The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost - 1055 Words

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself â€Å"Did I make the right decision in my life?†? Most would answer yes to this question. Although some, would hide behind pride and rant on about their triumphs, or how they made just enough right choices to justify all the wrong. However, those same people lay awake when the morning dew is fresh, still counting the ways they may have been able to do better in the choices they made many years ago. Either way, if you admit it now or in the wee hours of the night, like most people, you will come across this question at least once in your life. Robert Frost was able to grasp this raw, vulnerable life changing moment in the palm of his hand. Then he beautifully laid it out in the form of words in the narrative poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. Frost is able to take you back to a time when you have been faced with a life-changing decision. Then, causing you to ask yourself â€Å"Did I make the right choice?†, â€Å"What caused me to choose the way I did?†, and â€Å"How did my choices long ago affect my life today?†. This is more than a poem, but rather a meaningful life lesson. By using metaphors Frost is able to show his readers a time of having to decide between two major life events. Thus, relating to his readers on a more personal level. He does this by speaking of a traveler coming to a fork in the road of a wooded area. Right from the beginning you can tell how the traveler is curious of both roads set out before him. He looks at one long and hard as far asShow MoreRelatedThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost983 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken was written by Robert Frost, a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner in poetry, and also a special guest at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration (Robert Frost Biography). Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California and he died of complications from prostate surgery on January 29, 1963. Much of Robert’s popularity was gained throughout Europe (An Analysis of Robert Frost’s Poem: The Road Not Taken). Frost became a poetic force, and the unofficial poetRead MoreThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost764 Words   |  3 PagesWritten by Robert Frost, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† deals with about making choices in life and how those choices affect your whole life. The meter of this poem is iambic tetrameter, for the most part. In most lines, the meter follows the rule with four iambs, which means that there is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. But the meter is not normal since, in some lines, an anapest, which means there are two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable, is substituted forRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1173 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Frost, one of America’s well-known poets is highly regarded for his realistic illustrations of rural life and poetry which is still relevant in today’s society. After being honoured on numerous occasions, he became one of America’s most popular public figures. Frosts’ poems reflect his greatness and his life in a variety of ways after he was confronted with such despair and grief after the passing of his father due to tuberculosis at just eleven years of age and his mother who passed awayRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost995 Words   |  4 Pagesthey can only move forward hoping for the best. â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, Robert Frost, 1916. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† a traveler is strolling through the woods and comes across two different roads he could take, and unable to travel both the poet eventually chooses which path to take. The theme conveyed is about making choices. Frost does this through the use of diction, the use of figure of speech, and the use of imagery. To start with, Frost displays the main idea of decision making by the wordsRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost940 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Road Not Taken† was written by Robert Frost in 1916, and it was the first poem in the collection Mountain Interval (Shmoop). Even though it was written many years ago, people of all ages still study this enticing poem. Frost wrote about coming to a fork in the woods and examining which path he should take and whether he might ever come back; the speaker believes each path is fine to take, but he takes the less used path (line 6). He wrote about this decision in clear, standard English. â€Å"TheRead MoreThe Road Not Taken, By Robert Frost968 Words   |  4 PagesPersonal Response 3 Title: The Road Not Taken Text Type: Poem Author: Robert Frost The poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost is about the â€Å"roads† and different paths we take in our lives. Frost wrote about a traveler who had to chose between two roads. He had to decide if he wanted to go down the well used or less used path. In the end, he went down the less used path. The theme of decision making and choices is shown in this poem. I think that this is a way of describing the choices we makeRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost863 Words   |  4 PagesThe Poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, by Robert Frost is a detailed poem about a conflict in a person’s life, dealing with having to take the right path throughout life. The Narrator of this poem is faced with a predicament when he comes across two paths. The choices that he makes in his life, can alter the future for better or worse. This poem describes his attitude and emotion towards his choices as well as, shows examples of themes, mood, and different literary devi ces. The title of this poem canRead MoreRoad Not Taken, Robert Frost942 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 101 Burstrem October 7, 2009 The Road Not Taken Life is full of choices and decisions that could ultimately change the outcome of our lives. In the poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, a traveler is destined to make that decision. This traveler man has to decide which road to take, one that is frequently traveled, and the one that is not. After contemplating which road to follow, he comes to the decision to take the road less traveled because he doesn’t want to follow inRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1100 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Frost reflects that poetry â€Å"begins in delight and ends in wisdom†¦.It runs a course of lucky events , and ends in a clarification of life—not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are found on, but in a momentary stay against confusion† (931). His poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is a clarification of life. This paper will analyze and evaluate the formal elements of â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and consid er how these elements work together to fit the author’s purpose and clarificationRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1297 Words   |  6 Pagesthe poet at the time. The poem I’ll be unveiling is â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, one of the most well-known poets of the modern literature movement. He lived most of his life in America but moved to the UK a few years before World War 1. (Schmoop, 2008). Frost is known for pioneering the idea that poetry deserves to be spoken out loud, using rhythm and meter, giving his work a traditional ambiance. The title ‘The Road Not Taken’ suggests there is no â€Å"right† path, only the chosen path and

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER TWENTY CONCLUSION Free Essays

CONCLUSION Mayor Harla Branno had every reason for satisfaction. The state visit had not lasted long, but it had been thoroughly productive. She said, as though in deliberate attempt to avoid hubris, â€Å"We can’t, of course, trust them completely. We will write a custom essay sample on Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER TWENTY CONCLUSION or any similar topic only for you Order Now † She was watching the screen. The ships of the Fleet were, one by one, entering hyperspace and returning to their normal stations. There was no question but that Sayshell had been impressed by their presence, but they could not have failed to notice two things: one, that the ships had remained in Foundation space at all times; two, that once Branno had indicated they would leave, they were indeed leaving with celerity. On the other hand, Sayshell would not forget either that those ships could be recalled to the border at a day’s notice – or less. It was a maneuver that had combined both a demonstration of power and a demonstration of goodwill. Kodell said, â€Å"Quite right, we can’t trust them completely, but then no one in the Galaxy can be trusted completely and it is in the self-interest of Sayshell to observe the terms of the agreement. We have been generous.† Branno said, â€Å"A lot will depend on working out the details and I predict that will take months. The general brushstrokes can be accepted in a moment, but then come the shadings: just how we arrange for quarantine of imports and exports, how we weigh the value of their grain and cattle compared to ours, and so on.† â€Å"I know, but it will be done eventually and the credit will be yours, Mayor. It was a bold stroke and one, I admit, whose wisdom I doubted.† â€Å"Come, Liono. It was just a matter of the Foundation recognizing Sayshellian pride. They’ve retained a certain independence since early Imperial times. It’s to be admired, actually.† â€Å"Yes, now that it will no longer inconvenience us.† â€Å"Exactly, so it was only necessary to bend our own pride to the point of making some sort of gesture to theirs. I admit it took an effort to decide that I, as Mayor of a Galaxy-straddling Federation, should condescend to visit a provincial star-grouping, but once the decision was made it didn’t hurt too much. And it pleased them. We had to gamble that they would agree to the visit once we moved our ships to the border, but it meant being humble and smiling very broadly.† Kodell nodded. â€Å"We abandoned the appearance of power to preserve the essence of it.† â€Å"Exactly. – Who first said that?† â€Å"I believe it was in one of Eriden’s plays, but I’m not sure. We can ask one of our literary lights back home.† â€Å"If I remember. We must speed the return visit of Sayshellians to Terminus and see to it that they are given the full treatment as equals. And I’m afraid, Liono, you will have to organize tight security for them. There is bound to be some indignation among our hotheads and it would not be wise to subject them to even slight and transient humiliation through protest demonstrations.† â€Å"Absolutely,† said Kodell. â€Å"It was a clever stroke, by the way, sending out Trevize.† â€Å"My lightning rod? He worked better than I thought he would, to be honest. He blundered his way into Sayshell and drew their lightning in the form of protests with a speed I could not have believed. Space! What an excellent excuse that made for my visit – concern lest a Foundation national in any way disturbed then and gratitude for their forbearance.† â€Å"Shrewd! – You don’t think it would have been better, though, to have brought Trevize back with us?† â€Å"No. On the whole, I prefer him anywhere but at home. He would be a disturbing factor on Terminus. His nonsense about the Second Foundation served as the perfect excuse for sending him out and, of course, we counted on Pelorat to lead him to Sayshell, but I don’t want him back, continuing to spread the nonsense. We can never tell what that might lead to.† Kodell chuckled. â€Å"I doubt that we can ever find anyone more gullible than an intellectual academic. I wonder how much Pelorat would have swallowed if we had encouraged him.† â€Å"Belief in the literal existence of the mythical Sayshellian Gaia was quite enough – but forget it. We will have to face the Council when we return and we will need their votes for the Sayshellian treaty. Fortunately we have Trevize’s statement – voiceprint and all – to the effect that he left Terminus voluntarily. I will offer official regrets as to Trevize’s brief arrest and that will satisfy the Council.† â€Å"I can rely on you for the soft soap, Mayor,† said Kodell dryly. â€Å"Have you considered, though, that Trevize may continue to search for the Second Foundation?† â€Å"Let him,† said Branno, shrugging, â€Å"as long as he doesn’t do it on Terminus. It will keep him busy and get him nowhere. The Second Foundation’s continued existence is our myth of the century, as Gaia is Sayshell’s myth.† She leaned back and looked positively genial. â€Å"And now we have Sayshell in our grip – and by the time they see that, it will be too late for them to break the grip. So the Foundation’s growth continues and will continue, smoothly and regularly.† â€Å"And the credit will be entirely yours, Mayor.† â€Å"That has not escaped my notice,† said Branno, and their ship slipped into hyperspace and reappeared in the neighborhood space of Terminus. Speaker Stor Gendibal, on his own ship again, had every reason for satisfaction. The encounter with the First Foundation had not lasted long, but it had been thoroughly productive. He had sent back his message of carefully muted triumph. It was only necessary – for the moment – to let the First Speaker know that all had gone well (as, indeed, he might guess from the fact that the general force of the Second Foundation had never had to be used after all). The details could come later on. He would describe how a careful – and very minor – adjustment to Mayor Branno’s mind had turned her thoughts from imperialistic grandiosity to the practicality of commercial treaty; how a careful and rather long-distance – adjustment of the leader of the Sayshell Union had led to an invitation to the Mayor of a parley and how, thereafter, a rapprochement had been reached with no further adjustments at all with Compor returning to Terminus on his own ship, to see that the agreement would be kept. It had been, Gendibal thought complacently, almost a storybook example of large results brought about by minutely crafted mentalics. It would, he was sure, squash Speaker Delarmi flat and bring about his own elevation to First Speaker very soon after the presentation of the details at a formal meeting of the Table. And he did not deny to himself the importance of Sum Novi’s presence, though that would not need to be stressed to the Speakers generally. Not only had she been essential to his victory, but she gave him the excuse he now needed for indulging his childish (and very human, for even Speakers are very human) need to exult before what he knew to be a guaranteed admiration. She did not understand anything that had happened, he knew, but she was aware that he had arranged matters to his liking and she was bursting with pride over that. He caressed the smoothness of her mind and felt the warmth of that pride. He said, â€Å"I could not have done it without you, Novi. It was because of you I could tell that the First Foundation – the people on the large ship†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, Master, I know whom you mean.† â€Å"I could tell, because of you, that they had a shield, together with weak powers of the mind. From the effect on your mind, I could tell, exactly, the characteristics of both. I could tell how most efficiently to penetrate the one and deflect the other.† Novi said tentatively, â€Å"I do not understand exactly what it is you say, Master, but I would have done much more to help, if I could.† â€Å"I know that, Novi. But what you did was enough. It is amazing how dangerous they might have been. But caught now, before either their shield or their field had been developed more strongly, they could be stopped. The Mayor goes back now, the shield and the field forgotten, satisfied over the fact that she has obtained a commercial treaty with Sayshell that will make it a working part of the Federation. I don’t deny that there is much more to do to dismantle the work they have done on shield and field – it is something concerning which we have been remiss – but it will be done.† He brooded about the matter and went on in a lower voice, â€Å"We took far too much for granted with the First Foundation. We must place them under closer supervision. We must knit the Galaxy closer together somehow. We must make use of mentalics to build a closer co-operation of consciousness. That would fit the Plan. I’m convinced of that and I’ll see to it.† Novi said anxiously, â€Å"Master?† Gendibal smiled suddenly. â€Å"I’m sorry. I’m talking to myself. – Novi, do you remember Rufirant?† â€Å"That bone-skulled farmer who attacked you? I should say I do.† â€Å"I’m convinced that First Foundation agents, armed with personal shields, arranged that, together with all the other anomalies that have plagued us. Imagine being blind to a thing like that. But then, I was bemused into overlooking the First Foundation altogether by this myth of a mysterious world, this Sayshellian superstition concerning Gaia. There, too, your mind came in handy. It helped me determine that the source of that mentalic field was the warship and nothing else.† He rubbed his hands. Novi said timidly, â€Å"Master?† â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"Will you not be rewarded for what you have done?† â€Å"Indeed I will. Shandess will retire and I will be First Speaker. Then will come my chance to make us an active factor in revolutionizing the Galaxy.† â€Å"First Speaker?† â€Å"Yes, Novi. I will be the most important and the most powerful scholar of them all.† â€Å"The most important?† She looked woebegone. â€Å"Why do you make a face, Novi? Don’t you want me to be rewarded?† â€Å"Yes, Master, I do. – But if you are the most important scholar of them all, you will not want a Hamishwoman near you. It would not be fitting.† â€Å"Won’t I, though? Who will stop me?† He felt a gush of affection for her. â€Å"Novi, you’ll stay with me wherever I go and whatever I am. Do you think I would risk dealing with some of the wolves we occasionally have at the Table without your mind always there to tell me, even before they know themselves, what their emotions might be – your own innocent, absolutely smooth mind. Besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He seemed startled by a sudden revelation, â€Å"Even aside from that, I – I like having you with me and I intend having you with me. – That is, if you are willing.† â€Å"Oh, Master,† whispered Novi and, as his arm moved around her waist, her head sank to his shoulder. Deep within, where the enveloping mind of Novi could scarcely be aware of it, the essence of Gaia remained and guided events, but it was that impenetrable mask that made the continuance of the great task possible. And that mask – the one that belonged to a Hamishwoman – was completely happy. It was so happy that Novi was almost reconciled for the distance she was from herself/them/all, and she was content to be, for the indefinite future, what she seemed to be. Pelorat rubbed his hands and said, with carefully controlled enthusiasm, â€Å"How glad I am to be back on Gaia.† â€Å"Umm,† said Trevize abstractedly. â€Å"You know what Bliss has told me? The Mayor is going back to Terminus with a commercial treaty with Sayshell. The Speaker from the Second Foundation is going back to Trantor convinced that he has arranged it – and that woman, Novi, is going with him to see to it that the changes that will bring about Galaxia are initiated. And neither Foundation is in the least aware that Gaia exists. It’s absolutely amazing.† â€Å"I know,† said Trevize. â€Å"I was told all this, too. But we know that Gaia exists and we can talk.† â€Å"Bliss doesn’t think so. She says no one would believe us, and we would know that. Besides, I, for one, have no intention of ever leaving Gaia.† Trevize was pulled out of his inner musing. He looked up and said, â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to stay here. – You know, I can’t believe it. Just weeks ago, I was living a lonely life on Terminus, the same life I had lived for decades, immersed in my records and my thoughts and never dreaming anything but that I would go to my death, whenever it might be, still immersed in my records and my thoughts and still living my lonely life – contentedly vegetating. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, I became a Galactic traveler; I was involved with a Galactic crisis; and – do not laugh, Golan – I have found Bliss.† â€Å"I’m not laughing, Janov,† said Trevize, â€Å"but are you sure you know what you’re doing?† â€Å"Oh yes. This matter of Earth is no longer important to me. The fact that it was the only world with a diverse ecology and with intelligent life has been adequately explained. The Eternals, you know.† â€Å"Yes, I know. And you’re going to stay on Gaia?† â€Å"Absolutely. Earth is the past and I’m tired of the past. Gaia is the future.† â€Å"You’re not part of Gaia, Janov. Or do you think you can become part of it?† â€Å"Bliss says that I can become somewhat a part of it – intellectually if not biologically. She’ll help, of course.† â€Å"But since she is part of it, how can you two find a common life, a common point of view, a common interest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were in the open and Trevize looked gravely at the quiet, fruitful island, and beyond it the sea, and on the horizon, purpled by distance, another island – all of it peaceful, civilized, alive, and a unit. He said, â€Å"Janov, she is a world; you are a tiny individual. What if she gets tired of you? She is young†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Golan, I’ve thought of that. I’ve thought of nothing but that for days. I expect her to grow tired of me; I’m no romantic idiot. But whatever she gives me till then will be enough. She has already given me enough. I have received more from her than I dreamed existed in life. If I saw her no more from this moment on, I have ended the winner.† â€Å"I don’t believe it,† said Trevize gently. â€Å"I think you are a romantic idiot and, mind you, I wouldn’t want you any other way. Janov, we haven’t known each other for long, but we’ve been together every moment for weeks and – I’m sorry if it sounds silly – I like you a great deal.† â€Å"And I, you, Golan,† said Pelorat. â€Å"And I don’t want you hurt. I must talk to Bliss.† â€Å"No no. Please don’t. You’ll lecture her.† â€Å"I won’t lecture her. It’s not entirely to do with you – and I want to talk to her privately. Please, Janov, I don’t want to do it behind your back, so grant me your willingness to have me talk to her and get a few things straight. If I am satisfied, I will give you my heartiest congratulations and goodwill – and I will forever hold my peace, whatever happens.† Pelorat shook his head. â€Å"You’ll ruin things.† â€Å"I promise I won’t I beg you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, But do be careful, my dear fellow, won’t you?† â€Å"You have my solemn word.† Bliss said, â€Å"Pel says you want to see me.† Trevize said, â€Å"Yes.† They were indoors, in the small apartment allotted to him. She sat down gracefully, crossed her legs, and looked up at him shrewdly, her beautiful brown eyes luminous and her long, dark hair glistening. She said, â€Å"You disapprove of me, don’t you? You have disapproved of me from the start.† Trevize remained standing. He said, â€Å"You are aware of minds and of their contents. You know what I think of you and why.† Slowly Bliss shook her head. â€Å"Your mind is out of bounds to Gaia. You know that. Your decision was needed and it had to be the decision of a clear and untouched mind. When your ship was first taken, I placed you and Pel within a soothing field, but that was essential. You would have been damaged – and perhaps rendered useless for a crucial time – by panic or rage. And that was all. I could never go beyond that and I haven’t – so I don’t know what you’re thinking.† Trevize said, â€Å"The decision I had to make has been made. I decided in favor of Gaia and Galaxia. Why, then, all this talk of a clear and untouched mind? You have what you want and you can do with me now as you wish.† â€Å"Not at all, Trev. There are other decisions that may be needed in the future. You remain what you are and, while you are alive, you are a rare natural resource of the Galaxy. Undoubtedly there are others like you in the Galaxy and others like you will appear in the future, but for now we know of you – and only you. We still cannot touch you.† Trevize considered. â€Å"You are Gaia and I don’t want to talk to Gaia. I want to talk to you as an individual, if that has any meaning at all.† â€Å"It has meaning. We are far from existing in a common melt. I can block off Gaia for a period of time.† â€Å"Yes,† said Trevize. â€Å"I think you can. Have you now done so?† â€Å"I have now done so.† â€Å"Then, first, let me tell you that you have played games. You did not enter my mind to influence my decision, perhaps, but you certainly entered Janov’s mind to do so, didn’t you?† â€Å"Do you think I did?† â€Å"I think you did. At the crucial moment, Pelorat reminded me of his own vision of the Galaxy as alive and the thought drove me on to make my decision at that moment. The thought may have been his, but yours was the mind that triggered it, was it not?† Bliss said, â€Å"The thought was in his mind, but there were many thoughts there. I smoothed the path before that reminiscence of his about the living Galaxy – and not before any other thought of his. That particular thought, therefore, slipped easily out of his consciousness and into words. Mind you, I did not create the thought. It was there.† â€Å"Nevertheless, that amounted to an indirect tampering with the perfect independence of my decision, did it not?† â€Å"Gaia felt it necessary.† â€Å"Did it? – Well, it may make you feel better – or nobler – to know that although Janov’s remark persuaded me to make the decision at that moment, it was the decision I think I would have made even if he had said nothing or if he had tried to argue me into a decision of a different kind. I want you to know that.† â€Å"I am relieved,† said Bliss coolly. â€Å"Is that what you wanted to tell me when you asked to see me?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"What else is there?† Now Trevize sat down in a chair he had drawn opposite her so that their knees nearly touched. He leaned toward her. â€Å"When we approached Gaia, it was you on the space station. It was you who trapped us; you who came out to get us; you who have remained with us ever since – except for the meal with Dom, which you did not share with us. In particular, it was you on the Far Star with us, when the decision was made. Always you.† â€Å"I am Gaia.† â€Å"That does not explain it. A rabbit is Gaia. A pebble is Gaia. Everything on the planet is Gaia, but they are not all equally Gaia. Some are more equal than others. Why you?† â€Å"Why do you think?† Trevize made the plunge. He said, â€Å"Because I don’t think you’re Gaia. I think you’re more than Gaia.† Bliss made a derisive sound with her lips. Trevize kept to his course. â€Å"At the time I was making the decision, the woman with the Speaker†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He called her Novi.† â€Å"This Novi, then, said that Gaia was set on its course by the robots that no longer exist and that Gaia was taught to follow a version of the Three Laws of Robotics.† â€Å"That is quite true.† â€Å"And the robots no longer exist?† â€Å"So Novi said.† â€Å"So Novi did not say. I remember her exact words. She said: ‘Gaia was formed thousands of years ago with the help of robots that once, for a brief time, served The human species and now serve them no more.† â€Å"Well, Trev, doesn’t that mean they exist no more?† â€Å"No, it means they serve no more. Might they not rule instead?† â€Å"Ridiculous!† â€Å"Or supervise? Why were you there at the time of the decision? You did not seem to be essential. It was Novi who conducted matters and she was Gaia. What need of you? Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well? Unless?† â€Å"Unless you are the supervisor whose role it is to make certain that Gaia does not forget the Three Laws. Unless you are a robot, so cleverly made that you cannot be told from a human being.† â€Å"If I cannot be told from a human being, how is it you think that you can tell?† asked Bliss with a trace of sarcasm. Trevize sat back. â€Å"Do you not all assure me I have the faculty of being sure; of making decisions, seeing solutions, drawing correct conclusions. I don’t claim this; it is what you say of me. Well, from the moment I saw you I felt uneasy. There was something wrong with you. I am certainly as susceptible to feminine allure as Pelorat is – more so, I should think – and you are an attractive woman in appearance. Yet not for one moment did I feel the slightest attraction.† â€Å"You devastate me.† Trevize ignored that. He said, â€Å"When you first appeared on our ship, Janov and I had been discussing the possibility of a nonhuman civilization on Gaia, and when Janov saw you, he asked, in his innocence, ‘Are you human?’ Perhaps a robot must answer the truth, but I suppose it can be evasive. You merely said, ‘Don’t I look human?’ Yes, you look human, Bliss, but let me ask you again. Are you human?† Bliss said nothing and Trevize continued. â€Å"I think that even at that first moment, I felt you were not a woman. You are a robot and I could somehow tell. And because of my feeling, all the events that followed had meaning for me – particularly your absence from the dinner.† Bliss said, â€Å"Do you think I cannot eat, Trev? Have you forgotten I nibbled a shrimp dish on your ship? I assure you that I am able to eat and perform any of the other biological functions. – Including, before you ask, sex. And yet that in itself, I might as well tell you, does not prove that I am not a robot. Robots had reached the pitch of perfection, even thousands of years ago, where only by their brains were they distinguishable from human beings, and then only by those able to handle mentalic fields. Speaker Gendibal might have been able to tell whether I were robot or human, if he had bothered even once to consider me. Of course, he did not.† â€Å"Yet, though I am without mentalics, I am nevertheless convinced you are a robot† Bliss said, â€Å"But what if I am? I admit nothing, but I am curious. What if I am?† â€Å"You have no need to admit anything. I know you are a robot If I needed a last bit of evidence, it was your calm assurance that you could block off Gaia and speak to me as an individual. I don’t think you could do that if you were part of Gaia – but you are not You are a robot supervisor and, therefore, outside of Gaia. I wonder, come to think of it, how many robot supervisors Gaia requires and possesses?† â€Å"I repeat: I admit nothing, but I am curious. What if I am a robot?† â€Å"In that case, what I want to know is: What do you want of Janov Pelorat? He is my friend and he is, in some ways, a child. He thinks he loves you; he thinks he wants only what you are willing to give and that you have already given him enough. He doesn’t know – and cannot conceive – the pain of the loss of love or, for that matter, the peculiar pain of knowing that you are not human†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you know the pain of lost love?† â€Å"I have had my moments. I have not led the sheltered life of Janov. I have not had my life consumed and anesthetized by an intellectual pursuit that swallowed up everything else, even wife and child. He has. Now suddenly, he gives it all up for you. I do not want him hurt. I will not have him hurt. If I have served Gaia, I deserve a reward – and my reward is your assurance that Janov Pelorat’s well-being will be preserved.† â€Å"Shall I pretend I am a robot and answer you?† Trevize said, â€Å"Yes. And right now.† â€Å"Very well, then. Suppose I am a robot, Trev, and suppose I am in a position of supervision. Suppose there are a few, a very few, who have a similar role to myself and suppose we rarely meet. Suppose that our driving force is the need to care for human beings and suppose there are no true humans beings on Gaia, because all are part of an overall planetary being. â€Å"Suppose that it fulfills us to care for Gaia – but not entirely. Suppose there is something primitive in us that longs for a human being in the sense that existed when robots were first formed and designed. Don’t mistake me; I do not claim to be age-old (assuming I am a robot). I am as old as I told you I was or, at least, (assuming I am a robot) that has been the term of my existence. Still, (assuming I am a robot) my fundamental design would be as it always was and I would long to care for a true human being. â€Å"Pel is a human being. He is not part of Gaia. He is too old to ever become a true part of Gaia. He wants to stay on Gaia with me, for he does not have the feelings about me that you have. He does not think that I am a robot. Well, I want him, too. If you assume that I am a robot, you see that I would. I am capable of all human reactions and I would love him. If you were to insist I was a robot, you might not consider me capable of love in some mystic human sense, but you would not be able to distinguish my reactions from that which you would call love – so what difference would it make?† She stopped and looked at him – intransigently proud. Trevize said, â€Å"You are telling me that you would not abandon him?† â€Å"If you assume that I am a robot, then you can see for yourself that by First Law I could never abandon him, unless he ordered me to do so and I were, in addition, convinced that he meant it and that I would be hurting him more by staying than by leaving.† â€Å"Would not a younger man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What younger man? You are a younger man, but I do not conceive you as needing me in the same sense that Pel does, and, in fact, you do not want me, so that the First Law would prevent me from attempting to cling to you.† â€Å"Not me. Another younger man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"There is no other. Who is there on Gaia other than Pel and yourself that would qualify as human beings in the non-Gaian sense?† Trevize said, more softly, â€Å"And if you are not a robot?† â€Å"Make up your mind,† said Bliss. â€Å"I say, if you are not a robot?† â€Å"Then I say that, in that case, you have no right to say anything at all. It is for myself and for Pel to decide.† Trev said, â€Å"Then I return to my first point. I want my reward and that reward is that you will treat him well. I won’t press the point of your identity. Simply assure me, as one intelligence to another, that you will treat him well.† And Bliss said softly, â€Å"I will treat him well – not as a reward to you, but because I wish to. It is my earnest desire. I will treat him well.† She called â€Å"Pel!† And again, â€Å"Pel!† Pelorat entered from outside, â€Å"Yes, Bliss.† Bliss held out her hand to him. â€Å"I think Trev wants to say something.† Pelorat took her hand and Trevize then took the doubled hand in his two. â€Å"Janov,† he said, â€Å"I am happy for both of you.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Oh, my dear fellow.† Trevize said, â€Å"I will probably be leaving Gaia. I go now to speak to Dom about that. I don’t know when or if we will meet again, Janov, but, in any case, we did well together.† â€Å"We did well,† said Pelorat, smiling. â€Å"Good-bye, Bliss, and, in advance, thank you.† â€Å"Good-bye, Trev.† And Trevize, with a wave of his hand, left the house. Dom said, â€Å"You did well, Trev. – But then, you did as I thought you would.† They were once more sitting over a meal, as unsatisfactory as the first had been, but Trevize did not mind. He might not be eating on Gaia again. He said, â€Å"I did as I thought you would, but not, perhaps, for the reason you thought I would.† â€Å"Surely you were sure of the correctness of your decision.† â€Å"Yes, I was, but not because of any mystic grip I have on certainty. If I chose Galaxia, it was through ordinary reasoning – the sort of reasoning that anyone else might have used to come to a decision. Would you care to have me explain?† â€Å"I most certainly would, Trev.† Trevize said, â€Å"There were three things I might have done. I might have joined the First Foundation, or joined the Second Foundation, or joined Gaia. â€Å"If I had joined the First Foundation, Mayor Branno would have taken immediate action to establish domination over the Second Foundation and over Gaia. If I had joined the Second Foundation, Speaker Gendibal would have taken immediate action to establish domination over the First Foundation and over Gaia. In either case, what would have taken place would have been irreversible – and if either were the wrong solution, it would have been irreversibly catastrophic. â€Å"If I joined with Gaia, however, then the First Foundation and the Second Foundation would each have been left with the conviction of having won a relatively minor victory. All would then have continued as before, since the building of Galaxia, I had already been told, would take generations, even centuries. â€Å"Joining with Gaia was my way of temporizing, then, and of making sure that there would remain time to modify matters – or even reverse them – if my decision were wrong.† Dom raised his eyebrows. His old, almost cadaverous face remained otherwise expressionless. He said in his piping voice, â€Å"And is it your opinion that your decision may turn out wrong?† Trevize shrugged. â€Å"I don’t think so, but there is one thing I must do in order that I might know. It is my intention to visit Earth, if I can find that world.† â€Å"We will certainly not stop you if you wish to leave us, Trev†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I do not fit on your world.† â€Å"No more than Pel does, yet you are as welcome to remain as he is. Still, we will not hold you. – But tell me, why do you wish to visit Earth?† Trevize said, â€Å"I rather think you understand.† â€Å"I do not.† â€Å"There is a piece of information you withheld from me, Dom. Perhaps you had your reasons, but I wish you had not.† Dom said, â€Å"I do not follow you.† â€Å"Look, Dom, in order to make my decision, I used my computer and for a brief moment I found myself in touch with the minds of those about me – Mayor Branno, Speaker Gendibal, Novi. I caught glimpses of a number of matters that, in isolation, meant little to me, as, for example, the various effects Gaia, through Novi, had produced on Trantor – effects that were intended to maneuver the Speaker into going to Gaia.† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"And one of those things was the clearing from Trantor’s library of all references to Earth.† â€Å"The clearing of references to Earth?† â€Å"Exactly. So Earth must be important – and not only does it appear that the Second Foundation must know nothing about it, but that I must not, either. And if I am to take the responsibility for the direction of Galactic development, I do not willingly accept ignorance. Would you consider telling me why it was so important to keep knowledge of Earth hidden?† Dom said solemnly, â€Å"Trev, Gaia knows nothing about such clearance. Nothing!† â€Å"Are you telling me that Gaia is not responsible?† â€Å"It is not responsible.† Trevize thought for a while, the tip of his tongue moving slowly and meditatively over his lips. â€Å"Who was responsible, then?† â€Å"I don’t know. I can see no purpose in it.† The two men stared at each other and then Dom said, â€Å"You are right. We had seemed to have reached a most satisfactory conclusion, but while this point remains unsettled, we dare not rest. – Stay a while with us and let us see what we can reason out. Then you can leave, with our full help.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Trevize. THE END How to cite Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER TWENTY CONCLUSION, Essay examples

Gothams City Cemetery Essay Example For Students

Gothams City Cemetery Essay Constructing a cemetery is very useful for many reasons. People in Gotham City should construct a cemetery instead of a monument because people will use it, people will visit it and people will remember it. People in Gotham City need a cemetery than a monument. A cemetery will bring people happier. Many people should prefer to construct a cemetery. A monument will not be helpful for the people in that city. First, constructing a cemetery will be useful for many people in Gotham City because people could bury their death relatives. There are many of people that could not be buried because there is not enough cemeteries where to bury them. So, the cemetery can be used for many people in the city. A monument will not be used like the cemetery. The monument will be a waist of money for the city. The city will make money with the cemetery. Second, people in Gotham City will remember a cemetery than a monument. Many people used to visit the cemetery almost every year. For example my family always every year went to the cementary to visit our little brother. We went there because we want to remember our brother and bring him fresh flowers. A monument will not be visited for many people like the cemetery. A monument is not important to people like a cementary because the monument is a still statue that we didnt use it. The cemetery is a place that we can use and visit every day or the year. Third, people will be happier if they have a place where to visit their relatives. Also. They have a place where they can talk and cry all the time they want without any interruption or person that could disturb them. For, example I like to go to the cemetery to talk with my brother; in there I cry all the time I wan to. In there I can take out all my stress that I had. I think that some people do the same. A monument didnt represent anything to many people because it is a huge thing that we see but we didnt have any feelings for it. A cemetery represent to us many things like nostalgia, happiness, and sadness. We can feel these feelings in the cemetery because of ours relatives that are in there. Finally, the cemetery will be a good idea to construct in Gotham City because it is very important to many people. The cemetery will be a place where we can go any day that we like it. Also, it is a place were people visit when they need the necessity to go. I like this place because I feel free walking around the graves and visiting those that no one visits. People like those places were can feel some kind of feelings. As you can see a cemetery should be construct instead of a monument because it is better for the city and the people of Gotham City.

WWII Why did the U.S. get involved in the war Essay Example For Students

WWII: Why did the U.S. get involved in the war? Essay At the beginning, the United States expressed the determination toremain a neutral nation. When W.W.II began, opinions among the Americans weredivided. Some felt that the Nazi Germany was not only a threat to Europe anddemocracy, but to civilization itself. Other believed that Europes wars wereno affairs of the U.S. As the war progressed, the U.S. found itself getting involved. Theyfelt sympathy for the British after what happened at Dunkirk. They startedhelping G.B. with weapons and food. 50 old American naval destroyers were sentto Britain. Now it was clear the U.S. were on the Allies side but they stillwerent physically involved in the big war. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on theAmerican naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Their aim was to strike such asevere blow that the U.S. would not rival the Japanese in the Pacific(boy werethey wrong or what). American ships were sunk or badly damaged. American deadtotaled over 2,300. The United States werent going to take that from theJapanese and on December 8, 1941, congress declared war on Japan and so did theBritish Parliament. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on theU.S., and the congress replied with its own declaration of war. At this time,the United States of America were full-fledged belligerent in World War II. We will write a custom essay on WWII: Why did the U.S. get involved in the war? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

ASDA’s motivation techniques Essay Example

ASDA’s motivation techniques Essay Example ASDA’s motivation techniques Paper ASDA’s motivation techniques Paper McGregor is the final theorist of motivations and he carried out research into the two different styles of management. He identified that there are two different types, Theory Y and Theory X managers. These two have different views about employees’ attitudes to work. A management style is the typical characteristics and behaviours of a manager over a period of time. The Theory X manager will be inclined to be autocratic- telling employees what needs to be done, punishing and telling off when the step out of line and giving rewards for carrying out tasks to a good standard. Theory Y managers will be more democratic, giving more responsibility to employees and trusting them to work independently. A Theory X manager is most likely to create a workplace based on simply meeting Maslow’s lower needs, and focusing on what Herzberg termed movement and hygiene factors. For example making sure that the workplace is safe and that workers have acceptable toilet and washing facilities. Within ASDA there are both types of managers for the various departments, all of the staff are motivated individually depending on what type of person they are, for example if a Theory X manager is based around checkouts as this requires more set procedures and instructions, however a Theory Y manager would be those who work on fruit and vegetable who only require simply movement and require good hygiene factors. Herzberg Along with Maslow, Herzberg believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. He said that there were certain factors that at business could introduce that would directly motivate employs to work harder. However there were also factors that would de-motivate an employee if not present but not in themselves actually motivate employees to work harder such as hygiene factors. Motivators are more concerned with the actual job it’s self and will look out for certain things such as promotions and extra responsibility. Herzberg believed that businesses should motivate employees by adopting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through certain methods. These are: job enlargement where the workers have a variety of tasks to perform, job enrichment which involved workers being given a wider range of more complexes, interesting challenging work and empowerment where they are delegated a higher amount of authority. ASDA clearly take this theorist into account as they ensure that the staff all have the highest amount of work to do and are never free. This ensures that all the staff is motivated at all times. In addition ASDA ensure that their staff has a large workload to keep them occupied at all times. This will therefore act as a great motivator. Methodology To complete this coursework, I will use a selection of resources to be certain that I get the best possible picture of what motivational strategies ASDA use. I have e-mailed ASDA asking whether they could provide me with information on how they motivate staff and they replied giving me a telephone number where I can have any questions answered, this will be one of my major recourses of information along with the internet and books. Finally, I also have a family member who has been involved in human recourses management of ASDA and I will ask her what various steps ASDA take to create a well-motivated environment. She will be a great source of information as everything will be valid and true unlike websites which can often not be truthful. Finally I will use the A-level business book which will enable me to understand a variety of motivational strategies, combining all of these I should hopefully come to a legitimate statement of how staff are motivated within this establishment. ASDA’s motivation techniques ASDA Stores Ltd. is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, (via the Vodafone Network), ASDA Mobile. Its head office is at ASDA House in Leeds, West Yorkshire. ASDA became a subsidiary of the American retail giant Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer in 1999, and is the UKs second largest chain by market share after Tesco. In December 2010, ASDA’s share of the UK grocery market stood at 16.5%. With this business being one of the largest supermarkets in the world, they also have stores in America; I feel that this would be an excellent company to observe on the motivation techniques as they are such a well-known company. Certain stores have around 523 employees therefore they have much practise on how to motivate each employee to ensure that they produce work to the highest standards. ASDA is a hierarchical structure because it has a lot of layers and also a lot of people reporting into more than one person before that information get to the boss. A hierarchical structure has many levels. Each level is controlled by one person. A hierarchical company tends to be a very big company just like ASDA is. In a hierarchical instructions are generally passed down from one person to another until it gets to the bottom of the hierarchical structure. If there was a problem in a hierarchical structure it would move up through the structure again from one person to another until it gets to where it is supported to be. Strengths of a Hierarchical structure in a hierarchical structure there is a close control of workers. Workers in ASDA will know exactly what they have to do so they dont wait around until they are told what they have to do. There is a small span of control. A span of control is when an amount of people report to one person. Also there is a better chance for promotion. One weaknesses of hierarchical structure information is slow moving. There may be poor communication between departments. Also workers may not feel involved in the business and they may not feel motivated to work. The types of communication used in a Hierarchical structure. The type of communication used is hierarchical will be more written communication. It will be written communication because the information will have a long way to go before it gets to the person. If it was verbal then when the message gets passed on it will change along the way. Any problems in communication and how I can solve it the problem with communication in hierarchical will be: communication will be slow, might not reach its destination and the information might change. I am going to focus specifically on the employees within ASDA stores and how they are motivated due to all of the reasons above, and also as they are highly known for their strategies employed to stimulate their staff. As there are many employees working within the stores, I will be able to gain a true insight into how they motivate and what scheme’s and approaches they take. It is important for ASDA to motivate their staff as it can have an effect on the output of their entire business and concerns both quantity and quality of products. If they do not motivate their staff then they will not feel inspired to carry out work to their highest potential, this can have major implications as not only will it reduce the amount of production but it will also produce negative customer service, as a result they will produce an un-enthusiastic and off-putting image for the entire business, this could lead to potential customers shopping at competitors such as Tesco or Sainsbury’s, for this reason it is essential that ASDA motivate their staff to the highest possible way. It is the mission statement of ASDA, To be the world’s leading supermarket. It has many aims and objective. ASDA believe that by following its aims and objectives, it can successfully turn their mission statement into a reality. Aims In relation to other supermarkets, ASDA is one of the fastest growing supermarket chains. However in order to maintain its lead position, ASDA states several main aims which it constantly strives to achieve.

Beowulf vs. Modern Society

Beowulf and the modern American life in modern society and the world of Beowulf have similarities. Is it possible for a technology-oriented world like us to have something in common with the world that has never heard even about electricity? This technology truly separates us from our previous civilization. What is the difference between our ideas of today and the idea of ​​ancient culture? Although it may not look like this, there are actually many similarities between our world and Beowulf's world. Beowulf is a classic epic depicting his behavior of bringing justice and peace to the Northern European community by eroding Beowulf's heroism and eradicating Glendell. The original manuscript (700-1000 A.D.) And Modern Film (2005) show significant differences between character's features and explanations, important quotes, location descriptions, motivations, presence of roles and occurring events I am clarifying. So, this modern adaptation, Beowulf and Grendel, ancient tex t Modern works deal directly with the difference between Beowulf and modern heroes. JRR Tolkien is known for writing Lord of the Rings, but he is also a Beowulf scholar. Like Beowulf he wrote a very similar role in his epic. Boromir is a proud, proud, powerful warrior, like Beowulf. His greatest wish is to fight for his people. However, in the world of Lord of the Rings, Beowulf's values ​​have led to destruction. Boromir wishes to use One Ring as a weapon against the enemy, as Beowulf did. But such power aspirations will erode Boromir, even in good fights. He was destroyed by the ring. Humble Frodo Bagkins is the hero of this story. Frodo is a contemporary hero because he rejects power and fame and is satisfied with becoming an ordinary person. As Turkien's society has nuclear weapons, in his story, like Medieval Beowulf, it brought disastrous results. Beowulf is not suitable for the modern world Heroes like Superman have much in common with Beowulf even after more th an a few centuries. Today's superheroes can behave like medieval Beowulf. However, many modern heroes use their wisdom rather than the power like Beowulf like Batman. Even modern heroes with much in common with Beowulf are different because they are social heroes of different value from the world that produced Beowulf, so it is different. JRR Beowulf scholar Tolkien solved the difference between Beowulf and Lord of the Rings' modern hero directly. Modern heroes like Luke Skywalker and Frodo Baggins are heroic because they reject power and refuse to fight. Beowulf 's echo is still heard, but the modern world has its own hero type reflecting modern priorities.

DNA Testing in the Criminal Justice System Term Paper

DNA Testing in the Criminal Justice System - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, the history of the criminal justice system in the country has proven that evidences based on the DNA remains the most potent tool for convicting criminals and even exonerating persons not guilty of crimes. This paper aims to explain in brief the value of this type of concrete evidence in the investigation and prosecution of suspected criminals. Some prominent cases in criminal justice history are mentioned in order to establish its point. Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is a genetic construction of the material, which exists in all cells of living organisms. It is the basic building block of a person's genetic structure. A person's DNA is unique. Wherever it is taken from, whether from a person's hair, bones, skin cells or blood, the DNA is the same. It can also be taken from forms of excretion from the human body such perspiration, urine, saliva, semen, and feces (DNA Initiative). Due to the uniqueness of DNA for every individual, identification has been its most major use. Many times, taking samples of human skin, bones, or hair from an unrecognizable dead body can lead into its identification if the person already has a DNA record prior to his death. For decades already, it has also been used as evidence in crimes, which can be used to identify a victim or point out the suspect. In fact, this has been considered as the most convincing piece of evidence that could be used in prosecuting and convicting a criminal. DNA is a type of physical evidence accepted by the courts. (National Institute of Justice, US DOJ) This is, particularly a biological evidence, which is tangible enough to implicate person to a crime. Forensics, the scientific tests or techniques used in a criminal investigation, have made DNA sampling the most important part of any scene of the crime investigations. Crime scene investigators have been equipped with knowledge, skills, and the most high technological instruments to handle DNA evidences. This task involves identifying, collecting and examining DNA samples from a crime scene. This also includes analyzing it in an appropriately equipped laboratory. Ultimately, this also leads to presenting such evidences in court. (DNA Initiative) The contribution of DNA evidences in solving crimes is already a fact all police investigators have considered. In fact, even much older cases that were believed unsolvable can be concluded with the culprits discovered if there are evidences from which DNA can be extracted for analysis. Anthropologists and biologists, in studying and identifying specimen hundreds of years old, have used this method. Therefore, it is not impossible to do the same with crimes that may have been committed decades ago. The common perception is that evidences containing DNA samples cannot be easily tampered with. What it is needed for a breakthrough in a crime scene investigation is that such physical evidences are found such as a strand of hair, a used drinking cup, or drop of blood. This is the reason why police investigators have become strict in maintaining the integrity of a crime scene by ensuring that no unauthorized intrusion is made. The skills involved are too much for an ordinary police officer, which means that only those who have the training and the

Matallgesellschafts Hedging Debacle Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Matallgesellschafts Hedging Debacle - Case Study Example This discussion highlights that the action taken by the board was a clear sign of panic from their side; the board replaced MG’s top management and liquidating the firm’s derivative position and forward supply contracts. These actions clearly portray a board on panic since it did not take time to reconsider other options available. It was not the fault of the top management that oil prices fell thus sacking them would not change a thing. The new top managers appointed did nothing to reverse the situation; instead, they declared the speculative oil prices as the cause of the huge losses incurred by the firm. The case ends with an end to the firm’s involvement in the oil market but not a solution that would improve the firm’s position in the oil market.This study discusses that there is a high possibility that the firm’s board did not understand the full implication of the hedging strategy. The strategy was to hedge against rise in prices of oil produ cts in the market. Incase prices went up; the firm stood a chance of making a good profit. However, loss was an inevitable part of the strategy that was not considered early in advance. If the board understood the whole hedging strategy, it would have reconsidered before ending the firm’s involvement in the oil market. Possibly, it would have found ways to minimize losses as they await oil prices to pick in future to enable the firm recover the loss and possibly make profits.

Free

Freefall by Joseph Stiglitz Essay Freefall: Free markets and the sinking of the global economy by Joseph Stiglitz (2010) One page Summary Joseph Stiglitz is an American economist and a professor at Columbia University. Dr. Stiglitz is currently the Chair of Columbia University’s Committee on Global Thought. He received his PhD. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1967. Dr. Stiglitz served as the World Bank’s Senior Vice President for Development Economics and Chief Economist from 1997 to 1999. He was the Chairman of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors before his tenure at World Bank. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his analysis of markets with asymmetric information and pioneered pivotal concepts such as adverse selection and moral hazard. He also founded a leading economics journal namely The Journal of Economic Perspectives. In 2011, Dr. Stiglitz was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in Time. Freefall is a book concentrated at the financial crisis of 2007-2009. It is also a book about a battle of ideas, essentially the ideas that led to failed policies that precipitated the crisis. Nobel laureate, Joseph Stiglitz uncovers the fundamental causes of the crisis and the flawed policies taken by the financial institutions as well as the Federal Reserve in a historical, political and comparative context. The financial system may have exacerbated the collapse but the crisis instead as he argued, originated in an overblown housing market, which pushed the creation of America’s addiction to consumption when it should be saving. He argues about the market imperfections and misaligned incentives that distorted the decisions made by everyone from mortgage originators to credit-rating agencies. He mentions about regulators making the mistaken judgment that markets worked well and no regulations were needed. Under this misjudgment, banks were able to transform risky subprime mortgages into AAA-rated products and encouraged the uninformed poor people to take out variable-rate mortgages which resulted people rushing to get what seemed like ‘free lunch’. Stiglitz then mentions the policies made by both the Bush and Obama administrations at that time. He sees the little change from the Republican, far-right days of Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush. Despite Obama was elected on the promise of ‘hope’ and ‘change’ and was forced into the midst of the economic crisis from the first days in office, Stiglitz claims the restorative actions taken were done in a ‘muddle through’ way and describes how the Obama administration has shown a disturbing ongoing complacency towards bankers and continued to bail out ‘too big to fail’ banks that were prohibited by the Glass-Steagal Act in the earlier era. As a result, the government injected taxpayers’ money into the banks which allowed resumption of the culture of paying out outsized bonuses and taking high-risk transactions. He also criticized Obama refusing to formulate a vision by stating the entire electoral appeal was solely based on feel-good vagueness and argued that the lack of vision would put the ‘reform’ p rocess in halt which leave the country more fragile. He argues the state should have forced the banks to restructure financially at the height of the crisis, wiping out shareholders and instead handing out ownership to bondholders. Furthermore, he argues the need for a second round of stimulation plan beyond 2009’s $789 billion package as unemployment stood at around 10% and university graduates were lost in the harsh economic climate under the drastic cut in entry-level jobs. In the final chapters, Stiglitz emphasizes the need for regulations and argues the developed world must need a reformed financial system which performs core functions namely sound risk management and efficient payments mechanism. Whilst Stiglitz advocates for a forcible break-up of top banks together with statutory protection for the financial products such as derivatives, he argues that citizens, policymakers, government leaders and the private sector needs to rethink on how they value outputs in the economy so that it will narrow the inequalities in the society.

Drinking on College Campuses :: beer Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism,

Drinking on College Campuses Beer bongs, keg stands, and a million new drinks to discover, these are what college is all about. First-year students are introduced to a whole new world of parties that last until 3 a.m. and drinking beer for the usual breakfast. The week consists of concentrating on school for about 4 days of the week and partying 3 days. The money that was supposed to go towards books and gas to get home has been hoarded for the latest beer run or was used to get into the bar. This trend is getting into the habit of drinking as you enter college; it seems the two go hand in hand. It has become a rite of passage that weaved its way into the introduction of university life (National Institute, October 2002). Those students who never drank in high school seem to think drinking is suddenly okay when they start studying for their bachelor’s degree. This addition of responsibility is then balanced by the act of partying. It seems completely absurd that students choose to drink while investing around $20,000 a year in school. It all starts at high school graduation. Drinking is suddenly endorsed, or protested less, by parents, coaches, adults, organizations, and businesses. When seniors in high school finally graduate, it is common for a party to be thrown in their honor. Some of these parties include alcohol, and we can be pretty sure it wasn’t bought by the graduate unless they flunked a few times and are of legal age. Parents, other adults, and older friends supply the liquor and beer for the underage partiers. When the graduates make the next major step in their life and head for college, they are confronted with many opportunities to get hammered, sloshed, annihilated, drunk, inebriated, intoxicated, wasted, and totally smashed. Other college students are eager to help their young, new friends out by taking them for a trip to the liquor store. Since some bars are legal to those over the age of eighteen, it’s not a problem getting served there either. The 21 year-olds are conveniently stamped for minors looking to spot a potential buyer. Since a minor isn’t worried about getting served, the most apparent problem is getting to the bar. One setting of this national trend can be studied locally.

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest

Art from its very beginning has played the role of upgrading the value of the society. Literature works have taken the responsibility of improving the value of the degraded societies. Literature works are the perfect mirrors of the nature, culture and practices prevailed in societies existed in different ages. Literature of twentieth century would differ from that of the twenty-first century. The characters of the literature works are the representatives of the generation of that period. Poets and authors were very much aware and bothered about the society and people and used their pen as a sword to destroy the evilness that existed. The best way to learn history and culture and the life of early generations is to move through the literature works of that particular period.Plays of famous playwrights beautifully illustrate the whole generation of that age. It will also reflect the dialect and standard of the generation. Writings in particular have the capability to touch the very bas e of the society by criticizing and applauding its activities, conventions, customs and practices. All the plays, novels and other works have something good to exhort to the society. A piece of writing will be highly influenced by the background of the author and the place which he represents. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Hamlet by William Shakespeare are two examples of such works that contain high moral and social theme in it. The Importance of Being Earnest of Oscar Wilde is an ultimate demolition of late nineteenth-century moral and social attitudes and is a comic critique of late Victorian value.Oscar Wilde's witty remark ‘The truth is rarely pure and never simple’ exhibits a major theme of the play. ‘Truth’ in Victorian England was revealed in the stagnant social conventions that suppressed individual expression. The play openly criticized various sluggish and vein practices. Oscar Wilde was against this conventional notion of tr uth as it was used to keep blinders on the society and prevented individuals from looking at life from different angles. He wanted define truth to a different way. He did not respect anything which is traditionally considered as truth value or morality.He was against the rigid set of rules that are supposed to be as truth or justice. There were various examples of human nature and reality that were evident throughout the play The Importance of Being Earnest. Human practices and the belief about morality or justice often will be quite away from the actual truth or justice. It is also a fantasy in which unattainable human ideals are permitted to realize themselves. He wonders what does it mean to be perfectly earnest? How does it differ from society and people? He himself was found to be perplexed while exploring certain things and cry out what meaning does the word earnest give. Oscar Wilde himself addressed this play as ‘A trivial comedy for serious people'. The moral confusio n in the play is an example of the mishap that prevailed in the contemporary Victorian society.In The Importance of Being Earnest, the concept of marriage is of paramount importance. The question of the nature of marriage appears first time in the opening dialogue among Algernon and his butler, Lane, and this point continues for a while. The play depicts an ongoing debate about the nature of marriage, discussing whether it is ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant.’ Lane says that marriage is a pleasant state though he late says that his marriage was the consequence of a serious ‘misunderstanding between myself and a young person’. The concepts of Lane about marriage is ‘somewhat lax’ as far as Algernon is concerned.His concepts are found to be persistently cynical till he falls in love with Cecily. Algernon, but, opines that the truth â€Å"isn’t quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl.† These contrasting and confusing views of these characters of the play are the original reflection of the chaotic Victorian society and their morality. The Importance of Being Earnest intended nothing but pure criticism.In general these assumptions reveal the conventional preoccupations of Victorian respectability; its social position, character and income. Morality and the constraints is also a major topic throughout The Importance of Being Earnest. Algernon (character) is of the opinion that it is the responsibility of the servant class to set a moral standard for the upper classes. In Jack’s (character) opinion, reading a private cigarette case itself can be ‘ungentlemanly.’ Algernon points that ‘More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn’t read’.   All these assumptions and restrictions formulated a strict code of morals that prevail in Victorian society. Oscar Wilde is not bothered with questions of what is moral and what is not.He howe ver criticizes the whole Victorian concept of considering morality as a rigid body of rules defining what people should and should not do. ‘Earnestness’, which stands for the quality of being serious and the quality of being sincere, is the chief object of satire of the play. Oscar Wilde wants us to consider irreverence, the opposite of earnestness, as the true moral character. But, earnestness, seriousness or sincerity is the chief most enemy of morality in The Importance of Being Earnest. Earnestness may appear in different styles like boringness, solemnity pomposity, smugness, self-righteousness, sense of duty, and complacency all of which Wilde saw as hallmarks of the Victorian character.For Oscar Wilde, the term earnest is a combination of two ideas: the notion of false truth as well as the idea of false morality. We can see Jack and Algernon attempting to break away from the strictures of modesty and decency by inventing some fabricated alter egos. It is nothing b ut the false morality and values of the Victorian society that impelled them for this. These incidents are the pure example of the haughtiness, smugness and other false practices prevailed in the Victorian society. The Importance of Being Earnest. Criticizes the whole Victorian morality; their false strictness and practices.The pun in the play strikes at the core of the Victorian concept of duty and respectability. We can see Gwendolen desiring to marry Earnest though she is not sure of this earnestness. She simply forgives the deception of Jack. Jack pretends to be both ‘Earnest’ and ‘earnest’ and become the representative of Victorian hypocrisy in the play. The notion of inversion (different types of inversion) found in The Importance of Being Earnest. is also intended to criticize similar morality in the Victorian society. Algernon says that ‘Divorces are made in Heaven’ which is against the common notion that ‘Marriages are made in He aven’. Jack later says that it is ‘terrible’ for a man to be truthful throughout his life.This represents the decayed morality and practices prevailed in the contemporary Victorian society. The characters of the play simply inverted the conventional morality and displayed the standard of the Victorian society in their actions. The female characters of The Importance of Being Earnest. symbolize an inversion of accepted Victorian practices with respect to the gender roles. Gwendolen, Cecily, Lady Bracknell and al other characters possess a face of deception and false morality. The weakness of the characters represents the weakness of the contemporary Victorian society. The moral paradox, the moral breakdown of the Victorian society is the most evident theme of the play.Jokes about death are also visible throughout the play The Importance of Being Earnest. These death jokes give a layer of dark humor to the play and connect to the concept of life being a work of art . The characters in the play discuss death as a happening over which a person can gain control. Double life is another concept that is visible in The Importance of Being Earnest. One of the important paradoxes of The Importance of Being Earnest is the state of impossibility to become earnest or moral even though some people claim to be so. We can see Lady Bracknell commenting about death. An incident of inversion happens as she says that her friend Lady Harbury appears twenty years younger after her husband’s death. She is of the opinion that ‘death is an inconvenience for others’. When she hears about the death of Bunbury (as per the physicians’ predictions) she praises Bunbury as she moved ‘under proper medical advice’.As per the talk of Miss Prism, death is an experience from which people can learn a moral lesson. She opines that it would be good for Ernest to die. Algernon and Jack put plans for killing the imaginary brother of Jack. These superstitions, ignorance, death jokes or dark humor explain life as a wok of art. The character of the play considers death as something which is under the control of man. For them death is the ultimate decision that one can take to shape and color his life. These characters, their beliefs, thoughts and morality are directly pulled out from the life in the Victorian society. Victorian people maintained the same ideology during those times. Oscar Wilde was planning an open criticism through his play The Importance of Being Earnest.ReferencesJordan, R. J. (1970). Satire and Fantasy in Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.Reinert, O. (1956). Satiric Strategy in The Importance Of Being Earnest.Bloom, Harold. Oscar Wilde. New York: Chelsea House, 1985.Ericksen, Donald H. Oscar Wilde. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977.Freedman, Jonathan, ed. Oscar Wilde, A Collection of Critical Essays. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.Gagnier, Regenia. Idylls of the Marketplace, Osca r Wilde and the Victorian Public. Palo Alto, California: Stanford University Press, 1986.Pearce, Joseph. The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde. London: HarperCollins UK, 2001.Raby, Peter. Oscar Wilde. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.Siebold, Thomas. Readings on The Importance of Being Earnest. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, 2001.

Dubai Metro Case Study

Course Name: Fundamentals of Project Management Project Topic: Dubai Metro Analysis Submission Date: 19th April 2013 Submitted By: Ayaz Tariq (128403) / Syed Jamaluddin (105807) Table of Content 1)Summary of Project: Dubai Metro a)Why Dubai Metro was initiated b)Why we selected Dubai Metro 2)Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai Metro 3)Stakeholders of Dubai Metro 4)Dubai Metro Project Possible Constraints i)Resource Constraints ii)Delivery Constraints iii)Environmental Constraints iv)Budgetary Constraints v)Functionality Constraints )Dubai Metro Risk Analysis i)Political Risks ii)Environmental Risks iii)Security Risks iv)Social Risks v)Technology Risks vi)Legal Risks vii)Economical Risks 6)Dubai Metro Budget & Cost Analysis a)Different kind of costs variables involved b)How was budget estimated of Dubai Metro 7)Project Scheduling Analysis a)Sample Activity Network for Metro Station b)Different kind of activities with sample c)Different kind of Activities Lags in Dubai Metro d)How Gantt Chart / AON / AOA can be used for Dubai Metro 1)Summary of Project: – Dubai MetroThe Dubai Metro is fully automatic trains mean no drivers in City of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There are two lines which are currently operational categorized as Red Line and Green Line, However extension of this project includes around 4 More Lines and extension of existing 2 lines as well which is currently under construction expecting to finish by 2030. Dubai Metro opens at September 9 2009, Dubai Ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the founder of Dubai Metro, the. Giving convenience to people of Dubai during rush hours, around 1. Million passengers uses Dubai metro in its first month of operations and everyone were pretty satisfied as the services was matching the level of their expectations, Today many people in Dubai use Dubai Metro as a means of transportation. a)Why Dubai Metro Was Initiated? The combination of rapidly growing population expected to reach 3 Mil lion by 2017 a severe traffic jam prompted the government to build public transit rail system, with 87 trains and nearly 50 miles of track the Dubai Metro is the world longest Automatic Trail System. b)Why We Selected Dubai Metro?We saw this project as a skunk work and Dubai metro is one of the largest emirate’s infrastructure project in more than a decade, world largest automated driverless train system mentioned by Guinness world record as well which we can study various project management aspects of it. 2)Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai Metro: – While looking into Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai metro we identify following major points which was base of Dubai Metro Project The Dubai Metro will be driverless, fully automated metro network. It will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world when it opens.It will be having four lines (Blue, Green, Red and Purple) after completion Dubai metro will be having 70 kilometers of lines and 47 stations inclu ding 9 underground stations. 3)Stakeholders of Dubai Metro:- Internal Stakeholders Top ManagementDubai Road & Transport Authority Project Management & EngineersSystra and Parsons Corporation External Stakeholders ClientsUAE Residential & Visitors CompetitorsOther countries who supports tourism SuppliersMitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and Turkish firm Yap?Merkezi 4)Dubai Metro Project Possible Constraints:- Dubai metro is one of the unique projects of its kind which lead to many types of constraints which could have cause this project delay in time and has affected the cost of project as well. We have tried to find out possible constraints of Dubai Metro. i)Resource Constraints (1)Each metro station was following a same architecture design which should have been explained to all engineers and any change or fix in one should’ve updated in all, it was perfectly handle by Project managers. 2)Training of each worker to get quality and similarity between each metro station. ii)Delivery Constraints (1)Metro service being an automated service to public should be properly testing in all kind of safety measures which could’ve cause delay in delivery. (2)There is no time limit on approving cycle and reviewing of technical specification of metro. iii)Environmental Constraints (1)Approvals of higher management in case of their unavailability could’ve cause delays in delivery. (2)Launching of any metro station depends on successfully completion of its previous station. iv)Budgetary Constraints 1)Initial estimated cost never considers any changes in requirement which happened in Dubai Metro Project. Project was as per scheduled but over budgetary cost shot up by 80 per cent from the original AED 15. 5 billion to AED 28 billion. v)Functionality Constraints (1)Dubai metro also faced problem in unclear scope of its specification and design, Official said that they attributed the increase in expen diture to the major changes in the scope and design of the project. 5)Dubai Metro Risk Analysis:- We have analyze different kind of risk that could be involved in Dubai Metro a)Political Risks )Stability of Dubai Government, Change Government Policies, and Probability is Low on scale but can affect a lot on Project. ii)War & Terrorism b)Environmental Risks i)Ecology ii)International environmental issues iii)National environmental issues iv)Local environmental issues v)Environmental regulations vi)Organizational culture vii)Staff morale and attitudes c)Social Risks i)Population growth and demographics. ii)Health, education and social mobility of the population iii)Consumer attitudes iv)Advertising and media v)National and regional culture vi)Lifestyle choices and attitudes to these. ii)Levels of health and education viii)Major events ix)Socio-cultural changes. d)Technology Risks i)Impact of new technologies. ii)Inventions and innovations iii)The internet and how it affects working an d business iv)Licensing and patents v)Research funding and Development. e)Legal Risks i)Home legislation ii)International legislation iii)Employment law iv)New laws v)Regulatory bodies vi)Environmental regulation vii)Industry-specific regulations viii)Consumer protection f)Economical Risks i)Stage of business cycle. ii)Current and projected economic growth iii)International trends v)Job growth v)Inflation and interest rates. vi)Unemployment and labor supply. vii)Levels of disposable income across economy and income distribution. viii)Globalization. ix)Likely changes to the economic environment. 6)Dubai Metro Budget & Cost Analysis a)Different kind of costs variables involved b)How was budget estimated of Dubai Metro 7)Project Scheduling Analysis a)Sample Activity Network for Metro Station b)Different kind of activities with sample c)Different kind of Activities Lags in Dubai Metro d)How Gantt Chart / AON / AOA can be used for Dubai Metro

Human intelligence Essay Example

Human intelligence Essay Example Human intelligence Essay Human intelligence Essay Essay Topic: Left To Tell Cosmides (1989) has shown how human intelligence is specially adapted to deal with social problem solving. Grooming is an effective mechanism, because primates such as chimpanzees spend far more time than is necessary for purely hygienic purposes in picking through each other fur and removing bits of plant material, insects and scabs. It has therefore been suggested that grooming serves social ends such as strengthening alliances between individuals and bringing about reconciliation after a dispute. The hypothesis goes beyond grooming to see what other ways, which can help the individual benefit from group living. One of these ways is Theory of Mind, which is the ability to be self-aware and to appreciate others have self-awareness too. These can make heavy demands on cognitive skills because they have to recognize a number of other individuals, to remember who has given favours to whom, who has alliances with whom and most importantly how it would appear from someone elses perspective. The theory would predict that there is a strong association between the time spent grooming, possession of theory of mind and intelligence. There are however difficulties with testing these ideas, which are how an animals intelligence would be measured. In human intelligence it is difficult to measure because of the controversy of whether it is possible to construct a way of measuring intelligence, which is culture fair (i.e. not biased towards a particular culture). According the Ridley (1993) the evolution of human intelligence was the result of sexual competition between individuals of the same sex. The fact that the brain has tripled in size in three million years is very fast in evolutionary terms. One force that can bring such rapid change is sexual selection. Miller (2000) suggests that a similar process of which has left the peacock with a long tail has also shaped human brains. It has been proposed that humans will have considered cognitive abilities as well as other adaptive criteria such as health and fitness. Females chose males who were amusing, inventive and creative brains, and this shows that art, music and literature function as a courtship display. Female brain size has increased in order to decode and appreciate the males new abilities. Support for the sexiness of intelligence comes from research investigating what characteristics people seek in a partner and it was found that intelligence came consistently at the top of the list. In the EEA meat was an important source of saturated fat. Stanford believes that strategic sharing of meat paved the way for human intelligence, as it will have forged alliances, persuaded females to mate (i.e. meat for sex hypothesis). Strategic meat sharing requires considerable cognitive abilities because males would have to keep a running score of debts, credits and relationships. Evidence from the animal kingdom supports the meat for sex hypothesis, because male chimps use meat to entice females, often withholding it until mating and when begging for meat receptive females have more success than non-receptive. Evidence also comes from human societies, in terms of the Ache in Paraguay. Mitani and Watts (2001)showed that male chimps share with each other more than females due to alliances rather than sex. It can be concluded that intelligence is a key component in the adaptability of a species. Three main theories have been proposed for the evolution of intelligence, which are, ecological, social and sexual selection. At this time the social theory provides the more plausible explanation of intelligence. However all of these ideas are continuing to be researched, so that an even more reliable explanation of the evolution of intelligence can be produced in the near future.

Business Environment Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business Environment Analysis - Coursework Example As discussed in an earlier study, technology implementation is vital for the growth of any enterprise. Myra in order to successfully expand and attract more customers needs to implement some basic technology in order to manage and keep track of its customers (especially scheduling and cancellations), inventory management and employee management, as well as security. For this purpose, some investment needs to be made in a workstation, and surveillance cameras. Cameras need to be positioned in a way that it does not invade the privacy of the customers, especially since it is a salon. One main computer should be enough for the moment to successfully handle inventory and customers. For this purpose, specially designed software that manages these functional areas needs to be installed. I would recommend Salon Iris Software (Pro Version). It is relatively economical, runs on PC (business or home computer) works with printers, cash drawers, and scanners. (SalonIris, 2014) One can log in from anywhere with Remote Access and apps for iPhone, iPad & Android, moreover, it is optimized for small to large salons and spas and includes marketing, payroll, pictures, accounting, and more. (SalonIris, 2014). The Pro Version is priced at $1399 for a one time investment OR a monthly subscription of $109. (SalonIris, 2014). Another computer may be required to monit or the surveillance cameras. No special training is required to operate the software. However, special security personnel may be required to monitor the cameras continuously. With the implementation of this software, Myra will be able to successfully manage client scheduling and allot specific times and or discounts to special customers (based on their service history with Myra). The software efficiently manages Inventory as well. To add to the features, it keeps a track of employee work hours as well as payrolls. The major advantage

Reading reflection 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading reflection 9 - Essay Example On most occasions, people sentenced to death normally use this term as a ground of defense. Proving their innocence through this ground of defense is an efficient and effective manner of receiving their freedom. Reflecting further on this notion of wrongful convictions, I came to realize that the best and most efficient method of exonerating these people is through the use of DNA evidence. My interest in the reading made me to research on a case that involved a person who was wrongfully convicted, and thereafter released. I settled on Joe D Ambrosio, who was released on March 2010. Ambrosio was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Klann, but during his trial, prosecutors failed to produce evidence that was exonerating him, despite such evidence being in their possession (Free and Ruesink, 2012). Ambrosio was released by judge Synerberg for wrongful conviction. From this case, I learnt that prosecutors and law enforcement officers can make an individual to suffer imprisonment from crimes they did not commit, especially if such individuals are not efficient in their work. This article introduces us to the element of racialism in the administration of justice in United States of America. For instance, the article denotes that the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, conceded that the death penalty system in United States of America was full of error because it discriminated upon the person who deserved to die and who deserved to live, by analyzing the color of their skin. Because of this, he decided to forgive the death row convicts in his state. Reflecting on this, I denote that though it was wise of him to carry out such kind of an action, it could have been good if he enacted policies and laws that would abolish death penalty in the State. This is because he was in the position of power. In my own opinion, the best way to reduce inequitable administration of justice in regard to the death penalty, it is important for states all over America to abolish the