The Pyramid of the Magician - Maya Site of Uxmal Mexico

The Pyramid of the Magician - Maya Site of Uxmal Mexico The Pyramid of the Magician, also known as the House of the Dwarf (Casa del Adivino, or Casa del Enano), is one of the most famous Maya monuments of Uxmal, an archaeological site in the Puuc region of Yucatan, in the northern Maya Lowland of Mexico. History Of the Pyramid Of the Magician Its name comes from a Maya tale of the 19th century, titled the Leyenda del Enano de Uxmal (The Legend of the Uxmal’s Dwarf). According to this legend, a dwarf constructed the pyramid in one night, helped by his mother, a witch. This building is one of the most impressive of Uxmal, measuring about 115 feet in height. It was constructed  over the Late and Terminal Classic periods, between AD 600 and 1000,  and five constructive phases have been detected. The one visible today is the latest one, built around AD 900-1000. The pyramid, over which the actual temple stands, has a peculiar elliptical form.  Two staircases lead to the top of the pyramid. The Eastern staircase, the wider, has a small temple along the way that cut the stairway in half. The second access stair, the Western, faces the Nunnery Quadrangle and is decorated with friezes of the rain god Chaac. The Pyramid of the Magician is the first building a visitor encounters entering the ceremonial area of Uxmal, just north of the Ball Game Court and the Palace of the Governor and east of the Nunnery Quadrangle. Several phases of the temple constructed on top of the pyramid are visible while ascending the pyramid from the base to the top. Five construction phases have been detected (Temple I, II, III, IV, V). The facades of the different phases  were decorated with stone masks of the rain god Chaac, typical of the Puuc architectural style of the region. Sources Mc Killop, Heather, 2004, The Ancient Maya. New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara, CaliforniaAA.VV. 2006, Los Mayas. Rutas Arqueologicas: Yucatan y Quintana Roo. Edicià ³n Especial de Arqueologia Mexicana, num. 21 (www.arqueomex.com)

Dian Fossey, Primatologist - Profile and Biography

Dian Fossey, Primatologist - Profile and Biography Dian Fossey Facts: Known for: study of mountain gorillas, work to preserve habitat for gorillasOccupation: primatologist, scientistDates: January 16, 1932 - December 26?, 1985 Dian Fossey Biography: Dian Fosseys father, George Fossey, left the family when Dian was only three.   Her mother, Kitty Kidd, remarried, but Dians stepfather, Richard Price, discouraged Dians plans.  An uncle paid for her education.   Dian Fossey studied as a preveterinary student in her undergraduate work before transferring to an occupational therapy program. She spent seven years as director of occupational therapy in a Louisville, Kentucky hospital, taking care of children with disabilities. Dian Fossey developed an interest in mountain gorillas, and wanted to see them in their natural habitat. Her first visit to the mountain gorillas came when she went in 1963 on a seven-week safari. She met with Mary and Louis Leakey before traveling to Zaire. She returned to Kentucky and her job. Three years later, Louis Leakey visited Dian Fossey in Kentucky to urge her to follow through on her desire to study the gorillas. He told her she later found it it was to test her commitment to have her appendix removed prior to moving to Africa to spend an extended time studying the gorillas. After raising funds, including support from the Leakeys, Dian Fossey returned to Africa, visited Jane Goodall to learn from her, and then made her way to Zaire and the home of the mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey earned the trust of the gorillas, but human beings were another matter. She was taken into custody in Zaire, escaped to Uganda, and moved to Rwanda to continue her work. She created the Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda in a high mountain range, the Virunga Volcano mountains, though the thin air challenged her asthma.   She hired Africans to help with her work, but lived alone. By techniques she developed, especially imitation of the gorilla behavior, she was again accepted as an observer by a group of mountain gorillas there. Fossey discovered and publicized their peaceful nature and their nurturing family relationships. Contrary to standard scientific practice of the time, she even named the individuals. From 1970-1974, Fossey went to England to get her doctorate at Cambridge University, in zoology, as a way of lending more legitimacy to her work. Her dissertation summarized her work thus far with the gorillas. Returning to Africa, Fossey began taking in research volunteers who extended the work shed been doing. She began to focus more on conservation programs, recognizing that between habitat loss and poaching, the gorilla population had been cut in half in the area in only 20 years. When one of her favorite gorillas, Digit, was killed, she began a very public campaign against poachers who killed gorillas, offering rewards and alienating some of her supporters.   American officials, including the Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, persuaded Fossey to leave Africa.   Back in America in 1980, she received medical attention for conditions that had been aggravated by her isolation and poor nutrition and care. Fossey taught at Cornell University. In 1983 she published Gorillas in the Mist, a popularized version of her studies. Saying she preferred gorillas to people, she returned to Africa and to her gorilla research, as well as to her anti-poaching activity. On December 26, 1985, her body was discovered near the research center. Presumably, Dian Fossey had been killed by the poachers shed fought, or their political allies, though Rwandan officials blamed her assistant.   Her murder has never been solved. She was buried in the gorilla cemetery at her Rwandan research station. On her gravestone: No one loved gorillas more... She joins other famous women environmentalists, ecofeminists, and scientists like Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, and Wangari Maathai. Bibliography Gorillas in the Mist: Dian Fossey. 1988. Dian Fossey: Befriending the Gorillas. Suzanne Freedman, 1997. Woman in the Mists: The Story of Dian Fossey the Mountain Gorillas of Africa. Farley Mowat, 1988. Light Shining Through the Mist: A Photobiography of Dian Fossey: Tom L. Matthews. 1998. Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas. Sy Montgomery, 1992.   Murders in the Mist: Who Killed Dian Fossey?  Ã‚  Nicholas Gordon, 1993. The Dark Romance of Dian Fossey. Harold Hayes, 1990. African Madness. Alex Shoumatoff, 1988. Family Father: George Fossey, insurance salesMother: Kitty Kidd, modelStepfather: Richard Price Education University of California at DavisSan Jose State College

Care planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Care planning - Essay Example Hall et al. suggests that individualized and nursing care plans should be developed and these plans are ways of improving service user recovery (Hall et al., 2013). Despite care plans being an important tool in delivering health care services, the health care professionals often misunderstand them and the administration treats them as an extra task (Norman et al., 2009). According to Norman et al. (2009) during practice challenges occur during the implementation of care plan that is focused and personalized in compliance with individual service user needs. For example a service user may be acutely ill at the time of admission. During admission, it may be hard for the nurses to initiate individualized care because the service user may not be in the right mental state and may not be able to provide insight for the development of his/her care plan. Furthermore, the environment of acute mental health settings is very busy, there is lack of staff and unforeseen events might occur. This environment may negatively impact therapeutic engagement with service users and may even hamper individualized care planning with (Cleary et al., 2012). This essay examines the evidence that supports/reflects best practice in respect to care planning in acute setting and this essay focuses on devising a strategy for introducing best practice. The strategy will be developed while consideration factors those are likely to assist and hinder the implementation of evidence-based practice. According to a report published by Department of Health (2011) nursing care plans are central components of nursing services that are delivered to the service users. Research suggests that in developing and planning care plans for service users, nurses should adopt the provision of individualized care that is personalized to the needs of the user (Department of Health, 2011). According to Butterworth (2012), the focus of this approach is to involve service users and see things from their

Strategic Planning and Organizational Mandates Assignment

Strategic Planning and Organizational Mandates - Assignment Example AmeriCare is an organization with the mandate of offing relief programs and health in situations of a disaster by delivering medication and medical supplies to these victims. The organization has the mandate of providing people with humanitarian assistance in different countries around the world. Moreover, the organization has been providing aid worth ten billion to more than one hundred and forty countries (Americares, 2011). Moreover, AmeriCares also provides medical support by establishing free clinics, non-for profit pharmacies and numerous hospitals in different parts of the world to assist poor. Americare is an organization with a mission of offering relief and charitable assistance, thereby responding to emergencies caused by disasters. Moreover, they have upheld values towards their assistance programs, which are offered to victims of a disaster with emergency medical needs. Stakeholders in Americare organization include private sector donors, the government and other associates who facilitate operations of the organization. In fact, these parties assist the organization to execute their mandate of ensuring that people are living longer and healthier. Moreover, this requires supply of critical medicine and health care services to people from different parts of the world. Other stakeholders include leading pharmaceutical companies and medical manufacturers who offer medical supplied to the organization. The organization has managed to acquire partnership with over 2000 hospitals, clinics and community health programs in numerous parts of the world. There are other stakeholders, who include international and local nongovernmental organizations and ministries. Americare has gathered products donations from the private sector, and they determine the urgency of various needs to intervene through their assistance. Moreover, they have the ability to convince their stakeholders to offer financial support, which they send to affected areas through airlift and ocean cargo. Americare has acquired health care professionals, who are deployed in impecunious regions with people suffering from different disasters.

Problem Solving and Google Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving and Google Essay Outstanding opportunities for employees. Google is open for very talented and inspired people, and give best opportunity to be promoted in professional sphere. Example, Oleg, starting his career as an engineer become a leader of developing tools department team after only 8 months period. This is I think very motivating staff. Looking at google HRM site, everything brought so understandable, and impressively clear, I feel that Google knows distinctively what they want from their personnel and how attract people with best abilities. There pretty much attractive links, where I found about working at google, employees tell about why they love working in company. And there are very excellent stories about life at google and all other important info. Company has annual two day conference, where thousands of developers bring together and make a brainstorm the technology of tomorrow. The innovation strategy also is very impressive at google. Becoming the best searching engine in the world, they never stop paying attention to innovation for solving best world challenges. Noticing this it’s understandable how Scott had a long career with Google, as at have developing atmosphere. Compared to other giant companies’ sites, like Shell, Exxon, Microsoft etc., I see that they better deliver information and attract people to become a Googler. For example, teams and roles link design very compactly, and contains brief and excellent explanation of each titles. As Google wrote on their site, It’s really Cool. Telling about Google benefits the company says that they offer excellent social package, for keeping employees healthy, emotionally and financially better. This is of corse common for all great organizations, but the one thing I liked more is their program of travel without worries. Google states that â€Å"Googlers and their families are covered with travel insurance and emergency assistance even on pers onal vacations.† If this is true, this point will be one more magnetic force for increasing of applicants, who will love to work at Google. Noticing that even with more management, Google had a loose organization structure, finally people are self-motivated and  self-managed at every level. Each issue is done through a common mission, shared goals, personal responsibility. I think this helps to create the filling among all employees that they work and act as one big real family, and everybody has freedom. Also it should be noted about condition for new hires. Managers conduct a meeting with junior employees, and help them come up with ways to improve their jobs. This is a significant step up in organization of development of employees and in achieving right direction to professional goals, and respectively it will bring to more business expand. To sum up all above: Answer to Question 2: As recruiting is very important because the more applicants you have, the more selective the company should be. And Google says that over the past couple of years, they spent a lot of time making the hiring process as efficient as possible, reducing time-to-hire and increasing our communications to candidates. They state that they’re looking for smart, team-oriented people who can get things done. And the company makes interview with candidate by evolving four or five present employees. And there are 4 main criteria for successful candidates: leadership, role-related knowledge (strengths, passions, and skills in area of knowledge), how you think (problem solving abilities) and googleyness (ambitious, activean and collaborative). Several interviewer, and then independent committee will select candidates per interviewers feedbacks.

Nineteenth Century Sensational Fiction: Dime Novels Essay example -- L

  Nineteenth Century Sensational Fiction: Dime Novels In the late nineteenth century, a new form of sensational fiction emerged.   Called dime novels because of the five to twenty-five cent sale price, these pocket-sized books told short stories of American frontier adventure.   Often formulaic, these stories centered on macho heroes and damsels in distress, never venturing far beyond plotlines of capture and rescue, pursuit and escape.   Violence and lewdness became the impetus for the popularity of this form which, because of its cheapness, was often passed along to friends and neighbors upon completion.   The serial nature of these stories, which featured a set number of identifiable characters such as Deadwood Dick and Calamity Jane, kept readers coming back for more.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Not surprisingly, many young readers, boys especially, were drawn to the sense of adventure and rebellion in dime novels.   Gratuitous gore and debauchery were also points of attraction.   These unsavory qualities became a major concern of parents who felt that their sons were being negatively influenced, perhaps into a life of crime and banditry.   Still, the mass production of dime novels made it easy for boys to obtain them even without parental permission.   Almost every newsstand or corner bookstore had copies of the latest bloody Western and they were more than willing to sell regardless of the buyer’s age.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The quality of dime novels began to decline as it became custom for publishers such as Beadle to allow several authors to write on the same serial or character interchangeably.   Eventually the plots became so predictable that the only selling points were increasingly fantastical settings, unbelievable situations and more vulgarity.   What... ...his proliferation of â€Å"questionable† content has proven that the average American reader makes choices based on personal tastes rather than on the opinions of highbrow academia or moral crusaders.   It is a victory of free speech as well as the capitalistic principle of demand but also perhaps a blow to artistic integrity.   Concerned parents and religious groups continue to fight against indecency but consumerism has become the most powerful modern censor.   Today, sales are so important that many authors find themselves tethered to a narrowing range of themes and situations that appeal to an increasingly homogenized audience.   As far as the corruption of youth is concerned, most parents today echo Bishop’s sentiments that any book is better than no book, pleased to see their children reading formulaic adventure stories or comics rather than glued to a television set.

Reveiw Questions and Critical Thinking Questions

1. What is a camera? A camara is a light-tight box that contains a light-sensitive material or device and a way of letting in a desired amount of light at particular times to create an image on the light-sensitive material.2. What is a convex lens? A convex lens is bend the light toward the center of the lens, since one or both sides of the glass curve out. It also takes the various rays of light and bends them toward the same point, which ultimately allows an image to form.3. What three components make up a film camera? Define each part. The three components are First is the mechanical element, which is the camera body and the parts associated with it the second one is the optical element, This is otherwise known as the camera lens. Finally, we have the chemical element, which is the film. These three different elements make up a film camera.4. What is a pentaprism? What job does it do in the camera? A  pentaprism which is a five-sided mirror. The job of the pentaprism is to flip the light from the image so that the image appears right side up rather than shows the inverted image that first occurs.5. What are point and shoot cameras? How do they differ from SLR cameras? Point and shoot cameras  are those that use an optical viewfinder, rather than having the semiautomatic mirror. The image the photographer sees through the viewfinder is not the exact same image that will be recorded. An  SLR, or single lens reflex, camera  has a semiautomatic movement of the mirror, which produces an exact image in the viewfinder, is different from the point and shoot cameras because the point and shoot cameras shows not the exact image that will be recorded, and the SLR show a exact image.6. What is JPEG? What considerations have to be kept in mind with JPEG? JPEG   is the default file format in many digital cameras on the market today. We need to consider JPEG has an important drawback to this space-saving advantage—it is compressed in a lossy manner, which means that some of the data is lost. The more the image is compressed (the smaller the size of the file), the more information from the image is lost.7. What is the difference between optical and digital zoom? Optical zoom  works like a telephoto lens, the image quality remains the same as the image is magnified.Digital zoom  crops the image and enlarges the cropped image to fill the frame of the camera. This means that the digital zoom generally results in a loss of quality in the image. They are different because Optical zoom remans the same as the image is magnificant, and digital zoom enlarge the cropped image to fill the frame of the camera.8. What are the steps you can take to create a pinhole camera? Have you tried to make one? First, you’ll want to cut the round oatmeal box (or other cardboard type tube or round container) in half, leaving the bottom of the container in place, so that you have two short round pieces or tubes.Place a piece of wax paper over one of the open ends of the round container and tape it in place. Once you have this done, put the oatmeal tube back together again so that the wax paper is in the middle of the tube. Wrap tape around the middle of the tube where the two pieces join together, making the tube as lightproof as possible. Finally, create a small pinhole in the bottom of the container. Now you’re ready to try out your pinhole camera. I’m going to try to make one.9. What are some of the differences between film and digital cameras? Which one do you prefer? Digital cameras digital cameras create files that are relatively large, digital images do not require processing for viewing, use an electronic image sensor to digitally record an image, Some digital cameras can also be used to create video in addition to still photographs. Digital cameras create photographs that are made up of pixels. Film cameras film must loaded into cameras and developed in light-tight conditions, this drives up the cost of d eveloping and printing film-based images, ilm negatives or final prints must be scanned prior to computer manipulation, some color prints can fade over time. I prefer digital camara.10. What are some advantages of being able to see an image right after you’ve taken it (such as with an instant camera or being able to review the image on a digital camera)? With a digital camera you can basically take as many photos as you like until you get the perfect image. If you don’t like the way your photo has turned out you can simply delete it and take it again. This can be done because you can view the photo seconds after you’ve taken it, is just perfect to have this camaras, and be able to see the image right after you’ve taken it.

“Pride and Prejudice” offers an intensely personal story Essay

â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† offers an intensely personal story, and this story is written in light, airy, sparkling prose and is filled with witty and immensely entertaining dialogue. There are brilliantly drawn characters ranging from Elizabeth’s slightly eccentric mother to the gold-digging military officer Wickham. The two couples that I will be investigating in the following coursework are Elizabeth with Darcy and Collins with Charlotte. The two couples are both completely different in their relationships. The relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy is a peculiar one. Elizabeth first set eyes on Darcy at a public ball, and Elizabeth was not given the best if first impressions. This is because it was also the first appearance of Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth would have been comparing them both. Mr Bingley danced happily all night at every opportunity: â€Å"†¦Danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Whereas Mr. Darcy: â€Å"†¦danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elizabeth would be interested in a fun loving man, not some boring man that was too proud. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Or so she thought. When Mr. Bingley was in vain trying to persuade Mr. Darcy to dance with another Bennet his comment was: â€Å"†¦She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt ME†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Although Mr. Darcy did not intend for Elizabeth to hear this, she did. And this brief meeting was enough to give Elizabeth a first impression, originally the novel of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† was called â€Å"First impressions† and we can see why. So what of our second pair; were events more auspicious? Charlotte Lucas is a very close friend to Elizabeth, but even with this they have very different views on marriage and love. Elizabeth feels it is essential to have love in a marriage and she would not dream of marriage otherwise. Whereas Charlotte has a very different opinion, she thinks love is a bonus in marriage and not a necessity. She would be quite happy to marry blindly because all that she seeks in a marriage is social stability and the social status: â€Å"†¦Happiness in Marriage is entirely a matter of chance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Charlotte first sees Mr. Collins she is interested. She is not interested in his charming good looks, which is just as well, she is interested in his house, money and availability as a husband. Let us now consider the personalities involved in these two marriages. Elizabeth is the protagonist of the novel and the second oldest of the five sisters, she is lively, quick-witted, sharp-tongued, bold and intelligent. She is good looking, and is especially distinguished b her fine eyes. She has pride in seeing a person’s inner-self, yet this ability fails her on more than one occasion. Elizabeth is one of the few people to not be impressed by wealth or titles such as Lady Catherine De Bourgh. And what of her husband to be? Mr. Darcy is an aristocrat of great wealth. He is a proud man and conscious of class difference. Even though Darcy may be proud he still possesses honour. His pride is actually what makes him lose his pride; this is so because Darcy is very used to women falling at his feet but when he realises his adoration for Elizabeth she makes it clear that she isn’t interested. This challenges Darcy. And of our second couple? Collins is an extremely comical clergyman and adds a humorous side to the novel. His trademark is conducting very long and very silly speeches, the sole purpose of these speeches is to say what he thinks to the people around him. Another one of the purposes he has in the novel us being next in line to inherit Longbourn when Mr. Bennet dies. He thought it would help the Bennet family if he was to marry once of the daughters, but when this is refused he turns his affections to Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte is one of Elizabeth’s closest friends, but in the novel her main function is to act as a contrast to Elizabeth. She has little opportunity to find a husband whom she really loves so she settles for the social status and security a man like Mr. Collins can offer. What of the proposals towards Elizabeth? As I have previously stated, Darcy expects women to fall at his feet simply because he is used to it. But when I examine the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy I see that Elizabeth had a deep hatred for Mr. Darcy. Although this is mainly due to the wrongful accusations imposed by Mr. Wickham, she thinks him to be a proud, cruel, insensitive and devious man. In reality Mr. Darcy is proud by mostly he is shy. Mr Darcy thinks he is successfully attracting Elizabeth, and the she knows it. When actually Elizabeth has no idea of this until Charlotte points it out: â€Å"†¦My dear Eliza he must be in love with you or he would never have called in on us in such a familiar way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When the first proposal is made to Elizabeth she is absolutely outraged at how this man could think her to love him: â€Å"†¦you were the last man on the earth whom I could every be prevailed on to marry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At this refusal Mr. Darcy was deeply hurt and left the room. We are not told the exact words of Darcy’s second proposal because firstly there is no need, and secondly Jane Austen chooses to leave the proposal to our imaginations. Elizabeth accepts this proposal because by that time she and Mr. Darcy are truly in love. And of the proposal towards Charlotte? Mr Collins only wants to marry because Lady Catherine advised him to, and he is not at all interested in love: â€Å"†¦make him the happiest of men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The proposal was nothing at all towards the proposal of romance. This proposal was actually more of a practicality, something that had to be done before they could both do what they both intended to do; Charlotte wanted to find comfort in her children whereas Collins wanted to please lady Catherine. From looking at both relationships; Elizabeth with Darcy and Charlotte with Collins, I conclude that both couples are happy. Elizabeth and Darcy are happy because they both found their true loves and Elizabeth has the bonus of a husband of wealth and in ownership of a tasteful home. Collins and Charlotte are happy because Collins get to please Lady Catherine (which is all he seems to want to do) and Charlotte is happy because she was reaching quite a high age for unmarried status. The future is concerned is guesswork, but educated guesswork. And my educated guesses are that Elizabeth are and will always be truly happy as long as they have one another. Collins and Charlotte will also be happy in the future because; Collins never put any real commitment into marriage so has nothing to lose, and Charlotte will find comfort in her children. Jane Austen was very successful at putting her views across; she made her opinions obvious when she wanted to (which was not very often) and all of her opinions are justified by my standards and I think many others would agree.

Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta

Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta The Bottega Veneta is a new design company compared to the Balenciga designs. Established in 1966, Bottega Veneta opened its doors to the production of leather goods. The company has been recognized since then for its unique leather-weaving technique referred to as the ‘interecciato’ which has remained the brand signature of the design company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Balenciaga boutique operations date back to 1918 in Spain with its first branches in San Sebastian, Madrid and Barcelona. While Bottega Veneta grew and expanded to other countries courtesy of its discreet design and quality craftsmanship, The Balenciaga boutique moved to Paris to find new market after it was forced to close its operations in Spain due to the Spanish Civil War (Sievewright 90) Bottega Veneta has a unique way of advertising its products contrary to Balenci aga. This has enabled the designer shop to enjoy a discreet appeal to its clients with no logo design. In the early 1970’s, the design company adopted a new advertisement strategy making use of the tag line â€Å"When your own initials are enough†. The impact of this new innovation was evident in the few years that followed as by early 1980’s; the company had emerged as the favorite of the jet set internationally Balenciaga on the other hand advertises its products mainly through Hollywood stars, influential fashion editors and top models. The brand expansion of the two companies has not been that smooth. Both of them have experienced tough times on their way to the top at some points almost closing down completely. The falling out of top management in Bottega Veneta in the 1990’s led to the fortunes of the company to decline greatly. It was at this time that the company decided to abandon its old understated ethos and get into a new fashion territory tha t was trend driven. Some of the major changes that the management adopted at this transition period include doing away with logos that were visible from the brand’s products, highlighting the intecciato weave signature prominently, and having the company’s operations focus on artisanal production. After the closure in Spain due to War, Balenciaga opened its doors again in Paris with its first runway show featuring designs mostly influenced by renaissance from Spain. Its success come soon in the new market compared to Bottega Veneta. In a span of two years, the company received a revolutionary from the French press leading to its designs being highly sought-after (Sievewright 59)Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since then, both companies have ventured into new products and designs so as to compete with the market demands. Over the years, Bottega Veneta has added to its collections as it has included eyewear, jewelry, furniture and home fragrance. However, the shop has not given up on its traditional products such as shoes, handbags, small leather goods, home items, luggage and gifts. In the past, Bottega Veneta used to present its products especially those for women on run way shows but this has since changed as such presentations including those of furniture are now done in corporate offices located in Milan. In order to keep the company running and maintain high quality craftsmanship, Bottega Veneta resolved to open a training and support school in Italy. In the 1960’s, Balenciaga become an innovator of its own use of fabrics. This involved the change of style of production to intricate embroidery, heavy fabrics and bold materials. The trade mark of the design become collars which faced away from the collarbone so as to offer a swanlike appearance and bracelet sleeves that were had been shortened. Today, Balenciaga’s i s mostly famous for its handbags that are motorcycle-inspired. Balenciaga enjoys most of its sales in the United States where it has four boutiques that are exclusive. Balenciaga is also famous for its creation of structural pieces that are avant-grade which has enabled it to straddling the fashion edge and be in a position to forecast women fashions (Sievewright 78) Sievewright, Simon. Basics Fashion Design: Research and Design. New York: Ava Publishing, 2007. Print

German Holidays Customs and Celebrations

German Holidays Customs and Celebrations The German holiday calendar has several in common with other parts of Europe and the United States, including Christmas and New Years. But there are several notable holidays that are uniquely German throughout the year.   Here is a month-by-month look at some of the major holidays celebrated in Germany.   Januar (January)  Neujahr (New Years Day)   Germans mark the New Year with celebrations and fireworks and feasts. Feuerzangenbowle is a popular traditional German New Years drink. Its  main ingredients are red wine, rum, oranges, lemons, cinnamon, and cloves. Germans traditionally send New Years cards  to tell family and friends about events in their lives during the past year. Februar (February)  Mari Lichtmess  (Groundhog Day) The American tradition of Groundhog Day has its roots in the German religious holiday  Mari Lichtmess, also known as  Candlemas. Beginning in  the 1840s, German immigrants to Pennsylvania had observed  the tradition of a hedgehog predicting the end of winter. They adapted the groundhog as replacement meteorologist since there were no hedgehogs in the part of Pennsylvania where they settled. Fastnacht/Karneval (Carnival/Mardi Gras) The date varies, but the German version of Mardi Gras, the last opportunity to celebrate before the Lenten season, goes by many names: Fastnacht, Fasching, Fasnacht, Fasnet, or  Karneval.   A highlight of the main highlight, the Rosenmontag, is the so-called Weiberfastnacht or  Fat Thursday, celebrated on the Thursday before Karneval.   The Rosenmontag is the main celebration day of Karneval, which features parades, and ceremonies to drive out any evil spirits.   April:  Ostern  (Easter) The Germanic celebration of Ostern features the same fertility and spring-related icons- eggs, rabbits, flowers- and many of the same Easter customs as other Western versions. The three major German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) are predominantly Christian. The art of decorating hollowed-out eggs is an Austrian and German tradition. A little bit to the east, in Poland, Easter is a way more relevant holiday than in Germany May: May Day The first day in May is a national holiday in Germany, Austria, and most of Europe. International Workers Day is observed in many countries on May 1. Other German customs in May celebrate the arrival of spring. Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht), the night before May Day, is similar to Halloween in that it has to do with supernatural spirits, and has pagan roots. Its marked with bonfires to drive away the last of winter and welcome the planting season.   Juni (June):  Vatertag (Fathers Day)   Fathers Day in Germany began in the Middle Ages as a religious procession honoring God the father, on Ascension Day, which is after Easter. In modern-day Germany,  Vatertag is closer to a boys day out, with a pub tour than the more family-friendly American version of the holiday.   Oktober (October): Oktoberfest Even though it starts in September, the most German of holidays is called Oktoberfest. This holiday started in 1810 with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von  Sachsen-Hildburghausen. They held a big party near Munich, and it was so popular that it became an annual event, with beer, food, and entertainment.   Erntedankfest In German-speaking countries, Erntedankfest, or Thanksgiving, is celebrated on the first Sunday in October, which is usually also the first Sunday following Michaelistag or Michaelmas. Its primarily a religious holiday, but with dancing, food, music, and parades. The American Thanksgiving tradition of eating turkey has usurped the traditional meal of goose in recent years.   November: Martinmas (Martinstag) The Feast of Saint Martin, the Germanic Martinstag celebration, is sort of like a combination of  Halloween and Thanksgiving. The legend of Saint Martin tells the story of the dividing of the cloak, when Martin, then a soldier in the Roman army, tore his cloak in two to share it with a freezing beggar at Amiens. In the past, Martinstag was celebrated as the end of the harvest season, and in modern times has become  the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season in German-speaking countries in Europe. December (Dezsember):  Weihnachten (Christmas) Germany provided the roots of many of the American celebrations of Christmas, including Kris Kringle, which is a corruption of the German phrase for the Christ child: Christkindl. Eventually, the name became synonymous with Santa Claus.   The Christmas tree is another German tradition that has become part of many Western celebrations, as is the idea of celebrating St. Nicholas (whos also become synonymous with Santa Claus and Father Christmas).

Information Sysytems Discussion Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Sysytems Discussion Question - Essay Example Also, information systems contain crucial data related to the organization, its employees and the consumers, which cannot be given into the hands of everybody. Only the authorized person should be allowed to manage the information system so that illegal access is controlled (Godara, 2009). 2. If you were setting up websites†¦ Management problems would include poor quality of content provided by the customer; trouble in getting logo and graphics from the client; dealing with a hard client who is never satisfied; payment problems; deadline issues; dealing with host companies; and, error reports from the customer. Dealing with the customer’s ever-changing requirements and developing a good communication platform are also big issues. Organization issues include creating and maintaining the right kind of organizational culture and attitudes; dealing with employee dissatisfaction and politics; coping with insufficient supply of resources; and, organizing project modules. Techno logy issues would include troublesome hardware; old versions of software; and, hardware and software incompatibility. 3.

Macroeconomics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomics - Case Study Example In other words, the level of investment determines the level of saving and not the other way around (Michl 2002, p.43). The point has been argued for the next 70 years and both theories have at times fallen in and out of favour. Thomas Palley of the AFL-CIO wrote in a 1996 paper that, "The view that saving causes investment is widely identified with classical macroeconomics, while the view that investment causes saving is widely identified with Keynesian macroeconomics. However, deeper inspection reveals that both theoretical perspectives are capable of producing bidirectional causality, and this limits the usefulness of theory for resolving this crucial matter" (p.5). Supply side economics has run headlong into the demand side theories and have resulted in numerous, and yet valid, academic arguments on both sides. According to theory, "...saving can never be different from intended investment, in equilibrium" (McCain 2007). The Paradox of Thrift is one explanation, though not the only one, of how savings can influence an economy's production and increase the unemployment rate. Supply side economics maintains that the marginal tax rate, the rate at which the next dollar earned is taxed, directly influences people's propensity to work, save, and invest (Gwartney 2002). By reducing the marginal tax rate investors are stimulated to invest in a business that may be too risky under a higher tax rate. Lower tax rates may spur people to work harder or longer hours and save their money. Indeed, the tax rate has often been used by governments to stimulate investment. According to Gwartney (2002), "Of eighty-six countries with a personal income tax, fifty-five reduced their top marginal tax rate during the 1985-90 period, while only two (Luxembourg and Lebanon) increased their top rate. Countries that substantially reduced their top marginal tax rates include Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom". Many critics saw these deep tax cuts as a bonanza for the rich and argued that the increased tax revenues during this perio d were simply the result of an in increase in demand. However, during this period of tax cuts in the United States, "...the income tax revenue collected from the top 10 percent of earners rose from $150.6 billion in 1981 to $199.8 billion in 1988, an increase of 32.7 percent" (Gwartney 2002). It can be inferred that a lower rate and increased revenue were the result of a massive increase in wealth for the top 10% that came from capital investment. It would seem that supply side economics had proven itself once and for all. Demand side theorists continued to point to the Paradox of Thrift and its effect on consumption and production. Advocates of demand side economics contend that, "...a decrease in spending leads to a decrease in employment, which leads to a further decrease in spending, which leads to a further decrease in employment, which leads to a yet further decrease in spending, and so on" (Thies, 1997). Some economists contend that corporate cost cutting is a path to a 'corporate paradox of thrift' which could lead to massive layoffs and firings' (Shostik 2002). Individual savings decreases spending for the consumer class and so any increase in savings decreases consumption and increases