Wednesday, October 30, 2019
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
Monday, October 28, 2019
The War on Iraq Essay Example for Free
The War on Iraq Essay Introduction            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).            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            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.            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).            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.            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).            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.            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                  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.            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.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
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.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
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 centuryâ€â€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)â€â€something she had overheard Mrs. Burke mention to a group of white women who regularly meet at her houseâ€â€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 workersâ€â€two of them whiteâ€â€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.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
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.†‘ 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.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Rwanda Reaction Essay essays
Rwanda Reaction Essay essays It is disturbing to know that a lot of people do not care what decisions the government make as long as they do not affect them in a negative way. Even though our government is one of the most powerful and influential governments in the world some people just don't care. It is alarming to know that our government consciously made a decision to deprive a group of people from help that would have stopped genocide from happening. It is understandable that not everyone is raised as a catholic, or if they are, do not live a strict catholic life. But as Catholics we know that what happened in Rwanda was a terrible incident. In the Catholic Social Teachings it teaches us about the Dignity of the human Person, and how everyone is made in the likeness of God, and no one should have their dignity stripped from them just because of their race. A quote from the Catholic Social Teachings best describes how killing of a person is wrong: "Life, especially human life, belongs to God; whoever attacks human life attacks God's very self." Nevertheless even if someone was not a Catholic and did not believe in any divine power, they too would agree that what happened at Rwanda is terrible. As a human being we are obligated to respect everyone and anyone. Every person no matter their way of life, or situation has rights that everyone must respect. It is evident that everyone agrees the massacre of a group of people is wrong no matter how you look at it. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it talk about the rights that every person has a right to. I feel that articles 3, 4 and 5 relate to Rwanda the most. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person. They had no intentions in helping the Tutsis, instead they were focusing on the safe return on the United States citizens that where working in Rwanda. It was obvious that the U.N. would just leave Rwanda be, when one senior U...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Electric and Flying Cars essays
Electric and Flying Cars essays In the next twenty years, the world will have solved the major problems of transportation today. Global warming news will no longer be splashed over news screens nation wide. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past as some cars take to the air. In fact, traffic jams will be documented at the Smithsonian to ensure future generations have a sense of what traffic jams were. The next twenty years will see huge advancements in the area of transportation making In numerous cities across the country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter. Emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up and cause the global warming problem talked of earlier. The solution is to have much more efficient vehicles that produce fewer emissions with every mile. This is why in twenty years the electric vehicle, or EV as most scientists refer to it, will see its nation wide introduction to roads everywhere. Electric vehicles are actually present in the world today. Unfortunately, the price of these EVs well exceeds the price of a normal car. In twenty years however, the price of these vehicles will have dropped dramatically with the new invention of the flying car swaying peoples interest. Any normal middle class family would be able to afford at least two of these electrically powered vehicles. While the families will be benefiting from not having to buy gas every week, the environment will benefit by not taking in as much emissions as in the past. Electric vehicles or EVs, are vehicles that are powered by an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. EVs use electricity as the "fuel" instead of gasoline or some other combustible fuel. The power for the vehicle is stored in many large batteries in the bottom of the car, from there the power goes to a power regulator where it is changed from DC power to AC power. The ...
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