Sunday, January 26, 2020

History of the Latin Kings

History of the Latin Kings The History of the Latin Kings begins in the 1920s or 1930s, but at this time they were known under a different name. In the beginning of the 20th century a lot of Puerto Rican immigrants came to New York. A lot of groups were formed, such as Noble Knights (who have ties to todays Latin Kings) or Young Lords. The group still has connections to these gangs. The founder of the original Latin Kings is called Papa King or Papa Santos. He started the gang in the 1950s in Chicago. Although he is an important person in the history of Latin Kings you dont know much about him or his life. Even his birthday is unknown. He himself was a Young Lord. Due to oral stories the LK were formed on the Southside of Chicago on the corner of 18th and Wabash. During the 60s they became more and more successful and expended to the north. They grew faster and were the best organized gang these days. The Latin Kings worked with social workers, because they received government benefits from meeting them. Thats why they acted more and more bad to get more and more benefits, such as money, fun activities, etc. Today this system doesnt exist anymore, of course. Some gangs thought the LK were part of the Royal Kings, who had arguments with the so called Ambrose. As a consequence the Latin Kings and Ambrose became enemies. In the 1970 the LKs were often connected with major crimes and organized criminal activities. 1977/78 they were suspected for robbing an armory. The FBI arrested one member, who acknowledged that they had stolen military weapons. It was rumored that they sold them to different allied gangs. In the 1980s the LK convinced also white gangs to join the so called people alliance, formed with Vice Lords and Elrukns. In 1888 Papa King was killed. His followers were Lord Gino (of whom you say that he ordered Papa Kinds death) as the leader of the LKN in prison and Baby king as leader on the streets. Size and Ethnic Origin Since the 1990s theyre also spread in New York City and nowadays you can find them nearly everywhere in the US. The Latin Kings and Queens Nation is primary spread in Illinois, Texas, and Florida and of course in New York and Chicago. Although they have many allies they are still the third largest gang in Chicago and people say that it is the biggest and most influential Latino gang in the world. Experts guess that there are about 50.00 to 80.000 members world wide, but youll never find out the exact number. They often have Puerto Rican background, but during the last 20 years when they broadened to Europe, there became more and more people with also Hispanic, Portuguese or Italian background members. As in many gangs there are more male members than female. Structure and Organization Both, men and women, are allowed to become a member at the Latin Kings and Queens Nation has, as the name already says. They have a strict hierarchy and rules. It has always been important that the members have social responsibilities. Depending on their age they should have or search for a job or go to school. Education in general is quite important to the Nation. Thats why there are so called schoolings. Knowledge workers are people whose jobs focus on working with information and for whom a certain theoretical and analytical knowledge is important. Knowledge is not tied to any country it is portable and represents might, a typical LK ambition. They should also be interested in their ethnic background and family history and free or hard drugs to be able to mainly concentrate on their duties in the nation and not to drag down the other members. There are three stages of social responsibilities a member goes threw when he decides to be a Latin King: Primitive Stage: the King warrior acts very impulsive. Most of his time he does gang banging (engaging gang activities) or getting high. The Conservative or Mummy Stage: The member doesnt want to be on the streets and gets tired of being seen as big and bad. He gets married and retires. The New King Stage: The member sees himself as a new King, which means that he starts to recognize that the time of revolution is in his hand. When he becomes a new King the will of the Nation becomes his will. Everything starts to have a meaning to him and he only lives for the nation. They are well structured and known for their hierarchy. The leadership consists for example out of: Supreme Crown Authorities Executive Crown Authorities and Local Presidents in their respective prisons and communities. They are responsible for a particular area. Furthermore there are officers or leaders, the so called Incas that are each supported by a Crown Council of seven members. The gangs head is the so called Corona which means Crown. He is able to decide nearly everything, but is, of course, also responsible for every activity outside prison. At that time Gino Gustavo Colon is the leader of the Latin Kings. Rules Because of their strict hierarchy they need, as mentioned before, strict rules. There are ones for every part of their live. They are written in their bible, which is called the Kings Manifesto. For example they have rules how to communicate with other gang members.. A few official rules are: A brother never crosses his left over his right arm, he never covers his right hand, because it represents his crown. No member should take the law into his own hand, he isnt allowed to exploit any person inside or outside the nation, when a member gives another member a salute it always has to be returned. That rules are often highly ritualistic. Due to that the Latin Kings are very religious. They believe in Kingism, which includes their whole system. But they also believe in Yahweh, god, the almighty father, King of all Kings. He is also called the El of the Universe. A non religious LK youll find very rarely. The Nation says that also their name is an acronym and shows their devotion to Yahweh. Almighty stands for: A love measured in great harmony toward Yahweh In their Manifesto there are not only rules and regulations, but also prayers. There are 2 prayers in the beginning; one is called the holy prayer. They believe that Yahweh is the founder of the universe, of the Manifesto and the Kingism. This belief should give them faith in themselves. The Latin Kings say that theres a heaven and a soul that will meet Yahweh after death. In fact it has a great similarity to the Christian and Jewish believe. What Kingism exactly is does only a member of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation know. They have certain Kings, but if they are holy, imaginary persons or real historic figures, isnt clear. Punishments When a member does not stick to that rules he gets punished by his colleagues. Besides physical punishment it includes social exclusion and group harming. Their application varies in intensity and frequency whether its a Chicago or New Yorker Leader. They have a few different rules and their execution also depends on the leader. A non-physical punishment can be prohibition, which varies between 2 weeks and 2 month. Others can be fines, being isolated and so on and so forth. But, as everything in their lives, they also have strict rules for physical punishments. There are: three-minute physicals, as the name already explains three members punish for three minutes five-point violations, which means that there are 5 members of the leadership that punish the victim (they stand for the 5 points of the crown) or even T.O.S. It stands for Terminate on Sight and is a death penalty. The reasons for this last brutal action are treason, challenging a leadership or sadly just homosexuality. Symbols and Rituals As every gang they have specific colors you find on all their logos and tattoos. In this case they are black and yellow. The dark color represents death and stands in opposite to the light one, which represents life. They arent only included in their symbols, but also on their cloth. Their emblem is always five pointed, e.g. a star, a crown (sometimes worn by a lion) or anything else that shows this number. Their most recent emblem is the bulldog with a crown. You can say that the number five is holy to them, because they often use it in their philosophy. The LKs are known for their drawings and graffiti paintings. They use symbols such as A.L.K.Q.N (Almighty Latin King Queen Nation), A.L.K.Q.C.N (Charter Nation), A.D.R (Amor Deu Rei Love the Kings), guns, Coat of arms, money or cars. They sign places with graffiti where a gang member has fallen. On the graffiti the deceased persons ID-Number is shown, his/her name and the date of the death. If another gang is responsible for his/her death an upside down symbol of this gang is painted with the words Lollypop as a putdown for that gang. A very important thing for them is to learn to control their tongue. They believe that speaking of the control of the tongue is addressing the whole body. Thats what they want to learn. For that reason its not easy for the police to uncover their criminal activities they are faithful to their colleagues. Newspapers talk about special rituals to train themselves. Criminal Activities The LKs are known for not just using but also selling weapons. High ranking members often wear bullet proof vests, because of their enemies. Every member owns a weapon and they do not always carry them with them when they are on post. Its very hard to get information from them, because they are that faithful to their group. However, their primary source of income is dealing with drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana. The internet is full of stories about Latin Kings and their criminal activities including burglary, homicide, identity theft and money laundering. Reportedly also the police are corrupted. In 2011 two policemen had arrested drug dealers for fake, took their drugs and gave their proceeds to the Latin Kings. Statistics of the Chicago Police say that they find about 150 kilograms cocaine and 1000 kilogram marijuana a year in the Latin Kings region. Their Rival Gangs are the Latin Locos, Folk Nation gangs and the Solidos. Latin Queens Originally there were no female members allowed. Nowadays women get an equal share. They constituted, in addition to the male Kings, a few Queens. They join the gang for self-respect, independence, family support, ethnic identity and self-empowerment. Still they fill in female stereotypical roles and stay at home, mainly running the household, while the male members are fighting on the streets or dealing with drugs. They have a home life of protection. Reason for Becoming a Gang Member As Ive mentioned before a lot of women became members to feel safer. But still the Latin Kings and Queens Nation has more male members. They have a lot of influence in the world and the black market. That would be the main reason why people become members. In New York or Chicago they are common and young people are attracted by their philosophy and might. They often come from broken families and want to find a new one. Besides this its youll have no choice weather you want to be a LK or not when your parents already join them. On the other hand these kids grew up with the ideology of Kingism. They do not know anything else. Thats why the Latin Kings grow that fast. Due to this life in poverty seems to be a lot easier when you can relate on your gang and know that theyll support you even in prison. And of course you always have access to drugs and weapons, what favors young people the most. My Opinion When I started searching for information about the Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation I thought they where just one out of thousand Latin American gangs. But when I researched more I found their philosophy really fascinating. Kingism is not a religion I would personally agree with but I found it strange that so many people follow that few leaders and that there is such a strict hierarchy although everybodys talking about freedom. I wasnt surprised about their criminal activities and the stories about street wars or corrupt policemen do not really shock me. I expected that. Another think that was interesting is that although the LKs are so popular and even have their leaders in prison it is very hard to find out information about them. I had to concentrate on facts, but most of the sources are influenced by the gang itself, which forced me to read even more about them to stay subjective. A Latin Kings Poem NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT WE DONT REPRESENT THROWING UP THE CROWN WITH ALL OUR LOVE SHOUTING AMOR DE REY TILL WE DIE TO THE ALMIGHTY FATHER UP ABOVE BUSTING OUT IN OUR HOODS KEEPING THE LOVE ALIVE NEVER LETTING FLAKES DISRESPECT OUR EMBLEMS THAT WE MADE WITH SO MUCH PRIDE BUT AS ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING WE ARE GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER EACH DAY WATCHING SHORTIES JOIN AND OLDER BOYS RETIRE THEIR FLAG BUT AS ONE KING DROP HIS FLAG THERE IS A SHORTY TO PICK IT UP AS THE OLDER BOYS PASS THAT FLAG FROM AN OLD HAND TO A NEW ONE HE WILL GIVE HIM SOME WISE ADVISE KEEP THIS FLAG IN YOUR HEART AND NEVER LET IT DIE RESPECT AND HONOR THIS CROWN FOR IT I ONCE DID DIE FOR THIS CROWN AS OTHER KINGS /QUEENS DID EVER TAKE A BRO OR SIS NAME THAT DIED WITH RESPECT NOT UNLESS YOURE WILLING TO DIE LIKE HE / SHE DID LIKE A TRUE KING / QUEEN DIES IN THE BATTLE FIELD REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED, GO TO THEIR GRAVE AND SHED NO TEARS BRING THEM SOME BIG ASS FLOWERS, TELL THEM THAT THEY DIDNT DIED IN VAIN!!!! DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO DIED AND THOSE WHO PASSED THE CROWN FROM AND TO HAND AND THOSE WHO STILL KEEP THE LOVE ALIVE Sources: http://www.chicagogangs.org/index.php?pr=LATIN_KINGS http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/latinkings/latindex.html http://www.segag.org/ganginfo/frlkings.html http://books.google.at/books?id=rXeTZvvoJRQCpg=PA72lpg=PA72dq=latin+kings+Primitive+Stagesource=blots=t9YRCIsgAEsig=wB5LugquOM3UMuxflu0f-yaN9D0hl=enei=qr_FS7XlFKTuNLfItcQOsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=latin%20kings%20Primitive%20Stagef=false http://www.gangwar.com/items/items42.htm http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8387967/Chicago-Latin-Kings http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/chicago/chicago-cops-accused-of-working-for-latin-kings-held-without/article_635f3dcd-f84c-5f0e-9695-757167d2c6eb.html

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Developmental Psychologist: Neal Krause

He was born in Mineola, New York in 1948 and grew up in New Jersey with his family. He has spent most of his adult life teaching others about development during the aging process. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, received a master’s degree from Sam Houston State University and a Ph. D from Akron University and Kent State University. He teaches at the University on Michigan and has written numerous articles about the topic of relieving stress during the final phase of life’s development. Neal Krause Developmental psychology is the study of human growth and development.It focuses on the ways in which humans grow, learn and increase in knowledge throughout the average life span. Most developmental psychologists focus on the early years of the life cycle because this is the time in which development and learning occurs the most rapidly. In the first few years of life a person goes from being a completely helpless creature depen dent upon others for nutrition, safety basic cares and comfort to being a somewhat autonomous individual. What many of these psychologists fail to realize or focus on however, Dr. Neal Krause makes up for.He shows the world that although the early years are important development does not end at the age of five. The speed of development and learning does slow down as the person matures into adulthood, but it does not stop. Each new experience or challenge brings new information and changes the developmental process. Just as everything has a beginning, it also has an ending and human development is no exception. It often appears that as human beings age and get closer to the end of life, the development reverses and they revert back to the beginning stages. This factor in itself creates an entire field of developmental psychology.It can be a very frightening and frustrating time in which people who have cared for others realize they need to be cared for. The loss of independence durin g these years can make this phase of development one of the most stressful. This development of the aging population is the area in which Dr. Neal Krause has found his specialty. Neal Krause is currently a major influence in the field of developmental psychology focusing on the process and development at the end of the life cycle. He is on the teaching staff at the University of Michigan’s School of Gerontology, where he has taught and conducted studies since 1986.He specializes in the study of the effects of stress on the aging process and finding ways to better cope with this stress. By studying the ways aging populations of different cultures, gender and social groups deal with the stresses at the end of life; he can help provide better coping methods for these people and the people who often help care for them in the later years. Dr. Krause’s personal journey through life’s development began humbly, like that of most post World War II babies, on December 14, 1948 in Mineola, New York. He was the second child born to blue collar working class parents (N.Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). His father left school during his second year of high school to join the work force (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). He spent most of his early childhood years in New Jersey along the north shore, where he and his parents settled along with his older brother and younger sister (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). His teenage years were just as modest as his early childhood. He attended public high school in a very overcrowded school building (N.Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). The building was too crowded to accommodate all of the district’s students at the same time; therefore the school operated on a split session schedule. Neal Krause attended school from 6:30 am. until 12:30 pm. The second half of the student body attended from 1:00 pm until evening (N. Krau se, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). In order to save money for college, Neal worked thirty-five hours per week after school and on weekends at a shoe store as a stock boy (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007).He attended college at the University of Oklahoma where he received his first degree a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Marketing and Management (umicpeople, 2005). He chose this school, because the tuition was only fourteen dollars per credit hour for out of state tuition and since he was paying for it himself this was his most reasonable choice (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). In order to help pay for his college tuition he worked forty hours each week in a mental institution that he stated resembled the one from the movie â€Å"One Flew over the Coo- Coo’s Nest† (N.Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). His full time job at this facility led to a low grade point average at s chool, but an interest in human behavior and his future career (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). After his graduation from University of Oklahoma, he decided to pursue his education in human behavior. This decision led him to Sam Houston State University where he received a Masters degree in psychology and sociology. He then went on to receive a PhD. from a combined program between Akron University and Kent State University in sociology.He graduated from this program in 1978. His paid professional career began in 1978 in his area of interest human behavior and coping mechanisms. He spent the next twenty-nine years dealing with the topic of stress and continues to do so. Stress is a factor that affects every human on the planet in some way at some point during the life span. Stress can have both positive and negative effects on the body. In positive ways it can motivate a person to strive towards his best ability or flee an area of danger. In the negative aspe ct it can cause serious health issues to manifest (high blood pressure, heart attack, ulcers).Dr. Krause realized that although stress occurs in everyone’s life, not everyone develops the negative effects of stress. He has made it his mission to discover why some people find effective and healthy ways to cope with stress and others succumb to the negative health factors that can result. From 1978 to 1981, he took a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University. This was where he met his wife (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). The fellowship led him to Yale for a year where he worked on a large community survey for the elderly (N.Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). The offer of a better salary led him to Galveston, Texas and the medical branch of University of Texas (N. Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). While employed by the University of Texas, his work focused a great deal on the stress of women of various cultures who chose to work outside of the home as opposed to those who chose to be homemakers. Most of these studies and articles occurred in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s (umicpeople, 2005).At this time in history the issue of women in the workplace was very relevant to society as this was the generation of the â€Å"super mom†, who wanted to do every aspect of life to perfection. The study of stress levels in this population was quite significant at the time. One study conducted in 1983 was proposed on over the debate about whether a woman’s marital and child rearing stress was relieved by working outside of the home. One side of the argument stated that by working outside the home, women would have a break from marital and care giving responsibilities, thus relieving stress.The opposing side stated that the stress would in turn be increased due to the fact that the responsibilities would still be present when she returned home, thus multiplying the stress. The study indicated that although some of the stress of homemaking and marital responsibilities were somewhat decreased no significant difference appeared in the child rearing responsibilities ( Krause, 1983) He left Texas to move to Michigan in the mid 1980’s. He began his teaching career at the University of Michigan in 1986, where he received his tenure in 1989 and became a full professor in 1992 (N.Krause, personal communication, September, 10, 2007). He has remained there since that time. He currently is an instructor and researcher in the School of Gerontology at the University of Michigan. After moving to Michigan he changed the focus of his research to the elderly and the rapid aging of the â€Å"baby boom generation†. He has studied the aging population in different cultures and genders to find the differences in the aging processes in the various populations. Since the end of life brings about major changes in independence and security, stress becomes a signi ficant issue.This can be a frightening time and one of the most stressful during the life span. Continuing on his theory that some people cope with stress more effectively than others, he has focused on how various elderly people deal with stress in different ways and what factors make the differences for those who age with less stress. One of his studies involved over eight hundred elderly people (over age sixty-five) from mixed cultural backgrounds and both genders. They were asked what roles in life were most important to them.The study determined that most elderly people mentioned a parenting, grand parenting, other relative, or community role. Those with control over this kind of role in their lives had a tendency to live longer and have more value in their lives (Krause and Shaw, 2000). This study also determined that the reason for this longevity and quality may be partly due to the habits of the people. Those with well defined roles were less likely to participate in unhealt hy habits such as smoking and consuming excessive alcohol than did the people without these roles, thus leading to longer and often healthier lives (Krause and Shaw, 2000).In addition to this study, he conducted one along the same lines with the elderly population and their perceived role of security (that if they need help or support from someone it is available). This study concluded that as age increases this feeling of having needed support tends to decline and thus the security with it (Krause, 2007). These studies led to studies on the social relationships of the elderly. Most of the studies determined that the people with healthy social relationships had less negative effects from stress and appeared to live more fulfilling lives.The studies went from the basic study of roles in life to determine differences in other populations. He began to focus more on the differences between aging people from different cultural backgrounds. During his studies of people from different cult ures he noticed that some cultures were more effective in coping with the factors of stress during aging in spite of having healthy values and roles in life. One of these cultural differences was between elderly Caucasians and elderly African Americans. He determined that the African Americans on average had fewer negative effects of stress than did the same age population among Caucasians.He added the aspect of spiritual beliefs and religion to the list of possible coping mechanisms. One of these studies found that African Americans tend to read the Bible more and pray more. The study also indicated that because of the traits of culture, African Americans tend to develop a closer more personal relationship with God (pray as if God is literally in the room with them and talk more personally) and therefore may be able to find this relationship helpful in coping with the stresses of daily life (Krause and Chatters, 2005).He went on to study the same effects in Mexican Americans. The c ulture is different and the ways in which they practice religion is often different. He also conducted studies on people from Japanese backgrounds. In addition to the cultural differences in the ways elderly people cope with stress, Dr. Krause went on to explore the reasons that people within the same culture often dealt differently with the aging process. He continued to study the religious aspect after noting that it had played a significant role in cultural studies.He studied the differences in gender in relation to religion and coping. He noted that in general women attended church more regularly and sometimes had a deeper spiritual devotion than men. He continued the studies with some studies on religion with respect to developing a positive relationship with the clergy and social relationships within the church. In all of the studies the overall indication was that the more healthy relationships, the more positive experiences and the deeper religious devotion, the better equip ped the better the person tended to be at positive coping.Dr. Krause studied the effects that negative experiences such as traumatic events can have on coping as well as negative experiences in social and religious situations. The results of these studies provided support for the studies of the positive effects of religion and relationships on a person’s longevity and quality of life in later years. People with negative experiences in religion were less likely to attend church regularly or develop positive relationships within the church and less likely to cope effectively with stress.People who claimed to be deeply religious, but claimed to have doubts about their religion had a tendency to develop stress during the aging years. Those who had suffered multiple traumatic events during their lives or within recent years had less effective coping mechanisms especially if they did not have strong family support. He has added a sense of self-esteem to the studies and has found th at people with very high self –esteem and very low self-esteem both have negative effects on coping, but a comfortably positive self-esteem is a healthy balance.An additional factor that was determined to make a difference in coping mechanisms focused on social and economic status of the individual. With the cost of healthcare and nursing facilities for the elderly, having a lack of financial means had a strong negative effect on the individual’s ability to cope with stress in the final phase of life. In addition to knowing they have nothing left to leave their children. Throughout the past three decades Dr. Neal Kruse has explored the extensive topic of stress and how people cope. He has studied the difficulty of aging and has found how some people make the aging process easier.His studies have concluded that the people with well defined positive roles and a strong support (family or social) system tend to develop positive coping skills in all cultures. Deep religious conviction and involvement in a church community can act as a positive support system and help a person develop positive coping skills. People with a healthy sense of self and value of self worth in various cultures developed coping mechanisms. African Americans had a tendency to develop more healthy skills than Caucasians, possibly due to religious beliefs and practices.His studies demonstrate that financial planning in early years would help alleviate stress in later life. Dr. Krause has an appreciation for the elderly and development at the end of the life span. He has demonstrated that there are ways to make this phase of life better and continues to study ways in which the stress and anxiety of the aging process can be alleviated. His study of this last phase of the life cycle helps younger people know steps they can take to minimize their level of stress during these years.If they develop strong family, spiritual and social relationships and have a financial plan for the agin g years, they can hope to reduce the negative effects of stress during the aging years. Dr. Krause currently teaches doctorate classes to other researchers in the field to help them gain a better appreciation of the value of the final phase of the human life cycle. It is no mystery to anyone that stress can have a negative impact on people’s lives. As the computer and electronic age make life easier, it also seems to make it move faster and instead of stress being reduced the stress increases as people struggle to keep up with society. Dr.Krause has shown that a big part of psychology and human development is finding a healthy balance in the stress levels of life. He has dedicated his life to helping people find this balance. He has chosen to focus on a population that many in the field of psychology have chosen to ignore, the elderly. He believes that although progression and learning slow during these years and in many cases reverts back to child hood, this is still a very important phase of human development and must not be forgotten. This regression to childlike behavior means a loss of independence and security. It brings about a fear of the unknown and eventual death.It includes a loss of dignity and privacy. Elderly people face losing the ability to make their own decisions and care for others. They have to face the reality that instead of being the care giver they have to be the one being cared for. In many cases they can no longer live alone and have to decide if they will stay with family or go to a care center. If they go to a care center, they may not have enough money to cover the incredible expenses involved in elderly care. With a large portion of the nation’s population rapidly reaching retirement age, these concerns are becoming a reality for increasing numbers of people everyday.This phase of life is one of the most frightening and stressful phases of life. If properly planned for however, it can be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling. Dr. Krause has spent nearly thirty years studying and attempting to find ways to help people age with more dignity and less stress. He has studied the coping mechanisms that work effectively and those that lead to premature aging and even death. He has published his findings to help those who care for the aging populations and those who are looking at retirement age find the most effective coping mechanism possible for what can be one of the most stressful times of life.Most people will go through this phase of life and many of the nation’s population is either currently going through this phase or soon will be. With this realization the focus of psychology is rapidly changing to what Dr. Krause has known all along. They are beginning to realize that the aging process of human development is a vital part of the life cycle. There are more studies being made all of the time and the government is beginning to realize that the elderly need assistance in funding the m ounting cost of care.Most employers now offer retirement plans to help their employees prepare for the retirement years. Home health is becoming an option to help elderly people maintain independence for longer periods of time. This involves care givers providing support to elderly people in their own homes. Many of these changes are taking place in society because of studies conducted such as the ones Dr. Krause has conducted throughout his career. These studies have helped many people be more prepared for retirement and aging. It helps to have this valuable information to help make the â€Å"golden years more golden†. References: Krause Neal. (2007)Age and Decline in Role-Specific Feelings of Control University of Michigan. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from: Age and Decline in Role-Specific Feelings of Control — Krause 62 (1): S28 — Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Krause, Neal. (1983) Employment Outside the Home and Women’s Psychological Well-Being Retrieved September 11, 2007 from: SpringerLink – Journal Article Krause Neal and Chatters, Linda. (2005) Exploring Race Differences in a Multidimensional Battery of Prayer Measures Among Older Adults. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SOR/is_1_66/ai_n13807640/pg_2 Krause, Neal and Shaw, B. A.(2000) Aging is Improved by Personal Control of Life Roles.   Retrieved September 11, 2007 from: Aging & Aging Parents: Aging is Improved by Personal Control of Life Roles University of Michigan people (2005) Retrieved September 10, 2007 from: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/people/cv/krause_neal_cv.pdf

Friday, January 10, 2020

Bomb Threat and Explosion Investigation

In addition, other law enforcement agencies may have specific information value. The Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Police Intelligence Group (PIG) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) maintains files on individuals who make threats against political leaders.The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may provide information of imported goods; the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) can provide information on individuals entering or leaving the country; the Firearms and Explosive Division, Civil Security Group, Philippine National Police (FED, CSG, PNP) maintains records on firearms and explosives; the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) maintains records on fugitives; the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHILPOST) may assist in matters related to the mails; the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) may, have files of information and intelligence because they have primary jurisdiction in kidnap-for-ransom cases. On the local level, the local pol ice authorities frequently maintain individual photo or â€Å"mug† files, alias files, business indexes, modus operandi (MO) files, victimization records and crime patterns. In addition, court records, probation and parole files, and other municipal records such as utilities, may prove valuable. Records of businesses, such as the telephone, electric and water companies, may also be helpful.Surveillance and stakeouts are important components of kidnap-for-ransom investigations. These activities may require various forms of electronic surveillance, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, automobile locator systems, videotaping and photography. Such efforts may require assistance from other agencies. The investigator should be familiar, not only with the use of such equipment, but also with the laws surrounding their application. The investigator must know when a court order is necessary for the use of electronic surveillance. In no case should an investigator use extralegal means to secure information. CHAPTER 7 BOMB THREAT AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INTRODUCTIONThe use of explosives, by certain criminals and criminal organizations, has increased since the mid – 1980’s. Statistics also show that homes, vehicles and businesses were the primary targets of bombings and, in eight out of ten incidents, the motive was vandalism and revenge. Bombs are often made out common household items regularly found in the kitchen, garage or under the sink. The pipe bomb, the easiest bomb to construct, is often packed with screws and nails which act as projectiles, similar to hand grenades. These are materials that the bomber relies on, in part, to help conceal their identity. Because they are usually home-made, they are limited in their design only by the imagination of the bomber.When searching for a bomb, the investigator should simply look for anything that appears unusual. The bomb technician decides what is and is not a bomb. The bombing crime scene must be linked to the bomber and, if found intact, the bombs themselves can sometimes reveal the identity of the bomber. Bombs can be constructed to look like almost anything and can be placed or delivered in a variety of ways. The chance of locating a bomb that looks like the stereotypical bomb is almost non-existent. INVESTIGATING THE BOMB THREAT Bomb threats are delivered in a variety of ways. Most are telephoned in to the target. Occasionally, these calls are made through a third party. Sometimes, a threat is communicated through in writing or via a recording.There are two (2) general explanations as to why the bombers communicate a bomb threat: 1. The caller has definite knowledge or believes that an explosive or incendiary bomb has been or will be placed, and that he or she wants to minimize personal injury or property damage. The caller may be the person who placed the device or someone else who has become aware of such information. 2. The caller wants to create an atmosphere of a nxiety and panic that will, in turn, results in disruption of normal activities at the facility where the device is supposedly placed. Whatever the reason, there will certainly be a reaction to it. However, through proper planning, the wide variety of uncontrollable reactions can be minimized.The bomb threat caller is the best source of information about a bomb. When bomb threat is called in, the following steps should be implemented: 1. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. 2. Ask him or her to repeat the message and record every word spoken by the person. 3. Ask the caller about the location of the bomb and the time of detonation of the device. 4. Inform the caller that the building is occupied and the detonation of a bomb could kill or injure innocent people. 5. Pay particular attention to background noise such as motor running, music playing or any other noise. This may give a clue as to the location of the caller. 6.Listen closely to he voice (male or female), voice quality (calm or excited), accent and speech impediments. 7. Interview the person who received the call for the preceding information. RESPONDING TO A BOMB THREAT In response to a bomb threat, the following reminders must be strictly observed by the first responders: 1. Refrain from broadcasting while at the location. Radio transmissions might trigger the explosive device. 2. Anyone involved in the search must not touch any suspected items. Under any circumstances, if a suspicious object is located, it should not be touched or disturbed. 3. Maintain a safe distance from the explosive device. 4. Call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team (EODT) to handle the explosive device. SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIn a raid or search situation in which explosive devices are expected to be encountered, investigations should be accompanied by an explosives expert. This person can be used to inform other police officers of what type of device is at hand and how best to proceed safely with the raid. Other pr ecautions include the following: 1. Only one officer at a time should approach the suspected booby trap. 2. When trip wires are located, both ends of the wire should be checked. 3. Wires that appear to be electric should not be cut. 4. No containers should be opened without thorough examination. ELEMENTS OF BOMB INCIDENT PLANNING To counter bomb incidents, a physical security plan and bomb incident plan should be made.The elements of these plans are as follows: 1. Control 1) Who will be in charge of the incident? 2) Where will the control center be located? 3) How will critical decisions be made? 4) Who will man the control center? 5) What primary and alternate communication system will be employed during the incident? 2. Initiation What procedures will be followed upon receipt of a bomb threat or notice that a device has been found? 3. Evacuation If evacuation is ordered, what procedure will be followed? 4. Search 1) What will be searched? 2) What search technique will be employed? 3) Who will search? 5. Damage Control 1) What damage control measures will be taken? ) Who will take the damage control measure? 6. Detonation 1) What procedure will be followed if a bomb detonates without warning? BOMB – SEARCHING TECHNIQUES A two-person search item is recommended when looking for bombs. When the search team enters the room, they should first move to various parts of the room and stand quietly, with their eyes closed, and listen for clockwork device. Often, a clockwork device can easily be detected without the use of specialized equipment. Even if no clockwork mechanism can be detected, the search team is now aware of the background noise level within the room itself. Background noise is always disturbing during a building search.If a ticking sound is heard but cannot be located, one might become unnerved. The ticking sound might come from an unbalanced air conditioner fan, several floors away, or from a dripping sink down the hall. Sound can transfer throu gh air conditioning ducts, along water pipes and through walls. One of the more difficult buildings to search is one that has steam of hot water heat. This type of building will constantly thump, crack, chatter and tick because of the movement of the steam of hot water through the pipes and the expansion and contraction of the pipes. The room should be divided into two virtually equal parts. An imaginary line is then drawn between two objects in the room.The first searching height will usually cover items in the room up to hip height. The searchers then position themselves on opposite sides of the room and begin searching their way around the room, working toward each other. During the search, all items resting on the floor and positioned around or on the wall area are inspected. Although many minor variations are possible in searching a room, the following are the summary of the basic searching steps: 1. Divide the area and select a search height. 2. Start from the bottom and work yourself up. 3. Start back-to-back and work toward each other. 4. Go around the walls and proceed toward the center of the room.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Free Short Stories from Project Gutenberg

Founded by Michael Hart in 1971, Project Gutenberg is a free digital library containing more than 43,000 e-books. Most of the works are in the public domain, though in some cases copyright holders have given Project Gutenberg permission to use their work. Most of the works are in English, but the library also includes texts in French, German, Portuguese, and other languages. The effort is run by volunteers who are constantly working to expand the librarys offerings. Project Gutenberg was named after Johannes Gutenberg, the German inventor who developed movable type in 1440. Movable type, along with other advances in printing, helped facilitate mass production of texts, which fostered the rapid spread of knowledge and ideas in art, science, and philosophy. Goodbye, Middle Ages. Hello, Renaissance. Note: Because copyright laws vary from country to country, users outside of the United States are advised to check the copyright laws in their respective countries before downloading or distributing any texts from Project Gutenberg. Finding Short Stories on the Site Project Gutenberg offers a wide range of texts, from the United States Constitution to old issues of Popular Mechanics to charming medical texts like 1912s Cluthes Advice to the Ruptured. If youre specifically hunting for short stories, you can start with the directory of short stories arranged by geography and other topics. (Note: If you have trouble accessing the Project Gutenberg pages, look for an option that says, Turn off this top frame and the page should work.) At first, this arrangement seems straightforward, but on closer examination, youll realize that all of the stories categorized under Asia and Africa, for example, are written by English-speaking authors like Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote stories about those continents. In contrast, some of the stories categorized under France are by French writers; others are by English writers writing about France. The remaining categories seem somewhat arbitrary (Ghost Stories, Victorian Stories of Successful Marriages, Victorian Stories of Troubled Marriages), but there is no question that they are fun to browse through. In addition to the short stories category, Project Gutenberg offers an extensive selection of folklore. In the childrens section, you can find myths and fairytales, as well as picture books. Accessing the Files When you click on an interesting title on Project Gutenberg, youll be confronted with a somewhat daunting (depending on your comfort level with technology) array of files to choose from. If you click Read this e-book online, youll get completely plain text. This is an important part of what Project Gutenberg is trying to accomplish; these texts will be preserved electronically without complications from fancy formatting that might not be compatible with future technologies. Nevertheless, knowing that the future of civilization is secure wont improve your reading experience today one iota. The plain-text online versions are uninviting, awkward to page through, and dont include any images. A book called More Russian Picture Tales, for example, simply includes [illustration] to tell you where you might see a lovely image if only you could get your hands on the book. Downloading a plain text file rather than reading it online is slightly better because you can scroll all the way down the text instead of hitting next page over and over. But it is still pretty stark. The good news is that Project Gutenberg really, really wants you to be able to read and enjoy these texts, so they offer many other options: HTML. In general, the HTML file will provide a better reading experience online. Take a look at the HTML file for More Russian Picture Tales, and-voilà  !—the illustrations appear.EPUB files, with or without images. These files work on most e-readers, but not on Kindle.Kindle files, with or without images. Be aware, though, that Project Gutenberg is up in arms because of the Kindle Fire, unlike previous Kindles, is not particularly compatible with free e-books. For suggestions, you can read their webmasters Review of the Kindle Fire.Plucker files. For PalmOS devices and a few other handheld devices.QiOO mobile e-book files. These files are intended to be readable on all mobile phones, but Javascript is required. The Reading Experience Reading archival material, electronically or otherwise, is very different from reading other books. The lack of context can be disorienting. You can often find a copyright date, but otherwise, theres very little information about the author, the pieces publication history, the culture at the time it was published, or its critical reception. In some cases, it may be impossible to even figure out who had translated works into English. To enjoy Project Gutenberg, you need to be willing to read alone. Going through these archives is not like reading a bestseller that everyone else is reading, too. When someone at a cocktail party asks you what youve been reading, and you answer, I just finished an 1884 short story by F. Anstey called The Black Poodle, you will likely be met with blank stares. But did you read it? Of course you did, because it begins with this line: I have set myself the task of relating in the course of this story, without suppressing or altering a single detail, the most painful and humiliating episode of my life. Unlike most works you read in anthologies, many of the works in the Project Gutenberg library have not withstood the proverbial test of time. We know that someone in history thought the story was worth publishing. And we know that at least one human being—a volunteer from Project Gutenberg—thought a given story was worth putting online forever. The rest is up to you. Browsing through the archive may raise some questions for you about what on earth that test of time really means, anyway. And if you feel youd like some company in your reading, you can always suggest a Gutenberg piece to your book club. 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Cold water may, indeed, be a luxury to the drunkard, but for someone who loves short stories, the real luxury is the chance to explore thousands of rich-but-almost-forgotten texts, to read with fresh eyes, to get a glimpse of literary history, and to form unencumbered opinions about what you read.