Rated R- Russian Roulette by Rhianna free essay sample

Russian Roulette is telling a story of Rihanna who must play against a experienced Russian roulette player to pass a sort of self test. The plot of this song sounds like Rihanna is in a room and they begin to play Russian Roulette. As she is singing it eventually becomes her turn but she will not walk away because she wants to pass some test. She explains that the guy who she is playing with has never lost because he is there playing with her and she has never played before. In this song Rihanna is very nervous it seems like and she is trying to find some way to get rid of the nerves. She trys closing her eyes and taking a deep breath but she can’t deny the fact that if she loses, she dies. Some of the details in this song that make it more meaningful is the background beat and the darkness and tone that Rihanna sings with makes the song better than it would be with some other beat. We will write a custom essay sample on Rated R- Russian Roulette by Rhianna or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My opinions of this song are I really like it and enjoy the emotion that Rhianna puts into it. I think that this song is very powerful with the words and it makes people want to listen to it. In conclusion Russian Roulette is a very well written and powerful song which is a great piece by Rhianna.

The Roaring 20s and the 30s essays

The Roaring 20's and the 30's essays The 1920s was the decade in which people called the Roaring Twenties because a lot of changes were occurring nation wide that affected everybody everywhere around the nation. Immigration has just kicked up with its Second wave of immigrants arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe. They migrated over from Europe to look for better economic opportunities fro their families, but what they got, which was very often, was strong feelings of prejudice and nativism from Americans. This period in time also brought forth the Model T Ford, $5.00 workday, the first intercontinental flight, movies and other scientific advancements. The introduction of the Model T Ford was very crucial because the styles of transportation at this time was inefficient and produced a lot of biological wastes. Henry Ford was able to produce a vehicle capable of traveling at greater speeds and benefited the economy because the vehicles required gasoline, oil, and steel in order to be produced. It is often see n as a period of great advance as the nation became urban and commercial (Calvin Coolidge declared that America's business was business). The decade is also seen as a period of rising intolerance and isolation: chastened by the first world war, historians often point out that Americans retreated into a provincialism evidenced by the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the anti radical hysteria of the Palmer raids, restrictive immigration laws, and prohibition. Overall, the decade is often seen as a period of great contradiction: of rising optimism and deadening cynicism, of increasing and decreasing faith, of great hope and great despair. Put differently, historians usually see the 1920s as a decade of serious cultural conflict. When America joined the Great War in 1917, it tilted the balance against the Central Powers (Germany and her allies), because of her large population and industrial might. When the war ended, President Wilson...

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc Essay

Internal and External Audit of General Motors Inc - Essay Example GM recorded revenues worth $192,604 million during the fiscal year ended December 2005. GM also owns equity partnerships in some regional subsidiaries and joint ventures like New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), Suzuki Motor Corporation, Isuzu Motors, Shanghai GM, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Company and CAMI Automotive. General Motors has been facing stiff competition from the likes of AB Volvo, Capital One Financial Corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, Fiat S.p.A., Ford Motor Company etc. for quite some time now. Owing to increased competition and reduction in margins General Motors Europe announced, during 2004, that it'll be resorting to the reduction in its annual structural costs by about 500 million by 2006. The plan included a reduction in the workforce by about 12,000 over this period. Considering such a scenario, the company requires to determine the priorities it should accord to certain products, so that better profit margins and long-term value creation can be ensured. BCG Matrix i.e. Boston Consultancy Group matrix is a very useful tool for identifying the products which contains both high-growth products in need of cash inputs and certain low-growth products which generate lot of cash. It's a two-dimensional matrix, depicting market share and market growth. Leading market position: GM has consistentl... In US it is the league of the big three with Ford and DaimlerChrysler. GM also has a strong market position in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Australia and China. Robust revenue growth in Asia Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region has proved to be very encouraging and having immense potential for the company. Despite the challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, GM recorded strong revenue growth in this region with continued strong performance by Shanghai GM in China and Holden in Australia. For 2003, GM Asia Pacific (GMAP) earned $577 million, more than three times the net income of $188 million in 2002. Company is also aggressively expanding its operations in India, another big market in the region. Such a strength in this region helps the company to offset its losses in some other regions. Strong brand portfolio: GM has a strong brand portfolio. The company has on board global brand names like Saab, Chevrolet and Cadillac. Weaknesses North America and Europe Continue to be loosing grounds: General Motors's largest geographical market, North America, accounting for nearly 75% of the total revenues, continues to show decelerating momentum. GM North America (GMNA) could earn $1.2 billion, down from $3.1 billion in 2002. Company has partially attributed this slowdown in profitability owing to the higher pension and health-care costs in the U.S, but the cause of worry for GM is its dwindling market share in US, which came down to 28.0 percent compared with 28.3 percent in 2002. Similarly for 2003, GM Europe (GME) had a loss of $286 million, an improvement from the $549 million loss in 2002. Large post retirement liabilities and high debt: GM has large unfunded other post retirement benefit obligations and high debt. As of now for every

The Importance of Nature to Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Importance of Nature to Spirituality - Essay Example Writers following this tradition sought to find meaning within the natural world that seemed lost within the created world of the humans. However, the way they did this changed depending on their position in time and space. Blake lived from 1757 to 1827 and saw the beginning of the industrial revolution and the growth of the factories. He was aware of the dangers of this growth and saw some of the destruction it brought about, but he lived in England where some of the cities had already had long histories and the erosion of nature didn't seem so dramatic as places such as America where much of the land was still relatively untamed and all of the architecture was new. Wordsworth was an American poet who lived from 1770-1850. The changes that were taking place in America were similar to those happening in Europe, but seemed more dramatic. Both of these poets worked within the same literary movement to emphasize the importance of nature in poems such as "Tyger" and "The World is Too Muc h With Us" respectively. In poems such as "Tyger," Blake focuses on his own individual way of seeing the world and on the emotions these investigations brought out. This is in keeping with the then emerging Romantic movement which placed a great deal of emphasis on emotional feeling, particularly as it was inspired by nature. This emphasis on emotional feeling is seen in "Tyger" as Blake starts the poem with two exclamatory statements: "Tyger! Tyger!" (1) and infuses them with a strong image in the darkness of the reader's mind: "burning bright / In the forests of the night" (1-2). Most of the poem is written with the intention of creating a sense of awe around the creature that is the focal point of the poem and continues to force the reader's attention on this concept. The tiger's features are described in deadly but beautiful detail, "In what distant deeps or skies / Burnt the fire of thine eyes?" (5-6), in such a way as to constantly focus the attention on its emotional impact. At the same time, these statements are phrased in the form of rhetorical questions that naturally cause the mind to start trying to answer them and thus considering the images more carefully. This same emphasis on the emotions is found in Wordsworth's poem as he opens his poem with a sense, a feeling, that there is something missing in the new modern life of the cities. "The world is too much with us; late and soon, / Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers" (1-2). Before the reader is even certain what it is that Wordsworth is talking about, it is clear that he is feeling a sense of emptiness in daily life and a sense of having little energy or interest in this life. This is also in keeping with his personal times. Although Blake was writing at a time when the industrial revolution was having the same effect on his homeland as Wordsworth, Wordsworth wrote in a place where it seemed the factories and cities were taking over all of the natural beauty of the world, burying it un der concrete. It seemed inevitable to most writers of his time and he rightly mourns the loss. He says "We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! / ... / For this, for everything, we are out of tune" (4, 8). Although Blake's creation is filled with the profound emotion of awe, Wordsworth's demonstrates a profound sense of loss. However, both poets discover a sense of natural feeling inherent in the images they produce for their readers and both keep this emotion at the forefront of their poems. Within his poem, Blake focuses on an element of the ‘supernatural’ as something that existed outside the realm of everyday experience, another key characteristic of

Business Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Proposal - Essay Example Operating as an acquirer, PayPal processes payment for commercial users at a fee before transferring the money to the other party whom it further charges yet another fee. The receiver of the money gets it in a preferred currency including respective local currencies after converting at the prevailing market rates as determined by the foreign exchange rates. This report introduces the service into the market. In doing this, the report analyses the potential market and the probability for profitability. The product introduction is the basic marketing procedures that involve market determination. This requires effective consideration of the opportunities and threats presented by the market and the strengths and weaknesses of the product that the marketer must consider before positioning the product. The market that the service target is an oligopoly implying that it has various firms offering similar services; the new product will therefore face intense competition from the existing companies. However, the various companies have a marginal control of the market thereby creating room enough for the growth of the new player. With effective marketing, the new service will possibly claim a share of the market and even become a monopoly. This will rely on the marketing features employed by the marketers both at introduction and in subsequent marketing operations. E-commerce is real time and it required a competitive payment system that would match the transactions carried out. In essence, the payment systems needed to be instant. This is a feature, which was yet to be realized. PayPal thus positions itself as the only intermediary capable of processing and availing the money to the appropriate parties within the time that transactions are made. The demand for online payment solutions has increased with the advent of electronic commerce. Most companies currently have websites and support electronic transfer of goods and

How did Pterosaurs Move on the Ground?

How did Pterosaurs Move on the Ground? The locomotive manner of pterosaurs is a matter of intense dispute in the scientific community. The way that these prehistoric creatures traversed the ground is continually being contested. Did pterosaurs walk how we imagine them to have; on all fours in a semi erect posture, or did they only walk on their hind legs, or on all fours and completely prone? If, in fact, they did walk on all fours, would the feet have been in line with the hands, or would the hands be splayed out much farther than the feet? Because the method of pterosaur locomotion is widely disputed, scientists rely on footprint identification in order to determine if the tracks that they are studying do actually belong to a pterosaur. Unfortunately, even this is a contested issue, as some scientists cant even agree on which tracks belong to which prehistoric creatures. These are all issues that are disputed by scientists, but there does seem to be some common consensus when multiple seemingly conflicting scientific fi ndings are synthesized. The general perception of pterosaurs today is one that is possibly incredibly flawed because of theories about them from the early nineteenth century. Soemmerring confused a juvenile Pterodactylus with what he believed to be the skeleton of a deviant bat in 1817 and Cuviers identified pterosaurs as reptiles in 1812. These ideas have persisted until the modern day so that most people cannot shake the image of a pterosaur as a large, scaly, bat-like creature that walks around on all fours in a semi-erect fashion (Padian, 1983). While this is a possible form of locomotion, there are numerous arguments to the contrary. One of the first writings on pterosaur locomotion on land was Wm. Lee Stokes Pterodactyl Tracks from the Morrison Formation published in 1957. Stokes found a track of nine footprints that he attributed to a pterosaur that he named Pteraichnus Saltwashensis. Since pterodactyls are naturally found near bodies of whatever, its not out of the question that these tracks would belong to one. Stokes claims that the imprint of the manus shows the unique wrist and hand of a pterodactyl and that the imprint of the pes shows the unique V-shape and sharply pointed heel that corresponds unmistakably to that of a pterodactyl. He says that all of this is proof that at least one pterosaur was quadrupedal. Despite the evidence that Stoke says confirms that the creature that made these tracks was a pterosaur; this is one of the most disputed claims in the theory of the ground-level locomotion of pterosaurs. Many scientists believe that these tracks were not made by a pterosaur, but instead by a crocodilian creature. This is a distinct possibility because the tracks of pterosaurs and crocodilians are commonly confused for one another. In The Fossil Trackway Pteraichnus: Not Pterosaurian, but Crocodilian, Kevin Padian and Paul Olsen claim that the tracks that Stokes attributes to Pteraichnus Saltwashensis are more likely the product of one of the four species of crocodilian known to have inhabited that area. They say that the pes is not unique to pterodactyloids, as crocodiles also exhibit four toes and a V-shaped heel. Also, they claim that the manus does not consist of four digits, but five, even though the impression of all five is not clearly preserved. Another distinguishing feature is that crocodiles are plantigrade and therefore the heel print would be visible, as it is in these tracks. This is opposed to the digitigrade nature of pterosaurs, which would cause the heel print to be excluded from the footprint. Padian and Olsen claim that the manner of movement that the footprints represent is completely different than the kind that Stokes claims created them. Stokes suggested that the depth of the depression created by the manus was due to a large wing knuckle. Padian and Olsen argue that this is not the case, and that the depression was actually caused by the force of the step and the incompetence of the substrate that led to the creation of the fossilized track. One of Padian and Olsens points is refuted in Terrestrial Locomotion of the Pterosaurs: A Reconstruction Based on Pteraichnus Trackways, published in 1997 by S. Cristopher Bennett. Padian and Olsen claim that by using Bairds method, they were able to determine that the length of the body that made the tracks was too long to be that of a pterosaur, but long enough to be a short crocodile. Bennetts refutation of this point rests on the idea that Bairds method was intended to be used on tracks created simultaneously and that this was not the condition under which the tracks in contention were created. Whether this refutation is credible or not is of little importance. Padian and Olsens assertion that the Pteraichnus tracks were actually created by a crocodilian, and that they back it up with plausible scientific hypotheses, casts enough doubt on Stokes original claim to make these tracks inadmissible in determining how pterosaurs moved on land. The primary reason for the possible mistak e that these crocodilian tracks were created by a pterosaur, according to Padians 1983 paper, A Functional Analysis of Flying and Walking in Pterosaurs, is that Owen suspend[ed] the principles of comparative anatomy [and drew] spurious comparisons between pterosaur structures and those of lizards and crocodiles [as well as] misrepresenting the work of H. von Meyer, the German authority on pterosaurs. This paper offers an in depth analysis of the way a pterosaur would move on land based entirely on its bone structure. Padians primary subject of analysis is a Pteranodon, which he claims, among other things, was an active flyer, meaning that it flapped its wings. Padian claims that a pterosaur would walk upright on two legs as opposed to any form of quadripedal motion. He compares pterosaurs to both birds and bats throughout the paper. He attempts to show that the attributes that pterosaurs share with either birds or bats, or both of them, would prevent a pterosaur from being capable of quadrupedal locomotion. Padian says that the forelimb of the pterosaur was adapted entirely for flying and not for quadrupedal walking. The humerus bone of the forearm was adapted for the type of movement that facilitated a down-and-forward flapping motion, since Padian claims that pterosaurs were active flyers, and not for the rotation of the humerus that would protract the forearm to facilitate terrestrial walking. Moving down the arm, the elbow joint in birds, bats, and pterosaurs are what allow for rotation. In bats, this allows for quadrapedal walking but, in both birds and pterosaurs, it has hindered articulation to the extent of turning their limbs into pulley-like hinges with a wide arc of movement possible in only one plane (Padian 1983, 227). Padian claims that the differences in the shape of humeral heads in pterosaurs were even more restrictive in the pterosaurs range of motion than it is in birds. The delto-pectoral crest in pterosaurs was pronounced and twisted along the axis of the shaft, whi ch caused the deltoideus muscle to actually reverse the rotation of the humerus that was initiated by the pectoralis muscles as the pterosaur made a downward stroke while in flight. This reversal in rotation prohibited the forelimb from being moved into the proper position to facilitate its placement on the ground and therefore any form of quadrupedal locomotion. Ultimately, Padian asserts, the structure of the forelimbs of pterosaurs prevented them from walking quadrapedally. They were incapable of parasagittal movement over the ground because of restrictions imposed on them from their bone and muscular structures. The structure of the hind legs of pterosaurs that are included in Padians argument for a bipedal pterosaur is equally as important as the structure of the forelimbs. Padian bases his argument on a pterosaur thats wing was not attached to its hind legs and the idea that despite the relatively small size of the legs of a pterosaur when compared to the rest of its body and specifically its forelimbs, it would still have been able to, and in fact been solely capable of, bipedal locomotion on its hind limbs. Padian reconstructs the pelvis and hip joints of a pterosaur to show that certain elements of its anatomy would prevent it from bending forward in a way that would enable quadrupedal locomotion. He says that there are two girdles surrounding the point where the femur is inserted into the hip that restricts the degree of rotation of the leg so that it would be impossible to move in any way other than bipedally. Padian uses a Pteranodon as his case study for a pterosaur with an extremely large upper body and a relatively small lower body that is still able to walk on the ground. He says that the reason the forelimbs are so large is because the mass of the Pteranodon necessitated expansive wings to provide the appropriate amount of lift while airborne. The size of the wings, though, is not correlated to the size of the legs. The surface area of the wings needed to increase at a rate of L^3/L^2 when compared to the size of the body. The disproportionate lengthening of the wing afforded a greater relative area that allowed the Pteranodon to achieve flight. On the other hand, the Pteranodons legs are not restricted to the same ratio. The legs can be, and are, significantly smaller than the body that theyre supporting without compromising the Pteranodons terrestrial locomotive abilities. In fact, the size of the Pteranodons hind limbs in relation to the size of the rest of its body is comparable to the relationship between the hind limbs and bodies of all other pterosaurs. Padian compares the bone structure of the hind limbs of pterosaurs to the bone structure of the hind limbs in modern birds. He says that, like in birds, the tibia is the main load-bearing bone in the leg. He claims that the femur had a position that ranged between slightly above horizontal to about forty-five degrees below it and that this orientation allowed for the tibia to move on a parasagittal plane. This essentially means that pterosaurs moved on the ground like most other bipedal dinosaurs. Padians ultimate claim is that pterosaur hind limbs were designed for bipedal, digitigrade, locomotion when they were moving on the ground. He even suggests that it was possible for pterosaurs to achieve high rates of speed on the ground. S. Christopher Bennett is another proponent of the upright, bipedal form of terrestrial locomotion among pterosaurs, but only among the larger pterodactyloids. He exams the acetabulum of Anhanguera, Pteranodon, and Dsungaripterus in A Pterodectyloid Pterosaur Pelvis from the Santana Formation of Brazil: Implications for Terrestrial Locomotion, published in 1990, and determines that its strongest part is the anterior wall. He suggests that the strength of this anterior wall allows for upright bipedal locomotion because the acetabulum becomes a downward facing component of the anatomy. This downward orientation allows for a large area of contact for the head of the femur and, therefore, the weight of the body of the pterosaur can be supported in an upright position. Bennett refutes three arguments that are often leveled against bipedal locomotion in pterosaurs. He says that the femora bone could, in fact, have been brought underneath the body of the pterosaur, which is demonstrated by AMNH 22569. Secondly, that the hind limbs of the pterosaurs had straight femurs with distinct, inturned heads, mesotarsal ankles without a calcaneal tuber, and a foot with elongated metatarsals. Finally, he argues that the preservation of pterosaurs, in a position with their hind limbs splayed to the sides, a position that has caused many scientists to claim that theyre incapable of bipedal locomotion, is a false supposition. He notes five specimens that were preserved with their hind limbs on one side of the body, and argues that the splayed nature of the other specimens is due to greater hip flexibility in pterosaurs. Bennetts inclusion of the fossilized remains of pterosaurs in his argument for bipedal locomotion among the larger pterodactyloids is particularly convincing. He makes up for one of the key elements that Padians argument was missing, in that he actually gives concrete physical evidence to support his argument instead of supposed anatomical construction and the type of movement that that structure would or would not allow. One thing that Padians analysis of the terrestrial movement of pterosaurs lack is the actual fossilized track that a pterosaur made. While the supposed structure of the bones may lead one to believe that Padians claims are accurate, there are numerous pterosaur tracks that indicate a quadrupedal form of locomotion among pterosaurs. The majority of the studies included in this paper have focused on larger pterosaurs, and mostly on the Pteranodon. This particular pterosaur shares a large amount of its anatomy with modern birds and it makes sense that, from an analysis paying the majority of its attention to this pterosaur, they would all seem to be bipedal. There is evidence in other fossils, though, that would say otherwise. Pterosaurs, depending on the kind they were, were either bipedal or quadrupedal. Bennetts refutation of Padian and Olsens crocodilian diagnosis of the Pteraichnus tracks contains very valid points concerning the way that pterosaurs could have possibly walked in a quadrupedal manner. He says specifically that rhamphorhyncoids, the earlier variation of pterosaurs, as well as small pterodactyloids were quadrupeds with plantigrade pedes (Bennett, 1997). He says that the model he constructed of Pterydactylus and that, along with other detailed studies and manipulations of other three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur specimens, the limb and girdle joints would have easily allowed for the range of motion necessary for a pterosaur to achieve a quadrupedal walking motion. Bennett cites the Pteraichnus saltwashensis tracks as being representative of a quadrupedal pterosaur, which was disavowed earlier in this paper. He validly examines the tracks of Pteraichnus stokesi that were discovered in the Sundance Formation of Wyoming as well as pterosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic of France. These trackways show manus and pes prints that are clearly pterosaurian. This indicates that there were certain species of pterosaur located in these areas that were quadrupedal. All of Bennetts are based on the principle of identifying the tracks as pterosaurian based on the structure of the manus and pes. Another piece of research that proves that quadrupedal locomotion was present in pterosaurs is First Record of a Pterosaur Landing Trackway, published in 2009 by Jean-Michel Mazin, Jean-Paul Billon-Bruyat, and Kevin Padian. The tracks that they are examining are clearly the landing pattern of a pterosaur because they originate with two pes prints and then continue on in a walking pattern. They claim that the stance of the pterosaur was erect because the pedes tracks are placed almost directly below the hip joints. After the first impression of the pedes, the second impression includes both pedes and manus impressions. The impressions of the manus are splayed out wider than pes, which is the generally accepted idea of how a pterosaur would ambulate. The tracks, not only created by a flying creature, are located in the Late Jurassic site known as Pterosaur Beach, which is a place universally agreed upon to contain unquestionable pterosaur tracks. Therefore, the landing pattern and subs equent tracks, that clearly show quadrupedal locomotion, prove that at least some pterosaurs moved in this way on the ground. The debate surrounding the terrestrial locomotion of pterosaurs can be broken down into many categories and subdivisions. Its clearly that one form of locomotion, whether it be bipedal, quadrupedal, plantigrade, digitigrade, erect, semi-erect, or any other distinction, cannot be used to define every single pterosaur that ever existed. This is similar to the idea that one form of locomotion cannot be used to describe every dinosaur that ever existed. There is variation between species of pterosaurs. The larger pterosaurs seem to be generally more bird-like and more inclined to quadrupedal locomotion. The Pteranodon, specifically, almost definitely was a biped. Its wing structure was the most similar to that of a bird (Padian, 1983), and its two hind limbs were more than sufficient for bothing locomotion and launching off from the ground in order to initiate flight. Smaller pterosaurs, on the other hand seem to be more similar in locomotive method to the general perception of how pterosaurs moved, in a kind of quadrupedal crawl. The tracks found at Pterosaur Beach, and if actually created by a pterosaur, those of Pteraichnus saltwashensis, prove that at least some smaller pterosaurs were quadrupedal. In conclusion, any attempt to define the entire order of Pterosauria as quadrupedal or bipedal is an exercise in futility. The larger pterosaurs, such as Pteranodon, were bipedal, which is apparent based on their wing and leg structures. They would have been unable to move their forelimbs into a position that would allow them to place them on the ground and the mobility of their hind limbs allowed only for bipedal locomotion. Smaller pterosaurs, such as Pteraichnus stokes, were definitely quadrupedal in terms of locomotion since there have been numerous tracks found confirming this idea. Works Cited Bennett, S. (1990). A Pterodactyloid Pterosaur Pelvis from the Santana Formation of Brazil: Implications for Terrestrial Locomotion. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 10(1), 80-85. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4523298 Bennett, S. (1997). Terrestrial Locomotion of Pterosaurs: A Reconstruction Base on Pteraichnus Trackways. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17(1), 104-113. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4523790 Mazin, J., Billon-Bruyat, J., Padian, K. (2009). First Record of a Pterosaur Landing Trackway. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 276(1674), 3881-3886. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30245351 Padian, K. (1983). A Functional Analysis of Flying and Walking in Pterosaurs. Paleobiology, 9(3), 218-239. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2400656 Padian, K., Olsen, P. (1984). The Fossil Trackway Pteraichnus: Not Pterosaurian, but Crocodilian. Journal of Paleontology, 58(1), 178-184. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1304743 Sà ¡nchez-Hernà ¡ndez, B., Przewieslik, A., Benton, M. (2009). A Reassessment of the Pteraichnus Ichnospecies from the Early Cretaceous of Soria Province, Spain. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 29(2), 487-497. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20627057 Wm. Lee Stokes. (1957). Pterodactyl Tracks from the Morrison Formation. Journal of Paleontology, 31(5), 952-954. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1300563 Drug Abuse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Research Proposal Drug Abuse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Research Proposal BACKGROUND STUDY Drug abuse is a cause of concern to all nations around the world either in developing countries and undeveloped countries and in both cases the most affected are the youth,. Due to the rapid increase in drug related crime and drug abusers in Asian countries, the establishment of effective countermeasures for demand and supply reduction are a pressing issue. And if they are all left out to be addicted to dangerous narcotics, it can lead to all social ills like road accidents, high crime rates, unplanned pregnancies, school dropouts and many more which may result in fracturing the moral fibre of the country and eventually the nation will be without prominent future leaders. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of a country as a whole. According to Scorzelli JF, (2009) despite the heavy punishment of death imposed by the Malaysian government for whoever is caught in drug possession, within the last five years, the Malaysian drug abuse problem has escalated. This has led to the increase in social ills like HIV/AIDS which is contracted by the use of IV-Heroin. He continued to state that 93.7% of people caught in drug possession are male aged between 20-29 years of age. This clearly shows that our youth are in dire need of thorough drug and peer education. The National Anti-Drug Agency has been on track to get rid of the drug problem in Malaysia by 2015. When interviewed by the New Straits Times (2010, February) the director-general Datuk Abdul Bakir Zin has pointed out that they have helped out around the country to bring addicts to their rehabilitation centre. He has said that the centre spends around RM 300 million which is their annual budget which is nearly spent on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of addicts and enforcement operations. Addicts are kept for two years and they are released but some of them go back to their bad habits. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Drug abuse has led to an alarming increase of social ills in the society like HIV/AIDS contraction , road accidents and many more which have resulted in the collapse of the moral fibre of the nation. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. Huge police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing. Criminal gangs and mafia underworlds develop with the money from drugs. However the main target should be the user. Families and counsellors need to talk to children and people at risk. The fact that the youth is the most affected especially in Malaysia poses a great concern because the youth are the future leaders of tomorrow. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The specific study of the study is to find ways and methods to educate the people of Malaysia especially the youth about the dangers posed by the abuse of drugs. This initiative itself can lead to positive results such as reduced number of drug abusers therefore leading to a low numbers of social ills such as HIV contractions and crime. There should be a diversion programme for drug abusers which can be institutional or community based. RESEARCH QUESTIONS To justify this study, the researcher will investigate the following matters: How many cases of illicit drugs were registered from 2006 to 2011 in Malaysia How individuals are affected psychologically, physically and economically by the abuse of drugs Does the government play a role in reducing the problem of drug abuse? SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Generally the study of drug abuse phenomenon that is widely occurring in Malaysia will be an endeavour in promoting a much healthy lifestyle that is a drug -free society. Drug-free society means a lot to a country of about 28,310,000 people. It means less crime such as road accidents, thefts and murders, less HIV AIDS positive, less people in the narcotics rehabilitations centre and more manpower in order to bring Malaysia towards becoming a fully developed country. By understanding the main source of the problems, we can all move together to cure as well as to prevent further advance of this spreading illness in our community. The Malaysian psychiatric association (July 6 2006) has cited that when pregnant women abuse drugs there may be foetal abnormalities especially when the pregnancy is early. These deformities may cause the mother to dump the baby, a crime which is currently on the rise in Malaysia. If the drug was used late in the pregnancy may become dependent on opiates, and may later show withdrawal symptoms after delivery. The United Nations Aids (2010) on their report have pointed out that an estimated 170,000 injecting drug users (IDUs). In those users most of them share the needles therefore there is increased spread of the diseases such as HIV/AIDS because likely they do not sterilise such needles. Moreover, this study will reveal most of things behind these drug abuse cases, therefore will significantly boost the awareness of the community about the cases of drug abuse in this country simultaneously contribute in reducing such cases in community. SCOPE OF THE REPORT We undertook the task of reviewing all studies describing the impact of drug abuse at Kuala Lumpur. The population of interest includes injection drug users, and non-injection drug users of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, because these groups of individuals have been identified as having a biological risk of exposure to addictive drug use, including deadly exposure (via injection drug use) to blood-borne via sharing of straws or pipes used to administer drugs (non-injection drug use). Data from questionnaires are analyzed separately, as they different substantially form interview data, and because their drug-related risk factors are quite different and not elaborated further. Another goal is to examine the influence of study methodology on study findings, particularly because the descriptive data may be strongly influenced by sampling methods, and because study design may affect associations between various characteristics and drug use. Since the brand data collection was carried out using information collected from various associations, access to each data was time consuming. We also do not have any compiled data of approved unregistered drug users making the task very complicated. Such database may be hard to acquire as most drug users choose to stay in the dark as they know there is a capital punishment for such a crime. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION Drugs A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body Abuse To use something to bad effect or for a bad purpose Addict A person who is addicted to a particular substance Rehabilitation Restore to former privileges CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction In the literature review we compare and contrast studies done by other people and we note how different they are from ours. We have read journals, books and articles in Science Direct. In this chapter we are able to expand our knowledge on how other writers view the issue at hand. We have displayed various ways of the data we found, either by citing using the APA format, images and tables. 2.1 Literature Review By the year 1983, the problem of drugs was declared a national emergency by the Malaysian government. Everyone convicted of trafficking and those caught with the drugs depending on the amount of drugs they had in their possession were sentenced to death, those were some of the ways the government was trying to solve the problem but if someone was convicted of only for possession of drugs he/she was put in a rehabilitation centre for 2 years. Once realised from the centre, the individual has one year of probation were he or she has two urine tests a month. Drug, taken from Cambridge Dictionaries Online, falls into two categories which are medicine and illegal substance. In the medicine category, the word drug means any natural or artificially made chemical which is used as a medicine while in the category of illegal substance, drug means any natural or artificially made chemical which is taken for pleasure, to improve someones performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it. The latter meanings actually portraying the main interest in this study which is the action of drug abuse, which by the same source, abuse means to use or treat someone or something wrongly or badly, especially in a way that is to your own advantage. This unhealthy phenomenon is actually a worldwide crisis and can bring along a great impact in ones life, consequently a community, and then will affect the growth of a country. Some said that this crisis is the same age as humankind. It is in our nature that we like to consume things that bring us pleasure and being in the state of euphoria. However, we must first consider the side effects of the consumption of such substances. There was enormous number of researches that had been carried out in order to suppress or banish this crisis all over the world. There are ups and downs for the trends of the drug abuse cases but it had never been ceased completely. Kuala Lumpur as a busy place, most of the inhabitants need drugs to cope with the fast life. These drugs can be addictive substances such as heroine, alcohol, and ecstasy pills. The research by the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (2006), showed that the brain is affected by the consumed drugs. The left part of the brain is affected is called the reward pathway. Continued use of drugs short-circuits the reward pathway and that how addiction starts. The brain will then need more and more large quantities of the substance taken over time. The brain chemistry is altered at this point, therefore behavioural patterns starts here. Drugs like cocaine can lead to permanent damage, death and even addition. From the article adapted from RECOVERY NOW website on cocaine effects, it is stated that there are two different categories of cocaine effect. These effects are said to be long termed and short termed .Regardless of how many times a person uses cocaine even once! heshe experiences short-term cocaine effects which includes increased blood pressure, mental alertness, increased heart rate, decreased appetite and increased body temperature .The long term effects appear after increased periods of use. Long term effects include irritability, mood disturbances and restlessness. Marijuana is also one of the most commonly abused drug and according to the American Council For Drug Education they describe it as a mild hallucinogen with some alcohols depressant which results in bronchitis, emphysema and bronchial asthma. They also continue to stress that marijuana leads to reduction of learning ability which is one of the reasons why most students who smoke marijuana end up performing badly at school as it limits the capability to absorb information as it is highly addictive. In an addiction state a person engages in a compulsive behaviour, even when faced with challenging life situations. Taking a look at the fast life in Kuala Lumpur a lot of challenges are faced by the youth there, these include unemployment, loss of a loved one or poverty. These situations can cause you to excessively use drugs to suppress such hurt felt within. The National Anti-Drug Agency (New Straits 12 February 2010) has used over RM 300 million annually to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate addicts. They are trying to achieve the goal for a drug-free Malaysia in 2015 and drug-free Malaysian schools in 2012. The director of the agency Datuk Abdul Bakir Zin has mentioned that there is an alarming rate of drug abusers on the increase. The agency successfully rehabilitated 11 395 addicts in 2009 but only 51% of the addicts are clean now. That shows that the drug addicts do not have enough out of rehab education. B.Vicknasigngam, M.Mazlan, K.S Schotchfield , M.C Chawaski(2009),stated that heroin and injection drug are the major public health risk cases recorded in Malaysia. Furthermore they continue to state from their findings, between the year 1998 and 2006 individuals close to 300 000 individuals were registered as persistent drug abusers in Malaysia. In between the years 1998-2006 heroin was the main primary drug abused around 62.6% of those were registered. And this caused a main concern for the Malaysian government as it lead to increase in social ills like road accidents and also the rise in HIV contraction as the drug abusers shared the same needle hence the spread of the virus was induced. Despite the Malaysian strict law on use of illegal drugs people still continue to use the illegal drugs and have even gone to an extent of making it into a business to finance their lifestyle. The law clearly states that any person found in possession of at least 15 grams of heroin, 200 grams of cannabis is presumed. The National Drug Agency, Malaysia in 2006 around 22,811 drugs users was recorded and 12,430 of whom were repeat offenders. They also stress that the total number of drug users recorded for the period of 1998-2006 is 300,241 people which constitutes to 1.1% of the Malaysians population. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction The introduction highlights the data collection methods which were used to gather information which enabled us to reach our conclusion. One of the vital aspects we looked into was the validity and reliability of the data collection methods that we decided to use. In our research we found that the ideal data collection methods that we can use are the questionnaire and interview for analysis Questionnaires are very cost effective when compared to face-to-face interviews. This is especially true for studies involving large sample sizes and large geographic areas. Written questionnaires become even more cost effective as the number of research questions increases. Questionnaires are easy to analyze. Data entry and tabulation for nearly all surveys can be easily done with many computer software packages. Nearly everyone has had some experience completing questionnaires and they generally do not make people apprehensive and they reduce bias. The researchers own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or visual clues to influence the respondent. When a respondent receives a questionnaire in the mail, he is free to complete the questionnaire on his own time-table. Unlike other research methods, the respondent is not interrupted by the research instrument. Some of the reasons why questionnaires are widely used as data collection method in reports and projects in the fact that the responses are gathered in a standardised way so questions are more objective, certainly more so than interviews, generally it is relatively quick to collect information using questionnaires and information can be collected from a large portion of a group. For our research a questionnaire, written both in English and Malay consisting of A3 size pages was sent to different agencies/organizations which were requested to answer it. The main contents of the questionnaire included; Prevention of drug abuse Outline organizations handling drug abuse problem Institutional treatment programmes for drug abusers Outline drug control laws Interviews are also one of the most convenient ways of data collection for reports projects and investigations as they provide first hand information from the correspondent. The interview is also flexible in the since that follow up questions can be asked, also clarity of the question can be made if the respondent does not understand. Even though it has overwhelming advantages one of its major problems maybe that the correspondent may feel like shy to give out information and in that case the interviewer can solve the problem by assuring the correspondent that whatever he/she is being interviewed for will be considered confidential at all costs. For our research, interviews were conducted with the relevant agencies/organizations. Firstly we set an appointment with them and informing them of our objectives.

Movie Review of The Patriot Essay -- The Patriot Movies Film Revolutio

Movie Review of The Patriot I. Title- The Patriot Production Date- June 28th 2000 Major Characters- Benjamin Martin: Mel Gibson Gabriel Martin: Heath Ledger Charlotte Selton: Joely Richardson Johnny Issacs: William Tavington Lisa Brenner: Anne Howard Charles Cornwallis: Tom Wilkinson II. Movie Summary: â€Å"The Patriot† takes place during the Revolutionary War. It’s 1776 and intense fighting is going on in the north, while in the south the people are scrambling to recruit anyone who was willing to fight against the British. The main character, Benjamin Martin, is a veteran of the French and Indian war who wants independence from Britain, but is not willing to risk the safety of his already motherless children by going to war. His son Gabriel however, has a different view of the war, and enlists in the Continental Army without the consent of his father. Soon Benjamin is forced into action whether he wanted to be or not. When helping out hurt and wounded soldiers from both sides at his home he is viewed as a traitor, and Gabriel is ordered to be hanged. Benjamin’s son Thomas tries to help Gabriel, but is shot and killed by the brutal and nasty Colonel William Tavington, who also orders the Martin’s house to be burned to the ground. This understandably pushes Benjamin over the edge. He and his two younger sons then by themselves gun down over 20 redcoats and rescue Gabriel. Benjamin’s quick shooting and stealthful movements earn him the nickname of â€Å"The Ghost.† He then leaves his children with their aunt Charlotte, and forms a small militia group full of locals to help in the fight against the British and for personal revenge. Martin’s militia accounts for many redcoat deaths and cause a lot of trouble for the British. Col. Tavington however, results to his brutal tactics against the families and loved ones of the soldiers in Martin’s militia. Tavington is responsible for the deaths of Gabriel’s, wife, most of the citizens of their SC town, and later Gabriel himself as well. Martin’s army however overcomes much adversity, and plays a large part in the Continental effort. They later join up with the main Continental Army, and along with the long awaited arrival of the F rench, force Cornwallis and the British to surrender at Yorktown. Benjamin also gets his revenge by killing Tavington in the battle. This spells victory for the Americans and p... ...eeing this it gave us a look at what it might have been like if we lived during the war. I also disliked some things in the movie. I didn’t like how they put the British in a bad light regarding their involvement in the killing of innocent civilians. The brutal acts that were carried out in the movie by the redcoats could not be proven true. The movie also could have included information about other militia groups and the Continental Army as a whole. I also think that this movie was very one-sided. It was definitely pro-American, and against the British. This makes sense because it is an American movie, but I think it serves an injustice to some of the innocent British soldiers. Mainly Hollywood didn’t really care much about the historical accuracy, but they wanted to make an exciting movie that would sell tickets, and they did that in â€Å"The Patriot.† VI Bibliography Danzer, Gerald A., et al. The Americans. Boston: McDougal Littell, 1998. 108-117. Nash, Bruce. The Numbers. 1997. 13 Feb. 2005 . The American Revoulution Home Page. 1998. 14 Feb. 2005 . The Patriot. Dir. Roland Emmerich. Perf. Mel Gibson,Heath Ledger,and Johnny Issacs. DVD. Columbia Tristar , 2000.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Three

Bonnie fluffed her red curls as she hurried across Dalcrest's great lawn. It was so pretty here. Little flagstone paths bordered the lawn, leading off to the various dorms and classroom buildings. Brightly colored flowers – petunias, impatiens, daisies – were growing everywhere, by the sides of the path and in front of the buildings. The human scenery was pretty awesome, too, Bonnie thought, surreptitiously eyeing a bronzed guy lying on a toWellnear the edge of the lawn. Not surreptitiously enough, though – the guy lifted his shaggy dark head and winked at her. Bonnie giggled and walked faster, her cheeks warm. Honestly, shouldn't he be unpacking or setting up his room or something? Not just lying around half naked and winking at passing girls like a big †¦ flirt. The bag of stuff Bonnie had bought in the campus bookstore clinked gently in her hand. Of course, she hadn't been able to buy books yet, as they wouldn't sign up for classes until the next day, but it turned out the bookstore sold everything. She'd gotten some great stuff: a Dalcrest mug, a teddy bear wearing its own cute little Dalcrest T-shirt, and a few things that would come in handy, like an efficiently organized shower caddy and a col ection of pens in every color of the rainbow. She had to admit she was pretty excited about starting col ege. Bonnie shifted the bag to her left hand and flexed the cramping fingers of her right. Excited or not, al this stuff she'd bought was heavy. But she needed it. This was her plan: she was going to become a new person at col ege. Not entirely new; she liked herself fine, for the most part. But she was going to become more of a leader, more mature, the kind of person who people said, â€Å"Ask Bonnie,† or â€Å"Trust Bonnie,† rather than, â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† which was completely different. She was determined to step out of the shadows of Meredith and Elena. They were both terrific, of course, her absolute best friends, but they didn't even realize how terrifyingly in charge they were al the time. Bonnie wanted to become a terrific, ful y in-charge person in her own right. Plus maybe she'd meet a real y special guy. That would be nice. Bonnie couldn't actual y blame Meredith or Elena for the fact that al the way through high school, she'd had plenty of dates but no serious boyfriends. But the simple fact was that, even if everyone thought you were cute, if your two closest friends were gorgeous and smart and powerful, the kind of guy who was looking to fal in love might find you a little bit †¦ fluffy †¦ in comparison. She had to admit, though, that she was relieved that she and Meredith and Elena were al living together. She might not want to be stuck in their shadows, but they were stil her best friends. And, after al †¦ Thud. Someone crashed into Bonnie's side and she lost her train of thought completely. She staggered backward. A large male body lurched into her again, briefly crushing her face against his chest, and she tripped, fal ing against someone else's side. There were guys al around her, shoving one another back and forth, joking around and arguing, paying no attention to her as she was jostled among them, until a strong hand suddenly steadied her in the midst of the turmoil. By the time she found her feet, they were moving off again, five or six male bodies swiping and shoving at one another, not stopping to apologize, as if they hadn't even noticed her as anything more than an inanimate obstacle in their path. Except for one of them. Bonnie found herself staring at a worn blue T-shirt and a slim torso with Well-muscled arms. She straightened up and smoothed her hair, and the hand gripping her arm let go. â€Å"Are you al right?† a low voice asked. I'd be better if you hadn't almost knocked me down, Bonnie was about to say snippily. She was out of breath, and her bag was heavy, and this guy and his friends seriously needed to watch where they were going. Then she looked up, and her eyes met his. Wow. The guy was gorgeous. His eyes were a clear, true blue, the blue of the sky at dawn on a summer morning. His features were sharply cut, the eyebrows arched, the cheekbones high, but his mouth was soft and sensual. And she'd never seen hair quite that color before, except on the youngest kids, that pure white-blond that made her think of tropical beaches under a summer sky†¦ â€Å"Are you okay?† he repeated more loudly, a frown of concern crinkling his perfect forehead. God. Bonnie could feel herself blushing right up to the roots of her hair. She had just been staring at him with her mouth open. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said, trying to pul herself together. â€Å"I guess I wasn't watching where I was going.† He grinned, and a tiny zing! shot right through Bonnie. His smile was gorgeous, too, and it lit up his whole face. â€Å"That's nice of you to say,† he said, â€Å"but I think maybe we should have been watching where we were going instead of shoving each other al over the path. My friends sometimes get a little †¦ rowdy.† He glanced past her, and Bonnie looked back over her shoulder. His friends had stopped and were waiting for him farther down the path. As Bonnie watched, one of them, a tal dark guy, smacked another on the back of the head, and a moment later they were scuffling and shoving again. â€Å"Yeah, I can see that,† said Bonnie, and the gorgeous white-blond guy laughed. His rich laugh made Bonnie smile, too, and pul ed her attention back to those eyes. â€Å"Anyway, please accept my apology,† he said. â€Å"I'm real y sorry.† He held out his hand. â€Å"My name's Zander.† His grip was nice and firm, his hand large and warm around hers. Bonnie felt herself blushing again, and she tossed her red curls back and stuck her chin bravely in the air. She wasn't going to act al flustered. So what if he was gorgeous? She was friends – sort of, anyway – with Damon. She ought to be immune to gorgeous guys by now. â€Å"I'm Bonnie,† she said, smiling up at him. â€Å"This is my first day here. Are you a freshman, too?† â€Å"Bonnie,† he said thoughtful y, drawing her name out a little like he was tasting it. â€Å"No, I've been here for a while.† â€Å"Zander†¦ Zander,† the guys down the path began chanting, their voices getting faster and louder as they repeated it. â€Å"Zander†¦ Zander†¦ Zander.† Zander winced, his attention slipping back toward his friends. â€Å"I'm sorry, Bonnie, I've got to run,† he said. â€Å"We've got sort of a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"†¦ club thing going on. But, like I said, I'm real y sorry we almost knocked you over. I hope I'l see you again soon, okay?† He squeezed her hand once more, gave her a lingering smile, and walked away, picking up speed as he got closer to his friends. Bonnie watched him rejoin the group of guys. Just before they turned past a dorm, Zander looked back at her, flashed that gorgeous smile, and waved. Bonnie raised her hand to wave back, accidental y clunking the heavy bag against her side as he turned away. Amazing, she thought, remembering the color of his eyes. I might be falling in love. Matt leaned against the wobbly pile of suitcases he'd stacked by the entrance to his dorm room. â€Å"Darn it,† he said as he jiggled the key in the door's lock. Had they even given him the right key? â€Å"Hey,† a voice said behind him, and Matt jerked, tumbling a suitcase down onto the floor. â€Å"Whoops, sorry about that. Are you Matt?† â€Å"Yeah,† Matt said, giving the key one last twist and, just like that, the door final y opened. He turned, smiling. â€Å"Are you Christopher?† The school had told him his roommate's name and that he was on the footbal team, too, but the two of them hadn't gotten in touch. Christopher looked okay. He was a big guy with a linebacker build, friendly smile, and short sandy hair that he scrubbed at with one hand as he stepped back to make way for the cheerful middle-aged couple fol owing him. â€Å"Hi there, you must be Matt,† said the woman, who was carrying a rol ed-up rug and a Dalcrest pennant. â€Å"I'm Jennifer, Christopher's mom, and this is Mark, his dad. It's so nice to meet you. Are your folks here?† â€Å"Uh, no, I just drove up by myself,† Matt said. â€Å"My hometown, Fel ‘s Church, isn't too far from here.† He grabbed his suitcases and lugged them into the room, hurrying to get out of Christopher's family's way. Their room was pretty smal . There was a bunk bed along one wal , a narrow space in the middle of the room, and two desks and dressers crammed side by side on the other wal . The girls and Stefan were no doubt living in luxury, but it hadn't seemed quite right to let Stefan use his Power to get Matt a good housing assignment. It was bad enough that Matt took someone else's slot as a student and someone else's space on the footbal team. Stefan had talked him into doing just that. â€Å"Look, Matt,† he'd said, his green eyes serious. â€Å"I understand how you feel. I don't like influencing people to get what I want either. But the fact is, we need to stay together. With the lines of Power that run through this whole part of the country, we have to be on our guard. We're the only ones who know.† Matt had to agree, when Stefan put it like that. He'd turned down the plush dorm room Stefan had offered to arrange for him, though, and taken what the housing office assigned him. He had to hang on to at least a shred of his honor. Plus if he was in the same dorm as the others, it would have been hard to say no to rooming with Stefan. He liked Stefan fine, but the idea of living with him, of watching him with Elena, the girl Matt had lost and stil loved despite al that had happened, was too much. And it would be fun to meet new people, to expand his horizons a bit after spending his whole life in Fel ‘s Church. But the room was awful y smal . And Christopher seemed to have a ton of stuff. He and his parents went up and down the stairs, hauling in a sound system, a little refrigerator, a TV, a Wii. Matt shoved his own three suitcases into the corner and helped them bring it al in. â€Å"We'l share the fridge and the entertainment stuff, of course,† Christopher told him, glancing at Matt's bags, which clearly contained nothing but clothes and maybe some sheets and towels. â€Å"If we can figure out where to put it al .† Christopher's mom was prowling around the room, directing his dad on where to move things. â€Å"Great, thanks – † Matt started to say, but Christopher's dad, having final y managed to wedge the TV on top of one of the dressers, turned to look at Matt. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"It just hit me – if you're from Fel ‘s Church, you guys were the state champions last year. You must be some player. What position do you play?† â€Å"Uh, thanks,† Matt said. â€Å"I play quarterback.† â€Å"First string?† Christopher's dad asked him. Matt blushed. â€Å"Yeah.† Now they were al staring at him. â€Å"Wow,† Christopher said. â€Å"No offense, man, but why are you going to Dalcrest? I mean, I'm excited just to play col ege bal , but you could have gone, like, Division One.† Matt shrugged uncomfortably. â€Å"Um, I had to stay close to home.† Christopher opened his mouth to say something else, but his mother gave a tiny shake of her head and he closed it again. Great, Matt thought. They probably thought he had family problems. He had to admit it warmed him a little, though, to be with people who acknowledged what he'd given up. The girls and Stefan didn't real y understand footbal . Even though Stefan had played on their high school team with him, his mind-set was stil very much that of the Renaissance European aristocrat: sports were enjoyable pastimes that kept the body fit. Stefan didn't real y care. But Christopher and his family – they got what it meant for Matt to pass up the chance of playing for a top-ranked col ege footbal team. â€Å"So,† Christopher said, a little too suddenly, as if he'd been trying to think of a way to change the subject, â€Å"which bed do you want? I don't care whether I take top or bottom.† They al looked over at the bunk beds, and that's when Matt saw it for the first time. It must have arrived while he was downstairs helping with Christopher's luggage. A cream-colored envelope sat on the bottom bunk, made of a fancy thick paper stock like a wedding invitation. On the front was written in cal igraphy â€Å"Matthew Honeycutt.† â€Å"What's that, dear?† Christopher's mom asked curiously. Matt shrugged, but he was beginning to feel a thrum of excitement in his chest. He'd heard something about invitations certain people at Dalcrest received, ones that just mysteriously appeared, but he'd always thought they were a myth. Flipping the envelope over, he saw a blue wax seal bearing the impression of an ornate letter V. Huh. After gazing at the envelope for a second, he folded it and slipped it into his back pocket. If it was what he thought it was, he was supposed to open it alone. â€Å"I guess that's fate tel ing us the bottom bunk's yours,† Christopher said amiably. â€Å"Yeah,† Matt said distractedly, his heart pounding hard. â€Å"Excuse me for a minute, okay?† He ducked out into the hal , took a deep breath, and opened the envelope. Inside was more thick fancy paper with cal igraphy on it and a narrow piece of black fabric. He read: Fortis Aeturnus For generations, the best and brightest of Dalcrest College have been chosen to join the Vitale Society. This year, you have been selected. Should you wish to accept this honor and become one of us, come tomorrow night at eight o'clock to the main campus gate. You must be blindfolded and dressed as befits a serious occasion. Tell no one. The little pulse of excitement in Matt's chest increased until he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He sank down along the wal and took a deep breath. He'd heard stories about the Vitale Society. The handful of Well-known actors, famous writers, and great Civil War general that Dalcrest counted among their alumni were al rumored to have been members. To belong to the legendary society was supposed to ensure your success, to link you to an incredible secret network that would help you throughout your life. More than that, there was talk of mysterious deeds, of secrets revealed only to members. And they were supposed to have amazing parties. But they were just gossip, the stories of the Vitale Society, and no one ever straight-out admitted to belonging to it. Matt always figured the secret society was a myth. The col ege itself so vehemently denied any knowledge of the Vitale Society that Matt suspected the admissions people might have made the whole thing up, trying to make the col ege seem a little more exclusive and mysterious than it real y was. But here – he looked down at the creamy paper clutched in his hands – was evidence that al the stories might be true. It could be a joke, he supposed, a trick someone was playing on a few of the freshmen. It didn't feel like a joke, though. The seal, the wax, the expensive paper; it seemed like a lot of effort to go to if the invitation wasn't genuine. The most exclusive, most secret society at Dalcrest was real. And they wanted him.

What Are AP Exams and Tests

What Are AP Exams and Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP Tests may seem like intimidating obstacles, but if you’ve done well in the corresponding AP classes, you shouldn’t have too much trouble earning a high score. Good AP Test scores can help you in the college admissions process and may evenearn you college credits. In this article, I’ll give you an overview of what AP exams are, why they matter, and how scoring works across a variety of different tests and subject areas. What Are AP Tests? What’s the Point of Taking Them? AP Tests take place at the end of AP classes, and they’re used as a means of assessing how much you learned in the class and whether your experience merits college credit. You can also prepare for AP Tests independently outside of the course if you don't feel totally comfortable with the material after going over it in class. Essentially, AP Tests are a standardized way of validating your course record.They’re a measure used to control for poorly taught AP classes where students earn As but don’t actually know the material. Although AP curriculum is supposed to be consistent at every school, teachers have a lot of freedom in how they teach the subject and grade the class.AP Tests help to ensure that students have actually learned and absorbed the information and deserve the appropriate credit. You can earn college creditsfor high AP Test scores at most schools, and your scores may also help you to place out of introductory classes.Doing well on AP tests can mean finishing college early or avoiding college classes in subjects that are repetitive for you.In the next section, I’ll get into more specifics about the grading scale for AP tests and how some of the most popular tests are structured. Ugh, I wish I could skip Coloring 101. I already know all of this stuff, and I haven't even thought about eating any of the crayons. What Does the Grading Scale and Format Look Like on Different AP Exams? There are some consistencies in scoring and format throughout all AP exams, but there are also big differences in the times and score percentages devoted to certain types of questions across different tests.I’ll give you some overall information about the grading scale and then provide details about the specific formats of tests in various subject areas. Overall Facts AP exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest.This is how the College Board defines each score: 5 = extremely well qualified 4 = well qualified3 = qualified2 = possibly qualified1 = no recommendation â€Å"Qualified† indicates that you’re capable of doing the equivalent of the work required for a college-level introductory course in the AP subject.Most colleges will give credit for students scoring a 4s or 5s on AP tests, and some will even give credit for 3s. This can vary depending on the test. On an AP test that's considered more difficult, you might get credit for a 3. On a less challenging test, you might need to score a 5 to earn college credit. Every AP exam has a multiple choice section, which is scored by computer, and a free response or essay section, which is scored by college professors and AP teachers.On multiple choice, there are no point deductions for incorrect answers. (This is a recent policy change in line with the new SAT, which has also done away with point deductions.) Scores on the two sections of AP Tests are combined to form your composite score on a scale of 1 to 5. One thing you should keep in mind about AP test scores is that you don’t need to get everything right on the test to get a 5 or a â€Å"perfect† score.It’s not like the SAT, where messing up on one question can crush your dreams of an 800.Scaling is different for each exam, but in general even if you only get 70% of the questions correct, you can still end up with a 5.Read more details about how AP tests are scored here. Next, I’ll give you an idea of the specific structures of AP exams in different subjects so that you’ll know what to expect. Your pencil will be thrilled to spend more time with you on the free response sections of AP Tests. It doesn't know that its feelings may not be reciprocated. Science and Math APs AP Biology The AP Biology exam is three hours long in total.It is also divided into two sections, the first of which consists of a multiple choice portion and a very short grid-in portion.You will have to answer 63 multiple choice questions and six grid-in questions in 90 minutes.The grid-in questions are essentially short answer math and science problems; you will need to calculate the answers and enter them into a grid on your answer sheet. The second section of the test is also 90 minutes long and consists of eight open response questions (six short response and two long response).Each section on the AP Biology exam is worth 50% of your score. AP Chemistry The AP Chemistry exam is three hours and 15 minutes long.The multiple choice section has 60 questions and is 90 minutes long.The free response section has seven questions, four short response and three long response, and it is an hour and 45 minutes long. Like on AP Biology, each section is worth 50% of your score. AP Calculus BC The AP Calculus BC exam is three hours and 15 minutes long. The multiple choice section consists of 45 questions divided into calculator and no calculator sections that last an hour and 45 minutes total. The free response section consists of six questions lasting an hour and 30 minutes, also divided into calculator and no calculator sections. Your calculator won't be there to support you on every section of the AP Calculus exam. But don't worry, it always has you in its thoughts. Social Studies APs AP Psychology The AP Psychology exam is a bit shorter than most of the other AP Tests, clocking in at just two hours total.The multiple choice section consists of 100 questions answered over the course of 70 minutes. This section makes up two thirds of your score.The free response section consists of two questions to be answered in 50 minutes. This section makes up the remaining third of your score. AP US History The AP US History exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long in total.It is divided into two sections, the first of which consists of a multiple choice portion and a short answer portion.The multiple choice portion contains 55 questions and is 55 minutes long. This is worth 40% of your total score.The short answer portion contains four questions and is 50 minutes long. This is worth 20% of your total score. The second section of the test consists of two longer open response questions.First is the document-based question (so called because your answer will require you to consult a certain primary source document) for which you are given 55 minutes. This is worth 25% of your total score.You will also have to answer one of two long essay questions for which you are given 35 minutes. This question is worth 15% of your total score. The AP US History exam will take you on a wild ride through the meandering underground streets of this country's past. If you're a thrill seeker, oh boy, look forward to this one! Language and Literature APs AP English Literature and Composition The AP English test is three hours long. The multiple choice section has 55 questions and lasts an hour. The free response section has three questions and lasts for two hours. The multiple choice section of the test is worth 45% of your score, and the free response section is worth 55% of your score. AP Spanish Language and Culture This exam is three hours long. The multiple choice section consists of two parts and is 95 minutes long. You'll answer questions about Spanish texts on the first part and audio recordings on the second part. The free response consists of four parts and is 85 minutes long. You will be asked to write an email reply and a persuasive essay. You will also have to respond to conversational prompts in Spanish and do a mini-presentation on a cultural topic in Spanish. The multiple choice and free response sections are each worth 50% of your score. That's right, for language AP tests you'll have to actually speak the language. I was shocked as well. Art APs AP Music Theory The AP Music Theory test is two hours and 40 minutes long. The multiple choice section consists of 75 questions divided into two sections, one of which relies on auditory cues and one that is non-auditory. The whole section is 80 minutes long and makes up 45% of your score. The free response section consists of seven written exercises (70 minutes total) and two sight-singing exercises (10 minutes total). These two sections make up the other 55% of your score. AP Art History This exam is three hours long in total. The multiple choice section is an hour long and has 80 questions. The free response section takes up the remaining two hours. It has two 30-minute essay questions and four 15-minute essay questions. The multiple choice and free response sections each make up 50% of your score. I don't understand how people made incredibly complex sculptures like this, but if you take AP Art History, you might find out. Conclusion So what are AP exams, overall? AP examsassess your knowledge of AP course material and determine whether you are qualified to test out of similar introductory courses in college.A high score on an AP Test indicates that you are capable of working at the college level in the subject.The highest score you can earn on an AP Test is a 5, and the lowest is a 1; most schools will accept 4s and 5s (sometimes even 3s) as scores worthy of college credit.All AP Tests have both multiple choice and free response sections, but they are structured differently and may be different lengths depending on the subject. Keep in mind that AP Tests and classes may or may not be good choices for you based on your academic track record in high school and goals for college. You can read more about which AP classes (if any) you should take in this article.Your ideal AP courses and exams will vary depending on the type of student you are. You shouldn't force yourself to take classes that will drag down your GPA or that don't interest you just for the sake of earning more AP credit. If you know you'll be taking some AP courses, try to familiarize yourself with the format and timing of the corresponding tests before the end of the school year.Taking practice tests and doing sample questions will help you get accustomed to the way the tests work and enable you to earn college credit! What's Next? You may be wondering when the AP Tests are offered so that you can plan ahead. Here's a list of AP Test dates for 2016. Which AP Tests are more difficult? That can depend on your strengths as a student, but there are certain tests that are notorious for being especially cahllengin. Read more about the hardest AP Tests here. Does your school offer AP and IB? Are you curious about the differences between the two? Take a look at this article to learn whether AP or IB will be a better fit for your needs. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 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:

See a Timeline of Gun Control in the United States

See a Timeline of Gun Control in the United States The gun control debate in the United States goes back to the nations founding, when the framers of the Constitution first wrote the Second Amendment, allowing private citizens to keep and bear arms. Gun control became a much bigger topic shortly after the November 22, 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedys death increased public awareness of the relative lack of control over the sale and possession of firearms in America. Until 1968, handguns, rifles, shotguns, and ammunition were commonly sold over the counter and through mail-order catalogs and magazines to just about any adult anywhere in the nation. However, Americas history of federal and state laws regulating private ownership of firearms goes back much farther. 1791 The Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, gains final ratification. The Second Amendment reads: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. 1837 Georgia passes a law banning handguns. The law is ruled unconstitutional by the  U.S. Supreme Court  and is thrown out. 1865 In a reaction to emancipation, several southern states adopt black codes which, among other things, forbid black persons from possessing firearms. 1871 The National Rifle Association (NRA) is organized around its primary goal of improving American civilians marksmanship in preparation for war. 1927 The  U.S. Congress  passes a law banning the mailing of concealable weapons. 1934 The  National Firearms Act of 1934, regulating the manufacture, sale and possession of fully automatic firearms like sub-machine guns is approved by Congress. 1938 The  Federal Firearms Act of 1938  places the first limitations on selling ordinary firearms. Persons selling guns are required to obtain a  Federal Firearms License, at an annual cost of $1, and to maintain records of the name and address of persons to whom firearms are sold. Gun sales to persons convicted of violent felonies were prohibited. 1968 The  Gun Control Act of 1968  is enacted for the purpose of â€Å"keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.† The act regulates imported guns, expands the gun-dealer licensing and record-keeping requirements, and places specific limitations on the sale of handguns. The list of persons banned from buying guns is expanded to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs. 1972 The federal  Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms  (ATF) is created, listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws. The ATF issues firearms licenses and conducts firearms licensee qualification and compliance inspections. 1977 The District of Columbia enacts an anti-handgun law which also requires registration of all rifles and shotguns within the District of Columbia. 1986 The  Armed Career Criminal Act  increases penalties for possession of firearms by persons not qualified to own them under the Gun Control Act of 1986. The Firearms Owners Protection Act (Public Law 99-308) relaxes some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales and establishes mandatory penalties for use of firearms during the commission of a crime. The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (Public Law 99-408) bans possession of cop killer bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing. 1988 President Ronald Reagan signs the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988, making it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm that is not as detectable by walk-through metal detectors. The law prohibited guns not containing enough metal to trigger security screening machines found in airports, courthouses and other secure areas accessible to the public. 1989 California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, Calif., school playground. 1990 The Crime Control Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-647) bans the manufacturing and importing semiautomatic assault weapons in the United States. Gun-free school zones are established, carrying specific penalties for violations. 1994 The  Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act  imposes a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns. The  Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994  prohibits the sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of several specific types of assault-type weapons for a 10-year period. However, the law expires on September 13, 2004, after Congress fails to reauthorize it. 1997 The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of  Printz v. United States, declares the background check requirement of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act unconstitutional. The Florida Supreme Court upholds a jurys $11.5 million verdict against Kmart for selling a gun to an intoxicated man who used the gun to shoot his estranged girlfriend. Major American gun manufacturers voluntarily agree to include child safety trigger devices on all new handguns. June 1998 A Justice Department report indicates the blocking of some 69,000 handgun sales during 1997 when the Brady Bill pre-sale background checks were required. July 1998 An amendment requiring a trigger lock mechanism to be included with every handgun sold in the United States is defeated in the Senate. But the Senate approves an amendment requiring gun dealers to have trigger locks available for sale and creating federal grants for gun safety and education programs. October 1998 New Orleans becomes the first U.S. city to file suit against gunmakers, firearms trade associations, and gun dealers. The citys suit seeks recovery of costs attributed to gun-related violence. Nov. 12, 1998 Chicago files a $433 million suit against local gun dealers and makers alleging that oversupplying local markets provided guns to criminals. Nov. 17, 1998 A negligence suit against gunmaker Beretta brought by the family of a 14-year-old boy killed by another boy with a Beretta handgun is dismissed by a California jury. Nov. 30, 1998 Permanent provisions of the Brady Act go into effect. Gun dealers are now required to initiate a pre-sale criminal background check of all gun buyers through the newly created  National Instant Criminal Background Check  (NICS) computer system. Dec. 1, 1998 The NRA files suit in federal court attempting to block the FBIs collection of information on firearm buyers. Dec. 5, 1998 President  Bill Clinton  announces that the instant background check system had prevented 400,000 illegal gun purchases. The claim was called misleading by the NRA. January 1999 Civil suits against gunmakers seeking to recover costs of gun-related violence were filed in Bridgeport, Conn., and Miami-Dade County, Fla. April 20, 1999 At Columbine High School near Denver, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shoot and kill 12 other students and a teacher, and wound 24 others before killing themselves. The attack renews debate on the need for more restrictive gun control laws. May 20, 1999 By a 51-50 vote, with the tie-breaker vote cast by  Vice President  Al Gore, the  U.S. Senate  passes a bill requiring trigger locks on all newly manufactured handguns and extending waiting period and background check requirements to sales of firearms at gun shows. Aug. 24, 1999 The Los Angeles County, Calif., Board of Supervisors votes 3-2 to ban the Great Western Gun Show, billed as the Worlds Largest Gun Show from the Pomona fairgrounds where it had been held for the last 30 years. Sept. 13, 2004 After lengthy and heated debate, Congress allows the 10-year-old Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banning the sale of 19 types of military-style assault weapons to expire. December 2004 Congress fails to continue funding for President  George W. Bush’s  2001 gun control program,  Project Safe Neighborhoods. Massachusetts becomes the first state to implement an electronic instant gun buyer background check system with fingerprint scanning for gun licenses and gun purchases. January 2005 California bans the manufacture, sale, distribution or import of the powerful .50-caliber BMG, or Browning machine gun rifle. October 2005 President Bush signs the  Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act  limiting the ability of victims of crimes in which guns were used to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers. The law includes an amendment requiring all new guns to come with trigger locks. January 2008 In a move supported by both opponents and advocates of gun control laws, President Bush signs the  National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act  requiring gun-buyer background checks to screen for legally declared mentally ill individuals, who are ineligible to buy firearms. June 26, 2008 In its landmark decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment affirmed the rights of individuals to own firearms. The ruling also overturns a 32-year-old ban on the sale or possession of handguns in the District of Columbia. February 2010 A federal law signed by President  Barack Obama  took effect allowing licensed gun owners to bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law. Dec. 9, 2013 The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988, requiring that all guns must contain enough metal to be detectable by security screening machines was extended through 2035. July 29, 2015 In an effort to close the so-called â€Å"gun show loophole† allowing gun sales conducted without Brady Act background checks, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) introduces the  Fix Gun Checks Act of 2015  (H.R. 3411), to require background checks for all gun sales, including sales made over the internet and at gun shows. June 12, 2016 President Obama again calls on Congress to enact or renew a law prohibiting the sale and possession of assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines after a man identified as Omar Mateen kills 49 people in an Orlando, Fla., gay nightclub on June 12, using an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. In a call to 911 he made during the attack, Mateen told police he had pledged his allegiance to the radical Islamic terrorist group ISIS. September 2017 A bill titled â€Å"Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act,† or SHARE Act (H.R. 2406) advances to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. While the main purpose of the bill is to expand access to public land for, hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, a provision added by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) called The Hearing Protection Act would reduce the current federal restrictions on purchasing firearm silencers, or suppressors. Currently, the restrictions on silencer purchases are similar to those for machine guns, including extensive background checks, waiting periods, and transfer taxes. Duncan’s provision would eliminate those restrictions. Backers of Duncan’s provision argue that it would help recreational hunters and shooters protect themselves from hearing loss. Opponents say it would make it harder for police and civilians to locate the source of gunfire, potentially resulting in more casualties. Witnesses to the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, reported that the gunfire coming from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Resort sounded like â€Å"popping† that was at first mistaken as fireworks. Many argue that the inability to hear the gunshots made the shooting even more deadly. Oct. 1, 2017 Barely over a year after the Orlando shooting, a man identified as Stephen Craig Paddock opens fire on an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas. Shooting from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, Paddock kills at least 59 people and wounds more than 500 others.   Among the at least 23 firearms found in Paddock’s room were legally-purchased, semi-automatic AR-15 rifles which had been fitted with commercially-available accessories known as â€Å"bump stocks,† which allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired as if in fully-automatic mode of up to nine rounds per second. Under a law enacted in 2010, bump stocks are treated as legal, after-market accessories. In the aftermath of the incident, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for laws specifically banning bump stocks, while others have also called for a renewal of the assault weapons ban. Oct. 4, 2017 Less than a week after the Las Vegas shooting, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduces the â€Å"Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act† that would ban the sale and possession of bump stocks and other devices that allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire like a fully-automatic weapon. The bill states: â€Å"It shall be unlawful for any person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a trigger crank, a bump-fire device or any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun.† Oct. 5, 2017 Sen. Feinstein introduces the  Background Check Completion Act. Feinstein  says the bill would close a loophole in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Feinstein said: â€Å"Current law allows gun sales to proceed after 72 hours- even if background checks aren’t approved. This is a dangerous loophole that could allow criminals and those with mental illness to complete their purchase of firearms even though it would be unlawful for them to possess them.† The Background Check Completion Act would require that a background check be fully completed before any gun buyer who purchases a gun from a federally-licensed firearms dealer (FFL) can take possession of the gun. Feb. 21, 2018 Just days after the February 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Donald Trump orders the Justice Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to review bump fire stocks- devices that allow a semi-automatic rifle to be fired similar to a fully-automatic weapon. Trump had previously indicated that he might support a new  federal regulation  banning the sale of such devices.   White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters: â€Å"The President, when it comes to that, is committed to ensuring that those devices are- again, Im not going to get ahead of the announcement, but I can tell you that the president doesnt support use of those accessories.† On February 20, Sanders stated that the president would support â€Å"steps† to raise the current minimum age for buying military-style weapons, such as the AR-15- the weapon used in the Parkland shooting- from 18 to 21. â€Å"I think thats certainly something thats on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks,† Sanders said.   July 31 2018 U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle issued a temporary restraining blocking the release of blueprints that could be used to produce untraceable and undetectable 3D-printable plastic guns. Assembled from ABS plastic parts, 3D guns are firearms that can be made with a computer-controlled 3D printer. The judge acted partly in response to a lawsuit filed against the federal government by several states to block the release of blueprints for 3D-printed plastic guns. Judge Lasnik’s order banned the Austin, Texas-based gun rights group Defense Distributed from allowing the public to download the blueprints from its website. â€Å"There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made,† Lasnik wrote. Before the restraining order, plans for assembling a variety of guns, including an AR-15-style rifle and a Beretta M9 handgun could be downloaded from the Defense Distributed website. Shortly after the restraining order was issued, President Donald Trump (realDonaldTrump) tweeted, â€Å"I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!† The NRA said in a statement that anti-gun politicians and certain members of the press had wrongly claimed that 3D printing technology will allow for the production and widespread proliferation of undetectable plastic firearms. August 2019 In the wake of three mass shootings in Gilroy, Calif.; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio in the span of two weeks that left a total of almost three dozen people dead, a new push was made in Congress for gun control measures. Among the proposals were stronger background checks and limits on high-capacity magazines. Red flag laws also were proposed to allow police or family members to file a court petition to remove firearms from individuals who might pose a danger to themselves or others.

Occupational Safety and Health as a profession Essay - 1

Occupational Safety and Health as a profession - Essay Example Occupational and environmental health and safety nurses, safety professionals, industrials hygienists, occupational health psychologists and occupational medicine physicians, are some of the occupational health and safety professionals. Other professionals that form a wider team of occupational safety and health multidisciplinary include toxicologists, human resource specialists, ergonomists, industrial or organizational psychologists and epidemiologists. These professionals have been accredited through certain specific procedures to practice occupational safety and health profession or offer services under occupational safety and health sector in accordance with the Regulation Act. Currently, there are no standards specific for occupational safety and health professionals. Work safety in almost all areas of the economy was worsened by the economic boom and the associated turnover in the labor that took place during the World War II (Fairris 187-203). However, as long-term forces reasserted themselves after 1945, accident declined again. In addition, nearly all powerful labor unions, after the World War II, played an increasingly fundamental role in safety at workplace. There were also increasing injury rates that were brought about by the economic expansion during the 1960s. It is important to note that OSHA took pre-eminence once the Massachusetts as a state began the inspections of factories, after the industrial revolution. Laws were put in place to safeguard the state workers and ensure their safety in 1913, thus, they were ratified in the constitution. This implies that the employers were responsible for the injuries accrued by their employees during working hours. In subsequent years, in 1969, the Department of Mines and Minerals was effected to cover the employees a year before the whole industry was covered by the OSHA act. Due to this increase and the increasing political pressures, the Congress, in 1970, was forced

Deadly Force - Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deadly Force - - Research Paper Example The articles are being compared and contrasted so that a positive outcome could be drawn as a result of the study. Overview of the Articles In his article â€Å"Emergency Vehicle Safety† published in February 2012, Thomas J. Connelly advocates the importance of the emergency vehicles safety for the police officers and the general public when they are performing various functions, such as chasing traffic violators, in metropolitan cities or patrolling in their assigned areas. The importance of vehicles or cars for a police officer is apparent. He further stated that during his years in law enforcement, 20-30% of police officers died as a result of motor vehicle collisions and many of the officers sustained intense injuries due to the motor vehicle collisions. Eventually, he postulated that when an officer drives his/her car at high speed, the risk of collision increases, and this threatens not only his/her life but also the lives of innocent pedestrians. Considering the fact, t he author of the article stated that many types of equipment installed in the officer’s car often distract the driver in one or the other way, and this ultimately leads to fatal collisions. Concurrently, he advocated that police officers should be provided with necessary training at regular intervals. He put stress on reviewing current policies and procedures as an integral part of the training and emphasized the integration of innovative technologies required to halt the prevailing trend (Connelly, 2012). McDermott and Hulse in their article â€Å"Focus on Training† published in June 2012 in FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin stress on improving the performance of the police personnel through positive feedback techniques. They outlined the importance of supervisors in providing necessary and corrective feedback to the police personnel so that these personnel, after receiving feedback, can initiate the process of bringing in requisite changes in their performances. They repo rted that police personnel are recruited and trained, and further their performances are supervised in terms of tactical skills, human interactions and communication skills. Accordingly, the role of supervisors and their skills became vital for providing corrective feedback to the concerned personnel so that the personnel can identify their weaknesses and work on improving their performances. The authors advocated that a Field Training Officer (FTO) is responsible for providing corrective feedback to the respective recruits; they also argued that the response from the various recruits may not be same, and in such circumstances the role of FTO becomes even more crucial (McDermott & Hulse, 2012). In his article â€Å"Crowd Management† published in August 2012 in FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, the author Mike Masterson focuses on effective crowd management task of the police officers. He stated that crowd management is one of the most important tasks performed by the police perso nnel and further stressed the factor that every police personnel must know their roles while managing the crowd effectively. Concurrently, he added that every police officer dealing with the crowd should display respect and courtesy towards the public irrespective of their race, religion and gender. Eventually, the police personnel should promote peace in a congregation of the people, and in order to accomplish such goals, they must rely on soft approach and should engage in effective dialogue with the organizers of an event owing to which the