Installation of Video Surveillance Systems in Public Areas Essay

Installation of Video Surveillance Systems in Public Areas - Essay Example Video Surveillance in Public Places: The technique of video surveillance involves the use of a number of video cameras that are connected through closed circuit television (CCTV), where the videos get recorded and can be viewed later on. A central system monitors the entire process and keeps all records of the videos. However since recordings are conducted on public places, the rights of individuals are also considered. It can be realized in this context that an individual moving or performing any activity in a public area would not expect privacy since it is an open place and the activity can be viewed by any other individual present in the area, even if video recording does not take place. The surveillance measure is thus not meant to impact the privacy of individuals (Opinion on Video Surveillance in Public Places by Public Authorities and the Protection of Human Rights, 5-6). Video Surveillance: Views in Support: The present study reflects the views in support of the system of vi deo surveillance in public areas. In this regard the most important issue that can be discussed is the ability of the system to prevent crimes or get hold of criminals once a criminal act occurs. With the presence of CCTV cameras at different locations within a city, it can be understood that every individual would be aware of the surveillance that can be expected to create certain level of fear in the minds of any criminal of getting caught (Ratcliffe, 8). Thus this fear might stop the person or the group of persons from performing any negative act. If this can be realized, the importance of such video surveillance can be well understood can supported by the citizens of every country and individual states. In the present times, where the rates of terrorist attacks and criminal activities have largely increased, several countries have issued laws in their states allowing the roles of video surveillance. Few of such countries include the Great Britain, Spain, France and others. In th ese countries, not only the video cameras are used for recording the activities in public areas but utmost use of the video surveillance is made in these countries intended towards prevention of crimes and getting hold of criminals (Bernan, 119). The increasing use of the video surveillance measure in different countries and support from the respective governments and legal systems tend to signify the need and importance of the system in the prevention of crimes. The video surveillance system not only contributes in the reduction of criminal activities, but at the same time it has certain other benefits as well. The presence of such systems can be expected to lessen the fear of crimes in the minds of the citizens, assist with proven information the police and other investigation departments in case of any crime, reflect any emergency need that viewed through the central monitor can lead to immediate actions, for example any medical emergency on road, and help in a complete managemen t of gathered information (Ratcliffe, 11). The central monitoring system viewing and controlling the recordings of the different associated cameras are in constant watch of all the activities covered by the cameras. Thus in case of any criminal act, or any emergency, as recorded through the

How can you apply this guidance to your own reports Essay Example for Free

How can you apply this guidance to your own reports Essay Lets face it that in reality, no matter what type of presentation you were about to present weve all sat through some pretty bad presentations. When delivering a report, you have to establish the audiences attention and buy-in within the first 30 seconds because if you dont have their attention from the beginning and be able to maintain interest throughout the presentation, your message is lost. So it is very important to somehow follow the following tips on how to get the attention of your audiences: be sure you are sensitive enough to the needs of your audiences, build strong relationships with them, be able to control your style and tone, maintain a strong sense of etiquette, emphasize the positive and use a bias-free language. For considering your audiences, it is fulfilling if you were about to satisfy their needs and be able to marked a good learning. Considering the things we need to know about (hypothetical) reader to craft a successful proposal, first and foremost we need to identify who our target market is. Giving us the idea to what aspect of information should the writer focuses his / her proposal. After this, the writer must be able to give attention on the interests of the readers. Giving the readers an idea on how to actively conduct or participate on putting the information into actions. Aside from credible information, it must be noted that readers be able to identify what obesity is and that what are its causes, how to prevent or be able to â€Å"cure† it. Having all the great information, the hook factor should also be present in doing a proposal. Do the readers agree or disagree with what has been said and that whether the reader’s interests were properly addressed by the writer.

Effects of Exercise on Muscular System

Effects of Exercise on Muscular System Smooth muscle tissue, such as skeletal and cardiac muscle tissue, can undergo hypertrophy the increase in the volume of tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells. Smooth muscle fibres are usually involuntary i.e. not under conscious control, and they are nonstriated meaning smooth. In addition, certain smooth muscle fibres retain a capacity for division and can grow by a process known as hyperplasia, like those in the uterus of women. Cardiac Cardiac muscle tissue forms the bulk of the wall of the heart. Like skeletal muscle tissue, it is striated (the muscle fibers contain alternating light and dark bands (striations) that are perpendicular to the long axes of the fibers). Unlike skeletal muscle tissue, its contraction is usually not under conscious control (involuntary). Skeletal Skeletal muscle tissue is named for its location attached to bones. It is striated; that is, the fibers (cells) contain alternating light and dark bands (striations) that are perpendicular to the long axes of the fibers. Skeletal muscle tissue can be made to contract or relax by conscious control (voluntary). All skeletal muscle fibres are not alike in structure or function. For example, skeletal muscle fibres vary in colour depending on their content of myoglobin (myoglobin stores oxygen until needed by the mitochondria). Skeletal muscle fibres contract with different velocities, depending on their ability to split Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). Faster contracting fibres have greater ability to split ATP. In addition, skeletal muscle fibres vary with respect to the metabolic processes they use to generate ATP. They also differ in terms of the onset of fatigue. Based on various structural and functional characteristics, skeletal muscle fibres are classified into three types: Type I fibres, Type II B fibres and type II A fibres The different types of muscle fibres types of sports each is associated with Type I Fibres These fibres, also called slow twitch or slow oxidative fibres, contain large amounts of myoglobin, many mitochondria and many blood capillaries. Type I fibres are red, split ATP at a slow rate, have a slow contraction velocity, very resistant to fatigue and have a high capacity to generate ATP by oxidative metabolic processes. Such fibres are found in large numbers in the postural muscles of the neck. A sporting example of this could be a prop forward involved in a scrum in rugby. Type II A Fibres These fibres, also called fast twitch or fast oxidative fibres, contain very large amounts of myoglobin, very many mitochondria and very many blood capillaries. Type II A fibres are red, have a very high capacity for generating ATP by oxidative metabolic processes, split ATP at a very rapid rate, have a fast contraction velocity and are resistant to fatigue. Such fibres are infrequently found in humans. A sporting example of this is a sprinter such as Usain Bolt or a hurdler such as Colin Jackson. Type II B Fibres These fibres, also called fast twitch or fast glycolytic fibres, contain a low content of myoglobin, relatively few mitochondria, relatively few blood capillaries and large amounts glycogen. Type II B fibres are white, geared to generate ATP by anaerobic metabolic processes, not able to supply skeletal muscle fibres continuously with sufficient ATP, fatigue easily, split ATP at a fast rate and have a fast contraction velocity. Such fibres are found in large numbers in the muscles of the arms. A sporting example could be an Olympic weightlifter. How muscles produce movement in antagonistic pairs and the role of fixators and synergists There are up to four functional groups of muscles acting on joints. 1. Agonist: actively contract to make a movement. Muscle length reduces. 2. Antagonist: resists the muscle on opposite side, thereby controls the speed of the agonist muscle contraction. Thats why they say both agonist and antagonist muscles are working in pairs. Furthermore when the movement is reversed the original agonist becomes the antagonist and the original antagonist becomes the agonist. 3. Stabilisers: some muscles will hold the joint area stable while other three types of muscles are making a movement. 4. Modifiers: some muscles can slightly change the direction of force exerted by agonists dynamically Different types of muscle contractions Muscle Contractions can be divided into: Isotonic All lifting exercises require isotonic contractions. This happens when the muscle shortens as it contracts. An example of isotonic contraction can be seen when we flex the bicep muscle. Stand with one arm straight and the palm of the hand facing up. Roughly measure the length from the start of the biceps muscle to the point where it meets the shoulder. Now curl the hand towards the shoulder, the biceps muscle shortens as it contracts. When you reach the end point take another rough measurement of the biceps again, it will be much shorter. Another example is the triceps muscle (opposite of biceps). Do the same experiments again this time measure the triceps and start at the curled position. The triceps shortens as the arm straightens. Other examples are lifting objects above the head front shoulder (anterior deltoid) shortens lifting object up from lying position chest muscle shortens lifting body up from squat position quadriceps muscle shortens as legs extend doing a sit up throwing a ball swinging a bat Eccentric Eccentric contraction is the opposite of isotonic; the muscle lengthens as it gains tension. These are much less common and not as beneficial as the common Isotonic. An example is when someone manages to pull your arm straight while at the same time you are try to keep the arm locked in one position. In other words, the load is too great! Other examples are running downhill walking downstairs landing on the ground from a jump Isometric An Isometric contraction occurs when there is tension on a muscle but no movement is made causing the length of the muscle to remain the same. This type of contraction is also referred to as a static contraction. Some bodybuilders make up their own exercises using Isometric contraction in order to develop strength; an example is when someone attempts to curl one arm upwards but is held by using equal resistance from the other arm. attempting to lift an immoveable object holding a weight at arms length some wrestling movements Isokinetic Similar to the isotonic contraction, the Isokinetic contraction causes the muscle to shorten as it gains tension. The difference is Isokinetic requires a constant speed over the entire range of motion, therefore this type of contraction require special equipment to exercise properly. An example is an arm stroke when swimming, the even resistance from the water offers a constant speed at maximal contractions. Sliding Filament Theory The sliding filament theory is the basic summary of the process of skeletal muscle contraction. Myosin moves along the filament by repeating a binding and releasing sequence that causes the thick filament to move over the thinner filament. This progresses in sequential stages. By progressing through this sequence the filaments slide and the skeletal muscles contract and release. First Stage: The first stage is when the impulse gets to the unit. The impulse travels along the axon and enters the muscle through the neuromuscular junction. This causes full two to regulate and calcium channels in the axon membrane to then open. Calcium ions come from extra cellular fluid and move into the axon terminal causing synaptic vessels to fuse with pre synaptic membranes. This causes the release of acetylcholine (a substance that works as a transmitter) within the synaptic cleft. As acetylcholine is released it defuses across the gap and attaches itself to the receptors along the sarcolemma and spreads along and across the muscle fibre. Second Stage: The second stage is for the impulse spreads along the sarcolemma. The action potential spreads quickly along the sarcolemma once it has been generated. This action continues to move deep inside the muscle fibre down to the T tubules and the action potential triggers the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Third Stage: During the third stage calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and actin sites are activated. Calcium ions once released begin binding to Troponin. Tropomyosin blocking the binding of actin is what causes the chain of events that lead to muscle contraction. As calcium ions bind to the Troponin it changes shape which removes the blocking action of Tropomyosin (thin strands of protein that are wrapped around the actin filaments). Actin active sites are then exposed and allow myosin heads to attach to the site. Fourth Stage: The fourth stage then begins in which myosin heads attach to actin and form cross bridges, ATP is also broken down during this stage. Myosin binds at this point to the exposed binding sites and through the sliding filament mechanism the muscles contract. Fifth Stage: During the fifth stage the myosin head pulls the Actin filament and ADP and inorganic Phosphates are released. ATP binding allows the myosin to detach and ATP hydrolysis occurs during this time. This recharges the myosin head and then the series starts over again. Stage Six: Cross bridges detach while new ATP molecules are attaching to the myosin head while the myosin head is in the low-energy configuration. Cross bridge detachment occurs while new ATP attaches itself to the myosin head. New ATP attaches itself to the myosin head during this process. Stage Seven: During stage seven the ATP is broken down and used as energy for the other areas including new cross bridge formation. Then the final stage (stage 8) begins and a drop in stimulus causes the calcium concentrate and this decreases the muscle relaxation. Below is an example of how sliding filament theory works How the muscular system responds to exercise How muscles work Muscles fall in to two types: Voluntary and involuntary. Brain stimulation through a signal to voluntary muscles makes them work to do a task like pulling. There is no brain stimulation for involuntary muscles. When people exercise their voluntary muscles, they more efficiently they function. When functioning efficiently, it is easier for people to do their work. Muscles will function with greater efficiency and ease when they have regular exercise. This is known as the first lesson of exercise Muscular exercise and the affects of exercise on the muscles Inside the muscles nerves relay messages to and from the brain. Food is bought to the muscles by blood vessels which do the work that the brain has ordered. When muscles are exercised, they convert a substance known as glucose into energy. During exercise, heat is produced and carbon dioxide is given off as a waste product. Short term effects: When we begin to exercise the body has to respond to the change in activity level in order to maintain a constant internal environment (homeostasis). Here are the changes which must take place to the muscles so that the exercise can be performed: The higher rate of muscle contraction depletes energy stores and so stimulates a higher rate of energy metabolism. The bodys energy stores are slowly depleted Myoglobin releases its stored oxygen to use in aerobic respiration. O2 can now be diffused into the muscle from the capillaries more quickly due to the decreased O2 concentration in the muscle. Long term effects: Increased numbers of mitochondria (the cells powerhouse) means an increase in the rate of energy production. The muscles, bones and ligaments become stronger to cope with the additional stresses and impact put through them. with the additional stresses and impact put through them. The amount of myoglobin within skeletal muscle increases, which allows more Oxygen to be stored within the muscle, and transported to the mitochondria. Muscles are capable of storing a larger amount of glycogen for energy. Enzymes involved in energy production become more concentrated and efficient to aid the speed of metabolism. Benefits of exercise Muscles are working hard during exercise, which is good for them. The harder they are worked over time, the more they can do. Muscles must have the proper intake of food (in the shape of protein, complex carbohydrates and fats) along with sufficient water to achieve the maximum amount of work possible. Contraction of a muscle makes it a more efficient tool. Contraction with resistance aids the muscle growth and increases its capacity for future demands. Multiple contractions through exercise brings about the greatest efficiencies.

The Effects of Alcoholism :: essays research papers

How many times have you heard about the consequences of alcoholism? Have you taken them into account? Alcoholism is one of the major problems in society. The effects of this disease are really serious. Many people get used to drink alcohol, and they can easily abuse, that is the problem. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the physical, psychological, and economic effects of alcoholism. The first effects of alcoholism are physical. These are the most important because these can cause your death. For example, alcoholism causes cancer in the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Besides, alcohol alters the digestion of nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. Alcoholism also causes loss of appetite and depression. There are other effects in the body like gastritis and cirrhosis of the liver. All these physical consequences could cause your death if you drink alcohol in mass quantities. The second effects caused by alcoholism are psychological. At the beginning, alcohol makes you feel relaxed, but if you drink it in excess, it increases anxiety and causes depression. It also causes family and legal problems, violence, changes of behavior, suicide, among others. Alcohol is very powerful and alters all your normal behaviors. The third effects of alcoholism are economic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug abuse and dependence cost an estimated $98 billion. Alcohol is not cheap. If you drink two or three times in a week, it could cost you about $100 or more a week! People do not think about the money and spend almost everything when they are drunk. In conclusion, the effects of alcoholism which are physical, psychological, and economic can cause many problems that affect your life in all aspects.

Brick Support Tower

The team thought that to be able to have a strong structure, the tower must have support on its edges (or corners). Aside from providing support, the pillars would give the tower the necessary height to lift the bricks several inches from the ground. The team came up with only one design, and was not able to conceptualize any other design because of the time constraints. The team built a brick support tower using only five (5) pieces of note cards and some of the tape. Four of the five note cards had their short end sides cut to put slits into them.The slits were made to have a way of interlocking the cards. The note cards were then rolled in their long side to form cylinders. The fifth card was placed in the middle covering the four standing cylinders, with one cylinder standing in each corner of the fifth note card. The team didn’t have any idea as to how many bricks will it be able to support. Because of the short time allotted, the team was not able to utilize the remainin g note cards to build what could have been the next layer of the tower. Conceptual DevelopmentThe design that the team utilized provided sturdy columns, supporting the weight of the fifth note card, and also, the weight of the loading. However, the design proved to be weak in the middle part because no support was provided. Again, due to the time constraints, the group was not able to come up with other designs. The team only used the first thing that came to their mind, and immediately, set out to prepare the note cards for that design. Results and Discussion The team was only able to come up with a one-level structure of a tower.After construction, the team immediately proceeded with testing the strength and stability of their structure. The tower was only able to hold the weight of one brick. The structure turned out to be weak in the middle portion because of no added support. Another cylinder could have supported the middle part, where the center of gravity is located and thus, putting more stress and leading to eventual sagging of the middle note card. Achieving the highest performance index for a tower supporting one or more bricks was the goal of this activity.The performance index can be computed by multiplying the distance from the floor to the bottom of the lowest brick (height in inches) with the number of bricks that was supported. The team’s design’s performance index is __, which was calculated using the height measured multiplied by 1 (only one brick was supported). Given that the tower was only single-layered. The index is relatively high. Recommendations and Closure The structure could have supported more bricks if only more of the note cards were rolled into cylinders and used as base.Though the structure is single-layered, the performance index could still be higher because more bricks will be supported. Another approach would have been building a higher structure from the note cards (about two layers) but the number of bricks it may be able to hold will remain one. The team should have come up with several designs and thought over carefully which among their designs should they use. Of course, the design must be something that is sturdy and yet, easy to do, given the limited time allotment.

Polysystem Theory Essay

The book consists of a set of articles in which the centre of attention is the notion of Polysystem. The article The Function of the Literary Polysystem in the History of Literature is mostly connected with the notion of Polysystem. Language is heterogeneous, so it is labeled as a polysystem, where highly codified stratification prevails, any minor move from one stratum to another may be taken as a major offense. Polysystem is subdivided into â€Å"canonized† (usually considered â€Å"major† literature: those kinds of literary works accepted by the â€Å"literary milieu† and usually preserved by the community as part of its cultural heritage) and â€Å"non-canonized† literature (those kinds of literary works more often than not rejected by the literary milieu as lacking â€Å"aesthetic value† and relatively quickly forgotten, e. g. detective-fiction, sentimental novels, westerns, pornographic literature, etc. ). Translation plays a great role in Polysystem and in the synchrony and diachrony of a certain literature. Epigonic† literature is kind of a literature where diachronic shifts create a situation in which norms previously known as dominant become peripheral within â€Å"the new phase of literature,† but they are still in use. Canonized literature tries to create new models of reality and attempts to illuminate the information it bears, non-canonized literature has to keep within the conventionalized models which are highly automatized. In synchrony, canonized and non-canonized systems manifest two various diachronic phases, the non-canonized overlapping with a previous canonized phase. The oppositions between the various literary systems create an ideal literary and cultural balance within the literary polysystem. This is the only way for non-canonized literature to settle in literature when canonized literature succeeds in gaining ground. The article The Relations between Primary and Secondary Systems in the Literary Polysystem distinguishres between primary and secondary systems – to what extent a certain system or type plays a major role within the literary polysystem. The Polysystem hypothesis gives us possibility to a more adequate analysis of intra- and interrelations. It is also a functional concept. It is concerned with dynamic complexes. The functions it may detect are conditioned by complex inter- and intrarelations within a hypothesized multileveled system. â€Å"Primary† type: the pre-condition for its functioning is the discontinuity of established models. Change occurs only when a primary model takes over the center of a system. Sometimes we can have the process of â€Å"secondariztion’ of the primary, what means that new elements are retranslated, into the old terms, inconsequence imposing previous functions on new carriers but not changing the functions. The Polysystem Hypothesis Revisited. Many scholars, including Evan-Zohar considered that literature within the historical context can be conceived of as a polysystem, that is a stratified whole, where the various strata function as systems. But it became clear that no literature really overfunctions as a non-stratified whole and if the correlation between the strata within it disintegrates for some reason, a sort of stagnation takes over. The result of such process is that the system collapses. The methodological hypothesis which presumed literature to be a polysystem could now be reversed and reformulated in terms of a universal: all literary systems strive to become polysystemic. The article Universals of Literary Contacts distinguishes source literature (SLt) and target literature (TLt) and draws the difference between two major types of literary contact: first – contacts between relatively established systems which are con-sequently relatively independent (for instance the situation of English and French languages over the past two years); and second – contacts between non-established or fluid systems which are partly or wholly dependent upon some other system(s) – these are the cases with Ukrainian and Russian, for instance. Some examples of possible universals of literary contact are provided: – Literatures are never in non-contact, because of some social reasons. These contacts are the rule rather than the exception. – A prestigious literature may function as a literary superstratum for a TLt. – Literature may be selected as a SLt when it is dominant due to extra-literary conditions, for example the political domination of English and French during colonial periods. – Contacts are also favored/non-favored by a general attitude of a potential TLt. Due to some nationalistic view, works of some writers could not be possible considered as appropriate for the national literature. – We may observe interference when a TLt cannot resist it or has a need for it – is when a certain type evolved in a certain literature is lacking in another, for example, thrillers and detective stories undoubted-ly migrated from English literature to practically all the others. – Items are not transplanted from a SLt to a TLt, but â€Å"needs† determine and guide the selection and the function also changes. – A TLt tends to behave like a secondary system with respect to a SLt. This means that a TLt, under the conditions mentioned above, makes contact with a diachronic phase of a SLt which is wholly or partly outdated, and disregards a contemporary SLt phase. Interference in Dependent Literary Polyssytems. A literature may become dependent only if it is weak. But this â€Å"weakness† means the inability of a system to function by confining itself to its home inventory only and the extreme of such a state would then denote a situation where a literature can function only because it has the opportunity of using some other literature. Russian literature was for Hebrew as a part of it on all levels, but due to the equivalency policy adopted by Bialik and his contemporaries, there was a very strong illusion of domestic â€Å"originality. † When the condition of weakness is not marked, even physical contacts and pressures may not result in interference; when it is marked, a state of dependency is very likely, especially if simultaneously accompanied by accessible contacts even in the absence of physical contact and pressures. The next article Russian and Hebrew: The Case of a Dependent Polysystem first of all tries to show ways in which Yiddish and Hebrew developed through the centuries. The fact that many Jews lived among Slavs is of high importance because this is the reason why the language was influenced by European languages. Only in the 19th century the great development of both languages began. This period is called â€Å"The Revival Period. † The most noticeable is the influence of Russian languge. Russified items penetrated most easily into domains where the Hebrew repertoire was weakest. Hebrew separated from Yiddish only in Palestine. The last article Israeli-Hebrew Literature: A Historical Model is about historical interrelation of Hebrew and Yiddish literature. The first period of the development can be characterized by its multiterritorial base (if the writer lives outside his country his works can be aknowledged of the country he lives in – this was common for Hebrew) , and its existence as a defective polysystem within symbiotic structures, which is the function of the first one (for instance Hebrew which influenced some other languages, mainly, where Jews lived). Due to some political reasons Israeli-Hebrew Literature didn’t have a stable centre. Only in 19th century it moved to Palestine, however a lot of publishing houses were situated in all over the world. Yiddish literature functioned for a long time as Hebrew’s non-canonized system, but after the separation the audience increased. Translations are very important in Israel Literature, because they are also a part of Israel Literature, mostly these are the translations from English, German and Russian Literatures. Despite all the pressure that Israeli underwent, the literature develops as well as researches on Translation Studies.

James Patterson Book List by Year

James Patterson Book List by Year Author  James Patterson releases several books every year, thrilling his fans with page-turners that are easy to read and entertaining. Many of his books are co-written with lesser-known authors, allowing him to write more than one man could on his own. Wondering if you have missed one of his releases? Complete List Of James Patterson Books By Year 1976 - The Thomas Berryman Number1977 - Season of the Machete1977 - The Jericho Commandment (published again in 1997 as See How They Run)1980 - Virgin1986 - Black Market (published again in 2000 as Black Friday)1988 - The Midnight Club1992 - Along Came A Spider (Alex Cross Series)1994 - Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross Series)1996 - Jack Jill (Alex Cross Series)1996 - Hide Seek1996 - Miracle on the 17th Green (with Peter De Jonge)1997 - See How They Run (published previously as The Jericho Commandment)1997 - Cat and Mouse (Alex Cross Series)1998 - When the Wind Blows1999 - Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross Series)2000 - Black Friday (previously published in 1986 as Black Market)2000 - Cradle All (previously published in 1980 as Virgin)2000 - Roses are Red (Alex Cross Series)2001 - Violets are Blue (Alex Cross Series)2001 - Suzannes Diary for Nicholas2001 - 1st to Die (Womens Murder Club)2002 - Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross Series)2002 - Beach House(with Peter De Jonge) 2002 - 2nd Chance (Womens Murder Club, with Andrew Gross)2003 - The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross Series)2003 - The Jester(with Andrew Gross)2003 - The Lake House (sequel to When The Wind Blows)2004 - 3rd Degree (Womens Murder Club, with Andrew Gross)2004 - London Bridges (Alex Cross Series)2004 - Sams Letters to Jennifer2004 - Santa Kid2005 - 4th of July (Womens Murder Club, with Maxine Paetro)2005 - Mary, Mary (Alex Cross Series)2005 - Honeymoon(with Howard Roughan)2005 - Lifeguard(with Andrew Gross)2005 - Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment2006 - Cross(Alex Cross Series)2006 - (with Peter De Jonge)2006 - Judge and Jury(with Andrew Gross)2006 - 5th Horseman (Womens Murder Club, with Maxine Paetro)2007 - Step on a Crack2007 - 6th Target  (Womens Murder Club Series)2007 - Double Cross  (Alex Cross Series)2008 - 7th Heaven  (Womens Murder Club Series)2008 - Maximum Ride #4: The Final Warning2008 - Sundays at Tiffanys2008 - Sail2008 - The Dangerous Days of Daniel X 2008 - Against Medical Advice2008 - Cross Country  (Alex Cross Series)2009 - The 8th Confession  (Womens Murder Club Series)2009 - Daniel X: Watch the Skies2009 - The Murder of King Tut2009 - Witch Wizard2009 - Alex Cross Trial  (Alex Cross Series)2009 - I, Alex Cross  (Alex Cross Series)2010 - Worst Case2010 - Fang2010 - The 9th Judgment  (Womens Murder Club Series)2010 - Dont Blink2010 - Private2010 - Postcard Killers2010 - Cross Fire  (Alex Cross Series)2010 - Witch Wizard: The Gift2011 - Tick Tock2011 - Angel2011 - Toys2011 -  Kill Alex Cross  (Alex Cross Series)2012 -  10th Anniversary  (Womens Murder Club Series)2012 - Private Games2012 - Private: #1 Suspect2012 - Guilty Wives2012 - 11th Hour  (Womens Murder Club Series)2012 - Middle School: Get Me Out of Here2012 - I, Michael Bennett2012 - Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure2012 - Zoo2012 - Confessions of a Murder Suspect2012 - NYPD Red2012 - Daniel X: Armageddon 2012 - Merry Christmas, Alex Cross  (Alex Cross Series)2012 - I, Funny2013 - Private Berlin2013 - Witch Wizard: The Kiss2013 - Alex Cross, Run  (Alex Cross Series)2013 - Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar2013 - 12th of Never  (Womens Murder Club Series)2013 - Second Honeymoon2013 - Private Down Under2013 - Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill2013 - Mistress2013 - Treasure Hunters2013 - Gone2013 - Confessions: The Private School Murders2013 - Cross My Heart  (Alex Cross Series)2013 - I Even Funnier2014 - First Love 2014 - Private L.A.2014 - NYPD Red 22014 - Middle School: Ultimate Showdown2014 - Unlucky 13  (Womens Murder Club Series)2014 - Invisible2014 - Middle School: Save Rafe2014 - Homeroom Diaries2014 - Private Down Under2014 - Danger Down The Nile2014 - Burn2014 - Confessions: The Paris Mysteries2014 - Private India2014 - Hope to Die  (Alex Cross Series)2014 - House of Robots2014 - The Lost 2015 - Private Vegas2015 - I Totally Funniest2015 - NYPD Red 32015 - Public School Superhero2015 - The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook2015 - 14th Deadly Sin  (Womens Murder Club Series)2015 - Maximum Ride Forever2015 - Truth or Die2015 - Just My Rotten Luck2015 - Lights Out2015 - Alert2015 - Private Syndey2015 - Secret of the Forbidden City2015 - The Murder House2015 - Confessions: The Murder of an Angel2015 - Cross Justice  (Alex Cross Series)2015 - Robots Go Wild!2015 - I Funny TV2016 - NYPD Red 42016 - Private Paris2016 - Jacky Ha-Ha2016 - 15th Affair  (Womens Murder Club Series)2016 - Ultimate Fight2016 - Private Rio2016 - Filthy Rich2016 - Humans, Bow Down2016 - Peril at the Top of the World2016 - Bullseye2016 - Woman of God2016 - From Hero to Zero2016 - Cross the Line  (Alex Cross Series)2017 - Middle School: Escape to Australia2017 - The Shut-In2017 - The End: An Owen Taylor Story2017 - Bedding the Highlander 2017 - The Black Book2017 - I Funny: School of Laughs2017 - Night Sniper2017 - After the End: An Owen Taylor Story2017 - Two from the Heart2017 - How to Be a Supervillain2017 - 16th Seduction (Womens Murder Club Series)2017 - Crazy House2017 - Juror #32017 - The Dolls2017 - Dr. Death2017 - Big Words for Little Geniuses

Gun Control Essays (1517 words) - Gun Politics In The United States

Gun Control Essays (1517 words) - Gun Politics In The United States Gun Control One of the most controversial issues of today is the topic of gun control. It is not only a popular debate, but has now become one of the key reasons people vote for a particular candidate. But is gun control the only answer to help stop crime, or is there another solution? I believe that if we as a society cannot even control ourselves to become responsible for our own actions then we are lost. Gun control isnt the answer, instead we should concentrate on training and controlling the people who are using these firearms. A quote from Charlton Heston, president of the NRA, We teach our children not to play with a hot stove, to look both ways before crossing the street and to avoid the dangers of drugs and other harmful substances. And we should certainly teach our young children how to avoid tragic accidents with firearms. With such groups as the NRA, ACLU, and the MRC many agree that their has to be another solution. The NRA alone has over four million people supporting them. The NRA also supports many programs to better increase the knowledge about firearms and the safety of the people using them. For example they agree with the proposition to have mandatory background checks for anyone purchasing a firearm at a gun show. They also agree with and help to fund school education programs for gun safety including their award winning Eddie Eagle GunSafe Programs, which since 1988 has been viewed by over 12 million school children in every state in the country. But the controversy doesnt arise in these programs because almost everyone would agree that a more informed and educated society isnt a bad thing. The problem lays within the issue of banning guns, and registering guns. Should all guns be registered in a national database? The NRA says no. Another quote from Charlton Heston. In every jurisdiction where registration has been imposed, government confiscation and destruction has occurred. Yet, that is exactly the goal of anti-gun lobbyists. This was taken from a debate between NRA president Charlton Heston and Handgun Control Inc. chair Sarah Brady. Heston continues on to say Sarah Brady, chair of Handgun Control Inc., told the New York Times on August 15, 1993 that her ultimate goal is a need based licensing system, with all guns and gun transfers registered with the federal government. In her ideal world, an honest citizen would have to prove to government bureaucrats his or her need to own a firearm. Think about that for a moment. Can you satisfy Mrs. Bradys requirement that you need your shotgun? Or the handgun you keep for protection in your home? This raises an interesting point. If this system were to pass, how would you judge a persons need for a firearm, especially for protection purposes? Another possible precaution that is being proposed by presidential candidate Al Gore, is the fingerprinting and photographing of every gun owner for an identification card. What criminal is going to stand in line and give his fingerprints and photograph away to the federal government? So how would this help reduce gun-related crimes? Simply put, it wouldnt, but Al Gore is still pushing for it, much like the systems that were already introduced to such countries as Australia, England, and Canada. Shortly after these countries began confiscating and destroying privately owned guns. Now Im not saying that I believe the federal government is trying to overturn our country by taking away our firearms, but it is a little suspicious when compared to the previous history of other countries. So what does Sarah Brady and the Handgun Control Inc. think about national registration of firearms? Handgun registration is: a way of ensuring that the police can track any gun that is used in a crime, do a better job of proving that a crime gun was indeed purchased by the criminal and convict those criminals and send them to jail. Though they believe in handgun registration, they dont believe in registering rifles or shotguns since they are rarely used in crimes. I agree that justice must be served and that any possible way of finding these criminals and upholding the law should be taken, but choosing between confiscation and registration is a tough choice. Id rather have the right to own a gun. Also if the possibility of confiscation arose think how much easier it would be for the federal government to track you down and steal your firearm. Although it seems far fetched that this could ever happen Id rather not take any chances. Another huge controversy of today is between the two possible presidential candidates Al

Arab Marriage and Family Formation

Arab Marriage and Family Formation Introduction Arab societies are undergoing major changes as new patterns of marriage and family formation emerge across the region. For long decades, early marriage was the common pattern in the Arab world. However, it is no longer the only pattern. The average age of marriage is rising and more Arab women are staying single for a long time and sometimes they don’t get married at all. These new marriage trends in the Arab World are part of a world global phenomenon. The changes of marriage trends in the Arab world reflect the social and economic changes taking place in the region. Arab economies moved away from agrarian based systems which supported both early marriage and extended family numbers [Hoda R.and Magued O., 2005]. The majority of the Arab populations live in cities working in industrial or service sectors. Today, Arab women are more educated and more likely to work outside their homes for personal and financial independence. These changes create a new image of wom an and change her past traditional role as a mother and household member. The objective of this research is the studying of marriage issue in the Arab world because marriage is one of the key important factors that determine the social and economic present and future in the Arab countries. Both problems of early marriage and increase of average age of marriage of marriage are explained. Finally, a recommended solutions and actions are proposed in order to naturalize the two problems for decreasing the negative impacts and creation of better Arab societies. Importance of Marriage in Arab Society Family is the main concern in Arab societies. Family is considered the main social security system for young and elder people in Arab countries. In Arab culture, parents are responsible for children well into those children’s adult lives, and children reciprocate by taking responsibility for the care of their aging parents—responsibilities that Arabs generally take on with great pride. Marriage for Arabs is thus both an individual and a family matter. In Arab societies, marriage is considered the turning point that defines prestige, recognition, and societal approval on both partners, particularly the bride. Marriage in Arab societies is considered the social and economic contract between two families. Marriage is also considered the right form of socially, culturally, and legally acceptable sexual relationship [1]. Early marriage in Arab World Early marriage is any form of marriage that takes place at age of 18 years. Early marriages are often associated with enforcement. Forced marriage is the marriage conducted without full consent of both parties and sometimes with a threat [2].From human rights point of view, early marriage is considered a violation of human rights conventions. In Arab societies- especially developing countries- early marriage, is considered a means of securing young girls’ future and protecting them. Wars and social problems m ay leads also to early marriage as in Palestine, where the intifada has led to earlier marriage. Many countries in the world have declared 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage. However, more than millions of young girls are expected to marry in the next decade according to the international statistics. [2].

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 69

History - Essay Example The 1960s movement culture had also force a reconsideration of foreign policy concerning defense of democracy and human rights across countries because of liberals seemed to be blind to human rights abuses and dangers of the Soviet military power. To provide evidence that the 1960s movement had led to the development of neo-conservatism politics and worldwide reconsideration of foreign policy, Boyer (2001) stated that America’s prime interest was mainly commerce and missionary work; however, the growth of the Soviet forces had made America a buffer state which balance great power and ambitions and defend only against external threats (283). America were blind to human abuses as they were linked to the British while supporting the Jews. America believed that containment of Soviet threat is necessary and this led the nationalist or neo-conservative movement to emerge. This movement saw that while America promote different social programs, they are still blind to worldwide human rights abuses because of containment of Soviet threat. Based on the evidences, I assumed that the Soviet force was truly terrifying; if not, why would America will only aim towards containment despite seeing worldwide human rights abuses? I learned that to preserve foreign relations, establishing an ally would help a lot. However, we must see to it that the draft of foreign relations policy will not only support social welfare and defense but will also strengthen democracy and protect human rights across the globe. This must promote equality among all

Music Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Appreciation - Essay Example Studying the different time periods such as the Renaissance, Baroque period, Classical period, all these time periods contributed in different ways to the music we have today. Take for example, the kind of music that was played in the Baroque period. Music at that time lacked coherent melody, was filled with unremitting dissonances, constantly changed key and meter, and speedily ran through every compositional device. Look at the Classical period as well. Music during this time was balanced. Nothing was too fast or too slow, or too loud, or too soft. The texture of this type of music was lighter and clearer than Baroque music and less complex. Variety of keys, melodies, rhythms and dynamics along with frequent changes of mood and timbre were more commonplace in the Classical period than they had been in the Baroque. One thing that amazes me is that back in these different eras, there was a distinct type of music that most people played, what was acceptable. In the baroque, it was fas t music, in the Classical time, it was orchestrated music. In the Renaissance period, there was the development of respect for rhythm and sense of the words in texting. However, in our modern time and day, you have not necessarily just one type of music that is being played or dominant, but many different kinds, and a combination of all these different rhythms make me really appreciate the generation that we live in. This can be seen in the hit charts, in music that comes out today. Look at Alicia Keys, her music is an incorporation of both classical music and pop with a slight jazzy feeling to it. Another good example is of bands, such as One Republic. When they released their single, â€Å"Apologize†, there was incorporation of their classical music instruments, and the song in itself was a very emotional song filled with meaning. This realization helps me realize that just like how we are progressing, unlike before where people were more narrow-minded and only open to thei r own ideas but now we see a blending of all these different forms of music, we should be learning from the past. We should take the good and leave the bad, and bring all these good ideas together to form disciplines that will change our lives for the better. We should take the different music from different cultures and bring it together to form songs that will unite us as one and help us grow. These days, people tend to look more to Western music as the â€Å"ideal†, whatever is being done in western music, is what should be followed, but I believe this is wrong. Every culture has a rich background that they can bring to the table. I think we should learn to embrace our uniqueness, and stop trying to urge everyone to be like us. We’re connected across the planet. We can share the views of people on music, the arts, and culture via a wide array of internet-available nets capes, blogs, and interactive venues. We can access the musical world easily, purchase it, and dow nload it. We can learn it by listening to sources, and asking questions of it, interactively. We’re also connected to cultures living locally—at home, within our families, schools, and communities. There we can quite easily make the effort to know the children we teach, the human resources that are available to give support to our teaching efforts, and the music-makers that range from the occasional and

Evidence-based Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence-based Policing - Essay Example 3)The advantages are apparent given the ability when implementing this approach to fix approaches that are non-functional while still ensuring the largest amount of individual freedom in situations that may require law enforcement intervention. Evidenced-based policing The disadvantages of this approach can be seen in the single approach that is statistically the best for the general community. While this allows for the best overall response from a cohesive unit it may not allow for individual communities to pursue different approaches that may in fact be better for that individual community. In one study in Britain â€Å"However, households in projects that had received public education and households that received the follow-up visits were both more likely to report new violence to the police than households that did not receive the treatments.† (Davis, Taylor, 1997 pg. 307-333) This shows that in individual situations the use of the community specific evidence-based policin g was ineffective in actually reducing the crimes approached using the model that was seen as most likely to succeed. Using a general approach is beneficial in some areas however, as can be seen is not beneficial in all areas of enforcement.

Ecomics instution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ecomics instution - Essay Example Despite the increase in the income level of these individuals in the past decade, it is revealed that money as a single entity does not offer the remedy to counter unhappiness. With various strategies applied, to measure the trends in Layard’s case happiness, the modern society is capable of identifying measures that would limit success. As an economist, Layard poses a question to individuals in the quest to find happiness asking them what they would do differently to achieve the fete. His opinion opposes the capitalists’ theories that favor the aspect of individualism. Their desire to offer competition in the economic struggling society suggests limited room for improvement in the other social classes that may endeavor to rise from their demeaning state. The book is set in two main parts, the first part that introduces the constraints experienced in the desire to achieve happiness and the second part explaining measures that people implement to increase their happiness . It is often difficult to achieve total progress, and with perfection determining most of the conscious decisions made towards situations, limited progress may be achieved. Happiness is not achieved easily with obstacles impairing the person’s desire to achieve control of positivity towards the entity. Layard argues that there are provisions that counter happiness in the society and are in the form of psychological or mental instability. When people strain and suffer due to external factors that overshadow their economical achievements, there is little realized in the happiness brought by money. There can never be a defined happiness achieved without handling all external impairments of the physical mind. An individual must poses a sober and creative mind free from stress and external pressure from environmental entities to achieve development.

Animal Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal Rights - Essay Example Which is why for all the valuable things animals could do for mankind, man or at least a great majority of human beings, have thought to also accord animals similar rights as human beings. In the United States, these animal rights are enshrined in a number of laws and statutes that ensure protection to animals and that prosecute individuals who are involved in animal abuse. The Michael Vick Case Michael Vick was a football quarterback playing for Virginia Tech when he was sighted for his prowess in the football field and eventually awarded a crack at the National Football League via the Atlanta Falcons. It was during his stay with the Atlanta Falcons that Vick had the best time in his life as a league contract athlete when he led the Falcons in their bid for the NFC championship against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ironically, it was also during this time that Vick probably had the worst time in his life when it was discovered that he engaged in drugs and professional dog-fighting. While Vick had denied these allegations attributed to him, evidences linking him to the illegal activities had surfaced. In August 2007, Vick admitted to the NFL Commission that he had bankrolled and participated in the dog-fighting operation. He was promptly suspended by the NFL. And sooner after that, following an intense investigation by the FBI, Vick admitted to killing dogs himself, and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and pay a substantial fine for running a â€Å"cruel and inhumane† dog-fighting ring. He spent 21 months in jail and was committed on his last two months to house arrest. During this last part of his sentence, Vick thought of going back to professional play. After some negotiations that included professional monitoring by his probation officers, he signed up with the Philadelphia Eagles that signaled his re-entry to normal professional football. Lessons from Vick’s Case The Vick’s case offers a lot of insights and lessons that people could lea rn much from. One such insight is the observation that there are people, or groups of people, who would look at animals as objects of passion or consumption or prey and would not share a bit of humanity towards them. They would ignore that there is value in seeing animals, particularly pet animals, as capable of returning a caring gesture or a training effort as have been documented in many cases involving particularly pet dogs which grew under the protective and loving care of their owners. Jennifer Leonard, a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History (Reilly) writes: â€Å"We know that dogs were useful for lots of things in Stone Age culture as draft animals, in hunting, for warmth, and for protection.† In many cases, pet animals have proven themselves indispensable to human beings in providing company, care, assistance and many more valuable roles. An example of such an instance was the baby abandoned by her mother deep in the forest in Kenya sometime in 2005. A stray dog, which must just have given birth to her baby pups, heard the cries of the baby and dragged her to be with her own

Evidence-based Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence-based Policing - Essay Example 3)The advantages are apparent given the ability when implementing this approach to fix approaches that are non-functional while still ensuring the largest amount of individual freedom in situations that may require law enforcement intervention. Evidenced-based policing The disadvantages of this approach can be seen in the single approach that is statistically the best for the general community. While this allows for the best overall response from a cohesive unit it may not allow for individual communities to pursue different approaches that may in fact be better for that individual community. In one study in Britain â€Å"However, households in projects that had received public education and households that received the follow-up visits were both more likely to report new violence to the police than households that did not receive the treatments.† (Davis, Taylor, 1997 pg. 307-333) This shows that in individual situations the use of the community specific evidence-based policin g was ineffective in actually reducing the crimes approached using the model that was seen as most likely to succeed. Using a general approach is beneficial in some areas however, as can be seen is not beneficial in all areas of enforcement.

Animal Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Animal Rights - Essay Example Which is why for all the valuable things animals could do for mankind, man or at least a great majority of human beings, have thought to also accord animals similar rights as human beings. In the United States, these animal rights are enshrined in a number of laws and statutes that ensure protection to animals and that prosecute individuals who are involved in animal abuse. The Michael Vick Case Michael Vick was a football quarterback playing for Virginia Tech when he was sighted for his prowess in the football field and eventually awarded a crack at the National Football League via the Atlanta Falcons. It was during his stay with the Atlanta Falcons that Vick had the best time in his life as a league contract athlete when he led the Falcons in their bid for the NFC championship against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ironically, it was also during this time that Vick probably had the worst time in his life when it was discovered that he engaged in drugs and professional dog-fighting. While Vick had denied these allegations attributed to him, evidences linking him to the illegal activities had surfaced. In August 2007, Vick admitted to the NFL Commission that he had bankrolled and participated in the dog-fighting operation. He was promptly suspended by the NFL. And sooner after that, following an intense investigation by the FBI, Vick admitted to killing dogs himself, and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and pay a substantial fine for running a â€Å"cruel and inhumane† dog-fighting ring. He spent 21 months in jail and was committed on his last two months to house arrest. During this last part of his sentence, Vick thought of going back to professional play. After some negotiations that included professional monitoring by his probation officers, he signed up with the Philadelphia Eagles that signaled his re-entry to normal professional football. Lessons from Vick’s Case The Vick’s case offers a lot of insights and lessons that people could lea rn much from. One such insight is the observation that there are people, or groups of people, who would look at animals as objects of passion or consumption or prey and would not share a bit of humanity towards them. They would ignore that there is value in seeing animals, particularly pet animals, as capable of returning a caring gesture or a training effort as have been documented in many cases involving particularly pet dogs which grew under the protective and loving care of their owners. Jennifer Leonard, a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History (Reilly) writes: â€Å"We know that dogs were useful for lots of things in Stone Age culture as draft animals, in hunting, for warmth, and for protection.† In many cases, pet animals have proven themselves indispensable to human beings in providing company, care, assistance and many more valuable roles. An example of such an instance was the baby abandoned by her mother deep in the forest in Kenya sometime in 2005. A stray dog, which must just have given birth to her baby pups, heard the cries of the baby and dragged her to be with her own

Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which Two Poets Create Sympathy for Their Characters †‘on a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ and ‘the River God’. Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which Two Poets Create Sympathy for Their Characters – ‘on a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ and ‘the River God’. Essay The poems ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’, written by John Betjeman and ‘The River God’, written by Stevie Smith appear as two very different poems; one in monologue form and the other in a regular form; but they are in fact two very similar poems. ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ presents a character mourning the death of a deaf man who was very close to him/her, and ‘The River God’ presents a lonely God who is abused by people and resorts to murdering women to keep himself company. Both characters are lonely and the portrayal of this loneliness causes you – the reader to feel sympathetic towards them. The ‘River God’ is lonely because he is only used by others, no one stays to be with him, they leave – ‘and I like the people who bathe in me . . . or will she go away?’ suggesting that he enjoys their company but doesn’t want them to go as he get’s lonely. In ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ the mourner feels lonely because he/she has lost someone very close to them – ‘the kind old face . . . he took me on long silent walks . . . when young’ implying they were close as they have known each other since a young age. Both blame others for the situations that they have found themselves in. The ‘River God’ blames the women who ‘bathe in [him]’ for his loneliness, meaning that out of desperation he tries to keep the women with him but by doing so ends up killing them ‘she lies in my beautiful deep river bed with many a weed’. I believe he understands though that he has killed them and that is why he keeps them in the ‘beautiful deep river bed’; this causes you to feel some sympathy for him as he accidentally kills them but then out of love keeps them in his ‘beautiful deep river bed’. The mourner blames God for the death of the ‘deaf man’: ‘You, God, who treat him thus and thus, /Say ‘Save his soul and pray.’/You ask me to believe You and / I only see decay’ describing how God should be, but then the reality of asking God for things which aren’t achieved. This causes you to feel sympathetic because you see someone who asked God to save him yet he still died – ‘see decay’. The poems both begin with descriptions of characters. ‘The River God’ begins ‘the kind old face, the egg-shaped head’ and ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ begins ‘I may be smelly and I may be old’; the first description makes you feel sad that someone kind and good has died and the second makes you feel pitiful for the river, it’s not the river’s fault that it’s that way as it’s reflective of old age and the abuse it has had by mankind, all of which you would be distraught if you found yourself in so you can feel sympathetic towards them. The poets use the death of a person to draw sympathy from you. In ‘The River God’ a woman dies, one that he was fond of and he was against her dying; in ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ a friendly deaf man dies, presumably suddenly; these draw your sympathy because it suggests that they are lonely, in a state of mourning and vulnerable – all of which are states in which you would not want to find yourself and when you see someone else in such a state, you will feel sympathetic and be able to relate to the emotions they are feeling. The poets use the deaths of characters in their poems to create side-personas for the characters through the persona of the main-speaking character. ‘The River God’ uses the dead woman to give another perspective of what’s going on, ‘This beautiful lady, or will she go away?’ shows this perfectly. The questioning gives her perspective that she wants to leave but she is being held, leading you to feel sympathetic for her as this large ‘River’ is holding her captive and she cannot leave. However, it shows the misunderstanding of the ‘River God’ as she is drowned, ‘Oh who would guess what a beautiful white face lies there’, ‘white face’ implying she is dead, leading you to feel sympathetic again towards him as he is totally ignorant of everything going on around him. ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’, the writer uses the deaf man to display what exactly he/she has lost through his death, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œHe knew the names of ev’ry bird’. This shows how caring he was and this would presumably translate to how he acts to people – kind and caring – and lead to sympathy as you would never want to lose a person so good to die. The poem also describes what further potential to do good he had if he knew what was coming, ‘He would have liked to say good-bye/Shake hands with many friends.’ This causes a sympathetic response from the reader because again even though he was dying he would have wanted to show respect to his friends rather than just leaving. It also creates sympathy because the person who has lost this ‘kind’ man would be very upset about his/her death. We see this when he/she blames God for his death as he didn’t save him/her, ‘’Save his soul and pray.’/ You ask me to believe You and/ I only see decay.’ – this shows a stage of mourning in which you blame others for the death you have experienced. In conclusion, the poets create sympathy for their characters very effectively through: descriptions, meanings and powers out of the characters control; all of which attract the reader to feel some understanding, pity or empathy towards them. The poets both use the deaths of characters to contrast the feeling of the characters and the feelings of the dead to create sympathy.

Stricter Gun Control Laws

Stricter Gun Control Laws Gun control in the United States has been a controversial issue over past years, especially in light of the recent events of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings. Gun control is the regulation of the selling, owning, and use of guns. Americans have many reasons for owning and using fire arms, both positive and negative. The second Amendment of the Constitution gives the rights to American citizens to keep and bear arms. On the positive side of the issue for stricter gun control laws in the United States, there are many reasons how we can keep a safer environment inside our country. Stricter gun control laws will decrease the overall number of accidental shootings. It will also make it more difficult for criminals to obtain guns. Semi-automatic weapons, which are the leading types of guns used in mass shootings could be eliminated from being able to be purchased and will ultimately lower the number of overall deaths if a shooting were to occur. Creating stricter gun control laws could also hurt or have no effect on the number of overall shooting in the United States. People who want guns and are unable to obtain them legally, can purchase them through the black market. Most people simply want guns for their own protection and self-defense. GUNS PROTECT PEOPLE The majority of gun owners admit that owning a gun gives them a feeling of assurance and security. The ownership of a gun adds to the safety of the owner especially during dangerous incidents like, burglary, attempted murder, and other crime alike. Ownership of a gun could satisfy the second level of the hierarchy of needs as dictated by the widely known Maslows Hierarchy of needs. This fact could prove that the ownership of a gun is necessary to live comfortably. Prohibition is not the best solution. Banning guns will not kill gun culture. The use of guns will not disappear or make them any less dangerous. It could even promote illegal purchases of guns. As stated in the previous paragraph, safety is a need, and people are most likely to do whatever it takes to assure it for themselves and for their families. Citizens are not only capable but also have the right to protect themselves, their families, and their property. If owning a gun is the easy, then why not? Many people also need guns for other reasons. Farmers need fire arms to protect their fields and livestock from wild animals. If the banning of guns will push through, the livelihood of these people will be greatly affected. The least that could happen is them resorting to technologies that are way above their budget to compensate for the security provided to them by the confiscated guns. If the banning of guns is after the welfare of the people, these realities are not to be disregarded and should be considered. Though these people are a minority compared to the whole population, their voices should be treated as those of the majority. Shooting is a major sport enjoyed by many law-abiding citizens in the United States. Just like other sports, shooting is recreational; it promotes discipline, and camaraderie and healthy relationships among its enthusiasts and practitioners. There are even more sports that are considered to cause more injuries compared to shooting sports. Statistically, the sport with most injuries reported is basketball; shooting injuries are less likely to happen because the guns are not pointed at humans but to inanimate, lifeless targets. Practicing shooting for hurting people is not the intention of the sport. Shooters shoot objects to improve accuracy and precision in shooting lifeless objects, and lifeless objects alone. Sportsmen have the right to continue their chosen leisure activity. Also, spending on guns and ancillary equipment commissions large sums of income into the economy. Law-abiding citizens are worthy of the right to protect their families in their own homes. Even with the banning of guns, criminals will still have access to firearms sold in the black market. In fact, most guns used in heists and organized crimes are guns do not have legal papers, sold in the black market. Thus, the banning of guns will put the potential victims into a disadvantage. Law abiders will not even think of buying from the black market. Criminals do not think this way. They buy from the black market because it makes them harder to track down. Would-be rapists and armed burglars will think twice before attempting to break into a house where owners may keep firearms. Some incidents of shooting are often prevented when both parties owning guns. Though the guns assure self defense, it does not actually help you dodge bullets. It is only an advantage when, the other party is in no possession of a gun. Thus, when an armed attacker is aware of you owning a gun, he would begin to have second thoughts about using his gun because of the possibility of being shot back. Therefore, this fear of being shot back neutralizes the attackers urge to shoot the victim. Instead of a life lost, a life is spared. GUNS ARE DANGEROUS Gun control has been a very controversial and heated topic worldwide. Guns are the reason why the crime rate is still high and it will remain or increase if there are no actions that will be taken to lessen the illegal use of firearms. The main function of a gun, like any other weapon, is to kill. Guns were invented to be used in war. Though guns have the potential to protect its owner from harm, the fact that someone from the other party will be, or should be, consequently harmed does not justify its purpose. Though the understanding of this idea will vary among different levels of morality and beliefs, the fact of someone getting hurt, a bad person or a good person, should not be disregarded. The use of guns to promote peace will be ineffective without its capacity to harm others. Though guns are not the only weapons, they are certainly more effective in taking away lives. The death rate when a gun is used is much higher than when knives or other weapons are used during an attack. Household brutality assaults involving guns are twelve times more likely to bring about fatalities than those without guns. These facts are nothing new. Shooters generally shoot to kill, and, even if they shoot to maim or warn, the unpredictable trajectory of bullets can still kill. The more instruments of demise and harm we remove from our social norms, the more secure we will be. The law has already made appropriate penalties for crimes like theft; burglary should not be punished by vigilante killings. Nothing is worthy enough to pay for a human life. Even crimes of murder are not punishable by death, the legal sanctions for these crimes should be treated as seriously, unbiased, like legally owning a gun which is difficult to observe because most killings involving guns are initiated when the shooter is in a high emotional state, not in his/her rational mind. In 2005, 75 reported cases of children 14 and below died from accidental firearm-related injuries; most children of this group have ages ranging from 10-14 years old. The majority of unintentional gun-related deaths among children take place in or around the household; 5 out of 10 cases occur at the victims home while 4 out of ten cases happens at a friend or relatives house . Keeping firearms at home for protection often leads to accidental deaths. Common cases for gun shootouts is that people possessing it have mental illness, goes out and shoot people. People with mental illnesses have no right to possess firearms but the problem is that sellers of these guns do not know if the buyer is mentally ill until they go out and shoot people. The government, though they did something about this case. The issue on the mentally ill people who can easily possess guns is on heat especially on the recent case of shooting in the United States. People with tendency towards violence and those with histories of mental illness are not allowed to be able to obtain firearms in the United States. But experts, as what they call themselves, says that the laws pertaining to the possession of firearms is only applicable to people who have been considered by the authorities to be unsafe. The government mandates that people should be evaluated before the issuance of firearms to them. Background checks and interviews are supposed to be done before a per son can acquire any firearms. The problem is that the government has insufficient funds to sustain the process. Thus, the government resorted to just allow the people who would like to acquire firearms after conducting simple tests. CONCULSION My opinion on this matter is simple and goes along with the saying guns dont kill people, people kill people. Although gun laws today are becoming stricter, individuals who want to kill or harm others will still be able to do so. Regardless of how hard it is to obtain a firearm, a person can still find other ways to harm others, even without guns. The issue whether or not semi-automatic weapons should be allowed to be sold is something that is understandable and can have a positive effect. These types of weapons should certainly not be used for hunting, and have no reason to be on the streets of our country. The difference in the number of people one can harm or kill is drastically different and can make an overall difference in the number of deaths each year. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, several people began to talk about buying a gun before stricter laws came into effect. My own father did just that. My mother has always been against having a gun inside her home until recently. She had realized that it is better safe than sorry. My dad went and applied for a permit to own a gun and is currently in the process of a background check. He plans to keep it locked up, and used only if necessary. I personally feel safer, and better about the well-being of my parents if they have a gun for protection inside their home. There are countless numbers of robberies and attacks that occur every day in our country. Owning a weapon for the pure safety of yourself and your family is a valid reason in my mind. The fundamental goal of the laws pertaining to owning a gun is to keep the firearms to those people that are most likely to do violent actions and those that are mentally challenged. But then there is no existing effective system that can prevent these people to legally getting a gun. The government has to do something about the stricter implementation of the laws pertaining to the people who are mentally ill and wishes to get a gun. Access to mental health plays a vital role in this case thus even the government should look over its beneficiary requirements and funding. The required background checks and mental health evaluations should be stricter and more informative so that proper data and evidence can be evaluated properly and it could be a great help to lessen violence in the United States.

Discussing Zephaniahs Face Essay -- Benjamin Zephaniah

I have read the book ‘Face’ by Benjamin Zephaniah, a Jamaican author and poet. He grew up in east London where he decided the book should be set. His previous experiences from being a victim of racial discrimination and prejudice and being a teenage rebel, involved in theft and drug crimes gave him a stimulus to write the book. The author himself having been discriminated upon found himself using previous burn victims like Simon Weston, who was badly burnt in the Falklands war, to help his book seem more realistic. This story is about Martin. He's the leader of the Gang of Three, and the classroom joker. He lives in the East End of London. You have to be careful what you say and who you say it to on the streets of Martin's neighborhood - not that Martin is particularly racist. This book challenges some very serious points from discrimination to teenage issues and coping with a traumatic situation and this is what I will discuss in my essay. There are many cases of prejudice and discrimination in this book. When Martin sees the Jamaican girls standing outside the club he imm...

Christmas Traditions Essay -- essays research papers

In every culture or tradition we have our different ways to celebrate Christmas. In Latin culture we have our unique way to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. We of course have religious ceremonies as well as our traditional food, like the famous ponche, posole, and tamales. But we also celebrate as whole family members house. We have music, we dance, and of course we stay up all night. The most important way to celebrate our posadas is to have baby Jesus the house. The posadas are one of the typical events during a Christmas celebration in Latin America. A posada consist of walking and looking for a place where Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph can spend the night and rest before continuing with their long journey to Bethlehem. Two persons usually represent Saint Joseph and Virgin Mary. In this event, all the people of the community come and participate in this mini-recreation. All the people sing, pray, and even cry when asking for a posada. They use candles and incense to accompany these two Saints. They usually walk all over the neighborhood to find a place. They go from house to house asking for permission to stay and spend the night to rest. Part of a posada is to have people denied the use of their house. So Mary and Joseph continue with their search, until they get to the house that lets them stay. This house is usually decorated with flowers, jade, statue of animals and lights. The people offer food for all the participants and music. Pià ± atas and contests are also part ...

An Investigatory Study on Controlling Tardiness Essay

One of the problem of the students is being tardy, which is the quality or habit of not adhering to the correct or usual time or being late in going to school or in passing projects. This has been the most common reason for the students getting low grades at the end of the school year. Tardiness is not only the student’s obstacle, but for also with the teachers, whose main purpose is to serve as their second parents and their responsibility to change the behavior of this students. This can also be the reason on which students are forced to be absent once they are late already because they are afraid to be acknowledged in front of the whole class of their incorrect manner which can cause some students to drop out because of the shame they are feeling. see more:tardiness in school research The morning class is often times the most crucial time of the school day, students who are late may miss their first subject or may lead to the distraction once they arrive, some are also said to have lower grades and higher stress. Tardiness also causes students to feel disconnected from the social life and may change their behavior, and later on, they may deal with smoking, drinking and joining gangs just to prove to themselves that they are not alone. When a student is tardy, they negatively impact their teachers and other students. Teachers are often required to allow tardy students to make up work, which often requires them to restructure their lessons or reteach missed materials. While for the other students, it also take away their attention away from the teacher’s lesson, leading to more behavior problems and missed instructions. Student’s tardiness doesn’t just affect the people around them, but also in our nation. They contribute to the growing number of tardy students which greatly affect the status of our educational nature and nation. There is also that side of being tardy that must be solved directly- bullying, either they are the ones to bully or the one being bullied. Due to this reason and peer pressure, they intend to break rules either they may get this manner when they witness their parent’s fight or the worse is having a broken family. Based on the location of the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, those who live in Lapu-Lapu City will have some problems because of the heavy traffic everyday due to the intersections, while on the side of Mandaue City, expect no traffic. In the front of the school, the road is not blocked by the cars dropping the students because there is enough space at the back of the campus for parking. Tardiness does not only focus on being late in coming to school but also in passing projects or assignments. This topic is not new anymore, even for the star sections in every school, they still encounter this kind of problem. There are many reasons for this problem, but the most common is having a hectic schedule which maybe because of many projects, hard projects or simply being lazy. The greatest impact of being tardy in a student is depression and loss of interest in coming to school. That is why they don’t mind anymore about being late on which they are kicked out. When they are already out of school, they will just sit there and wait for their parents to give them money for food, which is not right. Once tardiness becomes one of your personality, you will be used to it until you go to work. With this attitude, you will be having difficulty in finding jobs which may cause you to be a beggar in the street. The core composition of this research is determining the main reason for students being tardy in school and what we can do in order to lessen the number of this case. The researchers got this idea from everyday experience, especially after flag ceremony on which many students are late. This study was created in order to help tardy students stop this attitude so that they will not cause bigger problem to themselves, the nation, and to the near future. After this study, the investigator will be able to determine the main cause of this problem and know what behavior, manner or tips should be taken up by students to lessen the case of tardy students. The researcher would also be able to know the main effect of this problem and how to avoid this habit by organizing a survey and more research.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 5

The next morning, I awoke to breathless news from Rosalyn's servants that her prized dog, Penny, had been attacked. Mrs. Cartwright summoned me to her daughter's chambers, saying nothing had stopped Rosalyn from crying. I tried to comfort her, but her wracking sobs never abated. The whole time, Mrs. Cartwright kept giving me disapproving glances, as if I should be doing a better job calming Rosalyn. â€Å"Y have me,† I'd said at one point, if only to ou appease her. At that, Rosalyn had flung her arms around me, crying so hard into my shoulder that her tears left a wet mark on my waistcoat. I tried to be sympathetic, but I felt a stab of annoyance at the way she was carrying on. After all, I'd never carried on like that when my mother had died. Father hadn't let me. You have to be strong, a fighter, he'd said at the funeral. And so I was. I didn't cry when, just a week after Mother's death, our nanny, Cordelia, began absentmindedly humming the French lullaby Mother had always sung. Not when Father took down the portrait of Mother that had hung in the front room. Not even when Artemis, Mother's favorite horse, had to be put down. â€Å"Did you see the dog?† Damon asked, as we walked into town together that night to get a drink at the tavern. Now that the dinner where I was to publicly propose to Rosalyn was just days away, we were heading out for a whiskey to celebrate my impending nuptials. At least, that's what Damon called it, elongating his accent to a flat Charlestonian drawl and wiggling his eyebrows as he said it. I tried to smile as if I thought it was a great joke, but if I began talking, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back my dismay about marrying Rosalyn. And there wasn't anything wrong with her. It was just †¦ it was just that she wasn't Katherine. I turned my thoughts back to Penny. â€Å"Y Its es. throat had a gash in it, but whatever the animal was didn't go for her innards. Strange, right?† I said as I rushed to keep up with him. The army had made him stronger and faster. â€Å"It's a strange time, brother,† Damon said. â€Å"Maybe it's the Yankees,† he teased with a smirk. As we walked down the cobblestone streets, I noticed signs affixed to most doorways: A reward of one hundred dollars was being offered to anyone who found the wild animal responsible for the attacks. I stared at the sign. Maybe I could find it, then take the money and buy a train ticket to Boston, or New Y ork, or some city where no one could find me and no one had ever heard of Rosalyn Cartwright. I smiled to myself; that would be something Damon might actually do–he never worried about consequences or other people's feelings. I was about to point out the sign and ask what he'd do with one hundred dollars when I saw someone frantically waving at us in front of the apothecary. â€Å"Are those the Salvatore brothers?† a voice called from up the street. I squinted across the twilight and saw Pearl, the apothecary, standing outside her shop with her daughter, Anna. Pearl and Anna were two more victims of the war. Pearl's husband had died at the Vicksburg siege just last spring. After that, Pearl had found a home in Mystic Falls, and she ran an apothecary that was always busy. Jonathan Gilbert, in particular, was almost always there when I walked by, complaining about some ailment or purchasing some remedy or another. Town gossip was that he fancied her. â€Å"Pearl, you remember my brother, Damon?† I called as we walked over the square to greet them. Pearl smiled and nodded. Her face was unlined, and a game among the girls was trying to determine how old she was. She had a daughter who was only a few years younger than me, so she couldn't be that young. â€Å"Y two certainly look ou handsome,† she said fondly. Anna was the spitting image of her mother, and when they stood side by side, the two looked as if they could be sisters. â€Å"Anna, you look more beautiful each year. Are you old enough to be going to dances yet?† Damon asked, a twinkle in his eyes. I smiled despite myself. Of course Damon would be able to charm both a mother and a daughter. â€Å"Almost,† Anna said, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. Fifteen was the age when girls were old enough to stay through dinner and hear the band strike up a waltz. Pearl used a wrought-iron key to lock the apothecary, then turned to face us. â€Å"Damon, can you do me a favor? Can you make sure Katherine gets on tomorrow night? She's a lovely girl, and, well, you know how people talk about strangers. I knew her in Atlanta.† â€Å"I promise,† Damon said solemnly. I stiffened. Was Damon escorting Katherine tomorrow night? I hadn't thought she'd come to the party, and I couldn't imagine proposing in front of her. But what choice did I have? Tell Father that Katherine wasn't invited? Not propose to Rosalyn? â€Å"Have fun tonight, boys,† Pearl said, breaking me out of my reverie. â€Å"Wait!† I called, the dinner momentarily forgotten. Pearl turned around, a quizzical expression on her face. â€Å"It's dark, and there have been more attacks. Would you like us to escort you ladies home?† I asked. Pearl shook her head. â€Å"Anna and I are strong women. We'll be fine. Besides †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She blushed and glanced around, as if afraid to be overheard. â€Å"I believe Jonathan Gilbert wants to do that for us. But I do thank you for your concern.† Damon wiggled his eyebrows and let out a low whistle. â€Å"Y know how I feel about strong women,† ou he whispered. â€Å"Damon. Be appropriate,† I said, slugging him on the shoulder. After all, he wasn't on the battlefields anymore. He was in Mystic Falls, a town where people liked to eavesdrop and loved to talk. Had he forgotten so quickly? â€Å"Okay, Auntie Stefan!† Damon teased, raising his voice in a high lisp. I laughed despite myself and slugged him again on the arm for good measure. The punch was light, but felt good–a way to unleash some of my annoyance that he was able to escort Katherine to the dinner. He good-naturedly slugged me back, and we would have broken out into an all-out brotherly brawl if Damon hadn't pushed open the wooden door to the Mystic Falls Tavern. We were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic smile from the voluptuous, red-haired barmaid behind the counter. It was clear that Damon had made himself at home here on several occasions. We elbowed our way to the back of the tavern. The room smelled of sawdust and sweat, and men in uniform were everywhere. Some had bandages on their heads, others wore slings, and some hobbled to the counter on crutches. I recognized Henry, a dark-skinned soldier who practically lived at the tavern, drinking whiskey alone in a corner. Robert had told me stories about him: He never socialized with anyone, and no one ever saw him in the light of day. There was talk that maybe he was associated with the attacks, but how could he be, if he was always at the tavern? I peeled my eyes away to take in the rest of the scene. There were older men tightly grouped in a corner, playing cards and drinking whiskey and, in the opposite corner, a few women. I could tell from the rouge on their cheeks and their painted fingernails that they weren't the types to spend time with our childhood playmates, Clementine Haverford or Amelia Hawke. As we walked past, one of them brushed my arm with her painted fingernails. â€Å"Y like it here?† Damon pulled out a wooden ou table from the wall, an amused smile on his face. â€Å"I suppose I do.† I plunked down on the hard wooden bench and surveyed my surroundings once again. Being in the tavern, I felt I'd stumbled into a secret society of men, just one more thing I knew I'd have little chance to discover before I was a married man and expected to be at home every evening. â€Å"I'll get us some drinks,† Damon said, making his way to the bar. I watched as he rested his elbows on the counter and easily talked to the barmaid, who tilted her head back and laughed as if he'd said something hilarious. Which he probably had. That's why all women fell in love with him. â€Å"So, how does it feel to be a married man?† I turned around to see Dr. Janes behind me. Well into his seventies, Dr. Janes was slightly senile and often loudly proclaimed to anyone who'd listen that his longevity was due exclusively to his prodigious indulgence in whiskey. â€Å"Not married yet, Doctor.† I smiled tightly, wishing Damon would come back with our drinks. â€Å"Ah, my boy, but you will be. Mr. Cartwright at the bank has been discussing it for weeks. The fair young Rosalyn. Quite a catch!† Dr. Janes continued loudly. I glanced around, hoping no one had heard. At that moment, Damon appeared and gently set our whiskeys on the table. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, drinking mine down in one gulp. Dr. Janes hobbled away. â€Å"That thirsty, huh?† Damon asked, taking a small sip of his own drink. I shrugged. In the past, I'd never kept secrets from my brother. But talking about Rosalyn felt dangerous. Somehow, no matter what I said or felt, I still had to marry her. If anyone heard even an inkling of regret from me, there'd be no end to the talk. Suddenly, a new whiskey appeared in front of me. I glanced up to see the pretty bartender Damon had been talking to standing over our table. â€Å"Y look like you need this. Seems you've had out a rough day.† The barmaid winked one of her green eyes and set the sweating tumbler on the rough-hewn wooden table in front of me. â€Å"Thank you,† I said as I took a small, grateful sip. â€Å"Anytime,† the barmaid said, her crinoline skirts swishing over her hips. I watched her retreating back. All the women in the tavern, even those with loose reputations, were more interesting than Rosalyn. But no matter who I glanced at, the only image that filled my mind was Katherine's face. â€Å"Alice likes you,† Damon observed. I shook my head. â€Å"You know I can't look. By the you end of summer, I'll be a married man. Y ou, meanwhile, are free to do as you please.† I'd meant it to be an observation, but the words came out as a judgment. â€Å"That's true,† Damon said. â€Å"But you do know you don't have to do something just because Father says so, right?† â€Å"It's not that simple.† I clenched my jaw. Damon couldn't understand because he was wild and untamable–so much so that Father had entrusted me, the younger brother, with the future of Veritas, a role I now found stifling. A sliver of betrayal shot through me at this thought–that it was Damon's fault I had to shoulder so much responsibility. I shook my head, as if trying to remove the idea from it, and took another drink of whiskey. â€Å"It's very simple,† Damon said, oblivious to my momentary annoyance. â€Å"Just tell him you are not in love with Rosalyn. That you need to find your own place in the world and can't just follow someone's orders blindly. That's what I learned in the army: Y have to believe in what you do. Otherwise, ou what's the point?† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not like you. I trust Father. And I know he only wants the best. It's just that I wish †¦ I wish I had more time,† I said finally. It was true. Maybe I could grow to love Rosalyn, but the thought that I could be married and have a child in just one short year filled me with dread. â€Å"But it'll be fine,† I said with finality. It had to be. â€Å"What do you think of our new houseguest?† I said, changing the subject. Damon smiled. â€Å"Katherine,† he said, drawing the name into the full three syllables, as if he could taste it on his tongue. â€Å"Now, she's a girl who's difficult to figure out, don't you agree?† â€Å"I suppose,† I said, glad that Damon didn't â€Å"I suppose,† I said, glad that Damon didn't know that I was dreaming of Katherine at night, and by day pausing at the door to the carriage house to see if I could hear her laughing with her maid; once I even stopped by the stable to smell the broad back of her horse, Clover, just to see if her lemon and ginger scent had lingered. It hadn't, and at that moment, in the barn surrounded by the horses, I'd realized how unbalanced I was becoming. â€Å"They don't make girls like her in Mystic Falls. Do you think she has a soldier somewhere?† Damon asked. â€Å"No!† I said, annoyed once again. â€Å"She's in mourning for her parents. I hardly think she's looking for a beau.† â€Å"Of course.† Damon knit his eyebrows together contritely. â€Å"And I wasn't presuming anything. But if she needs a shoulder to cry on, I'd be happy to lend it to her.† I shrugged. Even though I'd brought up the subject, I was no longer sure I wanted to hear what Damon thought of her. In fact, as beautiful as she was, I almost wished that some far-flung relatives from Charleston or Richmond or Atlanta would step forward to invite her to live with them. If she were out of sight, then maybe I could somehow force myself to love Rosalyn. Damon stared at me, and I knew in that moment how miserable I must have looked. â€Å"Cheer up, brother,† he said. â€Å"The night is young, and the whiskey's on me.† But there wasn't enough whiskey in all of Virginia to make me love Rosalyn †¦ or forget about Katherine.

Catalase on Hydrogen Peroxide

The aim of this study was to test the rate of reactivity of the enzyme catalase on hydrogen peroxide while subject to different concentrations of an inhibitor. The hypothesis was that hydrogen peroxide will be broken down by catalase into hydrogen and oxygen, where a higher concentration of inhibitor will yield less oxygen, resultant of a lower rate of reaction. Crushed potato samples of equal weight were placed in hydrogen peroxide solutions of various temperatures. The results showed that less gas was produced as the concentration of the inhibitor rose. This Is because more enzymes were inhibited, and so less active sites were available for reaction. Reasearch and rationale Hypothesis: Catalase will break down hydrogen peroxide in water and hydrogen. A higher concentration of inhibitor will yield a slower rate of reaction, thus yielding less oxygen in a given time. Null hypothesis: Catalase will break down hydrogen peroxide in water and hydrogen. The concentration of the inhibitor will have no effect on the rate of this reaction. Supporting knowledge: Enzymes function as biological catalysts, increasing the rate of reactions that take place within organisms. Catalase is an enzyme found in the vast majority of organisms that are exposed to oxygen, making it very common. It catalyses the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is a molecule that can attack sulphur atoms and metal ions in protein molecules, and with the aid of iron ions is potentionally mutagenic. Catalase is an extremely effective enzyme, and can break down millions of hydrogen peroxide molecules in a single second. As such, it can be seen how important and effective catalase is to oxygen-exposed organisms. As with the majority of enzymes, it has an optimum pH of approximately 7, though the optimum can vary by species. Haliotis discus discus, a type of shellfish, for example, has catalase which works at an optimum pH of 10. 5. There are a number of factors which affect the rate of reaction of catalase. As stated, pH is one. Concentration of both catalase and hydrogen peroxide, concentration of co-enzymes (Fe3+ in human catalase) and temperature are all variables that affect the rate of reaction. These can all be regarded as limiting factors, as they can only affect the rate of reaction to a certain point when alone. That is to say, the reaction will not work as best it can if all factors are not at an optimum standard. The poison cyanide acts as a competitive inhibitor, it strongly binds to the haem of catalase, stopping an enzyme-substrate complex from forming. Heavy metal ions, such as copper ions in copper (II) sulphate, act as non-competitive inhibitors on catalase. Competitive inhibitors act by binding to the actual active site of the enzyme, thus stopping an enzyme substrate complex from forming. Competitive inhibition, this can be reversed by increasing the concentration of the substrate. Non-competitive inhibitors bind to a site other than the active site, known as the allosteric site. As such, it is able to bind even to an enzyme-substrate complex. These inhibitors are usually reversible, but are not affected by concentration of the substrate in the way that competitive inhibitors are. Copper acts as a non-competitive inhibitor of catalase. Copper, as a heavy metal, reacts strongly with sulphydryl groups in proteins. This can cause the protein to precipitate, and thus change the shape of the active site. This type of inhibition is irreversible, as the protein becomes covalently modified. Inhibition affects the rate of enzymatic reactions differently than extremes of pH and temperature, which both affect the protein in a non-specific way. These factors reduce the rate of reaction by a process called irreversible enzyme inactivation. This is where the whole protein structure is destroyed, or denatured. Non-competitive inhibitors work by specifically altering the struc ture of the enzymes active site. Due to the decrease in available active sites, the rate of reaction will decrease. In this sense, it is similar to reducing the concentration of enzymes, as there are less active sites available. Planning I will be studying the rate of catalase activity on hydrogen peroxide while varying the amount of inhibition, which should influence the rate of the reaction, and thus the amount of oxygen, observed in a given time. The concentration of the inhibitor will therefore be the independent variable, while the amount of oxygen will be the dependent variable. There should a smaller volume of oxygen observed as the concentration of the enzyme increases. As I am comparing two variables to each other, it would be wise to calculate the correlation of the two variables. To calculate the correlation, I should use Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. To find a suitable correlation, I should use at least 8 samples. After plotting a scattergraph, I will proceed to find out the correlation if the correlation looks reasonable enough. Variables Temperature: Temperature is an extremely important variable to consider, as it can affect the rate of reaction in a number of ways. If the temperature of a system is increased, more molecules will reach the activation energy and the rate of reaction will increase. The number of collisions will also increase. As enzymes must collide with substrates, an increase in temperature and thus kinetic energy will result in more collisions occurring in a given time. Increasing the temperature will also increase the heat of the molecules. This will in turn increase the molecules’ internal energy. If the energy increase is too great, the weaker hydrogen bonds that determine the tertiary structure of the protein may break. This may change the structure of the active site, stopping any reaction between enzyme and substrate. Therefore beyond a certain temperature, the rate of reaction will decrease. To control the temperature, each system must be heated to the same temperature. For this experiment, I have chosen to keep each system at 30oC. This is because room temperature can vary in a lab, as some days can be warmer than others, and the room’s ventilation can also affect the temperature of the system. This is also to allow the reactions to happen at an efficient enough rates to collect results. pH: Any change in pH affects the ionic and hydrogen bonding in an enzyme and so alters it shape. Each enzyme has an optimum pH at which its active site best fits the substrate. Variation either side of this pH results in denaturation of the enzyme and a slower rate of reaction. The optimum pH for catalase in potatoes is generally 7, but can differ depending on the acidity of the soil it was grown in. In this experiment a pH 7 buffer was used. This is because the optimum pH of most types of catalase is 7, and so that the systems can all be kept constant. Concentration of solutions: the concentration both the enzyme and substrate have to be taken into consideration. The concentration of substrate for example will affect the rate of reaction in a positive way until all the active sites are occupied. The same applies to the concentration of the enzyme. An excess of either will not negatively affect the rate of reaction. Both concentrations will be kept constant for each experiment. I will ensure this by using catalase and hydrogen peroxide from the same batch in each experiment. Potato: Obtaining catalase from potato involves crushing the substance. This can be standardised by first cutting the potato into small cubes, then crushing. This can ensure that there are as little lumps of potato left as possible. If multiple potatoes are used, there is a risk of using catalase of different concentrations. This can be remedied by using a large enough potato. As each sample of potato is 5g, and twelve samples are taken 3 times each, then 180g worth of crushed potato are required. A large potato can easily weigh around 500g, so the problem then comes with different concentrations of catalase distributed within the potato. This can be controlled by evenly mixing the crushed potato. It is then safe to assume the catalase is randomly distributed throughout the potato. Lab air exposure: As the crushed potato would be left exposed to the air during the duration of the experiment, this could affect the enzymes ability to catalyse the reaction, and would yield misleading results. As such, any potato that is not in use should be covered in cling film to prevent exposure as much as possible, although not entirely. Preliminary Method My preliminary experiment involved testing only 5 different concentrations of inhibitor, to see whether the results show any reasonable difference. By this, I mean that the results should show a correlation above the critical level where p = 0. 05, n = 6. By doing a trial experiment, I can make sure my experiment will run safely and successfully, as well as determine any factors of my experiment I should change. Apparatus: -Potato -6% Hydrogen Peroxide solution 5cm -Copper (II) Sulphate solution (2%, 1%, 0. 75%, 0. 25%, 0. 1%) 10cm -Deionised water -Measuring cylinders -Weighing boat -Mass balance -Peeler -Scalpel -Pestle and mortar -Cling film -Test tubes -Test tube rack -Water bath -Thermometer -Bunsen burner Tripod -Gauze -Metal tongs -Delivery tube with bung attached -Gas syringe -Clamp stands, boss and clamp -Stopclock Method Peel and dice the potato in roughly 3x3cm cubes and mash them. Cover the crushed potato when not being used. Set up a gas syringe horizontally supported with stands and clamps, high enough to reach test tubes in a water bath. Attach a delivery tube to the syringe. Prepare a water bath of 30oC. Measure out 5cm3 of Hydrogen Peroxide into 6 test tubes. Add 10cm3 of the 2% Copper (II) Sulphate solution. Heat the solution to 30oC using a water bath. While heating, prepare a weighing boat with 5g of potato. When 30oC, place the potato in the solution, quickly attaching it to the delivery tube and starting the stopclock (a helper is advised here). Allow the catalase to react for 3 minutes, and note the gas collected. Repeat the same process for each concentration. Add 10cm3 of deionised water to the final test tube as a control. Health and Safety Pureed potato may irritate some people’s skin. Wash any potato splashes off skin immediately. Hydrogen peroxide is an irritant, and a powerful oxidising agent and bleach.