Razed to the Ground

Razed to the Ground Razed to the Ground Razed to the Ground By Simon Kewin The englishmonarchs.co.uk web site reports that many monasteries were raised to the ground by Viking raiders during the reign of King Ethelred I. But how can a monastery be raised to the ground? Although commonly seen on the web, the phrase â€Å"raised to the ground† is almost always a misspelling of â€Å"razed to the ground†. Whilst it is possible for something to be â€Å"raised† to the ground, it would, logically, have to be below the surface beforehand. Miners could raise ore to the ground. But when talking about a building or a city the phrase should be razed to the ground. Raze which sounds the same as raise but is a completely distinct word is defined by the Compact Oxford Dictionary as follows : raze (also rase) verb, tear down and destroy (a building, town, etc.). - ORIGIN Old French raser ‘shave closely’, from Latin radere ‘scrape’. The more familiar raise, however, is from a completely different root : verb, lift or move to a higher position or level etc. - ORIGIN Old Norse, related to REAR. As an aside, raise can also be a noun, meaning an increase in salary, although this is standard only in US English. In UK English this would be called a rise. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?26 Feel-Good Words20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

Longisquama - Facts and Figures

Longisquama - Facts and Figures Name: Longisquama (Greek for long scales); pronounced LONG-ih-SKWA-mah Habitat: Woodlands of central Asia Historical Period: Middle Triassic (230-225 million years ago) Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces Diet: Probably insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; feather-like plumes on pack About Longisquama To judge by its single, incomplete fossil specimen, Longisquama was closely related to other small, gliding reptiles of the Triassic period like Kuehneosaurus and Icarosaurus. The difference is that these latter reptiles possessed flat, butterfly-like wings of skin, whereas Longisquama had thin, narrow plumes jutting out from its vertebrae, the exact orientation of which is a continuing mystery. Its possible that these quill-like structures extended from side to side and gave Longisquama some lift when it jumped from branch to branch of high trees, or they may have stuck straight up and served a strictly decorative function, probably related to sexual selection. Of course, it hasnt escaped the notice of scientists that Longisquamas frills seem to have stopped just short of being genuine feathers. A small handful of paleontologists have seized on this resemblance to propose that Longisquama may have been ancestral to birdswhich would either cause this creature (which is tentatively classified as a diapsid reptile) to be reclassified as an early dinosaur or archosaur, or upend established thought entirely and trace modern birds back to an obscure family of gliding lizards. Until more fossil evidence is found, though, the current theory (that birds evolved from feathered theropod dinosaurs) appears to be safe!

E-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-business - Essay Example Benefits of Ebusiness to Organizations: Ebusiness expands the marketplace to not only national but also the international markets. It also decreases the cost of storing and retrieving paper-based information. This kind of business also reduces the time between the outlay of the capital and the receipt of products and services. Ebusiness also reduces the telecommunication costs as internet is relatively much cheaper than Value Added Networks. Organization to focus: The website on which we will focus in this report in Asus.com. Asus is one of the leading companies in the manufacture of notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphic cards, etc. Asus is regarded as the number one manufacture of mother boards in the world. They are believed to be blessed with one of the world’s best research and development team who believe in innovation of the product. Ebusiness Website: The ebusiness website of Asus is developed by one of the best people which mark the tradition of the company and pe ople can understand it through a look at that website. However, its ebusiness operations can be improved in various other ways. How to improve? There are numerous ways by which web analytic systems can be improved, and if the company knows what it is supposed to do, the web analytic systems are very useful. ... The profit margin and the overhead cannot be easily reported in most of the key analytic system, but the average sale price, conversion rate and the number of visitors who visit the website can be measured by the good key analytic systems. Improving Customer Satisfaction through ebusiness: The customer satisfaction can be improved through ebusiness using a number of factors that encourage long term relationships. Customer Relationship: Improving customer relationships is a very important factor of customer satisfaction. When dealing with customers, empathy is very important. A couple of factors by which this can be done are by addressing the customer by his name, knowing what was the product he purchased recently and offering new product according to his taste and preferences which makes him feel that the business has thought about his needs and makes him feel important. Asus.com should develop various service-quality and relationship-building initiatives which are designed specifica lly to give customers a reason to buy products from its firm and do frequent business with them. The business strategy of Customer Relationship Management should be given more attention by asus.com in order to optimize profitability. Service and Support: Different studies reveal that customers purchasing through the web usually find poor customer service and this becomes the reason they refrain from purchasing a product online. One of the main reasons of this is that when customers buy using internet, they serve themselves, but they do not really want to receive and lesser service than what they receive in the real world. The requirements of ebusiness are higher expectations for

Report ( Trade to Flobal Security ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report ( Trade to Flobal Security ) - Essay Example This is to establish that economic growth and human development are inseparable from rule of good governance and law (UNDP Human Development Report, 1996). It is against this background that the ECOWAS Commission has a keen interest in the political situation in member States. As the President of the ECOWAS Commission, I was mandated by the Commission to lead a mediation team to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire for talks for a possible step-down by the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo following his lost in the November 28, 2010 General Elections held in that country. This reason presents details of the said mediation effort; outlining the program structure adopted, key aims and objectives of the program, successes as well as challenges faced. Means and Schedule adopted for the Mediation Effort As this is the very first step taken by the ECOWAS Commission towards the looming political crisis in the Ivory Coast, the team resolved to use â€Å"tactical diplomacy with a carrot-an d-stick dimension, though† (Kabs-Kanu, 2010) nothing else than Peace Talks. This approach is backed by other global bodies such as The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) who has so far said that it is still too early to apply any military force (Graphic Ghana, 2011). For this reason, the mediation team planned four major meeting which were held in the Ivory Coast. Two meetings each were held on each side of the agitators: that Mr. Lauran Gbagbo and Mr. Alassane Ouattara. On each side, the team meet the main leaders who are Mr. Gbagbo and Ouattara and leaders of their forces. It was a four-day schedule to allow for comprehensive discussions with each group met. The meetings which started two days after the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja was led by the President of the ECOWAS Commission and five other members of the Commission who the Heads of State of Gambia, Liberia, Gabon, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The meetings, which were held behind closed doors and amidst tight security saw all four groups welcome us warmly and presenting their cases in passionate manners. Key aims and objectives involved in the peace mission The Mediation Team set out with one primary aim, which was to convince Mr. Gbagbo to humbly step-down following that â€Å"ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations all recognize results showing Ouattara as the winner of that election† (Voice of America, 2011). To achieve this broad aim, the following objectives were set to lead to the eventual achievement of the aim: 1. Listen to the story from both sides: Talking caution from analysts who â€Å"say the West African nation is on the verge of crisis after both candidates claimed victory and were installed in separate events† (VOA News, 2010), the Commission would continue to be very professional in its mediation effort to ensure that tempers are boiled. To ensure this, the team resolved to give both parties a fair hearing to show that the Commission is not biased though it holds i ts stand that Mr. Gbagbo lost the election. 2. Explain to both sides the need for peace: Central on the team’s discussions was the need for the two leaders and their followers to appreciate the fact that they cannot compromise the peace of the Coat d’Ivoire since peace is needed to for national development. 3. State the stand of the ECOWAS Commission to both sides: As mentioned earlier, the team was clear with the

Turner v. Safley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Turner v. Safley - Essay Example The second rule entailed that prisoners could only get married with the permission of the prison superintendent. This permission was only granted due to â€Å"compelling reasons†, which generally were a pregnancy or the birth of a child outside of marriage. Both the Federal District Court and Court of Appeals found these rules unconstitutional and ruled in favor of the petitioners, i.e. the inmates. The Missouri Division of Corrections appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court. In the Supreme Court, it was held that the first rule was reasonable and necessary for security reasons; if correspondence were to be allowed freely between prisoners, it could lead to inmates plotting escape plans, arranging violent activities and to promote prison gang activities. Moreover, this rule did not bar the prisoners from corresponding to prisoners and hence did not deprive them of all ways of expression. This rule was necessary for the safety of the prison staff as well as of the prisoners themselves. Therefore, the earlier decision in this matter was overturned. On the second rule, however, the Court agreed with the decision of the lower courts. It was decided that such a rule barred the right of the prisoners to marry on an unreasonable level, as, whether a prisoner married another prisoner or a civilian, it could not possibly have a negative effect that large on the prison staff or inmates so as to render it necessary for them to obtain the permission of the prison superintendent. Hence this rule was declared unconstitutional and ordered removed. The ruling of the Court was very balanced in its approach. The Court did not allow the infringement of the rights of the inmates that the Constitution provided them; moreover, it also kept in mind that the security of the prison staff and inmates was of prime importance and could not be compromised. Though it is important for none of the

Uniformitarianism & Catastrophism Essay Example for Free

Uniformitarianism Catastrophism Essay Catastrophism refers to the idea that the features on the surface of the earth have been formed by natural disasters that occurred in the past. Contrary to this, uniformitarianism explains how geological processes taking place today in like ways, explain all geological processes on the earth, hence today‘s activities determine yesterday’s activities. It overlooks any chances of past occurrences impacting on the earth surface. Catastrophism seems to have tangible, empirical evidence in which case the sedimentary layers of fossils and rocks piling on the earth surface tend to suggest past activities. Also, eruption of mountains such as Mt. St. Helens (1980) presently supports the catastrophic notion. The issue of rock record entails an area going through change as a result of geologic processes where original rocks transform physically as well as chemically before the rocks are laid down. Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 and according to the uniformitarianism view; such eruptions are as a result of rock transformation activities within the earth crust or due to water contained within the rocks, changing course. Also, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake which took life of more than eighty thousand citizens is thought to be as a result of rocks in the earth crust and the mantle sedimenting after long periods of activities in the past. The Indian Ocean tsunami which occurred in 2004 is attributable to rocks in the ocean undergoing physical as well chemical changes hence in the process; the surface of the ocean experienced the forces, in form of huge, powerful waves (Craig, 1983). Reference Craig, C. (1983). Uniformitarianistic linguistics, Stonington: Benjamins.

Transnational Networks of Support for the Zapatista Rebellion :: Zapatista Rebellion Globalization Essays

Transnational Networks of Support for the Zapatista Rebellion Globalization, the term used to describe the dominant framework of international relations following the cold war, is affecting many aspects of politics and social experience. This is seen in the Zapatista rebellion and movement in Chiapas, Mexico that has benefited from globalization and transnational support. This paper examines the relationship of transnationalism and social movements with the Zapatistas as a case study. In particular, this paper argues that the Zapatistas are part of the anti-globalization cycle of protest. As a result, they have used the master frame of this cycle of protest and aligned that frame in light of their particular situation. Because this frame was resonant with transnational activists a network of support was formed, which pressures the government from above, increasing the chances of success of a movement. The paper concludes by examining the implications of the Zapatistas for social movement research, with particular regard for Tarrowâ €™s â€Å"strong thesis† about movements in a transnational era While the roots of the Zapatista movement stretch well back, the rebellion entered the public’s consciousness on 1 January 1994 when several thousand indigenous Mexicans, mostly Mayans, wearing ski-masks and carrying antiquated rifles and wooden sticks briefly seized several major urban centres in Chiapas, Mexico before withdrawing under pressure from the Mexican military. A cease-fire was declared on 12 January and since then the two sides have not directly fought one another. Since the cessation of hostilities, the rebellion has essentially transformed into a social movement.[1] The transformation was capped by a march on Mexico City March 2001 in which a caravan of Zapatistas, protected by the Mexican government, moved from Chiapas throughout Mexico to a climax in the zocalo in Mexico City. Subcomandante Marcos, the spokesman and de facto leader of the movement, addressed a huge rally and other comandantes addressed the Mexican Congress. Many observers compared this moment to Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech during the American civil rights movement. (Klein 2001) Since the beginning of this movement/rebellion, the Zapatistas have demonstrated a unique ability to attract support from activists outside of Mexico. I refer to this support as transnational because it is rooted in no particular territory and spans much of the developed world.