Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Essay about The Fall of the Roman Empire - 1275 Words

The Fall of the Roman Empire A reason that leads to Romes inability to remain self-sustaining as an Empire was its lack of technology. Technological advance did not increase at a rate proportional to the increase of the people per square mile. This lead to the inability of the Romans to become self-sustaining. Once again the slave trade was a reason that their technology levels failed to increase. The bulk of work done in the Roman Empire was always carried out by the slaves. This provided very little need or incentive for new discoveries. By neglecting the important technological advance, there was no increase in the efficiency of running Rome. Therefore, it was left behind from the start. What then started out small grew to†¦show more content†¦The enraged public rejected his authority, and his liberality (Gibbon-1776-pg. 94). But we can never be absolutely sure of the reasons. It could have been something like the lead pipes used in their aqueducts or even an evolution of human society to the next l evel. Another aspect for the Roman Empires decline and eventual fall was the dwindling of the Roman Empires economic might. This affected nearly every aspect of Roman life, from the decline of the population to the lack of maintenance of foundation. Between 218 AD and 268 AD, there were about fifty different Emperors (Grant-1978-pg.363). There were also some military aspects that led to their demise and because people became disinterested in joining the Roman army Rome was left unprotected against all of their enemies. That, in turn, was caused by the army’s lack of respect for the autocratic power of the Emperor (Grant-1990-pg.60). This outcome caused deterioration in the economy, which was the lack of circulating currency in the Western Empire. Two reasons for the lack of funds were wholesale stock piling of bullion by Roman citizens, and the widespread looting of the Roman treasury by the barbarians. These two factors, combined with the massive trade deficit with Eastern R egions of the Empire extinguished the growth of wealth in the west. The changing rainfall patterns and climate in the Mediterranean began to alternate annually between hot droughts and cold rainy seasons. This decreased the number of cropsShow MoreRelatedFall of the Roman Empire1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pax Romana was a two hundred year time period where the Romans had peace and prosperity under Augustus. The Roman empire started to decline at the end of the prevail of the last five emperors, Marcus Aurelius in 161-180 A.D. The rulers in the next century had no idea how to deal with the problems the empire was having. There was many reasons to the fall of the Roman Empire but three stood out the most. The preliminary reason was the economy begins to decline. The alternative reasoning was RomeRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1537 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Rome was an empire so dominant, wealthy and economically- stable which came to a dramatic fall in the period of 250AD - 500AD. Ancient Rome faced unexplained unfortunate events which crumbled the Great Empire from the affluent empire to a impoverished society. For centuries historians have timelessly theorised and analysed many debates and research in relation to the Fall of the Roman Empire. What really caused the predominate Roman Empire to fall? Did Rome fall naturally? Was disease, suchRead MoreFall of the Roman Empire758 Words   |  4 PagesTaylor Davino Professor Horsley HIS 126 3 March 2010 The fall of the Roman Empire Political, economic and social aspects were all involved in the fall of the Roman Empire. In 395 A.D., Rome was divided into two empires, with one capital in Rome and the other in Constantinople. During that time, the western Roman Empire was being invaded by barbarian tribes from the North. In 410, the Visigoth tribe succeeded in conquering the western capital in Rome. In 476, the western EmperorRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was a powerful governing body of extensive political and social structures throughout western civilization. How did this empire fall and were internal factories responsible? Slow occurrences in succession to one another led to the fall of the empire rather than one single event. The fall of the Roman Empire was a combination of both internal and external pressures, not just one, leading up to the complete decay of the cities—Rome and Constantinople. However, one could argue how oneRead MoreThe Fall Of Ro man Empire1185 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fall of Roman Empire Roman Empire was considered as one of the most influential and dominant Empire in the history that has ever existed. â€Å"The Roman Empire at its zenith in the period of the Principate (roughly, 27 BC to AD 235) covered vast tracts of three continents, Europe, Africa, and Asia† (Garnsey). It was an ancient, modern Empire, and it supported anyone who made discoveries and technological improvements. The Empire was the strongest governing body in the Mediterranean. If the RomanRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1440 Words   |  6 PagesSophie Loren Plays a Leading Role in the Fall of the Roman Empire? The reason for the fall of the Roman Empire is a controversial topic under much historical debate. How did such a great empire, known for being one of the largest that lasted over a millennium, fall? The Roman Empire transitioned from a republic to an empire in 31 BCE. Augustus Caesar was the first emperor. He created harmony in Rome, but not in calendars as he added August as the eighth month to follow July, which was named afterRead MoreFall of Roman Empire1175 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fall of the Roman Empire The Ancient Roman empire was one of the most prominent and successful societies of its time period. By the end of their reign, the Romans had conquered almost all of the Mediterranean including parts of present day Europe, Asia, and Africa. Rome was at its strongest during the rule of Augustus Caesar, this time was known as the â€Å"Pax Romana† or Roman peace. It wasn’t until later, when Emperor Trajan took over in about 98 C.E. that the Empire reached its peak. AfterRead MoreThe Fall of the Roman Empire609 Words   |  3 PagesThe Fall of the Roman Empire There are adherents to single factors, but more people think Rome fell because of a combination of such factors as Christianity, and economy, and military problems. Even the rise of Islam is proposed as the reason for Romes fall, by some who think the Fall of Rome happened at Constantinople in the 15th Century. Most people think it occurred during the fifth century, after the western division of the empire. There were several reasons for the fall of the Roman EmpireRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1438 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the history of mankind. In 476 CE Odoacer defeated Romulus Augustus to capture Rome; most historians agree that this was the official end of the Western Roman Empire. There is much debate on how exactly Rome declined and eventually fell. The fall of Rome was a long process that took place over many centuries. There are five main schools of thought on why Rome fell. First, Christianity, offered by Edward Gibbons; He suggests that ChristianityRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1495 Words   |  6 PagesFor a long period of time, the debate about the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire has been a popular topic amongst historians. Most of these historians look at the issue from a standpoint that accepts that there were most likely several causes. The main root of the issue is whether or not these causes were internal or external. Some historians even go more in depth and try to hypothesize what the internal or external causes were. In fact, Adrian Goldsworthy and Peter Heather do just this when

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Types of Power in a Negotiation Free Essays

What are the five types of power? Referent- power that comes from admiration or respect from others subject to such power Reward- power that comes from using rewards as a way to get things accomplished Legitimate- having a title that grants power, such as CEO Expert- power that comes from having supreme knowledge of the subject Coercive – using punishment as a way to get things done Consider a negotiation with which you are familiar. What parties were identified? Who had power or influence? Explain why. I personally don’t find myself negotiating through situations on a daily basis, my work environment is very fast-paced and we usually make decisions very quickly. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Power in a Negotiation or any similar topic only for you Order Now But I can definitely see these types of power struggles in a family situation or even a marriage. Personally I know I have used the reward and coercive powers to get my kids to do things. Being a parent also gives that legitimate power, I am MOM therefore what I say goes. Based on your experience with a negotiation, how does having one or more of the five types of power affect the dynamics of the negotiation? I would have to say that at work our team Leader beyond having legitimate power, he also has referent and expert power. During department meetings to discuss methods to improve our efficiency we all give our feedback and go back and forth with our ideas. It is his knowledge of the company and years of experience that usually provide the most efficient approach to improving our dept. Having the respect from everyone in the department as well as other co-workers initiates the negotiation towards a productive solution. How to cite Types of Power in a Negotiation, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Profitability Bakery Firms In Ebonyi State -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Profitability Bakery Firms In Ebonyi State? Answer: Introducation Coles Bakery has been the proud winner of around 30 awards in the year 2014 according to the Royal Melbourne and Royal Hobart Fine Food Award. They have products ranging from stone baked Turkish bread to that of Light Rye Sourdough. Coles supermarket also sells Quinoa Pane Di Casa Rolls that is made out of 100 % flour. The products have no artificial additives or that of preservatives (Coles.com.au, 2018). They can be found at various stores that marketing them easily available to the customers. The pricing of Coles Bakery Loaves (600 g-680 g) has been dropped from that of $1.90 to the price of $ 1.80 so that they can easily be bought by people belonging to the lower strata of population. The pricing of banana bread along with that of cake loaves will be reduced by around 10 % to that of $ 5 each (Grimmer, 2017). The prices of branded products will also be decreased and Tip Top Raisin Toast Bread; price will be dropped to $ 3.50. The price of 500 gram Tip Top Caf Brioche Fruit Toast will be dropped to $4 and it will help the customers in saving around 30 percent. The marketing strategy of Coles Bakery revolves around that of lowering prices. It makes use of taglines like why pay more and Extra Value for you and me in order to cater to a wide range of consumers and increase the value that the customers get after shopping for the Coles Bakery. Coles Bakery made use of an interactive campaign in which the customers were asked about the reason for shopping at Coles and the responses of the customers were recorded. Coles also makes use of discount and various promotion schemes in order to attract customers (Uguru, Nnachi, Nkwagu, 2015). The reward program of Coles Bakery is one of the largest within Australia and there are around 5.5 million active users of the reward program. Most of the Coles Bakery Products are sources from that of Australian suppliers and 85 % of the total of bakery offer is made in Australia. Coles fosters close relationship with that of key primary industry producer. Coles boasts of Australia first sourcing policy that makes it popular among the local population. It also holds Meet the Buyer event throughout that of Australia that can help in attracting the local producers (Sinha Sheth, 2017). The vision of Coles Bakery is to build a team that can deliver supply chain excellence to all the customers. They made a new model in which the way of working with that of supply partners was crucial. A new Demand Team was brought in who can help in driving the forecasts and that of planning. Coles Bakery has created the Coles Nurture Fund (CNF) in order to provide help to the small Australian food producers for the purpose of innovation of their business. Coles Nurture Fund will be instrumental in allocating a $ 50 million over a period of five years in interest free loans that can help in the developing of new technologies. In the year 2015, Coles established a two year contract with that of Bundaberg Sugar that helped in supplying 20, 000 tones of sugar within a year. The private label sugar of Coles will now be 100 % grown in Australia. Coles prides itself in building long-term partnership with that of the suppliers (Armstrong, Adam, Denize, Kotler, 2014). The Coles Supplier Charter has been launched that lays out clearly in front of the suppliers regarding what the suppliers can expect after working with that of Coles. The Coles Supplier Charter refers to a seven point formal commitment that helps in sealing good faith with that of the suppliers. Coles is a superstore hence the customer relations are of crucial importance. The employees of Coles who work in the bakery sector are trained on continuous basis so that they can interact with the customers in the right manner and provide them with important information that can compel them to buy the product. Coles provides the employees with freedom so that they are pro-active and they find different ways that can increase the value of the bakery products in the eyes of the customer (Porral Stanton, 2017). The in-store experience of Coles bakery adds a new dimension to the shopping experience. Coles is a pioneer in the arena of providing leading customer service. Coles Bakery has also designed different programs for the employees like that of Retail Leaders Program and that of First Steps Program. The Coles Bakery Online has made the process of buying the products a lot easier. People can purchase the products whenever they want from the comfort of home. Coles wants to be known for its brand of fresh bread and will build more number of in-house bakery. A large number of stores will include bakery and it makes a plan of offering baked bread that is fresh at each of the stores. Streamlining of the process is made use of by Coles Bakery in order to cut the cost that can add value to that of the customer (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker, Brennan, 2015). Deploying that of mobile handhelds in the supply chain can give rise to multiple benefits that includes that of cutting the cost along with saving staff hours. The hand held device helped in meeting the needs that included that of signature capture and that of compatibility. When the bakery staff got the orders via email, the information could be entered in the accounting software of the route. Physical Evidence The new look of the stores features a Coles Kitchen that helps the shoppers in selecting from a wide range of takeaway options like that of fresh sandwich along with that of baguettes and sushi. Coles Bakery also has a huge range of the artisan breads. Lavazza coffee that is made in Barista is available at that of Coles Bakery and the stores also have new Coles patisseries that are sourced from that of Marrickville-based bakery (Brown, 2015). Coles Broadway is known for having a fresh juice bar. The Coles Bakery segment also has facilities for that of the elderly along with that of the disabled customers. They have wheelchair trolley in the majority of the stores in order to cater to the needs of the customers who are suffering from disability. Evaluation of the 8 Ps of marketing The Turkish Bread of Coles Bakery along with that of Light Rye Sourdough are products that are greatly favoured by the consumers. They help in attracting a large number of consumers because of their distinctive topping and glaze. The distinct flavour of the bakery helps in setting them apart from that of the competitors. The Coles Bakery Loaves are reasonable in price and people from low income groups do not hesitate in buying the products from that of Coles Bakery. The reduction in pricing has helped in increasing the consumer base of the products. Banana bread and that of cake loaves has undergone reduction in pricing and their prices make them greatly sought after products of Coles Bakery (Chuang Hu, 2017). Interesting taglines of Coles Bakery like that of why pay more helps in making the products endearing to the consumers. Interactive campaigns are held in which the customers are asked regarding why the products are favourite among the customers. The recorded responses are late r aired via Coles Bakery Online that highlights the distinguishing aspects of Coles Bakery. The Australia first sourcing policy of Coles Bakery has made it a hugely coveted brand among the Australians. Coles Bakery also holds Meet The Buyer event that helps in attracting the attention of the local producers. The Coles Nurture Fund is of increasing help for the local producers for the creation of new innovations. It helps them in bringing forth new technology that can make the products superior as compared to products of other supermarkets (Mokhtar, 2015). The two year contract with that of Bundaberg Sugar has increased the profitability of Coles Bakery. Different programs for the employees like that of Retail Leaders Program and that of First Steps Program enlightens the employees about the correct methods of marketing that can draw a large number of customers. The online service of Coles Bakery is greatly favoured by the buyers as the Australian consumers find it extremely convenient and they can purchase the products of their own volition from anywhere. The fresh products will be delivered to them very quickly and the customers will be able to enjoy the fresh products. Mobile handhelds used within the supply chain of Coles Bakery is of immense benefit in reducing the working hours of the staff (Mylan, Geels, Gee, McMeekin, Foster, 2015). Recommendations for each of the 8Ps Product Gluten free products that cater to the needs of the healthy customer The products should be delicious and it should be certified gluten free by that of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Australia Price Coles Bakery Loaves should be reduced further to that of $ 1.50 The price of Caf Brioche Fruit Toast should be dropped to $ 3. Promotion The local employees should be provided with special promotion like that of cupcake contest. Questions can be asked in relation to baking and after successfully being able to answer they can be treated with a free cupcake. It can provide dessert for an event that can help in increasing the popularity of the Coles Bakery Distribution Coles Bakery can collaborate with that of Dematic Supply Chain that can help in optimising the supply chain and increase the productivity of their business Partnership Coles Bakery can partner with that of Mackies that pioneers in manufacturing and having solutions for bakery and that of restaurants People The bakery supervisor should have a certificate in Foodservice Management that can help him in producing superior quality of food After every month the performance of the employees of Coles Bakery should be assessed Process Coles Bakery should make use of a wireless sensor that can warn the technical employees when a specific area in that of the bakery becomes warm or cold Physical Evidence The new stores of Coles Bakery should feature a design that is updated and have open ceilings Natural lighting can be made use of to beautify the interior of Coles Bakery Contemporary Issues affecting Coles Bakery Corporate Social Responsibility In the year 2013, on Australian Day Coles was instrumental in announcing the program of Red Kite that was a cancer charity fund supporting children. It raised $5 million for that of Red Kite that was funded by taking recourse to a 5 percent donation in relation to the sale of each loaf of Coles Brand Bread. Coles have provided support to that of Cancer Council Daffodil Day over a period of eighteen years. The money that was raised went to the Cancer Council Helpline. More than that of 7500 schools took part in the Coles Sports for the program of schools. Coles along with that of Robins Foods came together in order to foster the indigenous enterprise (Lee Vachon, 2016). Ten cent from the sale of the products of Coles supermarket goes to that of Coles Indigenous Food Fund. It invested in the horticultural products like that of commercial planting of that of bush tomato within the region of Central Australia. The Coles Indigenous Food Fund came into existence in the year 2001. It was established in order to promote that of native bush food. It helped in supporting the indigenous enterprise. The Fund helped in promoting that of native bush food and was instrumental in supporting the development of that of indigenous business. Investment was made in the arena of Acti-sol organic fertiliser for serving the purpose of bush tomato growers (Hanssens, Pauwels, Srinivasan, Vanhuele, Yildirim, 2014). They were able to improve the yield from that of half kilogram each plant to that of three kilograms. Coles has played a pivotal role in developing the Outback Spirit supply chain that is indigenous in order to boost purchase of that of Australian native bush food. Coles has partnered with that of Bravery Trust in order to provide support to that of the current along with former member of that of the Australian Defence Force. In the year 2014, Coles raised $ 5 million for that of the Trust (Coles.com.au, 2018). The generosity of the customers helped in raising a sum of more than $ 5.2 million over a period of three years. It helped in providing financial assistance for the food along with utilities of the Australian Defence Force. Environmental Concerns Coles wants the consumers to use the reusable bags and it was instrumental in donating 5 cents to that of Junior Land care after the selling of shopping bags. The funds that were raised helped in supporting a garden grants program for that of the schools. It encouraged the students in learning more about the environment. Coles was instrumental in supporting Guide Dogs Australia by collecting the dogs instore (Fan, Lau, Zhao, 2015). It provided useful service in training the guide dogs across that of Australia. Coles recycled around 60 % of all the waste that included that of cardboard and metal. It is also an illustrious member of that of Australian Packaging Covenant that sets guidelines relating to packaging (Patil Bach, 2017). Bottled Spring Water was produced by that of Mountain H20 that is 40 % lighter on account of innovative bottling process. Ethical Concerns In the year 2011, Coles established partnership with that of the Department of Education and Workplace Relations in order to boost indigenous team members who are providing valuable service in Coles. Coles has been successful in funding 405 new roles and has been instrumental in providing a support program. It also initiated a program that helped in phasing out sow stalls because the customers in the modern age are conscious of welfare issues relating to pig farming (Bahadir, Bharadwaj, Srivastava, 2015). Coles is reputed for being the first supermarket that has adopted the eco Plastic technology in relation to the meat trays that are used for that of pre-packaged beef. The trays have been designed by that of Plantic Technologies that contain 80 % of the renewable content. It makes use of 25 % less energy as compared to that of conventional plastic. Coles provides opportunity for green bag recycling for that of the customers (Aras, Syam, Jasruddin, Akib, Haris, 2017). Redcycle is a recycling program that is supermarket-based that provides opportunity to the customers to collect empty bread bag along with plastic and bring them to the nearest drop off point of Coles (Bahadir, Bharadwaj, Srivastava, 2015). They are afterwards delivered to the manufacturing partner called Replas where they are turned into that of outdoor furniture for the primary schools of Australia. Advance in Technology Technology has affected Coles Supermarket to a great extent. It was instrumental in launching of an online technology system that has helped in supporting the online shoppers and has led to the growth of Coles Bakery. Coles bakery is growing more than that of 20 % within a year on account of the changes in technology within an organization (Aras, Syam, Jasruddin, Akib, Haris, 2017). The IBIS World Research has clearly shown that the online bakery sector of Australia is considerably small however it is growing at a rapid pace and it has registered 15.3 % growth in the previous five years. Globalisation Globalization has helped in the raising of the Coles Bakery within the market. Globalization refers to the process of abroad integration that result in interchanges of the products and ideas. Retail along with consumer service companies have started business within Australia that have affected the business model of Coles (Armstrong, Adam, Denize, Kotler, 2014). They provide high quality product of low prices that is negative for the development of Coles. The pricing of Coles has to be evaluated so that it can survive in the competitive market of Australia. References Aras, M., Syam, H., Jasruddin, J., Akib, H., Haris, H. (2017). The Effect of Service Marketing Mix on Consumer Decision Making. In International Conference on Education, Science, Art and Technology. (pp. 108-112). Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P. (2014). Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia., 118-24. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2015). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education., 178-82. Bahadir, S. C., Bharadwaj, S. G., Srivastava, R. K. (2015). Marketing mix and brand sales in global markets: Examining the contingent role of country-market characteristics. Journal of International Business Studies, , 46(5), 596-619. Brown, B. S. (2015). A Multiple Discriminant Analysis Prediction of Performance in Principles of Marketing. In The 1980s. A Decade of Marketing Challenges , (pp. 112-115). Chuang, C. C., Hu, F. L. (2017). Experiential Marketing Strategy: The Empirical Study of 85 C Bakery Cafe. International Research Journal of Applied Finance, , 8(3), 129-142. Coles.com.au (2018). Coles In-Store Bakery | Coles. [online] Coles.com.au. Available at: https://www.coles.com.au/our-range/our-products/bakery [Accessed 24 Jan. 2018]. Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., Zhao, J. L. (2015). Demystifying big data analytics for business intelligence through the lens of marketing mix. Big Data Research,, 2(1), 28-32. Grimmer, L. (2017). Is it so hard to say sorry? Revisiting image restoration theory in the context of Australian supermarkets. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal,, 18, 17-32. Hanssens, D. M., Pauwels, K. H., Srinivasan, S., Vanhuele, M., Yildirim, G. (2014). Consumer auditing metrics for guiding marketing mix decisions. . Marketing Science,, 33(4), 534-550. Lee, K. H., Vachon, S. (2016). Supply Chain Sustainability Risk. In Business Value and Sustainability . Palgrave Macmillan UK, (pp. 245-280). Mokhtar, N. F. (2015). Internet marketing adoption by small business enterprises in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Social Science,, 6(1). Mylan, J., Geels, F. W., Gee, S., McMeekin, A., Foster, C. (2015). Eco-innovation and retailers in milk, beef and bread chains: enriching environmental supply chain management with insights from innovation studies. Journal of Cleaner Production,, 107, 20-30. Patil, D. D., Bach, C. (2017). Marketing-Mix For Strategy Building. Marketing,, 4(4). Porral, C. C., Stanton, J. L. (2017). Principles of marketing. 90-95. Sinha, M., Sheth, J. (2017). Growing the pie in emerging markets: Marketing strategies for increasing the ratio of non-users to users. Journal of Business Research., 80-90. Uguru, L. C., Nnachi, R. A., Nkwagu, L. C. (2015). Cost Implication of Packaging and Labeling on Profitability of Bakery Firms in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. . European Journal of Business and Management,, 7(12)

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Soil Pollution Essay Example

Soil Pollution Paper Both organic and inorganic contaminants are imperative in soil. Soil pollution is caused by the presence of synthetic chemicals or other modification in the trial soil background. This type of contamination normally arises from the split of underground storage links, use of pesticides, and percolation of polluted surface water to subsurface strata, Oil and fuel dumping, leaching Of wastes from landfills or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, lead and other heavy metals. This episode of this incident is linked with the degree of industrialization and intensities of chemical treatment. Soil pollution can lead to water pollution if poisonous chemicals percolate into roundtable, or if contaminated overflow reaches streams, lakes, or oceans. Soil also naturally contributes to air pollution by releasing likely to explode compounds into the atmosphere. The decay of untreated materials in soil can release sulfur dioxide and other sulfur compounds, causing acid rain. Heavy metals and other potentially toxic elements are the most grave soil pollutants in sewage. Sewage mud contains heavy metals and, if functional over and over again or in large amounts, the treated soil may build up heavy metals and as a result become not capable to even support plant life. In accumulation, chemicals that are not water soluble contaminate plants that grow on polluted soils. We will write a custom essay sample on Soil Pollution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Soil Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Soil Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The greater than ever pollution of the atmosphere has been one of the greatest concerns for science and the universal public in the last fifty years. The brisk industrialization of agriculture, spreading out of the chemical industry, and the need to generate cheap forms of energy has caused the constant release of man-made organic chemicals into natural ecosystems. As a result, the atmosphere, bodies of water, and many soil environments have become contaminated by a large variety of toxic impounds. These include the hazard of acute toxicity, genetic changes, birth defects for humans and other organisms. Some of these artificial toxic compounds are also dead set against to substantial, chemical, or biological dreadful conditions and thus be a symbol of an ecological burden of considerable amount. Effects Of Soil Pollution Soil Pollution was in the beginning defined as the pollution of soil system where by noteworthy quantities of chemical or other substances, resulted in the turn down of its fertility or output with respect to the yield of crops. Soil elution differs from water and air pollution, because the contaminants remain in direct contact with the soil for comparatively longer periods and hence change the chemical and genetic properties of soil. The harmful chemicals can also enter the human food chain from land or water plants. The major sources of pollution of soil include mining, mud, fertilizers, pesticides, composted town refuse etc. Fly ash generated from thermal power plants, industrial wastes dumped into surrounding land, mining wastes, non-biodegradable organic pollutants, and mind Austria sludges etc are he reasons which cause soil pollution. Commercial and domestic urban wastes consisting of dried sewage sludge as well as trash and debris materials such as plastics, metal cans, glasses, street sweepings, waste paper, fibers, rubber etc contribute to soil pollution. Effects of Soil Pollutants Different types of soil pollutants have different effect on the nature of soil. Now lets look into the effect caused by each of these pollutants. A) Synthetic fertilizers: Excess use of fertilizers destroys the microbial plant life in the soil, thus leading to disturbance of essential processes in soil such as nitrogen action. ) Pesticides are often used to keep away pests which damage the crops produced and often cause soil pollution as they are mostly non environmental. They take many years to degrade and remain as toxic remains in soil. They may also enter marine environment through run off after rain and enter the food chain. C) Industrial effluents: Solid, liquid and gaseous pollutants from thermal power plants, paper, fertilize r, iron, and steel industry often end up in the soil and cause dreadful conditions of soil due to their toxicity. ) Urban wastes: wastes generated in urban living areas such as sewage mud, garbage, hospital wastes, plastic bags etc also are a major cause of soil pollution. These wastes tend to build up in soil, support the growth of pathogenic life form and cause diseases. Waste material like plastic tends to remain non biodegradable in soil and affect soil yield. Effective treatment of household wastes and modern methods of sewage throwing away if implemented, soil pollution can be taken care of. Formulation of rigorous pollution control legislation and its efficient realization is also essential and imparting public awareness programmer to educate people regarding the lath hazards of pollution is a must to control soil pollution. Effects Of Soil Erosion On The Environment Loss of soil from land owing to the personal property of water and wind currents is called soil erosion. It is a natural process that transports soil from one location to another. In natural conditions, this progression takes place in a slow and continuing manner. Due to human being impact the rate Of soil erosion is considerably accelerated. Some of the Issues that speed up the process of soil erosion are deforestation, over grazing and improper or in excess amount of farming practices. When soil erosion happens very slowly but surely it has negligible effect on the land as an adequate amount of time is on hand for to substitute with new soil. But accelerated erosion leads to unfavorable special effects and decreases soil fertility as it diminishes the amount of nutrients. Decrease in soil fertility due to wearing away leads to decrease in the output of crop and also excellence of crops grown. Eroding land can show the way to accidents and when soil that shifts and gets accumulated on roads and streets can block the driving. These effects are common in sloppy and mountain regions. Soil erosion can reason great damage to environment as greater than before loss of soil can have an effect on the growth of natural vegetation and in turn this leads to transfer of fertile land into a desert. Soil erosion leads to confirmation of remains by water currents in water bodies like ponds, which can hurt marine plant and animal life. The soil sediments can cover up fish eggs present in ponds and prevent their hatching. Due to erosion soil particles stay on the edge in water and prevent light from reaching marine plants and have an effect on the process Of photosynthesis. Due to gigantic amount of suspended soil particles in water it retains the heat and raises the water temperature, which affects the living organisms. Another major shock from the agricultural chemicals that often move with worn residue is that these chemicals move into, and pollute, downstream watercourses and water bodies. Where inputs of agricultural chemicals are high as in the more wealthy nations costs of removing such pollutants from drinking water can be extensive. The harmful effects of erosion, in terms of decreased agricultural yields, are well known in the evildoing countries. In erosion-prone areas of the more well-off countries, productivity may be maintained in the short to medium term by increased fertilizer input. The effects of erosion are thus rarely recognized by farmers in richer countries. This approach is however infeasible with regard to erosion in developing countries. Causes Of Soil Pollution Soil pollution is caused by the existence of man-made chemicals or additional variation in the usual soil environment. This type of ineffective characteristically arises from the rupture of alternative storage links, application of pesticides, and percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface strata, oil and fuel throwing away, leakage of wastes from landfills or nonstop discharge of industrial wastes to the soil. A soil pollutant is any feature which deteriorates the excellence, stability and mineral substance of the soil or which disturbs the organic sense of balance of the organisms in the soil. Pollution in soil is coupled with factors such as: Haphazard use of fertilizers Soil nutrients are vital for plant growth and development. Fertilizers pollute the soil with impurities. The over use of fertilizers reduce quantity Of vegetables and crops grown on soil over the Years. It also reduces the protein content of wheat, maize, etc. , grown on that soil. The carbohydrate quality of such crops also gets tainted. Surplus potassium at ease in soil decreases Vitamin C in vegetables and fruits. The vegetables and fruits grown on over fertilized See of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides To kill useless insects living on crops farmers use pesticides. Pesticides not only bring toxic effect on human and animals but also drop off the fertility of the soil. Dumping of solid wastes In broad-spectrum, solid waste includes trash, domestic refuse and not needed solid materials such as those from commercial, industrial and agricultural operations. Since a considerable amount of urban solid throw away tends to be paper and food waste, the majority is recyclable or biodegradable in landfills. I the same way, most agricultural waste is recycled and mining waste is left on site. The segment of solid waste that is dangerous such as oils, battery metals, heavy metals from smelting industries and organic solvents are the ones we have to pay particular attention to.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation is defined by the World Health Organization as a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for no medical reasons. It is carried out without anesthesia and may involve injury of the genital area. This practice is usually carried out on girls who have just reached puberty or are a few days old into puberty.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Female genital mutilation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The practice is usually carried out by a traditional circumciser or a person who is experienced in doing the mutilation in a traditional non-medical setting. The cut is made using a knife, scissors or razor blade. This practice is common in Western, Northern and Eastern parts of Africa and some parts of Asia and the Middle East. It is also practiced among some immigrant communities in Europe, Australia and North America. It is estimated that approximately 100-140 million girls around the world have undergone female genital mutilation. Out of the 140 million, 92 million are from Africa (Gruenbaum, 2001). There are four types of female genital mutilation. However, only three of the four types are commonly practiced. Type I involves removal of the clitoral hood. Usually this also involves removal of the clitoris itself. Type II involves removal of the clitoris and the inner labia while type three involves removal of the inner and outer labia, the clitoris, and stitching of the wound leaving a small hole for the passage of urine and menstrual blood. The stitches only come off during sexual intercourse and child birth. This usually involves tearing and bleeding. Type III is the most common of the procedures and is usually practiced in several countries such as Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti. Type IV involves symbolic pricking of the clitoris or labia or cutting of the vagina to widen it (Gollaher, 2000). Rationale Female genital mutilation i s considered to be a violation of the human rights of the girl child hence the reason for choosing this topic. Issues that have been raised about the practice focus on the human rights violations, lack of informed consent and health risks. Health risks include issues such as recurrent vaginal and urethral tract infections. In addition, complications during child birth are likely to occur. Several countries have made efforts to stop the practice following health concerns and medical risks associated with the practice. Previous studies An observation that 90% of Eritrean women had undergone circumcision in 2002 sparked an interest in understanding the trends, factors that lead to female genital mutilation and its consequences. This study used data collected from the 2002 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) and the 2003 Female Genital Mutilation to determine factors that influence mothers to take their daughters through the practice and attitudes towards the practice (Woldmicael , 2009).Advertising Looking for term paper on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The findings of the study found that female genital mutilation was more common among older women than it was among the younger ones. The younger women were less likely to take their daughters through the female genital mutilation process than the older women. The study also revealed that 89% of Eritrean women had undergone the practice. 39% had undergone the type III genital mutilation which is the most severe of the 4 types. When it comes to religion, neither Christianity nor Islam seems to have any significant influence on the practice (Woldmicael, 2009). The findings show that even the least severe form of genital mutilation leads to complications during birth and puts the victim at risk of other health complications. This study also showed that social acceptance also favored the practice. The practice is considered to be a n honor and earns the family respect. It also increases the girl’s chances of getting married. The society also believes that genital mutilation controls sexual promiscuity, protects the girl from potential seducers and rapists and also preserves her virginity (Woldmicael, 2009). The study shows that female genital mutilation is being practiced in parts of this world and therefore strategies to combat it have been put in place. However, for a practice that is considered to be a violation of human rights of the girl child, it is still being practiced among some communities. Governments have been urged to implement laws that incriminate this practice in regions where it is being practiced. However, it is very difficult to implement the law if the practice is a widely accepted vice. Very little research has been done in trying to establish why the practice still exists even when those who practice it have been educated and sensitized on the issue. Therefore this study will inves tigate further on the existing socio-cultural dynamics of female genital mutilation. Approaches to the study The most common question is why those who practice female genital mutilation actually do it. Some people have condemned the practice while others simply have tried to understand the practice. It is however important to understand the cultural history of the practice if one is to be able to understand the cultural dynamics. Most people attribute the practice to Islam but it has been shown that religion does not play a part in the practice. Several customs and beliefs contribute to female genital mutilation and these customs are often hard to get rid of.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Female genital mutilation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Sudan, for instance, it is believed that the campaign against FGM was a sure way of changing women’s consciousness. If a woman allowed her genitals to be r emoved, a heightened level of motherhood is achieved because it would not be tainted by sexuality. As a result she earns respect in the community. She also becomes empowered because by going through the process, she gets to earn respect from society (Shell-Duncan Hernland, 2000). Other societies regard uncircumcised women to be unclean and unfit to handle food and water. Their status as a mother is regarded to be impure and is often looked down upon. Some communities believe that if a woman is not circumcised then her genitals will continue to grow and dangle in between her legs. In addition, they believe that if a man’s penis came into contact with a woman’s clitoris, he would die. Similarly, if a baby’s head came into contact with the clitoris, it would also die (Boyle, 2002). Conclusion Female genital mutilation is an issue that needs to be addressed in the world today. Statistics have shown that a good percentage of women around the world have suffered a ty pe of female genital mutilation. This has struck controversy among human rights groups such as Amnesty international. Ways of trying to curb the practice have been proposed and in most parts of the world have been implemented. However, the practice is still persistent in our present day society. Understanding the cultural dynamics behind it is very important if we are to completely eradicate female genital mutilation. Therefore, this is a gap that needs to be researched on in order to be able to fully understand this practice as well as try to completely eradicate it. Reference Boyle, E. H. (2002). Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Conflict in the Global Community. Johns Hopkins University Press. Gollaher, D (2000). Female Circumcision Circumcision: A History of the Worlds Most Controversial Surgery. Basic Books. Gruenbaum, E. (2001) The Female Circumcision Controversy. University of Pennsylvania Press.Advertising Looking for term paper on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shell-Duncan, B Hernlund, Y (eds). (2000) Female Circumcision in Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers Woldemicael, G. (2009). Female Genital Cutting in Contemporary Eritrea: Determinants, Future Prospects and Strategies for Eradication. A journal on Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review, 25(2): 1-29

Friday, November 22, 2019

#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

#1 - Essay Example As such, the seven sins as provided by Brown are applicable in describing the nature of man and the character that may dwell in him if controlled by them. Besides, Brown names seven virtues which are cardinals to human living. These, he relates to faith, hope charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The temperance of a person determines the ability to take charge and respond to a situation properly and whether hot or cold, it must be controlled. By virtue, man lives by faith and hope, it is what keeps him going and living. In the event of acquiring more wealth, it is good to be helpful and have mercy to others. This is a true virtue of charity (Olsson, pg.80). The traits provided are guidelines to what human character should be based on. Like Mahatma Gandhi wrote, knowledge without character and science without humanity could be among the blunders that cause violence. It is also true to note that a society lacking the necessary virtues and possesses by the described sins may be a plagued

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Plz look the instruction, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plz look the instruction, - Essay Example So in many ways normal and abnormal are in the eyes of the beholder. The human mind adapts and changes over time and in so doing changes its perceptions of normal and abnormal. Further, that which was considered as normal years ago may be considered abnormal today (Plante, 2006). In our first example, we will look at a phenomenon that is considered normal now but will be seen as abnormal in the future. We will examine the developments in robotics and medical technology. At present advances in medical technology have enabled the human race to transplant organs and replace malfunctioning livers and kidney. However more is yet to come. Medical technology will in the future be able to significantly alter the human race to astounding levels (Kurzweil, 2006). These discoveries will be able to stop ageing, enhance memory and increase human performance. Medical technology will be able to recreate the human race. While we are already witnessing some forms of human alteration through medical intervention the future will change what we presently consider normal very abnormal. Presently the use of prosthetics has enabled scientists to recreate limbs. For example disabled South African athlete Oscar Pistorius competed in the 2012 Olympics men using carbon fiber blades. A decade ago his feat was unimaginable. Presently athletes’ using bionics or performance enhancing drug are regarded as unfair and cheats, but as technology advances and everyone has access to these technologies objections will cease .In other words we will no longer see disabled athletes as disadvantaged. Take this train of thought further and one will realize how far medical technology will go in the future such that it will be abnormal to view human beings as disabled or ageing. Science will be able to significantly alter, rectify and enhance the human form and performance through the use of technology and drugs. This is known

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Comprehensive Education under re-evaluation Essay

Comprehensive Education under re-evaluation - Essay Example As a result, as is occurring across the western civilizations, the UK is experiencing significant decline when measuring the academic progress of its students. Specifics of the problem were discussed by Terry Hadyn in his essay on the death of comprehensive schools in England and Wales. He cites that although the comprehensive education system was established in 1965 with lofty ideals, the policy has failed to grow the desired fruit. Previous to the 1965 initiative, the country's secondary school system was divided. Students who were more suited for an academic career path were sent to Grammar schools, and those for whom an academic career did not seem suitable were sent to what was called a secondary modern school, or the equivalent of a trade school for apprenticeship, and transition into the lower class working social strata. (Haydn, 2004) However, since the passage of this educational policy, educators have come to realize much more about the educational needs of the children with which they have been entrusted. The modern educational system recognizes that children learn at different rates, just as they mature physically and emotionally at differing rates. Therefore putting children of different levels of educational abilities together, and expecting them to mutually benefit, as if by osmosis, is a policy that is coming to be understood as a bit short sighted. The children are not building social networks across the educational and social differences. Rather the opposite is occurring, and has been occurring increasingly over the past 15 years. The divide between the educational 'haves' and 'have - nots' is growing. The social order that is present outside the classroom is only becoming reinforced in the classroom. As a result, the more academically able children are being slowed down in their progress, and the less academically inclined are no more encouraged to make better progress. If anything, they are becoming resentful, along with their parents, at being bussed 25 miles or more in order to facilitate a quota system for the schools. At the same time comprehensive school policy was being put into place, influences blew across the educational ponds which included linking the educational institution to social trends. The school organization, as seemingly the single most influential element in the child's life, shifted its focus too. The social fabric of the family and close community was breaking down in the post war era. As a result schools picked up the responsibility to address cultural and social learning issues, in addition to their primary goal of creating educated and intelligent students. The result, as mentioned, was a steady decline in the educational quality as measured in academic progress of the student. The student was learning how to feel better, but not taught how to read better. In the UK, by mixing the more academically inclined with those who may prosper better in a trade school environment, educational policy makers expected to bridge socio-economic patterns. If the wealthier, more academically inclined students were allowed to co-exist in a school setting with lower income, more academically challenged students, the belief was that the barriers would be breached, and lower performing students would

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Principles of Marketing - Shoes Essay Example for Free

Principles of Marketing Shoes Essay For most women shoes are probably the most important part of the whole outfit. The shoes you wear can increase your confidence or destroy it, and you can never have enough. Companies capitalize on this idea by mostly targeting women when they are marketing their shoe products. The market for fashion forward men is growing rapidly, thus more stores are providing a lot more variety of men’s shoes as well. The shoe market is divided into three major product categories athletic shoes, casual and dress shoes, and then â€Å"boom-or-bust† novelty designs. The shoe industry is one of the more â€Å"mature† industries, meaning that it has passed the emerging and growth stages and the sales are slower and more constant. The average woman owns 17 pairs of shoes. Women make up 25% out of the 40% casual/dress shoes segment, while the remaining 15% of it belongs to men. In order for a company, to retain its old customers and attract new customers, they must continually offer better and bolder shoes. The taste of shoe buyers changes often, and so the retailers must improve their shoes. The improvements in an athletic shoe would focus on comfort and performance enhancement. The dress and casual shoes would rely on the fashion-forwardness and the superior products and novelty designs focus on improving profitability. The whole shoe industry has to be able to adapt to change and with the electronic era here. The biggest change the industry probably has to make is moving to an e-business adjusting a company’s sales to stay the same and even increase, while keeping up with the technology and trends at the same time. That could mean expanding internet sales and closing down low performing stores or just marketing their online segments harder. The Designer Shoe Warehouse, more formally known as DSW, opened in 1969 and over the years has become a â€Å"leading branded footwear and accessories retailer†. DSW offers a wide range of brand name shoes and sneakers for men women kids as well accessories. Their strengths rely in the distinctive and convenient store layout as well as the prices offered to customers. Some shoes at DSW are offered at lower prices than in other stores. DSW is a warehouse with rows upon rows of shoes. The possibilities seem endless. They carry lots of different brands and styles so everyone can find something that they like. The company has 364 stores in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as 346 leased departments for other retailers in the US. Not only does DSW have a whole bunch of traditional brick and mortar store locations, there are two websites. There is a product site where you can purchase shoes and accessories, and there is an investor relations site where you can find information about the company, press releases, SEC filings, and stock information since it is a publicly traded company. DSW became public in 2005. One effort in retaining customers would be their rewards system. To become a member is free of charge and you receive reward certificates after every 1,500 points earned. There are special deals and offers that are available to members only, such as, double-point shopping days twice a year, birthday certificates, and tracking purchases. And if you want to, you could upgrade your membership to the Premier Rewards status; for a small price. But, the Premier Reward members get all the perks, such as free next day shipping, triple-point days twice a year and access to events and offers that are just exclusively for them. The product website has an easy layout for customers divided into categories and sub categories. When a customer is in the process of looking for a shoe to purchase there are many great features included to help along the way. Such as full product detail that includes a colorful description of the shoe, the materials the shoe is made out of, and the dimensions. The customer can see ratings other people give the shoe such as duration, width, and comfort. There are also indications on the site that are more specific to feet preferences. Options such as choosing whether you want the shoe to come in a wide or narrow, the different colors and sizes available are given to the customer as well as, compare prices to show you how much you can save on a particular shoe. These details help the customers find a shoe that is the best for them. ALDO is a private company that is deeply rooted in culture, tradition, and service to others. Their mission is to deliver Total Customer Service, and make people feel good through the products that they provide. Similar to DSW, ALDO sells shoes and accessories to men and women. ALDO stores are found all over the world in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and 60 other countries. ALDO’s success relies on its ability to be fashion forward and globally conscious. This company is big on giving back and the employees participate in community service events, fundraisers and causes. One big cause ALDO participates in is the fight against AIDS. They have been involved with the fight since 1985 but in 2005 the ALDO Group launched campaign called ALDO fights AIDS that has been spreading awareness and raising money for a cure by using talented and known celebrities and media genres to donate as well as promote it. Something that differentiates ALDO’s website is that they have a ‘Trends’ tab on their website that describes the looks, or styles they represent and has a gallery of pictures to show how they would dress while wearing the shoes. To make it easier for the customer, they have a section on the website that has the top pic ks for both men and women. When thinking about purchasing a pair of shoes from ALDO there are many helpful things such as videos to teach you about the style of the shoes, colors available, a full written description of the material of the outside of the shoe and what the soles made of and a size guide with US and European sizes since their shoes vary in the sizes offered. The website also provides recommendations on what else you may like according to their beliefs. ALDO offers free returns and fast delivery. There is a new age among us where shoe stores don’t have to actually have a building, but only a space online to sell and showcase shoes. Zappos is one of those stores. Zappos was founded in 1999 at the peak of the internet boom because the founder Nick Swinmurn was dissatisfied with the shoe market. No one retailer had everything that he was looking for. The vision for the company is to have the best service and best selection online and they are living the vision, and have been evolving with the market for the past 9 years. Zappos has been called the Amazon of shoes. Even though the company does not have traditional brick and mortar stores they do have a warehouse that houses all of the shoes that they make available for sale. Zappos is a family that is made up of different members that do different things. The first member is Zappos.com, Inc. which has the facilities, finance Treasury and Accounting departments, the Help Desk , Human Resources, etc. The next member of the family is Zappos CLT which takes calls, emails and chat live with customers. Zappos Development is responsible for content, creativity and marketing. Zappos Gift Cards sells gift cards. Zappos Insights provides insight into the company culture and mentors people on Zappos Family culture. Zappos IP is comprised of development and the Project Management Team. Zappos Merchandising develops relationships with the vendors and purchase the products on the site. Zappos Retail consists of clothing and apparel to help with retail therapy. And the last member of the family is 6pm.com, LLC, this site sells shoes, clothing, bags, and accessories at discount prices. The Zappos Family has ten core values that they live and abide by in order to grow strong and fulfill their goal to have the best service and best selection online. When on the Zappos website it is extremely easy to navigate through the pages. There are many categories and sub categories to choose from and the selections under them are endless. Zappos currently houses 1,140 different brands of shoes clothing and accessories with the goal and plan on increasing that number. They sell merchandise from Crooks and Castles which sells hip clothing to Giuseppe Zanotti which sells expensive high fashion shoes, heels, boots, and sandals. A newer, all internet company is Just Fabulous or JustFab.com. This company is led by, fashion icon and owner of Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons. JustFab keeps its members and customers up-to-date with fashion trends and styles. This company is differentiated because when you first sign up for JustFab, you take a style quiz about the different styles and looks you like. And every month your own style experts pick out items that they think you will like, and adds them to your boutique. There is a VIP membership, where members pay $39.95 for everything on the site and receive free shipping and returns. There is no obligation to pay but each month you must browse your boutique by the 5th or else you will be charged the $39.95. It is very important for a company to differentiate itself from others. Differentiation is key to getting and retaining customers, whether the differentiation comes from customer service, brand style, membership perks, etc. The companies selected all have things that differentiate them from each other, most of them relying on their rewards programs and customer service. DSW and Zappos pride themselves on having a wide range and variety of shoes, accessories, and clothing. They both try to be a â€Å"one-stop-shop† getting all of your needs fulfilled in one place. I think the personalized stylist in the JustFab Company is a brilliant idea because it is a form of interactive marketing. They are increasing relationships between the customer and the company. The only critique of JustFab is in the variety and styles. Most of the shoes and clothes they sell look cheap and ugly, but that is the price to pay when you are only spending about $40.00 for a pair of shoes, when they can run from $60-$200 for a good pair, or even more. ALDO has a strong sense of community and the products are extremely stylish. The AIDS campaign is also a good sense of social responsibility that increases the goodwill of the company. Out of all the companies the best and most effective business model and presence would have to be Zappos’s. The Zappos Family established a set of goals in the beginning and have been working toward them ever since. They live, work, and thrive by their ten Zappos Family Core Values. They are constantly working on growing the company and offering more brands to sell. The prices are good because they give sales on different shoes periodically. One thing I would do to better the company would implement a â€Å"boutique† just like in JustFab because all the variety it can be a little overwhelming at times. Websites Used http://www.dsw.com/ http://investors.dswshoe.com/ http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/culture http://www.justfab.com/how-justfab-works.htm http://about.zappos.com/ http://www.statisticbrain.com/footwear-industry-statistics/ http://www.investopedia.com/terms/ http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-18/entertainment/30292867_1_shoes-foot-pain-women http://www.valueline.com/Stocks/Industry_Report.aspx?id=7259

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Importance and Benefits of Educational Research Essay -- Education

Importance and Benefits of Educational Research â€Å"When a student is ready, the teacher appears† is an ancient Buddhist proverb that is packed with wisdom (Smith, 2002). No matter how hard a teacher tries, if the student is not ready to learn, chances are good he or she will not bet. Luckily, students are present in the classroom because they want to be. Introduction When school-age children first enter the classroom, there is apprehension and uncertainty. What they have learned from informal education generally started within the home, or a non home-based learning environment. Whereas for most adults, being out of the classroom for even a few years can make going back to school intimidating. If they have not taken a class in decades, it is understandable that they would have some degree of apprehension about what it will be like and how well they will do. It is the job of the educator to listen carefully for teaching moments and take advantage of them. Therefore, it is imperative for an educator, at whatever level of their teaching capacity, to be culturally aware of differences that are present within the classroom, have the ability to embrace and enhance the educational environment, even when challenged with perceived multicultural barriers. Due to the multi-nationality, language-based classrooms that apparent within the educational realm, it is imperative to incorporate unlimited possibilities to review the information presented. No one student learns alike, therefore, a variety of different deliveries are needed to impact student retention, as well as content knowledge. Theory of Learning Learning is a lifelong activity. Learning occurs intentionally in formal instructional settings and incidentally through experience.... ...eting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. (3rd ed., pp. 3-4, 317-320). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. (pp. 424-425). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Smith, M. K. (2002). Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy, The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm. Venezia, C., Venezia, G., Cavico, F. J., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2011). Is ethics education necessary: A comparative study of moral cognizance in Taiwan and the United States. The International Business and Economic Research journal, 10(3), 17-28. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/862378382/135B025F94D739B0295/6?accountid=45844

Monday, November 11, 2019

Ethical Egosim and Sentiment: Examing Decision-Making in the Grey Area Essay

If there were one particular ethical theory that would universally fit all situations, ethics would be an open/shut case. However, that simply isn’t how ethical theories work. While, some may have significantly more merit than others on a scale of universal application, there are some situations where relativism comes into play when deciphering which theory best suits a given situation. The relativism referred to here is of a personal nature. A person is the sum of their experiences and actions. Additionally, even if a person has a straight-pointing moral compass, these past life experiences, combined with their current situation, can weigh heavily in deciding the morality of a decision when approaching issues that lay in a gray area. Take, for example, the story of an uneducated person from an underprivileged background, who’s only foreseeable chance at bettering their life is exceling in a specific sport they have a natural talent for. They have dedicate themselves to this sport and have trained tirelessly. Though they have the ability to place at a high rank, they have never been able to win a race that enabled them to make a name for them self and launch their career. They keep coming close to winning, but ultimately, always end up falling short by an inch. Suppose this person was going to be competing in a major event, which if won, would yield a large cash prize, and would launch them into the spotlight via an endorsement deal with a major sportswear company. Now, imagine that a sports trainer approaches the athlete with a tempting proposition. The trainer informs the athlete that he has a new performance supplement that will dramatically improve the athlete’s performance. The trainer tells the athlete that the supplement has been tested on animals and has, thus far, been proven safe. The trainer informs the athlete that the substance is not on the list of banned performance enhancing substances that competitions test for before an athlete partakes in an event. The trainer then tells the athlete, that all he wants is $5,000 of the winnings. If the athlete wins, he’ll owe the trainer $5,000; if he loses, he’ll owe nothing. While both James Rachael’s ‘Theory of Egoism and Moral Skepticism’, and David Hume’s ‘Theory of Moral Sentiment’ are applicable to this scenario, Hume’s theory is, decisively, the most ethical theory of choice in application to this particular situation. There are a couple of issues that come into play when making moral judgments about this situation. First, the athlete knows that performance enhancing substances are banned in competitions. The fact that this particular substance is not yet banned, is not proof of it’s acceptability for use. Instead, it merely shows that the substance is so new, it has yet to be recognized and put on the list of banned substances. Given time, it will assuredly be on that list. Thus, the athlete knows that taking the substance to give him an advantage in winning would be looked down upon, and is questionable, in principal. Second is the issue of personal circumstance. This particular athlete’s ability to thrive is contingent on his success at making a name for himself in his sport. If he fails to do so, he will never foreseeably get a leg up and achieve financial stability. The future of his life, as far as all foreseeable circumstances are concerned, depend on him winning this cash prize and endorsement contract. To him, these two things may make the difference between him having a financial springboard with which to better his situation, versus being stuck in a multi-generational financial cycle of poverty. The application of James Rachel’s’ Theory of Egoism and Moral Skepticism to the aforementioned scenario, specifically focuses on the ‘ethical egoist’ portion of Rachel’s argument. The ethical egoist argues that people ought to act merely out of self-interest; that while humans have the ‘capacity’ to make decisions altruistically, there is no reason that we ‘should’ do so. This reasoning simplifies the decision-making for the athlete. Clearly, winning is in his best interest. Thus, taking the substance is the best decision. However, in order for this theory to succeed, the person must conceal their actions while encouraging others to act differently. Essentially, he must be a disingenuous, hypocritical, and manipulative liar. If the world were full of people like this, we would back-stab each other into extinction. This is where the theory of the ethical egoism falls apart in regard to being a universal theory. If everyone acted solely with self-interest, society wouldn’t be sustainable. There has to be some sort of rule in place in regard to looking out for each-other’s best interests in order for society to function properly. David Hume’s Theory of â€Å"Moral Sentiment† achieves the balance of being able to make ethical judgments that are as altruistic as possible, while still looking at each decision on a case by case basis before deeming it ethical or unethical. Hume poses the question of why one action can be right in some circumstances, yet wrong in others; while the act itself is the same in both cases. It comes down to sentiment, or one’s personal feelings about the circumstances surrounding an act. Once again, take into consideration, the originally stated scenario concerning the athlete. Under Hume’s theory, the ethical decision would be whatever the person felt was right, if, but only if, those circumstances made it morally acceptable. Take for instance, this same story, but with an athlete who is from a well-to-do family. If he doesn’t become an athlete, he still has the viable option of attending college and pursuing another stable career that will provide him with a good life. The athlete from the well-to-do family has options, and his future stability is not hinged on being a successful athlete. Thus, if he chose to take the supplement in this scenario, it would be an unethical decision. However, when the scenario is applied to the impoverished athlete whose future stability is hinged on his success as an athlete, the decision to take the supplement is no longer unethical. It is, after all, technically legal to take for competitions. Thus, he’s not technically doing anything â€Å"wrong†. Neither the well-to-do athlete, nor the impoverished athlete would, technically, be doing anything â€Å"wrong† by taking the substance. This is where the grey area comes into play. We have an action, that if committed by a financially well-to-do athlete would be considered selfish and unsportsman-like. Yet, if the same act were committed by an impoverished athlete, few people could hold back empathy and not be able to cut him slack for his choice. This same act is now one that’s deemed acceptable, based merely on a distinct set of circumstances. It doesn’t mean that this an ultimate right, in the discussion of â€Å"rights† and â€Å"wrongs†; simply, that when discussing gray area issues, the moral of sentiment applies heavily in deciphering the â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrongful† nature of an action. In conclusion, we can see that while James Rachel’s theory of â€Å"ethical egoism† makes deciphering a verdict on â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† simple, the act of making choices based solely on self-interest is not sustainable for society. All in all, deciphering the morality of a choice comes down to the particular circumstances that elicit an emotional response. When looking at issues critically, there is no fact-based evidence that clearly defines right from wrong in the action. However, because of our sentimental side, we are able to justify certain actions that would otherwise be considered wrong. Thus, David Hume’s â€Å"Theory of Moral Sentiment† has far better results when applied to this particular case

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 15 Undercover

DAVAN-†¦ In the unsettled times marking the final centuries of the First Galactic Empire, the typical sources of unrest arose from the fact that political and military leaders jockeyed for â€Å"supreme† power (a supremacy that grew more worthless with each decade). Only rarely was there anything that could be called a popular movement prior to the advent of psychohistory. In this connection, one intriguing example involves Davan, of whom little is actually known, but who may have met with Hari Seldon at one time when†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 72. Both Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili had taken rather lingering baths, making use of the somewhat primitive facilities available to them in the Tisalver household. They had changed their clothing and were in Seldon's room when Jirad Tisalver returned in the evening. His signal at the door was (or seemed) rather timid. The buzz did not last long. Seldon opened the door and said pleasantly, â€Å"Good evening, Master Tisalver. And Mistress.† She was standing right behind her husband, forehead puckered into a puzzled frown. Tisalver said tentatively, as though he was unsure of the situation, â€Å"Are you and Mistress Venabili both well?† He nodded his head as though trying to elicit an affirmative by body language. â€Å"Quite well. In and out of Billibotton without trouble and we're all washed and changed. There's no smell left.† Seldon lifted his chin as he said it, smiling, tossing the sentence over Tisalver's shoulder to his wife. She sniffed loudly, as though testing the matter. Still tentatively, Tisalver said, â€Å"I understand there was a knife fight.† Seldon raised his eyebrows. â€Å"Is that the story?† â€Å"You and the Mistress against a hundred thugs, we were cold, and you killed them all. Is that so?† There was the reluctant sound of deep respect in his voice. â€Å"Absolutely not,† Dors put in with sudden annoyance. â€Å"That's ridiculous. What do you think we are? Mass murderers? And do you think a hundred thugs would remain in place, waiting the considerable time it would take me-us-to kill them all? I mean, think about it.† â€Å"That's what they're saying,† said Casilia Tisalver with shrill firmness. â€Å"We can't have that sort of thing in this house.† â€Å"In the first place,† said Seldon, â€Å"it wasn't in this house. In the second, it wasn't a hundred men, it was ten. In the third, no one was killed. There was some altercation back and forth, after which they left and made way for us.† â€Å"They just made way. Do you expect me to believe that, Outworlders?† demanded Mistress Tisalver belligerently. Seldon sighed. At the slightest stress, human beings seemed to divide themselves into antagonistic groups. He said, â€Å"Well, I grant you one of them was cut a little. Not seriously.† â€Å"And you weren't hurt at all?† said Tisalver. The admiration in his voice was more marked. â€Å"Not a scratch,† said Seldon. â€Å"Mistress Venabili handles two knives excellently well.† â€Å"I dare say,† said Mistress Tisalver, her eyes dropping to Dors's belt, â€Å"and that's not what I want to have going on here.† Dors said sternly, â€Å"As long as no one attacks us here, that's what you won't have here.† â€Å"But on account of you,† said Mistress Tisalver, â€Å"we have trash from the street standing at the doorway.† â€Å"My love,† said Tisalver soothingly, â€Å"let us not anger-â€Å" â€Å"Why?† spat his wife with contempt. â€Å"Are you afraid of her knives? I would like to see her use them here.† â€Å"I have no intention of using them here,† said Dors with a sniff as loud as any that Mistress Tisalver had produced. â€Å"What is this trash from the street you're talking about?† Tisalver said, â€Å"What my wife means is that an urchin from Billibotton-at least, judging by his appearance-wishes to see you and we are not accustomed to that sort of thing in this neighborhood. It undermines our standing.† He sounded apologetic. Seldon said, â€Å"Well, Master Tisalver, we'll go outside, find out what it's all about, and send him on his business as quickly-â€Å" â€Å"No. Wait,† said Dors, annoyed. â€Å"These are our rooms. We pay for them. We decide who visits us and who does not. If there is a young man outside from Billibotton, he is nonetheless a Dahlite. More important, he's a Trantorian. Still more important, he's a citizen of the Empire and a human being. Most important, by asking to see us, he becomes our guest. Therefore, we invite him in to see us.† Mistress Tisalver didn't move. Tisalver himself seemed uncertain. Dors said, â€Å"Since you say I killed a hundred bullies in Billibotton, you surely do not think I am afraid of a boy or, for that matter, of you two.† Her right hand dropped casually to her belt. Tisalver said with sudden energy, â€Å"Mistress Venabili, we do not intend to offend you. Of course these rooms are yours and you can entertain whomever you wish here.† He stepped back, pulling his indignant wife with him, undergoing a burst of resolution for which he might conceivably have to pay afterward. Dors looked after them sternly. Seldon smiled dryly. â€Å"How unlike you, Dors. I thought I was the one who quixotically got into trouble and that you were the calm and practical one whose only aim was to prevent trouble.† Dors shook her head. â€Å"I can't bear to hear a human being spoken of with contempt just because of his group identification-even by other human beings. It's these respectable people here who create those hooligans out there.† â€Å"And other respectable people,† said Seldon, â€Å"who create these respectable people. These mutual animosities are as much a part of humanity-â€Å" â€Å"Then you'll have to deal with it in your psychohistory, won't you?† â€Å"Most certainly-if there is ever a psychohistory with which to deal with anything at all.-Ah, here comes the urchin under discussion. And it's Raych, which somehow doesn't surprise me.† 73. Raych entered, looking about, clearly intimidated. The forefinger of his right hand reached for his upper lip as though wondering when he would begin to feel the first downy hairs there. He turned to the clearly outraged Mistress Tisalver and bowed clumsily. â€Å"Thank ya, Missus. Ya got a lovely place.† Then, as the door slammed behind him, he turned to Seldon and Dors with an air of easy connoisseurship. â€Å"Nice place, guys.† â€Å"I'm glad you like it,† said Seldon solemnly. â€Å"How did you know we were here?† â€Å"Followed ya. How'd ya think? Hey, lady†-he turned to Dors-â€Å"you don't fight like no dame.† â€Å"Have you watched many dames fight?† asked Dors, amused. Raych rubbed his nose, â€Å"No, never seen none whatever. They don't carry knives, except little ones to scare kids with. Never scared me.† â€Å"I'm sure they didn't. What do you do to make dames draw their knives?† â€Å"Nothin'. You just kid around a little. You holler, ‘Hey, lady, lemme-‘ † He thought about it for a moment and said, â€Å"Nothin'.† Dors said, â€Å"Well, don't try that on me.† â€Å"Ya kiddin'? After what ya did to Marron? Hey, lady, where'd you learn to fight that way?† â€Å"On my own world.† â€Å"Could ya teach me?† â€Å"Is that what you came here to see me about?† â€Å"Akchaly, no. I came to bring ya a kind of message.† â€Å"From someone who wants to fight me?† â€Å"No one wants to fight ya, lady. Listen, lady, ya got a reputation now. Everybody knows ya. You just walk down anywhere in old Billibotton and all the guys will step aside and let ya pass and grin and make sure they don't look cross-eyed at ya. Oh, lady, ya got it made. That's why he wants to see ya.† Seldon said, â€Å"Raych, just exactly who wants to see us?† â€Å"Guy called Davan.† â€Å"And who is he?† â€Å"Just a guy. He lives in Billibotton and don't carry no knife.† â€Å"And he stays alive, Raych?† â€Å"He reads a lot and he helps the guys there when they get in trouble with the gov'ment. They kinda leave him alone. He don't need no knife.† â€Å"Why didn't he come himself, then?† said Dors. â€Å"Why did he send you?† â€Å"He don't like this place. He says it makes him sick. He says all the people here, they lick the gov'ment's-† He paused, looked dubiously at the two Outworlders, and said, â€Å"Anyway, he won't come here. He said they'd let me in cause I was only a kid.† He grinned. â€Å"They almost didn't, did they? I mean that lady there who looked like she was smellin' somethin'?† He stopped suddenly, abashed, and looked down at himself. â€Å"Ya don't get much chance to wash where I come from.† â€Å"It's all right,† said Dors, smiling. â€Å"Where are we supposed to meet, then, if he won't come here? After all-if you don't mind-we don't feel like going to Billibotton.† â€Å"I told ya,† said Raych indignantly. â€Å"Ya get free run of Billibotton, I swear. Besides, where he lives no one will bother ya.† â€Å"Where is it?† asked Seldon. â€Å"I can take ya there. It ain't far.† â€Å"And why does he want to see us?† asked Dors. â€Å"Dunno. But he says like this-† Raych half-closed his eyes in an effort to remember. † ‘Tell them I wanna see the man who talked to a Dahlite heatsinker like he was a human being and the woman who beat Marron with knives and didn't kill him when she mighta done so.' I think I got it right.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"I think you did. Is he ready for us now?† â€Å"He's waiting.† â€Å"Then we'll come with you.† He looked at Dors with a trace of doubt in his eyes. She said, â€Å"All right. I'm willing. Perhaps it won't be a trap of some sort. Hope springs eternal-â€Å" 74. There was a pleasant glow to the evening light when they emerged, a faint violet touch and a pinkish edge to the simulated sunset clouds that were scudding along. Dahl might have complaints of their treatment by the Imperial rulers of Trantor, but surely there was nothing wrong with the weather the computers spun out for them. Dors said in a low voice, â€Å"We seem to be celebrities. No mistake about that.† Seldon brought his eyes down from the supposed sky and was immediately aware of a fair-sized crowd around the apartment house in which the Tisalvers lived. Everyone in the crowd stared at them intently. When it was clear that the two Outworlders had become aware of the attention, a low murmur ran through the crowd, which seemed to be on the point of breaking out into applause. Dors said, â€Å"Now I can see where Mistress Tisalver would find this annoying. I should have been a little more sympathetic.† The crowd was, for the most part, poorly dressed and it was not hard to guess that many of the people were from Billibotton. On impulse, Seldon smiled and raised one hand in a mild greeting that was met with applause. One voice, lost in the safe anonymity of the crowd called out, â€Å"Can the lady show us some knife tricks?† When Dors called back, â€Å"No, I only draw in anger,† there was instant laughter. One man stepped forward. He was clearly not from Billibotton and bore no obvious mark of being a Dahlite. He had only a small mustache, for one thing, and it was brown, not black. He said, â€Å"Marlo Tanto of the ‘Trantorian HV News.' Can we have you in focus for a bit for our nightly holocast?† â€Å"No,† said Dors shortly. â€Å"No interviews.† The newsman did not budge. â€Å"I understand you were in a fight with a great many men in Billibotton-and won.† He smiled. â€Å"That's news, that is.† â€Å"No,† said Dors. â€Å"We met some men in Billibotton, talked to them, and then moved on. That's all there is to it and that's all you're going to get.† â€Å"What's your name? You don't sound like a Trantorian.† â€Å"I have no name.† â€Å"And your friend's name?† â€Å"He has no name.† The newsman looked annoyed, â€Å"Look, lady. You're news and I'm just trying to do my job.† Raych pulled at Dors's sleeve. She leaned down and listened to his earnest whisper. She nodded and straightened up again. â€Å"I don't think you're a newsman, Mr. Tanto. What I think you are is an Imperial agent trying to make trouble for Dahl. There was no fight and you're trying to manufacture news concerning one as a way of justifying an Imperial expedition into Billibotton. I wouldn't stay here if I were you. I don't think you're very popular with these people.† The crowd had begun to mutter at Dors's first words. They grew louder now and began to drift, slowly and in a menacing way, in the direction of Tanto. He looked nervously around and began to move away. Dors raised her voice. â€Å"Let him go. Don't anyone touch him. Don't give him any excuse to report violence.† And they parted before him. Raych said, â€Å"Aw, lady, you shoulda let them rough him up.† â€Å"Bloodthirsty boy,† said Dors, â€Å"take us to this friend of yours.† 75. They met the man who called himself Davan in a room behind a dilapidated diner. Far behind. Raych led the way, once more showing himself as much at home in the burrows of Billibotton as a mole would be in tunnels underground in Helicon. It was Dors Venabili whose caution first manifested itself. She stopped and said, â€Å"Come back, Raych. Exactly where are we going?† â€Å"To Davan,† said Raych, looking exasperated. â€Å"I told ya.† â€Å"But this is a deserted area. There's no one living here.† Dors looked about with obvious distaste. The surroundings were lifeless and what light panels there were did not glower [but] did so only dimly. â€Å"It's the way Davan likes it,† said Raych. â€Å"He's always changing around, staying here, staying there. Ya know†¦ changing around.† â€Å"Why?† demanded Dors. â€Å"It's safer, lady.† â€Å"From whom?† â€Å"From the gov'ment.† â€Å"Why would the government want Davan?† â€Å"I dunno, lady. Tell ya what. I'll tell ya where he is and tell ya how to go and ya go on alone-if ya don't want me to take ya.† Seldon said, â€Å"No, Raych, I'm pretty sure we'll get lost without you. In fact, you had better wait till we're through so you can lead us back.† Raych said at once, â€Å"What's in it f'me? Ya expect me to hang around when I get hungry?† â€Å"You hang around and get hungry, Raych, and I'll buy you a big dinner. Anything you like.† â€Å"Ya say that now. Mister. How do I know?† Dors's hand flashed and it was holding a knife, blade exposed, â€Å"You're not calling us liars, are you, Raych?† Raych's eyes opened wide. He did not seem frightened by the threat. He said, â€Å"Hey, I didn't see that. Do it again.† â€Å"I'll do it afterward-if you're still here. Otherwise†-Dors glared at him-â€Å"we'll track you down.† â€Å"Aw, lady, come on,† said Raych. â€Å"Ya ain't gonna track me down. Ya ain't that kind. But I'll be here.† He struck a pose. â€Å"Ya got my word.† And he led them onward in silence, though the sound of their shoes was hollow in the empty corridors. Davan looked up when they entered, a wild look that softened when he saw Raych. He gestured quickly toward the two others-questioningly. Raych said, â€Å"These are the guys.† And, grinning, he left. Seldon said, â€Å"I am Hari Seldon. The young lady is Dors Venabili.† He regarded Davan curiously. Davan was swarthy and had the thick black mustache of the Dahlite male, but in addition he had a stubble of beard. He was the first Dahlite whom Seldon had seen who had not been meticulously shaven. Even the bullies of Billibotton had been smooth of cheek and chin. Seldon said, â€Å"What is your name, sir?† â€Å"Davan. Raych must have told you.† â€Å"Your second name.† â€Å"I am only Davan. Were you followed here, Master Seldon?† â€Å"No, I'm sure we weren't. If we had, then by sound or sight, I expect Raych would have known. And if he had not, Mistress Venabili would have.† Dors smiled slightly. â€Å"You have faith in me, Hari.† â€Å"More all the time,† he said thoughtfully. Davan stirred uneasily. â€Å"Yet you've already been found.† â€Å"Found?† â€Å"Yes, I have heard of this supposed newsman.† â€Å"Already?† Seldon looked faintly surprised. â€Å"But I suspect he really was a newsman†¦ and harmless. We tatted him an Imperial agent at Raych's suggestion, which was a good idea. The surrounding crowd grew threatening and we got rid of him.† â€Å"No,† said Davan, â€Å"he was what you called him. My people know the man and he does work for the Empire.-But then you do not do as I do. You do not use a false name and change your place of abode. You go under your own names, making no effort to remain undercover. You are Hari Seldon, the mathematician.† â€Å"Yes, I am,† said Seldon. â€Å"Why should I invent a false name?† â€Å"The Empire wants you, does it not?† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I stay in places where the Empire cannot reach out to take me.† â€Å"Not openly, but the Empire doesn't have to work openly. I would urge you to disappear†¦ really disappear.† â€Å"Like you†¦ as you say,† said Seldon looking about with an edge of distaste. The room was as dead as the corridors he had walked through. It was musty through and through and it was overwhelmingly depressing. â€Å"Yes,† said Davan. â€Å"You could be useful to us.† â€Å"In what way?† â€Å"You talked to a young man named Yugo Amaryl.† â€Å"Yes, I did.† â€Å"Amaryl tells me that you can predict the future.† Seldon sighed heavily. He was tired of standing in this empty room. Davan was sitting on a cushion and there were other cushions available, but they did not look clean. Nor did he wish to lean against the mildew-streaked wall. He said, â€Å"Either you misunderstood Amaryl or Amaryl misunderstood me. What I have done is to prove that it is possible to choose starting conditions from which historical forecasting does not descend into chaotic conditions, but can become predictable within limits. However, what those starting conditions might be I do not know, nor am I sure that those conditions can be found by any one person-or by any number of people-in a finite length of time. Do you understand me?† â€Å"No.† Seldon sighed again. â€Å"Then let me try once more. It is possible to predict the future, but it may be impossible to find out how to take advantage of that possibility. Do you understand?† Davan looked at Seldon darkly, then at Dors. â€Å"Then you can't predict the future.† â€Å"Now you have the point, Master Davan.† â€Å"Just call me Davan. But you may be able to learn to predict the future someday.† â€Å"That is conceivable.† â€Å"Then that's why the Empire wants you.† â€Å"No,† Seldon raised his finger didactically. â€Å"It's my idea that that is why the Empire is not making an overwhelming effort to get me. They might like to have me if I can be picked up without trouble, but they know that right now I know nothing and that it is therefore not worth upsetting the delicate peace of Trantor by interfering with the local rights of this sector or that. That's the reason I can move about under my own name with reasonable security.† For a moment, Davan buried his head in his hands and muttered, â€Å"This is madness.† Then he looked up wearily and said to Dors, â€Å"Are you Master Seldon's wife?† Dors said calmly, â€Å"I am his friend and protector.† â€Å"How well do you know him?† â€Å"We have been together for some months.† â€Å"No more?† â€Å"No more.† â€Å"Would it be your opinion he is speaking the truth?† â€Å"I know he is, but what reason would you have to trust me if you do not trust him? If Hari is, for some reason, lying to you, might I not be lying to you equally in order to support him?† Davan looked from one to the other helplessly. Then he said, â€Å"Would you, in any case, help us?† â€Å"Who are ‘us' and in what way do you need help?† Davan said, â€Å"You see the situation here in Dahl. We are oppressed. You must know that and, from your treatment of Yugo Amaryl, I cannot believe you lack sympathy for us.† â€Å"We are fully sympathetic.† â€Å"And you must know the source of the oppression.† â€Å"You are going to tell me that it's the Imperial government, I suppose, and I dare say it plays its part. On the other hand, I notice that there is a middle class in Dahl that despises the heatsinkers and a criminal class that terrorizes the rest of the sector.† Davan's lips tightened, but he remained unmoved. â€Å"Quite true. Quite true. But the Empire encourages it as a matter of principle. Dahl has the potential for making serious trouble. If the heatsinkers should go on strike, Trantor would experience a severe energy shortage almost at once†¦ with all that that implies. However, Dahl's own upper classes will spend money to hire the hoodlums of Billibotton-and of other places-to fight the heatsinkers and break the strike. It has happened before. The Empire allows some Dahlites to prosper-comparatively-in order to convert them into Imperialist lackeys, while it refuses to enforce the arms-control laws effectively enough to weaken the criminal element. â€Å"The Imperial government does this everywhere-and not in Dahl alone. They can't exert force to impose their will, as in the old days when they ruled with brutal directness. Nowadays, Trantor has grown so complex and so easily disturbed that the Imperial forces must keep their hands off-â€Å" â€Å"A form of degeneration,† said Seldon, remembering Hummin's complaints. â€Å"What?† said Davan. â€Å"Nothing,† said Seldon. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"The Imperial forces must keep their hands off, but they find that they can do much even so. Each sector is encouraged to be suspicious of its neighbors. Within each sector, economic and social classes are encouraged to wage a kind of war with each other. The result is that all over Trantor it is impossible for the people to take united action. Everywhere, the people would rather fight each other than make a common stand against the central tyranny and the Empire rules without having to exert force.† â€Å"And what,† said Dors, â€Å"do you think can be done about it?† â€Å"I've been trying for years to build a feeling of solidarity among the peoples of Trantor.† â€Å"I can only suppose,† said Seldon dryly, â€Å"that you are finding this an impossibly difficult and largely thankless task.† â€Å"You suppose correctly,† said Davan, â€Å"but the party is growing stronger. Many of our knifers are coming to the realization that knives are best when they are not used on each other. Those who attacked you in the corridors of Billibotton are examples of the unconverted. However, those who support you now, who are ready to defend you against the agent you thought was a newsman, are my people. I live here among them. It is not an attractive way of life, but I am safe here. We have adherents in neighboring sectors and we spread daily.† â€Å"But where do we come in?† asked Dors. â€Å"For one thing,† said Davan, â€Å"both of you are Outworlders, scholars. We need people like you among our leaders. Our greatest strength is drawn from the poor and the uneducated because they suffer the most, but they can lead the least. A person like one of you two is worth a hundred of them.† â€Å"That's an odd estimate from someone who wishes to rescue the oppressed,† said Seldon. â€Å"I don't mean as people,† said Davan hastily. â€Å"I mean as far as leadership is concerned. The party must have among its leaders men and women of intellectual power.† â€Å"People like us, you mean, are needed to give your party a veneer of respectability.† Davan said, â€Å"You can always put something noble in a sneering fashion if you try. But you, Master Seldon, are more than respectable, more than intellectual. Even if you won't admit to being able to penetrate the mists of the future-â€Å" â€Å"Please, Davan,† said Seldon, â€Å"don't be poetic and don't use the conditional. It's not a matter of admitting. I can't foresee the future. Those are not mists that block the view but chrome steel barriers.† â€Å"Let me finish. Even if you can't actually predict with-what do you call it?-psychohistorical accuracy, you've studied history and you may have a certain intuitive feeling for consequences. Now, isn't that so?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I may have a certain intuitive understanding for mathematical likelihood, but how far I can translate that into anything of historical significance is quite uncertain. Actually, I have not studied history. I wish I had. I feel the loss keenly.† Dors said evenly, â€Å"I am the historian, Davan, and I can say a few things if you wish.† â€Å"Please do,† said Davan, making it half a courtesy, half a challenge. â€Å"For one thing, there have been many revolutions in Galactic history that have overthrown tyrannies, sometimes on individual planets, sometimes in groups of them, occasionally in the Empire itself or in the pre-Imperial regional governments. Often, this has only meant a change in tyranny. In other words, one ruling class is replaced by another-sometimes by one that is more efficient and therefore still more capable of maintaining itself-while the poor and downtrodden remain poor and downtrodden or become even worse off.† Davan, listening intently, said, â€Å"I'm aware of that. We all are. Perhaps we can learn from the past and know better what to avoid. Besides, the tyranny that now exists is actual. That which may exist in the future is merely potential. If we are always to draw back from change with the thought that the change may be for the worse, then there is no hope at all of ever escaping injustice.† Dors said, â€Å"A second point you must remember is that even if you have right on your side, even if justice thunders condemnation, it is usually the tyranny in existence that has the balance of force on its side. There is nothing your knife handlers can do in the way of rioting and demonstrating that will have any permanent effect as long as, in the extremity, there is an army equipped with kinetic, chemical, and neurological weapons that is willing to use them against your people. You can get all the downtrodden and even all the respectables on your side, but you must somehow win over the security forces and the Imperial army or at least seriously weaken their loyalty to the rulers.† Davan said, â€Å"Trantor is a multigovernmental world. Each sector has its own rulers and some of them are themselves anti-Imperial. If we can have a strong sector on our side, that would change the situation, would it not? We would then not be merely ragamuffins fighting with knives and stones.† â€Å"Does that mean you do have a strong sector on your side or merely that it is your ambition to have one?† Davan was silent. Dors said, â€Å"I shall assume that you are thinking of the Mayor of Wye. If the Mayor is in the mood to make use of popular discontent as a way of improving the chance of toppling the Emperor, doesn't it strike you that the end the Mayor would have in view would be that of succeeding to the Imperial throne? Why should the Mayor risk his present not-inconsiderable position for anything less? Merely for the blessings of justice and the decent treatment of people, concerning whom he can have little interest?† â€Å"You mean,† said Davan, â€Å"that any powerful leader who is willing to help us may then betray us.† â€Å"It is a situation that is all too common in Galactic history.† â€Å"If we are ready for that, might we not betray him?† â€Å"You mean, make use of him and then, at some crucial moment, subvert the leader of his forces-or a leader, at any rate-and have him assassinated?† â€Å"Not perhaps exactly like that, but some way of getting rid of him might exist if that should prove necessary.† â€Å"Then we have a revolutionary movement in which the principal players must be ready to betray each other, with each simply waiting for the opportunity. It sounds like a recipe for chaos.† â€Å"You will not help us, then?† said Davan. Seldon, who had been listening to the exchange between Davan and Dors with a puzzled frown on his face, said, â€Å"We can't put it that simply. We would like to help you. We are on your side. It seems to me that no sane man wants to uphold an Imperial system that maintains itself by fostering mutual hatred and suspicions. Even when it seems to work, it can only be described as meta-stable; that is, as too apt to fall into instability in one direction or another. But the question is: How can we help? If I had psychohistory, if I could tell what is most likely to happen, or if I could tell what action of a number of alternative possibilities is most likely to bring on an apparently happy consequence, then I would put my abilities at your disposal.-But I don't have it. I can help you best by trying to develop psychohistory.† â€Å"And how long will that take?† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I cannot say.† â€Å"How can you ask us to wait indefinitely?† â€Å"What alternative do I have, since I am useless to you as I am? But I will say this: I have until very recently been quite convinced that the development of psychohistory was absolutely impossible. Now I am not so certain of that.† â€Å"You mean you have a solution in mind?† â€Å"No, merely an intuitive feeling that a solution might be possible. I have not been able to pin down what has occurred to make me have that feeling. It may be an illusion, but I am trying. Let me continue to try.-Perhaps [then we'll] meet again.† â€Å"Or perhaps,† said Davan, â€Å"if you return to where you are now staying, you will eventually find yourself in an Imperial trap. You may think that the Empire will leave you alone while you struggle with psychohistory, but I am certain the Emperor and his toady Demerzel are in no mood to wait forever, any more than I am.† â€Å"It will do them no good to hasten,† said Seldon calmly, â€Å"since I am not on their side, as I am on yours.-Come, Dors.† They turned and left Davan, sitting alone in his squalid room, and found Raych waiting for them outside. 76. Raych was eating, licking his fingers, and crumpling the bag in which the food-whatever it was-had been. A strong smell of onions pervaded the air-different somehow, yeast-based perhaps. Dors, retreating a little from the odor, said, â€Å"Where did you get the food from, Raych?† â€Å"Davan's guys. They brought it to me. Davan's okay.† â€Å"Then we don't have to buy you dinner, do we?† said Seldon, conscious of his own empty stomach. â€Å"Ya owe me somethin',† said Raych, looking greedily in Dors's direction. â€Å"How about the lady's knife? One of 'em.† â€Å"No knife,† said Dors. â€Å"You get us back safely and I'll give you five credits.† â€Å"Can't get no knife for five credits,† grumbled Raych. â€Å"You're not getting anything but five credits,† said Dors. â€Å"You're a lousy dame, lady,† said Raych. â€Å"I'm a lousy dame with a quick knife, Raych, so get moving.† â€Å"All right. Don't get all perspired.† Raych waved his hand. â€Å"This way.† It was back through the empty corridors, but this time Dors, looking this way and that, stopped. â€Å"Hold on, Raych. We're being followed.† Raych looked exasperated. â€Å"Ya ain't supposed to hear 'em.† Seldon said, bending his head to one side, â€Å"I don't hear anything.† â€Å"I do,† said Dors. â€Å"Now, Raych, I don't want any fooling around. You tell me right now what's going on or I'll rap your head so that you won't see straight for a week. I mean it.† Raych held up one arm defensively. â€Å"You try it, you lousy dame. You try it. It's Davan's guys. They're just taking care of us, in case any knifers come along.† â€Å"Davan's guys?† â€Å"Yeah. They're goin' along the service corridors.† Dors's right hand shot out and seized Raych by the scruff of his upper garment. She lifted and he dangled, shouting, â€Å"Hey, lady. Hey!† Seldon said, â€Å"Dors! Don't be hard on him.† â€Å"I'll be harder still if I think he's lying. You're my charge, Hari, not he.† â€Å"I'm not lyin',† said Raych, struggling. â€Å"I'm not.† â€Å"I'm sure he isn't,† said Seldon. â€Å"Well, we'll see. Raych, tell them to come out where we can see them.† She let him drop and dusted her hands. â€Å"You're some kind of nut, lady,† said Raych aggrievedly. Then he raised his voice. â€Å"Yay, Davan! Come out here, some of ya guys!† There was a wait and then, from an unlit opening along the corridor, two dark-mustached men came out, one with a scar running the length of his cheek. Each held the sheath of a knife in his hand, blade withdrawn. â€Å"How many more of you are there?† asked Dors harshly. â€Å"A few,† said one of the newcomers. â€Å"Orders. We're guarding you. Davan wants you safe.† â€Å"Thank you. Try to be even quieter. Raych, keep on moving.† Raych said sulkily, â€Å"Ya roughed me up when I was telling the truth.† â€Å"You're right,† said Dors. â€Å"At least, I think you're right†¦ and I apologize.† â€Å"I'm not sure I should accept,† said Raych, trying to stand tall. â€Å"But awright, just this once.† He moved on. When they reached the walkway, the unseen corps of guards vanished. At least, even Dors's keen ears could hear them no more. By now, though, they were moving into the respectable part of the sector. Dors said thoughtfully, â€Å"I don't think we have clothes that would fit you, Raych.† Raych said, â€Å"Why do ya want clothes to fit me, Missus?† (Respectability seemed to invade Raych once they were out of the corridors.) â€Å"I got clothes.† â€Å"I thought you'd like to come into our place and take a bath.† Raych said, â€Å"What for? I'll wash one o' these days. And I'll put on my other shirt.† He looked up at Dors shrewdly. â€Å"You're sorry ya roughed me up. Right? Ya tryin' to make up?† Dors smiled. â€Å"Yes. Sort of.† Raych waved a hand in lordly fashion. â€Å"That's all right. Ya didn't hurt. Listen. You're strong for a lady. Ya lifted me up like I was nothin'.† â€Å"I was annoyed, Raych. I have to be concerned about Master Seldon.† â€Å"Ya sort of his bodyguard?† Raych looked at Seldon inquiringly. â€Å"Ya got a lady for a bodyguard?† â€Å"I can't help it,† said Seldon smiling wryly. â€Å"She insists. And she certainly knows her job.† Dors said, â€Å"Think again, Raych. Are you sure you won't have a bath? A nice warm bath.† Raych said, â€Å"I got no chance. Ya think that lady is gonna let me in the house again?† Dors looked up and saw Casilia Tisalver outside the front door of the apartment complex, staring first at the Outworld woman and then at the slum-bred boy. It would have been impossible to tell in which case her expression was angrier. Raych said, â€Å"Well, so long, Mister and Missus. I don't know if she'll let either of ya in the house.† He placed his hands in his pocket and swaggered off in a fine affectation of carefree indifference. Seldon said, â€Å"Good evening, Mistress Tisalver. It's rather late, isn't it?† â€Å"It's very late,† she replied. â€Å"There was a near riot today outside this very complex because of that newsman you pushed the street vermin at.† â€Å"We didn't push anyone on anyone,† said Dors. â€Å"I was there,† said Mistress Tisalver intransigently. â€Å"I saw it.† She stepped aside to let them enter, but delayed long enough to make her reluctance quite plain. â€Å"She acts as though that was the last straw,† said Dors as she and Seldon made their way up to their rooms. â€Å"So? What can she do about it?† asked Seldon. â€Å"I wonder,† said Dors.