3 Cases of Sentence-Composition Confusion

3 Cases of Sentence-Composition Confusion 3 Cases of Sentence-Composition Confusion 3 Cases of Sentence-Composition Confusion By Mark Nichol It’s not only quite possible but also quite common for what initially appears to be a well-written sentence to turn out to fail to express what the writer intended. Readers may be able to understand that intent, and may not even notice the error, but confusion is likely. Here are three sentences that don’t quite say what the writer thinks they say, followed by discussions and revisions. 1. Jones teamed up with another future Hall of Famer named John Smith. This sentence literally states that Jones’s name is actually John Smith; â€Å"another future Hall of Famer named John Smith† implies that the previously mentioned person shares that name. To eliminate this distraction, simply replace name with a comma: â€Å"Jones teamed up with another future Hall of Famer, John Smith. (Alternatively, change another to fellow and delete named: â€Å"Jones teamed up with fellow future Hall of Famer John Smith.†) 2. Gillian Anderson was offered half of David Duchovny’s salary for the return of The X-Files. Here, the take-away is that half of David Duchovny’s salary was taken away and offered to Gillian Anderson- obviously not the intended meaning, which is that Duchovny was paid twice as much as Anderson to return to the television series. The fact that Duchovny’s salary is mentioned only for comparative purposes should be emphasized: â€Å"Gillian Anderson was offered half of what David Duchovny was paid to return to The X-Files.† (Alternatively, write â€Å"Gillian Anderson was offered half as much as David Duchovny was paid to return to The X-Files.†) Note, too, the rewording in each case of the end of the sentence, which originally was written as if to suggest that she gave the series back in exchange for taking half of Duchovny’s salary, rather than that in exchange for reprising her role in a new edition of the series, she is earning half of what her male co-star is being paid. 3. I managed to pinpoint the location of his first housing development, but finding the first house he built was about as easy as locating men who worked on his construction crews. To compare one difficult task (finding the first house a housing developer built) with another (tracking down his contractors) by writing that one was as easy as the other could confuse readers. (As it is, only the counterpoint conjunction but provides a clue that the second and third objectives were a challenge to achieve.). For clarity, replace â€Å"as easy as† with â€Å"as difficult as†: â€Å"I managed to pinpoint the location of his first housing development, but finding the first house he built was about as difficult as locating men who worked on his construction crews.† 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 Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, WhetherThe Writing ProcessDrama vs. Melodrama

Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs

Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs By Ali Hale Daily Writing Tips has already covered Five reasons why blogging improves your writing. But once you’ve polished up your skills, and grown used to writing frequently and receiving feedback, blogging can also help you get paid for your writing. 1. It’s a free (or very cheap) way to self-publish your writing Posting your writing on a blog is a form of self-publishing, even if you don’t think of it that way. After all, blogging software uses a Publish button to submit a post, and if you run Google Adsense on your blog, Google refers to you as a Publisher. In the past, to get published you either persuaded an editor to print your work, or you paid to have the piece printed yourself. Blogging allows you to self-publish for free (or at the small cost of hosting and an internet connection). If your blog becomes popular, you could run advertisements to make some money or invite sponsorship from companies – glance over to the right to see some of Daily Writing Tips’s sponsors. 2. Blogging helps you build up a portfolio of pieces One of the hardest things about getting started as a freelance writer is getting together a portfolio of your writing to show potential clients. Having a blog allows you to build up a sample of published pieces that you can use to show your writing prowess. If you’re intending to use blogging to start your portfolio, why not write guest posts for other blogs? For example, I have Daily Writing Tips, Diet Blog, Freelance Switch, The Change Blog, Dumb Little Man and Pick the Brain on my list of sites I’ve written for. Editors may take you more seriously if they can see that other people think your writing is good enough to publish. 3. You get to write about topics that you love – and build your expertise and credentials Much has been said about the need to have a blog on a niche topic – one topic that you write regularly about, rather than trying to include everything that you’re interested in. This makes it much easier to build up an interested readership, but it also helps to build your knowledge about the topic. If you’re reading other blogs and books on your subject and writing original material several times a week, you’ll almost certainly be learning something new. Having a well-established blog on a particular topic is a great way to demonstrate your expertise. For example, if you want to write movie reviews for a newspaper, pointing to your long-running blog with a weekly round-up of the latest releases could be a great way to prove that you’re up to the job. 4. A popular blog could lead to a book deal In the offline world, the sale of â€Å"blooks† is rising – books based on blogs. Several bloggers who I read have signed book deals: Darren Rowse from Problogger, Shauna Reid from The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl and Jennette Fulda (aka PastaQueen) from Half of Me. And, of course, there are some very famous examples such as Belle de Jour’s The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. If your blog becomes big, it just might catch the attention of an agent. And even if the agents aren’t phoning you just yet, a blog could help you sell your own book. Elizabeth Soutter Schwarzer (‘Liz’ or ‘DaMomma’) from Motherhood is Not for Wimps has self-published one book and has another on the way. Collis and Cyan Ta’eed from Freelance Switch self-published How to be a Rockstar Freelancer (in both ebook and printed formats) and have another book on the way, How to be a Rockstar WordPresser. Many other bloggers offer excellent free articles on their blog but also sell ebooks which go into more depth on the same topics. 5. If you’re a freelancer, a blog is a great marketing tool Well-known bloggers who publish authoritative and well-written posts can use their blog as a mean of marketing themselves. Skellie does this brilliantly on Skelliewag, with a â€Å"Hire me† page and advertisments on the right hand side for her own services. Harry and James from Men with Pens have â€Å"Guns for Hire† which explains the writing and design services which they offer. Make sure your blog tells potential clients how they can get in touch. If someone loves your blog’s style and content, they might well want to hire you. Also, blogs tend to rank well in search engines (due to the amount of content, and because other blogs often want to link to your posts), so you’ll have greater visibility online. If you have a blog, has it helped you – directly or indirectly – to make money from your writing? If you’re not blogging yet, do you have ideas of how you’d like to use a blog? 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 Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 7 Tips for Writing a Film ReviewEmpathic or Empathetic?

Historical Developement of Separation of Powers Essay

Historical Developement of Separation of Powers - Essay Example In 17th century England, it emerged for the first time as a coherent theory of government, explicitly set out, and urged as the 'grand secret of liberty and good government'" (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2). In the upheaval of the Civil War, the doctrine emerged as a response to the need for a new constitutional theory when a system of government based upon "a mixture of King, Lords, and Commons" seemed no longer relevant. "Growing out of the more ancient theory, the doctrine became both a rival to it and a means of broadening and developing it into the 18th century theory of the balanced constitution" (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2). The revolutionary potentialities of the doctrine were fully realized in America and France, but when its viability as a theory of government was tested "its weaknesses were revealed; this one revolutionary idea could also become a bulwark of conservatism." (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2) The attack on the doctrine came in two waves: First, the middle class "which had most fervently supported it", now saw within its reach control of political power through extension of the franchise, and the need for a theory that was essentially a challenge to the power of aristocracy diminished; however, until the Second Reform Act in England, the doctrine was sought only to be re-examined (Vile; M.J.C.; 1967; chapter 2). ... Changing ideas about the role of government and its structure were "accompanied by a changing emphasis in ideas about the nature of sovereignty". (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2). In earlier centuries, the need for a single omnipotent source of power had been stressed by "theorists of absolutism", and rejected by liberal constitutionalists, who swore by division of power and the limitations on power imposed by the constitution or by a higher law. "Rousseau's association of unlimited sovereignty with the people led to reorientation of ideas" (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2) .If franchise could be restricted to those with a stake in the community, the idea of an unlimited, indivisible sovereign power became for the liberal individualist not a threat but a safeguard; "it became in the hands of Bentham and Austin an instrument for reform of government which would increase the freedom of the individual". However, "the desire for a unified system of government, whether to achieve reform or f or positive State action, led to a rediscovery of the role of discretion and prerogative in government." (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2) Realization that the functional concepts of the doctrine of separation of powers were inadequate to explain the operations of government was heightened by emerging awareness of the nature of bureaucracy; "the impact of Prussian bureaucracy in the 19th century, establishment of a non-political civil service in England, dissatisfaction with the spoils system in the United States, development of the Weberian theory bureaucracy, (all) led to a reassessment of the 'executive' function". (Vile, M.J.C.; 1967; Chapter 2). Thus the demand for establishment of "harmony" between the legislature and the executive

The Retrospect of European Upheaval Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Retrospect of European Upheaval - Essay Example Trade developed around a ‘triangle’; from Britain to West Africa taking goods such as Glassware , cloth and ammunition, from West Africa to the Americas carrying enslaved people, and finally from the Americas back to Britain with raw materials such as sugar, tobacco and cotton. This all resulted due to developments in maritime technology as it enabled European sailors to have longer voyage. Enslaved Africans were sold to work on plantations or in the households of the slave owners upon their arrival in America. They grew cash crops – tobacco, sugar, coffee, cocoa – for the European markets. Entrepreneurs on the islands of the Caribbean and in the US depended on slave labour to grow these crops profitably as the labour was cheap. 1500 Africans during the between Spain and Britain war escaped to mountains, evaded capture for 150 years and undertook guerilla warfare against the plantation owners. The French Revolution in 1789 created a new French republic and perturbed Haiti (which was created as a result of Successful rebellion) when the slaves revolted led by the formidable soldier Toussaint L’Ouverture, who himself was once a slave and self educated. He had an army of 100.000 revolts which took control of Spanish Santo Domingo(Now known as Haiti) and freed other slaves. Later on, he agreed to stop fighting if French would abolish the slavery. Mongol Empire, Ottoman Empire, 1453, Sunni Islam When Baghdad fell to Mongols by Slejuks, they declared an independent Sultanate in east and central Asia. Later on the Slejuks were overthrown by Uthman, an Uzbek of the Ottoman clan and proclaimed the Sultan of Asia Minor in 1301. Constantinople, heart of the Byzantine Empire became the capital of the Ottoman Empire when it was conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II. Mehmet slaughtered many of the population and forced the rest into exile. The city was repopulated by importing people scattered in Ottoman Territories. He renamed C onstantinople Istanbul – the 'city of Islam' - and embarked for recuperating physically and politically as he made it his capital. Scramble for Africa, Berlin Conference, King Leopold II, Congo Free State In 1884 a meeting was convened at the Berlin residence of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Foreign Ministers from fourteen European Nations and United States promulgated rules for further exploitation of African continent without making the inhabitant’s part of the process. Otto von Bismarck wanted not only to expand German spheres of influence in Africa but had a hidden agenda to play off Germany's colonial rivals against one another to the Germans' advantage. France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling most of colonial Africa at the time among the fourteen nations. The French were prevalent in West Africa, while the British had occupied in East and Southern Africa. The Belgians acquired the vast territory which lat er became The Congo. The Germans ruled in 4 colonies which were all across the region. The Portuguese held a small colony in West Africa and two large ones in Southern Africa. Kind Leopold II had coerced the Africans in Congo to gather rubber, illegal killing of elephants for their ivory and to facilitate export routes, infrastructure was build. Those who failed to meet these tasks were massacred. King Leopold regime is regarded as the most excruciating disasters of Africa as 10 million Congolese had been

Power Reforms Essay Example for Free

Power Reforms Essay Electricity is central to achieving economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable human development. In fact it has become essential ingredient for improving the quality of life and its absence is usually associated with poverty and poor quality of life. India has the fifth largest generation capacity in the world with an installed capacity of 173,626 MW as in March 2011. The power sector added record conventional capacities of 12,160 MW during 2010-11. However, despite the Indian power sector having shown substantial growth during the post-independence era, the sector has been ailing from serious functional problems during the past few decades. In 2010-11, India faced power deficit of 10 per cent and peak demand shortage of 13.3 per cent. In this backdrop, Power sector reforms were first initiated in India in 1992 by the Ministry of Power (MoP) to invite private investments in power generation to bridge the demand-supply gap. However, private investments failed to yield much benefit due to serious deficiencies and losses in electricity distribution in most of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs). Post 2001, Reforms were oriented around: 1. Unbundling of the state electricity boards.  2. Corporatization of generation, transmission and distribution sector 3. Setting up of independent central and state electricity regulatory commissions. 4. Passing of the Electricity Act, 2003 which mandates licensee-free thermal generation, non-discriminatory open access of the transmission system and gradual implementation of open access in the distribution system which will pave way for creation of power market in India. In the power sector reform process, Distribution segment was identified as the key area for reform for putting the sector on the right track. Distribution Reforms involve System up-gradation, Loss reduction, Theft control, Consumer orientation, Commercialization and adoption of IT. In this direction, the Government launched the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) during the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07) for the strengthening of Sub – Transmission and Distribution network and reduction in ATC losses. Continuing its support for power distribution reforms, the Government launched the Restructured APDRP (R-APDRP) in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) with revised terms and conditions. Thus, Two key issues emerge as far as performance and reforms of any distribution company are concerned:- 1. Revenue realization which means reduction of ATC Losses 2. Consumer satisfaction The above factors are mutually reinforcing whereby improvement in one leads to the same for other as well. Technology has emerged as a major enabler of any reform process and this holds true for power sector reforms as well. New technological initiatives have been taken by many states especially in the distribution sector which have aided performance of the distribution companies therein. This paper seeks to throw light on how the above two key issues are being addressed through the use of e-governance mechanisms in KESCO i.e. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd., formerly KESA, was restructured as a company on 14 January 2000 under U.P. Electricity reform act 1999. This company is registered for distribution of electricity in the area under Kanpur City (Urban). KESCo is serving around 700 bulk consumers and 4,35,000 other consumers of domestic, commercial and power categories connected to grid through 66 no. 33 KV substations and 340 no. 11 KV feeders after receiving electricity from 7 transmission substation of 220 KV and 132 KV of U.P. Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. It has a peak demand of around 500 MW and annual turnover of around 1000 crores. Coming back to the above two objectives, the situation before the initiatives were launched in KESCO and measures taken therein are as follows: 1. Revenue Realization The biggest challenge of the power sector as far as revenue realization is concerned is the high Aggregate Technical Commercial (ATC) losses. The ATC losses are presently in the range of 18% to 62% in various states in India. The major portion of losses are due to theft and pilferage, which is estimated at about Rs.20,000 crore annually. Apart from rampant theft, the distribution sector is beset with poor billing (only 55%) and collection (only 41%) efficiency in almost in all States. It is estimated that 1% reduction in TD losses would generate savings of over Rs.700 to Rs.800 crores. The line diagram demonstrated below is well explanatory of facts mentioned above:- For KESCO, As far as indicators of Revenue realization are concerned it has high ATC losses to the tune of 29%(March 2011) .Apart from this, other statistics are also not very encouraging with an average turnout of 65% . There was no end to end tracking of theft checking and raids, revenue assessment and realization therein. Not only that, even for billed but non-paying consumers, there was no accurate record of disconnections done and subsequent action thereon for such consumers. Apart from that many consumers were still having defective /mechanical meters installed at their premises, and thus being billed on average basis. There was no mechanism to have a daily tracking of meter replacement work and advices of meters were taking upto3-4 months. Three key fields of revenue realization in above flowchart i.e. Theft and improper metering, collection deficiency, increasing customer base have been targeted through unique initiatives in KESCO. First In this backdrop is a unique , only of its kind in the country, mobile phone based tracking system by the name of M-Drishti introduced in KESCO to ensure end to end tracking of in- field revenue oriented activities: 1. Raids 2. Meter Replacement 3. Disconnections 4. Section 138 Under M-Drishti, 2G internet services have been activated on the official mobile numbers of all distribution officials right from JEs and Assistant Engineers to Chief Engineer. Separate User Id and Passwords have been created for them and they will log in the Mobile M-Drishti interface and fill in details of whatever activities they undertake in field. Screenshot of the mobile phones for activity options is as shown:- So whenever there is a meter checking or katiya raid, a brief report is filled on the spot and sent via phone to the central server. Similarly for any disconnection done against electricity dues or FIR lodged under section 138 of Electricity Supply Act, the information of action taken on spot has to be submitted then and there for addition in the central database. On the server end once the information is collected, the updation is done by the concerned division. So for raid tracking, once revenue assessment and compounding amount at the field level has been entered, it can be edited and information of final assessment done at division, realization therein, Action taken in terms of issuance of notices under section3 and 5, final amount realized etc, can be done by the concerned division. Similar holds true for disconnections done, amount realized therein, action taken in case of non realization etc. For meter replacement a daily report of meters replaced whether defective/mechanical/otherwise is available and is available for linking with online advice. The software generates various MIS reports whereby day/month /JE/Division wise performance with respect to above four activities can be monitored.

My Desire to be an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Essay

My Desire to be an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Imagine yourself to be a young child sitting in a classroom. The teacher has given instructions, and everyone is working, except you. You want to raise your hand, but are hesitant due to the fear of being laughed at. The teacher scolds you for not being on task, and for having to perhaps stay afterwards to catch up on your work. You feel ashamed and want to give up altogether. The teacher glares at you waiting for you to start your work. This example is one that I do not want to have my students experience in the classroom. I have the desire to become an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. I want to assist the child that feels lost, or does not catch on as quickly as the other children. I want the nature of the students to be relaxed, and energetic. I want the children to be curious and involved in every aspect of the learning process. I hope that the students will learn through hands on activities, as well as group and visual lessons. The students in my class should feel that the classroom...

Therefore the management considered

Anthony Nicholas Group was established in 1949 and is currently the leading indigenous jewellery business in Ireland employing 230 people. The Group already implemented an IT strategy in the form of back-office systems and software.However the software was inflexible as it offered no scope for organizational growth in addition to being old, slow and unreliable. Therefore the management considered the option of developing an Internet presence that would simultaneously upgrade the back-office systems and software.The implementation was to be financed by the Enterprise Ireland e-business Acceleration Fund Initiative. Because of the growing online market the IT strategy was considered to be the critical success factor.The end result was envisioned to consist of two components: back office and e-business and web site development. However the implementation process had some problems such as the project team underestimated the true scope of the project so that there were problems related to delays and unanticipated pressures on internal resources.AnalysisIn implementing the IT strategy, the Group followed the strategic alignment process. This process occurs in iterations between four phases: IT strategy, business strategy, organizational issues and information systems issues.The IT strategy of launching the e-business platform was aligned to the business strategy of improving customer service. This alignment between IT strategy and business strategy was maintained with organizational issues in terms of forming the project team which included the Managing Director, Financial Controller and IT Manager.The workload of managing change on the workforce was tremendous as it occurred organization-wide. This problem was addressed through hiring temporary staff. Finally information systems issues were addressed through running the new system and the old system in parallel so that if there were any bugs in the new system, it wouldn’t disrupt the operations in the company .Following the strategic alignment process enabled the Group to conduct the process of managing change in alignment with the strategic focus of the company.Frequently this alignment is lost because the management may not have the necessary IT strategy while the employees are unwilling to cooperate in the implementation leading to user resistance. The management addressed both problems through the strategic alignment process. However there were still delays in completing the installation in time and according to budget because the software specifications had to be changed in accordance with the organizational structure.Therefore there was some degree of customization involved which was facilitated through demonstrations and site visits. They were the basis upon which supplier selection was made. They enabled the Group management to communicate with the supplier regarding the end-user needs so that the end product was fully customized to the organizational structure. This is the criti cal success factor since otherwise the end result would be to introduce a system that does not work thus adding to user resistance.As stated in the case the retail market is characterized by a high level of competitive rivalry and the use of the Internet in sales and marketing is well established.Therefore the Group’s present IT strategy is very much in keeping with creating a position that would enable Anthony Nicholas to meet the overall business strategy of presenting their products and interacting with the customers online. In implementing the IT strategy the company had two aims: establishing a business-to-business e-commerce capability and an Internet business-to-consumer facility.Both the aims were addressed by the e-business strategy. However strategy was not meant to increase turnover, it was more of an add-on to the current service levels.The business-to-business e-commerce strategy was implemented through Solvar which incorporated the manufacturing and wholesale op eration while the business-to-consumer strategy was implemented through the ‘Fields of Dublin’ website. These two modules made the information systems scalable so that the management could add on.

Macbeth as tragic hero Essay

The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy about a Scottish lord, Macbeth, who becomes too ambitious. He starts off as a brave, loyal and noble man, but his ambition and thirst for power lead him onto a path of ruthlessness and self-destruction, and ultimately his own death. While Macbeth is manipulated by various people and occurrences, the main ones being the witches, Lady Macbeth and Fate, one theme that remains constant throughout the play is the power of choice. Macbeth does have the ability to choose, and it is this ability that makes him a tragic hero, not a victim. There are certain characteristics that someone must have in order to be considered a full tragic hero. One of the main ones is that the character must have a fatal flaw. In Macbeth’s case, it is his ‘vaulting ambition’ (1:VII:27). Ambition can be a good thing, but when in large doses as Macbeth’s was, it can be dangerous, and, as Macbeth proved, even fatal. Another important characteristic of a tragic hero is the conflict between good and evil, and the choice between these two things. Macbeth consciously chooses evil over good. A victim, on the other hand, has no power over what happens to them. Macbeth did have some control over the situation, which means that he was not a victim. However, Macbeth himself can’t be entirely to blame. He was influenced and manipulated, particularly by the witches. If the three ‘Weird Sisters’ (1:V:7) had not said anything to Macbeth in the first place then none of it would have happened. The ‘Weird Sisters’ put the idea of becoming ‘king hereafter’ (1:III:49) into Macbeth’s head, and, consequently, the idea of murdering King Duncan. The witches knew that this would happen, they wanted it to happen. They also manipulated Macbeth later on in the play, with the three apparitions. They gave him false confidence, and, once again, they knew and wanted this to happen. They created ‘toil and trouble’ (1:IV:10), and they created it on purpose, to lead Macbeth to his demise. However, Banquo was also present at the first meeting with the ‘Weird Sisters’, and they made a prophesy for him, too. But Banquo chooses to ignore what they say. Macbeth could have made th is choice as well, but he didn’t. Although the witches did manipulate Macbeth, he wanted to believe their prophesies, and he chose to believe them. Another person who was a big influence on Macbeth was his wife, Lady Macbeth. He was going to let ‘chance crown me king’ (1:III:43), but Lady Macbeth knew that this wouldn’t lead to anything. She also knew that Macbeth’s sense of loyalty and honour could stop him from killing Duncan and therefore becoming king and fulfilling his ambitions. She urges him to ‘look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’ (1:V:63-64). She also questions Macbeth’s manliness, another weak spot of his. She knows that he doesn’t like her doing this, and she knows that it’s a good way of persuading Macbeth to do what she wants him to do – that it’s a good way of manipulating him. But Macbeth wanted to be manipulated. He let his wife influence him. If he really didn’t want to murder Duncan then he wouldn’t have. Even before he spoke to Lady Macbeth he was having ‘horrible imaginings’ (1:II I:37). Even though Lady Macbeth helped turn these into realities, she did not physically force her husband to commit murder. Once again, Macbeth had the freedom, power and ability to choose. Another important role in the Macbeth is the role of Fate and destiny. Being a tragic hero, Macbeth was destined to die from the beginning. It could have even been Fate that Macbeth made the wrong choices. However Fate can’t manipulate, Fate just is. Macbeth says that he is going to leave everything up to chance, but he doesn’t. He chose not to. Perhaps this was also due to Fate, but what would have happened if Macbeth had chosen not to kill Duncan? This is another thing that makes Macbeth a tragic hero – the audience is left feeling sympathetic about what might have been. No matter how manipulated, everybody has the power of free will. The fact is that Macbeth chose his path himself, and although Fate may have played some part in his downfall, the power of choice played and even bigger part. The ability to choose overrides Fate and destiny. The entire play could just be put down to human nature. Greed, power, ambition; greed for power and ambition is a part of human nature. However human nature is a bit like Fate, in that it cannot manipulate, it just is. Nearly everyone would like to believe that they can be great, and if they are told so would want to believe it. Macbeth just takes it one step further  by making it happen. In a way Macbeth is taking Fate into his own hands. His ‘vaulting ambition’ drives him to do this. It is Macbeth’s ambition that leads him to murder people, as well as leading to his own death. His ambition ultimately becomes his nemesis, which makes him a full tragic hero. Macbeth’s ambition and his greed for power is like a fire. The witches, Lady Macbeth and Fate did manipulate him and add fuel to the fire, but the spark had to be there first in order for them to do this. Although Macbeth was influenced and manipulated a great deal, he still had the power and the freedom to choose. It is the choices he made that make Macbeth not a victim, but a full tragic hero.

Racial Classification Under Apartheid

Racial Classification Under Apartheid In the Apartheid state of South Africa (1949-1994),  your racial classification was everything. It determined where you could live, who you could marry, the types of jobs you could get, and so many other aspects of your life. The whole legal infrastructure of Apartheid rested on racial classifications, but the determination of a persons race often fell to census takers and other bureaucrats. The arbitrary ways in which they classified race are astounding, especially when one considers that peoples whole lives hinged on the result. Defining Race The 1950 Population Registration Act declared that all South Africans be classified into one of three races: white, native (black African), or colored (neither white nor native). The legislators realized that trying to classify people scientifically or by some set biological standards would never work. So instead they defined race in terms of two measures: appearance and public perception. According to the law, a person was white if they were â€Å"obviously...[or] generally accepted as White. The definition of native was even more revealing: a person who in fact is or is generally accepted as a member of any aboriginal race or tribe of Africa. People who could prove that they were accepted as another race, could actually petition to change their racial classification. One day you could be native and the next colored. This was not about fact but perception. Perceptions of Race For many people, there was little question of how they would be classified. Their appearance aligned with preconceptions of one race or another, and they associated only with people of that race.  There were other individuals, though, who did not fit neatly into these categories, and their experiences highlighted the absurd and arbitrary nature of racial classifications.   In the initial round of racial classification in the 1950s, census takers quizzed those whose classification they were unsure about. They asked people on the language(s) they spoke, their occupation, whether they had paid native taxes in the past, who they associated with, and even what they ate and drank. All of these factors were seen as indicators of race. Race in this respect was based on economic and lifestyle differences - the very distinctions Apartheid laws set out to protect.   Testing Race Over the years, certain unofficial tests were also set up to determine the race of individuals who either appealed their classification or whose classification was challenged by others. The most infamous of these was the â€Å"pencil test†, which said that if a pencil placed in ones hair fell out, he or she was white. If it fell out with shaking, colored, and if it stayed put, he or she was black. Individuals could also be subjected to humiliating examinations of the color of their genitals, or any other body part that the determining official felt was a clear marker of race. Again, though, these tests had  to be about appearance and public perceptions, and in the racially stratified and segregated society of South Africa, appearance determined public perception. The clearest example of this is the sad case of Sandra Laing. Ms. Laing was born to white parents, but her appearance resembled that of a light-skin colored person. After her racial classification was challenged at school, she was re-classified as colored and expelled. Her father took a paternity test, and eventually, her family got her re-classified as white. She was still ostracized by the white community, however, and she ended up marrying a black man. In order to remain with her children, she petitioned to be re-classified again as colored. To this day, over twenty years after the end of Apartheid, her brothers refuse to speak to her. Sources Posel, Deborah. Race as Common Sense: Racial Classification in Twentieth-Century South Africa,  African Studies Review  44.2 (Sept 2001): 87-113. Posel, Deborah, Whats in a Name?: Racial categorisations under Apartheid and their afterlife,  Transformation  (2001).

The Royal Road of the Achaemenids in Darius Empire

The Royal Road of the Achaemenids in Darius Empire The Royal Road of the Achaemenids was a major intercontinental thoroughfare built by the Persian Achaemenid dynasty king Darius the Great (521–485 BCE). The road network allowed Darius a way to access and maintain control over his conquered cities throughout the Persian empire. It is also, ironically enough, the same road that Alexander the Great used to conquer the Achaemenid dynasty a century and a half later. The Royal Road led from the Aegean Sea to Iran, a length of some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers). A major branch connected the cities of Susa, Kirkuk, Nineveh, Edessa, Hattusa, and Sardis. The journey from Susa to Sardis was reported to have taken 90 days on foot, and three more to get to the Mediterranean coast at Ephesus. The journey would have been faster on horseback, and carefully placed way stations helped speed the communication network. From Susa the road connected to Persepolis and India and intersected with other road systems leading to the ancient allied and competing kingdoms of Media, Bactria, and Sogdiana. A branch from Fars to Sardis crossed the foothills of the Zagros mountains and east of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, through Kilikia and Cappadocia before reaching Sardis. Another branch led into Phyrgia. Not Just a Road Network The network might have been called the Royal Road, but it also included rivers, canals, and trails, as well as ports and anchorages for seaborne travel. One canal built for Darius I connected the Nile to the Red Sea. An idea of the amount of traffic that the roads saw has been gleaned by ethnographer Nancy J. Malville, who examined ethnographic records of Nepali porters. She found that human porters can move loads of 60–100 kilograms (132–220 pounds) a distance of 10–15 kilometers (6–9 miles) per day without the benefit of roads. Mules can carry loads of 150–180 kg (330–396 lbs) up to 24 km (14 mi) per day; and camels can carry much heavier loads up to 300 kg (661 lbs), some 30 km (18 mi) per day. Pirradazish: Express Postal Service According to the Greek historian Herodotus, a postal relay system called pirradazish (express runner or fast runner) in Old Iranian and angareion in Greek, served to connect up the major cities in an ancient form of high-speed communication. Herodotus is known to have been prone to exaggeration, but he was definitely impressed with what he saw and heard. There is nothing mortal that is faster than the system that the Persians have devised for sending messages. Apparently, they have horses and men posted at intervals along the route, the same number in total as the overall length in days of the journey, with a fresh horse and rider for every day of travel. Whatever the conditions- it may be snowing, raining, blazing hot, or dark- they never fail to complete their assigned journey in the fastest possible time. The first man passes his instructions on to the second, the second to the third, and so on. Herodotus, The Histories Book 8, chapter 98, cited in Colburn and translated by R. Waterfield. Historic Records of the Road As you might have guessed, there are multiple historical records of the road, including such as Herotodus who mentioned the royal waystations along one of the best-known segments. Extensive information also comes from the Persepolis Fortification Archive (PFA), tens of thousands of clay tablets and fragments incised in cuneiform writing, and excavated from the ruins of Darius capital at Persepolis. Much information about the Royal Road comes from the PFAs Q texts, tablets which record the disbursement of specific travelers rations along the way, describing their destinations and/or points of origin. Those endpoints are often far beyond the local area of Persepolis and Susa. One travel document was carried by the individual named Nehtihor, who was authorized to draw rations in a string of cities through northern Mesopotamia from Susa to Damascus. Demotic and hieroglyphic graffiti dated to Darius Is 18th regnal year (~503 BCE) has identified another important segment of the Royal Road known as Darb Rayayna, which ran in North Africa between Armant in the Qena Bend in Upper Egypt and the Kharga Oasis in the Western Desert. Architectural Features Determining Darius construction methods of the road is somewhat difficult since the Achmaenid road was built following older roadways. Probably most of the routes were unpaved but there are some exceptions. A few intact sections of the road which date to Dariuss time, such as that at Gordion and Sardis, were constructed with cobblestone pavements atop a low embankment from 5–7 meters (16–23 feet) in width and, in places, faced with a curbing of dressed stone. At Gordion, the road was 6.25 m (20.5 ft) wide, with a packed gravel surface and curbstones and a ridge down the middle dividing it into two lanes. Theres also a rock-cut road segment at Madakeh which has been associated with the Persepolis–Susa road, 5 m (16.5 ft) wide. These paved sections were likely limited to the vicinities of cities or the most important arteries. Way Stations Even ordinary travelers had to stop on such long journeys. A hundred and eleven way-posting stations were reported to have existed on the main branch between Susa and Sardis, where fresh horses were kept for travelers. They are recognized by their similarities to caravanserais, stops on the Silk Road for camel traders. These are square or rectangular stone buildings with multiple rooms around a broad market area, and an enormous gate allowing parcel- and human-laden camels to pass under it. The Greek philosopher Xenophon called them hippon, of horses in Greek, which means they probably also included stables. A handful of way stations have been tentatively identified archaeologically. One possible way station is a large (40x30 m, 131x98 ft) five-room stone building near the site of Kuh-e Qale (or Qaleh Kali), on or very close to the Persepolis–Susa road, known to have been a major artery for royal and court traffic. It is somewhat more elaborate than would have been expected for a simple travelers inn, with fancy columns and porticoes. Expensive luxury items in delicate glass and imported stone have been found at Qaleh Kali, all of which leads scholars to surmise that the site was an exclusive way station for wealthier travelers. Travelers Comfort Inns Another possible but less fancy way station has been identified at the site of JinJan (Tappeh Survan), in Iran. There are two known near Germabad and Madakeh on the Pesrpolis–Susa road, one at Tangi-Bulaghi near Pasargadae, and one at Deh Bozan between Susa and Ecbatana. Tang-i Bulaghi is a courtyard surrounded by thick walls, with several smaller ancient buildings, which fits other types of ancient buildings but also caravanserais. The one near Madakeh is of similar construction. Various historic documents suggest that there were likely maps, itineraries, and milestones to aid travelers in their journeys. According to documents in the PFA, there were also road maintenance crews. References exist of gangs of workmen known as road counters or people who count the road, who made sure that the road was in good repair. There is also a mention in the Roman writer Claudius Aelianus De natura animalium indicating that Darius asked at one point that the road from Susa to Media be cleared of scorpions. Archaeology of the Royal Road Much of what is known about the Royal Road comes not from archaeology, but from the Greek historian Herodotus, who described the Achaemenid imperial postal system. Archaeological evidence suggests that there were several precursors to the Royal Road: that portion which connects Gordion to the coast was likely used by Cyrus the Great during his conquest of Anatolia. It is possible that the first roads were established in the 10th century BCE under the Hittites. These roads would have been used as trade routes by the Assyrians and Hittites at Boghakzoy. Historian David French has argued that the much later Roman roads would have been constructed along the ancient Persian roads as well; some of the Roman roads are used today, meaning that parts of the Royal Road have been used continually for some 3,000 years. French argues that a southern route across the Euphrates at Zeugma and across Cappodocia, ending at Sardis, was the main Royal Road. This was the route taken by Cyrus the Younger in 401 BCE; and it is possible that Alexander the Great traveled this same route while conquering much of Eurasia in the 4th century BCE. The northern route proposed by other scholars as the main thoroughfare has three possible routes: through Ankara in Turkey and into Armenia, crossing the Euphrates in the hills near the Keban dam, or crossing the Euphrates at Zeugma. All of these segments were used both before and after the Achaemenids. Sources Asadu, Ali, and Barbara Kaim. The Acheamenid Building at Site 64 in Tang-E Bulaghi. Achaemenet Arta 9.3 (2009). Print. Colburn, Henry P. Connectivity and Communication in the Achaemenid Empire. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 56.1 (2013): 29–52. Print.Dusinberre, Elspeth R. M. Aspects of Empire in Achaemenid Sardis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.French, David. Pre- and Early-Roman Roads of Asia Minor. The Persian Royal Road. Iran 36 (1998): 15–43. Print.Malville, Nancy J. Long-Distance Transport of Bulk Goods in the Pre-Hispanic American Southwest. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 20.2 (2001): 230–43. Print.Stoneman, Richard. How Many Miles to Babylon? Maps, Guides, Roads, and Rivers in the Expeditions of Xenophon and Alexander. Greece and Rome 62.1 (2015): 60–74. Print.Sumner, W. M. Achaemenid Settlement in the Persepolis Plain. American Journal of Archaeology 90.1 (1986): 3–31. Print.Young, Rodne y S. Gordion on the Royal Road. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 107.4 (1963): 348–64. Print.

Homeland security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homeland security - Assignment Example It is also true that second responder in an emergency situation, provide support roles to the first responder, who are usually the; fire response team, police among others. Their duties basically involve preparation, organization as well as offering returning services. However, it is imperative to note that the emergency second responders do not have to necessarily work behind the scenes as indicated in this post. They can also work on site in undertaking duties such as cleaning and return services (Jackson & Faith, 2012). This post indicates that significant training efforts and investment have been made in preparation and training of emergency response teams since the 2001 terrorist attack. This statement is somehow invalid; this is because, significant investment and training have been made in emergency response teams even before September 11, 2001. It could have been made better by indicating the significant improvement in relation to training and investment in emergency response teams have been made since September 2001. In relation to improving the capacities of the second responders towards provision of emergency rescue services, the statement does not indicate the fact that provision a comprehensive training for second responders could be improve their performance especially when there is a shortage of the first responders. That is, second responders should also be subjected to training involving learning the duties of first responders as well as the duties of the second responders could improve their capacity of performance when providing emergency services. It is not wise to assert that the services offered by second responders could be improved by introducing responder three; this actions would simply involve investment if huge amounts of financial resources. Instead, stakeholders can focus on research with an intention of determining more effective ways of improving the performance of the second