Monday, September 30, 2019

How Technology Affects Library Referencing Essay

It is indeed obvious and true how technology generates most of the things that humans deal with today. The global economy as for example is being controlled by massive computer programs for the sake of considerable advancements for the human society. Alongside with this particular advancement, educational sectors also take advantage of the major innovations made through the use of science and technology. As for this matter, it could be noted that library referencing have also been recreated to be able to support the needs of the present generation from referencing the books that are available through the libraries. How is this possible? The existence of numerous technology-based systems that are primarily made to ease the problems of file-fixing in the field of library-based jobs entirely makes the jobs of the Librarians quite easy to deal with today. As it could be noticed, years before, librarians are expected to type in several details with regards a certain book in card catalogs. Not to mention, alphabetizing them and in tall and long ended cabinets is not that easy to do. The procedure indeed takes time and the filing up takes so much space form the library. Seeing this situation, it could be observed that the technological changes that are appreciated by the libraries of the present generation are now able to increase the capabilities of the libraries to hold more students in terms of space and enhance the skills of the librarian in meeting the issues that concern the students in terms of library-based queries since they already have time for this unlike that of the past years? Furthermore, the question: â€Å"How is this possible† points out to one particular focus of discussion; knowing that technology causes changes to the system of cataloging in the libraries, how do these procedures of filing the book-informations so far helpful both to the students and the librarian as well regardless of the obvious disadvantages mentioned earlier? How are the students able to benefit from the technology-fixed files and informations of books? Does technology really affect the procedures of referencing in the future? These questions are the primary discussions that shall be tackled within the context of this paper. Library and Technology Cataloging is an olden time procedure that is made to arrange the collection of books within libraries. Of course, since libraries are considered to have a large collection of reading materials, arranging them into categories helps in the process of researching for the students or plain readers alone. However, this procedure of arranging the files and taking notes of the information with regards a certain book takes much time and effort from the librarians that they are already incapable of doing the primary responsibility that they should be addressing in their profession, assisting the readers. Today, the development of technology aides in libraries have created a radical change within the systems of arranging the files as well as redefined the role of librarians in completing the tasks appointed for them to finish. Several operating systems are created to be bale to assist the librarians and the readers in browsing the books that are collected by a certain library. What is an operating system, and how does it help in the procedure of making cataloging much easier for librarians? What are Operating Systems? Every computer system is controlled by an operating system. A pre-programmed system controls the operations that the computer system is supposed to perform. This mainly pertains to the responsibilities of the computer and how it is able to complete the tasks that are further addressed to its performance. At present, the operating systems are referred to as computer programs that are supposed to manage both the hardware and software systems of the entire computer facilities. There are . five main tasks that the OS performs as a program: †¢Controlling and Allocating Memory This task mainly focuses on the capability of the computer programs to assimilate the memory priorities of the entire computer system. To allocate the memory means designating the memory priorities on which its performance is most needed. †¢Prioritizing System Requests Most of the time, the system follows a â€Å"first Come First Serve† arrangement. As a result, in multi tasking systems the operations are carried on basing on what request came first, and what has been allocated by the system to come in priority. †¢Controlling Input and Output Devices The input devices are the ones used to enter information within the computer memory while the output devices are the ones used to produce hardcopy of the informations entered within the system. The operating systems that is present within the computer makes it possible for the computer device to perform well and do as it is programmed to. †¢Facilitating Networking To be able to connect to others, networking the systems is needed. Once an operating system is programmed to perform such tasks, it would be able to connect two different systems together to be able to have a connected exchange of information and communication as well. †¢Managing Files To manage files means to arrange them on what part of the memory should be utilized by the files. It also sorts out the files with the necessary section of the computer memory should it be stored in. (Source: Warford, J. Stanley. (2005). Computer Systems. Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 3rd edition.. )

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Food memoir Essay

For all of us, there are several kinds of food in our deep memories. These foods are different from others because they are not only what we eat but also what we experience. Last week, when my teacher asked us which food existed in our deep memories, the first one came to my mind was Mung rice noodle. Each time mentioning Mung rice noodle, I will think of my wonderful childhood and sweet home. IbelongtoTujia,oneoftheChineseminorities. Mungricenoodlehasbeen produced by Tujia people, and most of us are used to make it our breakfasts. Simply, from the name, it comes from the marriage of mung and rice. However, Tujia people are used to add soybeans into the mixture of mung and rice. To be honest, I have never made it by myself, instead, I saw my grandmother made it when I was in the primary school. Firstly, my grandmother soaked the soybean, mung and rice in the water one day before using them. After one day, she grinded them into slurry by the millstone. Then, she brushed little colza oil in the iron pan and circled the slurry evenly in the pan. That was my first time knowing how to make Mung rice noodle and I can still remember that the fresh smell of it jumped out just in one second. After it was done, my grandma put it in the hot water and added ginger, scallion, garlic, peper, chilli oil and meat sauce. She smiled at me: â€Å"babe, you gonna finish it! † After eating it up, I understood why my grandma was so confident that I could finish it at the beginning. ThereisasweetstoryrelatedtoMungricenoodle. WhenIwasintheprimary school, my mother usually got up half an hour earlier than me to make Mung rice noodle as my breakfasts. She could always make new flavors to surprise me. I was extremely curious that why she could make so many flavors, and I asked her. She looked at me mysteriously: â€Å" if I make the same flavor all the way, you will be bored at breakfasts, that is not a good habit†. At that time, I did not think too much on her answers. But gradually, especially after studying abroad, I realize that the primary reason she made different flavors is that she loves me. Up to now, in my life, my mother is the only one who genuinely cares how is my breakfast. Eating istheeasiestwaytomakeussatisfiedandfoodistheeasiestthingwewill remember. They may be a certain birthday cake, the dishes we ate with our first love, or the party dinner in a special holiday. No matter what it is, the memory for that moment will exist in our whole life. When we are old, we may forget the flavor itself at all. However, we will remember the feeling of surprise, warm, satisfied, happy and even pain till the end. 2nd draft Food memoir: Mung rice noodle Ifyoucanchooseonlyonefoodasyourlife-longfood,whatisit? Forme,itis definitely the Mung rice noodle. IbelongtoTujia,oneoftheChineseminorities. Mungricenoodlehasbeen produced by Tujia people and most of us are used to make it our breakfasts. Simply, from the name, it comes from the marriage of mung and rice. However, Tujia people usually add soybeans into the mixture of mung and rice. Mostly, we buy original Mung rice noodle and add flavors as we like at home. To be honest, I have never made it by myself, instead, I saw my grandmother made it when I was in the primary school. Firstly, she soaked the soybean, mung and rice in the water one day before using them. After one day, she grinded all ingredients into slurry by the millstone and mixed them with the potato starch. Then, she brushed little colza oil, similar to the corn oil, in the iron pan and circled the slurry evenly in the pan. Imagine what! Just in one second, the fresh smell of caramelized starch jumped out. After taking a breath, I touched the beans aroma in the air. Grandma was excited: â€Å"Come on, Joey, look at the grey-green circle lines here, are they like tree’s growth rings. † Yes, it really was! That was my first time knowing how to make fresh Mung rice noodle. After it was done, grandma put it in the hot water and added sliced ginger, scallion, garlic powder, white pepper, chilli oil and meat sauce. She smiled at me: â€Å"girl, you gonna finish it! † After eating it up, I understood why my grandma was so confident that I could finish it at the beginning. Frankly, I cannot describe the flavor correctly now. However, one thing I am sure about is that, when eating it, I felt nothing else matters. Similartomanyyoungsters,Iliketogotobarsandenjoyhavingfunwithmy friends in the night. However, no matter how late I sleep, I will get up the next day to eat the breakfast. This habit is related to the Mung rice noodle. When I was in the primary school, my mother usually got up half an hour earlier than me to cook Mung rice noodle as my breakfasts. She could always create new flavors to surprise me. Gradually, the new flavor of the Mung rice noodle became my impetus to get up. Even more, I deem a tasty breakfast as the beginning of a great day. Once, I was extremely curious that why mom could create so many flavors, and I asked her. She looked at me mysteriously: â€Å" if I make the same flavor all the way, you will be bored at breakfasts, that is not a good habit†. At that time, I did not think too much on her answers. But gradually, I have realized that the real reason she made variable flavors is that she loves me. After studying abroad, the most frequent questions from my mom is: what is your breakfast. Up to now, in my life, my mom is the only one who genuinely cares how is my breakfast. For all of us, there are some foods in our deep memories. These foods are unique and unforgettable because they are not only what we ate but also what we experienced. Eating is the easiest way to make us satisfied and food is the easiest thing we will remember. They may be a certain birthday cake, the dishes we ate with our first love, and the party dinner in a special holiday. When we are old, we may forget the flavor itself at all. However, we will keep in mind the feeling of surprise, warmth, satisfaction, happiness and even pain related to these foods because they are part of our lives.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Automotive Cruise Control System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Automotive Cruise Control System - Essay Example The governor adjusted the engine up thrift when the engine speed changed. The system was first used in automobiles in the year 1910. Thanks to Peerless motor company who upgraded the system to maintain speed of an automobile regardless of the topography the vehicle was moving on. Modern cruise control or speedostat was invented in 1948 by Ralph Teetor a long term president of the perfect circle company which specialized in manufacture of automotives. The first car with speedostat system was manufactured in 1958 which processed a vehicle speed on driveshaft and utilized a loop wire wrapped in a metallic core to vary throttle positions. In 1950 constant speed regulator a patent was imposed by Frank Riley, however in the following years, Mr. Riley and the other patent holders did not manage to collect royalties for inventions using the cruise control. Automotive device controls became more popular in USA in the year 1973 after the historical oil crisis which led to tremendous rise in fu el price. This was due to the nature of the system of saving gas intake by minimizing level of fuel intake when a vehicle was accelerating. Automotive cruise control uses the mechanism of transmission whereby a sensor system is mounted to the vehicle front. Control mechanism is transmitted through the on board sensors. A driver feeds in the speed and the unit maintains the speed by taking over the car’s throttle. The systems are ideal because they improve a driver comfort in a free flowing traffic conditions. However the systems are not ideal in heavy congested traffic as they do not allow the cruise control to run below a certain speed normally 25mph. the vehicle maintains the desired speed by up thrusting the throttle cable with a loop wire and a closed loop feedback. Modern cruise systems have power buttons which allows a driver to turn on or off. The systems

Friday, September 27, 2019

What explains the demise of the Bretton Woods system Essay

What explains the demise of the Bretton Woods system - Essay Example The joint venture brought about a system wherein countries having problems in balance of payments can solve it because of one of the feature of fixed exchange rates in the agreement. This has laid to an economic reconstruction in Europe for a very long decade which in turn gave rise to capitalist expansion, which has not been seen till date. This gave an added boost to the global economy where mostly in the capitalist countries, the standard of living of the working class has improved to a very high extent. (Bordo & Eichengreen, 1993). In the period of post World War 1, majority of the countries had a tendency to go back to the previous situation of financial stability and security as it prevailed before such wars were held. The old gold standard were again preferred and every country tried to incline towards it and by 1926 all the leading economies again established the system and accordingly the circulating money of every nation had to be geared by gold reserves and foreign currenc ies to a huge extent. But while implementing the gold several steps were undertaken mistakenly as a result of which the economic and financial relations collapsed leading to the Great Depression in 1929. In order to reduce the deficit in payment balance by deflating its currency every single country gave a boost to its export product to increase its competitiveness in productivity. This idea fell in place and was running successfully till the countries continued deflating their currencies. This over laid phenomenon marked an international deflation competition which led to unemployment among masses, enterprises were rubbed out of bankruptcy, many credit institutions failed and also hyper inflation was noted to occur in various countries concerned. (Kenen, 1994; Moggridge, 1980). Due to this phenomenon of Great Depression, several conferences who were dealing with the world monetary problems ended up in failure in the decade of 1930s. But every country tended for a stabilizing system that rectified mistakes which became one of the evident phenomenons. After this, several plans were made in order to build an innovative monetary system and an institution that will supervise all sorts of actions and financial hazards. During the war time conditions, all of the initial negotiations happened. (Kenen, 1994; Moggridge, 1980). In Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (USA), an international conference took place in 1944. This conference was attended by 44 countries so as to restructure the international finance and currency relationships. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and The International Bank For Reconstruction And Development (IBRD/ World Bank) was created by the participants of this conference . In addition, they also accepted the fact of implementing a system of fixed exchange rate with the U.S dollar as the leading currency. Harry Dexter White, the American Minister of State in the U.S treasury and the British Economist John Mayard Keynes were responsible to devel op the plans for the Bretton Woods system. They also stated that they want to establish a system which would be acceptable by all the nations. The ideas of Harry Dexter and Keynes always happened to be very similar to each other. The White Plan supplements that a Bank for Reconstruction and an International Stabilization Fund should be put up. This was similar to what Keynes has described in his plan. But there was a little difference which got reflected in Keynes plan was he wanted to vest the IMF ideas with possibilities to create money and with the authority to take actions on a very large scale. Whenever there will be imbalances in the balance of payments both the sides, that is, both the debtors and creditors must change their policies. Countries that have their payments in excess should increase their scale of imports from the countries

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism and the Cold War Essay

Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism and the Cold War - Essay Example In the first place involving the First and Second World War, there were visions of Fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany and Imperialism in Japan. These visions greatly contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War (Gaddis, 1990). These three political visions: Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism had some kind of widespread similarities and as well some differences. Fascism is a dictatorial or totalitarian political ideology entirely connected with a mass movement that refers the person secondary to the interests of the nation, party or general public in general. Fascists look forward to attaining national unity, in most instances founded on however, not restricted to national, cultural, tribal, religious factors (Gaddis, 1990). Scholars characterize diverse features to fascism, however the following factors are in most cases regarded as fundamental: loyalty, nationalism, socialization, militarism, totalitarianism and anti-communism, corporatism, populism, despotism and resistance to political and economic laissez-faire. Nazism also known as National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus) is an ideology and system linked to the 20th century German Nazi Party and nation. Nazism is characterized as a way of fascism that entails natural racism and anti Semitism (De Grand, 2004). Nazism primarily originates from the influence of Pan Germanism, the Volkisch German nationalists association and the anti communist Freikorps paramilitary tradition in post First World War Germany that a large number of people in Germany thought that they had been disgraced by the Treaty of Versailles (De Grand, 2004). In this regard, Nazism is directly similar to Fascism in all actions and practices. Imperialism is distinguished as a code of conduct in relation to the mindset of an individual (Heller, 2006). It is comprehended in connection with Empire construction, as the forceful boundary of a country’s power by protective conquest setting up the economic and political command of other countries. Imperialism further implies to the mind-set of dominance, subordination and authority over foreign nationals (Heller, 2006). Over and above, this is the mindset of an individual or a group of people that create a kingdom, with ideologies of â€Å"global dominance†. There are a couple of similarities in Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism that led to the war and further agitating their allies (Britain, France, U.S. and Soviet Union). In the first place, these political systems are dictatorial, as clearly indicated by the control over all features of life and in every nation. Furthermore, the economic activities were under the command of the government and everyone had to comply with the set rules. In conclusion, these systems employed the expansionists and aggressive foreign policies. The Nazi, Fascists and the imperialists believed in unavoidable war and territorial expansion which agitated their allies (De Grand, 2004). This was due to the fact that, Italy, Japan and Germany posed serious territorial, economic, social and political threats (cold war) to their allies by use of these ideologies (De Grand, 2004). Option Three â€Å"Blame† It is clear that the topic of who caused the cold war is based on a blame game where various scholars especially from America and Britain indicate that Russia led to the Cold war whereas other scholars believe it was caused by America (Fedorov, 2011). In actual fact, Cold War was caused by America. Fedorov (2011) blamed the United States of America for the cold war, counting to the list of revisionists who believed that America led to the cold war. It is for the duration of the Vietnam War that people established that America was as bad as Russia. In the long run, America was the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Film Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Film - Assignment Example e story is that it uses a constant location, regular actors, and a black and white picture which tends to be somewhat a serious choice for a comic script, yet the film does wonders as a romantic comedy. I would highly recommend this light-hearted movie to those who love romantic comedies, Shakespeare’s stories, and a strong script. Dogberry is the character in the play which is the comic incompetent figure. The character which particularly plays the comic part in typical Shakespeare’s plays is Dogberry, the police constable who is responsible for the happy conclusion as he builds a bridge between the comedy and tragedy and restores the social and emotional order. The character has many differences and similarities when it is about the text and the film. In the film, Whedon has adapted the 16th century play with modern dresses and looks of the characters. Dogberry’s character comes in the film quite later and he is a person with a swaggering persona and wears dark sunglasses, and he sounds smart. The film shows his witty humour and a lack of vocabulary unlike the play where he is full of humorous sentences. The characters are different as he has modern dressing and props, and are similar as they are the comical character that leads to a happy conclusion. Act 2 Scene 3 and Act 3 Scene 1 are companion scenes where Benedick and Beatrice’s friends are tricking them to fall in love and to make them realise that they are already in love. As film is different than any other form of art because it is continuously in a visual movement, the quality utilized in these two scenes is supposedly hard to portray. This is because the two scenes comprise of various transitions that take place one after another. However, the screenplay and the elements of transition in these two scenes have helped in maintaining the quality and purpose of the scenes. In films there are many times where scenes can be redone or broken into parts and then being shot, however in a stage

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Why were the Americans unable to prevail in Vietnam whilst the British Essay

Why were the Americans unable to prevail in Vietnam whilst the British succeeded in Malaya - Essay Example The war was viewed by the American people as redundant as they were not convinced of any potential danger from the rising communism in the Asian regions. This resulted in the U.S. presidents of the Cold war era losing the votes of the common people in support of the war. Moreover, the war proved to be expensive and the economic repercussions were felt for more than a decade. After the end of the war which happened more because of the agitation among the American people, the final consequences became a learning experience of the U.S. leaders for what strategies to adopt in any future conflicts. The Malayan emergency was a guerrilla war between the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the British and Commonwealth forces. The MNLA communists were mainly comprised of the poor Chinese population who were based in jungles. The MNLA and its allies termed the combat as Anti-British National Liberation War. The guerrillas focused on rescuing Malaya from the controlling power of the Bri tish colonial administration. The conflict which started on 18 June 1948 was termed as Emergency after three European plantation managers were killed by the guerrillas in the northern state of Perak (â€Å"The Malayan Emergency: Background†). . ... For instance, the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the capture of Fort Sumter in 1861, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950. Unlike these events, the American war in Vietnam had no concrete reasons nor was there any fixed beginning point. The American participation in the Vietnam War was a result of series of events that occurred during the period between 1950 and 1965. In the month of May 1950, the then American President Harry S. Truman sanctioned to initiate a modest program for helping the French. Truman sanctioned economic and military assistance to the French who were engaged in battles to retain their controlling power of their Indochina colony, including Laos, Cambodia as well as Vietnam. When the Vietminh army which was originally formed to protect Vietnam from the French colonial power defeated the French armed forces at Dienbienphu in 1954, the French were left with no other choice but to create a Communist Vietnam north of the 17th parallel. Then the south of that line remained as a non-Communist region. The United States however did not agree with this kind of arrangement. When Dwight D. Eisenhower became the U.S. president, his administration attempted to take over and build a nation in South Vietnam which was by then holding a fake political entity. The U.S. concocted a government in South Vietnam, subjugated the French army and also sent military advisers to prepare a South Vietnamese army. U.S. also unleashed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in order to conduct a psychological warfare against North Vietnam. In early 1961, President John F. Kennedy designed another strategy that contributed towards

Monday, September 23, 2019

SKA-ARABIA Oil Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

SKA-ARABIA Oil Company - Research Paper Example In order to invest in divergent regions and establish security for the company, SKA ARABIA needs to move beyond their motto of ‘doing difficult jobs in difficult places’ and tailor their expertise into providing solutions for developing countries in South East Asia. Countries like Pakistan face power shortage and increasing civil tensions as major road blocks to economic development, by changing its strategy SKA ARABIA can provide vital services in such regions and create long lasting relationships of value and mutual benefit. Kotter’s 8-step approach will be an invaluable tool for achieving this change in direction. Getting support from top management to the field workers is essential for any organization planning to adopt a different strategy or enter a new market, by successfully merging the established practices in the organization’s culture with Kotter’s approach the company can bring about successful change. 2. Over View of the Company: The com pany started from providing fuel to Iraq, as the suppliers for US government in 2003 and moved on to receiving contracts from Iraq Government. In recent years SKA ARABIA has expanded its operations into other regions like Afghanistan and East Africa, becoming the major fuel and supply chain logistics providers there. They have established a presence in UAE and Kuwait as well. Their various competencies include a wide range of Fuel Supply Chain Management, Camp Construction, Security Services Aviation Services, Ground Logistics and Life Support. The mission of the company as stated on their website is â€Å"Through our pioneering spirit, we strive to be the acknowledged leader and preferred partner in helping our clients succeed in the world's most difficult to operate countries†. In order to achieve their mission the company focus is on employee satisfaction and involvement to generate the kind of motivation to work under such conditions and provide the best service. Corporat e Social Responsibility is the other side of their tactical strategy, with the highest standards of health, safety, environment and ethics employed by the company. This is achievable by conforming to the latest engineering standards, safety protocols and local regulations and communicating the importance of upholding such best practices to all stake holders. These practices are adopted on every level of operations: fueling systems are regularly checked to identify any potential hazardous conditions that could lead to system failure; security checks and coordination is given the utmost importance; a standard of transparency and documentation is maintained by the fuels accounting department. SKA ARABIA is up to both the U.S. Military and international standards. Currently the company is the only private company awarded contract by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to supply fuel to the six international airports of Iraq. They provide a range of transport and logistics services with regards to both fuel and personnel to companies which are operating in Iraq. The client base includes the US Government, United Nations, NGO’s, international oil companies, various governments and many commercial aviation companies Providing security in such a volatile climate is one of the unique selling points of the company; their employees are well

Sunday, September 22, 2019

BUS503 - Org. Change and Transformation Mod 4 SLP Essay

BUS503 - Org. Change and Transformation Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example ices, structure and leadership of the organization, redesign of the upper management structure, improving the accountability of present leadership, full evaluation of external factors relating to staff going elsewhere after training, and becoming a learning institution with good knowledge management. These are not easy changes and the commitment to make such changes must come first (Banker & Alban, 1997), as the configuration of the organization is changed. This is an organization in trouble at this time and it is very possible that the Human processual approach will not help at this time due to the slow incremental scale of the change. This change needs to happen more rapidly. The technostructural approach will need to be used to approach the changes in accountability for the different jobs and the job descriptions. The structure of the organization must change, removing silos and building a team structure. Multi-faceted approaches include as many different groups as possible and the is the approach that will need to be used most often here. There are many departments in a hospital and they all depend on each other to provide quality patient care. It will be important to include each of these departments in the process of change or run the risk of on providing a change that does not completely blanket the institution (Caluwe & Vermaak, 2004). The large groups approach will need to work hand in hand with these multi-faceted groups. All of the symptomology noted in the original case study relate to such things as external environment, leadership, organizational culture and structure as well as management practices. The Burke- Litwin model best suits this case because it incorporates all of these variable. The suggested changes in this paper are designed from the needs shown in the original study and the ability of the Burke-Litwin model to deal with those. With those things in mind, the management structure must change, the senior team needs updated management

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Of Mice and Men Question Lennies big fingers fell to stroking her hair Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Question Lennies big fingers fell to stroking her hair Essay The pathetic figure of Lennie seems to symbolise mankind in its search for love. Do you agree? How does Steinbeck treat this theme in Of Mice and Men? In the book, Of Mice and Men, Lennie an opposite extreme to George; George is quite smart but not very tall or exceptionally strong, Lennie on the other hand is extremely stupid and very tall with exceptional strength. The way Steinbeck writes about Lennie, the audience feels great pity for him; the dialogue is very basic and he has trouble remembering simple tasks like keeping silent. The way he speaks can be related to the same way a three year old speaks; Lennie has the same sort of mind as a three year and is pleased by the same things. He has an affinity to touch everything and that is how he came to be stroking the ladys hair. The way Lennie acts, speaks and looks creates a strong sympathy for him in the readers mind and Steinbeck plays on this to give the overall plot of the story. The idea that Lennie symbolises mankind in its search for love is what I believe is not a very good theory. The main basis for this is because Lennie does not understand what love is and the idea that mans job in life is to look for love does not appeal to me. I do not think that a man goes around looking for love but love finds him, George did not ask to be loved by Lennie or to even take him on, he was offered and he made a promise. The only way which I believe that a man looks for love is through what he enjoys doing. If you love playing football then you are in search of your chance to be a footballer, you are in search of your love. This is the only in which I think this theme works in Of Mice and Men. Lennie loves George in a way which he does not understand, but George has grown to love him through their escapades together. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses love in a lot of ways; one way is Georges love of his dream. George fantasizes about owning his own little cottage with land he can farm on, he loves his dream and wishes it to come true. Lennie loves all creatures be it mice or puppies, he adores them and just loves to pet them and stroke them like a toddler loves to touch anything it can lay its hands on. Candy loved his dog and spent all his time with it, Curley loves boxing and spends most of his time practicing with his fists, Curleys wife loves acting and deeply regrets missing her chance. Love plays a great part in Of Mice and Men, but nothing is as strong as the love between Lenny and George, George only realises how much he loves Lennie when Lennie is under the death sentence. George risks his own life to save Lennie and he realises that he will thoroughly miss Lennie. The theme that man is in search of love is also incorporated into Of Mice and Men by Steinbecks pen. George is in search of his dream cottage and every possible way to get it, the cottage is his love and he would go to no extreme to reach it. Lennies love is of keeping a heard of rabbits, he is constantly referring to them in the book and would love to have them. However he is letting George pursue the search to get them for him because he is completely incapable of getting them himself. Crooks is in search of finding friends to sit and talk with or being accepted by the other men on the ranch. His love is gain friends and become one of the gang and be allowed to play cards with them in the bunkhouse. Curley is in search of becoming a boxer, he loves using his fists and he is searching for his chance to become a boxer again. Curleys Wife is constantly searching for her chance to escape from Curley and become and actress, she loves acting so she is in search for a career in acting. The idea of searching for love is incorporated a lot into Of Mice and Men; every main character is in search of his or her love whether it be human, animal or even a career.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Crime And Control Models Of Criminal Justice Criminology Essay

Crime And Control Models Of Criminal Justice Criminology Essay Throughout this assignment, it will aim to highlight the similarities and differences between the models of the criminal justice system, especially looking at the due process model and the crime control model. These models consist of challenging crime and allowing the right justice to be issued. Briefly, the due process model was designed to make sure individuals had their rights portrayed and that they had a fair trial to defend themselves in court. In contrast, the crime control model was established to try and ensure that weak criminal cases were dealt with quickly and discarded at the earliest opportunity (Packer, 1968). This meant that larger and more important cases would be dealt with leading to a conviction and punishment as soon as possible. Both models are significant to the criminal justice system and play a major role in identifying crimes and interpreting the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system is a complicated system and is constantly changing due to ne w laws and awareness of crimes. The system varies from country to country with the criminal justice being different and having many contrasts with the law by which each country governs and establishes their authority. In England and Wales, the criminal justice system is made up of several agencies including the police, prisons and probation services. These agencies are governed and funded by the government and have to keep to the rules and regulations which the government issues. As these models are only theories from criminologists, this assignment will look into how they could affect the criminal justice system and what advantages or disadvantages they might cause. The criminal justice system is a system which has been set up in response to crime and is made up of a series of agencies which enforce the laws given by a government. In England and Wales, the criminal justice system involves; agencies who enforce the law; the courts system; the penal system; and the crime prevention scheme (Malcolm, D). These are the mains aspects of the criminal justice system which in general try to safeguard people within society and condemn and punishes those individuals who commit crimes. The criminal justice system has many aims and objectives which try to deliver justice in ways to protect the innocent and punish and convict the guilty. The biggest aim is to try and bring offences to justice and reassure the public they are being protected from criminals. They do this through orders of the court, such as collecting fines, and supervising community and custodial punishment (stated http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/aims_and_objectives/). Many criminologists would agree that the criminal justice system within England and Wales has been effective towards stopping crime and enhancing punishment to those who committed crime. This can be shown through the increase of confidence which the public have identified by studying data from the National Criminal Justice Board (available at http://lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/ncjb/perfStats/confidence_e.html) which shows that there has been a 2% increase from March 2008 to June 2009 in the level of confidence among people in England and Wales. This indicates that the criminal justice system is gaining confidence from the public, however it is still a small proportion of people that have confidence, an estimated 39% in June 2009 (National Criminal Justice Board), had confidence that the criminal justice was effective and reliable. As mentioned above, the due process model is the understanding that a person who has come into contact with one of the criminal agencies cannot have their rights rejected without appropriate legal measures. Therefore any individual who is being or has been charged with a crime, they have several rights in which the criminal agencies have to uphold as the individual is protected under human rights which could be said to co-inside and relate to the due process model. Packer (1968) describes the due process model as having less faith in the criminal agencies, such as the police, and believes that among few criminal cases mistakes can happen and additionally, there is a chance of agencies acting corruptly or dishonestly. For that reason, this is why Packer believes this model is useful as it limits the coercive powers of the criminal agencies and if there is an occurrence of any mistake or corruption, an individual has the right to defend them self. Therefore, the main aim of the due pro cess model is to establish a system that an individual is innocent until proven guilty in court (Packer, 1968). Also mentioned above is the crime control model which is a model that Packer (1968) describes as the part of the criminal justice system which condemns individuals for doing an action which is seen as criminal. Packer describes this model as prioritizing in the convictions of individuals who have committed a criminal act and not waiting for the courts to decide. In his theory, Packer believes that this model is concentrated on the conviction and would risk the conviction of innocent people to achieve its goal. The crime control model can therefore be said to be the scheme set to punish people and make a difference towards society in reducing crime and showing the public that by these arrests and convictions, it may show the criminal justice system being effective and beneficial to society. As a result of these two models, which have been analysed and identified, it is possible to link each model together and highlight the similarities and difference which may be involved with each model. Firstly, a comparison that can be made about these models is that they are both essential in tackling crime and trying to reduce crime. Both models try to tackle crime and punish the people who have committed a deviant act. However, both models do this in different ways and how they approach a person who has committed a criminal act is contrasting. For example, the crime control model would say a person is guilty until proven innocent by the courts, whereas the due process model would say that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, there have been several more differences that have been identified compared to similarities which would suggest each model has taken a different approach in tackling crime. A difference which can be noticed is that the due process model believes that policing is the most effective way to tackle crime and it is essential in maintaining justice amongst society. However the crime control model believes that policing has a negative effect on society and more should be done to convict those who have committed crimes and reduce criminal activity. Throughout this assignment, there have been two models which have been identified and analysed through the theories of Packer (1968). However, there are other theorists, such as Michael King (1981), who have studied the criminal justice system and would argue that there were several more models which could make the criminal justice system effective. King (1981) has analysed the criminal system and has published a theory of six models which correspond to Packers theory but King has elaborated on it and argued that Packers work is too simplistic. Kings six models consist of; due process model; crime control model; medical model; bureaucratic model; status passage model; power model. Even though King agrees with Packer, he argues that these six models are essential to the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Kings third model, which Packer does not include in his theory, is about rehabilitation which highlights that some criminals need treatment for their actions and need to be evaluated and treated in the correct manner to reduce them from conducting further criminal activities. This model is essential in identifying and reducing crime as it tackles the issues why criminals commit crime and how they should be punished depending on the mental ability. Therefore with this example, it shows that Packers theory may lack depth and could be said to be too bard and narrow minded which could lack creditability if put into place. However, Kings models do create some criticisms as it may cause further pressure on the criminal justice system to implement rules and procedures. Overall Kings extended models have highlighted that there are issues with Packers work and the models for the criminal justice system should be enlarged and taken into greater consideration. However, as these are only models and have not been put into place, it cannot be said to be more effective than Packers theory as neither of them have been placed into action. In conclusion to this assignment, there have been several issues raised with the due process and crime control models and how these models could affect the aims of the criminal justice system. As stated above, the due process could be said to be essential to the criminal justice system as many criminologists, such as Packer (1968) and King (1981), agree with the idea that people should have their rights portrayed and given an equal chance to defend themselves through the courts and justice system.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Embarking on an Acid Trip: Analysis of the benefits and dangers of LSD :: social issues

Embarking on an Acid Trip: Analysis of the benefits and dangers of LSD Embarking on an Acid Trip: Analysis of the benefits and dangers of LSD HP200 Abstract A thorough analysis of the hallucinogenic drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) and its effect on humans are given. The various uses of the drug are also examined throughout several decades, beginning with its first synthesis in 1938 as well as first use by humans five years later to its current usage today by young adolescents. Various myths have also surrounded the capacity of the drug. For example early users believed that it could alter your personality and way of thinking or pave the way toward spiritual enlightenment, while in later decades, anti-drug campaigns led people to believe that the drug could cause insanity or genetic damage. The realities associated with the drug are that it can be used for psychoanalysis and other studies of the mind. Yet there is always the possibility the user may undergo panic attacks and hysteria from the inability to cope with the intense cortical overload. In the end it seems that our understanding of the properties of LSD are still very limited and it would be hard to proclaim judgment over whether or not the drug would be more harmful or beneficial in our current applications of it in scientific research. Embarking on an Acid Trip: Analysis of the benefits and dangers of LSD Drug use has been an undeniable factor in human life. From Aspirin and Caffeine to Cannabis Sativa and Opium, its uses vary widely from medical purposes to substance abuse. History has also forced our society to cope with the reality that the problem will always exist as long as people can find ways to synthesize and obtain them. Even so, an effective way of combating this problem is to have a thorough understanding of how these drugs work, and how they affect the user. One type of drug that has created much controversy over its possible benefits and/or dangers would be the psychoactive drug Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). The Psychoactive Drug Lysergic Acid Diethylamide The drugs that have won the greatest attention in today’s drug abuse problems fall under the category of psychoactive drugs, or drugs that can alter ones perception, way of thinking, and behavior. Of these, hallucinogens have the ability to â€Å"alter [the] consciousness in profound ways.† (Williams & Knight, 1994) They have also been labeled illusionogenic, psychedelic, and mind-expanding, depending on whether scientists or users are talking about them.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Life of Ludwig van Beethoven Essay -- Ludwig van Beethoven Composers M

Life of Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, also known as â€Å" The General of Musicians,† was born on December 16, 1770. However, this date is not exact because it is believed that Beethoven’s father lied about his son’s age in order to portray him as an infant prodigy. As a result, Beethoven is convinced he was born on December 16, 1772 at the Rheingasse home, which belonged to the Fischers, who were close friends of the family (Orga 8). Johann van and Maria Magdalena Beethoven bore five children of which three survived. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first child to survive, probably making him the most cherished especially in his father’s eyes. The other two surviving siblings were Casper and Nikolaus. They were said to have played extremely important roles in Beethoven’s life. Johann van said to be a lesser man than his father Ludwig Louis van Beethoven, who was a trained musician and later appointed Kapellmeister. Many believed he could not compare to his dad because he did not have a high-ranking job, instead his income was based on giving piano, singing, and violin lessons to the public (Kerman 354). Johann wanted his first son to be great, especially in the music field, so he pushed him to learn the piano and violin at a very early age. For instance, Beethoven had his first public appearance at the age of eight on March 26, 1778. He performed at a concert with one of his father’s other pupils. His performance consisted of concertos and trios on the keyboard. Beethoven continued to play at concerts, as well as taking music lessons with instructors other than his father. When visiting the Fischer Family one day Johann proclaimed, â€Å"My son Ludwig is my only comfort now in life. He is improving in his music to such an extent that he is admired by everyone. I foresee that in time he will be a great man in the world† (Orga 29). During this time he also attended elementary school in Bonn, but he did not exceed grade school. Beethoven learned all he could by age ten and from then on he lived off his wits and curiosity (Orga 28). In 1779, Beethoven met his first very important teacher at Bonn by the name of Christian Neefe. Neefe automatically saw Beethoven’s talent and had a strong liking to him from the beginning. Moreover, when he took a short leave of absence from Bonn, he appointed Beethoven, at only eleven years o... ... His funeral was held on the 29th of March and about 15,000 guests attended his burial. The surrounding schools were closed that day in respect of the composer. Also, out of respect the choir sang the Miserere in an arrangement from one of his Equali for trombones. Following the singing, about 200 horse carriages accompanied the coffin on its final journey (Orga 8). To conclude, Beethoven was know as â€Å"The General of Musicians,† â€Å"The Young Genius,† and the most admired composer in the history of western music. His musical ability, his passion, and his harsh losses all helped to contribute to his undying success as a great pianist and composer. Even today his works are still studied and listened to around the world. Works Cited Kerman, Joseph. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 Vols. London: MacMillan Pub. Ltd., 1980. 2: 354-60. Grout, Donald Jay. A History of Western Music. 3rd ed. New York: Cornell UP, 1981. Marek, George R. Beethoven: Biography of a Genius. New York: Funk and Wagnall’s Publishing Company, 1969. Orga, Ates. Beethoven: The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers. London: Omnibus Press, 1983.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Symbolism and Repression in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper e

Symbolism and Repression in The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is as a wonderful example of the gothic horror genre. It was not until the rediscovery of the story in the early 1970’s that â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was recognized as a feminist indictment of a male dominated society. The story contains many typical gothic trappings, but beneath the conventional faà §ade hides a tale of repression and freedom told in intricate symbolism as seen through the eyes of a mad narrator. It is difficult to discuss the meaning in this story without first examining the author’s own personal experience. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† gives an account of a woman driven to madness as a result of the Victorian â€Å"rest-cure,† a once frequently prescribed period of inactivity thought to cure hysteria and nervous conditions in women. As Gary Scharnhorst points out, this treatment originated with Dr. Weir Mitchell, who personally prescribed this â€Å"cure† to Gilman herself. She was in fact driven to near madness and later claimed to have written â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† to protest this treatment of women like herself, and specifically to address Dr. Weir Mitchell with a â€Å"propaganda piece.† A copy of the story was actually sent to Mitchell, and although he never replied to Gilman personally, he is said to have confessed to a friend that he had changed his treatment of hysterics after reading the story (15-19). Although the autobiographical aspects of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† are compelling, it is the symbolism and the underlying feminist connotations that lead best to discussion. First is John, the narrator’s husband. He could be viewed as the patriarchy itself, as Beverly Hume says, with his dismissal of all... ... J.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 424-36. Hume, Beverly A. â€Å"Gilman’s Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Studies in Short Fiction 28.4 (1991):477-84. Johnson, Greg. â€Å"Gilman’s Gothic Allegory: Rage and Redemption in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Studies in Short Fiction 26.4 (1989):521-30. King, Jeannette and Pam Morris. â€Å"On Not Reading between the Lines: Models of Reading in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Studies in Short Fiction 26.1 (1989): 23-32. Owens, E. Suzanne. â€Å"The Ghostly Double behind the Wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’†   Ã‚  Ã‚   Haunting the House of Fiction. Ed. Lynette Carpenter and Wendy K. Kolmar. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 1991 64-79. Scharnhorst, Gary. â€Å"‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’† Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Boston: Twayne, 1985. 15-20.  

Monday, September 16, 2019

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 6

Chapter Six Do Animals Get the Blues? Clint was the only one of the Animals still left at the Marina Safeway. He was tall, with a wild mop of dark hair and thick, horn-rimmed glasses that were held together with medical tape, and he had a look of deep panic on his face. He'd been trying to keep the store together for nearly a week with only a couple of stock boys from the day crew, and a porter from a temp service (even Gustavo, the Mexican porter with five kids, had taken off with the Animals), but now a huge order had come in on the truck and he knew he needed professionals. He dialed Tommy's number for the fifth time that night. It was four in the morning, but Tommy was their leader – and perhaps the best frozen-turkey bowler the world had ever known. He knew what it meant to be an Animal; he would be awake. The machine beeped. Clint said, â€Å"Dude, they're all gone. I need your help. It's just me, some temps, and the Lord to-night.† Clint had been recently reborn after five years in a drug-induced haze. He swore that the Lord would forever be on his night crew. â€Å"The guys took off for Vegas. Call me. No, just bring your box cutter and come to work. I'm buried.† Once they had been nine strong, the Animals. Nine men, all under the age of twenty-five, left alone in a grocery store for eight hours with only Tommy to supervise them. They'd been given their name by the day manager, who had come in one morning to find them drunk, hanging from the giant Safeway letters on the front of store, pelting one another with marshmallows. Tommy had recruited them to fight the old vampire. They'd found the vampire, sleeping inside a vault on his yacht, and they had also found his art collection. After selling it for ten cents on the dollar, each of them had netted a hundred thousand dollars. Tommy went home with Jody, Clint went home to pray for the vampire's soul. Simon had been killed. The rest of the Animals headed for Vegas. Clint hung up the phone, then sat down hard in the manager's chair. It was too much responsibility. The weight of it would drive him over the edge. Even now he could hear dogs barking in his head. â€Å"Front door,† the temp night porter called over the half wall of the office. Clint stood up to see the Emperor and his dogs at the double electric doors. He grabbed the keys, disarmed the alarm, and opened the door. The Boston terrier shot by him, heading for the beef-jerky display. â€Å"Your Majesty,† Clint said. â€Å"You're out of breath.† The big man held his chest as he panted. â€Å"Gather the troops, young man. C. Thomas Flood has been turned to a bloodsucking fiend. Gather your weapons, we must charge again into the breach.† â€Å"It's just me and noobs,† Clint said. â€Å"Did you say that Tommy's a vampire?† â€Å"Indeed. I saw him not two hours ago. As pale as death.† â€Å"Well, that's not good.† â€Å"Your talent for stating the obvious is unprecedented, young man.† â€Å"Come in.† Clint stepped away from the door. â€Å"We are going to need to pray on this.† â€Å"Well, there's a start,† said the Emperor. â€Å"Then I need to call Tommy and tell him to never mind about coming to work,† Clint said. â€Å"Splendid,† said the Emperor, without a hint of sarcasm. â€Å"I believe we've achieved a new level of doomed.† â€Å"You've always been good to me,† Jody said. â€Å"Well, I try,† Tommy said. He was going up the narrow stairway to their loft. She was slung over his shoulder, her forehead bounced off his belt with every step. She seemed so light. Tommy was still amazed at his newfound strength. He'd carried her ten blocks already and he wasn't even feeling it. Well, he was a little tired of listening to her, but physically he wasn't fatigued at all. â€Å"I can be such a bitch sometimes.† â€Å"That's not true,† Tommy said. Yes, it was. â€Å"Yes it is, yes it is. Yes I am. I am a total bitch sometimes.† Tommy stopped at the top of the steps and dug in his pocket for his keys. â€Å"Well, maybe a little, but – â€Å" â€Å"So I am a bitch? You're saying I'm a bitch?† â€Å"Oh my God, is the sun never going to come up?† â€Å"Listen, you're lucky to have me, you wuss.† â€Å"Yes I am,† Tommy said. â€Å"You are?† He swung her over to her feet, then caught her before she went over backwards into the wall. She had a big goofy smile on her face. Sometime during the evening, blood had dripped down the front of her blouse and there was some smeared on her lip. She looked a little like she'd been punched out. Tommy tried to rub away the blood with his thumb. The cloud of alcohol breath she let go on him made him wince. â€Å"I love you, Tommy.† She fell into his arms. â€Å"Right back at you, Jody.† â€Å"I'm sorry I gave you noogies. I'm still learning to harness my powers, you know.† â€Å"That's okay.† â€Å"And called you a wuss.† â€Å"No problem.† She licked the side of his neck, nipped at him. â€Å"Let's make love before the sun comes up.† Tommy looked over her shoulder at the destruction they had wrought on the loft the last time they'd done it, and he said something he never thought he would hear coming out of his own mouth. â€Å"I think I've had enough for tonight. Maybe we should just lock down.† â€Å"You think I'm fat, don't you?† â€Å"No, you're perfect.† â€Å"It's because I'm fat.† She pushed him away and stumbled into the bedroom, then tripped and tumbled face-first into the shredded remains of their bed. â€Å"And old,† she added, although it was only through his acute vampire hearing that Tommy understood this, since she was speaking directly into the mattress. â€Å"Fat and old,† she said. â€Å"You're going to get whiplash from those mood swings, Red,† Tommy said quietly as he climbed into bed with his clothes on. Then he lay there beside her thinking about all that they had to do, about how they were going to have to find a place and move without going out during the day, and beyond that, just exactly how were they going to survive and stay hidden? The Emperor could tell. Tommy could tell he could tell. And as much as he liked the Emperor, it wasn't a good sign. And so even as he worried, and listened to his girlfriend yell at him, C. Thomas Flood became the first vampire in history to actually pray for the sun to come up. A few minutes later, his prayers were answered, and the two of them went out. Since becoming a vampire, Jody had always hated the way consciousness came on at dusk like the streetlights coming on. There was no groggy twilight between sleep and wakefulness, just â€Å"bam, welcome to the night, here's your to-do list.† Not tonight. Tonight she got her twilight, her grogginess, and a headache as well. She sat upright in bed so fast she nearly somersaulted off the end, then, when her head didn't seem to follow her, she lay back down with such force that her pillow exploded, sending out a snowstorm of feathers to whirl around the room. She moaned and Tommy came bounding into the room. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"Ouch,† Jody said, grabbing her forehead with both hands as if to hold her brains in. â€Å"That's new, huh? Vampire hangover?† Tommy waved some feathers out of the air in front of him. â€Å"I feel like death warmed over,† Jody said. â€Å"Cute. I'll bet you're missing coffee right now.† â€Å"And aspirin. I've fed off of you when you'd been drinking. Why did it affect me now?† â€Å"I think maybe the huge cat guy had a little more in his blood than I did. Anyway, I have a theory about that. We can test it later, when you feel better, but right now we have a ton of stuff we have to do. We've got to figure out the move. Clint called me from the store last night. Wanting me to work. Then he called back all freaked out, saying I shouldn't come in.† Tommy played the message for her. Twice. â€Å"He knows,† Jody said. â€Å"Yeah, but how does he know?† â€Å"Doesn't matter. He knows.† â€Å"Fuck!† â€Å"Little bit softer now,† Jody said, holding her hair like it was hurting her. â€Å"Too loud?† Jody nodded. â€Å"You know, for your notebook, Tommy. Vampire senses when you're hungover? Not so good.† â€Å"Really? That bad?† â€Å"Your breath is nauseating me from across the room.† â€Å"Yeah, we need toothpaste.† â€Å"There's someone at the door?† Jody covered her ears. She could hear sneakers scraping the sidewalk from all the way downstairs. â€Å"There is?† The door buzzer sounded. â€Å"Yep,† she said. Tommy ran to the front windows and looked down to the street. â€Å"There's a Humvee limo out there that's about a block long.† â€Å"You'd better answer it,† Jody said. â€Å"Maybe we should just hide. Pretend we re not home.† â€Å"No, you need to get it,† Jody said. She could hear the shuffling at the door, the rock and roll playing in the limo, the bong bubbling, lines being chopped on a CD case, and a male voice repeating the phrase â€Å"sweet blue titties† over and over like a mantra. She grabbed the pillow from Tommy's side of the bed and pulled it over her head. â€Å"Answer it, Tommy. It's the fucking Animals.† â€Å"Dude,† said Lash Jefferson, a wiry black man with a newly shaved scalp, wearing mirror shades. He pulled Tommy out of his doorway and hugged him furiously – crazed, back-slamming, good-to-see-you guy hugs. â€Å"We are so fucked, dude,† Lash continued. Tommy pushed away, trying to reconcile that he was glad to see his friend with the fact that Lash smelled like a beer-bar urinal filled with mackerel. â€Å"I thought you guys went to Vegas,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah. Yeah. We did. Everyone's in the limo. It's just that I need to talk to you. Can we go inside?† â€Å"No.† Tommy almost said that Jody was sleeping, which had been his excuse for keeping the Animals out of his loft in the past, but Jody was supposed to have left town. â€Å"Step in the stairway, I've got something happening upstairs.† Lash nodded and looked over the top of his shades and bounced his eyebrows. His eyes were bloodshot and glazed over. Tommy could hear his heart racing. Coke or fear, he guessed. Both maybe. â€Å"Look, dude,† Lash said. â€Å"First thing, we need to borrow some money.† â€Å"What? You guys have over a hundred grand each from the art we sold.† â€Å"Yeah, we did. We had a big weekend.† Tommy figured in his head. â€Å"You guys blew over six hundred grand in what – four days?† â€Å"No,† Lash said. â€Å"No, not all of it. We're not completely broke.† â€Å"Then why do you need to borrow money?† â€Å"Just twenty grand or so, to get us through to tomorrow,† Lash said. â€Å"Luckily I almost have my MBA and have mad business skills. Otherwise we'd have been broke yesterday.† Tommy nodded. Twenty grand was about six months' salary for him at the Safeway. He'd been a little intimidated by Lash's almost-MBA up until now. Now he was just worried that Lash would be able to tell he had changed. He said, â€Å"So, like you were saying, you're fucked.† â€Å"We were doing fine, only down like ten grand each, until we met Blue.† Lash looked at the ceiling wistfully, like it was a distant memory he was trying to conjure, instead of something that had happened a couple of nights ago. â€Å"Blue?† â€Å"You know that group they have in Vegas? The Blue Men?† â€Å"Yeah, the guys who paint themselves blue and pound on pipes and stuff?† Tommy was lost. â€Å"Yeah,† Lash said. â€Å"Well, it turns out there are blue women, too. Or at least there's one. And dude, she's sucking us dry.† In the back seat of the limo, Blue held Barry's face between her boobs, snugly enough to keep him under control, but not so snug that he couldn't breathe. While the other Animals had drunk, smoked, and fucked themselves into a zombielike stupor – and now lay sprawled about the glittery interior of the limo – Barry had opted to do two hits of XTC, a line of coke, and a bong load of sticky skunk weed, which had put his brain into some sort of redundant tribal loop that had him kneeling naked before her, chanting â€Å"sweet blue titties† for the last twenty minutes. She just couldn't take it anymore, so she had grabbed his curl-fringed bald head and pulled his face into her cleavage just to shut him up. Mercifully, he had gone quiet, because she really didn't want to suffocate him as long as he still had money. It takes a meandering road of wrong turns to take a girl from being the milky-skinned Cheddar princess of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to a blue-dyed call girl turning tricks at downtown casinos in Vegas, but Blue would be damned if she'd add yet another wrong turn by smothering a golden goose between her proportionally improbable silicon joy orbs. The Animals were her way out, and if she had to stay in character as an Alien Pleasure Unit or a blueberry muffin to keep them on the hook, she would. Blue was a method hooker. Early in her adventures, after she'd left cocktailing due to a propensity for spilling drinks, and before she'd begun stripping, where her lack of balance was mitigated by the presence of a sturdy pole, she had a short career acting in low-budget porn. She befriended a promising actress named Lotta Vulva, who gave her a book on the Stanislavski Method. â€Å"If you can find your sense memory,† Lotta said, â€Å"it will keep you from barfing on the actors. Directors hate that.† The  «Method » had served Blue well since then, as it allowed her to calculate betting odds or figure her checkbook while her character was performing acts that she herself would have found unpleasant or outright disgusting. (How much better to reside in her sense memory of the budding Cheddar princess, coaxing the hearty, whole-milk goodness from the udders of a Holstein, than to face the harshly lit reality of her actions?) After six months Blue was driven out of the film business by a  «defect » one director called â€Å"not enough tits to fill a shot glass,† which no amount of Method was able to remedy. She returned to cocktailing, albeit at a strip club, where she seldom had to carry more than one ten-dollar beer at a time, until she saved enough money for breast-augmentation surgery and made her way to the pole. She danced her way through her twenties, before she was driven off the stage by younger, more gravity-resistant girls, and because she had skipped personal typing class in high school and had therefore besmirched her permanent record, she landed in the employ of an outcall escort service. â€Å"I feel like I'm doing Domino's delivery blow jobs,† Blue told her roommate. â€Å"Satisfaction in twenty minutes or less or your money back. And the agency is taking most of the money. I'll never get out of this business at this rate.† â€Å"You need a gimmick† said her roommate, a cocktail waitress at the Venetian. â€Å"Like those Blue Men guys in the show. I swear they'd just be a bunch of frat boys beating on garbage cans if they weren't painted blue.† And so it began. The fallen Cheddar princess of Fond du Lac found some semipermanent skin dye, opened credit-card deposit accounts, had some pictures taken, placed ads in all the free sleaze rags around the city, and Blue was born. It wasn't as if she wouldn't have been able to make a living without the gimmick – most guys will shag a snake if you hold it steady for them. But it turned out they would pay a lot for the exotica of a blue woman. She worked as much as she could handle, and her savings had climbed to the point where she could actually see the possibility of an exit. But about that same time, she realized that by going blue, she had opted out of the pipe dream of every hooker, stripper, and telemarketer: the rich guy who would take her away from it all. The whale who would drop a fortune on her to become his personal pet. There would be no big score for the blue chick, or so she thought, until the Animals called her in for a combination strip show and fuckfest. Where they got the money didn't matter. What mattered was that they had a lot of it, and it appeared that they would keep giving it to her until it was all gone. She had nearly half a million dollars in her makeup case, and Blue – the character Blue – could put up with a lot of attention from the Animals while she hid in the back of her mind and formulated an investment strategy. The tall, skinny one, Drew, had opened the hotel-room door an d said, â€Å"Hi. We discussed it and agreed that when we were kids, we all really wanted to bone a Smurf.† â€Å"I get that a lot,† said Blue. â€Å"We just wanted to bone a Smurf,† Lash said. â€Å"Understandably,† said Tommy. â€Å"She's really nice,† Lash said. â€Å"Important quality in a ho,† said Tommy. â€Å"But now we can't seem to quit.† â€Å"So you want me to do what – hold an intervention?† â€Å"No, you're our leader. We look to you for other things. So we want you to give us money so we can keep partying, and pay our rents and stuff.† â€Å"And when all of my money is gone, then I can intervene.† â€Å"Sure, if you feel you have to,† said Lash. â€Å"How's your credit?† â€Å"Lash, are you high?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Right. Of course. What was I thinking?† Tommy was relaxing now about Lash noticing that he was a vampire. Clearly the former stewards of Safeway night stock, in addition to being wasted, had gone collectively out of their minds. â€Å"Lash, I don't almost have an MBA like you, but isn't there sort of some business principle that you're violating? I mean, isn't there a class about not spending your rent money on hookers or something?† â€Å"Step off, Flood,† Lash said. â€Å"You hooked up with a vampire.† â€Å"She was cute,† Tommy said. â€Å"An important quality in a vampire,† Lash said, looking over the top of his shades. â€Å"She had sex with me,† Tommy countered. He wanted to say that she was nice, but Lash had already used ;nice; for his blue hooker. â€Å"I think I've made my point,† Lash said. â€Å"Give me your money.† â€Å"You haven't made your point. You completely haven't made your point.† Tommy reared back as if to punch Lash in the chest, as the Animals did to one another all the time, but remembered that now he might crush some of the Animals' ribs. Instead, he said, â€Å"Don't make me cave in your skinny chest, bee-yotch.† â€Å"Your redheaded vampire kung fu is no match for the fearsome blue booty kung fu.† Lash made a howling chicken noise and waved his hands around as he fell back into a fighting stance, then went right back onto his ass on the steps. He laughed until he choked, then coughed and said, â€Å"Seriously, dude, if you don't give us money, we're going to be totally broke in about six hours. I did the math.† â€Å"You could go back to work,† Tommy said. â€Å"Clint called here last night. They're buried at the store. They need night stockers.† â€Å"No?† Lash said, pulling down his sunglasses. â€Å"Yes,† Tommy said. â€Å"Then we're not fired?† â€Å"Evidently not,† Tommy said. â€Å"That's it. We could go back to work. That's what we'll tell her. We have to go back to work.† â€Å"Why didn't you just tell her to go away before she did you all the way here from Vegas.† â€Å"We didn't want to be rude.† â€Å"Oh, right. Well then, off you go.† Lash pushed to his feet and steadied himself on the banister long enough to look Tommy in the eye. â€Å"You okay? You look pale.† â€Å"I'm heartbroken and shit,† Tommy said. He hated it, but Lash's bloodshot eyes peering over the sunglasses had actually given him a twinge of hunger. â€Å"Right.† Lash went through the security door. Tommy watched him as he paused at the rear door of the limo and turned back. â€Å"You need some blue nooky to cheer you up?† Lash asked. â€Å"Our treat.† â€Å"No, I'm good,† Tommy said. â€Å"All for one, and whatnot,† Lash said. â€Å"Appreciate it.† Tommy shrugged. â€Å"Heartbroken.† â€Å"Okay.† Lash threw open the limo's door and two of the Animals, Drew and Troy Lee, rolled out onto the pavement, followed by a great storm cloud of pot smoke. â€Å"Fuck, dude. Did you know there was a door there?† said Drew, the scruffy thin one. â€Å"Look,† said Troy Lee, the Asian guy who actually did know kung fu. â€Å"Hey, look, it's fearless leader.† â€Å"Go to work,† Tommy said. â€Å"It's only seven. You guys can get sobered up and be completely ready for your shift at eleven.† Not a chance, Tommy thought. â€Å"Yeah, we can do it,† Lash said, peeking into the limo. â€Å"Hey, Barry, climb off, motherfucker, I'm up next, then it's Jeff's turn. I put it on the board. Blue, don't let him do that to your ear, baby, you won't hear for a month.† Tommy closed the security door and sat down hard on the steps, hiding his face in his hands to try to make it all go away. The Animals had been his friends, his crew. They had taken him in when he was alone in the city, made him their leader, and if he got the tone of Clint's second message right, in about four hours, when they got to the store, they were going to turn on him.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Reflection Journal

Answer the questions in a full and complete manner. Use complete sentences, including proper spelling and grammar. When you are ready to turn in your assignment, add a check mark to the Submit for Grading box and then select Submit. Module 3: Natural Forces Affecting the Driver Vocabulary: Please define six (6) of the following terms in your own words. Please do not Just copy and paste the definition. 1. Gravity-A force that attracts the body toward the center of the earth. 2. Inertia- A tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged. 3.Potential Energy- 4. Kinetic Energy-Energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion. 5. Friction-The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another. 6. Traction-The action of drawing or pulling a thing over a surface, especially a road or track. 7. Centrifugal Force- 8. Centripetal Force- 9. Deceleration- Is the term used for acceleration that causes an object to slow down. 10. Force of impact- Module 4: Signs, Signals & Pavement Markings 1. Explain the purpose of the following A. The difference between solid and broken lines is: You may not cross through solid lines but you can cross broken lines.B. Yellow lines (broken or solid) indicate what type of traffic flow: Separate lanes going in different directions. If broken you can pass or cross the broken yellow line. If it is solid you should not cross or pass over the solid line. If there is a solid and a broken yellow line you can only pass if the broken yellow line is on your side of the road or else passing is not permitted. C. White lines (broken or solid) indicate what type of traffic flow: Separate lanes going in the same direction if broken you can pass or merge or cross the broken line. If solid you usually cannot cross over or should not pass or cross the solid line. Observe and describe the different signs in YOUR city. Give specific examples of each (include color, shape, what the sign is for, etc. ). A. A regulatory sign: Is a red and white square that tells you which regulations to follow. B. A motorist services sign: A sign indicates what services are off that exit for people driving motor vehicles. They are usually blue. C. A recreational sign: Are rectangular and brown the indicate historical and cultural interest along with state and federal parks. D. A sign that you know what it means because of its shape: A stop sign is an octagon and it's red.It means you're supposed to come to a complete stop before entering the intersection. *If each of the above signs do not appear in your town then describe any 3 different types you see in your community. 3. Explain 3 interesting or important facts from Module 3 and 4. A. An interesting fact is you can make a right turn on a red light after stopping and yielding for pedestrians and vehicles in your path. B. Another interesting fact is that you a flashing red light means the same thing as a stop sign. C. Another interesting fact is you can't pass solid double yellow l ines.

MegaCities Essay Essay

Mega Cities are cities that have a population of more than 8 million and are characterised by the challenges they face, including issues involving the informal economy, unemployment, poor sanitation and shelter. These issues are largely prominent in these cities due to rapid urban growth and a lack of resources. In many cases action has been taken by national governments and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) to combat and reduce the impact of these issues, however In order for these strategies to be effective they need to fit 3 primary criteria, the solution must be community based, cost effective and sustainable economically and environmentally. Strategies such as micro financing.. Etc. have been adopted to resolve these challenged. A primary challenge facing many mega cities is the population’s heavy reliance on the informal economy as a means of income. The informal economy is a sector of unregulated work and with this comes high unemployment rates and a lack of jobs to support the ever-increasing population. Jobs in the informal economy are particularly prominent in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where 65% of all jobs are found in this sector. Jobs in the informal economy pose a threat to mega cities and their population as workers are not protected and are open to exploitation (e.g. Child labour) and people employed informally pay no tax (e.g. Street vendors, rickshaw drivers) leading to a reduction in the governments revenue. A number of strategies have been undertaken in order to transform informal work into the formal economy, including Micro financing. Micro financing involves NGO’s giving out small loans (approximately $US200), which provide people with money to formalise their business. There are a number of NGO’s that undertake this strategy, including Opportunity International, which is an Australian charity, operating in manila, targeting particularly impoverished communities. Access to these loans is based on a persons standing in the community and once the business begins to sustain itself loans must be repaid. The outcome of this process is a formalised business, which then contributes to government  beneficially by providing it with revenue. This strategy to combat the prominence of the informal economy has been particularly successful, adheres to the three evaluation criteria and provides users with lifetime skills and an income, which could potentially improve their living standards/quality of life. Another challenge faced by a large majority of mega cities is access to shelter, due to population growth in mega cities being too extreme for sufficient supply of housing. This in turn leads to the creation of informal housing, such as squatter settlements, which are generally formed on unoccupied unwanted land, such as next to rail lines or sewerage systems. Informal housing is extremely prominent in developing countries such as India, where 500,000 people live on the pavement in Kolkata with at least 4 million more living in squatter settlements; as well as 1 million people living in cemeteries in Cairo, and  ¼ of the Philippines population residing in slums. This informal housing creates a number of problems for its residents and government; it lacks basic services (sewerage, electricity, water), leading to unsanitary living conditions. There is a lack of tenure, which is the legal right to occupy land, which stops residents from wanting to improve property, insecurity for people and also extremely high crime rates particularly in the Favelas of Rio de Janiero where the police are unable to patrol, due to extreme gang violence. NGO’s and governments have undertaken strategies to improve the issue of lack of access to shelter, including the Kolkata Bustee Improvement Project, a joint initiative between government and non-government organisations. This is a site and service program meaning that the project takes an existing site and provides it with necessary services, such as sanitation, electricity etc. This program in turn reduces the cost burden on local government and creates jobs by incorporating the local community into the work. This movement has tried to stop India’s slum clearance policy, which frees up NGO’s to be able to assist the extreme urban poor. This movement has proved to be extremely successful in improving the shelter situation in Kolkata as it improves the living standard of squatter settlement dwellers, provides jobs and skills to the local community (therefore adding to the formal not informal economy) and also allows NGO’s to be able to assist the poor as they were previously  restricted by government policies. Another benefit is that it is cost effective because it aims to improve existing settlements and creates tenure. Access to sanitation is another key challenge faced by many Mega Cities that is, providing safe food and drinking water and sewerage management. Due to increasing populations, inadequate and ancient sewerage systems and also lack of access to fresh water many Mega Cities face sanitation issues. This issue is particularly prominent in cities such as Manila, where only 11% of people have access to a sewerage system, Karachi at 20% and Dhaka at 18% of the population. Water Borne diseases are particularly prominent in megacities, such as Cholera, Dysentery and Typhoid. Furthermore the disposal of solid waste in Mega cities has lead to issues involving contamination of groundwater and creating Vernon, this is common of Jakarta where only  ¼ of all rubbish gets collected. To combat the issue of sanitation, local governments and NGO’s have established very effective, low-tech strategies, such as the Pour Flush Toilet. This initiative is a relatively cheap response to the needs of unplanned urban settlements in mega cities. A pour flush toilet has a water seal that avoids the problems associated with odour and insects. However its effectiveness is limited by the fact that the system is not suitable in cities where the groundwater table is close to the surface, which is the case in many mega cities, including Mumbai and Kolkata in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh. Also, pour flush toilets can produce substantial quantities of heavily contaminated wastewater which can require substantial downstream infrastructure to avoid severe environmental and public health problems. Despite the disadvantages of this strategy it has proved to be a very successful short term solution to the issue of sanitation and is widely used in Mega Cities around the world, due to the fact that they are simple to use and can be kept clean fairly easily. Mega Cities face many challenges; largely due to their high population increase rate. They therefore need to develop a number of solutions and strategies to combat these prominent issues, such as the informal economy, access to shelter and access to sanitation. If action is not taken to confront these issues they will only become more consequential, leading to more deaths and further environmental and land degradation. Governments and  NGO’s continually need to create strategies to solve these issues and their efforts so far have proved to be extremely beneficial in improving the quality of life of residents of Mega cities, as they fit the three primary criteria needed for solutions to be effective.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Notes for Driving

When you become a driver you are part of the â€Å"system†. This â€Å"system† is the Highway Transportation System (HTS) 3 parts to the HTS: 1- People 2- Vehicles – all types 3- Roadways The goal of the HTS is to move people and cargo from one place to another in a safe, efficient, and economical manner. How is the HTS regulated? By local, state, and federal government agencies. The federal government established the National Highway Safety Act. All agencies enforce the following guidelines set forth in this act. 1- Vehicle code – the laws that have been passed – Assure that these laws are obeyed 3- Motor vehicle departments set the rules to assure that driver and vehicle standards are met 4- Rules for the courts to go by for guilty or innocent 5- Engineers plan, build, and maintain roadways The driving task This involves all of the social, physical and mental skills required to drive. You MUST develop habits to perform these tasks with low-risks r esults. Habits you MUST develop: 1- Using knowledge and visual skills 2- Obey all traffic laws 3- Judging time and space – Anticipating how your car will react under normal and emergency situations SOCIAL SKILLS – You must be able to drive while interacting with other people – Courtesy and cooperation make low-risk driving possible PHYSICAL SKILLS You need to practice and develop the skills needed to drive, until they become a habit. MENTAL SKILLS Decision-making is a mental skill you need to develop in order to be a safe, low-risk driver. Developing the IPDE System into your driving. I – identify important information in the oncoming scene. P – predict when and where possible points of conflict will develop.Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the SummerD – decide when, where, and how to communicate, adjust speed, and/or change position to avoid conflict. E – execute the right action to prevent conflict. There ar e two other systems that can help you in the IPDE system: 1- The Smith System – helps develop seeing habits 2- The Zone Control System – helps you manage the space around your car. You need to develop the system approach to become a defensive driver. This will help you lower your risks and keep you and others from dangerous situations. Your Driving Responsibilities DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE – NOT A RIGHTThe privilege is based on the assumption that you will be a responsible traffic citizen and obey the traffic laws. ATTITUDE Your attitude toward driving as well as life affects your willingness to develop the habits needed to be a safe driver. ROAD RAGE What is it and what causes it Breakdowns in the HTS. These occur when any part of the HTS does not work well. Collision – occurs when a vehicle has a problem and hits another object. Which is more correct? Collision or Accident? An accident is something that happens by chance†¦ a collision is something th at has a predictable cause. The most common cause for a collision is†¦DRIVER ERROR (P. 9) Causes of deaths: A major cause of vehicle deaths is†¦ LACK OF EXPERENCE Social and Economical Loss Collisions cause social and economical loss by: – property damages (p10) – time away from work or school – medical fees – insurance premiums Your financial responsibilities. – vehicle related costs: fuel, maintaince, and insurance. – Any damage that you cause while driving. Your environmental responsibilities. – air and water pollution – chemical spills – land pollution What you need to do: 1- maintain your vehicle – buy fuel efficient vehicles 3- use fuel efficient driving practices 4- recycle materials you can 5- car pool or use public transportation when you can 6- work with the government to encourage use of energy-efficient driving DRIVERS LICENSE Most of the time young drivers simply make mistakes from inexperie nce. 41% of young people killed in collisions died in single car collisions. GETTING YOUR LICENSE IN SC The Graduated Licensing System 1- Permit – can drive with an adult licensed driver – must have permit for 6 months (180 days) must log at least 40 hours of driving at night 2- Intermediate (restricted) – must have had a permit for 180 days and completed a driver’s education course – can drive from dawn ‘til dusk by yourself – drive at night with a licensed adult – limited number of passengers – must not get into a collision or have any violation for 180 days. Violators turn the clock back to zero. – Repeated violations could land you in traffic school. 3- Full License – unrestricted driving – as related to time of day you can drive alone.Organ Donor Program You may indicate on your license that you wish to be an organ donor. IMPLIED CONSENT PROGRAM (LAW) When you sign your license in SC you give an officer the right to test your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you refuse the test you will lose your driving privilege. WHY DO YOU TAKE A DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSE Chapter 2 Signs, Signals, and Roadway Markings Traffic Signs There are three types 1- Regulatory – control traffic flow 2- Warning – alerts of a possible hazard or road condition 3- Guide – give direction Stop Signs This is the only red, octagon sign we have.You must come to a COMPLETE(full) stop at this sign. Four-way stops – rules you need to follow 1- The first one stopped gets to go first 2- If 2 cars get there at the same time, the car on the right gets to go first 3- If 2 cars get there together and are across from each other, the car traveling straight goes first 4- If 3 or 4 cars get there together, one needs to enter the intersection to show intent, but with caution 5- ALWAYS CHECK THE INTERSECTION BEFORE ENTERING IT Yield Signs This is the upside down triangle – red and whiteYou must allow others in the intersection or approaching the intersection to go first before you. This is called giving the right of way. Right of way is given, not taken. p. 2 Speed Limit Signs These are white, mostly rectangles, with black writing. They indicate what the safest maximum speed for that roadway in IDEAL conditions. Basic Speed Laws state that when conditions are not IDEAL you must not travel faster than what is safe for the conditions. Advisory Speed Limits are set for certain sections of the roadway. Once you have cleared that section you may resume the posted speed limit.Warning Signs These are yellow signs that warn you of upcoming conditions in the roadway. Most are diamond shaped with black symbols. School Signs indicate where school zones and crossings are. They are shaped like a house (pentagon). No Passing Signs are placed before where the roadway begins to narrow. Construction Signs indicate where construction zones are. They are orange signs with blac k symbols and letters. Railroad Signs – There are two types of railroad signs; a yellow circle with a black â€Å"X† and two â€Å"R†s also black and a white cross with black railroad crossing letters.The yellow sign indicates you are approaching a railroad crossing and the white â€Å"X† indicates where the railroad tracks begin. p. 3 Guide Signs These signs mark routes, intersections, service areas, and other points of interest. Route signs are local, state, U. S. and interstate markers. US = white shield on a black sign with black #s State = white square with black #s and letters Interstate = red and blue shield with white letters and #s Even #s = east and west Odd #s = north and south 3 numbered route that begins with an odd # goes into a city 3 numbered route that begins with an even # goes round a city (beltway) Other guide signs are: Green = give information on destinations and distances Blue = roadway service information (hospital â€Å"H†) Brown = recreation areas and points of interest TRAFFIC SIGNALS Include traffic lights, arrows, flashing signals, lane signals, and pedestrian signals. Traffic lights are red, green, and yellow. Red = stop Green = proceed through the intersection if it is clear to do so. Yellow = slow and stop if you can do so safely. Right turn on red and left turn on red. When can you do it. p. 4 Flashing signals: Red – treat it as a stop signYellow – treat it as a yield sign Arrows tell you the direction in which your lane must travel. Green = proceed if it is clear to do so Yellow = yield and stop if possible Red = Stop only in that direction Lane Signals – these lights will switch the direction of traffic in a certain lane to control the need for traffic flow. Pedestrian Signals – allow walkers to cross at an intersection safely. â€Å"walk† â€Å"don’t walk† When a police officer is standing in the intersection, their directions overrule any si gnal. Roadway markings These are yellow or white lines as well as arrows, stop lines and crossings.Broken Yellow Line = separates two-way traffic and you may pass when it is clear to do so. Solid Yellow Lines = separate two-way traffic and you are not allowed to pass. Shared Turn Lanes = you may enter and wait until it is clear before you turn left across traffic. Broken White Line = separates traffic traveling the same direction. You may pass if it is clear to do so. Solid White Line = indicates the right side of the road and should not be crossed. White Arrows = indicate which direction you are allowed to travel in that particular lane. Rumble Strips — Lane Reflectors – Yellow Curb Markings Chapter 3 Basic Vehicle ControlsINSTRUMENT PANEL Speedometer – tells you how fast you are going Tachometer – tells you how many revolutions your engine makes in one minute Odometer – tells you how far your car has traveled in its lifetime Fuel Gauge – t ells you how much gas is in your gas tank Temperature gauge or light – warns you when the coolant in your engine is too hot Oil pressure warning light or gauge – warns you when the oil is not circulating at the proper pressure Alternator warning light or gauge – tells you there is a problem with your electrical system, the alternator is not generating enough electricity to keep the engine runningBrake system warning light – tells you 1st that your parking brake is engaged and 2nd that there is a problem in your braking system Antilock braking system light – tells you that your ABS is working properly Safety belt light – reminds you to fasten your safety belt Air bag warning light – tells you that your air bags are working properly Turn signal indicators – tells you which direction that you have indicated you are going to turn. Most are small green arrows. High beam indicator – tells you that your high beam head lights ar e on, blue light. VEHICLE CONTROLS Steering wheel – controls the direction of the front wheels.Turn right to go right and turn left to go left. Steering wheel adjustment lever – can tilt the wheel up and down Selector lever – lets you put the car in a gear. Either on the steering column or in the center console. Gear shift lever – lets you put a manual transmission car into a gear. Ignition Starter switch – you start the engine by putting the key into the ignition switch. Page 42 – picture or positions Cruise control – lets you set and maintain a certain speed. Parking brake – keeps the car in place when it is parked. Locations? Clutch pedal – is in a manual transmission car, is located to the left of the foot brake and s pushed down (in) to change gears. Foot brake pedal – push the pedal down to slow and stop the car. Also makes the brake light on the back of your car light up. Accelerator pedal – Located to the right of the brake pedal, push it down to get the car to go faster, release the pedal to get the car to slow down. SAFETY, COMMUNICATION & COMFORT DEVICES Safety belts – always wear you seat belt when your car is in motion. It will help protect you from injury in a collision. Head restraints – padded devices that help prevent head injuries in collisions. Inside and outside rearview mirrors – these mirrors help you see what is behind your car ithout turning around and looking. Blind spots are the areas that your mirrors do not show you. Horn – located on the steering wheel. Hazard flasher control – located on the steering wheel or control panel. Turns on both sets of turn signals when engaged. Windshield wipers and washers – one switch for both usually, it turns on your wipers and squirts water onto your windshield to clean off the dirt. Light switch – controls the headlights, taillights, side marker lights, instrument panel, li cense plate and dome light. Hood release lever – located on the left side under the instrument panel, pull to release he hood, then go out and open by releasing the front latch. Heater, air conditioner, and defroster – heating and air conditioner warm and cool the car passenger area and the defroster keeps the windows clear of moisture. Sun visors – located above the windshield, pull down to block the sun. Seat adjustment lever – usually at eh lower front or left side of the seat. GETTING READY TO DRIVE Outside Checks 1- Walk around the car looking for obstructions and spills. 2- Glance at the tires. 3- Where are the front wheels pointed. 4- Make sure that the windows are clean and clear. Lights also. – Check back window ledge for sight obstructions. 6- Look inside for any unwanted passengers. Getting into the car 1- Have your keys ready, especially if you enter from the road side. 2- Walk around the front of your car and back to the door facing tr affic. 3- Get in quickly, lock the doors and put the key in the ignation. Inside Checks 1- Lock the doors 2- Adjust your seat and steering wheel so that you are about 10 inches from the wheel 3- Your hands should be able to reach the steering wheel with your elbows slightly bent and you should be able to reach the pedals with your knees slightly bent. – Your head restraint should be adjusted to hit the middle of your head. 5- Adjust your rear view mirror and side mirrors 6- Fasten seat belts. DRIVING AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE Gear selector lever positions: P = park – transmission is locked in this position. R = reverse – used for backing up (backup lights) N = neutral – allows the wheels to roll without engine power D = drive – moves your car forward (overdrive) Low (L1, L2 or 1,2) = allow you to put more power to the wheels at lower speeds Starting the Engine 1- make sure that the parking brake is set 2- gear selector is in park – don’t p ress the accelerator (fuel injection) 4- Turn the key to ON and then START. Release the key when the engine starts 5- Check your gauges, lights and fuel level CHAPTER 4 Managing Risks with the IPDE Process The IPDE Process Every driver uses some kind of process to help them drive. Those who don’t, have a higher risk of collisions. The IPDE process helps reduce these risks. Risk can cause collisions. Factors that contribute to this risk are the driver, the vehicle, the roadway and the environment. Driver-contributed factors: – adjusting the radio – being angry or upset – blurred vision grooming – driving while drinking – cell phones If you are doing one or more of these and the driver you meet is doing one or more of these then you are increasing your risk. You can control what you do but you can’t be sure about what the other driver is doing. Vehicle-contributed factors: – bald tires – bad brakes – dirty windshiel d – broken or burnt out headlights – worn out wiper blades Roadway and environment-contributed factors: – bright sun – construction – dark shadows – snow or ice – sharp curvesGood drivers make an effort to lower these risks if at all possible. Taking care of your vehicle and practicing a process, such as the IPDE, you can lessen your risks while you drive. The IPDE process Safe driving depends of your ability to see and analyze traffic situations correctly. The driving task is mostly a thinking task. When you are not thinking about your task of driving you increase your risk of a collision. By using the IPDE process you can develop the habits that allow you to drive more effectively while thinking of other things. The four parts of the IPDE, identify, predict, decide and execute.The IPDE process can be enhanced with the aid of The Smith System: – Aim High – Get the big picture – Keep your eyes moving – Leav e yourself a way out – Make sure they can see you As well as the Zone Control System: – See a zone change – Check other zones – Create time and space by getting the best speed control, lane position, and communication Identify – you must know when to look, where to look, how to look and what to look for. The sooner you can learn to identify the correct things the more time you will have to react.The Zone Control System aids you in this. You have six zones around your car, each zone is about the width of a lane and extend as far as the driver can see. (pic. 65) An open zone is a space you can drive without a restriction to your line of sight or your intended path of travel. Your target area is the section of the road that is the center of your intended path. Far out there, up the road. A closed zone would be an area that your car can not go into without conflict. Book example is a red traffic light. You have to react to the light. The sooner you ide ntify the closed zones the more time you have to respond.You should develop searching habits in three ranges: 1- your target area range – as far as you can see 2- 12-15 second range – 12 to 15 sec. in front of you 3- 4-6 second range – where your car will be in 4-6 seconds How to develop an Orderly Visual Search Pattern: steps on page 67 Your Field of Vision affects how you search. Most people have a field of vision which covers about 90 degrees to each side or 180 degrees total. Central Vision is what you are focusing on, it’s about 10 degrees. Peripheral Vision is the rest of your field of vision that is not in focus.When you are scanning the scene you need to Aim High in Steering. This means to look down the road, into your target area, and not just in front of your car. You also need to keep your eyes moving, this helps you scan the scene. If you put all of these scanning methods together you will Get the Big Picture. What do you need to look for? Loo k for open zones – you want to look for things that could cause the open zone to close. Look for other users – look for anyone who could affect your path of travel. Ground viewing – look at the vehicle approaching for clues that they will come into your path.Look for roadway features and conditions – intersections, hills, curves, width of the road (multilane to single lane, change in width of lane, surface & hazards) Look for traffic controls – know where controls are located at different times and places. Predict – once you have identified, you need to predict how the hazard might affect your path of travel. How you go through the predicting process will help determine how the hazard may affect you. Learning how to look at a situation is important. You must identify all possible hazards to determine what each one may do. Knowledge of driving laws and this class will help you predict.You know what the driver is supposed to do and how they ar e supposed to react to certain traffic situations. You must however make yourself prepare ahead of time for situations that could occur. Play the head games at times. The main thing that makes you a better predictor is EXPERENCE. You can’t get it if you don’t experience it. The two things that you must be able to predict are the actions of other vehicle users and the way your car is going to react in situations. When predicting the actions of others you need to look at their path of travel, the actions they may make, do I have an open zone? , and where might the point of conflict be?Predicting the reactions of your vehicle is the easiest of this process. You should know what condition your car is in, how are the tires, how soon can I stop, etc. Decide – Once you have identified and predicted what may happen, you now need to decide what you need to do. Maintain, swerve, brake, speed up, or just communicate with my lights or horn. You may decide to change your spe ed. You can avoid conflicts by maintaining, slowing down, or speeding up. To make a change in direction you need to look at your zones. Try to leave yourself a way out or cushion so you are able to move into that area without conflict.You may also avoid conflict by changing you position in your lane. You may need to be centered, slightly left or slightly right in your lane. If you decide that all you need to do is communicate with the other driver you may do this by your lights, horn, car position or eye contact. You want to try to minimize your number of hazards by separating the hazards. Sometimes you are going to have to pick the hazard that will possibly do the least amount of damage. This is compromising space. Give way to the big truck swerving into your lane. Execute- Once you make your decision you need to execute it. Remember, DON†T second guess yourself.The three areas that you have execution control over are speed control, steering, and communication. The hardest th ing when driving is how so I handle multiple conflicts that occur? Being able to use the IPDE process effectively takes practice and time. You are not as good at using it today as you will be next week. You will learn how to use the IPDE process selectively. This means that you start one process and something else will come up that makes you begin the process all over again. Remember this: You used the IPDE Process getting to this class today and you will use it again going to every class you take today.Chapter 5 Natural Laws and Car Control In this chapter you will learn about gravity and energy of motion, friction and traction, stopping distance and controlling the force of impact. Gravity – Gravity is the force that pulls you to the earth. Going up and down hills in a car you can feel the pull of gravity. You need to be able to adjust your driving to accommodate for this pull. The point at which your car’s weight is evenly distributed is called the center of gravity . The lower the center of gravity, the better the handling of the car. Energy of Motion – Energy of motion is called kinetic energy.What you must understand about this energy is the way it will affect your driving. The faster your vehicle is moving, the more energy you have, the heavier it weighs, the more energy of motion it has. Two important facts to know† 1- Your energy of motion doubles when the weight doubles 2- Your energy of motion increases by the square when your speed increases by a certain amount. ( speed doubles – energy quadruples) If your energy of motion increases your stopping distance will also go up that amount. Friction and Traction Friction is the force that keeps your tires from sliding on the road.Traction makes it possible for your vehicle to grip the road for you to change speed and direction. The grooved surface of the tire is called the tread. This tread cuts through the water on the road allowing your tire to grip the road. As the amou nt of tread decreases, the amount of traction also decreases. If the tire tread gets worn almost completely off (bald tire) the possibility of a blowout becomes great. A blowout is when the tire loses all pressure at once. The way your tire is inflated also determines how much of the tire tread is touching the road. An under inflated tire causes the tread to gap in the middle.An over inflated tire causes the tire tread to only touch in the middle (like a balloon) Things that could reduce the traction you have are: 1- bad tires 2- bad shocks 3- faulty steering system 4- road surfaces Checking for traction while you are driving can be done but must be done carefully. – check rear zone – brake gently for response – if you don’t slow down reduce speed Driving on curves can be very tricky. The energy of motion tries to keep your car in a straight line but the traction from the tires pulls you around the curve. Driving around curves: – Speed – red uce your speed to avoid skids 2- Sharpness – the sharper the curve the more traction you will need to go around it. 3- Banked – most curves are banked, this helps prevent your car from wanting to stay in a straight line. 4- Load – The heaver the load or weight of your vehicle the more friction it is going to take to get through the curve. Stopping Distance Total Stopping Distance – the distance your car travels while you are making a stop. Total stopping distance is made up of three parts: 1- perception distance 2- reaction distance 3- braking distance Look at the chart on page 98.To estimate the distance you need to stop you can use the four second rule. – pick a spot in the road, a sign or driveway – When the car in front of you reaches that point begin counting, one-thousand one, one-thousand two†¦ – If your car gets to that same point after you reach one-thousand four you have enough space to stop if you need to. Factors that affect you’re stopping distance: – Speed – the higher the speed the longer the distance – Car condition – worn out tires, etc need more distance – Surface – rain, snow, ice, dirt, leaves & gravel increase the distance Driver ability – if distracted or impaired you increase the distance – ABS – helps when stopping while turning – Hills – up or down hills shortens or lengthens the distance – Loads – the weight of your vehicle, heavier takes longer. Force of Impact The force at which a moving object hits another object is force of impact. Force of impact is determined by: 1- Speed 2- Weight 3- Distance between impact and stopping Safety Belts When you are in a collision, three collisions actually take place. First the car hits an object and stops.Second, you hit the inside of the car or a restraining device (seat belt) Third, your body organs slam against your skeleton or each other. Ther e are two types of restraining devices: 1- restraining devices – seat belts 2- passive restraining devices – air bags (automatic) Air Bags Air bags deploy automatically. They are there to protect your life. When an air bag deploys it comes out at a speed over 200 mph. Air bags are designed to work with the seat belts. Just relying on the air bag will not save your life. To avoid the air bag injuring your arms or shoulders you need to keep your hands about 9 and 3 or a little below.You don’t want to sit too close to the air bag, @ 10 away is good. Tilt your steering wheel to deploy the bag at your chest and not your face. Of course, child seats need to be in the rear seat or facing away from the air bags. Some air bags now have a feature that senses the weight of the person in the seat and will deploy in two stages. Some vehicles have switches for you to turn the passenger air bag off. Other protective devices in vehicles today: n Automatic seat belts n Front and rear crush areas n Energy absorbing bumpers n Side door beams n Reinforced windshields Energy absorbing steering wheel and column n Padded dash n Child seats built in n Head restraints Chapter 6 Performing Basic Vehicle Maneuvers STEERING Straight forward: hands should be at a comfortable spot, look ahead and avoid looking at your feet and hands. You need to pay attention to what is approaching you. Try to avoid over or under-steering: over-steering is when you make too sharp of a turn and you weave from side to side; under-steering is when you don’t turn the wheel enough to keep it on its intended path. When you are trying to back a straight line (driving test skill) you need to: – keep the brake pressed and put the car in reverse 2- turn your body to the right, put your right arm over the back of the passenger seat and look out of the back window. 3- Place your left hand at 12 o’clock on the steering wheel 4- Release your pressure on the brake enough to get m oving 5- Adjust your position by turning the wheel in the direction that you wish to go 6- Keep you foot over the brake (covering) and take quick glances to the front and sides checking for traffic. When you wish to stop keep looking out of the back window until you have come to a complete stop. SIGNALINGMake it a habit to signal your intent every time you plan to turn or stop. You must use your turn signals when you are making a left or right turn, changing lanes, & pulling over to the side of the road. Make sure that you know the hand signals for when you are driving. Left arm out and angled up = right turn Left arm out and pointing straight out = left turn Left arm out and angled down = braking You need to remember to signal early but not too early. CHANGING LANES You must be able to make the lane change smoothly and safely each and every time. Try to get the steering down. You don’t want to over or understeer. Steps for a lane change: – Check traffic in front and t o the side in which you are going to move into 2- Signal your intent and check your blind spot 3- Increase your speed slightly as you steer into the next lane; if it is clear to do so 4- Cancel your signal, if it did not do so automatically, and adjust your speed and steering. MAKING TURNS AND TURNABOUTS Two methods for steering your car: 1- Hand over hand 2- Push – pull Left and Right Hand Turns You should make a turn only after you have checked traffic. 1- Look for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles; check your rear zone for cars getting ready to pass you. – Plan well in advance. Put yourself in the correct lane well before the turn. 3- Obey all traffic signals and controls plus roadway markings. When turning left you MUST yield to oncoming traffic. Procedures for turning: (page 114) 1- Get in the proper lane 2- Brake early and get to the proper speed 3- Do a visual search 4- Before the crosswalk you should be at about 10 mph 5- Turning right you need to check left th en right and begin your turn when your front bumper reaches the curve of the curb line. 6- For a left turn check left then right and then left again.Begin your turn when your front bumper gets to the center of the intersection. 7- As you begin your turn check your blind spot and turn into the first lane you come to. When you are backing to your left you want to look more over your left shoulder to where you are trying to back. If backing right you want to look over your right shoulder. You will use hand over hand steering and do the visual search before you begin the maneuver. Turnabouts Precautions when you are planning to do a turnabout: †¢Be sure that local laws permit it †¢Need at least 500 feet of visibility Don’t do on hills or curves or within 200 feet of an intersection †¢Should not be done where high-speed traffic or any traffic would be †¢Check all zones while doing the turnabout U-Turn Select your spot and signal right to move over and stop. Whe n the way is clear, turn on your left signal and move into the lane Check your front and left rear zones and your blind spot. Turn the wheel hard left and move through the turn until you have completely turned around. Driveway turnabouts Backing into on the right Pull in on the left Pull in on the right Which of these is the safest? Three point turnabout (driving test skill)Check your zones, signal right and pull to the curb (or side of road) and stop Signal left, turn the wheel hard left and pull across the road as far as you can Signal right, put the car in reverse, turn the wheel hard right and back as far as you need to back Signal left, put the car in Drive, turn the wheel hard right and pull forward finishing the turnabout. Parking When you are trying to park you need to have speed control, steering control and accurate judgment. Before parking you need to find a space big enough for your car to get into. Avoid end spaces or beside large trucks or poorly parked vehicles.You ne ed to learn some reference points for parking. You will be exposed to standard reference points, these are for a typical vehicle and driver, and you will learn your personal reference points, ones that you like to use. Angle parking: This parking is done diagonally to the curb. Mostly in shopping center parking lots. 1- Check for peds. Position your car about 6 feet from the parked cars. Signal right and begin braking. 2- Check your right blind spot and continue braking. 3- Move forward until you can see the middle of the space without obstructions. Turn your wheels hard right and ease into the space. – Straighten your wheels when you are in the center of the space and pull forward as far into the space as you can. Perpendicular parking: This parking is when your car is at a right angle to the curb. 1- Set up about 8 feet from the line of parked cars or as far over as you can. Signal right, check your blind spot, and begin braking. 2- Check traffic to the rear and continue br aking. 3- Turn hard right when your front bumper passes the back bumper of the car to the left of the parking space. Slowly enter the space and check your rear right to make sure that you have missed the car. – Straighten the wheels when you are centered in the space and pull forward. Leaving both of these spaces (angle and perpendicular) 1- Ease straight back with your foot covering the brake. 2- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your left turn hard right. 3- Back into the nearest lane and straighten your wheels. Put the car in drive and pull away. Parallel parking (driving test skill) This is parking your car parallel to the curb. Select your space that is 5 – 6 feet longer than your car. 1- While approaching the space, signal right and brake.Stop with your car 2-3 feet away from the car on the right and your back bumper even with the back bumper of the car to the right. Put the car into reverse and check traffic. Turn the wheel hard r ight and ease into the space. 2- When the back of your seat is even with the back bumper of the car to the right straighten the wheels. Ease straight back into the space. 3- When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the car to your right turn the wheels hard left. Ease back looking out of your rear window. 4- When your car is parallel to the curb straighten the wheels and stop.Pull forward and center your car in the space. Put the car in park. My cues when we do this in the car: Wheels – hard right, straight, hard left Reference points – back bumpers even, rear of seat even with bumper, front bumper even with the rear bumper, don’t hit the barrier. Parking on hills: Up hill with a curb – turn the wheels left, ease back to touch the curb, engage parking brake, put car in park, turn the car off. Up hill without a curb, Downhill with or without a curb – turn the wheels to the right, ease until you touch the curb (if there is a curb), enga ge the parking brake, turn the car off.Chapter 7 Negotiating Intersections Searching the Intersection When you are approaching any intersection there are things that you need to look for. The main cause of collisions in intersections is the driver's failure to identity a safe path of travel. Clue you need to look for: Signs and lights Roadway markings Crossing traffic Park car on the cross street Turning traffic Rows of fences and mailboxes Traffic stopping Power lines Most intersections are + or X, but some are Y or T When you are approaching an intersection you need to check your front zones to make sure that your path of travel in open.Look for anything that may cause your path to close and cause you to change your plans. The closer you get to the intersection the more you need to search your side zones for obstructions. Scan and focus on what may cause you a problem, don't just keep your eyes in constant motion. Once you approach your point of no return you need to continue thro ugh the intersection but still scan your zones. Your point of no return is the point at which you can no longer make a safe stop outside of the intersection. Sometimes when you get close to the intersection your path of travel closes causing you to need to change lanes.Do this at an intersection only if there is no other option. You are not allowed to legally change lanes within the intersection. If your decision at the intersection is to stop, for what ever reason, you now need to do the full 180 degree scan before you inter the intersection. Controlled Intersections A controlled intersection is one that has signs or lights that determine the right of way. With signs – The two signs that control an intersection are Stop and Yield. At a stop sign you MUST come to a complete stop and at a yield sign you need to slow down and give the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection.At stop signs you need to begin your search of the intersection well back of the stop sign. As yo u approach you need to scan front, as well as 45 degrees to the right and left for anything that may interfere with your path of travel. Crossing Traffic with a blocked view†¢ Search your front and rear zones, look for pedestrians and prepare to make your legal stop at the sign, ease up to the intersection and stop again, scan for obstructions and inter the intersection only when it is clear for you to go through the intersection without conflict. (7 sec gap) Joining traffic – right turns Go through the same checks as above. When you get stopped at the sign and can't see, ease up until you can without going into the intersection and stop again. Look for a gap of at least 7 seconds. When you have a clear path make your turn and accelerate keeping the car about 4 feet from the side of the road. Joining traffic – left turns †¢ Do your scans as with the other approaches. Stop at the sign and pull forward and stop again before entering the intersection. When the w ay is clear (7 sec gap) move forward and recheck your zones. Accelerate into the proper lane and adjust your steering.Light Controlled Intersections When you are approaching an intersection controlled by lights you need to use your IPDE process to determine what the intersection will be like when you reach it. How may the lights change your path of travel? Stale Green Light – this Is a light that has been green for a while, expect It to change Fresh Green Light – this is a light that has Just turned green, you may still not have a safe path of travel. Check your intended path for obstacles. Yellow Light – this is a light that is telling you that the intersection is closing to your traffic lane.If you have reached the â€Å"point of no return† you have to determine whether to proceed through or try to stop, hat can influence this decision? Red Light – at this light you MUST stop. You need to check your rear zones as you apply the brakes. An unprotec ted left turn is a left turn done at an intersection that does not have a left turn green arrow. You MUST be sure that you can complete the turn before beginning it Protected Left Turns At these turns you will have three things apparent 1- Left turn light, this is an entire light sequence (R,Y,G) to guide you at your left turn. – Green arrow – appears with the normal light system, when the arrow goes off you simply do not have a protected left turn. 3- Delayed green light – at these lights you light is green and the opposing traffic light is still red. Turning on Red Light Right on red means that you are allowed to make a right hand turn at a red light AFTER you have made a complete stop and have scanned the intersection. When it is safe to proceed you can make the turn. Left on red is allowed in most states when you are turning left from a one-way street onto a on-way street going to your left.Some states allow this if you are in a left turn only lane (two way traffic) and are turning onto a one way street. A controlled railroad crossing has lights and/or a stop arm. You must come to a complete stop and stay until the lights have stopped flashing and the arm has come up. DO NOT EVER go around the stop arm to cross. Uncontrolled Intersections An uncontrolled intersection is one in which there are no traffic controls. As you approach one of these intersections you MUST expect traffic problems. NEVER assume that the other driver will give you the right of way. You must really use your IPDE process as you approach these intersections.It is best to treat these intersections as yield signs. There are also uncontrolled railroad crossings. Simply slow down, scanning the tracks for trains and do not cross if you see or hear one coming. Determining Right of Way Right of way describes the privilege of having immediate use of a certain part of the roadway. Right of way is GIVEN not taken. You may have to YIELD and allows others to go first in order t o be safe. Judging Gaps A gap is the distance between two vehicles. When you are at an intersection you have to make sure that you can successfully get through the intersection. Chapter8 Sharing The RoadwayWith Motorcycles: About 2000 people a year are killed on motorcycles. The primary reason is there are so many body parts not protected when riding a motorcycle. You MUST use the IPDE process when motorcycles are around. They can hide in spots, they spend longer times in your blind spots and many cyclist take more chances that car drivers do. ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ ‘ ‘ -i -†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ ‘†¢ -‘- ;†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢; †¢;†¢ Problem areas in which you need to really look for motorcyclist: a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle a vehicle turning right at an intersection or into a driveway a motorcycle turning left inblindspots a tailgating motorcyclist one passing you on the right or left – meeting an oncoming motorcycle When you are going to pass a motorcycle you need to stay well back to avoid shocking the cyclist, use the entire lane to make the pass and wait until you can see them in your rearview mirror to move back over. It is just like passing a vehicle. With Bicycles, Mopeds and Motor Scooters: Bicyclist need to remember that when they are on the road they have the responsibility to follow ALL of the traffic laws just as the other vehicles do. They need to wear a helmet, know the rules for riding on roads as well as idewalks, and wear light colored clothing (especially at night), keep from wearing headphones, and keep their bike in good condition. When you encounter a bike you need to increase your scanning to avoid serious conflict. If you pass a bike you need to follow the same rules as passing a car. Remember that some bicyclist do not have great control over their bike and may swerve o r fall into your path. Mopeds and scooters create the same types of problems as bikes do. They are low powered and very small. They are hard to see and the people riding them may not be able to handle them properly.People on mopeds and scooters do not have to have a drivers license but they do have to follow the rules of the road, just as bicyclist and drivers do. Pedestrians Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of the HTS. It is the drivers responsibility to protect the pedestrians. Children and old people are at most risk. Children do not know about consequences and old people may not hear or see well. When you drive in an area with pedestrians you need to heighten you IPDE usage. Look for pedestrians in areas where you expect to see them. Playgrounds, sidewalks, residential areas, parks, and parking lots.Sharing the roadway with emergency vehicles is a common thing in populated areas. You should yield the right of way to the emergency vehicles when they are traveling with th eir light and/or sirens on. Simply move to the right side of the road if you can and or to the lane as far to the right as possible. If you have to you can stop but make sure that you are as little a hazard as possible. With Trucks: The type of truck you need to really worry about when driving are the big semis (18 wheelers, tractor trailer, transfer). The main reason is that they are sooo big and can do a whole lot of damage to your car in a very little amount of time.These larger trucks make wide right turns. When you are near one and they put on their right turn signal you have to make sure that you are not to their right because the trailer of the truck will turn into your lane when they turn. You need to avoid following these trucks because they have big blind spots which make you hard to see. If you can not see their face in the mirror, they can not see your car. Use caution when passing a truck. Because their blind spots are larger you have to make sure that they see you duri ng your pass as well as before your pass.When you meet a large truck on a two lane roadway you need to prepare for the after wave when they go by. The air that they push to the right and left will make your car jump of vibrate. Also on wet roads the trucks will throw up water that will cover your windshield. Simply grasp the steering wheel tightly and steer through the problem. Chapter 9 Driving in Urban Traffic Adjusting to Urban Traffic Two of the main factors that make urban driving difficult: 1- Traffic is more dense – there are more cars, buses, trucks and pedestrians per mile than on rural roads – City hazards are closer to you – more things are closer to your car than in the country. Mile per mile, city roads have the highest number and variety of hazards. It takes time to do the IPDE process and in cities you don't have as much time to process the information as in the country. When you are on urban streets you have to pay attention and try to identify h azards as early as possible. Following Traffic on City Streets Space cushion refers to the space between your car and the car in front of you. If you have a good space cushion you have some advantages: 1- You can see further ahead and get the â€Å"big picture† – You can be seen better 3- You have more time to do the IPDE process 4- You are in better position to avoid the car in front of you if they stop suddenly. The 3-second following distance. When you are 3 seconds behind you have enough cushion to avoid most collisions in most normal driving situations. 1- Pick out a spot on the road ahead 2- When the car in front gets to that spot begin counting; 1001,1002,1003 3- If your car has not gotten to the spot by 1003 you have enough cushion to avoid a collision. If you reach the spot before you get to 1003, you need to back off a little.The faster you are traveling the bigger your space cushion will be. Being Followed on City Streets A tailgater is a vehicle that is fol lowing you too closely. The main hazard of a tailgater is that if you have to do a sudden stop they will hit you in the rear. They think that they are saving time by going so fast and getting close to you. If you have a tailgater behind you, you need to increase your following distance so you will not have to react as quickly when a car in front of you makes a sudden stop or move. When you are meeting cars in the city you have to really look ahead for your front zone to close.Oncoming drivers may cross the center line and block your path. Reasons that people cross the center line are: 1- driver impairment 2- poor judgment 3- poor visibility 4- reduced space 5- sudden moves for others 6- vehicle failure 7- turning car, buses or trucks 8- double parked vehicles Managing Space on Urban Streets Look ahead – try to see at least one block ahead but if you can see farther, look as far as you can but IDENTIFY possible problems. , When you are approaching a traffic light and you first see the light green you need to expect it to change.If you see a green light but the crosswalk light is flashing â€Å"don't walk† you need to anticipate that the light is getting ready to change. NEVER speed through an intersection trying to beat the light. Covering you brake means that you have taken your foot off of the accelerator pedal and have it in front of the brake pedal, but not pushing it down. You are anticipating that you are going to need to brake. This takes away your reaction distance/time if you need to brake suddenly. Riding your brake means that you have your foot on the brake pedal and you are pushing it down slightly.Most people that two foot drive end up riding their brakes. On city streets that have parked cars on your right you need to anticipate that a car door may open when you get to it. To help avoid hitting the door you need to drive about the width of a car door away from parked cars. Chapter 10 Driving in Rural Areas Characteristics of Rural Tr affic 82% of all of the roadway miles in the US are considered rural roads. When you approach a curve on a rural road with an advisory speed limit, you should be at that posted speed before you enter the curve.Advisory speeds are posted to help keep cars from having a collision on a curve because they entered the curve at too great a speed to control the car. Speed kills on rural roads. Twice as many deaths occur on rural roads as opposed to urban roads. On rural roads in normal (ideal) conditions the 3 second rule for following is sufficient. If you are following another car using the 3 second rule and a car cuts in between you and the other car you need to reestablish your 3 second rule with the new car. The basic speed rule states that you should not drive faster than the road or traffic conditions allow you to.It is more difficult to maintain control of your car at higher speeds. When you are driving on rural roads you are going to encounter slow moving vehicles, animals in the road and oncoming traffic that is close to you. Roadside hazards that you will come across are narrow shoulders, bridges, ditches, guardrails, and trees. You are not going to have as many tailgaters here because of the type of driving you are doing plus there are not as many cars on the road. In rural areas your speed is going to be faster so your IPDE process is affected. At higher speeds you decrease your time to make a decision using the process.So the faster you are driving, the farther you need to look ahead so you can perform the IPDE process. When driving on these roads you may see mailboxes, reflectors on posts, or small utility lines. These are all clues that you are approaching a driveway. When you are driving in the mountains you are going to come to sections of the road that have sharper curves and steeper hills. When you are going down a steep hill you should NEVER shift your car into neutral. If you change gears you need to shift to a lower gear to avoid burning your b rakes. Passing in rural areas is done generally on two lane/two way roads.If you are passing another car you must make sure that you can complete the pass safely and before the passing area ends. When you think that you need to pass another car you need to think before you pass. One main question that you need to ask is, is it safe to pass here? When driving at night on rural roads you are going to encounter car light that pop up from around curves or hills. To avoid being temporarily blinded you need to look to the right side of the road, white line. Chapter 11 Driving on Expressways An expressway is defined as a roadway that has limited-access or controlled-access.Driving on expressways is more dangerous because of the higher speeds and the number of cars. For this reason, collisions on expressways are generally more serious. Expressways have minimum speed limits posted. If you are going below this minimum speed then you are a hazard on the roadway. To drive effectively on express ways you must be willing to cooperate with other drivers. They also have multiple lanes which means that when you change lanes you need to do so one lane at a time. You are driving on an expressway and you need to exit; the ramp you need to get off on is totally Mocked by traffic, preventing you from getting over.Wiat should you do? Go to the next exit and come back up the expressway. If you get onto the wrong entrance ramp you should go ahead and get on the expressway and travel to the next exit, get off and turn around. It is NEVER permissible to back up an entrance ramp. The entrance lane has three parts; the ramp, the acceleration lane and the merging lane. When you are coming down the ramp you need to check for a gap to merge into by looking over your left shoulder as well as into your left mirror. If you are entering an expressway on the entrance ramp and your way is blocked so that you can not merge onto the road you should avoid stopping.Stopping on the ramp in the accelerat ion lane can cause a rear end collision. If you are driving in a group of car on an expressway you are driving in a â€Å"wolf pack†. You are driving in the center lane of the expressway and you keep getting passed on the right and left, you should move into the right lane to avoid being a hazard. Highway hypnosis happens when you get lulled into staring while driving. If you stare for long enough you will put yourself to sleep. If you are taking a long trip on expressway you need to plan ahead for food, fuel and rest This will make your trip more enjoyable and safe.