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Merchant_bankingIn Bank|banking, a merchant bank is a United Kingdom term for an Investment Bank. It is also used to describe the private equity activities of banking. This article is about the history of banking which originated with merchants, and has nothing to do with the use of the term today. |
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General_insuranceGeneral insurance policies, including automobile and homeowners policies, provide payments depending on the loss from a particular financial event. General insurance typically comprises any insurance that is not determined to be life insurance, and is called Property insurance|property and Casualty insurance|casualty insurance in the United States|U.S..In the U.K., General insurance is broadly divided into three areas; personal lines, commercial lines and London market. The London market insures with large commercial risks, for example insuring supermarkets, football players and other very specific risks.Commercial lines products are usually designed for relatively small legal entities. These would include workers comp (employers liability), public liability, product liability, commercial fleet and other general insurance products sold in a relatively standard fashion to many organisations.Personal lines products are designed to be sold in large quantities. This would includ! e auto insurance|autos (private car), home insurance|homeowners (household), pet insurance, creditor insurance and others. |
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ShihanShihan (師範) is a Japan|Japanese title, often used in budo. The word means teacher or model. Various budo arts and organisations have different requirements for the usage of the title, but in general it is a high title that takes many years to achieve. It is sometimes associated with certain rights, such as the right to give out dan ranks in the name of the organisation.While westerners want to know specifically what makes a person into a shihan, the process of becoming a shihan can be pretty obstruse in Japan. For instance, within the Bujinkan it has been said that you become a shihan when the other shihan start calling you a shihan. However, it is often common to call all teachers with at least 10th dan a shihan - at least if he is Japanese. Similarly, within the aikido organisation Aikikai a Japanese teacher automatically became a shihan at sixth dan but it was long unclear whether westerners with the same rank also held the title. Finally, the Aikikai headqu! arters declared that westerners needed not only the rank of sixth dan but also a special appointment to become a shihan. |
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| Japanese terms Renewal 2005.11.02 |
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Digestive_diseasesAll diseases that pertain to the gastrointestinal tract are labelled as digestive diseases. This includes diseases of the esophagus, stomach, first, second and third part of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, the ileo-cecal complex, large intestine (ascending, transverse and descending colon) sigmoid colon and rectum. |
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Export_Credit_AgenciesExport Credit Agencies (ECAs) are national public institutions which act as finance companies for private domestic entities who do business abroad. ECAs provide government-backed loans, guarantees and insurance covering both commercial and political risk. Most industrialized nations have at least one ECA, which is usually a public institution.For instance, a transnational corporation, or investor, will seek insurance from an ECA when investing money in a foreign country. The rate that they receive depends on the political and economic stability of the foreign country being invested in.The activities of ECAs are considered by some, such as Noam Chomsky, to be a type of welfare for large corporations. ECAs are also criticised for insuring companies against political actions which aim to protect trade union|workers' rights, other human rights or the natural environment in the countries where the investment is being made. |
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ShingakuShingaku (伸学, 心岳, or 真学, lit. roughly "true school" or "heart learning") is a Japan|Japanese religious movement, founded by Ishida Baigan and further developed by Teshima Toan, which was especially influential during the Tokugawa period. Shingaku has been characterized as coming from a Neo-Confucianism|Neo-Confucian tradition, integrating principles from Zen Buddhism. It has been speculated, Shingaku was one of the cultural foundations for Japan's industrialization. (Sawada, 1993) |
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| Japanese terms Renewal 2005.10.30 |
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Chronic_fatigue_syndromeChronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) and various other names, is an organic disorder of unknown and possibly multiple etiology, affecting the central nervous system (CNS), immune system, and many other functions. CFS is characterized by a number of features, the most common and notable one being severe mental and physical fatigue (physical)|fatigue, which is unrelieved by rest, and usually made worse by even modest exertion. It is currently considered by most authorities to be incurable, although some cases resolve or improve over time, and treatments bring a degree of improvement to many others. |
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| Diseases Renewal 2005.10.29
Agnosia / Scoliosis / Immunodeficiency / CADASIL / Bursitis / Kyphosis / AIDS / Lordosis / Anosmia / Irritable Male Syndrome / Fibropapillomatosis / Mycetoma / Glomerulonephritis / Fibromyalgia / Spontaneous remission / Veno-occlusive disease / Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy / Arachnoiditis / Balanitis xerotica obliterans / Ectodermal Dysplasia
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Bottling_lineA bottling line consists of many pieces of machinery that puts a product into bottles on a large scale.In the wine industry, this typically involves drawing wine from a blending tank and placing it into bottles on a conveyor belt, which are then cork (plug)|corked, encapsuled, labeled and boxed into cases. Before the advent of mobile, truck-mounted bottling lines, the capital investment was considerable. A mobile bottling line can be rented for any period of time, and makes it easy for even the smallest wineries to perform estate bottling (a.k.a. chateau bottling).Many smaller wineries however, continue to send their bulk wine to large facilities for bottling. The process is;The bottle is first rinsed with filtered water, then enters a filling machine. The "filler" fills the bottle, and often shoots a small amount of a blanket gas (co2 or nitrogen, commonly) on top of the wine to disperse oxygen. The bottle then travels to a corking machine and a cork plug is compressed and ! pushed into the neck of the bottle. Whilst this is happening the corker vaccums the air out of the bottle to remove any oxygen, as O2 can ruin the quality of the product.A plastic or tin cap is then applied. The bottle then evers a labelling machine which applies the label, before being marked with the date and time of bottling. It is then packaged in boxes and warehoused, ready for sale. |
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| Konwledge of Wine Renewal 2005.10.28
Cork (material) / Sommelier / APCOR / Heidelberg Tun / Rose / Bag in a box / Negociant / Oz Clarke / Cercle des Amateurs de Vin / Cooking wine / Champagne flute / Butt (unit) / Terroir / Barrel (storage) / National Wine Centre of Australia / Heuriger / Zweiglt / Mulled wine / Sideways / Bottle variation
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La_ParrinaAntica Fattoria La Parrina is a large winery and farm close to the Italian town of Orbetello in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany. The estate comprises 4.5 square kilometres (1,112 acres), of which less than a quarter is allocated to wine production, although the vineyards represent the vast majority of the Parrina Denominazione di Origine Controllata. Although grape cultivation here probably dates back to the Roman ? or even the Etruscan ? era, La Parrina's history can be traced back to the early nineteenth century when a daughter of the Strozzi family married into a notable Florentine family, the Giuntinis. In 2005, the estate was still in the hands of the Giuntinis, with the marchesa Franca Spinola as the current owner. The geography is typical of Mediterranean scrubland, with sea breezes and hot summers, and rainfall largely occurring in spring and autumn.Grape varieties grown at La Parrina are Trebbiano, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Ansonica, ! and other white varieties. The wine obtained in the province of Grosseto from the Ansonica grape was awarded the Denominazione di Origine Controllata|DOC "Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario" in 1995.In addition to wine, La Parrina produces fruit, vegetables, Mediterranean plants, cheese, honey, vinegar and olive oil. It is also an Agriturismo. |
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BrickworkBrickwork is produced when a bricklayer uses bricks and Mortar (masonry)|mortar to build up structures such as walls, bridges and chimneys. (Brickwork is also used to finish openings such as doors or windows in buildings made of other materials.)Bricks are laid to expose their ends (Header bricks), or sides (Stretcher bricks). As the work progresses, the bricks are laid in rows called courses. The manner in which the bricks overlap as they are laid up is called the bond (masonry)|bond. Types of bond include Bond (masonry)#English bond|English, Bond (masonry)#Flemish Bond|Flemish, and Bond (masonry)#Herringbone bond|Herringbone, but the most common type of brickwork seen these days is the bond (masonry)#Stretcher bond|monotonous stretcher bond, showing only the long side-surface of the brick.Because only the outside of finished brickwork is visible, cheaper grades of brick are commonly used for the hidden parts of a wall. In an old red-brick house, behind the front of red, th! e rest of the walls are often made of softer yellow bricks. So with certain types of bond (e.g. garden wall bond) it is possible to use a higher ratio of cheaper bricks to more expensive bricks, making for a cheaper wall of the same dimensions. On the same house, sometimes a more economical "garden wall" bond has been used at the side and rear compared to the front.The thickness of brickwork is measured in units of brick. If you put some bricks down end-to-end with the long side facing you (stretchers) and then another row on top, the wall thickness is half a brick. There are rules of bonding, which have some exceptions. These specify the overlap between courses that is visible outside the wall, and also the overlap which must be made within the wall, for walls which are more than half a brick thick. Brickwork, like unreinforced concrete, has little tensile strength, and works by everything being kept in compression.Brickwork arches can span great distances, and carry consi! derable loads. |
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| Construction Renewal 2005.10.26
Tie rod / Structural failure / Construction Specifications Institute / Gravity base structure / Glazing / Asphalt / Clunch / Ready-mix concrete / Rammed earth / Topping out / Abated / Glassphalt / Formwork / Guastavino tile / Reinforced concrete box / Building code / Gabion / Sod / Sewer / Straw-bale construction
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SakeSake (酒; pronounced "SAH-KEH" in Japanese language|Japanese, but often "SAH-ki" by English language|English speakers) is a Japan|Japanese alcoholic beverage, brewing|brewed from rice.In Japan, the word simply means ''alcoholic beverage'', and regionally, it can take on more specific meanings. In Southern Kyushu, sake can refer to a distillery|distilled beverage, potato shochu (''imo-jochu'' 芋焼酎). ''sh?chu'' means ''distilled spirit''. In Okinawa, sake refers to ''sh?chu'' made from sugar cane. On the other hand sake can also mean Okinawa's other distilled beverages, ''awamori'' (泡盛), literally "bubble top", or ''k?s?'', literally "old drink". These latter forms of sake are distilled from long-grain rice and ''kurok?ji'' (黒麹) which means black koji. The rice wine known in the west as "sake" is called ''nihonshu'' (日本酒) "Japanese alcohol" in Japanese language|Japanese.The Chinese character 酒 is used with the same meaning (alc! ohol) in Chinese language|Chinese, and is pronounced '''' in Standard Mandarin. |
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| Japanese terms Renewal 2005.10.25
Hitokiri / The Five S's / Uke / Ninja / Suetsumuhana / Tarento / Mugen / Lolicon / Sensei / Seiyaku / Maki-e / Akuma / Soramimi / Katakana / Shinkansen / Shoen / Reiki / Shiitake mushroom / Shōnen / Shiatsu
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Platform_framingPlatform framing is the common method of constructing the frame for homes and apartment buildings in Canada and the United States.The floors, walls and roof of a framed structure are created by assembling (using nails) consistently sized framing elements of dimensional lumber (2×4, 2×6, etc.) at consistent spacings (12″, 16″, and 24″ on center). The floors, walls and roof are typically made torsionally stable with the installation of a plywood or composite wood “skin” referred to as sheathing. Spacing the framing members properly allows them to align with the edges of standard sheathing. Occasionally, wooden or galvanized steel braces are used instead of sheathing.The framed structure sits atop a concrete (most common) or treated wood foundation (architecture)|foundation.From the foundation, a framer will bolt or otherwise connect a sole or sill plate. Then, depending on the design of the structure, a framer may install a floo! r, short “pony walls”, or full height walls.The floor, or the platform of the name, is made up of joists (usually 2×8, 2×10 or 2×12, depending on the span) that sit on walls and, usually, a beam at the center of the house. The joists are spaced at (12″, 16″, and 24″ on center) and covered with a plywood subfloor. In the past, planks set at 45-degrees to the joists were used for the subfloor.Where the design calls for a framed floor, the resulting platform is where the framer will construct and stand that floor’s walls (interior and exterior load bearing walls and space-dividing, non-load bearing ″partitions″). Additional framed floors and their walls may then be erected to a general maximum of four. There will be no framed floor in the case of a single-level structure with a concrete floor known as a “slab on grade”.Stairs between floors are framed by installing stepped “string! ers” and then placing the horizontal “treads I and vertical “risers”. The top floor’s walls receive the roof. A framed roof is an assembly of prefabricated trusses (most common) or hand cut rafters. The roof members are covered with sheathing or strapping in advance of the finish roofing material. |
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| Construction Renewal 2005.10.20 |
CremisanIn 1883, the convent of Cremisan was founded in Palestinian Authority|Palestine by Salesians on ruins of a Byzantine Empire|Byzantine monastery from the 7th century. Its main purpose was to produce wine from local grapes. The convent is located just on the current border between Jerusalem and Beit Jala.Today, grapes are grown on hillsides between 600 and 930 m altitude, but only 2% the wine production (around 700,000 liters per year) is made from Cremisan's own grapes. The rest comes mainly from Beit Jala, Beit Shemesh, and Hebron area.Also, a number of theology|theological students from other countries are educated here. |
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Tilt_slabTilt slab is a type of building, and a construction technique using concrete. These buildings are also called Tilt-ups.In this method a flat concrete pad is poured that forms the foot print of a new building. The pad is allowed to cure and then the concrete walls are poured, lying down, on top of the pad. Once the walls are cured they are tilted from horizontal to vertical with a crane and secured. |
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| Construction Renewal 2005.10.18
Harl / Gravity base structure / Manufactured housing / Construction delay / Building material / Dump truck / Rebar / Balloon frame / Falsework / Slab-on-grade foundations / Reinforced concrete box / Formwork / Product Lifecycle Management / Brick / Drywall / Sewer / Structural failure / Piledriver / Reinforced concrete / Dumper
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ScrewcapA screwcap is a type of closure that is gaining increasing support as an alternative to cork (material)|cork for sealing wine bottles. A screwcap is a metal cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a bottle. A layer of plastic, cork, rubber, or other soft material makes a seal with the mouth of the bottle.Traditionally associated in the US with extremely inexpensive jug wines or even "skid row" wines, the screwcap is making a comeback due to concern about cork taint. Screwcaps have a much lower failure rate than cork, and in theory will allow a wine to reach the customer in perfect condition, with a minimum of bottle variation. Cork, of course, has a centuries-old tradition behind it, and there are also concerns about the impact of screwcaps on the aging of wines that require decades to be at their best. Some argue that the slow ingress of oxygen plays a vital role in aging a wine, while others argue that this amount is almost zero in a sound cork and that any admitted ox! ygen is harmful. Various studies are underway, although one data point is that producers in Champagne (beverage)|Champagne have aged their wines under crown cap for quite some time with no apparent outcry. This is a debate that will take quite a while to settle. However, given that most wine is consumed within a year of production, there seems to be little justification on the basis of quality for using cork over screwcap.Screwcap adoption in fine wines is proceeding in fits and starts. In July 2000, a group of producers of Clare Valley Rieslings bottled a portion of their wines in screwcap, and earlier that year Plumpjack announced it would bottle half its production of US$130 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in screwcap. Other announcements have followed, including one from Bonny Doon Vineyards in July 2002 that 80,000 cases of its "Big House" red and white wine would be in screwcap. As of May As of 2003|2003 no major, million case brand has gone to screwcaps. |
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| Konwledge of Wine Renewal 2005.10.17
Winery / Tun (unit) / Cork (material) / Zweiglt / Lachryma Christi / Farm winery / Heuriger / Sommelier / National Wine Centre of Australia / Screwcap / APCOR / Vintner / Vintage / Wi!
ne / Retsina / Champagne flute / Bottle / Mondovino / Moscatel / Heidelberg Tun
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