The Connotation of Opportunistic

The Connotation of Opportunistic The Connotation of Opportunistic The Connotation of Opportunistic By Maeve Maddox Thanks to reader Rob Wright for pointing out the problematic use of the word opportunistic. He offers two examples of its misuse: 1. A radio advertisement telling listeners, â€Å"now is an opportunistic time to invest in real estate.† 2. A television host defending someone against the charge of â€Å"being opportunistic.† The host argued, â€Å"everyone should be opportunistic because it would be stupid to throw away opportunities.† The problem in both examples is that the word opportunistic is being used without regard to the word’s established negative connotations. opportunistic: Taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit. (American Heritage) opportunistic: Exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle or consequences. (Merriam-Webster) The OED defines opportunistic as â€Å"involving, displaying, or characterized by opportunism.† and opportunism as â€Å"the practice or policy of exploiting circumstances or opportunities to gain immediate advantage with the implication of cynicism or lack of regard to principles.† This misunderstanding of the negative connotation of opportunistic is apparently widespread. An investing site has as its tagline: â€Å"Emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments.† A wrestler preparing for a match says, â€Å"I dont want to think too much in there. I want to be more opportunistic and let it flow.† A headline on another investment site exclaims, â€Å"The Intel of NFC: One ‘Ground Floor’ Stock Every Opportunistic Investor Should Snap Up Today.† Other sites, many of them having to do with antisocial behavior, employ opportunistic in its more usual sense. Bullieslack self-discipline, are egotistic, exploitative,  rapacious, opportunistic, driven, reckless, and callous. (site with the title, â€Å"Coping with Stalking and Stalkers†) Narcissists are opportunistic. They can make a show of being generous but their generosity usually has strings attached. (Support site for people who have family members suffering from a personality disorder.) Several English words having to do with opportunity derive from the same Latin source as opportunistic: ob portum veniens, a term that referred to coming into a port, where opportunities for profit were to be found. opportune: adj.  Appropriate or suitable for a particular action; fit, convenient. opportuneness: noun The fact or quality of being opportune (in various senses); timeliness. opportunely: adv. In an opportune manner; suitably, conveniently. These words lack the pejorative connotation of opportunistic. For example, the radio announcer might have said â€Å"now is an opportune time to invest in real estate.† The television host might reasonably admire people for acting opportunely when a profitable occasion presents itself. 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:12 Greek Words You Should KnowA While vs AwhileOne Scissor?

GED Study Guide for Chemistry

GED Study Guide for Chemistry The GED, or General Education Development Test, is taken in the U.S. or Canada to demonstrate proficiency in high school-level academic skills. The exam most commonly is taken by people who did not complete high school or receive a high school diploma. Passing the GED grants a General Equivalency Diploma (also called a GED). One section of the GED covers science, including chemistry. The test is multiple choice, drawing on concepts from the following areas: The Structure of MatterThe Chemistry of LifeProperties of MatterChemical Reactions The Structure of Matter All substances consist of  matter.  Matter  is anything which has mass and takes up space. Some important concepts to remember about  matter  are: Matter  is made up of one or more of over 92 naturally-occurring  elements.Each  element  is a pure substance, made up of only one type of  atom.An  atom  consists of three types of particles:  protons,  neutrons, and  electrons. An atom does not need to have all three particles, but will always contain at least protons.Electrons  are  negatively charged  particles,  protons  have a positive charge, and  neutrons  do not have an electrical charge.An atom has an inner core called a  nucleus, which is where the protons and neutrons are located. The electrons orbit around the outside of the nucleus.Two main forces hold atoms together. The  electric force  holds the electrons in orbit around the nucleus. Opposite charges attract, so the electrons are drawn to the protons in the nucleus. The  nuclear force  holds the protons and neutrons together within the nucleus. The Periodic Table The  periodic table  is a chart which organizes the chemical elements. The elements are categorized according to the following attributes: Atomic Number  - number of protons in the nucleusAtomic Mass  - sum of the number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleusGroup  - columns or multiple columns in the periodic table. Elements in a group share similar chemical and physical properties.Period  - rows from left to right in the period table. Elements in a period have the same number of energy shells. Matter can exist in the form of a pure element, but combinations of elements are more common. Molecule  - a molecule is a combination of two or more atoms (could be  from  the same or different elements, such as H2  or H2O)Compound  - a compound is a combination of two or more  chemically-bonded  elements. Generally, compounds are considered to be a subclass of molecules (some people will argue they are determined by the types of chemical bonds). A  chemical formula  is a shorthand way of showing the elements contained in a molecule/compound and their ratio. For example, H2O, the chemical formula for water, shows that two atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom of oxygen to form a molecule of water. Chemical bonds hold atoms together. Ionic Bond  - formed when  an electron transfers  from one atom to anotherCovalent Bond  - formed when two atoms share one or more electrons The Chemistry of Life Life on earth depends on the chemical element  carbon, which is present in every living thing. Carbon is so important, it forms the basis for two branches of chemistry, organic  chemistry  and biochemistry. The GED will expect you to be familiar with the following terms: Hydrocarbons  - molecules that only contain the elements carbon and hydrogen (e.g., CH4  is a hydrocarbon while CO2  is not)Organic  - refers to the chemistry of living things, all of which contain the element carbonOrganic Chemistry  - study of the chemistry of carbon compounds involved in life (so, studying diamond, which is a crystalline form of carbon, isnt included in organic chemistry, but studying how methane is produced is covered by organic chemistry)Organic Molecules  - molecules that have carbon atoms linked together in a straight line (carbon chain) or in a circular ring (carbon ring)Polymer  - hydrocarbons which have chained together Properties of Matter Phases of Matter Each phase of matter has its own chemical and physical properties. The phases of matter you need to know are: Solid  - a solid has a definite shape and volumeLiquid  - a liquid has a definite  volume  but can change shapeGas  - the shape and volume of a gas can change Phase Changes These phases of matter can change from one to another. Remember the definitions of the following phase changes: Melting  - melting occurs when a substance changes from a solid to a liquidBoiling  - boiling is when a substance changes from a liquid to a gasCondensing  - condensation is when  a gas changes  to a liquidFreezing  - freezing is when  a liquid changes  to a solid Physical Chemical Changes The changes that take place in substances may be categorized  in  two classes: Physical Change  - does not produce a new substance (e.g., phase changes, crushing a can)Chemical Change  - produces a new substance (e.g., burning, rusting, photosynthesis) Solutions A solution results from combining two or more substances. Making a solution can produce either a physical or chemical change. You can tell them apart this way: The original substances can be separated from one another if the solution produces only a physical change.The original substances cannot be separated from one another if a chemical change took place. Chemical Reactions A  chemical reaction  is  the process  that occurs when two or more substances combine to produce a chemical change. The important terms to remember are: chemical equation  -  name  was given  to the shorthand used to describe the steps of a chemical reactionreactants  - the starting materials for a chemical reaction; the substances that combine in the reactionproducts  - the substances that are formed as a result of a chemical reactionchemical reaction rate  - the speed at which a chemical reaction occursactivation energy  - the external energy that has to be added in order for a chemical reaction to  occurcatalyst  - a substance that helps a chemical reaction to occur (lowers the activation energy), but does not participate in the reaction itselfLaw of Conservation of Mass  - this Law states that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. The number of reactant atoms of a chemical reaction will be the same as the number of product atoms.

The Reasons for the Travelers' Discontent with the Service Quality in Case Study

The Reasons for the Travelers' Discontent with the Service Quality in Flight - Case Study Example In this paper, we will look at the major problems faced by customers and come with ways to overcome them in the light of HR. We will make a human resource strategy plan which these airlines should apply for their proper management.The world of the airline business is increasing rapidly. The customers demand and expectations of people from airlines are increasing. But the only focus of airlines these days is to increase their market share, and in this bid, they tend to neglect many other issues which impact customer satisfaction. According to HR, it’s a duty of every company to provide good and satisfactory services to customers. This service doesn’t only promote the business but also makes a loyal customer of the company.Today’s customers aren’t very happy and content with the services provided by airlines. And most of these issues are related to customer services which eventually come under the human resource department. The ironic thing is that where tod ay’s business world is paying a lot of importance and priority to a human resource, many companies are only focused to make profits.Some of the common issues faced by customers these days by airlines are as following:- Unfriendly services and behavior towards customers in flight;Â   - Security measures are taken in a way that causes difficulties to passengers;Â   - Staffs of airline services are unfriendly and impolite; - Biased treatment to customers on the basis of class that they are traveling;Â   Â  -Unscheduled transit flights; - Slow action towards customers problem; - Unhelpful and hostile behavior towards customer demands and inquires.

QUIZ QUESTION AND ANSWERS Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

QUIZ QUESTION AND ANSWERS - Outline Example ose of a sampling frame, which is to provide a method of selecting the particular individuals of a target population that will be subjected under interviews via the use of questionnaires. Before choosing this sample frame, one has to define the relationship between target population and the selected unit, since this unit is the one which determines the frame. A good sampling frame must have the following qualities. It should be accurate, complete and up-to-date. How well these properties relate to a target frame, will determine whether or not the sample frame is of good quality. Accuracy refers to a situation whereby an individual in a target population is incorporated just once. On the other hand, completeness refers to a situation whereby each and every individual of a target population is included in the sampling frame. Lastly, the quality up-to-date refers to a situation whereby the sample frame has to be current and not obsolete for it to be valid. Validity with respect to social research refers to the degree to which the set measures indicate what they had initially proposed to measure (KOTHARI, 2005). It can also be defined as the equivalence between the operational definition and the theoretical definition. For validity measurement, one has to first measure the reliability of that data. By contrast, reliability in social research refers to a situation whereby the same set of results is obtained irrespective of the time or place of survey, so long as the phenomenon being measured remains constant. Hence reliability focuses mainly on the consistency of the data taken from the target population. An in-depth interview refers to a dialogue between a trained interviewer and an interviewee, with the aim of exploring the interviewee’s feelings, views, behavior, experiences and perspectives. Some important characteristics of an in-depth interview include; open-ended questions, conversational, recording responses, recording observations, recording reflections an

A Comedy Without Substance by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

A Comedy Without Substance by William Shakespeare Essay Old and new comedy both appear during the play, they are only produced for entertainment purposes.Old comedy usually sees a plot with a problem to overcome. This is attempted with a absurd plan, often leading to satire and buffoonery.These key features of old comedy are shown when Hero has to fake her death in order for Claudio to marry her and dogberry and verges court case to gain respect and honour.New Comedy is also visible in the play, it ischaracterised by young man chasing a young woman, the protagonist has to overcome social difficulties in order to succeed in pursuit and eventually ends with restoration. Claudio and Hero are clear examples of old comedy, however Benidick and Beatrice don’t fit into this typical mold but are key romantics. The defective Exchange is a conversation which breeches usual rules of conversation (Grice’s Maxims) which are:1.Be truthful 2. Be concise. 3. be clear. 4. be relevant. In Much Ado About Nothing, this is reflected through those who are out of step or disagree with society.Dogberry and his companions of the middle-class are key characters of this. The use of breeching Grices Maxims in Much ado about nothing cause the play to become a comedy without substance.Dogberry breaks the maxims by not being relevant as he says â€Å"Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this†Shakespeares character Dogberry says redemption instead of damnation, this is a malapropism.The fact that he means precisely the opposite of what he so passionately exclaims makes this a comical use of irony.This technique specifically used here potrays this play to be a comedy without substance as this does not at all having any meaning behind it. However Grice Maxims are also broken by Benidick and Beatrice, â€Å"Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher† â€Å"A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours† â€Å"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i Gods name; I have done.† â€Å"You always end with a jades trick: I know you of old†. Shakespeare uses Bendic k and Beatrices merry war for the audience to percieve the characters true feelings for one another, despite the characters not knowing so creating dramatic comedy. They are breaking the Grice Maxim of be truthful. Shakespeare covers these characters true feelings and mixes between good and bad roles of characters. Therefore this shows Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as Shakespeare explores the geography of human soul. Shakespeare uses comic pairing to create comedy from their dialogue and interaction. Much ado about nothing therefore here is represented as only for entertainment so is a comedy without substance.Dogberry and his companions enter the play at a moment of high drama. â€Å"Come hither, neighbour Seacoal. God hath blessd you with a good name. To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, butto write and read comes by nature† â€Å"Both which, Master Constable â€Å"You have. I knew it would be your answer. Well, for yourfavour, sir, why, give God thanks and make no boast of it; andfor your writing and reading, let that appear when there is no need of such vanity† Dogberry messes his words through out all of his lines.He mistakes writing and reading as a sign of vanity which allows the audience to get a glimpse of exactly how Dogberry views the world. To him, being a learned man is a good way to show off how refined you are. He attempts to use a wide range of speech to convince everyone that’s he’s a gentleman, even though he doesn’t really have a grasp of the vocabulary he employs, he is trying to decieve those of upper class. This is purely for laughs and entertainment without any kind of meaning behind it, therefore proving the play is a comedy without substance. However the Beatrice and Benidck are comically paired by Shakespeare to create comedy, however this shows Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as there is a key message behind this pairing.â€Å"Why, then your uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio Have been deceived; for they swore you did† â€Å"Do not you love me?† â€Å"Troth, no; no more than reason. â€Å"Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula.Are much deceivd; for they did swear you did†Ã¢â‚¬Å"They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me† Shakespeare potrays Benedick and Beatrice as having a view that everyone around them i s deceived about their love for each other, but they’re only fooling themselves.Here Shakespeare expresses that despite Bendick and Beatrices clear intelligence and wit, they themselves are unable to show their true feelings. This shows the play is a comedy with substance. Their clever wit is used to decive eachother, however this produces dramatic irony as the audience know this is not the case.â€Å"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good acontinuer. But keep your way, a Gods name! I have done† â€Å"You always end with a jades trick. I know you of old†.Shakespeare uses the two characters language as weapons, but they never seem to be able to end or resolve their fights. Benedick backs out first, this creates a comedy with substance as women in the Victorian times were supposed to be seen and not heard. Shakespeare uses characters so the audience to laughing with and laughing at them.The audience laughs openly at Dogberry and the townsmen whereas they do not laugh outright at the people of the court, except in the case of Beatrice and Benedick and the way they are deceived and deceive themselves which suggests more respect is given for the higher class. This shows it is a comedy with substance as it is shown here the difference in which classes are taken as.Dogberry, a watchman is comical relief for the comedy itself. He is memorable in that he constantly uses malapropisms, or incorrect uses of words, in his dialogue. Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter-an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt. Shakespeare uses malapropism here, instead of sharp he says blunt, this creates dramatic comedy as we are laughing at Dogberrys dialogue mistakes. This is only seen in the lower class characters. Despite Dogberry sussing out Don John he is still considered to be the almost clown of the play.Another low class character is Margret,, in contrast with Dogberry she is not trying to gain higher respect, she has no respect for herself..â€Å"Of what, lady? of speaking honorably?† Whilst talking to Hero while she is having doubts she mentions the word honourable this creates dramatic irony since the plot is about to turn into a question of honourbaility due to Margrets actions.This part of the play is purely for entertainment for the build up to the plot so therefore Much Ado about nothing is a comedy without substance. Shakespeare uses the upper class to allow the audience to laugh with them. These characters are better educated and have more wit. Beatrice is one of these characters â€Å"I had rather hear my dog bark0` at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.† This creates dramatic comedy as men usually have that attitude towards love and women. Shakespeare uses Beatrice to portray a dominant,powerful woman who can fight her own battles compared to the steretypical woman role.This is purely just for entertainment to create comedy.However Bendick despite his higher education reads into things too much and is tricked into thinking Beatrice likes him which causes collusion â€Å"Ha! Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.Theres a double meaning in that. I took no more pains for thosethanks than you took pains to thank me. Thats as much as to say, Any pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture† Benedick convinces himself that there†™s underlying romantic meaning in Beatrice’s words, even when that’s obviously not the case. Love has the power to make us see what we want in conversation. Exclusion is taking place here as Shakespeare shows even higher classes are fooled and mistaken therefore,substance is clear as it shows there is not much difference between the two classes. Shakespeare uses trickery to make Much Ado about Nothing a comedy. Comedy has a substance here as it shows it does not expose evil just a lack of awareness.Hero tricked by Don Pedro as he is wooing Hero for Claudio.Tis once, thou lovest,And I will fit thee with the remedy.I know we shall have revelling to-night.I will assume thy part in some disguise and tell fair Hero I am Claudio,And in her bosom Ill unclasp my heartAnd take her hearing prisoner with the forceAnd strong encounter of my amorous tale†.Don Pedro here manipulates gullible and innocent Hero into falling in love with Claudio. It’s shady that Don Pedro will get Hero to fall in love with his words, thinking they’re Claudio’s words. Claudio and Don Pedro don’t care if they manipulate Hero under falseness,as they’ve only got their eyes on the prize of winning her even if she is deceived into being won by a guy she doesn’t know and has never spoken to. Trickery creates substance as it potrays Shakspeares as evil being seen as a lack of awareness. Beatrice and Bendick are also tricked into loving eachother.Shakespeare creates this for the audience to laugh at their naivety and foolishness despite their typical wit.Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy with substance as the message behind this specific plot is anyone can be decieved and fooled since the wittiest and intelligent of characters get fooled. Don Pedro expresses this.â€Å"Benedick that, in despite of his quick wit and his queasy stomach, he shall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this,Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are†Don Pedro and Claudio create deception, but rather than tricking him into loving Beatrice, they are manipulating Benedick into making his own decision. Don Pedro also refers to them as being cupid despite lies and deciet taking place. This play is a comedy with substance as Shakespeare shows even the higher archery of society lie and deciet. Shakespeare critises marriage during the play through using the characters, yet the plot finishes its destination at the moment of resoultion where all is solved by marriage. This shows Much Ado about nothing is a play made purely for entertainment purposes with no substance.

Misconceptions of African American life Essay -- essays papers

Misconceptions of African American life â€Å"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his "proper place" and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.† This quote, spoken true by a prominent African American scholar of the 20th century, Carson Woodson, is aimed at shedding light on the inherent miseducation of African Americans. His beliefs that controlling one’s thinking with such a powerful grasp that allows little or no movement will lead to that individual behaving as he is expected is a very justifiable point. If time and time again, one is told to do certain things or believe certain things as â€Å"right†, then with constant repetition and enforcement, widespread belief and acceptance of this idea or practice will become the norm. A people that is consistently taught or treated a certain way may at some point begin to accept it â€Å"right.† However, in many cases what may be deemed â€Å"right† by some is not necessarily the â€Å"right† thing to do. This theory can not be any more prominent than in the case of African Americans, who have long endured hundreds of years of discriminator y practices based solely upon their race and origins. Dating back to the days of slavery, these are a people that out of prejudice, out of expectations, out of fear, have often come to view the white man’s way as the â€Å"right† way either by choice or by having no other choice. In the process, however, their very own culture, beauty, beliefs, traditions, etc., often get trampled upon or even forgotten as they either struggle to keep up or struggle to stay up. More then not, though, this â€Å"brainwashing† of sorts results in a â€Å"miseducation† of the African-American people that often leads to widespread misunderstandings about them. These misunderstandings can then lead to various forms of stereotypes aimed against African-Americans by whites or other non African Americans picked up along the way due to incomplete knowledge about their history which inherently also hurt those making these false assumptions. Times are changing, however, and wit h these evolutionary years comes a greater sense of struggle to understand. ... ...African Americans by white Americans must be thoroughly examined from both sides as they are equally deep-rooted among each group. In addition, I personally feel that with more and more of these investigations of the miseducation of the races can lead to a better understanding of each. It is not just the fact of the acknowledging the existence of miseducation that will help people to understand African Americans better and more realistically. It is up to both whites and blacks alike to make conscious efforts to ignore stereotypes and seek only truths in answering questions about the races. If the problem of miseducation is not properly addressed equally by all sides, the problem can never be fully understood or solved. Miseducation benefits no one. It harms all involved by spreading unsubstantiated opinions for norms or forcing actions based upon fear and ill will. Truth is hidden, and innocent people get hurt or mislead in the process. It is up to today’s younger g enerations of American citizens to wake up, realize the vast racial miseducation that currently exists, and start treating others with the dignity and respect earned automatically in their being born human beings.

Abortion is too easy †Do you agree? Essay

There seems to be a common attitude shared even by some abortion rights supporters that abortions shouldn’t be too easy to obtain. People apparently feel that if abortions are easy to get, then they would be â€Å"abused† — as if women can’t be trusted to use abortion â€Å"correctly† or as if the meaning of pregnancy would be diminished. But can you imagine the outcry if people were told that they have a right to vote (arguably of equal importance to the decision to have an abortion), but that voting shouldn’t be â€Å"too easy† and that they have to go through several hoops to cast their vote? Aren’t efforts to make abortions more difficult to obtain a direct attack on the poor and working classes who can least afford to devote the time and money being demanded while technically and formally keeping abortion â€Å"legal†? Abortions will always occur because the situation will always arise where someone has an unwanted pregnancy. Therefore if abortions were illegal or even more difficult to obtain, people might have to resort to having an abortion carried out on the ‘black market’. Such a procedure might be carried out in unfit conditions by someone unqualified to do the job. The fact that it is legal in the UK means at least that it can be regulated and you can be sure that it is carried out safely, the same reason why prostitution is legal in America. Although Christian teaching on abortion is not simple, generally Christian’s belief in the sanctity of life means that they have serious concerns about abortion, therefore for the most part think that it should not be legal at all. Christian’s will always have a problem with abortion, however hard to obtain they are. For this reason making abortions more difficult to obtain would simply have the result of further infringing of the rights of women over their body and still would not appease the strict Christians. However abortion is still murder of an innocent human being who has done nothing wrong and who cannot defend him or herself. Abortion can simply be a selfish act because their child is an inconvenience and it is simply a â€Å"get out of jail free card†. Moreover, it is a traditional Christian belief that abortion is wrong and in the Didache it states that you should â€Å"not kill the foetus in the mother’s womb†. Also every person is sacred as God made us in his image and likeness and therefore it is wrong to destroy what is like God. As Mother Teresa said, â€Å"If a mother can kill her own child, what is there to stop you and me from killing each other†. Although abortion is unpleasant, it is necessary and it is a woman’s right to decide what happens inside her body. We know longer live in a time governed by religion and therefore I do not think religions have the right to change the laws on abortions. For these reasons, I don’t think that abortion is too easy.

Development and use of explosives over the past century

The history of explosives and propellants, also known generally as ‘energetic materials’ began with the material known as gunpowder or black powder, whether the intended use was for civil applications such as rock blasting, military uses in demolition, shell filling (bursting charges) and construction projects, or military and civilian propellant charges for short guns, pistols, rifles or artillery. The individual inventor of black powder will undoubtedly forever remain unknown, but numerous writers such as Drinker (1878), Munroe (1888), Marshall (1915), and Davis (1941, 1943), described what is known about its development and evolution.Until the discovery of nitrated explosive compounds such as nitrocellulose by schonbein and Bottger (independently of one another) and nitroglycerin by Sobrero (all occurring in 1846), the only explosive available for any purpose was black powder. 1) Solid (particulate) propellants; 2) Military explosives; 3) Commercial explosives. Propel lants Propellants may be granular, solid, or liquid. The primary focus was on granular (particulate) material since they are the most commonly encountered by the forensic chemist.Solid propellants are deflagrating materials designed to accelerate a projectile from its position of rest at the breech of a weapon to its full velocity as it exits the tube or barrel. In the ideal (and designed for case), the complete consumption of the propellant and the exit of projectile occurs at the same instant. Propellant gains are thus chemically formulated and physically designed to achieve this end. The gains burn particle to particle at speeds below the speed of sound in the material: this defined the word ‘deflagrating’. Historically such materials have been termed progressive powders.In addition to burning particle- to- particle burns from its free surface inward or, in the case of perforated grains, also from the free surface outward. This characteristic enables the propellant d esigner to size and configure the grains or particles to be totally consumed at the optimum instant. Propellant gains may be found in multitude of shapes and sizes, as might be expected given the varieties of weapons and desired pressures and projectile velocities. Black powder Black powder is the mixture of three components, generally (and originally) charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate.These are typically in the ratio of 15:10:75. Many variations to that ratio have been used: Cundill (1889) lists over 20 varieties, many with sub –varieties. Most of the differences, however, are insignificant. The one major development in the past 100 years is the use of sodium nitrate in some black powder grades. Black powder has an inherent drawback as a military propellant due to the fact that it produces a solid reaction product. Because of this, a dense black cloud is produced upon firing weapon is readily apparent, and after a number of rounds are fired the volume of battlefield sm oke leads to confusion and general chaos.For this reason the development of the ‘smokeless’ propellant charge was an objective of every governments weapons laboratory. Upon the discovery of the nitration reaction this research intensified. Smokeless powder The early history of the nitrated carbohydrates, which includes the 1833 discovery of nitro-starch (called xyloidine by its discoverer, Braconnot) and guncotton, called pyroxyline or pyroxyle be the chemist Pelouze, is thoroughly covered by Devis (1941).Guncotton, nitrocellulose of high nitrogen content (13. 35% to 13. 45%), was the first nitrated material to be tried as a replacement for black powder, but it was too prone to accidents. However its military use continued after it was found that the newly –invented mercury fulminate blasting cap would cause compressed guncotton to detonate, leading to its application as a demolition charge and shell filling. Its use was rather short lived, however due to the int roduction of picric acid.Research was continued on nitrocellulose of lower nitrogen content as a propellant material, and the first good smokeless riffle powder was produced by Vielle in 1886, for the French Government. This was nitrocellulose with either alcohol, kneaded in bread making type machine, rolled out into thin sheets, and then cut into small squares and dried (Military Explosives, 1924). This was a ‘single base’ smokeless powder (nitrocellulose only). In 1888 Nobel invented a powder called Ballistite, which was a low nitrated nitrocotton gelatinized with nitroglycerin: which came to be known as; double base’ powder.In the same year Cordite (given that name because it was extruded in the form of cord or ribbon), a mixture of high nitrated guncotton, nitroglycerine, and Vaseline, gelatinized by means if acetone was developed by an English Committee. (Marshall, 1915) Later ‘triple base’ smokeless powder were developed, containing nitro guani dine in addition to the nitrocotton and nitroglycerin of typical double base powders. Triple base powders were cooler-burning than the single or double base materials and use was mainly restricted to large caliber weapons.Developments in smokeless powder since those early days had been primarily to improve stability, decrease the erosion of the barrel of the weapon, control pressures, decrease smoke output (‘smokeless’ powders are smokeless in comparison to black powder, but still produce visible smoke), and to decrease the muzzle flash from a firing weapon. The geometry of powders may include flakes, tubes, cylinders, sticks, flattened balls, or spheres. Military Explosives As black powder was the first propellant, so it was the first military explosive too.It was used for shell filling, demolition, and military construction projects from the earliest times up until the invention of nitroglycerin. Military explosives as discussed here are those used as the shell filing or ‘bursting charge’ in artillery round and those explosives used for demolition charges. Military construction projects typically use commercial-type explosives, except in field-expedient situations. The brief use of guncotton as a military explosive was noted above. Trinitrotoluene (TNT)During and after World War I the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT, C7H5N3O6) became the dominant shell filling and demolition charge material. TNT has the advantage of being very easy to cast, since it has a wide spread between its melting and decomposition temperatures. One disadvantage is its extreme insensitivity. In the order to conserve TNT for small caliber shells in World War I, a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate (‘amatol’) was developed. It was specified for use only in shell of $. 7-inch to 9. 2-inch diameter (Crowell, 1919) but in actual practice it was used in all sizes.For the same reason of conserving TNT, nitro starch explosives were used very successfully in that war for hand grenades and trench mortar shells (Williams, 1920). Tetryl Tetryl (2, 4, 6-trinitrophenyllmethylnitramine, N-2, 4, 6-tetra-nitro-N-methyl aniline, or picrylmethyl nitramine) was used in military boosters, but has generally been replaced by materials such as RDX and HMX. The ‘tetrytols’ are mixtures of tetryl and TNT, which were utilized in boosters, demolition charges, shells, and shaped charges. The TNT generally ranged from 20 to 35 percent of the mixture.An advantage of tetrytol is that it allows the casting of the explosive into munitions rather than requiring pressing. It is also more powerful than TNT, but not as sensitive as tetryl alone. RDX and HMX Between the world Wars a number of explosives were developed, and after the start of the second war a vast amount of explosives research took place. One of the most important and useful military explosive is RDX (an acronym for ‘Research Department Explosive’), which was discovered i n 1899, but not used until World War II.It is also called cyclonite, hexagen, and cyclo-trimethylenetrinitramine. HMX was another explosive used for military applications during and after World War II. The initials are said to stand for â€Å"High Melting Explosive’, although other sources for the acronym are sometimes cited. It is also called cyclo-tetramethylenetetranitramine or octogen. (Beveridge 1-4) Blasting and Use of Explosives Only authorized persons can handle and use explosives. No person using explosives is allowed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.Nothing which could be an ignition source, such as matches, open flames, or smokers, is to be around explosives. Accountability is required to assure that explosives are under the care of a qualified person. All blasting aboveground is done between sunup and sundown and, when blasting is done, blasters are to take special precaution near public utilities, around transportation conveyances, and near public a reas to assure safety and mitigate any damage. Care must be taken to assure that accidental premature ignition does not occur from stray electrical sources or radio transmitters.The blaster is to be considered a competent person in the use and care of explosives, and have experience with the type of blasting methods being used. The transportation of explosive and blasting materials must conform to the department of Transportation regulatory provisions. Drivers of trucks containing explosives and blasting equipment must be licensed and should be in good physical and mental condition. No blasting materials are to be transported with other cargo and blasting caps are not to be transported in the same vehicle as other explosives.These vehicles should be marked with a placard signifying â€Å"Explosives† and have a fully charged fire extinguisher. (Reese, Edison 648) Different uses of an Explosive Blasting is extremely important both to mining and the world economy. The saying is often used, â€Å"If it can’t be grown it has to be mined,† however if the ground is too hard to be mechanically mined economically, it has to be blasted. Certainly many materials, such as iron, copper and concrete to name but a few would be significantly more expensive if it weren’t for explosives and our ability to easily drill holes to use these explosives efficiently.Shock wave compression technology is not only a means of extremely high-pressure generation, but also a means of extremely high-temperature production in solids. When dynamite shock load is applied to solids by means of explosive and high-speed impact, the shock pressure and the shock temperature generated depend on the shock load and the density of the solid. Between 1985 and early 1991, there were 182 incendiary or explosive devices planted in Great Britain by animal-rights activists.This number accounted for approximately 50 percent of all explosive devices planted in all of Great Britain, ma king it numerically a larger problem in Great Britain than incidents attributed to the provisional Irish Republican Army. However, the majority of these devices were far less sophisticated and far less dangerous than the PIRA devices. In 1980 in Great Britain, the first use of high explosives by animal-rights terrorists took place. These acts appear to have been perpetrates by a small group, which had obtained a high explosive used both in military operations and in commercial applications, such as quarries.First it was used against the staff restaurant at Bristol University, where a 5-puound bomb was set off about midnight, wrecking about two floors of the building. More recently in 1990, the same explosive was used presumably by the same group in two car bobs. In one case, a passing infant was severely wounded. Conclusion During the past centuries, it has been proved that there is a beginning international acknowledgement of the future need for demolition of plants and buildings. There is also evidence of an increasing interest in demolition techniques and the re-use of building materials.There are literally hundreds of different types of explosives, varying from black powder used in pipe bombs (still a favorite of domestic bombers), to dynamite sticks, and from blocks of TNT to plastic explosives that can be molded into diverse forms, including thin sheets. A dozen or so of the most notable explosives are used by the terrorists. Of particular note are the explosives RDX and PETN which, together with plastic and other fillers, compose many plastic explosives such as Detasheet and SEMTEX.Explosives are mostly harmful (destructive) but on the other hand in many cases they are useful (constructive) too. Doctors, Engineers use explosives in a constructive way while at the same time criminals and terrorists use explosive in the destructive way. There are many uses of explosives such as Mining, Pyrotechnics, Building Demolition and even Construction. Explosives ar e also used in Carve Mount Rushmore, Avalanches and are used in backcountry for Trail Maintenance. Explosive are used in Medicines to break-up kidney-stones. Works cited Beveridge, Alexander. Forensic Investigation of Explosions. New York: CRC Press, 1998. 1,2,3,4 Kasai, Yoshio. Kenkyuio, Kenchiku, Kensetsusho. (Japan), Nihon Daigaku. Demolition and Reuse of Concrete and Masonry: Proceedings of the Second†¦.New York: Taylor & Francis, 1998. 49 Technology against terrorism: the federal effort, US: DIANE Publishing, (1992) Reese, D. Charles. Eidson, V. James. Handbook of OSHA Construction Safety and Health New York: CRC Press, 2006. 648

renaissance essays

renaissance essays The Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation were two very important events in European history. They are a vital part of the Renaissance. They signify the point at which the power of the church dimineshes and the power of the monarchs increases. The Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther. Martin Luther had once been a monk for the Church, but, after leanring about the way indulgences were practiced in the Church (particularly practiced by Tetzel), he wrote 95 statements about indulgences and posted them at a local church. He had assumed that the Church would accept these statements. Unfortunatly for the Church, the statements were not accepted. By not accepting Luther's teachings, the Church had inadvertantly encouraged its own decline. Since they did not kill Luther immediatly, he was able to spread his "heresy," and, by the time the Church realized how large a threat he was, it was too late. Luther had, in the 1520's started Lutherinism conflicted directly with the Church. It said that only two sacraments were necessary: baptism and communion. This reduced would reduce the power of Lutheran ministers and also save peasants money. This encouraged peasant converts. This also encouraged lords and princes to convert. They would convert to sieze the holdings of the Church in their lands and also to gian power over the new religion. Instead of the Church controlling the officials, the officials controlled the (Lutheran) Church. Lutherinism also stressed intent. He said that, for God to forgive a person, the person would have to feel real regret, instead of iust paying a fine. Luther also stated that, for a person to have good credited to their soul, they would have to have a good intent, not just a fear of Hell. I believe that these facts were unimportant to converts compared to the facts that Luther had defined Lutherinsim much better that the Church had ...

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish Prepare to speak Spanish on Thanksgiving by learning these words. Many of these words dont have much of a cultural context outside the U.S. and Canada (which celebrates its Thanksgiving in October), as no Spanish-speaking countries have a version of Thanksgiving. The phrase  for Thanksgiving, by the way, is Dà ­a de Accià ³n de Gracias. Thats a mouthful that could be translated literally as the day of the act of thanks. The French form is similar  -   the Canadian Thanksgiving is known as lAction de Grà ¢ce. Holiday-Related Words agradecido (por) - thankful (for)ciberlunes  - Cyber Mondayla colonia - colonycompartir, repartir - to shareel cuerno de la abundancia, la cornucopia - cornucopiael desfile - paradeDios - Godla familia - familyla festividad de la cosecha - harvest festivalel fà ºtbol americano - football (not soccer)gluglà º gluglà º - gobble gobble (turkey sound)las gracias - thanksel indio, la india, el indà ­gena americano, la indà ­gena americana  - American Indian, native Americanel noviembre - Novemberel otoà ±o - autumn, falllos parientes  - relativesel peregrino - pilgrimel viernes negro, el viernes de descuentos  - Black Friday Food-Related Words Keep in mind that names of foods dont necessarily translate well, or might not be understood in Spanish-speaking countries, due to cultural differences. For example, the various words that can be translated as pie include pastel, tarta, empanada, and even pay (pronounced similarly to the English word). All of those words except the last also refer to other types of desserts.Also, it is common with fruits and vegetables for a popular name to be applied to multiple botanical classifications. For example, there are at least eight species of tuberous plants called  Ãƒ ±ames (yams), and a few are unlike what you might find in the U.S.   el arndano rojo - cranberryel banquete - feastel budà ­n, el pudà ­n - puddingla cazuela - casserolela cena - dinnercomer - to eatla cucurbitcea,  la calabaza - squash (the same Spanish terms also are used for other related plants)el maà ­z - cornla mazorca de maà ­z - corn on the cobel à ±ame, la batata, el boniato - yamel panecillo - dinner rollel pastel (o la tarta) de calabaza  - pumpkin pieel pavo  - turkeyel pavo asado  - roast turkeyel purà © de patatas - mashed potatoesel relleno - stuffing, turkey dressingla salsa para carne - gravylas sobras, los restos - leftoverslas verduras - vegetables Vocabulary Notes Ñame, the word for yam is one of the few Spanish words to start with  Ãƒ ±. Among the more common ones are à ±oà ±o (insipid or dull) and words derived from it, à ±ora (red pepper), and à ±u (gnu). Panecillo shows how diminutive suffixes are used. Pan is the word for bread, so even if you didnt know what panecillo means, you might guess that it is a small type of bread. In Spanish, it is sometimes possible to distinguish between  male and female animals by using the masculine and feminine forms of the word. Thus a female turkey is una pava. Some other animal names follow a similar pattern: Una mona is a female monkey, una polla is a young hen (and also an off-color word with a different meaning), and una puerca is a sow. But dont assume that any feminine animal name refers to the feminine of the species. For example, una jirafa is a giraffe regardless of its sex. While  relleno would normally be used to refer to turkey stuffing, the same word can be used for just about any type of food filling. A stuffed chili, for example, is known as a chile relleno. While verduras is the word to use when talking about vegetables as a food, vegetales is used more often when talking about vegetables as a type of plant. Sample Sentences Los indios de la tribu de los Wampanoag enseà ±aron a los peregrinos cà ³mo sembrar maà ­z. (The Indians of the Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims how to plant corn.) No es difà ­cil prepara un pavo exquisito para celebrar el dà ­a con tus amigos y familiares. (It isnt difficult to prepare a delicious turkey for celebrating the day with your friends and family members.) Despuà ©s de la cena, vamos a ver un juego de fà ºtbol americano. (After dinner, well watch a football game.) Tenemos mucha gratitud por todo lo que tenemos. (Were grateful for everything we have.) Key Takeaways No Spanish-speaking country has a version of Thanksgiving, so native Spanish speakers in those countries may have little cultural context when dealing with Thanksgiving-related words.When translating holiday-related words to Spanish, keep in mind that there may be only a partial correlation between meanings. For example, while a gravy is salsa in Spanish, salsa can refer to many other types of sauce as well.The Spanish phrase for the holiday itself is a long one: Dia de Accià ³n de Gracias.

Footnotes in Financial Statements Research Paper

Footnotes in Financial Statements - Research Paper Example The last section of the financial statements consists of the footnotes and consists of information such as the policies and methodologies used in the preparation of the financial statement. In the simplest sense, the information in the footnotes is an extension of financial statement. It contains quality information that might be useful in understanding the financial position of the company. The footnotes can be divided into two section based on the content in it. One is about the accounting methodologies that are used in the preparation of the report. Second is the detailed explanation of the financial and operational reports. The information about the accounting policies of a company is identified and elaborately explained in the first section. There are numerous parts to this section that addresses different aspects such as inventory, revenue, etc. The policies with respect to these different aspects are discussed in this section. The determination of value of these different aspects is also discussed in this section(Tracy, 2009). There are numerous aspects of a business that cannot be easily understood such as when a company books a sale or revenue determination process. The understanding of these processes is very important to understand the information provided in the report. The information about these processes, mainly the revenue section, is provided in the footnotes. The revenue recognition and revenue determination process is addressed in the footnotes of a financial report. Hence the understanding of such methodologies and policies is only possible with the help of the information in the footnotes. The information in the footnotes is very valuable from an investor’s perspective as it can provide valuable information about the financial structure of the company. Facts that cannot be easily grasped from the main report can be understood by analyzing the accounting methods used. The analysis and comparison of the accounting

EnERGY WEDGES Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

EnERGY WEDGES - Lab Report Example Increasing forest cover and vegetable is likely to reduce carbon in the atmosphere since the trees utilize the carbon for the process of photosynthesis. Water body mass such as the rivers and lakes also absorb carbon from the atmosphere hence reducing carbon in the atmosphere. Soil and other land covers also utilize carbon (Nesta, 2009). Planting cover crops and reducing soil erosion is estimated to reduce carbon emission in the next 50 years. Our second wedge deals with nuclear energy production. Nuclear energy produces no carbon. It is the most efficient and the most beneficial form of energy production. However, it is always faced with political interference since nuclear energy can easily be used as weapon of mass destruction hence indicated by red color. (UNEP, 2007). Although it will take time to transform from carbon energy immediately to other forms of energy, it is important that the public be educated on efficiently utilizing the current carbon energy. This cuts across mainly in transport and construction sectors. The two sectors are the major consumers of energy mainly in form of electricity and fuel. Our last energy wedge deals with shifting from carbon energy to bio-fuels. Bio-fuel is a product of plants. This is our last option designated by color blue. Use of bio-fuel reduces significantly the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. However, this strategy is still faced with major challenges sine it creates competition with food production (Wardlaw, 2009). The big question is whether the current land used in food production will be substituted for bio-fuel produce. The above energy wedge is likely to win the desires of many oil producing companies such as BP and other companies such as Ford that are actively involved in the motor vehicle industry. The wedge also complies with human rights activists such as the Kyoto Protocol and Copen Hagan reports that aims at sustainable development. The energy