Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered - 733 Words

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should be Lowered â€Å"Adults under 21 are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.† (Amethyst Initiative: Rethink the Drinking Age). The causes behind the minimum legal drinking age standardization nationally has not been alleviated in the past couple decades and should be repealed. The minimum legal drinking age should be lowered to the age of eighteen which is the age when one is no longer a minor. Many adults in between the ages of 18-20 years old admit that they have consumed alcohol at least once if not on a regular basis. If an adult the age of eighteen can fight for our country and go over†¦show more content†¦The main argument that the government was pushing for the raising of the minimum legal drinking age was the number of vehicular accidents caused or associated with alcohol consumption in younger adults. WithinShow M oreRelatedMinimum Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1253 Words   |  6 Pages Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age? Ever since the end of prohibition in 1933 the United States government has placed the issue of minimum legal drinking age sensitively in the hands of the states, letting each decide for itself what the minimum age should be. At that time all agreed that the minimum legal drinking age should be 21, where it remained for all statesRead MoreShould The Minimum Drinking Age Be Lowered?1138 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion whether drinking should be lowered to eighteen or not? Citizens have gave details regarding the affirmative and negative views of the minimum drinking age be lowered to eighteen. Do you think that it is wise to lower the minimum age? Would you look at the negative and positive impacts? Is it more important to give our citizens these full rights? Currently, in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. But as we all know many teenages are involved in underage drinking. But the mainRead More The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay 1006 Words   |  5 Pagesto lowering the minimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amethyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce bingeRead MoreMinimum Legal Drinking Age ( Tietjen )1700 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum Legal Drinking Age On July 17 of 1984 President Ronald Reagan signed to make the National Minimum Drinking Age Act a law. This law required all states to have a minimum drinking age of 21, if a state did not comply with this law they could face up to a 10% cut in funding for their federal highways (Tietjen). Since this act became a law there has been two distinct sides arguing whether they agree with the minimum drinking age, or whether they disagree. One side believes having a minimum drinkingRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe National Minimum Drinking Age Act made all 50 states raise the legal drinking age to 21(Dejong). The debate is on whether the age should be lowered or not. Statistically, having the age at 21 has been very helpful in keeping the nation safe. If there is not an issue with age now, would it make sense to lower the age and create unnecessary problems? In this case, the negative effects outweigh the positive. Simply because there is no good in lower ing the age. The legal drinking age has been setRead MoreThe Problems of Underage Drinking Essay526 Words   |  3 Pagescontroversy of underage drinking has been a serious and difficult issue for many colleges, communities, and parents over the past several years. Fifty states in the U.S have already set their minimum alcohol drinking and purchasing age to twenty one. Yet many people, especially teenagers, oppose this legal drinking age and want it to be lowered. Nevertheless, the legal drinking age should not be lowered from twenty one to eighteen because of three main reasons. The higher minimum drinking age can help reduceRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States1479 Words   |  6 Pages The legal drinking age in the United States has been argued for many decades. The current minimal legal drinking age is twenty-one but some want to lower between eighteen and twenty. The main focus of the research conducted and opinions of people are based on the minimal legal dr inking age of eighteen. The research is taken from the 1970s, when the twenty-sixth Amendment was passed in the Constitution (Wagenaar, 206). It was stated that eighteen is the â€Å"age of majority†, so thirty-nine of theRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered From The Age Of 21 Essay980 Words   |  4 Pagesconsidered â€Å"adults† cannot even make their own decisions? The drinking age on alcohol is a controversial social and cultural issue in today’s society; all fifty states have a minimum drinking age of 21. The legal drinking age should be lowered from the age of 21 to 18 allowing young adults to be granted the right to drink in restaurants, bars, at social events, in the comfort of their own home, and so on. If anything, lowering the legal drinking age would have a positive impact on the United Sates economyRead MoreMinimum Legal Drinking Age Should Remain at the Age of 21 Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesWithout a doubt, the United States has b een facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher MLDARead MoreThe Dangers of Underage Drinking775 Words   |  4 PagesTeens under the legal minimum age of alcohol should not drink, nor should it be lowered. Researchers say that giving alcoholic beverages under 21 could create a lethal addiction and would not have the responsibility to drink. If teens drink a certain amount of alcohol it could be lethal by alcohol poisoning. â€Å"Alcohol can enter the blood stream; binge drinkers can ingest a fatal dose of alcohol before passing out.† (â€Å"Binge Drinking Can Be Fat al†). The legal minimum age should not be lowered, teens under

Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning Free Essays

Principles of assessment in lifelong learning Task A part a The assessment process is a vital part to teaching in the lifelong learning sector. All assessment requires the collection and recording of evidence of student learning. There are many aspects to assessment which will begin from the point of the leaner completing their initial application form. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning or any similar topic only for you Order Now The principles of assessment come under three different headings, Initial assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. Each of the assessment criteria come with specific outcomes for the learner this will assure the learner is getting the best possible outcome to their learning. Looking at figure 6. 1 Gravells, A (pg112) assessment cycle as shown below The initial assessment will be the crucial part of the learning journey. This will provide the relevant information needed to decide the leaner’s starting point. It is the level from which the learner’s progress and also achievement can be calculated. As stated by Green, M. (2003) â€Å"Initial assessment needs to be done with learners rather than to them. It should be of benefit to learners and help them feel positive about themselves and their potential to learn. Initial assessment may start with establishing the learners, interests, aspirations; experience and motivation or it may be part of a â€Å"getting to know you† activity in induction. It allows you to look at the learning styles which are relevant to each learner. Whatever method you choose it needs to be flexible and should reflect the nature of the learner. From using a range of assessment methods it will enable you to summar ize the learners starting point. Whichever method is chosen, it is important that initial assessment contains some form of skill/knowledge assessment which can be validated by the tutor. The initial assessment will allow the planning for any other services which may be required to assist the learner. It is essential that all interaction which takes place with the learner on the initial interview is recorded, this is done for the protection of the learner also the tutor can refer back to any conversation which has taken place. The recording of information will make sure the learner is on the correct course at the correct level, the learner actually wants to access the course. Planning for the assessment is basically you and your learner agreeing on which type and which methods of assessment are suitable. This will vary from learner to learner as they all have different needs and also very often different learning styles. Also included in the planning assessment is setting appropriate target dates setting with both the learner this could also involve other members of staff. Assessment activity is all about how to assess the activity and what methods could be used. For example if it is a student led assessment they could be completing the requested assignment or even gathering some form competent evidence. If tutor/assessor led this could be observation, questioning or even photographic evidence. After the three initial assessments have been completed it is then time to look at the assessment decision and feedback, this enables the tutor to make the decision on whether the learner has been successful or otherwise. This is the point in which the tutor/assessor is able to give constructive feedback to the learner stating if any further actions are required. Reviewing the progress means that any assessment plan can be review and altered at any one time to meet the learners required needs at the time, or upon completion of either the programme or the course. The review process enables you as the tutor to sit with your learner and give the opportunity you both time to discuss any relevant issues you may feel will aid in their learning. By reviewing the assessment activities which you use this will give you an opportunity to amend any if necessary. The formative assessment is the second strand of the assessment process. â€Å"formative assessments are ongoing practices that help both the teacher and student evaluate and reflect on how they are both doing, and what changes either or both might need to make to become a more effective teacher and learner. Larry Ferlazzo (no date) Assessment for learning is also known as formative assessment. Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence in use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. Since the goal of formative assessment is to gain an understanding of what students know (and don’t know) in order to make responsive changes in teaching and learning. Techniques such as teacher observation and classroom discussion have an important place alongside analysis of tests and homework. Much of what tutors and learners do in the classroom can be described as assessment for learning. (Black and Wiliam, 1998) says â€Å"Assessment for learning can be defined as ‘all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or by their students, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged’ Formative assessment should occur regularly throughout the instructional process and, According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (NCFOT) (1999), Careful documentation can allow formative assessments to be used for summative purposes. The manner in which summative assessments are reported helps determine whether they can be easily translated for formative purposes–especially by the student, teacher, and parent. (Ainsworth Viegut, 2006) state â€Å"By varying the type of assessment you use over the course of the week, you can get a more accurate picture of what students know and understand, obtaining a â€Å"multiple-measure assessment ‘window’ into student understanding† Some examples of a formative assessment could be: * Asking questions * observations * self assessments * quizzes (sometimes) * learner record keeping Thomas R. Guskey suggests â€Å"that for assessments to become an integral part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach in three important ways. They must â€Å"1) use assessments as sources of information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to demonstrate success† (2007). Assessment of learning is also known as summative assessment, assessments used to sum up a learners achievement. Summative assessment can be carried out as particular stages of the course or learning rogramme are completed, or at the end, whichever seems appropriate. Where achievement is recorded on an on-going basis, summative assessment may mean bringing all the evidence together, rather than carrying out an additional set of assessment activities. This means that all the requirements stipulated by the examining body are all collated and correct. Assignments to be marked and graded appropriately, making sure the work is that of the learners and no one else’s. . Examples of summative assessment can be a written examination. Reliability is essential as they are used numerically to classify learners and compare them to each other. Traditional unit tests (multiple choice, true/false and sort answer questions) are poor summative assessments as they rarely require the application of skills and concepts or the demonstration of understandings rather than a mere reporting of information. The best summative assessments often incorporate the essential question(s) that have focused the unit, requiring students to answer one or more of the essential questions drawing upon ideas from personal experience, from the texts studied, and from new text(s) encountered as a part of the assessment. Assessment methods Within my area of childcare/sexual health I use many varied types of assessment. The assessment criteria I use are based on the level of the learner and the suitability to the specific unit within the assignment. By using various methods of assessment I get a clearer picture of what went well with both tutor and learner and what was not so good so improvements can be made. Use accurate assessment to effectively plan to ensure all groups of students are suitably challenged and supported. Use a variety of strategies (ASL) to ensure students know where they are and what they need to do to improve in relation to their target grades. These must include: * Skilful Questioning and other forms of oral feedback (relating to lesson objectives) which gauge and probe student understanding, as well as re-shaping of explanations and tasks. * Frequent written feedback (Marking), which follows Strengths, Attitude to learning, Level and Target (SALT) and where targets set are detailed enough that students can make progress. * Peer and/or self-assessment Photographic assessment Photographic assessments are used usually with another form of assessment, observation or verbal. Photographic assessment allows the learner to do practical activities and have a photographic record of their achievements these can then be placed either into a book or a file and annotated by the learner which will explain the type of activity which had taken place. If this is done on a regular basis with activities at different levels the learner can see the progress which has been made. If and when using photographic evidence it should always be signed and authenticated by both the learner and the tutor. Is it valid? Yes as the photographic evidence will show as long as the photograph is annotated, dated and signed by a tutor/teacher. If the evidence is not current i. e. the picture taken six months before the criteria may have changed so photographic evidence may not be required or be insufficient for the amount of work needing to be produced. As with positives there are also some negative points with this kind of assessment. * Some learners may not give permission to be photographed * It may mean learners are absent purposely to avoid taking part in the lesson. * You need to make sure all the equipment works and you have all your resources to hand. Verbal Questioning This is an excellent way to find out if the learner has understood the task which has been set for them. You can use the lesson objective in this case to keep referring back to. The questioning can be either informal or formal. You could state you are going to recap the lesson, stating you will be asking each learner a question at the end. This method is used quite a lot as it continually assess the learner knowledge. Giving the students positive feedback throughout telling them no answer is wrong getting them to expand on the answer they have just given. Demonstrations can be done with this method as you could demonstrate the subject at hand, asking questions continually and the students responding accordingly. * The down side is often learners are worried they will give the wrong answer. * They may feel embarrassed taking in front of others Observation Observational assessment is the perfect way to observe the students as they work on a specific project. This promotes independent learning; gaining more than one view point also the learning is timed and controlled. This enables the teacher to roam around the classroom, occasionally offering guidance and encouragement as the students work. Whist walking around the classroom the teacher is able to take notes on how students are performing and also whether or not modifications need to be made to the assignment. The observation works well when the teacher wishes to monitor how students work together in groups or individually. The observational process is also a useful to monitor behavior within the session. This is turn enables the teacher to move the learner(s) if necessary. * Students may not participate in the session as they feel they don’t have the relevant information to give. May not get a true reflection of the outcome as some learners may come out with untruths. Portfolios Many aspects of the portfolio and the portfolio process provided assessment opportunities that contributed to improved work through feedback, conversations about content and quality, and other assessment relevant discussions. The collection also served to demonstrate progress and inform and support summative evaluations. The relationship between assessment and instruction requires re-examination so that information gathered from learner discussions can be used for instructional purposes. The disadvantages of this could be * Time consuming for staff marking them * Difficult to ensure reliability between staff * Can encourage cheating re ownership of work It is important that all learners being assessed by this means must have a shared understanding of the level expected of their work. It is good practice to show learners relevant examples and suggest a proposed format, including suggesting a physical size, as this will help your back! If the nature of the evidence needed from students is transparent, this can aid the marking and go towards reliability between staff. Also preparing a marking proforma for all staff should help. As portfolio building is usually time consuming, offer interim assessment opportunities so that learners can receive advice on whether the evidence they are assembling is appropriate. Consider assessing the portfolios as a team, with each giving comments on a feedback sheet which could also have positives on the portfolio as this aids feedback for learners. Self-Assessment/Peer Assessment Learners can only achieve a learning goal if they understand that goal, and can assess what they need to do to reach it. The ability to assess one’s own work is essential in acquiring that understanding. Peer assessment is also valuable because the interchange will be in a language that learners themselves would use, also because learning is enhanced when leaners themselves tak on the roles of teachers and examiners of others. Self-assessment and peer assessment is used to log the progress. This can be done by mind mapping in different colours. First colour what they know, second colour some of the information you have imparted, third colour all the information and what their peers know. This could be done on several different occasions to assess the progress which has been made, also to identify any areas of improvement, show the strengths of the learner. Below is a chart which I use and can be altered to allow for differentiation and levelling. The peer assessment could be a quiz which they complete they exchange papers to mark each other’s. This can give a sense of ownership to the student. In conclusion I feel that assessment is a necessary part of the learning process for both learner and tutors alike. It enables tutors and educational establishments to keep up to date records of the progress of each learner. Ofsted or any other government expectorate will able to see regular progress, marking from the members of staff and also positive comments with identifiable areas of any improvement required. Task B The assessment process is an on-going process to which all learners should be involved in. One of the main objectives to assessment is to enable all learners to take part at their own level. The need for inclusivity is paramount when doing assessment to enable each learner to be assessed at their own level. If necessary other services may need to be involved i. English as an additional Language (EAL) this will need liaison with each subject leader and the co-ordinator for EAL. This will then look at the specific needs of the learner, ensure that assessment practice conforms with equality of opportunity, and monitor the performance of EAL and ethnic minority students, setting them relevant challenging targets, and finally analyse and interpret the performance of EAL and ethnic minority stu dents at the end of key stages. Whichever assessment method I have chosen it needs to address the intended curriculum outcomes and also the continuum of learning that is required to reach the outcomes. As I am assessing the learners they need to understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them. In turn they are given feedback I give them around the quality of their work and what in turn they can do to improve it. The advice they are given from me the tutor will go to making the necessary improvements. During this time they learners are fully involved in deciding what needs to be done next, and the relevant people who can give them help if required. How to cite Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning, Essay examples

Auditing Assurance Services in Australia Engines International Ltd

Question: Discuss about the Auditing Assurance Services in Australia for Engines International Ltd. Answer: Depicting what Should be Done by Jimmy Determining the Facts: After analysing the situation, certain facts have been identified by Jimmy, an unethical accounting system that is currently being used by Engines International Ltd (EI). In addition, the use of uncertain revenue recognising method has been pin pointed by Jimmy to its supervisors. Jimmy also pointed out that ASIC has investigated the revenue measure used by the Engines International Ltd (EI) and deemed it questionable. In addition, the senior audit partner is also justified that use of the questionable method, as it has been used in past 10 years. Moreover, the partner also depicts that Fitzgerald Milhouse Chartered Accountants might lose its client if accounting method is been questioned. Moreover, Jimmy mainly stated that it would accept the decision of the partner, but will include in audit working papers the dissenting statement. However, the audit partner states not to use the dissenting statement, whereas a letter acknowledging full responsibility for the audit is been provide d. Defining the Ethical Issues: The main unethical issue that is identified from the situation is the use of questionable method for recognising revenues conducted by Engines International Ltd (EI). The unethical measure used by EI could be identified from its books. The second unethical measure, which could be identified in the scenario, is between Jimmy and senior official. The senior official is actually ok with the shady accounting method used by the company and does not allow Jimmy to use dissenting statement in the audit report. Beasley (2015) mentioned that companies with the use of monetary offers are able to influence auditors for accommodating unethical measures in their audit report. The questionable method used by EI for recognising revenues has been authorised by senior auditor, which is unethical in part of the Fitzgerald Milhouse Chartered Accountants. The ignorance of report provided by ASIC and commencing with the overall audit report is an unethical approach conducted on part of FM charted accounting (Bobek, Hageman Radtke, 2015). Identifying the major Rules, Values, and Principles: There are relevant role, value, and principles, which could be identified from the situation. In addition, relevant principles, value, and rules mainly help the auditor to prepare the overall audit report of the company. However, the overall use of values and adequate rules could effectively help the auditor in making relevant assumption in its audit report. There are relevant principles, value, and rules, which auditors could use while preparing audit report of companies. Confidentiality: The auditor mainly needs to handle the confidentially of the accounts, which are prepared for the companies. However, there are certain exemptions, which are provided to the auditor for disclosing unethical accounting principles of the company (Haron, Ismail, Ibrahim Aw, 2014). The auditing values, rules and principles mainly states that auditors cannot disclose information of the company to any external party. However, in case of EI the auditor is not questioning the use of shady accounting system after getting the report of ASIC. In this particular scenario, Jimmy needs to ignore the confidentially principle and rule for acting based on values. Quality: The quality principle mainly states that auditors need to provide higher quality audit report with all the complied rules. In addition, the auditor is mainly complied to provide an ethical and quality audit report with shareholder and relevant authorities. However, the auditing firm and senior partner is not complying with the rules and regulations, as they have allowed EI to use the faulty accounting system (Hess, Haney MacPhail, 2017). Integrity: This principle mainly depicts that auditors need to account for honesty in their professional and business relationship. The overall honesty is not been conducted by Fitzgerald Milhouse Chartered Accountants and senior audit partner as they have allowed EI to use shady accounting method. Professional Competence: The professional competence of auditing partner and EI is relatively low as it does not follow the rules and regulations ethically. According to the professional competence, the company and its auditing partner must use viable accounting method in evaluating its financial report and revenues. This could allow the company to project its actual financial stability, while discarding any unethical measures. Kung Li (2013) argued that if companies are not able to generate the required probability hen unethical measures are used by management Specifying the Alternatives: There are two specific alternatives, which could be derived from the particular situation. Firstly, Jimmy could prepare the audit report and include the dissenting statement. Secondly, Jimmy could comply with the request, prepare the audit working paper without the dissenting statement in the audit working papers, and accept acknowledging letter from its auditing partner (Pickerd, Summers Wood, 2014). Comparing Alternatives and Values: The evaluation of alternative mainly depicts Jimmy to take adequate actions regarding the overall audit procedures conducted by the auditing firm and EI. The first option is the best alternative, which Jimmy should choose. Being an employee of Fitzgerald Milhouse Chartered Accountants, Jimmy should prepare the audit report with the dissenting statement, which could help in depicting the shady accounting system used by EI. Dissecting the consequence: There are two consequences, as Jimmy is provided by two options. Each option has a different consequence, whereas the adoption of first option could mainly hinder relations with the auditing partner or even make Fitzgerald Millhouse Chartered Accountants lose its largest client EI. However, it is only ethical, as ASIC has mainly pin pointed the shady accounting measures used by the company (Tian Peterson, 2016). The second alternative could mainly raise concerns for Jimmy, as the acknowledging letter will have no value when legal authorities gain knowledge on the unethical auditing report (Zadek, Evans Pruzan, 2013). Making Adequate Decision: Jimmy to ensure working with Fitzgerald Millhouse Chartered Accountants with adequate ethical measures must include dissenting statement in the audit working papers in EI annual audit report. This decision is mainly ethical and adequate according to the rule and regulations of American Accounting Association. Reference: Beasley, M. S. (2015).Auditing cases: An interactive learning approach. Prentice Hall. Bobek, D. D., Hageman, A. M., Radtke, R. R. (2015). The effects of professional role, decision context, and gender on the ethical decision making of public accounting professionals.Behavioral Research in Accounting,27(1), 55-78. Haron, H., Ismail, I., Ibrahim, D. N., Aw, L. N. (2014). Factors influencing ethical judgement of auditors in Malaysia.Malaysian Accounting Review,13(2), 47-86. Hess, D. J., Haney, M. H., MacPhail, C. S. (2017). What You DO Know CAN Hurt You: An Instructional Case Requiring Application of Professional Standards to an Ethical Dilemma Facing an Auditor and Tax Preparer.Current Issues in Auditing. Kung, F. H., Li Huang, C. (2013). Auditors' moral philosophies and ethical beliefs.Management Decision,51(3), 479-500. Pickerd, J. S., Summers, S. L., Wood, D. A. (2014). An examination of how entry-level staff auditors respond to tone at the top vis--vis tone at the bottom.Behavioral Research in Accounting,27(1), 79-98. Tian, Q., Peterson, D. K. (2016). The effects of ethical pressure and power distance orientation on unethical pro?organizational behavior: the case of earnings management.Business Ethics: A European Review. Zadek, S., Evans, R., Pruzan, P. (2013).Building corporate accountability: Emerging practice in social and ethical accounting and auditing. Routledge.

Roswell Essay Example

Roswell Essay State your hypothesis (prediction) about the incident: Research (use the table below to record your research): Note: You must include the information below for AT LEAST THREE sources to receive full credit for this assignment. Site title http://w. NM. Resolutenesss. Com/ URL or book publisher http://www. Resolutenesss. Com/Roswell. HTML Who created the site FOMCL NM Inc Brief description In 1869 Van Smith purchased some land with a few bulldogs and named it Roswell after his dad. Four years later Smith established a post office. In 1877 Smiths began developing the community. Later down the road during World War II, the Roswell Army Alarm Held was established south of Roswell to train bomber crews. SIX years later Roswell Army Alarm Field got Involved In a unidentified flying object northwest of Roswell. Science or pseudoscience pseudoscience Support or refute your hypothesis? I believe it was not aliens because it was a unidentified flying object north west of Roswell. They couldnt tell weather it was a alien spaceship or Just a weather balloon. So there for there is no real proof that is was a spaceship. Http://YMMV. Violence. Org/ I could not find who made site Dan Willow and his wife were sitting on their front porch when they saw a bright saucer shaped object with glowing lights moving across they sky at 400-500 miles per hour. Willow estimated that the flying object was about 20-25 feet across. The object was coming from the Southeast and disappeared to the Northwest.. Science or pseudoscience I believe that if willow saw something in the sky and was going 400-500 MPH it loud be hard to tell how big it really was. We will write a custom essay sample on Roswell specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Roswell specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Roswell specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I also believe that if you could see lights glowing that it had to be getting dark or dark already so that leads me to believe that it was Just a plane even if it was Just a small one. Http://www. History. Com/topics/Roswell http://www. History. Com A Television Networks A sheep farmer was out checking on his sheep and came across some debris. Officials from the local Air Force base asserted that it was a crashed weather balloon, many people believed it was the remains of an flying saucer. 50 years after the U. S. Literary issued a report linking the incident to a top-secret atomic espionage project called Project Mogul. Science or pseudoscience pseudoscience I believe that it was really Just a weather balloon because threes no real proof that is was a spaceship. Science or pseudoscience Does your research support or refute your hypothesis? Please explain below: I believe that my research supports my hypothesis because there is no pictures or real proof besides people saying they saw a spaceship. I dont think that people can be used to support it because that could have lied.

Adidas in 2009

Adidas in 2009 At the beginning of the year 2009, Adidas Company marked the first quarter by closing its European and Asian headquarters as a result of a sharp drop in its profits. Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Adidas in 2009 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Herbert Hainer, the CEO and Chairman of the Adidas Group, claimed that this would go a long way in ensuring that great savings would be achieved. In the description of the restructuring process, there has been a new creation of the organisational structure aimed at yielding some long-term developments in the company. In the restructuring process, the aim of the company was to get closer to the consumer through its products. The company sought to develop new levels of management in its structure, where different initiatives would be developed to come up with more effective sales strategies. This restructuring was also meant to look at key markets, in which a global reta il market structure would be adopted to enhance financial gains. Lastly, the company sought to have a â‚ ¬ 100 million as its annual savings for all the costs incurred (Barton 2). These restructuring processes were of importance in the financial aspect and business situation. As with the creation of a structure in the organisation, this would enhance realignment in the business. In turn it would report Adidas efforts to successfully compete with the international markets, albeit in a challenging environment. A joint model with Reebok has been established to restructure the company’s strategy, which has made it possible to achieve synergy. It is through such collaboration that Adidas products have found their way into foreign markets throughout the world. With this strategy, the consumer and the company are in a good relationship. In addition, this has made finances in the company gain increased significance due to increase in volume of sales. The Chairman of the Adidas G roup firmly states that adopting some game changing structures, such as collaborating with other companies, has the potential to refine their business, which is a core task in bringing the consumer and the Adidas brands closer. The first quarter had reported a drop in sales. Therefore, to the business, it was necessary to seek new ideas in an aim to eliminate any unnecessary cost that would in turn contribute to business success. To adopt a restructuring process that would be flexible and effective, Adidas (in partnership with other companies such as Reebok) came up with a joint operating model in European and American. With this strategy, major markets have been accessed with less difficulty. Through this form of collaboration, either partners remains as a single entity, but with renewed strength in its financial sector.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Compl exity reduction is another restructuring strategy at Adidas Group, where simple products have been greatly accepted in the society. This, in turn, increases the volume of sales. With the above initiatives, a better and healthy business environment has been achieved and financial sustainability will be achieved in the long run. One of the financial and business reasons that influenced restructuring at Adidas was to save on cost of up to â‚ ¬ 100 million. Through this, the company expected â‚ ¬ 1.8 billion of its annual sales (Beaudry and Groves 2). Another reason was to reduce the regional offices to retail shops, which would bring the consumer closer to the company. Avoiding subsidiaries in the company would contribute to the cutting on costs and an increase in revenue. The business restructuring observed in 2009 was primarily through management. It reported an increase in the company’s revenue and healthy financial reports. With the elimination of regional office, th ere has been a strong bond resulting from an interaction between global organisation and the local markets. This holistic approach is still being adopted, especially with an increased market speed supported by technologies that are connecting Adidas Group to the rest of the world. In the process of restructuring the company’s own retail business, there is evidence of improved growth in retailers. For instance, this has motivated Adidas Group to appoint a Chief Retail Officer with the responsibility of managing the company’s products (Barton 4). The development of a new organisational structure in different departments such as Finance and Information Technology has enhanced sharing of services. In addition, it has cut on costs, hence a good way of financial saving. The collaboration between Adidas Group and other companies such as Reebok helps the company to identify different synergies. In fact, this is achieved through restructuring process where clear strategies ha ve been developed. With these strategies, company and employees interests have been considered. Synergy has brought about success, with all the strategies under implementation being handled and planned adequately. Through this, a lot of cost is saved due to collective sharing of responsibilities.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Adidas in 2009 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is much creativity derived from synergy and through integration, restructuring and dependency, the group has adopted a corporate culture that has helped in achieving its financial and business goals. Synergy has also been a good way of creating sustainability because it has brought about a strong relationship between the company and its material suppliers and stakeholders. This restructuring strategy of having supportive members in the group has the effect of achieving collective performance. Barton, Elena. Adidas Aims For Brighter H alf. FN: Footwear News 65.31 (2009): 4-1. Print. Beaudry, Jennifer and Ellen Groves. Adidas Plans Restructuring. FN: Footwear News 65.18 (2009): 2-1. Print.

Cómo notificar a USCIS el cambio de dirección

Cà ³mo notificar a USCIS el cambio de direccià ³n El deber de notificar todos los cambios de direccià ³n al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) afecta prcticamente a todos los extranjeros presentes en Estados Unidos. En este artà ­culo se explica quià ©nes estn obligados a notificar el cambio de domicilio, cà ³mo se hace y cules son las consecuencias si se incumple con esa obligacià ³n. Finalmente, se explica cà ³mo notificar cambio de direccià ³n a una corte migratoria cuando se tiene un asunto pendiente. Extranjeros obligados a notificar cambio de direccin a USCIS La obligacià ³n de notificar el cambio de direccià ³n en el plazo de 10 dà ­as a contar desde que se hizo la mudanza aplica a todos los extranjeros presentes en Estados Unidos excepto: Diplomticos con  visa ARepresentantes en organizaciones internaciones como la ONU o la OEA con  visa GTuristas que ingresaron sin visa por un tiempo no superior a los 30 dà ­as Adems, y por razones evidentes, los migrantes indocumentados que NO tienen ningà ºn asunto pendiente con USCIS no estn obligados ni deben notificar sus domicilios o mudanzas. Cmo se notifica el cambio de direccina USCIS La notificacià ³n de cambio de domicilio sigue tres reglas distintas segà ºn las caracterà ­sticas migratorias del extranjero. En primer lugar, las personas que tengan pendiente o recientemente aprobada una de las peticiones siguientes: Peticià ³n  I-360 para VAWA, viudos, inmigrantes especiales o amerasiticosPeticià ³n  I-914 para la visa T de và ­ctimas de trfico humanoPeticià ³n  I-918 para la visa U de và ­ctimas de violenciaPeticià ³n  I-765V para permiso de trabajo de cà ³nyuge abusado de no inmigrantePeticià ³n I-485 para ajuste de estatus SOLO caso de cà ³nyuge abusado en aplicacià ³n de Ley de Ajuste  Cubano. En todos esos casos mencionados, el extranjero debe llenar el formulario de papel AR-11 y enviarlo a: USCISVermont Service Center75 Lower Welden  StreetSt. Albans, VT 05479-0001 En segundo lugar, los extranjeros con casos pendientes que no estn incluidos en el apartado anterior deben notificar a USCIS el cambio de domicilio y tambià ©n al centro local que està © tramitando su peticià ³n. Puede hacerse de dos maneras: Enviando a USCIS formulario de papel AR-11 y marcando al  1-800-375-5283. Son imprescindibles los dos pasos.Notificando online el cambio de direccià ³n. En este caso, solo es necesario un paso porque al acabar de llenar el formulario se puede elegir la opcià ³n de continuar para notificar al centro que est tramitando la peticià ³n pendiente. En tercer lugar, todos los extranjeros que no tienen ninguna peticià ³n pendiente con USCIS pueden notificar el cambio de domicilio online o por correo ordinario empleando la planilla AR-11, cualquier forma es vlida pero solo se debe utilizar una. En el caso de estar presente en Estados Unidos con una visa de estudiante internacional tipo F-1 o una visa de intercambio J-1 - o la J-2 de dependientes- la notificacià ³n del cambio de direccià ³n  puede hacerse contactando con la oficina que lleva asuntos de visas en la institucià ³n que la solicità ³, generalmente es la Office of International Affairs, pero puede ser otra dependiendo de la institucià ³n. El cambio se harà ­a modificando los datos en el Sistema de Informacià ³n de Estudiantes y Visitantes de Intercambio  (SEVIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). La obligacià ³n debe cumplirse cada vez que el extranjero se mude. Cul es la penalidad por no notificar a USCIS el cambio de direccin? La ley dice que no cumplir con esa obligacià ³n es una falta (misdemeanor, en inglà ©s) que puede ser castigada con una multa de $200 y un mximo de 30 dà ­as en prisià ³n. Adems, es decisià ³n del USCIS si decide deportar a quien no ha cumplido con esta obligacià ³n. Para esto à ºltimo, y en el caso de los residentes permanentes legales, el USCIS tendrà ­a que poder demostrar que no se notificà ³ el cambio de domicilio de forma intencional y sin excusa. 2 consejos sobre cambio de direccin En primer lugar, si se est en Estados Unidos con una visa o se tiene una peticià ³n migratoria pendiente, es altamente recomendable guardar una copia de todos los avisos de cambio de domicilio que se le hacen a USCIS. Si se hace online en la pgina de USCIS se pueden guardar pantallazos de todas las pginas cuando se est cubriendo el formulario.   En segundo lugar, si se est esperando la tarjeta de residencia, si es posible, trate de no mudarse hasta que tenga en mano la green card. El USCIS la envà ­a por correo y si llega a la direccià ³n antigua para recuperarla ser necesario llenar el formulario I-90 de reemplazo de tarjeta. Adems, si el Servicio de Correos no se la devuelve a USCIS ser necesario no solo llenar el formulario   I-90, sino que tambià ©n habr que pagar de nuevo la tarifa de $455, segà ºn las tasas actuales, ms $85 por la toma de datos biomà ©tricos. Cambio de direccincon Corte Migratoria Diferente a la obligacià ³n de notificar al USCIS es la de notificar a la Corte Migratoria y que afecta solo a los extranjeros en Estados Unidos que tienen un procedimiento pendiente ante Corte o ante el Tribunal de Apelaciones Migratorias (BIA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). En este caso tiene  la obligacià ³n de notificar en un plazo de cinco dà ­as no solo el cambio de domicilio, sino tambià ©n el de nà ºmero de telà ©fono. Solo se admite realizar la notificacià ³n en un documento oficial de la Oficina Ejecutiva de Revisià ³n Migratoria (EOIR, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Una vez que se completan los datos, debe doblarlo y sellarlo siguiendo las instrucciones, ponerle un sello y enviarlo. Esta planilla se convierte en un sobre e incluye la direccià ³n del destinatario. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Socio-economic background communication barriers Essay

Socio-economic background communication barriers - Essay Example For example, in a case involving a wealthy person and an underprivileged person, the wealthy individual may experience a communication variance in associating with the underprivileged person (Sonnenberg, 1990). A deprived economic situation can make a person have a feeling of inferiority and a well off economic condition can cause a feeling of superiority, thus causing a communication disparity between the two people. An individual’s religious status also has an impact on communication. In the justice system, in a number of occasions, an individual may not feel comfortable communicating with a person from a different religious status. This is largely because of the divergence in their belief systems. Religious notions have an impact on the way in which an individual thinks and perceives things and may result in a difference in views. In addition, an individual’s racial makeup may be a cause for communication barrier in the criminal justice system. Employees, victims, or offenders of a different racial position may contain a number of barriers to adequate communications, for example, through their assorted language and cultures. Social situations may comprise physical barriers that may be a cause of communication barrier in the criminal justice system. Physical barriers may entail specified territories into which unknown people cannot have access, or segregated sections for individua ls who hold different statuses (Sonnenberg, 1990). This separation causes a breakdown in communication in the entire criminal justice system. These barriers have an impact on individuals working in the criminal justice system. First, communication barriers may have a negative impact on the capacity of an individual to make a constructive contribution to the custodial and judicial course. What may be presumed to be lack of penitence, contempt for the courtroom regulations, or a lack of concern may at times be clarified by

Paired associates learning enhanced by imagery Lab Report

Paired associates learning enhanced by imagery - Lab Report Example Thirty-seven members were assigned to the imagery (experimental condition) and thirty-eight participants were assigned to the repetition condition (control). Data from each section were combined in the analysis. A set of 80 common, concrete nouns were provided in an appendix of Neath's text Human Memory. With the use of a random numbers table, 20 random pairs were created. Each subject participated in just one condition and the responses were divided into two groups: 1) word pairs 1-10; 2) word pairs 11-20. These conditions enabled the distinction of what factors have an effect on the performance of the participants, the subjects themselves or the order of the stimuli. Group data was analyzed T test. Result did not show any significant result (p> 0.05) deviated from the null hypothesis of equal contribution at the level of significant 0.05 for the overall effect of order (1-10 vs. 11-20). However, the effect of order showed significance for the imagery rehearsal condition. The total average of right answers by the participants showed a greater improvement for those in the imagery rehearsal condition. In conclusion imagery rehearsal condition enhances performance in paired associates learning. Paired-associate learning was "invented by Mary Whiton Calkins in 1894 and involves the pairing of two items (usually words)-a stimulus and a response" ("Paired-associate learning", n.d.). PAL is aided by mnemonic strategies (Kintsch, 1970 as cited in Chang, H. T., Klorman, R., Shaywitz, S. E., Fletcher, J. M., Marchione, K. E., Holahan, J. M., Stuebing, K. K., Brumaghim, J. T., Shaywitz, B. A., 1999). 'Encoding strategies employed in this and additional memory tasks include rehearsal, that is, simple repetition of the paired associations; organization by theoretical or semantic categories; elaboration, that is, generation of arbitrary relations between items'(Schneider & Bjorklund, 1998 as cited in Chang, H. T., et al.); or visualization, that is, formation of visual images (imagery) of something in mind ("Visualize", 2005). For decades, it has been an issue if what can help in enhancing the performance of an in paired-associate learning. For example, Rohwer (1966 as cited in Bower G. H. & Winzenz, D., 1970) stated that 'reading a declarative sentence linking the word pair as subject and object nouns generated better summon up than simply studying the pair without a sentence context'. Additionally, Bobrow & Bower (1969 as cited in Bower G. H. & Winzenz, D., 1970) established that 'college students kept in mind a noun pair much better if they generated their individual sentence linking the word pair rather than just learning the pair in a pre - constructed sentence'. There seems to be a gradual 'improvement in recall going from habitual repetition toIt is often said that "visual memory is superior to verbal memory on recognition tasks" (Shepard, 1967; Standing, Conezio, & Harber, 1970 as cited in Jonides, Kahn, & Rozin, 1975). With this fact can we infer that visual imagery is a tool in doing a better wor k in paired-associate learning' This study will focus on the hypothesis that: Imagery rehearsal condition enhances performance in paired associates

Models of Addiction Essay Example for Free

Models of Addiction Essay The three models of addiction examined in this week’s readings include the medical model, the psychosocial model, and the disease of the human spirit model. The medical model â€Å"rests on the assumption that disease states are the result of a biological dysfunction, possibly one on the cellular or even molecular level† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 333). Many consider this model and â€Å"maintain that much of human behavior is based on the interaction between the individual’s biological predisposition and the environment† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 333). Individuals under this model view free will â€Å"as an illusion† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 33). There is controversy regarding this model as â€Å"to the degree to which the individual’s genetic heritage actually serves to predispose the individual to a substance use disorder, and how much of this is the result of psychosocial factors† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 344). The disease model does appear to govern the way in which substance abuse disorders are considered and treated in the United States. The psychosocial models of substance use proponents suggest that it is interlinked with the medical model in that both â€Å"admit that there is a major psychosocial component to the addictions† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 345). Psychosocial proponents state that â€Å"addictions are learned behavior(s), poor psychosocial functioning, or the result of maladaptive thinking† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 345). It is suggested that the pharmaceutical industry may be responsible for ‘disease mongering’ to help promote the sales of drugs said to cure proposed diseases, therefore promoting the disease model. Some believe we are obscuring unacceptable behavior and calling them diseases suggesting that we have â€Å"become a nation of blamers, whiners, and victims, all too happy, when we get a chance, to pass the buck to somebody else for our troubles† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 46). Multiple theoretical models were offered: moral model, temperance model, spiritual model, dispositional disease model, educational model, characterological model, general systems model, and the medical model. In considering all the models that propose to offer insight in the factors to consider with addiction, â€Å"each perspective fails to completely explain all of the facets of the SUDs adequately† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 352). The third model of substance use disorders presented is the disease of the human spirit. This model suggests that as we enter the burdens and trials of life and become ungrounded with pain or voids in our lives we allow ourselves to feel pity and open ourselves up to our inwardly sinful nature. â€Å"It is at this point that some recoil in horror and become spiritual narcissists: self-centered, unwilling to see any reason to deny the â€Å"self† any desire or pleasure† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 357). This model believes that all individuals â€Å"all start out with hope, faith and fortitude† but when exposed to the ills of the world some â€Å"turn to chemicals to fill the perceived void within or to ease their pain† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 61). When considering spiritual bankruptcy and void in the life of an addict, despair comes to mind. When an individual feels despair they are unable to consider anything else but what is happening in the present and often appear desperate. Literature supports that â€Å"people are also spiritual beings who are either actively or passively involved in a relationship with a Higher Being† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 353). When a person is spiritually bankrupt they have lost moral direction and often begin to make poor, self-pleasing choices and have chosen a passive relationship with their Higher Being. Addicts are searching for something to fill them with the joy and wholeness they have replaced with the unconditional love of Christ. The prevalence of addiction based on my readings suggests that illicit drugs, marijuana, and narcotics are readily available on the streets. â€Å" In the United States it has been estimated that 2000 people use cocaine for the first time each day† and that â€Å"nationally 5-10% of the population, or about 30 million people, have abused cocaine at least once† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 110). It is disturbing that the literature is able to quote statistics on children using these substances at such a young age. Literature supports that the use of hallucinogens seems to be declining in the United States, however, â€Å"it was estimated that 943,000 persons over the age of 12 abused a hallucinogenic compound for the first time in the year 2007† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 166). Also mentioned was â€Å"the average age at which individuals begin to smoke marijuana in the United States is around 18-19 year of age† (Doweiko, 2012, p. 124). Another disturbing fact regarding substances on the streets is the consideration that many of the substances vary in amount of substance such that individuals may not realize the quantity or quality of the substance they are ingesting.

Emiliano Zapata Essay -- essays research papers

Emiliano Zapata, born on August 8, 1879, in the village of Anenecuilco, Morelos (Mexico), Emiliano Zapata was of mestizo heritage and the son of a peasant medier, (a sharecropper or owner of a small plot of land). From the age of eighteen, after the death of his father, he had to support his mother and three sisters and managed to do so very successfully. The little farm prospered enough to allow Zapata to augment the already respectable status he had in his native village. In September of 1909, the residents of Anenecuilco elected Emiliano Zapata president of the village's "defense committee," an age-old group charged with defending the community's interests. In this position, it was Zapata's duty to represent his village's rights before the president-dictator of Mexico, Porfirio Dà ­az, and the governor of Morelos, Pablo Escandà ³n. During the 1880s, Mexico had experienced a boom in sugar cane production, a development that led to the acquisition of more and more land by the hacienderos or plantation owners. Their plantations grew while whole villages disappeared and more and more medieros and other peasants lost their livelihoods or were forced to work on the haciendas. It was under these conditions that a plantation called El Hospital neighboring Zapata's village began encroaching more and more upon the small farmers' lands. This was the first conflict in which Emiliano Zapata established his reputation as a fighter and leader. He led various peaceful occupations and re-divisions of land, increasing his status and his fame to give him regional recognition. In 1910, Francisco Madero, a son of wealthy plantation owners, instigated a revolution against the government of president Dà ­az. Even though most of his motives were political (institute effective suffrage and disallow reelections of presidents), Madero's revolutionary plan included provisions for returning seized lands to peasant farmers. The latter became a rallying cry for the peasantry and Zapata began organizing locals into revolutionary bands, riding from village to village, tearing down hacienda fences and opposing the landed elite's encroachment into their villages. On November 18, the federal government began rounding up Maderistas (the followers of Francisco Madero), and only forty-eight hours later, the first shots of the Mexican Revolution were fired. While the government was confide... ...Morelos seemed at a permanent stalemate. Carranza knew that he could never fully take Mexico while Zapata was still alive and in charge of his army. To rid himself of his enemy, Carranza devised a trap. A letter had been intercepted in which Zapata invited a colonel of the Mexican army who had shown leanings toward his cause to meet and join forces. This colonel, Jesà ºs Guajardo, under the threat of being executed as a traitor, pretended to agree to meet Zapata and defect to his side. On Thursday, April 10, 1919, Zapata walked into Carranza's trap as he met with Guajardo in the town of Chinameca. There, at 2:10 PM, Zapata was shot and killed by federal soldiers, and as the man Zapata hit the ground, dead instantly, the legend of Zapata reached its climax. Carranza did not achieve his goal by killing Zapata. On the contrary, in May of 1920, à lvaro Obregà ³n, one of Zapata's right-hand men, entered the capital with a large fighting force of Zapatistas, and after Carranza had fled, formed the seventy-third government in Mexico's history of independence. In this government, the Zapatistas played an important role, especially in the Department of Agriculture. Mexico was finally at peace.

Morality of a Fetus

Is It All About the Morality of the Fetus? Today in the United States as well as all around our world, one of the most contested and debated issues, that everyone has some sort of opinion on is the subject of abortion. There are many different thoughts, ideals, and opinions on whether or not abortion is right, wrong, or even morally sane to do. There are clinics and hospitals that perform the procedures and at many of these locations there are groups who will hold protests against the operation as well as those who support it.But all of those issues are not what this essay is going to be about, this is going to inform you about whether or not all arguments about the subject abortion come down to the question of what is the moral status of the fetus. To first examine whether or not all arguments come down to the moral status of a fetus, we must first know what the definition of moral status is. The argument of the moral status of a fetus involves whether or not the fetus has the same standing or has the same legal status as a born and living human being.The moral status of any human can be legally developed and justified but does a fetus carry this same status with it? In this essay I want to show that not all arguments about abortion come down to the moral status of a fetus, although it can be one on the forefront, it is not the bottom line and where all arguments can come down to. One of the most prolific examples of arguments about abortion is the Roe vs. Wade lawsuit in the state of Texas.Prior to this court suit, it was illegal, in most states, for a woman to receive an abortion during the first trimester of a pregnancy. â€Å"The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without legal restrictions, and with legal restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy† (Lewis, J). Ultimately it was decided that most laws against abortion violated a constitutional right to privac y, and it overturned all state laws outlawing or unduly restricting abortion.To this day it is one of the most controversial decisions in US Supreme Court history (answers. com). Was the moral status of the fetus brought into question during this example, I am sure it was but, it was not what the argument was about, the issue was the privacy of the mother. Another example that comes to mind is a story told within a discussion in our class, one of our classmates tells a story about a young lady who was raped in her teens. This teen wanted to have an bortion however; the perpetrator or rapist in this case was found guilty and forced by the court that he would have to pay support for the baby once it was born. This caused the courts to also decide on whether or not once the individual was released from prison, would he have visitation rights to the child. The courts answer was yes and the mother carrying the fetus was not legally allowed to abort the pregnancy because the father would not agree, he had a right to the fetus he had fathered.Although there may have been some arguments about the moral status of the fetus contained within the court’s decision, I would have to think that the father’s rights came more into play as opposed to the mother’s and in this case I certainly disagree to this decision. Whether a person chooses to abort a pregnancy, it should be up to that person alone. It is there burden to live with for the remaining years of their lives, not ours. If a woman is raped, should they have to live with carrying that fetus to term and have to decide whether to raise the child with love or to give that child to adoption?I believe that the first argument is what the abortion would do to the mothers well being, is it for medical reasons that the abortion is needed? There are many different arguments for or against abortion and I do not think the moral status should come into question or come down to the moral status if there are oth er subjects to view first. As one can imagine there are many different arguments for or opposed to abortion, not all come down to the moral status of the fetus.It is going to be a subject of scrutiny and arguments for many years to come. Issues with its legality as well as its morality will be raised for years, and it is my hope that the final decision will stay with the woman who is pregnant and she does what is best for her. Works Cited Lewis, J. J. â€Å"Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision. † Web. 18 Jan. 2013. Retrieved from http://womenshistory. about. com/od/abortionuslegal/p/roe_v_wade. htm http://www. answers. com/topic/moral-status#ixzz2IM8JfrRr

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 19~20

Chapter Nineteen Our Dead Homeys The vampires sat side by side on the bare futon frame, watching as a five-legged bug limped up the big front window of the loft. Tommy thought that the rhythm of the bug's steps made a for a danceable backbeat – thought he might be able to set music to it, if he knew how to write music. Suite for Angst and Limping Bug, he'd call it. â€Å"Nice bug,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. We should save it for Abby, Jody thought. She was feeling guilty about having bitten the girl – not so much because of the violation, because obviously the kid had been willing, but because she felt as if she really didn't have any choice. She had been injured and her predator nature told her to survive, whatever the cost, which is what bothered her. Was her humanity drifting away? â€Å"The Animals are going to come for us now,† Tommy said. He was feeling angry, betrayed by his old crew, but most of all he felt separate from them now. He felt separate from everyone. Tomorrow was Christmas and he didn't even want to call his parents because they were a different species now. What do you buy for an inferior species? â€Å"It's just the Animals,† Jody said. â€Å"We'll be safe.† â€Å"I'll bet that's what Elijah thought, too, and they got him.† â€Å"We should go get him,† Jody said. She imagined Elijah Ben Sapir, standing in the full sun by the Ferry Building, tourists passing him, wondering why someone would put a statue there. Would the brass protect him? Tommy checked his watch. â€Å"We'd never get there and back in time. I tried that yesterday.† â€Å"How could you do that to him, Tommy? He was one of us.† â€Å"One of us? He was going to kill us, if you remember. He kind of did kill us. I resent that. Besides, if you're covered in bronze, what does it matter if you're underwater? I was just trying to get him out of sight so we could think about our future without him being part of it.† â€Å"Right. Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Sorry.† Future? She'd lived with a half-dozen guys, none had ever willingly talked about the future before. And she and Tommy had a supersized buttload of future ahead of them as long as someone didn't catch them sleeping. â€Å"Maybe we really should leave the City,† she said. â€Å"No one would know about us in a new city.† â€Å"I was thinking we should get a Christmas tree,† Tommy said. Jody looked away from the bug. â€Å"That's a thought, or we could put some mistletoe up, put on Christmas carols, and stand outside waiting for Santa until the sun comes up and incinerates us. How's that sound?† â€Å"Nobody appreciates your sarcasm, missy. I'm just trying to get a handle on normal. Three months ago I was stocking groceries in Indiana, looking at community college, driving around in my crappy car, wishing I had a girlfriend, and wishing that there was some potential for something to happen beyond getting a job with benefits and living the same life as my dad. Now I have a girlfriend, and superpowers, and a bunch of people want to kill me, and I don't know how to act. I don't know what to do next. And it's going to be that way forever. Forever! I'm going to be scared out of my mind forever! I can't deal with forever.† He'd been barking at her, but she resisted the urge to snap back. He was nineteen, not a hundred and fifty – he didn't even have the tools for being an adult, let alone being immortal. â€Å"I know,† she said. â€Å"Tomorrow night, first thing, we'll hire a car, go get Elijah, and pick up a Christmas tree on the way back. How's that sound?† â€Å"Hiring a car? That sounds exotic.† â€Å"It'll be like prom.† Was she being too patronizing? â€Å"You don't have to do that,† he said. â€Å"I'm sorry I'm acting like a weenie.† â€Å"But you're my weenie,† Jody said. â€Å"Take me to bed.† Still holding her hand, he stood, then pulled her up into his arms. â€Å"We'll be okay, right?† She nodded and kissed him, feeling for just a second like a girl in love instead of a predator. She immediately felt a resurgence of shame over feeding on Abby. The doorbell rang. â€Å"Did you know we had a doorbell?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"You can't beat a dead whore in the morning,† said Nick Cavuto cheerfully, because apparently, everyone loves a dead hooker, despite what certain writer types might think. They were standing in the alley off Mission Street. Dorothy Chin – short, pretty, and whip-smart – snorted a laugh and checked the thermometer probe she'd stuck in the deceased's liver like a meat thermometer into a roast. â€Å"She hasn't been dead four hours, guys.† Rivera rubbed his temples and felt his bookstore slipping away, along with his marriage. He'd known the marriage had been going for a while, but he was feeling a little brokenhearted about the bookstore. He figured he knew, but he asked anyway. â€Å"Cause of death?† â€Å"Toothy blow job,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Yes, Alphonse,† said Dorothy with a tad too much sincerity, â€Å"I'd have to concur with Detective Cavuto, she died of a toothy blow job.† â€Å"It just pisses some guys off,† Cavuto added, â€Å"a professional without skills.† â€Å"Guy just snapped her neck and took his money back,† said Dorothy with a big grin. â€Å"So a broken neck?† said Rivera, mentally waving goodbye to a whole set of first-edition Raymond Chandlers, ten-to-six workdays, golfing on Mondays. Cavuto snorted this time. â€Å"Her head's turned around the wrong way, Rivera. What did you think it was?† â€Å"Seriously,† Dorothy Chin said, â€Å"I have to do the autopsy to be sure, but offhand that's the obvious cause. I'd also say she's probably lucky to go that way. She's HIV positive and it looks like the disease had developed into full-blown AIDS.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"See these sarcomas on her feet.† Chin had removed one of the hooker's shoes – she pointed to open sores on the corpse's foot and ankle. Rivera sighed. He didn't want to ask, but he asked anyway, â€Å"What about blood loss?† Dorothy Chin had done the autopsies on two of the previous victims and cringed a little. It was a pattern. They'd all been terminally ill, they'd all died of a broken neck, and they'd all shown evidence of extreme blood loss, but no external wounds – not even a needle mark. â€Å"Can't tell out here.† Cavuto had lost his cheery manner now. â€Å"So we spend Christmas day canvassing dirtbags to see if anyone saw anything?† At the end of the alley, uniforms were still talking to the grimy homeless man who had called in the murder. He was trying to get them to spring for a bottle of whiskey – because it was Christmas. Rivera didn't want to go home, but he didn't want to spend a day trying to find out what he already knew. He checked his watch. â€Å"What time was sunrise this morning?† he asked. â€Å"Oh, wait,† Cavuto said, patting down his pockets, â€Å"I'll check my almanac.† Dorothy Chin snorted again, then started giggling. â€Å"Dr. Chin,† Rivera said, tightening down now, â€Å"could you be more precise about the time of death?† Chin picked up on Rivera's tone and went full professional. â€Å"Sure. There's an algorithm for the cooling time of a body. Get me the weather from last night, let me get her back to the morgue and weigh her, and I'll get you a time within ten minutes.† â€Å"What?† Cavuto said to Chin. â€Å"What?† This time to Rivera. â€Å"Winter solstice, Nick,† Rivera said. â€Å"Christmas was originally set at the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It's eleven-thirty now. I'm betting that four hours ago the sun was just coming up.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Prostitutes have shitty hours – is that what you're saying?† Rivera raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Our guy didn't travel far after sunrise, is what I'm saying. He's going to be around here.† â€Å"I was afraid that's what you were saying,† Cavuto said. â€Å"We're never going to get the bookstore open, are we?† â€Å"Tell the uniforms to look anywhere it's dark: under Dumpsters, in crawl spaces, attics – anywhere.† â€Å"Getting warrants on Christmas day might be a problem.† â€Å"You won't need warrants if you get permission from the owners – we're not looking to bust anyone living here, we're looking for a murder suspect.† Cavuto pointed to the eight-story brick building that composed one wall of the alley. â€Å"This building has something like eight hundred ministorage units in it.† â€Å"Then you guys had better get started.† â€Å"Where're you going?† â€Å"There was a missing person report on an old guy in North Beach a couple of days ago. I'm going to check it out.† â€Å"Because you don't want to go Dumpster diving for v – â€Å" â€Å"Because,† Rivera cut him off before he could say the V-word, â€Å"he had terminal cancer. His wife assumed he just wandered off and got lost. Now I'm not so sure. Call me if you find anything.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† Cavuto turned to the three uniforms who were interviewing the bum. â€Å"Hey, guys, have I got a merry Christmas detail for you.† The Animals decided to hold a small memorial service for Blue in Chinatown. Troy Lee was already there, as was Lash, who wouldn't go home to his apartment until Blue's body was removed, and Barry, who was Jewish, would be coming there for dinner with his family, as was the tradition in his faith. Plus, the liquor stores in Chinatown were open on Christmas, and if you slipped some money under the counter, you could get firecrackers. The Animals were fairly sure that Blue would have wanted firecrackers at her funeral. The Animals stood in a semicircle, beers in hand, on a playground off Grant Street. The deceased was being honored in absentia – in her place was a half-eaten pair of edible panties. From a distance, they looked like a bunch of wastrels mourning a Fruit Roll-Up. â€Å"I'd like to start, if I may,† said Drew. He wore a long overcoat and his hair was tied back with a black ribbon, revealing the target-shaped bruise on his forehead where Jody had hit him with the wine bottle. Out of his coat he pulled a bong the size of a tenor sax, and using a long lighter designed for lighting fireplaces, he sparked that magnificent mama-jama up and bubbled away like a scuba diver having an asthma attack. When he could hold no more, he raised the bong, poured some water on the ground, and croaked, â€Å"To Blue,† which came out in a perfect smoke ring, the sight of which brought tears to everyone's eyes. â€Å"To Blue,† everyone repeated as they placed one hand on the bong and tipped a bit out of their beers. â€Å"To Broo, my nigga,† said Troy Lee's grandma, who had insisted upon joining the ceremony once she realized there would be firecrackers. â€Å"She will be avenged,† said Lash. â€Å"And we'll get our fucking money back,† said Jeff, the big jock. â€Å"Amen,† the Animals said. They had decided on a nondenominational ceremony, as Barry was a Jew, Troy Lee was a Buddhist, Clint was an Evangelical, Drew was a Rastafarian, Gustavo was a Catholic, and Lash and Jeff were heathen stoners. Gustavo had been called in to work that day because someone had to be in the store as long as the front was only boarded up with plywood, so in deference to his beliefs, they had bought some incense and holders and placed a picket fence of smoldering joss sticks around the edible panty. The incense also worked within Troy and Grandma's Buddhist tradition, and Lash pointed out during the ceremony that although they have their differences otherwise, all gods like a good-smellin' ho. â€Å"Amen!† said the Animals again. â€Å"And they're handy for lightin' firecrackers off of,† added Jeff as he bent over an incense stick and set a string cracking. â€Å"Hallelujah!† said the Animals. Each offered to share some kind of memory of Blue, but all of their stories quickly degenerated to orifices and squishiness, and no one wanted to go there in front of Troy's grandma, so instead they threw firecrackers at Clint while he read from the Twenty-third Psalm. Before they cracked the second case of beer, it was decided that after dark, three of them – Lash, Troy Lee, and Barry – would take Blue from Lash's apartment, load her into the back of Barry's station wagon, and take her out in the middle of the Bay in Barry's Zodiac. (Barry was the diver of the bunch, and had all the cool aquatic stuff. They'd used his spearguns to help take down the old vampire.) Lash braced himself as he opened the apartment door, but to his surprise, there was no smell. He led Barry and Troy into the bedroom, and together they wrestled the rolled-up rug out of the closet. â€Å"It's not heavy enough,† Barry said. â€Å"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,† Troy said, trying furiously to unroll the rug. Finally Lash reached down, grabbed the edge of the rug, and whipped it up over his head. There was a thudding sound against the far wall, followed by the jingle of metal, like coins settling. The three Animals stood and stared. â€Å"What are those?† Asked Barry. â€Å"Earrings,† answered Troy. Indeed, there were seven earrings settling on the hardwood floor. â€Å"Not those. Those!† Barry nodded toward two clear, cantaloupe-sized, gelatinous lozenges that quivered on the floor like stranded jellyfish. Lash shivered. â€Å"I've seen them before. My brother used to work in a plant in Santa Barbara that made them.† â€Å"What the fuck are they?† Said Troy, squinting through a drunken haze. â€Å"Those are breast implants,† Lash said. â€Å"What are those wormy things?† asked Barry. There were two translucent sluglike blobs of something stuck to the rug near the edge. â€Å"Looks like window caulk,† said Lash. He noticed that there was a fine blue powder near the edge of the rug. He ran his hand over it, pinched some on his fingers, and sniffed it. Nothing. â€Å"Where'd she go?† asked Barry. â€Å"No idea,† said Lash. Chapter Twenty It's a Wonderful Life Gustavo Chavez had been born the seventh child of a brick maker in a small village in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. At eighteen he married a local girl, the daughter of a farmer, herself a seventh child, and at twenty, with his second child on the way, he crossed the border into the United States, where he lived with a cousin in Oakland, along with a score of other relatives, and worked grueling, twelve-hour days as a laborer, making enough to feed himself and send more money home to his family than he could possibly have made in his father's brickyard. He did this because it was the responsible and right thing to do, and because he had been raised a good Catholic man who, like his father, would provide for his family and no more than two or three mistresses. Each year, about a month before Christmas, he would sneak back across the border to celebrate Christmas with his family, meet any new children that might been born, and make love with his wife, Maria, until they were both so s ore it hurt to walk. In fact, the vision of Maria's inviting thighs would often begin haunting him around Halloween and the hapless night porter would find himself in a state of semiarousal as he swung his soapy mop, to and fro, across fifteen thousand square feet of linoleum every night. Tonight he was in the store alone, and he was feeling far from aroused, for it was Christmas night, and he could not go to mass or take Communion until he confessed. He was feeling deeply ashamed. Christmas night and he hadn't even called Maria – hadn't spoken to her for weeks, because like the rest of the Animals, he had gone to Las Vegas, and had given all his money to the blue whore. He had called, of course, after they'd first taken the vampire's art and sold it for so much money, but since then, his life had been a fog of tequila and marijuana and the evil attentions of the blue one. He, a good man, who cared for his family, had never hit his wife, had only cheated with a second cousin and never with a white woman, had been undone by the curse of the blue devil's pussy. La maldicin de la cocha del diablo azul. This is the saddest, loneliest Christmas ever, thought Gustavo as he dragged his mop past the canvas doors leading into the produce-department cooler. I am like the poor cabrn in that book The Pearl, where by simply trying to take advantage of some good fortune, I have lost all that I care about. Okay, I did get drunk for a week and my pearl was a blue whore who fucked the chimichangas out of me, but still, pretty sad. He thought these things in Spanish, so they sounded infinitely more tragic and romantic. Then there came a noise from the cooler, and he was startled for a second. He wrung out his mop, so as to be ready for anything. He didn't like being in the store by himself, but with the front windows broken out, someone had to be here, and because he was far from home, had nowhere else to go, and the union would see that he was paid double time, Gustavo had volunteered. Perhaps if he sent home a little extra, Maria might forget the hundred thousand dollars he'd promised. There, something was moving behind the plastic doors of the cooler, which were waving slightly. The stout Mexican crossed himself and backed out of the produce department, swinging his mop now in quick swaths, leaving barely a hint of dampness on the linoleum. He was by the dairy case now, and a stack of yogurts fell over inside the glass doors, as if someone had shoved them out of the way to look through. Gustavo dropped the mop and ran to the back of the store, saying a Hail Mary peppered with swearwords as he went, wondering if those were footsteps he heard behind him, or the echoes of his own footfalls resounding through the deserted store. Out the front door and away, he chanted in his head. Out the front door and away. He nearly fell rounding the turn at the meat case, his shoes still wet from the mop water. He caught himself on one hand and came up like a sprinter, while reaching back on his belt for his keys as he went. There were footfalls behind him – light, slapping – bare feet on linoleum, but fast, and close. He couldn't stop to unlock the door when he got there, he couldn't look back, he couldn't turn to look – a second of hesitation and he would be lost. He exhaled a long wail and ran right through a rack of candy and gum by the registers. He tumbled over the first register in an avalanche of candy bars and magazines, many of which displayed headlines like I MARRIED BIGFOOT, or SPACE ALIEN CULT TAKES OVER HOLLYWOOD, or vampires hunt our streets, and other such nonsense. Gustavo scrambled out of the pile and was crawling on his belly like a desert lizard scrambling to get across hot sand, when a heavy weight came down on his back, knocking the air out of him. He gasped, trying to get his breath, but something grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head backwards. He heard crackling noises in his ear, smelled something like rotten meat, and gagged. He saw the fluorescent lights, some canned hams, and a very happy cardboard elf making cookies as he was dragged down the aisle and through the doors into the dark back room of the deli like so much lunch meat. Feliz navidad. â€Å"Our first Christmas together,† Jody said, kissing him on the cheek – giving his butt a little squeeze through his pj bottoms. â€Å"Did you get me something cute?† â€Å"Hi, Mom,† Tommy said into the phone. â€Å"It's Tommy.† â€Å"Tommy. Sweetheart. We've been calling all day. It just rang and rang. I thought you were going to come home for Christmas.† â€Å"Well, you know, Mom, I'm in management at the store now. Responsibilities.† â€Å"Are you working hard enough?† â€Å"Oh yeah, Mom. I'm working ten – sixteen hours a day sometimes. Exhausted.† â€Å"Well good. And you have insurance?† â€Å"The best, Mom. The best. I'm nearly bulletproof.† â€Å"Well, I suppose that's good. You're not still working that horrible night shift, are you?† â€Å"Well, sort of. In the grocery business, that's where the money is.† â€Å"You need to get on the day shift. You're never going to meet a nice girl working those hours, son.† It was at this point, having heard Mother Flood's admonition, that Jody lifted her shirt and rubbed her bare breasts against him while batting her eyelashes coquettishly. â€Å"But I have met a nice girl, Mom. Her name is Jody. She's studying to be a nun – er, teacher. She helps the poor.† It was then that Jody pantsed him, then ran into the bedroom giggling. He caught himself on the counter to keep from tumbling over. â€Å"Whoa.† â€Å"What, son? What's the matter?† â€Å"Nothing, nothing, Mom. I just had a little eggnog with the guys and started to feel it.† â€Å"You're not on the drugs, are you, honey?† â€Å"No, no, no, nothing like that.† â€Å"Because your father has rehab benefits on you until you're twenty-one. We can have one of those interventions if you can find a cheap flight home. I know that Aunt Esther would love to see you, even if you are strung out on the crack.† â€Å"And I her, and I her, Mom. Look, I just called to say Merry Christmas, I'll let you – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, honey, your father wants to say hi.† † – go.† â€Å"Hey, Skeeter. Frisco turned you into an ass bandit yet?† â€Å"Hi, Dad. Merry Christmas.† â€Å"Glad you finally called. Your mother was worried sick about you.† â€Å"Well, you know, the grocery business.† â€Å"You working hard enough?† â€Å"Trying. They're cutting back on our OT – union will only let us work sixty hours a week.† â€Å"Well, as long as you're trying. How's that old Volvo running?† â€Å"Great. Like a top.† The Volvo had burned to the wheels his first day in the City. â€Å"Swiss sure can build some cars, can't they? Can't say much for those little red pocketknives they make, but sonsabitches can build a car.† â€Å"Swedes.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I love the little meatballs too. Look, kid, your mother's got me deep-frying a turkey out in the driveway. It's starting to smoke a little. I probably oughta should go check on it. Took an hour to get the oil up to speed – it's only about ten degrees here today.† â€Å"Yeah, it's a little chilly here, too.† â€Å"Looks like it's starting to catch the carport on fire a little. Better go.† â€Å"Okay. Love you, Dad.† â€Å"Call your mother more often, she worries. Holy cats, there goes the Oldsmobile. Bye, son.† A half hour later they were sipping coffee laced with William's blood when the doorbell rang again. â€Å"This is getting irritating,† Jody said. â€Å"Call your mom,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll get it.† â€Å"We should get some sleeping pills – knock him out so he doesn't have to drink all that booze before we bleed him.† The doorbell rang again. â€Å"We just need to get him a key.† Tommy went to the console by the door and pushed the button. There was a buzz and the click of the lock at street level. The door opened – William coming in to settle on the stairs for the night. â€Å"I don't know how he sleeps on those steps.† â€Å"He doesn't sleep. He passes out,† said the undead redhead. â€Å"Do you think if we gave him peppermint schnapps the coffee would have a minty holiday flavor?† Tommy shrugged. He went to the door, threw it open, and called down. â€Å"William, you like peppermint schnapps?† William raised a grimy eyebrow, looking suspicious. â€Å"You got something against scotch?† â€Å"No, no, I don't want to mess up your discipline. I was just thinking of a more balanced diet. Food groups, you know.† â€Å"I had some soup and some beer today,† William said. â€Å"Okay then.† â€Å"Schnapps gives me mint farts. They scare the hell out of Chet.† Tommy turned to Jody and shook his head. â€Å"Sorry, no way, minty farts.† Then to William again: â€Å"Okay then, William. I gotta get back to the little woman. You need anything? Food, blanket, toothbrush, a damp towelette to freshen up?† â€Å"Nah, I'm good,† William said. He held up a fifth of Johnny Walker Black. â€Å"How's Chet doing?† â€Å"Stressed. We just found out our friend Sammy got murdered in the hotel on Eleventh.† Chet looked up the stairwell with sad kitty eyes, which he sort of always seemed to have since he'd been shaved. â€Å"Sorry to hear that,† Tommy said. â€Å"Yeah, on Christmas, too,† William said. â€Å"Hooker got killed across the street last night, same way. Neck was snapped. Sammy has been sick for a while, so he splurged on a room for the holiday. Fuckers killed him right there in bed. Just goes to show you.† Tommy had no idea what it went to show you. â€Å"Sad,† Tommy said. â€Å"So how come Chet's stressed but you're not?† â€Å"Chet doesn't drink.† â€Å"Of course. Well then, Merry Christmas to you guys.† â€Å"You, too,† said William, toasting with his bottle. â€Å"Any chance of a Christmas bonus, now that I'm a full-time employee?† â€Å"What'd you have in mind?† â€Å"I'd sure like a gander at Red's bare knockers.† Tommy turned to Jody, who was shaking her head, looking pretty determined. â€Å"Sorry,† Tommy said. â€Å"How about a new sweater for Chet?† William scowled. â€Å"You just can't bargain with The Man.† He took a drink from his bottle and turned away from Tommy as if he had something important to discuss with his huge shaved cat and couldn't be bothered with management. â€Å"Okay then,† Tommy said. He closed the door and returned to the counter. â€Å"I'm The Man,† he said with a big grin. â€Å"Your mom would be so proud,† Jody said. â€Å"We need to go see about Elijah.† â€Å"Not until you call your mom. Besides, he's waited this long, it's not like he's going anywhere.† Jody got up and came around the breakfast bar and took Tommy's hand. â€Å"Sweetie, I need you to play what William just said back in your mind, really slowly.† â€Å"I know, I'm The Man!† â€Å"No, the part about his friend being killed by a broken neck, and how he has been sick, and how someone else was killed the night before, also by broken neck. I'll bet she was sick, too. Sound like a pattern you've heard before?† â€Å"Oh my God,† Tommy said. â€Å"Uh-huh,† Jody said. She held his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. â€Å"I'll get my jacket while you fluff up your little brain for traveling, ‘kay?† â€Å"Oh my God, you'll do anything to get out of calling your mom.†

Rational Choice Theory essays

Rational Choice Theory essays Since the end of WWII a new and controversial theory has arisen in the political science world, the Rational Choice theory. This method concerns itself more precisely with explanation and analysis rather then the traditional descriptive and judgmental method of looking at political phenomenon. As shown in the article It isnt Rocket Science, but... The rational choice scholar concerns itself more with the method by which an individual goes about making a decision when faced with different alternatives. However, along with the emergence of this new theory, oppositions to it have also emerged. In the article When did Political Science forget about politics the actual reliability of this theory is challenged. Therefore, one must ask itself, is it possible to develop a universal scientific theory that could apply to all political areas? Can Political Science be viewed as a science? These are the questions that these articles are centered around. As mentioned above, the first article focuses more on the actual methods employed by an individual when faced with more then one possibility or outcome. It looks at what an individuals preferences regarding a final outcome are and the beliefs that guide the individual in accessing which tool he should use to achieve their desired outcome. In an utterly simple way, it considers a person exclusively in terms of the things he or she wants and the things he or she believes. We want to get a feel for how a person makes choices when confronted with alternatives. Since political behavior is often about making choices our model will provide us with hunches and intuitions about how a generic or representative individual confronts these circumstances in the abstract (1). To take it a step further, the rational choicer believes that all humans are rational beings. That is, they use their preferences and beliefs to come about making decisions in their everyda...

Understanding and Implementing Array Data Types in Delphi

Understanding and Implementing Array Data Types in Delphi Arrays allow us to refer to a series of variables by the same name and to use a number (an index) to call out individual elements in that series. Arrays have both upper and lower bounds  and the elements of the array are contiguous within those bounds. Elements of the array are values that are all of the same type (string, integer, record, custom object). In Delphi, there are two types of arrays: a fixed-size array which always remains the same sizea  static arrayand a dynamic array whose size can change at runtime. Static Arrays Suppose we are writing a program that lets a user enter some values (e.g. the number of appointments) at the beginning of each day. We would choose to store the information in a list. We could call this list Appointments, and each number might be stored as Appointments[1], Appointments[2], and so on. To use the list, we must first declare it. For example: var Appointments : array[0..6] of Integer; declares a variable called Appointments that holds a one-dimensional array (vector) of 7 integer values. Given this declaration, Appointments[3] denotes the fourth integer value in Appointments. The number in the brackets is called the index. If we create a static array but don’t assign values to all its elements, the unused elements contain random data; they are like uninitialized variables. The following code can be used to set all elements in the Appointments array to 0. for k : 0 to 6 do Appointments[k] : 0; Sometimes we need to keep track of related information in an array. For example, to keep track of each pixel on your computer screen, you need to refer to its X and Y coordinates using a multidimensional array to store the values. With Delphi, we can declare arrays of multiple dimensions. For example, the following statement declares a two-dimensional 7 by 24 array: var DayHour : array[1..7, 1..24] of Real; To compute the number of elements in a multidimensional array, multiply the number of elements in each index. The DayHour variable, declared above, sets aside 168 (7*24) elements, in 7 rows and 24 columns. To retrieve the value from the cell in the third row and seventh column we would use: DayHour[3,7] or DayHour[3][7]. The following code can be used to set all elements in the DayHour array to 0. for i : 1 to 7 do for j : 1 to 24 do DayHour[i,j] : 0; Dynamic Arrays You may not know exactly how large to make an array. You may want to have the capability of changing the size of the array at runtime. A dynamic array declares its type, but not its size. The actual size of a dynamic array can be changed at runtime by the use of the SetLength procedure. var Students : array of string; creates a one-dimensional dynamic array of strings. The declaration does not allocate memory for Students. To create the array in memory, we call SetLength procedure. For example, given the declaration above, SetLength(Students, 14) ; allocates an array of 14 strings, indexed 0 to 13. Dynamic arrays are always integer-indexed, always starting from 0 to one less than their size in elements. To create a two-dimensional dynamic array, use the following code: var Matrix: array of array of Double; begin SetLength(Matrix, 10, 20) end; which allocates space for a two-dimensional, 10-by-20 array of Double floating-point values. To remove a dynamic arrays memory space, assign nil to the array variable, like: Matrix : nil; Very often, your program doesnt know at compile time how many elements will be needed; that number will not be known until runtime. With dynamic arrays, you can allocate only as much storage as is required at a given time. In other words, the size of dynamic arrays can be changed at runtime, which is one of the key advantages of dynamic arrays. The next example creates an array of integer values and then calls the Copy function to resize the array. var Vector: array of Integer; k : integer; begin SetLength(Vector, 10) ; for k : Low(Vector) to High(Vector) do Vector[k] : i*10; ... //now we need more space SetLength(Vector, 20) ; //here, Vector array can hold up to 20 elements //(it already has 10 of them)end; The SetLength function creates a larger (or smaller) array and copies the existing values to the new array. The Low and High functions ensure you access every array element without looking back in your code for the correct lower and upper index values.