The Many Meanings of Quarter

The Many Meanings of Quarter The Many Meanings of Quarter The Many Meanings of Quarter By Mark Nichol The word quarter has numerous senses as a noun, verb, and adjective, is the basis of several words beginning with quarter, and shares an origin with quart. Quart and quarter come from Latin by way of French; in Latin, quartus means â€Å"the fourth†; it is cognate with four. Quart came to mean â€Å"one-fourth of a gallon,† while quarter refers to one of four (usually) equal parts of a whole. Quarter often pertains, with no further description, to one-fourth of a year, often in business and especially financial contexts but also in terms of one of four segments of a school year, or to one of four periods of equal length that together constitute the duration of an athletic competition or other game. The word also refers to a compass point or direction other than north, south, east, or west or to one-fourth of the horizon or the area beneath it. In addition, it may apply to a district within a municipality or to the people living there, though the term is not precise; such a quarter may be much larger or, more commonly, much smaller than one-fourth of the city or town’s area. Quarters, the plural form, pertains to one’s living accommodations, to an assigned post or station, or to assembly of a ship’s crew. Speaking of ships, either side of the stern, or rear, of a ship is called a quarter, and the deck at the stern of a ship is called the quarterdeck. Another term pertaining to maritime vocabulary is quartermaster. One or more quartermasters traditionally assisted the master, or captain, of a ship (later an officer subordinate to the captain called the sailing master) in navigation; it remains a rating, or a designation delineating job responsibilities, in modern navies. (Among pirates during the Age of Sail, however, quartermaster was the title of a crew member second only to the captain in authority; often, both positions were filled by election.) Although these low-ranking but key naval officers also helped the master stow supplies and cargo to optimize smooth sailing, the application of the word to refer to an army officer responsible for disbursing clothing and supplies to troops seems to have developed independently, stemming from the title of a court official responsible for a monarch’s sleeping chamber. Quarter also describes 25 cents in US currency, especially a coin bearing that value. Terms derived from quarter are defined below: In football, a quarterback is positioned midway between the front line and the halfback, who is halfway between the line and the fullback. (The halfback and fullback positions were derived from similar positions in rugby, from which football originated, while the quarterback position was invented for football.) The noun quarterly, which refers to a publication produced four times a year, is derived from the adjective quarterly, which describes any occurrence of that frequency. A quarterstaff is a long stick used as a weapon; both competing explanations for the origin of the word (either it refers to the placement of one’s hands when wielding it or to quarter used to refer to a cut of lumber) lack authority. A quartet is a group of any four people or things, though the term usually pertains to a four-piece music ensemble. A quarto is a format for printing books or pamphlets in which eight pages are printed on one sheet of paper to produce four leaves with print on both sides; the term may also refer to the size of a publication (about as large as a magazine). 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:12 Types of LanguageBody Parts as Tools of Measurement20 Criminal Terms You Should Know

Venus in Furs Book Review

'Venus in Furs' Book Review Not many writers have the distinction or the notoriety of having a psycho-sexual term named after them. The astonishing and ingenious sexual cruelties in the Marquis de Sades works, particularly in The 120 Days of Sodom, have made his name a byword, and in 1890 the German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing introduced the word sadism into medical terminology (even though the sole manuscript of The 120 Days of Sodom had yet to be discovered and published, the full fury of which would wildly intensify the meaning of the term). Historian and Progressive Thinker Fittingly in the shadow of the overpowering de Sade, the Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch inspired the term for sadism’s flip-side, masochism, which was also introduced by Krafft-Ebing. Von Sacher-Masoch was a historian, folklorist, collector of stories, and progressive thinker, but even though he produced dozens of books in any number of genres, he’s almost solely known for his infamous novella Venus in Furs (its the only work translated into English). Initially meant to be part of an epic novel-sequence called (Sacher-Masoch abandoned that plan after a few volumes), Venus in Furs was published as the fourth part of the first book, which was entitled, Love. Each book was named after one of the â€Å"evils† that Cain introduced into the world, and with this underlying premise- that love is an evil- von Sacher-Masoch reveals a seriously uneasy view of human relations. Venus in Furs - Beginnings The book starts with an epigraph from the Bibles book of Judith, which narrates the story of a clever and powerful woman beheading Holofernes, an Assyrian general. An unnamed narrator, then, opens the book with a strange dream of an icy Venus, who wears furs and who leads a philosophical discussion about how women’s cruel nature increases mans desire. When the narrator awakens, he goes to meet with his friend Severin, to whom he relates his dream. ​ Introducing Severin Severin is a strange and sober man who at times, the narrator relates, had violent attacks of sudden passion and gave the impression of being about to ram his head right through a wall.† Noticing a painting in Severins room depicting a northern Venus who wears furs and holds a lash that she uses to subjugate a man who is clearly a younger Severin himself, the narrator wonders aloud if the painting perhaps inspired his dream. After a short discussion, a young woman enters to bring tea and food for the pair, and to the narrator’s astonishment, a very slight offense on the woman’s part causes Severin to berate, whip, and chase her from the room. Explaining that you have to â€Å"break† a woman rather than let her break you, Severin produces a manuscript from his desk that tells how he was ostensibly â€Å"cured† of his obsession with being dominated by women. Confessions of a Suprasensual Man Entitled â€Å"Confessions of a Suprasensual Man,† this manuscript comprises all but the last few pages of the rest of the novel. Entering into this frame, the narrator (and the reader) finds Severin at a Carpathian health resort where he meets and falls in love with a woman named Wanda, with whom he draws up and signs a contract that makes him her legal slave and gives her full power over him. At first, because she seems to like him and enjoys his company, Wanda shies away from the degradations that Severin asks her to subject him to, but as she slowly allows herself to take up her dominant role, she takes greater pleasure in torturing him and increasingly grows to despise him for how he allows her to treat him. Leaving the Carpathian mountains for Florence, Wanda makes Severin dress and act like a common servant, forcing him to sleep in disgusting quarters and keeping him isolated from her company unless needed to serve some whim or another. These changes make Severin feel the palpable reality of his desires- a reality that he was in no way prepared for- but although he loathes his detestable new position, he finds himself unable to resist (and to keep from requesting) new humiliations. At times Wanda offers to put an end to their game  because she still has feelings of affection toward him, but those feelings fade as her mantle of power gives her free rein to use Severin for her increasingly twisted devices. The breaking point comes when Wanda finds a nearly superhuman lover in Florence and decides to make Severin subject to him as well. Unable to bear subjugation to another man, Severin ultimately finds himself â€Å"cured† of his need to be dominated by women. Telescoping back to the novel’s outer frame, the narrator, who’s seen Severin’s current cruelty toward women, asks him for â€Å"the moral† to all of this, and Severin answers that a woman can only be a man’s slave or despot, adding the caveat that this imbalance can only be remedied â€Å"when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work.† This egalitarian last touch squares with von Sacher-Masoch’s socialist leanings, but clearly the events and stresses of the novel- which were mirrored closely in von Sacher-Masoch’s personal life, both before and after writing it- prefer wallowing in inequity much more that eradicating it. And this has been the novel’s main appeal for readers ever since. Unlike the works of the great de Sade, which soar as striking feats of both writing and imagination, Venus in Furs is much more of a literary curio than an artistic piece of literature. Its symbolic orders are muddled; its philosophical excursions are both ponderous and corny; and although its characters are vivid and memorable, they too often fall into â€Å"types† rather than exist as fully explored individuals. Still, it’s a curious and often enjoyable read, and whether you take it as literature or as psychology- or as erotica- there’s no question that this book’s whip will leave a distinct mark on your imagination.

Influnce of Confucianism on Ancient China Society Essay

Influnce of Confucianism on Ancient China Society - Essay Example Based on his teachings, China later on went on to develop Confucianism, an ethical and philosophical system, which preaches about the importance of morality and other virtues like righteousness and honesty in one’s life (Lefande, pp. 1–10). People often refer to Confucianism as a religion since many people employ it as a sound ideology in their lives and govern their actions and decisions according to it. This ethical system or religion promoted a society where every person prioritizes the advancement of his or her personal virtue. Selflessness and honesty are amongst the few characteristics, which Confucianism holds in high esteem and promotes as ideals necessary for a healthy flourishing society. It believes that the best individual is the most ethically and morally sound individual (Hoobler and Hoobler, pp. 60). The influence of these teachings were spread widely even outside China. â€Å"They influenced the cultures and governments of Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and several other East Asian countries† (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This influence lasted centuries after the era of Confucius, and are venerated by people all over the world even now. However, to understand the true effect of Confucianism, one must analyze the effect it had on East Asia in the centuries that immediately followed the era of Confucius. The Influences on Society and Government One of the main reasons why Confucianism was so influential among East Asia was because it was based on ancient Chinese values, which are respected and in some cases shared by other countries in East Asia (Lefande, pp. 1–10). These include the mandate of heaven, veneration of ancestors, spirits, and rituals which China’s cultural heritage is based upon. Also, since it promoted a virtuous character for all people, not matter what stage of life they were at, it gained popularity as the people saw it as a reasonable system according to which they could live. People belonging to higher tiers of society would use the principles taught by Confucianism such as loyalty, honesty, and selflessness to boost their image in the public as well as to train them in order to gain positions in the government. This affected the government, as the people wishing to become a part of it would do so by improving themselves on moral grounds, thus making themselves examples for others to follow and desirable leaders (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This also had a similar effect on lower rungs of society, such as peasants and farmers. The principles of morality and virtue also became famous amongst them as they learned that following these principles was beneficial to them not only on an individual and on a family level, but also immensely improved the society as a whole. With such desirable results and influences, this religion quickly spread over China as well as several other East Asian countries. It was so well adapted into the culture of the Chinese that even today; the Chines e have taken their culture with them. Places dominated by a Chinese population such as Singapore also stand heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucianism today. Another way in which Confucianism had a major effect on government as well as society of China was through its promotion of education. According to the principles taught by Confucius, it helped polish the character of a person if he or she gained a proper education. This was one of the

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Research Paper

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Project - Research Paper Example Depending on the type of the project to be worked on, the process of procurement may be considered for direct goods, or indirect goods, or tangible or intangible items. For example, in relation to the production and manufacturing industries, the procurement process occurs for direct or indirect goods, direct goods referring to the materials required directly in the manufacturing process, while indirect goods might not have a direct need, yet have an indirect influence on the process as a whole. An example of a tangible item that might be needed for procurement is the software for a computer. In the cases of other services, the procurement is needed for designing a project, the manufacturing process, the installation techniques as well as the maintenance of the work done. Thus projects that are based on contracts generally involve the procurement strategies and techniques (Kovacs, 2004, pp.7-8). Project procurement is considered as an intricate and difficult process of making a purcha se of the necessary equipment for different needs in different industries. Thus suitable personnel are required for the achievement of this work. The management of the project involves setting up appropriate measures to distribute the roles and responsibilities of the staff in the different parts of the procurement process for a particular project. The items for procurements would vary with different industries. While the selection of the materials to be procured is considered, it is of utmost significance that the materials are essential and match with the requirements of the respective projects (Kovacs, 2004, pp.8-28).

The 18th Amendment :: Alcohol

To drink or no? Ever since the first people stumbled across alcohol (and then each other) this has been a question commonly asked. Statistics show that a majority of domestic violence, automobile accidents, and rape, all involve (many times) alcohol. Whether one thinks consumption is "right" or not has been asked by people for people from time to time. This would be the case of the 18th Amendment of 1919. The Act passed by those concerned with the above-mentioned problems, prohibited the vending, transportation of, and consumption of alcohol. The law was intended to be enforced nation-wide. Police raided and trashed many vendors to stop their trade. Sometimes however, the police took their share of the whiskey they were supposed to break, and paid reporters to look the other way. On the whole, prohibition was effective in smaller town/cities, but worked a bit less in the larger cities. It is said that for every market that is destroyed, a new underground market is created. This was exactly the case with prohibition. Though domestic violence did decrease, much crime increased. Bootlegers (people who made/sold their own whiskey) popped up everywhere. Speakeasies, which were underground bars, were frequented by virtually everyone. Seceret drinking was considered a glamorous thing-even in Washington parties. Bootlegging gangs began to increase, thus an increase in street crime occured. One of the most famous of these gangsters was Al Capone. Capone's bootlegging ring earned him approximately 60,000,000 dollars a year. One example of gang related crime was the St. Valentines Day Massacre, in which Capones's gang gunned down and killed seven members of "Bugs" Morgans' gang.

Decision Analysis Essay

In business today, many decision-making situations occur under conditions of uncertainty. The demand for a product can be one number this week and double that number next week or vice versa. There are several decision-making techniques to aid the decision maker in dealing with these types of uncertainties. There are two classes of decision situations, situations where probabilities can be assigned to future occurrences and probabilities that cannot be assigned. A decision-making situation includes several components, the decision itself and the actual events that can occur in the future, we refer to those as states of nature. The states of nature can be good and bad economic conditions, cold or warm weather, and an accident or no accident. The state of nature that does occur will determine the outcome of the decision, but the decision maker has no control over which state occurs. Payoff tables are organized so that the decision situations can be analyzed. Using a payoff table is a means of organizing a decision situation, including the payoffs from different decisions, given the various states of nature. Each decision will result in a specific outcome corresponding to the particular state of nature that occurs in the future. Payoffs are usually expressed as revenues or costs, but the can be expressed in a variety of values. Once a payoff table has been organized, there are several criteria available for making the actual decision. One of those is the maximax criterion. The maximax criterion results in the maximum of the maximum payoffs. The decision maker would be very optimistic. They would assume the most favorable state of nature would occur. When considering profit, the decision maker would pick the state of nature that gains the highest revenue. When considering cost, the decision maker would select the minimum of the minimum of costs, which is also referred to as the minimin criterion. The maximin criterion is another criteria that can be used. The maximin criterion results in the maximum of the minimum payoff. This is a pessimistic criterion. The decision maker assumes that the minimum payoff will occur. Of those minimum payoffs, the maximum is selected. If the decision maker were to consider costs instead of profits as the payoff, the conservative approach would to select the maximum cost for each decision. Then they would select the minimum of those costs. The minimax regret criterion minimizes the maximum regret. Regret is the difference between the payoff from the best decision and all other decision payoffs. With this criterion, the decision maker attempts to avoid regret by selecting the decision alternative that minimizes the maximum regret. To use this criterion, the decision maker selects the maximum pay off under each state of nature and then subtracts the other payoffs from those amounts. The Hurwicz criterion is a compromise between the maximax and maximin criteria. The decision maker is not totally optimistic not totally pessimistic. With this criterion, the payoffs are weighted by a cofficient of optimism, which is a measure of the decision maker’s optimism. The coefficient of optimism must be determined by the decision maker, which is a limitation. It can be difficult for a decision maker to accurately determine his or her degree of optimism. This is a completely subjective decision making criterion. The equal likelihood criterion is done in the same way. The equal likelihood criterion multiplies the decision payoff for each state of nature by an equal weight. In conclusion, decision making analysis is a key component to maximizing profit and minimizing cost. There are several different decision-making criteria. Which criteria is used would be based on the decision makers outlook on the future.

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