Ben Wyatt s Wife And Parks And Recreation Essay - 1729 Words

â€Å"Ben Wyatt’s wife† and Parks and Recreation In the television series Parks and Recreation, feminism is an underlying theme, it’s a one liner, or it’s in the background. But, in season seven, episode nine- â€Å"Pie-Mary,† feminism, sexism and gender inequality are all front and center. This episode centers around Leslie and Ben (who is running to be a congressman) and their decision to skip the â€Å"Pie-Mary,† a pie baking contest between candidates wives, because their agenda is already so full. The backlash is both immediate and plentiful from various groups. The story highlights the ridiculous amount of sexism and double standards women, especially those who are in positions of power, face. While the protagonists, Leslie and Ben, challenge gender stereotypes and are well rounded individuals, the antagonists represent an anti-feminist/sexist ideology, relevant to society today. While both â€Å"traditional values† and â€Å"men’s rights activists† are laughably dismissed, feminism is championed in this episode with direct quotes from protagonists. By challenging gender norms, ridiculing opposers of feminism and holding feminism in high regard, the episode promotes the stride toward gender equality as the necessary and right thing to do. The show’s writers Amy Poehler, Greg Schur, and Mike Daniel’s side is quite clear and intentional. Leslie doesn t embody the typical â€Å"candidate s-wife† stereotype of not being much more than an arm piece or a symbol of family values, which she pointsShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesmoney From multiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experienced

Descriptive Essay The Owner Of Yoshiwara - 1442 Words

The proprietor of Yoshiwara used to earn money in a variety of ways. One of them, and quite positively the most harmless, was to make bets that no man, be he ever so widely travelled, was capable of guessing to what weird mixture of races he owed his face. So far, he had won all such bets, and would sweep in the money with hands of such cruel beauty they would not have shamed an ancestor of the Spanish Borgias, the nails of which showed an inobliterable shimmer of blue. On the other hand, the politeness of his smile on such profitable occasions originated unmistakably in that graceful insular world, which, from the eastern border of Asia, smiles gently and watchfully across the sea at mighty America. There were prominent properties†¦show more content†¦Slim bowed. September looked at him. A mask of brass seemed to fall over September’s face. With a glance at the driver of the taxi, in which Slim had come, the driver tore off again. â€Å"Would to God that tin kettle taxi had gone up in the air before bringing that lunatic here yesterday evening,† said September. â€Å"He drove away my guests before they even thought of paying. The girls are huddling down in the corners like lumps of wet cloth. That is, those who are not in hysterics. Unless I call in the police I might just as well close the house because it doesn t look as though that chap will have recovered his five senses by this evening.† â€Å"Of whom are you speaking, September?† asked Slim. September looked at him. At this moment, the tiniest hamlet in North Siberia would have flatly refused to be the birthplace of so idiotic looking an individual. â€Å"If it is the man for whom I have come here to look,† continued Slim, â€Å"then I shall rid you of him in a more agreeable and swifter manner than the police.† â€Å"And for what man are you looking, sir?† Slim hesitated. He cleared his throat slightly. â€Å"You know the white silk which is woven for comparatively few in Metropolis?† In the long line of ancestors, the manifold sediment of whom had been crystallized into September, a fur trader from Tarnopolis must also have been represented and he now smiled out from the corners of his great grandson s wily eyes. The proprietor of Yoshiwara invited Slim, with true

Significance of Microbial Community Structure for Hotriculture

Question: Discuss about theSignificance of Microbial Community Structurefor Hotriculture Systems. Answer: Significance of microbial community structure indicator in evaluating Australian Agriculture and Hotriculture Systems Introduction Evidence-based research literature confirms the attribution of microorganisms in terms of effectively maintaining the quality and productivity of soils of various geographical regions (Sharma, et al., 2010). Microbial community maintains significant agricultural processes including pollutants degradation, structural dynamics of soil as well as regulation of the fundamental nutrients. Microbial indicators require analysis at the individual level, population level, functional (group) level, community level and ecosystem level for exploring the soil enzymes, denitrification, nitrogen mineralization, basal respiration rate as well as the microbial biomass (Sharma, et al., 2010). The research findings by (Bissett, et al., 2016) indicate the requirement of nitrogen in the soil for tenure of six months in the context of cultivating the crops near the Australian coastal regions. The microbes in the Australian soil facilitate the conversion of soil fertilizer to nitrous oxide that evidentiall y leads to environmental deterioration (Bissett, et al., 2016). The research data confirms the genetic adaptability of soil microorganisms in terms of utilizing nitrogen for accomplishing their nutritional requirements. The presence of Nif genes and diazotrophic microbes in the Australian soil is an indicator of its nitrogen fixing capacity. Such type of soil appears beneficial for cultivating the crops in the Australian environment. Genome analysis of the microbial community in the Australian soil reveals the existence of rRNA sequences in the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes (Bissett, et al., 2016). The pattern of consistent soil cultivation in the Australian regions reduces its microbial elements that reciprocally decrease its quality as well as nutritional abundance. Analysis of Australian soil reveals the following facts regarding the highest concentration of various microorganisms in the arid, continental, temperate and tropical regions (Trivedi, Delgado-Baquerizo, Anderson, Singh, 2016). Microbe Agricultural Systems Natural Systems Acidobacteria Tropical and continental systems Tropical and continental systems Proteobacteria Tropical and continental systems Tropical and continental systems Actinobacteria Arid and temperate systems Arid and temperate systems Verrucomicrobia Continental system Continental system Chloroflexi Arid and temperate systems Arid and temperate systems Firmicutes Arid and temperate systems Arid and continental systems Cyanobacteria Tropical systems Arid systems Planctomycetes Tropical and temperate systems Tropical and temperate systems The root exudates of various plants species influence the concentration of the microbial community in the Australian soil. These exudates include amino acids, organic acids and carbohydrates (Gourmelon, et al., 2016). The soil of the elevated concentration of potassium/magnesium ratio remains dominated with the formations of Tristaniopsis. The dispersal limitations of the Australian soil prove to be the deciding factors in relation to the development of microbial communities. Thus, the quality of the soil derives from its dispersal limitations under the influence of geographical and environmental factors. The development of Actinobacteria in the Australian soil is based on the direction of wind flow that effectively facilitates its dispersal (Eisenlord, Zak, Upchurch, 2012). Ecological forces including climatic alteration and edaphic attributes reciprocally facilitate the propagation of Actinobacteria in the soil of arid and temperate systems. The change in weather influences the pa ttern of C: N ratio in the soil as well as distance and time variations proves to be the deciding factors for the dispersion of Actinobacteria in the oldest soil. The variation between decay and observed distance over the course of time influences the abundance of 16S rRNA genes of Actinobacteria in the soil environment (Eisenlord, Zak, Upchurch, 2012). Evidence-based findings by (Miyashita, 2015) indicate the influence of evolutionary history of soil as well as associated microbes and environmental factors above the ground as the contributory factors that facilitate the development of Betaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria classes. The topology of trees as well as the magnesium content and C:N ratio of the soil influence the variance of proteobacteria in the continental and tropical regions. Contrarily, the association of Acidobacteria in soil varies in accordance with the alteration of its pH. However, other physicochemical properties of the soil do not influence the distribution of Acidobacteria under its layers (Miyashita, 2015). The metagenomic and genomic information substantiate the ecological capacity of Acidobacteria in terms of utilizing nitrogen sources and exhibiting response against soil acidity as well concentration of micro and macronutrients (Kielak, Barreto, Kowalchuk, Veen, Kuramae, 2016). Agrobacterium proves to be the source of EPS (exopolysaccharide) production through the expression of various active transporters. These bacteria also facilitate the active degradation of gellan gum and induce competitive mechanisms for improving the health and quality of soil structure. Nitrogen reduction capacity of Acidobacteria attributes to their nirA gene that assists in the encoding of nitrate reductase for the effective transformation of nitrate to nitrite that further reduces to glutamate and ammonia (Kielak, Barreto, Kowalchuk, Veen, Kuramae, 2016). Different strains of Acidobacteria including ATCC51196, Ellin345, MP5ACTX8, MP5ACTX9, SP1PR4, DSM23119, ELLIN6076, K22, MP-01, DSM6591 and TMBS4 contain transporter systems that assist in the configuration of substrate categories attributing to anions, cations, siderophores, peptides and amino acids (Kielak, Barreto, Kowalchuk, Veen, Kuramae, 2016). The transformation of these ingredients gives an added advantage to Acidobacteria in terms of acq uiring sustainability in oligotropic soil conditions. This rationally enhances the cultivation capacity of soil in the continental and tropical systems. The research findings by (Navarrete, et al., 2015) reveal the inverse relationship between the structure and composition of Verrucomicrobial community and the nutritional content and associated fertility of the Australian continental soil. The soil fertility factors including the concentration of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and total nitrogen influence the abundance of Verrucomicrobia in the continental agricultural and natural systems (Navarrete, et al., 2015). Verrucomicrobia evidentially interact with the plants roots as well as chemical factors in the soil. The abundance of Verrucomicrobia is directly related to the reduced nitrogen availability in the soil if the continental system. Verrucomicrobia remain increasingly dependent on the organic matter in soil. The r-selected and k-selected Verrucomicrobia exhibit elevated and decreased growth rates based on the nutritional uptake mechanisms and substrate affinities of the forest and as well the deforested soils (Nava rrete, et al., 2015). In conclusion, the limited nutrient availability of the Australian continental soil is indicated by the abundance of Verrucomicrobia community. The research analysis by (Trivedi, Delgado-Baquerizo, Anderson, Singh, 2016) confirms the increased abundance of Chloroflexi in the soils of the agricultural system in comparison to the natural soil system in the Australian subcontinent. The chemical and biophysical heterogeneity of the agricultural soil system facilitates the growth of Chloroflexi in the temperate and arid regions. Unlike Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi does not grow well in the natural soil system; however, its abundance in agricultural soil is a potential indicator of soils nutritional capacity (Trivedi, Delgado-Baquerizo, Anderson, Singh, 2016). Firmicutes develop under the influence of thawed environment in permafrost soil. The thawed atmosphere induces the Firmicutes genes that encode hydrolases decompose the ether bonds of dead bacterial biomass in permafrost soil. This makes Firmicutes as the greatest indicators of microbial development and responses in the thawed soils. However, Cyanobacteria utilize amino acids and oligopeptides in terms of nitrogen sources in permafrost soil for effectively assimilating the organic compounds during the process of biosynthesis. The appearance of Cyanobacteria in the layers of soil (after thaw) is confirmed by the increased activity of their genes with the objective of producing ammonia from nitrate across the spring sediments. Microbial activity in the permafrost thaw is measured by determining the pH fluctuation in the thawed soil. This activity rationally indicates the generation of greenhouse gases under the influence of microbial decomposition in the permafrost soil. Conclusion The analysis of the microbial community structure and prevalence across the agricultural and natural soil systems is necessarily required with the objective of testing their cultivation capacity. Microbial variation in different soil regions proves to be a significant indicator that assists in determining the quality of soil in the Australian horticultural and agricultural systems. References Bissett, A., Fitzgerald, A., Meintjes, T., Mele, P. M., Reith, F., Dennis, P. G., . . . Young, A. (2016). Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database. Gigascience. Eisenlord, S. D., Zak, D. R., Upchurch, R. A. (2012). Dispersal limitation and the assembly of soil Actinobacteria communities in a long-term chronosequence. Ecology and Evolution, 2(3), 538-549. doi:10.1002/ece3.210 Gourmelon, V., Maggia, L., Powell, J. R., Gigante, S., Hortal, S., Gueunier, C., . . . Carriconde, F. (2016). Environmental and Geographical Factors Structure Soil Microbial Diversity in New Caledonian Ultramafic Substrates: A Metagenomic Approach. PLoS One. Kielak, A. M., Barreto, C. C., Kowalchuk, G. A., Veen, J. A., Kuramae, E. E. (2016). The Ecology of Acidobacteria: Moving beyond Genes and Genomes. Frontiers in Microbiology. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00744 Miyashita, N. T. (2015). Contrasting soil bacterial community structure between the phyla Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria in tropical Southeast Asian and temperate Japanese forests. Genes Genetic Systems, 61-77. doi:https://doi.org/10.1266/ggs.90.61 Navarrete, A. A., Soares, T., Rossetto, R., Veen, J. A., Tsai, S. M., Kuramae, E. E. (2015). Verrucomicrobial community structure and abundance as indicators for changes in chemical factors linked to soil fertility. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 741-752. doi:10.1007/s10482-015-0530-3 Sharma, S. K., Ramesh, A., Sharma, M. P., Joshi, O. P., Govaerts, B., Steenwerth, K. L., Karlen, D. L. (2010). Microbial Community Structure and Diversity as Indicators for Evaluating Soil Quality. Biodiversity, Biofuels, Agroforestry and Conservation Agriculture, 317-358. Trivedi, P., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., Anderson, I. C., Singh, B. K. (2016). Response of Soil Properties and Microbial Communities to Agriculture: Implications for Primary Productivity and Soil Health Indicators. Frontiers in Plant Science.

Rainforest Exhibit Essays - Endangered Species, Fauna Of Asia

Rainforest Exhibit My species the Bengal Tiger thrives in the south East Asia rain forest. The tiger thrives here because of all the cover and food sources it has here. The large trees and plants are great for the tigers cover the food sources are plentiful because all the life that thrives in the forest. With temperatures ranging from high 70s to mid-90s with an average rainfall of 2000 mm pa. Monkeys being an omnivore, deer being an herbivore, boar being an herbivore, and lynx being a carnivore, all thrive in the same habitats as the Bengal tiger and most are considered prey to the tiger. The bromeliads mosses and evergreens are some trees that make up the tigers habitat. The tiger being a carnivore and being at the top of the food chain, his main role is to eat which controls over population he also produces waste to contribute to the nitrogen cycle. Living factors are a limiting threat to the tiger's population such as, timber being cut around their habitat, human settlement is expanding into the rainforest which means some habitats have to be destroyed, and agricultural expansion because the demand for food is increasing the farmers expand the land which also takes out habitats. Nonliving factors also contribute to the decline the cold weathers kills some tigers, without enough rainfall prey won't thrive they will die off and tigers will have no food source. The tigers have to make adaptions to new habitats when the limiting factors destroys their habitats or prey is no longer in the area. The tigers will adapt to new ideal location for habitat and food. Some abiotic factors and biotic factors that are in a tiger's habitat include soil and water being abiotic factors and plants, grasses, and tall trees being biotic factors. The tiger's role in the nitrogen cycle is the first stage of the cycle. The tiger produces waste which starts the cycle off. The tiger will produce waste and it will seep into the ground and eventually turn into fossil fuel, and once the tiger dies it will decompose which will also seep into the earth and just like the waste will eventually tune into fossil fuels The tiger population is in trouble due to illegal hunting if this activity continues the tiger's population will decline till extinct. The plan to stop this illegal action is make their habitat harder to access to poachers and post no hunting sighs along with cameras around the habitat. The reason tigers are so valuable to poachers is for their beautiful ski and bone trade. By protecting the tiger's population now and allowing the tigers population to rebuild in numbers; strengthen the population. So conservation efforts can help the tiger's population in the long term life.

TOBACCO USE essays

TOBACCO USE essays In 1492 native Indians were smoking rolled up tobacco leaves. In the 16th century tobacco smoking spread to Europe. By the late 1800 tobacco tolled in paper called cigarettes were a major industry with billions being sold each year. Today there are many products that contain tobacco. Cigarettes and snuff are the most popular on the market. Cigarettes consist of tobacco rolled in papers that are flavored, and some with filters. Snuff that consists of thinly shredded raw tobacco air packed in containers to chew. Many leaders of the tobacco industry have yet to state that tobacco is an addicting drug. But in society today it is very convenient to purchase tobacco. With cigarettes a person can puff and inhale their lungs with smoke, and snuff a person must place in their mouths between your bottom lip and gum. Both are ingested into your bloodstream and can affect your body in different ways. Both uses of tobacco create oral fixation to the users. Such oral fixations are so controlling they can damage your body. With cigarettes it affects your lungs and throat. With snuff it affects your mouth, gums and throat. Both can cause bad breath. Both can stain your fingers and teeth the color yellow. Both can cause early ageing. Cigarette smoking can lead to cancer in many parts of the body, but not surprisingly most of the damage it does to the lungs. Chewing tobacco can lead to cancer of the lips and mouth. Most cigarette smokes would like to believe they could protect themselves from cancer just by using a holder or by switching to filter-tipped cigarrettes, cigar or a pipe. Unfortunately they cant. Chewing tobacco is even worse. The users of this believe that just because they are not inhaling it that they are safe as well. They are not. Two choices of tobacco use you inhale smoke or chew tobacco the effects are still severe. Both can cause disfigurement to the face, throat, and lu ...

Free Essays on Philippine Structural Analysis

Structural Diagram An Analysis 1. How do the laws affect the process of production, ownership of land, factories, etc? -Majority of the dominant classes are themselves the leader, or if not, closely associated with the leaders of the state since they are the ones who have the capacity to pressure the government through their taxes. The state is very considerate with the dominant class because of the economic sanctions that the dominant class may provide. Because of this, the state leaders, who wanted to please the dominant class, would provide them the laws that would cater their best interest on the process of production, ownership of land and factories. Case: the land reform program that was instigated by President Aquino was one among the best examples that could demonstrate how the laws affect the process of production, ownership of land and factories. Specifically, the land reform program of the â€Å"Hacienda Luisita† in Tarlac created an ironic picture of a law that was geared to distribute lands evenly to the thousands of tenants who, for decades of farming, never had a land to till. Instead, the land reform law was left half made making dominant families to cater the law according to their want shares and interest. In Hacienda Luisita, (the Cojuanco’s family), President Aquino divided the Hacienda Luisita to her own relatives instead of her tenants. 2. What laws are made that affect values and their transmission through schools, media? -The laws that are made to affect values and their transmission through schools, media, etc are products of concerted efforts to condition the individual consciousness to eventually legitimize the laws that were passed in accordance with the interest of the dominant classes. Case: The congressional commission on education, for example, provided an imperatus for congress to pass RA7722 and RA7796 in 1994 creating the CHED and TESDA. These two commi... Free Essays on Philippine Structural Analysis Free Essays on Philippine Structural Analysis Structural Diagram An Analysis 1. How do the laws affect the process of production, ownership of land, factories, etc? -Majority of the dominant classes are themselves the leader, or if not, closely associated with the leaders of the state since they are the ones who have the capacity to pressure the government through their taxes. The state is very considerate with the dominant class because of the economic sanctions that the dominant class may provide. Because of this, the state leaders, who wanted to please the dominant class, would provide them the laws that would cater their best interest on the process of production, ownership of land and factories. Case: the land reform program that was instigated by President Aquino was one among the best examples that could demonstrate how the laws affect the process of production, ownership of land and factories. Specifically, the land reform program of the â€Å"Hacienda Luisita† in Tarlac created an ironic picture of a law that was geared to distribute lands evenly to the thousands of tenants who, for decades of farming, never had a land to till. Instead, the land reform law was left half made making dominant families to cater the law according to their want shares and interest. In Hacienda Luisita, (the Cojuanco’s family), President Aquino divided the Hacienda Luisita to her own relatives instead of her tenants. 2. What laws are made that affect values and their transmission through schools, media? -The laws that are made to affect values and their transmission through schools, media, etc are products of concerted efforts to condition the individual consciousness to eventually legitimize the laws that were passed in accordance with the interest of the dominant classes. Case: The congressional commission on education, for example, provided an imperatus for congress to pass RA7722 and RA7796 in 1994 creating the CHED and TESDA. These two commi...

Marketing Principle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Principle - Essay Example There has been an extension in this marketing mix adding more elements to it. 3 Ps have been added to this traditional marketing mix. These Ps are: Physical Layout: Initially the physical appearance of the production unit prepared in the factories were not given much significance but now as the customers purchase a product from the retail store their expectation with the presentation of the product has increased. Provision of Customer Service: In the heart of the modern service industry lays customer service. The firms that serve their customers will succeed in gaining their loyalty. The firms need to give their best shot whether it be listening to the customers queries on phones or interacting with them face to face. â€Å"Have a nice day† approach works better than the â€Å"I don’t care† attitude of the firm’s employees that come in contact with the customers. Processes: There are a lot of processes related to customer services that make the marketing e ffective for any organization. These processes may include handling the complaints received by the customers, identifying the needs and requirements of the customers and the processes related to handling of the orders. Now the extended marketing mix involves Place, price, product, promotion, physical layout, processes and Provision of customer service. 1.1 In the relation of the "product" elements of the marketing mix, say how "Tip Top Accessories" product can be developed to sustain competitive advantage. The firm must try to position its product quite effectively among its target market. It must first understand the demand and then accordingly set the price of its product. Product differentiation is another aspect that must be kept in mind in order to fix the price of the product. Making the product attractive helps firm gaining more customers. Tip Top Accessories must develop effective promotional strategies in order to communicate their objective to the customers. (Marketing the ory, 2013). 1.2 Explain how appropriate distribution policies can provide convenience for Tip Top Accessories’ customers. The distribution policies of Tip Top Accessories should directly be associated with its marketing mix. The firm can exhibit its objectives through different activities. Several activities related to distribution such as in-store demonstration of a product, distributing samples and other can be a source of delivering the objective of the firm to its consumers and it is also convenient for the customers to judge the product based on its different features. It is also useful for the firm to arrange giveaways and sell products at a low price for at the initial stage of the launch of a product it can be quite effective strategy for a firm (CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION, 2013). 1.3 Explain how prices for "tip Top Accessories" product should be set to achieve the organization’s profit and growth objectives, bearing in mind market conditions.   The price strat egy of Tip Top Accessories must be related to its strength. Low price and product differentiation can be the critical elements in maximizing the profit of Tip Top accessories. Tip Top pricing must be based on the level of differentiation it is providing in its products. The higher the differentiation the higher the price set by the firm. Customers are willing to pay higher price for the product whose features are different from those of others. There are often times when the sales revenue of the

HR Law and Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Law and Business - Essay Example An employer may not include preferences on age, limitations or specifications on age when making an advertisement for any job opening unless there is an express provision for age for the particular job under the bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) principle.1 Therefore, the claim by Latino Lawrence High School that they were looking for â€Å"energetic† and â€Å"flexible† is discriminatory in nature and the school can be reported to law enforcement authorities. Rose Flanagan can report Latino Lawrence High School to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for investigations into her claim of discrimination based on age at the work place. At the EEOC, she must show intent of the employer to discriminate against her based on age at the work place or that the employer has on previous occasions discriminated against others based on age (Miller and Jentz, 2013). Once it is proven that she was wrongfully denied the job position due to discrimination against her age, Rose may be entitled to certain remedies against the employer. If she succeeds, she will be entitled to such remedies like back pay or front pay, hiring, promotion or reinstatement. In her present case, the most probable remedy would be to be hired as she was the most qualified amongst the applicants to the job. Moreover, in certain instances may be entitled to liquidated damages if it can be proven that Latino Lawrence High School willfully violated the provisions of ADEA or acted in a reckless manner in total disregard of the law. In the present instance, Rose who was more qualified will can report Latino Lawrence High School at the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) and obtain the remedies aforementioned. In the United States, it is illegal to discriminate against a person at the work place based on their sexual orientation whether homosexual or heterosexual. Therefore, the claim by Down Home Restaurant that they only employ those who demonstrate

Culturally Diverse Students Essay Example for Free

Culturally Diverse Students Essay Today our classrooms, just like families, are becoming more unique and blended. Teachers are tasked with effectively teaching students with disabilities and diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In order for educators to meet the needs of their students, key strategies must be implemented that will positively affect their students academically and behaviorally. This paper reflects on the experience of one of these families and identifies key strategies to maximize the potential of cultural and linguistically exceptional students. Background I was lucky enough to interview a family that I have worked with over the years as a nanny. For the purposes of this paper and the anonymity of the family I am using the names Lucy and Chris (to refer to the mother I interviewed and her husband) and James (to refer to the exceptional child). Because I have been working in this family’s home for a number of years I am able to give an accurate overview of their socioeconomic status. Lucy and Chris self-identify as African-American and live in San Pedro, CA where the population is 76,415 with 59% identifying as Caucasian and 8% identifying as African American. The town can be classified as predominately middle class as the median household income is $62,422 (City Data, 2011). Lucy completed some college and works full-time as a manager of a credit union. She lives in a three-bedroom house with her oldest son, her younger son, James, who is now 15, and her husband. James is a lively young man with autism who is on the moderate/severe side of the spectrum. He is an exceptional swimmer and participates in his high school general P. E. program. He struggles with social interactions and has very little expressive language. He has learned to use a GO TALK to communicate functionally. James is very sensitive to his environment and sometimes becomes overwhelmed by loud noises and crowded spaces. Autism affects 1:88 children and the prevalence is on the rise. It is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U. S. It is five times more likely for boys to have autism than girls. It is characterized by language delays, social delays, and repetitive patterns of behavior (Facts About ASD, 2012). Lucy knows that I am in the process of getting my special education credential and that my own family member has DS-ASD. When she was interviewing me for the nanny position years ago she was nervous and unsure about letting anybody come into her home. After I told her about my background and how much I have learned from my brother she began to open up and become more comfortable with me. She has since then told me how thankful she is for me and how nice it is to have someone that understands her son. Discovering and Reacting to Disability It all started in preschool school. The teacher kept telling Lucy, â€Å"I don’t think he can hear. † And Lucy kept saying, â€Å"He can hear just fine! † The teacher kept saying the same thing so finally she took him to the doctor. This experience supports the research on professionals in early education or elementary school programs being the parent’s initial source of information about their child’s special needs (Turnball et. Al, 2011, p. 77). Denial was the first phase in the process of Lucy learning to accept her son’s autism. Lucy also said other members of her family were in denial, including her husband and father. Her father told them they â€Å"were not disciplining him enough† on multiple occasions. She did not talk about any anger, bargaining, or depression phases before finding acceptance (The Grieving Process ppt, 2013). Lucy has immense inner strength that I truly admire. After a doctor diagnosed James, Lucy and Chris told their family and her mother pushed her to get extra support. Lucy tells me she probably wouldn’t have ever done gone for it if it weren’t for her mother because they have always worked for everything they had and lively comfortably and didn’t want to ask for help. A person’s culture may affect treatment decisions and is often associated with certain socioeconomic or geographical constraints related to accessing care† (Mandell Novak, 2005, p. 113). Reaching out for support was not something the family wanted to do and because they lived in San Pedro, accessing the right services often required traveling long distances. Educators must recognize the relationship between status and our society’s symbols of success (holding a job, having a place to live, and being independent). As an educated service provider, I am always caught off guard by a family’s hesitation about pursuing services (even my own family never sought out extra help). My professional experience has ingrained in me the importance of early intervention. Many â€Å"African-American families seek help from family, friends and church groups before they will get professional help for their child (Dyches et al. , 2004)† (Litten, 2008, p. 5). Lucy’s perspective and her mother’s reaction had both been influenced by her experience with her sister, who was developmentally delayed as well. She said her mother wished she had gone and gotten services for her. But when they were growing up, Lucy said, â€Å"It wasn’t something you did. Our family was poor. We did whatever we did to survive and both of my parents worked. † Educators need to keep the roles of culture, poverty, and historical perspectives in mind as we work with these families because they have an impact on the attitudes and behaviors of families with exceptional children. In Lucy’s family growing up, there was a lack of awareness about the availability of services. As educators, we must consider the lack of awareness and the socioeconomic factors that prevent certain families from taking advantage of the services that they are entitled to. We can’t expect them to advocate if they aren’t aware of what is available. We must take on this role. Teacher strategy #1: Fairness is When a Child Gets What He/She Needs Over the years, Lucy and James struggled with the school’s changing James’ placements. It wasn’t until she came to the school to observe him and found him sitting in a corner of the classroom, on a couch, rocking back and forth for hours with no attention or demands placed on him that she decided to pull him out of the district completely. During their search for a new junior high school they came across programs that were solely focused on vocational skills. Lucy and Chris felt their son had more important academic skills to obtain before teachers started teaching him how to get a job. They didn’t expect him to be a scholar, but they did want him to have access to general reading, writing, and math curriculum. Education, rather than life skills, was more of a priority for them. They added an inclusion goal in his next IEP. James would participate in general P. E. and math or computer class. According to Kathryn Pitten, â€Å"Cultural mores may determine which treatment goals families will accept and which goals they will decide not to work towards. Also, parenting style will determine which goals are viewed as important. † (Pitten, 2008, p. 4). Teachers must be responsible for developing a classroom program that fosters the understanding and respect for individual differences and discusses what fairness means to each student. Teacher strategy #2: Develop a Positive Collaboration Between Parents and Teachers Lucy admitted that she did not take an aggressive approach to getting James all of the supports he needed. Most of the things she learned she â€Å"stumbled upon† through conversations with other parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals (all of which have worked out in their favor). She believes she has done the best she can for her son. Once again, awareness was lacking and because of that this family did not get the support they needed until much later on. This is consistent with literature addressing service accessibility in that ethnic minorities typically access services at a much lower rate than their Caucasian counterparts (Balcazar, Keys, Balcazar, 2001). Learning how the school system could work for her son was a significant stressor for her. If educators embraced the full reality of the student’s and family’s life and committed to supporting emotional and academic needs (Turnball et. Al, 2011, p. 147) this could help to bridge the gap between home and school. Letting parents know that you believe in their child is sometimes all it takes to give your family’s hope. Teacher strategy #3: Implement Culturally Responsive Teaching Ford (2012) points out that African Americans are the only involuntary minority group. African Americans live in a society where race affects every aspect of their lives. â€Å"The overrepresentation of Black students in special education has been dissected, discussed, and debated† (Ford, 2012). We need to understand the negative effects racism has on our children and be sensitive to the history of previous schooling of exceptional students. Some Moderate/Severe students, like James, are moved from program to program (several times a year). Teachers need to understand that not all children in their classroom have learned the same things and they can’t be taught in the same environment at the same time. We need to differentiate and individualize our instruction by providing a wide range of materials and utilizing several learning strategies. School strategy # 4: Ensure Each Student Can Identify With Someone One of the best things to happen to James in his freshman year of high school was joining the â€Å"Big Brothers and Sisters† program in his local community. Having a role model; someone to look up to, relate with, and rely on has made such a meaningful impact on his life. Lucy reflected on the first time James was invited to watch the local football team; â€Å"His face lit up. He jumped up and down and couldn’t contain his excitement. † Teachers need to facilitate healthy inclusive relationships school-wide. It is our job to spread awareness about disability and help all students to become sensitive to the beauty of differences. Conclusion James’ family hopes that one day he will be able to live in a supported living community with roommates but like many families with exceptional members, the future is uncertain. Teachers need to take an active role in the transition planning process and remember that culturally diverse families do not have the same values as those of the dominant culture. (Turnball et. Al, 2011, p. 89). These families deserve our utmost respect and attention. Showing parents that you are interested in their story can lead to unexpected successes. In order to truly do our jobs we must make our professional story a part of their family story.

How is Sprawl Related to Landscape Change in Cities? Essay -- Urbaniza

How is Sprawl Related to Landscape Change in Cities? Over the past 20 years the 100 largest US urbanized areas have sprawled an additional 14,545 square miles according to the US Bureau of Census on Urbanized Areas. That was more than 9 million acres of natural habitats, farmland and other rural space that were covered over by asphalt, buildings and housing of suburbia. A major controversy in the efforts to halt the rural land loss is whether land-use and consumption decisions are the primary engines of urban sprawl, or whether it is the nation’s growing population boom that is providing the driving expansion. A good example of this rapid sprawl is the city of Chicago. It has had astonishing growth in the past years bringing about many new issues such as traffic congestion, surging housing markets, air pollution, loss of rural land and overcrowded schools. Through the redevelopment of existing cities like Chicago using methods like smart planning we can create livable areas, meet the needs of citizens and thus reduce the need fo r sprawl at the outer edge of existing cities. The main issues that will be covered are housing and human and social implications. The first issue is to define what sprawl is. There are many definitions of sprawl but the central component of most definitions seems to be this: Sprawl is the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the periphery of an urban area. This involves the conversion of open space (rural land) into built up, developed land over time. Organizations whose chief concerns involve urban planning goals may tend to emphasize qualitative attributes of sprawl, such as attractiveness, pedestrian-friendliness and compactness. But those who are ... ...y on the Sierra club sitehttp://www.crp.cornell.edu/faculty/pendall.htm taken from the Sierra Club site in the 1998 Chicago report. National Trust for Historic Preservation http://www.nationaltrust.org/ Weighing Sprawl Factors in large US Cities, http://www.sprawlcity.org/studyUSA/USAexecutivesummary.pdf Chicago Metro Case Study, http://www.sprawlcity.org/studyUSA/USAexecutivesummary.pdf Brownfield article, www.pollutionengineering.com/arcives/ Environmental Law and Policy Center, http://www.elpc.org/trans/visions/visions.htm William Cronon, Natures Metropolis, Copyright 1991, W.W. Norton and Company Inc., NY, NY. Planned Manufacturing article www.ncbg.org/tifhandbook/pmd.pdf Tax Increment Financing articles www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/Programs/TaxIncrementFinancing.html www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/Programs/TIF/Report.pdf

Doping in Sports is a Problem Essay

Doing steroids, which is known as doping, is a problem in sports that needs to be stopped and needs to be stopped fast. Ask anyone with a decent knowledge of sports and current events, and they will tell you: nearly every week, another high-profile doping story makes its way to the headlines of newspapers around the world. A quick Google News search for â€Å"doping† revealed over 7,500 results from the past week alone. The stories ranged from the lesser known 2 Youth Olympic Games Wrestlers who were recently suspended to the more famous 2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador’s positive test. This month, Brent Musburger (an ABC/ESPN sports commentator) told a group of students at University of Montana that steroids work. Musburger blamed â€Å"journalism youngsters† who â€Å"got too deeply involved in something they didn’t know too much about† for the negative image steroids and doping now have. He went on to say that steroids had no place in high school, but â€Å"under the proper care and doctor’s advice, they could be used at the professional level.† (Quotes take from the Missoulian article.) If you know me (or have been in a class with me), you know how I feel about doping in sports. In fact, anti-doping was one of the reasons I came to law school, and more specifically to Marquette. My view is that doping has no place in sport. The story of how I came to become so staunchly against doping is for another day (and perhaps a different venue), but basically involves my love for the sport of cycling and the systematic doping that plagues that sport. Suffice it to say that I take a firm stance against doping in all sports in all forms. It probably goes without saying that I could not disagree with Musburger more. Doping, least of all in the form of anabolic steroids, has no place in sports – amateur or professional. I think all anti-doping arguments come down to two basic principles, only one of which Musburger addresses in his blanket approval of steroid use in professional athletes. First, doping threatens the health of athletes. Musburger argues that with proper medical supervision, steroids can be healthy. While this might be true in some (and I would suggest limited) cases, it would certainly not be true in all cases. The use of steroids can have serious health repercussions, including affected liver, endocrine, and reproductive function, tumors of the liver and kidneys, heart conditions, and psychiatric symptoms. Additionally, the article just linked goes on to mention the increased probability of side effects when 1) steroids are used more than the recommended dose, 2) steroids are used in conjunction with other performance enhancing substances, and 3) counterfeit or tainted steroids are used. Legalizing steroid use would not solve these problems. The side effects listed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (a part of the National Institute of Health) article are not restricted to improper use of steroids. I will not detail out the side effects of not only steroids, but also the use of hGH and EPO (often used in cycling), the NCBI does a nice job of listing those and providing citations to studies. Furthermore, the drive to win will always encourage athletes to take â€Å"just one more.† Sure, proper medical supervision would ensure that an athlete receives the proper dose from that doctor, but when that athlete fails to win the next race, game, or match, he or she is more likely to increase the dose or combine other methods of doping. Second, and unaddressed by Musburger, doping affects the integrity of sport. Sport is not about simply winning. The saying â€Å"It’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s how you played the game,† although clichà ©, is absolutely correct. The Olympic Movement identifies the Olympic spirit – mutual understanding, spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play – as fundamental to sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded on the principle that integrity of sport is fundamental to the spirit of sport, and that integrity is threatened by doping. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) division on anti-doping believes that â€Å"doping jeopardizes the moral and ethical basis of sport and the health of those involved in it.† The National Football League itself created its own steroid policy because steroid use threatens â€Å"the fairness and integrity of athletic competitionâ€Å" and †Å"sends the wrong message to young people who may be tempted to use them.† Sports are about competition on equal footing, with respect for the opponent, and with respect for the rules of the game. Permitting the use of steroids under proper medical supervision would threaten the fairness and integrity of the game. First, athletes who choose not to use steroids are at an unfair advantage – most will be unable to compete at the same level as athletes who are using steroids. Second, the integrity of the game is compromised because it is no longer about which athlete has the best skills or talent, it’s instead about which athlete has the best steroid cocktail or the money to buy the best steroids. Thus, steroid use is contrary to the spirit of sport – fairness, respect, and solidarity. The concept of mutual respect between competitors is thwarted when one (or both) athletes would rather use steroids to improve his or her performance than compete based on individual strength, skill, or talent. However, if health and integrity concerns aren’t enough to convince you, consider this final point. Law students, and indeed lawyers, are fond of the slippery slope argument. I think it finds a comfortable place in this debate. It’s a slippery slope between allowing steroid use with proper medical supervision and eliminating anti-doping regulations. Where is the line to be drawn? Will it now be illegal to use steroids only if taken without proper medical supervision? How can proper medical supervision be proven? How does an athlete prove that the steroids in his or her body were as a result of proper medical supervision and not other means? What about athletes who use more than the recommended dose? What about other forms of doping (hGh or EPO)? Are those next to be permitted under proper medical supervision? It’s difficult to see how regulating the use of steroids in sport is workable. The only way to preserve integrity in sport and protect the health of athletes is through a serious anti-doping approach. Anti-doping efforts are most successful when the â€Å"law† (anti-doping policy) sets forth clear, bright-line rules about when and what substances are prohibited. Although a long way from perfect, WADA has created the most comprehensive anti-doping program in the world (indeed the only anti-doping program most of the world outside of the US models and implements). American professional sports leagues should be looking at ways to model the WADA code in its own anti-doping policies (like the United States Anti-Doping Agency is doing), not seeking ways to excuse steroid use or compromise anti-doping efforts. Steroids have no place in sports.

An Introduction to Sociology Essay

Philip Vernon carried out research studies into contributions of environmental and genetic factors into intellectual development in the 1940s and 1950s. He believed that Western IQ tests were unsuitable for non-Western people; he also applied the same argument to the use of Western IQ testes within different subcultures and social classes within Western Societies. He stated that â€Å"There is no such thing as culture-fair tests, and never can be† (Haralambos p. 747). Vernon developed a hierarchical model of IQ testing in the 1950s, which broke down the test into many subcategories. He concluded that social class differences have some genetic basis. He based this conclusion on evidence that intelligence of adopted children relate more to the social class of their biological parents than to their adopted parents. Vernon believed that social mobility allowed individuals with high IQ levels to rise to the socially high classes’ whilst those with low IQ levels would fall to socially lower classes. Cultural rules play a profound role in our society today, and through education we have learnt what is right and what is wrong. However, could somebody who has not been brought up knowing these rules be able to interact with other humans? There are many cases where children in particular have had no social interact with other humans in the early stages of life, where primary socialisation should take place. And the outcome has been that they have no facial expression, incorrect movement, and have no human speech. The most popular example of this is the feral children. Feral Children are children who have been nurtured in the wild by animals, children that were raised in a non-human, inhuman or sub-human environment and because of it did not learn how to communicate or behave in a human manner. Two particular cases of child deprivation that argue the case of nurture particularly well are Amala and Kamala and Genie. Amala and Kamala were two sisters aged approximately eight and one and a half who were brought up by wolves in the 1920 in Bengal, India. When captured they were taken to an orphanage where they were looked after by the reverend Singh and his wife. Singh described them as â€Å"wolf like† in appearance and behaviour. They walked on all fours and had calluses on their knees and palms from doing so. They preferred to eat raw meat and stole it when ever they could. They licked water with their tongues and ate their food in a crouched position. Their tongues permanently hung out of their mouths, and they panted just like wolves. They never slept after midnight and howled at night. They could move very fast on all four’s. They turned away from human society altogether. If approached, they made faces and sometimes bared their teeth. Their hearing was very acute and they could smell meat at a great distance. They could also orientate themselves very well at night. In September 1921 both girls became ill, and Amala, the younger, died. Probably the most famous case of a feral child is that of Genie. She spent nearly 13 years in almost total isolation and was fed only on milk and baby food. She was eventually found and placed in a children’s hospital. At that time she could not stand straight, chew or see beyond 10 feet. She was inquisitive though and after 7 years her IQ had increased from 38 to 74 although she never developed the normal use of language. Many Psychologists believe that a child will have permanent difficulties in learning a language unless they start from an early age. Others argue that children could be mentally retarded from such abuse. So Genie’s case does not resolve the nature-nurture controversy surrounding human development. In 1977, the last time Genie was filmed, scientists found that without constant teaching Genie had regressed. She now barely said a word. In other cases of feral children, some, who were discovered at a much younger age than Genie, learnt language and were eventually able to speak reasonably well. Genie however was unable to do more than string a few words together. Genie failed to learn any kind of grammar, and this is what distinguishes the language of humans from that of animals. Genie could not grasp the difference between various pronouns or between active and passive verbs. In that sense she appeared to have passed the critical period. The critical period is a hypothesis that states that the first few years of life are a crucial time in the development of a first language providing that a sufficient stimulus is present. If the acquisition of language is not achieved during this time then it will never be fully achieved. Socialisation is a major sociological concept that provides the link between the individual and their Society. Socialisation is the ongoing social learning process that is necessary for human existence and development. There are two types of socialisation, primary and secondary. Those factors that are involved in primary socialisation are usually small, involve face-to-face interaction and communication and allow the individual to express the whole self, both feelings and intellect. Usually, those factors are the family, peer groups, of close friends. Within these groups, through personal experience, the individual learns ‘primary values’ such as love, loyalty, justice, sharing, etc. In contrast, secondary groups are usually large, more impersonal and formally organised, and exist for specific purposes. In the secondary stage, the individual learns more values and norms which are to be applied for the individual to fit in. This includes learning how to organise and conduct themselves in formal contexts (backgrounds) and how to behave towards people who have different degrees of status and authority. One of the crucial aspects of secondary socialisation is school. The effects of growing up in unsocial conditions in these and other cases seem consistent. When the children emerged immediately into society, they were generally described by observers as ‘primitive’ and ‘hardly human’. None of the children developed social and communication skills beyond a basic level, in spite of attempts to re-socialise them. Above all, their absence or limited ability to learn language prevented them from functioning fully within society. These cases, also, suggest that human development, especially those of gaining basic social and communication skills, needs considerable contact with others. These stories do more than just confirm the important role of education, and that not just nature plays an important role in growth and development but also the environment in which you grow up in. They show that a human being not only can, but must be educated or learn to become a human being. Even when isolated from birth, animals usually retain clearly recognisable instincts. A cat that is raised among dogs, will still behave like a cat. Humans, however, enter the world very poorly equipped. The knowledge a child needs to become fully human is not complete. Everything the child eventually knows, or can do, must be learned. With the exception of natural body functions, such as breathing, as well as the reflexes, everything else must be learned. That is why feral children are an excellent source of evidence in the nature and nurture debate, because they cannot walk, talk or even socialise. They cannot show any emotions nor have empathy. This is due to them growing up in isolation and not having humans to human interaction so that they can learn the basic skills of life. This also proves that its not only nature that play a big role in child development but the environment you grow up in makes an impact to child development or the upbringing of a person because that is where you learn to be what you will become. To conclude, culture is a very important idea in Sociology and without it, we would have no language, we would not be able to express ourselves, and our ability to reason and think would be severely restricted. Through the process of Socialisation, children learn the way of life or culture of their society. If culture did not exist, then society would not exist and vice versa. Bibliography Anon (2006)  Empiricism. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empiricism: (Accessed 2/11/2006) Anon (2006)  John Locke. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke: (Accessed 2/11/2006) Anon (2006)  Francis Galton. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Galton: (Accessed 1/11/2006) Anon (2006)  Critical Period. Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_period: (Accessed 1/11/2006) Devlin, D., Daniels, M., & Roeder K., 1997. The heritability of IQ.

Public Policy vs. Social Norms and Corruption

Public Policy vs. Social Norms and Corruption Inefficient Public Policy in Sub-Sahara Africa An efficient public policy in Sub-Saharan Africa stands as an elusive solution to mismanagement of resources amid chronic poverty. In an age when the rise of Africa to the middle-income status looks imminent, authorities must invest efforts to provide solutions in public policy. Corruption that stifles development and the culture of impunity thriving across Sub-Saharan Africa must subside if the gains of imminent rise will suffice. Authorities must make efforts in curbing corruption and supporting reforms in social norms by providing necessary facilitation. In this regard, prominent anticorruption steps suitable for prescription, strengthening institutions, civil service, and economic reforms must appear in the public sector. Strengthening Public Institutions Public institutions suffer the blunt of corruption and impunity from an inefficient public service system. Therefore, weaker regulations must pave the way to vibrant systems that ad d value to the economies in Sub-Saharan Africa.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Public Policy vs. Social Norms and Corruption specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political processes enshrined in democratic values of integrity and accountability must continue to shape the institutional framework in the region. Instability in political transition across many jurisdictions in the region poses inherent weakness in public institutions due to the vacuum in political goodwill (Okogbule 92). The author proposes effective civilian administration with strong democratic systems such as legislation for laws curbing corruption. Civil Service Reform Corruption thrives in the absence of checks and balances occasioned by a vibrant civil society, making civil services a necessity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Democratic space witnessed in the west supports the civil service activities that facilitate constant checks in the public sector. Case s of corruption subside in an environment with a vibrant civil service, which must guide reforms needed in Sub-Saharan Africa (Fearon 114). Unionism and activism for various reform issues, especially with regard to integrity and accountability will prove influential in introducing reforms. Gains achieved among emerging democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Kenya and Ghana rest in the hands of civilian watch. Therefore, involvement of civilians in transformation of the society will continue to provide desired social changes devoid of corrupt tendencies (Otusanya 176). Economic Reforms Economic processes in Sub-Saharan Africa require transformations to correspond with the rest of the global economy. In view of the needed economic reforms, bottlenecks in economies must not stand in the way of elimination of corruption opportunities. Bureaucracies provide bottlenecks in the smooth running of economic policies, which creates leakages of national resources into pockets of a few indivi duals. Trade tariffs, on the other hand, restrict free trade among Sub-Saharan Africa nations, opening routes for lucrative contraband dealings among corrupt officials. Unified markets and fewer restrictions in the region continue to evade realization of open business opportunities for African nations. Corrupt trade officials taking charge of inefficient systems pose an enormous challenge in the introduction of credible practices to benefit the entire region. In the case of Sierra Leone, one of the strongest challenge facing social change and accountability perhaps, relates to the lack of strong institutions. The lack of strong anti-corruption institutions conspicuously manifests in the lack of support from enforcement environment in different corruption loopholes. As studies conducted by Rodgers (268) indicate, illegal mining and dealing in gold occasioned the gruesome rebel war in Sierra Leone.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get y our first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In view of the inefficiencies witnessed in the illegal diamonds trade, prescription for sufficient remedy comes from the presence of institutional oversight. Political and civil institutions in Sierra Leone could stop the escalation of illegal trade to a full-blown rebel war. The choice of this prescription supports the premise that strong institutional background will stop illegal trade processes at some stage and eliminate corruption. Fearon, D. James. â€Å"International Financial Institutions and Economic Policy Reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.† Journal of Modern African Studies 26. 1(1988): 113-137. Print Okogbule, S. Nlerum. â€Å"An Appraisal of the Legal and Institutional Framework for Combating Corruption in Nigeria.† Journal of Financial Crime 13.1(2006): 92-106. Print Otusanya, J. Olatunde. â€Å"An Investigation of the Financial Criminal Practices of the Elite in Developing Countries: Evidence from Nige ria.† Journal of Financial Crime 19.2(2012): 175-206. Print Rodgers, J. Elizabeth. â€Å"Conflict Diamonds: Certification and Corruption: A Case Study of Sierra Leone.† Journal of Financial Crime 13.3(2006): 267-276. Print

The Science Behind Fog

The Science Behind Fog Fog is considered a low cloud that is either close to ground level or in contact with it. As such, it is made up of water droplets that are in the air like a cloud. Unlike a cloud, however, the water vapor in fog comes from sources close to the fog like a large water body or a moist ground. For example, fog usually forms over the city of San Francisco, California during the summer months and the moisture for that fog is produced by the cool ocean waters that are nearby. By contrast, moisture in a cloud is gathered from large distances that are not necessarily near where the cloud forms. Formation of Fog Like a cloud, fog forms when water evaporates from a surface or is added to the air. This evaporation can be from the ocean or another body of water or moist ground like a marsh or a farm field, depending on the type and location of the fog. As the water begins to evaporate from these sources and turn into water vapor it rises into the air. As the water vapor rises, it bonds with aerosols called ​condensation nuclei (i.e. small dust particles in the air) to form water droplets. These droplets then condense to form fog when the process occurs close to the ground. There are, however, several conditions that need to first occur before the process of fog formation can be complete. Fog usually develops when relative humidity is near 100% and when the air temperature and dew point temperature are close to one another or less than 4ËšF (2.5ËšC). When air reaches 100% relative humidity and its dew point  it is said to be saturated and can thus hold no more water vapor. As a result, the water vapor condenses to form water droplets and fog. Types of Fog There are various types of fog that are categorized based on how they form. The two main types though are radiation fog and advection fog. According to the National Weather Service, radiation fog forms at night in areas with clear skies and calm winds. It is caused by the rapid loss of heat from the Earths surface at night after it was gathered during the day. As the Earths surface cools, a layer of moist air develops near the ground. Over time the relative humidity near the ground will reach 100% and fog, sometimes very dense forms. Radiation fog is common in valleys and often when the fog forms it remains for long periods when winds are calm. This is a common pattern seen in Californias Central Valley. Another major type of fog is advection fog. This type of fog is caused by the movement of moist warm over a cool surface like the ocean. Advection fog is common in San Francisco and it forms in the summer when warm air from the Central Valley moves out of the valley at night and over the cooler air over the San Francisco Bay. As this process occurs, the water vapor in the warm air condenses and forms fog. Other types of fog identified by the National Weather Service include upslope fog, ice fog, freezing fog,​ and evaporation fog. Upslope fog occurs when warm moist air is pushed up a mountain to a place where the air is cooler, causing it to reach saturation and the water vapor to condense to form fog. Ice fog develops in the Arctic or Polar air masses where the air temperature is below freezing and is composed of ice crystals suspended in the air. Freezing fog forms when the water droplets in the air mass become supercooled. These drops remain liquid in the fog and immediately freeze if they come into contact with a surface. Finally, evaporation fog forms when large amounts of water vapor are added to the air through evaporation and mixes with cool, dry air to form fog. Foggy Locations Because certain conditions must be met for the fog to form, it does not occur everywhere, however, ​there are some locations where fog is very common. The San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley in California are two such places, but the foggiest place in the world is near Newfoundland. Near Grand Banks, Newfoundland a cold ocean current, the Labrador Current, meets the warm Gulf Stream and fog develops as the cold air causes the water vapor in the moist air to condense and form fog. In addition, southern Europe and places like Ireland are foggy as is Argentina, the Pacific Northwest, and coastal Chile.

Managing Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Global Economy - Essay Example Non-economic rationales for government interventions on trade commonly identified as providing a suitable foundation for regulation are the promotion of fairness and the fostering of community ideals (Cheffins 1997, p. 126). The legal regulation of market transactions can be justified on a number of grounds. One basis upon which this can be done is that outcomes which are unfair require a response from the government. On the protection of community ideals, state intervention can perhaps correct the corrosive impact market forces allegedly have on society. Correspondingly, support exists for the proposition that lawmakers should take action when markets threaten to undermine key community ideals. Nontariff barriers include quotas, voluntary export restraints, voluntary price restraints, import licensing, customs procedures, exchange controls, domestic content requirements, "buy national" policies, discriminatory trading agreements. These barriers involve direct import control measures. Nontariff barriers affecting exports indirectly include standards, distributor practices, and financial controls (Hilke & Nelson 1988, p. 8). The static effects of economic integration have their most obvious and profound influence in the period immediately following the creation of, for example, a customs union. Gradually, after several years of adjustment, the dynamic effects will increase in importance and become dominant. These effects push further technological constraints and provide the group with an additional integration-induced 'growth bonus' (Jovanovic 1998, p. 40). 6. What are foreign exchange markets and the exchange rate Vanek (1962) defines foreign exchange market as all places where foreign exchange is traded. There are two useful sets of classification of the foreign exchange market. In the first place, there is not one but a large number of foreign currencies. Second, the total supply and demand of foreign currency is derived from different types of transactions, which provides a convenient classification for the study of the market for exchange (p.56). 7. Discuss how companies use foreign exchange. A foreign exchange is being used by companies for purchase/sale of foreign currency that operates outside the legal financial system of a country. It is an illegal source (or use) of foreign currency that buyers and sellers choose to utilize for various reasons -- from tax evasion to operation of a contraband business to escape from onerous and sometimes conflictive government regulations (Grosse 1994, p. 1). 8. List and define the categories of exchange rate regimes. 9. Discuss purchasing power parity (PPP) and the short-run problems that affect PPP. The first equilibrium theory, time-honoured, is purchasing power

Berlin Airlift 1948-49 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Berlin Airlift 1948-49 - Essay Example The provisions of the said agreement stipulated the division of Germany into four zones, allotted for each country, in accordance with the principles agreed upon in the Yalta Conference in 1945. In the same way, this set the division of Berlin into four zones as well (â€Å"Wikipedia†). However, the agreement had not provided for arrangements with regard to access to Berlin given that the city is within the Soviet zone (â€Å"Reader’s Companion to American History†). With this, the divergence of views on the status of Berlin soon emerged. The Soviet Union considered the presence of the other three Western nations only as a temporary occupation. As Joseph Stalin claimed, in economic and administrative terms, the whole of Berlin belonged to the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany. On the other hand, the Western Powers asserted that the citizens of Berlin had the right to choose and determine the future. (Elkins) The rift was further aggravated given the difference in Soviet Union’s and Western nation’s viewpoints regarding the economic recovery plan for Germany. The former believed that Germany should be incapacitated to launch another war since Stalin assumed that Germany along with Japan could once again be perils to Soviet Union by 1960s. On the contrary, the Western Powers, particularly the US, stressed that the post war reconstruction of Europe primarily depends on the rebuilding of German economy and industry. (â€Å"Wikipedia†) In line with the Western recovery plan, the unification of the Western-occupied sectors in Germany, dubbed as the Marshall Plan, was announced on March 6, 1948. The three Western zones would be consolidated with an independent federal government (â€Å"Wikipedia†). In this regard, the Soviet Union withdrew from the Allied Control Council administering over Berlin due to the perceived violation of the Potsdam Agreement by the Western Powers (â€Å"Reader’s Companion to American History†).

Summary of chapter 8 - business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary of chapter 8 - business ethics - Essay Example The contract provides the basic framework governing the reciprocal obligations between the employee and the firm. Underlying this reciprocal relationship are certain ethical issues: company loyalty and conflict of interest. a. Company loyalty is a long held concept. An employee is seen legally bound to be loyal to his/her employer, but extreme view argues that an employee-employer relationship, which is based on self-interest, does not qualify for loyalty, since loyalty is based on a relationship that warrants unconditional sacrifice: loyalty to loved ones or country. To view company loyalty as to safeguard and pursue the firm’s legitimate interest is morally acceptable, but not morally required. To other employees, company loyalty could be a consequence of group identification. b. Conflict of interest is another common problem confronted even by loyal employees, since basically employees and employers operate from different plane and perspective. This occurs when employees at any level have their own self-interest that collides with their job duties and as such could substantially provoke them to undermine their firm’s interest. Financial investments made by employees with the company’s suppliers, customers or distributors are one of the most common sources of conflict of interest. Many cases of this type had been brought to court and had been proven detrimental to the interest of the company. Companies have their own policy regarding this to define what is permissible and impermissible. Since such policy affects the financial well-being of all involved, this should be subjected to open and free negotiations making it acceptable to all. 2. Abuse of official position ranging from making subordinates take on tasks unrelated to the firm to the use of position for personal financial enhancement, privileges and advantage, always raises ethical questions, as this undermines employees’ obligations

Understanding Experiences Blows Away Misconceptions Essay Example for Free

Understanding Experiences Blows Away Misconceptions Essay Grades do not always determine a true understanding of academic concepts. As shown in our discussion, children who seem to have learned their lesson in math well may only have understood the technique in solving a mathematical problem but not the true concepts involved. I, myself, took another sample test and although I scored perfectly, the challenge of seeing through what might be traps for misconceptions was there to help me get a nice score. Misconceptions are easy to assimilate and yet be difficult to detect and even harder to correct. To help others clarify misconceptions, it is important to find out where the error is coming from. In a study conducted over middle school students by the Arizona State University incoming teachers, interviewers realized that children tend to think they know that the mathematical concepts they learned are true because of the credibility of the teacher. However, their memory of what the teacher has taught can be erroneous (Flores, 2006, par. 1-4). One way to help overcome misconceptions is by guiding the person in identifying his or her mistake. In an interview, a researcher had to make a Year 7 student explain her idea of a â€Å"oneths† column in her notion of decimal places. To correct the misconception, the teacher simply guided the student in finding out through her own efforts how it is impossible to have a â€Å"oneths† place in the decimal system (MacDonald, 2008, par. 1-13). True learning involves grasping a concept and using it practically in one’s life. Guidance in understanding the implications of what one experiences can help clarify misconceptions. Teaching techniques or â€Å"spoon feeding† makes learning shallow for people. Identifying the concepts that need to be learned and how they are applicable or happening in one’s life is more effective. References Flores, A. (2006). How do students know what they learn in middle school mathematics is true? School Science and Mathematics. Retrieved 24 May, 2010, from http://www. thefree library. com/How+do+students+know+what+they+learn+in+middle+school+mathematics +is -a0144150616. MacDonald, Amy. (2008). But what about the oneths? A year 7 students misconception about decimal place value. Australian Mathematics Teacher. Retrieved 24 May, 2010 from http://www. thefreelibrary. com/%22But+what+about+the+oneths%3F%22+A+year+7+st udents+misconception+about+ -a0188952628.

Child Labor in Mexico Essay examples -- Argumentative Persuasive Essay

Child Labor in Mexico Veronica Hernandez began her working career in a factory sweatshop. She was only 8 years old. After more than 12 years of intense and monotonous work in a number of different factories, Hernandez still, â€Å"felt as poor as the day she first climbed onto the lower rungs of the global assembly line† (Ferriss, source#2). Veronica works about 45 hours a week for only a base salary of $55, an occupation where she assembles RCA televisions by the Thomson Corporation. While some people you know complain of not having cable or enough channels for their big screen television, Veronica is blessed that she even owns one. She lives in a one room hut that includes no more than an out-house and an old refrigerator. She has to haul water from a single faucet that services a group of other families as well as her own. Hoping that some development would come (either in working conditions or wage) since the beginning of her working career as a child, Hernandez knows that progress hasnâ €™t developed within the last couple of years. While she continues to slave in ‘maquiladoras’ (U.S. and other foreign-owned factories that assemble products for consumers), people around the globe are searching to find alternate ways to create work. The need for improvement in working conditions and withholding laws to keep young children out of factory work is urgent. Child labor is a serious issue that needs the world’s attention now more than ever. Child labor has become an ongoing global concern for many years. The practice sweatshops in places such as South America and Asia are responsible for much of the manufactured goods people own today. While hundreds of organized unions and corporations look for answers to this unheal... ... 29 Oct. 2003. Global march on Five Continents Target Child Labor. Labor Alerts-a Service of â€Å"Campaign for Labor Rights.† Washington, 2003. Greenhouse, Steven. â€Å"Nike Identified Plants Abroad Making goods for Universities† New York Times. 8 Oct. 1999. Homepage. www.Crea-inc.org/pr01.htm Homepage. www.gobalexhange.org/sweatshops/gap/background.html Homepage. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/index.htm Homepage. www.natlaw.com/pubs/torrient.htm Homepage. www.usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/1002/igee/ftaa-derbex.htm Homepage. www.sweatshops.org. â€Å"How NAFTA Failed Mexico† The American Prospect. July-Aug. 2003. 14. Latapi, Agustin and Mercedes Gonzalez. Crisis, Restructuring and Urban Poverty in Mexico. Logan, Marty. Trade Americas: FTAA Environmental Outlook Break, experts say. 14 Oct. 2003.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 11~12

Eleven Catfish Catfish awoke to find a paint-spattered woman padding about the house in nothing but a pair of wool socks, in which she had stuck several sable brushes that delivered ochre, olive, and titanium white strokes to her calves whenever she moved. Canvases were propped on easels, chairs, counters, and windowsills – seascapes every one. Estelle moved from canvas to canvas, palette in hand, furiously painting details in the waves and beaches. â€Å"Y'all woke up inspired,† Catfish said. It was past dusk, they had slept away the daylight. Estelle painted by the light of fifty candles and the orange glow that washed from the open doors of the wood stove. Color correctness be damned, these paintings should be viewed by fire. Estelle stopped painting and raised her brush arm to cover her breasts. â€Å"They weren't finished. I knew something was missing when I painted them, but I didn't know what until now.† Catfish cinched his pants around his waist and walked shirtless among the paintings. The waves writhed with tail and scale and teeth and talon. Predator eyes shone out of the canvases, brighter, it seemed, than the candles that lit them. â€Å"You done painted that old girl in all of 'em?† â€Å"It's not a girl. It's male.† â€Å"How you know that?† â€Å"I know.† Estelle turned and went back to her painting. â€Å"I feel it.† â€Å"How you know it look like that?† â€Å"It does, doesn't it? It looks like this?† Catfish scratched the stubble on his chin and pondered the paintings. â€Å"Close. But it ain't a boy. That ol' monster the same one come after me an Smiley for catchin its little one.† Estelle stopped painting and turned to him. â€Å"You have to play tonight?† â€Å"In a little while.† â€Å"Coffee?† He stepped up to her, took the brush and palette from her, and kissed her on the forehead. â€Å"That sho' would be sweet.† She padded to the bedroom and came back wearing a tattered kimono. â€Å"Tell me, Catfish. What happened?† He was sitting at the table. â€Å"I think we done broke a record. I'm sore.† Estelle smiled in spite of herself, but pressed on. â€Å"What happened back then, in the bayou? Did you call that thing up out of the water somehow?† â€Å"What you thinkin, woman? I can do that, you think I be playin clubs for drinks and part the door?† â€Å"Tell me how you felt back then, when that thing came out of the swamp.† â€Å"Scared.† â€Å"Besides that.† â€Å"Wasn't nothing besides that. You heard it. Scared is all there is.† â€Å"You weren't scared after we got back here last night.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Neither was I. What did you feel back then? Before and after the thing came after you.† â€Å"Not like I'm feelin now.† â€Å"And how is that?† â€Å"I'm feelin real good to be here talkin to you.† â€Å"No kidding. Me too. How about back then?† â€Å"Stop doggin me, girl. I'll tell you. But I gots to go play in an hour and I don't know that I can.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"The Blues ain't on me. You done chased 'em off.† â€Å"I can throw you out in the cold without a shirt if you think it will help.† Catfish squirmed in his chair. â€Å"Maybe some coffee.† Catfish's Story After we gets some distance from whatever chasin us, we stop the Model T Ford and me and Smiley put that big ol' catfish thing in the backseat – his tail hangin out one side an' his head out't'other. Now this ain't at all what I expected, and Smiley ain't got the Blues on him, but I'm gettin me a grand case myself. Then I realizes we got us five hundred dollar coming, and them ol' Blues done melt right away. I say, â€Å"Smiley, I believes we should have us some celebratin, startin with some liquor and endin up with some fine Delta pussy. What you say?† Ol' Smiley, like usual, don't wanna piss on the parade, but bein who he is, he point out we aint got no money and Ida May don't approve of no pussy more'en a hundred yard from the house. But he feelin it too, I can tell, and before long we headed down a back road to find a bootlegger I know down there name of Elmore that sells to colored folk. That ol' white boy ain't got but two teeth, but he grindin 'em when we pulls up, all mad and wavin his shotgun like we come to bust up his still. I say, â€Å"Hey, Elmore, how your lovely wife and sister?† He say she fine, but lessin we shows some money quick, he gonna shoot him some niggers and get back to her before she cool off. â€Å"We a little short,† I say. â€Å"But we have us five hundred dollar come morning iffin you kind enough to give us a jug on credit.† An' then I shows him the catfish. That boy liked to shit his pants, and I was hopin he would, just to cover the smell comin off him natural, but instead he say, â€Å"I ain't waitin 'til mornin'. You want a jug, you give me a hunk o' that catfish right now. A big hunk.† Smiley and I thinks it over, and before long we got us a half-gallon of corn mash and ol' Elmore got hisself enough catfish to feed his wives and children and them-thats both for a week or more. Up the road a spell and this old whore name of Okra givin us the same speech about money, plus she sayin we need to take us a bath before she let us anywhere near her girls. And I comes back with the five-hundred-dollar story. She say five hundred dollar tomorrow and we can come in tomorrow, but if we want some pussy tonight, she want a hunk of that old catfish in the back. Them hos can eat some catfish too, I'm tellin you. I thought Smiley finally gettin the Blues on him when I hears him sayin how he give up a hundred dollar worth of catfish just for a bath. But that his choice. He wait in the car 'til I'm done and we head off to find a place to sleep 'til morning when we can cash in the fish. We pulls down a side road into some bushes, and we commencin to get us some sleep after a drink or two, when who come out the woods but a whole bunch of boys wearin them white sheets and pointy hoods, sayin, â€Å"Nigger, I guess you didn't read the sign.† And they tie us up to that ol' catfish and make us drag it back in the woods to a big ol' fire they got goin. That sho' a chill, I gots to tell you. To this day I can't walk by sheets hangin on a line without my backbone freeze up. I knows we sho' gonna die now, sayin my prayers and all best I can, while them boys kickin me in the mouth an' such while eatin catfish pieces what they roasted on sticks. Then I feels it and the kickin stops. I see ol' Smiley lyin in the dirt, coverin his head with his arms, one ol' bloody eye lookin' over at me. He feel it too. Them Klansmen staring into the woods like they long-lost momma gonna come out, big ol' grins on they faces, half of 'em rubbin they dicks through they pants. And she come out, all right. Big as a train, a howl like to make your ears bust and bleed. She take two of them in the first bite. I don't have to write Smiley no letter. Before we can say somethin, we up and runnin, still tied up to what left of that catfish carcass, running back for the road. We finds us a knife in the car and we gets loose lickety-split – Smiley crankin that ol' Model T and me behind the wheel workin the choke. Hollerin and screamin comin out the woods sounding like music now, them Klansmen gettin all eat up. Then it get quiet, just the sound of our breath and Smiley crankin the Model T. I'm yellin for him to hurry, I can hear that thing crashin though the woods. And finally, the Model T cranks over, but I can hardly hear it, 'cause that old dragon thing done broken out the woods and lets go a roar. I tells Smiley to get in, but he run back to the back of the car. â€Å"What you doing?† I say. â€Å"Five hundred dollar,† he say. And I see he throwing the catfish in the backseat. That stinky thing ain't nothin but a head now, so Smiley throw it in by hisself. Then he makes to jump on the running board and I looks over and he just snatched out the air. Gone. And them jaws coming down for the second time when I pull that ol' Model T in gear and take off. Smiley gone. Gone. Next day I find that white man say he pay five hundred dollar for the catfish, and he look at that big fish head and jus laugh at me. I say I lose the best friend I ever had, he better give me my goddamn money. But he laugh and tell me go away. So I hit him. Took that old fish head to court with me, but it don't make no difference. That judge give me six months in jail – hittin a white man and all. He tell the bailiff, â€Å"Take Catfish away.† They call me Catfish since. I don't tell the story no more, but the name still there. Had the Blues on me ever since, but they ain't no makin amends. By the time I get out, Ida May die of grief, and I ain't got a friend alive. Been on the road since. That thing on the beach, make that sound, she lookin for me. Catfish â€Å"It's a male,† Estelle said. She didn't know what else to say. â€Å"How you know?† â€Å"I know.† She took his hand. â€Å"I'm sorry about your friend.† â€Å"I just wanted him to get the Blues on him so we can make us a record.† They sat there at the table for a while, holding hands. Catfish let his coffee go cold in the cup. Estelle ran the story around in her head, both relieved and fearful that the shadows in her paintings now had a shape. Somehow, as fantastic as it was, Catfish's story seemed familiar. She said, â€Å"Catfish, did you ever read The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway?† â€Å"He that boy write about bullfights and fishing? I met him once, down Florida way. Why?' â€Å"You met him?† â€Å"Yeah, that sumbitch didn't believe that story neither. Said he like to fish, but he don't believe me. Why you ask?† â€Å"Never mind,† Estelle said. â€Å"If this thing eats people, don't you think we should report it?† â€Å"I been tellin folks about that monster for some fifty years, ain't no one believed me yet. Said I was the biggest liar ever come outta the Delta. I'd have me a big house and a stack of records if not for that. You call the law and tell them 'bout this, they gonna call you the crazy woman of Pine Cove.† â€Å"We already have one of those.† â€Å"Well, ain't no one gonna get eat but me, and if I lose this gig 'cause they thinkin I'm crazy, I have to be movin on then. You understand?† Estelle took Catfish's cup from the table and placed it in the sink. â€Å"You'd better get ready to go play.† Twelve Molly To distract herself from the dragon next door, Molly had put on her sweats and started to clean her trailer. She got as far as filling three black trash bags with junk food jetsam and was getting ready to vacuum up the collec-tion of sow bug corpses that dotted her carpet when she made the mistake of Windexing the television. Outland Steel: Kendra's Revenge was playing on the VCR and when the droplets of Windex hit the screen, they magnified the phosphorescent dots, making the picture look like an impressionist painting: Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Le Grande Warrior Babe perhaps. Molly froze the frame on the gratuitous shower scene. (There was always a shower scene in the first five minutes of her films, despite the fact that Kendra lived on a planet almost completely devoid of water. To address this problem, one young director had gotten the bright idea of using â€Å"anti-radioactive foam† in the shower scene and Molly had spent five hours with whipped Ivory Snow suds being blown on to her by an offscreen Shop-Vac. She ended up playing the rest of the film in a Bedouin burnoose to cover the rash that developed all over her body.) â€Å"Art film,† Molly said, sitting on the floor in front of the TV, dowsing it with Windex for the fiftieth time. â€Å"I could have been a model in Paris in those days.† â€Å"Not a chance,† said the narrator. He was still around. â€Å"Too skinny. They liked fat chicks back then.† â€Å"I'm not talking to you.† â€Å"You've used half a bottle of Windex for this little trip to Paris.† â€Å"Seems like cheap travel to me,† Molly said. Even so, she got up and took two glasses from the top of the TV. She was taking them to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She opened the door with the rims of the glasses pinched in one hand. Outside, two women in dresses and heels and lots of hair spray were standing on her steps. They were both in their early thirties, blonde, and wore stiff smiles of either insincerity or drug use, Molly couldn't be sure which. â€Å"Avon?† Molly asked. â€Å"No,† the blonde in front said with a titter. â€Å"I'm Marge Whitfield, this is Katie Marshall, we're from the Coalition for a Moral Society. We'd like to talk to you about our campaign to reinstate school prayer. I hope we haven't caught you at a bad time.† Katie was in pink. Marge in pastel blue. â€Å"I'm Molly Michon. I was just cleaning up a little.† Molly held up the two glasses. â€Å"Come on in.† The two women stepped in and stood in the doorway as Molly took the glasses to the sink. â€Å"You know, it's interesting,† Molly said, â€Å"but if you put Diet Coke in one glass, and regular Coke in another, and let them sit for, oh, say six months, then come back, there will be all sorts of green stuff growing on the regular Coke, but the Diet Coke will be as good as new.† Molly returned to the living room. â€Å"Can I get you two something to drink?† â€Å"No thank you,† Marge droned in robot response. She and Katie were staring at the paused image of a wet and naked Molly on the television screen. Molly breezed by them and flipped off the television. â€Å"Sorry, an art film I made in Paris when I was younger. Won't you sit down?† The women sat down next to each other on Molly's tattered couch, their knees pinched together so tight they could have crushed diamonds to powder. â€Å"I love your air freshener,† Katie said, trying to pull out of her terror. â€Å"It smells so clean.† â€Å"Thanks, it's Windex.† â€Å"What a cute idea,† Marge said. This was good, Molly thought. Normal people. If I can hold myself together for normal people like these, I'll be okay. This is good practice. She sat down on the floor in front of them. â€Å"So your name is Marge. You don't hear that outside of detergent commercials anymore. Did your parents watch a lot of TV?† Marge tittered. â€Å"It's short for Margaret, of course. My grandmother's name.† Katie jumped in. â€Å"Molly, we're very concerned that our children's education is totally without any spiritual instruction. The Coalition is collecting signatures for reinstatement of prayer in school.† â€Å"Okay,† Molly said. â€Å"You're new in town, aren't you?† â€Å"Why, yes, we've both moved here from Los Angeles with our husbands. A small town is just a better place to raise children, as I'm sure you know.† â€Å"Right,† Molly said. They had no idea who she was. â€Å"That's why I brought my little Stevie here.† Stevie was Molly's goldfish who had died during one of her stays in County. Now he lived in a Ziploc in her freezer and regarded her with a frosty gaze every time she retrieved some ice. â€Å"And how old is Stevie?† â€Å"Uh, seven or eight. I forget sometimes, it was a long labor.† â€Å"He's a year behind my Tiffany,† Marge said. â€Å"Well, he's a little slow.† â€Å"And your husband is†¦?† â€Å"Dead.† â€Å"I'm so sorry,† Katie said. â€Å"No need, you probably didn't kill him.† â€Å"Anyway,† Katie said, â€Å"we'd really like to have your signature to send to the state senate. Single mothers are an important part of our campaign. And we're also collecting donations for the campaign to have the Constitu-tion amended.† She put on an embarrassed smile. â€Å"God's work needs funding too.† â€Å"I live in a trailer,† Molly said. â€Å"We understand,† Marge said. â€Å"Finances are difficult for a single mother. But your signature is just as important to God's work.† â€Å"But I live in a trailer. God hates trailers.† â€Å"Beg pardon?† â€Å"He burns them up, freezes, them out, tears them up with tornadoes. God hates trailers. Are you sure I wouldn't be hurting your cause?† Katie giggled. â€Å"Oh, Mrs. Michon, don't be silly. Just last week I read where a woman's trailer was picked up by a tornado and dropped almost a mile away and she survived. She said that she was praying the whole time and that God had saved her. You see?† â€Å"Then who sent the tornado in the first place?† The two pastel women squirmed on the couch. The blue one spoke first. â€Å"We'd love to have you at our Bible study group, where we could discuss that, but we have to be getting along. Would you mind signing the peti-tion?† She pulled a clipboard out of her oversized purse and handed it over to Molly with a pen. â€Å"So if this works, kids will be able to pray in school?† â€Å"Why, yes.† Marge brightened. â€Å"So the Muslim kids can turn to Mecca seven times a day or whatever and it won't count against their grades?† The blue and pink pastel ladies looked at each other. â€Å"Well, America is a Christian nation, Mrs. Michon.† Molly didn't want them to think she was a pushover. She was a smart woman. â€Å"But kids of other faiths can pray too, right?† â€Å"I suppose so,† Katie said. â€Å"To themselves.† â€Å"Oh good,† Molly said as she signed the petition, â€Å"because I know that Stevie could move up to the Red Jets reading group if he could sacrifice a chicken to Vigoth the Worm God, but the teacher won't let him.† Why did I say that? Why did I say that? What if they ask where Stevie is? â€Å"Mrs. Michon!† â€Å"What? He'd do it at recess,† Molly said. â€Å"It's not like it would cut into study time.† â€Å"We are working on behalf of the One True God, Mrs. Michon. The Coalition is not an interfaith organization. I'm sure that if you had felt the power of His spirit, you wouldn't talk that way.† â€Å"Oh, I've felt it.† â€Å"You have?† â€Å"Of course. You can feel it too. Right now.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Molly handed the clipboard back to Katie and stood up. â€Å"Come next door with me. It'll only take a second. I know you'll feel it.† Theo Theo's hopes of finding Mikey Plotznik rose as he drove through the residential areas of Pine Cove. Nearly every neighborhood had two or three people out searching with flashlights and cell phones. Theo stopped and took reports from each search party, then made suggestions as if he had the slightest idea what he was doing. Who was he kidding? He couldn't even find his car keys half the time. Most of Pine Cove's neighborhoods were without sidewalks or street-lights. The canopy of pine trees absorbed the moonlight and darkness drank up Theo's headlights like an ocean of ink. He plugged his handheld spot-light in the lighter socket and swept it across the houses and into the vacant lots, spotting nothing but a pair of mule deer eating someone's rosebuds. As he drove by the beach park – a grass playground the size of a football field, surrounded by cypress trees and blocked from the Pacific wind by an eight-foot redwood fence – he spotted a flash of white moving on one of the picnic tables. He pulled into the parking strip beside the park and pointed the Volvo's headlights, as well as the spotlight, at the table. A couple was going at it right there on the table. The flash of white had been the man's bare ass. Two faces turned into the light, eyes as wide as the two deer Theo had surprised earlier. Normally, Theo would have driven on. He was used to finding people â€Å"in the act† in cars behind the Head of the Slug, or parked along the more rugged strips of coastline. He wasn't the sex police, after all. But tonight he was irritated by the scene. It had been almost a whole day since he'd had a hit from his Sneaky Pete. Maybe it's a symptom of withdrawal, he thought. He turned off the Volvo and got out, taking his flashlight with him. The couple scrambled into their clothes as he approached, but didn't try to es-cape. There was nowhere for them to go except over the fence, where a narrow beach was bordered on both sides by cliffs and washed by treach-erous, freezing rip tides. When he was halfway across the park, Theo recognized the fornicators and stopped. The woman, a girl really, was Betsy Butler, a waitress down at H.P.'s Cafe. She was struggling to pull down her skirt. The man, bald ing and slack-chested, was the newly widowed Joseph Leander. Theo flashed on the image of Bess Leander hanging from a peg in the spotless dining room. â€Å"A little discretion's in order here, you think Joe?† Theo shouted as he walked toward them. â€Å"Uh, it's Joseph, Constable.† Theo felt his scalp go hot with anger. He wasn't an angry man by nature, but nature hadn't been working the last few days. â€Å"No, It's Joseph when you're doing business or when you're grieving over your dead wife. When you're boning a girl half your age on a picnic table in a public park, it's Joe.† â€Å"I – we – things have been so difficult. I don't know what came over us – I mean, me. I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't suppose you've seen a kid around here tonight? A boy, about ten?† The girl shook her head. She was covering her face with one hand and staring into the grass at her feet. Joseph Leander's gaze darted around the park as if a magic escape hatch would open up in the dark if he could only spot it. â€Å"No, I haven't seen a boy.† Technically, Theo knew he could arrest them both on the spot for indecent exposure, but he didn't want to take the time to process them into County Justice. â€Å"Go home, Joe. Alone. Your daughters shouldn't be by themselves right now. Betsy, do you have a ride?† Without uncovering her face, she said, â€Å"I only live two blocks away.† â€Å"Go home. Now.† Theo turned and walked back to the Volvo. No one had ever accused Theo of being clever (except for the time at a college party when he fashioned an emergency bong out of a two-liter Coke bottle and a Bic pen), but he was feeling somewhat less than clever for not having investigated Bess Leander's death more carefully. It was one thing to be hired because you're thought to be a fool, it's quite another to live up to the reputation. Tomorrow, he thought. First find the kid. Molly Molly stood in the mud with the two pastel Christian ladies looking at the dragon trailer. â€Å"Can you feel it?† â€Å"Why, whatever do you mean?† Marge said. â€Å"That's just a dirty old trailer – excuse me – mobile home.† Until a second ago, she had only been concerned with her powder-blue high heels sinking into the wet turf. Now she and her partner were staring at the dragon trailer, wide-eyed. They could feel it, Molly could tell. She could feel it too: a low-grade sense of contentment, something vaguely sexual, not quite joy, but close. â€Å"You're feeling it?† The two women looked to each other, trying to deny that they were feeling anything. Their eyes were glazed over as if they'd been drugged, and they fidgeted as if suppressing giggles. Katie, the pink one, said, â€Å"Maybe we should visit these people.† She took a tentative step toward the dragon trailer. Molly stepped in front of her. â€Å"There's no one there. It's just a feeling. You two should probably go fill out your petition.† â€Å"It's late,† said powder blue. â€Å"Maybe one more visit, then we have to go.† â€Å"No!† Molly blocked their path. This wasn't as fun as she thought it would be. She had wanted to freak them out a little, not harm them. She had the distinct feeling that if they got any closer to the dragon trailer, school prayer would be losing two well-groomed votes. â€Å"You two need to get home.† She took each by a shoulder and led them back to the street, then pushed them toward the entrance of the trailer park. They looked longingly over their shoulders at the dragon trailer. â€Å"I feel the spirit moving in me, Katie,† Marge said. Molly gave them another push. â€Å"Right, that's a good thing. Off you go.† And she was supposed to be the crazy one. â€Å"Go, go, go,† Molly said. â€Å"I have to get Stevie's dinner ready.† â€Å"We're sorry we missed meeting your little boy,† Katie said. â€Å"Where is he?† â€Å"Homework. See ya. Bye.† Molly watched the women walk out of the park and climb into a new Chrysler minivan, then she turned back to the dragon trailer. For some reason, she was no longer afraid. â€Å"You're hungry, aren't you, Stevie?† The dragon trailer shifted shape, angles melting to curves, windows going back to eyes, but the glow wasn't as intense as it had been in the early dawn. Molly saw the burned gill trees, the soot and blistered flesh between the scales. Soft blue lines of color flashed across the dragon's flanks and faded. Molly felt her heart sink in sympathy. This thing, whatever it was, was hurting. Molly took a few steps closer. â€Å"I have a feeling you're too old to be a Stevie. And the original Stevie might be offended. How about Steve? You look like a Steve.† Molly liked the name Steve. Her agent at CAA had been named Steve. Steve was a good name for a reptile. (As opposed to Stevie, which was more of a frozen goldfish name.) She felt a wave of warmth run through her amid the sadness. The monster liked his name. â€Å"You shouldn't have eaten that kid.† Steve said nothing. Molly took another step forward, still on guard. â€Å"You have to go away. I can't help you. I'm crazy, you know? I have the papers from the state to prove it.† The Sea Beast rolled over on his back like a submissive puppy and gave Molly a pathetically helpless look, no easy task for an animal capable of swallowing a Volkswagen. â€Å"No,† Molly said. The Sea Beast whimpered, no louder than a newborn kitten. â€Å"Oh, this is just swell,† Molly said. â€Å"Imagine the meds Dr. Val is going to put me on when I tell her about this. The vegetable and the lizard, that's what they'll call us. I hope you're happy.† Peer Pressure â€Å"But I don't want to go among mad people,† Alice remarked. â€Å"Oh, you can't help that,† said the cat. â€Å"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.† â€Å"How do you know I'm mad?† said Alice. â€Å"You must be,† said the cat, â€Å"or you wouldn't have come here.† – LEWIS CARROL, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland