Self Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self Analysis - Essay Example In this regard, upon close review and evaluation of the skills honed and improved from the course modules, I am hereby detailing the personal progress made in writing through the student learning outcomes and written communication hallmarks, as required. Effective writing needs more than rules to compose a fairly effective essay. Rules are merely practical guides that give the writer direction and focus on the concepts and theories which he already has a competent grasp of. Writing, to be effective, has to consider other factors such as the audience or the reader, the writing process itself, and even the elements of communication. This course enabled me to be exposed to effective writing structures composed to suite various purposes and readers. Thereby, I put a score of 9. 2) Engage in a writing process that includes exploring ideas, considering multiple points of view, developing and supporting a thesis, revising with the help of peer and instructor feedback, editing, and proofreading. One of the rules in effective writing is to always check your work for accuracy and completeness. This is always true. The method of seeking the assistance of peers and the instructor for feedback is effective in evaluating and reviewing my work. Due to the fast pace of work that needs to be completed on time, there are also tendencies to fail checking the accuracy and completeness once work is accomplished. Contemporary writing already provides appropriate utilization of technology to facilitate checking; the grammar and spelling check provided in Word software programs used for typing and encoding, recognize the need to change and edit words which are not properly punctuated. However, it is still effective to use peer review and instructor’s comments for second and third opinions regarding the ideas explored and compliance to required structure. The feedback mechanism is critical in making corrective actions in cases of weaknesses and mistakes. This tool is

The audience can sympathise Essay Example for Free

The audience can sympathise Essay Arthur Miller wrote A View from the Bridge as a modern version of a Greek tragedy, therefore, Eddies death at the end of Act Two should be tragic. The audience have to feel pity, or pathos, towards Eddie when he dies to make the play a successful tragedy. According to 1.Aristotles definition of a tragic hero, the hero should be noble and of high status; he should have a flaw, or hamartia, which should lead to his tragic ending; his punishment should seem to be harsher than his crime; and he should realise that his flaw has led to his tragedy. By making his play a modern version of a Greek tragedy, Miller uses the character of Alfieri, his description of Eddie as a likeable and respected man and an extreme and violent death in the arms of his wife to make the audience sympathise with him and to make him a tragic hero. Throughout the play, Miller gives his audience many reasons to respect and admire Eddie. Although there is too much love (p. 48) for his niece, it is also obvious that he is very protective over Catherine and genuinely cares about her. Eddie and his wife have taken Catherine in and have given her a loving and caring home to live in. Also, Eddie seems popular within his community, is liked by Louis and Mike and is described by Alfieri as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even. (p. 26) Eddie is respected both in the house, because he is head of the household, and in the community. This shows that he is actually a noble person, with high status in the Italian-American community. He is the only person in the family who works; he is the provider for the family. Miller shows how hardworking Eddie is because he has to earn a living for his whole family and despite the mistakes he makes, both Catherine and Beatrice love him until he dies at the end of the play. Many may feel sorry for Eddie even without the chorus, Alfieri, being there to lead the audience though the play. In the beginning of the play, when Beatrice tells Eddie, Shes got a job. (p. 18), Eddie seems shocked and says to Catherine Its not wonderfulYou cant take no job. Why didnt you ask me before you take a job? (p. 18). This quote shows the audience that Eddie disapproves of this and does not want his niece to leave him, even though Beatrice and Catherine had wanted Eddie to be happy about this. When Beatrice tells Eddie that Catherine will earn fifty dollars a week (p. 18), Eddie is taken aback and his jealousy of Catherine earning more than he does becomes more and more obvious throughout the conversation. Later on in the discussion, Eddie says I want you to be in a nice office. Maybe a lawyers office someplace in New York in one of them nice buildings. (p. 19). This contradicts what Alfieri says in his introduction to the play In this neighbourhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the street is unlucky. Were only thought of in connexion with disasters, and theyd rather not get too close. (p. 11). Later on in the play, when Catherine fell in love with Eddie, Eddie gets even more envious and angry. In his conversation with Catherine, he says He [Rodolpho] marries you hes go the right to be an American citizenThe guy is lookin for his break, thats all hes lookin for. (p. 41). This shows how angry Eddie is at the fact that Catherine likes Rodolpho, and not him. Miller helps the audience sympathise with Eddie in this scene by making Catherine trust Rodolpho instead of Eddie. To a modern audience, there may be some features in Eddie that are hard not to dislike. His flaw involves love for a girl he has raised as if she was his own daughter, a terrible taboo. Also, Eddie is a parental figure who seems to expect women to do domestic work for him. Tragic heroes usually recognise their own mistakes. In Greek tragedies, this is the moment in a play when the tragic hero appreciates their own weakness and their own responsibility. However, throughout the play, Eddie does not admit to himself the truth about loving Catherine. Although Beatrice tries to make him face this truth by saying You want somethin else, Eddie and you can never have her (p. 83), Eddie seems truly shocked and grasps his head as though it would burst (p. 83). All throughout the play, Eddie never really seems capable of facing what he feels or admitting his responsibility. Even in the end of the play, Eddie says, Marco, tell them what a liar you are! (p. 84) To try and prevent the audience from making harsh judgements of Eddie, Miller uses Alfieri as a type of chorus in the play. In Greek tragedies, the chorus are observers who judge actions fairly. They help the audience to consider the elements of the play. As the chorus, Alfieri sympathises with Eddie, along with the audience. He expresses his feelings and thoughts to the audience about what happens throughout the play and provides judgement. In the play, Alfieri suggests that it is normal and human to sin. He also states that many people have hidden guilty secrets but there is something beautiful in a man whose sins are so public and so clear that he becomes wholly known (p. 85). Before Eddie calls the immigration department, Alfieri warns him that even those who understand will turn against you (p. 67), which shows that Eddies weakness is not special, but that other people still will judge him. Then, with Eddie dying on stage, Alfieri ends the play by saying, I confess that something perversely pure calls to me from his [Eddies] memoryfor he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I think I will love him (p. 85) In other words, since we all have guilty secrets but manage to keep them hidden inside, there is something quite pure in a person whose guilty secrets are not unknown. An oxymoron Miller used, perversely pure (p. 85), shows that Alfieri wants us to think about our own weaknesses and not judge Eddie too harshly. Another common feature of Greek tragedy is that the death should seem predictable, and that it cannot be stopped. Miller uses Alfieri to suggest this to the audience, as if it is out of control of the character. Right from the beginning, Miller makes it obvious that Eddie would die in the end. Alfieri keeps giving clues to the audience about Eddie being destined to die, saying he felt powerless and watched it run its bloody course. (p. 12) Another quote from Alfieri is, I knew where he [Eddie] was heading for, I knew where he was going to end. (p. 50) These quotes make us feel more pity for Eddie because, even when he seems happy and loving, we still know he is heading towards a bloody (p. 12) end. Miller successfully makes Eddie a sympathetic character by making him fit the tragic hero he is supposed to be. The audience goes from admiring Eddie to getting to know his terrible guilty secret. Through the whole play we get the unescapable feeling that he is heading towards his bloody end and that it is his guilty secret that will cause it. Although for some modern theatre audiences, Eddie may seem to be an old-fashioned man and although he never really admits his own faults, Miller uses Alfieris character to make sure we can still feel the intended pity. I think this is Millers greatest achievement in this play, reminding us that we are all human, guilty in some ways, and that we should feel sorry for ourselves and Eddie for that.

The Victims in McCarthys Child of God Essay example -- McCarthy Child

The Victims in McCarthy's Child of God  Ã‚   In Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, Lester Ballard is a recluse who is shunned by the people of his community. Because of his morose nature and his bizarre habits, he stands out among the small rural community. The rejected Ballard turns from being a harmless recluse to a murderer. While he is clearly a victimizer, he is also a victim himself. He is the victim of his own ostracization from the community that he was a part of. While the victimization that he suffers cannot justify his violent actions, it provides some explanation of how Ballard has reached the point of being a victimizer himself. Lester Ballard is a loner who is forced off his property and takes refuge in an abandoned barn hidden in the woods. He does not have a job and often has difficulty in his associations with the people of his own town. He supports himself from day to day on what provisions he can find in the woods and what he can manage to afford from town. He spends his days wandering through the woods or through town. He rarely associates with any locals and he takes more delight in whisky than in the presence of others. A couple of stuffed animals that he wins at a fair take their place as his only company. The corpse of a young woman that he stumbles upon in the woods becomes his first sexual companion. Ballard treats the corpse as he would a wife, buying clothes for her, whispering into her ear, and laying her down beside him when he goes to sleep. While these actions seem deranged, they also seem to be his way of finding the nearest replacements to the social company that he has been denied in li fe. Unlike the young women in town, the dead corpse of a woman cannot make fun of him or be insulted by his ... ...e would suffer. The people of his community always had low expectations of Ballard to begin with, and they gave him no reason to fear what they might think of him. Lester Ballard is a victimizer of innocent people, and this is the result of his own isolation . Although little insight into his mind is provided, the existing evidence of his way of life has provided some explanations into why he has committed these crimes. The members of his community, wanting to distance themselves from any association with Ballard, has coincided with the evolution of his bizarre actions. Thus Ballard is completely unrestrained by any concept of helping society. He is the product of a society that has turned its back on an individual that they would rather look down upon than be associated with. Works Cited: McCarthy, Cormac. Child of God. New York: Vintage Books, 1973.

Hybrid Cars and the Reduction of Air Pollution Essay -- Environment Ec

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The current vehicles that are powered by gasoline pollute, but as technologies improve and the human way of life changes alternatively powered vehicles enter the automotive industry. These vehicles were developed to achieve better gas mileage and to help slow the production of the gasses that cause Global Warming. The hybrid vehicle is one of the most popular alternatively powered vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles are energy efficient cars or trucks that run on an internal combustion engine of a gas vehicle with the battery and electric motor of an electric vehicle. This results in twice the fuel economy of gas vehicles. These hybrid electric vehicles consume fewer natural resources than gas vehicles and produce almost no emission fumes compared to the standard gas vehicle. Hybrid cars are one solution to preserving air quality for the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hybrid electric cars were created because of the shortfall in battery technology. The batteries that were being made could not produce enough power. These batteries would not sustain long trips with the car. To work around this and onboard generator, powered by an internal combustion engine could be used for long trips. These cars became known as hybrid electric vehicles that are now being mass-produced by companies like Toyota and Honda. When the vehicle starts and travels at city street speeds less than 30 miles per hour the electric motor does the greatest amount of the work. As the cars power sources begins to lose some of its energy the backup gasoline engine starts. This function is similar to how gasoline cars work, with the alternator using the engine's power to recharge the battery. After the power supply is replenished the gasoline engine shuts down. Also the gasoline engine is used to power the vehicle as it reaches the higher speeds where the added hor sepower is needed. Usually the speed at which the gasoline engine starts is in the 30 mile per hour range. Even as the gasoline engine runs the electric motor continues to provide power for the vehicle. This vehicle combination in my opinion is beneficial economically and environmentally. Using the hybrid electric vehicle will reduce smog-forming pollutants and cut emissions of global-warming pollutants by a third to a half. The average gas vehicle will pose substantial economic, environmental and energy security issue for the U.S. and all nati... ...ing down the pollutants in the air. The hybrid cars will help to clean the air for the future and help to stop greenhouse gases that are generated by gasoline engine cars. The hybrid electric vehicle allows for almost zero emission gases released from it. The hybrid electric car will be able to use fossil fuels better and make them last longer. With a hybrid electric vehicle the vehicle gets better gas mileage than a typical gasoline fed engine. In doing this a hybrid vehicle will make the resources last longer and will not use them up as fast as they are now. The reductions that the hybrid electric vehicle will make in the emissions problem will be one that is looked upon as a revolution towards helping the planet. As a human it is our right to live in a sustainable environment and with the production of this car maybe in the future the air will be sustainable and not cause any problems. Works Cited â€Å"Emissions Trading: A new weapon in project finance†. /29/2009. http://www.econews.org/new_weapon.html Robinson, Aaron. â€Å"Toyota Pruis†. Car & Driver March 2010. Vol. 46 Issue 9 p69. â€Å"Honda Insight/Toyota Prius Comparison†.8/28/11. http://www.insightcentral.net/prius.html Hybrid Cars and the Reduction of Air Pollution Essay -- Environment Ec   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The current vehicles that are powered by gasoline pollute, but as technologies improve and the human way of life changes alternatively powered vehicles enter the automotive industry. These vehicles were developed to achieve better gas mileage and to help slow the production of the gasses that cause Global Warming. The hybrid vehicle is one of the most popular alternatively powered vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles are energy efficient cars or trucks that run on an internal combustion engine of a gas vehicle with the battery and electric motor of an electric vehicle. This results in twice the fuel economy of gas vehicles. These hybrid electric vehicles consume fewer natural resources than gas vehicles and produce almost no emission fumes compared to the standard gas vehicle. Hybrid cars are one solution to preserving air quality for the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hybrid electric cars were created because of the shortfall in battery technology. The batteries that were being made could not produce enough power. These batteries would not sustain long trips with the car. To work around this and onboard generator, powered by an internal combustion engine could be used for long trips. These cars became known as hybrid electric vehicles that are now being mass-produced by companies like Toyota and Honda. When the vehicle starts and travels at city street speeds less than 30 miles per hour the electric motor does the greatest amount of the work. As the cars power sources begins to lose some of its energy the backup gasoline engine starts. This function is similar to how gasoline cars work, with the alternator using the engine's power to recharge the battery. After the power supply is replenished the gasoline engine shuts down. Also the gasoline engine is used to power the vehicle as it reaches the higher speeds where the added hor sepower is needed. Usually the speed at which the gasoline engine starts is in the 30 mile per hour range. Even as the gasoline engine runs the electric motor continues to provide power for the vehicle. This vehicle combination in my opinion is beneficial economically and environmentally. Using the hybrid electric vehicle will reduce smog-forming pollutants and cut emissions of global-warming pollutants by a third to a half. The average gas vehicle will pose substantial economic, environmental and energy security issue for the U.S. and all nati... ...ing down the pollutants in the air. The hybrid cars will help to clean the air for the future and help to stop greenhouse gases that are generated by gasoline engine cars. The hybrid electric vehicle allows for almost zero emission gases released from it. The hybrid electric car will be able to use fossil fuels better and make them last longer. With a hybrid electric vehicle the vehicle gets better gas mileage than a typical gasoline fed engine. In doing this a hybrid vehicle will make the resources last longer and will not use them up as fast as they are now. The reductions that the hybrid electric vehicle will make in the emissions problem will be one that is looked upon as a revolution towards helping the planet. As a human it is our right to live in a sustainable environment and with the production of this car maybe in the future the air will be sustainable and not cause any problems. Works Cited â€Å"Emissions Trading: A new weapon in project finance†. /29/2009. http://www.econews.org/new_weapon.html Robinson, Aaron. â€Å"Toyota Pruis†. Car & Driver March 2010. Vol. 46 Issue 9 p69. â€Å"Honda Insight/Toyota Prius Comparison†.8/28/11. http://www.insightcentral.net/prius.html

How to Build Positive Relationship with Close Friends

How to build positive relationship with close friends or old buddies According to Ronnie Nijmeh, even the best relationships can be challenging, therefore we must find some methods to maintain a good relationship with close friends. Also, we usually find our best friends during the secondary school period. Even you two are best friend; there are still many challenges that affect the relationship between you two.For example, when you two face a new situation, saying that going to a new school or different universities, you certainly reduce much opportunities to have a face to face contact with your friends because each of you will be busier and you will make new friends respectively. We need to try our best to maintain a close contact with close friends. Firstly, according to Lesley Petersen, the trainer of personal development, she points out that appreciating the time spent with close friends are the key.That means the most important thing is to have a regular gathering or meeting w ith your close friends. No matter how busy you are, this is the must you need to do. Only under this situation, you can hear the recent daily life from your friends and more understanding on his/ her updated news. This is the golden chance for you to share your happiness or difficulties. Also, it is the only method making you get closer with your friends as the contact on Face book or SMS cannot serve such function.Releted essay –Â  An Empty Purse Frightens Away FriendsOnly the face to face contact can impress you and let you feel warm. Secondly, as you two are best friend, faith is one of the important factors contributing to a healthy relationship. Close friends need not to deliberately find some common topics or superficial things to talk with. Try to express your inner feelings to your close friends and need not to be embarrassing, therefore your friends can feel your true heart and the relationship can be long lasting.We need to frank with our close friends even we have some discontent with her/ him or they have mistakes, because close friends are difference from hi bye friends or simple friends, we need not feel embarrass when we are pointing out their bad things. Surely, we cannot make personal attack on them but guide them back to a good way. Thirdly, in an attempt to build up a long lasting positive relationship with close friends, we need to try our best to trust our friends and do not easily affected by others’ rumors.Because he/she is your best friend, so we need to show hundred percent of support and confidence to him/ her. Even though there are some rumors heard from others, we should first understand the whole and directly ask our close friends but not suspect on him/her at once. This can show your trust to your friends. Besides, we need to be a trustworthy person. If our close friends tell us some secret, we should keep this secret in our heart but not tell others under any circumstances. Otherwise, we betray our friends.Finally, we can try our best to show our helping hands to our friends who are in need. As close friends are valuable and are the one staying with us forever, we should help them if we are able to do so. For example, providing some financial assist or some consultation advises to them if they need. If we always care about our own benefits, our friends just think we are a pragmatic person but not really want to make friends with them. Therefore, a positive relationship will not be maintained.

The eNotes Blog Vicious and Delicious The Best of Literatures FoulestCharacters

Vicious and Delicious The Best of Literatures FoulestCharacters To be sure, some of the best characters in literature are the so-called good guys, but lets face it: these goody-goodies are rarely the most interesting characters  in the story. Most of us, most of the time, want to see good triumph over evil in the end, but were really interested in what the villains are up to. Think about it: if not for Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Ariel would never have  even had the chance to get some land-legs; she wouldve  stayed a lady-fish and Eric wouldve  married a  human and had pretty babies. In honor of these dynamic characters and their  questionable motives, enjoy the following list  of some of our favorite fictional criminals/murderers/psychopaths from literary history. The White Witch from  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  by C.S. Lewis Photo Via Washington Monthly Imagine a world where its always winter. And not just any winter- the coldest, snowiest, windiest, most miserable winter youve ever seen. Now imagine that this winter is  never-ending and that three years and a few months from now youll wake up and it will  still be the same winter. Now what could possibly make that worse? An evil witch stealing Christmas.  Thats right, the White Witch  did what the Grinch couldnt. Add to that the fact that she had a tendency to turn her enemies into stone and that her lifelong ambition was to murder four unsuspecting children and youve got one bad witch. Iago from  Othello  by William Shakespeare Photo Via Pinterest Iago is one of Shakespeares most famous villains, and for good reason. Unlike Shakespeares other villains, who tend to be more discreet, Iago just goes for it. For no reason  other than a distinct dislike for Othello, Iago manipulates the man into believing that his wife is cheating on him with his Lieutenant. As if that isnt  enough, Iago somehow convinces Othello that he would be justified in killing his (completely innocent) wife. To be fair, Othello really shouldnt have taken  the word of this guy he barely knew, no matter how stand-up a fellow everyone seemed to think he was. But regardless of Othellos gullible little head, its pretty likely he wouldnt have committed the murder of his beloved without Iagos influence. Lord Voldemort from the  Harry Potter  Series  by J.K. Rowling Phot Via The Telegraph Like the previously mentioned White Witch, Voldemort (or He Who Must Not Be Named/The Dark Lord/You Know Who) is a villain geared toward  children and young adults. But we dont buy that. Voldemorts plans were pretty nasty for a kids book. In addition to  being the most evil wizard of all time (which is really saying something, since  there were a lot of other evil wizards before him and they did some pretty awful things), Voldemort creates an army of weaker but still  evil witches and wizards, magical folk, and creatures that likely wouldve just  minded their own business for the rest  of their lives and turned into ghosties when the time came in not for Voldemort. In fact, he was so obsessed with gaining followers, Voldemort used  dark curses to gather  more followers to do his bidding. As if committing countless murders wasnt enough, Voldemorts end goal really seemed geared towards the permanent misery of the people living under his charge. Not to mention that J.K. Rowlings description of him as a  monster with pale skin, red eyes,  slit-like pupils, and basically no nose. Thats  pretty nasty if you ask me. Nils Bjurman from  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Stieg Larsson Photo via Fanpop Just what we wanted: a more modern-day, relatable bad guy. That isnt to say that we can all relate to this man, but we can all read about his character and be reminded of the  horrendous stories weve heard on the news, whereas youre not going to turn on FOX and hear about the witch who stole Christmas. Nils is the man who eventually becomes Lisbeths guardian after her previous guardian falls seriously ill. Unfortunately for poor Lisbeth, Nils is a sexually depraved sadist who refuses her access to her own money without the act of various sexual favors. To end on a positive note, Lisbeth does get a sweet taste of revenge: she manages to secretly film one of her brutal rapes to use as collateral against her abuser and is able to tattoo Im a sadistic rapist pig onto his stomach. So at least theres some karmic retribution. Cruella de Vil from  101 Dalmations  by Dodie Smith Photo via Buzzfeed First and foremost, theres the characters name (de Vil = deVil = devil). They say not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, its probably okay: Cruella is tall, has two-tone hair, and  skins puppies to make her fur coats. Its possible that  this is a commentary about the nature of the fur industry, as in, why is it okay to skin some animals and not others? To some, its never okay, but  everyone,  regardless of whether or not  they like mink coats,  will adamantly agree that no one should make a garment out of puppy fur. As if that isnt bad enough, Cruella also  drowns kittens and abuses  her pet Persian kitty. Maybe de Vil doesnt stack up against some of the other villains on this list, what with all their murders and whatnot, but theres really something about animal abusersit just makes you seem like the most despicable kind of person. But maybe thats just the animal lovers opinion. Ernst Stavro Blofeld  from  Thunderball  by Ian Fleming Photo via The Nerdist Mr. Blofeld is perhaps one of the most famous villains on this list. Even those of you who havent  heard the name will be familiar with the  trope of  the  bad guy with the bald head and a fluffy cat.  It all started with this guy. He  became the inspiration for the bad guy stereotype as we know it today, even inspiring the character of Dr. Evil. Blofeld was the first evil genius/criminal mastermind to hit modern, mainstream media. As the head of SPECTRE, Blofeld was responsible for countless robberies, assaults, and manipulations of both individuals and political groups. Like many successful villains, Blofeld has been portrayed time and time again in adaptations since his inception in 1961. His first big screen appearance coming just two years later in 1963. Most recently, in 2015, this classic evil mastermind was  embodied by the magnificent Christoph Waltz in the latest Bond film,  Spectre. Professor James Moriarty from  Sherlock Holmes  by Arthur Conan Doyle Photo via Wired   Every  fan of the  Sherlock Holmes franchise is familiar with Moriarty. Originally, Moriarty was not the most prevalent of Doyles villains. In fact, this genius was only portrayed in one or two books throughout the original seriess creation. Over time, though, his character has evolved, as many things do, with the interest of the audience. Much like the aforementioned Blofeld has been inserted into adaptation after adaptation of Bond works, Moriarty finds a way to sneak into a wide multitude of Sherlockian lore. Its easy to see why Moriarty quickly became a fan favorite: hes brilliant, cunning, psychopathic, and the direct antithesis of Mr. Sherlock Holmes (a fine example of a dynamic and fascinating good guy). Moriarty as he was introduced by Doyle in The Adventure of the Final Problem was said to be a crime lord, in other words, he was owed allegiance  by just about all of the criminals in England and was paid by them accordingly. Ever since his creation, adapters have found ways to incorporate Moriarty into their Sherlock-based works. Perhaps most famously was the 2009 film,  A Game of Shadows, with Moriarty attempting to spur on a World War in attempt to turn a profit. Hannibal Lector  from  Red Dragon  by Thomas Harris Photo by Time   Hannibal the Cannibal, a title as succinct as it is  gross. Hannibal Lector is arguably one of the most famous and grotesquely wicked characters of the later 20th century. Not only was Lector a closeted murderer/cannibal, but he also worked for the FBI as a clinical psychologist, going so far as to assist Agent Graham in following a trail of murders that he, Hannibal, was guilty of. Now thats bold. Unfortunately for Lector, he was discovered as the murderer and locked away in a mental institution for a grueling, but deserved sentence. Everything changed when Agent Graham finds himself in need of Lectors insight into the criminal mind of a yet-to-be-captured murderer.  Not one to forgive and forget, Lector located the murderer and led him to the house of Agent Graham with the instruction of to kill  whoevers inside. Thats pretty twisted. Already infamous from his appearances in the novels  Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal,  and  Hannibal Rising,  Lector was catapulted into the mainstream eye by the Oscar-winning portrayal of  Anthony Hopkins. Something about Hopkinss deadpan eyes and chilling delivery brings Lector to life in a way that the world could have done without. Still, were glad he did it, because this is  a stunning film. Professor Dolores Umbridge from the  Harry Potter Series by  J.K. Rowling Photo via Mashable And last but most certainly not least we have the worst person ever. Yes, worse than the manipulative, murderous cannibal, worse that the woman who skins puppies, and yes, still worse than the man who planned to start a world war with the intent of turning a profit. Indeed, anyone who is familiar with Umbridge  knows that on a scale from one to nasty, shes nasty +1. Why is she so bad? Shes prim, shes proper, she wears pink, and she loves cats. All that is potentially forgivable, but what really makes her a villain is  that shes the accidental servant of Voldemort, upholding the laws of Fudge (the Minister of Magic) which deny  the re-emergence of the Dark Lord and make it easier for him to gain control. Not to mention that she terrorizes students with her meaningless but painfully enforced rules, refuses her students the opportunity to learn, and is just generally the kind of person that everyone knows and despises. Let us not forget the time Harry attempted to stand up for himself and ended up having to write lines with his own blood. Seems a little extreme a punishment for talking out of turn, doesnt it? We think so too. And remember when she attempted to have Dumbledore arrested? Dumbledore.  Just as  no one puts baby in the corner, no one better put Dumbledore in Azkaban. Curious about these characters and their authors? Check out  Ã‚  to find detailed biographies of your favorite authors alongside full summaries and study guides of their most popular literary works!

Invention of the Push Pin

Invention of the Push Pin The push pin was invented and patented in 1900 by Edwin Moore, in Newark, New Jersey. Moore founded the Moore Push-Pin Company with only $112.60. He rented a room and devoted each afternoon and evening to making push pins, an invention he described as a pin with a handle. In his original patent application, Moore described push pins as pins whose body portion can be firmly held by the operator when inserting the device, all liability of the operators fingers slipping and tearing or marring the film being removed. In the mornings, he sold what he had made the night before. His first sale was one gross (a dozen dozens) of push-pins for $2.00. The next memorable order was for $75.00, and his first major sale was for $1,000 worth of push pins, to the Eastman Kodak Company. Moore made his push pins from glass and steel.   Today push pins, also known as thumbtacks or drawing pins, are used widely in offices across the word. Moore Push-Pin Company As soon as he was well established, Edwin Moore began advertising. In 1903, his first national advertisement appeared in The Ladies Home Journal at a cost of $168.00. The company continued to grow and was incorporated on July 19, 1904, as the Moore Push-Pin Company. Over the next few years, Edwin Moore invented and patented many other items, such as picture hangers and map tacks. From 1912 through 1977, the Moore Push-Pin Company was located on Berkeley Street in Germantown, Philadelphia. Today, the Moore Push-Pin Company occupies a large, well-equipped plant in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. The business is still exclusively devoted to the manufacturing and packaging of little things.

Modern Technology essays

Modern Technology essays Capital Punishment, legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating Criminal law. Throughout history people have been put to death for various forms of wrongdoing. Methods of execution have included such practices as crucifixion, stoning, drowning, burning at the stake, impaling and beheading. Today capital punishment is typically accomplished by lethal gas or injection, Electrocution, hanging or shooting. The death penalty is the most controversial penal practice in the modern world. Other harsh, physical forms of criminal punishment- referred to as corporal punishment- have generally been eliminated in modern times as uncivilized and unnecessary. In the majority of countries, contemporary methods of punishment such as imprisonment or fines no longer involve the infliction of physical pain. Although imprisonment and fines are universally recognizes as necessary to the control of crime, the nations of the world are split on the issue of capital punishment. About 80 nations have abolished the death penalty and an almost unequal number of nations retain it. The trend in most industrialized nations has been to first stop executing prisoners and then to substitute long terms of imprisonment for death as the most severe off all criminals penalties. The United States is an important exception to this trend. The federal government and a majority of U.S states provide for the death p enalty and from 50 to 75 executions occur each year throughout the United States. Each year there are about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed. The death penalty is the harshest form of punishment enforced in the United Sates today. Once a jury has convicted a criminal offense they go to the second part of the trial, the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees then the criminal will face some form of execution, lethal injection is the most common form used today. There was a period from...

Benefits and costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits and costs - Essay Example Vehicles create exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (OEERE 1). These pollutants create air pollution, adversely affecting health of the general population (OEERE 1). Market failure is inevitable as these negative externalities cause cardiopulmonary diseases leading to premature deaths, decreased visibility and other dangerous side effects. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used command and control policies (Peltz & Fitzgerald 2). Lead was removed from fuel, oxygenates were added and sulfur content was reduced (OEERE 2). Catalytic converters were placed on US passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks to reduce CO, NOx, HC, and VOC emissions. VOC emission capturing and emissions testing of cars were introduced too (OEERE 2). Many decided to commute and so decreased emissions levels. However, improvements also led to reckless behavior. Pollution caused by vehicles in the USA has become a global problem. While Americans represent only five percent of world population, they use one third of world’s cars (Borger). American cars are 15 percent less fuel efficient than passenger cars driven elsewhere. Moreover, Americans on average drive longer distances than Europeans or Asians. Since 1988, carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing (Borger). CAA has not produced positive results with regard to carbon dioxide emissions. The resulting pollution has increased incidence of cardiopulmonary conditions such as asthma and heart disease (OEERE 2). In 1990, under the CAA Amendments (CAAA), vehicle standards were made stricter (EPAa). Under the amendments, ozone pollution, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions were addressed. Procedures such as inspection/maintenance programs and vapor recovery installations at gas stations were introduced (EPAb). A permit system will be developed

From your initial lectures and seminars write a paragraph or two (Max Essay

From your initial lectures and seminars write a paragraph or two (Max 300 words) explaining your understanding of Organisational behaviour in businesses today - Essay Example In identifying appropriate strategic approaches organizations implement SWOT analyses; SWOT represents strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In addition to these strategic elements organization behavior also involves developing an overarching mission statement. This functions to speak to the organizations core goals and values. Another key aspect of organizational behavior in businesses is management. Management considers the companys mission statement and strategic directives and works to achieving these goals through attention to efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. Within the organizational element of management is the question of what constitutes effective management and how it can be achieved and maintained. In these regards, Drummond is particularly effective in articulating one of the predominant organizational conflicts, â€Å"The fundamental problem of management is that organisational & individual objectives differ.† Within management organizations utilize specific approaches to management that have been categorized by researchers. These include the classical approach, the human relations approach, the scientific approach, and the systems and contingency approach. All of these approaches have strengths and weaknesses with a great number of challenges being levied at either their over or under emphasis on human or efficiency concerns. In an effort to bridge this organizational gap, the systems and contingency approach was

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Homework - Assignment Example For example a person who is in a bad financial situation will not be interested with the energy drink. Psychological factors include things like attitude and perception. For example, some people view energy drinks as unhealthy and un natural hence such people will not be interested in the drink. As a marketer, it is my duty to take advantage of these influences to make sure the energy drink gets a lot of consumers. I will do this by packaging the product in such a way it appeals to all social classes. This will ensure that all people from all social classes buy the drink. Considering the current economic times, I would also set the price of the energy drink to be as low as possible. This is to allow for people to afford it as it is certain that many people are facing economic hardships at this time. Hence the energy drink will attract a lot of consumers While advertising the product I will also make sure that all details of the drink are included in the advertisement. This includes sugar levels if any and advantages of the drink. This is to make sure that people understand the drink fully. This will help deal with psychological perception people have about energy

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror - Essay Example It then ventured into specialized search apps that were designed for each specific organization. These search applications enabled enterprises to embed Google’s search facility into their own personalized environments. This enabled them to search just about anything and everything within their organizational setup using a privatized search engine. As a result, Google was hailed with welcoming gestures. The nest big thing google introduced was Google Mail or GMail.It emerged at a time when the then prevalent email service providers were beginning to think of charging their customer for the extra mail storage space that they were intending to provide. It was in such a scenario that google was introduced. Emerging like a saviour Google proposed an e-mail inbox that was not only much higher in storage capacity than its’ existing counterparts, but it’s storage capacity also continuously multiplied in manifolds. What else could anyone wish for other than a large email storage and that too for free! The years that then progressed saw The Googalization of just about everything. You name and it was there. May it be the editing software of Google APPS or the ever mesmerizing Google Earth and Google MARS, the software giant moved on one step ahead with every passing unit time. Then those were the times when smart phones were just becoming ever popular, Google did not take much time to jump into the scenario by purchasing the emerging Android Technology. After having the privilege of having Google’s name joined with its own the Android technology became increasingly popular. This software was open in naure. It had the ability of embedding itself into different hardwares. This also included a hardware smartphone that was designed specfically for android usage. The end of the first decade of the twenty first millennium marked the release of the web browser that changed the history of web browsing upside down. Chrome was just the browser that was n eeded to suit everyone. Lightweight and easily operable, chrome quickly integrated itself under Microsoft’s cap. It went this far ahead in doing so that it provided a variant that could survive within Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the form of a sub window. Applications such as ‘Chrome Angry Birds Game† that are specifically accessible via the chrome browser only can now be played in the Internet Explorer as well via chrome’s sub window embedded in the IE. When people were still getting used to the quick browsing saga that chrome had introduced them to, the news of Google Wave’s emergence sparked up! This application was a merger of Mail, Messaging, Social Networking, Translation etc. A single consolidated application contained various o What else could a user ask for? Whether it is said loudly or not Google’s groundbreaking successes throughout the Internet and even beyond it were as if they were directed to be stabbed right at Micro soft’s Heart, the leading and reigning giant of the cyber world at the time when Google emerged. Evaluating the rate at which Google proceeded from its mere search engine to the Google Wave the next expected achievement by Google could have well been anticipated. This achievement was emergence of an OS that would be owned by Google itself. Referred to as the â€Å"Camel’s nose in the tent†

HIMSS Virtual Conference Reaction Paper-due november 16th Essay - 1

HIMSS Virtual Conference Reaction Paper-due november 16th - Essay Example The HIMSS Virtual Conference and Expo held in 3-4th November, 2010 focused on the various aspects and opportunities for attaining a meaningful use of health IT in various healthcare settings for the improvement of health and healthcare. The event was highly interactive and educative because of the live chats, real-time participant movement, contests and vendor presentations. The conference brought together leading industry vendors and influential decision-makers. It allowed the participants to interact with qualified executives and share industry knowledge, get extensive brand exposure and generate qualified sales. The HIMSS Virtual Conference and Expo held in June 8th and 9th 2011 focused on various models and methods that are used in different care settings like the health information exchanges, hospitals, clinical practices among others to transform healthcare. This conference was a transformational approach to healthcare. The importance of health IT was one important thing that was spoken of. Dr. Carol Steltankamp, Chief Medical Information Officer, UK HealthCare explained that a revolution in healthcare today focuses on increasing quality and efficiencies, enhancing revenue and preventing errors by leveraging health IT (HIMSS virtual conference and expo June 8-9th, 2011, 9:00-10:00 AM CT session). The conference was fully interactive because of the live chats, online learning, education sessions and industry solutions seminars. Participants were given a chance to interact with the speakers after presentations, chat with the attendees in the networking lounge and discuss the even on discuss the event on facebook and twitter. The conference was fun as it provided a chance for reconnecting with colleagues and make new meaningful connections. The HIMSS Virtual Conference which took place on 2nd-3rd November, 2011 was a continuing education conference.

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror - Essay Example It then ventured into specialized search apps that were designed for each specific organization. These search applications enabled enterprises to embed Google’s search facility into their own personalized environments. This enabled them to search just about anything and everything within their organizational setup using a privatized search engine. As a result, Google was hailed with welcoming gestures. The nest big thing google introduced was Google Mail or GMail.It emerged at a time when the then prevalent email service providers were beginning to think of charging their customer for the extra mail storage space that they were intending to provide. It was in such a scenario that google was introduced. Emerging like a saviour Google proposed an e-mail inbox that was not only much higher in storage capacity than its’ existing counterparts, but it’s storage capacity also continuously multiplied in manifolds. What else could anyone wish for other than a large email storage and that too for free! The years that then progressed saw The Googalization of just about everything. You name and it was there. May it be the editing software of Google APPS or the ever mesmerizing Google Earth and Google MARS, the software giant moved on one step ahead with every passing unit time. Then those were the times when smart phones were just becoming ever popular, Google did not take much time to jump into the scenario by purchasing the emerging Android Technology. After having the privilege of having Google’s name joined with its own the Android technology became increasingly popular. This software was open in naure. It had the ability of embedding itself into different hardwares. This also included a hardware smartphone that was designed specfically for android usage. The end of the first decade of the twenty first millennium marked the release of the web browser that changed the history of web browsing upside down. Chrome was just the browser that was n eeded to suit everyone. Lightweight and easily operable, chrome quickly integrated itself under Microsoft’s cap. It went this far ahead in doing so that it provided a variant that could survive within Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the form of a sub window. Applications such as ‘Chrome Angry Birds Game† that are specifically accessible via the chrome browser only can now be played in the Internet Explorer as well via chrome’s sub window embedded in the IE. When people were still getting used to the quick browsing saga that chrome had introduced them to, the news of Google Wave’s emergence sparked up! This application was a merger of Mail, Messaging, Social Networking, Translation etc. A single consolidated application contained various o What else could a user ask for? Whether it is said loudly or not Google’s groundbreaking successes throughout the Internet and even beyond it were as if they were directed to be stabbed right at Micro soft’s Heart, the leading and reigning giant of the cyber world at the time when Google emerged. Evaluating the rate at which Google proceeded from its mere search engine to the Google Wave the next expected achievement by Google could have well been anticipated. This achievement was emergence of an OS that would be owned by Google itself. Referred to as the â€Å"Camel’s nose in the tent†

The History of Projective Geometry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The History of Projective Geometry - Essay Example In the everyday life, one often does come across varied aspects of projective geometry. For example a motion picture being displayed on a screen is an example of projection. The shadows brought into existence by opaque objects are one other example of projective geometry. Projective geometry evolved and developed into a formal constituent of mathematical studies over a long period of time. History The history of projective geometry is an apt example of the confluence and collaboration between science and art. Projective geometry, to begin with had its origins in the studies in optics carried on by the Arab mathematicians like Alhazen (Boyer et al., 143). During the Renaissance, when the Western Europe developed a more look outside approach to varied aspects of life including mathematics and art, the discoveries and studies of Arab mathematicians that had by that time reached Europe through trade routes greatly influenced the Western world (Boyer et al., 145). The one big flaw in the Western art that had been created till now was that it was more or less flat in its presentation and style. However, soon, several early Renaissance artists after being influenced and inspired by the essentially Arab studies in optics, started to develop techniques of visual depiction that endowed their works of art with a three dimensional depth and perspective (Encyclopedia Britannica: Online) . The creations of Renaissance art had a significant impact on the contemporary and future mathematicians. The projective geometry evinced nascent reverberations in the architectural drawings of Leon Battista (1404-1472) and Filippo Brunelledchi (1377-1446). In fact, it was these two individuals who laid down the foundation of the method of perspective drawing (Encyclopedia Britannica: Online). The primary approach of this method was to connect the eyes of the painter to various points on a landscape with the help of seemingly straight lines. The original drawing was created on the basis of tracing the intersection of these lines on a vertical plane. Obviously, this approach towards drawing was named projective geometry as it intended to project a real plane on a picture plain (Encyclopedia Britannica: Online). Further, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and Gerard Desargues (1591-1661) further expanded the scope and possibility of projective geometry by developing the concept of ‘point of infinity’ (Boyer et al., 221). In that context, it would not be wrong to say that the works and studies of Gaspard Monge at some time during the end of the 18th century played a central and pivotal role in the future development and study of projective geometry (Boyer et al., 221). Still it was Jean-Victor Poncelet (1788-1867) who is attributed to be the father of modern projective geometry (.Encyclopedia Britannica: Online) Jean-Victor Poncelet was a renowned French engineer and mathematician who are credited with the honor of systematically and formally reviving projective ge ometry in the 19th century. Some mathematicians go even as far ahead to claim that his work Traite des  proprietes projectives des figures was actually the first credible, authentic and well researched work on projective geometry after what was published by Gerard Desargues in the 17th century (.Encyclopedia Britannica: Online )To begin with it were the French mathematicians Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) and

Understand How to Improve Own Performance Essay Example for Free

Understand How to Improve Own Performance Essay 1.1Explain the purpose and benefits of continuously improving performance at work It is important that I continuously improve my performance so that I can grow along with the company and complete my work to the required standard. By continually improving myself I can keep myself challenged and stop myself getting bored of the job, which will always keep me interested. Also improving myself can benefit the company, learning new skills can allow me to take on harder more skilled tasks. This will help take the work load from my other colleagues. This will help the office to run more efficiently. 1.2Explain the purpose and benefits of encouraging and accepting feedback from others Feedback has many benefits when improving my skills within the office. Positive feedback can help boost moral within the office and help the employees feel appreciated. This helps to keep work standards high, and maintains a good environment within the office. Negative feedback isn’t always a bad thing; it can help to outline areas where my managers or colleagues feel I need improvement. I can then discuss with them how I could improve this in the future. This can help the overall running of the office and continually improve our work. 1.3Explain how learning and development can improve own work, benefit organisations, and identify career options Learning and development can help improve my own work greatly, by learning new aspects of the business I can help out my colleagues with jobs that I previously couldn’t carry out. This will lessen the work load that is carried out by my colleagues, which will benefit my organisation as the work can be completed a lot quicker as there are more people capable of doing it. By carrying out this NVQ I can improve my own career options. Previously I had no formal qualifications relating to the job that I carry out. However this can help to further my career for myself and for the business, as I can now apply for internal jobs that previously I was not qualified for. 1.4Describe possible career progression routes  Currently I am part of Wincanton’s agency team, Prime Time. The next stage in my career that I hope to achieve is to be employed in full time employment. If I achieve this then there are many other jobs within the company that I could progress to. If I was to stay within the admin office I could try to become a supervisor or team leader, or there are many other areas that I could apply for, like the stocks department or the finance department. However some of these jobs may not be available to me without further qualifications. I hope to carry out more of these at a later stage in my career; these could include further NVQ’s or even higher qualifications from the Open University. 1.5Describe possible development opportunities Within our business we print of POD’s for customers, this requires a lot of paper to be used. The capability of technology is improving every day; in the future the POD’s may be accessible via computers. If this was to happen I would need to develop my skills towards maintaining this and carrying out the day to day running. Another option could be to improve on my computer skills. Administration is highly dependable on technology as we use computers for all of the tasks that we carry out. In the future the technology may greatly improve this could mean that my current knowledge of the computer systems become irrelevant. A development for myself could be that I take some courses in ICT to improve my skills and knowledge of how a computer works.

Mountains of the Moon: A Re-inscription of the Colonial Master Narrative :: Movie Film Essays

Mountains of the Moon: A Re-inscription of the Colonial Master Narrative      If Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were alive in 1989 to see the release of Bob Rafelson’s Mountains of the Moon, what would their response to the film be?   Would they agree with the way Rafelson’s film depicts their remarkable journey into Africa to find the source of the Nile River?   Would they agree with the way the film dramatizes their relationship with each other?   The answers to these questions would help a great deal in determining whether Rafelson’s film about Burton and Speke’s expedition was accurate, or whether his film was an attempt to sensationalize their story to increase its reception.   Unfortunately, Burton and Speke are not around to answer these questions, which makes an analysis of these issues difficult.   Therefore, rather than analyzing this film from a historical perspective, this critique is concerned with what story Rafelson’s film tells.   How does Rafelson’s movie shape audience’s opinions about Burton and Speke as characters?   Does his story, through visual rhetoric, retell or reinterpret Burton and Speke’s story?   What role does Africa play in Rafelson’s film?   The answers to these questions should help determine whether Rafelson’s film is a re-inscription of the colonial master narrative, or whether it is a post-colonial critique of European colonization.    Mountains of the Moon sets out to recreate the adventures of Richard Burton (Patrick Bergin) and John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen).   The plot of the film focuses on Burton and Speke’s relationship, and their journey to discover the source of the Nile River.   One interesting characteristic that separates Rafelson’s Mountains of the Moon from previous attempts to describe Burton and Speke’s expedition is that Rafelson’s film introduces a human element into Burton and Speke’s relationship; an element that remains the focal point throughout the entire movie (Campbell, www.theparamount.org). As a result, Rafelson shifts the focus of the movie away from the business aspect of the story, and compels audiences to focus more on the friendship that develops between Burton and Speke.   Sidney Pollack’s Out of Africa shifts in the same way.   In Pollack’s 1985 film, audiences find themselves more concerned with the film’s love s tory, than with the Baroness’s coffee plantation in Africa.   This shift occurs not by accident, but rather as a deliberate attempt by Pollack to tell a particular story.   Therefore, Rafelson’s film deliberately shifts to allow him to tell his story: a story about â€Å"Two strangers made friends by a savage land.

Langston Hughes Essay examples -- essays research papers

Langston Hughes James Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, but it was later shortened to just Langston Hughes. He was the only child of James and Carrie Hughes. His family was never happy so he was a lonely youth. The reasons for their unhappiness had as much to do with the color of their skin and the society into which they had been born as they did with their opposite personalities. They were victims of white attitudes and discriminatory laws. They moved to Oklahoma in the late 1890s. Although the institution of slavery was officially abolished racial discrimination and segregation persisted. Langston Hughes parents then separated. Since his mother moved from city to city in search of work he lived in Lawrence, Kansas, with his grandmother named Mary Hughes. She fiercely opposed to racial discrimination. While growing up, Langston also stayed with friends of the family, James and Mary Reed. Living with his grandmother and the Reeds in all-white neighborhoods, he felt even more isolated. When Langston was ready to start school in 1908, his mother was told that because her son was black, he could not attend a nearby, mostly white school in Topeka, Kansas. Carrie, his mother, fought with the school over their decision. She won her fight and Langston was finally admitted to the school. He dealed with his loneliness by writing poetry. After Langston’s grandmother died in 1915, he went to live with his mother, her second husband, Homer Clark, and Clark’s two-year-old son, Gwyn. They went from Lawrence, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri to Lincoln, Illinois. They moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1916. Clark moved to Chicago, Illinois. Langston’s mother followed him and Langston was left alone in Cleveland. He devoted himself to his class work and other interests. He was on the editorial staff, on the student council, one the track team, an officer in the drill corps, and acted in school plays. When Langston Hughes attended Central High, the student body was very ethnically diverse. Langston’s Jewish friends were the ones who first opened his eyes to the ideals of socialism. Socialism is the doctrine that all property in a society is public property. Claude McKay, a black writer whose articles and poems appeared in the Liberator, became a favorite of Langston’s. Langston started to use Negro (African-American... ...es spent the early part of the 1940’s working on his autobiography, The Big Sea, which tells in brilliantly clear language the story of his life up to the year 1931.He explored the expressing validity of black vernacular in urban and rural black lifestyles. He graduated from Lincoln University in 1930. He wrote playwrights and created major Broadway successes as Scottsboro Limited (1932) and Mulatto (1935). In first collections of short stories, The Ways Of White Folks, published in 1934.He was recognized as Simple a humorist through the creation of a character named Jessie B. Semple who, Simple States A Claim (1957), makes commentary on social issues confronting the black community in a vernacular style which strikes a common chord in its simplicity. In 1957, Semple was brought to Broadway in the musical Simply Heavenly. In May 22, 1967 Langston Hughes in died in New York City. The reason why I picked Langston Hughes as my famous African American was because his poems are my favorites. The other reason is that he was always trying to improve the life of African Americans. So, as in conclusion, I would like to say Langston Hughes is an American hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Milton Friedman’s Influence on Macroeconomics

INTRODUCTION:Milton Friedman was an American economist as well as being a public intellectual. He was born in 1912 and died at the age of 94 in 2006. He was an ardent advocate of economic freedom as well as personal liberty. Before his death Friedman was one of the most influential scholars and figures of authority in the fields of microeconomics, statistics, and economic history as well as the field of macroeconomics, which happens to be the field of study.THESIS STATEMENT:Milton Friedman, although unfortunately bereaved, was one of the most influential economics of all time. Many economists as well as economies big and small have adapted to the teachings of Friedman. Why has this been so? In trying to analyze this paper, I will look at some of the major contributions of Friedman to the field of macroeconomics.ANALYSIS:Macroeconomics is a sub-discipline in the field of economics. It concerns it self with the structure, performance and the behaviors of national economies. It seeks to find out the determinants of the aggregate movements within the economy.Macroeconomics gives specific attention to inflation, unemployment, international trade, investments and the national income.On the other hand, Microeconomics is the branch of economics that concerns itself with the processes that firm's, households and individuals concerns themselves in allocating limited resources. In this sense microeconomics scrutinizes how these decisions affect the demand and supply schedules and helps determine not only the prices but also how these prices influence the supply and demand of goods and services in any given market segment.Macroeconomics is generally divided in to two major areas of study; the business cycle   which concerns itself mainly with the consequences and causes of the of short term fluctuations in national income and the determinants of the long run economic growth (increases in the national income).As thus, the field of macroeconomics is of paramount importance in designing, developing and evaluating strategies and policies not only for governments but also for large corporations like Sony and Toyota.Macroeconomics concerns itself with economic aggregates of the nation’s economic activities. On this field, macroeconomics concerns itself with issues of government actions (spending and taxation), issues of unemployment, inflation as well as general economic policies.CONCERNING FRIEDMAN:Friedman for a long time worked in isolation. Until the late 70s, many scholars especially in the field of economics met Friedman’s work with a lot of hostility.Milton Friedman was an ardent opponent to the Keynesian economics; Milton led the â€Å"Monetarist school† commonly referred to the Chicago School against the Keynesian school of economics.Friedman's contributions include the â€Å"Permanent Income Hypothesis† on consumption (1957), in addition to this there was the formulation of risk-aversion and risk-proclivity (1948); h e was also influential through his evolutionary theory on the theory of the firm,  Ã‚   including his own propositions for a â€Å"positivist† methodology in economics (1953).Friedman was key influential in macroeconomics especially in attacking the Keynesians on their view of the IS-LM analysis. In this attack, Friedman wanted the Keynesians not to ignore money matters in their analysis.  He was critical in pinpointing the importance of a laissez-faire economy, but he still held the proposition that concrete policies need to be operational within the economy for there to be harmony in the economy.In essence, the works and teachings of Friedman came to be an influential part of modern economics especially after the Keynesian analysis failed to offer a solution to the 1970s crisis because of the prevalent cost-push inflation and the inability of Keynesians to offer a solution to the increasing wages and prices.  Friedman scathingly attacked the Keynesians for failing to debate or offer directions on the need for competitive markets, this Friedman said was the reason why there had emerged larger monopolies within the 50s and the 60s which led to the ensuing stagflation.In addition to this, Friedman together with other scholars from the Chicago school provided evidence to prove that within competitive markets the price system could effectively and efficiently to allocate scarce resources. In his own words, Friedman claimed that the price system plays the following roles: firstly, the price system provides incentives for the adoption of the least costly methods of production. The price system also helps in   using available resources for the best use available, in addition the price system is used to transmit information on production, available resources and tastes, on top of this the prices can be used to determine the distribution system â€Å"who gets what when and how†.Friedman was also influential in designing test theories. On this iss ue, Friedman held the opinion that economists should only invoke the predictive ability of the theory and not the descriptive realism of the theory. Friedman was also influential in proposing that governments use countercyclical budget policies.CASE ANALYSIS: JAPANS MACROECONOMIC POLICIES:Japan is the world’s second largest economy from the United States. It is a market economy just like the United States although geographically it is very small. Japan is an industrial state although it relies mainly on imported raw materials for its industries. As thus, Japan is highly dependent on the nature of international trade and this means that Freidman’s analysis of price theories, inflation and free trade has a huge impact within the Japanese macroeconomic policies.Within Japan, the economy has followed the teachings of Friedman in the following ways. Firstly, the country has realized the importance of laissez faire economics. For this reason, given that the country relies mo stly on imported raw materials for its industries have, been one of the major advocate’s free trade. This has been commissioned in many ways including being one of the influential members of the world trade organization.  Secondly, the country has adopted Friedman’s teachings in the way the country designs its fiscal policy; this has been done mainly by changing the composition of public spending instead of expanding it.Thirdly, the countries central bank, the bank of Japan has also followed Friedman’s rules in inflation targeting and interest rate benchmarking.  In addition to these, the Japanese cabinet especially in recent years has been very vocal in trying to push for structural reforms as well as the adoption of stringent business policies especially in the financial sector that has been affected by banking crisis for a very long time.Concerning the activities of the bank of Japan, it is important to note that for a long time now the bank has been stea dily increasing the money supply. This is intended to contain inflation as well as being a way of supporting the fiscal policy. In addition to this, the Japanese economy has been under a condition of a liquidity trap.  Ã‚  According to the monetarist theory, mainly influenced by Milton Friedman, a country would most likely move out of a liquidity trap by turning to the printing press or increasing the money supply. In order for Japan to move out of the liquidity trap, the bank of Japan has resulted to the printing press as well as the purchase of Japanese government’s treasury bonds. These are all monetarist activities and they go on to show us how the Japanese economy has gone in line with the teachings of Milton Friedman.CRITICISMS:Although Friedman was very influential on the field of macroeconomics, very many different schools of thought have criticized, or have held different views from those of Friedman. These include the Marxists, the Keynesians and neo-Keynesians.Th e Keynesians and neo-Keynesians advocate for a mixed economy. In this view, they consider an equally important role to be played by both the private sector and the government. . Thus Keynes believed that the government was responsible for not only helping the economy rise out of a depression by increasing aggregate spending but also it could increase general levels of investments by pumping more money into the economy, then the citizens are encouraged to spend more because more money is in circulation.   Once this is done then People will start to invest more, and the economy will react by increasing productive ventures.Thus, Keynes argued that government investment in public goods that will not be provided for by the market would encourage the private sector's growth. This would include government spending on such things as basic research, public health, education, and infrastructure.  On the other side, the Marxists beliefs in a social state where neither the government nor th e market takes control. Karl Marx believed that the state was a manifestation of the ruling class, in many instances he claimed, that the ruling class was the bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production). Whose aim was self-enrichment under such a state developments of either the infrastructure or education would be done if it were to their benefit and not to the benefit of the workers (Proletariat).CONCLUSION:The works of Milton Friedman will continue to hold the field of economics for a long time to come, especially in these days of globalization and increasing interdependence of states.REFERENCES:Hadjimichalakis M. (1982) Modern Economics, Prentice Hall Publishers, New JerseyH. Stratton (1999) Economics: A New Introduction, Pluto Press, USAMartin U. (1976) Agricultural Production Economics and Resources Used, Oxford University Press, OxfordPaul Anthony Samuelson (1964) Economics, McGraw-Hill publishers, USAThomas A. and Paschal Francis (1995) Beyond Rhetoric and Realism in Eco nomics: Towards a reformulation of economic methodology, Rout ledge, UK  Ian Livingstone (1970) Economics and Development: an introduction, Oxford University Press, OxfordJay M. Shafritz, Philip H. Whitbeck (1978), Classics of Organization Theory, Moore Pub Co, (Original from the University of Michigan).

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER THREE HISTORIAN

HISTORIAN Janov Pelorat was white-haired and his face, in repose, looked rather empty. It was rarefy in anything but repose. He was of average height and weight and tended to move without haste and to speak with deliberation. He seemed considerably older than his fifty-two years. He had never left Terminus, something that was most unusual, especially for one of his profession. He himself wasn't sure whether his sedentary ways were because of – or in spite of – his obsession with history. The obsession had come upon him quite suddenly at the age of fifteen when, during some indisposition, he was given a book of early legends. In it, he found the repeated motif of a world that was alone and isolated – a world that was not even aware of its isolation, since it had never known anything else. His indisposition began to clear up at once. Within two days, he had read the book three times and was out of bed. The day after that he was at his computer terminal, checking for any records that the Terminus University Library might have on similar legends. It was precisely such legends that had occupied him ever since. The Terminus University Library had by no means been a great resource in this respect but, when he grew older, he discovered the joys of interlibrary loans. He had printouts in his possession which had been taken off hyper-radiational signals from as far away as Ifnia. He had become a professor of ancient history and was now beginning his first sabbatical – one for which he had applied with the idea of taking a trip through space (his first) to Trantor itself – thirty-seven years later. Pelorat was quite aware that it was most unusual for a person of Terminus to have never been in space. It had never been his intention to be notable in this particular way. It was just that whenever he might have gone into space, some new book, some new study, some new analysis came his way. He would delay his projected trip until he had wrung the new matter dry and had added, if possible, one more item of fact, or speculation, or imagination to the mountain he had collected. In the end, his only regret was that the particular trip to Trantor had never been made. Trantor had been the capital of the First Galactic Empire. It had been the seat of Emperors for twelve thousand years and, before that, the capital of one of the most important pre-Imperial kingdoms, which had, little by little, captured or otherwise absorbed the other kingdoms to establish the Empire. Trantor had been a world-girdling city, a metal-coated city. Pelorat had read of it in the works of Gaal Dornick, who had visited it in the time of Hari Seldon himself. Dornick's volume no longer circulated and the one Pelorat owned might have been sold for half the historian's annual salary. A suggestion that he might part with it would have horrified the historian. Of course, what Pelorat cared about, as far as Trantor was concerned, was the Galactic Library, which in Imperial times (when it was the Imperial Library) had been the largest in the Galaxy. Trantor was the capital of the largest and most populous Empire humanity had ever seen. It had been a single worldwide city with a population well in excess of forty billion, and its Library had been the gathered record of all the creative (and not-so-creative) work of humanity, the full summary of its knowledge. And it was all computerized in so complex a manner that it took experts to handle the computers. What was more, the Library had survived. To Pelorat, that was the amazing thing about it. When Trantor had fallen and been sacked, nearly two and a half centuries before, it had undergone appalling destruction, and the tales of human misery and death would not bear repeating – yet the Library had survived, protected (it was said) by the University students, who used ingeniously devised weapons. (Some thought the defense by the students might well have been thoroughly romanticized.) In any case, the Library had endured through the period of devastation. Ebling Mis had done his work in an intact Library in a ruined world when he had almost located the Second Foundation (according to the story which the people of the Foundation still believed, but which historians have always treated with reserve). The three generations of Darells – Bayta, Toran, and Arkady – had each, at one time or another, been on Trantor. However, Arkady had not visited the Library, and since her time the Library had not impinged on Galactic history. No Foundationer had been on Trantor in a hundred and twenty years, but there was no reason to believe the Library was not still there. That it had made no impingement was the surest evidence in favor of its being there. Its destruction would surely have made a noise. The Library was outmoded and archaic – it had been so even in Ebling Mis's time – but that was all to the good. Pelorat always rubbed his hands with excitement when he thought of an old and outmoded Library. The older and the more outmoded, the more likely it was to have what he needed. In his dreams, he would enter the Library and ask in breathless alarm, â€Å"Has the Library been modemized? Have you thrown out the old tapes and computerizations?† And always he imagined the answer from dusty and ancient librarians, â€Å"As it has been, Professor, so is it still.† And now his dream would come true. The Mayor herself had assured him of that. How she had known of his work, he wasn't quite sure. He had not succeeded in publishing many papers. Little of what he had done was solid enough to be acceptable for publication and what had appeared had left no mark. Still, they said Branno the Bronze knew all that went on in Terminus and had eyes at the end of every finger and toe. Pelorat could almost believe it, but if she knew of his work, why on Terminus didn't she see its importance and give him a little financial support before this? Somehow, he thought, with as much bitterness as he could generate, the Foundation had its eyes fixed firmly on the future. It was the Second Empire and their destiny that absorbed them. They had no time, no desire, to peer back into the past – and they were irritated by those who did. The more fools they, of course, but he could not single-handedly wipe out folly. And it might be better so. He could hug the great pursuit to his own chest and the day would come when he would be remembered as the great Pioneer of the Important. That meant, of course (and he was too intellectually honest to refuse to perceive it), that he, too, was absorbed in the future – a future in which he would be recognized, and in which he would be a hero on a par with Hari Seldon. In fact, he would be the greater, for how could the working out of a clearly visualized future a millennium long stand comparison with the working out of a lost past at least twenty-five millennia old. And this was the day; this was the day. The Mayor had said it would be the day after Seldon's image made its appearance. That was the only reason Pelorat had been interested in the Seldon Crisis that for months had occupied every mind on Terminus and indeed almost every mind in the Federation. It had seemed to him to make the most trifling difference as to whether the capital of the Foundation had remained here at Terminus, or had been shifted somewhere else. And now that the crisis had been resolved, he remained unsure as to which side of the matter Hari Seldon had championed, or if the matter under dispute had been mentioned at all. It was enough that Seldon had appeared and that now this was the day. It was a little after two in the afternoon that a ground-car slid to a halt in the driveway of his somewhat isolated house just outside Terminus proper. A rear door slid back. A guard in the uniform of the Mayoralty Security Corps stepped out, then a young man, then two more guards. Pelorat was impressed despite himself. The Mayor not only knew of his work but clearly considered it of the highest importance. The person who was to be his companion was given an honor guard, and he had been promised a first-class vessel which his companion would be able to pilot. Most flattering! Most – Pelorat's housekeeper opened the door. The young man entered and the two guards positioned themselves on either side of the entrance. Through the window, Pelorat saw that the third guard remained outside and that a second ground-car had now pulled up. Additional guards! Confusing! He turned to find the young man in his room and was surprised to find that he recognized him. He had seen him on holocasts. He said, â€Å"You're that Councilman. You're Trevize!† â€Å"Golan Trevize. That's right. You are Professor Janov Pelorat?† â€Å"Yes, yes,† said Pelorat. â€Å"Are you he who will – â€Å" â€Å"We are going to be fellow travelers,† said Trevize woodenly. â€Å"Or so I have been told.† â€Å"But you're not a historian.† â€Å"No, I'm not. As you said, I'm a Councilman, a politician.† â€Å"Yes, Yes, But what am I thinking about? I am a historian, therefore what need for another? You can pilot a spaceship.† â€Å"Yes, I'm pretty good at that.† â€Å"Well, that's what we need, then. Excellent! I'm afraid I'm not one of your practical thinkers, young man, so if it should happen that you are, we'll make a good team.† Trevize said, â€Å"I am not, at the moment, overwhelmed with the excellence of my own thinking, but it seems we have no choice but to try to make it a good team.† â€Å"Let's hope, then, that I can overcome my uncertainty about space. I've never been in space, you know, Councilman. I am a groundhog, if that's the term. Would you like a glass of tea, by the way? I'll have Moda prepare us something. It is my understanding that it will be some hours before we leave, after all. I am prepared right now, however. I have what is necessary for both of us. The Mayor has been most co-operative. Astonishing – her interest in the project.† Trevize said, â€Å"You've known about this, then? How long?† â€Å"The Mayor approached me† (here Pelorat frowned slightly and seemed to be making certain calculations) â€Å"two, or maybe three, weeks ago. I was delighted. And now that I have got it clear in my head that I need a pilot and not a second historian, I am also delighted that my companion will be you, my dear fellow.† â€Å"Two, maybe three, weeks ago,† repeated Trevize, sounding a little dazed. â€Å"She was prepared all this time, then. And I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He faded out. â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Nothing, Professor. I have a bad habit of muttering to myself. It is something you will have to grow accustomed to, if our trip extends itself.† â€Å"It will. It will,† said Pelorat, bustling the other to the dining room table, where an elaborate tea was being; prepared by his housekeeper. â€Å"Quite open-ended. The Mayor said we were to take as long as we liked and that the Galaxy lay all before us and, indeed, that wherever we went we could call upon Foundation funds. She said, of course, that we would have to be reasonable. I promised that much.† He chuckled and rubbed his hands: â€Å"Sit down, my good fellow, sit down. This may be our last meal on Terminus for a very long time.† Trevize sat down. He said, â€Å"Do you have a family, Professor?† â€Å"I have a son. He's on the faculty at Santanni University. A chemist, I believe, or something like that. He took after his mother's side. She hasn't been with me for a long time, so you see I have no responsibilities, no active hostages to fortune. I trust you have none – help yourself to the sandwiches, my boy.† â€Å"No hostages at the moment. A few women. They come and go.† â€Å"Yes. Yes. Delightful when it works out. Even more delightful when you find it need not be taken seriously. – No children, I take it. â€Å"None.† â€Å"Good! You know, I'm in the most remarkable good humor. I was taken aback when you first came in. I admit it. But I find you quite exhilarating now. What I need is youth and enthusiasm and someone who can find his way about the Galaxy. We're on a search, you know. A remarkable search.† Pelorat's quiet face and quiet voice achieved an unusual animation without any particular change in either expression or intonation. â€Å"I wonder if you have been told about this. Trevize's eyes narrowed. â€Å"A remarkable search?† â€Å"Yes indeed. A pearl of great price is hidden among the tens of millions of inhabited worlds in the Galaxy and we have nothing but the faintest clues to guide us. just the same, it will be an incredible prize if we can find it. If you and I can carry it off, my boy – Trevize, I should say, for I don't mean to patronize – our names will ring down the ages to the end of time.† â€Å"The prize you speak of – this pearl of great price.† â€Å"I sound like Arkady Darell – the writer, you know – speaking of the Second Foundation, don't I? no wonder you look astonished.† Pelorat – leaned his head back as though he were going to break into loud laughter but he merely smiled. â€Å"Nothing so silly and unimportant, I assure you.† Trevize said, â€Å"If you are not speaking of the Second Foundation, Professor, what are you speaking of?† Pelorat was suddenly grave, even apologetic. â€Å"Ah, then the Mayor has not told you? – It is odd, you know. I've spent decades resenting the government and its inability to understand what I'm doing, and now Mayor Branno is being remarkably generous.† â€Å"Yes,† said Trevize, not trying to conceal an intonation of irony, â€Å"she is a woman of remarkable hidden philanthropy, but she has not told me what this is all about.† â€Å"You are not aware of my research, then?† â€Å"No. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No need to excuse yourself. Perfectly all right. I have not exactly made a splash. Then let me tell you. You and I are going to search for – and find, for I have an excellent possibility in mind – Earth.† Trevize did not sleep well that night. Over and over, he thrashed about the prison that the old woman had built around him. Nowhere could he find a way out. He was being driven into exile and he could do nothing about it. She had been calmly inexorable and did not even take the trouble to mask the unconstitutionality of it all. He had relied on his rights as a Councilman and as a citizen of the Federation, and she hadn't even paid them lip service. And now this Pelorat, this odd academic who seemed to be located in the world without being part of it, told him that the fearsome old woman had been making arrangements for this for weeks. He felt like the â€Å"boy† that she had called him. He was to be exiled with a historian who kept â€Å"dear fellowing† him and who seemed to be in a noiseless fit of joy over beginning a Galactic search for – Earth? What in the name of the Mule's grandmother was Earth? He had asked. Of course! He had asked upon the moment of its mention. He had said, â€Å"Pardon me, Professor. I am ignorant of your specialty and I trust you won't be annoyed if I ask for an explanation in simple terms. What is Earth?† Pelorat stared at him gravely while twenty seconds moved slowly past. He said, â€Å"It is a planet. The original planet. The one on which human beings first appeared, my dear fellow.† Trevize stared. â€Å"First appeared? From where?† â€Å"From nowhere. It's the planet on which humanity developed through evolutionary processes from lower animals.† Trevize thought about it, then shook his head. â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† An annoyed expression crossed Pelorat's face briefly. He cleared his throat and said, â€Å"There was a time when Terminus had no human beings upon it. It was settled by human beings from other worlds. You know that, I suppose?† â€Å"Yes, of course,† said Trevize impatiently. He was irritated at the other's sudden assumption of pedagogy. â€Å"Very well. This is true of all the other worlds. Anacreon, Santanni, Kalgan – all of them. They were all, at some time in the past, founded. People arrived there from other worlds. It's true even of Trantor. It may have been a great metropolis for twenty thousand years, but before that it wasn't.† â€Å"Why, what was it before that?† â€Å"Empty? At least of human beings.† â€Å"That's hard to believe.† â€Å"It's true. The old records show it.† â€Å"Where did the people come from who first settled Trantor?† â€Å"No one is certain. There are hundreds of planets which claim to have been populated in the dim mists of antiquity and whose people present fanciful tales about the nature of the first arrival of humanity. Historians tend to dismiss such things and to brood over the ‘Origin Question.'† â€Å"What is that? I've never heard of it.† â€Å"That doesn't surprise me. It's not a popular historical problem now, I admit, but there was a time during the decay of the Empire when it roused a certain interest among intellectuals. Salvor Hardin mentions it briefly in his memoirs. It's the question of the identity and location of the one Planet from which it all started. If ,we look backward in time, humanity flows inward from the most recently established worlds to older ones, to still older ones, until all concentrates on one – the original.† Trevize thought at once of the obvious flaw in the argument. â€Å"Might there not have been a large number of originals?† â€Å"Of course not. All human beings all over the Galaxy are of a single species. A single species cannot originate on more than one planet. Quite impossible.† â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"In the first place.† Pelorat ticked off the first finger of his left hand with the first finger of his right, and then seemed to think better of what would undoubtedly have been a long and intricate exposition. He put both hands at his side and said with great earnestness, â€Å"My dear fellow, I give you my word of honor.† Trevize bowed formally and said, â€Å"I would not dream of doubting it, Professor Pelorat. Let us say, then, that there is one planet of origin, but might there not be hundreds who lay claim to the honor?† â€Å"There not only might be, there are. Yet every claim is without merit. Not one of those hundreds that aspire to the credit of priority shows any trace of a prehyperspatial society, let alone any trace of human evolution from prehuman organisms.† â€Å"Then are you saying that there is a planet of origin, but that, for some reason, it is not making the claim?† â€Å"You have hit it precisely.† â€Å"And you are going to search for it?† â€Å"We are. That is our mission. Mayor Branno has arranged it all. You will pilot our ship to Trantor.† â€Å"To Trantor? It's not the planet of origin. You said that much a while ago.† â€Å"Of course Trantor isn't. Earth is.† â€Å"Then why aren't you telling me to pilot the ship to Earth?† â€Å"I am not making myself clear. Earth is a legendary name. It is enshrined in ancient myths. It has no meaning we can be certain of, but it is convenient to use the word as a one-syllable synonym for ‘the planet of origin of the human species.' just which planet in real space is the one we are defining as ‘Earth' is not known.† â€Å"Will they know on Trantor?† â€Å"I hope to find information there, certainly. Trantor possesses the Galactic Library, the greatest in the system.† â€Å"Surely that Library has been searched by those people you said were interested in the ‘Origin Question' in the time of the First Empire.† Pelorat nodded thoughtfully, â€Å"Yes, but perhaps not well enough. I have learned a great deal about the ‘Origin Question' that perhaps the Imperials of five centuries back did not know. I might search the old records with greater understanding, you see. I have been thinking about this for a long time and I have an excellent possibility in mind.† â€Å"You have told Mayor Branno all this, I imagine, and she approves?† â€Å"Approves? My dear fellow, she was ecstatic. She told me that Trantor was surely the place to find out all I needed to know.† â€Å"No doubt,† muttered Trevize. That was part of what occupied him that night. Mayor Branno was sending him out to find out what he could about the Second Foundation. She was sending him with Pelorat so that he might mask his real aim with the pretended search for Earth – a search that could carry him anywhere in the Galaxy. It was a perfect cover, in fact, and he admired the Mayor's ingenuity. But Trantor? Where was the sense in that? Once they were on Trantor, Pelorat would find his way into the Galactic Library and would never emerge. With endless stacks of books, films, and recordings, with innumerable computerizations and symbolic representations, he would surely never want to leave. Besides that – Ebling Mis had once gone to Trantor, in the Mule's time. The story was that he had found the location of the Second Foundation there and had died before he could reveal it. But then, so had Arkady Darell, and she had succeeded in locating the Second Foundation. But the location she had found was on Terminus itself, and there the nest of Second Foundationers was wiped out. Wherever the Second Foundation was now would be elsewhere, so what more had Trantor to tell? If be were looking for the Second Foundation, it was best to go anywhere but Trantor. Besides that – What further plans Branno had, he did not know, but he was not in the mood to oblige her. Branno had been ecstatic, had she, about a trip to Trantor? Well, if Branno wanted Trantor, they were not going to Trantor! – Anywhere else. – But not Trantor! And worn out, with the night verging toward dawn, Trevize fell at last into a fitful slumber. Mayor Branno had had a good day on the one following the arrest of Trevize. She had been extolled far beyond her deserts and the incident was never mentioned. Nevertheless, she knew well that the Council would soon emerge from its paralysis and that questions would be raised. She would have to act quickly. So, putting a great many matters to one side, she pursued the matter of Trevize. At the time when Trevize and Pelorat were discussing Earth, Branno was facing Councilman Munn Li Compor in the Mayoralty Office. As he sat across the desk from her, perfectly at ease, she appraised him once again. He was smaller and slighter than Trevize and only two years older. Both were freshmen Councilmen, young and brash, and that must have been the only thing that held them together, for they were different in all other respects. Where Trevize seemed to radiate a glowering intensity, Compor shone with an almost serene self-confidence. Perhaps it was his blond hair and blue eyes, not at all common among Foundationers. They lent him an almost feminine delicacy that (Branno judged) made him less attractive to women than Trevize was. He was clearly vain of his looks, though, and made the most of them, wearing his hair rather long and making sure that it was carefully waved. He wore a faint blue shadowing under his eyebrows to accentuate the eye color. (Shadowing of various tints had become common among men these last ten years.) He was no womanizer. He lived sedately with his wife, but had not yet registered parental intent and was not known to have a clandestine second companion. That, too, was different from Trevize, who changed housemates as often as he changed the loudly colored sashes for which he was notorious. There was little about either young Councilman that Kodell's department had not uncovered, and Kodell himself sat quietly in one corner of the room, exuding a comfortable good cheer as always. Branno said, â€Å"Councilman Compor, you have done the Foundation good service, but unfortunately for yourself, it is not of the sort that can be praised in public or repaid in ordinary fashion.† Compor smiled. He had white and even teeth, and Branno idly wondered, for one flashing moment if all the inhabitants of the Sirius Sector looked like that. Compor's tale of stemming from that particular, rather peripheral, region went back to his maternal grandmother, who had also been blond-haired and blue-eyed and who had maintained that her mother was from the Sirius Sector. According to Kodell, however, there was no hard evidence in favor of that. Women being what they were, Kodell had said, she might well have claimed distant and exotic ancestry to add to her glamour and her already formidable attractiveness. â€Å"Is that how women are?† Branno had asked drily, and Kodell had smiled and muttered that he was referring to ordinary women, of course. Compor said, â€Å"It is not necessary that the people of the Foundation know of my service – only that you do.† â€Å"I know and I will not forget. What I also will not do is to let you assume that your obligations are now over. You have embarked on a complicated course and you must continue. We want more about Trevize.† â€Å"I have told you all I know concerning him.† â€Å"That may be what you would have me believe. That may even be what you truly believe yourself. Nevertheless, answer my questions. Do you know a gentleman named Janov Pelorat?† For just a moment Compor's forehead creased, then smoothed itself almost at once. He said carefully, â€Å"I might know him if I were to see him, but the name does not seem to cause any association within me.† â€Å"He is a scholar.† Compor's mouth rounded into a rather contemptuous but unsounded â€Å"Oh?† as though he were surprised that the Mayor would expect him to know scholars. Branno said, â€Å"Pelorat is an interesting person who, for reasons of his own, has the ambition of visiting Trantor. Councilman Trevize will accompany him. Now, since you have been a good friend of Trevize and . perhaps know his system of thinking, tell me. Do you think Trevize will consent to go to Trantor?† Compor said, â€Å"If you see to it that Trevize gets on the ship, and if the ship is piloted to Trantor, what can he do but go there? Surely you don't suggest he will mutiny and take over the ship.† â€Å"You don't understand. He and Pelorat will be alone on the ship and it will be Trevize at the controls.† â€Å"You are asking whether he would go voluntarily to Trantor?† â€Å"Yes, that is what I am asking.† â€Å"Madam Mayor, how can I possibly know what he will do?† â€Å"Councilman Compor, you have been close to Trevize. You know his belief in the existence of the Second Foundation. Has he never spoken to you of his theories as to where it might exist, where it might be found?† â€Å"Never, Madam Mayor.† â€Å"Do you think he will find it?† Compor chuckled. â€Å"I think the Second Foundation, whatever it was and however important it might have been, was wiped out in the time of Arkady Darell. I believe her story.† â€Å"Indeed? In that case, why did you betray your friend? If he were searching for something that does not exist, what harm could he have done by propounding his quaint theories?† Compor said, â€Å"It is not the truth alone that can harm. His theories may have been merely quaint, but they might have succeeded in unsettling the people of Terminus and, by introducing doubts and fears as to the Foundation's role in the great drama of Galactic history, have weakened its leadership of the Federation and its dreams of a Second Galactic Empire. Clearly you thought this yourself, or you would not have seized him on the floor of the Council, and you would not now be forcing him into exile without trial. Why have you done so, if I may ask, Mayor?† â€Å"Shall we say that I was cautious enough to wonder if there were some faint chance that he might be right, and that the expression of his views might be actively and directly dangerous?† Compor said nothing. Branno said, â€Å"I agree with you, but I am forced by the responsibilities of my position to consider the possibility. Let me ask you again if you have any indication as to where he might think the Second Foundation exists, and where he might go.† â€Å"I have none.† â€Å"He has never given you any hints in that direction?† â€Å"No, of course not.† â€Å"Never? Don't dismiss the thought easily. Think! Never?† â€Å"Never,† said Compor firmly. â€Å"No hints? no joking remarks? no doodles? no thoughtful abstractions at moments that achieve significance as you look back on them?† â€Å"None. I tell you, Madam Mayor, his dreams of the Second Foundation are the most nebulous starshine. You know it, and you but waste your time and your emotions in your concern over it.† â€Å"You are not by some chance suddenly changing sides again and protecting the friend you delivered into my hands?† â€Å"No,† said Compor. â€Å"I turned him over to you for what seemed to me to be good and patriotic reasons. I have no reason to regret the action, or to change my attitude.† â€Å"Then you can give me no hint as to where he might go once he has a ship at his disposal?† â€Å"As I have already said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And yet, Councilman,† and here the lines of the Mayor's face so folded as to make her seem wistful, â€Å"I would like to know where he goes.† â€Å"In that case, I think you ought to place a hyper-relay on his ship.† â€Å"I have thought of that, Councilman. He is, however, a suspicious man and I suspect he will find it – however cleverly it might be placed. Of course, it might be placed in such a way that he cannot remove it without crippling the ship, and he might therefore be forced to leave it in place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"An excellent notion.† â€Å"Except that,† said Branno, â€Å"he would then be inhibited. He might not go where he would go if he felt himself free and untrammeled. The knowledge I would gain would be useless to me.† â€Å"In that case, it appears you cannot find out where he will go.† â€Å"I might, for I intend to be very primitive. A person who expects the completely sophisticated and who guards against it is quite apt never to think of the primitive. – I'm thinking of having Trevize followed.† â€Å"Followed?† â€Å"Exactly. By, another pilot in another spaceship. See how astonished you are at the thought? He would be equally astonished. He might not think of scouring space for an accompanying mass and, in any case, we will see to it that his ship is not equipped with our latest mass-detection devices.† Compor said, â€Å"Madam Mayor, I speak with all possible respect, but I must point out that you lack experience in space flight. To have one ship followed by another is never done – because it won't work. Trevize will escape with the first hyperspatial jump. Even if he doesn't know he is being followed, that first jump will be his path to freedom. If he doesn't have a hyper-relay on board ship, he can't be traced.† â€Å"I admit my lack of experience. Unlike you and Trevize, I have had no naval training. Nevertheless, I am told by my advisers – who have had such training – that if a ship is observed immediately prior to a jump, its direction, speed, and acceleration make it possible to guess what the jump might be – in a general way. Given a good computer and an excellent sense of judgment, a follower might duplicate the jump closely enough to pick up the trail at the other end – especially if the follower has a good mass-detector.† â€Å"That might happen once,† said Compor energetically, â€Å"even twice if the follower is very lucky, but that's it. You can't rely on such things.† â€Å"Perhaps we can. – Councilman Compor, you have hyper-raced in your time. You see, I know a great deal about you. You are an excellent pilot and have done amazing things when it comes to following a competitor through a jump.† Compor's eyes widened. He almost squirmed in his chair. â€Å"I was in college then. I am older now.† â€Å"Not too old. Not yet thirty-five. Consequently you are going to follow Trevize, Councilman. Where he goes, you will follow, and you will report back to me. You will leave soon after Trevize does, and he will be leaving in a few hours. If you refuse the task, Councilman, you will be imprisoned for treason. If you take the ship that we will provide for you, and if you fail to follow, you need not bother coming back. You will be shot out of space if you try.† Compor rose sharply to his feet. â€Å"! have a life to live. I have work to do. I have a wife. I cannot leave it all.† â€Å"You will have to. Those of us who choose to serve the Foundation must be prepared at ail times to serve it in a prolonged and uncomfortable fashion, if that should become necessary.† â€Å"My wife must go with me, of course.† â€Å"Do you take me for an idiot? She stays here, of course.† â€Å"As a hostage?† â€Å"If you like the word. I prefer to say that you will be taking yourself into danger and my kind heart wants her to stay here where she will not be in danger. – There is no room for discussion. You are as much under arrest as Trevize is, and I am sure you understand I must act quickly – before the euphoria enveloping Terminus wears off. I fear my star will soon be in the descendant.† Kodell said, â€Å"You were not easy on him, Madam Mayor.† The Mayor said with a sniff, â€Å"Why should I have been? He betrayed a friend.† â€Å"That was useful to us.† â€Å"Yes, as it happened. His next betrayal, however, might not be.† â€Å"Why should there be another?† â€Å"Come, Liono,† said Branno impatiently, â€Å"don't play games with me. Anyone who displays a capacity for double-dealing must forever be suspected of being capable of displaying it again.† â€Å"He may use the capability to combine with Trevize once again. Together, they may†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You don't believe that. With all his folly and naivete, Trevize goes straight for his goal. He does not understand betrayal and he will never, under any circumstances, trust Compor a second time.† Kodell said, â€Å"Pardon me, Mayor, but let me make sure I follow your thinking. How far, then, can you trust Compor? How do you know he will follow Trevize and report honestly? Do you count on his fears for the welfare of his wife as a restraint? His longing to return to her?† â€Å"Both are factors, but I don't entirely rely on that. On Compor's ship there will be a hyper-relay. Trevize would suspect pursuit and would search for one. However Compor – being the pursuer – will, I assume, not suspect pursuit and will not search for one. – Of course, if he does, and if he finds it, then we must depend on the attractions of his wife.† Kodell laughed. â€Å"To think I once had to give you lessons. And the purpose of the pursuit?† â€Å"A double layer of protection. If Trevize is caught, it may be that Compor will carry on and give us the information that Trevize will not be able to.† â€Å"One more question. What if, by some chance, Trevize finds the Second Foundation, and we learn of it through him, or through Compor, or if we gain reason to suspect its existence – despite the deaths of both?† â€Å"I'm hoping the Second Foundation does exist, Liono,† she said. â€Å"In any case, the Seldon Plan is not going to serve us much longer. The great Hari Seldon devised it in the dying days of the Empire, when technological advance had virtually stopped. Seldon was a product of his times, too, and however brilliant this semimythical science of psychohistory must have been, it could not rise out of its roots. It surely would not allow for raid technological advance. The Foundation has been achieving that, especially in this last century. We have mass-detection devices of a kind undreamed of earlier, computers that can respond to thought, and – most of all – mental shielding. The Second Foundation cannot control us for much longer, if they can do so now. I want, in my final years in power, to be the one to start Terminus on a new path.† â€Å"And if there is, in fact, no Second Foundation?† â€Å"Then we start on a new path at once.† The troubled sleep that had finally come to Trevize did not last long. A touch on his shoulder was repeated a second time. Trevize started up, bleary and utterly failing to understand why he should be in a strange bed. â€Å"What – What – ?† Pelorat said to him apologetically, â€Å"I'm sorry, Councilman Trevize. You are my guest and I owe you rest, but the Mayor is here.† He was standing at the side of the bed in flannel pajamas and shivering slightly. Trevize's senses leaped to a weary wakefulness and he remembered. The Mayor was in Pelorat's living room, looking as composed as always. Kodell was with her, rubbing lightly at his white mustache. Trevize adjusted his sash to the proper snugness and wondered how long the two of them – Branno and Kodell – were ever apart. Trevize said mockingly, † Has the Council recovered yet? Are its members concerned over the absence of one of them?† The Mayor said, â€Å"There are signs of life, yes, but not enough to do you any good. There is no question but that I still have the power to force you to leave. You will be taken to Ultimate Spaceport†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not Terminus Spaceport, Madam Mayor? Am I to be deprived of a proper farewell from weeping thousands?† â€Å"I see you have recovered your penchant for teenage silliness, Councilman, and I am pleased. It stills what might otherwise be a certain rising twinge of conscience. At Ultimate Spaceport, you and Professor Pelorat will leave quietly.† â€Å"And never return?† â€Å"And perhaps never return. Of course,† and here she smiled briefly, â€Å"if you discover something of so great an importance and usefulness that even I will be glad to have you back with your information, you will return. You may even be treated with honor.† Trevize nodded casually, â€Å"That may happen.† â€Å"Almost anything may happen. – In any case, you will be comfortable. You are being assigned a recently completed pocket-cruiser, the Far Star, named for Hober Mallow's cruiser. One person can handle it, though it will hold as many as three with reasonable comfort.† Trevize was jolted out of his carefully assumed mood of light irony. â€Å"Fully armed?† â€Å"Unarmed but otherwise fully equipped. Wherever you go, you will be citizens of the Foundation and there will always be a consul to whom you can turn, so you will not require arms. You will be able to draw on funds at need. – Not unlimited funds, I might add.† â€Å"You are generous.† â€Å"I know that, Councilman. But, Councilman, understand me. You are helping Professor Pelorat search for Earth. Whatever you think you are searching for, you are searching for Earth. All whom you meet must understand that. And always remember that the Far Star is not armed.† â€Å"I am searching for Earth;† said Trevize. â€Å"I understand that perfectly.† â€Å"Then you will go now.† â€Å"Pardon me, but surely there is more to all of this than we have discussed. I have piloted ships in my time, but I have had no experience with a late-model pocket-cruiser. What if I cannot pilot it?† â€Å"I am told that the Far Star is thoroughly computerized. – And before you ask, you don't have to know how to handle a late-model ship's computer. It will itself tell you anything you need to know. Is there anything else you need?† Trevize looked down at himself ruefully. â€Å"A change of clothing.† â€Å"You will find them on board ship. Including those girdles you wear, or sashes, whichever they are called. The professor is also supplied with what he needs. Everything reasonable is already aboard, although I hasten to add that this does not include female companions.† â€Å"Too bad,† said Trevize. â€Å"It would be pleasant, but then, I have no likely candidate at the moment, as it happens. Still, I presume the Galaxy is populous and that once away from here I may do as I Please.† â€Å"With regard to companions? Suit yourself.† She rose heavily. â€Å"I will not take you to the spaceport,† she said, â€Å"but there are those who will, and you must make no effort to do anything you are not told to do. I believe they will kill you if you make an effort to escape. The fact that I will not be with them will remove any inhibition.† Trevize said, â€Å"I will make no unauthorized effort, Madam Mayor, but one thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† Trevize searched his mind rapidly and finally said with a smile that he very much hoped looked unforced, â€Å"The time may come, Madam Mayor, when you will ask me for an effort. I will then do as I choose, but I will remember the past two days.† Mayor Branno sighed. â€Å"Spare me the melodrama. If the time comes, it will come, but for now – I am asking for nothing.†