On Handling Exceptions in Delphi Exception Handling

On Handling Exceptions in Delphi Exception Handling Heres an interesting fact: No code is error free - in fact, some code is full of errors on purpose. Whats an error in an application? An error is an incorrectly coded solution to a problem. Such are logic errors that could lead to wrong function results where everything seems nicely put together but the result of the application is completely unusable. With logic errors, an  application might or might not stop working. Exceptions can include errors in your code where you try to divide numbers with zero, or you try using freed memory blocks  or try providing wrong parameters to a function. However, an exception in an application is not always an error. Exceptions and the Exception Class Exceptions are special conditions that require special handling. When an error-type condition occurs the program raises an exception. You (as the application writer) will handle exceptions to make your application more error-prone and to respond to the exceptional condition. In most cases, you will find yourself being the application writer and also the library writer. So you would need to know how to raise exceptions (from your library) and how to handle them (from your application). The article on handling errors and exceptions provides some basic guidelines on how to guard against errors using try/except/end and try/finally/end protected blocks to respond to or handle exceptional conditions. A simple try/except guarding blocks looks like: try ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException();except//handle any exceptions raised in ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException() hereend; The ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException might have, in its implementation, a line of code like raise Exception.Create(special condition!); The Exception is a special class (one of a few without a T in front of the name) defined in sysutils.pas unit. The SysUtils unit defines several special purpose Exception descendants (and thus creates a hierarchy of exception classes) like ERangeError, EDivByZero, EIntOverflow, etc. In most cases, the exceptions that you would handle in the protected try/except block would not be of the Exception (base) class but of some special Exception descendant class defined in either the VCL or in the library you are using. Handling Exceptions Using Try/Except To catch and handle an exception type you would construct a on type_of_exception do exception handler. The on exception do looks pretty much like the classic case statement: try ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException;excepton EZeroDivide dobegin//something when dividing by zeroend; on EIntOverflow dobegin//something when too large integer calculationend; elsebegin//something when other exception types are raisedend;end; Note that the else part would grab all (other) exceptions, including those you know nothing about. In general, your code should handle only exceptions you actually know how to handle and expect to be thrown. Also, you should never eat an exception: try ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException;exceptend; Eating the exception means you dont know how to handle the exception or you dont want users to see the exception or anything in between. When you handle the exception and you need more data from it (after all it is an instance of a class) rather only the type of the exception you can do: try ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException;excepton E : Exception dobegin ShowMessage(E.Message); end;end; The E in E:Exception is a temporary exception variable of type specified after the column character (in the above example the base Exception class). Using E you can read (or write) values to the exception object, like get or set the Message property. Who Frees The Exception? Have you noticed how exceptions are actually instances of a class descending from Exception? The raise keyword throws an exception class instance. What you create (the exception instance is an object), you also need to free. If you (as a library writer) create an instance, will the application user free it? Heres the Delphi magic: Handling an exception automatically destroys the exception object. This means that when you write the code in the except/end block, it will release the exception memory. So what happens if ThisFunctionMightRaiseAnException actually raises an exception and you are not handling it (this is not the same as eating it)? What About When Number/0 Is Not Handled? When an unhandled exception is thrown in your code, Delphi again magically handles your exception by displaying the error dialog to the user. In most cases, this dialog will not provide enough data for the user (and finally you) to understand the cause of the exception. This is controlled by Delphis top level message loop where all exceptions are being processed by the global Application object and its HandleException method. To handle exceptions globally, and show your own more-user-friendly dialog, you can write code for the TApplicationEvents.OnException event handler. Note that the global Application object is defined in the Forms unit. The TApplicationEvents is a component you can use to intercept the events of the global Application object.

Mount Vesuvius According to Pliny

Mount Vesuvius According to Pliny Mt. Vesuvius is an Italian volcano that erupted on August 24* A.D. 79 blanketing the towns and 1000s of residents of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum. Pompeii was buried 10 deep, while Herculaneum was buried under 75 of ash. This volcanic eruption is the first to be described in detail. The letter-writing Pliny the Younger was stationed about 18 mi. away, in Misenum, from which vantage point he could see the eruption and feel the preceding earthquakes. His uncle, the naturalist Pliny the Elder, was in charge of area warships, but he turned his fleet to rescuing residents and died. Historical Importance In addition to Pliny recording the sights and sounds of the first volcano to be described in detail, the volcanic covering of Pompeii and Herculaneum provided an amazing opportunity for future historians: The ash preserved and protected a vibrant city against the elements until future archaeologists unearthed this snapshot in time. Eruptions Mt. Vesuvius had erupted before and continued to erupt about once a century until about A.D. 1037, at which point the volcano grew quiet for about 600 years. During this time, the area grew, and when the volcano erupted in 1631, it killed approximately 4000 people. During the rebuilding efforts, the ancient ruins of Pompeii were discovered on March 23, 1748. Todays population around Mt. Vesuvius is about 3 million, which is potentially catastrophic in the area of such a dangerous Plinian volcano. A Pine Tree in the Sky Prior to the eruption, there were earthquakes, including a substantial one in A.D. 62** that Pompeii was still recovering from in 79. There was another earthquake in 64, while Nero was performing in Naples. Earthquakes were seen as facts of life. However, in 79 springs and wells dried up, and in August, the earth cracked, the sea became turbulent, and the animals showed signs that something was coming. When the eruption of the 24th of August began, it looked like a pine tree in the sky, according to Pliny, spewing noxious fumes, ash, smoke, mud, stones, and flames. Plinian Eruption Named after the naturalist Pliny, the type of eruption of Mt. Vesuvius is referred to as Plinian. In such an eruption a column of various materials (called tephra) is ejected into the atmosphere, creating what looks like a mushroom cloud (or, perhaps, pine tree). Mt. Vesuvius column is projected to have reached about 66,000 in height. Ash and pumice spread by the winds rained for about 18 hours. Buildings started to collapse and people began to escape. Then came high-temperature, high-velocity gasses and dust, and more seismic activity. *In Pompeii Myth-Buster, Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadril argues that the event occurred in the fall. Translating Plinys Letter adjusts the date to September 2, to coincide with later calendar changes. This article also explains the dating to A.D. 79, the first year of Titus reign, a year not referred to in the relevant letter. ** In Pompeii Myth-Buster, Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadril argues that the event occurred in 63. Sources Volcanic Phenomena at Pompeii[formerly at www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/europe/pompeii.html Pompeii][formerly at volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/img_vesuvius.html Vesuvius Italy][formerly at vulcan.fis.uniroma3.it/vesuvio/79_eruption.html The 79 AD Eruption of Vesuvius]

Mars Global Explorer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mars Global Explorer - Essay Example This research paper attempts to find out valid reasons and facts supporting the existing of life on Mars. There have been a host of significant discoveries in the past that have reflected on the idea of existence of life on Mars. Mariner IX (1971) orbited Mars and pointed out at the planet having an active weather system. He observed clouds, odd swirls of cloud that make a cyclone, and even frontal systems. It was assumed that the clouds were thin. But in 2004, Mars Global Surveyor took some high resolution images of the clouds thus enabling it to measure their thickness. To much surprise of the scientists, the thickness revealed that cloud’s inside some of the deep canyons was far more opaque and dense than could be imagined. They also contained triple the amount of water than was initially expected. There also exist evidences about the existence of a vast ocean surrounding the Northern Hemisphere of Mars. In 1999, Mars Global Explorer showed positive evidences of palcomagnetic Islands on Mars, with the bands being about 10 times wider than those found on earth (Garrison 94). A recent surprising announcement is made by Mars Global Explorer that there are chances that water still flows on this planet. Images of Martian cliff were sent back by it that showed streaks similar to the ones found on mountains on earth. It is expected that these rocks have melted ice under the surface that bursts out time and then (Kidger 124). This topic is of interest as one of the major missions of European Mars Express is to use specialized decameter radar – MARSIS – for searching for such underground water bodies. Hydrated minerals have already been discovered on the surface of Mars. The above facts clearly throw light on the better possibilities of existence of life on Mars in the nearby past. There are strong evidences supporting the fact that life still exists on Mars owing to its mild climatic conditions and presence of water on its

The Age of Revolution 1789-1849 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Age of Revolution 1789-1849 - Essay Example Along with the common for many countries of Europe task – the destruction of the feudal rule, which was slowing down the development of capitalism – the revolutionary movement in the certain countries had the special purposes as well. Revolution proceeded differently depending on the situation, on historical conditions and a ratio of class forces. In France where with feudalism and absolutism came to the end during the revolution of 1789-1794, the overthrow of exclusive domination of the financial aristocracy and the establishment of domination of bourgeoisie class was an objective problem of the revolution of 1848-1849. In Germany, the main goal of the revolution was the elimination of political dissociation, creation of the state unity. In Italy, the same task was supplemented with a problem of release of northern part of the country from the Austrian dominion. In Austria, the revolution of 1848-1849 had to finish a reactionary system of Habsburg monarchy and release the oppressed people from national enslavement Active participation of working class, which in the majority of the countries was the main driving force of the revolution, was the main feature of events of 1789-1849. In 1848 the working class for the first time in the history of revolutions declared its political and economic requirements, for the first time in such extensive scale showed itself as a special class, essentially hostile not only to feudal but also bourgeois rule

El Filibusterismo Essay Example for Free

El Filibusterismo Essay Thirteen years after leaving the Philippines, Crisostomo Ibarra returns as Simoun, a rich jeweler sporting a beard and blue-tinted glasses, and a confidant of the Captain-General. He cynically sides with the upper classes, encouraging them to commit abuses against the masses to encourage the latter to revolt against the oppressive Spanish colonial regime. His two reasons for instigating a revolution are at first, to rescue Marà ­a Clara from the convent and second, to get rid of ills and evils of Philippine society. His true identity is discovered by a now grown-up Basilio while visiting the grave of his mother, Sisa, as Simoun was digging near the grave site for his buried treasures. Simoun spares Basilio’s life and asks him to join in his planned revolution against the government, egging him on by bringing up the tragic misfortunes of the latters family. Basilio declines the offer as he still hopes that the country’s condition will improve. Basilio, at this point, is a graduating medical student at the Ateneo Municipal. After the death of his mother, Sisa, and the disappearance of his younger brother, Crispà ­n, Basilio heeded the advice of the dying boatman, Elà ­as, and traveled to Manila to study. Basilio was adopted by Captain Tiago after Marà ­a Clara entered the convent. Simoun, for his part, keeps in close contact with the bandit group of Kabesang Tales, a former cabeza de barangay who suffered misfortunes at the hands of the friars. He was forced to give everything he had owned to the greedy, unscrupulous Spanish friars and the Church. Before joining the bandits, Tales took Simoun’s revolver while Simoun was staying at his house for the night. As payment, Tales leaves a locket that once belonged to Marà ­a Clara. To further strengthen the revolution, Simoun has Quiroga, a Chinese man hoping to be appointed consul to the Philippines, smuggle weapons into the country using Quiroga’s bazaar as a front. Simoun wishes to attack during a stage play with all of his enemies in attendance. He, however, abruptly aborts the attack when he learns from Basilio that Marà ­a Clara had died earlier that day in the convent. A few days after the mock celebration by the stu dents, the people are agitated when disturbing posters are found displayed around the city. The authorities accuse the students present at the panciterà ­a of agitation and disturbing peace and has them arrested. Basilio, although not present at the mock celebration, is  also arrested. Captain Tiago dies after learning of the incident. But before he dies he signs a will. His will originally states that Basilio should inherit all his property but due to this forgery his property is given in parts, one to Santa Clara, one for the archbishop, one for the Pope, and one for the religious orders leaving nothing for Basilio to be inherited. Basilio is left in prison as the other students are released. Basilio is soon released with the help of Simoun. Basilio, now a changed man, and after hearing about Julà ®s suicide, finally joins Simoun’s revolution. Simoun then tells Basilio his plan at the wedding of Paulita Gà ³mez and Juanito, Basilio’s hunch-backed classmate. His plan was to conceal an explosive which contains nitroglycerin inside a pomegranate-styled Ker osene lamp that Simoun will give to the newlyweds as a gift during the wedding reception. According to Simoun, the lamp will stay lighted for only 20 minutes before it flickers; if someone attempts to turn the wick, it will explode and kill everyone—important members of civil society and the Church hierarchy—inside the house. Basilio has a change of heart and attempts to warn Isagani, his friend and the former boyfriend of Paulita. Simoun leaves the reception early as planned and leaves a note behind: Initially thinking that it was simply a bad joke, Father Salvà ­ recognizes the handwriting and confirms that it was indeed Ibarra’s. As people begin to panic, the lamp flickers. Father Irene tries to turn the wick up when Isagani, due to his undying love for Paulita, bursts in the room and throws the lamp into the river, sabotaging Simouns plans. He escapes by diving into the river as guards chase after him. He later regrets his impulsive action because he had contradicted his own belief that he loved his nation more than Paulita and that the explosion and revolution could have fulfilled his ideals for Filipino society. Simoun, now unmasked as the perpetrator of the attempted arson and failed revolution, becomes a fugitive. Wounded and exhausted after he was shot by the pursuing Guardia Civil, he seeks shelter at the home of Father Florentino, Isagani’s uncle, and comes under the care of doctor Tiburcio de Espadaà ±a, Doà ±a Victorinas husband, who was also hiding at the house. Simoun takes poison in order for him not to be captured alive. Before he dies, he reveals his real identity to Florentino while they exchange thoughts about the failure of his revolution and why God forsook him, when all he wanted was to avenge the people important to him that were wronged, such as Elias,  Maria Clara and his father, Don Rafael. Florentino opines that God did not forsake him and that his plans were not for the greater good but for personal gain. Simoun, finally accepting Florentino’s explanation, squeezes his hand and dies. Florentino then takes Simoun’s remaining jewels and throws them into the Pacific Ocean with the corals hoping that they would not be used by the greedy, and that when the time came that it would be used for the greater good.

Unforgotten Words :: Papers

Unforgotten Words Franchessca woke to the sound of a distant Will Young playing on the television downstairs. It was Saturday again, which meant she'd stay in bed for as long as possible, or until her boyfriend called her. She sat up in bed to be blinded by the light from the window. "Good morning sunshine" Franchessca said before stretching and yawning. The house was the same unusual quiet that it was on a Saturday morning, her mum still in bed and her brother crashed out on the couch probably stuffing his face with the first, most unhealthy thing he could find in the kitchen. She decided to go downstairs for some breakfast. "Joel get up you lazy get! Jo is right, all you ever do is eat and sleep!" she stormed past him into the kitchen to put the kettle on for her mum. It was turning Eleven o'clock so she decided to stay downstairs and wait for Jo to call. Jo was her boyfriend who she'd met during the summer, working at the youth centre. It was her mum who got them together really, for a change she approved in Franchesscas choice of boy. Jo was a small, slim boy with a strange hairstyle; it was always messy but looked attractive. He'd met Franchessca before then and had fell for her the first time they met. It had started off with a new school project that Franchessca had gone to for sometime, then, in late July, his school had sent along Jo too. They both remembered the first time they spoke to each other. It was amazing for Jo who lingered on to her every word, and still did to the very day. "Hi Suzy, is Franki there?" "Yeah hang on Jo I'll get her for you" It was the same every time Jo called. He had always found it hard to speak to Franki's mum for a long time on the phone, it made him stutter a lot. "Hello?.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Oh hiya Jo how are you babyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ My dad's coming down today so I

Civil Disobedience Essay

Historically, in your opinion, has civil disobedience been effective in changing the law? Explain why or why not. What laws do you disagree with or would you consider violating to change? Explain The act of knowingly breaking a law that one feels is morally or ethically unjust is termed Civil Disobedience. While we all have a perception of right and wrong, the guideline for this thinking is our moral compass. While many individuals may see inequalities or injustices in our society, only a few make a physical stand for what they perceive to be right. Some discourage the use of civil disobedience as a tool that should be used for change, the logic being that it directly contradicts our nation’s democratic system. Others support the peaceful act of protesting or challenging laws that are unjust. It is my opinion that while technically breaking the law, it is necessary as it brings immediate attention to an unjust law. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated and I quote â€Å"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.† Perfect examples of civil disobedience used to change laws are the Ms. Rosa Parks incident, as well as the prolonged civil rights movement initiated by Dr. King. While the above mentioned incidents of civil disobedience assisted in bringing attention to and ultimately changing unjust laws, this change was slow and not complete. One of the laws that I do not agree with is pertaining to parental rights. I feel that in the courts of law in regards to custody and parenting responsibilities, the father always gets the short end of the stick. Never have I seen things being fair and just, unless in the uncommon circumstance where the mother is clearly not fit to be a parent. In many cases the mother has custodial rights, but the child or children are neglected physically, mentally and financially. The mother just used the child for a means to gain financial support.

Holder in Due Course

A Holder in Due Course can be defined as a holder who takes a negotiable instrument in good faith, without noticing that such instrument has been dishonored or that there is a hiden fraudulent issue behind it. In this particular case, I don’t think that Any Kind Checks Cashed, Inc. should be considered as a Holder in Due Course. It is clear that ‘Any Kind’ company did not know what the issue behind that check was but, they should have speculated that there was something strange going on.Apparently, there was a business that had been operating for a while and that they understood and know what kind of people will normally visit their store to cash their checks. I consider that the issue arises when Michael of Any Kind Cashed Checks, decides to pay a portion of the check made by Talcott and deposit the rest without trying to reach the drawer in order to confirm such transaction. I think that doing so, Any Kind Cashed Checks failed to comply with the reasonable comme rcial standards of fair dealing such as good faith.If Talcott was unreachable, Michael should have Guarino come back at a later time or at least called the bank and see what the status of the check was. One thing is clear; Guarino did not attempt to go to the bank because he knew something could go wrong if he did. If Any Kind Cashed Checks would have only noticed that a broker shouldn’t have anything to hide and that a person like him would normally go to the bank instead of a checks cashing store the story would have surely been different.Personally, I agree and disagree with the court’s decision over this case. I consider that Talcott shouldn’t be liable for the $5,700. He actually was victim of a fraud and he has valid real defenses against Rivera and Guarino. Any Kind is not in fault in this specific scenario because they waited for the owner’s confirmation in order to cash the check. I would think that Talcott would be able to get his money back and of course sued these two men who took advantage of his age to cheat.On the other hand I believe that Any Kinds should be held liable for the $10,000. Furthermore, Michael specifically, which as a supervisor should have not only known the procedure but should have also followed it. I am guessing she was lead by the fact that she would have received a nice commission out of a $10,000 check and didn’t think twice when she cashed and deposit the check without the owners approval. The case doesn’t state much information on this but if I am not wrong she also lost due to the fact that the check had a stop payment request by the owner.In conclusion, I would like to state that I don’t believe Any Kind Cashed Checks is or should be considered as an HDC due to the fact that they relied on their own judgment and experience at the moment of cashing and depositing the $10,000 check. There is a clear failire to the good faith principle in such a scenario. Moreover, showing a federal express envelope to prove that Talcott truly sent the check shouldn’t be sufficient evidence to prove everything is correct.

Spence v. Washington (1974)

Spence v. Washington (1974) Should the government be able to prevent people from attaching symbols, words, or pictures to American flags in public? That was the question before the Supreme Court in Spence v. Washington, a case where a college student was prosecuted for publicly displaying an American flag to which he had attached large peace symbols. The Court found that Spence had a constitutional right to use the American flag to communicate his intended message, even if the government disagreed with him. Fast Facts: Spence v. Washington Case Argued: January 9, 1974Decision Issued:  June 25, 1974Petitioner: Harold Omond SpenceRespondent: State of WashingtonKey Question: Was a Washington State law criminalizing the display of a modified American flag in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments?Majority Decision: Justices Douglas, Stewart, Brennan, Marshall, Blackmun, and PowellDissenting: Justices Burger, White, and RehnquistRuling: The right to modify the flag was an expression of freedom of speech, and as applied, the Washington State statute was in violation of the First Amendment.   Spence v. Washington: Background In Seattle, Washington, a college student named Spence hung an American flag outside the window of his private apartment - upside down and with peace symbols attached to both sides. He was protesting violent acts by the American government, for example in Cambodia and the fatal shootings of college students at Kent State University. He wanted to associate the flag more closely with peace than war: I felt there had been so much killing and that this was not what America stood for. I felt that the flag stood for America and I wanted people to know that I thought America stood for peace. Three police officers saw the flag, entered the apartment with Spence’s permission, seized the flag, and arrested him. Although Washington state had a law banning desecration of the American flag, Spence was charged under a law banning â€Å"improper use† of the American flag, denying people the right to: Place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, color, ensign or shield of the United States or of this state ... orExpose to public view any such flag, standard, color, ensign or shield upon which shall have been printed, painted or otherwise produced, or to which shall have been attached, appended, affixed or annexed any such word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement... Spence was convicted after the judge told the jury that merely displaying the flag with an attached peace symbol was sufficient grounds for conviction. He was fined $75 and sentenced to 10 days in jail (suspended). The Washington Court of Appeals reversed this, declaring that the law overbroad. The Washington Supreme Court reinstated the conviction and Spence appealed to the Supreme Court. Spence v. Washington: Decision In an unsigned, per curiam decision, the Supreme Court said the Washington law â€Å"impermissibly infringed a form of protected expression.† Several factors were cited: the flag was private property, it was displayed on private property, the display did not risk any breach of peace, and finally even the state admitted that Spence was â€Å"engaged in a form of communication.† As to whether the state has an interest in preserving the flag as â€Å"an unalloyed symbol of our country,† the decision states: Presumably, this interest might be seen as an effort to prevent the appropriation of a revered national symbol by an individual, interest group, or enterprise where there was a risk that association of the symbol with a particular product or viewpoint might be taken erroneously as evidence of governmental endorsement. Alternatively, it might be argued that the interest asserted by the state court is based on the uniquely universal character of the national flag as a symbol.For the great majority of us, the flag is a symbol of patriotism, of pride in the history of our country, and of the service, sacrifice, and valor of the millions of Americans who in peace and war have joined together to build and to defend a Nation in which self-government and personal liberty endure. It evidences both the unity and diversity which are America. For others, the flag carries in varying degrees a different message. â€Å"A person gets from a symbol the meaning he puts into it, and what is one manâ⠂¬â„¢s comfort and inspiration is another’s jest and scorn.† None of this mattered, though. Even accepting a state interest here, the law was still unconstitutional because Spence was using the flag to express ideas which viewers would be able to understand. Given the protected character of his expression and in light of the fact that no interest the State may have in preserving the physical integrity of a privately owned flag was significantly impaired on these facts, the conviction must be invalidated. There was no risk that people would think the government was endorsing Spence’s message and the flag carries so many different meanings to people that the state cannot proscribe the use of the flag to express certain political views. Spence v. Washington: Significance This decision avoided dealing with whether people have a right to display flags they have permanently altered to make a statement. Spence’s alteration was deliberately temporary, and the justices appear to have thought this relevant. However, at least a free speech right to at least temporarily â€Å"deface† the American flag was established. The Supreme Court’s decision in Spence v. Washington was not unanimous. Three justices - Burger, Rehnquist, and White - disagreed with the majority’s conclusion that individuals have a free speech right to alter, even temporarily, an American flag in order to communicate some message. They agreed that Spence was indeed engaged in communicating a message, but they disagreed that Spence should be allowed to alter the flag to do so. Writing a dissent joined by Justice White, Justice Rehnquist stated: The true nature of the State’s interest in this case is not only one of preserving â€Å"the physical integrity of the flag,† but also one of preserving the flag as â€Å"an important symbol of nationhood and unity.† ... It is the character, not the cloth, of the flag which the State seeks to protect. [...]The fact that the State has a valid interest in preserving the character of the flag does not mean, of course, that it can employ all conceivable means to enforce it. It certainly could not require all citizens to own the flag or compel citizens to salute one. ... It presumably cannot punish criticism of the flag, or the principles for which it stands, any more than it could punish criticism of this country’s policies or ideas. But the statute in this case demands no such allegiance.Its operation does not depend upon whether the flag is used for communicative or noncommunicative purposes; upon whether a particular message is deemed commercial or politica l; upon whether the use of the flag is respectful or contemptuous; or upon whether any particular segment of the State’s citizenry might applaud or oppose the intended message. It simply withdraws a unique national symbol from the roster of materials that may be used as a background for communications. [emphasis added] It should be noted that Rehnquist and Burger dissented from the Court’s decision in Smith v. Goguen for substantially the same reasons. In that case, a teenager was convicted for wearing a small American flag on the seat of his pants. Although White voted with the majority, in that case, he attached a concurring opinion where he stated that he would not â€Å"find it beyond congressional power, or that of state legislatures, to forbid attaching to or putting on the flag any words, symbols, or advertisements.† Just two months after the Smith case was argued, this one appeared before the court - though that case was decided first. As was true with the Smith v. Goguen case, the dissent here simply misses the point. Even if we accept Rehnquist’s assertion that the state has an interest in preserving the flag as â€Å"an important symbol of nationhood and unity,† this does not automatically entail that the state the authority to fulfill this interest by prohibiting people from treating a privately own flag as they see fit or by criminalizing certain uses of the flag to communicate political messages. There is a missing step here - or more likely several missing steps - which Rehnquist, White, Burger and other supporters of bans on flag â€Å"desecration† never manage to include in their arguments. It’s likely that Rehnquist recognized this. He acknowledges, after all, that there are limits to what the state may do in pursuit of this interest and cites several examples of extreme government behavior which would cross the line for him. But where, exactly, is that line and why does he draw it in the place he does? Upon what basis does he allow some things but not others? Rehnquist never says and, for this reason, the effectiveness of his dissent completely fails. One more important thing should be noted about Rehnquist’s dissent: he makes it explicit that criminalizing the certain uses of the flag to communicate messages must apply to respectful as well as contemptuous messages. Thus, the words â€Å"America is Great† would be just as prohibited as the words â€Å"America Sucks.† Rehnquist is at least consistent here, and that’s good - but how many supporters of bans on flag desecration would accept this particular consequence of their position? Rehnquist’s dissent suggests very strongly that if the government has the authority to criminalize burning an American flag, it can criminalize waving an American flag as well.

The Best ACT Prep Websites You Should Be Using

The Best ACT Prep Websites You Should Be Using SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you think ofTwitterorInstagram, your first thought probably isn't aboutACT prep. But you can actually find veryhelpful ACT information on these sites and several others. Rather than relying solely on heavy ACT prep books, you can lighten your load by moving your ACT prep online. You'll find lots of free resources on everything, from test content and key strategies to high-quality practice questions. This guide will go over the besttest prep websites you should be using if you're aiming to ace the ACT. But first, a word on the perspective Ihave when it comes to ACT websites. Disclaimer: How ACT Websites Can Help You You might be wondering how objective a guide from an online ACT prep company can be about recommending other online ACT resources. To give full disclosure, I personally think PrepScholar has the most insightful and relevant ACT guides available online. We delve into every aspect of the testing process, such as choosing your test dates, understanding the scoring process, knowing exactly what's on each section, and using time-saving comprehension strategies to maximize your scores.We also take a holistic approach to test prep, keeping in mind that every student has different goals and schedules and can come from any grade in middle school or high school. That being said, there are several other websites that are important to explore and learn from as you prep for the ACT. Rather than limiting yourself to one source of information, you can best prepare yourself and boost your scores by taking advantage of all free online ACT resources. This guide is meant to help you find the best ACT websites for the following: Logistics, such as choosing your test dates and registering for the test Understanding the content and format of the test Learning strategies Locating the highest-quality practice questions that will get you ready for the ACT First, let's take a look at the official ACT website and the parts of it that are most useful to you. Official ACT Website The official ACT website is where you'll register for the ACT. Here, you'll create an account with a username and password, and then upload a photo of yourself. Besides test dates and registration, the ACT website offers a useful overview of accommodations, what to take with you on test day, and college and financial planning. Since you can find more in-depth information about mostof these areas elsewhere, I'd say the most useful part of the ACT website for test prep is its official sample questionsfor the English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing sections. After you create an ACT account, you can find an ACT Question of the Day, which can be useful to start early and study a little at a time. The site also offers a useful ACT study guide in both English and Spanish. If you don't mind spending a bit, you can also purchase the ACT Online Prep Program for $39.95. This program haslessons in English, Reading, Math, and Science; it also has two Writing prompts and sample essays. Itoffers some degree of personalization and keeps track of your progress so you know what you've studied and what you still need to review. Practice questions from ACT, Inc., are extremely useful ,as they are official questions directly from the test makers and thus the truest representation of what you'll encounter on the ACT. However, they're not updated very often, and the website has a relatively small number of ACT practice questionsavailable for free. I recommend answering these only after having done some other prep first as a way to gauge your level and figure out what you still need to improve. Another drawback of these ACT practice questions is that your answers are evaluated after each page; this formatdoesn't simulate the timing or pacing of the actual ACT. The ACT website is useful for general information and the limited number of practice questions it offers, but you'll want to look elsewhere for strategy.While this website offers a few test-taking tips, it's pretty surface level and not customized to different students. Since ACT, Inc., doesn't want to give away test-taking secrets or strategies for seeing through their tricks, the official site is not going to offer much in the way of this kind of guidance. So what other sites can you use to find strategy as well as additional high-quality ACT practice questions? These are the best sites for drawing upyour ACT game plan. Best ACT Websites for Strategy If you've searched for ACT resources online, you've probably noticedthat there are a lot more sites devoted to the SAT than the ACT. Even though the ACT is just as popular among students, the test-prep resources don't seem to havequite caught up yet. That's why you'll often search for ACT vocabulary and get referred to lists of obscure SAT vocabulary words, or try to find ACT Questions of the Dayonly to realize they're not all that specific to the test. In terms of ACT-specific content and strategy guides, I believe that PrepScholar far outstrips the competition in its level of detail and authenticity.As we'll discuss more below, though, you can also find some helpful strategies for ACT Reading, English, and Writing on Erica Meltzer's blog, The Critical Reader, and learn about the purpose of the ACT and the approaches you can take through Sparknotes. PrepScholar ACT Guides PrepScholar offers a wide variety of in-depth guides with specific, realistic ACT examples. We break down exactly what's tested on each section and give yousuggested study schedules to help you manage your time as well as strategies for guessing.What's more, we customize our advice to make it relevant to students of all grade levels and with all different target scores and schedules. Here are some of our especially helpful guides that break down exactly what's tested on each section of the ACT: What's Actually Tested on the ACT English Section? What's Actually Tested on the ACT Reading section? The 4 Types of ACT Reading Passages You Should Know What's Actually Tested on the ACT Math Section? What's Actually Tested on the ACT Science Section? The 3 Types of ACT Science Passages While these guides offer some strategy along with explanation of ACT content, you can find others that are specifically oriented toward teaching you strategies and helping you master the test: The Ultimate Free ACT Study Guide: Tips, Strategies, and Practice The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes onACT Questions The 31 ACT Critical Math Formulas You Must Know The Complete Guide to ACT Grammar Rules Time Management Tips and Section Strategy on ACT Science ACT Vocabulary | Words You Must Know How to Write an ACT Essay: Step Exactly How Long Should You Study for the ACT? 6 Step Guide Should You Guess on the ACT? 5 Guessing Strategies How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer In offering you these links, our hope is thatall students will have access to the resources they need to succeed in high school and achieve their post-secondary goals. We also welcome comments and emails and try to respond to your questions and input as soon as possible. If PrepScholar's approach resonates with your ACT goals and learning style, then you should check out our ACT prep 5 day free trial. This gives you access to the full ACT prep program. At the end of the five days, you can call it a day or choose to sign up for the rest of the test prep program. The best way to make the most of these ACT guides is to try out the strategies they suggest using sample problems and timed practice tests. You can thendetermine which ones best help you comprehend the material in a deep and efficient way. Erica Meltzer's The Critical Reader Erica Meltzer posts helpful, though sometimes short, blog posts about the Reading, English, and essay sections of the ACT. They are accessible and offer tips and tricks beyond what you would find on the official ACT website. Some particularly helpful posts include the following: A suggestion for managing time on ACT English Worry about when you DO need a comma, not when you don't Do ACT Reading passages in order of most to least interesting Shortcut: paragraph "main function" Reading both this blog and PrepScholar's guides will expose you to different strategies so you can determine which ones work best for you. For instance, Meltzer suggests that students read entire passages before answering questions, which is not necessarily the advice we give for reading ACT passages. By exploring content across various sites, you can learn more than one approach and customize the advice to best fit your learning style and needs. Sparknotes and the ACT If the ACT were better served online, thenSparknotes might not have made the list as an especially useful ACT website. Since there aren't many resources for ACT strategy, though, I think Sparknotes is worth looking over for its descriptions of the test and strategies about answering questions and saving time. Like PrepScholar, Sparknotes encourages students to set target scores and shape their study plans around meeting their individualized score goals. This site is useful for an initial reading about ACT content and strategy. Once you finish reading it, you can thenmove on to other ACT websites to get more specialized advice with more specific examples from the test. Since there aren't too many specific examples given on this site, you'll have to seek out practice problems and apply the strategies yourself. That leads us to perhaps the most important part of online test prep: where can you find all the good practice questions? ACT Websites for Practice Questions As we discussed above, the official ACT website offers free sample questions for each section, an essay question, and scored sample essays. While official practice questions are the best ones for test prep, there are a lot of high-quality practice questions from well-known test-prep companies. These sites are a good start for finding free online (both official and unofficial) ACT practice questions. PrepScholar Resource for Official ACT Practice Tests Our convenient guide lets you download and print all official ACT practice testsalong with their answer keys.These are real tests administered in past years, so they're exactly like what you'll see on test day! Once you've printed out a practice test, find a quiet room and time yourself as you take it. After you finish, go back and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. You can also check out ourfree five-day trial for our ACT prep program to access tons more practice questions. PowerScore This prep website lets you download four official ACT practice tests with answer keys (these are the same tests we've compiled above). Once again, try tosimulate testing conditions to get a sense of time management and the real test experience.You should also pay close attention to how ACT questions are worded and arranged. Since there are no answer explanations here, you'll have to try to analyze your own mistakes and figure out what your errors in reasoning are for any questions you get wrong. Varsity Tutors Unlike the official practice tests you'd have to print and score yourself, Varsity Tutors offers free ACT questions you can do online and get automatically scored. These questions are helpful for reviewing concepts and reinforcing content knowledgebut less so for gaining familiarity with how actual ACT questions are structured and worded (since they're not official practice questions). Khan Academy Even though Khan Academy's test-prep videos are mainly for the SAT, they contain plenty of advice you can apply to the ACT as well. Check out our guide to using Khan Academy for ACT prep to learn exactly how to use this resource. Khan Academy has numerous videos explaining different math, science, and reading subjects, and many people find that they learn more from watching a video compared to just reading. Try Khan Academy out to see whether it's a good ACT prep resource for you. Overall, although the ACT is not as well served online as the SAT is, you can still find a number of good resources for test-taking strategy and practice questions, in the form of bothofficial tests and practice questions. But what else should you do to make the most of these resources and get prepared for the ACT? How to UseACT Websites Effectively First off, to best use the official ACT website, you'll want tocreate an account by filling out your personal information and uploading a photo. Make sure to write down your username and password since you'll be creating a lot of online accounts during the college process and don't want to find yourself locked out of your account! When it comes to PrepScholar's guides, Erica Meltzer's blog, and the other sites discussed above, simply visit them and get reading and practicing. As with theACT StudentTwitter account, you can follow PrepScholar on Twitter and Facebookor subscribe to our newsletter for helpful test-prep and college-admissions information. One site I didn't mention for test prep is College Confidential. This useful forum lets you discuss test prep and the college process andgain a sense of community among both students and parents. By sharing your questions and stories, you can get valuable insight and support as you work toward achieving your ACT goals. Above all, I highly recommend searching for and trying out strategies that you think will work best for you. Unfortunately, the official ACT website doesn't publicize many strategies that'll give you an edge on the test. There are manyvaluable approaches you can use as you prep for the ACT. Make sure toexplore these online resources and figure out what works best for you so that you can achieve your best ACT scores! What's Next? The guides on ACT strategyI mentioned above are just a few of the guides PrepScholar offers- and that we're continually adding to every day. Browse more guides on general strategies for taking the test and ones specific to Math, Science, English, Reading, and the essay. You can also learn more about the exact content and format of each ACT section, such ashow much science you actually need to know to master the ACT Science section. Are youwondering when you should sign up to take the ACT for the first time? This guide describes the most important considerations to help you choose the best test date for you. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example In order to evaluate the CSR of multinational companies, some quality assurance organizations conduct surveys and determine which companies are most ethical in terms of doing businesses. Recently, on March 2012, Forbes released a list of most ethical companies of the world. In this paper, ethical evaluation of a large multinational business of hospitality industry has been provided which is Marriot International Hotels. Categories of CSR For CSR, companies are generally categorized in the three main categories. They include 1. Neutral CSR This category describes that companies possess neutral characteristics for practicing CSR obligations. Companies operating under this head are obliged for not lying, stealing or cheating, adhering to economic activities etc. A large number of companies fall under this category. 2. Negative CSR CSR Negative states that some companies for a certain period of time break the legal laws and act in negative ways. These practices often put the welfare of s ociety at stake. A recent example of such organization is British Petroleum. The case of oil spill of BP caused great danger to the environment and also ruptured the image of the company. 3. Positive CSR This category includes all those companies which satisfies a large number of stakeholders just like Marriot International. ... Marriot International Hotels have made profound progress in areas such as environmental and social, economic and sustainability. Marriot International has got â€Å"spirit to serve† their associates, customers, communities, environment and they consider these stakeholders as integral part of the culture of the company and therefore they have incorporated these stakeholders into their businesses. Marriot International persistently invests a great deal in their associates and provides opportunities of personal and professional growth to their associates. Marriot International is committed in establishing and pursuing the uncompromising and highest legal standards. The company’s Business Conduct Guides provides a comprehensive detail on incompliance with legal and ethical standards, unfair competition, abuse of purchasing power, antitrust issues, political and commercial bribery, equal employment opportunity, conflict of interests, human rights, lawsuit policies etc. In th e first quarter of 2010, the company launched a program of Business Ethics Awareness. This programs intended to guide the associates about how to comply with legal and ethical issues with relevant tools and information and how to raise them with suitable leaders of the company. Apart from this, Marriot continually involves in developing programs for children’s rights and protection. It developed program named as â€Å"Marriot Human Rights and Protection of Children†. Marriott International consider this as their priority. As far as their loyalty with their guests is concerned, Marriot International provides best possible and exceptional quality to its customers so that