Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Shakespeares Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet

Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is the melancholy Dane; Claudius, the smiling villain. Polonius is the oily courtier; Horatio, the loyal friend. Most of the characters in Hamlet are well defined and unambiguous; the character of Gertrude, however, presents us with many ambiguities and difficulties. Some critics see her as "well-meaning but shallow and feminine, in the pejorative sense of the word: incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty" (Heilbrun 10), while others see her as a stronger character, cool and calculating. The play presents many aspects of Gertrude's character ambiguously. Janet Adelman writes,    Given her centrality in the play, it is striking how little we know about Gertrude; even the extent of her involvement in the murder of her first husband is left unclear....The ghost accuses her at least indirectly of adultery and incest...but he never accuses her of nor exonerates her from the murder. For the ghost, as for Hamlet, her chief crime is her uncontrolled sexuality; that is the object of their moral revulsion, a revulsion as intense as anything directed toward the murderer Claudius. But the Gertrude we see is not quite the Gertrude they see. And when we see her in herself, apart from their characterizations of her, we tend to see a woman more muddled than actively wicked; even her famous sensuality is less apparent than her conflicted solicitude both for her new husband and for her son....Even her death is not quite her own to define. Is it a suicide designed to keep Hamlet from danger by dying in his place?...Muddled, fallible, fully human, she seems ultimately to make t he choice that Hamlet would have her make. But even here she does not speak clearly; her character remains relatively closed to us (Adelman 15-16).    In spite of the many ambiguities of Gertrude's character, one of her chief characteristics is wantonness, and like Helen of Troy, Gertrude's wantonness led to tragedy. Wantonness-a word that is little in use nowadays-suggests three characteristics: luxuriously rank extravagance, lack of discipline, and lustfulness. The treatment of Gertrude's character in Hamlet supports the argument that her chief fault is wantonness, for these three characteristics can be seen in her character.    The first characteristic, luxuriousness or extravagance, is not directly stated in the play but can be inferred from the actions of Gertrude. One possible reason for her remarriage after King Hamlet's death is a desire to maintain her position as queen, with all its luxury and comfort.

Poem Red to You vs Reading a Poem Essay

I believe that having a poem read to me is more powerful then reading a poem off of a page. When I close my eyes I can see the words that the reader is speaking, instead of trying to understand what the author is attempting to write to me; so it is easier for me to understand what the author is communicating without decoding the words. When I close my eyes as someone is reading, the reader paints a picture in my head of what the author has written and I can also see the words that are being spoken. The poem being read out loud helps me to get a better understanding of what the author was trying to say without reading between the lines. Having the poem read to me also helps me find different authors that I might not have looked at before or even heard of . So it gives me a bigger variety of the authors I might enjoy reading and an opportunity to ask any questions about what is being read. When I read a poem straight off a page I don’t not know what words to say strongly, it is like I’m reading a really boring article in the news paper or reading a story with no expression. For my logic to work I must assume the person reading to me knows the poem and knows the words to emphasize. Therefor having a poem read to me is more powerful then reading a poem off of a page because I get a better understanding of what is said, I can ask questions. Especially if the reader uses the proper emphasis on key words.

Elizabethan Age Essay

Elizabethan age was an era of extraordinary juxtaposition of whole new avenue of thoughts and avalanche of ideologies, which flowed in words of great literary geniuses. It began with the spirit of Renaissance marked by the quest for adventure and material wealth. It was the age when the minds of the people were lured by the new visions of distant lands rich in gold jewels and were swayed by the captivating charm of the beauty and loveliness. Music, Dance and Mirth played a significant part in their lives. On the other hand, Elizabethan era also saw the decay of moral values. From the noble class to gentry and from royalties to peasantry: people in an inexhaustible pursuit of materialism devoid from spirituality, adopted greed and corrupt values. The literature world delved deep into the psyche of the masses to illustrate the situation whereby in their quest for lavish life, they forgot that the tragic end is waiting for them. Both Marlowe and Shakespeare created the characters in their enduring plays Dr. Faustus and Hamlet who became the emblem of tragic heroes. They both enjoyed royalties because of their noble birth but both of their lives ended in tragedy in virtue of their most tragic flaw in their character. Their flaw was their greed and pride, which led them to pursue their evil designs and eventually their death. Marlowe’s hero is Dr. Faustus who had extraordinary qualities and was a super human but his consuming passion reaches beyond the ordinary aspiration until he meets with his fate. It was not the matter of his own fall but it was a struggle between his overweening soul and in its insatiable ambition, and the limitations, which it seek to overcome. On the other hand, we cannot say Hamlet was lacking in moral values but he was also a conqueror and his greed to revenge the murder of his father surpassed all his good actions and deeds. For the power and wealth, Claudius murdered King Hamlet whose soul wanders and tortures the young Hamlet to ponder upon some foul play. Dr. Faustus’s over ambitious desire and zeal induced him to sell his soul to evil. He abjured the scriptures, the Trinity and Christ to fulfill his inordinate ambition to gain super human powers by gaining mastery over unholy art of magic. By selling the soul to Devil, he lives a Blasphemous life full of vain and sensual pleasures for complete twenty-four years and did not even hesitate to insult and assault the Pope with the Holy Fathers at Rome. Though he feels a constant dispute going on in his soul between his overweening ambition and conscience (a struggle between the seven deadly sins and ethics or moral principles), between the Good Angel and Evil Angel that externalize the inner conflict. But Dr Faustus surrenders himself to the allurements of the Evil Angel, thereby paving his way for eternal damnation. In his inordinate passion to unravel all the mysteries of the universe, he forgot that he cannot overpower the time and when ultimately the time came for the evil angel to take his soul, he realizes that his sins are unpardonable and nothing can save him from eternal damnation. And before the devils snatch away his soul to the burning hell, the excruciating pangs of a deeply agonized soul finds the most poignant expression in Faustus’s final soliloquy. â€Å"My God, my God, look not so fierce to me! Adders and serpents, let me breathe a while! Ugly hell, gape not: come not Lucifer: I’ll burn my books: Ah, Mephistophilis! (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus: Scene XIV) Shakespeare’s Hamlet also had a tragic end-but the end of Hamlet was not due to the flaw in his moral character but the waver of the mind of the noble soul to avenge the death of his father. The play began with the presence of supernatural element in the form of the Ghost of Hamlet’s father. Both Bernardo and Horatio accepted the Ghost as a portent, or as foreshadowing a coming event. The figure of Ghost implied the emergence of foul play that would change the course of Hamlet’s life and the impending doom owing to the Greed of Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius who later ascended the throne of Denmark and married Hamlet’s mother. The indecent haste in which she had remarried made Hamlet think foul play behind his father’s murder and he remarked, â€Å"O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason,/would have mourned longer and made him generalize, â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman! † (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet: Act I, Scene II 146). Prince Hamlet decided to avenge the death of his father but as he was thoughtful by nature, he delayed the revenge and instead entered in a deep melancholy. Claudius and Gertrude in a bid to know about the cause of Hamlet’s behavior made Hamlet’s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to keep a watch on him. On the other hand, Hamlet was blind to seek the revenge of his father and called upon the traveling actors to act a play depicting the scene in the way he had imagined his father was murdered. He invited Claudius to see the play and if he reacted at the scene, Hamlet would be ensured about Claudius guilt. And the same happened, as soon as the scene came, Claudius left the room in haste and Hamlet got the proof. Hamlet went to kill Claudius but when he found him praying, Hamlet stopped as the killing at that time would mean that Claudius soul would go to heaven. Claudius was so scared now that he decided to send Hamlet to England, but meanwhile Hamlet went to meet his mother where Polonius was hidden. Hamlet thought that Claudius was hiding there and in a fit of rage, he picked up the sword and instead of killing Claudius, he killed Polonius. Hearing the news of the death of Polonius, Opthelia went mad with grief and killed herself by drowning in the river. Polonius son, Laertes now wanted to avenge his father and sister’s death. Taking the advantage of situation, Claudius instigated Laertes for a duet with Hamlet, and gave him a sword of poison and also prepared a drink to poison Hamlet to death in case he won the battle. In a sword fighting after the Ophelia’s funeral, Hamlet could hit Laertes first but declined to take a drink instead Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother took a drink and died on the spot. Laertes was able to wound Hamlet and after Laertes revealed the real culprit to Hamlet, he too died due to the cut on his arm by his own sword. Wounded Hamlet did not hesitate even for a second; he picked up a poisoned sword, stabbed Claudius and forced him to drink the remaining of the poisoned wine. Claudius went into the eternal doom and Hamlet too died but after taking his revenge. In play Dr. Faustus, Marlowe had captured the moral value of greed for materialistic matters in the form of Dr. Faustus’s aspirations for gaining the knowledge of black magic, and for this purpose, he bid farewell to the religious values of medieval period, in other words to divinity. â€Å"These metaphysics of magicians And necromantic books are heavenly; O, what a world of profit and delight Of power, of honor of Omnipotence, Is promised to the studious artizen: All things that move between the quiet poles Shall be at my command† (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus: Scene I) These lines show Dr Faustus was pelf with power, whereas, in â€Å"Hamlet†, the main protagonist of William Shakespeare is a noble soul and possesses strong moral convictions. Though he too kills Polonius but it was out of revenge and erroneously mistaking him for Claudius, his father’s murderer. He thinks it is his moral duty to revenge his father’s death then only his father’s soul will rest in peace. He is a true representative of medieval period. He is as said by Herlinde Pauer-Studer in her book, â€Å"Norms, Values and Society†, â€Å"He acts on his moral sense of duty, even though he knows that he is doing it at the cost of his happiness and life. † (Studer-Pauer 1994) He put on his antic disposition and says, â€Å"The time is out of joint, O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right. † (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet: Act I Scene V) The second comparison can be made between Hamlet and Dr. Faustus in the way both Hamlet and Dr Faustus carried out their plans to fulfill their aims. Dr. Faustus defies the medieval conventions of love, selfishness and trust to become all powerful and wealthy and tried to become evil by killing his own ministers. He is a true representative of Renaissance period whereby man can go into an extreme extent to achieve his aims. â€Å"With the help of spirits Dr, Faustus feels: â€Å"I’ll levy soldiers with the coin they bring, and chase the Prince of Parma from the land, and reign sole king of all our provinces. † (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus: Scene I) Whereas on the other hand though Hamlet’s aim was good but the route he adopted was not consistent with Christian ethics. He followed dishonest ways like deception and homicide to carry on with the plan of revenge. â€Å"I am myself indifferent honest; but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me; I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious †¦What should such fellows as I do crawling between heaven and earth. † (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet: Act III, Scene I) But there are certain elements of good deeds and the values of medieval ages that still are visible in the human souls and in their thoughts and actions. Both Marlowe and Shakespeare created the characters that were not evil in the real sense. Before carrying on their evil deeds the goodness, which prevail in their soul makes them to give second thoughts in the form of the consequences of their deeds. This is third aspect in the way Shakespeare and Marlowe made protagonists think of the consequences, which they can face if they follow their whims. Hamlet was in a state of dilemma, â€Å"To be or Not to be† (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet: Act III, Scene I) whether to take revenge by killing or not, and the consequences of his actions loom large on him. His soul was arguing whether his actions followed the norms of the society or not? Is it evil to punish the evil or killing is wrong altogether. If one goes by the rule utilitarianism, one must follow the rules and which would bring utility for all. (Studer-Pauer 1994) and in this concept what Hamlet did is absolutely right but according to the law of the land what he did was wrong and way he carried out his executions had serious lapses. These lapses occurred only because his other side of the soul was not permitting him to carry on with the killings. His character of being a noble soul came to light in the scene when he was going to kill Claudius but when he saw him praying he could not kill him. Whereas Dr. Faustus finally sold his soul to Evil, still the good side of his was again and again prompted him to go back to divinity and seek forgiveness from Jesus. His conscious mind was rebelling against his whims in the form of Good Angels but he did not bother to listen. This is the finest example in English literature to prove the biggest reality of the man’s nature. Man is not born evil but even if he is succumbing to evil designs, there within deep his heart and soul, his consciousness will keep on prompting him what he is doing is wrong. This is the difference between Hamlet and Dr Faustus. Hamlet wants to take revenge but his virtuous character and goodness in him was making him delay the revenge. He did take revenge finally but at the cost of his own life and the life of so many others. Whereas though the Dr Faustus’s conscious mind was prompting him to recede but he want only more and more of wealth and power. Claudius got punished for the sins he committed not by his choice but by fate, and Laertes repented, â€Å"Laertes, poisoned by his own sword, declares, â€Å"I am justly kill’d with my own treachery. † (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet: V Scene II 318). Whereas Dr. Faustus’s end was the result of his own deed-his deal with devil Lucifer and he lamented, â€Å"On God, whom Faustus hath abjured! On God whom Faustus hath Blasphemed! Ah, my God, I would weep! But the Devil draws in my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears! yea, life and soul-O, he stays my tongue! I would life up my hands; but see they hold em, they hold em! † (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus: Scene III) There was a certain fascination associated with the transition, which was carried on in the period of renaissance and the plays try to show the same. On one hand, there was whole new lease of life in the form of scientific and technological developments and on the other hand moral values were loosing ground. People were not thinking that for every beginning there is an end. With this there was a sense of insecurity too, which is so destined. The distinction points were made keeping in view the social circumstances of the time. There was reformation in every sphere of life and people were swept by the waves of these reformations. These reformations were like magic for them. With the magical powers of scientific discoveries and technological advancement, every one wanted to gain wealth, power and prestige without adhering to religious norms and wanted life of sexual fulfillment and pleasurable living even at the cost of killing near and dear ones. REFERENCES Baker J. , Bredemann A. , & Brussart B. , McLeer A. , Tuck Tiffany & Wolowicz T. 1997. Renaissance Attitudes Towards Faustus as a Magician.Retrieved on September 25, 2007 from http://www. english. uga. edu/cdesmet/tiffany/faustus. htm Collins J. (2006) An Introspective Look at Corruption from Hamlet Spoiled Fruits, Stolen Nation Retrieved on September 24, 2007 from W. W. W: http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/70560/an_introspective_look_at_corruption. html Marlowe C. Doctor Faustus (1588) New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company, 1909–14 Shakespeare W. Hamlet (1600) The Norton Shakespeare: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. , New York, NY: 1997 Studer-Pauer, Herlinde (1994) â€Å"Norms, Values, and Society† Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Essays

Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Essays Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Paper Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution Paper Identify the major reasons causing the light pollution in urban areas. Examine the methods to control excessive usage of external lighting. BY aakk1234991 Light pollution is an issue that affects the livability of a city. Although it is not always considered as a serious environmental concern, it Is an issue that has serious impact on the environment, ecology and society. Outdoor lighting Is designed with a purpose. External lighting Is considered as functional lighting. However, over-11th outdoor lamps including traffic lamps and advertisement spotlights have led to 377 implants to various government departments in 2009 (Imaging, 2010). The problem of light pollution have arouse much concerns. Are there any government policies that regulate the lighting at night and protect the dark sky of Hong Kong? This paper argues the main causes of light pollution as well as evaluating current polices on restricting unnecessary lighting In the city. To begin with, the term light pollution must be defined first. According to the International Dark-sky Association (IDA), light pollution is defined as any adverse effect of artificial light including sky low, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste (IDA, 2010). Urban sky glow is defined as the brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas (IDA, 2009). Light trespass is defined as light falling to places where it is not Intended, wanted or needed (IDA, 2009). Clutter is the bright, confusing and excessive groups of light sources commonly found In over-11th urban cycles (IDA, 2009). The combined effects of sky glow, light trespass and clutter leads to light pollution in the city. There are 2 main objectives of outdoor lighting. The first objective is to revive visibility (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Traffic light and headlights on motor vehicles are essential to provide a certain amount of visible distance for the drivers to drive safely. Headlights are designed such that the maximum amount of luminous flux Is parallel to the road. However, there Is always light escaped from the designed direction and reach the outer part of the road. As a result, observers standing beside the road can receive a considerable amount of unwanted light (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). The huge amount of traffic on roads therefore is a great cause for eight pollution. The second purpose of outdoor lighting is to decorate the city at night (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Commercial activity at night must come along with a well lit environment. People are attracted by high-quality outdoor lighting on the streets to go shopping and leisure activities at night, Neon lights, outdoor advertisements and spotlights are the characteristics of the night view of Hong Kong. A Symphony of Lights organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board since 2004 is a synchronized laser and light multimedia display which has attracted millions of rigorists (Tourism Commission, 2005). Tourists are also attracted to see the charming view of the Victoria Harbor at night. However, the charming night view of the Harbor has become the cover story of an International astronomy magazine, being an commercial activities at night are another reason for light pollution. Observations for astronomy objects are very difficult to make as a consequence of light pollution. Lighting of industrial sites, airports, building sites, road and street lighting, advertising signs, floodlighting of buildings, lighting of sports facilities may interfere tit astronomical observations (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). A phenomenon called sky glow is the reason for dimmed astronomy objects. The upward light from poorly designed lamps are scattered and reflected downwards by aerosols in the atmosphere, reducing the details of the night sky (Motion 2002). Stargazing activities are therefore seriously affected by sky glow as many of the twinkle stars are covered up by the bright night. Wasted lighting is costly to the environment. The greenhouse gases produced and fossil fuel consumed on lighting is notable. Although street lighting consumed only 0. % in overall electricity consumption in 2009 (Census and Statistics Department, 2008), the overall effect cannot be neglected. Road lamps in Hong Kong are automatic. When the environment reach a certain darkness level. However, the lamps will not be turned off if there is no body nearby. They are kept on for the whole night even though they are not in use. Advertisement boards waste even more energy. A non-government organization Friends of the Earth launc hed a Ridiculous Lightings Vote in 2008. Spotlight outside the Windsor House was elected as the most ridiculous lighting by more than 600 citizens. The luminance level was 10,000 lug, which was 20 times brighter than a normal office (FOE, 2008). High-rise buildings in Hong Kong always use spotlights and LED to make their appearance sharper at night. One can see the advertisement display on the wall of Hopeless Center in Hawaiian across the Harbor. Even worst is that these highly laminated advertisement boards remain bright the whole night long. Another environmental group, Green Sense, conducted a study in 2007 to examine the number of neon lights, advertisement boards and spotlights that are still operating in major roads in Mongo Kook and This Shah Thus at 2300. The study revealed that a total of 1330 spotlights were used for 120 advertisement boards. 91 neon lights were still operating even though the shop concerned was closed (Green Sense, 2007). This kind of decorative lightings are obviously a kind of wastage. Light pollution has a significant impact on individuals health. Human beings are adapted too light/dark regime of 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness depending on latitude and season (as cited in Ashram, 2009, p. 23). According to Ashram (2009), The primary unction of the human circadian rhythm, as set by the internal clock and outside visual reference, is the release of hormones that help to regulate varying bodily functions in response to the internal perception of time (p. 25). Light pollution is a form of annoyance. According to the World Health Organization, annoyance is described as follows, Annoyance is a feeling of displeasure associated with any agent or condition believed to affect adversely an individual or a group (as cited in Marinara Schroeder, 2004, p. 79). Friends of the Earth (HOOK) discovered that more Han 1900 street lamps are mounted on the wall of buildings. These lamps are too close to the residents and cause nuisance to them (FOE, 2009). They are like a kind of free bedside light turned on for the whole night with a strong intensity. A local resident, Mr.. Fond, described, The floodlight here switches off after 1200. The light is floodlight. In order to have good rest, I have to put up three layers of curtain (Sing Tao Ltd, 2007). It is obvious that this kind of wall lamps may cause annoyance to the residents. Nevertheless, the impact on health caused by light pollution is significant ND cannot be neglected. To be frank, there is no single department dealing with light pollution currently. Even worst is that there is no laws and guidelines regulating the problem of over-lit outdoor lamps. The former Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dry Sarah Lila replied to a question raised in a Legislative Council meeting in 2007 as follow: Light nuisance that may result from advertisement light boxes on the external face of buildings for the purpose of advertisement is not subject to control under the existing environmental legislations E light intensity of these facilities and whether they cause nuisance to nearby residents falls outside the current scope of control. (HUSSAR Government, 2007) The government cannot control any of the measures that directly lead to light pollution such as light intensity, direction of the luminous flux and angle of operation. Secretary for Transport an d Housing, Ms Eva Change, expressed that the government would consider the feasibility of legislation to regulate external lighting in the view point of energy wastage in a meeting in the Legislative Council in 2009 (HUSSAR Government, 2009). This suggests that the government would only consider the perspective on energy wastage but not the impact of light pollution on individuals and the ecosystem. As there is no measures that deal with light pollution, what methods can be used to regulate unnecessary external lighting? Light pollution cannot be alleviated solely by private initiative since it is not a problem that directly threatens the health of the general public. Legislation, therefore, is the only way to deal with the problem (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). In some Europe countries like the Czech Republic, Belgium and Spain, legislation have been made concerning light pollution. In other parts of the world, various guidelines and regulations have been adopted (Olivarez del Castillo et al. , 2003). Zoning and hour of restriction (curfew time) are the 2 parameters that are generally used to control light pollution (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Zoning is a method dividing areas into zones. One of the methods is dividing the city into environment sub-zones (Marinara Schroeder, 2004). Different standards of restrictions are imposed in different areas. The city would be beautified by a decent environmental zoning scheme. An effective environmental zoning scheme also discourages unwanted light and alleviates light pollution (Aka, 2008). Hour of restriction (curfew time) is a method restricting the operating time of outdoor lightings. The major consideration of setting hour of restriction is to ensure a better resting environment at night. In order to identify the appropriate time for restricting outdoor lightings, working and rest hour are the 2 major considerations. As for the case in Hong Kong, 1 1 pm would be a suitable time. However, switching off outdoor advertisement light boxes may decrease incentives for entertainment at night and even mislead others that the shop is closed. Nevertheless, curfew time would be an effective way of alleviating light pollution (Aka, 2008). To conclude, It can be seen that light pollution causes serious destruction to the society and the environment. Lack of regulations is the main reason that leads to brightened night sky. By taking suitable The aim of achieving sustainable usage of energy and utility can be met. After implementing suitable measures to regulate light pollution, the city would be a more livable place to live in.

The Ubiquitous Butt

The Ubiquitous Butt The Ubiquitous Butt The Ubiquitous Butt By Maeve Maddox The word butt in the sense of buttocks was once considered unsuitable for general use. Comedians used it to get a laugh, but it was not considered acceptable in polite conversation. Children were taught to use less offensive colloquialisms like rear-end or backside. Nowadays the word has become so acceptable that it has largely replaced buttock and buttocks, even in formal contexts: Best 10 Exercises to Tone Your Butt 18 Exercises to Tone Your Legs and Butt Butt Augmentation Options: Fat Injections vs Implants Dr. Constantino Mendieta: Miami Butt Augmentation Specialist Speakers used to attaching only one meaning to butt may be unfamiliar with other words that are spelled the same but have meanings unrelated to human or animal anatomy. The Oxford English Dictionary has fourteen entries for the word butt as a noun. Its sense of â€Å"human posterior† developed from this definition: The thicker end of anything, especially of a tool or weapon, the part by which it is held or on which it rests; e.g. the lower end of a spear-shaft, whip-handle, fishing-rod, the broad end of the stock of a gun or pistol. The etymology of butt in the sense of â€Å"thicker end† is obscure, but the word seems to be cognate with foreign words with such meanings as blunt, short, thickset, and stumpy. Boston butt This cut of meat does not come from the rear of an animal. It is the upper portion of a pork shoulder containing a small piece of the shoulder blade and characterized by leanness. The origin of this use of butt comes from this definition: â€Å"a cask for wine or ale; later, also a measure of capacity.† On the upper east coast of colonial America, butchers packed less prized cuts of pork like the shoulder of the pig into butts (barrels) for storage and transport. The shoulder cut packed in this way became associated with New England, chiefly Boston, hence, â€Å"Boston butt.† shooting an arrow at the butt Another definition of butt is â€Å"a hillock (small hill) or a mound.† A meaning that developed from butt as mound is â€Å"a mark for shooting.† Archery targets were set up on a mound or embankment. Because there were usually two butts on an archery range, one at each extremity of the range, one might speak of â€Å"a pair of butts.† Another term for an archery range is â€Å"the butts.† This butt comes from French but: â€Å"goal, target.† This meaning of butt as target gives us the expression â€Å"to be the butt of a joke†: â€Å"an object at which ridicule, scorn, or abuse, is aimed.† The word butt can also be used as a verb. One of its verbal meanings is â€Å"to strike, thrust, shove or push with the head or horns.† This butt is related to modern French bouter, â€Å"to strike, thrust, project† and gives us these expressions: to butt in: to intrude where one is not wanted. Example: Stop butting in our conversation. to butt out: to stop intruding or interfering. Example: I told him to butt out of my private affairs. A curious fact about the shortening of buttock to the shorter form butt is that buttock is itself a diminutive form of butt (â€Å"thicker end of something†). The suffix -ock is the same one that makes hillock mean â€Å"a small hill.† 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†Among vs. AmongstBail Out vs. Bale Out

Pro's of distant learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pro's of distant learning - Essay Example eo conferencing, and virtual mode) has been a mechanism that has been used to reach out into communities where individuals want to obtain an education but has not been necessarily easy to obtain using the traditional classroom setting. It has been geared to reach individuals that are at a distance and want to study but are not physically at the university campus and its surroundings and/or do not have time to take these courses using the traditional classroom setting. In today ´s day and age of information technology, distant education continues to exist and many more higher education institutions are offering these non-traditional courses. Information Technology is here to stay. There are different paradigms that are used by institutions of higher education (synchronous/asynchronous). There are forums where the students and the assessor discuss topics, ask questions, and make comments. This type of communication opened infinite possibilities in making distant education accessible to all of those individuals who want to obtain higher education recognition (diploma/degree). The visual mode within distant learning is a powerful asset. You not only communicate by writing and in some instances sound is included, but by having the visual mode incorporated into this virtual paradigm augments the possibilities given the different learning styles. According to Veenema & Gardner (1996) interactive technology could become a valuable tool in education if it takes into consideration how the human mind works. These authors stated that â€Å"†¦cognitivists argue that individuals do not just react to or perform in the world; they possess minds, and these minds contain mental representations-images, schemes, pictures, frames, languages, ideas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 70) They emphasized that some mental representations that individuals have are that they are born with them or are formed at an early age, have proven to be enduring but that others are created, transformed or dissolved over time