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All About Glosses, or Brief Definitions

All About Glosses, or Brief Definitions All About Glosses, or Brief Definitions All About Glosses, or Brief Definitions By Mark Nichol One of my pet peeves as an editor (and editors are notoriously peevish, and we only become more so with experience) is the presentation of glosses. A gloss, in language, is a brief definition or explanation of an unfamiliar term or concept. (The previous sentence includes a gloss of the word gloss, though a fairly long one; they often consist of a single word, or several at most.) Two of the more familiar definitions of gloss as a noun can be described as â€Å"a concealment of truth† (virtually antonymic to the meaning under discussion here) and â€Å"an act of putting a positive spin on something,† which is related to the connotation of deceit; the sense of gloss as â€Å"explanation,† however, is more akin to the idea of providing a sheen with a clear view to what’s underneath, as in â€Å"lip gloss† or â€Å"high-gloss paint.† One problem with language glosses is that they invite the use of scare quotes, or gratuitous quotation marks that frame a word or phrase to provide emphasis. (That last phrase is a gloss of â€Å"scare quotes.† Also, understand that the quotes here, in turn, are not scare quotes but, rather, valid markers of a phrase I want to call out for attention, like a word italicized to emphasize that the word itself, not the thing, is under discussion.) Note the unnecessary use of scare quotes in the following sentence (formatted as single quotation marks because the sample sentence is framed in double quotes): â€Å"The trend of cross-border reproductive care, or ‘medical tourism,’ is popular in Europe.† But there’s another, equally egregious issue: The gloss precedes the term. In addition to omitting the scare quotes, introduce the term, then gloss it, not the other way around: â€Å"The trend of medical tourism, or cross-border reproductive care, is popular in Europe.† Scare quotes are extraneous when introducing slang, too. Look at this sentence: â€Å"I realized she was speaking Singaporean English, or ‘Singlish.’† The scare quotes are condescending, as if the writer is holding the reader’s hand, patting it, and saying, â€Å"There, there, dear. I’ll protect you from any scary words you haven’t seen before. See? There’s one up ahead right now.† And, again, why explain the term before the reader reads it? Let the reader dance on the precipice of danger for an instant: â€Å"I realized she was speaking Singlish, or Singaporean English.† Worse yet when glosses are concerned is the absence of appositive punctuation, as here: â€Å"They built the domed snow houses or igloos most people associate with Eskimos.† Never mind that igloos is not exactly an exotic term, and that the definition precedes it; the lack of internal punctuation implies that the object is â€Å"domed snow houses or (domed) igloos.† In fact, the object is â€Å"domed snow houses,† followed by the appositive term igloos. (An appositive is a term equivalent in meaning to another one, as in â€Å"the writer Melville† or â€Å"the country of Morocco† or â€Å"the runner-up, Smith.† Note that common appositives are set off from proper ones with commas only if they’re restrictive, or can apply only to a specific corresponding noun. There there’s another gloss right there.) Notice that the first two examples in this post correctly set the gloss off from the defined term with a brace of commas. The correct form of the third example follows: â€Å"They built the igloos, or domed snow houses, most people associate with Eskimos.† The bottom line: Put a shine on your glosses by placing them after the defined term and framing them within commas (or parentheses or em dashes, if either seems more appropriate). 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 Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a US Business Letter11 Writing Exercises to Inspire You and Strengthen Your Writing10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Extension of Time and Delay Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Extension of Time and Delay Analysis - Essay Example In the event of any extension of time, there are certain factors which have to be viewed before any claims for liquidated damages could be made. If no specific date for the completion of the project was set in the contract, it is known as â€Å"time at large†, and in such cases the Director of Budget and Fiscal Services specifies a realistic time period for the completion of the project in lieu of the current conditions. If dela i made, the contractor can argue against any charges as no deadline was set in the first place. If a specific date was set, then the obligations of the employer and the contractor have to be taken into account. It is the obligation of the employer to make a timely provision of any services and goods that have been specified in the express terms of the contract. If h fails and there is a delay, he is not eligible to make any deductions as liquidated damages. If the delay is due to any hindrance posed by the employer in the proper execution of the contra ct by the contractor, such as interruptions made by any sub-contractors hired directly by the employer, the employer loses his right for any liquidated damages. The obligations of a contractor are to finish the project within the deadline, with â€Å"efficiency and diligence†. This means that the contractor has to work continuously and in accordance with the approved plan towards the deadline. If he fails to do so, and there is a delay, the employer will be compensated through liquidated damages. ... If he fails to do so, and there is a delay, the employer will be compensated through liquidated damages. However, if the employer has been pressing for unrealistic acceleration, the contractor has a right to file a case against the employer on this ground, and the employer might lose his right toward the damages. If the contractor, due to any reason, refrains from exercising his right, he is denied any compensation and the employer will be eligible to carry out deduction for the damages. If the contract has a clause for extension of time, but it has been exhausted, or if there is no such clause in the contract, and further extension needs to be carried out, an approval by the Director of Budget and Fiscal Services is required before any such steps can be taken. However, it can only be done under certain conditions: the period of any further extensions can be no more than one hundred and eighty calendar days; the commanding officer of the contract assigned by the Director draws a written statement that any new contracts cannot be allocated at the time of the completion of the pertinent contract, due to reasons such as short- term need of the service, and limitation of the execution of the contract at he time of the completion of the current contract; there is an general consensus by all the concerned parties regarding the extension in time of the contract; and the price of the extended contract is the same as the original contract, or as changed in the contract before

Extend Definition of Secratary Job in Office Essay

Extend Definition of Secratary Job in Office - Essay Example Historically, the word ‘secretary’ has been derived from a Latin word ‘secernere’ which is a synonym for the English word ‘secret’ (Dictionary.com, 2011). Hence, one of the most important duties of a secretary involves handling and managing of classified or confidential information of the office. Who, among us all, can underestimate the role of the secretarial staff at Pentagon or White House! The responsibilities of a company secretary depend upon the size of the firm or company that appoints him/her, the activities undertaken by the company and the expectations of his/her employer(s). Other than that, the basic job of a secretary revolves around documentation, from typing to efficient file keeping and record tracking. Times and again, he/she is asked to record minutes of a meeting and prepare relevant supporting documents to reach to meeting conclusions / decisions. This way, he/she is expected to be both, a fine listener as well as a speedy w riter and typist (Lazary, 1988). The requirements for a secretarial post usually include a typing speed of 70 – 80 WPM (words per minute) and a legible handwriting. Along with that, secretaries are regularly asked to maintain filing systems in a perfectly arranged order. This is important so that the files can be found and accessed easily and quickly, at the time of need. A secretary must be aware of the basic rules filing systems, which include arrangement in accordance to alphabets, numbers, geographic location and subject. Secretaries are also responsible for attending and managing phone calls for their respective employers. During working hours, they are to answer all the calls and must have the clear understanding of which calls need to be dealt by them and which are to be forwarded immediately to their bosses (Lazary, 1988). They should also know what the person on the other side of the cradle will be calling about in case of regular and frequent callers, and must devel op a friendly relationship with them. This is important because they are representing the office on the online and any careless attitude expressed with the calling clients can serve as a blow to the office’s prestige. When it comes to mail reading, it is essential that the secretary is familiar with the standard forms required and used in the office (Macmichael, 2011). For example, if a person wishes to apply for the post of a legal secretary, he/she must have reasonable knowledge of bill, memo, affidavit, mortgage, lease, power of attorney etc. as he / she will not only be using them, but also held responsible for these different documents procurement and supply. Some other commonly assigned tasks include budget allocation, appointments scheduling, travelling arrangements, emails tracking, updating websites etc (Lazary, 1988). In a way, an efficient secretary’s job scope may range from compiling menu for a business lunch to managing corporate level conferencing betwee n business tycoons. The well-trained secretary is an extremely valuable employee to the company if he/she is able to accept the assigned tasks willingly and relieve his/her employer of many management liabilities. Blessed will be the boss whose secretary comes up with the required reference material for the document under discussion. A secretary also has to attend

Literature review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Literature review - Research Paper Example Accordingly, the managers and administrators of an organization are necessitated to acquaint themselves with the required competencies that are of extreme importance for the success of the organizations. This indicates that the respective managers and administrators of various organizations globally should acquaint themselves with the latest knowledge, managerial attitudes and skills and other forces for enabling the organizations to manage the changes and also at the same time stand out in this competitive market. Thus, for achieving successful results and remaining competitive in the modern dynamic world, the organizations focus on several organizational developmental (OD) practices. The OD practices are built on unique core values and philosophies that ultimately guide the organizations’ actions and behaviors. The practices are considered value-based principles and include the five most important values. The first value is that of inclusion and respect of the opinions and b eliefs of each and every individual for taking up decisions. Secondly, OD practices include collaboration that enhances the organizations’ cohesion with clientele in a comprehensive client system. The OD practices also accounts for authenticity and strive for congruence to enhance qualities of the clients. Self-awareness is another important OD practice influenced by the organizations which is aimed towards development of interpersonal skills along with self-awareness. Finally, the OD practice includes the aspect of empowerment that concentrates on helping every individual in the client organization with the objective of enhancing their empowerment and self-sufficiency that can transform the workplace into productive and satisfying working conditions (Sheldon, 2010). 2. Purpose/Problem Statement In the present paper, the role and the function of the OD practices in the successful performance of an organization will be invested with respect to various researches performed on t he current scope of the organizational development. It is hypothesized that the organizations that concentrate heavily on the OD practices are more likely to achieve success than the organizations that follow traditional trend and does not consider the current dynamic environmental nature. The action plan for examining the hypothesis will be broadly discussed in the methodology section of this research paper and the findings from various researches involved will be presented in the next section. This hypothesis has been specifically chosen for the present research because OD is believed to be focused on transfer of knowledge and skills to the organizations so that the organizations become more capable of managing the future anticipated development (Cummings, 2004). This statement of the nature of OD instigated the notion of examining the effectiveness of OD and this is presumed to be accomplished by reviewing the performance of those organizations which undertake the practices in OD . 3. Methodology The examination of the hypothesis will be undertaken through review of six important literatures based on researches conducted by researchers during the past. The six important literatures have been collected through the help of scholarly articles. These produce significant literatures with presentation of the respective literatures’

Current Purchasing Power Accounting Accounting Essay

Current Purchasing Power Accounting Accounting Essay Accounting theory is a set of basic assumptions, definitions, principles, and concepts surrounding the accounting rule. It includes the reporting of accounting and financial information to relevant or interested parties. There are several approaches that are used in the development of accounting theory. The two main ones are normative theory approach and the positive theory approach. Normative theory approach is a theory that is not based on observation. It is based on how things in the accounting process should be done. This approach comprises of different approaches to have a single but effective accounting approach (Khandelwal, Jain, 2008). This kind of approach uses a formula to come up with an income based on value, not costs. On the other hand, positive or descriptive theoretical approach to accounting theory is a set of theories that is concerned with what accountants actually do (Rosenfield, 2006). These theories rely on a process of inductive thinking, which involves making observations and drawing inferences from them. The main purpose of making observations is to identify certain similarities, identify the number of instances that the similarities are actually observed to deduce a certain degree of assurance necessary to set up a theory about all the similar instances (Ackert, Deaves, 2009). Each of these accounting theoretical approaches are applicable in any business today. However, it would be difficult to apply them together at the same time, since each of them has different objectives (Ackert, Deaves, 2009). It is therefore up to an accountant to decide what approach is most accurate or best suited for what situation. This calls for the right judgment of accountants to be able to make the right decision in every situation or challenge that a business entity is faced with. Normative Theory Approach There are several approaches covered in this approach. Each of these theories is best suited for a different situation (Belkaoui, 2004). Below are these different theories and various situations where each theory is best to be applied. Historical Cost Accounting This theory is applied in times when the costs or prices for things are on the rise (Murphy, 2008). The Historical cost accounting theory is based on the assumption that money holds a constant purchasing power. The main challenge with this theory is that it assumes that the monetary unit is fixed and constant over time. This theory is however based on three components. One is that there are specific levels in price levels, which may be characterized by technological factors and changes of consumer demands. Another component is that there is usually a general change in price levels, which is what is known as inflation (Murphy, 2008). The third component is fluctuation in the exchange rates for different currencies. Due to these three components, the book value of a business should show the current value of assets when preparing financial reports (Murphy, 2008). As stated earlier, historical cost accounting is used when a company is experiencing rising prices. Prices are expected to raise every now and then, and this may render the approach useless in most of these situations. Companies that make use of this approach are safe from overstating profits especially in times when prices are on the rise (Whittington, 2007). Distribution of profits in such situations can affect the purchasing power of a company. This kind of approach may not be viable to use since it affects the operating results of the current year as it includes gains asserted in previous periods of the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s existence. More to that, capital maintenance depends on maintaining an intact financial capital and purchasing power (Murphy, 2008). Using actual current values as they are presently in the market may give a certain measure of profits which should be well distributed to maintain a physical operating capital. Current Purchasing Power Accounting This theoretical approach is best suited in situations where accountants need to maintain capital and the purchasing power of a company. The Current purchasing power accounting theory was developed on the basis that if a company distributes its profits as is required by historical accounting, then the real value of a company has to be reduced (Murphy, 2008). This means that the company would have to distribute a certain amount of its capital. This approach applies indices and is hence easy and cheaper to apply when in such a situation (Rosenfield, 2006). This is because any adjustment that needs to be done is done at the end of a period, and on records made from historical cost accounting. Under this approach, non-monetary assets are termed as assets that monetary value may change overtime due to inflation. Such assets include the machinery in a factory. On the other hand, net-monetary assets are defined as monetary assets minus the monetary liabilities. With this theoretical approach, changes in the purchasing power of a company are not attributed to the non-monetary assets. The loss of purchasing power comes about as a result of holding net-monetary assets (Murphy, 2008). In general circumstances of price level accounting, non-monetary assets are listed to the current purchasing power and as thus, no profits or losses are recognized. This theoretical approach is not reliable when making decisions for the company. Current Cost Accounting This approach is best suited when trying to maintain the purchasing power of a company during times if inflation, or fluctuation of exchange rates of currencies, because it is based on actual valuations. This theoretical approach cuts a clear line between profits that are made after sales, and the gains that come with holding an asset, be it a net-monetary asset or a non-monetary asset (Murphy, 2008). Scholars have argued that a physical or real approach to maintaining capital yields the best results in any business entity, especially in terms of income. This approach values as asset on the basis of replacement costs (Murphy, 2008). Operating income of the asset is valued as realized revenue, minus the replacement costs of that particular asset. This approach of calculating replacement costs is best for calculating operating profit. This makes it possible to maintain the operation capacity of the business at a constant level. The current cost operating profits before absorbing gains and losses, and the realized gains of holding an asset are both counted as revenues, and thus the sum of the two equates to historical cost profit (Rosenfield, 2006). Gains of holding an asset are different from gains after making sales (Porwal, 2001). This is because are the two are dependent on differing factors in the market, most of which are beyond the control of the management in a business. There is an uncertainty surrounding the prevalence of replacement costs though. Current cost accounting is founded on two business concepts; current operating profit and realizable cost savings. Current operating profit is defined as the excess of the present value of the output sold, over the cost of related inputs. Realizable cost savings, also termed as the holding gains or losses, are the increase of the present cost of assets that the company is holding in a given period. Holding gains or losses of an asset can be realized or unrealized. For example, the holding gain of an excess in revaluation in unrealized, but is still considered as part of the business profit in the income statement (Whittington, 2007). In the event that there are two companies that were started at different times, the company that was started earlier will have a larger operating profit. This is because it has less depreciation costs. Any one would think that this company has a more efficient system of running its operations in the current years than other companies that were started later. The actual case is that the management made a wise decision when starting the company. The fact that they bought their assets back in time is a contributing factor. This is a good illustration of the concept of realizable cost savings. Exit Price Accounting This approach argues that assets should be valued as per their exit or market prices, non-marketable reproducible assets at replacement costs, and seasonal no marketable, non-reproducible assets be valued at the original cost (Rosenfield, 2006). The theory also argues that financial statements should be structured in a way to show how much a company is able to adapt to different situations and environments, and that income should be inclusive of all profits and losses, those that have been realized and those that have not been unrealized. This approach is suitable especially when the management has to make decisions about the future of a company. The fact that it gives a straight on focus on the adaptability of a company, makes it stand out of other theories (Whittington, 2007). The adaptability of a business entity is based on how liquid or sellable its assets are. This kind of approach would come in handy at a time when a company is considering to sell some of its assets to counteract inflations in the market. Positive Theories Approach As defined earlier, positive theories are used to explain and predict a phenomenon after making observations (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). Positive theories are based on the assumption that if one makes a series of observations on a behavior, they are able to develop a certain patter which they use to make conclusions and predictions. Examples of positive theories include the stakeholder theory and the legitimacy theory (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). PAT is mainly involved with relationships between people or entities that provide resources to a business organization (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). For instance, the relationship between the management of an organization and its owners. The main elements of most of the relationships according to this theory involve the delegation of decision making from one party (possibly the owners or management who act as the principle) and the agent (second party). If the principle makes wrong decisions, then the two parties are likely to suffer losses, and increased costs due to inefficiency. Such expenses are known as agency costs. The Positive Accounting theory seeks to find a way to reduce agency costs by use of contractual arrangements. It is thus based on the assumption that stakeholders will act in favor of their own interests, and will therefore grab any opportunity available to increase their wealth (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). With this assumption, morality and loyalty are definitely not characteristics of this theory (Ketz, 2006). The positive accounting theory states an organization is usually a collection of people who have individual self-interests, but are willing to cooperate to achieve collective goals, while at the same time, working on their personal goals (Alexander, Brittan, Joseen, 2007). One prediction of the PAT is that organizations will execute measures that align the interests of the whole organization to self-interests. Most of these measures are based on the output of the accounting system, where the stakeholders get to share the excesses of the organization. Such mechanisms need to be backed up by financial statements. According to PAT, managers should commit themselves to preparing the financial statements (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). This is an expensive activity and the costs incurred are known as bonding costs. Bonding costs can therefore be defines as costs incurred to relevant authorities or agents when establishing means to communicate to the principals, so that they may act in a way that will not affect goals of the organization or the individuals involved. Being part of the stakeholders, the management officials too, have their own self-interests. Based on this assumption, PAT states that the financial statements that are prepared by the management should be audited (Alexander, Brittan, Joseen, 2007). This would help avoid possibilities of the agents to act or manipulate figures in the financial statements to suit their interests. On this note, PAT assumes that not all opportunistic actions can be controlled by contractual arrangements such as the auditing exercise, therefore, there will always be residual costs. Costs incurred during the auditing exercise are known as monitoring costs. Decisions or investigations that are based on the Positive accounting theory adopt an efficiency perspective or an opportunistic perspective. The efficiency perspective seeks to find mechanisms that can be executed so as to reduce agency costs (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). A good example of this is that when companies produce financial statements that have been audited, they reduce real costs since there are no hidden figures that are not well accounted for. The audited financial statement therefore serves as an efficient perspective, and thus the organization can be termed as efficient (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). Still from the efficiency perspective, accounting practices of an organization should reflect the underlying financial performance of the organization. Organizations adopt different accounting methods, which can be explained by various organizational characteristics. A good example of this is goodwill. If a company is able to provide reliable information about its performance, potential investors will not need to go out looking for more information from other sources. This saves time and reduces costs (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, 2011). A company will pick an accounting method that will best show its underlying performance. This means that placing certain limitations or regulations on how companies prepare their financial statements can lead to a company incurring more costs than necessary, and probably not achieve their goal. Based on this, this theory recommends that companies should be allowed to prepare their financial statements in a way that best suits their operations, and that will show their underlying performances well (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). As for the opportunistic perspective, PAT seeks to explain and predict opportunistic behavior likely to happen after getting into a contractual agreement. For example, when trying to minimize agency costs, the management of a given organization can negotiate a contractual arrangement to increase their bonuses on profits made. This would align the interests of the managers with those of the owners of the business entity. With the agreement in place, the management can then find other mechanisms to ensure that more profits are generated (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). The more profits are made, the better the bonus that both the management and the owners will enjoy. These mechanisms that the management adopts may not be reflected on the set up of the organization or its assets. The opportunistic perspective assumes that owners of an organization predict that managers will at some point act opportunistic (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). The principles are therefore likely to set what accounting methods should be used. For instance, a bonus plan agreement may have a stipulation that a depreciation method be used to calculate income inform of bonuses. The management may find it a bit costly to stick to the stipulated plan, and may seek an alternative method. Following such a possibility, PAT states that agents will always have an upper hand in deciding what accounting method to use. Conclusion The above theories are applicable in different situations. According to the analysis put above, the two theories address different issues, and thus, it would yield contradicting results to combine them. For instance, normative theories are best applied when a company is faced with various externalities like fluctuations of currencies and inflation of prices. These affect the purchasing power of a company and thus, the theories come in handy to help the management to make decisions on how to survive such challenges. As for the positive theories to accounting theory, these come in handy when dealing with issues that affect the relationship between the major stakeholders of any business; the owners and the management. The two parties may have contradicting interests, and the positive theories come in handy best in such situations.

Cambodia - The Rise of the Khmer Rouge and the Genocide (1976-1978) Ess

During the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia was turned into a giant labor camp creating a system of terror, genocide, and attempted cultural annihilation-a series of drastic events that the country is still recovering from. The years contained within this regime were devastating for the nation of Cambodia, with the establishment of the Khmer Rouge, a left-wing Communist political party whose actions have had an overwhelmingly detrimental effect on the political, economic and social structure of Cambodia-ruining the lives of millions. As a strong communist organization with aims for Cambodia that would leave the country in dire need of help, the Khmer Rouge defectively impacted the easy-going life Cambodians knew. With much determination, the Khmer Rouge was an insurgent movement of varying ideological backgrounds developed against the Lon Nol regime in 1960 (Rowat 2006). It began as a left-wing organization made up of a small group of French educated communists, but soon grew to become Cambodia?s leading and most influential political party. Following the establishment of the party, the Khmer Rouge?s revolutionary army grew rapidly, aiming to consolidate its control taking over most of the country (Dennis 1988). Their leader Pol Pot was an admirer of Maoist communism, which is where the group?s strong communist ideas originated. Pol Pot?s ideologies for the future of Cambodia were truly corrupted and powerfully triggered the downfall of the nation of Cambodia (Peace Pledge Union 2007). Pol Pot wanted to wipe out all traces of the old Cambodia and start a new society, one that was strictly ordered and structured by a series of rules. With the Khmer Rouge becoming even more powerful in the very late 1960s, US bombers interfered to st... ... 30 000 Vietnamese. In December of 1977, the Khmer Rouge broke off diplomatic relations with Vietnam, who retaliated with an attack 30 km into Cambodia in 1978 (Sutherland 1990, p. 158). Upon occupation, the Vietnamese were welcomed at first by the Cambodians as their saviours from the Khmer Rouge extremists (Sutherland 1990, p. 161). During the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia was turned into a giant labour camp creating a system of terror, genocide, and attempted cultural annihilation, a series of drastic events that the country is still recovering from. The years contained within this regime were devastating for the nation of Cambodia, with the establishment of the Khmer Rouge, a left-wing Communist political party whose actions have had an overwhelmingly detrimental effect on the political, economic and social structure of Cambodia, ruining the lives of millions.

Safeguarding And Protection Of Vulnerab

To protect somebody is to keep them safe from harm and injury and the term safeguarding means to protect from harm or damage with appropriate measures. As a person's mental capacity is relevant with regards to safeguarding, as a worker, you have to accept that an adult is making choices that to you may be unwise, but If they are deemed to have mental capacity, there is very little you can do apart from advise them of this. As adult safeguarding is not â€Å"clear cut† you have to ensure that you do not think the decisions they are making are unwise because you yourself wouldn't do it.The majority of our client group are vulnerable, and if we look at the adults that e work with that misuse substances, this can be a grey area with regards to safeguarding. Obviously if an adult chooses to use a substance, that is their decision, however, substances impair your mind and your Judgment, so if something happens to them whilst they are under the Influence, this should be a safeguardin g matter and should be dealt with accordingly.By protecting somebody this could imply that others are making a decision for an adult rather than with them, but the current safeguarding legislation in place accepts that individuals have the right to take risks o long as they have capacity and understand the implication or consequences. An example of this would be a client who we are currently working with who is a dependent alcoholic with cataracts in both eyes so he has virtually no sight. This man Is extremely vulnerable to theft and people taking advantage of him.The work that we do to protect him wealth the home Is practical things Like removing trip hazards, putting things back exactly where they are in the flat and guiding him when we take him out shopping. This man became the subject of safeguarding when somebody knocked his door claiming to be a council official and demanded that he ay all of his Council tax arrears. Secondly, one of his â€Å"friends† used to do his s hopping for him but this has resulted in money going missing from his bank account. This gentleman does have mental capacity although this has to be questioned if he has decided to drinks whole bottle of vodka.Although it is not good for him, it is his decision to drink alcohol and that has to be respected. We can advise him of the risks to his health and how this could put him in vulnerable situations. We can protect him from his friend having access to this bank account by owing shopping for him, however, If he refuses this request, we can only make him aware that money may well go missing again. We all have a duty of care towards our Child Protection, different social care teams can have very different views/opinions on what is a safeguarding matter. . 3 Explain the legislative framework for safeguarding vulnerable adults There are many Acts and Government initiatives in place with regards to vulnerable adults safeguarding. Human Rights Act (1998) – This Act is a benchmark upon which services can assess how they uphold an individuals rights. Public bodies such as Police, Courts, hospitals etc, and other bodies carrying out public functions have to comply with the Convention rights. The list below details the fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals have access to.Everyone has a right to life, a life with freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. A right to liberty and security, freedom from slavery and forced labor. The right too fair trial with no punishment without law. Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence. Freedom of thought, belief and religion and freedom of expression. Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedom. Freedom of expression and the right to marry and start a family. The right to peaceful enjoyment of your property and the right to education.Care Standards Act (2000) – this led onto National Minimum Standards and means of measuring care service qualit y. This act has established an independent regulatory body for care services, (the National Care Standards Commission). Independent Councils are required to register Social Care Workers, set standards in social care work and regulate the education and training of Social Workers. It provides for the Secretary of State to maintain a list of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults.The main purpose of the Act is that local authorities will be required to meet the same standards as independent sector providers. The Act made for the provision of a General Social Care Council whose role it is are to regulate the training of Social Workers, raise standards in social care through codes and conduct and practice with a register of social care staff to be set up and maintained by the council. Care providers who supply individuals to work in care sections will be under a duty to refer people to the list who are considered unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults .Care providers have to carry out checks of the list before offering employment in a care position working with vulnerable adults and should refuse employment to any person. No Secrets (2000) – This guidance was produced due to serious incidents of abuse and to also ensure compliance with the Human Rights Act. Although No Secrets is not legislation it holds the status of statutory guidance and local social services should follow this. The key statements in relation to No Secrets are; Every person has he right to live a life free from abuse, exploitation and neglect.There should be no discrimination regarding abuse because of assumptions about class, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or culture. Adults at risk of abuse must be made aware of their rights and given information, advice and support. They should be enabled and encouraged to access the protection of the law and legal processes where they wish to do so. Every effort must be made to promote t he well being, security and safety of adults at risk of abuse in line with their rights, mental capacity n the course of action to take whilst being given all possible forms of support.An adult may choose to remain in an abusive environment, and, in such cases it is important to consider what advice and support can be offered to reduce the risk of harm. Effective inter agency working is crucial for the safeguarding of adults from abuse. Effective information sharing, collaborations and understanding between agencies and professions are paramount in safeguarding adults. No single agency can act in isolation to ensure the welfare and protection of adults at risk of abuse and information and decision making must be shared.Valuing People (2001) – This is specifically related to those with learning disabilities and has been written from a human rights perspective and also started the personalization agenda. It includes the several key rights; People with learning disabilities and their families have the same human rights as everyone else. Independent Living – All disabled people should have greater choice and control over the support they need to go about their daily life. They should have greater access to housing, education, employment, leisure and transport and be giving the opportunity to participate fully in family and community life.Control – People with disabilities are to be involved and in control of decisions made about their life. They are to be provided with the information and support to understand the different options and consequences so that they can make informed decisions. Inclusion – Being able to participate in all the aspects of community. To work, learn and meet people. To become part of a social network and be able to access services and have the support to do so. Safeguarding Adults (2005) – The aim of this was to change the concept of protection and was geared towards those who lacked capacity.This is wher e the concept of upgrading emerged with individuals taking informed risks and exercising choices rather than authorities taking the lead. Safeguarding Adults (2005) is made up of eleven sets of good practice standards. Each local authority has established a multi agency partnership to lead in safeguarding adults work. Accountability for and ownership of safeguarding adults work is to be recognized by each partner's organizations body. The safeguarding policy includes a clear statement of every individual's right to live free from abuse and neglect, this message is to be actively promoted to the public.Each partner agency should have a policy of zero tolerance of abuse within the organization. The safeguarding adults partnership oversees a multi agency workforce that is appropriately resourced with a development and training strategy. Anybody can access information about how to gain safety from abuse and violence to include information about local safe guarding procedures. There is a local multi agency safeguarding adults policy describing how local authorities respond to all adults who may be eligible for community care services and who may be at risk of abuse of neglect.Each partner agency has a set of internal guidelines that are insistent with the local authority safe guarding adults policy. The guidelines set out the responsibilities of all employees/workers. The safeguarding adults procedures include the following stages – alert, referral, decision, safeguarding assessment monitoring. The safeguarding procedures are available to all adults covered by the policy. The partnership agency includes service users in all aspects of their work.To include monitoring, development, implementation of safeguarding plans and assessment. Mental Capacity Act (2005) – This Act is aimed to protect vulnerable adults who are enable to make their own decisions and it has 5 key principles. Presumption of capacity – every adult has the right to make his or her own decisions and must be assumed to have capacity to do so unless it is proved otherwise. You cannot assume that somebody cannot make a decision for themselves Just because they have a particular medical condition or disability.Individuals being supported to make their own decisions – A person must be given all practicable help before anyone treats them as not being able to make their own decisions. You should make every effort to encourage and support people to make their own decisions. If lack of capacity is established, you should still involve the person as much as possible in making decisions. Unwise decisions – People have the right to make unwise decisions that others may think are unwise or eccentric. You cannot assume a lack of capacity for this reason.People have their own values, beliefs and preferences which may not be the same as others. Best interests – anything done for or on behalf of a person who lacks mental capacity must be done in their best interests. Less restrictive option – Someone acting on behalf of a person or making a decision for a person who lacks opacity must consider whether it is possible to act in a way that would interfere less with the person's rights and freedoms of action and whether any decision/action needs to be taken at all.Any intervention should be weighed up in the particular circumstances of the case. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (2006) – This saw the introduction of the vetting/ barring system and the introduction of the offence fraud by abuse of position. It has the following three key principles. Unsuitable persons should be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. Employers should have a means of heckling that a person is not barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.Suitability checks should be part of an ongoing assessment in order to catch those who commit wrongs following a suitability check. Fraud Act (2006) – This included a new offence of fraud by abuse of position. This included the misuse of money by those appointed to manage money, for example power of attorney or a position that an agency was expected to safeguard and not to act against the financial interests of another person, or people that have abused their position. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2008) – This is part of the legal framework that is et out in the Mental Capacity Act.Those unable to consent to treatment due too mental impairment should be supported in a way that does not limit their rights. It was introduced to protect the human rights of people who were in certain settings does not apply to people who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. Deprivation of Liberty should ensure that people can be given the care they need in the least restrictive regimes, prevents decisions that deprive vulnerable people of their liberty and allows people the right to challenge against an unlawful detention.Health and Social C are Act (2008), (Regulated Activities), Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 – This led to the creation of the Care Quality Commission to regulate services using the essential standards of quality and safety, with the emphasis on outcomes and what can be expected from care providers. The regulations in relation to safeguarding are; Respecting and involving people who use services. Consent to care and treatment and a client can be confident that their human rights are respected and taken into account.Care and welfare of people that use services – roper steps must be taken to ensure that each client is protected against the risks of receiving care or treatment that is inappropriate or unsafe. Safeguarding people who use services from abuse – suitable arrangements should be made to ensure that clients are safeguarded against the risk of abuse by taking reasonable stops to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it b efore it occurs and respond appropriately to any allegations of abuse.Cleanliness and infection control – measure must be taken so far as reasonable practicable to ensure that clients and workers are protected against identifiable risks of infection. Management of medicines – clients are to be protected against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines. Appropriate arrangements are to be made for obtaining, recording, handling, using, safe keeping, dispensing, safe administration and disposal of medicines.Safety and suitability of premises – We must ensure that clients and workers that have access to premises are protected in that the design and layout is suitable and appropriate security measures have been taken. Safety, availability and suitability of equipment – Suitable arrangements must be made to rote clients and workers who may be at risk from the use of unsafe equipment. Equipment must be properly maintained and suitable for its purpose and must be used correctly.Requirements relating to workers – Companies to ensure that the person is of good character and has the relevant skills and experience to do the work and to ensure that the necessary checks, (DB'S), have been carried out. Supporting Workers – Workers should be supported by their Managers to ensure that they are appropriately supported in relation to their responsibilities to ensure they do their job to the required standard.Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision – this should be regularly reviewed and clients should benefit from safe quality care, treatment and support in relation to decision making and the management of risks to their health, welfare and safety. Notification of other incidents – the commission must be notified of any incidents which occur whilst services are being provided. In relation to safeguarding this is any abuse or allegation of abuse that has been made or any incident which is reported to, or investigated by, the police. Reemerging from vulnerable adult to adult at risk. The Government are due to consider the recommendations with a view to introducing legislation. The recommendations are as follows; Local social services have the lead in co ordination responsibility for safeguarding. Local authorities have a duty to investigate adult protection cases And can either do this themselves or refer the investigation to another agency but this must be monitored by them. The local authorities would have the power to request co operation in adult protection investigations.An adult at risk can be defined as a person who appears to have health or social care needs, the person must appear to e at risk of harm rather than significant harm, the person appears unable to safeguard themselves from harm due to their health and social care needs. Harm is defined as ill treatment, (to include exploitation that is not physical), the impairment of health and developm ent, self harm and neglect and unlawful conduct that affects a persons property, rights or interests. Local authorities should have the lead role in establishing and maintaining safeguarding boards.The local authority, NASH and Police would be required to nominate a safeguarding board member that has the appropriate knowledge and skills. New compulsory and emergency powers should be set out for local authorities and adult protection cases, for example, power of entry or exclusion orders. Statement of Government Principles on adult safeguarding (2011) – local multi agencies should support and encourage communities to find their solutions locally. Guidance is given on how principles can be turned into outcomes.The six principles are; Empowerment – presumption of person led decisions and informed consent. Protection -support and representation for those in greatest need. Prevention – it is better to take action before harm occurs. Proportionality – proportio nate and least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented. Partnership – Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse. Accountability – Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. 1. Explain the protocols and referral procedures when harm or abuse is alleged or suspected Within Sad/Alpha we have a Vulnerable Adult safeguarding lead. When a worker has concerns or a client has alleged abuse/harm, the first point of contact would be to discuss this with their Manager, (this should be no later than the end of he day that the allegation was made or the incident happened). If the client had made an allegation, whilst the worker was with them, they would make a factual note of what has been discussed, this would include name, date, details of allegation made and the worker's response.It is important that the client feels trusted and that no le ading questions are asked. The worker should then advise the client that they will be discussing this with their Line Manager as they have a duty of care towards them. Depending on the situation that has occurred, the worker would need to ensure that the adult at risk is made safe and if required has received medical occurred with a view to discussing whether the Police should be informed of this. If a worker has concerns about a client but an allegation hasn't been made, the worker is advised to speak to their Line Manager regarding this.As soon as realistically possible file notes should be done and together, the Manager, the Vulnerable Adult safeguarding lead and the worker will agree on the next course of action that needs to be taken. It is at this point it is important to remember that if the Manager and the worker do not agree on the next course of action then they are able to go to Senior Management level to discuss this further. . Sad/Alpha is a non statutory agency so, if we do have a concern regarding abuse, we would refer this onto the statutory agency that is working with the client.We would contact them as soon as realistically possible and follow this up with a written file note. If there is no statutory agency involvement, we would contact the Adult Social Services Locality Team to advise them of our concerns. This will usually mean speaking to the Duty Officer for the team. We would then follow this up with a written file note and send this across to the Duty Officer. Sometimes the Locality Team will check on their system, and, if there has been statutory agency involvement we were unaware of, they would request that we refer the matter to the relevant agency involved.Sometimes when a statutory agency, (for example SCHISM), have advised that they will be taking no further action and we disagree with this, we would then go back to the relevant Locality Team. They may well agree with the decision that has been made, and, if this is the case we w ould Just file note it accordingly. If however, they decide that action does need to be taken, it is the role of the Locality am to lead on this with the statutory agency. Internally, the seriousness of the incident will need to be assessed by the Manager and the Vulnerable Adult lead.If the incident is considered to be minor, we would complete a sudden untoward incident form and still advise the lead statutory agency Within Alpha is it my responsibility to ensure that all staff have been trained in Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding and that they are all aware of the reporting procedures/paperwork that needs to be completed. All workers know that any concerns have to be reported directly to myself, and, if I am absent, be reported to my Manager. The workers know that they are responsible for informing me as soon as possible and following this up with a written file note.They are aware that this type of information can be shared and that client confidentiality can be broken in this insta nce. Everything to do with the concerns raised or allegations made is documented in a file note and locked away in a secure filing cabinet. It is my responsibility to ensure that everything has been documented and stored. Safeguarding and the prevention of abuse As mentioned above, Sad/Alpha have a Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Lead that I will liaise with if a safeguarding concern as been brought to my attention.It is mandatory for all staff to attend Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding training. Sad/Alpha have written their own company policies in relation to safeguarding. The safeguarding policy itself defines an adult at risk of harm, lists the types of physical/mental abuse or harm that can occur and the reporting procedure that should be followed if an allegation is made or if they have any concerns, (as outlined above). All staff who have read the policy will be aware of who they need to report to in the first instance and the importance of writing down and recording factual file notes.These policies have been written in line with the No Secrets Act (2000), The Mental Capacity Act (2005), Human Rights Act (1998) and Safeguarding Adults (2005). The other policy that needs to be read and understood in connection with safeguarding is the Sad/Alpha Weightlessness policy. This policy firstly reassures a staff member that they can make a disclosure within a positive and supportive environment and that there will be no reprisals from bringing a matter to their Manager's attention. The reporting procedure is outlined in the policy, and if the member of staff has a concern about a colleague, they will report directly to their LineManager. If, however, the concern is in relation to their Line Manager, they will report the matter to Senior Management level to be investigated. All staff are aware that they have a duty of care towards clients, their colleagues and themselves. I do believe that risk assessments that are regularly reviewed are extremely important to try an d prevent abuse occurring. Alpha risk assessments covers areas such as historical risk, risk to self, risk to others, risk from others and environmental risks. When we assess a client we will complete a risk assessment form and the client will be marked for overall risk.We can then discuss with the relevant worker/professional how to minimize risk, for example, one of our clients has historically made an allegation of sexual assault against a male worker from another agency. This client is currently being seen in pairs and the two workers are female. Risk assessments will only be successful if they are reviewed regularly as a matter of course. Communication is also very important, not Just between other agencies, but within the team. All staff members must know who to report concerns to and what to do. If a Manager is made aware of a possible concern/risk, this must be passed onto the rocker and vice versa.All complaints must be investigated, (no matter how small or minor they appea r to be), they must be documented correctly and the necessary action must be taken if required. Within Alpha we always encourage staff to try and view a complaint as a positive thing rather than a criticism. By reviewing and investigating complaints, our Care plans are also important in relation to safeguarding and these will also only be successful if they are reviewed on a regular basis and are communicated clearly to all staff that are working with the client.For example, we are currently working with a an who has poor eyesight and is unable to use the cash point unsupervised. Unbeknown to him, his friends have been withdrawing money from his account. His care plan has now changed in the respect that we have temporary power of attorney of his money and make all cash withdrawals at the bank for him keeping an accurate record of all money that has been spent. Sad/Alpha also have a responsibility to follow up on any references when people apply for a Job and to ensure that workers a re not working with a client unsupervised until they have had a satisfactory DB'S check.Regular training and supporting staff on a regular basis is also key. 4. Recommend proposals for improvements in systems and procedures in own service setting Within Alpha, I believe that we are very good at communicating with each other and as a team. I would however like to improve this by coming up with regular training sessions/staff meetings where we can all get together and share our thoughts and ideas and that staff and Managers can be updated on what is happening with regards to all clients to include risks and safeguarding.I like to hold supervision regularly, and as part of supervision, we discuss the clients that the worker is currently seeing, we review their care plan and make any required changes. This would also be a good time to update risk assessments, but all staff are aware that anything in relation to risk should be brought to my attention as soon as possible and that they sho uld not wait for a supervision.I do receive daily feedback from staff in relation to their visits. However, I would like to be more â€Å"hands off' with regards to client work and be able to spend my time working with staff on their visits and also visiting clients to perform an audit of our services and this would include risk. The audit could then be shared with the worker who would know that they loud need to action any of the relevant points and feedback to me when this had been completed.I think this would be of benefit to the client and to the worker who would be mindful that regular audits were going to occur which, in turn, would make them more aware that policies and procedures do need to be adhered to and it reinforces our duty of care. I think that our policies and procedures as a company are fairly robust, however, these may be subject to change in the near future if adult safeguarding becomes statutory along the same lines as child protection. I have now adopted a sys tem, that should there be a change in risk, a new risk assessment form is completed.I would however like to visit the clients on a quarterly basis at least to re evaluate risk regardless of whether their circumstances have changed or not. Although our team has a case load of regular clients, I believe that it is important that they are occasionally seen by somebody else who is not so used to them. It is very easy to become blinkered to risk/harm and a new set of eyes can be very important when reviewing this. I would like to implement a regular shuffle around within the unit/AC Learner signature: Assessor signature: Date:

Celebrities Who Speak Spanish as a Second Language

Celebrities Who Speak Spanish as a Second Language If youre learning Spanish, youre in the company of celebrities. Although there are plenty of famous folks who grew up with Spanish as a first language and have crossed over into English-language celebrityhood, there are some celebs who had to learn Spanish like the rest of us. Here are some you may recognize, although not all of them claim to be fluent: Actors Ben Affleck and his younger brother Casey Affleck learned Spanish while living in Mexico and during film stints in that country. Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) traveled extensively during her adult life. According to her official website, Angelou voraciously read and studied and was able to master French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Fanti (a language of western Africa). Baseball manager Dusty Baker speaks Spanish fluently. According to SportingNews, he learned the language in high school classes because his mother made him. Early in his baseball career, I was the only (American) guy on the team talking to the pretty little girls, he told SportingNews. Im 19 years old. I didnt have any clue how beneficial it was going to be later on in my life. Among those his language abilities inspired was first baseman Joey Votto, who said in a 2012 interview that he studies Spanish daily and even hired a tutor so he could communicate better with Latin American players. Having grown up in Canada, he also speaks French. Soccer superstar David Beckham learned Spanish while playing for Real Madrid. Italian actress Monica Bellucci has appeared in at least one Spanish-language movie, 1998s A los que aman. (IMDb) German-born Pope Benedict XVI, who like many of his predecessors was  multilingual, routinely addressed Spanish-speaking audiences in their native tongue. Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has recorded a few of his songs in Spanish, including Cama de rosas (Bed of Roses). (Bonjovi.com) Actress Kate Bosworth speaks Spanish fluently. (IMDb biography) When he was president of the U.S., George W. Bush would occasionally answer questions in Spanish from news reporters. He appeared to understand the spoken language much better than he could speak it. His brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, however, speaks Spanish quite well. When he was president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, who studied Spanish at the U.S. Naval Academy, would often speak Spanish at conferences in Latin American countries. But in situations where the nuances of words mattered, he insisted on the use of professional translators. (2012 interview with the Council of Foreign Relations.) Although he married an Argentine woman, actor Matt Damon spoke Spanish long before he met her. He said in a 2012 interview with The Guardian that he studied Spanish through immersion in Mexico as a teenager and later backpacked throughout Mexico and Guatemala. American actor Danny DeVito, who voiced the title role in the 2012 animated film The Lorax, also provided the voice for the Spanish and Latin American versions. (ABC.es) Young actress Dakota Fanning had a Spanish-speaking role in the 2004 film Man on Fire. (IMDb) Although he didnt speak Spanish before signing on, actor and comedian Will Ferrell starred in the 2012 Spanish-language film Casa de mi padre. Australian movie heartthrob Chris Hemsworth has picked up a smattering of Spanish from his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky.   British actor Tom Hiddleston is known for his his attempts at speaking native languages when talking to his foreign fans, and he has been known to speak French, Spanish, Greek, and Italian along with bits of Korean and Chinese, among others. (Bustle.com) Actor Matthew McConaughey picked up Spanish while growing up in Uvalde, Texas, which has a large Spanish-speaking population. (Perezhilton.com) American actress Gwyneth Paltrow spent the summer of her sophomore year in high school as a foreign exchange student in Talavera de la Reina, Spain. She continues to regularly visit the town and her host family. (People) Rocker David Lee Roth recorded a Spanish version of his 1986 album  Eat Em and Smile, calling it Sonrisa Salvaje (meaning Wild Smile). Actor Will Smith spoke a limited amount of Spanish during a 2009 interview on the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. At one point he exclaimed,  ¡Necesito ms palabras! (I need more words!) (YouTube) Actor and singer David Soul learned Spanish while attending college in Mexico City. He also can speak German.

Mahdist War and the Siege of Khartoum

Mahdist War and the Siege of Khartoum Siege of Khartoum - Conflict Dates: The Siege of Khartoum lasted from March 13, 1884 to January 26, 1885, and took place during the Mahdist War (1881-1899). Armies Commanders British Egyptians Major General Charles Gordon7,000 men, 9 gunboats Mahdists Muhammad Ahmadapprox. 50,000 men Siege of Khartoum - Background: In the wake of 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, British troops remained in Egypt to protect British interests. Though occupying the country, they allowed the Khedive to continue overseeing domestic affairs. This included dealing with the Mahdist Revolt which had commenced in Sudan. Though technically under Egyptian rule, large parts of Sudan had fallen to Mahdist forces led by Muhammad Ahmad. Considering himself the Mahdi (the redeemer of Islam), Ahmad defeated Egyptian forces at El Obeid in November 1883 and overran Kordofan and Darfur. This defeat and the deteriorating situation led to Sudan being discussed in Parliament. Assessing the problem and wishing to avoid the cost of intervention, Prime Minister William Gladstone and his cabinet were unwilling to commit forces to the conflict. As a result, their representative in Cairo, Sir Evelyn Baring, directed the Khedive to order the garrisons in Sudan to evacuate back into Egypt. To oversee this operation, London requested that Major General Charles Chinese Gordon be placed in command. A veteran officer and former governor-general of Sudan, Gordon was familiar with the region and its peoples. Leaving in early 1884, he was also tasked with reporting on the best means for extracting the Egyptians from the conflict. Arriving in Cairo, he was re-appointed Governor-General of Sudan with full executive powers. Sailing up the Nile, he arrived at Khartoum on February 18. Directing his limited forces against the advancing Mahdists, Gordon began evacuating women and children north to Egypt. Siege of Khartoum - Gordon Digs In: Though London desired to abandon Sudan, Gordon firmly believed the Mahdists needed to be defeated or they could overrun Egypt. Citing a lack of boats and transport, he ignored his orders to evacuate and began organizing a defense of Khartoum. In an effort to win over the citys residents, he improved the justice system and remitted taxes. Recognizing that Khartoums economy rested on the slave trade, he re-legalized slavery despite the fact that he had originally abolished it during his earlier term as governor-general. While unpopular at home, this move increased Gordons support in the city. As he moved forward, he began requesting reinforcements to defend the city. An initial request for a regiment of Turkish troops was denied as was a later call for a force of Indian Muslims. Increasingly agitated by Gladstones lack of support, Gordon began sending a series of angry telegrams to London. These soon became public and led to a vote of no confidence against Gladstones government. Though he survived, Gladstone steadfastly refused to become committed to a war in Sudan. Left on his own, Gordon began enhancing Khartoums defenses. Protected to the north and west by the White and Blue Niles, he saw that fortifications and trenches were constructed to the south and east. Facing the desert, these were supported by land mines and wire barriers. To defend the rivers, Gordon retrofitted several steamers into gunboats which were protected by metal plates. Attempting an offensive near Halfaya on March 16, Gordons troops faltered and took 200 casualties. In the wake of the setback, he concluded that he should remain on the defensive. Siege of Khartoum - The Siege Begins: Later that month, Mahdist forces began to near Khartoum and skirmishing commenced. With Mahdist forces closing in, Gordon telegraphed London on April 19 that he had provisions for five months. He also requested two to three thousand Turkish troops as his men were increasingly unreliable. Gordon believed that with such a force, he could drive off the enemy. As the month ended, the tribes to the north elected to join with the Mahdi and cut off Gordons lines of communication to Egypt. While runners were able to make the journey, the Nile and telegraph were severed. As enemy forces surrounded the city, Gordon attempted to convince the Mahdi to make peace but with no success. Siege of Khartoum - Fall of Khartoum: Holding the city, Gordon was able to somewhat replenish his supplies by raiding with his gunboats. In London, his plight was played up in the press and eventually, Queen Victoria directed Gladstone to send aid to the beleaguered garrison. Acquiescing in July 1884, Gladstone ordered General Sir Garnet Wolseley to form an expedition for the relief of Khartoum. Despite this, it took a substantial amount of time to organize the needed men and supplies. As the fall progressed, Gordons position became increasingly tenuous as supplies dwindled and many of his more capable officers were killed. Shortening his line, he constructed a new wall inside the city and tower from which to observe the enemy. Though communications remained spotty, Gordon did receive word that a relief expedition was en route. Despite this news, Gordon greatly feared for the city. A letter that arrived in Cairo on December 14 informed a friend, Farewell. You will never hear from me again. I fear that there will be treachery in the garrison, and all will be over by Christmas. Two days later, Gordon was forced to destroy his outpost across the White Nile at Omdurman. Made aware of Gordons concerns, Wolseley began pressing south. Defeating the Mahdists at Abu Klea on January 17, 1885, the men met the enemy again two days later. With the relief force approaching, the Mahdi began planning to storm Khartoum. Possessing around 50,000 men, he ordered one column to wade across the White Nile to attack the citys walls while another assaulted the Massalamieh Gate. Moving forward on the night of January 25-26, both columns quickly overwhelmed the exhausted defenders. Swarming through the city, the Mahdists massacred the garrison and around 4,000 of Khartoums residents. Though the Mahdi had expressly ordered that Gordon be taken alive, he was struck down in the fighting. Accounts of his death vary with some reports stating he was killed at the governors palace, while others claim he was shot in the street while trying to escape to the Austrian consulate. In either case, Gordons body was decapitated and taken to the Mahdi on a pike. Siege of Khartoum - Aftermath: In the fighting at Khartoum, Gordons entire 7,000-man garrison was killed. Mahdist casualties are not known. Driving south, Wolseleys relief force reached Khartoum two days after the citys fall. With no reason to remain, he ordered his men to return to Egypt, leaving Sudan to the Mahdi. It remained under Mahdist control until 1898 when Major General Herbert Kitchener defeated them at the Battle of Omdurman. Though a search was made for Gordons remains after Khartoum was retaken, they were never found. Acclaimed by the public, Gordons death was blamed on Gladstone who delayed forming a relief expedition. The resulting outcry led his government to fall in March 1885 and he was formally rebuked by Queen Victoria. Sources: BBC. General Charles Gordon. Fordham University.  Islamic History Sourcebook: Death of General Gordon at Khartoum. Sandrock, John.  Windows to the Past: Siege of Khartoum.

Image edge detaction - Sobel Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Image edge detaction - Sobel Method - Essay Example aim of the whole ‘Edge Detection’ process is the conversion of 2D Images into Curves or a collection of curves; this in turn highlights the boundaries of the objects that tend to produce specific changes in colour intensity. Hence all the information (geometric information) in an image; more commonly termed as objects such as the Colour, hue and brightness is attained by the properties of intensity changes in images. The history of Image Edge Detection includes not only the basic methods that like Gradient Method and Laplacian Method but also those methodologies that were based on these two techniques. The time-period of 1960 – 1980 was specifically significant for the formulation and the development of the Discrete Gradients and Laplacians where as another method was introduced in the 1980s and was known as Marr – Hildreth; Laplacian of Gaussian. In the year 1983 Canny Edge Detectors and their basic principle of working surfaced and joined the lists of Image Edge Detectors. ‘Linear and non – linear Scale Space’ was another mode that surfaced in the year 1985. ‘Morphological Gradient and Laplacian’ is yet another term that represents an image detection method; originated in 1979. What history the process of Image Edge Detection has, saw a boom in the research work applied to the field and the development it made in the late 20th century and still is underway in the 21st century. This boom had its peak displayed magnificently in the late 1980s and the level of research is maintained till the current day thus enabling progress and expansion in the field. Edge Detection procedures not only identify but also point out the location of the Discontinuities in a subject image which are fundamentally based on the difference between the intensity levels of ‘Pixels’, which determine the limits or, to be more precise, ‘Edges’ in the constituents of an image. Edge detection operators employ the use of different variables to which they are sensitive

The research of state-level society Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The of state-level society - Research Paper Example In this light, there have evolved several theories trying to explain the origin of the state from several historians and scholars. Some of these theories give unsatisfactory records of events, while others have been unanimously accepted by different people as the sources of a satisfactory explanation of the origin of the state. There are different scholars who have put their efforts to research and come up with the theories to explain the origin of the state. There are different models that these scholars have put in place to explain the foundations of their researches. Given the fact that every scholar must validate their researches to make their theoretical models products of the intellectual environment in which they live, there are assumptions that must accompany each theory. The main aim of this paper is to discuss and analyze two theories that explain the origin of the state. Each theory will showcase the model used in it, the assumptions and the evidence of archeology and history of civilization. Many classical writers like Aristotle considered the state to be natural. Therefore, it did not require any explanation to its origin (Carneiro, The Evolution of Horticultural Systems in Native South America: Causes and Consequences 47-67). However, during the age of exploration, Europeans were made aware of the fact that people lived not in states, but in villages or tribes. This factor made the state look less natural; therefore, more explanation were required to shade light on the origin of the state. Amongst the many theories of the state origin that have been proposed, only few are normally considered and referred to in scholarly use. There are, for example, those theories with racial attachments, which have thoroughly been discredited. The belief that the state is an expression of the ‘genius of people, or that it came about through historical accident, are rejected, and theories with such basis are disregarded (Lanning 59).