Friday, December 27, 2019

Latin Americ A Great Deal Of Progress - 1340 Words

Although Latin America has experienced a great deal of progress since the first modern movements in the 1920s, contemporary international artist from Latin America still has a tough road ahead of them before they can separate their work from their roots in the eyes of the international community. But I believe that is easier today more than ever. Although I don t want to lump all Latin American countries together, which are very different from each other, but we cannot discuss one only in Latin America. What I want to do is discuss this shared common ground of ideas that exist between the artist and work to a common history that comes from 300 years of colonial occupation by countries like Spain or Portugal. But also a shared history†¦show more content†¦The event that set a lot of these feelings in motion was the Semana de Arte moderna, which was an art festival in Sao Paul, Brazil, that latest from February 11th to February 18th, 1922. This event marked the start of Brazil ian Modernism, which introduced Brazilian artists modernist work to their society at large. By the early twentieth century, Latin Americans began to recognize their unique identity and began to follow their own cultural path. Latinos have been described by Goldman and Cannitzer as not wanting to aspire to enter an already given [North] America but to participate in the construction of a new hegemony dependent upon their cultural practices and discourses (16). Many of these artists today who have been influenced by the generations before and recognize the work that those generations did in opening the doors for the events that are unfolding today. Artists today deal with deconstructing notions of Latin America when many conceptions of them exist. Also, expanding the notion of what Latin America could be but also creating a wider open field of dialogue. They come with a very specific way of viewing the world with their own lens instead of one given to them by other cultures. Latin Am erican artists today have to try to contextualize Latin America in the art world. What they have to discuss today is very much about making choices.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Trial Of Socratess Apology - 2237 Words

The trial of Socrates has established itself as one of the most popular topics for not only the deliberation of Socrates as a Philosopher, but in the context of Philosophy as a whole. When we think about forgiveness, it is likely that our mind associates the phrase with the task of asking someone for their legitimate pardon, or as a ritual part of a religious ceremony, asking the high all mighty for his forgiveness. As we turn our attention to Socrates, the idea of pardon in the context of his Apology, illustrates both reality and truth, shifting back and forth between one another; as he demonstrates his knowledge by the idea of knowing by not knowing to those who accused him. It is important to state, that though the Apology involves Socrates directly and represents him as the main character and narrator, the factual evidence of his trial was brought together, written, and established into a formal Philosophical piece by one of his most known disciples, Plato. As one reads through t he famous Apology, it is relatively easy to locate the audience in mind in terms of whom it is directed to; that is students majoring, or currently taking a Philosophy class, or Philosophy fanatics who are intrigued by Socrates and the things that were said as part of his well-known trial. As we emphasize the idea of his Apology, it is relatively amusing why Socrates found himself in a court of law to begin with. Socrates as the Apology written by Plato narrates; was formally being charged withShow MoreRelatedA Summary On Socrates s Apology1332 Words   |  6 PagesMarch 2016 Socrates’s Attentive Apology The fight to do what is right is not an easy path to traverse, but is one which demands a noble and enduring character. Defending principles of justice with logic and reason in the face of political opposition, is a difficult task to take, but the elusive Socrates boldly undertook this endeavor. In Plato’s Apology, he recalls the daring defence of the principles of truth that Socrates took against all odds. Plato’s recollections, much like the trial of SocratesRead MoreAnalysis Of Socratess Four Accusations About Socrates 1679 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates are that he commits injustice and is a busybody; he investigates things in the heavens and beneath the earth; he does not acknowledge the gods; he makes the weaker argument the stronger; he teaches this to others; he corrupts the young (Plato, Apology, 18c-19b, pg 47). While he is guilty of the first, second, fifth and sixth accusations, he is innocent of the third and the fourth. That Socrates is guilty by his own standards of being a busybody, or meddler, is proven by his way of discussingRead MoreSocrates: The Dichotomy between Aristophanes and Plato’s Depictions1489 Words   |  6 Pageshowever; the works of Plato (a student of Socrates) depict the man in an entirely different light. The Apology of Socrates, a dialogue by Plato, portrays the trial of Socrates as he gives an â€Å"apology† or a speech in his defense in order to refute the charges against him. The tones of these two works contrast each other completely; The Clouds being a work that satirizes Socrates while the Apology of Socrates holds the philosopher in much higher esteem. The fact of the matter is that during the turbulentRead MoreThe Apology Is Plato s Retelling Of Socrates s Trail1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe Apology is Plato’s retelling of Socrates’s trail. Within his account, he portrays Socrates as a confident, but almost haughty, and reasonable man. The main philosophical themes that Plato presents through Socrates are wisdom, justice, and his purpose in the community. Socrates is at this trial because he has been accused of two things: 1) â€Å"Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, andRead MoreWhat I Learned From Plato s Apology889 Words   |  4 Pages Socrates’s Teachings Three Things I Learned From Plato’s Apology â€Å"I appear to be wiser than he, because I do not fancy I know what I do not know.† Plato’s Apology. Socrates was known to be one of the worlds greatest philosophers. In the famous dialogue, written by Socrates’s pupil, Plato, we are portrayed with an even more influential and strong minded Socrates. In this dialogue Socrates is put to trial amongst the people of Athens, where he is accused of atheismRead MoreSocrates Apology Analysis1149 Words   |  5 Pages In her analysis of Socrates’s frame of work, Roslyn Weiss defends Socrates to seeker of knowledge. Weiss argues that Socrates should be viewed as a skeptical inquirer because of his pursuit to what is x? As Weiss puts it, Socrates is aware of his own ignorance and knows that one cannot know what things are by simply using definitions. She emphasized for one to a teacher, one must be an expert. From this point of view, it can be inferred that to teach someone you must have all the background andRead MoreSocratic Justice And The Trial And Death Of Socrates992 Words   |  4 Pagesargumentative reasoning that relies on fairness and justice and ultimately doing what is best for your country. In this paper I will explain how Socratic Justice plays a big role in The Trial and Death of Socrates. I will also go into detail about the differences between Machiavelli’s views of government as opposed to Socrates’s. Socrates and Machiavelli are two the greatest philosophers known today. Both had an effective way of showing and standing up for what they believe in. While both men were veryRead MorePlatos The Allegory of the Cave as Means to Explain The Apology1672 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Cave† As Means to Explain â€Å"The Apology† Authors sometimes use one work to explain or elaborate on the intricacies of another piece of theirs. Plato is one such example as he uses â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† as means to better decipher â€Å"The Apology of Socrates.† Plato himself never appears in either dialogue, but it is clear that he disagrees with how Socrates’s trial ended and hopes to prevent another unneeded execution in the future. In â€Å"The Apology of Socrates,† Socrates is accused of notRead MoreSocrates s Philosophy On The Western Civilization1440 Words   |  6 Pageslevel, Athens condemned him with several charges such as the corruption of youth as the society of this time viewed secular knowledge as an obstruction to the achievement of spiritual enlightenment (Class notes.) After his death and his famous trial, Socrates’s philosophy had an enormous impact on the Western Civilization. Socrates’ philosophy could be found in Plato’s works. For example, T he Republic written in a form of discussion is an influential book that contributes to several debates. Even ifRead More Plato Essay example1737 Words   |  7 PagesAthens had to offer the scions of its noble families, and he devoted his considerable talents to politics and the writing of tragedy and other forms of poetry. His acquaintance with Socrates altered the course of his life. The compelling power which Socratess methods and arguments had over the minds of the youth of Athens gripped Plato as firmly as it did so many others, and he became a close associate of Socrates. The end of the Peloponnesian War (404 BC) left Plato in an irreconcilable position. His

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Key Challenges Marketing Operations

Question: Evaluate the key challenges in managing the brands marketing operations. Provide an analysis of the current marketing activities being undertaken by the organization/brand and the extent to which they are achieving their objectives. Evaluate how the brand is embracing key trends in marketing management. Answer: Introduction Coffee is one of the rapidly growing products in the global market that is getting great popularity among the consumers. Most of the countries are consuming coffee higher than the past therefore it has become important for the companies to meet the market demand. There are several companies in the coffee market in UK who are serving consumer to satisfy their taste. Kenco is one of those companies who are providing good coffees to their customer (Winchester, Arding and Nenycz-Thiel 2015). The objective of this report is to analyze the different marketing conditions of the company such as challenges that are Kenco facing during their marketing in the UK and in the global market. The report also analyzes the current marketing strategies of the company that are implemented and what are the areas Kenco is lacking to enhance their brand marketing. The report also emphasizes on the adaptability of the brand marketing by Kenco and how they are addressing the changing demand of the customers (Tollan 2013). Challenges in managing the Kencos brand marketing The coffee market in UK is rapidly growing for the last five years. The character of the market is also changing along with the growth because the consumer preference is changing. Considering different factors there are several challenges that the company is facing in the recent time of their business that are discussed here. Running and growing the business Running and growing the business is one of the most challenging tasks in the coffee market. The most challenging thing is the availability of the raw coffee. Most of the companies are facing the problem of coffee production because environmental condition of every area does not support the coffee farming (Grubnic et al. 2015). Kenco is farming their coffee mainly in Africa and Vietnam therefore distance of sending those coffees to the processing unit is one of the big challenges. Running the business is the other problem because of the competition. Many local brands that are providing coffee to the customers in low price are one of the big challenges to the growth of the business. Availability of the coffee should be good otherwise competitors will get the advantage. Another challenge is the distribution of the product in the market. Entry of giant brands The coffee market is a growing segment in the business world therefore every big company is aiming to make their business in this segment. Giant brands like Nescafe, Georgia, Bru are selling variety of coffee products in the market therefore it is very difficult to establish more number of products. Kencos biggest challenge is Nescafe in the UK market because the maximum market share is captured by them (Fromm, Wyss and Garcia 2012). To overcome this problem Kenco has launched the ready mix coffee in the year of 1988. At that time ready mix coffee from Nescafe was already in the market. The problem with the competition with the giant brand is the perception of the consumer. The consumer market is with the perception that big brand will always deliver the best product. Therefore Kenco is facing the problem to change the perception of the consumer to convert them towards their brand. They are the company who believes in the ethical and quality product and aim of the organization is to establish the belief. Market forces The macroeconomic factors in the market provide lot of resistance to the business. Unlike commodity market coffee market is also facing the price fluctuation that is hampering the business growth. The biggest problem is that due to regular price fluctuation companies are not able to book enough raw materials for the future. Therefore manufacturing of coffee is becoming slow and fail to meet the demand in the market (Otjen 2015). 3.5 million Bag of coffee shortage is expected in the year of 2015 to 2016. Therefore, this will be a big challenge to every company to overcome the shortage. In such situation the price of the product automatically rises. Price fluctuation of the raw materials also lead to the problem in pricing because Kenco is not able to charge high price because of the competitive nature of the market at the same time they are not flexible enough to change price every time to the customer (Yamoah et al. 2013). Investment and infrastructure Todays coffee business is requiring lot of investment because to meet the demand in the market companies are establishing their won farming of coffee to control the production of the raw materials. Comparatively small companies are investing on the farmers rather to establish coffee farming. Investments in the farming to educate farmers are going huge for the companies that are increasing the price of the product (Luetchford 2012). Infrastructure of the coffee business is also important because from the production of raw materials to the selling of the ready coffee everything is controlled by the company. Kenco is also facing the same problem in the market therefore to overcome this challenge they are also investing lot of money to produce the coffee bean. Kenco is providing education to the farmer so that they provide raw material according to the need of the company. Changing needs of the consumer Unlike every market coffee market is also dependent on the consumer requirement. Preference of the ready mix coffee is becoming low in the UK market because consumers do not prefer that. For last two years the demand of the ready mix coffee has come down from 80% to 77% therefore there is a need to introduce the substitute products that consumers will prefer. Competition in the market needs to keep updated so that they provide the preferred product first in the market (McDonagh, Kilbourne and Prothero 2013). CoffeeArabica andCoffeeRobusta are the two main variety of the coffee bean among them Arabica has the maximum popularity because of their sweet and smooth flavor. But in the recent time there is a change in the customer demand and the demand of Robusta coffee has increased. Therefore there is a need to change the production of the raw materials according to the market demand. Analysis of the Kencos current marketing strategies Objective of every business is to grow the market capitalization and Kenco is not an exception to that. Kenco has implemented lot of strategy to establish their brand in the market that are discussed below. Coffee vs. Gangs program Kenco has implemented Coffee vs. Gangs program in such a way that will have double benefit. It is a project of the company that will help the local community where coffee farming is done. Most of the area where coffee farming is done are underdeveloped therefore local peoples are more involved with the illegal activities for their earnings. Kenco through the Coffee vs. Gangs program is educating the local community so that they do not get involved with the illegal activities (Grubnic et al. 2015). It will ensure more people from the community will be involved I the farming that will ensure the timely and increased production of raw materials. The company is promoting this program to their customers also that will establish a sense of ethical business to the customers mind. Doing business ethically will always ensure quality product to the customers. Sustainable supply chain Kencos heart of the supply chain is the supply of their raw materials to the processing unit. Therefore they have adopted a unique strategy to maintain sustainable supply chain. The farmers of the coffee beans are not educated and organized therefore they do not understand the importance of the timely and quality production for the consumer (Rimburg 2012). This was a problem for the company that was hampering the flow of the supply chain. Kenco has taken the initiative to educate the farmers so that they provide help to keep the flow of the supply chain by providing the raw material timely. This strategy has helped Kenco to establish a sustainable supply chain within their process. Eco refill packaging Eco refill packaging is the unique strategy that is introduced first by Kenco. They have made their packaging in such a way that the pack can be recycled after usage. Each product of the Kenco is using the eco refill packaging. The objective of this packaging is to provide the facility to return the used packet to the manufacturer that will ensure the plastics are not thrown in the environment (Ifezue 2015). Customers need to send the packets after use but that will not take any additional cost from them because they are providing the details how send. It is a good initiative towards the ethical business. Promotion of such kind of strategy helps to build a good brand image within the customer base. Analysis of market segmentation and targeting Kenco has segmented their market according to the geography and demography that is implementable with the character of their product. This two segmentation strategy is used with their product that matches with the customer preference and usage rate. Geographical segmentation: Kenco is using the geographical segmentation strategy because consumption of coffee is dependent on the geographic character of the market. The two way of geographic segmentation is used here that is the rural and urban area within UK. According to the market research report it is found that the consumption of coffee is less in the countryside whereas in the urban areas where the population is dense have a greater rate of coffee consumption (Percy and Rosenbaum-Elliott 2012). Therefore Kenco has established more selling unit in the urban areas as compared to the country side. Kenco has segmented the UK market in four parts such as east, west, north and south. It is found that the southern segment of the country consumes more coffee with the preference of hard and roasted coffee whereas the northern region of the country consumes more instant coffee. Therefore the company is also emphasizing to sale the hard coffee in the southern region and instant coffee i n the northern region. Demographical segmentation: Kenco has tried to segment every age group, families, region, gender and different socio economic group. Kenco is targeting the young group who are between 20 to 40 years because they consume maximum coffee as compared to the other age group. The company has also segmented the market according to the familys behavior. It is found that the families who have more working person consume more coffees (Kruschwitz 2012). Along with the family segmentation it is necessary to segment the market according to the socio economic group. The families who have more working persons are stronger economically. It is obvious that the families with the higher economic class will consume more coffee as compared to the other groups. Since the younger age group and higher economy class is the highest consumer of coffee in UK therefore they are implementing Kenco reward club strategy to increase more number of loyal customers. Kenco reward club is one of best segmentation strategy implementation that helps the company to grow in the UK market (Akgn, Keskin and Ayar 2014). Kencos embracing with the key trends of marketing Poor implementation of marketing mix Effective utilization of marketing mix by offering better products at competitive prices and usage of better promotional channels along with choosing the right place to promote is the key to success for any organization. Identification of the right marketing mix is considered as one of the most effective way of profit generation and retention of customers. However, Kenco have significantly failed to implement the right mix of marketing, which became the main reason behind Kencos present backward stride in the highly competitive market comprising giant companies like Georgia, Nescafe and Bru (Mackenzie 2013). Product Despite of being placed in a rapidly growing sector of business, Kenco has failed to offer diversified products to the people of UK. Kencos products are quite similar to that of Nescafe and that is the main reason behind Kencos failure to attract people with its products. Even in case of powdered coffees or coffee beans, Kenco have tried to offer existing products without changing any traits of the newly introduced products (Taylor 2013). Kencos main strategic idea was to offer superior qualities of products but lack of market research regarding preference of people about the products boomerang Kencos product offerings to the public. Rather than offering similar products based on market availability, Kenco could have offered fat- free coffee with less percentage of caffeine, which could have attracted maximum number of health conscious people (Liang 2012). Promotion Promotion plays a pivotal role for deriving success to any company or any upcoming brand or product. Kenco have been unable to use appropriate channel of promotion and relied on retail selling for promotion. Kencos strategy to distribute leaflets regarding launch of the upcoming products without using the advertisement channel through print or broadcast media like television or radio advertisement narrowed the competitive scenario of the company (Khler 2014). Though it is a widely known fact that majority of the coffee users belong to the age group of 16-35 years, Kenco have not made any efforts to undertake social media marketing campaigns or promotional campaigns to target this particular segment of demography. Kenco should have used direct marketing strategy comprising of door- to- door selling or complementary distribution of coffee to target the families living in UK. Publishing advertisement in magazines and daily journals would have been another significant promotional effort of Kenco (Levy, Reinecke and Manning 2015). Price Faulty pricing strategy is another faulty strategic decision undertaken by Kenco that deteriorated brand and product establishment in the UK market. Kenco emphasized on providing superior quality products with better taste, which increased the price of the coffee as compared to the other available products. At the same time, people of UK denied to consume similar products that have already been offered by the market leaders like Nescafe, Georgia at economical values. As per basic law of economics, high priced products always narrow the demand and the same was applicable for Kenco (Formentini and Taticchi 2014). Kencos pricing strategy should have been to offer less quantity of product at lower prices so that people would have at least opted to verify the products taste and quality. Place Kencos selection of the place of launching the product seems to be inappropriate, as Kenco have tried to capture the market that is already in control of Georgia, Bru and Nescafe. Apart from targeting the major cities of UK, Kenco could have targeted the smaller cities such as Ely, Lincoln, Ripon, City of London where population is significantly less and no prominent presence of the market leaders are observed (Pagell and Shevchenko 2014). This could have placed Kenco strongly in the UK market and helped the company to gain significant popularity. Kencos presence in most of the largest cities failed to create any positive effect on the companys presence and hence failed to provide strong competition to the existing brands. Low product extension To grow in the market every company take the advantage of the brand or product extension to attract maximum set of customers. But in case of Kenco it is different because they are dealing with very few products with their marketing strategy. If we consider the competitors such as Nescafe then we will find that Nescafe have lot of variety in their product range therefore, the market share of Nescafe is also high. Competitors of Kenco are providing products like morning coffee, office coffee, coffee with different flavor, ready mix coffee and coffee with different taste which is helping them to grab the attention of more customers (Kolk 2013). Kenco is operating their business from long time in the coffee market but they have never tried to diversify their business where as their competitors have introduced product in the tea market. Nestea is one such brand from the house of Nestle that help them to enter into the tea market. Therefore it is also important for Kenco to take some initi ative so that they could also grab the tea market because coffee and tea are selling inn an integrated market. Poor existence in global market Kenco has established their business in the past and operating their business for long time. If we consider the global market then we will find that the existence of Kenco is very less as compared to Nescafe. Nescafe is operating their business almost in every country therefore the brand recognition is much better then Kenco (Ferrell and Hartline 2012). Kenco has never tried to make their product available in the global market which is the poor implementation of one of the 4Ps that is place. To make a good business globally it is very important to make available product everywhere so that customers cab built for the product. The demand of the coffee in the global market is increasing every year. The rate of demand will increase more in the future. Comparing this demand Kenco is not able to increase their production of coffee bean therefore; they are unable to meet the market demand. Competitors are taking the advantage of this situation (Carvalho, Paiva and Vieira 2016). Kenco has taken many initiatives to overcome this problem and they are trying to organize the coffee farmers so that they understand the market and provide support to the organization. Conclusion From the above report it can be concluded that Kenco has established their business in the coffee market with lot of good reputation and belief in the customers mind. The company has always emphasized to provide quality product to their customer and they also emphasized on the ethical business. Their marketing strategies are also associated with the promotional activities that make the perception of ethical business as well as sensible business. Therefore they are one of the preferred coffee brands where they are operating their business. But they fail to make good growth in the global market because of their poor implementation of marketing mix other marketing strategy therefore they are not able to convert the customers of their customers. Reference List Akgn, A.E., Keskin, H. and Ayar, H., 2014. Standardization and Adaptation of International Marketing Mix Activities: A Case Study.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,150, pp.609-618. Carvalho, J.M., Paiva, E.L. and Vieira, L.M., 2016. Quality attributes of a high specification product: Evidences from the speciality coffee business.British Food Journal,118(1), pp.132-149. Ferrell, O.C. and Hartline, M., 2012.Marketing strategy, text and cases. Cengage Learning. Formentini, M. and Taticchi, P., 2014. Corporate sustainability approaches and governance mechanisms in sustainable supply chain management.Journal of Cleaner Production. Fromm, I., Wyss, R. and Garcia, M., 2012. Socio-Environmental Certifications: Risks and Opportunities for Small-Scale Coffee Farmers in Central America.International Journal of Developing Societies,1(4), pp.133-140. Grubnic, S., Herzig, C., Gond, J.P. and Moon, J., 2015. A New EraExtending Environmental Impact to a Broader Sustainability Agenda: The Case of Commercial Group.Social and Environmental Accountability Journal, pp.1-18. Grubnic, S., Herzig, C., Gond, J.P. and Moon, J., 2015. A New EraExtending Environmental Impact to a Broader Sustainability Agenda: The Case of Commercial Group.Social and Environmental Accountability Journal, pp.1-18. Ifezue, O., 2015. Strategic development of a logistics business plan for African immigrants in Scandinavia: Primary start-ups in Finland and Nigeria. Khler, J., 2014. Globalization and sustainable development: Case study on international transport and sustainable development.The Journal of Environment Development,23(1), pp.66-100. Kolk, A., 2013. Mainstreaming sustainable coffee.Sustainable Development,21(5), pp.324-337. Kruschwitz, N., 2012. Why Kraft Foods cares about fair trade chocolate.MIT Sloan Management Review,54(1), p.1. Levy, D., Reinecke, J. and Manning, S., 2015. The political dynamics of sustainable coffee: Contested value regimes and the transformation of sustainability.Journal of Management Studies. Liang, G.J., 2012. Exploring the business strategy and marketing of coffee in Vietnam: A case study of T rung Nguyen. Luetchford, P., 2012. Consuming Producers: Fair Trade and Small Farmers.Ethical consumption: Social value and economic practice. Mackenzie, D., 2013. Design, Sustainability and Marketing.The Handbook of Design for Sustainability, p.168. McDonagh, P., Kilbourne, W.E. and Prothero, A., 2013. Re-affirming the Prevailing Order?.Humanistic Marketing, p.29. Otjen, A.J., 2015. Expanding Business Strategy to Native American Communities Using Experiential Learning.World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic and Management Engineering,9(7), pp.2230-2238. Pagell, M. and Shevchenko, A., 2014. Why research in sustainable supply chain management should have no future.Journal of Supply Chain Management,50(1), pp.44-55. Percy, L. and Rosenbaum-Elliott, R., 2012.Strategic advertising management. Oxford University Press. Rimburg, N., 2012. Environmental and social responsibility in the coffee industry: a case for Oaxaca, Mexico. Taylor, P.G., 2013. 2 understanding the marketing environment.Principles of Marketing: A Value-Based Approach, p.25. Tollan, V., 2013. Mainstreaming the Alternative? The marketing of fair trade coffee and its implications for Sustainable Development.Journal of Sustainability,1(1), p.11. Winchester, M., Arding, R. and Nenycz-Thiel, M., 2015. An Exploration of Consumer Attitudes and Purchasing Patterns in Fair Trade Coffee and Tea.Journal of Food Products Marketing,21(5), pp.552-567. Yamoah, F.A., Fearne, A., Duffy, R. and Petrovici, D., 2013. Fairtrade Buying Behaviour: We know what they think, but do we know what they do?.Kent Business School, University of Kent.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Mexico Essays (835 words) - Mexico, Aztec, Mexican Art, Mexicans

Mexico Mexico is our neighbor to the south. The United States was once part of Mexico. The country is a place for tourism and vacations for us. For the Mexicans, it's home. They live different lives then us. Near the year 7000 B.C., Indians learned to grow plants for food. In time they were able to settle in villages. Those villages grew into towns. During the years 250 to 900 A.D. , the Indians lived in the "Classic Period" in Mexican history. During the time, the Mayas built huge pyramids and temples. They developed Mathematics and studied astronomy. The Zapotecas flattened a mountain top and built a temple. They also wrote the first written records in the region. The Aztecs built the greatest civilization in the years 1400. They had a capital named Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan is now Mexico City. The Aztecs had a powerful emperor named Montezuma II. In February 1519, a Spaniard named Hernando Cortes founded the city Veracruz for Spain. He then marched towards Tenochtitlan and seized Montezuma. The Aztecs revolted and forced the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan. Two years later, Cortes returned to the city and conquered Tenochtitlan. Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec emperor, was tortured. He is now a Mexican hero. Spain now owned Mexico. For less then 300 years Mexico was a Spanish colony. That is why the language of Mexico is Spanish. The Indians were forced to accept the Roman Catholic religion. They Indians mixed the Roman Catholic religion with their own religion. In 1810, a man named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla , a priest, started a fight for the independence of Mexico. He had many Indians and Mestizos who fought against Spain for him. The Spanish king taxed the people of Mexico for their revolt. Most of the people did not want independence. The Mexicans later won their independence when there were more Mexican fighters then Spanish. In 1821, Mexico became independent. In 1824, Mexico became a republic. In the year 1846-1848, Mexico had a war with The United States. The Americans fought the war because they wanted Mexican land. The Americans won the war and took control of States like California and Texas. In 1917, Mexico adopted a Constitution. In the years 1942-1945 Mexico entered World War II for the Allied Powers. In 1953, women won the right to vote. In 1968, the Summer Olympics were in Mexico City. In 1985, an earthquake in Mexico City killed thousands of Mexicans. One of the most famous Mexican writers was Octavio Paz. He was a poet. In 1990 he became the first Mexican to win a Nobel Prize in literature. He also wrote many political essays about Mexico. Many of his works have been translated into English and are popular among many people. His most famous piece of writing was "El Larerinto De La Soledad". A famous Mexican painter was Diego Rivera. He is well known for the murals he painted in Mexico City. His murals were related to Mexican History. He also did murals in the United States, which were about the life of an American. Other painters who painted murals in Mexico were Jose Orozco and David Siqueiros. The Architecture in Mexico City is very artistic because it is full of murals and old ancient ruins. The city is a work of art to many people. It is one of the Art Capitals of the world. Mexican music is very unique. Some instruments used in Mexican music are flutes, marimbas, and guitars. The music is called "Folk Dance". "La Bamba" is a folk dance song, which was made into a rock song by Richie Valens. Many songs of folk dance are performed in the streets of Mexico City and other places. Songs of folk dance are played fast. The dances are very fast too. The most popular sport in Mexico is Soccer. Mexico has a World Cup soccer team that did very good at the 1998 World Cup in France. Jorge Campos is the most popular Mexican player in Mexico. He is the goalie for the World Cup team. He is one of the best goalies in the world. Another popular sport is baseball. Every year there is 1 American Major League baseball game played in Mexico City. Many people go to this game. Mexico might have a Major League Baseball team in Mexico City in the near future. Bullfighting is also a popular sport in Mexico. The season for bullfighting is in the winter. It's a national sport. Every year, on November 2nd, Mexico celebrates "The Day of the

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Great Pyramid at Giza

Great Pyramid at Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza, located about ten miles  southwest of Cairo, was built as a burial site for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu in the 26th century BCE. Standing at 481 feet high, the Great Pyramid  was not only  the largest pyramid ever built, it remained one of the tallest structures in the  world until the late 19th century.  Impressing visitors with  its massiveness and beauty, its no  surprise that the Great Pyramid at Giza was considered one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Amazingly,  the Great Pyramid  has withstood the test of time, standing for  over 4,500 years; it  is the only Ancient Wonder to have survived to the  present. Who Was Khufu? Khufu (known in Greek as Cheops)  was the second king of the 4th dynasty in ancient Egypt, ruling for about 23 years in the late 26th century BCE. He was the son of Egyptian Pharaoh Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I. Sneferu  remains famous for being the very  first pharaoh to build a pyramid. Despite fame for building the second and largest pyramid in Egyptian history, theres not a lot more that we know about Khufu.  Only one,  extremely tiny (three inch), ivory statue has been found of him, giving us  just a glimpse at what he must have looked like.  We know that two of his children (Djedefra and Khafre)  became pharaohs after him and it is believed that he had at least three wives. Whether or not  Khufu was a kind or evil ruler is still debated. For centuries, many believed that he must have been hated because of stories that he used slaves to create the Great Pyramid. This has since been found untrue. It is more likely that the Egyptians, who viewed their pharaohs as god-men, found him not as beneficent as his father, but still a traditional, ancient-Egyptian ruler.   The Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid is a masterpiece of  engineering and workmanship. The accuracy and precision of the Great Pyramid astounds even modern builders. It stands on a rocky plateau located on  the west bank of the Nile River in northern Egypt. At the time of construction, there was nothing else there. Only later did this area become built up with two additional pyramids, the Sphinx, and other mastabas. The Great Pyramid is huge, covering a little over 13 acres of ground. Each side, although not exactly the same length, is about 756-feet long.  Each corner is nearly an exact 90 degree angle. Also Interesting is that each side is aligned to face one of the cardinal points of the compass north,  east, south, and west. Its entrance lies in the middle of the north side. The structure of the Great Pyramid is made from 2.3 million, extremely large, heavy, cut-stone blocks, weighing an average of 2 1/2 tons each, with the largest weighing 15 tons. It is said that when Napoleon Bonaparte visited the Great Pyramid in 1798, he calculated that there was enough stone to build a one-foot-wide, 12-feet-high wall around France.   On top of the stone was placed a smooth layer of white limestone. At the very top was placed a capstone, some say made of electrum (a mixture of gold and silver). The limestone surface and the capstone would have made the entire pyramid sparkle in sunlight. Inside the Great Pyramid are three burial chambers. The first lies underground, The second, often mistakenly called the Queens Chamber, is located just above ground. The third and final chamber, the Kings Chamber,  lies in the heart of the pyramid. A Grand Gallery leads up to it. It is believed that Khufu was buried in a heavy, granite coffin within the Kings Chamber. How Did They Build It? It seems amazing that an ancient culture could build something so massive and precise, especially since they had only copper and bronze tools to worth with. Exactly how they did this has been an unsolved  puzzle perplexing people for centuries.   It is said that the whole project took 30 years to complete 10 years  for preparation and 20 for the actual building. Many believe this to be possible, with the chance that it could have been built even  faster. The workmen who built the Great Pyramid were not slaves, as once thought, but regular Egyptian peasants who were conscripted to help with building for about three months out of the year i.e. during the time when the Nile floods and farmers were not needed in their fields. The stone was quarried on the east side of the Nile, cut into shape, and then placed on a sledge that was pulled by men to the rivers edge. Here, the huge stones were loaded onto barges, ferried across the river, and then dragged to the construction site. It is believed that the most likely way the Egyptians got those heavy stones up  so high was by building a huge, earthen  ramp. As each level was completed, the ramp was built higher, hiding the level below it. When all the huge stones were in place, the workmen worked from top to bottom to place the limestone covering. As they worked downward, the earthen ramp was removed little by little. Only once the limestone covering was completed could the ramp be fully removed and the Great Pyramid be revealed. Looting and Damage No one is sure how long the Great Pyramid stood intact before being looted, but it was probably not long. Centuries ago, all of the pharaohs riches had been taken, even his body had been removed. All that remains is the bottom of his granite coffin even the top is missing. The capstone is also long gone. Thinking there was still treasure inside,  Arab ruler Caliph Mamum ordered his men to hack their way into the Great Pyramid in 818 CE. They did manage to find the Grand Gallery and the granite coffin, but it had all been emptied of treasure long ago. Upset at so much hard work with no reward, the Arabs pried off the limestone covering and took some of the cut-stone blocks to use for buildings. In total, they took about 30-feet off the top of the Great Pyramid. What remains is an empty pyramid, still grand in size but not as pretty since just a very small portion of its once beautiful limestone casing remains along the bottom. What About Those Other Two Pyramids? The Great Pyramid at Giza now sits with two other pyramids. The second one was built by Khafre, Khufus son. Although Khafres pyramid appears larger than his fathers, its an illusion since the ground is higher under Khafres pyramid. In reality, it is 33.5-feet shorter. Khafre is believed to have also built the Great Sphinx, which sits regally by his pyramid. The third pyramid at Giza is much shorter, standing only 228-feet high. It was built as a burial place for Menkaura, Khufus grandson and Khafres son. The help protect these three pyramids at Giza from further vandalism and disrepair, they  were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Giacomo Balla essays

Giacomo Balla essays Giacomo Balla's painting Abstract Speed - The Car Has Passed was originally the right hand side of a triptych work done in 1913. The center was a piece called Line of Force + Noise, and the left hand side was Line of force + Landscape. He uses an analogous color scheme of green and blue to represent the earth and the sky. The pink is supposed to represent exhaust fumes from the passing vehicle. Supposedly, the car is passing at a speed of thirty five miles per hour, which at the time was an incredible fast pace. The work uses a geometric perspective, evident by the road fading into the distance. However, Balla also seems to use an ambiguous perspective because of how the viewer can sense movement in the painting. Actual lines are placed abstractly giving the picture definition, shape, and also adding to the movement of the work. The Car Has Passed is a two dimensional work done with oil paints on a canvas ground and has a symmetrical balance. This piece is on display at the T ate Gallery in London. Giacomo Balla was born on July 18, 1871, in Turin, Italy, son of a chemist and an amateur photographer. He is considered a futurist painter, sculptor, and designer. In 1891, he studied for two months at the Academia Albertina di Bella Arte and the Liceo Artistico in Turin. He also studied at the University of Turin until 1892 After 1895, Balla spent most of his life in Rome working as an illustrator, caricaturist, and portrait painter. Most of his earlier pieces were portraits, landscapes, and caricatures that were influenced by Italian Divisionists. On a trip to Paris in 1900 to visit the Exposition Universelle, Balla became very interested in aspects of modern industrial life. He stayed in Paris for seven months being an assistant to illustrator Serafino Macchiati. Balla was introduced to futurism at this time. Futurism was an expansion of cubism concepts that explored metamorphosis and simultaneity of vision. He...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Brain-computer interface Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brain-computer interface - Essay Example The study starts by having a hypothesis on the continued growth in technology as the main approach is ensuring continuity in Brain-computer interface. The first experiment on Google was to determine if Brain-computer interface is accompanied by an easier platform in the working conditions or harder. Installing the use of Brain-computer interface infrastructure, matches recommended infrastructure such as that of IBM, HP, Microsoft, Sun, EMC and Oracle (Tan and Nijholt 13). Brain-computer interface refers to the virtual delivery of computing technology as a service as opposed to being a product. According to Tan and Nijholt (26), with the use of Brain-computer interface, shared resources such as software and information is shared through interlinked networks on the internet. Studies on Amazon and sales force adopt the nature of working with the application of the new technology. The networks operate on a virtual platform assuring displacement of information in all the connected networks. Data warehousing is a database that organizations use for analysis and reporting. Data stored in the ware house is uploaded from operational systems, which may pass through operational data store to gain additional information before stored in the Data warehouse for reporting usage. In the research analysis by Tan and Nijholt, a simple data warehouse uses staged data to integrate and access layers in housing key functions. In the staging process, raw data is stored. In tegration involves layer integration where data is placed in hierarchical groups. The access layer is hence used by the user to retrieve data. The linkage between the two systems is applicable in many levels (Tan and Nijholt 26). The 21st century has been converted with the emerging effect displayed by the brain-computer interface environment creates an interesting merge of information. Data warehousing performs the same effect of what is does to the web server. It will raise the