Exam 4: Product Costs and Job Order Costing

Assess the following as probably , as probably , as requiring further documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider both the nature of the claim and the source. "In the early 1800s, bears were a nuisance to settlers in upstate New York." -Smithsonian

Assess the following as probably , as probably , as requiring further documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider both the nature of the claim and the source. From a letter to the editor by a person we've never heard of: "Eighty-five percent of the jail population smokes."

For the following issue, discuss which source you'd trust more, and give at least one reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus on our rankings. Issue: What levels of mercury and other metals in fish are high enough to make consumption of them hazardous to humans? a. an article in a journal called Diet and Health, published for vegetarians b. a commercial fisherman c. a family medical doctor d. a spokeswoman for the National Institutes of Health e. a toxicologist who works for the Los Angeles coroner's office

For the following issue, discuss which source you'd trust more, and give at least one reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus on our rankings. Issue: How do the economic policies of the Venezuelan government affect the standard of living of most Venezuelans? a. the editor of a daily newspaper in a small town b. a friend who just returned from a trip to Venezuela "to see what was going on" c. a professor of Latin American studies at Ohio State University d. a Republican state senator in Arizona e. a politically radical councilwoman for a middle-sized New York city

Are there conditions in which your own observations may not be totally reliable? Explain in a brief essay.

Assess the following as probably , as probably , as requiring further documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider both the nature of the claim and the source. Comment from an acquaintance: "I saw Bigfoot with my own eyes! It was huge!"

Based only on the information given in this biography, discuss the credibility and authority of the person described on each of the topics in the list that follows: David A.Kilbourne taught himself to program in three different computer languages by the time he was sixteen.At seventeen, he was a member of a loose-knit southern California group of computer "hackers" that specialized in tapping the databases of large corporations, including the telephone company and several banks.In 1994, Kilbourne was charged with using his home computer and a telephone communications device to manipulate data in the Pacific Bell Telephone database to avoid telephone bills for his household and those of several friends for almost two years.It was also discovered that he had savings accounts at two Bank of America branches, with balances totaling over seventy thousand dollars, despite never having made a deposit or even "officially" opening the accounts.Kilbourne was found guilty on several counts of defrauding the two companies and was put on three years' probation.During his probation, Bank of America hired him as a consultant to assess the security of its computer files, a job at which he worked for nearly a year.He now works for a legitimate software house in the Silicon Valley.(Asked which side of the law he preferred working on, Kilbourne replied, "Everything considered, being an outlaw was more fun.") a.the morality of software piracy b.corporate data banks c.telecommunications d.purchasing a computer for a small business e.electronic games f.computer programming

In a brief essay, provide several topics on which you may not trust yourself to give a totally unbiased judgment, and explain.

Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each individual or group listed with regard to the following issue: You are looking at a sailboat that you're considering buying, but you've never owned one before and don't know whether you should buy this one. a. the boat salesman at the marina that owns the boat b. a boat salesman from another marina c. a friend who has owned several similar boats d. a buyer's guide published by a sailing magazine e. your own appraisal

Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each individual or group listed with regard to the following issue: Even though your wisdom teeth are not bothering you, your dentist tells you they should be extracted because they may give you trouble later. Should you have them pulled or wait until they cause problems? a. your dentist b. your physician c. a friend who is studying to become an orthodontist d. your sister, who is a dental hygienist e. your brother, who is six years older than you, who still has his wisdom teeth and has had no problems with them

Did life evolve, or was it created? Giving at least one reason for your choice, discuss whose opinion is the more credible. a. a biologist b. a minister

If the claims of an expert turn out to be in error, were you unreasonable in having accepted them in the first place? Why, or why not? Explain your response in a brief essay.

Assess the following as probably , as probably , as requiring further documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider both the nature of the claim and the source. "In the history books, the personal-computer slump of 1985 will be a footnote compared to the Japanese assault on the American semiconductor industry." -Newsweek

When validating the credibility of sources, interested parties must be viewed with much more suspicion than disinterested parties.

Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each individual or group listed with regard to the following issue: Spring has come, and it's about time to plant some tomatoes. Or is there still a danger of frost? a. the owner of your local nursery b. Aunt Maude, whose garden has kept her friends and family in tomatoes for years c. a friend who grows tomatoes commercially d. a friend who gives the weather report on Channel 8 News each evening e. "Outdoor Planting Table" in The Old Farmer's Almanac

Factual claims put forth by experts about subjects outside their fields are automatically more acceptable than claims put forth by nonexperts.

For the following issue, discuss which source you'd trust more, and give at least one reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus on our rankings. Issue: Whether a recently completed nuclear power plant is safe. a. the power company that owns the plant b. the contractor in charge of the plant's construction c. a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Agency d. the president of the Sierra Club e. a contractor hired by a nearby city who has seen the blueprints of the plant but has not made an on-site inspection f. the author of a statistical study on safety, malfunctions, and accidents at power plants of the same type

Gender is an irrelevant feature in judging a person's credibility.

You are rationally justified in accepting the view of the majority of experts in a given subject even if this view turns out later to have been incorrect.

Keeping in mind the sources cited, discuss the credibility of the claim(s) made in the following passage: "The mail order company Hammacher Schlemmer & Co. says in its consumer catalogs that it sells nothing but the best. The company supports its claims by what it calls independent testing. But Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, in a book called The Mis-Fortune 500 (New York: Pocket Books, 1988), say that while a 1986 letter to potential customers claimed that a 'completely separate' 'consumer' organization tested and compared the products offered by Hammacher Schlemmer, in reality: "the testing organization is called the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute." "the institute is funded by Hammacher Schlemmer & Co." "the institute's board of directors is composed of Hammacher Schlemmer officials." "the institute is located at Hammacher Schlemmer company headquarters in Chicago."