Keywords: Russian military; Russia; Georgia; war; Russian troops; checkpoints; Georgian army; Georgian police; South Ossetia; looting; Russian military control
In a city controlled by Russian soldiers, Georgians take stock.
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Keywords: clinic; doctors; Afghanistan war; NATO members; military reconstruction team; Taliban; international troops; drug trade; corruption; investments
The Hungarian and other new NATO members’ Afghan development projects are often inept, but even so vitally needed.
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Keywords: private museum; private ethnographic collection; Ţara Haţegului; collector; amateur; local community; multiethnic cohabitation;
Everybody who takes a short cut from Ulpia Traiana Sarmisegetusa fortress to Sf. Nicolae Church of Densuş (Hunedoara County), a mediaeval architectural jewel and also a famous historical monument, passes by the Haţeg Village Museum of Peşteana. The old wooden house whose veranda is hidden by the green vine was bought by Anton Socaciu who came back to his native village after he retired and aimed at saving those cultural values which he deemed to be representative of the entire area. Fond of history, museums and ethnography, but also of any aspect of local culture, the former photo technician has turned countryside life into a new modus vivendi and way of living whereas the restoration of the old house and the search for old valuable and symbolic objects has become a hobby that keeps him busy all the time. It was not so easy to turn a hobby into a museum, though this happened to a great extent.
More...Keywords: US; Russia; EU; power; foreign affairs; image;
The author provides a paradoxical view on Lithuanian attitudes towards main political powers: the U.S.; the EU and Russia. He is arguing that Lithuania as well as other new member states of EU is facing a plethora of dilemmas in it's foreign policy, which are very related with constructed images of big powers and neighbours.
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Keywords: retail environment; brand architecture; point of sale marketing
The services are intangibles, therefore their quality is difficult to be evaluated by the client and building a strong brand image is a challenging task. The services are distributed using diverse channels such as: company retail stores, dealers, franchise. The service companies are interested in the environment of the location, not only to increase sells but also in order to boost the image of the company. The excitement that a retail store induces to a client can modify the perception of the brand. The client values more a brand that distributes its services in a luxury, high-tech retail environment than a discount store. In this paper we intended to investigate the techniques that a service company is using to enhance the brand image in a retail location. For this purpose, the various aspects of the retail store design and environment were analyzed in connection with the customer-based brand equity model. This original association will offer the services companies’ new perspectives on how to leverage brand image.
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Keywords: children; students; UN; Ikea; illiteracy; education; kindergarten; Moldova
It took a joint effort by government, the UN, and IKEA to open a kindergarten in one Moldovan Romani settlement. Perhaps the next 50 will go more smoothly.
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Keywords: SOCIALISM; INTERNATIONALISM; NATIONALISM; PROPAGANDA; WOMEN'S POLICY
The concept of the model socialist woman in Romania underwent slight changes during the 45 years of communist rule. My analysis is not concerned with gender politics generally speaking, but with the influence (or even better: combination) of internationalism/nationalism on the ideal contemporary woman. The study below does not focus on the differences between ideology and reality or the impact of the communist system on daily life, but points to the propagandistic method of spreading the image of the perfect woman in the most prominent woman's journal of the time.
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Keywords: photography; light; creation; objectivate; perspectives; evolution
Brancusi is so well known that everybody seems to know everything about him. But how many people know the passion he put into making photographies by himself? He is the one that gave the world an original technique, and he used photography to objectivate his material creation.
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Keywords: Transylvania highway; Azerbaijan; schools; Azad Fikir University; Latvia; Llithuania; Turkmenistan; evictions; Hungary; EU; education; Romania; roads; Tibor Navracsics;
Plus, Lithuanians and Latvians are among the EU’s top degree-holders, and Ashgabat’s urban renewal leaves misery in its wake. Around the Bloc is TOL's daily digest of the important, the trivial, the tragic, the weird, and the sober from its coverage region.
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Keywords: contextual design; landscape interior; site-detail
This article’s focus on aesthetic side of public space includes the smallest elements of its equipment. It is furnishings that have significant influence on the final shaping. A tiny change sometimes provides complete makeover of an everyday space’s image. Unfortunately, there are a lot of local services and authorities, which are responsible for its creation. Perhaps, their quantity is the cause of a visible lack of coordination of acts and initiatives, undertaken in some cities in Poland. That is why, a proper designing and selecting of details, ought to be seen as a solution of many problems concerning maintenance and usage of public spaces, not only in Polish cities.
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Keywords: educational software; exercise company; general and specific IT skills; entrepreneurial abilities;
Getting used to the new technologies influences the intellectual forming in the following directions, like this: - Stimulating the interest towards the new - when a computer is operated, the interest and involvement is uninterrupted. The almost complete openness that computers offer eliminates the risk that the activity to become a routine. - Stimulating the imagination - usually, the contact with the computer world it is realized through games. The variety of the subjects approached by those stimulates the imagination of the players, all the more that this software is specially designed to develop one's fantasy, inventiveness, decision-making skills and reflexes. - Developing logical thinking - The thinking wins in depth and speed. Knowing what to ask from the computer imposes a higher structuring of the thinking. - On the screen phenomena and processes can be simulated, especially the experiments that are hard to be replicated in real life. - The performance can be optimized by presenting on the computer a large variety of examples or associated models of a sequence. This leads to stimulating inventiveness, applicability, participation and anticipation of the one that learns. - The training of the young generation will be done in the spirit of self-education. - Learning happens on a personal rhythm, without emotions or perturbations of the behaviors determined by the environmental factors.
More...Keywords: Romania; the Arab countries; economic securing; the European Union;
In a European Union that is now configured in a solid construction, in several respects, however, the member countries have a different evolution and development, with a long-term prognosis which is also different. What represents an advantage for Romania over the other EU member states inits relationship with the Arab countries is the history of the long-standing bilateral relations with the Arab world. The fact that Romania's relations with the Arab countries have slowed down in terms of trade does not mean that they have stopped. Through this theme, we propose a perspective for the development of these relations, which at this moment must be approached from a completely different perspective. Romania can ensure a tremendously large market, a market to generate a more than necessary cash-flow, in a vision of sustainable economic development. This economic, surprising pragmatism lies in a criterion that primarily concerns the culture and spirituality of the Arab world, the Arab world's motivation in choosing its business partners. Below we will describe our vision of this mechanism of development and cooperation between Romania, a member of the European Union, on one hand, and the Arab countries, on the other hand.
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Keywords: accounting management; financial management; summary documents; consolidating documents;
Organizing, as a function of management, on the one hand aims work and on the other hand aims production and conditions the implementation of the other functions providing the necessary clarifications concerning: who and what they should do; who is responsible and of what; which are the channels of communication; the definite grouping of homogeneous and specialized activities. Organizing is the process that establishes the area of action, resource allocation, outlines the manager’s responsibilities and delegated authority, necessary to achieve the planned objectives in the best conditions.
More...Keywords: embroidery; traditional; textile; symbol; Romania; Mexico;
Under its various forms, tradition is an integral component of every nation’s culture, it is that which every generation inherits and subsequently passes onwards. An important role in its perpetuation can be attributed to the textile heritage and, by extension, to the women who weaved and stitched traditional motifs across the ages. The symbols found on traditional clothing used to have a double purpose: they were both apotropaic, meant to protect the wearer, as well as ornamental, meant to be decorative and aesthetically appealing. This has been true around the world, as people everywhere gazed at the sky, observed the nature that surrounded them and then chose signs and symbols with which to represent what they were seeing. In the present day there exists a worldwide trend of returning to traditional values in a form adapted to modern tendencies. Ethnologist Nicolae Dunăre has undertaken ample research of traditional Romanian and European popular ornaments, in a continuous global comparison. The painter Frida Kahlo reclaimed Mexico’s great variety of indigenous motifs when she wore the costumes. Bearing this in mind, we shall analyse some motifs found on textiles from Romania and Mexico, both countries with a vibrant popular culture, in parallel, observing whether or not commonalities exist. We shall also transpose said motifs in a digital format by way of vector drawing.
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Keywords: Wood composites; Physico-mechanical; Fibre reinforcement; Plaster of Paris; Ceiling board
Woody (Alzibia zygia) and Non-woody (rattan and yarn strands) fibres were used comparatively to improve the physicomechanical properties of Plaster of Paris bonded composite which is used as ceiling boards. The addition of fibre reinforcement in a discrete form improves the engineering properties of the Plaster of Paris. The woody and nonwoody residues were varied in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% of the whole mix while the Plaster of Paris used were in the ratio 100 (control), 90, 80, 70, 60, and 50 %. The mean density of the composite produced is 3250 kg/m3. The mean thickness swelling after 2 and 24 hours is 0.84 % and 0.88 % respectively with the mean water absorption at 13.8% after 2 hours and 16.2 % after 24 hours. The MOR and MOE of the composites produced ranged from 1.21-1.22 N/mm2, 2431-51488N/mm2 for sawdust, 1.17-1.22 N/mm2, 10027-49940 N/mm2 for yarn strands and 1.20-1.22 N/mm2, 23566-86210 N/mm2 for the rattan strands. The results showed physicomechanical properties of POP-bonded fibre reinforced composites were increased for both wood and non-wood fibres and rattan strands compared best.
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Keywords: design; product; creativity; efficiency; digital tools
Specialized design software developers offer educational licences to students, educators and institutions (either free or with a huge discount or as a monthly / yearly subscription) or free non-commercial use to young enthusiasts. Today, we have no e
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Keywords: Moon’s Landscape; Ivana Rogar; Croatian literature; Short story;
A short story by Ivana Rogar ("Moon’s Landscape")
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Keywords: Supporting activities; Core business; Facility management; Facility management surveys;
The latest boom of facility management, mostly seen as an essential part of large enterprises, leads us to start thinking about if the growing interest of this phenomenon is caused by a real need of a company and is it even possible start the discussion of usage of facility management in a different than large enterprise? At the beginning base elements of core business and supporting activities are defined and then the question why facility management is a fundamental part of a corporate leadership is answered. The second part of the article identifies an area of interest and development of a hypothesis that can then be tested. The process of research will be targeted on the enterprises located in the central Slovak region. The digital answer sheet will be used as a baseline for the verification of stated hypotheses. All mentioned processes and procedures will help to clarify the necessity of Facility management for an enterprise.
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Keywords: water; sanitation; sewage;
Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation is fastest growing municipal corporation in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Many people prefer to stay in this corporation due to easy access to Mumbai city and surrounding places, access to entertainment industry. The municipal corporation gets more revenue through hoarding, taxes and permits. The revenue expenditure is positively related mayors’ allowance, permanent structures, maintaining and repairing of cremation grounds. The capital expenditure is negatively co related to corporate share and hospitals. The Municipal Corporation of Mira Bhayander must raise tax on property and entertainment tax and permits. Municipal Corporation must reduce revenue expenditure on administration, store house. It must increase it on health care, entertainment and gardens. The capital expenditure must be reduced for general administration and it must be increased for gardens and development plan implementation. Municipal corporation must involve private sector in investment and provision of quality civic services to people.
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Keywords: Museums; socialism; consumption; material culture; everyday life;
The representation of tangible and intangible heritage from the socialist period in Romania has increased and diversified since the House of the People opened for visitors in 1994. Permanent and temporary exhibitions focused on various aspects of life under socialism—from food, housing, and entertainment to the lifestyle of the Ceaușescu couple—have flourished especially in the 2010s. In this article, I examine the different ways in which exhibitions represent the socialist past by displaying objects linked to consumption, leisure, and domesticity and by organizing interactive experiences around the material culture and spaces associated with socialism. The main questions addressed are: Whose perspectives and experiences of the socialist period do these exhibitions represent? What are the direct and indirect ways in which these exhibitions make political commentaries? What are the ethical issues raised by the strong interactive component of some of these experiences? In order to answer these questions, I will look at four exhibitions opened after 2010: Casa Ceaușescu (Ceaușescu Mansion) and 80east in Bucharest, Muzeul Consumatorului Comunist (Museum of the Communist Consumer) in Timișoara, and Muzeul Traiului în Comunism (Museum of Living in Communism) in Brașov. My analysis is informed by research on the representation of socialism in museums since 1989, by reflections on the ethical responsibility of museums and on the political commentary they generate. Based on the analysis of the exhibitions and on interviews with the founders of these initiatives, I discuss the dimension of space and issues of representation, the interactive component as a source of authenticity and its relation with trust, and the political relevance and position of these exhibitions.
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