The Morbid, the gruesome and the unexplained

Who is Edmond Kemper?

2021-06-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Edmond Kemper is a mass murderer who was convicted and sentenced on eight counts of murder on the first degree at the age of 24. (Beroldingen) Kemper was a young man, with normal sexual urges. However, he was so insecure of his masculinity that he could not bring himself to be intimate with a girl. There are some reports that would suggest this was caused by his incredibly small sex organ, which on his 6-foot 9 inch frame would have been laughable. there are some who account his insecurities to his overbearing mother who's continuous jearing made Kemper so insecure that he felt he could not even perform the sexual act, even to rape his victims. He had to kill them first.

Nevertheless, both excuses seemed to me to be just that, excuses. There are thousands of men out there with overbearing mothers and micro penises and they do not kill to satisfy their urges. In many of his interviews Kemper blames his mother for the person he became. as with anything there are two sides to every story. in this essay we will look at Kemper's side. Since Kemper killed his mother, we can only rely on expert opinion about who Kemper's mother was and how she treated him.

In Kemper's view his mother was “a big, ugly, and awkward woman who was six feet tall and always trying to get him to go out with girls who were just like her” (Beroldingen, Pg 3) according to Kemper; she did this because she did not believe that her son was worthy of pretty, intelligent girls, as he was just like his father and would never amount to much.

At some point Kemper became obsessed with gas chambers after reading about the Holocaust and he began to include his sisters in his dark fantasies, in which they would tie him up to a chair and he would act like he was dying from an invisible gas. His mother would belittle and chastise Kemper about his sick games and told his sisters to stay away from him.

circumstances change drastically when Kemper killed two of the family cats, decapitating them. When asked why he did that he said that the cats would show more affection to his sisters, just like his mother, and killing the cats was the only way he could make the cats his. By this time Kemper had grown to a large frame, and his mother was afraid that he would hurt his sisters, possibly even rape them. It was then that his mother moved Kemper to the basement where she could lock him in for the night. Kemper recalls being afraid and cold in the basement. There was only a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling and one uncovered mattress for him to sleep in. Later he would recall feeling like his sisters were in heaven and he was in hell. (Beroldingen) according to Kemper his hatred only grew as his mother would constantly put him and other men down, later when asked why he killed he gave two reasons, the first was that he was in fact playing out a fantasy in which he was killing his mother over and over. The second was that his mother had told him that the pretty Co-ed girls were too good for him and that he would never be able to get one of them. His reasoning was that perhaps he would not be able to get them when they were alive, but dead they belonged to him body and soul. As a curious side note Kemper stated that all the girls who he had killed were still with him in spirit. Which is something that Jespersen stated in the ‘happy face podcast’. Regardless of what question was asked of Kemper he would always shift the blame to his mother. But she can no longer speak for herself. So, I turned to the opinion of certain psychologist who studied the case. The opinion seems to be split as to whether Kemper's mother was the cause, or the victim.

Investigators and psychologists have, by all accounts determined that Kemper's mother was an alcoholic. Whether or not she was a man hater as Kemper stated cannot be substantiated because we only have Kemper's word on the subject. We do know that she was married three times and all three times it ended in divorce. Kemper states that she was verbally, psychologically and physically abusive. Again, this cannot be substantiated, but evidence that he was kept in the basement was collaborated by the finding of a mattress and personal items in the basement and by Kemper’s father.

There are those who suspect Kemper’s mother of having borderline personality disorder which is “an emotional state that borders between psychosis and neurosis” (Lawson XI) should this have been the case Clarnell Kemper, Kemper’s mother, would be a likely candidate to point the finger towards since borderline personality can manifest as an overbearing behavior and a need to constantly humiliate those who are closest to them, it has been a constant that children whose mother’s have this disorder can often externalize and misdirect their anger towards small animals. A symptom we saw with Kemper when he decapitated both family cats.

However, the only collaborated fact was that his mother would lock him in the basement. According to his father, this was done because his sisters where afraid of Kempers size and his mother was afraid that he would rape her daughters. In a documentary a psychologist states that this indicates that Clernell Kemper was a victim. That Clernell perhaps felt the monster lurking inside of Kemper and wanted to protect her daughters. This view is substantiated by Clernell's colleagues at the college campus who during subsequent interviews clearly stated that Clernell was a stand-up citizen, worker and human being.

It must be reiterated that all knowledge of abuse and alcoholism was only collaborated by Kemper. The only abuse that was collaborated by an outside source was that of his mother locking Kemper in the basement. An event that was collaborated by his father. Which brings up the question, as his only son why didn't he protect his son from abuse? If in fact it was abused. And if Kemper was suffering at the hands of his mother, why didn't the father take him in when Kemper ran away at 15 years old?

Kemper was born in Burbank CA in 1948. His mother was Clernell Kemper, his father was Edmund Emil the second. When Kemper was 13 years old, in 1961 his parents’ divorce. During the documentary Kemper states that this was an exceedingly difficult time in his life. That his father was someone he looked up to and respected. It should be noted that the couple had separated in 1957 citing an unstable marriage. I could not find any evidence of Kemper’s father remaining in his life after that. For all accounts and purposes, it was his mother who raised Kemper alone after the separation.

At age 15, Kemper had reached the boiling point. Some resources state that it was Kemper’s mother who sent Kemper to live with his father. However, Kemper himself states that he was the one to run away to go live with his father. Regardless about how it came to be, Kemper staying at Edmund senior’s home with his new wife did not last very long “I think I made her nervous” Kemper says of his father's new wife in the documentary.

In a move his father would probably regret for the rest of his life, Kemper was sent to live with his paternal grandparents. In the beginning things seemed to be going well. Although his grandmother was just as overbearing as his own mother, Kemper seemed to thrive in the isolated farmland, helping his Grandfather with his chores an attending Sierra joined Union High School where he was seen as an average student and caused no memorable problems.

Nevertheless, things began to go downhill after Kemper visited his mother. According to Kemper his mother could not stop herself from calling him a “weirdo” during his first visit. And after his second visit his mood began to alter. His anger towards his mother was displaced. First towards small animals after his Grandfather gifted Kemper with a .22 caliber rifle to hunt rabbits. Displaced aggression is a defense mechanism in which a person redirects their negative emotions such as anger from one person to another. Eventually rabbits were not enough. And after visiting his mother, Kemper killed his grandmother as soon as he got back. When asked about it later, he said that he “wanted to find out what it felt like to kill his grandmother” realizing that his Grandfather would feel pain at the knowledge his wife had been murdered he decided to kill him too. He did so by shooting him three times in the back of the head as he was unloading groceries from his truck. Only then did Kemper feel uncomfortable about his actions. Not knowing what to do he called his mother who encouraged him to call the police, he did so and quickly confess to both murders.

However, two things prevented him from going to jail. The first was that he was only 15 years old at the time of the murders. The second was that after a psychiatrist diagnosed Kemper with a personality trait disturbance, and a passive aggressive type it was decided that he would be sent to a psychiatric hospital instead. personality disturbance is a term used when there are long term patterns of behavior and in your experience is that they differ significantly from what is expected. The pattern of experience and behavior begins by late adolescence or early adulthood and causes distress or problems in functioning. It was only later that Kemper was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia by a court appointed psychiatrist.

Due to this diagnose Kemper was committed to the Atascadero state hospital. The hospital performed several tests on Kemper, one of which was an IQ test. He first received a score of 138 and seeing that it was quite high they decided to retest him. His second score was 145 making Kemper close to genius and keeping him above 1% of the population.

Understanding that Kemper seemed to want to help, was smart and had a gentle way of treating other patients, they decided to place Kemper in a position of responsibility. He oversaw and performed personality test to other patients. The doctors trusted him and at 21, they considered he was cured and allowed him to leave the hospital as long as he kept seeing psychologist for well visits and he did not go back to his mother's house.

Neither recommendation was taken. Kemper had no place to go except his mother's house and no social worker ever contacted him for any meaningful therapy to follow up. The constant berating from his mother increased Kemper’s desire for violence and he began to collect guns and knives at home. As a 21-year-old in 1969, Kemper attended Community College under the watchful eye of the youth authority. But Edmund had spent the better part of the 60s in a mental institution surrounded by adults. He did not fit into the hippie culture movement that had since developed and he was considered a square by most of his peers. Soon he was so uncomfortable he did not continue.

He applied to become a law enforcement official, a dream he had had since young, but, his six feet 9 inches 200 lbs. frame made him ineligible and was therefore rejected. He settled for a job working road construction with the division of highways where his massive body would be an assit. He was still extremely disappointed at having missed his opportunity of becoming law enforcement, so he bought a motorcycle. Unfortunately for future co-eds he soon crashed his motorcycle that had made him feel like a police officer and resorted to buying a 2 door sedan that resembled an unmarked police car. He also purchased a radio receiver transmitter in order to listen to police broadcasts.

He decided that he would begin to pick up hitchhikers “at first I just wanted to make friends to fit in” kemper said in an interview in the documentary. “But then I began to have sexual fantasies about them” the co-eds were all so pretty, the exact type of girl his mother said he would never have a chance with “I thought about raping them, but with my big size I would be easily recognizable.” His only solution was to kill them so he could have his way with them.

In 1972 he began his practice runs. He began to pick up female hitchhikers and practice how to make them feel more comfortable. “I figured out this trick, where I would look at my watch, as if I didn't really have time to pick them up. That made them feel more comfortable and they would get in quick. I also realized that glasses made me look less threatening.” Kemper also started hanging out at a local cop bar in anticipation of the murders. He wanted to be there so that when things began, he would have a front side seat to all the cop talk about the investigation. Later he would state that after the killing started, he would sit in that same bar and think “here I am, and you're so stupid you can't find me.”

His trial runs began to become more daring and escalated slowly. Kemper first began to change the routes, take the girls to their destination via a more ‘scenic, quiet’ route. In his mind, this would have been where he would kill them, but those girls were lucky. He would simply keep on driving until he would reach their destination. Then he began to keep weapons under his seat, just to see if they would notice if he reached down and grabbed it. Finally, he began to carry chords and other kidnapping and murder paraphernalia that he would need to do the deed.

Finally, he was ready. In his interview he once again blames his mother, stating that they had had yet another fight and that this is why he decided that May 7^th, 1972 would be the day. He got into his car and drove around the school until he saw Mary Anne Pesce and Anita Luchese from Fresno State college. Anita had hitchhiked through Europe, so she had more experience. Kemper states that she was reluctant to get into the car, so he played his trick of looking at his watch impatiently, seeing this Mary Anne hopped in and Anita reluctantly followed. Mary Anne what's sitting in the front seat chatting happily, but Anita sat in the back seat locking eyes with Kemper who later confessed to really liking Anita “it was like falling in love.”

Anita

This of course did not stop him from carrying out his impeccable plan. He told Mary Anne her door was still open, and as he was six feet tall, he easily reached the passenger side handle and closed the door again. As he did so he placed a small item between the handle of the door and the door. Later the police would identify the item as a common tube of Chapstick, but it was sufficiently effective in preventing someone from opening the passenger door from the inside. Soon the girls found themselves in an isolated wooded area where Kemper brandished his knife at them. He placed Anita in the trunk and walked Mary Anne further into the forest. He stabbed Mary Anne several times, but, she was still alive so he cut her throat. He was surprised at home messy and slow the whole process was “in the movies” Kemper said “people get stabbed and they fall back dead instantly. It's not like that in real life, they leak to death” Kemper states he was quite shaken by the experience but felt he had to kill Anita. “She knew what I looked like” so he killed her too.

He brought the two bodies to his mother's house where he dissected them and used them sexually before discarding their heads in a ravine and scattered the body parts in different places. Anita’s torso he buried and throughout the years he would visit her grave “I loved her in my own way.” He says in the documentary. In August of 1972 police discovered the first of several gruesome finds. Mary Anne’s head was discovered but no amount of looking could unearth the rest of her body. In fact, her body was never found. After he was incarcerated Kemper graphically described how he used the decapitated heads and dismembered bodies to satisfy his sexual urges until the bodies began to rot. He even said that he ate part of their bodies “I wanted them to become part of me, to be inside of me forever” Kemper stated. Kemper told interviewers that the act of dismembering them was arousing and he had to stop several times to masturbate.

The need to commit the act again was strong and only four months later Kemper was out on the hunt. Aikoo Koo Was 15 years old. She was petite and delicate; she was a dancer and had just been nominated to dance in a recital. Unfortunately, she missed the bus and fearing she would be late she hitchhiked. It was Kemper who picked her up. When she realized that he was going the wrong way she tried to escape, but her slender frame was no match for the huge 6-foot 9 inches monster who had kidnapped her. He placed tape over her mouth and tried suffocating her by cutting the air to her nose. When that failed, he raped her and strangled her with her own scarf. Once finished he placed her body in the trunk of his car and went to a bar for a drink. During the interview he talks about opening the trunk and regarding his prize as if he was a hunter and her body was his prize. He then took her home and they dissected her body keeping her scarf as a trophy.

On September 16, 1972, two days after killing, raping and mutilating Aikoo Koo, Kemper had a court appointed appointment with a lawyer who would decide whether Kemper had paid for his crimes (that of killing his grandparents) and if his juvenile record should be sealed. The attorney decided that Kemper was completely normal and sealed his record. Later on, Kemper would say that if perhaps he had been monitored like he was supposed to, he would not have done what he did. Again, placing blame for his decisions on someone else’s shoulders and not taking responsibility for his own actions. Meanwhile, Aikoo’s head laid rotting in Kempers trunk while he smiled in convinced the lawyer that he was totally sane.

On January 8, 1973 Edmund bought a 22-caliber handgun. Although his records had been previously sealed the seller of the gun could see that there had been some kind of infraction in his past and so although legally, he had to sell the gun to him, he still called the police to let them know that this particular person might not be someone who should have a gun.

Cindy Schall was his next victim. He picked her up and drove her to Watsonville, ironically Cindy would be killed only meters away from the police detective’s house who knew Kemper as his drinking buddy and who was involved in the investigation of the previous murders. In A twist of fate Cindy was also his babysitter. After shooting her, he took Cindy back home and decapitated her in his backyard. During the interview Kemper said that at this point he wasn't even hiding, “all my neighbor had to do was turned his head and he would have seen me with cindy's body” but he was never found out.

The head of one of serial killer Edmund Kemper's victims is dug up by Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies on April 26, 1973.

On February 5^th, 1973 Kemper picked up Rosalind and Alice. He had had another fight with his mother and as he stormed out of his apartment he thought to himself “the next pretty girl I see will die’ Edmond did not even stop the car to kill them, while driving he turned towards Alice in the back seat and shot her several times, he then turned to Rosalind and shot her point blank. Again he took their bodies back to his apartment had sex with their body parts, beheaded them, removed the bullets from Rosalind's head and then disposed the body parts in Santa Cruz..

It was after these murders that police officers arrived at Edmond’s house to speak to him about his ownership of a gun. During the documentary, the police officer states that he was not comfortable with his assignment since he could see that Edmund was a very big guy according to his record. But when he reached his house, he met up with Edmond in front of his house and Edmund was respectful and gentle. He did not deny that he had been incarcerated in the past and so he gave the gun to the police officers without much fuss. However, Kemper believed that they were playing a cat and mouse game. He was convinced that they knew he was the murderer and that they would soon come for him. A week before killing his own mother, he came to the realization that killing her was the only solution to save her from grief. According to Kemper he did not want her to know that he had been the co-ed killer all along.

On April 20^th, 1973 Edmond came to his mother's room thinking that if she only said something nice to him, he would not kill her. Instead she looked at him and said “oh God, I suppose now you want to stay up and talk all night” this sealed her fateand in the early morning hours he beat his mother to death with a claw hammer while she was sleeping, he slashed her throat, ripped out her larynx and tried to destroy it by placing it in the garbage disposal. He then decapitated his mother and placed her head on the mantle. He screamed and raged at the head, threw darts at it and performed sexual acts with it. In the afternoon sanity came back, and he realized that if he had any hopes of escaping, he also needed to kill his mother's best friend Sara Hallett, to make it seem like his mother and her friend had gone on vacation together. He called her up and invited her to dinner. When she arrived, he strangled her to death with Aiko Koo’s scarf and had sex with her corpse.

After cleaning up the apartment, Kemper got in his car and drove around for three days without sleep. In a craze state he called the Santa Cruz Police Department from Pueblo, Colorado. He told them that he wanted to confess to the Co ed killings, but the dispatcher thinking he was a prankster hanged up on him. He called back and asked to speak to the police detective who had been his drinking buddy and who's kids Cindy had babysat. When the detective heard the familiar voice of the man he called ‘a gentle giant’ confessing to the gruesome killings he could not believe it but he dispatched officers to Kempers apartment where they found the bodies of his mother and her friend stashed in a closet.

Serial killer Edmund Kemper shows police officers around one of his crime scenes.

The rest as they say is history. Kemper was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentence on all eight counts after confessing to the murders and taking police to the various disposal sites. His lawyer tried to defend him using the insanity plea but Doctor Joe Fort claimed that Edmond was not a paranoid schizophrenic. Kemper is now at a maximum-security prison where he will hopefully remain for life. However his lust for attention has never gone away. Interviews with FBI agent Robert Ressler has led to the FBI contributing to the work of deciphering serial killers, which later will help with psychological profiles that can lead to arrests.

Wu, P “To what extent is Edmund Kemper determined to commit his crimes of serial murder” an IB Extended essay in philosophy,May 2013.

Beroldingan, M.V. “I was the hunter, they were the victims” Front page magazine. March 1974

Crump, S. Dunavant S. Smith A.J, Layne S. “Serial killer time line research by Radford university students” department of psychology, Radford university.

Strange customs and superstitions part 2

2020-08-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

Strange customs and superstitions

Part 2

Some superstitions transcend national boundaries others are peculiar to 1 country or race.

Scotland: three swans

flying together mean a national disaster. Red and green should not be worn together it is unlucky to stand with your back to the edge of the door or to throw vegetables onto the fire. Love letters should not be posted on Christmas Day. Carry a Spade through the house means a grave will soon be dug.

Ireland: it is unlucky to use broken tombstones for the wall of a cottage;

but twice to take care of the ‘fairy Fort ‘-a tree in the center of a field. And it is lucky to spill a drink on the ground - a relic of the ancient custom of pouring a libation to the gods.

Malta: it was the custom up churches to have two Clock faces. One showing the correct time and the other a false one. To confuse the devil about the time of the service.

Ibiza: priests are not allowed to board fishing boats, probably because of a vestigial respect for the pre-Christian see gods.

Iceland: it is unlucky to shoot a sea bird that follows a boat. An unmarried person who sits at the corner of a table will not marry for seven years. A pregnant woman who drinks from a cracked Cup is risking her baby having a harelip.

Holland: when touching wood, it is necessary to touch the unpainted underside of it, Say, at table. People with red hair bring misfortune (a belief come into lands once invaded by the Danes)

China: any death by accident or foul play is to be feared, as the ghost may seek revenge on the 7th night. Sweeping out a house expels all good fortune- especially done on the Chinese New Year.

Nigeria: sweeping the house at night brings bad luck - but a good sweeping first thing in the morning gets rid of evil spirits. If a male is hit with a broom, he becomes impotent unless he retaliates 7 times with the same broom. Sweeping after a person leaves the house gets rid of all bad spirits.

Japan: A comb picked up with the teeth facing the body is unlucky. Killing a spider in the morning is destroying a human soul. Most cats bring bad luck.

But as well as national superstitions there are also racial superstitions. For instance, a Jewish child must not be watched while it sleeps (because of the similarity to the death vigil). nor must it be shown its reflection until it has grown its first tooth.

Gypsies belief that it is dangerous to eat food that has been stepped over, or drink from a stream that a woman has walked over. And all caravans must be burned after their owners die.

It is easy to dismiss superstition as absurd, but only those who can break a mirror without a second thought are fully entitled to do so.

The man who bought the Black Sea

Prince Urussoff, a Russian nobleman , had a family superstition initially very expensive but ultimately very profitable as well . Well he and his beautiful young bride were honeymooning on the Black Sea , the wedding ring slipped off her finger and disappeared beneath the waves. The Prince, remembering the family belief that the loss of a wedding ring caused the loss of the bride herself, that's the only thing he could. He bought both shores of the Black Sea from hundreds of owners for more than $40,000,000. He recent that if he owned both shores he owned the sea itself and everything that lay at its bottom .

When the Prince died his heirs no longer needed to own the ring . So they sold the Black Sea for $80,000,000.

Strange Customs and superstitions

2020-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Never on a Friday.

Men have done many strange things for the sake of luck

not only was the ship called the Friday, but its keel was laid on a Friday and, for good measure, it was commanded by a captain Friday. The British Admiralty had decided to expose the absurdity of one of the Royal navy's most cherished superstitions -that Friday is an unlucky day. Their plans might well have worked. But on its maiden voyage -on a Friday -the ship disappeared with all hands. no trace was ever found.

The Admiralty has consistently denied that this story is true, but their denials are unimportant; generations of British seamen have accepted every word of it. for superstition cannot be overcome by logic. In many cases, it is a survival from those primitive religions in which men worshipped the wild elements in the pious hope that they might help him in his struggle for survival.

For instance, touching wood for luck reflects early men's belief that every natural object -a tree, for example -was inhabited by a particular God. the significance once attached to fire and ironLingers on today with the carrying of a piece of coal or a small replica horseshoe as a good luck charm.

Just spill salt meant misfortune, because for centuries it was the only means of preserving meat in the winter.

To primitive peoples, the home needed to be blessed with kindly spirits. The focal point was the hearth, the parts of the house where, according to the Romans, household gods lived. In Western Europe, the Fireplace, or England Nook was thought to be the home of the brownies and other fairies who brought good luck to the household. Some even thought they helped with the chores.

It was unwise to offend the fairies. In their attempts to appease the spirits, Housewives in the Western Isles of Scotland would leave part of the fire burning in the hearth to keep the fairies warm through the night.

When a family moves to a new home, it is still traditional in some parts of Britain To take the embers from the old fireplace and burn them in a new one. House warming parties are the development of this custom.

Kitchen folklore

superstition also dominates a woman's work in the kitchen. Some Housewives believe a meal will be spoiled if the food is stirred ‘widdershins’ - that is, against the Sun's course. in order not to offend hence and so to stop them laying, no eggshells were thrown on the fire.

No implement has more superstitious connections than the knife. Made of iron, it was thought to be a protection against the evil of many kinds. This may stem from a time long ago when people armed with weapons of stone or bronze were easily overcome by sharp-edged in apparently magical swords of iron.

Another belief is that if two knives are crossed on a table. A quarrel is indicated unless the second person uncrosses them.

There are many superstitions about bread. It was thought disastrous if bread did not rise in the oven, for it was believed the devil lurked inside unrisen and bread. For this reason, a cross was cut at the top to help the bread rise and also to let the devil out. But when cutting bread, it was considered foolish to slice off both ends of a loaf, as the devil would be able to fly all over the house.

Even the table has superstitious significance. If a white cloth is left on a table during the night the household will soon Need a shroud.

Above all, never allow 13 people to sit down to eat at the same table. This superstition is generally associated with the Last Supper, when 13 were present, including Judas, Christ betrayer.

But the belief is older than Christianity. In Norse mythology, 12 gods were feasting when the spirit of strife Loki appeared and provoked a quarrel that ended in the death of Baldur coma the favorite of the gods.

outside the house, further dangers lurk. One of the most widely known superstitions is the one about not walking under a ladder in case a tool or a pot of paint falls from above. But the reason is far older than that. Anyone walking between the ladder and the wall was breaking the triangle -the early Christian symbol for the Trinity.

another theory on the origin of the latter superstition suggests that it was once associated with the gallows. One method of hanging was to turn the victim of a ladder so that he dropped under the ladder to the rope's end.

Chickens and fouls generally have long been regarded as reliable guides to what fortune holds. The Romans were frequently consulting their entrails, but self-confidence seemed to have a lot to do with consulting a foul. On one occasion, an ancient Greek Admiral was told by his soothsayer that the holy foul had refused to eat, which was a bad omen. He replied tartly: “well, let us see if they will drink.” he tossed the lot overboard, engaged the enemy, and won a resounding victory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Friday

UFO's - The CIA report

2019-07-09T05:40:00.001-07:00

On November of 1952, an Internal meeting took place inside of a CIA building. the sole topic of discussion during that meeting was little green men. Actually, it was the sightings of "unexplained objects at great altitudes and traveling at great speeds." The reports included the quick assessment that the "the military installations in the vicinity are of such nature that they are not attributable to natural phenomena or known types of aerial vehicles" These reports were so numerous and significant that members of that meeting came to the conclusion that a swift investigative body was needed and so they decided to form a "consulting group."

Due to the lack of manpower the airforce had to devote for this task, the consulting group decided that taking over the investigation that the air force had been conducting until then was the best action to take. They would later come to regret their decision as the airforce was a source of unfriendly cooperation due to this decision as stated during a dinner between a member of the consulting group and a nuclear scientist. The consulting group set to the task of finding out what were the mysterious objects flying around. They combed through over two thousand reports the different government agencies had received and filed since 1947. 205 reports had yet to be explained.

The report shows concern and expresses a need for more manpower and more resources. Their main concern at the time was the consequences of a government agency confusing one of these unexplained phenomena and hitting the panic button. one must remember that all of this was happening during the cold war. everyone was in a state of persecution, spies were everywhere and one wrong move or word could result in war on American soil with the Russians. The idea that a military plane could confuse one of these unidentified flying objects for a Russian plane and that a war may start because of it was all too real. The opposite was also possible, what if reports became frequent enough that a report of flying object was confused as a UFO and instead was a Russian plane coming to Bomb the USA. They needed a way to differentiate the two, to do it swiftly and efficiently.

They recommended that the intelligence agency to "formulate and carry out a program of intelligence and research required to solve the problem instant positive identification of unidentified flying objects" Their directives were to (presented to you in simple language as I understand it, the link to the document is provided below)

Instant identification of UFOs
The CIA would head the investigation with help of the FBI, however, the FBI would not have jurisdiction.
The military would help the CIA with their investigation providing research and information but they would not have jurisdiction.
The CIA would give information to the agencies that had authorized interest.

By August 1952 the number of unexplained reports had been lowered to less than 100. Most reports had been classified as either fake or had been explained by current knowledge of flight patterns and weather anomalies.

The report continues to express the opinion that if the full scope of the situation was able to be analyzed that the information would show that these too would be classified as either fake or easily explained through natural causes. However, the report states that even though they don't believe it might be Aliens, the possibility cannot be excluded, and so it recommends that the program continues on its course. The report also mentions how the knowledge of such government agencies should remain undisclosed to the public due to the press and the public having an "alarmist" and conspiratory view of such agencies.

On February 9th of 1953, a report entitled California committee for saucer investigations or CSI for short explains how a committee of private individuals intrigued and scientifically interested in finding an explanation fo saucer phenomena had surfaced. The report shows how awe as to the length these private citizens are willing to go to find the truth in each instance. going to people's homes and finding out which reports might be reliable. However, the report expresses a certain distaste towards them, perhaps after finding out that the group was involved in an elaborate hoax over the Los Angeles area in hopes of finding out what are reports that come in and how reliable they are.

A panel convened between January 14 and January 17 of 1953, with the express purpose to discuss UFOs. The overall mood of the report is that of negation to the idea that Aliens exists. In fact, one-panel member showed his findings and stated that as he had eliminated all possible terrestrial causes that the only conclusion was alien presence. However, the rest of the panel waved off his report stating that the report was not reliable, that his main case was based on the reports that could not be proven and in the eye witness account that only lasted at most 4 seconds.
The panel also stated that the lack of material evidence spoke to volumes as to whether or not these reports could be substantiated. Their reasoning was that if hundreds of UFOs were flying around, the chances were that at least one UFO would crash, or land, or drop a coin from the sky that could be collected and analysed, in the absence of this physical evidence and based on scientific reports that stated that life in other planets was impossible due to the lack of atmosphere, water, and air, the feeling of the panel was that all reports must be either fake or explainable because aliens were simply impossible.
However, there must have been a small doubt, because the idea that maybe, perhaps somewhere in the galaxy could live a different being, raised its head in the pages of the report. The report states that no member of the panel is able to conclusively state that aliens do not exist. The report goes on to say that even if the reports turn out to be true, and that UFOs are a fact. That there is no danger from these unexplained events.

CIA Library file
CIA report on UFOs
CSI

Hunted Hotels

2015-07-25T10:18:00.001-07:00

Last night was a stormy night, and because I am a bit crazy I decided to watch horror movies, who doesn’t like their ghost stories with a side of insomnia after all? My movie choices were “The Shinning” by my all-time favorite writer Stephen King

followed by “1408” which is also written by the Master of Horror Stephen King.

This led me to (Have insomnia) to look at some stories of Hotels that have been reportedly hunted throughout the years. Here are some of their stories.

Cecil Hotel

The Cecil Hotel in California has been home to several suicides and mysterious deaths throughout the years. The Hotel itself was buildt as an affordable hotel to tourists but in after the depression it became a haven for prostitutes, drug dealers and thieves.

In fact, Elizabeth Short AKA the black Dalia stayed at the Cecil Hotel on January 8 and 9 in 1947. No one ever found out who Elizabeth had come to stay with at the Hotel, but many employees came forward after her murder that claimed to have seen her in the Lobby.

In October of 1954 Helen Gurnee a 50 year old woman, registered under the name Margaret Brown stayed at the Hotel for a week. Before jumping to her death from the window of her room in the seventh floor and landing on the Marquee sign in the front of the Hotel.

On Oct 12 1962 Pauline Otten, a 27 year old woman jumped to her death from her ninth floor Window after having a fight with her husband. Her husband later said that he had decided to cut short the fight by taking a walk and going out for dinner. that was the last time he would see her alive. Pauline Otten jumped out of her window landing on George Giannini a 65 year old man who was walking by the hotel at the time, both died instantly.

On June 04th of 1964 Goldie Osgood or "the pigeon lady" to her friends since she spent her free time feeding the birds, She was a retired telephone operator who made ends meet by working at the Hotel was found murdered in her Hotel room. She had been strangled, Stabbed and raped. Close to her body police found a sac of pigeon food,

Hours later Jacques B. Ehlinger was apprehended in Pershing Plaza, his clothes were drenched in blood, but since no connection to the crime could be established he was not accused of the crime.

From 1984 to 1985 Richard Ramirez AKA the Night Stalker stayed at the Cecil Hotel at a room located in the top of the Hotel. During his stay he killed 13 women, after each killing he would simply dump his bloddy clothes in the hotel dumpster located in the alley behind the hotel.

Richard Ramirez

As many serial killers do, Ramirez had a fan. the most famous of his fans was Jack Underweger AKA the "Vienna woods Killer" who killed three prostitutes during his own stay at the Cecil Hotel.

Jack Unterweger

All of these stories are horrifying enough, but they all culminate with the unfortunate events that ocurred on January 31st 2013 when a Canadian National Elisa Lam went missing.

Elisa Lam was of Chinese decent, her family had moved from China to Canada years prior to the events of that night. Her mother and Father worked extremely hard to give Elisa and her younger sister the best life they could in their new country. Elisa worked hard during her short life, and many saw her as a quiet but happy individual. There have been conflicting reports about the events, since although some say she suffered from BIpolar disorder, others say she suffered from nothing more than shyness.

Elisa was a responsible young girl, whose only crime was to want to see the world before she began her life in the workforce and possibly getting married to her long time boyfriend, a young boy from Chinese decent. Elisa called her parents everyday to tell them she was alright and to speak to her young sister. on Feb 1st there was no phone call. After a couple of days, her parents called the Hotel to find out the whereabouts of their daughter. The Hotel manager checked her room and finding all of her things still unpacked decided to clear the room and keep her things in case she came back. They told the parents that perhaps she had simply moved on, since Elisa had expressed her desire to vacate the premises on Feb 01 to continue her across the United States.

Elisa parents were quick to respond. they got themselves on a plane and went straight to the police. The police began to plaster posters all over the vicinity.

Elisa Lam's property was taken to the police, at which point they found a small blue camara. as they developed the pictures they found the last one to be a bit puzzling since it did not quite fit with the rest which were normal tourist pictures of Elisa posing infront of the camara by one or another tourist site. the picture the police chose for their missing poster was one of theses pictures, in which you see a happy Elisa posing. The last picture however has dark connotations, its selfie taken in the her hotel room bathroom.

Elisa Lam was not found. However in the Hotel Cecil strange things were occurring. Several guests were reporting their water to have a sweet and pungent taste. As the guests would turn on their showers the water could ran black for a few minutes before returning to their normal clear color. Finally the water pressure stopped and the management finally saw it fit to send a repaiar man to the water tanks that were on top of the Hotel.

As he opened the tank he noticed that the water black and thick. Thinking that perhaps rats had climbed in and died inside the repair man opened up the valve and allowed the water to drain out of the tank. what he found was much more morbid than just a couple of rats floating at the bottom of the tank, Elisa Lam's body laid putrid and lifeless at the bottom of the tank.

The police rushed to the scene but fire fighters and rescue workers had to rush to the scene due to the small entrance hatch through which no human being could have entered, not even a small person such as Elisa.

Further investigation revealed a security tape in which Elisa can be seen entering the elevator at early hours of the morning, she presses several floors but the elevator does not move. she waits and then sticks out her head as if she has heard something outside the elevator...she walks out looks around, appears to see nothing but enters the elevator with fear and hides. She presses all of the floors again, but the doors continue to stay open. Again she appears to hear something walks out of the elevator and seems to see something towards the right of the elevator. She seems to talk to someone, waving her hands in the air in frustration and then stretches her hands in front of her as if trying to touch something.

Finally she exits the elevator and she is no longer seen. only moments later, the doors that had not closed for over three minutes while she was in the elevator close and the elevator begins to move.

She was never seen again.

It is also important to say that to get to the water tanks above the hotel Elisa would have to have opened the roof doors that had alarms and only Hotel employees had the keys to these doors.

Here are some videos on possible theories.

More hunted hotel stories to come ....(25/07/2015)

UFO's: Are they real?

2015-07-14T04:12:00.000-07:00

Have we been visited by extraterrestrials in the past? And are we being visited, and studied by them?

There are so many theories in the subject that it is hard to keep track. Some say that close encounters have been occurring and have been documented since the first man or woman took ink to stone. Some say that there are documented close encounters in the bible and could be the true origins of the idea of a God. There are so many theories, and I will not attempt to debunk or to certify any of them. My aim is to inform on as many theories and claims as possible, you can be the judge.

What is the difference between a first, second and a third encounter?

According to Wikipidia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_encounter) a close encounter is when a person witnesses a UFO, or an Unidentified Flying Object. This classification was first coined by Astronomer J Allen Hynek in 1972.

In his book The UFO EXPERIENCE: A SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. Hynek states that a scientific view must be taken for any UFO sighting to be taken seriously. He claims that to prevent any mistakes to be made (basically that we are actually seeing a UFO and not an airplane) the object must be seen from a height of no more than 500 feet.

Should you see an object from less than five hundred feet you then have three classification that the sighting can be classified under, these are

Nocturnal lights; Lights in the night sky,

radar-visuals; UFO reports that have Radar confirmed visuals,

daylight discs; UFO’s seen in the daylight sky.

Close encounters of the first kind are defined as a visual sighting of a UFO, when a sighting of the object has been seen at less than 500 feet.

A close encounter of the second kind is a UFO Sighting when a reaction has taken place do the object. This includes a disturbance in animal behavior, the interference of an electronic device, as in your radio going haywire, or your watch stopping, a physical reaction by the witness, as in loose of time, or paralysis, as well as a physical evidence of the object being left behind, such as scorch marks.

Close encounters of the third kind is when the subject not only sees the UFO but also sees the individual driving it. The creature, or humanoid, robot etc. must be present for an encounter to be classified as a third kind.

So now that we know what each encounter is, let’s take a look at some theories about why they come to earth in the first place…

Theories about UFO’s interest in EARTH.

Curiosity

Some claim that aliens are simply curious in regards to us, perhaps after they discovered our planet, scientists and alien tourists simply want to come down and have a look.

Minerals

Some say that perhaps earth has one kind of mineral that they do not contain in their planet, and so scavengers are sent down to extract the precious mineral. This was probably best represented in the movie “Aliens Vs Cowboys” where aliens had come down to extract gold during the cowboy period of the USA, maybe they got a flyer about the ‘Gold rush’!

To Protect

Some abductees claim to have been given visions about the earths doom, and therefore claim that aliens are coming down to prevent this from happening. This theory has also captured the imaginations of Hollywood producers, since it is the premise to “The day the earth stood still” I just hope all aliens are as good looking as Keanu Reeves.

Coexistence

Due to the high claims of experimentation, and sperm and egg removal a theory surfaced that claims that aliens are trying to genetically become more human so that they can coexist in our planet. Some women claim to have been impregnated, only to have the fetus removed weeks afterwards. This theory also extends to claim that perhaps the alien planet is or has been destroyed and so they have repopulate their species through dna manipulation. Superman anyone?

Invasion

This theory was popular about fifty years ago, but since so much time has past the theory is loosing its edge. Had aliens that years ahead of our technology come to invade our planet, I think they would have done a long time ago.

Now that we know possible reasons why they come here, lets get to the fun part….

Encounters of the third, second and third kind

David Noll and his wife from Western Ohio, USA

April 23^rd 2005

Mr. & Mrs. Noll are retired educators who live in a quiet suburban of Columbus Ohio. Both Mr. & Mrs. Noll where enjoying a nice relaxing moment sitting in the porch of their backyard when a large bright object appeared in the night southern sky. Mr. Noll took out his 7 x 50 field glasses thinking the object was perhaps a satellite. To his surprise what he saw was a rectangular shape of about 50 to 60 feet wide. It had five windows. Through one of the windows both Noll and his wife claim to have seen a man, of perhaps six foot tall, he was wearing a light colored suit that covered him from his neck to his arms. They continued to watch as the object hovered there for 40 minutes, the next night the object was still there. The object was made of a dark metal, and although rectangular in shape Noll claims that the sides of it where “fuzzy.”

Lech Chacinski from Szczecinek, Poland

Aug 11,2003 5 Am

Mr. Chacinski was driving down a deserted road at five in the morning close to the small city of szczcinek, Poland. When on the side of the road he could see three figures standing in a triangular formation. They were wearing what he thought were space suits. As his car was coming closer the figures stepped in front of the car, still in triangular formation. The individual in the front raised an arm in a “Stop” gesture. Chacinski felt as if he had no other choice and stopped the car. On top of the helmet he could see a communication antenna or device which suddenly lit up. He then heard a voice in his mind.

“can you hear us?” the voice asked “yes” he replied.

He stepped out of his car.

“What is your car made off?” they asked

“what are your clothes made off?”

“What kind of fuel runs your car?”

After answering these questions the beings told him that he should “Take care of the planet, or they would come back and destroy it”

According to the sources crop circles appear in this sector all the time.

(What I think of this account: To begin with, what was he doing out there at five in the morning? Was going to work? Or was he coming back from a bar? My other question is intergalactic beings come from millions of miles away to ask what kind of fashion materials we are using on earth? And finally, why would they destroy our earth if we are already doing such a great job of it ourselves?

George Adamski, USA

1950

According to some accounts Adamski was the first person to recount his first, second third kind encounter with aliens. Some however say that he made a living through made up stories and hoax pictures.

Adamski claims in his books “Flying saucers have landed” “inside space ships” and “flying saucers farewell” that he has been, and take trips with friendly Nordic space brothers.

October 9, 1946

During a meteor shower, Adamski and some friends claim to have seen a cigar shape mothership at the palomar gardens campground.

Summer 1947

Adamski claims he saw 184 UFO’s oass over the palomar Gardens

November 20, 1952

Adamski and some friends are in the Colorado desert, near the town of desert center, California when a large submarine object hovering in the sky. Adamski left the group believing that the UFO was in fact looking for him. He claims a small ship flew from the larger ship and came close to him. A humanoid that looked very much like THOR, with long blonde hair and tan skin came to him and communicated with him telepathically. He claims the alien introduced himself as Orthon from Venus. I guess Orthon had a tan being that Venus is a volcanic planet.

The Brazilian Navy Case

January 16 1958

While on a training exercice 48 seaman including their captain Carlos Alberto Bacellar and two civilians all witness several UFO’s flying past them. At the time they were travelling in the south Atlantic ocean near tinidade island. One of the civilians was a technical photographer who had his camara with him, and he was able to capture the event with several shots.

Anxious as they were, photographer Amiro Barauna and captain Carlos Alberto Bacellar made a makeshift darkroom within the ship to be able to print the now amazing pictures. Captain Barcella was present during the entire procedure to make sure the film was not tampered with.

On February 21^st, the president of Brazil juscelino Kubitschek came forward to claim that the photographs had been analysed by the navy and had certified them authentic.

*this is one of my favorite cases!

There are so many encounters out there I can’t write them all down, but check out the links below for more encounter of the third kind.

http://www.ufoevidence.org/Cases/CaseView.asp?section=CE3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_encounter

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/pictured-ufo-sighting-leaves-experts-6061514

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/nasa-videos-show-ufos-flying-from-earth-just-before-feeds-are-cut-off-conspiracy-theorists-say-10354504.html

http://www.aliens-everything-you-want-to-know.com/GeorgeAdamski.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Adamski

Martyr or murdered?

2014-08-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

To the people of Brittany, that September day in 1440 must have seen like the ending of the world. The magnificent, prodigiously wealthy Baron Gilles de Rais had been arrested and charged with sorcery, sacrilege and the ritual murder of little children.

Even in the brilliant and extravagant court of 15^th century, few careers had been so meteoric as that of Gilles. Heir to the greatest barony of Brittany, he had fought with Joan of Arc against England and was marshal of France at the age of 24. So rich did he become, that the number and splendor of his castles were second only to those of the King.

Then the blow fell. The prosecutors alleged that he maintained an Italian magician, Francesco Prelati, with whose assistance he had kidnapped and murdered large number of children. Their blood was alleged to have been used by Gilles, in fearsome potions, to gain magical powers over his enemies.

On October 21, the marshal confessed to all the crimes with which he had been charged, and explained that his motives were simply to gratify his passions. ‘I tell you there was no other motive. Have I not already told you enough to put ten thousand men to death?’

Gilles was hanged with his associates in Nantes, before the end of October. Few people doubted his guilt. After all, surely no man, not even Gilles, could have achieved so much without the assistance from the devil?

But the trial was held behind closed doors and there were some disquieting doubts. Gilles henchmen were certainly tortured, and the baron may have been subjected to the same treatment himself. Was he the victim of a conspiracy? If so, suspicion falls on John, Duke of Brittany, who stood to gain de Rais’ Lands.

Gilles was an easy target for accusations of sorcery, for he paid scant regard to conventional morality and interested himself in alchemy and astrology. Also, his gluttony, extravagance and sexual activities were notorious. Regrettable, perhaps, but no evidence that he was murdered of children.

Why then, if he was innocent, did he confess to such foul crimes? Perhaps he did so under torture. But there is a more likely explanation.

Gilles knew that once under the power of his enemies he was doomed, and since his life was forfeit in any case, his only concern would be the safety and welfare of his family.

If Gilles denied the charges and was found guilty, his lands and wealth would be confiscated. But, if he confessed and died repentant, then the law provided that at least part of his estate would pass to his children.

And so it happened. Although Gilles castles were granted to the Duke of Brittany, most of his wealth remained with this family who suffered no great disgrace.

Some of them rose to high office in royal service-but none became so dangerously rich and powerful as Gilles himself.

However, many still believe that his confession was real. He himself stated that the first assault to children was in the Spring of 1432 in Champtoce-sur-loire. He then moved to Machecoul were he killed or ordered children to be killed after he sodomise them. 40 bodies are said to have been recovered from Machecoul in 1437.

The first boy that was said to have been kidnapped and latered killed was a boy, named Jeudon. He was 12 years old at the time of his dissaperence. According to the records, the boy was asked by a cousin of Gilles to take a message to Machecoul, when the boy disappeared an investigation was began, but Gilles said he had never arrived, and so he was thought to have been lost in the trail to thieves.

Jean bennedetti wrote a biography about Gilles, in which he says the boys were always invited into the house, dressed like a king and then allowed to eat a feast were they drank alcoholic beverages. Gilles then would take the boy into a private room where he would rape and kill them.

Gilles' bodyservant Étienne Corrillaut, known as Poitou, was an accomplice in many of the crimes and testified that his master hung his victims with ropes from a hook to prevent the child from crying out, then masturbated upon the child's belly or thighs. Taking the victim down, Rais comforted the child and assured him he only wanted to play with him. Gilles then either killed the child himself or had the child killed by his cousin Gilles de Sillé, Poitou or another bodyservant called Henriet. The victims were killed by decapitation, cutting of their throats, dismemberment, or breaking of their necks with a stick. A short, thick, double-edged sword called a braquemard was kept at hand for the murders. Poitou further testified that Rais sometimes abused the victims (whether boys or girls) before wounding them and at other times after the victim had been slashed in the throat or decapitated. According to Poitou, Rais disdained the victim's sexual organs, and took "infinitely more pleasure in debauching himself in this manner ... than in using their natural orifice, in the normal manner."

In his own confession, Gilles testified that “when the said children were dead, he kissed them and those who had the most handsome limbs and heads he held up to admire them, and had their bodies cruelly cut open and took delight at the sight of their inner organs; and very often when the children were dying he sat on their stomachs and took pleasure in seeing them die and laughed”.

Poitou testified that he and Henriet burned the bodies in the fireplace in Gilles' room. The clothes of the victim were placed into the fire piece by piece so they burned slowly and the smell was minimized. The ashes were then thrown into the cesspit, the moat, or other hiding places. The last recorded murder was of the son of Éonnet de Villeblanche and his wife Macée. Poitou paid 20 sous to have a page's doublet made for the victim, who was then assaulted, murdered, and incinerated in August 1440.

In 1438, according to testimony at his trial from the priest Eustache Blanchet and the cleric François Prelati, de Rais sent out Blanchet to seek individuals who knew alchemy and demon summoning. Blanchet contacted Prelati in Florence and convinced him to take service with his master. Having reviewed the magical books of Prelati and a traveling Breton, de Rais chose to initiate experiments, the first being in the lower hall of his castle at Tiffauges, to summon a demon named Barron. De Rais provided a contract with the demon for riches that Prelati was to give to the demon at a later time.

As no demon manifested after three tries, the Marshal grew frustrated with the lack of results. Prelati responded the demon summoned, named Barron, was angry and required the offering of parts of a child. De Rais provided these remnants in a glass vessel at a future invocation.

Now you decide….

Hollywood Superstitions

2014-07-31T07:45:00.002-07:00

Every one has one or two things that we sort of believe in, something that we do for good luck. A lucky pen that we take our tests with, a lucky charm we carry everywhere. Dice in our car to keep accidents away (even thought we can't see through them).

I was wondering about the superstitions the great and powerful in Hollywood have. I mean if anyone bases their carrer in luck and talent, its them. why do some become great when their acting is mediocre and some stay behind when their acting is great? could it be all just luck?

Lets look at some charms and superstitions in Hollywood.

First night telegrams, congratulating actors ont their performances, are usually stuck on dressing room mirrors. if they turn yellow quickly, it is considered a sign that a production will enjoy a long run.

When the show closes, each telegram must be taken down after each actor's last entrance on teh final night. some are torn up, especcially if the show has not been a success. Others are kept in the hope that the 'good luck' will continue.

Wishing an Actor "A good run" or to say "good luck" is considered a jinx. but wishing the actor a "great opening" or saying "Break a leg" is considered good luck.

Did you know that if an actor uses an used soap that belongs to a "lucky" colleague they believe that that luck will rub off on them. but is a lucky Actor forgets the soap, the luck will run out, and they may never be employed again?

good luck charms is something that most of us have, or believe in. cats are usually unlucky for most people, but for actors they are good luck. The British actor John Mills had a lucky black cat that he took every where and was kept in his dressing room.

Hollywood star John Wayne always used the same six-gun he used in his first western. and James Stewart wore the same hat all through out his career.

John Wayne and his six-shotter

Like I said cats are considered bad luck every where except in the theater and Hollywood. but should one of those cats run across the stage during a performance it is considered bad luck, which makes sense. can you imagine a roman empire scene where the emperor's wife is dying in his arms, and all of the sudden a cat runs across the stage? I would say that would be bad luck.

opening an umbrella on stage is bad luck, dropping a comb on stage is asking for trouble. and if someone is knitting anywhere near the stage the actors should expect trouble to be on its way. (maybe because the person does not find their acting interesting enough to watch)

The worst omen possible for actors however is inside their dressing room. should someone whistle in a dressing room it means that one of the casts will soon be out of a job. the person who whistled must leave the dressing room, turn around three times, and knock three times before re-entering to vanish the bad omen.

If a director wants his play to succeed the last line of the play must never be rehearsed. A good problem free dress rehearsal must mean that the opening night will be a failure, however it is considered good luck if there are lots of problems during the rehearsal.

so to you actors out there I would just like to say, may your cat stay in dressing room, may you break a leg and may your dress rehearsal always be disastrous.

Olympia Springs meat shower - 1876

2014-03-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

At 2 Pm, March 03rd (Friday) Allen Crouch sat in his living room of his Family farm in Kentucky, when screams from his wife arose him to action. His Wife had been busy outside making soup when all of the sudden chunks of fresh meat began to fall on her.

The meat shower continued for 3 to 5 minutes before the sunny, windless afternoon returned to its precious calm state. what was left were chunks of meat and blood splattered all over the ground. The rain had covered the Farm the size of a football field.

People from the town came as soon as they heard of the event to collect the fallen flesh, or what was left of it since the animals of the farm where already in the process of eating it.

The towns people found the situation so intriguing that some of them decided to cook it and eat to figure out what it might be. those who tasted the meat later told the New York times that it tasted like Venison. One of those adventurous Americans was Benjamin Franklin Allington a bear hunter, and he proclaimed that the meat was most certainly bear meat.

Samples of the meat where shipped to universities to try and figure out what it was, and perhaps how it had come to fall from the sky.

All of the scientific tests where inconclusive, although theories of what the meat actually was range from Horse lungs, Human babies, Human beings, and perhaps regurgitated animal meat from flying buzzards. (I do hope that the poor folks who tasted the meat didn't hear that theory)

Other theories about the cause of the meat rain were that perhaps some one got caught in a tornado holding a knife, cut themselves into tiny little pieces, and when the tornado finished its course the pieces fell from the sky. This theory does not make sense how ever because it was only flesh that fell from the sky, and not bone.

Another theory is that Buzzards had feasted on horse meat and just as they were passing the farm, they all decided to regurgitate the meat at the same time, which also does not make sense because why would they all decide to regurgitate the meat at the same time? and how many Buzzards would have to vomit to cover the size of a football field? and if there happened to be hundreds of birds flying at the same time, how come no one saw them?

Another theory states that if fallen stars and rock fall from the stars why not cosmic meat? This theory I don't even have to try to discredit because its just retarded and I cant believe a scientist came up with it. The theory states that just a worlds hundreds of millions of miles away explode and the rock from these worlds fall from time to time on our world, so can the citizens of such world disintegrate into little pieces and fall on our world, except that it happened in a small farm, and only once in the history of human kind. right...

Here is my theory...ready?

Pissed off wive sees her husband drinking lemonade in the cold shade of the house, gets angry that she is outside making meat, fat and bone into soap while he stretches his legs, decides to grab the load and throw it in a fit of madness. She then realizes that everyone will be talking about her, and since its 1876 her husband will probably also give her a good spanking for her trouble. So, she makes up a story that the meat just fell from the sky.

What about the witnesses you say? well it all happened in the crouch family farm, the only witness was a slave and mrs. Crouch who could have told him that if he speaks he dies.

What do you think?

Bananas with a twist

2014-03-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

You're in the store, and as a last item you pop some bananas in your cart. You come home, hang out with the wife and kids and reach for one of those bananas. When all of the sudden you see a swarm of spiders cascade out of the yellow fruit. Sounds like a horror movie?

Well for Jamie and Crystal Roberts from Hednesford, Staffordshire that is exactly what happened. On a day like any other Jamie had purchased a bunch of Bananas from the onestop around the corner, he had noticed a white patch on them before he purchased the Bananas but dismissed as a bit of dirt or moss.

He deposited the Bananas by a window sill, and when he went to get one he noticed hundreds of little spiders swarming the bananas and by this time his window.

He called up the store manager who told him to get out of the house and call pest control. Probably a really good idea since after doing some research on the web Crystal realized that the spiders where Brazilian Wandering Spiders, or if you wish to call them by their scientific name "Phoneutria Nigriventer"

In Greek, phoneutria means the murderess. This name was given due to the highly deadly venon these spiders contain, the bite of one can conduce to heart failure, and even death on a human.

Thankfully the couple's children Georgina 7 and Joshua 5 were not harmed by the spiders.

To make matters worse Jamie suffers from arachnophobia, which is the fear of spiders, so I doubt he will be buying any Bananas soon.

The Mahabharata

2013-11-24T06:12:00.001-08:00

The Mahabharata

A Guide to life

By Adriana Moran Diaz

Lit 230-302

Thesis Statement: The Mahabharata is a guide to life.

I- Only when a man makes a decision can he be distinguished as a righteous man.

a)Yudhistira Plays dice.

II-Human action VS Godly action

a) Human action is based on earthly motives

b) Gods Have no need for earthly motives

c) Krishna’s words of justice

III-Humans have the gift of wisdom.

a)The fable of the Grandfather and the Grandson

b) Law of Karma

For an individual to read The Mahabharata and be able to discover the true meaning behind the words, the reader would have to read with the eyes of the soul, and not the eyes of the body. The Mahabharata was written to impress upon the reader the paths of righteousness and how to distinguish between right and wrong. The Mahabharata is a guide to life where the reader can find examples of behavior and how to distinguish the Right path to take.

As a story The Mahabharata is full of fables and amazing tales of semi Gods. Yet, it is when a man makes a decision that he can distinguish himself as a righteous man. To exemplify this point one can refer to the fable of Yudhistira in which he chooses to gamble by playing a game of dice and therefore loosing his entire kingdom.

“I cannot reproach you for your words and for the feeling behind them. I agree that it was all my mistake. I confess to something now. I agreed to gambling only with a secret hope that I would be able to snatch away the whole Kingdom and sovereignty from Duryodhana and maki him my vassal, while we had only half the kingdom after our return from Pancala Sesa; but he played with the aid of that expert, Sukini, and now I am paying for my own cupidity, which I had not confessed to any one till now.” (The Mahabharata, Pg 80)

Within this paragraph there is more than Yudhistira confessing to a love for gambling. Yudhistira is accepting his human half. If one believes in the Gods of the old, then one would say that Gods do not commit sins, yet Yudhistura has commited a sort of sin by allowing himself to gamble. This is a weakness that Gods should not have. Yudhistira desires power and fortune. A God would have no need for Power or for fortune and so he would not desire them. Yudhistira makes his decision to gamble based on an earthly desire to obtain riches and power. This choice allows the reader to differentiate between a Godly action and a Human Action.

Before we can continue perhaps it would be wise to define what a Human action is. A human action is an action based solely on earthly motives. Motives such as vanity, greed, hatred and vengeance are beyond Gods because they have no need for them. This definition is molded out of reading The Mahabharata.One way to demonstrate this would be by reading the passage in which Krishna finds out what has come about due to the gambling game and speaks to Yudhistira

“I had to be away in another mission. Otherwise I would have come to Hastinapura and stopped the game which has brought you to this pass. I would have persuaded the Kauravas to give up their sinful ways-or I would have destroyed them all on the spot” (Page 76)

Krishna is a God that has been born to a human. This does not mean that his soul is human. His soul is Godly. He knows all that has happened and all that will come to pass. Within this paragraph one can see that Krishna finds no fault in Yudhistira for playing dice. Krishna knows that it was a human mistake and no ill intensions laid behind his actions. Yudistira did not play in order to banish his cousins, or to embarrass his cousins the way his cousins embarrass Yudhistira and his family. Krishna, however, knows that the Kauravas had played with malicious intent. The Kauravas had only played seeking the destruction of their cousins.

When Krishna tells Yudhistira that he would have killed the Kauravas if they had not stopped pursuing their sinful actions he was telling the truth. But, he did not say it out of anger, or vengeance. It is justice that made Krishna utters those words. The Kauravas had been performing a sinful action and their death would be justice. Krishna however tells Yudhistira that he had been away in another mission and therefore had not been there to help them. He might have been in another mission, but, what Krishna does not say is that Yudhistira has to go through this episode to understand a part of him, and Krishna would not have been able to destroy the Kauravas because the pandavas had to recover their kingdom by fighting and destroying the Kauravas.

The Mahabarata also shows that one does not need to be a God to do Godly actions or to be as wise as a God. There is a story within the fable in which a Grandson asks his Grandfather if blind forgiveness is superior to judicious anger.

To this the Grandfather replied

“Child, Aggressiveness is not always good, nor is forgiveness. One who is known to be forgiving always suffers. Servants, strangers, and enemies ill treat him, steal his goods under his very nose, and even try to take his wife away. The evil minded will never be affected by compassion. Equally bad is indiscriminate anger and the exercise of force. A man of anger and violence will be hated by everyone, and suffer the consequences of his own recklessness. One should show forgiveness or righteous anger as the situation may demand” (pg 77)

Within these words is a wisdom brought on by a human being that had no Godly powers. This exemplifies how Humans can know the way to the righteous path. It also shows how one does not have to have a God whispering in their shoulder to know what is right and what is wrong.

This paragraph refers to the balance of nature. One must know good to know evil and visa versa. To appreciate the wisdom behind this words one would have to know the law of Karma, What you give out comes back to you. In the case of the man who is always obsessively angry it is easy to see how Karma would work. He would be so full of hatred that he would end up hurting innocent people that do not deserve to get hurt. Karma in turn would bring back the same amount of hurt to him. In the case of the man who always forgives one could think that it is only because others are taking advantage of him that he would suffer. Yet, Karma plays into this as well, since Karma would have to give back the same amount of pain to the ones who are hurting him.

If one reads the Mahabarata with human eyes, than the reader will see nothing more than an adventure story. Yet, if one would be able to read with the eyes of the soul, one would be able to see the Mahabarata for its true reason for being. The Mahabarata is a guide to righteous the path and liberating truth.

Nuclear Energy

2013-11-24T05:50:00.001-08:00

Nuclear Energy, which is created inside a nuclear reactor, is a form of power which has become an essential part of today's society. Does this source of energy benefit the lives of human beings, particularly Canadians and the rest of the world? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, or does this form of energy create a hazard to the Earth? Are human beings being subjected to harmful radiants? Are the hazards of nuclear energy over-exagerated? Canada, as the likes of many other countries around the world, has come to the point of deciding to what (if any ) degree it will or it should use Nuclear energy.

SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY

A nuclear reactor is a device which produces heat. In the reactor, heavy water (water with a mass number greater than one) also known as 'deuterium oxide', is heated up and the steam produced is used to spin large turbines, which in turn drive generators that produce electricity.[1]

Synopsis of reaction:

There is more than one type of nuclear reactor in use throughout the world, though clearly they all work on the same principle, by creating 'a nuclear reaction'. The process which makes a nuclear reaction happen is known as 'nuclear fission'. Using the large nucleus of a uranium atom as the basis for this reaction, a neutron collides with the uranium nucleus to begin the process. The large nucleus then splits into two smaller nuclei and these are known as Fission products. From this reaction energy is released in the form of heat, and several neutrons are also emitted as by-products. Finally, the heavy uranium nucleus emits rays during this transformation. These rays are called alpha, beta and gamma rays. These rays are a form a radiation which is known as 'radioactivity'.[2]

This fission reaction can be done over and over again to produce a constant source of energy. There is a chain reaction that occurs, the two or three neutrons that are emitted as a by-product of the reaction are then sent flying off into other uranium nuclei, and the process is started all over again.

Since the sub-atomic particles are moving at very fast rates, the speed of the colliding neutrons must be slowed down, and Canadian reactors use heavy water to do this. This is why the Canadian reactors are known as CANDU reactors, CANada Deuterium Uranium. There are more than twenty of these 'CANDU' reactors operating in Canada today. Of course, as mentioned not all countries have the same kind of nuclear reactor. For instance, instead of using heavy water to cool the reaction down, reactors in Great Britain use gas-cooled reactors.[3]

The nuclear process is one which requires Uranium, this is an element found in great abundance in the Earth's crust. It is mined and extracted from both open pit and underground mines. Canada is has large deposits of this mineral in several regions. One of these regions is in northern Saskatchewan's Athabasca basin where open pit mines yield 60% of Canada's uranium supply; and the other region is in Ontario's Elliot Lake district, where underground mining brings the other 40% of Canada's uranium supply.[4]

The Fuel Cycle:

The uranium which is mined from the Earth's crust is extracted in raw ore state. There is a process which prepares the element for use in the actual reactor. This is known as the CANDU fuel cycle. After the ore is taken from the mines in Canada it is crushed into tiny fragments and shipped for milling. The uranium is then ground into a fine powder and chemically treated to produce a uranium concentrate. This concentrated element is refined and processed to from hard ceramic pellets.[5]

These pellets look like one-inch stacks of dimes, and are the fuel for the basic nuclear reaction. The pellets are then placed in rods and packed in a fuel bundle about 10cm in diameter and 50cm long, weighing about 25Kg.

The actual reaction is only a small part of the nuclear process, which can be split into several sections. There are two very distinct parts to a nuclear power station, the nuclear reactor and the turbine that produces electricity. In the reactor (1), heavy water is heated up by the energy released when uranium atoms are split. The reactor has the same use as a furnace where coal, gas, or oil is heated up to make steam. The heavy water circulates through a heat exchanger (2), Where it boils ordinary water to produce steam (3). The heavy water is then circulated back to the reactor (4). The steam produced in the heat exchanger passes through a turbine (5), causing it to turn. The turbine (5) is connected to a generator which produces electricity to provide energy to households and industries. The steam leaving the turbine is turned back into ordinary water when it is cooled in a condenser (6). The ordinary water (7) is then recycled back through the heat exchanger and the cycle begins again.[6]

Safety:

"All man-made facilities should be designed to be safe, whether they be football stadia, chemical factories, houses or nuclear power generating stations. What is 'safe' is normally defined by government at some level or other, or by professional bodies so authorized by government... emergency measured have to be initiated to cope with unusual circumstances. (situations that should not have happened.)[7]

The safety of nuclear reactors is a major concern to everyone. CANDU reactors have numerous shut-down procedures and precautions that can be utilized in an emergency situation. The safety philosophy used in the CANDU nuclear power plants is to limit the chances of an accident occurring and to limit the effects of an accident should one occur. This is called the 'defense in depth' approach. There are five main defense in depth areas:

1. High quality station equipment

2. Nuclear plant operator training

3. Fault detection and correction

4. Independent safety systems

5. Containment systems

All equipment used in or around the CANDU reactors are tested to make sure that they are of the highest quality. All critical pieces are duplicated so that if a sensing device breaks down, a second identical device can take over. This makes sure that one component doesn't jeopardize the operation of the station.

The nuclear reactor operators are highly trained, skilled individuals. they are carefully selected and spend about eight years in training. They have to pass a series of exams before they can become licensed operators. The Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) set these exams and control who passes and who does not.

Each nuclear power plant has a geiger counter which can detect event the most minor earthquake and take precautions to protect the reactor.

Canadian reactors are equipped with safety systems with the sole purpose of shutting down the reactor in the event of any major equipment malfunction. In the CANDU reactors these systems include:

- the high speed insertion of shut-off rods into the reactor to immediately stop the nuclear reaction.

- the injection of products into the reactor to further stop the nuclear reaction.

- the discharging of the moderator, needed to sustain the nuclear reaction.

Canadian nuclear reactors are also equipped with an emergency cooling system which would continue to remove heat from the reactor should the primary cooling system fail.

There is also a containment system that surrounds the reactor so that the radioactive pollutant does not escape into the surrounding environment. The walls of the containment building are about 1.8m thick. There is also a vacuum that is hooked up to the reactors, which helps assume some of the containment function.[8]

Nuclear Waste:

After the uranium is mined, processed and then reacted, there is radioactive waste that must be dealt with. The control and risk involved in the managing of these wastes is a concern that is taken care of with stringent policies. Two types of wastes are generated by a nuclear reactor one being low-level waste, which would be items such as buckets, clothing, gloves, mops and other items that as come into contact with radioactive material. The other type of radioactive waste which makes up 99% of all radioactive waste is fuel that has been in a reactor for more than 1.5 years, and is called high-level waste.

The low-level waste is stored in concrete buildings either above or below the ground. The high-level waste are removed from the reactors with special machines and are then moved to storage bays that look like giant swimming pools, they are located within the power station and are used to shield the radiation from the environment. After 5 years of storage in these pools, it is possible to move the waste to a dry storage facilities.

Although most of the radioactive waste is stored on-site, there are some areas of Canada that have disposal vaults created to keep some of the high-level waste safe from people and the environment. They are like underground mines, here experiments are conducted, and the waste is kept 1000 meters below the surface of the Earth compacted in clay. The vault is then tested for leaks, and radiation, and then backfilled. The surface would then be returned to normal use. A single vault could hold all the radioactive waste from all Canadian reactors in a 100 year period. These vaults can only be placed in areas where there are no earthquakes, the Canadian Shield fits this description.[9]

THE SOLUTIONS

There are three ways that the Nuclear issue can be solved. The first would be to have nuclear power stations in several areas in Canada, with numerous nuclear reactors in some provinces. The second solution would be to stop the construction of all nuclear power stations, and to shut down the existing reactors. The third and final solution would be to have nuclear power in Canada with very strict laws and regulations on where they can be placed, and on how many reactors can be built in a certain area and during a certain time span.

THE OUTCOMES

If nuclear power plants were the primary power source of Canada and it's population, there would be many advantages and some disadvantages. First the advantages. Nuclear power is a very efficient and cheap operating method of producing energy in comparison to oil, and coal energy production.

The Efficiency of nuclear energy

500 grams | coal | = 1.5 KW hours |

500 grams | oil | = 2.0 KW hours |

500 grams | uranium | =82,000 KW hours |

The electricity needs of Canada increase every year, we must use a source of energy that will be able to power our country for many years to come. With coal and oil already being mined for many years, they cannot last for very long. Uranium, however, has been mined since 1962, and is in great abundance, with only small amounts being used for Canada, and 85% exported to other countries, for use in their nuclear facilities.

Two nuclear power stations produce just as much electricity as the James Bay hydro-electric development in in Quebec. Using uranium saves money and energy, less coal has to be imported from the U.S.

Nuclear energy is better for the environment than the coal and oil-burning power plants. There is no smoke, there is no combustion products that escape into the atmosphere. Nuclear reactors produce steam instead of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fly ash. This helps avoid the 'greenhouse effect' which threatens to make global temperatures rise, causing flooding of many areas in Canada, and droughts in other areas of the country. The process used in creating nuclear energy does not emit sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides, both created in the burning of coal. These chemicals are the main reason for 'acid rain' and for the killing of thousands of lakes, bodies of water and forests both in Canada and worldwide. With nuclear energy, there is no need for the flooding of large areas, no need to disrupt millions of hectares of land and areas, no need to disrupt millions of hectares of land and communities to generate power, as is necessary with hydro-electric power.

There is no need for long transmission lines when using the nuclear reactors, they can be built relatively close to the population they will be serving. For instance, the Pickering power station is 32km from Toronto, on the shore of Lake Ontario.

There would be little waste involved with nuclear energy, compared to the amount produced by burning coal. The waste from nuclear energy is contained in a small area, below ground in a vault (as explained earlier on), the waste from coal burning is released all over the atmosphere and left to disperse in the sky and fall to the ground.

Nuclear energy is the answer for countries which do not have natural resources on their land. If there are no fossil fuels available then the best option would be to build a reactor to fill the power needs of the population.

The nuclear industry will create thousands of jobs for Canadians. The mining, the production of reactor fuel, the manufacture of equipment, and the generation of electricity all employ thousands of people.

Radiation from the nuclear power stations is extremely minimal. Compared to watching television, getting x-rayed at the doctors office, flying in a plane, or using a microwave, the amount of radiation people get from living near a reactor is very minimal.

5 millirem: The amount of natural radiation that a person gets on the outside perimeter of a nuclear generating station in one year.

220 millirem: The normal background radiation from natural sources each year at sea level. This is the average minimum dose received by most people on Earth and the probability of cancer is 1 in a population of 100,000.

10,000 millirem: If given instantaneously, it would not cause obvious illness; it might cause cancer many years later in 1 in 1,000 people exposed to this dose.[10]

If all construction of nuclear power stations were ceased, and Canada shut down all it's nuclear reactors in operation at this moment, there would be benefits and disadvantages in many aspects of this solution. To start, the risk of having any sort of radioactive spill, emission, accident, or any other form of radioactive leak is nullified right off the bat. There will be no more danger to the population of Canada to do with nuclear waste transport, or storage. There will never be another mishap to do with mining, milling, or refining uranium into nuclear reactor fuel pellets in Canada.

With the absence of nuclear power people will not be exposed to the nuclear radiation that is associated with the operation of the power station. There will be no genetic defects, cancer, injury or death caused by radiation any longer.

The hazardous working conditions that the people who are employed by the nuclear industry will be no more, people will not be needlessly exposed to harmful radioactivity.

If a full-fledged accident ever occurred with a nuclear reactor, thousands would die immediately, their systems would not be able to function with such large amounts of radioactive material within itself. Other residents of close proximity to the accident that do not die are very susceptible to cancer, this would eventually kill them as well. There are many genetic effects that could affect future generations of humanity. Large land areas would become contaminated by the poisons, prohibiting further habitation or cultivation uses.

If nuclear power were banished in Canada, electricity would not be as attainable as it currently is. There would be blackouts during certain periods of the night, and power shortages would become unavoidable. This is because the fossil fuel burning plants simply do not produce as much energy as does a nuclear power station.[11] One way to heal this problem would be to build more fossil fuel burning plants. Drawbacks to this idea include, having more pollution in the atmosphere, speeding up the effects and symptoms of the greenhouse effect, the acid rain problem and the ozone layer depletion. Another drawback of having more fossil fuel plants would be that it would be imperative for Canada to purchase more fuel for the power plants to burn annually.

As a result of not having nuclear energy, Canada would be able to export 100% of it's uranium ore. Bringing in money that would be needed to combat the power shortages and prices of new fossil fuel burning stations. Canada would also have to look towards new directions in solving the energy crisis, the country could begin to use wind power, solar power, and thermal energy which is found in the core of the Earth, and the energy attained from burning garbage.

If nuclear power stations were allowed in Canada but only under the condition that they were placed in very secluded parts of Canada, there would be advantages and disadvantages.

The population of Canada would be exposed to less radiation than they currently are being subjected to. This would result from the sheer distance of the nuclear reactor to the nearest populated city. Not only would the radiation hazard be less of a problem, but the hazard of having a radioactive spill, accident, or a nuclear meltdown affecting thousands of people would be decreased dramatically. The scenario of having many deaths and birth defects would be one that could never happen.

The reactors would be placed in regions of the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territories, and northern Quebec. This would make use of land that is not currently in use, settling the north, creating jobs for people that would not have the opportunity to ] a job otherwise.

The disadvantages of this situation begin with the fact that the shear distance of transferring the electricity to the different cities in need of energy would be done primarily with power lines, which are often inefficient and costly.

Much of the land in the Northwest and Yukon Territories is inhabited by Native peoples, their culture might become disrupted with the intrusion of a nuclear power plant in close proximity to their burial grounds, villages or hunting areas.

Since a reactor takes hundreds of people to maintain it, the families of the workers, technicians, and operators involved in the power station would eventually settle in the region. This would create a small community and possibly a city, and could give the economy of the area a little 'boost'.

INTEREST GROUPS

There are several interest groups which are associated with nuclear energy. They include, homeowners close to a nuclear power station (which also include the employees of nuclear industries), all Canadian homeowners, environmental groups such as Greenpeace (who are anti-nuclear), and pro-nuclear groups such as the atomic energy control board (AECB).

The first group, homeowners who are close to a nuclear power station, have some mixed views about nuclear power. These homeowners feel, that by allowing uninhibited use of nuclear power stations in Canada, that they can live everyday normal and comfortable lives. There are small risks of food and drinking water contamination but these are risks which they feel they are able to live with.

Even with the knowledge that they are only receiving 5 millirems of radiation every year, and that this amount is the same amount of radiation as a person on a round trip from Toronto to Vancouver would be exposed to, they are still reluctant to consider that their living environment is safe enough.

This interest group probably has many associates who work directly, or who have family working in the nuclear power industry.

The associates of this interest group probably would be happy to have a direct or indirect link to a secure, high-paying job with a crown corporation.

What if nuclear power stations were banned and ceased producing energy? In this case the local homeowners would be more displeased than pleased. Yes, it is true that the threat of radiation emissions contaminating the food and drinking water would cease to exist.

What about the economic viewpoint? The families of the

workers (who worked in the nuclear power stations) and the community (surrounding the nuke power station) would feel an economic slow-down due to abstinence of demand (no cash flow, no business, no demand). A loss of a nuclear power station would very much annoy this interest group as they would suffer economically.

We know come to the issue of our daily habits. These people, like all other Canadians, are used to the availability of electricity at the flick of a switch. They would have the annoyance of blackouts and power shortages, something that materialistic Canadians would not be ready to accept.

How about limiting these nuclear power stations and moving them areas in Canada which are sparsely populated? When the nuclear plant has moved, it would mean one less risk factor in the community. There would be no risk of nuclear waste contaminents found in the food and\or water supply.

If nuclear power plant is moved, the workers (and their respective families) would have to move to relocate their jobs. However, a move from a dense area (such as Pickering) to a sparsely populated area in the northern areas of Canada would create a drastic change in a family's living environment. Are there enough Canadians who are willing to work in jobs away from the convenience of large industrialized city?

The second group, the people employed by the nuclear industry would probably be happy by having nuclear energy as the primary energy source of Canada. These people's jobs would remain, which means a constant and secure source of income.

The lives of these employees will not change, they work in the industry knowing all the benefits of nuclear energy used in powering a large share of the country's energy.

If nuclear power stations would cease to exist and produce energy, many of Canada's jobs would be on the line. Actually, about 100,000 people would be put out of work. All these people are employed either directly or indirectly through the nuclear industry. This represents a large part of this country's workforce.

This interest group would protest the extinction of nuclear energy the most. These workers would have no more jobs. They have to receive re-training, re-establish themselves in a the field of the new energy source (if there was one), and they would have to move to their jobs.

The third group, Canadian homeowners, would (by the majority, but not all) want to have nuclear power as a main source of energy for Canada. All Canadians are used to having energy available by using a plug or switch. Every day of our lives, we can turn on light switches, we can turn on our televisions and VCR's, and we can turn on our household appliances. Canadians enjoy the energy sources and uses as they are today.

Most people watch t.v. and the nuclear energy commercials which show 'their energy' to be harmless and efficient. In today's society, Canadians are more concerned with the air they breath, and the sun which tans their skin, than the contaminants which lie 1km below the ground. For most Canadians, Nuclear energy is the cheapest and cleanest way to produce energy.

The only time Canadians do complain about our energy situation, is during the blackouts of electricity. It is vital for Canadians to have Nuclear power because it is constant source of energy which causes less of burden (in their minds) than other energy sources.

Canada could one day decide to stop using nuclear power stations as a source of energy. Many Canadians would be unhappy about such a decision. Canadians would have to accept alternate energy sources, such as: Windmills in their gardens or Solar panels on their roofs. These sources of energy work only during specific conditions and\or times of the day. Another source of energy could come from less efficient coal and oil-burning energy stations. For most Canadians, living with uncertain energy sources would be costly, both in the economical and the cultural sense.

Canadian homeowners would probably be most happy with the third solution (discussed earlier). Nobody wants to have a nuclear power station in their backyards or within vicinity of their homes. Any nuclear meltdown or accident of any kind would affects a lot less, if these nuke power plants were far away in northern Canada.

Most citizens are also aware of the radiation which emitted from these power stations, and would please the citizens to know that such a 'station' is hundreds of km's away from their homes.

A move of nuclear power stations to the northern regions of Canada would cause an annoyance for the workers in the nuclear industry. Even though their jobs would be kept, they would have to relocate to these isolated regions of Canada. The fact that a nuke plant is relocating is indifferent to them because they still have work in the nuclear industry environment.

These workers would be happy that they did not lose their jobs and that are given a chance to continue working in the nuclear industry even it would mean working and living in a new environment. Many families would have to be dislodged as they would have difficulties settling in a new environment.(other spouse may have a job; kids in school; etc...).

In Canada, there is one global interest group in particular, which is dedicated to protecting the environment and it opposes the use of nuclear energy, this group is known as Greenpeace.

Greenpeace is a group that opposes nuclear energy, they believe that the radiation is a problem for society. Greenpeace feels that radiation from nuclear energy inflicts serious harm and damage to our environment. This organization feels that many people are being harmed by the radiation that is being emitted from the plants. They value the protection of the world's environment, and they are against anything that harms it. This is how Greenpeace voices their opinion:

"The world around us is a world where human error meets sophisticated technology, where people make a sequence of logical decisions for the right reasons only to find that they have created chaos... Homo Sapiens retain a natural skepticism towards nuclear matters, and it is encouraging to note that 'radiophobia' is one of the fastest growing human attitudes in all societies. This global phenomenon is a sign that ordinary people instinctively understand that radiation damages living cells and an indication that they are not prepared to suffer consequences any longer."[12]

A Canada without nuclear energy, would very much satisfy Greenpeace. Greenpeace would be able to say that the radiation no longer harms the environment, and that there is no longer a chance to destroy human beings, animals and their habitat, as was case in the Chernobyl accident in the U.S.S.R. in 1986.

Greenpeace also opposes any form of pollution to the environment and therefore would not relish the idea of having to build more fossil fuel or coal burning energy plants. It looks like even this solution is one that will not satisfy the environmentalists.

What if we decided to produce nuclear energy in the northern regions of Canada? Greenpeace would oppose this. Greenpeace feels that their wildlife, and forests are being exploited, and that the people that have rights to the land are being bothered with the nuclear power plants being opened up near them.

What about the nuclear power plants that are closed. How long would these nuclear reactors have to stand before it could be considered safe to demolish?

Greenpeace is one group which would like to see Canadians resort to non-polluting methods of producing energy. These sources include: Solar, wind, and thermal power.

The last interest group to be discussed, is what we would call a pro-nuclear group. This group would consist of the Atomic Energy board of Canada, Ontario Hydro, and many Canada's high-energy consumers (ie: Steelmills, automakers, etc...).

This group would have no problem having nuclear energy as Canada's primary energy source. These people feel that nuclear power is a benefit to society and that it is a cheap, clean, efficient way of producing energy. This group likes to have energy power in abundance, and they cannot settle for having shortages of energy without the nuclear power stations. They feel that there is no problem with emissions, that the emissions are harmless in the small doses to which we are exposed to.

This group is against using fossil-fuel and\or coal burning plants. Pro-nuclear groups feel that nuclear energy is the only way that the environment can stay 'green' without seriously contaminating the land, the air and the water.

Pro-nuclear groups would be obviously very disappointed if nuclear power stations would cease producing energy. Again, here their argument would be that the other sources of energy would be much worse to the environment if the same energy production capacity is expected.

If nuclear power plants were only in the northern regions of Canada, this group would object. New power plants would have to be built, power lines would have to be erected. Losses in energy would be enormous to the efficiency of the power lines. This group feels that the radiation emissions from nuclear power stations are a fraction of the damage which fossil fuel emissions will create from oil or coal burning.[13]

A Report on

Nuclear Energy

presented to: Mr. Sedgewick

class: Science in Society

Date: Friday, May 15

[1]. Funk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia. New York: Standard Reference works Publ. Co.. 1986 Volume 18 pg. 181

[2]. Ibid. Pg.182

[3]. Ibid. Pg. 186

[4]. Managing Canada's Nuclear Fuel Wastes. Ottawa: Atomic Energy Canada LTD. 1989

[5]. Ibid.

[6]. Funk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia. New York: Standard Reference Works Publ. Co.. 1986 Pg.185-6

[7]. Nero, V. Anthony. A Guidbook To Nuclear Reactors. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1979 Pg.55

[8]. The Safety of Ontario's Nuclear Reactors. Toronto: Government of Ontario. Jn. 1990

[9]. Managing Canada's Nuclear Fuel Wastes. Ottawa: Atomic Energy Canada LTD. 1989

[10]. Halperin, H. Morton. Nuclear Fallacy. Massachusetts: Ballinger Publishing Company. 1987 Pg 23-4

[11]. Goodwin, Carol. "Nuclear Power Our Savior?". Toronto:

The Toronto Star. Jl 3, 1988 Pg.B6

[12]. May, John. Greenpeace Book Of A Nuclear Age.

[13]. Ontario Hydro, Pamphlet. Powerful facts about Radiation.

Toronto: 1990

1914 Germany entered World War I

2013-11-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

On August 4th, 1914 Germany entered World War I. At the time which it embarked on this campaign, Otto von Bismarck had long since resigned. However, it is Bismarck's legacy of economic growth, and military might which eventually forced Germany into World War I.

Germany was without question the most powerful industrial state on the Continent. Germany (and its uninformed population) feared Russia's future strength would threaten it, and therefore rationalized that military planning necessitated an attack on France in the event of a war with Russia. As far as Bethmann Hollweg (the Chancellor of Germany) was concerned:

"The aim of this war is not the restoration of the European balance of power, but rather the final destruction of that which has been described as the European balance of power and the foundation of the

German domination of Europe."[i]

Both the Chancellor and the population of Germany believed the war was a rational answer to the questionable destiny of Europe. All these matters, which came to question Germany's involvement in World War I, could not have come about if Otto von Bismarck had not played an intrinsic role in perpetuating the industrial revolution of Germany.

In 1862, Otto Von Bismarck was appointed Chief Minister of Prussia. Bismarck was a Junker, which was a Prussian Aristocrat. He believed that parliamentary bodies to be irresponsible components of government. Bismarck also believed that individual liberty was disorderly selfishness.[ii] Bismarck's stubborn belief of 'parliamentary bodies' was greatly exemplified in structure of the government of the German Empire. The lower chamber 'Reichstag', which represented the people, was elected by universal suffrage. The Upper chamber, which represented the states, was represented by Prussian aristocrat. Bismarck thought his government to be fair, seeing as though the conservative Junkers and the liberal Bourgeoisie were both represented in the government. However, the country's ministers were subject to the upper chamber (the emperor), not the lower chamber (elected body). Bismarck had created a government which was not as liberal as the French republic, and not as conservative as the English parliamentary system. The set-up of this government was typical of Bismarck's political style, which was 'Realpolitik'.[1] Though probably not as practical as he would have wanted his government to be, Bismarck had to please both sides.

From his early days as Head of State, Bismarck's prime objective was to expand The German Reich's borders extensively. To do so, Bismarck had to first ensure a solid economic base on which to build a well-equipped army. And secondly, Bismark had to amalgamate Prussia, the southern states and the Northern Federal Union all together.

One of the biggest problems which Bismarck had to tackle on the economic course, was to control the demands between the Industrialists and the Agrarians. The Agrarians consisted mainly of land-owning aristocrat, while the Industrialists included: Heavy industries; Railroads; Banks; and Public utilities. For numerous years these two groups were in constant dispute over one issue: Tariffs. German heavy industrialists and the hardpressed textile manufacturers continued to call for protective tariffs. However, the Agrarians dominated political life, particularly in Prussia, and therefore, their wishes for free trade remained. After four years of lobbying, the Industrialists finally obtained their wish, when their Agrarian counterparts were alarmed by the falling prices of grain and corn in 1875. Having realised that the foreign nations were invading their market, the Agrarians now too wanted tariff protection. It took another four years to implement protective tariffs on imported goods, after having the upper chamber re-organized by Bismarck.[iii]

One of Bismark's other concerns was manifesting the amalgamation of the three Germanic states. In 1867, Bismarck reached an agreement with the social democrats (Northern Germany) that in return for democratic suffrage, the social democrats would accept North German Confederation, and thus be included in the new enlarged Prussian state. Now, only the Southern German states were left to join the Reich.

The right opportunity arose for Bismarck when a confrontation with France was inevitable in July, 1870. Through the media, many people became aware of a possible conflict between France and Prussia. Bismarck was well aware that South Germany feared France enough, that eventually it (the Southern German states) would be forced into a union with Prussia.[iv] Bismarck's predicament was factual, and in July, 1870, the remaining south German states joined Prussia, and to then form the German Reich two years later.

Not only was Bismarck able to bring Germany together by using France as a decoy for the Southern states, his country was also able to annex Alsace and most of Lorraine following the Franco-Prussian war. These territories held deposits of potash and iron ore, which were badly needed by the heavy industries in Germany. Unlike most European countries, Germany was not perusing to acquire or exploit any colonies. Colonialism was never an option for economic expansion for Bismarck. Although towards the end of the Depression, Bismarck overcame his reluctance to setting up colonies by comforting himself with the thought, however unrealistic it was to be, that if the colonies did not work out satisfactorily they could always be abandoned. Besides, these colonies or protectorates could prove to be a vital source of foreign trade.[v]

The depression, which had come about since the Prussian-Franco war (in 1870), started to dissipate in Prussia. One of the biggest factors in of the depression had been the fiscal policy taken on by the Bismarck government. By implementing the new tax and tariff reforms, the German Reich government was able to diffuse the much needed cash into the industrial sector. With the growing need for more advanced transportation modes, many railroads were either bought or constructed.[2] This growth in transportation created many jobs and would solidify Germany's ability to defend her borders if war came about in the future.

The infusion of Money had no boundaries in the German Reich.

Many of the federal states, as well as the municipalities took part in developing industries, which consisted mostly of state-owned mines and ironworks. Cities were constantly building public utilities such as waterworks, gasworks, power plants, and public transport systems.[vi]

Upon the creation of his new German empire, Bismarck worried that his country could be torn apart if another European war were to occur. He therefore decided to sign an agreement with Austria-Hungary in 1879, and Italy in 1882. This agreement was known as the Triple Alliance. All this alliance meant was if any member of the alliance got into a conflict of war with two or more parties, that the allies would respond to the aggressor(s) using force with arms. The alliance lasted until World War I.

Otto Von Bismarck was dismissed as Chancellor in 1890. Bismarck had been Chancellor for nearly twenty years. Three successors were appointed in the span of thirteen years, Caprivi, Bulow, and Bethmann Hollweg. None of which had the leadership or political skills to guide a country with such a diverse populace. The military build-up of Germany took place in the last twenty years before the start of World War I. The railroad was already established, and could easily redistribute arms throughout Germany.

The industry had the skilled labour and the capital to support a war. The question of Germany's ability to sustain and fight a war is not as important as to know what the actual aim of the war was.

At the time leading up to July, 1914, Germany's heavy industry was is need of raw materials, such as the ore basins of Longwy-Briey, the coal of north-western France and Belgium, and most probably the annexation of Belgium.

The heavy industries' need for raw materials, and its indifference to anyone else's needs, in this case the french and belgian people, shows how a conviction for 'Realpolitik'. A conviction most obviously initiated by Bismarck to use as a means to ensure the advancement of both heavy and Light industries in Germany. If Bismarck had not ensured this industrial and economic growth, it is questionable whether or not Germany would have ever entered World War I.

Bibliography

Kitchen, Martin, The Political Economy of Germany 1815-1914

(McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal), 1978.

Palmer, R.R. & Colton, Joel, A History Of The Modern World

(McGraw-Hill, Inc., Toronto), 1992.

Stolper, Gustav & Hauser, Karl & Borchardt, Knut,

The German Economy 1870 to the Present

(Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, New York), 1967.

Veblen, Thorstein, Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution

(The MacMillan Company, London), 1915.

Appendix A:

German Railroad Network, 1835-1915

-------------------------------------------

Track in Increase during

Year Operation Preceding decade

1835 6 0

1845 2,300 2,300

1855 8,290 5,990

1865 14,690 6,400

1875 27,960 13,270

1885 37,650 9,960

1895 46,560 8,910

1905 56,980 10,420

1915 62,410 5,430

-------------------------------------------

Source: Stolper & Hauser & Borchardt,

The German Economy: 1870 to the Present

(Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, New York),1967.

Germany the Making of an Industrial Giant

[1].Realpolitik: Employing practical and opportunistic politics

by taking advantage of situations as they emerge and prepare to act in any one of several directions as events might

suggest.

[2]. See Appendix A.

[i].Kitchen, Martin, The Political Economy Of Germany 1815-1914 (Montreal, 1978) p.279.

[ii].Palmer, R.R.; Colton, Joel, A History Of The Modern World (Toronto, 1992) P.553

[iii].Kitchen. p.167

[iv].Palmer & Colton p. 556-7

[v].Stolper, Gustav & Hauser, Karl & Borchardt, Knut,

The German Economy 1870 to the Present

(Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, New York),1967 p.38-9

[vi].Stolper p.43

Albert Einstein: The Theory of Relativity.

2013-11-24T05:40:00.002-08:00

In his lifetime, Einstein discovered, formulated and theorized many solutions to problems related to physics. Solutions to some of these problems were known as: The theory of Relativity; Wave-Particle-Duality; Quantum theory; and Statistical Mechanics.

In 1907, by using his applications of special relativity, Albert Einstein discovered that E=MC . In the equation, E=MC , E represented energy, M the mass, and C the speed of light. This discovery (E=MC ) would revolutionize the study of physics and change the conventional thinking of the relation between the speed of light, mass, and energy.

More than half a century later, this simple formula would alter the course of human history, by ending world war II, with the explosion of atomic bombs above Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bomb was the practical application of Einstein's theory of Relativity. Little did Einstein know when he was a young physicist, that his theory of relativity would fifty years later bring the dawn of the nuclear age.

Einstein's theory of relativity changed the thinking regarding some basics theories of physics. Prior to this theory of relativity no one understood that energy was the product of the mass times the speed of light squared. Prior to Einstein's discovery, there was no theory showing how, energy, the speed of light, and mass, all relate to each other. Conventional wisdom stated that the atom and the nucleus of the atom was an indivisible unit. No one dreamed that splitting an atom of matter could unleash such a tremendous force of energy. However, in the nineteenth century (1862), James Maxwell wrote the equations of Michael Faraday's theory, that light (energy) consisted of an electric field traveling at right angles to a magnetic field. In fact, it was upon this "field concept" that Einstein later drew the basis for his Theory of Relativity.[1]

On July 12, 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morley took measurements of the data from their experiment testing their theory on ethers.(Ethers were thought to fill all space and penetrate all matter.) Many scientists in the world were very curious as to what the outcome of the experiment would bring. The Michelson-Morley experiment failed. Two perpendicular light beams sent through mirrors and telescopes took the exact same amount time to make their respective round trips. Through the failure of the experiment, Michelson and Morley were unable to detect an ether.[2]

Over the last sixty years there have been numerous applications of Einstein's theory. The two most striking results

have been the development of atomic and hydrogen bombs, and nuclear power stations.

Up until several years ago, the fate of the world was controlled by the two superpowers of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., each with vast quantities of nuclear war-heads aimed at each other. The political balance between was maintained by the fear of each other's nuclear bombs.

The other major influence affects us all in a more positive manner. Here in Thornhill, part of our electrical energy that we consume every day is produced by Ontario Hydro Nuclear reactor stations. In a country like France, more than half of their electricity needs are provided by nuclear energy.

Einstein's theory of relativity opened whole new spectrum of thinking for scientists around the world.

In 1924, a young Indian physicist, S.N. Bose, set froth a theory in which radiation was treated as a gas of light quanta. Einstein applied Bose's new statistical idea to develop an analogous theory for an ideal gas of material particles.

In the same year of Bose's theory, Louis de Broglie wrote a thesis on the parallel between the gas of particles and the gas of light quanta. This thesis was brought on by using the theory of relativity as the basis of thinking. This thesis in turn, inspired Einstein to successfully prove the wave-particle duality in 1926.[3]

Einstein was the copernicus of the twentieth century. No scientist before or after the life of Einstein has been able to equal his accomplishments. No other scientist has inspired the world both politically and scientifically so much, influencing the minds of scientists and human beings abroad. Einstein worked many hours trying to prove the wave-particle duality and quantum physics, however Einstein will forever be known as the mastermind creator of the equation E = MC , or better known as the theory of relativity.

[1]. Kahan, Gerald 1983. E = MC Picture Book Of Relativity. New York: TAB books Inc. Page 7

[2]. Kondo, Herbert 1966. Adventures in space and time.

New York: Holiday House. Page 75-76

[3]. Hawking, S.W. and Israel, W. 1979. General Relativity:

An Einstein centenary survey. London: Cambridge Press.

ON RWANDA

2013-11-24T05:33:00.001-08:00

ON RWANDA

Basil Davidson's essay "On Rwanda" describes in detail, the

facts surrounding the colonial history of Rwanda. It begins with the Belgian colonialism of Rwanda in the mid 1800's, and it ends with the present day tribal warfare between the two main Rwandan tribes.

Davidson supports his conclusions by using three main arguments. Firstly, he argues that Rwanda is one of two countries in Africa that colonialism could have left untouched. Secondly, the Banyouwanda monarchy, which was introduced by the Germans in 1907, is cited as the main reason for creating the hatred which still exists between the two tribes of Rwanda. Lastly, Davidson concludes at the end of his essay, that Western nations should learn from their mistakes in their colonialism of Africa. Davidson claims that the Western nations should allow "the people concerned, nationally or regionally" "to devise and apply their own remedies and solutions" to their respective problems.

Many of Davidson's arguments are supported by historical data which persuades the reader to believe in his conclusions. More over, by doing this, the reader is able to understand the significance of the argument. A good illustration of this method, appears around Davidson's second argument about the Banyouwanda monarchy. Before providing his argument, Davidson describes the respective roles of the two main tribes of Rwanda at the time of colonialism. He furthers this by illustrating facts and details to support his argument. For example, he describes the tribes' co-habitation patterns and its eventual disintegration.

Through his constant use of metaphors, Davidson allows the reader to better understand his essay. For the metaphors provide imagery that one can relate to. Moreover, metaphors are used at the beginning of his essay, thus giving foresight of what the paper is about. The first sentence of the essay reads: "Africa tramples in its misery and blood,..." Another metaphor soon follows: "No minerals worth a row of beans. Not - it seems - so much a sniff of oil." A certain tone has been set, angry, yet concerned.

The main body of Davidson's essay tells the history of the co-existence of the two main tribes: The Hutus(80% of the population); and the Tutsis(15%). The Tutsis are considered by the Germans as the 'ruling class', because they are the cattle-drivers of Rwanda. The Hutus are considered the middle and lower class of Rwanda, for they are simply involved in banana production. Since the Tutsis were considered the 'ruling class', they provided the armed forces needed by the colonials. Davidson uses another metaphor to have the reader understand this implication: "These Banyouwanda Monarchs were no more divine in status than Englands's Plantagnet kings, but also no less, being the recognised apex of those powers which belonged to the eternal." A clear separation of two tribes and societies is created by the metaphors and facts which Davidson lays out.

Davidson's method of writing is very persuasive. Whether knowledgeable or not, a reader of this essay develops a clear understanding of the issues surrounding the war-torn Rwanda. The use of metaphors and his somewhat cynical view of colonialism further strengthens his argument. Moreover, Davidson's three main arguments are clearly laid out and are easy to understand. The use of many facts and details make Davidson's arguments very credible.

The Allende government

2013-11-24T05:31:00.005-08:00

BY FH in 1995

On september the 11th, 1973, general Augusta Pinochet

directed a military coup which overthrew President Allende and

his government. For the 3 years leading up to the coup,

Allende's government took many steps to establish Chile as a

socialist nation. The Allende government nationalized major

copper mines, took over many of Chile's remaining private

industries and banks, and made numerous land expropriations and

collectivizations.

"By 1973, most domestic production had declined, and

severe shortages of consumer goods, food, and manufac-

tured products were widespread. There were mass demon-

strations against the government, recurring strikes,

violence by both government supporters and opponents,

and widespread rural unrest. Chilean society became

polarized into hostile camps."¹

Many of Chile's middle-class citizens were upset at the Allende government, leaving the door open for Pinochet's Coup d'etat. Through both economic and social reforms, Pinochet's military government brought Chile from economic hardship to economic prosperity. There has been much argument among Chilean critics as to the positive and negative implications of these reforms. The purpose of this paper is to focus on those reforms which affected GNP Per Capita, infant mortality rates, and income distribution. These reforms include: open-market orientation; decentralization and privatization of social policies; and relocation policies.

GNP per capita measures the amount of domestic and foreign economic output per person of the respective economy. In order for GNP per capita to increase, the growth rate of GNP must be higher than the growth rate of the population. GNP per capita is a common indicator of a population's standard of living.

The infant mortality rate is the annual number of deaths of infants under the age of 1 per 1,000 live births.¹ The lower this number is, the better. In order to decrease infant mortality, a country must increase education standards, and specifically health standards. Purified drinking water, proper raw sewage disposal, and immunization practices are the most common methods used to minimize infant mortality rates in developing countries.

Income distribution over time shows which income group the growth(if any at all) in the economy is actually reaching. Income groups are typically separated into quintiles. An increase in income in the top quintile indicates that the rich are getting richer, and that the poor or middle class are getting poorer.

In the period of 1970 to 1975, Chile's GNP per capita grew at an average pace of only 1%. In the period of 1980 to 1985, Chile's GNP per capita grew at an average pace of only 0.6%.² During this period, the population growth rate average between 1.6 and 1.7%. Quite obviously, it is the economy of Chile during this period which is the cause of concern for the GNP per capita variable.

The low GNP per capita(see figure 1) was caused by two periods in Chile's military regime(1973-1990). The first such period occurred in 1973-1975. In 1973, Chile endured an inflation rate of 500%! In 1975, after enduring 2 years of high inflation rates and low GNP growth, Pinochet invited a group of economists trained at the University of Chicago('The Chicago Boys') to Chile. These economists created a free-market economy by taking many drastic steps.

"Most markets were freed from government controls, and prices were allowed to float. The peso was devalued, permitting an increase in non-traditional exports. Tariffs were reduced in stages to a uniform level of 10%. Under this free market policy, from 1976 to 1981, GNP increased in real terms by an annual average of more than 7%."³

The annual average inflation was reduced to 9.9%, in 1982.⁴ Unfortunately, a heavy price was paid for the drastic action taken by the "Chicago Boys" (from 1976-1981) as the unemployment reached 20% in the mid to late 1970's. By 1989, the effects of freeing up Chile's economy were still being felt. "In 1989, the last year of Pinochet's rule, real wages were still only 90.8% of what they had been in the 1970 base year."⁵ The decrease in wages is quite dramatic. Since there was an increase in real GNP per capita for Chile, a rise in real wages would be an obvious outcome. If the increase in GNP did not reach the worker in real wage increases, than who did it reach? This question will be answered when the essay focuses on the income distribution in Chile.

As for "The Chicago Boys", their main goal was met: To free Chile's economy for trade with any nation for any good or service. The economists also compelled Chile to create new goods and services, in order not to rely on the income created from Chile's main export: Copper. As world demand decreased, demand for copper diminished as well. "The Chicago Boys" were right, but unfortunately, the government of Chile had not reacted hastily enough. For in 1982 and 1983, real GNP fell by 17% and 14% respectively!⁶ The decline in real GNP was due primarily to the decline in the prices of copper. During these two years, Chile accounted for the biggest decline in real GNP in Latin America. Fortunately, Chile also experienced the biggest increase in real GNP, averaging 6%, from 1984 to 1991.

As of 1994, Chile's IMR(infant mortality rate), except for Costa Rica's, is the lowest among all Latin American countries. In twenty years, Chile's IMR went from as high as 44.0 in 1973, to as low as 13.9 in 1994.(see figure 2) The favourable reduction in the IMR rate was due principally to "the outcome of public efforts to provide care for mothers and children, including nutrition programs for nursing children; in addition to this, the educational level of mothers was steadily rising, and there was a drop in the number of births."⁷

Upon taking power in 1973, Pinochet's government cut many government social services "to the bone." The government cuts had a large impact on social security, housing, and health care. The government established a program of decentralization and privatization of social programs. Social security and health care were privatized, and shantytowns were torn down as new low-income housing were built in favor of improved housing(although improved housing was not always the case.)

Another part of the government program was to increase emphasis on the 'extreme poor'. The main instrument developed to target the poor was the Ficha Cas. The Ficha Cas was first developed in 1979. The basic idea was that poverty produced certain symptoms, and by observing these symptoms, the government could make transfers to what the Ficha Cas found to be the 'extreme poor'. A test was developed, and a typical person or family would either pass or fail. If someone passed, a subsidy would be given, if they failed, they would not receive anything from the government. The Ficha Cas was developed by the "Chicago Boys". These economists were technocrats. Therefore, if a family failed the 'poverty test' by even one point, they were denied access to the transfer payments. Where the government drew the line on excluding or including someone depended on the amount of resources allocated for transfer payments to the poor that year.

On a positive note, the Ficha Cas targeted citizens who were at the bottom end of the scale with respect to nutrition, clothing, housing, and health care. Most of the resources of the Ficha Cas focused on the weak citizens: Senior citizens and young infants. The payment plans towards these two groups were known as: Subsidio Unico Familiar (SUF), a child benefit; and the Pension Asistencial (PASIS), a disability and limited old age pension. The targeting of young infants was a large factor in the decrease of the IMR between 1973 and 1994.

The Chilean government also used another method to target the 'extreme poor' and the mortality rate. They had a reallocation of resources administered to lower levels of the population by reducing the benefits for the middle class families.

"...during the 1980's, targeting helped radically improve the nutritional situation of infants and children under five years of age - the most notable success area - and probably contributed to some other improvements, such as greater availability of household equipment among poor families. More indirectly, sewerage and water systems in poor areas also showed substantial improvement."⁸

Through the disparities of human rights abuses, diminishing GNP per capita and government cuts in many, but not all social services, the decline of Chile's infant mortality rate was quite remarkable.

During the mid 1970's, Pinochet's government undertook a policy of decentralizing and relocating social assistance. Part of this policy included a reform for the resettlement of inadequately housed people of Chile's shantytowns. This reform was also part of the new policy to target the 'extreme poor'. It involved the creation of new urban developments on the outskirts of existing townships. These townships held basic infrastructure and housing, but little else existed in terms of cultivation of food or employment. These houses were often improvements over the previous shantytowns. However with no community facilities within the vicinity of the townships, these developments often created near-homogeneous poverty and socio-cultural deprivation.

Not only did many people of this "shake-up policy" endure the stagflation of the early 70's and 80's, but any jobs which they had had in the shantytowns, had now disappeared in their new-built developments. When these townships were turned into municipalities, many of these towns were ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities given to them by the Chilean federal government. As much as this program was supposed to be make local governing more efficient and decrease 'extreme poverty', it accomplished the exact opposite of that.

The most disturbing fact is perhaps the widening of the income distribution(see Figure 3) which was a direct result of this shake-up policy. During the first two years of Pinochet's government, real wages fell to 62% of their 1970 levels. In the last year of Pinochet's rule, 1989, real wages were still only 90.8% of what they were in 1970(nearly 20 years!) As depicted by Figure 3, income distribution became more concentrated in the top 10% of the population. "A study conducted in Greater Santiago in the late 1980's noted that poverty had increased drastically, from 28.5% in 1969 to 49% in 1987."⁹

In 1970, 60% of the social security payments were made by the government, while the remaining were made by employers and/or the workers. After the coup, the military government had hoped to rid of the responsibility of social security completely. As well, the government persisted that the employer no longer had to contribute to the workers' pension. Much of the social security system became privatized. Nonetheless, there was a transition period where both systems would remain in force. The workers already on the old system could elect to remain on it, while the government would still be responsible for maintaining the mandated pension levels. The two largest financial conglomerates took control within months of privatization. After the 1981-1982 recession, transnationals took control, at which point the system became even more undercapitalized.

The nature of decentralization included creating municipalities in order to localize many of the services the federal government was providing. These municipalities were given a certain amount resources from the Chilean government. Unfortunately, the federal government did not reallocate resources according to need or wealth. Instead, many rich areas of Chile such as Santiago, Providencia, and Las Condes (with only 21% of the population), accounted for 56.8% of all municipal investment in the period of 1980-1984. In poor townships such as La Florida(pop: 191,800), "residents had to fight to gain permission to build a one-room wooden day-care centre, staffed half of the day by local women."¹⁰

The health care system underwent reforms similar to social security. The reforms privatized much of the health field. The newly-formed companies were called ISTAPRES. One of the major differences between the two systems is that under the old system a worker contributed 6% of his salary and, in return, received whatever medical attention was necessary. However under ISTAPRES, medical coverage improved according to the amount contributed. This system became highly elitist, as the quality of medical coverage depended on the individual's ability to pay. Not surprisingly, most of the lower paid workers stayed with the state system(FNS) The cost included a surcharge of 25% to 50% of the medical cost.

Perhaps the most ironic fact of the Pinochet government from 1973 to 1990 was the lack of planning in their policies. The main reason for the toppling of the Allende government was its communist outlook. Communism was known to be bureaucratic, inefficient and unrealistically idealist. However when looking at the policies of the Pinochet government it is difficult to argue that their policies were nor idealistic, nor inefficient. The "Chicago Boys" used a theory on Chile, however theories are not always, nor are they realistic. In this case, the pure free-market economy was only an ideal. Chile suffered in many ways more than one. A very volatile economy, negative real wage growth, and a widening gap of income distribution and social services(such as social security, and health care) A lack of planning allowed the Chilean government to waste money on reforms such as 'the shake-up policy', where conditions for the poor grew only worse. After completing many hours of research it is quite remarkable to see that Chile was to decrease its IMR to such level, when at the same time, poverty has grown among the poor so much.

FIGURE 3

DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONAL INCOME, PER HOUSEHOLD

Quintile 1969 1978 1988

lowest 20% 7.7 3.1 3.1

20 - 40% 12.1 7.4 6.2

40 - 60% 16.0 11.8 9.7

60 - 80% 21.0 19.5 16.8

highest 20% 43.2 58.2 64.2

Total: 100.0 100.0 100.0

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. U.S. Department of State. Washington D.C., 1993

(Office of Public Communication)

2. Griffith-Jones, Stephany, The Evolution of External Finance, _

Economic Policy and Development in Chile, 1973-1978.

Brighton, England, 1981.(IDS publications)

3. World Bank International Economics Department. Washington D.C., April 1994.

4. Barros, Jaime Gatica, Deindustrialization in Chile. Boulder,

Colorado, 1989.(Westview Press)

5. Sunkel, Osvaldo, Consolidation of Chile's Democracy and

Development: The Challenges and the Tasks. Brighton, England

1993.(IDS publications)

6. Ffrench-Davis, Ricardo, Economic Development and Equity in

Chile: Legacies and Challenges in the Return to Democracy.

Brighton, England. January, 1993.(IDS Publications)

7. Oppenheim, Lois Hecht, Politics in Chile. Boulder, Colorado.

1993. (Westview Press, Inc.)

8. 1994 World Population Data Sheet. Washington D.C., 1994

(Population Reference Bureau)

1.Backround Notes, United States Department of State,

May 1992, Washington D.C.

1.World Population Data Sheet, Population Reference Bureau. Washington D.C., 1994

2.World Bank International Economics Department, Washington D.C.

April 1994

3.Backround Notes, United States Department of State.

Washington D.C., 1992

4.Chile's Economy, Dr Harold Blakemore. 1991

5.Politics in Chile, Lois Hecht Oppenheim, 1993, pp. 154.

6.Backround Notes, pp.4

7.Economic Development and Equity in Chile, Ricardo Ffrench-Davis

Chile, 1993, pp.13

8.Poverty-Focused Policies, Emanual De Kadt, 1993, pp.8-9

9.PREALC, Ernesto Tironi. Santiago: Zig-Zag, 1989, pp.26

10.Politics in Chile, pp.162-163

Sociology of inequality

2013-11-24T05:29:00.000-08:00

1995

SOCIOLOGY OF INEQUALITY

BY F.H

..... In July, 1992, the federal government's Department of Fisheries minister, Brian Tobin, announced that all cod fishing off the coast of Newfoundland would be banned for an indefinite period. Through this announcement, 30,000 Newfoundland fishermen and fishery workers found themselves unemployed. The federal government in Ottawa gave the workers a $1.9 billion five-year compensation program ending in the spring of 1999. Part of this program included training programs which are supposed to allow unemployed fishermen to acquire skills and training to find equitable jobs.

..... Many of the fishermen have been outraged, either at the federal government, or at other fishermen who had recently been issued groundfishing licenses.

..... Newfoundland fishermen have been portray many social inequities in comparison to the average Canadian citizen. The wealth of most of these fishermen is found in their business and living assets. Their boats, fishing gear, and their housing property are their main assets. "...many fishermen invested as much as $500,000 in enterprises that now have little value. "If they have to move out and go somewhere, they have to give up in many cases a half-million dollars in gear, houses and building."" (Globe & Mail, 28-01-'95)

..... The income of most fishermen has come from fishing (in the fishing season) and unemployment benefits (in the off-season). The average range of a fishermen's yearly salary was from $20,000 to $50,000.

..... The status of the fishermen is that of a manual labourer. Most fishermen hold no high school education, and have no skilled labour. They are mostly from British descent, and are seen from the Canadian mainland as a separate society similar to Quebec. The dependency on unemployment insurance benefits for the fishermen has given the province of Newfoundland a negative image in the eyes of mainland Canadians.

..... The biggest social setback for the fishermen has been their power. The federal government in Ottawa issues the groundfishing licenses, they service the unemployment insurance program, and they hold the permission allowing the Newfoundland fishermen to fish for cod. The fishermen have no political or ideological power. Both are negligible due to low education standards and the small representation of MP's in Ottawa's Parliament.

..... The only power which the fishermen did hold, was economic power. However, this power has dwindled with the onset of the cod fishing moratorium. Most of the income potential for the 30,000 fishermen has shrunk. Of the 15,000 fishing licenses existing in Newfoundland in 1993, the federal government planned to buy back two-thirds.

..... The existence of social stratification and cultural differences have had a large impact on the Newfoundland fishermen. The basis of a staple-based economy, and a leakage of funds has also made a large impact on Newfoundland's economy.

..... The evidence of social stratification has been discussed previously. With low education standards, low average incomes, and negligible investment from the federal government, Newfoundland's fishermen have been almost completely neglected. ..... A look at Newfoundland's banking history portrays a rational picture as to why no other industries have been introduced in the past 50 years. Many of the Canadian-based chartered banks have been taking deposits from Newfoundland's population for the past 50 years. Unfortunately, these deposits were lend to mainland Canadian business, rather than Newfoundland enterprises. The outflow of capital has resulted in Newfoundland holding one of the lowest investment ratios in the country.

..... Today, a large part of Newfoundland's economy is staple-based. To those who are unfamiliar with this economic term, a staple-based economy is an economy such as Canada's in the 17th and 18th centuries. During these centuries, much of Canada's income was derived from selling furs, logs, and some agricultural goods. The dependency of Newfoundland's well-being on fish, has made this province very vulnerable.

..... Who is thus to blame? The government of Canada, the chartered banks, foreign fishermen, or the Newfoundland fishermen? Regardless of the blame, Newfoundland has a very big problem. 20,000 fishermen remain jobless today. Before a solution is given by the federal and provincial governments, they must first learn from its past mistakes.

..... The lack of focus on formal education has created a large unskilled labour pool in Newfoundland. Also, by issuing licenses with "its eyes closed", the federal government had oversupplied the Atlantic Ocean with too many fishermen.

..... The solution to Newfoundland's fishermen is comprehensive. The focus of the solution can be found handily, by looking at those industries which have enjoyed tremendous growth in the past five to ten years in North America. Most of the growth has been seen in the technology, information systems, mass media, and telecommunications sector.

..... In the spring of 1995, New Brunswich was awarded a contract from Bell Canada Enterprises to maintain a national switching centre for telecommunications. The main reason that New Brunswick received this contract, was due to low transportation costs for equipment, big tax breaks, and a well-trained labour pool. Newfoundland could learn from this example, and begin to focus on educating its fishermen in skills which will be needed from the present time to the future.

..... Another example of a "success story" is the Republic of Ireland. Since the late 1980's, Ireland has been sent thousands of insurance documents to be typed and sent back to insurance companies. Although this task is relatively simple and takes little training, Ireland has been enjoying a high income per capita relative to earlier times. By hiring a consulting firm to conduct research for high-demand skills, Newfoundland could be ensured of training its fishermen with useful skills.

..... In recent months, after some drilling was completed, large deposits of diamonds were discovered in Labrodor. The completion of the Hibernia oil project is also nearing. What does this mean for Newfoundland? If prices for oil and diamonds remain at profitable levels, then both these projects will be in need of skilled labour to extract the respective resources. Newfoundland might want study the need for this labour, and if it exists, act immediately to train the fishermen with the necessary skills to acquire those jobs.

..... The last option, which most Newfoundlanders would like the least, would be the relocation of employment to another area of the country where job prospects are less bleak.

The origins of modern criminology

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Criminology 203

What is a Theory?

• The body of rules, ideas, principles, and techniques that applies to a particular subject, especially when seen as distinct from actual practice.

Foundations of Criminology: "The Big Three"

1. The State, Power and Crime

2.Choice, Opportunity and-Deterrence

3.Human Development and Crime

Strengths and weaknesses of criminology

Strenghts

o Diversity (several ideas, schoold of thought)

o Examines both micro and macro levels of crime

o Examines the effects across various points of the life cycle

Weaknesses

o Inability to develop a single paradigm

o Immaturity

o Constant disagreement between schoars, that remain within an overriding paradigm.

Differences between Classical and Positicist:

o Classical school argues: Individuals freely choose to engage in crime, as we are rational human beings.

o Positivist school argues: Crime is due to forces beyond an individual’s control.

“Demonic perspective”

Crime was said to be the result of supernatural forces. People engaged in crime because they succumbed to the temptations of evil forces, such as satan, or because they were possessed by evil forces.

Punishments were designed to “purge the body of a sinner of traces of the devil and thereby restore the body of the community as a whole to its proper relation to God.

The demonic perspective was dominant throught out the 1700’s. when it was challenged during the age of enlightment by a group of individuals who came to be known as t6he “Classical” Criminologists”

Classical Theory

o Dominant through the 1700’s

o Positive

o Moved us away from the “demonic persective”

o Cesare beccaria was the first and most prominent classical criminologist

o Argues crime is caused by observed and measurable things such as the absence of effective punishments

o Classical school of thoughts challenged by cesare Lombroso and his idea of genetic throwbacks”

o He was also the frst to emphasize the scientifictesting of theories.

o Lombriso argued individuals deffer in their motications for crime and the differences are due to forces beyond one’s control. (Biological and social factors)

o Developed in reaction to the harsh and corrupt legal system of the 1700’s

o The laws of that legal system were vague and crimes usually resulted in an overly harsh punishment

o Beccaria and other classical theorists assume people act in a rational manner that results in the greates pleasure and least pain.

Assumptions of the classical theory

o Everone is motivated to engage in crime in pursuit of their own self interest.

o People are rational and engage in crime to minimize their pain and maximize their pleasure.

o Whether or not people engage in crime is mostly dependent upon the swiftness, certainty and appropiateness of the punishment.

Beccaria was the father of classical theory

The essential idea is that individuals are rational beings who persue their own interests, trying to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. And unless they are deterred by the threat of swift, certain and appropriately severe punishments, they may commit crimes (Harm to others) in their pursuit of self interest.

Beccaria believed that “if punishments are very severe, men are naturally led to the perpetration of other crimes, to avoid the punishment due to the first”

“Beccaria”

Laws are the conditions , under which men, naturally independent, united themselves in society.

Some motives therefore that strike the senses, were necessary to prevent the despotism of each individual from plunging society into its former chaos. Such motives are the punishments established against infractions of the laws.

Judges, in criminal cases have no right to interpret the penal laws, because they are not legislators.

Crimes will be less frequent in proportion as the code of laws is more universally read and understood.

Punishments which I would call political obstacles prevent the fatal effects of private interest.

The end of punishment is no other than to prevent the criminal from doing further injury to society, and to prevent others from committing the like offence.

The more immediately after the commission of a crime a punishment is inflicted the more just and useful it will be.

Crimes are more effectually prevented by the certainty than the severity of punishment.

Deterrence Theory

o Strongly reflects the ideas of the classical theory

o Focuses on the impact of official punishments of crime

o Became popular in the 19970’s after the

United States

abandoned the idea of rehabilitation and focused on controlling crime with severe punishment.

o Deterrence theory focuses on two types of deterrence

i) Specific deterrence

ii) General deterrence

Specific deterrence means that punishing offender for their crimes deters those specific offenders from further crime. General deterrence means that punishing some offender deters people in the general population from crime, including those who were not punished.

Nagin defines general deterrence as the “imposition of sanctions on one person (n order to) demonstrate to the rest of the public the expected costs of a criminal act, and thereby discourage criminal behavior in the general population.

In Contrast, andenaer states that if persons are “deterred by the actual experience of punishment, we speak of special deterrence”

Rational choice Theory

o Again, assumes offenders are rational people who seek to0 maximize theory pleasure and minimize their pain.

o Not only examines costs and benefits of crime, but individual traits, attitudes towards crime and the extent to which individuals have been reinforced and punished for crime.

o Individual must decide if they are willing to become involved in crime

o Next, the decision of what type of crime to commit needs to be made.

o Not only does the choice to

Like classical and deterrence theories, rational choice theory assumes that offenders are rational people who seek to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain.

Clarke and Cornish state that a variety of individual and social factors influence the individual’s estimate of the benefits and costs of crime.

First, individuals decide whether they are willing to become involved in crime to satisfy their needs. Second, once individuals decide they are ready to engage in crime, they must decide to commit a particular offense.

Its staring point was an assumption that offenders seek to benefit themselves by their criminal behavior: t6hat this involves the making of decisions and of choices, however rudimentary on occasion these processes might be.

A crime specific focus was adopted, not only because different crimes may meet different needs, but also because the situational context of decision making and the i9nformation being handled will vary greatly among offenders.

It was argued that a decision making approach to crime requires that a fundamental involvement and criminal events, Criminal involvement.

The rational choice perspective is intended to provide a framework for understanding all forms of crime.

The Positivist school

o Negative

o Lombroso’s challenge to the classical school of thought allowed him to present his theory for the first time in the Positivist school of thought in 1876

o Lombroso presented criminals as “genetic throwbacks”

o Traits of criminals according to Lombroso: Large jaw and cheekbones, swollen or protruding lips, arm span greater that one’s height, excessive wrinkling, etc.

o The criminal greatly resembled the primitive caveman.

o Lombroso also continued with trend of scientifically studying criminals

o It was his vast study of criminal and non criminals that allowed him to recognize environmental factors play a large role in committing a crime.

o Lombroso realized there are several types of criminals. The “born Criminals” only making up a third of the population

Lombroso is the father of positive school

Lombroso argued that many criminals are “genetic Throwbacks” or primitive people in the midst of modern technology. Their primitive, savage state is what leads them to engage in crime. Criminals, then, are not normal, rational individuals who choose to engage in crime to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. Rather they are fundamentally different then noncriminals, and these differences compel them to engage in crime.

The positive school argues that crime is due to forces beyond the individuals control, Biological, psychological, or social forces. The positive school is distinguished by its search for these forces or causes of crime and by its reliance on the “scientific method” in this search.

A central part of the theory argues that many criminals are less evolved than noncriminals.

Lombroso’s theory was discredited when subsequent research failed to find that criminals differ from non criminals in terms of physical features he listed.

Individuals traits and crime

Certain types pf environment, including family, school, peer groups, and community, are said to increase the likelihood of crime.

New theories are focusing on a broader range of biological factors; including genetic inheritance and “biological harms” such as head injury, exposure to toxins such as lead and birth complications. Second they better specify how these biological factors lead to crime.

Third most biological theories now recognize that the social environment influences whether biological factors lead to the development of certain traits and whether these traits lead to crime.

|Evidence suggests that there may be a genetic component to those traits conducive to crime and that such traits conducive to crime and that such traits may also stem from |”biological harms” of a nongenetic nature, such as head injury, exposure to certain toxic substances, and some types of birth complications.

A central part of the theory argues that many criminals are less evolved than non criminals.

Lombroso’s theory was discredited when subsequent research failed to find that criminals differ from noncriminals in terms of physical features he listed.

Certain types of environments, including family, school, peer group, and community, are said to increase the likelihood of crime.

In recent years criminologists have began to focus on a broader range of biological factors including genetic inheritance and biological harms. “such as head injuries, exposure to toxins such as lead, and birth complications. “ Second they better specify how these biological factors lead to crime. Third, most biological theories now recognize that the social environment influences whether biological factors lead to the development of certain traits and whether these traits lead to crime.

Evidence suggests that there may be a genetic component to these traits conducive to crime and that such traits may also stem from “biological harms” of a nongenetic nature, such as head injury, exposure to certain toxic substances and some types of birth complications.

If crime is genetically inherited, we would expect identical twins to be more similar in crime than fraternal twins. Most studies indicate that this is the case. Twin studies however suffer from certain problems. Most notably some evidence suggests that identical twins- because of their more similar appearances and traits are more likely to spend time together and be treated the same than fraternal twins.

Adoption studies focus on children who were separated from their biological parents early in life. The traits of these children are compared to the traits of their biological parents. If crime is inherited we would expect more crime among adopted children whose biological parents are criminal than among adopted children whose biological parents are not criminals. Most data suggests that this is the case.

Twin and adoption studies suggest that there is some genetic basis for crime, but they do not identify those genes that may influence the predisposition for crime.

Studies suggests that crime is most likely when the individual possesses a biological predisposition for crime and is in an environment conductive to crime.

These theories all argue that genes have an effect on traits conductive to crime and that under some conditions individuals with such traits “might be able to reproduce at fairly high rates” Thereby passing their genes on to others.

The interactive effect of biological factors, traits, and the social environment on crime

Bio social theories

The evidence is generally supportive of the idea that crime is especially likely when biologically predisposed individuals are in environments conducive to crime. Some studies find that biological factors are most likely to lead to crime in advantaged rather than disadvantaged environments.

Such findings are usually explained by arguing that biological factors are most important when the “social push” for crime is minimal.

In sum biological factors and the individual traits influenced by such factors play6a central role in the explanation of crime. They influence the social environments in which people find themselves and likely play a major role in determining how people respond to such environments.

The central and Autonomic nervous system

Most researchers suggest that genetic inheritance and biological harms contribute to traits and crime through their effect on the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) and the autonomic nervous system (which controls the heart ate and gland secretions, among other things, and influences the emotional reaction to stimuli)

Genetic factors and biological harms may also contribute to dysfunctions in the left hemisphere of the brain that have been linked to low verbal IQ scores. And biological factors may affect the autonomic nervous system, which data suggesting that criminals are under aroused.

This underarausal may contribute to such traits as impulsivity, sensation seeking, the inability to learn from punishment, and hyperactivity. Individuals who are under aroused are less affected by punishment and require more to stimulate them.

Environmental influences on traits

Whether individuals develop such traits depends on the socialization efforts f parents and others.

Biological characteristics and criminal disposition.

Rowe argues that genetic factors and biological harms affect individual traits through their impact on the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system (which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems)

Finding the physiological basis of criminal disposition

Deficits in the prefrontal cortex may reduce the executive function- that is, the ability to plan and to reflect on one’s actions. Impaired executive function implies impulsive and disorganized behavior, a focus on the present rather than on the future.

Serotonin levels

A consistent association has been found between low cerebral spinal fluid SM Levels and suicidal impulses, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. Spinal Fuid SM levels are also lower in violent criminals. Furthermore people with suicidal ideation are sometimes impulsively aggressive, and their aggression is associated with lower Sm levels.

Heart rate tests of criminal disposition

Heart rate is physiological activity that is exquisitely sensitive to many environmental demands. Although the heart is a peripheral organ from the brain, the activity of the brain, including a psychological appraisal of situations, determines heart rate through the nervous system.

All 14 studies found a lower resting heart rate to be associated with a greater rate of crime.

Skin conductance Tests of criminal disposition

Skin conductance is measured by recording how much the fingers sweat.

Association have been found between a weak skin conductance response and criminal disposition.

One underlying factor for both a weaker skin conductance and lower resting heart rate may e a lower state of arousal in the brain.

Tests of brain anatomy and function

Raine and his colleagues have explored the relationship between brain images and criminal disposition.

Their general finding is that the frontal lobes- the brain region most involved in higher thought proves and in the integration of emotions and thought- may malfunction in the brain of criminally disposed individuals.

Routine activity theory

o Three elements are necessary for a crime to occur

i) Motivated offenders

ii) Suitable targets

iii) Lack of capable guardians

Rational choice theory argues that individuals choose to engage in crime. But “people make choices, but they cannot choose the choices available to them.”

According to this theoretical approach, three elements are necessary for a crime to occur: Motivated offender must come in contact with suitable targets in the absence of capable guardians.

According to the theory the supply of suitable targets and the pretense of capable guardians are a function of our everyday or “routine activity”

It argues that in order for crime to occur, motivated offenders must converge with suitable targets in the absence of capable guardians. It also argues that the probability of this occurring is influenced by our “routine activities” including our work, family, leisure, and consumption activities.

Unraveling juvenile delinquency

The delinquents as a group are distinguishable from the non-\delinquents: (1) physically, in being essentially mesomorphic in constitution (solid, closely knit, muscular) (2) Temperamentally, in being restlessly energetic, impulsive, extroverted, aggressive, destructive (often sadistic) – traits which may be related more or less to the erratic growth pattern and its physiological correlates or consequences. (3) in attitude y being hostile defiant, resentful, suspicious, stubborn, socially assertive, adventurous, unconventional, non-submissive to authority. (4) Psychologically, in tending to direct and concrete, rather than symbolic, intellectual expression, and in being less methodical in their approach to problems (5) socio-culturally, in having been reared to a far greater extent than the control group in homes of little understanding, affection, stability, or moral fibre by parents usually unfit to be effective guides and prote4ctors or according to psychoanalytic theory, desirable sources for emulation an the construction of a consistent well balanced and socially normal superego during the early stages of character development. Nahile in individual cases the stresses contributed by any one of the above pressure-areas of dissocial behavior tendency may adequately account for persistence in delinquency as dependent upon the interplay of the conditions and forces from all these areas.

Containment theory

Walter Reckless believed that individuals are exposed to an array of conditions that could predispose them to break the law. These criminal propensities might be "pushes," which might come either from troubled psyches or from pressures generated by stressful circumstances outside the individual. Or these propensities might derive from "pulls" such as family members, friends, or older role models in the neighborhood who are engaged in, and seemingly enjoying and profiting from, various criminal enterprises.

Reckless recognized that pushes and pulls toward crime were not evenly distributed in society, and thus that not everyone was equally motivated to break the law.

He understood that pushes and pulls varied across communities.

Outer containment is similar to what criminologists today call”

informal social control"

Inner containment involves possessing conventional beliefs, a commitment to goals, a self concept as a "good" person, the ability to handle distress, and a strong conscience- among other things.

A middle range theory

Containment theory does not explain criminal or delinquent activity which is a part of "normal" and "expected" roles and activities in some families and communities.

Between these two extremes in the spectrum of crime and delinquency is a very large middle range of norm violation.

Containment theory seeks to explain this large middle range of offenders.

Containment theory seeks to ferret out more specifically the inner and outer controls over normative behavior.

Social bond theory

Delinquency and social bonds are inversely related. Second, the concept of social bonds has four elements- Attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief-

A General Theory of crime

Some criminologists see crime as a by product of people with low self control who have high criminogenic propensities, coming into contact with illegal opportunities.

Self control not opportunities will be the primary determinant of people's involvement in crime across their life course.

A power control theory of gender and delinquency

In patriarchal families, girls are raised in a "cult of domesticity"

In which the goal is to have them to grow up to be house wives like their mothers.

In egalitarian families, however, the goal is to prepare both daughters and sons for the labor force.

In patriarchal families, boys are more involved in delinquency than girls because they experience fewer controls and develop preferences for taking risks. In egalitarian families however, boys and girls are exposed to comparable levels of parental control and thus their risk preferences and involvement in delinquency are similar.

A theory of differential association

Sutherland’s theory is that criminal behavior is learned by interacting with others, especially intimate others. It states that “a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to law violation over definitions unfavorable to violation of law”

Factors such as social class, race, and broken homes influence crime because they affect the likelihood that individuals will associate with others who present definitions favorable to crime.

Association with delinquent others is the best predictor of crime, and that these delinquent others partly influence crime by leading the individual to adopt beliefs conducive to crime.

Criminal behavior is learned.
Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication.
The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups.
When criminal behavior is learned the learning includes a) Techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very complicated, sometimes very simple b) the specific direction of motives, drive, rationalizations and attitudes.
The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable.
A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law.
Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.
The process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.
While criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those general needs and values since non-criminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values.

Techniques of Neutralization

The dominant view was that delinquents held values which were the opposite of middle-class values.

The first part their article presents evidence suggesting that delinquents do not generally approve of delinquency. The second part of their article presents and alternative formulation, in which they contend that delinquents are able to engage in delinquency by employing certain “techniques of neutralization.” Although delinquents believe that delinquency is generally bad, they claim that their delinquent acts are justified for any one of several reasons (e.g., the victim had it coming, they didn’t really hurt anybody.) These justifications are said to be sured before the delinquent act, and they make the delinquent act possible by neutralizing the individual’s belief that it is bad.

A Social Learning Theory of Crime

Akers argues that we learn to engage in crime through exposure to and the adoption of definitions favorable to crime. Akers, however, more fully describes the nature of such definitions.

He argues that crime may also be learned though imitation and differential reinforcement.

The Central Concepts and Propositions of Social Learning Theory

The basic assumption in social learning theory is that the same learning process in a context of social structure, interaction, and situation, produces both conforming and deviant behavior. The difference lies in the direction…[of] the balance of influences on behavior.

Differential association. Differential association refers to the process whereby one is exposed to normative definitions favorable or unfavorable to illegal or law-abiding behavior.

Differential reinforcement. Differential reinforcement refers to the balance of anticipated or actual rewards and punishments that follow or are consequences of behavior.

The Social Learning Process: Sequence and Feedback Effects

This process is one is which the balance of learned definitions, imitation of criminal or deviant models, and the anticipated balance of reinforcement produces the initial delinquent or deviant act. The facilitative effects of these variables continue in the repetition of acts, although imitation becomes less important than it was in the first commission of the act. After initiation, the actual social and non-social reinforces and punishers affect whether or not the acts will be repeated and at what level of frequency. Not only the behavior itself, but also the definitions are affected by the consequences of the initial act. Whether a deviant act will be committed in a situation that presents the opportunity depends on the learning history of the individual and the set of reinforcement contingencies in that situation.

Social Structure and Social Learning

Akers has proposed a SSSL (social structure and social learning) model in which social structural factors are hypothesized to have an indirect effect on the individual’s conduct. They affect the social learning variables of differential association, differential reinforcement, definitions, and imitation which, in turn, have a direct impact on the individual’s conduct.

Four dimension of social structure that provide the contexts within which social learning variables operate:

i) Differential Social Organization

ii) Differential Location in the Social Structure

a. Class, gender, race and ethnicity, marital status, and age

iii) Theoretically Defined Structural Variables

a. Anomie, class oppression, social disorganization, group conflict, patriarchy

iv) Differential Social Location refers to individuals’ membership in and relationship to:

a. Family, friendship/peer groups, leisure groups, colleagues, and work groups

The Thesis of a Subculture of Violence

Wolfgang and Ferracuti draw on Sutherland’s differential association theory….

..Among other things, they note that the subculture of violence is not completely at odds with the larger culture, it does not unconditionally approve of violence, and it is not share to the same extent by all members of the “subsociety.” The subculture is most prominent among young adults, and it defines violence as an expected, even required response to a range of situations. Violence is only required in certain situations. The subculture is learned in interaction with others, although they note that personality variables may influence the extents to which the subcultural attitudes are assimilated. Individuals who assimilate the subculture of violence will interpret certain situations differently than other people.

The code of the streets

Andeerson argues that there exists a “code of the streets” in poor, inner city African-american communities. While most people do not accept the values underlying this code, the code places all young African American men unfer much preassure to respond to certain situacions –Shows of disrepct- with violence.

While most people are opposed to the subculture, the subcultured nevertheless shapes the behavior of most communitiy residents. Further, the influence of the subculture4 is pervasive, affecting one’s behavior in a wide range of situacions and most especially affecting how one interprets and responds to challenges.

Decent and street families

Decent residents judge themselves to be so while judgiung others to be of the street, and street individuals often present themselves as decent, drawing distinctions between themselves and other people.

SO-Called decent families tend to accept mainstream vbalues more fully and attempt mainstream values more fully and attpemt to instill them in their children.

Decent Parents tend to be strict in their child rearing practices, encouraging children to respect authority and walk a straight moral line.

So called street parents, in contrast often show a lack of consideration for other people and have a rather superficial sense of family and community.

Microlevel learning theories

Sutherland’s theory of differential assocation was a microlevel earning theory. It sates that criminal behavior is learned in interaction with others particularly intimatye others like friends and family.

Indiiduals are most likely to engage in crime if they are exposed to definitions favorable to law violation 1) Early in life, 2) on a relatively frequent basis, 3) Over a long period of time, and 4) from sources they like and respect.

Macro Level Learning theories

The Macro level version of learning theory argue that there are certain groups in the nited States with values that are conducive to crime or that approve of or justify crime in cerain circumstances.

Other theorists have argued that young people constitute a deviant subculture. In particular, young people are said to approve of certain minoir forms of crime, like gambling and underage drinking, and to hold values that are conducive to crime.

The origins of these deviant subcultures

Strain theory

Individuals who are unable to achieve valued goals through legitimate channels may attempt to achieve them throught illegitimate channels or they may substitute alternative goals which they are capable of achieving in their place.

What is Learned helplessness

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Psychology 242

Chapter 2

Question 2: Describe Learned helplessness. How it is developed in laboratory animals and how does it help us to understand human depression?

Learned Helplessness was established though experimental tests on rats in Lab controlled environment. The scientist would shock the rats to see what the patterned of behaviors was. When the rats would realize that they had no control over their environment they would become “depressed.”

This experiment led to the conclusion that people reacted the same way. When faced with the experience of helplessness they tend to become depressed, Just like the rats did. The real breakthrough in Psychology was when Seligmen realize that different people have different views of the same situation, meaning that what one person views as a workable situation another may see it as an impossible situation to cope with and therefore become depressed.

Chapter 3

Question 1: The DSM-IV is based on a multiaxial system. Explain the content of each axis and its contribution to understanding the patient?

The DSM-IV system was an upgrade of the DSM-III. It brought about certain changes to the old coding system, For example the in the new DSM only personality disorders and mental retardation is coded in Axis II. “Pervasive developmental disorders that were previously in coded on Axis II are now in Axis I.” Certain disorders that had not been useful were replaced, or completely deleted from the DSM, while other disorders where added to it.

This new DSM helps psychologists diagnose certain disorders in a more efficient manner. For example according to the book there is a case of a patient whom they call “Frank.” In his case

“Initial observation indicates an anxiety disorder on Axis I, specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, he might also have long standing personality traits that lead him systematically to avoid social contact. If so, there might a diagnosis of schizoid personality disorder on Axis II. Unless Frank has an identifiable medical condition, there is nothing on Axis III. Job and marital difficulties would coded on Axis IV where we note psychosocial or environmental problems that are not part of the disorder but might make it worse.”

This patient has a little bit of everything in the Mix, but nothing so severe that he would be diagnosis with anything in the new DSM the reason being that in the DSM one must first rate the severity of the disorder before they are given a label.

Chapter 4

Question 1: Explain the unique ways that monozygotic twins raised in separate environments help us to understand the genetic influences of psychopathology?

By studying Monozygotic twins one can distinguish whether or not certain disorders are genetic or a product of our environment. After several studies Michael Lyons came to the conclusion that in juvenile anti-social behavior would be the result of environments not genetic factors. Yet in adulthood, anti-social behavior is greatly due to genetic factors. This leads to the assumption that in early stages of development, behavior is due the environment, and not genetics. Whereas in adulthood, it is the genetic factor that influences one’s psychological disorder to develop.

Question 2

Describe the procedures of the cross-sectional and longitudinal research methods. What are the uses and limitations of these methods?

Cross-sectional design is when researchers take a sample population of different age groups and compare them on some characteristics. What this means is that they will take a group of people who are around or about the same age and question them on a subject to find their opinions. They can then use this information to develop a hypothesis. This method of research is preferred by most academics, because it can be done in short amount of time. However, this method cannot answer how the individuals came about their opinion or how they will develop because of that opinion. Longitude designs is when researchers follow one group over time and record all of the changes and experiences the members go through in the years. This method can be very accurate in asserting why certain members of the group develop certain disorders which can lead to a hypothesis. Unfortunately, this type of research can take up to 25 years. And not many institutions can be the financial burden that goes along with longitudinal.

Chapter 5

Question 3

Discuss panic disorder including symptoms, cause, and treatment. What is panic attack? Explain the differences between the three types of panic attacks.

There are three types of panic attacks that are described in the DSM/IV: The first is situational bound. In this case you will only have the symptoms of the panic attack in certain situations or places, but not anywhere else. However, in unexpected panic attacks, you will never know when or where your next attack will happen. Standing in the middle is the third type of panic attack which is situational predisposed.

Panic attacks are defined by a sudden sense of fear which is usually accompanied by heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, and sometimes dizziness. The only way to treat panic attacks is by confronting the fears and anxieties of the patient in a controlled environment so the patient can be aware that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Chapter 7

Question 3

Compare and contrast the clinical symptoms of major depression and mania. Explain what is meant by mixed mania.

Major depression is characterized by cognitive symptoms that last at least two weeks or more. This means that the subject will experience the feeling worthlessness, indecisiveness, and helplessness. Most times they will also disturbed physical functions such as altered sleeping patterns, changes of appetite, losses and gain of weight, and/or loss of energy. Subjects that experience a depressive episode will typically lose interest in the most common household tasks, and the inability to enjoy life, whereas mania is characterized by a feeling of euphoria. Subjects experiencing mania can find joy in the most mundane of tasks. Some patients go as far as comparing “their daily experience of mania to a continuous sexual orgasm.” Some of the physical elements of mania can be: Requiring very little sleep, rapid incoherent speech, and the feeling that they can do anything.

The combination of both a manic and depressive episode contributes to what is known as a mixed mania. When an individual can “experience manic symptoms but feel somewhat depressed or anxious at the same time.”

Chapter 8

Question 1

In what ways do anorexia and bulimia patients tend to be similar and in what ways do they differ? Make certain to include the similarities and differences in the symptoms of the disorders as well as the dysfunctional thoughts typically associated with each disorder.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by the subject eating large amounts of food and then purging. Purging can include self-induced vomiting, or the use of laxatives and diuretics, as well as excessive exercise. Some subjects will fast for long periods before succumbing to another out-of-control binge. The most important characteristic present in bulimia is the feeling that self-esteem will only be determined by the subject’s weight. The same is true for subjects who suffer from anorexia. Both anorexia and bulimia subjects have a powerful and controlling fear of gaining weight and losing control over eating. In the case of anorexia, subjects will cease to eat. With anorexia the subjects experience a feeling of control over their bodies and their diets, which is not true for subjects suffering from bulimia. Subjects with bulimia usually have a history of anorexia where they use fasting to lose weight. Anorexia usually develops when a subject chooses to loose weight and succeeds. The subject then develops a fear of gaining weight and does anything to keep that from happening.

Question 3: What are the differences between nightmares and sleep terrors? Describe what we know about sleep terrors, including the ages at which it generally occurs and how it has been treated?

There is not a lot of research on nightmares or sleep terrors; some of the things that are known are that in both cases the subjects are children. Nightmares are characterized as very bad dreams that makes the subject awaken from his or her sleep, while night terrors are usually bad dreams which the subject does not remember, the subject would have screamed, Usually his or her heart will be palpitating and they will be sweating but they will not remember why. Another distinction is that Nightmares occur during REM sleep while night terrors occur during NREM sleep.

The first prescription for this type of cases is time, Doctors will usually ask the parents to wait and see if the nightmares or night terrors disappear on their own. If night terrors persist then the Doctors might ask the parents to awaken the child half an hour prior to the time when the night terror usually occurs, this will occur every night making it a little bit later every night until the child finally gets to sleep all night. Although the effects have not been researched or proven there are times when someone experiencing this symptoms might be prescribed antidepressants.

Question 4: Describe the Diagnostic criteria, neurological elements, and treatment for circadian sleep disorder?

To be diagnosed with circadian sleep disorder the subject would have to contains several criteria’s, one of which is that the developmental stages of the disorder begins by having interrupted sleep which brakes the normal sleep pattern, this interruption to sleep must create a disruption in the subjects life or social environment, it must also not be in conjuncture to any other mental or sleep disorder.

Our brain has ways of letting us know when it is time to go to sleep. Our biological clock is in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleous in the Hypothalamus which is connected to our eyes. Essentially what happens is that our eyes perceive darkness (Night) and let our brain know that it is time to sleep, the Brain then produces melatonin to help us go to sleep. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland. It is when a subject suffers from a disruption in this process that he or she develops Circadian Sleep Disorder.

There are several ways to treat Circadian Sleep Disorder; one of them is the use of several drugs. Among these drugs are Benzodiazepine, Trizolm and Zolpidem and more. Drugs are used for short term treatment and are not suggested for long term treatment, the reason being that drugs can develop a dependency. Environmental treatments might include using a bright light. In this case the subject would sit in front of a bright light for a couple of hours so that the brain can receive the correct message and reset the internal clock. Other treatments might involve the forcing of the subject to go to sleep earlier, or later, this depends on which one is the problem, until the subject is back to a normal rhythm.

The truth about the loch ness monster

2013-10-17T04:24:00.002-07:00

This picture taken by a London Surgeon named Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson in April of 1934, was the beginning of modern lore in regards to Nessie the Loch ness Monster.

However this picture was later claimed to have been an elaborate hoax performed by Duke wetherell according to his step son Christian Spurling. Mr Spurling said that his stepfather had faked the picture, having had Christian Spurling make the body shown in the picture out of a toy submarine and some tinplate.

Mr Spurling claimed in a 1975 article that his step father had made the picture along with Maurice chambers. Strangely enough, It was Maurice chambers that Colonel Robert Wilson had claimed he was on his way to see when Nessie appeared.

Ian Wetherell also claimed that he had seen other pictures, in which the shoreline was clearly visible, and that these pictures had been discarded due to the obvious flaw in Nessie’s size when calculated with the Horizon.

As the story goes, Wetherell decided to make the hoax after having been ridicule by the newspaper the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail had sent wetherell to find out the truth about Nessie, while there wetherell found tracks of a four toed creature that he believed was over twenty feet long. He made plaster molds of it, and made the find public, however when the London Museum of History claimed the footprints where those of a Hippo the Daily Mail decided to ridicule Wetherell in a most unrespectful manner.

Wetherell’s vengeance was to create the monster, and have Wilson claimed that he himself had taken the picture.

The plan was to later laugh publicly at the Daily Mail when they came forth to tell the truth about the Hoax.

However so much publicity was brought on by the picture, that all that had taken part of the hoax decided to keep quiet.

Does this mean that Nessie never truly existed?

The simple answer is NO.

there is something in the depths of the Loch Ness Lake.

There are too many sightings that have been reported since the 1800’s for it not to be real.

However what it is may not be a monster at all. At least not in the sense of a sea creature from Myth.

In October 13, 2013 ABC News did a report about a Marine Science instructor named Jasmine Santana. Santana was Snorkeling in Toyon Bay when she noticed an eye looking at her from the floor of the sandy bottom.

A little exploration revealed the carcass of an 18 foot Oar fish. The Find was extremely rare, Oar fish are seldom seen, and their bodies almost never recovered.

This specimen was 18 feet long, however Oar fish are known to grow to up to 50 feet .

It took 20 people to finally bring out the Oar fish out of the water.

Oar fish usually live in the deep parts of the ocean, which is why most humans have never truly seen one. Although Oar fish are not mythological creatures, the idea that this could be what is truly inside the deep water of the loch ness lake only makes sense.

After all Oar fish only swim between 600 feet and 3 thousand feet under the ocean, can grow to 50 feet in lengths and be over 300 pounds.

So even if you do see Nessie, know that you are still witnessing something amazing, and that most of us will never see!

Kids that fly????

2013-07-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Mermaids...New evidence

2013-07-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

You decide...

A little fun

2013-05-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some scary / Horror movies that you should see when you are in the mood

Fright night
Zombie Apocalypse
Dawn of the dead
The revenant

Fun love movies that I actually like

The ugly truth
Hairspray

Zombies or a bath salt addiction

2013-05-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

If you know me you would know that Zombies, Vampires and weirdly fairies are my obsession. So while clicking popular you tube videos and finding the following ones below I began to ask myself what if? What if it all does come, maybe it will come slowly developing over years. people not putting the dots together until it is too late. Are you prepared? even if it doesn't, should you not buy that extra bottle of water and just put it away for a rainy day just in case? If it is the marketing companies trying to make us scared, then nothign will happened and you will have a can of spaghetti to share with someone.

But what if?

Keep on watching

Sorry but it does not stop there. Yes you can get this anywhere, But do you want to?

What if this was you? your sister? Your mother....

What if this was your brother? Your husband? your boy friend? your dad....

No you still dont get it do you....

Ok how about this?

I think maybe bath salt have had a lot to do with this case...;

but if you are still not convinced....

Are you ready? Please dont do it, even if your best friends say that it is legal. Just in case, I dont want to kill you with my sword hidden in the basement.

Went fishing, caught four deer

2013-04-02T00:44:00.003-07:00

This story came to me via email, its circling the usual suspects as one of those inspirational stories/emails that go viral. However as I read it the only question that was on my mind was, how did the deer get into the water in the first place? so far away from shore that they needed the help of a boat to get to shore, or risk exhaustion.

Here is the email;

A once in the history of mankind kind of thing.

The Best Day Of Fishing Ever!

Some fishing stories are a little hard to believe,

but this guy has pictures to prove his story...

I've heard of salmon jumping into boats,

but never anything quite like this...

Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out

with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel

when four juvenile black-tailed deer swam directly

toward his boat.

"Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle
the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that
the young bucks were distressed.
I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically
skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my
years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it!
Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering."

"This is a picture I
took of the rescued bucks on the back
of my boat, the Alaska Quest.
We headed for Taku Harbour . Once we reached the
dock, the first buck that we had been pulled from the
water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say
'thank you' and disappeared into the forest.
After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more
followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help.

This is me carrying the little guy.

My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck
to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the
icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive.
My daughter later told me that the experience was something
that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"

I told you! Awesome... huh?
Our Lord works in mysterious way..

"Kindness is the language the blind
can see and the deaf can hear." - Mark Twain