To most people a Toyota motor home built in the 1980s looks like a cute and charming recreational vehicle. And for the most part this is exactly what they are. But there was a fatal flaw built into these early 1980 motor homes was that caused heartbreak and disaster for hundreds of people.

As the motor home size was expanded past 18 feet, the original Toyota pickup chassis which was only rated at 1/2 ton capacity, was simply not up to the job. Specifically the rear axle began to fail. When this happened bad things occurred to good people.

Completely empty, these little campers have a marginal carrying capacity for people and possessions. This meant that the typical motor home left the driveway in probably an overloaded condition. This was normally not a problem because the performance of the camper insured that slow speeds would be maintained on the trip. The hundred horsepower four-cylinder engine would not move three tuns of house in a very fast pace.

As the size of the camper increased it wasn’t long until the rear axles began to fail. The camper manufacturers compensated by adding a second set of wheels on the axle. This created a dual set of tires on each side. However this did not correct the problem. The problem lie in the fact that the bearings and the axle itself were just not heavy-duty enough to carry the load.

Excessive load caused the bearings to overheat, fail, and then disintegrate with disastrous consequences. Victims of this problem reported that the wheels would actually leave the truck. This was such a serious problem that the national highway safety administration became involved and issued a recall of certain Toyota motor home models.

There was no way to predict when the axle would fail. Some units failed almost immediately, some units went thousands and thousands of miles, and some units have not failed yet. However any Toyota motor home without the heavy-duty axle should be considered as a suspect vehicle.

There is an easy way to tell if your Toyota RV has a safe axle. First of all, all models of Toyota RV built after 1987 were built with the upgraded safe axle. All models of Toyota motor home built in 1984 and before are required to have the upgraded axle due to the safety recall. In 1985 and 1986 some models were built with the upgraded safe axle and some were not. So it is up to you to be careful when inspecting the axle on any Toyota motor home you are considering to buy.

A simple inspection of the axle itself will tell you if it is safe or needs to be replaced. The safe axle will have six lug nuts, the unsafe axles were built with five lug nuts. The safe axle will also have a protruding center hub that has a ring of nuts around the outer edge.

If the axles on the Toyota motor home you are considering only have five lug nuts and the center does not stick out and have a ring of bolts on the center hub, keep looking for another camper to purchase.

It is according to Aristotle that a speaker or writer has three ways to persuade his audience: The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second is on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third is on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself.

One of the most influential people who made a memorable speech for the past century is President John F. Kennedy, a famous public speaker who wrote an inaugural address that contains a power to persuade a lot of people.

His well-known speech shows how his method of using the art of persuasive written or spoken discourse (Rhetoric) that an author or speaker uses to convey a meaning to the listener or reader contributes to the purpose or theme of his message for his countrymen.

Definition of Terms:

1. Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another.

2. Allusion: A brief or indirect reference to a person, place, event, or passage in a work of literature or the Bible assumed to be sufficiently well known to be recognized by the reader.

3. Amplification: An expansion of detail to clarify a point.

4. Analogy: A comparison between two things in which the more complex is explained in terms of the more simple.

5. Anaphora: Repetition of one or more words at the head of consecutive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

6. Anastrophe: Inversion of word order to mark emphasis.

7. Antimetabole: Reverasal or repeated words or phrases for effect.

8. Antithesis: Contrast within parallel phrases (not to be confused with the ordinary use of the word to mean “extreme opposite”).

9. Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants.

10. Asyndeton: Absence of conjunctions.

11. Chiasmus: The reversal of grammatical order from one phrase to the next.

12. Climax: Consists of arranging words, clauses, or sentences in the order of increasing importance, weight, or emphasis.

13. Conduplication: Resembles anadiplosis in the repetition of a preceding word, but it repeats a key word (not just the last word) from a preceding phrase, clause, or sentence, at the beginning of the next.

14. Consonance: Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity.

15. Ellipsis: Any omitted part of speech that is easily understood in context.

16. Ethos: Makes use of what an audience values and believes to be good or true.

17. Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis.

18. Imagery: Lively descriptions which impress the images of things upon the mind using one or more of the five senses.

19. Logos: appealing to reason in a measured, logical way.

20. Metanoia: The qualification of a statement to either diminish or strengthen its tone.

21. Metaphor: Meaning or identity ascribed to one subject by way of another.

22. Oxymoron: Contraditory terms or ideas are combined.

23. Parallelism: The technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form.

24. Paradox: A statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning.

25. Pathos: Appealing to the emotions.

26. Personification: The attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or inanimate object.

27. Polysyndeton: Insertion of conjunctions before each word in a list.

28. Repetition: Word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity.

29. Rhetorical Question: A question asked for rhethorical effect to emphasize a point, no answer being expected.

30. Sententia: The punctuation of a point with an aphorism.

31. Syntax: The grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence.

32. Tricolon: A series of parallel words, phrases, clauses, or statements.

33. Zeugma: Includes several similar rhetorical devices, all involving a grammatically correct linkage (or yoking together) of two or more parts of speech by another part of speech.

Rhetorical Devices That Are Present In The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy:

*Alliteration

• “same solemn” (2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• “man holds in his mortal hands” (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• “for which our forebears fought” (2nd sentence of 3rd paragraph)

• “to friend and foe alike” (4th paragraph)

• “whether it wishes us well or ill” (5th paragraph)

• “Pay any price, bear any burden… ” (5th paragraph)

• “the survival and the success of liberty” (5th paragraph)

• “faithful friends” (1st sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• “colonial control” (1st sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• “strongly supporting” (2nd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• “break the bonds of mass misery” (9th paragraph)

• “sovereign states” (11th paragraph)

• “its writ may run” (11th paragraph)

• “the dark powers of destruction” (12th paragraph)

• “steady spread” (14th paragraph)

• “sincerity is always subject” (15th paragraph)

• “peace preserved” (9th to the last paragraph)

• “bear the burden” (6th to the last paragraph)

• “a grand and global alliance” (5th to the last paragraph)

• “high standards of strength and sacrifice” (1st sentence of the last paragraph)

• “Let us go forth to lead the land we love… ” (2nd sentence of the last paragraph)

*Allusion

• “I have sworn before you and Almighty God.” (2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• “those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside” (last sentence of the 8th paragraph)

*Amplification

• “Let both sides… Let both sides… Let both sides… Let both sides (Paragraphs 16 to 19)

*Analogy

• “those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside” (3rd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

*Anaphora

• “all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life” (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• “not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right” (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “To those old allies… To those new states… To those people… To our sister… To that world… to those nations… ” (Paragraphs 7 to 12)

• “We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom” (2nd and 3rd sentences of the 8th paragraph)

• “both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind’s final war” (14th paragraph)

• “Let both sides… Let both sides… Let both sides… Let both sides” (Paragraphs 16 to 19)

• “not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need–not as a call to battle, though embattled we are–but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out” (6th to the last paragraph)

• “the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet” (8th to the last paragraph)

*Anastrophe

• “Dare not” (1st sentence of the 4th paragraph and 13th paragraph & 3rd sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• “This much we pledge” (6th paragraph)

• “Ask not” (26th paragraph)

*Antimetabole

• “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” (3rd to the last paragraph)

• “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

*Antithesis

• “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom–symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change. ” (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• “… not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” (2nd sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

• “Support any friend, oppose any foe… ” (5th paragraph)

• “United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do… ” (2nd sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• “Not because… not because… but because… ” (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

• “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.” (16th paragraph)

• “not a new balance of power, but a new world of law” (20th paragraph)

• “Not as a call to bear arms… not as a call to battle.. but a call to bear the burden… ” (23rd paragraph)

• “I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it.” (2nd sentence of the 25th paragraph)

• “… ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” (26th paragraph)

• “ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (2nd to the last paragraph)

*Assonance

• “… the steady spread of the deadly atom.” (14th paragraph)

*Asyndeton

• “We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe… ” (5th paragraph)

• “explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths” (2nd sentence of the 18th paragraph)

• “The energy, the faith, the devotion” (4th to the last paragraph)

*Chiasmus

• “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” (2nd sentence of the 15th paragraph)

• “ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country” (3rd to the last paragraph)

*Climax

• “All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet.” (8th to the last paragraph)

*Conduplication

• “to help them help themselves” (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “good words into good deeds” (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• “free men and free governments” (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• “the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace” (11th paragraph)

• “absolute power… absolute control… ” (17th paragraph)

*Consonance

• “Whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall… ” (5th paragraph)

*Ellipsis

• “This much we pledge–and more.” (6th paragraph)

*Ethos

• “Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, Reverend Clergy, fellow citizens: We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom–symbolizing an end as well as a beginning–signifying renewal as well as change.” (Paragraphs 1 & 2)

• “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it.” (4th to the last paragraph)

• “With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.” (last sentence of the last paragraph)

*Hyperbole

• “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” (5th paragraph)

*Imagery

• “The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” (4th paragraph)

*Logos

• “old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share” (1st sentence of the 7th paragraph)

• “new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free” (1st sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• “people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery” (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations” (11th paragraph)

• “nations who would make themselves our adversary” (12th paragraph)

*Metanoia

• “Now the trumpet summons us again–not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need–not as a call to battle, though embattled we are–but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation”–a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself.” (6th to the last paragraph)

*Metaphor

• “We are the heirs of the first revolution.” (1st sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• “Let the word go forward from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans… ” (2nd sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• “riding the back of the tiger” (3rd sentence of the 8th paragraph)

• “the bonds of mass misery” (9th paragraph)

• “the chains of poverty” (1st sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• “evolution of hope” (2nd sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• “master of its own house” (last sentence of the 10th paragraph)

• “balance of terror” (14th paragraph)

• “And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion… ” (20th paragraph)

• “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.” (4th to the last paragraph)

*Oxymoron

• “But this peaceful revolution.” (2nd sentence of the 10th paragraph)

*Parallelism

• “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom–symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change.” (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage” (2nd sentence of the 4th paragraph)

• “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” (5th paragraph)

• “Let both sides explore what problems unite us… Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms… Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science… Let both sides unite… ” (Paragraphs 6 to 9)

• “United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do… ” (2nd and 3rd sentences of the 7th paragraph)

• “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” (2nd sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond” (2nd sentence of the 13th paragraph)

*Paradox

• “Only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.” (2nd sentence of the 13th paragraph)

*Pathos

• “To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery… ” (1st sentence of the 9th paragraph)

• “he graves of young Americans who answered the call toservice surround the globe” (7th to the last paragraph)

• ” The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.” (4th to the last paragraph)

*Personification

• “With history the final judge of our deeds” (2nd sentence of the last paragraph)

*Polysyndeton

• “where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved” (9th to the last paragraph)

*Repetition

• “For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.” (1st sentence of the 3rd paragraph)

*Rhetorical Question

• “Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?” (5th to the last paragraph)

*Sententia

• “undo the heavy burdens… (and) let the oppressed go free” (19th paragraph)

*Syntax

• “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (2nd to the last paragraph)

*Tricolon

• “We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom–symbolizing an end as well as a beginning signifying renewal as well as change.” (1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph)

• “not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need–not as a call to battle, though embattled we are–but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out” (6th to the last paragraph)

*Zeugma

• “Now the trumpet summons us again–not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need–not as a call to battle, though embattled we are–but a call to bear the burden… ” (6th to the last paragraph)

Encapsulation of Findings:

John F. Kennedy used 33 different types of rhetorical devices in his inaugural speech. The most dominant rhetorical device that he used was the usage of alliteration.

Conclusion:

Through extensive analysis, it can be seen that it is evident that he has a goal of getting the audience’s attention to listen and to understand his points in a meaningful way in the fields of writing and speaking.

Agoraphobia isn’t the opposite of claustrophobia – but a lot of people think it is. In fact I used to think exactly that. I used to think exactly that even when I was suffering from agoraphobia. I was even offered the opportunity to join an agoraphobics group, but I said no because I wasn’t afraid of open spaces. I quite liked open spaces as long as no one else was anywhere near me. In fact if there was no other human being in sight, then that was OK as far as I was concerned. But that was all a very long time ago.

The translation of agoraphobia is ‘fear of the market place’, not, as many people think, fear of open spaces. The essence of the market place is people and human interaction. This is what is fearful. Places that agoraphobes typically avoid, or have problems with, are supermarkets, theatres, cinemas, crowds, parties. Places where a rapid exit might be difficult.

The fear is usually of showing oneself up in some way in the eyes of others. Typically agoraphobes worry about things like: vomiting (usually as a result of severe anxiety); fainting; having a panic attack; or suffering from a genuine health emergency like a heart attack. The concern is usually one of embarrassment – perhaps fainting and finding oneself on a supermarket floor gazing up into a circle of concerned faces who will insist on making a fuss and calling an ambulance.

Many agoraphobes manage to get by with a trusted helper who accompanies them when they need to go shopping or out socialising. This person is there to rescue them and take them home should anything bad, like a panic attack occur. But when that helper is not available life is very restricted.

If medical help is obtained the most likely result is medication with tranquillisers and anti-depressants. Neither of which actually solve the problem, they just enable a minimum level of functionality. The problem remains, like a monster in the wardrobe, waiting to show its scary face as soon as you turn off the lights,  or look the other way. So you are trapped. The medication keeps the monster locked in the wardrobe, but doesn’t get rid of it. Stop the medication and the monster is free once more.

Life as an agoraphobe is no fun at all.

So if you are agoraphobic and reading this I want to reassure you about a few things:

• This is not a disease, but you can ‘heal’ it.
• There is nothing physically wrong with you.
• Your brain is as normal as anyone else’s.
• The cause is the way you think.
• The cure is changing the way you think.

Changing the way you think is not easy, but it is a lot easier than living the isolated, fearful, life of an agoraphobe.

When you think about the totality of the change you need to make, it seems an insurmountable task.

When you think about the single next step you need to take – it becomes not only possible, but relatively easy.

The first steps are the most difficult. Every step after those first few become easier. They become easier because you have the memory of success and knowledge that what you are doing is already making a positive difference to your life.

Boyz N the Hood is a classic African American film that can be critically analyzed through the lens of race and gender issues in the media. The first thing that I noticed when watching the film through such lens was the usage of common signs throughout the film that were found on the street and around the neighborhood. These signs served as a visual reinforcement to the paths that these young kids were on in the neighborhoods in which they grew up.

For example, immediately after a title card displaying a dismal statistic directly correlating with the theme of Boyz N the Hood was followed by an opening shot of a red “Stop” sign on the street over which an airplane flew past as if to signify the rest of the world is going on not giving a care in a world to the issues that the children in this neighborhood are facing.

There was also a “One-Way” street sign in the background of two shots when the children were either walking to or from school. There was also a glaring red “Wrong Way” sign just before the dead body, which serves as a message that the crime committed is not the right way of doing things, and also a subtle visual hint that these kids are going down a one-way path that can lead them the wrong way in life. To top it off the writer and director made sure to add yellow police caution tape in order to signify to the audience that these types of scenarios in this film and in real life deserve our cautious attention; however, in the film the kids ignored the caution tape which leads to the next few scenes of Trae losing his temper and being sent to live with his dad who teaches him how to use caution and ultimately sets him on a path in which he is able to rise above all the warning signs displayed and reiterated throughout this film indicating that there was only one way, the wrong way, to live and survive in this neighborhood. Near the end of the film, there was one more sign that stood out by the dead bodies of the guys who killed Ricky that highlighted the word exit. However, I was glad to see a title card at the very end of the film with uplifting information stating that Trae went on to college at Morehouse University in Atlanta, GA. The use of the street signs, statistics and written information was always in this movie. Although I had never paid much attention to them before, it could be possible that they served to engrave this powerful message about these Boys who grew up in this neighborhood into my psyche when I since a younger girl watching this film at different stages in my life.

Now that I watched it this week, I was saddened to see the drawing of the elementary school aged students portraying a colored man in a white t-shirt with his hands up facing a what seems to be a black and white police car. This movie was produced back in 1991 and more nearly twenty-five years later in 2015, black men are still being profiled, brutally harassed, and killed by police officers even when they’re hands are up in the air with no weapon on or near their bodies. That hurts.

Addressable stereotypes in this film includes the use of the term Indian as a slip of the tongue by a white female American teacher who quickly corrected her mishap by rephrasing her terminology to Native Americans during her reference regarding the early settlers of America.

Another stereotype perpetuated in this film is that of the Self Hating Black Man portrayed as the African American cop in this film who hates “niggas” like Trae in his own words.

Another issue brought to light in this film focuses on humans with physical disabilities like Little Chris who was stuck in a wheelchair throughout his adult life. Just a dialogue of one word, “Mannn… ,” with a sincere expression of disappointment highlights how people with physical limitations are often left out during a mission by those who are mobile and without limitation as in the scene in which Little Chris sees the rest of his friends drive off to go search for the guys who killed Ricky.

I think that Native Americans are still stereotypically referred to as Indians in the media. However, I think the self-hating black man stereotype is less perpetuated now than it was in the past. Nonetheless, the self-hating black man stereotype has been replaced by other stereotypes about stereotypical features of black men that could cause black men to hate or devalue themselves if left unaddressed.

Finally, I think that thugs in films are often still depicted as violent African Americans and, or minority men who assault people recklessly similar to the stereotypical roles found in Boyz N the Hood depicted by minor African American characters like the youthful teenagers in the gang who stole Ricky’s football when he was a kid.

Candles have been an important part of human society for thousands of years. Originally, the only way to possibly see once the sun went down, was from either torches, fires, or candlelight. Torches were not safe indoors, and walking from room to room carrying a portable fireplace with you was not practical or possible. Therefore, candles lit the way. Everything was done by candlelight once the sun set, from carrying out one’s chores, reading, sewing, or even signing the Constitution of the United States.

Candles also had a useful purpose in early China. There, they actually invented a type of calibrated candle called a “candle clock” that was used for keeping time. Weights were inserted into the candle at precise locations, and when the wax melted to a certain level, the weights dropped into a container below and made a noise. Imagine what it would be like to have a candle alarm clock to wake up by (don’t try to hit the snooze button), or to try to time your bread in the stove based on a candle clock?

Originally, candles were not made using the high quality of wax that we have today. Instead, they were made from whale fat in China. Later, Japan learned how to extract wax from squirrels (don’t ask me how). In the Middle Ages, candles were frequently made from the fat of various animals, such as cows and sheep. The smell from manufacturing these types of candles, however, was so horrendous that several cities banned the manufacturing process. Instead, candles were soon made from beeswax, which had a less unpleasant odor. In 1850 paraffin became available commercially, and soon all candles were made from a type of paraffin.

Those who made candles and experimented with various types of materials were called chandlers (from which we get the word today “chandelier”). From the earliest of times, candle makers added scents and fragrances to produce the best scented candles. It started in China with the ‘time clocks”. Incense sticks were often inserted into the wax to add a wonderful aroma. In fact, sometimes the incense was added at particular intervals so that the change in fragrance, rather than the dropping of weights, indicated the change in time. Later, India also discovered the aromatic benefits of using a wax made from boiled cinnamon for their candles. Unlike the use of animal fat, which smelled horrendously during the manufacturing process, the use of cinnamon provided a relaxing and fragrant aroma.

In addition to experimenting with scented candles, some ingenious candle makers also attempted to create a smokeless candle. They understood what such an invention would mean….no more wick means no more flame! No doubt fires starting from candles were a fairly common. Thomas Payne was one such individual. In the late 1700’s he attempted to invent a smokeless candle, but was not able to do so. Benjamin Franklin also started off as a candle maker before he began his political career, and experimented with various types of materials and methods for candle making. However, it would be centuries later before such technology would be pioneered and wickless candles would be available wide spread.

One reason for the delay of scented and wickless candles is because candles were put on the back burner once kerosene lamps were invented. Then, candles almost became completely extinct upon the invention of the light bulb later at the end of the nineteenth century.

However, in the 1980’s and especially in the 1990’s, the rebirth of the popularity of candles became an international phenomenon. This was due partly to their decorative value, but also to their ability to allow the stressed out, modern, over-worked homeowner an opportunity to create a relaxing environment using the aromatherapy of scented candles. At the same time, awareness over air quality and health conditions such as asthma and allergies led to the exploration for a more safe and healthy, environmentally friendly scented candle. Once again, the search for a flameless candle began, and once again, scent, or fragrance, became very important.

Armed with the modern electrical age, the invention of a flameless scented candle became possible. Scentsy is generally credited as the company that invented wickless scented candles in the year 2004 and satisfied the need in the market for a healthy, safe, environmentally clean and fragrant candle that burns a high quality wax without a flame. Instead, a low voltage light bulb uses a decorative selection of ceramic warmers to heat a scented wax bar with a very long life. Scented wax bars can be mixed and matched to create custom scents. This allows each customer to be their own “chandler”, or “candle maker” as they personalize their own candle and candle warmer to suit their individual taste.

Yes, candles have come a long way over the last thousands of years of human history. From burning whale blubber and holding your breath just so you avoid the offensive smell of the candle, to today when people actually buy a scented candle for the main purpose of the wonderful smell it emits, we can all be thankful for the age of enlightenment!

Looking at the standard set by the National Institute of Justice, you will notice the “A” in every level. For instance, there are levels 3 and 3A body armor. This poses a lot of questions from users especially those who are new to this kind of protective clothing.

In this article, you will uncover the difference and the advantages between these two types of bullet proof vest. At the end of this article, you will also figure out what level of ballistic vest is relevant to your day-to-day activities.

In 1970, the US Justice Department conducted research and study in order to come up with proper standard. After several trials, testing, and evaluation, the final resistance standard evolved which today known as the National Institute Standard 0101.

This standard was implemented in 1987 and is until today the primary standard utilized around the world for bullet resistance vest. Coupled with rigid quality control, wearers are assured and confident that the bullet proof vest can provide the protection as specified in the label.

The standard of resistance is divided into six levels. That is level 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 3, 3A and 4. Levels 1 to 3A is considered as part of the soft body armor while level 3 and 4 belongs to the hard armor. Hard body armor is designed to repel much powerful ammunitions. This type of ballistic vest contains hard armor plates which are inserted in the pockets of soft body armor. This is basically the primary difference between a level 3 and level 3A body armor. Level 3A belongs to the soft bullet resistant vest while level 3 are hard armors.

Hard plates require the conjunction of soft ballistic vests to be considered as hard body armor. This means that after the testing is done for the resistant vest for an additional caliber and also those rifles specified in the NIJ standard, the inclusion of +A in the threat level is approved. Once a hard armor plate or plates is added into the soft bullet resistant vest then it becomes level 3. Consequently, the higher the level of protection, the heavier and bulkier the vest becomes.

Usually, a level 3A bullet proof vest can withstand.22 long rifle lead rounds,.380 ACP, 9mm,.40 full metal jackets,.357 magnum, and other handguns. Level 3 ballistic vest on the other hand can resist 7.62 full metal jacketed bullets and other 48 joules of energy weaponry. This is considered the highest level of protection among the standard resistance capacity except for level 4 which are most likely custom-made vests specially designed to defeat more advanced ammunitions.

This is reported as one of the most common questions posed by the people who are in the phase of checking the pregnancy results. It is the curiosity or the anxiety for positive or negative results of pregnancy. Similarly, it is the most common myth or misconception that people have in their minds that a pregnancy test is affected by the consumption of drugs or alcohol. To know the facts of it, one has to understand the actual concept behind it.

Pregnant women have a special hormone in their urine called the HCG and consumption of alcohol and its content in the blood stream has nothing to do with the pregnancy test. The hormone still produces irrespective of the fact that you may have consumed liquor. However, the consumption surely affects your baby in an adverse way.

Though the alcohol consumption does not affect the results of a pregnancy test, many other factors do influence the investigation which may be misrepresented as a change due to alcohol consumption. Hence, it is necessary to understand the actual time taken to conceive after having intercourse and the time taken for your body to convey it to you when you try to investigate it with the help of a pregnancy test.

As a sperm is live for 5 days once it enters your body, it is difficult to assess your precise conception date. The sperm might have entered and stayed in your body 5 days ago and may try to fertilize an egg today. An egg released today may unite with a sperm after a couple of days of sex as it can be live for 24 hours to 48 hours. However, egg fertilizing or conceiving is not just enough to get positive results in your pregnancy tests. It again takes some time to appear as the HCG is not produced as soon as you get pregnant and it is usually a week after the conception that it releases in the body.

This is still not enough to turn the pregnancy test positive as the amount of HCG produced in the body is not enough to rule out your pregnancy as positive. The hormone usually multiplies its content in not less than 2-3 days and hence it is usually after 10 – 15 days after the conception that a pregnancy test can get you the actual result. The higher the time after an intercourse, more chances of the results being accurate in the test that you conduct for yourself.

Since, the above information explains it all, we can now establish the fact that alcohol and drugs consumption does not affect the pregnancy test in any way but can cause fatal congenital diseases for your baby. A woman consuming alcohol or under drug abuse potentially increases the risk for her fetal baby. The addiction can jeopardize the growth of the baby’s cells. Impairments in brain and spinal cord may occur due to the damage done in pregnancy by consuming alcohol. Also, it is an established fact that a woman who quits the addictions even before she gets pregnant has more chances of having a healthy pregnancy and thereby having a healthy baby. Hence, the healthcare professionals always suggest getting de-addicted before one plans for a pregnancy.

1. Black Forest Gummy Bear: A Consumer Favorite

Many people consider the top brand on the best gummy bear list to be the Black Forest gummy. This may be because real fruit juice helps to make this candy a healthier version of the soft bear that so many people love. Many consumers appreciate the fact that Black Forest gummies are not as soft and chewy as some of the alternatives made by other brands.

This means they won’t be as likely to stick to your teeth, gums, and the roof of your mouth. Their slightly stiffer consistency, along with the fact that they are flavorful and aromatic, may be what makes them the preferred choice of countless chewable candy fans.

They come in five fruit flavors, including pineapple, cherry, and apple. These just might be the best gummy bears out of all the ones to follow – but that could easily be a matter of taste, right!?

2. Haribo: The First Gummy Bears

The Haribo brand was the first to manufacture the now famous chewables. The concept for this unique candy treat was created in 1922 by the German candy maker, Hans Riegel. He styled them after the dancing bears that had been so popular in Europe in the previous century.

The Haribo original (Gold-Bears) gummies come in an impressive spectrum of fruit flavors, from orange to raspberry to lemon. The green Haribo ones are strawberry-flavored, and the clear ones taste like pineapple.

This brand is known for producing soft, pliant bears. If you want a tasty alternative to fruit flavors, Haribo also makes cola-flavored candies shaped like cola bottles.

3. Trolli: Another Soft and Fruity Bear

The Trolli brand is another top seller in gummy candies, and like Haribo Gold-Bears, their own bears are delightfully soft – even more so than the Haribo option. Numerous children prefer these because they are so soft and easy to consume.

The Trolli bears come in five fruit flavors, including apple. The most powerful flavor in this bunch is cherry. If you are looking for an alternative to the classic fruit flavors, Trolli also makes sour worms.

4. Albanese: A Broad Assortment of Flavors

The gummy bears made by Albanese brand come in a wide range of pleasing flavors. Some of the unique flavors that make these candies stand apart are watermelon, pink grapefruit, mango, and blue raspberry.

These make a colorful addition to any party refreshments display. These are soft and chewy, but they do not stick to the teeth like gummy bears made by some of the other top-selling brands.

5. Jelly Belly: Beyond Gourmet Jelly Beans

The brand that is famous for its gourmet jelly beans also makes gummy bears. Jelly Belly also uses kosher-certified gelatin to make its candy, which many gummy aficionados are likely to appreciate.

These gummy bears are known for being soft, fresh, and flavorful. The Jelly Belly gummy bears come in five classic flavors. They are also available in a sugar-free variety with seven flavors, which include grape, tangerine, and watermelon.

Conclusion: Indulge in a Novelty Gummy Recipe for Adults

Now that you know which brands make the best gummies, you may want to try making a fabulous gummy recipe intended exclusively for grownups: Vodka Gummy Bears. This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare. Simply assemble your desired amount of gummies in some bowls (don’t fill the bowls more than halfway). Then, cover the candy with the vodka of your choice.

After that, allow them to marinate in the vodka for at least one or two days. The various recipes for this concoction vary in their directions; you can let the gummies sit either covered and refrigerated or uncovered and unrefrigerated. You may then serve them in dishes (you might want to provide your guests with eating utensils).

Since their stiffer consistency means that they may hold their shape better than other gummies, the Black Forest gummy bears could be the best choice for this recipe.

You don’t need to be in grade school to appreciate this popular candy item. Gummy bears have been a longtime favorite for nearly a century. Whether you consume them straight out of the package or drenched in vodka, don’t forget to share this colorful treat with others!

People have been decorating and making changes to the appearance of their bodies since recorded history began. This has taken many forms through the ages, such as tattooing, piercing, stretching, scarring, branding, muscle sculpture, hair styling and many more, and for almost as many different reasons.

The three major purposes of these forms of body modification have historically been tribal (to display allegiance to one tribe or group of people), in war (to scare the enemy and distinguish friend from foe), and for fashion and perceived beauty. Ear stretching has been popular for centuries, but this popularity has increased in Western culture in recent years.

For some, there is a profound spirituality in the protracted process of stretching ears, while for others it is fun and more involved than simple ear piercing, and the fact that fewer people do it adds to its appeal. Others have their own reasons, but irrespective of these, stretched ears have always been part of human history and will continue to be so.

Reasons For Stretching Ears

Just as with other forms of body modification or enhancement, people have historically stretched their ears for a number of reasons. For some cultures, this represented a coming of age, while for others it was carried out to enhance beauty or sexuality. Throughout the ages it has been used both for religious reasons and to protect the subject from witchcraft or evil. Ear stretching is still carried out all over the world for a variety of reasons, including those mentioned above.

If you travel to Africa, you will find that stretched ears are common among many indigenous peoples, including the Maasia in east Africa, the Mursi in Ethiopia, and it is also carried out in some Asian countries such as Thailand. In South America, stretched ears are common amongst the Huaorami of the Amazon Basin, but you generally need go no further than your own hometown to see some excellent examples of ear stretching. Stretched piercings and flesh tunnels are now a common form of ear adornment for Western youth.

Icemen and Pharaohs

One of the more famous examples from history is Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300 year-old mummified body found in the Alps between Austria and Italy. In addition to several tattoos, Ötzi had an ear stretched to around 7 mm – 11 mm diameter. The giant Easter Island statues display stretched ear lobes, the likely reason for them being known as ‘Long Ears’. The story goes that the statues were carved in honour of the original inhabitants of the island representing them with the earlobe stretchings that were part of their culture. When a different tribe arrived on the island, they were known as ‘Short Ears’, and were forced into slavery by the Long Ears. Eventually there were more Short Ears than Long Ears, and the latter were overthrown and the statues toppled over.

In Egypt, the boy king Tutankhamen is represented as having stretched ears, and his famous golden death mask features holes that can take 10 mm diameter bars. The processes used to stretch these famous sets of ears are not known, because there are many techniques that can be used. It is likely that primitive stretchings were carried out using wooden plugs or bamboo, and although a few people like to return to these early methods, they are not recommended today for health reasons.

Stretching Ears is Not Reversible

If you are interested in stretched ears, there are certain factors of which you should be aware. The first is that it is generally permanent. Once stretched, your ears stay that way. The holes do not heal over like a normal ear piercing, so make sure that you are happy with having stretched ears for the rest of your life. There is time at the beginning to stop and allow your ears to heal back to normal, but once the diameter reached 10-12 mm, it is too late and the hole will not close up. Another is that it takes time and patience. You do not visit a piercer and come out after an hour or two with stretched ears!

If you have decided that you want it done, you are advised to have the procedure carried out professionally. Yes, you can go it alone, but a professional will provide you with the best results, and it will also be safer. It will be quicker if your ears are already pierced, because otherwise you will need that done first and then wait up to 8 weeks for it to heal. Then you can start of the stretching, or gauging as it is often referred to.

That is because the diameter of the needles used is referred to as their ‘gauge’. The gauge of a needle drops as the diameter increases, so that an 18-gauge needle is small – in fact, that’s the gauge of an average initial piercing. Once you reach a 2 gauge, the diameter is that of a pencil and so on down. An 11 mm hole is 000-gauge (actually 11.11 mm or 7/16 inch).

Ear Stretching Should Not Be Rushed

As already explained, ear stretching is a slow process, and you should never try to rush it. If you try to rush, it will likely take longer eventually because unless the ear has time to get used to each lower gauge it won’t heal properly. You might then have to start all over again. Gauged ears should not bleed and there is distinct procedure to follow. Fundamentally, you increase the diameter of the piercing in small steps, allowing healing between each step. A common way to achieve this is to use an insertion taper, where one end of the taper is the same diameter as your existing hole, and the other side is of larger diameter.

This can be in the form of a stud that you wear until you are ready for the next size up. The next stud will have one end at the current diameter and the other at the lower gauge (larger diameter). That is pushed through and secured, and you wear that until the next insertion, and so on. If you keep your ears and jewellery clean and sterilized between sessions using anti-bacterial soap or saline solution then you should heal fine between each session – allow about two weeks between sessions.

Take the Advice of the Pros

It is very important to follow the advice of the professionals, and do not try to cut corners. Many people have ruined their ears by failing to be patient, so don’t let that be you. Follow cleaning instructions to the letter, both during and after the entire stretching process. There are many different types of ear jewellery available for stretched ears, including flesh tunnels, bars and rings.

There is also a wide choice of materials, from wood or plastic to gold and platinum. Many prefer glass while others find Teflon best, particularly if they suffer allergies. Niobium, surgical stainless steel and titanium are also popular materials for stretched ear jewellery.

Keep in mind that not all can be worn indefinitely, particularly the porous materials such as wood, shell and some plastics that can harbour bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Such jewellery should be regularly removed and thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. Ear stretching sets you apart from the usual crowd, and can be a very distinctive form of ornamentation. It is something that few people regret having done.

The nurse care planning process is an important aid in the treatment of patients. In turn it creates a systematic care plan approach which with the inclusion of other health care professionals allows the patients the best route to full fitness. When used effectively, the nurse planning process offers many advantages to the health care environment:

• It’s patient-centred, helping to ensure that your patient’s health problems and his response to them are the primary focus of care.
• It enables you to individualise care for each individual patient.
• It promotes the patient’s participation in their care, encourages independence and concordance and gives the patient a greater sense of control – important factors in a positive health outcome. (See Putting the ‘P’ in planning.)
• It improves communication by providing you and other nurses with a summary of the patient’s recognised problems or needs so you all work towards the same goals.
• It promotes accountability for nursing activities, which in turn promotes quality assurance and quality health care provision.
• It promotes critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving for the benefits of health care provision.
• It’s outcome-focused and encourages the evaluation of results.
• It minimises errors and omissions in care planning.

Basis for the nursing care planning process The nurse care planning process is based on the scientific method of problem-solving, which involves:

• stating the problem you observed
• forming a hypothesis about the solution to the problem (‘if… then’ statements)
• developing a method to test the hypothesis
• collecting the test data
• analysing the data
• drawing conclusions about the hypothesis.

A scientific fact Most people use the scientific method instinctively, without being aware they’re doing it. Simply picking out which pair of shoes best complements your favourite outfit is an exercise in the scientific method. So if you’re familiar with the scientific process, the nursing planning process probably seems familiar. Nursing process steps. The nursing planning process encompasses five steps:

1. assessment
2. nursing diagnosis
3. planning
4. implementation
5. evaluation

Following these steps systematically in the order shown here enables you to organise and prioritise patient care in the order that is needed – especially critical for the novice nursing student. It also helps ensure that you don’t skip or overlook important patient information. When used correctly, the nursing planning process ensures that the care plan is revised when new problems arise or patient outcomes remain unmet. It also allows the nurse care plan to be discontinued when patient outcomes have been met.