Forming Plural Nouns in Italian

Forming Plural Nouns in Italian When you have just one bottiglia di vino  (bottle of wine), especially from one of the many family-run vineyards in Tuscany, you’re doing pretty well. But, if you have several  bottiglie di vino (bottles of wine), youre doing even better. Learning to speak fluent Italian requires that you understand the difference between singular and plural nouns. Turning singular nouns into plurals in Italian is a bit more difficult than in English. Learn the rules, though, and soon youll be able to turn one  bottiglia  into two or more  bottiglie  with ease. Creating Plural Nouns in Italian In Italian grammar, nouns must  agree not only in gender (masculine or feminine) but also in number (singular and plural). To form the plural of Italian nouns, vowel endings change to indicate a change in number. For regular masculine nouns that end in -o, for example, the ending typically changes to -i in the plural: Singular Plural English (Plural) fratello fratelli brothers libro libri books nonno nonni grandparents ragazzo ragazzi boys vino vini wines Plural Feminine Nouns Ending in -A As noted, the ending of plural nouns needs to change to agree  in gender. Regular feminine nouns that end in -a generally take an  -e ending in the plural: Singular Plural English (Plural) sorella sorelle sisters casa case houses penna penne pens pizza pizze pizzas ragazza ragazze girls Plural Nouns Ending in -E Plural nouns that end in  -e  (feminine or masculine) generally end in -i in the plural form. Singular Plural English (Plural) bicchiere bicchieri wine glasses chiave chiavi keys fiume fiumi rivers frase frasi sentences padre padri fathers Words of Foreign Origin When forming plural of nouns ending in a consonant, such as words of foreign origin, only the article changes, as in these examples, where the singular is listed on the left together with the English translation and the plural is printed on the right: Il film (the film) i film (the films)La photo (the photo) le photo (the photos)Il bar (the bar) I bar (the bars) Exceptions Its also important to know the exceptions when forming plural nouns, including: Feminine nouns ending in -ea change to -ee in the plural. For example: dea/dee (goddess/goddesses).Words that end with a grave accent, such as  la citt, (the city),  change only the final letter of the article, making the plural of this word,  le citt (the cities).Feminine nouns ending in -ca change to -che in the plural, as in  amica/amiche (friend/friends). For nouns ending in -e,  the plural forms end in -i   regardless of whether they are masculine or feminine. Additionally, some nouns appear to be feminine (ending in -a)  but are actually masculine, as in these examples: Il poeta i poeti / poet poetsIl poema i poemi / poem poemsIl problema i problemi / problem problemsIl tema i temi / topic topicsIl braccio le braccia / arm armsIl dito le dita / finger fingersIl labbro le labbra / lip lipsIl ginocchio le ginocchia / knee kneesIl lenzuolo le lenzuola / sheet sheetsIl muro I muri / wall walls The walls would be le mura  if you are talking about buildings, particularly historical buildings.

Definition of Victorian

Definition of Victorian The adjective Victorian is used to described something from the period of the reign of Britain’s Queen Victoria. And, as Victoria was on the throne for more than 60 years, from 1837 to 1901, the term is also used to describe things from the 19th century in general. The word is used to describe a wide variety of items, such as Victorian authors or Victorian architecture or even Victorian clothing and fashion. But in its most common usage the word is used to describe social attitudes, implying an emphasis on moral rigidity, priggishness, and prudery. Queen Victoria herself was often perceived as being overly serious and possessing little or no sense of humor. This was due in part to her having been widowed at a relatively young age. The loss of her husband, Prince Albert, was devastating, and for the rest of her life she wore black mourning clothes. Surprising Victorian Attitudes The concept of the Victorian era as repressive is true to some extent, of course. Society at the time was much more formal. But many advances were made during Victorian times, especially in the fields of industry and technology. And a number of societal reforms also took place. One sign of great technological progress would be the enormous technology show held in London, the Great Exhibition of 1851. Queen Victorias husband, Prince Albert, organized it, and Queen Victoria herself visited the displays of new inventions in the Crystal Palace on numerous occasions. And social reformers were also a factor in Victorian life. Florence Nightingale became a British hero by introducing her reforms to the nursing profession. And the novelist Charles Dickens created plots highlighting problems in British society. Dickens had gotten disgusted with the plight of the working poor in Britain during the period of industrialization. And his classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol, was written specifically as a protest against the treatment of workers by an increasingly greedy upper class. A Victorian Empire The Victorian Era was a peak time for the British Empire, and the concept of Victorians being repressive is more true in dealings internationally. For instance, a bloody uprising by native troops in India, the Sepoy Mutiny, was brutally put down. And in Britains closest colony in the 19th century, Ireland, periodic rebellions were put down. The British also fought in many other places, including two wars in Afghanistan. Despite troubles in many places, the British Empire held together during Victorias reign. And when she celebrated her 60th anniversary on the throne in 1897, troops from across the empire paraded during the massive celebrations in London. The Meaning of Victorian Perhaps the most precise definition of the word Victorian would restrict it purely to the years of the late 1830s to the beginning of the 20th century. But, as it was a period of so much happening, the word has taken on many connotations, which vary from the notion of repression in society to great progress in technology. And as the Victorian Era was profoundly interesting, perhaps that is inevitable.

Marketing Managemant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Managemant - Essay Example However, this is not always the case. Sometimes firms charge higher prices when they enter a new market. This strategy is referred to as Price Skimming by the market tacticians. For example, Governments often set prices high in a marketplace where it considered that increase in competition will contribute towards market efficiency. For example, In Saudi Arabia the oil cost to the government is extremely low but they charge a good amount of price in the market to encourage more competitors in the market. This is just one example. Another example of this can be the market public utilities where huge sums of investments are required. The governments in order finance such large investments often keep high initial consumer prices to make sure that more and more companies enter the market and total investment in the country increases as it has many macro-economic advantages. Price skimming is said to be very advantageous for the new firm entering the market and also for the marketing as a whole. For a higher price would mean higher profits for the firm itself and they won't have to resort to lower revenues and lower profits in the context of penetration pricing.

Assignment about management & strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment about management & strategy - Essay Example TQM has been adopted by many organisations worldwide and has been defined in multiple ways that suited their businesses. A generalized definition is that of Evans and Dean, which states, ‘TQM is a comprehensive, organisation-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services’ (as qtd in Cooney & Sohal, 34, ch.3). The British Railways Board (1989) defined TQM as ‘the process which seeks to meet and satisfy customer requirements throughout the whole chain of internal and external customers and suppliers’ (Pike and Barnes, 25). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines TQM as a management approach for an organisation, centered on quality, based on participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and to society (Gupta, 113). Emergence of TQM may be traced back to period before the World War II and with American influence on quality assur ance principles. Although first put forth by Edwards Deming, who was known as the ‘father of the quality movement,’ TQM principles did not receive much attention at the time. These principles are said to have gained great significance after they were adopted in Japanese management theories, which modified the principles to suit their industries. TQM concepts have reinforced the Japanese management and businesses greatly and have helped the Japanese products enter the world markets. The United States recognized Japanese progress during 1980s and 1990s, and realized the significance of TQM concepts. Since then, the US industries have embraced TQM and re-emerged as global competitors (Daft & Marcic, 33). Deming’s contribution to the elaboration and development of TQM has been profound after advancing Stewhart’s statistical studies through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act), which provided the base for continuous improvement. These statistical methods devel oped by Stewhart and Deming came to be known as the Statistical Process Control (SPC). The SPC in combination with Elton Mayo’s human relations movement eventually became the theoretical base for TQM (Sallis, 7). From these studies it is clear that TQM is a quality concept that must be applied to every aspect of the business and should be measured and controlled statistically. This means it would also require involvement from all members associated with the business. In short, TQM needs to be applied to the organisational systems, structure, and culture; it would require commitment from management and staff at all levels; it should involve all stakeholders including the external suppliers and vendors. With this concept coming in, quality is seen as a strategic issue and can play a major role in saving huge costs for the company. It involves everyone associated with the organisation. It focuses on continuous improvements, maintaining zero defects, build quality and enhance cus tomer satisfaction. All these achievements become benchmarks for others and help the organisation in sustaining their competitive position in the market and with their customers. TQM has been applied by many organisations with different names, like Leadership Through Quality (Xerox); Quality the ICL Way (ICL); Quality Service Programme (Nat West); Total Quality Culture (Texas Instruments); Total

Duddy Kravitz Materialism Essay Example for Free

Duddy Kravitz Materialism Essay Materializing is a major role in this book it affects a large part of the characters second and one person first hand. It also affects the plot due to the main characters obsession with materialism. Materializing can also cause people in relationships to grow apart due to confusion with priorities. Materializing can drive people to become some one that they would never wish to become with out even realizing it. It can also push you to do stuff that you would never think of doing. In the book The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, the main character Duddy Kravitz was brought up with the saying a man with out land is a nobody. Duddy believes that the more land and money he gains the more of a somebody he will become. Duddy goes through life trying to make more and more money and gain more and more land. With an obsession like this it can cause a person to forget about priorities and also the heath and feelings of others. With Duddy by the end of the book his push to become a somebody cause the lost of respect from a family member and the loss of valued friends. It caused Duddy to put his own friend in a wheel chair for life just so he could try and save some money. Materializing can cause your judgment to fog and able you to do almost anything to get a head in the race to becoming a somebody. Duddy went to the point of forging a crippled friends check so he could buy more land. After he finally owns and controls all of the land hi feels that he has become a somebody. Duddy let money and poisons become the only thing that mattered to him. Duddy lost sight of everything that he lost and all the people that he hurt along the race to become a somebody. The plot of the book was greatly affected be materialism. The book is based around a selfish, greedy man named Duddy Kravitz a man that would stop at anything to become rich and well known. The plot twists as Duddy personality becomes meaner and more money driven. The plot of the book starts with the main character Duddy trying to make living well at the same timework his way up to becoming rich and at least locally famous. Duddy starts off as a happy man with a girlfriend, has many friends that are rich and is starting off his own business. However later on in the book after he starts to buy land to build a dream he starts to go bankrupt. As times get tough Duddy slowly starts to loss grasp of his goals and dreams that would make him a  somebody. The money hungry man starts to become verbally violent and uncaring for others. At this point he is only worried about losing his land and money. ################# but really Duddy has lost much more than he has gain. He has lost his friends, his girlfriend and the respect of his grandpa. The plot is based on materialism with Duddy. All most every problem in this book is a result in Duddy trying to make it big in life and becoming a rich man with a lot of land. When materialism is present with in a relationships it can push people to grow a part over time. It is usually noticed be one member and rarely caught but the person who is obsessed with it. With Duddy Kravitz it was present thought out his life. However as time moved on it slowly turned in to the only thing that mattered to him in his life. When Duddy first started to date Yvette you could see the connection they had with each other, you got the impression that they where meant to be together. They would go on picnics together, go for walks in the woods, and go swimming in the lake. This is where Duddy discovers his soon to be land, with in seconds you could see that the Duddy obsession with materialism has started to make things different between then. Duddy tried to bribe Yvette not to tell anyone about their place and offered to cut her in on the profits if she would keep it a secret. When money and the land came in to the picture it caused Duddy to almost stop trusting Yvette and act like she was more like a business partner rather than girlfriend. This cause Yvette to become angry and upset that Duddy didnt trust her and brought money in to the picture. Slowly over time Duddy became verbally violent towards Yvette, always telling her to shut up and yelling at her profoundly. Slowly Duddy obsession pushed him away from Yvette. By the end of the book Duddy was so obsessed with land, money and trying to become a somebody that he lost the important things in life. Duddy lost things that cant be bought but money, or impressed with land, he lost friends and family.

Entrapment and Confinement :: essays research papers

People encounter restrictions and restraints daily: doors, walls, gates. The most frequently used and arduous are those that are intangible, be it in a job or social life, whether physical or emotional, literal or figurative. Both the tangible and intangible are seen in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Crysanthemums†. Though written by members of the opposite sex, both authors are able to capture the feelings of physical and emotional imprisonment that causes a gradual mental breakdown. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† traces the treatment of a woman who descends from depression to madness in the male-imposed psychiatric confinement of her room, while the wife, Elisa, in â€Å"The Crysanthemums†, reflects an internal struggle with herself to find her place in a world of definite gender roles. The situations of the two women are similar: talents and dreams, hopes and desires, shunned by the husb ands and times of the women, which leads to hysteria; though similar, the women to conduct themselves ways drastically different from one another, which determines whether the women lose their sanity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The narrator in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Elisa Allen of â€Å"The Crysanthemums† both have husbands who fancy the idea of knowing what their wives want and need. With such attitudes and beliefs, these men contribute to the feeling of confinement that ultimately leads to the loss of sanity of their wives. The narrator’s husband also assumes that he knows what is best for his wife. He thinks isolation and confinement will cure her â€Å"nervous depression.† Nevertheless, this â€Å"cure† makes her weak; it transforms her into a woman gone mad. On the way to dinner, Elisa asks her husband about the fights and his immediate reply is, â€Å"We can go if you want, but I don’t think you would like them much.† He cannot fathom the idea that she may actually enjoy this non-feminine event.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two women follow the pattern of those going mad: eventually, they begin to see things and form relationships with the images that reside only in their minds. The narrator gives into the figments of her imagination and begins to metamorphose this â€Å"thing† she imagines behind the wallpaper as a hallucinogenic image of herself. This â€Å"woman† becomes a deadly combination: best friend and worst enemy. She views the woman as trapped, and, in order to free herself from this non-fulfilling life, she must free the woman. Elisa also receives an uninvited guest, a tinker who she perceives as the perfect emblem of freedom.

Law and Order Essay

In class, we watched the first twenty minutes of Law and Order episode â€Å"God Bless the Child†. The Episode starts with the parents of a young girl, that is deathly ill and in dire of medical assistance, and the parents won't use modern medicine because it is against their religion. Neglecting help of modern medicine, the child eventually dies. I believe that it is ridiculous that a parent will not help their own child and let them die when help is all around.I think prayer does not relinquish us from an obligation to act, so on these terms I do think these parents should be trialed for the death of their child. I see prayer to be similar to hope, guidance and communication with God rather than an act. Believing that everything can be solved with prayer is ridiculous, It Is like if someone wanted to end world hunger and didn't donate but only prayed. I think prayer and acting should go hand in hand because God is not Just going to give you what you ask for, rather he will g ive you opportunities.Similar to the Joke about the lady in the flood that Ms. Ellsworth said In class, God sent a boat and a helicopter to rescue the lady but she refused. She would later die, and In Heaven, she asked God why didn't you save me, and God replied â€Å"l did, I send you a boat and a helicopter what else can I do! † I think this Joke as the same situation as the parents In Law and Order. I strongly believe that the parents should go to trial for the death of the daughter because with all the opportunities God sent them, they avoided all of them.By neglecting all of these opportunities to rescue their child, the child suffered and soon after died. It Is ridiculous that she would not simply let her daughter drink some medicine for her to get better. If she was to go and drink alcohol, then why not let her daughter get treated. It Is most disturbing when the daughter was getting worse, but the mother thinks that what they are doing Is not working and they should d o something else. Than an act. Believing that everything can be solved with prayer is ridiculous, it is like dad in the flood that Ms.Ellsworth said in class, God sent a boat and a helicopter to rescue the lady but she refused. She would later die, and in Heaven, she asked God what else can I do! † I think this Joke as the same situation as the parents in Law and after died. It is ridiculous that she would not simply let her daughter drink some daughter get treated. It is most disturbing when the daughter was getting worse, but the mother thinks that what they are doing is not working and they should do.

Digital Fortress Chapter 5

â€Å"Where is everyone?† Susan wondered as she crossed the deserted Crypto floor. Some emergency. Although most NSA departments were fully staffed seven days a week, Crypto was generally quiet on Saturdays. Cryptographic mathematicians were by nature high-strung workaholics, and there existed an unwritten rule that they take Saturdays off except in emergencies. Code-breakers were too valuable a commodity at the NSA to risk losing them to burnout. As Susan traversed the floor, TRANSLTR loomed to her right. The sound of the generators eight stories below sounded oddly ominous today. Susan never liked being in Crypto during off hours. It was like being trapped alone in a cage with some grand, futuristic beast. She quickly made her way toward the commander's office. Strathmore's glass-walled workstation, nicknamed â€Å"the fishbowl† for its appearance when the drapes were open, stood high atop a set of catwalk stairs on the back wall of Crypto. As Susan climbed the grated steps, she gazed upward at Strathmore's thick, oak door. It bore the NSA seal-a bald eagle fiercely clutching an ancient skeleton key. Behind that door sat one of the greatest men she'd ever met. Commander Strathmore, the fifty-six-year-old deputy director of operations, was like a father to Susan. He was the one who'd hired her, and he was the one who'd made the NSA her home. When Susan joined the NSA over a decade ago, Strathmore was heading the Crypto Development Division-a training ground for new cryptographers-new male cryptographers. Although Strathmore never tolerated the hazing of anyone, he was especially protective of his sole female staff member. When accused of favoritism, he simply replied with the truth: Susan Fletcher was one of the brightest young recruits he'd ever seen, and he had no intention of losing her to sexual harassment. One of the cryptographers foolishly decided to test Strathmore's resolve. One morning during her first year, Susan dropped by the new cryptographers' lounge to get some paperwork. As she left, she noticed a picture of herself on the bulletin board. She almost fainted in embarrassment. There she was, reclining on a bed and wearing only panties. As it turned out, one of the cryptographers had digitally scanned a photo from a pornographic magazine and edited Susan's head onto someone else's body. The effect had been quite convincing. Unfortunately for the cryptographer responsible, Commander Strathmore did not find the stunt even remotely amusing. Two hours later, a landmark memo went out: EMPLOYEE CARL AUSTIN TERMINATED FOR INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT. From that day on, nobody messed with her; Susan Fletcher was Commander Strathmore's golden girl. But Strathmore's young cryptographers were not the only ones who learned to respect him; early in his career Strathmore made his presence known to his superiors by proposing a number of unorthodox and highly successful intelligence operations. As he moved up the ranks, Trevor Strathmore became known for his cogent, reductive analyses of highly complex situations. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to see past the moral perplexities surrounding the NSA's difficult decisions and to act without remorse in the interest of the common good. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Strathmore loved his country. He was known to his colleagues as a patriot and a visionary†¦ a decent man in a world of lies. In the years since Susan's arrival at the NSA, Strathmore had skyrocketed from head of Crypto Development to second-in-command of the entire NSA. Now only one man outranked Commander Strathmore there-Director Leland Fontaine, the mythical overlord of the Puzzle Palace-never seen, occasionally heard, and eternally feared. He and Strathmore seldom saw eye to eye, and when they met, it was like the clash of the titans. Fontaine was a giant among giants, but Strathmore didn't seem to care. He argued his ideas to the director with all the restraint of an impassioned boxer. Not even the President of the United States dared challenge Fontaine the way Strathmore did. One needed political immunity to do that-or, in Strathmore's case, political indifference. Susan arrived at the top of the stairs. Before she could knock, Strathmore's electronic door lock buzzed. The door swung open, and the commander waved her in. â€Å"Thanks for coming, Susan. I owe you one.† â€Å"Not at all.† She smiled as she sat opposite his desk. Strathmore was a rangy, thick-fleshed man whose muted features somehow disguised his hard-nosed efficiency and demand for perfection. His gray eyes usually suggested a confidence and discretion born from experience, but today they looked wild and unsettled. â€Å"You look beat,† Susan said. â€Å"I've been better.† Strathmore sighed. I'll say, she thought. Strathmore looked as bad as Susan had ever seen him. His thinning gray hair was disheveled, and even in the room's crisp air-conditioning, his forehead was beaded with sweat. He looked like he'd slept in his suit. He was sitting behind a modern desk with two recessed keypads and a computer monitor at one end. It was strewn with computer printouts and looked like some sort of alien cockpit propped there in the center of his curtained chamber. â€Å"Tough week?† she inquired. Strathmore shrugged. â€Å"The usual. The EFF's all over me about civilian privacy rights again.† Susan chuckled. The EFF, or Electronics Frontier Foundation, was a worldwide coalition of computer users who had founded a powerful civil liberties coalition aimed at supporting free speech on-line and educating others to the realities and dangers of living in an electronic world. They were constantly lobbying against what they called â€Å"the Orwellian eavesdropping capabilities of government agencies†-particularly the NSA. The EFF was a perpetual thorn in Strathmore's side. â€Å"Sounds like business as usual,† she said. â€Å"So what's this big emergency you got me out of the tub for?† Strathmore sat a moment, absently fingering the computer trackball embedded in his desktop. After a long silence, he caught Susan's gaze and held it. â€Å"What's the longest you've ever seen TRANSLTR take to break a code?† The question caught Susan entirely off guard. It seemed meaningless. This is what he called me in for? â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She hesitated. â€Å"We hit a COMINT intercept a few months ago that took about an hour, but it had a ridiculously long key-ten thousand bits or something like that.† Strathmore grunted. â€Å"An hour, huh? What about some of the boundary probes we've run?† Susan shrugged. â€Å"Well, if you include diagnostics, it's obviously longer.† â€Å"How much longer?† Susan couldn't imagine what Strathmore was getting at. â€Å"Well, sir, I tried an algorithm last March with a segmented million-bit key. Illegal looping functions, cellular automata, the works. TRANSLTR still broke it.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Three hours.† Strathmore arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Three hours? That long?† Susan frowned, mildly offended. Her job for the last three years had been to fine-tune the most secret computer in the world; most of the programming that made TRANSLTR so fast was hers. A million-bit key was hardly a realistic scenario. â€Å"Okay,† Strathmore said. â€Å"So even in extreme conditions, the longest a code has ever survived inside TRANSLTR is about three hours?† Susan nodded. â€Å"Yeah. More or less.† Strathmore paused as if afraid to say something he might regret. Finally he looked up. â€Å"TRANSLTR's hit something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stopped. Susan waited. â€Å"More than three hours?† Strathmore nodded. She looked unconcerned. â€Å"A new diagnostic? Something from the Sys-Sec Department?† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"It's an outside file.† Susan waited for the punch line, but it never came. â€Å"An outside file? You're joking, right?† â€Å"I wish. I queued it last night around eleven thirty. It hasn't broken yet.† Susan's jaw dropped. She looked at her watch and then back at Strathmore. â€Å"It's still going? Over fifteen hours?† Strathmore leaned forward and rotated his monitor toward Susan. The screen was black except for a small, yellow text box blinking in the middle. TIME ELAPSED: 15:09:33 AWAITING KEY: ________ Susan stared in amazement. It appeared TRANSLTR had been working on one code for over fifteen hours. She knew the computer's processors auditioned thirty million keys per second-one hundred billion per hour. If TRANSLTR was still counting, that meant the key had to be enormous-over ten billion digits long. It was absolute insanity. â€Å"It's impossible!† she declared. â€Å"Have you checked for error flags? Maybe TRANSLTR hit a glitch and-â€Å" â€Å"The run's clean.† â€Å"But the pass-key must be huge!† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"Standard commercial algorithm. I'm guessing a sixty-four-bit key.† Mystified, Susan looked out the window at TRANSLTR below. She knew from experience that it could locate a sixty-four-bit key in under ten minutes. â€Å"There's got to be some explanation.† Strathmore nodded. â€Å"There is. You're not going to like it.† Susan looked uneasy. â€Å"Is TRANSLTR malfunctioning?† â€Å"TRANSLTR's fine.† â€Å"Have we got a virus?† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"No virus. Just hear me out.† Susan was flabbergasted. TRANSLTR had never hit a code it couldn't break in under an hour. Usually the cleartext was delivered to Strathmore's printout module within minutes. She glanced at the high-speed printer behind his desk. It was empty. â€Å"Susan,† Strathmore said quietly. â€Å"This is going to be hard to accept at first, but just listen a minute.† He chewed his lip. â€Å"This code that TRANSLTR's working on-it's unique. It's like nothing we've ever seen before.† Strathmore paused, as if the words were hard for him to say. â€Å"This code is unbreakable.† Susan stared at him and almost laughed. Unbreakable? What was THAT supposed to mean? There was no such thing as an unbreakable code-some took longer than others, but every code was breakable. It was mathematically guaranteed that sooner or later TRANSLTR would guess the right key. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"The code's unbreakable,† he repeated flatly. Unbreakable? Susan couldn't believe the word had been uttered by a man with twenty-seven years of code analysis experience. â€Å"Unbreakable, sir?† she said uneasily. â€Å"What about the Bergofsky Principle?† Susan had learned about the Bergofsky Principle early in her career. It was a cornerstone of brute-force technology. It was also Strathmore's inspiration for building TRANSLTR. The principle clearly stated that if a computer tried enough keys, it was mathematically guaranteed to find the right one. A code's security was not that its pass-key was unfindable but rather that most people didn't have the time or equipment to try. Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"This code's different.† â€Å"Different?† Susan eyed him askance. An unbreakable code is a mathematical impossibility! He knows that! Strathmore ran a hand across his sweaty scalp. â€Å"This code is the product of a brand-new encryption algorithm-one we've never seen before.† Now Susan was even more doubtful. Encryption algorithms were just mathematical formulas, recipes for scrambling text into code. Mathematicians and programmers created new algorithms every day. There were hundreds of them on the market-PGP, Diffie-Hellman, ZIP, IDEA, El Gamal. TRANSLTR broke all of their codes every day, no problem. To TRANSLTR all codes looked identical, regardless of which algorithm wrote them. â€Å"I don't understand,† she argued. â€Å"We're not talking about reverse-engineering some complex function, we're talking brute force. PGP, Lucifer, DSA-it doesn't matter. The algorithm generates a key it thinks is secure, and TRANSLTR keeps guessing until it finds it.† Strathmore's reply had the controlled patience of a good teacher. â€Å"Yes, Susan, TRANSLTR will always find the key-even if it's huge.† He paused a long moment. â€Å"Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan wanted to speak, but it was clear Strathmore was about to drop his bomb. Unless what? â€Å"Unless the computer doesn't know when it's broken the code.† Susan almost fell out of her chair. â€Å"What!† â€Å"Unless the computer guesses the correct key but just keeps guessing because it doesn't realize it found the right key.† Strathmore looked bleak. â€Å"I think this algorithm has got a rotating cleartext.† Susan gaped. The notion of a rotating cleartext function was first put forth in an obscure, 1987 paper by a Hungarian mathematician, Josef Harne. Because brute-force computers broke codes by examining cleartext for identifiable word patterns, Harne proposed an encryption algorithm that, in addition to encrypting, shifted decrypted cleartext over a time variant. In theory, the perpetual mutation would ensure that the attacking computer would never locate recognizable word patterns and thus never know when it had found the proper key. The concept was somewhat like the idea of colonizing Mars-fathomable on an intellectual level, but, at present, well beyond human ability. â€Å"Where did you get this thing?† she demanded. The commander's response was slow. â€Å"A public sector programmer wrote it.† â€Å"What?† Susan collapsed back in her chair. â€Å"We've got the best programmers in the world downstairs! All of us working together have never even come close to writing a rotating cleartext function. Are you trying to tell me some punk with a PC figured out how to do it?† Strathmore lowered his voice in an apparent effort to calm her. â€Å"I wouldn't call this guy a punk.† Susan wasn't listening. She was convinced there had to be some other explanation: A glitch. A virus. Anything was more likely than an unbreakable code. Strathmore eyed her sternly. â€Å"One of the most brilliant cryptographic minds of all time wrote this algorithm.† Susan was more doubtful than ever; the most brilliant cryptographic minds of all time were in her department, and she certainly would have heard about an algorithm like this. â€Å"Who?† she demanded. â€Å"I'm sure you can guess.† Strathmore said. â€Å"He's not too fond of the NSA.† â€Å"Well, that narrows it down!† she snapped sarcastically. â€Å"He worked on the TRANSLTR project. He broke the rules. Almost caused an intelligence nightmare. I deported him.† Susan's face was blank only an instant before going white. â€Å"Oh my God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore nodded. â€Å"He's been bragging all year about his work on a brute-force-resistant algorithm.† â€Å"B-but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan stammered. â€Å"I thought he was bluffing. He actually did it?† â€Å"He did. The ultimate unbreakable code-writer.† Susan was silent a long moment. â€Å"But†¦ that means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore looked her dead in the eye. â€Å"Yes. Ensei Tankado just made TRANSLTR obsolete.†

Du Bois Concept Of Double Consciousness

Du Bois Concept Of Double Consciousness It is one thing to be fully accepted in the society and another to struggle hard in order to gain cognizance due to one’s racial background. It is this feeling of alienation that prompted Du Bois, a sociologist to come up with the concept of ‘double consciousness’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Du Bois Concept Of â€Å"Double Consciousness† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Being a Black-American himself, Du Bois attempted to comprehend and explore the psycho-social divisions that subsists in the American society through the double consciousness theory. It was evident that the African Americans attempted to fit in the social circles of the society that they lived in, and one that treated them with self pity and contempt. Du Bois argues that this feeling of alienation from the social interaction leads to the division of one’s identity hence making it hard to achieve an unified identi ty (Karenga 501). This essay will therefore explore the concept of double consciousness and further establish its role in the contemporary society. Du Bois describes the concept of double consciousness as a ‘two-ness’ in which the individual identifies himself as both an American and a negro. This feeling of double consciousness hence leads to psycho-social anxiety where the individual is forced to come to terms with the two social worlds entwined in one dark body. The concept of ‘two-ness’ therefore means that the individual has two souls, think in two different manners and bear double warring ideals, all in one. The concept of double consciousness can further be described as having three manifestations. The first one is the power that the white stereotypes have on black people, including their thoughts and lives. Secondly, the racial discrimination that alienates the black negroes from the mainstream of the society and finally, the internal divergence bet ween being both an American and African at the same time. This raises the individual’s awareness of how others perceive him hence changing one’s identity to gain acceptance in the social interaction. This leads to the individual’s self image being badly damaged due to the treatment accorded to him by the white people. The African-American hence perceives himself as an outcast in the social standing and struggles to gain acceptance hence shaping his future experience and culture.Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Du Bois therefore presents the concept of double consciousness with various instances. In each instance, the negroes struggle to be accepted and overcome the barriers created by the white culture. Du Bois presents the struggle as an attempt to scrap the hideous crime of racism. The concept of double consciousness can be explained in various ways, all of which portray the devastating effect that comes as a result of compromised identity. This ranges from the excruciating worry that an African-American parents experience when raising their children in a white society to the unsuccessful policies of segregation and the emergence of slums in various American cities. The theoretical model of double consciousness highlights the concept of racism that is said to emphasize the feeling of double consciousness. This is due to the fact that most people become aware of what others think about them as a result of their racial background leading to a low self-esteem. It is for this reason that Du Bois argues that racism attempts to divide people resulting to the African-Americans feeling prejudiced and stereotyped. The overall implication of double consciousness is wrong as it breaches and violates the fundamental rights bestowed upon every citizen. Though many philosophers would like to argue that we currently live in a society tha t is free from racial segregation, the concept of double consciousness is still pertinent to the modern society. This is because the contemporary society still presents several inequalities premised upon the racial background of an individual hence making it hard for the African-Americans to reunite their identities. A good example is by the media portraying the blacks only as athletes, rappers or even criminals hence giving an impression to the white community that the blacks have no other social advancement. The blacks on the other hand perceive this limited paths as their only road to success in the competitive world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Du Bois Concept Of â€Å"Double Consciousness† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is just one of the many illustration that shapes the perception that the whites have on black people. It is also evident that most of the senior positions in the contemporary s ociety are held by white executives with the blacks playing the role of handymen in most instances. However, as Du Bois argues, it is possible to solve the dilemma posed by double consciousness. This can be achieved by separating the notion that there is a bio-genetically factor that determines the character of the person. This helps the blacks to fit in the white society and enjoy all the rights and benefits accorded to the whites and yet still preserve their rich African cultures. The media should for instance stop selling images portraying the blacks as being irrelevant to the society and instead bring out the best in them. By electing the first African-American president of United States serves as a stepping stone by the society to fully accept the blacks as being innately humans. In conclusion, the concept of double consciousness plays a very important role in the society. Not only does it present the dilemma faced by the affected persons but also their struggle to be accepted and become what indeed they are not. This hinders the society from putting into use the unique talents despite the racial backgrounds of the individuals in order to achieve a superior sense of personhood for all citizens. Bibliography Karenga, Maulana. Introduction to Black Studies, Los Angeles: University of Sankore  Press, 2002. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

History of Myanmars 8888 Uprising

History of Myanmars 8888 Uprising Throughout the previous year, students, Buddhist monks, and pro-democracy advocates had been protesting against Myanmars military leader, Ne Win, and his erratic and repressive policies.  The demonstrations forced him out of office on July 23, 1988, but Ne Win appointed General Sein Lwin as his replacement. Sein Lwin was known as the Butcher of Rangoon for being in command of the army unit that massacred 130 Rangoon University students in July of 1962, as well as for other atrocities.   Tensions, already high, threatened to boil over.  The student leaders set the auspicious date of August 8, or 8/8/88, as the day for nationwide strikes and protests against the new regime. The 8/8/88 Protests In the week leading up to the protest day, all of Myanmar (Burma) seemed to rise up.  Human shields protected speakers at political rallies from retaliation by the army. Opposition newspapers printed and openly distributed anti-government papers.  Entire neighborhoods barricaded their streets and set up defenses, in case the army should try to move through.  Through the first week of August, it seemed that Burmas pro-democracy movement had unstoppable momentum on its side. The protests were peaceful at first, with demonstrators even encircling army officers in the street to shield them from any violence.  However, as the protests spread to even rural areas of Myanmar, Ne Win decided to call army units in the mountains back to the capital as reinforcements.  He ordered that the army disperses the massive protests and that their guns were not to shoot upward - an elliptical shoot to kill order.   Even in the face of live fire, the protesters remained in the streets through August 12. They threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at the army and police and raided police stations for firearms. On August 10, soldiers chased protesters into Rangoon General Hospital and then began shooting down the doctors and nurses who were treating wounded civilians.   On August 12, after just 17 days in power, Sein Lwin resigned the presidency.  The protesters were ecstatic but unsure about their next move. They demanded that the sole civilian member of the upper political echelon, Dr. Maung Maung, be appointed to replace him. Maung Maung would remain president for just one month.  This limited success did not halt the demonstrations; on August 22, 100,000 people gathered in Mandalay for a protest.  On August 26, as many as 1 million people turned out for a rally at Shwedagon Pagoda in the center of Rangoon.   One of the most electrifying speakers at that rally was Aung San Suu Kyi, who would go on to win the presidential elections in 1990 but would be arrested and jailed before she could take power.  She won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her support of peaceful resistance to military rule in Burma. Bloody clashes continued in the cities and towns of Myanmar for the rest of 1988.  Throughout early September, as the political leaders temporized and made plans for gradual political change, the protests grew ever more violent.  In some cases, the army provoked the demonstrators into open battle so that the soldiers would have an excuse to mow down their opponents. The End of the Protests On September 18, 1988, General Saw Maung led a military coup that seized power and declared the harsh martial law.  The army used extreme violence to break up demonstrations, killing 1,500 people in just the first week of military rule alone, including monks and schoolchildren.  Within two weeks, the 8888 Protest movement had collapsed. By the end of 1988, thousands of protesters and smaller numbers of police and army troops were dead.  Estimates of the casualties run from the implausible official figure of 350 to around 10,000.  Additional thousands of people disappeared or were imprisoned.  The ruling military junta kept universities shuttered through the year 2000 to prevent students from organizing further protests. The 8888 Uprising in Myanmar was eerily similar to the Tiananmen Square Protests that would break out the following year in Beijing, China.  Unfortunately for the protesters, both resulted in mass killings and little political reform - at least, in the short run.

Jihad in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Jihad in Islam - Essay Example In any case, as various studies show, the interpretation of jihad as a call to use violence against all non-Muslims is unfounded (Ali & Rehman 2005). The fact is that the main source of this concept is the Qur’an. In turn, the study of the Qur’an makes it possible to understand that Islam focuses primarily on the spiritual struggle with one’s own passions and vices, while physical violence is seen as an extreme measure, which may be applied only in exceptional cases. In addition, despite the conventional wisdom, Islam can be seen as a much more peaceful religion compared for example with Christianity since Christianity demonstrates very careful attention to the concept of a just war and offers a much clearer conception of it than Islam. This paper analyzes the concept of jihad and provides its comparative analysis with the concept of holy war presented in Christianity. As noted above, a number of theologians, including Muslim ones, insist that jihad involves aggressive and violent methods of struggle for the Islamic faith. In particular, Professor Roda Mushkat (cited in Ali & Rehman 2005) insists on the idea that Islamic law enjoins Moslems to maintain a State of permanent belligerence with all non-believers, collectively encompassed in the dar al-harb, the domain of war. The Muslims are, therefore, under a legal obligation to reduce non-Muslim communities to Islamic rule in order to achieve Islam’s ultimate objective, namely the enforcement of God’s law (the Sharia) over the entire world. The instrument by which the Islamic state is to carry out that objective is called the jihad (popularly known as the ‘holy war’) and is always just, if waged against the infidels and the enemies of the faith. In turn, according to other contemporary Muslim theologians, who refer to the views of their predecessors, there are several types of jihad. In particular, it is believed that the Qur’an presents the

Napoleon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Napoleon - Essay Example He rose to prominence under French First Republic during which time he led the France through a series of successive victories against the enemies of the French revolution. In 1799, he orchestrated a coup and he made himself the First Consul. In 1804, he made himself the emperor of the French people. Afterwards, he fought a series of complex wars across Europe which were both for and against him2. During these wars, Napoleon was able to make France a military superpower in continental Europe. Napoleon also forged several alliances in Europe that gave France a lot of influence all over continental Europe3. He elevated his friends and family members to become rulers over other European countries. Although napoleon died almost two centuries ago, many scholars are still fascinated by his personality. There are many questions regarding why Napoleon left Corsica and decided to become the emperor of France. There is also the question of his relentless pursuit of power even when he failed. Many people who met Napoleon could not find the right words to describe his character. Germaine de Stael described Napoleon’s character as contradictory. She described him as a person who was neither gentle nor cruel, neither good nor violent. She concludes that such a person could not feel any sympathy. However, there are other scholars who differ with Germaine like Stendhal who described Napoleon as a man who had amazing abilities and a dangerous ambition. Sigmund Freud attributed Napoleon’s aggression to the aggression he harbored against his elder brother Joseph at a younger age. Napoleon was said to be a dreamer when he was in school. It is therefore possible that his desire t o conquer all of Europe was derived from his desire of portraying himself as great leader4. Napoleon gained a reputation as an intelligent and a determined kid at school. This is in contrary to other leaders like Hitler who have