A Guide to MADD Sites Essay -- Drunk Driving Essays

A Guide to MADD Sites â€Å"In 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes† (Blincoe qtd. in MADD main). â€Å"In 2002, an estimated 17,419 people died in alcohol–related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,815 total traffic fatalities [in America]† (NHTSA qtd. in MADD main). From these statistics, it is clear to see that drunk driving is a serious issue that harms thousands of innocent American citizens. Although there are many organizations that address the issue of drinking and driving, MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is the most successful, as a group of citizens, in fulfilling their mission. It is ironic that the MADD organization was founded because of one person’s anger. Reports show that in 1979, Cindi Lamb and her five and a half old month daughter, Laura, were in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Their car was hit head on by a repeat drunk driving offender who was traveling at 120 miles per hour. As a result, Laura became one of the world’s youngest quadriplegics. This event prompted Lamb to start a war against drunk driving in her home state of Maryland (Lord qtd. in MADD main). On the west coast, less than a year later, 13-year-old Cari Lightner was killed by a drunk driver. According the article, the driver was released on bail for a hit-and-run drunk driving crash two days prior. In addition to this offense, the driver had two prior drunk driving convictions with a third offense for reckless accident. Despite all of these charges, he was still driving around with a valid ... ...ly up to the individual. Works Cited Blincoe, Seay et al. â€Å"Stats & Resources- General Statistics.† (2002). 4 Oct. 2003 . Lord, Janice. â€Å"Really MADD Looking Back at 20 Years.† DRIVEN Magazine. 27 Sept. 2003. Spring 2002 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving- Canada Chapter. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Official Site. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . Mothers Against Drunk Driving- Orange County Chapter. â€Å"MADD Home Page.† (2003). 27 Sept. 2003 . National Highway and Traffic Administration. â€Å"Stats & Resources- General Statistics.† (2003) 3 Oct. 2003 .

Bata Lockout Case Study Essay

For Bata, labor had always posed major problems. Strikes seemed to be a perennial problem. Much before the assault case, Bata’s chronically restive factory at Batanagar had always plagued by labor strife. In 1992, the factory was closed for four and a half months. In 1995, Bata entered into a 3-year bipartite agreement with the workers, represented by the then 10,000 strong BMU, which also had the West Bengal government as a signatory. On July 21, 1998, Weston was severely assaulted by four workers at the company’s factory at Batanagar, while he was attending a business meet. The incident occurred after a member of BMU, Arup Dutta, met Weston to discuss the issue of the suspended employees. Dutta reportedly got into a verbal duel with Weston, upon which the other workers began to shout slogans. When Weston tried to leave the room the workers turned violent and assaulted him. This was the second attack on an officer after Weston took charge of the company, the first one being the assault on the chief welfare officer in 1996. In February 1999, a lockout was declared in Bata’s Faridabad Unit. Middleton commented that the closure of the unit would not have much impact on the company’s revenues as it was catering to lower-end products such as canvas and Hawaii chappals. The lock out lasted for eight months. In October 1999, the unit resumed production when Bata signed a three-year wage agreement. On March 8, 2000, a lockout was declared at Bata’s Peenya factory in Bangalore, following a strike by its employee union. The new leadership of the union had refused to abide by the wage agreement, which was to expire in August 2001. Following the failure of its negotiations with the union, the management decided to go for a lock out. Bata management was of the view that though it would have to bear the cost of maintaining an idle plant (Rs. 3 million), the effect of the closures on sales and production would be minimal as the footwear manufactured in the factory could be shifted to the company’s other factories and associate manufacturers. The factory had 300 workers on its rolls and manufactured canvas and PVC footwear. In July 2000, Bata lifted the lockout at the Peenya factory. However, some of the workers opposed the company’s move to get an undertaking from the factory employees to resume work. The employees demanded revocation of suspension against 20 of their fellow employees. They also demanded that conditions such as maintaining normal production schedule, conforming to standing orders and the settlement in force should not be insisted upon. In September 2000, Bata was again headed for a labour dispute when the BMU asked the West Bengal government to intervene in what it perceived to be a downsizing exercise being undertaken by the management. BMU justified this move by alleging that the management has increased outsourcing of products and also due to perceived declining importance of the Batanagar unit. The union said that Bata has started outsourcing the Power range of fully manufactured shoes from China, compared to the earlier outsourcing of only assembly and sewing line job. The company’s production of Hawai chappals at the Batanagar unit too had come down by 58% from the weekly capacity of 0. 144 million pairs. These steps had resulted in lower income for the workers forcing them to approach the government for saving their interests. PS: Weston resigned on January 30, 2001. This came as a severe setback to the Bata management.

How Are Dinosaurs Classified

In a sense, its much easier to name a new dinosaur than it is to classify it--and the same goes for new species of pterosaurs and marine reptiles. In this article, well discuss how paleontologists classify their new discoveries, assigning a given prehistoric animal to its proper order, suborder, genus and species. (See also a Complete, A to Z List of Dinosaurs and The 15 Main Dinosaur Types) The key concept in the classification of life is the order, the broadest description of a distinctive class of organisms (for example, all primates, including monkeys and human beings, belong to the same order). Under this order youll find various suborders and infraorders, as scientists use anatomical traits to dintinguish between the members of the same order. For example, the order of primates is divided into two suborders, prosimii (prosimians) and anthropoidea (anthropoids), which are themselves divided into various infraorders (platyrhinii, for example, which comprises all the new world monkeys). Theres also such a thing as superorders, which are invoked when a regular order is found to be too narrow in scope. The last two levels of description, genus and species, are the most common designations used when discussing prehistoric animals. Most individual animals are referred to by genus (for example, Diplodocus), but a paleontologist may prefer to invoke a particular species, say, Diplodocus carnegii, often abbreviated to D. carnegii. (For more on genus and species, see How Do Paleontologists Name Dinosaurs?) Below is a list of the orders of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles; just click on the appropriate links (or see the following pages) for more information. Saurischian, or lizard-hipped, dinosaurs include all the theropods (two-legged predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex) and sauropods (bulky, four-legged plant eaters like Brachiosaurus). Ornithischian, or bird-hipped, dinosaurs include a wide range of plant eaters, including ceratopsians like Triceratops and hadrosaurs like Shantungosaurus. Marine reptiles are divided into a baffling array of superorders, orders and suborders, which comprise such familiar families as pliosaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and mosasaurs. Pterosaurs are comprised of two basic suborders, which can roughly be divided into early, long-tailed rhamphorhynchoids and later, short-tailed (and much bigger) pterodactyloids. Next Page: The Classification of Saurischian Dinosaurs The order of saurischian dinosaurs comprises two seemingly very different suborders: theropods, the two-legged, mostly meat-eating dinosaurs, and sauropods, prosauropods and titanosaurs, about which more below. Order: Saurischia The name of this order means lizard-hipped, and refers to dinosaurs with a characteristic, lizard-like pelvic structure. Saurischian dinosaurs are also distinguished by their long necks and asymmetrical fingers. Suborder: Theropoda Theropods, the beast-footed dinosaurs, include some of the most familiar predators that roamed the landscapes of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Technically, theropod dinosaurs never went extinct; today theyre represented by the vertebrate class aves--that is, birds. Family: Herrerasauridae The herrerasaurs comprise only five dinosaurs, the most well-known of which are Staurikosaurus and Herrerasaurus. Among the first dinosaurs, herrerasaurs are characterized by weird anatomical traits, such as only two sacral vertebrae and a more primitive hand structure than later theropods (some paleontologists even dispute whether herrerasaurs were dinosaurs at all!). Herrerasaurs went extinct at the end of the Triassic period, well before the better-known dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Family: Ceratosauridae Unlike the case with the more primitive herrerasaurs, its generally accepted that ceratosaurs were true dinosaurs. They were characterized by their hollow bones, S-shaped necks, and unique jaw structures, and are the first dinosaurs to show any sort of resemblance to birds (which evolved tens of millions of years later). The most well-known ceratosaurs are Ceratosaurus, Dilophosaurus and Coelophysis. Clade: Coelurosauria Technically, what set s coelurosaurians apart from other theropods is that theyre more closely related to birds than to their sister family, the carnosauria (described below). One problem with this clade--the membership of which is far from set in stone--is that it includes such an enormous amount of members, ranging all the way from Velociraptor to Ornithomimus to Tyrannosaurus Rex. Coelurosaurs are distinguished by the structure of their sacrums, tibias and ulnas, among other skeletal features. Clade: Carnosauria You might expect a clade named carnosauria to include such terrifying meat-eaters as Tyrannosaurus Rex, but that isnt the case. Besides their carnivorous diets, carnosaurs were distinguished by the comparative lengths of their femurs and tibias, the size of their eye sockets and the shapes of their skulls, among other anatomical features. They also had fairly large front arms, which is why T. Rex didnt make the cut. Famous examples of carnosaurs include Allosaurus and Spinosaurus. Family: Ther izinosauridae This family was once known as segnosauria, and its hopped back and forth all over the evolutionary map: the latest trend is to consider therizinosaurs as closely related to birds, hence their classification as theropods. These herbivorous and omnivorous dinosaurs were characterized by their extremely long claws, backward-facing pubic bones (similar to birds), four-toed feet, and (mostly) large sizes. Not many dinosaurs belong to this family; the most prominent examples are Therizinosaurus and Segnosaurus. Suborder: Sauropodomorpha The none-too-bright herbivorous dinosaurs known as sauropods and prosauropods often reached astonishing sizes; theyre believed to have split off from a primitive ancestor shortly before dinosaurs evolved in South America. Infraorder: Prosauropoda As you might guess from their name, the prosauropods (before the sauropods)--small- to medium-sized, occasionally bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and small heads--were once thought to be ancestral to big, lumbering sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus. However, paleontologists now believe that these late Triassic and early Jurassic dinosaurs werent the direct ancestors of sauropods, but more like their great, great, etc. uncles. A classic example of a prosauropod is Plateosaurus. Infraorder: Sauropoda Sauropods and titanosaurs were the true giants of the dinosaur age, including such lumbering beasts as Diplodocus, Argentinosaurus and Apatosaurus. These four-legged, long-necked herbivores were characterized by their erect limbs (similar to those of modern elephants), long necks and tails, and relatively small heads with tiny brains. They were especially numerous toward the end of the Jurassic period, though lightly armored titanosaurs pr ospered right up to the K/T Extinction. Next page: The classification of ornithischian dinosaurs The order of ornithischians includes the vast majority of plant-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, including ceratopsians, ornithopods, and duckbills, described in more detail below. Order: Ornithischia The name of this order means bird-hipped, and refers to the pelvic structure of its assigned genera. Oddly enough, modern birds are descended from saurischian (lizard-hipped), rather than ornithischian, dinosaurs! Suborder: Ornithopoda As you can guess from this suborders name (which means bird-footed), most ornithopods had birdlike, three-toed feet, as well as the birdlike hips typical of ornithischians in general. Ornithopods--which came into their own during the Cretaceous period--were quick, bipedal herbivores equipped with stiff tails and (often) primitive beaks. Examples of this populous suborder include Iguanodon, Edmontosaurus, and Heterodontosaurus. Hadrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs, were a particularly widespread ornithopod family that dominated the later Cretaceous period; famous genera include Parasaurolophus, Maisaura and the huge Shantungosaurus. Suborder: Marginocephalia The dinosaurs in this suborder--which include Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops--were distinguished by their ornate, oversized skulls. Infraorder: Pachycephalosauria The name of this infraorder means thick-headed, and thats not an exaggeration: pachycephalosaurs were characterized by their extremely thick, bony heads, which they presumably used to duel one another for the right to mate. These Cretaceous dinosaurs were mostly herbivores, though some isolated species may have been omnivorous. Well-known pachycephalosaurs include Pachycephalosaurus, Stygimoloch, and Stegoceras. Infraorder: Ceratopsia As pachycephalosaurs were distinguished by their skulls, ceratopsians were set apart by their horns and frills--some of which grew to gargantuan proportions, as in Triceratops and Styracosaurus. Ceratopsians often had thick hides as well, a means of defense against the tyrannosaurs and raptors of the late Cretaceous period. Overall, these large herbivores were behaviorally very similar to modern elephants and rhinoceroses. Suborder: Thyreophora This small suborder of ornithischian dinosaurs includes some large members, including Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus. Thyreophorans (the name is Greek for shield bearers), which include both stegosaurs and ankylosaurs, were characterized by their elaborate spikes and plates, as well as the bludgeoning tails evolved by some genera. Despite their fearsome armament--which they most likely evolved for defensive purposes--they were herbivores rather than predators. Previous page: the classification of saurischian dinosaurs Next page: the classification of Marine Reptiles The marine reptiles of the Mesozoic Era are especially difficult for paleontologists to classify, because, in the course of evolution, creatures living in marine environments tend to take on a limited variety of body forms--which is why, for example, the average ichthyosaur looks so much like a large bluefin tuna. This trend toward convergent evolution can make it difficult to distinguish between the various orders and suborders of marine reptiles, much less individual species within the same genus, as detailed below. Superorder: Ichthyopterygia Fish flippers, as this superorder translates from the Greek, comprises ichthyosaurs--the streamlined, tuna- and dolphin-shaped predators of the Triassic and Jurassic periods. This abundant family of marine reptiles--which includes such famous genera as Ichthyosaurus and Ophthalmosaurus--largely went extinct at the end of the Jurassic period, supplanted by pliosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. Superorder: Sauropterygia The name of this superorder means lizard flippers, and its a good description of the diverse family of marine reptiles that swam the seas of the Mesozoic Era, starting from about 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago--when sauropterygians (and the other families of marine reptiles) went extinct along with dinosaurs. Order: Placodontia The most ancient marine reptiles, placodonts flourished in the oceans of the Triassic period, between 250 and 210 million years ago. These creatures tended to have squat, bulky bodies with short legs, reminiscent of turtles or overgrown newts, and probably swam along shallow coastlines rather than in the deep oceans. Typical placodonts included Placodus and Psephoderma. Order: Nothosauroidea Paleontologists believe these Triassic reptiles were like small seals, scouring shallow waters for food but coming ashore periodically on beaches and rocky outcroppings. Nothosaurs were about six feet long, with streamlined bodies, long necks and webbed feet, and they probably fed exclusively on fish. You wont be surprised to learn that the prototypical nothosaur was Nothosaurus. Order: Pachypleurosauria One of the more obscure orders of extinct reptiles, pachypleurosaurs were slender, smallish (about one and one-half to three feet long), small-headed creatures that likely led an exclusively aquatic existence and fed on fish. The exact classification of these marine reptiles--the most commonly preserved of which is Keichousaurus--is still a matter of ongoing debate. Superfamily: Mosasauroidea Mosasaurs, the sleek, fierce, and often giant marine reptiles of the later Cretaceous period, represented the pinnacle of marine reptile evolution; oddly enough, their only living descendants (at least according to some analyses) are snakes. Among the most fearsome mosasaurs were Tylosaurus, Prognathodon and (of course) Mosasaurus. Order: Plesiosauria This order accounts for the most familiar marine reptiles of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and its members often attained dinosaur-like sizes. Plesiosaurs are divided by paleontologists into two main suborders, as follows: Suborder: Plesiosauroidea The prototypical plesiosaur was a large, streamlined, long-necked predator possessing big flippers and sharp teeth. Plesiosaurs werent as accomplished swimmers as their close cousins, the pliosaurs (described below); they cruised slowly along the surface of rivers, lakes and oceans, extending their long necks to snap up unwary prey. Among the most famous plesiosaurs were Elasmosaurus and Cryptoclidus.Suborder: Pliosauroidea Compared to plesiosaurs, pliosaurs had much more fearsome body plans, with long, toothy heads, short necks, and barrel-shaped bodies; many genera resembled modern sharks or crocodiles. Pliosaurs were more agile swimmers than plesiosaurs, and may have been more common in deeper waters, where they fed on other marine reptiles as well as fish. Among the scariest pliosaurs were the gigantic Kronosaurus and Liopleurodon. Compared to saurischian and ornithischian dinosaurs, not to mention marine reptiles, the classification of pterosaurs (winged lizards) is a relatively straightforward affair. These Mesozoic reptiles all belong to a single order, which is itself divided into two suborders (only one of which is a true suborder in evolutionary terms). Order: Pterosauria Pterosaurs--almost certainly the first large animals on earth ever to evolve flight--were characterized by their hollow bones, relatively large brains and eyes, and, of course, the flaps of skin extending along their arms, which were attached to the digits on their front hands. Suborder: Rhamphorhynchidae In legalistic terms, this suborder has a shaky status, since its believed that the pterodactyloidea (described below) evolved from members this group, rather than both groups having evolved from a last common ancestor. Whatever the case, paleontologists often assign smaller, more primitive pterosaurs--such as Rhamphorhynchus and Anurognathus--to this family. Rhamphorhynchoids are characterized by their teeth, long tails, and (in most cases) lack of skull crests, and lived during the Triassic period. Suborder: Pterodactyloidea This is the only true suborder of pterosauria; it includes all the large, familiar flying reptiles of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, including Pteranodon, Pterodactylus, and the enormous Quetzalcoatlus. Pterodactyloids were characterized by their relatively large size, short tails and long hand bones, as well as (in some species) elaborate, bony head crests and lack of teeth. These pterosaurs survived up until the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago, when they were wiped out along with their dinosaur and marine reptile cousins.