Using Home Design Software - A Review

Using Home Design Software - A Review Home Designer ® by Chief Architect is a line of software programs for non-professionals. Intended to help the Do-It-Yourselfer (DIYer) create workable home and garden plans, these applications cost less than professional-grade software. Not simplified or simple-minded,  Chief Architect products can teach you more about construction and design than a semester course at the local community college. And they are fun to use. Advertisements promise that this software will save you from napkin sketching, thanks to an integrated mobile Room Plannerâ„ ¢ app which lets you measure and plan rooms on the go and then import the file into Home Designer. You might love napkin sketching, but youll still want to test out the next step in home design. For the inexperienced, try out the middle-of-the line product, Home Designer Suite. You may hit some bumps along the way, but youre sure to find some happy surprises. Heres the scoop on the 2015 version. Using Home Designer Suite Every year is a new version, but most applications work the same way. Download files from homedesignersoftware.com or purchase the DVD. Installation is the straightforward 10-15 minute process. Then jump right in. Create New Plan makes you choose a house style before anything else. This gets you thinking about what look you want for your new construction or what style your built house might be. Of course, the problem with style is that very few house styles are pure Colonial or Country Cottage or Arts Crafts. Select one of the style choices, however, and you get a simple illustration along with written content that defines what they mean by the style. For example, Urban Chic/Contemporary is described as clean and spare. When you first begin, the software prompts you to make decisions - for example, choose a core catalog for your library, framing defaults, exterior siding. Construction pros understand the need to know wall height and thickness before building. However, if you are impatient, you might feel frustrated by the need to choose style details before getting started. The house style you have chosen loads an array of default style choices. Not to worry, however - these defaults can be changed at any time. Still, the creative side of you  may begin wishing for the napkin part of the process - a distraction-free work area to sketch out your inspirations. Building, Not Drawing The default work area in Home Designer looks like a piece of graph paper, although this Reference Grid can be turned off. The unsaved file is called Untitled 1: Floor Plan, so you may want to get into the habit of saving your electronic work often, just as you would in any software program. The cursor is at the crosshairs, beginning at the 0,0 point of an x-y axis. Its all movable, so the new user may reasonably decide to draw a floor plan with a drag-and-drop motion. But Home Designer in 2015 doesnt work like that. The user of Home Designer software does not really draw or sketch a design, but builds and constructs a home. If you begin with the Build drop-down menu, you will see Wall at the top of the list. Each wall section is considered an Object, so once each object is placed, you can select and move it around. The program functions like a builder - it progresses one wall at a time, one room at a time. An architect often thinks more abstractly and conceptually at first - a sketch on a napkin. In contrast, Home Designer functions more like a builder. Using this software, you may feel more like Bob the Builder than architect Frank Gehry. Results: The Wow Factor The very impressive 3D renderings will amaze you. The floor plan that you build can be viewed in multiple ways - overhead like a dollhouse, different camera views, and even a virtual walkthrough along a path you define. This DIY software takes away the mystique of any architect, designer, or construction professional who tries to wow the public with a virtual reality presentation. Anyone can do it; its baked into the software. If You Dont Read the Directions First Remember this, if youre not in the habit of reading instructions before you begin (you know who you are):   (1) Use Build then (2) Select objects to move and modify. In addition to this Build and Select method, Home Designer Suite has two more ways to get your project going: Tools Space PlanningCreate Room Boxes to rearrange, then select Build House from the drop-down menu and poof - the walls and rooms are all there.Go to the Home Designer Samples Gallery and download a zip file of sample plans and renderings. One look at the floor plans and 3D views, and youll say, Yeah, I want to do THAT! A nifty aspect of these sample plans is that they are not static or read only - you can take designs that someone else drew and modify them to your own specifications. Of course, you cant professionally USE them in any official way, because that would be stealing, but you can get a jump start on the learning curve. Product Documentation Tells All Every new edition of Home Designer Suite has its own version of a Users Manual and a Reference Manual. A very, very helpful feature of the Chief Architect website is that the company doesnt throw away much  - from the Product Documentation page, you can choose your version of Home Designer from a drop-down menu, and a PDF file is available for your product and the version (year) of the product. If you read the Reference Manual first, a first-time user may better undersand the focus on objects instead of concepts in the software environment created by Chief Architect. The environment is built on object-based design  - object-based design technology means you place and edit objects, rather than work with the many individual lines or surfaces used to represent them. The environment is 3-D drafting, a three dimensional coordinate system...using the X, Y, and Z axes. The current position of your mouse pointer displays in the Status Bar at the bottom of the program window. Architectural objects take up space in all three dimensions and their height, width and depth can be specified....In addition, the location of objects can be precisely defined using coordinates... How Easy is Home Designer Suite to Use? When the video says, Its that easy, well, its not that easy. For the uninitiated DIYer, a half-days worth of fiddling and training is recommended to become even semi-productive. Even after a full day of fiddling, front porch columns may go through the roof or stairways may end up as high as a rooftop. Although there may be easier ways to draw a floorplan, Home Designer software really gives a professional look to even the simplest of floorplans. While designing the floorplan, its very easy to switch to a different view, such as a 3D overhead called a dollhouse. When viewing the outside of your design, you can easily place your new home in a stock photograph setting or its even more fun to choose your vegetation from a list and do your own landscaping. The online Support Center and drop-down Help menu are phenomenal. Help documents are constantly being updated, including: Frequently Asked Questions and Knowledge Base, a database of FAQs and solutions to specific questionsHome Designer Getting Started Resources, which may include access to too much informationClassroom Training, Webinars, Online and Mobile Training VideosCustomer Service Telephone SupportHome Talk forum and discussion group specifically for Home Designer software users The newbie might want to start with a quick tutorial and then reference the online Users Manual and the Reference Manual. 5 Reasons to Use Home Designer Software It makes you think about design, how elements/objects fit together, and how standard sizes and shapes of appliances can dictate interior design.It may save you money when you use an architect that charges by the hour. If you can conceptualize your ideas using the language of the professional designer or architect, communication will be faster and your expectations can be better thought through.The many standard features will keep you busy for weeks. The uninitiated will not outgrow this software anytime soon.Not only does the software integrate with the Room Planner app, but users can import photos of their own homes for landscaping and remodeling projects.Great support. Affordable price. Other Considerations Once you get the knack of using the software, its just too easy to make complicated designs. Walls and juts are easy to add, but theres no on-screen calculator to show you the immediate construction costs of what you are doing. Beware of sticker shock! Three-dimensional renderings include a snazzy ability to record a virtual walk-through. However, you will not be able create the simple yet elegant line drawings found in the work of professional architects. For that type of elevation drawing, youd need to move up to the Chief Architect product line created for professionals at chiefarchitect.com. Too many options can be paralyzing. Take your time and build your knowledge. Green initiatives and Green Building Software Tips are available online for the Chief Architect professional software. It would be nice to see these tips directed to the everyday consumer, too. Chief Architect, Inc. offers two lines of software products: Home Designer for the Do-It-Yourselfer consumer and Chief Architect for the professional. Both product lines are by Chief Architect, and both are described as Home Design Software. Which program to purchase could be confusing, so check out both the Home Design Software products and the Chief Architect product comparison. Chief Architect has been making professional architectural software since the 1980s. The Home Designer line builds on years of experience with a complex interface. The heftiness of the manuals and the need for so much support suggests the possible need for a more intuitive user experience. Fortunately, the documentation is excellent. After a day of tinkering and discovering what is possible, anyones imagination should soar.  Home Designer can be challenging to master, but well worth the effort. Cost The Home Designer family includes multiple products that range in price from $79 to $495. Students and academic institutions can license the products when adopted as a teaching tool. Trial downloads are available, and Chief Architect backs all products with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If your home projects focus on remodeling or interior design, Home Designer Interiors might be a better purchase at $79. Internet access is required for installation, license authentication, deactivation, video, and library catalog access. Internet access for license validation is required once every 30 days; for Home Designer Pro, license validation is required once every 14 days. Sources Chief Architect Home Designer Suite 2015, User’s Guide, http://cloud.homedesignersoftware.com/1/pdf/documentation/home-designer-suite-2015-users-guide.pdfChief Architect Home Designer Suite 2015, Reference Manual, p. 21, http://cloud.homedesignersoftware.com/1/pdf/documentation/home-designer-suite-2015-reference-manual.pdfRendering examples by Jackie Craven Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Comparison Contrast essay of Foreign and domestic automobiles

Comparison Contrast of Foreign and domestic automobiles - Essay Example Nissan, Honda and Toyota are the dominant forces in Japan, they make automobiles which perform very consistently and are equipped with the latest technology. The likes of Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes Benz are the dominant forces in Europe, they make fine cars like Audi, Mercedes and other very popular cars, there are several types of Audis, and there are luxury cars, SUVs which sell like hot cakes. â€Å"Slightly more Americans now say the United States makes better-quality vehicles than Asia does, with 38 percent saying U.S. cars are best and 33 percent preferring autos made by Asian companies, according to an Associated Press-GfK Poll.† (Foreign Cars) Toyota specifically stands out because the company follows a comprehensive system of TQM which stands for total quality management, the whole line of production can easily be stopped should any problems be discovered, this has often saved the company from launching automobiles which have had safety problems unlike Honda and a few other companies. Ford, a leading American company has been very successful because they have been making affordable cars but these cars are complete misfits when they come up against foreign cars. Quality does not come cheap is an age old clichà ©, some of the high end models of European and Asian automobiles are far better than American cars, these cars are safer equipped with airbags and other high tech safety equipment, these cars are faster but these cars are not inexpensive. ... General Motors is a big American company which has had some serious financial problems in the past, these financial problems cropped up simply because the company was not making enough profits, these problems may occur in the future considering the highly competitive nature of the automobile industry. Camry manufactured by Toyota which is a foreign automobile company has been bought by countless Americans, it has been the bestselling car in America for almost a decade now, this goes to show the increasing popularity of foreign cars in America. â€Å"Cities in Middle America — places such as St. Louis, Cleveland and, of course, Detroit — have the highest percentage of American car buyers. In Detroit, for example, 67 percent buy American.† (Austin Business Journal) This quote from a very popular journal sheds light upon how only in a few selected areas do buyers buy American cars whereas the reach of foreign cars can be seen in almost all the areas and regions, thi s goes to show the widespread reach of foreign cars and the limited reach of domestic automobiles. â€Å"Toyota averages about 50 percent, he said, and imports about a million vehicles a year into the U.S. from Japan. Domestic content may decrease gradually." (Drive Blog Journal) The increasing demand of automobiles manufactures by Toyota has been highlighted time and again in this paper, the more this car gets importer into the US, the more it will capture the market share. This would mean that domestic automobile companies like GM and others would have to face increasing difficulty and a very competitive environment in the near future. Honda also exports a lot of cars into the US and it is again a very big competitor for the domestic automobile companies. â€Å"For some buyers, the concept of buying an

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Polymorphisms Are Essay - 1

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta Polymorphisms Are Associated With - Essay Example tivity appropriated; then PPAR delta genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells through promoting appropriated fatty acid oxidation. Indeed, following the research data showed that essential role in blood lipid metabolism plays PPAR delta gene. These were establishes from distinguish studies such as treating with a PPAR dalta agonists that increase plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and screening 5’ untranslated region of the human PPAR delta gene for DNA sequence variants where identified four polymorphisms. Such as T/C transition in nucleotide 15 of exon 4 was associated with plasma LDL-cholesterol levels in two cohorts of healthy men, than rare C allele correlated with higher LDL levels, was associated with higher transcriptional activity in vitro, and to affect binding of transcription factor. The conclusion is that DNA sequence variation in the PPAR delta locus is a potential modifier of changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and pla sma HDL cholesterol during regular exercise. (Hautalla et al., 2007) According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancer, mental diseases, osteoporosis, caused 60% of the world’s mortality in 1999, and according to current estimations they will be responsible for 73% of deaths by the year 2020.Endeed homeostasis and energy balance, achieving during exercise should reduced these epidemic dieses from spreading. Homeostasis of energy and fitness is correlated with nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) .The key to glucose, lipid and protein metabolism is hiding in PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma, which stay uncovered, but data confirmed the key role of PPAR delta in lipid metabolism. Involvement was proved in metabolic disorder such as metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. So sensors for fatty acid, PPARs, the controller of metabolic pathway, bona fide members, are encored by 48 genes in humans

Meeting Individual Needs in Lessons for Children

Meeting Individual Needs in Lessons for Children Assessment 1 When planning lessons and activities for children we must ensure that all individual needs are met. To be able to do this firstly we need to look at factors which may affect their development or needs. Affecting factors may include stress, disability, illness, birth defects or home environment. It will be the role of the child’s key worker to evaluate individual children and assess their needs and help them overcome or resolve any issues which may be affecting their development or growth. These observations are best done during the child’s free time when they are more relaxed and not feeling pressured. We can learn a lot when a child is doing a task they enjoy or are playing. Once our observations have been made we can use our findings to plan future activities. Individual observations and assessments need to be made for each child as development varies in all children. Activities need to be based on what the child is able to achieve and must not be too hard for them to complete as they will feel pressured and it may affect their confidence. We must also make sure that the activities are not too easy as the child will not feel fully stimulated and may become bored. Using activities based around a child’s likes or interests is a great way to get them interested and engaged. Differentiation must also be used when trying to meet individual needs, including specialist equipment when needed, visual aids, adult interaction and learning aids when conducting a group activity will ensure that all of the children can be included. Using differentiation will also ensure that all children can meet the overall aim of the group task despite this being done in different ways. When planning for individual needs of children we must make sure we include the practice of equal opportunities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child state ‘All children have the right to have their views and opinions listened to.’ By ensuring we take this into account we can work with the child and plan activities based on things they enjoy and include their own culture or beliefs. The individual schools ‘Equal Opportunities Policy’ must also be read and followed to make sure all children and their families feel included, it will also help the children to refine their own identities. If we follow all of the above plans and ensure that each child is individually assessed then we can make sure that they are reaching all of their goals and aims and are fully happy and stimulated in the tasks that they are undertaking, this will also aid the development and growth of the child both individually and within a group. As well as making sure that all children’s individual needs are met we must also make sure that we are not discriminating against any of our children. Discrimination occurs when an individual or group of children are treated less favourably than others. This may be due to gender, disabilities, faith, race, culture, physical appearance or even social class. If a child does feel discriminated against then this could result in them becoming withdrawn and it may cause development delays. According to the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ‘ children have a right, spelled out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a child, to provisions which enable them to develop their personalities, talents and abilities irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disability or gender.’ (EYFS) There are several ways in which we can make sure that we are including all children in all of our activities and the first step in doing this would be to read through the Equality Act 2010. This act protects children from discrimination right through their school life up to the age of eighteen. The Act states ‘.it is unlawful for a school to discriminate against a pupil or prospective pupil by treating them less favourably’ (Equality Act 2010). This Act replaced nine major Acts of Parliament and almost one hundred sets of regulations. The Act covers all schools in England and Wales and schools managed by Education Authorities in Scotland. Whilst reading through the Act we learn a lot more about how equality can be given in schools and a more defined description as to what counts as equality. As well as making ourselves knowledgeable in this Act there are also several things that we can introduce into the school and classroom setting. Welcome signs in a variety of languages and not just English would be a great idea as it shows before entering the school that all nationalities are welcome. The learning of spoken greetings for different nationalities would also make the school and staff come across as more friendly and approachable. Different cultures and faiths celebrate all different festivals and celebrations throughout the year and by doing entire class projects on these we would not only be benefiting the individual students from the religions but we would also be educating the whole class. The inclusion of toys and games from around the world is another good way to teach about different ways of life. We must also make sure when planning lessons and activities that we include topics which don’t just discuss our own beliefs and preferences as this too would be portrayed as being prejudice to those students whose beliefs were different. According to Albert Bandura ‘behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.’ (Albert Bandura 1977). Therefore if we as key workers are seen to be showing and exploring new and different cultures and ways of playing then it will also encourage the children to explore these too. The inclusion of disabled children must also be considered when planning and we must make sure that the correct provisions are in place, such as ramps for wheelchair users and items such as large print cards and sheets for those visually impaired children, visual aids and picture cards must also be available for those children with non verbal communication. If we can follow the guidelines which our individual schools have as well as the Equality Act 2010, common sense too, then we should be knowledgeable in the planning of our lessons and activities to ensure all children are included at all times. All activity planning must be done to ensure all of the individual needs of the children are met. To be able to do this correctly we firstly need to look at the ages of the children we are working with. The ages will fall into the categories of, birth – 12 months, 12-24 months, 24-36 months and 36-60 months. Once we have identified the correct age bracket we can think about our activities, whilst we are doing this we must also ensure that we are giving choices to the children as this will help with their decision making and confidence. For the birth-12 month age where the child is not mobile, placing a selection of toys within their reach is the best solution. For 12-24 months when the children are starting to walk and talk we can place different games and tasks around the setting and communicate with them and give them a choice of what they want to do. Again this can be used for the following 2 age brackets but we can expand on it by asking them to choose, unpack and tidy away their own activities as this will stretch them and promote more independence. Whilst we do have these age brackets as a guideline we must remember that children will develop at their own pace and may not always fall into the set guidelines. Therefore we must assess each individual child and ensure that they are given suitable tasks with they will be able to complete either independently or with a little guidance and help. The child must never feel overwhelmed by the task or activity as this will affect their confidence. We could also again use differentiation for this. Communication will form a large part in ensuring individual needs are met as we can speak to the children and ask if they are enjoying what they are doing and also finding out what their likes and dislikes are will help when planning future activities. Using communication to aid our planning will also benefit any disabled children as we will be able to discuss with them ways which they feel we could make activities easier and more enjoyable for them so their individual needs are also met. It is of paramount importance that we fully meet the individual needs of the children so that they can gain further knowledge and skills which will help them grow and develop. Within early year’s settings we must make sure that we promote the children’s physical and emotional well being, there are several ways that this can be done. Firstly we need to look at safety, not just the part of keeping the child safe and away from danger but making them feel safe in their new environment and with being separated from their parents. The child’s key worker will be in charge of this. The key worker will have to build a good and trusting relationship with the child so they feel safe in their care. Working with parents on this would be very beneficial in making the transition and separation easier. Finding out likes and dislikes of a child will also help with getting to know them as individuals and help build up a good relationship. Safety must also cover keeping the child safe within the setting and away from harm. The key worker will need to ensure all age appropriate toys and games are used at all times to reduce problems such as choking hazards. When we look at the physical wellbeing of the early year’s children we must also look at the key worker to child ratio to make sure the child is getting the correct amount of care. Whilst the children are under 24 months we must make sure that the ratio is one key worker to three children, this is due to them having no sense of danger and requiring extra care and watching. As the children get older and more mobile the ratio reduces, at 24-36 months there is only one key worker required for four children, this is because the children are becoming more independent. At 36-60 months the children are much more independent and are aware of danger and hazards. Emotional wellbeing can be promoted in these early years in different ways. One of the biggest things we can do is to allow the child to make choices and decisions for themselves. Using a selection of games and letting them pick their own is a great way to do this, also allowing a choice when it comes to snack time is beneficial as it promotes independence and decision making skills which they will need in later life. We must also give the children the right to say ‘no’ to certain things as this will empower them and enable them to become more resilient individuals. Other ways we can promote the physical and emotional well being of all children include introducing safety lessons and talks. Lessons such as kitchen and bathroom safety are important. Teaching about road safety and ‘stranger danger’ and appropriate and inappropriate ways of touching and talking to each other will also be very beneficial. If we implement and promote all of the above to our early year’s children then they will have a good, strong and solid foundation which will help them greatly in later life. References:- Albert Bandura (1977) Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (2012) Equality Act (2010) The Children’s Act (1989) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children

Dismissal Meeting Essay

1. Propose three ways that a manager can cope with any negative emotions that may accompany an employee layoff. Layoffs are tough for both the employee being laid off and the company for which he/she worked. The situation causes so much uncertainty amongst the remaining employees. The feeling among the employees is; if this happened to them this could happen to me as well. According to Johnson (n.d.), â€Å"There is a major disruption in the status quo; relationships are severed, work is redistributed with a probable increase in everyone’s workload.† We as human fear the unknown and will ultimately feel that it’s bound to happen again and will remain on edge until reassured it won’t happen. Three ways the manager can cope with any negative emotions are: communicate with remaining employees, dispel any rumors, and allow employees to vent. During these difficult times it’s important that management has constant communication with their staff. Accordin g to Butcher (2008), â€Å"Most employees want to know what will be happening to them, especially whether they will they be laid off.† Each one of the surviving employees wants to know what’s going on no one wants to be left out. When there is something perceived to be a cover up the employees are uneasy. When the employees are uneasy panic and hysteria sets in and production levels go down. The moment employees get wind of the layoffs or terminations the rumors will start to fly. It all stems from fear of losing their jobs. Employees become untrustworthy of management, so until management presents themselves as trustworthy, employees will continue to talk and spread rumors. Management has to step and in let the employees know the truth about what has happened and what will come next. If there is projected to be more layoffs then management should let them know. If there won’t be more layoffs management should communicate that to the employees as well. The best coping mechanism for negative emotions would be to let the  person vent. If management allows the employees to vent, this will lessen the fru stration amongst the remaining members of the team. Management should conduct a meeting with the employees and allow them to share their feelings. Once management has an idea of how the employees feel they can make proper action to deal with the situation. Communication shouldn’t be one sided. Each side has to share what they believe is important. 2. Describe a step-by-step process of conducting the dismissal meeting. There are many steps to disciplining and employee. Usually, the last step in the discipline process is the dismissal of the employee. In a situation, where the employer doesn’t believe the employee should continue employment with the company the dismissal process begins. According to Heathfield (n.d.), â€Å"Sometimes, however, terminating a staff person’s employment is the best step to take for your organization.† Often times, when the employee isn’t a best fit for the organization management has to make the decision to trim the fat. Once it’s been determined the employee will be terminated for whatever reason. Whether it is for cause or non-performance, there is a process in which this shall be conducted. The manager has to schedule a meeting, inform the employee of termination, allow the employee to speak, and collect company property and have the employee escorted out. The manager has to be diligent in scheduling the meeting. Most often practice is to schedule the meeting for the end of the day. This allows the manager to minimize the chance the termination of the employee may disturb the work environment. In the event, the employee has a good relationship with the other employees the others may become upset. The meeting should be scheduled for the employee on a day in which the employee works. Depending on the preferred method of communication the manager should contact the employee as soon as possible. Once the meeting has been determined the manager should pick a location in which the meeting can be conducted. The preference is a location in which there will be some type of barrier between the manager and the employee. The manager should position the room in such a way that the employee doesn’t have to cross paths once the meeting has ended. While the meeting is going the manager should open the meeting explaining the reason for which they are meeting. After the manager has discussed with the employee the reason for termination it is important to allow the employee to express his/her feelings. During this time the  employee is allowed to say something in his/her defense. Also allows the employee to vent frustration about the termination. This will lessen the likelihood that employee will try some sort of retaliation. Additionally, is there was some misunderstanding on either the manager or the employees part this would be the time to clear it up. The next step is a combination of two, have the employee return company property. Someone should accompany the employee to his/her work area/location to assure company property has been properly returned and his/her personal property has been gathered. Making sure the personal property has been attained will deter the former employee from coming back. The second part would to have the former employee escorted out. In situations like these, it may be best to have someone the employee has a close relationship escort them out. 3. Determine the compensation that the factitious company may provide to the separated employee. Majority of the people in the workforce today, are doing so because they have to. Everyone has bills and expenses that have to be paid regularly. With this being said, everyone needs a steady income. Without a steady income individuals will fall behind and face major issues. So when it comes to employees being laid off from work employers should assist with some type of temporary compensation. In most cases, employers provide severance pay; pay accrued leave, and unemployment benefits. Most employers have severance packages set up for employees in the event the employment has to be terminated earlier than expected. According to Yuille, (2012), â€Å"The severance pay offered is typically one to two weeks for every year worked but can be more.† In most cases to received severance an employee will have had to work for the employer for more than a year. Employers should offer pretty reasonable packages depending on the job market and the economic climate. Most employers offer a benefits package for its employees. These are the things that attract talent to a particular employer. Within the benefits package there should be a leave option. The leave option should be a reasonable about of leaver per time worked. In the government workforce, when employment is terminated the amount of leave not taken is paid out at the rate in which the person works based on the number of hours of leave. Unemployment benefits mainly focus around two major parts of employee compensation and health benefits. The first of the two is  the weekly unemployment payment usually received from the state in which the person has been employed for the amount of time in which it requires to receive the benefit. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows for temporary continuation of health insurance. However, it isn’t subsidized like it would have been while employed. The individual has to pay a much higher premium when paying as unemployed. 4. Using Microsoft Word or an equivalent such as Open Office, create a chart that depicts the timeline of the disbursement of the compensation. See Appendix A 5. Predict three ways that this layoff may affect the company. In most cases, companies lay off employees to save money. Most times layoffs are due to slow in production or a drop in revenue. It’s always ugly business on both ends of the deal. The employees are out of a job and the company is out of workers. Three ways layoffs may affect a company are: lower moral, loss in production, and cost to retrain. When there is a layoff the surviving employees tend to become a bit worried about what will happen to them next. According to Matthews (2002), â€Å"The effects of layoffs on surviving employees have a less obvious, but still important, short-term financial impact. Morale directly affects productivity.† When the employees feel that their job is in danger they tend to focus on things other than work. Production is the main focus of any company’s operation. Production is what makes money for the company. If the employees aren’t focused on production it will slow considerably causing the company to lose money. The effects of the layoff will cause the company to lose more money than they anticipated. In the long run, the company will lose money on production due to low morale and lack of focus. Once production starts to pick up again the company will need to hire more workers. This boost in production will cause the company to need more workers to handle the load. The money spent on recruiting and training will absorb the money that was supposed to be saved by the company. Matthews also said, â€Å"The employer will pay a premium price for attracting valuable replacements, including the cost of recruiting and screening candidates.† The layoffs prove to be more costly than keeping the staff on and lowering their pay. References Butcher, D. (2008, November 13). 5 Strategies for managing employees after layoffs. Industry market trends. Industry market trends rss. Retrieved from http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/2008/11/13/5-strategies-for-employers-managing-surviving-employees-after-layoffs/ Heathfield, S. (n.d.). How to fire with compassion and class. About.com human resources. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/discipline/a/firecompassion.htm Johnson, D. W. (n.d.). The emotional impact of lay-offs and non-renewals. University of Minnesota. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www3.crk.umn.edu/humanresources/Documents/Emotional%20Impact%20of%20Layoffs.pdf Matthews, C. (2002, July 19). The real cost of layoffs by carole matthews inc.com. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/articles/2002/07/24434. Yuille, B. (2012, September 24). The layoff payoff: A severance package. Investopedia. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/negotiating-severance-agreements.asp

The Female Character in the Epic Stories Paradise Lost...

THE FEMALE CHARACTER IN THE EPIC STORIES PARADISE LOST AND THE RAMAYANA [Name of the Student] [Name of the Instructor] [Subject] [Date] The Ramayana and Paradise Lost hold stories of ancient times that tend to explain the existence of two different cultures in the present world. Milton, the author of ‘Paradise Lost,’ concerns himself with the Christian story of the ‘Fall of man’ while Valmiki, the author of The Ramayana, tries to bring out an explanation to the goals of human life. In this assignment, I would like to compare author’s use of two female characters in both The Ramayan and Paradise Lost as I try to explain the mythological themes expressed in these two old myths (Jung 64). Eve in Paradise†¦show more content†¦Milton predecessors portray Eve as deficient in virtuous enterprise. They blamed Eve for the woes of the world and their concept of Eve rooted in dualism, a view that is not depicted by Milton in the book Paradise Lost. Milton, represent Eve as a literary figure separating her from primitive conception by those who hold on tradition yet they are unconscious of prime examples of Eve in the society. Paradise Lost is a literary epic of a personal effort while The Ramayan, however, is a non-literary epic. Sita is the dominant female character in the story The Ramayana and thus is comparable to Eve in Paradise Lost in their contribution to bringing the mythical themes to the two stories as they are both mythical symbols. Paradise Lost is a work of a single individual and thus it is possible to conclude that the characters involved in the story are a projection of the authors ideas on how he wants the characters to appear. It can thus be said that the characters in Paradise Lost are truly Miltons characters. This cannot be said of the characters in the epic story The Ramayana since it is a collective effort of different people in bringing out the epic story. It is due to this that the comparison of the two primary characters in the two separate stories becomes interesting. Sita is first introducedShow MoreRelatedIndian English Novel17483 Words   |  70 Pagesera Indian literature ushered into the modern and then the post-modern era. The saga of the Indian English novel therefore stands as the tale of Changing tradition, the story of a changing India. The stories were there already in India steeped in folklores, myths, written in umpteen languages as India is always the land of stories. However, the concept of Indian English novel or rather the concept of Indians writing in English came much later and it is with the coming of Raja Rao, R.K. Narayan, Mulk

What Is the Etymology of Italia (Italy)

Question: What is the Etymology of Italia (Italy)? What Is the Etymology of Italia? Did Hercules Found Italy? I received an email including the following: Something seldom mentioned when discussing ancient Rome is that Romans never referred to themselves as Italian any more than one mentions the Italian Empire. Italia and Roma have distinct meanings often seen from different poles. It is believed that the word Italia comes from an older word -- Vitulis -- which may mean sons of the bull god or the bull king. This was first limited to the southern part of the peninsula. I am taking the email as an explicit request that I include an article addressing the question what is the etymology of Italia (Italy)? I hadnt done so because there is no definitive answer. Answer: Here are some of the theories on the etymology of Italia (Italy): Italia (Italy) may come from a Greek word for calf: But Hellanicus of Lesbos says that when Hercules was driving the cattle of Geryon to Argos a calf escaped from the herd, while he was by now travelling through Italy, and in its flight traversed the whole coast and, swimming over the strait of sea in between, reached Sicily. Hercules constantly enquired of the inhabitants wherever he came as he pursued the calf if anyone had seen it anywhere, and when the people there, who knew little of the Greek tongue, called the calf uitulus (as it is still called) in their native language when indicating the animal, he named the whole country that the calf had crossed Vitulia, after the animal.A Yoke Connecting Baskets: Odes 3.14, Hercules, and Italian Unity, by Llewelyn Morgan; The Classical Quarterly (May, 2005), pp. 190-203.Italia (Italy) may come from an Oscan word or be connected with a word related to cattle or a proper name (Italus): Italy from L. Italia, perhaps from a Gk. alteration of Oscan Viteliu Italy, but originally only the southwestern point of the peninsula, traditionally from Vitali, name of a tribe that settled in Calabria, whose name is perhaps somehow connected with L. vitulus calf, or perhaps the country name is directly from vitulus as land of cattle, or it might be from an Illyrian word, or an ancient or legendary ruler Italus.Online EtymologyItalia (Italy) may come from an Umbrian word for calf: [T]he symbol of the Italics in revolt at the time of the Social War (91-89 bc) is well known: the bull crushes the Roman she-wolf on the coins of the insurgents with the legend và ­telià º. There is a complex network of implicit references here (Briquel 1996): first the etymology, distorted but current, which made out of Italy land of the calves (Italia/Ouphitoulià ´a calf/vitlu Umbr.); then the reference to the civilizing epic of Hercules, who brings back the oxen of Geryon through the peninsula; finally the allusion to the legendary Samnite origins.A Companion to Roman Religion. Edited by Jà ¶rg Rà ¼pke (2007)Italia (Italy) may come from an Etruscan word for a bull: [Heracles] went through Tyrrhenia [Greek name for Etruria]. One bull broke away (aporregnusi) from Rhegium, and quickly fell into the sea and swam to Sicily. Having crossed the neighboring land-called Italy from this (for the Tyrrheni called a bull an italos)-it came to the field of Eryx, who ruled the Elymi.Systematic Genealogies in Apollodorus Bibliotheca and the Exclusion of Rome from Greek Myth, by K. F. B. Fletcher; Classical Antiquity (2008) 59-91.