Hester Prynne essays

Hester Prynne essays Sense prevails over sensibility. Characters in a novel often achieve the object of their desire because they possess good sense. While those who become disillusioned with life are easily carried by their emotions. Austen displays some degree of satire in Sense and Sensibility, effectively used in exposing the hypocrisy of individuals and society. Elinor is the ideal woman, being affectionate, pragmatic and prudent. She possesses good sense. On the other hand, Marianne embodies sensibility. She is charming and clever, but impulsive. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen shows how the conflict and the setting express the theme of the novel. Both Elinor and Marianne are the protagonists of Sense and Sensibility. They are wooed by the men of their choice, but later they are let down by these men. This is the conflict of the novel. As a result, they both face disappointments and rejection. However, Elinor lets her good sense guide her, and she is ultimately united with her lover. Marianne gets carried away by her sensibility and emotion and becomes despondent. She is ultimately rewarded with a competent husband when she recovers her sense of judgement. Both Elinor and Marianne achieve the object of their desire. They just had to possess good sense. Clearly, the conflict helped Elinor and Marianne use or find their good sense. The novel is set in London and its surrounding districts. The opening of the novel is in Sussex. Henry Dashwood is living on his uncles estate in Norland. However, after the death of Henry, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters move to Devonshire. Their cottage, overlooking the Barton Valley, is a pleasant, fertile spot, well-wooded, and rich in pasture. In this part and the last part of the novel, the characters are shown living in the contryside, where they are content and expect happiness. Then the setting moves to London, when Elinor and Marianne accompany...

Breathtaking Facts about Fisher Effect

Breathtaking Facts about Fisher Effect The Fisher Effect is a macroeconomic concept developed by the early American economist Irving Fisher (1867-1947) that predicts that the real interest rate is equal to the nominal interest rate minus the rate of inflation, and that in order to hold the real interest rate constant, the nominal interest rate must be adjusted by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. What Is the Fisher Effect? The Fisher Effect is a macroeconomic concept developed by the early American economist Irving Fisher (1867-1947) that predicts that the real interest rate is equal to the nominal interest rate minus the rate of inflation, and that in order to hold the real interest rate constant, the nominal interest rate must be adjusted by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. BLACK ECONOMY The importance of this prediction is that it suggests that over a long term period, changes in monetary control measures, such as adjustments in interest rates or the money supply, have no real effect on real interest rates or economic output. In order to understand the Fisher Effect (which should not be confused with the similarly-named International Fisher Effect, which deals with currency values and was also developed by Dr. Fisher), we need to understand two basic economic ideas: the difference between real and nominal interest rates, and the quantity theory of money. The nominal interest rate is the stated interest borne by any sort of investment instrument – a savings account, bond, interest on a loan, and so on. For example, if you were to purchase a 30-day certificate of deposit at 5% interest for $1,000, the nominal interest at the end of those 30 days would be $50. Because of price inflation, however, the new balance of $1,050 is worth less than that relative to the $1,000 it was worth 30 days ago. If the inflation rate is 2%, then the real value of the balance is $1,030 – 5% minus the 2% inflation rate equals 3%, which is the real interest rate. The Quantity Theory of Money The quantity theory of money relates prices to the supply of money in the economy; as the supply of money increases, so do prices. The theory is expressed by a simple, well-known equation M x V = P x Y, where M represents the money supply, V represents â€Å"velocity† or the number of times in a specified period the money is exchanged for goods or services, P represents an overall price level in an economy, and Y represents economic output, i.e. the real GDP. The equation can also be written in a form in which growth rates are substitutes for whole values for the variables; it functions in much the same way in either form. In the quantity theory, so long as the â€Å"velocity† of money and the economic output do not change, prices have to change according to the money supply. Over long periods, the velocity of money does, in fact, remain fairly constant. Economic output does change, but other parts of economic theory demonstrate that changes in economic output are attributable to technology and factors of production, not changes in the money supply. In other words, increases in economic output automatically increase the velocity of money by a corresponding amount, canceling these two factors out of the equation, or making them constant in relation to the M and the P. Enter the Fisher Effect Now we return to real and nominal interest rates. The constant (or if you prefer, equivalent) nature of the velocity of money and economic output over long periods of time is an indication that real interest rates do not change. Think of it this way: at any given point in time, a dollar purchases a dollar’s worth of goods or services. In a short term, of course, we notice the lag in the value of our dollar due to price inflation, but over a long period, the relative value remains approximately the same; prices go up, but so do wages and earnings on investments. That long-term consistency is the Fisher Effect. As inflation progresses, nominal interest rates are adjusted upward to compensate and keep real interest rates more or less constant. It’s â€Å"more or less† constant because the effect is not a smooth curve. When interest rates are set, the anticipated rate of inflation is taken into account; in reality, the rate of inflation usually differs slightly in magnitude and rate of change, meaning that from one interest-setting period to the next, the nominal interest rate either lags or leads to a small degree with respect to the inflation rate. The effect, however, averages out over a long period. The Fisher Effect in the context of the quantity theory of money also explains why efforts to stimulate an economy through adding money to the financial system – the so-called â€Å"quantitative easing† – usually has little to no effect. In theory, increasing the money supply increases the velocity of money; there is more money to spend, therefore, more exchanges of money occur. Thus, in the quantity theory equation, the left side of the equation, M x V, increases. If prices, P, on the right side of the equation do not immediately increase, or do not increase by a necessary amount, then in order for the equation to remain equal economic output, Y, must increase. HOW TO SAVE MONEY IN COLLEGE? The problem with this thinking is that first of all, economic output has the slowest rate of change of the four variables; prices will always change more quickly, and that keeps the equation equal. Second, nominal interest rates affect the velocity of money; when inflation rises, nominal interest rates are raised according to the Fisher Effect, and when interest rates increase, the velocity of money decreases. Interest on loans, for example, is raised because lenders are very aware of their real interest rate, and act to prevent it from decreasing. When loan interest is higher, fewer loans are made. For investors, higher interest rates encourage maintaining investments and accessing new ones, rather than liquidating them and spending the money on something else; the net change in the value of V is then zero, or close to it. The Fisher Effect is essentially an explanation for the relatively constant, cyclical nature of the economy over a long period of time. It is a fairly basic economic concept and can be seen in action if one looks at the economy from a historical perspective. It does not appear in the short term, which is perhaps why government economic managers seem to forget about it; if they would keep it in mind, however, they would realize that much of their effort towards â€Å"stimulating the economy† or â€Å"managing the exchange value of the currency† has no real impact and that their time might be better spent on other activities.

Case study about Verizon wireless issues and possible improovements - 1

About Verizon wireless issues and possible improovements - Case Study Example However, there are several problems with the technologies that Verizon has available that are causing some concern with consumers. In addition, their pricing is well above the average and in the current economy will not encourage consumers to come to their service. Prepaid services are extremely limited and with the number of displaced workers and people who have experienced problems on a financial level, these limitations will hurt their bottom line where increases from alternative forms of service are considered. As well, the iPhone, although a great benefit to the company product line, is currently seeing problems in the way in which consumer groups are rating the product, thus causing problems in promoting the product. As well, AT&T are claiming that they are the only network on which the iPhone can be used for both voice and data at the same time. This deficit in technical capability will hamper the marketing capacity that Verizon has for the product, putting their service in a secondary position. The wireless industry, within the last decade, has taken over the land line industry through increases in product technologies and wireless access technologies. By 2004, the number of minutes used by wireless customers had reached 1 trillion, but in the three years that followed the number doubled to 2.1 trillion. Wireless communications are now used by 80% of the population and exceed 250 million users. The wireless industry invested 24 billion dollars in 2007 and is the resource for employment of 3.4 million Americans. Instant messages are out distancing e-mails as the preferred form of instant communication. The changes in the way in which people communicate through the technologies of wireless and broadband have revolutionized communications in the world (Verizon Wireless, Inc.) In 2007, worldwide revenue for telecommunications through wire line and wireless revenues

US Ports and Cybersecurity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

US Ports and Cybersecurity - Research Paper Example Kevin Kelly1 (2011) asks this intriguing question, â€Å"What does technology want?† If certain aspects of the technium are preordained and certain aspects are contingent upon our choices, how do we know which are which? Systems theorist John Smart has suggested that we need a technological version of the Serenity Prayer.† The serenity prayer, written and popularized in the early 1930s by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, asks God to help in changing the things which are difficult to change or â€Å"courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.†2 According to Kelly, â€Å"Technology was invented from the time we were born†. But technology is under threat every second of the day. Individual files and organizational documents and secrets are under threat of losing with the click of a finger, if we are not careful. This essay is about the many problems of technology, specifically information technology (IT) infrastructures of US ports, and how it can survive amidst threats of viruses, worms, spams, malicious software and cyber criminality. Organizations must have installed technology and IT infrastructures in their systems, otherwise, they will lag behind in the stiff competition. Organizational information systems should also have anti-viruses and other necessary protection before they see themselves vulnerable to a new kind of attack, the virus attack. Ports are one of the busiest areas for businesses around the world. With an installed IT, tasks and activities are made easier. IT enables organizations to conduct multiple operations simultaneously, but the infrastructure must be secured because without s ecurity, viruses and the various risks will make the infrastructure a mess. Ports operate a network of businesses and firms, movement and distribution, processing and many activities, which must be applied and inputted to an effective software and IT. Function IT, as it is called in the literature, refers to information systems that help improve users’ functions and productivity in performing individual tasks. This important feature includes applications like computer-aided design (CAD) software, spreadsheet, word processors, and other e-learning tools and systems. In a port where ships dock and load and unload cargoes, where countless activities happen every minute and every second of the day, computers and softwares are a normal phenomenon. In a workplace where engineers constantly introduce product innovations and people depend on coordinated programs of activities, ports should have effective computer infrastructures. But there are people with criminal minds who, second b y second, devise plans to penetrate on other people’s computers, other people’s wealth, that they send viruses, worms, spam emails and malwares to the internet and destroy ports’ valued files. The role of the manager is significant to the attainment of the organization’s goals and objectives. Managers should have good and effective rapport with employees, but they have to understand what IT is and its role in the ever changing world of business. One of the important responsibilities of the manager is to manage the company’s information system. New business opportunities involving IT and the different functions of business are coming at a fast pace.3 Security awareness Studies have found that about 90% of organizations face information security investigation almost annually.4 Organizations have made moves to improve their information management systems and

The Zero Effect Essay Example for Free

The Zero Effect Essay The Zero Effect Objectives * To choose topic for case study 8th March. * To proposal document 21st March. * To carry out desk research on my chosen topic (Time amp; Date) * To undertake all primary research for 17th April * To create a power point presentation by the 8th of May * To have case study report finished by the end of May. Explanation In this report I am going to write about the advantages and positive effects of size zero models in fashion and on the catwalks and truly give them the credit they deserve. Rationale for Proposal The reason for me choosing and writing about such a controversial topic is because I believe that catwalk models are at the forefront of the fashion industry and are the first to showcase a designer’s creation. I feel that size zero models get a lot of negative press and so do the fashion designers that use zero models in their shows and campaigns. I believe that size zero models should be on every catwalk in the world whether its Prada or Primark simply because you truly get a feel for a garment and you are able to see it in its true glory. I have very strong views on the size zero community within the fashion industry because they don’t get the true publicity that they deserve and in my opinion there is nothing wrong with being size zero or having size zero on the catwalk because at the end of the day â€Å"nothing tastes as good as skinny feels†! SQA Units D0JA11 Introduction to fashion DOJB11 Fashion Merchandising F57L11 – Media: An Introduction to the Media Industry D0XS12 Marketing Research Practice F3GB12 Communications FT8V12 – Branding: An Introduction

My Community Service Experience :: Volunteer Work, Service Learning

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." -- Maya Angelou This year, I had the opportunity to give back to the community in many ways. I volunteered at Helping Hands, Meals on Wheels, and the county Science Museum. These volunteering experiences further opened my eyes to the needs of my community and the many opportunities to serve by volunteering. Helping Hands has helped my family in the past. Several years ago my family was struggling with income and Helping Hands was generous enough to help us pay our electric bill. I chose to volunteer at Helping Hands because I wanted to give back to the program. At the time, it seemed like there was little value in sorting piles of toys but then the manager shared with me that many children would be very happy to receive these toys for Christmas. This one comment helped me to put it all into perspective. Volunteering isn’t about me; it is about playing an active in the community. Bringing joy to families who are suffering, giving hope to the hopeless. I also had the privilege of helping with the Meals on Wheels non profit organization. My grandfather used to be a Meals on Wheels recipient and he would share with me how he enjoyed looking forward to their company and a hot meal daily. I volunteered because I wanted to give back and help someone else’s loved one in the same way. It was very rewarding delivering hot meals to people who didn’t have the means of getting one as well as being there for them to talk to. Overall, it was a very humbling experience, it made me realize just how blessed I am and how much I take for granted daily. At the Science Museum I helped take inventory as well as help prepare for community services such as the Science Nights and Boy Scout and Girl Scout camp-ins. When I was young, I personally had the opportunity to participate in one of the Girl Scout camp-ins they hosted. I remember how the volunteers worked hard cooking our breakfast and helping with the activities. It was very rewarding to be on the giving end instead of the receiving end. The Science Nights, which are free to the public, are a good outreach to the young students in the community. These nights are a way of making education fun and exciting for the children.

Nature And Nurture Influences On Child Essay

When it comes to child development there are two major influences. These influences are nature which are traits we inherit and nurture which are the traits we learn. Nature and nurture are different in several ways but they both play an important role in child development. Although they both influence development the topic of which has the greatest influence in frequently debated. This paper will describe the relationship between nature and nurture, explain the biological, environmental, societal, and cultural influences on child development in relation to nature and nurture, and discuss whether nature or nurture has the most influence on child development. Nature and nurture are different in several ways but share one similarity which is the fact that they both have an influence on child development. Both of them play an important role in how children develop as well as the type of people they will grow up to be. In the video â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture in Child Development† Shirael Pollack states that children are born with some traits and characteristics while they learn others (Pollack, S. n. d. ). Nature is one(s) genes. The traits and characteristics that they inherit such as skin tone, eye color, and hair color. Nurture is what they are taught or what they learn from the people around them such as manners; learning to say â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you†. There are different influences on child development in relation to nature and nurture. These influences are biological, environmental, societal, and cultural. Nature is responsible for the biological influences. Biological influences are traits that are passed parents to their children. They include appearance, talents, and abilities, and also certain illnesses (Groark, C. , McCarthy, S. & Kirk, A. , 2014). Nurture is responsible for environmental influences. These are things that are in a child(s) environment that they are exposed to or experience. Nurture can also be NATURE AND NURTURE 3 responsible for cultural and societal influences on child development which can be instilled subtly through natural interactions with others. The cultural and societal influences can be direct and indirect impacts of culture, race, and ethnicity as well as the powerful effects of economics, gender roles, marriage, divorce, single parenthood, and religion (Groark, C. , McCarthy, S.& Kirk, A. , 2014). No matter what type of influence there is on child development it is either related to nature or nurture. Some people believe that nature and nurture are partners because of the fact that they both play a role in child development. However, theorists have different views about the two. Some theorists believe that nature is ultimately responsible for growth while other theorists believe that children become whatever their environment shapes them into (McDevitt, 2010). Regardless of what the different views of theorists are on the topic of nature versus nurture, the fact of the matter is that both of them play a role in how children develop and have some type of impact on what and how they will be when they grow up. Both nature and nurture play important roles in child development. Regardless of if one has more of an influence than the other, the fact is that they both impact how children develop. Truth of the matter is that they are different but share one important factor which is the fact that they help make children who they are. This paper described the relationship between nature and nurture, explained the biological, environmental, societal, and cultural influences on child development in relation to nature and nurture, and also discussed which of the two influences is more influential than the other. NATURE AND NURTURE 4 References Groark, C. , McCarthy, S. & Kirk, A. (2014). Early child development: From theory to practice. Bridgepoint Education: San Diego, CA. McDevitt, T. M. (2010). Nature and nurture: Retrieved from http://www. education. com/reference/article/nature-nurture/ Pollack, S. (n. d. ). Nature vs. nurture in child development [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. howcast. com/videos/513307-Nature-vs-Nurture-Child-Development.

Review of All the King’s Men

The nature of Jack Burden`s journey from the `arid land of facts` to the `dream sea of ideas` is what the story is all about. It goes on to spell whether the journey undertaken by the hero is indeed a spiritual one or an attempt at self-discovery.An attempt has been made to explore the roots of this journey through Modernism (the breakdown of philosophical/moral consensus about the nature of things, the turn toward myth) and Neo-Romanticism (the search for a new unifying principle amid the fragmentations of Modernity/Scientific Materialism), the role of Willie Stark, Ellis Burden, Judge Irwin, and the hero’s journey through the turmoil and pleasures of life.The story revolves around the relationship between the themes of Death and Rebirth which occur in Jack’s journey through incidences of tragedy and beyond. It ends on a note of positivism, when the hero, Jack Burden, transforms himself from being a pawn to his roots in ancestral lineage. Literature Review ‘All t he King's Men’, is the story of the rise and fall of Willie Stark, a political titan in the Deep South, who during the 1930s rose from hardscrabble poverty to become the governor of his state, and ultimately it’s most powerful political figure.The story goes on to say how Willie, the anti-hero blackmails and bullies his enemies into submission, and using his good office institutes a radical series of liberal reforms which are designed to tax the rich and ease the burden of the state's poor farmers. This leads to a conflict of personalities which includes the notable former governor, Sam MacMurfee, and other power mongers. Jack Burden, the scion of one of the state's aristocratic dynasties, turns his back on his genteel upbringing, against the wishes of his well-wishers, which includes the influential Judge Irwin.Throwing caution to wind, Jack joins Willie on his journey to stardom, earning him the name as, Willie’s right hand. Willie takes advantage of Jack†™s talent as a historical researcher to dig up the unpleasant secrets of his enemies, using this to blackmail and provocation. Cynical and lacking in ambition as he is, Jack walks away from many of his past interests; the dissertation of American History, and marriage to Anne Stanton, the daughter of a former governor of the state.The scene when Willie asks Jack to look for skeletons in the closet of Judge Irwin, Jack is forced to confront his ideas concerning consequence, responsibility, and motivation. He discovers that Judge Irwin had accepted a bribe, and that Governor Stanton, his would-be father-in-law, had covered it up, resulting in Judge Irwin's suicide. The story then turns to another interesting episode of Adam Stanton, Anne’s brother, taking up the directorship of a new hospital being built by Willie.The vicious turn of events leads Willie to Anne, who unsuspectingly has an affair leading to his ultimate murder. Jack, with nothing to gain returns, an empty man. In this we see, the death and rebirth of Jack through his tryst with destiny and forlorn countenance of Anne transform to one of exuberance. Willie's death at the hands of Adam, his loyal employee, jolts Jack to such an extent that he is left dumbfounded and brooding of the consequence of his future and a rethink of his belief.Jack returns to his senses and takes a major plunge towards society by accepting his long lost love, Anne Stanton, and pursues his passion of research . 3. 0 Analysis Jack’s journey from the ‘arid land of facts’ to the ‘dream sea of ideas’ can be best described as a journey towards truth which is emphasized when he says, ‘And all times are one time, and all those dead in the past never lived before our definition gives them life, and out of the shadow their eyes implore us. That is what all of us historical researchers believe. And we love truth. ’It may be seen that the principal characters in the novel Willie Sta rk, Judge Irwin, Anne Stanton though their personal lives have not been free from blemishes, they were in more than a way, corrupt. Starting with his association with Willie to the displeasure of his near and dear, the moment he learns of the affair of his first love Anne Stanton with Willie, and to the moment he learns of Judge Irwin’s suicide, Jack had never endured a sign of negativism in Willie’s actions. It is only when Jack’s mother reveals the true identity of his father, does Jack admonishes Willie for his deliberations, although not in public.This incident leads Jack through many a twist and turn in his endeavor to get to the bottom of Willie’s motives. The sequence of events that followed, leading to the untimely murder of Willie, inculcated a sense of disbelief, and revulsion in him. The trudge back to his roots exemplifies the struggle and worship of humanity in all its glory. Jack for all his wiles, was an ardent follower of his master. Willi e Stark, ‘the Boss’ gave the impression of a man on the move. Never, did he pause to gauge the consequences of his actions. This ultimately led to his doom.Willie Stark, though he had a humble beginning, rose to a position of wielding unbridled power in the process subjugating his opponents by brute force and of course putting to use the investigative skills of Jack. Judge Irwin, revered as a father figure by Jack, has not been in the good books of Willie, who instigates Jack to dig into the past activities of Irwin, protested vehemently by him. However, when the facts were unearthed, a shocked Jack and a bemused Willie confronted Judge Irwin. Judge Irwin was a man of honor. He was known to be a very straight man and never took the law into his hands.This revelation was too much for him to digest, and equally embarrassing, that he did what a man of his stature would have done, commit suicide. Strangely, for most part of the story, Jack believes that Ellis Burden, whom h e refers to as his Scholarly attorney, to be his father, where in fact, it is Judge Irwin who is the real biological father. Ironically, Jack gets to know this only after the suicide of Irwin, which Jack believes was because of his action. Jack’s aristocratic moorings unfortunately does not refrain him from joining hands with the immoral Willie Stark as we see in the story.Though Willie uses Jack as a formidable tool in his ascent to power, using Jack’s research skills to his greatest advantage of subjugating his opponents, was a crime most unsuspecting of such a character. Jack becomes a witness to Willie’s Machiavellian manipulations and misdeeds, albeit, unwittingly. However Jack’s shunning politics at the end of the story and his return to his earlier passion is a metaphor for Jack’s return to his roots, his history, and his American past. In fact, Jack’s research revolves around his study of the life of Cass Mastern, a man of high moral standards and a student at Transylvania College in Kentucky.Even the subject Jack takes up for his dissertation is a reminder to the readers of Jack’s search for the truth. ‘Is death the last sleep? No, it is the last and final awakening,’ said W. Scott, a stark reminder synonymous of the characters in this book; Judge Irwin’s suicide when he is confronted by Jack with facts about his acceptance of a bribe, and the killing of Willie Stark by Adam Stanton. While for the major part of the story Jack believed that the ‘Great Twitch’ denoted actions in life and not words or deeds.The awakening on that morning at home, brought Jack to retract his thoughts on life, and once again believed that men were responsible for their actions and deeds. This rethinking in a sense is responsible for Jack’s decision to marry Anne Stanton (a metaphor for rebirth) despite his knowledge of the fact that he she had an affair with Willie Stark. Reflecting phi losophically he says, ‘all the words we speak meant nothing and there was only the pulse in the blood and the twitch of the nerve, like a dead frog's leg in the experiment when the electric current goes through, a true reflection of Modernism.This can be, in a philosophical sense be equated to the death of Jack figuratively, since Anne was Jack’s first love, whom he loved more than anything else in the world. 4. 0 Conclusion In the ultimate analysis it may be inferred that Jack’s life has been a life of journey towards the truth, towards his roots and eventually his self-discovery. The main characters in the story play an important role in molding Jack’s character, the incidents in the lives of those characters enlightening the path Jack has taken to achieve his goal. 5. 0 Bibliography 1. 0 www. sparknotes. com/lit/kingsmen/summary. html

Essay on Fables journals

Essay on Fables journals Essay on Fables journals Journal entries 1.) The wind and the sun fable shows that Gentle persuasion meaning is stronger than force. Don't force, rather persuade with light. In the fable the warm sun proves to the cold wind that persuasion is better than force when it came to making the man to remove his coat. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring for example: a smile takes only a moment, but could change somebody's mood for the whole day. A few words of encouragement or reassurance can stay with a person and continue to help them to overcome difficulties for many years. 2.) A wolf in sheep’s clothing. The moral of the story is that appearance can be very deceptive. I learned that oftentimes, some things are not what they always appear to be, if you pretend to be what you are not. You will get caught. I can definitely relate to this part of the fable. I used to be friend with someone who I thought was the nicest, kind, and friendliest person turned out to actually be sneaky, mean, and jealous and was really out to harm me. I really wonder what make them act that way, especially when you haven’t done any wrong things to them. 3.) The dog in the manger. I thought that it was really selfish of the dog for not letting the Ox eat the food. The food was useless to him so why not share or at least give it to someone that’s in need of it. I never knew dogs were this even capable of doing such thing. I mean I see these kinds of act a lot the time but only by people. For example this afternoon while on my way back home. There was a driver on the

Focus vs. Locus

Focus vs. Locus Focus vs. Locus Focus vs. Locus By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between a focus and a locus is it all just hocus-pocus? and where does nexus fit in? The technical meaning of focus is â€Å"a point of convergence or divergence, or seeming divergence,† in terms of particles of matter. It also refers to adjustment for clear vision as well as the field of clear vision, and it has a geometrical definition of a fixed point. From the scientific sense have developed literal and figurative connotations of a point, center, or area of activity or occurrence, as well as direction, emphasis, perception, and understanding. The original plural spelling of the word, borrowed directly from Latin and meaning â€Å"hearth† (the area of premodern households that was the center of activity), is foci, but focuses is an alternative; the adjectival form is focal. Focus can be employed, depending on context, with or without a preceding article: â€Å"This plan lacks focus†; â€Å"His story doesn’t have a focus†; â€Å"That is the focus of the argument.† A locus, meanwhile (in Latin, the word means â€Å"place†), is a site or location. As is the case with focus, the sense can be figurative or literal. (Unlike focus, locus has only a Latin plural: loci.) The difference between focus and locus, then, is subtle. Both words can refer to a place where something happens, but the fine distinction is that the former denotes a center of attention and the latter refers to the location itself. A locus may become the focus, but the reverse is not true, because the site preceded the attention focused on it. Nexus, from the Latin word nectere, meaning â€Å"to bind† (the root term is also the basis of connect), can also mean â€Å"focus,† but it is better reserved for the senses of â€Å"connection† or â€Å"link,† or of a connected group or series. And what of other related – or seemingly related – terms? An axis is a geometrical or physical or figurative line, or a vertebra or a stem. It can also be somewhat synonymous with the terms defined above, relating to a point or a spectrum, or, as in the manner in which it was used in World War II to refer to the alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan, a partnership. (The Latin word refers to a line or an axle; the plural in both Latin and English is axes.) A cynosure is a guide or a center of attention. (The word is from Greek by way of Latin and means, literally, â€Å"dog’s tail†; it refers to the constellation Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear.) An omphalos (the word is Greek for â€Å"navel†) is a focal point or a hub, and a hub (perhaps a variant of hob, a word for a shelf on a hearth) is a center of activity, either on a large scale or at the center of a wheel. An epicenter is, in figurative usage, a center of activity; the original meaning is the point on Earth’s surface above an earthquake’s point of focus. Now, how about that hocus-pocus? It evidently originated with itinerant performers who incorporated mock-Latin incantations into their magic or juggling acts to impress gullible onlookers, who associated the classical language with learned scholars and ancient mysteries. It is likely a corruption of the blessing â€Å"Hoc est corpus meum,† meaning â€Å"This is my body.† Hokey-pokey is probably a further variant, but neither it nor hocus-pocus has any focus, locus, or nexus. 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:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesWhat is Dative Case?Sentence Adverbs

Literary Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literary Exercise - Assignment Example Here is the message that goes in favor of internet advertising. â€Å"The idea is based on consumers themselves taking the initiative by showing up voluntarily and interacting with what they find online.†(Internet†¦) This is an important gain and the seller has won the first round of the exercise, by arresting the considered attention of the customer. Online advertising is helpful to create a brand and to sustain the merits of the branded products. Quality of the product and the performance- based market go to solidify the foundation of the branded products. Not all products are suitable for online advertising. Some products like mortgages, cars etc. can exclusively sell through online marketing as the individual intent on purchasing will make the detailed shopping search through a search engine to judge the merits of several competing products. With online advertising and marketing one develops the type of intimacy which is not possible through the exposure in the established mass media. In the former case, the connection is more personal and in the latter case it is impersonal. Mere presence of online advertisements and messages leaves an imprint in the minds of the customers and the companies get better returns on their advertising budgets as compared to print and electronic media. Louisa Ha (2008) in article, â€Å"Online Advertising Research in Advertising Journals: A Review,† writes, â€Å"†¦. [suggests) five advantages of online advertising: 1) Awareness efficiency 2) easy to locate, 3) contact efficiency 4) conversion efficiency and 5) retention efficiency. Advertising influences sales in a peculiar style as the relationship between advertisements and revenues is a two-way traffic. The companies decide their budget on the basis of a fixed percentage of sales, which means, the more is the willingness of the company to spend on advertisement, when