W o W - Week of Words - December

This section covers the certain words related to Christmas. The “W o W” word Christmas Tree (Noun): An evergreen tree decorated at Christmas with ornaments and lights. Origin of Christmas Tree The Christmas tree comes to us from Germany. Martin Luther a German monk, is credited with being inspired by the starry heavens one night, and expressing his feelings to his family by bringing a fir tree into his home, and attaching lighted candles to its branches. Fir meant fire, and fire is an ancient symbol for spirit. The tree also pointed toward the heavens. Evergreens were thought to represent the ever-burning fire of life. The color green signified the life force through the year. Eventually decorative balls represented the planets, while the star that radiates from the top reminds us of Bethlehem. The entire tree and decorations teach us that the universe is witness to the Incarnation. Red at Christmas reminds us of the fire of the Spirit. Green affirms nature, and the ongoing life. And in the Incarnation, Spirit unites with nature.

The “W o W” word Santa Claus (Noun): The personification of the spirit of Christmas, usually represented as a jolly fat old man with a white beard and a red suit supposed to bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Legend of Santa Claus The American version of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus originally came from the Dutch version called Sinter Klaas. The Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (New York) brought this fun and lively tradition (some even say cult) to America. This version of Santa has given the current myth its visual form and the most curious tradition: A merry old man with red and white clothes. He arrives on a sledge rode by eight flying reindeers from his home located near the North Pole. With the habit of filling socks or stockings with presents on the night of December 24th, he is popular for entering houses through the chimney.

The “W o W” word Crèche (kresh) (noun): Christmas manger scene. A day-care center for small children The Baby in a Manger A crèche or Christmas crib, is a replica of the Nativity scene; the stable where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It usually includes a manger, with figures of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Magi, shepherds, sheep, and other animals. The custom was popularized by St. Francis of Assisi on Christmas Eve in 1224 outside his church in Greccio, Italy. He used real people and animals to re-create the manger scene. This practice soon spread all over Europe, being adapted differently by each culture. Some countries developed a fine art of wood carving to create beautiful scenes. Some cities to this day create large spectacles, dramatizing that holy time and place in Bethlehem. The custom of the crèche was brought to the United States by Moravian settlers. It is found mainly in Catho1ic countries (the Pope has his own in Rome), but has spread to more Protestant countries.

The “W o W” word Hogmanay (Scottish) (noun): New Year's Eve; Silvester New Year’s Eve in Ecuador New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year, and the day before New Year's Day. Ecuador celebrates a unique tradition on the last day of the year. Elaborate effigies are created to represent people and events from the past year. Often these include political characters or leaders that the creator of the effigy may have disagreed with. The dummies are made of straw, newspaper, and old clothes, with papier-mâché masks. Often they are also stuffed with fire crackers. At midnight the effigies are lit on fire to symbolize burning away of the past year and welcoming of the new year. In Ecuador, other rituals are performed for the health, wealth, prosperity and protection of each member. These rituals are the following: v Twelve grapes: Each person eats twelve grapes before midnight, making a wish with each grape. v Yellow underwear: One of the most popular traditions, yellow underwear are said to attract positive energies for the New Year. v Suitcase: Walking around the block with the suitcase will bring the person the journey of their dreams.

The T&T word Spaceflight (speys flIt ) (noun): A voyage outside the Earth's atmosphere. Spaceflight is the use of space technology to fly a spacecraft into and through outer space. Space Tourism Ready... Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public. Further in the future Virgin Galactic plans to offer orbital spaceflights as well. Virgin Galactic’s mission is to fly passengers who are not professional astronauts to an altitude slightly over 100 kilometers (62 mi) and allow them to experience weightlessness for up to 6 minutes. Although seats on the first flights have been sold at a premium (starting at US$200,000 for the first 100,) after the first 500 passengers, seats will be booked with a deposit of US $20,000. According to Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn, the company had sold nearly 200 seats as of November 2007. The first passenger flight is planned for 2010. Virgin Galactic is aiming to be the first space tourism company specializing in the provision of sub-orbital flights to the public. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceflight / http://www.virgingalactic.com/ / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Galactic

W o W - Week of Words - November

FINANCE / STOCK MARKET

The “W o W” word Mr. Market (Noun): Benjamin Graham used an imaginary investor called Mr. Market to demonstrate his point that a wise investor chooses investments on their fundamental value rather than on the opinions of others or the direction of the markets. Father of Financial Analysis Benjamin Graham is considered by many to be the father of financial analysis and value investing. He revolutionized investment philosophy by introducing the concept of security analysis, fundamental analysis and value-investing theories. More than 20 years after his death, he continues to have one of the largest and most loyal followings of any investment philosopher. Known as "the father of value investing" and the "Dean of Wall Street", Ben Graham (1894-1976) excelled at making money in the stock market for himself and his clients without taking big risks. Graham created and taught many principles of investing safely and successfully that modern investors continue to use today

The “W o W” word Caveat emptor(‘keyvee’at’emptor ) (noun): A commercial principle that without a warranty the buyer takes upon himself the risk of quality. let the buyer beware... Latin for 'let the buyer beware'. This implies a buyer must ensure that goods about to be purchased are free from defects and that he/she bears the risk. It is particularly relevant in property transactions, where the seller is legally obliged not to mislead the buyer, but other than that the onus is on the buyer to satisfy himself that the property is in the condition he wants. In the UK, consumer law has moved away from the caveat emptor model, with laws passed that have enhanced consumer rights and allow greater leeway to return goods that do not meet legal standards of acceptance. Many companies operating in the UK, as well as most consumer based economies, will allow customers to return goods within a specified period for a full refund, even if there is no problem with the product. [More Info] : http://www.finance-glossary.com/terms/caveat-emptor.htm / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor

[Bonus]: NASDAQ is an acronym standing for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations.

The “W o W” word Inflation (in-FLEY-shuhn) noun: A persistent, substantial rise in the general level of prices related to an increase in the volume of money and resulting in the loss of value of currency How inflation eats up into savings and increases costs? Inflation means less bang for your buck, as it erodes the purchasing power of a unit of currency. Inflation usually refers to consumer prices, but it can also be applied to other prices (wholesale goods, wages, assets, and so on). It is usually expressed as an annual percentage rate of change on an index number. Let's say, you have saved up Rs 100. “Item A”, that you have your eyes on, costs exactly Rs 100. You decide to hold your savings to buy “Item A” after one year when the time is right. Being smart, for that one year, you allow your money to grow by investing it in a savings scheme that gives you 9% interest. Hence, you will get Rs 109 after one year. Now suppose inflation is 7%. This would mean that “Item A” that now costs Rs 100 will cost Rs 107 after one year. Your wisdom will prevail, not only will you be able to purchase “Item A” with your savings, you will also save Rs 2. On the other hand, if inflation is at 11%. Item A will cost Rs 111. That means, you will be short of Rs 2.

The “W o W” word Stagflation (stag-fley-shuhn) noun: A condition of slow economic growth and relatively high unemployment - a time of stagnation - accompanied by a rise in prices, or inflation. Stagflation in the 21st Century: A series of dramatic rate lowerings by the U. S. Federal Reserve designed to fight the Credit Crisis caused commodity prices to soar. For example, there was a one-year gain in the price of oil from about $70 per barrel to about $145 per barrel at the July, 2008 peak, depending on market and grade. The major developed economies almost universally reacted by printing money"; in the United States alone, permanent funding approaches a total of one trillion dollars and temporary funding is nearly double that much. In parallel the U. S. central bank again lowered interest rates to a further non-economic low in parallel with similar moves across Europe. European central banks also put forth nearly two trillion dollars to recapitalize crippled banks. As a result long-term interest rates edged upward, with the cost of a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rising from 5.75% to 6.25%. These are classic causes of inflation during recession, i.e., stagflation.

The “W o W” word Oligopoly (`ólu'gópulee) noun: A market in which control over the supply of a commodity is in the hands of a small number of producers and each one can influence prices and affect competitors. Studio Oligopoly Six Hollywood studios that control around 90% of the US film business. All the real independents together have an inconsiderable share of the market, and most of them have to work with or through a major studio to get national release. Most of the major studios are now divisions of gigantic international media empires. Some of them, like Universal studios, have been bought and sold several times. DreamWorks and MGM/UA were exceptions until recently, when DreamWorks was sold off to Paramount (once part of Viacom) and MGM was bought by Sony. Company Studios % share of market Time-Warner Warner Brothers, New Line, Warner Independent 20.4 News Corp. 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight 15.3 Paramount (was Viacom) Paramount, DreamWorks, Paramount Classics 15.1 Sony Sony, Columbia, Screen Gems, MGM, Sony Classics 12.5 Disney Buena Vista, Miramax, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar 12.5 Universal (General Electric) Universal, Focus 11.4 [More Info]: http://www.oligopolywatch.com/

W o W - Week of Words - October

This section covers words based on a monthly theme, hope you enjoy them and keep your feedback coming.

The “W o W” word Renaissance (ri’neys(aa)ns) (noun): The period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries; the revival of learning and culture. A bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era... The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth"; Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere "be born")was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. As a cultural movement, it encompassed a revival of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform. Traditionally, this intellectual transformation has resulted in the Renaissance being viewed as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. It is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci (picture above) and Michelangelo, who inspired the term "Renaissance men". [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance / http://www.answers.com/Renaissance

The “W o W” word Conquistador (kon-KWIS-tuh-dawr) noun: A conqueror, especially one of the 16th-century Spanish soldiers who defeated the Indian civilizations of Mexico, Central America, or Peru. The Daring Adventurer Conquistador is the name given to any one of the Spanish soldiers, leaders, explorers, and adventurers who took part in the gradual conquest of large parts of the Americas, bringing them under Spanish rule between the 15th and 19th centuries. The term is also commonly used to describe the Portuguese explorers and conquerors of Brazil, though the proper term for "Conquistadors" from Portugal is Bandeirantes. Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, and Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, were the greatest of the conquistadors. The name is frequently used to mean any daring, ruthless adventurer.

The “W o W” word Silk Road: An ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean (4,000 miles); followed by Marco Polo in the 13th century to reach Cathay. In the footsteps of Hsuan Tsang… The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe. The routes enabled people to transport trade goods, especially luxuries such as silk, satins, musk, rubies, diamonds, pearls and rhubarb. Hsuan-Tsang traveled between 627-643 AD. His detailed account provides the first reliable information about distant countries, terrain and customs. He traveled over land, along the Silk Road west toward India. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road

The “W o W” word Samurai ('samû`rI) noun: The warrior class of feudal Japan. Their strict code, bushido which stressed courage, loyalty, self-discipline and simple living. As a symbol of their rank, they wore two swords. Elite Indian Warrior Rani Laxmibai (of Jhansi)'s courage, deeds of valour and heroics against the British have become the theme for many a folklore and ballad in the country. When both, her husband Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and her only son died in 1853, she adopted a son and made him the heir to the throne. The British Governor General Dalhousie refused to recognize her adopted son as heir to the throne and ordered annexation of Jhansi into British Raj. Rani Laxmibai refused to part with Jhansi. A fierce fight ensued; The Rani fought the British undauntedly leading her forces from the front and showed great courage and skill.

W o W - Week of Words

This section covers words based on a monthly theme, hope you enjoy them and keep your feedback coming.

Updated on Oct 10th 2008

September month’s WoW theme: Business.

The “W o W” word Conglomerate (kun’glomurut) (noun): A group of diverse companies under common ownership and run as a single organization. Sir Richard Branson has more than 200 branded companies worldwide Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Conglomerate brand of over 360 companies. Branson's first successful business venture was at age 16, when he published a magazine called Student. He then set up a record mail-order business in 1970. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores and rebranded as zavvi in late 2007. With his flamboyant and competitive style, Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s - as he set up Virgin Atlantic Airways and expanded the Virgin Records music label. Richard Branson is the 245th richest person according to Forbes' 2008 list of billionaires as he has an estimated net worth of approximately $2.8 billion USD. * The Dutch East India Company can be considered to be one of the earliest conglomerate groups. * The era of Licence Raj (1947-1990) in India created some of Asia's largest conglomerates such as the Tata Group, Kirloskar Group, Reliance Industries and the Aditya Birla Group. [More Info] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conglomerate_(company) , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson , http://www.virgin.com/AboutVirgin/WhatWeAreAbout/WhatWeAreAbout.aspx

The “W o W” word Acquisition (‘akwi’zishun ) (noun): The act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something. A store a day, every workday... Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 15,012 stores in 44 countries. From Starbucks' founding in Seattle as a local coffee bean roaster and retailer, the company has expanded rapidly. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening a new store every workday, a pace that continued into the 2000s. Starbucks entered the U.K. market in 1998 with the acquisition of the then 60-outlet, UK-based Seattle Coffee Company, re-branding all its stores as Starbucks. Starbucks entered the music industry in 1999 with the acquisition of Hear Music, and the film industry in 2006 with the creation of Starbucks Entertainment. Starbucks Entertainment was one of the producers of the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks / http://www.starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_About+Starbucks/

The “W o W” word Viral marketing: Explosive growth in sales , or spread of product information through customer contact (referrals). A viral factor for Dark Knight... The marketing campaign for the 2008 film The Dark Knight combined both online and real-life elements to make it resemble an alternate reality game. Techniques included mass gatherings of Joker fans, scavenger hunts around the US and World, detailed and intricate websites that let fans actually participate in "voting" for political offices in Gotham City, and even a Gotham News Network that has links to other Gotham pages such as Gotham Rail, a Gotham travel agency, and political candidate's pages. The movie also markets heavily off of word of mouth from the thousands of Batman fans. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing

The “W o W” word Six Sigma: A business management strategy, originally developed by Motorola, that today enjoys wide-spread application in many sectors of industry. Six Sigma was originally developed as a set of practices designed to improve manufacturing processes and eliminate defects, but its application was subsequently extended to other types of business processes as well. In Six Sigma, a defect is defined as anything that could lead to customer dissatisfaction. The particulars of the methodology were first formulated by Bill Smith at Motorola in 1986.Six Sigma was heavily inspired by six preceding decades of quality improvement methodologies such as quality control, TQM, and Zero Defects.

The “W o W” word Spinoff: A company can create an independent company from an existing part of the company by selling or distributing new shares in the so-called spinoff. Telecom solutions provider OnMobile, which was spun off from Infosys to build and deploy software solutions for the wireless and Internet industry. According to Standard & Poor, a Research, Risk and Policy Advisory company, spin-offs generally tend to outperform. Their shares tend be inexpensive initially because investors often sell when they receive stock in a new company they did not intend to own. However, insiders often receive generous incentives to make the spin-off work and the management of the newly spun-off company is frequently looking for ways to increase shareholder value. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin-off

August months WoW theme: SPORTS.

The “W o W” word Transcendent (tran-SEN-duhnt) (adj): Better than the best; Surpassing others; preeminent or supreme. Michael Phelps wins 8 Gold Medals in a Single Olympic Michael Phelps' gold medal hunt in Beijing ends as the swimming superstar leaves the Water Cube eight golds heavier, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics. Superman. Magical. The King. The Dolphin. The Fish. The Phenomenon. These are just some of the words being used to describe the face of the XXIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps. (ABCNews.com)

The “W o W” word Consummate (KON-suh-mit) (adj): complete or perfect; supremely skilled; superb The First to do a Perfect Routine in Olympics Romania's Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Montreal Olympics in 1976 when she achieved in her sport what no Olympian ever had before: perfection. Comaneci first achieved her perfect 10 on the uneven parallel bars. But it was only the beginning. By the time Comaneci had finished soaring through the various events with the apparent ease of a bird in flight, she would score six more 10s and win gold medals in the uneven bars, the balance beam and the all-around competition. The most spectacular display of women's gymnastics ever. (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

The “W o W” word Facile (FAS-ahyl) (adj): moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc., with ease, sometimes with superficiality He made it look Easy In the most outrageous display of speed to ever burn across the Olympic Games, Usain Bolt of Jamaica rocketed to gold in winning the men's 100m dash in 9.69 seconds -- not only a new world record but the first time in the history of human beings a man has run the distance under 9.7 seconds without a significant tailwind. Incredibly, Bolt, 21, could have gone faster. With a full seven strides to go, he dropped his arms and let them fall outstretched to his sides, appearing almost to run sideways as he played to the sold-out crowd of 91,000 at the Bird's Nest. Just before the finish line, he started high-stepping and, for good measure, executed a chest-thump. All that, and still -- 9.69 seconds. Bolt simply ran away from the rest of the best of the world. (nbcolympics.com)

The “W o W” word Nonpareil(non-puh-rel) (adj): having no equal; peerless. The Real “DON” Sir Donald George Bradman, often referred to as The Don, was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport. During a 20-year playing career, Bradman consistently scored at a level that made him, in the words of former Australia captain Bill Woodfull, "worth three batsmen to Australia". Interestingly, Bradman’s dismal score in his first Test (18 and 1) and his last Test (0) is well known but very few know that he holds the record for the scoring the highest runs by any Australian in his second Test (79 and 112) and second last Test (33 and 173 n.o.).

The “W o W” word Fortitude (FAWR-ti-tyood) (noun): Strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage. Strength to Endure: Through Race and Through Life The best cyclist ever, Lance Armstrong won the sport's premier event, the Tour de France, an almost incomprehensible seven times from 1999 to 2005. But before he could do that, in 1996 he had to beat back a cancer that was supposed to take his life. Testicular cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Grim-faced doctors told him he had no chance. But no chance were not words that had meaning for Lance. He inspired all of us who face a cancer diagnosis to search out the doctors who believe that we can live, to hold on to those friends and family who stand beside our bed—and then to fight to prove the faith of those friends and the beliefs of those doctors well founded. (Elizabeth Edwards, time.com)