... was kidnapped from his mother's home in Santa Ines, Carabobo state by two gunmen who ushered him into an orange SUV on November 9th. Following the World Series, Ramos returned to his home country of Venezuela where he was to play in a winter baseball league after finishing off an extremely successful rookie season in the MLB. In 2011, Ramos played his ... Victor Zambrano's mother was also kidnapped that year. In 2008, kidnappers in Caracas murdered Henry Blanco's brother (Matuszewski). Officials in both Venezuela and the U.S. have warned visitors and citizens of the country's crime rates....

• Word Count: 584
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... path to getting what they want. This is particularly troubling in young African-American girls, aged 14 - 18, who watch between six or seven hours of rap music videos a day in many cases. This specific demographic group is the most at-risk as they lack role models that can provide them the ... Kanye West are lyrics which denigrate women to sex objects, utilitarian in their roles only to please him and men in general. For young women of all races, this is especially troubling as many are coming to grips with their own self- confidence, sexuality and identity precisely in the age groups ....

• Word Count: 1019
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• Grade Level: High School

... other benefits typically given only to married couples. The argument that gay or lesbian partners are in fact a couple is the at the center of this debate from a philosophical and religious standpoint. As a result, Proposition 8 was the most hotly contested and divisive political issue on the California ... ballot in 2008, with each side spending nearly $74M to further promote their side of the argument and seek to win over cross-over voters who had not decided. The contention on those looking to ban same-sex marriage is ... as critics complained, promote same-sex marriage as approved i...

• Word Count: 907
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• Grade Level: High School

... U.S. Government today however grants visas yet does not recognize same-sex marriages as legal for immigration into the country. The advantages of gay marriage are several and becoming more prevalent as the states of Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey and California continue to ratify their own series of gay marriage rights for their citizens. It is unlikely than gay marriages will have the full rights ... of heterosexual marriages in every state of the union for at least a generation or more however. The disadvantages of gay marriages are also many. There is first ... the stigma of attempting t...

• Word Count: 914
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• Grade Level: High School

... first is the conciseness and deliberate tone that President Lincoln use (Willis, et.al) compared to the typically more verbose, ephemeral types of speeches given at the dedication fo cemeteries in the past. The Gettysburg Address is much different than these eulogies that would go on for ... commitment that each citizen has with the other to pursue liberty and the continued support for the Union above all else. A third aspect of the revolution that Lincoln creates with the Gettysburg Address is refusing to consecrate the ground that these fallen soldiers will be buried in until ... a pe...

• Word Count: 1066
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• Grade Level: High School

... . Conrad Murray, the personal physician of the late Michael Jackson, took a turn for the worse after the 911 call was played to jurors on September 29th. Murray chose not to call for an ambulance for nearly ... know CPR?" although he was the doctor on hand. Murray then calmly told Alvarez that the singer had "a bad reaction" and needed to be taken to the hospital. However, instead of calling an ambulance right away, he collected medical vials and pill bottles and instructed Alvarez to put them in a bag. The most suspicious evidence so far is that Murray asked ... ...

• Word Count: 528
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Geothermal energy is the way of the future. It is clean. It is always available. In addition, it is already being used successfully. One only has to see its theoretical uses, its ... buildings may cost a little more than the usual heating and air conditioning systems initially but end up paying for themselves. The reduced cost of running and maintaining a geothermal pump, as opposed to traditional means of heating and cooling, saves money in the long run and are better for the environment. They provide clean running energy. By observing the ... to implement changes that will allow for easier...

• Word Count: 432
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... in Iraq on December 15th - nine years after US forces stepped foot on the foreign ground. US troops initially staged a war to rid Iraq of the weapons of mass destruction that they were thought to possess, but after almost a decade in the hostile country, no such weapons were found. Instead, the nine ... and provided Muslims with a solid foundation for their hatred towards Americans. With American troops absent from the country, Iraq has a long and arduous road ahead of rebuilding (Shanker). "Let me be clear: Iraq will be tested in the days ahead - by terrorism, and by those who seek to ...

• Word Count: 292
• Approx Pages: 1
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• Grade Level: High School

... campaign, presidential candidate Herman Cain suddenly recalled the financial settlement he was a part of years before. In the late 1990's, as the head of the National Restaurant Association, Cain battled two sexual harassment claims involving two different women, although he later remembered the first accusation and denies remembering the second accusation altogether (Oliphant). "My ... that he did not recall such an instance, but when pressed later by radio host, Laura Ingraham, Cain suddenly remembered the instance. "The word settlement suggested to me some sort of legal settlement,"...

• Word Count: 530
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... wound to his head. That was it. They didn't say anything about anything else," his mother recalls (FOX23news.com). She also reported, "We were told he was shot by one of those very long rifles and there's no way he could have done it himself. There's no way this was suicide" (Grondahl). Also pointing to the fact that Jones' death could ... be more than a suicide is the cryptic message he left for his girlfriend. "I love you," he told her. "By the time you get this, I will be gone" (Bailey). The Department of Defense has yet to confirm his death because of a policy of a 72-hour waiting p...

• Word Count: 539
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• Grade Level: High School

... the area. One thing that was a little different was a visit by Brig. General Peter J. Talleri to Camp Taji. Talleri is the commander of the Defense Distribution Center and is stationed in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. While in the area, he also visited the Iraqi Army's General Truck Regiment ... . He met with Iraqi Colonel Muhammad and was given updates of their progress and discussed future improvements. "We are working together, in a partnership, to build a bridge with our experts to grow the capability the ... Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters during an operation near Mosul. ...

• Word Count: 444
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• Grade Level: High School

... took to the streets demanding social justice. These protestors called for government price controls, equal standards in the outskirts of the country as those in the center, free education from birth, free university tuition, quality healthcare for all citizens, and better salaries ... . We aren't here to whine, we aren't here to complain. This is not the cry of spoiled people, this is not the cry of people who want the country to solve their problems, this is the cry of people who want to be more involved in the way their taxes are spent" (Hartman). Because ... consumer, but the nation a...

• Word Count: 523
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... recession, President Obama promised to make government an ally. "We can, and we must, work together," he told the US Chamber of Commerce. "Whatever differences we may have, I know that all of us share a deep, abiding belief in this country, a belief in our people, a belief in the principles that have made ... America's economy the envy of the world." He then continued on to promise that his administration will "help lay the foundation for you to grow and innovate" ... the regulatory system" (Dennis). In an attempt to reconcile the differences between his administration and the US Chamber...

• Word Count: 1052
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... affected are those hired by banks to change the locks and take over homes that have been foreclosed. There have been an increasing number of cases where these companies have actually shown up before the foreclosure process is even finished. Nancy Jacobini, an Orlando resident, locked herself in ... man hired by Jacobini's bank, JPMorgan Cahase. The bank has since admitted its mistake. Jacobini's attorney, Matt Weidner, claims that these instances are examples of financial institutions "running amuck." "What we have right now is lawlessness across the country. Banks and institutions are c...

• Word Count: 541
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... don't are now in the minority. More than one out every two people now own a cell phone, and that number is growing larger every day. The impact of cell phones on society has become huge. One reason that the cell phone has made such an impact on society today is because ... of the advances they have made with them through modern technology. When the cell phone first debuted, its only function was to make calls. That is not the ... cell phone, and stay up to date on the latest news, banking, entertainment and fashion. You can check your email and chat to friends. Cell phones of today also...

• Word Count: 418
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• Grade Level: High School

... and mortgage lender meltdowns, two-paycheck families are busting the budget on necessities. Even conservative spenders are growing weary. During a recent small group discussion, a mother of three held back tears as she described the effects of the dollar's weakening buying power. She and her husband both work and have been steadily employed for the last twenty years. Three years ago, they felt ... low crop yields in the fall harvest will raise commodity prices. Gavin acknowledged that paying for a fill-up remains a shock, but said that rising food costs could eventually have more of an ...

• Word Count: 398
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• Grade Level: High School

... get foods from all over the world anytime we want. We can have Ecuadorian bananas in May, California strawberries in January, and Mexican avocados any time of the year. But at what cost? The average distance a grocery store's produce has to travel before it gets on your plate is 1,500 miles. ... That travel could be by container ship, by truck or by train. Regardless of the mode of transport, carbon emissions are created to get that food to you. Eating locally reduces those carbon emissions. If a farmer drives 30 miles into the city ... are used than if those turnips were shipped from ...

• Word Count: 506
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• Grade Level: High School

... . Additionally, the bank faces multibillion-dollar lawsuits and financial losses from its questionable mortgage practices during the housing boom (Halzack). Bank of America's decision stems from Senator Richard Durbin's bill that overhauled the banking system by capping the amount of money that banks can charge stores for debit card uses. After announcing its plan to lay off nearly 30,000 employees, Bank ... of America sought other sources to cut the losses from the new government regulations, and immediately turned to consumers to gain back their profits (Dennis). Basically, Durbin's am...

• Word Count: 395
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... with the Payne family," said Tom Watson, a parliament member who investigated the phone scandal. "I have nothing but contempt for the people that did this" (Somaiya). Brooks testified that The News of the World did, in fact, give Payne a cell phone "for the last 11 years," but that "it was not a personal gift." She also added that the allegations were "abhorrent and ... faith in good people has taken a real battering" (Somaiya). The news scandal was revealed years ago but was recently re-ignited when officials learned that staff members from The News of the World interfered with a murde...

• Word Count: 584
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... -Marine, abused the bodies after the women had died, and then stashed their bodies around his house, prompting neighbors to complain of a foul stench, which they believed was coming from a neighborhood sausage shop. On July 22nd, he was convicted of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges, including abusing corpses and kidnapping. The defense attorneys are pressing for a life ... dead bodies bruised and battered and then dumped around the house and yard in trash bags. Mary Myers, a psychologist, retired police captain, and teacher at the University of Akron, believe...

• Word Count: 803
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Lagarde was backed by the United Kingdom, Germany, and most European powers, as well as some Asian and African nations. The United States Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner joined the group of supporters right before Lagarde was voted in (Rooney) "Minister Lagarde's exceptional talent and broad experience will provide invaluable leadership for this indispensable institution at a critical time for the global ... have received. I would also like to express my respect and esteem for my colleague and friend, Agustin Carstens," she said (Rooney). The global financial institution desperately ne...

• Word Count: 519
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Association. After reporting on every president since Eisenhower, Thomas made a name for herself by being aggressive in her interviews. In her lifetime, Thomas has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, as well as receiving over thirty honorary degrees. The Helen Thomas award was given out each year by Wayne State's Journalism Institute for Media Diversity to students whose ... previous, spontaneous remarks into a camera, these words were carefully thought out and conscious. It shows a prejudice that is deep-seated and obsessive" (May). The executive director of the Je...

• Word Count: 545
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... , such as tax or fraud evasion (The Straits Times). The investigation began after two suspicious transfers from an IOR account were detected, one for twenty million euros to a German branch of an American bank and one for 3 million euros to an Italian bank (News.gather.com). The Vatican Bank has vowed to be committed to "complete transparency" in order to gain ... enrollment on the "White List," a list of countries that comply with international banking standards. Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi issued a letter claiming, "The current problem was caused by a misunderstanding - now bein...

• Word Count: 478
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... that now receive signal via antennae rather than from satellite or cable will turn on their sets on the day of the switch to see snow, the fact is that those folks represent about 2% of the American populous, and tend to be people who don't consider television to be a priority or who may ... find greater productivity as the result of the death of their television signal. While some might argue that the switchover unfairly affects the poor, people who cannot afford neither new televisions, nor ... , that those people will not have enough voice to raise a stink. Their sets will merely beco...

• Word Count: 337
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... are out. Fashion has gone cliquey rather than global, and more than ever before people, at least in western society use fashion to communicate the sort of person that they want you to believe they are. In fact, there seem to be "Uniforms" that tell people who you hang with. For example, ... if one were to say "Name part of the lesbian uniform", most in today's culture would say things like "Birkenstocks, flannel shirt, Khaki shorts, and short hair". (Feminists are assumed to wear the same ... programmers wear jeans and t-shirts, The Barbie uniform is the double layered camisole, skinny...

• Word Count: 394
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School