J.K. Rowling, author and creator of the Harry Potter phenomenon, partnered with Sony to create Pottermore, an interactive website that will be available in October 2011. Despite the wide range of guesses from a massively multi-player online role-playing game to a treasure hunt to a sequel, the Pottermore website will allow Potter-crazed ... the imaginations of the author and the reader work together to create the story, so Pottermore will be built, in part, by you, the reader. The digital generation will be able to enjoy a safe, unique online reading experience built around the Harry Potter ...

• Word Count: 1084
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of the Recording Industry Assn. It seems just as sure as tomorrow comes that the walls and boundaries of how freely and artist can express themselves through lyrics will keep getting pushed and shoved farther and farther, until anything goes rules and censors no longer exist. It's a fact that the things that are accepted ... ? Apparently not since that has already been the case in more than one instance, but why? Is music capable of driving someone to kill? Could the lyrics of a rock band or rap group really give a person all the elements needed to step over the edge, past the point of r...

• Word Count: 762
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... reading for many high school students across the country. This is the tale of a Louisiana mans struggle with the judicial system and racial problems in his local community. "If We Must Die-, by Claude McKay is a wonderful poem which exhibits many similarities to this classic Gaines novel. In the very first phrase of "If We ... Must Die-, McKay writes: "If we must die "Let it not be like hogs-. This is very much alike what is said about one of the main characters in A Lesson Before Dying, one of the most important points in ... own two feet. This is where another main character, Grant W...

• Word Count: 344
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

As companies start to recover from the economic 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 ... their responsibilities to workers and consumers (Sweet). Obama repeatedly expressed the need to find common ground, while also repeating what he's been telling businesses for years - that the clocks can't be turned back and that US companies will continue to send jobs overseas t...

• Word Count: 1052
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... abortion license, although the Kansas Department of Health and Environment paired several regulations with the license. The department tells abortion providers what drugs and equipment they must have on hand, how big some of their rooms must be, and the specific temperatures allowed in procedure and recovery rooms. These regulations are part of new licensing law that stems from a surge of anti-abortion ... require rooms where abortions are performed to have at least 150 square feet of space, excluding fixed cabinets, and to keep their temperatures between 68 and 73 degrees. Each room mu...

• Word Count: 804
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... control children, and teen pregnancies among other aspects, there is a strong feeling spreading across the nation that its moral beliefs are inadequate and need to be changed. Today, people all over the nation are embracing the values of the past in order to insure different morals for the next generation of Americans. ... from the American family. The American government creates legislation and laws that are abided by the people of this country. In return the nation's leaders must abide by the rules and standards they and others in the past have set for themselves. On September 9, 1999...

• Word Count: 646
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Occupy movement that began months ago in New York and has since grasped hold of the rest of the country turned violent for the first time on November 2nd in Oakland when a small group of protestors smashed the windows of a Wells Fargo bank branch during a protest of wealth inequalities. The Occupy Oakland movement scheduled a noon rally in front of City Hall and then a free lunch afterward. The day's events were planned to wrap up with a "general strike mass convergence, rally, and labor cookout." Each of these were intended to be peaceful protests, but a small faction began passing out fl...

• Word Count: 804
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... birth jeopardizes the life of the mother (McCaffrey). In 1998, during an interview with Nation's Restaurant News, Cain described himself as "pro-life with exceptions, and people want you to be all or nothing" (McCaffrey). However, Cain changed his position during a recent interview with CNN, where he said the government should play no role in guiding a woman in what to do ... ...

• Word Count: 556
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Believing himself to be a victim of a smear 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 ... ...

• Word Count: 530
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

A landlord of a Philadelphian apartment discovered four mentally handicapped people chained in the basement when he went to investigate a short circuit on October 15th. Turgut Gozleveli discovered dogs locked inside of the boiler room and four adults hiding underneath a blanket. They were hunched together in a space not tall enough for an adult to stand, surrounded in human waste with only a jug of orange juice (Hoye). He unchained them while asking questions about their identity, but he didn't receive any answers. Believing them to be illegal immigrants, Gosleveli called in the police who qui...

• Word Count: 787
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... introducing a social networking service called the Google+ project. The project looks conspicuously a lot like Facebook, but Google insists its added some tweeks that will hopefully prove this new initiative to be successful (Miller). The Google+ project that launched on June 28th is only available to a select group of Google users who will test the product and then invite others to join ... ...

• Word Count: 1060
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... an agreement to pay $8.5 billion to settle claims by investors that purchased mortgage securities that went awry when the housing market took a turn for the worst. This deal could potentially be the single biggest settlement after the economic crisis that began in 2008 (Schwartz). "I think this is huge," said Michael Mayo, a bank analyst with Credit Agricole in New York. "It's about ... ...

• Word Count: 793
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

With July 1st, the beginning of the new fiscal year, drawing closer, Governor Jerry Brown expressed his concern that a tax deal still will not be finalized by the due date. Currently, the Democrats and the Republicans are in a heated stand-off, blaming each other for the lack of progress that is occurring (York). Representative Eric ... Cantor, the House majority leader, abandoned the negotiations concerning the federal debt limit after becoming overwhelmingly frustrated that the Democrats who were pushing for the increase believe a tax increase must coincide (Hulse). Because both parties are...

• Word Count: 800
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the Energy Information Agency found that drilling in the wildlife refuge may cut the cost of a gallon of gas by 3.5 cents by 2027 due to the small amount that would be available to refiners each day (40,000 barrels as opposed to the 20.6 million barrels Americans consume every day). Environmental policy usually takes a backseat to other issues, especially the economy ... ...

• Word Count: 395
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... rewarding every child at Speechday. I had invited ex-Arsenal goalkeeper and television personality, Bob Wilson, to present the prizes. A lovely chap and very good with the pupils. I thought it would be a fine idea for every boy to meet him on stage so we gave everyone a certificate that year. I came under heavy bombardment from the parents of prize winners who claimed that ... ...

• Word Count: 459
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... ? Support your point of view with examples from your observation, experience, reading, or study of history. Concerning whether or not a great man can be overly cautious I believe that everyone can reach success regardless of personal characteristics. However, one must bear in mind that excess of care in taking decisions is harmful for the reasons that follow. First, the advances of technology have ... 's economy. I partly agree with the saying, for the current pace of life demands speed in decision making. However, there will always exist those situations and professions in which prudence...

• Word Count: 273
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... to BCC, North Korea is a "totalitarian state" meaning the government subordinates the individual to the state and strictly regulates rules that can not be broken. Due to that fact the North Korean people have no idea of what goes on outside of their country. For that reason, we has America ... many of outsiders are also joining in. That static was taken two years ago, meaning the numbers must have increase and if we help them gain more and more defectors, the stronger they will be in order to defeat the government. If they gain enough people to fight against Kim Jong Un ... although the ...

• Word Count: 765
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Additionally, Obama urged Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996 and states that marriage should be between a man and a woman and has since been the bill that prohibits gay and lesbian couples from marrying. However, despite his strong opinions in these areas, Obama again failed to ... questioned, after explaining that he was forced to hide who he really was when signing up for the military (Kerley). Hill was booed by the audience (MSNBC). "You want to be commander in chief? You can start by stand...

• Word Count: 643
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 's House of Representatives, and the governor already expressed his willingness to sign it. However, it comes as a little too late for most gay rights advocates. The bill is intended to be a compromise after Gordon D. Fox, the openly gay speaker of the Democratic-controlled House, was unable to obtain enough votes to follow suit with New York and pass a same-sex marriage ... president, openly opposed passing the bill, Fox decided not to stir the waters and redirected his focus to passing a bill that allowed civil unions (Goodnough). Even though homosexual couples will be allowed to form ...

• Word Count: 781
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... ; and facilitates the decertification of local unions. School districts, municipalities, and other government bodies are allowed to enforce their final offer in the case of a labor strike where negotiations cannot be reached (White). Kasich followed the lead of several other public employees who have abolished collective bargaining rights. Republicans in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona, and other states have already or are ... " (White). The new law follows Kasich's strategy to outlaw collective resistance to sweeping cuts in social spending and essentially destroying public educati...

• Word Count: 500
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and other litigants involved in healthcare lawsuits predict that the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that Obama signed last year will be determined in the U.S. Supreme Court as early as next year (Levey). "While the decision in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals is disappointing ... the exercise of power is allowed and the mandate upheld, it is difficult to see what the limits on Congress' Commerce Clause authority would be," said Judge James Graham who believes the role of the courts needs to restrain lawmakers (Levey). "Time assuredly will bring to the...

• Word Count: 773
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... past few years, environmentally sustainable sources of energy and fuel have been at the forefront of the media and minds of Americans more than ever before. Going green seemed to be a globally inevitable trend. But even with funding for green energy increasing and one of the most persistent promoters of information on global warming (Nobel Prize recipient Al Gore) reaching celebrity ... chiefly determined by a global average based on world GDP, not national assets, the direct effect on the per-barrel price would be insignificant. Moreover, even logistically impossible levels of addition...

• Word Count: 706
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

How All Middle-Schoolers Can Be "Gifted" Students are going to compare themselves with their peers regardless if it is healthy for their identities or not. There are ways of allowing them to do so in a ... . Participation in a gifted programs can lead to healthy identity recognition. Distinction and affiliation with other peers provides a positive identity messages. Unfortunately some distinctions that are positive for many children can be negative for others. Sometimes an identification of a gift may cause confusion or underachievement. A parent or teacher can also misuse the distinction of ...

• Word Count: 266
• Approx Pages: 1
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... opposing views of many white males used to discredit Affirmative Action. One argument used stated Affirmative Action is preferential treatment given to unqualified minorities. However, the original propose was to be more inclusive to qualified minorities, who otherwise would have been ignored. Another opposing argument to Affirmative Action is that promotions given to white males employees were based solely on merit ... been able to go to a top school or get a managerial position. I believe no matter how great our society has advanced towards equality we are not yet where we need to be....

• Word Count: 425
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The USA Cannot Be Justified in Iraqi War O the morning of March, 20, 2003, Iraqi war wxploded with the first military bombardment of American military in Baghdad. Bush's administration lauched this war for two ... why pentagon could not find the WMDs was that they might nolonger exist, and Iraq may destroy them prior the conflict but no one could explain how the weapons could be destroyed so quickly and thoroughly. ...

• Word Count: 473
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate