Project part 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project part 4 - Research Paper Example It is not that bad because during summer, there is usually a heavy rainfall which helps us to grow our crops as it provides enough water for them. We still do the traditional farming despite the advances of machines in agriculture. We plant wheat, maize, potatoes and soybeans. We also consume them because it enables us to save money and sell our surplus in the market. Our village is just small but we have a good sense of community. Although technology has already spread to the rest of China, we still manage to have those traditional good old fun of having tea and good conversation. I start the day early. I usually woke up at 5 in the morning where my wife prepares me food. She also cooks something extra for me to eat for lunch. My children wakes up a little later and prepare for school. After breakfast, I immediately go to the farm either to till the land or plant some crop. Depending on the day of the week, my wife usually go to the grocery during Mondays to buy foods, supplies for the children and buy items for the house .Since I make a living as a farmer, she does not have to buy much from the grocery as many of the items that we eat is already grown in the farm. She just usually shops for meat, some grocery items for the house and kids for the rest of the week. During the rest of the week, she keeps our house tidy and makes sure that our children are well taken cared off. She also does much of the academic tutoring to the children. In the farm, the seeds have to be planted and the land has to be tilled to make sure that I have a good harvest for me to provide my family. Also, I have to check that there no pests destroying my crops especially when harvest time is near. Good harvest is getting tougher to attain because I have to worry about a lot of things. This climate change has really an effect on farming as the weather is now harder to predict. It is no longer the same as before where heavy rains are expected during summer that gives us good harvests. Tod ay, there are times that it does not rain during summer and it is cut shorter for the longer winter. It is bad because it affects my harvest and I do not have a big land to till which is my only source of income. I usually go home at 5 in the afternoon just after the children has arrived from school. After resting for just half an hour, I usually spend time with them and my wife. Afterwhich, we usually have an early dinner to talk about what happened in school and also an opportunity to bond with the family. When we are done and the children are about to attend to their homework, my wife and I entertain ourselves with our modest television set in the house and watch our favorite show. China has already fully opened itself that we are now able to watch foreign syndicated TV shows. The children are already growing up and I am afraid that they may not get a good job in the future because jobs are getting scarce in China. I do not want them to end up as a farmer like me because life as a farmer can be difficult and it no longer that profitable. African Parent My name is Jumoke and I am from South Africa. I am an Afrikaner, a black man and a head of a family of five. My wife and our three children live in a modest house in Cape Town, the capital of South Africa. Life has changed for us black people for the better since the dismantling of apartheid. It took several decades for us to really live equally with the whites but now we are already equal on all aspects. I am working in the

Different Cultures And Clothing Cultural Studies Essay

Different Cultures And Clothing Cultural Studies Essay The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (such as ancestor worship), but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. The Nyonyas clothing, Baju Panjang (Long Dress) was adapted from the native Malays Baju Kurung. It is worn with a batik sarong (batik wrap-around skirt) and 3 kerosang (brooches). Beaded slippers called  Kasot Manek  were a hand-made made with much skill and patience: strung, beaded and sewn onto canvas with tiny faceted glass beads from  Bohemia(present-day  Czech Republic). In modern times, glass beads from  Japan  are preferred. Traditional  kasot manek  design often have European floral subjects, with colors influenced by Peranakan porcelain and batik sarongs. They were made onto flats or bedroom slippers. But from the 1930s, modern shapes became popular and heels were added. In Indonesia, the Peranakans develop their own Kebaya, most notably kebaya encim, and developed their own batik patterns, which incorporate symbols from China.for the Baba they will wear baju lokchuan(which is the Chinese men full costume)but the younger generation they will wear just the top of it which is the long sleeved silk jacket with chinese collar or the batik shirt. Malay See also:  Malaysian Malay Traditional Malay attire is the baju melayu, a loose tunic which is worn over trousers and usually accompanied with a sampin, which is a sarong which is wrapped around a mans hips.[1]  It is also often accompanied with a  songkok  or cap, on their head. Traditional clothing for men in Malaysia consists of a silk or cotton skirt and shirt with a scarf like piece of cloth tied around his waist. This scarf is sewn together at the ends and is traditionally called a sarong or a  kain. Most of the clothing is made up of bright and bold colors. The man also wears a religious hat. Malay women wear the  baju kurung, a knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt. Usually a scarf of shawl is worn with this. Prior to the wide embrace of Islam, Malay women wore kemban, which were sarongs which were tied just above the chest.[1] Chinese See also:  Malaysian Chinese The classical everyday clothing for men in Malaysia is a short sleeved shirt worn outside the trousers, light-weight trousers and informally, sandals for comfort. The Chinese women wear the  cheongsam, a one-piece dress with a high collar, diagonally closed with small clips or toggles (fabric clasps). It sometimes can have slits at the side, as is made with a soft fabric such as  silk.[1]  The cheongsam is especially popular around the time of the Chinese New Year and other formal gatherings (the fourth and fifth women from the right in the picture above). Older well-respected women wear a  samfoo, which looks like pajamas with a separate loose fitting top fastened by toggles and ankle length, or above the ankle, pants. Indian See also:  Malaysian Indian Indians in Malaysia as with elsewhere in the world wear  sarees, a cloth of 5-6 yards which is usually worn with a  petticoat  of a similar shade. It is wrapped around the body so that the embroidered end hangs over the shoulder, while the petticoat is worn above the bellybutton to support the saree, which can be made from a wide variety of materials. The Punjabi  Salwar kameez  is popular with women from northern India, and is a long tunic worn over trousers with a matching shawl.[1]  The fabric imported from India, made of the best quality silk is used in making saris. There are two layers to a sari: a long bright colored dress decorated with colorful beads sewn on it to make it look more attractive, and a wrap, a piece of straight fabric draped around one shoulder which ties across the body around the waist area. Women with a high standing will have their clothing made from gold and silver thread with elaborate beading. In formal occasions indian men wear the kurta, a knee-length shirt usually made from cotton or linen.[1]  The Indian men wear Sherwani, Lungi, Dhoti and Kurta-Pajama.The Sherwani: a coat like garment fitted close to the body, of knee-length or longer and opening in front with button-fastenings. Below the men wear a garment for the lower part of the body, baggy and wide at the top tied with a string at the waist , and tight around the legs and ankles. elhi. The Lungi: The traditional lungi originated in the south and today it is worn by men and women alike. It is simply a short length of material worn around the thighs rather like a sarong. The Dhoti: The most ancient recorded Indian drape is a dhoti. They require a piece of cloth which seems longer and larger than what was worn in the past, but their pleating is often simpler, and they are not adorned with belts anymore. All dhotis begin with the same basic closing. It is the only drape that doesnt start from one pallav but from the centre of the upper border. The middle of the cloth is tied around the hips. Each end of the cloth is then draped around the leg on its side. The Kurta-Pyjama: The Kurta or the top is a knee length colarless shirt which is adorned inmostly white or pastel colors. But today you will find Kurtas made out of the most wonderful and colorful of fabrics. Pyjama-are like loose trousers with a string tie at the waist. Traditionally white in color. Orang Asal See also:  Orang Asal Before the creation of ancient kingdoms, most aboriginal people wore bark costumes decorated with beads. In the times of early kingdoms hand-crafted textiles were used, and trade from other areas brought other outfits such as  silk  costumes,  pulicats  and  sarongs, and  jubbahs. The  Orang Asli  still wear clothing of natural materials, often out of treebark and skirt. Leaf fronds are sometimes crafted into headbands or other ornaments.[1] In  East Malaysia  similar clothes are worn. The  Orang Ulu  wear hand-loomed cloths as well as tree bark fabrics. Beads and feathers are used for decoration. The  Iban  are known for their woven pua kumbu. Another well known clothing item is the songket of the Sarawak Malay. In Sabah the clothing of different tribes differs with different amounts, with tribes in close proximity having similar clothing. Notable ones are the  Kadazan-Dusun  straw hats for ladies, the dastar of the  Bajau. Men from the Lotud tribe wear a headdress which has a number of fold points equal to the number of his wives.[1] Others Old chinese immigrants who married Malays and adopted some of their culture are known as the  Baba Nyonya. They wear kebaya, which are hard-made lace-word clothing, often with intricate embroidery.[1] Those descended from the Portuguese often wear Portuguese-style outfits. Men often wear jackets and trousers with waist sashes, while women wear broad front-layered skirts. The dominant colours are black and red.[1] Glossary Baju Kurung Kedah   worn only by Malay women as a daily dress for married women. it is a shorter dress with three-quarter sleeves, so the wearer can move around easily. Baju Batik   worn by men and women on a formal occasion. Usually colorful cotton printed in the  batik  or wax resist method of dyeing. Baju Melayu   worn by Malay men, it does not have any buttons but has a special kind of button called a butang. The fabric used to make a baju melayu is made from either nylon, satin, or silk. Along with this is a  songkok  or  kopiah, worn on the head. Songkok are generally a dark natural color, and the kopiah is a white color and represents purity. Baju Kurung   a baju kurung is worn by women for occasions such as school (as a uniform) or to a wedding. It too is brightly colored and can come in a variety of different printed designs. It is a knee length dress with a full length sleeves. Baju Kebarung   is a combination of the baju kebaya and the baju kurung. It is loose and almost reaches the ankles; it is not one of the traditional clothes of the Malay, but an adaptation.

Realistic and Magical Elements of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Es

Realistic and Magical Elements of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings      Ã‚   "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" is a renowned short story written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was published in 1955. Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born and spent his childhood in Colombia but has lived in Paris and Mexico. As for the work that made him famous, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" is considered by most an archetype of Magical Realism. When reading "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," one comes across many elements of Magical Realism. A good specimen of Magical Realism is the old man with wings. An old man is normal and earthly. However, when wings are applied, what was once mundane becomes stereotype of Magical Realism. What is most important about they old man with wings is not actually the old man himself, but, more importantly, the fact that the characters interacting with the old man view him as just a old man with wings. Unlike the society that most live in, this society would never accept the old man as ordinary. The woman who was turned into a spider as a child for disobeying her parents is also a good model of Magical Realism. Things in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's works are classified as Magical Realism. The woman who knew of all things living and dead is a type of Magical Realism. How many people know everything? For that matter, how many people actually know anything? The point is that no one, no matter wh om, is capable of knowing everything.    Realistic elements are tossed into the melting pot of Magical Realism just as fictional elements are so commonly done. Capitalism is a realistic element that is never forgotten. No matter what any writer creates, it will more then likely have at least some kind of capi... ...hat it is a work of Magical Realism. Over all, "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" is a perfect sample of Magical Realism. Works Cited Chanady, Amaryll. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed.Louis Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C: UP, 1995: 125-144. Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings." The Norton Introduction Literature. Ed. Jerome Beaty.N.Y. : W.W. Norton and Company, 1996.525-529. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Louis Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris.Durham, N.C: UP, 1995:119-124. Roh, Franz. "Magical Realism in Spanish Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Louis Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C: Duke UP, 1995: 15-31.   

Isearch

Body To figure out the answer to my question I had to find people who have graduated room MOOSE. I went home and asked my mom and she said I have a cousin who attended MOOSE. Dave attended MOOSE thirty years ago. Dave also played for the baseball team and has a great Job of being a Senior Vice President at EMCEES Inc. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I figured Dave would be great to ask because of his liking for sports, and he and I are pretty similar in things we enjoy doing, so he would give good information coming from a perspective very similar to mine.The other person I e-mailed was Grant Ileum. I knew Brock Ileum's uncle was an engineer, but I didn't realize was that Grant owns his own business. Ileum Engineering makes ramps, risers, rail boards and engineered dock products. I also went online to an online discussion site and found some very interesting reviews from Jeff and Christopher on Capped. When I am wondering what I want in a college I think of price, campus quality, activities , and Job readiness. I asked questions and looked for answers based off of these four characteristics.I found that the answers vary substantially from person to person. Some support the school while others bash on MOOSE. I know he price at MOOSE is astonishing and very high. I have heard of great scholarships given out by MOOSE, but I don't know if everyone receives them. Based on the information I received most students get scholarships, but both Christopher and Dave said even with scholarships MOOSE did put a burden on their wallet. Everyone agreed that with the high price come the great professors, top notch learning materials, and also a laptop you get to keep after college.Dave said â€Å"There are a lot of businesses that invest heavily in MOOSE, so the school stays on the cutting edge with genealogy. † With businesses investing it helps cut down on the price while you still get the latest and greatest technology. Milwaukee can be dangerous, run-down, and deprived. I ne ed to know if the MOOSE campus is safe and clean enough for me. It is very assuring to hear that the campus is on a twenty four hour security schedule every day of the year. All of my sources say MOOSE is always trying to make the campus bigger and cleaner.Dave mentioned that the Kern Center are very neat and enjoyable to be in. Through my research I don't deed to have a car because of the small campus, and to get to the grocery store MOOSE provides buses to take students. The buses make going places a lot safer and makes the streets less clogged with the thick Milwaukee traffic. Being right in Milwaukee there has to be tons of activities to do. I knew MOOSE has many collegiate sports teams. The city of Milwaukee also hosts the Brewers and Bucks, but being a college student I probably won't be able to afford all that.Everyone I talked to was in at least one club and MOOSE encourages people to create new clubs as well. Dave was n intramural sports and it was where he met some of his closest friends. Jeff said â€Å"The lakefront is simply breathtaking and the museum is quite a sight to see. † Also there is fraternity parties that I may have to attend quite often. Once I graduate I need to be ready for my Job. I don't think I need to know about art history or music history to help me out with engineering. According to my sources MOOSE puts you into your major right away, which helps you get done in four years.MOOSE has a Job placement rate of ninety four percent, which is great, but do they prepare you engineer a product for them and, if you don't engineer something worthwhile you can't graduate. Also Dave said MOOSE doesn't teach theory they do practical applications which he feels fully prepared him for his great Job. Conclusion Now that I have researched about MOOSE many thoughts have gone through my head. To find the final answer first I have to answer the four characteristics I was researching. The price of MOOSE is very high, but most people get a s cholarship. I think MOOSE might be too expensive for me.The campus quality is amazing and I hint I get really enjoy living on the MOOSE campus. To have fun at college I want to participate in many activities. I think MOOSE has plenty of fun activities to do plus everything else in the Milwaukee area. When I graduate I want to be as prepared as possible and I believe MOOSE does a wonderful Job of that. Three of four categories is looking good, but I feel I want one that is four out of four. To answer my question, MOOSE is partially right for me. I will base more colleges of my criteria until I find one that is perfect, but if I don't MOOSE will always be high on my college list.

Full Day Kindergarten

Full Day Kindergarten; The First Step in a Long, Successful Way of Life. Vera Kuznetsova Public Speaking CALC On September 2010 more than 600 schools across Ontario opened their doors for a new program full-day kindergarten. This project is supposed to help parents to build a better future for their children. Almost every parent has a daydream in which she or he wants to see his or her child’s success. The project of full-day kindergarten can drive this dream to a reality.This program has been approved in the USA and given a significant result; this program became very popular, according to Viadero` and Debra (2005), because it is affordable for families with low income. Today parents in Ontario are given a hope to see children more confident and succeed in their life. On the other hand, this low has the negative aspects; due this program a lot of teachers and day care’s staff have lost their jobs and the schools funds have been reduced. The provincial government invest ed for this program about $13, 500000 taxpayer’s dollars.The impact of full-day kindergarten project gives the new possibilities for children to increase level of knowledge, social participation and quality of life, but it takes away the school’s financial support to build up the successful educational process as a whole. And I have a question: â€Å"Is this investment worth in today’s economical situation or not? † Majority of children, who attend a full-day kindergarten, indicate a huge progress by showing great grades especially in the reading and mathematics skills. The researchers found that â€Å"children in such settings enjoy an academic edge over those in half-day programs† (Viadero & Debra, 2005).They can easily reach the high level by using extra time. †Many educators and parents of young children believe: Children learn more in full-day kindergarten programs than they do in half-day program. †(Viadero & Debra, 2005). These c hildren stay longer in school compared to the children, who attend half-day kindergarten, so they have extra time to practice and polish learning materials. Second, starting to study from young age has a great advantage, because at this age children have a tremendous ability to observe and absorb new information. â€Å"A seamless day of uninterrupted school gives children the time to explore, discover how hings work for themselves and engage with other children. † (Song, 2010, p. U1). Combining ability observing and absorbing new information with having extra time, when the children can polish learning material they usually get good marks for their assessments and tests. Those children, according to Viodera and Debra (2005) â€Å"on average, the learning gains that pupils make in full-day programs translate to about a month of additional schooling over the course of a school year†. Having enough time is increasing chances to get better marks and keep up with studying a nd improving their goals.The children, who are enrolled in full day kindergarten, have very good social skills. First of all, they have to be in the big group of children from very young age. Children have to learn how make friends, build relationships, and keep them. Those children also learn how to solve big and small issues and problems; they learn how to make concessions and compromises. â€Å"Children love to learn and thrive in an atmosphere where the only concern of the adult in their day is that they are successful and feel good about themselves†. (McClean,2010).They have an opportunity learning from adult; parents and educators can collaborate and teach the children how to communicate with each other and how to manage and come up with the same decision, which was chosen by a group of children. Having some knowledge about how to communicate, solve the problems is one of the characteristic of leader. Those children can build their leadership skills, because they spend a lot of time together; so they are becoming well-know very quickly. Song(2010) in his publication said that children at the age 4 or 5 are already prepared to enjoy the company with partners and mates.When children feel more confident and successful they are more active in social life of community. Participation in social life can be a step on the long way to success. Full-day kindergarten gives for children an opportunity to build a new life style, because parents can earn and save a lot of money. † Proponents say the day-long school program will let more parents upgrade job skills or work outside the home, while saving others the hassle of living work in the middle of the day to shuttle kids from school to childcare†( Pearson,2010).Parents will be able to have a better well-paid job, so they will make more money. They also will save a lot of money because they do not have to pay for childcare or babysitter. They can channel this money to different needs such as school supply material or enroll kids to different after school program and activities. Cost of post-secondary education grows up every year; putting extra-money in an educational fund will be paid a price in the near future. Children will have a chance to get diploma without debt or the debt will be paid off very quickly.Parents can make living their children more comfortable and relax. They can use savings on vacation and different activities. Having enough money avoids many problems; so fewer problems equal less stress. Money can change children’s life style. Supporters of half-day kindergarten asset that starting school life in very young age could be profitless, because when children stay longer day in school they can get bored and they cannot get their education without debt and they also could be egoistic. However, it is not true. According to Song (2010), children are able to study from young age.Using different methods helps make learning more effective and interesting. Le arning cannot be boring; how can some new thing be boring. Staying longer in big group of children provokes to communicate; ability to communicate built outgoing person. Even though cost of post-secondary education is not small amount of money it can less for children, who can have a scholarship because they will have great grades and they can also use money from different educational funds where parents had put money when children were little. All those factors give only positive points of view let’s take a look for the negative spots as well.There are not secrets that so many employees lost their jobs; how we can be positive about the future those teachers, what they have to do and how they have to live and support their families when there is a shortage of job positions availability. How they have to survive in this economical state. There is not doubt that putting the enormous amount of money for the program which might or might not be successful for Ontario was very risk y and unsafe. It might be more appropriate in the different time when government has enough assets to start this program; not today.There another fact such as long-term supports schools; due this law schools funds have been cut down. Schools do not provide any more school supplies such as graph paper and any other material that are needed during the educational process. There are not available after school activities any more; no more sport activities. As well full day kindergarten require more physical space; the little children have to have the space; space to play, space to sleep, so in many cases schools have to build the additional portables; and his is additional capital that will be pulled out from ours pockets. Building a new life style, communicational skills, and successful academicals grades could be one of the results of full-day kindergarten and financial deficit might be another a new educational program in Ontario. This project could be feasible; so future of our chil dren could be better and without worry. † Children who attend full-day kindergarten tend to be less advantaged, socially, economically and academically, than their peers in half-day programs† (Viadero & Debra, 2005, p. 1-16. ).Even though this project took start very quickly with poor support; it will be huge revolution in Ontario’s educational system in the next 4 or 5 years from today, according to Rushowy (2010). Sam Hammond says: â€Å"This is huge thing for Ontario. We are pleased that the government put this forward even a time of economical concern† (as cited Rushowy, 2010). This provincial regulation puts a lot of faith in children, their innate interest in learning and in their intelligence. Having a proper and solid fundament is the first step on the long, successful way of life.All those factors give only positive points let’s take a look for the negative spots as well. There are not secrets that so many employees lost their jobs; how we c an be positive about the future those teachers, what they have to do and how they have to live and support their families when there is a shortage of job positions availability. How they have to survive in this economical state. There is not doubt that putting the enormous amount of money for the program which might not be successful for Ontario it is very risky REFERENCES Song, V. , (2010). Toronto Star, Ont. : Sep 2, 2010. (pU. 1).Experts Say JK Kids Will Thrive: Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=212764451&Fmt=3&clientId=20373&RQT=30 Rushnowy, K. , (2010). Toronto Star, Ont. : Sep 7, 2010. ( p. GT. 1). Rest Time Will Be on Need-To-Nap Basis: As New Program Rolls out in 600 Schools†¦. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=2131752211&Fmt=3&clientId=20373&RQT=309 Pearson, M. , (2010). The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont. : Sep. 7, 2010. (p. A. 1). Big Day for Our Littlest Students; Retrieved September 20, 2010 , from http://proquest. umi. om/pqdweb? did=2134488341&Fmt=3&clientId=20373&RQT=309 Viadero. , Debra. , (2005) Education Week; 10/19/2005, Vol. 25 Issue 8, p1-16, 2p. Full-Day Kindergarten Produces More Learning Gains, Study Says†¦. Retrieved September 08, 2010, from http://search. ebcohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=aph&AN=18703444&site=ehost-live&scope=site McClean, S. , (2010) The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont. : Sep 10, 2010. P. A. 12. What Kindergarten Gives Kids. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=2134583131&Fmt=3&clientId=20373&RQT=30

contrast On The Black Hill with Long Distance essays

Compare/contrast On The Black Hill with Long Distance essays On The Black Hill Novel Long Distance Poem Possibly the poem is a lot more concentrated, as poems are never as long as novels. On The Black Hill, is a lot less concentrated than Long Distance. A poem has to distil that essence of everything, in less space than a novel. A prose is a concentrated version of the above. In each extract there is a son, and in each extract, the sons try to come to terms with their parent(s) grief. In Long Distance I think that Tony Harrison, at least, begins to come to terms with the death of his parents, where as, in On The Black Hill there is no acceptance. Long Distance and angry, but there is a need/wanting of sympathy. On The Black Hill is full of guilt, though there is a sense of lover there. In Long Distance and On The Black Hill they are ashamed of showing how they are dealing with the deaths. Tone (On The Black Hill) Sombre, in the first part, though seemed to get more so as the text goes on. (Sombre Depressing) In On The Black Hill the story ends with the image of a museum. Generally, museums are solely focused on the past, which is where the sons are still living no progress. In Long Distance the poem ends with death. Both extracts lack life, though both give a feeling of finality, sad, though an ending is given. On The Black Hill is fairly lyrical, more so in the central part of the extract. It could be rearranged into poetry. Although it is lyrical, it is quite sombre underneath. I find On The Black Hill to be more mocking. It uses quotations in full conversations, e.g. Yes, No etc conversational, though when read, it can sound quite comical and light hearted, although there is a feeling that underneath we see how the mother must have been feeling and h...

Free Essays on Are Grades Really That Important

Are Grades Really That Important? I remember taking a class in high school called â€Å"post war America†. I loved this class so much because it dealt with all the neat stuff that people went through after a certain war. I also remember the teacher giving me back mostly all C’s or D’s on all of the tests. This really ticked me off because some kids just can’t perform well at taking tests. I mean, I was a total geek in this class. I read every assignment, looked forward to doing the homework, and even studied because I enjoyed this class so much. Still, every time I got back a test, the grade was always â€Å"just passing†. I started thinking after seeing how no progress was getting done, and I began to wonder about the system of grades. Why are the majority of grades focused on test taking? Why aren’t grades on what a kid learned because of taking a class? It ended up that I made a â€Å"C-† in the class, and the class is still one of the best classes I have ever take n. I know the teacher probably thought I was a bull shitter trying to get my grade boosted, but I honestly learned something in that class. I learned that a grade is on a piece of paper because of a test, but the knowledge is stuck in your head because of what you made of the class. What is a grade? A grade is a letter or number that is sent to your parents to evaluate one’s overall level of ability in a class. What does that mean? Does that mean if Bobby runs out of time on a test because he is slow, he is going to get a poor grade for not finishing half the test? Or does that mean if Johny participates all the time and he completes all of his homework but he â€Å"freaks out† on tests failing them, that Johny should deserve a â€Å"D†? Or should Billy get a â€Å"B† because he has never done any of his homework, but he makes a 100% on every test or quiz that is laid in front of his face? I feel that all the grades given to the imaginary kids are hogwash. A student... Free Essays on Are Grades Really That Important Free Essays on Are Grades Really That Important Are Grades Really That Important? I remember taking a class in high school called â€Å"post war America†. I loved this class so much because it dealt with all the neat stuff that people went through after a certain war. I also remember the teacher giving me back mostly all C’s or D’s on all of the tests. This really ticked me off because some kids just can’t perform well at taking tests. I mean, I was a total geek in this class. I read every assignment, looked forward to doing the homework, and even studied because I enjoyed this class so much. Still, every time I got back a test, the grade was always â€Å"just passing†. I started thinking after seeing how no progress was getting done, and I began to wonder about the system of grades. Why are the majority of grades focused on test taking? Why aren’t grades on what a kid learned because of taking a class? It ended up that I made a â€Å"C-† in the class, and the class is still one of the best classes I have ever take n. I know the teacher probably thought I was a bull shitter trying to get my grade boosted, but I honestly learned something in that class. I learned that a grade is on a piece of paper because of a test, but the knowledge is stuck in your head because of what you made of the class. What is a grade? A grade is a letter or number that is sent to your parents to evaluate one’s overall level of ability in a class. What does that mean? Does that mean if Bobby runs out of time on a test because he is slow, he is going to get a poor grade for not finishing half the test? Or does that mean if Johny participates all the time and he completes all of his homework but he â€Å"freaks out† on tests failing them, that Johny should deserve a â€Å"D†? Or should Billy get a â€Å"B† because he has never done any of his homework, but he makes a 100% on every test or quiz that is laid in front of his face? I feel that all the grades given to the imaginary kids are hogwash. A student...

Making Money with Poetry Workshops

Making Money with Poetry Workshops I always wanted to be a teacher. I always wanted to be a poet.   In reality, I ended up in the Marine Corps   which led to a career in aviation. Hmm, not very poetic! However, my dreams to be a teacher and a poet never subsided and I now make money, yes, real money creating and teaching poetry workshops at local libraries.   This is a robust market and fairly easy to penetrate! Most libraries have discretionary funds available to them via the Friends of the Library group associated with their particular branch. This is a nationwide network of non-profit groups that raise money to help local libraries. Groups conduct book sales and bake sales and often operate small gift shops at the library to raise money. Funds are used to pay for additional library equipment, employee appreciation luncheons, special events and yes, even poetry workshops! The best way to find the money is to contact the local library manager or event manager with a poetry workshop proposal.   These people are able to review and endorse your idea and forward your proposal to the Friends Group to seek funding for your workshop.   Response time is generally within a month because the groups tend to meet on a monthly basis. In my experience, a two-hour poetry workshop typically pays $50 to $200 per event. Note, these are for workshops you teach at YOUR local libraries.   If you would require funding for travel and expenses to other libraries, you would need to ask for more money. A poetry workshop proposal should be neat and succinct. One page is sufficient. Something that provides only the salient details: title of the workshop, summary (one or two sentences), purpose (one sentence), participants (for example, suitable for adults versus children), duration (recommend 90 minutes to two hours), materials (mention if participants need to bring their own pens and paper or if you will provide), set-up (for example, indicate if you need a podium, conference table and chairs), cost (flat rate works best), class size and a brief literary

Why have not we mastered alignment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why have not we mastered alignment - Article Example Additionally, in cases where there is misalignment, the IS job gets done but with unnecessary redundancy and inefficiency, greater costs and delays leading to poor performance. And as a result, the organizations invest heavily in IS to compete effectively but still they experience disappointments in performance (Chan, 2002, p. 98-100). The study used both strategic and structural alignment. Research on strategic alignment proposes aligning business unit and IS strategies including communication and understanding between lines and IS executives, interconnected business and IS planning process and resulting plans among others. However, structural alignment refers to the degree of structural fit between the IS system and the business. Structural fit relates to organizational structure including location of IS decision-making rights, reporting relationships, and deployment of IS personnel. This alignment aims at supporting organizational objectives. An important point of discussion is that, effective information system alignment is appropriate for many organizations to escape unnecessary inefficiency and high cost. The strategies used by enterprises to monitor and improve the alignment and performance of information system functions should be a major concern for most organizational

Chlamydia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chlamydia - Essay Example The main route of infection is vaginal, anal sexual contact and household contact. Children can become infected during passage through the birth canal of mother that carry Chlamydia (Redgrove & McLaughlin, 2014). Characteristics of Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia trachomatis is an aerobic, obligate, intracellular parasite of eukaryotic cells. It is a Gram-negative bacteria, which demonstrate a coccoid or rod shape. Not taking into account fact that Chlamydia trachomatis is classified as Gram-negative bacterium, it lacks a peptidoglycan cell wall. Chlamydia trachomatis cannot synthesize its own ATP that is why in order to remain viable this bacteria require growing cells. Without host cell, C. trachomatis will die in a short period of time (Byrne, 2003). As was mentioned above, Chlamydia trachomatis is the one of the most common sexually transmitted disease: for example, in USA more than 4 million cases are diagnosed each year; furthermore, Chlamydia trachomatis is the main reason of preventable blindness (caused by a chlamydial infection called trachoma) in the world. Chlamydia trachomatis also is one of the major causes of infertility in women and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (Redgrove & McLaughlin, 2014). Genome of Chlamydia trachomatis consists of 1,042,519 nucleotide base pairs that coding approximately 894 proteins. Chlamydia trachomatis carry one extrachromosomal plasmid, which have a 7493-base pair sequence with 1% nucleotide sequence variation. This plasmid has eight open reading frames that codes proteins more than 100 amino acids long. C. trachomatis plasmid is a main target for DNA-based diagnosis of diseases because one chlamydial particle carry approximately 7-10 copies of highly conserved plasmids (Stephens et al., 1998). Chlamydia trachomatis has a tricarboxylic acid cycle and glycolytic pathway. These metabolic pathways play a supporting role in chlamydial metabolism. Chlamydia

Managing Markering Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing Markering Communication - Essay Example A company will only be successful when it uses marketing to turn potential clients into consumers of its products or services. Communication is Constant It is a recognised fact that whether people know it or not, they are constantly sending messages in different ways to others. It has been estimated that marketers’ skills are only responsible for 15% of their success in attracting customers, while the remaining 85% is the result of their ability to inspire trust in potential clients through their communication methods (Gould 2004). This is the reason why companies spend so much on researching on the best ways of creating advertisements (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Commercials, as well as other methods of communication, represent a company’s feelings and intentions for its clients. The verbal as well as non verbal cues that are carried in advertisements are vital because they tell potential customers what how they can benefit from the products and services of a company (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2006). Even where person to person communication is concerned, strangers will make an immediate assessment of someone upon first meeting them (Shultz 2004). This is before the person has even said a single word. Advertisements for products or billboards are unconsciously analysed in the same way by potential customers. When people first come upon a company’s products through different media, the first impression can result in feelings of distrust, or in feelings of interest (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg, 2006). IMC Defined Integrated Marketing Communications basically means combining all the promotional tools of a company in an effort to reach customers with a message about the company’s products. All communications methods will have a greater impact on the student body if they are joined together than if they are each used in isolation (Kitchen, Brignell and Tao, 2004). This is even more beneficial for the company in question whe n integration also includes different levels of integration like the vertical, horizontal, external, internal, and data integrations (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen, 2009). Horizontal Integration can be extended across corporate functions as well as the marketing mix. For instance, finance, production, communications and distribution operations can be made to work together to create the most effective messages for potential customers (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). On the other hand, singular departments like advertising, direct mail and sales combine efforts in working on data integration (Girvin: Strategic Branding Blog, 2010). This calls for a marketing information structure that gathers and shares the important information across varied departments. Vertical Integration basically means that all marketing purposes have to support the higher level business goals (Malhotra, 2004). Internal Integration holds that all the personnel working in a company have to be informed at a ll times, of any fresh developments taking place; whether this means new corporate identities, strategic partners, advertisements, or service standards. Lastly, external integration holds that external partners like public relations firms and advertising agencies have to work together to generate an all inclusive and comprehensive message to potential and existing clients. IMC –

Application letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Application letter - Essay Example At the same time, being of a practical bent of mind, I have diligently searched for solutions to such problems. This has launched me upon a serious study of psychology. It is my fervent desire to acquire proficiency in psychology, and as discerned by me, the best institution to acquire such expertise is none other than the University of Dallas. This explains my ambition to study at this hallowed institution. The primary purpose of a temple of learning, such as the University of Dallas is to promote the acquisition of knowledge, and the superb faculty of this university leave no stone unturned in their endeavor to facilitate their students to achieve this goal. Such features of a university hold intense attraction for a student who is keen to acquire knowledge and embark upon a successful career. It is my humble submission that I am such a student. Moreover, psychology, upon being studied diligently, furnishes the student with a specific manner of awareness and basic knowledge that tends to be common to all psychologists. This branch of knowledge is characterized by a vast range of knowledge and innumerable skills. The graduate student of psychology acquires a varied and deep knowledge. This tends to be limited to a few fields of knowledge. My gargantuan appetite for several types of information and skill will thus find a suitable outlet in psychology. Any problem can have a number of origins, and this is rapidly assimilated by the students of psychology. The latter become habituated to searching for the various possible causes for any issue. This enables psychologists to have an open mind when dealing with issues. As a cognitive skill, this trait tends to be rare. In addition, psychology serves the purpose of integrating the arts and sciences. This has the consequence of providing students with liberal education. Moreover, psychology bestows a number of practical and professional skills upon its students.

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for Essay - 5

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions of the world - Essay Example The essence of any system is to maximize on the output and reduce the amount resources gathered to enhance the system. The easy will focus on details of different sources of water collections and recommend on an effective plan to utilize in the Nubian Desert. The focus will be on Nubian Desert. Covering an Area of more than 400,000 Square kilometres, the region remains venerable to water shortage. The arid region is bordered by the large Sahara desert. It has a minimal rainfall of 125mm per year. The desert is located in Sudan North-East part of Africa (world atlas, n.d ). In this model, underground water reserves are exploited and utilized in various ways. The common method of harvesting underground water is through boreholes. Different sites are set and underground water utilized for both domestic and agricultural purposes. The technique requires technical knowhow at the initial stages. This means locating sites to be drilled. After a site is located, the drilling process begins. During this process, both mechanical and human power is required. Limits spaces are need as the size of a borehole is smaller compared to other forms of water harvesting. The availability of this resource will determine the life of the borehole (Thangarajan et al, 2002). Some arid areas experience limited amounts of rainfall per year. With the right mechanism, the water could be collected and used for both agricultural and domestic purposes. In analyzing this aspect, hill slope dams are required. Rainwater is collected down rock hill slopes. Gravity is what is needed to collect water and be pumped into storage tanks. The technique requires a large surface area as water from the hill tops need to be collected over a wider area compared to borehole drilling where a small excavation of the earth is done. The hill slopes dam could only be effective in regions with limited amount of rainfall. In most arid areas, they hardly

See attachment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See attachment - Research Paper Example Taylor’s management theory espouses that if the amount of time and effort each worker expends to produce a unit of output can be reduced by increasing specialization and division of labor, the production processes will become more efficient (Taylor 1911). This theory assumed that employees are more motivated with more pay and confined communication to solely addressing the economic needs of a business organisation’s employees. Administrative management seeks to create an organizational structure that leads to high efficiency and effectiveness. Organizational structure is the system of task and authority relationships that control how employees use resources to achieve the organization’s goals. Among those theorists of administrative management were Max Weber (1864 -1920) and his theory of bureaucracy that espouses a formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Another was Henry Fayol who espoused that management and its function can be defined and communicated and therefore can be taught. This management theory introduced the structure in an organization and differed from Taylor’s Scientific Management in a way that it views the organization as a structure rather than an impersonal machine.   Henry Fayol   played a main role in the turn-of-the-century Classical School of management theory.  Fayol   believed that techniques of effective management could be defined and taught and that managerial organization hold as much importance as management as workers organization. He was the first to identify functions of management Behavioral theory of management espoused a theme that focused on how managers should personally behave in order to motivate employees and encourage them to perform at high levels and be committed to the achievement of organizational goals. Unlike the scientific management approach which only focused on the economic

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for Essay - 5

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions of the world - Essay Example The essence of any system is to maximize on the output and reduce the amount resources gathered to enhance the system. The easy will focus on details of different sources of water collections and recommend on an effective plan to utilize in the Nubian Desert. The focus will be on Nubian Desert. Covering an Area of more than 400,000 Square kilometres, the region remains venerable to water shortage. The arid region is bordered by the large Sahara desert. It has a minimal rainfall of 125mm per year. The desert is located in Sudan North-East part of Africa (world atlas, n.d ). In this model, underground water reserves are exploited and utilized in various ways. The common method of harvesting underground water is through boreholes. Different sites are set and underground water utilized for both domestic and agricultural purposes. The technique requires technical knowhow at the initial stages. This means locating sites to be drilled. After a site is located, the drilling process begins. During this process, both mechanical and human power is required. Limits spaces are need as the size of a borehole is smaller compared to other forms of water harvesting. The availability of this resource will determine the life of the borehole (Thangarajan et al, 2002). Some arid areas experience limited amounts of rainfall per year. With the right mechanism, the water could be collected and used for both agricultural and domestic purposes. In analyzing this aspect, hill slope dams are required. Rainwater is collected down rock hill slopes. Gravity is what is needed to collect water and be pumped into storage tanks. The technique requires a large surface area as water from the hill tops need to be collected over a wider area compared to borehole drilling where a small excavation of the earth is done. The hill slopes dam could only be effective in regions with limited amount of rainfall. In most arid areas, they hardly

Tax on Tobacco in the UK Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tax on Tobacco in the UK - Coursework Example Tobacco tax in the UK has increased over the years, data collected from the tobacco manufacturers association (2009) shows that in 1990 the amount of tax per 20 cigarettes amounted to 1.2 pounds while in 2009 the tax had increased to 4.34, the following chart summarises taxes over the years: The above chart shows an increase in the level of tax per 20 cigarettes for the period 1990 to 2009. However according to the ACT on tobacco and health state that despite this increase in taxes, tobacco taxes are only adjusted in line with the rate of inflation and therefore have no major effect on tobacco consumption. Tobacco taxes are imposed for various reasons, these taxes are imposed in order to reduce tobacco use in the economy and therefore improve public health. However, the price elasticity of tobacco is an important factor to consider when imposing the tax in order to determine whether the price increase will reduce consumption to the desired level. Price elasticity of demand refers to the decline in demand when the prices are increased, the price elasticity value identifies the sensitivity of demand to a price change, price elasticity value of negative one means that a 4% increase in price will increase reduce demand by 4%, a value greater than negative one example -0.05 means that the demand is price inelastic while a value less than negative one example -4 means that we have relative elasticity, the following diagram demonstrates the nature of these demand curves that are inelastic, unitary and elastic. (Gregory Mankiw, 2002) From the above diagrams, it is evident that in diagram one a price increase by one from price 1 to price 2 will reduce demand by one unit from quantity 2 to quantity 1, the price elasticity value here will be -1 and, therefore we have unitary elasticity.

Ethical Concepts in Counselling

Ethical Concepts in Counselling Ethics pertains to beliefs we hold about what constitutes right conduct. They are moral principles adopted by an individual or group to provide rules for right conduct and represent aspirational goals or the maximum standards which are set and enforced by professional associations. The American Counseling Associations (2005) Code of Ethics states that when counselors encounter an ethical dilemma they are expected to carefully consider an ethical decision making process. While counseling a client, the counselor is presented with countless challenges to recognize when and where a specific ethical concept, standard and guideline might be crucial. Ethical standards and guidelines inform our judgment as they help us recognize, think through and find or create path to deal with a dilemma. The way we respond to a dilemma has a great deal to do with our sense of what is valuable and right. In this perspective, the response is seen as being fair and judicious for the client or perhaps is in t he client’s best interest for continued development. When counselors operate from this highly personal and subjective position, they call upon a sense of morality. Morality is concerned with perspectives of right and proper conduct and involves an evaluation of actions on the basis of some broader cultural context or religious standard. Morality serves as a foundation to ethical practice and decision making. To decide ethically is to first decide morally. (Values and Ethics in Counselling: Real –Life Ethical Decision Making, Dana Heller Levit) Values pertains to beliefs and attitudes that provide direction to everyday living. Clients ethical issues becomes a dilemma when they pit ethical, legal or organizational requirements against each other or when the ethical codes become silent on the clients issues. With respect to these , finding occasional inconsistencies among resources are inevitable. As a result, to select a preferred course of action from among the conflicting guidelines, counselors use a decision making model that allows them to weigh the relative importance of the information obtained. A structured method of information collection and review can facilitate the ethical decision making process. The application of this model may help counselors to avoid ethical misconduct and to pursue ethical ideals. The counselor essentially needs to be inquisitive at the beginning phase of an ethical decision making process. The initial step is to identify the problem or the dilemma based ethical, moral and legal dimensions by gathering all relevant information that illuminates the situation. In other words, counselors need to obtain a clear description of the nature of the problem through the usage of effective counseling skills such as reflexive questions. The second step involves a careful evaluation of the most critical issues abstracted from all the information gathered previously. At this point, attempts should be made to review the rights, responsibilities and the welfare of clients and other stakeholders concerned with the dilemma. This review extends to the point of considering the cultural aspects of the situation influencing the clients welfare. Furthermore, the use moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity to address the situation is inevitable here. With regard to autonomy, the counselor should allow clients the right to choose and act according to their preference. Nonmaleficence is a primary concern that emphasizes on refraining from actions that may risk harming clients. An example would be inappropriately labeling clients with diag nostic terms that may denote abnormality, which could pose serious consequences to the welfare of the client. Beneficence is applied when counselors respect clients dignity and promote the welfare of clients. The principle of justice refers to being fair and nondiscriminatory towards clients. Fidelity deals with faithfulness to promises made and to the truth. There lies a problem in upholding fidelity when a counselor works with a minor client and is obligated to be loyal to the client, while the principle of beneficence may suggests that disclosure may be best for the whole family. In such circumstances, when counselors are left between the conflicting principles, they may need to prioritize certain principles over others as required by the situation. The third step is to review the ethical codes that are relevant to the problem situation. Ethical codes prompt, guide and inform significant values and concerns regarding ethical behaviour. Professionals sought the code of ethics and examine the particular sections relevant to the dilemma to consider if they offer possible solutions. At this point, they also consider if their values and ethics are consistent with or are in conflict with the relevant codes. In the event of an inconsistency with a particular standard, counselors seek supervisory guidance and clarify the issues. Upon rectifying the inconsistencies, they produce a rationale to support their position and document their judgment and reasoning to justify their actions to solve the dilemma. The significance of the fourth step involves keeping up to date on the relevant state and federal laws that might apply to ethical dilemmas. In order to do so, the counselor needs to be knowledgeable in the applicable laws and regulations. At the same time, interpreting these legal statutes as according to how they may relate to clients issue becomes a fundamental aspect of the decision making process. This would be pertinent in matters of breaching confidentiality, reporting abuse of the vulnerable , dealing with issues that pose a danger to self or others, parental rights and record keeping. It will also suffice to seek guidance from professional bodies concerning ambiguous ethical or legal situation. After thorough assessment of all ethical, clinical and legal issues pertaining to the dilemma, counselors present their facts of the situation and obtain consultation from professional authorities in the fifth step . This is especially useful when counselors are grappling with an ambiguous ethical issue. As an ethical dilemma can be intellectually overwhelming and emotionally distressing for both the client and the counselor, objective feedback from various reliable sources such as colleagues, supervisors or inter-organizational bodies can provide a wider view of the problem or even a new focus on unconsidered facts. Besides consulting professionals who share the same viewpoints, it may also suffice to seek expertise from cross cultural entities , as required by the nature of the dilemma. With adequate information and guidance at hand, the counselor is now at a position to formulate possible solutions to the dilemma (Frame Williams, 2005). In essence, the sixth step is about contemplating the possible and probable causes of actions. Apparently, it requires an extensive exploration process that would allow counselors to lay out the possible courses of action, while at the same time accounting for the ethical obligations of such actions. As counselors review the possibilities, it may be imperative to involve clients in the exploration process before deciding on the most probable courses of action. This is to ensure that decisions are made to the best interest of the client. As it was done in earlier steps, documenting these discussions and would be helpful for counselors to justify their actions in the event of them being questioned. The seventh step entails the previous one as it informs the counselor to enumerate the consequences of various decisions that were taken after evaluating the possible courses of action. This involves considering the positive and negative consequences of each option while at the same time weighing the relative significance of each option. Clients involvement matters during this analysis to ensure that the decisions gravitate towards the best interest of the client. To achieve this the counselor may employ the five moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity as a framework to consider the consequences of a particular course of action. In the last step of the model the counselor decides on what appears to be the best course of action. After generating the best possible decisions and their outcomes, counselors together with clients and other supervisory consultation, would be select and implement the most appropriate course of actions. Implementation of decisions is followed by assessing the appropriateness of the outcomes of those decisions. The decision making process reaches the fin al phase when the counselor reflects on this assessments and communicates them with clients. However, a follow up may be necessary to determine if the actions taken are effective or if they require a modification. Last but not least, it is essential to document steps taken so as to clarify options, facilitate reasoning and avoid redundant efforts. More importantly, having a documentation is significant if evidence of these efforts are later requested during an investigation. In overall this ethical decision making framework serves as a deliberative and creative approach that guides counseling professionals to fulfill their ethical responsibilities amidst an elusive situation. It assist baffled counselors to think though an ethical dilemma and to arrive at an ethically appropriate decision. Moreover, the framework also helps to prevent ethical violations by enabling counselors to acknowledge the intricacies of ethical decision making as a basis on which competent, ethical and profess ional counseling can be practiced. Despite its useful aspects, the decision making model does falls short in certain areas. In evidence, Corey, Corey and Callanan (1998) indicate this model cannot be applied in an automated or generalized manner, as practitioners often find themselves confronted with a complexity of personal values, social context, as well as a prescriptive professional code. As in the model fails to correspond with this reality or address the level of complexity they confronted. For instance, the general guidelines that states the counselors responsibility to minor clients and to their parents, may provide little help to a counselor who is struggling with an adolescent client who feels alienated from his chaotic family and wants the counselor to keep his violations of curfew and experimentation with alcohol from his parents. The counselor is in a dilemma determining how much material from counseling must be shared with parents and what does that disclosure mean to the progress of the therapy. As it is, the burden of analyzing ethical issues falls squarely on the professional who obviousl y requires critical thinking and intellectual ability that allows careful reasoning to arrive at the best solution. At the same time, reviewing numerous ethical codes and standards in an attempt to abstract those that relate to the dilemma can be a painstaking as well as a time-consuming process. On the other hand, after checking on all ethical and legal obligations, considering the available courses of actions can be again challenging as it may require the clients and the counselors collaborative efforts to speculate all possible options open to them. It may be exhaustive in the sense that it involves an in-depth exploration process where all possible actions and their outcomes have to be thoroughly scrutinized before arriving at a decision. Nevertheless, the ethical decision making model is of much relevance to the current practices of various professional organizations and is widely used by practitioners to find their way out of an ethical dilemma. The following scenario demonstr ates the application of the ethical decision making model. Joe, a 17 year old tells her school counselor, Anne that she was sexually abused by her stepfather and now intends to leave the house to stay with her close friend Mary. Joe also reports that she has not been able to focus in her studies due the trauma caused by the incident and hesitates to tell her mother as it is shameful to do so. In this case, Annes first task is to gather all relevant details of the problem situation such as Joes emotional health, sociocultural background, her current status with the her mother and stepfather and other and other relevant details. Anne also identifies Joes mother, stepfather, Mary and other members of the household as the stakeholders involved in the problem. Anne then attempts to safeguard Joes rights and works in line with the moral principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice and fidelity to protect Joes welfare. In Joes case it is highly likely that different princip les may lead to incompatible conclusions. At this point, Joe seeks guidance and evaluates on which principle should take priority over the others. Anne also reviews the relevant ethical codes to check on ethical obligations regarding her actions. For instance, she may evaluate if a disclosing the issue to her mother would compromise Joes welfare. To mitigate this ambiguity, Anne refers to the ethical codes and standards. Then, Anne explores if any legal statutes are relevant to her actions and is careful about not violating them. Subsequently, Anne talks to her supervisor about Joes case to obtain feedback and solicits ideas from her colleague who works with teenagers. With all the information, Anne identifies a number of possible courses of actions. She lists down the potential responses such as encouraging Joe to talk about it to her mother while maintaining confidentiality of Joes case or as another alternative, informing Joe that she (Anne) would like to consult her mother. In J oes presence and with some supervision, Anne then considers the consequences and outcomes of the possible actions and evaluates the most probable options. Upon arriving at a decision which is ethically appropriate, Anne assesses the outcomes of those decisions and reflect on how they will set an impact on Joe. She communicates these to Joe and documents her action for record-keeping. Another case scenario would involve a family whose child has leukemia and the parents are addressing the situation with prayers rather than medical treatment. They have sought Paul for counseling. To begin with, Paul is faced with a dilemma, as he recognizes a serious problem. On one hand, safety and the welfare of the child and on the other, maintaining client confidentiality are two issues of concern. Conclusion: As counseling focuses on important perspectives such as clients needs, hope,risk and expectations to the point where lives can be at stake, counselors need to reason ethically through challenging situations and determine the most appropriate course of action that ultimately is in the best interest of clients. This requires counselors to be aware of professional and personal issues influencing their decisions, especially when considering the potentially profound, harmful ramifications to clients and the counseling profession when sound ethical judgment is not made.

Combining of Old World Animals and the New World Environment Essay exam

Combining of Old World Animals and the New World Environment On the morning of October 12, 1492, as Columbus and his fleet of three ships approached the majestic shores of the new world, it marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. Until this historic moment, the two continents had lived separately from each other, unaware of the other's existence. However, as Columbus and his crew set foot upon the New World, the flood gates were suddenly opened as the country now known as America, fell into the hands of its European discoverers. With their arrival to the virgin lands, the Europeans encountered a world different from their own and quickly sought to "Europeanize" it as soon as possible. In essence, this meant transforming it into something which more closely resembled their home lands (Crosby 64). By manipulating the new environment to better reflect the surrounding of their home country, the explorers and later the settlers, began to break down the fragile ecosystem of the New World. With little regard for their impact on the en vironment, the progressive destruction of the natural habitat continued at an unprecedented rate. The mass devastation of the virgin forests and woodlands shattered the natural balance which had been in place for centuries. Little was spared from the invasive methods of Columbus and his fellow Europeans, including animals. As if the destruction of the native land was not drastic enough, the introduction of Old World species into the New World environment added another factor into the story of the conquest of the New World and its inhabitants. In the years following 1492, an onslaught of European species were introduced into the New World in an attempt to Europeanize the newly discovered ... ... played a part in building what is the environment of present day America. Though these changes took place over four centuries ago, the results can see be seen for the outcome is in front of us every day - a unique and diverse biota composed of species from two worlds meshed together into one living environment. Bibliography Bedini, Silvio A. Editor in Chief. The Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. Crosby, Jr., Alfred. The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. West Port, Connecticut, 1972. Gause, as quoted in Krebs, Charles J. Ecology 4th ed. California: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1994. Jones, Jr., Malcom. "When Worlds Collide", Newsweek. Fall/Winter 1991. Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy. New York, Penguin Books, 1990.

Ballroom Dancing :: essays research papers

Have you did something that you didn’t really want to do, and then later get selected for doing it? Well, I have. It was another beautiful Friday at Spottsville Elementary School, and ever Friday at Spottsville was music class. But today we didn’t have music class, today was something totally different. Our music teacher Ms.Belcher was having try-outs for Mrs. Benson's ballroom dance team. To tell you the truth, I was just going to get up there and goof-off, and that I did do. But, on that Friday something went wrong, something terrible, something I didn't expect to happen. "Now class take your seat. Today we will be trying out for ballroom dancing. Only the best dancers will be teaching the 5th graders for Mrs. Benson," said Ms. Belcher. Well, I thought that it was going to be boring (which it was), and I was mad because we all had to try-out (which we all did). Ms. Belcher picked the first group and then walked over to her boom-box and started playing the Macarena. This was simple; everyone knew how to do that dance. About ten min. into dancing, my friends thought it would be funny for someone not to know how to do the Macarena, and just do something totally different. So they dared me to, and like the comedian that I am, I agreed. When she called up for the last group (which I was in) everyone was laughing, including me. I did do something totally different from the Macarena, I did the disco. Even I can’t believe it now, but I was. If I was in the audience and could see myself dancing, it would have probably looked like something off the movie â€Å"Boogie Nights†, starring John Travolta. And I know I would have been laughing too. Finally Ms. Belcher turned off the music and said, "Now class settle down. I will have the results for you sometime next week." At the end of class when we all leaving everyone was telling me how funny it was, but you could tell that Ms. Belcher did find it amusing at all. But I don’t care, as long as I got a few laughs (well it was more than a few). That following week I was sitting in Mr. Adkin's class, my regular teacher. He was showing us how to fractions, when someone knocked on the door. Mr. Adkins walked over and gladly opened it. Mrs. Benson stepped in the room and told us why she had came. Then one bye one she called people out into the hallway.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 1 Mathematician

CLEON I-†¦ The last Galactic Emperor of the Entun dynasty. He was born in the year 11,988 of the Galactic Era, the same year in which Hari Seldon was born. (It is thought that Seldon's birthdate, which some consider doubtful, may have been adjusted to match that of Cleon, whom Seldon, soon after his arrival on Trantor, is supposed to have encountered.) Having succeeded to the Imperial throne in 12,010 at the age of twenty-two, Cleon I's reign represented a curious interval of quiet in those troubled times. This is undoubtedly due to the skills of his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, who so carefully obscured himself from public record that little is known about him. Cleon himself†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica [1] 1. Suppressing a small yawn, Cleon said, â€Å"Demerzel, have you by any chance ever heard of a man named Hari Seldon?† Cleon had been Emperor for just over ten years and there were times at state occasions when, dressed in the necessary robes and regalia, he could manage to look stately. He did so, for instance, in the holograph of himself that stood in the niche in the wall behind him. It was placed so that it clearly dominated the other niches holding the holographs of several of his ancestors. The holograph was not a totally honest one, for though Cleon's hair was light brown in hologram and reality alike, it was a bit thicker in the holograph. There was a certain asymmetry to his real face, for the left side of his upper lip raised itself a bit higher than the right side, and this was somehow not evident in the holograph. And if he had stood up and placed himself beside the holograph, he would have been seen to be 2 centimeters under the 1.83-meter height that the image portrayed-and perhaps a bit stouter. Of course, the holograph was the official coronation portrait and he had been younger then. He still looked young and rather handsome, too, and when he was not in the pitiless grip of official ceremony, there was a kind of vague good nature about his face. Demerzel said, with the tone of respect that he carefully cultivated, â€Å"Hari Seldon? It is an unfamiliar name to me, Sire. Ought I to know of him?† â€Å"The Minister of Science mentioned him to me last night. I thought you might.† Demerzel frowned slightly, but only very slightly, for one does not frown in the Imperial presence. â€Å"The Minister of Science, Sire, should have spoken of this man to me as Chief of Staff. If you are to be bombarded from every side-â€Å" Cleon raised his hand and Demerzel stopped at once. â€Å"Please, Demerzel, one can't stand on formality at all times. When I passed the Minister at last night's reception and exchanged a few words with him, he bubbled over. I could not refuse to listen and I was glad I had, for it was interesting.† â€Å"In what way interesting, Sire?† â€Å"Well, these are not the old days when science and mathematics were all the rage. That sort of thing seems to have died down somehow, perhaps because all the discoveries have been made, don't you think? Apparently, however, interesting things can still happen. At least I was told it was interesting.† â€Å"By the Minister of Science, Sire?† â€Å"Yes. He said that this Hari Seldon had attended a convention of mathematicians held here in Trantor-they do this every ten years, for some reason-and he said that he had proved that one could foretell the future mathematically.† Demerzel permitted himself a small smile. â€Å"Either the Minister of Science, a man of little acumen, is mistaken or the mathematician is. Surely, the matter of foretelling the future is a children's dream of magic.† â€Å"Is it, Demerzel? People believe in such things.† â€Å"People believe in many things, Sire.† â€Å"But they believe in such things. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the forecast of the future is true or not. If a mathematician should predict a long and happy reign for me, a time of peace and prosperity for the Empire-Eh, would that not be well?† â€Å"It would be pleasant to hear, certainly, but what would it accomplish, Sire?† â€Å"But surely if people believe this, they would act on that belief. Many a prophecy, by the mere force of its being believed, is transmuted to fact. These are ‘self-fulfilling prophecies.' Indeed, now that I think of it, it was you who once explained this to me.† Demerzel said, â€Å"I believe I did, Sire.† His eyes were watching the Emperor carefully, as though to see how far he might go on his own. â€Å"Still, if that be so, one could have any person make the prophecy.† â€Å"Not all persons would be equally believed, Demerzel. A mathematician, however, who could back his prophecy with mathematical formulas and terminology, might be understood by no one and yet believed by everyone.† Demerzel said, â€Å"As usual, Sire, you make good sense. We live in troubled times and it would be worthwhile to calm them in a way that would require neither money nor military effort-which, in recent history, have done little good and much harm.† â€Å"Exactly, Demerzel,† said the Emperor with excitement. â€Å"Reel in this Hari Seldon. You tell me you have your strings stretching to every part of this turbulent world, even where my forces dare not go. Pull on one of those strings, then, and bring in this mathematician. Let me see him.† â€Å"I will do so, Sire,† said Demerzel, who had already located Seldon and who made a mental note to commend the Minister of Science for a job well done. 2. Hari Seldon did not make an impressive appearance at this time. Like the Emperor Cleon I, he was thirty-two years old, but he was only 1.73 meters tall. His face was smooth and cheerful, his hair dark brown, almost black, and his clothing had the unmistakable touch of provinciality about it. To anyone in later times who knew of Hari Seldon only as a legendary demigod, it would seem almost sacrilegious for him not to have white hair, not to have an old lined face, a quiet smile radiating wisdom, not to be seated in a wheelchair. Even then, in advanced old age, his eyes had been cheerful, however. There was that. And his eyes were particularly cheerful now, for his paper had been given at the Decennial Convention. It had even aroused some interest in a distant sort of way and old Osterfith had nodded his head at him and had said, â€Å"Ingenious, young man. Most ingenious.† Which, coming from Osterfith, was satisfactory. Most satisfactory. But now there was a new-and quite unexpected-development and Seldon wasn't sure whether it should increase his cheer and intensify his satisfaction or not. He stared at the tall young man in uniform-the Spaceship-and-Sun neatly placed on the left side of his tunic. â€Å"Lieutenant Alban Wellis,† said the officer of the Emperor's Guard before putting away his identification. â€Å"Will you come with me now, sir?† Wellis was armed, of course. There were two other Guardsmen waiting outside his door. Seldon knew he had no choice, for all the other's careful politeness, but there was no reason he could not seek information. He said, â€Å"To see the Emperor?† â€Å"To be brought to the Palace, sir. That's the extent of my instructions.† â€Å"But why?† â€Å"I was not told why, sir. And I have my strict instructions that you must come with me-one way or another.† â€Å"But this seems as though I am being arrested. I have done nothing to warrant that.† â€Å"Say, rather, that it seems you are being given an escort of honor-if you delay me no further.† Seldon delayed no further. He pressed his lips together, as though to block of further questions, nodded his head, and stepped forward. Even if he was going to meet the Emperor and to receive Imperial commendation, he found no joy in it. He was for the Empire-that is, for the worlds of humanity in peace and union but he was not for the Emperor. The lieutenant walked ahead, the other two behind. Seldon smiled at those he passed and managed to look unconcerned. Outside the hotel they climbed into an official ground-car. (Seldon ran his hand over the upholstery; he had never been in anything so ornate.) They were in one of the wealthiest sections of Trantor. The dome was high enough here to give a sensation of being in the open and one could swear-even one such as Hari Seldon, who had been born and brought up on an open world-that they were in sunlight. You could see no sun and no shadows, but the air was light and fragrant. And then it passed and the dome curved down and the walls narrowed in and soon they were moving along an enclosed tunnel, marked periodically with the Spaceship-and-Sun and so clearly reserved (Seldon thought) for official vehicles. A door opened and the ground-car sped through. When the door closed behind them, they were in the open-the true, the real open. There were 250 square kilometers of the only stretch of open land on Trantor and on it stood the Imperial Palace. Seldon would have liked a chance to wander through that open land-not because of the Palace, but because it also contained the Galactic University and, most intriguing of all, the Galactic Library. And yet, in passing from the enclosed world of Trantor into the open patch of wood and parkland, he had passed into a world in which clouds dimmed the sky and a chill wind rued his shirt. He pressed the contact that closed the ground-car's window. It was a dismal day outside. 3. Seldon was not at all sure he would meet the Emperor. At best, he would meet some official in the fourth or fifth echelon who would claim to speak for the Emperor. How many people ever did see the Emperor? In person, rather than on holovision? How many people saw the real, tangible Emperor, an Emperor who never left the Imperial grounds that he, Seldon, was now rolling over. The number was vanishingly small. Twenty-five million inhabited worlds, each with its cargo of a billion human beings or more-and among all those quadrillions of human beings, how many had, or would ever, lay eyes on the living Emperor. A thousand? And did anyone care? The Emperor was no more than a symbol of Empire, like the Spaceship-and-Sun but far less pervasive, far less real. It was his soldiers and his officials, crawling everywhere, that now represented an Empire that had become a dead weight upon its people-not the Emperor. So it was that when Seldon was ushered into a moderately sized, lavishly furnished room and found a young-looking man sitting on the edge of a table in a windowed alcove, one foot on the ground and one swinging over the edge, he found himself wondering that any official should be looking at him in so blandly good-natured a way. He had already experienced the fact, over and over, that government officials-and particularly those in the Imperial service-looked grave at all times, as though bearing the weight of the entire Galaxy on their shoulders. And it seemed the lower in importance they were, the graver and more threatening their expression. This, then, might be an official so high in the scale, with the sun of power so bright upon him, that he felt no need of countering it with clouds of frowning. Seldon wasn't sure how impressed he ought to be, but he felt that it would be best to remain silent and let the other speak first. The official said, â€Å"You are Hari Seldon, I believe. The mathematician.† Seldon responded with a minimal â€Å"Yes, sir,† and waited again. The young man waved an arm. â€Å"It should be ‘Sire,' but I hate ceremony. It's all I get and I weary of it. We are alone, so I will pamper myself and eschew ceremony. Sit down, professor.† Halfway through the speech, Seldon realized that he was speaking to the Emperor Cleon, First of that Name, and he felt the wind go out of him. There was a faint resemblance (now that he looked) to the official holograph that appeared constantly in the news, but in that holograph, Cleon was always dressed imposingly, seemed taller, nobler, frozen-faced. And here he was, the original of the holograph, and somehow he appeared to be quite ordinary. Seldon did not budge. The Emperor frowned slightly and, with the habit of command present even in the attempt to abolish it, at least temporarily, said peremptorily, â€Å"I said, ‘Sit down,' man. That chair. Quickly.† Seldon sat down, quite speechless. He could not even bring himself to say, â€Å"Yes, Sire.† Cleon smiled. â€Å"That's better. Now we can talk like two fellow human beings, which, after all, is what we are once ceremony is removed. Eh, my man?† Seldon said cautiously, â€Å"If Your Imperial Majesty is content to say so, then it is so.† â€Å"Oh, come, why are you so cautious? I want to talk to you on equal terms. It is my pleasure to do so. Humor me.† â€Å"Yes, Sire.† â€Å"A simple ‘Yes,' man. Is there no way I can reach you?† Cleon stared at Seldon and Seldon thought it was a lively and interested stare. Finally the Emperor said, â€Å"You don't look like a mathematician.† At last, Seldon found himself able to smile. â€Å"I don't know what a mathematician is suppose to look like, Your Imp-â€Å" Cleon raised a cautioning hand and Seldon choked off the honorific. Cleon said, â€Å"White-haired, I suppose. Bearded, perhaps. Old, certainly.† â€Å"Yet even mathematicians must be young to begin with.† â€Å"But they are then without reputation. By the time they obtrude themselves on the notice of the Galaxy, they are as I have described.† â€Å"I am without reputation, I'm afraid.† â€Å"Yet you spoke at this convention they held here.† â€Å"A great many of us did. Some were younger than myself. Few of us were granted any attention whatever.† â€Å"Your talk apparently attracted the attention of some of my officials. I am given to understand that you believe it possible to predict the future.† Seldon suddenly felt weary. It seemed as though this misinterpretation of his theory was constantly going to occur. Perhaps he should not have presented his paper. He said, â€Å"Not quite, actually. What I have done is much more limited than that. In many systems, the situation is such that under some conditions chaotic events take place. That means that, given a particular starting point, it is impossible to predict outcomes. This is true even in some quite simple systems, but the more complex a system, the more likely it is to become chaotic. It has always been assumed that anything as complicated as human society would quickly become chaotic and, therefore, unpredictable. What I have done, however, is to show that, in studying human society, it is possible to choose a starting point and to make appropriate assumptions that will suppress the chaos. That will make it possible to predict the future, not in full detail, of course, but in broad sweeps; not with certainty, but with calculable probabilities.† The Emperor, who had listened carefully, said, â€Å"But doesn't that mean that you have shown how to predict the future?† â€Å"Again, not quite. I have showed that it is theoretically possible, but no more. To do more, we would actually have to choose a correct starting point, make correct assumptions, and then find ways of carrying through calculations in a finite time. Nothing in my mathematical argument tells us how to do any of this. And even if we could do it all, we would, at best, only assess probabilities. That is not the same as predicting the future; it is merely a guess at what is likely to happen. Every successful politician, businessman, or human being of any calling must make these estimates of the future and do it fairly well or he or she would not be successful.† â€Å"They do it without mathematics.† â€Å"True. They do it by intuition.† â€Å"With the proper mathematics, anyone would be able to assess the probabilities. It wouldn't take the rare human being who is successful because of a remarkable intuitive sense.† â€Å"True again, but I have merely shown that mathematical analysis is possible; I have not shown it to be practical.† â€Å"How can something be possible, yet not practical?† â€Å"It is theoretically possible for me to visit each world of the Galaxy and greet each person on each world. However, it would take far longer to do this than I have years to live and, even if I was immortal, the rate at which new human beings are being born is greater than the rate at which I could interview the old and, even more to the point, old human beings would die in great numbers before I could ever get to them.† â€Å"And is this sort of thing true of your mathematics of the future?† Seldon hesitated, then went on. â€Å"It might be that the mathematics would take too long to work out, even if one had a computer the size of the Universe working at hyperspatial velocities. By the time any answer had been received, enough years would have elapsed to alter the situation so grossly as to make the answer meaningless.† â€Å"Why cannot the process be simplified?† Cleon asked sharply. â€Å"Your Imperial Majesty,†-Seldon felt the Emperor growing more formal as the answers grew less to his liking and responded with greater formality of his own, â€Å"consider the manner in which scientists have dealt with subatomic particles. There are enormous numbers of these, each moving or vibrating in random and unpredictable manner, but this chaos turns out to have an underlying order, so that we can work out a quantum mechanics that answers all the questions we know how to ask. In studying society, we place human beings in the place of subatomic particles, but now there is the added factor of the human mind. Particles move mindlessly; human beings do not. To take into account the various attitudes and impulses of mind adds so much complexity that there lacks time to take care of all of it.† â€Å"Could not mind, as well as mindless motion, have an underlying order?† â€Å"Perhaps. My mathematical analysis implies that order must underlie everything, however disorderly it may appear to be, but it does not give any hint as to how this underlying order may be found. Consider-Twenty-five million worlds, each with its overall characteristics and culture, each being significantly different from all the rest, each containing a billion or more human beings who each have an individual mind, and all the worlds interacting in innumerable ways and combinations! However theoretically possible a psychohistorical analysis may be, it is not likely that it can be done in any practical sense.† â€Å"What do you mean ‘psychohistorical'?† â€Å"I refer to the theoretical assessment of probabilities concerning the future as ‘psychohistory.' â€Å" The Emperor rose to his feet suddenly, strode to the other end of the room, turned, strode back, and stopped before the still-sitting Seldon. â€Å"Stand up!† he commanded. Seldon rose and looked up at the somewhat taller Emperor. He strove to keep his gaze steady. Cleon finally said, â€Å"This psychohistory of yours†¦ if it could be made practical, it would be of great use, would it not?† â€Å"Of enormous use, obviously. To know what the future holds, in even the most general and probabilistic way, would serve as a new and marvelous guide for our actions, one that humanity has never before had. But, of course-† He paused. â€Å"Well?† said Cleon impatiently. â€Å"Well, it would seem that, except for a few decision-makers, the results of psychohistorical analysis would have to remain unknown to the public.† â€Å"Unknown!† exclaimed Cleon with surprise. â€Å"It's clear. Let me try to explain. If a psychohistorical analysis is made and the results are then given to the public, the various emotions and reactions of humanity would at once be distorted. The psychohistorical analysis, based on emotions and reactions that take place without knowledge of the future, become meaningless. Do you understand?† The Emperor's eyes brightened and he laughed aloud. â€Å"Wonderful!† He clapped his hand on Seldon's shoulder and Seldon staggered slightly under the blow. â€Å"Don't you see, man?† said Cleon. â€Å"Don't you see? There's your use. You don't need to predict the future. Just choose a future-a good future, a useful future-and make the kind of prediction that will alter human emotions and reactions in such a way that the future you predicted will be brought about. Better to make a good future than predict a bad one.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"I see what you mean, Sire, but that is equally impossible.† â€Å"Impossible?† â€Å"Well, at any rate, impractical. Don't you see? If you can't start with human emotions and reactions and predict the future they will bring about, you can't do the reverse either. You can't start with a future and predict the human emotions and reactions that will bring it about.† Cleon looked frustrated. His lips tightened. â€Å"And your paper, then?†¦ Is that what you call it, a paper?†¦ Of what use is it?† â€Å"It was merely a mathematical demonstration. It made a point of interest to mathematicians, but there was no thought in my mind of its being useful in any way.† â€Å"I find that disgusting,† said Cleon angrily. Seldon shrugged slightly. More than ever, he knew he should never have given the paper. What would become of him if the Emperor took it into his head that he had been made to play the fool? And indeed, Cleon did not look as though he was very far from believing that. â€Å"Nevertheless,† he said, â€Å"what if you were to make predictions of the future, mathematically justified or not; predictions that government officials, human beings whose expertise it is to know what the public is likely to do, will judge to be the kind that will bring about useful reactions?† â€Å"Why would you need me to do that? The government officials could make those predictions themselves and spare the middleman.† â€Å"The government officials could not do so as effectively. Government officials do make statements of the sort now and then. They are not necessarily believed.† â€Å"Why would I be?† â€Å"You are a mathematician. You would have calculated the future, not†¦ not intuited it-if that is a word.† â€Å"But I would not have done so.† â€Å"Who would know that?† Cleon watched him out of narrowed eyes. There was a pause. Seldon felt trapped. If given a direct order by the Emperor, would it be safe to refuse? If he refused, he might be imprisoned or executed. Not without trial, of course, but it is only with great difficulty that a trial can be made to go against the wishes of a heavy-handed officialdom, particularly one under the command of the Emperor of the vast Galactic Empire. He said finally, â€Å"It wouldn't work.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"If I were asked to predict vague generalities that could not possibly come to pass until long after this generation and, perhaps, the next were dead, we might get away with it, but, on the other hand, the public would pay little attention. They would not care about a glowing eventuality a century or two in the future. â€Å"To attain results,† Seldon went on, â€Å"I would have to predict matters of sharper consequence, more immediate eventualities. Only to these would the public respond. Sooner or later, though-and probably sooner-one of the eventualities would not come to pass and my usefulness would be ended at once. With that, your popularity might be gone, too, and, worst of all, there would be no further support for the development of psychohistory so that there would be no chance for any good to come of it if future improvements in mathematical insights help to make it move closer to the realm of practicality.† Cleon threw himself into a chair and frowned at Seldon. â€Å"Is that all you mathematicians can do? Insist on impossibilities?† Seldon said with desperate softness, â€Å"It is you, Sire, who insist on impossibilities.† â€Å"Let me test you, man. Suppose I asked you to use your mathematics to tell me whether I would some day be assassinated? What would you say?† â€Å"My mathematical system would not give an answer to so specific a question, even if psychohistory worked at its best. All the quantum mechanics in the world cannot make it possible to predict the behavior of one lone electron, only the average behavior of many.† â€Å"You know your mathematics better than I do. Make an educated guess based on it. Will I someday be assassinated?† Seldon said softly, â€Å"You lay a trap for me, Sire. Either tell me what answer you wish and I will give it to you or else give me free right to make what answer I wish without punishment.† â€Å"Speak as you will.† â€Å"Your word of honor?† â€Å"Do you want it an writing?† Cleon was sarcastic. â€Å"Your spoken word of honor will be sufficient,† said Seldon, his heart sinking, for he was not certain it would be. â€Å"You have my word of honor.† â€Å"Then I can tell you that in the past four centuries nearly half the Emperors have been assassinated, from which I conclude that the chances of your assassination are roughly one in two.† â€Å"Any fool can give that answer,† said Cleon with contempt. â€Å"It takes no mathematician.† â€Å"Yet I have told you several times that my mathematics is useless for practical problems.† â€Å"Can't you even suppose that I learn the lessons that have been given me by my unfortunate predecessors?† Seldon took a deep breath and plunged in. â€Å"No, Sire. All history shows that we do not learn from the lessons of the past. For instance, you have allowed me here in a private audience. What if it were in my mind to assassinate you? Which it isn't, Sire,† he added hastily. Cleon smiled without humor. â€Å"My man, you don't take into account our thoroughness-or advances in technology. We have studied your history, your complete record. When you arrived, you were scanned. Your expression and voiceprints were analyzed. We knew your emotional state in detail; we practically knew your thoughts. Had there been the slightest doubt of your harmlessness, you would not have been allowed near me. In fact, you would not now be alive.† A wave of nausea swept through Seldon, but he continued. â€Å"Outsiders have always found it difficult to get at Emperors, even with technology less advanced. However, almost every assassination has been a palace coup. It is those nearest the Emperor who are the greatest danger to him. Against that danger, the careful screening of outsiders is irrelevant. And as for your own officials, your own Guardsmen, your own intimates, you cannot treat them as you treat me.† Cleon said, â€Å"I know that, too, and at least as well as you do. The answer is that I treat those about me fairly and I give them no cause for resentment.† â€Å"A foolish-† began Seldon, who then stopped in confusion. â€Å"Go on,† said Cleon angrily. â€Å"I have given you permission to speak freely. How am I foolish?† â€Å"The word slipped out, Sire. I meant ‘irrelevant.' Your treatment of your intimates is irrelevant. You must be suspicious; it would be inhuman not to be. A careless word, such as the one I used, a careless gesture, a doubtful expression and you must withdraw a bit with narrowed eyes. And any touch of suspicion sets in motion a vicious cycle. The intimate will sense and resent the suspicion and will develop a changed behavior, try as he might to avoid it. You sense that and grow more suspicious and, in the end, either he is executed or you are assassinated. It is a process that has proved unavoidable for the Emperors of the past four centuries and it is but one sign of the increasing difficulty of conducting the affairs of the Empire.† â€Å"Then nothing I can do will avoid assassination.† â€Å"No, Sire,† said Seldon, â€Å"but, on the other hand, you may prove fortunate.† Cleon's fingers were drumming on the arm of his chair. He said harshly, â€Å"You are useless, man, and so is your psychohistory. Leave me.† And with those words, the Emperor looked away, suddenly seeming much older than his thirty-two years. â€Å"I have said my mathematics would be useless to you, Sire. My profound apologies.† Seldon tried to bow but at some signal he did not see, two guards entered and took him away. Cleon's voice came after him from the royal chamber. â€Å"Return that man to the place from which he was brought earlier.† 4. Eto Demerzel emerged and glanced at the Emperor with a hint of proper deference. He said, â€Å"Sire, you have almost lost your temper.† Cleon looked up and, with an obvious effort, managed to smile. â€Å"Well, so I did. The man was very disappointing.† â€Å"And yet he promised no more than he offered.† â€Å"He offered nothing.† â€Å"And promised nothing, Sire.† â€Å"It was disappointing.† Demerzel said, â€Å"More than disappointing, perhaps. The man is a loose cannon, Sire.† â€Å"A loose what, Demerzel? You are always so full of strange expressions. What is a cannon?† Demerzel said gravely, â€Å"It is simply an expression I heard in my youth, Sire. The Empire is full of strange expressions and some are unknown on Trantor, as those of Trantor are sometimes unknown elsewhere.† â€Å"Do you come to teach me the Empire is large? What do you mean by saying that the man is a loose cannon?† â€Å"Only that he can do much harm without necessarily intending it. He does not know his own strength. Or importance.† â€Å"You deduce that, do you, Demerzel?† â€Å"Yes, Sire. He is a provincial. He does not know Trantor or its ways. He has never been on our planet before and he cannot behave like a man of breeding, like a courtier. Yet he stood up to-â€Å" â€Å"And why not? I gave him permission to speak. I left off ceremony. I treated him as an equal.† â€Å"Not entirely, Sire. You don't have it within you to treat others as equals. You have the habit of command. And even if you tried to put a person at his ease, there would be few who could manage it. Most would be speechless or, worse, subservient and sycophantic. This man stood up to you.† â€Å"Well, you may admire that, Demerzel, but I didn't like him.† Cleon looked thoughtfully discontented. â€Å"Did you notice that he made no effort to explain his mathematics to me? It was as though he knew I would not understand a word of it.† â€Å"Nor would you have, Sire. You are not a mathematician, nor a scientist of any kind, nor an artist. There are many fields of knowledge in which others know more than you. It is their task to use their knowledge to serve you. You are the Emperor, which is worth all their specializations put together.† â€Å"Is it? I would not mind being made to feel ignorant by an old man who had accumulated knowledge over many years. But this man, Seldon, is just my age. How does he know so much?† â€Å"He has not had to learn the habit of command, the art of reaching a decision that will affect the lives of others.† â€Å"Sometimes, Demerzel, I wonder if you are laughing at me.† â€Å"Sire?† said Demerzel reproachfully. â€Å"But never mind. Back to that loose cannon of yours. Why should you consider him dangerous? He seems a naive provincial to me.† â€Å"He is. But he has this mathematical development of his.† â€Å"He says it is useless.† â€Å"You thought it might be useful. I thought so, after you had explained it to me. Others might. The mathematician may come to think so himself, now that his mind has been focused on it. And who knows, he may yet work out some way of making use of it. If he does, then to foretell the future, however mistily, is to be in a position of great power. Even if he does not wish power for himself, a kind of self-denial that always seems to me to be unlikely, he might be used by others.† â€Å"I tried to use him. He would not.† â€Å"He had not given it thought. Perhaps now he will. And if he was not interested in being used by you, might he not be persuaded by-let us say-the Mayor of Wye?† â€Å"Why should he be willing to help Wye and not us?† â€Å"As he explained, it is hard to predict the emotions and behavior of individuals.† Cleon scowled and sat in thought. â€Å"Do you really think he might develop this psychohistory of his to the point where it is truly useful? He is so certain he cannot.† â€Å"He may, with time, decide he was wrong in denying the possibility.† Cleon said, â€Å"Then I suppose I ought to have kept him.† Demerzel said, â€Å"No, Sire. Your instinct was correct when you let him go. Imprisonment, however disguised, would cause resentment and despair, which would not help him either to develop his ideas further or make him eager to help us. Better to let him go as you have done, but to keep him forever on an invisible leash. In this way, we can see that he is not used by an enemy of yourself, Sire, and we can see that when the time comes and he has fully developed his science, we can pull on our leash and bring him in. Then we could be†¦ more persuasive.† â€Å"But what if he it picked up by an enemy of mine or, better, of the Empire, for I am the Empire after all, or if, of his own accord, he wishes to serve an enemy-I don't consider that out of the question, you see.† â€Å"Nor should you. I will see to it that this doesn't happen, but if, against all striving, it does happen, it would be better if no one has him than if the wrong person does.† Cleon looked uneasy. â€Å"I'll leave that all in your hands, Demerzel, but I hope we're not too hasty. He could be, after all, nothing but the purveyor of a theoretical science that does not and cannot work.† â€Å"Quite possibly, Sire, but it would be safer to assume the man is-or might be-important. We lose only a little time and nothing more if we find that we have concerned ourselves with a nonentity. We may lose a Galaxy if we find we have ignored someone of great importance.† â€Å"Very well, then,† said Cleon, â€Å"but I trust I won't have to know the details-if they prove unpleasant.† Demerzel said, â€Å"Let us hope that will not be the case.† 5. Seldon had had an evening, a night, and part of a morning to get over his meeting with the Emperor. At least, the changing quality of light within the walkways, moving corridors, squares, and parks of the Imperial Sector of Trantor made it seem that an evening, a night, and part of a morning had passed. He sat now in a small park on a small plastic seat that molded itself neatly to his body and he was comfortable. Judging from the light, it seemed to be midmorning and the air was just cool enough to seem fresh without possessing even the smallest bite. Was it like this all the time? He thought of the gray day outside when he went to see the Emperor. And he thought of all the gray days and cold days and hot days and rainy days and snowy days on Helicon, his home, and he wondered if one could miss them. Was it possible to sit in a park on Trantor, having ideal weather day after day, so that it felt as though you were surrounded by nothing at all-and coming to miss a howling wind or a biting cold or a breathless humidity? Perhaps. But not on the first day or the second or the seventh. He would have only this one day and he would leave tomorrow. He meant to enjoy it while he could. He might, after all, never return to Trantor. Still, he continued to feel uneasy at having spoken as independently as he had to a man who could, at will, order one's imprisonment or execution-or, at the very least, the economic and social death of loss of position and status. Before going to bed, Seldon had looked up Cleon I in the encyclopedic portion of his hotel room computer. The Emperor had been highly praised as, no doubt, had all Emperors in their own lifetime, regardless of their deeds. Seldon had dismissed that, but he was interested in the fact that Cleon had been born in the Palace and had never left its grounds. He had never been in Trantor itself, in any part of the multi-domed world. It was a matter of security, perhaps, but what it meant was that the Emperor was in prison, whether he admitted the matter to him self or not. It might be the most luxurious prison in the Galaxy, but it was a prison just the same. And though the Emperor had seemed mild-mannered and had shown no sign of being a bloody-minded autocrat as so many of his predecessors had been, it was not good to have attracted his attention. Seldon welcomed the thought of leaving tomorrow for Helicon, even though it would be winter (and a rather nasty one, so far) back home. He looked up at the bright diffuse light. Although it could never rain in here, the atmosphere was far from dry. A fountain played not far from him; the plants were green and had probably never felt drought. Occasionally, the shrubbery rustled as though a small animal or two was hidden there. He heard the hum of bees. Really, though Trantor was spoken of throughout the Galaxy as an artificial world of metal and ceramic, in this small patch it felt positively rustic. There were a few other persons taking advantage of the park all wearing light hats, some quite small. There was one rather pretty young woman not far away, but she was bent over a viewer and he could not see her face clearly. A man walked past, looked at him briefly and incuriously, then sat down in a seat facing him and buried himself in a sheaf of teleprints, crossing one leg, in its tight pink trouser leg, over the other. There was a tendency to pastel shades among the men, oddly enough, while the women mostly wore white. Being a clean environment, it made sense to wear light colors. He looked down in amusement at his own Heliconian costume, which was predominantly dull brown. If he were to stay on Trantor as he was not he would need to purchase suitable clothing or he would become an object of curiosity or laughter or repulsion. The man with the teleprints had, for instance, looked up at him more curiously this time-no doubt intrigued by his Outworldish clothing. Seldon was relieved that he did not smile. He could be philosophical over being a figure of fun, but, surely, he could not be expected to enjoy it. Seldon watched the man rather unobtrusively, for he seemed to be engaged in some sort of internal debate. At the moment he looked as if he was about to speak, then seemed to think better of it, then seemed to wish to speak again. Seldon wondered what the outcome would be. He studied the man. He was tall, with broad shoulders and no sign of a paunch, darkish hair with a glint of blond, smooth-shaven, a grave expression, an air of strength though there were no bulging muscles, a face that was a touch rugged-pleasant, but with nothing â€Å"pretty† about it. By the time the man had lost the internal fight with himself (or won, perhaps) and leaned toward him, Seldon had decided he liked him. The man said, â€Å"Pardon me, weren't you at the Decennial Convention? Mathematics?† â€Å"Yes, I was,† said Seldon agreeably. â€Å"Ah, I thought I saw you there. It was-excuse me-that moment of recognition that led me to sit here. If I am intruding on your privacy-â€Å" â€Å"Not at all. I'm just enjoying an idle moment.† â€Å"Let's see how close I can get. You're Professor Seldon.† â€Å"Seldon. Hari Seldon. Quite close. And you?† â€Å"Chetter Hummin.† The man seemed slightly embarrassed. â€Å"Rather a homespun name, I'm afraid.† â€Å"I've never come across any Chetters before,† said Seldon. â€Å"Or Hummins. So that makes you somewhat unique, I should think. It might be viewed as being better than being mixed up with all the countless Haris there are. Or Seldons, for that matter.† Seldon moved his chair closer to Hummin, scraping it against the slightly elastic ceramoid tiles. â€Å"Talk about homespun,† he said, â€Å"What about this Outworldish clothing I'm wearing? It never occurred to me that I ought to get Trantorian garb.† â€Å"You could buy some,† said Hummin, eyeing Seldon with suppressed disapproval. â€Å"I'll be leaving tomorrow and, besides, I couldn't afford it. Mathematicians deal with large numbers sometimes, but never in their income.-I presume you're a mathematician, Hummin.† â€Å"No. Zero talent there.† â€Å"Oh.† Seldon was disappointed. â€Å"You said you saw me at the Decennial Convention.† â€Å"I was there as an onlooker. I'm a journalist.† He waved his teleprints, seemed suddenly aware that he was holding them and shoved them into his jacket pouch. â€Å"I supply the material for the news holocasts.† Then, thoughtfully, â€Å"Actually, I'm rather tired of it.† â€Å"The job?† Hummin nodded. â€Å"I'm sick of gathering together all the nonsense from every world. I hate the downward spiral.† He glanced speculatively at Seldon. â€Å"Sometimes something interesting turns up, though. I've heard you were seen in the company of an Imperial Guard and making for the Palace gate. You weren't by any chance seen by the Emperor, were you?† The smile vanished from Seldon's face. He said slowly, â€Å"If I was, it would scarcely be something I could talk about for publication.† â€Å"No, no, not for publication. If you don't know this, Seldon, let me be the first to tell you-The first rule of the news game is that nothing is ever said about the Emperor or his personal entourage except what is officially given out. It's a mistake, of course, because rumors fly that are much worse than the truth, but that's the way it is.† â€Å"But if you can't report it, friend, why do you ask?† â€Å"Private curiosity. Believe me, in my job I know a great deal more than ever gets on the air.-Let me guess. I didn't follow your paper, but I gathered that you were talking about the possibility of predicting the future.† Seldon shook his head and muttered, â€Å"It was a mistake.† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Well, prediction-accurate prediction-would interest the Emperor, or any man in government, so I'm guessing that Cleon, First of that Name, asked you about it and wouldn't you please give him a few predictions.† Seldon said stiffly, â€Å"I don't intend to discuss the matter.† Hummin shrugged slightly. â€Å"Eto Demerzel was there, I suppose.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"You've never heard of Eto Demerzel?† â€Å"Never.† â€Å"Cleon's alter ego-Cleon's brain-Cleon's evil spirit. He's been called all those things-if we confine ourselves to the nonvituperative. He must have been there.† Seldon looked confused and Hummin said, â€Å"Well, you may not have seen him, but he was there. And if he thinks you can predict the future-â€Å" â€Å"I can't predict the future,† said Seldon, shaking his head vigorously. â€Å"If you listened to my paper, you'll know that I only spoke of a theoretical possibility.† â€Å"Just the same, if he thinks you can predict the future, he will not let you go.† â€Å"He must have. Here I am.† â€Å"That means nothing. He knows where you are and he'll continue to know. And when he wants you, he'll get you, wherever you are. And if he decides you're useful, he'll squeeze the use out of you. And if he decides you're dangerous, he'll squeeze the life out of you.† Seldon stared. â€Å"What are you trying to do. Frighten me?† â€Å"I'm trying to warn you.† â€Å"I don't believe what you're saying.† â€Å"Don't you? A while ago you said something was a mistake. Were you thinking that presenting the paper was a mistake and that it was getting you into the kind of trouble you don't want to be in?† Seldon bit his lower lip uneasily. That was a guess that came entirely too close to the truth-and it was at this moment that Seldon felt the presence of intruders. They did not cast a shadow, for the light was too soft and widespread. It was simply a movement that caught the corner of his eye-and then it stopped.