Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision

Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision By Mark Nichol Earlier this year, the Merriam-Webster website, which, along with its paper-and-ink version, is notorious for its laissez-faire approach to word usage, expressed an intriguing argument in one of its Usage Notes: Chill out about preserving the â€Å"original† meaning of words. If one were to insist that words be used only in their initial sense, one would discourage me from writing â€Å"Chill out,† because I am not alluding to temperature, and the literal meaning of the verb chill is not â€Å"calm down,† but â€Å"make colder.† That’s the point of the post, which argues that, for example, aggravate shouldn’t be required to apply only to making something worse- it’s fine to use it when describing mere irritation. The argument goes that if the restriction is to be taken to its logical conclusion, aggravate should mean only â€Å"weigh down,† because that is its original sense. (The grav in aggravate, you see, is the same as the grav in gravity.) By the same token, the lackluster utterance of â€Å"Awesome† in response to, well, virtually any pronouncement- no exclamation point is necessary, because the comment was likely nothing like an exclamation- is acceptable. Apparently, the interest of some in preserving that term to describe something truly remarkable is invalid; after all, the original meaning was â€Å"inspiring awe,† and to employ the word for something merely spectacular demonstrates disloyalty to its etymological origins. (Awful would also have the same restriction, because it literally means â€Å"full of awe.†) I see the point, but I also feel that indiscriminate dilution of a word’s distinct meaning paints writers into a corner. Once awesome, indiscriminately mumbled in response to myriad comments undeserving of such a potentially powerful reply, is devalued, what is left to describe something that is, well, truly awesome? On the one hand, this weakening of a word challenges the writer to find- or even craft- a suitable synonym, but it might not be long before the replacement is in turn drained of its strength. That’s why I never write (or say) anxious when I mean eager; the former term patently alludes to anxiety, not anticipation. But I admit inconsistency- using the last word in the previous sentence reminds me that anticipation literally means not â€Å"the state of looking forward to something† but, rather, â€Å"the act of foreseeing.† (Anticipere, the Latin verb from which it is derived, means â€Å"take before.†) Nevertheless, I try to use precise, unambiguous words and will continue to preserve distinctions when possible, and I encourage careful writers to do so as well. 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 Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know50 Nautical Terms in General Use20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays

Brief History of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia Essay - 108

Brief History of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia - Essay Example Malaysia, whose capital city is Kuala Lumpur, is approximately 50 years old. It occupies the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Its port cities of Malay Archipelago have facilitated spice and silk trade for a long time. Malaysia is located at a trading junction. This position has for a long time, brought trade and foreign influences such as multiculturalism involving Hindu and Buddhist. It has a population of approximately 28 million citizens, with a monarchical form of government (Hooker 2).Given that since the ancient times, Malaysia has comfortably accommodated different cultures with business interest, ours will not be exceptional, and this can also be backed by the economic indicators to be discussed below. According to statistics of 2013 from global edge website by World Bank API, Saudi Arabia has an annual growth rate of 3.798%, which is a positive indicator of the economic performance within the country. The GDP per capital of Saudi Arabia as per 2013, according to World Bank API in global edge website is $53,780 as per the current international rates. This clearly shows that the population has the required purchasing power, hence a good hub for the business opportunity. The population of Saudi Arabia, as given by World Bank API of 2013, stands at 28,828,870 people. 82.702% of this population resides in the urban centers. This urban population represents the potential target market for our restaurant venture. In addition to this, the annual urban population growth rate is pegged at 2.144% as per World Bank API 2013. Looking at the consumer prices statistics of 2013 by World Bank, the inflation rate is pegged at 3.506%, indicating that ideally, consumers are in a position to afford a number of commodities. Similarly, import of goods and services statistics of 2013 reports a remarkable amount of $ 229,291,466,666.

Chart the development of virtual reality from 1950 to 2050 Essay

Chart the development of virtual reality from 1950 to 2050 - Essay Example This implies that virtual reality translates to near reality. Nevertheless, technical phrases have a straightforward description since it describes virtual reality as a three-dimensional atmosphere created by the computer, which an individual can investigate and interrelate with. The individual who interrelates with this virtual sphere or gets enormous inside its setting is able to influence things or perform a sequence of deeds. This individual generally applies goggles, earphones, gloves among various devices, and in this manner, the computer manages in any case three of the five common senses. Prior to supplying sensory input to the client, these gadgets in addition supervise the client’s deeds. For example, the goggles supervise eye progress and react accordingly through forwarding new video input (Vince, 2004: 4). History background of virtual reality There existed abundant debates unto the connotation and appropriate name of what remains presently known as the virtual ar ts, even prior to the growth of these idea commenced. Therefore, describing and knowing virtual arts is a significant feature in providing a concise account of its growth. Its naming fluctuated due to the brandling of its occurrence since virtual reality bore three models namely synthetic reality, virtual atmospheres, and supplemented reality. Nevertheless, the ideal naming of virtual arts has gone through alterations as the virtual art idea advanced. However, the description coagulated to â€Å"virtual† during the 1960s when computers surfaced, giving it a tangible meaning owing to computer visuality. On the other hand, the idea of reality cropped up when theorists questioned if something else existed excluding the discernible and quantifiable reality of virtual manifestation, and the idea concludes as reality owing to the sensible positivity it showed. This implies that virtual reality turned to the common phrase that befitted the idea, and during 1989, Jaron Lanier changed it through definition that comes out by the application of the newest invention of goggles, gloves and associated technologies (Yu, 2010: 310). The account of virtual arts has been current and abrupt. This is because, whereas its constituents have grown for almost forty years, operational virtual systems simply emerged lately on the screen (Mclellan, 1992: 24). Development of Virtual Reality Nevertheless, the past of virtual arts dates back during the middle of 1950s when a futurist cinematographer known as Morton Heilig constructed a multi sensory simulator known as the Sensorama. The gadget contained a stereoscopic exhibit, dischargers moving chair and speakers. These traits enabled the client to watch television in three-dimensional modes since it pre-recorded movie in colour and stereo. More so, the simulator contained binaural sound, moving air, odour and vibration practices. Although the simulator had the total of these modified features, it was not as associative as expected (Steed, 2002: 3). Later on during 1961, another group of engineers known asPhilco Corporation developed the first HMD bearing the name headsight. The helmet contained a video screen band a tracking system that had linkage to a closed circuit camera system (Will, 2009: 4). During 1965, Ivan Sutherland, a famous computer scientist imagined a further advanced method known as the eventual system, which linked the

Mobilization for War Essay Example for Free

Mobilization for War Essay Herman Goering thought that no Air force or military in the world could stand up to that of the Nazi Luftwaffe. His boastful statement was made with well acclaim in that the Luftwaffe was a very powerful aerial force, but he was being narrow-minded when he made this statement against the production potential of the United States, which has time and time again has proved to be the most powerful nation in the world. Without the military production of the United States, the Allies would not have had a chance against the Germans and their powerful forces. Through many changes, the labor and production force of the U.S. changed from producing civilian goods, to producing military goods. These goods were supplied to all nations of the Allied Powers, and the United States quickly became the most important factor in World War II. Starting in 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by providing them with military supplies, but while staying out of actual combat. Roosevelt gave a radio broadcast on December 29, 1940, to address Americans to support the Allies in Europe and China, in their war against Germany and Japan. He called the nation an â€Å"Arsenal of Democracy† to  reference the powerful industrial machine it is, and how it can be the supplier of military goods to the Allied war effort. The United States military forces and most allied forces relied on the United States production of food and military goods. This meant that Americans on the home-front had to be rationed for what they can have, which meant they can only purchase so much of certain items. Many consumer goods had to be severely rationed or taken out of the market totally, because they were needed for the war effort. This is why Americans were encouraged to grow â€Å"Victory Gardens† so that they produced their own food, and what food they normally consumed from markets could help contribute to our troops as well as those of the Allied forces. Food production was then focused on providing for the troops instead of the everyday consumer, because they were expected to contribute for themselves and thus help contribute to the soldiers. The United States also made many technological innovations that helped revolutionize certain aspects of war, one of these being the pressurized air cabin in air planes. This helped prevent pilots from getting hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the blood), while also letting planes fly higher, and with more comfort for its passengers. This meant allied bombers like the b-29 could fly higher and escape low anti air missiles and fire from the ground. The Manhattan Project that the U.S. held with the United Kingdom and Canada also helped produce many technological innovations. The main product of this research program was the atomic bomb that would eventually be ordered into use on Japan, and would usher in their surrender and the end of the Second World War. We all know now that Goering’s statement was terribly misinformed, otherwise Germany and the Axis Powers would not have been defeated by the Allies. The United States was the team Captain in this effort and without them the chances of winning would have been slim to none. In the case of this war, and in the case of any war, production plays a key role, and in World War Two, the United States â€Å"Arsenal of Democracy† provided the Allies with the goods and resources necessary for victory.

Alzheimers Disease Essay -- essays research papers fc

An Exploration of one of the Most Mysterious Diseases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is a disease that is on the rise in America and the rest of the world. People should learn as much as they want about this disease, because as you age, your chances of becoming an Alzheimer’s Disease, or AD, patient increases. It is estimated that approximately 3 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the illness, and more than half of all people over age 85 have the ailment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AD is a form of dementia, a disease, that according to the Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center is defined as: â€Å"†¦a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is not uncommon for AD patients to become lost and wander away from their homes, thus leading to a very disturbing and upsetting experience for family members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed before age 65, although rare, and is caused by a mutation in 3 known genes. About 5 percent of those who are under 65 and possess the ailment have AD in their family history. Given that the symptoms of AD are caused by plaque in the brain, causing loss of nerve cells that help the body communicate with the brain, mutations to these genes; amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and presenilin 2 cause a excessive production of certain proteins (primarily a B-42 form of amyloid protein), and therefore spark an excessive growth of plaque cells which are toxic to the neurons of the brain. For those cases of Alzheimer’s that occur after age 65, a genetic mutation has yet to be proven, although some may be linked, to the fact that a difference may cause an increased chance of developing the ailment. Whatever the case may be for patients over 65 years old, the disease and its symptoms are caused by neurofibrillary tangles of al myloid plaques. It is impossible for someone to test positive for Alzheimer’s Disease, because the only way to determine an affirmative case i... ...t one has it. Many scientists hypothesize that there is an inflammatory response in the brain when there is an extensive B-42 amassing. To slow or stop this, scientists theorize that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, could delay the swelling in the brain. Also, as scientists have known that taking a multi-vitamin tablet each day is good for you, there has been recent research demonstrating that the use of antioxidants may protect neurons, not just the immune system and keeping the body healthy by providing vitamins and minerals. These special supplements protect the neurons from the effects of the accruing B-Amyloid that would likely cause the plaque that causes AD. Works Cited www.crystalinks.com/ alzheimers.html Picture of Brain Cross Section http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/6/3/193 Information on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia http://www.emental-health.com/alzh_biology.htm Information on the biology of Alzheimer’s Disease http://www.alznyc.org/ Information about Treatments and the AD community Delaware Valley Veterans Hospital- Alzheimer’s Ward- Allowing me to enter the facility and communicate with AD patients, nurses, and care-takers.

“Lone Star”-Borderlands America Essay

Hispano-Mestizo America/Borderlands America: â€Å"Lone Star† The film â€Å"Lone Star† is a murder mystery film based in Frontera, Texas which is a multicultural border town. The significance of the conclusion of â€Å"Lone Star† is based off of several contexts presented throughout the film. The portrayed contexts of the film have to do with relationships and conflicts between races, social classes and power struggle within a community and the border between Mexico and Texas. These contexts place significance throughout the film as a murder mystery is sort of a background to all the events and conflicts that take place. The phrase â€Å"Forget the Alamo† is an idea that is depicted throughout the film. The phrase refers back to the time when Texas was trying to gain independence from Mexico and also deals with a great conflict and broken promises between the Anglos and Mexicans. This idea significantly deals with conflicts between the borders. The phrase is meant to say that they should forget the border war and racial conflict. We even see the border issue between Mercedes Cruz who is a Mexican restaurant owner and a Mexican immigrant herself. She will make rude remarks to the Mexican â€Å"illegal aliens† as she presumes them to be. And to other fellow Mexican Americans, if they speak their language she will stop them and tell them to speak in English because they are â€Å"in America†. And she will even call the border control on other Mexicans she finds trying to sneak into the border town. The concept of cross-cultural relationships is shown in the film by the relationship between Pilar and Sam. Pilar is a Mexican-American school teacher and Sam is an Anglo police officer of Frontera. They had a past relationship when they were younger and in the film find a recent renewed romance between each other. This idea also contributes to the conflicts between races. There is some conflict between Anglos and Mexican-Americans. There is some hostility between them that we see in the film when we look at Pilar’s mother, Mercedes, and between Sam. She has not liked the idea of her daughter being with a â€Å"white† man even back when they were teenagers and still in their renewed romance as they are older. Another reason of her disapproval deals with a surprise later found that Pilar and Sam are half brother and sister. We also see the racial conflict with the questioned morale police officer, Charley Wade. While he was a police officer he was a tyrant to Mexicans and African Americans and would do whatever he can to make them afraid of him, to show whose boss since he was an Anglo. He harassed Otis’ who was an African American who owned a bar that was popular among African Americans. He also shot a Mexican man he knew was smuggling immigrants across the border. And also at the end of the film, he attempted to unjustly kill Otis. His character just showed racial prejudice and abuse of his positional power as a police officer. Another concept from the film is the conflict between the social classes within the community. This concept is portrayed in the film by the political election approaching and the involvement the Mayor Hollis Pogue in the murder mystery years ago. He struggles with dealing with his social and political status and possible loss of power as Mayor in the truth that he is the one who killed Charley Wade. There is also a part of the film that shows the class struggle as the talk of building a new jail as it is an issue of the upcoming sheriff election which is between Sam and a fellow Mexican colleague. And also from the issue about the school curriculum and the debate about which one teaches the â€Å"real† history of the area which one place the right race as the â€Å"good guys†. The teachers debate about this as they know they live in a community with different cultures, race, and classes. In the film â€Å"Lone Star† we see a struggle between the contexts of race, class, power struggle and border wars presented throughout the film. Although the murder mystery is the main plot of the film, these issues are really what the film is about. The film shows the cultural and racial struggles in the relationships  between Otis and other African-Americans and Mexicans against Charley Wade, Mercedes and Sam, Sam and Pilar, and Mercedes and â€Å"illegal aliens†. Whatever race or culture they may be, they have to deal with multicultural issues whether it may be against their own race or another race. Some deal with it in prejudice ways and some have the â€Å"forget the Alamo† mindset. â€Å"Lone Star† opens its viewers to the sometimes â€Å"hidden† issues that are often unforeseen in border towns. It shows the cultural, racial, power, class struggles and conflict present in border towns. It also shows the hardship that the community and people of the community deal with, not only with each other but also within themselves and identifying who they really are and trying to be multicultural and dealing with people of different race and cultures. REFERENCES * Rosa Linda, Fregoso. â€Å"†Gender, Multiculturalism, and the Missionary Position on the Borderlands†Ã¢â‚¬  Docutek Eres. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . * Mckenzie, Shelly. â€Å"Teaching John Sayles’ Lone Star: A Guide for Teachers of Grades 10-12.† Mediapede.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. .

Genealogy Case Studies Learning by Example

As you sift through the records of your own ancestors to build your family tree, you may find yourself with questions: What other records can/should I search?What else can I learn from this record?How do I pull all of these little clues together? The answers to these types of questions generally come through knowledge and experience. What is so eye-opening about the research of others, especially if the individuals  or places  in question  have nothing to do with your own family? There is no better way to learn (aside from your own hands-on practice) than through the successes, mistakes, and techniques of other genealogists. A genealogical case study can be as simple as an explanation of the discovery and analysis of a particular record, to the research steps taken to  trace a particular family back through several generations. Each one, however,  gives us a glimpse into research problems that we ourselves may face in our own genealogy searches, approached through the eyes and experience of leaders in the genealogical field. Genealogical Case Studies Elizabeth Shown Mills, a wonderful lady and genealogist, is the author of  Historic Pathways, a website packed with decades of her case  studies. Many of the case studies are organized by type of problem -- illegitimacy, record losses, cluster research, name changes, separating identities, etc. -- transcending the place and time of the research, and of value to all genealogists. Read her work and read it often. It will make you a better genealogist. Some of our favorites include: Applying the Preponderance-of-the-Evidence Principle to a Southern Frontier Problem- While preponderance of the evidence is no longer used to describe how genealogists analyze and weigh evidence, this is an excellent example of how to document family relationships in situations where no document directly gives the answer.The Search for Margaret Ball  - Three burned counties, repeated name changes, two generations of illegitimacy, and a pattern of migration through several states stumped genealogists researching Margaret Ball for years until Elizabeth Shown Mills came along to widen the net.Unraveling Balls of Yarn: Lessons in the Use of a Skeptical Eye  - We can each learn from the dangers of assuming that previous researchers have carefully avoided renaming individuals, merging identities, or marrying people to partners they have never met in real life. Michael John Neill has  presented  numerous case study examples online over the years. Many of them can be found through his website Casefile Clues, found at  www.casefileclues.com. The latest columns are available only through a paid quarterly or annual subscription, but to give you an idea of his work, here are three of his favorite case studies from past years: Fishing for Clues in John Lakes EstateMichael explores  what an estate record can tell us even when none of the deceased individuals children are listed.Where O Where is Abraham?How a missing 1840 census enumeration was right under  Michaels nose.Turn the PageLearn how  three consecutive deeds were analyzed to reveal a potential relationship among the sellers and the buyer. Juliana Smith is one of our favorite online authors because she brings humor and passion to everything she writes. You can find many of her examples and case studies in her archived Family History Compass column and 24/7 Family History Circle  blog  at  Ancestry.com, as well as on the Ancestry.com blog. Tips from the Trail of Tobin Hatters  - Juliana  uses passenger arrival records, obituaries, and some more unusual records, and stumbles across some startling surprises.Straw Goods, Artificial Flowers, and Feathers: Seeking Common Threads in City Directories  - Juliana  tackles the daunting task of tracking her Kelly ancestors (now thats a common name!) in New York City directories. Certified Genealogist Michael Hait has published an ongoing series of genealogical case studies related to his work on the African American Jefferson Clark family of Leon County, Florida. The articles originally appeared in his  Examiner.com  column and are linked to from his  professional website. Researching the Family History of Potential Slave Owners, Part One  - part of a continuing case study into the roots of former slave Jefferson Clark of Leon County, Florida More Case Studies While online case studies provide a wealth of knowledge, many  tend to be short and extremely focused. If youre ready to dig in even further, most  of the in-depth, complicated  genealogical case studies are found published in genealogical society journals and, occasionally, in mainstream genealogy magazines (similar to the examples shared above from Elizabeth Shown Mills  Historic Pathways). Good places to start are the  National Genealogical Society Quarterly  (NGSQ), the  New England Historical and Genealogical  Register  (NEHGR) and The American Genealogist. Years of back issues of NGSQ and NEHGR are available online for members of those organizations. A few excellent online examples by authors such as Elizabeth Shown Mills, Kay Haviland Freilich, Thomas W. Jones and Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, can also be found in the  Sample Work Products  provided online by the Board for Certification of Genealogists.