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Jennie Demos
American Government Midterm
10/17/12
Part one: Predict the outcome of the presidential race. Include in your prediction the voter turn out by total number of votes caste and the total number of electoral votes each candidate receives.
First I will list the parties with candidates for this election.
Objectivist Party
Third Position Party
Reform Party
America’s Party
Prohibition Party
Peace and Freedom Party
Green Party
Socialists
Libertarians
Constitution Party
Justice Party
Democrats
Republicans
According to current polls, Obama is up by two points in a race that has been close throughout the race. I believe this trend will continue until election day, making it difficult to predict who will be president come November sixth.
According to current electoral votes and those states leaning in one direction or the other, which I have taken and predicted where their electoral votes would go; President Obama has two hundred and sixty five electoral votes, and Governor Romney has two hundred and eighteen. My sources for the states leaning towards each candidate and how many electoral votes each state has are listed later on.
The electoral vote is the reason I believe President Obama will be elected for president in November.
I believe the voter turnout will be sixty seven percent of the total eligible voters. There are over 235,693,594 eligible voters in the United States. In 2008, 56.6 percent turned out. I believe that this number will rise due to the critical issues and additional interest in this election.
The polls suggest that fifty percent are for Obama and forty eight percent are for Romney. Polls are never the most accurate way to go about things because they are involuntary and may involve those who are not planning to vote. Polls also suggest that only one percent of the eligible voters are for a different candidate.
I think ten percent of the voter turnout will be voting for a different candidate based on the growth of the libertarian party as well as many other parties. This is also based on previous years’ results. Also, there was a poll for children, and sixty five percent of them choose Obama. It has been proven that those polls have accurately predicted the outcome of elections since 1992, except for in 2004, when they polled for John Kerry. Polls on October 31st had Obama up by five.
My prediction is that forty five percent of those voters will be for Obama, and forty percent for Romney. It will be a close election!
　

Part two: Predict the political make up of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
There are one hundred senators and four hundred thirty five in the House of Representatives.
Before the Senate Races, there were fifty one democrats, two independents, and forty seven republicans. At the beginning of the races, not counting those retiring, there were thirty democrats and thirty seven republicans, with thirty three openings. My prediction is that there will be fifty four democrats, and forty six republicans, according to current polls for each state’s senate.
The House of Representatives has four hundred thirty five members--currently there are one hundred eighty three “safe” democratic votes, and two hundred twenty six “safe” republican votes. Twenty six are toss ups.
The current House has two hundred forty one republicans and one hundred ninety four democrats. I believe this trend will continue; Republicans around two forty five members, with democrats at one hundred eighty.

Part Three : “Call” the election you have been assigned. State the winner and predict the vote by percentage and turnout.
I believe Heinrich will win the New Mexico senate race. I predict there will be a sixty five percent turnout for eligible voters, because New Mexico tends to be one of the more active states when it comes to voting (especially for governor, senators, etc…) and based on previous races’ turnouts.
The current polls have Martin Heinrich up by thirteen points. Heinrich currently has fifty two percent on the polls, while Heather Wilson has thirty nine percent. I believe this trend will continue because Heinrich has been ahead of Wilson since July, never going down in the polls.
My theory is that this is because Martin Heinrich is more personable. He seems to be more accessible than Heather Wilson is. Also, the issues he puts forward are important to New Mexico. He believes in protecting the environment, supporting healthcare and woman’s rights, he believes in developing renewable energy and forming laws to fight global warming. He voted to protect wild horses and voted on regulating breeders. He’s rated at 88% by HSLF, showing a pro-animal welfare voting record. He voted for the DREAM act, though he also voted on more border enforcement. He opposes war.
Heather Wilson is quite the opposite. She appears to be more distanced from the general public in her advertisements. She is for drilling for additional oils, instead of preserving environment. She is pro-life, and voted no on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. She voted against gay marriage--but not against gay adoption.
She voted no on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences, voted yes on reauthorizing “critical habitat” for endangered species. These are big issues for New Mexico--and I feel, are the reasons she is so behind in the polls. I believe out of the total turnout, Heinrich will end up winning at fifty six percent, with Heather Wilson at forty four percent.
　

Jennie Demos
Ethics Midterm
10/18/12

Make a list of the top ten, most important things you have learned so far in this class. Make this list in the order of least important to most important.

10. I learned more about the Wizard of Oz and Populists. This is my least important lesson, because it was not actually part of the class and I had learned about it in another. I find it equally as interesting, and it is one of my favorite topics, but I felt I should focus on things relevant to ethics as my top nine. I feel this is important because I have always been interested in the Wizard of Oz, and learning about hidden meanings was fascinating! I think everyone can value this lesson. I have never met anyone who has not at least watched the Wizard of Oz, if not read it. It is a valuable lesson for all, especially when it comes to history. I will continue to use this information in the book I have been writing concerning this.

9. I learned about questioning things. Our second week of class we talked a lot about the veil of ignorance and knowing only one side of the question. I think this is important because it’s always best to know both sides before making a judgment, or you may end up making a mistake. I think everyone can benefit from this lesson. Everyone’s done something or said something because they only knew one side of the story. It’s important to be able to question things, and make your own judgments. I will use this information by sharing it with friends and family.

8. I learned about morality. Before this class, I had always thought that morality simply meant good and bad; it also involves intentions, decisions and actions. I think this is important because everyone’s had to deal with moral situations, decisions, and events. Whether it be in real life or in a movie or television, they’ve seen it. I think everyone can benefit from knowing about morality because it may help with making important decisions in the future. I will use this information in the future by sharing it with friends and family--as well as sharing it with my future students.

7. I learned about utilitarianism. I think this is important because eighty percent of people are utilitarians, living to be happy and make the greatest number of people happy. I think everyone should value this lesson because it’s important to know which philosophy you belong to--even if you didn’t know you were adhering to one until taking the class.

6. I learned more about Plato’s Cave. Though I’d taken a philosophy course before and had prior knowledge of the allegory, I found rereading it useful. I think Plato’s Cave is important for two reasons; first because it’s a classic work of philosophy, and secondly because it’s an allegory talking about the dangers of being kept in the dark. I will share this information with friends.

5. I learned about John Rawls and his Theory of Justice. I think this is important because I found the subject fascinating! Learning that there was once a difference between justice and fairness was interesting, but also that people had to work for it. I think any person interested in philosophy--or law, would benefit from this lesson. I will definitely share this with my cousins (we may end up having a debate).

4. I learned about Eternal Law. I thought the concept was really interesting, because I had never heard of it. I think it’s important because there are many people who believe in eternal law, coming from the will of God, and it is important to know whether you are offending someone by suggesting something else. I think anyone can benefit from this lesson, especially if they’re interested in religion.

3. I learned about Natural Law. I thought this concept was interesting, because after learning about it I could see it in my life. Some things are decided by nature. I think this is important because the idea of natural law will be proven useful in the future. I will share this information with relatives.

2. I learned about St. Thomas. This is important to me because I have always been interested in classical philosophy, and though I’ve read St. Thomas before in history classes as well as philosophy class, I always get something out of it and enjoy it. I think anyone going into philosophy and religion would benefit from reading St. Thomas’ works, especially Summa Theologica. I will share this with my pastor and friends at church.

1. The most important thing I learned so far this quarter is the concept of applied ethics. I think this is important because applied ethics is what ethics is all about. Learning how to apply ethics is important to me because I, like all people, struggle sometimes with knowing what’s right and what isn’t. I think everyone can benefit from this lesson. I will use this information by writing about it in my book.

Jennie Demos
Make Up Book Review (Book review three)
Philosophy 202 (Ethics)
11/20/2012
To make up for a day I missed, I have read and reviewed a book commonly noted by philosophy professors. Howl’s Moving Castle. That may sound strange, but in colleges across the nation, the book is noted for its deep meanings in philosophy as well as interpersonal communications. It is a popular book by Diana Wynne Jones and centers on the doings of a young girl, named Sophie. We start off in the book directly tossed into an ethical situation. Sophie’s father has just died, and her stepmother can no longer pay for their schooling. She has arranged for the three girls to go into apprenticeships—Sophie, being the oldest, has been apprenticed to her father’s hat shop. The ethics behind this decision, as the reader later discovers, is one of bad utility. Sophie’s stepmother wants what is good for her (not what is good for Sophie) and their customers. Sophie’s stepmother shows this in that she is never there, showing Sophie what to do, or even advising her. Rather, she is out spending the money Sophie has earned; without paying her stepdaughter.
This all changes, however, due to a mistake. A witch’s mistake, to be exact. Later on in the book, it is found that Sophie’s younger sister had upset the Witch of the Waste (a nod to The Wizard of Oz’ Wicked Witch of the West), and the witch in her anger had arrived at Sophie’s hat shop, believing the girl to be her sister, and cursed her. Philosophy stares the reader in the face now; what good is youth, when one is wasting away in a dreary hat shop? Sophie’s curse is that she is now an old woman—and certainly more opinionated. She leaves the hat shop. She travels to the Waste (a desolate place where only the “wickedest” of people can live. She made the assumption that since the Witch of the Waste has cursed her, perhaps another witch (or in her case, wizard) can remove the curse. Another part of the curse the Witch of the Waste placed on her is that she cannot tell anyone about it, unless they already know.
She almost literally runs into Howl’s Castle (if you know the myths about Merlin and Wales, you will remember that Merlin’s castle was often referred to as a “roaming castle”. Howl’s castle is a very clear reference to this, and I will speak more about this later. Though Sophie firmly believes that Howl is an extremely wicked, horrible wizard that eats hearts and steals the souls of young girls, she enters the castle. Manual Kant would have been outraged at her behavior, for one of his key philosophies is to treat others as you would like to be treated. (Categorical Imperative). As Sophie believes Howl is wicked, she treats him as if he is wicked, without truly getting to know him. He humors her. He offers her breakfast, and when he is defended by his apprentice, Michael, he retorts, “You forget just how wicked I’m being right now, Michael.”
Now Howl, he’s difficult to pin down to anything in the books as a character, but this fact applies even to philosophy. Howl is in a difficult situation. He gave up his heart as a young man to save a dying star, causing him to be Kantian as the intentions to do good were the end of a means—until the consequences took place. Howl believes that without a heart, he cannot fall in love. And so, he continually attempts to fall in love, courting every girl he meets. Taking them places, flattering them, declaring love—and eventually breaking their hearts. It is revealed later that Howl believes if he can keep trying, he may someday succeed. He claims he brought this problem upon himself; and he did. For the good of another. But with this intent to do good, Howl also tends to do evil. He’s a liar, he’s a coward, he’s sneaky, he never answers any question asked of him, he’s egotistical, highly emotional, and altogether—a mess. He uses false names—even the name used in the book is a false one. His actual name is Howell Jenkins; a college boy from Wales. He accidently stumbled on the world of Ingary during his college years, in which he met the falling star, Calcifer.
This book speaks volumes on the subject of hearts and love. At the time this book was written, it was believed that love was directly connected to the physical heart, rather than a part of the brain. The question is risen multiple times, then, can someone love without a heart? Can someone care about someone? Do they feel anything? You might be surprised by the author’s answer. The book makes a turning point, now—Sophie has left the castle in hopes to stop the Witch by saving who she believes is Howl’s true love (someone who ends up being a fire demon working with the witch) and is captured. Michael said earlier on in the book that he would only believe Howl was truly in love if he forgot to bathe for two hours as well as his daily dose of multiple cosmetic spells.
In Howl’s hurry to save Sophie, disregarding the danger it put him in, he does just that. He rushes out of the castle, sickly as he was, (he’d just gotten over a terrible cold) and goes to Sophie’s aid. In turn getting captured, his heart stolen by Lily Angorian, and very nearly murdered.
The Witch of Waste had once been in love with Howl, she states that now. She intends to use him as a puppet, to help her rule all of Ingary once she gets rid of the king. Here another ethical issue concerning love! Is the Witch actively aiming for revenge? Or does she want to be with Howl? And since he left her, does she still feel his heart is so precious that she’d go to such lengths to steal it? And as Howl as proven his love for Sophie, despite having no heart and supposedly incapable of love—does she feel the need to control him to achieve that love?
Each character in this book, from the smallest part to the main characters, have ethical questions connected to them. Why does Megan feel the need to belittle her younger brother? Why does Howl hide his success from his sister? Does he feel that she will feel more powerful if he does so? That she will feel more important? That she will feel better about herself if she does not know? Or is it something bigger than that? Would the knowledge that magic exists destroy Megan’s person?
When did Howl realize he was in love? Did he realize before he rushed off to Sophie’s rescue? The question risen about love and its connection to his heart was answered, even in the most casual of reader’s eyes. Yes. Howl loved Sophie before she gave him back his heart; because she wouldn’t have been able to return it if he had not gone to save her. And if he had not loved her, he would have taken hours preparing.
I can honestly recommend this book to anyone. It is a children’s book, admittedly. Remember, though, that many philosophical theories have come from and are shown in children’s books. This is a great book filled with fairytales and wonder, invisibility cloaks and seven league boots. This is a book about the questions all humans have concerning interpersonal communications and philosophy. How does someone fall in love? Why? Can they prevent it? Sophie couldn’t. She tried, even using her curse as an excuse. “Howl only falls in love with beautiful women.” It is true. Howl falls in love with beautiful women—but he can see a beautiful woman, even behind a curse that has turned her into a ninety year old lady.

Part two of Final

Ten things I've learned in Ethics class

1. The most important thing I've learned in Ethics class this far is about John Rawls. I had known a little bit about him from previous philosophy courses, but this class really took us in depth. I love the concept of justice as fairness. I will share this information with my family.
2. I learned about the veil of ignorance. This is important to me because I feel I have been trying to reach behind it for the majority of my life. I think it is an interesting--and accurate concept, and I will share it with my friends and family to use in the future.
3. I learned about utilitarian ethics! This is important to me because I always considered myself a Kantian (I still do!). But with the knowledge I have, I can see where I lean more closely to the utilitarian side of things. I have always had a goal to make others happy--and I realize now that that is an utilitarian concept. The most happiness for the highest number of people. I will share this information with my friends and family.
4. I learned about Plato's Cave. This is one of my favorite topics in philosophy, and I learn something new from it every time I read it. I have, and will continue to share this information with all those interested in philosophy within my book.
5. I learned about Peter Singer. This is important to me because he has strong stands on animal rights and the enviroment. I feel that if I share this, the world may become a better place. I will use this information by sharing it with my friends and family.
6. I learned about animal rights. I always had known they existed, but never the standing they had in philosophy or the philosophical reasoning people have to be either for or against. I will share this information with my younger sister who is striving to become a vet.
7. I learned about intrisic value. I think this knowledge is important because sometimes people do not see the value in some things. I will share this with those who read my book.
8. I learned that ethics is in everything! From children's books to porn, from every day happenings to how people say something. This is important because there are people who do not recognize the things they do are philosophical. I think they would think more on it if they did. I will share this with my friends and family.
9. I learned that in Utilitarians there are varying degrees of happiness. This interested me because personally, I have always believed that there were varying levels of happiness and now to have it confirmed through a house of philosophy--even if it is not my favorite, is interesting. I will share this information with my older sisters, whom I believe are utilitarians, even if they do not realize it yet.
10. I learned about social values. This is important to me because I am planning on becoming a teacher and will need to be able to actively recognize such things. I will use this information in my future classroom.

A 'telegraph' is a device for transmitting and receiving messages over long distances, i.e., for telegraphy. The word "telegraph" alone now generally refers to an electrical telegraph. Wireless telegraphy is also known as "CW", for continuous wave (a carrier modulated by on-off keying), as opposed to the earlier radio technique of using a spark gap.[citation needed]
Telegraph (from Greek: tele τηλε "far", and graphein γραφειν "writing") is the long-distance transmission of messages without the physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus semaphore is a method of telegraphy whereas pigeon post is not.

Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842) was a landmark legal decision issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on the subject of labor unions. Prior to Hunt the legality of labor combinations in America was uncertain. In March 1842, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw ruled that labor combinations were legal provided that they were organized for a legal purpose and used legal means to achieve their goals.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.

Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 188 cool was an American novelist best known as author of the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys.[

Amos Bronson Alcott (November 29, 1799 – March 4, 188 cool was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and avoided traditional punishment. He hoped to perfect the human spirit and, to that end, advocated a vegan diet before the term was coined. He was also an abolitionist and an advocate for women's rights.

The Erie Canal is a canal in New York that runs about 363 miles (584 km) from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of approximately 565 ft. (169 m). First proposed in 1807, it was under construction from 1817 to 1825 and officially opened[1] on October 26, 1825.

Gibbons v. Ogden, 22 U.S. 1 (1824),[1] was a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the power to regulate interstate commerce was granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.[2] The case was argued by some of America's most admired and capable attorneys at the time. Exiled Irish patriot Thomas Addis Emmet and Thomas J. Oakley argued for Ogden, while William Wirt and Daniel Webster argued for Gibbons.

Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President.[1] She also co-founded the women's rights journal, The Revolution. She traveled the United States and Europe, and averaged 75 to 100 speeches per year.[2] She was one of the important advocates in leading the way for women's rights to be acknowledged and instituted in the American government.[3]
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early women's rights movement. Her Declaration of Sentiments, presented at the first women's rights convention held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, is often credited with initiating the first organized women's rights and women's suffrage movements in the United States.[1]
Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the Eastern region of the United States as a protest to the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian church taught at Harvard Divinity School. Among the transcendentalists' core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both people and nature. Transcendentalists believed that society and its institutions—particularly organized religion and political parties—ultimately corrupted the purity of the individual. They had faith that people are at their best when truly "self-reliant" and independent. It is only from such real individuals that true community could be formed.

The major figures in the movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Margaret Fuller and Amos Bronson Alcott.

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist.[1] He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.

http://mollychicken.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/11/anna_panda.html