RFP Software Breaking Down the Options - The Writers For Hire

RFP SOFTWARE: BREAKING DOWN THE OPTIONS Several of our RFP clients have asked us if there’s any good proposal software out there. Software that can help them make the proposal writing process a bit easier. Software that can help them keep track of deadlines, rules, forms, and updates. Software that makes it easier to manage feedback from multiple reviewers and balance several time-sensitive moving parts. That’s a tall order. But we thought it was a great idea for a blog. We haven’t used a lot of proposal-specific software, so we decided to embark on a little research to learn more about the proposal management software available today. We reached out to several RFP software companies that were all kind enough to provide us with details of their programs and walk us through their best features. 1.Expedience Software Expedience Software’s RFP response package functions as an add-on to Microsoft Office.It allows users to access features directly through Word, via an additional set of menus that appear within the word-processing program itself. This approach has clear advantages.It takes advantage of Word’s status as the most widely used word-processing software in the world, thereby allowing users who are already familiar with the platform to remain in a comfortable environment.Additionally, it piggybacks on Word’s ability to co-operate with other programs in the Office suite, particularly Excel.In short, it requires users to learn a limited set of new menu options and commands rather than an entirely new program, with a different location on the home screen, a different interface, and different internal logic. As Jason Anderson, vice president for sales at Expedience Software, explained: â€Å"Being in Word brings us lots of advantages, mainly that i t’s known.† Sticking to this familiar platform helps users save time, reduce the learning curve and make fewer mistakes along the way, he said. Expedience Software adds new tabs to the Word menu at the top of the screen – namely, Style Palette and Content Portfolio.The latter is likely to be the first destination when generating a new response to RFP, as it allows users to open proposals and access relevant company information and data through the selection of a content portfolio (i.e., a library of stored content from completed proposals and related documents). It lets them search the content portfolio and use the results of the search to add boilerplate text to documents. Additionally, it gives users the ability to add metadata tags to items within the portfolio to facilitate future searches. Style Palette allows users to format proposal documents, using familiar Word features such as style settings, tables and text boxes.It can apply previously used formatting and styles, so that new documents don’t have to be built from scratch. This approach has clear advantages.It takes advantage of Word’s status as the most widely used word-processing software in the world, thereby allowing users who are already familiar with the platform to remain in a comfortable environment.Additionally, it piggybacks on Word’s ability to co-operate with other programs in the Office suite, particularly Excel. In short, it requires users to learn a limited set of new menu options and commands rather than an entirely new program, with a different location on the home screen, a different interface, and different internal logic. As Jason Anderson, vice president for sales at Expedience Software, explained: â€Å"Being in Word brings us lots of advantages, mainly that it’s known.† Sticking to this familiar platform helps users save time, reduce the learning curve and make fewer mistakes along the way, he said. Expedience Software adds new tabs to the Word menu at the top of the screen – namely, Style Palette and Content Portfolio. The latter is likely to be the first destination when generating a new response to RFP, as it allows users to open proposals and access relevant company information and data through the selection of a content portfolio (i.e., a library of stored content from completed proposals and related documents). It lets them search the content portfolio and use the results of the search to add boilerplate text to documents. Additionally, it gives users the ability to add metadata tags to items within the portfolio to facilitate future searches.Style Palette allows users to format proposal documents, using familiar Word features such as style settings, tables and text boxes.It can apply previously used formatting and styles, so that new documents don’t have to be built from scratch. The newest version of Expedience Software’s package also features an Excel Connect tab (not sho wn in the images above). This tab allows users to move easily back and forth between Word and Excel, a handy feature when responding to RFPs that require bidders to submit their responses in spreadsheet format. One drawback of the tie-in with MS Office is that Expedience Software does not have built-in scheduling or calendar capabilities, so it doesn’t give users the ability to set target dates and arrange for automatic reminders of upcoming deadlines.And, since it focuses primarily on document creation and editing, Expedience Software doesn’t offer as many project management as other software. But Expedience Software does feature an intriguing approach to security and user access. Most of the providers we spoke with used a full licensing system that required each user within a company to have an individual license to access the program. But Anderson explained that Expedience Software issues licenses only to users who need to access every part of the content portfolio. License holders can then grant outside experts and consultants limited access to basic viewing and editing functions without the need to acquire additional licenses, he explained. â€Å"Most other software wont let you control access to content in this way, but we do,† he said. Anderson also stressed that license holders had the ability to prevent unlicensed users from accessing every part of the company’s library. â€Å"You can restrict authorship,† he said, explaining that this option preserved the security of company records while ensuring that lower-level employees and outside consultants could still view and edit proposal documents as necessary. He further noted that these security provisions allowed managers to protect confidential information without setting up additional storage infrastructure. License holders can restrict authorship to documents on existing company servers or any other storage solution, he said. â€Å"If there’s a firewall, it can be behind that. It can be on a network drive [or] in the cloud,† he said. The bottom line: Expedience Software provides advanced document-management options in a setting that is both familiar and easy to access. Main pros: Based on familiar Word platform and has a low learning curveTies directly into ExcelMain cons: No scheduling or calendar features Few project management features 2.Qwilr Qwilr is quite different from Expedience Software. This is not just because it is a stand-alone program with no explicit link to existing platforms, but also because it aims to turn out a different type of product. Responses to RFPs typically follow one of two formats: Word-type documents that describe a given company’s ability to provide goods and/or services, as well as its compliance with requirements Spreadsheets that contain the same type of data and information in a pre-formatted, Excel-type format By contrast, Qwilr allows users to generate a dynamic response that bears more resemblance to a web page than to a stack of paper. Finished Qwilr products are web-based and have website-like elements such as hyperlinks, video content and online quote acceptance. Additionally, they can be built, edited and viewed on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The software appears to be easy to navigate, with a straightforward, point-and-click interface. â€Å"In terms of ease of use, we’re up there. The software is even pleasant to use,† said Jomar Gomez, a sales and customer success representative for Qwilr. Moreover, he said, the end product is easy to navigate, â€Å"as it’s more like a web page with design elements.† Qwilr’s main focus is on this type of dynamic presentation. But users can also generate RFP responses in several formats, including text, and can save files as PDFs. Additionally, Qwilr makes plenty of design and graphic elements available to users seeking to craft dynamic responses.It incl udes multiple pre-set templates, each with a different look and feel, and also lets users access a library of stock photos. The software also offers a built-in quote acceptance tool that allows for a rapid response from contracting organizations.This easy-to-use tool features sliders that can be activated with the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger. Another handy tool is the Analytics feature, which helps users keep track of the progress of a project, from the creation of the initial document to responses from contracting organizations Despite its forward-looking features, Qwilr does not lose sight of the fact that users need more than attractive graphics and design. It gives users the ability to create and access a library of boilerplate texts, and its Clone feature streamlines the process of using previous documents as a model for new responses. Qwilr uses a standard licensing model, with each individual user required to obtain a license. It also includes security features su ch as Block, which restricts access to and editing capabilities, making it a good fit for companies that bring in outside consultants or experts when drafting proposals. There are some downsides to this software, however: Qwilr does not tie directly into Excel, so it offers no advantages to users responding to RFPs in spreadsheet format. It does not appear to have a calendar function, though it does have an audit trail that lays out the timeline for each project. The bottom line: Qwilr allows users to craft proposals that will stand out from the crowd. Main pros: delivers visually striking content, includes useful toolsMain cons: doesn’t help with spreadsheet RFPs, no scheduling or calendar features, more suited to smaller companies that can present proposals in person 3.Loopio and RFPIO Both Loopio and RFPIO allow companies to compile and draw on examples of past work, thereby simplifying tasks such as retrieving standard boilerplate text or duplicating existing formats.B ut they each offer unique takes on RFP response software.Loopio and RFPIO do not piggyback on MS Office like Expedience Software; and they don’t emphasize web-style, graphics-focused content like Qwilr. Instead, these stand-alone packages bear a strong resemblance to project management systems, as both have dashboards and group projects into folders. Their folders and menus help companies to build on previous proposals and to compile boilerplate text, as both employ templates and metadata tags, as well as document and answer libraries. Additionally, both are cloud-based platforms that use a standard licensing model. Both can be used on mobile devices as well as PCs. There are differences between the two, though. The most noticeable of these is that RFPIO appears to have a wider range of capabilities than Loopio. For example, RFPIO does not require users to work from templates, although it does offer them that option. It allows users to fill out a form with the relevant infor mation (or with a command to retrieve specific information from the content library) and then generates a proposal on its own. RFPIO also offers a predictive text function based on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This reduces the time needed to search for and retrieve relevant information, said Chris Pulley, an account executive at RFPIO. â€Å"There’s not even a need to cut and paste. That’s a huge component of the software,† he said. â€Å"RFPIO automatically saves answers to questions. It will also suggest answers for you using key words, without any prompting. [This feature] is a key way to save time.† Additionally, the program allows users to import questionnaires and MS Office files with only one click of the mouse. As such, it facilitates replies to spreadsheet-based RFPs while also streamlining the process of drawing on document files in Word or Excel format. Both types of software allow companies to customize access levels for multipl e users in order to guard confidentiality. However, Loopio only grants access to license holders, which means that companies using outside experts or consultants must obtain an additional license, explained Allison Russell, a sales development representative for the company. â€Å"The software is designed to serve a group of people collaborating and working on the same response toward a common goal, but it keeps confidential information secure,† she said. â€Å"We have different settings for that, and they’re up to the discretion of the user. The settings can be made different for each license user.† RFPIO, by contrast, gives users the option of granting outside consultants and experts access to content portfolios without additional licenses. It also lets users set custom security levels to ensure that these contributors can access the information they need and no more. â€Å"There are different levels of access – administrator, member, and guest,† Pulley said. â€Å"The guest feature lets any employee be set up as a member of the team working on the response.† RFPIO and Loopio also differ significantly with respect to scheduling oversight. On this front, RFPIO clearly comes out ahead, as it includes a calendar function that allows users to set specific deadlines and arrange for automatic reminders. And as Pulley emphasized, these notices and reminders are not just for major projects involving an entire team, but also for sub-tasks, assignments and questions directed to individuals, smaller groups and outside contributors. Loopio, by contrast, follows Expedience Software and Qwilr in offering few options for scheduling. Russell did note, though, that the package included useful features for users seeking to comply with deadlines. â€Å"Project managers can have control over notifications,† she said. â€Å"They can send prompts and reminders to team members, using Loopio to send out emails with their message.â⠂¬  The bottom line: RFPIO and Loopio provide users the ability to generate and manage proposals in a project-management setting. RFPIO pros: calendar feature, tracks project progress in a manner similar to Qwilr’s Analytics tool, easy integration with MS Office files RFPIO cons: smaller companies may not need or use all features Loopio pros: offers consistent branding through easy formatting options, builds strong library of boilerplate text and answers to previous questions Loopio cons: no scheduling or calendar features, does not have same level of integration with MS Office files Making the Decision Of the two cloud-based software packages reviewed here, RFPIO appears to be a better option than Loopio. While the two systems are similar in visual presentation and basic functionality, the former gives users more options for managing content and access. Among the other two, there is no obvious winner. Expedience Software offers the lowest learning curve and the best integration with MS Office, but it is not an ideal platform for project management or scheduling. One online review[i] also indicates that it works best for users who are already familiar with Word’s most advanced options. For its part, Qwilr delivers the most attractive responses for companies seeking to stand out from their text-focused competitors, but its finished products will not satisfy all potential customers – especially large contracting organizations that require proposals to be submitted in the form of a spreadsheet. Instead, its web-based proposals probably pack the biggest visual punch in small, face-to-face settings. The choice of RFP response package would seem to hinge, then, on the individual needs of potential buyers. Companies seeking to simplify and improve the RFP response process should, therefore, strive for a match between their resources and the software’s capabilities.Tweet this [i] 1. https://www.capterra.com/p/141108/Expedience-Software-Suite/#reviews: Scroll down to review by Crawford R.

Loanwords from 12+ Unexpected Languages

Loanwords from 12+ Unexpected Languages Loanwords from 12+ Unexpected Languages Loanwords from 12+ Unexpected Languages By Mark Nichol Language chauvinists in the United States who believe that English is being polluted by other tongues should pause to consider how few words in our language actually derive from Anglo-Saxon, the predecessor of Modern English. One survey determined that only one-fourth of the words in English come from its linguistic ancestors. That total is exceeded by words directly from Latin (including medical, scientific, and technical terms) and from Latin’s collective daughters, such as French and Italian: Each source accounts for about 28 percent of our vocabulary. Greek contributed another 5 percent, proper names are responsible for another 3 percent, and all other languages combined add up to less than 1 percent. But what a rich slice of the pie that last sliver is! Even though English already had a word for many of the concepts those foreign-born terms represent, the language is always generous when it comes to making room for synonyms, which often acquire distinct connotations. I’ve omitted examples from the usual suspects, but check out these terms adopted into English from less-obvious languages, language groups, and regions: 1. Afrikaans Contributions from the South African language descended from Dutch include apartheid (â€Å"apartness†), trek (a long journey, originally one on foot), and names of indigenous animals such as the aardvark (â€Å"earth pig†) and the meerkat (â€Å"lake cat†); scoff, from which English derived scarf (in the sense of â€Å"to wolf down†) and wildebeest (you figure it out) are from a forerunner of Afrikaans called Cape Dutch. 2. Czech Pistol is said to have derived from the Czech word pistala (with several diacritical marks omitted here), though the name of Pistoia, a city in Italy, may have been the inspiration. Howitzer comes from the word for a catapult. Robot, from the Czech word for drudgery, was introduced in a play. But don’t associate the Czechs exclusively with war and toil, they, not the Poles, as is widely believed, coined the dance name polka (â€Å"little half†). 3. Hungarian Coach, from kocsi, derived from the place name Kocs, is taken from Hungarian in both its noun and verb forms. Saber comes from szablya. The names for the dog breeds komondor, puli, and vizsla are all of Hungarian origin, as are the names for goulash and paprika. 4. Irish Galore comes from go leor (â€Å"til plenty†). Other borrowings from Irish include glen (â€Å"valley†), phony (fainne, â€Å"ring†), slew (sluagh, â€Å"a large number†), and whiskey (uisce beatha, â€Å"water of life†). Scots and Scottish Gaelic provided many more words, including the obvious bard, clan, and plaid and the unexpected pet and trousers. Of indeterminate Gaelic origin are brogue (the shoe, not the accent; that’s definitively from Irish), hubbub, and smidgen. 5. Malay This South Asian language has given enriched English with amok, bamboo, compound, gingham, gong, junk (boat), launch (both the noun meaning â€Å"boat† and the verb and noun referring to setting off), and paddy, and the animal names cassowary, cockatoo, gecko, orangutan, and siamang. 6. Maori This language from New Zealand gave us the animal names kiwi, mako (shark), moa, and tuatara. 7. Scandinavian Norwegian contributions include the geographical terms fjord and floe, and ski, plus slalom and telemark (from a place name), as well as the animal names brisling (a fish), krill (a relative of the shrimp), and lemming (a rodent). Swedish words used in English include ombudsman, smorgasbord (â€Å"sandwich table†), tungsten, and fartlek, the unfortunate name for a training technique for runners that has nothing to do with flatulence. These words borrowed into English cannot be traced to a particular Scandinavian language: cog, flense (to strip blubber), flounder, lug, maelstrom, midden (kitchen-waste heap), mink, nudge, rig, snug, spry, and wicker. Dozens more entered English from Old Norse over a thousand years ago, including such basics as anger, ball, and cake. 8. Tagalog The original language of the Philippines loaned us boondocks (bundok, â€Å"mountain,† or bunduk, â€Å"hinterland†). We also have Tagalog to thank for cooties (kuto, â€Å"head lice†). 9. Tamil The language originating in India has shared catamaran (â€Å"tie up wood†), cheroot (â€Å"roll,† or â€Å"rolled†), corundum (â€Å"ruby†), and pariah, plus the food names curry (â€Å"sauce†), mango, and mulligatawny (â€Å"black pepper† and â€Å"water†). Various languages of India besides the major players Tamil and Hindu also contributed atoll, bandicoot, bungalow, calico, mongoose, pajamas, polo, and verandah. 10. Ukrainian This Slavic language contributed steppe, plus the food names borscht (beet soup), kasha (porridge), and pierogi (stuffed dumpling). 11. Welsh Welsh, harsh looking but mellifluous, is the origin of coracle (boat), crag (rock), cwm (valley, related to English combe), and likely flannel. Its nearly extinct cousin Cornish gave us brill (mackerel), dolmen (stone tomb), menhir (standing stone) yes, men means â€Å"stone† and penguin (â€Å"white head†), which could alternatively have come from yet another Celtic language, Breton. 12. One- or Two-Hit Wonders Some other languages gave only one or two words to English, but we should be grateful for what we can get: Finnish: sauna Ilokano (related to many languages of the South Pacific): yo-yo Romanian: pastrami (a pastra, â€Å"to preserve†), though it may derive ultimately from Turkish or Greek Romani (Gypsy): pal (â€Å"friend,† â€Å"brother†; originally, like dozens of other English words, from Sanskrit) Sami (a group of indigenous languages from northern Scandinavia): tundra Serbo-Croatian: vampire and cravat (from Hrvat, the Croatians’ word for themselves) Slovak: dobro (the instrument, from its inventors, the Dopyera brothers 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:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know20 Rules About Subject-Verb AgreementIf I Was vs. If I Were

Afro-Argentineans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Afro-Argentineans - Essay Example For those of African ancestry, in particular those in Argentina, it is important to find out just why their history and perhaps their very existence have been so whitewashed. These questions are just as important to a historian, or any person who is interested in the matter, and need to be answered. Argentina was not a plantation oriented country; therefore, the slave trade did not flourish as much as in other parts of Latin America. However, this does not mean that there were no slaves in Argentina in general and Buenos Aires in particular. Buenos Aires was, in fact, one of the major ports where the slave ships were docked (Molina). From these slave ships, a lot of slaves were smuggled into Buenos Aires, of course with the tacit consent of the authorities. Most of the African slaves that were obtained in Buenos Aires were either for household help purposes (cooks, handmaids etc.) or were artisans who were rented out by their masters to those in need of their services (Quintana). Moreover, the tasks that were considered to be below the dignity of the â€Å"white† population, such as cleaning the sewers, were also relegated to them (Quintana). Some estimates state that about one-fourth to one-third of the population of Buenos Aires, in the early nineteenth century, compri sed of Afro-Argentines (Gudmundson). However, by the late nineteenth century, in the 1887 census to be exact, they comprised of about 1.8% of the population (Reel 1), after which a new category was introduced in their stead, that of â€Å"trigueno† or â€Å"wheatish† (Mundra 1), which of course included such white Europeans as the Italians and Sicilians who were darker than the others. So the question that begs to be asked is: where did all these Afro-Argentines disappear? And if it is to be accepted that there is no longer any Afro-Argentine or black population in Buenos Aires, then how does one account for people who

Imagery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Imagery - Essay Example However, the poem states that in the end, all these vanish. In the second line, â€Å"her hardest hue to hold, â€Å"Frost sees nature to contain elements of femininity. This means nature is fertile, productive and it has a feminine force. Consequently, nature is entirely powerful because it is able to carry the hue of gold. Therefore, when a leaf blossoms, they are seen to contain a lot of chlorophyll that makes them heavy. Usually when a leaf turns gold, it becomes bulky than the original green color, hence substituting them. The poem still focuses on the youth as it explains converting metaphors into images of nature. â€Å"The early leaf† is a rebirth of the â€Å"first green.† This means, for a child to become an adult, they have to undergo certain passage rites. The leaf and the color represent the tribulations of life. From the young green leaves of the spring season, the whole tree grows controlling the various natural processes that the tree will encounter. In the line† So Eden sank to grief, â€Å"Frost attempts to establish a connection between the green and gold colors. He further uses the myth of Eden to show originality in nature. The gold and green can also be interpreted to symbolize the persistent attitude of nature. This means that as the night goes into rest (gold), the new day is born (green).Consequently, gold color flourishes during the night, whereas the green color blossoms during daytime (Frost, 1995). This is a fundamental concept of nature that is irreversibl e. The â€Å"early leaf† of the day contains forgiveness. This is explained in reference to the Garden of Eden when lack of knowledge is expressed, and the concept of life and death emerges. Forgiveness however, lasts for â€Å"an hour.† This is not surprising because as stated by the poem â€Å"nothing gold can stay.† William Carlos Williams captures the normal daily activities in

Egypt & the Pyramids Essay Example for Free

Egypt the Pyramids Essay Has it ever occurred to anyone who was the mastermind behind the great pyramids? Who could have built such a magnificent structure back then with such poor construction, transportation and organization. Well, I strongly advocate the concept of Egyptians building the Great Pyramids because there is plenty of evidence conveying this. Many journalists or Egyptologists may agree that it is a true fact that people built it with the aid of technology. Margaret Sears a journalist bases one of her articles specifically on Who built the Great Pyramid? (1990). She provides ample evidence supporting Egyptians being the builders and labourers of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. There are three main points that substantiate the production of the Great Egyptian Pyramids which are transportation, construction and organization. Since, the great pyramids have been built they have always been a controversial topic. Many people agree that the Egyptians were the ones who formed innumerable piles of bricks into the Great Pyramids. But, before building such a complex structure the Egyptians were quite intellectual and focussed on organization. The Egyptians were originally inspired to build the pyramids by religious conviction and were fully committed to take on the critical task. The Egyptians were able to determine the site of pyramids by religious beliefs. They decided to place the Pyramids on the west bank of the Nile because they asserted that the west was the dwelling place of the dead. This is where all the majestic and honourable people would be kept mainly pharaohs that accomplished major achievements. But, the most essential factor for building a marvellous structure was the authoritarian god-king. The article Who built the Great Pyramids elucidates that during the influential pharaoh, Khufus reign Egypt was rich, united and at peace which allowed the authoritarian god-king to focus all attention on the salient task. Which moves onto how the Egyptians were able to transport the heavy loads of material efficiently. One of the biggest absurd concerns about the Great Pyramids is how they were able to transport the massive amounts of stone blocks to long distances. In Margaret Sears article in 1990 she clearly states how did the Egyptian cut and moved the stone blocks? The evidence that has been provided to substantiate it is in the Cairo museum where there are many wooden rollers, rafts and sleds that are displayed. We also assume that they may have used ramps to speed the process. Evidence also shows that coniferous wood was imported from Phoenicia at the same time of Sneferu. Which distinctly portrays that wood was available when required because Khufus wooden funerary boat was found buried beside the pyramid, along with abundant quantities of rope. The article provides affirm proof of a picture from the later tomb of Djehutihotep showing 152 men moving a huge statue of the pharaoh on a wooden sled. The picture asserts that to lessen the friction of the 53.5 ton load, a liquid is poured along the route. The famous architecture from France Henri Chevier inquires and discerns that a man who would be harnessed to a rope can lift 1 ton blocks on a slippery and hazardous path of Nile mud. He distinguishes with team of workers, they could easily transport 2.2 tons of blocks that made up most of the pyramid. Also, using pulleys and ropes the labourers could drag the stone up the embankments of earth and once the project was terminated they could have simply removed the earth. Lastly, you must ponder how the Egyptians were able to build the marvellous pyramids with such intricacy and embellishment. Since, they were formerly able to envision the elegant and regal edifice all that was left was building. Which leads to the last essential component to creating the structure which is construction. We know that the Egyptians had sophisticated tools to enhance the complexity of the structure. Evidence shows that tools for cutting the stone included copper chisels, dolerite hammers and wooden wedges. All of these constructive tools were enough to carve beautiful and impressive lines and drawings considering we are able to see the final edifice ourselves in Egypt. Margaret Sears says that the feat was accomplished by trimming the blocks before they were hauled into places. All of this could not have been done by the ordinary labourer but, this is where the stonemasons come in. Since the stonemasons were experts, they cleaned up and smoothed the outer limestone surfaces. The Egyptians were also able to get plenty of limestone from the Gizeh Plateau south of the pyramid. In 1988 Leher and Zahi Sawass enclosed a series of galleries and excavations of some galleries revealed bits of flint blade, copper, sandstone rubbers which were used to polish stone and grinding pigments. There were many other excavations found such as bread and bear and grain which was the food for the labourers. All this evidence and support solidifies that Egyptians were the ones whom constructed the Great Pyramids. Now, that most of us agree that Egyptians were the builders of one of the most famous wonders of the world there is a weakness in this alternative. Many of the evidences provided in this article gives us a lot of knowledge about The Great Pyramids, but the author does not provide enough details to absolutely convince the reader that the pyramids did not drop from the sky. The alternative however, does sustain the topic but doesnt provide complete details which the audience would be curious about such as when excavations of transportations were discovered or when the Khufus funerary boat was buried beside the pyramids before or after. The author leaves these vague phrases and statements leaving the reader skeptical. But, the main motive why I choose this alternative was because it provided a basic sense that people used special ramps and transportation to create the pyramid themselves. I also think that logically only humans could have built the pyramids with sophisticated equipment and I highly doubt that the gods created them because of all the excavations located. I found this alternative to ultimately be the most convincing because of the basic evidence provided that ramps aided them to build the great pyramids. Therefore, plenty of evidence shows historians that the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids themselves. The three key elements which support the concept of Egyptians building the pyramids are organization, transportation and construction. In my opinion another point of view that can be brought up is if the pyramids were made by moulds which could be possible but, I dont agree because there is not much evidence to support it. Overall, Margaret Sears and Clifford Wilson are promoting the accurate message that the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids with teams of workers and technology.

As I Lay Dying :: Essays Papers

As I Lay Dying In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, references to â€Å"the right† by numerous characters serve to propel the reader on a quest for truth. Cora and Tull make allusions to what is right as defined by religion, while Cash evokes a more innate sense of right and wrong. Anse has a sense of right that is deceptive to both himself and others, yet it also conveys his view of the world which Faulkner shows to be just as accurate as anyone else’s. Faulkner’s blending of these versions of right make a unified idea of what is right, even if that idea is at once a confusing and complicated one. Cora and Vernon Tull believe completely in the absolute power of God and that His will is ultimately what will be done. Cora is Vernon’s source of strength and faith, and even when he waivers in what he believes to be right, he ultimately sides with his wife. Cora is constantly exclaiming both in speech and in song that â€Å"I trust in my God and my reward.† (70) This belief is a great comfort to Cora. Even when she makes cakes for a wealthy woman in town and the woman changes her mind, Cora only thinks â€Å"Riches is nothing in the face of the Lord, for He can see into the heart.† (7) Cora also believed it right for people to suffer; seeing it as their â€Å"mortal lot† (159). However, this deep faith is also blinding to Cora. Cora is blind to the fact that Addie has an understanding of sin and salvation and â€Å"right† beyond the mere words that she uses. Cora mistakes Addie’s lack of faith for vanity and pride, and gets down on her knees in hopes of rescuing her from the clutches of damnation (160). Addie’s response to this is that â€Å"people to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words too.† (168) Vernon Tull at times questions whether his wife is altogether right, but then catches himself and pulls himself back. Cora may have seen it as people’s mortal lot to suffer, but Vernon questioned this, especially in the case of Vardaman’s pain. Vernon says, â€Å"It aint right. I be durn if it is.

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” Essay

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a man of action. He will never sit idly by while danger is afoot. He steps in, takes charge, and does the job right. Atticus is a man the town can call upon when crisis has arisen. One concrete example of this ability would be the Mad Dog incident. Tim Johnson ran rabid in the streets of Maycomb, and the man called for the job was none other than Atticus Finch. Atticus solved this problem with one well placed gunshot, but this would be only the beginning. The rabid dog Atticus shoots is echoed later in the novel in his attempt to save the community from committing an act of madness. The responsibility of defending Tom Robinson is given to Atticus in the identical matter that Heck Tate gave Atticus the responsibility of defending the town from Tim Johnson. Shooting and wounding a rabid dog can just make the situation worse, just the same as wounding a town’s system of beliefs and values, and as Heck says, both situations are â€Å"a one shot job.† (109) One Shot Finch is brought in to solve the problem. Defending Tom to the point of waiting outside his jail cell, protecting him from a lynching mob shows Atticus’s willingness to carry out a task completely. In this scene he comes against an entire pack of mad dogs armed torches and pitchforks and running rabid with prejudice, ignorance and rage. This situation is a great deal more intense for Atticus, because this time his children are involved. Even with a pack of vengeful, drunken, and angry men staring down Atticus and his two children Atticus still stays calm and â€Å"put the newspaper d own very carefully, adjusting its creases with lingering fingers.† (173) The same calm is shown in the dog scene Scout believes he moves gracefully, â€Å"like an underwater swimmer.† (109) In the trial scene, Atticus must face the toughest pack of mad dogs, yet; the jury. Foaming at the mouths with preconceived notions of how the trial will end, Atticus must attempt the impossible and try to convince a panel of white people that a black man is innocent. Like making a careful shot, Atticus takes aim and sets up all his opponents. He then strikes them all down with one swift move. The sad thing about this fight is that everyone knows that there is no way Atticus can win. â€Å"Atticus Finch won’t win–he can’t win. But he’s the only man in these parts who could keep a jury out so  long in a case like that.† (247) This, however, is all beside the point. The point is that everyone in that courtroom sees Atticus gun down the prosecution with cold, hard evidence, and does so with a certain finesse and dignity that no other lawyer in the town of Maycomb could possess. â€Å"He’s not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it. Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard.† (238) No matter how good of a shot Atticus is, the jury was already infected with a seemingly incurable madness. Bob Ewell is the ideal personification of a mad dog to the town of Maycomb. Most of the community doesn’t even attempt to treat the Ewells like citizens. â€Å"The Ewells are members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells.† (34) Bob Ewell has gone mad with jealousy and hatred. He feeds on hatred. Though Atticus attempts to retain some respect for Mr. Ewell, he thoroughly maintains his higher standards whenever Bob comes looking for trouble. â€Å"Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him†¦ but Atticus didn’t bat an eye†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (249) Even in a literal sense, Bob Ewell is foaming at the mouth. This mad dog is shot down by means of public humiliation, however. â€Å"I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with.† (250) Bob Ewell’s reputation had been shot dead. In conclusion, the series of events after the mad dog incident are all too similar to be purely coincidental. A common theme of the mad dog runs through crisis just as a common theme of the mockingbird runs through peace. Situations involving mad dogs are Atticus’s responsibility, and it becomes evident that Atticus is called upon to pull a lot of weight in the town of Maycomb. Atticus Finch will continue to answer the call for help, no matter where it comes from, or what its for.