Metal Storm :: Technology Weapons Essays

Metal Storm What is Metal Storm? Metal Storm is a revolutionary type of ballistics technology, utilizing electrical impulses to fire projectiles, rather than conventional mechanical impulses. These weapons have no moving parts aside from the projectiles themselves. The bullets are stacked on end in the barrel, separated only by a thin layer of propellant. A small electric current passing through the barrel ignites the propellant, firing the bullet from the barrel. To prevent one layer of propellant from igniting the rest of the propellant in the barrel, causing a disastrous chain reaction, the bullets are modified so that the head of the bullet will expand, sealing the barrel, when the bullet ahead of it is fired. Because of this and the nature of its electrical firing system, Metal Storm offers a variable rate of fire, from semi-automatic to a devastating 45 thousand rounds per minute per barrel, with each bullet leaving the barrel at only 4† behind the last. Also, because all that is necessary to prope l a bullet from the barrel is an electrical impulse, many barrels can be placed in an array and fired all at once. Metal Storm Ltd., the company that produces Metal Storm ballistics technology, has produced a prototype gun, nicknamed â€Å"Bertha,† which can fire at a rate of up to 1.62 million rounds per minute. Comparing this to the fastest rate previously achieved by a machine gun of 6,000 rounds per minute, one can begin to see the deadly power of this technology. And while one might think that energy would be an inherent problem with an electrical firing system, in this case, it’s not. Because the electric current is only used to ignite the gun propellant, only a very small amount of energy is required, and Metal Storm weapon can operate easily on the power from a simply flashlight battery. In addition to the machine gun, this technology is also being put to use in other applications, including a handgun variant (intended for use by military and police), a sniper-rifle (recently contracted by the United State’s Department of Defense), and even an Area-Denial Weapons System (to replace land mines), which can be operated by a single man to fire up to 1800 grenades and 360 solid mortar rounds intelligently aimed at enemy units in only a quarter of a second. Beyond this, they have also begun work on a fully automated aircraft.

Rokeby Venus Essay -- Essays Papers

Rokeby Venus I choose to look at the painting â€Å"The Toilet of Venus† or more commonly referred to as â€Å"The Rokeby Venus† by Diego Velalazquez. The â€Å"Rokeby† part came into effect, because the painting was originally displayed in the Morritt Collection at Rokeby Hall in Yorkshire, before being moved to its current home in the National Gallery. Diego Velazquez was born in Seville in 1599, and went on to become one of the most brilliant and influential painters ever to come from Spain. He lived in Madrid for most of his adult life, and was employed as a court painter. Throughout his career, he tackled a wide variety of subjects, such as landscapes, scenes from real life, and mythological/religious figures. He was a master realist who excelled at capturing essential features upon the canvas. He painted â€Å"The Rokeby Venus† between 1647 and 1651, and was his only nude portrait, as well as the first one in Spain, at that time. Initially the painting me t with some disapproval, especially from the Church, since it was a nude, but eventually the work received great praise, and became known, as being one of the most beautiful and significant portrayals of Venus in the history of Western Art. The painting, in its simplest form, consists of a naked woman lying elegantly upon stately and rich cloths, while a young, also nude boy, is holding a mirror which contains her reflection. Upon first glance of this work, I was quickly able to make out the identity of the two subjects. ...

Moving Towards a Global Community Essay

With Communism finally thought of as discredited, the US believed that it could finally assume sole dominance of global political and economic affairs. The US was wrong, as Communism was replaced with a new foe – terrorism. The 1990s saw the emergence of Islamic terrorist groups, all of which have a single-minded goal to destroy the US. These terrorist organizations justify their actions by arguing that it is their duty as good Muslims to wage a war against all enemies of Islam (Halliday, 2003). Roots of the â€Å"Jihad† Most Islamic terrorist organizations came from Third World countries, where poverty and government corruption are rampant. Furthermore, majority of the countries from which these terrorist groups originated are governed by pro-US regimes. In exchange for unlimited access to the raw materials of their respective countries, the US would grant them political, economic and military assistance. The aforementioned scenario is conducive to the rise of Islamic terrorist organizations. Impoverished and desperate, many Muslims from the Third World find solace from these groups, who offer them overly simplistic explanations for their destitute state. Leaders of Islamic terrorist organizations usually brainwash neophytes into believing that the US is responsible for the political, economic and social ills in their country. Thus, as good Muslims, they must fight the US even at the cost of their very lives. The US, on the other hand, would protect itself by calling on lackey regimes to â€Å"fight terrorism† by crushing these groups, often at the expense of civil rights and liberties of their constituents (Palmer and Palmer, 2004). References Halliday, F. (2003). Islam and the Myth of Confrontation: Religion and Politics in the Middle East (2nd ed. ). London: I. B. Tauris. Palmer, M. , & Palmer, P. (2004). At the Heart of Terror: Islam, Jihadists, and America’s War on Terrorism. New York: Rowman and Littlefield.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5

â€Å"For someone who just orchestrated a murder, you're kind of overreacting.† Overreacting? In the last twenty-four hours, I'd had to endure virgins, scary vampires, murder, accusation, and humiliation in front of my favorite author. I really didn't think coming home to a quiet apartment was too much to ask for. Instead, I found three interlopers. Three interlopers who were also my friends, mind you, but that didn't change the principle of the matter. Naturally, none of them understood why I was so upset. â€Å"You're invading my privacy! And I didn't murder anybody. Why does everyone keep thinking that?† â€Å"Because you said yourself you were going to,† explained Hugh. The imp sprawled on my love seat, his relaxed posture indicating I might actually be the one in his home. â€Å"I heard it from Jerome.† Across from him, our friend Cody offered me a friendly smile. He was exceptionally young for a vampire and reminded me of the kid brother I'd never had. â€Å"Don't worry. He had it coming. We stand by you all the way.† â€Å"But I didn't – â€Å" â€Å"Is that our illustrious hostess I hear?† called Peter from the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared in the hallway. â€Å"You look pretty snazzy for a criminal mastermind.† â€Å"I'm not – † My words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. For a moment, all thoughts of murder and apartment intrusion blanked out of my mind. â€Å"For God's sake, Peter. What happened to your hair?† He self-consciously ran a hand over the sharp, half-inch spikes covering his head. I couldn't even imagine how much styling product it must have taken to defy the laws of physics like that. Worse, the tips of the spikes were white-blond, standing out boldly against his normally dark hair color. â€Å"Someone I work with helped me with it.† â€Å"Someone who hates you?† Peter scowled. â€Å"You are the most uncharming succubus I've ever met.† â€Å"I think the spikes really, um, emphasize the shape of your eyebrows,† offered Cody diplomatically. â€Å"They just take†¦ some getting used to.† I shook my head. I liked Peter and Cody. They were the only vampires I'd ever been friends with, but that didn't make them any less trying. Between Peter's assorted neuroses and Cody's dogged optimism, I sometimes felt like the straight man – er, woman – on a sitcom. â€Å"A lot of getting used to,† I muttered, pulling up a bar-stool from my kitchen. â€Å"You're one to talk,† returned Peter. â€Å"You and your wings and whip getup.† My mouth dropped, and I turned an incredulous look on Hugh. He hastily shut the Victoria's Secret catalog he'd been leafing through. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"You said you weren't going to tell! You sealed your lips and everything!† â€Å"I, uh†¦ it just sort of slipped out.† â€Å"Did you really have horns?† asked Peter. â€Å"All right, that's it. I want you all out of here now.† I pointed at the door. â€Å"I've been through enough today without you three adding to it.† â€Å"You haven't even told us about taking the contract out on Duane.† Cody's puppy-dog eyes looked at me pleadingly. â€Å"We're dying to know.† â€Å"Well, Duane's the one who technically did the dying,† pointed out Peter in an undertone. â€Å"Watch the snide comments,† warned Hugh. â€Å"You might be next.† I half expected steam to pour from my ears. â€Å"For the last time, I did not kill Duane! Jerome believes me, okay?† Cody looked thoughtful. â€Å"But you did threaten him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. And from what I recall, so have all of you at some time or another. This is just a coincidence. I didn't have anything to do with it, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Something suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"Why does everyone keep saying things like ‘arranged his death' or ‘got someone to murder him'? Why aren't you saying that I did it myself?† â€Å"Wait†¦ you just said you didn't.† Peter rolled his eyes at Cody before facing me, the older vampire's expression turning serious. Of course, â€Å"serious† means all sorts of things when paired with a hairstyle like his. â€Å"No one's saying you did it because you couldn't have.† â€Å"Especially in those shoes.† Hugh nodded toward my heels. â€Å"I appreciate your complete lack of faith in my abilities, but isn't it possible I could have, I don't know, taken him by surprise? Hypothetically, I mean.† Peter smiled. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered. Lesser immortals can't kill one another.† Seeing my astonished look, he added, â€Å"How can you not know that? After living as long as you have?† Teasing laced his words. There had always been an unspoken mystery between Peter and me concerning which of us was the oldest of the mortals-turned-immortals in our little circle. Neither of us would openly admit our age, so we'd never really determined who had the most centuries. One night, after a bottle of tequila, we'd started playing a â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  sort of game. We'd only gotten back as far as the Industrial Revolution before passing out. â€Å"Because no one's ever tried to kill me. So what, are you saying all those turf wars vampires have are for nothing?† â€Å"Well, not for nothing,† he said. â€Å"We inflict some pretty terrific damage, believe me. But no, no one ever dies. With all the territory disputes, there'd be very few of us left if we could kill each other.† I stayed silent, turning this revelation over in my head. â€Å"Then how do – † I suddenly remembered what Jerome had told me. â€Å"They get killed by vampire hunters.† Peter nodded. â€Å"What's the deal with them?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome wouldn't elaborate.† Hugh was equally interested. â€Å"You mean like that one girl on TV? The hot blonde?† â€Å"This is going to be a long night.† Peter gave us both scathing looks. â€Å"You all need some serious Vampires 101. I don't suppose you're going to offer us anything to drink, Georgina?† I waved an impatient hand toward the kitchen. â€Å"Get whatever you want. I want to know about vampire hunters.† Peter sauntered out of my living room, yelping when he nearly tripped over one of the many stacks of books I had sitting around. I made a mental note to buy a new bookshelf. Scowling, he surveyed my nearly empty refrigerator with disapproval. â€Å"You really need to work on your hosting skills.† â€Å"Peter – â€Å" â€Å"Now, I keep hearing stories about that other succubus†¦ the one in Missoula. What's her name again?† â€Å"Donna,† offered Hugh. â€Å"Yeah, Donna. She throws great parties, I hear. Gets them catered. Invites everyone.† â€Å"If you guys want to party with all ten people in Montana, then you're welcome to move there. Now stop wasting time.† Ignoring me, Peter eyed the red carnations I'd bought the other night. I'd put them in a vase near the kitchen sink. â€Å"Who sent you flowers?† â€Å"No one.† â€Å"You sent yourself flowers?† asked Cody, his voice quaking with sympathy. â€Å"No, I just bought them. It's not the same. I didn't – look. Why are we talking about this when there's an alleged vampire killer on the loose? Are you two in danger?† Peter finally opted for water but tossed beers to Hugh and Cody. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"We aren't?† Cody seemed surprised to learn this. His scant years as a vampire practically made him a baby compared to the rest of us. Peter was teaching him â€Å"the trade,† so to speak. â€Å"Vampire hunters are simply special mortals born with the ability to inflict real damage to vampires. Mortals in general can't touch us, of course. Don't ask me how or why this all works; there's no system as far as I can tell. Most so-called vampire hunters go through life without even realizing they have this talent. The ones who do sometimes decide to make a career out of it. They pop up like this from time to time, picking off the occasional vampire, making a general nuisance of themselves until some enterprising vampire or demon takes them out.† â€Å"‘Nuisance'?† asked Cody incredulously. â€Å"Even after Duane? Aren't you the least bit worried about this person coming after you? After us?† â€Å"No,† said Peter. â€Å"I am not.† I shared Cody's confusion. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because this person, whoever he or she is, is a total amateur.† Peter glanced over at Hugh and me. â€Å"What did Jerome say about Duane's death?† Deciding I needed a drink myself, I raided my kitchen liquor cabinet and made a vodka gimlet. â€Å"He wanted to know if I did it.† Peter made a dismissive gesture. â€Å"No, about how he died.† Hugh frowned, apparently trying to piece together the logic afoot. â€Å"He said that Duane had been found dead – with a stake through his heart.† â€Å"There. You see?† Peter looked at us expectantly. We all looked back, baffled. â€Å"I don't get it,† I finally said. Peter sighed, again looking utterly put out. â€Å"If you are a mortal who has the semidivine ability to kill a vampire, it doesn't fucking matter how you do it. You can use a gun, a knife, a candlestick, or whatever. The stake through the heart thing is hearsay. If a normal mortal does it to a vampire, it won't do a damned thing except really piss the vampire off. We only hear about it when a vampire hunter does it, so it carries some special superstitious lure, when really, it's only like that egg thing on the equinoxes.† â€Å"What?† Hugh looked totally lost. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"I actually know what he's talking about, as scary as that is to admit. There's this urban myth that eggs balance on their ends during the equinoxes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the truth is, you'd get the same results any time of the year. People only try it on the equinoxes, however, so that's all anyone notices.† I glanced over at Peter. â€Å"Your point is that a vampire hunter could kill a vampire in any number of ways, but because the stake gets all the attention, that's what has become the accepted method of†¦ ‘revocation of immortality.' â€Å" â€Å"In people's minds,† he corrected. â€Å"In reality, it's a pain in the ass to drive a stake through someone's heart. A lot easier to shoot them.† â€Å"And so you think this hunter is an amateur because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cody trailed off, obviously unconvinced by the compelling egg analogy. â€Å"Because any vampire hunter worth his or her snuff knows that and wouldn't use a stake. This person's a total newbie.† â€Å"First,† I advised Peter, â€Å"don't say ‘worth his snuff.' That expression's out-of-style and makes you sound dated. Second, maybe this hunter was just trying to be old-school or something. And even if this person is a ‘newbie,' does it really matter since they managed to take out Duane?† Peter shrugged. â€Å"He was an arrogant asshole. Vampires can sense vampire hunters at close range. Combined with this one's inexperience, Duane should have never been taken. He was stupid.† I opened my mouth to counter this. I would be among the first to agree that Duane had indeed been both arrogant and an asshole, but stupid he was not. Immortals could not live as long as we did and see as many things as we did without gleaning substantial know-how and street smarts. We grew up quickly, so to speak. Another question moved to the forefront of my reasoning. â€Å"Can these hunters hurt other immortals? Or just vampires?† â€Å"Only vampires, as far as I know.† Something didn't add up here between Peter's comments and Jerome's. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was bothering me exactly, so I kept my misgivings to myself as the others chatted on. The vampire hunter topic soon became passe, once they'd decided – with some disappointment – I hadn't contracted anybody. Cody and Hugh also seemed content to buy Peter's theory that an amateur hunter posed no real threat. â€Å"Be careful, you two,† I warned the vampires when they were getting ready to leave. â€Å"Newbie or no, Duane is still dead.† â€Å"Yes, Mom,† answered Peter disinterestedly, putting on his coat. I gave Cody a sharp look, and he squirmed a bit. He was easier to manipulate than his mentor. â€Å"I'll be careful, Georgina.† â€Å"Call me if anything weird happens.† He nodded, earning an eye roll from Peter. â€Å"Come on,† said the older vampire. â€Å"Let's get some dinner.† I had to smile at that. While vampires getting dinner might have frightened most people, I knew better. Peter and Cody both hated hunting human victims. They did it on occasion but rarely killed when they did. Most of their sustenance came from extra-rare butcher shop purchases. Like me, they were half- assingtheir infernal jobs. â€Å"Hugh,† I said sharply as he was about to follow the vampires out. â€Å"A word, please.† The vampires gave Hugh sympathetic looks before leaving. The imp grimaced, closing the door and facing me. â€Å"Hugh, I gave you that key for emergencies – â€Å" â€Å"Vampire murder doesn't constitute an emergency?† â€Å"I'm serious! It's bad enough Jerome and Carter can teleport in here without you deciding to open up my home to God and the world.† â€Å"I don't think God was invited tonight.† â€Å"And then, you went and told them about the demon-girl outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh come on,† he protested. â€Å"That was too good to keep to myself. Besides, they're our friends. What's it matter?† â€Å"It matters because you said you weren't going to tell,† I growled. â€Å"What kind of friend are you? Especially after I helped you out last night?† â€Å"Christ, Georgina. I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd take it so personally.† I ran a hand through my hair. â€Å"It's not just that. It's†¦ I don't know. It's this whole business with Duane. I was thinking about what Jerome told me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hugh waited, giving me time to gather my thoughts, sensing I was about to unleash something. My mind pondered the night's unfolding as I studied the imp's large shape beside me. He could be as silly as the vampires sometimes; I didn't know if I could speak seriously to him. â€Å"Hugh†¦ how do you know if a demon is lying?† There was a pause, then he emitted a soft laugh, recognizing the old joke. â€Å"His lips are moving.† We leaned against my counter, and he studied me from his greater height. â€Å"Why? Do you think Jerome's lying to us?† â€Å"Yes, I do.† Another pause followed. â€Å"Tell me then.† â€Å"Jerome told me to be careful, said I could be mistaken for a vampire.† â€Å"He told me the same thing.† â€Å"But Peter said vampire hunters can't kill us.† â€Å"You ever had a stake driven through your heart? It might not kill you, but I bet you wouldn't like it.† â€Å"Fair enough. But Jerome claimed vampire hunters find other vampires by following their prey. That's bullshit. Cody and Peter are the exception. You know how most vampires are – they don't hang out with other vampires. Following one generally won't lead to another.† â€Å"Yeah, but he said this one was a newbie.† â€Å"Jerome didn't say that. That was Peter's theory based on the stake.† Hugh gave a conciliatory grunt. â€Å"Okay. So what do you think is going on?† â€Å"I don't know. I just know these stories are contradicting each other. And Carter seemed awfully involved, like he was in on some secret with Jerome. Why should Carter even care? His side should technically approve of someone picking off our people.† â€Å"He's an angel. Isn't he supposed to love everyone, even the damned? Especially when said damned are his drinking buddies.† â€Å"I don't know. There's more here than we're being told†¦ and Jerome seemed so adamant about me being careful. You too, apparently.† He stayed quiet a few moments before finally saying, â€Å"You're a pretty girl, Georgina.† I started. So much for serious talk. â€Å"Did you drink more than that beer?† â€Å"I forget, though,† he continued, ignoring my question, â€Å"that you're also a smart one. I work around shallow women so much – suburban housewives wanting smoother skin and bigger breasts – who have no other concerns but their appearances. It's easy to get caught up in the stereotypes and forget that you have a brain in there too, behind your beautiful face. You see things differently than the rest of us – more clearly, I guess. Sort of a bigger picture kind of thinking. Maybe it's your age – no offense.† â€Å"You did drink too much. Besides, I'm not smart enough to figure out what Jerome isn't telling us unless†¦ there aren't really succubus or imp hunters out there, are there?† â€Å"Have you ever heard of one?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Neither have I. But I have heard of vampire hunters – independent of pop culture.† Hugh reached for his cigarettes and changed his mind, remembering I didn't like smoking in my apartment. â€Å"I don't think anyone's going to put a stake through us anytime soon, if that's what's bothering you.† â€Å"But you do agree we're being left out of the loop?† â€Å"What else do you expect from Jerome?† â€Å"I think†¦ I think I'm going to go see Erik.† â€Å"Is he still alive?† â€Å"Last I knew.† â€Å"That's a good idea. He knows more about us than we do.† â€Å"I'll let you know what I find out.† â€Å"Nah. I think I'd rather stay ignorant.† â€Å"Fine. Where are you off to now?† â€Å"I've got to go put in some after-hours time with one of the new secretaries, if you catch my meaning.† He grinned, dare I say, impishly. â€Å"Twenty years old, with breasts that defy gravity. I should know. I helped install them.† I couldn't help but laugh, despite the grim atmosphere. Hugh, like the rest of us, had a day job when not furthering the cause of evil and chaos. In his case, the line between occupations was a little thin: he was a plastic surgeon. â€Å"I can't compete with that.† â€Å"Not true. Science can't duplicate your breasts.† â€Å"Praise from a true connoisseur. Have fun.† â€Å"I will. Watch your back, sweetie.† â€Å"You too.† He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left. I stood there, alone at last, staring idly at my door and wondering what all this meant. Jerome's warning probably had been overkill, I decided. As Hugh had said, no one had ever heard of imp or succubus hunters. Still, I clicked my deadbolt and fastened the chain on my door before going to bed. Immortal I might be, but reckless I was not. Well, at least not when it counted.

Contemporary Issues in Work and Occupations: Precarious Employment Essay

Employment is of various forms. An employee can work on temporary terms, permanent terms, under contract terms, or under subcontract terms. In temporary employment terms, there are the temporary employment relationships. Contract and subcontract terms of employment are defined under certain rights and responsibilities that are specified under the labor law to govern the agreement terms of the two parties. In contract or subcontract employment, an individual is engaged to carry out a specified set of tasks with the employer and employee having a relationship whose establishment is based on a written employment contract specifying the employment terms and conditions. A defined length of employment is set including the salary, bonuses, and any other benefits that are likely to accrue to the employee under the contract. In temporary employment, the employment is specified within a given time in the same case of contract and subcontract employment. The worker may hardly work for other businesses until the specified time elapses, but they can work full time or part time. The two cases of employment can be compared and contrasted as well as pointing out how they connect in some way. In contract employment, a contractor is engaged by a business to provide a task within a given duration of time. A decent contractual agreement involves the defined terms of payment, all benefits, any bonuses, and the terms of works, which sometimes may hardly apply especially in precarious employment. In a decent or high rated contract, the specific role to be played by the contract employee is defined clearly, before the contract starts. All contract employees are usually engaged for a specified term but the conditions of work in the case of precarious employment contractual terms are poor and unfavorable in many aspects such as poor salaries, few or no benefits, and poor employee relationships (Irs. gov, 2013). Sometimes the contract could have a provision for a renewal but only under circumstances that are specified under the contract agreement if an agreement applies effectively. In precarious cases of contract employment, contractual agreements may hardly play key roles in ensuring employee freedom. At the same time, the lengths and terms of contract engagements varies from one organization or employer to another but the term is typically associated with tackling a specified task or defined to work for a specified length of time, mostly in terms of years. In terms of the payments, precarious employment contracts receive less payments that they would require given the chance to dictate their compensations. The agreement in a high contract employment specifies the exact amount as well as the manner in which the contract employee would be paid by the employer. This aspect of employee determination on the compensations to be provided hardly applies to precarious employment contract employees. In precarious employment, conditions of employment are poor and could be caused high completion of employment and the unwillingness of organizations to offer permanent employment. Organizations in this case also want to avoid risks associated with taking full responsibility of workers and thus cut on their costs and risks by making use of low paid contract employees. Sometimes provisions are set in the contract employment terms that include cases of having to include salary increments at various milestones, which are usually set forth in the contract agreement for most contractors. The contractor in high-level contract employments is hardly entitled to salary increments or additional benefits, which may not have been included in the contact agreement before the start of the contract activity (McKendrick, 2005). Any increments or additional benefits would require an amendment done on the contract. The amendment of the contract can only take place if the two parties establish consent to do it. In contract employment, breaching the contract would call for a lawful consideration of the contractual agreement. The employer may terminate the contract prematurely but he or she would be required by law to pay the contractor the full amount of money in terms of salary, benefits, and bonuses as specified in the contract agreement terms and conditions (McKendrick, 2005). Sometimes the contract employee may engage in misconduct resulting to termination of the contract by the employer in which case the employer may fail to pay the amount specified in the contract terms and conditions. This case of considering the terms and conditions hardly apply to precarious employment contracts given that most of the contract employees are more careful with the terms and conditions provided by their employer. The high possibility of losing the contract to another individual makes it hard for a contract worker in precarious employment conditions mess up in his or job task. The willingness of a contract worker in precarious employment conditions is hardly driven by the salary but rather the condition of life and lack of option to worker elsewhere. Contract employment can be of two major forms of contractors. A contractor can be either a contact employee or an independent contractor. A contract employee is termed to be an employee of a certain business or an organization (Peck, & Theodore, 2002). Many case of precarious employment contract employ workers who are contact employees. On the other hand, and independent contractor works in free style and engages in providing service for a particular organization or business while working as high leveled contractors. Contract employment involves a direct link with the employer unlike the case of subcontract employment whereby the subcontractor depends on the general contractor for employment. The case of direct link to employers is however hardly prominent in the case of poor working conditions associated with some contract employments. Precarious conditions for contract employment provide limited connection between the workers and top managements. Most of the working conditions are similar to the cases of temporary employment and the relationships in precarious employment contracts are similar to those of temporary working employees (Armstrong, Pat & Kate, 2006). Like in the case of contract employment, subcontract employment involves various types of subcontractors. One of the various types of subcontractors is domestic subcontractor whose obligation is to contract with the general or main contractor in supplying or fixing materials, goods, or executing work thereby forming part of the core contract. The general contractor employs the domestic subcontractors. A nominated subcontractor creates a permit to an architect or supervising officer in serving the final selection right as well as approval of subcontractors. In this case, the main contractor is given permission to make profits from hiring nominated subcontractors, but he or she is required to provide attendance information. In the case of nominated subcontract employment, direct contractual relationship is established between the client and subcontractor of a given task (McKendrick, 2005). A subcontractor ould be a named contractor who contracts with a general contractor in supplying or fixing materials, goods, or could be involved in executing tasks thereby forming a section of the core contract. It is challenging to determine whether an individual offering service to an organization is an employee or a contractor who is very independent. Some contractors are employees and could portray the same characteristics as in the case of temporary employment relationships who work under poor conditions, poor compensations, and unfavorable employer-employee relationships. The similarity in this case may reduce a person who is seen as a contractor to a temporary employee but in some case, precarious employment contracts are seen to be worse than temporary employment relationships (Kalleberg, Barbara, & Hudson, 2000). In the case of an employee under precarious contract employment conditions, the employer is expected to withhold income taxes, provide payments on social security fund, pay Medicare taxes, and provide unemployment taxes on employees’ wages. In the case of independent contractors, the employer can hardly withhold their income taxes or even do payment taxes on to them. Contract employment could sometime be considered as self-employments just like the case of one being the owner of a business or a contractor providing services to another business firm although in precarious employment conditions, contract employees can hardly term themselves as self-employed. In this case, one has own obligations on taxes and other deductions from their incomes (Flippen, & Chenoa A2012). In an organization, determinations of how payments would be treated on offered services have to be initiated from the relationship existing between the organization or employers and the people offering services (Armstrong, Pat & Kate, 2006). Differentiating an independent contractor from a contract employee would call for looking at all information providing evidence on the worker independence and the organization’s degree of controlling the worker. Degree of control or independence of the worker can be established from behavioral aspects, financial aspects, as well as the type of relationship existing between the worker and the organization or employer. In case the company has no control, over whatever the worker is doing, and how he or she does the task, it implies that the type of employment is contract employment whose conditions are hardly attractive to a real contractor or someone willing to work under permanent employment terms. Again, if the worker’s business aspects are hardy controlled by the organization or the payer, including the way the worker would be paid, expense reimbursements, tool, and equipment provision, then the worker is an independent contractor. An independent contractor also seems to have little or no relationship with the organization or employer. The employer has no power over what the contractor does given that any mistakes are taken to be a liability to the contractor (McKendrick, 2005). The employer only waits for the task accom0lishment in order to place his comments or point any disagreements with the contractor. The employer is therefore hardly allowed to take part in making decisions on the way the contractor does his or her job but he or she does in precarious cases of contract employment. The financial control over a worker, the relationship between the worker and the employer or organization, and behavior of the worker are aspects that distinguish between an employee and an independent contractor. It comes out that, in the contract and subcontract employments, workers have control over their way of performing tasks including the payments terms as well as the time duration they can perform a given task or a set of activities. In some cases, an independent contractor may perform a given task within a shorter time than the provided time, but still earn the same amount of salary and benefits as provided by the contractual terms or even more in case there are any amendments to increase the payments and benefits of the contractor (McKendrick, 2005). Contract and subcontract employment terms are different in many aspects from temporary employment and the relationships existing in temporary employment terms. Temporary employment terms provide that, an employee would offer services to an organization within a specified time or duration. The temporary employment relationships are faced with issues such as how the workers in the term of employment should plan for their time and the freedom they should have. The only thing hardly understood in this case is that even some eople having the mind that they are working as contractors are usually under temporary employment terms and relationships (McGovern, Deborah, & Stephen, 2004). The relationship in temporary employment is that face with control from the organization. Contract employees are sometimes categorized in the temporary employment relationships since they have to take orders from their employers as long as they are working within the specified time of the contract. In temporary employment, a worker is required to leave his or her employer within specified time duration. The relationship existing in temporary employment is mainly contractual; it is also referred to as interim or seasonal relationship. The workers are said to be casual, and their efforts could give way to permanent employment. Just like in contract employment, temporary workers are given the option of working on a full-time or part-time basis. The time depends on the employer or organization. The employer or management controls all hours of work or service. Working as a part-time worker may lead to fewer benefits or compensations or having to work for a longer duration depending on the agreement and terms of service. Unlike in the contract and subcontract employment, workers in temporary employment relationships receive benefits such as Medicare and health insurance (Peck & Theodore, 2002). Such benefits are given to permanent employees, occasionally to temporary employees, and hardly to independent contractors and subcontractors. Temporary employment relationship may involve temporary work agencies or temporary staffing in which case workers are retained within a specified length of time after which they are dismissed. Sometimes, temporary work agencies form contractual agreements with organizations and companies requiring temporary workers to provide them with temporary workers. Temporary workers are sometimes considered for cyclical economic situation in which case restructuring workers or employees in a company would be highly required (Kalleberg, Barbara, & Hudson, 2000). Recruiting firms do not supply companies with temporary workers, but temporary work agencies do provide firms with temporary workers when they require them. In establishing the competences of temporary workers during their recruitment, a temporary work agency uses a set of standardized tests to provide judgment on the competence of the workers being recruited. Hiring a temporary worker would depend on the score obtained from the test, an aspect that fully contradicts with the way people are employed in contact employments. In contract employments, individuals earn contracts based on various factors including their competence with respect to their work records, the license they have acquired based on their licensing body, and their bargaining power (Peck, 2002). The best contractor in terms of all the factors considered wins the contract. In temporary employment relationships, the employer requires that the temporary employees be given adequate instructions as per the job structure as well as information on the required attire for the job. The work hours are also specified, including the wages, and the person to whom the temporary employees would report. This aspect is also not specified in the contract and subcontract terms of employment since contractors and subcontractors have control over their work and working hours. Contractors and subcontractors can hardly be assigned an additional task without having to amend the contractual agreement in terms of the salary increments and any additional benefits (Broemmel, 2013). In temporary employment relationships, temporary workers may not have control over their time. They can be required to tackle extra duties without having to adjust any agreements. Any complaints would call for the use of the right channel, but not directly with their employer like in the case of contract and subcontract employment. The worker in a contract employment has a direct communication with the employer or organization’s management. Any complaint may require the amendment of the written contract terms and conditions and may lead to adjustments in the employment terms in the aspect of payments and benefits. Contrary to the way complaints are handled in the contract and subcontract employment, in temporary employment relationships, discrepancies may lead to the termination of the employment terms, decreased pay, or undermine any chances of getting better employment opportunities including permanent employment (Kalleberg, Barbara, & Hudson, 2000). A temporary work agency may require that their temporary employees be provided to some organizations terminate their terms of service if they are working outside the initial agreements between the agency and the organization offering the temporary employment. This factor happens if the employees feel that they are exploited or employees are facing difficulties in the tasks they are assigned to offer their services. In the temporary employment relationships, the temporary employees are required to maintain constant contact with the respective authority in case things had gone astray according to the way their activities were organized. In contrast to contract and subcontract employment, temporary employment is easy to venture into since those with the required technical requirement in the required industry or job field get the job (McGovern, Deborah, & Stephen, 2004). In many cases, the job is provided without a selection process being applied like in the case of contract and subcontract employment. The temporary work agencies also absorb workers without them submitting their resume or going through an interview process. Contract and subcontract employment face many issues given that any misconduct or mistakes, in the task being offered, becomes a liability to the subcontractor, but the liability could turn out to be the organizations loss. Just as in contract employment, temporary employment relationships create room for flexible hour, but the flexibility is limited to the total time in terms of hours worked and the pattern of reporting to work. The respective human resource personnel also watch the time flexibility closely as a way of determining worker productivity and performance; this may give way to permanent employment terms or contract employment (McGovern, Deborah, & Stephen, 2004). The temporary employee is likely to strive hard to get better working conditions or better terms of employment that may only come with accumulation of great wealth of experience. A contractor or subcontractor finds his or her job ultimate as far as working conditions and specialty are concerned.

Background and Motivation Essay

The terms â€Å"corporate blog† or â€Å"business blog† have appeared very often in both of newspapers and academic journals. Increasing attention has been paid in understanding this new phenomenon. According to the Investor Business Daily, â€Å"there are 45% USA’s largest public companies have corporate blogs. † (where is your citation – is this also Klosek? ) Business Week has proposed the following: â€Å"Corporate blog is a blog used by the company to reach some goals. It helps businesses communicate internally more cheaply and effectively than workflow management software and e-mails. † A corporate blog can be one of the more successful popular communication tools after the E-mail, ICQ and MSN. In 2006, Business Week Online issued that â€Å"A Weblog (or blog) can be a powerful marketing tool, but it can also expose a business to a legal minefield. † As reported by Jacqueline Klosek, â€Å"Blogs can be used to market a company’s products and services, facilitate communications with clients, and even counter negative publicity† (Klosek, 2006). Several studies have pointed out the advantages of employing corporate blogging, citing that corporate blogging may be a tool for search engine marketing; a means of building good relationships with the customer; building of a company’s reputation; helping to put human voice to a company; serving as a way for employees and customers to communicate; and a tool for directly and immediately getting the customer’s feedback. There are still many threats that may hinder the adoption of the corporate blog, such as legal impediments with regards to violation of intellectual property rights and mismanagement leading to an eventual downfall of the organization; the disclosure of trade secrets can jeopardize the blogger’s career since this problem may cause his termination from the position, and also â€Å"Careless statements posted on a company-sanctioned blog can come back to haunt the company through litigation and other avenues† Klosek (2006) stresses. Since the study and research in corporate blogging phenomenon is still in its early days, scholars who have conducted empirical studies only focus on the benefits and risks when adopting the corporate blog, or the motivation behind creating corporate blog. It’s lack of analyzing the existing utilization and the effects of corporate blog from a systematic theoretical perspective. the DOI theory (Rogers, 1995, 2003) becomes mature, it can be applied in explaining how and why an innovation can be widely adopted and diffused. In order to find out the reasons indicate why corporate blog as a new innovation has been widely adopted and successful diffused, the DOI theory can be an effective framework for analyzing corporate blogging phenomenon. Thus, this paper aims to determine why the corporate blog as a new innovation is being widely adopted and used by the both the individual blogger and various IT organizations; the motivation in adopting blogging; the benefits of the corporate blog to organizations; and the reasons for its success. The research also tries to explain how and why the corporate blog is welcomed and has become a popular and successful new innovation, and the compatibility of its utilization with the existing values of its users. Thus, the author has conducted an empirical study in order to answer these problems from the Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI) perspective. IT industry companies have been selected as samples for this study.

Servant Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Servant Leadership - Essay Example Moreover, an effective leader needs to be mature internally because inner maturity makes a leader take correct decisions regarding any kind of situation. Worldview and inner maturity also play their roles in the achievement of desired sets of goals and objectives. Without having an understanding of these concepts, it is impossible for a leader to make a successful struggle towards achievement of goals. Inner maturity makes a leader learn from experiences. Effective leaders consider the deficiencies of the previous strategies while making up new plans. Some of the core qualities of a leader who has the powers of inner maturity and emotional intelligence include creativity, integrity, dedication, openness, listening to the concerns of others, intelligence, visionary outlook, and good communication skills. A leaders’ moral foundation reflects the positive aspects of his or her personality to other people. Inner maturity makes a person serve other people by listening to their conc erns. Inner maturity and personal worldview are two of the main qualities of a servant leader. A servant leader is a person who can see the bigger picture of the issues by considering all positive and negative aspects of the issues, social constructs, and moral perceptions. â€Å"Worldview denotes the complex of beliefs, concepts, sense of order and social constructs, role-models and moral precepts which are unique and peculiar in comparison to other such complexes of other such socio-cultural groupings† (Jenkins, 2006). Inner maturity, on the other hand, makes a leader lead people in every field of life by setting his or her own example. There are some key components, which need to be the part of the qualities of an effective leader with high levels of inner maturity and personal worldview. Those components include motivation to help people, ability to give individual consideration, idealized influence, and intellectual stimulation. Inner maturity helps a person develop the qualities of trust, belief, and reliance. Therefore, inner maturity and worldview helps a leader achieve the goals successfully because they provide a source of inspiration for the followers of the leader. 2 Before going to identify and explain two philosophical worldviews and one religious worldview that can support servant leadership, let us get a better understanding what servant leadership actually is. Mallory (n.d.) states, â€Å"Servant leadership is a business philosophy in which managers and other people in positions of authority strive to act as servants to those who are subordinate to them†. Servant leadership is such style of leadership, which makes the subordinates feel valued when the leaders consider their needs and concerns while setting up their strategies. â€Å"This style of leadership often involves trying to meet the needs of the employees or members of a manager’s organization† (Mallory, n.d.). Some key aspects of servant leadership include dedication, taking care of individual concerns, addressing and analyzing crisis, giving priority to individual benefits, life-long learning ability, and showing enthusiasm towards goal achievement. McCrimmon (n.d.) states, â€Å"Servant leadership also has paternalistic overtones as it suggests doing things for employees rather than helping them to think for themselves†. Servant leaders are the sources of inspiration for their people and the people look towards them for guidance. They work for employees’