Pronouncing the Spanish H

Pronouncing the Spanish H The letter h may be the easiest of all the Spanish letters to pronounce: With the only exceptions being a very few words of obvious foreign origin and the two-letter combinations explained next, the h is always silent. In Combinations and Alone The letter combinations ch, which used to be considered a separate letter of the alphabet, and the sh in flash and a few other imported words are pronounced basically the same as in English; however, the usual silence of h doesnt mean its pronunciation doesnt sometimes trip up beginning Spanish students. Those who speak English as a first language often want to pronounce the letter when it is in a cognate, that is, a Spanish word that is more or less the same as English. For example, the h should not be pronounced in words such as vehà ­culo (vehicle), Habana (Havana), Honduras and prohibir (prohibit), as tempting as it may be. Etymology If the h is silent, why does it exist? For reasons of etymology (word history) only. Just as the k in the English know and the b in lamb used to be audible, the Spanish h used to be pronounced ages ago. Almost all Spanish consonants have become softer over the years; the h became so soft as to become inaudible. The Spanish h also was used to separate two vowels that werent pronounced as one, that is as a diphthong. For example, the word for owl used to be spelled as buho to indicate that it was pronounced as two syllables rather than rhyming with the first syllable of cuota or quota. Nowadays, though, an accent is used over a stressed vowel to indicate the lack of a diphthong, so the word is written as bà ºho. In this case, then, the accent isnt used to indicate stress as it usually does, but as a guide to the proper pronunciation of the vowels. Also, these days it is standard for the h between vowels to be ignored in pronunciation; that is, the vowels sometimes run together despite the h between them, depending on how they are stressed. For example, prohibir is pronounced more or less the same as proibir would be. Note, though, that when the stress is on the second syllable in forms of this word, it is accented and pronounced clearly. Thus conjugated forms of the verb include prohà ­bes, prohà ­be, and prohà ­ben. Also, this is why bà ºho (owl) is  spelled with an accent mark. The accent assures that this word is pronounced as bà ºo  rather than buo. Similarly, alcohol is pronounced as alcol, not as alco-ol with a brief pause (known as a glottal stop) between the o and o.   Exceptions The words where the h is pronounced? Apparently, the only such word that is recognized by the Royal Spanish Academy as fully Spanish is hmster, a cognate of the English word for hamster, although it came to Spanish by way of German. It is pronounced much as it is in German or English as if it were spelled jmster. Other imported words, listed by the Academy as foreign or not listed at all, in which native speakers often pronounce the h include hockey (not to be confused with jockey), hobby (plural usually hobbys), Hong Kong (and some other place names), hacker and hit (baseball term or a major success). Also, jalar and halar (to pull) are often used synonymously, and in some regions, it is common to pronounce jalar even while writing halar.

The Logical Fallacy of Stacking the Deck

The Logical Fallacy of Stacking the Deck The term stacking the deck is a  fallacy in which any evidence that supports an opposing argument is simply rejected, omitted, or ignored. Stacking the deck is a technique thats commonly used in propaganda. It is also known as special pleading, ignoring the counterevidence, slanting, or one-sided assessment. Examples and Observations People sometimes make decisions by folding a piece of paper in half, and listing reasons in favor on one side, and reasons against on the other; then they decide intuitively which side has stronger (not necessarily more) reasons. This method forces us to look at both sides of an issue before we decide. In the incorrect form, we just look at half the picture; this is called stacking the deck. (Harry J. Gensler, Introduction to Logic. Routledge, 2002)Gamblers stack the deck in their favor by arranging the cards so that they will win. Writers stack the deck by ignoring any evidence or arguments that dont support their position. I once experienced stacking the deck when I went to buy a used car. The man trying to sell me the car talked only about how wonderful the car was. After I bought the car, another man tried to sell me an extended warranty by pointing out all the things that could break down. (Gary Layne Hatch, Arguing in Communities. Mayfield, 1996) Deck Stacking in Arguments for and Against the Legalization of Drugs [A] recent ABC show on drugs . . . distorted, omitted or manipulated drug reality. What was piously described as an attempt to open discussion on different approaches to the drug problem was simply a long promotion for legalization of drugs. . . .The program dwells with utmost respect on legalization efforts in Britain and the Netherlands. But it omits evidence of failure. It gives no time to British and Dutch experts who say they have been a disaster, or to Zurichs decision to close its infamous needle park, or to the rise in crime and drug addiction in the Netherlands, or the fact that Italy, which decriminalized possession of heroin in 1975, now leads Western Europe in per capita heroin addiction, with 350,000 addicts.The deck is stacked like a monte game. The advocates of some form of legalization include a judge, police chiefs, a mayor. But nothing is said about the great majority of judges, police officers and mayors who are opposed to legalization by any alias. (A.M. Rosentha l, On My Mind; Stacking the Deck. The New York Times, April 14, 1995) When the White House issued a statement last night saying that marijuana should remain illegalresponding to our pro-legalization editorial seriesofficials there weren’t just expressing an opinion. They were following the law. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is required by statute to oppose all efforts to legalize any banned drug.It’s one of the most anti-scientific, know-nothing provisions in any federal law, but it remains an active imposition on every White House. The drug czar, as the director of the drug control policy office is informally known, must take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance that’s listed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and has no approved medical use.Marijuana fits that description, as do heroin and LSD. But unlike those far more dangerous drugs, marijuana has medical benefits that are widely known and are now officially recognized in 35 states. The drug cza r, though, isn’t allowed to recognize them, and whenever any member of Congress tries to change that, the White House office is required to stand up and block the effort. It cannot allow any federal study that might demonstrate the rapidly changing medical consensus on marijuana’s benefits and its relative lack of harm compared to alcohol and tobacco.(David Firestone, The Required White House Response on Marijuana. The New York Times, July 29, 2014) Stacking the Deck on Talk Shows Biased talk-show hosts often stack the deck in their discussions of controversial issues by choosing more qualified and dynamic guests to represent the viewpoints they favor. If, by chance, the other guests seem to be overcoming the disadvantage, the host will interrupt and make it a two-on-one debate. An even more outrageous form of stacking the deck is for talk-show hosts and program directors to ignore entirely the side of the issue they disagree with.(Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, Making Your Mind Matter: Strategies for Increasing Practical Intelligence. Rowman Littlefield, 2003)

Sport England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sport England - Essay Example The Sports Council was later renamed the English Sports Council in 1997, which was later branded as Sport England. The transformation just described was in line with shifts in strategies towards modernisation and better service delivery. The agency is currently under the chairmanship of Richard Lewis who has overseen the 2008-2011 strategic shifts towards influential sports development in the future (SportEngland.org, 2011). Guided by the mission statement that Sport England seeks to create a world leading community sports environment, the agency pursues a vibrant culture in sporting through partnering with several stakeholders including national governing bodies, local governments, county sport partnerships and community organisations. The agency currently invests  £480 million directly to 46 national sport governing bodies, protects playing fields, advocates for community sports and provides consultancy in sport matters. Sports England’s driving aims are centred on three philosophies. First is growth, here it targets one million more individuals engaging in sport. Sustenance is the second which involves satisfaction of more people from sport and reduction of the proportion of 16-18 year old teenagers dropping out of sporting activities to less than 25%. Lastly is the improvement through the development of talent in at least different 25 sports (SportEngland.org, 2011). In the pursuit of its mission, Sport England faces several challenges. According to Houlihan and Green (2009), Sport England and its fellow sports agency, UK Sports are burdened by the fact that they generate too many and much often short term initiatives. Overlapping mandates and responsibilities also inhibit their operations just as complexity and lack of clear strategies do. The problem of changes in government policy is also a challenge, with O’Dowd (2011) reporting that the coalition government has reversed on its predecessor’s pledge to

Sales Engineering Division Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Engineering Division - Essay Example In this scenario, one can conceive that while Terrill is trying to accomplish the responsibility of being a good leader, he also makes it a point that he listens to what his subordinates will say, an indication that he wants his decisions to be reasonable enough for the welfare of his followers. Terrill belongs to Leadership Era 4, where relational theories were being applied to stabilize organizations. Terrills commitment to improve the status of productivity and to inhibit himself, as well as the management from intervening in the work of the sales engineering division, shows his dedication to turning around what has been the usual practice which is being spearheaded by those in the top management. He wanted to bring out the best among his followers, and that is the reason why he wanted to let them work as a team and use their expertise as engineers, and not as mere pencil pushers. Diversely, the headquarters belong to leadership era 2, where rules were set by management. They have forced employees to follow not what they think is proper, but what the management thinks is right for them (Daft 21). In other words, employees were being treated as followers alone, depriving them with the right to influence management decisions. If in the same position as Terrill, the most appropriate approach to consider would be to adopt the relational theories. Disputes arise between management and employees that would cause conflict obliging leaders to mediate and implement actions that will not cause harm to both parties. The manager, who serves as a leader, should also act as a follower who will bridge the gap between the management and the sales engineering division through means of establishing relationships and regular communication. When healthy working relationships are built, eventually all things will follow e.g. increase in productivity, performance

Analysis of Baxters Gryphon Essay -- Charles Baxter

In â€Å"Gryphon† by Charles Baxter, a class of fourth grade students gets a substitute teacher. She is very eccentric but knowledgeable and tells the whole class a lot of myths and facts. It is up to the class to decide what is true or not. In â€Å"Gryphon,† Miss Ferenczi specifically calls her wronged math answer a â€Å"substitute fact† but also tells the class many other things and myths that are true. For example, she tells the class a great deal about Egypt and that â€Å"features of the Constitution of the United States are notable for their Egyptian ideas.† (145) Her whole lecture was complete fact about Egypt, a country she had a passion for. However, it left the kids wondering if what she said was false, for she misled them earlier that day. Although the kids argued about her, this leaves the grea...

Managing Heart Failure

Managing Heart Failure Carla Vossen, SPN Kristin Madigan RN, BSN NURS 1300: Research Project South Central College November 23, 2009 Heart failure is a chronic and progressive syndrome, resulting from the inability of the heart muscle to pump with enough force to meet the metabolic demands of the body. (Buckler,13) According to the Center for Disease Control; (CDC) there are approximately five million people in the United States that have heart failure. Approximately 550 thousand people are diagnosed with heart failure each year. African Americans have a higher death rate than Caucasian Americans; the estimated medical costs in 2006 were 29. 6 billion dollars. Heart failure has a very broad range of causes, some of the more common cardiovascular causes are: congenital heart conditions, valvular disease, coronary artery disease, myocarditis, cardiomyopathies, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. Noncardiovascular causes of heart disease include pulmonary embolism, thyrotoxicosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (Williams,407 ) Lifestyle choice such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake and environment are contributing risk factors. (Buckler,13-15: Williams,408) The symptoms will vary depending on which side of the heart is failing, patients age, and the severity of the disease. However fatigue and weakness are the hallmark signs of heart failure. Williams,483) When pump failure occurs in a damaged left ventricle, referred to as left-sided heart failure (most commonly occurs here); signs and symptoms can include: Dyspnea on exertion, Cheyne-Stokes respirations, crackles, wheezing nocturia, restlessness, cough, pink frothy sputum, weakness, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and cyanosis. Right ventricle failure or right-sided heart failure can either be primary failure or secondary to left-sided heart failure. Signs and symptoms can include: Peripheral edema, ascites , abdominal pain nd fullness, anorexia or sudden weight gain, tachycardia, jugular vein distention, nocturia, and nausea. (Williams,484) Controlling modifiable factors can prevent heart failure, such as smoking and diet. However these factors do not directly cause heart failure but is secondary to an underlying disease such as coronary artery disease that can lead to heart failure. In general heart failure patients have a poor prognosis unless the cause is correctable. If the heart failure is primarily due to a valvular disorder, repair or replacement could reverse the disorder. Heart transplant may be an option for some patients. Several diagnostic procedures may be done to aid in the diagnosis of heart failure. First a complete history and physical examination will be performed, followed by one or more of the following: chest x-ray to detect enlarged heart and pulmonary congestion; electrocardiogram (ECG) is used to assess hypertrophy, ischemia, and arrhythmias; echocardiograms assess blood flow and left ventricular function; cardiac catheterization may show ventricular dilation, coronary artery occlusion, and valvular disorders. Serum blood testes include: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is very specific for detecting heart failure. Electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (to rule out kidney disease); complete blood count (CBC) is used to rule out anemia and infection; Arterial blood gasses (ABGs). (Myers, 484) These are just a few of the main diagnostic tools used to detect or eliminate heart failure and determine the cause. (Buckler,15-17) Treatment is patient specific and will focus on the underlying cause and severity of the heart failure. Pharmacologic interventions may include; ACE inhibitors to decrease cardiac hypertrophy and afterload, these are the first line of pharmacologic interventions. Diuretics are used to decrease fluid overload, beta blockers are used to improve cardiac output, and an anticoagulant may be needed. These medications along with cessation of smoking, close and accurate daily weight monitoring, low sodium diet to help eliminate fluid retention, a high potassium diet may be needed if a thiazide diuretic is prescribed, regular light activity with appropriate rest periods, within the parameters set by the physician, and oxygen therapy. Myers,487-89) Before discharge it is imperative that the patient and family understand the purpose, dosage, schedule, and route of administration of all the medications they are taking, as well as the side effects that need to be reported to their physician. Avoid any over-the-counter medications that may contain sodium, and if they are unsure of a medication, cons ult the physician or pharmacist. They need to understand the level and importance of daily activity and when to stop exercising and when to report to their physician; what procedure should be done when assessing their daily weight and the importance of notifying the physician of daily weight gain of two to three pounds of weekly gain of five pounds. They should also know the importance of the low sodium diet; or high potassium diet if their on a thiazide diuretic, and maintain their fluid restriction. (Buckler,19-20) Supportive resources should be provided to the patient and family. Any knowledge deficit in these areas can have dangerous consequences. Beers, 657-68 ) Patients will often experience shortness of breath, which will increase anxiety. They need to know that the anxiety can exacerbate the shortness of breath. Teaching the patient to sit in the Fowlers position, how to use oxygen as prescribed will help decrease the demand of oxygen. (Beers, 657) Patients should be aware of the different relaxation therapi es that they can practice to help alleviate stress and help slow their breathing; they need to know how and when to use any inhalers they may have prescribed, and the signs and symptoms of any side effects. I choose to research heart failure because of the amount of people that have the disease, its devastating effects on a person lifestyle, and the many underlying diseases that can lead to the disease. Heart failure may not be curable in most cases, however with a strict adherence to the medication, exercise, diet, fluid restriction; a patient has a chance to stop the progression of the underlying cause, therefore avoiding heart failure. References Beers, Mark. ed. , et al. Merck manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. New Jersey: Merck Research Laboratories, 16th ed. 2006. Buckler, L. (2009). Managing Heart Failure. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. May/ June, 12-20. Center for Disease Control. (2009, Nov 20). Heart Failure Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: http://cdc. gov/dhdsp/library/fs_heart_failure. htm Myers, Tamara, ed. â€Å"Heart Failure. † Mosby’s Medical Dictionary. 8th ed. 2009. Mosby Elsevier. Williams, Linda, Paula Hopper. ed. Understanding Medical Surgical Nursing. Pennsylvania: F. A. Davis Company, 3rd ed. 2007, 480-496.

Do Violent Video Games Encourage Negative Behavior

DO VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ENCOURAGE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN? HEATHER E. BANWART COMPOSITION II NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY November 13, 2014 Abstract The following paper is inspired by my own observations of my youngest child after he’s been playing a violent video game. The information gathered and presented in this paper is to show how violent video games may encourage negative behaviors in a child after exposure. There have been a number of studies conducted to support the argument that children are influenced by the games. However, you will also see there is also little concern for what may be considered â€Å"long term damage† to a child’s development and very little evidence showing these types of games change a person†¦show more content†¦One in particular is called â€Å"God of War†. This is about a man, Kratos that commits suicide by jumping off a cliff after his wife and child are murdered by the God of War. In the plot, Zeus gives Kratos powers to fight the God of War as the God has now declared war upon all mankind. In the game, you play Kratos and fight your way out of the de pths of hell, battle demons and monsters that the God has released and then eventually battle the God himself. It is an incredibly well made, entertaining game. For adults. Each weekend my son comes home after spending hours on end slaughtering monsters and having sex with prostitutes in this game and beats up his sisters over every dispute for the next two or so days. My argument? Video games have a negative impact on our youth’s behavior. Statistically, it is difficult to correlate a direct behavioral effect of playing violent video games. Effectively evaluating violent behavior in children after playing video games has a great number of variables including environmental and cultural influences. Violence is no new concept to human beings regardless of age. Until recent years when school shootings and other extreme violent acts appeared in the media, no one was paying attention in great detail. Now society seeks a scapegoat for their children’s behavior and poor choices. The blame seems to have shifted from the parents and toward the teachers,