Analyzing Countee Cullen’s poem “Incident”

The poem â€Å"Incident† (1925) is one Countee Cullen’s famous literary works which essentially narrates the experience of the speaker in Baltimore at a young age. Although Cullen is considered as Black, he did not want other people to refer to him as a Black poet but simply a poet for he believes that poetry is without race. In Countee Cullen’s poem, the speaker narrates the treatment the speaker received from a Baltimorean of almost the same age which reflects the idea that during those times discrimination based on color is evident. Being called a â€Å"Nigger† in the poem, the speaker attempts to emphasize the idea that the social atmosphere in Baltimore during those days was not conducive to Blacks. In analyzing the poem, I intend to use the structuralist frameworks of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes. Although both are huge thinkers under the umbrella of semiology, there are apparent distinctions between the approaches taken by both philosophers. Moreover, these distinctions will help us look deeper into the poem from seemingly distinct point of views, thereby allowing the reader to acknowledge the fact that, under the helm of structuralism, there are structural relationships between concepts and that these relationships differ among various cultures or languages. Consequently, the theory asserts that these relationships can be explored and substantially exposed with an underlying purpose. In essence, the paper attempts to critically analyze Countee Cullen's poem â€Å"Incident† by using the structuralist theoretical frameworks of Roland Barthes and Ferdinand de Saussure. The analysis further attempts to elucidate several significant contentions embedded into the poem. Ferdinand de Saussure: signifier and signified Ferdinand de Saussure is the proponent of the dualistic notion of signs where he proposed the idea of signifier and signified. In essence, a signifier is the phrase uttered or the form of the word expressed while on the other hand a signified is a mental concept. Saussure further proposed that the signifier can be related to the signified or that there is a relationship between the two concepts. Distancing himself from the Platonic doctrine of the relationship between the signifier and the object it signifies, Saussure rather contended that there is no apparent or necessary connection between the sign and its presumed meaning. His contention rests on his presumption that the sign by nature is entirely arbitrary which corresponds to the idea that one can come up with a sign for a certain object yet there is no necessary or fixed connection between the signifier and its meaning for the reason that the sign is arbitrarily created. Perhaps Ferdinand de Saussure is also known for his claim that no word is inherently meaningful primarily because a word serves only as a signifier or as the representation of an object. Further, the signifier should be corroborated with the signified or the thing itself within the brain so as to create a meaning-imbued ‘sign'. Roland Barthes: bourgeois interrogations Roland Barthes can be credited for the claim that semiology is of substantial help in interrogating fragments of cultural material in order to reveal how the bourgeois society used these fragments of cultural material in order to assert the values of the bourgeois society upon other individuals. He explained that the ‘myths' created by the bourgeois society are mere significations or second-order signs such as the case where the portrayal of wine as a lively and healthy habit in the societies in France is an ideal perception of these bourgeois societies which, on the other hand, are contradicted by several realities such as the reality that wine can also be inebriating as well as unhealthy. Critical literary analysis In the first two lines of the poem, it can be noted that the speaker was traveling or, more precisely, â€Å"riding in old Baltimore† who appears to be happy that day. While riding, the speaker saw a Baltimorean kept on â€Å"looking straight† at the speaker. These first two lines give us the idea that there is a differing attitude of local Baltimoreans during those days towards Black people. At this point in the poem, it can be noted that a Black individual with a â€Å"heart-filled, head-filled with glee† is an ironic statement since Baltimore, Maryland has a history of Black slavery (Phillips 18). Hence, a Black individual roaming the locality of Baltimore with a cheerful countenance appears to strike the attention of those who have lived there and those who have an understanding of the historical context of the society. Hence, it is no surprise that the Baltimorean kept â€Å"looking straight† at the speaker. In the context of Saussure, the concept of â€Å"old Baltimore† may suggest the presumption that it may not necessarily be the case that the area of â€Å"Baltimore† is not to be taken strictly in the sense of being â€Å"old† in terms of age. Rather, there may still be other ‘meanings' which can be attached to it such as the concept of being ‘weak', ‘physically impaired', or ‘handicapped' in many different ways such as handicapped in terms of being able to provide the protection for its citizens or individuals who are situated in Baltimore. These are just a few of the possible meanings which can be attached to the concept of ‘old Baltimore'. Saussure opens several other possibilities other than what Cullen explicitly states in his poem. In essence, these first two lines indicate that the whole poem is open to several interpretations. The contention of structuralists can be juxtaposed with the reality during the time when the poem was written. Being a state that held slaves of which it was made legal prior to 1850 and where Blacks had a significant presence in the locality, the history of Baltimore and the larger state of Maryland encapsulates a significant degree of importance on the social roles and identity of blacks during those times. In the poem, the speaker highlights the fact that, although Blacks took an important role in the development of Baltimore historically speaking, treatment towards them from local people was still tainted with a discriminatory nature. Roland Barthes, for this matter, will contend that the concept of ‘old Baltimore' may reveal the idea that Baltimore is equivalent to that of a bourgeois society who maintained slavery as a common practice in order to sustain the perception that it is ideal in the promotion of the welfare of the whole society. In the second stanza of the poem, the speaker narrates his experience that time when he was â€Å"eight and very small†. Eventually, after noticing the Baltimorean who kept looking, the speaker â€Å"smiled† knowing that the Baltimorean â€Å"was no whit bigger†. The speaker, then, tried to highlight the idea that, while Blacks attempted to portray a cheerful countenance or at least a normal perception of their society that for once held their race as slaves, their society in return gave them a negative response. This is made evident in the last two lines in the second stanza of the poem where the Baltimorean â€Å"poked out his tongue† and called the speaker â€Å"Nigger† even though the speaker merely â€Å"smiled† at him. The act of poking out the tongue is a gesture that is commonly taken to mean as an unkind gesture, one that depicts sarcasm, mockery, or an insult towards one’s being. Moreover, for a child, the act of poking out the tongue towards somebody of almost the same age or size is an act that shows hatred, disgust, or ideas similar to that. Apparently, this observation reinforces the contention of Roland Barthes that, indeed, there is an underlying bourgeois precept lingering in Baltimore during those times. What is more striking is that the Baltimorean did not only make the gesture of poking out his tongue. He also called the speaker â€Å"Nigger† which, during those early days, translates into a form of mockery or insult. It highlights the idea that, by calling a person â€Å"Nigger†, that person is treated to be as someone who belongs to the lower levels of the larger society. And while Maryland is historically known to have made slavery legal back in the 1800s (Phillips 18), Black people would have been treated as lesser than being human beings. In essence, Barthes' contention of an underlying bourgeois precept in Baltimore during those days is easily seen in the poem. The system of slavery and the racial prejudice present the idea that these concepts are significations where, perhaps, the Baltimorean society altered the way in which the perceptions of races are viewed in order to favor the bias towards the white race and heighten the prejudice towards the Blacks. In the poem where the speaker is called by the Baltimorean as â€Å"Nigger†, one can note the idea that there is social segregation or the idea that there is the separation or delineation of Blacks from the rest of those who lived in the area. By suggesting the idea of social segregation, the poem attempts emphasize the separate treatment for Blacks, delegating them under a lower status and social indifference. It gives us the sense that, while there are perceived demarcations in social hierarchy at least in the context of Baltimore, Maryland, there remains the larger truth that slavery poses a great deal of role in this demarcation. Roland Barthes might very well agree with these contentions for the reason that the social indifference towards the Blacks is a result of the significations brought about by the individuals who hold the financial foundations for the means of building or maintaining the society. As a child of eight years, the psychological effects of the experience of being called a â€Å"Nigger† is emotionally or psychologically devastating which is the idea being presented in the last stanza (Piaget 81). In the third and final stanza, the speaker narrates that he was able to see and experience â€Å"the whole of Baltimore from May until December.† For some reason, the speaker went on to stay in Baltimore for almost seven months, lingering with various people in the place and experiencing many other things as a child of eight years. And during those seven months and â€Å"of all the things that happened there†, the speaker is only able to remember the day when he was given an indifferent treatment from the Baltimorean. Saussure may suggest the idea that the psychological impact of that experience which lingered for all those months, and even perhaps until the speaker grew older, is still open to further interpretation. When an individual is still able to remember every detail of an event or experience that transpired long ago, it might entail that the event or experience was unforgettable which was greatly absorbed into the memory of the person. It suggests the idea that being called a â€Å"Nigger† will not be forgotten. On the other hand, it might also entail that event being signified is relatively flexible in terms of interpretation such that the event experienced by the narrator will apparently be forgotten. In essence, what Saussure might suggest is the presumption that these events, including all of the signifiers and signified concepts and the relationships that appear to be involved, have no fixed meanings. These things are subject to human interpretation as the meanings of these things are not in any way fixed. Works Cited Cullen, Countee. â€Å"Incident.†Ã‚   Caroling Dusk: An Anthology of Verse by Black Poets of the Twenties. New York, N.Y.: Citadel, 1993. 187. Phillips, Christopher. â€Å"Slavery and the Growth of Baltimore.†Ã‚   Freedom's Port: The African American Community of Baltimore, 1790-1860 (Blacks in the New World). Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997. 18. Piaget, Jean. â€Å"Memory and the Structure of Imge-Memories.†Ã‚   The Psychology of the Child. New York, N.Y.: Basic Books, 2000. 81.   

Management Information System at Dell

Management information system involves the information system and the organization. MIS begins where computer science ends. Computer scientists deserve accolades for developing and delivering even more advanced forms of information technology: hardware technology; software technology; and network technology. Yet because no technology implements itself, there is more to MIS than just information technology. MIS has dimensions. The four interrelated dimensions of MIS are as follows: First, MIS involves not just information technology, but also its instantiation; second, MIS involves, as reactive and inextricable elements, both an information system and its organizational context; third, MIS involves information technology as a form of intellectual technology; and fourth, MIS involves the activities of a profession or corporate function which are integral to the essence of what MIS is (Currie & Galliers, 1999). Dell Computer Corporation: Company Background Dell Computer Corporation is a major manufacturer of personal computers, computer peripherals, and software. Among the leading producers of computers in the world, Dell sells its products directly to customers through the Internet and mail-order catalogs rather than through retail outlets. The company is based in Round Rock, Texas. At Dell Computers, customers are brought into the product planning and manufacturing processes, with all employees encouraged having contact with customers. Through effective collaboration across boundaries, ideas can be shared about product designs and value propositions. The result is faster and more customer-focused product and service innovation. To produce the capacity for this, considerable attention must be placed on organizational structures, processes, skills and culture. Such elements may need a radical overhaul in established companies (Dennis & Harris, 2002). Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. In 1983, during his freshman year at the University of Texas, he bought excess nventory of RAM chips and disk drives for IBM personal computers from local dealers. He resold the components through newspaper advertisements at prices far below retail cost. By 1984, his sales totaled about $80,000 a month. In April 1984, Dell dropped out of school to launch his company (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). The new company soon began manufacturing its own IBM-compatible computers under the name PCs Limited. Because Dell sold computers directly to users through advertisements in magazines and catalogs, the company could price its machines lower than those sold through retail stores. Sales reached nearly $6 million during the company’s first year, climbing to $34 million the following year. By 1987, Dell was the leading mail-order computer company in the United States. In that year, it created a sales force to target large corporations and began adding international offices to capture the direct-mail market outside the United States (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). While the company continued to grow rapidly; Dell experienced a series of setbacks that hurt profits. In 1990, the company began selling computers through retail stores, an effort it abandoned in 1994. In 1991, Dell launched a line of notebook computers, but quality problems and inadequate production planning forced the company to stop selling for a year. In 1994, Dell launched a new line of notebook computers and expanded efforts to increase overseas sales. Dell also began focusing on the market for servers, which used the computers to run local area networks. By the late 1990s, Dell was firmly in place as the world’s number one direct seller of computers. More than 50 percent of the company’s computer sales transactions took place via its website, which generated worldwide sales in excess of $40 million a day (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). Information Processing Tools Information processing or Data processing is the analysis and organization of data. It is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Businesses use data processing for such tasks as payroll preparation, accounting, record keeping, inventory control, sales analysis, and the processing of bank and credit card account statements. Engineers and scientists use data processing for a wide variety of applications, including the processing of seismic data for oil and mineral exploration, the analysis of new product designs, the processing of satellite imagery, and the analysis of data from scientific experiments (Thierauf, 1978). Data processing is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and to an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Data processing is divided into two kinds of processing: database processing and transaction processing. A database is a collection of common records that can be searched, accessed, and modified, such as bank account records, school transcripts, and income tax data. In database processing, a computerized database is used as the central source of reference data for the computations. Transaction processing refers to interaction between two computers in which one computer initiates a transaction and another computer provides the first with the data or computation required for that function. Most modern data processing uses one or more databases at one or more central sites (Thierauf, 1978). Transaction processing is used to access and update the databases when users need to immediately view or add information; other data processing programs are used at regular intervals to provide summary reports of activity and database status. Examples of systems that involve all of these functions are automated teller machines, credit sales terminals, and airline reservation systems (Thierauf, 1978). The information processing tools that Dell uses include computers, the internet, maps, spreadsheets, models, and databases. For the operational level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is maps. Through the said information processing tool, decisions on how to operate the organization can be initialized and made. Maps can be used to determine which country/place information will be acquired from, it can also assist in determining the demographic level of people and information will be gathered. Maps can be in the form of charts that can also provide necessary information. The information gathered in turn can assist in helping to decide how an organization will be operated. For the tactical level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is databases. Through the said information processing tool, the records that can assist in finding out the strength and weakness of the company can be used to determine the tactic that will be used by the organization. For the strategic level of Dell, the most appropriate information processing tool is the internet or World Wide Web. Through the internet, trends and strategies by other companies can be known. After analyzing the trends and strategies used by other companies, an appropriate strategy can be formulated to use by the organization. Inventory control systems Individual businesses need, first and foremost, an efficient inventory control system. This implies the minimum amount of inventory that will provide the consumers with what they need whenever and wherever they need it. Effectiveness of the inventory system means basically having an inventory mix that is most likely successful in satisfying consumer needs (Samli & Sirgy, 1995). The inventory control systems used by Dell is up to date and reliable to prevent problems to arise. The inventory system of Dell makes sure that anything the consumer need will be available to them at any given time. It is also what the company uses to know if certain products are still available or misuse of the inventory system may cost problems to the company. Conclusion Management information system involves the information system and the organization. Dell benefits a lot from the management information system. The system helps the company create strategies that will help the company conquer any problems and threats from competitors. The system also assists the company in processing the needed information. Management Information Systems also helps a company to create or update its inventory control system. Recommendations Since the MIS of a company is a vital part of its operations and its survival in the modern world, it must be well updated and it must compete well with MIS’s competitors. The MIS of a company should be created from high standards so that it can be of stiff competition against its counterparts. The MIS system should help the company to achieve its goals and assist the company in reaching its potential

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Transition to IPv6 (PROVISIONAL) - Essay Example The IP address which is issued permanently is referred to as a static IP address while that issued every time the device boots is referred to as a dynamic IP address. The static IP addresses are manually issued by the administrator and the procedure used usually varies across different platforms. (Wu, et al., 2012) Dynamic IP addresses on the other hand can be assigned by the computer interface, the host software or even by the server using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Although IP addresses assigned through DCHP will stay the same for long periods of time, it is possible for them to generally change. An administrator may for instance implement static IP addresses dynamically. A DCHP server is used in this case but it is configured to always assign the same IP address to a given computer. This is advantageous in that it allows central configuration of static IP addresses without specifically configuring each computer on the network manually (Amoss & Minoli, 2007). In the case of the absence of static or DCHP address configurations or failure of the same, the operating system hence assigns an IP address to the network. This is done using stateless auto configuration methods. Frequently, IP addresses are assigned on broadband networks and LAN’s dynamically by the DCHP. This protocol is used because it does not require a specific assignment of each device on the network hence relieving the administrator of that burden. The protocol also allows sharing of IP addresses when they are limited, and this is done if some of the devices will be online at a given period of time (Carpenter, et al., 2013). Most recent operating systems have dynamic IP configuration enabled by default. This lessens the work for the user since they don’t have to set up the network settings manually whenever they are connecting to a network having a DCHP server. Apart from DCHP, there are other technologies used to assign IP addresses like

Politeness in english Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Politeness in english - Essay Example 157). The key assumption of this definition is that social friction is generally undesirable and there are several behavioral modes that have historically been gradually developed and can be adequately categorized as being polite. It is believed that if these behavioral modes are adequately applied in society, they will have the result of either preventing friction or at least minimizing its occurrence. Another definition of politeness defines it as being a strategic avoidance of any possible conflict (Watts, 2003, p. 50). Although this definition can be perceived as being concrete, a closer examination of the definition shows that politeness is something that we tend to use rationally and consciously with the sole intent of avoiding conflict.Another proposed definition of politeness defines it as being one of the various constraints of human interaction that is primarily used to aid in the promotion of rapport, the consideration of other’s feelings and the establishment of mu tual comfort (Locher, 2004, p. 76). This definition of politeness equates politeness with a general constraint on human interaction that mainly involves a social injunction preventing one form doing the opposite (Bax and Ka?da?r 106-107). Defining politeness as being either a constraint or a set of various constraints is seen to conveniently help lead us away from any form of objectivist approach to politeness. This is mainly due to the nature of constraints that requires people to learn them on an individual basis through their social interactions and practice. Although researchers can be able to observe the various instances of emergent social practice, they are however unable to adequately observe the constraint itself (Bax and Ka?da?r 106-107). Politeness is found to be a common word that is frequently in everyday use in the English language and has various translations in different languages such as politesse in French and beleefdheid in Dutch. The tem is found to be particular ly established in most scholarly works on pragmatics and linguistics. As is common with most everyday English expressions, politeness is found to be rather fuzzy and hence its susceptibility to having multiple variations based on personal, historical and social differences. It is common for such common terms to often have wider applications than technical terms in the language and there is a tendency for uncertainty to arise in the event that the two happen to be confused. Technical terms are found to often be not everyday expressions and as such have more a generally more specific denotation. This makes it important to clearly distinguish between the basically technical term â€Å"politeness† and the more everyday notion that the term is put to use(Gotti, Dossena&Dury, 2008, p. 5). An analysis of the term politeness as it is used in these contexts can be perceived to be a very worthwhile research both historically and in the different varieties of PDE. This can have the bene fit of providing an ethnographic view of how the different speakers of the English language talk about politeness and the semantics of the word politeness or polite at several different points in the history of the English language (Gotti, Dossena&Dury, 2008, p. 5). Politeness in the English Language The distinction existing between negative and positive politeness that was

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described Essay

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described as a feminist text - Essay Example Additionally, she was drug abused and a lonely woman being suffering the miseries of her life through the hands of his own people. However, she has been shown as a strong woman who takes revenge along with justifying his stance. The storyline is quite captivating in every regard making readers and viewers to enjoy every bit of it (Larsson, 2011). Though, a number of critiques have stated that the movie revolves around the subject of feminist where huge focus has been on highlighting the position and power of women in the society against the men (Newman, 2011). Additionally, with a strong plot, the movie also questions the deeds of men in the society and crimes committed by them in the form of rapes and murders. Being a string gender, the acts of men in the society and especially in the settings of Sweden have been closely analysed through the lenses of feminist approach. On the other hand, the movie supporters stated that the mainly because of the female protagonist, there have been talks about the film being a feminist text but in reality, it touches social issues that need to be understood from women’s’ perspectives (Bourke, 2007). Based on this, the discussion will revolve around analysing the fact to what extent the movie can be described as a feminist text along with discussing about the crime, sexuality, and gender in Sweden in a critical manner. The movie has some serious drama, sexual explicit, physical abuses, rapes, murders, and crime scenes that can be alluring and saddening but showcasing the reality to an extent prevailing in the backdrop of a country like Sweden. The movie shows that the publisher of the Millennium Magazine loses a case involving allegations that were published by him about the billionaire financier Wennerstrom. He was sentenced to three months of imprisonment. The female protagonist in the form of Lisbeth Slander was hired by Vanger, the patriarch of

Annotated Bibliography on The Peloponessian War

On The Peloponessian War - Annotated Bibliography Example Flory Stewart is professor in classical history having developed interest in Latin while at a tender age. He taught at private boarding school in Athens, before returning to Yale to undertake his PhD. In this book, Flory recounts Thucydide’s hypothesis of the Peloponnesian War. By referring to the wars Greeks fighting each other, Athenians against the Spartans, the author gives a radical analysis of the factors that led to the war basing on accounts already presented by Thucydides. Notable in his argument is that the war must have arisen from the progressive rise of a powerful Athenian empire. The radical nature in which Flory uses Thucydide’s hypothesis seems to exemplify his theory even amidst critical remarks from other scholars. Generally, the book is important for any reader who would like to understand the ancient work by Thucydides in details. The classical nature of the book and simple language used makes it appropriate for a modern researcher. This book was written by Donald Kagan, who is an American historian at Yale University having specialized in ancient Greece. The four volume book gives vivid account of destructive war of Greeks against each other, and Athenians against the Spartans. It is a distinguished historical account meant for general readers, providing a new dimension to the examination of Western civilization. The author spent a great deal of time or re-examine the factors that instigated the conflict by reviewing both the ancient texts and accounts of modern scholars. The entire book seems to be informed by the question: Was the war inevitable, or could it have been avoided? Something unique about the author is that he courageously confronted and argued either in favour or against some historical figures, hence giving his view a balanced argumentative structure. Kagan particularly takes an issue with Thucydides’ view

Network Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Network Acquisition - Essay Example   In order to support the first rationale, identification is required of considerable hypothesis and restraint for the solutions that must meet the criteria  In order to secure the requirements and the criteria, alternative methods and concepts are recommended  Moreover, the project plan includes the classification of a business value for a system.   A request of a system demonstrates a comprehensive summary of business requirements along with the integration with the business process in order to develop a business value.   The concerned personnel or department who generates the request also called as project sponsor, works in parallel with the Information system department staff in order to perform feasibility study (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009).   The outcomes of a feasibility study illustrate essential aspects of the proposed project via project sponsor. It involves economic feasibility, organizational feasibility, and organized feasibility. Moreove r, the project sponsor collectivizes all the funding and resources and deploys a project manager during the initiation phase.   Likewise, the concerned project manager requires developing communication with the business departments along with identifying prospects to enhance business processes.   Furthermore, the businesses processes are simplified by the project manager in terms of documentation that is provided to the project sponsor (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009).

Oil and Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oil and Business - Term Paper Example International trade slowed, but still rose because of emerging economies, particularly China and India. However, trade has been affected by the recent hike in oil prices. Furthermore, the publication states that fuel products (oil) saw a relatively lower growth than in previous years, which was due to the high prices of oil in the world market. However, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has increased oil demand growth for 2010 (Brock). Oil is a major commodity in international trade and is one of the most influential commodity to impact business, trade and hence, economies. Today, we will analyze the economics of oil, which would include a detailed analysis into oil prices, and its effects on business and international trade. In the international market, price for every good is determined by market forces. The capitalistic system gives freedom to the market forces, and prices are determined by demand and supply. Demand is the willingness of the consumer to buy at a particular price, whereas supply is the willingness of the producer to produce at a given price. For instance, an increase in demand for oil would increase prices, and an increase in supply of oil would contain or reduce prices. Significant growth in countries like China and Brazil has increased recovery prospects, and hence increased demand. Thus, oil prices have been rising. Oil prices have declined since July of 2008 because of a slump in demand due to a severe global recession. This was also one of the reasons why developed economies consumed less fuel than usual. b) Relationship between Oil and the U.S. Dollar Although the price of oil in the international market is determined by market forces, it is also affected by the U.S. dollar. Oil and the greenback share a negative relationship. Traditionally, an increase in dollar value causes a decrease in crude price, and vice versa. People might wonder as to why oil affects the dollar and the other way round, but how come other currencies and oil price are not related. Commodities such as Oil and Gold are traded in the international market in U.S. dollars, and this has been agreed upon by the Organization of Oil-Exporting Countries (OPEC). Before 1971, the U.S. dollar was backed by gold, and changes in price of oil didn't have an effect on producer profits, as gold had intrinsic value. The U.S. Dollar could be liquidated into gold almost immediately. However, after 1971, dollar was made a fiat currency, and was printed without gold backing. This made it easy for the American government to print money, and hence increase supply. In the last 35-40 years, dollar value has declined significantly amid ever-increasing money supply in the U.S. economy. Therefore, when dollar falls (real value decreases), producers ask for more money to compensate the loss in their real value assets, which are based on U.S. dollars. Thus, a decrease in the dollar has pushed oil prices up in the past decade or so. c) The role of the OPEC Besides these factors, the OPEC, which holds two-thirds of the world's fuel reserves, plays a vital role. Refining is done on a large scale in these countries, and they contribute a lot to the world's oil

Argument analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Argument analysis - Essay Example Throughout the book Lewis uses very persuasive and precise arguments to make his case. At the beginning of Chapter Two, Lewis examines the problem of pain. The argument is based on some contradictory premises: 1. Because God is good and all powerful, he would want to create a good world 2. The world is not good 3. God is therefore either not good or not all powerful Lewis examines these premises throughout Chapter two and decides the issue is more nuanced. Words like â€Å"omnipotence† are problematic, as is the word â€Å"goodness.† Our words and terms do not really fit God, in all his glory. We cannot be expected to understand the mysterious ways of the universe, Lewis argues. Essentially this is an argument about faith. Lewis seems to be saying: If you don't really understand things, just trust the priests to understand it for you. These premises rely on a number of logical leaps that Lewis uses throughout his argument. For example, he looks back over history and con cludes that religious feeling has always been with us. From the dawn of humanity people have believed in something larger than themselves. At first their knowledge of these phenomena was far from perfect and they mistook all sort of occurrences as signs of divine power. Now nothing is more certain than that man, from a very early period, began to believe that the universe was haunted by spirits . . . It is therefore theoretically possible that there was a time when men regarded these spirits simply as dangerous and felt towards them just as they felt towards tigers. What is certain is that now, at any rate, the numinous experience exists and that if we start from ourselves we can trace it a long way back (15). This is an interesting observation, but it would have been best to explore what a numinous experience really is. Is it an actually transaction with the supernatural? Or is it something physiological? Without an understanding about the reality of mystical experiences it is hard to go much further with this. There are for example, studies which suggest the commonly observed phenomenon in near-death experiences—a white light at a tunnel—is a physiological reaction that can be replicated by cutting off oxygen to the brain. Is this too a numinous experience? He asks us to expand on our definitions of goodness and omnipotence while narrowing the possible explanations for phenomena in the world. Indeed, as Lewis explains: The problem of pain is a problem about the order of the universe. As Lewis puts it, Christianity is not a solution to the problem, but in fact brings the problem into question as it promises something better than pain: â€Å"for pain would be no problem unless, side by side with our daily experience of this painful world, we had received what we think a good assurance that ultimate reality is righteous and loving† (21). So how has Christianity promised any of this? Those who believe pain dominates all, argue that it cannot and that it is a sham. But Lewis does not believe this. The argument Lewis makes can be generalized by saying that humans do have a power over their lives and are not part of a clockwork universe. They choose how to live and who to obey. If they wish to turn their backs on God and ignore him they are entirely capable of doing so. If they wish to behave in a bad manner and injure their fellows and disrespect authority, again they can do so. But this will not make them happy or fulfil them in any way. They have

Bernie Madoff Essay Example for Free

Bernie Madoff Essay The things I will be talking about are the ways they examined the financial events surrounding Bernie Maddoff, and the events surrounding Enron. Also they way that Enron dealt with the consequences and implications for the lack of code of ethics. The financial events that were surrounding Bernie Maddoff where that â€Å" the financial world begins this week still in a daze over the spectacular collapse of an alleged Ponzi scheme by onetime Wall Street legend Bernard Madoff — possibly the biggest swindle ever committed by a single person. Its a stunning fraud that appears to be of epic proportions, Andrew Calamari of the Securities and Exchange Commissions New York Regional Office said in a statement after the FBI arrested Madoff last week. Its unclear how many institutions and individuals will suffer from losses that federal authorities say Madoff privately pegged at $50 billion. † The reason that he had easy assess to all of this was because he knew the system from being the chairman of Nasdaq from 1990-1991 and 1993. Another one was the â€Å"officials allege that Madoff falsified reports from a secretive money management service that he owned — run separately from his main stock transaction firm — to make it appear to be more successful than it was. Madoff allegedly kept it going by taking cash from unwitting new investors to pay customers who wanted to redeem their holdings. In a January SEC filing, Madoff said he managed $17. 1 billion in assets for 23 clients. But potential victims could number in the hundreds and possibly thousands and include major banks, hedge funds, charities and pension funds. Responding to an SEC lawsuit, on Friday, U. S. District Judge Louis Stanton in New York froze the assets and accounts of Madoffs investment business and appointed Lee Richards, an attorney at Richards Kibbe Orbe, as receiver. Madoffs lawyers have denied the charges but did not return calls for comment. Madoff was released after posting $10 million in bail. He faces up to $5 million in fines and up to 20 years in jail if convicted. The SEC and U. S. Attorneys office say their investigation is continuing and declined to comment. † Madoff got himself in trouble by using money he did not have to pay off customers from all the new invertors. Then after a while New York realized what he was doing so they arrested him for what he was doing because it was not ethical at all.

History of Cocaine Use Medical and Recreational Uses

History of Cocaine Use Medical and Recreational Uses Cocaine through the ages: from elixir to poison. Abstract: Cocaine, a plant alkaloid derived from coca leaves is a potent stimulant of CNS and has local anesthetic action as well. Historically, it was ingested in the form of chewing coca leaves, to suppress hunger and fatigue. With discovery of its local anesthetic properties, cocaine was introduced into world of medicine and a local anesthetic, but over last few decades, gained popularity as drug of abuse. Cocaine carries with it great potential for addiction and abuse. It is administered through various routes, smoking free-base crack and intranasal inhalation being most popular. Its primarily metabolized in liver and distributed to all body tissues. Due to lipid nature it tends to concentrate in brain and adipose tissues with chronic administration. Its mainly eliminated through kidneys, but saliva and stools are also routes of excretion. A number of health hazards have been shown to be associated with cocaine use including, cardiac abnormalities, psychological disturbances, addiction pot ential and renal failure with or without rhabdomyolysis. Acute and chronic cocaine toxicities with sufficient collected data are included. Techniques for detecting cocaine in blood including enzyme linked immunoassay and POCT (Point of care screening tests) have also been discussed. An analysis of recent trends in cocaine uses have been studied and presented along with graphical illustrations of epidemiological evidence to support the data. Introduction and objective: Objective: to display how cocaine has evolved through time in its uses and available forms, from simple coca leaf chewing custom of South Americans in 2500 BC to modern forms of freebase-coke among others as one of the most commonly abused toxic drug. Methodology: Data was mainly collected from electronic resources, but text on immunology and pharmacology was also consulted. From electronic sources, I mainly used search engines using a number of keywords including ; history of cocaine, crack, pharmacokinetics of cocaine, mode of action , coca leaf, acute cocaine poisoning, chronic cocaine toxicity, Karl Koller, Sigmund Freud, Immunoassay, etc. I also went through a number of journals available online, and a number of researches conducted which related to cocaine. My aim was to find changes in cocaine use from its discovery to date, and show, with help of collected data, that it has moved in a negative direction. Brief history: Cocaine, use of which, according to some sources, date back to at least 1200 years, has now, rightfully, earned itself a place in drugs of abuse list among others like Caffeine, Nicotine, Amphetamine, etc. To date, cocaines uses have evolved from gaining popularity as topical anesthetic agent, and as component of energizing drinks to becoming one of the most abused drugs in the world. It is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug, which acts by interfering with cerebral and peripheral synaptic transmission among neurons. Mode of action has been described in greater detail later in pharmacodynamics section, but for brief introduction, it interferes with reuptake of, and thereby enhance duration of action of, monoamines, dopamine, serotonin and nor epinephrine Brain PF et.al (1989). It also produces membrane stabilizing effect, more commonly referred to as local anesthetic effect. Latter is achieved through modulation of voltage gated sodium channels and consequent blockade of sensory im pulses conduction from that part of the neuron to central nervous system. Brain PF et.al (1989) Earliest records of cocaine use reveal it to be a part of South American custom of chewing coca leaves. This use is believed to date back to 2500BC. Steven Cohen (1981) Practice of chewing mixture of tobacco and coca leaves was defined by Nicolà ¡s Monardes, in 1569, to induce â€Å"great contentment†. Cocaine is the active component of coca leaves, which also contains nicotine. Karch SB (1998). In 1859, Italian doctor, Paulo Montegazza, after witnessing coca use by natives of Peru, and getting mesmerized by it, decided to study the effects of cocaine on himself. After his studies he concluded his findings into a paper in which he declared cocaine to be medically useful in treating furred tongue in the morning, flatulence and whitening the teeth. Steven R. King (1992). In 1863, French chemist, Angelo Mariani, introduced popular cocavine, Vin Mariani. Vin Mariani wasproduced from mixture of 6 mg coca leaves per fluid ounce of Bordeaux wine. Courtwright DT (2001) Angelo Mariani, creator of Vin Mariani, which later became the hallmark of cocavines was honored with Vatican gold medal by Pope Leo XIII for this achievement. Ethanol, a component of vin mariani, is believed to extract cocaine from coca leaves. In 1884, the concept of cocavine was adopted by John S. Pemberton, with introduction of Pembertons French Wine Coca. After prohibitions imposed on cocaine use and manufacture of cocaine-containing products including cocavine in 1885, Pemberton introduced carbonated, non-alcoholic form of Vin Mariani and called it Coca-cola. Richard Ashley (1975). From 1906 onwards, however, after Pure Food and Drug act was passed, decocainised forms of coca were used for manufacture of coca-cola. In 1884, Austrian physician Sigmund Freud, recommended cocaine for treatment of morphine and alcohol addiction. A strategy that was later employed in 1879 when cocaine was used to treat morphine addiction. Steven Cohen (1981). In his published word, ÃÅ"ber Coca, Sigmund defined effects of cocaine in following words: â€Å"exhilaration and lasting euphoria, which in no way differs from the normal euphoria of the healthy personYou perceive an increase of self-control and possess more vitality and capacity for work.In other words, you are simply normal, and it is soon hard to believe you are under the influence of any drug.Long intensive physical work is performed without any fatigueThis result is enjoyed without any of the unpleasant after-effects that follow exhilaration brought about by alcohol.Absolutely no craving for the further use of cocaine appears after the first, or even after repeated taking of the drug† In 1985, use of cocaine for induction of spinal anesthesia was accidentally discovered by American neurologist Leonard Corning while he studying the effects of cocaine on spinal nerves in a dog and accidentally pierced the dura matter. Corning JL (1885) Cocaine was, however, not used as anesthetic in spinal surgery until 1989 when first planned cocaine induced spinal anesthesia was administered in a surgery, by August Bier. A. Bier, (1899) Coca leaves have traditionally been used as suppressants for fatigue, thirst, and hunger. Its use has now been limited to Andean countries, where coca leaf chewing and coca tea consumption are still practiced. Industrially, coca leaves serve as source of drug cocaine, and in some cosmetic and food industries, including coca cola. Richard Ashley (1975) From 1980s to date, cocaine has gained popularity as drug of abuse, and has widely replaced heroin and other narcotics as drug of abuse, being used in different forms and administered via various routes. Richard Ashley (1975) Discovery: Discovery of cocaine, as local anesthetic, is claim to fame for Austrian ophthalmologist, Karl Koller. Kollers name is credited with demonstration of anesthetic effect of cocaine, in 1884. Karl Koller was a close associate of Sigmund Freud who in same year recommended cocaine to be employed in treatment for morphine and alcohol addiction. Hruby K (1986). Koller studied effects of cocaine on eye by applying the drug to his own eye and later pricking it with pins. He presented his findings to the Heidelberg Ophthalmological Society in same year. Hruby K (1986) After successfully experimenting on himself, Koller used cocaine as local anesthetic in eye surgeries, a use that continues to this day. Cocaine was later employed in other fields including dentistry for induction of local anesthesia, Today, however, cocaine has largely been replaced by other local anesthetic agents like lidocaine, xylocaine, bupivacaine, etc, which produce local anesthetic effect as efficiently and do not carry potential for abuse.Hruby K (1986) Isolation: Friedrich Gaedcke, aGerman chemist, was first person to successfully isolate cocaine from coca leaves, in 1855. An improved isolation process was, however, developed by Albert Niemann, who was enrolled as a Ph.D. student at a German university, University of Gottingen , in 1859. Niemann wrote a dissertation describing steps of isolation which was published in 1860 and was entitled, â€Å" ÃÅ"ber eine neue organische Base in den Cocablà ¤ttern† (On a New Organic Base in the Coca Leaves). F. Gaedcke (1855) Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC) for cocaine: (1R,5S)-methyl 8-methyl-3-(phenylcarbonyloxy)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylate. Chemical structure of cocaine: Structure of cocaine molecule was first defined by Richard Willstà ¤tter in 1898. Medicalisation and popularization: Ever since its discovery, cocaines medical uses were quickly exploited through research and experimentation. Spanish physicians described first medical uses of cocaine as early as 1596, but the use of cocaine did not become more widespread until 1859, when Albert Niemann isolated the drug from coca leaves. Soon after it was isolated, cocaine was used to try to cure almost all the illnesses and maladies that were known to man. (Albert Niemann 1860) 1859s Montagezzis discovery about cocaine being useful in treating furred tongue in the morning, flatulence and whitening the teeth, was one of the earliest recorded studies that signified possible medical importance of cocaine. In 1879, Vassili von Anrep, of the University of Wà ¼rzburg, demonstrated analgesic properties of cocaine in an experiment that he conducted on a frog. He prepared two separate jars, one containing cocaine-salt solution, other containing salt water serving as control. One of frogs legs was submerged in cocaine solution and other in control followed by stimulation of leg in different ways. Reactions in two legs varied considerably. In the same year, cocaine began to be used in treatment of morphine addiction. The commercial production of purified cocaine gained momentum only in the mid-1880s. Its greatest medical value was in ophthalmology. Eye-surgery stood in desperate need of a good local anesthetic. This was because in eye operations it is often essential for a conscious patient to move his eye as directed by the surgeon without flinching. Karl Kollers demonstration of anesthetic properties of cocaine in 1884 was an important breakthrough establishing cocaines importance, medically when it was introduced in Germany as local anesthetic for eye surgery. (Altman Aj et.al 1985) Kollers discovery was later followed in 1985 by Leonard Cornings accidental demonstration of cocaines use in induction of spinal anesthesia, which became formally employed in spinal surgery in 1989 when first planned cocaine induced spinal anesthesia was administered by August Bier. Medical use of cocaine has largely been restricted to induction of local anesthesia. Even as local anesthetic agent, discovery of hazardous effects of cocaine use led to early development of safer alternative drugs like lidocaine, etc. One of its first non medical uses of cocaine was in military. In 1883 Theodor Aschenbrandt administered cocaine to members of the Bavarian army. It was found that the drug enhanced their endurance on maneuver. His positive findings were published in a German medical journal, which brought the effects of this wonder drug to a wider medical audience, including Sigmund Freud. Following is taken from â€Å"On cocaine† by Sigmund Freud. â€Å"A few minutes after taking cocaine, one experiences a certain exhilaration and feeling of lightness. One feels a certain furriness on the lips and palate, followed by a feeling of warmth in the same areas; if one now drinks cold water, it feels warm on the lips and cold in the throat. One other occasions the predominant feeling is a rather pleasant coolness in the mouth and throat. During this first trial I experienced a short period of toxic effects, which did not recur in subsequent experiments. Breathing became slower and deeper and I felt tired and sleepy; I yawned frequently and felt somewhat dull. After a few minutes the actual cocaine euphoria began, introduced by repeated cooling eructation. Immediately after taking the cocaine I noticed a slight slackening of the pulse and later a moderate increase. I have observed the same physical signs of the effect of cocaine in others, mostly people my own age. The most constant symptom proved to be the repeated cooling eructation. This is often accompanied by a rumbling which must originate from high up in the intestine; two of the people I observed, who said they were able to recognize movements in their stomachs, declared emphatically that they had repeatedly detected such movements. Often, at the outset of the cocaine effect, the subjects alleged that they experienced an intense feeling of heat in the head. I noticed this in myself as well in the course of some later experiments, but on other occasions it was absent. In only two cases did coca give rise to dizziness. On the whole the toxic effects of coca are of short duration, and much less intense than those produced by effective doses of quinine or salicylate of soda; they seem to become even weaker after repeated use of cocaine.† Cocaine was sold as over the counter drug until 1916. It was widely used in tonics, toothache cures, patent medicines, and chocolate cocaine tablets. Prospective buyers were advised (in the words of pharmaceutical firm Parke-Davis) that cocaine could make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and render the sufferer insensitive to pain. Cocaine was a popular ingredient in wines, notably Vin Mariani. Coca wine received endorsement from prime-ministers, royalty and even the Pope. The Vatican gold medal that Angelo Mariani received for it will forever signify the popularity of cocaine through that period of time. By the late Victorian, era use of cocaine had appeared as a vice in literature, for instance, Arthur Conan Doyles fictional Sherlock Holmes. Number of admissions to drug treated programme in each year is plotted against time for both cocaine and heroin. Graph clearly displays the shift in trend from use of heroin towards cocaine. A combination gaining popularity is speedball, which is formulated by mixing heroin with cocaine. From 1980s to date, cocaine has gained popularity as drug of abuse, being used in different forms and administered via various routes, as evident by figure above which displays the escalation in crack / cocaine usage with concomitant reduction in heroin use. Prohibition: In first part of the twentieth century, with addictive properties of cocaine becoming more apparent with studies, cocaine found itself legally prohibited. Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (1914) outlawed unauthorized sales and distribution of cocaine incorrectly classifying it as a narcotic. In United Nations 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, cocaine was listed as Schedule I drug, thereby making its manufacture, distribution, import, export, trade, use and possession illegal unless sanctioned by the state. In 1970s controlled substances act, cocaine was listed as a Schedule II drug in United States. It carries high abuse potential but also serves medicinal purpose. It is a class A drug in the United Kingdom, and a List 1 drug of Opium law in the Netherlands. Modern Usage: In late 90s and early 2000s, crack became very popular among Americans and in past few years has also taken its toll on UK. According to an estimate, U.S cocaine market exceeded $ 70 billion in year 2005, demonstrating the popularity of this menace. News reports are flooded with celebrity arrests on charge of cocaine posession or use. A section on recent facts and figures related to cocaine discusses the modern trends in greater detail later. Addiction potential: Along with amphetamine, cocaine is one of the most widely abused drugs in the world. Powerful stimulant properties of cocaine are beyond doubt. By inhibiting neuronal reuptake of excitatory neurotransmitters, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, cocaine enhances synaptic concentrations of these neurotransmitters in specific brain areas; nucleus accumbens and amygdala which are referred to as the reward center of brain. During 1980s, cocaine widely replaced heroin as drug of abuse, due to its euphoric properties, wide availability and low cost. Different forms and Routes of administration of cocaine: Smoking: Crack, freebase or smokable form of cocaine, was produced and became popular drug of abuse in 1980s. Earliest reports of crack use indicate an epidemic in Bahamas from 1980. By 1985, crack gained popular ranking among drug users across America.Crack is produced by mixing 2 parts cocaine hydrochloride with one part baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It differs from cocaine hydrochloride in being more volatile, a property that makes it better suited for inhalation administration (smoking) than cocaine hydrochloride. Smoking freebase cocaine releases methylecgonidine, an effect not achieved with insufflation or injection (described later), thereby making it a specific test marker for freebase cocaine smokers. Studies suggest that methylecgonidine is more harmful to heart, liver and lungs than other byproducts of cocaine. Inhalation leads to rapid absorption of cocaine into bloodstream via lungs, reaching brain within five seconds of ingestion. Following rush exceeds snorting in intensity but does not last long. Oral: Ancient tradition of South Americans to chew coca leaves in same manner is tobacco, is another method of cocaine consumption. Alternatively, coca leaves may be consumed like tea by mixing with liquid. Coca leaf consumers have raised a controversy over whether it should be abandoned or not. Rationale behind this controversy is that strong acid in our stomach hydrolyzes cocaine, attenuating its effects on brain; therefore, unless it is taken with an alkaline substance, such as lime, which neutralizes stomachs acid, cocaine intake should not be criminalized. Cocaine is also used as oral anesthetic, both medically and unofficially. Cocaine powder is applied to gums to numb the gingiva and teeth. Colloquial terms for this route of administration are; numbies, gummies and cocoa puffs. Another method for oral administration, commonly known as snow bomb, is to pack cocaine in rolled up paper and swallowing it. Insufflation: Colloquial terms for which are; snorting, sniffing, or blowing is believed to be most commonly employed method of cocaine ingestion in west. Cocaine is poured on a flat, hard surface and divided into fine powder before being insufflated in â€Å"bumps†, â€Å"lines†, or â€Å"rails†. Devices used as aid in insufflation are known as â€Å"tooters†. Anything small and hollow, such as straws cut short, can serve as a tooter. Injection: This achieves the greatest bioavailability, 100%, in shortest span of time, since drug is directly administered into bloodstream saving time and reduced bioavailability that occurs with drug absorption from site of drug administration into bloodstream. Resultant rush is intense and rapid. Risk of contracting blood-borne infections is greatest. â€Å"Speedball†, a mixture of cocaine with heroin used intravenously is a popular and dangerous method of cocaine ingestion. It claims credit for many deaths, including celebrities like John Belushi, Chris Farley ,Mitch Hedberg, River Phoenix and Layne Staley. ADME Pharmacokinetics: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion of Cocaine. Before beginning discussion about pharmacokinetics or ADME of cocaine, table below summarizes the relationship of route of administration with onset of action, time taken to achieve peak effect, duration of action and half life. (Clarke, 1986) Route of administration Onset Peak effect (min.) Duration (min.) Half-life (min.) Inhalation 7s 1-5 20 40-60 Injection 15s 3-5 20-30 40-60 Nasal 3min 15 45-90 60-90 Oral 10min 60 60 60-90 Absorption: Absorption refers to movement of drug from site of administration into bloodstream.As with any drug, absorption of cocaine depends on various factors and varies considerably with them. Factors which influence drug absorption include; drug formulation, route of administration, lipid solubility, pH of the medium, blood supply and surface area available for absorption. As evident from tabulated figures above, cocaine differs greatly in onset of action varying between 7 seconds up to 10 minutes from one route of administration to another. This is a factor of absorption of drug which depends on route of administration. Each route is separately discussed below in greater details. (Clarke, 1986). Orally administered cocaine: Cocaine induces vasoconstriction in vessels supplying oral mucosa and resultant reduction in blood supply slows down its absorption by decreasing surface area from which drug is absorbed. Therefore when orally administered, drug is slowly absorbed into bloodstream, taking roughly 30 minutes. Absorption is also incomplete; roughly one third of administered dose is absorbed. Due to slow absorption, onset of action is also delayed and peak effect is, however, not achieved until about 50-90 minutes after administration. Effect is, however, longer lasting, roughly 60 minutes after attainment of peak effect. Another factor affecting absorption of orally administered cocaine is pH of the stomach. As previously mentioned, stomach acid hydrolyzes cocaine, resulting in inadequate and incomplete absorption. To improve absorption it is common practice to take cocaine along with an alkaline liquid to neutralize acidic pH. Insufflations: Insufflations results in coating of the mucosa covering sinuses with cocaine, from where it is absorbed. Absorption is similar to that from oral cavity, cocaine induced vasoconstriction beneath mucosa results in slow and incomplete absorption (30-60%). Efficiency of absorption increases with concentration of drug. According to a study, time taken to reach peak effect via this route of administration averages 14.6 minutes. Injection: Injected cocaine is directly administered into bloodstream eliminating need for absorption. According same study, as mentioned for insufflation, time taken to reach peak effect of cocaine through injection averaged 3.1 minutes, roughly five times less than time for insufflation. Smoking: Smoking crack delivers large quantities of the drug to the lungs, resultant absorption is rapid and effects created are comparable to intravenous administration. These effects, which are felt almost immediately after smoking, are intense and last for 5-10 minutes. According to Perez-Reyes et al, 1982, volunteers who smoked 50 mg of cocaine base in a controlled study experiment achieved rapidly elevated plasma cocaine level compared to intravenous cocaine administration. Distribution: Following absorption into bloodstream, cocaine is distributed, via blood, to all body tissues including vital organs like brain, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys and adrenals. It crosses both blood-brain and placental barrier. Being lipid soluble, it easily traverses biological membranes via simple diffusion. It is believed to accumulate in brain and adipose tissue with repeated administration, owing to its lipid nature. In an experiment, distribution and kinetics of cocaine in human body were studied using Positron Emission Topography (PET) technique with radioactively labeled (carbon-11) cocaine on 14 healthy male subjects. Rate of uptake and clearance were found to vary among organs. Following results were obtained for time, in minutes, taken by radioactively labeled cocaine to reach peak value in following organs: Lungs: 45 seconds. Heart and Kidneys: 2-3 minutes. Adrenals: 7-9 minutes. Liver: 10 minutes. Liver, which is the key site for metabolism of cocaine is where distribution is most sluggish, increasing the half-life of cocaine. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine ( 1992 ) Metabolism: As already mentioned, cocaine is primarily metabolised in liver. It is estimated to get metabolized within two hours of administration. Half-life varies between 0.7 1.5 hours (Clarke, 1986), depending on route of administration among various other factors. There are three possible routes for bio-transformation of cocaine. Ester linkages in cocaine are hydrolyzed by plasma pseudocholinesterases and hepatic enzymes, human liver carboxylesterase form 1 (hCE-1)and human liver carboxylesterase form 2 (hCE-2). Benzoyl group is eliminated to produce ecgonine methyl ester. This is the major route for metabolism of cocaine. A secondary route, suggested by Fleming et al. 1990, proposes spontaneous hydrolysis, possibly non-enzymatic, followed by demethylation to produce benzoylecgonine. N-demethylation of cocaine is a minor route which leads to formation of norcocaine. Final degradation of metabolites yields ecgonine. Principal inactive metabolites are; benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, and ecgonine itself. Norcocaine is an active metabolite and may reveal itself in acute intoxication. Metabolism of cocaine may be influenced by a number of factors: Alcohol:When cocaine is co-administered with alcohol a compound called Cocaethylene is formed. Cocaethylene is associated with an increased risk of liver damage and premature death. Pregnancy. Liver disease. Aged men. Congenital cholinesterase deficiency. In all the aforementioned conditions, except alcohol, rate of cocaine metabolism is reduced, leading to elevated levels and duration of action of cocaine, enhancing its harmful effects of on the body. Following is a schematic representation of metabolic pathways of cocaine. According to Andrew (1997) have found that the continuous use of alcohol with cocaine produce cocaethylene which is similar in the action of cocaine but it has more blood stream concentration by three to five times than cocaine as a result of its high half life. Its much attractive to be used for abuse as a result of slower removal from the body. Different types of side effects are associated with cocaethylene like liver damage, seizure and immuno compromised functioning . Cocaethylene has more possibility for sudden death by 18 25 times than using cocaine alone . Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has been implicated as being important in metabolism of cocaine, even though it has limited capacity to fully hydrolyze cocaine. BChE is specially essential for cocaine detoxification. A lot of research has been done to study the effect of employing this enzyme in cocaine detoxification and in anti-cocaine medications. The rate at which human BChE hydrolyzes cocaine is slow; however, scientists at Eppley Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, have developed a mutant (A328Y) of human butyrylcholinesterase, which promises four fold greater efficiency in accelerating cocaine metabolism. Elimination or excretion: 1-9% of cocaine is excreted unaltered in urine along with metabolites, ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, and ecgonine. Unchanged cocaine may also be eliminated through GI tract and/or be excreted in saliva. Most of the parent drug is eliminated from plasma within 4 hours after administration but metabolites may remain detectable for up to 144 hours after administration. Elimination of cocaine via kidneys is enhanced by acidification of urine. As already mentioned, cocaine easily traverses placental barrier, and the active metabolite, norcocaine is believed to persist in amniotic fluid for up to 5 days. In lactating mothers, cocaine and benzoylecgonine are excreted into maternal milk and can be detected up to 36 hours after administration. In smokers, cocaine is rapidly eliminated through exhalation of vapor. Ambre J et.al (1988) In an experiment, the effects of chronic oral cocaine administration in healthy volunteer subjects with a history of cocaine abuse were investigated. There were sixteen daily sessions of oral cocaine administration while subjects were kept in a controlled clinical ward. In every session subjects received five equal doses of oral cocaine at one hour interval. Throughout sessions, cocain

Luther :: essays research papers

A thousand years is a long time. So how do you pick the most influential person of the last thousand years? Its practically impossible to do. But almost everyone will agree that one of the most influential characters in the millennium was Martin Luther, father of the protestant church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luther was born November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Thuringia (a province noted for its many musical talents, including Johann Sebastian Bach). Luther was brought up in the strict religious atmosphere of the roman catholic church. After attending the Latin Schools at Mansfeld, Magdeburg, and Eisenach, he entered the university at Erfurt in 1501. From this institution he received a bachelors degree in 1502 and a masters degree in 1505. During his student years, Luther was terrified by thoughts of the wrath of G-D. He continually sought a means of finding inward peace. To achieve this goal, he entered an Augustinian Monastery on July 17, 1505 to become a monk. Two years later, he was ordained a priest. In 1508 Luther was appointed professor of philosophy at Wittenburg university, and he also studies there to get the doctor of theology degree in 1512. In 1515 Luther was appointed Augustinian Vical for Meissen and Thuringia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the period of his appointment as vicar, Luther underwent a modification in his views and beliefs. He was still devoted to the church, but in his continued quest for inner peace, he turned from religious philosophy to the bible for the basis of his belief. These conclusions ultimately led Luther to combat some practices of the church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Luther verus the church. A classic case of David and Goliath. There were many reasons Luther went against the church. But the sale of indulgences by Johann Tetzel in 1517 at a church near Wittenberg enticed Luther into action in the first place. Tetzel preached that buying indulgences would grant you a better place in heaven. On October 31, 1517, at the age of 33, Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses (1) to the castle church door at Wittenberg. This was not intended as a decisive attack on the church, and he did not want this to be circulated. However, the new spread quickly through Germany withing the next two weeks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later in 1518 Luther boldly denied the absolute power of the church. On March 3rd , 1519, Luther wrote a letter to Pope Leo X. In the letter he stated that it was not his intention to undermine the authority of the pope or the church.

The Cabin/ unreliable narrator :: essays research papers

The Cabin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kevin Jones Unreliable narrator   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2nd per Do I know where the bathroom is? What do you mean, do I know where the bathroom is? I’ve been in the Delta View Mental Institute for five years now and you are still asking me if I know where the bathroom is. I know this place like the back of my hand. I’m not crazy, how many times do I have to tell you people? These other people in here, those are the crazy whacks. The only reason they put me in here is because they didn’t know what else to do with me. What’s that? You want to hear my story? Well that’s just too bad, you already think I’m crazy. Well ok since you asked nicely. It was October 16, 1993, my senior year at Lemoore High. I had three really good friends Ginger Tubs, Mike Bellowing, and Mary Johnson. We were always getting into trouble together. My family owned this cabin up in the mountains and we decided to go up and spend the weekend there. We were so anxious to get up there that we ditched school on Friday and drove up that morning. We arrived in Pine Flat Village at noon and I realized that I had forgot my key so we just broke into the cabin through the window; the lock was rusted and broke easily. Once inside we unpacked all of our things and started a fire in the fireplace. Ginger started complaining that the living room was getting too smoky. Ginger is constantly complaining. She is the type of person who wants everything to be perfect, sometimes you just want to grab her by the throat and squeeze until her lips turn blue and the color flees from her face. I told Ginger to go to the other room and lie down, I didn’t know that the pilot had gone out and the house was filling with gas, honest. The rest of us decided to go for a ride and check out the scenic views of the mountains. We were about two miles from the cabin when we heard the deafening explosion. Mary, Mike, and I all turned around and saw the thick black smoke swelling from the clearing where the cabin was. I slammed my foot onto the accelerator and zoomed back to what used to be the cabin, now it was a black shack ablaze with a deep crimson inferno. The Cabin/ unreliable narrator :: essays research papers The Cabin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kevin Jones Unreliable narrator   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2nd per Do I know where the bathroom is? What do you mean, do I know where the bathroom is? I’ve been in the Delta View Mental Institute for five years now and you are still asking me if I know where the bathroom is. I know this place like the back of my hand. I’m not crazy, how many times do I have to tell you people? These other people in here, those are the crazy whacks. The only reason they put me in here is because they didn’t know what else to do with me. What’s that? You want to hear my story? Well that’s just too bad, you already think I’m crazy. Well ok since you asked nicely. It was October 16, 1993, my senior year at Lemoore High. I had three really good friends Ginger Tubs, Mike Bellowing, and Mary Johnson. We were always getting into trouble together. My family owned this cabin up in the mountains and we decided to go up and spend the weekend there. We were so anxious to get up there that we ditched school on Friday and drove up that morning. We arrived in Pine Flat Village at noon and I realized that I had forgot my key so we just broke into the cabin through the window; the lock was rusted and broke easily. Once inside we unpacked all of our things and started a fire in the fireplace. Ginger started complaining that the living room was getting too smoky. Ginger is constantly complaining. She is the type of person who wants everything to be perfect, sometimes you just want to grab her by the throat and squeeze until her lips turn blue and the color flees from her face. I told Ginger to go to the other room and lie down, I didn’t know that the pilot had gone out and the house was filling with gas, honest. The rest of us decided to go for a ride and check out the scenic views of the mountains. We were about two miles from the cabin when we heard the deafening explosion. Mary, Mike, and I all turned around and saw the thick black smoke swelling from the clearing where the cabin was. I slammed my foot onto the accelerator and zoomed back to what used to be the cabin, now it was a black shack ablaze with a deep crimson inferno.

Disney Princess Pictures: Chores, Mirrors, and Chameleons Essay

Disney Princess Pictures: Chores, Mirrors, and Chameleons At the start of Walt Disney Pictures’ Tangled, a title card cataloging the feature as Walt Disney Animation Studio’s 50th Animated Motion Picture appeared. The studio’s first animated motion picture, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered to audiences in 1937. Over this 73 year gap and 50-movie timeline, how has the Disney animated motion picture changed, or even so, not changed at all? Both features follow the tale of their respective heroine, Snow White in Snow White, and Rapunzel in Tangled. Snow White as Disney’s first princess is simple. Her high pitched voice allows for a feeling on innocence and naivety. Characterized in her opening song, â€Å"I’m Wishing,† Snow White fetches water out of a well while singing to her reflection. 73 years later, the princess has matured. Rapunzel, while still encompassing the traditional traits of a Disney princess, has some edge. She’s an adventure prone 17 year old who is curious about the world outside of her tower. Compared to Snow White’s â€Å"I’m Wishing†, Rapunzel’s opening song, â€Å"When will my Life Begin,† clearly demonstrates the maturity and complexity that the Disney leading lady now has in a new century. From Snow White to Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty, the early Disney princesses throughout the 1930s to 1950s have all focused heavily on cleaning and completing chores. For example, in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow Whites main duty and reason for being able to stay in the seven dwarfs cottage is that she will cook and clean constantly for the little men. In Tangled however, the first lines of the film put this stereotypical Princess cleaning pattern in the trash. Rapunzel begins her song, â€Å"When will m... ... purposes, both films achieve different tones for death and marketability. Available technologies during the time of the creation also influence how the picture looks and is represented, but not necessarily how the story is told. This right balance and blend of accepted traditions and drifts from the princess archetype, utilization of technology, and focuses on audience creates a perfect potion, making the Disney Animated Studios a jugunate in children’s animation for years to come. Works Cited Disney’s Tangled. Disney Enterprises, Inc., 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. . Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney Pictures, 1937. Film Tangled. Walt Disney Pictures, 2010. Film. Wojcik-Andrews, Ian. Children’s Films: History, Ideology, Pedagogy, Theory. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc, 2000. Print.

Project Risk Management Plan Essay

The purpose of the risk management plan is to identify any event or condition that may occur which could have a positive or negative affect on the project. Risks management is the process of identifying, assessing, responding to, monitoring, and reporting risks. The Risks Management Plan will define how risks associated with the Baderman Island Casino Hotel project will be identified, analyzed, and managed. The plan will outline how risks management activities will be performed, recorded, and monitored throughout the project. The plan will also provide a template and practices for recording and prioritizing risks. The risks management plan has been created by the project manager during the planning phase of the Baderman Island Casino-Hotel project and the intended audience is the project team, project sponsors, and management. Executive Summary Baderman Island has recently been approached with an offer to construct the Silver’s Casino-Hotel on the grounds of the resort. With a downturn in the hospitality industry, volatile gas prices and current economic uncertainties, the Board of Directors and operational leaders believe the proposal could benefit the island. The casino will bring jobs to the local area, along with increasing revenues for the surrounding businesses. Along with jobs and increasing revenue, the casino-hotel will bring gaming as well as a blend of attractions and entertainment for the visitors to the island (University of Phoenix, 2014). Project Summary The hotel-casino will take 30 months to complete, beginning in November 2014, and will cost approximately $40 million to construct. Additional cost for roads and ferries for transporting materials, construction equipment, and workers to and from the island will be approximately two million dollars. The schedule for the roads and transportation will take three months with  the roads needing to be completed prior to construction of the hotel-casino. Budget and time are obvious constraints, but the team also needs to consider the constraints the natural resources and botanical gardens will put on the project. The quality of work on the roads and construction will need to meet the standards of the island resort without interruption to the existing activities and guest experiences. Risks Management Strategy and Process Determining project risks and responses to those risks are done by following risk management procedures. Risks management procedures include quantitative risks management, risks and control assessment, and project auditing. These procedures help the project team and stakeholders stay up to date on the latest developments with the project and help them to adhere to the risk management principles (eHow, 2014). Quantitative risks management helps project manager identify risks in short-term project or long-term initiative. Statistical skills and math expertise are applied to build control tools and methodologies. These tools identify, measure, and monitor operational, financial, and technological risks in a project. Once the risks have been identified the risks and control assessment is used to determine the level at which the risks may impact the project. The risks are categorized in levels that will reflect the likelihood of the risks occurring and the severity of its impact on the pr oject. To manage the risks as the project is in progress audits will be conducted. Audits will identify any area where corrections or adjustments may need to be made. Risk Identification Every project has risk and the proposed casino-hotel project is no different. The risk identification process must be comprehensive to avoid emergence of a risk at a later time when it could threaten the success of the project (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, & Walker, 2005). To identify possible risks to the Baderman Island Casino-Hotel, the process was structured and used key elements to examine possible risk systematically in each area of the project. This was done during a brainstorming session which included the following individuals: Renaldo Hinderer, CEO Baderman Island Resort Neida Durerso, Melancon Hotel GM Jame Tokar, Melancon Hotel Convention Center GM Kristoper Riffle, BA. The Tenney @ Night GM Amberly Wendolski, The Baderman Island Cafà © Perla Musgraves, Mayor of Kelsey Naoma Kinoshita, Sr. Botanist, William C. Martin Botanical Gardens Bao Weyrauch, CPA, Finance Manager, Boardman Management Group Ashly Yeamas, Manager Pepicello Fairways Dagmar Sephus, President Kelsey Ferry Company Cedrick McBroome, Director of Business Development, Patten-Fuller Community Hospital Tony Gonyer, Warden of Kelsey Prison Craig McClary, Ph.D, Principal, Kelsey High School A facilitator was appointed to conduct the brainstorming workshop and to review the procurement. The selected brainstorming team was briefed on the purpose of the workshop and the outcomes that were desired (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, & Walker, 2005). Risk were identified in the risk brainstorming workshop, then ranked, and prioritized. Each risk was assessed and given a qualitative and quantitative measurements to determine where they rank in priority, with one being the highest risk and seven being the lowest risk (see appendix B). Project Risks Monitoring: Watch Lists During a construction project such as the Baderman Island Casino-Hotel all risks must be monitored daily to ensure the impact is minimal. To monitor the project risks a watch lists has been developed. The watch list contain all the risks that are extreme or high (see appendix A). The progress and effectiveness of risks treatment actions will be reviewed, and adjustments to the Risks Action Plan will be made as needed (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, & Walker, 2005). As effective risks treatment has been completed the corresponding risks will reassessed, reclassified, or removed from the watch list. Likewise, as low or medium risks change in status and become more important or newly identified risks, will be added to the watch list. Project Risks Reporting: Milestone Progress Project risks reporting provides a summary of risks, the status treatment actions, and an indication of trends in the incidence of risks in the project (Cooper, Grey, Raymond, & Walker, 2005). To report the progress of  the Baderman Island Casino-Hotel project and its risks a Milestone Progress report will be used. This will give the project manager and stakeholders an update on how the project is progressing. The report will match the achievements to the planned milestones. The achievements and milestones can be charted to give a visual to see progressing on time or if it is behind schedule (Simon Wallace, 2007). A project manager can also analyze the dates for milestones to determine a variance and projection for milestones (Simon Wallace, 2007). If the project gets off track for any reason this will allow the project manager to make adjustments to get back on track and to determine how much impact a risks has had on a project. Conclusion Baderman Island Resort has a very lucrative opportunity that could bring jobs and revenue to the island. Building a Silvers Casino-Hotel may pose some risks for the resort, but will be beneficial once the project is complete. The project team has identified all possible risks to the project and has put together a project risk management plan that will mitigate the risks. Monitoring and tracking the risks will help the project stay on track. Reporting of the progress of the project will be done throughout the project so that the key stakeholders and management can stay abreast of the project. With the approval of the project the team can get to work and have the Casino-hotel up and running by 2015 for guest to enjoy. References Cooper, D.F., Grey, S., Raymond, G, & Walker, P. (2005). Project risk management guidelines. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. eHow. (2014). Qualitative risk assessment tools. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8511684_qualitative-risk-assessment-tools.html Simon Wallace. (2007). Risk Management: Assessing risks at the start of a project. Retrieved from http://www.epmbook.com/risk.htm University of Phoenix. (2014). Baderman Island Resort Casino Proposal. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, PM584 website.

Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Action Manual Essay

Stop and Frisk has been a very active public affair that had held serious concerns over racial profiling, illegal stops, and privacy rights. The police were stopping hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers yearly. Stop and Frisk is based on a standard of the power granted upon the standard of reasonable suspicion. A police officer has the power to stop, question, and frisk suspects given reasonable circumstances. It is a question of each individual case that determined whether it is necessary for reasonable detention or investigation. If an officer suspects that a person is armed and dangerous, a frisk may be conducted without a warrant. Under the stop and frisk law, officers can stop people walking down the streets and search them for weapons, drugs and other illegal pieces of stuff. The stop and frisk were created to embrace the proactive and preventive theory of crime fighting. It was prioritized to conduct street surveillance of suspicious people and habitual offenders. Though the start of stops and frisk sounds protective and safe, it ended up as an aggressive policing, which was in a very heated situation for years. The vague suspicion, the search of an individual and the force used upon the target was incredible. Nearly most of the people stopped and frisked was innocent. â€Å"In 2002, New Yorkers were stopped by the police 97,296 times. 80,176 were totally innocent (82 percent)† (the NYCLU Campaign). Even without suspicion of wrongdoing, an officer approached someone and interrogate them based on their appearance. These searches were often unsuccessful in catching criminals, but few of them believed it was a success at crime control and stopped potential crime. Race played an important role in how minorities were targeted by the stop and frisk policy. The law strictly targeted African American and Hispanics and other disempowered communities. For example in the article of NYCLU Campaign, it mentions, â€Å"Young black and Latino men were the targets of a hugely disproportionate number of stops. Though they account for only 4.7 percent of the city’s population, black and Latino males between the ages of 14 and 24 accounted for 40.6 percent of stops in 2012. The number of stops of young black men neared the entire city population of young black men (133,119 as compared to 158,406). More than 90 percent of young black and Latino men stopped were innocent.† The stops indicated the innocent of a person and the color basis of a person. Walking around the city and being stopped by a police officer because of the skin tone resulted in racial discrimination. Majority of Latinos and African American were scared when they saw an officer because they used excessive force and targeted them as a criminal or an outsider. Stop  ¬and frisk indicated that race was the primary factor in certain, whom the NYPD mostly stopped were Black and Latino neighborhoods and even in areas where populations were racially mixed or mostly White. Blacks and Latinos were treated more harshly than Whites, being more likely to be arrested instead of given a summons when compared to White people accused of the same crimes. In addition, Blacks and Latinos were also more likely to have force used against them by police. The amount of force used against African American and Hispanics did not only affect them physically but also created lasting feelings of resentment and distrust on officers. â€Å"People who have been stopped say that if they show the slightest bit of resistance, even verbally, they can find themselves slammed against walls, forced to the ground and, on rarer occasions, with officer’s guns pointed at their heads.†(Rivera). The experience of being stopped and frisked by police often lasted emotionally. People who were stopped felt a range of emotions during stops, such as anger, fear, and shame. Stop and frisk left people feeling unsafe and afraid to leave their homes whenever they see the police. People who were stopped reported that stops often resulted in excessive force by police, for example when officers slapped them, beat them, or hurt them physically. The force not al ways paid out compared to the effect that it left on the people. Being harassed in public, a person could go through life challenges, feeling hopeless, uncomfortable, vulnerable and high alert. The body and the mind get tensed and start to get conscious around the surroundings that stares and ignores with a disgusting looks. Therefore, in the article of Rivera, two officers stopped a man named Christopher Graham19 years old after leaving his friend’s apartment. He was pushed against the walls and when the officer groped his personal space, Graham said, â€Å"I said, ‘Whoa, what are you doing?’ † Mr. Graham recalled. â€Å"The cop put his hand on the back of my cap and, boom, smashed my head into the wall of the apartment, for no reason.† The aftermath of the frisk was horrible because he had gone through six stitches, terrifying experience and an unfortunate dreadful account with the officers. He was neither arrested nor called for summons but yet had a scar that would remain in his whole life. The stops explored that young people perceived the police whether or not they felt safe where they lived, not to turn to law enforcement for help or to report crimes they knew about. The experience being stopped by police repeatedly perceived to be unfair and could be associated w ith undesirable developmental consequences. The Terry v. Ohio supreme court case was one of the biggest cases regarding the policy of stop and frisk. It lasted a great impact on the practice of stop and frisk, sometimes called Terry stop. An officer stopped John Terry the petitionary after the officer observed Terry staring at the store for a possible robbery. The officer ran a quick search and after approaching three men, the officer found revolvers that denied their appeals. The Terry stop gleaned from the information about whether the search was the protection of the officers and the public safety. The stop must have a reasonable suspicion to initiate the suspect and explain why the suspect behavior suggested criminal activity. The stop had to give reasons and explain, more than just hunches. The Terry stop cannot take the suspect to the police, move to a second different location, use excessive force and search for anything besides weapons. The Floyd vs New York City supreme case was yet one of the biggest controversial on stop and frisk. It was a case that questioned the stops that were not caused due to probable or reasonable stops. It violated the Fourth Amendment and the Fourteen Amendment which was not an equal protection due to all the obvious racial disparities in who is stopped and searched by NYPD. Both the Supreme Court case lawsuit challenged the use of stop and frisk as a violation guaranteed to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Comparing the differences between past stop and frisk and the recent ones that have taken place, I believe the recent ones have become more lenient towards the people. In the past, the officers did not stop a person because of reasonable suspicion; they were stopping to fulfill the record of their data and show their superiors what they have done for the day. The data recorded in stop and frisk was recorded in the person’s background check. The record stayed in the data for a lifetime, which did not come in the good outcome because even though they were innocent a criminal record was there in the system. Plus, during the olden days, police stopped a person regarding their guesses and suspicion and did not have a valid reason for a stop. After the supreme cases, the violation of the Fourth and Fourteen Amendment came to a tight spot where people knew about their rights and the officers grew more attention on the reasonable and suspicions stops. Therefore, based on past and toady’s issues time in New York City, after the cases, it provides an environment by bringing humanity together without any kind of race and social system. The stop and frisk that adapted during the beginning early was a process of improving the city. Looking back at the times when the rights were violated and not respected, we can just emphasize and see the wrongdoings that can be prevented today. Stop and frisk is not just an impractical way of fighting crime in New York City but also violated towards people’s right to walk freely. People were being stopped based on their skin color and appearance, the way they walked and even the neighborhood they lived in. The use of force against the minorities left them devastated and also affected others who lived under the same weight of this unprecedented policy. These stops had become extensive that many people learned to adjust their daily routines to protect themselves from regular police harassment. Thus, it created distrust towards the law and harmed people who were already disadvantaged in our city. The effects on crime rate were not so huge either. It did make a difference in the statistics but compare to the stops and the statics of crime report, it was humongous. There was no relationship between the stop and frisk and crimes took place. After all the scenario of protest, the New York City police restricted their stop and frisk policy two years ago. Even after restricting the policy, there were no impact or increases in the crime rates. In fact, the crimes had gone down and were stable as it was. In another hand, it did keep guns off the street but unfortunately; violating constitutional rights of some of the minorities did not work together with the policy.

Cold War Essay

How was the Cold War fought? †¢ Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying documents in Part A. As you analyze the documents, take into account both the source of the document and the author’s point of view. Be sure to: 1. Carefully read the document-based question. Consider what you already know about this topic. How would you answer the question if you had no documents to examine? 2. Now, read each document carefully, underlining key phrases and words that address the document-based question. You may also wish to use the margin to make brief notes. Answer the questions which follow each document. 3. Based on your own knowledge and on the information found in the documents, formulate a thesis that directly answers the question. 4. Organize supportive and relevant information into a brief outline. 5. Write a well-organized essay proving your thesis. The essay should be logically presented and should include information both from the documents and from your own knowledge outside of the documents. Question: How did the Cold War begin and what â€Å"weapons† were used to fight this war? Part A:–The following documents provide information about the Cold War. The offensive missiles could destroy most cities in the Western Hemisphere. Consequently, he demanded that the Soviet Union remove these missiles from Cuba and â€Å"end this dangerous arms race. † Document 9 Premier Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles because he said they were only put there to defend and protect Cuba from an attack. Since the U. S. had promised that Cuba will not be attacked by any country in the Western Hemisphere, the missiles were no longer needed. The threat of nuclear was lifted and the world stepped back from the brink of war. 127 Additional Information Beyond the Documents