The horizon or skyline is the apparent line that separates earth from sky, the line that divides all visible directions into two categories: those that intersect the Earth’s surface, and those that do not. At many locations, the true horizon is obscured by trees, buildings, mountains, etc., and the resulting intersection of earth and sky is called the visible horizon. When looking at a sea from a shore, the part of the sea closest to the horizon is called the offing. The word horizon derives from the Greek “ὁρίζων κύκλος” horizōn kyklos, “separating circle”,from the verb ὁρίζω horizō, “to divide”, “to separate”, and that from “ὅρος” (oros), “boundary, landmark”.
Historically, the distance to the visible horizon has long been vital to survival and successful navigation, especially at sea, because it determined an observer’s maximum range of vision and thus of communication, with all the obvious consequences for safety and the transmission of information that this range implied. This importance lessened with the development of the radio and the telegraph, but even today, when flying an aircraft under visual flight rules, a technique called attitude flying is used to control the aircraft, where the pilot uses the visual relationship between the aircraft’s nose and the horizon to control the aircraft. A pilot can also retain his or her spatial orientation by referring to the horizon.
In many contexts, especially perspective drawing, the curvature of the Earth is disregarded and the horizon is considered the theoretical line to which points on any horizontal plane converge (when projected onto the picture plane) as their distance from the observer increases. For observers near sea level the difference between this geometrical horizon (which assumes a perfectly flat, infinite ground plane) and the true horizon (which assumes a spherical Earth surface) is imperceptible to the naked eye dubious – discuss but for someone on a 1000-meter hill looking out to sea the true horizon will be about a degree below a horizontal line.
Many organizations look for ways to let employees know they are valued and that their hard work is appreciated. In a down economy, when companies institute freezes and eliminate bonuses, it can be a challenge to find ways to reward employees but keep a consistent message that the company’s purse strings are tight. Many morale-boosting events don’t cost much to execute.
Pancake Breakfast
Plan a pancake breakfast in which your company executives and managers cook and serve breakfast to your employees. The menu only needs to feature pancakes, bacon or sausage, orange juice and coffee. Buy your food staples in bulk at your local discount warehouse club to save money on ingredients. This type of company event doesn’t cost much, but it can go a long way in raising employee morale. If your company has had a round of layoffs recently or shared bad news at the last company meeting, this type of event will give employees a chance to spend time with the management team in a positive, stress-free setting.
Potluck Lunch
Ask employees to bring a dish to a company potluck lunch. Your company may choose to provide the main entrée, such as hamburgers, or the employees can bring all the dishes. To make sure that all the courses and food groups are covered, assign each department a course or food item. For example, ask accounting to bring side dishes and marketing to bring desserts. You can even have a cooking contest and present the winner with a gift certificate to a local spa or give him a free day of paid time off.
Surprise Afternoon Snack
Surprise your employees with an afternoon snack party. For example, you can set up a cheap sundae bar that features vanilla and chocolate ice cream, nuts, bananas, cherries and whipped cream in the break room. You can also make cost-efficient cookies or simply serve popcorn. It doesn’t matter what you serve: Surprising your employees with a treat during the afternoon lull will raise their spirits.
Activity-Based Events
In lieu of the expensive, open-bar holiday party or company retreat, plan a low-cost event that focuses on team spirit and activities. Some examples of these types of activities include bowling, miniature golf and go-kart racing. If you have enough interest, organize a company volleyball or softball tournament. Physical activities allow employees to blow off steam and see their peers and managers in a different light outside of the workplace.
