Parallel Computer Architecture Essay Example for Free

Parallel Computer Architecture Essay â€Å"Parallel computing† is a science of calculation t countless computational directives are being â€Å"carried out† at the same time, working on the theory that big problems can time and again be split â€Å"into smaller ones†, that are subsequently resolved â€Å"in parallel†. We come across more than a few diverse type of â€Å"parallel computing: bit-level parallelism, instruction-level parallelism, data parallelism, and task parallelism†. (Almasi, G. S. and A. Gottlieb, 1989) Parallel Computing has been employed for several years, for the most part in high-performance calculation, but awareness about the same has developed in modern times owing to the fact that substantial restriction averts rate of recurrence scale. Parallel computing has turned out to be the leading prototype in â€Å"computer architecture, mostly in the form of multicore processors†. On the other hand, in modern times, power utilization by parallel computers has turned into an alarm. Parallel computers can be generally categorized in proportion â€Å"to the level at which the hardware† sustains parallelism; â€Å"with multi-core and multi-processor workstations† encompassing several â€Å"processing† essentials inside a solitary mechanism at the same time â€Å"as clusters, MPPs, and grids† employ several workstations â€Å"to work on† the similar assignment. (Hennessy, John L. , 2002) Parallel computer instructions are very complicated to inscribe than chronological ones, for the reason that from synchronization commence more than a few new modules of prospective software virus, of which race situations are mainly frequent. Contact and association amid the dissimilar associate assignments is characteristically one of the supreme obstructions to receiving superior analogous program routine. The acceleration of a program due to parallelization is specified by Amdahls law which will be later on explained in detail. Background of parallel computer architecture Conventionally, computer software has been inscribed for sequential calculation. In order to find the resolution to a â€Å"problem†, â€Å"an algorithm† is created and executed â€Å"as a sequential stream† of commands. These commands are performed on a CPU on one PC. No more than one command may be implemented at one time, after which the command is completed, the subsequent command is implemented. (Barney Blaise, 2007) Parallel computing, conversely, utilizes several processing fundamentals at the same time to find a solution to such problems. This is proficiently achieved by splitting â€Å"the problem into† autonomous divisions with the intention that every â€Å"processing† factor is capable of carrying out its fraction â€Å"of the algorithm† concurrently by means of the other processing factor. The processing† fundamentals can be varied and comprise properties for example a solitary workstation with several processors, numerous complex workstations, dedicated hardware, or any amalgamation of the above. (Barney Blaise, 2007) Incidence balancing was the leading cause for enhancement in computer routine starting sometime in the mid-1980s and continuing till â€Å"2004†. â€Å"The runtime† of a series of instructions is equivalent to the amount of commands reproduced through standard instance for each command. Retaining the whole thing invariable, escalating the clock occurrence reduces the standard time it acquires to carry out a command. An enhancement in occurrence as a consequence reduces runtime intended for all calculation bordered program. (David A. Patterson, 2002) â€Å"Moores Law† is the pragmatic examination that â€Å"transistor† compactness within a microchip is changed twofold approximately every 2 years. In spite of power utilization issues, and frequent calculations of its conclusion, Moores law is still effective to all intents and purposes. With the conclusion of rate of recurrence leveling, these supplementary transistors that are no more utilized for occurrence leveling can be employed to include additional hardware for parallel division. (Moore, Gordon E, 1965) Amdahl’s Law and Gustafson’s Law: Hypothetically, the expedition from parallelization should be linear, repeating the amount of dispensation essentials should divide the â€Å"runtime†, and repeating it subsequent â€Å"time and again† dividing â€Å"the runtime†. On the other hand, very a small number of analogous algorithms attain most favorable acceleration. A good number â€Å"of them have a near-linear† acceleration for little figures of â€Å"processing† essentials that levels out into a steady rate for big statistics of â€Å"processing† essentials. The possible acceleration of an â€Å"algorithm on a parallel† calculation stage is described by â€Å"Amdahls law†, initially devised by â€Å"Gene Amdahl† sometime â€Å"in the 1960s†. (Amdahl G. , 1967) It affirms that a little segment of the â€Å"program† that cannot be analogous will bound the general acceleration obtainable from â€Å"parallelization†. Whichever big arithmetical or manufacturing problem is present, it will characteristically be composed of more than a few â€Å"parallelizable† divisions and quite a lot of â€Å"non-parallelizable† or â€Å"sequential† divisions. This association is specified by the â€Å"equation S=1/ (1-P) where S† is the acceleration of the â€Å"program† as an aspect of its unique chronological â€Å"runtime†, and â€Å"P† is the division which is â€Å"parallelizable†. If the chronological segment of â€Å"a program is 10% â€Å"of the start up duration, one is able to acquire merely a 10 times acceleration, in spite of of how many computers are appended. This sets a higher bound on the expediency of adding up further parallel implementation components. â€Å"Gustafsons law† is a different â€Å"law in computer† education, narrowly connected to â€Å"Amdahls law†. It can be devised as â€Å"S(P) = P ? (P-1) where P† is the quantity of â€Å"processors†, S is the acceleration, and ? the â€Å"non-parallelizable† fraction of the procedure. â€Å"Amdahls law† supposes a permanent â€Å"problem† volume and that the volume of the chronological division is autonomous of the quantity of â€Å"processors†, while â€Å"Gustafsons law† does not construct these suppositions. Applications of Parallel Computing Applications are time and again categorized in relation to how frequently their associative responsibilities require coordination or correspondence with every one. An application demonstrates superior grained parallelism if its associative responsibilities ought to correspond several times for each instant; it shows commonly grained parallelism if they do not correspond at several instances for each instant, and it is inadequately equivalent if they hardly ever or by no means have to correspond. Inadequately parallel claims are measured to be uncomplicated to parallelize. Parallel encoding languages and parallel processor have to have a uniformity representation that can be more commonly described as a â€Å"memory model†. The uniformity â€Å"model† describes regulations for how procedures on processor â€Å"memory† take place and how consequences are formed. One of the primary uniformity â€Å"models† was a chronological uniformity model made by Leslie Lamport. Chronological uniformity is the condition of â€Å"a parallel program that it’s parallel† implementation generates the similar consequences as a â€Å"sequential† set of instructions. Particularly, a series of instructions is sequentially reliable as Leslie Lamport states that if the consequence of any implementation is equal as if the procedures of all the â€Å"processors† were carried out in some â€Å"sequential† array, and the procedure of every entity workstation emerges in this series in the array detailed by its series of instructions. Leslie Lamport, 1979) Software contractual memory is a familiar form of constancy representation. Software contractual memory has access to database hypothesis the notion of infinitesimal connections and relates them to â€Å"memory† contact. Scientifically, these â€Å"models† can be symbolized in more than a few approaches. Petri nets, which were established in the physician hypothesis of Carl Adam Petri some time in 1960, happen to be a premature effort to cipher the set of laws of uniformity models. Dataflow hypothesis later on assembled upon these and Dataflow structural designs were formed to actually put into practice the thoughts of dataflow hypothesis. Commencing â€Å"in the late 1970s†, procedure of â€Å"calculi† for example â€Å"calculus of† corresponding structures and corresponding â€Å"sequential† procedures were build up to authorize arithmetical interpretation on the subject of classification created of interrelated mechanisms. More current accompaniments to the procedure â€Å"calculus family†, for example the â€Å"? calculus†, have additionally the ability for explanation in relation to dynamic topologies. Judgments for instance Lamports TLA+, and arithmetical representations for example sketches and Actor resultant drawings, have in addition been build up to explain the performance of simultaneous systems. (Leslie Lamport, 1979) One of the most important classifications of recent times is that in which Michael J. Flynn produced one of the most basic categorization arrangements for parallel and sequential processors and set of instructions, at the present recognized as â€Å"Flynns taxonomy†. Flynn† categorized â€Å"programs† and processors by means of propositions if they were working by means of a solitary set or several â€Å"sets of instructions†, if or not those commands were utilizing â€Å"a single or multiple sets† of information. â€Å"The single-instruction-single-data (SISD)† categorization is corresponding to a completely sequential process. â€Å"The single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD)† categorization is similar to doing the analogous procedure time after time over a big â€Å"data set†. This is usually completed in â€Å"signal† dispensation application. Multiple-instruction-single-data (MISD)† is a hardly ever employed categorization. While computer structural designs to manage this were formulated for example systolic arrays, a small number of applications that relate to this set appear. â€Å"Multiple-instruction-multiple-data (MIMD)† set of instructions are without a doubt the for the most part frequent sort of parallel procedures. (Hennessy, John L. , 2002) Types of Parallelism There are essentially in all 4 types of â€Å"Parallelism: Bit-level Parallelism, Instruction level Parallelism, Data Parallelism and Task Parallelism. Bit-Level Parallelism†: As long as 1970s till 1986 there has been the arrival of very-large-scale integration (VLSI) microchip manufacturing technology, and because of which acceleration in computer structural design was determined by replication of â€Å"computer word† range; the â€Å"amount of information† the computer can carry out for each sequence. (Culler, David E, 1999) Enhancing the word range decreases the quantity of commands the computer must carry out to execute an action on â€Å"variables† whose ranges are superior to the span of the â€Å"word†. or instance, where an â€Å"8-bit† CPU must append two â€Å"16-bit† figures, the central processing unit must initially include the â€Å"8 lower-order† fragments from every numeral by means of the customary calculation order, then append the â€Å"8 higher-order† fragments employing an â€Å"add-with-carry† command and the carry fragment from the lesser arr ay calculation; therefore, an â€Å"8-bit† central processing unit necessitates two commands to implement a solitary process, where a â€Å"16-bit† processor possibly will take only a solitary command unlike â€Å"8-bit† processor to implement the process. In times gone by, â€Å"4-bit† microchips were substituted with â€Å"8-bit†, after that â€Å"16-bit†, and subsequently â€Å"32-bit† microchips. This tendency usually approaches a conclusion with the initiation of â€Å"32-bit† central processing units, which has been a typical in wide-ranging principles of calculation for the past 20 years. Not until in recent times that with the arrival of â€Å"x86-64† structural designs, have â€Å"64-bit† central processing unit developed into ordinary. (Culler, David E, 1999) In â€Å"Instruction level parallelism a computer program† is, basically a flow of commands carried out by a central processing unit. These commands can be rearranged and coalesced into clusters which are then implemented in â€Å"parallel† devoid of altering the effect of the â€Å"program†. This is recognized as â€Å"instruction-level parallelism†. Progress in â€Å"instruction-level parallelism† subjugated â€Å"computer† structural design as of the median of 1980s until the median of 1990s. Contemporary processors have manifold phase instruction channels. Each phase in the channel matches up to a dissimilar exploit the central processing unit executes on that channel in that phase; a central processing unit with an â€Å"N-stage† channel can have equal â€Å"to N† diverse commands at dissimilar phases of conclusion. The â€Å"canonical† illustration of a channeled central processing unit is a RISC central processing unit, with five phases: Obtaining the instruction, deciphering it, implementing it, memory accessing, and writing back. In the same context, the Pentium 4 central processing unit had a phase channel. Culler, David E, 1999) Additionally to instruction-level parallelism as of pipelining, a number of central processing units can copy in excess of one command at an instance. These are acknowledged as superscalar central processing units. Commands can be clustered jointly simply â€Å"if there is no data† reliance amid them. â€Å"Scoreboarding† and the â€Å"Tomasulo algorithm† are two of the main frequent modus operandi for putting into practice inoperative implementation and â€Å"instruction-level parallelism†. Data parallelism† is â€Å"parallelism† intrinsic in â€Å"program† spheres, which center on allocating the â€Å"data† transversely to dissimilar â€Å"computing† nodules to be routed in parallel. Parallelizing loops often leads to similar (not necessarily identical) operation sequences or functions being performed on elements of a large data structure. (Culler, David E, 1999) A lot of technical and manufacturing applications display data â€Å"parallelism†. â€Å"Task parallelism† is the feature of a â€Å"parallel† agenda that completely dissimilar computation can be carried out on both the similar or dissimilar â€Å"sets† of information. This distinguishes by way of â€Å"data parallelism†; where the similar computation is carried out on the identical or unlike sets of information. â€Å"Task parallelism† does more often than not balance with the dimension of a quandary. (Culler, David E, 1999) Synchronization and Parallel slowdown: Associative chores in a parallel plan are over and over again identified as threads. A number of parallel computer structural designs utilize slighter, insubstantial editions of threads recognized as fibers, at the same time as others utilize larger editions acknowledged as processes. On the other hand, threads is by and large acknowledged as a nonspecific expression for associative jobs. Threads will frequently require updating various variable qualities that is common among them. The commands involving the two plans may be interspersed in any arrangement. A lot of parallel programs necessitate that their associative jobs proceed in harmony. This entails the employment of an obstruction. Obstructions are characteristically put into practice by means of a â€Å"software lock†. One category of â€Å"algorithms†, recognized as â€Å"lock-free and wait-free algorithms†, on the whole keeps away from the utilization of bolts and obstructions. On the other hand, this advancement is usually easier said than done as to the implementation it calls for properly intended data organization. Not all parallelization consequences in acceleration. By and large, as a job is divided into increasing threads, those threads expend a growing segment of their instant corresponding with each one. Sooner or later, the transparency from statement controls the time exhausted resolving the problem, and supplementary parallelization which is in reality, dividing the job weight in excess of still more threads that amplify more willingly than reducing the quantity of time compulsory to come to an end. This is acknowledged as parallel deceleration. Central â€Å"memory in a parallel computer† is also â€Å"shared memory† that is common among all â€Å"processing† essentials in a solitary â€Å"address space†, or â€Å"distributed memory† that is wherein all processing components have their individual confined address space. Distributed memories consult the actuality that the memory is rationally dispersed, however time and again entail that it is bodily dispersed also. â€Å"Distributed shared memory† is an amalgamation of the two hypotheses, where the â€Å"processing† component has its individual confined â€Å"memory† and right of entry to the â€Å"memory† on non-confined â€Å"processors†. Admittance to confined â€Å"memory† is characteristically quicker than admittance to non-confined â€Å"memory†. Conclusion: A mammoth change is in progress that has an effect on all divisions of the parallel computing architecture. The present traditional course in the direction of multicore will eventually come to a standstill, and finally lasting, the trade will shift quickly on the way to a lot of interior drawing end enclosing hundreds or thousands of cores for each fragment. The fundamental incentive for assuming parallel computing is motivated by power restrictions for prospective system plans. The alteration in structural design are also determined by the association of market dimensions and assets that go with new CPU plans, from the desktop PC business in the direction of the customer electronics function.

How Changes Of Family Structure Affect Society

How Changes Of Family Structure Affect Society Many countries have experienced very significant changes in patterns of family formation and family structure. Great Britain is one of the countries where these changes have been particularly marked with the result that British families have become less stable . The roles of women and men with the parents or within the family have also changed. The last 100 years have seen changes in attitudes and expectations. Bruner, J. (1985) Vygotsk, the last 100 years have been seen in the structure of technology, attitudes and expectations. Families are mix of cohabiting parents, stepfamilies, single parent families, those living apart together and civil partnerships, as well as the traditional family. it was necessary to prove that in one of five ways such as unreasonable behaviour, desertion, adultery, two years separation with consent, five years separation without consent. The changes in marriage, divorce and cohabitation have contributed to the growing number of new types of family. Two in five of all marriages are now remarriages, which makes stepfamilies one of the fastest growing family forms in Britain. In the decade to 2006, the number of single parent families also increased to 2.3 million, making up 14% of all families. Consequently more and more children are now growing up in single parent families, and in stepfamilies. A growing number of couples are also now living apart together, often following failed marriages or cohabitations. Initial estimates suggest that around two million people have regular partners in other households excluding full-time students and people who live with their parents. In most cases this is due to working in a different location to the family home or because the relationship is still in the early stages . However, womens focus on their career may also be a factor. As women choose to focus on their career before set tling into a committed relationship, they are getting married and having children later in life. Finally civil partnerships between same sex couples have created a new type of family. By the end of 2007 there had been 26,787 civil partnerships since the law was introduced in December 2005. Teenage motherhood is one of the most distinctive features of British Demography. Without teenage pregnancies, Britains rate would fall from 1.8 to 1.68 (Coleman and Chandola, Chapter 2; also Coleman 1997). Teenagers throughout Europe both East and West now engage in sexual intercourse at earlier ages than their parents or grand-parents. In disapproval pre-marital sex . Marriage was broken, little remained to prevent young people who are physically ready to have sex from doing so. The analysis of European social attitudes data (Chapter 3; also Scott, Alwin, and Braun 1996) provides information about attitudes to pre-marital sex in various countries in 1994. In these information ,52 per cent were opposed to men, and 63 per cent opposed to women, having any pre-marital sex. Only a small number believed that pre-marital sex was natural (McKibbin 1998: 296) For teenage men and women in Britain today, the average age at à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst intercourse is 17. But whereas in most of Western Europe, rates of teenage motherhood have fallen as teenage sexual activity has risen. Demographically, Britain more closely resembles to Eastern Europe, where a tradition of marriage has long meant high teenage fertility rates (Coleman and Chandola, Chapter 2; also Coleman 1996b: 23).Almost all of the East European births are inside marriage while all of the Western are outside marriage with a large number being outside partnership as well. In Britain, teenage births account for just over one-à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ fth of all non-marital births 21 per cent while 80-90 per cent of teenage births are outside legal marriage. In 1996, there were 44,700 babies born to women aged 15-19. Although this represents a rise over the previous year. However, it is also the case that the number of teenage girls in the population was falling from the early 1980s onwards and that the rate at which 15-19 year olds become pregnant and remain pregnant .The conception rate and the abortion rate was stable or rising throughout the period and into the late 1990s (ONS 1997d: 62). Figure shows changes in the abortion rates for selected years since 1974.There was a large drop from 1974-84 when teenage births fell steadily. From 1984 onwards, however, conceptions have à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uctuated around 60 and abortions around 35, per 1000 women aged 15-19. The stability of both the conception and abortion rates gives few grounds for thinking that in the short term at least . British teenagers will behave different than they have in the past. And as their numbers in the population are set to rise over the next decade and number of b abies born to teenagers (Craig 1997). Britain is also distinctive for its high divorce rate. Thirty years ago, there were two divorces for every 1,000 marriages. Liberalization of the divorce laws in the 1970s was sharp rise in divorce and by the mid-1980s about 1,000 marriages ended in divorce a rate (Pullinger 1998). The rate of increase is slower now than in the 1970s and early 1980s largely because the married population contains fewer of those at high risk (Murphy and Wang, Chapter 4). Nonetheless, 40 per cent of marriages will end in divorce measures of divorce per 1,000 marriages or per 1,000 population. Moreover, people are divorcing after shorter periods of marriage. One in ten marriages which took place in 1981 ended in divorce within 4.5 years, compared with one in ten divorcing within 6 years in 1971 and after 25 years in 1951 (Roberts 1996: 2). Early marriage have long been understood to be strongly associated with marital breakdown. The younger the age at marriage, the greater the likelihood of the marriage ending (Kiernan and Mueller, Chapter 16). Between 1971 and 1996, people under age 25 experienced the greatest growth in divorce rates with rates increasing for men and women (Pullinger 1998). The problem of lone motherhood is poverty. Research suggests that, as a group, lone mothers have few chances of obtaining other than low-paid work, often because they enter the labour market disadvantaged by their low level of qualià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cations (Bryson, Ford, and White 1998). The majority, however, have young children to care for and thus need jobs which provide enough income to meet the costs of child care. Consequently, lone mothers in Britain are less likely to be employed than in most other case countries and in the 1970s and their employment rate has declined. The difference in economic activity between married and lone mothers is particularly sharp between women with children under age 5. In the 1970s, lone mothers with preschool children were more likely to be in work than married mothers This changed during the1980s, and during the 1990s married mothers with young children have been twice as likely as lone mothers to be economically active. During the1990s one in two m arried mothers with pre-school children have been in employment compared with fewer than one in four comparable lone mothers (Kiernan, Land, and Lewis1998: 128). Most of the fall in employment among lone mothers has come in full-time work while the full-time employment of married women has risen with part-time work remaining stable. People live alone for a variety of reasons. For example, living alone may be a permanent choice and for others , it may be a temporary. While there are more people living alone at all ages and the largest increases since 1971 have come among men and women under retirement age, particularly those aged under 40 (Hall and Ogden 1997). The increase in solo living among people under pension age rejects the way in which household change is some-times linked to economic change. Since 1970s ,the number of lone-parent families has been increased in Britain and also the proportion of children raised in such families (Coleman and Chandola, Chapter 2). In the late 1990s, 1.6million families in Britain with dependent children. During the 1960s, divorce overtook death as the primary source of lone-parent families while in the 1970s and 1980s, sharply rising divorce rates and falling remarriage rates furthered their growth (Kiernan, Land, and Lewis 1998; Murphy and Wang,Chapter4). From the mid-1980s, however, most of the growth in lone-parent families has come from never-married mothers as changing attitudes towards pre-marital sex. Nonetheless, there has been a substantial increase in the number of single women who become mothers while not living with a partner (Berthoud, McKay, and Rowlingson, Chapter 15). Since in 1990s, women who had never married before becoming mothers (Pullinger 1998). The parents who were working and busy of whole day to day responsibilities, grandparents could spend more time with their grandchildren and develop a special bond (Weissvourd, 1998). Children and their grandparents each were close to each other and were able to offer mutual support for each other. There were lot of facilities on the parents to teach their children even that grand parents played important role in this situation. This gave scope for reciprocal social relationships and joint interaction in learning and contrasts with the role of the parents as well as grand parents in learning (Bruner, 1985). In the context of the family, mutual trust and respect for each members perspective (Rommetveit, 1974, 1979) was a important to this process. Government has moved away from financial support for marriage towards families. Legislative changes have given families more flexibility to maintain their home and work lives and have a degree of choice in their options. The public would like to see support made available to families and delivered to the service provider and providing additional cash. In recent years the amount of money spent by government to support families has increased significantly but it has also been dramatically re-targeted which has the effect of shifting support from one type of family form to others. Up until 1999 the three key family benefits were Child Benefit (which began in 1975), Family Credit for low-income working families, Married Mans Allowance (it became the Married Couples Allowance in 1990). Family benefit as it is available to all those in employment with a low income including single people with no dependants. However, couples and single parents do get additional credit and there is a childca re element for those that have children.

Banking :: essays research papers fc

Banking So Much for That Plan "More than 70% of commercial bank assets are held by organizations that are supervised by at least two federal agencies; almost half attract the attention of three or four. Banks devote on average about 14% of their non-interest expense to complying with rules" (Anonymous 88). A fool can see that government waste has struck again. This tangled mess of regulation, among other things, increases costs and diffuses accountability for policy actions gone awry. The most effective remedy to correct this problem would be to consolidate most of the supervisory responsibilities of the regulatory agencies into one agency. This would reduce costs to both the government and the banks, and would allow the parts of the agencies not consolidated to concentrate on their primary tasks. One such plan was introduced by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen in March of 1994. The plan called for folding, into a new independent federal agency (called the Banking Commission), the regulatory portions of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). This plan would save the government $150 to $200 million a year. This would also allow the FDIC to concentrate on deposit insurance and the Fed to concentrate on monetary policy (Anonymous 88). Of course this is Washington, not The Land of Oz, so everyone can't be satisfied with this plan. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and FDIC Chairman Ricki R. Tigert have been vocal opponents of the plan. Greenspan has four major complaints about the plan. First, divorced from the banks, the Fed would find it harder to forestall and deal with financial crises. Second, monetary policy would suffer because the Fed would have less access to review the banks. Thirdly, a supervisor with no macroeconomic concerns might be too inclined to discourage banks from taking risks, slowing the economy down. Lastly, creating a single regulator would do away with important checks and balances, in the process damaging state bank regulation (Anonymous 88). To answer these criticisms it is necessary to make clear what the Fed's job is. The Fed has three main responsibilities: to ensure financial stability, to implement monetary policy, and to oversee a smoothly functioning payments system (delivering checks and transferring funds) (Syron 3). The responsibilities of the Fed are linked to the banking system. Banking :: essays research papers fc Banking So Much for That Plan "More than 70% of commercial bank assets are held by organizations that are supervised by at least two federal agencies; almost half attract the attention of three or four. Banks devote on average about 14% of their non-interest expense to complying with rules" (Anonymous 88). A fool can see that government waste has struck again. This tangled mess of regulation, among other things, increases costs and diffuses accountability for policy actions gone awry. The most effective remedy to correct this problem would be to consolidate most of the supervisory responsibilities of the regulatory agencies into one agency. This would reduce costs to both the government and the banks, and would allow the parts of the agencies not consolidated to concentrate on their primary tasks. One such plan was introduced by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen in March of 1994. The plan called for folding, into a new independent federal agency (called the Banking Commission), the regulatory portions of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). This plan would save the government $150 to $200 million a year. This would also allow the FDIC to concentrate on deposit insurance and the Fed to concentrate on monetary policy (Anonymous 88). Of course this is Washington, not The Land of Oz, so everyone can't be satisfied with this plan. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and FDIC Chairman Ricki R. Tigert have been vocal opponents of the plan. Greenspan has four major complaints about the plan. First, divorced from the banks, the Fed would find it harder to forestall and deal with financial crises. Second, monetary policy would suffer because the Fed would have less access to review the banks. Thirdly, a supervisor with no macroeconomic concerns might be too inclined to discourage banks from taking risks, slowing the economy down. Lastly, creating a single regulator would do away with important checks and balances, in the process damaging state bank regulation (Anonymous 88). To answer these criticisms it is necessary to make clear what the Fed's job is. The Fed has three main responsibilities: to ensure financial stability, to implement monetary policy, and to oversee a smoothly functioning payments system (delivering checks and transferring funds) (Syron 3). The responsibilities of the Fed are linked to the banking system.

Tragic heros :: essays research papers

TRAGIC HEROS â€Å"A tragic hero is a character who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice and depravity, but by some error or frailty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is a quote by Aristotle. This quote means a tragic hero isn’t well known for being fair, but isn’t brought down by being bad and unfair, they are brought down by their own flaws. This is true because some tragic hero’s aren’t fair at all but don’t get punished for it. They get punished by their own flaws. Two examples of these tragic heroes’s come from â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, and also â€Å" The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare. A tragic hero from â€Å"Antigone† is Creon. Creon is very stubborn. Creon says it will be illegal to bury Polynices. Antigone, Polynices’ sister, buries him. Creon, the king, punishes Antigone because what Polynices did was not right and he didn’t deserve to be buried. Antigone was confined to a tomb, in this tomb, she took her own life. Haimon, Creon’s son, didn’t like this because he was Antigone’s Cousin and fiancà ©e. Haimon killed himself. Eurydice, Creon’s wife, heard how it was Creon’s fault that their son is dead, so she killed herself. Now Creon is all alone. He ended up like this because of his stubborn attitude. He was to stubborn to bury Polynices, and it caused this chain of events, proving he is a tragic hero. Another tragic hero is Julius Caesar from â€Å"The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar is a tragic hero because he is stubborn, and thinks he is untouchable because he is so popular. Brutus, Julius’s close friend, was talked into stopping Julius Caesar from gaining absolute power. Cassius, the man who convinced Brutus to stop Caesar, was gathering more conspirators so they could assassinate Caesar. Julius Caesar’s wife gave him a warning about some bad happening, and so did the fortuneteller, and so did the people who sacrifice animals. Caesar didn’t listen and went to the Capitol with Brutus and the conspirators. Tragic heros :: essays research papers TRAGIC HEROS â€Å"A tragic hero is a character who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice and depravity, but by some error or frailty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is a quote by Aristotle. This quote means a tragic hero isn’t well known for being fair, but isn’t brought down by being bad and unfair, they are brought down by their own flaws. This is true because some tragic hero’s aren’t fair at all but don’t get punished for it. They get punished by their own flaws. Two examples of these tragic heroes’s come from â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, and also â€Å" The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare. A tragic hero from â€Å"Antigone† is Creon. Creon is very stubborn. Creon says it will be illegal to bury Polynices. Antigone, Polynices’ sister, buries him. Creon, the king, punishes Antigone because what Polynices did was not right and he didn’t deserve to be buried. Antigone was confined to a tomb, in this tomb, she took her own life. Haimon, Creon’s son, didn’t like this because he was Antigone’s Cousin and fiancà ©e. Haimon killed himself. Eurydice, Creon’s wife, heard how it was Creon’s fault that their son is dead, so she killed herself. Now Creon is all alone. He ended up like this because of his stubborn attitude. He was to stubborn to bury Polynices, and it caused this chain of events, proving he is a tragic hero. Another tragic hero is Julius Caesar from â€Å"The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar is a tragic hero because he is stubborn, and thinks he is untouchable because he is so popular. Brutus, Julius’s close friend, was talked into stopping Julius Caesar from gaining absolute power. Cassius, the man who convinced Brutus to stop Caesar, was gathering more conspirators so they could assassinate Caesar. Julius Caesar’s wife gave him a warning about some bad happening, and so did the fortuneteller, and so did the people who sacrifice animals. Caesar didn’t listen and went to the Capitol with Brutus and the conspirators.

Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical Characteristics of Chaucer

Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical Characteristics of Chaucer’s Pilgrims Waking up to the familiar sounds of a small English town is no longer an option. The stench of death permeates every inch of existence. Peering out of the window, afraid of stepping outside into the pestilence formerly known as home, you gaze past the mounds of rotting townspeople who used to be known as friends. Every breath catches, because breathing too deep may be too risky. A disease of unknown origin plagues the countryside farther than you can travel in a lifetime. Thoughts run through your mind as you watch your suffering family. The only chance to save them is to confess your sins in hopes that God’s wrath will end with you. There is nothing; everything you have known for all of your life is gone. And there is silence. Throughout the late Middle Ages, there were many historical landmarks that affected the world in which we now live. These landmarks include the Great Schism, the Hundred Years War, the Renaissance, and most infamous, the Black Plague (Given-Wilson 4). The plague is now believed to have infringed upon European peoples due to the ecological changes in Asia. These changes forced wild rodents carrying the Yersinia pestis bacillus into heavily populated European towns (Horrox 5). Through trade, fleas and rodents carrying this bacillus made their way into English society. Three forms of the plague ran rampant throughout England: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicaemic. The bubonic plague was most notorious due to the visual dark spots located in the armpits and groin area called buboes. In Latin, Bubo means owl: just like owls, buboes preferred the dark places on the body (Given-Wilson 97). The first epidemic began in 1347 an... ..., economical, and historical implications changed or affected the lives of every person during the fourteenth century and for centuries to come. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Trans. Nevill Coghill. London: Penguin Books, 1977. Given-Wilson, Chris, ed. An Illustrated History of Late Medieval England. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996. Horrox, Rosemary, ed. The Black Death. Manchester: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. Lambdin, Laura C., and Robert T. Lambdin, eds. Chaucer’s Pilgrims: An Illustrated Historical Guide to the Pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1996. Williman, Daniel, ed. The Black Death: The Impact of the Fourteenth Century Plague. New York: Center for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies, 1982. Ziegler, Philip. The Black Death. New York: The John Day Company, 1969.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 7

Chapter 7 MORNING IS BROKEN It was Wednesday morning, three days before Christmas, when Lena Marquez awoke to find a strange man in her bed. The phone was ringing and the guy next to her made a moaning sound. He was partially covered by the sheets, but Lena was pretty sure that he was naked. â€Å"Hello,† she said into the phone. She lifted the sheet to look. Yep, he was naked. â€Å"Lena, there's supposed to be a storm on Christmas Eve and we were going to have Mavis barbecue for Lonesome Christmas but she can't if it's raining and I yelled at Theo last night and went out and walked around in the dark for two hours and I think he thinks I'm crazy and you should probably know that Dale didn't come home last night and his new – uh, the other, uh – the woman he lives with called Theo in a panic and he – ; â€Å"Molly?† â€Å"Yeah, hi, how you doing?† Lena looked at the clock on the nightstand, then back at the naked man. â€Å"Molly, it's six-thirty.† â€Å"Thanks. It's sixty-seven degrees here. I can see the thermometer outside.† â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"I just told you: storm coming. Theo doubts sanity. Dale missing.† Tucker Case rolled over, and despite being half asleep, he appeared to be ready for action. â€Å"Well would you look at that,† Lena thought to herself, then she realized she'd said it into the phone. â€Å"What?† said Molly. Tuck opened his eyes and smiled at her, then followed her gaze south. He pulled the sheet out of her hand and covered himself. â€Å"That's not for you. I just have to pee.† â€Å"Sorry,† Lena said, pulling the sheet quickly over her head. It had been a long time since she'd had to worry about it, but she suddenly remembered a magazine article about not letting a man see you first thing in the morning unless he'd known you for at least three weeks. â€Å"Who was that?† Molly said. Lena made an eye tunnel in the sheet and looked out at Tucker Case, who was getting out of bed, totally unself-conscious, totally naked, his unit leading him into the bathroom, waving before him like a divining rod. She realized right then that she could always find new reasons to resent the male of the species – unself-consciousness was going on the list. â€Å"No one,† Lena said into the phone. â€Å"Lena, you did not sleep with your ex again? Tell me you are not in bed with Dale.† â€Å"I'm not in bed with Dale.† Then the whole night came rolling back on her and she thought she might throw up. Tucker Case had made her forget for a while. Okay, maybe she could count that as a positive toward men, but the anxiety was back. She'd killed Dale. She was going to jail. But she needed to pretend she didn't know anything. â€Å"What did you say about Dale, Molly?† â€Å"So who are you in bed with?† â€Å"Dammit, Molly, what happened to Dale?† She hoped she sounded convincing. â€Å"I don't know. His new girlfriend called and said he didn't come home after the Caribou Christmas party. I just thought you should know, you know, in case it turns out that something bad happened.† â€Å"I'm sure he's okay. He probably just met some tramp at the Head of the Slug and sold her on his workingman charm.† â€Å"Yuck,† Molly said. â€Å"Oh, sorry. Look, Lena, they said on the news this morning that a big storm is coming in off the Pacific. We're going to have El Ni;o this year. We have to figure out something for the food for Lonesome Christmas – not to mention what to do if a lot of people show up. The chapel is awfully small.† Lena was still trying to figure out what to do about Dale. She wanted to tell Molly. If anybody would understand, it would be Molly. Lena had been around a couple of times when Molly had gone through her â€Å"breaks.† She understood things getting out of control. â€Å"Look, Molly, I need – ; â€Å"And I yelled at Theo last night, Lena. Really bad. He hasn't taken off like that in a long time. I may have fucked Christmas up.† â€Å"Don't be silly, Mol, you couldn't do that. Theo understands.† Meaning, He knows you're crazy and loves you anyway. Just then, Tucker Case came back into the room, retrieved his pants from the floor, and started pulling them on. â€Å"I've got to go feed the bat,† Tuck said. He pulled a banana partially out of his front pocket. Lena threw the sheets off her head and tried to think of something to say. Tuck grinned, pulling the banana all the way out. â€Å"Oh, you thought I was just glad to see you?† â€Å"Uh – I – shit.† Tuck stepped over and kissed her eyebrow. â€Å"I am glad to see you,† he said. â€Å"But I have to feed the bat, too. I'll be right back.† He walked out of the room, barefoot and shirtless. Okay, he probably would be back. â€Å"Lena, who was that? Tell me?† Lena realized that she was still holding the phone. â€Å"Look, Molly, I'll have to call you back, okay? We'll figure something out for Friday night.† â€Å"But, I have to make amends –  » â€Å"I'll call you.† Lena hung up and crawled out of bed. If she was quick she could wash her face and get some mascara on before Tucker got back. She started zooming around the room, naked, until she felt someone watching her. There was a big bay window that looked out on a forest, and since her bedroom was on the second floor, it was like waking up in a tree house, but no one could possibly look in. She spun around and there, hanging from the gutter, was a giant fruit bat. And he was looking at her – no, not just looking at her, he was checking her out. She pulled the sheet off the bed and covered herself. â€Å"Go eat your banana,† she shouted at the bat. Roberto licked his chops. There had been a time, during his bong-rat years, when Theophilus Crowe would have stated, with little reservation, that he did not like surprises, that he preferred routine over variety, predictability over uncertainty, the known over the unknown. Then, a few years ago, while working on Pine Cove's last murder case, Theo had gotten to know and fallen in love with Molly Michon, the ex-scream queen of the B-movie silver screen, and everything changed. He had broken one of the cardinal rules – Never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself – and he'd been loving life ever since. They had their little agreement, if he stayed off his drug (pot) she'd stay on hers (antipsychotics), and consequently she'd have his unmuddled attention and he'd only get the most pleasant aspects of the Warrior Babe persona that Molly sometimes slipped into. He'd learned to delight in her company and the occasional weirdness that she brought into his life. But last night had been too much for him. He'd come through the door wanting, nay, needing to share his bizarre story about the blond man, with the only person who actually might believe him and not berate him for being a stoner, and she had chosen that precise moment to lapse into hostile batshit mode. So, he'd fallen off the wagon, and by the time he returned to their cabin that night, he had smoked enough pot to put a Rastafarian choir in a coma. That's not what the pot patch he'd been growing had been for. Not at all. Not like the old days, when he maintained a small victory garden for personal use. No, the little forest of seven-foot sticky bud platforms that graced the edge of their lot on the ranch was purely a commercial endeavor, albeit for the right reason. For love. Over the years, even as the prospect of ever returning to the movies became more remote, Molly had continued to work out with her giant broadsword. Stripped to her underwear, or dressed in a sports bra and sweatpants, every day in the clearing in front of the cabin she'd declare â€Å"en garde† to an imaginary partner and proceed to spin, leap, thrust, parry, hack, and slash herself breathless. Beyond the fact that the ritual kept her incredibly fit, it made her happy, which, in turn, pleased Theo to no end. He'd even encouraged her to get involved in Japanese kendo, and to little surprise, she was excellent at it, consistently winning matches against opponents nearly twice her size. And indirectly, all this had led to Theo's growing pot commercially for the first time in his life. He'd tried other means, but banks seemed more than a little reluctant to lend him nearly a half year's salary in order to purchase a samurai sword. Well, not samurai precisely, but a Japanese sword – an ancient Japanese sword, made by the master swordmaker Hisakuni of Yamashiro in the late thirteenth century. Sixty thousand folded layers of high carbon steel, perfectly balanced, and razor sharp even eight hundred years later. It was a tashi, a curved cavalry sword, longer and heavier than the traditional katanas used later by samurais in ground combat. Molly would appreciate the weight during her workouts, as its heft was closer to that of the theatrical broadsword she'd brought with her as a legacy of her failed movie career. She would also appreciate that it was real, and Theo hoped that she'd see that it was his way of saying that he loved all the parts of her, even the War rior Babe (he just liked rubbing up against some parts more than others). The tashi was now wrapped in velvet and hiding at the back of the top shelf of Theo's closet, where he used to keep his bong collection. The money? Well, an old friend of Theo's from the stoner days, a Big Sur grower now turned wholesaler, had been happy to advance Theo the money against his crop. It was supposed to have been a purely commercial venture: get in, get out, and nobody gets hurt. But now Theo was showing up stoned for work for the first time in years, and following a bad night, he could just sense that this wasn't going to be a good day. Then the call came in from Dale Pearson's girlfriend/wife/whatever, and the descent into hell day started. Theo drowned his eyes in Visine and stopped at Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines for a large coffee before he headed over to Lena Marquez's house in search of her ex-husband. While it was clear from the incident at the Thrifty-Mart on Monday, and a dozen earlier incidents, that their dislike for each other bordered on hatred, it hadn't stopped them from hooking up from time to time for some familiar post-divorce sex. Theo wouldn't have even known about it, except Molly was good friends with Lena and women talked about that sort of thing. Lena lived in a nice two-story Craftsman-style house on a half acre of pine forest that butted up to one of Pine Cove's many ranches. It was more house than she would have been able to afford working as a property manager, but then, she had put up with Dale Pearson for five years of marriage, and for five years since, so it was the least she deserved, Theo thought. He liked the sound of his hiking boots on the porch as he walked to the front door, and he thought that he and Molly should build a porch on their little cabin. He thought they could maybe get a wind chime, and a swing, have a little heater so they could sit outside on cold evenings. Then he realized, as he felt that vibration of footsteps coming to the door, that he was totally and completely baked. That they would know he was baked. That no amount of Visine or coffee was going to cover the fact that he was baked. Twenty years of functioning stoned was not going to serve him now – he'd lost his edge, he was no lo nger in the game, the eye of the tiger was bloodshot. â€Å"Hi, Theo,† Lena said, opening the door. She wore a man's oversize sweatshirt and red socks. Her long black hair, which normally flowed down her back like liquid satin, was all knotted up at the back of her head, and there was a big tangle sticking out by one ear. Sex hair. Theo shuffled on the porch like a kid getting ready to ask the girl next door for a first date. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I wondered if you've seen Dale. Since Monday, I mean.† She seemed to fade away from the door, like she was ready to faint. Theo was sure it was because she knew he was high. â€Å"No, Theo. Why?† â€Å"Well, uh, Betsy called, and said that Dale didn't come home last night.† Betsy was Dale's new wife/girlfriend/whatever. She was a waitress down at H.P.'s Cafe and over the years had become notorious for having affairs with a lot of married guys. â€Å"I was just, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why wouldn't she interrupt him? He didn't want to say that he knew that she and Dale got together for spite sex occasionally. He wasn't supposed to know.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ so, uh, I was just wondering.† â€Å"Hi, who's this?† said a blond guy who had appeared shirtless behind Lena in the doorway. â€Å"Oh, thank God,† Theo said, taking a deep breath. â€Å"I'm Theo Crowe, I'm the town constable.† He looked at Lena for an introduction. â€Å"This is Tucker – uh, Tuck.† She had no idea what this guy's last name was. â€Å"Tucker Case,† said Tucker Case, stepping around Lena and offering his hand to shake. â€Å"I should have introduced myself to you sooner, I guess, since we're in the same business.† â€Å"What business is that?† Theo never thought of himself as being a businessman, but he guessed that he was now. â€Å"I'm flying helicopter for the DEA,† said Tucker Case. â€Å"You know, infrared, finding growers and stuff.† Clear! His heart has stopped! Code blue! Five hundred milligrams of epinephrine, direct shot to the pericardium, stat! He's flatlining, people. Clear! â€Å"Nice to meet you,† Theo said, hoping his heart failure wasn't showing. â€Å"Well, sorry to bother you. I'll just be on my way.† He let go of Tuck's hand and started walking away, thinking: Don't walk stoned, don't walk stoned – for the love of God, how did I do this all of those years? â€Å"Uh, Constable,† Tuck said. â€Å"Why was it that you stopped by? Ouch!† Theo turned. Lena had just punched the pilot in the arm, evidently pretty hard – he was massaging it. â€Å"Uh, nothing. Just a fellow didn't go home last night, and I thought Lena might have an idea where he went.† Theo was trying to back away from the house, but then stopped, remembering that he might trip on the porch steps. How would he explain that to the DEA? â€Å"Last night? That's not even a missing person for, what, twenty-four, forty-eight hours? Ouch! Dammit, that's not necessary.† Tucker Case rubbed his shoulder where Lena had punched him again. Theo thought that she might have violence issues with men. Lena looked at Theo and grinned, as if she was embarrassed about the punch. â€Å"Theo, Molly called me this morning and told me about Dale. I told her I hadn't seen him. Didn't she tell you?† â€Å"Sure. Sure, she told me. I just, you know, I thought you might have some ideas. I mean, your friend is right, Dale's not really missing, officially, for another twelve hours or so, but, you know, it's a small town, and I, you know, have a job and stuff.† â€Å"Thanks, Theo,† Lena said, waving to him even though he was only a few feet away and wasn't moving away from the house. The pilot was waving, too, smiling. Theo didn't like being around new lovers who had just gotten laid, especially when things weren't going that well in his own love life. They seemed smug, even if they weren't trying to be. He spotted something dark swinging from the ceiling of the porch, right where the wind chime would have been on his and Molly's porch, if he hadn't just sacrificed their security by relapsing into dope-fiendism. It couldn't be what it looked like. â€Å"So, that's a, uh, that looks like –  » â€Å"A bat,† said Lena. Holy fuck, Theo thought, that thing is huge. â€Å"A bat,† he said. â€Å"Sure. Of course.† â€Å"Fruit bat,† Tucker Case clarified. â€Å"From Micronesia.† â€Å"Oh, right,† Theo said. Micronesia was not a real place. The blond guy was fucking with him. â€Å"Well, I'll see you guys.† â€Å"See you at Lonesome Christmas on Friday,† Lena said. â€Å"Say hi to Molly.† † ‘Kay,† Theo said, climbing into the Volvo. He closed the car door. They went inside. He let his head hit the steering wheel. They know, he thought. â€Å"He knows,† Lena said, her back against the front door. â€Å"He doesn't know.† â€Å"He's smarter than he looks. He knows.† â€Å"He doesn't know. And he didn't look dumb, he looked kind of stoned.† â€Å"No, he wasn't stoned, that was suspicion.† â€Å"Don't you think if he was suspicious he might have asked where you were last night?† â€Å"Well, he could see that, with you walking out there with your shirt off, and me looking so, you know – so – ; â€Å"Satisfied?† â€Å"No, I was going to say ‘disheveled. † She punched his arm. â€Å"Jeez, get over yourself.† â€Å"Ouch. That is completely out of line.† â€Å"I'm in trouble here,† Lena said. â€Å"You can at least be supportive.† â€Å"Supportive? I helped you hide the body. In some countries that implies commitment.† She wound up to punch him, then caught herself, but left her fist there in the air, just in case. â€Å"You really don't think he was suspicious?† â€Å"He didn't even ask why you have a giant fruit bat hanging out on your porch. He's oblivious. Just going through the motions.† â€Å"Why do I have a giant fruit bat hanging from the porch?† â€Å"Comes with the package.† He grinned and walked away. Now she felt stupid, standing there, her fist in the air. She felt unenlightened, dense, silly, unevolved, all the things she thought only other people were. She followed him into the bedroom, where he was putting on his shirt. â€Å"I'm sorry I hit you.† He rubbed his bruised shoulder. â€Å"You have tendencies. Should I hide your shovel?† â€Å"That's a horrible thing to say.† She almost punched him, but instead, trying to be more evolved, and less threatening, she put her arms around him. â€Å"It was an accident.† â€Å"Release me. I have to go spot bad guys with my helicopter,† he said, patting her on the bottom. â€Å"You're taking the bat with you, right?† â€Å"You don't want to hang out with him?† â€Å"No offense, but he's a little creepy.† â€Å"You have no idea,† said Tuck.

History of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Essay

The assignment was to select a significant event in the development of psychological testing, such as the Chinese use of essay exams for civil service selection, the use of alpha and beta testing in World War I, Wundt’s laboratory, or the development of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This paper will discuss the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI); explain its significance and how it has affected the development of psychological testing in the 21st century. Significance The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was published in 1940 and the second revised version was published in 1989 (MMPI-2). It is used to measure adult psychopathology and is the most commonly used measurement in the world (Drayton, 2009). The test was developed with a set of answers that healthy adults would answer and then provides indirect questions as to prevent individuals from being able to skew their answers to get a more favorable result. This allows clinicians to have an objective measure rather than basing a diagnosis off of their minimal assumptions. The test (MMPI-2) is a self-report measure of a person’s psychological state and includes 567 items of true/false questions. According to Drayton (2009), â€Å"It has nine validity scales (or ‘lie’ scales), assessing for lying, defensiveness, faking good and faking bad and among others. These scales make it very difficult to fake the MMPI-2 results. The measure has many clinical scales assessing mental health problems (i.e. depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), personality characteristics (i.e. psychopathy) and general personality traits such as anger, somatization, hypochondriasis, ‘type A behavior’ addiction potential, poor ego strength and many others† (p. 135). The MMPI-2 can be used to assess major social and personal maladjustment, identify potential applicants for high-risk public safety positions as well as give the ability to support a clinician’s expert testimony. It can also assess clients in substance abuse programs and assist in selecting the most beneficial treatment methodology. With rising divorce rates, this assessment can provide valuable insight for marriage and family counseling. Lastly, this test has affected the college and career counseling sector by providing support for recommendations (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) Conclusion This paper discussed the brief history of the MMPI and the MMPI-2, what it measures and what is included in the assessment as well as the significance it has in modern culture. Included was the intended use of the assessment, the basic principles that the test contains as well as the vast modern use of the MMPI-2.