Friday, October 25, 2019

Birth of the Universe :: science

Birth of the Universe Your universe, as we have suggested many times, as we've suggested already this morning, is but one universe among many. It is relatively a small universe — not to suggest that you should feel badly †¦ {laughter} †¦ for despite the consensus reality that bigger is better, despite the male-dominating energy and the comparative energies that say "bigger is better," your universe, though relatively small, is not at all diminished by its size. Now we know the word universe by its definition means the totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space. We know that it is thought of as "all" and that therefore there can only be one. Yet, by experience and by fact, yours is but one among many dimensional and non-dimensional universes. Yours is a universe by a truer definition: It is that which is versus (turning into) uni (one). Universe. And it is mostly space, as you know. And it is mostly outer space as you call it. Before anything, your universe is space. Space. What about before space? To understand the Vortex of Sirius and the Sirius Connection, realize that before your universe existed, before it was even conceived, there was nothing. First space had to be created. As with any dimensional creation, first comes space. We have suggested that the Goddess energy — the original energy that creates itself without space or time — first creates God. No, we do not mean the God of religious text and doctrine Eastern or Western — not that God that so frequently comes to mind when the word is said or thought. We speak of the genuine article, if you will. We speak of the more-real God that to most remains unknown. The Goddess first creates God. She first gives birth to God, if you will, from her womb. The egg of new form, fertilized by the new spark of Her Light, gives birth to that energy — spaceless energy — that is God. Why? So that together Goddess and God can continuously create — give birth to — All That Is. Together. Together, we would suggest, because the Goddess has no desire to be the singular authority. She has no desire to have singular supremacy or to be singularly supreme. She has no desire to be absolute. She does want to work together. She always does. In the context of your language, and thus in the context of your time, the Goddess first created God so that God with Goddess could create All That Is.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Employment and Absenteeism Problem Essay

Absenteeism refers to unauthorised absence of the worker from his job. According to Benefits Interface (Edited 2010: 1 of 4) absenteeism can be defined as ‘failure of employees to report for work when they are scheduled to work’. Employees who are away from work on recognized holidays, vacations, approved leaves of absence allowed for under the collective agreement provisions are not included. In South Africa, managers consider absenteeism their most serious discipline problem (Nadlangisa, 2003). Absenteeism is not unique to any particular geographical area or industry. It is a major problem for every organisation, particularly since downsizing and other lean changes have left employers with a smaller workforce (Grobler, Warnich, et al, 2006: 123) According to a recent study conducted by AIC Insurance, companies and the country’s economy are losing more than R12 billion annually due to absenteeism in South Africa. In 2000, 0. 7 million workers were absent from work, which is a fraction compared to the 397% leap it took up until 2012 (Goldberg, 2012). Employees are often considered to be a company’s most valuable asset and according to Hamilton-Atwell (2003: 56-61) one of the best ways to increase profitably is by increasing the returns on this asset. Reducing absenteeism is one of the most overlooked methods of reducing costs According to Goldberg (2012) managing absence is critical for all organisations, as the negative impact that they feel with regards to efficiency, operations and cost- effectiveness is enormous. Whatever the causes, absenteeism is costing the country and its businesses heavily and therefore needs to be addressed. Many employers, however, choose to disregard the possibility that there may be issues in the workplace causing poor performance and absenteeism. It makes sound economic sense to address any such issues and pro-actively encourage improved employee performance. This research framework focuses on a medium-sized local organisation, which has asked to not be mentioned. Therefore it shall be referred to as Organisation X. 3 2. Problem identification The failure to show up for work creates problems of varying degrees for managers and administrators. Excessive employee absenteeism can decrease productivity and profits significantly, creating numerous problems for supervisors and the employees who work regularly (Carrell & Kuzmits, 1992: 735). 2. 1. Problem Statement The motivation for this research will be discussed by highlighting problems related to employee absenteeism as experienced within Organisation X Main Problem Unauthorized employee absenteeism from Organisation X and the actions that might be implemented to reduce this due to the fact that absenteeism causes a liability to the company. Sub-Problems The unauthorised employee absenteeism is leading to an overall decrease in: i. Cost- effectiveness – Profitability ii. Operations – Production iii. Efficiency – Competitiveness 2. 2. Explanation of problems: Financial Costs Overtime and agency costs for replacing workers are incurred. Administrative Costs Staff time required to secure replacement employees and to re-assign the remaining employees. Staff time is required to maintain and control absenteeism. 4 Decrease in Productivity The employees that come to work daily carry an extra workload and support new or replacement staff. Also they are required to train and orient new or replacement workers, which cause them to neglect and disregard their own work. The work group itself has a considerable stake in absenteeism, particularly with respect to morale. People in work groups are very sensitive to equity. If one member takes excessive and perceived inappropriate absences without some equitable cost to that individual, other group members are often affected. They take revenge by going absent themselves, o lowering the productivity of the group as a whole (Furham, 2000: 377). Possible reasons for the absenteeism rate in Organisation X Lack of commitment Employees are simply not interested in their work or concerned about the success of the organization. This can stem from low wages or low employee morale, which might be caused by poor treatment by management or an unpleasant working environment. Also the length of service within the company will determine the commitment to the work and the workplace. Lack of consequence The lack of consequences, e. g. no incentives for strong attendance or no punishment for poor attendance leads to increased absenteeism of the employees. Also employee packages that allow for a lot of absence can lead to workers abusing this. Poor working conditions Employees might feel that they receive poor treatment from managers, work in an unpleasant or stressful working environment, have long working hours a lack of breaks, are given an excessive workload or there is too much strict supervision. Personal factors Although there is a fair bit of absenteeism that could have been avoided, employees are often away from work for ‘valid’ reasons. Examples may include domestic 5 problems (bad housing conditions, family issues) and consequent worries, social and religious causes, problems with transport facilities or accidents/ illnesses (Hamilton-Atwell, 2003: 82-95) 2. 3. Research questions I. What are the main factors causing employees to be absent from work? II. Is one specific group of people more absent than another (e. g. male/female, old/young)? III. What are the current disciplinary actions within Organisation X’s Human Resource Department? IV. What is the behaviour of the employees towards these disciplinary actions? V. What are the possible and most suitable solutions for Organisation X? 2. 4. Possible solutions for the absenteeism problem include, but are not limited to the following: Consequences To avoid absenteeism as much as possible the company should implement positive/ negative consequences for strong/ weak attendance. Examples may include offering rewards and incentives, e. g. monetary bonuses, simple raise or recognition (Employee of the month) for strong attendance and punish employees with poor records and unexcused absence (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008: 248). Work-Life Balance According to Chick (2004: 67) managers should allow employees to be able to have or create a work-life balance, as this can reduce the stress levels they are exposed to. Dual income households have increased over the last decades and longer working hours are expected. Managers need to help their employees to manage the numerous and sometimes competing demands in their lives. Employees need to achieve a balance between their work responsibilities and their personal life (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008: 251). Follow-ups The Supervisors need to sit down with the employees when they return from an absence to discuss the reason for absence, if the absence could have been 6 prevented and the implications of absenteeism on the company (if it is a common occurrence for this employee). 3. Hypotheses I. Females are more absent from work then men II. Individuals in any relationship are more absent than singles III. Employees with children are more absent than those without children IV. Employees below 40 are absent from work more frequently V. Current disciplinary actions are not perceived as a reason for employees to reduce the absenteeism VI. Implementing other stricter disciplinary actions will reduce the rate of employee absenteeism 4. Objectives The Objectives of the project are: To understand and analyze: I. The main causes of absenteeism in Organisation X. II. The current disciplinary actions taken by the HR department for reducing absenteeism. III. The attitude of employees towards these disciplinary actions. IV. The factors to be considered in order to reduce absenteeism. V. Suggestions that can be given to the management to improve the regular attendance of the employees in the company.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Unions at the Work Place

Work dominates modern life. Work can be satisfying, enjoyable and rewarding. Many of the difficulties which face several nations today arise from the fact that, over many years, a lot of people who want to work have been denied the chance to do so. Most employers treat their workers fairly. But some do not. Complaints about the way they were treated by their employer are rampant. Even the best bosses can make mistakes from time to time. Unions exist to help people at work and make the work place a better place. Basically, unions work on the simple principle that while an employer might be able to ignore the views of a single worker, if all workers speak with one voice the employer has to take notice. Unions encourage their members to take part in collective decisions on workplace issues and these views are then put to the employer. From time to time, Union members in the same workplace will get together to talk about common problems. The issues most likely to come up are pay, safety, unfair treatment of a group or individual, or simply the way the work is organized. The union members will usually elect someone to speak on their behalf – a shop steward or office representative. The rep will then discuss their concerns with management. Where the union has a recognition agreement with management they reach decisions together on key issues. In bigger workplaces there will be a number of representatives, sometimes from different unions, speaking on behalf of different groups of workers. And in very big workplaces some of these union representatives will spend much of their working day dealing with union business, talking to management helping solve problems on behalf of their members. Most sensible employers welcome these arrangements. They understand it is better for workers to have an independent means of dealing with problems rather than letting them fester or hoping they will be sorted out by the supervisors or line managers who are sometimes the cause of the problems. However, is that enough? Shall Unions' responsibility be limited to those of their kinds or should it be widened to apply coverage to the whole society at large? Ross M. Martin, in the book Trade Unionism – Purposes and Forms, p. 62 wrote: â€Å"The responsibility of the part to the whole is inseparable from the idea that society is an organism. For the trade union that means a responsibility which extends beyond the membership, beyond the class, to society at large.† When we talk of trade union, we talk of association of workers for the purpose of improving their economic status and working conditions through collective bargaining. Historically there have been two major types of labor unions: the horizontal, or craft, union, in which all the members are skilled in a certain craft (e.g., carpenters); and the vertical, or industrial, union, composed of workers in the same industry, whatever their particular skills (e.g., automobile workers). A company union is an employee-controlled union having no affiliation with other labor organizations. The term closed shop refers to a company that hires only union members. In a union shop, employees are required to join a union within a specified time after being hired. An open shop does not restrict its employees to union members. Labor unions are essentially the product of the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In Great Britain, miners and textile workers were organized in the 1860s. Most European labor organizations today are either political parties or are affiliated with political parties, usually left-wing ones. In Britain today there are almost 23 million people in paid employment. Most of them spend up to a quarter of their lives at work – longer, on average, than anywhere else in Europe. Today almost seven million people in Europe belong to TUC unions (founded in Manchester in 1868) that is almost one worker in every three. Wherever people work there are union members – or potential union members. They include men and women; full-time and part-time workers; people in big businesses, and those in small ones; people who work for the government and those who work for themselves. Union members are no different from anyone else, except they tend to be better paid and have better working conditions because they have someone to stand up for them. Unions contribute to the success of an enterprise by helping employers plan for the future and manage change. Some of the most dynamic companies work routinely with the unions to keep their workforce informed on crucial issues. The development of worker and union involvement in an enterprise is known in Europe as ‘social partnership'. In some workplaces arrangements to involve workers more closely have been developed with formal â€Å"works councils†. European regulations require such works councils for large companies that operate in more than one EU country. They also require consultation where big changes or redundancies are planned. Sometimes companies and unions have to find imaginative solutions to changes in demand for goods and services. The social partnership approach allows both sides to explore ways of working to the benefit of employees as well as the enterprise. Many union movements in the underdeveloped countries have led anticolonial campaigns toward political independence. In the United States, Unions began developing in the 1830s. Among the important early organizations were the Knights of Labor and the Industrial Workers of the World. A milestone in the history of American unionism came in 1886 with the formation of a group that eventually became the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), an association that includes nearly all of the larger U.S. Unions. The U.S. Labor movement gained support from such new deal laws as the Wagner Act (1935), creating the National Labor Relations Board, but later was restricted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and the Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959. By the late 1970s some 20 states had banned the closed shop through right-to-work laws. In bargaining with companies in economically troubled industries in the 1980s, U.S. Unions often sought to save existing jobs through concessions (give-backs) of earlier gains, and in 1993 unions unsuccessfully fought passage of the North American free trade agreement, fearing job losses if it were ratified. U.S. Union membership has steadily declined from its peak of 35.5% of the nonagricultural workforce in 1945; in 1992, when U.S. Unions had 16,390,000 members, it stood at 15.8%. Today there are unions in virtually every country in the world. In countries as far apart as South Africa and Poland unions have been at the forefront of campaigns for social change. Internationally, world trade unionism was split after 1949 between two rival organizations: the World Federation of Trade Unions (1945) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (1949). The International Labor Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Environmental Scanning Report essays

Environmental Scanning Report essays Internet-connected computers are at risk. And it's clear that anyone who does business on the Net is vulnerable. Corrections, defenses or patches exist for most flaws, but when they're not installed, the systems are vulnerable and attacks succeed. As it is stated on Computer World magazine, as the systems are getting more complicated the vulnerability of the systems are increasing. A key element that's missing in Internet security is a set of practical, widely accepted and nonproprietary operating standards specifying in detail how systems should be configured and operated. Without widely accepted standards, organizations will continue to install computers blindly, hoping they'll be protected by obscurity or luck. If the global economy weren't dependent on the Internet, such wishful thinking might be acceptable. But today, every unprotected system connected to a high-speed communications line is a loaded weapon that attackers can use against e-commerce leaders, communications and power companies, and national governments. Of even greater risk for e-commerce is a business partner that doesn't protect its systems, thus putting every other electronic partner at risk. It isn't surprising, then, that Visa, the firm that stepped forward to begin solving the problem, is connected to a very large number of other companies. Visa processes $1.7 trillion in transactions every year, or more than $4 billion every day. To do that efficiently, Visa electronically partners with 21,000 merchants that carry its logo. In late July, Visa issued a new set of 10 requirements that each merchant partner must meet if it wants to keep the logo. They range from having specific firewall settings to changing default passwords, and they cover patches, encryption, antivirus software and more. What makes Visa's "Ten Commandments" so valuable is that they're practical. Most organizations that understand security already comply with them. Visa's great contri...

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Changing America; The Early 19th Century essays

A Changing America; The Early 19th Century essays In the late 19th Century America was going through a change. The democracy of the nation was taking a new shape, and Americans were forming their future through more political systems. New issues were effecting the American people, and organization became a viable method of being heard. Politicians were becoming actual voices for groups of people, rather than being a vessel for corruption and political favoritism. The face of the nations was in transformation and everything would change with it. One of the nations biggest changes started in the work force. When working conditions started to become too adverse, workers started seeing the advantage of banning together as unions. Owners who would not pay attention to the needs of individuals, could not ignore when their entire labor force demanded that an issue was resolved, and owners were forced to pay attention. Labor unions became a political power, pressing under the notion that they were giving the people the voice they deserved. As unions matured they would move through phases of representation: from representing a large number of people in a variety of occupations, to becoming more specified to the individuals within one occupation. Eventually many unions existed for all different professions, all focusing on their sector of the work force. The system of political representation followed a similar suit. Instead of a system of wide representation across a wide area of land, representation became more specific to small locations. This helped lower political corruption which was becoming more rampant up until that point. Political favors were no longer the dominating way to get what you wanted out of the government. The more focused representation could help get the issues of more people in front of the congress. Out of the more focused representation, voices of immigrants, non-caucasions, and women would not fall onto deaf ears. Immigration was peaking at the end of the 19th ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

BPL vs. DLL in Delphi Programming Applications

BPL vs. DLL in Delphi Programming Applications When we write and compile a Delphi application, we typically generate an executable file - a standalone Windows application. Unlike Visual Basic, for example, Delphi produces applications wrapped in compact exe files, with no need for bulky runtime libraries (DLLs). Try this: start Delphi and compile that default project with one blank form, this will produce an executable file of about 385 KB (Delphi 2006). Now go to Project - Options - Packages and check the Build with runtime packages check box. Compile and run. Voila, the exe size is now around 18 KB. By default the Build with runtime packages is unchecked and every time we make a Delphi application, the compiler links all the code your application requires to run directly into your applications executable file. Your application is a standalone program and doesnt require any supporting files (like DLLs) - thats why Delphi exes are so big. One way of creating smaller Delphi programs is to take advantage of Borland package libraries or BPLs in short. Whats a Package? special dynamic-link library used by Delphi applications Packages enable us to place portions of our application into separate modules that can be shared across multiple applications. Packages, also, provide a means of installing (custom) components into Delphis VCL pallete. Therefore, basically two types of packages can be made by Delphi: Run-time packages - provide functionality when a user runs an application - they operate much like standard DLLs. Design-time packages - used to install components in the Delphi IDE and to create special property editors for custom components. Design packages From this point this article will deal with run-time packages and how they can help Delphi programmer. One wrong mit: you are not required to be a Delphi component developer to take advantage of packages. Beginner Delphi programmers should try working with packages - theyll get better understanding of how packages and Delphi work. When and when Not ot Use Packages DLLs are most commonly used as collections of procedures and functions that other programs can call. Besides writing DLLs with custom routines, we can place a complete Delphi form in a DLL (for example an AboutBox form). Another common technique is to store nothing but resources in DLLs. More information on how Delphi operates with DLLs find in this article: DLLs and Delphi. Before going on to comparison between DLLs and BPLs we have to understand two ways of linking code in an executable: static and dynamic linking. Static linking means that when a Delphi project is compiled, all the code that your application requires is directly linked into your applications executable file. The resulting exe file contains all the code from all the units that are involved in a project. Too much code, you might say. By default, uses clause for a new form unit list more than 5 units (Windows, Messages, SysUtils, ...). However, the Delphi linker is smart enough to link only the minimum of code in the units actually used by a project. With static linking our application is a standalone program and doesnt require any supporting packages or DLLs (forget BDE and ActiveX components for now). In Delphi, static linking is the default. Dynamic linking is like working with standard DLLs. That is, dynamic linking provides functionality to multiple applications without binding the code directly to each application - any required packages are loaded at runtime. The greatest thing about dynamic linking is that loading of packages by your application is automatic. You dont have to write code to load the packages neither you have to change your code. Simply check the Build with runtime packages check box found on the Project | Options dialog box. The next time you build your application, your projects code will be linked dynamically to runtime packages rather than having units linked statically into your executable file.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

I dont know chose the one that fits the story Essay

I dont know chose the one that fits the story - Essay Example Many examples are given in this paper of how Gates has used monologue as an exposition device to convey his audience his intended message. The paper concludes with a concise summary of the main points in the paper. To begin with, Henry Gates begins this memoir by drawing a vivid picture of how their kitchen looked like when he was young, Gates says, â€Å" we always has a gas stove in the kitchen, in our house in Piedmont, West Virginia where I grew up. Never electric, though electric became fashionable in Piedmont in the sixties, like using Crest toothpaste rather than Colgate, or watching Huntley or Brinkley†. In this quotation, Gates gives a perfect exposition of his family’s kitchen and lifestyle when he was young and growing u. This exposition is meant to connect his audience with his childhood lifestyle. The use of monologue as an expository device helps Gates to connect his audience with his childhood lifestyle in a very clear way. In explaining his humble background, Gates says the following, â€Å"Mama would wash her hair over the sink, towel wrapped over her shoulders, wearing just her slip and her white bra. (We had no shower- just a galvanised tub that we stored in the kitchen†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This quotation expresses the humble background of Gates, the fact that Gates’ family did not have shower, but just a galvanised tub that they stored in the kitchen means that Gates’ family was poor. Gates uses monologue to make this exposition about her poor and humble background. Through the use of monologue as a literary device in this exposition, Gates connects his audience with his humble background. This exposition will help his audience to better understand the main message that he wants to express in this memoir. It is good to note that Gates’ intended audience in this memoir is the Black Americans who were constantly trying to emulate the white people’s standard of beauty. Through the exposition of his humble background, Gates intended audience will be