Saturday, December 28, 2019

Atonement, By Ian Mcewan - 1426 Words

The famous Indian author Faraaz Kazi once said, â€Å"All the good times evaporated like naphtha, the moment some air of misconceptions touched it.† Good times are lost in the novel Atonement, by Ian McEwan, due to the misfortunate events involving the main characters ultimately leading to despair and tragedy. The story teller of the novel is a young girl named Briony who lives an egocentric life and has a passion for writing. Her sister Cecilia and a young man named Robbie are star crossed lovers that yearn for each other in a secret passion that becomes exposed by Briony. As Briony is flustered by the situation at hand she comes to the conclusion that Robbie is mentally ill and a sex maniac. The tensions rise and boil over when Briony sees a†¦show more content†¦Cecilia decides to break away from her family and resents them for the rest of her life. Even when Robbie tries to convince her to rekindle her relationships Cecilia claims she has to desire to do so becaus e she points out that â€Å"when they wrecked your life they wrecked mine (McEwan 253). In a way Cecilia s revenge on her family for not only turning on Robbie, but her as well is shown in her distance and lack of communication she has with them. It is revealed that she never forgives her sister for what she did to her life and she never is able to presume her relationship with Robbie because she dies in a bombing attack during the war. Cecilia is not able to reverse the ripple effect of Briony s misconception due to her disconnect with her family, separation with her lover, and her death. Cecilia s lover Robbie Turner is the other protagonist who is mainly impacted by Briony s false pretenses. His life was not only turned upside down, but also ruined for the rest of his life. No one questions his guilt or tries to prove his innocence besides Cecilia. The Tallis family who once treated him like another son stabbed his back without questioning it. Briony took away his freedom and al so his dreams. Mr. Tallis was going to put Robbie through medical school so he could pursue his ideal job as a doctor. Robbie was not equal with the Tallis societal status, but his intelligence put him on an even playing field.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Atonement by Ian McEwan785 Words   |  4 PagesAtonement by Ian McEwan Atonement comes from an at onement, the idea being that penance and suffering allows us to be at one with God or ourselves. The central theme of atonement is that of seeking forgiveness. This is manifested through the characters and their actions. In the book Atonement by Ian McEwan, the act carried out by Briony sets of a chain of events, for which either atonement is sought or society seeks atonement from. Brionys character is described as being compulsivelyRead MoreNovel: ‘Atonement’ by Ian Mcewan1242 Words   |  5 PagesNovel: ‘Atonement’ by Ian McEwan Social structures, upper class faà §ades and the meaning of truth are just some of the themes that Ian McEwan reveals in his book, ‘Atonement,’ through the various interrelationships of his characters. The characters and how they relate to each other help us as readers come to a better understanding of our own lives as through the novel we are forced into the tumultuous lives of the wealthy, naive and deceitful. Although this may seem far extreme compared to ourRead More`` Atonement `` By Ian Mcewan1699 Words   |  7 Pageslead to difficult situations sometimes critical and can hurt someone in the long run and someday, it’ll be too late to try to make up for it when they die or they were put through difficult situations they couldn’t resist. In continuation, Ian McEwan’s â€Å"Atonement†, tells the story of an innocent girl who misjudges/misinterprets several situations. She lives in an enormous house surrounded by family and she is upset a bout her plans not going as planned. Briony, because she is still at an egocentricRead MoreAnalysis of Atonement by Ian McEwan1901 Words   |  8 PagesAtonement by Ian McEwan Part One: Introduction Atonement by Ian McEwan falls under the genre of fiction, mystery, and suspense. The word Atonement means reparation for a wrongdoing. The book is set time of pre, present, and post World War II. The book references many well know works including Grey’s Anatomy, Macbeth, and Hamlet. Briony Tallis plays the role of both the protagonist and the antagonist in this piece. She is the main character and the story is told primarily through her eyes. BrionyRead MoreAnalysis Of Mcewan s Atonement By Ian Mcewan1090 Words   |  5 Pagesuncontrollable misfortunes in life, there seems to be two main ways to handle it: either ignore it, or face it then and there. Ian McEwan’s Atonement is a prime example of this struggle in dealing with traumatic situations. In Paper One, I stated that McEwan suggests the best way to deal with life’s traumas is to face them head on rather than to completely ignore them. McEwan shows this through the mistakes Briony makes as her innocence mis guides her into a divided relationship with her sister CeciliaRead MoreAnalysis Of Ian Mcewan s Atonement1757 Words   |  8 PagesCalifornia State University, Fullerton Atonement Topic 1 Khanh Dinh Le LBST 401 Professor Tobias March 7th, 2015 While it is widely accepted that historical or descriptive narratives produce knowledge, is the same true of fiction? Can fictional narratives such as novels produce knowledge, and if so, what kind? Consider this question in relation to Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. It would be very difficult for anyone to find a person who stated that historicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Ian Mcewan s Atonement1782 Words   |  8 Pagesnovels meaning. The novel Atonement is a prime example where the author Ian McEwan, transports the reader into a fiction narrative that demonstrates literary devices effortlessly. Within my analysis I hope to highlight McEwan’s use of metaphors, setting, and dynamic characters just as he demonstrated in Atonement. In the process, I will identify why McEwan’s desire to create a structure of words and literary devices to run side by side with the McEwan’s theme of guilt and atonement is vital to the understandingRead MoreSocial Class Discrepancy In Atonement By Ian Mcewan1348 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Class Discrepancy and its Evolution with Crime: How British Class Development Separated the Upper and Lower Class through Police Intervention and Class Prejudice. Taking place in the 1930s, and later just before the start of the 2000s, Atonement, by Ian McEwan, uncovers the truth and manipulations of a selfish child, Briony. We watch as she causes everlasting damage to the relationships between members of the greater Tallis family. After falsely accusing Robbie Turner, family friend and childhoodRead MoreAnalysis Of Ian Mcewan s Atonement 2466 Words   |  10 PagesHayden Webster Mr. Drake AP Lit and Comp 23 November 2014 Title: Atonement Author: Ian McEwan Year of Publication: 2001 Characters Briony Tallis: Briony Tallis is the protagonist of Atonement. Though Briony has two older siblings, Leon and Cecilia, they are both at least ten years her senior. Therefore, Briony grows up virtually as an only child and as a result is quite self-centered. Briony is introduced to readers when she is working on her play The Trials of Arabella. Through Briony’s writingRead MoreThe Film Atonement By Ian Mcewan1335 Words   |  6 PagesThe 2007 film Atonement was based on Ian McEwan’s original novel which he published in 2001 with the same title. The film was directed by British director Joe Wright and stars actor/ actresses James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan in this romantic war drama. Filming was done in locations throughout Great Britain, which is where most of the films setup takes place. The film was was nominated for seven Academy Awards and walked away with Best Original Score. Atonement begins in the Tallis

Friday, December 20, 2019

Essay on Cultural Anthro - Karl Marx - 1293 Words

amp;#8220;Where some possess much, and the others nothing, there may arise an extreme- either out of the most rampant democracy, or out of an oligarchy.; This was once said by Aristotle who was probably the first to recognize the importance of a middle class. A powerful debate whether the middle class is essentially defined by cultural or economic factors still remains an issue. A rich tradition is devoted to disentangling economic from cultural components of a class. According to Karl Marx, the middle class is an outgrowth of economic factors, primarily capitalism. Many people tend to disagree with Marx that capitalism is the only important factor in the outgrowth of the middle class. Judith R. Blau argues that her understanding of†¦show more content†¦Blau believes that although economic factors defined class lines, the real differences were not so much economic as linked to the cultural significance of differences in lifestyles and occupations. The middle class increasing ly defined a cultural basis for itself, and cultural roles played an increasing role in shaping institutions. Lifestyles and institutions that provided the vital cultural identity of the American middle class in the early origins were contingent on a set of unique historical conditions. These conditions initially involved great economic inequalities, with the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small minority and a substantial proportion of the population living at or below subsistence wages. This was followed by rapidly increasing affluence and declining inequalities. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Judith Blau explains how amp;#8216;having rootsamp;#8217; and cultural heritage became a part of the class lifestyle. Rules regarding class identity became increasingly flexible as middle class lifestyle and the cultural codes of the middle class became widely shared while sufficient numbers of people were close enough to immigrant origins to celebrate diversity. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Many factors after the Great Depression made the celebration of diversity possible. First, New Deal provisions improved the income of workers and expanded jobs. Second, economic growth helped to reduce the

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

A Tale of Two CitiesCharacter Development Essay Example For Students

A Tale of Two CitiesCharacter Development Essay Topic: In a Tale of Two Cities, none of Dickens characters show any development atall during the time span of the novel. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to at least two characters. This statement cannot be totally agreed or disagreed with, as there is a substantial argument for both sides. * Lucie Manette does not develop at all. Her kind, compassionate and submissive ways, remain constant. Her strong selfless, and caring personality is not influenced by other characters or events. * Charles Darnay is another character who does not develop. He remains a kind man. * Madame Defarge is always seen as a woman with evil and revengeful ideas, right up until her death. * Dr. Manette develops greatly throughout the time span of the novel. He is recalled to life (page 41), from his dead, shoe-making period in his life. Although he relapses into his shoe-making mode, when he is reminded of these days, he eventually overcomes it. He starts a new life with his daughter. * Sydney Carton develops significantly in the novel. He is firstly presented as an alcoholic slob, who doesnt really care about life and is considered to be of a moody nature (page 179). His drinking and pessimistic ways begin to diminish, after her tells Lucie of his love for her. He becomes a kind man, who even sacrifices his life for Charles Darnay, so that Lucie may be happy. Bibliography:

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Common Currency for Asian Countries-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Should ASEAN Countries adopt a Common Currency like Euro? Why do you think so? Answer: Introduction This report reflects the key understanding on the common Currency for ASEAN countries and whether ASEAN countries should be inclined towards adopting this common currency or not. With the ramified changes and economic growth of the international countries, ASEAN countries have faced various problems and economic destruction throughout the time. However, this report, has also reflected the issue which European countries have faced due to sluggish economic conditions of EU members and downfall of Euro currency throughout the time. There are several pros and cons of adopting the common currency which must be taken into consideration before considering whether there should be Common Currency for ASEAN countries or not. In this report, the impact of EURO crises and its impact on the other EU members and benefits arise from adopting same currency has been taken into consideration. Members of ASEAN countries There are several countries that have fallen under the ASEAN countries regional block named such asThailand,Vietnam,Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,Singapore,Myanmar (Burma),Cambodia,Laos,Brunei [1] The association of Southeast Asian Nations is the regional intergovernmental organization comprising with the ten Southeast Asian States which promotes all the facilities and economic growth of these countries Factors that affect the adoption of common currency for ASEAN countries After evaluating various factors and issues of the regional blocks that have adopted Common Currency for the betterment of their economic growth, it is considered that European countries have shown a good example for considering Common Currency for ASEAN countries. It is evaluated that all the EU members have been facing various issues and problems due to sluggish market conditions of one country members. Demonetization and decline of currency value due to the negative factor of one country member of EU has drastically affected the economic growth of other country member. One of the real problems that have been considered in Europe due to Common Currency adoption is related to divergence[2] This has shown that in EU regional blocks weaker countries Luxemburg Belgium have faced the drastic loss and has got weaker. On the other hand, strong economy of other country member of EU like Germany, Switzerland, Finland have stronger than others. This level of divergence is the most impacting factors for adopting Common Currency for ASEAN countries. Moreover, common currency for ASEAN countries also depends upon the internal and external factors of these ASEAN countries such as international policies, double taxation avoidance agreement, economic growth, GDP, national income and international trade associated with these countries [3] Impact of changing market policies and capital market of one country on other countries With the ramified changes of the capital market growth and other internal and external factors of these ASEAN countries, it is observed that stock market fluctuation and growth of the one economy is completely depends upon the import and export of the country [4] For instance, if the import and export of one country is reduce by a particular percentage then the impact of that decline in international trade will be seen by observing the downfall in the stock market. It is considered that growth of the economy of particular country is based on the positive balance of trade. For instance, in Switzerland, it has increased its positive balance of trade by 20% as compared to last five years data. In addition to this, Germany has also increased its overall economic growth and efficiency of business by 22% throughout the time. It has shown that if balance of trade is positive then it will not only increase the GDP of that country but also increase the currency value of that country on intern ational level. On the other hand, adoption of Common Currency for ASEAN countries will diminish these level of interlink between all of these factors. For instance, if all of these countries such as ASEAN countries regional block named such as Thailand,Vietnam,Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,Singapore,Myanmar (Burma),Cambodia,Laos,Brunei would go for adoption of Common Currency for ASEAN countries then these countries will be highly impacted by the international trade among their own regional blocks and will create divergence in their own economy. It will result to weaker countries of ASEAN group will become weaker and after that stronger economy such as Singapore and Thailand will become stronger. This level of mismanagement in these member countries will destruct the value of the regional blocks and will result to widespread difference in economic value. Achieving the object of two principles goal after adoption of Common Currency for ASEAN countries There are several positive and negative factors such as convergence, divergence, prosperity and growth of these countries [5]However, with the change in economic factors and increased international trade, if ASEAN countries adopt Common Currency for ASEAN members then it will destruct the value of currency of these countries on international level. These countries will have to go through the denomination process which will surely reduce the level of international trade and international policies created such as double taxation avoidance agreement, zero tariffs and trait policies and other agreements. Another issue is related to the one of the renowned example Grease economic disaster which has affected the other EU member and denomination of euro on international level. This has shown the clear example whether ASEAN countries should go for adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members[6] Constraints on the adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members The main problem which ASEAN countries will face is related to sustaining the common currency for these ASEAN members on long run. Sustaining the common currency may be even more difficult for these countries than adopting it. However, there are main four constraints which will be surely faced by these countries such as diversity in level of economic growth, weakness in financial market, reduction of the value of the currency and lack of political understanding and corporation on monetary outcomes and common currency value. For instance, most of the import and export of these countries is done between them. If these countries will have common currency value on their particular national level then on the international level, value of these currencies will be reduced. Foreign exchange currency is the main factors to create value on the currency amount. If these ASEAN countries will have common currency then they will end up by having no foreign exchange currency and they will end up by paying more money for importing required amount of goods and services[7] Globally perspective for adopting common currency for all of these ASEAN members It is considered that issue of cost and benefits while adopting common currency for all of these ASEAN members should be gauged through the global perspective. However, the main benefit of adopting common currency for all of these ASEAN members is related to balance economic trade and zero tariff rates among all of these countries. This level of policies and plan will increase the GDP and international trade rate among these countries. On the other hand, the main cost which all of these countries would be facing is related to divergence due to denomination of currency value on the international level. If ASEAN countries fail to collect foreign funds then it will not only reduce the currency value on international level but also increase the cost of international trade. This level of business and policies and understanding on the cost associated with the ASEAN countries could be observed by evaluating the US international policies and currency value [8] Positive factor while adopting common currency for ASIANE country In ASEAN summit, it was suggested in 2011 that one day one day ASIAN countries could might even take over the role of US dollar and Euro value on the international market. It is considered that portents of ASIAN monetary integration points to growth in the international trade as pre-condition for the future financial growth and integration of these countries [9] However adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members will also increase the efficiency of these members country value and fiscal policies. For instance, fiscal policies of these countries will showcase the common economic growth and efficient international market growth of these countries. The EURO problems and downfall of their international growth is also the prominent factor to consider whether adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members should be done or not. Nonetheless, ASEAN countries could take chance for adopting common currency but for that it has to reform new polices and measures to ma ke betterment in their international trade and value growth of their ASEAN currency[10] Secondly, adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members will also be more defensive rather than offensive on international level. However, EURO financial crises and down fall of international trade has triggered the international integration of these ASEAN countries to create shield against all the negative factors and international reforms in determined approach[11] Other associated factors for adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members. The EURO financial crises have shown that common currency adoption will create stronger shield against sluggish international market condition and negative economic growth. It may result to increased divergence between all of these countries and create differences between for all of these members that will destruct the international trade. Adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members will strengthen the policies and measure of fiscal and international trade agreements[12] However, ASEAN countries should be more inclined towards adopting economic integration than looking for adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members. [13] Considering factors After evaluating the US economic policies and EURO crises, it is considered that ASEAN countries should be more inclined towards adopting economic integration than looking for adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members. This level of international fiscal policies and governance integration will enhance the positive balance of trade and reduce the import and export tariff and traits in all of these countries. In addition to this, it will also help ASEAN countries to create shield against international financial crises at large. Conclusion After evaluating and considering all of these factors and international policies, it is observed that if ASEAN countries could integrate economic policies and common governance policies then it increase the overall economic growth of these countries. The main important outcomes of taking all of these countries for the economic integration will be related to creating shield against all the financial crises and negative outcomes of international policies. If ASEAN countries are looking for adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members then it will result to several negative outcomes and will result to demonitisation of these country money values on international level. It is considered that value of the money of particular country is completely based on the foreign exchange rate and funds reserved by these countries. If these countries will indulged in adoption of common currency for all of these ASEAN members then other countries may protest against these countries by not entering into international transactions or creating international barrios for these countries international economic growth. References Acharya, Amitav.Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order. Routledge, 2014. Alvarado, Sylvia. "Analysis of the optimum currency area for ASEAN and ASEAN+ 3."Journal of US-China Public Administration11, no. 12 (2014): 995-1004. Alvarado, Sylvia. "Analysis of the optimum currency area for ASEAN and ASEAN+ 3."Journal of US-China Public Administration11, no. 12 (2014): 995-1004. Biondi, S. I. M. A. "Can the ASEAN Regional Integration Lead to A Single Currency in Southeast Asia?."WANUA: Jurnal Hubungan Internasional1, no. 2 (2016). Chao, Roger Y. "Pathways to an East Asian Higher Education Area: a comparative analysis of East Asian and European regionalization processes."Higher Education68, no. 4 (2014): 559-575. Dent, Christopher M.East Asian Regionalism. Routledge, 2016. Do, Hung Quang, M. Ishaq Bhatti, and Lszl Konya. "On ASEAN capital market and industry integration: a review."Corporate Ownership and Control Journal2, no. 1 (2016): 8-23. Eichengreen, Barry, and Tamim Bayoumi. "Is Asia an optimum currency area? Can it become one? Regional, global and historical perspectives on Asian monetary relations."Center for International and Development Economics Research(1996). Madhur, Srinivasa. "12. Costs and benefits of a common currency for the ASEAN."East Asia's Monetary Future: Integration in the Global Economy(2004): 231. Mink, Mark. "Measuring stock market contagion: Local or common currency returns?."Emerging Markets Review22 (2015): 18-24. Thao, Ngo Nhat Ha Ly Thu. "A cluster-based approach for identifying ASEAN 5+ 3 Possibility of forming a common currency." (2014). Aziz, Jahangir, Francesco Caramazza, and Ranil Salgado. "Currency crises: in search of common elements." (2000). Cabanac, Michel. "Pleasure: the common currency."Journal of theoretical Biology155, no. 2 (2012): 173-200. Chow, Hwee Kwan, and Yoonbai Kim. "A common currency peg in East Asia? Perspectives from Western Europe."Journal of Macroeconomics25, no. 3 (2003): 331-350. Cabanac, Michel. "Pleasure: the common currency."Journal of theoretical Biology155, no. 2 (2012): 173-200. Chow, Hwee Kwan, and Yoonbai Kim. "A common currency peg in East Asia? Perspectives from Western Europe."Journal of Macroeconomics25, no. 3 (2003): 331-350. Aziz, Jahangir, Francesco Caramazza, and Ranil Salgado. "Currency crises: in search of common elements." (2000). Thao, Ngo Nhat Ha Ly Thu. "A cluster-based approach for identifying ASEAN 5+ 3 Possibility of forming a common currency." (2014). Mink, Mark. "Measuring stock market contagion: Local or common currency returns?."Emerging Markets Review22 (2015): 18-24. Madhur, Srinivasa. "12. Costs and benefits of a common currency for the ASEAN."East Asia's Monetary Future: Integration in the Global Economy(2004): 231. Eichengreen, Barry, and Tamim Bayoumi. "Is Asia an optimum currency area? Can it become one? Regional, global and historical perspectives on Asian monetary relations."Center for International and Development Economics Research(1996). Do, Hung Quang, M. Ishaq Bhatti, and Lszl Konya. "On ASEAN capital market and industry integration: a review."Corporate Ownership and Control Journal2, no. 1 (2016): 8-23. Dent, Christopher M.East Asian Regionalism. Routledge, 2016. Biondi, S. I. M. A. "Can the ASEAN Regional Integration Lead to A Single Currency in Southeast Asia?."WANUA: Jurnal Hubungan Internasional1, no. 2 (2016). Chao, Roger Y. "Pathways to an East Asian Higher Education Area: a comparative analysis of East Asian and European regionalization processes."Higher Education68, no. 4 (2014): 559-575. Alvarado, Sylvia. "Analysis of the optimum currency area for ASEAN and ASEAN+ 3."Journal of US-China Public Administration11, no. 12 (2014): 995-1004 Acharya, Amitav.Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order. Routledge, 201 Thao, Ngo Nhat Ha Ly Thu. "A cluster-based approach for identifying ASEAN 5+ 3 Possibility of forming a common currency." (2014).

Sunday, November 24, 2019

What Does Your Handshake Say About You

What Does Your Handshake Say About You We all think we have a killer handshake. And we’ve all shaken a few hands that left us feeling†¦ less than impressed. Find out if any of these subpar shakes apply to you. The Cold FishThe worst handshake is the limp handshake. It makes everybody squeamish. If you’re not squeezing or shaking, but merely laying your hand (or worse, just your fingers!) into someone else’s, then it might be time for remedial work.The Wet FishRegardless of the limpness factor, if your hand is sweaty or clammy, you don’t stand a chance of making a good first impression. Clamminess implies that you are nervous- or worse, ill- or just generally moist. If sweating is a problem for you, try using a bit of talc after you wash your hands to keep them dry.The PrincessYou know who you are. You lay your fingers daintily into someone else’s waiting grip, but nothing further. Unless you’re actually royalty, this is sending all the wrong signals. Man up and shake hands!Th e Knuckle CrusherYou also know who you are. You enjoy watching people flinch as you shock and awe them with your grip and grasp. If you’re not aware of your own strength, ask yourself: does your handshake make people’s eyes water? Can you feel their rings crushing their fingers? If so, go a little gentler.The CreeperIndustry standard is grab, shake three times, release. If you’re lingering any longer than the time it takes to pump your interviewer’s hand a couple of times, then you’re lingering too long. Save the tender contact for the dinner table with your sweetheart and get back to business.The Two-HanderThis is for family on occasions such as funerals and weddings and reunions. Or for your Great Aunt Rita. Or for politicians and priests. It’s not for you. And certainly not for the office. Stick to the basics!We make our first impression in just over five minutes; that’s not a lot of time. Don’t spoil it with a bad handshake .Instead, follow the golden rule: warm, friendly, confident, and dry. Make sure to touch the web of your hand (between your thumb and index finger) to theirs, grip comfortably and firmly (not too firmly!), shake three times (but not religiously!), let go, and smile your surest smile.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

About me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About me - Essay Example My family has never faced any financial challenges but my father wanted me to experience every field of work to realize the importance of all kinds of jobs. My first job experience was at Starbucks; I worked there in 2001 and learned that every job needs hard work and commitment to excel. I was often discouraged by my peers and their families about working in a coffee shop; they did not understand the purpose of my work when my father owned companies to his name. My answer to this query was always that my father wants me to learn the real meaning of life and that it is not easy to earn money in life. Then, in the summer of 2002, I worked in a car workshop as a mechanic. I learned many new things about cars during my experience in the workshop. This is when I started loving cars and car racing became one of my hobbies. My love for cars has been analogous to a mother’s love for her babies. That place is special to me also because I bought my first car from there. In the last sum mer before graduation, I worked in a reputable advertising firm; I really enjoyed working there and felt as if this field of work is meant for me. The respective job experience made me realize that I needed to pursue my studies in the field of marketing since it interested me the most. Therefore, I have come to USA to continue my Masters in the field of marketing and to make my parents proud of my accomplishments.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Accounting for Costa Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting for Costa Company - Essay Example expenses 4,500 Property taxes 6,500 Rent 22,000 Operating Income 84,100 1. The case of Costa Company reflects a case having one error in the valuation of closing inventory recorded in the company’s books and one omission of sale transaction. Both types of mistakes made by the company can have significant impact on the true reflection of the company’s financial position. As in the case of incorrect valuation of inventories being overstated has a negative impact on the book value of the company and at the same time it causes costs of goods sold to be understated. The understatement of cost of goods sold has a positive impact on the company’s profitability (Weygandt, Kimmel, & Kieso, 2010). This is often done by managers in order to fictitiously boost the company’s profits in the short term to gain certain financial benefits and later on losses are recorded in books, which would ultimately have a negative effect on shareholders’ value invested in the c ompany. Moreover, companies are often involved in changing methods of inventory valuation i.e. FIFO, LIFO, and Average Costing between accounting periods, which if performed without proper scrutiny could lead to major change in the value of the company’s closing inventory and hence, making the financial statements incorrect reflections of the business position. It is therefore necessary for businesses and regulators to ensure that companies maintain uniformity in the selection and application of the accounting standards. If it is deemed necessary then previous accounts must also be revised to reflect the true position of the company’s business (Fridson & Alvarez, 2011). On the other hand, omissions are regarded as certain transactions or amounts deliberately or non-deliberately left out of the company’s books and no entries are made by the company (Warren, Reeve, & Duchac, 2012). In the case of Costa Company, although the amount of sale transaction was not signi ficantly high, but certain transactions could surely mislead the company’s financial position reported to shareholders. This would cause understate profit of the company and hence, it would affect the equity position of the company which is reported as retained earnings in the company’s balance sheet (Porter & Norton, 2010). 2. From the income statement of Costa Company as prepared above it could be indicated that the company is generating a gross profit of $211,790 which is arrived at after deducting costs of goods sold after making adjustment to the closing inventory value from the company’s revenues, which are also adjusted for the missing transaction of $5,000. This reflects that the company is operating at high gross profit margin of almost 34% in the year 2012. After deducting all operating expenses and property taxes the company has generated a net income of $84,100. This is lesser than before which was recorded without taking into account errors and miss tatements. This indicates that if companies fail to take into business transactions or wrongly value and report an entry then this could lead to falsification of the entire financial statement and incorrect information passed onto shareholders who rely on the financial statements for their decisions (Fridson & Alvarez, 2011). This reflects that the company has a net profit margin of 13.5%. All these indicators reflect that the company is a profitable entity and shareholders can expect good returns on their investments in the company. 3. Costa Company 31-Dec-12 Balance Sheet Current Assets Accounts receivable 18,000 Cash 41,500 Inventory

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Discussing Linguistics Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussing Linguistics Issues - Assignment Example â€Å"Phatic Communication† refers to everyday small talk. It may consist of repeatedly and trite phrases. However, it is impossible to live without any phatic communication throughout the day regardless of how clichà ©d it appears to be. It may be verbal or non-verbal. Verbal communications would include " hi" and "hello", small talk about weather, sports and politics, while non-verbal communications would consist of waving to a friend at the bus stop or ending a business deal with a firm handshake. In the cyber world, chat rooms are a perfect example of phatic communications. Phatic communications are usually devoid of any facts or figures or useful information, but it helps an individual, to a great extent, to socialize with ease and to remain in touch with one's colleagues, friends, family members without putting any pressure to be informative on him or her (Michael Pollick) Meaning of a word refers to a feature common to all scenarios. That means a word would carrying all meanings, which would be appropriate socially, culturally and also conforms to reality. However, the true and complete meaning of a word is only understood when used while socializing with other people. However, there is never one meaning of the word. Different people use a word differently, in different situations. "Social Meaning" refers to the meaning of a word that is most commonly used. A word may have many meanings but there might be few or one that is most frequently used by people while communicating and socializing with other people this is the "social meaning" of the word. (Bloch, Trager,1942)

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Wifes Story Ursula Le Guin

The Wifes Story Ursula Le Guin Ursula Le Guin tells us in The Wifes Story, about a woman who meets a man who would later become her husband and father to her children. This story has a great twist on what the werewolf and human perspective. Told from the wifes view, it shows her love for her husband and children. As time goes on she notices something different about her husband. Having to choose between the two of her loves, she will have to make a decision of whether to save her husband or her children. Ursula Le Guin will show us how our minds can be trick into believing what we perceive. Many times our views will be predetermined before we gather all the facts. Often times siding to what we hold to be right or wrong, good or evil. After reading this story and gathering all the facts, it is amazing on how fast we switch our thoughts on which side we emphasize with. Not only will the readers allegiances that are put to the test but also the wifes. Through the telling of this story she will manipulate our imaginations. She will lead us to the complete opposite of what we are thinking. It will not be until the ending that we find out we have been tricked. Being told from the wifes view, we sympathize with the wife. She will lead us into believing that her husband is cursed and is changing, that this once good and loving man is turning evil and is going to be a danger to her and her children After watching the way the he interacts with his mother and playing with the children, she finds him to be a kind and gentle man. Anyone that nice must be worth knowing (Le Guin, 2012, p 29). He always seemed to be happy, never in a foul mood. This is what would eventually lead her to fall in love with him. The wife describes him as a good husband and a good father (Le Guin, 2012, p 29). Being a young and hard worker he was look up to by the community. This is a recipe for the perfect man for her. During the first year of their marriage, life was wonderful for them. Soon we will start to see changes from him. As their life goes on, she starts to describe strange behavior from him. He would start waking up during the night. Unable to sleep, he would tell her he was going off to hunt. After these trips he seemed to be different, tired and worn. This good natured man would be terse and short, not wanting to talk about where or what he was doing. His wife would also know that there was a scent to him that could not be washed away, It would be in his hair and in our bed for days (Le Guin, 2012, p 30).This starts to give us the idea that the wife is starting to be concerned about what is happing to her husband. Le Guin gives us clues as to what this behavior stems from. Giving us key words she leads us to believe that this man is turning into a beast. The curse comes from his fathers blood and it only happens in the dark of the moon (Le Guin, 2012, pp. 29, 30). She also tells us the he is not from around these parts, a stranger here with no ties to the community. There is very little known about his true background. Le Guin was careful to not give to many details about how the story would turn. She lets the readers imagination take them where they lead themselves too. This would give us a realization as we find out how our own thoughts and preconceptions can betray us. The wifes suspicions start to grow, along with our own. When the youngest of the children seemingly just overnight (Le Guin, 2012, p 30), starts to fear her father, we have a sense that that the wife is not the only one who notices these changes. The father tries to play the fear of the child off as a bad dream. The wife still does not want to believe what she feels, admonishes the baby for her bad behavior. We discern now, that he knows there is something terribly wrong with him. He is either in denial or does not want his family and community to find out the truth. As she states that he kept away that whole dayprobably sensing the beginning the dark of the moon (Le Guin, 2010, p 30) Not only do we believe that the wife is in danger but, now also the whole family. As most of us probably have seen a werewolf movie or more, recognize what dangers may lay ahead. Now that Le Guin has our interest peaked, she will push our own thoughts even farther against us. Now that Le Guin has our full attention. She will reveal the truth of the story. The wife would wake up during the night to find that he husband is not in bed. He has once again wakened up and left. Hearing a noise she could no longer bare it (Le Guin, 2012, p 30), she goes to investigate what is going on. The wife sees her husband sitting outside. Her fears hold her in place as she starts to witness his transformation. His feet are getting longer with toes, as he starts to turn fleshy whiteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦losing his hair to become smooth skinned, his ears disappear and his eyes turn blue and white rimmedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦then standing on two legs (Le Guin, 2012, p 30). He has change into a human man. All along we have been thinking he was human and was cursed to be a werewolf. We find that the story was being told from the werewolves point of view. The wife finally sees for herself that he has been cursed, My dear love, turned into the hateful one (Le Guin, 2012, p 30). We know that the wife and werewolf community have dealt with human men before. The man thing looked around. It had no gun, like the ones from the man places do. I knew the man would kill our children if it could (Le Guin, 2012, pp. 30, 31). We get that the wolves have been hunted down before and killed by her reaction. She fears for her childrens lives even though the man in unarmed. She starts howling, alerting others of her kind. They would chase down the man and kill him.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Essay --

Genetically Modified Plants and its Impacts Biotechnology, a merging of biology and technology, has greatly contributed to our current well-being. Scientists employ biotechnology to develop medicinal treatments, alternative energy, and agricultural products. Its advances also enable scientists to alter organisms through genetic engineering, a biotechnological technique, involving modification of DNA and the transfer of gene components between species to promote replication of specific traits. Scientists apply this technique to a wide range of organisms including plants. Genetically modified plants (GM), namely transgenic plants, contain traits such as better nutritional quality, tolerance to insecticide and diseases, and greater yield. These GM crops impose benefits on human health, environment, and economics. However, a number of scientists and organizations criticize GM crops despite its advantages. The opposition argues that GM crops put potential risk on not only human health but also the environment, leading to increasi ng use of herbicide and allergic reaction in some people. Evidence regarding GM crops controversy reveals how biotech companies suppress research that would otherwise reveal adverse effects of transgenic plants to the public. Genetic engineering is a modern biotechnology technique, which allows gene slicing and transferring between one organism and another. This altered genetic make-up results in the change of certain protein production that indirectly removes or adds certain features to modified organisms. Genetic modification differs from traditional biotechnology because genes of animals, plants, and bacteria can be combined to create organisms with altered traits that would not occur naturally. This tech... ...n manipulating and limiting independent research on GM plants clearly undermines the credibility of information obtained through research institutions funded by these companies. The majority of published researches has shown potential benefits of GM plants in producing more nutritious foods, decreasing use of insecticide, and increasing farmers’ profits. However, there is a tendency that these studies are conducted in favor of biotech companies. The studies on GM plants’ negative impacts are still scarce due to manipulation by biotech companies. Due to the lack of independent scientific research on the impacts of transgenic plants, it is crucial for consumer to have the right to choose whether they want to consume GM plants or not. To do so, GM labeling law must be passed. And it can only be done if more consumers participate and support the GM labeling movement. â€Æ'

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Amendment 2 “The Right to Bear Arms”

This report provides background information about the Second Amendment. Also it offers a viewpoint on the magnitude and nature of the problem â€Å"right to keep and bear arms† and discusses the two competing interpretations that predominates the Second Amendment. Furthermore this report identifies political, cultural, administrative, and law enforcement realities that pose enormous obstructions to formulating, passing, implementing, as well as enforcing more gun controls. IntroductionRegardless of being the subject of huge popular and political controversy, until relatively recently the Second Amendment was one of the most neglected areas of constitutional scholarship. The regulation of arms is not just a technical problem. It is an extremely charged ideological and emotional issue that carries an incredible amount of symbolic baggage. For American society, the debate over gun control is more like the debates over abortion and school prayer than like a debate over automobile safety.Millions of Americans, together with a noteworthy percentage of the intellectual elite, think that guns are bad in themselves and that owning them is at best misguided and at worst pathological. For millions of American gun owners, the right to keep and bear arms is associated to freedom and democracy; it is an article of faith similar to the belief that other Americans have in the centrality of freedom of speech and religion.That several Americans dismiss the right to bear arms as a myth that has no legal or constitutional reality is a challenge to the believers' worldview and offend to their very status in American society. It is just a short step to considering the proponents of gun prohibition as â€Å"enemies† to be resisted and condemned. Two competing interpretations of the Second Amendment predominate, the â€Å"collective† or â€Å"states' rights† interpretation and the â€Å"individual rights† interpretation.In the collective rights model , American citizens have no individual right to bear arms; such a right, it is argued, belongs merely to those in the state militias since the purpose of the Amendment was to reassure the states that through the maintenance of â€Å"well regulated† militias they would be capable to protect themselves from any danger posed by the new national government's standing army.On the contrary, advocates of the individual rights interpretation contend that the Second Amendment protects the rights of all individuals to keep and bear arms (subject to certain conditions), not just those in the state militias; that it is the â€Å"right of the people. † This, it is argued, is in reference to how the First, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments are interpreted.While the terms â€Å"republican† and â€Å"liberal† have clear-cut meanings to historians, the use of these terms can be quite confusing to the uninitiated, since the â€Å"republican† school of Second Amend ment interpretation would doubtless find themselves at variance with many Republican politicians today, and the â€Å"liberal† school of Second Amendment analysis, with a few notable exceptions, would probably prefix the word â€Å"classical† before calling themselves liberals of any sort. (Clayton E. Cramer, 1994).The republican school asserts that the right to keep and bear arms was an outgrowth of republicanism, intended to protect the society from the related evils of a standing army and tyranny. While the arms might be broadly distributed, they would still be possessed by the population for the purpose of collective action against a foreign army, or a domestic tyrant. (Clayton E. Cramer, 1994). The liberal school asserts that the right was individual, a logical outgrowth of the right to self-defense. Such arms would be for the defense of the individual against private criminals; there was no need for a collective purpose or ownership.(Clayton E. Cramer, 1994). Whe n it comes to the question of identify the intellectual and historical antecedents of the Second Amendment, there is, again, broad agreement between the collective and individual rights theorists. Whether tracing its roots through the Florentine political tradition and Machiavelli or the radical English Whig tradition of James Harrington, John Trenchard, and Thomas Gordon, both sides accept that the Second Amendment has to be understood, at least in part, in terms of republicanism.Particularly, there is no argument that an armed citizenry was, as militia members contend, an essential component of eighteenth-century republican thought. The cause for this, in Gordon Wood's memorable phrase, is that republics were seen to be states of â€Å"fragile beauty† Which is to say, that due to man's continual craving for power it was believed that republics were in constant danger from both external enemies and internal corruption, and citizens' militias were regarded as very important i n resisting these dangers.(Gordon S. Wood, 1969) Certainly, the militia movement's engagement with republicanism assists to elucidate why it reacts to any attempt at gun control with horror. After all, it was a commonplace of eighteenth-century republicanism that merely tyrannical governments would attempt to disarm their people. Voicing such concerns-and linking them to the sacrifices made by America's Revolutionary generation-the U. S. Militia takes the view that even though â€Å"foreign governments may disarm their subjects, we will not go down that road.† â€Å"We will not disarm,† they declare. As militia members see it, the right to bear arms allows Americans â€Å"to back up our other Bill of Rights. † Lose this right, they compete, and, sooner or later, they will lose all their rights. Republican support of citizens' militias went beyond the often expressed concern that standing armies might turn out to be the pawns of corrupt governments, and issues of who eventually controlled the means of force in society, however. The ownership of arms was essential to the very idea of republican citizenship.Arms, it was argued, provided the means by which a citizen could both maintain his independence and-as with jury service-actively participate in his own governance. In classical and early modern republican thought, arms were the â€Å"ultimo ratio whereby the citizen pictures his life to the protection of the state and simultaneously makes sure that the choice to expose it cannot be taken without him. It was the possession of arms which made a man a full citizen, able to, and required to display, the multiple adaptability and self-development which is the crown of citizenship. Access to arms would not create a republican citizen in itself, though.The key to citizenship certainly the key to the successful functioning of republican society as a whole-was to be found in the concept of virtue. Wood describes virtue as the â€Å"willingness o f the individual to sacrifice his private interests for the good of the community† (Gordon S. Wood, 1969) that is, to serve the common good-and the ultimate sacrifice an individual could make, certainly, was to lay down his life in defense of the republic. This is mainly worth noting since it adds a republican dimension to the obvious readiness of militia members to sacrifice themselves in emulation of their Revolutionary forefathers.Considerably, militias were seen as institutions in which citizens could be trained in virtue-where virtue would not merely be inculcated and nurtured, however as well exercised in the act of resisting the republic's enemies. Modern militia members are well aware of these aspects of republicanism: that militias were intended to offer a means for citizens to vigorously participate in the republican polity and had a vital role in instilling virtue in those citizens. Pro– and anti–gun control proponents sharply disagree regarding whethe r the Second Amendment poses an impediment to gun controls.Gun control proponents argue that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with individual rights; it guarantees merely that states can maintain organized militia units. They point to an unbroken line of court decisions that reject Second Amendment challenges to federal, state, and local gun controls. Gun owners' rights supporters cite a large and impressive composition of mostly historical scholarship that reveals that the founding fathers and, subsequently, the authors and ratifiers of the Fourteenth Amendment, intended the Second Amendment to protect the individual American's right to be armed.There is much to be said on both sides of the constitutional debate. The great majority of state constitutions have clauses protecting the right of gun ownership. The merely states whose constitutions do not hold a right to bear arms are Iowa, California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Minnesota. However, Iowa's, California's, an d New Jersey's constitutions openly protect the right to â€Å"self-defense. † Some state constitutions use the same language as the Second Amendment, however several openly protect the individual's right to keep and bear arms.Consider Vermont's constitution, enacted in 1777: â€Å"That the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State—and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power. † http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/volokh/beararms/statecon/htm Pennsylvania's constitutional right to bear arms is measured to be the precursor to the Second Amendment.Enacted in 1790, at the time that the Bill of Rights was being ratified, it states: â€Å"The right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the State shall not be questioned. † http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/vol okh/beararms/statecon/htm This language has always been interpreted by Pennsylvania courts to protect the right of all Pennsylvanians, not just militiamen, to possess firearms. Oklahoma's constitution, enacted in 1907, overtly protects the right to keep a gun at home, at the same time as subjecting the carrying of concealed weapons to regulation:â€Å"The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto legally summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein contained shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of weapons. † http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/volokh/beararms/statecon/htm In recent years, numerous states have added gun ownership rights to their constitutions. For instance, Wisconsin amended its constitution so thatâ€Å"The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose. † http://www . law. ucla. edu/faculty/volokh/beararms/statecon/htm These state constitutional provisions would not protect gun owners from federal gun controls; however they protect gun owners against some state and local gun controls. The Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states: â€Å"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged.† http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/volokh/beararms/statecon/htm In U. S. v. Cruikshank, a nineteenth-century case, the U. S. Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment was merely a protection against federal infringements of a right to bear arms. Although this decision predated the Supreme Court's 20th century decisions incorporating various Bill of Rights guarantees into the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause, with the outcome of guaranteeing those rights against violation by state and local governments, plus by the federal government.It is not a t all apparent that mid-nineteenth-century judges were unaware to any right to keep and bear arms. Consider this passage from the Supreme Court's infamous decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1856), in which the Supreme Court held that slaves and their descendants could claim no rights of citizenship. What is interesting from our viewpoint is the Court's understanding of what are the rights of citizenship. The Supreme Court pointed out that the framers could not have intended that slaves or their descendants ever be citizens because thatâ€Å"would give to persons of the Negro race, who were recognized as citizens in any one State of the Union, the right to enter every other State whenever they pleased, singly or in companies, without pass or passport, and without obstruction, to sojourn there as long as they pleased, to go where they pleased at every hour of the day or night without molestation, unless they committed some violation of law for which a white man would be punished; an d it would give them the full liberty of speech in public and in private upon all subjects upon which its own citizens might speak; to hold public meetings upon political affairs, and to keep and carry arms wherever they went. And all this would be done in the face of the subject race of the same color, both free and slaves, and inevitably producing discontent and insubordination among them, and endangering the peace and safety of the State†. (Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U. S.393 (1856)) Yale Law School professor Akhil Amar argues that the right of individuals to be armed was very much the intention of the drafters and ratifiers of the Fourteenth Amendment. After the Civil War, the southern states quickly passed â€Å"black codes† that clearly denied the newly freed slaves the right to keep and bear arms. The debates in Congress in the 1860s over the Civil Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment were laced with comments regarding the need to assure that the freed slaves not be kept disarmed and thus submissive, and that they be capable to enjoy the same right to keep and bear arms as white citizens. (Akhil Amar, 1998).The Supreme Court has rendered merely one Second Amendment decision in the twentieth century. In U. S. v. Miller (1939), the Court held that, in making it a crime to own an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, the NFA did not violate the Second Amendment. Gun rights advocates say that the precedential value of the case is just that people are not guaranteed access to gangster weapons, like sawed-off shotguns, and that by negative inference they do have a right to arm themselves with traditional personal firearms. Gun controllers argue that the Second Amendment does not guarantee anybody anything and that Miller means that there is no personal right to possess firearms in the U. S. Constitution.Focusing on the amendment's first clause, they argue that the amendment means only that Congress could not abolish the state militia, now the Nation al Guard. Gun rights advocates believe that the Second Amendment guarantees every law-abiding American adult a right to keep and bear personal firearms. â€Å"Implicit in the Bill of Rights, as in the entire structure of the Constitution, are the twin hallmarks of traditional liberal thought: trust in the people; and distrust in government. † (David Hardy, 1979). Some proponents of this interpretation stress that the right to keep and bear arms was intended to guarantee protection against government tyranny.Liberal constitutional law theorist, William Van Alstyne, finds an individual rights view of the Second Amendment in a textual reading of the amendment. He argues that the amendment â€Å"Speaks to sources of security within a free state, within which†¦ ‘the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. ’† He explains that this language guarantees the individual's right to have arms for self-defense and self-preservation. (Willi am Van Alstyne, 1994). Harvard Law School Professor Lawrence Tribe, a person closely associated with liberal politics and the Democratic Party, as well concludes that â€Å"It is impossible to deny that some right to bear arms is among the rights of American citizens. † (Lawrence H. Tribe, 2000).Conceivably the Supreme Court will take a chance to interpret the Second Amendment in a recent Texas case. The U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas stated unconstitutional the federal law (18 U. S. C. sec. 922 [g][8]) which makes it a crime to own a firearm while under a restraining order for domestic violence as applied in a situation where the state divorce court, which issued the restraining order, had made no exclusive findings that the defendant posed a threat to his estranged wife. The district court held that the Second Amendment guarantees a personal right to keep and bear arms (U. S. v. Emerson, 46 F. Supp. 2d 598 [1999]). Two years later, the 5th Circuit C ourt of Appeals (Nov. 2001) affirmed, holding thatâ€Å"we find that the history of the Second Amendment reinforces the plain meaning of the text, namely that it protects individual Americans in their right to keep and bear arms whether or not they are members of a select militia or performing active military service or training. † Even though the U. S. Supreme Court eventually affirmed that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right to keep and bear arms, which may never happen, the contrary belief is strongly rooted in U. S. and English history, in the constitutions of most U. S. states, as well as in a mountain of pro-gun scholarship. Many gun owners think that possession of firearms is a right of American citizenship and would not be persuaded otherwise, even by a U. S. Supreme Court decision to the contrary, just as death penalty opponents suppose that the Supreme Court was wrongheaded in declaring executions to be constitutionally permissible.Jeffrey Sn yder made the point aggressively in his 1993 Public Interest article, â€Å"A Nation of Cowards†: â€Å"The repeal of the Second Amendment would no more render the outlawing of firearms legitimate than the repeal of the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment would authorize the government to imprison and kill people at will. A government that abrogates any of the Bills Of Rights, with or without majoritarian approval, forever votes illegitimately, becomes tyrannical, and loses the moral right to govern†. References: Akhil Amar (1998). The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction (New Haven: Yale University Press). Clayton E. Cramer (1994).For the Defense of Themselves and the State: The Original Intent and Judicial Interpretation of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms; Praeger Publishers, 1994 David Hardy (1979). â€Å"The Second Amendment as a Restraint on State and Federal Firearms Restrictions,† in Restricting Handguns, ed. Don Kates (Great Barrington, Mass . : North River) Gordon S. Wood (1969). The Creation of the American Republic; Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press http://www. law. ucla. edu/faculty/volokh/beararms/statecon/htm Jeffrey Snyder (1993). Nation of Cowards; Public Interest article Lawrence H. Tribe (2000). American Constitutional Law, 3rd ed. (New York: Foundation) William Van Alstyne (1994). â€Å"The Second Amendment and the Personal Right to Arms,† Duke Law Journal 43

Friday, November 8, 2019

The foundations of environmentalism essays

The foundations of environmentalism essays FINAL ESSAY- THE FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTALISM John Muir was one of the first preservationists. He strongly believed that the land as a whole should not be touched by man and that the worlds resources should not be greedily spent. He felt that it was his job to live the way that he felt god would. When he was a young man, he was blinded by an accident in the factory he was working in. After he made a miraculous recovery, he promised to himself that he would seek out the wilderness, and see the world as it should be. He founded the Sierra Club, an organization dedicated to preserving the wilderness. No dogma taught by the present civilization seems to form so insuperable an obstacle in a way of a right understanding of the relations which culture sustains as to wilderness, as that which declares that the world was made especially for the uses of men. Every animal, plant, and crystal controverts it in the plainest terms. Yet it is taught from century to century as something ever new and precious, and in the resulting darkness th e enormous conceit is allowed to go unchallenged. Gifford Pinchot was the only son of a rich New York family. His parents were regular guests at the White House, and his mother and father pushed him to be very successful. At the time, forestry as a career was unheard of, but his father pushed him to try new things, so he started studying forestry. He was the first to try selective logging, leaving the very young trees and the very old trees and taking the middle aged ones. He believed that one could still enjoy nature while using some of its resources, and that nature could be improved for the public good. World-wide practice of Conservation and the fair and continued access by all nations to the resources they need are the two indispensable foundations of continuous plenty and of permanent peace. Aldo Leopold, an ecologist, naturalist, and conservationist, was born i...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Colonies of the New World essays

Colonies of the New World essays The early colonies whether they were one of the Middle, New England, or Southern, they knew they needed a central government. The southern colonies had a certain way of handling their lives. Their way of life sometimes did not agree with the other colonies so they did things differently. They relied mostly on slave labor while the other colonies did not. Their economy was based on tobacco. The social structure went as follows The Southern Colonies were larger and more spread out than the other two colonies so they held county organizations rather than town meetings due to the distance. They had County judges and sheriffs who ran the local governments. That was the governmental difference between the southern colony and its Middle and New England counterparts. All three colonies had a royal governor, with an appointed council, and an elected assembly. This showed that the colonies often differed in their approach but in the end they always had the same beginning format. The economy of the Southern colonies consisted of plantations and various-sized farms that were widely separated and grew key staple crops. These plantations and farms were mostly operated using indentured servants or slaves. This colony had a one-crop economy that did well when the weather was favorable. But Mother Nature was not always kind to the settlers and when the conditions changed for the worse the colony suffered greatly. This meant that the Southern colonies were more dependent on England and the generosity of other colonies for manufactured goods and other food items. Tobacco, Rice, and Indigo were the main crops in selective states. Waterways provided the main form of transportation since there were many rivers in that area. While the Puritanism was rampant ion the New England Colonies, Anglicanism was the established Episcopal Church, though in Maryland there was a large minority of Catholics. Like the Middle colonies the Southern colonies pract ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Climate change and H5N1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Climate change and H5N1 - Essay Example This subtype virus was first discovered in 1960 in china. It was then discovered in Hong Kong as a direct transmission of the virus from birds to humans. Recent studies show that the wide spread statistics of the virus is reported over 60 countries in the world. Scientists have been on the look out to analyze whether the global climate change has any risk factors towards the widespread viral situation (Joan,138). Different studies have been reported towards the virus highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses H5N1. Through understanding the causes of the condition mode of spread, findings can be concluded towards the effects of climate change as a risk factor. A number of studies will be analyzed here. Different years will be analyzed also. Data for the different continent spread is analyzed here through the periods when the global climatic effects were felt. The disease influenza is caused by transmission of the virus from birds to humans. The predisposing risk factor is coming into contact with the virus. Research was done over the different continents from January 2004 to December 2009. Throughout this period, the epidemic waves are assessed. Global warming that has enhanced the mosquito transmitting the virus to thrive in different continents. These have been felt largely in the northern America as well as Europe. The excessive heat during the early summer period has seen a huge outbreak of the disease. The mosquito transmits the bird in turn it enters the human systems. The virus has been analyzed and seen to survive more effectively during the cold weather. This in turn leads to its wide spread during the winter and early summer. The global change in climate has cause a different trend in the movement of birds that carry the virus from Asia to other parts of the world. Their movement entails a longer stay in one place, lack of ordinary migration movement in time assessment, the length before stopping

Friday, November 1, 2019

Leisure law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Leisure law - Assignment Example It was actually in Donoghue v. Stevenson, in which the concept of duty of care was significantly and formally conceptualized and developed. Hereby the court of law established some concrete tests which ought to be satisfied so as to establish the duty of care. However, it was actually in Caparo Industries v. Dickman that happens to be a prominent British Tort Law case, in which a tripartite test for establishing the duty of care was set up (Cane 1996). Dickman happened to be the auditors of the accounts of the company Fidelity plc, while Caparo Industries happened to be a company that purchased the shares of Fidelity plc. After purchasing the shares of Fidelity plc, Caparo Industries found out that the accounts prepared by Dickman at no time indicated or showed that the firm has been running into large losses. It needs to be mentioned that before Donohue v. Stevenson, the claimants had to verify the existent duty clause to achieve success. In contrast, the subsequent cases tried to o rganize and limit the tests given by Donohue v. Stevenson. Caparo Industries v. Dickman was a step in that direction. The court established that in case of Caparo Industries v. Dickman, for the emergence of care to arise in the cases of negligence, the three essential criteria needed to be verified: There is no denying the fact that human relationships tend to thrive under the aegis of a large and wide range of situations and circumstances. Hence, the very establishment of duty of care in any particular case may give way to many confusions and variations. Traditionally speaking, the law has always tried to verify and establish the duty of care in a range of circumstances, each and every circumstance being incumbent to its own specific characteristics and peculiarities. However, this practice has lead to the creation of a whole body of

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Operations Management for the Construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Term Paper

Operations Management for the Construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital - Term Paper Example It has been found that this inefficiency can be attributable to the architects and contracting engineers who are responsible for the development of the construction plan including the type and quantity of materials to be used, the number of construction workers to be employed, and the duration of the project. Nevertheless, in many construction projects where quality has always been deliberately overlooked such that contractors make use of cheaper materials in order to earn more than to erect a high-quality facility, there is dire need to revamp the entire operations management in that the cause of this kind of unscrupulous approach may be detrimental to those who will use the facility at the end of the day. This paper will look at the case of the construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital and the kind of operations management needed to complete it economically while ensuring productivity and efficiency. In particular, this paper will talk about an important tool in operations management: Economics and Diseconomies of Scale†, which aims to contribute to solving problems involved in the construction phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital. ... Spreading the fixed costs, reducing construction cost, cutting cost of purchased materials, etc In the case of the construction of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, economies of scale can be a great tool in order to spread the fixed costs (Dixit and Baldick 8). When purchasing materials for the construction, the contractors can take advantage of buying construction materials in bulk or in large quantities such that the fixed cost per one kind of construction material will be distributed to the number of it that has to be purchased; the higher the quantity, the lower the cost for each material would be because for suppliers, the initial set up capital would just be the same regardless of the quantity of the material they have to produce; what these suppliers will have is a marginal extra cost. This is one of many reasons for company mergers or takeovers. Implementing this concept in the construction of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, it would be just as certain that the construction cost will be reduced. Obviously, as contractors obtain a good deal in construction materials by taking more quantity at a significantly lower cost would bend the â€Å"extra† budget more on perhaps improvisation of the facility or for the operating cost of the hospital once it becomes operational. Also, when variable cost is cut down, it automatically reduces the entire construction cost considering that the costs of the purchased materials are also cut back. Diseconomies of Scale Purchasing in large quantities does not always entail efficiency. There are cases wherein economies of scale no longer work for a construction operation such that instead of a sustained decrease in fixed cost with

Monday, October 28, 2019

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay Example for Free

Discuss ways in which Dickinson explores Essay The sense of the abstract covers a wide varity of ideas such as imagery and language. In ‘Going to Him! Happy letter’ Emily Dickinson explores these ideas of the abstract theme through her use of language. The sense of the abstract is explored through Dickinson’s method of thinking (unlike many of the people in the 1800’s) she was ahead of her time, writing about modern ideas in the 1800’s. Her poems never have a straight forward meaning, this is the abstract, concealing the meaning in her poems and thinking outside of the box. The abstract object in the poem also known as ‘494’ is the letter, which is referred to throughout the poem. Stanza one opens with ‘Going to Him! Happy letter! ’, immediately we see privacy in Dickinson’s poem, by using ‘Him’ we are left in the dark since we do not know who ‘Him’ is. This indicates that the poem is about a mysterious figure that she may or may not have feeling for. This creates obscurity around the abstract subject of the letter. The use of capitalizing ‘Him’ emphasizes the importance of this person, but still keeps the mystery alive, building up expectations. We know that the poem is about a letter; by including an exclamation mark after the word ‘letter! ’ makes it seem joyful, due to the context that it is in. However, the use of the exclamation marks also gives the feeling that the letter is being instructed to be happy; Emily Dickinson needs the letter to be cheerful when it is received in order for her true feeling to be realized. The exclamation marks can also be used in other contexts giving other feelings, such as, ‘Cautious! ’ by including this exclamation mark; the letter is made to seem vigilant. The imagery presented by the use of language adds to the sense of the abstract. In stanza one ‘Left the verb and the pronoun out’ shows how Emily Dickinson wants to say things to this mysterious person, but she is not giving away her true feelings and emotions or she is having trouble doing so. This relates to Emily Dickinson’s personal character, we know she was an extremely private woman who enjoyed her own company rather than others, which explains why she is having such difficulties showing her feelings. Throughout the poem there is repetition of the word, ‘Tell Him-‘followed by a dash, this indicates that Dickinson is building up expectations as well as anticipation. The word ‘Tell Him’ is also instructing the letter, assuring her message is received and understood. This links to the main idea in the poem, of being your own critic. Dickinson is constantly judging her own work, assuring that it can be the best it can be, so that when the letter is received, the message is given in the correct context. The use of dashes during the poem is indicating that Dickinson’s though process was changing a great pace, when reading the poem it seems as if the main idea drifts, which is the same as thoughts drifting in and out of our minds as we think. By using dashes when reading the poem the imagery is brought to life, because, the poem moves fast by changing topic, an example of the changing topic is, ‘But – if he ask where you are hid’. This also masks Dickinson’s true feelings towards this mysterious man, since we can never get her precise emotions. The sense of the abstract is enhanced by the personification of the letter, since the letter is the abstract idea. The poem is about Dickinson writing about the process of writing a letter, and by giving the letter feelings, brings to life the abstract idea. The letter is made to feel sleepy, a human sensation, shown by, ‘Any you – got sleepy’, which explains how as the letter progresses, it like a human becomes tired due to the amount of work it is having to do. The letter is again personified in stanza one, Dickinson expresses how she wishes the paper she is writing on had eyes, so that, it could see what she wants to say rather than she writes it, this is shown by the use of, ‘eyes in your pages’. The letter is personified throughout the poem adapting a personality; the amount of detail Dickinson includes in her letter brings to life the letter. This makes the poem seen as if there is a conversation between two separate people, (Emily Dickinson and the letter) Dickinson is asking whether her letter is good or not. The sense of the abstract is explored through what Emily Dickinson is trying to say. The letter is Dickinson’s feelings and thoughts. By writing a letter to a possible lover shows how difficult it can be to admit ones true mind-set and emotions. This is shows in stanza two when Dickinson explains that the letter was hard and different for her to write, ‘it wasn’t a Practiced Writer’. Since she does not write her emotions on paper, she believes that when the man reads her letter, her emotions will not be acknowledged in the way that she desires. The abstract theme is explored around the idea of the letter. This is through Dickinson’s method of attempting to write it in the correct context assuring it is received in the exact way she means it to be sent. The poem has modern day issues faced within it, such as, when writing an e-mail we hit the same problems, for example how will the recipient interpret the message? And will the message be taken in the wrong way? This is what the poems underlying meaning is about, sending a message (in this case a letter), and when writing it, thinking about how the message is received.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

AIDS :: AIDS Essays

AIDS is the final, life-threatening stage of the infection with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiecy syndrome. The name refers to the fact that HIV severely damages the patient’s disease-fighting immune system. Cases of AIDS were first identified in 1981 in the United States, but scientists have traced cases to as early as 1959. Millions of AIDS cases have been diagnosed worldwide. HIV can be present in the body for 2 to 12 years without producing any outward signs of illness, yet there are definite symptoms. Infection with HIV appears to be lifelong in all that become infected. People infected with HIV eventually develop symptoms that also may be caused by other, less serious conditions. However, with HIV, these symptoms are prolonged and much more severe. They include enlarged lymph glands, tiredness, fever, loss of appetite and weight, diarrhea, yeast infections, and night sweats. HIV is commonly connected with a "wasting syndrome," which results in substantial weight loss, a general decline in health, and, in some cases, death. The virus also infects the nervous system. There, HIV may cause dementia, which is a condition characterized by sensory, thinking, and/or memory disorders. HIV infection of the brain may cause movement or coordination problems. HIV’s disruption of the immune system makes infected people susceptible to illnesses that are not normally serious. These diseases are called opportunistic illnesses because they take advantage of the damaged immune system. With the onset of several of these illnesses, an infected person is considered to have AIDS Researchers have identified three ways in which HIV is transmitted: sexual intercourse, direct contact with infected blood, and transmission from and infected mother to her fetus. The most common way of becoming infected in through sexual contact. In the United States, sexual transmission has occurred mainly among homosexual and bisexual men, but it is becoming more frequent among heterosexual men and women. HIV is transmitted through all forms of sexual intercourse, including genital, anal, and oral sex. Treatments have been developed, but cures for HIV and AIDS have not yet been found.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Political Culture Essay

Political culture is how many people define who they are and how they vote. The factors that can contribute to a regions political culture, define how the people in that region see themselves. Texas for example see themselves, for the most part, as a proud, tough, freedom loving people, who like their independence and their firearms. The political culture in Texas is geared toward traditionalistic and individualism, both wanting the government to stay out of the way, and also not to do much. The conservative roots in Texas are shown in Texas’s adoption as an amendment to the constitution establishing marriage as between a man and a woman. Texans also do not like the government to do much, it is for this reasons that the Texas senate is not in session except for 140 days, every other year. The state constitution, establishes that almost every office in the state is up for election. This unique effect of Texas political culture means that school boards are elected, judges are elected, and even our executive branch has been split up into seven different pieces, not just a Governor. The power of the executive was split due to the abuses of the governor put in place after the civil war Edmund J Davis. Davis’s administration was very centralized, giving the governor most of the power in the state. His abuse of this power led to the early Texas constitutional framers decisions to reduce the power of the office, and to put checks and balances on the offices. This is another of the unique effects that the Texas political culture has, the checks and balances they put in was to require public votes on amendments to the constitution. This has led to the primary issue with the political culture in Texas, voter apathy. Texas voters get to vote on so many things, that by the time the reach the end they are tired, and many people just turn to vote straight ticket voting, when the vote at all. This makes change in Texas politics very hard, if your current party is in favor, like the current Republican Party. Many people see Texas as a state that has deep republican roots. The vast majority of Texan governors have been Democrats; Texas has only been a republican state for the last fifteen years, the state has leaned more to the conservative side of politics, providing fertile ground for the Tea Party movement. Governor Rick Perry and the Tea Party have gained a lot of publicity in Texas. However with the shift towards urbanization, people tend to vote Democratic. The inclusion of the Latino population, the poorer areas of the state, and a population which is growing ever more progressive, is shifting the political culture of Texas. This can be seen as the major urban areas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio voted for the Democratic Party in the last presidential election.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ideals and Values for 12th Century Medieval Aristocrats

Chrà ©tien de Troyes’ Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, told a tale of a mighty knight. It has the air, to us, of fable. It was of fabrication as two cults of the time, courtly love and honor, dominated the story. These cults were parts of a set of medieval aristocratic ideals and values. Within this set, the cults had supportive notions of hospitality, oaths, service, and military prowess. Courtly love pushed the tale into existence when Lancelot stepped onto the cart and courtly love pushed the tale to completion with the death of Meleagant at the hands of Lancelot. Lancelot put into motion these actions. Lancelot’s love for Queen Guinevere bound him to honorable displays of his devotion to her.Chrà ©tien’s tale began with Meleagant’s appearance at King Arthur’s court at Camelot. He informed King Arthur that :â€Å"†¦King,If you have a single knightIn this court of yours you can trustTo take your queen to the woods,Where I’ll be goi ng when I’m finishedHere, then I’ll agreeTo let him have those prisonersI’ve got in my dungeons, providedHe can defeat me in battle,It being understoodThat possession of your queen is the prizeFor victory.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (lines 69-80).Those at court did not immediately secure the return of the Queen. She was gone. Chrà ©tien soon related how a knight (Lancelot) jumped into a cart driven by a dwarf. Those having committed criminal or despicable acts occupied such a cart in those days. Lancelot entered the cart since the dwarf promised to later reveal the whereabouts of the Queen. Chrà ©tian noted :†¦and the knightFollowed along behindFor several steps, not climbingRight up. But his hesitant shameWas wrong. †¦(360-364).This delay on the part of Lancelot came back to thwart his efforts when he had gotten the release of the Queen from her captor. She said :â€Å"Indeed? Didn’t the cartShame you the least little bit?You must have hesitated,For you lingered a good two steps.And that, you see, was my soleReason for ignoring your presence.†Ã‚   (4491-4496).This rigidity characterized the cult of honor as exemplified by Lancelot’s actions. If an affair of honor came about, then the knight must perform in the honorable way. Yet there were levels of honor as when Meleagant, described as a pitiless brave fool, subscribed to a higher honor of battling Lancelot at King Arthur’s court in a year’s time and agreed to forgo combat at an earlier time (3886-3895).Chrà ©tien saw that honor in service to love ignored common sense and reason. Reason did not include in its realm the working of the heart. Love had its way. For love’s commands, even shame endured. Deep in reflection, Lancelot had no defense against love. He did completely forget himself. An opponent challenged Lancelot three times before crossing a stream. The opponent struck Lancelot with Lancelot still in love’s command. The opponent ha d unfairly struck him. Lancelot wanted to avenge this disturbance of his revery (891-893). Outside revery he was in a fair enough way but his one and only heart he entrusted to some one else such that he was constrained in a special manner (1231-1248).   He found the Queen’s comb. It had strands of her hair and he was ecstatic:Touching them a hundred thousandTimes, caressing with his eves,His lips, his forehead, his face.And all of it brings him happiness,Fills him with the richest delight;He presses it into his breast,Slips it between his shirtAnd his heart – worth more than a wagon-Load of emeralds or diamonds, (1470-1478).Later, in traversing the sword bridge, the blade cut so as to maim him but the suffering was sweet since love led him on and relieved his pain (3115-3122). Still later a distraught Lancelot, thinking that the Queen is dead, attempted to kill himself by hanging himself from his saddle by means of his belt (4264-4268).Honor had its greatest demands made upon it by love but it spanned also military activity for which the knights were constantly prepared. In this preparation, a generous hospitality aided them that mostly included horses (284-289), beds (458-463), and food. For the first two, they had a choice. The mistress of a house offered Lancelot the house and the mistress of the house (938-949).Thus prepared, their military valor was a pledge, an oath, which they must uphold. A knight could be in the grip of another knight and not fight correctly; so the second knight asked to release the first knight. Then the second knight could recover his military equipment and they could then fight in the approved manner (839-852). The more honor gained in combat, the better. Accompanying a damsel involved an unspoken oath and was a very serious business since the knight was then responsible for her.A challenging knight could assault her with impunity if a challenging knight defeated the escorting knight (1304-1322). Mercy could be gr anted for the about to be vanquished but this usually entailed an oath be taken. The one who granted mercy redeemed this oath to their benefit. If one had an oath to carry out, then could not do it, there could be shame of a great dimension when another knight did the deed (4013-4019). Knights sometimes honored a pledge, for honor’s sake, even though it seemed not in the best interests of most of those involved as when Kay sought to have the Queen accompany him into the forest where a knight awaited :The king was upset, but his wordHad been given, and he could not revoke it,No matter how angry and sorrowfulIt made him (which was easy to see).The queen, too, was deeplyDispleased, and the whole palaceDenounced Kay’s pride and presumptionIn making such a demand. (179-186).Again, it could be a combatant who would not continue the fight if pledged by his lady to cease. Then the other knight must not force a continuance then and there by striking the one who no longer lifts a weapon. Meleagant, for example, struck Lancelot.   The Queen had requested Lancelot to stop fighting:  The king came hurrying downFrom the tower, to stop him. StraightTo the field of battle he went,Speaking these words to his son:â€Å"What’s this? You think it’s fineTo go on fighting, afterHe’s stopped? You act like a savage!† (3824-3831).The truth of the matter is that Lancelot only appeared to give up. In truth he was doing what his lady had requested of him. Later her captors said she was lying about bloodied sheets (4788-4798). This was a most grievous charge and so combat was called for. Holy relics came out and, on their knees, the parties involved did swear. Truth in other matters was another preoccupation of the aristocrats that Chrà ©tien wrote about. There were standards of truth against which the knights and others could measure their conduct. To seek death in ignorance was the action of a fool.   A fool too was one who does not truly humble oneself. A fool never lost his folly. Those nobles, not fools, did not need to seek praise to enhance their deeds and self praise did not increase one’s esteem. The madness of a fool had no cure:â€Å"Who do you think believes you?†Said the king. â€Å"All these peopleCan tell for themselves what’s trueAnd False. We know you’re lying.† (3841-3844).Far from the fool was the man as lover who was always obedient and gladly did his lover’s bidding in short order. He knew much about love and included in this knowledge was that honor done for love entailed no shame. Should something greatly go amiss, he would not fear death. Death desired those who were afraid of it (4283-4284).Before death there were dwarfs. Lancelot encountered two dwarfs in the tale. Neither one was up to any good. The first, described as a â€Å"Low-born and disgusting† dwarf (353) did lead Lancelot astray. The dwarf lied as to knowing the Queen’s whereab outs but did convince Lancelot to enter the cart. The other dwarf encountered Lancelot on Lancelot’s approach to the water bridge. The dwarf promised to take Lancelot to a special place (5081-5084). This dwarf also lied.No one said anything about what happened to the dwarfs. Presumably, they received a suitable fate for their unbecoming behavior. Perhaps death found them soon enough without their heads. It seemed that beheading was the surefire way to ensure that the one on their way out did indeed depart. Lancelot did battle with an enemy and after having vanquished him, a woman wants the opponent’s head. Lancelot obliges :One swing of the sword, the headWas off, and it and the bodyFell to the ground. And the girlWas happy†¦.(2927-2930).The headless one wronged her. Lancelot had already showed mercy to the opponent. Then again the opponent had pleaded for mercy. Then too the opponent had been most impertinent with Lancelot. So the upshot of this battle was the da msel was pleased and the opponent lost his head.Another beheading occurred at the end of the tale. Meleagant reflected on how it was that Lancelot had made his way to Camelot. Meleagant had thought he had locked Lancelot in a tower from which there could be no escape. He realized that he was a victim of trickery. He was ready for something worse than great shame and humiliation (6967-6969).   In his battle with Lancelot he lost his right arm. He felt badly since he then could not strike Lancelot. Then he was smashed in the face by Lancelot. Three teeth are broken in his mouth. His state enraged him to the extent he could not speak and so did not seek mercy. Lancelot cut off his head. It was finished :And let me assure you, no oneWho was there, watching the battle,Felt the slightest pity.The king and his courtiers and ladiesWere fairly jumping for joy (7099-7103). Works CitedChrà ©tien de Troyes. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart. Trans. Burton Raffel. New Haven & London: Yale Univ ersity Press ,1997.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store The English language, cobbled together over centuries from Germanic, Scandinavian, Latin, French and Greek sources, is a minefield of confusing (and often contradictory) rules. So it’s no wonder that writers frequently struggle with the correct use of words and punctuation. However, most readers will agree that writing littered with errors comes across as sloppy and unprofessional, damaging their trust in the message and the author. To help you improve your writing, here’s a list of some of the most common mistakes that writers make, and tips on how to avoid them.   1. Apostrophes Apostrophes have two main uses – in contractions and to show possession. They’re quite different, so we’ll cover each one separately. Contractions: A contraction is where you take two words and combine them, missing out a letter or two along the way. Should not = shouldn’tI have = I’veWe will = we’ll Generally, wherever the missing letters are, that’s where the apostrophe goes. You can also apply this rule if you’re writing dialogue where someone cuts off the beginning or end of a word, like ‘ello, or nothin’. Possessives: A possessive apostrophe is used to show ownership. It’s done by placing ‘s after the noun. I am walking Pete’s dog this morning.I need to buy a gift for my sister’s birthday.The children’s bus was late again. Things get slightly more confusing, however, if the noun already ends in an s. In this case, you need to consider how you would say it out loud. If you would add an es sound to the end of the word, then you write it with ‘sat the end. I was summoned to the boss’s office.The bus’s tire was completely flat.Dennis’s parties were legendary. However, if you wouldn’t add an es sound to the end of the word, then a lone apostrophe is appropriate. I am walking my parents’ dog this morning.The kids’ hamster had five babies.The Hastings’ roses are magnificent this year. When not to apostrophize Don’t forget that apostrophes have no place in ordinary plural nouns, like bananas, toys, or megabytes. An apostrophe in an ordinary plural is sometimes called a â€Å"greengrocer’s apostrophe† because it could often be found on signs in fruit and vegetable shops. Apostrophes also don’t need to be used in dates or acronyms. I was born in the 1970s.Nobody uses CDs anymore. The exception is if you’re omitting letters or numbers or using the apostrophe possessively. The ‘80s produced some amazing music.Landing a probe on Mars was one of NASA’s greatest achievements. You also never use an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Theybecomes theirsHerbecomes hersItbecomes its 2. Semicolons Much confusion surrounds the use of the semicolon, but it’s actually quite simple to utilize. It only has two functions. The first is to join two related clauses in a sentence. There are three conditions of use: both parts of the sentence must be able to stand alone, they need to relate to each other somehow, and they need to be of equal weight. For example: I love Hawaiian pizza; the pineapple tastes amazing.I burned my tongue on the pizza; the pineapple was too hot. If you put a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), then you would replace the semicolon with a comma. The other use of a semicolon is when you’ve got a long sentence, and you’re listing groups of items. To prevent reader confusion, you can use a semicolon between each group. For example: My son needs a lot of things for his first day of school: pens, pencils and markers; exercise books, writing pads and binders; and erasers, paperclips and a calculator. 3. Oxford Commas The Oxford comma (aka serial comma or Harvard comma) is the comma that occurs before the and in a list. The second comma in the list below is the Oxford comma. I like pizza, cake, and chocolate. For such a small piece of punctuation, it has generated a lot of debate. Many style guides now prescribe that the Oxford comma should be omitted. At the same time, it has a lot of very vocal fans who insist it should be retained. If you don’t have a set style to follow, there’s no definitive rule beyond being consistent with whichever method you choose to follow. Most of the time, taking out the Oxford comma has no detrimental effect on the structure of a sentence. However, there are occasions where omitting the Oxford comma leads to ambiguity and, in those cases, it should always be used. For example, here’s a real-life quote: Amongst those interviewed were Merle Haggard’s two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. Without the final comma, the sentence appears to suggest that Merle Haggard was married to both Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. The use of an Oxford comma would have made it obvious that this was a list of four separate interviewees. So, if you have no set style guide to follow, the choice to deploy the Oxford comma rests with you – but if you prefer not to use it, make sure its omission doesn’t change the meaning of your sentence. Next, let’s look at commonly mixed-up words. Most of these are words that sound the same but have different applications. 4. Your/you’re Your = it belongs to you. Your library book is overdue. You’re = the shortened version of ‘you are’. You’re welcome. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with you are. If it doesn’t fit, then use your. 5. There/they’re/their There = a place. Put it over there. They’re = the shortened version of ‘they are’. They’re going to be late. Their = belongs to them. The couple enjoyed their pizza. 6. To/too To is a preposition with many meanings, including â€Å"towards† and â€Å"until†. Let’s walk to the bus. It should get here at five minutes to midday.Too is an adverb that means â€Å"also† or â€Å"very†. I want to catch the bus, too, but I am too tired to walk there. 7. Who’s/whose Who’s = the shortened version of â€Å"who is†. Who’s that? Whose = belonging to who? Whose bag is this? When in doubt: Try replacing the word with who is. If it doesn’t fit, use whose. 8. It’s/its It’s = the shortened version of it is. It’s a beautiful day. Its = belonging to it The cat swished its tail. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with it is. If it doesn’t fit, use its. 9. Less/fewer Both less and fewer mean the same thing, but they are not interchangeable. There’s a fairly simple way to work out which one you should be using. Less is for situations when you’re using words that don’t normally have a plural, aren’t made plural by adding an s,and cannot be counted. Examples of this include water, rain, and traffic. There was less water in the bath than I expected.I had hoped for less rain today.If more people caught the bus, there would be less traffic. Lessis also used when referring to numbers, either on their own or in measurements of time, distance or weight. The bus will arrive in less than five minutes.It is less than a mile away.The pizza recipe uses less than 12oz of flour. On the other hand, fewer is used for items that can be counted or made plural by adding an s, like cats, jobs, and roses. There are fewer cats in the neighborhood since the dog moved in.The rise in automation means there are fewer jobs available.This summer we have fewer roses in our garden. When in doubt: See if you can add a number to the word. You can’t say â€Å"there is five traffic,† so you would use less. You can say â€Å"there are three pizzas,† so you would use fewer. 10. Everyday/every day People tend to write this as one word. However, that changes the meaning. Everyday = common, usual. I’m wearing my everyday clothes. Every day = each day. The Queen doesn’t wear a tiara every day. When in doubt: Replace everyday with each day. If the meaning of the sentence remains intact, then you need to write everyday as two separate words. Given the complexity of the English language, there are exceptions to most of these rules. However, the ones we’ve outlined here will apply to most instances where you need to use these punctuation marks and words.  Are there any writing mistakes we've left out that drive you nuts?   Let us know in the comments section below!  Ã‚      About the author: Claire Wilkins is a freelance copywriter and editor from New Zealand. She loves to write about travel, health, home, and proper punctuation. After a career in financial services spanning almost three decades, Claire left the corporate world behind to start Unmistakable - her writing and editing business. She creates website copy, blogs, and newsletters for creative agencies and small businesses, and  specialises  in polishing existing content until it shines. In her spare time, Claire enjoys cloud-spotting, singing in the car and editing video.