Free Essays on When Your Hero Falls

When Your Hero Falls The year was 1998 when it finally all fell apart, although the chain of events leading up to such a dramatic event in my life was set on course years prior. The location was a common, quiet small town. A young boy had lived in this current location all of his life, and it was all he knew. This was soon about to change... Born and raised life outside this town was not known. As a young child my life probaly resembled the childhood of many other children my age. I was the first of three children. I had two loving parents. My family was complete. Some of my fondest memories occured in this period of my life. I remmember them so vividly that each days it seems like the occured the day before. Christmas, for example, was one of these mundane events. At the young age of five I became estatic once the holiday season rolled around. Each year I looked forward to our family traditions. We would cruise around town and look for houses with Christmas lights. The houses with numerous amounts of sparkling lights were a special find. We would pull over and just gaze at them. I could sit on the side of the road all night and look at the lights. After the hunting for lights we would go home and set out milk and cookies for Santa. An early bedtime was required to ensure Santa would be generous with his presents. The following morning I would be the first one up at 5 o'clock. I would wake up the entire family. We would go out and sit in front of the tree. I remmember the look on my fathers face. The look of happiness; the look of pure joy. As the pile of presents went down his smile seemed to grow bigger and bigger. The best gift he ever gave me was my first baseball glove. I will never forget that. I had to wait till spring to coem around so we coudl go out and play catch. I would wait all day for my father... Free Essays on When Your Hero Falls Free Essays on When Your Hero Falls When Your Hero Falls The year was 1998 when it finally all fell apart, although the chain of events leading up to such a dramatic event in my life was set on course years prior. The location was a common, quiet small town. A young boy had lived in this current location all of his life, and it was all he knew. This was soon about to change... Born and raised life outside this town was not known. As a young child my life probaly resembled the childhood of many other children my age. I was the first of three children. I had two loving parents. My family was complete. Some of my fondest memories occured in this period of my life. I remmember them so vividly that each days it seems like the occured the day before. Christmas, for example, was one of these mundane events. At the young age of five I became estatic once the holiday season rolled around. Each year I looked forward to our family traditions. We would cruise around town and look for houses with Christmas lights. The houses with numerous amounts of sparkling lights were a special find. We would pull over and just gaze at them. I could sit on the side of the road all night and look at the lights. After the hunting for lights we would go home and set out milk and cookies for Santa. An early bedtime was required to ensure Santa would be generous with his presents. The following morning I would be the first one up at 5 o'clock. I would wake up the entire family. We would go out and sit in front of the tree. I remmember the look on my fathers face. The look of happiness; the look of pure joy. As the pile of presents went down his smile seemed to grow bigger and bigger. The best gift he ever gave me was my first baseball glove. I will never forget that. I had to wait till spring to coem around so we coudl go out and play catch. I would wait all day for my father...

Thing to Consider When Planting A Norway Maple

Thing to Consider When Planting A Norway Maple Norway maple (Acer platanoides) was introduced by botanist John Bartram of Philadelphia from England to the U.S. in 1756. It has been planted on farms and in towns for its shade, hardiness, and adaptability to adverse conditions, which has ensured that the maple, when planted, would spread like wildfire. Because of this, and a variety of other negative factors, the Norway maple has earned itself the title of a Bad Tree, meaning its destruction is often sought out by city governments and concerned landscapers fearing that the large canopy of leaves this particular maple yields will block all other growth underneath it. However, there is a number of redeeming qualities to this type of trees such as its tolerance to multiple types of soil nutrients and climate conditions, its optimal fall foliage, and beautiful yellow flowers in the spring. Why Norway Maples Are Bad Trees The shallow, fibrous root system and dense shade of Norway maple make it virtually impossible for grass to grow under the tree, and the aggressive roots frequently girdle even the parent tree, ultimately choking itself to death, making it a bad tree if youre planning on growing anything else around it. Further, Norway maples are also non-native invasive exotic trees that have escaped the urban environment and is a threat to native maples because of its sun-blocking foliage. Norway maple populations overwhelm sites by displacing native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous understory plants, and once established, creating a canopy of dense shade that prevents regeneration of native seedlings; it is also thought to release root toxins that inhibit or prevent the growth of other plants. Norway maples also reproduce quickly, forming dense root systems in a matter of seasons that are nearly impossible to fully remove without killing the surrounding soil entirely. However, this isnt to say there are no redeeming qualities for this type of tree. Redeeming Features Norway maples are arguably among the most beautiful variety of maple tree currently in North America with rich yellow leaves in the fall under optimal conditions and lovely yellow flowers on leafless branches in the spring. These trees are also highly resistant to climate conditions and lack of nutrition in the soil and can grow almost anywhere as a result, which makes them great for planting on land that usually cannot support much greenery. Also, due to their nature of spreading rapidly, harvesting new trees for distribution is surprisingly easy- just replant one of its many roots and a new tree will begin growing in no time. Plus, Norway maples grow rather quickly and provide lots of shade, so they can be used to generate a quick, natural privacy fence for your property.

Money, Freedom, desire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Money, Freedom, desire - Essay Example The core of the modern world in regard to all of these aspects of life is money. Money provides the means through which humans socialize, fuel their physical needs, and exist within a framework conducive for learning. While freedom is a concept that human beings like to throw around through frameworks that suggest independence, the truth is that freedom does not exist as dependency on a variety of concepts must be initialized and maintained in order to survive. Georg Simmel, in his work The Philosophy of Money, discusses the concepts of freedom as it relates to interdependency in the modern context. The need for money becomes a central dependency from which all other dependencies are built. His discussion includes the contrast of modern man to primitive man, the focus being on the types of dependencies that primitive man in comparison to modern man. Primitive cultures had limited numbers of people through which they created their existence. A tribe may have 30 or 40 people, or maybe even more, but the number of people required to survive was a limited grouping. In this modern age, man requires the people who support the business for which they work, the patrons of that business, the grocery store system, the fuel system for vehicles, and so many large groups of people through whom needs are fulfilled that solitary freedom is near impossible to achieve. If these services were to break down, modern man would be at a loss to find a way to perpetuate his existence. The social lubricant that allows all of these systems to operate is money. Money is the currency that creates value exchange within these systems. The economic system is designed so that in exchange for work, rather than goods and services, money is given so that it can be exchanged for goods and services. It is the intermediary through which interactions and dependencies are created. The novel Madame Bovary: A Study of Provincial Life, Gustave Flaubert examines the many ‘needs’ that live wi thin human existence. The first interdependency is shown through the social climbing that is done by Charles Bovary through his marriage to his first wife, then through his second wife Emma who turns towards desire and drama when her emotional needs are not fulfilled through a conventional life. Emma has fulfilled her basic needs and comforts, her needs for food and shelter beyond her worries. She is restless and feels that she is confined by the structures that have provided these basic needs. Her thoughts of freedom turn outside of her marriage, leading her to seek adventures of desire in order to feel that need to be free. She thinks â€Å"They ran back again to embrace once more, and then she promised him to find soon, by no matter what means, a regular opportunity for seeing each other in freedom at least once a week† (Flaubert and Ranous 270). In her conventional life, she was bound by its responsibilities and lack of emotional engagement, but through her indiscretions, she found moments of freedom. Through her desire to accumulate, to accumulate lovers, possessions, and luxuries, she fulfilled her need for freedom by creating surrogates for the emptiness that her normative life presented her. Mariama Ba discusses a similar theme in her work on marriage in Western Africa and the implications of a misogynist society

Philosophy theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy theory - Essay Example The concept of absurd has a rather weighty importance in the work of Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard considers the theory of absurd in several of his works, but it occupies a special role in his work Fear and Trembling. Here, speaking from a position of criticism of Christianity, Kierkegaard considers the biblical story when Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son to Him. For Kierkegaard, this is an example of the absurdity of human existence, based on lack of freedom. Kierkegaard sees the faith of Abraham as a paradox as it is able to convert a murder into the sacred and charitable act. Kierkegaard, however, does not diminish the importance of faith. On the contrary, he emphasized that faith is transcendent and therefore is absurd. Faith in God is absurd because it cannot be explained by means of logic, however, it is effective by giving people the spiritual strength. Thus, the absurd is an inability to logically comprehend faith in God, while it is able to provide moral support. Feuerbach demonstrates a critical attitude to religion, because he is convinced that it is the result of the alienation of human qualities such as kindness, compassion, etc. Religion arose when people began to ascribe to God the qualities that belong to the people. The philosopher believes that a man is in himself a divine being, and it is a man (not the transcendent God) who should be deified. Thus, in the concept of Feuerbach, a divine being is a human being who deserves to be erected on a pedestal of God. People should treat each other as if each of them is God. Thus, the interaction between people should be based on the principles of equality, justice, and mutual aid. In this respect, love also plays a particularly important role as a force that unites people. In his works, Nietzsche provided a strict demarcation between the weak and strong cultures, each of which

Visit to Hill Station Essay Example for Free

Visit to Hill Station Essay Our school was closed for summer vacations on 18th May. It was very hot in Delhi. My parents decided to go to Niligiris. I too accompanied them. We packed our luggage and got ready for the journey. We went to Coimbatore by train. The railway journey was rather tiresome. From Coimbatore we went to Ooty by bus. We reached there in the afternoon and put up at a hotel. Ooty is one of the best hill-station of India. It may be called the queen of hill-station. It has many beauty spots. Next day, after breakfast, we were crowded with tourists form different parts of the country. People were making all sorts of purchases. After lunch we went to botanical gardens. We enjoyed the expense of horticultural beauty around our heart’s content. Niligiris has a healthy climate. It is a beautiful summer resort. The mountain slopes are covered with tall, green trees which present a caring sight at sunset and look very grand. The morning and evening hours are very pleasant. A cool breeze sets up and refreshes the mind. It makes one forget the oppressive heat of the plains. I felt happy in the company of nature. The bright hued flowers, the clouds sailing across the sky and the snow covered peaks of the high mountains in the distance filled my heart with joy. We stayed there for fortnight. I returned to Delhii reluctantly. The memory of my visit to Niligiris is still fresh in my mind.

The Tv Generation :: essays research papers

The TV Generation Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. It is the moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward when you say to this person "the world today" or "life" or "reality" he will assume that you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years in the past. My generation is greatly influenced by the media, specifically television. Television becomes my reality by bringing into my life the happenings of the outside world. Our generation is often called the MTV generation. We are often stereotyped with the idea that all we do is sit around and watch TV. Sure, we probably do watch more television than our parents did as teenagers but we have to remember, TV was generally new to their generation. They only had a couple of channels to choose from while we sit in front of a television with 53 channels and a remote to control them with. We have the option to decide upon everything from The Disney Channel to VH1, The Family Channel to Fox. That box in our bedroom or family room is a very controlling yet entertaining appliance. Teenagers have always been free-spirited in any generation. We are always doing and saying childish things while trying to grow up. If we only have a couple years of our childhood left then who cares if we spend it in front of a TV? Which is not to say that we do that anyhow. Perhaps we use the TV as a way of relaxing before we go off and hit the books for two hours. Or maybe we use it to spend time with our family. I mean, come on, how many teenagers enjoy going on family outings with mom, dad, and kid brother? However, if the TV can gather everyone together on a Sunday afternoon to watch the "Packers" game then shouldn't mom and dad be happy? On the other hand, there is such a thing as bad TV. Sex and violence is plastered all over our brains with a flick of a switch and I tend to believe that this influences teenagers, or for that matter, anyone who watches it. But then again, we can not say all TV is evil. MTV has set up several programs to educate teens on sensitive subjects and has begun to censor certain videos and shows. Parents often say to their teens, "If you watch too much TV you'll fry you brains out." Yeah, right mom! As if we're going to believe that.

Human Chip Implants Essay

It is now possible to track humans wherever they are, thanks to the new technology of human chip implants. While this statement may sound interesting for the developers of the technology, the issue has attracted enormous debate about the ethical implications that surround the application of the technology. Human chip implants are sophisticated silicon microchip devices that are inserted to an individual’s hand or face for identification purposes (Alam, 2010). Prior to human applications, the microchip devices were used to identify and track lost and stolen pets. The first human to accept the device be implanted into his body was Professor Kevin Warwick on August 24th, 1998 (Witt, 1999). Warwick, a director of cybernetics at the University of Reading, U. K became the first person to host the controversial microchip after a procedure which took 20 minutes. Dr (Witt, 1999). George Boulos led a team of doctors who inserted a glass capsule the size of a pearl into Warwick’s left arm just above his elbow. The glass capsule comprised of several microprocessors work to recognize the human and give commands and communicate with other electronic devices (Witt, 1999). The device that was implanted into Warwick’s arm was about (23 X 3) mm and it stayed in his body for only nine days in order to avoid medical complications (Witt, 1999). In addition, the device had been found to have lost some power to function and the removal of it was to ensue. Half of the device was an electric coil while the rest of it was purely an arrangement of silicon microchips that processed and stored the information (Witt, 1999). The device could use only 8 bits of the total 64 bits of information to interact and communicated efficiently with the intelligent building at the University of Reading. The device functions to pass radio signals between the door frames that have rigged up doorways (Witt, 1999). When a human with the device implanted into his body enters or gets through the doorways, the radio signal energizes the coil which then produces an electric current that chips use to communicate signals which the computer recognizes a person as ‘authorized. ’ After this intelligent authentication, the door opens and the person can enter the building. For the nine days after implantation, Warwick was able to make security doors that required only smartcards to swing open through an electronic node system that tracked Warwick’s movement through the entire building (Witt, 1999). The technology of human implants claims several applications such as the identifications of lost children as well as the confused individuals suffering from Alzheimer disease (Mcgee & Maquire, 1999). It is also proposed that the technology can have potential uses in the verifications of job applicants to determine whether they are criminals or illegal immigrants (Alam, 2010). The devices can carry criminal and medical history after encoding the device only with one number (Alam, 2010). This shows how the device can be used for tracking among many different uses. The device can be used to gain access to facilities in a secure manner reducing the cases of theft and unauthorized access to buildings, libraries, laboratories or other places where security is of high relevance (Alam, 2010). There are human rights that are infringed when the human microchips are implanted. For example, the human chip implant would impinge the constitutional rights in relation to the Fourth and Fifth Amendments (Alam, 2010). The device is also argued to be violating the Fourteen Amendments which provides for the rights of properties. All persons are protected from unreasonable seizures and searches according to the Fourth Amendment and one of these searches is the electronic surveillance which reveals the privacy of persons without their consent (Macgee & Maquire, 1999). Two implications about human rights abuse are made in the use of the human microchip implant; the attachment of the surveillance device on humans and the continued monitoring of the person once the device is in the body. The ability of the microchip implanted into the body to read-write and track predisposes individual personal information to be revealed (Alam, 2010). Even if the read-only devices are used, they can be easily be scanned by the police and unauthorized searches violates the Fourth Amendments. At the same time, the use of microchip implants would violate the Fifth Amendment since the application of the microchip could be one form of self-incrimination where the device presents some tracking capabilities which breach the Fifth Amendment which provides that no citizen shall be forced to witness against himself (Macgee & Maquire, 1999). Although the Amendments refer specifically to verbal self-incrimination, it has been argued that the Amendment applies to modern technologies which forcibly take the evidence from someone. Another violation of the implantation of microchips involves the internal property interest (Alam, 2010). The chip installation involves the breaking into the skin and implanting the device just the similar ways a pacemaker or an artificial eye. In the case of eye and pacemaker implants, the procedure is acceptable for medical reasons. Contrary, in the case of human chip implants where the aim of the gadget is for the accounting system as well as to act as a repository for government information. In general, the human chip implants pose a number of ethical and legal issues despite their potential applications in ensuring security and tracking lost and kidnapped individuals. It is important to enact appropriate legislations that will prevent any grievous intrusion into individual privacy as the technology gets a big vote among Americans.

Business And Management Personal Statement Essay

Creativity is what drove me to pursue in Business and Management at University of Westminster. Business has always fascinated me. During my time growing up, I have seen the global economy change rapidly. The European Union has faced many atrocious crisis, making Europe unstable. As a result to prevent the instability, small businesses created jobs to improve the European Union’s economy, and one day I want my business to be a part of that improvement. I came across a quote from Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company which stated â€Å"A business that makes nothing but money is poor business† Ford Motor Company is a hugely successful company which all probably started with creativity and ambition to actually create something that fulfils peoples need. This further encouraged me to produce a few ideas of my own. Two ideas in particular have stood out to me; firstly: Expand my current company. When I was in my last year in High school, I started my first youth enterprise with my classmate. We noticed that there was a huge request for thin jewelleries among young women. So we created a business plan and named our business Tropical Jewellery UF. Our company took great success and received a lot of positive response. My next idea for this company is to expand it internationally. I still want to develop the business and be as creative as I can, since I have put my whole in this idea. Secondly I have studied a lot about the global poverty. My main idea is to increase the education equivalent in countries who suffers from poverty by creating schools in these affecting areas. I know in particular that I will be facing difficulty whilst establishing the idea, however I will be fighting this struggle in order to create education. Through studying three different math courses, I have gained the ability to interpret data and successfully solve the task and draw conclusion from it. Beside studying math, I have also studied three business courses, marketing and a lot of other courses. I am a very well rounded person with skills and knowledge in many fields. I believe this is an important feature of a business person as they need to be able to deal with many different varieties of challenges. In and out of school I have a big interest in languages. I speak fluent Arabic and of course Swedish. I have studied Spanish for seven years, and I can almost speak it fluently. During my last year in school I studied a French course. I spent two weeks of my summer in  France. I continued to develop my French skills in Paris. During my third year, I studied Cambridge Advanced English and did the exam and got a certificate at the beginning of the summer. A business degree is exceptionally various and can lead to many opportu nities. At present I have recently entered the business world and I am already eager to learn more.

Nike Considered Index TNS Review Final Essays

Nike Considered Index TNS Review Final Essays Nike Considered Index TNS Review Final Paper Nike Considered Index TNS Review Final Paper We refer to different aspects of the Index in this review, so a ascription of the approach and its parts is provided. We then give an overall assessment, followed by technical examination of different parts of the Index and commentary on its public release. 1) Insight into the environmental impacts of materials used in product creation (material scores). 2) Incentives for Nikkei to make more sustainable products, in line with the companys priorities and goals (product scores). 3) Communication of the performance results using Nines internal standards (Considered benchmarks e. . Gold standard). 4) Company targets for continual improvement (stretch goals for eating com panky-wide benchmarks of product performance by a given year e. G. All footwear to be Considered Bronze by 2011). The two main tools that make up the approach are: Assessment Method Backdating from Success The assessment has been conducted using both the sustainability principles and backdating p lanning method of the unifying Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, promoted by The Natural Step in collaboration with its international research and practitioner networks. Four science-based sustainability principles from the framework describe success in terms of the conditions added for a sustainable society, providing an operational definition of sustainability that allows for a gap analysis between where we are today and where we need to arrive at in the future. From this whole systems perspective, it needs to be clearly stated that there is no such thing as a sustainable or an unsustainable material or product; there are only sustainable material and resource management practices. Product and material sustainability claims therefore need to be viewed carefully, and as part of a journey toward sustainability one that has many possible pathways. Material Assessment Tool (MAT). This tool scores and ranks the material types used to manufacture Nikkei products from least to most preferred. The scoring is based on: Major, known supply chain environmental issues within defined impact categories. A life cycle perspective, from cradle to gate. Publicly available data that is compiled and aggregated for general material types and typical supply chain scenarios. Third party input from specialists in materials environmental impact assessment methods. Weightings are assigned to impact categories, based on Nikkei priorities. 2. Understanding purpose and Context for the Index All tools serve a purpose. They need to be examined with their purpose in mind, and understood within the context in which they are used. To judge if this Index is a good tool for supporting Nines movement toward sustainability, Nines overall approach to sustainability must be understood: The Index has been developed to aid design and material choices as part of Nines Considered design ethos, which is part of an overall company sustainability agenda. Nikkei has long-standing commitments to sustainability in place. ; The tool is integrated into Nines innovation process. Dedicated personnel support the tools development and integration across the organization. The Index connects with, draws from and supports many other aspects of Nines sustainable business and innovation agenda (for example, procurement sustainability and audit programs, restricted substances lists, company targets and policies etc). The Considered Index. The Index rewards design innovation choices related to product creation by assigning scores to products. It encourages the selection of environmentally preferred materials (as scored in the Material Assessment Tool) as well as other practices where the designer can improve the environmental profile of the product, I. . Less waste generation, use of desired chemistry and an innovation bonus for breakthroughs that can be transferred across models. Nikkei uses these tools in a number of ways for example, aiding procurement decisions, setting of internal standards and more broadly for defining sustainable design performance. Nikkei has chosen to externally label Silver and Gold standard products, sending a signal to the consumer about Nines Considered design ethos. 2 Overall Assessment Using Sustainability as a Driver of Innovation Many traditional tools and approaches for measuring product or eternal sustainability take a static perspective, attempting to measure and assess the scale and severity of known issues and impacts today (primarily a risk avoidance approach). On their own these life cycle assessment approaches have limitations in terms of guiding strategic decision-making toward 1) sustainable resource management and 2) related business opportunities. Just as an analysis of any single move or piece of sports gear used in a football game cannot tell you who will win, one needs to look at the whole picture. Organizations wishing to use the Index and build from Nines experience should bear this in mind and ensure they build the necessary competencies and structures in place to make the best use of the results from the Index. It is therefore refreshing to see the approach Nikkei has taken combining quantitative material assessment with qualitatively- derived scores rewarding improvements in product creation. This approach highlights an evolution in thinking on measuring sustainability away from solely impact minimization and movement toward an innovation enabling strategic perspective. We believe this Index is a powerful demonstration of an overall backdating approach for enabling sustainable design innovation, not simply a set of tools for measuring movement away from environmental impacts.

Definition and Examples of Euphemistic Language

Definition and Examples of Euphemistic Language Euphemism is the substitution of an inoffensive expression (such as passed away) for one considered offensively explicit (died or dropped dead). Contrast with dysphemism. Adjective: euphemistic. In his Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms (2007), R.W. Holder notes that in speech or writing we use euphemism for dealing with taboo or sensitive subjects. It is therefore the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and deceit. According to Ruth Wajnryb, Euphemisms have a short shelf life- once the stigma of the original catches up to them, the battery that runs the euphemistic device goes flat. The only way forward is to invent a new euphemism (Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language, 2005). Etymology: From the Greek, use of good words Commentary Examples:  Pre-owned for used or second-hand; enhanced interrogation for torture; industrial action for strike; misspoke for lie; tactical withdrawal for retreat; revenue augmentation for raising taxes; wind for belch or fart; convenience fee for surcharge; courtesy reminder for bill; unlawful combatant for prisoner of warUnfortunately for the CIA, enhanced interrogation turned out to be a translation of the same euphemism used by the Gestapo: verschrfte Vernehmung. (Scott Horton, Company Men. Harpers, April 2015 Dan Foreman: Guys, I feel very terrible about what Im about to say. But Im afraid youre both being let go.Lou: Let go? What does that mean?Dan Foreman: It means youre being fired, Louie. (In Good Company, 2004 Mr. Prince: Well see you when you get back from image enhancement camp.Martin Prince: Spare me your euphemisms! Its fat camp, for Daddys chubby little secret. (Kamp Krusty, The Simpsons, 1992) Paul Kersey: Youve got a prime figure. You really have, you know.Joanna Ke rsey: Thats a euphemism for fat. (Death Wish, 1974) The reconstruction of New Orleans has become a euphemism for the destruction of the citys cultural and historic heritage. (Ghali Hassan, 2006The more syllables a euphemism has, the further divorced from reality it is. (George CarlinWardrobe malfunction. (Justin Timberlakes description of his tearing of Janet Jacksons costume during a half-time performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII)Americans continually euphemize; they can never call anything by its name. You never invade anybody, you commit an incursion. (Gore Vidal, quoted in the Transatlantic Review, Spring 1975) Dont Panic The economic classification  recession was actually invented in 1937 when the economy was back in the toilet but FDR didnt want to call it a depression. And the description depression first surfaced during the Hoover administration, a substitute for a more vivid but disconcerting term of art: panic.(Anna Quindlen, Summertime Blues. Newsweek, July 7/14, 2008) Testing for Euphemisms In selecting euphemistic words and phrases I have accepted [Henry] Fowlers definition: Euphemism means the use of a mild or vague or periphrastic expression as a substitute for blunt precision or disagreeable use (Modern English Usage, 1957). A second test is that the euphemistic word or phrase once meant, or prima facie still means, something else. If that were not so, it would be no more than a synonym. (R.W. Holder, Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms. Oxford University Press, 2007) Steven Pinker and Joseph Wood Krutch on the Euphemism Treadmill - Linguists are familiar with the phenomenon, which may be called the euphemism treadmill. People invent new words for emotionally charged referents, but soon the euphemism becomes tainted by association, and a new word must be found, which soon acquires its own connotations, and so on. Water closet becomes toilet (originally a term for any kind of body care, as in toilet kit and toilet water), which becomes bathroom, which becomes restroom, which becomes lavatory. Undertaker changes to mortician, which changes to funeral director...The euphemism treadmill shows that concepts, not words, are primary in peoples minds. Give a concept a new name, and the name becomes colored by the concept; the concept does not become freshened by the name, at least not for long. Names for minorities will continue to change as long as people have negative attitudes toward them. We will know that we have achieved mutual respect when the names stay put. (Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial o f Human Nature. Viking Penguin, 2002)- Any euphemism ceases to be euphemistic after a time and the true meaning begins to show through. Its a losing game, but we keep on trying. (Joseph Wood Krutch, If You Dont Mind My Saying So, 1964) Euphemisms, Dysphemisms, and Orthophemisms During the Cold War of 1946-89, NATO had a deterrent (euphemism) against the Russian threat (dysphemism). In the mid 1980s the USSR claimed to have been invited (euphemism) into Afghanistan; the Americans claimed that the Russians were aggressors (dysphemism) there. We get invited in; they are aggressors; the orthophemism is take military action in a foreign land. (Keith Allen and Kate Burridge, Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006) Euphemisms During the Victorian Era In the mid-19th century, the human form and its functions were so taboo that any words even hinting that people had bodies were banished from polite discourse. It became impossible to mention legsyou had to use limb, or even better, lower extremity. You couldnt ask for the breast of a chicken, but instead had to request the bosom, or make a choice between white and dark meat. Nor could you talk about trousers. There were numerous euphemisms instead, including inexpressibles, indescribables, unmentionables, inexplicables and continuations. Charles Dickens made fun of this extreme delicacy in Oliver Twist, when Giles the butler describes how he got out of bed and drew on a pair of . . .. Ladies present, Mr. Giles, warns another character. (Melissa Mohr, By Gods Nails: Careful How You Curse. The Wall Street Journal, April 20-21, 2013) In Defense of Euphemisms Euphemisms are not, as many young people think, useless verbiage for that which can and should be said bluntly; they are like secret agents on a delicate mission, they must airily pass by a stinking mess with barely so much as a nod of the head, make their point of constructive criticism and continue on in calm forbearance. Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne. (Quentin Crisp, Manners from Heaven, 1984) Transforming Schools During one of many anti-austerity protests last summer, more than 1,000 people rallied to oppose Philadelphias plans to transform schools, a pleasant euphemism generally meaning school closures and mass layoffs. (Allison Kilkenny, The Fight for Phillys Schools. The Nation, February 18, 2013) Crazy Crazy (and hence crazed and cracked) originally meant cracked, flawed, damaged (cp. crazy paving) and was applicable to all manner of illness; but it has now narrowed to mental illness. It captures the stereotypical mental patient as someone flawed, deficient (cf. mentally deficient), and is the basis for many euphemistic expressions for madness: crack-brained, scatter-brained, shatter-brained; head case, nutcase, bonkers, wacko, wacky; falling to pieces; have a (nervous) breakdown; unhinged; having a screw/tile/slate loose; one brick short of a load, not a full load; not playing with a full deck, three cards short of a full deck; one sandwich short of a picnic; two bob short of a quid, not the full quid; his elevator doesnt go to the top floor; a shingle short; and perhaps hes lost his marbles. (Keith Allen and Kate Burridge, Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as a Shield and Weapon. Oxford University Press, 1991) The Lighter Side of Euphemisms Dr. House: Im busy.Thirteen: We need you to . . .Dr. House: Actually, as you can see, Im not busy. Its just a euphemism for get the hell out of here.(Dying Changes Everything, House, M.D.)Dr. House: Who were you going to kill in Bolivia? My old housekeeper?Dr. Terzi: We dont kill anyone.Dr. House: Im sorrywho were you going to marginalize?(Whatever It Takes, House, M.D.) Further Reading Visual EuphemismWhy Do We Use Euphemisms?Biased LanguageBowdlerismCacophemismFifty Reasons Youll Never Be Told, Youre FiredGenteelismGeorge Carlins Essential DrivelGrawlixHow to Flatter an Audience With Euphemisms, Dysphemisms, and  DistinctioIndirectnessMinced OathNever Say Die: Euphemisms for DeathOrthophemismParadiastolePejorative LanguageRestauranteseSoft LanguageTaboo LanguageTitle InflationTop 20 Figures of SpeechUnder the Flapdoodle Tree: Doublespeak, Soft Language, and GobbledygookVerbosityWhat Are Weasel Words?

In the news 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

In the news 2 - Assignment Example ed people have been united with their families and the news that the leader of the group had was to be re-united with her grandson elicited emotions in Argentina. Forces that were allied to the government kidnapped babies between 1976 and 1983 in the course of military autocracy which was one of the murkiest eras in a time that was entitled the Dirty war. Carlotto’s daughter was part of a guerilla group when she was arrested and imprisoned in 1977at a time when she was almost three months pregnant. She had to give birth to her so at a military hospital and she was returned to her cell without her baby and later executed. The dictatorship took away Carlotto’s daughter and she had no idea what had happened to her grandson even though she kept her hope. The grandson who was reunited with his grandmother is a 36 years old who is named Ignacio Hurban and works as a music director in a school in Olavarria but initially had doubts concerning the story of his life which led him to contact the grandmothers with the story of his life where he submitted DNA. After the DNA was tested, it was found to be a 99.99 percent match even though the first time the grandson had doubts are not clear. The president of Argentina was among the people who called the grandmother after the news of finding her grandson had been revealed to