Friday, July 31, 2020

44 Of Your Favorite Feminist Books

44 Of Your Favorite Feminist Books This post is sponsored by Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill. Where women are created for the pleasure of men, beauty is the first duty of every girl. In Louise ONeills world of Only Every Yours women are no longer born naturally, girls (called eves) are raised in Schools and trained in the arts of pleasing men until they come of age. freida and isabel are best friends. Now, aged sixteen and in their final year, they expect to be selected as companionsâ€"wives to powerful men. All they have to do is ensure they stay in the top ten beautiful girls in their year. The alternativesâ€"life as a concubine, or a chastity (teachers to endless generations of girls)â€"are too horrible to contemplate. But as the intensity of final year takes hold, the pressure to be perfect mounts. isabel starts to self-destruct, putting her beautyâ€"her only assetâ€"in peril. And then into this sealed female environment, the boys arrive, eager to choose a bride. freida must fight for her futureâ€"even if it means betraying the only friend, the only love, she has ever kno wn. ____________________ Books have the power to change minds, create empathy, and explore situations and circumstances in which wed never find ourselves otherwise. Its the nature of being born into a patriarchy that very few of us spring forth as fully-formed feminists from the forehead of Zeus, but books can help us along the path toward wanting equality for all genders. We wanted to know what your favorite feminist books were, and you answered. Heres a wonderfully wide list of 44  of your favorite feminist titles. Theres a mix of novels, short stories, poems, and more. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafo All The Rage  by Courtney Summers Americas Women by Gail Collins Ash  by Malinda Lo The Awakening by Kate Chopin Bad Feminist: Essays  by Roxane Gay Beauty Queens by Libba Bray Beloved  by Toni Morrison Bitch Planet  by Kelly Sue DeConnick The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Bone Gap  by Laura Ruby brown girl dreaming  by Jacqueline Woodson Code Name Verity  by Elizabeth Wein The Color Purple by Alice Walker Coraline by Neil Gaiman Dietland by Sarai Walker Dora: A Headcase  by Lidia Yuknavitch Dumplin by  Julie Murphy The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood Fear of Flying by Erica Jong Glory OBriens History of the Future  by AS King The Handmaids Tale  by Margaret Atwood History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings  by Maya Angelou Jane Eyre  by Charlotte Bronte Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Nevada by Imogen Binnie On Strike Against God by Joanna Russ Oreo by Fran Ross Out  by Natsuo Kirino Poisoned Apples  by Christine Heppermann The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo Speak  by Laurie Halse Anderson Squire by Tamora Pierce Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta Virgile, non/ engl. Across the Acheron by Monique Wittig The Walls Around Us  by Nova Ren Suma Wide Sargasso Sea by  Jean Rhys Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Friday, May 22, 2020

Police Body Cameras Should Reduce Police Misconduct

The idea of using the hook and eye method to achieve coherence and connect thoughts between sentences and paragraphs makes perfect sense. However, I had never put much thought into the method used to accomplish this. As I poured through articles, looking at the different types of research methods used, I could not help but notice the hook and eye connections. I also wondered if they the author was familiar with the hook and eye concept, or if this is a common, natural way of writing. I also know that I need more time using and identifying the main connections (phrases or words). I selected an article about police body cameras. The article cited several studies, as well as the authors’ ideas and thoughts. The article, titled Police Body Cameras, is part of the CATO Institute’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project, and prepared by Matthew Feeney in 2015. The theme throughout the article is that the use of body cameras will reduce police misconduct. Although we all hope this is the case, we must also look at the other issues involved with the wearing of body cameras. In an effort to gain citizen buy-in and obtain their opinions, they conducted surveys. Interestingly enough, most people did not want the officers to record them, unless it was during an enforcement encounter, such as a traffic stop or arrest situation. In looking at the effects body camera had in relation to police behavior, they cited a study from Rialto, California. They conducted the study over aShow MoreRelatedCivil And Human Rights : Excessive Use Of Force954 Words   |  4 PagesPolice bodied mounted cameras has been a crucial topic in regards to civil and human rights about excessive use of force. Not to mention, excessive use of force has been on the rise lately which has caught tons of attention from multiple range of communities such as the African American community. The encounter of excessive use of force has grabbed many police department’s attention to change their way of reducing such act. By all means, most agencies around the world had already implemented theRead MorePolicing The Police : Training, Retraining, And But More Training Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesCordell, L.H. (2014). Policing the Police: Training, retraining, and yet more training are not the way to stop police brutality. LaDoris Cordell, author of this article, is a 1974 graduate of Stanford Law School. On April 13, eight years later, she was appointed to the Municipal Court of Santa Clara County by Governor Jerry Brown, making her the first African American woman judge in all of northern California. On June 7, 1988, Judge Cordell won election to the Superior Court of Santa Clara CountyRead MorePolice Misconduct Should Wear Body Mounted Cameras1653 Words   |  7 Pagespast couple years that have dealt with police misconduct. Police should wear body mounted cameras to reduce the cases of officers getting away with any misconduct, and to also provide more evidence to the case. Stats have shown that police were less likely to use unneeded force when wearing a body mounted camera. Stats also showed that civilians complaints of police misconduct also lowered when police were wearing cameras. In many cases Body Mounted Cameras have helped provide more evidence, whichRead MoreShould Body Cameras Be Used?1 534 Words   |  7 PagesBody Cams A fairly common recommendation for reducing police misconduct to increase use of body cameras. By recording police-citizen encounters, police supervisors, judges, reporters, and others can get objective evidence of what happened instead of self serving hearsay. Body cameras have been the talk of many police departments among the United States. But not everyone has tried it out or used it yet, as we can see. Body cameras should be used because citizens are being innocently killed by policeRead MoreThe Crime Rate And Police Brutality Rate1178 Words   |  5 PagesThe crime rate and police brutality rate has increased in America in the recent years. A new law is flooding controversy across all 50 states. Should a police officer wear a body camera while on active duty? While many may argue that it is against privacy, I believe that wearing such cameras will lessen such police brutality claims, ensure truth in court scenarios, and protect both the officer and the civilian. The following is an example of a situation. A police officer who is out on patrol seesRead MoreShould Police Officers Wear Body Cameras?1277 Words   |  6 PagesShould All Police Officers Wear Body Cameras? Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed on August 2014, by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, Mo. Brown, an 18-year-old African-American was fatally shot and killed in the street shortly after robbing a convenience store. The disputed circumstances of the shooting of the unarmed young man sparked existing tensions in the majority-black community and law enforcements in Ferguson, Mo. The event received considerableRead MorePolice Misconduct And Its Effects On The Nation s Law Enforcement949 Words   |  4 PagesExcessive Police Force Police officers get paid by American tax dollars and they have sworn to protect the people by not using excessive force when it is not necessary. Incidents of police misconduct in the U.S. has increased year after year. Cameras in police cruisers are installed to better protect citizens as to what really happens in case the officer is being dishonest. Police misconduct is a problem that needs to be fought locally, because the nation’s law enforcement agencies work independentlyRead MoreTraditional Organizational Structures Of Policing Agencies1013 Words   |  5 PagesTraditional Organizational Structures of Policing Agencies The principle role of police organizations is to uphold and enforce the law. Police organizations achieve this by safeguarding life and property, maintaining public order, and through detecting and preventing crime. Policing at the state level is composed of separate police organizations. At the state level we have the City or Local Police, County Sheriff and State Police, also known as Highway Patrol or State Troopers. The U.S. government givesRead MorePolice Enforcement Officials And The Public1306 Words   |  6 PagesPolice Body Worn Cameras Communities expect officers to honor their oath by protecting and serving the neighborhoods they work in, treating everyone fairly, and most importantly to not abuse the powers granted to them by the citizens that reside in the jurisdiction they serve. Police excessive use of force and other official misconduct is a major emerging issue that tremendously plagued the relationship between law enforcement officials and the public the last several years (Ariel et al., 2015).Read MoreCommunities Expect Officers To Honor Their Oath By Protecting1294 Words   |  6 Pagesserve. Police excessive use of force and other official misconduct is a major emerging issue that tremendously plagued the relationship between law enforcement officials and the public the last several years. Police misconduct translates into continuous complaints against the police by citizens, which is the reason why various departments around the United States have implemented the use of body cameras. The purpose of pol ice body cameras is to reduce police use of force, increase police transparency

Sunday, May 10, 2020

The Merchant of Venice Self-Interest versus Love Essay

While there are many fundamental themes in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, only one seems to drive the play to its inevitable conclusion. There is a constant theme of self-interest versus love. On the surface, this seems to be the dividing factors between the Christians and the Jew. Shylock is portrayed to only care about money and profits, while the Christians are shown as people who value human relationships more. Examples of this theme are shown through Shylock’s behaviour, the many weddings of the Christian characters, and the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio. The Christian characters view Shylock as someone who only cares about money and business. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock is a cold-hearted man, who†¦show more content†¦This shows that some human relationships do indeed matter to Shylock more that money. However, Shylock wants revenge for the loss of his daughter through the fulfillment of the bond. In court, he is defeated because of his selfishness. Moreover, his insistence that he have a pound of flesh rather than any amount of money shows that this resentment is much stronger than this greed. The Christian characters also present an inconsistent picture. There are many loving relationships in this play such as the one between Bassanio and Portia, Jessica and Lorenzo, and Gratiano and Nerissa. When one looks deeply into these relationships, they would see parallels to the ones of today. For instance, the three marriages will probably not last. One of the main reasons for this is because they all got married too fast, leaving no time to realize that they are probably not meant for each other. This is evident in two – and possibly three – of the relationships. Gratiano and Nerissa get married after knowing each other for only several hours and Bassanio and Portia get married before they get to know each other. Jessica and Lorenzo’s marriage might split for other reasons, such as their different religion. These all show true love in The Merchant of Venice. When we first meet Bassanio, he is with his good friend Antonio asking for money. Antonio has previously lent money to Bassanio and he hasShow MoreRelated Self Interest versus Love in The Merchant of Venice Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesSelf Interest versus Love in The Merchant of Venice While there are many fundamental themes in The Merchant of Venice, only one seems to drive the play to its inevitable conclusion. There is a constant theme of self interest versus love. On the surface, this seems to be the dividing factor between the Christians and the Jew, as Shylock is supposed to only care about money, profits, and such, while the rest of the cast value human relationships more. Men such as Antonio and BassianoRead MoreThe Principal Conflict Of Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare2081 Words   |  9 Pages The principal conflict of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is man versus man between the title character Antonio the merchant and the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Shylock despises Antonio for his cruel treatment toward him and Antonio dislikes Shylock because he is a Jew (49). This causes greater conflict later on when Shylock demands repayment from Antonio in the form of his flesh. The Duke must decide between doing what is morally right or doing what is required by law. Shylock facesRead More Appearance vs. Reality in The Merchant of Venice Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesAppearance vs. Reality in The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice explores the theme of Appearance versus Reality. The theme is supported with many examples in the form of characters, events and objects. During the discussion of the bond, Shylock says to Antonio â€Å" I would be friends with you and have your love† and â€Å"this kindness will I show†. He pretends to be Antonio’s friend, but he has an ulterior motive, which is to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh from whatever part of his bodyRead MoreReligion in The Merchant of Venice Essay1956 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Merchant of Venice,† religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the â€Å"Merchant of Venice,† â€Å"a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.† (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama fromRead MoreEssay about The Merchant of Ve nice2939 Words   |  12 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is one of his most controversial plays for a variety of reasons. Written in sixteenth-century England, where anti-Semitism was common and the presence of Jews was not, the play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human difference. The play is especially tricky to examine in today’s society, as its anti-Semitic themes and language can be uncomfortable to face in a world post-Holocaust. Additionally, the depiction of the relationship betweenRead MoreImpact of Emerging Markets on Marketing15122 Words   |  61 Pagesfaithbased sociopolitical institutions in which public policy matters. They also suffer from inadequate infrastructure and chronic shortage of resources. Most of the competition comes from unbranded products or services, and consumption is more of a make versus buy decision and less about what brand to buy. Therefore, many beliefs that are fundamental to marketing, such as market segmentation, market orientation, and brand equity, are at odds with the realities of emerging markets. At the same time, theRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 Pagesprovide hands-on experience. A new dimension of the eighth edition of International Management is the all-new chapter-opening discussions called â€Å"The World of International Management† (WIM) based on very recent, relevant news stories to grab readers’ interest and attention. These timely opening discussions transition the reader into the chapter topic. At the end of each chapter, there is a pedagogical feature that recapitulates the chapter’s subject matter: â€Å"The World of International Management—RevisitedRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesthe customer won’t actually use? How and where will the customer use it? What does it look like? How will customers experience it? What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it b e? What is it to be called? How is it branded? How is it differentiated versus your competitors? What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? (See also Price, below). Place †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Where do buyers look for your product or service? If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Hunters Phantom Chapter 7 Free Essays

â€Å"Who’s Celia?† Bonnie said indignantly, as soon as they’d wiped off the blood. She’d put the rose down careful y in the middle of the front seat, between her and Matt, and they were al very consciously not touching it. Pretty as it was, it looked more sinister than beautiful now, Stefan thought grimly. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Celia Connor,† Meredith said sharply. â€Å"Dr. Celia Connor. You saw her in a vision once, Bonnie. The forensic anthropologist.† â€Å"The one who’s working with Alaric?† Bonnie said. â€Å"But why would her name show up in blood on my arm? In blood.† â€Å"That’s what I’d like to know,† Meredith said, frowning. â€Å"It could be some kind of warning,† Elena proposed. â€Å"We don’t know enough yet. We’l go to the station, we’l meet Alaric and Celia, and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Then?† prompted Meredith, meeting Elena’s cool blue eyes. â€Å"Then we’l do whatever we have to do,† Elena said. â€Å"As usual.† Bonnie was stil complaining when they got to the train station. Patience, Stefan reminded himself. Usual y he enjoyed Bonnie’s company, but right now, his body craving the human blood he’d become accustomed to, he felt†¦ off. He rubbed his aching jaw. â€Å"I’d real y hoped we’d get at least a couple days of everything being normal,† Bonnie moaned for what seemed like the thousandth time. â€Å"Life’s not fair, Bonnie,† Matt said gloomily. Stefan glanced at him in surprise – Matt was usual y the first to leap in and try to cheer up the girls – but the tal blond was leaning against the closed ticket booth, his shoulders drooping, his hands tucked into his pockets. Matt met Stefan’s gaze. â€Å"It’s al starting up again, isn’t it?† Stefan shook his head and glanced around the station. â€Å"I don’t know what’s going on,† he said. â€Å"But we al need to be vigilant until we can figure it out.† â€Å"Oh, that’s comforting,† Meredith muttered, her gray eyes alertly scanning the platform. Stefan folded his arms across his chest and shifted closer to Elena and Bonnie. Al his senses, normal and paranormal, were on ful alert. He reached out with his Power, trying to sense any supernatural consciousnesses near them, but felt nothing new or alarming, just the calm background buzz of ordinary humans going about their everyday business. It was impossible to stop worrying, though. Stefan had seen many things in his five hundred years of existence: vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, angels, witches, al sorts of beings who preyed on or influenced humans in ways most people could never even imagine. And, as a vampire, he knew a lot about blood. More than he had cared to admit. He’d seen Meredith’s eyes flick toward him with suspicion when Bonnie began to bleed. She was right to be wary of him: How could they trust him when his basic nature was to kil them? Blood was the essence of life; it was what kept a vampire going centuries after his natural life span should have ended. Blood was the central ingredient in many spel s both benevolent and wicked. Blood had Powers of its own, Powers that were difficult and dangerous to harness. But Stefan had never seen blood behave in the way it had on Bonnie’s arm today. A thought struck him. â€Å"Elena,† he said, turning to face her. â€Å"Hmmm?† she answered distractedly, shading her eyes as she peered down the track. â€Å"You said the rose was just lying there waiting for you on the porch when you opened the door this morning?† Elena brushed her hair out of her eyes. â€Å"Actual y, no. Caleb Smal wood found it there and handed it to me when I opened the door to let him in.† â€Å"Caleb Smal wood?† Stefan narrowed his eyes. Elena had mentioned earlier that her aunt had hired the Smal wood boy to do some work around the house, but she should have told him of Caleb’s connection to the rose before. â€Å"Tyler Smal wood’s cousin? The guy who just showed up out of nowhere to hang around your house? The one who’s probably a werewolf, like the rest of his family?† â€Å"You didn’t meet him. He was perfectly fine. Apparently he’s been around town al summer without anything weird happening. We just don’t remember him.† Her tone was breezy, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Stefan reached out automatical y to speak to her with his mind, to have a private conversation about what she was real y feeling. But he couldn’t. He was so used to depending on the connection between them that he kept forgetting it was gone now; he could sense Elena’s emotions, could feel her aura, but they could no longer communicate telepathical y. He and Elena were separate again. Stefan hunched his shoulders miserably against the breeze. Bonnie frowned, the summer wind whipping her strawberry ringlets around her face. â€Å"Is Tyler even a werewolf now? Because if Sue’s alive, he didn’t kil her to become a werewolf, right?† Elena held her palms to the sky. â€Å"I don’t know. He’s gone, anyway, and I’m not sorry. Even before he was a werewolf, he was a real jerk. Remember what a bul y he was at school? And how he was always drinking out of that hip flask and hitting on us? But I’m pretty sure Caleb’s just a regular guy. I’d have known if there was something wrong with him.† Stefan looked at her. â€Å"You’ve got wonderful instincts about people,† he said careful y. â€Å"But are you sure you’re not relying on senses you don’t have anymore to tel you what Caleb is?† He thought of how the Guardians had painful y clipped Elena’s Wings and destroyed her Powers, the Powers she and her friends only half-understood. Elena looked taken aback and was opening her mouth to reply when the train chugged into the station, preventing further discussion. Only a few people were disembarking at the Fel ‘s Church station, and Stefan soon spotted Alaric’s familiar form. After stepping down to the platform, Alaric reached back to steady a slender African-American woman as she exited behind him. Dr. Celia Connor was certainly lovely – Stefan would give her that. She was tiny, as smal as Bonnie, with dark skin and close-cropped hair. The smile she gave Alaric as she took his arm was charming and slightly puckish. She had large brown eyes and a long, elegant neck. Stylish but practical in designer clothing, she wore soft leather boots, skinny jeans, and a sapphire-toned silk shirt. A long, diaphanous scarf was wrapped around her neck, adding to her sophisticated demeanor. When Alaric, al tousled sandy hair and boyish grin, whispered familiarly in her ear, Stefan felt Meredith tense. She looked like she’d like nothing better than to try out a few of her martial arts moves on a certain gorgeous forensic anthropologist. But then Alaric spotted Meredith, dashed over, and took her in his arms, pul ing her off her feet as he swung her into a hug, and she visibly relaxed. In a few moments, they were both laughing and talking, and they didn’t seem to be able to stop touching each other, as if they needed to reassure themselves that they were actual y together again at last. Clearly, Stefan thought, any worries Meredith had had about Alaric and Dr. Connor had been groundless, at least as far as Alaric was concerned. Stefan turned his attention to Celia Connor again. His first wary tendrils of Power discovered a slight simmering resentment emanating from the anthropologist. Understandable: She was human, she was quite young despite her poise and her many professional achievements, and she had spent a great deal of time working closely with the very attractive Alaric. It wouldn’t be surprising if she felt a bit proprietary toward him, and here he was being pul ed away from her and into the orbit of a teenage girl. But more important, his Power found no supernatural shadow hanging about her and no answering Power in her. Whatever the meaning of the name Celia written in blood, it seemed Dr. Celia Connor hadn’t caused it. â€Å"Somebody take pictures!† Bonnie cal ed, laughing. â€Å"We haven’t seen Alaric for months. We have to document his return!† Matt got out his phone and took a couple of pictures of Alaric and Meredith, their arms around each other. â€Å"Al of us!† Bonnie insisted. â€Å"You too, Dr. Connor. Let’s stand in front of the train – it’s a terrific backdrop. You take this one, Matt, and then I’l take some with you in them.† They shuffled into various positions: bumping, excusing, introducing themselves to Celia Connor, throwing their arms around one another in a casual y exuberant style. Stefan found himself pushed to the edge, Elena’s arm through his, and he discreetly inhaled the clean, sweet scent of her hair. â€Å"Al aboard!† the conductor cal ed, and the train doors closed. Matt, Stefan realized, had stopped taking pictures and was staring at them, his blue eyes widening in what looked like terror. â€Å"Stop the train!† he shouted. â€Å"Stop the train!† â€Å"Matt? What on earth?† Elena said. And then Meredith looked behind them, toward the train, with an expression of dawning comprehension. â€Å"Celia,† she said urgently, reaching out toward the other woman. Stefan watched in confusion as Celia jerked away from them abruptly, almost as if an unseen hand had grabbed her. As the train began to move, Celia walked, then ran beside it with stiff, frantic motions, her hands pul ing rapidly at her throat. Suddenly Stefan’s perspective shifted and he understood what was happening. Celia’s diaphanous scarf had somehow been firmly caught by the closing door of the train, and now the train was pul ing her along by the neck. She was running to keep from being strangled, the scarf like a leash yanking her along. And the train was beginning to pick up speed. Her hands pul ed at the scarf, but both ends were caught in the door, and her tugging only seemed to tighten it around her neck. Celia was approaching the end of the platform and the train was chugging faster. It was a flat drop from the platform to the scrub ground beyond. In a few moments, she would fal , her neck would be broken, and the train would drag her along for miles. Stefan took al this in within the space of a single breath and sprang into action. He felt his canines lengthen as a surge of Power went through him. And then he took off, faster than any human, faster than the train, and sped toward her. With one quick motion, he took her in his arms, relieving the pressure around her throat, and tore the scarf in half. He stopped and put Celia down as the train sped up and left the station. The remnants of the scarf slipped from around her neck and fluttered onto the platform by her feet. She and Stefan stared at each other, breathing hard. Behind them, he could hear the others shouting, their feet pounding on the platform as they ran toward them. Celia’s dark brown eyes were wide and fil ed with tears of pain. She licked her lips nervously and took several short, gasping breaths, pressing her hands against her chest. He could hear her heart pounding, her blood rushing through her system, and he concentrated on pul ing his canines back and resuming his human face. She staggered suddenly, and Stefan slipped his arm around her. â€Å"It’s okay,† he said. â€Å"You’re al right now.† Celia gave a short, slightly hysterical laugh and wiped at her eyes. Then she stood upright, straightening her shoulders, and inhaled deeply. Stefan could see her deliberately calming herself, although her heartbeat was reeling, and he admired her self-control. â€Å"So,† she said, holding out her hand, â€Å"you must be the vampire Alaric’s told me about.† The others were coming up to them now, and Stefan glanced at Alaric in alarm. â€Å"That’s something I’d rather you kept private,† Stefan told her, feeling a prick of irritation at Alaric for divulging his secret. But his words were almost drowned out by a gasp from Meredith. Her gray eyes, usual y so serene, were dark with horror. â€Å"Look,† she said, pointing. â€Å"Look at what it says.† Stefan turned his attention to the pieces of sheer fabric around their feet. Bonnie gave a little whimper and Matt’s eyebrows furrowed. Elena’s beautiful face was blank with shock, and Alaric and Celia both appeared entirely confused. For a moment, Stefan saw nothing. Then, like a picture coming into focus, his vision adjusted and he saw what everyone was looking at. The torn scarf had fal en into an elaborately twisted heap, and the supposedly random folds of fabric quite clearly formed letters that spel ed: meredith How to cite The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 7, Essay examples

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Rasmussens Encephalitis Essays (1288 words) - Encephalitis

Rasmussens Encephalitis The human immune system is an amazing system that is constantly on the alert protecting us from sicknesses. Thousands of white blood cells travel in our circulatory system destroying all foreign substances that could cause harm to our body or to any of the millions of processes going on inside. Now imagine a condition where this awesome system turns against the most complex organ in the human body, the brain. Deadly as it is, this condition is known as Rasmussen's encephalitis. The meaningful research on Rasmussen's encephalitis was begun (unintentionally) by Scott Rogers and Lorise Gahring, two neurologists, who were at the time measuring the distribution of glutamate receptors in the brain. Later on when more provocative information was found they enlisted the help of James McNamara and Ian Andrews, epilepsy experts at Duke University Medical Center. The details on Rasmussen's encephalitis were very bleak at the time when the men began their research. All that was known is that Rasmussen's encephalitis was a degenerative disease of the brain that caused seizures, hemiparesis, and dementia normally in the first ten years of life. The seizures that were caused by Rasmussen's encephalitis were unstoppable by normal anti-seizure drugs used conventionally. What the worst part of the disease was that the pathogenesis for it were not known and even worse was how it developed. The first clue was delivered when Rogers and Gahring were trying to register the distribution of the glutamate receptors using antibodies, that tag on to the receptor itself. The proteins that make up the glutamate receptors(GluR) are only found inside the blood brain barrier(BBB). Glutamate and a few related amino acids are the dominant form of excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of mammals. If one of these GluRs happens to wander into the actual bloodstream, that is outside the BBB, it would be considered an outsider and destroyed immediately. So if these GluRs were put into the normal blood stream then the immune system would produce antibodies which could then be used in the searching for the glutamate receptors. In order to test this theory the researchers injected the GluRs into the blood stream of a normal healthy rabbit hoping to produce good results. At this point the experiment took a dramatic turn, after receiving a few doses of the protein two of the three rabbits began to twitch, as though they were suffering the pain of an epileptic seizure. Now the help of McNamara and Andrews was enlisted. When McNamara and Andrews examined the brain tissue of the rabbits, they saw what seemed to be a familiar inflammatory pattern, clumps of immune cells all around blood vessels. This description exactly matched the description of persons suffering from Rasmussen's encephalitis, moreover something as this would never be found in a healthy brain. A healthy brain has its blood capillaries enclosed in the BBB membrane, so such a case as the one mentioned above would not be possible. As protective as the BBB is, it can be breached by something like a head injury. What was happening was that the antibodies which were out to get the GluR proteins were somehow finding a way into the brain and directing an attack towards all GluR receptor proteins in the brain itself. After some more examinations Rogers and McNamara decided that these attacks were the cause of the seizures that are often experienced by sufferers of Ramussen's encephalitis. Then if the case is of antibodies in the bloodstream, than sufferers of Ramussen's encephalitis should have them in their bloodstream and healthy normal peoples shouldn't. When this was actually tested the results were positive that Rasmussen sufferers did have these antibodies in their bloodstreams and healthy people did not. These were not only the right kind of antibodies but, the very antibodies that caused the seizures in people and rabbits. Thus when these antibodies were removed by plasma exchange(PEX) it caused a temporary relief from the seizures but soon the body starts making more antibodies of the type and the seizures start once again. After all the examinations two questions remained, why does the body mount an immune response against one of its own brain proteins, and how do these

Friday, March 20, 2020

Different Views on Eileen Chang’s Early Fiction from the 1940s to the Present essayEssay Writing Service

Different Views on Eileen Chang’s Early Fiction from the 1940s to the Present essayEssay Writing Service Different Views on Eileen Chang’s Early Fiction from the 1940s to the Present essay Different Views on Eileen Chang’s Early Fiction from the 1940s to the Present essayEileen Chang is the writer, whose works were neglected in China because of the suppression of her literary works by the Communist regime. She remained virtually unknown in China for decades, while her works has gained the public and critics’ approval at the international level. Her works became renowned and popular in many countries of the world.However, the question that begs is whether her works were dangerous for the ruling regime in China that forced it to ignore her books and her contribution to the modern Chinese literature or probably she just became the victim of the undemocratic, repressive regime that fears all ideas, which are different from those promoted by the regime. In fact, the originality of her works and the writer’s focus on the position of woman and her role in China, which was quite different from Communist ideals, but close to the real life. Eileen Chang has uncovered the role of women in China through her major works, such as The Golden Cangue and Love in a Fallen City, which are a quintessence of historical awareness and moral judgments about women in China.According to the feudal ideology, female had no independent personality in ancient China, and this traditionalfeudalideologyevenaffectthenewgenerationwomenaswell. EileenChanghad a distinctiveunderstandingon female thatdifferentfromotherauthors. She paid a lotofattentiontowomenanddescribedmanytragic female characterswithherunique perception. Female characters play the main part in many of Eileen Chang’s works, including The Golden Cangue and Love in a Fallen City.At the same time, the author does not just tell a conventional story of a woman but also uncovers the historical context and the role of woman in Chinese society. She uncovers the real life of women and the emerging conflict between their strife for self-realization and changing their social role, on the one hand, an d the dominant, biased and prejudiced view on the role of women in Chinese society of that time. In such a way, she uncovers the intrinsic conflict between attempts of women to become more independent and equal to men and the male-dominated ideology and culture of the 20th century China. At this point, a sort of marriage obsession determines, to a significant extent, actions and life of the main character of Love in the Fallen City, while the main character of The Golden Cangue has failed to lead the life she wanted to and marry the man, whom she really loved, and became the loser, whose failure in her life extrapolated on her own children.Love in a Fallen City  describes the lives of women located between the modern and the traditional, trapped by limited options and social constraints, and forced to find a balance between respectability and freedom (Yee, 2012). The main character of the short story views the marriage as her life’s priority but she confronts numerous chall enges on her way to the attainment of this goal. However, the problem is that her dream of marriage is rather the result of the impact of gender-related biases and dominant social views on gender roles. She believes that marriage is essential for her as for a woman. She turns out to be vulnerable to the impact of social norms and belief that a woman should be a good wife and mother but, eventually, her personality comes into conflict with the dominant social view on the role of women. As a result, her pursuit of personal happiness and independent life, on the one hand, and the burden of social biases and stereotypes, on the other, come into clashes and make her life virtually unbearable.Love in a Fallen City  portrays BaiLiusu and Fan Liuyuan as selfish people thus their so called love is just to get what they need instead of chasing love. â€Å"He was just a selfish man, and she was just a selfish woman† (Chang, p. 277), they tried to exchange what they really need with th eir â€Å"love†.  In such a way, the main characters of the short story were selfish in their love and they pursued their own goals and did not love each other.At the same time, the strife of Bai for marriage becomes obvious in the episode, when Fan mentioned the verse in The Book of Songs: â€Å"Life, death, separation- with thee there is happiness, thy hand in mine, we will grow old together.† But Bai said â€Å"Why not go ahead and just say, flat-out, that you don’t want to marry me, and leave it at that!†(Chang, p. 268).Marriage was so important to her that made her lose the ability to love someone without counting the profit she can earn from the relationship. She would lose the trade with Fan because she misunderstood the rules. Fan repeated again and again that he needed her to understand him by saying â€Å"I don’t understand myself- but I want you to understand me!†(CP p. 263). In such a way, she wants to live the happy life and e njoy her life without any responsibilities and obligations but, on the other hand, she has to marry and the marriage bounds her freedom drastically. In such a situation, she cannot understand Fan Liuyuan, who looked for a different love and relationships with Bai. In fact, â€Å"it turned out that what Liuyuan cared about is spiritual love†(Chang, p. 264). She agreed since spiritual love leads to marriage, but she is just using Fan to reach her goals. In such a way, the main character of Love in a Fallen City challenges conventional norms and destroys the idealized image of a Chinese woman, who is a faithful and devoted wife, who adores her husband. Instead, Chang depicts a pragmatic, cold-blooded woman, whose reason is stronger than her feelings and, in this regard, she has features, which were traditionally attributed to men rather than women in China.The resolution of the story comes at the end and  it is the ending haunted by uncertainty and dark premonition.â€Å"Hong Kong’s defeat had brought Liusiu victory. But in this unreasonable world, who can distinguish cause from effect? When the  huqin  wails on a night of ten thousand lamps, the bow slides back and forth, drawing forth a tale too desolate for words - oh! why go into it?†(Chang, p.297). In such a way, the conflict between Bai’s personal identity and dominant cultural norms reveals the profound transformation that has started in Chinese society, as women came to the point, when they became aware of the necessity to change their role and stand on the equal ground compared to men.The Golden Cangue tells the story of a woman from a poorer family - she has worked in a shop selling sesame oil - who is married into a wealthy, traditional family, but to a cripple (Huang Keyton, 2011). Through her attempts to maintain her status and her prickly personality she alienates her in-laws as well as those of her own family who try to stay in contact. And then, after she has gained independence on the death of her husband, she takes out her bitterness and frustration on her own children (Sze, 2010). The main character of The Golden Cangue is quite different from the conventional female character traditionally depicted in Chinese literature. Instead, Eileen Chang focuses on the depiction of the female character, who wants to break through existing conventional social norms but fails and her failure to break down all those social norms that bound her and ruin all her life. In despair, she has nothing to do but to ruin the life of her own children. In such a way, the author shows how gender-related biases and stereotypes keep Chinese women within boundaries imposed on them by the male dominated cultural and social norms and which deprived women of their full freedom. The main character of the short story is virtually forced to marry a sick man because of his wealth. However, as she marries, she cannot take decisions and act in the way she likes and really wants. For example, she falls in love with her brother-in-law but she cannot break the existing social and cultural norms and start relationships with him or divorce her husband and marry his brother. Such an act would be absolutely unthinkable for a woman in China in that time. At this point, the main character of The Golden Cangue faces the similar conflict between her personal aspirations and desires and social norms and rules as does the main character of Love in a Fallen City. She wants to rebel against existing social norms but cannot dare to do it. As a result, she comes to the point, when she understands that her life was a sheer failure and the only way she finds out is to ruin the life of her children because probably she is so desperate that cannot afford their happiness and she is locked in her ‘kingdom’ created respectively to norms of Chinese society but, under the impact of those norms, which made her unhappy, she becomes tyrants destroying the life of he r children. Eileen Chang didn’t portray too much about the personality of Ch’i-ch’iao, but paid much attention on the spirit, focusing on the character’s inner world. In Ch’i-ch’iao’s mind, her inner world was dominated by human desire, thus we can observe extreme changes of her personality during the domination. Under Eileen Chang’s description of Ch’i-ch’iao, regardless of the ending and her fate, she already became the slave of money and the capture of human desire. We can see the overwhelming power desire has on Ch’i-ch’iao, regardless of her social class, causing a human tragedy in extreme circumstances when her goal is unattainable.Eileen Chang reaches her goals to show the position of women in Chinese society and their strife for changes using her literary works and vivid and challenging life stories of her main characters. At the same time, she also uses skillfully diverse stylistic devices t o convey her main points to the audience. In this regard, the rich imagery and profound exploration of human nature are distinct features of Eileen Chang’s major works, such as The Golden Cangue and Love in a Fallen City. Chang attempts to explore the internal world of her main characters and show the audience how different the internal world of her main characters is compared to what the public can see. The main characters of The Golden Cangue and Love in a Fallen City live a normal, regular life of typical Chinese women. However, as the author uncovers their internal world, the audience learns that their seemingly perfect and happy life is illusory, while, in actuality, they suffer and their life is unbearable for them.The Golden Cangue and Love in a Fallen City transcend historical awareness and moral judgments (Zaifu, 2009). The main characters of her short stories confront the problem of the conflict between their internal desires and wants and social norms and rules. Th ey want to break free of social biases and norms, which though turn out to be too strong for them.There is a mix of traditional Chinese and Western influences in Changs style as well as in the situations of her characters (Zaifu, 2009). Her descriptions of objects and clothing and little details are realist but also convey classical imagery and symbols (Zaifu, 2009). The events covered in these novellas span considerable periods of time - many decades in some cases - and they are almost family sagas, tracing the life stories of individuals and their families (Yee, 2012). In some ways her canvases are quite limited, but Chang fits a real diversity of characters and events onto them (Yee, 2012). In such a way, the main characters of her stories uncover her vision of the role of women and changes that occur in Chinese society.Thus, Eileen Chang reveals profound changes in Chinese society that have changed the role of women. She concerned about the ordinary womenwho have desolate fate s, and tried to tell people how difficult for these women to survive in this powerful male-dominated society. Women faced the problem of the persisting pressure of male-dominated cultural norms and values and their personal aspirations. The fate of the main characters of her short stories reveal the emerging conflict between women’s strife for equality and freedom and persisting social and cultural norms. AfterreadingthenovelsofEileenChang, I thinkeverywomenshouldlivedependentlybypursuingtheirownidealandrealizeself-worth, inordertolivebetterinthismodernsociety.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Is AP Biology Hard An Expert Discussion

Is AP Biology Hard An Expert Discussion SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP Biology is a popular AP class, and many students are curious about the challenges it presents. Is AP Biology hard? Will you spend hours upon hours studying for the class? Are you likely to fail the exam? Or are AP tests much easier than they seem? In this article, I’ll look at statistics, course material, and student perceptions to present you with a clear picture of the difficulty level of the class and exam. I'll also give you some tips to help you figure out how challenging AP Biology will be for you based on your academic strengths and weaknesses. What Factors Go Into Determining the Difficulty of an AP Class? There are a few indicators we can look at to make judgments about how hard a particular AP class might be. Here's a list of key considerations that I'll explore in more detail for the AP Biology course later in this article. Factor #1: Passing Rate The passing rate for an AP class is the percentage of students who earn a 3 or above on the exam. If the passing rate is on the lower side, it may indicate a more difficult class. However, the passing rate can also be a deceptive statistic. Sometimes, passing rates in the most difficult subjects are very high because only the most dedicated students take the class. A smaller pool of more serious students will be a better-prepared group overall. Factor #2: 5 Rate The 5 rate is potentially a better metric for determining the difficulty of AP classes. The 5 rate is the percentage of students who earn 5s (the highest possible score) on the AP test for the class. If the 5 rate is on the lower side, it may indicate that the material is more difficult to master (or even to understand reasonably well, since the 5 cutoff is around 70 percent correct on many AP tests). A low 5 rate also sometimes happens with very popular classes because the proportion of students who are prepared for an AP test tends to decrease as the number of students taking it increases. Factor #3: Content Difficulty The complexity of the curriculum is one of the most important factors that goes into determining the difficulty of an AP class. This essentially boils down to the amount of material the course covers and how advanced that material is. Some courses have high 5 and passing rates because their content is extremely challenging and only very driven students will take them, not because they are easy classes. Factor #4: Student Testimonials What do students say about the class? This can change from high school to high school, but there should be some consistency based on the fact that everyone is supposed to be learning the same curriculum, and everyone ends up taking the same test. Student feedback can provide more information about the day to day challenges of the class and whether the workload is especially daunting. Factor #5: Timing of the Class A final factor to consider is which year of high school students tend to take the class. The classes that students take later in high school will be more difficult overall though some students may perceive them as being easier than other AP classes that they took when they had less experience. The reverse is true of classes that students take earlier in high school. If you are one of the lucky few to earn a 5, you should get one of these candles, put it in a cake, and eat the entire thing by yourself. Only then will you truly possess the top score. What Do Statistics Say About the AP Biology Exam? Let’s take a look at the passing rate and the 5 rate for the AP Biology exam. The passing rate for the AP Biology exam in 2018 was 61.5 percent. This is a middle-of-the-road passing rate as compared to other AP exams, so we would assume from it that the AP Biology exam has a medium level of difficulty. The 5 rate, however, was only 7.2 percent. This is one of the lowest 5 rates out of all the AP exams. From the 5 rate, we would assume AP Biology to be a very difficult test. What’s actually going on here? Based on these statistics, is the AP Biology exam medium-difficulty or very challenging? We have to keep in mind that AP Biology is one of the more popular AP classes. This means that a large number of students take the class, which tends to increase the proportion of students who are underprepared for the test. Still, the 5 rate is so low that it can’t be completely attributed to the volume of students. It's clearly very challenging to get a high score on the test even if most students pass, so from this we can assume that the exam is difficult. Behold, statistics. Is the AP Biology Content Difficult? There’s no question that the breadth of content covered in AP Biology is extensive. It requires memorization of complex processes along with a deep understanding of how biological concepts and themes connect with one another. There are also many lab assignments that teachers have to schedule around lectures, so it ends up being a heavy workload overall. The AP Biology exam could also be considered more challenging than other AP tests because of its format. The multiple choice section also includes six â€Å"grid-in† math problems related to biological concepts. The free response section has eight questions (two long response and six short response), which is more than most other AP exams. The test requires extensive knowledge of many different topics as well as a lot of stamina. Do Students Think AP Biology Is Hard? Personally, I found AP Biology to be one of the most difficult classes I took. There was just so much information to remember. Studying for tests took much longer than it did in any of my other classes, and I still forgot stuff. This coupled with lab assignments made the class extremely challenging. Then again, I didn’t take an introductory bio class before taking AP Biology, and it was my first-ever AP class. It’s a good idea to take a basic biology class beforehand if you have the opportunity so that you get a basic foundation for advanced concepts covered in the AP class. The most common way that students describe AP Biology (based on College Confidential threads) is that it’s very, very memorization-heavy. The test and curriculum were redesigned in 2012 to try and mitigate this a little, but it still covers a ton of conceptually difficult material. Most students take AP Biology their junior or senior year. This makes the claims about the difficulty of the class even more valid. Students have had a chance to adjust to the demands of high school academics and compare their experience in AP Biology to other high-level classes, and they still find it challenging. Since students see AP Biology as a hard class, it’s less likely that unmotivated or unprepared students will take it. This makes the low 5 rate on the test all the more daunting. Your lab assignment is to take this cutie for a walk! If only... Will AP Biology Be Hard for You? Since schools and students are different, I can’t say for sure whether AP Biology will be as hard for you as it might be for other students. To decide whether the class will be a challenge, you should: #1: Ask Reliable Sources About the Class The best way to learn what AP Biology is like at your school is to question people who are familiar with the class or have already taken it. If you know any older students or have siblings, you might ask them what they thought of the class. You can also speak with your current teachers (probably your science teacher is the best person to ask) and see what they say about AP Biology at your school. Since they know your academic abilities and have observed how similar students performed in the class, they might be able to give you a more accurate idea of how hard it will be for you. The same goes for your guidance counselor. He or she is probably very familiar with the grades that students earn in AP Biology and how people have performed on the exam in the past. Your guidance counselor may also be able to give you perspective on how challenging the class will be for you based on the grades you’ve earned in high school thus far. #2: Take Your Academic Strengths and Weaknesses Into Account As I’ve said, AP Biology is memorization-heavy, but it's also important to have a solid understanding of basic science and experimental design to succeed. There's a small mathematical component to the class as well, although it doesn’t go beyond algebra, geometry, and graphing skills. If math and science aren't typically your strong suits, AP Biology may be more difficult for you than it is for some other students. If, on the other hand, you've always done well in these types of classes, you might find AP Biology to be less challenging. Still, AP Biology incorporates skills from many different subject areas. Since there’s a lot of memorization involved, the actual study skills that you need to succeed are somewhat similar to those required in social studies classes. Well-rounded students may actually have the biggest advantage in the class because it draws on skills from a variety of subject areas but requires you to implement them in a scientific (and sometimes mathematical) context. #3: Consider Your Schedule If you have the opportunity to take an introductory biology class before you take AP Biology, you might find the AP class less challenging. You'll also be able to manage AP Biology better if your schedule isn’t loaded up with other difficult, memorization-heavy classes. For example, if you’re thinking about taking AP Biology and a class like AP US History at the same time, you should understand that both classes could end up being more stressful because of the time you’ll have to spend studying the material (which is extensive and complex in both cases). If you take too many intense classes, it can create a perfect storm of stress. Conclusion: So, Is AP Biology Hard? AP Biology is one of the more difficult APs based on its challenging curriculum, the low rate of students who earn 5s on the exam, and the consensus from students on the demanding nature of the class. Ideally, you should take an Intro to Biology class before you take AP Biology so that you’re fully prepared. It's a challenging class for most students, but it should be manageable if you’re aware of what you’re facing. What's Next? Want to get a taste of what you'll be learning in AP Biology? Find out what an enzyme is, what the differences between homologous and analogous structures are, and three tenets of cell theory. If you're already a biology pro, don't sweat- we have a few more in-depth articles for you, too. Review with our articles about the functions of the endoplasmic reticulum and cell membrane and what the photosynthesis equation is. Thinking about signing up for AP Biology? Read this article on how to register for AP classes and exams. You can also check out this article to learn which additional AP classes you should take in high school. Looking for an easier AP class than Biology? Learn which AP classes tend to be the least challenging for students. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: