Terms for the Seasons of the Year

Terms for the Seasons of the Year Terms for the Seasons of the Year Terms for the Seasons of the Year By Mark Nichol Words for the seasons and related terms often have both literal and figurative connotations. Here are the words and their various senses. Spring (from the Old English word springan, akin to the same word in Old High German, which means â€Å"to jump†) has a sense of freshness and growth. The word is sometimes used to refer to a sociopolitical movement for greater freedom and tolerance, as in phrases like â€Å"Prague Spring† and, more recently, â€Å"Arab Spring.† Spring itself, in these senses, has no direct adjectival form besides springlike; springy refers to the word’s sense of movement. However, vernal (from the Latin word ver, meaning â€Å"spring†) is suitable for references to anything pertaining to the spring, or anything fresh, new, or youthful. In a practical sense, it often refers to phenomena unique to springtime, such as a vernal pool, a body of water that dries up as summer encroaches on spring. Summer (from the Old English word somer) has associations with thriving and mature growth, and it is also a poetic synonym for years in references to one’s age (for example, â€Å"in my tenth summer,† â€Å"a boy of fifteen summers†). Summery is a prosaic descriptor term describing qualities associated with summer. Estival (from Latin aestivus, meaning â€Å"of summer†) also means â€Å"pertaining to summer†; estivation is the summertime equivalent of hibernation, or sojourning at one location all summer. Autumn (ultimately from the Latin word autumnus), interchangeable in literal meaning with fall, has a figurative sense pertaining to full maturity or the onset of decline, as does the adjective autumnal. Winter has associations with decay and inactivity, and wintry, besides its literal sense, refers to being weathered as a result of winter weather or as if by such conditions, or to being aged; it also suggests a cold attitude or response. Solstice (ultimately from the Latin word solstitium, meaning, literally â€Å"sun standing†) and equinox (from the Latin term aequinoctium, a combination of the terms for â€Å"equal† and â€Å"night†) refer to the times of the year when, respectively, daylight is shortest and day and night are of equal length. The adjective equinoctial (or equinoctal) refers literally to the first day of spring and fall and has no established figurative meaning. (The first variant is also used as a noun synonymous with equator or referring to a storm during the equinoctial period.) There is no adjectival form of solstice, which corresponds to the onset of summer and winter. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should KnowUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your Writing10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Ismg 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ismg 3000 - Essay Example Both of them may be right from their own perspective. It may be that the system can work with proper management or there may be need to change the system according to the needs of Calder. Both of them appear to be right in their own way which makes it difficult to decide. However if I were to choose I will Calder as the arguments presented by Calder are more convincing. Capability Maturity Model is a process improvement approach. This model is used to rate organizations according to their maturity levels. Maturity levels depend upon the standardization or process in the organization. These processes can be varied such as software engineering, risk management, personnel management etc. There are five levels of CMM – The structure of CMM consists of maturity levels, Key process areas, Goals, Common features and key practices. Every maturity level described above has some key process areas which need to be focused upon in order to reach the maturity level. Each key process area has goals common features and key practices associated with it. The core idea in â€Å"Agile† approach to project management is rapid and flexible response to any change in the project. In order to ensure this the agile approach encourages teamwork, collaboration and the ability to alter the process throughout the life cycle of the project. Agile projects do not involve long term planning. They break down the project into small iterations or time periods. Iteration usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. During each iteration all the teams involved in project such as planning, designing, coding, testing work simultaneously and in close collaboration with each other. This easily allows for changes in the project after each iteration .Agile gives importance to face to face communication, flat hierarchical structures, small team size and constant communication with the customer. IT projects with more than 50% chances of failure are usually called as Death March projects. These are projects

Training and assement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Training and assement - Essay Example Steps to take 1. Establish the scenario: gather background information needed, identify the target group, and determine training needs. 2. Research and identify two units of competency from a nationally-recognised qualification that address the training needs. Determine program outcomes based on these units. 3. Collaborate with others as needed to design, develop and review the learning program. 4. Evaluate and select available learning resources for content relevance and quality. 5. Document the learning program plan. Evidence to submit Please submit the following as proof that you have completed this project: RESULTS Assessor to complete shaded areas: S NYS 1. Cover page This training program was carried out to use training packages and accredited courses to meet client needs. The client organization was made up of workers of bakery shops at a cluster area in the city. Though the clients were not from one company, they were at a cluster place and so accessibility to them was not a problem. The job positions for these clients were mostly newly recruited bakers and their managers. There were however some of them who were mere apprentices at the job. The duties of the apprentices were to ensure the day to day upkeep of the companies, whiles learning to become qualified bakers. The newly recruited bakers were regular salaried workers whereas the managers supervised all activities at the various companies. Quite a lot of the clients possessed some of the required skills and knowledge. For instance there were a lot of them who could read and write, perform basic numeracy operations, have good interpersonal relations and could interpret the content of the whole course. An outstanding characteristic of the clients that may affect the learning program is the availability of time and the schedule of learning period. This is because their work is demanding and so they hardly make time for private learning. The overall aim of the training was to equip learners with manag erial skills. The decision to select this training issue was because most of the clients, after working for companies for some number of years left the companies to start their own business. Such clients need managerial skills to mange their own companies. Clients were assessed through written test, observation, answering of questionnaires and peer report. 1. Cover Paged Completed and Attached    2. Learning program plan Submit a typed workplace document (about 2 – 3 pages) that outlines the final (approved) version of the learning program. The 2 units of competence used were TAEDES402A and TAEDES401A. These learning programs were needed to equip me with the skills and knowledge to handle clients with diverse learning needs. My most immediate target learning group was a group of bakers who were to receive training in office management. Most of these clients had good knowledge of the skills and knowledge prescribed in the course content. Example interpersonal relations, goo d communication skills, ability to read and write and ability to work numeracy problems. The dimensions of the course undertaken were introduction to office management, basic management skills, human management, assert management and company growth. For

Project Team performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Team performance - Essay Example As a result, the employee mix in many organizations is comprised of a wider age range than a decade ago. The multigenerational team has always existed in one way or another, but of late project performance has tended to suffer because of erroneous perceptions concerning the conduct of team members. The challenge to management (and the aim of this essay) is to understand and appreciate the various generational behaviours and values, in order to plan how managers may realize the intended project synergy. Understanding the Generations Present realities in the workplace have generated interest in various issues which have until recently been rarely heard of: i.e., differences in perception among generations, familiarity with new technologies, behaviour with regard to authority, and divergence in the use of written and oral language. There has been much debate concerning the existence of intergenerational differences, if such are truly significant to merit particular attention, or if the perceived differences are merely misconceptions caused by stereotyping. For forward looking managers, success may be achieved only in a work environment that supports the different generational concerns and work styles (Manhertz, 2009, p. 2). Many organizations throughout the world have realized that their staff may be categorized into four distinct generations, namely: Generation Y (Manhertz, 2009) or Nexters (Durkin in BHM, 2004), 29 years old and under; Generation X (Manhertz) or Xers (Durkin), 30 to 44 years old; Baby Boomers (both Manhertz and Durkin), 45 to 63 years old; and Traditionalists (Manhertz; Buahene & Kovary, 2007), Veterans (Durkin), or Mature (Morlan & Gelbtuch), 64 years old and over. To each of these groups are associated certain attributes which, barring stereotyping, appear to characterize the individuals belonging to them because of their psycho-social development and the unique history of their generation. This is because human beings form a set of insight, i ntuition, and knowledge in relation to sensory stimuli that exist at the particular time and place. Persons belonging to the same generation will generally be exposed to the same environmental stimuli and may therefore form, to some extent, the same set of attributes (Bell, 2008). For instance, Nexters believe that hard work and goal orientation lead to the realization of their dreams; thus, they work best with leaders who are highly goal-oriented. For Nexters, managers should be sure to definitively articulate their goals, both personally and those of the organization. Nexters need to have a clear image of their role in the team and the firm. The next group, Xers, form the majority of the work force and are beginning to assume the reins of management from the Baby Boomers. They are adept, resourceful and clever, sufficiently versed in the new technology and combining it with their growing work knowledge. According to Durkin (BMH, 2004), Xers â€Å"seek instant gratification and ha ve a huge need to succeed, while at the same time striving for a balance in life and work. This generation works to live instead of living to work.†

Louis Vuitton Commercial Analysis

Louis Vuitton Commercial Analysis The Louis Vuitton commercial describes a wide range of visuals from India, China and France (Duncan 2008) that captures the real essence of travel and the journey through life while trying to simultaneously explore the true meaning of the word journey. The visuals are backed by textual messages aimed at answering What is a Journey? (Paris 2008) against a soulful musical score. The commercial in itself seeks to sell the Louis Vuitton brand across 13 nations rather than a particular collection (Duncan 2008). The fact that only the monogram is shown in the advertisement bears testimony to the same. With regard to the target audience, the commercial targets all young lovers of luxury and travel in particular and lovers of life in general. Most of the travelers in the video are young people although the local crowd is made up of people of all ages. The commercial sought to capture beautiful moments that travel with one beyond physical journey. The goal was to connect Louis Vuittons brand passion in assisting its clients to achieve true pleasure and luxury during journeys in particular and across life in general in accordance with brand values of luxury and travel. The advertisement is 90 seconds in direction to allow it to convey the true and rich essence of travel as a process of both discovery and self-discovery as per the head of communications at Louis Vuitton, Antoine Arnault (Brent 2008). Through a combination of visuals, musical score and subtitles, the video effectively communicates the same and reveals the brands passion for providing luxury to its customers as they journey through life. The Journey commercial by Louis Vuitton relies on the use of numerous visual techniques including slow motion, special effects, selective focus through telephoto lenses, blurring, silhouetting, lens flare and superimposition. The commercial is a visual marvel created by Bruno Aveillan (Duncan 2008). According to the Louis Vuitton press release the advertisement captures those quintessential travel moments where our senses and sense of awe are surpassed by the absolute beauty of a place, of a moment (Duncan 2008). The same is essentially true of most visuals in the commercial. The visuals endeavor to evoke a sense of awe and a sense of serenity in the viewer through depiction of the passion and art of travel (Duncan 2008) using a range of visual tools and techniques. One can see a whole range of close-ups to provide emphasis on the feelings of travelers when witnessing a moment that surpasses expectations and their love for travel. Most of the frames use shallow depth of field or focu s on a small area of frame to guide viewers attention to the specific object or person of interest (Brown 2012, 61). For instance, in an over the shoulder shot of a traveler dressed in white, the focus is entirely on him with the rest of the frame blurred out. In addition to a foreground, mid-ground and background, some frames rely on the use of glass as one of the planes, which, in turn, allows one to see reflections of objects that are not a part of the frame as a fourth layer. Most of the camera angles are at eye level with little psychological manipulation of the viewer on that front. Selective blurring seems to be enhanced in post production and special effects work. The insertion of certain reflections can seem to be the result of special effects. The camera is positioned in many frames to create lens flare which again curtails proper viewing of some visual content while serving as an aesthetic and pleasing visual technique. Lastly, slow motion towards the end of the commercia l is another classic technique used to enhance the beauty of a momemt (Brown 2012, 73). The commercial does not depict many visuals of Louis Vuitton products merely showing the famous logo and the classic LV design. Through the choice of visuals, the brand effectively takes the viewer back to its history establishing itself as a luxury travel brand (Lindstrom 2005, 125). The visuals span three nations namely, India, China and France enabling the advertisement to attain global appeal in consonance with its purpose of serving as an effective global ad campaign. In terms of motif, the commercial uses certain signs and symbols to reinforce its textual content. The first is the use of light, especially sunlight. As a signifier, the light usually connotes wisdom, knowledge and power. The use of sun, the source of all life, foreshadows the answer to the question raised by the commercial. In the beginning, the characters are in darkness, like the viewer deciphering the answer to the query p osed by the advertisement. The characters become progressively more lit as the commercial progresses. A second signifier is the use of mist, haze, fog and even blurring, all of which signify a sense of mystery. This can suggest the sense of intrigue one experiences during travel along with the viewer lack of clarity about where the commercial will take him at its onset. A third important sign is water again a sign of sustenance and life and a sign of purity. The first subconscious reader response to water helps to make the answer, that the journey is life, more meaningful. The second response connects to the purity of the moments of awe during travel and the true passion for travel. The characters are themselves dressed and positioned in ways that clearly segregates them from the environment establishing them as outsiders. Moreover, they are more glamorous than others in their environment reinforcing the luxury value of the brand. In totality, the choice of visuals helps to establis h a sense of beauty attached to travel and a true love for traveling. Visuals capture ones bliss during moments that surpass awe while journeying, and the need to treat life as ones most fascinating journey. The aural technique used in the Louis Vuitton commercial is background score or music. The score for the commercial was composed by the famous music director Gustavo-Santaolalla (Terrazas 2008). Since the commercial was part of a set of advertisements catering to global television marketing for the brand, it can be analyzed on two fronts. First is its connection to the type of musical score the brand has used in the past for its marketing. Second is the subconscious impact it has on the viewer since color and music are two aspects that influence at a deeper subconscious level. Louis Vuitton commercials in the past have commonly relied on specifically composed Louis Vuitton signature music (Lindstrom 2005, 125) and this commercial is no different. As a result, the score does not have any prior emotional connotations attached to it, allowing the makers to influence consumer perceptions from scratch. The music is slow and subtle in congruence with the slowness and serenity of the visual s. The dominant instrument throughout the score is a string instrument with chimes and other wind sounds supplementing it. The commercial begins with a subtle wind instrument immediately evoking a sense of mystery and drawing the viewer into the commercial from its onset. Slow chimes are often associated with feelings of pleasantness (Meyer 2008, 87). The string instrument then strikes an even deeper emotional connect through louder and isolated notes. The same rhythm repeats throughout the advertisement further reinforcing the Conduplicatio journey and an attempt to decipher its true meaning throughout the advertisement. Moreover, the repetition helps to remember the advertisement even after viewing, through production of deep memory traces that play a crucial role in consumer decision-making (Wells 1997, 241). In addition to music, the absence of diegetic sounds also draws viewer attention to the commercial. Sounds such as a books pages turning due to the winds, kids shouting as t hey run, the sound of water splashing are all absent from the commercial though some of the visuals are in close up. This lack of sound also makes one pay attention to what is being shown in the advertisement. In totality, the soothing nature of the musical score coupled with its repetitive rhythm reinforces the nature of visual content and brings the viewer into an introspective mood. The lack of diegetic sounds further make one notice the visuals by not reinforcing their content. A third dominant facet of the commercial is the use of subtitles that appear across the duration of the commercial. The commercial begins by raising the question, What is a Journey? It then begins to add one layer of meaning over another to fully answer the question and terminates with the disclosure that journey is life itself (Paris 2008). The advertisement, however, ends with another question Where will life take you? (Paris 2008). The word journey is used throughout the video as a Conduplicatio or a repeated keyword pulling out important ideas from sentences and reinforcing them in other sentences (Farnsworth 2011, 7). The process of repetition enhances the probability that viewer attention will be centered towards the repeated word at some stage of viewing (Wells 1997, 241). The word life again finds a similar usage as it is repeated in the final two phrases of the commercial. The words journey and life are the prime takeaways of a viewer from the video. These two signifiers are aimed at signifying the Louis Vuittons passion for enabling its consumers to discover places and themselves as they traverse the journey of life. Overall, the advertisement uses emotional transfer to link the brand with emotions one experiences upon viewing the commercial (Kenny 2005, 72). The attempt is to evoke ones passion in living and traveling and directly transfer it to a passion for making Louis Vuitton brand a lifetime partner along ones journeys. This transfer is achieved through a combination of subtitles, visuals and musical score. The subtitles immediately encourage the viewer to ponder upon the meaning of a journey. The visuals strive to capture those moments during travel that extend well beyond their physical existence in the minds of the travelers. They depict the blissful state one finds oneself in when witnessing such moments and that such moments are not confined to vacation destinations alone. The musical score reinforces a sense of tranquility and awe experienced during these moments. The emotional transfer attempt becomes most visible through the final two subtitles Where will life take you? and Louis Vu itton (Paris 2008). The remainder of the commercial evokes feelings of awe and love for life. These can then be transferred to a love for a luxurious and enriched life that Louis Vuitton can help one achieve. The duration of the commercial is just apt for exploring the meaning of a journey. The advertisement effectively communicates the passion of Louis Vuitton for providing its consumers with a luxurious lifestyle along their journey of life.

Understanding HIV and AIDS :: health, virus, medicine

HIV/ AIDS HIV/AIDS is an epidemic that effects both men and women of all ages. It has an impact on many people's lives either by themselves being infected, knowing someone who is infected, or being a health care worker. HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. It also effects the blood cells (lymphocytes) and cells of the organs (bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lymph glands). It effects the lungs, central nervous system and gastrointestinal system. People begin with having the HIV virus. An HIV infected person is likely to stay fit and well for a long time. In time, however the infected person develops rare illnesses or cancers because their immune system is weakened. When this happens, the person now has AIDS. Some people live for several years once they have AIDS, but it is always fatal. HIV is diagnosed with a blood test known as an HIV antibody test or HIV test. If the test shows that HIV is present, the person is referred to as HIV positive. It may take up to 6 months after contact to show up. The number of women with HIV and AIDS in the United States is steadily rising. From 1985 to 1996, the proportion of reported US AIDS cases occurring among women increased from 7-20% (Women and AIDS). An analysis from the National Cancer Institute estimates that between 107,000 and 150,000 women on the U.S. are living with HIV infection (many of whom have not developed AIDS (Women and AIDS) AIDS presents a great worry for women. It is the third leading cause of death among women ages 25 to 44 and the leading cause of death among African-American women of the same age group. (Women and AIDS) Although AIDS cases are reported in all 50 states, the highest rates in 1996 were in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Maryland and Delaware (Women and AIDS) HIV may not produce any initial symptoms. However, as this disease progresses, symptoms begin to appear. Among them are: fatigue, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, fever, diarrhea, recurrent respiratory and skin infections, swollen lymph glands throughout the body, genital changes, enlarged spleen and mouth sores. Vaginal yeast infections, common and easily treated in most women, are harder to treat in HIV infected women. Bacterial vaginosis and common STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia trichomoniasis, and pelvic inflammatory disease are more common and aggressive in HIV-infected women.

All Hallows Eve Analysis

â€Å"All Hallows Eve† is a fictional novel by Vivian Vande Velde. With the genre based on horror, this book is a series of thirteen short stories assembled together to form a perfect scary book. Though it may not seem scary during the daytime, this book is sure to chill you to the bone when you read it alone on the night of Halloween. Describing witches, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, this novel is great to read to get into the Halloween spirit! Starting off with the intro story â€Å"Come in and Rest a Spell,† this story has a catchy beginning and end. The stories in this novel all deal with events and scary experiences occurring on Halloween- the night where it's said that gruesome spirits come back to haunt people on Earth for just one night. While some stories describe haunted farms with murderous spirits running loose, others tell the story of pranks that lead to discovering horrible secrets and field trips to cemeteries where bodies seem to move. And as more and more stories are read, readers find this novel also describes deceased and lost spirits that come back every Halloween, and a fortune teller that tells five friends terrible fates waiting for them. There is also the story of a friendship that, though it seemed real, ended up with one friend killing the other and a story on family that resulted in finding out the terrible truth behind the costumes. And as previously mentioned, it's also about witches casting wicked spells; and zombies, vampires, and werewolves terrorizing all on the night of Hallows Eve. One story in this novel that I especially found interesting was about a girl who lived out in the countryside and it was Halloween night. Ashley was a 16-year-old girl, and she was fixing up a murder scene in a barn. Every year the Cristanis Family Farm would hire kids to decorate the farm for Halloween and have drive-ins of tractors from neighboring farms to see the scary show. Of course tractors had to pay to get in and that's the main reason why the owner of the farm held this event. But another reason why all the other farms had urged for the Cristanis Family Farm to serve as the Halloween drive-in barn was because of the haunted background of the farm. Before the Cristanis family had bought the farm, the place was originally owned by Morgan Roehmar- a so called serial killer who was not only found to have killed about a half dozen boys but girls also. But the scary thing is that the police never found the body of Roehmar himself. It was rumored that Roehmar killed himself after his girlfriend betrayed him and told the police of the horrible smell of the dead bodies in his barn. Soon the farm was rumored as haunted after Roehmar had died and it stayed empty for centuries until the Cristanis family bought it. But now as Ashley is setting up the barn, a sound comes from one of the corners of the huge barn and soon the lights flash out. What seems so harmless a ghost comes up to her and chokes Ashley to death. This book was scary to read at night, when you're alone, and I think it serves as a good book to read for Halloween. Though it definitely was not the scariest book I've read, it keeps you scared for the moment while reading it. The stories were original and some were really scary like the story I've mentioned above, and it was a good read. Though I've never really realized it till now- one of my favorite genres when reading books is horror. I like the usual scary book and especially scary movie to read and watch at night. Though I didn't read this book on the night of Halloween- but the night before Halloween, it still was fun to read and I recommend it to readers of all ages to read the night on/before Halloween. Though this book was scary at some parts, I think the author could've done a better job writing some of the stories like the one about a 15-year-old girl who looks for her real parents. The short story is titled â€Å"My Real Mother† and it's about a girl named Evelyn who is an adopted girl that has always wondered on finding her adopted parents, like all adopted children do, and Evelyn finds her parent's address by using the adoption papers and the internet. But when she arrives to her parents' house on Halloween night dressed up as a princess, things go wrong after she tells her parents that she's their daughter. The parents, it turns out, are vampires, that can't use her blood since she's related and they kick her back out of their house and Evelyn has to go back home. It takes a series of only five minutes for the encounter between Evelyn and her parents to happen and I just think the author could've done more to the scene, or at least have made it scarier than it seemed. But this novel was still good to read and it was okay.