The title of my essay is Campaign Finance Reform.

The title of my essay is Campaign Finance Reform. Having tight regulations for campaign finances is the best way for running campaign finances. This is true in that it would reduce the corrupting role of unlimited contributions, reduce the effort required to raise funds, but unregulated campaign finances also have their benefits.Firm rules for campaign finances would reduce the corrupting role of unlimited contributions. This would be done by increasing individual contribution limits, so that it would reduce the time candidates spend raising money. Also, it would allow more small donors of money back into politics to voice their opinion. Moreover, it would raise the limit to $3,000, which just alters the $1,000 limit for 25 years of inflation. It would give improved chance for all candidates to get their messages through.Another benefit of having a strict system for campaign finances is that it would reduce the effort required to raise funds. This would cause the candidates to be more concerned with the issues than the money they ha ve to raise.FinancesAlso, this would give candidates opportunities to compete against rich adversary's funding their own campaigns. Likewise, it would make available indispensable responsibility of political campaigners to the electorate. Finally, it would help in reducing large donors in campaigns.However, it does seem that unregulated campaign finance also has its benefits. Such as, soft money would not be banned allowing there to be no corrupting, because it is between a candidate and their political party. Also, it would give challengers the ability to raise the money they need to build up a triumphant campaign. In addition, regulating campaign finances is like restricting the First Amendment for political parties and their candidates. Furthermore, political affairs and political campaigns belong to the people, and not the candidates or the national government.In conclusion, restricted campaign finances are very beneficial in that it diminishes the corrupting role of limitless d onations, decrease the endeavor necessary to increase money for a campaign; however, a loose system for campaign finance also has benefits. Also, a restricted structure for campaign finance would make our political system healthier and better.

Margaret Pole, Tudor Matriarch and Martyr

Margaret Pole, Tudor Matriarch and Martyr Margaret Pole Facts Known for:  Her family connections to wealth and power, which at some times of her life meant she wielded wealth and power, and at other times meant she was subject to great risks during great controversies.   She held a noble title in her own right, and controlled great wealth, after she was restored to favor during the reign of Henry VIII but she became embroiled in the religious controversy over his split with Rome and was executed on Henry’s orders. She was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in 1886 as a martyr.Occupation:  Lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, manager of her estates as Countess of Salisbury.Dates:  August 14, 1473 – May 27, 1541Also known as: Margaret of York, Margaret Plantagenet, Margaret de la Pole, Countess of Salisbury, Margaret Pole the Blessed Margaret Pole Biography: Margaret Pole was born about four years after her parents had married, and was the first child born after the couple lost their first child on board a ship fleeing to France during the Wars of the Roses.   Her father, Duke of Clarence and brother to Edward IV, switched sides several times during that long family battle over the crown of England.   Her mother died after giving birth to a fourth child; that brother died ten days after their mother. When Margaret was only four years old, her father was killed in the Tower of London where he was imprisoned for rebelling again against his brother, Edward IV; rumor was that he was drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine.   For a time, she and her younger brother were in the care of their maternal aunt, Anne Neville, who was married to their paternal uncle, Richard of Gloucester. Removed From the Succession A Bill of Attainder disinherited Margaret and her younger brother, Edward, and removed them from the line of succession.   Margaret’s uncle Richard of Gloucester became king in 1483 as Richard III, and reinforced young Margaret and Edward’s exclusion from the line of succession.   (Edward would have had a better right to the throne as son of Richard’s older brother.) Margaret’s aunt, Anne Neville, thus became queen. Henry VII and Tudor Rule Margaret was 12 years old when Henry VII defeated Richard III and claimed the crown of England by right of conquest.   Henry married Margaret’s cousin, Elizabeth of York, and imprisoned Margaret’s brother as a potential threat to his kingship. In 1487, an imposter, Lambert Simmel, pretended to be her brother Edward, and was used to try to gather a rebellion against Henry VII.   Edward was then brought out and displayed briefly to the public.   Henry VII also decided, about that time, to marry the 15-year-old Margaret to his half-cousin, Sir Richard Pole. Margaret and Richard Pole had five children, born between about 1492 and 1504: four sons and the youngest a daughter. In 1499, Margaret’s brother Edward apparently tried to escape from the Tower of London to take part in the plot of Perkin Warbeck who claimed to be their cousin, Richard, one of the sons of Edward IV who had been taken to the Tower of London under Richard III and whose fate was not clear.   (Margaret’s paternal aunt, Margaret of Burgundy, supported Perkin Warbeck’s conspiracy, hoping to restore the Yorkists to power.) Henry VII had Edward executed, leaving Margaret as the sole survivor of George of Clarence. Richard Pole was appointed to the household of Arthur, eldest son of Henry VII and Prince of Wales, heir apparent.   When Arthur married Catherine of Aragon, she became a lady-in-waiting to the princess.   When Arthur died in 1502, the Poles lost that position. Widowhood Margaret’s husband Richard died in 1504, leaving her with five young children and very little land or money. The king financed Richard’s funeral. To help with her financial situation, she gave one of her sons, Reginald, to the church.   He later characterized this as abandonment by his mother, and bitterly resented it for much of his life, although he became an important figure in the church. In 1509, when Henry VIII came to the throne after his father’s death, he married his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. Margaret Pole was restored to a position as lady-in-waiting, which helped her financial situation. In 1512, Parliament, with Henry’s assent, restored to her some of the lands that had been held by Henry VII for her brother while he was imprisoned, and then had been confiscated when he was executed.   She also had restored to her the title to the Earldom of Salisbury. Margaret Pole was one of only two women in the 16th century to hold a peerage in her own right. She managed her lands quite well, and became one of the five or six wealthiest peers in England. When Catherine of Aragon gave birth to a daughter, Mary, Margaret Pole was asked to be one of the godmothers. She served later as a governess to Mary. Henry VIII helped provide good marriages or religious offices for Margaret’s sons, and a good marriage for her daughter as well.   When that daughter’s father-in-law was executed by Henry VIII, the Pole family fell out of favor briefly, but regained favor.   Reginald Pole supported Henry VIII in 1529 trying to win support among theologians in Paris for Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Reginald Pole and Margarets Fate Reginald studied in Italy in 1521 through 1526, financed in part by Henry VIII, then returned and was offered by Henry the choice of several high offices in the church if he would support Henry’s divorce from Catherine. But Reginald Pole refused to do so, leaving for Europe in 1532.   In 1535, England’s ambassador began suggesting that Reginald Pole marry Henry’s daughter Mary. In 1536, Pole sent Henry a treatise which not only opposed Henry’s grounds for divorce – that he had married his brother’s wife and thus the marriage was invalid – but also opposing Henry’s more recent assertion of Royal Supremacy, power in the church in England above that of Rome. In 1537, after the split from the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed by Henry VIII, Pope Paul II created Reginald Pole – who, though he had studied theology extensively and served the church, had not been ordained a priest – Archbishop of Canterbury, and assigned Pole to organize efforts to replace Henry VIII with a Roman Catholic government.   Reginald’s brother Geoffrey was in correspondence with Reginald, and Henry had Geoffrey Pole, Margaret’s heir, arrested in 1538 along with their brother Henry Pole and others. They were charged with treason.   Henry and others were executed, though Geoffrey was not.   Both Henry and Reginald Pole were attainted in 1539; Geoffrey was pardoned. Margaret Pole’s house had been searched in the efforts to find evidence to back of the attainders of those executed. Six months later, Cromwell produced a tunic marked with the wounds of Christ, claiming it had been found in that search, and used that to arrest Margaret, though most doubt that. She was more likely arrested simply because of her maternal connection to Henry and Reginald, her sons, and perhaps the symbolism of her family heritage, the last of the Plantagenets. Margaret remained in the Tower of London for more than two years. During her time in prison, Cromwell himself was executed. In 1541, Margaret was executed, protesting that she had not taken part in any conspiracy and proclaiming her innocence. According to some stories, which are not accepted by many historians, she refused to lay her head on the block, and guards had to force her to kneel. The axe hit her shoulder instead of her neck, and she escaped the guards and ran around screaming as the executioner chased her with the axe. It took many blows to finally kill her – and this botched execution was itself remembered and, for some, considered a sign of martyrdom. Her son Reginald described himself afterwards as â€Å"son of a martyr† – and in 1886, Pope Leo XIII had Margaret Pole beatified as a martyr. After Henry VIII and then his son Edward VI had died, and Mary I was queen, with the intention to restore England to Roman authority, Reginald Pole was appointed papal legate to England by the Pope. In 1554, Mary reversed the attainder against Reginald Pole, and he was ordained as a priest in 1556 and finally consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1556. Background, Family: Mother: Isabel Neville  (September 5, 1451 - December 22, 1476)Father: George, Duke of Clarence, brother of king Edward IV and of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III)Maternal grandparents: Anne de Beauchamp  (1426-1492?), wealthy heiress, and Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (1428-1471), known as the Kingmaker for his roles in the Wars of the RosesPaternal grandparents:  Cecily Neville  and Richard, Duke of York, heir to King Henry VI until Henry’s son was born, and regent for the king during his minority and during a later bout of insanityNote: Cecily Neville, Margaret’s paternal grandmother, was a paternal aunt of Margaret’s maternal grandfather, Richard Neville. Cecily’s parents and Richard’s grandparents were Ralph Neville and  Joan Beaufort; Joan was the daughter of John of Gaunt (a son of Edward III) and  Katherine Swynford.Siblings: 2 who died in infancy and a brother, Edward Plantagenet (February 25, 1475 - November 28 , 1499), never married, imprisoned in the Tower of London, impersonated by Lambert Simnel, executed under Henry VII Marriage, Children: Husband: Sir Richard Pole (married 1491-1494, perhaps on September 22, 1494; supporter of  Henry VII). He was a half-cousin of the first Tudor king, Henry VII; Richard Pole’s mother was a half-sister of  Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother.Children:Henry Pole, a peer at the trial of  Anne Boleyn; he was executed under Henry VIII (a descendant was among those who killed King Charles I)Reginald Pole, a cardinal and papal diplomat, last Roman Catholic Archbishop of CanterburyGeoffrey Pole, who went into exile in Europe when accused of conspiracy by Henry VIIIArthur PoleUrsula Pole, married Henry Stafford, whose title and lands were lost when his father was executed for treason and attainted, restored to a Stafford title under Edward VI. Books About Margaret Pole: Hazel Pierce. Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, 1473-1541: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership. 2003.

Project management and quality assurance Assignment

Project management and quality assurance - Assignment Example But after the calculation for net present value we have for project Mu 924,420, for project Eta 841,872 and for project Iota 370,072. To sum up due to above calculation project Mu is the recommended project because it has got less setup cost which is 1200000 and better payback period than the others which is 3 years and the net present value is much better than the other two project which is 924420 and project Iota has the high setup cost and late payback period and with low net present value. Due to underestimating the task A and task F the project would be finish later than the above estimated time which was 23/04/07. After the rescheduling the new finish day for the project Kappa would be on Monday 12/05/07 which would be 18 weeks When the plan of a project will rescheduling it would directly affect the cost and benefits of the project because the project would be finish later than the estimated time and it needs more work to do on it than the original plan so the main cost which is programmer cost will directly affect the benefit. According to I chart the project completes on 23-4-07 and by the new schedule the project will end on 9-5-07 This results in more than 2 weeks of delay and the marketing strategies also needed to be changed. The deadline mentioned to the customers about the supply of software need to be changed or the time duration between the completion of the project and the delivery of the product to the customer need to be decreased. If the cost based changes are concerned, the company has to pay for the programming and development costs for a period of 2 weeks more. This increases the expenditure on the product by 12.5 percent. The cost effectiveness of the product also decreases by that extent. If the company want to market it at the same price decided before rescheduling, there is a need of supplying for more customers initially as the supply to more number of customers will increaser profitability on same cost price. The increase of time in the production can be tolerated as no release of competitor's products is sited. This gives the company time to make the product bug free and to increase the functional performance. Due to increase in the production time, the marketing manager may object due to the delay in release of the product into the market. They can be

Age of the Image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Age of the Image - Essay Example This paper analyzes the image Omayra Sanchez by Frank Fournier. Omayra Sanchez was a 13-year-old girl was one of the victims of the 1985 Nevado del Ruiz volcano that took place in Columbia. The analysis will show the tremendous impact of the image in defining Omayra Sanchez, the Columbian government, and the photographer (BBC 1). The Nevado del Ruiz volcano is a living stratovolcano that generates deadly volcanic mudflows in Colombia (The Famous Pictures Collection 1). In November 13, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted leading to a blanket of ash that covered the town of Armero and buried villages with mud (The Famous Pictures Collection 1). The image relates to the Age of the Image that defines the transformation of literacy through the ages leading to the interaction between words and images in modern culture (Apkon and Martin 1). Indeed, upon publication, the "Agony of Omayra SÃ ¡nchez" had tremendous impact due to the controversy and information it derived about the Colom bia government, humanitarian organizations, Omayra SÃ ¡nchez, and Frank Fournier (Obviousmag 1). The photographer’s role and the Colombian government’s inaction were aspects that dominated the publication of the "Agony of Omayra SÃ ¡nchez." Buried up to her waist in concrete debris from her own home and submerged up to her neck in freezing water, the 13-year girl manifested profound courage and dignity as she agonized for about 60 hours (BBC 1). The photo depicted her pasty-white shriveled hands and bloodshot eyes.

The Main Man in Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

The Main Man in Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth teaches many lessons through the character of Macbeth, whom this essay will consider in detail.    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth:    That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life;    and he will kill his fear by having Banquo and Fleance both put to death.(224)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson tells how the audience is inclined to identify with such a rogue as Macbeth:    That such a man should sacrifice all the wealth of his human spirit - his kindness, his love, his very soul - to become a victim to continual fears, a tyrant ruthlessly murdering in the vain attempt to feel safe, finally to be killed like a foul beast of prey - this is terrible, and pitiful, too. Shakespeare has here achieved for us most poignantly the ambivalence of the tragic effect Aristotle described. We see the necessity of Macbeth's destruction; we acquiesce in his punishment unreservedly; and yet we would find whatever excuses for him we can, because we admire the Promethean quality of his courage, because we recognize his conscience as like our own, and because we share his guilt. The Main Man in Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays The Main Man in Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth teaches many lessons through the character of Macbeth, whom this essay will consider in detail.    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth:    That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life;    and he will kill his fear by having Banquo and Fleance both put to death.(224)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson tells how the audience is inclined to identify with such a rogue as Macbeth:    That such a man should sacrifice all the wealth of his human spirit - his kindness, his love, his very soul - to become a victim to continual fears, a tyrant ruthlessly murdering in the vain attempt to feel safe, finally to be killed like a foul beast of prey - this is terrible, and pitiful, too. Shakespeare has here achieved for us most poignantly the ambivalence of the tragic effect Aristotle described. We see the necessity of Macbeth's destruction; we acquiesce in his punishment unreservedly; and yet we would find whatever excuses for him we can, because we admire the Promethean quality of his courage, because we recognize his conscience as like our own, and because we share his guilt.

Measuring Socialism in America

Which of the two countries is more socialist, Canada or the United States of America? It must first be state that neither Canada nor the USA is considered a socialist state. For the purpose of this project, a socialist state would be one such as Greece was until the early 1990†³s; a country where the state owns all forms of companies and/or businesses and offers practically every type of social service known to modern governments. Since none of the two North American countries that will be featured in this paper can accurately compare to the bove description, the paper will simply attempt to determine which of the two has a higher degree of socialism when matched against each other following a Before going any further, let†s view the conceptual definitions to the key elements of this paper. Socialism, as referred to throughout the text, can be defined as follows: any of various social or political theories or movements in which the common welfare is to be achieved through the establishment of a socialist economic system. A socialist economic system can be defined as an economic structure in which the community owns the means of production, istribution, and exchange collectively, and the benefits are distributed to all members of that community. In this economic layout the people will run the government in a highly democratic fashion . Having established what socialism is, let†s move on to the research question, or hypothesis. It is assumed that Canada will have a higher lever of socialism than the United States of America based on its higher level of taxation and its apparently more developed social services system. The research question is therefore: is Canada truly more socialist than the United States of America? The variables that will be used to measure socialism are the level of democracy; social services offered; the minimization of social classes; and finally, the collective ownership of factories, corporation, and companies. According to the conceptual definition given earlier, a socialist country must be highly democratic. We must then find data that would help indicate the variable of democracy. What makes a country democratic? The representation and support of diverse political views as well as a high level of public participation in political decisions are two social characteristics that would ndicate a high level of democracy. To measure the representation and support of diverse political views, let†s examine the different popular political parties in both Canada and the United States of America. According to the network CNN , in the latest US federal election which took place in November 2000, three political parties could be said to have garnered enough public support to be considered important. After the tally of 99 percent of precincts, the Democratic Party stood at 49 percent of public support, the Republican Party at 48 percent, and the Green Party accumulated enough votes to have 3 percent of all votes. No other party received a single percent of all votes. There is also a federal election being held in Canada this month, and the nation will vote on November 27th. According to the latest Reuters/Zogby Research Canada poll , the Liberal Party holds the lead with an approximate 42 percent of public support, followed by the Canadian Alliance, which polled 29 percent, the Progressive Conservative Party holds 12 percent support, the Neo-Democratic Party has 7 percent and finally, the Bloc Quebecois holds 8 percent of public support. Canada therefore has five important political parties, all of which hold more public support than the United States† third important party. However, it would be incorrect to assume that Canada is more democratic than the USA by simply counting the number of political parties. Let†s instead look at how many political views are represented in both countries. In the USA, the Democratic Party can be said to be mostly left of the center on the â€Å"left/right† line, the Republicans would be mostly right of the center, and the Green Party would be considered to represent fairly left political views. If we place the political parties in Canada on the same left/right line according to the views they represent, we see that many more views are covered. The Neo-Democratic Party can be labeled as a far-left party, the Liberal Party and the Bloc Quebecois would be considered left-of-the-middle parties, while the Progressive Conservatives are right of the center and the Canadian Alliance (formerly the Reform Party) represents far-right views. It is evident that once the political views of the parties are exposed, Canada seems to have the edge over the USA when it comes to Let†s now take a look at the second variable that will be used to compare the degree of democracy between Canada and the USA: a high level of public participation in political decisions. To measure this variable, we will look at the number of public representatives who are elected by the population. At the municipal level in the USA, according to the City of St-Louis Board of Elections , the population elects a mayor, a comptroller, a President of the Board of Aldermen, the members of the Board of Aldermen (councilors) and school board members. At the state and federal levels, as maintained by the North Carolina Board of Elections , the population of North Carolina elects members of the US House of Representatives (In North Carolina,12 members are elected), associate Justices of the Supreme Court (2), Judges of the Court of Appeals (5), District Attorneys (37), Judges of District Court (87), members of State Senate (50), members of the State House of Representatives (120), Judges of Supreme Court (Non Partisan) (31), local County Commissioners ( 5), a President and Vice-President, a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor, an Attorney General, an Auditor, a Commissioner of Agriculture, a Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Secretary of State, a Superintendent of Public Instruction, a Treasurer, a Chief Justice of NC Supreme Court and an Associate Justice of NC Supreme Court. In Canada, at the local level elections are similar. According to Elections Canada the public elects a Mayor, Councilors and School Board members, but no comptroller and no President of the Board of Aldermen, such as is the case in the United States. At the Provincial Level, according to the Government of Ontario , the population elects Members of the Provincial Government (Legislative Assembly) (In Ontario, 103 members are elected), and a Premier. Contrary to the USA, the population does not elect the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Auditor, nor any secretaries, superintendents, treasurers, ministers, Chief Justices, Judges or District Attorneys; these positions are awarded by the governing Premier and his Cabinet. The same pattern exists at the federal level. In accordance with the Government of Canada , the Canadian population elects a Prime Minister and members of the House of Commons (In Canada, there are 301 members). Again, there is a stark contrast with the American political ! stem, as Canadians do not elect members of the Supreme Court, or even Senators. When we count the number of representatives who are elected by the population, it seems that the American political system is more democratic than the Canadian system, as it is clear that many important positions are chosen by the people in America and by the politicians in Canada. It is important however to note that the men and women who hold the most power of all in both countries, the members of cabinet, are named by the leading politician. In Canada these people must be chosen from the Legislative Assembly at the provincial level, and the House of Commons at the federal, therefore they were elected to represent the population . However, in the US the Governors and President may choose whomever they please as their cabinet , whether they were elected or not. Despite the previous fact, when looking at the democracy variable as a whole it must be acknowledged that the US is at least as democratic as Canada, therefore the first variable must be considered void. Let†s now move on to the second variable, well-established social services system. For a state to be deemed socialist, it must offer numerous social services to its people, free of charge. Lets begin by examining education. The first indicator for education is the amount of years of free education that are offered by the state. Both countries offer free pre-school, elementary and secondary education through the public schooling system. (A totally socialist state would also offer free post-secondary education. ) In Canada, according to Statistics Canada , most provinces offer 14 years of free education, beginning at the age of 4 with pre-kindergarten. The only exception is Ontario, which currently offers an optional 15th year, known as the Ontario Academic Curriculum. OAC is basically a fifth year of high school, designed to prepare students for university, also acting as their first year of university. However, the Government of Ontario has passed a bill to abolish OAC ! by the year 2002. In the USA, according to the National Education Association , all states offer 15 years of public education, beginning a year earlier than in Canada, therefore offering one year of pre-school more than the provinces of their neighboring country does. It can therefore be said that the USA offers more years of free education than Canada does. But how much does the state spend on these years of education? Let†s look at the second indicator for the variable of education: the amount spent-per student per-year on education. In accordance with data from Statistics Canada , the three levels of government combined to spend an approximate 50,407,100 Canadian dollars per student for the school year of 1996-97. In that same year, Statistics Canada states that 5,065,914 students were enrolled in public schools across the country. Therefore, the state spent approximately 9,949 Canadian dollars per student. Based on the US Census Bureau†s data , all three levels of American government combined to spend an approximate 5,882 US dollars per-student for the same school year of 1996-97. In order to compare these numbers realistically, let†s convert the Canadian dollars to US dollars. In 1997, the Canadian doll! ar was worth approximately 0. 68 American dollars, therefore the Canadian government spent an approximate 6,765 American dollars per-student, compared to the US government†s approximate 5,882. The next social service to be examined is income security. It must be noted that the term â€Å"income security† does not mean exactly the same thing in both countries. In Canada, income security stands for social assistance, benefits to the elderly, employment benefits and child benefits. These services are covered by the Canadian and Quebec Pension Plans, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Spouse†s Allowance, Unemployment Insurance, Children†s Financial Benefits, Social Assistance, and Worker†s Compensation. On the other hand, in the United States the term â€Å"income security† stands for disability insurance, private pensions, federal employees retirement, and disability programs. These services are offered through Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Earned Income Tax Credit and Unemployment Compensation. In 1994-95, according to the Government of Canada†s overview of Income Security , the Canadian governments ! spent a total of 88,900,000,000 dollars on Income Security. When divided by the approximate population at the time, 29,500,000 people, it averages out to 3014 Canadian dollars per citizen. If that number is then multiplied that by . as the Canadian dollar was worth approximately 86 cents American at the time, we get 2050; the average spent per citizen in American dollars. The United States governments spent 257,000,000,000 dollars on Income Security in 1999, according to the Budget of The United States Government for the fiscal year 2001 . When divided by the US population in 1999, which was 272,691,000, according to the US Census Bureau , we get the amount spent per citizen on Income Security: 942 US dollars. It seems as though Canada spends more on Income Security, but it must be taken in account that the US also has what they call Social Security. The latter covers Old-Age benefits, and Survivors, and Disability Insurance. Since these services fall under the Canadian defi! nition of Social Insurance, it would only be fair to measure them under the same variable. According to the US Census Bureau, 383 billion dollars was spent on Social Security in the US in 1999. That comes out to 1405 US dollars per citizen. When added to the previous total (amount spent per US citizen on Income Security) we get a total of 2347 US dollars spent per US citizen, compared to 2050 US dollars spent per citizen in Canada. However, before declaring the United States more socialist when it comes to Income Security, we must consider the fact that the Canadian data dates back to 1994-95, almost five years younger than the American data. It must be assumed that the Canadian Government has increased its spending on Income Security since 1995, as has been the trend with all of the social services for both Canada and the US. However, we must still recognize the fact that the United States governments spend a good deal of money on these types of services and can be said to sp! end more, or perhaps only slightly less than the Canadian governments do. The final social service variable to be inspected is health care. In order to compare the two countries' health care systems, two indicators will be examined: the number of health services offered for free and the amount spent per citizen on heath care. In the United States, there are two types of heath care services: Medicare and Medicaid. According the US Federal Government , Medicare is offered to most citizens who are 65 years of age or older, people entitled to Social Security disability payments for 2 years or more, and people with end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is offered to certain low-income families to help cover their medical costs . The Medicare recipients will receive durable medical equipment such as oxygen equipment, wheelchairs, arm, leg, back and neck braces, ostomy pouches, surgical dressings, splints and casts, one pair of eyeglasses after surgery, and other medically necessary equipment that a doctor prescribes for use at home. Medicare also helps cove! r the costs for doctor's services, outpatient hospital care, blood, lab tests and physical and occupational therapy. Medicaid on the other hand covers much more. On the other hand, according to the Health Care Financing Administration, Medicaid recipients receive inpatient and outpatient hospital services, physician services, medical and surgical dental services, nursing facility services for persons aged 21 or older, laboratory and x-ray services, pediatric and family nurse practitioner services, ambulatory services to individuals under the age of 18 and individuals entitled to institutional services, prenatal care and delivery services for pregnant women, as well as some home health and clinical services. In Canada, as stated by the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Heath , health care covers all services by a physician (except work or school-related physicals), five or ten annual visits to a podiatrist (chiropractors, osthopasths) and Physiotherapists, dental services do! ne in hospital, optometry services every two years for all 20 to 65 year olds and once a year for all under 20 and all over 65 year olds, and importantly, emergency care of injuries that occur outside of the country. If we compare the services offered in both countries, we see that Medicaid is very comparable to the Canadian Health Plan, plus and minus a few services, while Medicare trails both systems, at least as far as services offered are concerned. The second indicator for health care is the amount spent per person on health services. This is an area where the US is expected to perform poorly, as mentioned in the hypothesis, because so few Americans actually receive government-paid health care. In fact, according to the US Census Bureau any form of government-paid health care covers only 24. ercent of the US population. Medicare covers 13. 2 percent of the population, and Medicaid covers 10. 2 percent while the remaining 3. 1 percent are military personnel who receive basic military health benefits. According to the US Census Bureau , the three levels of government in the United States of America spent 40,168,000,000 dollars on 34,900. 000 Americans in 1991, therefore spending 1147 US dollars per recipient. However, when divided by the total America population at the time, which was approximately 258,000,000 people, we see that a mere 156 US dollars was spent per citizen on heath care. Canada on the other hand offers heal! th care to all of its citizens, therefore it is expected that the per-citizen number will be higher. According to Health Canada , in 1994-95, the three levels of Canadian government jointly spent 51,900,000,000 Canadian dollars on health care. When divided by the total population at the time (29,500,000 people), we get 1759 Canadian dollars per person. Hence, after the conversion to US dollars, the amount spent per person on health care in Canada is 1196, almost eight times as much as the US spending. Consequently, it must be alleged that although the US data is four years younger than the Canadian data, Canada still spends much more on health care than the United States does. Canada then comes out on top when we add all of the variables together in an attempt to determine who is of a more socialist nature, as far as social services go. It must nevertheless be admitted that aside from health care spending, the US does not trail Canada by an extreme amount when in comes to soci! al services, and even comes out on top when in the amount of years of free education offered through the public schooling system. Aside from an advanced social services system, a socialist country must also have a low level of diversity when it comes to social classes. In order to reduce the difference between social classes, one must first reduce the variation of income levels. Therefore, the indicator for the variable â€Å"minimization of social classes† will be income inequality. As said by the paper Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? , â€Å"Canada has not seen the substantial increase in income inequality that has occurred in the United States. The paper states that the US† average income level has been rising rapidly when compared to Canada†s, but that the US†s income inequality has been growing consistently as well. â€Å"In terms of comparative economic well-being, Canadian families in the bottom 25% of the income distribution were better off in absolute terms in 1997 than were their counterparts in the United States. However, in the top one-fifth of the income distribution, American families had disposable incomes more than 20% higher than their Canadian counterparts. In the top one-tenth of the income distribution, disposable incomes among American families were about 25% higher. † (Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? , The Daily, Statistics Canada) Although it was not possible to view the data that was used by the author to make the above conclusions, the information will be considered credible for this paper, as it was written on the part of Statistics Canada, which is highly reputed to be an accurate source of data. A more precise way of determining Income Distribution would be to actually compare the spread of income in both countries. According to a US Census Bureau chart, in 1998, 3,6 percent of American households were in the lowest quintile of income (lowest level of income), 9 percent were in the second quintile, 15 percent in the third, 23. 2 percent were in the fourth quintile, and finally, 49. 2 percent of households were in the highest quintile of income. In Canada, the same chart can be found in Canadian Fact Book On Poverty, which was posted on the Posted on the Canadian Council on Social Development website (http://www. cfc-efc. ca/docs/00000327. m). According to the data, in 1991, 4. 7 percent of the Canadian households could be found in the bottom quintile, 10. 3 were in the second quintile, 16. 6 were in the middle quintile, 24. 7 were in the fourth quintile and 43. 8 percent were in the top quintile. Although the difference may not be huge, there is no denying the fact that there is a larger gap between the income levels in the US as the above data shows. As mentioned in the paper Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? he highest quintile plays a major role in the spread of income in the US. Almost half of all households are in the highest fifth, whereas in Canada, seven percent less (43. 8) households are in the highest quintile. What does all this mean? In keeping with the conceptual definition of socialism used for the purpose of this paper, it means that Canada fits the description of socialism better than the United States of America when it comes to income distribution since the gap ! between the rich and the poor is thinner in Canada than it is in the United States. Aside from having a high level of democracy, good social services and a low level of distribution of social classes, a socialist state must also own many, if not all businesses. That brings us to the fourth variable of a socialist state; collective ownership of corporations, companies, and factories. Traditionally, Canada has had many Crown Corporations (Corporations owned by the State), but the recent trend has been to sell these companies to private investors. Nonetheless, the Canadian governments still own many businesses today. Even so, the Federal Government still owns 49 Crown Corporations according to the Treasury Board of Canada . The most commonly known of these corporations would likely be Canada Post, a nation-wide postal service, The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, which runs the CBC and SRC radio and television stations, and VIA-Rail. A few of the less known companies are the Canadian Commercial Corporation, International Development ! Research Center, Royal Canadian Mint, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, Export Development Corporation, Farm Credit Corporation, Defense Construction Limited, National Capital Commission, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Bank of Canada, Marine Atlantis Inc. , and Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. In addition to federally owned Crown Corporations, the provinces also own their own â€Å"public businesses† the government of British Columbia for example runs sixteen Crown Corporations. The most commonly known of these are BC Hydro, BC Rail and BC Ferries. The US Governments also own similar corporation, although they usually tend to be agencies more than companies. A few examples would be the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There are however some agencies that can compare to the ones owned by the Canadian governments, as illustrated on the White House†s Federal Agencies and Commissions web page ! such as the US Postal Service, AMTrack, the Export-Import Bank of the US, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Park Service, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corp. , and the Securities Investor Protection Corp. Since the â€Å"corporations† are included with the agencies and commissions all government sites, it is difficult to count a precise number of government divisions that could be considered â€Å"Crown Corporations† in the US. It can however be estimated that at the Federal level, between 10 and 20 of these corporations exist. In addition, the American public also owns a television station independently of all forms of government. The educational station PBS is funded entirely by the people, depending largely on personal pledges for its survival. It must however be concluded that Canada has a great deal of State-owned companies when comp! ared to the US since it is nearly safe to say that there are at least twice as many of these corporations in Canada than there are in the United States. In conclusion, the hypothesis must be accepted, as the research proves that Canada is indeed more socialist that the United States of America. Although America is relatively strong when it comes to education, Canada does indeed spend more social services than the United States of America does. Canada also has more state-owned corporations than does the United States of America. Since the US does not clearly come out ahead of Canada in any of the variables, we cannot claim is as being in the same league as Canada as far as socialism goes. We can however state that the United States offers more years of public education than Canada does, and that it spends approximately the same on income security. In fact, if the United States offered health care to all of its citizens like Canada does, it could be argued that both countries are very similar in terms of socialism, with Canada being the frontrunner. However that is not the case, and what the entire research came down to was t! fact that health care is only offered to 24 percent of all Americans. The US Government actually spends 1147 US dollars per health-care recipient, only 49 US dollars less than Canada spends per recipient. What does this research tell us? It simply reinforces the theory that Canada is more socialist than the United States of America in its ways of governing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it is younger than its southern neighbor, that it still follows its European parents, France and England. America has matured more than Canada has, since it has been a free nation for much longer. There is no doubting that the US has developed its own governing system, with its own distribution of services and is striving off of it economically. There is however no less doubting that Canadians are proud of their social services, and education and democratic system. It seems both countries are in a state of comfort. America is generally content with its system and Canada is also generally happy with the way the country is run. It is however always fun to peek on the other side of the fence and see how our neighbor is doing, and how we compare to him/her.

10 Great Biology Activities and Lessons

Biology activities and lessons allow students to investigate and learn about biology through hands-on experience. Below is a list of 10 great biology activities and lessons for K-12 teachers and students. K-8 Activities and Lessons 1. Cells This is a diagram of an animal cell. colematt/iStock/Getty Images Plus   The Cell as a System: This activity enables students to explore the components of a cell and how they work together as a system. Objectives: Students will identify major cell components; know structures and functions of components; understand how the parts of a cell interact together. Resources:Cell Anatomy - Discover the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Cell Organelles - Learn about the types of organelles and their function within cells. 15 Differences Between Animal and Plant Cells - Identify 15 ways in which animal cells and plant cells differ from one another. 2. Mitosis The Cell Cycle. By Kelvinsong (Own work) [ CC0], via Wikimedia Commons Mitosis and Cell Division: This lesson introduces students to the process of cell mitosis. Objectives: Students will understand the processes of cell reproduction and chromosome replication. Resources: Mitosis - This stage-by-stage guide to mitosis describes the major events that occur in each mitotic stage. Mitosis Glossary - This glossary lists commonly used mitosis terms. Mitosis Quiz - This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of the mitotic process. 3. Meiosis Lily Anther Microsporocyte in Telophase II of Meiosis. Ed Reschke/Photolibrary/Getty Images Meiosis and Gamete Production: This activity helps students explore meiosis and sex cell production. Objectives: Students will describe the steps in meiosis and understand the difference between mitosis and meiosis. Resources:Stages of Meiosis - This illustrated guide describes each stage of meiosis. 7 Differences Between Mitosis and Meiosis - Discover 7 differences between the division processes of mitosis and meiosis. 4. Owl Pellet Dissection This image shows small animal bones found in an owl pellet.   Dave King/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images Plus Dissecting Owl Pellets: This activity allows students to explore owl eating habits and digestion through dissecting owl pellets. Objectives: Students learn how to examine, gather, and interpret data through owl pellet dissections. Resources:Online Dissections - These virtual dissection resources allow you to experience actual dissections without all of the mess. 5. Photosynthesis A young boy studies photosynthesis and is using a microscope. Andrew Rich/Getty Images Photosynthesis and How Plants Make Food: This lesson explores photosynthesis and how plants use light to make food. Objectives: Students will discover how plants make food, transport water, and the importance of plants to the environment. Resources:The Magic of Photosynthesis - Discover how plants turn sunlight into energy. Plant Chloroplasts - Find out how chloroplasts make photosynthesis possible. Photosynthesis Quiz - Test your knowledge of photosynthesis by taking this quiz. 8-12 Activities and Lessons 1. Mendelian Genetics Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly, vinegar fly).   Sinhyu/iStock/Getty Images Plus Using Drosophila to Teach Genetics: This activity is designed to help students apply basic genetics concepts to a living organism. Objective: Students learn how to use the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to apply knowledge of heredity and Mendelian genetics. Resources:Mendelian Genetics - Explore how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Genetic Dominance Patterns - Examine the differences among complete dominance, incomplete dominance, and co-dominance relationships. Polygenic Inheritance - Discover the types of traits that are determined by multiple genes. 2. Extracting DNA DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule, illustration.   KTSDESIGN/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Extracting DNA: This activity is designed to help students learn about the structure and function of DNA through DNA extraction. Objectives: Students understand relationships between DNA, chromosomes, and genes. They understand how to extract DNA from living sources. Resources: DNA From a Banana - Try this simple experiment that demonstrates how to extract DNA from a banana. Make a DNA Model Using Candy - Discover a sweet and fun way to make a DNA model using candy. 3. The Ecology of Your Skin Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria are part of the normal flora found in the body and on the skin.   Janice Haney Carr/ CDC Bacteria That Live on the Skin: In this activity, students discover the diverse organisms that live on the human body. Objectives: Students examine the relationship between humans and skin bacteria. Resources:Bacteria That Live on Your Skin - Discover 5 types of bacteria that live on your skin. Microbe Ecosystems of the Body - The human microbiome includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even mites. A Guide to Different Types of Pathogens - Learn about six types of pathogens that can make you sick. Top 5 Reasons to Wash Your Hands - Washing and drying your hands properly is a simple and effective way to prevent the spread of disease. 4. The Heart Human heart cross section showing blood circulation through the heart. jack0m/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images Heart to Heart: This lesson helps students explore heart function, structure, and blood pumping activity. Objectives: Students explore the anatomy of the heart and blood circulation. Resources:Heart Anatomy - This guide provides and overview of the function and anatomy of the heart. Circulatory System - Learn about the pulmonary and systemic paths of blood circulation. 5. Cellular Respiration Cellular Respiration. Purestock/Getty Images ATP Please!: This lesson helps students explore the role of mitochondria in ATP production during aerobic cellular respiration. Objectives: Students will be able to identify the steps of ATP production and the function of cell mitochondria. Resources: Cellular Respiration - Discover how cells harvest the energy from the foods we eat. Glycolysis - This is the first step of cellular respiration where glucose is split into two molecules for the production of ATP. Citric Acid Cycle - Also known as the Krebs Cycle, this is the second step of cellular respiration. Electron Transport Chain - The majority of ATP production occurs in this final stage of cellular respiration. Mitochondria - These cell organelles are the sites of aerobic cellular respiration. Biology Experiments For information on science experiments and lab resources, see: Biology Science Project Ideas - Discover  great ideas for biology related science projects.Biology Lab Safety Rules - Follow these tips to learn how to stay safe in biology lab.