Tuesday, October 22, 2019

6 Most Incredible Female Book Characters

6 Most Incredible Female Book Characters International Womens Day is just around the corner, so weve decided to honor the women that many of us have admired for a long time female book characters that have influenced and inspired us in one way or another. Wonderfully powerful and incredibly brilliant, here they are in the infographic below from Jo March of Little Women to Dagny Taggart of Atlas Shrugged. Weve chosen the characters that resonate with us most, so wed love to hear which ones blow you away! Featured image credit: Photo by Jaap Buitendijk  © 2010 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. HARRY POTTER PUBLISHING RIGHTS (C) J.K.R. HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS, NAMES AND RELATED

Monday, October 21, 2019

Cholesteatoma essays

Cholesteatoma essays The chronic middle ear disease known as cholesteatoma is a relatively uncommon and severe disorder. Cholesteatoma may develop at any time or it may be present at birth. The congenital form, which is developed at birth is much more uncommon than the acquired form. In rare instances, a cholesteatoma may form due to skin tissue that is trapped behind the tympanic membrane during fetal development (Pediatric). When this is the case, there is no account of a hole in the eardrum. Nevertheless, the cholesteatoma can be as widespread as the acquired form. These cholesteatomas usually represent small "Pearls" or cysts that are directly attached to the inner surface of the tympanic membrane or one of the ear bones (Pediatric). The other kind of cholesteatoma, which is more frequently seen, develops differently. Acquired cholesteatoma may be caused by a persistent narrowing of the Eustachian tube, eventually pulling the upper part of the eardrum back and forming a sac in the middle ear (Turkington). However this is not the only possible cause for acquired cholesteatoma. The acquired form may also occur because of a tiny hole in the eardrum that allows skin cells of the external ear canal to move into the middle ear (Turkington). A puncture in the tympanic membrane like that one would ordinarily mend without any surgical procedures done. The difference in this situation, however, is that instead of restoring itself in the typical way, the skin of the eardrum extends through the hole into the middle ear. At that point, If infection is present, the skin will continue to grow into the middle ear and will become a tumor of the ear...(Levenson). At this point, the cholesteatoma can begin to expand itself and impairs its surroundings. The cyst as time goes by gets larger and puts pressure on the structures it comes into the contact with damaging them. Since the tumor develops in a s...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Filibuster Rules in the U.S. Senate

Filibuster Rules in the U.S. Senate A filibuster is a tactic used in the U.S. Senate to delay votes on controversial legislation or stifle debate on a topic. Typically, a senator wishing to filibuster will ask to speak on the floor of the chamber and, in an attempt to stall legislation action, hold forth for hours at a time. There are few rules that govern a filibuster because the Senate believes its members have the right to speak as long as they want on any issue.   The filibuster dates to the early 1800s. The record  for the longest filibuster is held by  the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, according to U.S. Senate records. In the modern era,  Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky staged a daylong filibuster in 2013 that captivated conservatives and libertarians as well as the national news media. Critics call the filibuster unconstitutional at worst and unfair at best. Others believe it to be a  historical relic. Practitioners of the filibuster insist that it protects the rights of the minority against the tyranny of the majority. By their nature, filibusters are meant to draw attention to a specific issues and have the potential to inspire compromise. According to the U.S. Senate, the word filibuster comes from a Dutch word meaning pirate and was first used more than 150 years ago to describe efforts to hold the Senate floor in order to prevent action on a bill. One Way to Break a Filibuster Filibusters rules allow the delay tactic to go on for hours or even days. The only way to force the end of a filibuster is through parliamentary procedure known as  cloture, or Rule 22, which was adopted in 1917.  Once cloture is used, debate is limited to 30 additional hours of debate on the given topic. Sixty members of the 100-member Senate must vote for cloture to stop a filibuster.  At least 16 members of the Senate must sign a cloture motion or petition that states: We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, hereby move to bring to a close the debate upon (the matter in question). Important Dates in the History of the Filibuster ​Heres a look at some of the most important moments in the history of the filibuster and cloture. 1806:  The U.S. Senate amends its rulebook in a way that unwittingly allows a member or members to stall action by speaking for hours on end. The Senate, acting at the request of Vice President Aaron Burr, eliminated a provision called the previous question rule that allowed the chamber to cut off floor debate. Without such a measure in place, a senator was permitted to speak indefinitely, paving the way for the filibuster.1841: Henry Clay  threatens to change the Senates  filibuster rules to allow the majority to close debate when Democrats blocked a bank bill.1872: Vice President Schuyler Colfax rules that under the practice of the Senate the presiding officer could not restrain a Senator in remarks which the Senator considers pertinent to the pending issue.1919: First use of Rule 22 when Senate invoked cloture to end debate against the Treaty of Versailles.1935: Populist U.S. Sen. Huey Long of Louisiana filibusters  for 15 hours and 30 minutes trying, without success, to k eep Senate oversight of National Recovery Administrations senior employees. How was he able to speak so long? He recited  Shakespeare and read recipes for pot-likkers, a Southern term for the  broth created by cooking greens. 1957: U.S. Sen.  Strom Thurmond  of South Carolina filibusters  for a record 24 hours and 18 minutes as part of a move that successfully blocked the Civil Rights Act of 1957.1964: U.S. Sen.  Robert Byrd of West Virginia filibusters  for 14 hours and 13 minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to block the Civil Rights Act of 1964.1968: The Abe Fortas appointment to succeed Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is  derailed by Republicans through filibuster.2013:  Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky filibusters for nearly 13 hours  to question and raise awareness of the U.S. governments use of drones. It is the  ninth-longest filibuster in history.  I will speak until I can no longer speak, he said.  Paul ended his filibuster because he had to go to the bathroom. [This articled was updated in May  2018 by Tom Murse.]

Saturday, October 19, 2019

What is the relationship between taste and class Essay

What is the relationship between taste and class - Essay Example And if class does determine taste, to what extent does it determine taste? One of the major texts that tries to explore the relationship of class and taste is the article by Jane Steinhauer entitled â€Å"When the Joneses wear Jeans.† According to Steinhauer, unlike in earlier times, social class â€Å"has become harder to see in the things that Americans buy† (2005). This is because of the fact that prices have become more flat, and credit spending has become so popular, that even ordinary Americans can now actually buy high end products, that were before only exclusive to upper class Americans (Steinhauer 2005). In this case, it may be seen that the tastes of a certain individual does not necessarily reflect his or her social class, due to the fact that even ordinary citizens of America can now have the option to buy products that are commonly associated with the upper classes. In this case, then, does it negate the fact that class determines taste? However, Steinhauer does not easily agree. This is because of the fact that she still conced es that â€Å"status symbols have not disappeared† and that â€Å"the marketplace have simply gone one better, rolling out ever pricier goods and pitching them to ever loftier rich† (Steinhauer 2005). In this case, the presence of multimillion dollar luxury cars and thousand dollar-jewelries are still luxuries of the upper classes, and are still exclusive to them. In this case, Steinhauer further argues that even though the market has been able to expertly design and package high end goods to the middle classes in the purpose of expanding one’s market, the vertical desire of middle class people to indulge in upper class indulgences have become more â€Å"unrealistic,† due to the fact that America is know facing a â€Å"widening income gap between themselves and the rich† (Steinhauer 2005). In this case, she concludes that the true measure of upper class is the â€Å"personal services

Friday, October 18, 2019

Arguing for Offenders being Supported towards Higher Education Literature review

Arguing for Offenders being Supported towards Higher Education - Literature review Example Quite apart from the life enhancing benefits to prisoners themselves, who were able to gain insight into their own situation and formulate new and positive strategies for their future lives, there are obvious and positive impacts for society at large in opening up access to Higher Educations to prisoners. In general it is clear that the benefits of providing such access far outweighed the financial costs. What is less clear, is how best to deliver more access to higher education for the most excluded portion of citizens, namely those who are in the care of prisons and probation officers. Major shifts in criminal justice policies and in UK Higher Education. In the UK in recent years there have been some big ideological debates surrounding prisons, sentencing and the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. At the same time there have been major changes in the UK Higher Education sector, with increasing privatisation of delivery and substantial fee increases. Vignoles and Crawford ( 2009, p. 49) point out that it has been difficult in the UK, even in the general population outside prisons, to widen access to access to Higher Education. Despite well-publicised efforts in the mid to late 1990s, to introduce policies to widen access, the gap in HE participation rates between higher and lower social classes actually widened. Adult learners, who are just one of several target groups in the widening access agenda, experience significant barriers to Higher Education entry which are only partially addressed by access courses and other outreach measures initiated by further and higher education institutions. The extent of the difference caused by socio- economic factors is still very large, and apparently growing: â€Å"Recent evidence from HEFCE (2005) indicates that the 20 per cent most disadvantaged students are around six times less likely to participate in higher education compared to the 20 per cent most advantaged pupils† (Vignoles and Crawford, 2009, p. 4 9). The introduction of very high fees in the mainstream higher education sector in the UK has caused a marked commercialisation of the whole student experience. There is a system in place which requires universities to make â€Å"Access Agreements† which in theory guarantee that special provision is made for students who have difficulty in meeting the high cost of fees. It has been noted already that the democratisation of higher education through these new measures has been only a partial success, with new universities in particular exceeding their targets in widening participation, while at the same time there appears to be a worrying entrenchment of top fifth, redbrick and elite institutions which perform below their expected benchmark (David, 2009, p. 46). There is a danger that these measures will increase access to the lower portion of Higher Education, such as foundation degrees and some BA and BSc programmes in some institutions, while actually increasing the exclusi vity of popular courses in well-regarded universities. There is, of course, a tension between these financially driven reforms, and the objective of widening participation. Hartley sums up the main direction of the reforms of the early 1990s in Ritzer’s (1993) somewhat provocative term â€Å"McDonaldization† which postulates four key dimensions â€Å"efficiency, calculability, predictability and control† in post-modern organisations (Hartley, 1995, p. 409). This

In an attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

In an attachment - Essay Example The conceptual framework is criticised for not fulfilling its functional objectives, principally that of providing a basis for guiding standard-setting and resolving accounting controversies. Notably, the body has failed to achieve its goals of standardizing the financial statements due to its inherent focus on reporting rather in the quality of statements. Critics have suggested a convergence of the FASB and the IASB as the best approach to eliminate the weaknesses of the conceptual framework and inject efficiency in international accounting. The focus of this essay is to identify the weaknesses of this framework and recommend possible strategies to eliminate them. Before the establishment of the IFRS, various bodies that regulated standards were localized to their nations and states. Such bodies include the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The IASB originated from the International Accounting Standards Committee that regulated business accounting the USA. Later, IASB became the mother of the IFRS. On the other hand, the Financial Accounting Standards Board is a private non-profit organization and is responsible for developing generally acceptable accounting principles within USA for public organizations. Both organizations have closely related missions and goals. At the end of the day, they are expected to establish standards that regulate investors in the business market, so as to make the business operations transparent and comparable. The IASB, in its nature, is a principle based accounting system that confides in principles rather that any set of fixed rules (Gebhardt & D ean, 2008). This is among the reasons why the board has attracted more attention and found as the most appropriate system of international accounting. However, the system seems to suffer from a number of weaknesses that have

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Hamlet's antic disposition. Is his madness feigned or real Research Paper

Hamlet's antic disposition. Is his madness feigned or real - Research Paper Example The spontaneity of the act that he puts on seems, at a later stage, to have led commentators on the play to have thought that his was not an act in the first place. His disavowal of what later we realize was a true love for Ophelia, is one of the incidents in the play that are cited to damn Hamlet as insane. The vision of the ghost, some say, seems to be a vision of a madman, who has been deranged by the death of his father and what seems to him a betrayal by his mother. These, for some critics are also validated by his musings on the very nature of death during the graveyard scene. Coupled with a suicidal tendency, these musings of one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters leads not an insignificant number of critics to believe that his state of mind is not one of sanity. All of these, however, can be refuted if one is to look at the play from another perspective. Hamlet, G. Wilson Knight says, presents an antithesis to what the Danish court stands for, life. Whether this i s a result of his direct encounter with death is unclear. However, his musing on death and his rejection of Ophelia are instances where he rejects the vital activities of life. He contemplates suicide, another instance of his revulsion for the life and vitality that are represented by the other members of the court. Knight affirms the essential righteousness of the aims of Hamlet. Deprived of his rights and parental love, Hamlet is morally superior to Claudius who has murdered his own brother out of love for the throne and for Gertrude. However, Hamlet remains in Knight’s words, a â€Å"negation of life† (Knight 187). It is this distance from vitality that places Hamlet in a position where he appears to be insane. To make my point clearer, I shall make a reference to Michel Foucault’s theories of insanity. Foucault saw insanity as a deviation from the normal codes of society. It is, according to him, a means employed by the so-called ‘sane’ society to define itself, that is, it serves as a kind of touchstone for mainstream society (Foucault). Hamlet, here is such a severe contrast to the life-affirming but wicked Claudius and the majority of the other characters that are faithful to him, that he appears to be an aberration. This has been construed as insanity by many. However, this would be to state that in some way or the other, Hamlet can be seen as a mad person. This does not present the facts in a true light. The standard, against which Hamlet’s behavior seems to be a deviation from the norm, is that of the Danish court. However, the moral values that Hamlet employs are those of Renaissance humanism (Kettle 238). Hamlet is a highly educated person. His values are shaped by the dominant ideology of the time, humanism, which talked about the ability of man to rise to infinite heights which were unthought-of before. Seen in this context, the very pessimism that we had attributed to Hamlet seems to be an optimistic atti tude that has seen through the facade of the Danish court. The baseness of the king and his followers rankles Hamlet, one who has recognized the infinite potential of man. What Marcellus unwittingly says about the condition of Denmark , Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (1.4. 90) is exactly what Hamlet feels about the state of his homeland. It is against this backdrop that Hamlet appears to be ins