The Backscatter X-Ray Essay Example for Free

The Backscatter X-Ray Essay The backscatter X-ray is the right choice when compared to traditional X-rays or metal detectors. On December 27, 2006, the author, Thomas Frank,whom is the aviation security correspondant for USA Today, wrote, X-ray Tests Both Security, Privacy, and made valid points concerning the fear of radiation, how easily it finds metal guns and knives, and the provacy issue that surrounds X-ray technology (5). Throughout this essay Thomas Frank was able to write about the facts surrounding X-rays and keep hs opinion out of the article therefore giving his readers the chance to form their own belief. This essay was written to analyze which belief to choose. Should the public be against the backscatter X-ray because of radiation exposure or is safety against terrorists the better option? The fear of over-exposure to radiation is laughable at best. Its like being out in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes (5). Being out in the sun can in reality be a good thing. Through sunlight the body absorbs vitamin D which is needed for strong bones and teeth. Everyone gets sun exposure on an everyday basis. Its not a bad thing to have a little sun. Take people whom use artificial light to tan. A waiver must be signed before exposing the body to the light. This waiver states that skin cancer may occur with use; eye damage is possible with exposure. Tanners sign this form without another thought because artificial light is the same as being out in the sun. A waiver is not availabe for people to sign at the airport. Why is this? Is it because radiation damage is higher with artificial light thereby being higher with sunlight versus the backscatter X-ray? If so, should the public stay inside their house and avoid sunlight at all cost? They are foolproof when it comes to finding metal guns and metal knives (6). Clark Kent Ervin whom is the former Homeland Security Department inspector said during the interview. He stated, screeners repeatedly missed hidden weapons (6). If screeners are missing hidden weapons wouldnt the obvious choice be to use the backscatter X-ray? Isnt the publics safety more important? Our airport security has already been compromised once with September 11 . If there is anything that can prevent that from happening again then it should be done. Our safety is top priority. Backscatter X-rays dont show anything on the body deemed indecent. It only shows whats carried on the body. People really need to understand that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is putting in place technologythat does in fact do a digital strip search and stores those images at least temporarily, said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (5). Temporarily is the key. Whom cares about a picture being taken as long as its temporary? Its not as if the image is going to be stored forever and displayed worldwide. The TSA, however, says the images are cartoonlike sketches that show only outlines of each passenger and are never stored (5). The images arent stored so the public doesnt need to worry about the images being released. Cartoonlike sketches means that its not even a real human body. It doesnt look like a person at all. Its just an outline that looks cartoonlike at that. Theres nothing wrong with cartoons. I grew up watching them as a child as did many others. $100,000 backscatter machine finds many weapons missed by screeners and metal detectors (6). Finding weapons as soon as possible can be the difference between life and death. A machine that finds weapons more often than not should be used in place of a machine that is likely to miss. Although the backscatter X-ray is not going to catch everything that it scans it will make it harder for terrorists to sneak weapons on a plane. The object is not to prevent everything that can conceivably happen, he said, the object is to make it difficult (6). The fact claim the author is making is supported by the examples given in the article. Some examples include quotes from Marc Rotenberg and Frank Cerra. The warrant that connects the fact claim and support are digital strip search (5) and being out in thesun for 15 to 20 minutes (5). It seems these details were said to persuade the interviewer and readers of this article. Someone would need 2,500 backscatter scans a year before reaching the limits of safe radiation exposure (5). These guidelines are provided by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements so therefore even frequent flyers will be protected from over-exposure to radiation. In closing, the authors fact claim of backscatter X-ry versus regular X-ray and metal detectors have been clearly stated. He went into detail giving both sides concerning radiation, worth, and privacy. Overall the essay was an effective argument that gave information from both sides equally. With public safety a concern the conflicts that arise concerning this matter should be of no importance. The public has a right to be protected no matter what it takes.

Kitchen Conversations in Russia :: Russia Soviet Union Politics Essays

Kitchen Conversations in Russia Russians say, â€Å"Russia is a country of kitchen conversations.† From time to time people get together in the kitchen and hold long conversations. Using very ordinary attributes, Russian people created a unique custom that can tell a lot about Russian character, perhaps more than volumes of history books. Over the course of last century, â€Å"kitchen conversations† affected Russian society at all levels and became a symbol of freedom from communist thought control and Russian people’s dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in their country. A Russian proverb says: â€Å"we don’t value what we have and cry when we lose it.† Russian people recklessly lost their freedom when they gave the power to communists in 1917. Among the great many consequences of this upheaval was a major economic crisis, part of which was a massive housing shortage. As a result, millions of people were cramped into what was called â€Å"communal apartments.† Generally, those were large apartments with a long corridor that led to a kitchen, a bathroom and several bedrooms where different families used to live. Since they had to share a kitchen and a bathroom, they basically had to share their lives. Everything that happened in society and neighbors’ lives was discussed in the kitchen. Moreover, neighbors actively meddled in other neighbors’ lives, often without any permission. Malicious tricks and helping hands, peaceful coexistence and furious quarrels, ridiculous misunderstandings and deep compassion transformed the kitchen in a theater-like place where tragedy and comedy intertwined into farce and the audience shared heroes’ drama. Most people used to live like this for more than thirty years (some still live like this today) when the government decided to build more housing in the 1950s and families in communal apartments were gradually resettled into single-family apartments. New apartments had a small kitchen and no dining room, but people gathered in the kitchen anyway. First of all, people thought about the kitchen as a common area where it was convenient to spend their free time. Secondly, people got used to talking about important events in their life in the kitchen. Lastly, small kitchen space made people physically closer to each other, which created informal and sincere atmosphere and gave them freedom to speak openly without regard to communist authority. Kitchen Conversations in Russia :: Russia Soviet Union Politics Essays Kitchen Conversations in Russia Russians say, â€Å"Russia is a country of kitchen conversations.† From time to time people get together in the kitchen and hold long conversations. Using very ordinary attributes, Russian people created a unique custom that can tell a lot about Russian character, perhaps more than volumes of history books. Over the course of last century, â€Å"kitchen conversations† affected Russian society at all levels and became a symbol of freedom from communist thought control and Russian people’s dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in their country. A Russian proverb says: â€Å"we don’t value what we have and cry when we lose it.† Russian people recklessly lost their freedom when they gave the power to communists in 1917. Among the great many consequences of this upheaval was a major economic crisis, part of which was a massive housing shortage. As a result, millions of people were cramped into what was called â€Å"communal apartments.† Generally, those were large apartments with a long corridor that led to a kitchen, a bathroom and several bedrooms where different families used to live. Since they had to share a kitchen and a bathroom, they basically had to share their lives. Everything that happened in society and neighbors’ lives was discussed in the kitchen. Moreover, neighbors actively meddled in other neighbors’ lives, often without any permission. Malicious tricks and helping hands, peaceful coexistence and furious quarrels, ridiculous misunderstandings and deep compassion transformed the kitchen in a theater-like place where tragedy and comedy intertwined into farce and the audience shared heroes’ drama. Most people used to live like this for more than thirty years (some still live like this today) when the government decided to build more housing in the 1950s and families in communal apartments were gradually resettled into single-family apartments. New apartments had a small kitchen and no dining room, but people gathered in the kitchen anyway. First of all, people thought about the kitchen as a common area where it was convenient to spend their free time. Secondly, people got used to talking about important events in their life in the kitchen. Lastly, small kitchen space made people physically closer to each other, which created informal and sincere atmosphere and gave them freedom to speak openly without regard to communist authority.

Summary of the Biography of Edgar Allan Poe

Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. That makes him Capricorn, on the cusp of Aquarius. When Poe was 6, he went to school in England for 5 years. He learned Latin and French, as well as math and history. He later returned to school in America and continued his studies. Edgar Allan went to the University of Virginia in 1826. He was 17. Edgar Allan had no money, no job skills, Edgar went to Boston and joined the U. S. Army in 1827. He was 18. He did reasonably well in the Army and attained the rank of sergeant major.In 1831, Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry published. He submitted stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job, and was in financial trouble. In 1835, Edgar finally got a job as an editor of a newspaper because of a contest he won with his story, â€Å"The Manuscript Found in a Bottle†. Edgar missed Mrs. Clemm and Virginia and brought them to Rich mond to live with him. In 1836, Edgar married his cousin, Virginia. He was 27 and she was 13.As the editor for the Southern Literary Messenger, Poe successfully managed the paper and increased its circulation from 500 to 3500 copies. Despite this, Poe left the paper in early 1836, complaining of the poor salary. In 1837, Edgar went to New York. He wrote â€Å"The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym† but he could not find any financial success. He moved to Philadelphia in 1838 where he wrote â€Å"Ligeia† and â€Å"The Haunted Palace†. His first volume of short stories, â€Å"Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque† was published in 1839. Poe received the copyright and 20 copies of the book, but no money. Poe found himself without a regular job once again.He tried to start a magazine called The Stylus and failed. He won a hundred dollars for his story, â€Å"The Gold Bug† and sold a few other stories to magazines but he barely had enough money to support hi s family. Often, Mrs. Clemm had to contribute financially. In 1844, Poe moved back to New York. Even though â€Å"The Gold Bug† had a circulation of around 300,000 copies, he could barely make a living. He and his family moved to a small cottage near what is now East 192nd Street. Virginia's health was fading away and Edgar was deeply distressed by it. Virginia died in 1847, 10 days after Edgar's birthday.After losing his wife, Poe collapsed from stress but gradually returned to health later that year. On September 27, Poe left Richmond for New York. He went to Philadelphia and stayed with a friend named James P. Moss. On September 30, he meant to go to New York but supposedly took the wrong train to Baltimore. On October 3, Poe was found at Gunner's Hall, a public house at 44 East Lombard Street, and was taken to the hospital. He lapsed in and out of consciousness but was never able to explain exactly what happened to him. Edgar Allan Poe died in the hospital on Sunday, Octo ber 7, 1849.Quotes from Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"It will be found, in fact, that the ingenious are always fanciful, and the truly imaginative never otherwise than analytic. † – from â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue† â€Å"It is more than probable that I am not understood; but I fear, indeed, that it is in no manner possible to convey to the mind of the merely general reader, an adequate idea of that nervous intensity of interest with which, in my case, the powers of meditation (not to speak technically) busied and buried themselves, in the contemplation of even the most ordinary objects of the universe. † – from â€Å"Berenice†

Ferguson Rifle Book Review Summary - 1687 Words

Book Review 1st Semester Section 1: The book I read, The Ferguson Rifle, was written by Louis L’Amour. This book is in a Western form and is full of suspense. I really enjoy reading books by Louis L’Amour, because they are full of action, and there’s never a dull moment. I have read a few of his other books before reading The Ferguson Rifle; however, this book amazed me and was a very good book to read. One reason I love reading books by Louis L’Amour is the way he uses imagery and makes you feel as if you are inside the book. When I read this book, I got a sense of urgency and excitement because the way he used Western dialect and imagery made me feel as if I went back in time and was the Hero that came out on top in this story. Like†¦show more content†¦The tribe is unsuccessful and doesn’t kill any of the members of the lot, and the Indians run off. Following this, Captain Fernandez rides up to the men’s fire where he tries arresting the Indians, saying t hey were on his land, and he’s going to take them all into custody. Fernandez is forcefully persuaded to leave, and following this, the Ute Indians attack. Again, Chantry’s lot is victorious and the Ute Indians flee. After the second attack, the lot rides on, feeling as if they are being followed. Chantry goes to scout the trouble and finds that five men are trailing them. Chantry and the five men converse, and he runs the followers off without any trouble or bloodshed. While doing this, he finds a man who had been murdered, along with his two missing companions. The missing companions, Lucinda and Jorge, join the lot again that night, and while sleeping, Lucinda’s uncle tries to kill her. The reason Lucinda’s uncle is following the lot is because he knows of treasure and wants to find the treasure before Ronan’s lot does. One day he tries to take Lucinda with him and ride into camp; however, he is unable to persuade the men to let her go. Since Rafen was after them, their lot becomes constantly on the run. One day while they are on the run, Bob Sandy was trailing behind, and he finds himself surrounded by men with guns. When Chantry went back to find him, a gun battle took place, and both Chantry and Bob escape. Section 5: There was aShow MoreRelatedStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesStrategic Marketing Management Dedication This book is dedicated to the authors’ wives – Gillian and Rosie – and to Ben Gilligan for their support while it was being written. Acknowledgements Our thanks go to Janice Nunn for all the effort that she put in to the preparation of the manuscript. Strategic Marketing Management Planning, implementation and control Third edition Richard M.S. Wilson Emeritus Professor of Business Administration The Business School Loughborough University Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesneglect. The fact that the most recent phase of the human experience is usually covered only at the end of a multiterm sequence of world history units has meant that it often ends up becoming a rushed add-on of rather random, abbreviated capsule summaries and general overviews. In view of the fact that no phase of history can begin to match the twentieth century in terms of the extent to which it has shaped the contemporary world, this marginalization is particularly pernicious and has been at timesRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 PagesECS8C_C01.qxd 22/10/2007 11:54 Page 597 CASE STUDIES ECS8C_C01.qxd 22/10/2007 11:54 Page 598 ECS8C_C01.qxd 22/10/2007 11:54 Page 599 Guide to using the case studies The main text of this book includes 87 short illustrations and 15 case examples which have been chosen to enlarge speciï ¬ c issues in the text and/or provide practical examples of how business and public sector organisations are managing strategic issues. The case studies which follow allow the