Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Learning the Italian Alphabet
Learning the Italian Alphabet If you choose to learn the Italian language, youll need to start by learning its alphabet. When you have an innumerable amount of other ââ¬Å"usefulâ⬠languages to choose from, why would you choose Italian a language spoken by about 59 million people, compared to, letââ¬â¢s say Mandarinââ¬â¢s 935 million Despite the fact that every day more and more Italians are learning English, there is still a huge appeal to learn la bella lingua. Many people feel drawn to Italian because itââ¬â¢s a part of their ancestry, and learning Italian can be a great tool to utilize as you dig deeper into your family history. While you can do a lot of research in English, actually visiting your great grandfatherââ¬â¢s birth town in Naples will require more than just a list of survival phrases to truly get a feel for the locals and hear stories about what the town was like while he was alive. Whatââ¬â¢s more, being able to understand and tell stories to your living family members will will add a depth and a richness to your relationships. Learning the Alphabet The Italian alphabet (lalfabeto) contains 21 letters: Letters / Names of the lettersaà à abà à bicà à cidà à dieà à efà à effegà à gihà à accaià à ilà à ellemà à emmenà à enneoà à opà à piqà à curà à erresà à essetà à tiuà à uvà à vuzà à zeta The following five letters are found in foreign words: Letters / Names of the lettersjà à i lungokà à kappawà à doppia vuxà à icsyà à ipsilon Learning the Basics If youre pressed for time, focus on the fundamentals. Study the Italian ABCs and Italian numbers, learn how to pronounce Italian words and ask questions in Italian, and brush up on the euro (after all, youll have to reach into your portafoglio- wallet- eventually). However, the quickest and most effective way to learn Italian is the total-immersion method. This means traveling to Italy for an extended period, studying at any of the thousands of language schools throughout the country, and speaking only Italian. Many programs include a home-stay component that enhances the cultural exchange. You literally eat, breathe, and dream in Italian. Whether its reading an Italian textbook, taking a language course at a university or local language school, completing workbook exercises, listening to a tape or CD, or conversing with a native Italian speaker. Spend some time every day reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Italian to become accustomed to the target language. Slowly but surely, your confidence will build, your accent will become less pronounced, your vocabulary will expand, and youll be communicating in Italian. Maybe youll even start speaking Italian with your hands!
Sunday, March 1, 2020
The Execution of Stoddart and Conolly in Bukhara
The Execution of Stoddart and Conolly in Bukhara Two gaunt, ragged men kneeled beside the graves they had just dug in the square before Bukharas Ark Fortress. Their hands were bound behind their backs, and their hair and beards crawled with lice. In front of a small crowd, the Emir of Bukhara, Nasrullah Khan, gave the signal. A sword flashed in the sun, severing the head of Colonel Charles Stoddart of the British East India Company (BEI). The sword fell a second time, decapitating Stoddarts would-be rescuer, Captain Arthur Conolly of the BEIs Sixth Bengal Light Cavalry. With these two strokes, Nasrullah Khan ended Stoddart and Conollys roles in The Great Game, a term that Conolly himself coined to describe the competition between Britain and Russia for influence in Central Asia. But the Emir could not have known that his actions in 1842 would help shape the fate of his entire region well into the twentieth century. Charles Stoddart and the Emir Colonel Charles Stoddart arrived in Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan) on December 17, 1838, sent to try to arrange an alliance between Nasrullah Khan and the British East India Company against the Russian Empire, which was expanding its influence south. Russia had its eye on the khanates of Khiva, Bukhara, and Khokand, all important cities along the ancient Silk Road. From there, Russia could threaten Britains hold on its crown jewel - British India. Unfortunately for the BEI and especially for Colonel Stoddart, he offended Nasrullah Khan constantly from the moment he arrived. In Bukhara, it was customary for visiting dignitaries to dismount, lead their horses into the square or leave them with servants outside, and bow before the Emir. Stoddart instead followed British military protocol, which called for him to remain seated on his horse and salute the Emir from the saddle. Nasrullah Khan reportedly stared pointedly at Stoddart for some time after this saluteà and then stalked off without a word. The Bug Pit Ever the supremely self-confident representative of imperial Britain, Colonel Stoddart continued to commit gaffe after gaffe during his audiences with the Emir. Finally, Nasrullah Khan could bear the affronts to his dignity no more and had Stoddart thrown into the Bug Pit - a vermin-infested dungeon under the Ark Fortress. Months and months went by, and despite the desperate notes that Stoddarts accomplices smuggled out of the pit for him, notes that made their way to Stoddarts colleagues in India as well as his family in England, no sign of a rescue appeared. Finally, one day the citys official executioner climbed down into the pit with orders to behead Stoddart on the spot unless he converted to Islam. In desperation, Stoddart agreed. Pleasantly surprised by this concession, the Emir had Stoddart brought out of the pit and placed into a much more comfortable house arrest in the chief of polices home. During this period, Stoddart met with the Emir on several occasions, and Nasrullah Khan began to consider allying himself with the British against the Russians. Arthur Conolly to the Rescue Busy propping up an unpopular puppet ruler in Afghanistan, the British East India Company had neither the troops nor the will to launch a military force into Bukhara and rescue Colonel Stoddart. The Home Government in London also had no attention to spare a lone imprisoned emissary, since it was embroiled in the First Opium War against Qing China. The rescue mission, which arrived in November of 1841, ended up being just one man - Captain Arthur Conolly of the cavalry. Conolly was an evangelical Protestant from Dublin, whose stated goals were to unite Central Asia under British rule, Christianize the region, and abolish the slave trade. A year earlier, he had set out for Khiva on a mission to convince the Khan to stop trading slaves; trade in Russian captives gave St. Petersburg a potential excuse for conquering the khanate, which would disadvantage the British. The Khan received Conolly politely but was not interested in his message. Conolly moved on to Khokand, with the same result. While there, he received a letter from Stoddart, who was just under house arrest at that particular time, stating that the Emir of Bukhara was interested in Conollys message. Neither Briton knew that Nasrullah Khan was really using Stoddart to lay a trap for Conolly. Despite a warning from the Khan of Khokand about his treacherous neighbor, Conolly set out to try to free Stoddart. Incarceration The Emir of Bukhara initially treated Conolly well, although the BEI captain was shocked at the emaciated and haggard appearance of his fellow countryman, Colonel Stoddart. When Nasrullah Khan realized, however, that Conolly did not bring a reply from Queen Victoria to his own earlier letter, he grew enraged. The Britons situation grew even more dire after January 5, 1842, when Afghan militants massacred the BEIs Kabul garrison during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Just one British doctor escaped death or capture, returning to India to tell the story. Nasrullah immediately lost all interest in aligning Bukhara with the British. He tossed Stoddart and Conolly into prison - a regular cell this time, though, rather than the pit. Execution of Stoddart and Conolly On June 17, 1842, Nasrullah Khan ordered Stoddart and Conolly brought to the square in front of the Ark Fortress. The crowd stood quietly while the two men dug their own graves. Then their hands were tied behind them, and the executioner forced them to kneel. Colonel Stoddart called out that the Emir was a tyrant. The executioner sliced off his head. The executioner offered Conolly the chance to convert to Islam in order to save his own life, but the evangelical Conolly refused. He too was beheaded. Stoddart was 36 years old; Conolly was 34. Aftermath When word of Stoddart and Conollys fate reached the British press, it rushed to lionize the men. The papers praised Stoddart for his sense of honor and duty, as well as his fiery temper (hardly a recommendation for diplomatic work), and emphasized Conollys deeply-held Christian faith. Outraged that the ruler of an obscure Central Asian city-state would dare execute these sons of the British Empire, the public called for a punitive mission against Bukhara, but the military and political authorities had no interest in such a move. The two officers deaths went unavenged. In the longer term, the British lack of interest in pushing their line of control into what is now Uzbekistan had a profound effect on the history of Central Asia. Over the next forty years, Russia subdued the entire area that is now Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Central Asia would remain under Russian control until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Sources Hopkirk, Peter. The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Lee, Jonathan. The Ancient Supremacy: Bukhara, Afghanistan, and the Battle for Balkh, 1731-1901, Leiden: BRILL, 1996. Van Gorder, Christian. Muslim-Christian Relations in Central Asia, New York: Taylor Francis US, 2008. Wolff, Joseph. Narrative of a Mission to Bokhara: In the Years 1843-1845, Volume I, London: J.W. Parker, 1845.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Essay on "The Act of Writing in the Age of Numbers"
On "The Act of Writing in the Age of Numbers" - Essay Example ces in technology like electric typewriters and social media posts make it increasingly harder because they make readers focus far more on a piece of writings numbers than on its content. While Marches argument seems a little odd, he does make a good point that readers should not get into the habit of thinking that how many words a piece of literature contain, or how many times it has been shared, are what makes it so special. One example which shows very well what Marche argues is that of a post made to Facebook or another social media website by someone who is a celebrity. This post would immediately be shared widely, and would get high numbers that might make it seem of huge importance to everybody. However, those high numbers would not necessarily mean that the article is really important. On the other hand, an post shared by a regular person might actually be very meaningful and highly relevant, despite not being widely shared. This is what Marche talks about when he says that "relevance has become nearly identical with its quantification." (Marche) Another area where words of a different sort matter is that of essays written by students in college courses. As Marche points out, the first attempts to put a word count on an essay assignment resulted in students paying too much attention to it, and not to the essays content (Marche). By making such a big point out of the number of words that an essay contains, a professor might be teaching students to make sure that the essay is the right length first, and make sure it has a good argument second. It would make more sense in this case to focus on what the essay does, rather than its length. In works of literature like poems and novels, Marche argues that far from numbers never having mattered, they are where English literature "begins." (Marche) While he is right that poetry and verse rely on numbering systems to be effective, he also discusses that a lot of poets continually struggled against these
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Speculating about causes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Speculating about causes - Essay Example Employees may get retrenched for example when a firm no longer needs the services of the employees or if the company itself shuts down its operations. It is usually not easy to find to find an appropriate job immediately after being laid off. A company would not desire to appoint somebody recently laid off for bad reasons such as failure to do a good job, absence from work, theft or drunkenness in work. It makes someone sacked to find alternative employment immediately. In some cases, the economy of a country might be undergoing turmoil making job hunting difficult. Other individuals are unable to get employed because they lack the required level of qualification and experience for a particular job. Some organizations will not hire someone without getting a good reference and remark concerning the prospective employee. Employers all the time appoint the best-qualified individuals for its vacant positions available. Many individuals are in no position to come across jobs because they are disabled or have health issues. For example, if one gets injured in an accident or gets ill for a prolonged time the person may be unable to do work hence remain jobless (Greenhalgh 103) . Each act comes with an outcome. However, the effects and causes and of joblessness are very powerful the life of the affected individuals. For instance, an employee lacking the suitable and appropriate skills required for a task will get retrenched or fired from a company. An individual may be jobless or get sacked from their job when a company wishes to cut on its budget. Similarly, in a case where there are plenty of workforces but not enough work to match them, their number will be reduced to ensure the company does not waste resources. On the other hand, if there is an abundance of jobs, but the employees lack the correct experience or skills to work then the their replaced will occur. Job losses are beginning to rise steadily, and
Friday, January 24, 2020
The Evolution of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Essay
The Evolution of Euthanasia à à à This essay will investigate the evolution of the practice of euthanasia in the one country that has promoted it steadfastly for some years. The surprising result of my studies for this essay is the revelation that the Netherlands' practice of euthanasia has become so liberalized that it is no longer recognizable as the same program that was originally legislated. à Euthanasia in the Netherlands has gone from requiring terminal illness to no physical illness at all, from physical suffering to depression only, from conscious patients to unconscious, from those who can consent to those who cannot, and from being a measure of last resort to one of early intervention. Although respect for patient autonomy is the main ethical argument in favor of euthanasia, power has passed almost exclusively into doctors' hands. Patient autonomy has been subverted by the unprecedented rights given by the courts to doctors to decide the fate of patients. à The public era of euthanasia in the Netherlands began in 1973, [1] when two significant events occurred. A government commission reported that the ban on active euthanasia should remain, and a doctor, after admitting killing her sick mother who wanted to die, was found guilty, and given a suspended sentence. Evidence was tendered that she had only done what was already commonly, though unofficially, done by many doctors. The court announced several conditions which, in its view, would justify the active killing of a patient. In 1981 and 1983, two courts reached similar conclusions. à A State Commission on Euthanasia decided in 1982, [2] that 'a doctor who terminates the life of a patient at the latter's expressed and serious desir... ...t of The Remmelink Report and the van der Maas Study in Euthanasia, in Euthanasia, Clinical Practice and the Law. Ed Gormally L. The Linacre Centre 1994. p 219-240. 12. Id. p 230. 13. Pijnenborg L, van der Maas PJ, van Delden JJM, Looman CWN. Life terminating acts without explicit request of patient. Lancet 1993; 341: 1196-1199. 14. Van Delden JJM, Pijnenborg L, van der Maas PJ. The Remmelink Report; Two Years Later. Hastings Cent Rep 1993; Nov/Dec 24-27. 15. Fenigsen R. The Netherlands; New Regulations Concerning Euthanasia. Issues Law Med 1993; 9: 167-171. 16. Id. p 170. 17. van der Wal G, van der Maas PJ, Bosma JM, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Willems DL et al. Evaluation of the Notification Procedure for Physician-Assisted Death in the Netherlands. New Eng J Med. 1996; 335: 1706-1711. 18. Mark Ludlow. Canberra Times. 17 November 1996.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Booker Jones Analysis Essay
1. A. If the cost of barrels were to be incorporated into the inventory account (balance sheet), then the cost of barrels used (Income statement) can be reduced. From 1960-1961, Booker Jones increased its barrels produced from 43,000 barrels to 63,000 barrels. That is 20,000 barrel increased in just one year. The cost per barrels is $31.50. (20,000 * 31.50= $630,000) We can reduce the cost per barrel expense from income statement of $630,000. ïÆ' (-407,000+630,000= 223,000) Therefore, pretax profit would have been $223,000 instead of net loss of $407,000. B. If the change were made retroactively as of June 1, 1959 then Effect on the balance sheet at the end of 1960 Number of barrel in inventory in 1960 is 172,000 (172,000 barrels * $31.50 = 5,418,000) $5,418,000 is the increased inventory after incorporated the cost of barrels to inventory. ($5418000 + $4,506,000 = $9,924,000) $9,924,000 is the new ending inventory in 1960 Deferring the Aging costs into the inventory balance would increase the Net Profit in 1960. This would then increase the Retained Earnings account on the balance sheet Effect on the balance sheet at the end of 1961 Number of barrels in inventory in 1961 is 192,000 (192,000 barrels * $31.50 = $6,048,000) $6,048,000 is the increased in inventory after incorporating the cost of barrels to inventory ($6,048,000 + $5,030,000 = $11,078,000) $11,078,000 is the new ending inventory in 1960 Deferring the Aging costs into the inventory balance would increase the Net Profit in 1960. This would then increase the Retained Earnings account on the balance sheet Effect on the income statement for 1960 2. We do not believe that Jones went from a profit in 1960 to a loss for 1961 because they can capitalize the patented barrels as inventory instead of expense it. Because of the 4 years aging life, it makes sense to capitalize the barrels and expense it as the aging process reduced. 7. 1. The original Leviââ¬â¢s Store Channel has a higher return on invested capital, meaning it is a good investment in a long run. Column1 Wholesale Channel Estimate Original Leviââ¬â¢s Store Channel Estimate Operating Profit before Tax 4 6 Tax at 40% 1.6 2.4 NOPAT 2.4 3.6 Fixed Asset Factory PP&E 5 5 Distributed PP&E 1 2 Total Fixed Asset 6 7 Non-Cash Working Capital Current Asset 8 12 Current Liability 1 1 Cash 0 0 Total Non-Cash Working Capital 7 11 Invested Capital 13 18 Return on Invested Capital 18% 20% 2. Value Chain Analysis Providing strategic direction ââ¬â corporate strategy Provide the perfect fit jean for customers Market segment for unsatisfied customers Broaden market segment by offering customized jeans Generating customer demand ââ¬â sales, marketing and customer service Increase in profit 24% unsatisfied customers Provide more styles, more colors, better fits 4224 possible combination of measurement 400 prototype pairs stock at Kiosk for customers to try on Fulfilling customer demand ââ¬â supply chain, manufacturing, production Order is transmitted directly to Leviââ¬â¢s factory. Each pair of jeans is individually cut 3 days shipping back to customers (at $5 extra charge per pair) Pull based: responsiveness to actual buying patterns, improve manufacturing, and delivery cycle Need to find ways to fix the 8 months lag between ordering cotton fabric and selling the final pair of jeans. Providing support services ââ¬â Finance, HR, legal and compliance Need additional finance to pay for trained personal clerks Need to take out loan to finance initial investment of the project In 4 retail store locations
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
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