Meddling with Mettle

Meddling with Mettle Meddling with Mettle Meddling with Mettle By Maeve Maddox Another of Daniel’s great words of the day, mettle, provoked readers’ comments that have in turn prompted me to get into the act. Reader’s Comment 1 Mettle can also mean the â€Å"stuff of which a person is made.† So if I say I’m made of mettle, people won’t think I’m a robot (or, more likely, delusional)? I know that Peter was joking, but I just wanted to point out that although the word means â€Å"the stuff of which a person is made,† to say â€Å"I’m made of mettle† wouldn’t make sense. Most commonly the word mettle is used with a verb like show, test, or prove: Miami proves its mettle in win over Oklahoma Bilo rugby boys show their mettle NCC cadets test their mettle Other idioms with mettle: to be on your mettle:  to be determined to prove that you are good at something, especially in a difficult situation Nancy coach Paul Fischer knows his team must be on their mettle as they seek Study puts stents on their mettle. (in this case an inanimate object is being put on its mettle. Probably not an apt use of the expression.) Here’s a headline that plays on the same pronunciation (and same original meaning) of mettle and metal: Scrap thefts: Cops on their mettle The adjective mettlesome means â€Å"lively, high-spirited, courageous.† . . . M. Epailza, one of our most mettlesome adversaries The word seems to have some specialized meaning for gamers: Copy this simulator to the mettlesome directory†¨Run the Trainer. Start the mettlesome with this trainer.†¨ I certainly can’t figure out what â€Å"mettlesome† is supposed to mean in this paragraph on a gaming site: Buy wow characters, you are ensuring you can freely mettlesome without the hornlike slog. Theres no requirement to intend on the mettlesome an distance early than customary so you can conjoin for eve accounts you can go on at your connatural instance and savor the mettlesome to its flooded possible ness the aforementioned way thousands of others do. INWOWGOLD.COM Reader’s Comment 2 How about one who mettles in someone else’s business to the detriment of the relationship or the business? One meddles in someone else’s business. The usual sense of meddle these days is â€Å"to interfere,† as in these headlines: Building chief tells politicians not to meddle in Olympics Avoid the Temptation to Meddle in Haiti How insurers meddle in your medical care The word meddle comes from French and Latin words meaning â€Å"to mix.† The meaning â€Å"to concern oneself,† usually in a negative sense, dates from 1415. From 1340-1700 it was used as a euphemism for â€Å"to have sexual intercourse.† Shakespeare draws on this meaning in this exchange: Third Servingman: How, sir! do you meddle with my master? Coriolanus: Ay; ‘tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress. Coriolanus: IV, 5 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" The Possessive ApostropheApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns

Hard Sales and Hard Sells

Hard Sales and Hard Sells â€Å"Hard Sales† and â€Å"Hard Sells† â€Å"Hard Sales† and â€Å"Hard Sells† By Maeve Maddox Lilach Alkony wonders about the difference between â€Å"hard sales† and â€Å"hard sells.† The noun phrase hard sell is a U.S. coinage dating from the 1950s. It means â€Å"aggressive salesmanship or advertising.† An example is the late night â€Å"infomercial† that keeps pounding the viewer with â€Å"and wait, there’s more!† Hard sell can be used as an adjective and a verb, as well as a noun. The OED hyphenates the word as hard-sell and offers these examples: 1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 13 Nov. 662/3 One does not see any examples..of what is called ‘hard-sell’ advertising. 1961 Economist 14 Jan. 114/2 The need for the ‘hard sell’ is evident. 1963 Guardian 16 Nov. 14/7 It is difficult to hard-sell the honest song the way they do the contemporary counterfeit. The phrase â€Å"hard sales,† on the other hand, can have various interpretations. It can mean simply â€Å"sales transactions that are difficult to achieve,† as in this headline: Making the Hard Sales, Your Career Depends on It Some headline writers, however, confuse hard sales with hard sell: Sales Training Tip 10 Reasons Why Hard Sales Tactics Never Work The wording of the first reason suggests that the headline was probably not written by the author: People hate being sold to: hard sell will bring out the worst in people. When aggressive sales techniques are used this will prompt the prospective buyer to be aggressive as well and act negatively to the sales person. Pretty soon they are ready to argue with you and you know the sale is completely lost. A web search does turn up many examples of hard sales used with the meaning of hard sell. It seems to me that if the intended meaning is â€Å"aggressive selling,† then the established, unambiguous term is to be preferred. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Critical thinking - Essay Example In our case, the child is so young to face such kind of situation where one of his hands is injured and he has to go for radiographic tests. The radiographer needs to make the child feel relaxed and stress-free in order to do radiography. Some of the nonverbal ways which radiographer can use to provide comfort o the child include putting a hand on the back of the child while explaining him the procedure of tests, giving smiles to the child, using hands in order to explain the procedure more effectively, and maintaining eye contact during communication. Use of kinesics and paralanguage can be very helpful for the radiographer to make the child feel comfortable with the procedure. Sending of nonverbal signals plays a very expressive, meaningful, and effective role in communication (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008). Therefore, use of nonverbal communication along with verbal communication can be very effective for the radiographer to make Adam feel comfortable and ready for the test. There can be a number of urgent situations, which may require a doctor or a medical professional rapidly retrieve information from the patient’s chart. â€Å"A Patient Chart is opened using the Patient Selection process, or by selecting a patients name from the Calendar or the Patient Tracker† (Anonymous, n.d.). Doctors need to provide proper treatment to the patients based on accurate analysis of the medical history of the patients. Without sufficient information or proper analysis of information, a doctor cannot provide required treatment to a patient (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008). In these urgent situations, a doctor really needs to retrieve information from the patient’s chart as soon as possible in order to avoid the occurrence of any kind of risk to the health of the

Traditional medicine vs alternative medicine Research Paper

Traditional medicine vs alternative medicine - Research Paper Example Health and well-being has been among the top priorities of humanity from ages with a common objective to meet people’s inevitable requirements for emotional and physical curing. The role of religious values and community structures cannot be ignored in the evolution of medicines. Today, there is an increasing awareness of CAM in industrialized nations. Though the western medicine is scientifically based, and its popularity, supremacy, and guarantees are comparatively high, a large number of populations cannot afford its benefits. For instance, studies suggests that majority of people (80%) or more in developing nations can barely have enough money for the most fundamental medical dealings, drugs, and vaccines (Debas et al., n.d). Traditional medicine (TM) as the word suggest â€Å"refers to health practices, approaches, information and values incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, used individually or in addition to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being†. TM has gained popularity in countries such as Africa, Asia and Latin America for their basic health care requirements as it is more economical and is integrated with the societal values. There are data that suggests that 80% population in Africa is depending on traditional medicine for health care. When the indigenously developed TM moves out of its local boundaries and is practiced in other nations particularly the developed ones, it is known as â€Å"Complementary† or â€Å"Alternative medicine† (CAM) (Photius Coutsoukis, 2008). Hence it can be said that both TM and CAM have similarities in various aspects. Since the vocabulary complementary and alternative medicines exemplify practices and products that common people decides as additions to or as substitutes to Western allopathic therapeutic approaches, these terms are being used indiscriminately (Straus 2004). In the industrial or the so called developed nations such as the United States, an amazingly great percentage of people go for a combination of treatments suitable for them. They also take great care of safety and efficacy of these practices. The medical practices that are followed from ages and that advanced amid indigenous peoples has gained popularity in other countries. For instance, there are several tourists from different countries visiting India basically for the treatment using Ayurveda which is a traditional medicine developed over the years in India. Today, alternative medicine is popular in developing countries, and its recognition in developed nations is growing tremendously. In India, the most popular alternative medicines were recognized as Vedic medicines or Aired that has evolved through ages. The main aspire of Ayurveda medicine is harmonizing the mind, soul and body. Ayurveda takes the advantage of the rich biodiversity in India and mainly includes products from herbs, vegetables, fruits and natural minerals. There are chronological facts that even invasive procedures were practiced in ancient Ayurveda. Some of the practitioners of Ayurveda in modern society have integrated yoga and meditation processes and massaging techniques to overcome various health challenges. This makes it a part of alternative medicine. Traditional beliefs such as a strong mind and body could never fall sick have lead to the development of Chinese treatments. The Chinese treated the human mind and not the disease. Techniques such as Acupressure and Acupuncture were basically developed in China. This traditional medicine was accomplished for centuries and its idea is based on Taoist philosophy. These practices also extended to Japan and Korea and came to be known as the Oriental branch

Quinte Magnetic resonance imaging Essay Example for Free

Quinte Magnetic resonance imaging Essay Brenton-Cooper Medical Centre (BCMC) has outsourced its MRI operations to Quinte MRI, a seasoned and highly recognized MRI service provider. Unfortunately, after six weeks of operations Quinte MRI’s leased MRI machine is not meeting its expected outputs as projected and is causing concern to both Quinte MRI and BCMC which has begun to lose revenue via referrals away from its clinic. Further, BCMC’s reputation is now at risk which could result in additional loses to the centre. The root cause of the problem appears to lie with the scheduling of the scanning operations. Dr. Syed Haider, the owner of Quinte MRI, has tasked his business development coordinators with finding a solution to this problem and to report back within 2-days. Acting as David Wright and Kevin Saskiw, the business development coordinators, my solution to these issues are to regain control of the scheduling process as this is an integral part of the operations. Streamline the scheduling process to reduce variability and improve reliability. Introduce the use of technology to remove manual processes, improve process efficiencies, minimise errors and improve communication across the business lines of operation. I would also hire a new employee to support the scanning operations as there is no backup or adequately trained support for the only Technologist running the operations. Issues Identification Brenton-Cooper Medical Centre (BCMC) has outsourced its MRI operations to Quinte MRI, a seasoned and highly recognized MRI service provider. Unfortunately, after six weeks of operations Quinte MRI has not lived up to expectations and is not fulfilling its contractual obligations. Quinte MRI’s leased MRI machine is not meeting its expected outputs as projected and is causing concern to both Quinte MRI and BCMC which has begun to lose revenue via referrals away from its clinic. Further, BCMC’s reputation is now at risk which could result in additional loses to the centre. Quinte MRI is well aware of this as it stands to lose in both areas as well. If the firm cannot meets its contractual obligations and have its leased machine produce its expected output the loss of revenue would surely spell business failure and a subsequent loss of reputation. As well, the firm would probably be sued for breach of contract. On another level Quinte MRI has also identified potential issues with a stressed out, overworked employee whom is critical to the success of their business. Potentially, this employee could actually be one of the reasons of the problem that the firm is experiencing. He has identified issues surrounding the scheduling of patients for scanning and has indicated that the process needs to be fixed as it is not working. He further went on to indicate that the expectations from the radiologist for speedy delivery cannot be met due to the time it takes for him to process the patients’ MRI films. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis In my opinion there are several operational issues causing problems in the MRI scanning process. First, I believe that there is a problem with the scheduling of patients in that it lacks accuracy, consistency and clarity. Since this operation is being handled by BCMC, Quinte MRI is finding itself at a disadvantage in terms of being able to control this part of the operation. The operation appears to be purely manual, handled by several persons and is prone to input and interpretive errors. Since patients can be sent for scanning via two means (scheduled and same day(unscheduled)) some amount of variability will result. It is therefore imperative that the scheduling function be properly controlled and managed to reduce variability to minimum possible levels. Variability and uncertainty in the scheduling operation is negatively impacting capacity utilization resulting in an overall reduction of efficiency in the scanning process. Quinte MRI must balance the flow and increase capacity for greater efficiencies and to remain competitive. The bottleneck of the scanning process is the MRI machine and the time it takes to do each scan. Each scan may have different times associated with it depending on the type to be performed, limiting the capacity of the overall process. Each step in the scanning process is dependent upon the previous one therefore improvements need to start at the beginning. The objective here is to improve the process flow up to the point that the actual scan will take place. I also believe that patients are not being properly screened prior to arrival which is causing Quinte MRI losses in revenue and time. If a patient turns up and has to be turned away, or rescheduled for misdiagnosis there is a resulting disruption in the flow of patients which will impact the schedule and process and ultimately the pocket and reputation of the company. Further, it appears that the technologist is engaged in performing pre-screening services and this is a highly paid employee who should not be pre-screening patients. This tasked could best be left to a lower paid trained staff. From an operational perspective it appears that the initial implementation process of the new machine had a learning curve. This resulted in longer lead times for processing patients during the first few weeks until Jeff had found a rhythm. It appears that Jeff was either not properly trained or did not have sufficient experience in the use of that model machine. Communication, and barriers to, seems to be a fundamental problem in the whole scanning process. People and processes are not talking to each other in an efficient and effective manner. The patients are unsure of the process and what is expected of them resulting in missed dates, tardiness, improper attire, rescheduling, lost revenue, lack of confidence, etc. Responsibilities appear not to be clearly defined, or assigned, leading to inefficiencies in the process. As well, expectations of persons are not clearly defined and communicated ahead of time leading to missed schedules, frustrations and delays. Alternative and Options In my opinion Quinte MRI could request the transfer of the responsibilities of the scheduling process over to their firm. This could benefit the firm in that they would now have ultimate control of the scheduling process from start to finish. As it is the firm has to rely on BCMC to manage this function and this is causing many issues. I believe that an MR Technician could be hired to perform the scheduling tasks and also provide support to Jeff Sinclair. Quinte MRI is already paying for these services but not receiving value. Revenue loss from turn-aways alone (1.2 p/day) could adequately cover the costs of hiring someone to provide these services. Additional benefit would be backup support for Jeff during vacation or other away days. Training would be provided on the job to support Jeff and add additional new skills to the technician. Screening could be done well ahead of time before the patient arrives because someone with the knowledge and expertise is handling this. Quinte MRI could invest some capital in technology to support the scheduling and communication functions. The technology would be able to support scheduling combinations for more efficient processing of patients in the scanning process. Many persons (from BCMC and Quinte MRI) could have visibility into the system with relevant authority to administer or make changes. This technology would be able to eliminate some amount of confusion and errors based on interpretation as is currently happening. Savings from a smooth flowing process with no disruptions would easily cover upfront costs as well as any operating costs.

Mononucleosis :: essays research papers

ITION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infectious mononucleosis is a clinical syndrome that can be characterized by a multitude of symptoms. They include malaise, headache, fever, pharyngitis, pharyngeal lymphatic hyperplasia, lymphadenopathy, atypical lymphocytosis, and mild transient hepatitis. This disease occurs most often in adolescents and young adults. Mononucleosis is one of these diseases that are grouped into a class known as a viral infection; more specifically it is caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is a herpes virus. In vitro, EBV only infects human B-lymphocytes. This viral infection results in lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. The virus usually remains dormant, but can be activated using certain chemicals or when subjected to certain bodily conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand how this virus affects the body, we must first have a brief overview of the body and it’s immune system. OVERVIEW The body’s defense mechanisms can be split into two groups; non-specific and specific defense mechanisms. Non-specific mechanisms basically are the barriers that keep pathogens from penetrating the body. For example the epithelial membranes that cover the body, the strong acidity of the stomach killing pathogens before they have the opportunity to infect the system, these are just a couple, there are many others. Specific mechanisms help the individual acquire the ability to defend against specific pathogens by prior exposure to these pathogens. This is a function of the lymphocytes, which will be discussed later on in depth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mononucleosis affects the epithelium of the mouth where it is first introduced to the body, but that is the extent to which it is involved in the nonspecific defense mechanisms. The place where it does the most damage is the B-lymphocyte, which is a key component of specific immunity. To understand better what the infection does to the body we must look at the role of lymphocytes in the body briefly and how they do their work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B-lymphocytes are the ones that are affected directly upon when the body is subjected to this type of infection. Their role in the body is vital for immunity. They are grouped into five subclasses, depending upon some of the polypeptides in their makeup. The basic role of B-lymphocytes is to secrete antibodies that they have made due to them coming into contact with an antigen. Each B-lymphocyte has two sites where specific antigens can combine, and this binding is what promotes the body’s reaction to the infection. The B-lymphocyte is involved in what is called humoral immunity.

Harley Davidson Essay

What are the key elements of Harley Davidson’s efforts to build relationships with its customers? The main element of Harley Davidson’s success with its customers is idea that owning one of their bikes gives you an elite status and let’s you join an exclusive community. Some of the ways they have built this image is by offering events where the owners can meet each other and form friendships. They also offer services directly through the Harley Davidson Company such as insurance, theft rewards and shipping, and even an exclusive apparel line. Harley Davidson has also continued to produce its bikes in the United States and portrays itself – and in turn, its buyers- as patriotic. It has become an icon of American freedom and consumers want to be a part of it. Can you think of other companies that create such strong relationships with their customers? How do they do that? Rolex is another company that offers its customers an elite product. Like Harley Davidson they have built an elite community and offer special services to owners of Rolex watches. One of their famous services is the registration of the serial number, which not only helps trace stolen watches, but once helped identify a body in a murder case. In 1996 a murder victim was found in the English Channel- it was so decomposed that it could not be identified. Then a Rolex was found on the victims arm and the serial number was used to indentify the victim. In a twist, thanks to the precision works of the watch and its waterproof feature, the time of death was also determined within a few hours. Rolex has always been a company that provides customer service above and beyond any regular level. To own a Rolex means that you have reached a certain level of success. How else can Harley Davidson build or deepen its relationships with its customers? For a long time, Harley has been a man’s world with women being little more than the icing on the back of the bike. Today more and more women are being attracted to the riding experience. Many of them come because they have husbands or boyfriends who ride and they have found they enjoy the experience. Harley Davidson needs to expand on this interest and start offering incentives for female riders, such as bike fests targeting females and female biking apparel similar to the men’s lines. Perhaps a campaign showing real female riders in their day jobs or with their families, and then with their bikes would bring the appeal to the attention of other women that may be interested and would play on the duel role most women have.

Classification of Fish

Whitney East Mr. Beall Speech 1200 October 24, 2012 Outline: Topical Classifying Fish Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the different classifications of fish. Central Idea: Fish are classified by their different characteristics which sorts them into different classes like Agnatha, Chondrichthyes, and Osteichthyes. Introduction I. Classification of living things helps people to understand how living organisms may or may not be related to each other. A. The system of classification we use today was invented 200 years ago by Carl Linnaeus.B. Carl Linnaeus system of classification groups organisms by their characteristics or features they have in common. II. According to the book Vertebrate Biology by ORR Robert; Fish, mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians are classified together as vertebrates because they all have an internal backbone. III. In researching this particular topic, I learned that the most important characteristics used in fish classification are the type of bone in their skeleton, the gill structure, the number and shape of fins, and the type of scales. IV.Now I will introduce you to the characteristics and the three different classes of fish. â€Å"Jawless (Agnatha), Cartilaginous (Chondrichthyes), and Bony Fish (Osteichthyes). Body I. The Agnatha class is the oldest group, similar to fish but with some different characteristics. A. As explained in The Evolution of Vertebrate Design, certain characteristics like lacking jaws is what classified fish to this class. 1. The Agnatha class lacks an internal bone skeleton, jaws, and paired fins. 2. Instead of jaws, they have circular toothed mouths called cyclostomic. Which they use to suck blood from the side of their prey. . They have a smooth, scale less skin which is soft to the touch. B. There are two living groups of Agnatha the lampreys and Hagfish 1. Lamprey have a single dorsal nostril, a pineal eye, three fins (anterior, posterior, and caudal fin), and a long row or circular gill pouch openings. They make a living being a parasite that eventually kills the prey they latch onto. 2. Hagfish have long eel-like bodies, no eyes, no true fins, a single nostril, up to eight barbels (like whiskers/tentacles for fish) and have rows of horny teeth used to grasp food and draw it in. II.Chondrichthyes fish today include both fearsome predator characteristics and harmless characteristics. A. As explained in Vertebrate Biology, all Chondrichthyes lack true bone. 1. The Chondrichthyes fish have full cartilage skeletons. 2. They have teeth that are made of calcium which grow in rows throughout the fish’s life. 3. They have a regular pattern of fins and there external skin is entirely cartilaginous. B. Sharks, skates, and rays make up the Chondrichthyes class. 1. Sharks have pointed snouts and crescent shaped mouths with several rows of sharp triangular teeth.They have five gills on each side that have individual gill slits shown externally. 2. Skates are rounded to d iamond shaped. They have large pectoral fins extending from the snout to the base of their tail. The mouth and gills are on the underside of their bodies. Skates are bottom dwellers and trap their prey by dropping down on their prey from above. 3. Rays can be classified into the following groups: electric rays, sawfish, skates, and many families of rays that have slender whip like tails. III. The Osteichthyes (bony fish) is the largest class of vertebrates with over 20,000 species.A. Stephen Savage states in the book Fish that, Osteichthyes have skeletons made of bone, flat scales, and gills. 1. Bony fish have a much stiffer skeleton because it is reinforced by calcium salts. 2. Bony fish also have acute eyesight unlike other classes of fish 3. Bony fish have a special organ called a swim blatter housed under their bony skeleton is a gas filled chamber that allows the fish to remain floating in the water. B. Tuna and Seahorses are examples of bony fish (Osteichthyes) 1. The tuna is stout in the middle and tappers to points at both ends.The tuna had two closely spaced dorsal fins on its back. The tuna is generally metallic dark blue color on its sides and silvery on its underside. 2. The seahorse has a heavy bony armor which makes them poor swimmers. They mostly anchor themselves with their tails to things like seaweed or other kinds of plants. They have a transparent dorsal fin on its back that propels them forward. Conclusion I. An animal is not a fish unless it has all the right characteristics II. No matter how different fish are, most fish share several basic characteristics: fins, gills, scales, and hatch babies from eggs. III.Fish classification is sometimes confusing and difficult, but it is a useful way of learning about different groups of fascinating fish around the world.Bibliography Animal Planet. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. <http://animals. howstuffworks. com/fish/fish-info5. htm>. ORR, ROBERT T. VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY. FOURTH ed. PHILADELP HIA: W. B. SAUNDERS, 1976. Print. Radinsky, Leonard B. The Evolution of Vertebrate Design: Leonard B. Radinsky. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1987. Print. Savage, Stephen. Fish. Austin,Texas: Raintree, 2000. Print. Wallace, Holly. Classification. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2000. Print.

The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU

The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU By Maeve Maddox In response to the post on all a rouse, Paul Wilkins wrote I am wondering why people are misusing rouse to mean ruse. What other spellings of common words are there that would cause them to think that rouse is pronounced in the same was as ruse? The only only one that comes to mind is the -use word ending for words such as hypotenuse. Actually, there are several English words in which the spelling ou represents the /oo/ sound: you, your, tour, crouton, group, coup The reference on which I most rely for discussing the sounds and spelling of English is Romalda Spaldings The Writing Road to Reading. Spalding based the teaching guidelines in her book on the work of Samuel Orton and his student Anne Gillingham. Both the Spalding Method and the Orton-Gillingham Method organize the sounds and symbols of English into 46 sounds (phonemes) and 70 written symbols (phonograms). In the Spalding method phonograms that represent more than one sound are presented in order of frequency. That is, if a letter or letter combination can represent more than one sound, the first sound is the most common, the second less common, and so on. When encountering an unfamiliar word, the beginning reader is taught to try the first sound first. If that doesnt produce a recognizable word, then the second sound is to be tried. In Spalding the four sounds of the phonogram ou are presented in this order: 1. /ow/ as in found about, house, shout, mouse, count, loud, sound, hound 2. long o as in four pour, course, court, gourd, mourn, fourth 3. /oo/ as in you your, tour, crouton, group, coup 4. /uh/ as in country cousin, double As one might expect, American pronunciation has undergone changes since Orton and his students did their research back in the 1920s and 1930s. Television has spread many pronunciations and words that were once considered regional rather than standard. For example, the word tour [tÊŠr] is often heard pronounced to rhyme with chore. In answer to the readers question, the bloggers who spell the word ruse with the phonogram ou have never seen the word in print. They are associating the spelling ou with its third sound and not its most common sound. As the writing population continues to read less, many conventional spellings will be lost. They will be replaced by forms that look right to writers who are not used to seeing them in print. 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightWhat is Dative Case?Affect vs. Effect

Know Your Prepositions! (As, At and By)

Know Your Prepositions! (As, At and By) Know Your Prepositions! (As, At and By) Picking the right preposition can be tricky. After all, there are so many to choose from! But prepositions can be vital for building a grammatical sentence. As such, you’ll need to know how these terms work if you want to avoid errors in your writing. And in this post, we’re taking a closer look at three common prepositions you need to know: â€Å"as,† â€Å"at,† and â€Å"by.† What Are Prepositions? Prepositions are linking words. In particular, they show us how a word is related to other words in a sentence. For example: The man came from Scotland. â€Å"From† here is a preposition that tells us the relationship between â€Å"man† and â€Å"Scotland† (i.e., that â€Å"Scotland† is where the man originated). Most prepositions work like this, coming before a noun or pronoun. But how about the prepositions â€Å"as,† â€Å"at,† and â€Å"by†? What do we use these words for when building a sentence? Lets take a look. As (Function and Character) The word â€Å"as† has several uses. In fact, it isn’t even a preposition most of the time! Usually, it is either an adverb (when making comparisons) or a conjunction (when linking clauses). However, it can also be a preposition. In this case, you would use it before a noun or noun phrase to express the function or character of something: Monique works as a proofreader. Alan was difficult as a child. In the first sentence above, for instance, â€Å"as† points to the type of work Monique does (i.e., proofreading). In the second, â€Å"as† tells us who Alan was when the speaker considered him difficult (i.e., a child). At (Location, Position and State) The good news is that â€Å"at† is always a preposition, which is simpler than â€Å"as.† Unfortunately, it also has many uses as a preposition, so it is still tricky! We won’t try to list all its functions here, but key uses include indicating: A location (e.g., They will be at the party later) When something takes place (e.g., We will get there at 8pm) A point on a scale or in a process (e.g., We’re at the halfway point) A state or condition (e.g., I’m good at basketball) The object of an action or attention (e.g., He keeps staring at the clock) Most of the time, then, we use â€Å"at† to indicate a location, position, or state. By (Responsibility and Means) Finally, we have â€Å"by,† which is almost always a preposition. This term has many uses, but some of the most common include indicating: Who performed an action (e.g., The goal was scored by Viduka) The means by which something was done (e.g., I travelled by bus) The size or amount of a difference (e.g., We improved output by 25%) A deadline or the end of a time period (e.g., We need it finished by Tuesday) That something is next to something (e.g., She found it by the side of the road) The time during which something happens (e.g., Most owls hunt by night) As with â€Å"at,† the variety of uses here can seem confusing. But if you practice using the prepositions above, you should get the hang of them before long!

To his Coy Mistress Poem Reflections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To his Coy Mistress Poem Reflections - Essay Example Am I to sit here in a single room waiting to be graced by your presence? Shall I sit and wait for you to take me out or am I to be hidden away until you aren’t interested in me? I think not dear one. How am I to amuse myself as you live the other part of your life? Certainly visions of rolling about with you cannot be what you expect me to substitute for an honest relationship. As you aptly recognize death, you must also realize that life, before I become a rotting carcass, must be lived and enjoyed. Thus, in your next correspondence do write as passionately of my financial protection as you do of consummation and then you will find yourself in the garden of eden. I interpret this piece as rather typical. It is the basic mating dance that men engage in when they are trying to entice a woman to go to bed with them. It is clear that he is governed by lust which is understandable. Oftentimes, that which we cannot obtain becomes irresistible and we pine after it. It should be noted that it is not that he wants â€Å"her†. He merely wants her body. His desire is akin to the desire that anyone feel when they want something. This can apply to a sexual dalliance or obtaining a video game. One can play a video game for hours when they first obtain it. Likewise, one can enjoy sexual relations for hours at a time as well. This does not mean that there is an actual love exists. Any chance that the suitor has of getting his mistress to actually go to bed with him is substantially diminished by the fact that he explains to her that if she doesn’t, she will wind up old and unworshipped. It is actually amusing because in today’s society, he would not have made it past the second verse of his poem. The tone and diction of the speaker remind me of one who is spoiled and accustomed to having their way. I would presume that the speaker was rather unattractive because he only speaks of her beauty and with his arrogance would

United States involvement in Afghanistan Research Paper

United States involvement in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example In their book, Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East, authors Ross and Makovsky (2009) explore a range of myths and illusions that underpin the challenges that the United States has faced in dealing with the Arab world. The two authors trace the challenges of the United States policy on the Middle East from the Cold War era to the current age. Illustrations are made regarding on how faulty assumptions developed into wrong approaches regarding the interests, perspectives, and political objectives of the Middle East. For instance, the United States wrongly interpreted the response of the Middle East to the rise of Communism. The US policy makers were under the impression that the Middle East would automatically reject the Soviet ideologies because of their inconsistency with the faith of Islam. Understanding the complexities, successes, and challenges of the United States involvement in Afghanistan acquires clearer insights when analyzed together with the core arguments propounded by Ross and Makovsky (2009). The authors make general and specific claims and arguments about the nature of the US foreign policy in the Middle East and its ramifications in the aspects of peace, balance of power, democratization, and religious extremism. The impact of the US foreign policy on the Middle East can have either positive or negative results depending on its capacity to interpret, predict, and relate with the challenges in the Middle East. Policies that have tended to demonstrate preferential treatment towards the State of Israel as particularly cited as problematic (Duncan, 2004). According to the argument, regional interests, nationalism interests, and Islam are essentially dissimilar. As such, they tend to manifest themselves in region in different forms in accordance with multiple factors. Cases have been pointed out where the pursuit of Islamic interests appears to contradict established interests. Hierarchies of interests vary and manifest themselves in multiple forms in accordance with the stakes of the region’s governments, strategies of various groups, and cultural factors (Hudson, 1996). Rigid structures and frameworks that apply across time and space cannot be developed to assess the nature of realities in the region. Therefore, the existing policies cannot apply in the interpretation of the political and social realities of the Middle East. Lack of comprehension of these forces has led to futile strategies in the formulation of peace plans in the region (Hudson, 1996). The traditional American policy for the Middle East, according to the authors, anchored on the myth of Arab Unity. The United States handled the region as a homogenous entity that relied on common interests and goals. The authors single out the case of the poor handling of the re gion’s peace proposals by former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by the administration of former President Carter as a case in point where the United States failed to capitalize on the opportunity of the moment. The mistake, according to the authors was the belief that Sadat could never act alone outside the bracket of the Arab worldview. Myths that control the Arab approaches on matters, according to the authors, lead the United States policy makers to make poor judgments of situations that often prove to be very costly. The authors argue that such approaches generate a mismatch between the guiding ideology and the methods applied in the practical terms. Ideologies are equally explored in the manner in which they cloud the judgments on matters of regional balance and other issues that appertain to the relationship between the United States and the Middle East. Ross and Makovsky (2009) contend that relationships that are more productive are possible and the pursuit of peace ac hievable if the United States reworks its policies in the region in ways that correspond with the fluid nature of Middle East politics, religion,