Mixed Metaphor Definition and Examples

A mixed metaphor is a succession of incongruous or ludicrous comparisons. Also known—playfully—as a mixaphor. Although many style guides condemn the use of mixed metaphors, in practice most of the objectionable combinations (as in the examples below) are actually clichà ©s or dead metaphors. Examples An Apprentice contestant with a love of bizarre business lingo has left Twitter users in fits of laughter after describing a failed task as leaving a sour taste in the clients eye. Contestant Gary Poulton, from Birmingham, also said his team were dancing around the bush in last nights episode, which saw his stint as project manager for Versatile end in failure.(Phoebe Jackson-Edwards, Im Not Going to Dance Around the Bush: Apprentice Stars Bizarre Business Jargon Is Mocked on Twitter. Daily Mail   [UK], November 26, 2015)Well have a lot of new blood holding gavels in Washington.(Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston, quoted in the  Savannah Morning News, November 3, 2010)Thats awfully thin gruel for the right wing to hang their hats on.(MSNBC, September 3, 2009)Her saucer-eyes narrow to a gimlet stare and she lets Mr. Clarke have it with both barrels.(Anne McElvoy, London Evening Standard, September 9, 2009)I don’t think we should wait until the other shoe drops. History has a lready shown what is likely to happen. The ball has been down this court before and I can see already the light at the end of the tunnel.(Detroit News, quoted in The New Yorker, November 26, 2012)[Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben] Bernanke set the standard for muddled metaphors when he parried reporters questions that day. Certain economic data, he said, are guideposts that tell you how were going to be shifting the mix of our tools as we try to land this ship on a--in a smooth way onto the aircraft carrier.(Nick Summers, Lost in Translation. Bloomberg Businessweek, July 8-14, 2013)â€Å"I conclude that the city’s proposal to skim the frosting, pocket the cake, and avoid paying the fair, reasonable, and affordable value of the meal is a hound that will not hunt.(a labor arbitrator, quoted by the Boston Globe, May 8, 2010)Obviously, its been a very difficult two days for us, Nelson said. We kind of saw the writing on the wall Friday night. Its just apples versus oranges, a nd its not a level playing field by any means.(Seabury’s Football Team Done for the Season. Lawrence Journal-World, September 22, 2009)The year began with quarterback Tom Brady tarred, then unchained from a suspension on the heels of cheating allegations in the scandal known as Deflategate.(Associated Press, Deflating Ending Sends Patriots Into Offseason. Savannah Morning News, January 26, 2016)Nigel said (using, to my mind, an excessive amount of metaphor), Youve taken a rare orchid and shut her away in a dark outhouse. You havent nourished her or paid her enough attention. Is it any wonder that her roots are struggling to survive? Daisy is a trapped bird whose wings have been broken, she is a  Fabergà © egg that you have boiled for four minutes and eaten for your breakfast.I stopped him just as he was embarking on a new metaphor to do with Daisy being a submerged volcano.(Sue Townsend,  Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years. Penguin, 2010)The committee was tired of stoking public outrage with fortnightly gobbets of scandal. It decided to publish everything it had left, warts and all. Now everyone is tarred with the same ugly brush, and the myth that forever simmers in the public consciousness--that the House shelters 435 parasitic, fat-cat deadbeats--has received another shot of adrenalin.(Washington Post, 1992)I knew enough to realize that the alligators were in the swamp and that it was time to circle the wagons.(attributed to Rush Limbaugh)A lot of success early in life can be a real liability—if you buy into it. Brass rings keep getting suspended higher and higher as you grow older. And when you grab them, they have a way of turning into dust in your hands. Psychologists...have all kinds of words for this, but the women I know seem to experience it as living life with a gun pointed to their heads. Every day brings a new minefield of incipient failure: the too-tight pants, the peeling wallpaper, the unbrilliant career.(Judith Warner, The New York Times, April 6, 2007)There is no man so low that he has in him no spark of manhood, which, if watered by the milk of human kindness, will not burst into flames.(quoted by Willard R. Espy in The Game of Words. Grosset Dunlap, 1972)Sir, I smell a rat; I see him forming in the air and darkening the sky; but Ill nip him in the bud.(attributed to Sir Boyle Roche, 1736-1807) Observations I am tempted to believe that the indiscriminate condemnation of mixed metaphors arises more often from pedantry than from common sense.(Edward Everett Hale, Jr. Constructive Rhetoric, 1896)[T]o the fertile mind that thinks up a series of comparisons one gives admiration--and defense against those who misunderstand the ban on mixed metaphors.(Wilson Follett and Erik Wensberg, Modern American Usage, rev. ed. Macmillan, 1998)What is called mixed metaphor...is the coming into consciousness of a mixing that goes on all the time, a consciousness that offends our sensibilities because it calls attention to the device and perhaps might reveal the inexplicable bases of our worldview.(Dale Pesman, Some Expectations of Coherence in Culture Implied by the Prohibition of Mixed Metaphor. Beyond Metaphor: The Theory of Tropes in Anthropology. Stanford University Press, 1991)Mixed metaphors may be stylistically objectionable, but I cannot see that they are necessarily logically incoherent. Of course , most metaphors do occur in contexts of expressions used literally. It would be very hard to understand them if they did not. But it is not a logical necessity that every metaphorical use of an expression occurs surrounded by literal occurrences of other expressions and, indeed, many famous examples of metaphor are not.(Mark Johnson, Philosophical Perspectives on Metaphor. University of Minnesota Press, 1981) The Lighter Side of Mixed Metaphors Grace Adler:  You cant control your competitive nature any more than I can.Will Truman:  That is...Grace Adler:  Yes, you just like to play the cool Will Truman while Im all the intense crazy one. Well, once the bowling shoe is on the other foot, look whos the good cop and look whos the bad cop.Will Truman:  That is the worst  mixed metaphor  you have ever uttered.(Debra Messing and Eric McCormack, Alley Cats.  Will and Grace, 1999)

Design Plan for Talkie An Interactive Childrens Toy

The purpose of this paper is to describe a toy that I have designed for preschool children. In this paper, I will also discuss how my toy would promote the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of preschool children. Play is very important for preschool children’s development because information processing is steady and ongoing in several areas of rationalization. The toy I have designed will involve parental and peer involvement to encourage the development of language skills through operant conditioning and imitation (Berk, 2010, p. 181). The name of the toy I have designed is â€Å"Talkie: The Interactive Phone That Does More Than Just Talk†. This toy is designed for preschool children between the ages of 2-5 years.†¦show more content†¦Children learn to assert control over their environment through dictating their play and interaction with peers. By taking control of their daily activities through the world of play and make- believe, childr en learn to achieve their responsibilities and encounter challenges (Berk, 2010, p. 257). During this stage it is imperative for parents to encourage their children to explore and make suitable decisions, independently. It is also crucial for parents not to be dispiriting or dismissive, which may lead to their preschoolers feeling ashamed and overly dependent upon help from others. â€Å"Talkie† is a mobile toy that is easy to take along; therefore, it can be used either in the privacy of one’s own home or even in additional care givers’ homes. This is helpful because it gives the child the ability to feel important as well as independent because they have access to a phone in which they can interact and communicate with adults and their peers; just like an adult. â€Å"Talkie† can be used by parents to promote language development in their preschool children by simply talking to them through the mobile phones. Language development can be achieved through the utilization of â€Å"Talkie† by teaching children to speak in a clear, correct, and simple manner. When parents engage in conversation through the phone with their child it is important that they avoid using babyShow MoreRelatedSupporting Childrens Ict Skills3763 Words   |  16 Pagesthis can be used as ICT as the children have to use buttons to set the clock to the correct time, and therefore it will also help the children to read the time. Battery powered toys: these are all forms of ICT, for example, a roma. This is because the children are having to use buttons to make the toy work, for example, a toy car will have an on and off button in which the children have to press to make the car work. Alongside this, there will also be a remote control where the children use to direct

Criminal Justice Programme

Questions: 1. Explain with examples the different types of sentencing.2. Explain with examples the impact of policy on sentencing.3. Explain the possible effects of imprisonment on a defendant and his family. Answers: 1 a) Different types of sentences available to the judiciary Concurrent and consecutive sentences - When a person is involved or committed in more than one crime, then he or she will be given sentence for each crime. The difference between the two is that concurrent sentences are to be served at the same time while consecutive sentences are to be provided when the one is completed in a consecutive manner. For example, one year sentence for one crime, followed by six months of the sentence for another crime. Suspended prison sentences - This type of sentencing is carried out in the community. The defendant is suspended from the prison but he or she has to work for the community welfare. The convict has to follow certain conditions such as he or she has to stay away from a specific place or person and has to work without any payment or wages. It is also known as Community payback. If the conditions are not followed, the convict can be sent to the prison again(Citizensinformation.ie, 2014). Determinate sentences In this type of sentence there is fixed period of time. If the sentence is for the period of a year or more, the defendant has to spend the first part of the punishment in jail and the remaining for the community service. If they fail to follow the conditions or they get involved in another crime, they can be sent to the jail again. For prison sentences less than a year, the person usually gets free after the first half of the sentence (Findlaw, 2016). Indeterminate sentence - There is no fixed period of time for this type of sentence. It means no date is fixed for the release and for consideration for release they have to expend a least amount of time in jail. The Parole Board is accountable for making a decision for the release of a person from prison. Life sentence- It is given to the person guilty of murder or for severe offences like rape or armed robbery. Sentences for adolescents- The person aged between 12 to 17 years are provided detention and training order and it lasts between four months and two years. The first part of the detention and training order is to be spent in the custody and the remaining for the community service (UK Government, 2014). 1 b) Aims of Sentencing According to the section 142 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, there are five purpose of sentencing i.e. to penalize the wrongdoer, diminish offense, rehabilitate the criminal, defend the public, and to make reparations. These aims achieve: Retribution- The aim is to get the realization by the offender of his or her crime and that he deserves to be punished. Denunciation- The aim is to show the disapproval of the society regarding criminal activities. Incapacitation- The aim is to serve the useful purpose in the society and protection of the public. Deterrence- The aim is to reduce the future levels of crime. Rehabilitation- The intent is to make improvement in the criminal behavior and to rehabilitate them back into the society. Reparations- The intent is to reimburse the injured party by punishing the criminal to compensate an amount of money to the injured party (Legislation.gov.uk, 2003). 2. Impact of Policy on Sentencing Section 170 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 affirms the sentencing guidelines and its allocation. Section 170(2) states that the Secretary of the State can recommend to the Council to reframe or revise the sentencing guidelines in specific cases or for offences and offenders of a particular category any time. Subsection 3 of Section 170 states that the Council may consider whether to frame sentencing guidelines any time if it receives the proposal from the Panel or the Secretary of the State. Subsection 5 suggests the matters to be included when the Council makes a decision to outline or amend the guidelines. It includes the necessity to encourage reliability in sentencing, the impact of sentencing in stopping re-offending, to uphold public assurance in criminal justice system and the observations conversed by the panel. Subsection 7 states that sentencing guidelines must comprise of the criteria for identifying the gravity of the offenses and the weightage to be specified for any earlier crimes by the criminals (Centre for Social Justice, 2014). Section 148 of Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003 suggests that a court must be obliged to not pass community order to a criminal if the offenses are not serious enough to warrant such kind of sentences. For persistent offenders, section 151 states that the court may make community order as an alternative of imposing a fine if it believes it to be in the interest of justice to make such an order(Ministry of Justice, 2009) Section 148 of CJA 2003 mentions suitability of the punishment to the offenders. Section 149 imposes restrictions on liberty in a community order in respect of an offense(Ministry of Justice, 2011). The Court is supposed to think about reducing the overall span of the sentence while imposing a fixed period custodial sentence of a year or more than under the latest provisions. While imposing a suspended sentence, it should be for the similar period that would have issued if the offender were being sentenced to instant custody. Sentencing policy considers not only the expenditure of sentencing, but its cost efficacy can also be evaluated in context of its capability to check people from being sufferers in future. For example, in individual cases, sentencing policy and sentencing are influenced by the wish of the society to have a conclusion from the conviction which recognizes the severity of which the society relates such kind of crimes. 3. Effect of imprisonment on defendant and family It has been proved by several types of research that punitive judgments or harsh sentences do not reduce recidivism but increases the likelihood of the future offending. The offenders who are given prison sentences for a short period of time are more likely to re-offend than the offenders who are given community service. The U.S. War on Drugs and other imprisonment programs is an example of ensuring a continuous supply of the criminals. Sentencing adolescents for the community service ensures that they will be less likely to be in jobs upon release because they are stigmatized and hence, they are treated negatively by the community, in the workplace and in between their peers and friends. The defendants who become disciplined after their sentencing should also have to face such situations(The National Academies Press, 2014). They are ill-treated by the society and therefore, they are more likely to re-offend and get back to the prison. Most of the defendants lose their self-respect a nd are forced to be engaged in the illegal pathways. The defendants suffer such conditions and even their family members have to face the ill-treatment by the society because of which the defendants are mentally and emotionally distressed and involve themselves in crime(Doob et al., 2014). Families experience emotional distress due to the temporary loss of one of their loved family member. Families are also stigmatized for the offenses done by the offender and are referred as guilty by the association although they are innocent. This stigma makes the situation more complicated for the family members as they are treated negatively by the community. The partners of the prisoners have to take multiple responsibilities in the household works. Imprisonment of the family member imposes the financial strain on the families by declining the family income and by escalating the family expenditures. For example, costly visiting and phone calling to their family members in the prison (The Scottish Centre for Crime Justice Research, 2015). Prisoners' children often develop mental health problems and more likely to be engaged in anti-social behavior(Cunningham, 2016). Imprisonment of the mother causes great suffering to the young children and they have to be in the custody of others (Epstein, 2012). References Centre for Social Justice, 2014. The CSJs Crimina lJustice Programme. Centre for Social Justice. Citizensinformation.ie, 2014. Types of sentences. [Online] Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/criminal_law/criminal_trial/types_of_sentences.html [Accessed 26 May 2016]. Cunningham, A., 2016. Forgotten families the impacts of imprisonment. [Online] Available at: https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/ac_0.pdf [Accessed 27 May 2016]. Doob, A.N., Webster, C.M. Gartner, R., 2014. The Effects of Imprisonment:Specific Deterrence and Collateral Effects. Criminological Highlights, 12(5), pp.1-26. Epstein, R., 2012. Mothers In Prison:the sentencing of mothers and the rights of the child. Coventry Law Journal, pp.1-33. Findlaw, 2016. Types of Sentences. [Online] Available at: https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/types-of-sentences.html [Accessed 26 May 2016]. Legislation.gov.uk, 2003. Criminal Justice Act 2003. The Stationery Office. Ministry of Justice, 2009. Government response to the Justice Select Committees Report: Sentencing guidelines andParliament: building a bridge. Crown. Ministry of Justice, 2011. Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. UK: Ministry of Justice. The National Academies Press, 2014. 9 Consequences for Families and Children. [Online] Available at: https://www.nap.edu/read/18613/chapter/11 [Accessed 27 May 2016]. The Scottish Centre for Crime Justice Research, 2015. Impact of punishment: families of people in prison. [Online] Available at: https://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SCCJR-Impact-of-crime-prisoners-families.pdf [Accessed 2016]. UK Government, 2014. Types of prison sentences. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/types-of-prison-sentence/sentences-for-young-people [Accessed 26 May 2016].

Van Helsing and Dr Seward Essay Example

Van Helsing and Dr Seward Paper During the Victorian era the advancement of technology was immense. Van Helsing and Dr Seward are the two characters who do the most debating on science and scientific method. In chapter fourteen Dr Seward describes his predicament: I do not know what to think, and I have no data on which to found a conjecture. It is, therefore, quite clear that these two characters face difficulties, this is because, the supernatural events in Dracula conflict with their rational and religious beliefs. Significantly, Van Helsing asks Dr Seward To believe in things that you cannot, seemingly highlighting the apparent conflict between science and the supernatural. Stoker introduces the supernatural in chapter one, with the wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues that the coach driver presumably Dracula appears to control, as well as the blue flames. This early introduction of supernatural phenomena prepares the reader for the horrific and violent acts in the novel, whilst also, presenting a sense of uncertainty as there appears to be no explanation for these uncanny events. It could, therefore, be suggested that Stoker is setting up the idea that there is not always an answer to every question. Van Helsing acknowledges that there are some possible impossibilities, thus, it would seem that he is characterised by Stoker as pivotal within the novel, as more then just a man of science, but as a character who believes and is aware that there are some questions that do not have answers. We will write a custom essay sample on Van Helsing and Dr Seward specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Van Helsing and Dr Seward specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Van Helsing and Dr Seward specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Moreover, as a character, Van Helsing is extremely open-minded, he is critical of Dr Seward who lacks this, and is instead, seemingly, dismissive of phenomena which cannot be explained. This is highlighted in chapter 14 when Van Helsing realises that Lucy was a vampire, consequently telling Dr Seward that he is to prejudiced, and that it is the fault of science that it wants to explain all. It would therefore seem that Stoker does not have an answer for everything, this is perhaps epitomised by Reinfield who is characterised as a madman who clearly does not conform to normal human behaviour. The mystery of Reinfields madness consequently places the idea that Stoker cannot provide answers to every question at the forefront of the readers mind, this is because the character is presented as unlike the normal lunatic with no reason or explanation given within the novel regarding the reason of his mad and erratic ways.

The Safest Type of Water Bottle to Drink From

The Safest Type of Water Bottle to Drink From Many people refill single-use plastic bottles (Plastic #1, PET) as a cheap way to carry water. That bottle was bought with water in it in the first place – what can go wrong? While a single refill in a freshly drained bottle probably will not cause any problem, there can be some issues when it is done repeatedly. First, these bottles are difficult to wash and are thus likely to carry the bacteria that have started colonizing it the minute you first unsealed it. In addition, the plastic used in the manufacturing of these bottles is not made for long term use. To make the plastic flexible, phthalates might be used in the manufacturing of the bottle. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, a major environmental concern, and which can mimic the actions of hormones in our body. Those chemicals are relatively stable at room temperature (as well as when the plastic bottle is frozen), but they can be released into the bottle when the plastic is warmed. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) states that any chemical released from the bottle has been measured at a concentration below any established risk threshold. Until we know more, it’s probably best to limit our use of single-use plastic bottles and to avoid using them after they have been microwaved or washed at high temperatures.   Plastic (#7, polycarbonate) The rigid, reusable plastic bottles often seen clipped to a backpack are labeled as plastic #7, which usually means there are made of polycarbonate. However, other plastics can get that recycling number designation. Polycarbonates have been under scrutiny lately because of the presence of bisphenol-A (BPA) that can leach into the bottle’s content. Numerous studies have linked BPA with reproductive health problems in test animals, and in humans too. The FDA states that so far they have found the levels of BPA leached from polycarbonate bottles to be too low to be a concern, but they do recommend limiting children’s exposure to BPA by not heating up polycarbonate bottles, or by selecting alternate bottle options. Plastics containing BPA are no longer used in the United States for the manufacturing of children’s sippy cups, baby bottles, and baby formula packaging. BPA-free polycarbonate bottles were advertised to capitalize on the public fears of BPA and fill the resulting market gap. A common replacement, bisphenol-S (BPS), was thought to be much less likely to leach out of the plastics, yet it can be found in the urine of most Americans tested for it. Even at very low doses, it has been found to disrupt hormone, neurological, and heart function in test animals. BPA-free does not necessarily mean safe. Stainless Steel Food grade stainless steel is a material that can safely be in contact with drinking water. Steel bottles also have the advantages of being shatter resistant, long-lived, and tolerant of high temperatures. When choosing a steel water bottle, make sure the steel is not found solely on the outside of the bottle, with a plastic liner inside. These cheaper bottles present similar health uncertainties as polycarbonate bottles.   Aluminum Aluminum water bottles are resistant and lighter than steel bottles. Because aluminum can leach into liquids, a liner has to be applied inside the bottle. In some cases that liner can be a resin that has been shown to contain BPA. SIGG, the dominant aluminum water bottle manufacturer, now uses BPA-free and phthalate free resins to line its bottles, but it declines to reveal the composition of those resins. As with steel, aluminum can be recycled but is energetically very costly to produce. Glass Glass bottles are easy to find cheaply: a simple store-bought juice or tea bottle can be washed and repurposed for water-carrying duty. Canning jars are just as easy to find. Glass is stable at a wide range of temperatures, and will not leak chemicals into your water. Glass is easily recyclable. The main drawback of glass is, of course, that it can shatter when dropped. For that reason, glass is not allowed at many beaches, public pools, parks, and campgrounds. However, some manufacturers produce glass bottles wrapped in a shatter-resistant coating. If the glass inside breaks, the shards remain inside the coating. An additional drawback of glass is its weight – gram-conscious backpackers will prefer lighter options. Conclusion At this moment, food-grade stainless steel and glass water bottles are associated with fewer uncertainties. Personally, I find the simplicity and lower economic and environmental costs of glass appealing. Most of the time, however, I find drinking tap water from an old ceramic mug perfectly satisfying. Sources Cooper et al. 2011. Assessment of Bisphenol A Released from Reusable Plastic, Aluminium and Stainless Steel Water Bottles. Chemosphere, vol. 85. Natural Resources Defense Council. Plastic Water Bottles. Scientific American.  BPA-Free Plastic Containers May Be Just as Hazardous.

Cloture Defintion - Senate Rule to Break a Filibuster

Cloture Defintion - Senate Rule to Break a Filibuster Cloture is a procedure used occasionally in the U.S. Senate to break a filibuster. Cloture, or Rule 22, is the only formal procedure in Senate parliamentary rules, in fact, that can force an end to the stalling tactic. It allows the Senate to limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours of debate. Cloture History The Senate first adopted the cloture rule in 1917 after President Woodrow Wilson called for the implementation of a procedure to end debate on any given matter. The first cloture rule allowed for such a move with the support of a two-thirds majority in the upper chamber of Congress. Cloture was first used two years later, in 1919, when the Senate was debating the Treaty of Versailles, the peace agreement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. Lawmakers successfully invoked cloture to end a lengthy filibuster on the matter. Perhaps the most well known use of cloture came when the Senate invoked the rule after a 57-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Southern lawmakers stalled debate over the measure, which included a ban on lynching, until the Senate mustered enough votes for cloture. Reasons for Cloture Rule The cloture rule was adopted at a time when deliberations in the Senate had ground to a halt, frustrating President Wilson during a time of war. At the end of the session in 1917, lawmakers filibustered for 23 days against Wilsons proposal to arm merchant ships, according to the Senate Historians office. The delay tactic also hampered efforts to pass other important legislation. President Calls for Cloture Wilson railed against the Senate, calling it the only legislative body in the world which cannot act when its majority is ready for action. A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great government of the United States helpless and contemptible. As a result, the Senate wrote and passed the original cloture rule on March 8, 1917. In addition to ending filibusters, the new rule allowed each senator an additional hour to speak after invoking cloture and before voting on a bills final passage. Despite Wilsons influence in instituting the rule, cloture was invoked only five times over the course of the following four and a half decades. Cloture Impact Invoking cloture guarantees that a Senate vote on the bill or amendment being debated will eventually happen. The House does not have a similar measure. When cloture is invoked, senators are also required to engage in debate that is germane to the legislation being discussed. The rule contains a clause the any speech following the invocation of cloture must be on the measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate. The cloture rule thereby prevents lawmakers from merely stalling for another hour by, say, reciting the Declaration of Independence or reading names from a phone book. Cloture Majority The majority needed to invoke cloture in the Senate remained two-thirds, or 67 votes, of the 100-member body from the rules adoption in 1917 until 1975, when the number of votes needed was reduced to just 60. To being the cloture process, 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). Cloture Frequency Cloture was rarely invoked in the early 1900s and mid-1900s. The rule was used only four times, in fact, between 1917 and 1960. Cloture became more common only in the late 1970s, according to records kept by the Senate. The procedure was used a record 187 times in the 113th Congress, which met in 2013 and 2014 during President Barack Obamas second term in the White House.

Operating Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operating Systems - Essay Example Although operating systems like Linux or FreeBSD show better performance having 64 MB of RAM, Windows XP is able to run on the same hardware. Laskin (n.d.) writes that 128Mb was simply not enough to allow Windows XP to operate efficiently. He observed an average increase in speed of 25% between 128Mb and 256Mb. The next step up in his investigation was 512Mb. Here the increase was less dramatic but still quite noticeable, about a 5% increase in speed depending on the test. Whilst extra memory can affect the overall speed, Lackey (n.d.) writes, it can also make for smoother operation depending on the task in hand. Basic word processing and Internet access usually require no more then 128-256Mb of RAM. More demanding tasks can soon show the inadequacy of low amounts of RAM. Graphics and Sound are the two memory consumers. Complex documents containing graphics or embedded charts and especially more sophisticated PowerPoint presentations are much easier to handle with between 256and 512Mb. Databases start to benefit too at this level. In fact, the more RAM the better when it comes to these as they can keep their temporary tables in memory speeding up performance immensely. The real memory consuming tasks include 3D work, both CAD (Computer Aided Design) and more generalized computer graphics, real time video editing and real world modeling such as water flow calculations. Here the sky is the limit with 1Gb or more not being at all unreasonable. Most people who Lackey (n.d.) knows work with 3D graphics professionally tend to run at their systems maximum, usually 4Gb. Addressing of Memory in Windows XP As Nichol (2006) writes, a program instruction in a modern operating system on an Intel 386 or later CPU can address up to 4GB of memory, using its full 32 bits. This is normally far more than the RAM of the machine. So the hardware provides for programs to operate in terms of as much as they wish of this full 4GB space as Virtual Memory, those parts of the program and data which are currently active being loaded into Physical Random Access Memory (RAM). The processor itself then translates ('maps') the virtual addresses from an instruction into the correct physical equivalents, doing this on the fly as the instruction is executed. The processor manages the mapping in terms of pages of 4 Kilobytes each - a size that has implications for managing virtual memory by the system. Page File By Nichol (2006), only those parts of the program and data that are currently in active use need to be held in physical RAM. Other parts are then held in a page file (in Windows NT versions including Windows 2000 and XP: pagefile.sys). When a program tries to access some address that is not currently in physical RAM, it generates an interrupt, called a Page Fault. This asks the system to retrieve the 4 KB page containing the address from the page file (or in the case of code possibly from the original program file). This - a valid page fault - normally happens quite invisibly. Sometimes, through