Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic Fallacy Pathetic Fallacy Pathetic Fallacy By Mark Nichol Is a pathetic fallacy really all that pathetic? Although some literary critics condemn the technique, the person who coined the phrase was attacking not its use but its overuse. Pathetic fallacy is the association of feelings, sensations, or thoughts to inanimate objects, such as when a writer describes a cruel sea or a brooding cliff or an unyielding boulder. Nineteenth-century critic John Ruskin wasn’t being pejorative when he first described the concept; pathetic, in his usage indeed, in its original sense refers not to something pitiful, as the dominant modern connotation implies, but to something associated with feeling. (Pathos, the Greek word from which pathetic is derived, means â€Å"emotion, experience, or suffering.†) Pathetic fallacy also applies to scientific and technical contexts. For example, the widely misquoted and misunderstood statement â€Å"Information wants to be free† imputes a motive to information. (The entire comment by technology writer Stewart Brand has been manifested variously, including this version: â€Å"Information wants to be free. Information also wants to be expensive. . . . That tension will not go away.†) However, as the noted philosopher-warrior Yoda sagely observed, â€Å"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.† Strictly speaking, no inanimate object or phenomenon can attempt something; it can only accomplish or fail to accomplish it. But even scientific and technical writers often indulge in poetic license, describing how, for example, electricity tries to complete a circuit, as if the force were engaged in an endeavor prompted by a cognitive cue. That’s not too far removed from, for example, a novelist’s or a poet’s reference to icy fingers of gusting wind trying to penetrate a ramshackle cabin during a blizzard. So, don’t hesitate to employ pathetic fallacy ascribing emotion to phenomena (â€Å"Nature abhors a vacuum†) is a sensible analogy, and sensible and subtle literary use is likely to be effective and unobtrusive but put your critical faculties on full alert to recognize when overreaching produces purple prose or poesy. 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 Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking30 Baseball IdiomsWhat is an Anagram?

Outsourcing And Project Valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outsourcing And Project Valuation - Essay Example Typically the service that they share is not considered their core-business and the firms that are outsourced specialize in those specific types of work. The outsourced organizations are referred to as - centers for shared services – and are in charge of handling and executing of specific operational tasks, such as human resources, payroll, legal, compliance, security. Outsourcing could take the form of hiring service providers who handle the distinct business processes, for example, employee benefits management (Brown and Wilson 2005). Currently the management in the organization has not outsourced any service, but plan to use the shared services. The organization is a small computer store and has lately experience massive growth in revenues. This has brought the strain to meet the finance and administrative tasks to support the core program work. Management feels the need for a more professional touch to the operation of the organization since it is dissatisfied with the per formance of the in-house paid staff or pro bono professionals. The impact of not finding better solutions to the transactional and accounting service has been high staff turnover, inefficiency and burnout, cash flow crises, loss of funding, missed opportunities etc. At best, the negative impacts have posed as great distraction for the leaders and have stunted the growth and sustainability. The perceived benefits of using shared service centers have motivated the management to consider this outsourcing option. The decision to outsource has been put down by the strategic managers and they have arrived at that by brainstorming through the stages. First, they have developed the organization’s principal about the role of outsourcing activities by strategic thinking. Second, the evaluation and selection phase has led them to decide on the appropriate projects to consider outsourcing and the service providers to select. Third phase involved contract development, outlining the legal work and service level agreement terms. Finally management has considered refining the ongoing working relations between the clients and outsourced service providers. In the plan to use outsourcing the consideration has been the success index. This depends on three factors: timely and efficient communication to affected staff; client’s position to manage the service providers; and executive-level support in the outsourcing mission in the client organization. Management realizes that the service provider being outsourced needs a combination of skills in areas such as, communication, negotiation, project management and the ability to understand the terms and conditions of the contracts. Most importantly is the service providers’ willingness to change with the changing business needs. DQ2-Measuring return on investment (ROI) How does your company/organization measure returns on investments (ROI) in IT? What process is in place to approve  projects, and what weight, if a ny, is given to using financial metrics in the project approval process? The managing director of the computer store has established a performance measure to evaluate the efficiency of the investment in IT by the company. The ROI metric is popular in the company because of its simplicity and versatility and it can clearly show if the investment has a positive ROI or otherwise. Adopting the ROI measure was encouraged by the need to have a type of economic justification, specifically to provide the executive and strategic

Wilmot's Proviso and the Kansas-Nebraska Act Assignment

Wilmot's Proviso and the Kansas-Nebraska Act - Assignment Example Two of these factors were the Wilmot’s Proviso of 1846 and Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Both the Wilmot’s Proviso amendment to the bill and the Kansas-Nebraska Act addressed the issue of slavery in the newly ceded territories to America. Wilmot’s Proviso proved to be anti-slavery while the Kansas Nebraska Act was established as pro-slavery in nature. Wilmot’s Proviso condemned slavery and claimed that â€Å"neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist† (ushistory.org). This amendment was heartily accepted by the people of northern anti-slavery territories whereas the southern pro-slavery activists strongly opposed it. This resulted in clashes between individuals united by the country flag but divided by geographic demarcation. Wilmot’s proviso was approved by the House of Representatives number of times, but was never passed in Senate and hence never enjoyed the status of a law. Though history does not record loss of lives on this account, it nevertheless was the start of a bitter enmity among the people of USA and a breeding point for the Civil War. On the other hand, Kansas-Nebraska Act proposed that people should be free to decide whether slavery should be practiced in their territories or not. This Act was particularly famous amongst the southern pro-slavery masses and infuriated the northern anti-slavery population. After this Act was passed, people heavily migrated to Kansas to influence the forthcoming elections. This resulted in scuffles all over Kansas causing bloodshed. This brought the pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists in combat on many notions, rejecting the results of the elections on bases of rigging. Federal troops were called in to stop the violence and establish peace while the pro-slavery legislatures were dispersed. Even so, the next few elections were discarded on same charges. These political power games continued till the Civil War was declared in the region. Though both Wilmot’s Proviso

Cell phone use should be banned while driving Essay

Cell phone use should be banned while driving - Essay Example 80 percent of crashes are related to driver inattention. There are certain activities that may be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. However, cell phone use occurs more frequently and for longer durations than other, riskier behaviours. Thus, the #1 source of driver inattention is cell phones† (Cell Phone Use While Driving Fact Sheet, 2009) The above statistics clearly indicate the association of cell phones in road accidents and also the degree of damages it can cause to the public and the society. Cell phone usages while driving should be prohibited legally in order to prevent such huge losses of lives and property and this paper argues in favor of banning cell phone usages while driving. â€Å"Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash while using a cell phone† (Cell Phone Use While Driving Fact Sheet, 2009) Driving is an art which requires the co-ordination of hands, legs and eyes together. Moreover the driver’s mind should be focused on what is happening in front and at the back while driving in order to take prompt decisions. Lot of decision making is required while driving. Any faulty decision can create accidents. It is impossible for a driver to take proper driving decisions while using the cell phones. The content of the communication might be good or bad; in both the cases it can result in the mood changes of the driver and thereby his focus on driving will be decreased and accident probability can be increased. Even while taking out the cell phones or operating it; the driver’s attention can be distracted. One moment is enough for an accident to happen. We are living in a stressful world and our mind always agitated with some thoughts. The information we get from other side while using cell phones may not be always good. For example, a business executive can get some fiery words from his superior while driving, because of cell phones.

Trial by Jury, Is the Lamp That Shows That Freedom Lives Assignment

Trial by Jury, Is the Lamp That Shows That Freedom Lives - Assignment Example The task of this paper is to determine whether â€Å"the lamp that shows that freedom lives† has lost its glow or is there still a need for jury service? The answers to the questions are in the affirmative. The prevailing government policy is to limit access to trial by jury to the most serious offences or indictable offences such as murder and rape and persons accused of summary offences such as driving offences, drunkenness or disorderly behaviour, common assault and criminal damage where the damage cost is less than ?50003 shall not be entitled to a trial by jury. Cases of this nature shall fall within the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court. On the other hand, the Magistrates or Crown Court has concurrent jurisdiction over offenses such as theft, burglary and assault resulting in actual bodily harm, these are otherwise known as the â€Å"tri-able either way† offences. However, before a case is sent to the Crown Court, the Magistrates Court shall first determine if the case is grave enough to warrant an indictment before the Crown. Jury participation is seen to have been gradually dissipated or eroded. Before 1927, a coroner’s inquests is participated by juries to determine if there is sufficient ground to indict the person accused of the crime of killing to stand trial-either for murder or manslaughter. However, jury participation in 1927 was to limited inquest cases and under the Coroners Act 19884, coroner’s jury shall be necessary only when there is reason to suspect a death occurred in prison; in police custody or as a result of police causing injury; which is reportable under separate legislation to a government department or officer or to the Health & Safety Executive; occurring in circumstances prejudicial to public health or safety; and in any other case where it appears to him that there is reason to do so. Under the guise of administration of law and speedy disposition of cases, trial by jury is restricted in minor of fences and this is advocated to favour the victims of more serious or heinous crimes. Jury participation was dispensed with under the proposed Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008 where the Home Office Secretary is empowered to create special inquests for reasons of national security or when public interest requires it. Although this provision was removed from the Counter-Terrorism Bill, it was included in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Jury trial has likewise been abolished in civil cases except for cases involving libel and false imprisonment as well as in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.5 The first argument proffered by the government that trial by jury is a slow process is indeed valid considering that it involves jury selection, interpretation of the law and summation of evidence by the judge and ending with the deliberation of the jury to either acquit or convict however expediency should not sacrifice the right of the accused to be tried by his peers summoned to m ake an fair and impartial ruling. This is a substantial right which cannot be withdrawn at will by the government because this guarantees that the accused’

DADT Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

DADT Policy - Essay Example To address the problem of cost for the American people with regards to implementing the DADT policy, it’s interesting to look at how many people have been discharged over the years. According to United States Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2009), there are around 620 discharged military personnel accused under DADT from 2006-2008. Most people discharged under the policy have served the military for more than two years, making it hard and costly to replace them. According to GAO (2009), it costs an estimated $193.3 million to replace the thousands of servicemen who have been discharged from 2004-09 due to the DADT policy. To consider the personal cost to those discharged people is harder. But most people working more than two years for the military must have chosen it as a career. To be sacked due to one’s sexual orientation is not only horrible but might also destroy these people’s financial situation and future job possibilities. It might prove hard to f ind a job that could match what they were deemed unfit for, and the recovery could take a long time. Both personal and administrative in implementing DADT is unnecessary and burden to all American taxpayers. The unfortunate truth about DADT is that its implementation is not aligned with what our allies believe in. Today, there are 25 countries that allow gays to serve their armed forces including Canada, Australia, Israel and the UK. Of all the original NAT countries, only the US and Turkey still have bans on homosexuals in the military in place.

Trial by Jury, Is the Lamp That Shows That Freedom Lives Assignment

Trial by Jury, Is the Lamp That Shows That Freedom Lives - Assignment Example The task of this paper is to determine whether â€Å"the lamp that shows that freedom lives† has lost its glow or is there still a need for jury service? The answers to the questions are in the affirmative. The prevailing government policy is to limit access to trial by jury to the most serious offences or indictable offences such as murder and rape and persons accused of summary offences such as driving offences, drunkenness or disorderly behaviour, common assault and criminal damage where the damage cost is less than ?50003 shall not be entitled to a trial by jury. Cases of this nature shall fall within the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court. On the other hand, the Magistrates or Crown Court has concurrent jurisdiction over offenses such as theft, burglary and assault resulting in actual bodily harm, these are otherwise known as the â€Å"tri-able either way† offences. However, before a case is sent to the Crown Court, the Magistrates Court shall first determine if the case is grave enough to warrant an indictment before the Crown. Jury participation is seen to have been gradually dissipated or eroded. Before 1927, a coroner’s inquests is participated by juries to determine if there is sufficient ground to indict the person accused of the crime of killing to stand trial-either for murder or manslaughter. However, jury participation in 1927 was to limited inquest cases and under the Coroners Act 19884, coroner’s jury shall be necessary only when there is reason to suspect a death occurred in prison; in police custody or as a result of police causing injury; which is reportable under separate legislation to a government department or officer or to the Health & Safety Executive; occurring in circumstances prejudicial to public health or safety; and in any other case where it appears to him that there is reason to do so. Under the guise of administration of law and speedy disposition of cases, trial by jury is restricted in minor of fences and this is advocated to favour the victims of more serious or heinous crimes. Jury participation was dispensed with under the proposed Counter-Terrorism Bill 2008 where the Home Office Secretary is empowered to create special inquests for reasons of national security or when public interest requires it. Although this provision was removed from the Counter-Terrorism Bill, it was included in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Jury trial has likewise been abolished in civil cases except for cases involving libel and false imprisonment as well as in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.5 The first argument proffered by the government that trial by jury is a slow process is indeed valid considering that it involves jury selection, interpretation of the law and summation of evidence by the judge and ending with the deliberation of the jury to either acquit or convict however expediency should not sacrifice the right of the accused to be tried by his peers summoned to m ake an fair and impartial ruling. This is a substantial right which cannot be withdrawn at will by the government because this guarantees that the accused’