Film "Fight Club" Analyze Research Paper

Film "Fight Club" Analyze - Research Paper Example stead, of shedding light on these critical issues in the society, events in these films often trivialize them, with certain stylized aesthetics that brings out the cynisms, irony as well as excessive violence. In most cases, the kinds of films exhibited in these films often turns to senseless pathology, brutality as well as a certain kind of indifference to the sufferings that people face (Wartenberg 42). This kind of violent representations ends up becoming the starting point of political commentary. This paper examines the aspects of violence and how it is represented differently in the film, focusing on how masculinity influences various occurrences in the society represented. The theme of violence represented in â€Å"fight Club† indicates the most crucial role played by most of films at the Hollywood. Besides playing the entertainment role, films composed in this kind of approach act as important public pedagogues through articulation of knowledge to its particular effects. In this case, it purposely attempts to influence the manner in which knowledge and other forms of social identities are established within limited ranges of effective social relations (Ndalianis 51). It is important to realize that these forms of violence and masculinity are described as being radically indeterminate according to their particular meaning. Any kind of meanings that are determined by the respecting factors are supposed to be prescribed by the text itself and not any other ways. â€Å"Fight Club† attempts to bridge the gap existing between public and the private discourses while at the same time bringing about values and ideologies that effectively resonates within the private conversations (Wartenberg 43). Reading or watching a film like â€Å"fight club† in specific terminologies indicates how it establishes particular notions relating to urgency where members of the white working and middle class are given the opportunity to view themselves as being oppressed and without

Energy Resources and Utilization Essay Example for Free

Energy Resources and Utilization Essay It is very evident that vehicles today that use engine are now significantly increasing in terms of number and are considered basic necessity to every one of us. As mentioned from the previous paragraph, the use of engines had been responsible in the pollution of our air and due to the alarming effect of this environmental hazard, many concerned citizens from different sectors are now responding to this issue. They are now using some alternatives forms of energy instead of coal as the fuels in order to minimize the effect of global warming, which is one of the results of engine emitting chemical gases. Even the government of many countries is restricting their citizens in using vehicles that blow harmful chemical gases in the air. They are passing laws that will protect the environment by not allowing vehicles to be used in the road that are smoke belchers. Not only the issue of dependence on fossil fuels like engine is concerned in this paper, but more importantly is the dependence of fossil fuels in household and office applications and industrial application. We know for the fact that almost all people in every country need energy that they will use for their daily purposes. Every houses located in tropical region need air conditioner while those on temperate regions need heat pump. And all these equipment need fuel in order to operate and the most popular fuel for these applications are fossil fuels and electricity. In today’s market, the price of petroleum in the world market is significantly increasing making it more difficult for counties especially the third world countries to purchase barrels of petroleum in the Middle East countries. The continuous increase of petroleum in the world market will add burden to those industries that depends on petroleum. Monopoly can also be observed as the Middle East countries tries to take control on the petroleum market. The main objective of this paper is to have deep analysis on renewable energy specifically on solar and wind energy. The analysis will tackle the energy resource as well the energy utilization in the United States. The study will provide a basic knowledge on the alternatives fuels that can be used to substitute coals and petroleum as main fuel on traditional engines to minimize the damage on the environment. This paper will also have a brief discussion on the different alternative methods that will not only minimized pollution but also increase the efficiency of the engine so that it will justify the replacement of coals and fossil fuels as the main source of energy for engines. Before starting on the paper, it is better to determine the main proponents or the audience of this paper. For this paper, the audiences will compost of an individual or group of individuals that utilize engine in any forms like automobiles, vehicle, generators in a plant or any machine that has a mechanism of an engine. These people may come from different walks of life like a normal employees or an executive director in a company. It is advisable for this feasibility study to focus on these individuals because they are the main contributors of harmful gases that is being emitted by the engine they are using. We know for the fact that machines operated by engines are part of their daily lives and businesses and they must be responsible enough to protect the environment from the harsh of toxic gases they release when using the said machines.

Kristina Laycock ICT and My Everyday Life :: ICT Essays

This report is going to be based on the different technologies I use at home, at school, with friends and at work. I am going to evaluate the extent of my needs for these technologies. Below is a list of the technologies I use at home, school and work: Home School Work Internet Internet Touch Screen Email Mobile Telephone Mobile Telephone SMS (Simple Message Service) Smart Boards SMS (Simple Message Service) WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) Lap top Mobile Telephone Email DVD’s SMS (Simple Message Service) Teletext PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) The Internet: I use the Internet to communicate with friends and family at home by visiting chat rooms on-line, it is very efficient and is cheaper than a phone call. I don’t just use the Internet for social reasons; I use it for schoolwork and coursework. The Internet helps adults as well as children; you can do research on just about anything by using search engines. I also use the Internet for revision there are many different sites you can visit that helps you with last minute revision. Email: emailing is another good way of communicating with people and having a laugh. I use my email account to contact teachers as well as friends to get some revision work sent to me, when I am not at school or during the holidays. I also use it to get coursework marked, it saves the waste of paper – I just print off the finishing copy! Mobile telephones: mobile telephones are a way of contacting family and friends when you are out and about; they are also great if you need to contact someone in an emergency, i.e. emergency services. However, there are a few disadvantages with mobile telephones; in certain areas (on top of hills, under bridges etc) you can loose reception on your mobile telephone, which means you are unable to make or receive calls. Also you have to make sure the battery is charged, because if it is not your mobile will go dead and therefore you will be unable to use it. I use my mobile constantly to make arrangements with friends and to keep in touch with family; I don’t know what I would do without it. My mobile also comes in use when I am at work on a weekend; I use it to contact my mum to tell her what time I need picking up. I also use it to keep in contact with my boss so she can tell me if she wants me to work extra hours or if I don’t need to work. SMS (Simple Messaging Service): SMS is a cost efficient service set up so the public can communicate with each other through text.

Youth Sports

Youth Sports According to the Center for Kids First, there are more than 40 million youth athletes that play sports in America today. These youth athletes have a plethora of organizations they can pursue. From super competitive programs like the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) which includes sports like baseball/softball, basketball, soccer and volleyball to the supposedly fun programs like PAL, POP Warner, and Little League Baseball/Softball there is a league for anyone regardless of their skill level or competitive fire.The big question is do playing youth sports affect the athlete in the long run? There are many factors involved in the competition of youth sports that in the long run may push the athlete away from sports all together. Not only is it the athlete that is involved in this process, the coaches, parents, and fellow competitors play a huge role in the affect youth athletics have on its athletes. As we go along we are going to talk about some of the problems associated with youth athletics, and try to find solutions to these problems.The first thing that comes to mind when you think about problems in youth sport would be the overzealous parents. The parent that goes above and beyond to push their child to his/her limits. A study conducted by the Citizens Through Sports Alliance gave what they call a â€Å"report card† showing the results of how parents effect youth sports (Emmons). This panel of experts essentially based their results on youth sports programs with ages ranging from 6-14(Emmons). Parents received low grades in the areas of a win at all costs mentality and overall parent behavior.Executive director for the Positive Coaching Alliance, Jim Thompson said,† We really hope this is a wake-up call. This is such an important part of kid’s lives and if there is something wrong with youth sports, then we ought to start thinking about the ways we can change it. †(Emmons) The parent’s role in a child’s youth sport experience could range from being the driver to and from practices and games all the way to being the coach of the team and officiating the game itself for that matter (Hedstrom/Gould). But what is really going on?Early studies have shown that the role of the parents in youth sports has become more of a problem as time has passed. Results show that the five biggest problems that parents have involving there child in youth sports include; overemphasis on winning, unrealistic expectations, coaching their own child, criticizing, and pampering there child too much (Hedstrom/Gould). There have been documented accounts of parents arguing with coaches, confronting referees, and even unforeseen altercations while attending a youth sporting event. So how do we attempt to remedy this situation?One approach would be for the parents too fully immerse themselves into the culture of the league. Do some reading, attend informative sessions, and talk to other parents involved in the league to try and get a full sense of the philosophy and goals of the organization (Emmons). Doing this will allow for the parent to get a scope of how the league operates and see what values and goals the league holds true. It is important that the parent be involved in the children’s experience in youth sport, but it’s more important that they don’t pressure the child before, during, and after a contest.Just being there attending games, driving to away games, and joining in team celebrations will show a strong support for the child and enhance their experience in youth sports (Hedstrom/Gould). One final approach that I personally like would be at the very beginning of the season before you even have your first practice, the coach of the team should call a team meeting and have all the parents of the players attend. The purpose of this meeting would be to discuss the main objectives of the season and make sure that everyone is on the same page (Hedstrom/Gould).While run ning this meeting it is important to stress the roles of everyone involved and stress good sportsmanship. Burnout is said to be one of the biggest factors that attributes to youth athletes quitting. What is burnout? The definition from the text of the book social issues in sport tells us that burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength as a result of prolonged stress that causes athletes to discontinue competitive sports. Studies have told us that an estimated 73% of athletes drop out of sports by the age of 13 (Adkins).This is a staggering figure that as time has passed continues to grow. Not only is it the fact that the athlete may be getting burned out by playing one sport, they may just give up and quit playing organized sports all together (Adkins). There are a few main explanations that can be attributed to athlete burnout. The first suggestion is the excessive stress and pressure put on the athlete. These days there is such an emphasis on winning and being the best that we see at a younger and younger age that athletes are pressured to win at all costs (Masterson).They are pushed above and beyond what their comfort level may be and exposed to excessive stress and pressure by parents, coaches, and fellow teammates (Adkins). A second theory suggests that the athlete experience what is called entrapment. They invest all this time into their sport but is not seeing any of the rewards or benefits of all the work they have put in. basically what is happening is that the costs are outweighing the benefits which over the long run is causing the athlete to burnout (Masterson). So how do we stop athletes from burning out and eventually dropping out of youth sports all together?In my opinion, it boils down to the factor of specialization. If at a young age you push your child to just play one sport year round your child over time is going to grow tired and bored of doing the same thing every single day. I feel that it is important for the parent to encourage their child to participate in multiple sports. This will not only keep them active all year round but it will keep their mind fresh and will allow for them to find different things to do with their time. Another suggestion would be for the parent of the child to not force anything on their child, especially at a young age.In youth sport, if the parent pushes their child to compete in a sport they are not willing or wanting to compete in this will only speed up the process of burnout and more than likely cause a disconnect in the relationship between the athlete and parent (Hill). This leads me into my next problem with youth sports which is the concept of specialization in sport. At younger and younger ages children are beginning to play sports and more and more the parents are pushing their child to focus on just one sport.Specialization is defined as an athlete limiting their athletic participation to one sport which is practiced, trained for, and competed in throughout the year (Hill). There are many arguments for and against specialization in sport. Sport specialization lives by a basic philosophy, if you start them early you can narrow there focus and concentrate on one sport (Hill). With the competitive nature of sports today and the overemphasis on winning, parents and coaches are beginning to feel that sport specialization is needed for athletes to keep up with one another.Especially at the collegiate level where there is such a spot light on athletes they may feel driven to specialize in one sport to enhance their chances of getting a college scholarship. In youth sports, with the overabundance of competitive leagues children can play in year round coaches feel that if you specialize in one sport overtime you will more effectively refine your skills and master your craft through increased practice time in that sport. These are some great arguments that support the sport specialization agenda, but I feel that there are more disadvantages to sport specialization than there are advantages.Bottom line is that a young age no one is 100% positive on what their child is going to be good at when they get older. So it is important that in youth sports children diversify their experience and try many different sports. Some of the disadvantages involved in specialization include psychological burn out which we touched on in the previous section. In some cases, when an athlete specializes in one sport they miss the opportunity to play other sports which may cause them to miss the sport they are best at. So, I feel that at a young age when kids get involved in youth sports that they should try everything (Hill).For example, when I was 6 I attempted to play little league soccer and after the first week of practice I decided to retire because I felt that it just wasn’t the best sport for me. When parents emphasize specialization on their children the child could possibly miss the sport that they are fit to play (Adkins). One of the main problems associated with specialization in youth sport is that if the athlete is playing the same sport year round and using the same muscles throughout the year, those muscles are bound to break down (Masterson).This if one reason why I am a true believer in sport diversification. Athletes who diversify their experience in youth sport are regularly using different muscle groups and have a reduced risk of overuse injury. Sport diversification also does a lot of other positive things to help youth athletes (Masterson). Sport sampling, especially at a young age in youth sports provides them with a variety of options for later sport activity. They are using different skill variations that may transfer from sport to sport.There is a cushion against failure knowing that when one sport ends that another one will be starting up soon (Hill). All these factors of sport diversification are great ways in which children can stay active and fit, stay involved in youth sport, and not get burned out too quickly. Youth sports are definitely a huge force in America today. But, if were not careful the negative aspects that have been mentioned throughout this paper are going to not only drive kids out of playing sports all together, they are going to hurt high school and eventually college athletics.Sport specialization is a huge force behind youth sports burnout and by age 13 you’re seeing more and more kids drop out of youth sports all together. We need to diversify the experience children are having in youth sports and get them to play different sports year round. The trend of overzealous parents is an easy fix if we just sit down with them and clarify exactly what we are looking for at the beginning of the season and continue to stress sportsmanship. We know that there are going to be those parents that can’t be controlled but maybe if we use this method we will reduce the number of outburst and control the overzealous parent.Youth sport is and alwa ys was meant to be a fun experience for children to go out play a great game and have fun with their friends. Let’s get back to those days and rebuild our youth sports programs to the fun loving carefree atmosphere they once were.Works CitedHill, Dr. Grant. â€Å"Sport Specialization: Causes and Concerns. † Utah Sport For Life | Utah Athletic Foundation. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.  http://utahsportforlife. comAdkins, Michael. â€Å"Youth Sports Issues. † EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! How To Videos & Articles. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.  http://www. ehow. comMasterson Ph. D, Gerald. â€Å"Problems in Youth Sports. † Family Resource. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.http://www. familyresource. comEmmons/ Mercury News, Mark. â€Å"Adults Hurting Youth Sports. † Ballistic United Soccer Club. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.http://www. busc. orgHedstrom, and Gould. â€Å"The Role of Parents in Childrens Sports. † College of Education – Michigan State University. Web . 28 Nov. 2010. http://www. educ. msu. edu

Ballyhoo, Prosperity and the Crash

The Great Depression which came after the Crash of 1929 changed American attitudes from optimism, something that Americans had because of the increasing flow of consumer goods and because of this new better way of life to, despair. This economic despair was the lowest and bleakest time in American history. â€Å"Factories closed, machines fell silent, and millions upon millions of people walked the streets, looking for jobs that did not exist† (750). Lasting for ten years it took over every aspect of American life.Along with this came a change in government that would give way to a Democratic majority and removed Republican hold since the 1890’s. Immigrants who had came to America before WWI took a political stance that lasted through this difficult time on through to the next generation that resulted in the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. One of the first things his office did was developing The New Deal. This would create programs of â€Å"relief, recovery, and re form that greatly increased the role of government in American life† (750) in an effort to ease suffering and begin the path for economic recovery.In order to understand what happened economically during this time a look at business and government attitudes during the 20’s should be examined. During the 20’s Republicans â€Å"used their return to power after WWI to halt further reform legislation and to establish a friendly relationship between government and business† (742). This relationship led to false beliefs in economic growth and stability. The automobile and appliance industries during this time caused a saturation of the market. This slowed sales steadily and in 1927 there was a mild recession.The owners of these industries could have raised wages or lowered prices in an effort to stimulate buying power and hold onto the â€Å"consumer-goods revolution† (750) but ignored the signs. The government could have helped by stopping installment-bu ying and slowing bank loans that could have made the depression not last as long, but didn’t. The only institution that saw a possible problem and tried to do something about it was The Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board saw problems and tried to stimulate the economy by lowering the discount rate, and charging banks less for loans.This extra credit that was given was thought to be used for re-investment but instead went into the stock market that was â€Å"touching off a new wave of speculation that obscured the growing economic slowdown and ensured a far greater crash to come† (751). Everyone jumped on the bandwagon as the 1920’s became better known as the get-rich-quick era. Millions of individuals from all the way at the top to all the way at the bottom played the stocks. Anyone with extra cash was investing heavily in the stock markets. They were betting that the huge rise in security prices would make them huge profits.Savings were used to be t on the speculative stocks. â€Å"Corporations used their large cash reserves to supply money to brokers who in turn loaned it to investors on the margin. † (751). By 1929 the whole country was in love with stock speculation. Offices open in huge numbers in city after city across America and people flocked to them in hopes of riches. This national obsession with the bull market gave a false idea that the economy was healthy and this caused a blind eye towards the mistakes that were happening that would lead to disaster.It was in October of 1929 that put the stop to this obsession of speculation stock buying. Overnight corporations and financial institutions no longer would provide capital for stock market purchases and this also made investors and bankers stop giving consumer credit. This stopped consumer buying power and leading to a sharp slope downward of sales of consumer goods economic disaster that continued for 4 years. 1932 showed a time that â€Å"unemployment had swelled to 25 percent of the work force.Steel production was down to 12 percent of capacity and the vast assembly lines in Detroit produced only a trickle of cars each day. † (751) There were many contributing factors toward the path of the Great Depression, but the single most important was that factories produced more goods than they were consuming. Some others were unstable economic conditions in Europe, the agricultural decline since 1919, corporate mismanagement and of course over speculation. Americans didn’t have the money to buy anymore.Even though most Americans didn’t have a car or a refrigerator the money just wasn’t there anymore. Too much money had gone into profits, dividends and industrial expansion. Not enough went into the hands of the workers who would become the consumer. Wages vs. factory productivity did not equal out. â€Å"Factory productivity had increased 43 percent during the decade, but the wages of industrial workers had only g one up 11 percent† (752). If all the money that was used for speculation had gone to increase wages then consumer purchasing would have gone up.This would have created a balance in production and consumption. It was only after a good look at what happened would the consumer-goods economy of America be understood. Not only did this cause a huge hardship for the population it also showed a challenge for political leadership in America. When Roosevelt took office the nation was near an economic collapse with unemployment at thirteen million. His first step was to save the banks. He drafted new legislature for banking that would help the stronger banks to reopen with government help and force the weaker banks to close.Roosevelt launched New Deal programs that would help in industrial and agricultural recovery, two of the hardest economic fields hit. This New Deal helped with immediate problems that were around in the 1930’s with programs that addressed relief in unemploymen t and destitute citizens. But in 1935 reform took the place of recovery and relief. â€Å"Roosevelt was developing a ‘broker-state’ concept of government, responding to pressures from organized elements such as corporations, labor unions, and farm groups while ignoring the needs and wants of the dispossessed who had no clear political voice† (761).This caused a major pressure for change because it did not help the average guy and was meant more for internal government change. The New Deal did have an influence on the quality of life in America, but also had some downfall. Labor unions was one influenced that changed history along with the introduction of Social Security, but the New Deal seemed to only help the more vocal and organized groups and left minorities out. But still Roosevelt’s impact on U. S.politics lead to the uplifting of the American people at a time when it was desperately needed in order to survive during a very disturbing and hard time. I don’t want to believe it was greed that caused this problem, but rather a misguided dream of the want of something better. Isn’t that the American dream? Reference: Divine, R. A. , Breen, T. H. , Fredrickson, G. M. , & Williams, R. H. (1987). America Past and Present 2nd. Ed. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company.

Lab Report on Shark Essay Example

Lab Report on Shark Essay Example Lab Report on Shark Paper Lab Report on Shark Paper New technologies can only add to information we know about previously described species. Different kinds of animals have different body coverings. Marine vertebrates include 5 major groups based on observable features including body covering, among other characteristics: * Fish have skin covered with wet scales * Amphibians have bare skin that is usually moist or wet * Reptiles have skin covered with dry scales * Birds have skin covered with feathers * Mammals have skin covered with hair (fur) OBJECTIVES 1. Learn to use digital photography for visual documentation of specimen. 2. Locate and discuss the external and internal anatomy of the cartilaginous fish. 3. Draw and identify the external and internal features. 4. Describe the function for each feature. METHODOLOGY 1 . The briefing on the experiment is given by the demonstrator. 2. The full images of the specimens and other important features are taken for identification purposes by using white slate board as the background. 3. Ruler is used as a scale. 4. A shark is dissected by the demonstrator. The external and internal features are identified. A summary on the digestive and the reproductive system of a shark is written. 5. The steps how to observe the internal anatomy off stingray is told briefly by the demonstrator. 6. The steps that have been told are followed when observing the internal organ of the stingray. 7. The organs are observed and identified, and their physiological roles are discussed. 8. All the dissection materials are washed, the dissection pan is cleaned and dried and the lab is cleared from any fluid once complete. 9. The students hands are washed thoroughly. 10. A report which using only the materials from the practical is written. RESULTS Snouts Shark Caudal fin Posterior dorsal fin Scales Anterior dorsal fin Lateral Line eye Spiracle External nards/ nostril Pelvic fin Cloacae Pectoral fin Mouth External gill slits Dissection of Bamboo shark Clappers Originate papilla Pancreas Spleen Duodenum Liver Stomach intestine Kidneys Egg case Egg yolk Rectal gland Spiral valve Placid scale of a shark EXTERNAL ORGANS ORGANS I FUNCTIONS I Mouth I The mouth used to take food and teeth in the mouth are used to hold and tear food rather than to chew it. Gills I The place where the gas exchange occurs which are the oxygenated water must always be flowing over the gill filaments for respiration to occur. I Nostril I Allow sharks to smell and detect chemical in water. Eyes I To see the presence of preys. I Scales I Used for protection against predators and aid in swimming which have a hydrodynamic function. I Fins I The cartilaginous fins are used for the stabilization. I Snouts I Function as electro receptive organ, sensitive to electric charges of prey buried in the ground. INTERNAL ORGANS ORGANS I FUNCTION I Liver I Act as the energy storage and to help keep the shark buoyant. Esophagi I Connects the mouth to the stomach. I Stomach I Food goes here after being consumed. Digestion takes place here. Heart I To pump blood throughout the sharks body. I Pancreas I Secrete the digestive enzyme. I Spleen I It acts as a salt gland, removing excess salt from the blood. I Ovary/ testes I Used in fertilization. I Intestine I Digestive tract just after the stomach. I Kidneys I Filter the excess water and excreted out the cloacae as urine. I Summary on the digestive and the reproductive system in sharks. The structures of the digestive tract are affected by many factors such as the type of food eaten, the level of activity and metabolism, and the size of the animal. The mouth and oral cavity of the shark has evolved according to the type of food the shark eats. Besides that, the shark tooth has evolved from a smooth round tooth to a sharp, serrated triangular tooth which is adapted to feeding on larger prey. Sharks have an expandable stomach to support this eating which is it can receive large quantities in one sitting. This large area for storage allows the sharks metabolism to slow down, allowing it to not have to eat for long periods of time. This is important for any species that scours the open ocean, such as the oceanic white tip shark whose food is widely scattered and whose next meal is far from certain. Furthermore, in order to survive, a shark must eat 0. -3% of its body weight, each day. Indigestible things like very large bone and non-nutritive items, are vomited due to its valve (pyloric valve) can only enters liquid mush. All sharks have a relatively short gut, which is equipped internally with a special valve structure. The valve arrangement slows down the passage of food, allowing digestion to take place more effectively and nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently. In reproductive system in sharks, their eggs are fertilized inside the females body. The male shark has clappers, extensions of the pelvic fins that are used to ranches sperm to the female and fertilize her eggs. Most sharks give birth to live young, but some release eggs that hatch later. There are three types of sharks eggs development which are oviparous, viviparous and ovoviviparous. Oviparous are the sharks that deposit eggs in the ocean and will hatch later if they are not eaten by predators as the eggs are not guarded by their parents. Besides that, in viviparous sharks are give birth to live young which is the eggs hatch inside the females body and the babies are fed by a placenta which transfers nourishment from the mother to the babies. The sharks eggs that hatch and the babies develop inside the females body but there is no placenta to nourish the pups called ovoviviparous. The pups eat any unfertile eggs and each other which is a form of sibling cannibalism. Stingray Caudal filament tail Cloacae Barb Gills Eye Heart Esophagi Gill slits Brain Eggs Gall bladder Intestine Internal organs of stingrays (picture credited to hippopotamus) DISCUSSION 1. Why are the spiracles important? Spiracles provide oxygenated blood directly to the eye and brain through a separate blood vessel which is reduced or absent in active, fast-swimming harks. 2. What does the Lateral Line do? The lateral line system is very important in monitoring depth via atmospheric pressure, allows better hunting abilities which increasing the awareness of the location and movement of prey for the predator and for preys, it helps to keep the animal aware of possible dangers and allows for schooling behavior. 3. How is the sharks digestive system different from human? The digestive system in sharks and human are different in many aspects. Firstly, during the digestion in mouth, most sharks swallowed their large quantity food into their large tomato while human must do some physical digestion by chewing them into smaller pieces. Besides that, in stomach, sharks use very strong stomach acid to break down the food that has been swallowed, while human use lower acidity to break down the food as human has started the break down process starts from the mouth. Last but not least, the digestive system occurs in the intestine where in the sharks, it is called spiral valve. Their intestines are short but have a larger surface area due to the enfolding of the inner surface while we have long intestinal tract with villa which increasing the surface area to absorb nutrients. 4. What is the largest single part of the nervous system? The largest single part of the nervous system in sharks is the brain. 5. What does optic lobe receive information from? The optic lobe receives information from the optic nerve which is from eyes. 6. What does the medulla obligate and cerebellum control? Medulla obligate is a region of the brain that controls many of the sharks spinal reflexes and homeostasis responses.

The Life of Masaccio (Art History) essays

The Life of Masaccio (Art History) essays ...It was Masaccio, the youngest of all painters who were young before during and after him who, in his few youthful years, worked the miracle of awakening in painting, breathing life into it at last real and earthy, an urgency it had never had before. Libero de Liberi. Masaccio, originally named Tommaso Giovanni di Mone, was born in San Giovanni Valdarno, near Florence on December 21,1401 and died in Rome in 1428. He was the first great painter of the Italian Renaissance, whose innovations in the use of scientific perspective introduced the modern style in painting. Masaccio joined the Florentine painters guild in 1422.His remarkably individual style was unique and owed little to other painters, although Giotto influenced him along with the stronger influences of the architect Brunelleschi, and the sculptor Donatello, who were both his contemporaries in Florence. From Brunelleschi Masaccio acquired the knowledge of mathematical proportion that was necessary to his revival of the principals of scientific perspective which is evident in one of his most acclaimed frescoes The Trinity which is housed in the Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Masaccio painted The Trinity or The Holy Trinity as it is also known, around 1427 and it is the perfect example of how he mastered the art of mathematical proportion in relation to scientific perspective because of how the chamber stands behind the scene of Jesus being crucified. The chamber turns the background into a continuation of the real world because it looks so realistic. Masaccios use of scientific perspective is projected so accurately in terms of perspective principles[Hartt, F.Pg 206], that when it was first done, Brunelleschi was held responsible for the actual painting which shows us what a powerful influence he had on Masaccio. Masaccios use of foreshortening on the rosettes on the ceiling, which were made to ...

Both vs. Neither

Both vs. Neither Both vs. Neither Both vs. Neither By Maeve Maddox The use of both where neither would be clearer and more idiomatic is fairly common, but inherently ambiguous. Take for example, â€Å"Both men were not arrested.† Is the intended meaning â€Å"neither man was arrested† or â€Å"one man was arrested, but the other wasn’t†? Here are some examples of statements that use both where neither is the better choice: Original: Both of us didnt have too good of a year (in 2013), and were seeing that in the attendance. Better : Neither of us had too good of a year (in 2013), and were seeing that in the attendance. Original: Both of us didnt  want to go to the Hospital but the fireman told us it would be best to get checked out. Better : Neither of us wanted to go to the Hospital but the fireman told us it would be best to get checked out. Original: Diaz and Felder tend to vote conservatively on social issues, so they both arent going to be happy with the abortion plank. Better : Diaz and Felder tend to vote conservatively on social issues, so neither is going to be happy with the abortion plank. Original: Trustees Michael Bubba and Eileen Albanese were also sworn in as trustees. They both have never held elected office. Better : Trustees Michael Bubba and Eileen Albanese were also sworn in as trustees. Neither has ever held elected office. In a few contexts, both + negative works: Intimacy cant happen if  both arent  present in the exchange. The core similarity between them is that both aren’t so much political parties as they are social movements. A general rule to keep in mind, however, is to avoid using both with a negative: Both Smith and Jones are the children of noted politicians. BUT Neither candidate has ever held public office. Both and neither on newspapers adults whom the scientists recruited were normal weight and generally healthy; others were overweight; and still others both overweight and diabetic. None exercised regularly. The scientists invited (www.nytimes.com) so often, the couple here present themselves as both outsiders in an elite institution and as heirs to it; as people excluded from its narratives but now possessors of (www.nytimes.com) proud of it. They had found a solution that made sense to me. Why should I stuff myself into binary gender terms when neither male nor female seemed to fit? (www.nytimes.com) sharply escalate the administration’s tariffs on Chinese imports - a threat he reiterated on Friday - shows that neither side has yet gone far enough to persuade the other to compromise. Bigger and broader tariffs may be necessary (www.nytimes.com) Video Recap Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsExcited ABOUT, not "for" Is Your Novel "Mystery," "Thriller," or "Suspense"?

Corporate citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate citizenship - Essay Example in education and earning satisfactory returns on resources drawn from the community by avoiding exploitation. This concept in many instances is taken to be a philanthropic move by companies but this is not the case. It is rather a well thought out process whose execution has followed clear business strategies. This process for the management is not that easy as they need to balance the company’s profitability goals as well as society’s needs (both in short and long-term basis). There are certain benchmarks that can be followed e.g. the Millennium Development Goals and NEPAD (Levine 2010). Companies invest huge resources towards Corporate Citizenship and it can therefore make one wonder what they stand to gain while considering on one hand that a business’ business is business and not diversion of resources to non-business ventures (Levine 2010). Businesses engage in Corporate Citizenship primarily to benefit the community in which they operate. However, this act trickles down to the business in form of; better financial performance due to marketing concept coupled with the program, lower employee turnover and higher morale, reduced regulatory supervision, customer loyalty and brand image enhancement being one of the key

PABLO PICASSO, Les Demoiselles dAvignon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PABLO PICASSO, Les Demoiselles dAvignon - Essay Example Picasso made use of different shades of color to bring out harmony within the brothel. For instance, the use of the light blue color is used to bring out the light and curtain and clothing the women are using to cover their bodies. The use of color is used in bring out the differences in the way these women look and the feel of the surrounding. The dark brown colors in some of the women shoe that they are darker than other women. While, two women behind the curtains are shown to have dark faces and this shows they are indigenous women. The colors used in the painting are a hue of light brown, brown and blue colors used to bring out the features of all the five women. These colors complement each other and they are used in perfectly showing the looks of all these women. In terms of space, Picasso did a great job in reducing the space within which the subjects of the painting were placed (Apollinaire 147). The foreground, he made use of dark colors and lighter in the middle ground while at the back, dark colors were also used. The figures of the women were modeled using different hues of light with women in the foreground having light features and those in the background having dark features. The perspective that we get from the picture is that, Picasso gives an expression of women who were standing close to one another. This is because; the light and color of all the women are nearly all the same. Picasso made of straight edged lines and cube like features to show the poor state in which the women were in (Bohm-Duchen 207). The first picture that a person gets when he sees the picture is that the artist has the intention of painting a certain scene in an enclosed room. This is because Picasso does not draw the whole room and only centers on the five women in the brothel (Apollinaire 165). Moreover, Picasso made use of two dimensional figures to

Cold War and American Contribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cold War and American Contribution - Essay Example The war had come just as the US was facing one of the greatest economic challenges ever. It had come from a great recession. The conflict that resulted spurred some economic growth. In retrospect, it led to new opportunities. The economy of the US bounced back. In addition, the country received immigrants from other nations. This was the period that saw the passing of the employment of the employment act. This was under the leadership of Truman. However, an economic uncertainty was to follow after the boom. This was expected since the economy during the cold war had not been based on the fundamentals aspects but sentimental factors. This was one of the effects of the Second World War. It divided East Germany and Berlin from the West of Berlin. Basically, the East part of German fronted different ideologies from the West in terms of political governance. The West divide was accused of harboring Nazi-like ideologies. The East fronted what was perceived to communism. The west fronted li beralism. This conflict led the east to construct the wall around Berlin. They even had watchtowers around it. The wall was later to be brought down after the collapse of communism. The war in Korea had a direct relevance to the cold war. It pitted communism against democracy. Communist thoughts were propagated by USSR together with China. Democracy was an idea of the US. South Korea adopted democracy. However, the north was a communist state which was an ally of the USSR and China. The political rift between the two neighboring states almost led to war. The tensions have been imminent even in recent times. The nuclear and arms threat at the time of the cold war led to exclusion of the North from world trades. The South prospered so much due to its open policy and promotion of liberalism. It has been argued that the period of the cold war affected North Korea the most. The country is yet to recover from the effects of the war. Question 2 Three essay questions What were the consequences of the cold war on the economic prospects of the world? What led to the end of the world cold war? Did the cold war influence the current political alignment in the world? The consequences of the Cold War on the economics prospects of the world The period of the cold war was characterized by imminent economic implications. The trade sanctions that were part of the war had dire consequences on selected economies. At the time, there are

Personal analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal analysis - Essay Example It is based on the theory of Carl Jung that the MBTI Personality types are founded. In this paper, I will discuss my personality type and how it my influence my success in achieving life goals. A critical evaluation of myself reveals that I am more of an extrovert than an introvert. I like to be with people and often find people around me. I also take great interest in people, perhaps the reason other people find me warm, sociable and interesting. While I take time alone sometimes, I spend much more of my time being with people, talking to them and trying to bring out the best in them. It hardly goes without my notice when a friend or close acquaintance is in a bad or good mood. I realise that I have the ability to â€Å"read† other people’s feelings and find it easy to understand their points of view. I find a lot of joy in being around happy people and therefore do whatever is within my power to make other people happy so that a moment is not lost in grief. I not only have a strong point in being with people but also find myself to be quite dependable. In this regard, I take my work seriously and often focus on the details maintaining warmth and energy. Perhaps it is for this reason that in many occasions I find myself being chosen as a team leader. I have what it takes to ensure that things get done the right way. I also generally like to be in control and will give my opinion without fearing, no wonder some people consider me manipulative. I find myself to be a person who respects authority and set rules. Once we agree on something with peers, friends or team-mates, I never wish to be the one to break the rule. In the same way, I always do whatever I can to be on the right side of the law and obey the rules that have been set just like I expect others to do the same. Being a Chinese lady, I have been raised in a traditional setting. In the Chinese traditional setting, women are expected to play certain gender roles. They are

Global Economic Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Economic Issues - Essay Example Financial services organizations that act in the international arena in facilitating financial flows between lenders and borrowers have to operate in a strategically competitive environment that compels them to adopt a quintessentially ideological stance which Stiglitz (2008) attributes to the predominance of the financial community’s view of the world (Lechner and Boli, 2008, p. 204). Stiglitz’s tirade against globalism and its consequences is not a one-sided affair either. Criticism of Washington Consensus, which advocates a minimum role for the government while at the same time actively encouraging privatization and trade liberalization, has not been a recent phenomenon (Stiglitz, 2003). International financial services institutions play a major role in determining the very outcomes in globalization process to such an extent that their impact is felt in the far corners of the globe in every sphere of decision making including those of the central governments’ and local bodies’. According to Stiglitz international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), have been pushing forth a particular line of â€Å"market fundamentalism† that pays little or no attention to third world countries’ diverse needs. This total irrelevancy of policies that these institutions advocate for developing countries is nothing new even in respect of those East Asian economies like South Korea and Taiwan. However these latter countries could successfully ignore the Washington dictated reformist formula and achieve a greater degree of equality among their citizens. Globalization and/or globalism particularly refer to a set of liberal economic principles that underlie the very nature of how best to expand international trade and commerce links beyond the national borders of countries (Nagdeman, 2009). While the underlying theoretical constructs basically refer to such parallel concepts as international free trade and

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 58

Leadership - Essay Example According to Polelle (2008), leaders comprise of people entrusted to come up with security laws and measures. These regulations are what the security enforcing people follow in order to ensure safety in a nation. From this aspect, it is vital that a nation has reliable leaders characterized by sound reasoning and high integrity. All security measures are highly determined by our leaders and this exhibits the importance of leadership. On personal level, a leader must have proper principles that guide them through their lives. Effective leaders also concentrate on local level by coming up with projects that are beneficial to social, economic, and political transformation of their local communities. In the year 2015, the leader who has had a great impact on me is U.S.A is president Barrack Obama. Since his election as the president, Obama has had a number of achievements. These achievements include improving the economy, enhancing human rights, and enhancing foreign relationships. Obama has sure stand out as an influential leader. Obama’s achievements are of great inspiration that demonstrates that it is possible to achieve self-actualization. It may have taken a period of time and a number of hurdles, but he demonstrated attributes of a real leader to persist until results are achieved. Shifting to the concern of security, Obama has gone to all breadths and lengths to ensure there is security in the U.S.A. In addition, he has also deployed security forces to other parts of the world that needs security enforcement. Obama’s ability to achieve great success regardless of the hurdles makes him a leader of significance influence. A community cannot survive without proper leadership within its boundaries. Leadership held by people fall at three levels of national, local and personal. One of the greatest leaders that have had significant influence in my life is Barrack Obama. Obama has stood strong in various difficult situations to

Global Economic Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Economic Issues - Essay Example Financial services organizations that act in the international arena in facilitating financial flows between lenders and borrowers have to operate in a strategically competitive environment that compels them to adopt a quintessentially ideological stance which Stiglitz (2008) attributes to the predominance of the financial community’s view of the world (Lechner and Boli, 2008, p. 204). Stiglitz’s tirade against globalism and its consequences is not a one-sided affair either. Criticism of Washington Consensus, which advocates a minimum role for the government while at the same time actively encouraging privatization and trade liberalization, has not been a recent phenomenon (Stiglitz, 2003). International financial services institutions play a major role in determining the very outcomes in globalization process to such an extent that their impact is felt in the far corners of the globe in every sphere of decision making including those of the central governments’ and local bodies’. According to Stiglitz international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), have been pushing forth a particular line of â€Å"market fundamentalism† that pays little or no attention to third world countries’ diverse needs. This total irrelevancy of policies that these institutions advocate for developing countries is nothing new even in respect of those East Asian economies like South Korea and Taiwan. However these latter countries could successfully ignore the Washington dictated reformist formula and achieve a greater degree of equality among their citizens. Globalization and/or globalism particularly refer to a set of liberal economic principles that underlie the very nature of how best to expand international trade and commerce links beyond the national borders of countries (Nagdeman, 2009). While the underlying theoretical constructs basically refer to such parallel concepts as international free trade and

Marketing in Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing in Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Marketing in Fashion" concerns the fashion marketing. Marketing research is a primary strategy used by marketers to assess the market environment and the customer-mix and to learn the customers’ needs. A shop-window provides 24-hour advertising and creates and identity for the shop. Using celebrities as models has also been a successful marketing strategy. Advertising has always been an effective marketing strategy for fashion clothing. Creating and using catchy terminology to describe fashion apparel is a recent and effective trend in fashion marketing. PR events such as press and commercial events play a significant role in fashion marketing communications. Meeting sociological needs of the people like overweight, age and utility is an emerging trend. An example is the marketing of designer clothes for plus-size women. Building customer relationships can help create new customers and keep the old ones. A well-recognised brand name is the most valuable asset of any business. This can increase customer loyalty in the short term as well as retain substantial value long term. Lastly and most importantly, assuring employees that the organisation values their input is important for the success of any campaign.Marketing fashion is a process that ensures that the products, from the producers’ hands, reach the consumers’ hands by motivating the consumer to buy the products. However, marketers cannot coerce customers into buying and this is especially true for the fashion industry as evidenced.... Lastly and most importantly, assuring employees that the organisation values their input is important for the success of any campaign. FASHION MARKETING: A CONTEMPORARY REVIEW 1. Introduction Marketing fashion is a process that ensures that the products, from the producers' hands, reach the consumers' hands by motivating the consumer to buy the products. However, marketers cannot coerce customers into buying and this is especially true for the fashion industry as evidenced by the failure of the Woolworths womenswear retail chain (Bohdanowicz & Clamp 1994, p.2). Marketers of fashion will have to consider all factors that influence the industry to ensure successful reception of products. While consumer preferences and utility would be the main factors to be considered while marketing fashion, with the increasing popularity for green products, social marketing strategies will have increased significance in fashion marketing in the coming decades. This report aims to analyse all marketing issues including those relating to the market environment, consumer behaviour and consumer relationships, marketing research, promotions like shop-window dressing, advertising, fashion shows , using celebrities as models, advertising, advertising jargons, creating brand equity, PR events, etc., sociological needs and staff involvement. Marketing tools like brochures, catalogues, press kits, look books, etc. have not been included in the report as they are routine and general, and do not have any specific use in fashion marketing in particular. 2. Market environment In the fashion industry, the external environment poses several challenges to marketing, which can be classified as

Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue Ethics Essay Virtue Ethics and the view that ethics should be wholly concerned with a person’s attributes based on the holistic theory of Aristotle and his Golden Mean, is a newly accepted theory, which looks at a person’s virtues and not their actions. It is a view that directly contrasts with the theories of Kant and Bentham, which focus on actions as opposed to the actual person making those actions. Although the deontological nature of Kant’s theory does partially contradict the teleological constitution of Bentham’s theory, they both focus on the moral decision that a person chooses to make and these theories both clash with Virtue Ethics, in respect that Virtue Ethics looks at why and what made the person make that decision. Whilst it is important to focus on the person behind the action, a more consequentialist view of ethics is a better functioning theory in today’s society due to the emphasis placed on the result of actions and the many cultures in the world, where virtuous acts would be difficult to define. In this essay, I will explore these contrasting ethical positions to prove that ethics should be more concerned with what you do than who you are. Aristotle’s theory is ultimately based on the idea of reaching eudaimonia, and this was something which, unlike the theories of Bentham and Mill, was sought for itself rather than as a means to some other end. The virtues that lead to this â€Å"happiness† are described by Aristotle to be like a habit, they should be learnt and acquired making one a better person, meaning that they will make the correct moral decisions. Using â€Å" Virtue Ethics† as an approach to life is taken up by many parents across the globe, as they act to make the child become a better person. However, one must question whether Virtue Ethics is a logical means of moral explanation as perhaps just because a person has many desirable virtues, it doesn’t certainly follow that they will make good, ethical, moral decisions. The aim of reaching Eudaimonia highlights the teleological aspect of Virtue Ethics as it is Aristotle’s GOAL for life. However whereas in consequentialism actions are taken in order to be happy, Aristotle believes that we should be happy in order to do something else. Aristotle arrived at the answer of whether an act was virtuous or not by using his â€Å"Final Cause† argument. In this, he believed that everything has a final good, which is achieved by fulfilling the purpose for which it was designed. Aristotle claimed that we all learn to have virtues that are â€Å"good† and will help us to obtain Eudaimonia. However, a major flaw of Virtue Ethics, leads from this, as Virtues are liable to change. The attributes that Aristotle valued are not necessarily what is valued in today’s society. He also talked about the doctrine of the Golden Mean. This aspect of virtue ethics is, for me, what makes it a potentially credible theory, as it takes into account human emotions, recognising that we can sometimes be extreme. This is explained by the idea of vices versus virtues, in that we should not have extremes of virtues as they are no longer â€Å"good†. However, surely this makes virtue ethics hard to follow, as there are no clear rules of what to do in a moral dilemma, instead just telling us to be a balanced person. By being a balanced person, Aristotle concludes that people will also be moral After Aristotle Virtue ethics was dismissed until Elizabeth Anscombe revived it in 1958, criticising Kant and Bentham claiming they are in their ivory tower, with theories that are not in touch with todays society. This point made by Anscombe really highlights the changeability of ethics, as ethics can change with society. The point about morals adapting to society reflects MacIntyre’s view on Virtue Ethics as he makes it more current and recognises that virtues must operate within a community for them to be â€Å"virtuous†. Contradicting Virtue Ethics are the theories that hold that ethics and morals should be based on the actions that one takes, such as the theories of Kant and Bentham. The Teleological stance on morals, taken by relativists including Bentham and Mill believe that the consequences of an action define its ‘goodness’. By doing so, relativists ensure that the focus of ethics is on the actions that are taken, which relates to todays society. An example of this is the justice system in Britain Jury’s are not interested in your attributes, or how good a person you are; if somebody has committed a crime (a bad action) then they will be punished for that. Personally, I feel that just because you are a good, virtuous person does not defy you from making unethical decisions, a view that Virtue Ethics contradicts. Unlike consequentialism, absolutism focusses on the motives for the action. By following definite rules, absolutists believe that acts are intrinsically wrong. Kant believes that all his definite rules can be universalised and followed by anybody no matter how ‘virtuous’ they are. These rules are meant to give the best moral outcome, but circumstances occur that when these rules can contradict a deep rooted moral conscience. This is shown with the example of is a murder asked you where your friend was so they could kill them, would you be obliged to tell the truth? This problem is eradicated by consequentialism as each moral issue is treated differently and circumstances, time and place are all taken into account. This is a clear advantage of relativism as opposed to absolutism, because it can change with different societies, and is accepting of other cultures. By focussing on what people do, ethics ensures that people can be held responsible for their actions. The ends of a decision are what really matters in ethics because that is what makes the change to your life, the lives of others or society. Morals need to be based on ends in order to take into account these differences. Without basing morals on ends, the same rules would have to apply to everything, all the time which wouldn’t work. Despite this strength of the teleological argument I think it needs to be interpreted with this quote in mind â€Å"when in Rome do as the Romans do†. This way, we avoid the criticism that ‘anything would go’, as within societies people would be clear on the moral guidelines, but unlike absolutism, would not feel condemned if they felt the need to break those guidelines. Virtue Ethics is a good way of life, but I dont feel that is as good for functioning in society as consequentialism.

Challenges Faced By Women In Politics Sociology Essay

Challenges Faced By Women In Politics Sociology Essay Though out history there have always been groups of people who do not feel that they are being adequately represented in modern governments, and women are one of them. Many women have experienced issues regarding whether or not their voices and opinions being heard and truly acted upon by people in political offices. As modern society continues to develop, things are beginning to become more apparent regarding the influence and ideas women have to offer in society and especially politics. Many women feel that there are not enough legislative powers adequately representing them and their voices. Men, because of their gender majority in politics, have the primary decision making when it comes to passing laws, which possibly affects more lives than they realize. There becomes a question if their views and decisions are based on their thoughts and opinions or those of whom they are supposed to be representing. When discussing such sensitive issues as abortion, which clearly relates to de cisions that should also be made by women because of their immediate relation to the subject have minimal say if any because of the unequal representation. Even though America chooses to encourage other countries to build themselves around American values, America herself seems to be falling behind the times. Yet in this male controlled political system that America has chosen to adopt, there seems to be very little change in the ability to sufficiently represent women. This problem can be resolved through more women becoming involved in the political process. Do women have a chance to overcome being head in charge. It has been said during the time when men were the bread maker and women were to be the homemakers. Women have been trying to wear the pants for centuries, whether it is as successful, career or in politics. It has always been debate about whether or not women are capable of succeeding in doing jobs that men have been doing for quite some time. There are many women now in the work force doing jobs that at one time were considered male only types of careers, jobs such as: police officers, fireman, and construction workers, even in politics. Hilary Clinton, who ran for the President of the United States, is a perfect example of modern women in the political arena. Even though she did not win the presidential race she still made her way to the White House; she is now the United States Secretary of State. Many people throughout the United States feel that she will do well with this position. My question is: What makes it hard for w omen to get the qualifying job that men hold and why is there a difference in the pay. Can a woman do the job better and get the job done equally? These are questions that many people in todays society feel need to be answered. Equality in the work place has been an issue for as long as men and women have worked together. Men and women work equally hard and get just as much accomplished as the other. Since the work is equal, the pay should be equal as well. It is seen by many that companies in the United States should be required to pay all employees equally and fairly. Obviously, pay should depend on position. If a woman works as a receptionist, she should not expect the same pay as a man in charge of system security. However, if a man and woman are in the same position, they should be paid the same. There are some jobs that women do better than men and vice versa. Companies need to realize that men and women work equally hard for their money. Often times, women work harder just to prove their equality. Instead of looking at gender, companies should look only at qualifications and how well the employee does the job. Women now are beginning to become corporate executives in businesses, and popular in the fi eld of medicine and law. Women have tried hard to push themselves forward in society to create a balanced and harmonious economy and so far it has been successful. Barriers of all kinds have been broken, well, all except a few, mainly in politics. Politicsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when one stops and thinks of the word politics what naturally comes to mind? Our founding fathers, Presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; the popular political figures of today, President Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Al Gore; and now we can think of Hilary Clinton. Is society to blame for this misconception that women do not hold important roles in government and participate in making important decisions for our country? Not really, people just dont hear or read about women in politics as often as they do about men. As most people learn throughout elementary and junior high or middle school, our nation first formed government in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson first drafted our constitution. During this time women did not have a role in government, nor would they for the next one hundred and eight years, until a woman would try to run for office. In 1884, Belva Ann Lockwood the first woman to try a case before the United States Supreme C ourt ran for Presidency (Arenofsky 14). Well, to no surprise she lost, but her groundbreaking campaign made it possible and easier for Jeannette Rankin, thirty-three years later, to run and become elected to Congress for the state of Montana. However, even with this groundbreaking experience, women were still looked down upon for their lack of experience. It wasnt until 1920 when womens suffrage ended and the nineteenth amendment to the constitution, granting women the right to vote, and those women were formally introduced into politics. However, even with voting privileges, women were still looked at as weak feeble creatures. The lack of confidence and the inability to be seen as strong-minded females who were not afraid to voice their opinion hurt the female gender immensely. It wasnt until Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, crisscrossed the country speaking about social problems and serving as the quintessential role model for the politically active fem ale that women began to witness how to present themselves with confidence (Arenofsky 14). Finally, with womens confidence on the rise and their new understanding and attitudes toward government, women were starting to attain a higher status in the political arena. The big break for women came from the decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1933 appointed Frances Perkins to the cabinet as Secretary of labor (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). However, in some magical, mysterious way, women are managing themselves quite nicely. Lets face it, there are far more white-collared, wealthy men in the United States, and in the world for that matter, than there are women. Even with women having highly paid corporate executive jobs, women still make far less than that of their male counterparts. For women, this is one of the major issues as to why government is lacking female participation. The most valid explanation for this problem is that the government controls the financial gains of women to limit their power. Looking at the facts, women make up fifty-two percent of our nations population, strange how such a big percentage of population has little representation. The thought of a government developed by males and dominated by females just does not sit well with the vast majority of higher male authority. Therefore, in order to make sure that women do not dominate, without being boldly direct about it, income levels are tampere d with. It may sound bizarre, but in Lyn Kathlenes Studying the New Voice of Women in Politics, she gives some very valid evidence that shows how women are paid in comparison to men in the same high white-collared jobs. The results are quite shocking. Kathlene shows that women are out-paid by men by nearly forty-percent for the same amount of work and jobs! The responsibilities of taking care of their home and loved ones and the lack of funds, the fight for womens dominance in government will never prevail. Does this mean Americans should just sit back and forget about the women before them who fought hard for their right to vote, to be heard, and have equality in government? Social class, status, and power are predetermined by ones gender. Within todays patriarchal society, men simply possess greater power than women, and enjoy greater access to what is valued by the social group. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). Patriarchal thought produces male dominance, and authority within multiple areas, including politics. Throughout history, governments have designed laws to maintain such divisions of power, resulting in the oppression of women. Patriarchal power relations construct sexual differences as political differences by giving legal form to the belief that women, because of their sex, are fit only to serve as wives and mothers. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). One must question how women can achieve greater influence within the male political arena if they are not viewed as equal? How are determined women attempting to change their position within society, regarding politics? Multiple changes have been made throughout history regarding the place of women in society, but are they leading towards equality? The main goal of the womens movement was basic citizenship rights for women. For decades, many of the first womens groups strived for their civil and political rights as women. Their central focus was the right to vote, and the right to run for office. The purpose was to claim a role in democratic politics. Many believed that in order to attain political goals, the right to vote was vital. Women assumed that once the right to vote was granted, equality in the eyes of males was soon to follow, along with their new influence within politics. Decades full of protests for womens rights created several political gains, as well as improvements in their status; however, inequality remained. Womens beliefs that political rights would lead to equal opportunity, were overshadowed by the reality that their inequality resulted in their lack of influence within politics. Multiple policies and laws may have been created or changed in an attempt to improve womens role in society, but economic dependence, and physical reliance on men continued as issues. Women remained underrepresented within politics, holding fewer than twenty percent of federal, and provincial elected offices in the United States. Eliminating women from political positions hindered their ability to become a valid influence within the political arena. Unequal pay, workplace harassment, and discrimination continued to plague women in the work force. Many believe that the variance between wages is due to the fact that forty-one percent of women are employed in part-tim e or temporary positions; however, those employed in full-time positions only earn seventy-three percent of what male employees make. Women occupy only twenty-two percent of the countrys highest paying jobs, but hold sixty-eight percent of the lowest paying jobs. With the lack of women in high profile positions, and the belief that women are not as valuable as men, they continue to provide no bearing on the political aspects of society. Women continue to receive less in our patriarchal society. Women have less political power, fewer economic resources, less security, and lower status that do men. (Gurirab, T., Cayetano, P. (2010). This continues regardless of decades dedicated to movements for womens rights, and lobbying for policies designed to alter womens status in society. For those women who are poor, immigrant, Native, or disabled, they find themselves even more inferior than other women. Therefore, the question remains, are women equal? Simply stated, they are not equal. Women continue to fight for liberal democratic political power. Their gender continues to play a role in how society will view them, as well as their position. For centuries, power has been allotted to men, which continues to this day. Few women possess great political power due to the difficulties of obtaining customary equality within society. In a world where men rule, how is a woman able to gain great authority, and step into the political spot light? In a society where women are viewed as insignificant, how are they to influence political decision makers? The law has granted women a voice within politics; however, it remains weak and inaudible. In order for women to increase their influence in politics, they must first become equal with men. Until then, they will be viewed as inferior; therefore, not requiring influence in politics. Gradually women are gaining more power, and prestige in society. Soon, the number in high-paying jobs will increase, creating a less economically dependent gender. As women strive for these changes, men, especially politicians, will be forced to take notice. As power for women intensifies, so will their influence in politics. As the voice for womens rights grows, so will their equality; therefore, leveling out the playing field in the political arena for both men, and women. Society needs to realize that this is the dawn of a new century and the role of the female should indeed be reevaluated. Women are equal to men, and should have the same opportunities as men. Women follow rules and are fair too. Women can cooperate with the government. Women can make good choices, and effective speeches. Most people say, Well what about their kids? Think about it. Men are responsible for their kids just as much as women are. A woman wont run president if she has 3 year olds and needs to stay with them. Shell run when she gets older because her kids will be older. I hope people will change their minds and give them a chance, because theyre there to do their jobs. I hope that one day I can live to see a woman president.

The Nursing Career :: Co-op Placement Nursing Career Work

The Nursing Career   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was in a hospital for my co-op placement, I chose this because I was considering nursing as my chosen career path. For this reason, I have researched the nursing career. I have spent many hours in this setting and feel that I have a pretty good understanding as to what goes on day to day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before choosing to become a nurse, one must first examine themselves and look to see if they have the right qualities for this demanding job. Some qualities are such; caring, compassion, a strong desire and willingness to help those in need, patience, honesty and above all, good health. You need strength for such duties as lifting patients to and from bathroom facilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to become a licensed nurse, one could take a three year course at a college, or a four year program at a university. Even though the starting salary and job requirements are the same whether a graduate from college or a university, with a degree one is able to further their placement and a possible pay increase is more likely. There has, and continues to be, a very high demand for nurses all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After talking with an actual nurse I was able to see more closely the actual duties of this job. The work hours are 40 hour weeks. There are many shift hours there as well. Working in a hospital requires 24 hour responsibilities, so many of the nurses may have to rotate to afternoon, midnight or weekend shifts. Duties of the job are varied, depending on the area of the hospital you work in. In outpatient area, the nurse assists with obtaining pre-operative information, takes vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature) and obtains patient?s medical history. The nurse then has to prepare the equipment for procedures to be done, and may have to assist the doctor with the procedure. Afterwards,the nurse assesses the patient taking blood pressure, pulse, etc. until the patient is stable enough to be discharged home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the floor the nurse has various duties. She takes reports from the previous shifts, assesses patients, gives medication, performs procedures give treatments and sees the patients with the doctors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All hospitals in Windsor are unionized. The nurses hired are given a 90 day trial period and after that time the nurse is approaching to join the union. Salaries are paid hourly, starting at around 20 dollars an hour and ranging to 26 per hour.

On the Meaning of Life †John Cottingham Essay

What is our relationship with the universe – who are we and how did we come to be seems to be the ultimate question of the meaning of life. This question has always sparked powerful debates between the views of the religious and modern science. Many believe this topic is a one-sided issue where these views cannot co-exist with one another, either one’s a theist, believing in God as the soul creator and ruler of the universe or an atheist, disbelieving of a supreme being or beings. But in actuality, modern science does not count against the nature of a divine creator behind the universe. So as modern science offers an account of how things happened, religious beliefs account for a certain aspect of â€Å"why,† aiming towards finding significance and value. In On The Meaning of Life, John Cottingham argues in order to have meaning, you must not eliminate one theory from the other; modern science and religion must co-exist together. First, what’s the meaning of modern science, and why does it contribute to the meaning of life? Philosopher Rene Descartes believed in mechanism, a theory holding that organisms are machines in the sense that they are material systems, therefore explains biological processes, within the framework of science. In order to discover a fundamental set of principles that is â€Å"based ultimately on the universal laws of mathematical physics that governed the behavior of all natural phenomena, celestial and terrestrial alike,† (6) Descartes banish teleology (any system attempting to explain a series of events in terms of ends, goals, or purposes) from science. He believed in order to conceive this unified theory there was no room for purposiveness, and since this universal law was made of mathematical physics, â€Å"there was no attainable answer to the question why† (6). But Cottingham thinks if we were to achieve and complete a [super-theory linking gravity and quantum physics] together to answer the ultimate question, we still would [fall short of explaining why there should be a universe at all]. Cottingham’s belief is acceptable because if this super-theory was completed, that included all observable phenomena in the universe, this theory still would not answer the question to â€Å"why is it so. † This is where science has reached its limits. Religion takes off of where science can no longer be held accountable to the meaning of life. Why should there be a universe there to explain? Unlike the language of science, religious language â€Å"grapples with the task of addressing what cannot be fully captured by even the most complete scientific account of the phenomenal world† (8). Instead of finding significance in terms of physical quantities and mechanical interactions, religious language reflects on the universes power, beauty, rhythm, and harmony. Therefore, religious discourse pushes the limits of the observable, towards uncovering something beyond the phenomenal world, in hopes of giving meaning to the universe and to our human lives. Cottingham believes religion â€Å"adds a framework within which that nature is revealed as more than just a set of characteristics†¦ encourages us with the hope that the pursuit of virtue†¦ contributes to the establishment of moral order that the cosmos was created to realize† (72). In other words, the religious perspective offers a possibility for human purposeness by providing a powerful focus on moral goodness. Religious discourse is important because since science accounts for how the universe and humans were made. We feel that we are thrown into this world where nothing ultimately matters, but religion offers hope, value and significance towards life. After examining the different aspects modern science and religion brings to the ultimate question, Cottingham urges to combine the language of science and religion together in order to have meaning. Cottingham states â€Å"in strict logic there is nothing to prevent such a purely mechanical system (of efficient causality) coexisting with a purposive system (of final causality)† (48). Therefore we must not eliminate the possibility of the two systems (modern science and religion) existing together. Philosopher Leibniz’s envisioned a world of spiritual purposes functioning in harmony with the world of physical mechanisms. This is also known as blind mechanical systems, â€Å"whose outputs, at the same time, constitute the purpose planning and doings of conscious agents† (48). Believing mechanisms and purposes could together provide an instance in support of the ultimate question of the universe. In addition, Spinoza had a parallel vision to Leibniz. He believed the universe of physical mechanisms (under the attribute of extension) exactly corresponds to spiritual ideas linking meaning and purpose to a willed creator (under the attribute of thought). Thus, we are dealing with [one and the same thing but expressed in two ways]. This showed Cottingham that since there has been no evidence to favor modern science of being the explanation of a divine nature, it does not logically eliminate the possibility of a divine creator of its meaning. So where science accounts for our human nature and origin, saying we have no ultimate significance, spirituality offers human life a sense of value. Darwin’s theory of natural selection opposes the possibility of linking modern science and religion together in one system. In order to get a sense of what threatens the framework of religion, this is the standard account of our human nature and origin: About fourteen billion years ago, the cosmos†¦including matter, radiation, space and time somehow began, exploding from a tiny concentration of matter-space energy†¦gravitational effects caused matter to clump into hydrogen masses†¦fusing into helium. Explosions caused new heavier elements, which formed into plants. On at least one planet, a self-replicating molecule arose†¦evolved into living organisms, which diversified into all kinds of plants, animals, microbes etc. , all solely as a result of natural selection. After millions of years one such species became intelligent. Man is a product of these blind forces. The main conclusion from this theory is that the universe and everything in it is a result of natural selection, including humans therefore Nottingham presumes â€Å"there is no ultimate significance to the universe or to human life,† (42) throwing out the idea of any religious significance. Darwin believed that human origin came from a purely accidental chain of blind natural forces. His view gave no choice or purposiveness in the divine nature, because everything was an entirely impersonal process. But Cottingham argues although this discovery has been scientifically accounted for, it is based on interwoven interpretation, an â€Å"interpretation that goes far beyond the truths and hypotheses that pertain strictly to the natural science† (43). And that viewing religious thought as something able to be replaced by modern science is strictly a metathesis â€Å"-a claim that operates at one remove from the claims of science itself† (43). As a result, Darwin’s theory cannot be taken very seriously because the standard account of human nature and origin is dependent on interwoven interpretation that has exceeded far from the fundamental principles of science. In essence, in order to account for the meaning of life, one must not choose modern science over religion or religion over modern science. Having one theory over the other does not manifest to the ultimate question of the meaning of life. Instead, we must link the two frameworks, divine nature and creator into a unified system. In Cottinghams words, we â€Å"must leave the door open for the theist as indeed it does for the atheist. † For where modern science can be longer contribute its findings to the meaning of life, religious language ascends from it bringing significance and value to human life. Beckie Chung Dreaming of the Earth 4 November, 2007 Cottingham, John. On The Meaning of Life. New Fetter Lane: Routledge, 2003.

Discuss the Types of Unemployment and the Benefits of Controlling It In the UK Essay

Unemployment is the number of people out of work who are actively seeking employment at the current wage rates. To be actively seeking work you must be of working age: 16-64 for males and 16-59 for females and not economically inactive. That means you cannot be in full time education, be on a training scheme, have retired early or be raising children at home. To measure unemployment in the UK the government uses two methods to quantify the rate. The first is the Labour Force Survey, in a monthly survey of a sample of households representing the entire population. The surveys are based on the activities of each person of working age in the households, within a one week period. A person who did any work during that week for pay or profit, worked 15 hours or more as an unpaid worker in a family business, or had a job from which he or she was temporarily absent, is counted as employed. A person who was not working but was looking for work or was on a temporary lay-off and available to take a job is counted as unemployed. The second is the claimant count, where the governments collect figures on the number of people claiming unemployment benefits from the DSS. This second method often gives lower values as they is likely to be many people who do not except the benefits, purely on principal or because they do not need the extra cash. There are five main types of unemployment which all affect the economy in different ways. These are cyclical or demand deficient unemployment, frictional unemployment, seasonal unemployment and structural unemployment. The first of these, cyclical or demand deficient unemployment is based around what will happen to demand in a recession. When the economy goes into a recession there is a rise in unemployment as there is insufficient demand within the economy. This is really only a short term cause to unemployment, because when in recession the economy is in disequilibrium. However macroeconomic forces will work to restore the economy to its long run equilibrium, however in the short run there will be unemployment. In a recession the demand curve will shift left to D2. With the wage rate remaining constant at W in the short term there will be unemployment of GE created. In response macroeconomic forces will cause one of two changes. Either the economy will move out of recession, causing the demand curve to shift right and back to the equilibrium point of W , E. Else if the economy stays in recession the forces will cause the wage rate to drop to Y and cause the number of workers employed to rise to F. However as the economy moves out of recession the demand curve will shift right, causing the economy to move back towards its equilibrium at W , E. The second types of unemployment, frictional unemployment is the term used to define workers who have recently lost a job and are in short term unemployment until they find further employment. There is always turnover of labour in a free market, so frictional unemployment is not regarded as a major problem. Seasonal unemployment is when workers work within an industry that only requires them to be employed at certain times of the year. For example in the tourist industry workers tend to work in the summer, but are then laid off in autumn months before taking up their jobs again the next spring. There is very little that can be done to prevent seasonal unemployment in a market where the demand for labour varies throughout the year. Structural unemployment is when the demand for labour is less than the supply in an individual labour market. There are three main examples of this. Regional unemployment, where different areas of the country have different rates of unemployment and because of a lack of factor mobility, labour is not able to freely move between regions and balance unemployment. Sectoral unemployment is when workers from one industry are unable to adapt to a different industry, therefore not being able to follow the changes in demand. Finally if technological unemployment, where technology advances and replaces manual labour, therefore without retraining workers would not have the skills to operate these machines and therefore would not be suitable for the demand of labour. Controlling the rate of unemployment in the UK is going to be a key element in the performance of the UK economy. The rate of unemployment is directly related to real GDP. So in both the short run and the long run if the economy is to grow then unemployment most be controlled. The rate of unemployment will also determine the kind of policy the government will have in place to boost the economy, although this is also based on the type of government in power. The current labour government are Keynesian economists and believe that in the long run there may be mass unemployment. They also use fiscal policy, which is a demand side policy. So their economic goals will depend a lot on the long term unemployment levels that are predicted. If the government are predicting a period of sustained unemployment they are likely to be aiming at lowering inflation. Whereas if they predict full employment they can aim for increased GDP. Because of the shape of the long run aggregate supply curve, both these goals can be achieved without altering any other elements of the economy. To lower inflation the demand function would need to be shifted left. This could be achieved by an increase in the National Insurance contributions of workers. This would cause more of people’s income being taken in taxation leaving them with less money to spend on goods and services, which would cause a decrease in the total demand in the economy. To help increase economic growth the total demand in the economy would need to be increased. This would need a shift left in the demand function, which could be caused by a fall in interest rates. This would cause more people to borrow money and less to save, leaving more money in the economy which will increase the demand for goods and services. If unemployment can be kept low then the costs of unemployment are minimised as well. Not only do the government have to spend less on unemployment benefits but also have less trouble with crime and vandalism, which will also save them valuable money. Also everyone will have more money to spend, not only the previous unemployed, but also previous taxpayers as the government will require less money from them. This will increase total money in the economy and cause the aggregate demand to shift right, which will cause the growth of the economy to increase. So sustainable unemployment is good for the economy as it enables the government to set goals and work towards them around the long term predictions for unemployment rates. This is only an option if unemployment is kept in a boundary. Else if it is too fluctuated then it is hard to judge what the government will need to do from one day to the next. However controlling unemployment may not always be a good thing. For example because unemployment is directly related to economic growth, if you are controlling unemployment then you are also controlling economic growth. This will not be a good thing as the economy is at its most efficient when economic growth is climbing at a rate constant to the economy, not controlled by the government.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 13

Thirteen Breakfast Somehow, through the night, the residents of Pine Cove, especially those who had been withdrawing from antidepressants, found a satisfied calm had fallen over them. It wasn't that their anxiety was gone, but rather that it ran off their backs like warm rain off a naked toddler who has just dis-covered the splash and magic of mud. There was joy and sex and danger in the air – and a euphoric need to share. Morning found many of them herding at the local restaurants for breakfast. Gathering together like wildebeests in the presence of a pride of lions, knowing instinctively that only one of them is going to fall to the fang: the one that is caught alone. Jenny Masterson had been waiting tables at H.P.'s Cafe for twelve years, and she couldn't remember a day out of the tourist season when it had been so busy. She moved between her tables like a dancer, pouring coffee and decaf, taking orders and delivering food, catching the odd request for more butter or salsa, and snatching up a dirty plate or glass on her way back to the window. No movement wasted, no customer ignored. She was good – really good – and sometimes that bugged the hell out of her. Jenny was just forty, slender and fair-skinned with killer legs and long auburn hair that she wore pinned up when she worked. With her husband Robert, she owned Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines, but after three months of trying to work with the man she loved and after the birth of her daughter Amanda, who was five, she returned to waitressing to save her marriage and her sanity. Somewhere between college and today, she had become a bull moose waitress, and she never ceased to wonder how in the hell that had happened. How had she become the repository for local information bordering on gossip, and how had she become so damn good at picking up her customers' conversations, and following them as she moved around the restaurant? Today the restaurant was full of talk about Mikey Plotznik, who had disappeared along his paper route the day before. There was talk of the search and speculation on the kid's fate. At a few of her two-tops were seated couples who seemed intent on reliving their sexual adventures from the night before and – if the pawing and fawning were any indication – were going to resume again after breakfast. Jenny tried to tune them out. There was a table of her old-guy coffee drinkers, who were trading misinformation on politics and lawn care; at the counter a couple of construction workers intent on putting in a rare Saturday's work read the paper over bacon and eggs; and over in the corner, Val Riordan, the local shrink, was scribbling notes on a legal pad at a table all by herself. That was unusual. Dr. Val didn't normally make appearances in Pine Cove during the day. Stranger than that, Estelle Boyet, the seascape painter, was having her tea with a Black gentleman who looked as if he would jump out of his skin at the slightest touch. Jenny heard some commotion coming from the register and turned to see her busgirl arguing with Molly Michon, the Crazy Lady. Jenny made a beeline for the counter. â€Å"Molly, you're not supposed to be in here,† Jenny said calmly but firmly. Molly had been eighty-sixed for life after she had attacked H.P.'s espresso machine. â€Å"I just need to cash this check. I need to get some money to buy medicine for a sick friend.† The busgirl, a freshman at Pine Cove High, bolted into the kitchen, tossing â€Å"I told her† over her shoulder as she went. Jenny looked at the check. It was from the Social Security Administration and it was above the amount she was allowed to accept. â€Å"I'm sorry, Molly, I can't do it.† â€Å"I have photo ID.† Molly pulled a videotape out of her enormous handbag and plopped it on the counter. There was a picture of a half-naked woman tied between two stakes on the cover. The titles were in Italian. â€Å"That's not it, Molly. I'm not allowed to cash a check for that much. Look, I don't want any trouble, but if Howard sees you in here, he'll call the police.† â€Å"The police are here† came a man's voice. Jenny looked up to see Theophilus Crowe towering behind Molly. â€Å"Hi, Theo.† Jenny liked Theo. He reminded her of Robert before he had quit drinking – semitragic but good-natured. â€Å"Can I help here?† â€Å"I really need to get some money,† Molly said. â€Å"For medicine.† Jenny shot a look to the corner, where Val Riordan looked up from her notes with an expression of dread on her face. The psychiatrist obviously didn't want to be brought into this. Theo took the check gently from Molly and looked at it, then said to Jenny, â€Å"It's a government check, Jenny. I'm sure it's good. Just this once? Medicine.† He winked at Jenny from behind Molly's back. â€Å"Howard will kill me when he sees it. Every time he looks at the espresso machine, he mutters something about spawn of evil.† â€Å"I'll back you up. Tell him it was in the interest of public safety.† â€Å"Oh, okay. You're lucky we're busy today and I have the cash to spare.† Jenny handed Molly a pen. â€Å"Just endorse it.† Molly signed the check with a flourish and handed it over. Jenny counted out the bills on the counter. â€Å"Thanks,† Molly said. Then to Theo, â€Å"Thanks. Hey, you want a collector's edition of Warrior Babes?† She held the videotape out to him. â€Å"Uh, no thanks, Molly. I can't accept gratuities.† Jenny craned her neck to look at the cover of the tape. â€Å"It's in Italian, but you can figure it out,† Molly said. Theo shook his head and smiled. â€Å"Okay,† Molly said. â€Å"Gotta go.† She turned and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Theo staring at her back. â€Å"I guess she really was in movies,† Jenny said. â€Å"Did you see the picture on the cover?† â€Å"Nope,† Theo said. â€Å"Amazing. Did she look like that?† Theo shrugged. â€Å"Thanks for taking her check, Jenny. I'll find a seat. Just some coffee and an English muffin.† â€Å"Any luck finding the Plotznik kid?† Theo shook his head as he walked away. Gabe Skinner barked once to warn the Food Guy that he was about to collide with the crazy woman, but it came a little too late and, as usual, the dense but good-hearted Food Guy didn't get the message. Skinner had finally talked the Food Guy into stopping work and going to get something to eat. Catching rats and hiking around in the mud was fun, but eating was important. Gabe, covered with mud to the knees and burrs to the shoulder, was head down, digging in his backpack for his wallet as he approached H.P.'s Cafe. Coming out, Molly was counting her money, not looking at all where she was going. She heard Skinner bark just as they conked heads. â€Å"Ouch, excuse me,† Gabe said, rubbing his head. â€Å"I wasn't watching where I was going.† Skinner took the opportunity to sniff Molly's crotch. â€Å"Nice dog,† Molly said. â€Å"Did he produce B movies in his last life?† â€Å"Sorry.† Gabe grabbed Skinner by the collar and pulled him away. Molly folded her money and stuffed it into the waistband of her tights. â€Å"Hey, you're the biologist, huh?† â€Å"That's me.† â€Å"How many grams of protein in a sow bug?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"A sow bug. You know, roly-polies, pill bugs – gray, lotsa legs, designed to curl up and die?† â€Å"Yes, I know what a sow bug is.† â€Å"How many grams of protein in one?† â€Å"I have no idea.† â€Å"Could you find out?† â€Å"I suppose I could.† â€Å"Good,† Molly said. â€Å"I'll call you.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Bye.† Molly ruffled Skinner's ears as she walked off. Gabe stood there for a second, distracted from his research for the first time in thirty-six hours. â€Å"What the hell?† Skinner wagged his tail to say, â€Å"Let's eat.† Dr. Val Val Riordan watched the lanky constable coming through the restaurant toward her. She wasn't ready to be official, that's why she'd taken herself out to breakfast in the first place – that and she didn't want to face her as-sistant Chloe and her newfound nymphomania. She was months, no, years behind on her professional journals, and she'd packed a briefcase full of them in hope of skimming a few over coffee before her appointments began. She tried to hide behind a copy of Pusher: The American Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacological Practice, but the constable just kept coming. â€Å"Dr. Riordan, do you have a minute?† â€Å"I suppose.† She gestured to the chair across from her. Theo sat down and dove right in. â€Å"Are you sure that Bess Leander never said anything about problems with her marriage? Fights? Joseph coming home late? Anything?† â€Å"I told you before. I can't talk about it.† Theo took a dollar out of his pocket and slid it across the table. â€Å"Take this.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I want you to be my therapist. I want the same patient confidentiality that you're giving Bess Leander. Even though that privilege isn't supposed to extend beyond the grave. I'm hiring you as my therapist.† â€Å"For a dollar? I'm not a lawyer, Constable Crowe. I don't have to accept you as a patient. And payment has nothing to do with it.† Val was willing him to go away. She had tried to bend people to her will since she was a child. She'd spoken to her therapist about it during her residency. Go away. â€Å"Fine, take me as a patient. Please.† â€Å"I'm not taking any new patients.† â€Å"One session, thirty seconds long. I'm your patient. I promise you'll want to hear what I have to say in session.† â€Å"Theo, have you ever addressed, well, your substance abuse problem?† It was a snotty and unprofessional thing to say, but Crowe wasn't exactly being professional either. â€Å"Does that mean I'm your patient?† â€Å"Sure, okay, thirty seconds.† â€Å"Last night I saw Joseph Leander engaging in sexual relations with a young woman in the park.† Theo folded his hands and sat back. â€Å"Your thoughts?† Jenny couldn't believe she'd heard it right. She hadn't meant to, she was just delivering an English muffin when the gossip bomb hit her unprepared. Bess Leander, not even cold in the grave, and her straitlaced Presbyterian husband was doing it with some bimbo in the park? She paused as if checking her tables, waited for a second, then slid the muffin in front of Theo. â€Å"Can I bring you anything else?† â€Å"Not right now,† Theo said. Jenny looked at Val Riordan and decided that whatever she needed right now was not on the menu. Val was sitting there wide-eyed, as if someone had slapped her with a dead mackerel. Jenny backed away from the table. She couldn't wait for Betsy to come in to relieve her for the lunch shift. Betsy always waited on Joseph Leander when he came in the cafe and made comments about him being the only guy with two children who had never been laid. She'd be blown away. Betsy, of course, already knew. Gabe Gabe tied Skinner up outside and entered the cafe to find all the tables oc-cupied. He spotted Theophilus Crowe sitting at a four-top with a woman that he didn't know. Gabe debated inviting himself to their table, then de-cided it would be better to approach Theo under the pretense of a rat news update and hope for an invitation. Gabe pulled his laptop out of his shoulder bag as he approached the table. â€Å"Theo, you won't believe what I found out last night.† Theo looked up. â€Å"Hi, Gabe. Do you know Val Riordan? She's our local psychiatrist.† Gabe offered his hand to the woman and she took it without looking away from his muddy boots. â€Å"Sorry,† Gabe said. â€Å"I've been in the field all day. Nice to meet you.† â€Å"Gabe's a biologist. He has a lab up at the weather station.† Gabe was feeling uncomfortable now. The woman hadn't said a word. She was attractive in a made-up sort of way, but she seemed a little out of things, stunned perhaps. â€Å"I'm sorry to interrupt. We can talk later, Theo.† â€Å"No, sit down. You don't mind, do you, Val? We can finish our session later. I think I still have twenty seconds on the books.† â€Å"That's fine,† Val said, seeming to come out of her haze. â€Å"Maybe you'll be interested in this,† Gabe said. He slipped into an empty chair and pushed his laptop in front of Val. â€Å"Look at this.† Like many sci-entists, Gabe was oblivious to the fact that no one gave a rat's ass about research unless it could be expressed in terms of dollars. â€Å"Green dots?† Val said. â€Å"No, those are rats.† â€Å"Funny, they look like green dots.† â€Å"This is a topographical map of Pine Cove. These are my tagged rats. See the divergence? These ten that didn't move the other night when the others did?† Val looked to Theo for an explanation. â€Å"Gabe tracks rats with microchips in them,† Theo said. â€Å"It's only one of the things I do. Mostly, I count dead things on the beach.† â€Å"Fascinating work,† Val said with no attempt to hide her contempt. â€Å"Yeah, it's great,† Gabe said. Then to Theo, â€Å"Anyway, these ten rats didn't move with the others.† â€Å"Right, you told me this. You thought they might be dead.† â€Å"They weren't, at least the six of them that I found weren't. It wasn't death that stopped them, it was sex.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I live-trapped twenty of the group of rats that moved, but when I went to find the group that hadn't, I didn't have to trap them. There were three pairs, all engaged in coitus.† â€Å"So what made the others move?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"But the other ones were, uh, mating?† â€Å"I watched one pair for an hour. They did it a hundred and seventeen times.† â€Å"In an hour? Rats can do that?† â€Å"They can, but they don't.† â€Å"But you said they did.† â€Å"It's an anomaly. But all three pairs were doing it. One of the females had died and the male was still going at her when I found them.† Theo's face was becoming strained with the effort of trying to figure out what in the hell Gabe was trying to tell him, and why he was telling him in the first place. â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I have no idea,† Gabe said. â€Å"I don't know why there was a mass evacuation of the large group, and I don't know why the smaller group stayed in one place copulating.† â€Å"Well, thanks for sharing.† â€Å"Food and sex,† Gabe said. â€Å"Maybe you should eat something, Gabe.† Theo signaled for the waitress. â€Å"What do you mean, food and sex?† Val asked. â€Å"All behavior is related to obtaining food and sex,† Gabe said. â€Å"How Freudian.† â€Å"No, Darwinian, actually.† Val leaned forward and Gabe caught a whiff of her perfume. She actually seemed interested now. â€Å"How can you say that? Behavior is much more complex than that.† â€Å"You think so?† â€Å"I know so. And whatever this is, this radio rat study of yours proves it.† She swiveled the screen of the laptop so they all could see it. â€Å"You have six rats that were engaged in sex, but if I have this straight, you have, well, a lot of rats that just took off for no reason at all. Right?† â€Å"There was a reason, I just don't know it yet.† â€Å"But it wasn't food and it obviously wasn't sex.† â€Å"I don't know yet. I suppose they could have been exposed to television violence.† Theo was sitting back and watching now, enjoying two people with three decades of education between them puffing up like schoolyard bullies. â€Å"I'm a psychiatrist, not a psychologist. Our discipline has moved more toward physiological causes for behavior over the last thirty years, or hadn't you heard?† Val Riordan was actually grinning now. â€Å"I'm aware of that. I'm having the brain chemistry worked up on animals from both groups to see if there's a neurochemical explanation.† â€Å"How do you do that again?† Theo asked. â€Å"You grind up their brains and analyze the chemicals,† Gabe said. â€Å"That's got to hurt,† Theo said. Val Riordan laughed. â€Å"I only wish I could diagnose my patients that way. Some of them anyway.† Val Val Riordan couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself, but she suspected it was when she'd attended the Neiman-Marcus sale in San Francisco two years ago. Food and sex indeed. This guy was so naive. But still, she hadn't seen anyone so passionate about pure research since med school, and it was nice to think about psychiatry in terms other than finan-cial. She found herself wondering how Gabe Fenton would look in a suit, after a shower and a shave, after he'd been boiled to kill the parasites. Not bad, she thought. Gabe said, â€Å"I can't seem to identify any outside stimulus for this behavior, but I have to eliminate the possibility that it's something chemical or envir-onmental. If it's affecting the rats, it might be affecting other species too. I've seen some evidence of that.† Val thought about the wave of horniness that seemed to have washed over all of her patients in the last two days. â€Å"Could it be in the water, do you think? Something that might affect us?† â€Å"Could be. If it's chemical, it would take longer to affect a mammal as large as a human. You two haven't seen anything unusual in the last few days, have you?† Theo nearly spit his coffee out. â€Å"This town's a bug-house.† â€Å"I'm not allowed to talk about my patients specifically,† Val said. She was shaken. Of course there was some weird behavior. She'd caused it, hadn't she, by taking fifteen hundred people off of their medication at once? She had to get out of here. â€Å"But in general, Theo is right.† â€Å"I am?† Theo said. â€Å"He is?† Gabe said. Jenny had returned to the table to fill their coffees. â€Å"Sorry I overheard, but I'd have to agree with Theo too.† They all looked at her, then at each other. Val checked her watch. â€Å"I've got to get to an appointment. Gabe, I'd like to hear the results of the brain chemistry test.† â€Å"You would?† â€Å"Yes.† Val put some money on the table and Theo picked it up and handed it back to her, along with the dollar he'd put there earlier for her fee. â€Å"I need to talk to you about that other matter, Val.† â€Å"Call me. I don't know if I can help though. Bye.† Val left the cafe actually looking forward to seeing her patients, if for no other reason than to imagine grinding up each of their brains. Anything to address the responsibility of driving an entire town crazy. But perhaps by driving them a little crazy, she could save some of them from self-destruction: not a bad reason for going to work. Gabe â€Å"I've got to go too,† Theo said, standing up. â€Å"Gabe, should I have the county test the water or something? I have to go into San Junipero to the county building today anyway.† â€Å"Not yet. I can do a general toxins and heavy metals test. I do them all the time for the frog population studies.† â€Å"You wanna walk out with me?† â€Å"I have to order something to go for Skinner.† â€Å"Didn't you say that you had ten rats that diverged from the pack?† â€Å"Yes, but I could only find six.† â€Å"What happened to the other four?† â€Å"I don't know. They just disappeared. Funny, these chips are nearly indestructible too. Even if the animals are dead, I should be able to pick them up with the satellites.† â€Å"Out of range maybe?† â€Å"Not a chance, the coverage is over two hundred miles. More if I look for them.† â€Å"Then where did they go?† â€Å"They last showed up down by the creek. Near the Fly Rod Trailer Court.† â€Å"You're kidding. That's where the Plotznik kid was last seen.† â€Å"You want to see the map?† â€Å"No, I believe you. I've got to go.† Theo turned to leave. Gabe caught him by the shoulder. â€Å"Theo, is, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† â€Å"Is Val Riordan single?† â€Å"Divorced.† â€Å"Do you think she likes me?† Theo shook his head. â€Å"Gabe, I understand. I spend too much time alone too.† â€Å"What? I was just asking.† â€Å"I'll see you.† â€Å"Hey, Theo, you look, uh, well, more alert today.† â€Å"Not stoned, you mean?† â€Å"Sorry, I didn't mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay, Gabe. Thanks, I think.† â€Å"Hang tough.† Jenny As Jenny passed Estelle Boyet's table, she heard the old Black gentleman say, â€Å"We don't need to tell nobody nothin'. Been fifty years since I seen that thing. It probably done gone back to the sea.† â€Å"Still,† Estelle said, â€Å"there's a little boy missing. What if the two are connected?† â€Å"Ain't nobody ever called you a crazy nigger, did they?† â€Å"Not that I can remember.† â€Å"Well, they have me. For some twenty years after I talked about that thing the last time. I ain't sayin' nothin' to no one. It's our secret, girl.† â€Å"I like it when you call me girl,† Estelle said. Jenny went off to the kitchen, trying to put the morning together in her mind, pieces of conversations as surreal as a Dali jigsaw puzzle. There was definitely something going on in Pine Cove.