Hot Fuss by The Killers free essay sample

Every great album has its own unique elements that separate it from all the others. In this case, Hot Fuss molded the path to a 4 1/2-star rating on iTunes through a murder trilogy, a song about wanting to do something unforgettable, and several tracks about love with aspects to them that you wont find anywhere else. Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (the lead vocalist), The Killers made their ultimate breakthrough with Hot Fuss, their debut album, in 2004. Songs like Mr. Brightside, Smile Like You Mean It, Somebody Told Me, and All These Things That Ive Done gave the album a catchy feel and all ranked in the Top 10 in both the UK and US. So, did the other songs deserve the same attention? Jenny Was a Friend of Mine | The Killers made their murder trilogy tricky, but understandable to those with open ears. The first track is actually the last part of the triumvirate, the first part being Leave The Bourbon on the Shelf (part of their third album, Sawdust) and the second part being one of the later songs in Hot Fuss, Midnight Show. We will write a custom essay sample on Hot Fuss by The Killers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jenny Was a Friend of Mine has one of the more literal set of lyrics, discussing how the narrator kills his friend (Jenny) and is going in for frequent questioning. The classic rock vibe mashes excellently with the panicked tone of Flowerss voice, which leads to more signs pointing in the direction of the narrator being guilty. As it is known in The Killers songs, the lyrics in the second verse can unexpectedly alter thus, making the song all the more fascinating. The backstory is revealed in the first two parts, but Jenny Was a Friend of Mine ties up as many loose ends as it can whilst still leaving the outcome vague and pleasantly mysterious. 2. Mr. Brightside | The logical question here would be, Who doesnt know this song? Upon listening to this song on the radio, I instantly fell in love and wanted to look into the band. A week later, I bought the whole album. Nine years after the album was released, and the local radio station is still playing this song? Yes, this song did deserve all the attention it got. The chorus encompasses the overall meaning of the song the narrator finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him (Shes touching his chest, now/he takes off her dress, now), or at least a friend that is with another guy. But, in this case, he doesnt murder her. While the song holds just as much significance as the others, its clear that its known more for its popular lyrics than its simplistic meaning. The perfect use of synthesizers combined with the stuck-in-your-head tune made this the catchiest song on the album for many fans, and rightfully so. 3. Smile Like You Mean It | The intended meaning of this track seals the deal as one of my favorite songs on Hot Fuss. For those wanting to listen to a reflective song about childhood and fast-forwarding into the future, but not having that too-frequently-used, depressing ambience of looking back at the past, Smile Like You Mean It is the perfect fit. Its not even the least bit surprising that this made the top charts in two countries. As Billboard stated, the song seems to deal with coming to terms with growing up and getting older. Each verse, backed by the impressive guitar chords, consists of memories that the narrator had through childhood and adolescence, and the thought-provoking fact about how its vital to think through your decisions and make the best choices you can before its too late. It doesnt sugarcoat reality, but it Smile Like You Mean It still provides the most optimistic outlook on life while simultaneously being realistic. 4. Somebody Told Me | Even though the song has been praised to and fro by critics across the globe, even the biggest fan of The Killers has to admit that its main line is odd. Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend/who looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year. For several days of listening to this particular song over and over again, I wondered if it was as unusual as it seemed, so I contemplated alternate meanings that I may have been missing. It turns out, however, that I was over-thinking it. Brandon Flowers is as literal as can be when he talks about an ex-girlfriend that possibly swapped genders. The verses build up to an even bigger picture that ends up being a guy (the narrator) chasing a girl that wont pay any attention to him, and then finding out that little secret. Its obvious that Flowers pours emotion into all his songs, but in Somebody Told Me, it pertains to the order of lyrics, which makes the storyline all the more realistic. In the opening ve rse, Breaking my back just to know your name/seventeen tracks and Ive had it with this game, you can clearly tell, just by the tone of his voice, that the narrator is sick and tired of chasing this girl that seems to not want to be found. Then, in the chorus, he becomes frantic because he wants to know the truth behind the rumor. Not to mention the exceptional use of the synthesizers and guitar, of course. This song is a rock masterpiece, and I applaud The Killers for this stunning track. 5. All These Things That Ive Done | If I had absolutely had to pick one favorite, this would be it. Now, if a song is over five minutes, some of them have a tendency to just be too long. Nobody wants to have that song that theyre inclined to skip over because of the extreme and unnecessarily longevity of it. And then there are those that are very catchy, use every minute to its advantage, and is still loved by thousands of people. All These Things That Ive Done executes that perfectly. Though the meaning is momentous, its also quite basic and very relatable. There are many people who want to do something memorable this songs example is being a soldier, but you can interpret that any way you choose: a soldier could be someone who does something memorable, or it could only be someone in the army. (Yes, theres a difference.) My favorite line, Ive got soul, but Im not a soldier, is the line I would use to represent this song. The narrator feels like he and many others have the potentia l to do something big, but just dont know how to get there, and Im sure weve all felt that way to some extent. Listening to this song sends chills through my spine and Im certain its done the same to others. 6. Andy, Youre a Star | It may surprise some of you, but not all songs with names in the title necessarily mean theyre about love. Brandon Flowers confirmed that the sixth track on Hot Fuss is not about him complimenting a girl, but reassuring a boy. The meaning of this song is so valuable, and provides so much insight into the hellhole that high school can be and one example of that. Andy is one of the top athletes of his school, and has noteworthy skills; but his 10 minutes of fame takes a turn for the worse, because that 10 minutes couldve transformed into something so much bigger. Andy sacrifices this by doing drugs, wasting his time by having sexual interactions with a girl (In a car with a girl/promise me shes not your world), and not concentrating on things of vitality. The people that are glorified for their athletic abilities take that recognition for granted, and the narrator wants Andy to know that he could make it big if he halted these dumb and costly actions. The song is short, simple but I believe that its inspirational. Its not degrading those who are popular, but lifting up the ones who deserve it. The bold bass chords blend remarkably with Flowerss serious tone, making it another favorite of mine on the album. 7. On Top | The interpretations for this particular song have varied, but from what Ive concluded (after a bit of research, I might add), this song is about a mans sexual intercourse with a girl. The first line, Remember Rio, and get down obviously has to do with the hotel/casino in Las Vegas (where the band formed). The narrator has been waiting all night to find a girl he wants to have sex with, and then finds that one girl who seems to be shy and hesitant. From that point on, people seem to interpret the song differently, but I acquired some information about Rio and found out that it has roof access. The title of the song seems to refer to the narrator and the girl he had sexual interactions with going on top of the building. It could be a stretch, but its a theory in progress. Even though On Top isnt one of my favorites of the album, it is, nevertheless, very catchy, and its a nice refresher from the common songs that, unlike this one, dont get down to the nitty-gritty. 8. Change Your Mind | This is definitely one of the more basic songs on the album, but it doesnt lack the the classic rock semblance that all the other songs carry. Sure, its a little slow and not nearly as energetic as, say, Midnight Show, but adding this one track even made it more apparent that the songs dont blend together at all. The lyrics are practically transparent: the narrator is telling how he was in love with a girl, how they tried to make their relationship work, and how it failed. Now, hes burdened by these constant feelings that sneak up on him about how he still feels something for the girl. The result isnt insinuated; the song just discusses the problem itself, which I love. Many beautiful songs tell a thorough story, but this one sticks solely to the predicament, which is uncomplicated yet soothing to listen to. 9. Believe Me Natalie | After talking to many people who have a mutual interest in The Killers (and, more specifically, Hot Fuss), about half those people talked nonstop about Believe Me Natalie. Several of them said that not only was this track their favorite of the album, but their favorite song of all time, which was incentive enough for me to go listen to it. Although I couldnt say that its my favorite of the album, you cant fully understand Hot Fuss without listening to Believe Me Natalie. Its beautiful in its entirety; it consists of The Killers signature rock theme, but has a complex, underlying meaning of the song that leaves fans puzzled at the first listen. Despite the fact that what the narrator is trying to convey seems quite obvious, you end up second-guessing yourself. The compilation of lyrics doesnt just talk about Natalies bucket list or that she should literally dance to disco. Just like in On Top, interpretations start to differentiate from here, so take it as you will: it could be about love, about a girl not daring enough to do the things shed always wanted to do, etc. Its undeniable, though, that Hot Fuss wouldnt be the same without this in-depth and solemn yet gracious song. 10. Midnight Show | The second part of the murder trilogy is my favorite for numerous reasons. The music alone is unpredictable and powerful, but when accompanied by the lyrics, it unites several of the missing pieces of the murder trilogy and then, followed by Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, which completes the sequence. Midnight Show trails the physical events of the murder itself (She turned her face to speak/but no one her cry), but avoids the gruesome details by the flawless use of metaphors. As screwed-up as this trilogy may be to some, Flowers went down a new road that I havent seen before and took his chances. This trilogy is a legitimate example of how, as an artist, you have to learn how to take risks. Taking on a task like this was bold and showed their matur ity, which I loved. Midnight Show is an exciting, thrilling track that provides a one-sided but riveting experience that will change your perspective of The Killers. 11. Everything Will Be Alright This last song formally completes the album with no disappointment. Even as the slowest and longest song on the album (almost 6 minutes long), it doesnt cease to impress. Barely anything is used literally, but thats the beauty of it: uncovering what the song truly means. After some thought and consideration (and research, of course), I finally understood: the narrator has been searching for the one, and when hes given up hope, he meets this girl who seems perfect. The catch? Shes already in a relationship. At least, thats what I got out of it and even though its cliche, I certainly dont expect every song to be out-of-the-box thinking. The Killers make up for that by the alluring use of the synthesizers, and that beat we know all too well that lies within every song of theirs. It may not be the most enthralling track on the album, but it closes the album with a replenished and finished feeling.

Young Goodman Brown Quotes

Young Goodman Brown Quotes Young Goodman Brown is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne (author of The Scarlet Letter) that centers around a young Puritan in New England and his deal with the Devil. Young Goodman Brown is famous for being a representation of American Romantic literature and is often studied in American literature classrooms as an important short work involving the Puritans and other essential themes. Read the story and check out some of the most iconic quotes from the story, then compare Young Goodman Brown with another famous American story about a mans Faustian deal with the Devil, The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving. Quotes Prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts that shes afeard of herself sometimes. Pray tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year. The traveler knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that with lonely footsteps he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude. On he flew among the black pines, brandishing his staff with frenzied gestures, now giving vent to an inspiration of horrid blasphemy, and now shouting forth such laughter as set all the echoes of the forest laughing like demons around him. The fiend in his own shape is less hideous than when he rages in the breast of man. The young man sat a few moments by the roadside, applauding himself greatly, and thinking with how clear a conscience he should meet the minister in his morning walk, nor shrink from the eye of good old Deacon Gookin. With this excellent resolve for the future, goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose. He beheld the figure of a man, in grave and decent attire. But, irreverently consorting with these grave, reputable, and pious people, these elders of the church, these chaste dames and dewy virgins, there were men of dissolute lives and women of spotted fame, wretches given over to all mean and filthy vice, and suspected even of horrid crimes. It was strange to see that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints. By the sympathy of your human hearts for sin ye shall scent out all the places-whether in church, bedchamber, street, field, or forest-where crime has been committed, and shall exult to behold the whole earth one stain of guilt, one mighty blood spot. The fiend in his own shape is less hideous than when he rages in the breast of man. Now are ye undeceived. Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again, my children, to the communion of your race.

Project Management Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Management Theory - Essay Example People that studied specific professions such as law, accounting, medical would not fit the profile of union member and there weren’t any unions for these types of workers. In order to meet the social and professional needs of this segment of the workforce professional associations were created to serve them. The project management profession is no exception. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the organization that serves project managers across the world. The Project Management Institute was created in 1969. The organization has taken been very innovative and its overall reach and has been able to effectively expose the profession worldwide. The Institute has a membership of over 200,000 people from over 125 different countries (Pmi, 2007). Project management is a profession that attracts people from different specialization since within virtually every industry there are always projects that need guidance for successful completion. The PMI realized the needs of professionals from different industries and their assistance is guided towards helping profession in the financial services, aerospace, automobile, pharmaceutical, healthcare, construction, engineering, information technology, business management among many others. The institution has done a great job creating professional standards, conducting research and promoting the profession through certifications, networking and community involvement opportunities (Pmi, 2007). The project management institute has accomplished great social initiatives throughout the community including outreach programs in developing nation such as Brazil. In Sao Paolo, Brazil the local PMI chapter developed a pilot program which offered project management classes to teenagers from low income families. The classes were designed to expose students to the basic principles of project management and to teach them how these principles can be applied to improve their everyday

Week 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Week 5 - Assignment Example When there is such a rapport between the mentor and the mentee, there is a continuous development of life skills among the mentees. Life skills developed include assertiveness, goal setting skills, time saving methods, critical thinking, creative thinking, career awareness, conflict resolution, finance management and decision-making. A mentor also assists the mentee in obtaining extra resources especially when it comes to education issues. He is a resource broker. He guides and advocates for the rights of the mentee. He is a professional manager rather than a counselor. He does increase the ability to interact with diverse people from various economic, social, political, and cultural backgrounds. It is possible especially through introduction into various workplace and school settings, and talking with people with different diverse behavior, character and attitude. All these are qualities my mother, who has been the best mentor in my life, which she possesses. She has been a real mentor to me and has portrayed excellent positive qualities of a mentor. She is a good listener, always listening to my pleas even. She is available when I need her most, especially when am discouraged and at the verge of giving up. She is such a caring and responsible adult. Essentially, she is my role model, and I do aspire to be like her. Even when I fail in a few areas, she does not give up on me, but shows me there is still a new room for

Employee Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee Development - Essay Example It is the role of a particular organization to come up with a strategy or plan to develop the abilities of their employees, to increase their productivity or suitability with regard to advanced technology, management skills, marketing strategies, financial management, project management and business environmental management among other sectors. This work would focus on the main methods applied to identify employee development needs in the current market. Employees’ assessments There are several ways to ascertain employee development needs. Employee regular assessment is majorly applied in the management and technology sectors or departments. The employer can organize for internal or external assessment. Internal assessment implies the departmental heads having a test session to determine whether the employees are conversant with a certain technology or skills. Assessment plan should be established to ensure all employees undergo the system (Noe, 2009). The plan should also ens ure that the organization’s operations are not compromised by the process, in other words, the assessments should be done in an organized shift module to enable other employees continue with their duties while others are being assessed. It is important to alert all employees in a certain department on their assessment date so that they can make adequate preparations with regard to the assessment details. This can be done through internal memos or departmental heads can be used to pass such information. Internal assessment can take many forms depending on the nature of the organization. In technological arena, a specific number of employees will be required to complete some practical connections in the technology laboratories. During the process, safety measures should be observed to limit any chances of accidents. Employees should wear special protective clothing like boots, goggles and helmets among others. Top departmental teams or supervisors would monitor the process to a scertain areas the t need reinforcement. All areas of weaknesses will be noted so that a relevant training session can be organized later. However, one would suggest that the top departmental team or supervisors ought to have been equipped with that particular technology or skill because it will no sense if they are as green as other employees. Currently there are different firms that offer special trainings to department heads or employees depending on the arrangement with the top organizational management team. Organizations dealing with humanity issues like counseling and social and psychological therapy among others can use fellow workers or external volunteers to practice their new skills. I would mention that this should be done in a very critical manner due to the fact that the skills tested might be new, meaning it had never been used before, this might have some negative implications for the volunteers, secondly, volunteers may take legal actions should any of their rights be violated in any of the sessions. It is important to maintain a friendly work environment while ascertaining the development needs within the organization. First it is important to let the employees know the aim of the exercise. The assessment is not any kind of punishment but a way of increasing the productivity or suitability of employees. Secondly, Employers should ensure that all the rights of

Natural Language and Programming Language

Natural Language and Programming Language Programming Language Natural language such as English is the language, which is spoken and written for communication. The natural language consists of syntax, semantics, phonetics, etc. All natural languages have some fundamental rules, which are based on the structure of grammar. These grammatical rules are used by people in communication. Programming languages are used for developing computer programs, which enable a computer to perform some operations. The structure of these languages is based on some syntactic and semantic rules. Context-free, lexical and syntactic grammar may be used in Java programming (Dubey, 2006). The differences in the grammar of high level programming languages (e.g. Java) and natural language (e.g. English) are as follows: Natural languages are used for communication between people and programming languages enable human to interact with machines. Programming languages need a high degree of expertise, completeness and precision because computer can not think outside the statement while in speaking, some minor errors are ignored. The programming language syntax is not based on natural language grammar. Thus, the main difference in the grammar of high level language (Java) and natural language (English) is that natural language may be informal in speaking but not in written communication while the grammar of programming language follows specific syntax. Compiler A compiler is a specific computer program that converts the statements written in any high level (such as C, C++, etc) into the language that computer can understand, i.e. machine level language. The original program, which needs to be converted, is known as the source code and the generated machine language program is known as object code. The reason to convert a high level language program into machine code is to make an executable program. The operations performed by a compiler are: lexical analysis, preprocessing, parsing, semantic analysis, code generation and code optimization. Compilers are classified as native or cross compilers. The output of native compiler runs on the computer and operating system where the compiler is running and the output of cross compiler can be run on different platforms. Cross platform compilers are used for embedded systems (Aho, Sethi Ullman, 1986). The compiler group inputs characters into tokens because the original text can not be used by the data structure and it is very necessary to convert the source code into tokens. It makes the source code understandable for the computer. For example, an expression of ‘C’ language: sum=2+3; would be converted into tokens (such as ‘sum’ into IDENT, ‘=’ into ASSIGN_OP, ‘2’ into NUMBER, ‘+’ into ADD_OP, ‘3’ into NUMBER and ‘;’ into SEMICOLON). The compilation process analyses the syntax of programming language. Syntax analysis is further divided into tokenizing (grouping of input characters into tokens) and parsing (attempting to match the tokens to the syntax rules). In the process of compilation, lexical analyzer reads the source code and groups them into tokens (Ivantsov, 2008). A token is a categorized block of text (lexeme). Each token is a single unit of language, for example symbol name, keyword or an identifier. The lexical analyzer processes these lexemes according to their function by providing them meaning. This process is known as tokenization. After tokenizing, the tokens are sent for some other form of processing. The process may be considered a sub-task of parsing input. Parsing is the process of analyzing token sequence with respect to grammatical structure. Now, the data may be loaded for compilation. Thus, the compiler is a computer program, which converts the source code into machine readable form. This compilation process passes through various steps like lexical analysis, tokens, parser, etc. and makes the code available for the computer. References Aho, A. V., Sethi R. Ullman, J.D. (1986). Compilers: Princiles, Techniques, and Tools. New York: Addison-Wesley Dubey, A. (2006, December). Goodness criteria for programming language grammar rules. ACM SIGPLAN . 41(12), 44-53. Ivantsov, R. (2008, January 3). Irony .NET Compiler Construction Kit. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from http://www.codeproject.com/KB/recipes/Irony.aspx

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Animalism Vs. Marxism Characters, items, and events found in George Orwells book, Animal Farm, can be compared to similar characters, items, and events found in Marxism and the 1917 Russian Revolution. This comparison will be shown by using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution. Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a boar was to signify that radical change and revolution are, themselves, boring in the eyes of the proletariat (represented by the other barnyard animals), who are more prone to worrying about work and survival in their everyday life. Old Major gave many speeches to the farm animals about hope and the future. He is the main animal who got the rebellion started even though he died before it actually began. Old Major’s role compares to Lenin and Marx whose ideas were to lead to the communist revolution. Animal Farm is a criticism of Karl Marx, as well as a novel perpetuating his convictions of democratic Socialism. (Zwerdling, 20). Lenin became leader and teacher of the working class in Russia, and their determination to struggle against capitalism. Like Old Major, Lenin and Marx wrote essays and gave speeches to the working class poor. The working class in Russia, as compared with the barnyard animals in Animal Farm, were a laboring class of people that received low wages for their work. Like the animals in the farm yard, the people is Russia thought there would be no oppression in a new society because the working class people (or animals) would own all the riches and hold all the power. (Golubeva and Gellerstein 168). Another character represented in the book is Farmer Jones. He represents the symbol of the Czar Nicholas in Russia who treated his people like Farmer Jones treated his animals. The animal rebellion on the farm was started because Farmer Jones was a drunk who never took care of the animals and who came home one night, left the gate open and the animals rebelled. Czar Nicholas was a very weak man who treated his people similar to how Farmer Jones treated his animals. The Czar made his working class people very mad with the way he wielded his authority and preached all the time, and the people suffered and finally demanded reform by rebelling. The Czar said â€Å"The law will henceforward be respected and obeyed not only by the nation but also the authority that rules it - and that the law would stand above the changing views of the individual instruments of the supreme power.† (Pares 420). The animal Napoleon can be compared as a character

Brook land

Relationship with our parents is a vital part in our lives. From the time that we are conceived, they have designated or assigned within themselves the responsibilities and obligation they will face upon our birth. They are conscious and knowledgeable about having the duties to give us our basic needs like our food, shelter and clothe that will make us strong to survive the changing world.Parents actually are our guides in our growth, from being a baby who has nothing to do but cry to ask for something, to being a toddler who always plays with the food, an adolescent who seeks freedom especially when pressured by our peers and even if we become adults and already have our legal rights for independence. The love of a parent as they say is incomparable.In what I have experienced and seen among my friends and even with my family, blood relationships are still necessary even if our culture does not obviously close family ties, we can still see how our parents are caring for us by the way they are curious about our dreams and our planned careers especially when we come from the elites. Many publications are distributed world wide to see or show the different family relationships we can witness with our friends, classmates, or even in our own families.The affection, restrictions, commitment and some conflicts are analyzed if not illustrated by the book or literature. Brookland for example, written by Farrar Straus & Giroux, is a story of a father and daughter who has serious and intimate talks regarding the love of a parent to a first born and the succeeding children. As the father mentioned in the book â€Å"†¦a man doesn’t love one child more’n the next.†, I can sense that if I will view the sentence literally, I will feel inferiority to my elder brother or sister if I have any for the love my parents or my father is giving to him/her is more or with greater quality than what I am receiving. But when we analyze the set – ups, it jus t says that parents give their best shot on their first since that is the first time they are going to try roles of being a parent.Even in my life, not in parenting, I can say that if I face a thing first time, I would really try my best to actually have a good performance for the job or the role. The second, third or fourth tries will not require much effort as what I did with the first for I have been accustomed to facing and dealing with it. The passage does not necessarily mean that bias for the children but a realization of the efforts they try to give with their children. A mother’s love for me is very unconditional. Forgiving and forgetting at the same time.I can say that even if a mother treats her children differently, she has the same level of love for them; it just so happen that those who approach their mothers more become closer and look more loved. The book showed an endless love of a person towards people that contributed to her life; passion and motherhood at the same time, molding the minds of the readers of the significance of a motherly care to the weak and enlightenment to the other children. Works Cited Emily Barton. 2006. Review of Brookland. [11 December 2008].

Relative Pronouns on SAT Writing Which vs. That and More

Relative Pronouns on SAT Writing Which vs. That and More SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may not have heard of relative pronouns, but we use them everyday. â€Å"Who,† â€Å"which,† â€Å"that,† where,† and â€Å"when† are all examples of relative pronouns. Though the name may make it seem like these words have something to do with your great uncle Cecil, they actually introduce related information that describes a noun. Relative pronouns aren’t the most common grammar concept tested on the SAT Writing section (or even the most common type of pronoun!), but you will see them on the test. Confusingly, they're mostly tested in conjunction with other topics like pronoun agreement and fragments and run-ons. To make sure you’re prepared for any kind of relative pronoun question the SAT writers throw at you, I’ll go over the following key ideas: Definitions of Relative Pronouns Common Usage Errors on Identifying Sentence Errors Unclear Antecedents on Improving Sentences Fragments and Run-ons on Improving Sentences Key SAT Strategies for Relative Pronouns Relative Pronoun Definitions Like all pronouns, relative pronouns must agree with the noun they're replacing. Each relative pronoun can only be used to refer to a specific type of thing: you wouldn't talk about "the pencilwho" or "the teacherwhen." We often use relative pronouns imprecisely, however, so these errors may not always be so obvious. First, let's review what each relativepronoun can correctly be used to refer to: Who and whom - people only When- specific times or time periods only Where- places only Which - any noun otherthan a person That - any noun Whose - possessive, can be used for people or things Note that for many situations, more than one relative pronoun can work.For example, "the studentwho" and "the studentthat" are equally correct. Because of this flexibility, it can be hard to reliably pick out exactly which pronoun is correct, so you should focus on usingprocess of elimination to narrow down the choices on SAT Writingquestions. Identifying Sentence Errors: Common Usage Errors On Identifying Sentence Errors questions, relative pronoun issuesgenerally involve misused words. These errors aren't especially common, but when you see a relative pronoun underlined you should check to make sure it agrees withthe noun it's replacing. Incorrect:The golden retriever, when was a puppy, loved to play fetch. Correct:The golden retriever, whichwas a puppy, loved to play fetch. This example is pretty simple- a golden retriever isn't a time, so it can't be referred to as "when." Some relative pronoun errors will be equally obvious, but there are a few trickier cases that appear on the SAT Writing section. Let's go through them one at a time. Who/Whom vs. Which First of all, it's important to note that, on the SAT, you won't ever be tested on the difference between "who" and "whom." (If you're curious about what it is, you can take a look at our breakdown of the topic in the ACT relative pronouns post.) You may, however, be tested on who/whom vs. which. The key here is that while "who," "whom," and "that" can allbe used to refer to people, "which" can't. Incorrect: The acclaimed author, which has written 13 novels, will be speaking at the university tonight. Correct: The acclaimed author, whohas written 13 novels, will be speaking at the university tonight. Which vs. That The difference between which and that is asource of great confusion for many students, but it doesn't need tobe. The grammatical explanation is that "which" introduces a non-essential clause, meaning that it doesn't define the noun it's describing, while "that" introduces an essential clause, meaning that it clarifies exactly which noun the sentence is about. For example, the following two sentences are both correct: My house, which I bought recently, is next to a lake. Thehouse that I bought recently is next to a lake. In the first sentence the relative clause "which I bought recently" is further describing "my house." In the second, the clause "that I bought recently" is specifying which house the sentence is about. On the SAT, you really only need to remember that "which" is always paired with a comma and "that" never is.You generally won't be asked to choose between "which" and "that" unless one of them is incorrectly punctuated. Where vs. In Which "Where"is probably the most commonly misusedrelative pronoun. In spoken English, we routinely use it to describe the time or point at which something occurred, but "where"can only be used to refer to a place. To describe media like books, movies, or music, use "in which" instead. Incorrect: Didn't you love the part of The Avengerswhere the Hulk punches Loki? Correct:Didn't you love the part of The Avengersin whichthe Hulk punches Loki? The "part of theAvengers"isn't an actual place, so "in which," rather than "where," is the correct construction. Though it may sound weird, "in which" is usually correct when it appears. Real SAT Example Let's walk through an example from an official SAT Writing section. Let's start by reading the sentence and seeing if anything jumps out as wrong. It sounds a bit weird, but there are no obvious errors. Next, we'll go through each underlined portion to check it for errors. Since verb and pronoun errors are the most common, let's start by checking C, "turned to," for errors. The three possible issues here are subject-verb agreement, verb form, and idiomatic usage (of "to"), but the verb is appropriately conjugated and the preposition is correct. C has no error and can be ruled out. Since pronoun errors are also common, let's move on to B, which includes the relative pronoun "when." This usage seems wrong- "significance" isn't a time period- but let's think about what it's actually describing. The point is that artists became interestedin Greek mythology during the nineteenth century. "When" is in fact correct, and its antecedent is the "nineteenth century." We can rule out B. A and D are both prepositions, so the primary issue to check for is idiomatic usage. Both are used correctly, so both answers can be eliminated. We are left with only E, no error, which is the correct choice. Make sure you know the proper use for each relative pronoun- the fact thatone seems weird doesn't make it wrong. Make sure that your relative pronouns are clear, unlike this photograph. (Image credit: Bruce Aldridge, via Flickr, under CC BY-NC 2.0) Improving Sentences: Unclear Antecedents When speaking, you probablyuse the relative pronouns "which" and "that" without making it explicitwhat they're referring to. My little brother is always poking me with sticks, which I find annoying. This construction makes sense and is perfectly acceptablein spoken English, but it'sabsolutely incorrect on the SAT. What is "which" referring to? I don't find the sticks annoying, I find the fact my brother is poking me with them annoying. But there's no noun antecedent that makes that ideaexplicit. We have to rewrite this sentence to eliminate the unclear antecedent: My little brother is always poking me with sticks;I find this habit annoying. By addinga noun, we make it clear what I'm annoyed by. Remember that this, that, and which must have clear noun antecedents, just like any other pronoun. One of the most common examples of this type of error is the construction "do that": My best friend Selena always turns the lights off when she leaves a room. She does that in order to help the environment. "That" is referring to Selena's practice of turning off the lights, but there's no noun in the sentence that can serve as an antecedent. To fix this sentence, simply replace "that" with "so": My best friend Selena always turns the lights off when she leaves a room. She does soin order to help the environment. On the SAT, you must make sure that any underlined relative pronoun has a clear noun antecedent.Let's take a look at a question from an official SAT. Since there's a relative pronoun, "which," in the underlined portionof the sentence, we need to check whether it is appropriately located next toan explicit noun antecedent. The structure implies that the antecedent is "ocean," but that doesn't make much sense, given that it's described as lasting for several days. What the sentence is actually trying to say is that thecontamination lasted for several days, but that's not a noun in the sentence. As such, we can rule out A and B (which repeats the same error with "that" instead of "which"). Choice C creates a comma splice and D misuses "while" (since there's no contrast), so we can eliminate both of them as well. This leaves only E, which replaces the unclear relative pronoun with the noun "contamination." E is the correct answer. Improving Sentences: Fragments and Run-ons The other type of error you must check for when an Improving Sentences question has a relative pronoun in the underlined section is a sentence structure issue. Relative pronouns are often used to hide fragments (incomplete ideas masquerading as sentences) and run-ons (multiple complete ideas smushed togetherwithoutproper punctuation). Let's go through these one at a time, starting with fragments (and if you want to go more in depth on this topic, check out our complete guide to run-ons and fragments on SAT Writing, coming soon). Fragments Fragments involving relative pronouns generally lack a main verb and instead only have a verbin the relative clause. Leaving work early to start her vacation, Lauren, who was travelingto Guatemala. These constructions can be confusing because they seem to have both a subject and a verb. However, "was traveling" isn't part of the main clause- it isn't describing what "Lauren" is doing, but rather what "who" is doing. Although those words are referring to the same person (Lauren), they're grammatically dstinct. The correct version of the sentence cuts out the relative pronoun: Leaving work early to start her vacation, Lauren was travelingto Guatemala. This type of error is fairly common, so whenever you seea relative pronoun in the underlined section, make sure to check whether the sentence is actually a fragment. Run-ons Although less common, you may also see relative pronouns used to disguise a run-on, either by adding a relative clause to two complete thoughtsor by starting an independent clause with "that" + a noun to make it look like a relative clause. Shawnwent to the library, which is downtown,itdidn't have the book he wanted. Shawn went to the library, that branch didn't have the book he wanted. To spot these errors, watch for long sentences that include a relative clause and "that" or "this" immediately after a comma. Also keep in mind that in some cases you will need to fix arun-ons by adding a relative pronoun. Incorrect: The flock of seagulls made loud cawing noises, they wereannoying. Correct: The flock of seagulls made loud cawing noises, whichwereannoying. Real SAT Writing Practice Question Let's take a look at an example of this type of question from an official SAT. The underlined portion of the sentence includes arelative pronoun, "that," so we need to start by checking whether the pronoun has a clear antecedent and whether the sentence is a fragment. "That" refers to "medical insurance coverage," so there's no unclear antecedent issue. However, the sentence is a fragment, since it consists only of a noun "medical insurance coverage," and two relative clauses connected by a connected by a conjunction, "that requires high monthly premiums" and "that is beyond the financial means of many people." As such, we can rule out choice A. B is also a fragment. "It is beyond the financial means of many people" is an independent clause, but "medical insurance coverage that requires high monthly premiums" isn't. Since they're connected by the coordinating conjunction "and" both halves of the sentence would need to be independent clauses for it to be correct. C and D both include subject-verb agreement errors: the subject "medical insurance coverage" is a singular noun whilethe main verb "are" is plural. This process leaves only E, if we plug this choice into the sentence we can see that it corrects the run-on without creating any other issues: Medical insurance coverage that requires high monthly premiums is beyond the financial means of many people. There's now both a subject, "medical insurance coverage," and a correctly conjugated main verb, "is." The relative clause "that requires high monthly premiums" appropriately modifies the subject. E is the correct answer. Image credit: Alan Levine, via Flickr, under CC BY 2.0 SAT Writing Strategies for Relative Pronouns Now that we've covered the main ways that relative pronouns will appear on the SAT Writing section, let's review the key strategies for both Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Sentences. What to watch for: On Identifying Sentence Errors, underlined relative pronouns On Improving Sentences, a relative clause that's underlined and "that" or "which" underlined Key concepts: Relative pronouns introduce dependent clauses. "Which" can’t refer to people. Preposition + "which" is a perfectly acceptable construction. "Where" can only be used to refer to places. "That" and "which" require nounantecedents. A noun with only a relative clause is a fragment. Helpful SAT Writing strategies: You won’t be tested on "who" vs. "whom," so focus on determining whether the pronoun is correctly referring to a person. "Do that" is generally wrong and should be replaced with "do so." Remember that even ifa sentence isn't phrased the way you would say it, it can still be correct. When dealing with run-ons, you can often fix them by replacing a subject pronoun (like "he" or "they") with a relative pronoun. Test Your Knowledge! I've created some realistic SAT Writing practice questions for you to practice your new knowledge of relative pronouns. Post any questions in the comments! 1. Though (A) the doctor was hopeful she (B) could help her patient, which (C) was gravely wounded, there was a chance the man’s leg would have to be amputated. No error. (E) 2.I wanted to(A) visit my grandmother last month, but because of(B) the hurricane, it was(C) impossible to do that (D).No error. (E) 3. Because the city is running low on funds, which means the mayor will be forced to take a pay cut. A.funds, which means B.funds, thatmeans C.funds, D.funds,and E.funds; this means 4. My lab partner is chronically late, which is very annoyingfor me. A. late,which is very annoyingfor me. B.late;this habit annoysme. C.late,whichannoys me. D. late,thatis very annoyingfor me. E. late,which I am annoyed by. Answers: 1. C, 2. D, 3. C, 4. B What's Next? Make sure to check out our posts on the other key pronoun topics: pronoun agreement and pronoun case. It's vital to understand overall test strategies as well as specific grammar rules, so consider taking a look at our posts on the secret to SAT writingand the 11 strategies you must use to get a perfect scoreon the SAT Writing. If you're not taking the SAT until next year, make sure you know what to expect from the new version of the test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

American Indian Movement History and Profile

American Indian Movement History and Profile The American Indian Movement (AIM) started in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1968 amid rising concerns about police brutality, racism, substandard housing and joblessness in Native communities, not to mention long-held concerns about treaties broken by the U.S. government. Founding members of the organization included George Mitchell, Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton Banai, and Clyde Bellecourt, who rallied the Native American community to discuss these concerns. Soon the AIM leadership found itself fighting for tribal sovereignty, restoration of Native lands, preservation of indigenous cultures, quality education and healthcare for Native peoples.​ â€Å"AIM is difficult to identify for some people,† the group states on its website. â€Å"It seems to stand for many things at once- the protection of treaty rights and the preservation of spirituality and culture. But what else? †¦At the 1971 AIM national conference, it was decided that translating policy to practice meant building organizations- schools and housing and employment services. In Minnesota, AIM’s birthplace, that is exactly what was done.† In its early days, AIM occupied abandoned property at a Minneapolis-area naval station to draw attention to the educational needs of Native youth. This led to the organization securing Indian education grants and establishing schools such as the Red School House and the Heart of the Earth Survival School that provided culturally relevant education to indigenous young people. AIM also led to the formation of spin-off groups such as Women of All Red Nations, created to address women’s rights, and the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, created to address the use of Indian mascots by athletic teams. But AIM is most known for actions such as the Trail of Broken Treaties march, the occupations of Alcatraz and Wounded Knee and the Pine Ridge Shootout. Occupying Alcatraz Native American activists, including AIM members, made international headlines in 1969 when they occupied Alcatraz Island on Nov. 20 to demand justice for indigenous peoples. The occupation would last for more than 18 months, ending on June 11, 1971, when U.S. Marshals recovered it from the last 14 activists who remained there. A diverse group of American Indians- including college students, couples with children and Natives from both reservations and urban areas- participated in the occupation on the island where Native leaders from the Modoc and Hopi nations faced incarceration in the 1800s. Since that time, treatment of indigenous peoples had yet to improve because the federal government had consistently ignored treaties, according to the activists. By bringing attention to the injustices Native Americans suffered, the Alcatraz occupation led government officials to address their concerns. â€Å"Alcatraz was a big enough symbol that for the first time this century Indians were taken seriously,† the late historian Vine Deloria Jr. told Native Peoples Magazine in 1999. Trail of Broken Treaties March AIM members held a march in Washington D.C. and occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in November 1972 to spotlight the concerns the American Indian community had about the federal government’s policies towards indigenous peoples. They presented a 20-point plan to President Richard Nixon about how the government could resolve their concerns, such as restoring treaties, allowing American Indian leaders to address Congress, restoring land to Native peoples, creating a new office of Federal Indian Relations and abolishing the BIA. The march thrust the American Indian Movement into the spotlight. Occupying Wounded Knee On February 27, 1973, AIM leader Russell Means, fellow activists, and Oglala Sioux members began an occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, S.D., to protest corruption in the tribal council, the U.S. government’s failure to honor treaties to Native peoples and strip mining on the reservation. The occupation lasted for 71 days. When the siege came to an end, two people had died and 12 had been injured. A Minnesota court dismissed charges against the activists who participated in the Wounded Knee occupation due to prosecutorial misconduct after an eight-month trial. Occupying Wounded Knee had symbolic overtones, as it was the site where U.S. soldiers killed an estimated 150 Lakota Sioux men, women, and children in 1890. In 1993 and 1998, AIM organized gatherings to commemorate the Wounded Knee occupation. Pine Ridge Shootout Revolutionary activity did not die down on the Pine Ridge Reservation after the Wounded Knee occupation. Oglala Sioux members continued to view its tribal leadership as corrupt and too willing to placate U.S. government agencies such as the BIA. Moreover, AIM members continued to have a strong presence on the reservation. In June 1975, AIM activists were implicated in the murders of two FBI agents. All were acquitted except for Leonard Peltier who was sentenced to life in prison. Since his conviction, there’s been a large public outcry that Peltier is innocent. He and activist Mumia Abu-Jamal are among the most high profile political prisoners in the U.S. Peltier’s case has been covered in documentaries, books, news articles and a music video by the band Rage Against the Machine. AIM Winds Down By the late 1970s, the American Indian Movement began to unravel due to internal conflicts, incarceration of leaders and efforts on the part of government agencies such as the FBI and CIA to infiltrate the group. The national leadership reportedly disbanded in 1978. Local chapters of the group remained active, however. AIM Today The American Indian Movement remains based in Minneapolis with several branches nationwide. The organization prides itself on fighting for the rights of Native peoples outlined in treaties and helping to preserve indigenous traditions and spiritual practices. The organization also has fought for the interests of aboriginal peoples in Canada, Latin America and worldwide. â€Å"At the heart of AIM is deep spirituality and a belief in the connectedness of all Indian people,† the group states on its website. AIM’s perseverance over the years has been trying. Attempts by the federal government to neutralize the group, transitions in leadership and infighting have taken a toll. But the organization states on its website: â€Å"No one, inside or outside the movement, has so far been able to destroy the will and strength of AIM’s solidarity. Men and women, adults and children are continuously urged to stay strong spiritually, and to always remember that the movement is greater than the accomplishments or faults of its leaders.†

Global Marketing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Global Marketing Assignment - Essay Example Macro environment is the larger societal forces that affect the microenvironment- demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces. The SLEPT Analysis is a useful starting point for the analysis of an organizations external environment and the forces at which it works like Hennes & Mauritz. The aim of any SWOT analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieve the objective of an organization. H&M faces challenges in Japanese market in selling goods. H & M has collaborated with Madonna 3 for their promotion, which is a good decision, and for being a famous singer in all over the world as well as Japan and a symbol of fashion and style; Hennes would gain vast and successful market in Japan. H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish clothing company with outlets in different market of Europe and the U.S. The principal activity of this company is retailing of fashion clothing. The products of the Group are sold through a chain of stores, by mail order and through the Internet. They offer their products in different concepts for women, men, teenagers and children. They also retail sportswear, accessories and cosmetics. The product range includes body and care and hair care products and make-up accessories for men, women and teenagers. This Group has 22 production offices in Europe, Asia, and in Africa 4. Hennes & Mauritz targets the Hip & Modish. They design cheap but chic clothing, mainly for men and women 18 to 45, children's apparel, and its own brands of cosmetics. It operates more than 1,200 stores in 24 countries with direct sales operations in selected areas. Stefan Persson, the billionaire son of founder Erling Persson is the Chairman of 'H&M'. The family has a good controlled over the company and they own nearly 37% 5. 1-2: Problem Statement: 1. In regards to Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), we have to undertake a critical assessment of the Global Marketing and organisational procedures adopted by the

Encryption Exploitation Technologies Research Paper

Encryption Exploitation Technologies - Research Paper Example It is in this regard that organizations have come up with security policies which define how data should be secured for confidentiality, authenticity, privacy, integrity, access control and nonrepudiation (Knott & Steube, 2011). The process of encryption employs different methods with a view of ensuring that information in its original and natural format is altered or converted into formats which cannot be read by systems attackers. Hence encryption is basically viewed at ascertaining that it is only the intended receivers who are able to read the message. This research paper gives a critical discussion of the nature and approaches of execution of the common methods that are used in the exploitation of encryption technologies. Symmetric Encryption Symmetric encryption is one of the major methods that are used in computer security in the exploitation of encryption technologies. In symmetric encryption, both the receiver and the sender of data or information have the same key or encryp tion key (Ackerman, 2008). In this regard, symmetric encryption is also known as shared secret encryption or shared key encryption (Lian, Liu, Ren & Wang, 2007). The encryption key in symmetric encryption method is applied both when encrypting and decrypting data. The security behind symmetric encryption lies in the fact that it is only the individuals with the same key who are able access and read data, information or messages which have been encrypted by the use of the symmetric key (Knott & Steube, 2011). Symmetric encryption has existed as the oldest methods on utilizing encryption technologies. It is essentially used for secure transmission of data. As a result, data that has been transmitted through the symmetric encryption is said to be confidential (Bhargava, Shi & Wang, 2007). In this sense confidentiality means that the understanding of meaning which is carried within the data can only be achieved by systems or individuals that share the same key. In this regard, it is evi dent that symmetric encryption is aimed at preventing unauthorized entities from understanding data rather than preventing them from accessing it (Dent, 2008). Therefore even if attackers access data, they are not able to understand its meaning since it is encrypted (Ackerman, 2008). Figure 1: Symmetric Encryption (PacketLife.net, 2010) It is important to note that encrypted data remains to be data. What changes is the inability for unauthorized entities to have and understanding or acquires the meaning that is contained therein (Moore, 2007). Due to encryption, the purpose of messages serves only the intended recipients (Al-Riyami, Malone-Lee & Smart, 2009). Symmetric encryption makes use of various algorithms. An encryption algorithm the word used to describe the mathematical formula which is employed in both the encryption and decryption of data files during the process of electronic data transfer or communication (Toubba, 2008). It is therefore the function of the encryption alg orithm to convert electronic formats of data into formats that are difficult to understand by the unintended audience. Since the intended receivers have the same key as the sender, symmetric methods in encryption allows them to read and comprehend the encrypted data. This is made possible by the use of the key and the symmetric algorithm to