A research paper on cocaine Essay

Grown in the countries of South America, with Columbia being the most productive, the Erythroxylon Coca bush is the natural origin of cocaine, a central nervous stimulant. Its history is as rich and diverse as the people using and dealing the drug. Cocaine use dates as far back as the 16th century when it was used among Inca royalty. In the early 1800’s cocaine was introduced to Europe. Sigmond Freud wrote a song in its honor and famous author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† during a six -day cocaine binge. In the early 1900’s cocaine was available to consumers over the counter. Its medicinal value was a relief for toothaches and congestion. Parke Davis advised their consumers of the effects of cocaine by stating that it â€Å"could make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and render the sufferer insensitive to pain†. The use of cocaine found its way into other products like wine and the most famous of all, Coca Cola. Early production of Coca Cola contained 60mg of cocaine. Today, the popular soft drink still uses the leaves of the Coco Bush for flavor but the illicit drug has been removed (www.cocaine.org). The resurrection of cocaine use as a recreational drug began in the 1960’s, and was used mostly among the affluent because of its price. Movie stars, sport stars and the like give cocaine its mystique and draw; psychological and physical effects make it addictive. Changes in form and price make cocaine far more accessible and affordable. Today, there is no clear connection between the use of cocaine and education, occupation or socioeconomic status. Cocaine is generally sold as a hydrochloride salt, a fine white powder substance that is commonly referred to as â€Å"snow†, â€Å"coke† or â€Å"blow†. Street dealers of cocaine commonly dilute, or â€Å"cut† the drug with similar looking substances like talcum powder or with active local anesthetics and even sometimes with other stimulants like amphetamines. The purity of street cocaine, powder form, is about 75 percent. When the impurities of this form are removed, it is known as â€Å"freebase† or â€Å"crack† cocaine. â€Å"Crack† cocaine  is easier to find and less expensive to buy. Cocaine in any form can be found in almost every town and city. Research studies done in 1999 showed cocaine is used by over 3.7 million Americans 12 years old and over, with the highest rate among people 18 and 25 years of age. The use among people 35 years and older also continues to rise (www.cocaine.org). The effects of cocaine depend on the route of administration, the amount of consumption, the user’s past experience, and the circumstances under which its taken. The major routes of administration are snorting, injecting, and smoking. Snorting is inhaling the powder form through the nasal cavity. The drug enters the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting cocaine is using a syringe to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking cocaine is inhaling the cocaine vapors or smoke delivering large quantities to the lungs where it then enters the bloodstream as quickly as injecting. Cocaine interferes with the re-absorption process of dopamine that is a chemical messenger of pleasure to the brain. The effects are instant and intense but not long lasting (www.drugs.indiana.edu). The short -term effects usually make the user fell euphoric, energetic, and alert to their senses. It can decrease your anxiety and heighten your sexuality. Crack users have described the rush as a â€Å"whole body orgasm.† Or, a user can feel anxious or panic-stricken. The drug is a parody of heaven and hell. Often times the cocaine user craves other drugs. These symptoms appear quickly and disappear within a few minutes or a few hours. Physically, a person’s blood pressure, body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing accelerate, along with pupil dialation. In larger amounts the side effects intensify. The â€Å"high† might include feelings of paranoia, vertigo, and muscle twitches and physically a user might experience chest pains, nausea, blurred vision. Over time with continued use, the effects of cocaine gradually change. Irritability, restlessness, insomnia and paranoia replace the euphoria. Physically, the long- term user will lose interest in sex and lose weight. Those who snort the drug wear out their nasal septum while those who inject it risk the chance of contracting hepatitis or AIDS. Cocaine related deaths  are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Over time, to the user’s tolerance, the drug will build. To achieve the same effects as that of early usage requires larger doses of the drug. The user becomes psychologically dependent. The drug becomes pivotal to their thoughts, feelings and their daily activities. â€Å"Cocaine just made you feel really good. Then after you get done feeling really good then you start to get a Superman ego and that’s the beginning of the end.† (â€Å"Drug Wars†; A Frontline, PBS Production) Often times, cocaine addicts develop an illicit lifestyle to keep up with their drug habit. Cocaine’s influence leads a user to stealing from family, friends and even employers. The lifestyle of addicts becomes as corrupt as the organizations that produce and supply the product. Cocaine’s addiction has two sides: the love of the high and the love of the money. The US Government has estimated that cocaine trafficking takes nearly $80 billion a year out of our economy. In 1990, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) estimated about 20 Colombian organizations controlled most of America’s cocaine supply. Annual revenues of the Colombian drug trade have been estimated to be 5 billion dollars. The drug cartels existing today control every phase of the drug trafficking business. They manufacture, transport, distribute, and finance cocaine. Like many large corporations, the business involves bankers, accountants, and lawyers, wholesalers and retailers. More special to this business the cartel â€Å"payroll† also includes chemists, pilots and enforcers of security (www.drugs.indiana.edu). The cartels are structured in layers, at the center is the cartel manager or â€Å"kingpin†. Information shared among the members of the cartel is highly secularized. Only a choice few are privy to all the workings of the cartel. Those employees holding positions in the outer layers of the organization (the lawyers, accountants, bankers, and enforcers) reap the financial benefits of serving their bosses but are strictly put on a need to know basis. Cartels operating in the United States are referred to as â€Å"cells† which are â€Å"self contained organized units.† The Medillin Cartel was the first known, successful cartel of cocaine  traffickers coming from Colombia. It was established in 1978 and lead by Carlos Lehder. It used violence and intimidation to stay one step ahead of the justice system. The cartel bribed police officers with money or threatened them with death if they did not honor the cartel and look the other way when they did business. The Medellin Cartel was taken down in March of 1984. Carlos Lehder was arrested in 1987, tried in the United States and sentenced to 135 years without the possibility of parole. George Jung’s, the Medillin Cartel’s American contact, testimony against Lehder assured his conviction. In the 1990’s, on the heels of the Medillin, came the Cali Cartel. They are responsible for 70-80 percent of the cocaine coming into the United States and 90 percent of that entering Europe. Instead of violence and intimidation like their counter parts, the Cali operated their business using a subtle approach. Law enforcement has had difficulty in closing the Cali operations for many reasons. Their structure is different from that of the Medillin, as is their methods of smuggling. They are much more conservative. They only sell to people they know. The â€Å"home office,† which is the CEO and vice presidents, coordinate the cells. The cells contact the buyers usually by cellular phone or pager and arrange the time and place to distribute the drugs. Payment is made at the second meeting. When the deal is done, the home office is contacted and accurate records are kept by both (www.awesomestories.com). While the Colombians may monopolize the cocaine market, there are similar organizations in other countries. The Triads and Tongs of China, La Compania of Cuba, and the Yakuza of Japan are some other major drug trafficking organizations. They have successfully invested into legitimate American business. The one thing they all have in common: United States of America as a client base (www.cocainefacts.com). Cocaine touches many people on a variety of levels. It can completely change a person’s personality, for the worse. It spins a web of deceit and destruction. Physically and mentally the drug tricks you from recognizing reality. Euphoria tricks you into believing that the high is good, all the while the time bomb is ticking. Blowing up your mind is just a matter of time. Works Cited Bailey, William J. Factline on Cocaine. 1995: Heller, Matthew. â€Å"Addicted to Love.† Los Angeles Magazine. Sept. 1999. No Author Given. No Author Given.

Gaming the Console Response

2121 – Writing for MIT Dr. Tim Freeborn January 31, 2012 Gaming the Console – Rhetorical Essay In Linda Bernstein’s informative article â€Å"Gaming the Console† she presents both sides to the ongoing debate about the possible consequences associated with playing video games. Some experts have concluded that gaming leads to negative outcomes such as an increase in violent behavior, or a decrease in academic and social skills. On the other hand, there is a belief that some video games can have positive educational and physical benefits.Bernstein touches on all of these aspects of gaming and leaves the ultimate decision up to the reader to form his or her own opinion on the matter. Throughout the article, there are three images displayed that effectively support the text and help develop the arguments presented. The initial picture that is splashed across the entire first page of the article seems to represent the type of teen who exhibits the potential for increased aggression as a result of playing video games.The photo depicts a male teenager with spiked hair, dark eyes, pierced ear, and stubble on his lip and chin. These characteristics are typically indicative of a more rebellious or aggressive individual. His concentration is evident in his wide-eyed expression and his grimacing face with his tongue in his mouth. He holds the console in a tight grip as shown by the redness of his skin around his thumbs, which indicates his level of intensity. All of these details compliment the notion that video games may be unknowingly impacting areas of the brain associated with aggression.Professor Craig A. Anderson of Iowa State University describes this as follows: â€Å"The effects aren’t huge or immediately noticeable by a game player, but they tend to increase over time† (Bernstein 14). The player may not feel more aggressive after playing a game, but there may be evidence to suggest the effect is still there none the less. The next image in sequence works well in conjunction with the text and seems to support the argument that gaming can have positive benefits if used appropriately. For instance, in the article eighteen-year-old David A. xpresses, â€Å"It’s a fun way of being with your friends when [you are] home relaxing. [It is] competitive and fun, but I only do it when I have extra time† (Bernstein 14). This opinion appears to be shared by the two male and two female teens shown in the picture. They appear to be having fun while playing the game and getting along. Although they have a look of concentration on their faces, the fact that they are all leaning in the same direction could indicate they are playing towards a common goal, and thus encouraging teamwork.It shows boys and girls playing together which illustrates that gaming can have a social and inclusive benefit, and is not simply for socially awkward children. This image can support the notion that if gaming is not performe d at the exclusion of other things such as schoolwork and sports, it can be a fun pastime. The last image Bernstein integrates into her article could be perceived as support for either side of the debate over the impact of video games. The presentation of a boy with his headset on and console in the air with a huge smile indicates again a positive image of gaming.On the other hand, the fact that he is wearing headphones may signify that he is a serious gamer who spends a lot of time gaming at the exclusion of other educational activities. This picture is rather ambiguous because depending on whether he is part of the 8% teen gamers who are addicted or 92% who are not addicted it can have a very different meaning (Bernstein 14). Overall, this image can be interpreted to support whatever argument you are rooting for by the end of the article.Bernstein is successful in presenting useful images that enhance the text while still being fair and showing all views discussed throughout the a rticle. The first image portrays the aggressive nature of gaming, the second illustrates the social aspect of gaming and the third image is left up for interpretation by the viewer. Overall, the article displays a balanced perspective complimented with appropriate corresponding images that support Bernstein’s thesis. Works Cited Bernstein, Linda. â€Å"Gaming the Console. † Current Health Teens. † March 2012.

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Essay

Oscar Wilde and his trials, both literal and figurative, has been the subject of quite a few films and plays apart from the considerable mass of writing that exist on this subject. This is because Oscar Wilde, as a metaphorical figure has never failed to capture the public imagination as the veritable revolutionary against society’s delimiting and deterministic conventions and a crippling value system. And yet, Moises Kauffman’s latest play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde manages to turn the relatively familiar material – the trials and indictment of the legendary Wilde on charges of sodomy and pederasty – into a riveting and powerful document against social determinism. The theme of Kauffman’s play is the ever-continuing conflict between art and morality and of course with such a theme, Wilde, the martyr to nineteenth century morality, with his assertion that there are no immoral books, only badly written ones is the perfect hero. Drawing from a huge variety of sources that includes trial transcripts, journalistic articles, contemporary autobiographies (including the one by Wilde’s lover, Lord Alfred Douglas) and later biographies, Kauffman in the play successfully brings alive the past in a way that Wilde himself would have approved of. The play breaks all generic boundaries and has the elements of a historical drama, a docudrama, a courtroom drama, a social commentary, tragedy and comedy all rolled into one. The oft-repeated tale of Wilde’s fall from fame and fortune is by no means old wine in new bottle, primarily because the playwright’s in-depth research brings in new life into the tale by documenting new perspectives and exploring newer avenues and thereby problematizing the positions of victim and victimizer, secondarily because Kauffman concentrates in showing history in its own context and does not overtly attempt to make it contemporary, and finally because by showing Wilde’s plight in his confrontation with a world that found him fundamentally subversive to the interests of the society the playwright strikes an universal chord. Wilde’s passionate attempt to live a life on his own terms is superbly dramatized in the play. Most riveting are the dramatizations of those moments that change the life of the author for once and all. Such a fateful moment comes when Wilde denies kissing a young man with a witty putdown of his looks instead of a straightforward ‘no’. In the first of the three trials and in a climactic moment Wilde is asked by the prosecuting attorney Edward Carson, if he had ever kissed one of the young working class men with whom he was known to keep company. Wilde, with his suave and polished wit replies: â€Å"Oh, dear, no, He was a peculiarly plain boy. † Carson leaps victoriously at the implication of such a comment, that Wilde would have kissed the boy if he was a little more attractive and the author’s fate is sealed. From this moment onwards the play takes on a destructive momentum as Wilde’s entire life spirals out of control betrayed by his own wit. Never again is he able to gain control of his life. Through the presentation of Wilde, with support from his extensive research, Kauffman manages to subtly problematize the positions of victimizer and victim in the play. For as we find in the play, even before he stabs himself with his own clever tongue Wilde frittered away his prodigious talents by surrounding himself â€Å"with the smaller natures and the meaner minds. As he quotes from â€Å"De Profundis† towards the end of the play â€Å" I became the spendthrift of my own genius, and to waste an eternal youth gave me a curious joy. † Still, the intrinsic irony of the fact that it is his suavity, wit and incomparable craft with words that would bring his downfall is also highly symbolic as far as the theme of the play is concerned, for the play, among other things, engages with the typical Victorian debate over morality and art. Wilde refused to side with the dominant discourse of compartmentalizing his personal erotic longings and keeping it separate from the aesthetic side of his life. And the fact that he raised his personal sense of morality to the level of an art turned out to be the ultimate source of his tragedy in an age which preferred to look at art as a mode moral dispensation for social welfare. Apart from tracing the tragic downfall of this hero with a sincerity and passion that raises Wilde’s conviction and his untimely death to the level of a crucifixion so that the protagonist becomes a patron saint for all those whose life has been crippled by the narrow moralities of a compulsively prohibitionist society, the play also successfully and subtly presents a multilevel study in public perceptions of class, art and sexuality and this is what makes Kauffman’s themes universal. The playwright uses a chorus of actors, who appear both on stage and in front of it posing as the investigators in a hearing, almost classical in its simplicity. This modern chorus continuously reads, quotes or acts out from a huge variety of sources – fruits of the playwright’s research on his subject – establishing an ever-shifting mosaic of perspectives. This chorus takes up several convincing and often hilarious figurative perspectives. The multiple roles bring to the table the likes of Queen Victoria (the author of the Gross Indecency Law), and G. B. Shaw to name a few. The chorus quotes from the memoirs of Wilde and his lover, the accounts of Sir Edward Clarke and the editor Frank Harris. A particularly inspired scene is the one when a later day academic is brought into the play to deconstruct Wilde’s performance in court with insights that are nonetheless valid for being presented satirically. However the most hilarious of all these is probably the scene where the chorus dons long white underwear to display how Wilde procured his ‘gross indecencies’. The greatest success of Kauffman’s use of the chorus lies in the fact that by means of it, very subtly but surely, he manages to communicate a rather unsettling idea to the readers of the play: that even in our age of individual freedom, we are not very far from the social Puritanism that crippled Wilde during his lifetime.

Clinical epidemiology 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Clinical epidemiology 2 - Assignment Example Breast cancer cells may be hormone-dependent while some can lie dormant in tissues for a very long time, as long as thirty years, after removal of the primary tumor (Lipkus et al, 2001). Some illnesses may act as catalysts in the progression of the disease in the body (Gail & Rimer, 1998). Consequently, this implies that even with earlier detection and treatment, there can be a risk of recurrence during the entire life of the patient. However, with early screening, it is possible to detect these cells before they start causing symptoms (Schonberg   et al, 2014; Siegel et al, 2012). Once the disease symptoms start showing, the tumors are mostly larger and will have likely spread to other parts beyond the breast. In contrast, breast cancer cells found earlier through screening are likely smaller and their presence is still limited to the breasts thus their spread is much easier to curtail, for example, through prophylactic surgery (Freedman, 2010; Nelson,  2012). At the point of detection, it is easier to estimate the prognosis of breast cancer. The size of the tumor and how far it has spread are vital indicators of predicting prognosis and are almost entirely dependent on the time of detection of the cancer (Siegel et al, 2012). Screening enables detection of the disease in early stages and hence it is possible to reverse the spread of the disease. Consequently, screening improves survival rates among breast cancer patients. The proportion of the population affected by breast cancer is a pointer to the importance of screening the at-risk population. According to studies, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and causes the second highest number of deaths in the US (Smith et al, 2013). Health statistics indicate that out of every 8 women, one will develop a severe form of breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2014 alone, close to quarter million cases of new breast cancer cases were expected to

Recruitment at Jenny's Coffee Shop Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Recruitment at Jenny's Coffee Shop - Assignment Example Human resource department must always ensure that the best kind of employees with creative mind and analytical understanding of issues are hired to the organization. (Gilmore & Williams, 2009) Recruitment Plan and Strategy To get the top talent in the market and to stay ahead of the curve, it is prudent that the recruitment strategy is aligned with the business plan. The plan adopted should always ensure that it takes into consideration qualities needed for the top management, departmental management and the store level. Top Management This strategy will focus its attention on competing coffee shops around. An expertise referral will also be taken into consideration. This plan will be adopted since the managerial team requires someone with very high experience and at least has an experience in working within the Coffee shops. These talents can only be gotten from competing firms. Departmental Management Level I will employ campus recruiting since it is a level whereby we have profess ionals reinforcing departmental decisions. Individuals can also be recruited from other firms not necessarily coffee shops. This brings individuals with very good mind set who knows what should be done to ensure cohesion and success within the departments. Students can also be recruited on internship basis. ... A necessary training is necessary for the team to ensure that they understand and appreciate the quality assurance policies of the coffee shop. Communication Message Jenny's Coffee Shop is one of the shop outlets with branches across United States. We are offering varied line of beverages in our various outlets across. We are currently expanding to other regions. Jenny's Coffee Shop offers services are tailored to meet our customer’s wants. We are glad to offer exciting and challenging positions to various individuals who meet the requirements as listed below. Apart from the academic and professional qualifications as listed, the applicant must possess the following attributes Personal Attributes High level of integrity Honesty Strong analytical skills Must be able to work under minimal supervision Strong communication skills Computer knowledge is a prerequisite (Guest, 2011). Senior Manager He/she will be in charge of daily overall operations within the shop and ensure coordi nation’s within the shop. He/ She must be a holder of a university degree from a recognized institution in any business related field with a bias in management. More than three years experience in a hospitality industry is must Proven past leadership skills Departmental managers They will be in charge of different departments. Must possess a university degree in either business related field, hotel management, accounting and computer science Must possess at least one year experience within the department he/ she is applying. Barista/ Shop Assistant They will be in charge of serving customers and also preparing coffee besides other beverages Basic education is a requirement. An experience in coffee shops is an added advantage. If you are interested in any of the above

International trade operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International trade operations - Essay Example Since 2000 however, although the revenues from exports to EU have increased, its share has decreased with respect to total exports. With respect to the other industries such as cement and manufacturing, the theory is not applied. Therefore, the theory has been able to account for trade patterns with the EU-15 countries until 2000 with respect to the timber industry. The Heckscher – Ohlin theorem explains a country’s production characteristic by taking into account the various factors of labour, land and capital. A country is hypothesized to abundantly produce and export those types of goods that conform to its strengths, being either capital intensive or labour intensive. Moreover, similar to the theory of comparative advantage, the country need not necessarily have a particular resource in abundance; it only needs to be abundant with respect to the other resources. After taking into account, the various features of the country’s economy and resources, the writer applies the theory to the timber industry. Latvia’s high land ratio relative the population is used to explain the high percentage of timber exports as being a land – intensive product. Therefore, it seems to be quite satisfactory. However, when the case of countries such as Sweden and Finland is considered, the theory fails since they have lower population densities than Latvia. Once again, this theory is also not applied to other industries. In addition, both the theories deal with comparative advantage but do not have an account of changing comparative advantage of a nation or the future direction of the economy of a nation with respect to its strengths. 2) While both of the theories are able to explain some of the patterns of trade in a certain time period applied to a single industry, it might be argued that any theory of international trade will be able to do this (Zhang, 2008, p.71). The requirement of a theory is that it must be able to account for a majority of the factors that influence an economy. Its success is therefore determined by its proximity and applicability to practical situations that are very complex rather than explaining simple models. Hence, the theories can be considered as guiding principles upon which more complex theories of international trade are built upon. At the same time, it is not possible for a theory to account for all of the changes over a long period of time and must be constantly updated. The theories have provided a starting point for development of more inclusive models. An important trait of a theory is that it is able to simplify the various factors that it deals with. For this purpose and for academic analysis, complex practical situations are often isolated and studied independently of the other. However, the application of the traditional theories of comparative advantage and that of the Hecksher – Ohlin model has proved that they have been successful only in certain conditions. As economie s around the world and the factors influencing them have become numerous and more complex, a need for a more effective theory(s) that incorporates many of these factors has grown. Therefore, the writer has been ambitious in concluding that the theories have been able to corroborate findings with respect to the Latvian economy and its trade partners. However, the article provides a considerable amount of information that is useful to the Latvian

1) Voter Burnout & 2) Republicans and Democrats Essay

1) Voter Burnout & 2) Republicans and Democrats - Essay Example Voter turnout has great significance because higher turnout gives greater legitimacy to the upcoming government. Even dictatorial regime maneuvers to attain higher turnouts for claiming legitimacy. American democracy, a role model for the world, is suffering from this serious flaw of character. Factors responsible for low turnout are a matter of controversy among political scholars. The problem has the following psychological, cultural, and institutional dimensions, among others. Psychological factors: The voter loses interest in election when his confidence is shaken by leadership going back on the election promises. During elections, when he is given â€Å"the audacity of hope†, promise of â€Å"change† and â€Å"agenda of peace†, he naturally pins great hopes on the next government. At the end of the day when he gets nothing of what he was promised, he develops a mindset that leadership has betrayed him and is not sincere to the nation. Government policies not reflective of his wishes make him lose confidence in the system. Corruption scandals may dishearten him and create a sense that voting is nothing less than wastage of time, especially in the younger generation. Cultural factors: â€Å"U.S is the world’s oldest democracy and a pioneer in extension of the vote to the entire population† (Ladd, p417). Despite this democratic culture and attaining the target of universal suffrage, still there are problems that obstruct higher turnout. In a multicultural and multilingual country like US it is difficult for political parties to engage all sections of population. Negative campaigning and attacks on character of opponents is more common in US than elsewhere which potentially suppress turnout. Strong party affiliation is important to boost up turnout which is non existent in US. Countries where parties have strong roots in public and enjoy public confidence have higher turnout. Confidence in election process and voting are cultural habits