The Quest for the Best Word Ever

The Quest for the Best Word Ever The Quest for the Best Word Ever The Quest for the Best Word Ever By Mark Nichol Last year, an advertising executive named Ted McCagg embarked on a whimsical endeavor: Using a bracketing schematic like that employed to record the outcome of athletic tournaments in which, in each iteration, the number of selections displayed is reduced by half according to some criterion, until only one choice remains McCagg subjectively selected the best word ever. McCagg’s Final Four?: diphthong (two vowel sounds in one syllable), gherkin (a type of cucumber, or the vine from which it grows) hornswoggle (a hoax, or to hoax), and kerfuffle (a disturbance). Is there any practical use for this exercise? I see it as an entertaining vocabulary-building activity: Brainstorm any number of interesting words, whether you know their meaning or not. Subject them to match-ups, two words at a time, and select the one you favor on whatever merits definition, euphony, or some ineffable quality (I like euphony and ineffable). Repeat until you have a winner, then resolve to learn the word’s meaning if you don’t know it already, and use it in your writing. There are no losers in this game: The runner-up simply takes its place in line, followed by the favored term in the duel between the no. 3 and no. 4 seeds and then by the runner-up in that contest. Try to use each new front-runner as it is identified. Organize a tournament with a circle of friends (in real life or online), a writing group, or a class. Make submissions anonymous, match them up randomly, and have the participants vote on their favorite word in each pair, which then advances to a run-off with another favored word. Perhaps this activity seems silly. After all, maybe the writing you’re paid for is about finance or technology, or you produce marketing content. However, I doubt you work in a kerfuffle-free milieu, and hornswoggling may occur betimes (I like milieu and betimes), but you can apply your best-word-ever efforts to specific jargon and vocabulary. Oh, and McCagg’s best word ever? Diphthong. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsProved vs. ProvenWord Count and Book Length

Semantics - Definitions and Examples

Semantics s The field of linguistics  is concerned with the study of meaning in language. Linguistic semantics has been defined as the study of how languages organize and express meanings. Oddly, says R.L. Trask, some of the most important work in semantics was being done from the late 19th century onwards by philosophers [rather than by linguists]. Over the past 50 years, however, approaches to semantics have proliferated, and the subject is now one of the liveliest areas in linguistics.  The term semantics (from the Greek for sign) was coined by French linguist Michel Brà ©al (1832-1915), who is commonly regarded as a founder of modern semantics. Observations The technical term for the study of meaning in language is semantics. But as soon as this term is used, a word of warning is in order.Any scientific approach to semantics has to be clearly distinguished from a pejorative sense of the term that has developed in popular use, when people talk about the way that language can be manipulated in order to mislead the public. A newspaper headline might read. Tax increases reduced to semanticsreferring to the way a government was trying to hide a proposed increase behind some carefully chosen words. Or someone might say in an argument, Thats just semantics, implying that the point is purely a verbal quibble, bearing no relationship to anything in the real world. This kind of nuance is absent when we talk about semantics from the objective point of linguistic research. The linguistic approach studies the properties of meaning in a systematic and objective way, with reference to as wide a range of utterances and languages as possible.(David Crys tal, How Language Works. Overlook, 2006) Basic DivisionsBased on the distinction between the meanings of words and the meanings of sentences, we can recognize two main divisions in the study of semantics: lexical semantics and phrasal semantics. Lexical semantics is the study of word meaning, whereas phrasal semantics is the study of the principles which govern the construction of the meaning of phrases and of sentence meaning out of compositional combinations of individual lexemes. . . .The job of semantics is to study the basic, literal meanings of words as considered principally as parts of a language system, whereas pragmatics concentrates on the ways in which these basic meanings are used in practice, including such topics as the ways in which different expressions are assigned referents in different contexts, and the differing (ironic, metaphorical, etc.) uses to which language is put.(Nick Riemer, Introducing Semantics. Cambridge University Press, 2010)The Scope of SemanticsA perennial problem in semantics is the del ineation of its subject matter. The term meaning can be used in a variety of ways, and only some of these correspond to the usual understanding of the scope of linguistic or computational semantics. We shall take the scope of semantics to be restricted to the literal interpretations of sentences in a context, ignoring phenomena like irony, metaphor, or conversational implicature.(Stephen G. Pulman, Basic Notions of Semantics. SRI International, Cambridge, England)[S]emantics is the study of the meanings of words and sentences. . . .As our original definition of semantics suggests, it is a very broad field of inquiry, and we find scholars writing on very different topics and using quite different methods, though sharing the general aim of describing semantic knowledge. As a result, semantics is the most diverse field within linguistics. In addition, semanticists have to have at least a nodding acquaintance with other disciplines, like philosophy and psychology, which also investigate the creation and transmission of meaning. Some of the questions raised in these neighboring disciplines have important effects on the way linguists do semantics.(John I. Saeed, Semantics, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2003) Linguistic Semantics and GrammarThe study of meaning can be undertaken in various ways. Linguistic semantics is an attempt to explicate the knowledge of any speaker of a language which allows that speaker to communicate facts, feelings, intentions and products of the imagination to other speakers and to understand what they communicate to him or her. . . . Early in life every human acquires the essentials of a languagea vocabulary and the pronunciation, use and meaning of each item in it. The speakers knowledge is largely implicit. The linguist attempts to construct a grammar, an explicit description of the language, the categories of the language and the rules by which they interact. Semantics is one part of grammar; phonology, syntax and morphology are other parts.(Charles W. Kreidler, Introducing English Semantics. Routledge, 1998)

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Reform - Essay Example There is no denying the fact that in the United States of America, the issue of healthcare reforms has grown beyond a national issue to a political issue and it keeps becoming more and more controversial because of the political dimension it has taken. Despite the political perspective with which the issue of healthcare reform in the United States takes, it is still possible to discuss the policy from a purely objective viewpoint without any political sentiments and that is exactly what is going to be done in this essay. The present controversy has to do with whether the Obama proposed healthcare reform is feasible and necessary for the United States. Without any reservation, I would say that my position is in the affirmative. Major arguments with the Health Care Reform The health care plan proposed by Mr. Obama during the 2008 campaign season and which has continued to be his ambitious legacy has several important components and issues that continue to spark controversy and argument s. Some of the major components are discussed with my side of the argument clearly stated. Attainability of Universal Health Care The first argument held by Mr. Obama is the attainment of universal health care. Health PAC (2011) explains that â€Å"universal health care is the belief that all citizens should have access to affordable, high-quality medical care.† Politically, this argument is highly valid and that is where I belong. Logically, all citizens are a representation of the nation and government. They also constitute the political kingmakers. Any national policy that seeks to improve the wellbeing of the citizenry must therefore be universal and not discriminatory. Among some other technical reasons why universal health care is prudent and needs to be embarked is the fact that the cost of healthcare continues to be very expensive and that not all people are able to afford. Statistics has it that â€Å"the number of uninsured U.S. residents has grown to over 45 milli on† (Balanced Politics, 2011). This calls for the need of reaching very far with healthcare as there is evidence of discrimination with healthcare benefits. Having quoted the number of uninsured Americans, it becomes justifiable for opponents to argue that universal health care would be a huge economic burden unto the United States and can destroy the economic amidst global economic down-turn. However, it is important to consider the proverb that says that if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. If anyone thinks universal health care is expensive, the fellow should think about the amount of revenue that the nation will loss as a result of non-productive human resource because of ill-health. Guaranteed eligibility for affordable health care for all Americans Another component of the Obama led health care policy is the guaranteed eligibility for affordable health care for all Americans. This component of the health care plan seems to answer critics who argue that uni versal health care is unattainable. Critics believe that the population of America is too large to think of a single health care policy that will cater for the health needs of all citizens. These critics believe that such statutory interventions should come in only when the situation is highly critical. However, under the guaranteed el

Business strstegy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business strstegy - Essay Example In such changing environment, it is must for the organizations and the institutions to have enough flexibility and adaptability within the policies and procedures of such bodies so that the changing terms can be easily inculcated. Such flexibility and adaptability has become the key for the sustainable growth and development of the organizations and institutions. Forestry Commission was established in England in the year of 1919 through the passing of the Forestry Act. The prime reason of the establishment of such Commission was aimed at supplying the much required timbers that were in scarcity in those years because of the industrial revolution and the First World War. The government of England speculated another war in the near future and thought it was necessary to have proper supply of timber. The secondary reason of the formation of such Commission was to ensure employment in the rural economy because of the changed political equations and also to provide employment to the soldiers those have just returned from the war. Therefore, to serve so many of the objectives the Forestry Commission was formulated which till recently was under the control of the ex-army men and more importantly followed the organizational structure similar to that of the military. The structure was essentially a top-down one with much emphasis on the features like chain of command and order from the top. With the changing times, the role of the Forestry Commission also experienced paradigm shift. The department of the government that came in to existence for the purpose of timber production and rural employment was pressed by the government in the 70s and 80s to inculcate organizational efficiency like other departments of the government. The Forestry Commission also had certain internal conflicts. There was a clear difference among the organizational hierarchy resulting in ‘them’ and ‘us’. Those who were the field

Grant Proposal Essay Example for Free

Grant Proposal Essay Program planning is a process that shows the needs of a community and the reason and purpose for the programs an organization wants to set up to address that need. Through program planning; goals, objectives, activities, and evaluations are set up to provide the framework for the grant proposal to be written. A well written grant proposal will show the reader that the organization writing the proposal truly understands the problems within a specific community and it will convince the reader that they want to provide the financial help that will be necessary for the organization to solve the problem. Once a problem within a community has been discovered, an organization figures out how to confront that problem and writes a grant proposal to explain that problem and how it plans to help solve that problem, by proving that they understand the situation. The grant proposal starts with the premise, which explains the understanding the organization has about the problem and shows the belief they have that they will be able to provide the help necessary to solve the problem. The conclusion portion of the grant proposal explains the ways that the organization plans to address the problem through the programs and services they will provide to the community. Finally, the grant proposal will provide a detailed explanation of what they plan the outcomes of their programs to be. The organization has to prove that their programs will truly be an asset to the community using their grant proposal by making sure that each part of the proposal will compliment the other through a descriptive and flowing argument and by making sure that each part of the grant proposal compliments the other.

Teaching Writing Philosophy :: Education Teacher Educating Essays

Teaching Writing Philosophy Assessments are easily one of the most frustrating elements of school life for both teachers and students. The argument that there is no way to tell how much a student is learning without assessments should prove false for a skilled teacher. An involved, interactive classroom should result in a keen awareness by the teacher of how much each student is learning. That being said, I still believe in assessment as a useful tool within teaching if it is done well and fairly. The principles of this nation are based on competition, whether that is something we like about our schools or not. There needs to be something to differentiate students based on ablility and work ethic. Yes, a skilled teacher should be able to attract student’s interest in a subject without the threat of a grade looming, but isn’t there something special about that perfect grade for a job well done? Even a devoted student may find him or herself willing to let assignments slide if th ere are no consequences for their actions. Ultimately I feel that the problem within schools is not that there are tests; it is just the way that these tests are formatted. Too often student’s face monstrous tests that are vaguely worded, seem to have numerous correct answers, or have unclear directions. Different students think about things in different ways and no one should be punished for that. My philosophy is fairly simple: I am on the student’s side, I want them to do well, and I intend to provide ample opportunity to do so. Hopefully my teaching style will attract them to the materials that I appreciate so much within literature and writing. If a student can honestly say that he or she worked hard in my class and took the options available to them, their grade should always be fair. Grading essays or stories is a long process. Some students may produce a great final product that took less effort than another student who worked feverishly but is just not as skilled of a writer. There should be a way to reward both a great final piece and a strong effort within the writing process.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 10

When I came home from Seth's the next day, there was another note stuck to my door reminding me about the package. I plucked it off and went inside, surprised to find Vincent there again. I'd figured his angel business would be keeping him busy elsewhere. â€Å"How's it all going?† I asked. I rummaged through my cupboards, looking for food. I'd skipped breakfast. â€Å"I mean, if you can tell me without having to kill me.† He sat at my kitchen table, leafing through newspapers. â€Å"Ah, well, still can't give you details, of course, but I can say that†¦um, well, progress isn't being made as quickly as we'd like. There's leftover lasagna in the refrigerator if you want it.† I opened the refrigerator door. Sure enough. â€Å"Wow. Did one of the angels conjure this up for you?† â€Å"Only if you consider Yasmine's cooking a type of conjuring.† I uncovered the casserole dish. It looked great. There might be magic afoot after all. I put a piece in the microwave and set the timer. Sitting down across from him, I peered at the spread out newspapers and remembered finding them left out the other day. â€Å"You sure like your news.† He grimaced. â€Å"Most of it's depressing.† Glancing at the headlines, I had to agree with him. Murder. Corruption. Theft. â€Å"You hear about the cop shooting the other day?† I asked. â€Å"That one was really depressing.† Vincent turned his attention away from a story about domestic abuse. â€Å"No, what happened?† â€Å"This cop was outside a convenience store and claims someone was inside shooting his partner. So, he ran in, gun in hand, and started shooting. He ended up killing his partner himself.† Vincent frowned. â€Å"Huh. I hadn't heard that one,† he murmured. From the distracted look in his eyes, his mind had clearly latched onto something I wasn't privy to. I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"That mean anything to you? Maybe to this mission from God you're on?† His easy smile returned. â€Å"You're good but not that good. You know I can't say anything.† The microwave dinged, and I retrieved my food. As I stabbed a piece of cheesy pasta, I recalled what he'd said about Yasmine's cooking. My curiosity got the better of me. As it often did. â€Å"Vince†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly, carefully keeping my eyes on my food. â€Å"I know it's none of my business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed. â€Å"I always love it when people introduce topics like that – and then go ahead and dive in anyway.† Blushing, I shut my mouth. â€Å"No, no,† he said, clearly entertained. â€Å"Go ahead. What were you going to say?† â€Å"I†¦well, nothing really. It's just, I mean, it doesn't matter to me†¦but I just sort of noticed that you and Yasmine seem, um, close.† His levity faded. I quickly looked up and met his eyes apologetically. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I blurted out. â€Å"Forget I said anything.† â€Å"No†¦it's, I don't know.† He folded up the newspaper, staring at it without really seeing it. â€Å"Yeah, I guess. I've known her for a long time, and after a while, it's easy to†¦well, she's easy to like.† â€Å"Yeah, she is.† A few pregnant moments passed. When he spoke again, I heard affection in his voice. â€Å"I first met her at this fair in Akron, of all places†¦about, oh, fifteen years ago. Not sure what she was doing there – you never do with them – but I found her walking away from a concession stand. She had this giant tower of cotton candy. I swear, it was taller than she was. And, since I could tell she was an angel, it made the situation that much more absurd.† The story made me smile too. It also shed light on why he was here with the A-Team. I could tell she was an angel. He was another gifted human, like Erik and Dante, who could sense the immortal world. â€Å"And you went and talked to her?† â€Å"I hadn't planned to, but then the cotton candy started to fall over, so I went to help her and ended up eating half of it myself.† â€Å"That's sweet,† I said. â€Å"Er, no pun intended.† It didn't matter that in the last few months, I'd fucked one guy in an office chair, used a leather whip on another, and gone down on another in the back room of a seedy club. I still loved romantic stories. â€Å"She started asking for my help after that, off and on, once she realized what I could do. It was supposed to just be that†¦nothing more than her, you know, professional cases. But after a while, we couldn't help it. We're together all the time now.† I swallowed another piece of lasagna. It was divine. Seriously. â€Å"Do any of the other angels know?† â€Å"Yeah, right. Joel barely tolerates me now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But obviously, you guys aren't, um, you can't be – â€Å" â€Å"No, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be physical. Really, it's ironic. Angels are creatures of love. They're supposed to love everyone. They're just not supposed to love one person so much more than another.† â€Å"That's stupid,† I stated adamantly. â€Å"To you, maybe. And to me, I suppose. But to her†¦well, she devotes her entire existence to the service of a power and cause bigger than all of us. To be so in love with something – or someone else – is distracting. You can't serve two masters without eventually betraying one.† I looked down again, turning over his words. â€Å"And yet you guys still stay together. Sort of.† He shrugged. â€Å"In as much as we can. Maybe I should move on with my life, but, honestly, there's no one else I want to be with. I accept what she is. It's why I love her. I'd rather be with her in a limited capacity than none at all.† Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. He'd just stated a variant of what Seth used to tell me all the time, back when I would continually urge him to leave me and find someone else. I'd accepted his choice by now and honestly couldn't imagine not having him in my life. But still. Sometimes I didn't entirely get how he could be okay with everything between us; hearing another person support such a choice was refreshing. As though reading my mind, Vincent gently asked, â€Å"Am I hitting too close to home? Carter mentioned a boyfriend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. Yes. I don't know. He – Seth, my boyfriend – says the same thing as you. That if it can't be any other way†¦well, then this is the way he wants it.† â€Å"Exactly. And thus, life goes on.† Vincent started gathering up the newspapers. â€Å"I tell you though, I think your side and hers are both so fucked up, it's not even funny. Why the rules? Why does a succubus always have to take away someone's life when she's with them? Why can't you have the choice? And why can't Yasmine make love? Why can't she be in love?† Good question. I don't think Vincent really expected an answer, but I had to give one anyway. â€Å"Because that's the way it is. The way the system works. The way it's always worked.† â€Å"The system is fucked-up,† he said. I thought about it and nodded. â€Å"No arguments.† Smiling, he reached for his coat and slipped it on. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† Vincent left, off to do whatever it was one did with a posse of angels. I almost envied him because I had something to do that I wasn't looking forward to at all. It was another necessary evil. I had to get Tawny a job. After that debacle of a dance lesson, I'd told her I'd help. I might not be able to do much about my mysterious energy loss or angelic romances, but I sure as hell could do something to expedite Niphon's departure. I drove down to Seatac, a city that owes its entire existence to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It's more of a shadow, really, spreading around the airport in a blanket of long-term parking lots and cheap hotels. It also has a couple of strip clubs because really, what else are out-of-town businessmen supposed to do in their downtime? It was late afternoon, so business was slow when I stepped inside Low Blow. A few bored-looking men sat scattered throughout the place, which was dingy and in need of some serious redecorating. Or, well, any decorating. A couple of the guys glanced up with interest as I walked through. Apparently, I held more appeal than the poor brunette trying her damnedest to fuck a pole in time to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floyd's â€Å"Young Lust.† I opened my mouth to speak to the bartender, but a voice behind me interrupted. â€Å"Ho†¦ly†¦shit. I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it.† I turned and looked into the long, narrow face of Simon Chesterfield, the proud proprietor of this dive. Between his face and lanky body, he always reminded me of a weasel. His black mustache never quite seemed able to grow in completely, and he dressed in brand name clothes that were always one size too small. He was chummy with the local Hellish players, and rumor had it he was in line to be an imp, eventually selling his soul for immortality and the chance to be a diabolical salesman. â€Å"You finally come to dance for me, doll?† â€Å"You wish.† For a sleazy guy who ran a sleazy establishment, Simon actually had a legitimate appreciation for dance. I'd once seen him trying to choreograph his strippers and had been impressed by his sense of aesthetics and rhythm. His employees hadn't really caught on. Such talents were kind of wasted here, and I used to wonder why he didn't take his business to one of the more affluent suburbs where he could get a higher caliber of dancers. The reason he stayed, I'd later learned, was that this was a better venue for all sorts of other shady business he conducted. Still, Simon had a sharp eye and knew what a good dancer I was. He'd been on me for years to come work for him. â€Å"We need to talk,† I explained. â€Å"Business.† â€Å"It's what I do.† With a sweeping gesture, he pointed to a doorway beside the bar. â€Å"Let's go to my office then.† His ‘office' was barely a broom closet, but it had a stool for me to sit on. Resting my heels on a mid-level bar, I brought my knees up to my chest. It made my gray linen skirt slide up a bit. Simon watched with an interest that was more professional than personal. â€Å"Fuck, woman. You come dance for me, and I could make a killing.† He shook his head and collapsed into a rolling faux leather chair. â€Å"A succubus on my stage. Fuck.† I tilted my head to the side. â€Å"It's funny you mention that because that's kind of why I'm here.† I think my innocent tone set his alarms off. He eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"I thought you said you didn't want a job.† â€Å"Not me. We just got a new succubus, and she's looking for a gig. Didn't you hear?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned. â€Å"And she wants to dance? Here?† â€Å"Yep,† I said glibly. â€Å"She can't wait to take her clothes off.† Wasn't that the truth. Simon leaned back in the chair and put his feet on the desk. Casual pose or not, he was still on guard. â€Å"What's the catch?† â€Å"Why does there have to be a catch? You should be excited about this. We're doing you a favor.† â€Å"You're offering to drop a succubus into my lap. That sounds too good to be true, so it is too good to be true.† He paused, still thinking. â€Å"And why are you here instead of her?† â€Å"I'm altruistic.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said warningly. â€Å"Okay,† I admitted. â€Å"She's kind of†¦new.† â€Å"How new?† â€Å"Really new. Still under warranty.† â€Å"There's still a catch here somewhere.† â€Å"Well†¦she's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I spun through my mental rolodex of adjectives. â€Å"Inept.† He raised one narrow eyebrow. â€Å"Inept?† â€Å"She's still learning how to get men.† Since Simon probably wanted sexy women working for him, I figured it wasn't worth mentioning that Tawny wasn't so much learning as she was still trying to find her way to class. â€Å"And she's a, um, bad dancer.† â€Å"How bad?† â€Å"Bad.† â€Å"Can you be a little more specific on what level of bad we're dealing with?† â€Å"Remember Gigli?† â€Å"Jesus. So, why do you think I'd want to take on a shitty dancer?† â€Å"Simon,† I exclaimed. â€Å"All your dancers are shitty.† â€Å"Not all of them,† he said. â€Å"And it's not like I'm trying to get more. We have standards.† I gave him a pointed look. â€Å"Alright, alright.† He ran a hand through his gelled black hair. â€Å"What do I get in return?† Now I was the indignant one. â€Å"What do you mean? You're getting a succubus dancer. What else do you need?† â€Å"I'm getting a succubus charity case. I'm the one doing you a favor.† His eyes were shrewd. Yeah. He'd make a good imp someday. He was this close to breaking out a contract. â€Å"I want you. Dance for me two nights this week.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"One night.† â€Å"Simon, there is nothing in this world that's going to get me to dance here, not even a succubus charity case. Pick something else.† â€Å"Okay, fine.† He pondered. â€Å"You. I want you.† â€Å"Hey, I just told you – â€Å" â€Å"No, no. Not as a dancer. As in right now. On the desk.† I sighed. That kind of want. â€Å"Look, if I've gotta hire a bad succubus, I might as well fuck a good one.† â€Å"Interesting logic. Aren't you worried about your soul?† He looked at me like he couldn't believe I'd had the audacity to ask such a thing. It was similar to the look I'd given him when he said Low Blow had standards. â€Å"Noted.† I stood up. â€Å"But not this body. Pick another shape.† Simon snorted. â€Å"You think I'm interested in a pinup girl crossed with an Ann Taylor model? Fuck that. I want a sixteen-year-old version of Liza Minnelli. In a school girl's uniform.† I stared. â€Å"I have no idea what that would look like.† He started undoing his pants. â€Å"You're a smart girl. Figure it out.† Sighing again, I shape-shifted, taking on a small body with a black pixie haircut. Baby smooth skin. Green plaid skirt with matching vest. Simon grunted his approval. Turning, I rested my hands on the desk and bent over, thrusting my ass out toward him. I hoped it would be over soon. If I could just get the weasel comparison out of my head, this would probably be a lot easier. I felt his hands slide along my legs as he pushed the skirt up. Suddenly, he froze. â€Å"A thong? Are you insane, woman?† â€Å"You're a sick bastard,† I told him. The thong changed to white cotton panties. â€Å"Don't I know it.† He pushed the panties down and thrust forward. Well, I guess it was a thrust. Simon wasn't that well-endowed. I was on the verge of saying something like, â€Å"Are you there yet?† Alas, the Tawny situation was too dire. I couldn't risk Simon changing his mind about her for the sake of a joke, no matter how funny. But, whatever Simon lacked in size, he made up for in enthusiasm. He gripped my hips, nails digging into my bare flesh as he pounded away. I had to keep a fierce hold on the desk. Eventually, seeking variety, Simon flipped me over to my back. He unfastened my blouse and bra, exposing small, perky breasts that had just â€Å"blossomed into womanhood.† Eyes on them and not my face, he grabbed my legs and spread them so that my ankles practically rested on his shoulders. He returned to the task at hand, and when he finally came, I have to admit I welcomed the energy burst. It wasn't a lot – the guy practically worked for Hell already – but I needed it. Simon pulled out of me, and I sat up, mildly sated from an energy standpoint, if not a physical one. I honestly hadn't done much but lie there the whole time, but he regarded me as though we'd just gone through the entire Kama Sutra. â€Å"Definitely worth putting up with an inept succubus,† he said happily, pulling his pants back up. I wanted to say that he might want to withhold judgment until he actually met Tawny, but instead, I just smiled. I knew when to keep my control switch on.

English Macbeth Essay

In this essay, I’m going to be comparing the presentation of Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 with the filmed stage performance of the same scene by the Royal Shakespearean production, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and with Dame Judi Dench in the role of Lady Macbeth. In the Shakespearean play, Shakespeare gives little indication to the characters how to play the character when and where to move and how to say their lines. The readers have to make their own interpretation. There background was just black so was the costumes it was really plain and and economically cheap.However from the film we expected fancy costumes we imagined Lady Macbeth wearing an old fashioned dress we pictured her hair to be brown and we thought she would be much younger. In the film we expected her to be in her bedroom, as well as on some main lines such as ‘Hie thee hither ‘and ‘come you spirits’ we thought there might be powerful sound effects. In the letter scene we expected LM to be very different. In the play she starts reading the letter half way. However in the film, she starts with ‘Hail king that shalt be,' this shows us that she has read the letter before and she knows what the letter says. Hail King that shalt be' was repeated twice in the film this allows the audience to think she is obsessive about Macbeth becoming king and already she has ideas about killing the king. She reads the letter at a fast pace but, when she comes across the supernatural in the letter she stops and looks around this shows that she is very interested about the supernatural. In the play we expected her to be happy while reading ‘my dearest partner of greatness' the word ‘partner sounds very businesslike as well as it emphasises her love and affection towards Macbeth.However in the actual film she read it really casually it did not affect her. In the play we expected her to read the letter while she is in her bedroom however in the film she was pacing up and down as well as the background was plain black and she was wearing a black dress the colour black may represent the supernatural and the evil side of her. This enhances Nunn's interpretation of her as a fourth witch. In the first soliloquy after the letter Lady Macbeth says ‘ Shalt be what thou art promised' this quote shows that she is determined and really wants Macbeth to become the king.As well as in the play she says ‘too full o'th' milk of human kindnesses’ this gives the reader an impression that she knows her husband really well and she uses the word ‘milk’ for his pureness and kindness. ’ Further on in the soliloquy Lady Macbeth uses the line ‘Hie Thee Hither! ’ I expected her to shout that out because there is an exclamation mark at the end of the quote this indicated me that she was shouting. As well as the exclamation mark represents her excitement for the supernatural.I imagined the lights being off and maybe have the sound of a storm, I also thought she might be on her knees begging and talking through the window I expected her to have a voice similar to a witch. From the play it seemed like she is calling the evil spirits that quote proves that she is really evil and she wants the murder to happen. However in the film she had really effective eye contact, the camera zoomed in on her face to allow the audience to see that she is thinking really deeply. Her eyes were moving around (searching) she had an evil brief smile.When she said ‘Hie Thee Hither’ in the film she seemed very calm and took in a deep breath she seemed relieved and relaxed. In her second soliloquy, Lady Macbeth begins to reveal her true self. It seems that she will go through anything to persuade Macbeth to kill the king. Many critics argue that she appears to be the fourth witch. In the play Lady Macbeth talks directly to the spirits. In the quote ‘come you spirits. Murdering ministers ‘this leaves the readers thinking that she is praying to the evil spirits. By saying ‘come’ she uses verbs to call upon the supernatural.The quote ‘under my battlements’ tells us that Lady Macbeth intends to bear the knife herself this is the first time she openly talks about murdering Duncan. In the play Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits to ‘unsex her’ she wants to get rid of her feminine identity, compassion and her humanity. She also says ‘direst cruelty’ it’s a male characteristics this shows that she wants her femininity to be take away from her due to the fact that she wants to commit the murder however a male should take on that role in this case her husband Macbeth.By asking the evil spirits to take her ‘milk for gall’ she is sacrificing her womanhood and identity for her husband Macbeth. The word ‘milk’ is used as an extended metaphor for womanhood. At the end of her second soliloquy she says ‘th at my keen knife see not the wound it makes’ suggests that she has to be the one that commits the murder. In the film when Lady Macbeth talks about the raven on half of her face there is light on the other half is dark. The light represents the good in her and the dark represents the evil and the ‘Raven’ is Duncan.In the film her eyes are darkened this may indicate that the evil spirits are near her. In the film she actually casts a spell. Before she starts calling the spirits there is a dramatic pause this shows that Lady Macbeth is composing herself she does a 360 turn that indicates a warning to the audience. Lady Macbeth bows down when she starts calling the spirits she looks very fearful. She whispers everything that she says and her hand starts trembling this may be a sign showing us that the evil spirit is trying to get into her. She says ‘cruelty’ in a very high pitched voice.Lady Macbeth runs into the darkness this allows the audience to thi nk that she is possessed and she can’t take the pain or she seen something fearful. The darkness may show her soul transfer. The darkness in her represents the witch side of her. From the darkness she comes back slowly as the fourth witch with a new identity. In the film when she says ‘murdering ministers’ you can see a possession in her. At the end of her second soliloquy when she says ‘Hold! Hold! ’ someone else is controlling her arms she seems physically accessible.When Macbeth enters, Lady Macbeth demonstrates rhetoric, linguistic abilities. Lady Macbeth uses her femininity to persuade Macbeth. In the play Lady Macbeth greets her husband by saying ‘Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor! ’ she is certainly determined for him. In the play we expect them to be very close to each other because they haven’t seen each other for a while. Lady Macbeth says ‘shall sun that morrow see! ’ The ‘sun’ represents light in th is case it is Duncan. 6 syllables dramatic pause, shocked moment both of them think about the murder.We expected Lady Macbeth to use her sexuality while trying to help him overcome his weaknesses. There is paradox between the serpent and the flower. When she says ‘serpent under’t’ we expect her to be harsh and forceful towards him. Lady Macbeth takes control and for the first time she mentions the murder to him ‘This night’s great business into my dispatch. ’ She is trying to tell him that she is capable of committing the murder, she also might of said that because she wants him to become like her evil.In the phrase ‘Which shall to all our nights and days to come’ she is trying to say that she is doing all this for both of them however we know she is doing it for herself (selfish. ) ‘We will speak no more’ ellipsis represents her interruption. At the end she says ‘Leave all the rest to me’ this allows the readers to think that she has hardly been listening to him and treats him like a child she is not really interested in what he says because she knows what he is going to say and she knows she is going to get it her way.In the film when Macbeth enters she is on her knees paying him respect. When Macbeth enters there is light the light represents goodness (Macbeth), paradox of light and dark. She runs to him hugs and kisses him passionately. This shows that they are in love and it emphasises their closeness. They continue to kiss through out, Lady Macbeth uses her femininity and sexuality to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan. When she says ‘shall sun that morrow see’ she removes herself from him and looks deeply into his eyes.She emphasises on the words ‘serpent’ and ‘my dispatch’ When she says ‘my dispatch’ she looks into his eyes trying to tell him that she is doing it for him. In the film she is very sexual towards him. Macbeth is almost hypnotised by her sexual passion and desire he’s almost forgot about everything because he is blinded by her love. She interrupts him and she speaks quickly to avoid him speaking further. Lady Macbeth smiles briefly this shows she was successful. In the film when she says ‘leave all the rest to me’ there’s darkness on her face, telling the audience she is up to something.

the father essays

the father essays This essay sets out to assess the relative achievements of the totalitarian regimes of Hitlers Nazi Germany and Stalins Russia. In assessing the achievements of the regimes we must be careful not to judge them with the values of a western democracy at the end of the twentieth century. How they achieved power, consolidated that power, what changes they brought to their nations and what they in their time achieved for their nation, whether or not it was a lasting benefit, were achievements for the regimes even if we find them contrary to what we believe to be right and just by todays standards. Also in making an assessment of the achievements it would be wrong not to recognise the suffering that the people in each country had to endure for them to be achieved. Both regimes owe their rise to power in part to the outcomes of WW 1 which led to the revolution in each country.. The Bolsheviks came to power because of the discontent with the Tsars and the losses in the war against Germany. The Nazis because of the dissatisfaction in Germany with blame and the cost of reparations imposed upon it for the war. There were major differences between what the two regimes wanted to achieve. Russia in 1917 was basically an agrarian economy and the regime aimed not only to change the political system but all the social structure and institutions and rebuild into a Communist State. It also wanted to develop into an industrial power. However, in Germany the revolution that took place in 1918 changed Germanys political system but the social structure stayed the same. Even though the monarchy no longer existed the old institutions altered very little, and there were no basic changes within the teaching profession or the judiciary, mainly because the professi ons had little sympathy with the struggling republic. This was true also of most of the officer corps of the Reichwehr. The Treaty of Versailles basically left the German Empi...

Ida B. Wells and Her Anti-Lynching Campaign

Ida B. Wells and Her Anti-Lynching Campaign African-American journalist Ida B. Wells went to heroic lengths in the late 1890s to document the horrifying practice of lynching blacks. Her groundbreaking work, which included collecting statistics in a practice that today is called data journalism, established that the lawless killing of blacks was a systematic practice, especially in the South in the era following Reconstruction. Wells became deeply interested in the lynching problem after three black businessmen she knew were killed by a white mob outside Memphis, Tennessee, in 1892. For the next four decades she would devote her life, often at great personal risk, to campaigning against lynching. At one point a newspaper she owned was burned by a white mob. And she was certainly no stranger to death threats. Yet she doggedly reported on lynchings and made the subject of lynching a topic which American society could not ignore. Early Life Ida B. Wells was born into slavery on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She was the eldest of eight children. Following the end of the Civil War, her father, who as a slave had been the carpenter on a plantation, was active in Reconstruction period politics in Mississippi. When Ida was young she was educated in a local school, though her education was interrupted when both her parents died in a yellow fever epidemic when she was 16. She had to take care of her siblings, and she moved with them to Memphis, Tennessee, to live with an aunt. In Memphis, Wells found work as a teacher. And she resolved to become an activist when, on May 4, 1884, she was ordered to leave her seat on a streetcar and move to a segregated car. She refused and was ejected from the train.   She began to write about her experiences, and became affiliated with The Living Way, a newspaper published by African-Americans. In 1892 she became the co-owner of a small newspaper for African-Americans in Memphis, the Free Speech. The Anti-Lynching Campaign The horrendous practice of lynching had become widespread in the South in the decades following the Civil War. And it hit home for Ida B. Wells in March 1892 when three young African-American businessmen she knew in Memphis were abducted by a mob and murdered. Wells resolved to document the lynchings in the South, and to speak out in hopes of ending the practice. She began advocating for the black citizens of Memphis to move to the West, and she urged boycotts of segregated streetcars. By challenging the white power structure, she became a target. And in May 1892 the office of her newspaper, the Free Speech, was attacked by a white mob and burned.   She continued her work documenting lynchings. She traveled to England in 1893 and 1894, and spoke at many public meetings about the conditions in the American South. She was, of course, attacked for that at home. A Texas newspaper called her an adventuress, and the governor of Georgia even claimed that she was a stooge for international businessmen trying to get people to boycott the South and do business in the American West. In 1894 she returned to America and embarked on a speaking tour. An address she gave in Brooklyn, New York, on December 10, 1894, was covered in the New York Times. The report noted that Wells had been welcomed by a local chapter of the Anti-Lynching Society, and a letter from Frederick Douglass, regretting that he couldnt attend, had been read. The New York Times reported on her speech: During the present year, she said, no less than 206 lynchings had taken place. They were not only on the increase, she declared, but were becoming intensified in their barbarism and boldness. She said that lynchings that formerly took place at night were now in some cases actually perpetrated in the broad daylight, and more than that, photographs were taken of the atrocious crime, and were sold as souvenirs of the occasion. In some instances, Miss Wells said, the victims were burned as a sort of diversion. She said that the Christian and moral forces of the country were now required to revolutionize public sentiment. In 1895 Wells published a landmark book, A Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynchings In the United States. In a sense, Wells practiced what today is often lauded as data journalism, as she scrupulously kept records and was able to document the large numbers of lynchings which were taking place in America. Personal Life In 1895 Wells married Ferdinand Barnett, an editor and lawyer in Chicago. They lived in Chicago and had four children. Wells continued her journalism, and often published articles on the subject of lynching and civil rights for African-Americans. She became involved in local politics in Chicago and also with the nationwide drive for womens suffrage. Ida B. Wells died on March 25, 1931. Though her campaign against lynching did not stop the practice, her groundbreaking reporting and writing on the subject was a milestone in American journalism. Belated Honors At the time Ida B. Wells died she had faded from public view somewhat, and major newspapers did not note her passing. In March 2018, as part of a project to highlight women who had been overlooked, the New York Times published a belated obituary of Ida B. Wells. There has also been a movement to honor Wells with a statue in the Chicago neighborhood where she lived. And in June 2018 the Chicago city government voted to honor Wells by naming a street for her.

Most important role of marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Most important role of marketing - Essay Example Marketing is mostly seen by many people as only advertising and selling of a product or a service. But real marketing is not only considered as an art of selling, but it is also considered as the art where an organization gains market leadership by understanding the customers wants and needs and making sure that those wants and needs are fulfilled and which will satisfy the customer. For example, if customer value and satisfaction are missing from a product or a service, then any kind of advertising or selling will not be able to compensate or help the company with keeping a profitable relationship with their customers and the company will be able to become a leader in its market. Simply stated, the aim of marketing is to create and build and manage profitable customer relationships. Marketers study customer needs and wants, select target markets that they think they will serve best, design products and services and programs to serve the select markets. Marketers are the ones who hav e to attract new customers by making sure that customers are given superior value so that the current customers and the potential customers are satisfied with their product and they remain loyal with the company. Marketers throughout the organizations need to know how to define and segment markets, develop attractive value propositions and to build strongly positioned brands for their company. The marketers must know how to price their company's product and to make them attractive and affordable. They need to know how to advertise and promote products to customers and they must know how to adapt to their marketing strategies and management to a host of new technological and global realities. Clearly need a broad range of skills in order to build profitable relationships with their customers. Consumer/Market Analysis and Targeting Market Analysis When we talk about market analysis, the company needs to have thorough knowledge of their market and need to decide upon their market's size, growth rate, profitability, trends, the success factors and distribution channels etc. The rapid technological change, global competition and the diversity of the buyers preferences in many markets require the constant attention of market watchers to identify promising business opportunities, see the shifting requirements of buyers, evaluate changes in competitive positioning and guide the choice of which buyers to target and how to position a product or service. Mapping the entire market is considered very important for the company to understand and anticipate market changes and competitive threats. Understanding the markets and how they are going to change in the future indefinitely, are considered very important elements to market driven strategies for a company like Orange Crush of Dr Pepper Snapple, which is an orange soft drink. The importance of forming a vision about the future is highlighted by the changes occurring in the beverage market. The key strategic issue for Orange Crush and other beverage companies competing in this market is anticipating the nature and the scope of the impact of the introduction of

Systemic paper review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Systemic paper review - Essay Example The performance of nurses’ in the health care system of today is mainly centered on the quality care, which is mostly measured by outcomes of patients and the organizational goals achievement. The severe shortage of nurses has caused many units to be in a mode of crisis, which as a result of patient acuity increase, expectations of nursing work and technological advancement, is intensified. Job performance in general relates to the success of an organization. It is, however, not one person simply performing his or her work well because they feel like it. Performance is the behavior of an organization. In an environment of work where there are strains by changes in the organization and constraints in finances, managers and nurse leaders would still be accountable for the organization’s success. Behaviors of nursing leadership are found to influence the ability of nurses’ to surpass the expectation of their employers in meeting the goals of the organization. Furthermore, styles of leadership that support needs of staff have reduced burnout also, by nurses’ being influenced to perceive their environment of work as, instead of overwhelming, it being a challenge. The performance of nurses’ is directly associated with the outcome of patients, and styles of nursing leadership have an impact on the goals of the organization being met (MacGregor, et al 2010). Designed systematic review collecting evidence on the relationship between the performance of nurses and leadership from the perspective of the nurses to understand leadership roles in motivation performance has been carried out. It revealed that when confidence was expressed by the nurse leaders in the ability of their subordinates to perform at a level that was high, the nurses felt their performance empowered. This was because they felt important through freely making decisions and engaging or proposing without necessarily having