Frostbite Chapter 4

FOUR I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. JANINE Hathaway. My mother. My insanely famous and stunningly absent mother. She was no Arthur Schoenberg, but she did have a pretty stellar reputation in the guardian world. I hadn't seen her in years because she was always off on some insane mission. And yet†¦here she was at the Academy right nowright in front of meand she hadn't even bothered to let me know she was coming. So much for motherly love. What the hell was she doing here anyway? The answer came quickly. All the Moroi who came to campus would have their guardians in tow. My mother protected a noble from the Szelsky clan, and several members of that family had shown up for the holidays. Of course she'd be here with him. I slid into my chair and felt something inside of me shrivel up. I knew she had to have seen me come in, but her attention was focused elsewhere. She had on jeans and a beige T-shirt, covered with what had to be the most boring denim jacket I'd ever seen. At only five feet tall, she was dwarfed by the other guardians, but she had a presence and way of standing that made her seem taller. Our instructor, Stan, introduced the guests and explained that they were going to share real-life experiences with us. He paced the front of the room, bushy eyebrows knitting together as he spoke. â€Å"I know this is unusual,† he explained. â€Å"Visiting guardians usually don't have time to stop by our classes. Our three guests, however, have made time to come talk to you today in light of what's happened recently†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused a moment, and no one needed to tell us what he was referring to. The Badica attack. He cleared his throat and tried again. â€Å"In light of what's happened, we thought it might better prepare you to learn from those currently working in the field.† The class tensed with excitement. Hearing storiesparticularly ones with a lot of blood and actionwas a hell of a lot more interesting than analyzing theory from a textbook. Apparently some of the other campus guardians thought so too. They often stopped by our classes, but they were present today in a larger-than-usual number. Dimitri stood among them in the back. The old guy went first. He launched into his story, and I found myself getting hooked in. It described a time when the youngest son of the family he guarded had wandered off in a public place that Strigoi were lurking in. â€Å"The sun was about to set,† he told us in a gravelly voice. He swept his hands in a downward motion, apparently to demonstrate how a sunset worked. â€Å"There were only two of us, and we had to make a snap decision on how to proceed.† I leaned forward, elbows propped up on my desk. Guardians often worked in pairs. Onethe near guardusually stayed close to those being guarded while the otherthe far guardscouted the area. The far guard still usually stayed within eye contact, so I recognized the dilemma here. Thinking about it, I decided that if I were in that situation, I'd have the near guardian take the rest of the family to a secure location while the other guardian searched for the boy. â€Å"We had the family stay inside a restaurant with my partner while I swept the rest of the area,† continued the old guardian. He spread his hands out in a sweeping motion, and I felt smug over having made the correct call. The story ended happily, with a found boy and no Strigoi encounters. The second guy's anecdote talked about how he'd gotten the drop on a Strigoi stalking some Moroi. â€Å"I wasn't even technically on duty,† he said. He was the really cute one, and a girl sitting near me stared at him with wide, adoring eyes. â€Å"I was visiting a friend and the family he guarded. As I was leaving their apartment, I saw a Strigoi lurking in the shadows. He never expected a guardian to be out there. I circled the block, came up behind him, and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The man made a staking motion, far more dramatic than the old guy's hand gestures had been. The storyteller even went so far as to mimic twisting the stake into the Strigoi's heart. And then it was my mother's turn. A scowl spread over my face before she even said a word, a scowl that grew worse once she actually launched into the story. I swear, if I didn't believe her incapable of having the imagination for itand her bland clothing choices proved she really didn't have an imaginationI would have thought she was lying. It was more than a story. It was an epic tale, the kind of thing that gets made into movies and wins Oscars. She talked about how her charge, Lord Szelsky, and his wife had attended a ball put on by another prominent royal family. Several Strigoi had been lying in wait. My mother discovered one, promptly staked it, and then alerted the other guardians present. With their help, she hunted down the other Strigoi lurking around and performed most of the kills herself. â€Å"It wasn't easy,† she explained. From anyone else that statement would have sounded like bragging. Not her. There was a briskness to the way she spoke, an efficient way of stating facts that left no room for flourishes. She'd been raised in Glasgow and some of her words still had a Scottish lilt. â€Å"There were three others on the premises. At the time, that was considered an unusually large number to be working together. That's not necessarily true now, considering the Badica massacre.† A few people flinched at the casual way she spoke about the attack. Once again, I could see the bodies. â€Å"We had to dispatch the remaining Strigoi as quickly and quietly as possible, so as not to alert the others. Now, if you have the element of surprise, the best way to take Strigoi is to come around from behind, break their necks, and then stake them. Breaking their necks won't kill them, of course, but it stuns them and allows you to do the staking before they can make an y noise. The most difficult part is actually sneaking up on them, because their hearing is so acute. Since I'm smaller and lighter than most guardians, I can move fairly quietly. So I ended up performing two of the three kills myself.† Again, she used that matter-of-fact tone as she described her own stealthy skills. It was annoying, more so than if she'd been openly haughty about how awesome she was. My classmates' faces shone with wonder; they were clearly more interested in the idea of breaking a Strigoi's neck than analyzing my mother's narrative skills. She continued with the story. When she and the other guardians had killed the remaining Strigoi, they'd discovered two Moroi had been taken from the party. Such an act wasn't uncommon for Strigoi. Sometimes they wanted to save Moroi for a later â€Å"snack†; sometimes lower-ranking Strigoi were dispatched by more powerful ones to bring back prey. Regardless, two Moroi were gone from the ball, and their guardian had been injured. â€Å"Naturally, we couldn't leave those Moroi in Strigoi clutches,† she said. â€Å"We tracked the Strigoi to their hideout and found several of them living together. I'm sure you can recognize how rare that is.† It was. The evil and selfish nature of Strigoi made them turn on each other as easily as they did their victims. Organizing for attackswhen they had an immediate and bloody goal in mindwas the best they could do. But living together? No. It was almost impossible to imagine. â€Å"We managed to free the two captive Moroi, only to discover that others were being held prisoner,† my mother said. â€Å"We couldn't send the ones we'd rescued back by themselves, though, so the guardians who were with me escorted them out and left it to me to get the others.† Yes, of course, I thought. My mother bravely went in alone. Along the way, she got captured but managed to escape and rescue the prisoners. In doing so, she performed what had to be the hat trick of the century, killing Strigoi in all three ways: staking, decapitation, and setting them on fire. â€Å"I had just staked a Strigoi when two more attacked,† she explained. â€Å"I didn't have time to pull the stake out when the others jumped me. Fortunately, there was an open fireplace nearby, and I pushed one of the Strigoi into it. The last one chased me outside, into an old shed. There was an axe inside and I used that to cut off her head. I then took a can of gasoline and returned to the house. The one I'd thrown into the fireplace hadn't completely burned, but once I doused him in gasoline, he went up pretty quickly.† The classroom was in awe as she spoke. Mouths dropped. Eyes bugged. Not a sound could be heard. Glancing around, I felt like time had frozen for everyoneexcept me. I appeared to be the only one unimpressed by her harrowing tale, and seeing the awe on everyone's faces enraged me. When she finished, a dozen hands shot up as the class peppered her with questions about her techniques, whether she was scared, etc. After about the tenth question, I couldn't take it anymore. I raised my hand. It took her a while to notice and call on me. She seemed mildly astonished to find me in class. I considered myself lucky that she even recognized me. â€Å"So, Guardian Hathaway,† I began. â€Å"Why didn't you guys just secure the place?† She frowned. I think she'd gone on her guard the moment she called on me. â€Å"What do you mean?† I shrugged and slouched back in my desk, attempting a casual and conversational air. â€Å"I don't know. It seems to me like you guys messed up. Why didn't you scope out the place and make sure it was clear of Strigoi in the first place? Seems like you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.† All eyes in the room turned toward me. My mother was momentarily at a loss for words. â€Å"If we hadn't gone through all that ‘trouble,' there'd be seven more Strigoi walking the world, and those other captured Moroi would be dead or turned by now.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I get how you guys saved the day and all that, but I'm going back to the principles here. I mean, this is a theory class, right?† I glanced over at Stan who was regarding me with a very stormy look. He and I had a long and unpleasant history of classroom conflicts, and I suspected we were on the verge of another. â€Å"So I just want to figure out what went wrong in the beginning.† I'll say this for hermy mother had a hell of a lot more self-control than I did. Had our roles been reversed, I would have walked over and smacked me by now. Her face stayed perfectly calm, however, and a small tightness in the set of her lips was the only sign that I was pissing her off. â€Å"It's not that simple,† she replied. â€Å"The venue had an extremely complex layout. We went through it initially and found nothing. It's believed the Strigoi came in after the festivities had startedor that there might have been passages and hidden rooms we hadn't been aware of.† The class ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the idea of hidden passages, but I wasn't impressed. â€Å"So what you're saying is that you guys either failed to detect them during your first sweep, or they broke through the ‘security' you set up during the party. Seems like someone messed up either way.† The tightness in her lips increased, and her voice grew frosty. â€Å"We did the best we could with an unusual situation. I can see how someone at your level might not be able to grasp the intricacies of what I'm describing, but once you've actually learned enough to go beyond theory, you'll see how different it is when you're actually out there and lives are in your hands.† â€Å"No doubt,† I agreed. â€Å"Who am I to question your methods? I mean, whatever gets you the molnija marks, right?† â€Å"Miss Hathaway.† Stan's deep voice rumbled through the room. â€Å"Please take your things and go wait outside for the remainder of class.† I stared at him in bewilderment. â€Å"Are you serious? Since when is there anything wrong with asking questions?† â€Å"Your attitude is what's wrong.† He pointed at the door. â€Å"Go.† A silence heavier and deeper than when my mother had told her story descended over everyone. I did my best not to cower under the stares of guardians and novices alike. This wasn't the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class. It wasn't even the first time I'd been kicked out of Stan's class while Dimitri was watching. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I crossed the short distance to the doora distance that felt like milesand refused to make eye contact with my mother as I passed. About five minutes before the class let out, she slipped out of the room and walked over to where I sat in the hallway. Looking down on me, she put her hands on her hips in that annoying way that made her seem taller than she was. It wasn't fair that someone over half a foot shorter than me could make me feel so small. â€Å"Well. I see your manners haven't improved over the years.† I stood up and felt a glare snap into place. â€Å"Nice to see you too. I'm surprised you even recognized me. In fact, I didn't even think you remembered me, seeing as how you never bothered to let me know you were on campus.† She shifted her hands from her hips and crossed her arms across her chest, becomingif possibleeven more impassive. â€Å"I couldn't neglect my duty to come coddle you.† â€Å"Coddle?† I asked. This woman had never coddled me in her life. I couldn't believe she even knew the word. â€Å"I wouldn't expect you to understand. From what I hear, you don't really know what ‘duty' is.† â€Å"I know exactly what it is,† I retorted. My voice was intentionally haughty. â€Å"Better than most people.† Her eyes widened in a sort of mock surprise. I used that sarcastic look on a lot of people and didn't appreciate having it directed toward me. â€Å"Oh really? Where were you for the last two years?† â€Å"Where were you for the last five?† I demanded. â€Å"Would you have known I was gone if someone hadn't told you?† â€Å"Don't turn this back on me. I was away because I had to be. You were away so you could go shopping and stay up late.† My hurt and embarrassment morphed into pure fury. Apparently, I was never going to live down the consequences of running away with Lissa. â€Å"You have no idea why I left,† I said, my voice's volume rising. â€Å"And you have no right to make assumptions about my life when you don't know anything about it.† â€Å"I've read reports about what happened. You had reason for concern, but you acted incorrectly.† Her words were formal and crisp. She could have been teaching one of my classes. â€Å"You should have gone to others for help.† â€Å"There was no one I could go tonot when I didn't have hard proof. Besides, we've been learning that we're supposed to think independently.† â€Å"Yes,† she replied. â€Å"Emphasis on learning. Something you missed out on for two years. You're hardly in a position to lecture me about guardian protocol.† I wound up in arguments all the time; something in my nature made that inevitable. So I was used to defending myself and having insults slammed at me. I had a tough skin. But somehow, around herin the brief times I had been around herI always felt like I was three years old. Her attitude humiliated me, and touching on my missed training already a prickly subjectonly made me feel worse. I crossed my arms in a fair imitation of her own stance and managed a smug look. â€Å"Yeah? Well, that's not what my teachers think. Even after missing all that time, I've still caught up with everyone else in my class.† She didn't answer right away. Finally, in a flat voice, she said, â€Å"If you hadn't left, you would have surpassed them.† Turning military-style, she walked off down the hall. A minute later, the bell rang, and the rest of Stan's class spilled into the hall. Even Mason couldn't cheer me up after that. I spent the rest of the day angry and annoyed, sure that everyone was whispering about my mother and me. I skipped lunch and went to the library to read a book about physiology and anatomy. When it was time for my after-school training with Dimitri, I practically ran up to the practice dummy. With a curled fist, I slapped its chest, very slightly to the left but mostly in the center. â€Å"There,† I told him. â€Å"The heart is there, and the sternum and ribs are in the way. Can I have the stake now?† Crossing my arms, I glanced up at him triumphantly, waiting for him to shower me with praise for my new cunning. Instead, he simply nodded in acknowledgment, like I should already have known that. And yeah, I should have. â€Å"And how do you get through the sternum and the ribs?† he asked. I sighed. I'd figured out the answer to one question, only to be given another. Typical. We spent a large part of the practice going over that, and he demonstrated several techniques that would yield the quickest kill. Every movement he made was both graceful and deadly. He made it look effortless, but I knew better. When he suddenly extended his hand and offered the stake to me, I didn't understand at first. â€Å"You're giving it to me?† His eyes sparkled. â€Å"I can't believe you're holding back. I figured you'd have taken it and run by now.† â€Å"Aren't you always teaching me to hold back?† I asked. â€Å"Not on everything.† â€Å"But on some things.† I heard the double meaning in my voice and wondered where it had come from. I'd accepted a while ago that there were too many reasons for me to even think about him romantically anymore. Every once in a while, I slipped a little and kind of wished he would too. It'd have been nice to know that he still wanted me, that I still drove him crazy. Studying him now, I realized he might not ever slip because I didn't drive him crazy anymore. It was a depressing thought. â€Å"Of course,† he said, showing no indication we'd discussed anything other than class matters. â€Å"It's like everything else. Balance. Know which things to run forward withand know which to leave alone.† He placed a heavy emphasis on that last statement. Our eyes met briefly, and I felt electricity race through me. He did know what I was talking about. And like always, he was ignoring it and being my teacherwhich is exactly what he should have been doing. With a sigh, I pushed my feelings for him out of my head and tried to remember that I was about to touch the weapon I'd been longing for since childhood. The memory of the Badica house came back to me yet again. The Strigoi were out there. I needed to focus. Hesitantly, almost reverentially, I reached out and curled my fingers around the hilt. The metal was cool and tingled against my skin. It was etched along the hilt for better grip, but in trailing my fingers over the rest of it, I found the surface to be as smooth as glass. I lifted it from his hand and brought it to me, taking a long time to study it and get used to its weight. An anxious part of me wanted to turn around and impale all of the dummies, but instead I looked up at Dimitri and asked, â€Å"What should I do first?† In his typical way, he covered basics first, honing the way I held and moved with the stake. Later on, he finally let me attack one of the dummies, at which point I did indeed discover it was not effortless. Evolution had done a smart thing in protecting the heart with the sternum and ribs. Yet through it all, Dimitri never faltered in diligence and patience, guiding me through every step and correcting the finest details. â€Å"Slide up through the ribs,† he explained, watching me try to fit the stake's point through a gap in the bones. â€Å"It'll be easier since you're shorter than most of your attackers. Plus, you can slide along the lower rib's edge.† When practice ended, he took the stake back and nodded his approval. â€Å"Good. Very good.† I glanced at him in surprise. He didn't usually hand out a lot of praise. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"You do it like you've been doing it for years.† I felt a delighted grin creep over my face as we started leaving the practice room. When we neared the door, I noticed a dummy with curly red hair. Suddenly, all the events from Stan's class came tumbling back into my head. I scowled. â€Å"Can I stake that one next time?† He picked up his coat and put it on. It was long and brown, made of distressed leather. It looked very much like a cowboy duster, though he'd never admit to it. He had a secret fascination with the Old West. I didn't really understand it, but then, I didn't get his weird musical preferences either. â€Å"I don't think that'd be healthy,† he said. â€Å"It'd be better than me actually doing it to her,† I grumbled, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. We headed out to the gym. â€Å"Violence isn't the answer to your problems,† he said sagely. â€Å"She's the one with the problem. And I thought the whole point of my education was that violence is the answer.† â€Å"Only to those who bring it to you first. Your mother isn't assaulting you. You two are just too much alike, that's all.† I stopped walking. â€Å"I'm not anything like her! I mean†¦we kind of have the same eyes. But I'm a lot taller. And my hair's completely different.† I pointed to my pony tail, just in case he wasn't aware that my thick brown-black hair didn't look like my mother's auburn curls. He still had kind of an amused expression, but there was something hard in his eyes too. â€Å"I'm not talking about your appearances, and you know it.† I looked away from that knowing gaze. My attraction to Dimitri had started almost as soon as we'd metand it wasn't just because he was so hot, either. I felt like he understood part of me that I didn't understand myself, and sometimes I was pretty sure I understood parts of him that he didn't understand either. The only problem was that he had the annoying tendency to point out things about myself I didn't want to understand. â€Å"You think I'm jealous?† â€Å"Are you?† he asked. I hated it when he answered my questions with questions. â€Å"If so, what are you jealous of exactly?† I glanced back at Dimitri. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe I'm jealous of her reputation. Maybe I'm jealous because she's put more time into her reputation than into me. I don't know.† â€Å"You don't think what she did was great?† â€Å"Yes. No. I don't know. It just sounded like such a †¦ I don't know†¦like she was bragging. Like she did it for the glory.† I grimaced. â€Å"For the marks.† Molnija marks were tattoos awarded to guardians when they killed Strigoi. Each one looked like a tiny x made of lightning bolts. They went on the backs of our necks and showed how experienced a guardian was. â€Å"You think facing down Strigoi is worth a few marks? I thought you'd learned something from the Badica house.† I felt stupid. â€Å"That's not what I† â€Å"Come on.† I stopped walking. â€Å"What?† We'd been heading toward my dorm, but now he nodded his head toward the opposite side of campus. â€Å"I want to show you something.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"That not all marks are badges of honor.†

Racial Identity Development Essay

I am an Asian and I am from a prominent region of the continent—Hong Kong. When I am abroad, I become a lesser equal of other people especially the citizens of the country where I am visiting. I become deprived of several powers and privileges for a variety of reasons. For the most part, racial differences take a big role in stripping non-citizens of any country of a number of powers and privileges. Others see my race as inferior to their own race which, in effect, puts me in a lower social position. Gender and ethnicity are two other factors which contribute to the inequalities mentioned. I am a male and I personally do not believe in gods. Because of those traits, it is personally difficult on my part to be involved in social groups and enjoy certain privileges that people with strong religious affiliations can enjoy. However, I have observed that there are still influences of male dominance. Since I am a male, I am still able to have an advantage over females in many ways, from physical endurance to the capacity to perform physical work over a longer duration. I think I am in the stage of â€Å"pseudo-independence† because I have experienced racial oppression in many ways, from simple to complex ones. I am still trying to understand the differences that people have, including race, gender and ethnicity. I believe I have been able to progress from the stage of â€Å"reintegration† because I have gone past acknowledging the supremacy of the White race. In the past, I have been slightly intolerant towards people who belong to other races. I viewed my Asian heritage as far more superior than the rest during those days. However, I have come to know that there are generally perceived privileges given to the Euro-American race. I believe that, as of now, I only have the conceptual knowledge about the sociopolitical aspects of different races. In the coming days, I am looking forward to actually experiencing these things and encounter how it feels like to actually fight racial bias, prejudice and discrimination even in my own little ways. The impact of the generally accepted perception of White supremacy and the inferiority of other races on my self is that I am unable to fully become an autonomous individual. Everywhere I go, I am confined to how the White race has perpetuated the idea that to be White is to have better access to various social services and privileges. Whenever I hear the news about Asians being heavily scrutinized in airports out of suspicion of being a terrorist, I cannot help but think about how White people are exempted from that security routine in many places. The status quo where the White race is perceived as the better race indeed have far reaching consequences to myself and to others. Sometimes, I even wish that I belonged to the White race so that I can get rid of the racial prejudices and biases. My current perception towards â€Å"the other† or those people who are not Asians is that they are partly intolerant of my own race. Although not all people profess and practice racial intolerance, I think there are individuals living in the world who either fear or disgust my race. The society has constructed the very idea of White supremacy and, as a result, other races like the Asian race had to endure living in a world where they are the â€Å"lesser† equal. In Hong Kong, there is still that construed image Westerners as people who frequently travel to far places such as ours and spend their resources just to enjoy some of life’s finest luxuries. They see White people as wealthy and, therefore, as individuals who have the power and privilege to relax and indulge in what Hong Kong can offer. Johnson’s concept of stubborn ounces reminds us that we should not take for granted the little efforts that we do (Johnson). No matter how small my efforts can be to push back the causes and effects of racial bias, prejudice and discrimination, they still serve their own little purposes. I think that my goal of at least being free from all thoughts of racial intolerance can be fulfilled with the help of what other people may see as â€Å"stubborn ounces†. I can try every day to get closer to people who are of a different race such as Latin Americans and even Europeans. I can smile at them whenever I walk in front of them or wave a hand at them as simple gesture of kindness. These â€Å"ounces†, when put together, can turn into a huge chunk of effort in giving my own share towards a world free from racial intolerance. Like the monopoly game, our society sometimes rewards those who have the greed for wealth and power. However, the game also contains what Johnson considers as â€Å"paths of least resistance†; these â€Å"paths† are acceptable ways of behaving in the society. Since entering college, I have learned that we should try to reach out to other people who may or may not be of the same race as ours. Instead of avoiding or hating one another, we should strive to respect each other and tolerate our differences as if there were none at all. Because society sometimes rewards the greedy, we should strive to change that social system and replace it with a better one. However, it does not mean that we should take actions that stray away from the rules. Rather, we should take the paths of least resistance and consider every ounce of effort as part of the larger picture. Indeed, it is entirely better if part of the collective ideological pursuit of removing racial intolerance comes from those who are perceived to be perpetuating it such as Whites and Europeans. Since entering college, my understanding of the broad concept of race has widened. Yet I know that it does not end there because the greater challenge lies in real life situations.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Case Study Example After the first week of her admission in school, the teacher realized that she had socially clumsy and always offensive to most of teachers or other student’s comments. The client seemed not interested in making friendship with other kids and even learning was difficult. Parents and relatives also experienced difficulties in trying to cope up with the client; thus some of them became stressed up with the situation of the client. However, while in school, the teacher decided to implement an individualized education program for the client in order to help her reduce learning difficulties and also enable the client to cope up in the learning environment; thus helping the child to achieve future goals effectively. Strategies for Medication Adherence The client has received proper medication attention that has enabled her to improve the repetitive behaviors. The significant aspects of health care provided especially the methods of interventions that can be employed to improve medic ation adherence have been of great significant to the client. One of the significant intervention measures is the educational interventions and this may involve educating the client or family members or both as this can help in improving medication adherence. ... Patients who miss appointments are often those who need the most significant help to improve their ability to adhere to medication routine; thus improving communication will improve their ability to adhere to medication procedure. Researchers have attempted to focus on strategies for improving medication adherence and this is through employing effective techniques vital for helping patients with autism problems. One of the effective strategies is patient interview technique and this includes offering basic nursing education and increasing patient communication. Listening and employing open ended questions, as well as, discussions about sensitive topics is vital. The attitude of physicians towards patient can impact patient communication because many of them will not be open to discuss sensitive matters concerning their health. Although patients cannot answer open questions, inviting them to share their stories is vital. Secondly, employing motivational interviewing strategy and this strategy takes into considerations the perception of the problems affecting patients; thus encouraging the patient to find the solution. Motivational interviewing is a strategy or technique, which involves counseling the patient of family of patient and this method, is vital because it is client-centered. The most widespread healthcare intervention technique is the prescription of medicine but medication adherence is a multifaceted and fascinating behavioral issue. Health attitudes are perceived to be a helpful and significant indicator of medication adherence and a great predictor of medication adherence. The research study conducted about patient behavioral approaches has been employed to

Kunsthaus Bregenz - Peter Zumthor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Kunsthaus Bregenz - Peter Zumthor - Essay Example Kunsthaus sits near the east end of the Lake Constance, after finally being erected in 1991. The construction was in accordance with the order placed by Land Vorarlberg authorities. It was to play a role of major tourist attraction in this well-visited part of northern Austria. Thus the layout and architectural organization in general conform well to the function of a public site that is to play an educational and partly recreational role in the area. The significance of Kunsthaus lies mainly in the superb technical skill with which Zumthor constructed this major oeuvre of today's glassworks architecture. The organizational and designing solutions found in Kunsthaus are therefore of a major interest to those architects that begin their career in this sub-field. Moreover, Kunsthaus may tell us what principles lay in the foundations of the post-modern glassworks architecture as a whole. An emphasis on the construction of the public space and public perception modes make this building a n excellent example of the glassworks. The scope of this study will outline the main architectural innovations that the glassworks architecture experienced in the 1980s to 1990s along with the context of a change in public perception of architecture in general. Such issues as the use of proper construction materials, the tuning of a building’s organization strategy to the need of producing specific visual effects, and so forth are thus to be frequently touched upon in the present study. Yet, at the same time, the problem of architecture as a social field, as an expression, and the form of influence upon the public perception of space and time, is the main point of the concept. This focus will not be overlooked in fulfilling the study’s purposes. It is necessary to turn toward an intellectual and social contextual view of Kunsthaus along with Zumthor's other projects. Inevitably, the concept of a minimal architecture would arise here. As Hartmut Obendorf has mentioned i n this regard, the rise of a minimalism is inexorably connected with the reaction against the aesthetic banality and â€Å"visual excess† that he found typical for the post-modern â€Å"supermarket culture†.1 In this way, a minimalist architecture may be contrasted with the lavish architectural styles that reigned supreme as late as the 1970s.2 At the same time, the very concept of ‘minimalism’ may be found questionable, as the works that are usually referred to as ‘minimalist’ generally differ among themselves in some important architectural and conceptual qualities. For instance, Tony Fretton, one of the architects widely associated with the concept of ‘minimal architecture’ finds the very definition ‘not very useful’.3 This aspect should likewise be touched upon in the context of the present study. The minimalist element as related to the Kunsthaus will be fully explained. Finally, the issue of methodology should b e addressed. For the purposes of the present study the use of case studies will be used extensively, since the subject of the thesis concerns itself with a specific building situated within specific cultural, geographical, and socio-historical context. The research design of the study in general may be characterized as a qualitative one, as the quantitative elements of analysis (e.g. the exploration of spatial and geometrical organization of a building) are treated for purpose of establishing

You choose a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

You choose a topic - Essay Example But studies in the recent few years have associated the mobile phone with undesirable behavior especially among the youth and college students who are found to be on their phones for at least nine hours in a single day. This raises the question especially among behavioral scientists of whether mobile phone usage can become addictive. Even with the numerous advantages, mobile phone usage increasingly being associated with behaviors which are harmful to health and with the potential of being disturbing. Research for instance has associated the use of cell phones while driving with accidents. A wide of body of information is available to suggest the use of cell phones while on the wheel reduces ones capacity to be attentive even in cases there are hands-free devices. Many countries have even gone ahead to ban the use of phones while driving but many people still continue with the habit. In an ironic turn there is evidence of phones turning from their important role of supporting social exchanges to an object obstructing the same. Just many people have found themselves in instances where their mobile phone usage has disturbed their good social exchange. As such, just like smoking the use of mobile phones is increasingly receiving bans in public places e.g. in libraries. On the overall cell phone usage is increasingly becoming associated with antisocial and potentially dangerous behaviors as well as the uncontrollable usage and signs of dependence. it is for these reasons that researchers and clinical practitioners must be aware of the availability of instruments to measure problematic use, socio-demographic and psychological factors thought to play a significant role in mobile phone addiction. Phones were initially solely for communities purposes in terms of calls but the emergence of smart phones allows wider usage of the gadgets. People can now access the internet

Native Americans culture vs. Latin Americans culture Essay

Native Americans culture vs. Latin Americans culture - Essay Example It is natural that the representatives of one ethnical groups can have different types of character. Usually the peculiarities of ethnical groups are based on religious views. Though many forms of behavior have the cultural roots. The terms mainstream and ethnic minority point out and reinforce division in society, whereas the phrase multicultural society suggests that the different groups are a part of a whole. In every country society is still divided, with some groups receiving better treatment or having more opportunities than others, but many attempts have been made to reduce discrimination and increase harmony and understanding between people from all cultural backgrounds. According to Oxford Guide to British and American Culture (p123) it is an important empiric fact for racial-ethnical relationship in America (and all over the world): under the impact of immigration from different countries the variety of ethnical groups is increasing. We should not forget that the very racial-ethnical factor had given a special shade civilization to America. It is not surprising that now the problem of assimilation of many ethnical groups is current of importance. It is worth mentioning that a lot of problems for ethnical groups appear in the sphere of education. For example Latin Americans have great difficulties in schools because of weak knowledge in language and culture of Native American population. Immigrants from Latin America are the biggest and rapidly increasing part of ethnical minorities in US population. Usually they occupy rural territories. There is a remarkable peculiarity of Latin American’s culture: they actively resist assimilation with Native Americans. They try to preserve their national identity, mostly they speak Spanish and as a rule they live in their limited communities. L.S. Luedtke (1987, P.64) outlines that â€Å"the life of Native Americans was very difficult

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

Hun - Essay Example God cursed Cain and Cain was the first human born and the first to commit murder while Abel became the first man to die. From the story, the immediate motivation for Cain to kill his brother was jealousy and anger. The jealousy resulted from God accepting Abel’s offering rather than Cain’s offering. Although no reason is given for God’s accepting Abel’s sacrifice and rejecting Cain’s, Cain took the rejection personally and thought that God rejected him and accepted Abel. This made Cain angry and he killed his brother. The story of Cain and Abel also contains other elements which are not as obvious as anger and jealousy. Cain was a farmer while Abel was a shepherd. While these two professions are complimentary in that farming provides grain based foods and herding provides meat, both professions require land as a resource and there is conflict between farmers and shepherds over land. Shepherds are generally highly regarded in the bible with most people such as Moses, Jacob and David having been shepherds. The New Testament asserts that Jesus is the good shepherd. Therefore, Abel had the right profession. Cain was punished to become a wanderer. Crop farmers typically settle in one place while shepherds move wander around. Therefore, the punishment essentially made Cain a shepherd since he could not wander around and farm crops. The story of Cain and Abel is the first of conflicts among brothers. This is a recurrent theme in the bible with the story of Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, David and his brothers and between Moses and Aaron. This story can be related to conflicts between brothers wh ich are common in the contemporary society. The story of Cain and Abel has various lessons that can be applied to the contemporary society. This is despite the contemporary society being largely industrialized and service oriented rather than small scale

Case Study Analysis- Planet Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study Analysis- Planet Starbucks - Essay Example Starbucks was initially formed with the motto of selling good coffee with a unique flavor that a regular coffee brand wouldn’t offer. After the company was listed in the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (NASDAQ), the growth of the company accelerated and it opened 16,680 stores across the globe. High priced brews, Moccachinos, Cappuccinos, Lattes and frappes have awakened the senses of 50 million customers approximately worldwide. Starbucks was formed initially in the year 1971 in Seattle (Burks 2009, 1). In the year 2013, the sales of global Starbucks stores grew by 8 percent and the expansion of the stores grew by 12 percent with revenue of $2.78 billion (Fontevecchia 2013). The company generated huge revenue from China and Asia Pacific region and earned a major part of the share in the coffee industry. Starbucks is one of the most coveted brands in the coffee industry and has a highly developed copyright, logo, brand and trademarks. In the year 2010, the company’s profit margin had hit hard during recession but the company immediately regained profits by 12.7 percent in the year 2012. Brand Power: In Australia, the brand is strongly associated with customer loyalty and innovative capabilities. The Company has maintained strong revenues, earnings per share, operating income and comparable store sales. Brand promise is crucial for Starbucks and the company has been using high quality beans. It has been observed that the customers prefer having Arabica over Robusta beans and accounts for 75 percent of the worldwide production (Burks 2009, 07). Starbucks uses high quality Arabica beans for serving the customers for their satisfaction purposes. European Coffee Houses: The Australian customers prefer cafà © chain similar to European coffee houses. The European Coffee houses were traditional and had an old charm to it and a warm atmosphere. Starbuck

Globalization and Its Effects on Mexico Essay Example for Free

Globalization and Its Effects on Mexico Essay Mexico has the size and assets which could contribute to wealth and prosperity within their borders. The nation has the second longest border with the United States, significant oil resources, and the 11th largest population in the world. Mexico underwent all the necessary free market changes to help support globalization despite initial resistance, but they are yet to complete the interior microeconomic makeover they drastically need. Mexico has many things working for them but continue to underperform when it comes to global power and economy, China out performs Mexico for low-cost manufactured goods and India is often the target for outsourcing jobs and services over Mexico (Biggs, Shiess). After sustained pressure from the United States and the International Monetary Fund, Mexico decided to change their global economic stance to one that supports the free market. They changed their economy to one based upon exports, they eliminated most tariffs while lowering others, attracted foreign direct investment and private state assets, and finally reduced government spending. These steps were taken at an effort for Mexico to join in on the economic benefits of globalization, but Mexico only finished half of the necessary adjustments necessary for economic prosperity. (Biggs, Shiess) Many residents of Mexico may blame their problems on issues such as the drug cartels, the lack of quality jobs, or lack of foreign investment. Although these ideas may contribute to the problems that control Mexico, they are not the true reason. After Mexico completed their globalization efforts by using the ideas of macroeconomics, they had only completed half the necessary adjustments to truly co mpete as an economic superpower in the world today.(BBC News) Mexico has failed in great part due to their stubbornness and interior corruption to evolve their nation from that of an above average Latin American Economic power, to that of one on par with most European nations, China, India, and the United States. The second half of the puzzle that Mexico is missing relies heavily on the ideas of microeconomics. Mexico never created the level playing field for companies within their country and is greatly powered by monopolies which ruins an economy due to lack of competition and innovation. For Mexico to begin to succeed in the free market needs to put resources into banks, education(specifically on technology), mechanisms which will support collaboration between competing companies, and most importantly new laws to disallow the monopolies which control Mexico’s economy. (Biggs, Shiess) Until these steps are taken Mexico remains a country which can be overwhelmingly difficult to do business in, which turns away the majority of investors, and people looking to expand companies into different countries. It is not a good sign when according to the International Finance Corporation Mexico ranks 75 out of 183 countries in the world for â€Å"ease of starting a business†. (IFC) Around the year 2000 when the globalization movement was fully set in motion, Mexico was going through an extreme change in their political stance as well. This was a major problem for Mexico, even though the economic changes which were drastically needed were happening outside Mexico’s borders it is a very difficult task of changing their political institutions at the same time of changing economic institutions. Mexico continues to stand where they are rather than take a step back to allow for future gains, for example Mexico continues to rely on their state owned oil giant Pemex instead of bringing in new companies and investors for an attempt at innovation and competition in their oil industry. (Biggs, Shiess) Until Mexico decides to take a small hit and clean house in regards to their current internal economic stance companies will continue to avoid Mexico at all costs. Startup companies need stability in a political and economic system, and until Mexico is willing to offe r that and put in place fair trade laws, better tax laws, and economic regulations they will continue down the same road. Mexico is greatly reliant on their petroleum exports; this has been called the Resource Curse by many experts. The problem lies in that when they started to nationalize their oil resources, they needed foreign investment to refine petroleum into oil as they lacked the local funds to do so themselves. This results in some economic benefits due to other countries purchasing crude oil for themselves, but the process remains to be quite draining on what could be the road to economic prosperity. Mexico needs to mine the crude oil, export it to outside nations where they can refine it and then re-import it as gasoline. (Biggs, Shiess) The biggest problem that their fossil fuel dependence will bring upon Mexico is that the country is relying on the industry, and because demand and prices are high Mexico has no reason to start new industries. Oil is a fossil fuel and resources are diminishing, and when they are gone Mexico will not be in even rougher shape than they are currently. Mexico is at the crossroads when it comes to their economy and what direction those in power want to take the country in. As of right now the globalization efforts have helped the Mexican economy but due to lack of funds and a change in political scenery at the same time Mexico was unable to fully capitalize on the free market. They may have helped their trading relationships with outside countries, but not enough was done within their own borders to disallow corruption and monopolies. Mexico is stuck in place until they take the necessary short term economic downfall to get the full rewards from globalization. With the constant changing of political motives, problems with drug cartels, and corruption the chances of new businesses starting up is slim. Without new businesses to inspire competition the economy will continue to rely upon oil to sustain the country’s economy, but eventually the oil resources they have will run out and lead to ultimate turmoil within Mexico. Works Cited Biggs, Cate, Ami Shiess, Kelly Korenak, Linda Chang, and Laura Neumeister. World Savvy Monitor. World Savvy Monitor. Ed. Anita Trachte. The World Savvy Board, Aug. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . Mexico Country Profile. BBC News. BBC, 09 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . Doing Business in Mexico World Bank Group. Doing Business in Mexico World Bank Group. International Finance Corporation, 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. .

Tony Robbins Use Of Teams Essay Example for Free

Tony Robbins Use Of Teams Essay Tony Robbins use of teams is novel and seeks to enhance leadership potential by a process of self empowerment and team learning. Thus the high potential of individuals is used to empower teams as a whole which in turn improves leadership potential of individuals. Thus a virtuous cycle of team based learning is achieved. This is done by enhancing potential of team members through intense coaching before exposure to the team, rigorous strategy sessions are held with each of them, to increase the faith of members within a team which in turn contributes to team efforts. This technique is most effectively used by Tony Robbins in his program, Date with Destiny to improve leadership. (www.tonyrobbins.com). Date of Destiny is a two stage training program which uses teams for building leadership potential. In the first stage empowerment is achieved by coaching individuals using expert trainers. In the second stage these empowered individuals are formed into teams which through a process of learning from each other further hone up their skills, thereby achieving their true potential. It is seen that team members overwhelmed by the contribution that they make selflessly to the each other partake of the joy of team participation. These experiences are said to be life changing for those striving to be leaders. On the other hand by interaction and leading a team, even those who are good leaders in their own right are particularly benefited by the program, Date with Destiny as they get to learn from leading new teams and are exposed to different experiences in interacting with people in a structured team environment. This is a novel and powerful concept of self learning used by Tony Robbins. References http://www.tonyrobbins.com/solutions/EventsDetail.aspx?ProductID=640

The Problems Of Human Population Levels Environmental Sciences Essay

The Problems Of Human Population Levels Environmental Sciences Essay Suppose the world population stopped growing today (whew!) What environmental problems would that solve? Which ones would remain? What remaining problems would get worse? The biggest problem facing our environment today is the population of our planet. If the population of the world stopped today it would help improve living standards and perhaps facilitate more time to improve technology plus help balance the natural resources we have available. Taking steps to preserve or stop the abuse of our environment will largely depend on stabilizing the population. Serious concerns remain if we do not adopt some method of slowing the population. Birth control is one step in slowing down the worlds population. Education in developing countries is paramount. Many of these countries continue to have large families to ensure a sort of social security. However, the health of these families does not insure the longevity of the individuals. Many children die early as the result of poor nutrition and the lack of public health programs. However, even if we were able to contain the population from growing exponentially our environment still needs improvement in almost every sector. No one knows for sure just how many individuals mother earth can support. What we do know is that major problems such as public health, food supply, fresh water and the continued degrading and destruction of our woodlands and rain forests will remain. Plant biodiversity and climate control are also major issues that need our attention. Finally we need to look at what major problems would still remain after a cap in population came into effect. According to the article How Global Population Growth is Creating Serious Problems by Larry West posted at www.environmentabout.com the largest fear is that in coming decades the population of the planet will be faced with serious water-stress or water-scarce situations. These conditions will continue to intensify in meeting the needs of all individuals. The most serious of these overpopulation problems include starvation, pandemic diseases or warfare to secure a means of survival. Describe a way in which you use the scientific process in your life? The scientific process involves the following: identify a problem you would like to solve, formulate a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, collect and analyze the data, make conclusions. Three years ago we purchased an above ground swimming pool. My husband and I have owned two other such swimming pools. Although far from being experts we are both well versed in the care and cleaning of a swimming pool. We were talked into purchasing a paper cartridge type of filter. We had always used a sand filter and they had always performed well. Thinking that this new technology was better than sand we purchased the new filter. What should have been a fun project turned into a real nightmare. The problem was we could not keep the water clear. Although we knew what the problem was, the hypothesis was determining what was causing the water to go from clear to white. We tested the water; we had other people test the water. No one could come up with a reason why this was happening. Finally after using numerous chemicals and gallons and gallons of chlorine we stumbled upon a pool company near us. They also tested the water and low and behold we had phosphates or the common term, white algae. I had always thought that algae were green or black. However, as we learned there is also a variety known as white algae. The material was coming from our well water as well as in the air from farmers in the area spraying fertilizer. Our wonderful new filter that we had purchased could not handle the problem. Last year we finally gave the original filter the heave-ho and purchased the reliable sand filter and the results have been no more problems! A problem that I would like to solve is that of a cat spraying. It has to be the most disgusting thing I have ever encountered. One would have to wonder why cats do this. According to an article at www.iams.com Is your Cat Potty Naughty this is a rather common problem especially for certain cats. After observing cats in general, there are actually several reasons why this happens. First and foremost they do it to mark their territory. This is why it is important to spay or neuter animals especially males. The other issues concern the health of the animal or perhaps a behavioral issue. We have a cat that had both a health issue and a behavioral issue. We got the health issue taken care of with the help of our veterinarian. The behavioral issue was something that was going to take some time. At the suggestion of the veterinarian we secluded this animal in a cage by himself. In addition we tried all kind of cleaning chemicals to get rid of any remaining odor. Thank goodness none of it was on any of the carpeting! What we found however was certain cleaning solutions made the naught potty problem only worse. Any p roduct with ammonia only attracted the animal right back to the spot. So after trial and error we finally found that only cat cleaners that our vet recommended worked. 3. Describe two specific ways that microbes are important environmentally speaking, outside of the areas of health and food. Describe one way that microbes are beneficial in health. Just what is a microbe? Microbes play a very important role in our environment. According to www.library.thinkquest.org microbes are very small organisms belonging to various groups; Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa and viruses. According to this article they play a significant role in our life on this planet. Without them there would be no earth as we know it. Phytoplankton is one microbe which resides in the ocean. Its role is to provide oxygen and help slow global warming by removing some of the carbon dioxide produced when we burn fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or gasoline. In addition microbes provide a natural repellent to control pests on food crops and other vegetation. Perhaps if we relied more on this natural pest control we could reduce the use of harmful chemicals that end up on our food. Microbes are also present in our bodies. The friendly bacteria present in our bodies help to break down the food we eat and also prevent us from succumbing to serious illness by preventing harmful bacteria from entering our bodies. 4. Explain what could happen to the ecosystem where American Alligators live if the alligators went extinct. Name a plant species and animal species that would be seriously affected and describe how each might respond to these changes in their environment. The American Alligator is known as a Keystone Species. One might wonder just what a Keystone Species is. These species are those that play a critical role in the maintaining of the ecosystem where those species reside. Keystone Species such as the American Alligator have a very particular niche in the area where they reside. According to an article at www.atlss.org/gator the American Alligators role is one that has a major effect on the plant communities and associated aquatic animals. The alligators have survived where others have been come extinct. At www.exploringnature.org it was cited that alligators were put on the endangered species list back in 1967 and protected from hunting. After the alligator has hatched its young, the alligators nesting mounds provide a nesting area for other species such as herons, egrets and red-bellied turtles. In addition alligators keep in check the population of certain predatory fish such as the Gar. Perhaps the most important role they play is by keeping the wetlands open thereby sustaining the area by providing a home to many other plants and animals. It important to realize certain species even though thought of as annoying pests are quite important to our whole ecosystem. Take the same approach that you used in Question #4 and research and discuss the arrival of the Asian Carp into Lake Michigan. What are Asian Carp and where did these fish come from? According to an article at www.time.com these fish are related to what are commonly called bighead and silver carp. The Asian Carp are native to China and parts of Southeast Asia. These fish were originally used by American catfish farmers to eat the algae in their ponds. The Asian Carp have slowly found ways to make it into the Mississippi River and are now threatening Lake Michigan. According to the article these fish even though they are not particularly dangerous to people, grow quickly and adapt very well to their new environment. What makes them dangerous is that they feed on plankton which removes the bottom layers of the food chain of native fish species. Their potential presence is a very serious problem that has multiple effects. Their entry into Lake Michigan has the potential to ruin the fishing and tourism industries of Lake Michigan and the surrounding states. After all what fisherman would like to be smacked by on e of these huge fish that seem to love to go airborne when disrupted! From another ecological perspective, the Great Lakes are a key mid-continent migration rest stop for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl according to an article at www.ducks.org. Because these fish have such a huge appetite they can eat their weight in vegetation daily leaving the wetlands degraded and destroyed for these migrating waterfowl. This problem demonstrates what can happen when an invasive species find its way into a new area, allowed to reproduce and destroys the original ecosystem. Identify a major local, national or global environmental problem and research and describe the role of population growth on this problem. Lake Manitou is a 735 acre manmade lake located in Rochester, Indiana. This lake is home to many residents of Fulton County, Indiana and also a hot spot in the summer to many individuals living outside the Fulton County area. In 2006 it was discovered that Lake Manitou was being threatened by an invasive fast-growing aquatic plant. The name of this pant is Hydrilla verticillata. Hydrilla is a noxious plant according to www.plants.usda.gov. In addition, according to an article found at www.rochsent.com Hydrilla invades lake this plant is commonly found in southern states. What makes this plant so serious is that it invades the water ecosystem and has the potential to choke out other aquatic plants. There are several ways that this plant may have made its way into this lake. Since this lake is a popular boating lake it is possible that a boat was contaminated somewhere else and when launched into Manitou it released the plant. The second reason according the Indiana DNR is that individ uals who live or rent cottages at the lake unintentionally tossed water garden or pond plants into the lake. My husband and I live on a private lake in Fulton County. This lake has been used in the past by many residents for fishing. However, we are very picky and do not allow any boats to come on our property especially after this incident at Lake Manitou. It is very important to my husband and me that we maintain the quality of the lake and protect the ecosystem right in our own backyard. Explain in a detailed way why most of the animals in tropical rainforest live in trees. Tropical rainforests are defined as dense forests with high amounts of rainfall and are located in tropical regions of the world. These forests are home to all kinds of animals and insect life. In fact there are probably many animals and or insects that have yet to be discovered in the rainforests. According to Rainforest an article located at www.rainforestanimals.net there are several layers to the rainforest. These layers are known as Emergent Layer, Canopy, Understory and the Rainforest floor. The top layer known as the Emergent Layer is home to a variety of insects, some species of bats and some species of birds. The next layer known as the Canopy is composed of trees that grow to heights of 100 150 feet. It is in these two areas where most of the animals make their home and find their food. The lower levels of the rain forest do not receive much sunlight however; these levels still provide an environment conducive to a variety of life that inhabits the rainforest floor. It does make one wonder how so many species can live in harmony and find the food and water to survive. The main reason is because they have adapted to living on specific plants or animals which other species are unable to eat. I found a very interesting article at www.ran.org. that explains how these species often help each other by supplying fruits and vegetation by droppings etc. However, these species have become so dependent on each other that if one does not survive the other will often become extinct as well. Using the bird example as a model, identify another species that your lifestyle (or that of our community) could directly or indirectly contribute to its premature extinction. What are three things that could be done to mitigate that? Extinction is forever. There is no turning back the clock to save the species which in the case of the passenger pigeon was directly the result of human intervention. It is our human activities that have the most profound effect on species animals and plants alike. By degrading and destroying our environment we are the prime reason why species are becoming extinct. One species that could be in danger is migrating waterfowl. By degrading and destroying wetlands and marshes we are limiting the areas where these animals take refuge. On a local perspective we all become annoyed at the growing population of the Canada goose. They seem to be everywhere. But have you ever thought that perhaps we have taken away the areas that once belonged to them? In our local community the golfers are upset because there is a large population of geese. Well what do you expect down the road is a large 735 acre lake and wetlands next to the gold course. It really makes me angry when we take areas away from these animals and then complain about their presence. Where are they supposed to live? Another area that is in danger is located in Western Canada and Central Alaska that is home to one of the largest forested regions in the world according to the article Western Boreal Forest Canada Region #5 located at www.ducks.org . This massive forest area is home to many species of waterfowl including; ducks, loons and sandhill cranes. It is where they migrate, molt and breed. These pristine areas of lakes and forests have in the past been immune to outside degradation and destruction due to the remote area where it is located. However, it is evident that humans are moving into this area in search of ways to feed our growing oil consumption. It will have a profound effect on the land, the species and the climate of this region. There are many things that can be done to protect these wonderful areas. One of the most important I feel is education. Ducks Unlimited strives to do just that by educating individuals and maintaining existing wetlands. In addition we need to use proper forest management to protect these areas. Lastly we need to find solutions to decrease our huge appetite for petroleum. In doing so we alleviate several problems, cut down on destroying pristine areas which are home to many species, lower water and air population and slow down the process of greenhouse gases. All of these are important to sustain our environment.

Symbolism in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Araby Essay -- Flannery O

Symbolism In the short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, by Flannery O'Connor, every object including the characters are symbols. The Grandmother for example is the one and only dynamic character, represents all of us who have had to feel grief or needed to ask for forgiveness. As Flannery O'Connor has suggested, the story is a spiritual journey because of the Grandmother's quandaries. In the beginning of the story the Grandmother is obsessed with everything worldly and superficial. She cares only about how others perceive her, â€Å"Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady† (O'Conner 413). She gets dressed up for a car trip so that, on the random chance that they would be in a car accident and that in that wreck she would be thrown from the car and laying on the pavement, she would be happy because the people passing by would think that she is a lady. This represents us as humans because daily we choose to be way too self-conscience. We care what people think whether we admit it or not. The first thing that comes to mind is me and my make-up. Make-up is a perfect example of us women caring a great deal about what others think of us. She is also very selfish in her activities. Instead of caring about what is best for the family, she wants to go to Tennessee because she has friends there whom she would like to see. There are three stages of thought for the Grandmother. During the first stage, which is in the beginning, she is completely focused on herself in relation to how others think of her. The second stage occurs wh... ...hat in just reading it the first time I looked right past. It wasn’t until my dad made me actually read some parts out loud that I understood. Even in these short stories, there is so much meaning packed into them. It shows how intelligent these writers actually are. In the beginning I didn’t care too much for this quirky little love story â€Å"Araby† yet after analyzing it, it has become one of my favorites and has inspired me to go back and re-read a few of the stories in this book that I may have just brushed past. Symbolic representation has become very interesting to me and both of these stories among many others are filled with it. Works Cited O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." 1955. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. 4th ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell.

Physics of Computer Graphics Essay -- physics computers graphic CG

In the field of computer graphics there are usually four general applications that one thinks of: 1. Display of Information 2. Design 3. Simulation and Animation 4. User interfaces (Angel, 2) With regards to applied physic's applications, the area of computer graphics most focused on is simulation and animation. This is found in several different fields such as "aerospace, manufacturing, wireless communication, resource recovery, film-making, computer games, and virtual reality. Moreover, physics-based modeling is now generally accepted as a third principal mode of scientific investigation, along with theory and experiment." (Mason) The goal is to usually create 3-dimensional objects and have them move and interact on the screen using data based off of physic's equations(i.e kinematic equations, energy and momentum, etc.) However often times programmer's and animators don't necessarily want to deal with having to code in every equation every time they want to have an object interact with something new. This brought forth the development of physic's engines. As processors have become more powerful, animators began to try and represent there animations using more realistic methods. In today's latest animated blockbuster's like Shrek 2, to some of today's hottest video games like Halo 2. In order to achieve these realistic effects computer animators often use high-powered physics engines to simulate real-life physics inside a computer-simulated world. An example of such a computer graphics engine is Impact, which "includes six physics engines: Force Field, Law of Gravity, Gravity (used to target a particular object), Springy Thingy, Thruster, and Torque Motion."(Mortier) These engines enable animators to ... ...it would take to render would freeze even some of the fastest machines out there. So what happens is we fudge the data and have each object appear brighter or darker based off of a simpler equation that gives the appearance that lighting does exist. Bibliography Angel, Edward. Interactive Computer Graphics. 3rd Ed. Pearson Education. 2003. Jewett, Serway. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. 6th Ed. Thomson Learning. 2004. Kerlow, Isaac. "Applying the Twelve Priciples to Computer Animation." 22 February 2004. 23 November 2004. http://www.artof3d.com/feature.htm#Head2 Mason, John. "Physics-Based Modeling of Gaseous Phenomena for Computer Graphics." 13 August 2004. 23 November 2004. http://www.cs.dal.ca/news/t20040813-1236.shtml Mortier, R. Shamms. "Emulate Physics with Impact." Computer Graphics World. August 1995. Vol. 18. Issue 8. Pg. 90.

Luxury Car Marketing Essay

Luxury cars are a very small part of the pie in the total Indian automobile markets. However, they are a potent weapon for an automobile company to have in its arsenal. When effectively deployed by focused positioning, winning strategies aimed at the right target, they have the ability to produce â€Å"super-normal† contribution margins and wealth for the company. Dominated by Mercedes Benz till a major part of the early 2000s, the luxury car market started picking up momentum fueled by many growth factors. More and more luxury segment cars are available in the Indian market today and the competition is ever growing to grab the biggest piece of the cake as early as possible. This paper is an attempt at studying the past and present trends and strategies in luxury car marketing and understanding how these trends will morph themselves in the future. It aims at developing strategies and big ticket ideas that will help any automobile player present or aspiring to be present in this lucrative segment to be the leader of the pack by far. The paper, in principal attempts to address some of these issues: †¢Volumes in luxury car segments are wishful thinking – reality or myth? †¢What is luxury and who defines luxury – is it a commandment or can the rules of the game be changed, bend and broken? †¢Wealth = Volumes X Contribution Margin – can luxury car makers bake their cake and eat it too? To achieve this we follow a methodology which focuses on a market and situational analysis with prime focus on †¢Data, numbers and inferences. †¢The perceptions of luxury †¢Who are the players and what they are doing? Taking it forward, we define our Triple market concept which serves as base for our further strategies. We then delve into the dynamics of the markets, behavioural patterns of the consumer, local intricacies etc. and other factors to come up with strategies which we believe can put luxury cars on the road to success.

Ethics in the Classroom Essay

Assessments have been in existences for many years; however schools have implemented various technology programs due to changes which have occurred in the educational system. Technology has become an innovative way to document, record, and to expand student’s learning. Teachers have access to software and hardware which is used to teach students required information as well as prepare them for the world outside the confines of a classroom. This plan will explain how software is used to support assessment in the classroom, such as formative and summative assessment and how technology may be used to support these two assessments. The plan will take a glimpse into the pros and cons of using technology and the teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. Although this plan is not intended to be a required plan for any teacher, it offers a suggestive approach to the use of technology based assessment in the school system. Teachers use assessments throughout their teaching careers to help evaluate a student’s learning process. Assessments also help to gather information for others to view such as; information pertaining to the schools in their school district, the students serviced (demographics) and test results. In a recent article online, Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom, Ehringhaus &Garrison state â€Å"Assessment is a huge topic that encompasses everything from statewide accountability tests to district benchmarks or interim test to everyday classroom tests† (2012, p2). The two types of assessments teachers used are formative and summative, which â€Å"being creative with formative and summative assessment can seem a daunting task, but technology can assist with this and give students accessible ways to widen both ideas about assessment and kinds of assessments that students took†(Senate Office on Assessment, 2012,p1). Formative assessment is used to gather information that can be used to improve the teaching and learning of students. The main difference amongst formative and summative assessment would be how the information would be used. â€Å"When it comes to improving instruction and learning, it’s not the quantity of the data that counts, but how information is used† (Harris, Lewis, Muoneke & Times, 2010, p. 1). Although formative assessments can be done daily, weekly, or when needed, the information may be used to create a lesson plan which meets the needs of the students in his/her classroom. The summative assessments are done at the end of a course or semester; however they may contain other information such as age, race or gender and may cover general information taught over the course of a school year. The use of assessments in technology can also be challenging for some teachers and students. Therefore, educators should compare the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom and assessment of students. Technology has increased in the classroom, and with the change in technology there is a change in the way assessments are done. Usage of technology to help assess students can benefit in many ways, it can enhance the learning process of students by â€Å"help(ing) students visualize problems they may encounter and reach students with different learning styles, including visual, auditory, and experiential learners† (Teaching with Technology, 2012, pg. 3). On the other spectrum of technology it can be costly to school district depending if the schools request wired or wireless hardware. Regardless of the use of technology in the classroom or for assessments, teachers must assess their students to help understand and implement the needs of the students. Software to Support Assessment Assessments have been in existences for many years; however schools have implemented various technology programs due to changes which have occurred in the educational system. Technology has become an innovative way to document, record, and to expand student’s learning. Teachers have access to software and hardware which is used to teach students required information as well as prepare them for the world outside the confines of a classroom. This plan will explain how software is used to support assessment in the classroom, such as formative and summative assessment and how technology may be used to support these two assessments. The plan will take a glimpse into the pros and cons of using technology and the teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. Although this plan is not intended to be a required plan for any teacher, it offers a suggestive approach to the use of technology based assessment in the school system. Teachers use assessments throughout their eaching careers to help evaluate a student’s learning process. Assessments also help to gather information for others to view such as; information pertaining to the schools in their school district, the students serviced (demographics) and test results. In a recent article online, Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom, Ehringhaus &Garrison state â€Å"Assessment is a huge topic that encompasses everything from statewide accountability tests to district benchmarks or interim test to everyday classroom tests† (2012, p2). The two types of assessments teachers used are formative and summative, which â€Å"being creative with formative and summative assessment can seem a daunting task, but technology can assist with this and give students accessible ways to widen both ideas about assessment and kinds of assessments that students took†(Senate Office on Assessment, 2012,p1). Formative assessment is used to gather information that can be used to improve the teaching and learning of students. The main difference amongst formative and summative assessment would be how the information would be used. â€Å"When it comes to improving instruction and learning, it’s not the quantity of the data that counts, but how information is used† (Harris, Lewis, Muoneke & Times, 2010, p. 1). Although formative assessments can be done daily, weekly, or when needed, the information may be used to create a lesson plan which meets the needs of the students in his/her classroom. The summative assessments are done at the end of a course or semester; however they may contain other information such as age, race or gender and may cover general information taught over the course of a school year. The use of assessments in technology can also be challenging for some teachers and students. Therefore, educators should compare the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom and assessment of students. Technology has increased in the classroom, and with the change in technology there is a change in the way assessments are done. Usage of technology to help assess students can benefit in many ways, it can enhance the learning process of students by â€Å"help(ing) students visualize problems they may encounter and reach students with different learning styles, including visual, auditory, and experiential learners† (Teaching with Technology, 2012, pg. 3). On the other spectrum of technology it can be costly to school district depending if the schools request wired or wireless hardware. Regardless of the use of technology in the classroom or for assessments, teachers must assess their students to help understand and implement the needs of the students. To help facilitate the ongoing assessment of student’s learning; teachers may require students to do assignments outside of school. This could include visiting educational sites to help support the content taught in class. Teachers may also allow students to do presentations, such as writing papers, finding information on the web and also interactive sites. Also to help parents stay informed about their child’s learning process; parent sites are also available to view their student’s grades and testing scores. Assessments can help to oversee the progression of students, and incorporating the use of technology to help with assessment can help to relieve the stress of keeping up with many forms and paperwork, but over usage can become mundane for students. However, â€Å"as good as technology-based assessment and data systems might be, educators need support in learning how to use them. (U. S. Department of Education, 2012, p1). Information on proper use of technology should be administered to teachers before they can teach the information to their students. The introduction of hardware such as Promethean boards allows the professional development department to develop courses which have become a requirement of the teachers’ certification process. This ensures teachers have received instruction on how to implement te chnology in the classroom and the use of software to support assessment. Teachers should not rely solely on the use of technology as a form of assessment due to inaccuracy of data information. Sometimes human errors may cause problems with a students? grades or information. Over usage of technology can also obscure the information with students who may learn in a different manner. Technology can help assess students using formative and summative assessments, which can increase the learning process of students by continuing ongoing assessments to help facilitate the learning process.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 3

4 There was a short silence again, but only because thoughts are silent. Seldon's were tumultuous enough. Yes, it was true. His wife did seem to have an uncanny knowledge of robots. Hari had wondered about this so often over the years that he had finally given up, tucked it away in the back of his mind. If it hadn't been for Eto Demerzel-a robot-Hari would never have met Dors. For Dors worked for Demerzel; it was Demerzel who â€Å"assigned† Dors to Hari's case eight years ago to protect him during his flight throughout the various sectors of Trantor. Even though now she was his wife, his help-meet**, his â€Å"better half,† Hari still occasionally wondered about Dors's strange connection with the robot Demerzel. It was the only area of Dors's life where Hari truly felt he did not belong-nor welcome. And that brought to mind the most painful question of all: Was it out of obedience to Demerzel that Dors stayed with Hari or was it out of love for him? He wanted to believe the latter-and yet†¦ His life with Dors Venabili was a happy one, but it was so at a cost, at a condition. The condition was all the more stringent, in that it had been settled not through discussion or agreement but by a mutual unspoken understanding. Seldon understood that he found in Dors everything he would have wanted in a wife. True, he had no children, but he had neither expected any, nor, to tell the truth, had greatly wanted any. He had Raych, who was as much a son of his emotionally as if he had inherited the entire Seldonian genome-perhaps more so. The mere fact that Dors was causing him to think about the matter was breaking the agreement that had kept them in peace and comfort all these years and he felt a faint but growing resentment at that. But he pushed those thoughts, the questions, away again. He had learned to accept her role as his protector and would continue to do so. After all, it was he with whom she shared a home, a table, and a bed-not Eto Demerzel. Dors's voice brought him out of his reverie. â€Å"I said-Are you sulking, Hari?† He started slightly, for there was the sound of repetition in her voice, and he realized he had been shrinking steadily deeper into his mind and away from her. â€Å"I'm sorry, dear. I'm not sulking. Not deliberately sulking. I'm just wondering how I ought to respond to your statement.† â€Å"About robots?† She seemed quite calm as she said the word. â€Å"You said I don't know as much about them as you do. How do I respond to that?† He paused, then added quietly (knowing he was taking a chance), â€Å"That is, without offense.† â€Å"I didn't say you didn't know about robots. If you're going to quote me, do so with precision. I said you didn't understand about robots. I'm sure that you know a great deal, perhaps more than I do, but to know is not necessarily to understand.† â€Å"Now, Dors, you're deliberately speaking in paradoxes to be annoying. A paradox arises only out of an ambiguity that deceives either unwittingly or by design. I don't like that in science and I don't like it in casual conversation, either, unless it is meant humorously, which I think is not the case now.† Dors laughed in her particular way, softly, almost as though amusement were too precious to be shared in an overliberal manner. â€Å"Apparently the paradox has annoyed you into pomposity and you are always humorous when you are pompous. However, I'll explain. It's not my intention to annoy you.† She reached over to pat his hand and it was to Seldon's surprise (and slight embarrassment) that he found that he had clenched his hand into a fist. Dors said, â€Å"You talk about psychohistory a great deal. To me, at any rate. You know that?† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"I throw myself on your mercy as far as that's concerned. The project is secret-by its very nature. Psychohistory won't work unless the people it affects know nothing about it, so I can talk about it only to Yugo and to you. To Yugo, it is all intuition. He's brilliant, but he is so apt to leap wildly into darkness that I must play the role of caution, of forever pulling him back. But I have my wild thoughts, too, and it helps me to be able to hear them aloud, even†-and he smiled-â€Å"when I have a pretty good notion that you don't understand a word I'm saying.† â€Å"I know I'm your sounding board and I don't mind. I really don't mind, Hari, so don't begin making inner resolutions to change your behavior. Naturally I don't understand your mathematics. I'm just a historian-and not even a historian of science. The influence of economic change on political development is what is taking up my time now-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, and I'm your sounding board on that or hadn't you noticed? I'll need it for psychohistory when the time comes, so I suspect you'll be an indispensable help to me.† â€Å"Good! Now that we've settled why you stay with me-I knew it couldn't be for my ethereal beauty-let me go on to explain that occasionally, when your discussion veers away from the strictly mathematical aspects, it seems to me that I get your drift. You have, on a number of occasions, explained what you call the necessity of minimalism. I think I understand that. By it, you mean-â€Å" â€Å"I know what I mean.† Dors looked hurt. â€Å"Less lofty, please, Hari. I'm not trying to explain to you. I want to explain it to myself. You say you're my sounding board, so act like one. Turnabout is fair play, isn't it?† â€Å"Turnabout is fine, but if you're going to accuse me of loftiness when I say one little-â€Å" â€Å"Enough! Shut up! You have told me that minimalism is of the highest importance in applied psychohistory; in the art of attempting to change an undesired development into a desired one or, at any rate, a toss undesired one. You have said that a change must be applied that is as minute, as minimal, as possible-â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon eagerly, â€Å"that is because-â€Å" â€Å"No, Hari. I'm trying to explain. We both know that you understand it. You must have minimalism because every change, any change, has a myriad of side effects that can't always be allowed for. If the change is side effects too many, then it becomes certain that the outcome will be far removed from anything you've planned and that it would be entirely unpredictable.† â€Å"Right,† said Seldon. â€Å"That's the essence of a chaotic-effect. The problem is whether any change is small enough to make the consequence reasonably predictable or whether human history is inevitably and unalterably chaotic in every respect. It was that which, at the start, made me think that psychohistory was not-â€Å" â€Å"I know, but you're not letting me make my point. Whether any change would be small enough is not the issue. The point is that any change greater than the minimal is chaotic. The required minimum may be zero, but if it is not zero, then it is still very small-and it would be a major problem to find some change that is small enough and yet is significantly greater than zero. Now, that, I gather, is what you mean by the necessity of minimalism.† â€Å"More or less,† said Seldon. â€Å"Of course, as always, the matter is expressed more compactly and more rigorously in the language of mathematics. See here-â€Å" â€Å"Save me,† said Dors. â€Å"Since you know this about psychohistory, Hari, you ought to know it about Demerzel, too. You have the knowledge but not the understanding, because it apparently doesn't occur to you to apply the rules of psychohistory to the Laws of Robotics.† To which Seldon replied faintly, â€Å"Now I don't see what you're getting at. â€Å"He requires minimality, too, doesn't he, Hari? By the First Law of Robotics, a robot can't harm a human being. That is the prime rule for the usual robot, but Demerzel is something quite unusual and for him, the Zeroth Law is a reality and it takes precedence even over the First Law. The Zeroth Law states that a robot can't harm humanity as a whole. But that puts Demerzel into the same bind in which you exist when you labor at psychohistory. Do you see?† â€Å"I'm beginning to.† â€Å"I hope so. If Demerzel has the ability to change minds, he has to do so without bringing about side effects he does not wish-and since he is the Emperor's First Minister, the side effects he must worry about are numerous, indeed.† â€Å"And the application to the present case?† â€Å"Think about it! You can't tell anyone-except me, of course-that Demerzel is a robot, because he has adjusted you so that you can't. But how much adjustment did that take? Do you want to tell people that he is a robot? Do you want to ruin his effectiveness when you depend on him for protection, for support of your grants, for influence quietly exerted on your behalf? Of course not. The change he had to make then was a very tiny one, just enough to keep you from blurting it out in a moment of excitement or carelessness. It is so small a change that there are no particular side effects. That is how Demerzel tries to run the Empire generally.† â€Å"And the case of Joranum?† â€Å"Is obviously completely different from yours. He is, for whatever motives, unalterably opposed to Demerzel. Undoubtedly, Demerzel could change that, but it would be at the price of introducing a considerable wrench in Joranum's makeup that would bring about results Demerzel could not predict. Rather than take the chance of harming Joranum, of producing side effects that would harm others and, possibly, all of humanity, he must leave Joranum alone until he can find some small change-some small change-that will save the situation without harm. That is why Yugo is right and why Demerzel is vulnerable.† Seldon had listened but did not respond. He seemed lost in thought. Minutes passed before he said, â€Å"If Demerzel can do nothing in this matter, then I must.† â€Å"If he can do nothing, what can you do?† â€Å"The case is different. I am not bound by the Laws of Robotics. I need not concern myself obsessively with minimalism. And to begin with, I must see Demerzel.† Dors looked faintly anxious. â€Å"Must you? Surely it wouldn't be wise to advertise a connection between the two of you.† â€Å"We have reached a time where we can't make a fetish of pretending there is no connection. Naturally I won't go to see him behind a flourish of trumpets and an announcement on holovision, but I must see him.† 5 Seldon found himself raging at the passage of time. Eight years ago, when he had first arrived on Trantor, he could take instant action. He had only a hotel room and its contents to forsake and he could range through the sectors of Trantor at will. Now he found himself with department meetings, with decisions to make, with work to do. It was not so easy to dash off at will to see Demerzel-and if he could, Demerzel also had a-full schedule of his own. To find a time when they both could meet would not be easy.** Nor was it easy to have Dors shake her head at him. â€Å"I don't know what you intend to do, Hari.† And he answered impatiently, â€Å"I don't know what I intend to do, either, Dors. I hope to find out when I see Demerzel.† â€Å"Your first duty is to psychohistory. He'll tell you so.† â€Å"Perhaps. I'll find out.† And then, just as he had arranged a time for the meeting with the First Minister, eight days hence, he received a message on his department office wall screen in slightly archaic lettering. And to match that was the more than slightly archaic message: I CRAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH PROFESSOR HARI SELDON. Seldon stared at it with astonishment. Even the Emperor was not addressed in quite that centuries-old turn of phrase. Nor was the signature printed as it usually was for clarity. It was scripted with a flourish that left it perfectly legible and yet gave it the aura of a careless work of art dashed off by a master. The signature was: LASKIN JORANUM. It was Jo-Jo himself, craving an audience. Seldon found himself chuckling. It was clear why the choice of words-and why the script. It made what was a simple request a device for stimulating curiosity. Seldon had no great desire to meet the man-or would have had none ordinarily. But what was worth the archaism and the artistry? He wanted to find out. He had his secretary set the time and the place of the appointment. It would be in his office, certainly not in his apartment. A business conversation, nothing social. And it would come before the projected meeting with Demerzel. Dors said, â€Å"It's no surprise to me, Hari. You hurt two of his people, one of them his chief aide; you spoiled a little rally he was holding; and you made him, in the person of his representatives, seem foolish. He wants to take a look at you and I think I had better be with you.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'll take Raych. He knows all the tricks I know and he's a strong and active twenty-year-old. Although I'm sure there'll be no need for protection.† â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"Joranum is coming to see me on the University grounds. There will be any number of youngsters in the vicinity. I'm not exactly an unpopular figure with the student body and I suspect that Joranum is the kind of man who does his homework and knows that I'll be safe on home territory. I'm sure that he will be perfectly polite-completely friendly.† â€Å"Hmph,† said Dors with a light twist of one corner of her lip. â€Å"And quite deadly,† Seldon finished. 6 Hari Seldon kept his face expressionless and bent his head just sufficiently to allow a sense of reasonable courtesy. He had taken the trouble to look up a variety of holographs of Joranum, but, as is often the case, the real thing, unguarded, shifting constantly in response to changing conditions, is never quite the same as a holograph-however carefully prepared. Perhaps, thought Seldon, it is the response of the viewer to the â€Å"real thing† that makes it different. Joranum was a tall man-as tall as Seldon, at any rate-but larger in other directions. It was not due to a muscular physique, for he gave the impression of softness, without quite being fat. A rounded face, a thick head of hair that was sandy rather than yellow, light blue eyes. He wore a subdued coverall and his face bore a half-smile that gave the illusion of friendliness, while making it clear, somehow, that it was only an illusion. â€Å"Professor Seldon†-his voice was deep and under strict control, an orator's voice-â€Å"I am delighted to meet you. It is kind of you to permit this meeting. I trust you are not offended that I have brought a companion, my right-hand man, with me, although I have not cleared that with you in advance. He is Gambol Deen Namarti-three names, you notice. I believe you have met him.† â€Å"Yes, I have. I remember the incident well.† Seldon looked at Namarti with a touch of the sardonic. At the previous encounter, Namarti had been speaking at the University Field. Seldon viewed him carefully now-under relaxed conditions. Namarti was of moderate height, with a thin face, sallow complexion, dark hair, and a wide mouth. He did not have Joranum's half-smile or any noticeable expression-except for a sense of cautious wariness. â€Å"My friend Dr. Namarti-his degree is in ancient literature-has come at his own request,† said Joranum, his smile intensifying a bit, â€Å"to apologize.† Joranum glanced quickly at Namarti-and Namarti, his lips tightening just at first, said in a colorless voice, â€Å"I am sorry, Professor, for what happened at the Field. I was not quite aware of the strict rules governing University rallies and I was a little carried away by my own enthusiasm.† â€Å"Understandably so,† said Joranum. â€Å"Nor was he entirely aware of your identity. I think we may all now forget the matter.† â€Å"I assure you, gentlemen,† said Seldon, â€Å"that I have no great desire to remember it. This is my son, Raych Seldon, so you see I have a companion, too.† Raych had grown a mustache, black and abundant-the masculine mark of the Dahlite. He had had none when he first met Seldon eight years before, when he was a street boy, ragged and hungry. He was short but lithe and sinewy and his expression was the haughty one he had adopted in order to add a few spiritual inches to his physical height. â€Å"Good morning, young man,† said Joranum. â€Å"Good morning, sir,† said Raych. â€Å"Please sit down, gentlemen,† said Seldon. â€Å"May I offer you something to eat or drink?† Joranum held up his hands in polite refusal. â€Å"No, sir. This is not a social call.† He seated himself in the place indicated. â€Å"Though I hope there will be many such calls in the future.† â€Å"If this is to be about business, then let's begin.† â€Å"The news reached me, Professor Seldon, of the little incident that you have so kindly agreed to forget and I wondered why you took the chance of doing what you did. It was a risk, you must admit.† â€Å"I didn't think so, actually.† â€Å"But I did. So I took the liberty of finding out everything I could about you, Professor Seldon. You're an interesting man. From Helicon, I discovered.† â€Å"Yes, that's where I was born. The records are clear.† â€Å"And you've been here on Trantor for eight years.† â€Å"That is also a matter of public record.† â€Å"And you made yourself quite famous at the start by delivering a mathematical paper on-what do you call it?-psychohistory?† Seldon shook his head very slightly. How often he had regretted that indiscretion. Of course, he had had no idea at the time that it was an indiscretion. He said, â€Å"A youthful enthusiasm. It came to nothing.† â€Å"Is that so?† Joranum looked around him with an air of pleased surprise. â€Å"Yet here you are, the head of the Mathematics Department at one of Trantor's greatest Universities, and only forty years old, I believe. I'm forty-two, by the way, so I don't look upon you as very old at all. You must be a very competent mathematician to be in this position.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I wouldn't care to make a judgment in that matter.† â€Å"Or you must have powerful friends.† â€Å"We would all like to have powerful friends, Mr. Joranum, but I think you will find none here. University professors rarely have powerful friends or, I sometimes think, friends of any kind.† He smiled. And so did Joranum. â€Å"Wouldn't you consider the Emperor a powerful friend, Professor Seldon?† â€Å"I certainly would, but what has that to do with me?† â€Å"I am under the impression that the Emperor is a friend of yours.† â€Å"I'm sure the records will show, Mr. Joranum, that I had an audience with His Imperial Majesty eight years ago. It lasted perhaps an hour or less and I saw no signs of any great friendliness in him at the time. Nor have I spoken to him since-or even seen him-except on holovision, of course.† â€Å"But, Professor, it is not necessary to see or speak to the Emperor to have him as a powerful friend. It is sufficient to see or speak to Eto Demerzel, the Emperor's First Minister. Demerzel is your protector and, since he is, we may as well say the Emperor is.† â€Å"Do you find First Minister Demerzel's supposed protection of me anywhere in the records? Or anything at all in the records from which you can deduce that protection?† â€Å"Why search the records when it is well known that there is a connection between the two of you. You know it and I know it. Let us take it then as given and continue. And please†-he raised his hands-â€Å"do not take the trouble to give me any heartfelt denials. It's a waste of time.† â€Å"Actually,† said Seldon, â€Å"I was going to ask why you should think that he would want to protect me. To what end?† â€Å"Professor? Are you trying to hurt me by pretending to think I am a monster of naivete? I mentioned your psychohistory, which Demerzel wants.† â€Å"And I told you that it was a youthful indiscretion that came to nothing.† â€Å"You may tell me a great many things, Professor. I am not compelled to accept what you tell me. Come, let me speak frankly. I have read your original paper and have tried to understand it with the help of some mathematicians on my staff. They tell me it is a wild dream and quite impossible-â€Å" â€Å"I quite agree with them,† said Seldon. â€Å"But I have the feeling that Demerzel is waiting for it to be developed and put to use. And if he can wait, so can I. It would be more useful to you, Professor Seldon, to have me wait.† â€Å"Why so?† â€Å"Because Demerzel will not endure in his position for much longer. Public opinion is turning against him steadily. It may be that when the Emperor wearies of an unpopular First Minister who threatens to drag the throne down with him, he will find a replacement. It may even be my poor self whom the Emperor's fancy will seize upon. And you will still need a protector, someone who can see to it that you can work in peace and with ample funds for whatever you need in the way of equipment and assistants.† â€Å"And would you be that protector?† â€Å"Of course-and for the same reason that Demerzel is. I want a successful psychohistoric technique so that I can rule the Empire more efficiently.† Seldon nodded thoughtfully, waited a moment, then said, â€Å"But in that case, Mr. Joranum, why must I concern myself in this? I am a poor scholar, living a quiet life, engaged in out-of-the-way mathematical and pedagogical activities. You say that Demerzel is my present protector and that you will be my future protector. I can go quietly about my business, then. You and the First Minister may fight it out. Whoever prevails, I have a protector still-or, at least, so you tell me.† Joranum's fixed smile seemed to fade a bit. Namarti, at his side, turned his dour face toward Joranum and made as though to say something, but Joranum's hand moved slightly and Namarti coughed and did not speak. Joranum said, â€Å"Dr. Seldon. Are you a patriot?† â€Å"Why, of course. The Empire has given humanity millennia of peace-mostly peace, at any rate-and fostered steady advancement.† â€Å"So it has-but at a slower pace in the last century or two.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I have not studied such matters.† â€Å"You don't have to. You know that, politically, the last century or two has been a time of turmoil. Imperial reigns have been short and sometimes have been shortened further by assassination-â€Å" â€Å"Even mentioning that,† put in Seldon, â€Å"is close to treason. I'd rather you didn't-â€Å" â€Å"Well, there.† Joranum threw himself back in his seat. â€Å"See how insecure you are. The Empire is decaying. I'm willing to say so openly. Those who follow me do so because they know only too well it is. We need someone at the Emperor's right hand who can control the Empire, subdue the rebellious impulses that seem to be arising everywhere, give the armed forces the natural leadership they should have, lead the economy-â€Å" Seldon made an impatient stopping motion with his arm. â€Å"And you're the one to do it, are you?† â€Å"I intend to be the one. It won't be an easy job and I doubt there would be many volunteers-for good reason. Certainly Demerzel can't do it. Under him, the decline of the Empire is accelerating to a total breakdown.† â€Å"But you can stop it?† â€Å"Yes, Dr. Seldon. With your help. With psychohistory.† â€Å"Perhaps Demerzel could stop the breakdown with psychohistory-if psychohistory existed.† Joranum said calmly, â€Å"It exists. Let us not pretend it does not. But its existence does not help Demerzel. Psychohistory is only a tool. It needs a brain to understand it and an arm to wield it.† â€Å"And you have those, I take it?† â€Å"Yes. I know my own virtues. I want psychohistory.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"You may want it all you please. I don't have it. â€Å"You do have it. I will not argue the point.† Joranum leaned closer as though wishing to insinuate his voice into Seldon's ear, rather than allowing the sound waves to carry it there. â€Å"You say you are a patriot. I must replace Demerzel to avoid Imperial destruction. However, the manner of replacement might itself weaken the Empire desperately. I do not wish that. You can advise me how to achieve the end smoothly, subtly, without harm or damage-for the sake of the Empire.† Seldon said, â€Å"I cannot. You accuse me of knowledge I do not possess. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot.† Joranum stood up suddenly. â€Å"Well, you know my mind and what it is I want of you. Think about it. And I ask you to think about the Empire. You may feel you owe Demerzel-this despoiler of all the millions of planets of humanity-your friendship. Be careful. What you do may shake the very foundation of the Empire. I ask you to help me in the name of the quadrillions of human beings who fill the Galaxy. Think of the Empire.† His voice had dropped to a thrilling and powerful half-whisper. Seldon felt himself almost trembling. â€Å"I will always think of the Empire,† he said. Joranum said, â€Å"Then that is all I ask right now. Thank you for consenting to see me.† Seldon watched Joranum and his companion leave as the office doors slid open noiselessly and the men strode out. He frowned. Something was bothering him-and he was not sure what it was. 7 Namarti's dark eyes remained fixed on Joranum as they sat in their carefully shielded office in the Streeling Sector. It was not an elaborate headquarters; they were as yet weak in Streeling, but they would grow stronger. It was amazing how the movement was growing. It had started from nothing three years back and now its tentacles stretched-in some places more thickly than others, of course-throughout Trantor. The Outer Worlds were as yet largely untouched. Demerzel had labored mightily to keep them content, but that was his mistake. It was here on Trantor that rebellions were dangerous. Elsewhere, they could be controlled. Here, Demerzel could be toppled. Odd that he should not realize that, but Joranum had always held to the theory that Demerzel's reputation was overblown, that he would prove an empty shell if anyone dared oppose him, and that the Emperor would destroy him quickly if his own security seemed at stake. So far, at least, all of Joranum's predictions had come to pass. He had never once lost his way except in minor matters, such as that recent rally at Streeling University in which this Seldon fellow had interfered. That might be why Joranum had insisted on the interview with him. Even a minor toe stub must be taken care of. Joranum enjoyed the feeling of infallibility and Namarti had to admit that the vision of a constant string of successes was the surest way of ensuring the continuation of success. People tended to avoid the humiliation of failure by joining the obviously winning side even against their own opinions. But had the interview with this Seldon been a success or was it a second stub of the toe to be added to the first? Namarti had not enjoyed having been brought along in order to be made to humbly apologize and he didn't see that it had done any good. Now Joranum sat there, silent, obviously lost in thought, gnawing at the edge of one thumb as though trying to draw some sort of mental nourishment from it. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† said Namarti softly. He was one of the very few people who could address Joranum by the diminutive that the crowds shouted out endlessly in public. Joranum solicited the love of the mob in this way, among others, but he demanded respect from individuals in private, except for those special friends who had been with him from the start. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† he said again. Joranum looked up. â€Å"Yes, G.D., what is it?† He sounded a little testy. â€Å"What are we going to do about this Seldon fellow, Jo-Jo?† â€Å"Do? Nothing right now. He may join us.† â€Å"Why wait? We can put pressure on him. We can pull a few strings at the University and make life miserable for him.† â€Å"No no. So far, Demerzel has been letting us go our way. The fool is overconfident. The last thing we want to do, though, is to push him into action before we are quite ready. And a heavy-handed move against Seldon may do it. I suspect Demerzel places enormous importance on Seldon.† â€Å"Because of this psychohistory you two talked about?† â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"What is it? I have never heard of it.† â€Å"Few people have. It's a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.† Namarti frowned and felt his body move slightly away from Joranum. Was this a joke of Joranum's? Was this intended to make him laugh? Namarti had never been able to work out when or why people expected him to laugh. He had never had an urge to. He said, â€Å"Predict the future? How?† â€Å"Ah? If I knew that, what need would I have of Seldon?† â€Å"Frankly I don't believe it, Jo-Jo. How can you foretell the future? It's fortune-telling.† â€Å"I know, but after this Seldon broke up your little rally, I had him looked into. All the way. Eight years ago, he came to Trantor and presented a paper on psychohistory at a convention of mathematicians and then the whole thing died. It was never referred to again by anyone. Not even by Seldon.† â€Å"It sounds as though there were nothing to it, then.† â€Å"Oh no, just the reverse. If it had faded slowly, if it had been subjected to ridicule, I would have said there was nothing to it. But to be cut off suddenly and completely means that the whole thing has been placed in the deepest of freezes. That is why Demerzel may have been doing nothing to stop us. Perhaps he is not being guided by a foolish overconfidence; perhaps he is being guided by psychohistory, which must be predicting something that Demerzel plans to take advantage of at the right time. If so, we might fail unless we can make use of psychohistory ourselves.† â€Å"Seldon claims it doesn't exist.† â€Å"Wouldn't you if you were he?† â€Å"I still say we ought to put pressure on him.† â€Å"It would be useless, G.D. Didn't you ever hear the story of the Ax of Venn?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You would if you were from Nishaya. It's a famous folktale back home. In brief, Venn was a woodcutter who had a magic ax that, with a single light blow, could chop down any tree. It was enormously valuable, but he never made any effort to hide it or preserve it-and yet it was never stolen, because no one could lift or swing the ax but Venn himself. â€Å"Well, at the present moment, no one can handle psychohistory but Seldon himself. If he were on our side only because we had forced him, we could never be certain of his loyalty. Might he not urge a course of action that would seem to work in our favor but would be so subtly drawn that, after a while, we found ourselves quite suddenly destroyed. No, he must come to our side voluntarily and labor for us because he wishes us to win.† â€Å"But how can we bring him around?† â€Å"There's Seldon's son. Raych, I think he's called. Did you observe him?† â€Å"Not particularly.† â€Å"G.D., G.D., you miss points if you don't observe everything. That young man listened to me with his heart in his eyes. He was impressed. I could tell. If there's one thing I can tell, it is just how I impress others. I know when I have shaken a mind, when I have edged someone toward conversion.† Joranum smiled. It was not the pseudowarm ingratiating smile of his public demeanor. It was a genuine smile this time-cold, somehow, and menacing. â€Å"We'll see what we can do with Raych,† he said, â€Å"and if, through him, we can reach Seldon.†