Inflections in English

Inflections in English Inflections in English Inflections in English By Maeve Maddox Inflections are word elements that indicate grammatical relationships among the words in a sentence. For example, the verb walked is in the past tense; we know this because of the inflectional ending -ed. The noun girls is plural. We know this because of the s that has been added to the singular word girl. All languages make use of inflections. Those that make use of a great many inflections–like Latin–are called â€Å"synthetic languages.† Those that do not have so many–like English–are called â€Å"analytic languages.† The low incidence of inflections in English requires speakers to pay attention to word order. In Latin, on the other hand, word order hardly matters. Take nouns as an example. In Latin, nouns have special forms, according to whether the noun is being used as the subject of a sentence, the direct object, the indirect object, a complement, a noun with a built-in preposition, a possessive noun, or a noun of address. In English, except for possession and number, a noun is a noun is a noun. If we look at the English word girl out of the context of a sentence, we know it’s a noun, but we can’t tell anything else about its grammatical function until it is used in a sentence. If we look at the Latin noun puellam (girl), we know that it is the direct object form. The form puella is a subject form. Puellae is genitive (possessive) form meaning â€Å"of the girl.† Because the inflections are â€Å"built in,† their order in a sentence doesn’t much matter. In English, however, word order tells us if a noun is a subject or an object. If it comes before the verb (usually) a noun is a subject. If it comes after an action verb, it’s an object. For example, in English, â€Å"The boy loves the girl† means something different from â€Å"The girl loves the boy.† In Latin, on the other hand, Puer puellam amat, Puellam puer amat, and Amat puellam puer all mean the same thing: â€Å"The boy loves the girl.† Then there are the adjectives. Latin adjectives have to accord with the nouns. To say, â€Å"The big boy loves the pretty girl† you write: Puer magnus puellam bellam amat. To write, â€Å"The pretty girl loves the big boy,† you can leave the words in the same order, but you have to change the endings to show function and gender: Puella bella puerum magnum amat. Because English retains so few inflections, it is a little surprising that so many of the errors we discuss on this site have to do with the few inflections that do remain. Nouns Nouns are inflected by the addition of an apostrophe to show possession: The boy’s backpack was stolen. (singular noun, ’s) The boys’ backpacks were stolen. (plural noun, s’). The letter s is usually added to a noun to form the plural: The girl climbed Mount Everest. The girls climbed Mount Everest. Errors with plural nouns occur with words that do not form the plural by adding s, for example, woman/women; calf/calves, etc. Errors in placing the apostrophe are quite common. For example: â€Å"The mens’ locker room† instead of â€Å"the men’s locker room.† Some uncertain writers sprinkle apostrophes in very unlikely places: Chloe sing’s with the choir. (Should be sings) The dog hurt it’s paw. (Should be its paw) Verbs Regular verbs are inflected to show past tense by adding the suffix -ed: talk, talked, (have) talked. Errors occur with verbs that indicate past tense by changes in spelling, for example, write, wrote, (have) written. See the DWT post Beware of the Irregular Past Participle. Pronouns Because pronouns have retained more inflected forms than nouns, they are the source of probably half the grammatical errors made by native speakers. The inflections that give trouble with the personal pronouns are these: Subject forms: I, he, she, we, they Object forms: me, him, her, us, them For more on pronoun case, see All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal. Possessive forms are of two kinds: those that stand for a noun (possessive pronouns), and those that stand before a noun to show possession (possessive adjectives). Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their For example, That book is mine. (Possessive pronoun standing for book) That is my book. (Possessive adjective qualifying book) The pronouns you and it present no problems because they are the same in both their subject and object forms. Other errors with the possessive forms are misspelling its and using their with a singular antecedent: Wrong: The house is having it’s roof replaced. Correct: The house is having its roof replaced. Wrong: Every scout will do their duty. Correct: Every scout will do his duty. Adjectives Adjectives are inflected to show comparison. This article illustrates the different ways of doing it: Comparative Forms of Adjectives Adverbs Adverbs are also inflected to show comparison. Adverbs that end in -ly are inflected by adding more and most in front of them: happily, more happily, most happily. Note: Some authorities regard the comparison of adjectives and adverbs as word formation rather than inflection. 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 Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two PeopleFor Sale vs. On SaleDrama vs. Melodrama

Complete Summary of The Prince essays

Complete Summary of The Prince essays Chapter 1: Machiavelli opens by telling us the different kinds of governments that have been held over men through out time. The two that he goes on to explain our that of monarchies and republics. Chapter 2: In maintaining a hereditary monarchy the royal family has a much easier time then that of a new monarch. Because if a prince is of true descent he will always be able to maintain his power. This is true because the people are more likely to love the prince unless he does something extraordinary to make his people hate him. Chapter 3: In talking of mixed monarchies, Machiavelli says that the new prince no matter how strong his armies are will always need the favor of the people to take control. If the new kingdom has the same language and nationality as you, then one must take into account to make sure the blood of the former prince is extinct, and to make no alteration to their laws and taxes. If the New Kingdom doesnt have the same language and nationality, then the two best options are to take up residence in the new land or set up colonies there. Chapter 4: Here we are told that if one is too hold on too all of his lands then it is easier if it is the prince and his servants not the prince and his nobles or barons. This is true because the people will be loyal to their local noble or leader and not the prince. So if revolution or the threat of an outside attack is in the air the people will side with their noble and the kingdom will not be unified. Chapter 5: On the subject of cities who used to govern themselves there are three ways one can go about trying to govern them. First, to despoil them, second, to go and live with them, and third, allow them to live under their own laws taking tribute from them, and creating within the country a government of few who will keep it friendly to you. But the only sure way is to despoil them. Chapter 6: Ones ability and good fortune can only tak...

BUSINESS PROBLEM-SOLVING CASE Does Big Data Bring Big Rewards Essay

BUSINESS PROBLEM-SOLVING CASE Does Big Data Bring Big Rewards - Essay Example The factors include-identifying and managing the complexity of the business operations, placing emphasis on the adoption of the information system on a company-wide platform, analyzing potential tangible benefits that are to arise from adopting the system, prioritizing the benefits of the system in accordance with the company’s goals and business needs, ensuring that the system is supported by the top level management and that they take an active role in its implementation and use. Additional factors include- communicating effectively with all the employees and giving them responsibilities in order to mitigate risks. A lot of interesting points have been raised regarding the benefits of a big data system. It is quite clear that the financial goals of such a system are boundless if big corporations like Hertz and Vestas are anything to go by. I additionally agree that when these systems are adopted appropriately, they improve customer relations between companies and their customer bases (Ohlhorst 2013). The example of Sears is a primary case showing how by adopting Hadoop, it has been able to make strides in customizing their retail products to match the specific needs of an individual customer, which is very impressive. However, I am of the opinion that the use of big data systems is not just limited to these benefits. I believe that companies are adopting these systems as a management strategy aimed at promoting their brand on a global level, while also acquiring a competitive advantage over the other players in the industry (Mullins 2013). Many companies have identified the benefits accrued by big data systems on a wider scale. Companies like Walmart provide a good example of companies that have benefitted immensely by extensively incorporating global information management systems in their long term plans. I think that is why Walmart is

Financial analysis of the performance of burberry Essay

Financial analysis of the performance of burberry - Essay Example Additionally, the company is buoyed by the platforms in the emerging countries to drive their earnings both in growth and volume. We will base our strategic analysis of the company on four distinct factors. These are; the existing strengths, the existing weaknesses, the existing opportunities and the existing threat. From a review of the previous performance of the company, the focus that is currently being given to the distribution on licensing in countries like Japan, Spain and the United States has left the company with a low gearing ratio (Proctor, 2012). However, through the current strategy of expansion of sales of Burberry brand and the seizure of opportunities aimed at capturing a greater share of the brand value chain presents numerous opportunities enhancing future value creation. To this end, it would be worth noting that the business model employed by the company possess characteristics of both retail and luxury goods companies. Created in 1956, Burberry Group plc continues to be a global luxury fashion brand and boasts of a history of 158 years. The company specializes in manufacturing a wide variety of products which include accessories, beauty for men, luxury apparel, with men and children being a major business item of the company. The market for the company’s products is spread out to regions including Americas, Asia pacific and Europe with its stock being listed on the London Stock Exchange with the principle business being investment. This report will be applying the appropriate accounting techniques to critically analyzing financial data in the context of a variety of business decision making instances while at the same time making informal judgments from such accounting analyses. The group strategy of Burberry is marked by a combination of both leading market position and a strong franchise in the established

Microsoft Corp.s Pricing Policies Essay Example for Free

Microsoft Corp.s Pricing Policies Essay Executive Summary This case study focused on the Microsoft Corporation and charges made by their competitors, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice of antitrust violations and a monopoly of the computer operating systems and applications software, software development tools (e.g., programming language software), and hardware peripherals (e.g., Microsoft Mouse) that Microsoft specializes in. It focused on numerous issues that would lead one to believe that Microsoft was in fact monopolizing the entire industry they were in. . In order to adequately discuss and analyze the issues of this case, I have broken this paper up into four separate sections. Section 1 Key Terms Concepts: Description of the key terms concepts that pertain to this case Section 2 The Case Against Microsoft: Identify the facts and information that support my case against Microsoft Section 3 The Defense of Microsoft: Identify certain facts and information that support a defense of Microsoft Section 4 Discussion: What I have learned from the case After reading this case study, I went back to the email that I received from you and went over the questions that you suggested we consider. The first question was: If you were the DOJ how would you build a case against Microsoft or a dominant leader? I will attempt to do this in Section 2 The Case Against Microsoft. The second question was: If you were Microsoft how might you defend yourself against DOJ claims? I will cover this in Section 3 The Defense of Microsoft. I will attempt to show why it was very necessary for the DOJ to bring a case of monopoly and antitrust violations against Microsoft. In doing this, I will attempt to put myself into Microsofts shoes and defend their claims that they have not created a monopoly. Section 1 1. Key Terms Concepts The reason I decided to include these terms and concepts was to make it easier for me to write this paper and use certain terms without describing them each time I used them in my paper. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division: The Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, a presidential appointee, ran the Antitrust Division of the DoJ. When the Division thought the evidence was sufficiently persuasive, it brought criminal charges. The Division also entered into negotiations with businesses to end litigation in exchange for consent decrees in civil cases, or nolo contendere (no contest) please in criminal cases DOJ: Department of Justice: The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans (http://en.wikipedia. Org /wiki / United_States_Department_of_Justice) DOS: Disc Operating System FTC Federal Trade Commission: The FTC enforces federal antitrust and consumer protection laws by investigating complaints against individual companies initiated by consumers, businesses, congressional inquiries, or reports in the media (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission) ISVs: Independent Software Vendors MS-DOS: Microsoft Operating Systems NDAs: Non-disclosure agreements OEMs: Original Equipment Manufacturers OS: Operating Systems PC: Personal Computer Sherman Anti-Trust Act: it made illegal any form of contract or combination between entities in regards to trade and commerce that would have the effect of restraining trade. And it also put responsibility on government attorneys and district courts to pursue and investigate trusts http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Sherman _ Antitrust_Act) The Clayton Act of 1914: The Clayton Act was designed to prevent monopoly in the beginning rather than to remedy its effects. To accomplish this goal, Congress authorized antitrust prosecutions whenever business practices maysubstantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce, in any section of the country. Section Two of the act forbade sellers from discriminating in price selling goods of like grade and quality to different buyers at different prices when such differences were neither cost justified nor necessary to meet competition. Section Three limited the use of tying and exclusive dealing contracts. Tying contracts required purchasers or leases to acquire a second, separate product in order to obtain the desired product. Exclusive dealing contracts obliged a purchaser or lessee not to deal in products of competitors Vaporware: is software or hardware which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle. The term implies deception, or at least a negligent degree of optimism; that is, it implies that the announcer knows that product development is in too early a stage to support responsible statements about its completion date, feature set, or even feasibility (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware) Section 2 2. The Case Against Microsoft In order to make my case against Microsoft and prove that they are most assuredly in violation of monopoly and anti-trust regulations, I will answer the following questions: 1. Is this a case of monopoly? 2. Is this case a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act? Is this a case of monopoly? When I began considering my approach to this paper, I first thought about situations where I was absolutely sure I had been the victim of a monopoly. In order to do this, I first had to make sure that I fully understood exactly what a monopoly was. The American Heritage ® Dictionary defines a monopoly as Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service. In simpler terms, I have always thought of a monopoly as a big corporation doing its best to screw-over the little guy (A.K.A the customer) by doing its best to make as much money as possible. The first situation that came to mind when I thought of a monopoly was how the Comcast cable company had a virtual strangle-hold on the cable service in my homes area. Since they had exclusive control of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service, in this case they were the only cable provider in our area, you were forced to settle for Comcasts service unless you had satellite television or you were willing to settle for the wonderfully fuzzy reception from the antiquated rabbit ear antennas of years past. As a result, we unfortunately had to deal with Comcasts horrible service and always rising rates. Luckily for us, another competitor came in to the picture when WOW! (Wide Open West Internet-Cable-Phone) set up service in our area. We switched cable providers almost immediately and we couldnt have been happier. They have provided excellent customer service and their rates are consistently lower  than Comcasts. As a consumer, we definitely benefited from the increased competition and eventual abolishment of the cable company monopoly in our area. With that out of the way, I was forced to look at whether or not Microsoft had a monopoly in their particular industry. Based on the information in this case, I cannot say that Microsoft has a monopoly on any single entire industry. Do they dominate the majority of endeavors that they choose to participate in? Of course they do. Just look at some of these numbers: As you can see from Table 1, Microsoft dominates the market shares of suite software in the United States. The only problem with these numbers is the fact that they are limited in their time range. In my experience, three years is a long enough time to make an approximate forecast for future happenings, from a financial standpoint. However, that is from a transportation and supply-chain perspective where the main variable happens to be the customers shipping fluctuations. In a volatile and constantly evolving market such as software development, these numbers could sway tremendously with the introduction of a new and sought after product or changes in consumer wants and desires. Table 2 shows the financial numbers of Microsoft and three of their competitors: This also tells a lot about Microsofts market dominance, but this time from a financial standpoint. Two things that stand out to me in this table are the fact that Microsoft has almost twice as much net revenue than their nearest competitor (Microsoft has 4,649 and Novell has 1,998). The second thing that jumped out to me is the fact that all of the competitors show an increase in net revenue from 1984 to 1994. Based on the growth of Microsofts competitors (which there are more than one), I feel confident in saying that Microsoft does not have a monopoly in their industry. They do not meet the standard set forth by the simple definition in the dictionary of Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service. As you can clearly see from the tables, Microsoft  does not have exclusive control of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service. However, Microsoft does in fact hold a monopoly on many other counts, one of which is that Microsoft Windows, the Microsoft OS, is installed on most personal computers that can be purchased from Dell, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, and the like. Because this OS comes pre-installed, we as the consumers do not have much of a choice and there is not much of an alternative for us to go with unless we want to switch to an Apple Macintosh OS. Although Microsoft isnt a natural monopoly in the classically defined or economic sense that Ive identified above, it is a natural monopoly in the land of cyberspace. Microsoft is the path of least resistance for government, consumers, and programmers alike. Microsoft may have many faults, but they make a lot of things easier too. Most of us are willing to accept a monopoly such as Microsoft has for increased convenience and usability. Microsoft is a one-product company, no matter how it may sometimes appear. Their success is fundamentally due to the success of Windows. It rose to power with one product, and it resides there because of the success of that product. Unfortunately for us, this is not only the best product on the market, it is the only true alternative for us to use. In my book, regardless of the textbook definition, this constitutes a monopoly by Microsoft. Is this a case a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act? As I stated in Section 1, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act makes illegal any form of contract or combination between entities in regards to trade and commerce that would have the effect of restraining trade. Based on this case and the readings from week #7, there is proof that Microsoft did violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, particularly Sections 1 and 2 of the Act. Section One prohibited contracts, combinations and conspiracies in restraint of trade while Section Two outlawed monopolies and attempts to monopolize. Microsoft violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by illegally using its market power to restrain trade in the high tech industry. A filing from the DOJ on December 19, 1999 stated that Microsoft engaged in illegal conduct in five separate ways: * by tying browser sales to sales of the operating system; * by using its market power to illegally maintain a monopoly; * by attempting to monopolize the browser market; * by imposing exclusive dealing arrangements between itself and Internet service providers and/or developers; and * by imposing first boot-up and screen restrictions on computer makers. http://news.com.com/2100-1001-233992.html The DOJ filing in December of 1999 shows exactly why Microsoft was in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Some of the things that Microsoft has done that clearly violate the act include, but are certainly not limited to: Microsoft customers upgrading their copies of Microsoft Office at the Microsoft website, but using the competitions web browser, are greeted with a message insisting on the use of MSIE for the full edition of the update. On November 18, 1998 the digital greeting card company Blue Mountain Arts discovered that beta versions of Microsofts Outlook Express (which comes free with Internet Explorer) were automatically filing Blue Mountains e-mail greeting cards into the junk folder rather than the inbox. Shortly afterwards, Blue Mountain Arts discovered that Microsofts WebTV service was blocking their e-mail greeting cards as well. When the courts ordered Microsoft to ship Windows without an integrated Internet Explorer, the company complied by offering a non-functional version of the OS, claiming that the browser was now so completely  integrated into Windows to remove it was tantamount to breaking the operating system. -All three of these examples were taken from the following website: http://www.vcnet. com /bms/departments/dirtytricks.shtml To summarize, Ive identified the following facts: Microsoft does have a monopoly in their industry Microsoft did violate Acts 1 and 2 of the Sherman Anti-trust Act It is convenient for Microsoft to say that their success is solely based on them being able to produce good products. Although they do devote extraordinary resources to improving their technologies, they also work diligently to stifle growth and in-roads from their competition. Section 3 3. The Defense of Microsoft I am not going to spend a great deal of time attempting to defend Microsoft. They have spent millions and millions of dollars working tirelessly to do it themselves. Furthermore, I firmly believe that they have established a monopoly and that this monopoly serves to futher one parties interests: Microsofts. However, I did some research online and came up with the following paragraph from an article titled The Microsoft Antitrust Suit written by Peter Tracey. In it, he wrote The persecution of Microsoft is an assault on the free market, and on the intelligence of the American people. It is the result of long-held envy by Microsofts competitors, including Netscape and Oracle. It is in violation of the constitution, being both ex post facto and vague (Getman). The governments persecution of Microsoft should be stopped, moreover, the antitrust legislation that has exposed business to unfair and unreasonable practices should be repealed. (http://www.levelthreesolutions.com/ peter/msantitrust.html) In Microsofts opinion, the government should not get involved in determining what means a company uses to produce their products. They feel that they have been able to succeed through hard work, tenancity, and superior products. Although it may be unfortunate for their competitiors, Microsoft feels that if you cant stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. In essence, Microsoft makes the most money doing what they do by taking solid ideas from other people, such as the Disc Operating System, and making them better. Microsoft doesnt monopolize the industry. They simply work harder, take risks, and capitalize where other companies have floundered. Section 4 4. Discussion Before I discuss this particular case study, I must tell you that I have always been a big fan of Microsoft and Bill Gates. I have enjoyed the relatively cheap cost of Microsofts software such as Microsoft Excel and Word. I have also felt that with each successive upgrade of these products I have only been able to improve my performance both at work and school. I also thought it was impressive that Bill Gates could take his ideas, push forward with his undefeatable will, and become one of the richest people in the entire world. However, this case study and the analysis that Ive done with it has really opened my eyes to the seamy side of Microsoft and Bill Gates. I was so moved by this case that I even went and downloaded one of Microsofts few internet browser competitors, Netscape, to compare its product with Internet Explorer. When my wife asked me what my paper was I about I told her it was about Microsoft and whether or not they were a monopoly in the industry. Her very quick and wry response said it so perfectly: Duh, of course they are. Even I know that. I think this says it all so succinctly. Do I think Microsoft needs to be disbanded or separated in to two different operating companies? Not really. Like I said before, I enjoy Microsofts products and I use them constantly. In fact, I am writing  this paper using one of Microsofts products, Microsoft Word. I just honestly think that fair competition and a level playing field for Microsofts competitors would only benefit the consumer in the long run. More people with new insights will be given the chance to expand the technology already in place. Too many companies are skittish about taking on Microsoft because of the monopoly and the fear of being annihilated. Finally, I have learned that cases of anti-trust and monopoly are not always as clear cut as one may think. I always thought that Microsoft had a clear monopoly and that there was nothing any of us could ever do to remedy it. I also really didnt care as long as they continued to improve Windows and the accompanying Office Suite. I can see now that competition in all economic arenas, whether it is cable television or fast-food or computer software, is important, no vital, for lower prices and increased technological growth.

Racism: Past, Present and Future Essay -- Racial Issues

Prologue While coming up with a topic for this paper, one of my questions dealt with war and cultural groups. I will be the first to admit, Racism was the last thing on my mind. The original question being, â€Å"How does war affect a Social Culture and how does it stand today?† When I started thinking about Cultures that had been so deeply affected by war, one of the first that came to mind were the Japanese in World War II. Then I recalled what one person had told me of their younger days at college, when they were attending school. Their name will remain anonymous; I do not want to make the victim’s name public as it has a very personal nature. They had told me that they had been beaten because they were Japanese. They told me how the group of people, mostly military brats had called them â€Å"Jap†. How they had beaten them up, some restraining them, some throwing punches or much worse. Knowing this person’s experience made me understand why they acted in the manner that they do now. I was shocked initially, the only types of racism that I had heard of and witnessed firsthand was between Whites and African Americans as well as Whites vs. Hispanics. So to hear that another cultural group had been discriminated against in the past, here in the Mountains where I was attending school was an eye opening experience. While I was hearing this story, my mind kept querying, but my mouth remained silent. The question that has pestered me since then and before when witnessing these acts of hatred was â€Å"Why?† My family, especially the female members are very suspicious of Hispanics. One close family member in particular would interrupt rudely while I was teaching my sisters some Spanish phrases I would say them and they would repeat, â€Å"you a... ...e A. Ito. Storied Lives: Japanese American Students and World War II. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999. Print. ten Broek J, Edward N. Barnhart, and Floyd W. Matson. Prejudice, War, and the Constitution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1954. Print. Thomas, Dorothy S. T, and Richard S. Nishimoto. The Spoilage. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1946. Print. â€Æ' Works Cited Dr. Seuss. â€Å"Mental Insecticide† Cartoon. Dr. Seuss Sucks: 7 Racist Cartoons From the Doctor. March 2012. Online. Lotchin, Roger W. "Japanese Relocation in World War II and the Illusion of Universal Racism." Journal of The Historical Society 11.2 (2011): 155-181. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. ten Broek J, Edward N. Barnhart, and Floyd W. Matson. Prejudice, War, and the Constitution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1954. Print.

African American Women in Hollywood Essay

In early film many African American actresses portrayed roles as mammies, slaves, seductresses, and maids. These roles suppressed them not allowing them to show their true talents. Although they had to take on these degrading roles, they still performed with dignity, elegance, grace and style. They paved the way for many actresses to follow both blacks and whites. These women showed the film industry that they were more than slaves, mammies, and maids. These beautiful actresses showed the film industry that they are able to hold lead parts and even carry the whole cast if need be. Phenomenal actresses such as Hattie McDaniels, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Waters, Nina Mae McKinney, and Dorothy Dandridge, to name a few, are African-American stars who paved the way for so many African-American actresses today despite the hardships that they were faced with. These women displayed beauty, intellect and talent, which allowed the stars that followed that they do not have to just settle for stereotypical roles. In early film there was much propaganda and even today, which lead to these demeaning roles that they had to betray, Professor Carol. Penney of Yale-New Haven writes, â€Å"Film is one of the most influential means of communication and a powerful medium of propaganda. Race and representation is central to the study of the black film actor, since the major studios reflected and reinforced the racism of their times. The depiction of blacks in Hollywood movies reinforced many of the prejudices of the white majority rather than objective reality, limiting black actors to stereotypical roles† (1). Hattie McDaniels, a trailblazer amongst African-American film, acquired many firsts for African-American actors. McDaniels was the first African-American to sing on the radio, first to receive an Oscar for best supporting actress in Gone with the Wind. She was also the first African-American to star in a sitcom in 1951 that featured an African-American actress in the title role (Pax 1). â€Å"McDaniels appeared in more than three hundred films during the twenties and thirties. Her career was built on the ? Mammy’ image, a role she played with dignity† (Smith 7). She received much flack from the blacks because of the roles she played in film and on radio. Blacks felt that she was degrading the race but her reply was to these views were, â€Å"Hell I’d rather play a maid than be one† (Encyclopedia of World Biography 406). After her acclaim role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind, McDaniels was never paid anything less than $31,000 for a performance. This was much for an African-American as well as a white entertainer. Even though she broke that barrier McDaniel was still oppressed by racism not only on film, but also off film. She was faced with racial legal problems when trying to acquire a home in Los Angeles. At that time there was a limited black land and home ownership right. Though she won the suite she still was subjected to racial hostility from her neighbors. McDaniels experience oppressions of many types during her career, but she continued to take the mammy roles but played them with dignity and respect. In spite of her being the mammy, McDaniels made sure that her characters had the â€Å"upper hand†. After McDaniels death the mammy roles died with her. Pearl Bailey, the â€Å"Ambassador of Love† career took off on Washington’s U street at the age of fifteen years of age. She started off as a singer and appeared in many nightclubs. In the mid-30’s she performed with the Noble Sissle’s Band in the Village Vanguard and Blue Angel Club. In the 40’s she was the lead singer for Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Cootie Williams. She debuted on Broadway in St. Louis Blue; she won honors for as Broadway’s best newcomer. After her debut on Broadway films she performed in Variety Girl, Isn’t It Romantic, Carmen Jones, and Porgy and Bess. â€Å"In 1967 she won a Tony Award for heading the all-black cast of Hello Dolly! A role that allowed her, she said, ?to sing, dance, say intelligent words on stage, love and be loved and deliver what God gave me? and I’m dressed up besides'†(Black History: Virginia Profiles 1). Hello Dolly! allowed Bailey to be beautiful. Former President Ronald Reagan awarded Bailey was with the Medal of Freedom in 1988. She was also a special delegate to the United Nations under Ford, Reagan and Bush. While in her sixties Bailey went back to college and received her degree in theology from Georgetown University (2). Ethel Waters, â€Å"Sweet Mama Stringbean†, started her career in Vaudeville and nightclubs. In the 1921 Waters performed her first debut album â€Å"The New York Glide† and â€Å"At the New Jump Steady Bump†. In the mid-twenties she was coined as a pop singer (Red Hot Jazz 1). â€Å"On stage she was in successful productions of Africana, Blackbird of the 1930, Rhapsody in Black, and Cabin in the Sky† (Penney 8). She also starred in Pinky in 1949 this was a message film on racism. Waters did not receive recognition for her work until she portrayed Berenice Sadie Brown in The Member of The Wedding. â€Å"The Member of the Wedding was more than simply a movie. It was very important repects a motion-picture event. Foremost, it marked the first time a black actress was used to carry a major-studio white production. Secondly, the movie was another comeback for Ethel Waters. Her autobiography, His Eye Is On The Sparrow? she told all the lurid details of her life the turbulent events in the autobiography convinced patrons that Ethel Waters, who always portrayed long-suffering women, was indeed the characters she played? Now patrons rooted for her to succeed? to triumph†(8). During Waters’s career she was nominated for an Oscar best supporting actress in the film Pinky. She also received the New York Drama Critics Award for best actress. Ethel Waters’s last performance was in the film The Sound and the Fury in 1959. She continued singing and touring with evangelist Billy Graham until her death in 1977 (Red Hot Jazz 1). Nina May McKinney was â€Å"the screen’s first black goddess† (Penney 3). â€Å"She was the first black actor in the film to be recognized as a potential mainstream star† (7). McKinney was also the most successful African-American actress in the 1920’s and 1930’s (South Carolina African American History Online 1). McKinney’s career started as a New York City nightclub dancer and later received a role in Lew Leslie’s Blackbird Revue. In 1929, King Vidor, of MGM Studios, casted McKinney as Chick, a promiscuous young woman in Hallelujah. â€Å"In the famous cabaret scene McKinney, as Chick, danced a sensuous dance which has been copied by leading lady Lena Horne in Cabin in the Sky to Lola Falana in The Liberation of L. B. Jones† (Penney 7). In Hallelujah, â€Å"Chick represented the black woman as an exotic sex object, half woman, half child. She was the black woman out of control of her emotions, split in two by her loyalty and her own vulnerabilities. Implied throughout the battle with self was the tragic mulatto theme? In this stereotypical concept the white half of her represented the spiritual; the black half-animalistic† (7). Hallelujah was considered the â€Å"‘ace of all-black pictures’? The film had a strong plot, but unfortunately the message was? blacks should stay in their place. Though McKinney received much praise for her role as Chick she did not generate leading roles in the American film industry. â€Å"She was relegated to assuming routine black characters or to partaking in independently produced, low budget all black movies, as was the pattern for most of the outstanding African-American actors and actresses of the era? McKinney acted in a few other films in the 1940’s. Her most notable role was in Pinky. McKinney was also a stage actress and performed at the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Barred from opportunities and stardom in Hollywood, she soon departed the United States and took her great talents to Europe? in Greece she was known as the Black Garbo? she also starred with the great actor Paul Robeson in the film Sanders of the River† (South Carolina 2). Later in McKinney’s life the great star returned to the States and died in New York City in 1967. Dorothy Dandridge is amongst Hollywood’s beauties in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Though she receives much recognition today as the most beautiful and talented actresses of her time, but at that time she was seen as just another Black actress. Followed in the footsteps of the great Nina Ma McKinney, though they possessed the beauty and the charisma as other female actresses of their time their color was still seen first. Like many actors and actresses of her time Dandridge career went through many highs and lows because of her race. Dandridge’s career began as a singer with her sister Vivian, they were known as the Wonder Children and later the group became a trio by the name the Dandridge Sisters. She played in many movies in the 1940’s such as: Yes Indeed, Sing for My Supper, Jungle Jig, Easy Street, Cow Cow Boogie, and Paper Dolls to name a few. She was not recognized until her performance as Carmen in Carmen Jones. Her co-stars were Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey and Diahann Caroll. She was the first Black to be nominated for an Oscar for best actress (African-American Almanac 248). Dandridge’s role as Carmen lead to more opportunities for African-Americans in films. Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be held in the arms of a white man in the film, Island in the Sun. She was also the first African-American to have an interracial kiss in The Decks Ran Red (Pioneer Actress 2). Though the film Carmen Jones allowed Dandridge to have a lead role she the character was the stereotypical mulatto woman with a high sex drive and filled with deceit. Penney writes, â€Å"The irony that overshadowed Dandridge’s career was that although the image she marketed appeared to be contemporary and daring, at heart it was based on an old classic type, the tragic mulatto. In her important films Dorothy Dandridge portrayed doomed, unfilled women. Nervous and vulnerable, they always battled with the duality of their personalities. As such, they answered the demands of their times. Dorothy Dandridge’s characters brought to a dispirited nuclear age a razor-sharp sense of desperation that cut through the bleak monotony of the day. Eventually- and here lay the final irony- she may have been forced to live out a screen image that destroyed her† (10). Dorothy Dandridge broke many barriers during her career. She opened the doors for black romance in films. She crossed over the racial lines with interracial relationships on and off screen. Later in Dandridge’s career she found it hard to get work. She filed for bankruptcy and later committed suicide. Dandridge made it possible for African-American women to be seen as beautiful and not exotic and sexual. In conclusion, many African-Americans actresses were blackballed by the industry. They were not able to achieve the success that they were entitled to because of the era that they were living in. These stars were oppressed because of the color of their skin and not because they did not possess talent. They were limited to roles that did not allow them to be the damsels or have leading roles. And if they were cast as the lead the film stereotyped the Blacks as shiftless, deceitful, or ignorant. These are just a few of the great African-American women in film that made it easier for African-American women to get into the industry. Though today African-American people are still seen shiftless, drug addicts, gang bangers, killers, whores, and criminals, but now they have more access to the industry because now African- Americans are able to write and direct films that depict them in a better light. Film today has changed for the past from mammies. Now African-American women are teachers, doctors, lawyers, business tycoons and what have you. Yet, they are still oppressed because they are only able to produce what the movie studios say that they can produce. Today there are films like Soul Food, Love and Basketball, Rosewood, Bamboozled, and many more that have messages and have African-American women in lead roles and not being in the background. These great stars allowed Black girls to see their own kind on a big screen and feel that they are beautiful too. Work Cited The African-American Almanac, 1997. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 10&16. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. â€Å"Ethel Waters. † Online. 10 March 2005. Available: www. http://www. redhot jazz. com/waters. html. â€Å"Honoring Black History Month. † Pax Stars. Online. 10 March 2005. Available: www. http://www. pax. tv/bios/one-bio. cfm/hattie-mcdaniel. â€Å"Nina Mae McKinney. † South Carolina African American History Online. Online. 11 March 2005. Available: www. http://www.scafam-hist. org/aahc/. â€Å"Pearl Bailey. † Black History: Virginia Profiles. Online. 13 March 2005. Available:www. http://www. gatewayva. com/pages/bhistory/1996/bailey. shtml. Penney, Carol. â€Å"Black Actors inamerican Cinema. † Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. Online. 12 March 2000. Available: www. http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/cirriculm/units. â€Å"Pioneer black actress Dorothy Dandridge has a famous cast of modern-day admirers. † Online. 12 March 2005. Available: www. http://ohio. com/bj/fun/tv/0299/002827htm.

Captain scott

Robert Falcon Scott was born on June 6,1868. Everyday he rode to school by his pony, Beep. Sometimes he slipped from his horse, but he never afraid with that. At the age of fifteen Scott became a midshipman. He began to conquered his bodily weakness and his childish faults in the navy. In 1891 he graduate from the amnion and he get a lieutenant. Scott was plan this trip to south pole with Sir Clement and everything will prepared. Scott has a high standard of conduct, Intelligence, scientific, knowledge and qualities of adventure in the Antarctic.In the other hand Scott was assured of a fine career in the Ana and he realized that the expedition to the pole would give him new and exciting experience, and also opportunities for scientific research, so he accepted the advice of Sir Clement. Everything will prepared seriously because this Journey became extreme round trip, so it make him very busy. Actually he ship, it was brought from Scotland to London, named â€Å"Discovery'. The expe dition began from London through Atlantic Ocean and arrived in new Zealand.Then over Rose sea, for the further journey they took several dogs, ponies, sledge and another thing they need. In the first expedition Scott lose three member of his party. Trip or the pole was got extreme weather and it become serious problem to us. They study everything in south pole, one of this are about magnetism, meteorological observations, and animal live, also any other aspect. Aftermath they were sail for home and Scott had done splendidly, and he return to find himself famous. The year between first and second Journey, coot married with Miss Kathleen Bruce, artist and sculptor in 1908.On September 14, 1909 coot's son was born and name Peter Markham Scott. In the second Journey he took another ship, named â€Å"Terra nova† and he prepared all with seamen. The second trip need more power because it happen in winter,and it like the first. When they arrived the centre pole they put country flag . In the other hand they get a new experience, but in another hand they got difficulties return from the pole. Winter season make them very ill,day by day conditions grew worse and sometimes they took ore than an hours to drag the sledge a mile.Even in this condition they still to write anything about their condition it seem that they will die. In fact Just only few alive on the return Journey. Comment I think the story is very attractive to know because about the explore to Antarctic. Perhaps hardly ever everyone go there. The story give us about description in the Antarctic. Antarctic is the centre of magnetism and have extreme temperature that somebody never alive in there. It also get us information about discipline to arrange everything we need.

The Patriot relating to history essays

The Patriot relating to history essays The Movie, The Patriot, starts out with most of the colonists angered. This part of the movie caught my attention at the very beginning and kept it throughout the entire movie. I enjoyed especially the action and war scenes in the movie, but the storyline was very good as well. To understand this historical fiction movie, a historic background is needed. If a person does not understand what is meant by Taxation without representation, then it will completely lose the entire meaning of the movie. The plot of the movie begins to develop when Benjamin Martins son Gabriel is captured by British troops. Benjamin Martin was a former hero of the French and Indian War, but he renounced fighting so that he may raise his family in peace. Attempting to save his brother, Benjamins other son stood up to the British soldiers, but is killed in the process. Benjamin, only wanting to save Gabriel, ends up fighting in battle, rescuing Gabriel, and killing the murderer of his other son. After al l of this happens Benjamin realizes the importance of being involved in the war so he sends his other children to live with their aunt so that he and Gabriel can join the army. Once they become a part of the army, Benjamin becomes a general and leads his army, including Gabriel, into little battles. During battle Gabriel is killed, which deeply depresses Benjamin and makes him so distraught that he doesnt even feel like fighting anymore. These are his feelings until he was at camp and he sees the Brit that killed Gabriel. Benjamin then kills the Britt that killed his eldest son and understood at that moment why so many men are dieing. Because of this, Benjamin became extremely patriotic and decides to move on with the Americans because he has something to fight for. Everything that happened kept me on the edge of my chair wanting to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed this movie a lot. ...

Origin of the Word Protestant

Origin of the Word Protestant A Protestant is someone who follows one of the numerous branches of Protestantism, the form of Christianity created during the Reformation of the sixteenth century and spread across Europe and later the world. The term Protestant, therefore, came into use in the sixteenth century, and unlike many historical terms, you can work out what it means with a little bit of guesswork: it is, quite simply, all about protest. To be a Protestant was, essentially, to be a protestor. Origin of Protestant In 1517, the theologian Martin Luther spoke out against the established Latin Church in Europe on the subject of indulgences. There had been many critics of the Catholic Church before, and many had been crushed easily by the monolithic central structure. Some had been burned, and Luther faced their fate by starting an open war. But the anger at many aspects of a church considered corrupt and venal was growing, and when Luther nailed his theses to a church door (an established way of starting debate), he found he could gain patrons strong enough to protect him. As the Pope decided how best to deal with Luther, the theologian and his colleagues effectively evolved a new form of the Christian religion in a series of writings which were exciting, frenzied, and which would be revolutionary. This new form (or rather, new forms) were taken up by many princes and towns of the German empire. Debate ensued, with the Pope, Emperor, and Catholic governments on one side and members of the new church on the other. This sometimes involved genuine debate in the traditional sense of people standing, speaking their views, and letting another person follow, and sometimes involved the sharp end of weapons. The debate covered all of Europe and beyond. In 1526, a meeting of the Reichstag (in practice, a form of German imperial parliament) issued the Recess of 27 August, stating that each individual government within the empire could decide which religion they wished to follow. It would have been a triumph of religious freedom, had it lasted. However, a new Reichstag which met in 1529 was not so amenable to the Lutherans, and the Emperor canceled the Recess. In response, the followers of the new church issued the Protest, which protested against the cancellation on April 19th. Despite differences in their theology, Southern German cities aligned with Swiss reformer Zwingli joined other German powers following Luther to sign on to the ‘Protest’ as one. They thus became known as Protestants, those who protested. There would be many different variations of reformed thought within Protestantism, but the term stuck for the overall group and concept. Luther, amazingly when you consider what had happened to rebels in the past, was able to live and thrive rather than be killed, and the Protestant church established itself so strongly, it shows no signs of vanishing. However, there were wars and much bloodshed in the process, including the Thirty Years War which has been called as devastating for Germany as the conflicts of the twenty-first century.​​

The Battle of Midway - One of the Critical Events in World War II Essay

The Battle of Midway - One of the Critical Events in World War II - Essay Example The military confrontation between the United States of America and the Japanese Empire escalated in the early months of 1942, as strategic territories located in and around the Pacific Ocean saw unprecedented levels of attritional warfare. The following passages will analyze the unfolding of events during the Battle of Midway from various authors’ viewpoints and place this battle in the wider context of the Second World War and the then-emergent new world order. To begin with, let us consider the book written by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully titled Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. The most remarkable aspect of this book is the fact that the authors try to present the political and military developments from the point of view of the Japanese. American and British documentations of the Battle of Midway can at times be biased in favour of the Allied forces. So, this change in perspective offered by Parshall and Tully comes across as refreshing and different. This is not to say that their account of the story lacks objectivity and balance. We learn that Admiral Yamamoto’s planned to keep Japanese forces in the Midway and western Aleutian Islands as a way of gaining the advantage over the Naval Fleet of the United States1. In contrast with the commonly available literature on the Japanese plan, Parshall and Tully explicate in detail its technological, doctrinal and historical aspects spanning the early decad es of the twentieth century. The authors also allude to the contrasting motives and modus operandi of the Japanese and American air strategies. The following passage from the book illustrates the range of references and attention to detail exhibited by the authors: â€Å"The Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu, the four aircraft carriers of "Kido Butai," the First Mobile Striking Force formed the offensive core of Japans fleet. Commanded by Admiral Nagumo, "Kido Butai" planned to attack Midway and then destroy any elements of the U.S. Pacific Fleet that tried to intervene.     

PUBLIC LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

PUBLIC LAW - Essay Example In 1867 the Reform Act extended voting rights so that labourers were also given the right to vote, followed by the introduction of the Representation of the People Act 1918, under which women of property obtained the right to vote. Ten years later the Representation of the People Act 1928 gave all women the right to vote. Despite the right to vote being granted in 1689, many considered that certain persons should remain exempt from the right to vote, in particular those who had committed a criminal offence. This led to the introduction of the Forfeiture Act 1870, which specifically excluded those committed of a criminal offence from the right to vote. More recent legislation endorsed this view as was evidenced by the Representation of the People Act 1983 s3 which was further amended in the Representation of the People Act 1985 and 2000. At present the blanket ban remains in force for those persons who have received a criminal conviction. This is despite objections made by the United Nations in December 2001 in the Concluding Observations of its International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Human Rights Committee. During this Convention the representatives expressed their opinion that denying prisoners the right to vote was a ‘principal subject of concern.’ The denial of the right to vote reached the attention of the media in 2005 when a prisoner by the name of Hirst took the case to the European Court of Human Rights1. The court in this case reached the conclusion that the automatic and indiscriminate restriction on the right of convicted prisoners to vote was incompatible with Art 3 of Protocol 1 of the ECHR. Under Art 3 it states ‘ The High Contracting Parties undertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by secret ballot, under conditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the people in the choice of the legislature.’ The ECHR stated that conviction of a criminal offence should not prevent that individual