Developing life story Essay

Great-Expectations is just one novel that follows a tradition of novels that choose to focus on one particular character and their developing life story. Other novels that follow this same tradition are Adam Bede (1959) and Jude The Obscure (1894) which I may use as comparative texts due to the fact all three books/novels are written around the same time and tend to high light crime death and poverty using similar techniques. Death, crime and poverty feature strongly in the vast majority of fiction during the Victorian era. Many authors including Charles Dickens thought by repeatedly writing about the harsh inhuman conditions that many poor people were succumb to that the middle and upper classes would gradually begin to change there stigmatisms and prejudices. â€Å"Great-Expectations† concentrates mainly on two sections of Pip’s life, Pip as a young bashful child and the mature sophisticated Pip that develops as his life unfolds. Both Pips I think paint a very diverce picture of Victorian life one being Pip in a ramshackle unpleasant environment the other being Pip in a lavish gentlemanly one. In the opening paragraph, we are introduced to Pip who is the main character in the novel. We know that Pip is a young child because he describes him self in having an infant tongue that cannot pronounce the word Pirrip his fathers name or his Christian name Philip. Other indications that Pip is in the early stages of his life are that he thinks that the words on his mothers and fathers grave stone some how illustrate to him what they may of looked liked. â€Å"The shape of the letters on my father’s grave stone gave me the odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair† I believe this to be a obvious indication that Pip is a fairly young child aged around six to eight. Pip is visiting his mothers and fathers grave stone in a churchyard he describes as being a bleak place, over grown with nettles Pips overall location is some where on the marshes I know this for certain because he says â€Å"Ours was the marsh country down by the river. † Pip is a young child in a church graveyard by himself with only dead people for company, so I can see why he appears to be unsettled. By the end of the text, Pip has been reduced to a small bundle of shivers growing afraid of the church setting and beginning to cry. Crime and death is rife in this section when Pip tells us what his most vivid memory of his of his early childhood is he chooses to mention a church graveyard he visited on a raw afternoon. Therefore, death has clearly had a major effect throughout his life if this memory is so vivid and easy to remember in later years. Whilst at the graveyard yard Pip is not only visiting his mother and father he has also gone to pay his respects to his five older brothers who all died as infants. As you can see, infant mortality was very high in this time period and a recurring problem the five dead infants would have died of disease or at birth, primitive maternity was to blame. In the early Victorian times, only twenty per cent of the British population lived in towns. By 1901, it had risen on over seventy-five percent. London was the largest but other towns also grew just as rapidly. Because there were so many people in such a small, area feeding your family was problematical, finding a job was nearly impossible. Workers houses were built in the centre of towns close to factories. The houses were over crowed and it was nearly always two to three in a bed some times more. City streets were filthy as there were no proper sewers or drains and the air was polluted with smoke from the factory chimneys. Pregnant woman living in these conditions could easily pick up infections and minor illnesses witch would result in infant death The word â€Å"gibbet† was used in reference to death in this section, a gibbet was something that criminals were hung from. The government in the Victorian era tried to keep order with harsh punishments especially for crimes against people’s property. Small crimes could be punished by whipping or branding with a hot iron. Some criminals were tied to the pillory this was a post in a public place where people could throw rotten food or even stones at them. The worst punishment for a crime was hanging people could be hung for 200 different crimes most of these crimes would be considered very minor today. Pickpockets and burglars could be hung next to murders and rapists and I think that Charles Dickens had a major problem with this aspect of the English legal system and set out to try to make a difference by writing in hope he might influence those in power. Dickens believed reform was needed to alleviate poverty, which he felt was the main cause of crimes against person and poverty. Dickens thought that the judicial system was designed to protect the rich and elite. He particularly abhorred the brutality surrounding these punishments An Extract From Charles Dickens letter to the Times News Paper I went there with the intension of observing the crowd gathered to behold it†¦ I believe that a sight so inconceivably awful as the wickedness and levity of the intense crowed collected at this execution this morning could be imagined by no man†¦. The horrors of the gibbet and of the crime which brought the wretched murders to it faded in my mind. I think that Charles Dickens creates an excellent setting to affect his characters different behavioural patterns. He uses a range of different techniques to accomplish this such as imagery. Some examples of this are where it says â€Å"this bleak place over grown with nettles† I think this is an excellent example of just some of the bits of imagery he uses. By placing Pip in a bleak place bleak meaning barren and desolate and then to make this place over grown with nettles will undoubtedly stir emotions and provoke a reaction with any character especially Pip. Doing this will also create a tense atmosphere. Pip is placed in a scenario where he doesn’t know his parents or his five brothers due to circumstances beyond his control; he has suffered tremendous loss at such a young age. Then he’s placed in a unfruitful setting where there’s nobody around. This is an excellent combination if you are trying to get a entertaining and interesting reaction from one of your characters the climax of all these different factors working together is when Pip breaks down crying the text decries him as a being a bundle if shivers this has clearly effected both Pips behaviour and his feelings. I as a reader was made to share Pip’s experiences in many ways I think that the way that Charles Dickens skips in and out of reality is extremely effective more to the people he aimed his novel at than me today. People of the Victorian period would have been able to relate to many aspects of the first few pages; the feature of infant mortality and the notorious gibbet would have been very real topics to them. Charles Dickens uses very descriptive language to try and explain things to the reader as much as possible this in its self-makes the reader feel more involved and makes the text appear more real. Another way Charles Dickens helped me share Pip’s experiences was through imagery I thought that painting a mental picture in my mind was very beneficial in trying to help me share Pip’s feeling and emotions. I particularly felt in Pip’s shoes when the animals were frightening him. The next time we meet Pip he describes the setting he’s in as being a â€Å"rimy morning† and â€Å"damp†. I think that Pip is in his bedroom looking out on to the marshes I say this because in the same paragraph Pip says, â€Å"I’ve seen the damp lying outside of my window. † I homed in on the word my in this statement and that’s why I came to that conclusion. I can only assume that Pip is the same age he was when he had his experience in the church graveyard. The reason I say this is because Pip doesn’t seem to have developed in any way, he’s still seems to be the immature child he was when went to visit his mother, father, and siblings at the graveyard and doesn’t seem to have changed any. Since the last time we met Pip he was told to steal some food for a convict that escaped from the â€Å"hulks†. Hulks were huge prison ships that were anchored around a mile out to sea the reason for this was that hardly any people were able to swim at this time let alone poor people. The food on the hulks was so bad that most men melted candle wax into there soup to try to make it more nourishing. Early prisons in this period were so crowded and dirty, that’s why hulks came about I think that they were made to try to ease the heavy burden that was on the shoulders of the English prison system.

Loren Eiseley: How Death Became Natural Essay

Loren Eiseley describes how the human quest for certainty has led to consider the death before life. Death was seen as an unnatural thing at the time, especially Christians believed that it was the â€Å"Fall from the Garden†(33). Then, Eiseley describes that the concept of death or extinction is a necessary precursor for an evolutionary theory. He justifies the Death’s becoming natural through the transition from deism to catastrophism. The displacement towards catastrophism is therefore shown as the explanation of the extinction of living forms and the reason why death became natural. From Eighteenth century until toward the final decade of the century, people did not accept the idea that the species could be â€Å"utterly extinguished†(42). Deism was certainly the philosophy they believed to explain the extinction; They believed that God â€Å"immediately interposed his will in nature†(42) and â€Å"supernaturally intervened in mundane affairs†(42). However the first chapter, How the World became Natural, describes that the sense of divine intervention in Nature was being lost and instead the gradual and incessant action of natural forces were recognized in producing geological change. Likewise, catastrophism â€Å"persuaded man to accept both death and progressive change in the universe†(44). Instead of the conception that all the â€Å"major structural plans existed in the mind of God†(46), people started to observe the patterns of life, â€Å"the divine blueprints, persisted from one age to another†(48). â€Å"Life was a historic progression in which the past died totally†(49). Sir Charles Lyell says that the reason why it is inevitable for some species to suffer a reduction in numbers and to be replaced by others, and thus the life is a long course of geological change by natural forces is that â€Å"every living creature competed for living space and that every change of season, every shift of shore line, gave advantages to some forms of life and restricted space available to others†(51-52). From his observation, Lyell makes Death become natural— â€Å"a product of the struggle for existence†(51). However, extinction of species cannot be fully elucidated even by conceptions of extinction according to catastrophism.†It can be ascertained only by careful and precise field observation†(33). There are so many theories, but most of them are unprovable. Relevant matierals such as fossils may help raise objections to those theories, but the theories must be constantly tested and discarded to produce better hypotheses based on the surviving data. Natural disasters in the shape of disease or climactic shifts may be sufficient to explain a mass reduction in the numbers of particular species, but they are still insufficient to explain the reason why the species are not able to rebound. For example, faunas and floras that were prevalent in certain continents were no longer living representatives in Europe. Yet, the reason for their reduction in numbers is only theoretically stated either â€Å"by man or by changes of climate†(39). Lyell even overthrows the â€Å"extinction-in-mass conception of the catastrophists† (54) in order to find an accurate explanation about the geological change of faunas; â€Å"Faunas might shift with time and geography, but this might not involve necessary progression through the vertical realm of geology†(53). Questions 1. Can catastrophism be an accurate and adequate explanation to the extinction of living forms? 2. On page 54, life is described by Lyell as â€Å"a perverse, unexplainable force that crawled and changed through the strata†. What is the relationship between life and death according to Lyell? 3. What is â€Å"the secret†(57,58) to death according to Lyell? 4. Why did Lyell overthrow catastrophistic idea?

Who or what started and perpetuated the Cold War Essay

Who or what started and perpetuated the Cold War - Essay Example Bernard Baruch who was the senior advisor to Harry Truman (33rd president of the US), in context to the frequent occurrence of the crisis among the two nations, termed the situation as â€Å"Cold War† in 1947 (Global Security, 2010). The Cold War began in 1917, with the appearance in Russia of a radical Bolshevik regime dedicated for dispersal of communism throughout the modern world. There were differences in opinion between the US government and the Soviet Union. The US government interpreted communism to be an international development that was in the direction of favouring transnational communism. But it was found out that the communists across the world were loyal as they received orders from Moscow (Global Security, 2010). In the year 1918, the US had united unresponsively in an unsuccessful linked effort to collapse down the revolutionary Soviet regime. Distrustful relations between the Soviets and the US long before the Second World War prepared them as reluctant supporters in the combat against Nazi Germany (Global Security, 2010). The Great Britain and the US struggled against the Bolsheviks, between 1918 and 1920. In 1918 American groups contributed in the allied involvement in Russia in support of anti-Bolshevik armed forces (Global Security, 2010). The argument lies between the interpretation of the US government and the thought of the Soviet Union. The Russian argued that whether this approach of the Soviet Union proved to be a threat to the US or whether the US decision makers, misinterpret Soviet and communist. The Soviets ideology might have been interpreted in wrong way due to political interest. The US government could have perceived the level of threat to be huge and not in favour of the political environment in future (Macdonald, 1995). There are numerous thoughts and perceptions that had created the Cold War and were argued whether the issues were right or wrong in the context of the Soviet and the US political leaders.

Introducing an airplane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introducing an airplane - Essay Example It carries about 300-550 passengers and has a range of about 17500km. The aircraft was designed after extensive consultation with eight airlines to replace the aging aircraft variants that were present in the market at the time such as those mentioned here above. It acted as the bridge between the Boeing 767 and the Boeing 747 in terms of aircraft offerings. The original version was the 200 version which was followed in 1997 by the 200 ER (extended range) and then the stretched 300 version in 1998 which is about 10 meters longer than the original 200 series. The 300ER long range variant was introduced in 2004 followed closely by the 200LR in 2006. From then Boeing has introduced other versions of the Triple Seven including a freighter together with other versions e.g. the Boeing 787. There are three engine offerings available for the 777 including the General Electric GE90, Rolls Royse Trent 800 and the Pratt and Whitney PW4000. This aircraft is one of the best selling fuel efficient commercial airliner capable of flying more than half way around the world. Motivation From the 1970s Boeing had continually unveiled new models to replace and expand its fleet. The need for more capacity and range capability motivated the company to come up with a new long range aircraft that could replace the old Airbus A330, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L1001. Several variants including the 777 tri-jet had been programmed for production before their production was cancelled. The main motivation was to build a reliable, fuel efficient, both long and short range capability and increased passenger capacity. Developments in technology had influenced industry players to bring up the fly by wire design and the Boeing 777 provided the perfect opportunity. It was the first aircraft to adopt the technology. History The developments in technology over the years had influenced players in the aviation industry to expand their fleet with more efficient aircrafts which could be effective in the expanded global market. These developments saw movements with major airlines calling for more range, capacity and fuel efficiency. Boeing Commercial Airlines reacted to this market demand by engaging ten world class airlines to come up with the solution to these deficiencies. In the 1970s Boeing had introduced several models among its fleet such as the twin engine 757 which was to replace the 727, the twin engine 767 to compete the Airbus A300 and the 777 tri-jet (which was later abandoned) challenging the DC-10 and the Lockheed Tri-Star. In the 1980s there was a big gap at Boeing product line where the 767-300ER and the 747-400 that could not adequately achieve the required potential of size and range. The other airlines e.g. Airbus also had old aircraft among their fleet that called for replacement. Airbus had in the meantime moved to fill this gap by developing the A330 and A340. At Boeing, several proposals were being mooted to enlarge the 767 with the result o f the 767-X. It had a capacity of 340 passengers and a range of 13500 km. It was however un-impressive to the company as it did not meet the requirements such as short to intercontinental range capability, flexible cabin configuration and low operating cost. This resulted in the 777. Boeing Commercia

Commercial transaction law and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Commercial transaction law and practice - Essay Example The company should have been also the one who did the vetting of the delivered to make sure that he was believable and trustworthy enough to run such errands. Instead, the company hired someone who would later be identified as a gang member after BB failed to receive the goods. When entering into a contract regarding the selling and buying of a product, there should be certain terms that are to be reached by the two parties that are involved. There are two major ways through which this issue can be resolved. First of all, the two parties are supposed to agree on the time range that will be given for the delivery of the goods. There should also be an agreement about the prices of the products that are being traded. Finally, and just as important, the two parties should agree about who of them is supposed to be responsible for the delivery of the goods. If the supplier is the one to deliver the goods, he is supposed to take charge of the entire process up until the time that the recipient will be able to acknowledge, in signing that he has received the goods from the supplier and that now he takes full responsibility for them. Should anything happen to the goods at this point, then the recipient is the one who is to suffer the damages. The second option that is present in such agreements is that once the goods are ready, it is the consumer who is supposed to take charge of the delivery of the goods to where he wants them. In this case, he may either come for them or organize for how the goods will reach him. Therefore, in this case, once the goods leave the premises of the supplier, they are supposed to sign and agree that now the consumer is taking liability for all the goods and that if anything should occur to them, he will be entirely responsible (Hyland and Patterson, 1999). In the case that is present, the supplier, PSL is the one that is in charge of making sure that the products have reached his client. This means that unless the

Developing Successful Business Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Developing Successful Business Teams - Essay Example Characteristics of team and its contribution to the overall success of the organisation: Team can be defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common target for the welfare of the organisation. However, Dackert, et al. (2010) cited that in a team, the members complement the strengths and weakness of each other. The characteristics of an ideal team such as in Apple Inc., has been mentioned as under: A team leader: Each of the team operates under a team leader. Team leader directs the right path and motivates the members to achieve the targets. The success of effective teamwork in Apple Inc. depends primarily on the leadership quality of Steve Jobs. A common goal: Each of the team members’ work to meet a common short term and long term objectives that improves the business performance of the company. In Apple Inc., the staff are dedicated to provide unique and innovative technical solutions to the customers. Communication : An effective team work includes free communication among the team members. In Apple Inc., the employees can share the feelings and ideas with each other. Moreover, the staff of Apple Inc .are also allowed having an open communication with the leaders. Measurement of team performance: The teamwork of a particular department is being measured by the managers at a regular interval of time. In the company, the managers conduct a team meeting in every month with the team members to discuss the progress of the ongoing project.

DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE HEALTH OF THE UK Essay - 1

DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE HEALTH OF THE UK POPULATION - Essay Example Continuous accumulation of the heat energy makes the atmosphere to have warmer temperatures. It is this blanket of greenhouse gases that leads to global warming. The continuous global warming has led to effects like climate change. The health of human beings is affected negatively by the climate change condition. It is because of the extremes in hot temperatures due to the global warming. UK is experiencing health problems in its population because its geographical location is the temperate regions (McMichael 2003, p. 57). Research has shown that the high temperatures are associated with an outbreak of diseases. Pest and vectors thrive well in regions with a hot climate, and this makes UK population vulnerable to diseases. Also they diseases are easily spread over the population affecting massive numbers of people. Most reports have shown a strong correlation between climate change and health of the UK population. Among many impacts that a country can face, the following are possible impacts of climate change on health of the UK population. Heat waves are harmful and can cause death. In 2003, UK temperatures recorded 38oC and this was the highest. During this year, more than 2000 people died as a result of the heat wave that was in the country (Kreis & Leornadi 2012, p. 223). The young and the old are more vulnerable to the impacts of the heat wave. They suffer from respiratory problems that may cause the heart to overwork and can lead to a heart failure. The human body needs optimum temperatures for the parts to operate well. Any extremes in the environmental temperatures poses risk on health. Heat is essential for supporting life on earth, but it can become a problem when it is at the extremes. In UK, 30oC during the day and 15oC at night will stimulate an alert in the country. These temperatures will affect human health if they heat the atmosphere for more than 48 hours. The

Personal Development as a First Line Manager Essay

Personal Development as a First Line Manager - Essay Example The manner with which front-line managers carry out their tasks such as employee selection, appraisal, and development, communication, and involvement, to name a few, has been significantly associated with a wide range of leadership behaviors that generally intend to influence the attitudes and behaviors of workers as well as to provide them with direction (Longenecker and Neubert 2003). Employees tend to be influenced by HR practices that are evident in the workplace as well as the leadership behaviors of their managers, and they can either respond to this in a positive or negative manner. Thus, there is a crucial need for future front-line managers to obtain the necessary and adequate knowledge, skills, and experience to successfully assume their roles and help contribute to favorable organizational outcomes. The SMART objectives stated in this paper will be outlined in the final portion. Leadership Styles When developing leadership skills, it is of great importance to recognize an d understand leadership styles. For instance, the transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire approaches to leadership have been commonly identified as leadership styles that each has its own outcomes (Leong and Fischer 2011). For instance, the laissez-faire approach is characterized by a â€Å"hands-off† view with which the leader allows his followers to make decisions and accomplish tasks on their own; although this style may be applied among individuals who are highly capable and motivated, the laissez faire approach brings about the lowest productivity among most workplaces. There is little guidance provided by the leader and the members are left to manage activities and solve problems on their own. The transactional leadership style, meanwhile, is highly based on the mutual exchange between leader and followers. Members consequently are motivated by punishment and reward, whose purpose is to follow what the leader tells them to. Finally, the transformational appro ach to leadership has been shown to be the most effective style with which members are empowered by the leader, increasing their motivation to work and allowing them to participate in decision making. The needs of the subordinates are addressed by the leader while challenging and creative tasks are provided to increase their enthusiasm and commitment to achieve goals. When the most appropriate leadership style is chosen in a given workplace, a number of favorable outcomes can be obtained, including increased motivation, productivity, and performance. Risk Management In relation to leadership, risk management is a process which is characterized by effective identification of and solution to workplace problems. For instance, with regards to risk management in workplace health and safety, it is essential that a number of steps are followed. First is to identify the problem or hazard followed by the assessment of risks, thereby determining how critical the problem is. Finally, decisions should be made with regards to how the problem will be solved; such process is referred to as the risk elimination or control. Risk management should be

Business report-progress report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business report-progress report - Essay Example However, they also come from a generation when parents tended to spend more time with their children. The millenials are also quite different because they grew up during the technology boom. Thus, they tend to have much stronger technological skills than others of previous generations. Charicteristically, they are known to be skeptical and impatient, being both image-driven and expressive. The findings discovered here are consistent with the findings done in primary research, so therefore, the analysis of their characteristics is important to take into consideration. Millennials respond to techniques that allow them to both express themselves and prove themselves. They tend to work faster and multi-task better than those of previous generations. They are also very good at adapting. Therefore, it is important to approach them and allow them to work in situations that allow them to both multitask and to be expressive. Millennials are interested in technological savvy jobs that provide them with upward mobility as well as benefits. Overall, they seem to prefer technological challenging jobs and are interested in career paths that allow them to use their multi tasking abilities. Focus on image is very important when recruiting generation Y. Generation Y is attracted to image, so therefore it is important to use a technological approach that will catch their attention. A general focus on technology with a strong image base will gain their interest; i.e., one can advertise successfully on the Internet with a very catchy visual ad. Effective retention targeting for generation Y includes motivational skills. It is important to motivate these individuals, as sometimes they require a little more â€Å"push† than previous generations, but once given that motivation, they have the skills necessary to be very innovative and productive. In order to promote cross-generational

Moral Problem Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Moral Problem - Research Paper Example Gaddafi has no official government function, and prefers to be called â€Å"Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution† (Elgood, 2011). Furthermore, he has unflinchingly ordered the violent repression of dissident citizens, prompting the UN General Assembly to pass a resolution allowing member states to intervene on behalf of the Libyan people. In this paper I shall examine the decision Gaddafi has so far pursued but may still revise, regarding his response to his people’s clamor for democracy. I shall examine the moral dilemma, and arrive at a moral solution pursuant to the decision procedures of Utilitarianism and Kantianism. However, I shall first relate the background of Gaddafi, the type of leader he is, his decisions and actions, so that these may be made the basis for discerning his motivations. Factual details In 1969, 27-year-old Col. Muammar Gaddafi successfully led a bloodless coup against King Idris to take over the reins of power in oil-rich Libya. Gaddaf i was born to nomadic parents, the son of a Bedouin herdsman, and dropped out of college to join the army; despite his humble beginnings, he had been able to maintain absolute dictatorship over his country for the past four decades (Al Jazeera, 2011; Elgood of Reuters, 2011). Gaddafi’s rule was and continues to be oppressive towards the Libyan people, having imprisoned countless dissidents and putting thousands to death, as reported by Human Rights Watch. During the 1970s, he publicly hung student demonstrators who marched and demonstrated for the restoration of their human rights. In another incident, Gaddafi ordered the execution of 1,200 unarmed prisoners in the span of three hours (Al Jazeera, 2011). The media remains under tight government control, as does all large businesses. Gaddafi has been openly anti-US and anti-Israel, and he is strongly associated with terrorism due to his role in the 1988 bombing of the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland which was perpetrate d by Libyan intelligence agents. However, in 2003, in a seeming act of reconciliation he accepted responsibility for this act and indemnified the families of those who died, although his admission remained guarded. He also relinquished his complete inventory of weapons of mass destruction (MacLeod & Radwan of Time, 2005). Due to these acts, Libya assumed normalized relations with the West, allowing the oil industry to flourish and the economy to grow. In 2009, however, Gaddafi spoke at the UN General Assembly, at which he tore a copy of the UN Charter in protest, accused the United Nations and the US of being a terrorist group like the Al Qaeda, and demanded $7.7 trillion in compensation from past colonial rulers. Nor was his contempt directed solely at the US. In a two-day visit to Italy in 2010 to strengthen Rome-Italy ties, Gaddafi unabashedly invited thousands of women to convert to Islam as he was accompanied by a dozen female bodyguards (Al Jazeera, 2011; Elgood, 2011). In the recent spate of civil unrest that has spread throughout the Arab states, Gaddafi showed he has not changed his militaristic dictatorship. Human rights protesters have been gunned down in the hundreds within the span of a few days, and even those attending funerals were not spared the carnage (Elgood, 2011). Libya has never held free elections under Gaddafi, and his sentiments on the matter became clear during a Time interview in 2005: â€Å"Elections? What for? We have surpassed that stage you are presently in. All the people are in

Diploma in Business Essay Example for Free

Diploma in Business Essay Describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two organizations.P2- describe the limitations and constrains of marketing.M1- compare marketing techniques used in marketing products in Two organizations. Answer: P1 I am going to be talking about how marketing techniques are used to market products in two different organizations.Marketing is the process of understanding the market, within which a business operates and satisfying customers, needs in order to meet the objects of the business. The role of marketing within a particular organization will depend on the organization overall objectives. The object of many businesses is to make a profit, but it not the purpose of many voluntary and public (government owned) organization, although marketing is as equally important for them. In order successfully identify, anticipate and satisfy customer ‘needs, a businesses need to carry out market research to assess its competitive position and its customers’ needs.Once a business knows more about its customers and competitors it can set clear and smart marketing objectives. Unit 1 Different types of business activity and ownership Pass 1 A) Type of businesses activity If I live in a city of any size especially in an area where new people are moving in people are increasingly using the Internet to find local businesses. Microsoft cant be local because people search jobs by region: United States, Europe and Asia etc. Oxfam is a local as well such as located in Watford High Street. Some of the businesses that can be helped by local Internet marketing include: chiropractor, computer retailer, travel agent, locksmith, massage therapist, insurance agent, real estate agent, mortgage broker, maid service hardware retailer, plumber, auto repair etc. How to use the Internet to market a local or regional business. There are many businesses in UK. It is located sites across a country. For example, Microsoft Company is found in Cambridge that is UK. Of course Oxfam is collecting money to save people and it is every where in the UK, i.e. London, Hertfordshire, Oxford shire and Birmingham etc. they will be called National Businesses. An International business company is a legal entity incorporated in a tax haven which is free from all local taxes (except small fixed annual fees). Typically the IBC  cannot conduct business in the country of incorporation. Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Microsoft International Careers Newsletter, a free quarterly e-publication that will give us timely information on career opportunities at Microsoft, i.e. from Europe somewhere else. Both Microsoft and Oxfam are global companies, but Microsoft careers can take us to a global presence. They offer opportunities around the world to make an impact with the next generation of technology theyre building today. Political factors: include legal aspects (e.g. Microsoft copyright), the general political ethos. Economic factors: Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. to look at: Economic factors include the effect of the economy (e.g. Int erest rates) on individuals, and on organisations. Social factors: The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. It is very important that such factors are considered. Factors include demographic change (e.g. Oxfam is concerned of changes in proportion of age groups and educational changes.), other changes in social habits (where people go to shop, leisure expectations), Technological factors: Technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. Consider the following points: There are obviously a wide range of technological factors affecting libraries and information centres (e.g. Microsoft Internet, telecommunications, and the media in which people expect to find information). Section 2 National and international laws: International laws are created by international bodies; in particular Britain can be affected by European Union laws. The European Union courts are increasingly important in making judgements which apply across the Union. European Union laws are regarded as having supremacy over national laws. * Employment: Over time a body of law or legislation has developed governing employer/employee relations and the rights of employees and employers in the workplace. The Working Time Directive, 1999 Both businesses must guarantee to all employees a maximum 48 hours working week, and a four week holiday. Employees can choose to opt out of the Working Time requirement and agree to work longer hours if they wish. * Contracts: Oxfam employees have rights under their contract of employment. An employment  contract is a legal agreement between an employer and an employee, setting out the terms on which one agrees to employ the other. The plan must set out where the business wants to go, the aims and objectives, and details of how they will accomplish these aims; it is referred to as the strategy. Aims and objectives: The aims of the companies depend on the kind of business they are. For example, the aims of Oxfam will be quite different from those of Microsoft. A firm needs to have a clear sense of direction that should be clearly communicated to all stakeholders. The aims of the businesses that can be split into objectives. The objectives set out more specifically how the aim can be achieved. For example, the aim of the Microsoft is to be the worlds leading software supplier. The objective is to undercut the price of rivals; to take over other similar makers; to increase sales by giving discount price to the customers so this shall increase the needs of the company. Internal structures: The two chosen businesses are Microsoft and Oxfam vital to generate a structure that will enable them to better meet the needs of their stakeholders. For example, an essential part of the structure of a private company is the Board of Directors with the MD at the top. By giving high priority to the Board means that the interests of the owners (stakeholders) are given priority. However, the companies need to predict for the customers that are very significant organisational structure needs to ensure there are obvious links to customers. For example, the businesses can give priority to the position of customer service managers. Make a judgement about the importance of these factors on the organisation concerned. Factors Organisations can be concerned on Political Funding Wars and conflict Government policies Elections Political trends Government term and change Trading polices Economic Interest and exchange rates Taxation changes specific to product/services Disposable income Job growth/unemployment Import/export ratios Production level Internal sources of finance i.e. banks, hire purchase, leasing and etc.

Strengths and weaknesses in sampling

Strengths and weaknesses in sampling Firstly, it is essential to understand a sample, and its purpose. A sample can be defined as a section of a population who are selected to be participants in a study. The specific selection of participants is chosen to give an overall representation of the whole population. Due to a variety of factors, particularly money and time constraints, it is not always possible to study the entire population, with the sample taking a considerable amount time, that when the sample if complete, the data acquired may no longer be representative of the population. As a result a sample is conducted, considered to be part of the population which is observed. (Cochran, 1977) Without sufficient forms of sampling, generalising with a respectable degree of accuracy is unachievable. There are 2 types of sampling, non-random and random, and this sampling is reliant upon the notion of unsystematic selection. The basic principles denote that in order to provide generalisations related to unique population, the characteristics of the sample must reflect the characteristics of the unique population that has participated in the sample. Thus, a sample can be understood as a miniature population. The only accurate alternative would be to select the entire population to take part in the sample. Whilst there are scenarios where this could be achieved, it is highly unlikely that this could be achieved, but for the population being small enough. When conducting a sample, many see a direct relationship between the overall accuracy of the sample and the population used to create the sample. Consequently, several people will consider a sample to be more accurate when the population used within the sample is greater. This is not necessarily true, as a sample of 100,000 people will not be 10 times as accurate as a sample with a population of 10,000. When conducting a sample, it is essential to consider a variety of factors when calculating the size of the sample that will be used. For example, the cost of the sample, the time duration of the sample, and the size of the population that will be used in order to obtain relevant information and the level of sampling error that will occur once the results of the sample are complete. However, using a larger population when conducting a sample leads to less sampling error, also known as standard error. Therefore, this simply insinuates that the larger the sample, the smaller the error. As a result, those chosen for national samples and national surveys are assiduously selected, resulting in specific samples of only 2,000-3,000. With participants for samples and surveys being specifically selected, the level of sampling error diminishes considerably; nevertheless it is imperative to remember that sampling error can never be eliminated, irrespective of population size. (Barnett, 1991) Random sampling, also referred to as probability sampling, involves a type of random selection which is responsible for choosing the element of the sample. Considerably more confidence can be found in random sampling compared to non-random sampling. The main methods when conducting random sampling include cluster, simple random, stratified random and systematic. The selection procedure ensures each element within the population has an equal, as well an independent chance of being selected to take part in the sample. The elements within a non-random sample are selected through non-random method. This has a detrimental effect on producing representative samples compared to random sampling. However, many researchers still choose to use non-random samples when conducting their research. Their non-random samples are determined by the 3 main methods used within the sample; convenience, purposive and quota. Random samplingensures that each and every member within the population has an equal and identical chance of being included within a sample. Thus, many believe random sampling to be the easiest, fastest and simplest method in order to draw a sample from a population. When choosing random sampling to conduct research, it is essential to have a complete and full list of the population in order to select a completely random sample. (Jessen, 1978) However, this can be seen as very difficult to accomplish. Developing a thorough population list is considerably simpler when using a distinct and smaller population. Several researchers and those involved in conducting samples consider random sampling to be most beneficial, believing random sampling should be used as often as possible. This is very much due to random sampling highlighting authentic, realistic and reliable generalisations. For example, researchers would prefer to conduct a random sample of 100 people, rather than a non-random a sample of 1,000 people, therefore highlighting random sampling as a general preference amongst those who are responsible for conducting samples. Accordingly the advantages of using random sampling are that the population sample is only influenced by chance, ensuring the sample is fair, non-biased and non-discriminative. However, obtaining a list of the entire population is complicated, and as a result this can prevent entirely random sampling. (Wiley, 1992) The method of systematic sampling consists of two factors that will determine involvement in the sample, and they are chance and the system. This system can be described as the process of facilitating random selection within systematic sampling. For instance, when selecting a sample of 50 names from the population of 100, instead of random selection taking place within the population to determine who takes part in the sample, a researcher may select every second name from within the population to take part in the sample. Systematic sampling can as similar to random sampling, unless a systematic bias is evident through the presentation of names on the population list. However, it is very simple to avoid a systematic bias from occurring, through examining the list prior to conducting the sample, as well as communicating with those in charge of putting together the list, asking how the list was assembled. (Foreman, 1991) Quota sampling is a type of sampling that is frequently used in market research and in opinion polls. Those conducting the sample are given a quota of specified subjects to recruit. For example, when conducting a sample concerning favourite music, the interviewer might be asked to find and select 10 adult females, 10 adult males, 10 teenage boys and 10 teenage girls. (Wiley, 1992) However, many imperfections exist when conducting a quota sample, with the simplest fault being that the sample is not random; consequently this means that the sampling distributions of all and any statistics are unknown. The non-random sample is selected in a precise and specific manner in order to ensure that the known characteristics correspond with the overall population sample. When conducting a quota sample, it may be advantageous to set the quotas before the sample is selected; in spite of this it is also possible to use quota sampling strategies spontaneously. Some researchers may feel that it is no t beneficial to carry out research prior to conducting the sample as they are working with an intact group. As a result, the researcher may include questions concerning the characteristics of his respondents; this is in addition to questions related to the outcome variables. The additional questions to those within the questionnaire should concentrate on the topics that are most expected to introduce biases. Once the data has been has been analysed, in order to validate that there are no obvious biases, the researcher could compare and contrast the characteristics between the population and the sample. For example, a small association with a minor budget may want to conduct a private investigation to find out the attitudes, opinion and viewpoints of British University students concerning alcohol and drug issues. Being realistic, the association will believe that the students will respond to the questions by giving socially desirable answers. Therefore, the organisation may hire a co unsellor/researcher from a local University in order to meet the students, gradually build a strong rapport with the students, and this will result in the students feeling calm and comfortable around the counsellor/researcher, meaning they are considerably more likely to respond to questions with authentic, realistic and truthful answers. (Cochran, 1977) Planning prior to conducting a quota-sampling greatly minimises differences, ultimately leaving the researcher with more accurate and precise results. A significant advantage of using quota sampling is that it can be used when random sampling is impossible; quota sampling is also a very simple process that is quick to carry out, and therefore an ideal form of sampling when restricted by time constraints. However, within the quota sample, biases may still exist, with them being difficult to eliminate as they are not controlled by the quota sampling. (Kalton, 1983) Stratified sampling involves putting the members of the population into categories/groups. The advantages of using stratified sampling are that is focuses on the priority subpopulations, ignoring the less relevant subpopulations. Stratified sampling also allows the use of different sampling techniques for different subpopulations, this considerably improves the overall accuracy of the hypotheses and result, in addition to being a practical and valuable solution to sampling when the population is too large to use in one long list. However, the selection of relevant stratification of variables is difficult to achieve, with the data not permanently useful when there are no identical or similar categories/groups. Stratification sampling is also an expensive form of sampling as it requires accurate information about the population that is being used, with the risk of biases being introduced due to there being errors within the measurements, or a clear bias when the selection takes place. Stratified sampling can also be combined with other sampling techniques in order to achieve the most accurate results possible. (Barnett, 1991) Quota sampling and stratified have some very clear similarities. Both specify the number of subjects that are to be included within the sample based on selected characteristics. The function of quota sampling is to ensure the sample gives an accurate, genuine and realistic representation of the population regarding important characteristics that have been put into place prior to the sample being conducted. This is achieved through subjects with specific characteristics that have been placed into sub-categories containing similar populations. Stratified sampling can be seen to take place in order to ensure adequate and ample numbers for sub-analysis once the sample has been concluded. (Foreman, 1991) Many respected organisations and researchers are forced to rely and use non-random sampling due to random sampling being difficult to accomplish. Non-random sampling can be clearly justified if it is highly unlikely, or impossible, to conduct a truly random sample. As a result of these difficulties, the organisations and researchers are most likely to resort to conducting a quota sample or stratified sample. (Kalton, 1983) Cluster sampling involves the population being divided into groups, or clusters. The researchers involved randomly select the clusters to be included in the sample, with each element being assigned to one group solely. Providing the size of the sample is continuous across all the sampling methods, cluster sampling does not provide as much accuracy as other sampling methods, namely random sampling and stratified sampling. Thus, it is logical for people to ask, when conducting a sample, why use cluster sampling? With the answer being when using a limited budget to conduct the sample, the researcher(s) will be able to use a bigger sample using the cluster sampling method, with the increased size of the sample compensating for and counteracting the deficit of precision. Therefore, when on a limited budget for a sample, cluster sampling may be seen as the most appropriate and suitable method to use. (Jessen, 1978) Convenience samples are conducted through the researcher, at their own convenience and discretion, choosing whether to make a valid attempt to ensure the sample is an accurate representation of the general population. An example of this is the researcher standing in a public area, for instance a shopping centre, and choosing who to stop and ask question and/or fill out a survey. Therefore convenience sampling is a form of non-random sampling, meaning the data obtained is inconsistent and does not give an accurate representation of the whole population. Whilst it is difficult to generalise the results of a convenience sample, they can still be informative, although not used by many to gain information and statistics. (Wiley, 1992) When choosing a sampling method, it is essential to choose the method that most effectively links the particular goals involved. Budget can greatly affect the sampling method chosen, therefore it is important to ensure the sample is as accurate and precise as possible, identifying the types of sampling method that will bring the best results, achieving the goals set prior to sample being conducted. Therefore, it is not possible to choose an outstanding sampling method, as each method is dependant on a variety of factor, as mentioned before such as budget, population size and time constraints. It is the responsibility of the researcher to pick the best method, studied to the sample in order to illustrate a fair and realistic representation of the population. Bibliography Barnett, V. 1991. Sample Survey Principles and Methods. Edward Arnold, London, 173pp. Cochran, W.G. 1977. Sampling Techniques, third edition. John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 428pp. Foreman, E.K. 1991. Survey Sampling Principles. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, NY. Jessen, R.J. 1978. Statistical Survey Techniques. John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York. Kalton, G. 1983. Introduction to Survey Sampling. Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences 35, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA, 96pp. Levy, P.S. and S. Lemeshow. 1991. Sampling of Populations: Methods and Applications. John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 420pp. Thompson, S.K. 1992. Sampling. John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 343pp.

Osha 1994 in Malaysias Construction Industry

Osha 1994 in Malaysias Construction Industry The construction industry is the builder of our modern world. Nowadays, rapid economic development has not only led to the significant improvement in incomes and the quality of life, but also resulting in great increases in the number of people killed and injured at work. The statistics of accidents at construction sites give us a picture that Malaysian construction industry is one of the critical sectors that need a huge and fast overhaul from the current site practices. Accidents are caused by the unsafe acts, unsafe condition or both. In order to improve the safety and health and minimize the rate of accidents, our government had implemented the OSHA 1994 in Malaysian construction industry. This study was started out by reviewing the literature from journals, articles, magazines, newspaper, web pages and relevant books. This study is carried out has the purpose of investigate the implementation of OSHA 1994 in Malaysian construction industry. In order to achieve the five objective s of this study, qualitative research method was employed to achieve the objectives. Hence the data obtained from primary source that is interview with the safety officer at few of the selected construction site. For the secondary sources found in the regulation of OSHA 1994, journals, articles, magazines, newspapers, thesis, web pages and case study. The finding of this research reveals the general duties of employers, employers and safety officer at construction site, the types of construction accidents and its causes and some of the effective ways in order to minimize the accident of construction. Furthermore, this study also proposes some recommendations to reduce the accidents in Malaysian construction industry based on the result of this research. Introduction Background Construction can be a very difficult and extremely dangerous work. According to the Charles and James (2006), people in the construction industry not only face the dangers of being the first on jobsite, but face potential risks and exposure throughout the building process. However, construction industry performs poorly in occupational safety and health. So, our government has implemented the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994 into our construction industry. OSHA was enacted on 25th February 1994 with the intent to ensure safety, health and welfare of all persons at all places of work. However, our construction industry has not taken into mind especially for those workers and developer. The purpose of OSHA 1994 is to promote and encourage occupational safety and health awareness among workers and to create organization along with the effective safety and health measures. While the aims of OSHA 1994 are, to secure the safety, health and welfare of a persons at work and othe r than work against risks to safety or health arising out of the activities of persons at work ,to promote an occupational environment for persons at work which is adapted to their physiological and psychological needs and to provide the means whereby the associated occupational safety and health legislation may be progressively replaced by a system of regulations and approved industry codes of practice operating in combination with the provisions of this Act designed to maintain or improve the standards of safety and health. Construction industry are expected to comply with the provision of the act such as general duty of employer and employee, the requirement of safety officer regulation, the requirement of safety and health committee and responsibilities of reporting of accidents and dangerous occurrences. Precaution need to be taken to limit exposures which have the potential to cause detrimental health effects to construction workers. Problem Statement The construction industry is considered as one of the most dangerous industrial sector wherein the construction workers are more prone to accidents. Recently, the construction accidents in our country increase accordingly. Safety and health in the Malaysian construction industry has lagged behind most other industries as evidenced by its proportion high rate of accidents. It is due to the unawareness of the workers and employers in the construction site. One of the most important problems is the attitude of the workers and the developer. Therefore, they prefer working at the construction site without using the safety and health equipment and did not obey the regulation in the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994. As a result, OSHA plays an important role in construction industry. Key Questions Why constructions accidents still keep on increasing although OSHA 1994 had implemented in our construction industry? Do all the employers and employees comply with the rules and regulations of OSHA 1994 in construction industry? Aim To investigate the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 in Malaysian construction industry and to recommend effective ways to reduce the accidents at construction site. Objectives To study the regulations and laws of OSHA 1994 that had implemented in Malaysian construction industry. To identify the role of workers at construction site. To identify the important roles of safety officer at construction site. To analyze the common types of accidents and occurred in construction site and its causes. To investigate the ways to reduce the rate of accidents in construction site. Scope of Study The research will look into the implementation of OSHA 1994 in the Malaysian construction industry. This research will look for the safety and health at selected construction site. Areas of study are limited to the following: Study the regulations on employers, employees and safety officers. Identify the regulation of OSHA 1994 at construction site whether all the employers and employees have complied or not. Identifying the real situation of safety and health at the construction site. Literature Review OSHA 1994 is enforced in Malaysia in 25 February 1994 by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). The act defined the self-regulation and duties of employer, employee, designer/manufacturer and suppliers. The duty of every employer is to ensure safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees. For the employees, they shall be take reasonable care for the safety and health of himself and other persons at work who might be affected. Under the OSHA 1994, National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) was established. The purpose of NCOSH is to improve level of awareness of occupational safety and health and to ensure the safety of all workplaces in Malaysia. The functions of NCOSH are as following: Changes deemed appropriate for occupational safety and health legislation; Administration and enforcement of occupational safety and health legislation; Open communication between management and employees regarding workers safety, health and welfare; Adequate control methods for industrial chemicals in the workplace; Work related death and accident statistical analysis; Issues dealing with the safety, health and welfare of woman, the handicapped and other groups in the community. Encouraging the development and acceptance of an industrial codes of practices related to workers safety, health and welfare; Development of rehabilitation plans and facilities to help those injured in the workplace. The legislation also contains provision for formulating regulations and Code of Practices (COPs), which indicate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“what should be doneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  and thus assist the employer to comply with the Act. According to Rozanah (1994), it is very important for the employers to manage occupational safety and health at their workplace because lack of management control often leads to the existence of causes of accidents and allows for the unsafe practices among the workers. In the construction industry, accidents can be categorizes into several types. According to Master Journal (2004), they have categories all types of the construction accidents into ten ranges. There are struck against, struck by falling, flying, shattering, sliding and moving objects, caught in, on or between in- running nip, pinching, shearing, rotating, reciprocating, punching, pulling and jerking, carrying actions, fall on same levels, fall on different level, slip or overexertion strain and hernia, gradual onset and ergonomic cumulative trauma disorders, repetitive stress injuries, exposure to extreme temperatures, inhalation of poisonous gas and noise distraction. Allan (2006) claimed that there are a lot of causes that cause the accidents happened in the construction workplace. Accidents are the direct result of unsafe activities and unsafe condition. Unsafe condition and unsafe act are often referred to as primary causes of accidents, because they are the most obvious causes and they are usually directly involved or present at the moment the accidents happens. Secondary causes are also important. They are normally due to the failures of the management system to anticipate, and include lack of training, maintenance, adequate job planning and instruction, and not having safe system of work in place. Examples of unsafe act are working without authority, leaving equipment in a dangerous condition, using equipment at the wrong speed, horseplay, drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Examples for the unsafe conditions are inadequate or missing guards to moving machine parts, missing platforms guardrails, defective tools and equipment, fire hazards and ineffective housekeeping. Allan (2006) acknowledged that, there are seven principles in order to minimize the occurrence of accidents at construction industry. There are avoid a risk altogether by eliminating the hazard, tackle risk at source, adapt work to the individual when designing work areas and selecting methods of work, use technology to improve conditions, give priority to protection for the whole workplace rather than to individuals, ensure everyone understand what they have to do to be safe and healthy at work, and the last one is to make sure health and safety management is accepted by everyone. Research Methodologies A research methodology is the way in which the objectives can be questioned. There are two types of research methodologies, which are quantitative research and qualitative research. In my thesis dissertation, I would like to choose qualitative research as my method of research. According to Naoum (2002; p.40), qualitative research is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"subjectiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in nature. It emphasizes meanings, experiences, description and so on. For my dissertation, I will use a primary source that is interview with the safety officer is one of the methods to acquire the information. I will interview with at least five safety officer in order to collecting the information to achieve my objectives. Interview is one of the major technique for collecting factual information as well as opinion. It is face-to-face interpersonal role situation in which an interviewer asks respondents questions designed to elicit answers pertinent to the research hypothesis. Besides, I also will choose case study for my dissertation. I will choose some of the construction site to study and to investigate about the safety and health of the workers in the construction site. Case study is one of the best methods because it involved an in-depth, longitudinal examination of an event. It provides a systematic ways of looking at the events, collecting data, analyzing information and reporting the result. Throughout the case study, I can observe on whether the construction workers and safety officer have comply with the regulation as stated in the OSHA 1994 or not. By the way, I also will use secondary materials in order to complete my dissertation. Secondary materials are data which already available or had been drawn conclusion by other researchers. For example, the government publications, earlier researches, personal records and company record are the secondary sources. In order to get an efficient result, I will search some relevant reference books, journal, web pages, magazines, articles, newspaper that are related to the implementation of OSHA 1994 in Malaysian construction industry. Among these sources, journal articles and previous studies are the most relevant sources as they provide detailed findings. The journal articles may come from different independent and formal group and different universities libraries. Literature study is an effective ways on order to do the dissertation.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom Essay -- Nazi concentration camps

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom According to Corrie & Betsie Ten Boom, life was a faith-building experience. Those two women were faced with one of the toughest experiences of their lives. Each day, Corrie and Betsie had to persuade each other that everything was going to be okay, once they were free from the â€Å"hell†, or the concentration camp they were placed in. And, yet, Corrie and Betsie somehow managed to keep in mind that God was with them. Corrie Ten Boom’s astonishing novel, â€Å"The Hiding Place†, is an extraordinary adventure of one courageous Christian woman who had been sent to a concentration camp, along with her sister, for helping the Jews. Both the girls depended heavily on Christ’s power and words to guide them through the tough times. They were not praying for themselves, but instead they were praying for the souls and the actions of the brutal Nazi guards. It was the year 1937. It was going to be a beautiful day for the 100th anniversary of the Ten Boom’s watch shop. Both Corrie and Betsie worked there, along with Hans -- the apprentice, Toos – the sour faced and ill-tempered little woman, Christolfels, a tiny little repair man with a big heart and who could forget father. Corrie describes father as the most loved man in all of Haarlem, Holland. Anyone who worked in the watch shop was treated very well. Life was simple. There were no cars or TVs. Everyone in Haarlem lived their lives day by day and didn’t care too much about the fut...

Child Labour :: essays research papers

Our Efforts and Experiences – Part - I â€Å"In all the civilized societies all over the world system of child labour is condemned as a social evil but the fact is the system is prevelent on a large scale in a country like India. It is noticed that, in recent times our society is showing some signs of awareness about this social evil. This is the first part of the article giving details about the efforts undertaken in and around Ahmedpur for eradication of this system. Since past 12 years I am working on various issues related to rural areas through People’s Institute of Rural Development and Rachanatmac Sangharsha Samiti (Maharashtra). To generate employment for farm labour through â€Å"employment guarantee scheme†is our sustained and major activity. While working with farm labour during 1988-90 I was exposed to the issue of Child Labour. When I saw the children working as child or boned Labour in agriculture, I could realise the intensity of this issue. Agriculture is a main source of employment for labour in rural areas. Child Labour working in farms, or as a bonded labour or as a herdsman has an adverse impact on the employment of adult people. When dialogue was initialed with farm labour on this issue. They narrated that when child works as a Child Labour he/she actually supports the family. They feel that child provides something to eat to a family. This is a general feeling among the rural masses about Child Labour. The common understanding among this labour class is more working hands means more income for a family. But this calls still could not decide, whose hands these should be? They are not understanding that small hands are depriving of big hands from employment. The difficult life they are living and ignorance of these farm labour is responsible for such type of their attitude towards their own children. It made us realised that there is a need of structural   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  changes in the society and we resolved to work for structural changes. In the society and we resolved to work for structural changes. In the initial period neither we had any plan nor a concrete stralgy to deal with the situation. We decide to have a dialogue with farm labour on this issue. Already we were discussing with them about employment minimum wages, equal wages for equal work, laws for the profection of a farm labour etc.

A Demon Haunted World Essay -- essays research papers

A Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark Well I can certainly see why this book was rated with five stars. I found Sagan’s book, â€Å"A demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark† one of the most eye-opening books that I have read in a very long time. I must admit that when this book was first presented to me I doubted just how great this would be. Here in my head I was thinking â€Å"Okay I don’t want to read a book about engineering I want to do engineering.† But the thought process went on and I must admit it was well worth reading this book. Although the book was slow to begin, as most books are, the pace picked up and took me right along for the ride.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main theme of this book was how much science not only opens are minds but also how much science influences our lives. I liked the example that Sagan uses close to the beginning of this story of how he was at a gathering and asked everyone in the room how many of them had not been helped someway in their lives by science. I thought the fact that only one person raised their hand was a good way of showing just how influential science is in everyone’s lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that there could also be another theme for this book. The other theme I saw to be very present throughout the book was the mere fact that science alone can not necessarily answer questions but can give the flaws to someone’s story. I am very interested in and have been a strong belie...

Employee Resourcing Essay

Their business approach and culture is very different from other competitors. Examples of their different culture are; no dress code, flexible working hours and spending lavishly on the recruitment process. Around 700, mostly young employees work under Trilogy and its Director of college recruiting Mr. Jeff Daniel expects the employees to â€Å"commit their expertise and vitality to everything they do†. Trilogy has an expensive and aggressive employee recruitment strategy that includes training at the company’s â€Å"Trilogy University. The new employees joined will undergo an intensive training program at their in-house training facility known as â€Å"Trilogy University†. Recruiters tend to select the ambitious, over achievers with entrepreneurial instincts from the campus recruitment method being the fresher’s in the job market. Trilogy’s recruitment interviews are said to be very intense at the same time an interview day will end with lot of ad venture and fun activities for both recruiters and interviewers, which makes a strong bond between new comers and the managers. For Trilogy recruiting is not just a high priority — it’s a company-wide mission. Its mission is to recruit the best of the best?. For that reason Trilogy uses very costly recruiting techniques: The Company spent $13,000 per hire with 262 college graduates were selected from short listed 4000 candidates, and this short listing was from 15000 applications! Q1. Identify some of the established recruiting techniques that underlie Trilogy’s unconventional approach to attracting talent? The company Trilogy, aggressively pursues the least experienced people in the job market. At many college campuses island wide, in career fairs and computer-science departments, looking for students who represent what Daniel calls â€Å"whom are expected to totally commit their expertise and vitality in everything they do†. In other words, he looks for young, talented over achievers with entrepreneurial ambition – people. The top managers, including CEO of the company, conduct the first round of  inter views, letting all applicants know that it would be hard, but rewarding experience.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 7 Mycogen

MYCOGEN-†¦ A sector of ancient Trantor buried in the past of its own legends. Mycogen made little impact on the planet. Self-satisfied and self-separated to a degree†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 31. When Seldon woke, he found a new face looking at him solemnly. For a moment he frowned owlishly and then he said, â€Å"Hummin?† Hummin smiled very slightly. â€Å"You remember me, then?† â€Å"It was only for a day, nearly two months ago, but I remember. You were not arrested, then, or in any way-â€Å" â€Å"As you see, I am here, quite safe and whole, but-and he glanced at Dors, who stood to one side-â€Å"it was not very easy for me to come here.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'm glad to see you.-Do you mind, by the way?† He jerked his thumb in the direction of the bathroom. Hummin said, â€Å"Take your time. Have breakfast.† Hummin didn't join him at breakfast. Neither did Dors. Nor did they speak. Hummin scanned a book-film with an attitude of easy absorption. Dors inspected her nails critically and then, taking out a microcomputer, began making notes with a stylus. Seldon watched them thoughtfully and did not try to start a conversation. The silence now might be in response to some Trantorian reserve customary at a sickbed. To be sure, he now felt perfectly normal, but perhaps they did not realize that. It was only when he was done with his last morsel and with the final drop of milk (which he was obviously getting used to, for it no longer tasted odd) that Hummin spoke. He said, â€Å"How are you, Seldon?† â€Å"Perfectly well, Hummin. Sufficiently well, certainly, for me to be up and about.† â€Å"I'm glad to hear it,† said Hummin dryly. â€Å"Dors Venabili was much to blame in allowing this to happen.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"No. I insisted on going Upperside.† â€Å"I'm sure, but she should, at all costs, have gone with you.† â€Å"I told her I didn't want her to go with me.† Dors said, â€Å"That's not so, Hari. Don't defend me with gallant lies.† Seldon said angrily, â€Å"But don't forget that Dors also came Upperside after me, against strong resistance, and undoubtedly saved my life. That's not bending the truth at all. Have you added that to your evaluation, Hummin?† Dors interrupted again, obviously embarrassed. â€Å"Please, Hari. Chetter Hummin is perfectly correct in feeling that I should either have kept you from going Upperside or have gone up with you. As for my subsequent actions, he has praised them.† â€Å"Nevertheless,† said Hummin, â€Å"that is past and we can let it go. Let us talk about what happened Upperside, Seldon.† Seldon looked about and said guardedly, â€Å"Is it safe to do so?† Hummin smiled slightly. â€Å"Dors has placed this room in a Distortion Field. I can be pretty sure that no Imperial agent at the University-if there is one-has the expense to penetrate it. You are a suspicious person, Seldon.† â€Å"Not by nature,† said Seldon. â€Å"Listening to you in the park and afterward- You are a persuasive person, Hummin. By the time you were through, I was ready to fear that Eto Demerzel was lurking in every shadow.† â€Å"I sometimes think he might be,† said Hummin gravely. â€Å"If he was,† said Seldon, â€Å"I wouldn't know it was he. What does he look like?† â€Å"That scarcely matters. You wouldn't see him unless he wanted you to and by then it would all be over, I imagine-which is what we must prevent. Let's talk about that jet-down you saw.† Seldon said, â€Å"As I told you, Hummin, you filled me with fears of Demerzel. As soon as I saw the jet-down, I assumed he was after me, that I had foolishly stepped outside the protection of Streeling University by going Upperside, that I had been lured up there for the specific purpose of being picked up without difficulty.† Dors said, â€Å"On the other hand, Leggen-â€Å" Seldon said quickly, â€Å"Was he here last night?† â€Å"Yes, don't you remember?† â€Å"Vaguely. I was dead tired. It's all a blur in my memory.† â€Å"Well, when he was here last night, Leggen said that the jet-down was merely a meteorological vessel from another station. Perfectly ordinary. Perfectly harmless.† â€Å"What?† Seldon was taken aback. â€Å"I don't believe that.† Hummin said, â€Å"Now the question is: Why don't you believe that? Was there anything about the jet-down that made you think it was dangerous? Something specific, that is, and not just a pervasive suspicion placed in your head by me.† Seldon thought back, biting his lower lip. He said, â€Å"Its actions. It seemed to push its forepart below the cloud deck, as though it were looking for something, then it would appear in another spot just the same way, then in another spot, and so on. It seemed to be searching Upperside methodically, section by section, and homing in on me.† Hummin said, â€Å"Perhaps you were personifying, Seldon. You may have been treating the jet-down as though it was a strange animal looking for you. It wasn't, of course. It was simply a jet-down and if it was a meteorological vessel, its actions were perfectly normal†¦ and harmless.† Seldon said, â€Å"It didn't seem that way to me.† Hummin said, â€Å"I'm sure it didn't, but we don't actually know anything. Your conviction that you were in danger is simply an assumption. Leggen's decision that it was a meteorological vessel is also only an assumption.† Seldon said stubbornly, â€Å"I can't believe that it was an entirely innocent event.† â€Å"Well then,† said Hummin, â€Å"suppose we assume the worst-that the vessel was looking for you. How would whoever sent that vessel know you would be there to seek?† Dors interjected, â€Å"I asked Dr. Leggen if he had, in his report of the forthcoming meteorological work, included the information that Hari would be with the group. There was no reason he should in the ordinary course of events and he denied that he had, with considerable surprise at the question. I believed him.† Hummin said thoughtfully, â€Å"Don't believe him too readily. Wouldn't he deny it, in any case? Now ask yourself why he allowed Seldon to come along in the first place. We know he objected initially, but he did relent, without much fight. And that, to me, seems rather out of character for Leggen.† Dors frowned and said, â€Å"I suppose that does make it a bit more likely that he did arrange the entire affair. Perhaps he permitted Hari's company only in order to put him in the position of being taken. He might have received orders to that effect. We might further argue that he encouraged his young intern, Clowzia, to engage Hari's attention and draw him away from the group, isolating him. That would account for Leggen's odd lack of concern over Hari's absence when it came time to go below. He would insist that Hari had left earlier, something he would have laid the groundwork for, since he had carefully showed him how to go down by himself. It would also account for his reluctance to go back up in search of him, since he would not want to waste time looking for someone he assumed would not be found.† Hummin, who had listened carefully, said, â€Å"You make an interesting case against him, but let's not accept that too readily either. After all, he did come Upperside with you in the end.† â€Å"Because footsteps had been detected. The Chief Seismologist had [been] witness to that.† â€Å"Well, did Leggen show shock and surprise when Seldon was found? I mean, beyond that of finding someone who had been brought into extreme peril through Leggen's own negligence. Did he act as though Seldon wasn't supposed to be there? Did he behave as though he were asking himself: How is it they didn't pick him up?† Dors thought carefully, then said, â€Å"He was obviously shocked by the sight of Hari lying there, but I couldn't possibly tell if there was anything to his feelings beyond the very natural horror of the situation.† â€Å"No, I suppose you couldn't.† But now Seldon, who had been looking from one to the other as they spoke and who had been listening intently, said, â€Å"I don't think it was Leggen.† Hummin transferred his attention to Seldon. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"For one thing, as you noted, he was clearly unwilling to have me come along. It took a whole day of argument and I think he agreed only because he had the impression that I was a clever mathematician who could help him out with meteorological theory. I was anxious to go up there and, if he had been under orders to see to it that I was taken Upperside, there would have been no need to be so reluctant about it.† â€Å"Is it reasonable to suppose he wanted you only for your mathematics? Did he discuss the mathematics with you? Did he make an attempt to explain his theory to you?† â€Å"No,† said Seldon, â€Å"he didn't. He did say something about going into it later on, though. The trouble was, he was totally involved with his instruments. I gathered he had expected sunshine that hadn't showed up and he was counting on his instruments having been at fault, but they were apparently working perfectly, which frustrated him. I think this was an unexpected development that both soured his temper and turned his attention away from me. As for Clowzia, the young woman who preoccupied me for a few minutes, I do not get the feeling, as I look back on it, that she deliberately led me away from the scene. The initiative was mine. I was curious about the vegetation on Upperside and it was I who drew her away, rather than vice versa. Far from Leggen encouraging her action, he called her back while I was still in sight and I moved farther away and out of sight entirely on my own.† â€Å"And yet,† said Hummin, who seemed intent on objecting to every suggestion that was made, â€Å"if that ship was looking for you, those on board must have known you'd be there. How would they know-if not from Leggett?† â€Å"The man I suspect,† said Seldon, â€Å"is a young psychologist named Lisung Randa† â€Å"Randa?† said Dors. â€Å"I can't believe that. I know him. He simply would not be working for the Emperor. He's anti-Imperialist to the core.† â€Å"He might pretend to be,† said Seldon. â€Å"In fact, he would have to be openly, violently, and extremely anti-Imperialist if he was trying to mask the fact that he is an Imperial agent.† â€Å"But that's exactly what he's not like,† said Dors. â€Å"He is not violent and extreme in anything. He's quiet and good-natured and his views are always expressed mildly, almost timidly. I'm convinced they're genuine.† â€Å"And yet, Dors,† said Seldon earnestly, â€Å"it was he who first told me of the meteorological project, it was he who urged me to go Upperside, and it was he who persuaded Leggen to allow me to join him, rather exaggerating my mathematical prowess in the process. One must wonder why he was so anxious to get me up there, why he should labor so hard.† â€Å"For your good, perhaps. He was interested in you, Hari, and must have thought that meteorology might have been useful in psychohistory. Isn't that possible?† Hummin said quietly, â€Å"Let's consider another point. There was a considerable lapse of time between the moment when Randa told you about the meteorology project and the moment you actually went Upperside. If Randa is innocent of anything underhanded, he would have no particular reason to keep quiet about it. If he is a friendly and gregarious person-â€Å" â€Å"He is,† said Dors. â€Å"-then he might very likely tell a number of friends about it. In that case, we couldn't really tell who the informer might be. In fact, just to make another point, suppose Randa is anti-Imperialist. That would not necessarily mean he is not an agent. We would have to ask: Whom is he an agent for? On whose behalf does he work?† Seldon was astonished. â€Å"Who else is there to work for but the Empire? Who else but Demerzel?† Hummin raised his hand. â€Å"You are far from understanding the whole complexity of Trantorian politics, Seldon.† He turned toward Dors. â€Å"Tell me again: Which were the four sectors that Dr. Leggen named as likely sources for a meteorological vessel?† â€Å"Hestelonia, Wye, Ziggoreth, and North Damiano.† â€Å"And you did not ask the question in any leading way? You didn't ask if a particular sector might be the source?† â€Å"No, definitely not. I simply asked if he could speculate as to the source of the jet-down.† â€Å"And you†-Hummin turned to Seldon â€Å"may perhaps have seen some marking, some insigne, on the jet-down?† Seldon wanted to retort heatedly that the vessel could hardly be seen through the clouds, that it emerged only briefly, that he himself was not looking for markings, but only for escape-but he held back. Surely, Hummin knew all that. Instead, he said simply, â€Å"I'm afraid not.† Dors said, â€Å"If the jet-down was on a kidnapping mission, might not the insigne have been masked?† â€Å"That is the rational assumption,† said Hummin, â€Å"and it tray well have been, but in this Galaxy rationality does not always triumph. However, since Seldon seems to have taken no note of any details concerning the vessel, we can only speculate. What I'm thinking is: Wye.† â€Å"Why?† echoed Seldon. â€Å"I presume they wanted to take me because whoever was on the ship wanted me for my knowledge of psychohistory.† â€Å"No, no.† Hummin lifted his right forefinger as if lecturing a young student. â€Å"W-y-e. It is the name of a sector on Trantor. A very special sector. It has been ruled by a line of Mayors for some three thousand years. It has been a continuous line, a single dynasty. There was a time, some five-hundred years ago, when two Emperors and an Empress of the House of Wye sat on the Imperial throne. It was a comparatively short period and none of the Wye rulers were particularly distinguished or successful, but the Mayors of Wye have never forgotten this Imperial past. â€Å"They have not been actively disloyal to the ruling houses that have succeeded them, but neither have they been known to volunteer much on behalf of those houses. During the occasional periods of civil war, they maintained a kind of neutrality, making moves that seemed best calculated to prolong the civil war and make it seem necessary to turn to Wye as a compromise solution. That never worked out, but they never stopped trying either. â€Å"The present Mayor of Wye is particularly capable. He is old now, but his ambition hasn't cooled. If anything happens to Cleon-even a natural death-the Mayor will have a chance at the succession over Cleon's own too-young son. The Galactic public will always be a little more partial toward a claimant with an Imperial past. â€Å"Therefore, if the Mayor of Wye has heard of you, you might serve as a useful scientific prophet on behalf of his house. There would be a traditional motive for Wye to try to arrange some convenient end for Cleon, use you to predict the inevitable succession of Wye and the coming of peace and prosperity for a thousand years after. Of course, once the Mayor of Wye is on the throne and has no further use for you, you might well follow Cleon to the grave.† Seldon broke the grim silence that followed by saying, â€Å"But we don't know that it is this Mayor of Wye who is after me.† â€Å"No, we don't. Or that anyone at all is after you, at the moment. The jet-down might, after all, have been an ordinary meteorological testing vessel as Leggen has suggested. Still, as the news concerning psychohistory and its potential spreads-and it surely must-more and more of the powerful and semi-powerful on Trantor or, for that matter, elsewhere will want to make use of your services.† â€Å"What, then,† said Dors, â€Å"shall we do?† â€Å"That is the question, indeed.† Hummin ruminated for a while, then said, â€Å"Perhaps it was a mistake to come here. For a professor, it is all too likely that the hiding place chosen would be a University. Streeling is one of many, but it is among the largest and most free, so it wouldn't be long before tendrils from here and there would begin feeling their soft, blind way toward this place. I think that as soon as possible-today, perhaps-Seldon should be moved to another and better hiding place. But-â€Å" â€Å"But?† said Seldon. â€Å"But I don't know where.† Seldon said, â€Å"Call up a gazeteer on the computer screen and choose a place at random.† â€Å"Certainly not,† said Hummin. â€Å"If we do that, we are as likely to find a place that is less secure than average, as one that is more secure. No, this must be reasoned out.-Somehow.† 32. The three remained huddled in Seldon's quarters till past lunch. During that time, Hari and Dors spoke occasionally and quietly on indifferent subjects, but Hummin maintained an almost complete silence. He sat upright, ate little, and his grave countenance (which, Seldon thought, made him look older than his years) remained quiet and withdrawn. Seldon imagined him to be reviewing the immense geography of Trantor in his mind, searching for a corner that would be ideal. Surely, it couldn't be easy. Seldon's own Helicon was somewhat larger by a percent or two than Trantor was and had a smaller ocean. The Heliconian land surface was perhaps 10 percent larger than the Trantorian. But Helicon was sparsely populated, its surface only sprinkled with scattered cities; Trantor was all city. Where Helicon was divided into twenty administrative sectors; Trantor had over eight hundred and every one of those hundreds was itself a complex of subdivisions. Finally Seldon said in some despair, â€Å"Perhaps it might be best, Hummin, to choose which candidate for my supposed abilities is most nearly benign, hand me over to that one, and count on him to defend me against the rest.† Hummin looked up and said in utmost seriousness, â€Å"That is not necessary. I know the candidate who is most nearly benign and he already has you.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"Do you place yourself on the same level with the Mayor of Wye and the Emperor of all the Galaxy?† â€Å"In point of view of position, no. But as far as the desire to control you is concerned, I rival them. They, however, and anyone else I can think of want you in order to strengthen their own wealth and power, while I have no ambitions at all, except for the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"I suspect,† said Seldon dryly, â€Å"that each of your competitors-if asked-would insist that he too was thinking only of the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"I am sure they would,† said Hummin, â€Å"but so far, the only one of my competitors, as you call them, whom you have met is the Emperor and he was interested in having you advance fictionalized predictions that might stabilize his dynasty. I do not ask you for anything like that. I ask only that you perfect your psychohistorical technique so that mathematically valid predictions, even if only statistical in nature, can be made.† â€Å"True. So far, at least,† said Seldon with a half-smile. â€Å"Therefore, I might as well ask: How are you coming along with that task? Any progress?† Seldon was uncertain whether to laugh or cage. After a pause, he did neither, but managed to speak calmly. â€Å"Progress? In less than two months? Hummin, this is something that might easily take me my whole life and the lives of the next dozen who follow me.-And even then end in failure.† â€Å"I'm not talking about anything as final as a solution or even as hopeful as the beginning of a solution. You've said flatly a number of times that a useful psychohistory is possible but impractical. All I am asking is whether there now seems any hope that it can be made practical.† â€Å"Frankly, no.† Dors said, â€Å"Please excuse me. I am not a mathematician, so I hope this is not a foolish question. How can you know something is both possible and impractical? I've heard you say that, in theory, you might personally meet and greet all the people in the Empire, but that it is not a practical feat because you couldn't live long enough to do it. But how can you tell that psychohistory is something of this sort?† Seldon looked at Dors with some incredulity. â€Å"Do you want that explained.† â€Å"Yes,† she said, nodding her head vigorously so that her curled hair vibrated. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Hummin, â€Å"so would I.† â€Å"Without mathematics?† said Seldon with just a trace of a smile. â€Å"Please,† said Hummin. â€Å"Well-† He retired into himself to choose a method of presentation. Then he said, â€Å"-If you want to understand some aspect of the Universe, it helps if you simplify it as much as possible and include only those properties and characteristics that are essential to understanding. If you want to determine how an object drops, you don't concern yourself with whether it is new or old, is red or green, or has an odor or not. You eliminate those things and thus do not needlessly complicate matters. The simplification you can call a model or a simulation and you can present it either as an actual representation on a computer screen or as a mathematical relationship. If you consider the primitive theory of nonrelativistic gravitation-â€Å" Dors said at once, â€Å"You promised there would be no mathematics. Don't try to slip it in by calling it ‘primitive.' â€Å" â€Å"No, no. I mean ‘primitive' only in that it has been known as long as our records go back, that its discovery is shrouded in the mists of antiquity as is that of fire or the wheel. In any case, the equations for such gravitational theory contain within themselves a description of the motions of a planetary system, of a double star, of tides, and of many other things. Making use of such equations, we can even set up a pictorial simulation and have a planet circling a star or two stars circling each other on a two-dimensional screen or set up more complicated systems in a three-dimensional holograph. Such simplified simulations make it far easier to grasp a phenomenon than it would be if we had to study the phenomenon itself. In fact, without the gravitational equations, our knowledge of planetary motions and of celestial mechanics generally would be sparse indeed. â€Å"Now, as you wish to know more and more about any phenomenon or as a phenomenon becomes more complex, you need more and more elaborate equations, more and more detailed programming, and you end with a computerized simulation that is harder and harder to grasp.† â€Å"Can't you form a simulation of the simulation?† asked Hummin. â€Å"You would go down another degree.† â€Å"In that case, you would have to eliminate some characteristic of the phenomenon which you want to include and your simulation becomes useless. The LPS-that is, ‘the least possible simulation' gains in complexity faster than the object being simulated does and eventually the simulation catches up with the phenomenon. Thus, it was established thousands of years ago that the Universe as a whole, in its full complexity, cannot be represented by any simulation smaller than itself. â€Å"In other words, you can't get any picture of the Universe as a whole except by studying the entire Universe. It has been shown also that if one attempts to substitute simulations of a small part of the Universe, then another small part, then another small part, and so on, intending to put them all together to form a total picture of the Universe, one would find that there are an infinite number of such part simulations. It would therefore take an infinite time to understand the Universe in full and that is just another way of saying that it is impossible to gain all the knowledge there is.† â€Å"I understand you so far,† said Dors, sounding a little surprised. â€Å"Well then, we know that some comparatively simple things are easy to simulate and as things grow more and more complex they become harder to simulate until finally they become impossible to simulate. But at what level of complexity does simulation cease to be possible? Well, what I have shown, making use of a mathematical technique first invented in this past century and barely usable even if one employs a large and very fast computer, our Galactic society falls short of that mark. It can be represented by a simulation simpler than itself. And I went on to show that this would result in the ability to predict future events in a statistical fashion-that is, by stating the probability for alternate sets of events, rather than flatly predicting that one set will take place.† â€Å"In that case,† said Hummin, â€Å"since you can profitably simulate Galactic society, it's only a matter of doing so. Why is it impractical?† â€Å"All I have proved is that it will not take an infinite time to understand Galactic society, but if it takes a billion years it will still be impractical. That will be essentially the same as infinite time to us.† â€Å"Is that how long it would take? A billion years?† â€Å"I haven't been able to work out how long it would take, but I strongly suspect that it will take at least a billion years, which is why I suggested that number.† â€Å"But you don't really know.† â€Å"I've been trying to work it out.† â€Å"Without success?† â€Å"Without success.† â€Å"The University library does not help?† Hummin cast a look at Dors as he asked the question. Seldon shook his head slowly. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"Dors can't help?† Dors sighed. â€Å"I know nothing about the subject, Chetter. I can only suggest ways of looking. If Hari looks and doesn't find, I am helpless.† Hummin rose to his feet. â€Å"In that case, there is no great use in staying here at the University and I must think of somewhere else to place you.† Seldon reached out and touched his sleeve. â€Å"Still, I have an idea.† Hummin stared at him with a faint narrowing of eyes that might have belied surprise-or suspicion. â€Å"When did you get the idea? Just now?† â€Å"No. It's been buzzing in my head for a few days before I went Upperside. That little experience eclipsed it for a while, but asking about the library reminded me of it.† Hummin seated himself again. â€Å"Tell me your idea-if it's not something that's totally marinated in mathematics.† â€Å"No mathematics at all. It's just that reading history in the library reminded me that Galactic society was less complicated in the past. Twelve thousand years ago, when the Empire was on the way to being established, the Galaxy contained only about ten million inhabited worlds. Twenty thousand years ago, the pre-Imperial kingdoms included only about ten thousand worlds altogether. Still deeper in the past, who knows how society shrinks down? Perhaps even to a single world as in the legends you yourself once mentioned, Hummin.† Hummin said, â€Å"And you think you might be able to work out psychohistory if you dealt with a much simpler Galactic society?† â€Å"Yes, it seems to me that I might be able to do so.† â€Å"Then too,† said Dors with sudden enthusiasm, â€Å"suppose you work out psychohistory for a smaller society of the past and suppose you can make predictions from a study of the pre-Imperial situation as to what might happen a thousand years after the formation of the Empire-you could then check the actual situation at that time and see how near the mark you were.† Hummin said coldly, â€Å"Considering that you would know in advance the situation of the year 1,000 of the Galactic Era, it would scarcely be a fair test. You would be unconsciously swayed by your prior knowledge and you would be bound to choose values for your equation in such a way as to give you what you would know to be the solution.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Dors. â€Å"We don't know the situation in 1,000 G.E. very well and we would have to dig. After all, that was eleven millennia ago.† Seldon's face turned into a picture of dismay. â€Å"What do you mean we don't know the situation in 1,000 G.E. very well? There were computers then, weren't there, Dors?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"And memory storage units and recordings of ear and eye? We should have all the records of 1,000 G.E. as we have of the present year of 12,020 G.E.† â€Å"In theory, yes, but in actual practice- Well, you know, Hari, it's what you keep saying. It's possible to have full records of 1,000 G.E., but it's not practical to expect to have it.† â€Å"Yes, but what I keep saying, Dors, refers to mathematical demonstrations. I don't see the applications to historical records.† Dors said defensively, â€Å"Records don't last forever, Hari. Memory banks can be destroyed or defaced as a result of conflict or can simply deteriorate with time. Any memory bit, any record that is not referred to for a long time, eventually drowns in accumulated noise. They say that fully one third of the records in the Imperial Library are simply gibberish, but, of course, custom will not allow those records to be removed. Other libraries are less tradition-bound. In the Streeling University library, we discard worthless items every ten years. â€Å"Naturally, records frequently referred to and frequently duplicated on various worlds and in various libraries-governmental and private-remain clear enough for thousands of years, so that many of the essential points of Galactic history remain known even if they took place in pre-Imperial times. However, the farther back you go, the less there is preserved.† â€Å"I can't believe that,† said Seldon. â€Å"I should think that new copies would be made of any record in danger of withering. How could you let knowledge disappear?† â€Å"Undesired knowledge is useless knowledge,† said Dors. â€Å"Can you imagine all the time, effort, and energy expended in a continual refurbishing of unused data? And that wastage would grow steadily more extreme with time.† â€Å"Surely, you would have to allow for the fact that someone at some time might need the data being so carelessly disposed of.† â€Å"A particular item might be wanted once in a thousand years. To save it all just in case of such a need isn't cost-effective. Even in science. You spoke of the primitive equations of gravitation and say it is primitive because its discovery is lost in the mists of antiquity. Why should that be? Didn't you mathematicians and scientists save all data, all information, back and back to the misty primeval time when those equations were discovered?† Seldon groaned and made no attempt to answer. He said, â€Å"Well, Hummin, so much for my idea. As we look back into the past and as society grows smaller, a useful psychohistory becomes more likely. But knowledge dwindles even more rapidly than size, so psychohistory becomes less likely-and the less outweighs the more.† â€Å"To be sure, there is the Mycogen Sector,† said Dors, musing. Hummin looked up quickly. â€Å"So there is and that would be the perfect place to put Seldon. I should have thought of it myself.† â€Å"Mycogen Sector,† repeated Hari, looking from one to the other. â€Å"What and where is Mycogen Sector?† â€Å"Hari, please, I'll tell you later. Right now, I have preparations to make. You'll leave tonight.† 33. Dors had urged Seldon to sleep a bit. They would be leaving halfway between lights out and lights on, under cover of â€Å"night,† while the rest of the University slept. She insisted he could still use a little rest. â€Å"And have you sleep on the floor again?† Seldon asked. She shrugged. â€Å"The bed will only hold one and if we both try to crowd into it, neither of us will get much sleep.† He looked at her hungrily for a moment and said, â€Å"Then I'll sleep on the floor this time.† â€Å"No, you won't. I wasn't the one who lay in a coma in the sleet.† As it happened, neither slept. Though they darkened the room and though the perpetual hum of Trantor was only a drowsy sound in the relatively quiet confines of the University, Seldon found that he had to talk. He said, â€Å"I've been so much trouble to you, Dors, here at the University. I've even been keeping you from your work. Still, I'm sorry I'll have to leave you.† Dors said, â€Å"You won't leave me. I'm coming with you. Hummin is arranging a leave of absence for me.† Seldon said, dismayed, â€Å"I can't ask you to do that.† â€Å"You're not. Hummin's asking it. I must guard you. After all, I faded in connection with Upperside and should make up for it.† â€Å"I told you. Please don't feel guilty about that.-Still, I must admit I would feel more comfortable with you at my side. If I could only be sure I wasn't interfering with your life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dors said softly, â€Å"You're not, Hari. Please go to sleep.† Seldon lay silent for a while, then whispered, â€Å"Are you sure Hummin can really arrange everything, Dors?† Dors said, â€Å"He's a remarkable man. He's got influence here at the University and everywhere else, I think. If he says he can arrange for an indefinite leave for me, I'm sure he can. He is a most persuasive man.† â€Å"I know,† said Seldon. â€Å"Sometimes I wonder what he really wants of me.† â€Å"What he says,† said Dors. â€Å"He's a man of strong and idealistic ideas and dreams.† â€Å"You sound as though you know him well, Dors.† â€Å"Oh yes, I know him well.† â€Å"Intimately?† Dors made an odd noise. â€Å"I'm not sure what you're implying, Hari, but, assuming the most insolent interpretation- No, I don't know him intimately. What business would that be of yours anyway?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Seldon. â€Å"I just didn't want, inadvertently, to be invading someone else's-â€Å" â€Å"Property? That's even more insulting. I think you had better go to sleep.† â€Å"I'm sorry again, Dors, but I can't sleep. Let me at least change the subject. You haven't explained what the Mycogen Sector is. Why will it be good for me to go there? What's it like?† â€Å"It's a small sector with a population of only about two million-if I remember correctly. The thing is that the Mycogenians cling tightly to a set of traditions about early history and are supposed to have very ancient records not available to anyone else. It's just possible they would be of more use to you in your attempted examination of pre-Imperial times than orthodox historians might be. All our talk about early history brought the sector to mind.† â€Å"Have you ever seen their records?† â€Å"No. I don't know anyone who has.† â€Å"Can you be sure that the records really exist, then?† â€Å"Actually, I can't say. The assumption among non-Mycogenians is that they're a bunch of madcaps, but that may be quite unfair. They certainly say they have records, so perhaps they do. In any case, we would be out of sight there. The Mycogenians keep strictly to themselves.-And now please do go to sleep.† And somehow Seldon finally did. 34. Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili left the University grounds at 0300. Seldon realized that Dors had to be the leader. She knew Trantor better than he did-two years better. She was obviously a close friend of Hummin (how close? the question kept nagging at him) and she understood his instructions. Both she and Seldon were swathed in light swirling docks with tight-fitting hoods. The style had been a short-lived clothing fad at the University (and among young intellectuals, generally) some years back and though right now it might provoke laughter, it had the saving grace of covering them well and of making them unrecognizable-at least at a cursory glance. Hummin had said, â€Å"There's a possibility that the event Upperside was completely innocent and that there are no agents after you, Seldon, but let's be prepared for the worst.† Seldon had asked anxiously, â€Å"Won't you come with us?† â€Å"I would like to,† said Hummin, â€Å"but I must limit my absence from work if I am not to become a target myself. You understand?† Seldon sighed. He understood. They entered an Expressway car and found a seat as far as possible from the few who had already boarded. (Seldon wondered why anyone should be on the Expressways at three in the morning-and then thought that it was lucky some were or he and Dors would be entirely too conspicuous.) Seldon fell to watching the endless panorama that passed in review as the equally endless line of coaches moved along the endless monorail on an endless electromagnetic field. The Expressway passed row upon row of dwelling units, few of them very tall, but some, for all he knew, very deep. Still, if tens of millions of square kilometers formed an urbanized total, even forty billion people would not require very tall structures or very closely packed ones. They did pass open areas, in most of which crops seemed to be growing-but some of which were clearly parklike. And there were numerous structures whose nature he couldn't guess. Factories? Office buildings? Who knew? One large featureless cylinder struck him as though it might be a water tank. After all, Trantor had to have a fresh water supply. Did they sluice rain from Upperside, filter and treat it, then store it? It seemed inevitable that they should. Seldon did not have very long to study the view, however. Dors muttered, â€Å"This is about where we should be getting off.† She stood up and her strong fingers gripped his arm. They were off the Expressway now, standing on solid flooring while Dors studied the directional signs. The signs were unobtrusive and there were many of them. Seldon's heart sank. Most of them were in pictographs and initials, which were undoubtedly understandable to native Trantorians, but which were alien to him. â€Å"This way,† said Dors. â€Å"Which way? How do you know?† â€Å"See that? Two wings and an arrow.† â€Å"Two wings? Oh.† He had thought of it as an upside-down â€Å"w,† wide and shallow, but he could see where it might be the stylized wings of a bird. â€Å"Why don't they use words?† he said sullenly. â€Å"Because words vary from world to world. What an ‘air-jet' is here could be a ‘soar' on Cinna or a ‘swoop' on other worlds. The two wings and an arrow are a Galactic symbol for an air vessel and the symbol is understood everywhere. Don't you use them on Helicon?† â€Å"Not much. Helicon is a fairly homogeneous world, culturally speaking, and we tend to cling to our private ways firmly because we're overshadowed by our neighbors.† â€Å"See?† said Dors. â€Å"There's where your psychohistory might come in. You could show that even with different dialects the use of set symbols, Galaxy-wide, is a unifying force.† â€Å"That won't help.† He was following her through empty dim alleyways and part of his mind wondered what the crime rate might be on Trantor and whether this was a high-crime area. â€Å"You can have a billion rules, each covering a single phenomenon, and you can derive no generalizations from that. That's what one means when one says that a system might be interpreted only by a model as complex as itself.-Dors, are we heading for an air-jet?† She stopped and turned to look at him with an amused frown. â€Å"If we're following the symbols for air-jets, do you suppose we're trying to reach a golf course? Are you afraid of air-jets in the way so many Trantorians are?† â€Å"No, no. We fly freely on Helicon and I make use of air-jets frequently. It's just that when Hummin took me to the University, he avoided commercial air travel because he thought we would leave too clear a trail.† â€Å"That's because they knew where you were to begin with, Hari, and were after you already. Right now, it may be that they don't know where you are and we're using an obscure port and a private air-jet.† â€Å"And who'll be doing the flying?† â€Å"A friend of Hummin's, I presume.† â€Å"Can he be trusted, do you suppose?† â€Å"If he's a friend of Hummin's, he surely can.† â€Å"You certainly think highly of Hummin,† said Seldon with a twinge of discontent. â€Å"With reason,† said Dors with no attempt at coyness. â€Å"He's the best.† Seldon's discontent did not dwindle. â€Å"There's the air-jet,† she said. It was a small one with oddly shaped wings. Standing beside it was a small man, dressed in the usual glaring Trantorian colors. Dors said, â€Å"We're psycho.† The pilot said, â€Å"And I'm history.† They followed him into the air-jet and Seldon said, â€Å"Whose idea were the passwords?† â€Å"Hummin's,† said Dors. Seldon snorted. â€Å"Somehow I didn't think Hummin would have a sense of humor. He's so solemn.† Dors smiled.