be honest, and it would be simply unspeakable for Othello to believe any differently. For example, Othello had told Duke: So please your grace, my ancient; a man he is of honesty and trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife, with what else needful your good grace shall think, To be sent after me (I, iii, lines 306-310). Even if Othello were not as trusting or corrupt, he still would not realize Iago was lying. Othello commits his first act of violence against Desdemona by hitting her. This shows Othellos tragic flaw. He made himself susceptible to Iago and the jealousy within him begins to lead to the end of others. Through his actions, Othello has isolated himself from everyone except Iago. This gives Iago the perfect opportunity to complete his course of action. Finally, Othellos breakdown results in the murder of his wife Desdemona. Desdemona, representative of goodness and heaven, blames her death on herself and not Othello. She is representative of the good in nature and is referred to as ?white ewe?. Good can be defined asShow MoreRelated Othello, The Moor of Venice Essay examples1319 Words   |  6 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello through his trials and tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare’s other tragedies and follows a set of specific rules of drama. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, definition of tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune, and a descent from happiness. 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Sstill Seperate Still Unequal Free Essays

In Kozol’s article â€Å"Still Separate, Still Unequal-America’s educational apartheid,† kozolool describes the reality of urban public schools and the isolation and segregation the students there face today in the American system. Jonathan Kozol illustrates the grim reality of the inequality that African American and Hispanic children face within todays public education system. In this essay, Kozol shows us with shocking statistics and percentages, just how segregated Americas urban schools have become. We will write a custom essay sample on Sstill Seperate Still Unequal or any similar topic only for you Order Now He also brings light to the fact that suburban schools, with predominantly white students, are given far better funding and a much higher quality education, than the poverty stricken schools of the ubarn neighbourhood He show us how we even built several new schools in mostly white neighbourhoods, hoping that the close proximity of the school would encourage white parents to send their children to those schools. Instead, when parents see that mostly African Americans and Hispanics attend these schools, they pull their children out of them and send them to private, white institutions. But never the less all this is not a proper justification of the gap that still exist between black an white in the education system and in the active live. In this article the author point the fact that money is the key for a good education, By trying to compare the curriculum of student from private with student from public school. The community school that my niece went was somewhere around 98% black and and Hispanic I would say they had a pretty good percentage in the of success for a school. Now she is attending college even that her parent is poor she take loan to go to school and she use her financial aid to be able to go to school as other. During the 100th anniversary celebration of the NAACP the president declares: â€Å"We’ve got to say to our children, yes, if you’re African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. But that’s not a reason to get bad grades — that’s not a reason to cut class — that’s not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands — you cannot forget that. That’s what we have to teach all of our children. No excuses. No excuses. You get that education; all those hardships will just make you stronger, better able to compete. Yes we can. † How to cite Sstill Seperate Still Unequal, Papers

Magnificence Narrative Report free essay sample

I chose the short story written by Estrella Alfon entitled â€Å"magnificence†, because of it contains a lot of symbolisms in which some of the things, characters, as well as the scenarios have meanings beyond the obvious. One of the used symbols is the light. The light plays a major role in the story and even to the characterization of Vicente. The readers first encounter with Vicente, he was â€Å"standing for a while just beyond the pool of light, his feet in the circle of illumination, the rest him in shadow. We get a picture here that Vicente is peeping or spying and seems to have some hidden agenda. Also, the lights significance was also important in the later part of the story when the mother slapped him out of the house. The mother, as she drove the man away seemed to be bringing him back to the darkness, to the shadows where he really came from. We will write a custom essay sample on Magnificence Narrative Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another one are the pencils. It was said that during those times colorful pencils were a hit. And so giving the kids these pencils are forms of bribe so that Vicente could get along with the kids well and they would not doubt him. The jumbo pencil with white lead given to the little girl somehow symbolizes a man’s organ. In the story, Vicente was taking advantage or abusing the little girl and maybe he was imagining that it was his own as the little girl uses the jumbo pencil. The author has described the major characters of the story contrastively. At the first part of the story, the mother was depicted with eyes that held pride, and maternal gloating she exhibited. She was negatively described in the first parts whereas on the later part, when he had drove Vicente away from their house, she was described as a protective and loving mother to her children. When the mother reached her, the woman held her hand out to the child. On the other hand, there was a big contrast between the mother and Vicente in the way that they were described. Vicente was described more feminine and gentler than the mother in the first part of the story. †¦his voice soft, his manners†¦slow. He retained being lower or inferior than the mother throughout the story especially when she started to slap him repetitively. He made no resistance, offered no defense. The judgment of the two completely diverse characters in the story obviously shows the twofold antagonism not only with their gender but also with their major individuality. The woman seemed to be more masculine and more antagonistic than Vicente and even through the sheer differences in their descriptions. We acquire a good judgment that the mother is more powerful than him divergent to common prejudices that man must be more authoritative than women. The author has somehow exhibited omniscient point of view because she sees the happenings, knows everything, and tells what the story is suppose to be. More-over, it is in a context-based interpretation since the text itself or the reader can inform context-based interpretation. The reader could remark that it has a feminist criticism since it includes issues about child and woman abuse and how Vicente has underestimated the power of a woman and a mother. The story also shows a feminist criticism when the mother protected her child from Vicente through slapping his face until he was sent out from their house and sturdily asked him to never come back. For the theme of the short story, she went against the misapprehension that men are more powerful than women and the mother in the story was not afraid instead, she gathered all her might, slapped Vicente repetitively and drove him away from their house. She did not only prove her greatness as a mother but also as a woman.

Does pressure group politics damage or enhance democracy Essay Example

Does pressure group politics damage or enhance democracy Essay Example Does pressure group politics damage or enhance democracy Paper Does pressure group politics damage or enhance democracy Paper Democracy can be defined as the political orientation of those who favour government by the people, or by their elected representatives (Whawell, 1998 p. 178). Democracy derives from the Greek word demos meaning people, in essence a democratic society is a fair society. A Pressure group or interest groups fundamental aim is to influence decision makers in the Government domain, which can be formulated by central government, local government, the European Union, and in some cases by quasi government (Grant, 1995 p. ). Pressure groups do not attempt to gain political power, which differs from a political party, in respect that pressure groups inform, influence, and exert pressure on those creating public policy. Coxall (2001 p. 3) has suggested the following definition of a pressure group: A pressure group is any organisation that aims to influence public policy, by seeking to persuade decision makers, by lobbying rather than by standing for election and holding office. In essence, pressure groups do not wish to become actively involved with the government; they tend to concentrate on one particular aspect, as apposed to the government who are involved with many strategies. The fundamental purposes of pressure groups are to influence decisions making on exigent issues. For the purpose of this assignment, the author will discuss further, whether the issues of pressure group politics damage or enhance democracy. There are different forms of pressure groups, these being sectional or interest groups, cause or promotional groups, and insider/outsider groups. A sectional or interest group by definition tends to be motivated by their particular economic interests of their members, for example, The Trade Union Congress, (TUC) professional bodies such as The British Medical Association, (BMA) and specific employers organisations such as lawyers and medics fall within this category. A cause or promotional group can be defined (Grant, 1995 p. 3) as an idea, which is not directly related to the personal interests of its members, an example of this would be, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, (CND), Green Peace, or the Child Poverty Action Group, (CPAG). An insider/outsider topology was developed by Grant in 1995, (1995, p 15) which can be defined as categorising groups according to the tactics that they employ, and their relationship with the government. Thus, government and the civil service regard insider groups as justifiable partnerships, and when it comes to formulating and executing policy in particular areas, the insiders are deemed as the specialist in their area of interest, for example, The Charted Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). Insider groups are perceived by the government as providing reliable and precise information, using the same verbal communication and ideologies, and perhaps more importantly, retaining the confidence of the government, being ideally placed in a position to compromise. In contrast, an outsider group tends not to be recognised and accepted by the government, arguably that they do not wish to pay homage or the political game, and bow down to the demands of the institution (Jones, 1991 p. 251). In quintessence, they are protest groups, which have specific objectives, which are external to the mainstream political opinion. For example, the government perhaps would not approach the animal activist group for advice about animal rights; however, may seek the professional knowledge and expertise from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). Pressure groups can also be influential within government, depending on current societal issues, the government has the opportunity to be selective about which pressure groups they utilise, and not all groups have equal access. A poignant example of this would be the National Farmers Union (NFU), in the 1980s as an interest group they were an insider group. However, since the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease, the government have changed their tactics, deeming the NFUs information as unreliable and not accredited, and now utilise the Royal Veterinary Society (RVS) for their expertise and knowledge instead. Membership of pressure group parties has increased significantly over the last twenty years in comparison to the public who attend voting at general elections. This may be due to a variety of influencing factors, such as a higher disposable income, the advent of the internet, and there are now more bureaucrats. Kavanagh et al (2006 p. 418) suggests that In Britain today, more than half the adult population are members of at least one organisation, and many belong to a number of groups. For Example, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB) has more members in total than all of the British political parties amalgamated, (Grant, 1995 p. 7) It could be argued (Grant, 1995 p. 17) that this does not enhance democracy. Pressure groups provide government with expertise and advice to facilitate policymaking, which ultimately result in enhancing the quality of government; they explore further avenues of participation, and actively contribute to the surveillance of government on behalf of its members, and look to expose information. Many of the pressure groups, whom assist the government, are experts in their own areas of competency such as medicine or farming. With the increased prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) was promulgated in the 1980s, the Terrance Higgins Foundation (THF) was consulted for their technical expertise and practical advice. Budge et al (2006 p. 446) has suggested that consultation with relevant groups makes for rational decisions, and quotes, Governments obviously have a democratic duty to consult and may depend on organised groups for policy information and implementation. Thus promoting political stability by providing a channel of communication between the government and the people, Budge, et al (2006 p 446) also suggested that by joining a pressure group, the populace fundamentally believe that they are actively being involved with politics. Pressure groups can also provide an essential freedom for the populace, especially minority groups, they are able to organise with concurring individuals so that their views can be articulated, and taken into consider ation by the government. For example, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) provides comprehensive information on its role in advising the Government on the transport needs of a disabled person. The DPTAC are currently lobbying for changes for people who are discriminated against, with disabilities, on aeroplanes, (December, 2007) this facilitates the needs of people who autonomously would not be able to make a difference, in essence, assisted by a pressure group, they have a voice. Within the last decade, The Peoples Fuel Lobby (farmers and the road hauliers) launched a campaign against fuel tax, blocking oil refineries, which caused widespread national disruption. The government were left with no option other than to reduce the price of fuel, in order for public confidence to be resumed and services to recommence. This type of pressure group campaign displayed a positive effect, as far as the protesting party were concerned, however, it was incredibly embarrassing for the government, who ultimately succumbed to this form of blackmail. It was suggested by Grant, (1995, p. 13) that this bullying tactic can have detrimental effects and eventually recoil. For example, The Fathers for Justice Campaign (Guardian, Chezneck, 2006), allegedly plotted to kidnap Tony Blairs son, which led to an announcement in 2006 that the group was dissolving, this may indicate that the pressure group had in fact gone too far on this occasion. A negative impact of pressure groups can be of overcrowding the political arena and overloading the government with information therefore, preventing them from addressing important issues. Large scale demonstrations mounted by any group may lead to clashes with the police and the government, an example of this is the poll tax demonstrations which took place in 1990 (Jones, 1991, p. 259), where scenes of violence were frowned upon by the public. During the 1970s the Trade Unions had a substantial amount of influence and power within the government, until Margaret Thatcher came into power in 1979. It was suggested by Kavanagh et al (2006, p 418) Thatcherite conservatives were often suspicious of pressure groups, blaming them for overload and exponential state expansion, one of the stated aims of Thatcherism was to tame the enemy within. Margaret Thatcher thought that pressure groups were (Jones, 1991, p. 59), always intrusive, meddling and interfering with government practices. It was suggested by Watts, (2007, p. 154) that pressure groups only provide for people that have the time, money and educational backgrounds and therefore this automatically excludes people from lower socio economic groups, these are the cohorts in society that really do need their voices to be heard. To conclude, pressure groups are very popular in the United Kingdom, and there are in excess of five thousand diverse groups (Jones, 1991, p. 59). It ca n be suggested, by the author, that pressure groups have some control over democracy; this is done by assembling the public with similar beliefs, and individuals freedom to be heard increases power, thus creating movement of power downwards and away from central institutions, ultimately resulting in a fairer democratic society. Continuality of political action enhances democracy as it gives constant reviews to policy. If there were to be demise in pressure groups, the process would not flow, as government elections only take place every four years. Pressure groups bring to the attention of the public governments activities, ensuring that procedures are being followed. Regardless of positive or negative factors brought on by pressure groups, they play a poignant role in contemporary British politics, although it may not always benefit them or society, their role is to serve individuals politically in ways that elections, campaigns and political parties are unable to.

Execute and Run Applications and Files From Delphi Code

Execute and Run Applications and Files From Delphi Code The Delphi programming language provides a quick way to write, compile, package, and deploy applications cross-platform. Although Delphi creates a graphical user interface, there are bound to be times you want to execute a program from your Delphi code. Lets say you have a database application that uses an external backup utility. The backup utility takes parameters from the  application and archives the data, while your program waits until the backup finishes. Maybe you want to open documents presented in a file list box  just by double-clicking on them  without opening the associated program first. Imagine a link label in your program that takes the user to your home page. What do you say about sending an email directly from your Delphi application through the default Windows email client program? ShellExecute To launch an application or execute a file in a Win32 environment, use the ShellExecute Windows API function. Check out the help on ShellExecute for a  full description of parameters and error codes returned. You can open any document without knowing which program is associated with it- the link is defined in the Windows Registry. Here are some shell examples.   Run Notepad uses ShellApi;...ShellExecute(Handle, open,c:\Windows\notepad.exe, nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ; Open SomeText.txt With Notepad ShellExecute(Handle,open,c:\windows\notepad.exe,c:\SomeText.txt, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ; Display the Contents of the "DelphiDownload" Folder ShellExecute(Handle,open, c:\DelphiDownload, nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ; Execute a File According to Its Extension ShellExecute(Handle, open, c:\MyDocuments\Letter.doc,nil,nil,SW_SHOWNORMAL) ; Heres how to find an application associated with an extension. Open a Website or a *.htm File With the Default Web Explorer ShellExecute(Handle, open,http://delphi.about.com,nil,nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ; Send an Email With the Subject and the Message Body var em_subject, em_body, em_mail : string;begin em_subject : This is the subject line; em_body : Message body text goes here; em_mail : mailto:delphiaboutguide.com?subject em_subject body em_body ; ShellExecute(Handle,open, PChar(em_mail), nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ;end; Heres how to send an email with the attachment. Execute a Program and Wait Until It Finishes The following example uses the ShellExecuteEx API function. // Execute the Windows Calculator and pop up// a message when the Calc is terminated.uses ShellApi;...var SEInfo: TShellExecuteInfo; ExitCode: DWORD; ExecuteFile, ParamString, StartInString: string;begin ExecuteFile:c:\Windows\Calc.exe; FillChar(SEInfo, SizeOf(SEInfo), 0) ; SEInfo.cbSize : SizeOf(TShellExecuteInfo) ; with SEInfo do begin fMask : SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS; Wnd : Application.Handle; lpFile : PChar(ExecuteFile) ;{ParamString can contain theapplication parameters.}// lpParameters : PChar(ParamString) ;{StartInString specifies thename of the working directory.If ommited, the current directory is used.}// lpDirectory : PChar(StartInString) ; nShow : SW_SHOWNORMAL; end; if ShellExecuteEx(SEInfo) then begin repeat Application.ProcessMessages; GetExitCodeProcess(SEInfo.hProcess, ExitCode) ; until (ExitCode STILL_ACTIVE) or Application.Terminated; ShowMessage(Calculator terminated) ; end else ShowMessage(Error starting Calc!) ;end;