Portfolio Brief (product chosen is the new X-Box 360) Essay

Portfolio Brief (product chosen is the new X-Box 360) - Essay Example onale – to capture the mind share (if not effect sales right away) of the maximum population, before Sony’s next Playstation hits the stores later in 2006. The promotional strategy largely focused on the integration of the new gaming console with other media – X-BOX 360 can play music from your CDs, iPod or your PC. You can watch movies, TV or Video through it. It integrates with all digital cameras so you can view pictures and slide shows. And of course – it lets you play your choice of games. (Darren Waters, 2005) With this product, Microsoft has suddenly short-circuited the life of current generation of gaming hardware – by launching its X-BOX 360, it has ushered in a new era of entertainment. The X-BOX 360 is all set to provide a media hub as opposed to pure gaming. Microsoft’s website, TV and print ads, as well as the PR speeches by company officials, are all directed towards highlighting the multi-tasking aspect of X-BOX 360. The promotional activities are targeted towards a rational positioning of the product – as a complete home entertainment system. (Microsoft’s website). While reaching out to a majority of early and new starters, this approach might not appeal to the hard-core gamers, especially since there are still numerous OS glitches and hardware breakdowns reported by those who have made the purchase. (Peter Cohen, 2005) With 1.5 million units of its next-generation video game console already sold in the December quarter, Microsoft now expects to sell 2.5 million by February end. (Todd Bishop, 2006). The market looks receptive and Microsoft’s promotional stance has apparently paid off. However, the marketing communication efforts were not complemented by delivery and supply, thus leading to some discontent and aversion towards the company if not the product. The following pages will present the description and analysis of the Promotional Activities undertaken by Microsoft, the effectiveness of the efforts, and the impact that

The War on Iraq Essay Example for Free

The War on Iraq Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If there’s one country that you would want to go to, the country Iraq would be on your list. Iraq is a country of heritage and historical value. It has been known to the world for housing numbers of archaeological sites and art pieces. It is acknowledged for having one thousand archaeological sites including ruins of their past wars. Iraq has been the place for the oldest churches in the world and the first city of the world. The country’s archaeological sites can be dated back even before Christ was born; the mainland for the Old Testament. Scholars and curators fear the possibility that the civil war in Iraq might destroy the archaeological sites of the country (Guardian, April 2, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States and Iraq conflict began on the twentieth of March of the year Two-Thousand and Three. The main reason for the development of the war is that His Excellence, President George W. Bush along with British Prime Minister Tony Blairand their fellow allies was threatened by the speculations that the Iraq government was developing weapons of mass destruction; nuclear bombs and the likes. The war went on until the defeat of the Iraqi terrorist Saddam Hussein. The war deteriorated this year, two thousand and seven, but the war between Sunni and Shia Muslims continued up to this date (A timeline of the Iraq War,) Shia vs. Sunni Muslim   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sunni and Shia Muslims are only two among the subgroups of the Muslim religion. Sunni and Shia have the same culture, it is homogenous. Although both share the common Islamic beliefs they do not share common beliefs when it comes to political issues and practices. There is diversity within the Islamic groups regionally. The division between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam started when the prophet Muhammad died, leadership of the Muslim was then a big question. Who would take the place of Muhammad was at stake, whether it should be a relative or it is just okay for a capable leader to take his place. The Sunni Muslims agreed upon the election of a new leader among the capable ones. On the contrary, the Shia Muslims believed that the leadership should have been passed to Muhammad’s relatives, particularly to his cousin Ali. All throughout the Muslims’ history, the Shia subgroup never have recognized the authority of their elected leaders. From this initial political issue of leadership, the two subgroups’ spiritual beliefs were divided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are theological or spiritual differences between the Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Shia subgroups believe that their Imam or leader is a sinless leader since it was appointed by God. They often make shrines for their Imams because they believe that they are saints. On the contrary, Sunni Muslims contradicted the Shia beliefs; they say that there’s no basis for the veneration of saints and that there’s no such thing as the hereditary succession of spiritual leaders (Huda, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the practical differences between Sunni and Shia is through praying. Shia Muslims pray three times a day wherein they combine their prayers; their prayers can be identified by a tablet of clay from what they call Karbala or a holy place, on which their foreheads are pressed against. On the contrary, Sunni Muslims pray five times a day without combining their prayers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Temporary marriage or what Muslims call Muttah marriage is legal to Shia but the Sunni Muslims do not consider it. Sunni Muslims believe that Muttah marriage is a forbidden act, thus, believing that the Prophet forbid the act (Hourani, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also differences in the kind of government the Sunnis and Shias wanted to have; the political culture differences. Shias are rebellious and always contradict the tyrannical rulers and are against Sunni injustices. They believed in the modern world democracy, in which avoidance of accountability and tyranny is stressed. They are anti-authoritarians and it is known to be an inherent culture of the Shias; they believed in the justification of fair rulers and that justice is fair and without any bias. On the contrary, Sunnis uphold any kind of government, be it democratic or not for as long as it maintains the order and the stability of the Muslim community. Not to mention that it should also protect the Muslim communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gender relations among the Sunni Islam and Shia Islam have differences also. Shias’ allow a fairer gender relation than the Sunnis. The presence of sexual inequality for them is the absence of democracy; this is what the Shias believed in. On the other hand, Sunni Islam communities believed that women should be a subordinate of men; wives should obey their husbands. Thus, it shows that their differences are completely extreme, because one opposes the other (Chaulia,February 16, 2007) Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚     Like other religions, Muslims also have differences, be it political, cultural and regional diversity. The fact is that they are all the same when it comes to spiritual concerns. The most important thing is to be united with God despite of the differences. Holy war is not supposed to be an issue because we are all the same in the eyes of our creator. Our fellow Muslim should unite instead of continuously building up the wall between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Iraq should be a sanctuary and not a place for war and conflict. Shias’ and Sunnis’ differences should not hinder them from being united for the sake of peace for the fact that they are both Muslims. References Chaulia, S. (February 16, 2007 ). Shia Democracy:Myth or Reality?   [Electronic Version] from http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/2677.cfm. Guardian, T. (April 2, 2003). The end of civilization [Electronic Version] from http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,927788,00.html. Hourani, A. (1991). A History of the Arab Peoples [Electronic Version] from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_4.shtml. Huda. (2007). Whats the Difference Between Shia and Sunni Muslims? [Electronic Version] from http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm. A timeline of the Iraq War [Electronic ( ). Version]. Retrieved 2005-2007 from http://thinkprogress.org/iraq-timeline.

Solar Access Laws :: Essays Papers

Solar Access Laws Brief History of Solar Access Ralph Knowles’ paper, â€Å"The Solar Envelope† further discusses the high priority given to structures that reflected the path of the sun in ancient civilizations. The Acoma Pueblo Settlement west of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been occupied by over one thousand years. In Acoma, buildings are arranged in rows oriented to the south at intervals down the hillside. The buildings collectively face south, toward warming rays of winter sun and away from heating east/west sun of summer. In the winter the low sun warms thick masonry walls that in turn warm interior rooms into the night. In the summer the sun passes overhead hitting (and reflecting off of) roofs and terraces. The Acoma houses are spaced to offer protection in summer by sharing sidewalls and so as not to shade one another in winter. Necessity of Solar Access Laws As societies have placed value on solar access for centuries, we are faced in a time of extreme exponential growth with the challenges of maintaining equal solar access for all. Equal Solar Access is important in two fundamental ways. The first is science based. Solar access saves energy. In 1988 the Tacoma Energy Office conducted the â€Å"Tacoma Solar Access and Economic Benefits Study† and found that solar lot orientation reduces energy use by between ten and twenty percent per single-family housing unit (Aalfs 1997). As in Acoma, the Tacoma energy office recognized the fundamental role the sun could play in efficient energy use and ultimately energy conservation. In Tacoma, energy savings were identified as the primary goal of solar access standards. In Tacoma they cited further that energy savings would be likely to go up in the future with the development of solar technologies and diminishing supplies of petroleum products. Individuals and businesses in both the private and public sectors must have equal opportunity to alternative energy systems that may use the infinite (at least until the sun super novas) supply of solar energy. It is necessary to maintain equal access for not only current energy savings but for alternative energy strategies in the future. Ultimately, the sun is integral to all life. Knowles states that it is the warmth, energy and rhythm of our lives. It â€Å"informs our perceptions of time and space and our scale in the universe.† Knowles goes as far as to say, â€Å"Without the assurance of solar access, we face uncertainty and disorientation.

Working class and racial discrimination

Each period of U. S. history presents an opportunity to think about the history of working class and racial discrimination. Having yet to develop thorough, critical, and radical interpretations of the civil rights struggle, historians have tended to share a sympathetic attitude toward the quest for civil rights. They also lack the advantage recently gained by diplomatic historians with the end of the cold war, and they cannot, and do not want to, declare the straggle to be â€Å"over† because racial discord has not ended and racial justice has not been achieved.Historians will, therefore, continue to write about an ongoing movement for equal rights in which their advocacy and support seem to them important to the movement's success. Surveys of the literature by Upton Sinclair and Anne Moody have already made important contributions in identifying persistent problems. For these writers, direct personal participation preceded writing about the movements. Unlike Sinclair’s The Jungle, Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi is compelling autobiographical narratives in the African American literary tradition.In a voice that is as subtle as it is insistent, as unpretentious as it is uncompromising, Moody maps her coming of age in Mississippi during the repressive 1940s and 1950s and the turbulent early years of the 1960s. Yet Moody’s narrative is more than a poignant personal testimony; it is an immensely valuable cultural document that offers an insightful view of life in Mississippi during the middle decades of the twentieth century and the carefully orchestrated resistance to that way of life that the civil rights movement initiated during the 1960s.The beautiful descriptions of Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi are all very good. They served a purpose and served it well. Coming of Age in Mississippi was a great book. It is lively and warm. It is written with pain and blood and groans and tears. It says not what man should be, b ut what man is forced to be in our world. It presents not what our country should be, but it describes what our country really is, the residence of pressure and unfairness, a nightmare of suffering, an inferno hell, a jungle of wild brutes.But I consider that The Jungle, which has beautiful theories, is even a greater book. It was the novel, which was responsible for the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. In 1906, Sinclair's The Jungle catapulted him into almost-immediate fame. The Jungle became a best-seller in many languages and actually made Sinclair's name known all over the world. The New York Evening World announced: â€Å"Not since Byron awoke one morning to find himself famous has there been such an example of world-wide fame won in a day by a book as has come to Upton Sinclair† (Foner 89).The Jungle produced big public excitement. I think that Upton Sinclair was emotionally involved in the creating of The Jungle. Though Upton Sinclair's The Jungle concentrates mo re on working-class struggle than mobility, it does as well good job in getting readers to think about socialism, immigration, capitalism, and future reform. Written in Chicago's immigrant neighborhood under the name the Back of the Yards, The Jungle beckons readers to look for history of this neighborhood.Descriptions of the neighborhood encourage readers to think about places where the author was writing and to understand historical events. The labor struggle in the book is based on the ineffective stockyard strike by workers of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen in Chicago in 1904. Sinclair, who was there as a journalist for the Socialist weekly Appeal to Reason, stood among a growing number of pro-labor social workers. Unlike Moody, however, Sinclair evidently had much less sympathy for the struggles of African Americans, as his racialist description of the strikebreakers makes clear.In fact, Sinclair described a group of the strikebreakers as â€Å"a throng of st upid black Negroes, and foreigners who could not understand a word that was said to them† (260). Sinclair describes the strikebreakers – especially the African Americans – as idle, unqualified, and threatening. He had the most tractable pupils, however. â€Å"See hyar, boss,† a big black â€Å"buck† would begin, â€Å"ef you doan’ like de way Ah does dis job, you kin get somebody else to do it. † Then a crowd would gather and listen, muttering threats. After the first meal nearly all the steel knives had been missing,and now every Negro had one, ground to a fine point, hidden in his boot (261). Sinclair's recurring mention of African American men as  «bucks » deserves attention. Studying the stereotypes of African Americans, Donald Bogle observes the character of the black buck or black brute in D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation. Bogle depicts the African Americans as â€Å"subhuman †¦ nameless characters setting out on a rampage of black rage. Bucks are always big, baaadd [sic] niggers, over sexed and savage, violent and frenzied as they lust for white flesh† (Foner 41). Sinclair presents a similar stereotype.He dramatizes the accusation by union officials in Chicago where African American strikebreakers brought amoral conditions to the plants because they were more lecherous than white workers. The lack of remonstrance to racist passages gives additional proof of white supremacy during this time, which claimed â€Å"that the Negro belonged to an inferior race and warned their comrades against violating the Caucasian purity of their association†. Unlike Sinclair, Moody presents the South through the eyes of Negro in the battle against Mississippi’s deep-rooted racist institutions and practices that remained largely unchallenged until the 1960s.While Sinclair again minimizes the cruelty against African American workers by simply saying that the â€Å"scab† who made the mi stake of going into Packingtown â€Å"fared badly† (263) Moody emphasizes the harsh realities of life in the Deep South in the mid-twentieth century—in Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively. As the critic Roger Rosenblatt has asserted, â€Å"No black American author has ever felt the need to invent a nightmare to make [her] point† (Foner 89). Touched by the powerful effects of these destructive forces, Ann Moody holds herself with dignity and self-respect.She moves forward toward a goal of self-sufficiency, combining a consciousness of self, an awareness of the political realities of black life in the South, and an appreciation of the responsibility that such awareness implies. Moody, however, is not entirely uncritical of the blacks in Mississippi. In fact, like Richard Wright’s Black Boy, the autobiography of Anne Moody can be read as an articulate yet restrained critique of certain aspects of southern black folk culture. It is a culture of fear that a ttempts to stifle inquisitiveness.Many black adults actively discourage the children from asking probing questions about race relations. A curious black child, they are afraid, might grow up to be a rebellious adult, and rebellion, they knew, could be lethal in Mississippi. When Moody, as a child, wants to know why whiteness is a marker of privilege or when she asks questions about reports of racially motivated violence, she is faced with a wall of silence or sometimes even intimidation. Later when she becomes an activist, some of her relatives plead with her to abandon her activism; some, in fear of white retaliation, refuse to associate with her.However, Moody’s fiercest criticism is directed at the whites. She is relentless in her assault on the Mississippi way of life. While she freely acknowledges the decency of some individual whites, even contemplates the possibility of interracial unity, she carefully exposes how the politics of color informs every aspect of life in M ississippi. With appropriately sharp sarcasm, the title of her autobiography alludes to Margaret Mead’s famous text Coming of Age in Samoa.Mead, an American anthropologist, examines in her work the social rituals and cultural codes that govern an individual’s passage from childhood to young adulthood in a supposedly â€Å"primitive† Samoan culture. In Coming of Age in Mississippi, with nearly anthropological precision, Moody maps her initiatory journey from innocence to experience among the seemingly â€Å"primitive† whites of Mississippi. Coming of Age in Mississippi is divided into four sections. In the first section, titled â€Å"Childhood,† Moody remembers her early years amid the grinding poverty of rural Mississippi.Even though her parents labor in the cotton fields from dawn to dusk almost every day of the week, they are barely able to feed and clothe their children. At age nine Moody starts doing domestic work for white families. After her father abandons the family, she works several hours a day after school and on weekends to help feed her siblings. The opening section of the autobiography concludes with her recollection of her first calculated act of resistance to the southern racial codes. She begins to work for Mrs. Burke, a white woman. On her first day on the job Moody enters Mrs.Burke’s house through the front door. The next day, when she knocks on the front door, Mrs. Burke directs her to the back entrance and Moody complies. However, the following morning, Moody knocks on the front door again. Once Mrs. Burke realizes that she cannot dictate Moody’s conduct, she lets her do the domestic chores without complaining. â€Å"Working for her,† says Moody, â€Å"was a challenge,† and Mrs. Burke would be the â€Å"first one of her type† that Moody would defy as she grows older (117). Moody’s minor revolt against Mrs. Burke foreshadows her later civil rights activism.Her poli tical awakening begins during her teenage years, and Moody chronicles those years in the book’s second section, titled â€Å"High School. † When she asks her mother for the meaning of â€Å"NAACP† (127)—something she had overheard Mrs. Burke mention to a group of white women who regularly meet at her house—her mother angrily tells her never to mention that word in front of any white persons and orders her to complete her homework and go to sleep. Shortly thereafter Moody discovers that there is one adult in her life who could offer her the answers she seeks: Mrs.Rice, her homeroom teacher. Like Mrs. Bertha Flowers in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Mrs. Rice plays a pivotal role in Moody’s maturation. She not only answers Moody’s questions about Emmett Till and the NAACP, but she volunteers a great deal more information about the state of race relations in Mississippi. Moody’s early curiosity about the NA ACP resurfaces later when she attends Tougaloo College. Titled â€Å"College,† the third section of the autobiography reveals Moody’s increasing commitment to political activism.The fourth and final section of the autobiography, titled â€Å"Movement,† documents Moody’s full-scale involvement in the struggle for civil rights. In the opening chapter of the final section Moody narrates her participation in a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson. She and three other civil rights workers—two of them white—take their seats at the lunch counter. They are, predictably, denied service, but the four continue to sit and wait. Soon a large number of white students from a local high school pour into Woolworth’s.When the students realize that a sit-in is in progress, they crowd around Moody and her companions and begin to taunt them. The verbal abuse quickly turns physical. Moody, along with the other three, is beaten, kicked, a nd â€Å"dragged about thirty feet toward the door by [her] hair† (226). Then all four of them are â€Å"smeared with ketchup, mustard, sugar, pies and everything on the counter† (226). The abuse continues for almost three hours until they are rescued by Dr. Beittel, the president of Tougaloo College who arrives after being informed of the violence.When Moody is escorted out of Woolworth’s by Dr. Beittel, she realizes that â€Å"about ninety white police officers had been standing outside the store; they had been watching the whole thing through the windows, but had not come in to stop the mob or do anything† (267). This experience helps Moody understand â€Å"how sick Mississippi whites were† and how â€Å"their disease, an incurable disease,† could prompt them even to kill to preserve â€Å"the segregated Southern way of life† (267). In the chapters that follow she comments on the impact of the assassinations of Medgar Evers and Pre sident John F.Kennedy on the civil rights movement, the escalating turmoil across the South, and her participation in the attempts to integrate white churches in Jackson on the Sunday after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. The short final chapter ends with her joining a busload of civil rights workers on their way to Washington, D. C. As the bus moves through the Mississippi landscape, her fellow travelers sing the anthem of the civil rights movement: â€Å"We shall overcome† (384). As she listens to the words of the song, Moody wonders. The autobiography ends with two short sentences: I WONDER. I really WONDER† (384).The word wonder, in the context of the autobiography, lends itself to two different meanings. On the one hand, it suggests that Moody is skeptical if blacks in Mississippi will ever â€Å"overcome,† as the anthem asserts. On the other hand, the word reveals her awe over her participation in a mass movement, her remarkable journey from her impove rished childhood on a plantation to her defiant participation as a young adult in a social rebellion that will shake the foundations of Mississippi, and the dignity and determination she sees on the faces of her fellow travelers on the bus to Washington, D. C. Both novels work well in determining the distinction between revolution and reform.The result, the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, was championed as a victory of progressive reform, but in many ways it was a defeat for Sinclair and his revolutionary ambition. Coming of Age in Mississippi expanded coverage and broadened understanding of the black freedom movement beyond the traditional major events, individuals, and institutions. Moody examined the relationship between organized labor and the black freedom struggle. Her book opened new ways of understanding the southern movement.The economic forces that inspired the works by Upton Sinclair and Anne Moody still operate. And the books do more than prove the importance of interracial labor solidarity. The works remind us that racialized enmity and violence are never without moral, political, and socioeconomic consequences. Works Cited Foner, Eric. The New American History. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990. Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. Laurel Editions, 1992. Sinclair, Upton. The jungle. Memphis, Tenn. : St. Lukes’s Press, 1988.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 27

22 â€Å"Mr. Bindris,† said Hari Seldon, reaching out his hand to shake the other's. â€Å"I am so glad to be able to see you. It was good of you to agree to see me.† â€Å"Why not?† said Terep Bindris jovially. â€Å"I know you well. Or, rather, I know of you well.† â€Å"That's pleasant. I take it you've heard of psychohistory, then.† â€Å"Oh yes, what intelligent person hasn't? Not that I understand anything about it, of course. And who is this young lady you have with you?† â€Å"My granddaughter, Wanda.† â€Å"A very pretty young woman.† He beamed. â€Å"Somehow I feel I'd be putty in her hands.† Wanda said, â€Å"I think you exaggerate, sir.† â€Å"No, really. Now, please, sit down and tell me what it is I can do for you.† He gestured expansively with his arm, indicating that they be seated on two overstuffed, richly brocaded chairs in front of the desk at which he sat. The chairs, like the ornate desk, the imposing carved doors which had slid back noiselessly at their arrival signal, and the gleaming obsidian floor of Bindris's vast office, were of the finest quality. And, although his surroundings were impressive-and imposing-Bindris himself was not. The slight cordial man would not be taken, at first glance, for one of Trantor's leading financial powerbrokers. â€Å"We're here, sir, at the Emperor's suggestion.† â€Å"The Emperor?† â€Å"Yes, he could not help us, but he thought a man like you might be able to do so. The question, of course, is credits.† Bindris's face fell. â€Å"Credits?† he said. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, â€Å"for nearly forty years, psychohistory has been supported by the government. However, times change and the Empire is no longer what it was.† â€Å"Yes, I know that.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"The Emperor lacks the credits to support us or, even if he did have the credits, he couldn't get the request for funding past the Legislature. He recommends, therefore, that I see businesspeople who, in the first place, still have credits and, in the second place, can simply write out a credit voucher.† There was a longish pause and Bindris finally said, â€Å"The Emperor, I'm afraid, knows nothing about business. -How many credits do you want?† â€Å"Mr. Bindris, we're talking about an enormous task. I'm going to need several million.† â€Å"Several million!† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Bindris frowned. â€Å"Are we talking about a loan here? When do you expect to be able to pay it back?† â€Å"Well, Mr. Bindris, I can't honestly say I ever expect to be able to pay it back. I'm looking for a gift.† â€Å"Even if I wanted to give you the credits-and let me tell you, for some strange reason I very much want to do so-I couldn't. The Emperor may have his Legislature, but I have my Board members. I can't make a gift of that sort without the Board's permission and they'll never grant it.† â€Å"Why not? Your firm is enormously wealthy. A few million would mean nothing to you.† â€Å"That sounds good,† said Bindris, â€Å"but I'm afraid that the firm is in a state of decline right now. Not sufficiently to bring us into serious trouble, but enough to make us unhappy. If the Empire is in a state of decay, different individual parts of it are decaying, too. We are in no position to hand out a few million. I'm truly sorry.† Seldon sat there silently and Bindris seemed unhappy. He shook his Head at last and said, â€Å"Look, Professor Seldon, I would really like to help you out, particularly for the sake of the young lady you have with you. It just can't be done. However, we're not the only firm in Trantor. Try others, Professor. You may have better luck elsewhere.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon, raising himself to his feet with an effort, â€Å"we shall try.† 23 Wanda's eyes were filled with tears, but the emotion they represented was not sorrow but fury. â€Å"Grandpa,† she said, â€Å"I don't understand it. I simply don't understand it. We've been to four different firms. Each one was ruder and nastier to us than the one before. The fourth one just kicked us out. And since then, no one will let us in.† â€Å"It's no mystery, Wanda,† said Seldon gently. â€Å"When we saw Bindris, he didn't know what we were there for and he was perfectly friendly until I asked for a gift of a few million credits. Then he was a great deal less friendly. I imagine the word went out as to what we wanted and each additional time there was less friendliness until now, when people won't receive us at all. Why should they? They're not going to give us the credits we need, so why waste time with us?† Wanda's anger turned on herself. â€Å"And what did I do? I just sat there. Nothing.† â€Å"I wouldn't say that,† said Seldon. â€Å"Bindris was affected by you. It seems to me that he really wanted to give me the credits, largely because of you. You were pushing him and accomplishing something.† â€Å"Not nearly enough. Besides, all he cared about was that I was pretty.† â€Å"Not pretty,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Beautiful. Very beautiful.† â€Å"So what do we do now, Grandpa?† asked Wanda. â€Å"After all these years, psychohistory will collapse.† â€Å"I suppose that,† said Seldon â€Å"in a way, it's something that can't be helped. I've been predicting the breakdown of the Empire for nearly forty years and now that it's come, psychohistory breaks down with it.† â€Å"But psychohistory will save the Empire, at least partly.† â€Å"I know it will, but I can't force it to.† â€Å"Are you just going to let it collapse?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'll try to keep it from doing so, but I must admit that I don't know how I'm going to do it.† Wanda said, â€Å"I'm going to practice. There must be some way I can strengthen my push, make it easier for me to force people to do what I want them to do.† â€Å"I wish you could manage.† â€Å"What are you going to do, Grandpa?† â€Å"Well, nothing much. Two days ago, when I was on my way to see the Chief Librarian, I encountered three men in the Library who were arguing about psychohistory. For some reason, one of them impressed me very much. I urged him to come see me and he agreed. The appointment is for this afternoon at my office.† â€Å"Are you going to have him work for you?† â€Å"I would like to-if I have enough credits to pay him with. But it can't hurt to talk with him. After all, what can I lose?† 24 The young man arrived at precisely 4 T.S.T. (Trantorian Standard Time) and Seldon smiled. He loved punctual people. He placed his hands on his desk and made ready to heave to his feet, but the young man said, â€Å"Please, Professor, I know you have a bad leg. You needn't stand up.† Seldon said, â€Å"Thank you, young man. However, that does not mean that you cannot sit down. Please do.† The young man removed his jacket and sat down. Seldon said, â€Å"You must forgive me†¦ when we met and set up this appointment, I neglected to learn your name-which is†¦? â€Å"Stettin Palver,† said the young man. â€Å"Ah. Palver! Palver! The name sounds familiar.† â€Å"It should, Professor. My grandfather boasted frequently of having known you.† â€Å"Your grandfather. Of course. Joramis Palver. He was two years younger than I was, as I recall. I tried to get him to join me in psychohistory, but he refused. He said there was no chance of his ever learning enough mathematics to make it possible. Too bad! How is Joramis, by the way?† Palver said solemnly, â€Å"I'm afraid that Joramis has gone the way of old men generally. He's dead.† Seldon winced. Two years younger than he himself was-and dead. An old friend and they had lost touch to such a degree that, when death came, it did so unknowingly. Seldon sat there for a while and finally muttered, â€Å"I'm sorry.† The young man shrugged. â€Å"He had a good life.† â€Å"And you, young man, where did you have your schooling?† â€Å"Langano University.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"Langano? Stop me if I'm wrong, but that's not on Trantor, is it?† â€Å"No. I wanted to try a different world. The Universities on Trantor, as you undoubtedly know very well, are all overcrowded. I wanted to find a place where I could study in peace.† â€Å"And what did you study?† â€Å"Nothing much. History. Not the sort of thing that would lead one to a good job.† (Another wince, even worse than the first. Dors Venabili had been a historian.) Seldon said, â€Å"But you're back here on Trantor. Why is that?† â€Å"Credits. Jobs.† â€Å"As an historian?† Palver laughed. â€Å"Not a chance. I run a device that pulls and hauls. Not exactly a professional occupation.† Seldon looked at Palver with a twinge of envy. The contours of Palver's arms and chest were highlighted by the thin fabric of his shirt. He was well muscled. Seldon had never himself been quite that muscular. Seldon said, â€Å"I presume that when you were at the University, you were on the boxing team.† â€Å"Who, me? Never. I'm a Twister.† â€Å"A Twister!† Seldon's spirits jumped. â€Å"Are you from Helicon?† Palver said with a certain contempt, â€Å"You don't have to come from Helicon to be a good Twister.† No, thought Seldon, but that's where the best ones come from. However, he said nothing. He did say, though, â€Å"Well, your grandfather would not join me. How about you?† â€Å"Psychohistory?† â€Å"I heard you talking to the others when I first encountered you and it seemed to me that you were talking quite intelligently about psychohistory. Would you like to join me, then?† â€Å"As I said, Professor, I have a job.† â€Å"Pushing and hauling. Come, come.† â€Å"It pays well.† â€Å"Credits aren't everything.† â€Å"They're quite a bit. Now you, on the other hand, can't pay me much. I'm quite certain that you're short of credits.† â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"I'm guessing, in a way, I suppose. But am I wrong?† Seldon's lips pressed together hard, then he said, â€Å"No, you're not wrong and I can't pay you much. I'm sorry. I suppose that ends our little interview.† â€Å"Wait, wait, wait.† Palver held up his hands. â€Å"Not quite so fast, please. We're still talking about psychohistory. If I work for you, I will be taught psychohistory, right?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"In that case, credits aren't everything, after all. I'll make you a deal. You teach me all the psychohistory you can and you pay me whatever you can and I'll get by somehow. How about it?† â€Å"Wonderful,† said Seldon joyously. â€Å"That sounds great. Now, one more thing.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Yes. I've been attacked twice in recent weeks. The first time my son came to my defense, but he has since gone to Santanni. The second time I made use of my lead-filled walking stick. It worked, but I was dragged before a magistrate and accused of assault and battery-â€Å" â€Å"Why the attacks?† interjected Palver. â€Å"I am not popular. I have been preaching the Fall of the Empire for so long that, now that it is coming, I am blamed for it.† â€Å"I see. Now then, what does all that have to do with the one more thing you mentioned?† â€Å"I want you to be my bodyguard. You're young, you're strong, and, most of all, you're a Twister. You're exactly what I need.† â€Å"I suppose it can be managed,† Palver said with a smile. 25 â€Å"See there, Stettin,† Seldon said as the two were taking an early evening stroll in one of Trantor's residential sectors near Streeling. The older man pointed to debris-assorted refuse jettisoned from passing groundcars or dropped by careless pedestrians-strewn along the walkway. â€Å"In the old days,† Seldon continued, â€Å"you would never see litter like this. The security officers were vigilant and municipal maintenance crews provided round-the-clock upkeep of all public areas. But, most important, no one would even think of dumping his trash in such a manner. Trantor was our home; we took pride in it. Now†-Seldon shook his head sadly, resignedly, and sighed-â€Å"it's-† He broke off abruptly. â€Å"You there, young man!† Seldon shouted at a ill-kempt fellow who had moments before passed them, going in the opposite direction. He was munching a treat just popped into his mouth; the wrapper had been tossed to the ground without so much as a downward glance. â€Å"Pick that up and dispose of it properly,† Seldon admonished as the young man eyed him sullenly. â€Å"Pick it up yourself,† the boy snarled and then he turned and walked away. â€Å"It's another sign of society's breakdown, as predicted by your psychohistory, Professor Seldon,† Palver said. â€Å"Yes, Stettin. All around us the Empire is falling apart, piece by piece. In fact, it's already smashed-there's no turning back now. Apathy, decay, and greed have all played their parts in destroying the once-glorious Empire. And what will take its place? Why-â€Å" Here Seldon broke off at the sight of Palver's face. The younger man seemed to be listening intently-but not to Seldon's voice. His head was cocked to one side and his face had a far-off look. It was as if Palver were straining to hear some sound inaudible to everyone but himself. Suddenly he snapped back to the here and now. With an urgent glance around them, Palver took hold of Seldon's arm. â€Å"Hari, quick, we must get away. They're coming†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then the still evening was broken by the harsh sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Seldon and Palver spun around, but it was too late; a band of attackers was upon them. This time, however, Hari Seldon was prepared. He immediately swung his cane in a wide arc around Palver and himself. At this, the three attackers-two boys and a girl, all teenage ruffians-laughed. â€Å"So, you're not goin' to make it easy, are you, old man?† snorted the boy who appeared to be the group's ringleader. â€Å"Why, me and my buddies, we'll take you out in two seconds flat. We'll-† All of a sudden, the ringleader was down, the victim of a perfectly placed Twist-kick to his abdomen. The two ruffians who were still standing quickly dropped to a crouch in preparation for attack. But Palver was quicker. They, too, were felled almost before they knew what hit them. And then it was over-almost as soon as it started. Seldon stood off to the side, leaning heavily on his cane, shaking at the thought of his narrow escape. Palver, panting slightly from exertion, surveyed the scene. The three attackers were out cold on the deserted walkway under the darkening dome. â€Å"Come on, let's get out of here quickly!† Palver urged again, only this time it was not the attackers they would be fleeing. â€Å"Stettin, we can't leave,† protested Seldon. He gestured toward the unconscious would-be muggers. â€Å"They're really nothing more than children. They may be dying. How can we just walk away? It's inhumane-that's what it is-and humanity is exactly what I've been working all these years to protect.† Seldon struck the ground with his cane for emphasis and his eyes gleamed with conviction. â€Å"Nonsense,† retorted Palver. â€Å"What's inhumane is the way muggers like that prey on innocent citizens like you. Do you think they'd have given you a second thought? They'd just as soon stick a knife in your gut to steal your last credit-and then kick you as they ran! They'll come to soon enough and slink away to lick their wounds. Or someone will find them and call the central office. â€Å"But, Hari, you must think. After what happened last time, you stand to lose everything if you're linked to another beating. Please, Hari, we must run!† With this, Palver grabbed Seldon's arm and Seldon after a List backward glance, allowed himself to be led away. As the footsteps of the rapidly departing Seldon and Palver diminished in the distance, another figure emerged from his hiding place behind some trees. Chuckling to himself, the sullen-eyed youth muttered, â€Å"You're a fine one to tell me what's right and what's wrong, Professor.† With that, he spun on his heel and headed off to summon the security officers. 26 â€Å"Order! I will have order!† bellowed Judge Tejan Popjens Lih. The public hearing of Professor Raven Seldon and his young associate, Stettin Palver, had generated a hue and cry among the populace of Trantor. Here was the man who had predicted the Fall of the Empire, the decay of civilization, who exhorted others to harken back to the golden age of civility and order-here was he who, according to an eyewitness, had ordered the brutal beating of three young Trantorians for no apparent provocation. Ah yes, it promised to be a spectacular hearing, one which would lead, no doubt, to an even more spectacular trial. The judge pressed a contact set into a recessed panel on her bench and a sonorous gong resounded through the packed courtroom. â€Å"I will have order,† she repeated to the now-hushed throng. â€Å"If need be, the courtroom will be cleared. That is a warning. It will not be repeated.† The judge cut an imposing figure in her scarlet robe. Originally from the Outer World of Lystena, Lih's complexion had a slight bluish cast, which turned darker when she became exercised, practically purple when she was really angry. It was rumored that, for all her years on the bench, in spite of her reputation as a top judicial mind, notwithstanding her position as one of the most revered interpreters of Imperial law, Lih was ever so slightly vain about the colorful appearance she gave, the way in which the bright red robes set off her soft turquoise skin. Nevertheless, Lih had a reputation for coming down hard on those who brooked Imperial law; she was one of the few judges left who upheld the civil code without wavering. â€Å"I have heard of you, Professor Seldon, and your theories about our imminent destruction. And I have spoken with the magistrate who recently heard another case in which you were involved, one in which you struck a man with your lead-filled cane. In that instance, too, you claimed to be the victim of assault. Your reasoning stemmed, I believe, from a previous unreported incident in which you and your son allegedly were assaulted by eight hoodlums. You were able to convince my esteemed colleague, Professor Seldon of your plea of self-defense, even though an eyewitness testified otherwise. This time, Professor, you will have to be much more convincing.† The three hoodlums who were bringing charges against Seldon and Palver snickered in their seats at the plaintiff's table. They presented a much different appearance today than they had the evening of the attack. The young men were sporting clean loose-fitting unisuits; the young lady was wearing a crisply pleated tunic. All in all, if one didn't look (or listen) too closely, the three presented a reassuring picture of Trantorian youth. Seldon's lawyer, Civ Novker (who was representing Palver as well), approached the bench. â€Å"Your Honor, my client is an upstanding member of the Trantorian community. He is a former First Minister of stellar repute. He is a personal acquaintance of our Emperor Agis XIV. What possible benefit could Professor Seldon derive from attacking innocent young people? He is one of the most vocal proponents of stimulating the intellectual creativity of Trantorian youth-his Psychohistory Project employs numerous student volunteers; he is a beloved member of the Streeling University faculty. â€Å"Further-† Here Novker paused, sweeping his gaze around the packed courtroom, as if to say, Wait till you hear this-you'll be ashamed that you ever for a second doubted the veracity of my client's claims, â€Å"Professor Seldon is one of the very few private individuals officially allied with the prestigious Galactic Library. He has been granted unlimited use of Library facilities for work on what he calls the Encyclopedia Galactica, a veritable paean to Imperial civilization. â€Å"I ask you, how can this man even be questioned in such a matter?† With a flourish of his arm, Novker gestured toward Seldon who was sitting at the defendant's table with Stettin Palver, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Hari's cheeks were flushed from the unaccustomed praise (after all, lately his name was the subject of derisive snickers rather than flowery plaudits) and his hand shook slightly on the carved Dandle of his trusty cane. Judge Lih gazed down at Seldon clearly unimpressed. â€Å"What benefit, indeed, Counselor. I have been asking myself that very question. I've lain make these past nights, racking my brains for a plausible reason. Why should a man of Professor Seldon's stature commit unprovoked assault and battery when he himself is one of our most outspoken critics of the so-called ‘breakdown' of civil order? â€Å"And then it dawned on me. Perhaps, in his frustration at not being believed, Professor Seldon feels he must prove to the worlds that his predictions of doom and gloom really are coming to pass. After all, here is a man who has spent his entire career foretelling the Fall of the Empire and all he can really point to are a few burned-out bulbs in the dome, an occasional glitch in public transport, a budget cut here or there-nothing very dramatic. But an attack-or two or three-now, that would be something.† Lih sat back and folded her hands in front of her, a satisfied expression on her face. Seldon stood, leaning heavily on the table for support. With great effort, he approached the bench, waving off his lawyer, walking headlong into the steely gaze of the judge. â€Å"Your Honor, please permit me to say a few words in my defense.† â€Å"Of course, Professor Seldon. After all, this is not a trial, only a hearing to air all allegations, facts, and theories pertinent to the** case before deciding whether or not to go ahead with a trial. I have merely expressed a theory; I am most interested to hear what you have to say.† Seldon cleared his throat before beginning. â€Å"I have devoted my life to the Empire. I have faithfully served the Emperors. My science of psychohistory, rather than being a harbinger of destruction, is intended to be used as an agent for rejuvenation. With it we can be prepared for whatever course civilization takes. If, as I believe, the Empire continues to break down, psychohistory will help us put into place building blocks for a new and better civilization founded on all that is good from the old. I love our worlds, our peoples, our Empire-what would it behoove me to contribute to the lawlessness that saps its strength daily? â€Å"I can say no more. You must believe me. I, a man of intellect, of equations, of science-I am speaking from my heart.† Seldon turned and made his way slowly back to his chair beside Palver. Before sitting, his eyes sought Wanda, sitting in the spectators' gallery. She smiled wanly and winked at him. â€Å"From the heart or not, Professor Seldon, this decision will require much thought on my part. We have heard from your accusers; we have heard from you and Mr. Palver. There is one more party whose testimony I need. I'd like to hear from Rial Nevas, who has come forward as an eyewitness to this incident.† As Nevas approached the bench, Seldon and Palver looked at each other in alarm. It was the boy whom Hari had admonished just before the attack. Lih was asking the youth a question. â€Å"Would you describe, Mr. Nevas, exactly what you witnessed on the night in question?† â€Å"Well,† started Nevas, fixing Seldon with his sullen stare, â€Å"I was walkin' along, mindin' my own business, when I saw those two,†-he turned and pointed at Seldon and Palver-â€Å"on the other side of the walkway, comin' toward me. And then I saw those three kids.† (Another point of the finger, this time toward the three sitting at the plaintiff's table.) â€Å"The two older guys were walkin' behind the kids. They didn't see me, though, on account of I was on the other side of the walkway and besides, they were concentratin' on their victims. Then wham! Just like that, that old guy swings at 'em with his stick, then the younger guy jumps 'em and kicks 'em and before you know it, they're all down on the ground. Then the old guy and his pal, they just took off, just like that. I couldn't believe it.† â€Å"That's a lie!† Seldon exploded. â€Å"Young man, you're playing with our lives here!† Nevas only stared back at Seldon impassively. â€Å"Judge,† Seldon implored, â€Å"can't you see that he is lying? I remember this fellow. I scolded him for littering just minutes before we were attacked. I pointed it out to Stettin as another instance of the breakdown of our society, the apathy of the citizenry, the-â€Å" â€Å"Enough, Professor Seldon,† commanded the judge. â€Å"Another outburst like that and I will have you ejected from this courtroom. Now, Mr. Nevas,† she said, turning back to the witness. â€Å"What did you do throughout the sequence of events you just described?† â€Å"I, uh, I hid. Behind some trees. I hid. I was afraid they'd come after me if they saw me, so I hid. And when they were gone, well, I ran and called the security officers.† Nevas had started to sweat and he inserted a finger into the constricting collar of his unisuit. He fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he stood on the raised speaker's platform. He was uncomfortably aware of the crowd's eyes upon him; he tried to avoid looking into the audience, but each time he did, he found himself drawn to the **toady gaze of a pretty blond girl sitting in the first row. It was as if she was asking him a question, pressing him for an answer, willing him to **peak. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, what do you have to say about Professor Seldon's allegation that he and Mr. Palver did see you prior to the attack, that the professor actually exchanged words with you?† â€Å"Well, uh, no, you see, it was just like I said†¦ I was walkin' along and-† And now Nevas looked over at Seldon's table. Seldon looked at the young man sadly, as if he realized all was lost. But Seldon's companion, Stettin Palver, turned a fierce gaze on Nevas and Nevas jumped, startled, at the words he heard: Tell the truth! It was as if Palver had spoken, but Palver's lips hadn't moved. And then, confused, Nevas snapped his head in the direction of the blond girl; he thought he heard her speak-Tell the truth!-but her lips were still as well. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, Mr. Nevas,† the judge's voice broke in on the youth's jumbled thoughts. â€Å"Mr. Nevas, if Professor Seldon and Mr. Palver were walking toward you, behind the three plaintiffs, how is it that you noticed Seldon and Palver first? That is how you put it in your statement, is it not?† Nevas glanced around the courtroom wildly. He couldn't seem to escape the eyes, all the eyes screaming at him to Tell the truth! Looking over at Hari Seldon, Rial Nevas said simply, â€Å"I'm sorry† and, to the amazement of the entire courtroom assemblage, the fourteen-year-old boy started to cry.

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The changes in American foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century - Essay Example The foreign policies were however, modified clearly in the next decade-a-half. This modification brought in a cautious non-entanglement between U.S. and other countries if not complete isolationism. The isolation gap grew bigger between the increasingly internationalist policy and the isolationist American policy when Franklin Roosevelt won elections into White House. However, Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor as America entered into the World War II. The changes in the American foreign policy can therefore, be categorized as follows: This was characterized by a period where America was making confident interventions. Theodore Roosevelt had arrived as the president. The situation was however, less promising. This was because President William McKinley had been assassinated. The new president had a lot of self-confidence (Hastedt 68). Theodore Roosevelt came in to push through the goal of U.S. that had been held for a long time. This goal was about building the inter-oceanic canal, which had to go through the Central America. The U.S. policy makers chose the northern side of the Republic of Columbia as the route for the canal. However, resistance from the Columbian government was clear. Because of this, the U.S. president found a reason to support an â€Å"independence movement† in from the state of Panama, northern Columbia. Apart from detecting this movement, Roosevelt also recognized the government, which was supporting the construction of the canal. Panama, as a result, fought for independence from Columbia, and eventually granted the rights to the U.S. government to construct the Panama Canal (Hastedt 68). Cautious of the possibility of European nations coming in to intervene in the internal affairs affecting the Latin American nations, Roosevelt not only toughened but also extended the â€Å"Monroe Doctrine† (1824) by inserting his â€Å"Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.† This period was characterized by cautious

Trends in the development of Intel after WW1 Assignment

Trends in the development of Intel after WW1 - Assignment Example In its replacement, he established a Central Intelligence Group to monitor his incoming cables, as well as supervise the duties that were being conducted by the disbanded OSS. The need to have a central intelligence agency led to the increase in missions and capabilities of the CIG. It is worth noting that most of the oversight was conducted by a committee known as the National Intelligence Authority which was made up Secretaries of War, Navy, and State, as well as the chief military adviser of the president. The National intelligence Authority played an integral role in ensuring that the unification process progressed on. Having thoughts of unifying the security system, the brains behind the National Security Act of 1947 strived to create National Security Council, a Secretary of Defense, a Central Intelligence Agency, and a constitutional Joint Chiefs of Staff that was bound by the principles of unity of intelligence, and unity of command. The Act guaranteed that statutory Joint Chiefs of Staff would not use the Prussian-style of leadership by creating an independent air force, and insisting that the CIA should not have law enforcement mandate. Additionally, the Act also dictated that the several divisions of intelligence within civilian departments and the armed forces would remain autonomous to the CIA. The fact that the Directors of the Central Intelligence could not have the full measure of authority to execute their duties has frustrated several of them; thus, leading to several reforms aimed at increasing their powers. These reforms have consistently been pushed forward by the National Security Council; however, they have faced several obstacles. In conclusion, there are several reforms aimed at improving the national intelligence; however, they face challenges since there are senior most people in the security docket who have specific changes that they cannot tolerate. This has led to the production of veto to any

Philosophy, Politics and Economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy, Politics and Economy - Term Paper Example This happened immediately after the end of the civil war. The expansion reached its peak during the civil rights era in which the government’s presence was all over the country. Indeed, the activities during the civil rights movement contributed to the expansion of the federal authority. The government bodies established have brought governance closer. Consequently, the federal government has an autonomous presence in the entire country. This piece focuses on the growth of the federal government as seen in the period characterizing the civil era. Federal government expansion Political structures President Abraham Lincoln spearheaded the expansion of the American authority by signing into law acts that supported the expansion of a democratic government. According to Holcombe (2002), the amendments to the constitution expanded the government’s presence; thus, an alteration to the political structure in America. Introduction of taxation by the federal government propelled the growth of the federal authority during the progressive era. The income tax enhanced the government’s capability to control expenditure. This was a way of expanding the federal government size to cushion the citizens against political uncertainties. Lincoln initially advocated for a strong government that had the interest of people at heart. The expansion of the Congress to its current size is attributable to the laws initiated by Lincoln after the civil war. The Supreme Court has also witnessed an expansion in its activities throughout the States. According to the civil rights activist, the government is the defendant of the rights of citizens. As such, the activists advocated for the expansion of authority during the civil rights era (Holcombe, 2002). The activists expected the government to secure their rights in their quest for justice in America. Their activities led to the ratifications that allowed the government to spearheaded most of democratic processes in the co untry. Some quarters of the population praised the expansion of the judicial authorities. The civil rights era altered the entire political structure of the American government. The political setting was changed to conform to the wishes of the majority. The people advocated for the expansion of government through establishment of bodies that championed their rights. However, the expansion of the federal government has compromised on accountability by the authorities. Interestingly, the establishment of the Electoral College in the United States has contributed to the expansion of authority. Social structures Liberalization of laws after the civil war led to the establishment of Unions. The government catered for such groups by paying for their pensions. This guided the interest groups that were to follow the war veterans unions (Boyer, 2006). It was the hallmark of the establishment of groups and federal programs in the society. For instance, the enactment of Sherman antitrust act l ed to the growth of the federal government. More regulatory laws were introduced in the civil era that affects the relationship among individuals. To some extent, government has control on the social structures on the society using bodies such as environment protection agency. â€Å"Federal Trade Commission† and the â€Å"Food, and Drug Administration† were the bodies created following the world war era by

Describing one of the framers of the Constitution Essay

Describing one of the framers of the Constitution - Essay Example George Washington belonged to Virginia and was a soldier in the very beginning. He played an active role in the revolutionary war of America when he served as the Commander in Chief. He was of the belief that his people wanted a separate state which would not have any interference from the British authorities. He realized this when he left army and started farming in the mid 60s. After he came back he had the vision of a new state created for his people and he played a great role in pushing out the British soldiers from the territory of United States. He led a great campaign for the revival of important cities such as Newyork with the help of the army he had organized. It is believed that Washington had to suffer losses at many battlers after finally getting victorious because of the help received from the forces of France. It was in 1783 that the United States of America got independence because of the achievement of George Washington in the American Revolution. It was because of th e important role of George Washington that America was able to receive independence. Recognizing the sacrifices and struggle of George Washington he was also pronounced the first President of America in 1792 by the Congress. It was because of his prestige that all the states of the United States of America followed the new Constitution without any opposition. The struggle of Washington is still remembered and praised all over the

Philosophy, Politics and Economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy, Politics and Economy - Term Paper Example This happened immediately after the end of the civil war. The expansion reached its peak during the civil rights era in which the government’s presence was all over the country. Indeed, the activities during the civil rights movement contributed to the expansion of the federal authority. The government bodies established have brought governance closer. Consequently, the federal government has an autonomous presence in the entire country. This piece focuses on the growth of the federal government as seen in the period characterizing the civil era. Federal government expansion Political structures President Abraham Lincoln spearheaded the expansion of the American authority by signing into law acts that supported the expansion of a democratic government. According to Holcombe (2002), the amendments to the constitution expanded the government’s presence; thus, an alteration to the political structure in America. Introduction of taxation by the federal government propelled the growth of the federal authority during the progressive era. The income tax enhanced the government’s capability to control expenditure. This was a way of expanding the federal government size to cushion the citizens against political uncertainties. Lincoln initially advocated for a strong government that had the interest of people at heart. The expansion of the Congress to its current size is attributable to the laws initiated by Lincoln after the civil war. The Supreme Court has also witnessed an expansion in its activities throughout the States. According to the civil rights activist, the government is the defendant of the rights of citizens. As such, the activists advocated for the expansion of authority during the civil rights era (Holcombe, 2002). The activists expected the government to secure their rights in their quest for justice in America. Their activities led to the ratifications that allowed the government to spearheaded most of democratic processes in the co untry. Some quarters of the population praised the expansion of the judicial authorities. The civil rights era altered the entire political structure of the American government. The political setting was changed to conform to the wishes of the majority. The people advocated for the expansion of government through establishment of bodies that championed their rights. However, the expansion of the federal government has compromised on accountability by the authorities. Interestingly, the establishment of the Electoral College in the United States has contributed to the expansion of authority. Social structures Liberalization of laws after the civil war led to the establishment of Unions. The government catered for such groups by paying for their pensions. This guided the interest groups that were to follow the war veterans unions (Boyer, 2006). It was the hallmark of the establishment of groups and federal programs in the society. For instance, the enactment of Sherman antitrust act l ed to the growth of the federal government. More regulatory laws were introduced in the civil era that affects the relationship among individuals. To some extent, government has control on the social structures on the society using bodies such as environment protection agency. â€Å"Federal Trade Commission† and the â€Å"Food, and Drug Administration† were the bodies created following the world war era by

A Discussion of the Copyright Industrys Assignment

A Discussion of the Copyright Industrys - Assignment Example The internet has been famously defined as a network of networks, and the denser these networks become; the more complicated it becomes to prevent the bane of copyright infringement and other intellectual property violations from occurring. 2Even though the courts have been willing to intervene where there has been an infringement of copyright, the practical difficulties of managing copyright violations arise whenever the "sheer scale" and "speed" of the internet causes high-speed reproduction of the material to be achieved without actually being detected. The development of copyright law can actually be traced back to a time when there was no technology or mechanism by way of which it would be possible to replicate copies of written material. It was not possible to achieve any large scale infringement of copyrighted material as it is today from the comfort of our homes on the internet. Within British legal history, it is said that the King used the Royal Prerogative as far back as 1662 to pass the Licensing Act of 16623. The first real Copyright Protection Act, however, came as the "The Statute of Anne" giving the author copyright privileges for a fixed time period. On an international level, the Berne Convention in 1887 defined the scope of copyright protection and is still an important part of international intellectual property law.4 The advent of the photocopier followed subsequently by, home audio recording, video recording, and finally, the Personal Computer (PC) allowed digitized and rapid copying. The modern Copyright Infringer does not need a large factory of copying machines to create illegal copies of, copyrighted material.5 All in all the challenge for copyright holders has never been greater. The law provides legal remedies available to copyright owners to prevent others from copying the product and to protect original works involving some degree of skill, effort, and judgment. In England, The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 gives protection to books, films, videos, plays, music, and drawings, all of which can make it onto the internet in some form or another.This law protects computer software as a form of literary work and even large databases form copyrighted material have been given protection under the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997. Under the Rules, the copyright owner can apply for an injunction to prevent misuse of his copyrighted material and to order the infringer to return the infringed "intellectual property" and maybe a grant for damages. All this, however, looks very nice in the Statute books but the power of the internet to disrupt Copyright mechanisms has often been compared to a force which is always connected and is everywhere and anywhere all of the time.Very often copyright owners feel helpless in the face of technologically sophisticated infringements. For example in the famous case of Napster music files were created in MP3 format and Peer to Peer file sharing began. Within months 50 million people were using a service which was a blatant violation of copyright laws.

Sample Answer the Curse Essay Example for Free

Sample Answer the Curse Essay 1. Write on a character that show responsibility in her or his actions Based on the Novel â€Å"The Curse† by Lee Sue Ann, the character that shows responsibility in her actions is Azreen Saleh. Azreen is not only a responsible sister and daughter but also a responsible student and friend . Firstly, Azreen as a responsible sister comes back immediately when she hears of her sister’s death although at that time she is about to sit for an examination that is important for her. She postpones her examination in order of giving her sister her last respect. Secondly, as a daughter she shows her responsibility firstly, when she spends the whole night repairing her mother’s favourite rattan basket that was broken by the heavy durians that she and Madhuri has brought in. Subsequently, with Madhuri’s help she makes a new rattan basket that looks like the one that she and Madhuri have broken. In addition to that, Azreen accepts the offer to further her studies in London for the sake of upbringing her family social status and thus could then save a lot of money to get a better treatment for her mother that is paralyzed by the bull escape incidents that she . Thirdly, as a friend and a student, Azreen shows her responsibility when she accepts to join the school hockey team as a substitution to Hock Seng that is injured. She does that even though she knows that she will be the only girl in the team and this will tarnish her image as a girl. In fact she plays very well and almost scores a goal. In addition to that, Azreen shows that she is a responsible friend, when she brings a full basket of fresh vegetables and tomatoes to The Old Lady of the forest to replace the one that she tramples earlier when she comes to The Old Lady’s house for the first time. In conclusion, throughout the story, Azreen shows that she is a very responsible towards her actions. In fact, I would like to have her as a friend as a friend as such is hard to come by. 2. Which character do you like the most? The novel I have studied is ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann. The novel is about the main character, Azreen, who returns from England after she finds out about her sister’s death. Upon her return, she is surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the circumstances of Madhuri’s death later in the story. At the end of the story she finds out the truth and leaves for London an orphan but more resilient and wise. The character I like most is Azreen Salleh. She is a 20-year-old student who is studying in a university college in London on an exchange programme. She is short, bespectacled, rather bookish and outspoken. I like Azreen because she is outspoken and she is not afraid to spoke her mind. She is vocal and says her opinions although sometimes she says the wrong things at the wrong time. She also hates her father’s treatment of her foster parents and Madhuri’s burial ceremony that is conducted without her presence. In handling the village gossip, Pn Normala, Azreen tells her off that the rain has started even before the Old Lady comes into town. The second quality she has is she is courageous. As a child, she plays hockey and football with the boys. In the bull’s incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bull’s escape instead of blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the dare to knock on the Old Lady’s door when none wants to do it. In another instance, Azreen confronts her father about Madhuri’s murder despite her young age. Azreen also has strength of character. When she returns to her village, she hears a lot of gossip surrounding her sister’s death such as as Madhuri having white blood and her death signals a curse to the villagers. Azreen feels upset but she never retaliates. Sheshows patience and strengh because she knows that whatever she does, she cannot stop the villagers from gossiping about her family. In another instance, Azreen is told that her sister is murdered. She should have been very upset about this news but she takes it calmly and does not become hysterical. Later, when she finds out that her father is the culprit who kills Madhuri, she feels no anger but regrets that it has to happen. She understands her father’s anger and shame because Madhuri has been having an illicit affair with Ashraf although she is already married to Hj Ghani. Azreen also shows a lot of strength because after all that has happened to her family, she stays composed and strong and returns to England for her examinations. In conclusion, there are many qualities in Azreen that I admire and she is the character that I like most in the story. 3. Write on a character whom I think is exemplary a) In the Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character whom I think is exemplary is The Old Lady of the forest. Throughout the novel, she shows strength of character and wisdom. When she first moves to the village as a newlywed, she is popular among the villagers and she enjoys a blissful marital life with her husband. Everything changes as her husband who becomes an alcoholic starts to abuse her and finally she retaliates and kills him. From then on, the villagers treat her like an outcast. She is forced to move out of the village and makes an abandoned house her home. She lives alone for years until she befriends Azreen and becomes her mentor and will console her whenever she has a fight with her parents. When Asraf approaches The Old Lady for help, she is hesitant about going back to the village. Yet she agrees and doing so, she puts her life at risk. When she is trapped in the burning house, she tells Azreen to save herself and she perishes in the fire. Even at death’s door, she reminds Azreen about the importance of forgiveness and tells her to heed all the advice she has given her. The Old Lady is therefore an exemplary character as she is strong, wise and honourable. b) Based on the novel The Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character that I consider exemplary is Azreen because she is courageous and brave. She shows resilience and she always fight for what she believes in. Firstly, Azreen who does not believe the villagers tales about The Old Lady is being brave by accepting her friend’s challenge to firstly knocking on the door of The Old lady and then meet her in person. . Subsequently, she befriends The Old Lady and makes her, her precious confidante and counselor. In addition, Azreen is courageous by confronting Puan Normala’s mob outside Mohd Asraf’s house when Nek once again has fallen ill and died in order to stop her from entering Nek’s house. Although she is outnumbered, she dares to face Puan Normala’s horde to protect Nek’s house from them. Moreover, she confronts a group of men led by Asraf who goes to the Old lady’s house to seek revenge after Nek dies as they believe the Old lady has poisoned Nek. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there and we must be brave and courageous to overcome our daily obstacles and stand for our own rights. We should not be intimidated by our fear and we must be like Azreen in order to survive the world. The second exemplary qualities of Azreen is that she portrays resilience throughout the story and she constantly fights for what she believes in. This can be seen when Azreen does not give up and is determine and resilience to seek the truth of Madhuri’s death even though others do not want to tell her the truth. She asks Asraf and The Old Lady about Madhuri’s death and slowly gather evidences and finally she knows the truth about Madhuri’s killing. In her village, a woman should be conservative and well mannered but Azreen is a contrast to that and thus she is hated but she ignores the villagers’ perception of her, as she believes that women have their own rights. This can be seen as she befriends Asraf and joins the boys’ hockey team and similarly makes The Old Lady her best friend. In this cruel world, we must stand for our own right and fight for what we believe in. We must follow Azreen’s resilience to make this world a better place. 4. Write on a character that I admire / like The novel The Curse by Lee Su Ann is very interesting. The character I like the most is Azreen. Azreen is from Langkawi. She studies in London. Her father is Salleh Ghani. Her sister is Madhuri. Madhuri is not Azreen real sister. I like Azreen because she is responsible. She takes care of her sick mother. She bathes and feeds her mother. When Old Lady vegetable garden is trampled, she repairs it. Azreen is determined. She always studies hard. She also wants to find Madhuri’s murderer. She does not give up. Finally, she finds out the truth. Azreen is also brave and courageous. She is Old Lady’s friend. She is not afraid of the stories. The villagers say she is a witch. Azreen does not care. It is not true. When Old Lady’s house is in fire, Azreen wants to rescue her. She is really brave. I like Azreen because she is a loyal. She defends Mohamad Asraf. She says she opens the gate of the farm. Azreen is a strong girl. I wish I have a friend like her. When her mother’s basket is damaged, she takes the blame. Azreen wants to protect the people she loves. Azreen is responsible, determined, brave and loyal. Those are the reasons why I like her. She is a good role model.

Research On The Importance Of Market Efficiency Finance Essay

Research On The Importance Of Market Efficiency Finance Essay Liquidity is a very desirable characteristic for a financial market product. Moreover, efficient market is one where the market price is an unbiased estimate of the true value of the investment. The concept of efficiency is central to finance. Primarily, the term efficiency is used to describe a market in which relevant information is impounded into the price of financial assets. Efficiency is central to finance. Market efficiency is guided by two principles which are Information and competition. Systematic and good market efficiency leads to market pricing .Any buyer who is willing to buy a product wants to be fully satisfied with the product that the seller is selling to him. Past, present and even discounted future events are reflected in market price but often show no apparent relation to price changes. Efficient markets hypothesis does not rule out small abnormal returns, before fees and expenses. Analysts could therefore still have an incentive to acquire and act on valuable information, though investors would expect to review no more. Only new information should affect stock prices, price changes are random and unpredictable.While it was clear that markets cannot completely be efficient in the strong forms, there was striking support for the weak and semi- strong forms. All investors aim to maximize economic utility (in other words, to make as much money as possible, regardless of any other considerations). This is a key assumption of the efficient market hypothesis The Buyers know that what is going on in the market and what is the price everywhere All investors have access to the same information at the same time. This also comes from the efficient market hypothesis. In fact, real markets contain information asymmetry, insider trading, and those who are simply better informed than others boooks se shareholders.. Importance of market efficiency It is important to understand how securities are valued because these principles provides values to the managers to keep up in managing the business in good way as it can help in dealing with the owners best interest. If stock prices are formed inefficiently, that creates the potential for inappropriate investments in the economy. If stock prices accurately reflect future firm performance, then this creates the premises for efficient resource allocation. Even if sometimes errors are made in valuation, markets can be efficient. Even if many market participants are irrational, markets can be efficient. Markets dont allow investors to earn above-average risk-adjusted returns. Implications of market efficiency They suggest that markets reach quickly to the new public information. The conditions required for markets to exist are No one investor can affect the price of the security through their own buying or selling. Information is available to the market participants all time. Investors react quickly and fully to the new information Efficient Market Hypothesis The theory that markets are efficient and all available information keeps on fluctuating with the price at any given time. It reflects all information both public and private which means all the sectors. It is associated with idea of random walk which means that if the flow of information reflects the stock prices then next days prices will reflect only next days news and will be independent of price changes today. IMPORTANCE OF EFFICIENT MARKET HYPOTHESIS Stakeholders can determine the effectiveness of the appointed management by observing the stock price. Anomalies The ease of experimenting with financial databanks of almost every conceivable dimension makes it quite likely that investigators will find some seemingly significant but wholly spurious correlation between financial variables or among financial and nonfinancial datasets. Moreover, the published literature is likely to be biased in favor of reporting such results. Significant effects are likely to be published in professional journals while negative results, or boring confirmations of previous findings, are relegated to the file drawer or discarded. Data-mining problems are unique to non experimental sciences, such as economics, which rely on statistical analysis for their insights and cannot test hypotheses by running repeated controlled experiments. Share prices can be highly sensitive as a result of rational responses to small changes in interest rates and risk perceptions. Suppose stocks are priced as the present value of the expected future stream of dividends. For a long-term holder of stocks, this rational principle of valuation translates to a formula: r = D/P + g, Where r is the rate of return, D/P is the (expected) dividend yield, and g is the long-term growth rate. For present purposes, consider r to be the required rate of return for the market as a whole. Suppose initially that the riskless rate of interest on government bonds is 9 percent and that the required additional risk premium for equity investors is 2 percentage points. In this case r will be 11 percent (0.09 + 0.02 = 0.11). If a typical stocks expected growth rate, g, is 7 percent and if the dividend is $4 per share, we can solve for the appropriate price of the stock index (P), obtaining 0.11 = 07.04$+P P = $100. Now assume that yields on government bonds rise from 9 to 10 Â ½ percent, with no increase in expected inflation, and that risk perceptions increase so that stock-market investors now demand a premium of 2 Â ½ percentage points instead of the 2 points in the previous example. The appropriate rate of return or discount rate for stocks, r, rises then from 11 percent to 13 percent (0.105 + 0.025), and the price of stock index falls from $100 to $66.67: 07.013.04$+=P 67.66$=P The Performance of Professional Investors Most convincing tests of market efficiency are direct tests of the ability of professional fund managers to outperform the market as a whole. Surely, if market prices were determined by irrational investors and systematically deviated from rational estimates of the present value of corporations, and if it was easy to spot predictable patterns in security returns or anomalous security prices, then professional fund managers should be able to beat the market. Direct tests of the actual performance of professionals, who often are compensated with strong incentives to outperform the market, should represent the most compelling evidence of market efficiency Empirical Evidence Weak form efficiency is very well supported, and it is reasonable to conclude that markets are weak form efficient, although a few anomalies do exist.All information that can be derived from past performance: prices, trading volumes Semi-strong form efficiency is well supported; however, more contradictory evidence exists for this version of the EMH than for the weak form.Fundamental information, quality of management, accounting standards. Strong form efficiency is not very well supported by the evidence, and it is reasonable to conclude that markets are not strong form efficient in the strictest sense.All information about a firm, including information available only to insiders Active portfolio management Serious analyses could to pay off but they come at a very high cost and are only feasible for the managers. Passive Portfolio Management Invest in a well diversified portfolio without attempting to outperform the market. It is suggested by Efficient Market Hypothesis as compared to active portfolio management. . Elements of market efficiency Operational Efficiency The transaction cost are low which enhances the trading of securities Informational Efficiency It is one of the most important efficiency as compared to other two as it quickly reflects the market price Allocational Efficiency Securities to allocate risk Implications for investors Technical analysis TO BE REWWARDED Fundamental analysis UNLIKELY TO BE GENERATING ABNORMAL PROFIT. Investors should focus on an investing which gives them good return. Active trading strategies -UNLIKELY TO OUTPERFORM PASSIVE BUY AND HOLD STRATEGIES Implications for Corporate Finance Stock prices at historical lows are likely to go up Mean reverting interest rates means that when interest rates are high based on historical levels they are likely to come down Implications of regulators Holders of securities in a company should be treated in a fair and equitable manner Accounting and auditing standards should be of a high and internationally acceptable quality CONCLUSIONS That an efficient market is one that reacts quickly and relatively accurately to new information, and therefore its prices are correct on average. That the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is tested in three forms; weak, semi-strong and strong. That empirical evidence suggests that markets are reasonably efficient, but not perfectly so. Investors and corporate officers should modify their behaviours and expectations in light of the evidence of market efficiency. As long as stock markets exist, the collective judgment of investors will sometimes make mistakes. Some market participants are less than rational. The market cannot be perfectly efficient or there would be no incentive for professionals to uncover the information that gets so quickly reflected in market prices Grossman and Stiglitz (1980). Undoubtedly, with the passage of time and with the increasing sophistication of our databases and empirical techniques, we will document further apparent departures from efficiency and further patterns in the development of stock returns. But I suspect that the end result will not be an abandonment of the belief of many in the profession that the stock market is remarkably efficient in its utilization of information. If any $100 bills are lying around the stock exchanges of the world, they will not be there for long.

Business Assignment :: essays research papers

Business Name Business Address Line 1 Business Address Line 2 Dear Business Name: Over the past 50 years, your company has been a loyal supporter of the Morris County Senior Center. The contributions that we have received from your company have helped this center grow in many ways. Because of your support, we have been able to help Morris County’s Senior Citizens feel like they were young again. Recently, our non-profit organization has run into some financial concerns. The vans that we use to transport our guests are old and run down. Because of this, certain measures have occurred to the disappointment of our guests. Here at the Center, we serve the needs of Morris County’s 1,000 Senior Citizens. It is the only place where they can meet their peers, use a special library, avoid extreme weather and get a well-balanced meal. Most individuals come here by way of our bus system. These buses are used for various day trips to museums, plays, and similar functions. Occasionally they are used to transport the temporarily disabled to the doctors or pharmacists. As I’m sure you have heard, recent state and federal cutbacks have dug into our organizations budget. Also, two of our largest supporters have taken their companies else where which has also taken a cut out of our budget. Here at the center we have under taken this special fundraiser to raise the costs of purchasing three new buses. We figure total costs to be $84,000. This figure includes estimates on ho much the center could gain from selling the old vans. According to our estimates, the purchase of these new vans will be a much better investment than continually fix our existing vans which right now is costing us $300 a week.