All About the Word About! - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

All About the Word About! - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog All About the Word About! One of the most common problems our customers have is how to use the word about correctly. This is particularly tricky because about is a common word and can be used in several contexts. Well run through a few of these uses here. About: On the Subject Of As a preposition, the word about can be used to link nouns and verbs, such as when using about to mean concerning or on the subject of: We spoke about her neighbors awful choice of house paint. However, a common mistake here is using about with discussed. This is incorrect; even though we speak about something, the term discuss doesnt require a preposition. As such, if we were to use discussed in the sentence above, it would simply be: We discussed her neighbors awful choice of house paint. About: To Affect The word about can also be used to mean to affect, as in: There is nothing we can do about our neighbors house. Its staying lime green. About: Around We can also use it to mean distributed around an area: In my town, there are several horribly painted houses about. Or on ones person: She concealed the blue paint about her as she crept up on the house in the dead of night. About: Approximately or Nearly It can also be used to mean approximately, as in: After repainting her neighbors house, she was caught by the cops. They say shell get about 10 months in jail for criminal damage. Furthermore, it can mean nearly: In her mugshot, she was about the same height as Jackson Pollock. About: Movement We can even use the word about to mean movement: As the cops drove up, she was still flinging blue paint about wildly. These are just some of the ways in which about can be used, so dont forget to check a dictionary if youre unsure whether you should be using this term in any particular example.

Custom Essay A No-Cost Sample About Pandas Created by Top Writers

Custom Essay A No-Cost Sample About Pandas Created by Top Writers Descriptive Essay Example about Pandas How could anyone not be charmed by a Giant Panda? The black-and-white bears are a national treasure of China, whose bamboo forests are their natural habitat, and universally recognized as the epitome of cute: A panda is nothing more or less than a chubby, fluffy ball of gentleness, and if we didn’t know they were a real animal from an identifiable part of the world, we would assume they came from the same place where rainbows and unicorns are made. In ancient China, warring armies even used to raise flags emblazoned with images of pandas when they wanted to stop fighting and discuss their problems peacefully. Private Writing offers professional writing assistance with any kind of writing assignments in any field of knowledge alongside with the individual approach to every customer. Our top-notch customer support is ready to help you 24/7. Place an order and enjoy the result. It seems, however, that Mother Nature may have given the Giant Panda its heartwarming appearance as a consolation prize to partly make up for all the other traits that make the panda kind of an evolutionary failure. The Giant Panda is indeed a peaceful creature, but that is because it simply does not have the energy not to be. Unlike other bears, which are omnivorous, the panda’s diet consists solely of bamboo. A single panda requires an area of about four square kilometers of bamboo to have a sufficient supply of food, and it must spend 14 to 16 hours of each day eating that food in order to survive. The panda has to spend so much of its time eating because it has a poor digestive system. The panda only uses about 30% of the nutrients from its diet; by comparison, other herbivores such as deer use about 80%. The panda’s diet does give it one dubious talent: Pooping. Because most of what it eats passes through the panda’s system undigested, an adult panda produces an astonishing amount of â€Å"number two† – as much as 62 kilograms per day. The Giant Panda’s inability to use its food efficiently also prevents it from hibernating; the panda simply cannot eat enough to build up the fat reserves necessary to allow it to slumber through the winter like a â€Å"normal† bear. The diet also is responsible, some scientists believe, for the panda’s unusual reproductive pattern. Female pandas ovulate just one a year and are only fertile for two or three days. Because pandas must individually maintain a large area of the bamboo forest for their own food needs, encounters between pandas in the wild are relatively rare, and that includes opportunities for mating. If mating is successful, gestation takes from four to eight months; the wide time range is due to the female panda’s body delaying implantation of the fertilized egg until there is enough nutrition to support it. Then once the panda cub is born, it has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving to adulthood; panda cubs are easy prey for a number of predators, but more often than not are killed by being accidentally crushed by their own mothers. While the Giant Panda has been seriously threatened by human activity such as poaching – which is treated as a heinous crime in China, punishable by a long prison sentence or even the death penalty – and destruction of its natural habitat, the panda’s characteristics that naturally seem to work against its survival have led some scientists to conclude it is a â€Å"remnant species†: One that is naturally becoming extinct on its own. In that sense, the fact that pandas are just so darned adorable may be a clever evolutionary advantage – unable to survive in the wild, the Giant Panda is equipped with a look and a personality that has proved irresistible to the one species with the ability to overcome nature for the panda’s ultimate benefit. We hope that this descriptive essay sample provided above will help you to write a brilliant descriptive essay. If you dont have time to write a descriptive essay on your own, feel free to contact our essay writers or place an order.

Basing Sentencing on Retributivist Principles is the Most Effective Essay

Basing Sentencing on Retributivist Principles is the Most Effective Means of Producing a Less Punitive Range of Outcomes - Essay Example Retributive principle has had both supporters and critics. Many believe that retributive justice is the way to go as it brings justice to the victim and punishes the offender. But its critics argue that it is based on negative emotions such as revenge and does not contribute positively. It is backward looking and not forward looking. This debate has been on for a long time and many scholars and researchers have tried to address this issue. One of the main arguments supporting retributive justice is that it helps in reducing similar offences and injustices in the future. This essay revolves around this idea. The author of this essay believes that basing sentencing on retributive principles is the most effective means of producing a less punitive range of outcomes. This essay is aimed at justifying this ideology. In order to effectively justify the above, it is first necessary to understand retributive justice. And then the author argues why it is an effective means of producing less p unitive range of outcomes. Retributive Justice Retributive Justice is based on a simple concept that the wrongdoers or criminals must be punished and the punishment should be proportional to the damage caused. In simple words, people must get what they deserve. This means that a labour who works hard deserves to be rewarded while those who break the rules deserve punishment. Also everybody has a choice in the way they treat others. Hence, people only deserve to be treated the way they choose to treat others. It is on these simple ideas that the retributive principles are based2. The simplicity of the idea behind retributive principles is what has lead to the confusion over retributive justice and has attracted criticism. The basic requirement of retributive justice is that punishment is proportional to the crime and cases that are similar must be treated in the same way. Wrongdoers inflict harm and cause damage and hence the punishment and blame that they deserve must be in direct p roportion to the damage and harm caused3. Criticism of Retributive Justice Retributive principles have been criticised by many. One of the main criticisms of retributive justice is that it is backward looking. The retributivist theory does not look into the future but is only concerned about the crime committed in the past. Punishment is only looked from the perspective of a victim or the aggrieved party. Punishment according to retributive principles is a response to the crime and not a way to bring about social good (to the offender or the society). Critics of retributive principles take utilitarian views to support their argument. Utilitarian justice is forward looking and punishment is looked at as a tool to bring in social benefits. The severity of the punishment is not proportional to the crime but is with a purpose to reduce such crimes or offences4. Failure to take various factors such as social, economical, etc into account during imposing a penalty is another argument that critics use against retributive principles. That is if an offender is awarded with a penalty only based on the factor that it is proportional to the crime committed, then it might not be an effective one. For example, if a millionaire and an unemployed offender are both awarded the same penalty or fine based on the crime committed, then it might create an unjust situation. For the unemployed offend

The effect of terrorism on the global economy Essay

The effect of terrorism on the global economy - Essay Example and all of the countries it trades with. The federal government, in what some might term a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the attack, spent unprecedented amounts of money on questionable programs and ventures in an effort to ‘provide security’ to its citizens. â€Å"The President has requested a significant increase in security-related programs in the context of the budget for 2003. Additional spending of $48 billion was proposed for national defense (an increase of 14 percent from the previous year). In addition, the President asked Congress for an appropriation of $38 billion for homeland security, compared to $20 billion spent in 2001† (Looney, 2002). The combination of a stunned economy, a flat-line growth in the job market and dwindling government resources made its affects known worldwide. This paper will examine how the events of 9/11 influenced many aspects of the U.S. economy and examples of its global consequences. The U.S. was enjoying a period of vigorous economic expansion during the second Clinton administration, a period that saw the nation’s first budget surpluses in 40 years. This growth was fueled largely because of a general confidence in the nation’s economic health and an increase in worker’s productivity. This time of prosperity was over by the latter part of the year 2000 as the trend in business appeared to reflect a lessening confidence in the direction of the national economy. Corporations, especially those in the technical industries, began systematically downsizing, outsourcing and employing other means of economizing because of steady revenue losses. The economy had shown signs of weakening the entire year of 1999, and by the end of 2000, the manufacturing segment was also steadily shrinking as was evidenced by the lack of equipment orders, profits and number of employees. This trend was experienced many other industries

Looking for Alaska Essay Example for Free

Looking for Alaska Essay John Green’s 2006 novel Looking for Alaska personally affected me as I could relate to one of the main characters Miles (Pudge). The theme of belonging was also very relevant as this novel touches on the concern of Miles fitting into his new school and finding out how everything works at Culver Creek Preparatory. I directly can relate to Miles in this sense as I am still new and am trying to figure out how my new school works and also finding a friendship group that I am comfortable in. This novel is great because it raises questions about individuals understanding of true friendship, love, loyalty and having a sense of belonging. It shows the importance of truly living life to the fullest rather that just watching it fly by. The conflicts within the characters themselves lead readers inward to examine how much everyone needs a sense knowing where we belong. Pudge buys the cigarettes to show that he can be a part of his new friendship group’s crowd. A certain amount of peer pressure was probably involved, with Pudge worried about ‘fitting in’ and making friends. â€Å"The Colonel talked me into paying five dollars for a pack of Marlboro Lights I had no intention of ever smoking. † I think that by Miles giving into this peer pressure he would hope that it would make him feel more normal and apart of that what his friends were partaking in. The use of first person narrative point of view allowed me to experience things as Miles does. It gave me a deeper understanding of how he is affected by people, events and his own reactions and feelings as the novel progresses. This is no more clearly seen than in the event of Alaska dying, I was limited to Miles’ own feelings and emotions surrounding her death. The idea of guilt and loss becomes apparent as we see him struggle to deal with her death and the role he played in it, with him trying to figure out where he belongs. He experiences a loss of innocence as he is forced to re-evaluate his philosophy on life and find his own place in the world. Alaska’s death aids in Miles’ coming-of-age journey. â€Å"I felt the total loss of her, still reeling from the idea that she was not only gone from this world, but from them all† This can be very relatable for other audiences who might have suffered a great loss like Miles’. Looking for Alaska depicts many messages about one’s vital need to belong, some of which I can personally relate to. As well as other aspects of the novel that other audiences can personally relate to.

PAULA ABDUL :: essays research papers

Rarely in the history of entertainment has there been an artist equally recognized, awarded and celebrated in front of the camera as well as behind the camera, as is Paula Abdul. Abdul’s extraordinary music career encompasses worldwide album sales exceeding 40 million records, two #1 Albums, six #1 Singles, a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, 3 American Music Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People ¹s Choice Awards and two Kid’s Choice Awards. She has also been honored with her very own Star on Hollywood Boulevard and inducted into Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Hall of Fame. Currently, Abdul is receiving acclaim as â€Å"the heart and soul† of the record-breaking primetime FOX show American Idol, for which she is a Celebrity judge. Abdul has even gone so far as to design inspirational â€Å"Innergy† good luck jewelry for the American Idol contestants, which they can occasionally be seen grasping for strength and inspiration during more stressful times on the popular high-stakes show. The jewelry became so popular, that Paula developed an entire jewelry line to make available for all men and women in America. Each piece represents the â€Å"Inner Energy† it takes to succeed. Paula’s jewelry is available at Sam’s Club and on her web site, www.paulaabdul.com. Most recently, Paula has used her former dance and cheer career, along with her unique expression of style, to design her own lines of dance and cheer clothing called â€Å"Skirtz.† â€Å"Skirtz† serves as an inspiration for young girls and teens all over the country. Her clothing is available at Wal Mart stores. Behind the camera, Abdul is known as one of the most gifted and recognized choreographers in the industry of film, television, video, stage and live tours. Her celebrated work in choreography includes Emmy-winning contributions to The Tracey Ullman Show, She choreographed the film Coming toAmerica, which starred Eddie Murphy. Paula’s own performance as an artist on the American Music Award, and her choreography for the Academy Awards, for which she earned an Emmy nomination. Other triumphs include her award-winning work with Janet Jackson, which garnered two MTV Video Awards; and working with such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Luther Vandross, INXS, Heart and Prince.

Little thing Essay

Of the five poems I have selected beforehand, I happen to choose the poem â€Å"The Pebble†. It took me awhile to choose which poem to talk about but somehow, I keep coming back in reading this poem. I favour this poem compared to the other four because of the simplicity it implies. It starts off with the title which gives out a plain imagery of the thing that will be talked about. The poem struck me in the way that it talked about a very little thing. A thing that is often taken for granted. Nobody would actually pay much attention to a pebble. Usually, the pebble is just an add-on to an aquarium or a little thing to beautify a garden. Even so, be it in an aquarium or a garden, the object of concentration is not the pebble. But in this poem, the pebble holds the main attraction. My attention was taken away by the description given to a pebble. And as to how the poem unfolds, the comparison and contrast of a pebble and that to a person was stated plainly, but not directly though. Often times we think of a use for a certain thing and eventually we talk about it or write about it. In any case, we share that what is important. So, in the case of this poem, a pebble never seemed to be something important. Most of the time, people don’t seem to bother about anything regarding a pebble. A poem expresses the emotions of a writer and usually in the state of turmoil. What is captivating about this poem is that there isn’t much of a turmoil expressed in words for this. It describes what a pebble is, how a pebble could be and compared it as to how a person could feel. I feel a certain depth in this poem, though I doubt if I could eventually express that depth. I somehow could feel that this poem has something more than what it is giving. The problem is just that I’m still trying to measure up the feeling conveyed by this poem. Somehow, I have a strange idea of being able to fathom what the poem holds, but because of its vividness, I’m having a hard time grasping the concept it implies. Such ironic feelings are extracted from my mind but I’m trying though to put it into words. The poem has an intrinsic impact on me. I don’t have much of an idea of the author but as I read the poem over and over again, and internalize it somehow, I gain knowledge to the truth it may imply. With how I describe it, the poem may seem to be a prayer, but actually, it’s not. It’s not everyday that we read a poem which is presented so simply. I just have a feeling that the writer wrote this according to how he perceives the truth of the pebble. A pebble which is a little stone that eventually could last longer than any other thing. Part four The Pebble is a very interesting poem. From the title itself, it projects a literary piece about simplicity. As we have seen pebbles and grasp a meaning of this thing, it is an object that is pretty much of little value. But this thing has been often times used as an instrument for symbolism. It doesn’t actually become the symbol, but yet, it is used as a contributor for the statement of the symbol. Like the ripples on the water, to make the ripples, the pebble is used as the object that is thrown to create the ripples. But in this situation, the impact was made by the pebble but the symbol was the ripple. Interpretation of the Poem At the start of the poem, the pebble is described as a perfect creature. It is here that we can see that the object has been given the traits as that of a person. Attributing the perfection that the writer is talking about for the pebble would be on its physical aspect. The physical description of pebbles which are often perfectly oval in shape with a smooth surface, having no cracks or lumps, would suit the description of excellence or perfection. In comparison to a person, a perfect creature would then be one without cracks or perhaps loopholes and one who doesn’t have any lumps. Perfection in our own view would be that of someone who doesn’t possess any frailties, errors and does all things without mistakes and stands as clean as ever. But as the writer proceeds with the poem, it mentioned that it could only be equalled to itself and is aware of its limits. A perfect thing that cannot be compared by anything except itself and has limits, were the descriptions emphasized by the poet. Still, this has been compared to that of a person. Perfection does not imply that the person has no limits. With this description then, we could imply that in perfection, it is being and doing something flawlessly but in the range of one’s limits. Often, when we talk about perfection, it is in comparison already to supreme beings or gods. But the poet has stated that what could be compared to one creature would not be anyone else, but only with it. Indeed, the concept of uniqueness has been unfolded. As the poem proceeds, it has been defined by the author that the meaning this object holds, is the meaning it holds from the time it has been made. â€Å"A pebbly meaning† would mean the identity that this object holds and whatever that is, that is the true meaning of the thing. Same goes if related again to a person, that the definition or meaning of who we are is the self. It is not somebody else that hold the meaning of our life, but it is our self, the one with us from the beginning, that defines what we are. Another idea of the â€Å"pebbly meaning† would be the concept of a pebble which is not of great significance but just possesses the simplicity that it is as an object. It is not a big rock that could smash something smaller or a stone which may be small but definitely holds weight. It is not a mountain that shows greatness just by looking at it. It is emphasizing a pebble, small, perhaps insignificant, and does not hold much weight. But as we ponder on the purpose as to why it exists, it holds more than what it is actually letting us see. The poem describes further that the pebble is one thing that doesn’t have a specific characteristic that would be intimidating and though it is unique and different, it stands with its uniqueness without any other factor that might entice anybody. As all other things or people would need more than what they have, like they would go for enhancing the appearance or develop any form of attractive facilities for others to see or witness, the pebble sticks with what it has. Despite the simplicity or plainness it holds, it still has its dignity and pride. It is contradicting to the idea that without pride is simplicity. Being simple does not mean that one does not hold any value of himself. It doesn’t also mean that there is no regard for the self. Instead, inside that simplicity, an aura of pride and dignity emanates. It’s just that people don’t get to see it because they are more aware of the obvious things. As the poem proceeds, the writer was somehow humbled down to the value of the pebble that in the changing world, struggling all the time for attention and importance, the pebble or anyone that could be related to a pebble, simply sits quietly and wait. In the end, all the others vanish, and it’s just the pebble that remains. Those who do not live such complicated lives could eventually see all that is happening and live longer than most of the people. Conclusion The poem is written as a realization in life. Often times people would prefer to have the symbol of a mountain, or something powerful and bigger. This is so because of how we see our life, we prefer to have the control especially when we are not in control in reality. We want to be in power when in reality we are weak and helpless. Our symbols tell what we really are and it’s has always been the opposite of what we are. In this poem, the concept of simplicity and the awakening of humility are emphasized. Simplicity is held in the object of the pebble. The object of no complications and the writer is in the point of using this imagery to a person’s life. The awakening of the humility is expressed in the last two stanzas of the poem where the writer has gone to see the impact of a pebble and how it absorbs everything there is without complaining. This is a contradiction to people where complaining has been made a hobby and dissatisfaction always a companion. Before going to the point of appreciating, people tend to complain, grumble and then when the worse has come, perhaps, mellow down and bear with the idea of appreciating something. The poet has created a very good concept of life. The poem written is also expressed the same way as that of the idea it intends to convey. Simplicity indeed is beauty and only few have seen it.