Financial Accounting Standards Board Essay

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are two of the most important bodies of the Accounting/Finance field today. Though both boards work together to develop and enforce financial reporting standards for publicly held organizations, the FASB concentrates on the accounting standards in the United States while the IASB sets its focus on global standards. The rules and standards that are set for individual certified public accountants that practice in the United States are also set by the FASB. By introducing the IASB and FASB into the MSA program, students are able to gain more insight into what businesses are required to report and the progress that the accounting field continues to make. The FASB was established in 1973 after the AICPA had adopted recommendation which were made by the Wheat Committee. The Wheat Committee had recommended that the Accounting Principles Board (APB) be eliminated and that FASB be created. The elimination of the APB and the creation of the FASB meant that the FASB was the board that issued accounting standards. FASB’s structure is as follows: A board of trustees nominated by organizations whose members have special knowledge and interest in financial reporting is selected. The organizations originally chosen to select the trustees were the American Accounting Association; the AICPA; the Financial Executives Institute; the National Association of Accountants (The Naa’s name was later changed to Institute of Management Accountants in 1991), and the Financial Analysts Federation (Schroeder etal, 2011). The FASB’s mission is to create and improve financial accounting standards for the assistance and education of the public. The IASB was established in 2001, after succeeding the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) which was established in 1973. The International Accounting Standards are created by the IASB and are called International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s). The main responsibility of the IASB is to create and issue IFRS’s, exposure drafts, and approve interpretations which are developed by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC). These IFRS’s are the equivalent to FASB’s Statements of Financial Accounting Standards. The primary difference between the two sets of standards is, one set of standards are established in the United States and another set of standards are established in another country. The FASB and IASB are currently working to create a uniform set of International Accounting Standards (IAC’s). The two boards started working together to create this uniform set of standards in 2003. The goal of this project is to achieve â€Å"compatibility of identifying common, high-quality solutions† (Schroeder etal, 2011). The reason for the convergence of the two boards is to have a specific set of accounting standards that all countries must follow. The guidelines for the convergence of the two boards are as follows: * Convergence of accounting standards can best be achieved through the development of high-quality, common standards theme * Trying to eliminate differences between two standards that are in need of significant improvement is not the best use of the FASB’s and the IASB’s resources – instead, a new common standard should be developed that improves the financial information reported to investors * Serving the needs of investors means that the boards should seek to converge by replacing weaker standards with stronger standards (Schroeder etal, 2011) The primary standards that are to be converged are six of FASB’s Statements of Financial Concepts (SFAC’s): SFAC No. 1. â€Å"Objectives of Financial Reporting by Business Enterprises† SFAC No. 2. â€Å"Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information† SFAC No. 5. â€Å"Recognition and Measurement in Financial Statements of Business Enterprises† SFAC No. 6. â€Å"Elements of Financial Statements† SFAC No. 7. â€Å"Using Cash Flow Information and Present Value in Accounting Measurements† (Schreoder etal, 2011) Seven of IASB’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements are also part of the conversion: 1.  The objective of financial statements 2. Qualitative characteristics of financial statements 3. The elements of financial statements 4. Recognition of the elements of financial statements 5. Measurement of the elements of financial statements 6. Concepts of capital and capital maintenance (Schroeder etal, 2011) The standards mentioned above are the standards that appear to have the most commonality which would seem that there would be fewer obstacles. However; a prevalent variance is the amount of detail which is contained within the two frameworks. While the convergence of the two boards will be difficult, recognizing the commonalities between the frameworks is the first step in making sure the convergence goes through smoothly. Not only is it important to merge the two different sets of standards, but it is also important that the two boards work together to build onto the current set and establish additional standards that organizations are required to follow. The Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) program prepares students for a professional life within the accounting vocation by introducing students to the standards set by the FASB and the IASB. â€Å"The (MSA) provides the breadth of knowledge for the professional accountant. Students master the theory and principles that frame a wide range of problems and issues encountered in the accounting profession† (University of Phoenix, 2011). The students are able to go in depth with the boards and discover how the entire accounting system works. By introducing the functionality of the FASB and the IASB, the students are able to understand the importance of following GAAP. By understanding GAAP and knowing the relationship between those principles and the IASB and FASB, the students will have the knowledge to perform the job and understand why the IASB and FASB set the standards that they do. The IASB and FASB are two very influential boards within the accounting field. The standards that these two boards have established and enforced have paved the way toward a single set of standards between all countries. Having a single set of standards will allow investors to view financial reports for all organizations around the world and know that the information is being reported using the same set of standards. It is important to the future success of any organization that its current and future employees are up to date on all of the rules and regulations that are part of the accounting career. The MSA program allows students the opportunity to gain the knowledge of any current and future rules that the boards have established.

Comparative Research on Cross-Cultural Families Essay

1. Reference or bibliographic entry of your selected article in APA style (see example in the first assignment guidelines): Toro-Morn, M., & Sprecher, S. (2003). A cross-cultural comparison of mate preferences among university students; the united states vs. the people’s republic of china (PRC). Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34(2), 151-170. 2. What are the aims and/or research questions of the study? The research of the cross-cultural study aims their question at comparing mate preferences of young adults in the People’s Republic of China and those young adults of the United States. This study correlates to the research done in 1998 by Goodwin, which examine the political and economic structure in a particular culture and the effect it had on relationships, in particular mate preferences. 3. What concepts or ideas did the authors want to study? How were they defined in the study? Read through the literature background or the introduction part. The article states the researchers have three concepts they wish to obtain from the study. One, within each culture analyzes gender variation in mate preferences. Second, differentiate the two cultures in which they are satisfied with gender differences in mate preferences. Third, differentiate the two cultures of the significance of diverse partner characteristics. The concepts were outlined and explain through a questionnaire to 648 university students in the United States and 735 university students in the People’s Republic of China. The United States questionnaire contained 422 females, 219 males, and 7 did not specify their gender. The People’s Republic of China questionnaire contained 343 females, 352 males, and 40 did not specify their gender. The questionnaire contained a section called â€Å"Traits Desired in a Mate.† Through the results, researchers could determine which traits were least and most important. Also the differences and similarities within each culture, including the mate preferences of women versus males within each culture. 4. Describe the participants of the study. Since you are supposed to choose an article of a cross-cultural study on families, the participants for this study should have different cultural backgrounds. What are these cultural backgrounds? What are the demographics of the participants? This study contained two different participants, our very own young adults from the United States and young adults from the People’s Republic of China. In the late 1970s, The People’s Republic of China began having social and economic reforms. Not only did they began having reforms, but these reforms stimulated the growth of social science research. Which as a result, allowed researchers to research the mate preferences of young adults in the People’s Republic of China. The People’s Republic of China is recognize as the largest country in the world. Thus, having an immense population. These people live in a country were social and historical forces play an important role in their expectations of their potential partner. In addition they live in a country were government enforces family polices. This study contain people who were currently in a university; thus their age would range from eighteen to twenty three. 5. What is the authors’ methodology? How did the authors collect their data? What are the measurements or research tools that they used? The author’s methodology is based on a method, a procedure, measurements of the procedure, and results. The author collected their data by a questionnaire given to university students in the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The measurements the researchers used were in a section on the questionnaire called â€Å"Traits Desired in a Mate† which determine what characteristics they found important in a potential mate. 6. What kind of analytical procedures did the authors use? Describe each as to how they can answer the research questions or achieve the aims of the study. The author uses three types of analytical procedures. They first gather their research by determining which of the twenty-five traits were most and least favored overall. They put this data into a table, which  portrays the importance rating for the total sample. Secondly, they compared the similarities and differences within each culture. As a result, they are able compare each culture traits that hold high or low importance and see if any of them are the same. Third, they compare the mate preferences for women and men in each culture. 7. What are their general findings and conclusions? The study concluded that participants would rather have a mate who is honest, kind, healthy, and have an energetic personality. Researchers found that participants felt that intrinsic personality traits were more important then status characteristics. Males were more entranced with attractiveness as a role in finding their mate. Well women in both culture were looking for men with earning potential and wealth. The major difference between the United States and Chinese cultures was the importance of having children to both parties. As you could imagine, it was important to the American culture and was fairly unimportant to the Chinese counterparts. 8. After the findings and conclusions, what recommendations were made by the researchers? I don’t know if there were recommendations made as much as thoughts for the future. The researchers though that the past has shaped both countries enough that what they look for in a potential mate will stay true. These differences between the two countries should still hold true, disregarding the fact that the Untied States culture is widely accepted in China. If anything they came to the conclusion that China’s one-child policy has a major effect on how the Chinese look for a mate. 9. What learning did you gain from this assignment or from reading this kind of a paper? I definitely enjoyed reading this particular article because it compared the United States culture (which is the country I lived in) to another culture, the People’s Republic of China. Through the researchers questionnaire, I was able to see the comparisons between the two cultures in their mate  preferences. I felt it was interesting to see how important social and economic factors are in other cultures.

Analysis Of Coleridge Jackson

Coleridge Jackson Coleridge Jackson was a story poem written by American black woman Maya Angelou, born April 4, 1928, living in a struggle for black equality. My boss, I think this poem is written to support and sympathize with equal pace of black Americans. The first line is very powerful and puts the image of Koleridge in the head of the reader as soon as the sentence is turned into a sentence. The phrase There is nothing to worry about Coleridge Jackson is limited, and objection can not. An analysis of the rhythm of ancient crewmen of Ancient sailor frost by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a long poem about the supernatural activities of sea crew and their crew. This work is the original of Lyrical Ballads, two books created by William Wordsworth and Coleridge. Wordsworth intends to make ordinary people into an exceptional appearance in his work and Coleridge's goal is to make this exceptional lineup normal. Fog .. was first published Critical Analysis of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Colleric William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge were first released in the UK in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Writing movement for outdoor philosophy. Wordsworth and ST Cole Ridge are often considered pioneers of the British Romantic Movement but their collective theology and philosophy are often criticized but they are often criticized by writers because of their excellent fame as a poet It is seldom to be taken to. General Efforts ... The literary romantic era from 1798 to 1832 was the era for the literary style of the 18th century. This period is full of poets who devoted faith to their work and poetry, such as William Wordsworth, a very famous romantic poet of this era. In contrast, during the Victorian era, the poets wrote about their environment and had a pessimistic view of life. In 1797 and 1798, he lived in Somerset's Netherstoy, now known Coleridge Cottage, and was the most productive in Coleridge's life. In 1795, Coleridge met the poet William W ordsworth and his sister Dorothy. (Wordsworth visited him and was fascinated by the surrounding environment and borrowed Alfoxton Park, three miles away.) Coleridge also wrote the iconic poem Kubla Khan, Coleridge in addition to the ancient sailor Rime . I insist on insisting - as a result of the opium's dream, in delusion; and the first part of poet Cristabell. The writing of Kubura Khan on the legendary palace of the Emperor Mongolian Emperor Kubrai Khan and Ksarayi is said to have been interrupted by the advent of Pollock - it has been modified in various scientific contexts. Novel and Lolita of Nabokov

Trategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trategic Management - Case Study Example In the pat three year, a Emeron ha intenified it focu on growth, annual diviion planning conference have been devoted entirely to thi initiative. (Hitt, Ireland and Hokion, 2006) One element of the management proce i the Bet Cot Producer trategy. With thi trategy, Emeron trive to manufacture product at the lowet relevant global cot that meet or exceed cutomer expectation. Firt articulated in the early 1980, thi trategy enure that Emeron utain high level of profitability, which in turn provide funding for top-line growth initiative. In the pat five year, Emeron' bet cot poition ha improved the gro profit margin by 1.6 percent, allowing u to increae ale and marketing expenditure in upport of growth program. (Hitt, Ireland and Hokion, 2006) Two area in which the Bet Cot Producer trategy ha been particularly effective recently are upplier conolidation and material cot reduction, and etablihing local market preence in developing region of the world. In fical 1993, Emeron formally began a program of upgrading the Company' procurement function to contain inflation in the cot of material. The primary focu of thi program, upplier conolidation, ha contributed ignificantly to material inflation containment and productivity and, therefore, to overall profitability. By reducing upplier by more than 10 percent per year, Emeron ha achieved lower cot of material through leverage. Working more cloely with fewer upplier further enable them to better undertand Emeron' product and manufacturing procee, and to ugget additional cot reduction. In elected intance, the Company ha formed joint venture with upplier to provide the neceary invetment for tate-of-the-art technology to enure that material are available at the bet cot. (Gomez, Lui , David , Balkin and Robert , 2008) Etablihing a local market preence i another mean of achieving bet cot tatu. In the pat five year, for example, while dometic employment level have increaed, the Company ha imultaneouly created approximately 4,000 new job in Aia and Eatern Europe to better erve thoe growing market. Thi expanion of infratructure in developing region provide manufacturing flexibility and the ability to repond to fluctuation in currencie and economie. Additionally, the Company benefit from lower regional cot that are neceary to compete effectively in thee area. The management proce alo include organization planning. Each operation i regularly reviewed to conider it organization tructure and the kill et of it people relative to it revenue and profit initiative. We evaluate the talent pool in each unit to identify high-potential manager, provide career enhancing opportunitie and, a a reult, enure that the human reource are in place to upport our continued ucce. Emeron' hitory of conitent financial performance i the bet meaure of the effectivene of the management proce. B: Identify the potential profit pool that are available to Emeron Electric. Emeron Electric Co. aid it fical econd-quarter earning roe 11 percent on international growth and ale in it egment that make product including communication infratructure and temperature gauge. The electrical product maker aid late Tueday it earned $547 million, or 69 cent per hare, compared with $494 million, or 61 cent per hare, in the year-ago quarter.

Green criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Green criminology - Essay Example In addition to causing severe environmental damage, it also affects the basic right of human beings to a healthy environment (Ajunwa, 2007). Illegal dumping of toxic wastes, which are generated in developed countries such as Europe and America, in to third world countries such as Africa, South-east Asia, India and China has become a routine in the recent past. This is mainly due to the huge quantities of toxic wastes such as electronic and petrochemical wastes, asbestos and wastes from refineries and shipping industries that are being generated. Such illegal dumping has had an enormous impact on the health of people living in the developing nations especially in countries such as Africa. Reports suggest that there is an increase in the number of deaths and diseases caused by such illegal dumping of toxic wastes. Following increased dumping of waste products in the developing world, the Basel convention laid down regulations to control the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes wh ich prevented the export of toxic wastes from the developed nation to the developing world. However, subsequent inspection of ports in the European nations reveled that nearly 47% of wastes that was destined for illegal export a recent incident being the dumping of about 550 tones of toxic wastes in the Abidjan port by the firm Trafigura Beheer BV. This situation calls for stricter policies which are required in order to prevent the use of developing nations as a dumping ground (Godoy, 2010). Hazardous wastes include solids, liquids or gases that may cause harm to both humans and the environment. Increased production of such wastes by certain multinational companies initiated the export of such wastes to countries such as Africa. This led to serious environmental damage by affecting the water and air quality that killed many children and adults. Estimates show that nearly 300 million tones of

Problems and Opportunities created by having too much data, and what Research Paper

Problems and Opportunities created by having too much data, and what to do about them - Research Paper Example Nowadays the business corporations are more and more concerned with the business data collection and analysis. In this scenario, the businesses are paying attention on effective data management and corporate analysis for better resource management and decision support. Additionally, the business corporations gather huge amount of data and process it in order to get business advantages. Sometimes this huge amount of data collection can cause various business and operational management issues. However, this huge amount of business data is a vital corporate resource that offers the business power regarding business management and future resource administration. In this scenario, some organizations gather data for the business and customer relationship management. Most of the business corporations are aligned toward the collection of customer data. Additionally, the one of the major reasons could be the evolution of online business marketing. This customer contacts and personal information can be used for business marketing. In addition, online business marketing is a less costly way of business marketing and overall promotions. This overall situation leads to better business and corporate management. In this scenario, there is need for customer permission in order to use customer data for business marketing process (LOHR, 2009).... In this scenario the huge business data collections are used through some OLAP, data mining and data warehousing based tools. These all tools and capabilities lead to better business data management and issues handling. In this way, the business management is able to well predict the business needs and requirements for the enhanced business decision management and future issues support. These all aspects are well matched for the business issues and problem management. In addition, these decision support tools are used to aggregate the business data to buildup and more summarized and concise business reports for the better business decision support and issues management (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). However, one of the major issues in this huge collection of data could be regarding data storage and management. Nowadays, the data storage is affordable, so the cost of data storage is not a big issue but this issue becomes critical when we need to backup terabytes of data. In retailing busine sses life WalMart that produce millions of rows of data each day, there is much harder for the business to store such data. In this situation the huge business data collection can be a big issue for the business (Trembly, 2010) and (Sperling, 2009). Another main issue with too much data collection is the data security. In fact, the huge amount of data can lead to more data leakages that can create some huge business damage and issue. In this situation there is need for a way through which an organization can better manage the business issues and aspects. In addition, they need to implement tight security mechanism that could ensure better business data management and issues handling (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). In case of too much data one more main issue is the business data

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico Assignment

Leisure and Tourism in Santa Fe in New Mexico - Assignment Example Current list of services available at the city Private nonfarm establishments. Retail sales services. Merchant wholesale services Manufacturer shipment services Food and accommodation services Non-employer establishment services (Nelson Velvet, 45-6). Major and minor league sport industries American Basketball Association, which were the New Mexico style founded in 2005 (Nelson Velvet, 78-9). Santa Fe Roadrunners, which was North American Hockey team but later moved to Kansas and became Topeka Roadrunners. Santa Fe Fuego was formed in 2012 at Santa Fe and became a professional baseball club. Community/Municipal Recreational Departments New Mexico Museum, which is an art collection of Southwestern collections Institute of American art museum, which is native American arts possessing political aspects (Nelson Velvet, 56-7). Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which devotedly worked for O’Keeffe New Mexican History Museum, which was located behind the governor’s palace. Site Santa Fe, which was described as a contemporary art space A children’s museum known as Santa Fe Children’s Museum Other areas of attraction include the â€Å"Museum Hill† and Santa Fe Fork art market, which was the site of major city’s art museums. Some visitors also get attracted to Santa Fe during the week of September when Sangre de Cristo Mountains’ aspens turn yellow as the skies become blue and clear. The locations in Santa Fe that are frequently visited during the day by the tourists include certain locations like the town of Taos, which is about 113 km north of Santa Fe. The historic Valles Caldera and Bandelier National Monument can also be found 48 km away. In addition to that, Ski Santa Fe, which is around d Santa Fe’s ski area, is approximately 26km north of the city. Santa Fe has always had communication and association with science and technology through the help of Santa Fe Institute to research on complex matters related to tourism and political sciences (Nelson Velvet, 102-3).

Elements of Discipline plan in Elementary school Assignment

Elements of Discipline plan in Elementary school - Assignment Example Appendix B: Initial Participant Letter Appendix C: Participant Informed Consent Form Appendix D: Teacher Interview Questions Chapter 1 Overview This assignment reflects on the history of American elementary schools and struggle towards the control of improving educational standards public schools in United States of America. There are some historical issues that have been discussed in this analytical report, along with some important writers who worked very hard to introduce better standards of education in American schools, colleges and universities. It also provide with the literature review of great historical leaders who contributed a great deal towards improving standards of elementary education in America with a history of discipline in elementary schools. It also sheds light on the most effective method of discipline. Introduction Elementary schools have been existed worldwide as the foundation of formal educational system. It establishes the base for future education. It prepares students in fundamental skills and awareness and can be defined as prior to formal education that comes after that. It is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. In America, elementary school education starts from six to twelve years and at some institutes thirteen to fourteen as well depending on particular state of school patterns. Elementary school covers the reading, writing, introduction to social and natural sciences, arts and crafts and physical education. Most important responsibility of elementary school is getting affiliated with peers and creating an identification of children with society and nation. For decades, classroom management has... Elementary schools have been existed worldwide as the foundation of formal educational system. It establishes the base for future education. It prepares students in fundamental skills and awareness and can be defined as prior to formal education that comes after that. It is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. In America, elementary school education starts from six to twelve years and at some institutes thirteen to fourteen as well depending on particular state of school patterns. Elementary school covers the reading, writing, introduction to social and natural sciences, arts and crafts and physical education. Most important responsibility of elementary school is getting affiliated with peers and creating an identification of children with society and nation. For decades, classroom management has been an issue and many effective teaching lessons have gone array due to student disruption. This critical review of the literature analyzes the elements that can be identified in a successful and effective classroom discipline plan. During science, social studies, and writing time, in my first year of teaching, it has been noticed many students getting off task.

The DVLA System Case Study ( ISD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The DVLA System Case Study ( ISD) - Essay Example Therefore, these companies can immediately get in touch with DVLA for updating their vehicle data base. Individual is generally required to inform the DVLA when they buy or sell a used vehicle. If the registration document is a two part registration document (V5) then DVLA is to be informed as soon as the individual buys a used vehicle, generally by completing the back of the registration document. In case it is the three part (V5), then the person selling the vehicle must complete buyer details in the top (blue) section. Both the buyer and the seller need to sign the declaration. The seller then sends it to DVLA. If the registration certificate is V5C, then the seller is to complete section 6 new keeper or new name/new address details of the V5C. Both buyer and seller need to sign the declaration in section 8. Then the seller sends it to DVLA. This information will be passed on to the DVLA Distribution department. This department sorts out data depending upon whether the car is old or new. This finalized information is then kept in the ‘car information file’ for further reference and action. VED department then generates the reports for further action depending upon the cost, size criteria of the cars. Reports are also generated about the mileage of cars and accordingly taxes are determined. VED also keeps track of the sense of discipline during, amongst the drivers. This helps in encouraging sensible drivers and punishing the errant ones’. DVLA sales department is also a source of revenue for the agency. It sells the personalized number plates to desirous one’s. The information search department takes input from the system and helps in keeping track of all types of information. An entity is something that is supposed to have a distinct, separate existence and identity. In this category, generally we take person, place, thing, event, or concept, about which information is to be stored.

Nutritional adventurism Essay Example for Free

Nutritional adventurism Essay This article is about the effect of the show ‘MasterChef’ on the nutritional adventurism and culinary knowledge of children. The show is a reality game show about cooking, hosted by two chefs. The article explains how the show had appealed to young audiences. ‘MasterChef’, claims the article, has caused an increase in television ratings for the channel from which it is shown. The show has also given children extra culinary knowledge. Now, children are more interested and more critical about what they eat. They also judge their own food and the food prepared by their parents or other people. The show sparked numerous cooking lessons and workshops. Numerous recipes featured on the show have also been downloaded over the internet. Personal Opinion: I always believe that teaching children how to cook will help them in the future. Culinary skills learned early will definitely result to future households where food is a primary concern. MasterChef, and its effects on young audiences illustrates the possibility of making young audiences interested not only in the cooking show but more importantly in the food that they eat. Summary 2: This article is about the Community Gardens program which has three goals; to bring the community and the government together to address nutritional problems, to promote horticultural knowledge and initiate an exchange of indigenous horticultural knowledge, and to create an indigenous garden industry which will give communities livelihood and address their health needs. According to the article, collaboration in the community in horticulture gives the community a sense of food security because gardens are just as important as water systems. The article also illustrates how the program has succeeded in bringing together communities and encouraging innovative ways of horticulture. The fringe benefit of all these is the availability of healthy produce for the communities in which the program was implemented. Personal Opinion: I have confidence in the health benefits of organic and fresh food. The essence of community gardening comes to me not only as a means of providing the opportunity for communities to eat healthy but also the opportunity for communities to value the fruits of community effort. The Community Gardens Program is one such program that fosters fellowship and concern among community members while making healthy food available at the same time. Summary 3: Wangkatjungka is the main focus of this article where the establishment of home vegetable patches was apparently spurred by childrens’ school projects. Many vegetable patches mushroomed all over town because of this and each household began to eat what they produced. This was a very welcome change for the people of Wangkatjungka, second to the community ban on alcohol. According to the article, the establishment of household vegetable patches has made organic and healthier food available for the children and the adults. The article claims that this trend in backyard gardening has contributed so much to the community in that it has vowed to support and continue the project until each household in the community has their own vegetable patch. Personal Opinion: Having your own vegetable patch is such a good idea for me that I might even be starting my own. This article has given me enough new insights to consider the benefits of backyard grown produce and look into the possibility of having my own vegetable garden. I like fresh vegetables, and I like freshly picked organic fruits and vegetables even better. Summary 4: The relationship of diabetes and the eating habits of people is tackled in this article. In it a study by a certain Himsworth is mentioned that showed why third world countries had lesser incidence of diabetes and obesity compared to Western countries. The article attributes this to the kind of food that people eat in these countries; third world countries have more unprocessed carbohydrates and adequate animal protein in their diets than in Western countries. The article also outlines the value of healthy and basic or simpler eating in the control of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. It states that people who eat more plant or fruit based food are less likely to suffer metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. Personal Opinion: There are so many metabolic disorders that cause a myriad of health problems nowadays and it is comforting to know that the best weapon against these diseases is simply, basic and healthy eating. I am a believer in the idiom that ‘prevention is better than a cure’ as well as in the motto that ‘it would be better to spend money on healthy food than on medicine. † The insights offered in this article have encouraged me to eat healthier and begin my pursuit of a longer, healthier life. Summary 5: To sum up this entire article, one can simply say that it taunts at the way the judges in the show MasterChef make their judgments and throw snide comments at their contestants. The article purports that the decision of the MasterChef judges are influenced by the aesthetic or visual quality of the food presented and not by palatability of the food. The article implies that the show does not give justice to the way ordinary people cook, rather it insults the cooking skills of ordinary people by showing that cooking on television is not the same as real cooking, and that in the MasterChef kitchen, one doesn’t have to cook delicious food if one can be chefy with the presentation. Personal Opinion: I have seen the show, MasterChef myself and this article seems to have reason to claim that the judges in the show do not necessarily judge according to how ordinary people cook but have begun to become influenced by how one would expect food prepared by a professional chef. I believe that it is the show’s spontaneity and ‘reality’ that gives it its appeal and if the judges fail to remain in these ideals the show will ultimately fail.

Causes of Ketamine Addiction

Causes of Ketamine Addiction Psychology of Drug Addictions Stephanie Boaz ABSTRACT Ketamine was first discovered in 1961 but not synthesized until 1962 by a man of the name of Calvin Stevens that worked with Parke Davis Labs (http://azarius.net/encyclopedia/39/Ketamine). Stevens discovered Ketamine when searching for a replacement for PCP anesthetics. It was not until 1965 that Ketamine was later used as a relational drug which was discovered by Edward Domino (http://azarius.net/encyclopedia/39/Ketamine). Ketamine is considered to be a fast acting, dissociative anesthetic (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). Ketamine is not like your customary anesthetics it works by blocking the brains activity from the body. Without stimulation the brain’s perceptions increase causing the brain to start a hallucinogenic state of mine also known as the emergence phenomena (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). Ketamine has the chemical name: 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(methylamino)-cyclohexanone (http://azarius.net/encylopedia/39/Ketamine). How Does a Person Get Hooked on Ketamine Ketamine is used in many different ways. It is used an anesthetic on humans it is primarily used on children or the elderly and people of third world countries due to the emergence phenomena (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). When using Ketamine as a recreational drug is comes in many forms such as powder, tablet, or in a liquid form which are taken orally, anally, snorting, or injected in the muscle or veins. Once administered intramuscularly it takes roughly two minutes to take effect (Julien, Advokat, Comaty, 2011, pg.530). If snorted it takes about 5-10 minutes to take effect, peak times are different according to the way the drug is administered ( http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). With the use of Ketamine it has psychic sensations that may occur such as mood state and body images, floating sensations, vivid dreams or illusions and the occasional frank delirium (http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/2/59.full). Ketamine is also known as Special K on the streets. It has the similar effects as to what PCP would have on a person. Once the drug is ingested the body can feel the effects for up to 24 hours after (http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine). Special K is also a drug that is very well known for its use in date rape. This drug is both odorless and has no taste at all. There are many street names for this drug that include: (http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine). Special K K Super Acid Kit kat Vitamin K Jet Honey oil Purple Cat Valium Ketamine or Special K has many signs and symptoms that accompany the use of this drug which consist of and are not limited to (http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine): Hallucinations Poor vision Amnesia Strange heart rate patterns Nausea Identity confusion Elevated heart rate Numbness Out of body experiences Delirium Rash Confusion of time Depression Poor coordination Seizures Realistic dreams There are many long term side effects from the use of Ketamine/Special K (http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine): Permanent memory loss Anxiety Respiratory complication Neuroses Inability to pay attention Poor learning ability Night terrors Mental disorders PTSD Increase in blood pressure Flashbacks Loss of consciousness Depression Insomnia Once Ketamine /Special K is used on a regular basis the drug begins to build up in the person body thus forming a tolerance to the drug. Once this is done it requires that more and more of the drug be utilized in order to feel the high that the person is seeking. Once the drug has been used for a long period of time the effects may take many years to overcome. In order to completely overcome the addiction it requires the use of drug rehabilitation (http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine). With the use of Ketamine/Special K a person is seeking the feeling of detachment from reality. The person feels free from life. Although Ketamine/Special K is an addictive drug it is also know to be relatively safer compared to some drugs due to the fact that if one is administering the drug to themselves that they are more likely to pass out before injection or ingesting to much of the drug to cause an overdose, unless they are administering a large dose very quickly (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). If administered in a high dose it can cause the person to become immobilized or even to become transfixed. Over many years there have been deaths due to the use of Ketamine/Special K but not because of an overdose but due to the fact that the person suffered from the side effects on a physical aspect. Such as but not limited to falling down or hitting something due to the black outs that occur when under the influence of the drug (http://www.drugs-forum.com /forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). Although Ketamine/Special K is not considered to physically addictive it is however psychologically addictive (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). Due to addiction of Ketamine/Special K the withdrawals of this drug are considered to be somewhat nonexistent. There are symptoms from chronic users that consist of minor tension, twitchiness, poor attention spans and restlessness which could be caused from the sedatives in the drug itself may linger in the blood stream for a period of time (http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). As of this date there is only one country that Ketamine/Special K is legal an considered to be an unscheduled drug and that is in Iran http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine). Other countries have made the drug illegal to possess unless they have a license to administer the drug or prescribe as a medication legally. According to 1 Corinthians 10:13 â€Å"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptations he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure.† Conclusions In conclusion, Ketamine/Special K has been around for quite some time in this country. And as we have learned there are many side effects that come with the use of this drug. Many people whom are addicted to this drug have the choice of not allowing it to consume them or just giving into the addiction. I learned that this drug is readily available and is used in many different ways such as a date rape drug and a drug to just be able to disassociate yourself from your problems. I can see someone using this drug in order to escape the troubles of everyday life. Also, that the side effects of coming off of the drugs are not as noticeable as other drugs. References http://azarius.net/encyclopedia/39/Ketamine/ http://casapalmera.com/uses-symptoms-and-effects-of-ketamine, Addiction to Special K http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/2/59.full, Ketamine http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showwiki.php?title=Ketamine Julien, R.M., Advokat, C.D., Comaty, J.E. (2011). A primer of drug action (12th ed.).New York, NY: Worth. Holly Bible, King James Version

Describe how Alfred Noyes in The Highwayman creates a stereotypical Ess

Describe how Alfred Noyes in The Highwayman creates a stereotypical melodramatic atmosphere of romance, treachery, heroism and death (Literature: Response to pre 1900 poetry. Assignment: Describe how Alfred Noyes in "The Highwayman" creates a stereotypical melodramatic atmosphere of romance, treachery, heroism and death (Literature: Response to pre 1900 poetry. Objectives 1, 2, 3). Alfred Noyes was born in 1880. The Welsh coast and mountains where he grew up were an early inspiration for his work. Noyes started writing poetry in the early 1900's, his most popular yet is "The Highwayman", a touching story of love, tragedy and jealousy in which two lovers are parted by death. It is a beautiful romantic poem, where the words flow like silk and from the first line you are entranced. He is one of the few contemporary poets who have been fortunate enough to write a kind of poetry that is not only saleable but popular with many classes of people. "The Highwayman" is indeed stereotypical in its representation of a fairytale romance which comes to life in the dark of night. Noyes creates an exciting secret love affair between a traditionally unlikely couple. This forbidden relationship makes the plot more intense, drawing the reader in. Noyes uses stereotypical characters who's roles are instantly recognisable as either good or evil. Bess, a landlord's daughter and the love object of the poem is typically beautiful and desirable. She is "Red-lipped" with "long black hair" which is described as a "cascade of perfume". The highway man is also particularly stereotypical because he is handsome, charming and brave. A heroic gentleman, he is perfect in both appearance and manner. His boots are fitted with "neve... ...ir fate. Bess is "Black-eyed" and "plaits a dark red love-knot into her long black hair" whilst the highwayman always rides during the darkest hours. Another sign that both lovers will die is the phrase "There was death at every window". The "purple moor" and the "red-coat troop" are symbols of blood which is often associated with death. Although 'The Highwayman' is very stereotypical there are some factors which oppose this view. For example Bess is not portrayed as a feeble woman waiting to be saved. She takes matters into her own hands and acts very heroically to save her lover. It is also important to recognise that the use of the colours black and white are reversed. Instead of white symbolising goodness and purity it is used to describe Tim's evil face. On the other hand, Bess, the heroin and innocent character is associated with the colour black.

Racism Essay examples -- Racial Prejudice

Racism Racism has often played a central role in conflicts between groups of people. Racism is the intentional or unintentional use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others as defined in the Webster dictionary. People generally respond to others differently based on what they know, which may include superficial characteristics often associated with race. This paper will express my opinion of how racism will effect America. I will base information from Webster’s definition of Racism, reading assigned for the course, and some of my own ideas on ways to overcome this obstacle as a nation. Racism has historically been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. While the sin of racism is an age-old phenomenon based on ignorance, fear, estrangement, and false pride, some of its ugliest manifestations have taken place in our time. Racism and irrational prejudices operate in a vicious circle. Racism is among the worst of ingrained prejudices that characterize sinful human beings. Racism's ultimate goal, according to Fredrickson, is to establish a permanent hierarchal order that, "has two components: difference and power." Dictionaries are not much help in understanding what is meant by the word. They usually define it as the belief that one's own ethnic stock is superior to others, or as the belief that culture and behavior are rooted in race. When Americans speak of racism they mean a great deal more than this. Nevertheless, the dictionary definition of racism is a clue to understanding what Americans do mean. Nussbaum’s argument is logical, in which case it can be stated as: If your first loyalty should be to your own group, then why arbitrarily make this group the one represented by your country? Why not direct your primary allegiance to your own particular tribe or kinship group? After all, if the mere accident of belonging to such and such a group is to be the basis of your moral allegiance, then what makes your country a more logical choice than your sect or tribe or even your family? Where do you draw the line?... ... false belief that "some" races are inherently superior to others because of different skin color, nationality, ethnic or cultural background. RACISM deprives people of their basic human rights, dignity and respect Global change has to start small and travel abroad. If children are taught at an early age that it is ok to mock and stereotype others, when they become in the position to change policy concerning the offensive use of other cultures, is it any wonder why they don't see such use as racism and stereotyping? What I propose is that we look for the seeds of racism in dominant society and we destroy them by replacing with good seeds. We need to replace the seeds of racism with seeds of morality, compassion, love, and mutual respect, which is found in our traditional teachings, so that are children and future my blossom. We will only continue to hurt ourselves by not welcoming diversity. Racial discrimination is an offense against our fellow human beings, who were created in God's image. We must have a evolution of process to make change happen. This is the only cure that will aide the Americans in becoming less racist. Change is not instantaneous nor will it happen over night.

Free Essays - The Depiction of Black Men in Alice Walkers Color Purple :: Color Purple Essays

Depiction of Black Men in The Color Purple Several critics claim Alice Walker's depiction of men is too harsh and too one-dimensional, but based on what I have read in The Color Purple, I cannot agree. Celie is a woman who has been negatively affected by men her whole life. Whether it was her stepfather throughout her childhood or her husband, Mr. _____, during her 20s, men made her life miserable. The harsh depiction of men is accurate based on the way Celie's stepfather and Mr. _____ treated her. Celie's stepfather mistreated her in such a way that an accurate depiction was made. When Celie's mother became ill and unable to satisfy her husband, he told Celie to fulfill her mother's job. When Celie cried because of the pain, her stepfather said, "you better shut up and git used to it"(3). To assure himself that no one would find out about his secret he told Celie "you better not never tell nobody but God it'd kill your mammy"(1) and told Mr._____ "she tell lies"(9). As a result, when Celie's mother passed away, she felt that she killed her mother, when in fact her mother was terminally ill. After two pregnancies, Celie was unable to produce anymore children because her father injured her reproductive system. The children Celie had, her stepfather took them away from her, while in her heart she yearned to find them even years later. Celie's stepfather degraded her and always wanted to keep her self-esteem low by constantly telling her "she is a bad influence on my o ther girls...she ugly don't even look like she kin to Nettie...she aint smart either"(9). After Celie got married, the way men treated her did not change too much. Celie got beaten in the same manor Mr. _____ beat the children, but only because she was his wife. Mr. _____'s children not wanting a new mother created a bad situation between them and Celie. The oldest boy threw a rock at Celie's head that burst open her head, the girls cry, scream, and curse and all Mr. _____ said was to not do it. Mr. _____ only married Celie to have someone to cook, clean, work, take care of the children and sleep with.

The Theme of Family in Books 6 and 24 in Homer’s Iliad.

Term Paper 1 CORC 1110 Classical Cultures The theme of family in books 6 and 24 in Homer’s Iliad. Family is very important in Books 6 and 24, but it is also one of the main themes throughout the Iliad. Book 1 begins with the vengeance taken by a father who has lost his daughter. The leaders of the Greeks are brothers, and Achilles’s revenge against Hektor is caused by the loss of the brotherly love of Patroklos. And even amongst the gods, the allegiances to the Greeks or the Trojans is decided along family lines.Artemis is on the side of the Trojans because her brother Apollo sides with them. This is why Homer’s Iliad is still popular and understandable among all of us. Every time people read it they realize the themes in the book are still relevant today. In all families brother will stand up for brother, and a father should always protect his wife and children. The families in the Iliad, mortal and immortal, have the same qualities. To outsiders they are fierce ly loyal to each other, but within the families lay the groundwork for each other’s destruction.The passion of Paris for Helen not only destroys his family but a whole city. Achilles leads Patroklos to his death through his stubbornness and pride. Because the lives of humans and gods in Greek mythology are so intertwined, the bickering of the immortal families often spelled certain destruction for their human subjects. In Book 6 Athene ignores the women’s prayers of Priam’s family because she was slighted at a family function, a wedding. A noteworthy similarity between Books 6 and 24 is the intense love Priam has for Hektor even though he is one of his fifty children.Priam states, â€Å"I wish all of you had been killed beside the running ships in in the place of Hektor. I have had the noblest of sons in Troy, but I say not one of them is left to me†¦ and all that are left me are disgraces, the liars and the dancers, champions of the chorus, the plunderers of their own people† (Book 24, lines 254 to 261). Priam’s affection for Hektor is a strong as the bond between Thetis and Achilles, presumably because he is the only child. Thetis protects her son all the time, and she is always near him day and night.At the same time a stark difference between Priam and Thetis is the way their children came into the world. Priam’s fifty children were the result of enjoying himself, and Achilles was the result of Thetis taking the risk of great heartbreak when as a goddess she could have had a painless life. She knew that Achilles was fated to die, but she did not stop him from going to war. She knew how important it was for her son to fight for his glory. The difference in the relationships between Hektor and Priam to Thetis and Achilles illustrates a marked divide of motherly and fatherly love.Another major difference between Book 6 and Book 24 is the family interactions of the gods. In Book 6, even though the gods are family, they disagreed about the war in Troy. And in Book 24 the family ties between the gods are shown. Apollo talks to the gods and asks them to give Hektor’s body back to his father. He says that Hektor has always been good to the gods but Achilles never had justice in his heart. He disrespects Hektor’s dead body by dragging it in front of his beloved companion’s every day. And the gods are willing to help Achilles, not Hektor.But Zeus is the one who will finally make the decision. He decides to give Hektor’s dead body back to Priam. And this is the right thing to do. So with the help of Achilles’s mother Thetis, Zeus sends him a message: â€Å"I myself am angered that in his heart’s madness he holds Hektor beside the curved ships and did not give him back† (Book 24, lines 114 to 116). The shift in the difference of the interactions of the gods is important. Firstly, it shows how changeable they were and how the fate of the human families was dependent on the family relationships between the gods.Another similarity in Books 6 and 24 is that Hektor’s disregard for his wife and his son is presented as heroism. Yet, from the family point of view it was abandonment of the two people who depended on him the most. From another point of view, if Hektor had saved Troy he would have saved his wife and son as well. But as Troy was fated to fall, they lost him for nothing. Hektor’s treatment of his wife is important because it is one of the main examples of how the human women are viewed in the Iliad.As Andromache states, â€Å"Dearest, your own great strength will be your death, and you have no pity on your little son, nor on me, ill-starred, who soon must be your widow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Book 6, lines 406 to 408). They are only used by their fathers and disregarded by their husbands. The Iliad, like most great works, has family as one of the main themes at the heart of it. Every person’s life is affected by their family or the lack of it. Mortal or immortal one’s mother, father, sisters, brothers, or spouses make the most important part of one’s life.People’s lives do not play out on the grand scale that the lives of the characters in the Iliad do, but the basics of family loyalty and dysfunction do not change. People have to make choices in their lives. Some people are fated to live long and happy lives with people they love. But some people are fated to live very short but colorful lives, full of risks and adventures. That is why the Iliad does not loose its significance among people to this day. Even though centuries have passed after the Iliad was written, the theme of family is still important.

Black House Chapter Eleven

11 BEEZER'S JOURNEY BEGAN with Myrtle Harrington, the loving wife of Michael Harrington, whispering down the telephone line to Richie Bumstead, on whom she has an industrial-strength crush in spite of his having been married to her second-best friend, Glad, who dropped down dead in her kitchen at the amazing age of thirty-one. For his part, Richie Bumstead has had enough macaroni-tuna casseroles and whisper-voiced phone calls from Myrtle to last him through two more lifetimes, but this is one set of whispers he's glad, even oddly relieved, to listen to, because he drives a truck for the Kingsland Brewing Company and has come to know Beezer St. Pierre and the rest of the boys, at least a little bit. At first, Richie thought the Thunder Five was a bunch of hoodlums, those big guys with scraggly shoulder-length hair and foaming beards roaring through town on their Harleys, but one Friday he happened to be standing alongside the one called Mouse in the pay-window line, and Mouse looked down at him and said something funny about how working for love never made the paycheck look bigger, and they got into a conversation that made Richie Bumstead's head spin. Two nights later he saw Beezer St. Pierre and the one called Doc shooting the breeze in the yard when he came off-shift, and after he got his rig locked down for the night he went over and got into another conversation that made him feel like he'd walked into a combination of a raunchy blues bar and a Jeopardy! championship. These guys Beezer, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill looked like rockin', stompin', red-eyed violence, but they were smart. Beezer, it turned out, was head brewmaster in Kingsland Ale's special-projects div ision, and the other guys were just under him. They had all gone to college. They were interested in making great beer and having a good time, and Richie sort of wished he could get a bike and let it all hang out like them, but a long Saturday afternoon and evening at the Sand Bar proved that the line between a high old time and utter abandon was too fine for him. He didn't have the stamina to put away two pitchers of Kingsland, play a decent game of pool, drink two more pitchers while talking about the influences of Sherwood An-derson and Gertrude Stein on the young Hemingway, get into some serious head-butting, put down another couple of pitchers, emerge clearheaded enough to go barrel-assing through the countryside, pick up a couple of experimental Madison girls, smoke a lot of high-grade shit, and romp until dawn. You have to respect people who can do that and still hold down good jobs. As far as Richie is concerned, he has a duty to tell Beezer that the police have finally learned the whereabouts of Irma Freneau's body. That busybody Myrtle said it was a secret Richie has to keep to himself, but he's pretty sure that right after Myrtle gave him the news, she called four or five other people. Those people will call their best friends, and in no time at all half of French Landing is going to be heading over on 35 to be in on the action. Beezer has a better right to be there than most, doesn't he? Less than thirty seconds after getting rid of Myrtle Harrington, Richie Bumstead looks up Beezer St. Pierre in the directory and dials the number. â€Å"Richie, I sure hope you aren't shitting me,† Beezer says. â€Å"He called in, yeah?† Beezer wants Richie to repeat it. â€Å"That worthless piece of shit in the DARE car, the Mad Hungarian? . . . And he said the girl was where?† â€Å"Fuck, the whole town is gonna be out there,† Beezer says. â€Å"But thanks, man, thanks a lot. I owe you.† In the instant before the receiver slams down, Richie thinks he hears Beezer start to say something else that gets dissolved in a scalding rush of emotion. And in the little house on Nailhouse Row, Beezer St. Pierre swipes tears into his beard, gently moves the telephone a few inches back on the table, and turns to face Bear Girl, his common-law spouse, his old lady, Amy's mother, whose real name is Susan Osgood, and who is staring up at him from beneath her thick blond bangs, one finger holding her place in a book. â€Å"It's the Freneau girl,† he says. â€Å"I gotta go.† â€Å"Go,† Bear Girl tells him. â€Å"Take the cell phone and call me as soon as you can.† â€Å"Yeah,† he says, and plucks the cell phone from its charger and rams it into a front pocket of his jeans. Instead of moving to the door, he thrusts a hand into the huge red-brown tangle of his beard and absent-mindedly combs it with his fingers. His feet are rooted to the floor; his eyes have lost focus. â€Å"The Fisherman called 911,† he says. â€Å"Can you believe this shit? They couldn't find the Freneau girl by themselves, they needed him to tell them where to find her body.† â€Å"Listen to me,† Bear Girl says, and gets up and travels the space between them far more quickly than she seems to. She snuggles her compact little body into his massive bulk, and Beezer inhales a chestful of her clean, soothing scent, a combination of soap and fresh bread. â€Å"When you and the boys get out there, it's going to be up to you to keep them in line. So you have to keep yourself in line, Beezer. No matter how angry you are, you can't go nuts and start beating on people. Cops especially.† â€Å"I suppose you think I shouldn't go.† â€Å"You have to. I just don't want you to wind up in jail.† â€Å"Hey,† he says, â€Å"I'm a brewer, not a brawler.† â€Å"Don't forget it,† she says, and pats him on the back. â€Å"Are you going to call them?† â€Å"Street telephone.† Beezer walks to the door, bends down to pick up his helmet, and marches out. Sweat slides down his forehead and crawls through his beard. Two strides bring him to his motorcycle. He puts one hand on the saddle, wipes his forehead, and bellows, â€Å"THE FUCKING FISHERMAN TOLD THAT FUCKING HUNGARIAN COP WHERE TO FIND IRMA FRENEAU'S BODY. WHO'S COMING WITH ME?† On both sides of Nailhouse Row, bearded heads pop out of windows and loud voices shout â€Å"Wait Up!† â€Å"Holy Shit!† and â€Å"Yo!† Four vast men in leather jackets, jeans, and boots come barreling out of four front doors. Beezer almost has to smile he loves these guys, but sometimes they remind him of cartoon characters. Even before they reach him, he starts explaining about Richie Bumstead and the 911 call, and by the time he finishes, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill are on their bikes and waiting for the signal. â€Å"But this here's the deal,† Beezer says. â€Å"Two things. We're going out there for Amy and Irma Freneau and Johnny Irkenham, not for ourselves. We want to make sure everything gets done the right way, and we're not gonna bust anybody's head open, not unless they ask for it. You got that?† The others rumble, mumble, and grumble, apparently in assent. Four tangled beards wag up and down. â€Å"And number two, when we do bust open somebody's head, it's gonna be the Fisherman's. Because we have put up with enough crap around here, and now I am pretty damn sure it's our turn to hunt down the fucking bastard who killed my little girl † Beezer's voice catches in his throat, and he raises his fist before continuing. â€Å"And dumped this other little girl in that fucking shack out on 35. Because I am going to get my hands on that fucking fuckhead, and when I do, I am gonna get RIGHTEOUS on his ass!† His boys, his crew, his posse shake their fists in the air and bellow. Five motorcycles surge noisily into life. â€Å"We'll take a look at the place from the highway and double back to the road behind Goltz's,† Beezer shouts, and charges down the road and uphill on Chase Street with the others in his slipstream. Through the middle of town they roll, Beezer in the lead, Mouse and Sonny practically on his tailpipe, Doc and the Kaiser right behind, their beards flowing in the wind. The thunder of their bikes rattles the windows in Schmitt's Allsorts and sends starlings flapping up from the marquee of the Agincourt Theater. Hanging over the bars of his Harley, Beezer looks a little bit like King Kong getting set to rip apart a jungle gym. Once they get past the 7-Eleven, Kaiser and Doc move up alongside Sonny and Mouse and take up the entire width of the highway. People driving west on 35 look at the figures charging toward them and swerve onto the shoulder; drivers who see them in their rearview mirrors drift to the side of the road, stick their arms out of their windows, and wave them on. As they near Centralia, Beezer passes about twice as many cars as really ought to be traveling down a country highway on a weekend morning. The situation is even worse than he figured it would be: Dale Gilbertson is bound to have a couple of cops blocking traffic turning in from 35, but two cops couldn't handle more than ten or twelve ghouls dead set on seeing, really seeing, the Fisherman's handiwork. French Landing doesn't have enough cops to keep a lid on all the screwballs homing in on Ed's Eats. Beezer curses, picturing himself losing control, turning a bunch of twisted Fisherman geeks into tent pegs. Losing control is exactly what he cannot afford to do, not if he expects any cooperation from Dale Gilbertson and his flunkies. Beezer leads his companions around a crapped-out old red Toyota and is visited by an idea so perfect that he forgets to strike unreasoning terror into the beater's driver by looking him in the eye and snarling, â€Å"I make Kingsland Ale, the best beer in the world, you dimwit cur.† He has done this to two drivers this morning, and neither one let him down. The people who earn this treatment by either lousy driving or the possession of a truly ugly vehicle imagine that he is threatening them with some grotesque form of sexual assault, and they freeze like rabbits, they stiffen right up. Jolly good fun, as the citizens of Emerald City sang in The Wizard of Oz. The idea that has distracted Beezer from his harmless pleasures possesses the simplicity of most valid inspirations. The best way to get cooperation is to give it. He knows exactly how to soften up Dale Gilbertson: the answer is putting on a baseball cap, grabbing its car keys, and heading out the door the answer lies al l around him. One small part of that answer sits behind the wheel of the red Toyota just being overtaken by Beezer and his jolly crew. Wendell Green earned the mock rebuke he failed to receive on both of the conventional grounds. His little car may not have been ugly to begin with, but by now it is so disfigured by multiple dents and scrapes that it resembles a rolling sneer; and Green drives with an unyielding arrogance he thinks of as â€Å"dash.† He zooms through yellow lights, changes lanes recklessly, and tailgates as a means of intimidation. Of course, he blasts his horn at the slightest provocation. Wendell is a menace. The way he handles his car perfectly expresses his character, being inconsiderate, thoughtless, and riddled with grandiosity. At the moment, he is driving even worse than usual, because as he tries to overtake every other vehicle on the road, most of his concentration is focused on the pocket tape recorder he holds up to his mouth and the golden words his equally gold en voice pours into the precious machine. (Wendell often regrets the shortsightedness of the local radio stations in devoting so much air time to fools like George Rathbun and Henry Shake, when they could move up to a new level simply by letting him give an ongoing commentary on the news for an hour or so every day.) Ah, the delicious combination of Wendell's words and Wendell's voice Edward R. Murrow in his heyday never sounded so eloquent, so resonant. Here is what he is saying: This morning I joined a virtual caravan of the shocked, the grieving, and the merely curious in a mournful pilgrimage winding eastward along bucolic Highway 35. Not for the first time, this journalist was struck, and struck deeply, by the immense contrast between the loveliness and peace of the Coulee Country's landscape and the ugliness and savagery one deranged human being has wrought in its unsuspecting bosom. New paragraph. The news had spread like wildfire. Neighbor called neighbor, friend called friend. According to a morning 911 call to the French Landing police station, the mutilated body of little Irma Freneau lies within the ruins of a former ice-cream parlor and caf? ¦ called Ed's Eats and Dawgs. And who had placed the call? Surely, some dutiful citizen. Not at all, ladies and gentlemen, not at all . . . Ladies and gentlemen, this is frontline reportage, this is the news being written while it happens, a concept that cannot but murmur â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† to an experienced journalist. The scoop had come to Wendell Green by way of his barber, Roy Royal, who heard it from his wife, Tillie Royal, who had been clued in by Myrtle Harrington herself, and Wendell Green has done his duty to his readers: he grabbed his tape recorder and his camera and ran out to his nasty little vehicle without pausing to telephone his editors at the Herald. He doesn't need a photographer; he can take all the photographs he needs with that dependable old Nikon F2A on the passenger seat. A seamless blend of words and pictures a penetrating examination of the new century's most hideous crime a thoughtful exploration into the nature of evil a compassionate portrayal of one community's suffering an unsparing expos? ¦ of one police department's ineptitude With all this going on in his mind as his mellifluous words drip one by one into the microphone of his upheld cassette recorder, is it any wonder that Wendell Green fails to hear the sound of motorcycles, or to take in the presence of the Thunder Five in any way, until he happens to glance sideways in search of the perfect phrase? Glance sideways he does, and with a spurt of panic observes, no more than two feet to his left, Beezer St. Pierre astride his roaring Harley, apparently singing, to judge from his own moving lips singing huh? Can't be, nope. In Wendell's experience, Beezer St. Pierre is far more likely to be cursing like a navvy in a waterfront brawl. When, after the death of Amy St. Pierre, Wendell, who was merely obeying the ancient rules of his trade, dropped in at 1 Nailhouse Row, and inquired of the grieving father how it felt to know that his daughter had been slaughtered like a pig and partially eaten by a monster in human form, Beezer had gripped the innocent newshound by the throat, unleashed a torrent of obscenities, and concluded by bellowing that if he should ever see Mr. Green again, he would tear off his head and use the stump as a sexual orifice. It is this threat that causes Wendell's moment of panic. He glances into his rearview mirror and sees Beezer's cohorts strung out across the road like an invading army of Goths. In his imagination, they are waving skulls on ropes made of human skin and yelling about what they are going to do to his neck after they rip his head off. Whatever he was about to dictate into the invaluable machine instantly evaporates, along with his daydreams of winning the Pulitzer Prize. His stomach clenches, and sweat bursts from every pore on his broad, ruddy face. His left hand trembles on the wheel, his right shakes the cassette recorder like a castanet. Wendell lifts his foot from the accelerator and slides down on the car seat, turning his head as far to the right as he dares. His basic desire is to curl up in the well beneath the dashboard and pretend to be a fetus. The huge roar of sound behind him grows louder, and his heart leaps in his chest like a fish. Wendell whimpers. A rank of kettledrum s batters the air beyond the fragile skin of the car door. Then the motorcycles swoop past him and race off up the highway. Wendell Green wipes his face. Slowly, he persuades his body to sit up straight. His heart ceases its attempt to escape his chest. The world on the other side of his windshield, which had contracted to the size of a housefly, expands back to its normal size. It occurs to Wendell that he was no more afraid than any normal human being would be, under the circumstances. Self-regard fills him like helium fills a balloon. Most guys he knows would have driven right off the road, he thinks; most guys would have crapped in their pants. What did Wendell Green do? He slowed down a little, that's all. He acted like a gentleman and let the ass-holes of the Thunder Five drive past him. When it comes to Beezer and his apes, Wendell thinks, being a gentleman is the better part of valor. He picks up speed, watching the bikers race on ahead. In his hand, the cassette recorder is still running. Wendell raises it to his mouth, licks his lips, and discovers that he has forgotten what he was going to say. Blank tape whirls from spool to spool. â€Å"Damn,† he says, and pushes the OFF button. An inspired phrase, a melodious cadence, has vanished into the ether, perhaps for good. But the situation is far more frustrating than that. It seems to Wendell that a whole series of logical connections has vanished with the lost phrase: he can remember seeing the shape of a vast outline for at least half a dozen penetrating articles that would go beyond the Fisherman to . . . do what? Win him the Pulitzer, for sure, but how? The area in his mind that had given him the immense outline still holds its shape, but the shape is empty. Beezer St. Pierre and his goons murdered what now seems the greatest idea Wendell Green ever had, and Wendell has no certainty that he can bring it back to life. What are these biker freaks doing out here, anyhow? The question answers itself: some creepy do-gooder thought Beezer ought to know about the Fisherman's 911 call, and now the biker freaks are headed to the ruins of Ed's, just like him. Fortunately, so many other people are going to the same place that Wendell figures he can steer clear of his nemesis. Taking no chances, he drops a couple of cars behind the bikers. The traffic thickens and slows down; up ahead, the bikers form a single line and zoom up alongside the line crawling toward the dusty old lane to Ed's place. From seventy or eighty yards back, Wendell can see two cops, a man and a woman, trying to wave the rubberneckers along. Every time a fresh car pulls up in front of them, they have to go through the same pantomine of turning its occupants away and pointing down the road. To reinforce the message, a police car is parked sideways across the lane, blocking anyone who should try to get fancy. This spectacle troubles Wendell not at all, for the press has automatic access to such scenes. Journalists are the medium, the aperture, through which otherwise prohibited places and events reach the general public. Wen-dell Green is the people's representative here, and the most distinguished journalist in western Wisconsin besides. After he has inched along another thirty feet, he sees that the cops riding herd on the traffic are Danny Tcheda and Pam Stevens, and his complacency wavers. A couple of days ago, both Tcheda and Stevens had responded to his request for information by telling him to go to hell. Pam Stevens is a know-it-all bitch anyhow, a professional ball-breaker. Why else would a reasonably okay-looking dame want to be a cop? Stevens would turn him away from the scene for the sheer hell of it she'd enjoy it! Probably, Wendell realizes, he will have to sneak in somehow. He pictures himself crawling through the fields on his belly and shivers with distaste. At least he can have the pleasure of watching the cops giving the finger to Beezer and crew. The bikers roar past another half-dozen cars without slowing down, so Wendell supposes they plan on going into a flashy, skidding turn, dodging right by those two dumbbells in blue, and zooming around the patrol car as if it didn't exist. What will the cops do then, Wendell wonders drag out their guns and try to look fierce? Fire warning shots and hit each other in the foot? Astonishingly, Beezer and his train of fellow bikers pay no attention to the cars attempting to move into the lane, to Tcheda and Stevens, or to anything else up there. They do not even turn their heads to gape up at the ruined shack, the chief's car, the pickup truck which Wendell instantly recognizes and the men standing on the beaten grass, two of whom are Dale Gilbertson and the pickup's owner, Hollywood Jack Sawyer, that snooty L.A. prick. (The third guy, who is wearing an ice-cream hat, sunglasses, and a spiffy vest, makes no sense at all, at least not to Wendell. He looks like he dropped in from some old Humphrey Bogart movie.) No, they blast on by the whole messy scene with their helmets pointed straight ahead, as if all they have in mind is cruising into Centralia and busting up the fixtures in the Sand Bar. On they go, all five of the bastards, indifferent as a pack of wild dogs. As soon as they hit open road again, the other four move into parallel formation behind Beeze r and fan out across the highway. Then, as one, they veer off to the left, send up five great plumes of dust and gravel, and spin into five U-turns. Without breaking stride without even appearing to slow down they separate into their one-two-two pattern and come streaking back westward toward the crime scene and French Landing. I'll be damned, Wendell thinks. Beezer turned tail and gave up. What a wimp. The knot of bikers grows larger and larger as it swoops toward him, and soon the amazed Wendell Green makes out Beezer St. Pierre's grim face, which beneath its helmet also gets larger and larger as it approaches. â€Å"I never figured you for a quitter,† Wendell says, watching Beezer loom ever nearer. The wind has parted his beard into two equal sections that flare out behind him on both sides of his head. Behind his goggles, Beezer's eyes look as if he is aiming down the barrel of a rifle. The thought that Beezer might turn those hunter's eyes on him makes Wendell's bowels feel dangerously loose. â€Å"Loser,† he says, not very loudly. With an ear-pounding roar, Beezer flashes past the dented Toyota. The rest of the Thunder Five hammer the air, then streak down the road. This evidence of Beezer's cowardice brightens Wendell's heart as he watches the bikers diminish in his rearview mirror, but a thought he cannot ignore begins to worm its way upward through the synapses of his brain. Wendell may not be the Edward R. Murrow of the present day, but he has been a reporter for nearly thirty years, and he has developed a few instincts. The thought winding through his mental channels sets off a series of wavelike alarms that at last push it into consciousness. Wendell gets it he sees the hidden design; he understands what's going down. â€Å"Well, hot doggy,† he says, and with a wide grin blasts his horn, cranks his wheel to the left, and jolts into a turn with only minimal damage to his fender and that of the car in front of him. â€Å"You sneaky bastard,† he says, nearly chuckling with delight. The Toyota squeezes out of the line of vehicles pointed eastward and drifts over into the westbound lanes. Clanking and farting, it shoots away in pursuit of the crafty bikers. There will be no crawling through cornfields for Wendell Green: that sneaky bastard Beezer St. Pierre knows a back way to Ed's Eats! All our star reporter has to do is hang back far enough to stay out of sight and he gets a free pass into the scene. Beautiful. Ah, the irony: Beezer gives the press a helpful hand many thanks, you arrogant thug. Wendell hardly supposes that Dale Gilbertson will give him the run of the place, but it will be harder to throw him out than to turn him away. In the time he has, he can ask a few probing questions, snap a few telling photos, and above all! soak up enough atmosphere to produce one of his legendary â€Å"color† pieces. With a cheerful heart, Wendell poodles down the highway at fifty miles per hour, letting the bikers race far ahead of him without ever letting them pass out of sight. The number of cars coming toward him thins out to widely spaced groups of two and three, then to a few single cars, then to nothing. As if they have been waiting to be unobserved, Beezer and his friends swerve across the highway and go blasting up the driveway to Goltz's space-age dome. Wendell feels an unwelcome trickle of self-doubt, but he is not about to assume that Beezer and his louts have a sudden yearning for tractor hitches and riding lawn mowers. He speeds up, wondering if they have spotted him and are trying to throw him off their trail. As far as he knows, there is nothing up on that rise except the showroom, the maintenance garage, and the parking lot. Damn place looks like a wasteland. Beyond the parking lot . . . what? On one side, he remembers a scrubby field stretching away to the horizon, on the other a bunch of trees, like a forest, only not as thick. He can see the trees from where he is now, running downhill like a windbreak. Without bothering to signal, he speeds across the oncoming lanes and into Goltz's driveway. The sound of the motorcycles is still audible but growing softer, and Wendell experiences a jolt of fear that they have somehow tricked him and are getting away, jeering at him! At the top of the rise, he zooms around the front of the showroom and drives into the big lot. Two huge yellow tractors stand in front of the equipment garage, but his is the only car in sight. At the far end of the empty lot, a low concrete wall rises to bumper height between the asphalt and the meadow bordered by trees. On the other side of the tree line, the wall ends at the swoop of asphalt drive coming around from the back of the showroom. Wendell cranks the wheel and speeds toward the far end of the wall. He can still hear the motorcycles, but they sound like a distant swarm of bees. They must be about a half mile away, Wendell thinks, and jumps out of the Toyota. He jams the cassette recorder in a jacket pocket, slings the Nikon on its strap around his neck, and runs around the low wall and into the meadow. Even before he reaches the tree line, he can see the remains of an old macadam road, broken and overgrown, cutting downhill between the trees. Wendell imagines, overestimating, that Ed's old place is about a mile distant, and he wonders if his car could go the distance on this rough, uneven surface. In some places, the macadam has fissured into tectonic plates; in others, it has crumbled away to black gravel. Sinkholes and weedy rills radiate out from the thick, snaking roots of the trees. A biker could jounce over this mess reasonably well, but Wendell sees that his legs will manage the journey better than his Toyota, so he sets off down the old track through the trees. From what he took in while he was on the highway, he still has plenty of time before the medical examiner and the evidence wagon show up. Even with the help of the famous Hollywood Sawyer, the local cops are mooning around in a daze. The sound of motorcycles grows louder as Wendell picks his way along, as if the boys stopped moving in order to talk things over when they came to the far end of the old back road. That's perfect. Wendell hopes they will keep jawing until he has nearly caught up with them; he hopes they are shouting at one another and waving their fists in the air. He wants to see them cranked to the gills on rage and adrenaline, plus God knows what else those savages might have in their saddlebags. Wendell would love to get a photograph of Beezer St. Pierre knocking out Dale Gilbertson's front teeth with a well-aimed right, or putting the choke hold on his buddy Sawyer. The photograph Wendell wants most, however, and for the sake of which he is prepared to bribe every cop, county functionary, state official, or innocent bystander capable of holding out his hand, is a good, clean, dramatic picture of Irma Freneau's naked corpse. Preferably one that leaves no doubt about the Fisherman's depredations, whatever they were. Two would be ideal one of her face for poignancy, the other a full-body shot for the perverts but he will settle for the body shot if he has to. An image like that would go around the world, generating millions as it went. The National Enquirer alone would fork over, what two hundred thousand, three? for a photo of poor little Irma sprawled out in death, mutilations clearly visible. Talk about your gold mines, talk about your Big Kahunas! When Wendell has covered about a tenth of a mile of the miserable old road, his concentration divided between gloating over all the money little Irma is going to siphon into his pockets and his fears of falling down and twisting his ankle, the uproar caused by the Thunder Five's Harleys abruptly ceases. The resulting silence seems immense, then immediately fills with other, quieter sounds. Wendell can hear his breath struggling in and out, and also some other noise, a combined rattle and thud, from behind him. He whirls around and beholds, far up the ruined road, an ancient pickup lurching toward him. It's almost funny, the way the truck rocks from side to side as one tire, then another, sinks into an invisible depression or rolls up a tilting section of road surface. That is, it would be funny if these people were not horning in on his private access route to Irma Freneau's body. Whenever the pickup climbs over a particularly muscular-looking length of tree root, the four dark heads in the cab bob like marionettes. Wendell takes a step forward, intending to send these yokels back where they came from. The truck's suspension scrapes against a flat rock, and sparks leap from the undercarriage. That thing must be thirty years old, at least, Wendell thinks it's one of the few vehicles on the road that looks even worse than his car. When the truck jolts closer to him, he sees that it is an International Harvester. Weeds and twigs decorate the rusty bumper. Does I.H. even make pickups anymore? Wendell holds up his hand like a juror taking the oath, and the truck jounces and dips over another few rutted feet before coming to a halt. Its left side sits noticeably higher than the right. In the darkness cast by the trees, Wendell cannot quite make out the faces peering at him through the windshield, but he has the feeling that at least two of them are familiar. The man behind the wheel pokes his head out of the driver's window and says, â€Å"Hidey-ho, Mr. Bigshot Reporter. They slam the front door in your face, too?† It is Teddy Runkleman, who regularly comes to Wendell's attention while he is going over the day's police reports. The other three people in the cab bray like mules at Teddy's wit. Wendell knows two of them Freddy Saknessum, part of a low-life clan that oozes in and out of various run-down shacks along the river, and Toots Billinger, a scrawny kid who somehow supports himself by scavenging scrap metal in La Riviere and French Landing. Like Runkleman, Toots has been arrested for a number of third-rate crimes but never convicted of anything. The hard-worn, scruffy woman between Freddy and Toots rings a bell too dim to identify. â€Å"Hello, Teddy,† Wendell says. â€Å"And you, Freddy and Toots. No, after I got a look at the mess out front, I decided to come in the back way.† â€Å"Hey, Wen-dell, doncha ‘member me?† the woman says, a touch pathetically. â€Å"Doodles Sanger, in case your memory's all shot to hell. I started out with a whole buncha guys in Freddy's Bel Air, and Teddy was with a whole ‘nother bunch, but after we got run off by Miss Bitch, the rest of 'em wanted to go back to their barstools.† Of course he does remember her, although the hardened face before him now only faintly resembles that of the bawdy party girl named Doodles Sanger who served up drinks at the Nelson Hotel a decade ago. Wendell thinks she got fired more for drinking too much on the job than for stealing, but God knows she did both. Back then, Wendell threw a lot of money across the bar at the Nelson Hotel. He tries to remember if he ever hopped in the sack with Doodles. He plays it safe and says, â€Å"Cripes, Doodles, how the hell could I forget a pretty little thing like you?† The boys get a big yuck out of this sally. Doodles jabs her elbow into Toots Billinger's vaporous ribs, gives Wendell a pouty little smile, and says, â€Å"Well thank-ee, kind sir.† Yep, he boffed her, all right. This would be the perfect time to order these morons back to their ratholes, but Wendell is visited by grade-A inspiration. â€Å"How would you charming people like to assist a gentleman of the press and earn fifty bucks in the process?† â€Å"Fifty each, or all together?† asks Teddy Runkleman. â€Å"Come on, all together,† Wendell says. Doodles leans forward and says, â€Å"Twenty each, all right, big-timer? If we agree to do what you want.† â€Å"Aw, you're breakin' my heart,† Wendell says, and extracts his wallet from his back pocket and removes four twenties, leaving only a ten and three singles to see him through the day. They accept their payment and, in a flash, tuck it away. â€Å"Now this is what I want you to do,† Wendell says, and leans toward the window and the four jack-o'-lantern faces in the cab.

Prayer should be allowed in Public Schools Essay

The issue regarding the constitutionality of mandatory school prayer in schools in hinged on the separation between the church and the state that has been decreed by the constitution. On one side, there are those who argue that prayer in public school classrooms should be declared unconstitutional because it involves â€Å"excessive entanglement,† which is prohibited under the doctrine of separation of church and state (Clark 35). The other view is based more on the argument that such act is permissible because even the Pledge of allegiance contains the phrase â€Å"under God. (Clark 35)† It is humbly submitted in this position paper, however, that the more correct view remains to be that prayer in classrooms should be tolerated as long as it is not mandatory. In arriving at a better understanding of this issue, it is first important to define the constitutional issue at hand. The phrase, â€Å"separation of Church and State†, is actually from a letter that was written by one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, to a group that called themselves the Danbury Baptists (Busher 13). In the letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that, â€Å"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. † This was of course in reference to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution (Whitsitt 186). The basic precept of this doctrine is founded on a firm belief that religion and state should be separate. It covers a very wide spectrum, as mentioned in the previous sections of this discussion, ranging from the secularization or elimination of the church to theocracy wherein the state works in tandem with a religion in order to govern over the acts of people (Bradley 199) The problem is that while the church and state do maintain that there is indeed a necessity to abide by the doctrine of the separation of church and state there is no clear way of delineating the boundaries between the spheres of these two institutions (Bradley 199). There are still certain acts that require entanglement between the church and the state because of the duty of the government to cater to the welfare of its people who invariably belong to some form of religion, in most cases. One of these instances is when prayer is allowed in public school classrooms. To argue that prayer is unconstitutional would be to deny the people the right to their rich American history. The first settlers were Pilgrims and even the first thanksgiving meal, though not seemingly a prayer by conventional means, was actually an act of thanking the almighty God for all the blessings (Bradley 199). If prayer is to be considered as a religious affirmation that is offensive to the constitution then other forms such as the pledge of allegiance and the â€Å"In God We Trust† declaration on the dollar bill must also be struck down (Bradley 199). It cannot therefore be argued prayer in public school classrooms is a clear violation of the establishment clause when even the humble dollar bill has the sign â€Å"in God we trust† written on it. If it is to be argued that prayer is a violation of the establishment clause then so must the dollar bill be struck down as a violation (Bradley 199). Yet time and again the almighty dollar has prevailed. The reason for this is because such a declaration is not an endorsement of a single religion, which is exactly what the establishment clause prohibits, but rather it is a declaration by the American people of their belief in a superior being. This argument is not limited to a single God but to all Gods of whatever beliefs. The beauty of the American democracy is that it empowers instead of stifles. It encourages instead of denies. To argue that prayer should not be allowed is unpatriotic, it is un-American. A prayer is a sign of thanks for everything that has been given to everyone. A single word or phrase isolated and taken out of context does much to remove the original intent from it. Reciting a prayer in public school classrooms does not further the cause of any single religion. Instead, it serves to show the rest of the world the pride that Americans have for their great nation. It shows unity. It shows strength. It shows the American way. References: Clark, James R. (1965). Messages of the First Presidency. Brigham Young University, Department of Educational Leadership & Foundations. Retrieved on 2007-1-30. Fighting the Establishment (Clause). Bradley, Jennifer, The American Prospect, September 1, 1996. Available at: http://www. prospect. org/print/V7/28/bradley-j. html Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law. The American Civil Liberties Union, 1996. Available at: http://aclu. org/issues/religion/relig7. html West Encyclopedia of American Law. West Group, 1998. Busher, Leonard (1614). Religious Peace: or, a Plea for Liberty of Conscience. Whitsitt, Dr. William (1896). A Question in Baptist History: Whether the Anabaptists in England Practiced Immersion Before the Year 1641?. C. T. Dearing, pp. 69-70.

Environmental Studies Essays – Environmental Management Systems

Will Environmental Management Systems and associates Environmental Reporting enterprises aid the construct ofSustainable Development in application?The International Organization forStandardization ( ISO ) is a federation of non-governmental organisations ( NGOs ) created to lucubrate and better international criterions. The ISO initiallycreated general direction criterions ( the ISO 9000 Series ) for organizationsand industries that acknowledged the value of a systematic attack tomanagement. However, as economic growing and the environment have frequently been inconflict with one and other ( and industries today face many political, socialand economic force per unit areas to better their environmental public presentation – Gale, 1996 ) the ISO further developed the 14000 Series, which applied the same managementsystem as the 9000 Series to companies ‘ environmental issues ( The LexingtonGroup, 2005: 5 ) . The rules behind the ISO 14000 Series apply to any organisation, public or private, whose activities, merchandises or services interact straight or indirectly with the environment ( The Lexington Group, 2005 ) . The ISO 14000 Series rapidly becametheenvironmental policy criterion for companies to follow, and since its constitution in 1996 1000s of organisations have adopted the Environmental Management Systems ( EMSs ) . EMSs are used in the public and private spheres, at all graduated tables, from national to local authorities, and from big multi-national corporations to little in private owned concerns. This essay will discourse if, and towhat extent, EMSs ( and specifically the Environmental Reporting subordinate ) will help the construct of sustainable development in application. This essay isstructured as follows: foremost, it discusses the most of import of the ISO 14000standards, the EMS ; 2nd, it considers another ISO 14000 constituent, Environmental Reporting ; 3rd, it analyses and considers the variables andapplication of sustainable development ; 4th, it turns to a few instance studiesto exemplify how EMSs work in pattern ; and eventually, it draws some conclusionsabout how effectual these criterions are in helping the construct of sustainabledevelopment. Environmental Management Systems As discussed in the Introduction, the ISO 14000 Series was developed to use the ISO ‘s widely recognizedmanagement systems to a company ‘s environmental issues ( The Lexington Group,2005 ) . The EMS, or ISO standard 14001, rapidly became the internationallyrecognized model for environmental direction, measuring, rating andauditing ( GreenBiz, 2005: 1 ) . To name a few illustrations, the duties ofthe EMS include: making a elaborate environmental policy for an organisation, analyzing the environmental impact of its merchandises, activities and services, set uping environmental aims, helping the organisation in meetingits legal and regulative demands, supplying preparation to employees, andoverseeing the company ‘s auditing process. The EMS meets international criterions, but is tailored to specific operations, leting companies to command the environmental impact of their activities, merchandises, and services ( GreenBiz, 2005: 1 ) . Though an organisation could, ofcourse, set up these really guidelines and parametric quantities themselves, companiesoften find that ISO 14001 adherencehelps to run into the ever-increasingenvironmental criterions and concerns of the planetary market place ( GreenBiz,2005:1 ) . Other likely benefits for a company efficaciously implementing an EMSare legion and include, among others: . a more effectual and systematic attack to pull offing itsinteractions with the environment ( The Lexington Group, 2005 ) ; . bettering cost-effectiveness ( by salvaging the money and staff timenecessary to pull off environmental personal businesss independently – The Lexington Group,2005, every bit good as by bettering efficiency and in bend cut downing the costs ofenergy, stuffs, all right and punishments – Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002:162 ) ; . leting companies to convey their environmental policies moreeffectively to neighboring communities and other stakeholders ( The LexingtonGroup, 2005 ) ; . and bettering their image and pulling clients through theestablishment of a strong image of corporate duty ( Morrow andRondinelli, 2002: 163 ) . All of these benefits, of class, increase the likeliness that companies will assist lend to sustainabledevelopment. However, the cost and benefits of an EMS ( and in bend, theprobability that the EMS will play a function in sustainable development ) fluctuateconsiderably depending on a scope of standards. These might include: the type oforganization, its bingeco-efficiency, the organisation ‘s possible environmental impacts or hazards, the extent towhich a company antecedently implemented facets of environmental sustainability, and the premium placed on sustainability by the organisation ‘s stakeholders andcustomers ( The Lexington Group, 2005 ) . Whilst this subdivision has outlined EMSs and their possible beneifts, the undermentioned subdivision will discourse Environmental Reporting, its association and influence on EMS, and its part to the sustainable development of organisations. Environmental Coverage Corporate coverage is an essentialcomponent of concern direction. It is defined as the voluntary publicpresentation of information about an organisation ‘s non-financial public presentation -environmental, societal and economic – over a specified period, normally afinancial twelvemonth ( Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005: 1 ) . These can bemade public in a assortment of ways, including as a stand-alone papers, on a companywebsite, or as a constituent of an Annual Report ( Department of Environment andHeritage, 2005 ) . An Environmental Report is a cardinal constituent of the ISO 14000 Series, and an indispensable measure to increasing transparence and, as a consequence, answerability in a company ‘s environmental patterns ( Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005 ) . The pattern of Environmental Reporting is going more common because of force per unit area from stakeholders, every bit good as a general public demand for increased openness on environmental issues ( Kolk, 1999 ) . Further, some states have now begun to enforce legal duties on houses to bring forth Environmental Reports ( Kolk, 1999 ) . A Corporate Environmental Report ( CER ) is, in kernel, a agencies to leaving a company ‘s environmental performance.Arguably, the most of import map of the CER is to let the organizationto evaluate its observation of the environmental policies, ends and objectivesset out in its EMS ( United Nations Environment Programme, 2005 ) . It is alsoused to: exhibit a company ‘s EMS and corporate duty ; show tokey stakeholders, every bit good as to clients, that it is following with theirdemands ; assist a company path its ain advancement and place internal strengthand failings ( United Nations Environment Programme, 2005 ) ; and measure itscurrent public presentation and put farther hereafter ends. The general social demand for increased transparence on environmental issues, and in bend environmental coverage, is exemplified by the fact that the most complete studies are published by industries with hapless or controversial public images, i.e. , the chemical or lumber industries ( Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997 ) . In so long as there is objectivityand honestness, environmental coverage can be conducted either internally orexternally ( Rice, 2005 ) . Undeniably, for environmental coverage to beworthwhile, it must be believable, and there is increasing force per unit area from twospecific waies to verify environmental studies: foremost, there is asignificant move from environmental statements and purposes to quantified, comparable, verifiable, and even verified information ( Kolk, 1999: 225 ) ; andsecond, the demand of independent, third-party confirmation andcertification as an about expected component of every worthwhile attempt ( Rice, 2005: 1 ) . Though Environmental Reporting hasa large function to play in helping the long-run sustainability of an organisation, it is however a procedure plagued with jobs. Research seems to indicatethat environmental coverage is typically lacking and non of a standard tosatisfy the information demands of assorted categories of study readers ( Deegan andRankin, 1999 ) . An independent survey of the environmental studies of the Fortune50 houses found that none provided information that was sufficient forcomprehensive or comparative analyses of environmental public presentation ( Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997: 1432 ) . Research suggests that one of thebiggest jobs is that a company can get down its environmental reportingwhenever it wants, and that this frequently leads to dissatisfactory consequences. Environmental Reporting, so, typically comes before the EMS, and could therefore merely act as a statement ofobjectives, and non the researched and analysed study on the achievement ofenvironmental aims under an EMS that it ‘s meant to be. To be practicaland effective ( and non merely a statement of environmental policies ) environmental coverage should truly be developed farther along theimplementation of the ISO 14000 Series. Additionally, it should be a continuousprocess, and referred back to once more and once more in an effort to consolidate theEMS and efficaciously analyze the companies ‘ advancement. This chronology supports the ISOspecification that organisations seekuninterruptedbetterment: bycontinually describing, as opposed to supplying a one-off initial study, organisations can repeatedly measure and accommodate their EMS. In kernel, it isimportant to underscore that the CER is a agency to environmental betterment andgreater answerability, non an terminal in itself ( United Nations EnvironmentProgramme, 2005: 1 ) . Consideration of the variables and application of Sustainable Development The term ‘Sustainable Development'was foremost used in 1987 inOur Common Future, besides known as theBrundtland Report of the United Nations ‘ Commission on Environment andDevelopment ( WCED ) . The definition offered by the Brundtland Report is stillthe most normally used today, and describes Sustainable Development merely, andarguably mistily, as development that meets the demands of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future coevalss to run into their demands ( WCED, 1987:43 ) . Sustainability is frequently regarded as the ‘buzz-word ‘ of development policy in the 21stCentury. Indeed, as The Economist competently stated: No 1 in their right head is against ‘sustainable development ‘ . Everyone thinks it would be terrific if there were less poorness, less pollution, less disease, less war, less corruptness ( 2002 ) . As an umbrella-term, its WCED definition has been instrumental in making a consensus, but less helpful in making and sketching a model for its accomplishment. Presently, there are in the part of 70 different definitions for Sustainable Development, and each allows organisations to construe the term in whatever manner they see fit. For that ground, EMS and Environmental Reporting are particularly of import for giving public and private administrations likewise, from a national to a local degree, the standardized model necessary non merely for showing their committedness to the pattern of sustainability, but for doing progress towards its existent accomplishment. As mentioned in the Introduction, economic growing and the environment are frequently regarded as being at odds, andthe ISO 14000 Standards are peculiarly of import for assisting organizationsand industry to make their coveted degree of sustainability, and to incorporatethe environment into their general model. Determining an EMS is anorganization ‘s first, and most critical measure in set uping what itsenvironmental facets are, and how it is traveling to cover with them. That said, any organisation can develop an EMS, and though it is an of import startingpoint, it proves small about an organisation ‘s sustainability in and ofitself. Environmental Reporting is hence indispensable non merely to move as the company ‘s ain environmental audit, but to show to stakeholders and society that they are so carry oning themselves in a sustainable mode. Furthermore, accomplishing sustainability is a complicated and long-run ( if non lasting ) procedure ; Environmental Reporting allows a company non merely to measure its achievements, but besides the chance to re-evaluate its mark. The undermentioned subdivision outlines some instance surveies of how organisations have used EMS and Environmental Reporting to minimise their environmental impact. Case Studies This subdivision will show a fewcase surveies to exemplify the value of EMSs and Environmental Reporting. Eachcase survey has been selected to demo scope in the pertinence of thestandards every bit good as to show their usage in both the populace and privatesectors. Solid Waste Management Division, Department of Public Works. Berkeley, California, USA. Description The Solid Waste Management Divisionis Berkeley ‘s municipal waste aggregation and disposal installation. It collectsplant dust, garbage and recycling from about 40,000 residential andcommercial belongingss, every bit good as runing a transportation station, anoil-recycling terminal, and a slump and buy-back recycling Centre. The SolidWaste Management System decided to implement an EMS ( affecting approximately 25 per centum of their 102 employees ) for a assortment of grounds, including: improving thefacility ‘s environmental public presentation, every bit good as employees participation inthis betterment ; doing the peculiar division consistent with the City'soverall environmental rules ; the EMS ‘ value as a marketing/publicrelations tool ; the decrease of costs ; and eventually, an increased competitiveadvantage. Decisions Through implementing an EMS, theSolid Waste Management Division was able to jointly find whatenvironmental impacts the installation had, or might hold in the hereafter. These werethen ranked and ends set to decrease the environmental impact of the facility.These included: extinguishing 98 per cent of dust atoms, cut downing theelectricity used by 250Kwh yearly, bettering the control of hazardousmaterials brought into the site by 75 per cent, adding three mailings per yearto enhance consumer engagement in recycling aggregation, cut downing waterconsumption by 25 per cent, and cut downing figure of pickups scheduled to reducefuel ingestion and emanations. Some of the direct benefits andcontributions to Sustainable Development have been: a decrease in airpollution for the full City of Berkeley ; deriving regard and bettercooperation from the Department of Public Works, including budget alterations ; andconsultation by other City of Berkeley Departments and other Solid Wastepractices all over the United States. Additionally, carry oning an EnvironmentalReport to find the effects of the EMS allowed the installation non merely to hum betterments that it had already made, but to analyze them and put newtargets such as: revising the occupation descriptions, rerouting to cut down the numberof stat mis covered each twenty-four hours, and implementing a new dust suppression system. Beacon Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, United Kingdom. Description One facet of the Beacon Council'sEnvironmental Reporting System is a to the full computerised monitoring andtargeting ( M & A ; T ) system for measuring public presentation at all 600 of theirbuildings. Datas from all public-service corporation suppliers ( including electricity, gas, coal, oil, biomass, and H2O ) are recorded in the specializer system. These are thenmonitored and benchmarked against national public presentation, and make the abilityto instigate disciplinary action to better public presentation. Decisions As reported by the Beacon Council, the M & A ; T system carries out the undermentioned maps: sets energy marks andmonitors public presentation ; sets energy budgets and controls expenditure ; validatesand verifies measures and recovers overcharges ; and proctors and reduces CO2emissions. The continual coverage of the M & A ; T system has been critical in itsconstant monitoring and improving of the Beacon Council ‘s environmentalsustainability. Gillepsie Decals, Inc. Wilsonville, Oregon, USA. Description Gillepsie Decals, Inc. is a40-employee screen-printing company in Oregon. To develop an EMS, the companytook the undermentioned stairss: foremost, it developed its environmental policy ; 2nd, it identified the company ‘s environmental facets and so ranked them in orderof importance ; and 3rd, it set out environmental ends and developed programsto achieve them. Decisions The company made a figure ofimprovements and took important stairss towards accomplishing environmentalsustainability. Two notable illustrations are: one, they reduced the sum ofwaste ink by developing criterions for ink commixture, and a computing machine record ofcolours and mixes for repetition occupations ; and two, they reduced their H2O use by requestinginformation from other companies on their H2O recycling systems, bypurchasing bottled imbibing H2O for employees ( and thereby bettering employeespirits ) ; and by put ining low-flush lavatory theoretical accounts. Gillespie ‘s have stated their committedness to uninterrupted environmental betterment, and have decided to develop other environmental facets in the hereafter. It is ill-defined whether Gillespie ‘s carried out Environmental Reporting, but it is evident that this procedure would be utile for both corroborating the environmental betterments already made, and finding what remains to be done to accomplish the coveted degree of sustainability. Decision EMS and Environmental Reportingwill so assistance in the construct of Sustainable Development in application. TheCase Studies in the old subdivision demonstrated some of the positive resultsof an organisation ‘s execution of an EMS. All three illustrations illustratedhow an EMS, and Environmental Reporting, contribute to the improvedenvironmental public presentation of the establishments in inquiry. The Gillespie CaseStudy was a really small-scale illustration of EMS that demonstrated how the systemcould work even for a little company. Furthermore, the first two instance surveies surely are a presentation of how the EMS and Environmental Reporting can lend to more than merely their establishments environmental public presentation. In the Berkeley illustration, it showed non merely how an EMS can lend to Sustainable Development for the individual establishment, but besides how this affects the metropolis as a whole, and can act upon similar establishments nation- ( or even world- ) broad. The Beacon Council Case Study is a utile illustration of how EMS can do non merely environmental sense, but fiscal sense as good. The first two illustrations besides servedto exemplify what a critical constituent Environmental Reporting truly is. Theyvalidated Rice ‘s line of concluding that for an EMS to be effectual, theEnvironmental Reporting non merely has to happen, but occur continuously.Environmental Reporting demands to be pushed farther down the time-line of theISO 14000 Series, and be something that occurs after the EMS has beenimplemented ( so it acts non merely as a statement of aims but as an actualreport ) , and on a continual footing because sustainability it non a one-off andsimple accomplishment. The Gillespie illustration is hence a utile illustration of how EMS can be effectual, but without consistent re-evaluation and uninterrupted coverage, the first set of alterations are improbable to be followed by another set. If this is the instance, an organisation ‘s environmental public presentation will at best remain dead, but more likely diminution, alternatively of continuously bettering. This will surely non help the construct of Sustainable Development in application. EMS and Environmental Reporting arenot, nevertheless, the Panacea for Sustainable Development. Reviews of thestandards that are proffered merely because they do non vouch SustainableDevelopment are contrary, and hazard throwing out the babe with the bathwater, or rejecting the indispensable with the unessential. EMS and EnvironmentalReporting are instead two individual parts of a possible solution with an infinitenumber of constituents. They should be seen, and valued, as such. Plants Cited Berkeley, City of ( 2005 )Solid Waste Management Division, Department of Public WorksCase Study, available from Eco-efficiency is the primary manner in which concerns can lend to theconcept of sustainable developmentThe vision of eco-efficiency is merely toproduce more from less. Reducing waste and pollution, and utilizing fewer energyand natural stuffs is evidently good for the environment. It is alsoself-evidently good for concern because it cuts companies ‘ costs, excerptsfrom the Bulleting of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( The Lexington Group, 2005: 6 ) .