Presidential Debate Essays - Bush Family, Livingston Family

Presidential Debate Another four years another presidential debate. Before I go on to the current debates let me state a few facts about past ones. The Lincoln and Douglas debate was in important because it started Lincoln presidential career. The Debates lasted from August 21 October 15. There where seven of them, with two days to two weeks in between. Each debate lasted three hours; first candidate spoke for one hour; the second for one and a half hours; the first replying for a half hour. Candidates alternated going first. The topics involved where primarily slavery and the Union. Other important debates were the 48 and 57. They were the only debates before 1960; there were no presidential debates between 1960 and 1976. In 1960 the presidential debate was between President Kennedy and President Nixon. The topic was domestic issues. Over 66.4 million people either heard or watch the debates. 1992 was President Clintons first presidential debate. With over 62.4 million people watching President Clinto n, President Bush and Ross Perot debated with the rules being, no opening statements; each candidate questioned in turn with two minutes to respond; one minute rebuttal by other candidates; two minute closing statements. (http://www.debates.org/pages/debhis.html) Enough of ancient history lets get back to todays debates. In the rest of the essay I will explain what issues interest me and why. Also, I will explain my opinion on the issues I choose and why I chose that statement. The first issue I would like to address is on education. This issue was chosen for me. The moderator in the first debate asked the candidates Both of you have promised dramatically to change to change dramatically public education in the country. Of the public money spent on education, only 6% of that id federal money. You want to change 100% of the public education on 6% of the money, is it possible to change it?(Jim Lehrer) Bush stated that he wants more charter schools because they produce students of a high caliber. Its a school of strong discipline a high standards. Its one of the best schools in Houston. Thats my vision for public education all around America.(Governor Bush) Bush also wants to change Head Start to a reading program and also he wants people to ac cess reading money if they want to. Bush wants more kids to learn how to read and have more teach-for-the-children type teachers. Bush only cares for the children. Gore on the other hand agrees with only a couple of things that Bush stated. He strongly supports accountability; he also supports local control. Bush and Gore agree on both. Gore thinks every teacher should be tested including in the subjects that they teach. He also thinks that 100,000 new teachers should be recruited to reduce class size. The main reason for that is because a man gave him a letter from his daughter. The girl is the 36th student in her class; the picture attached showed that there was no room for one desk so she had to stand. He also wants to make college tax deductible (up to $10,000 a year). I believe that both of the candidates have very good points on education, they were to combine there ideas they would come up with a very good education plan. I like college being tax deductible and I also like the 100,000 more teachers for to reduce class size. However, when Gore said that he wanted more teachers, I have one question, where are you going to put all those teachers? Put two teachers in one classroom? Build more schools? Who will pay for all this? The other issue I would like to discuss is the legalization of the RU-486 drug. It is an abortion pill. The FDA approved just recently but it took them 12 years just to study it. It is available in Europe and China. Governor Bush says, I dont think a president can unilaterally overturn it. The FDA has made its decision.(Governor Bush) After that the Governor states that he is pro-life. He also wants to increase the quality of life. How is life going to be better for an unwanted child? Vice-President Al Gore on the other hand is pro-choice,

Banded Sea Krait Facts (Laticauda colubrina)

Banded Sea Krait Facts (Laticauda colubrina) The banded sea krait is a type of venomous sea snake found in the tropical water of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Although this snakes venom is ten times more potent than that of a rattlesnake, the animal is nonaggressive and only known to bite in self defense. The most common name for the species is the banded sea krait, but its also called the yellow-lipped sea krait. The scientific name Laticauda colubrina gives rise to another common name: colubrine sea krait. While the animal may be called the banded sea snake, its better to call it a krait to avoid confusion with true sea snakes. Fast Facts: Banded Sea Krait Scientific Name: Laticauda colubrinaCommon Names: Banded sea krait, yellow-lipped sea krait, colubrine sea kraitBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 34 inches (male); 56 inches (female)Weight: 1.3-4.0 poundsLifespan: Unknown. Most snakes can reach 20 years of age under ideal conditions.Diet: CarnivoreHabitat: Indo-Pacific regionPopulation: Stable, probably numbering in the thousandsConservation Status: Least Concern Description A banded sea krait can be distinguished from other krait species by its yellow snout and from true sea snakes by its flattened body and nostril position. Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Getty Images The banded sea snake has a black head and black-striped body. Its upper surface is blue-gray, with a yellow belly. This snake can be distinguished from related kraits by its yellow upper lip and snout. Like other kraits, it has a flattened body, paddle-shaped tail, and nostrils on the sides of its snout. In contrast, an aquatic sea snake has a paddle tail, but a rounded body and nostrils near the top of its head. Banded sea krait females are substantially larger than males. Females average 142 cm (56 in) in length, while males average 87 cm (34 in) in length. On average, an adult male weighs about 1.3 pounds, while a female weighs around 4 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Banded sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) distribution. Sn1per Banded sea kraits are semiaquatic snakes found in shallow coastal waters of the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. While juvenile snakes spend most of their time in the water, adult kraits spend about half their time on land. The snakes hunt in water, but must return to digest their food, shed their skin, and reproduce. Banded sea kraits exhibit philopatry, which means they always return to their home islands. Diet and Behavior The head and tail of the banded sea krait look similar, which helps deter potential predators. Placebo365 / Getty Images Banded sea kraits are perfectly adapted to hunt eels, supplementing their diet with small fish and crabs. The snake has never been observed feeding on land. The kraits slender body helps it weave through corals. The snakes tail may be exposed, but the threat from predators is reduced because the tail looks much like the head. Banded sea kraits are solitary nocturnal hunters, but they travel with hunting parties of yellow goatfish and bluefin trevally, which capture prey fleeing from the snake. Banded sea kraits display sexual dimorphism in hunting behavior. Males tend to hunt moray eels in shallow water, while females hunt conger eels in deeper water. Males tend to make multiple kills on a hunt, while females typically only take one prey per hunt. Most animals leave sea kraits alone, but they are preyed upon by sharks and other large fish and sea birds when the snakes surface. In some countries, people catch the snakes to eat them. Venomous Bite Because they spend so much time on land and are attracted to lights, encounters between kraits and humans are common but surprisingly uneventful. Banded sea kraits are highly venomous, but only bite in self-defense if grabbed. In New Caledonia, the snakes have the common name  tricot rayà ©Ã‚  (stripey  sweater) and are considered safe enough to play with children. Bites most often occur when fishermen try to untangle the snakes from fishing nets. The venom contains a powerful neurotoxin that can cause hypertension, cyanosis, paralysis, and potentially death if left untreated. Reproduction and Offspring Banded sea kraits are oviparous; they return to land to mate and lay eggs. Mating occurs in September through December. Males chase the larger, slower females and entwine around her. The males rhythmically contract to produce what are called caudocephalic waves. Copulations takes about two hours, but the mass of snakes may remain entwined for several days. Females deposit up to 10 eggs in a crevice on the land. Only two nests have ever been discovered, so little is known about the how the hatchlings find their way to water. The lifespan of the banded sea krait is unknown. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the banded sea krait as least concern. The species population is stable and the snake is abundant throughout its range. Significant threats to the snake include habitat destruction, coastal development, and light pollution. While the snake is a human food source, the threat from overharvesting is localized. Coral bleaching may impact the banded sea krait, as it may result in diminished prey abundance. Sources Guinea, Michael L.. Sea snakes of Fiji and Niue. In Gopalakrishnakone, Ponnampalam. Sea Snake Toxicology. Singapore Univ. Press. pp. 212–233, 1994. ISBN 9971-69-193-0.Lane, A.; Guinea, M.; Gatus, J.; Lobo, A. Laticauda colubrina. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2010: e.T176750A7296975. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176750A7296975.enRasmussen, A.R.;and J. Elmberg. Head for my tail: A new hypothesis to explain how venomous sea snakes avoid becoming prey. Marine Ecology. 30 (4): 385–390, 2009. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2009.00318.xShetty, Sohan and Richard Shine. Philopatry and Homing Behavior of Sea Snakes (Laticauda colubrina) from Two Adjacent Islands in Fiji. Conservation Biology. 16 (5): 1422–1426, 2002. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00515.xShine, R.; Shetty, S. Moving in two worlds: aquatic and terrestrial locomotion in sea snakes (Laticauda colubrina, Laticaudidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 14 (2): 338–346, 2001. doi:10.1046/j.14 20-9101.2001.00265.x