Holiday Customs in Victorian England :: essays research papers

Holiday Customs in Victorian England Although Christ's Nativity has been celebrated since the 4th century, most of the English customs we are familiar with today are as recent as the mid-19th century. Many of the early ceremonies were started with pagan beliefs. â€Å"The Protestant Reformation condemned most of these pagan customs as superstitious and banned public celebrations of Christmas.† Michelle J. Hoppe. It wasn't until Prince Albert married Queen Victoria and brought many German customs with him that Christmas began to gain popularity again. â€Å"One of the first signs of Christmas was the arrival of the Christmas card in the post. John Calcott Horsley designed the first Christmas card in 1846 for Sir Henry Cole, Chairman of the Society of the Arts. Only 1000 cards were printed that first year and were expensive, but the pattern for the future was formed.† Encyclopedia. Then in 1870, postage was reduced. Thus began the real spread of the Christmas card. By the early 1870s, the custom had reached the United States. Christmas decorations sometimes appeared well before the holiday, also, but many still held to the old superstition that it was bad luck to put up a evergreen (Christmas Tree) before Christmas Eve. †The most favored plants were all 'magical' because of the mid-winter berries they produced--mistletoe, holly and ivy. The red berry of the holly was believed to protect one against witchcraft.† Encyclopedia. The sprig had to be carried into the house by a male, as the berry is on the 'male' holly plant. One use for holly sprigs was to decorate the Christmas pudding. The 'female' ivy symbolized immortality. â€Å"Mistletoe, because of its pagan origins, was not allowed in any church. Kissing under the mistletoe was English custom and only as many berries as were on the mistletoe, could there be kisses. For after every kiss, a berry had to be removed from the sprig.† English Customs. The Christmas tree can truly be called a Victorian innovation. The custom of a lighted tree began in Germany then made its way to America. â€Å"It wasn't until Prince Albert, of German descent, brought the Christmas tree to England in 1840 that it gained popularity there. By 1847, the trees at Windsor Castle were laden with presents as well as wax candles.† Michelle J. Hoppe. The tradition spread as English citizens followed the Royal example. The trees and other decorations were removed on Twelfth Night (January 6).

Interest Groups in American Government Essay

Interest groups play an important role in American Government. The large numbers of interest groups present in government represent the reciprocal power and influence that government and business have with one another. This paper will offer reasons why there are so many different interest groups. Interest or lobbying groups provide a means by which â€Å". . . to channel citizens’ concerns to policy makers and administrators (Thomson Nelson). † Interest groups may represent small or large companies, industries, or individual citizens. Due to increased government regulations that affect citizens’ and businesses, interest groups work to make sure the voice of those affected by new laws are heard prior to official legislation or policy being rendered. Interests groups are also large in numbers due to the number of policies that the government is seeking to render. Each policy or bureaucratic legislation the government renders influences a certain sector of society, leading to interest groups trying to influence government policy makers to their favor. Lastly, interest groups are large in numbers due to increased dollars allotted toward funding these lobbying groups. Interest groups have become intricate players for many businesses and are allowed full funding in order to fully advocate for specific interests. In all, interest groups are large influencers in American Government. There are many reasons such as number of policies, increased funding, and increased government regulations that have increased the numbers of interests groups in America today.

Case Study of IPD Company

Basing on the Information provided In the case material and refers to our class learning, the causes of the ineffectiveness of the performance appraisal program which installed in the BID Company are as follows: Goal misalignment with company's overall goal Whenever appropriate, employees' performance goals should be ensured aligning tit organization's what an organization exists for, things that an organization and Its employees consider Important and desirable, courses of action to achieve organization's overall goals. Aligning employee performance goals is known as the Strategic Role of performance appraisal.In this case, we can see that the company had enjoyed good profitability by emphasizing excellent service quality before the performance appraisal program was Installed, three major departments which of Front office Is responsible for communicate with both external clients and Internal co-workers, the first stage of heir working chain and also the door of business of the compa ny; Warehousing department responsible for inventory control, this is the second stage of the working chain to ensure the warehouse has sufficient inventory; Delivery department responsible for transporting the products to retail for selling, this is the third stage of the working chain which provide sufficient supply for frontline sales. Refer to their job description, the weight of mission, values and strategies of the BID Company somehow is approach to provide services to clients and emphasis on laity but quantity thus meet with overall's goal rather than others.After the new program has launched, it was not exercise properly the strategic role of performance appraisal and learnt the lesson In the hard way because the program approach to measuring what employees produce but how employees do their Job, It focus on quantity rather than overall quality and corporate communication. For example, front office staffs performance measured by number of orders taken per person per week but no approach to measure the service and communication quality; warehousing Taft measured by number of cases of product handled per man-hour and time required to load each truck but no mention of communication and occupational safety standard; as for truck driver, performance is measured by the length of time to criterion.A performance management system would be only effective when the employees in BID Company are clear about their duties and Job standards and match with the organizational goals so that they work with their full potential to meet organizational objectives. Any misalignment would seriously undermine the performance of an organization 2. Discuss how to improve the Company's performance planning and propose a set of performance evaluation criteria that you consider appropriate for the Company's three major department. A major challenge for The BID Company is to have employees who are passionate about what they do and constantly strives to perform at their best. The aim of which is to ensure that the employee's performance is supporting the strategic aims.The consensus of most existing research on appraisal systems is that to be effective, the appraisal process must be considered fair and accurate by those having their reference evaluated, set in establishing performance goals should accordance to employees' duties and responsibilities, as for appropriate performance evaluation criteria that Vive propose for the company's three major department are as follows: Front office Since office staff is responsible for receiving and processing orders, it involves telephone services manner to both internal and external parties so that telephone service performance at front office should be including measure both behavior and result: 1 . Telephone service manner as rated monthly by supervisor should 4 or above on a 5-point Liker Scale. 2. Incoming calls answered within three rings in a month should be 90% or higher. 3.Customer satisfaction monthly rating on t elephone service should be 4 or above on a 5-point Liker Scale. 4. Number of customer complaints per month on telephone service should be 3 or lower. Warehousing department Warehouse staff responsible for receiving, storing and loading computer products on trucks, the evaluation criteria should be focused on result and behavior: 1 . Communication with front office as rated monthly by supervisor should 4 or above on a 5-point Liker Scale. . Receiving and storing computer products which from front office should be finished within a day. 3. Time to load each truck per month should be average 30 minutes or lower. 4. Number of warehouse accidents per month should be lower than 1.Delivery department Delivery department responsible for transporting the computer products to retail outlets, it involves time management and driving safety and so that the evaluation criteria should be focused on result: 1 . Delivery products to retail in a month should time needs for delivery in each route. 2. Products must be 100% in good condition whether received from warehousing department and/or delivered to retail. 3. Recommend what other actions the Company should take to make the performance appraisal program become a big success. Performance appraisal is a system where not every employee in the company may like but every employee should be treated as the same because they are a huge part of a company in order for the company to become successful.Thus, a few suggestions are recommended for the appraisal system in BID Company, to be better serving as an effective efficient system. One of the things on is to offer proper training to each line supervisors. Through raining, supervisors may then rank the employees with correct Judgment. This will mean that there is no sign of them using progressive discipline. In simpler term, no bias error will occur. Secondly, positive feedback on performance related to goals shall be conducted, as this will gives the worker a sense of achievement, r ecognition and accomplishment, in which the company might miss it. Thirdly, BID Company needs to incorporate multiple sources of information from peers, subordinates, customers, and employee self-evaluations.The company will want to conduct additional research on how these types of measures can be reliably ND validly developed and integrated into the appraisal process. This helps reducing sampling error by increasing the number of observations and reduces the effect of possible biases. This way, the supervisors and managers will feel more comfortable, since they are no longer solely responsible for what happens to the person as a result of the rating. Probably there are still many ways to be researched and then be conducted. However, I do think these three ways are as important as they will lead the performance appraisal to a better system in BID Company.

High School Social Studies Curriculum Plan of Study

High School Social Studies Curriculum Plan of Study High School social studies typically consist of three years of required credits along with additionally offered electives. Following is an overview of these required courses along with electives one might find at a typical high school. Sample High School Social Studies Plan of Study Year One: World History The World History course is obviously a true survey course. Due to time constraints, students typically get just a taste of the various cultures and their history from around the world. The most powerful world history curriculum is one which builds connections between world cultures. World history follows a progression as follows: Prehistory and Early ManFirst civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China)Greece and RomeMedieval China and JapanMedieval Era in EuropeRenaissance and Reformation in EuropeModern Era AP World History is the standard replacement for World History. This course is considered an introductory advanced placement social studies course. Year Two: Electives This plan of study assumes that only three full year credits are required in social studies for graduation. Therefore, this year is one in which students often take any desired social studies electives.This list is not meant to be exhaustive but instead representative of a typical high school. Psychology or AP PsychologySociologyWorld GeographyAP Comparative Government Year Three: American History The American History course differs in many locations. Some have American History in high school cover the time period beginning with the American Civil War while others have it begin at the beginning. In this curriculum example, we begin with a brief review of exploration and discovery before jumping into the colonial era. One of the main purposes of the American History course is to highlight the root causes and interconnections of many events that arose throughout Americas past. Connections are highlighted along with the dynamics of group interaction, the building of a national identity, the rise of social movements, and the growth of federal institutions. AP American History is the standard replacement for American History. This course covers topics that range from discovery and exploration through the most recent presidential administrations. Year Four: American Government and Economics Each of these courses normally lasts for one-half of the year. Therefore, they are typically placed together although there is no reason that they have to follow each other or be completed in a particular order. American Government: American Government provides students the basic understanding of the institutions and functions of government in America. Students learn about the foundations of American Government and then focus on the institutions themselves. Further, they learn about the ways that they can get involved and participate in government.​ Check out this  American Government Course Outline.AP American Government replaces American Government. This course typically covers the same topics as American Government but in greater depth. Emphasis is placed on interpretation, synthesis, and analysis of governmental policies and institutions.Economics:  In Economics students learn key economic concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, and major economic theories. Students then focus on the way that the American government interacts with the American economy. The last portion of the course is spent on real-world applications of economic concepts. Students do not only learn basi c consumer economics but also details about savings and investing. AP Macroeconomics and/or AP Microeconomics replaces Economics. This advanced placement course focuses less on consumer economics and more on a typical undergraduate level of economic theory.

Primer, Manual and Handbook

Primer, Manual and Handbook Primer, Manual and Handbook Primer, Manual and Handbook By Maeve Maddox In American usage, the word primer has two pronunciations, according to whether it refers to a beginning reading book [PRIM-ur] or to an undercoat of paint [PRY-mur]. In British usage, it’s pronounced the same way for both [PRY-mur]. This post is about the word primer [PRIM-ur] as it applies to a source of elementary instruction. The first primers were devotionals or instructional manuals written for Christian church members. They contained prayers and explanations of doctrine. Because primers were often used for the secondary purpose of teaching children to read, later church primers contained a section with the ABCs. In 1545 primers intended specifically for children began to be published under the title The A.B.C. Primers. By 1600, the word primer referred chiefly to books intended for beginning reading instruction. When I was in grade school, I had a textbook that showed pages from The New England Primer, the first elementary textbook published in the American colonies. It contained the alphabet with a verse for each letter. One that springs to mind after all these years is the unforgettable verse for the letter X: Xerxes must die and so must I. The meaning of primer as a beginning reading textbook or a book of religious instruction has not entirely disappeared, as can be seen in these modern titles available at Amazon: A Gospel Primer for Christians Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers The term has evolved to mean a small introductory book on any subject. For example: A Primer of Assyriology The Puppy Primer Loom Knitting Primer Cheese Primer The Pantry Primer C++ Primer Plus A Primer for the Mathematics of Financial Engineering In extended use, primer can include things other than books: Along the way, their work [that of the Coen brothers] has served as a primer of American history- their films are almost uniformly period pieces- especially as reflected onscreen. Fights with the enemy were a given, though as it turned out the Iraq War served as a primer for Afghanistan, where Scheuer was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat. Altogether, the [Barlow] campaign served as a primer in Catskills history. Originally, primers were quite small. Here are three other English words for books that contain basic information and are small enough to carry about: manual noun (classical Latin manualis, â€Å"held in the hand, of a size to fill the hand†): a book containing in concise form the principles, rules, and directions needed for the mastery of an art, science, or skill. Example: The acronym IAEFRTM stands for â€Å"If All Else Fails, Read the Manual.† handbook noun (literal English translation of Latin manualis): a concise reference book covering a particular subject or field of knowledge. Example: His favorite gift was A Handbook to Help Identify Hudson River Fish Larvae. vade mecum noun:  (Latin imperative: â€Å"Go with me!†): A vade mecum is a small book convenient for carrying about. Example: Dr. Thaddeus William Harris prepared a catalogue of insects that served as the vade mecum of the working entomologist in the northeastern part of the United States for at least fifty years. 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:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesPeople versus PersonsThe Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

Concert performance review papaer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concert performance review papaer - Essay Example At some points during the music, the orchestra does not blow the instruments and quietness prevails. The music has a non-uniform tone. It starts with a low tone. As the music progresses, there is an alternating rise and fall in the tone of the music. At some points, the orchestra goes down in its tonal variation and sometimes they raise their voice to attain a high tone. The instruments in the music sometimes produce high volume and a time the volume goes low. The music has a rhythm that has variations characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of varying conditions. The orchestra plays the tunes on varying notes. The music’s dynamics consists of low volume throughout the thirty-four minutes. There is a rise and fall trend in the sound of music. Within the four phases of the structure of the music, there is a spread of sound variations. The orchestra varies the sound in a perfect way that fits the desirable tone of classical music. The form and structure of the music assumes four phases. The orchestra starts with a high note and the note declines towards the fifth minute. The orchestra seems to make a stop at that point. They come up again to attain a high tone. For the second time, the orchestra goes down to a low tone. The orchestra picks up for the third phase and lowers the tone. They come up for the fourth and last time. The music ends when the leader of the orchestra bows down. The alterations of the four phases in this music have a plan that depicts uniformity. The music has a tune that brings out the melody of a valuable classical music. The tune is appealing and makes the music enjoyable. The orchestra has the experience to bring out the melody that conforms to the tune of classical music. The music has simultaneous pitches throughout the thirty-four minutes. The pitch variations have a harmonious arrangement. The orchestra plays the instruments in a manner that brings out the right form

Economic & Marketing (Research Project) Research Paper

Economic & Marketing ( Project) - Research Paper Example The field of financial services and the people who work in it are far more diverse than or other pervasive images would lead one to believe. It is a field that offers an extensive range of career opportunities to several people who do not fit any of the stereotypes of financial wizards. Indeed, life of people employed in finance affected almost every aspect of business because money still does make the world go around. Personality traits of a person to take finance as a major of study are quite a number. A person needs to be a highly motivated individual, well driven to make money and very outgoing. In addition, majoring in finance, there are regulatory requirements that need to be taken into consideration namely; economics, accounting, business finances, business law, stock market and other related areas of study (Fabozzi 99). A person need to be competent with statistics and all things involved in the world of business finances. Those who pursue careers in finance in the coming yea rs find that their activities are increasingly global in nature. Investing and cross-border financing are made easily due to technology and more common than they have ever been. Developing nations and former Communist countries continue to grow due to capitalist institutions and stock market (Sumichrast 11). It will be an electrifying time to be involved in the wide variety of careers available in financial services. An opportunity in financial careers explores a range of jobs available to newcomers as well as those who are more seasoned in the world of finance. The type of work a bank clerk, teller, or administrative assistant performs at the most well recognized financial institution for example the bank, is a good example of the type of job that lies in the field of finance. Within these broad categories, a range of jobs is revealed. In general, the financial institutions e.g. the bank, offer a great deal of predictability and stability as well as competitive salaries, and this w ill remain so in the foreseeable future. In developing countries, availability of agricultural credit as a policy is expanding due to accelerate of rural and agricultural development. Credit institutions in many countries are heavily subsided. Finance being taken as a course in many institutions has greatly affected developing countries due to the knowledge of financial analysts in the country. This is a great significant to the society at large and personal wellbeing. Changes in interest rates, pricing policies, financial liquidity and taxation, asset composition, capital formation, and inflation, along with other phenomena, compose a set of factors, which introduce a new situation in the economies of developing countries (Sumichrast 20). As one who is intimately involved with management and decision-making can attest to the overriding importance of the macroeconomic factors, which impinged on daily decisions. There are key education elements required in finance sector. Bachelorâ⠂¬â„¢s degrees in finance, accounting, business or a related field are the recommended field in studying finance as a course. A keen understanding of insurance, banking and stock market practices plays a significant role for one to be successful in finance and attain professional and specialization credentials (Brigham 200). Retirement planning, investing tactics and insurance fall under a course program in financial advisory. A student who is