The Five Points of Every Government

Honestly, this is probably one of the most important things I’ve learned from taking a government class: The five things that make a government work. Not only does it help me better understand society and politics, but it also comes in handy to know these five points when creating a fictional government for a book.

The five points are,

1. Sovereignty, or ‘who’s in charge?’
2. Authority, or ‘who do I report to?’
3. Law, or ‘what are the rules?’
4. Sanctions, or ‘what do I get if I obey? What happens if I disobey?’
5. Succession, or ‘is there a future for this’?

Since this post is basically me recounting information in my own words, the next will be a little more creative. For a fun project, I’ll create a fictional government or three, and explain how these five points affect them.

Too Salty!

“Think of marine mammals, which breathe air like we do but drink only salt water; and think of fish such as salmon which live part of their life in saltwater and part in freshwater. How do aquatic organisms deal with the different concentrations of salt in the water?”

Well, everyone knows that attempting to quench your thirst with seawater will never get positive results. That is, if you’re like most land mammals and birds. However, sea-faring organisms were created with the fact that seawater could be the only accessible type of liquid for them in mind. So let’s take a look at how some of these creatures resist getting their throats and bodies dried out by all that salt.

ALBATROSS

These birds have salt glands behind their eyes that drain excess salt out the tip of the beak.

FISH

Most fish constantly gulp down water to keep from drying out, but saltwater fish also pump out salt through their kidneys and specialized gills.

SHARKS

Sharks absorb water, getting rid of the excess salt through a glandin in their digestive system.

Source: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/water-h2o-life/life-in-water/surviving-in-salt-water

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmoregulation

Intelligence, Intelligence.

Today’s question is…

“What does it mean to say a creature is “intelligent?” Describe some of the intelligent behavior of various animals, and compare it to human intelligence. “

First, let’s take a look at what are believed to be some of the earth’s most intelligent creatures. (Besides humans, of course.)

Elephants, dolphins, crows, dogs, and primates are some of the many intelligent animals.

What qualifies them as ‘intelligent’? Well, 3/5 of these are wild animals who prefer to live together in social, family groups. Social behaviour isn’t everything, though. All of the above creatures are also creative, and good at communicating with one another.

So how does this compare with human intelligence? Humans are social, as well as creative and good at communicating. But humans are also inventive. Tools and technology (and opposable thumbs) trump teeth, strength, and prehensile tails.

Arthropoda

Arthropoda is the largest phylum in the world. Should all of these creatures really be classified together under one group? Why or why not? What do they all have in common? Cite some facts or examples to support your point of view.

I believe that all of the creatures currently classified as arthropods should continue to be under one phylum. As long as it makes sense to do so, it makes sense to do so, right? The five things that make an arthropod an arthropod are:

-An Exoskeleton

Meaning they’re invertabrae. Their skeleton is on the outside.

-Segmented Bodies

Segmented both inside and out.

-Jointed Appendages

As in limbs.

-Bilateral Symmetry

Divided vertically in two mirror images.

-Open Circulatory System

Blood is pumped through spaces called sinuses to reach tissue.

Sources: http://animals.pawnation.com/5-characteristics-arthropod-5177.html

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/arthropoda.html

Plants are Cool! (But You Knew That.)

Today we’ll be looking at a few of the many uses of plants, and how they could be used in the future. Some of the most common uses for plants are cloth, rope, wood, dye, and of course, food.

While that list just about covered the basics, there are other potential jobs for plants. For one, algae and sugar-cane are known to be very efficient in the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen. In areas with polluted air, oxygen farms could be set up using these plants. (No, I’m not talking about parks. I mean actual farms that consist of major oxygen-makers. Be nice, huh?)

Not to mention using plants for natural remedies. (Come on, everyone knows how great aloe is when you have a burn.)

Source: http://www.pfaf.org/user/otheruses.aspx (For more plant-use info, click the link!)

Don Quixote

Today, I will be contrasting (more or less) these two statements. They wre both made by the fictional character ‘Don Quixote’. (These may not be the exact oaths he ‘took’, but I’m not sure where those are or if the quotes below are them.)

“the order of knight-errantry was instituted to defend maidens, to protect widows, and to rescue orphans and distressed persons,”

“Forgive me, my friend, that I led thee to seem as mad as myself, making thee fall into the same error I myself fell into, that there were and still are knights-errant in the world.”

-Don Quixote, Don Quixote.

So basically, at first, in his madness, Quixote wholeheartedly believes that knights-errant still go on quests and the like. He believe that he is a knight, and eagerly explains things. In the second quote, Quixote has recovered from his madness, but is on his deathbed. He apologizes, admits he was wrong, and basically reverses his previous quote.

‘What’s Done is (NOT) Done’

Was Lady Macbeth correct when she said ‘what’s done is done’? I think the answer varies depending on how you look at the statement. On one hand, whatever is done, is actually done. Like, if you do the dishes, they’re done. (bad example. Dishes are never done.) Or, if you plant a tree, once you’re done, you’re done. With the planting part. On the other hand, you’ll still have to water, fertilize, and otherwise care for the tree. Now, for another, more Macbeth-y example: If you murder someone, once you’re done, you’re done right? Well, kind of. You certainly won’t be ‘done’ with guilt, possible PTSD, persecutions, etc. (The moral of this mini-section: Don’t Murder!)

A Little Bit About Colorblindness…

Colorblindness is caused by a sex-linked trait. The gene that creates colorblindness is passed on through defective X chromosomes. Colorblindness is more likely to occur in men than in women, because men have XY chromosomes (meaning that if the X chromosome is defective, the individual will be colorblind), and women have XX chromosomes (so in order for a woman to be colorblind, she’d have to have both X chromosomes be defective.). While 8% of all men are colorblind, only 0.5% of all women are, making men roughly twenty times more likely to be colorblind.

Source: http://www.prurgent.com/2010-09-30/pressrelease122256.htm

Of course, if a mother has one dfective X chromosome, she has a 50% chance of passing it on to her son and making him colorblind. If she also has a daughter, the only way the daughter will be colorblind is if the father is colorblind.

Source: http://www.colour-blindness.com/

Heaven, Hell, and Souls.

Dr. Faustus was a fictional sorcerer who sold his soul for power on earth. The topic of selling ones soul for earthly treasures has been a relatively popular one in fiction since then. The question is, why? I mean, it’s kind of a scary topic if you think about it (Though humans tend to enjoy fear.). Maybe it’s because of our fascination with life and death, heaven and hell. No one knows too much about the latter two, and when we don’t know stuff, our imaginations kick in.

As for the topic of ‘selling your soul’, well, it’s not really a good topic unless you’re using it to teach a lesson. Or for humor purposes, but it’s not the type of thing to be taken lightly. In the story, Faustus sells his soul for sorcery powers, and earthly pleasures. In my opinion, that’s stupid, as both of those things are temporary. It would be like trading your car or house for a piece of candy. It’s likely you won’t remember that candy when you’re stuck without transportation or shelter. And if you do, it will be a memory of bitter hatred.

Montaigne’s Essays

I’ve just finished reading a few of Montaigne’s essays. A question asked is, would I want to read more? The answer to that question would be, ‘maybe’. Maybe I’d read more. Depends on the topic. Montaigne’s writing style is great, but a little hard to read at times because of the time period. If I find an essay by him, on a topic I find interesting, I’ll probably read it. (Or at least check it out to see if it’s any good.)