Stealing

Stealing is the act of a base runner, to gain a base, without the help of a walk or batted ball, by running to it during the delivery of a pitch. In the MLB stolen bases are denoted as “SB.” A base stealing runner must begin running as soon as the pitcher has committed himself to throwing a pitch to home plate. If he begins to run too soon, the pitcher may throw to a base rather than to home, in this case, the runner is picked off, and will most likely be tagged out. Before the pitch, the runner will often take a lead-off walking several steps away from the base as a head start for his next advance. In some cases, the pitcher may hold the runner on by throwing to the base several times before pitching, in the hope of dissuading the runner from too big a lead-off. This action can also result in the runner being tagged out in a pick-off. Another popular strategy is for the runner to attempt a steal while the hitter is instructed to swing at the pitch if it is at all hittable. This hit and run play can give the runner a good head start to take an extra base on the hit. But if the hitter fails to hit the ball, the hit-and-run becomes a pure steal attempt, and the runner may be thrown out. Another risk of the hit-and-run is that a caught line drive could result in an easy double play, although this is offset by the lower likelihood of a ground ball double play. Stealing is an effective but risky chance to take and could ultimately determine the out come of an important game.

Refugees flee to Liberia

In the lower north western region of Africa is a place called the Ivory Coast. They are currently recovering from a recent civil war, which was active from 2002- 2007. Due to their most recent presidential election of Alassane Ouattara, Laurent Gbagbo, the former/current president, refuses to acknowledge he lost the November 2010 election. These votes should have ended the eight-year crisis, but Gbagbo resorted to violence to keep power. According to the United Nations, whom have the most control over the situation, the human toll exceeds 365 dead
with dozens of rapes, and an unknown amount of abductions and disappearances. This is a major threat to peace, security, and stability in western Africa. With more than a 350,000-vote margin over Gbagbo, there is no doubt that Ouattara won the election. In an attempt to reverse the result, the Constitutional Council; the country’s highest court, which is controlled by the Gbagbo camp, claimed to have discovered widespread violence and fraud in seven departments that voted overwhelmingly for Ouattara. It thus canceled more than 660,000 votes, enough to raise his total from 45.5 per cent to 51.4 per cent. Gbagbo’s refusal has casued this crisis of violence. Refugees, worried for their lives flee to Liberia at a estimate of 500 per day. A state some two dozen villages that are already strained from the lack of food and water. Making health a major concern. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) response to the situation is to provide medical attention to the exceeding amount of refugees a day. With such a potential threat to disease from poputaion and diversity, they also take preventive measures by exploiting hygiene education. It’s a shame to see several of innocent lives lost in the Ivory Coast due to another political issue. The situation in Western Africa has not been largely publicised, and I think that as these tensions rise, the UN and IRC must make the best of efforts to contribute to the rehabilitation of the cost.

Cigarettes

Smoking

Smoking is an awful habit. Inhaling tobacco triggers chemical reactions in nerve endings. The cholinergic receptors are triggered by naturally occurring neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. Acetylcholine and Nicotine express chemical similarities, which allow Nicotine to trigger the receptor as well. The science of smoking is naturally a trick to the brain, making cigarettes contribute to psychological instability. Not only does it affect chemicals in the brain but also contributes to many health problems associated with the body. Tobacco smoke in most cases, directly affects the heart and lungs. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer). Cigarettes are also the number on cause for bladder cancer. Tobacco has a negative effect on your mind and body, its proven; but it also largely influences your financial status. Substances that are addictive will always have a large consumer base, an addictive substance that is legal will always have a very large consumer base, and with this demand, it allows the many successful cigarette companies to promote and always have their products available. How convenient for you, and the state government. You are able to buy all the cigarettes your lungs can handle while the government handles your tax money. With the mass amount of cigarette consumers, our New York State Government sees the opportunity to gain money through your purchases by applying taxes to your product, just as they do with sugars and other widely consumed products. Smoking cigarettes is a benefit to only a few people, the employees that produce them, and the employers who see the profits. The positive that cigarettes provide is the mild release of dopamine, which does make you feel comfortable and settled, but after your relief, the negative backlash takes place, and after time makes you crave that sense of relaxation increasingly more often. Smoking is a habit that you can quickly dig yourself into and take forever to get out of.