Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Democracy Is The Worst Form Of Government - 2030 Words

Democracy originating from the Greek word ‘dÄ“mokratà ­a’ literally means ‘rule of the people’. ‘In an oligarchy the standard of definition is wealth†¦ in a democracy the standard of distribution is citizenship.’ (Burns, T 2009). This suggests that people are at the centre of political power in a true democracy. Democracy is the form of government which allows people to have their say either directly through voting and referendums or indirectly by voting for elected representatives to stand for them in deliberative chambers to propose, develop and establish laws and statute by which their society is ran. ‘democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time; but there is the broad feeling in our country that the people should rule, continuously rule, and that public opinion, expressed by all constitutional means, should shape, guide, and control the actions of Ministers who are their servants and not their masters.’ (Churchill, W 1947) However, Is Britain really a democracy? Britain is a constitutional monarchy with a Westminster style type of government. The government is run by the prime minister who selects all the other ministers for his cabinet. There is a bi cameral parliament with a fully elected house of commons and a wholly unelected upper house of lords. This does tend to suggest that yes Britain is a democracy however everything is not so black and white. As stated above Britain has a bicameral parliamentaryShow MoreRelatedDemocracy Is The Worst Form Of Government1296 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is democracy? Democracy a form of government in which the people freely elect representatives to govern them in a country, democracy guarantees free and fair elections, basic personal and political rights and independent court of law. There are two types of democracy, direct and indirect democracy. Direct democracy or pure democracy is where there is direct participate of the people; people make decisions for them instead of letting them representative make decision for them. Indirect democracyRead MoreDemocracy Is The Worst Form Of Government Essay834 Words   |  4 PagesLegendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said â€Å"Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried† (Churchill as cited in Chu, 2005, para. 2). It should come as no surprise that when emerging nations are writing their constitutions, they model them after the American Constitution. Political scientists cite a number of different reasons for the success of the US Constitution; the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, and a bicameral legislature withRead MoreDemocracy Is the Worst Form of Government1765 Words   |  8 Pagescritically state how democracy is the worst type of government, but before we do this let us be familiar with the whole process of democracy. Looking at the history of democracy or example â€Å"In Ancient Anthens in the fifth and fourth cen turies before Christ, this gave us the word democracy (rule by the common people) the people in this case did not include women and slaves, both were believed to be naturally inferior to male citizens† (Mayo 1960: 36) but since thence then democracy has developed andRead More Democracy: An Analysis Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesonce remarked that â€Å"democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried†. In agreement with his statement, this paper will examine the problems of democratic governments using specific examples, and compare it to the failure of fascist governments in Nazi Germany and Italy and communist governments in the Soviet Union and China. Theoretically, democracy is a stable form of government where power is in the hands of the people. In a democracy, people have the libertyRead MoreThe Ideal City Of Plato1602 Words   |  7 Pagesof Aristotle lending ideas to his student about composition and operation of citizens, city state, and political regimes. Although Aristotle criticized Plato’s notion of ranking democracy at a fourth position out of five competing systems of government, he agreed with Plato that democracy is the corrupt form of government as it violates justice of proportionality. The concept of justice of proportionality is to answer who is the most deserving. This is explained in an analogy of whoever deserves theRead MoreThe Importance of the First Amendment of the United States’ Bill of Rights for Democratic Government and its Citizens787 Words   |  4 Pagesfundamental rights that individuals have. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. This am endment describes the principal rights of the citizens of the United States. If the citizens were unable to criticize the government, it would be impossible to regulate order. By looking freedom of speech there is also freedom of assembly and freedom of press that are crucial for the United States democracy. According to the â€Å"Derechos, Human Rights†, freedom of speech is one ofRead MoreSocrates And Aristotle s Views On Democracy1124 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle in Politics criticize democracy, a form of government that tries to equalize all. Centuries have passed and many of the democratic elements described in their works apply to current democratic regimes in particular the United States. Socrates believes that democracy is the second worst type of government. Democracy is having â€Å"†¦complete freedom and dignity.†(p.261 C5) and â€Å"†¦no notice of the law.† (p.261 D5) It is the avoidance of anyone’s control. Those in democracy are motivated simply by pleasureRead MoreThe Benefits and Problems of Democracy1750 Words   |  7 PagesProblems with Democracy In the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill, â€Å"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.† As a staunch supporter of democracy, Churchill is admitting that although there may be a variety of flaws in a democratic government, it is still a far more suitable choice of governing as opposed to alternate forms of government. WidelyRead MoreThe State Of Democracy Around The World1721 Words   |  7 Pagesother forms of governance, one needs to understand the true nature of the worlds democratic state. This report will investigate and analyse the state of democracy around the various countries of the world and elaborate on the chosen countries democratic crisis and state of governance. Originating from the Greek terms demos, meaning ‘people’ and kratos, meaning ‘rule,’ democracy essentially means to ‘rule by the people’ (Hague and Harrop, 2013, p. 43). One could argue however, that democracy is considerablyRead MoreDemocracy Essay examples678 Words   |  3 PagesDemocracy When I think of the word democracy, I think of Government. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. This means that Government must protect the basic rights, or liberties, of all people. This is the system of government that United States are base on. The United States, Cuba, and Democracy During the Clinton administration, the

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Medieval Machine The Industrial Revolution Of The...

The Medieval world has a certain connotation to its meaning. People throughout time have found the era synonymous with negativity. It has often been referenced to as the middle or dark ages lending people the view of a world with little to no progress along human advancement. We often paint the picture of medieval Europe with kings, queens, lords and peasants. We also immediately thing of the bubonic plague that wiped out almost a third of the European population at the time. However, there are three sides to every story. One sides describes the negative outlook with no human progress, the other, a glorification of royalty and knights which is often misconstrued. Finally, there is the truthful side. This is the side Jean Gimpel discusses†¦show more content†¦Jean Gimpel notes that not only rivers were used but oceans as well. Tidal water wheels were also used however the change in tidal height meant it was less reliable at points and more difficult to fully engage. Wind powe r was also used to. Large windmills could be used to harness the bower of strong gusts of wind. Human labor could be used to create clothes for clothing as well as paper for writers, royalty and religious institutions. The Medieval society was able to be fully mechanized with water power behind its economy. May other regions still were seemingly stuck in a classical era. Mainly ones around the Mediterranean where most shared one thing in common, slave labor. Not much was offered by harnessing the power of water as geographical, technological and ideological reasons prevented such advancements. Jean Gimpel also discusses technology that allowed Europeans to cultivate food in mass numbers. Jean Gimpel believes this technology sparked an agricultural revolution as well. Modern Harnesses to use horses to plow fields, which was found to be much more effective than oxen, temporary field fallowing, advance plows. Agricultural advancements allowed higher food production. Throughout history, when food production rises so does human population. Another huge factor that many people do not realize is the vast amount of mining in Europe. Mainly stone quarrying andShow MoreRelatedThe Medieval Machine by Jean Gimpel600 Words   |  3 Pages The Medieval Machine by Jean Gimpel, shows information about the technological accomplishments of the middle Ages. The basic idea is that during the two centuries from around 1050 Western Europe went through a kind of industrial revolution that was just as important as of the nineteenth century’s. In his book Jean Gimpel goes over medieval primary industry, which includes energy sources like the creation of mills that were moved by wind power or by water. In these cases, the turningRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution : New Objects, Materials, And Technology1341 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen a period of innovation and development as profound and impactful as the Industrial Revolution. The industrial revolution produced new objects, materials, and technology fulfilling many purposes. In 1750 a shift occurred and design became a profession, which resulted in a crossover between design and art. The growth of manufacturing resulted in the rise factories and a shift from an agrarian society to an urban industrial one one. England was a powerful manufacturing state due to natural resourcesRead MoreThe Impact Of Industrialization On Society During The Industrial Revolution1724 Words   |  7 PagesThe Industrial Revolution Examine in detail the History of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss why Britain led the way in the Industrial Revolution and also explain in detail the effects of industrialization on society. Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world s history was made. People started to discoverRead MoreThe Impact Of Industrialization On Society During The Industrial Revolution1721 Words   |  7 Pages Examine in detail the History of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss why Britain led the way in the Industrial Revolution and also explain in detail the effects of industrialization on society. Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world s history was made. People started to discover faster methods of producingRead MoreThe Invention Of Hand Made Products1631 Words   |  7 Pagesdesigner from England during the eighteen hundreds. At the time of the industrial revolution many were keen for the machines to be vastly used although Morris was aware of the drawbacks that would come with this. He was a large believer of hand made products and played a major role in the revival of the traditional handmade British Textile arts and crafts. Figure 1, William Morris Morris was born in Essex to a wealthy middle-class family, Morris then studied Classics at Oxford University. AfterRead MorePositive and Negative Results of The Black Plague847 Words   |  4 PagesThe Black Plague, perhaps one of the worst epidemics in history, swept its evil across Europe in the middle of the 14th century, killing an estimated 20 million people. This major population shift, along with other disasters occurring at the time, such as famine and an already existing economic recession, plunged Europe into a dark period of complete turmoil. Anarchy, psychological breakdowns, and the dissipation of church power were some of the results. As time passed, however, society managed toRead MoreEssay about Rival Middle Ages1808 Words   |  8 Pagesban revival AD 1000/1215 The early middle ages are generally recognized as a period of decline and stagnation, in the years following the fall of the Roman Empire in ad474, the west is generally viewed by historians as underdeveloped, in comparison to the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world. However between 1,000 and 1215 ad, Western Europe began a series of profound changes . The period of tribal migration, war, and colonisation diminishes; this period gives way to a more settled system of emergingRead MoreCapitalism And Its Impact On Social Human History1203 Words   |  5 Pagesproduction. There is a distinct division between those who believe capitalism will eventually collapse and a more effective social system will take place instead (ex: socialism, democracy) and those who believe capitalism can be overthrown with revolution through the focus on the working class. One noteworthy philosopher, who argues from different perspectives on capitalism and its impact on social human history, is Karl Marx. In The German Ideology, Marx contends that the function of ideology isRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution And The Rise Of Computer Industry Essay1799 Words   |  8 PagesThe Industrial Revolution caused a great change in history in both technology and science. With the increased mechanization of society and the increase in manufactured goods. We still see its effects today and you could argue that the Industrial Revolution is still going on with the rise of computer industry and the internet. We also are seeing the impact of the Industrial Revolution and how it has effected our environment and even how we conduct war. Before the Industrial Revolution most productionRead MoreThe Relationship Between Arts And Growing Scientific Knowledge Of The Human Body1112 Words   |  5 Pagesof human were their main focus, specifically, ideal bodies. They understood systems of muscles beneath the skins. The church ban to study the human body in the middle Ages, There was a little interest in the human body, inner systems, and human lives. The Christian sees the body is a sinful and a cause of temptation. That is why medieval arts do not reflect close human bodies. For example, artist unknown Adam and Eve (Real Biblioteca de San Lorenzo de El Escorial) present human as a manuscript

Monday, December 9, 2019

Analysis of Periwinkle Pty Ltd - Sample Assignment Solution

Questions: Periwinkle Pty Ltd (Periwinkle) is a bathtub manufacturer which sells bathtubs directly to the public. On 1 May 2015, Periwinkle provided one of its employees, Emma, with a car as Emma does a lot of travelling for work purposes. However, Emma's usage of the car is not restricted to work only. Periwinkle purchased the car on that date for $33,000 (including GST). For the period 1 May 2015 to 31 March 2016, Emma travelled 10,000 kilometres in the car and incurred expenses of $550 (including GST) on minor repairs that have been reimbursed by Periwinkle. The car was not used for 10 days when Emma was interstate and the car was parked at the airport and for another five days when the car was scheduled for annual repairs. On 1 September 2015, Periwinkle provided Emma with a loan of $500,000 at an interest rate of 4.45%. Emma used $450,000 of the loan to purchase a holiday home and lent the remaining $50,000 to her husband (interest free) to purchase shares in Telstra. Interest on a loan to purchase private assets is not deductible while interest on a loan to purchase income-producing assets is deductible. During the year, Emma purchased a bathtub manufactured by Periwinkle for $1,300. The bathtub only cost Periwinkle $700 to manufacture and is sold to the general public for $2,600. (a) Advise Periwinkle of its FBT consequences arising out of the above information, including calculation of any FBT liability, for the year ending 31 March 2016. You may assume that Periwinkle would be entitled to input tax credits in relation to any GSTinclusive acquisitions. (b) How would your answer to (a) differ if Emma used the $50,000 to purchase the shares herself, instead of lending it to her husband? Answers: On subtracting capital gain from the capital expenditure incurred on capital assets, we derive the capital gain. There are three approaches used for calculating capital gain. These are indexing method, discount method and residual method. When the assets are purchased before 21st September and are held for more than 12 months, then the method used is indexing method. When the assets are held for less than 12 months, then the method used is residual method. Discount method is applied 12 months prior to the event of the generation of capital gain. Name of items that are not included for capital gain tax Receipt of compensation for injuries Purchase value of collectibles being lower than $500 Sale proceeds of dwelling house Motor vehicles Set offs from capital revenue Long term loss of capital nature Capital revenue is utilized for setting off capital loss in the long term. Other set offs cannot be used. The capital loss can be taken forward to relevant undefined assessment year and the loss can be set off from the capital revenue (Ato.gov.au). Capital revenue in both short and long term can be utilized for setting off the loss in the long term. The capital loss can be taken forward to relevant undefined assessment year and both short term capital profit and long term capital profit can be used for setting off the capital loss incurred on long term basis (Larsson 2014). (a). Mr. Dave Solomon lived in a house, which was of two floors. The purchase price of the house was estimated to be $70,000. He decided to sell the house at $865,000. The prospective buyer paid an amount of $85,000 as advance but failed to clear off the remaining amount. As a result, the failure led to the money being forfeited. The amount of $85,000 was branched under income from other sources. Calculation of capital gain: i) Revenue from sale $865,000 There is exemption for such items under CST I.EF family home exemption. Long Term capital profit NIL ii) A pro hart painting was acquired on September 12th 1985 for a price of $15,000 and the sales generated a turnover value of $125,000. Calculation of capital profit Revenue from sale $125,000 Less: Index cost ($125,000/71.4*123.4) $25,961 Long term capital profit $99,039 iii) A motor cruiser was acquired for $110,000 in late 2004 and was sold for a value of $60,000 to broker dealing in boats. Calculation of capital profit Revenue from sale $60,000 Less: Purchase index cost $110,000 Capital loss in short term ($50,000) iv) Shares of a mining company were sold for a value of $ 80,000 in the current year on 30 The acquired price of the shares on 10 January of the present year was $ 75,000. A loan of $70,000 and interest of $5,000 was undertaken, in order to pay the acquisition price. Stamp duty worth $250 and brokerage charges worth $ 750 was paid. The law of income tax states that loan interest will not be included in the purchase price, which will lead to loan interest not being included in the computation. Computation of capital profit Revenue from sale $80,000 Less: Acquisition price ($75,000) Less: Stamp duty ($250) Less: Brokerage charges ($750) Capital profit on long term $4,000 Part a Calculation of capital profit in the present year: i) Revenue from the sale of house NIL ii) Long term revenue from sale of painting $99,039 iii) Short term loss from sale of motor boat $(50,000) iv) Long term revenue from sale of shares $4,000 Long term capital profit $53,039 Mr. Dave incurred a net loss of $ 10,000 in the previous assessment year. In the present year, the capital profit was $ 53,039. Henceforth, the approximate net capital profit was fixed at $ 43,039. The former years capital loss was set off against the present years capital profit of $ 53,039. This led to the computation of the net capital profit of $43,039. Part b Net capital profit is described as the summation of the capital profit and the preceding year. The capital loss can be offset against such profit amount. As a result, the net capital profit will be the summation of the capital profit and deducted from it is the capital loss. It is advocated that a capital profit is not differentiated from the total income of the assesse and the capital profit is needed to be treated for tax for the year in which such profit is raised (Fisher 2015). Mr. Dave has generated a net capital profit of $43,039 and the amount can be used for proving fund to the superannuation fund. He is required to possess requisite vouchers like documents of purchase amount, stamp duty, interest paid on loan and all other legal fees. He is required to maintain documents like brokerage charges paid and documents on maintenance charges incurred on assets. Part c Net loss on capital assets is relating to the loss on the turnover of capital in the present as well as the last few years. The capital loss can set off against the capital profit of the previous years. The person being assessed does not have the power to ignore the set off of capital loss against capita profit, though he can decide on which capital profit, the capital loss can be set off (Brown, 2013). If Mr. Dave suffers a net loss on the sale of capital assets and does not have enough funds to provide to the superannuation fund, he has certain measures to adopt. He could either borrow funds or sell further more assets to create some funds. In this way, he could generate enough funds and supply necessary funds to the superannuation funds. This is one of the methods, by which a person can overcome a situation of net loss and supply necessary funds to the superannuation fund. He can then buy a house on rent in the city and derive the benefit of tax free amount from his fund after get ting to the age of 60. (b). Periwinkle Pty Ltd is a company that makes bathtub and sells it to customers directly. The company has an employee named Emma who is provided with a car by the company because of the extensive work activities undertaken by her. However, the car is not only for work related purpose. It is only applicable for private use. The acquired value of the car was $33,000. The car was used from the 1st of May 2015 till the 31st of March 2016. The car covered distance of 10,000 kilometers. The company reimbursed Emma with an amount of $ 5500 for repair charges. For 10 days, the car was unused as it was left at the airport and a period of 5 days also depicted the car not being in use as it was it was getting repaired at the garage. Loan worth $ 500,000 was provided to Emma by the company. She used $450,000 in acquiring a house while the remaining balance was passed over by her to her husband for acquiring shares in Telstra. A bathtub was also sold to Emma for a value of $1300. The cost of manufacturing of the bathtub was $700. It was ultimately sold to the public for a value of $2600. Fringe Benefit Tax The fringe benefit tax is levied on the employer for the benefit provided by the employer to the employee. The tax is levied based on the benefits in kind provided by the employer to the employee. Some items are excluded for such tax. These include: Taxation treatment, which do not include borrowed funds. House benefit provided by the employer in remote places Car benefit provided by the employer, which is provided work related purpose If the amount provided by the employer is lower than $300 Reimbursement provided for work related purpose Benefit provided in the case of shifting of employees to different locations. The scope of liability of fringe benefits tax covers fund provided for acquisition of car, car facility provided, different type of allowances, fund provided for acquisition of house and allowances provided for houses, fund provided for the airline, fund provided for car parking, benefit provided for travelling and transport. The fringe benefits tax labels a car to be an engine that is capable of taking a weight of 1 ton or is capable of holding in nine passengers. If the car does not fall under this definition, then the fringe benefit tax will be liable on the employer and if the car is not utilized for more than 3 months, then the tax will be deemed to be not applicable on the employer (Hopkins 2015). In the given case, Emma had used the car for personal needs and thus the employer was liable to pay the fringe benefit tax. The car was not exclusively used for official purposes. It is observed that if car was founded to be with the employer, then the car would have treated as used only for official use. However, it is inferred that the car was found to be in the possession of Emma. Therefore, it can be said that car was being used for private purposes. However, if the car is at the garage for repair purposes, then that is not considered to be in personal possession. In the given case, the car was found to be in the garage for 5 days, which depicts that the car was not in personal custody of Emma. However, the period if 10 days, when the car was at the airport, then it can be said that car was in personal custody of Emma. This period will be considered for calculation of days. If the keys of the car would have been in the custody of the employer, then those number of days will b excluded from the calculation of days. However, this is not the case. The methodology involving the calculation of fringe benefit tax are : i) Cost based method, ii) statutory formula. The given question states: Price of the car $33,000 Number of days (335-5 days = 330 days) In the given case, the car was found to be in the garage for 5 days, which depicts that the car was not in personal custody of Emma. However, the period if 10 days, when the car was at the airport, then it can be said that car was in personal custody of Emma. This period will be considered for calculation of days. If the keys of the car would have been in the custody of the employer, then those number of days will b excluded from the calculation of days. However, this is not the case. 20/100*330/365* $33,000= $5,967 Less: payment for repair = $550 Assessed tax value= $5417 Computation of lower interest rate loan given by the employer The fringe benefit tax arises when the employer gives loan, which has interest at a lower rate in comparison to the existing standard rate. It also includes loans, which do not carry any interest. In the case of Emma, the interest on loan was lower at 4.45 in comparison to the standard rate of 5.95. Therefore the fringe tax would be computed by: $500,000* 1.5/100 = $7500. The loan amount was $500,000 and the tax was $7500. It was seen that Emma used the loan amount for acquiring a house and gave the balance to her husband to acquire shares of Telstra. If amount of loan was utilized by Emma for acquiring house and shares, then the calculation would be in the form as described below: i) Tax value not including interest: 500,000*1.5= 7,500 ii) Tax value containing interest: 5.95*500,000= 29,750 iii) Payment of interest on loan, if equivalent to tax value: 10/100*29,750= 2,975 iv) Assessment of real life scenario if interest charged on loan was borne by the employee: $500,000*10/100*4.45= $2,225 v) Finding the difference, $2,225- $2,975= =$750 Tax value fixed = 7500-750= $6,750. Debt Waiver Fringe Tax Benefit In the given case the acquisition value of the bathtub for Emma was valued at $1300 and the value of sale proceeds from bathtub was fixed at $2600. Therefore, for fringe tax benefit, the value calculated was $ 2600-$1300= $1300. This was the debt waiver fringe tax benefit for the employer. Reference List Brown, C., 2013. Australia-taxation of truststhe problem of aligning concepts of income.Asia-Pacific Tax Bulletin,19(5). Capital gains tax | Australian Taxation Office. [online] Ato.gov.au. Fisher, R., 2015. Judicial dissent in taxation cases: The incidence of dissent and factors contributing to dissent.eJournal of Tax Research,13(2), p.470. Hopkins, B.R., 2015.The law of tax-exempt organizations. John Wiley Sons. Kenny, P.L., 2012, October. Assessing the impact of team based learning and the examination performance of undergraduate taxation law students. InAustralasian Tax Teachers Association National Conference Paper Series. Kitagawa, Z., 2015.Administrative Regulations(Vol. 4). Doing Business in Japan. Lang, M., 2014.Introduction to the law of double taxation conventions. Linde Verlag GmbH. Lang, M., Pistone, P., Schuch, J. and Staringer, C. eds., 2015.Introduction to European tax law on direct taxation. Linde Verlag GmbH. Larsson, J.., 2014. Loopholes in Bell inequality tests of local realism.Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical,47(42), p.424003. Levy, J., 2015. Ajay K. Mehrotra. Making the Modern American Fiscal State: Law, Politics, and the Rise of Progressive Taxation, 18771929.The American Historical Review,120(3), pp.1034-1035. Mason, A.T. and Stephenson, G., 2015.American constitutional law: introductory essays and selected cases. Routledge. McDaniel, P.R., 2015.Federal Wealth Transfer Taxation(Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University). Palmer, T., 2013. UQ Library Guides: Taxation Law: Get started. Santucci, G., 2014. Understanding taxation law and Australian tax law [Book Review].Ethos: Official Publication of the Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory, (233), p.42.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Trip To The Sex Shops Essays - Sex Toy, Sex, Dildo,

Trip To The Sex Shops On Saturday November 10, 2001, I met with group nine in Dana Library, on the Rutgers Newark Campus, in order to go to the city for the Urban Sexuality Research Project. We sat at one of the tables looking at the map and tried to plan our day in the most productive fashion. When we finished we started our walk to the Newark Penn Station to catch a PATH Train that would lead us to Christopher Street. We talked the whole ride there, we wondered what experiences we would encounter that day in the big city. None of us knew what to expect but we knew we were very excited. This would be my first time entering a Sex Shop. As we walked up the stairs of the station on Christopher Street the lights amazed me, as they do every time I enter the City. The first store was The Leather Man, I was not sure what to expect. I walked in with an open mind and left in shock. I never saw such things before. The assumption that most people who shop in this store must have creative imaginations, in order put the props to good use, is a well thought one. I found that the leather, whips, chains, toys, etc., added a Sado-masochistic theme to the store and all were interesting. All the dildos were huge and scary looking. I questioned what type of person could fit something of that size inside of then. Some of the other stores we visited were the Pink Pussy Cat Boutique, The Pleasure Chest, Tic Tac Toe, Crazy Fantasy Lingerie and Parties, and Condomania. For the most part all these stores sold the same product whether they were kinky dresses, books, blow up dolls, condoms, vibrators, etc. By the end of the night I became very bored with seeing the same thing over and over again. The last store we visited was Condomania; this was a pleasing change to sex toys. I never thought there are such a large variety of condoms. Of all the stores we went to that day I would like to go back to Condomania and stock up on safety items. Besides stores we also stopped by The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. No one wanted to talk to us in there, but they did give us a pamphlet called Center Happenings. When I got home that night I read through the informative sheet they gave me, along with my notes. I found that the Center offers many programs, services, and groups. Some of the activities sponsored by the Center are Bingo, 12-step meetings, support groups for different issues, etc. Also the Center was involved in assisting the survivors and the greatly affected by the World Trade Center attacks. The newsletter showed me how active this center was in its community. The trip to New York City was interesting because I learned things I never would have learned by just sitting in class or reading the textbook. The most fascinating thing about this trip is that learned some thing new about myself. I realize that even though I was very excited to go to these Sex Shops I would have never thought about going if I did not have too. Also learned I could have missed out on a world of new sexual experiences. Now I know if the opportunity ever comes up I have a great list of place to visit, and I know exactly where to go to get what ever it is I want. That some thing I will have forever. Human Sexuality