Friday, November 15, 2019
Contemporary Hand Papermaking in North America and Europe
Contemporary Hand Papermaking in North America and Europe The practice of making paper by hand draws forth past centuries in a single sheet of tangled fibers. At the same time, the advances of both contemporary hand papermakers and modern technology have merged this tradition with innovation to create paper of unsurpassed beauty and quality. Despite the speed and economic advantages of machine-made paper, traditional handmade paper grasps its hold on the modern world, and mills across North America and Western Europe have re-emerged to produce fine handmade papers for artists, bookmakers, and conservators who seek the highest level of durability, permanence, and aesthetics. Hand papermaking in the Western world fell into decline with the invention and rapid expansion of papermaking machines in the nineteenth century. By 1828, machines were capable of producing paper thirty inches wide at a rate of sixty feet per minute (Hunter 355). By comparison, a typical handmade paper mill could produce only two to five reams per day (Turner 43). In addition to the increase in speed and volume, papermaking machines promised the advantage of larger sheets with better, more consistent formation (Turner 114). Although papermaking machines offered the potential for a better paper, many tangential factors of industrial papermaking led to an overall inferior product. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, demand for papermaking materials like rags already outpaced supplies as a result of the steady increase of printing following the invention of movable type and a rise in literacy rates and leisure (Turner and Skià ¶ld 97). The speed and efficiency of the papermaking machine only served to accentuate this shortage of materials... ...oup Annual 12 (1993): 61-65. New York Central. Fine Art Papers. Catalog. New York, 2003. Ruscombe Paper Mill Home Page. 1 Oct. 2004 . Turner, Silvie. The Book of Fine Paper: A Worldwide Guide to Contemporary Papers for Art, Design and Decoration. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998. Turner, Silvie, and Birgit Skià ¶ld. Handmade Paper Today: A Worldwide Survey of Mill, Papers, Techniques and Uses. London: Lund Humphries, 1983. Twinrocker Handmade Paper Home Page. 1 Oct. 2004 . Vander Weele, Linda Sholund. The Revitalization of Handmade Paper in North America. Madison, 1975. Wootton, Mary, Jesse Munn, and Terry Wallis. ââ¬Å"Observations Concerning the Characteristics of Handmade Paper: The Library of Congress Endpaper Project.â⬠The Book and Paper Group Annual 15 (1996): 179-197. Contemporary Hand Papermaking in North America and Europe Contemporary Hand Papermaking in North America and Europe The practice of making paper by hand draws forth past centuries in a single sheet of tangled fibers. At the same time, the advances of both contemporary hand papermakers and modern technology have merged this tradition with innovation to create paper of unsurpassed beauty and quality. Despite the speed and economic advantages of machine-made paper, traditional handmade paper grasps its hold on the modern world, and mills across North America and Western Europe have re-emerged to produce fine handmade papers for artists, bookmakers, and conservators who seek the highest level of durability, permanence, and aesthetics. Hand papermaking in the Western world fell into decline with the invention and rapid expansion of papermaking machines in the nineteenth century. By 1828, machines were capable of producing paper thirty inches wide at a rate of sixty feet per minute (Hunter 355). By comparison, a typical handmade paper mill could produce only two to five reams per day (Turner 43). In addition to the increase in speed and volume, papermaking machines promised the advantage of larger sheets with better, more consistent formation (Turner 114). Although papermaking machines offered the potential for a better paper, many tangential factors of industrial papermaking led to an overall inferior product. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, demand for papermaking materials like rags already outpaced supplies as a result of the steady increase of printing following the invention of movable type and a rise in literacy rates and leisure (Turner and Skià ¶ld 97). The speed and efficiency of the papermaking machine only served to accentuate this shortage of materials... ...oup Annual 12 (1993): 61-65. New York Central. Fine Art Papers. Catalog. New York, 2003. Ruscombe Paper Mill Home Page. 1 Oct. 2004 . Turner, Silvie. The Book of Fine Paper: A Worldwide Guide to Contemporary Papers for Art, Design and Decoration. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998. Turner, Silvie, and Birgit Skià ¶ld. Handmade Paper Today: A Worldwide Survey of Mill, Papers, Techniques and Uses. London: Lund Humphries, 1983. Twinrocker Handmade Paper Home Page. 1 Oct. 2004 . Vander Weele, Linda Sholund. The Revitalization of Handmade Paper in North America. Madison, 1975. Wootton, Mary, Jesse Munn, and Terry Wallis. ââ¬Å"Observations Concerning the Characteristics of Handmade Paper: The Library of Congress Endpaper Project.â⬠The Book and Paper Group Annual 15 (1996): 179-197.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
A unique Training Program at UPS
Mark Colvard, a United Parcel Manager in San Ramon, California, recently faced a difficult decision. One of his drivers asked for 2 week off to help an ailing family member.But company rules said this driver wasnââ¬â¢t eligible. If Colvard went by the book, the driver would probably take the days off anyway and be fired. On the other hand, Colvard chose to give the driver the time off. Although he took some heat for the decision, he also kept a valuable employee.Had Colvard been faced with this decision 6 months earlier, he says he would have gone the other way. What changed his thinking was a month he spent living in McAllen, Texas. It was part of a UPS management training experience called the Community Internship Program (CIP). During his month in McAllen, Colvard built housing for the poor, collected clothing for the Salvation Army, and worked in a drug rehab Center.Colvard gives the program credit for helping him empathize with employees facing crises back home. And he says t hat CIP has made him a better manager. ââ¬Å"My goal was to make the numbers, and in some cases that meant not looking at the individual but looking at the bottom line. After that one month stay, I Immediately started reaching out to people in a different way.â⬠CIP was established by UPS in the late 1960s to help open the eyes of the companyââ¬â¢s predominantly white managers to the poverty and inequality in many cities. Today, the program takes 50 of the companyââ¬â¢s most promising executives each summer and brings them to cities around the country.There they deal with a variety of problems from transportation to housing, education, and health care. The companyââ¬â¢s goal is to awaken these managers to the challenges that many of their employees face, bridging the cultural divide that separates a white manager from an African American driver or an upper-income suburbanite from a worker raised in the rural South.1.à à à à à Do you think individuals can lea rn empathy from something like a 1-month CIP experience? Explain why or why not.2.à à à à à How could UPSââ¬â¢s CIP help the organization better manage work life conflicts?3.à à à à à How could UPSââ¬â¢s CIP help the Organization improve its response to diversity?4.à à à à à What negatives, if any can you envision resulting from CIP?5.à à à à à UPS has 2,400 managers. CIP includes only 50 each year. How can the program make a difference if it include only 2 percent of all managers? Does this suggest that the program is more public relations than management training?6.à à à à à How can UPS justify the cost of a program like CIP if competitors like FedEx, DHL, and the U.S. Postal Service donââ¬â¢t offer such programs? Does the program increase costs or reduce UPS profits? Ã
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Buyer Power of Coffee Industry Essay
Buyer bargaining power refers to the pressure consumers can place on the industry, influencing companies to provide better products, service, and lower prices. One determinant of bargaining power is the number of buyer available. For the US coffee and snack industry, the large number of buyers is a big advantage. According to National Coffee Association, 54% of American adults drink coffee. Another key driver that gives buyers leverage is if they can do without the product for long durations. If so, the seller incurs losses when customers discontinue use of the product over long periods. However, coffee drinkers are high frequency buyers, purchasing the drink multiple times throughout the week, if not more often. To these people, coffee has become an integral part of their everyday lives. Because they cannot do without coffee, coffee shops can depend on repeat customers. Switching costs are another element to consider when gauging buyer bargaining. If switching costs are high, buyers are least likely to change over to a competing product. Unfortunately for the US coffee and snack industries, there are absolutely zero costs associated with changing to a different product. Similarly, no cost is incurring when switching to another company. Thus, this makes coffee shops have to constantly improve their product lines, drive down costs, improve service, and other aspects to keep customers choosing their shops over someone elseââ¬â¢s. The buyerââ¬â¢s per capita consumption also players a role in determining attractiveness of an industry. During recessions, disposable income generally becomes lower and spending of consumption is cut. When consumer spending is lower, people are less likely to spend on snacks and coffee. Overall, due to the high number of users and the high volume of purchases, from the buyer perspective the coffee and snack industry can be considered attractive.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Pro Forma Definition - Economics
Pro Forma Definition - Economics Pro forma, originates as a Latin phrase which, literally translated, means something like for the sake of form. It is often used for specific purposes in economics and finance.à Our Ambivalence About the Phrase in Finance The briefest perusal of some dictionary definitions begins to express our ambivalence about the use of the term in economics and especially in finance. Some online dictionaries give relatively neutral definitions that adhere closely to the phrases Latin origins, such as according to form, as a matter of form, and for the sake of form. Other dictionary definitions begin to express more complex assessments of the meaning of the phrase, Merriam-Websters, for example: done or existing as something that is usual or required but that has little true meaning or importanceà (emphasis added). Its not a far reach from little true meaning to not meaningful at all and potentially deceptive. Legitimate Instances of Pro Forma In reality, the greater number of uses of pro forma documents in finance are not deceptive at all; they serve a valuable purpose.à One such use, one that occurs frequently, has to do with financial statements. In most circumstances, a financial statementà reflects reality. In some circumstances, a financial statement that does not do so could be considered (in ascending order of wrongness): valueless, misleading or evidence of criminal misrepresentation. But a pro forma financial statement is (usually) a legitimate exception to that rule. Instead of answering the question What is the state of the balance sheet? or how much money did the enterprise earn in a given time period, a question answered by the incomeà statement, a pro forma balance sheet and income statement answers the question What would happen if...? Heres a good example: The corporation has earnings for the past year of $10M, with expenses of $7.5M. These are figures you might find in the income statement. But, executives wonder, what would be the effect of introducing a new product line (which would sharply ramp up expenses)? You would expect that in the shortest term, before the revenues from the new product line were realized, that profits would diminish considerably and thatà revenues would go up very little. Youd also expect that over time the additional revenue from the new product line would more than pay for the increased expenses, and that the business would be more profitable. But, is that really true? At the point of youd expect... this is just a guess. How can you know, if not for sure, but at least with some à increased confidence that increased profitability will result?à Thats where pro forma financial documents come into play. A pro forma set of financial documents will refer to past performance as a guide to project would would likely happen in the future if we make a similar introduction. It answers the question What if... à When the company introduced a past product, the MicroWidget, operating costs rose X percent in the following three quarters, but in the fourth quarter increased revenue from the MicroWidget more than made up for the increased operating cost expense and net profit actually rose 14 percent year over year. à The pro forma balance sheets, income statements and statements of cash flows show what might happen if a new MacroWidget product is introduced, based on the data available. Pro Forma Statements vs. Certainty Note that a pro forma financial statement does not express certainty. It expresses what, with the data available, business leadership and accountancy professionals believeà is likely to happen. Often it does, and sometimes it does not. Nevertheless, pro forma statements serve a valuable purpose by introducing data that supports (or does not support) the original intuition that, for example, adding a MacroWidget to the product line is a good idea. It does so by quantifying the probable results based on past performance. The pro forma balance sheets, income statementsà and, importantly, statements of cash flows give business executives a better idea of what will happen if.... The Downside of Pro Forma Statements The general intent of pro forma financial statements, to answer the question what will happen if... can be abused. In the notorious Enron collapse,à pro forma statements played an important part. Arthur Andersen Enrons auditors, it became clear in retrospect, were too close to the company to deliver reliable financial statements to financial markets. This was particularly true of the pro forma statements that projected a rosy future for Enron and purportedly were based on reasonable assumptions. à They utterly failed to predict what became instead a total collapse that sent Enron executivesà to jail, ended the Arthur Andersen company and culminated in a prolonged and messy Enron bankruptcy in which stockholders and others lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Absent criminal intent, data that already exist are reliably what they propose. Data that are projections based on assumptions which is the essence of a pro forma statement are inevitably and categorically more subjective. In short, they are useful financial tools that are particularly easy to abuse. You shouldnt avoid using them, but you need to exercise caution. Books on Pro Forma Profits You Can Trust: Spotting and Surviving Accounting LandminesHow Companies Lie: Why Enron Is Just the Tip of the IcebergThe Valuation of Technology: Business and Financial Issues in RD Journal Articles on Pro Forma Assessing the relative informativeness and permanence of pro forma earnings and GAAP operating earningsThe Predictive Value of Expenses Excluded from Pro Forma EarningsAre Investors Misled by Pro Forma Earnings?
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
How to Say Thank You in Japanese by Using Arigatou
How to Say 'Thank You' in Japanese by Using 'Arigatou' If you are in Japan, you will probably hear the word arigatou (ã âãâŠã Å'㠨ã â ) used on a regular basis. It is an informal way of saying thank you. But it can also be used in conjunction with other words to say thank you in Japanese in more formal settings, such as an office or a shop or anywhere where manners matter. Common Ways of SayingThank You There are two common ways of saying thank you formally: arigatou gozaimasu and arigatou gozaimashita. You would use the first phrase in a setting like an office when addressing a social superior. For example, if your boss brings you a cup of coffee or offers praise for a presentation you gave, youd thank her by saying, arigatouà gozaimasu. Written out, it looks like this:à ã âãâŠã Å'㠨ã â ã âã â"ã â㠾ã â¢. You can also use this phrase in less formal settings as a more general expression of thanks, either for something someone has done or will do for you. à The second phrase is used to thank someone for a service, transaction, or something that someone has done for you. For example, after a clerk has wrapped and bagged your purchase, you would thank him by saying arigatouà gozaimashita. Written out, it looks like this: ã âãâŠã Å'㠨ã â ã âã â"ã â㠾ã â"ã Ÿ. Grammatically, the difference between the two phrases is in the tense. In Japanese, the past tense is indicated by adding mashita to the end of a verb. For example, ikimasu (è ¡Å'ã 㠾ã ⢠) is the present tense of the verb to go, while ikimashita (è ¡Å'ã 㠾ã â"ã Ÿ) is the past tense.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
International Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2
International Business - Research Paper Example The interviewer should not mind not being entertained with a hand-shake from a Saudi official of the opposite sex, and ideally, not offer a hand-shake to a Saudi official of the opposite sex in the first place. Gift-giving is not a norm though something small as a gift is recommendable. Saudi men do not like being gifted flowers, as they are deemed suitable for gifting to women. One should refrain from offering alcohol to Saudi officials unless one is sure that they partake. Saudi officials do not open gifts in front of the giver. When invited for an interview, it is more recommendable to arrange a nice Arabian feast rather than a gift. Suitable places for socialization with Saudis are international hotels and restaurants. Saudis choose restaurants and hotels for interviews particularly with expatriates that are unfamiliar to them. Once association is developed with them, Saudis may offer an invitation of a visit to their homes. However, an international hotel is never a wrong choice while selecting location for interview with Saudi officials. If an interview is arranged at the home of a Saudi official, the interviewer is expected to remove the shoes at the entrance and he/she should be dressed conservatively. While Saudi officials appreciate punctuality, being a little late does not jeopardize the interview. Elder Saudi officials expect to be greeted first. It is recommendable for the interviewer to accept the offer of dates and Arabian coffee by the interviewee even if the interviewer normally does not drink coffee. If invited for a meal, the interviewer should expect a lot of socializing and discussion before the meal is actually served. However, there is very little, if any, talking during eating. Although many Saudi officials serve the meal on a dining table, yet the interviewer should not be surprised if the meal is placed on a sheet laid on the floor. In such a setting, the interviewer should either kneel on one knee or sit cross-legged. Most
Friday, November 1, 2019
Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10
Anthropology - Essay Example Her suggestion of economic localization is ideal because it can reduce people to depend on other countries and make them more engaging and produce products which are of cultural value and importance. It can also prosper the local economy and make people more productive .According to ( Norberg) ââ¬Å"Producers and consumers were closely linked in a community-based economyâ⬠. Also urban gardens are vital to the ecological environment as it allows enrichment of nature. Local food movement is essential as it encourages people to stand for themselves and it can increase bio ââ¬â diversity .World need to grow locally and need to create unique identity of their culture and community. The two group of people mentioned by author as Tibetan farmers and Amazon tribal can be benefited from these strategies. Tibetan farmers can be encouraged to engage in more of live stock farming as it could enhance their prosperity and also avail them with meat and milk which is a main part of their diet. Amazon tribes can be prompted to indulge in agriculture of cereals and vegetables which suit their geographical nature and it can give them abundant food source and income too. Hodge, Helena N. "Globalisation versus Community." http://www.localfutures.org. ISEC, 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
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