Amy Tans Short Story Analysis - 986 Words

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Underline examples where the author’s life relates to the first 50 pages of the book so far. A great deal of information is available about Amy Tan’s personal and professional lives. Perhaps this is because her writing is clearly so overlaid with biography and autobiography. It might also be because her stories have so touched the hearts of her readers. And it might be because her enormous literary popularity coincides with the tremendous growth of the internet as a means of instant communication. Information about her seems to have popped up daily on many different web sites. A quick search of the internet, the local bookstore, or the neighborhood library should turn up much solid information about this most interesting†¦show more content†¦It received the 1990 Bay Area Reviewers Award for Fiction. For months, The Joy Luck Club was on The New York Times bestseller list, and the rights to the paperback edition were sold for over one million dollars. The book has also been made into a film for which Amy Tan helped to write the screenplay. Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, moving frequently from one place to another as her father, a Baptist minister, accepted new ministries. After graduating from high school in Montreux, Switzerland, Tan attended a few different colleges. Ultimately she received a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in 1973 and was awarded a master’s degree in linguistics from the same university in 1974. Amy Tan’s father was John Yueh-han, who worked for the U.S. Information Service prior to coming to the United States in the late 1940’s. Educated as an electrical engineer and a minister, Tan’s father was born in Wuhan, China. Tan’s mother, Daisy Ching (born Tu Ching) was married once before, in China, for twelve years, to a man who abused her. Daisy Ching had three other daughters and lost track of them after the Communists took over in China. Because it was then illegal for a woman to leave her husband, Daisy Ching spent some months in prison in China when her former marriage and circumstances were revealed. Daisy Ching metShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan1567 Words   |  7 Pages One of the most complex relationships is that of a mother and daughter. Amy Tan is an author who writes about her life growing up as an Asian-American in Chinatown. Her novel The Joy Luck Club is a series of short stories about Chinese mothers and their assimilated daughters. One of these stories is â€Å"Two Kinds,† which looks into the life of Jing-Mei Woo and her struggle to gain a sense of self. Some key themes in The Joy Luck Club are the generational and intercultural differences among Chinese-AmericanRead MoreMother Tongue1199 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Mother Tongue† written by Amy Tan â€Å"So easy to read†(p.4). Amy Tan ends her essay, â€Å"Mother Tongue† with this short and even grammatically wrong sentence. She tells us this mother’s brief review is a proof of success of her writing. Why does she think that easiness is an essence of her writing? She suggests answers to this question by her essay. In her essay, Amy Tan effectively convinces her readers that â€Å"broken English† is not an inferior language, but justRead MoreAnalysis Of Mother Tongue By Amy Tan913 Words   |  4 Pages Analysis of Mother Tongue by Amy Tan In the narrative essay, â€Å"Mother Tongue† by Amy Tan, the author sets out the story between her mother, whose English is her second language, and Tan herself can speak native English very well. The essay covers the tonal shift of Amy Tan s psychological change, from grudge to understanding. Although she begins the essay saying, I am not a scholar of English or literature. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on theRead MoreHuman Oppressiveness in Two Kinds and AP Essay2357 Words   |  10 PagesIt was Emerson who said it best, â€Å"For nonconformity, the world whips you with its displeasure† (Porter 1155). With a detailed look of Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds† and John Updike’s â€Å"AP,† you will find that this quote is entirely applicable in the context of oppressiveness and in the likeness of â€Å"coming of age.† These two stories document the different perspectives of two characters’ growing up and how the r ole of the invisible hand of oppression guides developing adolescents into mature adults; withoutRead MoreAmy Tan s Two Kinds Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesJing-Mei Woo and her mother are the major characters in Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds.† The two have a complicated mother-daughter relationship at the beginning of the story, but later, as an adult, Jing-Mei realizes the intentions of her mother. â€Å"Two Kinds† is told from Jing-Mei’s point of view as a mature adult who is reflecting on her childhood. Jing-Mei’s thoughts and feelings are revealed, but she and her mother, the antagonist, have conflictingly opposite desires. Jing-Mei’s mother desires for herRead MoreThe Theory of Alienation Proven Wrong : People are more Alienated in their Community. 1795 Words   |  8 Pagesindependent, because they are told what to do by their employer. Alienation is broadly defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as : The state of feeling estranged or separated from one’s milieu, work, products of work, or self. Despite its popularity in the analysis of contemporary life, the idea of alienation remains an ambiguous concept with elusive meanings, the following variants being most common: (1) powerlessness, the feeling that one’s destiny is not under one’s own control but is determined by externalRead MoreEssay on College Writing in the College Classroom1871 Words   |  8 Pagesamount of work was a different story.The majority of the class consisted of reading short stories from a huge English book, and answering the exercise questions.And almost every Friday you would hear the whining voice of one of the cheerleaders say, â€Å"Mr. Toma, can we have a free-day?† and the answer would be, â€Å"OK.†He never graded with a biased opinion either.The cheerleaders got A’s, no matter how late or how short their written papers were.The rest of the class, with th e exception of the super-geniusRead Moreevery day use3221 Words   |  13 PagesDate Paper draft (for example, Paper #1 Draft A or In-class Essay #2) On subsequent pages, in the upper right corner write: The paper s title Your name Page number Character analysis of the story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker 1) Pay attention to the character’s ethics. Does the character make just or unjust choices? Consider Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus does not make morally correct choicesRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pagesget in the way of a good story† is an instruction often heard in the newsroom †¢ Concept of media ethics is conceived to be an oxymoron. Sadly, many aspects of the modern media are stripped of almost all ethical concerns. In a reality of competition, ratings and economic considerations, ethics becomes a secondary, sometimes irritating, issue †¢ E.g. But consider 2003, New York Times writer Jayson Blair caught for plagiarising and falsifying elements of his stories †¦ clear to public that newspapers

Analysis of Real Altruism Essay - 1667 Words

Helping someone in need or getting the feeling of wanting to help someone in need is something that happens in everyone’s life. It is a common thought that animals help each other expecting to gain something in return. But in some cases, helping is not linked to immediate returning benefits or these are inexistent. This type of behavior has caught the attention of psychologists interested in understanding the ideas and thoughts behind it. Can this be considered real altruism? Psychologists have been studying this issue suggesting different ideas to explain altruistic behavior. This essay will talk about altruism and some of the real ideas over the thinking that altruistic behavior comes from real altruistic ideas, helping with the†¦show more content†¦Evolutionary psychologists like Rushton (1991) argue how altruism is part of evolution that originates from genetic purposes. Most studies show that people would rather help a relative or a friend that they have known fo r a long time instead of someone they are not related or don’t have a connection too. It is understandable that helping a relative or someone we have known for a while could be a normal thing and bring us benefit in some way, but it is hard to explain when people and animals show compassion for complete strangers. This apparent altruistic behavior suggests that real altruism does exist. To study this opinion some tried to look at the emotions and cognitive things that were happening to the person before they were helping this person. Piliavin, 1981, as cited in Hogg and Vaughan, 2008, suggested that the act of not helping someone in need could result in costing the people around them. These could be either an emphatic or of a personal nature. That is, the person helping someone may feel bad if choosing not to help someone. They did a study on three cognitive areas a person standing there goes through before knowing or thinking what the outcome may be from helping that person. First the person suffers from physiological arousal, which means to feel distressful or uncomfortable in the troubles of that person. Secondly, the person around this person needs to deal with this feeling. As explained by Vaughan and Hogg, this feeling aloneShow MoreRelatedKant And Kant s Theory1368 Words   |  6 Pages578) Chapter12: Question 8 What is altruism? Should we try to encourage it? If so, why? If not, why not? Altruism is a term that was coined by the scholar auguste Comte meaning selflessness. It is the principle that argues that people should worry about the welfare of others rather than their self-interests alone. Altruism is virtues that is widely encouraged in most religious groups and have been practiced by many traditional societies. According to Comte altruism, can be used as the basis of judgingRead MoreSelfish Relations : An Evolutionary Explanation Of Altruistic Behaviors1528 Words   |  7 Pagesconstrained by genetic relatedness. This analysis of cooperation will describe the evolutionary origins of the behavior by linking selfish genes to the emergence of cooperation. Selfish genes have responded to the extremely social and political milieu to allow for cooperation as a way of extended individual benefits. This idea can be supported by examples of reciprocity, altruistic punishment, and Malthusianism. This discourse will also discuss whether â€Å"true altruism† exis ts, and that if cooperation isRead MoreA Case Of A Struggling Company Without Enough Cash1709 Words   |  7 Pagesconsequences; the most ethical options available to the leader of the company-Joe, how egoism come into play in the case, where altruism is most apparent in the options, the option that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number, Joe’s duty, the pressure Joe faces about the situation, and finally identifying and answering a question to further enhance the analysis of the case. A Struggling Company without Enough Cash This is a case of ethical leadership. Joe Woodman bought a small computerRead MoreEssay about Social-Psychological Principles of the Movie Unforgiven1333 Words   |  6 Pagesentertained, and not to psychologically analyze them. There are many different principles that would be applicable to the film we are discussing however, I have chosen to analyze three scenes discussing altruism, self-fulfilling prophecy, and counterfactual thinking. Please review the following scenes and analysis from the movie Unforgiven: Scene * The first scene is the opening scene when a man was upstairs in the saloon/brothel with a prostitute – Delilah, who did not want to have sex with the manRead MoreThe Case Against Helping The Poor2052 Words   |  9 Pagesethics regarding altruism—often referred to as one’s own selflessness. In order to try and explain such an abstract concept, authors reference specific situations to help clarify the concepts themselves or to try and invoke a certain response from their audiences. In â€Å"Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor,† Garrett Hardin uses a lifeboat metaphor to demonstrate the potential damaging consequences of unlimited foreign aid in hopes of persuading his readers to oppose altruism. Similarly, inRead MoreSocial Recognition And Its Effect On Society1537 Words   |  7 Pagesinteresting theory we found in the paper by Holmes et al., which speculated that though people are innately altruistic, they do not want the reputation ofâ€Å"too altruistic.† They claim that this is because such a reputation would implicate them to further altruism which may become a burden. We wanted to combine these two ideas to understand when social pressure is helpful versus harmful in charitable donation. In our data, we found no significant main effects and no significant interaction. This means thatRead MoreThe Search For Altruism3098 Words   |  13 Pages Citadel High School Mathematics SL The Search for Altruism Alina Chen 002937-0110 (Examinations) May 2015 Introduction Kindness is the one notion that can be understood throughout time and across all cultures and languages. To be altruistic in the modern-day world is to show selfless concern for the welfare of others. Many consider such a characteristic to be immeasurable, but leaps in science and math have begun to show otherwise. This was really intriguingRead MoreTo What Extent Was Marshall Aid Merely a Policy of American Self Interest843 Words   |  4 Pagesappraisal and significant opposition, and to this day it is debated whether it was purely a policy of self-interest and an imposition of America’s political and economic views on a weak and vulnerable Europe, or alternatively one of the greatest acts of altruism and generosity in modern history. It was enormously successful, ‘It was the most unambiguously and triumphantly successful of all America’s post-war policies’ , and helped to create a foundation on which Europe could become an economic power. WhileRead More Self Control And Self Leadership835 Words   |  4 Pagespush themselves to be successful, it is easy for them to be stressful. 2.2. Critical analysis of Positive Psychology According to Gable and Haidt (2005), positive psychology is a combination processes and conditions which contribute to the flourishment of people, groups, and organisations. The aim of positive psychology is to look at the bright side of human life and explain â€Å"the way people feel joy, show altruism, and create healthy families and institutions.† This viewpoint is supported by SheldonRead MoreThe Humanitarian Crisis in Chechnya965 Words   |  4 PagesStalin in a day where the expression of such rank evil should not occur or be tolerated. An interview with a local Chechen refugee solidified my understanding of the situation. However, meeting a survivor face-to-face also made the situation seem more real and therefore much more painful. When asked to comment on the film Crying Sun, my subject took a deep breath. This is just like what happened in our village, she said. There were land mines everywhere. The paratroopers came a lot. Once we ran to

Sofa Wars Essay Example For Students

Sofa Wars Essay The soft-drink battleground has now turned toward new overseas markets. While once the United States, Australia, Japan, and Western Europe were the dominant soft-drink markets, the growth has slowed down dramatically, but they are still important markets for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Globalization has become an important word in the 90s and Eastern Europe, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabia, and India have become the new hot spots. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are forming joint bottling ventures in these nations and in other areas where they see growth potential. As we have seen in the Japanese video dealing with Cokes business in class, international marketing can be very complex. As I begin to examine the international soda wars this will become very evident. The domestic cola war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi is still raging, as we clearly know. However, these two soft-drink giants also recognize the opportunities for globalization in many of the international markets. Both!Coca-Cola, which sold 10 billion cases of soft-drinks in 1992, and Pepsi now find themselves asking, Where will sales of the next 10 billion cases come from? The answer lies overseas, where income levels and appetites for Western products are at an all time high.Often, the company that gets into a foreign market first usually dominates that countrys market. Coke patriarch Robert Woodruff realized this 50 years ago and unleashed a brilliant ploy or in a way a very simple global strategyto make Coke the early bird in many of the major foreign markets. At the height of World War II, Woodruff proclaimed that ?Wherever American boys were fighting, theyd be able to get a By the time Pepsi tried to make its first international pitch in the 50s, Coke had already established its brand name and a powerful distribution network. During the last 40 years, many new markets have emerged. In order to profit from these markets, both Coke and Pepsi need to find ways to cut through all of the red tape that initially prevents them from conducting business in these markets. One key movement for the soda wars occurd in Europe in 1972, Pepsi signed an agreement with the Soviet Union which made it the first Western product to be sold to consumers in Russia. This landmark agreement gave Pepsi the first advantage. Presently, Pepsi has 23 plants in the former Soviet Union and is the leader in the soft-drink industry in Russia. Pepsi outsells Coca-Cola by 6 to 1 and is seen as a local brand, similar to Cokes reputation in Japan. However, Pepsi has also had some problems. There has not been an increase in brand loyalty for Pepsi since its advertising blitz in Russia, even though it has produced commercials tailored to the Russian market and has sponsored television concerts. On the positive side, Pepsi may be leading Coca-Cola due to the big difference in price between the two colas. While Pepsi sells for Rb250 (25 cents) a bottle, Coca-Cola sells for Rb450. For the economy size, Pepsi sells 2 liters for Rb1,300, but Coca-Cola sells 1.5 liters fo!r Rb1,800.Coca -Cola, on the other hand, only moved into Russia 2 years ago and is manufactured locally in Moscow and St. Petersburg under a license. Despite investing $85 million in these two bottling plants, they do not perceive Coca-Cola as a premium brand in the Russian market.Moreover, they see it as a foreign brand in Russia. Lastly, while Coca-Colas bottle and label give it a high-class image, it is unable to capture market share. Another country in the hot battleground for Coca-Cola and Pepsi is Romania. When Pepsi established a bottling plant in Romania in 1965, it became the first US product produced and sold in the region. Pepsi began producing locally during the communist period and has recently decided to reformat its organization structure and retrain its local staff. Pepsi entered into a joint venture with a local firm, Flora and Quadrant, for its Bucharest plant, and has 5 other factories in Romania. Quadrant leases Pepsi the equipment and handles Pepsis distribution. In addition, Pepsi bought 500 Romanian trucks which are also used for distribution in other countries. Moreover, Pepsi produces its bottles locally through an investment in the glass industry. While the price of Pepsi and Coca-Cola are the same (@15 cents/bottle), some consumers drink Pepsi because Pepsi sent Michael Jackson to Romania for a concert. Another reason for drinking Pepsi is that it is slightly sweeter than !Coca-Cola and is more suited for the sweet-toothed Romanians. Lastly, some drink Pepsi because, in the past, only top officials were allowed to drink it, but now everyone can. Coca-Cola only began producing locally in November 1991, but it is outselling all of its competitors. In 1992, Coca-Cola saw an increase in Romania of sales by 99.2% and outsold Pepsi by 6 to 5. While Pepsi preferred to buy its equipment from Romania, Coca-Cola preferred to bring equipment into Romania. Also, Coca-Cola brought 2 bottlers to Romania. One is the Leventis Group, which is privately owned. Coca-Cola has invested almost $25 million into 2 factories. These factories are double the size of the factory Pepsi has in Bucharest. Moreover, Coca-Cola has a partnership with a local company, Ci-Co, in Bucharest and Brasov. Ci-Co has planned an aggressive publicity campaign and has sponsored local sporting and cultural events. Lastly, Romanians drink Coke because it is a powerful western symb!ol which was once forbidden. Finally as far as European markets are concerned there is Poland. Poland with a population of 38 million people, is the biggest consumer market in central and eastern Europe. Coca-Cola is closing in on Pepsis lead in this country with 1992 sales of 19.5 million cases versus Pepsis sales of 26.5 million cases. The main problems in this area are the centralized economy, the lack of modern production facilities, a non-convertible local currency, and poor distribution. However, since the Zloty is now convertible, Coca-Cola realizes the growth potential in Poland. After a company called Fiat, Coca-Cola is now the second biggest investor in Poland.Coca-Cola has developed an investment plan which includes direct investment and joint ventures/investments with European bottling partners. Its investments may exceed $250 million, and it has completed the infrastructure building. Coca-Cola has divided Poland into 8 regions with strategic sites in each of these areas. It has o!rganized a distribu tion, which Coca-Cola has spent a lot of money organizing, extremely important to challenge Pepsis market share and to maintain a high level of customer service. All of this has helped Coca-Cola to close in on Pepsis lead in Poland. BELOVED BY TONI MORRISON (4379 words) EssayNow on to one of the largest economic growing markets in the world, India. Coca-Cola controlled the Indian market until 1977, when the Janata Party beat the Congress Party of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. To punish Coca-Colas principal bottler, a Congress Party strong and longtime Gandhi supporter, the Janata government demanded that Coca-Cola transfer its syrup formula to an Indian subsidiary (Chakravarty, 43). Coca-Cola refused and withdrew from the country. India, now left without both Coca-Cola and Pepsi, became a protected market. In the meantime, Indias two largest soft-drink producers have gotten rich and lazy while controlling 80% of the Indian market. These domestic producers have little incentive to expand their plants or develop the countrys potentially enormous market (Chakravarty, 43). Some analysts reason that the Indian market may be more lucrative than the Chinese market. India has 850 million potential customers, 150 million of whom comprise t!he middle class, with disposable income to spend on cars, VCRs, and computers. The Indian middle class is growing at 10% per year. To obtain the license for India, Pepsi had to export $5 of locally-made products for every $1 of materials it imported, and it had to agree to help the Indian government to initiate a second agricultural revolution. Pepsi has also had to take on Indian partners. In the end, all parties involved seem to come out ahead: Pepsi gains access to a potentially enormous market; Indian bottlers will get to serve a market that is expanding rapidly because of competition; and the Indian consumer benefits from the competition from abroad and will pay lower prices. Even before the first bottle of Pepsi hit the shelves, local soft drink manufacturers increased the size of their bottles by 25% without raising costs. In conclusion, the new battleground for the soda wars is in the developing markets of Eastern Europe, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabi a, and India. With Coca-Colas and Pepsis investments in these countries, not only will they increase their sales worldwide, but they will also help to build up these economies. These long-term commitments by both companies will raise the level of competition and efficiency, and at the same time, bring value to the distribution and production systems of these countries. Many issues need to be overcome before a company can begin to produce its goods in a foreign country. These issues are of the marcoenvironment (see Appendix, page 2) which include political, social, economic, operational, and environmental topics which must be addressed. When companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi effectively analyze and solve these problems to everyones liking, new foreign markets can translate into lucrative opportunities in the long run. Currently, it is difficul!t to say who is winning the cola wars since the data from the relatively new market research firms focuses on major cities. Pepsi had a comma nding 4 to 1 lead in 1992 in the former Soviet Union. Without this area, Coca-Cola has a 17% share versus Pepsis 12% share in the soft drink industry. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are in a dogfight, but both will end up as winners as the continue to expand globally, using the basic management skills consisting of: continued effort for total quality, trying to be the most efficient and cost affective, a continued effort to innovate their products, and finally speed, get their product on the shelves first and keep it there. Works CitedA red line in the sand, Economist, October 1, 1994, p. 86. Chakravarty, Subrata N. How Pepsi broke into India, Forbes, November 27, 1989, pp. 43-44. Clifford, Mark. How Coke Excels, Far Eastern Economic Review, December 30, 1993- January 6, 1994, p. 39. Coke v Pepsi, The Economist, January 29, 1994, pp. 67-68. DeNitto, Emily. Pepsi, Coke think international for future growth, Advertising Age, October 3, 1994, p. 44. Murphy, Helen. Cola war erupts in Mexico, Corporate Finance, May 1993, pp. 6-7. Selling in Russia: The march on Moscow, The Economist, March 10, 1995, pp. 65-66. Winters, Patricia and Scott Hume. Pepsi, Coke: Art of deal-making, Advertising Age, February 19, 1990, p. 45.

The Crucible Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible, Tituba

The Crucible The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins with a sense of witchcraft in the air, when we find out that Reverend Parris (the town minister) and the town are concerned about Betty, Parris' daughter, who has fallen "a victim of witchcraft." We find out that Betty, her cousin Abigail, Tituba, a slave, and other girls in the town had been cavorting and practicing witchcraft, naked in the woods, the night before. Since this occurred, Betty had been in a coma-like trance that was suspected to be caused by witchcraft. We soon find out that Abigail has control over the other girls and blackmails them into lying which eventually leads to unnecessary murders of innocent people throughout the book. We also find out that Abigail worked for John and Goody Proctor, but was fired after she had an affair with Mr. Proctor. Since then, Abigail has had it out for Goody and was attempting to kill her with witchcraft that night in the woods. Her devious and obviously insane state of mind makes the ?if she can't have him, no one can theory' come into effect, until it suddenly changes into if ?she can't have him, she'll make his and everyone else's lives miserable'. Also, a vicious circle of paranoia and self centeredness comes into action, which also leads to the many unnecessary deaths, when one by one, the innocent are accused, tried, and killed for being witches, even though there is no evidence to support any of the cases, except for the reactions of Abigail and the other girls in the courtroom. The play ends with John Proctor being tried and hung for suspicions of witchcraft, even though he is obviously not a witch. Their reasoning is that all of the others were unjustly killed, so he had to be killed also. It also says that Abigail leaves town and was rumored to have become a prostitute.

Free Essays on Machiavellian Politics In The Prince

The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, is one of the first examinations of politics and science from a purely scientific and rational perspective. Machiavelli theorizes that the state is only created if the people cooperate and work to maintain it. The state is also one of man’s greatest endeavors, and the state takes precedence over everything else. The state should be one’s primary focus, and maintaining the sovereignty of the state one’s most vital concern. The state is founded on the power of its military. Therefore, a strong military is vital to maintaining the state. Machiavelli believes that men respect power, but they will take advantage of kindness. He believes that when given the opportunity one must destroy completely, because if one does not he will certainly be destroyed. The prince should lead the military, and he has to be intelligent. An effective politician can make quick and intelligent choices about the problems that coneztly arise before him. He must also have virtue, which means he is strong, confident, talented, as well as smart. A prince cannot be uncertain, because uncertainty is a sign of weakness. Fortune controls half of human’s actions, and man’s will control the other half. Virtue is the best defense for fortune, and virtue must be used in order to keep fortune in check. The prince must take advantage of situations based solely on if it is best for the state. He should choose his decisions based on contemporary and historical examples. A prince cannot consider whether his acts are moral or immoral, and he instead must act in an unbiased manner for the state. Also, it does not matter how the state achieves its goals, as long as these goals are achieved. Finally, regardless of the personal morality involved, the prince should be praised if he does good for the state and berated if he hurts the state. Machiavelli’s principles have widespread influenc... Free Essays on Machiavellian Politics In The Prince Free Essays on Machiavellian Politics In The Prince The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, is one of the first examinations of politics and science from a purely scientific and rational perspective. Machiavelli theorizes that the state is only created if the people cooperate and work to maintain it. The state is also one of man’s greatest endeavors, and the state takes precedence over everything else. The state should be one’s primary focus, and maintaining the sovereignty of the state one’s most vital concern. The state is founded on the power of its military. Therefore, a strong military is vital to maintaining the state. Machiavelli believes that men respect power, but they will take advantage of kindness. He believes that when given the opportunity one must destroy completely, because if one does not he will certainly be destroyed. The prince should lead the military, and he has to be intelligent. An effective politician can make quick and intelligent choices about the problems that coneztly arise before him. He must also have virtue, which means he is strong, confident, talented, as well as smart. A prince cannot be uncertain, because uncertainty is a sign of weakness. Fortune controls half of human’s actions, and man’s will control the other half. Virtue is the best defense for fortune, and virtue must be used in order to keep fortune in check. The prince must take advantage of situations based solely on if it is best for the state. He should choose his decisions based on contemporary and historical examples. A prince cannot consider whether his acts are moral or immoral, and he instead must act in an unbiased manner for the state. Also, it does not matter how the state achieves its goals, as long as these goals are achieved. Finally, regardless of the personal morality involved, the prince should be praised if he does good for the state and berated if he hurts the state. Machiavelli’s principles have widespread influenc...

Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play Essays

Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play Essays Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play Essay Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play Essay The Tempest written by William Shakespeare and Translations written by Brian Friel both look at how those who control language can dictate events. Despite the disparity of context, both plays share many core themes and explore the importance of language and how it can be used as a means of control. Both plays show linguistic hegemony, and demonstrate how one language can take dominance and displace another and how language can be stigmatised, so that it becomes dirtied and debased. In The Tempest, Calibans original language is belittled to gabble and babble by a Eurocentric Miranda. While in Translations Lanceys snobbish attitude to the townspeople and his use of circumlocutory beaurocratic jargon exposes his personal discomfort at being with foreign civilians. Prospero is in control of language within the Tempest, he is the most educated and he also has magical powers. Throughout the play Prospero uses language to coerce characters to do what he wants; his linguistic and magical aut hority is used to dictate the events of the play. Prospero foregrounds the plays fictionality my charm the magicalism of art, and he becomes almost a scriptwriter within the play by drawing attention to the illusory nature of art. In Translations it is the colonisers who control language, however it is the townspeople who dictate the events of the play. The English use language as an act of cultural and linguistic imperialism, the Irish respond in different ways to the occupation of their homeland. Friel explores the relationship between the colonised and the colonisers; by retaliating the people of Baele Beag reassert control over their own destiny and dictate the events of the play: Hugh and Jimmy Jack use mental power, Manus and the Donnelly Twins choose physical power, whereas Owen and Maire choose reasoning power. Similarly in The Tempest, Shakespeares characters also try to regain control over the events of the play, Ariel uses reasoning power, and Caliban uses physical power and at times mental power. Throughout The Tempest, Prospero appears to be fully in control of the events of the play. He uses language to persuade the audience of this, he refers to his plans as my art and my project. An omniscient Prospero appears to have charted what will happen from the beginning of the play, he is the author of everyones destiny. In Ron Daniels production of The Tempest Prospero is portrayed as an actor-manager rather than a colonialist, so that the play becomes metatheatre. Shakespeares characterisation of Prospero, is of someone with great skill and dexterity when dealing with other characters in the play, Prospero is good at manipulating people to do what he wants, this is analogous to Translations were the English are very good at manipulating the Irish into speaking English. The language Prospero uses with Ariel is very cunning, and their duologues are very contractual. In Act One, Scene Two we see Ariel compose a mini-rebellion against Prospero, albeit a short one, Prospero quickly r eminds Ariel of the cruelty of his former master, Sycorax who had trapped Ariel in a split pine tree. Prosperos proficient use of language is emphasised Thou my slave,/ as thou reportst thyself, was then her servant Prospero uses reason to persuade Ariel that It was mine art which liberated him from the torment/To lay upon the damned. Prospero promotes himself from a coloniser to a liberator and uses linguistic power to convince Ariel. From a dramatic point of view Prosperos understanding of language convinces Ariel to remain loyal. Translations also shows how blurred the line is between coloniser and liberator. Translations is set in the 19th century, however it is very much to do with the situation in Ireland in recent times, throughout the 1980s there were violent clashes between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, British intervention was viewed as liberation by the Northern Irish but as Colonisation by the Republic of Ireland. From a modern perspective, it can be compared with the response to the Iraqi Crisis by the British public, the West has come under allot of crit icism with regard to its true intentions for invading Iraq. Friels characterisation of Hugh and Manus personal relationship can be seen as parallel to the English and Irish political relationship, Manus exploitation by Hugh reflects the political exploitation of the Irish by the English. Like the British, Hugh can be viewed as an autocratic and tyrannous. In addition Hugh also uses language to control events. Hugh is negligent teacher, he refuses to teach Maire to speak English when she asks, he simply ignores her We have been diverted- diverto. Hugh allows his personal feelings towards the English obstruct his students from fulfilling their potential, he prefers to teach them the classical languages of Latin and Greek which Maire informs him is a barrier to modern progress. This view was advocated by Daniel OConnell, whom Hugh ignorantly reduces to a little Kerry politician. Friels characterisation of Hugh of someone who is historically blinkered; he needs Dutch courage and escapism to avoid the truth. The stage directions describe Hugh prod ucing a flask of whisky Hugh then precedes to toss it back, Hugh is intoxicating himself, a parallel might be drawn to Jimmy jack who is similarly intoxicated by the classics. It can be argued therefore that Friel depicts Hugh as using language to confine his students, for language will empower people such as Maire and will give her access to all forms of knowledge. It is notable that Shakespeares depiction of Caliban towards Prospero is completely different. Prospero uses verbal abuse and invectives as form of discipline to reassert his authority, he refers to Caliban as a hag seed, a son of a witch, Prospero also uses his magical language to coerce Caliban Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me from a dramatic point of view, Caliban is shown as powerless and defenceless in the wrath of Prosperos fury. Prospero uses language to commune with the spirits and he bidem to persecute Caliban, like in Translations language is used to control and penalize. In some productions, Caliban has been interpreted as a representation of the indigenous populations of colonised countries. In Aime Cesaires rewriting of The Tempest Une Tempete, published in 1968 amidst the Black civil rights movement known as the Negritude, we see a different spin on the play. The colonizer and the colonized can be compared to slavery, and the relationship between the slave and the master. Cesaires Prospero is shown as a slave-driving exploiter. Caliban is changed from Shakespeares ignorant savage to a black colonized native whose language and culture have been displaced by Prosperos; Ariel is even played by a mulatto so as to bridge the gap between the two. From a modern post-colonialist perspective, Prospero, the coloniser, sees the importance of language as a device used to control, for if Caliban speaks Prosperos language, effectively Prosperos can shape Caliban. In Translations, the English colonisers also use language as a device control the Irish. The introduction of free education of the English national schools shows the tactics employed by the English to transform Ireland from a predominantly Gaelic-speaking nation to an English-speaking nation. Education and language are used so that Irish history and culture would be written in English, and fundamentally shaped by the British. At the end of the The Tempest Prospero breaks the suspension of disbelief Our revels now are ended he draws attention to the fictional status of the play. Prospero renounces his power, now my charms are all oerthrown. It can be said that Prosperos loss of power empowers the audience, we see a social role reversal and the subversion of social hierarchy, this is a convention of a comedy, it is now Prospero who is confined, indicated by the use of a second person plural, and this confuses the equilibrium. From a narrative point of view the audience as a magician emerges by your spell, this completes the role reversal. In the end it is the audience who dictate the events of the play with the help of your good hands. The fact that Translations expresses Irish characters in the English language shows that translation of some kind is possible, from a modern perspective we see that a hybrid in the used of Hiberno-English this confirms Hughs view We must learn to make them our own.

Early Childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early Childhood - Essay Example The essay will give examples of the culture activities in the prepared environment. The eight natural laws of development espoused by Dr. Montessori will be elaborated to show how it impacts on a child’s development. Early Childhood â€Å"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core† (Montessori, 1989). The Montessori method encourages creativity and imagination. It is believed that creativity is natural and inborn in every child and that life itself is a constant act of creation. This is the reason why the Montessori environment aims to foster curiosity, independence and experimentation. The prepared environment in the Montessori classrooms offers essential elements for the child’ s optimal development which includes challenging his imagination to come up with amazing ways of resolving problems. The aim of this environment is to render the growing child independent of the adult. The six aspects or principles in the prepared environment are freedom, structure and order, beauty, nature and reality, social environment and intellectual environment. Since Dr. Montessori believes that the child processes everything through his senses, the prepared environment is designed to provide a calm, neutral, quiet background that encourages and supports independent learning and exploration. The Montessori cultural activities in the prepared environment include geography, history, general science, botany and zoology, music and art. In teaching geography, Montessori schools use the sandpaper globe and the painted globe. In the sandpaper globe, the land areas are covered with sandpaper and the water surfaces painted blue. This globe aims to give children a sensorial and tactile impression of the world. By introducing the terms â€Å"globe, â€Å"land† and â€Å"water†, the child will have a better understanding of the geographical world. A painted globe on the other hand, is a small globe identical in size as the sandpaper globe but the continents are painted in different colors and the oceans are all painted blue. The coloured globe aims to help the child become aware of the relative sizes, shapes and positions of the land masses and oceans. The purpose of both globes is for the visual recognition of continents and oceans and for the child to see the relationship of the continents and oceans of the world. After a familiarization with the two globes, the child is introduced to the jigsaw map of the world. The Montessori jigsaw map of the world is made up of two hemispheres, with each continent as a removable puzzle piece. The colours are the same as the coloured globe. It is easier for a young child to see how the world is represented on a flat map. There is a control map for the child to place the pieces on. The teacher will show the child how to place the pieces on the control map and she invites the child to do the same. The child learns the names of the continents with the jigsaw map of the world in three period lessons. After a knowledge of the continents, the child is introduced to the various animals which live on each continent. Since children are naturally attracted to nature, the Montessori environment is also prepared with natural things such as plants and animals. The cultural materials were designed to allow the child to explore an abstract concept in a concrete form. Materials such as animal puzzles and identical picture cards are used to introduce the child to the animal. The child will then move on to nomenclature cards which identify the different parts of the

Current wall street Journal Opinion Article Essay

Current wall street Journal Opinion Article - Essay Example In fact, you have been fooled after all. Well, I would not be surprised if you have dropped your jaw that wide, but it is absolutely true: the discounts that you got from retailers are not really discounts; they are just the moving elements of the discount game. The most ordinary of assumptions that we have is that discounted products are actually stock up goods that were not sold; so the retailers are lowering down their price by offering discounts just to avoid heavy inventory at the end of the day. This is your first pitfall. The truth is that retailers are working rearwards with their suppliers in order to come up with prices that protect their gross margins: the difference between the cost of the product and the starting price. For instance, consider a Lee pants that is on sale for say 45% off its â€Å"supposed† starting price of $200 so that you can take it home at $110 does not actually offer you discount at all: the pants is actually worth less than $200; the starting price was actually calculated with the discount included. They take the products from their suppliers at a very low price but they put a flat margin on top of the additional amount intended to take on the discount. The problem is that buyers are not so mindful about how much they have spent and if what they have spent really commensurate to the quality of the product that they bought. This should have not been a pitfall in the first place because many of the products these days that were sold at full price but were put on sale for a 40% to 50% discount have illegitimate prices. Think about a pair of shoes that costs $200 – it would not appear like a legitimate price especially if the brand is not known and if it has been stocked up in the store for a long period of time. Now here is the most amazing truth about this discount illusion: in an article written by Suzanne Kapner (2013) for the Wall Street Journal, she found that from 2009 to 2012, the deals offered by â€Å"31 m ajor department stores and apparel retailers increased 63%. That includes an average discount of 36% from what the previous 25%. But what is more astonishing is that the gross margins were flat at 27.9%. This means that notwithstanding the whopping discount offers retailers have for their customers, their gross margins are not affected at all. This is because the margins are set at a flat rate of about 28%; the discount is only then added to the price once the margin is established. In other words, the discounts are computed based on the original starting price. And just try to think about it this way: if retailers are selling products like they are almost giving them, why have not they got into closure yet? They should have long gone bankrupted if this is the case. But majority of the discounts are actually rated into the product. Knowing all about this discount game may appall many buyers, but in fact, the stupidity of this entire thing is that the original price from which the di scounts are being determined if, most of time, erroneous or false considering that original prices normally does not aim for salability: no one would ever attempt to buy an ordinary shirt for $50; but starting prices are rooted from the excessive markups of the products. Hence, if you got a shirt for 40% off the starting price of $50, and got it at $30, retailers

The Spanish Artist Essay Example for Free

The Spanish Artist Essay Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was born in Aragonese in a small town of Fuendetodos on March 30, 1746. The first period of Goya’s painting career may have started in1763. He was then an aspiring young painter and most of his paintings depict the everyday life of ordinary people, such as in â€Å"The Parasol† painted in 1777, â€Å"The Junkman† painted in 1779, and The Picnic at the Edge of the Manzanares River painted in 1776. The styles vary depending on his subject. The bright light on the Parasol reveals his happy mood in painting the life of the monarch. The style depicts the life of ordinary people, which to me reflect their struggles and hope. Next period was when he was appointed in the palace under Charles III, in 1786 probably up to 1792 when he contracted a disease that changed his view. The topics of his paintings then were about monarchs and the relative peace the people enjoyed. The painting style depicts happiness and vitality of life as most of his paintings use bright light and lively colors. Perhaps the last period was during 1792 up to the last years of his life. The topics of his paintings were gloom probably because of his disease and his analysis of the development at the time as depicted in his Saturn Devouring his Son painted in 1819 and Old Men Eating Soup painted in 1819. The styles reflect his feelings during the time he contracted a disease that made him deaf and the last years of his life. The nude paintings in 1797, the Snowstorm, and the paintings mentioned earlier reflect pessimism and fear. Work Cited Goya http://www. spanisharts. com/prado/goya. htm Goya: Back to Romanticism http://arthistory. heindorffhus. dk/frame-Goya. htm

The Call of the Wild Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Call of the Wild   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, is a classic piece of American literature. The novel follows the life of a dog named Buck as his world changes and in turn forces him to become an entirely new dog. Cruel circumstances require Buck to lose his carefree attitude and somewhat peaceful outlook on life. Love then enters his life and causes him to see life through new eyes. In the end, however, he must choose between the master he loves or the wildness he belongs in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel starts on Judge Miller’s property in Santa Clara Valley. Buck is the king of his domain and everyone knows it - from the lowly house dogs to the Judge’s sons. However, a gardener with a gambling problem soon ends Buck’s relaxed life. He sells Buck in order to obtain more money; Buck is sent west to be a sled dog and is cruelly mistreated along the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A quick learner, he adapts well to the sled dog life. His heritage also helped him become accustomed to the harsh Klondike climate. Some difficulties such as sore feet and a voracious appetite set him back at the beginning, but he speedily overcomes them. Buck goes through several masters and many thousands of miles. Along the way, he learns â€Å"The Law of Club and Fang†: never challenge a human that has a weapon, and once a fighting dog falls to the ground, roaming huskies quickly destroy it.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

How Much Is the Effect of Acid Rain Environment? Essay

Acid rain is mixed with certain chemicals, including Hydrocarbons. Nitrogen Oxides are created naturally from bacteria, volcanoes and lightening. From the burning of fossil fuels we get chemicals like Sulphur Dioxide, Sulphur Trioxide and Carbon Dioxide. When Carbon Dioxide is mixed with water we get Carbonic Acid. When Nitrogen Oxides are mixed correctly with water it can create Nitric Acid. When Sulphur Dioxide is mixed with water it creates Sulphurous Acid. And when Sulphur Trioxide is mixed with Sulphur Dioxide and water it can create the lethal Sulphuric Acid. Ozone Depletion also impacts on this as its releasing CFC’s which then add to the impact from acid rain. Â  Acid rain can corrode metal structures such as railway tracks and overhead power cables. It can also erode cement, marble and especially limestone buildings. It can take a longer time in some cases due to what the material is, but the evidence is shown a lot of most buildings. Acidic water affects the growth and health of fish and other aquatic life, by reducing the pH of the water and impacting the health and breeding success of the fish and aquatic invertebrates. Death of aquatic organisms due to damaged exoskeleton development as the calcium compounds become more soluble. So there is less calcium in the food chain (for fish bones and birds egg shells). PH5 mucus on fish gills, pH4 species decline. It also dissolves metals out of sediments and rocks to increase the metals (lead) in the water. These can be taken up by the plants and contaminate the associated seeds or fruit. Phytotoxicity is a toxic effect by a compound on plant growth. Such damage may be caused by a wide variety of compounds, including trace metals, pesticides, salinity, phytotoxins or allelopathy as acids damage enzyme function cells in stomata, root hairs. Seed germination is inhibited by acidic conditions. Lichens are especially sensitive to acids. Osmosis, in the water, will affect the aquatic life as well as respiration in the fish themselves, it can harm them. Acid rain impacts crop growth and soil structure. It can affect the growth of plants as many plants have a specific soil pH for optimum growth. In addition it can leach nutrients out of the topsoil, into the groundwater and into the water table. The leaching of nutrients from the soil makes them unavailable to plant life. Acid precipitation can change the ionic balance in clayey soils, affecting their structure. The pollutants that cause acid rain, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, are inhaled and cause an increase in heart and lung conditions (and premature death). Respiratory illness such as asthma and bronchitis are more common and can lead to pulmonary (heart) disease. Acid rain can also harm organisms by causing other changes that are harmful to living organisms. Soil can be deflocculated by acids where the particles that form peds separate causing the peds to collapse, filling the soil spaces and making the soil less permeable. Lime soils are less affected. Acids increase solubility of ions of metals such as Ca2+ and Al3+ ions which poison organisms. Heavy metals such as lead and mercury are more soluble under acidic conditions, this bio accumulates and bio magnify. (Affect animal’s nervous systems, liver and kidneys) Organisms have an increased susceptibility to pests and disease, waxy cuticles of leaves are removed. Nutrient recycling is reduced as soil bacteria are killed by acid and heavy metal bioaccumulation. Plant diversity is affected, less tolerant species removed first. The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution. The whole point of this organisation is to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution. Parties develop policies and strategies to combat the discharge of air pollutants through exchanges of information, consultation, research and monitoring.

Electrical gadget

Want to make your computer experience a little†¦ Bulgier? For sure you want to watch your favorite movie in a big screen because it easy to watch, and give you a lot of satisfaction. II. When I want to decide to watch TV using computer a few years ago, I really have no idea how to connect the cable. Then, at that time my friend shows me easy steps on how to do it. Ill. I have learned about the steps during that time and I did additional research for this speech. IV.Today I will inform you three main steps f how to using television as a computer monitor which are consist consideration about condition of TV and computer, connections between them and changing computer settings. (Transitions: Let's start by looking for what are the considerations) Body l. The first step Is to take considerations about the condition of television and computer In order to get the best result after changing it. A. Keep the television at the right height for computer use 1. It is best to keep the televi sion at a height where your eye level is roughly % of the way up the screen, much like with a monitor.B. Make sure your television has good resolution 1. When your computer sends the image to the television, it's going to be designed for a much smaller screen. 2. Even with a high resolution TV, some text may appear blurry. 3. With a lower resolution television, you may have a very difficult time reading text C. Find your computers output options 1. Look at the back of your computer and identify the output options. 2. These are sometimes labeled, but they may be easier to identify by looking at images of the outputs online D. Find your television's input options.

Ethical Issues Involving the Tuskegee Syphilis Study essays

Ethical Issues Involving the Tuskegee Syphilis Study essays Ethical Issues Involving the Tuskegee Syphilis Study 1 Ethical Issues Involving the Tuskegee Syphilis Study Ethical Issues Involving the Tuskegee Syphilis Study 2 In order for us to understand how the conflicts in medical research and ethics relate to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, we must first understand the generalizations regarding medical research and ethics. According to the Hastings Center Report, Carol Levine states,  ¡Research ethics was born in scandal and reared in protectionism. ¡ For the most part, conflicts of interest are imbedded throughout the process of medical research. The beginning was sparked by the tragedies of the Nazi doctors and the Nuremberg Trials. The Nuremberg Trials were followed by U.S. scandals; U.S. scandals first brought forth by Henry Beecher in his famous New England Journal of Medicine article and then followed by the revelation of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. These kinds of scandals led justifiably to a response from the Federal Government. This response would be one that relies solely upon trust. In the sixties, James Shannon introduced the notion of assurance in which institutions and investigators would be trusted to carry out the federal rules, to review research prospectively and to follow the rules that have been put in place. There are immoral as well as moral trust relationships. If researchers are going to rely on the trust of patient subjects, of human volunteers, or that trust of taxpayers, to participate in research, then those researchers should not only rely and build on their trust, but build a system that is trustworthy as well. There are always going to be all sorts of questions about conflicts as long as there is a system of prospective review in which a person's other welfare depends on that income in the process of research. One of the first questions that come to mind is whether or not the Tuskegee Syphilis Study c ontained any moral or ethical reasoni...

Global Warming, El Nino, and other Climate Phenomena

Global Warming, El Nino, and other Climate Phenomena The weather we experience is a manifestation of the climate we live in. Our climate is affected by global warming, which has led to many observed changes, including warmer sea temperatures, warmer air temperatures, and changes in the hydrological cycle. In addition, our weather is also affected by natural climate phenomena that operate over hundreds or thousands of miles. These events are often cyclic, as they reoccur at time intervals of various lengths. Global warming can affect the intensity and return intervals of these events. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its 5th Assessment Report in 2014, with a chapter devoted to the effects of climate change on these large scale climate phenomena. Here are some important findings: Monsoons are seasonal wind reversal patterns accompanied by significant rainfall. They are responsible, for example, for the summer thunderstorm periods in Arizona and New Mexico, and the torrential downpours in India’s rainy season. Overall, monsoon patterns will increase in area and intensity with continued climate change. They will start earlier in the year and end later than what had been the average.In North America, where monsoons are limited to the U.S. Southwest region, no change in precipitation due to global warming has been clearly observed. A decrease in the length of the season has been observed, though, and monsoons are expected to be delayed during the year. So there appears to be no relief in sight for the observed (and predicted) increase in frequency of extreme summer temperatures in the U.S. Southwest, contributing to drought.The amount of precipitation from monsoon rains is forecasted to be higher in the more pessimistic scenarios considered by the IPCC. In a scenario of continued reliance on fossil fuel and the absence of carbon capture and storage, total precipitation from monsoons, globally, is estimated to increase by 16% by the end of the 21st century. The El Nià ±o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a large area of unusually warm water that develops in the Pacific Ocean off South America, affecting weather over a large portion of the globe. Our ability to model future climates while taking into account El Nià ±o has improved, and it appears that variability in precipitation will increase. In other words, some El Nià ±o events will produce more rainfall and snowfall than expected in some areas of the globe, while others will produce less precipitation than expected.The frequency of tropical cyclones (tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons) is likely to stay the same or decrease, globally. The intensity of these storms, both in wind speed and precipitation, is likely to increase. There are no clear changes predicted for the track and intensity of North American extra-tropical storms (Hurricane Sandy became one of those cyclonic storms outside of the tropics).  Ã‚   Predictive models have improved significantly in the last few years, and they are currently being refined to resolve remaining uncertainties. For example, scientists have little confidence when trying to predict changes in monsoons in North America. Pinpointing the effects of the El Nià ±o cycles or the intensity of tropical cyclones in specific areas has also been difficult. Finally, the phenomena described above are largely know by the public, but there are many other cycles: examples include the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, and the North Atlantic Oscillation. The interactions between these phenomena, regional climates, and global warming make the business of scaling down global change predictions to specific locations bewilderingly complex. Source IPCC, Fifth Assessment Report. 2013. Climate Phenomena and their Relevance for Future Regional Climate Change.

The impact og globalisation on communication and impediments towards Essay

The impact og globalisation on communication and impediments towards free growth - Essay Example The impact of the globalization in the previous 150 years has been such wide and massive that often it seems that the global politics and relations are all set bound by the chains of communication that not a single country can take any action without affecting the global communication mechanism. the rise of technology, interdependence of states on each other, growing cultural exchange, availability of information at a press of a button and growth of international and regional organization like UNO, OPEC, SEATO, NATO and EU have over the time changed the way communication has been taken in the long past. The communication and globalization go parallel as both have a directly proportional effect on each other (Ali Mohammadi, 1997). The growth of communication around the world has strengthened the globalization and ever-growing globalization is making communication an important element of the life of countries and societies. It is a undeniable fact of our existence at the moment but the growth of communication and globalization does not go with criticism. ... The world as we see it today is more interdependent and more progressive than before as it has been established that one simply can not reach the shores of success and prosperity without the ships of other nations sailing beside them. This has led the developing countries to make arrangements to take the developed countries along with them. The spread of communication has changed the face of information exchange which is more rapid and immediate than ever before and the world is moving even more social and cultural integration leading the whole state of affairs of the world to be imbued in a single fabric of a single globalized world. The growth of industries and merging markets around the globe has greatly facilitated the growth of international organizations and has put a great impact on globalized production methods. The abrupt change and development in the globalization that is there today is due to the development of communications methods and channels that have not evolved in t he recent years but have taken years to come and develop. The globalization and international communication development is not something that happened in a one or two decades, but the process started with the first man stepping foot ahead to find new lands and opportunities (Thomas L. McPhail, 2010). Globalization of international communication has effected the international laws that govern states and the mutual relations of the states on the global level and leads the nations to devise national policies accordingly to foster concrete communication linkages for mutual development. The development of international communication over time has taken politics and national policy formulation to the international stage. Countries assist and guide each other for responsible national policy

Communicating Effectively Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communicating Effectively - Research Paper Example In addition, the patterns depicted within the cross-sex communication frequently display the mean both men and female engage interpersonally. Regarding conflict conditions, the underlying contrasting behaviors amidst the prevailing sexes is extremely evident. Conflict is a common component of the entire associations and corresponding means of tackling crucially to the basic survival of the associations (Stone, 112). This paper discusses the conflict-handling styles in males and females and the implications of these techniques for supervisors. Communication is a procedure that entails sharing information amidst personalities via existing conventional system of the prevailing symbols and behavior. In addition, the mean through which populace frequently communicate relies on their gender (Robbins, Deenzo & Wolter, 50). Communication is an element of everyday life in which conflict is cumbersome to eliminate. Conflict is frequently developed when populace shares diverse beliefs concerning particular issues. Numerous factors determine what individuals believe, and they play an influential role in people’s opinions, consequently influencing their course of action. For this reason, there is a discernable difference between the conflict handling styles between males and females. Both genders communicate in diverse means by that making them initiate interpersonal communication in times of disputes. In the book, ‘Men are From Mars and Women are From Venus,’ John Gray (2004) says Men and women expect their men to feel, engage via communication to their actions. People forget that both genders are unique. Thus, their engagement is full of unnecessary misunderstanding and disagreements. The gender differences in conflict management originate from the gender-based tendencies that are rooted in a person’s childhood. Females depict a relational style of engagement, which entails expressing point of views, relations and offering a relatively larger proportion

Foreign Policies Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign Policies Japan - Essay Example We then conclude that such an investment scenario does exist in Japan and give recommendations for the investment. Japan was a much maligned nation during the World War II (WW2) and prior to that. It was only after the end of WW2 did Japan began to consolidate its economic progress more seriously. Although the bombing at Nagasaki and Hiroshima did bring the WW2 to an end, the economy of Japan was shaken to such an extent that it had to restart from scratch. From the formation of its constitution, in 1947,1 Japan it has made rapid strides in the field of science and technology. With the current scenario on globalization of economy and with many countries opening up, the world economy is poised for a rapid change. Before we embark on the current scenario let us delve into Japan's past to see how Japan became a global power. It is widely assumed that the promulgation of Charter of Oath in 1868 2 provided the impetus for the growth of modern Japan. The then Meiji emperor emerged to be a major unifying factor promoting a series of radical reforms aimed at improving the conditions of Japan. 3 The Meiji rulers emphasized on improving the basic infrastructure of Japan and strengthened their foreign policies with the US and other European countries. These reforms laid the foundation for Japan to emerge a global power in subsequent years. The emergence of WW1 saw Japan b... 4 The interim period between the two World Wars saw Japan go through a major political upheaval and the economy was in shambles. Nevertheless the Japanese export increased despite the Depression in the US. 5 The WW2 saw, once again the emergence of Japan was a major military power. The atomic bombings reduced Japan to shambles and the Japan surrendered to the mighty Allied Forces on 2nd September 1945 on board the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. 6 "Throughout the postwar period, Japan's economy continued to boom, with results far outstripping expectations. Japan rapidly caught up with the West in foreign trade, gross national product (GNP), and general quality of life. These achievements were underscored by the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and the Osaka International Exposition (Expo '70) world's fair in 1970." 7 Foreign policy of Japan Major foreign policies were drafted in Japan as early as mid-nineteenth century until the Tokugawa seclusion 8 was breached by the US Navy in 1853-54. This prompted the Japanese to embark on a policy of rising on par with the Western economy. "Beginning with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ushered in a new, centralized regime, Japan set out to "gather wisdom from all over the world" and embarked on an ambitious program of military, social, political, and economic reforms that transformed it within a generation into a modern nation-state and major world power." 9 In 1952, Japan became a sovereign nation and wanted to pursue economic goals and establish itself as a peace loving nation within the world community. These were the initial foreign policy goals during the early 50's. Gradually, with the passing of the Cold War era, the Japanese concentrated on its economic goals rather than

Look at Me Now Essay Example for Free

Look at Me Now Essay It has been a dream of mine to be able to attend college for many years. I started a family quite early in life making my dream seem as if it would never become a reality. Now here I am some 20+ years later living my dream. I cant say that it was a struggle to get here because i have a very supportive wife who has been pushing me to do this for many years. Up until now I would come up with every excuse in the book why I wasnt able to go back to school. I guess I finally ran out of excuses because here I am taking college classes. We are supposed to talk about some aspect of our life whether it is good or bad. So I went back into my memory to see what I could come up with that would make a good storyline. It was hard to decide which of the many memories I had stored away would produce a memorable story for anyone who reads it. But I decided to write about a situation that proved to be a very scary point in my life. On the morning of June 16, 2011 I had a heart attack. For many years my wife had complained to me that I worked too much. I would ditch family trips and send my daughter and wife alone because I would have to work. I thought that I was too young for something like that to happen to me. Anyway on the morning afore mentioned I woke around 5:00 in the morning (at that time I was ok). My wife and me talked for a little and she said it was too early in the morning and she was going back to sleep. So, we went back to bed. I awoke with a start at around seven to severe chest pains. I didn’t want to alarm my wife so I tried to walk it off. When I realize this wasn’t helping I knew at that point I had to wake my wife up. Upon her being awakened she went into action. She told me I needed to get dressed we were going to the hospital. I again didn’t want to alarm my wife as to how bad the chest pains were that I was having. I told her that I was okay and didn’t think I needed to go to the hospital. Then my left side started to go numb. At this point I was scared and trying not to show it. Please know that my wife wasn’t buying my brave facade at all. So I am going to speed the story up a little. We get to the hospital and I am given several nitro glycerin pills which aren’t working. I stayed in intensive care for three days and then I was moved to a regular room on the heart ward. This proved to be a turning point in my life for me. I have now slowed down the pace at work somewhat. I cherish moments with my family now. I spend a lot of time with them where I had been neglecting them for my job.

Counseling: My Personal Evolution Essay -- Counseling, Therapy

As with any academic venture there are times when a student is engulfed in self doubt and is distressed by the inevitability of change. Although these factors present themselves throughout many parts of the educational process, there remains a sense of purpose rooted in the belief of true compatibility. Nestled within this attraction is the opportunity to develop an external character that mirrors the beauty of the internal. It is this congruency in which one is motivated to continue on the journey to become a counselor. Throughout this journey I have been afforded the opportunity to become aware of the strengths and growing edges that I possess. When I consider the time I have spent in the counseling program thus far, I am reminded that in such a short amount of time I have evolved from an individual who was guarded and very much afraid of change and the efforts of social interaction, to a man exhilarated by human interaction and the opportunities provided to further my personal evo lution. In order to expand on this idea of growth I will reflect upon my current strengths and weakness, my personal reservations, and current interpersonal factors as they relate to intentional interviewing skills. Strengths and Areas of Improvement As I reflect upon the counseling relationship, I am drawn to the idea of genuine human interaction, an interaction characterized by openness to communication and a general setting free of judgment. It is within this relationship that I will be able to offer the ability in which the universe has gifted me. It’s within this true interaction in which I my true strength reside. Throughout the time I have been provided to learn and study the art of counseling, I have come to the conclusion that attending t... ... peace has grown, and the capability of recognizing my growing edges has allowed my evolution to them to a more enlightened individual. A reflective tool such as this paper has allowed me to delve deeper into what becoming an effective counselor really means. It has allowed me to understand a part of myself that I have neglected, a part of me that is an essential part of who I am, but I have shunned due to fear of acceptance. It has been through this process that I have come to the conclusion that although I may possess moments of weakness, it is the manner in which I react to these moments, in which I will be judged and the substance that I take from having them in which I will succeed. Having considered myself in counseling and the strengths in which I possess, I aspire to enrich the lives of others by assisting them to overcome barriers to true happiness.

Integrative Network Design Project Essay

Kudler Fine Foods was first founded by Kathy Kudler in La Jolla, California. It has expanded to two more locations, Del Mar, California, and Encinitas, California. The stores are generally spaced, about 8,000 sq ft, and have imported and domestic foods, including Fresh Bakery & Pastries, Fresh Produce, Fresh Meat & Seafood, Condiments & Packaged foods as well as Cheese and other dairy products. Kudler wants to see their company grow by upgrading their communications systems and making it wireless. The wireless technology upgrade will allow the company to have a better way of communicating between the stores as well as to the employees and customers . Network Overview With only three stores, their company is structured with only a few departments: Administration, consisting of Finance & Accounting, Sales & Marketing, Human Resources, Operations, and Information Technology. With only three locations, Kudler does not need an extensive organization. They currently have a Bus Topology implemented that does not allow the stores to communicate with each other. The networks are separate and if a network server goes down, there are not any backups or securities set up. The ability to communicate wirelessly will give Kudler some mobility and will allow the locations to be centralized. The La Jolla and Del Mar locations each have a Novel 4.11 Server for POS as well as a UPS-Standalone tower, a bublejet printer, and a 56k modem. Their six computers are hooked up to a 10.1.50.0 Ethernet Network and all systems use the Ethernet Network to hook on to the Internet. The Encinitas location has a Novell 4.11 Server for POS as well. Their location is a bit smaller with only three computers. Their network includes a 56k modem and Internet. A major part of the upgrade will consist of sales kiosks to have new computers with wireless networking capability. They will also include anti-virus software to protect client information from being attacked by viruses or worms. These new kiosks will also all communications to happen at a faster rate between the checkout stands to the inventory system. Employees will be able to check inventory and prices in real time. The rollout of the new system will need to happen in a series of phases. The first phase must be the layout of the rollout. Meetings will have to take place between the owners and the designer to make sure the standards are being met. The second phase will be the installation  of the network. The third phase will consist of testing the system and the security as well as training all employees and owners on the system. The third phase is extremely important in order for guidelines and rules to be established from the beginning. Once it has been tested and ready for implantation, the new system will go out in the fourth phase. The fourth phase will also include removing the old system. System maintenance will be included to ensure that the system runs smoothly.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 26

16 Raych, Manella, and little Bellis were waiting at the spaceport. The hypership was preparing for liftoff and the three had already checked their baggage. Raych said, â€Å"Dad, come along with us.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I cannot.† â€Å"If you change your mind, we will always have a place for you.† â€Å"I know it, Raych. We've been together for almost forty years-and they've been good years. Dors and I were lucky to find you.† â€Å"I'm the lucky one.† His eyes filled with tears. â€Å"Don't think I don't think of Mother every day.† â€Å"Yes.† Seldon looked away miserably. Wanda was playing with Bellis when the call rang out for everyone to board the hypership. They did, after a tearful last embrace of Wanda by her parents. Raych looked back to wave at Seldon and to try to plant a crooked smile on his face. Seldon waved and one hand moved out blindly to embrace Wanda's shoulders. She was the only one left. One by one through his long life, he had lost his friends and those he had loved. Demerzel had left, never to return; Emperor Cleon was gone; his beloved Dors was gone; his faithful friend Yugo Amaryl was gone; and now Raych, his only son, was gone as well. He was left only with Wanda. 11 Hari Seldon said, â€Å"It is beautiful outside-a marvelous evening. Considering that we live under a dome, you would think we would have beautiful weather like this every evening.† Wanda said indifferently, â€Å"We would grow tired of it, Grandpa, if it were beautiful all the time. A little change from night to night is good for us.† â€Å"For you, because you're young, Wanda. You have many, many evenings ahead of you. I don't. I want more good ones.† â€Å"Now, Grandpa, you're not old. Your leg is doing well and your mind m as sharp as ever. I know. â€Å" â€Å"Sure. Go ahead. Make me feel better.† He then said with an air of discomfort, â€Å"I want to walk. I want to get out of this tiny apartment and take a walk to the Library and enjoy this beautiful evening.† â€Å"What do you want at the Library?† â€Å"At the moment, nothing. I want the walk. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. But?† â€Å"I promised Raych I wouldn't go walking around Trantor without a bodyguard.† â€Å"Raych isn't here.† â€Å"I know,† mumbled Seldon â€Å"but a promise is a promise.† â€Å"He didn't say who the bodyguard should be, did he? Let's go for a walk and I'll be your bodyguard.† â€Å"You?† Seldon grinned. â€Å"Yes, me. I hereby volunteer my services. Get yourself ready and we'll go for a walk.† Seldon was amused. He had half a mind to go without his cane, since his leg was scarcely painful of late, but, on the other hand, he had a new cane, one in which the head had been filled with lead. It was both heavier and stronger than his old cane and, if he was going to have none other than Wanda as a bodyguard, he thought he had better bring his new cane. The walk was delightful and Seldon was terribly glad he had given in to the temptation-until they reached a certain spot. Seldon lifted his cane in a mixture of anger and resignation and said, â€Å"Look at that!† Wanda lifted her eyes. The dome was glowing, as it always did in the evening, in order to lend an air of first twilight. It grew darker as night went on, of course. What Seldon was pointing at, however, was a strip of darkness along the dome. A section of lights had gone out. Seldon said, â€Å"When I first came to Trantor, anything like that was unthinkable. There were people tending the lights at all times. The city worked, but now it is falling apart in all these little ways and what bothers me most is that no one cares. Why aren't there petitions to the Imperial Palace? Why aren't there meetings of indignation? It is as though the people of Trantor expect the city to be falling apart and then they find themselves annoyed with me because I am pointing out that this is exactly what is happening.† Wanda said softly, â€Å"Grandpa, there are two men behind us.† They had walked into the shadows beneath the broken dome lights and Seldon asked, â€Å"Are they just walking?† â€Å"No.† Wanda did not look at them. She did not have to. â€Å"They're after you.† â€Å"Can you stop them-push them?† â€Å"I'm trying, but there are two and they are determined. It's-it's like pushing a wall.† â€Å"How far behind me are they?† â€Å"About three meters.† â€Å"Closing in?† â€Å"Yes, Grandpa.† â€Å"Tell me when they're a meter behind me.† He slid his hand down his cane till he was holding the thin end, leaving the leaded head swinging free. â€Å"Now, Grandpa!† hissed Wanda. And Seldon turned, swinging his cane. It came down hard upon the shoulder of one of the men behind him, who went down with a scream, writhing on the pavement. Seldon said, â€Å"Where's the other guy?† â€Å"He took off.† Seldon looked down on the man on the ground and put his foot on his chest. He said, â€Å"Go through his pockets, Wanda. Someone must have paid him and I'd like to find his credit file-perhaps I can identify where they came from.† He added thoughtfully, â€Å"I meant to hit him on the head.† â€Å"You'd have killed him, Grandpa.† Seldon nodded. â€Å"It's what I wanted to do. Rather shameful. I'm lucky I missed.† A harsh voice said, â€Å"What is all this?† A figure in uniform came running up, perspiring. â€Å"Give me that cane, you!† â€Å"Officer,† said Seldon mildly. â€Å"You can give me your story later. We've got to call an ambulance for this poor man.† â€Å"Poor man, † said Seldon angrily. â€Å"He was going to assault me. I acted in self-defense.† â€Å"I saw it happen,† said the security officer. â€Å"This guy never laid a finger on you. You turned on him and struck him without provocation. That's not self-defense. That's assault and battery.† â€Å"Officer, I'm telling you that-â€Å" â€Å"Don't tell me anything. You can tell it in court.† Wanda said in a sweet small voice, â€Å"Officer, if you will just listen to us-â€Å" The officer said, â€Å"You go along home, young lady.† Wanda drew herself up. â€Å"I most certainly won't, Officer. Where my grandfather goes, there go I.† Her eyes flashed and the security officer muttered, â€Å"Well, come along, then.† 18 Seldon was enraged. â€Å"I've never been in custody before in my entire life. A couple of months ago eight men assaulted me. I was able to fight them off with the help of my son, but while that was going on was there a security officer in sight? Did people stop to help me? No. This time, I'm better prepared and I knocked a man flat who had been about to assault me. Was there a security officer in sight? Absolutely. She put the collar on me. There were people watching, too, and they were amused at seeing an old man being taken in for assault and battery. What kind of world do we live on?† Civ Novker, Seldon's lawyer, sighed and said calmly, â€Å"A corrupt world, but don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I'll get you out on bail and then, eventually, you'll come back for trial before a jury of your peers and the most you'll get-the very most-are some hard words from the bench. Your age and your reputation-â€Å" â€Å"Forget my reputation,† said Seldon, still angry. â€Å"I'm a psychohistorian and, at the present time, that is a dirty word. They'll be glad to see me in jail.† â€Å"No, they won't,† said Novker. â€Å"There may be some screwballs who have it in for you, but I'll see to it that none of them gets on the jury.† Wanda said, â€Å"Do we really have to subject my grandfather to all this? He's not a young man anymore. Can't we just appear before the magistrate and not bother with a jury trial?† The lawyer turned to her. â€Å"It can be done. If you're insane, maybe. Magistrates are impatient power-mad people who would just as soon put a person into jail for a year as listen to him. No one goes up before a magistrate.† â€Å"I think we should,† said Wanda. Seldon said, â€Å"Well now, Wanda, I think we ought to listen to Civ-† But as he said that, he felt a strong churning in his abdomen. It was Wanda's â€Å"push.† Seldon said, â€Å"Well-if you insist.† â€Å"She can't insist,† said the lawyer. â€Å"I won't allow it.† Wanda said, â€Å"My grandfather is your client. If he wants something done his way, you've got to do it.† â€Å"I can refuse to represent him.† â€Å"Well then, leave,† said Wanda sharply, â€Å"and we'll face the magistrate alone.† Novker thought and said, â€Å"Very well, then-if you're going to be so adamant. I've represented Hari for years and I suppose I won't abandon him now. But I warn you, the chances are he'll get a jail sentence and I'll have to work like the devil to get it lifted-if I can do it.at all.† â€Å"I'm not afraid,† said Wanda. Seldon bit his lip and the lawyer turned to him. â€Å"What about you? Are you willing to let your granddaughter call the shots?† Seldon thought a bit, then admitted, much to the old lawyer's surprise, â€Å"Yes. Yes, I am.† 19 The magistrate looked sourly at Seldon as he gave his story. The magistrate said, â€Å"What makes you think it was the intention of this man you struck to attack you? Did he strike you? Did he threaten you? Did he in any way place you under bodily fear?† â€Å"My granddaughter was aware of his approach and was quite certain that he was planning to attack me.† â€Å"Surely, sir, that cannot be enough. Is there anything else you can tell me before I pass judgment?† â€Å"Well now, wait a while,† said Seldon indignantly. â€Å"Don't pass judgment so quickly. I was assaulted a few weeks ago by eight men whom I held off with the help of my son. So, you see, I have reason to think that I might be assaulted again.† The magistrate shuffled his papers. â€Å"Assaulted by eight men. Did you report that?† â€Å"There were no security officers around. Not one.† â€Å"Aside from the point. Did you report it?† â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"For one thing, I was afraid of getting into long drawn-out legal proceedings. Since we had driven off eight men and were safe, it seemed useless to ask for more trouble.† â€Å"How did you manage to ward off eight men just you and your son?† Seldon hesitated. â€Å"My son is now on Santanni and outside Trantorian control. Thus, I can tell you that he had Dahlite knives and was expert in their use. He killed one man and badly hurt two others. The rest ran, carrying off the dead and wounded.† â€Å"But did you not report the death of a man and the wounding of two others?† â€Å"No, sir. Same reason as before. And we fought in self-defense. However, if you can track down the three dead and wounded, you will have evidence that we were attacked.† The magistrate said, â€Å"Track down one dead and two wounded nameless faceless Trantorians? Are you aware that on Trantor over two thousand people are found dead every day-by knife wounds alone. Unless these things are reported to us at once, we are helpless. Your story of being assaulted once before will not hold water. What we must do is deal with the events of today, which were reported and which had a security officer as a witness. â€Å"So, let's consider the situation as of now. Why do you think the fellow was going to attack? Simply because you happened to be passing by? Because you seemed old and defenseless? Because you looked like you might be carrying a great deal of credits? What do you think?† â€Å"I think, Magistrate, it was because of who I am.† The magistrate looked at his papers. â€Å"You are Hari Seldon, a professor and a scholar. Why should that make you subject to assault, particularly?† â€Å"Because of my views.† â€Å"Your views. Well-† The magistrate shuffled some papers perfunctorily. Suddenly he stopped and looked up, peering at Seldon. â€Å"Wait-Hari Seldon.† A look of recognition spread across his face. â€Å"You're the psychohistory buff, aren't you?† â€Å"Yes, Magistrate.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I don't know anything about it except the name and the fact that you go around predicting the end of the Empire or something like that.† â€Å"Not quite, Magistrate. But my views have become unpopular because they are proving to be true. I believe it is for that reason that there are those who want to assault me or, even more likely, are being paid to assault me.† The magistrate stared at Seldon and then called over the arresting security officer. â€Å"Did you check up on the man who was hurt? Does he have a record?† The security officer cleared her throat. â€Å"Yes, sir. He's been arrested several times. Assault, mugging.† â€Å"Oh, he's a repeat offender, is he? And does the professor have a record?† â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"So we have an old and innocent man fighting off a known mugger-and you arrest the old and innocent man. Is that it?† The security officer was silent. The magistrate said, â€Å"You may go, Professor.† â€Å"Thank you, sir. May I have my cane?† The magistrate snapped his fingers at the officer, who handed over the cane. â€Å"But one thing, Professor,† said the magistrate. â€Å"If you use that cane again, you had better be absolutely certain you can prove it was in self-defense. Otherwise-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, sir.† And Hari Seldon left the magistrate's chambers, leaning heavily on his cane but with his head held high. 20 Wanda was crying bitterly, her face wet with tears, her eyes red, her cheeks swollen. Hari Seldon hovered over her, patting her on the back, not knowing quite how to comfort her. â€Å"Grandpa, I'm a miserable failure. I thought I could push people and I could when they didn't mind being pushed too much, like Mom and Dad-and even then it took a long time. I even worked out a rating system of sorts, based on a ten-point scale-sort of a mental pushing power gauge. Only I assumed too much. I assumed that I was a ten, or at least a nine. But now I realize that, at most, I rate a seven.† Wanda's crying had stopped and she sniffed occasionally as Hari stroked her hand. â€Å"Usually-usually-I have no trouble. If I concentrate, I can hear people's thoughts and when I want, I push them. But those muggers! I could hear them all right, but there was nothing I could do to push them away.† â€Å"I thought you did very well, Wanda.† â€Å"I didn't. I had a fan-fantasy. I thought people would come up behind you and in one mighty push I'd send them flying. That way I was going to be your bodyguard. That's why I offered to be your bod-bodyguard. Only I wasn't. Those two guys came up and I couldn't do a thing.† â€Å"But you could. You made the first man hesitate. That gave me a chance to turn and clobber him.† â€Å"No no. I had nothing to do with it. All I could do was warn you he was there and you did the rest.† â€Å"The second man ran away.† â€Å"Because you clobbered the first guy. I had nothing to do with it.† She broke out again in tears of frustration. â€Å"And then the magistrate. I insisted on the magistrate. I thought I would push and he would let you go at once.† â€Å"He did let me go and it was practically at once.† â€Å"No. He put you through a miserable routine and saw the light only when he realized who you were. I had nothing to do with it. I flopped everywhere. I could have gotten you into so much trouble.† â€Å"No, I refuse to accept that, Wanda. If your pushing didn't work quite as well as you had hoped it would, it was only because you were working under emergency conditions. You couldn't have helped it. But, Wanda, look-I have an idea.† Catching the excitement in his voice, she looked up. â€Å"What kind of idea, Grandpa?† â€Å"Well, it's like this, Wanda. You probably realize that I've got to have credits. Psychohistory simply can't continue without it and I cannot bear the thought of having it all come to nothing after so many years of hard work.† â€Å"I can't bear it, either. But how can we get the credits?† â€Å"Well, I'm going to request an audience with the Emperor again. I've seen him once already and he's a good man and I like him. But he's not exactly drowning in wealth. However, if I take you with me and if you push him-gently-it may be that he will find a source of credits, some source somewhere, and keep me going for a while, till I can think of something else.† â€Å"Do you really think it will work, Grandpa?† â€Å"Not without you. But with you-maybe. Come, isn't it worth trying?† Wanda smiled. â€Å"You know I'll do anything you ask, Grandpa. Besides, it's our only hope.† 21 It was not difficult to see the Emperor. Agis's eyes sparkled as he greeted Hari Seldon. â€Å"Hello, old friend,† he said. â€Å"Have you come to bring me bad luck?† â€Å"I hope not,† said Seldon. Agis unhooked the elaborate cloak he was wearing and, with a weary grunt, threw it into the corner of the room, saying, â€Å"And you lie there.† He looked at Seldon and shook his head. â€Å"I hate that thing. It's as heavy as sin and as hot as blazes. I always have to wear it when I'm being smothered under meaningless words, standing there upright like a carved image. It's just plain horrible. Cleon was born to it and he had the appearance for it. I was not and I don't. It's just my misery that I'm a third cousin of his on my mother's side so that I qualified as Emperor. I'd be glad to sell it for a very small sum. Would you like to be Emperor, Hari?† â€Å"No no, I wouldn't dream of it, so don't get your hopes up,† said Seldon, laughing. â€Å"But tell me, who is this extraordinarily beautiful young woman you have brought with you today?† Wanda flushed and the Emperor said genially, â€Å"You mustn't let me embarrass you, my dear. One of the few perquisites** an Emperor possesses is the right to say anything he chooses. No one can object or argue about it. They can only say, ‘Sire.' However, I don't want any ‘Sires' from you. I hate that word. Call me Agis. That is not my birth name, either. It's my Imperial name and I've got to get used to it. So†¦ tell me what's doing, Hari. What's been happening to you since the last time we met?† Seldon said briefly, â€Å"I've been attacked twice.† The Emperor didn't seem to be sure whether this was a joke or not. He said, â€Å"Twice? Really?† The Emperor's face darkened as Seldon told the story of the assaults. â€Å"I suppose there wasn't a security officer around when those eight men threatened you.† â€Å"Not one.† The Emperor rose from his chair and gestured at the other two to keep theirs. He walked back and forth, as though he were trying to work off some anger. Then he turned and faced Seldon. â€Å"For thousands of years,† he began, â€Å"whenever something like this happened, people would say, ‘Why don't we appeal to the Emperor?' or `Why doesn't the Emperor do something?' And, in the end, the Emperor can do something and does do something, even if it isn't always the intelligent thing to do. But I†¦ Hari, I'm powerless. Absolutely powerless. â€Å"Oh yes, there is the so-called Commission of Public Safety, but they seem more concerned with my safety than that of the public. It's a wonder we're having this audience at all, for you are not at all popular with the Commission. â€Å"There's nothing I can do about anything. Do you know what's happened to the status of the Emperor since the fall of the junta and the restoration of-hah!-Imperial power?† â€Å"I think I do.† â€Å"I'll bet you don't-fully. We've got democracy now. Do you know what democracy is?† â€Å"Certainly.† Agis frowned. He said, â€Å"I'll bet you think it's a good thing.† â€Å"I think it can be a good thing.† â€Å"Well, there you are. It isn't. It's completely upset the Empire. â€Å"Suppose I want to order more officers onto the streets of Trantor. In the old days, I would pull over a piece of paper prepared for me by the Imperial Secretary and would sign it with a flourish-and there would be more security officers. â€Å"Now I can't do anything of the sort. I have to put it before the Legislature. There are seventy-five hundred men and women who instantly turn into uncounted gaggles of geese the instant a suggestion is made. In the first place, where is the funding to come from? You can't have, say, ten thousand more officers without having to pay ten thousand more salaries. Then, even if you agreed to something of the sort, who selects the new security officers? Who controls them? â€Å"The Legislature shouts at each other, argues, thunders, and lightens, and in the end-nothing is done. Hari, I couldn't even do as small a thing as fix the broken dome lights you noticed. How much will it cost? Who's in charge? Oh, the lights will be fixed, but it can easily take a few months to do it. That's democracy.† Hari Seldon said, â€Å"As I recall, the Emperor Cleon was forever complaining that he could not do what he wished to do.† â€Å"The Emperor Cleon,† said Agis impatiently, â€Å"had two first-class First Ministers-Demerzel and yourself-and you each labored to keep Cleon from doing anything foolish. I have seventy-five hundred First Ministers, all of whom are foolish from start to finish. But surely, Hari, you haven't come to complain to me about the attacks.† â€Å"No, I haven't. Something much worse. Sire-Agis-I need credits.† The Emperor stared at him. â€Å"After what I've been telling you, Hari? I have no credits. Oh yes, there're credits to run this establishment, of course, but in order to get them I have to face my seventy-five hundred legislators. If you think I can go to them and say, `I want credits for my friend, Hari Seldon' and if you think I'll get one quarter of what I ask for in anything less than two years, you're crazy. It won't happen.† He shrugged and said, more gently, â€Å"Don't get me wrong, Hari. I would like to help you if I could. I would particularly like to help you for the sake of your granddaughter. Looking at her makes me feel as though I should give you all the credits you would like-but it can't be done.† Seldon said, â€Å"Agis, if I don't get funding, psychohistory will go down the drain-after nearly forty years.† â€Å"It's come to nothing in nearly forty years, so why worry?† â€Å"Agis,† said Seldon â€Å"there's nothing more I can do now. The assaults on me were precisely because I'm a psychohistorian. People consider me a predictor of destruction.† The Emperor nodded. â€Å"You're bad luck, Raven Seldon. I told you this earlier.† Seldon stood up wretchedly. â€Å"I'm through, then.† Wanda stood, too, next to Seldon the top of her head reaching her grandfather's shoulder. She gazed fixedly at the Emperor. As Hari turned to go, the Emperor said, â€Å"Wait. Wait. There's a little verse I once memorized: ‘ Ill fares the land To hastening ills a prey Where wealth accumulates And men decay.' â€Å" â€Å"What does it mean?† asked a dispirited Seldon. â€Å"It means that the Empire is steadily deteriorating and falling apart, but that doesn't keep some individuals from growing rich. Why not turn to some of our wealthy entrepreneurs? They don't have legislators and can, if they wish, simply sign a credit voucher.† Seldon stared. â€Å"I'll try that.†