Democracy and Best Form

1. Democracy represents the views and notions of all the citizens of the country, whether majorities or minorities.2. It helps in solving conflicts and quarrels in a better way.3. It provides a dignity to the people.4. It helps in realising one's mistakes and improving upon them.5. There is no other form of government or an lternative better than a democracy. Yes democracy is the best form of government.Democracy is the best form of government simply because no other form of government is known to work well. Democracy may have it's flaws but all in all it works very fluidly. Socialism, for example, does not even come close to the best form of government. One can easily see this in Greece's current state. Democracy has never led to complete government disorder like one can see Socialism does. DEMOCRACY is the best form of govt.Yes democracy is the best form of govt. It grants us many things. 1.Right to speech. 2.Right to information. 3.Right to vote and etc.It represents each and ever y citizen equally whether you are poor or you are rich. In a monarchy or dictatorship no one can say or present their point of view. They have to follow what a single man says but in democracy we have been granted by RIGHT TO SPEECH. Democracy is the best form of governmentAs democracy means rule of people †¦ That is of the people for the people and by the people. Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives. 1. Democracy represents the views and notions of all the citizens of the country, whether majorities or minorities. 2. It helps in solving conflicts and quarrels in a better way. 3. It provides a dignity to the people.4. It helps in realising one's mistakes and improving upon them. 5. There is no other form of government or an alternative better than a democracy. democracy is the best form of governmentDemocratic states nearly always have freer people than autocratic states. T hey obviously have the right to vote for their government so by extension deciding the policy of their nation and what their nation should be like. They have more freedom of speech and expression than in autocracies. In particular they are free to criticize their own government. Democracy is the best form of governmentAs democracy means rule of people †¦ That is of the people for the people and by the people. Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives. Democracy is the best form of government simply because no other form of government is known to work well. Democracy may have its flaws but all in all it works very fluidly. Some plus points of having a democratic form of government:- 1. Freedom2. Democracy represents the views and notions of all the citizens of the country, whether majorities or minorities. 3. It helps in solving conflicts and quarrels in a better way. 4. It provi des a dignity to the people.5. Democracy allows various people to rule the country through the representatives. 6. It also allows people to express themselves clearly and freely. 7. It Respects & promotes Human Rights 8. In this form of government all people are equal before the law. 9. Democracy is the only form of government where the people can voice their opinion. 10. In my view there is no other alternative form of government better than a democracy.Freedom for peopleDemocracy allows various people to rule the country through the representatives . It allows people to express themselves clearly and freely. People and media criticize the ruling party without any censorship unlike autocracy where there is a limit on people's power of speech. People have the right to protest,celebrate and freely express themselves .I am currently doing a debate on this topic, and I do agree with this question because a democratic government represents the people. It gives the people an equal say by voting for different properties of the nation/state in which they live. No other form of government has been proven better. Democracy represents allWell, we all know the best form of government where every group gets it equal representation and equal chance of winning is democracy. Every citizen has the right to vote on their own. It gives complete freedom of expressing one's feeling on who would they want to be governed by. In the end nobody wants to be enslaved.In the end everyone wants to have control over their own life. As long as people aren't robots, they will crave democracy and freedom, as they should. It is also true the Democracies tend to do better because some of the people in it will seek to advance themselves and that will lead to innovation and growth. You don't get the same effect with other countries where thinking for yourself is sometimes punishable by death. Fundamental characteristics of democracySeparation of powers: The legislative, executive and the judicia ry operate independently without any interference of one of the others Rule of law: Every one is equal in the eye of the law.As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Freedom and liberty in Democratic form of Government Democracy is the only form of government where the people can voice their opinions, whereas in other forms of government such as Monarchy, the law making is rested in the hands of the king who is considered most superior.In democracy we have the freedom to reside in any town or village of the country, have the freedom to select occupation of choice, raise voices, organize protests and rallies, etc. Thus Democracy is the best form of government and can be applied to all the spheres of life. Yes democracy is bestDemocracy is a form of govt. in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in decisions that effect their lives. Democracy allows eligible citizens to participate equally either directly or through elected representatives in the proposal, development, and creation of laws.Democracy by definition is a political system in which supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them. Yes it is the best form of governmentAs democracy means rule of people †¦ That is of the people for the people and by the people. Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Democracy allows eligible citizens to participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.Yes it is Democracy is the best form of government because it is for the people by the people with the people. In this form of government people elect their own representatives through voting or elections. In this government if people are not happy with the government they can remove it from power by not voting them in the next elections.Support people's rights In a democratic country a person is respective. In a democratic country like India, our govt. Has provided fundamental rights. But in a non- democratic country no basic rules are provided. We can move freely in our country or a person can express his or her opinion. We can change our govt when it doesn't work.Support people rights In a democratic country a person is respective. In a democratic country like India, our govt. has provided fundamental rights. But in a non-democratic country no basic rules are provided. We can move freely in our country or a person can express his or her opinion. We can change our govt when it doesn't work.Yes it is I am currently doing a debate on this topic, and I do agree with this question because a democratic government represents the people. It gives the people and equal say by voting for different properties of the nation/state in which they live. No other form of government has been proven better and its gives freedom to the people but with boundaries. So therefore, democracy is the best form of government! Represents the peopleThe biggest virtue of Democracy is that it is government by the people for the people. The government represents the views of the people who elect them and can throw them out if the government does things that the people do not like. Unlike other forms of government democracy is about the little man, everyone rather than the elite that are often disconnected from how everyone else lives their lives. i think democracy is niceYes I feel that it is because it allows us the freedom to choose. The majority of our country is allowed to choose what they feel is best for them. It is not just one person deciding what they think is best for everyone else. Democracy will always win out over other forms of government.Yes democracy is the best form of government. Democracy is the best form of government simply because no other form of government is known to work well. Democracy may have it's flaws but all in all it works very fluidly. Socialism, for example, does not even come close to the best form of government. One can easily see this in Greece's c urrent state. Democracy has never led to complete government disorder like one can see Socialism does.Best Option overall If we can't elect who we want the what kind of world are we. I now sometimes democracies can be corrupt but so can monarchies. If the people do not like their king then you have to fight a war to kick him out of power. So democracy is best Democracy represents unity1. Democracy shows to the citizens that the government cares about them and their opinons.2. The citizen's voices and opinions can be heard3. It gives us the right to vote and the right of knowledge4. It promotes equality to the rich AND poor5. It gives other's the chance to become president or prime minister, or such. In a monarchy, it is simply passed down through generations to come. Oh yes alwaysYes it is The very clichà ©d definition of a democracy- it is of the people for the people and by the people. This means that it functions not only for the people but also for their benefits as the people are the rulers and they can understand each others necessities. Also in the other forms of government whether it be anarchy or monarchy, people are coerced with laws and rules they may not want to follow but just have to bare with it which created anger and disharmony for instance in the case of Syria rebellion. There is also no constitution which guarantees the people certain human rights and they cannot even use it as a living document. Thus it is somewhat not a good form of government. However in democracy one can voice out their own opinions and views as it guarantees freedom of speech, action an the list goes on . Thus democracy is the best form of governmentYes I do It's really fair, and in that way, your voices are heard!!!!) Everybody in countries like America and Australia are happy, because there is a democracy, and they get a vote.Also, the votes of the minority are counted too, and people are free to do anything. Other forms of government aren't that productive, while de mocracy is. I have no headingDemocracy is the best form of government. People want freedom, and with  democracy, that’s what they’ll get. This government respects people and their rights. It also promotes them. It is based off of the discussions and opinions of the people. It is important that the people can control the government. An autocratic government could create laws that have nothing to do with the current situation that the country is in and the citizens wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.Yes it isThe best form of the government because it is according to the nature of the man.A man wants to be free and want to express his thoughts what democracy provides.Unlike monarchy or anarchy system which are against the nature of a man and according to that systems a man become just like a slave who have to follow the orders of the KING or QUEEN.One of the Best Democracy can be called the best form but still it is far better than the other forms of the government. Every one has the right to express himself, people have right of freedom in various sense. Anyone would like to be free and this is what provided by the democracy. Democracy is the bestIn some places, people believe that is not the best. However it is the best because the government cannot do whatever, they still have to follow some laws, and almost everything is voted on. Whenever a vote is taken it is won by majority rules, so the public has a say in everything that goes on with the government. Obviously it isWith a Democracy we can elect people who have similar views as us instead of trusting a king or queen. Yes their are flaws in Democracy but no government is perfect. At least with democracy we have a way to express our thoughts by peaceful protests because, in other countries its against the law to protest.Yes, best form Democracy as defined, is Govt of the People For the P eople By the People. So it's for the people who are given all the rights to choose their leaders, enjoy freedoms as of Expression, Religion, Movement, holding their leaders accountable for the decisions they make on their behalf in governance etc. It's simply the best form of govt because in monarchy and other types of govt the citizenry don't enjoy such privileges.Best form of government Nowadays, there is no ideology with any political party. A majority of the political leaders in our country have become corrupt and selfish. They never care the fact that they are the representatives of the public and they have some duties towards them. Once elected, they forget their promises, which they make at the time of election. Yes it isBecause we get the right to choose the government of our own choice we can do everything . A democratic country is a well developed

Is Prostitution Deviant? Essay

Prostitution viewed through the social-conflict paradigm, a â€Å"framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change† (Macionis-Society), would be that the act of prostitution is a result of an unequal distribution of money, power, education, and social prominence. Prostitution is deviant, in that it is an action that is outside the norm of the accepted standards of our society. However, whether prostitution is deviant or not is not the starting place of the social-conflict paradigm. The social-conflict theorist would make no judgment but instead ask why. The social-conflict paradigm would analyze the social structure the individual was raised in, such as the education level and thus the opportunities available for the individual to gain skills necessary to accomplish success in society. It would then cast blame on the social factors rather than poor choices or lack of vision of the person. In essence, a prostitute woul d just be a victim of things out of his or her control. Prostitution would be viewed as a necessary bread of inopportunity rather than immorality. A strength of the social-conflict paradigm in viewing conflict is that in order to change the pattern of prostitution or any negative matter of society we must look at what forms the problem in order to prevent it. However one viewpoint gives us a narrow solution for a vast number of problems and other issues besides social inopportunity, like morals, values and a persons character must also be addressed in ordered to wholly fix any problem. Though we live in a world that expresses moral relativism, there is still objective truth and there are still things which are right and wrong. Though prostitution may have been forced upon some as a means of survival, it is still wrong and destructive. The consequences medically are huge for this kind of wide spread behavior. Though we can feel for those who have found themselves in this kind of life style, we must teach them new ways of living as well as helping provide new opportunities.

Change plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change plan - Assignment Example However, the facilitys corporate structure has come with various strategies to deal with highlighted challenges affecting the facility. As a result, the merged has emerged as one of the most prominent old care agency in Miami. Employee culture has been supportive of the development of the facility, which has contributed to the achievement of the most vital goals and objectives. The county and Federal governments have also been supportive through economic, social, and cultural contributions to the agency. Additionally, charity organizations have also played a major role in the financial maintenance of the facility. Consequently, the facility has been capable of holding more than a thousand old individuals in the society. Moreover, the community nursing has also been emphasized in the region whereby nurses can directly attend to the old in various communities. The organizational change is based on the Theory of change that is based on the achievements of the long-term goals of the facility (Cunliffe, 2008). The theory operates on the principles that a non-profit organization has an obligation to achieve the goals and objectives of an organization in both the short and long-term periods (Cunliffe, 2008). As a result, the long-term goals have been a motivational factor for a better future of the organization and society. Importantly, the society has been a major beneficiary of the facilitys organizational change. The county government has come up with a financing strategy that has helped reduce the cost of facilitys operational activities. Importantly, the facility has also been involved in assisting the non-well up towns in the society. As a result, the changes have been noted and publicized by international welfare organizational facilities that deal with taking care of the old. The changes that have occurred in the society have made a major improvement in the society. The facility has gathered information based on experiences of other old caring

Essay/short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

/short answers - Essay Example The war integrates the constitutional and agrarian plebeian’s demands. Marcus Furius Cammillus, the conservative Patrician leader viewed the law as possible concession. The law is initiated towards the end of the 375 BCE anarchy periods. In the period, there were no elected or legitimate chief magistrates at Rome. Several constitutional aspects attempted to address the legitimacy of the chief magistrates, and also ensure more power to the plebeians (Walter 38). The agrarian aspects of the compromise illustrated higher form than substance, and hence were easily evaded. The year immediately after the compromise, saw a plebeian express interest in the consul. Majority of the historians illustrate that this is the initial time plebeians were allowed to work as consuls. The Lucinio-Sextian law also handled the economic demand of the Plebeians. The Consulship opening to Plebeians is the main reason for the 366 BCE concessions that developed both Praetorship and Curule Aedileship, which was open to only the Patricians. The Punic Wars entailed three wars that took place between 264BC and 146BC, from Rome to Carthage. The wars were the largest during that historical period. The main reason for the Punic Wars involved the conflicting interest between the Carthaginian Empire and also the Roman Republic which was expanding at high rates. The main interest of the Romans greatly depended on the expansion through Sicily, which was a strategic cultural melt point. A huge portion of Sicily was under the control of the Carthaginian authorities. The beginning stages of the Punic War illustrated Carthage as the dominant authority in Western Mediterranean, controlling a huge maritime empire. Rome was continuously dominating power in Italy; however, it did not possess the naval power that was illustrated by the Carthage (Bradley 97). During the final stages of the Punic Wars, Rome too effective control of the Carthage Empire, entirely destroyed Carthage

Tort Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Tort Law - Essay Example This essay focusess on describing the tort laws, that today can mainly be divided into three huge parts including negligence torts, strict liability torts and intentional torts. The researcher explores the intentional torts in the essay that are offences that are committed by an individual who intends to harm as he commits the act knowing that injury would be the result of his or her act such as an assault. On the other hand, negligence is a type of tort that results unexpectedly. The action is normally not intended to harm while the actor does not know the result of the act. The researcher states that in the negligence act, the action leading to injury is not intended unlike the intentional tort. For example, the trespass of land and negligence are different from nuisance case. For instance, the researcher mentiones that in the nuisance cases actions deal with repetitive injuries while the trespass and negligence actions offer relief even if the injury resulted from one event. In th e second part of the essay, the researcher discusses various compensatory law issues and vicarious liability. There are various goals of compensatory damages that were decribed by the researcher. The main goal of compensatory damages is compensate the personal injury and property damages, that were caused and proved. Vicarious liability mainly is another issue covered in the essay, the issue arises in regard to specific relationships between the defendant and another in the part of defendant to the other party.

Assignment on Brasil food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Assignment on Brasil food - Essay Example The paper specifically studies three things. First it studies Brazil as a country and the impact of its economy with regards to providing a competitive advantage to its home bred companies and industries. Porter’s Diamond Model is used extensively in this section. Secondly, the paper studies globalisation and specifically the rise of emerging markets, their characteristics and ways for multinational corporations to succeed in these high potential markets. The frameworks developed by Khanna  and  Palepu  (2010) are used extensively in this section. The third section analyses the internal and external environments of Brasil Foods using the classical frameworks: PESTEL, SWOT and Porter’s five forces. The paper finds Brasil Foods to be a strong organisation with a sound business model, a strong home economy and sustainable core competencies that should enable it pursue its multinational strategy. The paper concludes by recommending that Brasil Foods begin its multin ational strategy in the Middle East where it has an established base that it could use to advance into North Africa as well. China is also recommended. Table of Contents Executive Summary ii Table of Contents 1 1.Introduction 2 2.Literature review 2 3.Analysis 5 3.1.Internal and external influences on Brazil 5 3.2.Globalisation, emerging markets and Brasil Foods 7 3.3.Internal and external analysis of Brasil Foods 9 4.Conclusion and recommendations 11 References 13 Appendix A: PESTLE analysis 15 Appendix B: Five forces analysis 17 Appendix C: SWOT analysis 19 1. Introduction Brasil Foods seeks to replicate its domestic success internationally. Its international strategy so far has been to simply export commodities and low-value added goods to its foreign customers. However, for the company to realize the vision outlined in its strategic plan titled â€Å"BRF 2015†, the company’s international strategy has to move from being export-based to transnational where the compa ny will need to produce, distribute and brand products within its target emerging markets. There are four broad factors at play that could influence the success or failure of Brasil Foods 2015 vision: the internal and external influences of the company’s host country – Brazil; the effect of globalisation; the strategies, structure, culture and capabilities of the company itself; and how it shall go about managing the complexity and change that shall arise out of its new international strategy. This paper looks at each of these factors and gives a concludes with some recommendations for the senior management of Brasil Foods to take into consideration as they seek to remodel their international strategy from export-based to a multinational strategy. 2. Literature review In looking at the internal and external influences of the company’s host country, Brazil, the immediate question that arises is whether Brazil provides an environment where Brasil Foods will be abl e to create and sustain competitive advantage against the world’s best competitors in the food industry. Porter  (1990) proposed a diamond model that outlined four broad attributes of a nation that shape the environments in which local firms compete and that could either promote or impede the creation of competitive advantages for its local firms. The diamond model tackles a broad range of issues from the strength of Brazil’s domestic market, to level of local competitive rivalry, to the

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues Essay

Deportation is not a good solution to reduce illegal immigrants issues - Essay Example This deportation may be mostly done to illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are people who migrate to a certain place or country without following the right procedures or without formal certification of the migration. A country may deport illegal immigrants because of their unknown status to the security of the country. Reasons for such a person migrating may be several a fleeing criminal, or individuals fleeing from internal war in the country. If a person is a criminal then he/she migrates to a foreign country without formal accreditation and may pose as a security risk to that country. Deportation may be advantageous to the country, but it may also cause harm to the victims involved that is if the victim migrated his/her country because of political instability. Such victims may be seeking refuge in the current country, is deported then, he/she will lack place to go, and thus, he might be subjected to harsh environments. Rules of a given country give the rightful rights of depor ting immigrants living in the country with or without legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe & Lawson 53). If a given country’s rules and regulations give authority of deporting the immigrants then, the immigrants have no luck of staying in the country. What is contained in this paper argues out that actually deportation is not a good solution to resolve illegal immigrants’ issues. ... ed by those individuals who have committed serious crimes, entered the country without legal certification, and overstayed their visa and,or they have lost their legal certification of staying in the country (Forsythe &Lawson53-54).External deportation is only done to those immigrants who have broken the rules of immigration. These rules govern the mode and way of migrating and additionally they give legal certification for staying in the given country. If these immigrants break the rules and enter the country without certification, they are deported back to their original countries. The second form of deportation is internal deportation, which occurs only in the country or state. This is whereby an individual is deported out of the state he/she does not belong to. For example, an individual can be deported from California back to his/her original state because he/she does not belong in California. In this form of deportation, the rules of the state are the ones facilitating this pro cess of deportation, but not the rules governing the whole country. Immigrants who migrate to the new place or state are subjected to deportation if they are there without legal certification of migration. This may also be referred to the country’s rules and regulation if need arises. Reasons for such deportation within a state is that an individual or a group of people may be acting as spies, helpers or undercover for the enemy and thus may bring harm to the state (Garcia 15). For example, the state of Georgia deported about 400 females who were workers at the mill industry. These female workers were deported on reasons that they were suspected to be northern sympathizers. This happened during the civil war. The governing body of Georgia had all the rightful rights to deport the

Write a report on the company called Marks & Spencer Essay

Write a report on the company called Marks & Spencer - Essay Example It is this overall sales figure where the returns on the shareholders’ stake in M&S business will be later derived, as well as the company’s sustainability of operations over the long run. Figure 2 highlights the changes in the different sales figures (M&S 2004-2008). By looking at the growth of sales using the previous year as benchmark, the increase or decrease in the company’s efforts to generate more sales can be later probed more deeply; that is, whether this increase or decrease in the growth can be attributable to management’s practices or external factors. Figure 3 shows the different areas of M&S, which include: UK general merchandise business; UK food business; International general merchandise business; and the International food business. The company’s overall increase in sales will be determined by the increase in the different business areas of the company, thus it is helpful to learn the contribution of the different areas by looking at the company’s sales breakdown. People. As the change in management results in a more experienced senior management and executive committee, the development of management capability gives the M&S an opportunity to develop its skills. Since these people are new, although experienced, the whole management capability of the company is not yet fully developed. Thus, this is a weakness to the company. Resources. By dividing the total liabilities figure by the M&S total assets figure (M&S 2008, 96), the debt ratio of 86.9% is derived. With this very high debt ratio, there is a possibility that the company will have less access to debt as its credit rating changes as more debt makes it riskier to the eyes of investors. The firm’s only choice can be equity financing for its future expansion. This is a weakness to the company. Innovation and Ideas. The company emphasises innovation as one of the company values. Apart from innovation in product development, this

Accounting as the Important Function of Every Business Organisation Essay

Accounting as the Important Function of Every Business Organisation (Halfords company) - Essay Example Accounting’s main or primary purpose is to identify the activities of the business organisation, recording and measuring the transactions of the business and communicating the financial information to all the interested persons like the shareholders, investors, creditors, management, employees, government etc. The financial information generated from accounting in form of financial statements helps managerial decision making and other important investment decisions. Accounting is an important function of every business organisation. Accounting has various purposes and objectives. Among the various purposes, the main purpose of accounting is to record the transaction of the business enterprise in a systematic manner and to provide information about the financial position of the business enterprise to all its stakeholders. Accounting’s main or primary purpose is to identify the activities of the business organisation, recording and measuring the transactions of the busine ss and communicating the financial information to all the interested persons like the shareholders, investors, creditors, management, employees, government etc. The financial information generated from accounting in form of financial statements helps managerial decision making and other important investment decisions.... Figure 1: Performa of a purchase account in a ledger (Source: National Institute of Open Schooling, n.d, p.125) Thus the ledger is the collection of accounts maintained by the company. The ledger provides balance of the particular account on a particular date like the amount of sales on a particular date can be found from the sales account. Apart from these main books the company can also maintain sales day book and purchase day book to record its credit sales and credit purchase respectively. 2 (b) Every business organisation usually had a number of business transactions. Similarly Halfords would also have a number of transactions during a particular accounting period. The most common transactions that the company would certainly have during an accounting period are as follows:- Cash sales: Cash sales denote selling goods and services on cash. This means that the amount of goods sold or services rendered is immediately received by the company. This transaction is recorded by debitin g the cash or bank account and crediting the sales account. Cash purchase: Cash purchase signifies purchasing goods or services on cash. In cash purchase the amount for the goods purchased or services availed has to be paid immediately. This particular transaction is recorded in the books of accounts by crediting the cash or bank account and debiting the purchase account. Credit sales: Credit sales denote that the goods or services have been sold on credit. In credit sales the amount of goods sold or services rendered are not paid immediately but after a certain period of time (which is known as credit period). This particular transaction is recorded by debiting the debtor’s account (the person to whom the goods are sold) and crediting the

Elaboration Theory in Learning Psychology Essay Example for Free

Elaboration Theory in Learning Psychology Essay The concept of elaboration theory centers greatly on progressive learning. That is, the steps in learning are built upon each other in a series of increasingly complex steps. In other words, rather than plateau the learning progress, it increases in complexity as time goes on. However, what was learned in the earlier portion of the progression is not discarded. So, the concept of elaboration can be visualized as an upside down pyramid. It starts at a small point and expands. However, the progression is always connected to its origination point. An example of this is as follows: a student is taught basic sentence structure. Then, the basics of sentence structure are expanded into the proper way to devise a paragraph. This later extends further as the students is taught to the create a series of paragraphs that form a coherent essay. An essay can later be expanded into a lengthy research paper. Really, there is no limit to the progression as long as it never deviates from the origination point of proper grammar and structure. Why theorists recommend that learners elaborate as much as possible. Many theorists believe that the elaboration theory provide a cohesive approach to learning. This provides for an increase in retention and overall improvements in learning. How schemas and scripts are often involved in elaboration. The way schemas and scripts work in the realm of elaboration is that they involve the individual’s prior accumulation of knowledge. This can be a help or a hindrance depending upon whether the prior knowledge improves or impedes the facilitation of new knowledge. Why different people may elaborate differently on the same information. Different people may have different strengths and weaknesses. They also may have different goals for learning the material. Since elaboration is a process and not a product, it is understandable that different approaches to present the same material are needed. Why elaboration sometimes leads to the storage of inaccurate information. No system of learning is perfect and elaboration theory is not free of such problems. One possible reason that elaboration theory can lead to inaccurate information is because the progression of learning goes off on tangents. If this occurs, then it may prove difficult to develop a coherent learning paradigm.

What makes education an education?

What makes education an education? Assignments. Exams. Projects. Papers. All these are matters of concern to every student undergoing schooling. It is truly inevitable not to endure the hardships brought by these school activities for they are part of education. Without them, education can never be the education most people have in mind. However, one may ask, What makes education an education? For most people, especially parents, education is quite an important aspect in the course of human life such that they regard it as the only thing they can impart to their children as an inheritance. While for others, on the part of the students, education is the stage in their life which would prepare them for future jobs. Likewise, for those students who had a firm grasp of the essence of education consider it as a right to be upheld by the society itself. At the end of the day, there are numerous reasons on why not to take education for granted. However, more than the various connotation of education from different perspectives lay a complex meaning of education. As such, seeing schooling in the broader sense entails probing the sociology of education. The basic definition of the term sociology of education conveys that it is the study of the institution of education in its broad social context and of various social groups and interpersonal relationships that affect or affected by the functioning of the educational institutions (Reitman, 1981, p.17). With this meaning, it is but necessary to analyze education not within the four walls of the classroom but beyond the confinements of schools. The larger context then is the society in which schools, the main institution of education, are part of. Belonging to this social order are other key institutions and actors which are essentially significant when examining the sociology of education for these possess power, control and influence that can manipulate and alter the kind of education schools ought to promote and teach to young citizens. Hence, it can be inferred that schools are socially const ructed establishments by which powerful elements have the capacity to shape education. Reitman (1981) supported the thought of how society can produce a great impact on pedagogical realm by stating the central principle of schooling which maintains that schools normally reflects the societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it does not lead society in societys effort to adapt and change. Schools tend to change after the rest of society changes, not beforeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Reitman, 1981, p. 39). Under this assumption, a study on the role, whether explicit or implicit, of several factors constituting society in the molding process of education is vital to shed light on the issue of how pedagogical structures and methods are developed and set for the pursuance of effective education. It is also noteworthy to express the far-reaching implications of education in the sense that it affects almost every individual. Every person can perhaps be regarded as a stakeholder of education by which each of its aspects, if modified, can create an impact, no matter how minimal it may appear, sufficient enough to seize attention and stir the intellectual and emotional side of the people. Indeed, schooling and education undeniably involves a complex interplay of different elements to which it reacts and to which the produced effects yield to changes in the structure of schooling. These changes on the other hand are oftentimes attached to the interests of the dominant constituent of the social order. To better illustrate this statement, the paper provides a clear-cut description of the nature of education and the scope of schools as an educational institution. Nonetheless, to further understand the technicalities associated with schools, there is a need to define schools as an educational institution, as well as, to expound the structure of authority evident among these institutions. Moreover, the political dynamics accompanying the sociology of education which may be apparent and obscure at the same time are elucidated under the contexts in which education operates such as the cultural and ideological setting of the politicization of education, the milieu of power configurations and relations, and the framework of globalization. Certain pedagogical implications are also explicated to illustrate the wide-ranging bearing of educational reforms or policies on concerned and affected individuals as a whole. Understanding schooling and education in this approach allows the people to view and analyze schooling and education objectively and critically. In this manner, learners, educators, as well as those people who have no access to education, may no longer be mere passive recipients of the conceptions of education as prescribed by the society; rather, they may be the critics of diverse pedagogical perceptions who aim not only the betterment of education itself but the rectitude of knowledge and consciousness schools propagate as well. In connection with this, Henry Giroux (1985) asserted, the need for a passionate commitment by educators to make the political more pedagogical, that is, to make critical reflection and action a fundamental part of a social project that not only engages forms of oppression but also develops a deep and abiding faith in the struggle to humanize life itself (Freire, 1921, p. 5). It is certainly a conviction and a challenge all at once that is not simple and ea sy to actualize, however, displaying a demeanor of open mindedness and critical thinking, such may be achieved. To realize this kind of goal is to take a step-by-step scrutiny of the sociology of education. Initially, a description of schools as an educational institution would help facilitate the study. Educational institutions are considered part of the society which exist to help preserve or modify the conditions of life by promoting teaching and learning of one sort or another (Reitman, 1981, p. 25). These institutions are also responsible for the continuity of social norms, values, customs and traditions in a certain societal area, as one generation passes after another. However, it is important to note that institutions of education do not necessarily denote schools for there are those which have no formalized curriculum or program of instruction, just like what schools have. Those belonging to this type are referred to as the informal educational institutions. These include, as enumerated by Sandford W. Reitman (1981), families, peer groups, mass media, work places, church, special-inte rest groups, social service agencies and the social class or the social stratum. Schools, on the other hand, are identified as the formal educational institutions. Nevertheless, it is surprising to know that the informal institutions have more encompassing influence than the formal ones due to the fact that they occupy a larger portion of the society. Meanwhile, Reitman (1981) on his book entitled, Education, Society, and Change, explained that a changing society that moves forward to a more complex state requires, in effect, a more systematized process of cultural transmission which informal educational institutions cannot fully ensure. Thus, the formation of formal educational institutions or what most people commonly know as schools was introduced. Herein lies various views regarding the issues on what the schools ought to do as part of the society, on what pedagogical methods they should adapt, on how changes in society affect schooling per se, and on how schools consolidate different predispositions of several stakeholders and other equally significant considerations. One of the perspectives delineated in relation to the above-mentioned concerns was the image of school as both a factory-like and temple-like institution. Deal and Peterson (1994) provided two metaphors which mirror contending perceptions about the purpose and design of schools. One metaphor portrays the image of schools being a factory while the other signifies them as cathedrals or temples. The former symbol perceives schools in a rational way such that schools function like a factory which focuses on results, outputs, structures and roles (Deal Peterson, 1994, p. 70). Such comparison presupposes the goal-oriented approach of schools with regards to their main concerns: student control and academic achievement. In this manner, schools manifest organized, systematized and technical fashion of delivering their functions. Moreover, this way of looking at school emphasizes the importance of managing their technical mission: instruction (Deal Peterson, 1994, p. 70). On the other hand, the latter representation is the symbolic image of schools being envisioned as a temple by which the responsibility of schools to make sure that cultural patterns and practices adhere to the existing values and beliefs of the society is assured. Likewise, it is but necessary to state that this conception embraces the importance of values, commitment, passion, vision, and heart-key ingredients of a beloved institution (Deal Peterson, 1994, p. 71). In this picture, Deal and Peterson (1994) stressed that the factory-like functions of schools are only secondary to that of the functions of the temple figure of schools. Such assumes that these factory roles are to maintain the temple character of schools. Another view on the aspect of school as an educational institution was the belief that schooling opportunity can be considered as one of the best investments a society could make to ensure its own future (Hurn, 1993, p. 264). Christopher J. Hurn (1993) expounded such an optimistic notion of schooling prevalent during the 1970s, stating that education reinforces cognitive competence among citizens of a country which the national economy would necessitate eventually from its populace. In addition to the ambiance of optimism, the faith in education emerged. This so-called faith mainly points out that education plays an important role in shaping a more humane, tolerant, and democratic social order. It is this idea that propagated the impression of how schooling molds the society towards reason and knowledge rather than tradition and prejudice (Hurn, 1993, p. 264). Both of these perceptions of schooling constitute only a few out of the other diverse perspectives of the essence of education. It is important to note, however, the major difference between the two: the former assumes that it is the society which is responsible for the schools make-up simply by comparing it with other institutions of the community, while the latter presupposes that the school and its educational structure primarily affects what the society would be like. Which among the two or the other views of education and schooling would be true is something relative to the interpretation of different people with different stake on education itself. Nevertheless, it is relevant to take into consideration the role of a variety of factors and the interplay of these elements that influence the manner by which people would interpret education. It is because such inclusion to the analysis of the nature and scope of education could perhaps account for the dichotomized, or even dispara te, perceptions of schooling. Further explanations and details regarding this perceptual divide in aspect of schooling would be given specific focus under the discussion of the political dynamics in education found in the succeeding paragraphs. On the other hand, to shed light on the true nature of education and schooling, objective analysis of the functions and the structure of formal education must be taken into account. Reitman (1981) coined the term traditional manifest functions to refer to the functions of schools, particularly American schools, which are demanded by the society. These purposes that tend to serve the social order include the following: (1) selecting and sorting people out for adult roles, considered the most significant manifest function of schools by which students are classified according to academic merits which in turn became the basis for their ability to be qualified in the preexisting economic and social positions; (2) building and maintaining nationalism and citizenship, contextualized during colonial and revolutionary days schools have the duty to establish, inculcate and uphold into students mind allegiance to the national state; (3) transmitting traditional culture, as already mentioned in the previous paragraph, cultural transmission is a relevant obligation of schools that is realized through formal teaching of history and literature; (4) socialization, this, on the other hand, is concerned with the introduction of customs and traditions that are uniformly accepted by the society to the students; (5) propagating religious faith, this applies more to the function of schools in times of colonial period when widespread religious teachings were necessitated to establish colonization; (6) teaching basic skills, reflective of the life-styles and cultural patterns of the society; (7) vocational training, for the mitigation of unemployment in ones economy; and (8) character education, many argued that this purpose is more vital than the first one since this incorporates moral and ethical norms of society which often change overtime (Reitman, 1981, pp. 36-39). Aside from these traditional functions are the emerging school purposes which Reitman (1981) deemed newer and controversial in a sense that they incite deviance from the fundamental and traditional assumptions of education functions. Here are the additional eight functions schools are expected to follow: (1) personal and social problem solving, as manifested in social studies curriculum, schools must be able to adapt to the changing degree of complexity of the society by which individuals and groups are able to solve problems concerning their personal lives and their social environment in which they are part of; (2) social competence in a secondary society, recognizing alterations in the societys operating contexts, one must be able to be adjust to meet new realizations imposed by the new society; (3) diffusion of new knowledge, innovations in technologies resulted to new discoveries that must be taught for students to learn how to cope with a new society different from that of their parents; (4) providing equality of opportunity for a social position, provision of educational opportunities that are accessible to everyone regardless of race, are, gender or economic/social status so as to promote equal competition in the economic marketplace; (5) sex and family life education, the issue of whether schools should involve participation of family and church institutions in teaching such topics which are of immense concern to both; (6) increased functional literacy, the introduction of modern communication aids like visual media put pressure on schools to redesign the basic skills component of their curriculum to integrate latest advancement in technology; (7) development of cosmopolitan attitudes, Reitman (1981) identified vis-à  -vis the idea of cosmopolitanism the role of schools to educate their students to live in such an urbanized, secular, global community (8) existential creativity, development of the free school movement and the thought of open classroom, which perhaps paved the way for the modern idea of academic freedom, provide sufficient grounds for personal expressions of students (Reitman, 1981, pp. 39-43) However, it is important to note that what Reitman (1981) had enumerated as new functions of schools may not necessarily imply the same thing today considering the year such purposes were observed. Yet, these are still relevant facts useful in the analysis of how the sociology of education goes about in line with these functions. Moreover, it is probable to infer that these functions are still regarded as profound insights of school purpose suitably addressed to third world countries. With these purposes and roles of schools and the education that comes with them defined, the need for their fulfillment was to be embodied in the curriculum. The curriculum acts as the means by which the school put into action the functions intended to serve the society (Reitman, 1981). It is described as an organized sequence of learning experiences that seeks to strengthen the concept of education as a tool for the development of knowledge and understanding (Peters, 1991, p.5). In relation to the curriculum schools choose to implement, Reitman (1981) distinguished two of its kinds: the official curriculum and the invisible curriculum. The former which is also known as the formal curriculum reflects the preferred educational purpose of the school and comprises mandated instructions regarding learning processes, usually characterized by the subjects included, the students will experience as they interact with their teachers. On the one hand, the second type of curriculum is called the invisible curriculum. It is invisible in the sense that schools have hidden curricular activities such that the invisible curriculum may be understood as school activity that commonly takes place as part of the implementation of the official program, but which is not officially mandated (Reitman, 1981, pp. 4-5). An example of the implementation of the invisible curriculum is when teachers try to reinforce a sense of superiority among students in the society, to motivate them to study and to maintain their grades qualified for college admissions through mentioning the schools impressive record of getting its graduates into prominent universities (Reitman, 1981). As Hugh Sockett (n.d.) remarked on his article Curriculum Planning: Taking a Means to an End, curriculum is indeed the means which schools utilize to reach the end (Peters, 1973). Looking at the curriculum-based facet of schools, it may appear that schooling has its own way of perceiving and analyzing reality objectively such that the institution itself has no place in the political spectrum of society. It is as if the school is out of the box, or in other words, it is apart from the society it studies, when in reality, schools are affected by the spontaneous and dynamic changes happening in the society. The fact that curricula are set by someone or some group of individuals belonging to the school administration or to a higher level of institution which has a say on the matter emphasizes the idea of school being a political institution, contrary to the belief that schools are nonpolitical institutions and that schooling, as an effect, is a nonpolitical affair. As Reitman (1981) reiterated the idea, he asserted: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.elementary and secondary schools, as well as most colleges and universities, have always been involved in struggles for power over the ends and means of education (underscoring mine). Today, public schools are increasingly forced to compete with other agencies of government for scarce financial and other resources. Schoolingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ has been a major political endeavor since colonial timesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Reitman, 1981, pp.321-322) This statement proves how schooling and education go beyond the four walls of a classroom. In addition, formal education is claimed to be a semblance of a political system and in effect, schooling is somewhat a highly political endeavor (Reitman, 1981). Herein, the taking into account of the structure of authority in formal education to better describe how school became politicized by various factors is necessary. Also, it is important to note that the structure of authority falls under two kinds, whether it be informal or formal: the informal aspect refers to the power and influence of interest groups in the realm of school or educational politics while the formal type implies the hierarchy of authority from the lowest division in the school administration to the higher offices of the state government (Reitman, 1981). Reitman (1981) stated that it is in the schooling processes that school politics starts to develop. It is through these processes that different people want to benefit from in the forms of higher salaries, greater financial assistance for curricular and extracurricular programs, or larger funds for capital outlays for new buildings or updated textbooks, that developed the notion of school politics. With all these interests of different people consolidated according to their similarities, there form interest groups, considering that individual efforts will be likely ignored by higher school officials or decision-makers unless that person is the representative of the group or that individual possesses political influence due to financial and social resources. Participation of these groups to implement their particular educational concerns is made realized through political process (Reitman, 1981). Raywid (n.d.), as quoted by Reitman (1981), separated interest groups into two groups: th e legitimate groups and the illegitimate ones. The difference lies in the three rules to which these groups abide in making and pressing their claims. The rules are (1) rules of evidence (is the truth being sincerely sought after and exposed when found?); (2) rules of democracy (is the group open and above board about its motives and methods?); (3) rules of common decency (does the group avoid smear campaigns and slanderous literature?) (Reitman, 1981, p. 329). Under the legitimate interest group category cited by most political scientists are the local teachers organizations, Parent-Teacher Association, civic organizations, civil rights organizations, local chambers of commerce and branches, and ad-hoc groups of budget-minded taxpayers. Whether these groups support or attack schools in favor of their interests, Raywid considered them legitimate for they adhere to the three sets of broad criteria mentioned above (Reitman, 1981). Meanwhile, Bailey (n.d.) also classified interest groups into two basic types: those pro-school and those in opposition to schools. The former includes (1) educational academics (teachers of teachers) who are very important in initiating debate on many political issues; (2) state educational and political officials who bargain with lobbyist, pass laws, and issue directives; (3) professional educators; and (4) surprise actors, that is, coalitions of citizens who align with schools for various reasons. On the other hand, the latter consists of (1) the Roman Catholic Church; (2) tax-minded business groups or owners of commercial real estate; (3) rural groups such as farmers associations which tend to oppose increasing state involvement in education; (4) conservative politicians and state officials, whose pressures and exposure in the mass media often prevent additional spending for education; and ironically, (5) schoolpersons themselves for their failure to understand, develop, and use political machinery available within their own ranks to pursue educational improvements (Reitman, 1981, pp. 329-330). Aside from the enumerated characteristics of interest groups that make each one different from another, Reitman (1981) concluded that ideological biases strongly influence varying perceptions of the informal nature of power and influence over educational reforms of interest groups. Having discussed the informal aspects of control wielded by interest groups, the shift to the formal one is directed to the role of the state government and the personnel in position with respect on their influence in education. There are four essential authority personalities who correspond, though not entirely, to the formal structure of authority in formal education. The first one is the state governor or the chief executive. Recognizing the essence of state educational politics which according to Reitman (1981) is the bargaining between interest group and elected or appointed officials, the governor stands as the key to the extensive bargaining that goes on between spokepersons lobbying for organized educational interests, such as the state teachers association or union or the state chamber commerce (Reitman, 1981, p.343). The next two officials are under the local government: the school board and the school superintendent. The school boards, according to sociologist Norman Kerr (n.d.), have the responsibility to legitimize policies of the school system to the community, in contrast to the common notion that their task is to represent the community to the school administration in line with educational program. On the one hand, they hire school superintendents who are professional experts in the field of formal education. Hence, superintendents became agents of the boards such that they work with them to accomplish objectives at hand which were identified by the school boards and the community to be relevant given certain conditions (Reitman, 1981). The last wielder of influence would be the personnel closest and most accessible to those who need to be educated, the teachers or professors. Although they are large in number, most of them are passive recipients of pedagogical instructions set by those people higher than them in terms of authority. Often times, they are also not fully aware of the political aspects of education particularly those teachers of el ementary and secondary schooling. In this regard, Reitman (1981) raised a challenge for the teachers to contemplate and deliberate on, saying that: Once teachers have seen through the defeating myth of nonpoliticalization of schooling and have begun to comprehend how the myth desensitizes teachers to objective diagnosis of some of their students genuine learning needs, they have reasonable chance to proceed realistically on behalf of their own and their students interests. Armed with the realization that no single one, but rather a variety of sophisticated interest groups possess political clout in this society, a teacher can, if so inclined, participate with other like-minded professionals in organizational efforts to develop political power in educational affairs. (Reitman, 1981, p. 351) Such strong and straightforward statement implies how great the capacity of teachers is in initiating actions calling for improvements in education. However, the implication of this idea also goes with the critical analysis of how formal influence and power to set the manner and content of teaching trickles down from the highest authoritative body to the lowest group of teachers, as educational perspective becomes modified through each level of authority. In this respect enters the political dynamics occurring in the realm of education that entails departure from the confined conception of schooling. Here, it assumes that there exists a larger framework in which conflicting interests of those interest groups and the complex struggle over influence and power of those key actors discussed above are part of and are in the state of continuous interaction. Yet, this larger context also contains competing paradigms of ideological and/or cultural viewpoints which serve as the instrument that shape contrasting interpretations and perceptions of schooling and education. The debate about what schools ought to teach emanated from ideological disparities. These differences on ideologies, on the other hand, resulted from the diverse assessment concerning the critique of the traditional belief of schools as an educational institution. This long-established principle holds that schools taught fundamental skills and basic knowledge of the societys culture and institution, promoted cognitive development, and fostered such essentially modern attitudes and values as tolerance, respect for rationality, and openness to new ideas (Hurn, 1993, p. 270). This view was challenged by three major educational ideologies: the conservative, the liberal or reform and the radical or reconceptualist. The conservative educational ideologies, as expounded by Reitman (1981), strive to perpetuate the socioeducational status quo. Herein lies three rationales, provided by Reitman (1981), that explain education in the angle of the conservatives. The first one is the ideological view of education as human engineering. It explains schooling as a utility designed at making students just the way the society requires them to be and not the other way around by which these students would likely become the critics of that society. This ideology is greatly exhibited in the schools pedagogical measures and curricula such as career education, behavior modification, accountability, the competency movement (which subsumes competency/performance-based teacher education), programmed instruction and teaching machines, behavioral objectives, and performance contracting. The next rationale under the conservative ideology is centered on education as revival of the fundamentals. The idea of revivalistic fu ndamentalism fosters the back-to-basics principle such that supporters of conservatism eagerly demand for stricter school policies (i.e. hair and dress codes) as well as tougher academic standards and grading system. Such creed of conservatives is too extreme such that they even argued that new curricula and progressive teaching methods tend to undermine basic skills which may lead to educational decline and decay (Hurn, 1993). The third and last conservative belief is education as knowledge for the sake of knowledge. As the phrase implies, it basically advocates schooling as a tool directed towards guiding the students in their pursuit of personal intellectual development. To further understand the conservative educational ideology, its basic difference to radical ideology would be helpful. Hurn (1993) stated that most of the arguments asserted by the conservatives negate the claims of the radicals. For instance, radical theorists argue that schools are major props of the established order while conservatives opposed it by claiming that schools, in fact, promote cultural and moral relativism which lead to the disintegration of the homogenous set of cultural and moral ideals of schools such that it further caused the decline of their authority cajole or inspire the young to learn what they have to teach (Hurn, 1993). Adding evidence to the divergence of both ideologies, Freire (1921) in his language of crisis and critique averred that conservatives claim that schools fell short in realizing its purpose to meet the demands and imperatives of the capitalist market economy, thereby, implying that conservatives preserve the status quo of the society, being capitalist in nature. Conversely, schools which act as reproductive sites that smoothly provide the knowledge, skills, and social relations necessary for the functioning of the capitalist economy and dominant society are merely reflex of the labor market in the viewpoint of the radicals (Giroux, 1985). In such image of schools, the means for critical thinking and transformative action are not embodied in the education they provide. The second educational ideology was the liberal or reform type. Reitman (1981) categorized four conceptions about education under this ideological perspective which all seek to modify society as it changes continuously through time via educational processes. These are basically different from the conservatives in terms of their approach regarding norms and values that appear to be obsolete as time passes. Liberals or reformists prefer to preserve them and to integrate improvements for their continuity in contrast to conservatives who will insist in reviving such forgotten customs (Reitman, 1981). The first one among the liberal/reform conceptions is the view of education as ethnic revitalization. This caters developments such as ethnic studies, multicultural education, bilingual education, and community control so as to represent schools as venues for the unification of the diverse nature of a pluralistic society in terms of ethnic differences. Next in line is the second belief which is education as social reengineering. Although this is somewhat similar to the notion of human engineering feature of education employed by the conservative theorists, liberals social reengineering boil

The Use of Nuclear Power as a Weapon :: essays research papers

The Use of Nuclear Power As a Weapon August 6th,1945 is not a day to be forgotten.It marks the world’s first use of an atomic bomb, which was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the US Military. Three days later, the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki, bringing WW II to an end. In total, more than 140.000 people were estimated to be killed. Although the most memorable effects of the atomic bomb were the mass amounts of death, the development of the atomic bomb has greatly influenced American society and the world. The scientific development surrounding the atomic bomb has been a pivotal point in the world’s history, launching us into the Atomic Age. The cause of building an atomic bomb in the USA was that, on the August 2nd 1939, some scientists wrote to president Roosevelt about the efforts in Nazi Germany to purify Uranium-235 with which might be turned to be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the US Government began serious undertaking known as the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was designed to research and production that would produce an atomic bomb. The first cause of using the nuclear power as an atomic power was that the Americans had believed that Japan would never surrender during the WW II. Japan had occupied the islands on the coast of Pacific and they were cruel to the people living there. As a result, some Americans thought that Japan had deserved to be taught a lesson. Another cause for using the nuclear power, that the bomb costed $2 billion, so it would have been difficult to justify not using it after such a huge financial investment. By 1945, the project had nearly 40 laboratories and factories which employed 200,000 people. That was more than the total amount of people employed in the US automobile industry in 1945.The total cost of the project was $2 billion which is about the equivalent of $26 billion today. The final cause of using the atomic bomb was to show the superiority to the USSR because during the war, the USA and the USSR were fighting for different sides, they were rivals, resulting in showing the world who the strongest of all was, so the USA dropped the bomb. These four events tell us that why the nuclear power used as a weapon and changed the world and the effects of this change felt at all levels: in the world history, on the countries, on human beings and on the scientific development, launching us into the Atomic Age.

Majority vs Minorities :: essays research papers

Majority vs Minorities The majority and the minority bring forth change in policy in a democratic society. Majority rule means that, if there were an over whelming amount of support on a issue their voices would be heard by the government. Our government is run on a majority rule. People in our society elect officials and put their faiths in them to make their choices. In a majority rule the basic concept of democracy is that the people ultimately rule. The Government passes laws that appear to be the â€Å"deliberative will† of the people. However, Government doesn’t do everything the people wants. It takes in information absorbs it and comes with a solution for the majority. In order for the people to be heard they have to get out and participate in the political process. It is our constitutional right to vote, speak and contribute in the selection of our representative in a majority. The minority rights in a democratic society appear to even out with the majority rule in an unusual way. There are some incidents where the minority may have loss, but on the other hand won. For example, when Rosa Parks didn’t give up her seat on that hot Alabama day, she stood up to the majority tyranny. The majority won by putting her in jail, however; the minority prevailed by establishing the civil rights movements. There are many differences between majority rule and minority rights. One of the big differences between the two is majority tyranny. This is when the majority violates the rights of minority’s. When the majority thinks they are in the right they may happen to pass judgment or abuse the minorities who opposes them. Majorities for a long time believed that political equality and political liberty doesn’t belong to the minorities. Minorities believed they have the right to speak or participant in whatever function they believed in.

Study Notes

E7-2 (Determine Cash Balance) Presented below are a number of independent situations. Instructions For each individual situation, determine the amount that should be reported as cash. If the item(s) is not reported as cash, explain the rationale. 1. Checking account balance $925,000; certificate of deposit $1,400,000; cash advance to subsidiary of $980,000; utility deposit paid to gas company $180. 2. Checking account balance $600,000; an overdraft in special checking account at same bank as normal checking account of $17,000; cash held in a bond sinking fund $200,000; petty cash fund $300; coins and currency on hand $1,350. 3. Checking account balance $590,000; postdated check from customer $11,000; cash restricted due to maintaining compensating balance requirement of $100,000; certified check from customer $9,800; postage stamps on hand $620. 4. Checking account balance at bank $37,000; money market balance at mutual fund (has checking privileges) $48,000; NSF check received from customer $800. 5. Checking account balance $700,000; cash restricted for future plant expansion $500,000; short-term Treasury bills $180,000; cash advance received from customer $900 (not included in checking account balance); cash advance of $7,000 to company executive, payable on demand; refundable deposit of $26,000 paid to federal government to guarantee performance on construction contract. . Cash balance of $925,000. Only the checking account balance should be reported as cash. The certificates of deposit of $1,400,000 should be reported as a temporary investment, the cash advance to subsidiary of $980,000 should be reported as a receivable, and the utility deposit of $180 should be identified as a receivable from the gas company. 2. Cash balance is $584,650 computed as follows: Checking account balance |$600,000 | | Overdraft |(17,000) | | P etty cash |300 | | Coin and currency | 1,350 | | |$584,650 | Cash held in a bond sinking fund is restricted. Assuming that the bonds are noncurrent, the restricted cash is also reported as noncurrent. 3. Cash balance is $599,800 computed as follows: | Checking account balance |$590,000 | | Certified check from customer | 9,800 | | |$599,800 | The postdated check of $11,000 should be reported as a receivable. Cash restricted due to compensating balance should be described in a note indicating the type of arrangement and amount. Postage stamps on hand are reported as part of office supplies inventory or prepaid expenses. 4. Cash balance is $85,000 computed as follows: Checking account balance |$37,000 | | Money market mutual fund | 48,000 | | |$85,000 | The NSF check received from customer should be reported as a receivable. 5. Cash balance is $700,900 computed as follows: Checking account balance |$700,000 | | Cash advance received from customer | 900 | | |$700,900 | Cash restricted for future plant expansion of $500,000 should be reported as a noncurrent asset. Short-term treasury bills of $180,000 should be reported as a temporary investment. Cash advance received from customer of $900 should also be reported as a liability; cash advance of $7,000 to company executive should be reported as a receivable; refundable deposit of $26,000 paid to federal government should be reported as a receivable. 13. FIFO, weighted average, and LIFO methods are often used instead of specific identification for inventory valuation purposes. Compare these methods with the specific identification method, discussing the theoretical propriety of each method in the determination of income and asset valuation. The first-in, first-out method approximates the specific identification method when the physical flow of goods is on a FIFO basis. When the goods are subject to spoilage or deterioration, FIFO is particularly appropriate. In comparison to the specific identification method, an attractive as-pect of FIFO is the elimination of the danger of artificial determination of income by the selection of advantageously priced items to be sold. The basic assumption is that costs should be charged in the order in which they are incurred. As a result the inventories are stated at the latest costs. Where the inventory is consumed and valued in the FIFO manner, there is no accounting recognition of unrealized gain or loss. A criticism of the FIFO method is that it maximizes the effects of price fluctuations upon reported income because current revenue is matched with the oldest costs which are probably least similar to current replacement costs. On the other hand, this method produces a balance sheet value for the asset close to current replacement costs. It is claimed that FIFO is deceptive when used in a period of rising prices because the reported income is not fully available since a part of it must be used to replace inventory at higher cost. The results achieved by the weighted average method resemble those of the specific identi-fication method where items are chosen at random or there is a rapid inventory turnover. Com-pared with the specific identification method, the weighted average method has the advantage that the goods need not be individually identified; therefore accounting is not so costly and the method can be applied to fungible goods. The weighted average method is also appropriate when there is no marked trend in price changes. In opposition it is argued that the method is illogical. Since it assumes that all sales are made proportionally from all purchases and that inventories will always include units from the first purchases, it is argued that the method is illogical because it is contrary to the chronological flow of goods. In addition, in periods of price changes there is a lag between current costs and costs assigned to income or to the valuation of inventories. If it is assumed that actual cost is the appropriate method of valuing inventories, last-in, first-out is not theoretically correct. In general, LIFO is directly adverse to the specific identification method because the goods are not valued in accordance with their usual physical flow. An exception is the application of LIFO to piled coal or ores which are more or less consumed in a LIFO manner. Proponents argue that LIFO provides a better matching of current costs and revenues. During periods of sharp price movements, LIFO has a stabilizing effect upon reported income figures because it eliminates paper income and losses on inventory and smooths the impact of income taxes. LIFO opponents object to the method principally because the inventory valuation reported in the balance sheet could be seriously misleading. The profit figures can be artificially influenced by management through contracting or expanding inventory quantities. Temporary in-voluntary depletion of LIFO inventories would distort current income by the previously unrecognized price gains or losses applicable to the inventory reduction. E8-14 (FIFO, LIFO and Average Cost Determination) John Adams Company's record of transactions for the month of April was as follows. Purchases Sales April 1 (balance on hand) [email  protected] $6. 00 April 3 500 @ $10. 0040 41,500 @ 6. 08 9 1,400 @ 10. 00 8 800 @ 6. 40 11600 @ 11. 00 131,200 @ 6. 50 231,200 @ 11. 00 21 700 @ 6. 60 27 900 @ 12. 0 29 500 @ 6. 79 4,600 5,300 (a) Assuming that periodic inventory records are kept in units only, compute the inventory at April 30 using (1) LIFO and (2) average cost. (b) Assuming that perpetual inventory records are kept in dollars, determine the inventory using (1) FIFO and (2) LIFO. (c) Compute cost of goods sold assuming periodic inventory procedures and inventory priced at FIFO. (d) In an inflationary period, which inventory method—FIFO, LIFO, average costà ¢â‚¬â€will show the highest net income?

A Worn Path

â€Å"A Worn Path† describes the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson who walks from her home to the city of Natchez to get medicine for her sick grandson. The landscape as Phoenix perceives it becomes a primary focus of the vividly evoked narrative; nature is depicted as alternately beautiful and as an impediment to Phoenix's progress. As she walks, she struggles against intense fatigue and poor eyesight, as well as such obstacles as thorn bushes and barbed wire.The combined effects of her old age, her poor vision, and her poetic view of the world heighten the lyricism and symbolism of the narrative. For example, she mistakes a scarecrow for a dancing â€Å"ghost† until she draws close enough to touch its empty sleeve. A particularly tense episode occurs when she encounters a white hunter who appears friendly at first, but then makes a condescending suggestion that she is probably â€Å"going to town to see Santa Claus. † When he inadvertently drops a nickel, Phoenix distracts him and manages to pick it up, feeling that she is stealing as she does so.The hunter suddenly points his gun at her, and while he may have seen her pick up the nickel, it is unclear what his actual motivation is for this threatening gesture. Phoenix, however, does not appear afraid; the hunter lowers his gun and she manages to continue on her way unharmed and without returning the nickel. Finally reaching the â€Å"shining† city of Natchez, Phoenix enters the â€Å"big building†Ã¢â‚¬â€presumably a hospital—where a nurse questions her about her grandson, asking if he has died.Phoenix remains strangely quiet at first, as if deaf to the nurse's questions. She then apologizes, claiming that her memory had suddenly failed her—that for a moment, she could not remember why she had made her long journey. The story concludes with Phoenix's heartfelt description of her grandson, whose throat was injured several years ago when he swallowed lye. She declares that he is not dead, receives the medicine for him, along with another nickel, with which she decides to buy him a Christmas present—a â€Å"little windmill. â€Å" A Worn Path â€Å"A Worn Path† describes the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson who walks from her home to the city of Natchez to get medicine for her sick grandson. The landscape as Phoenix perceives it becomes a primary focus of the vividly evoked narrative; nature is depicted as alternately beautiful and as an impediment to Phoenix's progress. As she walks, she struggles against intense fatigue and poor eyesight, as well as such obstacles as thorn bushes and barbed wire.The combined effects of her old age, her poor vision, and her poetic view of the world heighten the lyricism and symbolism of the narrative. For example, she mistakes a scarecrow for a dancing â€Å"ghost† until she draws close enough to touch its empty sleeve. A particularly tense episode occurs when she encounters a white hunter who appears friendly at first, but then makes a condescending suggestion that she is probably â€Å"going to town to see Santa Claus. † When he inadvertently drops a nickel, Phoenix distracts him and manages to pick it up, feeling that she is stealing as she does so.The hunter suddenly points his gun at her, and while he may have seen her pick up the nickel, it is unclear what his actual motivation is for this threatening gesture. Phoenix, however, does not appear afraid; the hunter lowers his gun and she manages to continue on her way unharmed and without returning the nickel. Finally reaching the â€Å"shining† city of Natchez, Phoenix enters the â€Å"big building†Ã¢â‚¬â€presumably a hospital—where a nurse questions her about her grandson, asking if he has died.Phoenix remains strangely quiet at first, as if deaf to the nurse's questions. She then apologizes, claiming that her memory had suddenly failed her—that for a moment, she could not remember why she had made her long journey. The story concludes with Phoenix's heartfelt description of her grandson, whose throat was injured several years ago when he swallowed lye. She declares that he is not dead, receives the medicine for him, along with another nickel, with which she decides to buy him a Christmas present—a â€Å"little windmill. â€Å"

Mali of manila zoo-IR

Old who has patiently fed and pampered â€Å"Mali† for 10 years. While an animal rights manage confronts that Manila zoo's lone elephant is suffering physically and psychologically, her â€Å"best friend† has come out to let out sentiments to the contrary. He's still the same, never been uncared-for, only those People's Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) people who are making slanderous statements about the condition of Mali are saying that she is sick, they are all untrue, Noel said.PETA embers brought Richardson, a California-based elephant specialist for 40 years, to see Mali and later released a report on her condition, which he said was based on his visual inspection of the 38-year-old Mali is healthy. On a daily basis from morning and all through-out the day they kept the zoo clean especially Mali's place and also for the people who visits the zoo. Manila zoo being one of the top attractions in Manila hundreds of people go over every day. Mali is really well-take n cared by his keeper, they serve plenty of foods for her including her cage, huge and always aintained clean.She eats meal twice a day, in the morning the zoo keeper serves her with Loaf bread, 5 kilos of sweet potatoes, 100 pieces of bananas, 5 kilos of carrots, 5 pieces of pineapples and a total of 180 kilos of grasses 5 bundles in the morning and 5 the afternoon. When her favourite food, Grasses are already decayed her keeper will immediately replace it with fresh ones. Zoo keepers like Noel has a daily report containing checklist for animals including their health observations, so doctors will be immediately be informed if animals are okay or sick.Mali's cuticle ailment was treated with the use of sand, they put up a sand pool inside his cage when Mali started to scrub it all over her body her cuticles started to brake. After every 3 months the keeper replace sand pool with fresh sand delivered with a huge truck. Mali's way of thinking was adopted from the hundreds people who v isits her, her way of thinking is almost like a human being, Noel said. The Red Coca-Cola truck who regularly delivers beverage to stores inside the zoo was banned to pass-by Mali's ecause cage whenever she sees it she becomes hysterical, running scared around her cage and even experience LBM.She was placed in a red truck when she was still a kid after separating to her parents. Elephant's memories are sharp. Even after decades of not seeing a person she can still remember it. Noel needs to leave Mali and go to province for family matters, after 2 years of not seeing her zoo keeper, Mali can still remember Noel, not all people are friends with Mali they still need to go hrough a hard training before making Mali at ease with them, Noel said.Asked if needs a companion inside his cage Noel answered † Yes , it could be but they will not be kept in the same cage because it might cause trouble† they need to be at ease and have closure first before putting them in one cage, Jus t like other animals even if you belong in the same breed it's the first time they see each other and theyre unacquainted chances are they will beat each other. Mali can survive without a companion, sne was able to live by nerselt tor 38 years now.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Inspiration isn't always a matter of ghosts moving magnets around on refrigerator doors, and on Tuesday morning I had a flash that was a beaut. It came while I was shaving and thinking about nothing more than remembering the beer for the party. And like the best inspirations, it came out of nowhere at all. I hurried into the living room, not quite running, wiping the shaving cream off my face with a towel as I went. I glanced briefly at the Tough Stuff crossword collection lying on top of my manuscript. That had been where I'd gone first in an effort to decipher ‘go down nineteen' and ‘go down ninety-two.' Not an unreasonable starting-point, but what did Tough Stuff have to do with TR-90? I had purchased the book at Mr. Paperback in Derry, and of the thirty or so puzzles I'd completed, I'd done all but half a dozen in Derry. TR ghosts could hardly be expected to show an interest in my Derry crossword collection. The telephone book, on the other hand I snatched it off the dining-room table. Although it covered the whole southern part of Castle County Motton, Harlow, and Kashwakamak as well as the TR it was pretty thin. The first thing I did was check the white pages to see if there were at least ninety-two. There were. The Y's and Z's finished up on page ninety-seven. This was the answer. Had to be. ‘I got it, didn't I?' I asked Bunter. ‘This is it.' Nothing. Not even a tinkle from the bell. ‘Fuck you what does a stuffed moosehead know about a telephone book?' Go down nineteen. I turned to page nineteen of the telephone book, where the letter F was prominently showcased. I began to slip my finger down the first column and as it went, my excitement faded. The nineteenth name on page nineteen was Harold Failles. It meant nothing to me. There were also Feltons and Fenners, a Filkersham and several Finneys, half a dozen Flahertys and more Fosses than you could shake a stick at. The last name on page nineteen was Framingham. It also meant nothing to me, but Framingham, Kenneth P. I stared at that for a moment. A realization began to dawn. It had nothing to do with the refrigerator messages. You're not seeing what you think you're seeing, I thought. This is like when you buy a blue Buick ‘You see blue Buicks everywhere,' I said. ‘Practically got to kick em out of your way. Yeah, that's it.' But my hands were shaking as I turned to page ninety-two. Here were the T's of southern Castle County, along with a few U's like Alton Ubeck and Catherine Udell just to round things out. I didn't bother checking the ninety-second entry on the page; the phone book wasn't the key to the magnetic crosspatches after all. It did, however, suggest something enormous. I closed the book, just held it in my hands for a moment (happy folks with blueberry rakes on the front cover), then opened it at random, this time to the M's. And once you knew what you were looking for, it jumped right out at you. All those K's. Oh, there were Stevens and Johns and Marthas; there was Meserve, G., and Messier, V., and Jayhouse, T. And yet, again and again, I saw the initial K where people had exercised their right not to list their first name in the book. There were at least twenty K-initials on page fifty alone, and another dozen C-initials. As for the actual names themselves . . . There were twelve Kenneths on this random page in the M-section, including three Kenneth Moores and two Kenneth Munters. There were four Catherines and two Katherines. There were a Casey, a Kiana, and a Kiefer. ‘Holy Christ, it's like fallout,' I whispered. I thumbed through the book, not able to believe what I was seeing and seeing it anyway. Kenneths, Katherines, and Keiths were everywhere. I also saw Kimberly, Kim, and Kym. There were Cammie, Kia (yes, and we had thought ourselves so original), Kiah, Kendra, Kaela, Keil, and Kyle. Kirby and Kirk. There was a woman named Kissy Bowden, and a man named Kito Rennie Kito, the same name as one of Kyra's fridgeafator people. And everywhere, outnumbering such usually common initials as S and T and E, were those K's. My eyes danced with them. I turned to look at the clock didn't want to stand John Storrow up at the airport, Christ no and there was no clock there. Of course not. Old Krazy Kat had popped his peepers during a psychic event. I gave a loud, braying laugh that scared me a little it wasn't particularly sane. ‘Get hold of yourself, Mike,' I said. ‘Take a deep breath, son.' I took the breath. Held it. Let it out. Checked the digital readout on the microwave. Quarter past eight. Plenty of time for John. I turned back to the telephone book and began to riffle rapidly through it. I'd had a second inspiration not a megawatt blast like the first one, but a lot more accurate, it turned out. Western Maine is a relatively isolated area it's a little like the hill country of the border South but there has always been at least some inflow of folks from away (‘flatlanders' is the term the locals use when they are feeling contemptuous), and in the last quarter of the century it has become a popular area for active seniors who want to fish and ski their way through retirement. The phone book goes a long way toward separating the newbies from the long-time residents. Babickis, Parettis, O'Quindlans, Donahues, Smolnacks, Dvoraks, Blindermeyers all from away. All flatlanders. Jalberts, Meserves, Pillsburys, Spruces, Therriaults, Perraults, Stanchfields, Starbirds, Dubays all from Castle County. You see what I'm saying, don't you? When you see a whole column of Bowies on page twelve, you know that those folks have been around long enough to relax and really spread those Bowie genes. There were a few K-initials and K-names among the Parettis and the Smolnacks, but only a few. The heavy concentrations were all attached to families that had been here long enough to absorb the atmosphere. To breathe the fallout. Except it wasn't radiation, exactly, it I suddenly imagined a black headstone taller than the tallest tree on the lake, a monolith which cast its shadow over half of Castle County. This picture was so clear and so terrible that I covered my eyes, dropping the phone book on the table. I backed away from it, shuddering. Hiding my eyes actually seemed to enhance the image further: a grave-marker so enormous it blotted out the sun; TR-90 lay at its foot like a funeral bouquet. Sara Tidwell's son had drowned in Dark Score Lake . . . or been drowned in it. But she had marked his passing. Memorialized it. I wondered if anyone else in town had ever noticed what I just had. I didn't suppose it was all that likely; when you open a telephone book you're looking for a specific name in most cases, not reading whole pages line by line. I wondered if Jo had noticed if she'd known that almost every longtime family in this part of the world had, in one way or another, named at least one child after Sara Tidwell's dead son. Jo wasn't stupid. I thought she probably had. I returned to the bathroom, relathered, started again from scratch. When I finished, I went back to the phone and picked it up. I poked in three numbers, then stopped, looking out at the lake. Mattie and Ki were up and in the kitchen, both of them wearing aprons, both of them in a fine froth of excitement. There was going to be a party! They would wear pretty new summer clothes, and there would be music from Mattie's boombox CD player! Ki was helping Mattie make biscuits for strewberry snortcake, and while the biscuits were baking they would make salads. If I called Mattie up and said Pack a couple of bags, you and Ki are going to spend a week at Disney World, Mattie would assume I was joking, then tell me to hurry up and finish getting dressed so I'd be at the airport when John's plane landed. If I pressed, she'd remind me that Lindy had offered her her old job back, but the offer would close in a hurry if Mattie didn't show up promptly at two P.M. on Friday. If I continued to press , she would just say no. Because I wasn't the only one in the zone, was I? I wasn't the only one who was really feeling it. I returned the phone to its recharging cradle, then went back into the north bedroom. By the time I'd finished dressing, my fresh shirt was already feeling wilted under the arms; it was as hot that morning as it had been for the last week, maybe even hotter. But I'd be in plenty of time to meet the plane. I had never felt less like partying, but I'd be there. Mikey on the spot, that was me. Mikey on the goddam spot. John hadn't given me his flight number, but at Castle County Airport, such niceties are hardly necessary. This bustling hub of transport consists of three hangars and a terminal which used to be a Flying A gas station when the light's strong on the little building's rusty north side, you can still see the shape of that winged A. There's one runway. Security is provided by Lassie, Breck Pellerin's ancient collie, who spends her days crashed out on the linoleum floor, cocking an ear at the ceiling whenever a plane lands or takes off. I popped my head into Pellerin's office and asked him if the ten from Boston was on time. He said it 'twas, although he hoped the paa'ty I was meetin planned to either fly back out before mid-afternoon or stay the night. Bad weather was comin in, good gorry, yes. What Breck Pellerin referred to as ‘lectrical weather. I knew exactly what he meant, because in my nervous system that electricity already seemed to have arrived. I went out to the runway side of the terminal and sat on a bench advertising Cormier's Market (FLY INTO OUR DELI FOR THE BEST MEATS IN MAINE). The sun was a silver button stuck on the eastern slope of a hot white sky. Headache weather, my mother would have called it, but the weather was due to change. I would hold onto the hope of that change as best I could. At ten past ten I heard a wasp-whine from the south. At quarter past, some sort of twin-engine plane dropped out of the murk, flopped onto the runway, and taxied toward the terminal. There were only four passengers, and John Storrow was the first one off. I grinned when I saw him. I had to grin. He was wearing a black tee-shirt with WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS printed across the front and a pair of khaki shorts which displayed a perfect set of city shins: white and bony. He was trying to manage both a Styrofoam cooler and a briefcase. I grabbed the cooler maybe four seconds before he dropped it, and tucked it under my arm. ‘Mike!' he cried, lifting one hand palm out. ‘John!' I returned in much the same spirit (evoe is the word that comes immediately to the crossword aficionado's mind), and slapped him five. His homely-handsome face split in a grin, and I felt a little stab of guilt. Mattie had expressed no preference for John quite the opposite, in fact and he really hadn't solved any of her problems; Devore had done that by topping himself before John had so much as a chance to get started on her behalf. Yet still I felt that nasty little poke. ‘Come on,' he said. ‘Let's get out of this heat. You have air conditioning in your car, I presume?' ‘Absolutely.' ‘What about a cassette player? You got one of those? If you do, I'll play you something that'll make you chortle.' ‘I don't think I've ever heard that word actually used in conversation, John.' The grin shone out again, and I noticed what a lot of freckles he had. Sheriff Andy's boy Opie grows up to serve at the bar. ‘I'm a lawyer. I use words in conversation that haven't even been invented yet. You have a tape-player?' ‘Of course I do.' I hefted the cooler. ‘Steaks?' ‘You bet. Peter Luger's. They're ‘ ‘ the best in the world. You told me.' As we went into the terminal, someone said, ‘Michael?' It was Romeo Bissonette, the lawyer who had chaperoned me through my deposition. In one hand he had a box wrapped in blue paper and tied with a white ribbon. Beside him, just rising from one of the lumpy chairs, was a tall guy with a fringe of gray hair. He was wearing a brown suit, a blue shirt, and a string tie with a golf-club on the clasp. He looked more like a farmer on auction day than the sort of guy who'd be a scream when you got a drink or two into him, but I had no doubt this was the private detective. He stepped over the comatose collie and shook hands with me. ‘George Kennedy, Mr. Noonan. I'm pleased to meet you. My wife has read every single book you ever wrote.' ‘Well thank her for me.' ‘I will. I have one in the car a hardcover . . . ‘ He looked shy, as so many people do when they get right to the point of asking. ‘I wonder if you'd sign it for her at some point.' ‘I'd be delighted to,' I said. ‘Right away's best, then I won't forget.' I turned to Romeo. ‘Good to see you, Romeo.' ‘Make it Rommie,' he said. ‘Good to see you, too.' He held out the box. ‘George and I clubbed together on this. We thought you deserved something nice for helping a damsel in distress.' Kennedy now did look like a man who might be fun after a few drinks. The kind who might just take a notion to hop onto the nearest table, turn a tablecloth into a kilt, and dance. I looked at John, who gave the kind of shrug that means hey, don't ask me. I pulled off the satin bow, slipped my finger under the Scotch tape holding the paper, then looked up. I caught Rommie Bissonette in the act of elbowing Kennedy. Now they were both grinning. ‘There's nothing in here that's going to jump out at me and go booga-booga, is there, guys?' I asked. ‘Absolutely not,' Rommie said, but his grin widened. Well, I can be as good a sport as the next guy. I guess. I unwrapped the package, opened the plain white box inside, revealed a square pad of cotton, lifted it out. I had been smiling all through this, but now I felt the smile curl up and die on my mouth. Something went twisting up my spine as well, and I think I came very close to dropping the box. It was the oxygen mask Devore had had on his lap when he met me on The Street, the one he'd snorted from occasionally as he and Rogette paced me, trying to keep me out deep enough to drown. Rommie Bissonette and George Kennedy had brought it to me like the scalp of a dead enemy and I was supposed to think it was funny ‘Mike?' Rommie asked anxiously. ‘Mike, are you okay? It was just a joke ‘ I blinked and saw it wasn't an oxygen mask at all how in God's name could I have been so stupid? For one thing, it was bigger than Devore's mask; for another, it was made of opaque rather than clear plastic. It was I gave a tentative chuckle. Rommie Bissonette looked tremendously relieved. So did Kennedy. John only looked puzzled. ‘Funny,' I said. ‘Like a rubber crutch.' I pulled out the little mike from inside the mask and let it dangle. It swung back and forth on its wire, reminding me of the waggy clock's tail. ‘What the hell is it?' John asked. ‘Park Avenue lawyer,' Rommie said to George, broadening his accent so it came out Paa-aak Avenew lawyah. ‘Ain't nevah seen one of these, have ya, chummy? Nossir, coss not.' Then he reverted to normal-speak, which was sort of a relief. I've lived in Maine my whole life, and for me the amusement value of burlesque Yankee accents has worn pretty thin. ‘It's a Stenomask. The stenog keeping the record at Mike's depo was wearing one. Mike kept looking at him ‘ ‘It freaked me out,' I said. ‘Old guy sitting in the corner and mumbling into the Mask of Zorro.' ‘Gerry Bliss freaks a lot of people out,' Kennedy said. He spoke in a low rumble. ‘He's the last one around here who wears em. He's got ten or eleven left in his mudroom. I know, because I bought that one from him.' ‘I hope he stuck it to you,' I said. ‘I thought it would make a nice memento,' Rommie said, ‘but for a second there I thought I'd given you the box with the severed hand in it I hate it when I mix up my gift-boxes like that. What's the deal?' ‘It's been a long hot July,' I said. ‘Put it down to that.' I hung the Stenomask's strap over one finger, dangling it that way. ‘Mattie said to be there by eleven,' John told us. ‘We're going to drink beer and throw the Frisbee around.' ‘I can do both of those things quite well,' George Kennedy said. Outside in the tiny parking lot George went to a dusty Altima, rummaged in the back, and came out with a battered copy of The Red-Shirt Man. ‘Frieda made me bring this one. She has the newer ones, but this is her favorite. Sorry about how it looks she's read it about six times.' II ‘It's my favorite, too,' I said, which was true. ‘And I like to see a book with mileage.' That was also true. I opened the book, looked approvingly at a smear of long-dried chocolate on the flyleaf, and then wrote: For Frieda Kennedy, whose husband was there to lend a hand. Thanks for sharing him, and thanks For reading, Mike Noonan. That was a long inscription for me usually I just stick to Best wishes or Good luck, but I wanted to make up for the curdled expression they had seen on my face when I opened their innocent little gag present. While I was scribbling, George asked me if I was working on a new novel. ‘No,' I said. ‘Batteries currently on recharge.' I handed the book back. ‘Frieda won't like that.' ‘No. But there's always Red-Shirt.' ‘We'll follow you,' Rommie said, and a rumble came from deep in the west. It was no louder than the thunder which had rumbled on and off for the last week, but this wasn't dry thunder. We all knew it, and we all looked in that direction. ‘Think we'll get a chance to eat before it storms?' George asked me. ‘Yeah. Just about barely.' I drove to the gate of the parking lot and glanced right to check for traffic. When I did, I saw John looking at me thoughtfully. ‘What?' ‘Mattie said you were writing, that's all. Book go tits-up on you or something?' My Childhood Friend was just as lively as ever, in fact . . . but it would never be finished. I knew that this morning as well as I knew there was rain on the way. The boys in the basement had for some reason decided to take it back. Asking why might not be such a good idea the answers might be unpleasant. ‘Something. I'm not sure just what.' I pulled out onto the highway, checked behind me, and saw Rommie and George following in George's little Altima. America has become a country full of big men in little cars. ‘What do you want me to listen to? If it's home karaoke, I pass. The last thing on earth I want to hear is you singing â€Å"Bubba Shot the Jukebox Last Night.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ‘Oh, it's better than that,' he said. ‘Miles better.' He opened his briefcase, rooted through it, and came out with a plastic cassette box. The tape inside was marked 7-20-98 yesterday. ‘I love this,' he said. He leaned forward, turned on the radio, then popped the cassette into the player. I was hoping I'd already had my quota of nasty surprises for the morning, but I was wrong. ‘Sorry, I just had to get rid of another call,' John said from my Chevy's speakers in his smoothest, most lawyerly voice. I'd have bet a million dollars that his bony shins hadn't been showing when this tape was made. There was a laugh, both smoky and grating. My stomach seized up at the sound of it. I remembered seeing her for the first time standing outside The Sunset Bar, wearing black shorts over a black tank-style swimsuit. Standing there and looking like a refugee from crash-diet hell. ‘You mean you had to turn on your tape-recorder,' she said, and now I remembered how the water had seemed to change color when she nailed me that really good one in the back of the head. From bright orange to dark scarlet it had gone. And then I'd started drinking the lake. ‘That's okay. Tape anything you want.' John reached out suddenly and ejected the cassette. ‘You don't need to hear this,' he said. ‘It's not substantive. I thought you'd get a kick out of her blather, but . . . man, you look terrible. Do you want me to drive? You're white as a fucking sheet.' ‘I can drive,' I said. ‘Go on, play it. Afterward I'll tell you about a little adventure I had Friday night . . . but you're going to keep it to yourself. They don't have to know' I jerked my thumb over my shoulder at the Altima ‘and Mattie doesn't have to know. Especially Mattie.' He reached for the tape, then hesitated. ‘You're sure?' ‘Yeah. It was just hearing her again out of the blue like that. The quality of her voice. Christ, the reproduction is good.' ‘Nothing but the best for Avery, McLain, and Bernstein. We have very strict protocols about what we can tape, by the way. If you were wondering.' ‘I wasn't. I imagine none of it's admissible in litigation anyway, is it?' ‘In certain rare cases a judge might let a tape in, but that's not why we do it. A tape like this saved a man's life four years ago, right around the time I joined the firm. That guy is now in the Witness Protection Program.' ‘Play it.' He leaned forward and pushed the button. John: ‘How is the desert, Ms. Whitmore?' Whitmore: ‘Hot.' John: ‘Arrangements progressing nicely? I know how difficult times like this can ‘ Whitmore: ‘You know very little, counsellor, take it from me. Can we cut the crap?' John: ‘Consider it cut.' Whitmore: ‘Have you conveyed the conditions of Mr. Devore's will to his daughter-in-law?' John: ‘Yes ma'am.' Whitmore: ‘Her response?' John: ‘I have none to give you now. I may have after Mr. Devore's will has been probated. But surely you know that such codicils are rarely if ever accepted by the courts.' Whitmore: ‘Well, if that little lady moves out of town, we'll see, won't we?' John: ‘I suppose we will.' Whitmore: ‘When is the victory party?' John: ‘Excuse me?' Whitmore: ‘Oh please. I have sixty different appointments today, plus a boss to bury tomorrow. You're going up there to celebrate with her and her daughter, aren't you? Did you know she's invited the writer? Her fuck-buddy?' John turned to me gleefully. ‘Do you hear how pissed she sounds? She's trying to hide it, but she can't. It's eating her up inside!' I barely heard him. I was in the zone with what she was saying (the writer her fuck-buddy) and what was under what she was saying. Some quality beneath the words. We just want to see how long you can swim, she had called out to me. John: ‘I hardly think what I or Mattie's friends do is any of your business, Ms Whitmore. May I respectfully suggest that you party with your friends and let Mattie Devore party with h Whitmore: ‘Give him a message.' Me. She was talking about me. Then I realized it was even more personal than that she was talking to me. Her body might be on the other side of the country, but her voice and spiteful spirit were right here in the car with us. And Max Devore's will. Not the meaningless shit his lawyers had put down on paper but his will. The old bastard was as dead as Damocles, but yes, he was definitely still seeking custody. John: ‘Give who a message, Ms. Whitmore?' Whitmore: ‘Tell him he never answered Mr. Devore's question.' John: ‘What question is that?' Does her cunt suck? Whitmore: ‘Ask him. He'll know.' John: ‘If you mean Mike Noonan, you can ask him yourself. You'll see him in Castle County Probate Court this fall.' Whitmore: ‘I hardly think so. Mr. Devore's will was made and witnessed out here.' John: ‘Nevertheless, it will be probated in Maine, where he died. My heart is set on it. And when you leave Castle County the next time, Rogette, you will do so with your education in matters of the law considerably broadened.' For the first time she sounded angry, her voice rising to a reedy caw. Whitmore: ‘If you think ‘ John: ‘I don't think. I know. Goodbye, Ms. Whitmore.' Whitmore: ‘You might do well to stay away from ‘ There was a click, the hum of an open line, then a robot voice saying ‘Nine-forty A.M. . . . Eastern Daylight . . . July . . . twentieth.' John punched EJECT, collected his tape, and stored it back in his briefcase. ‘I hung up on her.' He sounded like a man telling you about his first skydive. ‘I actually did. She was mad, wasn't she? Wouldn't you say she was seriously pissed?' ‘Yeah.' It was what he wanted to hear but not what I really believed. Pissed, yes. Seriously pissed? Maybe not. Because Mattie's location and state of mind hadn't been her concern; Rogette had called to talk to me. To tell me she was thinking of me. To bring back memories of how it felt to tread water with the back of your head gushing blood. To freak me out. And she had succeeded. ‘What was the question you didn't answer?' John asked me. ‘I don't know what she meant by that,' I said, ‘but I can tell you why hearing her turned me a little white in the gills. If you can be discreet, and if you want to hear.' ‘We've got eighteen miles to cover; lay it on me.' I told him about Friday night. I didn't clutter my version with visions or psychic phenomena; there was just Michael Noonan out for a sunset walk along The Street. I'd been standing by a birch tree which hung over the lake, watching the sun drop toward the mountains, when they came up behind me. From the point where Devore charged me with his wheelchair to the point where I finally got back onto solid ground, I stuck pretty much to the truth. When I finished, John was at first utterly silent. It was a measure of how thrown for a loop he was; under normal circumstances he was every bit the chatterbox Ki was. ‘Well?' I asked. ‘Comments? Questions?' ‘Lift your hair so I can see behind your ear.' I did as he asked, revealing a big Band-Aid and a large area of swelling. John leaned forward to study it like a little kid observing his best friend's battle-scar during recess. ‘Holy shit,' he said at last. It was my turn to say nothing. ‘Those two old fucks tried to drown you.' I said nothing. ‘They tried to drown you for helping Mattie.' Now I really said nothing. ‘And you never reported it?' ‘I started to,' I said, ‘then realized I'd make myself look like a whiny little asshole. And a liar, most likely.' ‘How much do you think Osgood might know?' ‘About them trying to drown me? Nothing. He's just a messenger boy.' A little more of that unusual quiet from John. After a few seconds of it he reached out and touched the lump on the back of my head. ‘Ow!' ‘Sorry.' A pause. ‘Jesus. Then he went back to Warrington's and pulled the pin. Jesus. Michael, I never would have played that tape if I'd known ‘ ‘It's all right. But don't even think of telling Mattie. I'm wearing my hair over my ear like that for a reason.' ‘Will you ever tell her, do you think?' ‘I might. Some day when he's been dead long enough so we can laugh about me swimming with my clothes on.' ‘That might be awhile,' he said. ‘Yeah. It might.' We drove in silence for a bit. I could sense John groping for a way to bring the day back to jubilation, and loved him for it. He leaned forward, turned on the radio, and found something loud and nasty by Guns ‘n Roses welcome to the jungle, baby, we got fun and games. ‘Party 'til we puke,' he said. ‘Right?' I grinned. It wasn't easy with the sound of the old woman's voice still clinging to me like light slime, but I managed. ‘If you insist,' I said. ‘I do,' he said. ‘Most certainly.' ‘John, you're a good guy for a lawyer.' ‘And you're a good one for a writer.' This time the grin on my face felt more natural and stayed on longer. We passed the marker reading TR-90, and as we did, the sun burned through the haze and flooded the day with light. It seemed like an omen of better times ahead, until I looked into the west. There, black in the bright, I could see the thunderheads building up over the White Mountains.