How to Use Sentence Fragments Effectively

Most writing handbooks insist that incomplete sentences--or fragments--are errors that need to be corrected. As Toby Fulwiler and Alan Hayakawa say in The Blair Handbook (Prentice Hall, 2003), The problem with a fragment is its incompleteness. A sentence expresses a complete idea, but a fragment neglects to tell the reader either what it is about (the subject) or what happened (the verb) (p. 464). In formal writing, the proscription against using fragments often makes good sense. But not always. In both fiction and nonfiction, the sentence fragment may be used deliberately to create a variety of powerful effects. Fragments of Thought Midway through J. M. Coetzees novel Disgrace (Secker Warburg, 1999), the main character experiences shock as the result of a brutal attack at his daughters house. After the intruders leave, he attempts to come to terms with what has just occurred: It happens every day, every hour, every minute, he tells himself, in every quarter of the country. Count yourself lucky to have escaped with your life. Count yourself lucky not to be a prisoner in the car at this moment, speeding away, or at the bottom of a donga with a bullet in your head. Count Lucy lucky too. Above all Lucy.A risk to own anything: a car, a pair of shoes, a packet of cigarettes. Not enough to go around, not enough cars, shoes, cigarettes. Too many people, too few things. What there is must go into circulation, so that everyone can have a chance to be happy for a day. That is the theory; hold to this theory and to the comforts of theory. Not human evil, just a vast circulatory system, to whose workings pity and terror are irrelevant. That is how one must see life in this country: in its schematic aspect. Otherwise one could go mad. Cars, shoes; women too. There must be some niche in the system for women and what happens to them. reflect the characters efforts to make sense of the harsh, disruptive experience. The sense of incompleteness conveyed by the fragments is deliberate and quite effective. Narrative and Descriptive Fragments In Charles Dickenss The Pickwick Papers (1837), rascally Alfred Jingle tells a macabre tale that today would probably be labeled an urban legend. Jingle relates the anecdote in a curiously fragmented fashion: Heads, heads--take care of your heads! cried the loquacious stranger, as they came out under the low archway, which in those days formed the entrance to the coach-yard. Terrible place--dangerous work--other day--five children--mother--tall lady, eating sandwiches--forgot the arch--crash--knock--children look round--mothers head off--sandwich in her hand--no mouth to put it in--head of a family off--shocking, shocking! Jingles narrative style calls to mind the famous opening of Bleak House (1853), in which Dickens devotes three paragraphs to an impressionistic description of a London fog: fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper, down in his close cabin; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little prentice boy on deck. In both passages, the writer is more concerned with conveying sensations and creating a mood than in completing a thought grammatically. The Series of Illustrative Fragments Pale druggists in remote towns of the Epworth League and flannel nightgown belts, endlessly wrapping up bottles of Peruna. . . . Women hidden away in the damp kitchens of unpainted houses along the railroad tracks, frying tough beefsteaks. . . . Lime and cement dealers being initiated into the Knights of Pythias, the Red Men or the Woodmen of the World. . . . Watchmen at lonely railroad crossings in Iowa, hoping that theyll be able to get off to hear the United Brethren evangelist preach. . . . Ticket-sellers in the subway, breathing sweat in its gaseous form. . . . Farmers plowing sterile fields behind sad meditative horses, both suffering from the bites of insects. . . . Grocery-clerks trying to make assignations with soapy servant girls. . . . Women confined for the ninth or tenth time, wondering helplessly what it is all about. . . . Methodist preachers retired after forty years of service in the trenches of God, upon pensions of $600 a year. Collected rather than connected, such brief fragmented examples offer snapshots of sadness and disappointment. Fragments and Crots Different as these passages are, they illustrate a common point: fragments arent inherently bad. Though a strictly prescriptive grammarian might insist that all fragments are demons waiting to be exorcised, professional writers have looked more kindly on these ragged bits and pieces of prose. And they have found some imaginative ways to use fragments effectively. Over 30 years ago, in An Alternate Style: Options in Composition (now out of print), Winston Weathers made a strong case for going beyond strict definitions of correctness when teaching writing. Students should be exposed to a wide range of styles, he argued, including the variegated, discontinuous, fragmented forms used to great effect by Coetzee, Dickens, Mencken, and countless other writers. Perhaps because fragment is so commonly equated with error, Weathers reintroduced the term crot, an archaic word for bit, to characterize this deliberately chopped-up form.The language of lists, advertising, blogs, text messages. An increasingly common style. Like any device, often overworked. Sometimes inappropriately applied. So this isnt a celebration of all fragments. Incomplete sentences that bore, distract, or confuse readers should be corrected. But there are moments, whether under the archway or at a lonely railroad crossing, when fragments (or crots or verbless sentences) work just fine. Indeed, better than fine. Also see: In Defense of Fragments, Crots, and Verbless Sentences.

The Emotional Intelligence Of Leaders - 1845 Words

The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders In his 1998 article â€Å"The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders,† Daniel Goleman presented an argument for public and private sector leaders to consider the merits of emotional intelligence in leadership for the purpose of creating a cohesive work environment. For Goleman, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand feelings both within ones’ self and others, understanding the impact emotions have on others and leveraging this knowledge to assist others and create a positive environment. Therefore, this form of intelligence, in conjunction with innate intelligence, Goleman advised, is required to make an effective leader. Goleman set the stage for his discussion with an example of intrinsic emotional intelligence qualities by having described how a bystander stepped in to help a person in need. This offer of assistance was the essence of Goleman’s (1998) discussion, as the bystander â€Å". . . showed both the qualities of leadership and the qualities of the heart . . .† (p. 20). For Goleman, it was apparent that anyone in a position of command was born with a higher level of intelligence, the IQ. However, possessing such higher level intelligence is not indicative of possession of emotional intelligence. Furthermore, Goleman advised, a leader should possess the ability to build and maintain support from subordinates in order to advance. The basis for emotional intelligence begins in the structure of the brain. Goleman explained theShow MoreRelatedEmotional Intelligence : A Leader And A Nurse1363 Words   |  6 Pagesnatural leader. Even as a kid, he had a sort of charisma about him that drew others to follow him. His natural ability to positively affect the people around him and gain their support has always been something that I have admired. Jube’s emotional intelligence makes him a great leader. At times, I have been jealous that same emotional intelligence does not come quite so naturally to me, particularly as I move forward in my career in the nursing field. Even though emotional intelligence may takeRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : Being A Leader2034 Words   |  9 PagesEmotional Intelligence Being a leader is a gift, something that is hard to learn and many people are more predisposed to be a leader than others. People that are natural leaders, very often have this sort of charisma that draws others to follow them. A good example of a wonderful religious leader in my opinion would be John Paul II. Ever since John Paul was a kid he has had this natural ability to positively affect people around him. Moreover, John Paul’s emotional intelligence made him even aRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : An Effective Leader1322 Words   |  6 Pages1. Leadership: the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate oneself and others interpersonally and energetically. Leaders inspire greatness within themselves and each person he/she engages – daily. Leadership is a way of life, a vector, a learned behavior to sharpen through challenges, opportunities, relationships, and experiences. Leadership is not a destination; it is a journey of self-mastery and self-actualization. Th e moment we stop learning, we have failed ourselves and those in our circleRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : Being A Leader1837 Words   |  8 PagesEmotional Intelligence Being a leader is a gift; something that is hard to learn, and something that many people are more predisposed to be than others. A good example of a wonderful religious leader, in my opinion, would be John Paul II. Ever since John Paul was a child he had a natural ability to affect people around him in a positive way. Moreover, the Pope’s emotional intelligence made him and even better religious leader because it allowed him not only to reason more effectively, but to beRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : An Effective Leader Needs Essay741 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to Dictionary.com, emotional intelligence is defined as â€Å"skill in perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feelings† (dictionary.com). 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Goleman, a psychologist who has writtenRead MoreLeadership And Emotional Intelligence : An Effective Leader1390 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Emotional Intelligence: An effective leader is defined as a person who is followed by the others, in other words â€Å"leadership is a process of influencing others to achieve organizational goals, creating a vision for others and having the power to translate the vision into realism.† Leadership is a skill in which the leader tries to modify and shape the behavior of others. It has been understood throughout the history and culture that people had been looking towards leaders for assuranceRead MoreThe Effects of Leader and Follower Emotional Intelligence7577 Words   |  31 Pages– 274 The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study Chi-Sum Wonga,*, Kenneth S. Lawb,1 a Department of Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China b Department of Management of Organizations, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong, China Abstract Recently, increasing numbers of scholars have argued that emotional intelligence (EI) is a core variableRead MoreEffective Leaders Need Emotional And Social Intelligence979 Words   |  4 Pages1. Refer to Ex. 2.5 below (and in text). You might also refer to the ppt. slides. Effective leaders need emotional and social intelligence to be aware of their impact on subordinates. a. Give an example of a leader who created an â€Å"out group† of followers through their behaviors and traits. Identify and describe the specific behaviors as well as the leader’s major traits that prevented people from feeling like part of the â€Å"in group†. What were the consequences to employees (e.g., emotions, attitudesRead MoreThe Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Style That Differentiate Effective Leaders9113 Words   |  37 PagesThe purpose of this quantitative correlation study is to examine the degree and extent of a relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership style that differentiate effective leaders. A brief review of the literature was conducted using the following resources, Northcentral University Library (NCU Roadrunner), Google Scholar, Galileo, and ProQuest. Several searches included peer-reviewed publications and academic journals such as the International Journal of Business Management, Journal

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick Essay Example For Students

A devil, a born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick Essay Furthermore, varying definitions can co-exist: an individual might argue that it is perfectly reasonable to falsify a tax return, but would define burglary as a crime. Differential association theory argues that all behaviour is learned and that learning is through association with other individuals, within close social groups. Furthermore, differential association theory posits that learning includes techniques for executing particular crimes and the motivations and attitudes that are conducive to criminal behaviour. These attitudes and so on are learned from the individuals perception of the law (either favourable or unfavourable). An individual will display criminal behaviour if their definitions of law violation are more favourable than their definitions for non-violation. The learning experiences differential association will vary in frequency, intensity and importance according to the individual. It can also be argued, that the process for learning criminal behaviour is no different to any other kind of learning. Despite various attempts at empirical validation there are problems with the theory in its original form. These problems include difficulties with the term definition, and a lack of detail as to why, given similar conditions, some individuals adopt criminal definitions while others do not. Sutherland and Cressey (1974) respond to the criticisms in two ways: the first is to dispel the misconception that criminal behaviour is only learned through association with criminals; the second is to point out that inadequacies within the theory, such as the role of individual differences, define areas for further research rather than refuting it. Indeed, in the time since the formulation of differential association theory great advances have been made in the study of social learning. Theories of crime will be determined, to a greater or lesser degree, by the discipline of the theorist concerned. Thus psychologists draw upon psychological concepts to explain and understand crime, economists upon economic concepts, sociologists upon sociological concepts, and so on. However, this is not to say that all psychologists will agree in their explanations: the concepts a theorist adopts as important will be determined by their particular theoretical stance within their own discipline. Therefore, within the discipline of psychology there are theories of crime which emphasize biological determinism and draw on concepts such as behavioural genetics and psychodynamic theory. Other theories stress the importance of social and environmental influences on the individual: the effects of parenting styles and peer pressure. In some respects the explanations may share common elements; in other instances they stand diametrically opposed. In conclusion, when one is seeking to explain the extent to which biology determines criminality it is clear that this explanation can not be applied in isolation. Humans are social as well as biological beings and any attempt to explain human behaviour (no matter what behaviour is displayed) must surely take into account the effects of social and environmental influences on the individual. There is no evidence to suggest genetic factors alone account for individual differences. Perhaps future research should be directed towards determining to what extent heritability directly or indirectly affects an individuals predisposition to crime. Word count: 2388 REFERENCES Bandura, A.(1974) Behaviour theory and the models of man. American Psychologist, 29: 859-869 Bandura, A. (1977) Social Learning, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Bandura, A. (1989) Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist, 44, 1175-1184 Blackburn, R. (1993) The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Chichester: Wiley Sons Ltd. Bohman, M. , Cloninger, C. R. , Sigvardsson, S. , Von Knorring, A. (1982) Predisposition to petty crime in Swedish adoptees: 1. Genetic and environmental heterogeneity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39: 1233-1241 Cadoret, R. .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .postImageUrl , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:hover , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:visited , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:active { border:0!important; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:active , .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03 .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7057cb78fe0ada15e8d66b2bf5fa3e03:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cyclical nature of the play EssayJ. (1978) Psychopathology in adopted-away offspring of biologic parents with anti-social behaviour. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35:176-184 Gabrielli, W. F. , Mednick, S. A. (1980) Sinistrality and delinqueny. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89: 645-661 Jarvick, L. F. , Klodin, V. , Matsuyama, S. S. (1973) Human aggression and the extra Y chromosome: fact or fantasy? American Psychologist, 28: 674-682 Jewkes, Y. , Letherby, G. (2000) Criminology: a reader. London:Sage Lange, J. S. (1931) Crime as Destiny. London: Allen Unwin Owen, D. R. (1972) The XYY male: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 16: 74-89 Osbourn, S. G. , West, D. J. (1979) Conviction records of fathers and sons compared. British Journal of Criminology, 19:120-33 Paicheler, G. (1988) Psychology of Social Influence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Raine, J. W. (1993) Managing Criminal Justice. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf Sternberg, R. J. (1995) In Search of the Human Mind. Fort Worth: Brace College Publishers Sutherland, E. H. (1939) The Professional Thief (Phoenix Books) Chicago: University of Chicago Press Sutherland, E. H., Cressey, D. R. (1970) Criminology (eighth edition) Philadelphia: J. B. Lippencott Company Witkin, H. A. , Mednick, S. A. , Schulsinger, F. , Bakkestrom, E. , Christiansen, K. O. , Goodenough, D. , Hirshhorn, K. , Lundsteen, C. , Owen, D. R. , Philip, J. , Rubin, D. B. , Stocking, M. M. (1976) Criminality in XYY and XXY men Science, 193; 547-555 Young, J. (1971a) The role of the police of amplifiers of deviance, negotiators of reality and translations of fantasy. In Cohen, S. (Ed) Images of Deviance. Harmonsworth: Penguin Young, J. The Drug takers. London: Paladin

Road to Serfdom free essay sample

Hayek has written one of the most important books of our generation. It restates for our time the issue between liberty and authority. It is an arresting call to all well-intentioned planners and socialists, to all those who are sincere democrats and liberals at heart, to stop, look and listen. ’ The author is an internationally known economist. An Austrian by birth, he was director of the Austrian Institute for Economic Research and lecturer in economics at the University of Vienna during the years of the rise of fascism in Central Europe.He has lived in England since 1931 when he became Professor of Economic Science at the University of London, and is now a British citizen. Professor Hayek, with great power and rigour of reasoning, sounds a grim warning to Americans and Britons who look to the government to provide the way out of all our economic dif? culties. He demonstrates that fascism and what the Germans correctly call National Socialism are the inevitable results of the increasing growth of state control and state power, of national ‘planning’ and of socialism. We will write a custom essay sample on Road to Serfdom or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is essential that we should re-learn frankly to face the fact that freedom can be had only at a price and that as individuals we must be prepared to make severe material sacri? ces to preserve it. 68 69 the road to serfdom We must regain the conviction on which liberty in the AngloSaxon countries has been based and which Benjamin Franklin expressed in a phrase applicable to us as individuals no less than as nations: ‘Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Toward a better world To build a better world, we must have the courage to make a new start. We must clear away the obstacles with which human folly has recently encumbered our path and release the creative energy of individuals. We must create conditions favourable to progress rather than ‘planning progress’. It is not those who cry for more ‘planning’ who show the necessary courage, nor those who preach a ‘New Order’, which is no more than a continuation of the tendencies of the past 40 years, and who can think of nothing better than to imitate Hitler.

Gandhi IVF Summary Essays - Ascetics, Gujarati People, Free Essays

Gandhi IVF Summary Essays - Ascetics, Gujarati People, Free Essays Daniel Kang Ms. Menard Honors English 8 26 March 2014 Gandhi IVF Summary Gandhis Non Cooperation inspired many Indians on August 12, 1920. If the British Ministers and the British nation do not fulfill the pledges given to them and do not wish to regard with respect the sentiments of the 70 millions of the inhabitants of India who profess the faith of Islam, it will be impossible for them to retain Islamic loyalty (Gandhi 327). Gandhi reiterates this statement by not cooperating with the British government and giving the British a hard time. I have been told that non-cooperation is unconstitutional. I venture to deny that it is unconstitutional. On the contrary, I hold that non-cooperation is a just and religious doctrine; it is the inherent right of every human being and it is perfectly constitutional (Gandhi 329). Gandhi rightfully exercises this right in rebelling against the British government. I tell you that whilst my friend believes also in the doctrine of violence and has adopted the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the weak, I believe in t he doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the strongest (Gandhi 330). Gandhi recommends non-violence as a great weapon that mighty Indians would use against the government. I am not anti-English; I am not anti-British; I am not anti any Government; but I am anti-untruth, anti-humbug, and anti-injustice. So long as the Government spells injustice, it may regard me as its enemy, implacable enemy (Gandhi 332). Gandhi acknowledges that he does not hate the government. He firmly says that he is not willing to cooperate with untruthful and injustice people.

Why was there widespread innovation in Britain in the 18th century Essay

Why was there widespread innovation in Britain in the 18th century - Essay Example First, there were natural reasons like richness in the natural resources. Secondly, changes in the kingdom, power and autonomy also made the environment more favorable for innovation and creativity in the Britain. The two aspects are discussed below: Natural and political reasons favoring innovation in 18th century Britain: Britain saw such a large industrial revolution because she was rich in three commodities in particular which were iron, coal and water. Britain was able to use the water in her mountainous districts in order to drive the mills that were very important in the initial period of industrialization. â€Å"..the rivers, amplified from 1761 by a developing network of canals, facilitate inland transport in an age where roads are only rough tracks† (History World 1). Also, Britain was equipped with such a wonderful access to sea that goods could be transported through sea between the coastal areas without any inconvenience. Britain was able to make full use of its i ron ores because of the technological advancements made particularly by the Darby family in the 18th century. In the later half of the 18th century, Britain was equipped with the steam power with the hard work of Boulton and Watt. â€Å"The first Boulton and Watt engine was completed in 1776† (Weissenbache 202). Because of the discovery of steam power, the wide spread resources of coal gained extreme importance in Britain. The 1688 revolution resulted in immense changes that paved way for the contributions of Matthew Boulton and Abraham Darby on the political side of the story. There was a considerable decline in the royal power in Britain after 1688. As a result of this, middle class gained strength and surfaced in Britain very rapidly and forcefully. The middle class was eager to gain more money and power, and therefore, resolved to achieve the strength through inventions, innovation and enhancement in the mechanical side. One evidence of rise in the strength of middle clas s is Richard Arkwright, who came from a very poor background and gained a lot of wealth through his contributions in the innovation in Britain. In addition to the innovation supportive circumstances happening within Britain, Britain also facilitated the process by involving other countries in it and supporting them in any way she could. Britain offered the budding businessmen and entrepreneurs a very big and rich market to dwell in. Fortunately, England removed differences with Scotland and united with Scotland in 1707. Their internal tariff barriers were removed and the trade was promoted. American colonies were provided by Britain with frequent opportunities of trade. Later, Britain opened trade with India on a large scale. Industrial revolution in Britain was facilitated largely by increased control of Britain over the seas in the same century. â€Å"Much of the profitable carrying trade in the world's commerce can be secured for British merchant vessels† (History World 1) . Although there were large resources of iron in Britain, it could not use it to the full capacity because iron required charcoal in huge quantities in order to be smelted. Charcoal was very costly for Britain and she had to look out for other means of smelting iron so as to make the process more profitable and cost effective. It continued to be like this until 1709, when Abraham Darby discovered that charcoal can be replaced by coke in order to smelt the pig iron (Dickinson 131). Since then, coke has been used to smelt iron. It was cost-effective and fulfilled the purpose. This way, Britain’

Retail Sales and Personal Income Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Retail Sales and Personal Income - Essay Example Personal income does not usually rise fast enough to absorb increases in interest rates. This is more likely to be an issue for people whose budgets are already stretched, since people with lower credit scores or worse ratios of income to expense are more likely to have to resort to variable rate loans in order to qualify for the credit they want, and these are the very loan payments which will rise with interest rates, forcing these consumers to make compensatory budget adjustments.  The U.S. retail sales forecast from the National Retail Federation for calendar 2006 is 4.7% (NRF Forecasts 4.7% Growth for 2006 Retail Sales, 2006), more bullish than the Bloomsberg survey forecast of 3.4% for the same period (Leading U.S. Indicators Index Points to Slower Growth, 2006). Both forecasts exclude automobile sales, which has contributed to much of the recent volatility of the consumer spending and retail sales figures on a quarterly basis. The NRF press release acknowledges that pressure s facing consumers include rising interest rates and diminishing sources of â€Å"spending power,† by which they mean that as the housing market cools, home equity will not be able to sustain as much spending as it did in the past.For 2005, the NRF forecast for retail sales was 5.6%, while the actual retail sales growth for 2005 was 6.1% (NRF Forecasts 4.7% Growth for 2006 Retail Sales, 2006).   Bloomberg’s consensus forecast for the second half of 2005 was 6.9% (U.S. Economy Expanded at a 4.1% Annual Pace in Third Quarter.