Wednesday, November 27, 2019

spanish Essays - Learning To Read, Language, Lexicography

ELEMENTARY SPANISH CURRICULUM PROJECT Third Grade - Topics (Last Updated: Aug 1, 2010) Names / Greetings / Numbers / Alphabet (4 lessons) Weather / Seasons (4 lessons; 2 extra lessons) Pastimes (4 lessons) Family (2 lessons) Animals (7 lessons) Body and Five Senses (3 lessons) Four Elements (1 lesson) Planets (4 lessons) Calendar: Days / Months / Dates (1 lesson) Extra: 10. House 11. City (includes review of Seasons plus sports terminology) 12. Market 13. Signs / Maps / Directions / Location Author Mrs. E Thompson Topic: Names / Greetings / Numbers / Alphabet (Last Updated: July 18, 2006) Objectives: Note: This topic is repeated from previous grades. More or less time should be spent on each subtopic, depending on background of students, and math calculations can be increased as students master the numbers. Students will be able to understand and use ? Se llama ____? and ?Me llamo___? , "Muy bien, gracias", "Adi?s". (This should be review from earlier years) Students will understand and respond appropriately to: "?C?mo se llama?", "?C?mo te llamas?", "Muchas gracias". Students will be able to greet people with: "Buenos d?as", "?C?mo est?s?" Students will be able to see, hear, and say numbers 0-20. Students will understand "m?s", "menos", "son". Students will understand and respond to: "?Cu?nto cuesta?" Students will carry out math calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication (if this has been covered in English) Students will be introduced to the alphabet in Spanish Topic: Weather / Seasons (Last Updated: July 18, 2006) Objectives: Students will be introduced to el tiempo. Students will use appropriately: "hace fr?o/calor/buen tiempo/mal tiempo ". Students will use appropriately: hay sol/lluvia/nieve/viento/nubes. Students will use ?Qu? tiempo hace? Students will compare weather in Duluth and different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will understand a story about the weather. Students will learn the four seasons: primavera, verano, oto?o, invierno Students will associate weather with each season Students will learn the differences in connections between timing of seasons in northern and southern hemispheres Topic: Pastimes (Last Updated: June 23, 2006) Objectives: Students will learn about different pastimes that are popular in Spanish-speaking countries (f?tbol & m?sica: tango/flamenco) Students will understand f?tbol vocabulary: f?tbol, pelota, jugador, equipo; aficionado, gol, golero, cancha; mirar, jugar Students will learn active vocabulary: me gusta; S?; No, no Students will respond appropriately to the following expressions: jueguen con la pelota; d?nle con el pie; tiren la pelota; agarren la pelota; ?gol! Students will understand: Eres/Soy aficionado de .... Students will learn about two types of music and dancing that are popular in the Spanish-speaking world: flamenco, tango Students will locate on map where this music is popular Students will understand dance and music vocabulary: m?sica, flamenco, tango, guitarra, viol?n, bandone?n, bailar, escuchar, tocar, cantar Student will understand different pastime activities: leer, correr, nadar, saltar, jugar, mirar televisi?n, cantar, caminar, tocar m?sica Student will be able to say what s/he does: Leo, corro, nado, salto, miro televisi?n, canto, camino, toco m?sica; juego Students will review alphabet through spelling of words Topic: Family (Last Updated: June 23, 2006) Objectives: Students will understand the following terms: la familia, el padre, la madre, el hermano, la hermana, el abuelo, la abuela Students will identify these people in pictures of families: "Es ...." Students will tell people's names: "Se llama...", "Me llamo..." Students will be able to say how many people there are in their family: "Somos + #" Students will plot the number of family members among their classmates Students will describe activities of people: baila, toca m?sica, cocina, come Students will look understand family activities/members in Mexican family Topic: Animals (Last Updated: July 12, 2006) Objectives: Students will understand how animals move (caminan, vuelan, nadan, corren; r?pido, lento) and different places for animals to live (casa, jard?n, granja, mar, bosque tropical, zool?gico) Students will identify where animals live Students will be able to say: "Vive en...", "Come...", "Es grande/peque?o", "Es anfibio/..." Students will identify animals of Spanish-speaking world: loro, quetzal, c?ndor, tuc?n, coqu?, jaguar, toro, llama, urraca Students will identify other animals: gato, caballo, vaca, pato, cerdo/chancho, perro, mariposa, abeja, ara?a, rat?n, conejo, ardilla, serpiente, p?jaro, rana, pez, caballo de mar, gaviota, cangrejo, tortuga, tibur?n, pulpo, cerdo, burro, gallina, pavo, oveja, cocodrilo, elefante, le?n, buho, oso, mono Students will listen to and understand stories about

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How I Brought Historical Legends Into My Modern-Day Novel

How I Brought Historical Legends Into My Modern-Day Novel How Blending the Past and Present Allowed Me to Ask: "What If?" Along with being an author, Finian Black is a doctor who served in the British Army. He lives in Winchester, which is chock-full of medieval reminders of the time and story inspiration. In this article, he talks about how playing with myths and legends - stories steeped in history but often in little solid facts - gave him the freedom to weave elements of the past into his modern-day novel.Every story, whether it's a parent making up a simple tale for a sleepy child or a  sprawling saga, can be boiled down to a simple question:  what if? So, whenever a new idea for a story starts to take shape, the first thing I do is look for the magical question that gets to the heart of it all, and everything flows from there. Speculating on the past allows authors to write about a different version of present-day. Writing allows me to ask, "what if?"I live in the beautiful cathedral city of Winchester near the south coast of England. It's a great place to wander around, and wonder about! The idea for my new historical fiction novel,  The Final Raven, came during a visit to the Great Hall in Winchester, where an ancient round table has hung on the wall for centuries. As I looked upon that table, one question sprang to mind: what if a child discovered they are the last living descendant of King Arthur? Simple as that, I was ready to get started.With the base idea established, I had to think about where the story might go. The "what if?" part is always the easy bit! What follows is countless hours of story mapping, character plotting, running up blind alleys and falling into bottomless pits as the story takes on a life of its own. I asked myself: Would it be set in the present day or recent past? Who is this child? What is their background? Why now, after so long, would it come to light that th ere is a living descendant? And, of course, how much of the existing Arthurian legend would I incorporate? However, being rooted in Arthurian legend, I knew that there were some road signs readers would expect in my novel: Merlin, a sword in a stone, the Lady of the Lake, and Morgan le Fay, to name just a few. But I didn’t want to just re-write what’s already been done so well before, so I purposely toned down the obvious Arthurian elements, bringing them subtly into present-day so as to not distract from the story I wanted to tell. Lastly, I knew I needed a very strong cover that would convey mythical history but also appeal to the YA demographic. The cover designer I hired through Reedsy, Edward Bettison, captured exactly that with the bold typography and visual of the Tower of London raven.Pulling from the PlantagenetsMany of the kings during the Plantagenet period used the myths of Arthur for their own propaganda, and their stories are more incredible than any fiction. Furthermore, the Plantagenet period was hugely important in shaping what modern Britain looks like - w hich made it a great source of inspiration both regarding the historical aspects of my book and my modern-day characters. My historical research about this time period was extensive, delving into the lives of the different kings and what drove them to act the way they did. Two of the books that helped my research immensely were Dan Jones’ The Plantagenets and Desmond Seward’s The Demon’s Brood. Both brought to life the period and its individuals in a way that was invaluable.The Plantagenet period saw great kings like Edward III, but also terrible ones like John - and it is the terrible ones that first come to mind when thinking about this period. The bloodletting, violence, and cruelty were beyond anything we see in Game of Thrones, and those who wanted to challenge the king had to be prepared to act abhorrently. Amongst the pool of eligible individuals, it was often the maddest that took the crown. All of these qualities provided ripe inspiration for my villai n and clarifying his motives: which is to be king, at any means necessary - an ancient grievance of his. He is someone with medieval values in the modern world, and this combination makes him a lot of fun to write. "Turning to the past inspired my modern-day villain with medieval values." Drawing from the legendary Tower of London RavensAs for the novel’s title,  The Final Raven? Well, I’ve been fascinated by these wonderful birds for a long time. They are intelligent, beautiful, and mysterious. From the outset I knew that I wanted to incorporate the famous legend of the Tower of London ravens in my story as I find it to be a very powerful tale. The legend says that if ever the ravens were to leave the Tower, Britain would fall. There are different views on just how old this legend is. It has been said it only goes back as far as World War Two, when Churchill used it as propaganda to build national resolve. Others suggest it is a Victorian story. I like to believe the version that tells of King Arthur slaying a Celtic warrior called Bran at the site of the Tower. In this version, Bran turns into a raven and it is his descendants who still live there today. Magical!This legend offered me another great chance to blend mythical pasts and presents by incor porating modern technology: in my version of the story, the ravens are implanted with microchips so that the villain can track their demise on his tablet - green, to amber, to red! I used the motif of the dying birds as a countdown through the book, culminating in a race to save the last bird†¦ but if you want to know more, you'll have to read the book!It was important to me to go back to the Tower while writing this novel - which was fine by me! I love it there. It’s a thousand years of history brought to life in front of your eyes (much like a well-written novel can be!), and of course, you can meet the ravens. The Ravenmaster is a real person, too - he’s active on Twitter. Check him out. A great way to put a modern twist on historical legends is to incorporate technology. I've written stories since I was very young. Words are magical things - they can amaze, inspire, scare, and excite us. I love books that make me want to read one more page, then another, and another. To be a writer, I passionately believe that you also have to be a reader. Use of language shapes us, teaches us, and helps us find our own voice. I once read that the first million words we write *are* just practice for the proper writing that follows - in other words, keep going. Never lose sight of how to improve, and never worry if a paragraph or page doesn't flow. It might not make the final edit but it all improves our skills as writers.This book is the first in a series of three, and will be continued in The Devil's Blood, due out April 2018.The Final Raven is available in  paperback and on  Amazon Kindle.Interested in learning more about conducting historical research? Sign up for our Reedsy Learning course:  How to Research a Historical Novel or Nonfiction BookPlease shar e your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Finian Black in the comments below!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Case 5 Ethics - Working Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 5 Ethics - Working Conditions - Essay Example Jameson (2010, February 1) disagreed with this article in â€Å"Fed Up with Fat.† He asserted that fat people should be penalized for not actively addressing health issues, in the same way that smokers are paying more for their insurance because of their bad habit. This paper asks: Should an overweight employee who chooses not to participate in a wellness program be penalized? Using deontology and utilitarianism, it stresses that when a personal problem has widespread negative social consequences, then that person should be penalized for not participating in wellness programs, if healthcare assistance is free and other support systems are present. Deontology focuses on respecting people as ends, not as means to ends, and people have autonomy over their bodies, which society should not violate. Deontological thinking does not support stigmatizing people, especially because of physical differences (Morrison, 2009, p.403). Jameson (2010) talked about weight discrimination, which is immoral, because a person should be hired based on merit and other objective qualifications, not because of their weight. Tsai and Bessesen (2012) pointed out that many normal-weight people are actually unhealthy, such as smokers and those who are fond of eating fried, sweet, and salty foods, and yet are not gaining extra weight. They stressed that other fat people, on the contrary, are eating or living healthy, but they continue to have weight issues. This comparison highlights the injustice of being stigmatized because of being overweight. Furthermore, it is wrong to penalize people just because they are overweight, specifically people who are genetically predisposed to be overweight. Tsai and Bessesen (2012) mentioned that genetic studies prove that obesity has genetic causes, which is why some people get fat easily and have an unusually hard time losing weight. Some of them might even have illnesses that store fats in their bodies. Tsai and Bessesen (2012) stressed that socie ty will only be doing more harm than good, if it penalizes people who hardly have control over genetic predispositions. In addition, fat people are ends in themselves. They have autonomy, and they cannot be forced to apply in wellness programs, if they lack time and resources (Morrison, 2009, p.403). They might also have other issues, such as childcare, whereas if they spend time in these wellness programs, they have no money or no one to take care of their children. If these people are penalized despite these conditions, they are being seen as means to ends. The ends served are those of society, or the â€Å"thin† strata, who do not strive to understand the genetic, economic, and social conditions and limitations of the overweight. Fat people are people-as-ends too, and their autonomy over matters that concern their private bodies must be protected. Deontology further argues that the healthcare sector has a primary duty to do no harm to the obese. Healthcare professionals ha ve a duty to help the obese be aware of their options, in order for them to have a normal weight (Morrison, 2009, p.403). They must discuss prevention, not only cure, and suggest the best treatments and interventions to help the overweight deal with their weight problems (Morrison, 2009, p.403). The principle of beneficence is important. They must do no harm to the obese, and they can attain this if they provide the resources needed to help them (Morrison, 2009,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Norwegian Cruise Lines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Norwegian Cruise Lines - Case Study Example In case of NCL, multifactor productivity measure is used. Yes, productivity measurement is extremely essential for NCL in order to judge the efficiency and effectiveness of the renowned brand in the market. Along with this, it also helps to determine the cost effectiveness and return on investment of the organization of a specific financial year that might be used for the planning the level of investments for the next financial year. Other than this, with the help of multifactor productivity measure, we might also judge the requirements of innovative technology and equipments to cope up with the changing trends of the market. By doing so, it might prove effective for NCL to enhance its financial position and brand image in the market among other rivals of the market. In order to make the customers fully satisfied, NCL tries to offer varied types of service packages. It helps in improving the reliability and trust of the customers over the brand resulting in amplification of the entire portfolio and revenue as well. Keeping these dreams in mind, NCL tries to offer fleet-wide services, cabin service, room service, dining service and bar services to its customers. It is done to enhance its image and position within the minds of its customers so that they might return again and again in long run. Other than this, the charge of fleet-wide tipping is very low and affordable for all and so it is highly preferred. Apart from this, varied other services are also offered by NCL like, guest services, hotel services, technical support services along with shopping services for the customers as well. Moreover, extremely beautiful casino services are also offered by NCL to its customers to retain its image within the minds of the customers. Hence, due to the presence of such wonderful service package facilities, NCL is highly preferred by maximum extent of the customers in the entire market. The competitive priority of NCL is to remain reputation

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Global crime's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Global crime's - Research Paper Example This paper attempts to present a brief overview of cybercrime, beginning with its varying definitions, how it evolved and became dangerous, its types, and past real-world instances. Cybercrime involves criminal acts that are committed using computer networks such as the internet (Bidgoli, 326). These criminal acts include the disruption of other computer systems using viruses and worms, gaining unauthorized access to confidential files, creating and distributing pornographic films based on children, stealing identity, stalking, and a host of other thefts and frauds. There are many ways in which cybercrime can be defined. This is because cybercrime is not a new â€Å"type of conduct† but an extension of criminal behavior that is already existing (Edelbacher, Kratcoski, and Theil 122). Cybercrime could be defined as â€Å"any crime in which a computer is the agent, facilitator, or target of the crime† (Edelbacher, Kratcoski, and Theil). This definition however is not completely representative of cybercrime. A more extensive definition was given by the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime that defined cybercrime as – Offences against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer data and systems, that is, offenses against computer data and systems, including illegal access to a computer system, such as â€Å"hacking† (Article 2), the illegal interception of the transmission of computer data (Article 3), data interference, that is, the damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data (Article 4), system interference, that is, hindering of the functioning of computer systems (Article 5), including denial of service attacks, the misuse of devices (Article 6) – the production, sale, procurement, or otherwise making available of devices of data (e.g., hacking tools) for purposes of committing the above offences

Friday, November 15, 2019

Is accounting profit figure a measure of true profit of an organizations

Is accounting profit figure a measure of true profit of an organizations Accounting rules and regulations are a mish-mash of rather conflicting concepts'(e.g. relevance and neutrality), giving managers discretion in deciding which principle to and not to apply(1). Profit is no simple figure which can be computed easily(2), infact it is a thorough process of naming and counting(3); identifying, calculating and summarizing many references generated. Some of these items donot exist, and hence are brought into existence by identifying and assigning monetary values, some involve quantifying the qualitative, while calculation of others may involve managers choosing between different rules and methodologies(revenue recognisation, inventory, depreciation calculation using different techniques), all of which are accepted, by providing a simple reasoning or justification for the choice. Hence, earning management itself is allowed in the profession giving managers the discretion to twist and turn certain figures to meet their criteria, provided a proper reasoning is given. Prudence-an important rule in history, guiding managers that should a conflict arise, a conservative approach to be adopted, as not to be over-optimistic about performance. But now, it is a mere subset of reliability, replaced by faithful representation by IASB, following FASB(4). Should we now expect more use of creative accounting? Given the current credit crunch is it fair to follow USA? Does this mean that instead of using a careful approach as to which colors to use, managers are free to paint the picture in any way they like? Similar implications apply for the use of fair value accounting (driven by Hicks,1975, income and opportunity cost theory), affecting asset valuation and income recognisation. Also given diverse and conflicting rules, what maybe true for one company or country, maynot be true for another(due to different accounting bodies). Therefore profit is merely creating rather than reflecting reality'(5). Another point to discuss is PAT(positive accounting theory); based on unrealistic assumptions as long as they are a good prediction, and underlying hypothesis are never rejected if proven wrong(6). The diagram below shows that in every step of PAT methodology there is a lot of subjectivity, and half of the time they donot tell what assumptions have been made. PAT is based on Adam Smiths rational economic man stating that all choices are based on self interest and accumulation of private wealth; hence accounting methods will be chosen to mislead and disguise performance'(7). Agency theory (Jensen Meckling, 1976) is closely related to this, displaying conflict of interest amongst shareholders and managers, which justifies why managers may resort to earning management, especially if performance-based salaries are used (management compensation hypothesis, Watt and Zimmerman 1986). Shareholders appoint auditors as a protection of their rights and assurance that managers are managing the company to the best of their ability, to maintain decision making efficiency, but auditors donot have access to all the information, and only base their decisions on the information provided by managers and given accounting regulations, does this information asymmetry means that auditors really provide a fair and truthful analysis of company reporting? Given the limited figures that auditors are given, can they analyze that profitability as shown by the company is actually correct? The answer is NO, and we have many examples such as Enron, Sunbeam, which despite been given unqualified audit reports, failed ultimately. Furthermore, as Watt and Zimmerman argue that PAT only gives a prediction of which method managers might use, but doesnot tell which accounting method should be used, for example a large company is likely to use income reducing methods to avoid political attention (political cost hypothesis), debt hypothesis states that a company which is close to breaking its debt covenants will choose policies to ensure such covenants are not violated(8). Also, it is too simplistic to state that it is the only truth. Infact even if profit figure is aligned with companys actual performance, according to coherence theory it is just a truth'(9), and not the ultimate reality. Although some might claim the contrary, as the media only compares the profit figures and doesnot refer to the variety of accounting policies that can be adopted(10). My argument ends with the viewpoint, that although accounting policies and audit reports are designed to protect stakeholders from false reporting, but due to gaps in rules, managers still maintain the discretion to choose policies, which is exploited to meet their objectives, hence shareholders and auditors should use a pool of resources, such as return on investment(11), key performance indicators, share price and economic profit (bank interest and return on other assets-12) to assess performance. Information is not stable, clear and self-evident(13), it is subject to constant change, and can be generated and interpreted in different ways. Truth is not in the numbers, it is only constructing reality using space, time and value machine'(13), therefore users of accounting information should use their own judgment, knowledge and opinions before reaching any conclusion and not base decisions blindly on profitability alone. NOTES: Rhoda lecture notes: The Growth of regulation: International standards and conceptual frameworks of accounting. My first reflective piece Lecture notes Ann-Christine Frandsen: Where do we find accounting Lecture notes Dr Fiona Anderson Gough: Early standards and normative theory, the influence of past on present Hines 1988 Friedman, The methodology of Positive Economics 1953 Adam Smith, The wealth of nations, 1776 Lecture notes, Rhoda, Positive accounting theory (PAT) Lecture notes, Dr Fiona Anderson Gough, Portraying success Deegan and Unerman, 2006 Lecture notes, Ann Christine Frandsen Ball and Brown, 1968 Frandsen A-C (2009), Information Organisation

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Sammy Makes a Decision in John Updikes A&P :: A&P Essays

Sammy Makes a Decision John Updike's short story "A&P" is about a teenager who has to make a serious decision. The story is set in an A&P supermarket in a town north of Boston, probably about the year 1960. As the plot unfolds, Sammy changes from being a thoughtless and sexist boy to being a young man who can make a decision, even though it might hurt him. Sammy tells us he is nineteen years old. He is a check-out clerk in the local A&P, where the boss, Lengel, is a friend of Sammy's parents. Sammy does not seem to like his job very much. He calls one of his customers a "witch" and says the other customers are "houseslaves" and "sheep." He himself comes from a middle-class family. When they have a party, he says, they serve "lemonade and if it's a real racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses with 'They'll Do It Every Time' cartoons stencilled on" (15). In addition, Sammy is sexist. He gives long, loving descriptions of the girls who cause all the trouble, and he thinks at first that girls may not even have minds, asking, "do you really think it's a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?" (13) However, he does change as the plot goes on. The plot of the story deals with three girls who come into the store dressed only in bathing suits. They make their entrance in the very first sentence, and they complicate Sammy's life. At first, Sammy, his older friend Stokesie, and McMahon the butcher all look at the girls lustfully. But of them all, only Sammy enjoys the entertainment the girls bring. The other shoppers crash their carts, look stunned, and are suddenly jarred out of their everyday routine. Sammy, who seems bored with his job, finds the change amusing. He even begins to feel sorry for the girls when everyone else stares at them lustfully. The plot's major conflict occurs late in the story when Lengel, the manager, comes in and scolds the girls. Sammy knows that they are on their way out of the store, but Lengel has to yell at them and make them feel bad.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Do You Like the Ending of the A Question of Dowry or Cat in the Rain

Do you like the ending of the â€Å"a question of dowry† or â€Å"cat in the rain†. Give reasons to support your answer. What do you think will happen to Sivasothie or the American girl. I like the ending of the â€Å"a question of dowry† because Sivasothie shouldn’t marry to such a materialistic man like Thirulchelvam even though she liked him so much. Thirulchelvam only wanted the dowry that had promised by Mr and Mrs Ramachandran which were a piece of land and gold necklace. If Sivasothie married with such man, she was definitely couldn’t own a blissful marriage.Sivasothie might be very sad when she knew that Thirulchelvam don’t want to marry with her. But, she should feel lucky that she could know the true face of Thirulchelvam before they get marry because he would not be the guy who can give a blissful marriage to her. Besides that, Sivasothie should strengthen her self-esteem and not be a subservient woman anymore. She should have the power to choose the guy that she really feels that are suitable for her until the rest of her life and not compliance with her parents’ choice.This is because her parents are too realistic and just care about the status of their future son-in-law. They had ignored the most important part which is the true heart of the man towards their daughter. Therefore, Sivasothie should broaden her circle of life to get know more of friends and increase her self-esteem as well as her communication skills. Indirectly, these might help her to voice out her opinion and not to be a subservient woman anymore. If she can improve herself, sure she will find a better man to marry to. (251 words)

Friday, November 8, 2019

How to Write an Impressive Follow Up Email After Your Interview

How to Write an Impressive Follow Up Email After Your Interview The job hunt has so many parts, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You need to decide what where you want your career to go, find jobs you might want, create a cover letter and resume, apply, and then hopefully get called in for an interview. Hooray! But then you have to prep for your interview, show up on time, charm the pants off the interviewer†¦ and then head home, collapse in a heap on the couch, and heave a sigh of relief, right? Not quite. Add one step in at the end there- a crucial one that will let future employers know you have the professionalism and class that would make them proud to have you as a member of their team. It goes back to what you learned when you were a toddler, and it’s still important: you have to say thank you!Thanking an interviewee for their time and consideration is polite and considerate, and lets them know you care enough about the job to follow up until the end of the process. Your follow up email or thank you note should be short, di rect, and filled with points here and there that drive home the fact you would be ideal for the job they’re offering.Check out the ideal thank you letter below from Lifehack, marked up to show you exactly why its so good and how it makes a solid final impression.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps By Maeve Maddox This sentence on a grammar site is intended to illustrate the use of the colon: It is time for the babys birthday party: a white cake, strawberry-marshmellow ice cream, and a bottle of champagne saved from another party. (Joan Didion) The use of the colon is fine, but a word is misspelled. I wouldn’t swear that Joan Didion is the one responsible for the misspelling. The error could have occurred during transcription. Nevertheless, a great many people do misspell the word for that puffy white thing: marshmallow. The confection got its name from a plant called a marshmallow. The roastable marshmallow was made originally from the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow plant. Note: I got the word mucilaginous from the OED definition for the plant. Doesn’t sound like something I’d want to eat. Nowadays marshmallows get their puffiness from gelatin. Here are some examples of other tricky words that may trip up otherwise competent spellers: 1. Wheelbarrow Incorrect: I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrel to add to the compost. Correct : I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrow to add to the compost. One meaning of barrow that has been in the language for a very long time is â€Å"a utensil for carrying a load.† A barrow with a wheel attached is a wheelbarrow. 2. Cemetery Incorrect: This is a beautiful cemetary to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Correct : This is a beautiful cemetery to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Incorrect: Ive always found old cemetaries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. Correct : Ive always found old cemeteries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. The trick to getting this word right is to remember that all three vowels are represented by the letter e. English cemetery comes via French from a Greek word that meant â€Å"a place to sleep,† like a dormitory. Early Christian writers were the first to make cemetery the usual word for a burial ground. 3. Dalmatian Incorrect: Slick - the two-year-old Dalmation mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Correct : Slick - the two-year-old Dalmatian mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Historically, Dalmatia was a region in the vicinity of Croatia. The Dalmatian dog traces its roots to that region. To get the spelling right, note the three a’s. 4. German shepherd Incorrect: For sale: pedigree german shephard puppies $500. Correct : For sale: pedigree German shepherd puppies $500. It seems to me that anyone selling puppies for $500 ought to be able to spell the name of the breed correctly. The AP Stylebook rule for capitalizing breed names is to capitalize only the part of the name that derives from a proper noun. One reason people may have trouble with spelling the common noun shepherd is that the word has produced family names with a variety of spellings, such as Shepard,  Sheppard,  Shephard  and  Shepperd. When spelling the name of the breed, the thing to remember is that the word shepherd is a combination of sheep + herd. A shepherd is a sheep herder. Think shep+herd. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Expanded and ExtendedA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

Sunday, November 3, 2019

People management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

People management - Essay Example This paper aims at identifying the reasons of general employee dissatisfaction reflecting in high turnover rate, poor service, and downfall in profitability, decline in repeat business and other signs of detoriation in sports complex. Methodology The first and foremost task as a line manager of this sports complex is to identify all the problems areas. An analysis of the reasons of these problems will help us in actually finding the solution. This can be done through various methods which include observation, questionnaires to find out what employees dislike about company policies by ensuring anonymity, conducting open meetings, building trust among employees by giving value to their suggestions, conducting exit interview from leaving employees to develop sound understanding of deficiencies in the system and the source of dissatisfaction. Findings All the problems of sports complex were actually deep rooted in employee dissatisfaction. Diminishing profits, declining sales, customer c omplaints, high turnover, decline in repeat business all this were the result of ineffective and inefficient human resource policy and practices. A major restructuring and revitalization of HR policy was required to meet the current challenges. The problems identified were Lack of communication No synergy in team work Highly de motivated employees Authoritative management style No effort regarding building human capital relationship Inflexible policies rather than contingency approach Analysis of the Problem and Recommendations A deep analysis of the situation and the problem revealed certain shortcomings in the HR policies and practices. I will discuss in detail all of them one by one what is lacking and deficient and how it can be improved by strengthening certain practices in sport complex. Effective Communication HRM should realize the importance of communication skills and the development of interpersonal skills between the management and workforce. What we observe here at spor ts complex is a certain lack of communication. A good Hr manager needs to build a rapport with his staff so that they can communicate openly with each other. However a good manager should notice and keep track of all verbal and non verbal communication. According to Albert Mehrabian nonverbal communication is a complex communication phenomena which very subtly convey the feelings such as body language, facial expressions, hand and arm gestures, postures, positions and various arms and feet movement all communicate along with the verbal words. Sometimes there is dichotomy between verbal and nonverbal communication which subtly convey the true feelings of the person. 1(Albert Mehrabian, 2009) A good manager is a reader of all sorts of communication and does not ignore any. A manager should possess good interpersonal skills so that environment is friendly, pleasant and receptive. What I recommend here is effective open communication where both managers and workforce can freely interact with each and can openly discuss whatever problems they are facing, instead of opting out of the job or rude behavior with customers which shows lack of interest on the part of the workforce. Effective communication and conflict management is the first step towards building trust among employees. 2(Michael Fielding, 2006) Successful Team

Friday, November 1, 2019

The main reasons why companies decide to internationalize their Essay

The main reasons why companies decide to internationalize their activities - Essay Example Porter (2011) identifies how paramount the risks are as they are associated with new entrants in a market when entry cost barriers are reduced or even when technological advancements make it easy for new entrants to replicate competitive products and infuse new competitive forces in the market. Growth in the competition after a business’ products are in the maturity stage along the product lifecycle and when markets are becoming saturated with emerging competition, it is no longer sustainable to maintain the presence in the domestic country. Instead of attempting to diversify the business’ product portfolio, which is not always achievable using existing resources and existing knowledge, firms will seek new foreign markets as an opportunity to build revenues and remove competitive risks. In this capacity, they can maintain the same operational costs associated with product manufacture and create a new demand with foreign consumers as a means of sustaining its profit marg in. Furthermore, sourcing and manufacturing are now becoming a more globalised function as industry-wide benchmarks and standards are being established (Cavusgil, Yeniyurt and Townsend 2004). This means that supply chain networks are becoming more homogenous on a global basis which makes it easier for competition in a certain industry to gain the same type of procurement advantages related to cost and distribution. As emerging markets establish the distribution networks and tangible infrastructures necessary to reach foreign markets, competitors are able to benchmark supply strategies and erode any competitive advantages once achieved by another competitor. Further, the ability of competition to achieve replicable value-added activities in procurement drives another competitor to seek new opportunities to regain competitive advantages. Internationalisation, as it is related to procurement strategies, provides new opportunities to innovate new product development.