Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre

Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre On Dec. 7, 1993, Colin Ferguson, a man long bothered by what he considered racism, boarded a Long Island commuter train and began shooting at the passengers with a pistol. The incident, known as the Long Island Railroad Massacre, resulted in six people killed and 19 injured. Background Ferguson was born on Jan. 14, 1958, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Von Herman and May Ferguson. Herman was the managing director for Hercules Agencies, a large pharmaceutical company. He was highly regarded and one of the most prominent businessmen in Jamaica. Colin and his four brothers enjoyed many of the privileges that come with wealth in a city where extreme poverty is common. He attended Calabar High School and, from all appearances, was a good student who participated in sports. At the time of his graduation in 1974, his grade average was in the top third of his class. Fergusons idyllic life came to an abrupt halt in 1978, when his father was killed in a car crash. His mother died from cancer not long afterward. Soon after both parents died, Ferguson had to cope with the loss of the family fortune. All the losses left him deeply disturbed. Move to the United States At 23, Ferguson decided to leave Kingston and move to the U.S. on a visitors visa, hoping for a fresh start and a good job on the East Coast. It didnt take long for his excitement to turn to frustration: The only jobs he could find were low-paying and menial, and he blamed racism in America. Three years after his arrival in the U.S., he met and married Audrey Warren, an American citizen of Jamaican descent who understood the cultural differences that affected her husbands ability to get along. She was patient and understanding when he lost his temper and went into rages, expressing his racial bigotry toward white people who he felt stood in his way. The couple moved to a home in Long Island, where he continued to rage about the mistreatment and disrespect he was shown by white Americans. He had been born to one of the top families in Kingston, and government and military luminaries had attended his fathers funeral. But in America, he felt he was treated as nothing. His hatred toward white people was deepening. Married bliss didnt last long for the couple. Warren found her new husband to be hostile and aggressive. They fought regularly and more than once the police were called to their home to break up a fight. Just two years into the marriage, Warren divorced Ferguson, stating differing social views as the reason. Ferguson was emotionally crushed by the divorce. He did clerical work for Ademco Security Group until Aug. 18, 1989, when he fell from a stool on the job, injuring his head, neck, and back and losing his job. He filed a complaint with the New York State Workers Compensation Board, which took years to come to a resolution. While he waited for their decision, he attended Nassau Community College. Disciplinary Problems at College He made the deans list three times but was forced to quit a class for disciplinary reasons after a teacher filed a complaint that Ferguson was overly aggressive toward him in class. That prompted him to transfer to Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1990, majoring in business administration. Ferguson became very outspoken about black power and his dislike of whites. When he wasnt calling everyone around him a racist, he called out for violence and a revolution to overthrow white America. Ferguson alleged that a white woman at the library shouted racial epithets at him when he asked about a class assignment. An investigation found that no such incident had occurred. In another incident, Ferguson interrupted a faculty member giving a presentation about her trip to South Africa, allegedly shouting, We should be talking about the revolution in South Africa and how to get rid of the white people and Kill everybody white! After fellow students tried to calm him, he chanted, The black revolution will get you.   In June 1991, as a result of the incident, Ferguson was suspended from school. He was invited to reapply after satisfying his suspension, but he never returned. Brush With the Law In 1991 Ferguson moved to Brooklyn, where he was unemployed and rented a room in the Flatbush neighborhood. At the time it was a popular area for West Indian immigrants, and Ferguson moved right into the middle, but he kept to himself, rarely saying anything to his neighbors. In 1992 his ex-wife, who had not seen Ferguson since the divorce, filed a complaint against him, claiming he had pried open the trunk of her car. Anger was boiling up inside Ferguson, and he was nearing the breaking point. In February he was taking the subway when a woman attempted to sit in an empty seat beside him. She asked him to move over, and Ferguson began screaming at her, pressing his elbow and leg against her until the police intervened. He attempted to get away, calling out, Brothers, come help me! to African-Americans on the train. He was arrested and charged with harassment. Ferguson wrote letters to the police commissioner and the NYC Transit Authority, claiming the police had brutalized him and were vicious and racist. The claims were later dismissed after an investigation. Worker's Compensation Claim Settled It took three years for his workers compensation case against Ademco Security Group to be settled. He was awarded $26,250, which he found unsatisfactory. Stating that he was still suffering from pain, he met with a Manhattan attorney, Lauren Abramson, about filing another lawsuit. Abramson later said she asked a law clerk to join the meeting because she found Ferguson to be threatening and uncomfortable to be around. When the law firm rejected the case, Ferguson accused members of the firm of discrimination. During one phone call, he referenced a massacre in California. Many at the firm began locking their inner-office doors. Ferguson then tried to get the New York State Workers Compensation Board to reopen the case but was rejected. However, Ferguson was placed on a list of potentially dangerous people because of his aggressiveness. Fed up with New York City, Ferguson moved to California in April 1993. He applied for several jobs but was never hired. Gun Purchase That same month, he spent $400 on a Ruger P-89 9 mm pistol in Long Beach. He began carrying the gun inside a paper bag after he was mugged by two African-Americans. In May 1993, Ferguson moved back to New York City because, as he explained to a friend, he didnt like competing for jobs with immigrants and Hispanics. After he returned to New York, he seemed to be deteriorating quickly. Speaking in the third person, he went on rants about blacks striking down their pompous rulers and oppressors. He showered several times a day and chanted continuously about all the black people killing all the white people. Ferguson was asked to vacate his apartment by the end of the month. The Shooting On Dec. 7, Ferguson boarded a 5:33 p.m. Long Island commuter train leaving Pennsylvania Station for Hicksville. On his lap were his gun and 160 rounds of ammunition. As the train approached the Merillon Avenue Station, Ferguson stood up and methodically began firing at passengers on both sides, pulling the trigger about every half second and repeating Im going to get you. After emptying two 15-round magazines, he was reloading a third when passengers Michael OConnor, Kevin Blum, and Mark McEntee tackled him and pinned him down until police arrived. As Ferguson lay pinned to a seat, he said, Oh God, what did I do? What did I do? I deserve whatever I get. Six passengers died: Amy Federici, a 27-year-old corporate interior designer from MineolaJames Gorycki, a 51-year-old account executive from MineolaMi Kyung Kim, a 27-year-old New Hyde Park residentMaria Theresa Tumangan Magtoto, a 30-year-old lawyer from WestburyDennis McCarthy, a 52-year-old office manager from MineolaRichard Nettleton, a 24-year-old college student from Roslyn Heights 19 passengers were injured. The Note Police searching Ferguson found several scraps of notebook paper in his pockets bearing headlines such as reasons for this,  racism by Caucasians and Uncle Tom Negroes, and a scribbled reference to his February 1992 arrest that referred to the false allegations against me by the filthy Caucasian racist female on the #1 line. Also among the notes were the names and telephone numbers of the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and the Manhattan law firm that Ferguson had threatened, whom he referred to as those corrupt black attorneys who not only refused to help me but tried to steal my car. Based on the notes, it appeared that Ferguson planned to delay the killings until he was beyond the New York City limit out of respect for outgoing Mayor David Dinkins and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. Ferguson was arraigned on Dec. 8, 1993. He remained silent  during the arraignment and refused to enter a plea. He was ordered held without bail. As he was escorted from the courthouse, a reporter asked him if he hated whites, to which Ferguson replied, Its a lie. Investigation, Trial, and Sentencing According to trial testimony, Ferguson suffered from extreme paranoia involving many races but mostly centering on the feeling that white people were out to get him. At some point, his paranoia had pushed him into devising a plan of revenge. To avoid embarrassing Mayor Dinkins, Ferguson had selected a commuter train headed to Nassau County. Once the train entered Nassau, Ferguson had begun shooting, selecting some white people to gun down and sparing others. The reasons for his selections were never made clear. After a circus-like trial in which Ferguson represented himself and rambled on, often repeating himself,  he was found guilty and sentenced to 315  years in prison. As of November 2018, he was in the Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, New York. Source:The Long Island Railroad Massacre, AE American Justice

The History of Concrete and Cement

The History of Concrete and Cement Concrete is a material used in building construction, consisting of a hard, chemically inert particulate substance known as an aggregate (usually made from different types of sand and gravel), that is bonded together by cement and water. Aggregates can include sand, crushed stone, gravel, slag, ashes, burned shale, and burned clay. Fine aggregate (fine refers to the size of the aggregate particulates) is used in making concrete slabs and smooth surfaces. Coarse aggregate is used for massive structures or sections of cement. Cement has been around a lot longer than the building material we recognize as concrete. Cement in Antiquity Cement is thought to be older than humanity itself, having formed naturally 12 million years ago, when burnt limestone reacted with oil shale. Concrete dates back to at least 6500 BCE when the Nabatea of what we know now as Syria and Jordan used a precursor of modern-day concrete to build structures that survive to this day. The Assyrians and Babylonians used clay as the bonding substance or cement. The Egyptians used lime and gypsum cement. The Nabateau are thought to have invented an early form of hydraulic concrete- which hardens when exposed to water- using lime. The adoption of concrete as a building material transformed architecture throughout the Roman Empire, making possible structures and designs that could not have been built using just the stone that had been a staple of early Roman architecture. Suddenly, arches and aesthetically ambitious architecture became much easier to build. The Romans used concrete to build still-standing landmarks such as the Baths, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. The arrival of the Dark Ages, however, saw such artistic ambition dwindle alongside scientific progress. In fact, the Dark Ages saw many developed techniques for making and using concrete lost. Concrete would not take its next serious steps forward until long after the Dark Ages had passed. The Age of Enlightenment In 1756, the British engineer John Smeaton made the first modern concrete (hydraulic cement) by adding pebbles as a coarse aggregate and mixing powered brick into the cement. Smeaton developed his new formula for concrete in order to build the third Eddystone Lighthouse, but his innovation drove a huge surge in the use of concrete in modern structures. In 1824, the English inventor Joseph Aspdin invented Portland Cement, which has remained the dominant form of cement used in concrete production. Aspdin created the first true artificial cement by burning ground limestone and clay together. The burning process changed the chemical properties of the materials and allowed Aspdin to create a stronger cement than plain crushed limestone would produce. The Industrial Revolution Concrete took a historic step forward with the inclusion of ​embedded metal (usually steel) to form what’s now called reinforced concrete or ferroconcrete. Reinforced concrete was invented in 1849 by Joseph Monier, who received a patent in 1867. Monier was a Parisian gardener who made garden pots and tubs of concrete reinforced with an iron mesh. Reinforced concrete combines the tensile or bendable strength of metal and the compressional strength of concrete to withstand heavy loads. Monier exhibited his invention at the Paris Exposition of 1867. Besides his pots and tubs, Monier promoted reinforced concrete for use in railway ties, pipes, floors, and arches. Its uses also ended up including the first concrete-reinforced bridge and massive structures such as the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams.

Fashion Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion Portfolio - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Portfolio" focuses on the fashion design portfolio. Once I am familiar with the type of fashion industry companies I want to design for, I will then think about what they want to see from me. The research methodology of my paper will include publications, surveys and other techniques in which events like trade shows, forecasting, publications, and cultural events will be visited to gather relevant information. The processes intricate in designing fresh ranges and collections usually begin with researching and gathering information. Fashion designers have inadequate training in research methods and rarely carry out studies thus resulting in intuitive and subjective judgements. Contributing to such problems is the inadequate amount of time existing to do the research and heavy costs of designers gathering information. As a result, research methods which can be used by fashion designers include trade shows, forecasting, publications, and cultural events. In essence, d esigners require drawing upon a varied range of information so as to inform their decision-making in the process of planning and development of design portfolio. In trade shows, I expected to gain knowledge of fashion products and fabrics such as garments. These fashion shows are prearranged by garment and textile fashion companies to present new garment or fabric ranges and the aim is to sell out their products to the fashion designers and buyers. The advantages of appearing in trade shows seemed to be connected to networking.

Financial Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10250 words

Financial Planning - Coursework Example I was able to base my financial plan on this. Also I learnt to incorporate various influential factors into my financial plan. On the overall, the chapter provides a framework for financial planning. The first chapter provides the method to derive the goal and the path to achieve the goal. This chapter provides the means of achieving such goal. In other words, it provides us with information on some of the basic tools required such as maintenance of financial records, computation of net worth, preparation of cash flow statement, using financial ratios, and understanding time value of money. The chapter lists out the benefits and various aspects of organizing the documents and records. The issues to be thought about are how long to save a document and how to save it. The purpose of safekeeping devices like safe deposit box or lock box should be understood before investing in one of them. The two financial statements important for an individual are Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. The Balance Sheet reveals the financial position of the individual and the Cash Flow Statement summarizes the cash inflows and outflows. Worksheets 1 and 7 provide the template for preparation of these two statements. Financial ratios such as the debt ratio and the savings ratio give a precise idea of your achievement. It informs you if your debts are well within the limits of the assets you own and the savings ratio keep your savings on track. Time Value of Money is essential to assess one's financial success. A common man thinks that he has earned well on his investment without considering when he is going to get the returns. Understanding the concept of time value of money becomes essential to know if the returns to be earned over a period of time are actually sufficient. Chapter 3: This chapter deals with identifying one's short term and long term financial goals, evaluating one's own abilities and interest in establishing a career plan, understanding and implementing a household budget, and monitoring and controlling expenses. The chapter first provides the precise steps required to establish a set of goals. It is important to list the goals on paper rather than just think about it. The step regarding breaking bigger goals into smaller goals was a good tip. While thinking in the long run, everything looks very vague, whereas in the short run, we are able to think precisely. In the short run, we will be able to execute our long term plan. Career planning, though not directly linked to financial planning, is the very source of the finance that we need to plan for. The chapter gives a detailed explanation on career planning. Through the chapter I was able to learn the real value of my career, which is the present value of it and not just what I am going to earn in the near future. There are also useful websites that give

Pythagoras Theorem and Financial polynomials Essay Example for Free

Pythagoras Theorem and Financial polynomials Essay Ahmed and Vanessa have interest in locating a treasure, which is buried. It is my responsibility to help the two locate it. First, I will help them locate it by the use of Pythagorean quadratic. As per Ahmed’s half, the treasure is buried in the desert (2x + 6) paces form the Castle Rock while as per Vanessa’s half she has to walk (x) paces to the north then walk (2x + 4) paces to the east. According to the Pythagorean theorem, every right angled triangle with length (a) and (b) as well as a hypotenuse (c), has a relationship of (a2 + b2 = c2) (Larson Hostetler, 2009).                  In Ahmed and Vanessa’s case, I will let a=x, b =2x+4 and then c=2x+6. To follow, will be my efforts to put the measurements above into the real Pythagoras theorem equation as follows: X2+ (2x+4)2=(2x+6)2 this is the equation formed out of the Pythagoras Theorem X2+42+16x+16 = 42+ 24x+36 are the binomials squared x2 42 on both sides can be subtracted out. X2+16x+16 = 24x +36 subtract 16x from both sides X2+16 = 8x+36 now subtract 36 from both sides X2-20 = 8x X2-8x-20=0 I will use to solve the function by factoring using the zero factor. (x-) (x+) the coefficient of x2 Application and selection from the following (-2, 10: -10,2: -5,4; -4, -5) In this case, it seems that I am going to use -10 and 2 is as per how the expression looks like this (x-10)(x+2)=0 X-10=0 or x+2=0 creation of a complex equation x=10 or x=-2 these are the two probable resolutions to this equation.                     One of the two calculated solutions is an extraneous solutions, as it do not work with such sceneries. The remaining solution I only have is (X=10) as the number of paces Ahmed and Vanessa have to accomplish to find the lost treasure. As a result the treasure is 10 paces to the north 2x+4 connect the 10, now its 2(10)+4=24 paces to the east of Castle Rock, or 2x+6= 2(10)+6=26 paces from Castle Rock. Financial polynomial                   For the case of financial polynomials, I have first to write the polynomial without the parenthesis. Following the above, I have to solve for p= 2000 + r = 10% for part A and then solve for p= $5670 + r = 3.5% for part B, without the parenthesis as follows: P + P r + P r2/4 (the original polynomial) to reach this I followed the following steps: (1 + r/2)2 This is because it looks as if it is foil P(1 + r/2) P (1+r/2)(1+r/2) After the two equations I combine like terms. Because I am multiplying by 2 on r/2, it cancels out both 2’s and I then get left with is r as follows; P(1+ r/2 + r/2 + r2/4) P(1 + 2(r/2) + r2/4) I then write in descending order (P + Pr + Pr2) To solve for P=2000 and r=10% the following follows; P + Pr + Pr2/4 2000 + 2000 Ãâ€"(0.10) +2000Ãâ€" 0.1024 2000 + 200 + 5 = $2205 P(1+ r/2)2 2000Ãâ€"( 1 + .10)2 2000Ãâ€"(1.05)2 2000Ãâ€"( 1.1025) = $2205 For part B I will solve for P=5670 and r= 3.5% P + Pr + P Ãâ€"(r2/4) 5670 + 5670Ãâ€" (0.035) + 5670 Ãâ€" 0.0352 5670 + 198.45 + 1.7364375 = 5870.1864375 This is approximately ($5870.19) The problem 70 on page 311 has the following steps; (-93 + 32 – 15x) à · (-3x) The Dividend is (-93 + 32 – 15x), and the Divisor is (-3x). The Dividend is (-93 + 32 – 15x), and the Divisor is (-3x). -93 + 32 15x -3xAfter I divide -9 by -3 which equals +3. The x on the bottom cancels the x from the top. -93 + 32 – 15x -3x -3x -3x -9* x*x* x I am now left with 32 for the first part of the polynomial. -3 * x -9*x *x * x -3 * x I first divide 3 by -3, which equals -1 and the x from the bottom cancels out one of the x’s from the top. -93 + 32 – 15x -3x -3x -3x 3 *x *x At this point I am left with -1x, which simplifies to just –x, as the second part of the polynomial. Then -3 *x 3 *x * x -3 * x Then I divide -15 by -3, which equals positive 5, and the x on the bottom cancels out the x on the top, so you do not have any x’s to carry onto the answer of the equation. -93 + 32 – 15x -3x -3x -3x -15 *x At this point I am left with only 5 for the last part of the polynomial, and the answer is 32 – x + 5. -3 * x -15 * x -3 * x                   The negative sign from the -3 x changes the plus sign in the equation to a minus sign, it changes the minus sign to a plus sign in the final answer, and the equation is in Descending order. Reference Larson, R., Hostetler, R. P. (2009). Elementary and intermediate algebra. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Source document

Educational Productivity :: Teaching Education

Educational Productivity Educational productivity is the improvement of students outcomes with little or no additional financial resources, or a consistent level of student performance at a lower level of spending. Educational productivity is based on effectiveness. This is the linkage between student outcomes and the level and use of finacial resources in the schools. Production functions are concerned with how money is related to student learning and lifetime earnings. Other approaches are cost functions, data envelopment, and the impact of smaller class size on the student learning. Although there has been extensive research about educational productive functions, there are still many disagreement among researchers as to whether or not a statistical link can be found between student outcomes and money. However, it is agreed upon that the single largest expendidture in the public school system is teacher expenditure. Early production-function research, modeled on classical economic theory, tried to correlate a set of educational "inputs" to a single "output." Most of these studies were inconclusive. Because of the complexity of the schooling process and factors (like child poverty) outside schools' control, it has been difficult to isolate statistically significant one-to-one correlations between inputs and student learning. The most common outcomes measured in such studies are standardized test results, graduation rates, dropout rates, college attendance patterns, and labor-market outcomes. Inputs usually include per-pupil expenditures; student-teacher ratios; teacher education, experience, and salary; school facilities; and administrative factors (Lawrence Picus 1997). The most famous production-function study was the U.S. Department of Education's "Coleman Report." This massive survey of 600,000 students in 3,000 schools concluded that socioeconomic background influenced student success more than various school and teacher characteristics (Picus 1997). Another type of research was culminated in Eric Hanushek's 1989 study, which analyzed results of 187 production studies published during the previous 20 years. Using a simple vote-counting method to compare data, Hanushek found no systematic, positive relationship between student achievement and seven inputs. Hanushek's findings have been challenged by recent studies using more sophisticated research techniques. When Larry Hedges (1994) and associates reanalyzed Hanushek's syntheses using meta-analysis, they discovered that a $500 (roughly 10 percent) increase in average spending per pupil would significantly increase student achievement. Likewise, Faith Crampton's comprehensive analysis (1995) of inputs affecting achievement in New York State schools found that expenditures seemed to matter when they bought smaller classes and more experienced, highly educated teachers.

Celta – Focus on the Learner

This case study is based on Patricia, a Spanish national in her twenties who is in her last year studying an Economics degree course. She is also a student on the Elementary course at the British Language Centre. Patricia’s started learning English at the bi-lingual school she attended. She learnt English for 3 years but did not take any official examinations, but sees this as a possibility for the future. At school she learnt English because it was obligatory. The only other language she speaks is Spanish. She started attending the British Language Centre (which she still attends) to help her find a job in an international company and to prepare her for her visit to Eastbourne, East Sussex (UK) in July. She will be staying with a house family for one month and hopes to improve her English and use all of the language she has been learning to date. Her reasons for learning English are a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic ones. The main reason she is motivated to learn English is because she believes it will help her find a good job and earn loads of money, she also reads a lot about English culture and customs and watches films in English with subtitles for her own enjoyment. This can also be related to her learning styles. The results of her â€Å"multiple intelligences† questionnaire indicates that her learning style preferences are linguistic, spatial and interpersonal. Her conversations in English refer to things that she has read or heard, she enjoys solving mazes and other visual puzzles and considers herself to be a leader. Problems and Possible solutions with Grammar The student enjoys English grammar, and generally finds it much easier than Spanish grammar. An example of this is the verb formations. She normally uses the correct tense when speaking in English but sometimes uses the infinitive form instead of the progressive. â€Å"I read† instead of â€Å"I’m reading†. Spanish often use an infinitive where English would use a progressive; this can be attributed to language interference. To resolve this problem more tasks relating to real situations could be set along with reading and listening exercises that incorporate and contrast the infinitive nd progressive forms. When asked about the aspect of English she finds most difficult, she said ‘phrasal verbs’. Her problems include understanding the meaning of phrasal verbs, especially when the meaning can vary according to context, and choosing the correct particle to accompany the verb. For example â€Å"to break up† I broke up with my girlfriend last night, the main cause is likely to be comprehension issues as a result of conflict with meanings she already knows. Solutions to such problems would be dictionary analysis and sentencing restructuring exercises. Another problem she has is with the structuring of sentences. A classic example of this would be using the adjective after the noun â€Å"shoes big† instead of â€Å"big shoes†. This can also be attributed to language interference. Solutions to this problem would include drills (oral and written); practice would include guided dialogues, language games, parallel writing, dictations etc. 3 Problems and Possible Solutions with Vocabulary A common problem can be irregular plurals. (Refer to Appendix – example 1). In Spanish irregular plurals are not formed the same as in English. The common rule is that a â€Å"s† is added to the singular i. e. hombre = hombres. A solution to this problem is getting the student to record a list of all irregular verbs as they come up (recycling the vocabulary in future classes) and correct their mistakes in reading and writing exercises. Another problem is that many words are used in different contexts but with a connection to their original meaning. (Refer to Appendix – example 2). This forms a problem for Spanish speakers as the word flood â€Å"inundar† is only used in 1 context. Solutions and practice can be given through activities where the student has to use the word in different contexts and apply the alternatives. There are several different expressions where â€Å"bother† can be used. (Refer to Appendix – example 3). The meaning changes slightly from expression to expression. In Spanish this word is not used in the same way. A solution and practice to this would be to present all of the words to the student within a real context, through a reading or writing exercise. 2 Problems and Possible Solutions with Pronunciation. Morphemes that have more than one pronunciation present a problem relating to the sound of words. (Refer to Appendix – example 4). Both problems relate to rhythm when speaking, Spanish rhythm is syllable timed, whereas, English rhythm is stressed timed. (Spanish also has a narrower pitch range than English). Both problems can be directly related to language interference. Solutions include instant and planned remedial. The best procedure in addressing these problems is to draw attention to the problematic sound or pattern. Get them to pronounce it in isolation and explain how the pattern or sound is formed, and drill the student ensuring they have a record. The learner skills strengths and weaknesses: Speaking: The student is very comfortable speaking on a one to one basis and has no qualms about making mistakes. She articulates and forms her sentences well. Her main problem in fluency speaking is hesitation, something that she is fully aware of. She takes time to work things out in her mind before speaking, and this pause is evident in class, for example, when a teacher asks her a question. The more complicated the question or response, the longer the pause. She has very few opportunities to speak English outside the classroom, and this lack of practice contributes to her hesitation. Reading: The student seems to get the general gist of reading as long as she has some guidance and visuals. She is not afraid to ask questions if necessary and hardly ever uses her dictionary in class. Areas she could improve on are her vocabulary range to help her understand texts better and additional reading outside of the class. Listening: The student understands most of the instructions given out in lass and regularly helps her peers when they do not understand something. Her main weaknesses include not being able to follow a native person’s conversation; she has already established learning habits in the classroom that will not be effective when speaking to a native person. She also has poor vocabulary, which will limit her understanding relating to words she does not know. Wri ting: Reader – When I left university I wanted to do exactly the same things as you: find a job working for an international company which would allow me to travel around the world and buy a house. Writing teacher – Overall you did a very good job, things you need to consider next time are using shorter sentences to give more impact and tenses. Language expert: A good attempt at the set task, you need to think more about the structure of sentences and using the right vocabulary. Also review definite/indefinite articles and propositions. In order to improve your language skills and learn a new language many different sub skills are required. It is a good idea to learn techniques such as skimming and scanning to abstract relevant information more quickly. Distinguishing sounds of the different vowels in English is also very important along with determining the stress and intonations in sentences. Listening and reading stimuli or input is very important in producing more effective language, and it is a good idea to put yourself in situations where you are only able to converse in English, as this will force you to use the language more and help increase your confidence levels.

John the Baptist Rewrite Essay

Abstract John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. His life is told in only the Gospels and not much is really known about the man who came before Jesus to preach the word of God and of Jesus’ coming. INTRODUCTION: John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. The New Testament does not supply precise information about the dates of John’s or Jesus’ birth. Usually John the Baptist is associated with the Advent season. His Birth is celebrated on June 24th. In the third or fourth century the birthday of Jesus was assigned to Dec. 25th, around the time of the winter solstice, after what we call the shortest day of the year, when the time of daylight begins to increase. In John’s Gospel there is a saying from John the Baptist, referring to Jesus, that â€Å"he must increase; I must decrease† (3:30). And so the birth of John was assigned to June 24th, after the summer solstice, when the daylight begins to decrease, following the longest day of the year. The Scripture readings for the nativity of St. John the Baptist reflect the dynamics of Decrease and increase between John and Jesus. Today’s Old Testament reading is one of the servant songs from Second Isaiah. It was chosen for its reference to the servant having been named from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:60). But the passage also expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations. At the same time his status as servant makes him subordinate to Jesus. The selection from Paul’s speech in Acts 13 reminds us that John played a pivotal role in Salvation history and so won a place in the early Christian proclamation. Importance is given to John’s own recognition of his subordinate status with respect to Jesus, â€Å"I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet†. HIS HISTORY: John the Baptist was described as a man that walked among the Jews in animal’s hair that was not covered by his own skin and he was a savage. He came with a message that â€Å"God hath sent me to show you the way of the law, by which ye shall be freed from many tyrants. And no mortal shall rule over you, but only the highest who hath sent me. † He dipped them into the stream of the Jordan and let them go warning them that they should renounce evil deeds (Harrington, 2005, p. 25). In Luke’s early narrative there are many parallels and comparisons between John and Jesus, both in the announcements of their births and in the accounts of them. While John is great, Jesus is greater is the message given. The idea is not to critic John but rather to highlight Jesus’ greatness. The birth of John is presented by Luke as the fulfillment of God’s promises not only to his elderly parents but also to God’s people as a whole, Elizabeth and Zechariah, John’s parents, insists that the child be named John , a name whose Hebrew form, Yohana, celebrates God’s mercy and favor to his people . If there is any connections between Jesus ant the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is through John, who was â€Å"in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel† The child John grew up to become a herald of God’s coming kingdom, the messiah and the mentor of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke provides some of the chronological history of John the Baptist. According to Luke, John began to preach his baptism of repentance in the fifteenth year of Tiberius. Jesus was born sometime before the death of Herod the Great. This puts him at about thirty when he began to preach and died during the reign of Pontius Pilate, whose term was terminated shortly before the death of Tiberius in 37 c. e. Since in all three gospels Jesus’ ministry appears to last no more than about a year, the gospel of Luke places the death of Jesus between 25 C. E. and 29 C. E. with the latter being a range that would fit with Luke’s claim that John began preaching around 28 C. E. (Kraemer, 2006, p. 334). There is a period of John the Baptist life that is blank and because the gospels are the only mentioning of the man, speculation has given a possibility of where he was. They believed that John the Baptist was a recluse who spent a great amount of time with a group of people named the Essenes. These people lived in the desert awaiting the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Miller & Scelfo, 2007). The Essenes had turned its back on the Herodian temples and its worship to withdrawal to the Judean desert. Their communities were created using monastic style communities, but also to instill a religious life for families. These religious instructions included a literary center and used exclusive rituals such as baptism and prayer. This is probably where the basis of John’s beliefs was founded. In an article in Newsweek it discusses how close John the Baptist, Jesus and possibly his family were to the Essenes community. The actual ritual of Baptism, that was the Essenes belief, symbolizes â€Å"the leaving behind the sinful life one has led until now and to start out on the path to a new, changed life (Ratzinger, 2007). A Professor of religious studies wrote a book in 20006 that gave a little different look at the historical life of John the Baptist. According to this author, James Tolson, Jesus with his cousin John were in partnership and saw themselves as the founders not of a new religion but of a worldly royal dynasty that would be fulfilling ancient prophecies. The dynasty had come down from King David and was to restore Israel and guide it through an apocalyptic upheaval that was growing in the Kingdom of God on Earth. All of this was supposed to happen not in the distant or metaphoric future but then and now. True their message was one of a peaceful change, but Jesus knew he had aroused suspensions of Herodian rulers of Palestine as well as the Romans. So, according to Tolson, Jesus had to establish a provisional government with 12 tribal officials and named his brother James, not Paul as his successor. Later James became the leader of the early Christian movement (Tolson, 2006). HIS DEATH: History remembers Archelaus’s brother, Herod Antipas, because of his interactions with the prophet John the Baptist. John would loudly condemn Antipas immoral behavior of having stolen his brother’s wife, who was also his niece. Antipas arrested and kept John in chains, unable to kill him yet unable to put him out of his mind. According to the Book of Mark, â€Å"When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him† (Mark 6:20). Through a trick thought up by his wife and her daughter Salome, Antipas ended up executing John. Reports then filtered in of another prophet, and Antipas, perhaps plagued by remorse tried to see Jesus who avoided him, because of what he had done to his cousin. In both Mark and Mathew, the death of John the Baptizer is told in flashbacks. Jesus’ activities have attracted attention, and there have been speculation as to his identity, with some proposing that Jesus could be John the Baptist. Ross S. Kraemer of Brown University wrote an essay dealing with this subject. He also wrote that, â€Å"Herod Antipas too having heard the word of the prophet after John’s beheading, believes that Jesus is indeed John. Herodias, Herod’s wife, was the one who resents John and wishes to kill him but she was still prevented by Antipa’s fear of John’s righteousness and holiness. In Mark’s account at Antipas’s birthday meal was when an opportunity presented itself to Herodias. Antipas became entranced by his wife’s daughter dancing and offered this daughter anything she wished, even half of his kingdom. The daughter then goes and asks her mother what to request and her mother replies that she wants her to ask for the head of John the Baptizer on a platter. Antipas complies only in order to keep his oath and preserve his honor before his guests. In Matthew’s account there are some differences but still significant differences. Both agree that it is Antipas who orders John’s execution, but in Mark it is only because of Herodias that he does so, because Antipas has no desire to kill John. In Matthew Antipas himself desires to be rid of John, but has reservations because he fears the people who see John as a prophet. In Matthew’s account Antipas thought well of John and found his speeches pleasing. In Matthew, Herodias does not appear as a player until the end where like in Mark; Herodias capitalizes on Antipas’s offer. In Mark, Antipas has been totally manipulated by Herodias and her daughter, but in Matthew, he has merely been enabled to do what he had wished all along but was too weak to do. One more account from the book of Josephus tells that Herodias and her daughter played no role whatsoever. Josephus and Matthew actually concur in seeing Herod as always desiring John’s death, but with different motivations being that John was critical of Herodias for the way of flouting Jewish tradition by marrying Antipas and this was the motive for Herods ordering the beheading. But Josephus does cite that Antipa’s was fearful of John’s popularity and that could have started and uprising. HIS PROPHECIES: John the Baptizer was a prophet that preached with not so much words but with life. The words of the prophet ring true only because they carry with them the sweat, tears and blood of the prophet. According to Abraham Joshua Heschel, prophets are preachers whose lives are under siege, â€Å"The prophet is a man who feels fiercely. God has thrust a burden upon his soul and he is bowed and stunned at man’s fierce greed. Frightful is the agony of man; no human voice can convey its full terror. Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. It is a form of living a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words†. (Dube, 2002, p. 42). The ministry of John the Baptizer was to challenge, provoke and call towards holiness. Because prophets are on the cutting edge of the call for repentance, their call is to shatter the comfort zones of sin and complacency. The conditions that call fourth prophets are conditions of idolatry, moral decadence and weak spirituality. This is why strict conditions are set up for any prophet who prophesies peace. The message of the prophet is one that calls for repentance, one that threatens us with its incarnated holiness, rages at us with God’s words as with John the Baptizers words of, â€Å"Repent, God’s rule is around the corner! † John’s whole life was directed towards one goal, one direction, to give witness to the transcendent reality of God, which now made near, our eyes can see it and our hands can handle it. In John’s own words, â€Å"I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water† (Dube, 2002, p.43). What this means is that, ultimately, every prophet has to let go. John the Baptizer has to let that which he has given witness to take its own shape and form. Letting go seems easy, a holy thing to do, but in its aftermath it is a very hazardous moment for the prophet. What is hazardous for the prophet is thinking about what has really taken place. The result is that this final movement of the prophetic life is bound by some kind of crisis such as doubt or a trouble in the mind. The prophet discovers that he or she is not the sound from the trumpet but just a reed. This realization requires a re-centering. In John’s case, the crisis is his doubts about the Messiah. But after John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus a question if he was the one or whether they should look for another his fears were relinquished (Yancey, 2007, p. 72). In Christian faith they believe that John the Baptist was ordained by God to preach and reveal the Messiah, they believe this to be Jesus. Prophecies that were foretold by John are in Luke 1:17, â€Å"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. † and also Luke 1:75. In the Book of Malachi John the Baptist is referred to as a prophet who is to prepare the way of the Lord, â€Å"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he shall come, saith the Lord. † (3:1). PROOF OF EXISTENCE: In recent times a cave was discovered not far from the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist, Ein Kerem, just west of Jerusalem on a Kibbutz. Where John the Baptist was born and also where churches and monasteries are built to commemorate his birth. The cave is of considerable size with genuinely puzzling feature such as a large amount of broken patter, some dating to the period when John was active, a pool used perhaps for ritual immersion, a stone with the imprint of a foot, apparently used for foot-anointing and pictures on the walls that could relate to John the Baptist that depicts an upraised arm with three crosses. But much speculation as to whether this is a representation of John or not is still up in the air (Scham, 2004). Caves have long been associated with John. In the bible, his mother, Elizabeth, flees with him to a cave to escape Herod’s massacre of male infants, and as an adult he frequently lives in caves, giving some weight to the cave findings mentioned earlier. After John’s beheadings cults formed around his memory and often held religious rituals in caves. The site was excavated by Shimon Gibson an Israeli archaeologist in 1999 and 2000. Around the perimeter he discovered the remains of walls with large dress stones which usually is a sign of an important place in the Near East. Although Gibson isn’t clear on their age, he still uses this to uphold his find. Another artifact is a unique water channeling system suggesting the presence of a reservoir from its earliest occupation, probably between 800 and 500 B. C. This, Gibson proposes, was used for baptism rituals. Along with these relics are thousands of pieces of pottery, dating from Hellenistic times. CONCLUSION: John the Baptist was a prophet of the coming of Jesus and as elusive in history as was Jesus. Not much information can be obtained about much of his life except for what is mentioned in the Gospel. The finding of the cave and if it is indeed where John the Baptist did work his miracles would be the first evidence to his existence. In all the information I found most focused on his death and the meaning of his sermons towards the end of his life. If the evidence at the excavations do prove to the existence of John than evidence on Jesus’ life will follow. I was most interested in the essay by Ross S. Kraemer that mentioned a possibility that John and Jesus could be the same. Whatever is true, it is easy to say that John the Baptist was a man that through his sermons changed the world and created a faith. Bibliography Bugge, J. (2006, April). Virginity and prophecy in the old English Daniel. English Studies. 87(2), 127-147. Dube, C. (2002). From ecstasy to ecstasies: A reflection on prophetic and Pentecostal ecstasy in the light of John the Baptizer. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, 11. 1 41-52 Gibson, S. (2004). The cave of john the Baptist. New York: Doubleday Harrington, D. (2007, June 18). Decrease and increase. America, 196(21), 38-39. Kraemer, R. S. (2006). Implicating herodias and her daughter in the death of john the Baptizer: A christian theological strategy? Journal of Biblical Literature, 125(2), 321-349. Miller, L. & Scelfo, J. (2007, May 21). A portrait of faith. Newsweek, 14(21), n. p. Ratzinger, J. (2007, May 21). The meaning of baptism. Newsweek, 149(21), n. p. Scham, S. (2004, November). St. john’s cave. Archaeology, 57(6), 52. Tolson, J. (2006, March 17). The kingdom of Christ. News & World Report, 140(14), n. p. Warrington, K. (2006, April). Acts and the healing narratives: Why? Journal of Pentecostal Theology. 14(2), 189-217. Yancey, P. (2007, January). A tale of five herods. Christianity Today, 72.

How to Control Mosquitoes Around Your Home

How to Control Mosquitoes Around Your Home Nothing takes the fun out of an evening barbecue outdoors like a bunch of bloodthirsty  mosquitoes. In addition to inflicting a painful bite, mosquitoes can transmit diseases. You can keep your local mosquito population under control by limiting their habitat on your property, and avoid their annoying bites by using the right barriers and repellents. Mosquitoes Require Water to Breed Mosquitoes require water to breed. Adult mosquitoes  lay eggs in stagnant or slow moving water, or on moist soil or leaf litter in areas likely to collect water. By eliminating these water sources, you can keep new generations of mosquitoes from taking up residence in your yard. 7 Tips to Prevent Mosquitoes From Breeding Follow these tips to prevent mosquitoes from breeding around your home: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drill holes in the bottom, not the sides, of any garbage or recycling containers stored outdoors. Holes on the sides still allow enough water to accumulate in the bottom for mosquitoes to breed.   2.  Ã‚  Keep gutters clean and unclogged. Be sure your downspouts drain properly, without leaving puddles in the drainage area. You may need to reroute your downspouts or add extensions to carry water away.   3.  Ã‚  Keep swimming pools cleaned and chlorinated, even when not in use. Homeowners who go on vacation without chlorinating their pools may return to a veritable mosquito hatchery.   4.  Ã‚  Walk your property after a rain, and look for areas in the landscape that are not draining well. If you find puddles that remain for four or more days, regrade the area.   5.  Ã‚  Ornamental ponds should be aerated to keep water moving and discourage mosquitoes from laying eggs. Alternately, stock the pond with mosquito-eating fish.   6.  Ã‚  Dump anything that holds water twice per week if it has rained. Birdbaths, non-chlorinated wading pools, footbaths, garbage can lids, and pottery will all attract breeding mosquitoes. Remember to empty the saucers under your flower pots, and dont leave water in pet bowls for more than two days.   7.  Ã‚  Keep your property clean of items that can hold water, including discarded aluminum cans and tires. 6 Effective Repellents and Barriers Even when following all the precautions above to eliminate mosquito habitat, some mosquitoes will still be around to spoil your fun. You can limit exposure to the mosquitoes that remain by using effective repellents and barriers. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Window and door screens should be 16-18 size mesh and fit snugly, without gaps around the edges. Check your screens for holes and repair or replace them as needed.   2.  Ã‚  Replace your outdoor lights with yellow bug lights. These lights do not repel insects, but mosquitoes and other pests are less likely to find them attractive and invade your yard.   3.  Ã‚  When outdoors, apply a DEET-based insect repellent according to the directions on the label. DEET will need to be reapplied in 4-6 hours.   4.  Ã‚  Treat clothing, sunshades, and screen houses with a permethrin-based product, such as Permanone. Permethrin repels both mosquitoes and ticks and will last through several washes on your clothing.   5.  Ã‚  Some insecticides available commercially may be used by the homeowner for mosquito control. Check the labels for EPA-approved products registered as effective against adult and larval mosquitoes. A light spray application around building foundations, shrubs, and grasses will keep adults from resting in these areas.   6.  Ã‚  Use of some other repellent products, such as citronella candles and mosquito coils, may also be effective if used in windless conditions. Some concerns about mosquito coils, which are impregnated with chemicals, and possible respiratory impacts have been raised recently, however. Don't Bother With These Bogus Mosquito Products Despite what your friends tell you, some popular mosquito control methods have no significant impact on keeping mosquitoes in check. According to Wayne J. Crans, Associate Research Professor in Entomology at Rutgers University, these often-touted mosquito solutions are not worth your time or money. Bug Zappers Though the satisfying sizzle you hear from this modern day insect torture device will convince you its working, dont expect much relief from backyard mosquitoes. According to Crans, biting insects (including mosquitoes) generally make up less than 1% of the bugs zapped in these popular devices.  Many beneficial insects, on the other hand, do get electrocuted.   Citrosa Plants While citronella oil does have proven mosquito-repellent properties, the genetically-modified plants sold for this purpose do not. In tests by researchers, the test subjects bitten as often while surrounded by the Citrosa plants as without them. In fact, mosquitoes were observed landing on the leaves of Citrosa plants during the study.   Bats And/Or Purple Martins While both bats and the colonial purple martins will consume mosquitoes, the offending insects make up a small percentage of their natural diet. Assertions about these insectivores being effective mosquito controls grew out of misrepresented and misinterpreted data from unrelated studies. While providing habitat for bats and purple martins has its value, dont do it if only to reduce your mosquito populations.   Electronic Devices That Transmit Sounds to Mimic Electronic devices that transmit sounds to mimic male mosquitoes or dragonflies do not work. Crans goes so far as to suggest the claims made by distributors border on fraud. Enough said. Reference:  Products and Promotions That Have Limited Value for Mosquito Control, Wayne J. Crans, Associate Research Professor in Entomology, Rutgers University

spelling pronunciation - definition and examples

spelling pronunciation - definition and examples Definition The use of a pronunciation that is based on spelling rather than in accordance with a words conventional pronunciation, such as the increasingly common pronunciation of the once-silent letters t and d in often and Wednesday, respectively. Also called over-enunciation.D.W. Cummings notes that spelling pronunciations are more typical of American English than British English, perhaps because of the national predisposition among Americans to follow the written word more than the spoken (American English Spelling, 1988). The converse of spelling pronunciation is pronunciation spelling: the creation of a new spelling form on the basis of pronunciation. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Allegro SpeechDivergent SpellingSlurvianWanna Construction Examples and Observations Words borrowed from French such as hour, honour, and honest came into English without an initial [h] as did hospital, habit, and heretic, but the latter have acquired an [h] from the spelling. The word herb is pronounced with an [h] and without one (the latter mainly in the US), and though hotel has an initial [h], one still sometimes hears an (h)otel. . . .The traditional pronunciation of forehead is forrid, but it is common nowadays to hear fore-head, particularly in the US. This is an example of reversing a sound change on the basis of spelling. . . .Many people believe that the spelling is a guide to the correct pronunciation and argue, for instance, that it is wrong to include an intrusive r in the idea of it or I saw him, because there is no r in the spelling.(Barry J. Blake, All About Language. Oxford University Press, 2008) Spelling Pronunciation and Language ChangeSpelling pronunciations are one symptom of the shift from the aural to the visual bias. . . . A sampling of spel ling pronunciations provided by [Fred] Householder includes the following, all of which have modern pronunciations that are closer to their spelling than were their older, traditional pronunciations: yesterday, Wednesday, diphtheria, diphthong, harass, kiln, victuals, conch, draught, certain, author, yes, housewife, gold, bomb, jaunt, laundry, sewer (1971, 252-53).Though underestimated, spelling pronunciation is an important and respectable factor in language change. . . . It seems likely that something like spelling pronunciation was part of the process that led to the leveling of dialect differences in late Middle and Early Modern English. Michael Samuels says that the evolution and spread of standard English in the 15th and 16th centuries was primarily through the agency of writing, not speech (1963, 87).(D.W. Cummings,  American English Spelling: An Informal Description. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988) Middle English Spellings and Contemporary PronunciationsSome words have not yet been accorded spelling-pronunciation, the words choler, debt, doubt, receipt, salmon, sceptre, victuals retaining the pronunciation better suggested by the Middle English spellings colere, dette, doute, receite, samon, ceptre, and vitailes. Words of a more literary flavour, e.g. victuals, are now occasionally heard with a spelling-pronunciation, and condemnation of such pronunciations as ignorant will probably not prevent their ultimate universal acceptance.(D. G. Scragg, A History of English Spelling. Manchester University Press, 1974) Pronunciation SpellingA pronunciation spelling is a spelling that more closely reflects the pronunciation of a given word than the words traditional spelling does. Over time the new spelling may become as acceptable as the original spelling, as is the case with the pronunciation spelling bosun for boatswain. Many writers use pronunciation spellings, as wanna for want to o r talkin for talking, to convey speech.(The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Houghton Mifflin, 2005)

Human trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Human trafficking - Essay Example World governments, UN, Council of Europe, NATO and NGOs are making efforts to combat it. The U.S is leading efforts with efforts to combat it domestically and internationally. The U.S Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 2000 {TVPA} has defined human trafficking as comprising severe crimes: sex trafficking and forced labor. It defines sex trafficking as a crime where â€Å"a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.† TVPA defines forced labor as â€Å"the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery (http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/82902.pdf). Human trafficking is a transnational activity that does not consider boundaries or borders. Profits from human trafficking go into the strongboxes of international organized criminal outfits. Human trafficking is supported by other global crimes like money laundering document fraud and human smuggling (ht tp://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/human.htm). Human trafficking has a common denominator with all other forms of trafficking, i.e., reducing human beings to forms of property over which an unlimited power is exercised (Savona & Stefanizzi, 2007, p.10). Human trafficking is the ‘perfect’ crime because the risks of being caught are very less, negligible punishment awaits those unlucky enough to be apprehended, exorbitant profits are easily made and the whole business feeds on a traded item {human beings} that can be used and reused, marketed and exchanged (King & Clift, 2004, p.21). Human trafficking is the third most lucrative global illegal activity, surpassed only by illegal arms sales and illicit drugs. The human trafficking trade is widely and