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19:42 | cwpj's exam
In the city of Swiftsure, there is only one crime, armed robbery. The city recently decided to double the probability of imprisonment from 10 percent (10 percent of armed robberies result in a prison sentence) to 20 percent. Because the city has a fixed prison capacity, it also cut the average prison sentence in half, from 3 years to 1.5 years. Would you expect these changes in the city's crime policy to increase, decrease or not affect the city's crime rate? Would you expect these changes to increase, decrease, or not affect the total cost of crime (the sum of victim and prevention cost)?
As shown by O'Sullivan (2007), a higher prison sentence has little or no effect on crime rate. In fact, according to him, a longer prison sentence contributes to the hardening of criminals and the further honing of their skills (due to prison schooling).
Meanwhile, an increase in the probability of being caught and indicted has a negative effect on crime rate. With higher probability of being imprisoned because of robbery (from 10 to 20 percent), and lower jail term, more armed robbers will be imprisoned, ceteris paribus. This is sufficient to deter armed robbers from committing crime, thus lower crime rate (from Q0 to Q1, ceteris paribus).
Since prison service remains constant even if jail term is changed, then a decrease in average prison sentence will not change the cost attributed to prison service.
To increase the probability of robbers being caught, added costs must be spent on security systems, such as police service, alarm systems, and the like. A swift and competent judicial system must also be established, at a cost. Since there is nothing said about change in the profile of the people of Swiftsure, then victim cost does not change. With the increase in prevention cost, ceteris paribus, total cost of crime increases (from MC0 to MC1, do the differential).
__________
i was waiting for the list of students who are lucky enough to be exempted from the finals of the urban and regional economics class last monday. my favorite professor, dr. cwpjr, saw me and said that i do not have to worry about taking the exam. so i left. darn, i should have waited for that list after all. the exam was yesterday. i should have at least double checked.
gusto ko na gumradweyt! but i will surely miss taking exams.
23:10 | i'm coming home
my father asked me and my brother to come home the soonest possible because the mangoes are up for picking. there will be no pangingilin for me this semana santa.
i miss my mother. when i was young, my brothers and i used to sleep beside our mother (while my father would grumble and sleep in our room). we had this book of fairy tales from which my mother would choose stories every night. i still remember her narrating aladdin and ali baba and the forty thieves, which took her almost a week per story to finish.
and of course her mouth-watering dishes. i do know how to cook some simple ones, but my mom is really superb. well, my father cooks better but it is really a rare instance when he does. the last, i think, that he whipped something was when my younger brother and i were down with flu. he was able to come up with three dishes in twenty minutes. how cool is that for a super dad? even my mother cannot match that!
as early as now, i am thinking of all the wonderful treats that i would ask my mom to cook (or buy in the case of lechon). grilled pusit, loro and sungayan sound wonderful. it has been months since i last tasted sapsapuyot, which goes well with green mangoes, tomatoes and bagoong. don't forget steaming hot rice with that pandan aroma!
wait. what shall i bring home for my youngest brother? he deserves something good for having been awarded best in mathematics. this math thing surely runs in the family. although i would be very pleased if he would pass his other subjects and not just math.
-sigh-
three days and two exams more before i can splash on the cool beaches of zambales! i just can't wait.
20:18 | promise
yes, i know. it's been a while. and not for bad reasons: firstly, there was the undergraduate thesis which was five years in the making; secondly, there were the exams to be taken for me to finally say goodbye to the beloved halls that gave me intellectual sustenance; then there were the early bird applications for those coveted dream jobs; and, finally, there was the you-factor that must be considered in everything.
yes, the song. which song? even i was caught off-guard when i blurted "my father" when the head of the hr department asked who my influences are. and, of course, you. it was no joke when i told her that i have no plans of marrying anyone in the near future, or even in the far future. if only i can tell her that i am already committed--to you. yes, only you. in fact, i am thinking of defying my father for you. i am thinking of forsaking my other dreams for you. you have become that one dream that remains to be fulfilled--and that be fulfilled against all. of course, for the record, against your wishes.
yes, i am at fault.
...
yes, it has been almost two years since we were nearest each other. even then, i was not able to hold your hands. still, yes, i remain yours.
