Vodka Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Vodka - Research Paper Example This pattern is also followed in the US also. Vodka normally contains 40% alchahol, which is the normal standard. Such vodka is widely used in Russia as well as the US. Even 50% alcoholic vodka is popular in the US. In some vodka, mainly polish descent, the alcoholic content is around 95%.In many east European countries as well as in the west, vodka is a supportive drink which is blended with other drinks. Examples are bloody marys, vodka martinis, etc (What is Vodka?). Vodka is a colourless and flavourless alchahol. The Russians normally brew it from grain whereas the poles make it from potatoes, beets, corn etc. the sugar is transformed into alchahol and distilled six times forgetting a wonderful mixture of vodka. Six times is the magical number. It is then filtered through charcoal. Vodka is an ideal blender. This property is used to the maximum in many countries. For example a bottle of istok or moskovskaya has milder quantities of vodka blended into it. There are more than 400 brands of vodka in Russia. It is flavoured and the most popular is the pepper flavoured vodka. Sometimes lemon is also used for flavouring. In US vodka is closely associated with martinis and cocktails. The average American drinker does not drink vodka straight. The American drinker does not mix vodka with beer as the Russian drinkers do (Gougeon). In today’s spirit industry, vodka is the most dynamic spirits in the global arena. Its growth trajectory is nothing but truly phenomenal. Over the past 20 years there has been an increase of a staggering 246.7m cases world wide. The growth of vodka is mainly associated in countries like Russia and Poland. In Russia there has been an increase by 21m cases over the 20 year period. This growth is truly commendable because it was achieved against tight governmental control as well as rising affluence. In US also there was tremendous growth for vodka. There was growth by 21.2m cases over the

A Brief Summary of Russias History Essay Example for Free

A Brief Summary of Russias History Essay Russian history is filled with an immense amount of events. Many great and horrible rulers have also ruled over this piece of land. For example, Ivan the Terrible/Great was one of the first well-known and beloved tsars of Russia because he was the first to conquer the Mongolians in 1500. This feat earned him the rule and name as the great ruler of Russia. Over time, another great ruler such as Peter the Great would come. However in 1917, Lenin rose in the Russian revolution and ended the tsar’s rule. In 1922, the fall of the tsars led to the rise of a new government, the U.  S. S. R. Although it was meant to improve the economy, it did not do much and eventually felled in 1991. After many years of difficulty, they are currently on their way back to modernization with the election of President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s history consists of four parts and the longest and most eventful is its history of expansion. This time period lasted from the medieval ages all the way to 1917. However, Russians did not always have a rule on their land. Before the 1500s, the Mongols ruled a small piece of land that was known as Russia. The Mongolian soldiers were known quite fiercely for the battle skills and kept a tight hold on this land that they kept for manservants. This went on until the 1500s when the Grand Prince Ivan of Moscow (later known as Ivan the Terrible/Great) defeated and conquered the Mongols. Under his rule, Russia expanded immensely and even continued through his successors. Peter the Great also made a big impact despite his well-known and influential ancestor. Many things happened under his rule including expansion. Not only did he create a Navy (which did not exist in Russia at the time), he also moved the capital from Moscow all the way to St. Petersburg. He was also greatly known for his three goals that are to expand, Europeanize Russia, and for the czars to have absolute power. Throughout his lifetime, Peter the Great will make tremendous additions to Russia. After his death, there comes great czars and empresses who will expand even further like Empress Catherine the Great and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. However, Nicholas the Second was the last tsar due to the rise of Lenin and the Russian Revolution.

KPMG Three Little Pigs Inc. Solution :: Business, Finance, case study, solution

KPMG Three Little Pigs Inc. Solution Several factors including increased supply have caused declining prices for live hogs on the spot market. Also as shown below, futures prices will remain below the carrying cost for live hogs until nearly the end of the fiscal year. However, processed pork products such as bacon, loins, and ham remain above the current cost of production. Three Little Pigs Inc. is capable of processing hogs into these products internally at some locations. Unfortunately, not all hogs can be transported and processed at the main processing plants and must be sold as live hogs to third parties at spot market prices. There are four potential alternatives for dealing with the possible need to impair the value of Three Little Pigs Inc.'s inventories. Alternative 1: Continue to carry all inventories at cost basis. ARB28, Par.14c ?Such temporary market declines need not be recognized at the interim date since no loss is expected.? EITF, 86-13 Discussion option 28 requires inventory be written to lower of cost or market unless (1) substantial evidence exists that market prices will recover before the inventory is sold?Write down is generally required unless the decline is due to seasonal pricing fluctuation.? ARB43, Ch.4, Par.9 ?Where evidence indicates that cost will be recovered with an approximately normal profit upon sale in the ordinary course of business, no loss should be recognized...? If it can be determined that the depressed prices for lean hogs are only temporary, inventories could and should be kept at cost basis. In this case, adjusting prices to match current market prices would not be necessary. Future prices indicate a recovery before the end of the fiscal year. Futures prices will surpass cost in February and remain above cost for the remainder of the fiscal year. The future prices support claims that the price fluctuations are only temporary in nature, and do not reflect a permanent downward shift in hog prices. Since inventories once impaired cannot be marked up to reflect changes in market conditions, this strategy could be beneficial to the company later on. In this case inventory would not be shown on the books at an unfairly low value. Alternative 2: Mark down all live hog inventories AICPA Audit Procedures for Agricultural Producers Pt.1 Ch5.02 ?Growing crops and developing animals to be held for sale should be valued at the lower of cost or market.? ARB43, Ch.4 Par.8 ?A departure from the cost basis of pricing the inventory is required when the utility of the goods is no longer as great as its cost.

Georg Cantor

History of Mathematics Portfolio Standard 1 Discrete Mathematics Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Phillip Cantor (1845 – 1918) †¦the transfinite species are just as much at the disposal of the intentions of the Creator and His absolute boundless will as the finite numbers. Georg Cantor Georg Cantor was born on March 3, 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Georg lived in the city until age eleven, when his father became sick and the family moved to Germany to get away from the bitter winters in Russia. Throughout his youth, Georg played the violin and showed great talent, a talent he inherited from his musical parents.Georg graduated in 1860 from Realschule in Darmstadt. He was given praise for his outstanding skills in mathematics, especially trigonometry. He continued his studies at the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, where he stayed until his father’s death in 1863. At this time, he was given a considerable inheritance, and decided to transfer his studies to the Univ ersity of Berlin. While at the University, Georg attended lectures by prominent mathematicians such as Leopold Kronecker, Karl Weierstrass, and Ernst Kummer.In the summer of 1966, Georg attended the University of Gottingen, which was and still is an important mathematical research center. He received his Ph. D. in 1867 for his thesis on number theory, De aequationibus secundi gradus indeterminatis. After receiving his Ph. D. , Georg began working at an all-girls’ school in Berlin. He quickly left this position to take up another one at the University of Halle, where he remained for the rest of his career. In 1874, after Georg’s career began, he met and married Vally Guttmann.Between 1874 and 1886, Georg and Vally had six children. Thanks to his father’s inheritance he was able to care and provide for such a large family while making a modest salary in academia. The decade of 1874 to 1884 proved to be Georg’s finest mathematical time. It was during this ti me that Cantor began his work on set theory. He was able to prove that there are (infinitely) many possible sizes for infinite sets, which were not trivial and needed to be studied. Before this proof, â€Å"infinite† was a philosophical discussion, not a mathematical one.In one of Georg’s first papers, he proved that the set of real numbers is â€Å"more numerous† than the set of natural numbers. He also showed the necessity of one-to-one correspondence in set theory. He used this concept to define finite and infinite sets, subdividing the latter into denumerable sets and uncountable sets. Georg also pioneered using fundamental counting in set theory. This discovery led to Cantor’s theorem: the size of the power set of A is strictly larger than the size of A, even when A is an infinite set.Georg had many triumphs during his career, making him one of the great discrete mathematicians in history, but he also suffered because of his career. He was hospitaliz ed several times throughout his life, which until his death, was contributed to depression. He would sever ties with friends and colleagues if they criticized his work. He once became so â€Å"depressed† from criticism by Leopold Kronecker that he began applying himself to lecture on philosophy instead of mathematics. He spent a great deal of time trying to prove that Francis Bacon wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare, even writing two pamphlets on it.All of his correspondence with friend and publisher Gosta Mittag-Leffler attacked Kronecker and displayed how much of his confidence he lost due to Kronecker’s critiques of his work. Georg retired in 1913, still battling chronic depression. He suffered from poverty and malnourishment during World War I. He passed his final year of life in the sanatorium, where he died on January 6, 1918. After his death, Georg was diagnosed with bipolarity, which is attributed for his erratic behavior and depression.

Alpine Ecosystem

Australian History Glossary: Australia in the Vietnam War Era Subject Specific Terminology Place the following terms next to their correct definition in the table below: Democracy, Robert Menzies, Domino Theory, Arms Race, ANZUS Pact, Capitalism, Ho Chi Minh, Moratorium, Communism, Soviet Union, Viet Cong, SEATO, Indochina, Propaganda, Vietnamisation, Edward ‘Gough’ Whitlam, Political Asylum, Defoliant, Viet Minh, ‘Reds under the bed’, Lyndon B. Johnson, Guerrilla Warfare, Cold War, Conscientious Objector, Veteran Pacifists, Conscription, the Petrov Affair,Term Definition | Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister. He was in office for 17 years and represented the liberal party| | Anti communist alliance formed between Australia, New Zealand and the United States in 1951. | | Refers to Australia’s fear of Communism. Australians were scared because many of the countries in South East Asia were becoming Communist and that meant that we could fa ce problems in the future. Some people were even worried that Australia could become a Communist country, with some Australians joining communist parties. | A political issue involving Communist Russian spies in Australia. In 1954, Vladimir Petrov, a Russian diplomat gave himself up as a spy and asked if he could live in Australia if he promised to give up the names of other Russian Spies living here. His wife, Evdokia, was not given the same treatment and was forced to return to Russia with Russian police (KGB). | | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which was a group of Communist countries led by Russia. | | A system of government in which there is free and equal participation by the people in the political decision making process. | The collective name given for the former French colonies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It is located on a peninsular between India and China. | | Economic system in which businesses are privately owned and operated for profit. | | South-East Asia Tr eaty Organisation, the anti communist treaty linking the US, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand from 1954. It was dissolved in 1974. | | Economic system in which, in theory, wealth is shared equally and the means of production, distribution, and exchange are commonly shared. | Conflict between the communist led East, led by the Soviet Union, and the non-communist West led by the USA, after 1945. | | Australian Prime Minister who withdrew Australian troops from the Vietnam War. He was in office from 1972-1975 and represented the Australian Labor Party. | | Person who refuses to fight on moral or ethical grounds. | | The forcible enlistment of men into the armed forces| | Anti Vietnam War protest in which the people stopped work to voice their disapproval against the war. | | A chemical that causes leaves to fall off trees. It was used by the USA in bombing campaigns in the Vietnam War. | Protection granted to an individual who defects from one country to another. | | Information spread to persuade the audience to believe a particular point of view of action. | | Enlisted people who had served in Vietnam but returned with anti-war views. | | The belief of non-communist nations that if South Vietnam fell to Communism so to would vulnerable nations in south east Asia. | | Small scale hit and run warfare by mobile groups who ambush their enemy using limited technology. This was used extremely effectively by the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. | South Vietnamese communist sympathisers fighting the USA, its allies and the South Vietnamese Army in the Vietnam War. | | An American policy of gradually withdrawing troops from the Vietnam War. | | Leader of the Viet Minh. He died in 1969, six years before the fall of Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City. | | Communist led national liberation movement. Based in North Vietnam, it was formed in 1941 to fight for Vietnam’s independence. | | Competition between nations in the building up of military resources. | | President of USA during the Vietnam War. He visited Australia in 1966 and the phrase â€Å"All the way with LBJ† was coined. |

Findings Of IT Investment In Airlines Policy Tourism Essays

Findings Of IT Investment In Airlines Policy Tourism Essays Findings Of IT Investment In Airlines Policy Tourism Essay Findings Of IT Investment In Airlines Policy Tourism Essay This chapter summarizes air hoses industry Time Series Analysis chief consequences, and parts of this research. Furthermore, we besides summarize SITA ICT informations implemented in chief air hoses in the universe. First, we infer PT, GT and joint air hose services separately, by stets and regionally. Then we present the findings of IT investing in airlines policy. Finally, reasoning comments are made for Air Transportation companies followed by deductions and policy recommendation. Airlines Industry Performance illation. The thesis analysis was based on the Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Passenger and Goods transit profound probe. In general, our treatment was the magnitude of air hose industry multiplicity, its exposure, development and restructuring after terrorist onslaught and during the recent crisis. The consequences are consistent to some extent with some model reported surveies conducted with Passenger or Goods Transportation. However, our research attempt focused on the new method and elaborates alone attack to happen optimum solutions on how international air transit system can get by with 21century water partings. A figure of observations can be offered from the consequences of the air hoses Time Series Analysis. We divided this subdivision in three decision parts: Passenger Transportation, Goods Transportation, and Passenger and Goods Transportation together. First, the factors act uponing undependable grosss refering seasonable traffic at the Passenger Airline Market, created strong det ermination constrain can be overcome with ARIMA theoretical account attack. Furthermore, we presume riders grow figure peers 100 000 yearly. Therefore, to do transit procedure drum sander, more profitable, and safe we recommend using Statistical Analysis System. Additionally, after profound analysis we presume that anticipation set of Regional Air Passenger Transportation development has alone characteristics that contributes to the possible utility for hypothesis testing and to obtain proper consequence. Therefore, we summarize that the cognition about sudden magnificent RPK addition ( i.e. Olympics Games ) will do air hoses directors determination procedure quick, exact, and absolutely conforming the demand at the clip. It can maximise net income of many companies connected with air transit industry. To sum up our probe of air hose market merely 17 pure Homogenous Passenger Companies exist in the international air transit system. Methodology acceptance of three different sets of air hoses development surveies associated with the clip issue position has been comparatively undiscovered. More to this, we found out that the Worst Heterogeneous Airlines set consequence of transporting riders is much better than the consequence of Homogeneous Pure best pattern Airlines ( calculate 2.8 ) and there is no cointegration between their activity. : Second portion of our decisions refering air hose s figure of issue and entry trial, and seasonality consequence of Goods Air Transportation probe reveal that merely 7 Pure Homogenous Goods Transportations Companies exist in the air hose market.[ 1 ]Fiscal Crisis causality absorbed immense figure of 20 000FTK of all heterogenous and homogenous air companies cargo during the testing period. Therefore, set uping effectual support system through the Airline Company can increase perceive utility of historical informations analysis, and it is really important for top leading determination procedure. Furthermore, compared with stable clip growing and Financial Crisis issue perspective the phenomenon of different recovery period of air hoses is important. To accomplish the same value of FTK=18000, under effects of Financial Crisis air hoses companies needed 3 months, while during stable incremental period merely 1 month. This unremunerative phase requires a batch of direction coordination and invention execution to acquire back on profitable path of company incremental development. Surprisingly, Pure Goods Air Transportation Companies are non every bit much vulnerable for Financial Crisis like Worst Heterogeneous Airlines and Largest Heterogeneous Airlines ( calculate aˆÂ ¦ ) . Furthermore, during our analysis we perceived important factor that Pure Homogeneous Goods Transportation Airlines have about the same FTK diagram form like Large Heterogeneous Goods Transportation Airlines ( Fig. 3.8 ) . The coefficient of cointegrity peers Q=aˆÂ ¦ proving cointegratio ( lag construction ) . Therefore, it is indispensable for both heterogenous and homogenous air hoses to pattern Mirror Effect ( ME ) and concentrate all attempts to accomplish ME consequence at degree of cointegration of aˆÂ ¦ . Goods Air Transportation development anticipation analyses evaluates non more than 104 000 FTK carried at the seasonal choice until October 2010. Hence from the experien ce of carried 124 000FTK in October 2007 position, due to predicted 20 000FTK smaller cargo, the air companies can lend in care or invention deduction during the following 18 months. Therefore practical version of anticipation analysis is important for development of Air transit companies non merely during incremental company growing but it besides improves recovery pattern while crisis severely impacts incomes of the air hoses. To sum up regional historical information analysis, the peculiar parts are non much correlated. ( look into correlativity, cointegration? ) It means from the regional concerted issue position there is no Mach important activities in the universe. Therefore, it can be really important for the top policy shapers to see broad regional cooperation possibility. Likewise, Statistical Analysis System application accurately indicates Passenger Air Transportation while the Goods Air Transportation, leting recognize thought of the Mirror Effect. More specifically, the alone characteristic of Two Vertical Axis Concept ( TVAC ) determines one of the most of import solutions for future profitable chances to optimise GT and PT services to develop yield direction. Beside, after unexpected insouciant effects ME application in Airlines day-to-day modus operandis assures them progressively stable growing procedure within short period avoiding large graduated table of loses. This different happening consequences from the fact that Comparison Characteristic Lashkar-e-Taiba policy shapers find value of RPK and FTK and behavior proper operational analysis. In instance of leaders of thre Airlines market the cointegration between RPK an FTK coefficient equal aˆÂ ¦ . .Furthermore, committednesss with transporting bigger figure of Passenger while Freight figure lessening after causal consequence like FC will be strongly recommended to maximise the net income as we find out that Passenger Transportation demand after one twelvemonth of Financial Crisis excellently increases by aˆÂ ¦ . Finally, the alone characteristics of this survey contribute to the possible different in theoretical account hypothesis testing, parts and deductions from the other old surveies. More to this, future anticipation consequence of this survey can convey great economical consequence for macro part accomplishment. Finally, typical methodological analysis attack of this research allow us exactly create future Revenue Passenger Kilometers for the single air company, set of interesting us air hoses group ( confederation ) or the part air companies. Main findings and policy deductions ( recommendation ) Time Series Analysis connected with Statistical Analyst System outlay can significantly impact net income of air companies, and do them more challenger at the extremely competitory air hoses market. Additionally, after version of ARMA Forecasting Processes, the consequences will steer top directors of rider Transportation Company throw the jobs of investing degree, sunk cost and it shows the header and exact clip tabular array for the hereafter disbursement in the air hoses. Above theoretical account of probe allow us uncover many findings and decisions of practical significance. Hence, we find out that Worst Heterogeneous Airlines consequence of transporting riders is much better than the consequence of Homogeneous Pure best pattern Airlines. Furthermore, multiplicity of service enables air hoses to remain at the market long clip. More to this, our Entry and Exit Analysis ( EEA ) proved that Homogenous Passenger Air Company can non obtain proper gross to remain at the market for l ong clip. Thus our first recommendation to derive net income is to discontinue activity for Pure Homogenous Passenger air companies, or diversify their pattern to transport both: Goods and Passenger together. Furthermore, in general Pure Homogenous PT air hoses stay at the market short period of clip! Therefore, there will be a positive relationship between perceived benefit of usage Heterogeneous Passenger Transportation and Goods Transportation service together. Heterogeneous Airlines air transit systems are able to get by with 21century watershed much better than Homogeneous best pattern air hoses. However, this can be tackled through the set uping analytical research lab squad in the Air Company construction, and the squad leader should be an Adviser of CEO in the Airline. During our analysis we proved important factor that Pure Homogeneous Goods Transportation Airlines have about the same FTK diagram form like Large Heterogeneous Goods Transportation Airlines. Therefore, the 2nd recommendation is to pattern the same seasonal scheme theoretical account like Homogeneous extremely specialized Goods Transportation Company to better the output direction of Heterogeneous FTK Airlines. This can be done by develop Mirror Effect application in the companies. Refering part probe after profound statistical analysis we suggest two parts South-west Pacific and Central America/Caribbean for future possible cooperation. More to this, a comparing of two alternate parts demand implicates that two historical and anticipation diagrams ( parts ) can do cooperation rather sensible. Therefore, developing disbursals should lend to fix top directors for statistical analysis and developing Mirror Effect scheme every bit far as farther maximization company net income is concerned. Robert Crandall, former Chairman and CEO of American Airlines said that Yield Management is the individual most of import proficient development in transit direction since we entered deregulating Therefore our forth recommendation to the top directors is to use alone characteristics of Two Vertical Axis Concept determines one of the most of import solutions for future profitable chances to optimise GT and PT services to develop yield direction in heterogenous companies. Furt hermore, to get the better of causal effects like Financial Crisis we recommend top leading of Heterogeneous Companies to fix substructure and forces to function and transport much bigger figure of Passengers so Goods merely after the crisis. This will fulfill users of the Airline Company and work out with the losingss of the fiscal crisis and other effects. Beside this, it is deserving to indicate that Homogenous Goods Transportation Companies should pattern at the market with strong extremely specialised equipment and decently trained forces. Finally, it is really indispensable for air hose development to emulate taking at the market Company like Korean Air as the form for edifice in effectual manner perceived usefulness of Heterogeneous Transportation System.

Taken Aback

Taken Aback Taken Aback Taken Aback By Maeve Maddox A reader encountering the expression â€Å"taken aback† looked it up in the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, where he found this example of usage: â€Å"I was a little taken aback at the directness of the question.† However, he also found â€Å"taken aback by† and â€Å"taken aback that† in other printed sources. He wants to know what rule, if any, determines what word should follow the expression. â€Å"Taken aback† is used as an adjective meaning â€Å"shocked, amazed, astounded.† In modern usage, it is frequently followed by an adjective complement. Note: An adjective complement is a clause or phrase that adds to the meaning of an adjective or modifies it. The adjective complement always follows the adjective it complements and is a noun clause or a prepositional phrase. A web search yields numerous examples of â€Å"taken aback† followed by a noun clause beginning with that: New Jersey imam â€Å"taken aback† that his mosque was under surveillance Which actress thinks you’re taken aback that she’s ‘easygoing but not necessarily stupid’? Im a little taken aback that you have reg priced a Hasbro F/X star wars lightsaber at 48.00 then put it at 50% off. I was taken aback that this kind of diatribe could actually make [its] way to the general public. When â€Å"taken aback† is followed by a prepositional phrase, the usual preposition used is by, although both with and at are seen. The adverb aback has been in the language since Old English times. Two of its meanings are â€Å"in a backward direction† and â€Å"behind.† As an adverb with the figurative meaning of â€Å"in the past,† aback still occurs in regional dialect: â€Å"Werent it you I saw ride that grey mare over on Wondala a couple of years aback?†(OED example: A. Agar Queensland Ringer (2008) v. 40).â€Å"   Ã‚   The earliest OED example of â€Å"taken aback† to mean â€Å"surprised,† â€Å"shocked,† or â€Å"disconcerted† is dated 1751. This sense arose from a sailing term: taken aback: (transitive verb in the passive) Of a sail: to be suddenly pressed back against the mast, preventing forward progress, either through bad steering or a change in the wind. Of a ship, etc.: to be caught in this way. A person who is â€Å"taken aback† is momentarily â€Å"thrown off course† by some event or remark. Of the 18 examples offered in the OED for both the literal and figurative use of the expression, only four are followed by a prepositional phrase, two of which are governed by with and two of which begin with by. Other dictionaries offer usage examples with the preposition at, but a search on the Google Ngram Viewer suggests that by is by far the most common choice. 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. FurtherEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodWriting a Thank You Note

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language In speech or writing, vagueness is the imprecise or unclear use of language. Contrast this term with clarity and specificity. As an adjective, the word becomes vague. Although vagueness often occurs unintentionally, it may also be employed as a deliberate rhetorical strategy to avoid dealing with an issue or responding directly to a question. Macagno and Walton note that vagueness can also be introduced for the purpose of allowing the speaker to redefine the concept he wishes to use (Emotive Language in Argumentation, 2014). In  Vagueness as a Political Strategy (2013),  Giuseppina Scotto di Carlo observes that vagueness is a pervasive phenomenon in natural language, as it seems to be expressed through nearly all linguistic categories. In short, as philosopher Ludwig  Wittgenstein said, Vagueness is an  essential feature of the language.   Etymology From the Latin, wandering Examples and Observations Use details. Dont be vague. -Adrienne Dowhan et al., Essays That Will Get You into College, 3rd ed. Barrons, 2009 Vague Words and Phrases Vagueness arises from the use of terms that are inherently vague. The cabinet minister who says, My officials are monitoring this situation very closely, and I can promise that we shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the situation is resolved in a way that is fair to all the parties involved. should be challenged on grounds of vagueness. Despite the appearance of having promised to do something specific, the minster has not really promised to do anything at all. What are appropriate measures? They could be anything or nothing. What does fair to all the parties mean? We have no clear idea. Such phrases are inherently vague and can mean almost anything. People who use them should be challenged to say more precisely what they mean. -Willam Hughes and Jonathan Lavery, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, 5th ed. Broadview Press, 2008 Vagueness Versus Specificity Vague or abstract words can create wrong or confusing meanings in your receivers mind. They state a general idea but leave the precise meaning to the receivers interpretation...The following examples show vague or abstract words and ways to make them specific and precise: many - 1,000 or 500 to 1,000early - 5 a.m.hot - 100 degrees Fahrenheitmost - 89.9 percentothers - business administration studentspoor student - has a 1.6 grade point average (4.0 A)very rich - a millionairesoon - 7 p.m., Tuesdayfurniture - an oak desk Notice in the preceding examples how adding a few words makes the meaning precise. Varieties of Vagueness One characteristic of vagueness...is that it is related to the degree of formality, or rather informality, of the situation; the less formal the situation the more vagueness there will be... Vagueness in Oratory [T]he need in oratory of the specific example, either in place of or immediately following the general statement, cannot be too strongly urged. Generalizations alone have no persuasive value. And yet this truth is constantly overlooked by public speakers. How often do we hear the common criticism of the typically weak, impressionless address: Platitudes and glittering generalities. In one of George Ades Forty Modern Fables a man has certain stock phrases which he uniformly uses in all discussions pertaining to art, literature, and music; and the moral is, For parlor use, the vague generality is a life-saver. But for the public speaker, generalizations are useless for either imparting or impressing his thought; a single concrete example has far more convincing and persuasive force. Vagueness in Survey Questions Vague words are very common on surveys. A word is vague when it is not obvious to a respondent what referents (e.g., instances, cases, examples) fall under the umbrella of the words intended meaning...For example, consider the question, How many members of your household work? This question has several vague words, most of which would be missed by the vast majority of respondents. It could be argued that members, household, and work are all vague words. Who counts as being a member of the household?...What falls under the category of household?... What counts as someone working?...Vagueness is ubiquitous in most survey questions. Ambiguity Versus Vagueness The difference between ambiguity and vagueness is a matter of whether two or more meanings associated with a given phonological form are distinct (ambiguous), or united as non-distinguished subcases of a single, more general meaning (vague). A standard example of ambiguity is bank financial institution vs. bank land at rivers edge, where the meanings are intuitively quite separate; in aunt fathers sister vs. aunt mothers sister, however, the meanings are intuitively united into one, parents sister. Thus ambiguity corresponds to separation, and vagueness to unity, of different meanings. Vagueness in Sentences and Words The primary application of vague is to sentences, not to words. But the vagueness of a sentence does not imply that vagueness of every constituent word. One vague word is enough. It may be essentially doubtful whether this is a red shape because it is essentially doubtful whether this is red, although beyond doubt that it is a shape. The vagueness of This is a red shape does not imply the vagueness of This is a shape. Sources A. C. Krizan, Patricia Merrier, Joyce Logan, and Karen Williams,  Business Communication, 8th ed. South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011(Anna-Brita Stenstrà ¶m, Gisle Andersen, and Ingrid Kristine Hasund,  Trends in Teenage Talk: Corpus Compilation, Analysis, and Findings. John Benjamins, 2002)Edwin Du Bois Shurter,  The Rhetoric of Oratory. Macmillan, 1911Arthur C. Graesser, Question Interpretation.  Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion, ed. by Samuel J. Best and Benjamin Radcliff. Greenwood Press, 2005David Tuggy, Ambiguity, Polysemy, and Vagueness.  Cognitive Linguistics: Basic Readings, ed. by Dirk Geeraerts. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006Timothy Williamson,  Vagueness. Routledge, 1994

Human growth and developement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human growth and developement - Essay Example 1. Development proceeds from the head downward. This is called the Cephalocaudle principle. This principle describes the direction of growth and development. According to this principle, the child gains control of the head first, then the arms, and then the legs. Infants develop control of the head and face movements within the first two months after birth. In the next few months, they are able to lift themselves up by using their arms. By 6 to 12 months of age, infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl, stand, or walk. Coordination of arms always precedes coordination of legs. 2. Development proceeds from the center of the body outward. This is the principle of Proximodistal development that also describes the direction of development. This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body. The child's arms develop before the hands and the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes. Finger and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical development. 3. Development depends on maturation and learning. Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development. ... Finger and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical development. 3. Development depends on maturation and learning. Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development. The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities. Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. These changes in the brain and nervous system help children to improve in thinking or cognitive and motor or physical skills. 4. Development proceeds from the simple to the more complex. Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems. For example, learning relationships between things, or classification, is an important ability in cognitive development. The cognitive process of learning how an apple and orange are alike begins with the most simplistic or concrete thought of describing the two. Seeing no relationship, a preschool child will describe the objects according to some property of the object, such as color. Such a response would be, "An apple is red or green and an orange is orange." The first level of thinking about how objects are alike is to give a description or functional relationship between the two objects. "An apple and orange are round" and "An apple and orange are alike because you eat them" are typical responses of three, four and five year olds. As children develop further in cognitive skills, they are able to understand a higher and more complex relations hip between objects and things; that is, that an apple and orange exist in a class called fruit. The child cognitively is then capable of classification. 5. Growth and development is a continuous process. As a child develops, he or she adds to the skills already acquired and the new skills

An analysis of the risk-free rate in the South African capital market Dissertation

An analysis of the risk-free rate in the South African capital market - Dissertation Example This implies that the risk free rate is the most essential concept that determines the market demand of different instruments. Next, the research conducted a comparison between the BESA published bond yield curve and a market price based yield curve developed by the researcher. The findings establish that the market price derived risk free rate is higher than the theoretical risk free rate. It was also found that the shape of the yield curve is different from the BESA projected yield curve, and that it is indicative of future problems in the South African Capital market. The implications of the perception of the higher risk free rate are discussed and it is revealed that the foriegn investors consider the country risk and the default risk associated with the South African government as relatively higher than what the BESA may perceive. The higher perception of the risk as well as the expectations of a fall in the interest rates in the future (which is indicated by the inverse shape o f the yield curve) hint towrads an approaching slowdown or even a recession in the South African Economy. ... 5.3 Omega Ratio 3.5.4 Internal Rate of Return ( IRR) 3.5.5 Weighted Average Cost of capital Chapter 4: Analysis of Theretical Risk Free Rate and the Perceived Risk Free Rate 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Yield Curve 4.3 Theoretical Risk Free Rate - BESA-Actuaries Yield Curve 4.4 Market Based Yield Curve 4.4.1 Calculating the Market Based Yield Curve 4.5 Reasons for Differences in the Theoretical Risk Free Rate and the Market Risk Free Rate 4.5.1 Expectations of the Investors 4.5.2 Liquidity premium theory 4.5.3 Market segmentation theory 4.5.4 Preferred habitat theory 4.5.5 Differences Expectations of Future Interest Rates 4.5.6 Implications for the Economic Development Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusion & Recommendations 5.1 Summary 5.2 Conclusions 5.3 Recommendations for Future Research List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Sample Table of Hypothetical Cash flow Matrix Table 2: Market Data Using Present Values on 8 April 2011 Table 3: Yield to Maturities and Expected Rates of Returns Table 4: Yie ld To Maturities Using Besa Method and JSE Market Prices Figure 1: Risk and Return Figure 2: BESA Zero Coupon Bonds Yield Curve Figure 3: Yield Curve Using Market Data References Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction and Background South Africa is an emerging country that has devloped a deep Capital Market in the short span of time since its independence (Wajid et al, 2008). Capital Markets play a crucial role in the overal development of the economy as these provide the basic resources for large infrastructure and nation building projects, and hence, these are essential for any countries’ long-term growth and progress. In the last decade, South Africa has made several structural as well as institutional changes to consolidate the capital market in the country. These changes involved

The Idea That Lesbians Are Not Considered Women As Presented By Hale Essay

The Idea That Lesbians Are Not Considered Women As Presented By Hale - Essay Example To be a woman, one has to have the female gender, and thus, referring to lesbians as being non-women means that they are bad people and this implies that they are incompatible with being a woman. The second argument that Hale raises in support of his argument that lesbians are not women is the interconnection between sex, heterosexuality as political regime as well as the concepts of being woman and man. The paradigm of the very definition of being a woman, argues Hale, is the difference between the two sexes, which are either male or female, but nothing in the middle. Lesbians qualify neither as men, nor as women. One has to be either a woman or a man, and this qualifies them for marriage. However, women do not qualify for such an institution, and thus, lesbians are not women. Further, if the concept of heterosexuality is removed from the picture, it would be wrong to say that women make love top fellow women. This cannot happen in such relationships, as such, the heterosexual conce pt comes about in support of lesbian relationships. Hale draws a number of conclusions from the arguments rose. That the category of sex presupposes of there being an existence of a discourse in which sex is binary, then, man and woman are exhaustive, yet, man and woman are opposite but complementing. Additionally, he holds that in the discourse of heterosexuality, the categorization of sex subsumes, conforming to the reality. He also believes that being a woman, it means having a binary relation with a man. This is the main reason why Fansto held that men and women are different from each other. However, this is not true in a lesbian case, as there is no binary relationship between a man and a woman in a lesbian relationship. ... However, this is not true in a lesbian case, as there is no binary relationship between a man and a woman in a lesbian relationship (Hale 48). The fact that there is no particular relationship between a lesbian and a man, then, making the conclusion that no lesbian is a woman is true. Some of the other arguments hold that marriage defines being a woman. Opponents of these arguments, in response, pose the question, whether catholic nuns in such cases are not women. In essence, the author, articulating sex and gender could be either right or wrong (Hale 48). Gender, being a highly complex aspect of morally accountable cultural practices, successfully classifies men and women in accordance to their cultural construct (Hale 48). There are only two genders in the world; one can either be male or female, and nothing more. One cannot transfer from one gender to another, except in ceremonial times. Other researchers protest such changes, as (Fansto 126) holds that we should let people grow t he way they were born. Therefore, one of the women in the relationship acting as a man in a relationship does not simply make them male. Thus, nobody choses or decides on the particular gender they fall into. These are arguments used by Hale in arguing that lesbians are not women; if they truly are women, then they should conform to the doctrines of being woman. The Concept of the Thirteen Characteristics Not only did Hale argue that the reasons why lesbians are not woman, he also defined the characterizing features of a woman. According to him, the characterizing features of a woman fall into different clusters of groups. Sex characteristics cluster This cluster holds the largest number of people, who define gender with reference to sexuality. The following are the defining

America and It's Independent State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

America and It's Independent State - Essay Example This essay stresses that once considered for centuries to be a precious commodity, freedom and liberty were now within the grasp of those who wished to seek it for themselves and for generations to come. To have leaders that would serve those who relied upon them in such a manner that it would break away from centuries of oppression by one ruler over many whom they were supposed to be ruling. Giving way to the idea of a republic rather than a kingdom. A republic that would be united not just around one solitary ruler whose power was seen as tyrannical and totalitarian, but rather form a commanding force that would unite all of the citizenry together behind their ruling power so that they may, for the first time in history, be one people joined together under one nation. This paper makes a conclusion that a chance to live in a liberated manner that would garner them the chance to be in a free, democratic republic that would give the chance to have legal decisions for the republic made by a representing body that was chosen, in the end, â€Å"by the people & for the people.† Ultimately, what the American Independence Day meas in the end is the understanding of the importance of living in a free existence for the common good and the realization that in order to achieve such a free existence to have liberty and representation that is independent, the framers were correct in asserting that American did in fact have to declare as such.

Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Juvenile Justice - Essay Example Income inequality within America has haunted the masses because it provides them more problems than solving any issues for them in the first place. It aims to study the very basics related with the distribution of income towards the rich lot rather than bringing any suffice to the people who form up the majority within America today. The income inequality measures do not stand as a hindrance for the elites who form up as a very minute fraction of the American populace yet they end up paying less in taxes and eat much of the bulk of market share by usurping heavy salaries, perks and privileges. It is for this matter that the issue of juvenile delinquency has come up because the masses have not been able to feed their children, and hence the children have started to commit crimes that are unbecoming of their tender age and stature. An important matter that remains to be understood here is the fact that income inequality makes the very significant of matters to go down the drain and hence the element of juvenile delinquency is one subject which has suffered on more counts than anything else. The young ones are unaware of the extent of their acts which they are committing at the end of the day. It is for this reason that they are made scapegoats by the society and its differing economic standards, which are outright abysmal to state the least (Author Unknown, 2010). This is the reason why many young ones find themselves in prisons more often than not and thus find little help from the society as far as resurrecting their life domains are concerned. As the lady in the video suggested, America no matter being the richest country in the world is unable to provide for the basics of having a proper and decent life. The impact gap within America is severe to say the least. This is because since the rich are getting richer with each passing day, the brunt is falling upon the shoulders of the not so rich which are indeed the masses. They are unable to provide for their

Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Pregnancy Essay

Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Pregnancy - Essay Example In the interview, I verified that all the three women have limited knowledge of the effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on their unborn children. They had often ignored these facts. They further explained that drinking or smoking in small amounts would have no effect on the unborn child. Furthermore, Mary also was not aware of inhaling cigarette smoke from another person. She also did not tell her health care provider of smoking during the pregnancy for fear of intimidation. Betty was a recovering alcoholic addict. She quit drinking after she realized that she was three months pregnant. She joined numerous online women groups campaigning for sobriety during pregnancy. She also joined communal activities. The most interesting observation was that the three women were unaware of the effects of smoking on the physical and psychological well-being of their children in the future. The women also did not know that smoking might trigger sudden infant death syndrome while alcohol cons umption triggers the fetal alcohol syndrome. It was interesting that the women did not have such information that we had studied in class. However, the US government has invested heavily in ensuring that health care providers educate pregnant women during prenatal care visits. The women also informed me of the role of heredity, poor parenting and lack of social support services as key driving factors for smoking and drinking. Age also plays a significant role in determining tobacco use/drinking preference and cessation of the habit.

Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Juvenile Justice - Essay Example Income inequality within America has haunted the masses because it provides them more problems than solving any issues for them in the first place. It aims to study the very basics related with the distribution of income towards the rich lot rather than bringing any suffice to the people who form up the majority within America today. The income inequality measures do not stand as a hindrance for the elites who form up as a very minute fraction of the American populace yet they end up paying less in taxes and eat much of the bulk of market share by usurping heavy salaries, perks and privileges. It is for this matter that the issue of juvenile delinquency has come up because the masses have not been able to feed their children, and hence the children have started to commit crimes that are unbecoming of their tender age and stature. An important matter that remains to be understood here is the fact that income inequality makes the very significant of matters to go down the drain and hence the element of juvenile delinquency is one subject which has suffered on more counts than anything else. The young ones are unaware of the extent of their acts which they are committing at the end of the day. It is for this reason that they are made scapegoats by the society and its differing economic standards, which are outright abysmal to state the least (Author Unknown, 2010). This is the reason why many young ones find themselves in prisons more often than not and thus find little help from the society as far as resurrecting their life domains are concerned. As the lady in the video suggested, America no matter being the richest country in the world is unable to provide for the basics of having a proper and decent life. The impact gap within America is severe to say the least. This is because since the rich are getting richer with each passing day, the brunt is falling upon the shoulders of the not so rich which are indeed the masses. They are unable to provide for their

Role of Universities in Research and Innovation Essay

Role of Universities in Research and Innovation - Essay Example Information on research and innovation is necessary for policymakers so that they may be able to see how they can help the universities to promote their innovation and research in the market. Government support is not enough in most institutions. In most cases, universities collaborate with industries in conducting research. Universities have people, units, and function, which are involved in partnership actions that have an effect on technological and economic development. They do this by licensing and spin-offs. Universities differ in the way they organize their programs or activities so as to foster innovation. Research institutions, majorly in the United States, are more concerned about their societies in the recent past. This is because they represent the inner resources of knowledge in those societies (Amidon, Formica & Mercier-Laurent 2005, p.56). Competency of individuals, knowledge and skills and their application has improved significantly in the economy where these individ uals work. Most countries focus on the development, application, preservation, and discovery of all forms of knowledge and skills. These are the humanistic, scientific, and social knowledge. They therefore assist publicly and privately funded universities. The institutions then appreciate these contributions by appropriately contributing to the development in economy. They enhance knowledge linking activities, which improve technology commercialization, enhance workers’ competency, and assist community and organizational change and increase competency of professionals. He also provide social, economic, and cultural organizational analyses to train and educate individuals and to bring individuals and... This paper stresses that universities are directly involved in state and regional innovation processes in many ways. Development strategy emphasize on improving research institution in low and middle-income perspective and placing them at the inner part of development policies. Commercialization and technology transfer initiatives provides the means in which basic research and its market place meet one another. This is where ideas are converted into products, which then drive the new market and business formation. There are several challenges facing universities that need to be tackled for the institution to remain competitive in knowledge economy. One is to reduce student faculty ratio, this needs a plan on operating funds for new enrollment expansion. This needs expansion of faculties and hiring new staff. Many universities invest financially and politically in the development mechanisms of their firms. This report makes a conclusion that the values, economy, capabilities of a community , competence and orientation of workers must all be transforming and developing continuously across a large range of knowledge, changing technology and global conditions. Research in innovation and technology mobility is on a rising field, and its attractive conditions for learning research attract future academic interests. Efforts to improve long lasting capacity building are under acceleration in almost all growing universities. In conclusion, research and innovation are key aspects of knowledge development.

The Rhetoric of “Yes We Can” Essay Example for Free

The Rhetoric of â€Å"Yes We Can† Essay Darà ­o Villanueva outlines the history and significance of the rhetorical tradition and highlights the striking persistence of the power of the word in American politics. Even in our high-tech age, a three-word tagline -Yes We Can- carries devastating clout. The Greek sophists -the original masters of rhetoric, notorious for their appetite for influence rather than truth- would be both impressed by the abiding power of their art, and dismayed that, in the Gutenberg Galaxy, it has become a blunt instrument. Centuries before our time, the Greeks considered the question of how to speak so as to sway the hearers mind with the power of words. The first to examine the ways in which we relate to one another through language, the Greeks wrote detailed treatises laying bare the sinews of human communication, and their experience of language and the laws they inferred from it gave rise to Rhetoric, the art or science of the public speaker. The father of rhetoric was said to be Corax, who lived in the closing third of the fifth century BC in the Greek city state of Syracuse in Sicily; his disciple Thysias was credited with bringing his rhetorical discoveries to mainland Greece. Once there, rhetoric was appropriated by the so-called sophists. The history of the term is riven with self-contradiction. Etymologically, sophist means bearer of truth, but its modern meaning is the exact opposite: a sophistry-the stock-in-trade of politicians-is a plausible but spurious argument in support of a falsehood. True rhetoric, however ─Aristotle urges in the introduction to his Rhetoric─ is by no means sophistic. Discussing the uses of the discipline, Aristotle begins with the proclamation that rhetoric educates the common citizen and shapes his spirit, and is a useful way of advancing truth and justice, which in the natural course of things would prevail over their opposites if it were not because their advocates are sometimes inept.[1] Going back to the root of the matter, however, G.B. Kerferd, a scholar concerned with the earliest Greek sophists,[2] divided the school into three distinct types:  sages, such as Solon, whose wisdom was embodied as law; statesmen, who applied their pre-eminent talents to practical affairs, such as Pericles and Themistocles; and teachers of wisdom, skilled in passing on their learning and teaching eloquence, such as Protagoras, Gorgias or Socrates. If we view this classification in Montesquieus terms, the first group would stand for the legislative and judicial powers of the state, while the second group makes a good fit with the executive power. The third group, however, comprising masters of wisdom and oratory, embodies the time-honored marriage of interests and skills between scholars and rulers, sustained by the old but evergreen art of rhetoric. American rhetoric Leaving aside any objective or partisan judgment one might pass on his politics, which is irrelevant to our concern here, Barack Hussein Obama, a university academic, senator, and President of the United States, provides a fascinating example. He makes a perfect fit with a society as sharply characteristic as the American New World, the promised land where the political principles that were later to inspire the French Revolution of 1789 gave rise to an eclectic community, a melting pot of different ethnic origins-not all of them European-and open to all the innovations brought forth by the spectacular advance of science and technology from the Enlightenment to our own day. This was the New Democratic Nation that, ushering in modern poetry, Walt Whitman sang in his book, Leaves of Grass. One of the singular features of that New World is the somewhat astonishing survival, at some fundamental level, of the power of the word. The contrast may seem improbable, but in America the flourishing of technology and all its rich resources ─the central theme of a book that is in no way complacent, but in fact hypercritical, by Marshall McLuhan and his disciple Neil Postman[3]─ enables oratorical endeavor to thrive. Greek rhetoric, largely brought into being by the Sophists, who ─we must not forget─ were more interested in winning over the masses than the furtherance of truth, now has its promised land in the United States. A recent case in point is the impact of President Obamas Yes we can speeches. Again, it was Marshall McLuhan who reminded us that electric systems of communication ─radio and television particularly─ facilitated a revival of oral expression in human communication and cultural transmission after a period of relative tyranny of the eye over the ear: the written word, with the printing press as its handmaiden, had reigned supreme over the five centuries of what McLuhan dubbed the Gutenberg Galaxy.[4] Technopoly ─Postmans unflattering name for the United States of America─ is a locus particularly amenable to the use and development of new technologies, but, even in the twenty-first century, bears the hallmarks of a vast human community in which, as in the ancestral tribes discussed by McLuhan, the spoken word still harbors real power. An undeniable influence is exerted here by the religious bedrock that continues to underlie American society. Though fragmented and diverse, the Protestant churches visibly predominate, and in their communities the biblical and evangelical word breathes life into individual and collective spiritual experience, which draws further nourishment from the often impassioned eloquence of Protestant ministers. Barack Obama himself, a devout Christian, partakes of this culture of liturgical oratory; and, far from keeping this within the private sphere, he has no qualms about putting it on public show as one facet among many of his political personality. His beginnings as a Chicago activist in the late 1980s saw him as a leader of the Developing Communities Project, run by the Church Association on the South Side. Whats more-and this was the subject of a serious controversy, adroitly handled by Obama when his presidential campaign was in full swing-he was an active member of Chicagos Trinity Church, a congregation shepherded by the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The importance of rhetoric has been a feature of American democracy since the Founding Fathers. Its earliest master was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and first Republican President, who  proclaimed the Emancipation of black slaves in 1863. Obama brought this to the fore in his Victory Speech when he called upon his political adversaries, members of Lincolns own party. The man who in January 2009 became the 44th president started his campaign two years earlier in the state capital at Springfield, Illinois, where in 1858 Lincoln had delivered his landmark House Divided speech. Some political commentators have not hesitated to draw a parallel between the two by dint of their common gift for oratory. Lincolns most celebrated rhetorical legacy is a prodigious speech delivered on November 10, 1863, at Gettysburg. Running to only 246 words, what might have been no more than the close of a posthumous tribute to the heroes of a battle fought four months earlier on the fields of Pennsylvania became the historic proclamation that, after the Civil War, the American nation would be consecrated for ever as the realm of freedom: government of the people, by the people and for the people. The election campaign We can readily appreciate in Barack Obamas election campaign speeches-available at http://obamaspeeches.com-that these principles, and the more effective ways in which they have been put into words, survive today; more importantly, both the principles and the words retain their power to move and engage the citizenry. This is the power of words which Obama invoked at the end of his speech announcing that he was running for President at the same place where, 149 years before, Lincoln had spoken on a House Divided. It is accurate to point out that a decisive factor in his campaign was the recruitment of all the Internets rich resources: blogs, chat rooms, social networking and, above all, the availability on YouTube of some of the candidates key speeches, which I shall later be parsing from the rhetorical standpoint. Nevertheless, in the beginning, as in the biblical Genesis, was the Word, the foundation of the oral communication that marks us out as rational beings and as social animals. So one might say that Obama simply used the new technological possibilities offered by what some now call the Internet Galaxy,[5] just as one of his predecessors in the Oval Office had  done with what McLuhan called the Marconi Constellation. I am of course referring to Franklin D. Roosevelts fireside chats, a series of 30 radio talks broadcast from 1933 to 1944. Political scientists have claimed the chats played a vital role in getting the American public to understand two major presidential initiatives: first, the New Deal, which Roosevelt undertook to combat the Depression of the 1930s; secondly, Roosevelts decision to take America into the great war then afflicting Europe. Roosevelts radio talks have gone down in the history of communications as a great oratorical achievement. They would begin with an affable Good evening, friends, and went on for 15 to 45 minutes. 80% of Roosevelts words were among the thousand commonest in the English language. Though he shares the gift of oratory with Lincoln and Roosevelt, in Obama we have a modern-day speaker addressing twenty-first-century citizens and using hitherto unthinkable technologies to enhance what, in the last instance, is little more than the outcome of applying the principles of rhetoric and its main genres of discourse: deliberative-i.e., political-discourse, and demonstrative, epideictic discourse. The epideictic mode includes the encomium, by which one describes a person, a pattern of behavior or a state of affairs with the aim of dispensing praise or censure; one of its characteristic figures ─of which, as we shall see, Obama is a consummate master─ is evidentia, a particularly vivid form of description. Obama was no stranger ─rather the opposite─ to the forensic rhetorical genre, having first majored in political science at Columbia and later progressed to a doctorate at the no less prestigious Harvard Law School. In fact, his media debut was a consequence of his being elected editor of the Harvard Law Review, the prelude to a distinguished career as a jurist which was later to elevate him to the chair of constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Communication strategies In the American system of higher education, even at the foundational level of training imparted at college up to the attainment of a bachelors degree,  much is made of communication strategies: students are urged to study and practice them, on the view that they are of crucial import for their proper development as citizens. The significance accorded to applied rhetoric is taken to an extreme in graduate study in the social sciences and, in particular, at law school. When I first experienced life in the United States, thirty years ago now, I was struck by how versatile and broad-ranging modern American rhetoric can be. In all facets of society rhetoric is close at hand, especially in the media; television has not yet lost its entrenched primacy, although it is doomed increasingly to share its viewership with the Internet. Tellingly, you can find sites on the web specifically concerned with this phenomenon, such as American Rhetoric (http://www.americanrhetoric.com), providing a selection of 100 major speeches, or Great Speeches Collection, at http://history places.com. Rhetoric is of course present in the political discourse of members of the executive and of congressmen and senators; rhetoric is heard in the courtroom, and Hollywood has built an entire movie genre on it; rhetoric even runs through the informal, jocular acknowledgements given at showbiz awards ceremonies, and provides the sinew of Jay Lenos and David Lettermans late-show spiels; to particularly striking effect, rhetoric animates church sermons, designed and produced as television spectaculars that have now cornered weekend morning prime time. It was in this culture of the revival of the word that todays President of the United States was born and bred, and this is where he still operates today. His university training refined a number of talents that are no doubt innate. These were qualities that also graced Ronald Reagan, for instance, whose acting career proved a good fallback in the face of communicative and political challenges (the same cannot be said of George W. Bush), such as his famous debate with Walter Mondale broadcast from Kansas City towards the end of the 1984 campaign. But commentators and biographers have unanimously hailed Obama for the further distinction of oratorical fire and literary talent. In 1995, after months of writerly seclusion in Bali, Obama published  an excellent autobiographical account that met with high critical acclaim: Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.[6] On reading this memoir, one perceives that the author is touched with literary passion and possessed of wide and varied learning, ranging from Shakespeare, Melville and Emerson to Nietzsche and Saint Augustine, from Toni Morrison and Doris Lessing to the great novelist of the Deep South, the Nobel laureate William Faulkner, who merits mention in Obamas vibrant speech delivered at Philadelphia in March 2008, A More Perfect Union. Barack Obamas rhetorical flair is also in evidence in his ability to empathize with his audience by his skillful actio, the austere but forceful gestures with which he delivers his speeches. He displays fine judgment in his choice of speechwriters, and is able to convey to them the guiding ideas-the rhetorical inventio, or core content of the message-to which his writers must then give the right words-elocutio-arranged into the most effective structure, or dispositio, for the intended purpose of the address. Logographers, ghostwriters, negros The history of Greek rhetoric devotes a short paragraph to memorialize the modest but indispensable figure of the logographer: in the fifth century BC exemplars such as Antiphon or Lysias worked as mercenary speechwriters. Their modern counterparts find no shortage of work as members of the teeming campaign outfits put on the road by the typical American presidential candidate, whose frenzied activity and ethical quandaries were taken to the screen by Mike Nichols in the 1998 movie Primary Colors, starring John Travolta and Emma Thompson. Obamas leading logographer is Jon Favreau, a 27-year-old prodigy who devoted two months to write the twenty-minute speech that his boss gave at the Lincoln Memorial at the start of his campaign. In addition to writing the Victory Speech for November 4, 2008, Favreau also penned the words that would have been spoken if Obama had lost. The President and his logographer understand each other so well that Obama calls Favreau a mind-reader, crediting him with almost telepathic empathy. This is the key to being a  good ghostwriter, the English term for what we in Spanish call a negro, a writer on anothers behalf. The outturn of this fruitful partnership is a corpus of oratorical pieces that already deserves a place of honor in the canon of American rhetoric. These fine, poetic speeches are also sharply effective in stirring their hearers to action. Another matter-and this is the vital challenge standing in the way of rhetoric, an art shaped, we ought not to forget, by the Sophists-is whether these beautiful pieces have any performative force, as a linguist might say. Put another way, the tough reality is that a wide gap yawns open between saying and doing; as the Spanish adage goes, obras son amores y no buenas razones, good works, not fine words, are the stuff of love. How to Do Things with Words is the title of a series of papers given at Harvard (and published posthumously in 1962) by John Langshaw Austin, a linguistic philosopher concerned not so much with the descriptive capacity of language as with its ability to affect reality, to shape the facts. Hillary Clinton, in the heat of the primaries, mischievously said, My opponent gives speeches. I offer solutions. Obama risks being stigmatized as a purveyor of hot air in the wake of his winning the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2009. Rather than an accolade warranted by the laureates actions, the prize seems merely to recognize the esthetics of Obamas mentions of peace in his speeches, already acclaimed by some journalists as some of the most brilliant ever spoken by a President of the United States. The American canon of oratory also includes a number of pieces delivered by statesmen who never rose to the highest office. The oratory of Barack Obama is indebted, in my view, to one in particular. I have a dream I am of course referring to the dazzling address that Martin Luther King delivered in Washington on August 28, 1963, at the crowning moment of a march on the federal capital by black civil rights campaigners claiming entitlement to work and freedom. Luther Kings speech went down in the  annals of rhetoric under the title of its core phrase, which, by dexterous use of anaphora, operates as the central motif: I have a dream. Martin Luther King, like Barack Obama 44 years later, first turns his hearers attention to the figure of a great American, President Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves. But that promise of work and freedom-the orator then continues with vibrant diction-has been dishonored by the American nation, and the black community is now to raise its voice in protest, like a man given a bad check. Following this apt simile, so close to the heart of a money-driven society like America, the speaker offers a short but powerful list of demands with which the movement has come to Washington. He uses this moment to identify with his audience, as if he were no more than another participant in the march, and, addressing his brothers and sisters in the second person, he urges them, Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And, as a proactive expression of his exhortation against discouragement, Martin Luther King then spoke the prophetic phrase that became the title of the entire speech, and that structures the final stretch of the oration by the figure of anaphora, the intermittent repetition of a single idea expressed in the same words: I have a dream. The speakers dream is rooted from the outset in the so-called American dream, the attainment of which is presented as still in the future. It is the dream of seeing realized Thomas Jeffersons proposition in the Declaration of Independence of 1776, that all men are created equal, as applied to the racial discrimination that at this time, 1964, still reigned. The dream is then particularized into a number of direct phrases that build up to a climax of hope propitiated by the repetition of the same form of words by a roused audience. And the first fundamental anaphora, I have a dream, several times repeated, now gives way to a second anaphora that will serve to end the speech. If America is destined to be a great nation, it will see that dream come true and liberty will prevail for all its children. To conclude his speech, the orator applies the figure of anaphora to the refrain of a popular song, written in 1832, titled America: Let freedom ring. This phrase is repeated no fewer than ten times. Martin Luther King then links up this phrase with another, drawn from a well-known black spiritual: Free at last. Almost half a century after I have a dream, the emblematic phrase of the leading figure of the Afro-American community-who tragically died in 1968, long before a black citizen reached the presidency of the United States-Barack Obama, in the speeches that were to raise him to the Oval Office, shared a number of features with Martin Luther King (who incidentally also won the Nobel Peace Prize). In the key speech on the New Hampshire primary night, the man who was to become Americas first black president had heartfelt words of reminiscence for the black preacher who took us to the mountaintop and pointed us the way to the Promised Land. Both orators share a recognition of the legacy of Jefferson, Lincoln and the Founding Fathers; both use the language of the Christian community, gathered round the warmth of the Bible; both are masters of oratory, and successful rhetorical performers in front of their respective audiences. Obama even shares Kings recourse to the figure of anaphora, this time with a phrase which was likewise to achieve outstanding resonance: Yes we can. Yes we can One of the forms taken by the emergence of new communicative technologies now in the service of political discourse is exemplified by the fascinating way in which Obamas slogan was made into a song produced by Will.I.Am (William James Adams), a member of the hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas, who then broadcast his work via YouTube and dipdive.com in February 2008 under the username WeCan08. Obama and his speechwriters were not wholly original in coining the phrase. The direct precedent of the yes we can tagline was Hispanic. In 1972, the Chicano human rights leader Cesar Chavez, who with Dolores Huerta and Philip Vera Cruz founded United Farm Workers, used the slogan Sà ­, se puede, which translates into English as Yes, it can be done. The difference between these two phrasings in English, Chavez and Obamas, has vital rhetorical significance. Yes we can contains a veritable compendium of expressive virtues, from the standpoint of the core idea, or inventio, and in terms of its dispositio and elocutio. More, it is easy to remember, and the speakers actio or performance can readily arouse a collective response, as seen on YouTube: the entire audience put their voices together as a univocal chorus echoing the soloist. The crux, however, is that Chavez slogan was impersonal, whereas Obama transformed it into a form of words unambiguously encompassing the joint will of leader and people, united by that inclusive we. The illocutionary and perlocutionary impact of the slogan can be elucidated by looking back at the tagline used for Dwight Eisenhowers presidential campaign of 1952. A marketing expert, Peter G. Peterson, who later rose to be Richard Nixons Trade Secretary, crafted a phrase which, unlike Obama, Eisenhower for obvious reasons never included in his own speeches, but his followers chanted non-stop; it was touted relentlessly by the whole propagandistic armory of Republican billboards, rosettes, medals, flags, banners, signage and badges. Peterson, the mind behind all this, lighted on General Eisenhowers nickname: Ike. Playing chiefly with the rhetorical figure of alliteration, Peterson tied Ike to the first-person pronoun, I, thus eliciting the speakers full engagement with what he or she was saying. Finally, the third alliterative term, linking the subject-the I instantiating each potential voter-to the object-the candidates nickname, Ike, was a verb with a similar vowel sound: the present indicative of to like. I like Ike became a round declaration by whoever spoke the slogan of his preference in the presidential race. I like Ike: therefore, my vote for the Presidency of the United States goes to Dwight Eisenhower, and no other. Obamas slogan is doubtless more resonant than Eisenhowers, and even more compact. Its three monosyllables make it memorable and give it prosodic, rhythmic and perlocutionary force. In those speeches in which Obama actually spoke the phrase yes we can, his audience would echo the same words, the  meanings of which range over a mass of politically charged domains. The first monosyllable of the tagline has the robustness of the affirmative. The speaker starts with an affirmation, with all that that implies as a positive bid to mobilize. And that yes forthwith engages with an inclusive we, the first-person plural pronoun that embraces both speaker and hearer, unlike Cesar Chavez precedent, yes, it can be done, which, as we have seen, has an impersonal tenor. Finally, the verb can carries power, strength, determination. An audience thus roused by a leader partakes in the meaning of these three monosyllables, which they can readily chant. The import of this is to say, aloud and in unison: We affirm that together we shall achieve our aims, because our combined strength enables us to do so. Rhetorical figures The apostrophe is one of the figures classified in the art of rhetoric as pathetic, in the technical sense that these were devices appropriate to venting the passions. An apostrophe consists in expressly calling upon the audience, in a bid to create the climate for achieving the orators perlocutionary ends. With his yes we can, Obama peremptorily urged his followers to take on and successfully resolve the decisive challenges facing the health of the Republic. Yes we can burst onto the scene of Barack Obamas presidential campaign in the course of his speech at Nashua on January 8, 2008, the night after the New Hampshire Democratic primary, which Obama lost to Hillary Clinton, his main rival. From the standpoint of rhetorical analysis, however, we should look at the full sweep of the future Presidents twelve key speeches, from his candidacy announcement at Springfield on February 10, 2007, to the Victory Speech in Grant Park, Chicago, on November 4, 2008. The first speech to feature Yes we can, the New Hampshire address, was the third of a series that repays consideration as an integrated whole, in so far as, to different degrees and modulated in different ways, it contains the doctrinal message that Obama, as a presidential candidate, sought to convey to the American people. To this end, his speechwriters put in play a vast and powerful arsenal of rhetorical resources. The first text I have chosen ─Obamas announcement that he was to run for President─ is indisputably significant for its inventio, its content, its choice of venue (the Lincoln Memorial, erected on the site where the eponymous former president gave his famous House Divided speech) and its ingenious rhetorical design. Obama draws inspiration from the founders of the Republic to promise what all politicians promise at the start of their campaigns: change. He lists the grave challenges faced by the nation, and deplores the dearth of leadership and the pettiness of politics. In response to these blights and challenges, he ties together a chain of proposals, each starting with the anaphora, Lets be the generation that Lets be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age that ends poverty in America that finally tackles our health care crisis that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. There are no fewer than six uses of this same form of apostrophe, in which the leader stands shoulder to shoulder with his fellow citizens in the will to be the generation of change. One of these anaphoric devices engages another that already points to the main catchphrase with which we are concerned. We can control costs we can harness homegrown, alternative fuels we can work together to track terrorists down, the speaker continues. One can make out the outlines of the rhetorical blueprint of the whole campaign, which was soon to find its ideal slogan in the Yes we can phrase. At Springfield, when Obama was still one of eight Democratic candidates competing for nomination, he affirmed that there is power in words there is power in conviction. The anaphoric repetition of we can is the antidote to skepticism, of which the speaker is not unaware: I know there are those who dont believe we can do all these things. He, however, does believe it, and his faith is reinforced by the certainty that he is not alone. Hence he makes an urgent call to action: That is why this campaign cant only be about me. It must  be about us, it must be about what we can do together. We cannot know whether at that early stage on the long road that was to take Barack Obama to the White House the yes we can phrase was already in his and his speechwriters minds, but what was present was the belief that together, leader and people, they could. Sparks began to fly at the beginning of the following year. The second text with which we are concerned is Obamas speech on Iowa Caucus night, January 3, 2008. Before the party assembly at Des Moines, the candidate started his short but powerful speech with an announcement of imminent change, a change he was ready to lead. His belief is again expressed in a string of four anaphoric paragraphs: Ill be a President who finally makes health care affordable Ill be a President who ends the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas Ill be a President who [frees] this nation from the tyranny of oil Ill be a President who ends this war in Iraq. The speech concludes with a finely judged rhetorical and emotive gradation. Again using anaphora, the speaker prophesies the moment of change he is confident of achieving with his followers and the American people at large. This was the moment, he says, when America remembered what it means to hope. At this point, Obama and his logographer resort to the rhetorical figure of thought technically termed recriminatio: For many months, weve been teased, even derided for talking about hope, the candidate complains. But, turning the accusation against the original accusers, he reminds us that hope is the bedrock of this nation, an allusion readily grasped by the audience in that it looks to one of the founding myths of the United States. Obama himself embodies the truth of that foundational myth: Hope is what led me here today, with a father from Kenya; a mother from Kansas; and a story that could only happen in the United States of America. The leader uses his own self as a specific model of what he proclaims, enlisting another rhetorical figure already used in that same speech and featuring in several later orations. Hypotyposis or evidentia consists in a detailed description of a specific example that illustrates the speakers argument. Before using  himself as such an example, Obama had evoked several instances of hope for change, which he had read in the eyes of the young woman in Cedar Rapids, whose night shift was not enough to pay health care for her sick sister, or had heard in the voice of the New Hampshire woman whose nephew was fighting in Iraq. This same hope had inspired a handful of colonials to rise up against an empire, and driven the American civil rights movement, led by James Bevel and Martin Lut her King, to march from Selma to Montgomery, in the racist Alabama of the Ku Klux Klan and Governor Wallace. Given these precedents, everything was in place for the candidates third landmark speech, the New Hampshire address at Nashua on January 8, 2008, to bring to light the slogan that was to usher Barack Obama into the White House and become a motto of universal resonance. With admirable rhetorical skill, this speech lays out a range of political arguments-anticipated by earlier speeches-and naturally culminates with the emblematic phrase yes we can, three words which the speaker predicts will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea. Those political propositions herald a change wrought by a new majority that desires to end unaffordable health care, end tax breaks for companies that ship [American] jobs overseas, end schools blighted by corridors of shame, and put a stop to pattern of energy use that harms the planet and humanity. By the figure of speech termed anadiplosis, Obamas oration at Nashua rounds out each of these propositions with a repeated urge that we can, always attributed to the new majority: we can do this with our new majority. His words flow like a cascade until a final apostrophe to the audience arouses the response of a chorus speaking with one voice. Returning to the figure mentioned earlier, recriminatio, the leader places blame on an opposing chorus, the chorus of cynics who insist we cannot do this. Those who deny the possibility of hope in a nation in which hope is never vain: But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. A number of domestic evidentias are then  mentioned: the struggle of the Spartanburg textile worker, the plight of the Las Vegas dishwasher, the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon and the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA. On this rugged foundation that befits the nature of the American people, Barack Obama raises his slogan like a standard, and with the choral approval of his audience he recites the phrase no fewer than nine times, before closing the speech with the final words: yes we can. Once the phrase was firmly coined, Obama did not actually utter it even once in his next speech, a long and closely argued address. This was A More Perfect Union, which Obama gave on March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia, the city which for Americans is something like Cadiz is for us [Spains first democratic constitution was proclaimed in 1812 at Cadiz], for Philadelphia was where the Constitution was enacted on September 17, 1787, twenty-five years before Spains La Pepa. The first sentence of its preamble gives Obamas speech its title, and expresses one of the core ideas of his whole campaign ─the union of all Americans─ but, in particular, it opens with an emphatic We, echoing Yes we can: We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect union do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America. Obama again gives the lie to the naysayers who dismiss his candidature as a mere exercise in affirmative action, but he devotes the lions share of the address to a harsh recriminatio directed against his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whose radical invective against the United States, as his reaction to the survival of racial discrimination, had compromised Obamas electoral outlook. The candidate makes use of this sensitive juncture to assert that, for him, too, amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas, [Plato is my friend, but truth is the greater friend]. He publicly professes his religious faith and at the same time evinces an outright rejection of extremism, always confident that America can change, and that only if we do as the Scriptures would have us do ─be brothers to our brothers─  Americans will bring truth to those words of the Constitution as to a more perfect union. To illustrate his argument, nothing could be better than a fresh evidentia: the homely heroism of Ashley Baia, a 23-year-old woman volunteer working for the Obama campaign in Florence, South Carolina. Obama acknowledges having already told this anecdote at an event commemorating Martin Luther King at the Baptist church of Ebenezer, Kings own parish in Atlanta. This display of religious faith-which would be unthinkable in a European politician, for instance-comes to the fore in the next piece I propose to examine: Obamas talk given on Fathers Day, June 15, 2008, at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. As though he himself were in holy orders, Obama begins his speech with a quotation from the Sermon on the Mount, as told by St Matthew. He follows this, again, with a mention of Martin Luther King, and then holds himself out as a statesman and father, advocating the education of his children as a responsibility not only of government officials but also of their own parents. He ends the address by characterizing his words as a prayer or call which he hopes will come true for his country in the years ahead. A specific, chiefly economic theme runs through the immediately subsequent speech, delivered by Obama at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, on June 16. The title tells the story: Renewing American Competitiveness. This was not an occasion for the emotive force of a political harangue, but the candidate nonetheless refers to the Founding Fathers, who, having won independence, created a common market by fusing the economies of the first 13 states. He follows this up with a with a fierce attack on the neoliberal, militaristic and ultraconservative politics of George W. Bush and the Republican Party. In stark opposition to their approach, he proposes as pillars of an economy that is to become more competitive in the globalized world a reinvigorated school system, innovative energy strategies, a more efficient health system and new investment in fundamental research and infrastructure. His closing words, however, point back to the central theme of his campaign: Because when American s come together, there is no destiny too difficult or too distant for us to reach. Ich bin ein Berliner The second-to-last speech that Barack Obama gave in the year in which he won the presidency was also tightly focused on a specific subject, but for that very reason ─and, in particular, because of its venue─ it brings to mind another piece of oratory that has its place among the most memorable ever spoken by a President of the United States in the twentieth century. Obama only revealed his foreign policy blueprint on the occasion of his visit to Berlin, on July 24, 2008. Under the title A World That Stands as One, he sets out his understanding of cultural diversity, national interests, nations and the attitudes of all the worlds peoples. Facing a different audience-not his usual hearers, American electors-he presents himself as a citizen of the United States and fellow citizen of the world. He refers to the responsibility that attaches to global citizenship, and acknowledges that the United States closest ally is still Europe, placing on record his hope that Europe will remain united. In our continent, he says, it is likewise meaningful to invoke that yearning for a more perfect union, in the words of the preamble to the American Constitution, which Obama mentions here in Berlin. In a Berlin riven by the Wall, fraught with the intolerable tension of the Cold War and the partition of Germany, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had roused his German hearers when, on June 11, 1963, he opened his speech, delivered from the steps of the Rathaus Schoneberg, with a seeming paradox, spoken in German: Ich bin ein Berliner (nowhere in the speech was Kennedy to utter the English phrase I am a Berliner). The effect of these words was electrifying: the people of Berlin, besieged and alone in a redoubt of Western democracy behind the Iron Curtain ─an expression popularized by another great modern orator, Winston Churchill─ enthusiastically identified with the president of a power which only 18 years before had driven the Nazi regime to defeat. The audience gladly accepted Kennedys closing argument, in the manner of an epiphonema: All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. Therefore, as a free man, I proudly say these words: Ich  bin ein Berliner. This belated review of a small selection from the oratorical corpus of Barack Hussein Obama, brilliantly crowned by his Victory Speech of November 4, 2008, in Chicagos Grant Park, reveals, among other rhetorical features like those discussed earlier, a consistent theme, developed over the course of the entire process in response to the emerging circumstances of the campaign and the venues of Obamas rallies, in conjunction with an overarching strategy, which scholars of Baroque literature have often characterized as the coming together of two movements: first, the dissemination of arguments; secondly, a complementary gathering of arguments. This is precisely the characteristic tenor of this final oration, the Victory Speech. The President Elect opens with an affirmation of the continuing force of the dream of our Founders and other great men, such as Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, a preacher from Atlanta. Those doubting the dream have finally been put right by American votes. To flesh out this concept of electoral vindication, Obamas logographer again resorts to the figure of anaphora, four times repeating the same clause: Its the answer The answer is change, still the true genius of America. The winning candidate, via the figure of apostrophe, then directly addresses his hearers- whether listening to him in Grant Park itself or by the medium of electromagnetic waves-as the you that has made all this possible. This apostrophe does not disclose a recriminatio, like that which even on this joyous occasion Obama has cast in the direction of the cynics, but a veritable encomium or panegyric of those who have raised him to office, with their donations, their supportive looks and applause, and their votes, which are decisive for Obama to take on challenges as vast as two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. To personify the unanimous people as an individual, he proposes a new evidentia, Ann Nixon Cooper, who that afternoon had stood in line to vote, 106 years of life behind her. The cold shower of reality nonetheless encourages Obama to rebuild the strong  bonds of alliance between President and people invoked by yes we can, the slogan which now, looking forward, takes on the shape of a rhetorical variatio: I promise you, we as a people will get there. YouTube provides a record of how Obamas promise was met by the audiences chorus of yes we can. This was precisely the closing phrase of the entire campaign, at the very moment at which the candidate was invested with the charisma of victory. His speech was again a masterpiece of that effective communicative technology that is none other than ancient rhetoric, as revived in the Internet Galaxy. Today, Obamas speechwriters continue to exploit all the resources of the art of rhetoric, including the play on words that contrasts the interests of Wall Street-the inner sanctuary of capitalism-with those of Main Street, which stands for American towns and small cities, the emblem of the common citizenry.

Internet And Democracy :: essays research papers

IF THE UNSUBSTANTIAL sound bite is the shame of televised election coverage, then information overload is the parallel pitfall on the Internet. After spending one interminable day in October reviewing Web coverage of the presidential campaign, I can verify that the online universe is indeed infinite, and that politics, not pornography, seemed the most prolific theme. Stunned by thousands of news articles, background pieces, surveys, discussion forums, transcripts and commentary, this human brain nearly screamed for spoon-fed mush. Election sections on most of the major news sites were so enormous that a person couldn't possibly process all the sections and subsections and sub-subsections. About 20 percent of the stuff seemed digestible; the rest was far more than the average visitor would care to chew. But that's the nature of the Internet, isn't it? Throw enough stuff at the wall, and most of it will be used by someone. Let folks pick and choose their news. If nothing else, all the fodder provided a number of ready-made high school civics reports and fed the repurposing requirements of fellow reporters. And why not? Airtime and column inches don't exist on the Internet. There's no need to decide between an interview with a candidate's grade school sweetheart, a 5,000-word analysis of his position on health care or a comparison of campaign platforms. You can do all of that and more. This is a good thing, isn't it? Yes. As long as an organization has the resources and vision to distinguish its core coverage from the ornaments that surround it. Along those lines, cheers to all of the major news sites for their efforts at live speech and debate coverage, solid election news and voting resources. Nearly every news organization with access to live video streamed it quite successfully during the debates and provided cataloged archives for future reference (abcNEWS.com even offered a stream in Spanish). Nearly live text transcripts were also available on most sites. The innovation award goes to Web White & Blue 2000 (www.webwhiteblue.org). Sponsored by the Markle Foundation, the project was a consortium of 17 major Internet sites and news organizations from AOL and Yahoo to MTV and MSNBC. Each day the presidential candidates or their surrogates would respond to a question submitted by a visitor at one of the partner sites. The answers and rebuttals could come in any format and were unlimited in length. Not only did the Al Gore and George W. Bush campaigns respond regularly, but also the Reform Party's Pat Buchanan, Libertarian Harry Browne, Natural Law candidate John Hagelin and the Constitution Party's Howard Phillips. Only Ralph Nader declined to