Platinum Law Group: General Information on Bankruptcy Featuring Platinum Law Group

Platinum Law Group: General Information on Bankruptcy Featuring Platinum Law Group

As described by Platinum Law Group, bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of anual or organ individization to pay its creditors. Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a business or corporate debtor (“involuntary bankruptcy”) in an effort to recoup a portion of what they are owed or initiate a restructuring. However, in the majority of cases, bankruptcy is initiated by the debtor (a “voluntary bankruptcy” that is filed by the insolvent individual or organization). Platinum Law Group points out that an involuntary bankruptcy petition may not be filed against an individual consumer debtor who is not engaged in business.

Bankruptcy in the United States

Bankruptcy in the United States is a matter placed under Federal jurisdiction by the United States Constitution (in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4), which generally allows Congress to enact “uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.” The Congress has enacted statute law governing bankruptcy, primarily in the form of the Bankruptcy Code, located at Title 11 of the United States Code. Platinum Law Group notes that federal law is amplified by state law in some places where Federal law fails to speak or expressly defers to state law.

While bankruptcy cases are always filed in United States Bankruptcy Court (an adjunct to the U.S. District Courts), bankruptcy cases, particularly with respect to the validity of claims and exemptions, are often dependent upon State law. Platinum Law Group finds that state law therefore plays a major role in many bankruptcy cases, and it is often not possible to generalize bankruptcy law across state lines.

Science fair judges have specific things in mind when they review projects. Sure, they like interesting pictures, colorful displays and seeing clever ideas, but they also look for other, more specific, technical features.

Let’s take a peak at some grading sheets from a few science fairs.

One school used a point system to rate the most important elements of the project.

The ratings are below. What can we learn from this example judging sheet?

1) Know the Scientific Method well.

2) Know how to explain your project using the scientific method WITHOUT reading off your display.

3) Be enthusiastic and enjoy your information. Smile.

4) Create a detailed report fleshing out all the information included on your display.

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Sample 1:

1. Shows knowledge of the Scientific Method:

4 pt. Explains all 6 topics easily, shows understanding of conclusion. 3 pt. Explains at least 5 topics easily, shows understanding. 2 pt. Explains most topics with help from the board. 1 pt. Tries to answer questions asked by the judge.

2. Shows use of the Scientific Method through the board:

4 pt. Presents steps of method clearly and completely with headings 3 pt. Presents each step of method clearly 2 pt. Has each step on the board. 1 pt. Has some steps on the board.

3. Shows enthusiasm and interest in the project:

4 pt. Student is excited about the project and eagerly tells about it. 3 pt. Student is pleasant and shares information. 2 pt. Student tells about the project, when asked. 1 pt. Student answers some questions about the project.

4. Speaks knowledgeably about the project:

4 pt. Student eagerly talks with many details of the experimentation. 3 pt. Student shows understanding of the project. 2 pt. Student knows what the project is, giving minimal explanation. 1 pt. Student can answer questions when prompted.

5. Presents scientific data in a well-organized, visually appealing display:

4 pt. Board shows data in clear tables, charts, or pictures with headings. 3 pt. Board is neat and attractive, limited table, chart or pictures. 2 pt. Board has headings, using information stated. 1 pt. Board has headings and limited information.

6. Shows written evidence of research, experimentation and analysis :

4 pt. Booklet has Cover, Table of Contents, Research/Interviews. Thank you page and/or bibliography and experimentation included. 3 pt. Booklet has Cover, Table of Contents and Research/Interviews. 2 pt. Booklet has Cover and Some Research/Interview Data. 1 pt. Booklet is minimal or nonexistent.

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Sample 2:

I. Scientific Thought A. Does project follow the scientific method? B. Is the problem clearly stated? C. Are the procedures appropriate and organized? D. Is the information collected accurate and complete?

II. Creative Ability A. How unique or original is the project idea? B. Is it significant or unusual for a child this age?

III. Understanding A. Does it explain what the student learned about the topic? B. Does the project represent real study and effort? C. Does the project show the child is familiar with the topic?

IV. Clarity A. Does the student clearly communicate the nature of the problem, how the problem was solved, and the conclusion? B. Are the problems, procedures, data, and conclusions presented clearly and in a logical order? C. Does the student clearly and accurately articulate in writing what was accomplished? D. Is the objective of the project likely to be understood by one not trained in the subject area?

V. Dramatic Value A. Is the display visually appealing? B. Is the proper emphasis given to important ideas? C. Are all the components of the project done well?

VI. Technical Skill A. Was the majority of the work done by the student? B Has the student acknowledged help received from others? C. Does the written material show attention to grammar and spelling? D. Is the project physically sound and durably constructed?

It was mentioned on a biology blog that archaeological engravings from the Tiwanaku civilization in Bolivia are unlikely to be depicting an ancient astronaut for the reason that, even with an aquatic tail, the creature still looks too much like a human. The underlying argument was that the evolution of life forms is so diverse that it is highly unlikely an alien would come out looking even remotely like us. In essence, this is the opposite side of the pendulum to Hollywood’s consistent imaging of aliens as humanoids.

The biologist ignored the decorative and symbolic imagery added by the Tiwanaku artists and did not consider the given premise of an aquatic alien inside helmeted spacesuit. I have to assume, therefore, the biologist noted that the creature had two arms and two eyes, and since humans have two arms and two eyes, the biologist concluded that this cannot be an alien.

What should intelligent aliens look like? Or, to phrase it another way, what should we expect interstellar travelers who come here to look like? This is not a complete unknown. If the aliens are capable of interstellar travel, they obviously achieved higher technology. What is necessary to achieve technology? My opinion on this is that to achieve technology, a life form would need a complex brain and the ability to see and manipulate objects. This implies eyes, fingered appendages, and perhaps a head relatively large compared to overall body size. The Tiwanaku alien has all these features.

The biologist might counter that the issue is not that aliens have eyes, but the number of eyes. Here on Earth, higher animal forms evolved with two eyes. For example, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and insects all have two eyes, but on another planet the number of eyes would be different. There, perhaps, the life forms would randomly have one, three, four, or even ten eyes. Is that true? Is the number of eyes a random event in the evolutionary process?

Astronomers searching for extraterrestrial intelligence are looking for planets similar to Earth regarding temperature and chemical composition because they know life evolved here, so it is logical to assume that life might also evolve on other similar planets. Likewise, with similar planetary history, we might expect the evolutionary process on those other planets to progress similarly to how it progressed here.

Question: Was the evolution of animal life with two eyes on Earth a random event, so much so that we should expect extraterrestrial life to have a different number of eyes? I think not. Why? It is called natural selection or survival of the fittest. Two eyes are the minimum required to give depth perception and concentrated focus. Perhaps early on Earth there were animals with five or ten eyes, but with a brain too small to orientate five directions, such species quickly became extinct. Only two eyes survived. Should we expect something radically different on another Earth-like planet? No. It is reasonable to expect intelligent aliens to have two eyes, just like humans.

It is also reasonable to expect alien life forms to be imaginable from the diversity of life forms we see on Earth, past and present. The Tiwanaku alien has features similar to a fish (fish mouth that seems to be breathing inside a water-filled helmet), features similar to a lobster (sea creature with two forward appendages for manipulating objects), and features similar to humans (large head and fingered upper appendages). Only four fingers are depicted in the Tiwanaku drawings, versus our five, but this easily falls within evolutionary feasibility. The alien’s three-pod aquatic tail is also an imaginable evolutionary development.

I think the biologist’s appreciation for the potentially enormous diversity of life forms in the universe is admirable. For those life forms that develop higher technology, however, it is likely, not unlikely, that they will have something in common with humans.

This article referred to Bella Online Biology comments on the Tiwanaku Alien pages of the CrypticThinking.com website.