Thursday, October 31, 2019

Rewrite Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Rewrite - Essay Example WEKA enables the one of two options such as pruned tree or not pruned tree as shown in the figure. Figure 1: Properties of the Decision tree in the WEKA (J48) In addition to above features, the WEKA also performs the test options for data use and data classification. Usage of the Training set: Evaluation of the classifier is based on the prediction of the instances of a class, which is trained on. Supplied Test: Evaluation of the classifier is also performed on the prediction of the instances of a class, which is loaded from the file. Cross Validation: By entering the number of fold into the text field of the Fold in the WEKA explorer the classifier is evaluated. Percentage Split: Data percentage is predicted by the evaluation of a classifier that takes the data out for the testing. The percentage field determines the specification of data held. During the training, data is used and provided the value of percentage field that makes the important part. Value of the reminder is reserve d for the testing purposes. By the default, value of percentage split is stated as the 66%. Data about 34% is used for testing and remaining 66% is trained. Figure 2: WEKA with testing options Decision tree performance is determined by examining the cross validation and percentage split in the provided medical dataset. Usage of Cross Validation for generation of decision tree: In order to control the factors such as training’s set size and confidence by the process of cross validation, the flexibility is found in the decision tree of J48. Confidence factor is used to minimise or reduce the error rate of the classification. It is said that confidence factor is used to settle the problem of tree pruning. In order to classify the instances in a more accurate way, the classifier is given an opportunity by increasing the confidence factor and removing the noise of the training. The value of the confidence factor is 95% used for the dataset and leads to an outstanding outcome of 89 .2% for the correct and classified instances and only 10.7% is the classified incorrectly as shown in the following figure. Figure 3: Use of cross validation based on the option J-48 decision tree to generate the results by WEKA. In the above figure, the calculation of J48 decision tree has been shown which includes correct values in details. Confusion Matrix is the important point in the given figure, which describes the ways in which a classifier makes an error in the prediction of a class type. According to Dunham (2003) the confusion matrix provides the correctness of the solution for the given classification problem. Another term used as an alternative to the confusion matrix is the contingency table. Two classes having a single dataset contain a column and two rows for the confusion matrix as shown in the figure 4. Predicted Actual Figure 4: Confusion Matrix Here FP represents the incorrectly classified number of negatives as positives and called as the commission errors. TP r epresents correctly classified number of positives. TN represents the correct classification of negative numbers, and FN shows the incorrect classification of positive numbers as negative. These are called as the omission errors. Predictive accuracy becomes the way for measuring the performance of a classifier. Predictive accuracy is known as the calculated success rate determined by the use of predictive accuracy as the confusion mat

Monday, October 28, 2019

Stages of Grief Essay Example for Free

Stages of Grief Essay The stages of grief are common for all human beings. Once experiencing a tragic loss, or trauma, many of us go through steps that help us except what has happened and to move on. Some of these stages last longer than others, depending on how the person follows each stage. In this paper, we will cover the different stages of grief and how author Nicholas Wolterstorff reflections in the book of Lament For a Son impacted his life. In the book, Lament For a Son, Wolterstorff tells us the story of the passing of his son, Eric. Wolterstorff explains that his son was in a mountain climbing accident. Do not be confused, this book is not a novel, but a collection of anecdotes and quotes pertaining to the authors experience of dealing with a premature death. Wolterstorff, believes that it is wrong for parents to buy their child because the children represent the future. The author plays through a battle of trying to move on from the loss of his son. The author informs the family with the death of his son, but states that each of them must live their lives as if Eric was still alive. The grief of his son’s death, leaves Wolterstorff at a loss of words. He does not know what to think nor to say. People will often deny the grief process to avert pain but it is healthier if we learn to accept the loss as we journey through the stages of grief and our life. The process has 5 stages: denial, rage, trying to negotiate or bargaining, a depressed state and finally the last stage, acquiescence. The narrator does not only go through all of the stages, but each of these stages has a different variation of duration. Wolterstorff does not have a long stage of denial. He accepts the fact that his son has past away even though it hurts him tremendously on the inside. The author has the feeling  of offering Eric, his son, to someone â€Å"before the cold burning pain† pervades him. The author does not go through a stage of rage. He has stayed calm throughout the tragic loss of his son. However, as mentioned before, he tries to offer his sons body to someone, which is the stage of negotiation. The author does not wish to take the place of, but to simply be with his son again, for he has taken him for granted. Once Eric’s body is brought back, Wolterstorff is depressed. He has lost his son due to an accident, which has left a space in his heart empty. The author states that he and his family had taken Eric’s life for granted, where now they are left with no son and he wishes they had a closer bond with him. Before the funeral of his son, Wolterstorff is in a very depressed state. However, the funeral gives Wolterstorff’s soul rest. The narrator seems to be in a better place where he has prepared the liturgy that is used at his son’s funeral. This stage is the last stage of the grievance process. The author accepts the fact that his son’s in a better place now. He also accepts that even though Eric is gone, his memories will stay forever. In the book, Wolterstorff copes with his stress and loss in a beneficial way that lets him enjoy the rest of his life. For the narrator, books offer ways to turn from death and pain. Therefore he decided to write a book that explains the battle he has gone through with the news of his son passing away through the faith in God. The book he wrote is meant to assist other citizens in dealing with tragic problems and trauma. However, even though he writes his book, Wolerstorff still believes that it does not honor the memory of Eric. The author accepts the fact that death is to come to everyone. That one can do whatever he or she wants to stop it, but it will come when the time comes. Wolterstorff learns to spy God in the light, but not see him in darkness. He comprehends the suffering that is happening around the world in a deeper meaning. Wolterstorff learns to live with himself even with all the regrets and sorrow from the loss, for he, one day will meet Eric again. He states that he is waiting for Judgment day to apologize to Eric, for the lack of attention he has given him. These 5 stages of Grief helped Wolterstorff get past the death of his son. Not that he has completely forgotten about it but it has help him cope with this tragic time and to turn it around to live life to the fullest how Eric would have wanted to. These stages help a person recovery from a tragic loss in a healthy not deadly way which helps them get back on their feet and move on. References Roos, S. (2012). The Kubler-Ross Model: An Esteemed Relic. Gestalt Review, 16(3), 312-315. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=85124369site=ehost-livescope=site Bems, N. (2012). We can carry grief and joy together Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-grieve/201204/we-can-carry-grief-and-joy-together Wolterstorff, N. (1987). Lament for a son. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Culture in South Korea

Culture in South Korea Have you ever thought about how many different cultures there are around the globe? No two cultures will ever be the same, they are all very unique in their own ways. One of these global countries is South Korea. The United States has a great relationship with South Korea. After World War II and the Korean War, the United States is currently at peace with South Korea. The relationship with the United States is just one of the many things that South Korea can offer from its country. From the amazing physical features, exciting holidays and traditions, and also to the government and economy, this is just one of the beautiful countries to look into. The country we are researching is South Korea. It is located on the continent Asia, below North Korea, and it is near Japan and China. South Korea is 38,691 miles squared while the U.S is 3,797,000 miles squared. That is about 20% of the size of California! Even though South Korea is that small, it has a population of about 55.22 million people. South Korea consists of mostly mountains in the east, and has many coastlines and beaches in the south. Unfortunately, many of the mountains and coastlines are taken up by buildings, and apartments, but still many of them exist allowing one to travel these natural formations. Even though with many of the natural formations still around, South Korea is starting to lose many of their natural resources due to theÂÂ   resources being over harvested. Some of the natural resources are still around and grown, like food, but most of it are brought in from other countries because Korea had either gotten rid of these natural materials by building many factories and housing over them, or over harvested them. Going through the list of South Koreas physical features, South Korea has very different climates all throughout the 4 seasons. The spring and fall are very short with temperatures that are between summer and winter. On the other hand, summer is very humid and hot while winter is long, cold, and dry. South Korea has the fourth largest economy in the world. South Korea made about 1.679 trillion ppp dollars in their gross national product in 2013, and their per capita income for 2013 was 33,440 ppp dollars. Most of the economy of South Korea comes from the companies and business that the people make. Many people in South Korea work in some form of business rather than agriculture. Usually people in the countryside work with the agriculture and livestock. Typically the farmers grow barley, wheat, rice, soybeans, and root vegetables, and they have livestock such as cows, pigs, and chickens. Koreas form of government is a Parliamentary Democracy. This means that that the country has a president and a prime minister. Currently the president in South Korea is Park Geun-hye and the prime minister is Hwang Kyo-ahn. Their Judicial system consists of the Supreme court of South Korea. The constitutional court of South Korea, six high courts, 13 district courts, family court, and a Administrative court. Their military headquarters are in Seoul, South Korea, and their minister of defense is Han-Min Goo. Also, Koreas crime rate is considered low. Now the tour heading towards the South Koreans culture, money holidays, etc. The currency for South Korea is called won. The country was created in around the 1950s after the war between North and South Korea. The main language for Korea is Korean, but other languages are starting to come in, for example English. Korean or Hangul was created by King Sejong in 1443 to help the common people to speak and write, before that a writing style called Hanja was used. The Capital of South Korea is Seoul. Like the capital Seoul, many other cities are urban cities, but that doesnt mean that there is not rural areas. Most of the rural areas are inhabited by much older people, while the urban consists of many younger people. South Koreans eat many different types of foods. Two biggest foods that they eat is Kimchi and Rice. Koreans even eat rice for breakfast, so they dont really eat the traditional things like cereal, pancakes, eggs and bacon. They also eat all sorts of seafood, and eats some th ings that people will call disgusting. One of the greatest thing about Korea, is that they deliver many different types of food to peoples homes, and they also have many places where they sell street foods. There are many different holidays and events in Korea. The Two big holidays in Korea are Chuseok, Koreas version of Thanksgiving and Seollal or Korean Lunar New Year. Both years are celebrated by seeing family and eating many different types of food. In Seollal, a tradition food called Tteokguk (rice cake soup) is eaten. Also, people play yutnori as a fun games. In Chuseok a food called Songpyeon, a Korean traditional rice cake which usually contains sesame seeds and honey as stuffing, but other ingredients such as black beans, mung beans, cinnamon, pine nut, walnut, chestnut, and jujube are used, is eaten and trade with neighbors. In both holidays, Koreans give respect to their elders and their ancestors, and wear traditional Korean clothes called Hanbok, hanbok is also wore during weddings by the bride and groom. Both holidays dont have an exact date and change each year depending on the Lunar calendar. Besides these holidays, Koreans have many special events. For example on Novemb er 11th, it is Pepero Day. This day is really meaningless, but it is a fun day where Pepero is on special discounts and sales. It is on November 11th because 11/11 is like the Pepero sticks. There are also many other meaningless, but fun holidays like Pepero Day. Other holidays, for example, are like Childrens Day. However, even with these fun holidays, education still plays a big important role to the people of Korea, and the holidays shouldnt take away the students focus of their work. In South Korea the literacy rate is 99.2% for males and for female its 96.6%. If you think school is hard here in America, well you are wrong. Most high school students in Korea attend school from 9am to 5pm, and they also take additional night schools and after school. However, students only take high school for three years because a year in a grade is usually longer than America. Even by a young grade like first grade, children start going to after school and are given a lot of work. Many of these students end up taking up the business career because that is what most of the Koreas economy is made out of. South Korea is unique from the U.S because of many reasons. One of these reasons is that in South Korea people eat seaweed soup, miyeokguk, during their birthdays. This is unique because in the U.S we eat cake. Another reason is that originally it was illegal to marry someone with the same surname. This is because the same surname makes someone distantly related, so you are technically marrying someone you are related too. Another thing is Koreans are actually very strict about a lot of things. For example, if a famous person makes a tiny mistake of driving after drinking, they could lose all their fame and may never even be able to come back in television. These are some unique things that South Korea has. South Korea is a very interesting and fun country. It is not just a country about K-Pop, (Korean pop), it is more than that. In our tour we experienced government, economy, holidays, and education. If you are a traveler or want to go to somewhere for a short vacation trip, South Korea is a place for you.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship :: Free Essay Writer

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small. This story is set in the 1930’s, around the time of the Great Depression in which America entered a long period of economical depression from which it eventually came out of after World War II. During this period of poverty and bad business, many workers from all over America went to California to find work. Throughout this novella, Steinbeck portrays the thoughts and dreams of many of these workers which was to find a piece of land to settle down on. The story is also about the loneliness of most of these workers, and this is why the fact that George and Lennie travel together is strange to most of the ranch hands. The name of the novella comes from a famous poem by Robert Burns which is called, â€Å"To a Mouse† – â€Å"...the best laid schemes o’ Mice and Men, Gang aft agley†. This basically means that however much you plan something out and figure out in detail what you will do, the future is unpredictable and plans can easily go wrong. The main characters of the novella are people who face challenges in life. The major themes which are expressed throughout the novella are loneliness, friendship and racism. The characters which Steinbeck uses to portray these themes are seen as â€Å"outsiders†, such as Crooks, Candy, Lennie and Curley’s wife. Crooks is black and crippled and is disliked by the ranch hands due to his race; Candy is old and disabled and so excluded from the social life of the ranch-hands. Lennie is mentally challenged and Curley’s Wife is the only woman in the ranch and she is extremely misunderstood. These characters all illustrate the extreme circumstances under which people had to survive throughout the Great Depression and they do so by each having their own unique characteristics and qualities. Curley’s wife is the wife of the boss’s son, Curley. She has the hardship of being the only woman in a ranch full of men who have no understanding of her or women in general. Throughout the novella she is described in different ways – some, where one feels sorry for her and others where one feels utter hatred towards her. She is a character that is misunderstood because of her outward actions, but the truth is that she is actually very similar to many of the characters – lonely and sad.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Loblaw Companies Limited: Preparing for Wal-Mart Supercenters

Case 16 1. The grocery industry is a commoditized industry, which makes it difficult for grocers to sustain through differentiation. Buyer power is high and thus, cost leadership and operational efficiencies are critical. There is fierce competition amongst various grocery stores, with the main players such as Loblaw and A&P holding multi-banner stores in various market segments. Traditional grocery stores also lose some of their market share to drug stores, convenience stores and other retailers who have entered the industry. Threat of substitutes from fast-food and take- away outlets is not as prevalent, since many grocery stores have started stocking ready-to-eat meals and have deli services available for consumers. Competitive pressures are increasing in the industry with the potential entry of Wal-Mart and new delivery methods such as the internet. 2. grocery store industry witnessed a lot of changes. Competitive pressures in the industry are increasing and several new competitors including wal-mart are entering the market. New methods of delivery such as the interned are making it difficult and challenging for traditional based stores to comply. Customer preferences are diversifying and different demands are increasing. In addition to the price war that strike the markets. The maturity of the industry, characterized by flat demand combined with the growth aspiration of the dominant suppliers makes the industry a competitive battleground. Competitors work toward driving costs down while responding to swiftly changing consumer tastes. Grocery managers therefore are challenged to provide the marketing mix of tomorrow, emphasizing speed, flexibility, and early identification of trends directed at segmented and rapidly evolving markets. The mass consumer market has been replaced by hundreds of highly diversified mini-markets for which grocery companies have to design custom made solutions. 3. Key Success Factors of the grocery industry include the following: Low cost operations; leading to lower prices Convenient locations and large stores Wide product ranges; good quality Value added services; customer loyalty programs Cutting-Edge technology, both front-end and back-end Looking at the above factors, there are many opportunities for Canadian grocers to improve on their services such as vertical integration as supplier/distributor, innovative technologies like RFID, and global expansion Loblaw's unique tangible resource is that they own 63% of their corporate stores real estate properties. As mentioned above, the grocery industry is heavily commoditized and competitive. The Canadian market leader, Loblaw, serves a broad target market and integrates a low cost strategy with product and process differentiation. Through their multi-banner approach, they leverage their core competencies across multiple businesses. The biggest winner for the company had been the multi format approach. The company also holds about 60% of the real estate where they operate giving the benefit to change. The company refurnish the stores every 5 years when the industry norms are 7 years. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths: Strong Market Share Broad Product Portfolio Diversified Store Format Low prices with good quality items at all franchises Great customer service/customers have a say in the company Noticeably friendly workers Constantly looking for areas of improvement Array of services Canadian unlike foreign competitors like wallmart Weaknesses: Low Online Operations Limited Geographical Presence Opportunities: Rise in Demand for Private Labels Strategic Plans Rising Demand for Organic Products Opening new stores helps them become more competitive The unfortunate economy will create a new wave of customers looking for cheaper prices Threats: Expiry Of Agreement With Labor Union Highly Competitive Market Wal-Mart Business Partnerships Higher prices on certain items makes them less competitive in those areas (electronics and household furniture). By the above S. W. O. T analysis, one can see that Loblaw’s KSF’s are on track and that they are headed in the right direction to bring them back on top. There is of course still work for Loblaw to do with their pricing, however that will come with time because when the company is doing better, they will be able to lower their prices even more. They are putting up a good fight though! Loblaws prices for certain items were only a mere 10-15 cents higher than that of Wal-Mart which demonstrates that they are climbing the ranks and will eventually pose as a threat to WalMart. Being pure Canadian company is also a core competency because many people enjoy supporting their country even if it means spending an extra 10-15 cents. These key factors (low prices, better quality products, great customer service, and being Canadian) will help Loblaw rise to the top again. 5. Lederer's plan to combat the threat of  Wal-Mart  Supercentre grocery stores turned bad on the company Consolidating its distribution centres, which supposedly made the supply chain more efficient, resulted in the departure of many of the chain's general merchandise buyers who were unwilling to move. There were numerous delays and coordination problems as suppliers had trouble shipping their goods to stores on time, and Loblaws was forced to mark it down in order to liquidate excess inventory. Expanding its inventory to general merchandise, supposedly to make a one-stop location like Wal-Mart Supercentres, was considered by many customers to be below the standards of Loblaws. Lederer stopped investing in its convential supermarkets and focused on building its major discount format, the real Canadian superstores. He spent 25 million dollars to motivate old employees to retire early as he turned traditional old stores into superstores. . This is a significant evaluation, because Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor, as well as one of the largest private sector employers. Loblaw operates under names such as The Real Canadian Superstore, Fertinos, Provigo, SuperValu, Zehrs, Atlantic Superstore, Loblaws, and Your Independent Grocer. Along with food and household products , Loblaw provides consumers with other services, such as banking, gas stations, pharmacies, photo developing, dry cleaning, and fitness centers. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of Loblaw was conducted through secondary research, using both internal and external sources. This report focuses on the goods distribution and marketing aspects of Loblaw, by exploring its history, primary products, social responsibilities, and financial position. Ratios of the past and present will be taken into consideration when researching and making recommendations. History Loblaw Companies Limited was incorporated in 1956 and it now employs over 122 000 part-time and full-time employees throughout its 990 branches. As a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, it has supplied the Canadian market with innovative products and services for more than 45 years. The superstore idea was first introduced to Western Canada in 1979. Loblaw operates in a highly competitive industry, challenged by many other supermarkets, such as Safeway. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of Loblaw Companies Limited is classified according to the functions of each department. Areas of specialization include: auditing, governance and compensation, pensions, environment, health and safety, and executive. Committee and team authority govern this tall, hierarchical organization, where individuals within the several layers report back to their superiors in the chain of command. Ultimately each senior vice-president reports to the executive vice-president, who in turn reports to the president of the company, who is responsible to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors itself is divided into five committees, which represent each area of specialization. Social Responsibility Loblaw demonstrates its social responsibilities in the following areas: Environment: Loblaw has various company policies concerning the environment, one of which demands that various operating sectors develop and implement waste reduction. Reports are given to the environmental committee operated by a sect of board of directors who are not directly employed by Loblaw. Attempting to project an environmentally friendly image, Loblaw announced in 2002, that all of their garden centers would be pesticide free by 2003. Their waste reduction initiative has seen positive results, as was the case in 1999, when it reduced solid waste by 75%, organic waste by 60% and water waste by 38%. Use of underground tanks has been decommissioned; in addition PCB’s and asbestos have been removed from company operatives. Employees: The philosophy that a company’s success is directly affected by the attitude of the employees, is put into action when Loblaw concentrates on coordinating positive relationships with their employees. Employee benefits include life or health insurance, dental insurance, and a pension plan. A stock option plan and an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP), which are administered through a trust, are also available. This allows employees to make five percent deductions from their regular earnings; Loblaw then contributes 15% of each employee’s contributions to the ESOP plan. Recruiting, hiring, and training are all done on a store-by-store basis. Loblaw maintains health and safety programs in its stores to address health and workplace safety. This system is also subject to compliance audits. Community: Charities such as Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, President Choice Children’s Charity, Easter Seals, the Canadian Merit Scholarship and many more benefit from Loblaw’s donations. Loblaw has purchased Maple Leaf Gardens, further developing its roots in the city of Toronto. Customers: Loblaw strives to have a good relationship with ts consumers through feedback, quality customer and product services. Programs such as the President’s Choice Financial MasterCard allow consumers to collect points, which are redeemable for goods within the store. Loblaw also attempts to get feedback from consumers through focus groups and surveys. However, Loblaw fails in the area of consumer responsibility by not allowing supplie rs to indicate whether or not their products are genetically engineered. The company goes as far as to demand that companies selling genetically engineered goods avoid proclaiming so on their labels. Investors: Loblaw is working towards being socially responsible to their investors by keeping them informed by releasing online annual reports and mailing them out. The company provides sustainable returns through dividends by reinvesting cash flow into the firm’s real estate and land. 7. loblaws was the largest supermarket chains in Canada. they opened a series of the real Canadian superstores in Ontario, where they expected wallmart to open their first food superstores. These were built as low-cost, one stop shopping destinations. The real Canadian superstores were as the size of two football fields and sold a combination of groceries and non-food items. Lederer consolidated the the companies distribution centers from 32 to 26 facilities, in order to increase the efficiency of the supply systems. He closed old warehouses and opened new ones in Brampton Ontario. Real Canadian superstore were located along walmart supercenters as if facing at war. Geographically wise they were allocated at same areas and when it comes to goods and commodities, the both handled non food items along with their usual groceries. The war did begin. 8. Galen Weston Jr. as supposed to rescue the company by fixing the broken delivery system. He started by managing a pilot online grocery business in Ontario. Galen along with his team outlined a new business plan. He studied the problems and found out that they have a big delivery problem and that they are still over-priced. He aimed to increase sales and earnings by cutting prices, offer ing more products, and improving customer service. Galen started working on investors and opening up in idols such as the maple leaf stadium in downtown which he turned into a grocery store as to gain people due to their passion to the hockey team which was a symbol at the ountry. Moreover he succeeded in becoming number one again. 9. Recommendations for Loblaw: A private label: a store like Loblaw’s needs a particular way it can standout the competition. They could approach the strategy of having private labels in store. Cut down on general merchandise: they should reduce low quality goods and focus on selling people groceries with good quality plus they should concentrate on groceries rather than electronics because too much diversity infects being the best at a certain field. Make the store attractive to the customers eyes: try to beat wal-mart by obtaining a store that is clean, decorated, high ceilings, no open boxes, attractive lighting and displays. Make the stores easy to roam and let commodities that are of the same interest be on a route that customers don’t pass by unwanted goods. Let people say this is the store I want to buy from. Supply chain management: its clear that the supply chains logistics used by Loblaw’s should be changed. Empty shelves phenomena should become extinct because it makes good stores look cheap and unreliable. Increase marketing: marketing and advertisement should be extreme and excessive especially when change happens, prices differ, and news are there. Promotions should reach customers well enough to gain or even regain their loyalty. People should know that the company recognized their mistakes and problems and solved them out. Downsize: close unprofitable stores, this will reduce payroll and increase the funding to solve damaged issues. Off coarse this is the last measure companies look at but its helpful at the long run.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

25 Synonyms for Delete

25 Synonyms for Delete 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Delete† 25 Synonyms for â€Å"Delete† By Mark Nichol The word delete did not loom large in the general vocabulary until the personal-computer revolution exposed us all to the keyboard key labeled with the word based on the Latin term delÄ“re, meaning â€Å"to wipe out† or â€Å"destroy.† Modern usage is not so vivid; the term is usually neutral in connotation. But many of its synonyms come with a more potent and portentous sense of removal. 1. Bowdlerize: This word, derived from the surname of an editor notorious for removing words and passages he considered vulgar, connotes puritanical pruning. 2. Censor: The connotation of this word, originally a Latin term for an official charged with approving literary works, is of removal of content considered subversive or dangerous to the stability of the state and society. 3. Efface: This term, from an Anglo-French word literally meaning â€Å"un-face,† refers to the physical act of removal, but in the context of content, it suggests removing content so as to eliminate it from memory. The verb also refers to wearing away or making inconspicuous. 4. Eradicate: The Latin progenitor of this word, eradicatus, literally means â€Å"pull up from roots,† but the contemporary sense is similar to that of efface. However, the idea is that the content is destroyed from the roots up rather than from the surface down. 5. Erase: The Latin predecessor, erasus, which means â€Å"to scratch or scrape,† refers to the removal of ink from parchment or paper or of incisions in clay by literally abrading the surface, which a modern rubber eraser does more gently. The sense, however, is of an action just as definitive. 6. Excise: Excise literally means â€Å"to cut out,† as if referring to an element lifted out from the whole. 7. Expunge: The literal translation of the Latin term expungere is â€Å"to dot out,† from when words were marked for deletion by making dots underneath them. An idiom employing this word, â€Å"expunge from the record,† indicates the modern sense of elimination from documentation. 8. Expurgate: The meaning of this word is clear from its central element it means â€Å"to purge,† to remove objectionable material. An unexpurgated version of a document retains the original content. 9. Launder: To launder language is to clean it by removing objectionable material. 10. Obliterate: The root of obliterate is disguised by the pronunciation of the first two consonants as a blend; its elements are ob and literate. The Latin term from which the word is derived, oblitteratus, literally means â€Å"against letters.† The sense of obliterate is of definitive destruction. 11. Omit: This word’s Latin forbear originally had the same prefix as obliterate. The other element, found in admit, remit, and submit, means â€Å"to let go or send.† Now, omit means â€Å"to leave out.† 12. Redact: Redact means â€Å"to select for removal.† It is also a synonym for edit, but the primary sense is of removing sensitive information in documents, usually by superimposing blocks of black marks over the text. 13. Repress: This is perhaps the most figurative of the synonyms for delete, in that it refers to preventing expression. 14. Silence: Though this word is normally associated with speaking and hearing, rather than writing and reading, it has a figurative connotation of removing the means of communication. 15. Suppress: Suppress differs only slightly in form and meaning from repress (â€Å"hold down,† as compared to â€Å"hold back†); the connotation is of authoritarian action to block publication. 16-25: Idiomatic expressions for delete include â€Å"black out,† â€Å"blot out,† â€Å"rub out,† and â€Å"wipe out.† Informal single-word synonyms are bleep, blip, clip, cut, and crop. (The first two derive from acoustic deletion but are sometimes applied to writing.) The most colorful of terms stems from the nearly obsolete tradition of using a brightly colored writing instrument to make deletions stand out on a page: red-pencil. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Hang, Hung, Hanged50 Tips on How to Write Good

Monday, October 21, 2019

Mexican War.

Mexican War. The Mexican-American War was based on the Americans trying to expand their territory. They thought that some parts of Mexico was a good idea so they tried to buy the lands from Mexico, using an excuse that they want payback from the Mexico's owe to America during the Spanish War. The Mexicans refused, and when they surprisingly attacked a small American station, President James K. Polk of the United States wrote a letter to the Congress to declare war on Mexico. Thus the war starts, 1846. The Americans outflanked the Mexicans in most of the battles, and when the Americans occupied Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, the Mexicans decided that if they don't agree to America's demands, they might lose even more territory. And so they peace treaty was signed at the village of Guadalupe Hidalgo, near Mexico City. As a result, the United States acquired the region we now call the Mexican Cession.English: Battle of Veracruz during the Mexican-Ame...During the Mexican-American War, the Ameri can army was divided into two, the US Army and the militia, which is composed of militiamen. The US Army was the American's national army, while the militia is an army of several states. They had a total army of 116,119 men and a navy of 12,319 men (1846-1848). During the war, they were better equipped and better led, which gave them a big advantage. When the war ended, the total losses were 13,283 men dead and 4,152 men wounded.Zachary Taylor was a general in the US Army. He led his troops through various victories, including the occupations of Matamoras, Monterrey, Saltville and Victoria, and he also defeated the Mexican troops of Mexico City when the US armies almost lost there. Later he was elected president in 1848.Alexander W. Doniphan, a colonel, led 850 troops through...