A ROBOT AN IDEAL WORKER?

A ROBOT AN IDEAL WORKER?

We often hear a complaint about work in a factory. The work is too boring, heavy, repetitive, and even too dangerous for the worker. The operative does not have to think about the work. He gets no job satisfaction. One answer to this problem is a robot. For a certain job, a robot is much better than a human operative. Once it has been programmed, it will do its job over and over again. It never gets bored; it works at a constant speed; it does not make a mistake; its work is always of the same standard; it does not get tired; it does not go on strike; it can work for 24 hours without a break for food, rest, or sleep; it does not take a holiday or demand a higher wage.  

A robot is usually made to act like a human machine. It has another advantage, too. It can be designed to do almost any job. You cannot change a human body, but a robot’s arm, for example, can be made to move in any direction. A robot can also do very heavy work and it can operate in a condition that is too dangerous, too hot or too cold for a person to work in. It can work under water, in a poisonous, radioactive area. And on top of all this, a robot never complains.

(Taken from Bahasa Inggris Teknologi Industri 2)

Read More

TIME MANAGEMENT

TIME MANAGEMENT

In today’s fast movement world, if we cannot manage our time, it will manage us. For most of professionals, they commonly hint the old English proverb – time is money – to manage their time. Actually, it is not all about the money. Time management is a very important aspect in our life. Now, pay close attention and use this time management story to show how planning is the key to time management. A lecturer at a university is giving a pre-exam lecture on time management. On his desk there are a bag of sand, a bag of pebbles, some big rocks and a bucket. He asks for a volunteer to put all three grades of stone into the bucket, and a keen student duly steps up to carry out the task, starting with the sand, then the pebbles, then the rocks, which do not all fit in the bucket.

"The is an analogy of poor time management," trills the lecturer, "If you'd have put the rocks in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, all three would have fit. This is much like time management, in that by completing your biggest tasks first, you leave room to complete your medium tasks, then your smaller ones. By completing your smallest tasks first you spend so much time on them and you leave yourself unable to complete either medium or large tasks satisfactorily. Let me show you." Then, the lecturer re-fills the bucket, big rocks first, then pebbles, then sand, shaking the bucket between each, so that everything fits. "But Sir," says one student, slouched at the back of the row, "You've forgotten one thing.." at which the student approaches the bucket, produces a can of coke, opens it and pours into the bucket. "No matter how busy you are," quips the student with a smile, "There's always time for a quick coke."

Finally, at the end of the lecture, the lecturer delivers some tips of time management to his students. First, plan and prioritise our activities. Set realistic deadlines for the things we want to achieve. If we have to have meetings, be clear about the agenda and make sure who are attending, and are aware of it as well. Start our meeting on time and finish on time. Unexpected visitors can be handled adroitly so that they do not eat up too much time. Transform our waiting time by taking along some of our work which can be finished while waiting for an appointment. Be gracious with people but ruthless with time! After all, never put off until later what you can do right now.

Source: http://www.google.com/search?Article.making+arrangement,+appointment etiquette.html

Read More

BARACK OBAMA’S PLANS

BARACK OBAMA’S PLANS

Barack Obama is a junior United States senator from Illinois.He is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election. He is also the first African American to be a major party’s presumptive nominee for president of the United State. With the slogan “CHANGE, We Can Believe in”, Obama has attracted the attention of millions of people in the world because of his vision.

As the candidate of president of the United States, Obama has many plans for a better America. Among other plans, Obama wants to change Washington. Obama plans to shine the light on Washington lobbying information for voters, shine the light on federal contracts, tax breaks and earmarks, bring Americans back to their government, and free the executive branch from special interest influence.

To realize his plans, he will use the power of the presidency to seriously investigate congressional ethics violations. He will not sign any non-emergency bill before the public give reviews and comments on the White House website for five days. He will also release communications about regulatory policymaking between people outside the government and all White House staff to the public.

He will also not let political appointees offer jobs to agencies solely on the basis of political affiliations or contributions.Barack Obama is phenomenal. His race and young age do not stop him from running for president of the United State. His plans to make real changes in America attract sympathy from American people. Obama has inspired many people that there is nothing impossible as long as they want to work for it.

Source: www.en.wikipedia.org

Read More

THE EARLY LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA

THE EARLY LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was a Kenyan named Barack Obama, Sr (Senior). His mother was a White American named Ann Dunham. His parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father returned to Kenya and saw him only once more before he died in an automobile accident in 1982. After the divorce, Obama’s mother then married an Indonesian, Lolo Soentoro.

The family then moved to his stepfather’s home country in 1967. Obama attended local schools in Jakarta until he was ten years old. Obama returned to Honolulu in 1971. He lived with his maternal grandparents until his graduation from high school in 1979. After that, Obama moved to Los Angeles and studied at Occidental College for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City. Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. He was selected as an editor of the law review based on his grade and writing competition. In 1990, he became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated with J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard in 1989.

Source: www.en.wikipedia.org

Read More

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN EUROPE

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN EUROPE

Europe ranges from the cold northern countries of Norway and Sweden to the warm Mediterranean countries of Italy and Greece. Some customs and mores such as the way to shake hands, to mention names and titles, to open a conversation, to express gestures and the like vary as much as the topography, while others are shared across all of Europe.However, as the standard business greeting gestures throughout Europe, handshake is usually exchanged before and after every meeting, no matter how many meetings you have already had. An exception is in Great Britain, where, as in the United States, an initial handshake is often the only one you will receive. European Handshakes are more formal and less casual than those in the United States. A quick grasp and release is the norm. In most European countries, handshakes are firm. An exception is France, where a lighter grasp is customary.

Finally, it is customary to let women and those in a higher rank to extend their hands first in Europe. In addition, it is unusual for people in Europe to use first names immediately. Wait until he asks you to call him by his first name or uses a familiar form of address with you. Titles, especially academic titles, are always used in Europe. In the United States, it is unusual for a Professor to be called Doctor or Professor outside the classroom, but in European countries, professors, along with lawyers, medical doctors, and others are introduced with their title(s).In many European countries, asking people what they do or asking them a personal question as an opening in a conversation is a serious mistake. Europeans are, for the most part, more formal and reserved about such matters than Americans are. It is important to watch out for these gesture-related mistakes.

The American gesture for "OK" using a circle formed by forefinger and thumb is offensive in Germany. Showing your palm to someone is offensive in Greece. Keeping your hands in your pockets is rude. Back-slapping is out of place in northern Europe, and at last, having your hands below the table while dining in France,  Germany, and Austria is rude. At last, we can see that each place has its own customs and mores. Then, we realize that it is very important to know customs and mores of other countries in order to avoid misunderstanding in culture and to build a good overseas business relationship since a good understanding in ones’ cultures might smoothen the business flow and objective.

Source: http://www.pasadenaisd.org/rayburn/Clubs/BPA/contest/europe.html

Read More