The Scandinavian Connection

The Scandinavian Connection The Scandinavian Connection The Scandinavian Connection By Sharon A chance remark by a Swedish friend about English loan words in Swedish set me on the trail of borrowings of Swedish origin that have entered the English language. There are a few common ones: angstrom a unit of length named after a Swedish scientist flounder a type of flat fish gauntletis believed to originate from gatlopp. The expression run the gauntlet refers to a military punishment where someone would run between two rows of soldiers who would strike at hime gravlax smoked salmon lingonberry from lingon orienteering the sport that combines navigation with racing originates from Sweden smorgasbord a buffet with certain types of food; has a more general meaning in English tungsten chemical element; the name means heavy stone. There are also several words of Norwegian origin in English, including: aquavit a very alcoholic drink; the name derives from the Latin for water of life fjord a geographical formation floe an ice formation lemming a type of rodent quisling a traitor, named after Vidkun Quisling ski the equipment used for skiing slalom a downhill skiing technique featuring twists and turns 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's Mind9 Forms of the Past Tense

Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government Essay

Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government - Essay Example Given the basic definition, a federal system of government consist of two or more levels of governments existing within an established territory governing through common structures/institutions with shared or overlapping powers prescribed by a supreme constitution (Shafritz, Edwin and Christopher, 2010). The central government is at the level of the sovereign state tasked with responsibilities of maintaining national security and conducting international diplomatic relations, covering the right of signing binding treaties. The central government is basically mandated to make binding laws for the whole federation; the power that local governments do not posses. Within its structure, the central government functions with ministries, departments alongside agencies in administering the federation. Federalism is thus a political as well as a philosophical concept that outlines how political power is divided or rather distributed to different levels of governments. The extent of division o f power between the levels of governance in a democratic nation may vary. However, the most vital powers relating to security and the stability of the entire union are granted to the center, with regional governments sharing subsidiary responsibility. ... In particular, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil are all examples of federal governments. With regard to the United States, federalism has been an ever evolving relationship between state governments and the federal government. From a system of dual federal system, the American governance structures have evolved to that of associative federalism. In the "Federalist No. 46," James Madison asserts that both levels of governments "are distinct agents and trustees of the citizenry, constituted with distinct powers." According to Alexander Hamilton, ("Federalist No. 28), both levels of government were constituted to exercise authority to the benefit of the citizens. That is to say, if in case the peoples' rights were trampled upon by either of the two, they could make use of the other level of government as the instrument of redress (Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, 1961). As with every system of governance, federalism as a model of governance characterized by sharing of power is not perfect, neither is it any close to achieving perfect harmonious relations among its components. As a system corrected through the ages to achieve its current status in the United States, it is an obvious fact that federalism has its merits and the disadvantages. One of the prime benefits of a federal system is the degree of autonomy granted to regional governments in deciding their local laws, in spite of being a part of a whole. In the US, every state has the authority to modify local laws to fit the local demands. The system is also advantageous with respect to degree with which governance is simplified to achieve the distribution of power. In effect, local problems are dealt with at the local level without letting them gravitate to the national level

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Psychology - Essay Example Lastly, a minor motivator is the want to understand more the cultural and societal factors in the area, which is more of an interest to the Peace Corps volunteer and expert. Role requirements are necessary in an organization because it gives structure and authority in the leadership capacity to make decisions. However, in the topic of leadership, conflict arises in these contexts and sometimes occurs as a result of the role requirements. The first main conflict topic is regarding that this is primarily a business venture being backed by bank money. The main leader, Bjorn, represents the Banks interest, which means his role is to oversee all the others to make sure that profit is made from this venture. Many of the subordinates see that he has taken more of an interest in the humanitarian aspect and is challenging this on the basis that they are unbiased by the matter and have better experience in business. In addition, John Anderson, who is the resident humanitarian expert, is there to serve as an observer as far as to help explain the cultural and social phenomenon should complications arise. ... The fact that the cultures of France, America, and Colombia are represented alone would pose a significant cultural convergence, which would influence their decisions regarding how the mission should be run. The differing motivational factors created a huge conflict in the work environment. The first being that this was a business venture and that the funding for the project was based on the success of the mission, for which everyone was responsible. This clashed with the social and cultural implications, which other team members put above that. The stress of the mission also was causing Bjorn to be a micromanager, which made others seem like they were wasting time with all the obsessive and meaningless meetings. All of this ends up leading to arguing where they cannot work together because of clashing viewpoints. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is based on a pyramid in which a person must overcome certain needs in order to reach a point of being which Maslow termed self-actualiza tion. Bjorn would be in the safety point due to the fact that the success of this mission is on him as the team leader and that if he fails, he will no longer have job security with the Bank. Eduardo and Aziz would be in the love/belonging phase in that even while on the mission, they seeks social engagement from people and seems to enjoy the social contact rather than the work aspect. Dupre and Mathuri are in the esteem phase in that they have already had success in the Bank being higher up representatives. They are clearly in the mission for the spoils in that by the mission succeeding, they will receive the overdue recognition and hopefully be given the leadership opportunities they want. Lastly, John is at the point of self-actualization. Since he is merely a consultant, he is not

Comparison of Characters in the Odyssey Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Characters in the Odyssey Essay In Homer’s famous epic poem The Odyssey he displays the characters with a wide variety of morals. These morals influence decisions made by them which provide a looking glass for the reader to see their true nature. In a certain scene, the characters discuss Odysseus to what seems to be a beggar; however, the beggar is truly Odysseus in disguise. One way to clearly test a person’s character is through an idea provided by Bob Sutton: â€Å"The best judge of character is how he or she treats those with less power† (Sutton). Melanthius, Philoetius, and Ctesippus all are examples of how Sutton’s theory applies to people. Through making observations on how the selected characters act when speaking with the disguised Odysseus a solid conclusion can be made on their overall character. The goatherd Melanthius at first can appear mean and vicious; moreover, he remains loyal to Odysseus by disrespecting the person, whom he perceived to be a beggar. Melanthius is tired of seeing a beggar in the halls of Odysseus’ home and finally decides to confront him about it. â€Å"Still alive? Still hounding your betters, begging round the house? Why don’t you cart yourself away? Get out!† (20). Melanthius shows no sympathy for the seemingly impoverished beggar. He has no idea that the beggar is in fact his own master, Odysseus. He violates traditional Ancient Greek hospitality towards guests. When this scene is applied to Sutton’s theory, Melanthius’ character is revealed as harsh and vicious. The fact that Melanthius is upset with how suitors and beggars are intruding on Odysseus’ land may play into his stern confrontation with the lingering beggar. Melanthius has no way of knowing that the beggar was in fact Odysseus; therefore, he exposes his true character when he acts as though he is confronting someone of lesser power. In contrast, when Philoetius, the good cowherd, approaches Eumaeus (the disguised Odysseus) he is extremely respectful. Although he has no clue who Eumaeus is, he still treats him like he has met him before: â€Å"Cheers, old friend, old father, here’s to your luck, great days from this day on saddled now as you are with so much trouble† (20). Before approaching the beggar Philoetius said to himself â€Å"What roots does this man claim-who are his people? . . . Poor beggar† (20). Clearly Philoetius has no idea who Odysseus is and thinks he is just a homeless man on Odysseus’ land. Despite these  ideas in his head he still treats Eumaeus with the utmost respect and even wished him luck. The beggar appears to certainly be on a lower level that Philoetius according to standards of power; however, Philoetius demonstrates excellent character when speaking with him, for he disregards the social difference. Ctesippus, being a suitor, is different from the other two characters. From the beginning it is clear he thinks highly of himself. â€Å"Ctesippus was his name, he made his home in Same, a fellow so impressed with his own astounding wealth he courted the wife of Odysseus† (20). Despite the fact that Telemachus orders the suitors to respect his visitor (Eumaeus), Ctesippus does not obey. â€Å"Grabbing an oxhoof out of a basket where it lay, with a brawny hand he flung it straight at the king† (20). Ctesippus has no way of knowing the beggar he has just attacked is actually his king, the great Odysseus. Since Ctesippus thinks that Odysseus is nothing more than a poor visitor, he does not act respectfully towards him. Ctesippus is never seen being rude to his fellow suitors; however he is extremely disrespectful to someone of lower power. This reflects on his aggressive and disobeying character. Sutton’s theory can be used to give an accurate conclusion about a character. Between the three characters different actions are made which reflect that personal character’s morals. The morals in the core of each character are easily revealed by how they treated the disguised Odysseus. None of the characters have any way of identifying Eumaeus as their king, so there appears to be no problem with treating him poorly. One must always remember that things might not be as they seem. That should be kept in mind before making drastic actions or poor decisions. It is important to think clearly before treating someone of lesser power poorly, just because of their power status or initial appearance. If a truly wholesome good character is desired, truly good choices and actions should be made.

Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, chapters 19 and 20 add to the plot by taking Huck and Jim on a different path than their usual lazy peaceful days on the raft. While Huck is collecting berries in a creek, he is approached by two men that are desperately seeking rescue from the men and dogs that pursue them. After escaping the scent of the dogs, and the wrath of the men, the two men discover that they are both con artists and decide to work together. The two men trick Huck and Jim into believing that they decedents of royalty so that they can receive special treatment whilst on the raft. Huck does realize later that these two men are liars, but would rather keep his mouth shut about it so as to keep peace on the raft. These men are living examples of the ugly society that Huck and Jim are trying to escape. Through the â€Å"King†, Huck learns the gullibility of Americans as the â€Å"King† cheats a meeting hall full of people out of $87 dollars and a jug of whisky . With these two men onboard the raft, the usual peace is far from near.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chapters 19 and 20 introduce us to the con artists that play themselves off as high royalty to Huck and Jim. The youngest man (around 30 years old), tells Huck and Jim that he is a Duke, and that he would like to be treated like a Duke. The oldest man (70 years old), tells Huck and Jim that he is a King, and would like to receive better treatment than the Duke. Huck knows that these two men are liars, but Huck-being the keeper of peace that he is, decides it’s best not to expose the men. Jim on the other hand, can’t see past the fog, and gets very excited to have such men on the raft. We learn that both of these men cheat and lie there way from town to town, and we witness this first hand with the â€Å"King’s† performance in the town meeting hall, and the â€Å"Duke’s† work at the printing shop.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mark Twain does not regularly use figurative language throughout the novel, mainly because Huckleberry is the narrator. Though, we do find some examples of figurative language as we read on. In chapter 19, we can find an example of personification, â€Å"†¦nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely.

Describe Your High School Experience

Why I want to become a Nurse Being a Nurse is much more than just hard work, critical thinking skills, evidence-based practice, and saving lives. It is a science as well as an art and one has to be a caring individual to be a truly great nurse. To be a Nurse, one has to be dedicated to helping others and caring about others to a great extent. I posses those qualities that makes a great nurse and that is why I want to be a Nurse. Growing up in Jamaica, I was always taking care of others; from my grandparents to my next door neighbors.I always enjoyed helping them and they never even had to ask because I was always there. We didn’t have much access to healthcare in Jamaica so anyone in the neighborhood that was in the healthcare field was often looked up to for advice and help. My mother was one of those people; she was a Nurse and everyone in the neighborhood admired her, including me. I knew that when I grew up I wanted to become just like her. When my mother would come home f rom work with stories of how she helped saved someone’s life, I would get more excited and eager for the days when I can do the same.When I came to America, the first thing I wanted to know was how and where can I go to become a Nurse. Now I am a Licensed Practical Nurse for many years and now I am financially, emotionally, and physically ready to further my education to be a Registered Nurse. I will continue to further my education in the Nursing field because I enjoy it so much. The atmosphere of it all keeps me on my feet and I continue to learn more and more every day.Not only am I helping others but I care about them as if they are my own family. Being in the healthcare field, one cannot help but care and give their all. I do this to care for my patients everyday that I am at work. I want to be able to help others and save lives and it is so rewarding to see the smiles on the patients’ face when I have done something to make them feel better. Its such a hard profe ssion and very stressful at times, but I would never trade it for any other career.I cannot see myself doing anything else because I am helping others like I‘ve grown up doing but it matters so much more now. I grew up always wanting to be a Nurse and that will never change. Nursing is such a great profession where you get to care for others in need. You feel each patient’s pain, hear their stories, and try your best to make everything better for them. I wanted to become a Nurse so that I can help others and help save lives and I will always see myself doing that and so much more.

Essay about Frankenstein - 1685 Words

Mary Shelly (1797-1851) is one of the world’s most renowned authors and has authored numerous books which are still read and highly respected today. However, her best known work is Frankenstein. Mary Shelly’s first novel, Frankenstein, is one of the world’s finest pieces of literature and the definitive novel of the English Romantic Era; the novel combines a detailed critique on humanity with many powerful themes and multiple characters in the novel reflect the troubled woman who authored the classic tale. Shelly’s Frankenstein is easily regarded as one of the world’s finest pieces of literature. A reason why it’s in a class of its own is because of the strong feminist undertones present throughout the work. All of Shelly’s female†¦show more content†¦It has endured the test of time and many people still find this book entertaining. Romanticism was a vast literary movement which started to begin in 1789 with the French Revolution, and later officially began in 1798. It later came to a close in 1832 when the British began to undergo â€Å"Parliamentary reforms, which laid the political foundations of modern Britain (Walter Romanticism). The Romantic era â€Å"Was characterized by a marked departure from the ideas and techniques of the literary period that preceded it, which was more scientific and rational in nature† (Romanticism). There are five major tenets of Romanticism. The first of the five is emotion over logic; this idea greatly strayed from the Age of Reason Concept. Second, the beliefs that people have the power to achieve greatness through their own choices which was a radical new idea; one could reach the top and be a force through their own choices. The third tenet was that nature has the power to transform the mind. Forth were advocates for social change, especially women. And fifth , embrace the supernatural (Walter the Romantic Tenants). All five of these tenets are highly present in Shelly’s Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a rich Romantic piece. It is clearly obvious throughout the text that â€Å"Shelly was deeply influenced by the romantics, and the reader of Frankenstein can certainly identify a number of characteristics of romanticism in this novel† (Romanticism). This influence can be seenShow MoreRelatedFrankenstein, By Victor Frankenstein988 Words   |  4 PagesLane Johnson Mr. Jones English 12 Honors/4th Period March 15, 2015 Victor Frankenstein and his creation surprisingly share many of the same characteristics. Even though Frankenstein is an ugly, unwanted creature, he and Victor withhold an obvious connection throughout the novel. However, Victor and Frankenstein also share their differences as well. Victor was raised in a very caring and loving home. His parents gave Victor everything he wanted and Victor grew up with great friends. 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This was a major illustration for the reader that despite being an experienced scientist Frankenstein was still ruled by emotions. In a largeRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - Victor Frankenstein is to Blame1046 Words   |  5 PagesVictor Frankenstein is to Blame Can an intense appetency for the pursuit of knowledge result in fatal consequences? In most situations when a strong desire is present consequences are seldom taken into consideration. In the novel, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues knowledge in an obsessive manner that blinds him to the possible effects. Victor Frankenstein is the primary cause of his creatures desolation. Indeed, Victor Frankenstein is at fault for the creatures isolation andRead More Victor Frankenstein is the Monster in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein566 Words   |  3 PagesVictor Frankenstein is the Monster in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through out the novel we are under the assumption that the demon in the novel is the man who is disfigured and hideous on the outside. While we view Victor Frankenstein as the handsome and caring victim, even though sometimes a monster cannot be seen but heard. Looks can be deceiving but actions are always true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We first view Frankenstein’s ignorance while he is busy in his work. He had not visited his family for