Student: Critical Thinking and Sensory Data

Assignment 1: â€Å"Sensory Perceptions†Can you really trust your senses and the interpretation of sensory data to give you an accurate view of the world? Describe and discuss the accuracy and the weaknesses of the human senses as they pertain to thinking in general and to your own thinking in particular.Write a two to three (2–3) page (approximately 500–750 word) paper that addresses the following: 1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. 3. Discuss the roles of â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data. 4. Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Your textbook may count as one (1) source. At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Re sources Center Web page. The format of the paper is to be as follows:1. Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format. 2. In addition to the two (2) pages assigned, a title page with the title of the assignment, your name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date is to be included, as well as a Reference Page. Sources documented using APA style for in-text citations and listed on the References Page using APA style format. Assignment 1: Sensory Perceptions Due Week 2 and worth 100 pointsCan you really trust your senses and the interpretation of sensory data to give you an accurate view of the world? Describe and discuss the accuracy and the weaknesses of the human senses as they pertain to thinking in general and to your own thinking in particular. Write a 2-3 page paper in which you:1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe a t least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. 3. Discuss the roles of ―natureâ€â€" and ―nurtureâ€â€" with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data.  © 2010 Strayer University, All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. PHI 210 Student Version 1134 [1071 04-11-11] Page 6 of 314. Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Your textbook may count as one (1) source. At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Resources Center Web page.Your assignment must: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific for mat. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. ï‚ · Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student‘s name, the professor‘s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: ï‚ · Develop skills for overcoming barriers which limit objective and productive critical thinking. ï‚ · Create written work utilizing the concepts of critical thinking. ï‚ · Demonstrate adherence to academic integrity policy and APA Style guidelines for academic citations. ï‚ · Use technology and information resources to research issues in critical thinking skills and informal logic.Write clearly and concisely about issues in critical thinking using proper writing mechanics.Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writin g skills, using the following rubric. Points: 100 Assignment 1: Sensory PerceptionsCriteria Unacceptable Below 60% F Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% D Fair 70-79% C Proficient 80-89% B Exemplary 90-100% A1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Insufficiently provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Partially provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Satisfactorily provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Thoroughly provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Insufficiently identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or   Partially identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Satisfactorily identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Thoroughly identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or 3.

Literary Analysis †A Raisin in the Sun Essay

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger’s are a poverty stricken, African American, extended family of five living in a small apartment in Chicago during the 1950’s. The mother, Lena receives a life insurance check for her deceased husband for ten thousand dollars and wants to use a portion of it to create a better life for her family and buy a home. The play covers the different ideas that each family member has in regards to how the money should be spent and the hardships that develop from those ideas. The three Younger women, Lena a strong willed older woman with traditional values, Ruth a middle aged hard working woman, and Beneatha a young, egotistical college student, all have unique characteristics which have been formed by the different time periods which they have lived in. Lena Younger, (Mama) is a strong, religious woman whose generation â€Å"was worried about not getting lynched and getting to the north†¦and still having d ignity too† (1177) has recently became the head of the Younger family due to the death of her husband. Her dream is to purchase a home for her family with the $10,000 she is receiving from her husband’s life insurance. Mama â€Å"come from five generations of people who was slaves and share-croppers (1204) that taught her to take pride in herself and her family. She was raised in a generation where the men made the decisions for his family and the wife supported whatever that decision was. Shasta Gaughen indicates that it wasn’t until the late 1950’s and early 1960’s that women started leaving the home and taking on roles other than just a homemaker. Mama grew up where religion was the backbone of the family, youth respected their elders and the power of the dollar did not consume your life, â€Å"Once upon a time freedom use to be life – now it’s money† (1177) She wants her son to step up and take over the head of household role, but his obsession with money and opening a liquor store gets in the way of him doing so. Mama feels the ge neration gap between herself and her children â€Å"don’t let us understand each other† (1168) and continues to cause conflict for the family throughout the play. She struggles with her children’s obsession of money and questions the type of adults they are becoming. The one soft side of Mama is her grandson Travis. When Ruth is trying to punish Travis, Mama steps in and makes excuses for his actions which creates tension between Mama and Ruth. Ruth Younger, Mama’s daughter-in-law, is a  hard working, tired woman who believes in traditional values that are similar to that of Mama’s. They both share the dream of purchasing a home and making a better life for the family. The stress of living in poverty has worn her down over the years and because of this she makes rash decisions that she otherwise would never do. This is made evident when she contemplates having an abortion rather than bringing another financial burden into their lives. Her husband’s obsession with monetary things is causing conflict in their marriage and she does her best to convey this to him â€Å"Remember how we used to talk†¦about the way we were going to live†¦well it’s all starting to slip away from us† (1183). Beneatha Younger, Mama’s daughter, is a young egotistical college student who is youthful and determined to become a doctor so she can make a difference in the world. She is the most educated of the women and comes from a completely different generation than the other two women. With her generation we begin to see women fighting for equal rights. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white bus rider which was a custom in the south. When she is arrested the black community boycotts the buses for a year which inspires blacks and females elsewhere (A&E Networks). Beneatha is struggling to find her own identity in these changing times and is dating two men with different backgrounds hoping to find herself. The more education she receives, the harder it is for her to relate to her family and we begin to see the selfish and egotistical side to her. She puts herself first and spends money on careless items and thinks she is better that the other members of her family. The main social aspect we see in this play is racial discrimination. The civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s resulted in new laws that reversed more than 100 years of racial segregation. These began to put an end to inferior education, better housing and public accommodations, equality for not only African Americans, but also women and other races that were discriminated against (Mikula and Mabunda). Mama purchases a home in an all-white neighborhood because it is cheaper and better quality then what she would receive an African American neighborhood. Mama is thinking of her families quality of life and not how her family is going to affect the neighborhood. They receive a visit from a representative of the neighborhood who offers to   buy them out because their family just won’t fit in well with the residents. Walter refuses this offer, but after losing the money begins to re-think it and contacts Mr. Linder again. The family members believe that Walter is going to take the offer and that they will never be out of their poverty stricken surroundings, but in the end he does not accept it and proves â€Å"we come from people who had a lot of pride†¦ we are very proud people (1206)† and that sticking by your family and not conforming to other’s beliefs make them stronger not only as individuals, but most importantly as a family. Upon reading this entire play, it was easy for me to compare the Younger’s situation to my own as a child. Growing up, I lived with my brother and my mother. My father had a son that died of Leukemia and after that lost all desire to live and became a severe alcoholic. My parents divorced when I was 5 and my father did not give us any support. The next time I was to see him, I would be in my late 20’s, making amends with him on his dea th bed. My mom worked at a distribution warehouse for 20 years, which was very hard physical labor. We always had a roof over our heads and a hot meal, but I now know that had our Church not helped us there would have been times were we would not have had heat or electricity. In today’s society, people expect handouts from the government. I am proud to say my mom didn’t rely on monthly handouts and words cannot express how much respect I have for her. My mother worked for very little and towards the end of her employment people were starting out at what she was making after working there for 20 years. This situation taught me how important family is and also the value of a dollar. I have three boys of my own and even though we are able to give them so much more than I had growing up, I am proud to say they have purchased their own vehicles and had steady jobs throughout school while playing sports and maintaining good grades. I feel the values our youth of today will gain from these experiences will only help their future endeavors and those that have everything given to them create problems in our society as adults. Just like the Younger’s, I learned that as family, you stick together and overcome what problems there may be. The value of the love of your family will always be worth more than anything of monetary value. Works Cited Gaughen, Shasta. Introduction to Women’s Rights: Contemporary Issues Companion. Green haven Press, 2003. Web. 23 November 2014. Mikula, Mark and Mabunda, L. Mpho. Gender Discrimination Great American Court Cases. Vol. 3. Equal Protection and Family Law. Detroit: Gale, 1999. Web. 23 November 2014. Staff, History.com. Civil Rights Movement. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 23 November 2014.

Analysis Poem No Coward Soul Is Mine

With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes ceased to be, And Thou wert left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou — Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. Analysis Connotative words: First stanza In the second line, storm-troubled has negative connotative meaning. Denotative meaning from storm is an extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and lighting; and the denotative meaning of trouble s to cause someone to have a problems or difficulties. The word storm-troubled is a compound verb that has connotative meaning an activity of destroying something with the powerful energy or an activity that can cause a dangerous effect. In the fourth line, shines has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from shines as verb is to send out or reflect light; the connotative meaning is to show something or looks like. Also in fourth line, the word arming has positive connotative meaning. The word arming comes from word arm and affix  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œing. Arming then has meaning as verb. The denotative meaning from arm is part of body which consist of two long parts of the upper body that fixed to the shoulders and have hands at the end. The connotative meaning from arming is to embrace or to hug someone, also to save or to make safety from something. Second stanza In the first line, the word breast has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from breast is part of body, especially has relation with women. The connotative meaning from this word is deep inside of heart. In this line the poet wants to show that she really believes in God, so that she says that God in her breast or in her deep inside of her heart. Fourth Stanza In the fourth line, Rock has positive connotative meaning. The denotation meaning of rock is the dry solid part of the Earth’s surface; stone. The connotative meaning of Rock here is the faith, beliefs, or religion that people have to have. Seventh Stanza In the third line, Being and Breath has positive connotative meanings. The denotative meaning of being is a person or thing that exists or the state of existing; and breath is the air that goes into and out of lungs. The connotative meaning of those words is the One who only has the being forever or the One who can give a life or soul for the creature. Analysis Poem No Coward Soul Is Mine With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes ceased to be, And Thou wert left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou — Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. Analysis Connotative words: First stanza In the second line, storm-troubled has negative connotative meaning. Denotative meaning from storm is an extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and lighting; and the denotative meaning of trouble s to cause someone to have a problems or difficulties. The word storm-troubled is a compound verb that has connotative meaning an activity of destroying something with the powerful energy or an activity that can cause a dangerous effect. In the fourth line, shines has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from shines as verb is to send out or reflect light; the connotative meaning is to show something or looks like. Also in fourth line, the word arming has positive connotative meaning. The word arming comes from word arm and affix  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œing. Arming then has meaning as verb. The denotative meaning from arm is part of body which consist of two long parts of the upper body that fixed to the shoulders and have hands at the end. The connotative meaning from arming is to embrace or to hug someone, also to save or to make safety from something. Second stanza In the first line, the word breast has positive connotative meaning. The denotative meaning from breast is part of body, especially has relation with women. The connotative meaning from this word is deep inside of heart. In this line the poet wants to show that she really believes in God, so that she says that God in her breast or in her deep inside of her heart. Fourth Stanza In the fourth line, Rock has positive connotative meaning. The denotation meaning of rock is the dry solid part of the Earth’s surface; stone. The connotative meaning of Rock here is the faith, beliefs, or religion that people have to have. Seventh Stanza In the third line, Being and Breath has positive connotative meanings. The denotative meaning of being is a person or thing that exists or the state of existing; and breath is the air that goes into and out of lungs. The connotative meaning of those words is the One who only has the being forever or the One who can give a life or soul for the creature.

Violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Violence - Research Paper Example It was a role that only become more complex following the age of American slavery, when the woman of color was not just a servant or a woman, but a sexual tool to be used at will by whichever man has current rights to her. The question of the modern age, then, can be put in terms of who has control of the woman’s sexuality, the woman or the man who ‘owns’ her. This struggle over who has control of the woman’s sexuality is one of the primary themes that runs through Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple. As Celie develops from an oppressed black woman of the South to a liberated woman of the modern age, the elements of symbolic sexism are exposed both within the novel. Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple (1982), investigates the black American woman’s experience of double oppression, first as a black person and then, more significantly, as a woman, elements that are present to different degrees within the film version (1985). The main character, Celie, is presented as a black woman heavily oppressed, trained early to be subservient and completely conventional in her ideas as a result. Through epistolary segments, the maturation process of Celie is revealed in letters to God until Celie can’t accept Him as a protective figure anymore and then Nettie, Celie’s sister, upon her discovery that Nettie is still alive. These letters indicate Celie’s changing ideas and strengthening resolve to reclaim her sexuality and femininity as something to be treasured and something only she should control. Influenced by the appearance of strong women within her world, such as her step-son’s wife and especially the ‘wild-woman’ Shug, Celie is able to find inner strength and value she never suspected. By the end of the novel, Walker’s Celie has become a confident, powerful and successful business woman growing old in the love of her family and defining her own boundaries. The female cha racters sympathize with the male characters to the point where women ultimately relinquish the power and strength gained by the other characters in the novel, still illustrated through the traditional symbolic sexism that places women at the mercy of, or at least still anxious to satisfy, the whims of men. Within the book, Celie’s progression occurs in an obvious progression rather than the subtle movement of the character. Celie begins the novel in poverty of spirit and opportunity. As a young black girl living on a 1930s cotton farm in the South, she is isolated from the rest of her community and immediately placed on the bottom rung of society in that she is black and she is female. This means she is oppressed by the white people as well as oppressed by the black men. At 14 years old, her mother is already worn out from life and soon dies while Celie becomes her father’s new sexual and emotional outlet, a mere object upon which he can vent. While her emotions of gui lt, shame and despair as the two children he fathers on her are taken away â€Å"to be with God† are revealed in her nearly illiterate diary, these feelings never come close to being considered by those around her. â€Å"Not only was Celie’s initiation into sexual experience in the form of rape committed by her stepfather, but

Corporate Governance of Football Clubs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Governance of Football Clubs - Essay Example The crisis has been mitigated by the return of Sir John Hall to the club board. These clubs have become plcs, and its stocks are floated on the stock exchange. The plc was seen as the modern way to run a football club although it has created conflicts between shareholders and fans. . (The New Statesman, March 27, 1997, p.2). Sheffield United's manager resigned in protest at the chief executive's strategy of trying to achieve Premiership status by selling his best players. Noisy demonstrations forced the chairman and chief executive to resign. The outrage of Newcastle fans at the behaviour of the two directors was due to Kevin Keegan's resignation as manager. Fan power was limited to invading the pitch, singing nasty songs and boycotting matches. However, the problems persist. Fans believe big clubs aim to please the shareholders rather than the supporters. This blatant behavior on the part of club managers is a form of To football fans, for whom transfer of loyalty is not an option, this trend is a form of betrayal for dedicated football club supporters. (The New Statesman, March 27, 1997, p.2). There are two strategies to solve these problems. The first is a new corporate governance policy which tightens the accountability of directors to shareholders while deepening the involvement of fans, councils and schools. Clubs are allowed to appoint fans as non-executive directors and conduct "supporter audits". The second strategy understands that supporters have a a distinct relationship with their team. Though there are many teams in the league, once one has made one's choice of club, one usually sticks to it. Fans also have to survive on trust. They purchase season tickets without knowing which players and managers will be at the club. Football clubs can be legally required to further the long-term interests of the club and its supporters as a whole rather than the narrow interests of shareholders.Football clubs were previously controlled by wealthy local businessmen. They invested their money in the club operations and most often than not, they had lost their investments. How ever, this situation was unimportant. Owning a club gave them status and prestige in their local community.There are many options to ensure corporate governance for football clubs. One alternative is to widen the share ownership of clubs. If it was the aim of the club to ensure that as many fans as possible owned shares, this could improve accountability and investor commitment. Another option would be for fans to invest in a trust which would hold a collective stake in the club on their behalf and this in turn, will provide a guarantee for fans that they will have a say in major decisions. A third alternative is having mutual forms of ownership in which fans became the club's members and legal owners. A fan-appointed board would select the manager. Shareholder meetings would replace pitch invasions as the vehicle for expressing discontent. A mutual football club would be focused in pursuing things fans really want (winning matches and establishing its own club stadium). However, no ownership structure is perfect. Fans usually have a strong consensus about ends (buying good players) and not (which particular players). CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FOOTBALL Shleifer and Vishny (1997) define the term as follows: 'Corporate governance tackles the agency problem: the separation of and finance' (p. 773). The term is used to refer to how the

Systems and Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Systems and Operations Management - Assignment Example After deciding to go into retirement, Lachlan Atokowa handed over the reins of the business to his eldest son Jonathan Atokowa, who, like his father, was very passionate about the business. Both of them shared the passion to try out the latest technology: Lachlan Atokowa decided to test Xerox 914, Jonathan Atokowa decided to added Commodore 64 and the IBM PC 5100 into the business’s product portfolio. Today, a business that started in a garage has escalated into complex network business processes. Too many parties are now associated with the business, bring along different set of variables into the business environment. Organizational Structure: The company has four different departments which are governing the operations of the business. These four departments are: Retail Operations, Purchasing and Supply chain, Marketing and Human Resource Management and last but not the least the Finance Departments. Each of these departments is headed by a company director who reports dire ctly to the chief executive officer. Under each director are his personnel which are responsible for the functioning of the department. The following table describes the titles which come under each function: Retail Operations Purchasing and Supply chain Marketing and Human Resource Management Finance Director Director Director Director Area Manager Category Manager HRM Manager Company Accountant - Import Manager Training Manager Management Accountant - Warehouse Manager Marketing campaign coordinator Financial Planning Manager - General Manager In-store promotion coordinator. Purchasing and Payment Manager All the company directors are very enthusiastic about the growth of the company. They work along with their individual teams very diligently to resolve problems that are arising in their departments. However, the organisation’s directors have been unable to develop a boding force between the departments. The biggest evidence of this fact is that each department is having i ts own management systems, which are not linked with other systems. It this age of globalisation, the importance which is placed on information sharing by experts is immense. According to the experts, this single aspect of doing business is so important that it can decide the fate of today’s firms. In a fast paced globalised world, information sharing with key stake holders is vital for organisational success and survival (Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhorta, 2007). And in this case the organisational departments are failing to share vital operational information with one another. This, obviously, is leading to duplication of effort, greater cost, declining productivity, redundancy and frustration in the organisation (Schemenner, 1984). Employees have to do cumbersome paperwork every day, accurate forecasting has become impossible, inventory holding cost is being incurred, wrong inventory is being maintained and above all, customers are feeling dejected. Rather than adopting an or ganisational model which allows the company to become nimble and flexible, so that it can compete effectively in the market place, the company has taken a structure which has made it inflexible and less than competitive (Loader, 2006). Absence of an integrated organisation wide enterprise management system is creating havoc for the company. The company is not doing accurate forecasting of demand, it has failed to satisfy customers’ needs and most importantly, it is not operating efficiently and effectively.

What is social justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is social justice - Essay Example These states, events and processes include our actions, beliefs and thinking (Gao, 96). The relation between an event A and another event B poses a philosophical problem when there is something between A and B that makes the relationship between them problematic. The mind and body have many features that are said to be responsible for our sense of problem because they interact causally. Rene Descartes held a long tradition in philosophy that the mind is a non-bodily entity (Gao 98). He described the mind as a soul or mental substance. When the mind is said to be a mental substance, it is not implied to be made up of a non-physical material. The term substance, in a traditional philosophical use, refers to a substance as an entity. The mental substances in the mind and body are non-material or non-physical objects that exist independently of a physical object like the body of a person (Cahn, 117). But how do such objects relate to physical objects? Determinism is the philosophical view that all events have a cause. It posits that all mental and physical states of affairs are the result of their causes and in a way have a scientific law. Determinism comes with various implications. For example, it does not believe in free will, miracles or chance about the occurrence of various phenomena. Determinists argue that the future event or past event can be calculated (Gao 106). A special form of determinism believes that some mental processes might not be caused even though physical processes are caused. According to them, choices involve mental processes, thus have no actual effects in the extreme world. For example, when one watches a movie twice, he/she doe not hope for a different outcome, but do so in the interest in the event. One of the scholars that held the determinist view was Isaac Newton. Newton challenged the phenomenon around him when he ventured into discovering the cause a fruit from the top of a tree. His determination to question the its

Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping Convention Essay

Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping Convention - Essay Example One of the many changes to 1978 convention, in 1995, was the requirement of obtaining a new STCW certificate. This was confusing and to some extent it still is as there were two certificates in circulation. The 1978 certificate and the 1995 certificate. The STCW 1978 certificate was there to certify that a sailor was working aboard a vessel prior to 01 Aug 98' and is yet required to fulfill some requirements. Therefore, a new mariner, after 01 Aug 98' cannot be issued a 1978 STCW certificate. New sailors, joining after the aforementioned date, are required to comply with convention requirements before they are eligible for 1995 certificate. 1978 certificate holders are required to go through a training process to close the gap before they can be issued with a 1995 certificate. The fact which gives rise to confusion is that both these certificates were created on the same date. In the US, after 31 Jan 03', no one can get a 1995 certificate by simply completing the training required for the big leap from 1978 to 1995. Each and every sailor is now required to fully comply with 1995 amendment requirements. As all the 1978 certificate holders could not complete all the formalities, the 31 Jan '03 was actually a relaxation of one year to the original date. Despite this relaxation US sailors were still required to get 1995 certification prior to entering waters of a foreign country. Why do we need standards STCW 1978 sets standards of qualification for seafarers on merchant ships. It was initially drafted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London. It took six years and finally in 1984 STCW was enforced. In 1995 significant changes were brought about. On an international scale 'STCW 1978' was the first to actually establish and enforce basic requirements for training, certification and watchkeeping for mariners. Prior to this such standards were set by individual governments without any reference to practices in the rest of the world. As expected, the outcome of this chaotic situation was widely varied standards, practices and procedures. STCW lays out minimum standards for training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers and countries adhering to comply are independent in their choice to accept or exceed these standards. STCW also applies to ships of countries which have not yet accepted to comply with STCW standards (non-party States), in case they visit ports of party States. An article of the convention requires all party States to apply the control without any biasing or favor to party or non-party States. This can expose the vessels of non-party States to difficult and unexpected situations. As a result, majority of the states are now party States. Revisions to SWTC 1978 In December 1992 IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed to a US proposal to review in detail the 1978 Convention in light of the involvement of human element in maritime accidents. Moreover, there also had been nurturing a feeling amongst some delegations that the Convention should be more people, and standards relating to people, orientated. Rather than emphasizing on construction of ships and equipment standards, areas relating to people, training and operational practices require more concentration. This resulted in MSC directing

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Paraphrasing - Essay Example The heat transfer resistances are determined by the feed flow rate and feed concentration, feed temperature and other operating parameters. The system heat transfer is controlled by the heat transfer in the membrane the resistance of which is 27-46 times higher than that of feed stream. 1. Heat Transfer The total heat flux (Q), across the membrane is expressed by the following equation: (1) Where, U is the overall heat transfer coefficient is bulk temperature difference among the feed and permeate sides J is the trans-membrane mass flux is the latent heat of vaporization Under steady state conditions, derived from the heat balance, the heat transfer in the individual compartments of system is represented by the following equation: (2) On the basis of equation 8, and, or the temperatures on both sides of the membrane can be estimated using the following equations: (3) (4) Further the heat transfer coefficient of the membrane (hm) can be determined on the basis of thermal conductivitie s of the membraneand of the vapor that fills the pores, using the equation 5. (5) The heat transfer coefficients of the boundary layer and can next be estimated experimentally or can be calculated using empirical correlations of dimensionless groups, namely Nussselt number (Nu), Reynolds number (Re) and Prandtl number (Pr). These numbers can be calculated directly from the data available for aqueous NaCl solutions and water, using the equation 6. ... The primary set up included pure water operated at four selected feed temperatures viz. 40, 50, 60 and 70?C. 3. Membrane distillation coefficient and pure water flux The vapor pressure differencewas calculated at the membrane surface temperaturesand, and plotted against the steady state fluxes obtained at selected feed temperatures as illustrated in Fig 4. On the basis of equation (1), it can be concluded that the slope of the straight line of the plot thus obtained gives the value of membrane distillation coefficient, (C= 0.0004 kg/m2.h.Pa or C= 1.11E-7 kg/m2.s.Pa). The membrane distillation coefficient remains constant for a specific membrane and vapor properties. The experimentally determined value of C was equivalent to the value reported in literature (C= 8.5E-7 kg/m2.s.Pa). 4. Effect of feed temperature on permeate flux Permeate flux is largely dependent on fee temperature. Fluxes of pure water and aqueous NaCl solution is represented in Fig. 6. Elevation of feed temperature le ads to a rise in permeate flux as a consequence of rise in vapor pressure of gas-liquid interface on liquid feed side, which causes a simultaneous increase in the driving force of mass transfer. 5. Effect of feed flow rate on permeate flux At a constant temperature the mass flux is dependent on feed flow rate as depicted in Fig. 7 showing the flux time curve at four feed flow rate at a constant temperature of 40?C. The mass flux rate is directly proportional to feed flow rate since a rise in feed flow rate causes a rise in turbulence, reduction of heat transfer resistance in the boundary layers and consequential rise in mass transfer rates. Moreover, the increase of feed boundary heat transfer coefficientwith Reynolds number lead to further rise

Evaluation of Critical Theory in Tourism Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Critical Theory in Tourism Essay In spite of the consensus on the importance of research, the existing literature in hospitality and tourism research does not contain any commonly agreed upon ways of evaluating research performance. The most frequently used proxy for assessing research performance is authorship and institution analyses by counting the number of published articles in selected research journals (Jogaratnam, McCleary, Mena, and Yoo, 2005; Malhotra and Kher, 1996; Sheldon, 1991; Weaver, McCleary, and Farrar, 1990; Zhao and Ritchie, 2006). 4 While counting the number of published articles in selected journals may be simple to perform and interpret, this approach is subject to many methodological problems. Wood (1995), as well as Losekoot, Verginis, and Wood (2001), argued that counting publications in selected journals as an indicator of academic productivity is too narrow and geographically-based. Similarly, Ryan (2005) and Hall (2005) stated that focusing on publications in research journals would exclude many researchrelated activities such as writing books, supervising postgraduate students, and taking on leadership roles in the international academic community. Likewise, the conjecture which this paper makes is that using the number of published articles in selected tourism and hospitality journals as an indicator of research performance is an incomplete, if not biased approach, as other research-related activities are simply excluded from consideration. Such a statement is made on the basis that many established academics do not publish in the selected journals. In addition, in order to obtain a more comprehensive measurement of research performance, other scholarly activities such as participation in research projects, editorship of research journals, membership of editorial boards and conference committees, participation in international conferences, and memberships of international/national organisations should also be incorporated into the overall evaluation process. In response to the absence of prior studies on determining research performance for tourism and hospitality academics in a comprehensive way, this exploratory study makes an attempt to fill the void by investigating the perception of university program heads on the importance of different research-related activities. Program heads are the academics who assume key responsibilities in academic departments or  divisions. Examples of these key responsibilities include research leadership and evaluations (Wikipedia, 2006). Findings are thus anticipated to lead to 5 further insights on research performance evaluation, which in turn help academics appropriately set their own career development plans.

Acer Company: Overview and Analysis

Acer Company: Overview and Analysis 1.0 Acer company profile Acer Incorporated is a Taiwan-based multinational electronics manufacturer. Its product includes laptops, desktops as well as servers and storage, personal digital assistance (PDA), peripherals, peripherals and e-business services for government, business, education, and home users. Acer is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world behind HP and Dell. The company also owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer was founded by Stan Shih, his wife Carolyn Yeh, and a group of five others as Multitech in 1976. The company was renamed Acer in 1987. It began with eleven employees and US$25,000 in capital. Initially, it was primarily a distributor of electronic parts and a consultant in the use of microprocessor technologies, but over time it began to develop as a PC manufacturer. The global headquarters is located in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Acer began its foray into laptops with the purchase of Texas Instruments mobile PC division in 1997. In 2000, Ac er spun off its manufacturing operations as Wistron Corporation, to focus on sales and marketing of their core brand. Acer grew worldwide while simultaneously minimizing its labour force by identifying and using marketing strategies that best utilized their existing distribution channels. By 2005, Acer employed a scant 7,800 people worldwide. Revenues rose from US$4.9 billion in 2003 to US$11.31 billion in 2006. Acers North American market share has slipped over the past few years, while in contrast, European market share has risen. On August 27, 2007, Acer announced plans to acquire its US-based rival Gateway Inc. for US$710 million. Acers chairman, J.T. Wang, stated that the acquisition completes Acers global footprint, by strengthening our US presence. In January 2008, Acer announced that it had acquired a controlling interest of 75% of Packard Bell. The Acer 4Group is a family of four brands Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. This unique multi-brand strategy allows each brand to offer a unique set of brand characteristics that targets different customer needs in the global PC market. Today, the Acer Group still strives to break the barriers between people and technology. Its one of the worlds top 3 companies for total PC shipments, is No. 2 for notebooks. 4The successful mergers of Gateway Inc. (October 2007) and Packard Bell Inc. (March 2008) by parent company, Acer Inc., completes the groups global footprint by further strengthening its presence in the U.S. and Europe. Gateway was founded by Ted Waitt in 1985 in an Iowa farmhouse with a US7$10,000 loan guaranteed by his grandmother, a rented computer and a three- page business plan. Today, Gateway has grown into one of Americas best- known PC brands. The brand 7received national acclaim in 1991 when it introduced its distinctive cow-spotted boxes, a tribute to its farming heritage. In early 2004, Gateway acquired eMachines, and later 7moved its headquarters to Irvine, California. In October 2007, Gateway was acquired by Taiwan-based Acer, and the combined entities now comprise the third-largest PC Company in th e world. EMachines, one of the 14worlds fastest growing PC brands, was acquired by Gateway Inc. in March 2004. Marketed to families seeking reliable machines for everyday use, eMachines brings the PC to any and every home in need. 14It remains a stand-alone brand sold through leading retailers, e-tailers and channel partners in the U.S. and selects international markets. 5Packard Bell is one of the rare ones. The brand was born in 1926. In the 1920s and 1930s when radio was all the rage, Packard Bell emerged as a popular brand of console radios with a reputation for elegant design.  The first Packard Bell television sets were launched in 1948, just as the TV revolution was sweeping the world. Fast forward to the end of the 1980s, Packard Bell entered the personal computer market in 1987. It 5pioneered the use of the PC in the home, transforming an unfriendly but useful office tool into a friendly, indispensable feature of todays modern home. The Acer Group CEO and Acer Inc. Chairman, J.T. Wang is tasked with overseeing the groups global competitiveness. Since he assumed chairmanship in 2005, Acer Inc.s consolidated revenues grew from US$9.7 billion to US$14.1 billion in 2007. As the worlds No. 3 vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, Acer has set its next goal on becoming the worlds No. 1 notebook vendor. Wangs promotion to Acer Group CEO in June 2008 will ensure smooth integration following the successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell and future growth of the group. Wang 17holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University and an Executive MBA from Taiwans National Cheng-Chi University. He and his wife have two daughters. 2Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer Inc. since 2005, assumed duo responsibilities as the company CEO in June 2008 an acknowledgement of his outstanding management. Under his performance-driven leadership, Lancis focus is to enhance the Acer Groups presence globally under a new multi-brand strategy following the recent acquisitions of Gateway and Packard Bell. After Lancis appointment 12as managing director of Acer Italy in 1997, he 12immediately began consolidating the channel- and partner- relations at all levels. His commitment to brand promotion has made Acer the No. 1 ranking notebook brand in Italy since 1997. 2In 2003 Lanci was appointed president of Acers International Operations Business Group, allowing him to be directly involved in the Pan-American market. The designation confirmed Acers acknowledgement of his outstanding channel management and marketing activities, as well as the key role he played for Acers success in EMEA. 3ISO Management System Acer is an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified company, meaning their quality control and environmental management systems meet international standards. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established in Geneva, Switzerland in February 1947 with the goal to pro mote standardization of related activities in all countries around the world. ISO9001 is primarily concerned with quality management and fulfilment of customer demands for quality. ISO 14001 is primarily concerned with the voluntary establishment of environmental management systems (EMS) specially suited to each company. Each EMS should work to achieve sustainable management through voluntary and sustained improvement of environmental performance by means of pollution prevention and proper management. Acers Quality Policy 18Acers quality policy places an emphasis on delivering zero-defect, competitive products and services to customers on time. The motto proud to serve, proud of Acer shows our commitment to providing professional services. Acer Environmental, Health and Safety Policy As a global IT company focused on marketing and service, Acer endeavours to achieve balanced development in economy, environment and society. They are devoted to environmental protection. 2007/2008 Environmental Objectives The 5 environmental objectives are EMS, Green Product Development, Product Recycling and Treatment Services, Green Supply Chain and Strengthen Environmental Communication Platform. Social Welfare 8Founded in July 1996, the Acer Foundation was established through donations from personnel of various depa rtments throughout the company. Acer Foundations mission is threefold: research and develop technology and management; cultivate talents; and reward and promote service. Strategic Sponsorships Acer has always believed that sports and technology share the same ideals: strength, passion, competitiveness, coherence, skill and the determination to overcome new challenges. Their ability to identify strategically- favourable alliances has also helped make our brands recognized outside the IT industry. Acer has sponsor several events such as the Olympic, Scuderia Ferrari, F.C. International Milano and Yamaha Factory Racing Team. 2.0 Porters Analysis The Porters 5 forces is a simple tool but powerful enough to understand where powers lies in a business situation. Porter have introduce that 5 forces that is 6the bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. The bargaining power of customers means the ability of the customers to put the firm under pressure to change the price of the goods and also affects the customers sensitivity to price changes. The customer bargaining power will be high when there a large volume of customers buying the product means theres is concentration of buyers, if these large group of buyer stop buying the product the company will be making a loss of the market share will also making a loss in the profit. The second factor would be the product is undifferentiated and can be replaces by substitutes means the customer can buy the same product from the other manufacturer . Acer substitute would be hp and Dell and Lenovo because they do manufacturer laptop and desktop. But Acer has come out with a very unique line of product that is the Acer Timeline Series, this series offer the screen size from 13.3 inch to 15.6 inch. The threat of the entry of new competitors means the barriers of entering into the industry. There are several things the company needs to be considering before going into any industry that is the high exit costs, interrelated businesses and customer loyalty. There will be high exit cost due to a lot of machinery need to be setups for manufacturing laptop and desktop all this setup need a large amount of money and when the manufacturer tends to leave the business it will lost all of this capital and asset unless he decide to sell those machinery to the other company this well lower down the exit cost. Interrelated businesses means there will be other manufacturer doing the same product as you are manufacturing, means they will be your competitor in the market. Customer loyalty means customer would like to stay with the brand they are using at the moment, this may be the company is doing a really good in after sales service. For example their product like Acer has a 3 year warranty for the laptop, while others rand doesnt provide this service for their customer. The threat of substitute products means the customer can find the product that almost has the same function with your company product. This may be due to the product you are selling is too expensive or the price is not reasonable thus making the customer to buy the product from other manufacturer. The other factor may be current trends now days people like to follow on the latest trend or so called fashion. Acer has come out with the trendiest laptop that is thin and long life time for the battery that can up to 8 hours. That is the Acer Timeline Series it does not only have 8hours of battery life, it also ultra thin that less than 1 inch, that makes conv enient for people to bring along anywhere, it also has multi gesture touch pad which can used like a mouse and also has a HD(high definition) which is as high as 16:9. We can see how it looks like in appendix 1 for the Acer Timeline Series. The Acer Timeline Series will cost from RM 2,000.00 to RM 3,250.00. Even though Apple has come out with the Macbook air but it still doesnt get a lot of attention due to it expensive price its price starts from RM 5,599.00 to RM 6,799.00 and it does not have a long battery life. By referring to appendix 2 we can see how a Macbook Air looks like. Sony has recently launched on 10th November 2009, but it price starts from RM 3,999.00 to RM 5,299.00. We can see how the Sony VAIO X looks like in appendix 3. Overall from the price review Acer Timeline Series still leading ahead of Macbook Air and the Sony VAIO X due to the price. The intensity of competitive rivalry in most industries the intensity of competitive rivalry is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. By sustaining in the market a manufacturer has to make improvement or come out with new products that the other manufacturer does not manufacture or the product can be environmental friendly because now people want things that can reduce rubbish or wastage. Thus this will lead to a high barrier to exit. Acer has been doing this through manufacturing the Acer Timeline Series that allows a long battery life up to 8hours. Acer notebook pc market share in Europe increased in the third quarter of 2004, versus 11.4 percent in the third quarter of 2003. The bargaining power of suppliers is described as the market inputs. Supplier bargaining power will be high when the market is dominated or monopoly by one or a few suppliers. Thus when the supplier refuse to supply goods to the manufacturer the whole manufacturing process will stop. For example Acer main processor supplier will be AMD and Intel. If both of these suppliers simultaneously increase their pric e and Acer has no choice either to continue to buy the processor from them. This will lead the product of Acer to increase the price due to more expensive on processor if this happens consumer will tend to buy other brand of laptop or desktop thus Acer has loss part of its market share. To mitigate the power of supplier is to build win-win relationships with suppliers or arrange to use multiple suppliers. By making a win-win situation we can pay advance payment or pay the debt on time. 3.0 Limitation of the Porters analysis In the Porters analysis it has introduce the 5 forces that is the 6bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. Michael Porter 5 forces analysis mostly focus on company external competitive environment. Below are the ways that can be used to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces. We can use SWOT analysis to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces, SWOT analysis is a strategic planning used to estimate the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats involves in a business operation. It involves specifying the objective of the business operation or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. When the company has identified their strength they will put more effort to manufacturing or the best good. While the company have known or indentify the weakness they w ill correct it. Thus SWOT analysis will be used in decision making because it can 21provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea.  The strength of Acer is the support sales activities by understanding their customers businesses better and, able to keep fully up to date on their competitors business structure, strategy and prospects and qualify prospective partners and suppliers. PEST analysis can be used to overcome the limitation of Porters 5 forces. PEST stands for political, economic, social, and technological. PEST is a scan of the external macro-environment in which the firm operates. PEST analysis is a useful tool for the company to understand market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business. PEST analysis is a business measurement tool. Based on Acer strong research capabilities it allows them to determine the needs of their customers and their expectations. PEST analysis and market research findings can segment the market and develop cost effective ways of reaching them. This ultimately translates into strengthening Acer position in the market place and displacing competitors. The third way to overcome is the product life cycled (PLC) is 25a new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline. Product life cycled is developed by Raymond Vernon. After a product moves through all these stages, its pricing, promotion, packaging, and distribution are re-evaluated and changed if required to prolong its life the life span of the product in the market. We can see how a product life cycle will go in the appendix 4. By preventing his product to fall at decline stage, Acer has a plan that is to upgrade his existing laptop into window 7 or by upgrading its storage volume this allow it to keep in trend with the latest window in the market. Value chain analysis is a concept from business management that was first described and popularized by Michael Porter in his 1985. Value chain analysis states how businesses receive raw materials as input, add value to the raw materials through various processes, and sell finished products to customers. By referring to appendix 5 will see the process of value chain analysis. Value chain analysis will help the company to specifically analyze and help create to a competitive advantage. Value chain is a very useful way to deliver maximum value to your consumer and to maximize the value of your product in the market. Acer has making a very wise decision that is by providing its product to have a 3 years warranty, thus customer will prefer to buy Acer because it has a longer period of warranty compare to other brand of laptop. Benchmarking will also be another way to provide solution for the Porters 5 forces. Benchmarking is the process of comparing the business processes and performance metrics including cost, cycle time, productivity, or quality to another that is widely considered to be an industry standard benchmark. There are 4 keys steps involving in the application of benchmarking that is understand in detail existing business processes, analyze the business processes of others, compare own business performance with that of others analyzed and implement the steps necessary to close the performance gap. Acer has used the benchmarking for role of key performance such as quality, distribution, supply chain management and pricing. The last way that I can mention to overcome or give solution is the six sigma. Six sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects and controlling variability in manufacturing and business processes. By using the six sigma theory Acer has give a three year warranty on its laptop, this is to give confident to the customer that their lifespan is longer than other brand laptop. 4.0 Conclusion Acer is a laptop and computer manufacturer The Company owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer is an ISO 9001 and 14001 certified company, meaning their quality control and environmental management systems meet international standards. Porters 5 forces are a tool that helps company to understand the business environment more. The 5 forces are bargaining power of customers, the threat of the entry of new competitors, the threat of substitute products, the intensity of competitive rivalry and the bargaining power of suppliers. Acer has used these 5 forces to gain the competitive advantage, gaining the market share, and how to provide a win-win relationship with the supplier. Since Porters 5 forces does not really cover all the information that a company need, we have to used other analysis such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, product life cycled (PLC), Value chain analysis ,Benchmarking and six sigma . By using this analysis we can overcome the limita tion of Porters 5 forces. Focusing Oriented Counsellor: Career Development Reflection Focusing Oriented Counsellor: Career Development Reflection Dvonne Loring The following essay is a reflective piece on my growth as a Focusing oriented counsellor over the course of the semester. It will document my introduction to focusing as a subject, my experience as a Focuser and as a companion and the evolution of each throughout the semester. In addition, my understanding of the process and the development of my own existing skills and the acquisition of new skills will be stated. A final reflection on my relationship with Focusing as the subject draws to a close will also be included. Over the course of the semester, I have consolidated my understanding of Experiential Focusing, the concept of the felt sense and how they contribute to therapeutic healing. I began this subject with no knowledge of Focusing whatsoever. The idea of bringing my awareness and entering the body was daunting for me as I operate on a very cognitive level. Learning that experiential Focusing is a gentle process oriented approach to therapy that invites the utilization of the body’s rich wisdom to facilitate therapeutic change (Cornell, 1996) helped ease some of my subject related anxiety. I learnt that to access this inner knowledge, a person’s awareness is shifted inside and navigation is done with the enigmatic felt sense as a guide, rather than intellectualizing (Purton, 2007). The felt sense is the quintessential concept of Focusing and one of many key aspects and principles developed by Eugene Gendlin. It is important to note however, Gendlin did not invent Focusing, it is a natural skill that he discovered (Cornell, 1996). It took me some time to really grasp what the felt sense was as it is not an emotion nor a body sensation or an altered state. A felt sense is a subtle, whole body sense of a complex situation (Gendlin, 1996). The more I attuned to and became aware of my own felt senses through experiential practice, where I learnt how to describe it rather than interpret it, the deeper my understanding became of the subject as whole throughout the semester. I had to learn that it was about feeling, not analyzing (Purton, 2007). What Focusing does is it accesses the felt sense which draws from a place of emergent unconscious process that is ready to be put under the light of consciousness. It draws from the vast realm of knowledge from the edge of awareness and channels it into transformational potential through in the moment experiencing. Focusing allows us to dip below the surface of the explicit into the implicit (Silverton, 2014). Thus with the use of the Focusing process and the felt sense, I began to realize I was learning how to help clients engage with their feelings and facilitate here and now experiencing, which is the key to successful therapy (Purton C, 2007). The Focusing process helped me release the angst I was experiencing about being a Focuser, and it also helped me with the struggle I was experiencing towards the subject itself. The idea of being a Focuser initially triggered some dim anxiety in me. I was concerned about what I might come across inside. Learning how gentle Focusing is however, and welcoming whatever arises (Gendlin, 1996) as well as understanding that the Focusing ‘procedure involves the maintenance of a comfortable distance’ (Purton, 2007, Pg. 46) was reassuring for me. I began using the experiential practice sessions where I was the Focuser as an opportunity to explore my existing and very present resistance to the actual subject and its content. There was always something in me that was stopping me from fully embracing the subject matter. With use of the Focusing process, I was able to enter my body with that as my issue and get a full body sense of it. Simply being with my felt sense caused a felt shift – a moment of movement (Purton, 2007). Having this experience on several different occasions was uplifting for my relationship with the subject and also empowered me as a Focuser. It helped me understand that encouraging clients to know they are the experts will motivate them to ask, interrupt, ignore or even to simply have a voice when something does not feel right for them in a session. They have choice and are allowed to communicate their preferences about what they need from their therapist as a Focuser and from the process, as it is th eir process (Leijssen, 1998). In doing this, they have an opportunity to achieve a real sense of self-autonomy as I did, which is what this non-directive process empowers clients to accomplish (Purton, 2007). My understanding of the importance of presence strengthened my ability to be a companion. Being in the role of the therapist, I wanted to execute my learning soundly and accurately. I wanted to have the Focusing attitude which embodies presence, gentleness and the ability to be vulnerable (Leijssen, 1998) and to also employ facilitative language with the use of appropriate reflections and invitations rather than questions. I learnt that the philosophy behind this approach highlights that the focusing process is not a technique but a way of being; it is an attitude to embody (Purton, 2007). I had to learn how to facilitate the process while personifying the Focusing attitude; it was a matter of finding the delicate balance between the two so that the Focuser perceives the empathy and acceptance that is being offered to them (Purton C. , 2004). Whenever I was in the process and my mind became cluttered with the theory and how to execute the skills I was learning whilst trying to hold s pace for the Focuser, I would remind myself to just be; my being was much more therapeutic than my doing. Bringing my awareness to my Focuser became an anchor for me. Ironically, in my attempts to perfect my ability to be a Focusing-oriented counsellor, I was in fact pushing myself further away from the most important thing which was my presence (Purton, 2007). What I learnt to remember is that all of this takes place in the present moment (Silverton, 2014). By being with my client and putting my trust in being guided by their process reminded me that I was not the expert which in effect liberated me as a companion. I was able to consolidate my understanding of the Focusing process which was helpful for some of the difficulties I came across in my practice. Gendlin’s six step process helped me grasp each stage. The process incorporates (1) Clearing the space, (2) Felt sense, (3) Handle, (4) Resonating, (5) Asking and (6) Receiving (Purton, 2004). I found clearing the space a valuable method that can be used on its own or within the Focusing process, as a tool for stress reduction (Purton, 2004) through creating appropriate metaphoric distance. This practice can become a wonderful friend, offering a path to self-knowledge (Silverton, 2014). My experience with the process illustrated to me I was confident leading my Focuser in and coming out. Inviting a felt sense to emerge and getting a handle were the most difficult steps as it was hard initially for me to differentiate when my Focuser was describing ‘something’ or a ‘part of them’ as a pose to when they had discovered a felt sense. Sometimes an entire session would be checking in with the Focuser to see if a felt sense was going to emerge. With further practice, Gendlin’s steps became more of a guide for me. The process follows the material of the Focuser therefore the process cannot be rigid. The Focusing process is actually quite simple, but I found the complexities as a companion lie in the multitude of complex processes that include the language, terminology, how to reflect, how to invite and how to create the right amount of distance in order to follow the unfolding process with the Focusing attitude. Being aware of the subtle nuances of the Focuser in their tone, mannerisms and gestures was also important as in these are avenues to intricate possibilities for moving forward (Fleisch, 2009). The more I grappled with the process, the more I was able to identify areas for further improvement in my practice. In doing so I was learning how to deepen the client’s awareness to their own embodied knowledge (Fleisch, 2009). This subject gave me an opportunity to consolidate existing skills and develop a set of new skills. Core person-centred conditions such as presence, unconditional positive regard and empathy are all essential in the Focusing process. I gained further experiential practice as a companion at grounding myself with presence, holding space and meeting my client’s with unconditional positive regard. Despite majority of my Focuser’s having their eyes closed during their process, I would still mirror their non-verbal communication, as this helped me to remain present and was helpful in my attuning process. Once I had a reasonable theoretical understanding of the Focusing process I had to master the acquisition of new skills such as facilitative language used to support presence and to stay with the emerging process at hand. Reflecting is important as it helps the client know they are being understood. Reflections should follow the Focuser and their felt sense as this is the the rapist’s attempt to grasp what the client is experiencing by repeating back exactly what they are trying to say (Gendlin, 1996). It is done with a soft and gentle tone of voice which came quite naturally for me, and always precedes an invitation. I definitely found invitations were much more effective in accessing felt senses than asking questions. Questions run the risk of deviating from presence, and shift the client back to a cognitive level of thinking. Invitations encourage a friendly attitude towards the felt sense (Gendlin, 1996). Focusing is a constant intervention with its consistent checking in and checking back. By strengthening these existing and new skills, my facilitation to help clients to attend wholly personal issue improved. Thus they can open up fresh perspectives and new insights which is what Focusing offers (Silverton, 2014). My relationship with Experiential Focusing has grown over the semester as it coincides with my beliefs about what therapy encompasses. I respect the Experiential Focusing approach in that it is non-directive and follows the guided process of the Focuser. It really reinforces my true belief in every human being’s ability to self-actualise and my role as a Focusing-Oriented counsellor within the holistic framework aids in facilitating this. I deeply resonate with its gentle approach and how through presence, a client can feel heard, met and have their existence validated but to also have the opportunity to listen to and potentially build a relationship with their felt sense (Silverton, 2014) to access their own empowering knowledge. Focusing sees an individual in process, not as a problem or pathology. Rather diagnosing and curing, Focusing gives a person the opening to be and to allow. This was affirming for my learning and development as an aspiring person-centred, holistic co unsellor. The bulk of my learning in this subject came experientially. Cognitively it was a struggle to understand, but I found my inner understanding of fundamental Experiential Focusing concepts grew tremendously through actually participating in or observing the process. The more I understood what the felt sense was and became aware of my own, the more the comprehensive the theory became for me. Thus, Focusing taught me how to deal with ambiguity and vague ideas, and gave me the ability to simply sit with them. It comes as no surprise that the hard to recognise notion of the felt sense is hard to grasp in contrast to our social context where there is huge pressure in our technological culture to know (Silverton, 2014). We have lost trust in our bodies and our feeling (Cornell, 1996), forgetting that the body has sophisticated understanding and Focusing gives a means of accessing that. With Focusing being process-oriented means it is fluid. It can adapt to people varying a great deal in bein g able to sense what is going on in their bodies (Purton, 2004), ‘letting that which arises from the Focusing depths within a person define the therapist’s activity’ (Leijssen, 1998). This is at the core of person-centred methodology and my personal beliefs. Through theoretical learning and experiential practice, I have gained insight and deepened my self-awareness through participating in the Focusing process as a Focuser, observer and a companion. These have all contributed to my growth as a Focusing-Oriented counsellor over the semester, all of which have been essential for my learning as a holistic counsellor. I have embarked on a learning journey to have a comfortable relationship with strong feelings, to acknowledge them and listen to them using the Focusing method, and I now have the ability to invite a client for an opportunity to do the same. Focusing offers a safe and contained environment to access and explore the felt sense which has its own depths of meaning (Gendlin, 1996). By encouraging felt experience as a whole, one gains admission to an abundance of emotional self-healing. Bibliography Cornell, A. W. (1996). The Power of Focusing. Oakland: Raincoast Books. Fleisch, G. (2009). Right in Their Hands: How Gestures Imply the Bodys Next Steps in Focusing-Oriented Therapy. Person-Centred and Experiential Therapies, 173-188. Gendlin, E. (1996). Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy. A Manual of the Experiential Method. New York: The Guilford Press. Leijssen, M. (1998). Focusing Microprocesses. In L. W. Greenberg, Handbook of Experiential Psychotherapy (pp. 121-154). New York: The Guilford Press. Purton, C. (2004). Person-Centred Therapy: Focusing-Oriented Approach. London: Palgrave Macmillian. Purton, C. (2007). The Focusing-Oriented Counselling Primer. Ross-on-Wey: PCCS Books. Silverton, S. (2014, October). How to Think Like a Poet and Make Better Decisions. Retrieved from British Focusing Association: http://www.focusing.org.uk

Common Sense :: essays research papers

The Declaration of Independence And the work of Thomas Paine: Common Sense   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pamphlet Common Sense, made by Thomas Paine, was invaluable to informing the people of how they owed no loyalty to Britain. I am also a strong believer that this document indirectly helped lead to one of the key parts leading to the American Revolution, The Declaration of Independence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas Paine had failed in other lines of work as a corseter, seaman, and tax officer. He then met Benjamin Franklin who helped him immigrate to Philadelphia, where his journalism career began. He wrote the pamphlet Common Sense, which was a very strong defense of American Independence from Britain. Without his passionate, convincing words we may never have had as many colonists with a patriotic state of mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’m sad to say that after this great contribution to his country he returned to England, engaging in other mishaps. He was incarcerated for not endorsing the execution of King Louis XVI. While in jail he became an atheist and wrote â€Å"The Age of Reason† which became the first section of the deist-atheist text. At least he helped influenced the American Revolution, and that’s what I think we should remember him by. As for the Declaration of Independence, I believe that his words influenced the representatives of the states, as well as the average American. On July 4th 1776 the thirteen states unanimously passed the Declaration of Independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson. He was chosen because of his well-known skill of legible writing. It was not that the ideas shown of the document those of his own, but the shared ideas of many representatives, who would later on proof-check Thomas’ work to make sure no crucial ideas were left out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Declaration of Independence rights that still exist today are first installed.

Snapshots of Carver and O’Connor, Pre-Mortem :: Photographs Photos Carver OConnor Essays

Snapshots of Carver and O’Connor, Pre-Mortem Raymond Carver is glaring from the other side of the table, one beefy arm dangling on a chair, the other planted firmly in front of him. His eyes are white, ethereally white, and his hair is a salt and pepper gray. He looks like someone who buys rounds of drinks for everyone at a bar downtown, or, as one critic noted, maybe he’s your son’s little league coach. He is tough but jowly, going slightly soft, like a man who had a hair-trigger temper once but has worked all these years to overcome it. Flannery O’Connor, on the other hand, is a Sunday school teacher: bookish, awkward in a necklace, looking much older than 39. She is smiling crookedly, furtively, smiling away from us. At church socials, she would be a fixture, a great conversationalist, or possibly the woman that holds everything together, flitting from table to table, cooing in a gentle Georgia lilt. You might see Carver at the hardware store, or O’Connor picking through the stacks at the library. You might spy Carver raking his lawn on Sundays; O’Connor would be trying to settle a group of eight-year olds in a church basement with colorful stories of Noah and Moses. They seem like people I know, people I have seen around town, people I wave to on Sunday mornings. Yet for all their vigor, for all their presence, their days are numbered. I know that these are snapshots of people who are going to die. In a few years, their vivacity will be undercut by mortality, their photographic presence instead marked with the great void of absence. The later pictures show a Carver who is puffy, bald, with jowls dropping to the floor, paying for all those nights at the bar and all those cigarettes, a victim of intensive radiation treatment. O’Connor deteriorated in the opposite direction, not bloating but shrinking: the sinews in her neck jut out like those of a strange, scraggly bird, her soulful eyes bulge, and her body is rigid with lupus. In the final days, she had her God and her peacock farm in backwoods Appalachia. He had his friends, his writer’s reputation, his temporal achievements. Their intensive creative lives visible across their faces in the early photographs have been replaced by tranquility, the comforting promise of death, and a final absolution.

Hamlet, the Melancholy One Essays -- A Level Essays

Hamlet, the Melancholy One      Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet features the most famous protagonist in English literature – Hamlet. Inseparable from his character is the melancholy which permanently afflicted him. This essay concerns itself with this aspect of Hamlet.    Harry Levin explains the choices open to the melancholy hero in the General Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare:    The explanation of Hamlet, â€Å"What a piece of work is a man!† (II.ii.303), carries an ironic reverberation. His melancholy gaze looks up and down: skyward toward â€Å"this brave o’erhanging firmament† and earthward toward the grave. Those two portraits which he shows to the Queen illustrate man’s potentialities for good and for evil. The scale ascends or descends with the spiritual and carnal aspects of his dual nature; he can aspire to be a godlike Hyperion or else can grovel like a brutal satyr. Hamlet’s existential dilemma echoes the self-interrogations of Montaigne, not merely through the language of John Florio’s translation but in its ambiguous balance between scepticism and faith.(8)    Hamlet’s melancholy did not prevent his choosing the more noble of the options available. But let’s begin at the start: It is obvious that from the very outset of this tragedy there is a melancholic protagonist. And the depressing aspect of the initial imagery of the drama tend to underline and reinforce Hamlet’s melancholy. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes some of this imagery of the opening scene:    The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes t... ...Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Rosenberg, Marvin. â€Å"Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware Press, 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.   

Foundation and Empire 5. The War Begins

From the radiating point of Siwenna, the forces of the Empire reached out cautiously into the black unknown of the Periphery. Giant ships passed the vast distances that separated the vagrant stars at the Galaxy's rim, and felt their way around the outermost edge of Foundation influence. Worlds isolated in their new barbarism of two centuries felt the sensation once again of Imperial overlords upon their soil. Allegiance was sworn in the face of the massive artillery covering capital cities. Garrisons were left; garrisons of men in Imperial uniform with the Spaceship-and-Sun insignia upon their shoulders. The old men took notice and remembered once again the forgotten tales of their grandfathers' fathers of the times when the universe was big, and rich, and peaceful and that same Spaceship-and-Sun ruled all. Then the great ships passed on to weave their line of forward bases further around the Foundation. And as each world was knotted into its proper place in the fabric, the report went back to Bel Riose at the General Headquarters he had established on the rocky barrenness of a wandering sunless planet. Now Riose relaxed and smiled grimly at Ducem Barr. â€Å"Well, what do you think, patrician?† â€Å"I? Of what value are my thoughts? I am not a military man.† He took in with one wearily distasteful glance the crowded disorder of the rock-bound room which had been carved out of the wall of a cavern of artificial air, light, and heat which marked the single bubble of life in the vastness of a bleak world. â€Å"For the help I could give you,† he muttered, â€Å"or would want to give you, you might return me to Siwenna.† â€Å"Not yet. Not yet.† The general turned his chair to the comer which held the huge, brilliantly-transparent sphere that mapped the old Imperial prefect of Anacreon and its neighboring sectors. â€Å"Later, when this is over, you will go back to your books and to more. I'll see to it that the estates of your family are restored to you and to your children for the rest of time.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Barr, with faint irony, â€Å"but I lack your faith in the happy outcome of all this.† Riose laughed harshly, â€Å"Don't start your prophetic croakings again. This map speaks louder than all your woeful theories.† He caressed its curved invisible outline gently. â€Å"Can you read a map in radial projection? You can? Well, here, see for yourself. The stars in gold represent the Imperial territories. The red stars are those in subjection to the Foundation and the pink are those which are probably within the economic sphere of influence. Now watch-â€Å" Riose's hand covered a rounded knob, and slowly an area of hard, white pinpoints changed into a deepening blue. Like an inverted cup they folded about the red and the pink. â€Å"Those blue stars have been taken over by my forces,† said Riose with quiet satisfaction, â€Å"and they still advance. No opposition has appeared anywhere. The barbarians are quiet. And particularly, no opposition has come from Foundation forces. They sleep peacefully and well.† â€Å"You spread your force thinly, don't you?† asked Barr. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Riose, â€Å"despite appearances, I don't. The key points which I garrison and fortify are relatively few, but they are carefully chosen. The result is that the force expended is small, but the strategic result great. There are many advantages, more than would ever appear to anyone who hasn't made a careful study of spatial tactics, but it is apparent to anyone, for instance, that I can base an attack from any point in an inclosing sphere, and that when I am finished it will be impossible for the Foundation to attack at flank or rear. I shall have no flank or rear with respect to them. â€Å"This strategy of the Previous Enclosure has been tried before, notably in the campaigns of Loris VI, some two thousand years ago, but always imperfectly; always with the knowledge and attempted interference of the enemy. This is different.† â€Å"The ideal textbook case?† Barr's voice was languid and indifferent. Riose was impatient, â€Å"You still think my forces will fail?† â€Å"They must.† â€Å"You understand that there is no case in military history where an Enclosure has been completed that the attacking forces have not eventually won, except where an outside Navy exists in sufficient force to break the Enclosure.† â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"And you still adhere to your faith.† â€Å"Yes.† Riose shrugged. â€Å"Then do so.† Barr allowed the angry silence to continue for a moment, then asked quietly, â€Å"Have you received an answer from the Emperor?† Riose removed a cigarette from a wall container behind his head, placed a filter tip between his lips and puffed it aflame carefully. He said, â€Å"You mean my request for reinforcements? It came, but that's all. Just the answer.† â€Å"No ships.† â€Å"None. I half-expected that. Frankly, patrician, I should never have allowed myself to be stampeded by your theories into requesting them in the first place. It puts me in a false light.† â€Å"Does it?† â€Å"Definitely. Ships are at a premium. The civil wars of the last two centuries have smashed up more than half of the Grand Fleet and what's left is in pretty shaky condition. You know it isn't as if the ships we build these days are worth anything. I don't think there's a man in the Galaxy today who can build a first-rate hypernuclear motor.† â€Å"I knew that,† said the Siwennian. His eyes were thoughtful and introspective. â€Å"I didn't know that you knew it. So his Imperial Majesty can spare no ships. Psychohistory could have predicted that; in fact, it probably did. I should say that Hari Seldon's dead hand wins the opening round.† Riose answered sharply, â€Å"I have enough ships as it is. Your Seldon wins nothing. Should the situation turn more serious, then more ships will be available. As yet, the Emperor does not know all the story.† â€Å"Indeed? What haven't you told him?† â€Å"Obviously – your theories.† Riose looked sardonic. â€Å"The story is, with all respect to you, inherently improbable. If developments warrant; if events supply me with proof, then, but only then, would I make out the case of mortal danger. â€Å"And in addition,† Riose drove on, casually, â€Å"the story, unbolstered by fact, has a flavor of lese majeste that could scarcely be pleasant to His Imperial Majesty.† The old patrician smiled. â€Å"You mean that telling him his august throne is in danger of subversion by a parcel of ragged barbarians from the ends of the universe is not a warning to be believed or appreciated. Then you expect nothing from him.† â€Å"Unless you count a special envoy as something.† â€Å"And why a special envoy?† â€Å"It's an old custom. A direct representative of the crown is present on every military campaign which is under government auspices.† â€Å"Really? Why?† â€Å"It's a method of preserving the symbol of personal Imperial leadership in all campaigns. It's gained a secondary function of insuring the fidelity of generals. It doesn't always succeed in that respect.† â€Å"You'll find that inconvenient, general. Extraneous authority, I mean.† â€Å"I don't doubt that,† Riose reddened faintly, â€Å"but it can't be helped-â€Å" The receiver at the general's hand glowed warmly, and with an unobtrusive jar, the cylindered communication popped into its slot. Riose unrolled it, â€Å"Good! This is it!† Ducem Barr raised a mildly questioning eyebrow. Riose said, â€Å"You know we've captured one of these Trader people. Alive – and with his ship intact.† â€Å"I've heard talk of it.† â€Å"Well, they've just brought him in, and we'll have him here in a minute. You keep your seat, patrician. I want you here when I'm questioning him. It's why I asked you here today in the first place. You may understand him where I might miss important points.† The door signal sounded and a touch of the general's toe swung the door wide. The man who stood on the threshold was tall and bearded, wore a short coat of a soft, leathery plastic, with an attached hood shoved back on his neck. His hands were free, and if he noticed the men about him were armed, he did not trouble to indicate it. He stepped in casually, and looked about with calculating eyes. He favored the general with a rudimentary wave of the hand and a half nod. â€Å"Your name?† demanded Riose, crisply. â€Å"Lathan Devers.† The trader hooked his thumbs into his wide and gaudy belt. â€Å"Are you the boss here?† â€Å"You are a trader of the Foundation?† â€Å"That's right. Listen, if you're the boss, you'd better tell your hired men here to lay off my cargo.† The general raised his head and regarded the prisoner coldly. â€Å"Answer questions. Do not volunteer orders.† â€Å"All right. I'm agreeable. But one of your boys blasted a two-foot hole in his chest already, by sticking his fingers where he wasn't supposed to.† Riose shifted his gaze to the lieutenant in charge. â€Å"Is this man telling the truth? Your report, Vrank, had it that no lives were lost.† â€Å"None were, sir,† the lieutenant spoke stiffly, apprehensively, â€Å"at the time. There was later some disposition to search the ship, there having arisen a rumor that a woman was aboard. Instead, sir, many instruments of unknown nature were located, instruments which the prisoner claims to be his stock in trade. One of them flashed on handling, and the soldier holding it died.† The general turned back to the trader. â€Å"Does your ship carry nuclear explosives?† â€Å"Galaxy, no. What for? That fool grabbed a nuclear puncher, wrong end forward and set at maximum dispersion. You're not supposed to do that. Might as well point a neut-gun at your head. I'd have stopped him, if five men weren't sitting on my chest.† Riose gestured at the waiting guard, â€Å"You go. The captured ship is to he sealed against all intrusion. Sit down, Devers.† The trader did so, in the spot indicated, and withstood stolidly the hard scrutiny of the Imperial general and the curious glance of the Siwennian patrician. Riose said, â€Å"You're a sensible man, Devers.† â€Å"Thank you. Are you impressed by my face, or do you want something? Tell you what, though. I'm a good business man.† â€Å"It's about the same thing. You surrendered your ship when you might have decided to waste our ammunition and have yourself blown to electron-dust. It could result in good treatment for you, if you continue that sort of outlook on life.† â€Å"Good treatment is what I mostly crave, boss.† â€Å"Good, and co-operation is what I mostly crave.† Riose smiled, and said in a low aside to Ducem Barr, â€Å"I hope the word ‘crave' means what I think it does. Did you ever hear such a barbarous jargon?† Devers said blandly, â€Å"Right. I check you. But what kind of co-operation are you talking about, boss? To tell you straight, I don't know where I stand.† He looked about him, â€Å"Where's this place, for instance, and – what's the idea?† â€Å"Ah, I've neglected the other half of the introductions. I apologize.† Riose was in good humor. â€Å"That gentleman is Ducem Barr, Patrician of the Empire. I am Bel Riose, Peer of the Empire, and General of the Third Class in the armed forces of His Imperial Majesty.† The trader's jaw slackened. Then, â€Å"The Empire? I mean the old Empire they taught us about at school? Huh! Funny! I always had the sort of notion that it didn't exist any more.† â€Å"Look about you. It does,† said Riose grimly. â€Å"Might have known it though,† and Lathan Devers pointed his beard at the ceiling. â€Å"That was a mightily polished-looking set of craft that took my tub. No kingdom of the Periphery could have turned them out.† His brow furrowed. â€Å"So what's the game, boss? Or do I call you general?† â€Å"Me game is war.† â€Å"Empire versus Foundation, that it?† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I think you know why.† The trader stared sharply and shook his head. Riose let the other deliberate, then said softly, â€Å"I'm sure you know why.† Lathan Devers muttered, â€Å"Warm here,† and stood up to remove his hooded jacket. Then he sat down again and stretched his legs out before him. â€Å"You know,† he said, comfortably, â€Å"I figure you're thinking I ought to jump up with a whoop and lay about me. I can catch you before you could move if I choose my time, and this old fellow who sits there and doesn't say anything couldn't do much to stop me.† â€Å"But you won't,† said Riose, confidently. â€Å"I won't,† agreed Devers, amiably. â€Å"First off, killing you wouldn't stop the war, I suppose. There are more generals where you came from.† â€Å"Very accurately calculated.† â€Å"Besides which, I'd probably be slammed down about two seconds after I got you, and killed fast, or maybe slow, depending. But I'd be killed, and I never like to count on that when I'm making plans. It doesn't pay off.† â€Å"I said you were a sensible man.† â€Å"But there's one thing I would like, boss. I'd like you to tell me what you mean when you say I know why you're jumping us. I don't; and guessing games bother me no end.† â€Å"Yes? Ever hear of Hari Seldon?† â€Å"No. I said I don't like guessing games.† Riose flicked a side glance at Ducem Barr who smiled with a narrow gentleness and resumed his inwardly-dreaming expression. Riose said with a grimace, â€Å"Don't you play games, Devers. There is a tradition, or a fable, or sober history – I don't care what – upon your Foundation, that eventually you will found the Second Empire. I know quite a detailed version of Hari Seldon's psychohistorical claptrap, and your eventual plans of aggression against the Empire.† â€Å"That so?† Devers nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"And who told you all that?† â€Å"Does that matter?† said Riose with dangerous smoothness. â€Å"You're here to question nothing. I want what you know about the Seldon Fable.† â€Å"But if it's a Fable-â€Å" â€Å"Don't play with words, Devers.† â€Å"I'm not. In fact, I'll give it to you straight. You know all I know about it. It's silly stuff, half-baked. Every world has its yams; you can't keep it away from them. Yes, I've heard that sort of talk; Seldon, Second Empire, and so on. They put kids to sleep at night with the stuff. The young squirts curl up in the spare rooms with their pocket projectors and suck up Seldon thrillers. But it's strictly non-adult. Nonintelligent adult, anyway.† The trader shook his head. The Imperial general's eyes were dark. â€Å"Is that really so? You waste your lies, man. I've been on the planet, Terminus. I know your Foundation. I've looked it in the face.† â€Å"And you ask me? Me, when I haven't kept foot on it for two months at a piece in ten years. You are wasting your time. But go ahead with your war, if it's fables you're after.† And Barr spoke for the first time, mildly, â€Å"You are so confident then that the Foundation will win?† The trader turned. He flushed faintly and an old scar on one temple showed whitely, â€Å"Hm-m-m, the silent partner. How'd you squeeze that out of what I said, doc?† Riose nodded very slightly at Barr, and the Siwennian continued in a low voice, â€Å"Because the notion would bother you if you thought your world might lose this war, and suffer the bitter reapings of defeat, I know. My world once did, and still does.† Lathan Devers fumbled his beard, looked from one of his opponents to the other, then laughed shortly. â€Å"Does he always talk like that, boss? Listen,† he grew serious, â€Å"what's defeat? I've seen wars and I've seen defeats. What if the winner does take over? Who's bothered? Me? Guys like me?† He shook his head in derision. â€Å"Get this,† the trader spoke forcefully and earnestly, â€Å"there are five or six fat slobs who usually run an average planet. They get the rabbit punch, but I'm not losing peace of mind over them. See. The people? The ordinary run of guys? Sure, some get killed, and the rest pay extra taxes for a while. But it settles itself out; it runs itself down. And then it's the old situation again with a different five or six.† Ducem Barr's nostrils flared, and the tendons of his old right hand jerked; but he said nothing. Lathan Devers' eyes were on him. They missed nothing. He said, â€Å"Look. I spend my life in space for my five-and-dime gadgets and my beer-and-pretzel kickback from the Combines. There's fat fellows back there,† his thumb jerked over his shoulder and back, â€Å"that sit home and collect my year's income every minute – out of skimmings from me and more like me. Suppose you run the Foundation. You'll still need us. You'll need us more than ever the Combines do – because you'd not know your way around, and we could bring in the hard cash. We'd make a better deal with the Empire. Yes, we would; and I'm a man of business. If it adds up to a plus mark, I'm for it.† And he stared at the two with sardonic belligerence. The silence remained unbroken for minutes, and then a cylinder rattled into its slot. The general flipped it open, glanced at the neat printing and in-circuited the visuals with a sweep. â€Å"Prepare plan indicating position of each ship in action. Await orders on full-armed defensive.† He reached for his cape. As he fastened it about his shoulders, he whispered in a stiff-lipped monotone to Barr, â€Å"I'm leaving this man to you. I'll expect results. This is war and I can be cruel to failures. Remember!† He left, with a salute to both. Lathan Devers looked after him, â€Å"Well, something's hit him where it hurts. What goes on?† â€Å"A battle, obviously,† said Barr, gruffly. â€Å"The forces of the Foundation are coming out for their first battle. You'd better come along.† There were armed soldiers in the room. Their bearing was respectful and their faces were hard. Devers followed the proud old Siwennian patriarch out of the room. The room to which they were led was smaller, barer. It contained two beds, a visi-screen, and shower and sanitary facilities. The soldiers marched out, and the thick door boomed hollowly shut. â€Å"Hmp?† Devers stared disapprovingly about. â€Å"This looks permanent.† â€Å"It is,† said Barr, shortly. The old Siwennian turned his back. The trader said irritably, â€Å"What's your game, doc?† â€Å"I have no game. You're in my charge, that's all.† The trader rose and advanced. His bulk towered over the unmoving patrician. â€Å"Yes? But you're in this cell with me and when you were marched here the guns were pointed just as hard at you as at me. Listen, you were all boiled up about my notions on the subject of war and peace.† He waited fruitlessly, â€Å"All fight, let me ask you something. You said your country was licked once. By whom? Comet people from the outer nebulae?† Barr looked up. â€Å"By the Empire.† â€Å"That so? Then what are you doing here?† Barr maintained an eloquent silence. The trader thrust out a lower lip and nodded his head slowly. He slipped off the flat-linked bracelet that hugged his fight wrist and held it out. â€Å"What do you think of that?† He wore the mate to it on his left. The Siwennian took the ornament. He responded slowly to the trader's gesture and put it on. The odd tingling at the wrist passed away quickly. Devers' voice changed at once. â€Å"Right, doc, you've got the action now. Just speak casually. If this room is wired, they won't get a thing. That's a Field Distorter you've got there; genuine Mallow design. Sells for twenty-five credits on any world from here to the outer rim. You get it free. Hold your lips still when you talk and take it easy. You've got to get the trick of it.† Ducem Barr was suddenly weary. The trader's boring eyes were luminous and urging. He felt unequal to their demands. Barr said, â€Å"What do you want?† The words slurred from between unmoving lips. â€Å"I've told you. You make mouth noises like what we call a patriot. Yet your own world has been mashed up by the Empire, and here you are playing ball with the Empire's fair-haired general. Doesn't make sense, does it?† Barr said, â€Å"I have done my part. A conquering Imperial viceroy is dead because of me.† â€Å"That so? Recently?† â€Å"Forty years ago.† â€Å"Forty†¦ years†¦ ago!† The words seemed to have meaning to the trader. He frowned, â€Å"That's a long time to live on memories. Does that young squirt in the general's uniform know about it?† Barr nodded. Devers' eyes were dark with thought. â€Å"You want the Empire to win?† And the old Siwennian patrician broke out in sudden deep anger, â€Å"May the Empire and all its works perish in universal catastrophe. All Siwenna prays that daily. I had brothers once, a sister, a father. But I have children now, grandchildren. The general knows where to find them.† Devers waited. Barr continued in a whisper, â€Å"But that would not stop me if the results in view warranted the risk. They would know how to die.† The trader said gently, â€Å"You killed a viceroy once, huh? You know, I recognize a few things. We once had a mayor, Hober Mallow his name was. He visited Siwenna; that's your world, isn't it? He met a man named Barr.† Ducem Barr stared hard, suspiciously. â€Å"What do you know of this?† â€Å"What every trader on the Foundation knows. You might be a smart old fellow put in here to get on my right side. Sure, they'd point guns at you, and you'd hate the Empire and be all-out for its smashing. Then I'd fall all over you and pour out my heart to you, and wouldn't the general be pleased. There's not much chance of that, doc. â€Å"But just the same I'd like to have you prove that you're the son of Onum Barr of Siwenna – the sixth and youngest who escaped the massacre.† Ducem Barr's hand shook as he opened the flat metal box in a wall recess. The metal object he withdrew clanked softly as he thrust it into the trader's hands. â€Å"Look at that,† he said. Devers stared. He held the swollen central link of the chain close to his eyes and swore softly. â€Å"That's Mallow's monogram, or I'm a space-struck rookie, and the design is fifty years old if it's a day.† He looked up and smiled. â€Å"Shake, doc. A man-sized nuclear shield is all the proof I need,† and he held out his large hand.