Positive Organizational Scholarship Essay

Positive organizational scholarship is an emerging discipline in organizational behavior and is about positivity in organization. The need for it emerged to bridge the gap between moral and rational objectives. It is not a new science, it is the new way of looking at things, it’s like you have just changed your glasses. In today’s world, society is facing extremely tough challenges in the form of global warming, natural disasters, economic recession, unprecedented homelessness, terrorism and the draining continuation of war. So at this moment of extreme negative happenings and uncertainty, what is needed to be emphasized and brought up is positive. With all this sadness and horror, where in the world does a science based on testing happiness, wellbeing, personal growth and ‘the good life’ ? t into the modern-day agenda? So, Positive psychology; is the study of topics such as happiness, optimism, personal growth and subjective well being. It promotes the factors that allow the groups and communities to thrive or flourish. At the current stage in this world of negativity, positive psychology focuses on positive experiences at three time points a) past centering contentment; b) present focusing current happiness c) future including optimism and hope. We should know that what a good life is ? Aristotle and Plato used to believe that when people carried out a virtuous life they would become authentically happy. The happiness are of two types in positive psychology according to Seligman, one is hedonic happiness which is high level of positive affect and low levels of negative effect, in addition to high subjective life satisfaction. See more: how to start a scholarship essay Other is eudemonic wellbeing which focuses more on creation of meaning and purpose in life. (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011) A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The model of Seligman of Positive psychology is divided into three parts: The pleasurable life, the good life, and the meaningful life. The â€Å"pleasurable life† is about things like shopping, eating, drugging, meaningless sex, etc. The research is finding that having more pleasures does not increase life satisfaction. The â€Å"good life† as defined by Seligman is about understanding and using one’s core strengths/virtues in work and love and play. He, in conjunction with Chris Peterson, developed a VIA Signature Strengths Survey found that Having a life of high absorption does correlate to life satisfaction measures according to Seligman. Lastly, the â€Å"meaningful life† is when a person uses his/her strengths for the purpose of something larger than him/herself. Choosing to live a life of faith, purpose, meaning, correlates to life satisfaction measures. Marty also sees this aspect of his model directly related to Positive Institutions—those organizations that promote positive character development and/or meaning. He’s mostly focused on non-profits and religious organizations but others are applying it to for-profit organizations. (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) An approach that is positive to selection, development, and management of human resources in organizations has been emphasized by both scholars and professionals over the years. A wide variety of positively oriented high-performance work practices in placement, compensation, and motivation and their underlying strategies, structures, and cultures have also been extensively studied and supported for their contributions to organizational performance and competitiveness. Research and consulting by the Gallup Organization also supports the importance of positive, strength-based organizational cultures and human resource practices . (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001). For example, factors such as effective selection and placement practices that capitalize on employees’ talents, clear and aligned goals and expectations, social support and recognition, and opportunities for growth, development, and self actualization have been found to significantly contribute to employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and ultimately organizational profitability and growth(Harter, Schmidt, & Keynes, 2003) On the academic side, the positive organizational scholarship or POS movement has been instrumental in providing macro-level scholars with a conceptual framework for organizing and integrating their research on positive organizations (Cameron et al. , 2003). Positive refers to the elevating processes and outcomes in organizations. Organizational refers to the interpersonal and structural dynamics activated in and through organizations, specifically taking into account the context in which positive phenomena occur. Scholarship refers to the scientific, theoretically derived, and rigorous investigation of that which is positive in organizational setting. (KIM S. CAMERON & CAZA, 2004). Positive organizational scholarship (POS) is considered an alternative approach to studying organizations; it is argued that POS plays a critical theory role in contemporary organizational scholarship. By using essays on critical theory in organizational science to consider POS research, and drawing from the principles of Gestalt psychology, it is argued that the important distinctions between POS and traditional organizational scholarship lie in POS’s emphasis on positive processes, on value transparency, and on extending the range of what constitutes a positive organizational outcome. In doing so, it is concluded that the primary contribution of POS is that it offers an alternative to the deficit model that shapes the design and conduct of organizational research. (Caza. & Caza. , 2008) There are several reasons that exist for the neglect of positive phenomena in organizational science. They include a) Lack of valid and reliable measuring devices b) the association of positivity with uncritical science c) the fact that negative events have greater impact on people than positive events(Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001) The first reason for the neglect towards POS concerning measurement and instrumentation, most positively focused at work up to now has been at the psychological level. For example only surveys had been used up till now for finding out anything related to it. Most scholarly work in POS has been conceptual and definitional rather than empirical. Little empirical work has been published. (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003). The article by Losada and Heaphy uses a model to estimate team effectiveness. Communication patterns in 60 top management teams were observed and coded in day long strategic planning sessions. The ratio of positive to negative communication was ranging among high, medium and low performing teams. Positive teams performed significantly better Similarly Cameron, Bright and Caza’s study in which they surveyed organizations across a number of industry types, and eventually they found out that the organizations scoring higher on virtuousness had a better performance than the other ones. The second reason to the neglect towards POS is that the topics related to it have sometimes been associated with non scholarly prescriptions. Hope and optimism for example have been interpreted as wishful thinking. POS uses the word scholarship to identify its scientific and theoretical foundations. It is committed to documenting, measuring, and explaining usually positive human experiences in organizations. The third reason for the dearth of POS illustrated by Baumeisteret et al’s concluded that the events that are negative for example losing money or receiving criticism will always have a greater impact on the individual than the positive events such as winning money or receiving praise. Many good events can overcome the psychological effects of a single bad one. In case the numbers of good and bad events are equal then the psychological effects of bad ones always outweigh the good ones. This tells us that the neglect of problems and challenges might threaten the survival of individual. And the neglect of positive might only result into regret or disappointment. (KIM S.  CAMERON & CAZA, 2004) Identifying the factors that lead to joy and happiness, hope and faith, and â€Å"what makes life worth living† represents a shift from reparative psychology to a psychology of positive experience. Similarly, Positive organizational scholarship examines the positive side of organizational performance. It investigates positive deviance, or the ways in which organizations and their members flourish and prosper in especially humane and extraordinary ways. It investigates virtuous elements in organizations such as compassion, forgiveness, dignity, respectful encounters, optimism and positive effect, integrity, and wisdom. This emphasis parallels a new movement in psychology that is shifting from the traditional focus on illness and pathology (e. g.  , deviancy, abnormality, and therapy) toward a positive psychology that focuses on human strengths and virtues. (Dinnah Pladott, 2003) Pos is concerned with understanding the integration of positive and negative conditions. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and Positive Psychology are focused on understanding the conditions and processes that explain flourishing. What differentiates POS is an explicit interest in understanding and explaining flourishing in organizational contexts (including individuals, groups, units and whole organizations). Flourishing refers to being in an optimal range of human functioning and is indicated at the individual level by goodness, generatively, growth and resilience. At  the collective level of groups and organizations, flourishing may be indicated by creativity, innovation, growth, resilience, thriving virtuousness or other markers that a collective is healthy and is performing in an â€Å"above normal† or positively deviant range. POS also focuses on the development of individual, group and collective strengths that represent forms of individual and collective excellence. POS unites existing domains of organizational inquiry focused on flourishing. This includes work on flourishing indicators such as creativity, engagement, flow, growth, health and well-being, as well as contributors to flourishing that consider features of the organization, group and job contexts.

Plato vs. Aristotle Essay

Numerous experts in modern time regard Plato as the first genuine political philosopher and Aristotle as the first political scientist. They were both great thinkers in regards to, in part with Socrates, being the foundation of the great western philosophers. Plato and Aristotle each had ideas in how to proceed with improving the society in which they were part of during their existence. It is necessary therefore to analyze their different theoretical approaches regarding their philosophical perspectives, such as ethics and psychology. This paper however will mainly concentrate on Aristotle’s views on friendship and how it impacts today’s society. The main objective in Plato’s philosophy is a creation of a perfect society. He constructs a foundation for a utopian society in his book â€Å"The Republic†. The purpose of his thought process was to cleanse his society of the woes he felt plagued it and construct a new one. Plato lived during the Peloponnesian War, which consequently lead to the end of the Athenian democracy. He had eyewitness account of his mentor’s (Socrates) trial and execution. Bitter and angered by the political corruption that gripped the Athenian democratic government, he disengaged from participating in politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state that is rational could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man wasn’t intelligent or capable of dealing with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policy of foreign affairs and other relative matters. He viewed political incumbents in Athens government as being elected for matters that were irrelevant to main factors that affected the state. Another danger was that excessive liberty for the people of the democratic society could potentially lead to anarchy. In Plato’s perfect society, he forged ahead to eliminate the disease (pluralism of friendship) that plagued the human character and society (Class Notes). Essentially, Plato wanted to establish the perfect form of society, linked by one single entity. Aristotle, unlike Plato, was not focused or concerned about the idea of a perfect society, instead he wanted to improve upon the one that he was part of during his existence. Rather than develop a framework for a society that is perfect, he suggested that society should, in it self, strive to utilize the best system it can attain. He felt that utopia was abstract and superficial. It wouldn’t allow for realistic problem solving solutions. He felt that Plato’s view of a strict overhaul of society in general wasn’t necessary. He believed that society was at its optimum and you can only improve upon the existing one. Plato’s perfect society would consist of three basic groups, which are Guardians (Gold), Auxiliaries (Silver), and the Artisan (Bronze). The highest of these classes are the gold people, which consist of rulers and non-rulers. Those that are rulers are society’s decision & policy makers and non-rulers occupy levels of civil servants. The fundamental prerequisite to becoming a genuine philosopher is to have knowledge of forms, thus enabling you to know the truth. Plato’s theory of the forms is partly logical and part metaphysical. Armed with the truth, he believed that philosophical ruler will always make the right decision, and rule with total wisdom, justice and virtue. The rulers, he felt, wouldn’t posses any money or property, they would be free of desires, excesses, and vices. The Auxiliaries (Silver) are people of strength, courage, and military capacity; they occupy a small sector of society. All auxiliaries would be subjected to a series of tests, which will check their powers of resistance to self-interest, pleasure and other temptations. The last level, Artisan (Bronze), are the workers which might be composed of farmers and artist, essentially non-skilled workers. They would produce all the consumable and non-consumable goods deemed necessary for consumption and the continued economic viability of the society. Plato whole-heartedly felt that if ever the bronze or iron people rule the state would collapse (Class Notes). He sought to establish the concept of the gold class having wisdom, thus they should be wise and good rulers. It was imperative that those who rule be philosophers and skilled in areas that pertained to the interest of the state. Aristotle’s disagreed with Plato in regards to allowing one particular class to govern the state politically for indefinite period of time. He felt that to not allow interaction among the various classes would inhibit those who posses the ability to engage in political life, an injustice. He feels Plato’s structure of classes is politically incorrect for the state. He quotes â€Å"It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation†, ultimately he is stating that those who rule (Guardians), sacrifice their happiness for control and absolute power. Those who are of the gold class, lead such a rigid life, that it will become necessary to impose the same strict way of life on those being governed. He places the idea of moderation on a high pedestal. Many individuals come to favor the concept of moderation because it is flexible, part liberal and part conservative. Plato’s ideal society is so difficult to conceive that Aristotle believes that no human being can achieve its rudimentary requirements. He decided to express in the â€Å"Republic† how men should conduct it self in a perfect society and what attitude they should posses. In retrospect, Aristotle felt by using real world experience along with real people, he can see first hand how and what way can he improve society. Plato and Aristotle both agreed on justice and viewed it objectively; that is it controls the belief a life of good nature would be provided for all people no matter their ranking in society. Aristotle’s states † In democracies, for example, justice is considered to mean equality, no oligarchies, again inequality in the distribution of office to considered just†. Plato views the idea of law and justice as what sets the standard for society’s behavior in a state. Aristotle puts emphasis on the institution of the polis or civilized community. The polis was structured to allow the average individual in society to participate in political matters. This institutional forum is not the city-state or the community, but merely the larger of the two entities. It is rather a partnership between households, clans, and villages for the sake of a fully developed and self-sufficient life. The polis enables those individuals who naturally posses moral intellect and wisdom an opportunity to rise to higher positions (Class Notes). Justice is the political good within the polis, and it must promote the common interest of the people of the state. What is seen as good must be distributed and regulated through out the state. The law is also the regulating factor that arises from equal and free people in civil institution. The well being of a society is solely based upon the connection between the effort in which the citizens of the state adhere to the law of the land. A good citizen of the state will posses prudence, moderation, and justice, and above all to rule and be ruled. His belief contradicts Plato theory of one controlling class, governing the political matters and decisions that effect the state. The Theory of Democracy that Aristotle states is that democracy is a â€Å"perversion† form of government of â€Å"polity† (Class Notes). He clearly states â€Å"The people at large should be sovereign rather than the few best†. Plato on the other hand, wouldn’t permit citizens to engage in public participation concerning governmental issues, as Aristotle would have enjoyed. Plato also felt that public judgments of disapproval and approval were based on emotional belief, instead of factual knowledge. He believes that if a revolution occurred it would happened within the corridors of the palace, hence palace revolution. This type of revolution happens when there is a transmission of power from one holder of power to another. Aristotle perceives such an event occurring between the wealthy and less fortunate in society. He feels to prevent such actions, one must participate in them. Plato thinks that in a utopia a disgruntled group of Guardians will emerge and disengage themselves from the ruling law of the state. He feels that an oligarchy two things may initiate a possible revolution: the first one is the ruler and their offspring would grow to be weak, sympathetic, and second is that the number of poor individuals will grow larger and there for be taken advantage of by the ruling class. Aristotle states that to know the factors that caused the revolution, which destroys the constitution, is to also know the principal of effect, which in turn ensure its preservation. Aristotle and Plato also have contrasting views on ethics, psychology and metaphysics. In regards to ethics, Aristotle believes that virtue is necessary for happiness, while Plato says virtue is enough for happiness. The psychological difference between the two is that Plato feels the body is a prison for the soul; body and soul are two different entities, capable of maintaining independence from one another. As for Aristotle, he claims that the body and soul are two different things, one consisting of matter the other form. He sees everything in the universe being composed of matter and form, so its not surprising that he perceives human being are too. To him form is simply the way matter is arranged. For example, a cat is composed in a feline way; that’s what makes a cat. Human being for that matter, have a unique method of structure, too; that’s their form. In fact, Aristotle strongly feels that nothing in existence can be without form and matter. If you eliminate its structure and form you have nothing left. So for Aristotle, the concept of soul without body or body without soul is incoherent. In regards to form, Plato expressed how things should be through utilizing vague language and poetry. In respect to friendship, I firmly believe that Aristotle’s views on friendship holds value in today’s society. First we will touch on the various points that Aristotle makes regarding friendship, then expand on his main principle in connection to modern time, if possible. Aristotle distinguishes between three types of friendship: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of virtue. The idea behind friendship of utility is that it is founded on the idea of usefulness. The interaction among friends is only valued if there is usefulness between the two individuals. An example of this would be any automobile dealer and car buyer. Factoring in that they know each other, both need what the other can provide. The bond that unites the two people is based on usefulness. As long as they each can provide what the other needs, it satisfies the friendship. The second concept would be friendship of pleasure, which is basically the amount of pleasure generated between the participants. An example of this would be two people engaging in a social event, such as an outdoor festival. Each of the participant’s enjoys the others company. They are friends because of the pleasure they bring to themselves. The last kind of friendship is the friendship of virtue. This friendship is special and unique, such that it can only be between two people. Rather than utility and pleasure, where it can establish a group of people, this type of friendship is connected solely between two people. This type of friendship is also unique based on the fact that it can only hold any true value if both individuals are of the same virtue. People in general might regard these definitions of friend objective. Some believe that doing something for someone is solely based on the act of self ? fulfillment. Aristotle, I believe is not incorrect in stating that the idea in friendship in utility and pleasure is for our own sake, and the concept behind friendship of virtue is for the sake of the friend. These three categories are arranged in a certain format that there are influenced by the next level. These bonds of friendship can arise from various forms of potential fraternal groupings. Present day possibilities can include: various college organizations, union members, national communities and any other form of group’s that people find a common denominator. For Aristotle Aristotle is more philosophically inclined than Plato; he tends to get rid of ideas that are irrelevant, and he believes that the concept of forms existing separate from matter is somewhat superfluous. He dives right into the heart of the matter. You can see Aristotle as someone who believes the world in which he occupies very satisfying just the way it is. His main focus is always connected with things that are consistent with ideal experience, without introducing unnecessary notions of concepts that can’t be proven. Plato’s vague, poetic language in metaphysics and physics didn’t stimulate inspiration; it made him uncomfortable. Both Plato and Aristotle were two men who envisioned methods on ways to improve their existing society. Plato, the political philosopher, was basically in pursuit of philosophical truth. Aristotle was more concerned with citizenship and institutional politics. They both had developed ideas and concepts to improve society as a whole. Aristotle and Plato have had a tremendous impact on political scientists of today. In Aristotle case, he was responsible for developing various democratic ideas. Even in modern democracies like our own Aristotle’s ideas hold true. When we vote in the election of the ruler of our country we, theoretically, are voting for the single most â€Å"excellent† citizen of our nation. That is we are voting for that citizen who can do the best job of working toward our common interest. The citizen of a state who has the greatest ability to work towards the salvation of the constitution has a great gift that can benefit all citizens. It only makes sense to allow that particular individual to lead the rest of the citizens in working towards the common interests of the state. In conclusion, these men were great thinkers. Their opinions on society and its function were quite different, but they both had the same concern, to build a better way of life for their societies they in lived in and for the societies that would come to be in the future.

A Study Of Society Detachment In Henry David Thoreaus Life Without Principles

A Study Of Society Detachment In Henry David Thoreau's Life Without Principles In Henry David Thoreau’s â€Å"Life Without Principle,† Thoreau talks about separating ourselves from society as a whole and living life according to our own standards, not society’s. I believe that Thoreau’s thesis statement is, â€Å"If I should sell both my forenoons and afternoons to society, as most appear to do, I am sure that for me there would be nothing left worth living for.† Thoreau speaks of the ways people earn their living and the many trivial things people will do just to get more money. He believes that we should not get caught up in the ways of money and society. Personally I agree with the points that Thoreau makes in â€Å"Life Without Principle.† After all, what is the point of having money if you are not happy? Today, society paints an image of what the perfect life should be. However, the reality is that the average person would never achieve that portrayed lifestyle. Yet, people still strive to accomplish it. People work day in and day out, some methods more controversial than others, to make more and more money. At the end of the day, are those people truly happy? I believe that wealth does not equate to happiness. If all I have is one hundred dollars in my bank account, I am no less happy than when I have a thousand dollars in my account. Don’t get me wrong; money is a nice thing to have, and a very fun thing to spend. However, material things are just that, material. I would much rather spend money hanging out with my friends or taking a trip with my family than buying a two hundred dollar pair of shoes. Material things wear out, but memories last a lifetime. I believe that this mindset would be achievable in an ideal world. One in which no one truly cared about what others or society in general thought about them; a world in which we did not base our happiness on our bank accounts. But we do, and it is a very sad thing. Which is why from a generational standpoint, Thoreau’s ideas/beliefs in â€Å"Life Without Principle,† We live in a society in which everyone has principles. However, not everyone’s principles are the same. We all come from different backgrounds, religions, and families and each of those aspects influence what each of our principles may or may not be. I do not believe that my generation would ever fully agree with Thoreau’s thesis statement. We are a generation that is constantly competing against one another, and constantly wanting the newest versions of things. For example, I know many people who just bought the Samsung galaxy s6, but are already waiting for the s7 to be released so they can bye it. For no other reason than to say that they have the newest phone. Social media and television play a large role in this also. We spend so much time wanting to be just like our favorite celebrities, and wanting to have what they have. We forget to stay true to ourselves, and do what we enjoy doing. It is for those reasons that although I agree with Thoreau, that my generation would never be able to achieve his ideal way of living one’s life.

General overview of john stuart mill- Utilitarianism Essay

General overview of john stuart mill- Utilitarianism - Essay Example Mill’s Utilitarianism actually conflicts with the idea that moral actions is dependent on the will of God and that the pleasure that the person gets from performing these acts is the crucial test of good and evil. Mill was one philosopher that believed so much that individuals have the right to decide and do what is best for them and in their own interest rather than base their decisions on other people’s interests. Mill was of the opinion that individuals must seek the truth and make judgments through strictly monitored, unassuming and tolerant dialogue. Mill believed that is the duty of every individual to take decisions on actions that are in their best interest. He also believes that people should be more tolerant of other people’s opinion rather than rely on force to make people reason along with them as this would go a long way in making the truth known about a particular subject matter. Mill uses a non-relativistic perception of truth and belief to work ou t the notion on toleration. However, Mill believed that this is needed by people to arrive at the truth. On the issue of human reasoning, Mill gave the idea that the reasoning of human beings is unique and valuable.

Jazz Fusion Musicians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jazz Fusion Musicians - Term Paper Example or Kenny G brand by use of instrumentals. Therefore, the term jazz became distorted to accommodate rock and pop groups back in the 1960s by adding horns for flavoring (Sweat and Tears, Blood and Chicago). By old definition, fusion is, therefore, a mixture of improvisations made on Jazz combined with the rhythms, energy and timbers of rock music. Jazz fusion began to take hold in the wake of the Golden Era of rock in around the late 1960s. The essay discusses; Mile Davis, John Abercombie, Don Alias, Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce and Larry Carlton contributions to jazz fusion in their life time. A number of questions commonly get asked concerning the founder of jazz fusion. In accordance to some music analysts, some say fusion might have started with the guitarist, Larry Coryell. Speculations presume that Larry Coryell brought the rock oriented tune. In addition, he also brought attack raw, edgy tones in contrast to the smooth, rounded tones which guitarist employed in many jazz sessions at th at era. In addition, other analysts noted that blues and rock sensibilities which Jack DeJohnette, drummer, and Keith Jarrett, pianist, brought to the given Charles Lloyd Quartet also became wildly popular to rock audiences in 1967, despite, using acoustic instruments. Furthermore, from England, The Trinity and jazz organist Brian Auger also developed rock in the late 1960s through borrowing some pop influences plus clothing styles. The founders could even be traced way back to 1959 to the likes of Ray Charles. He pioneered the use of the given Wurlitzer electric piano in singing some of his blues, gospel and jazz hits. The same Wurlitzer electric piano became used later by Joe Zawinul and contributed in making a given gospel song a hit in 1966. In relation to some musical analysts, they claim that the first jazz and rock combination might have been truly a mixture of Dixieland Jazz plus the 50s rock. Therefore, regarding the founder of jazz fusion music, there is no impressive cons ensus to date on whom might have been the founder of the spectacular Jazz fusion music. Even if quite a lot of arguments exist on the true founder of the jazz fusion music, but musicians behind making it popular could be identified. These musicians played a prominent role in popularizing the jazz music and making it get a lot of audiences as years advanced. A good example of such a musician that contributed immensely to its popularity includes Miles Davis (Miles & Quincy 34). Miles Davis was an ever curious person that wished to experiment with any music. He managed to fuse rock and rhythm and blues (R&B) currents existing in the late 1960’s and created hits. Miles Davis managed to popularize jazz fusion to greater heights at that time thereby increasing the number of fans listening jazz fusion genre. Jazz itself became fused in the ‘20s, together with rock and even soul music around that time. In addition, other musicians that contributed to its popularity became the B eatles groups. From 1964, as the Beatles group invaded and rocked their music on air and other areas, they too managed to spread the jazz fusion music with them through the music they played. As the jazz scene continuously became a battle between angry avant-garde and hard boppers, many bored and alienated musicians looked to rock, which at that time had begun to develop into multifaceted imaginative art form (Miles & Quincy 36). Moreover, the introduction of the given electronic keyboards like the Wurlitzer plus the

Pop Culture Women's Voices Discussion Coursework

Pop Culture Women's Voices Discussion - Coursework Example It was the coming of age of a few older favorites like Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and one of the best girl groups of all time, TLC. There was barely a song out about women â€Å"talking to† men that wasnt about real life, as if musical artists have a great deal of insight into the way men chase and women (supposedly) run, or play hard to get. The song â€Å"No Scrubs† by TLC was phenomenal because of its theme about pride and not giving your girl power to a â€Å"scrub,† or a man who â€Å"hangs out the passenger side of his best friends ride.† The hidden meaning of a scrub is that he is so lame, or unimportant or non-committal, that he cant even manage a car of his own. The song is not dedicated to men, but to women, about belittling themselves to get into a bad relationship that is not true to them or their futures. Women had come a long way, but were also far-removed from the Womens Lib movement of the 1960s. Women were still struggling with sexual and gender identity approximations in the 90s, or how far they could go to be themselves without being left completely alone. The universal answer to a scrub is â€Å"No.† Deadbeats – men who live with others and mothers and own nothing theyve earned speaks to the widely held ideas of the 90s woman, her independence and simultaneous self-initiated sexual exploitation, as if its okay to tease a man and not go all the way. Horizons expand with â€Å"lady music† aimed directly at men about their behaviors and hard-held beliefs about the place of women in

Chicago Police Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicago Police Department - Essay Example The Chicago PD’s first strength is the fact that it has something of a monopoly in its field. When a person wants to take recourse to the legal system for a crime, their only recourse is to the Chicago PD, and by law they are the only group that provide many of the services they do. This means that the Chicago PD does not need to fear competition from any other group or organization providing similar services. The Chicago PD’s second major strength is in another vein, recognisability and marketing. The Police Department is so well known and intrinsically connected to their services in public knowledge that they have no need to spend many resources on marketing simply to let people know they exist and what their services are. Chicago PD’s widespread recognition can, however, be as much of a weakness as it is a strength. While Chicago Police Department is incredibly well known, but as mentioned above its reputation is formed as much by media as anything else, and thus misinformation and messages the Chicago PD do not want to be connected to can be at least as well known as things it wants to be connected to. One of the best ways for the Chicago PD to minimize this weakness is to work with community groups to spread the message that the Chicago PD wants, and actively fight against misrepresentation in media. The Chicago police department’s second main weakness is the fact that it relies heavily on crime reporting to be able to do its job effectively (). The Chicago PD thus must make itself as accessible as possible in order to find true criminals rather than just those who are afraid of the police. The Chicago PD can fight this as much as possible by minimizing the degree to which they attack people who are reporting crimes. Though it is responsible for finding criminals equally, allowing people of questionable immigration status or who might be involved in crime themselves to report crime allows them to respond more universally to crime. The Chicago Police Department has a wide array of opportunities to better fulfill its mission statement. One of the biggest ones revolves around the fact that by its very nature members of the police department have to be in constant contact with the members of the community in which they live. This means that if the Chicago PD can successfully realign itself to focus on community outreach, it can more easily cure the problems of a community rather than just treat the symptoms (Chicago PD 1993). The second major opportunity for the Chicago PD is that technology of policing is constantly advancing, and often at a rate much faster than the forces police are trying to fight (ie. Criminals). This means that if the Police Department successfully identifies trains and begins use of new and emerging technologies it can accomplish its mission with increasing efficiency, as it often does not have to fight competition with access to the same emergent technologies (Sims 2011). The biggest threats to the Chicago PD is the growing trend of people failing to report crimes and settle things using criminal activity, especially gang violence. This undermines the whole system under which the police force works, and

Shell Gas Station (Timewise) Compliance Interview and Report Research Paper - 1

Shell Gas Station (Timewise) Compliance Interview and Report Assignment - Research Paper Example That is why I choose this company. There are two main types of laws and regulations that govern Timewise Food Stores in its day to day operations. These are the governmental regulation and company policy. Shell gas station is one of the very vast liability stores that are located in Texas. There is a variety of legal compliance whose adherence is required of the company. There is a legal requirement, professional standards and policies that the company has established for all its outlets in the Texas. The legal requirement includes federal and local county laws that regulate the stores in their daily activities. The most important for Shell store manager is to be aware of any matter related to Tobacco or Alcohol. Federal law requires Shell to sell tobacco to customers over the age of 18 years old and alcohol to over the age of 21 years old. However, each state is free to create its own laws, agencies, and punishments. According to Texas regulation, there is no restriction concerning selling hours or places of sale of Tobacco. However, the violation of term in buying or selling Tobacco to minor is subject to same penalties as alcohol penalties. The laws on alcohol establishments occur under the control of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. According to Texas law under Sec. 106.025, first and second offense of minor licensee is considered a class-C misdemeanor which means it only carries a 30-60 days maximum suspension of license and a fine of up to $500.00 along with 8 to 40 hours of community service. However, if the licensee is over 18 years of age, then it usually increased to a class-B misdemeanor, which is 6 months to a full year in jail and a $250 to $2000 fine. An offense under this section is punishable as provided by Sec. 106.071. According to Texas law under Sec. 106.03 a clerk who actually sold

Family structural theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Family structural theory - Assignment Example Another way to determine if the family is dysfunctional if the family is based on organization and subsystems, this includes interactions between individuals, with assigned roles and expectations (Minuchin1974) From Minuchin perspective, a family is either functional or dysfunctional depending upon its capacity to adapt to numerous stressors which, in turn, rests upon the simplicity and appropriateness of its subsystem boundaries. The way to determine if the family dysfunctional is if the family:- members from brother to sister do not have love to one another which should latter grow into respect to one another; all the family members feeling shamed, slammed, belittled or dismissed when they state what they have in their minds, opinions, wants dreams and desire; It can be determined by how the family members are accountable to one another; if one has made a mistake the and the guilty one doesn’t apologies to the other, failure of allowing reasonable expression of emotions, discouraging siblings to work together (Minuchin1974). From the study we are able to know what is meant by the term dysfunctional family, and how a structural theory can be used to determine a dysfunctional family with the contribution from Minuchin and Gardano. There are various dysfunctional families and this study has given some aspects on how to identify such kind of a family. Silva, E., Tsatskis, Y., Gardano, L., Tapon, N., & McNeill, H. (2006). The Tumor-Suppressor Gene fat Controls Tissue Growth Upstream of Expanded in the Hippo Signaling Pathway. Current biology, 16(21),

M&A in India in Past Few Years Essay Example for Free

MA in India in Past Few Years Essay Abstract The process of mergers and acquisitions has gained substantial importance in todays corporate world. This process is extensively used for restructuring the business organizations. In India, the concept of mergers and acquisitions was initiated by the government bodies. Some well known financial organizations also took the necessary initiatives to restructure the corporate sector of India by adopting the mergers and acquisitions policies. The Indian economic reform since 1991 has opened up a whole lot of challenges both in the domestic and international spheres. The increased competition in the global market has prompted the Indian companies to go for mergers and acquisitions as an important strategic choice. The trends of mergers and acquisitions in India have changed over the years. The immediate effects of the mergers and acquisitions have also been diverse across the various sectors of the Indian economy. Till recent past, the incidence of Indian entrepreneurs acquiring foreign enterprises was not so common. The situation has undergone a sea change in the last couple of years. Acquisition of foreign companies by the Indian businesses has been the latest trend in the Indian corporate sector. The Indian IT and ITES sectors have already proved their potential in the global market. The other Indian sectors are also following the same trend. The increased participation of the Indian companies in the global corporate sector has further facilitated the merger and acquisition activities in India. The various factors that played their parts in facilitating the mergers and acquisitions in India are favorable government policies, buoyancy in economy, additional liquidity in the corporate sector, and dynamic attitudes of the Indian entrepreneurs are the key factors behind the changing trends of mergers and acquisitions in India. Even though mergers and acquisitions (MA) have been an important element of corporate strategy all over the globe for several decades, research on MAs has not been able to provide conclusive evidence on whether they enhance efficiency or destroy wealth. There is thus an ongoing global debate on the effects of MAs on firms. This article seeks to explore the trends and progress in MAs India. Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1618272 MERGER ACQUISITION IN INDIA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY The phrase mergers and acquisitions (abbreviated MA) refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. In business or economics a merger is a combination of two companies into one larger company. Such actions are commonly voluntary and involve stock swap or cash payment to the target. Stock swap is often used as it allows the shareholders of the two companies to share the risk involved in the deal. A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name (often combining the names of the original companies) and in new branding; in some cases, terming the combination a merger rather than an acquisition is done purely for political or marketing reasons. Mergers may be broadly classified in (i) Horizontal mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies manufacture similar product in the same industry. (ii) Vertical mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies work at different stages of manufacture of a same product. (iii) Conglomerate mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies operate in different industries. The word acquisition, also known as a takeover or a buyout, is the buying of one company (the ‘target’) by another. An acquisition may be friendly or hostile. In the former case, the companies cooperate in negotiations; in the latter case, the takeover target is unwilling to be bought or the targets board has no prior knowledge of the offer. Acquisition usually refers to a purchase of a smaller firm by a larger one. Sometimes, however, a smaller firm will acquire management control of a larger or longer established company and keep its name for the combined entity. This is known as a reverse takeover. Another type of acquisition is reverse merger, a deal that enables a private company to get publicly listed in a short time period. A reverse merger occurs when a private company that has strong prospects and is eager to raise financing buys a publicly listed shell company, usually one with no business and limited assets. Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1618272 Reasons for Merger and Acquisition †¢ Operating synergies: The uniting of two firms improve productivity or cut costs so that the unlevered cash flows of the combined firm exceed the combined unlevered cash flows of the individual firm †¢ A vertical merger between a supplier and a customer, eliminates various coordination and bargaining problems †¢ A horizontal merger between competitors, produces a less competitive product market and cost savings from combining RD facilities and sales forces †¢ Financial synergies: Information and incentive problems may cause cashstarved firms to pass up positive NPV projects, but cash-rich firms to overinvest in negative NPV projects †¢ Conglomerates can use internal capital markets to transfer funds from negative NPV projects to positive NPV projects †¢ †¢ Enhance the flexibility of the organization Reduces bankruptcy risk Objectives In this article an attempt has been made (i) To examine the presence of trends and progress of MAs in Indian corporation. (ii) To analyze year-wise and industry-wise variance in number and amount of MA deals. Hypotheses To cover the above objectives following hypotheses have been formulated: 1. There is no significant difference in number and amount of MA deals in between years and between industries. 2. There is no significant difference between MA progress in manufacturing and service sector Industry-wise Trends of MAs The industry-wise trends in number and amount of MA deals between 2000 and 2007 are presented in the Table 1 and Table 2 and the industry-wise trends and progress of MAs have been analysed on this basis Food and Beverages: India is the worlds second largest producer of food next to China, and has the potential of being the biggest with the food and agricultural sector. The Indian food market is estimated at over US$ 182 billion, and accounts for about two thirds of the total Indian retail market. According to industry experts, the market for carbonated drinks in India is worth US$ 1.5 billion while the juice and juice-based drinks market accounts for US$ 0.25 billion. Growing at a rate of 25 per cent, the fruitdrinks category is one of the fastest growing in the beverages market. The Indian food processing industry plays a significant role in diversifaction of agriculture products, generates employment, enhances income of farmers and creates a surplus for export of agro-foods. The important reason of the MA activity initiated in this industry are deregulation, restructuring disinvestment, restructuring by parent companies and presence of foreign players. Textiles Industry: Until the economic liberalization of Indian economy, the India Textile Industry was predominantly unorganized industry. The opening up of Indian economy post 1990s led to a stupendous growth of this industry. India Textile Industry is one of the largest textile industries in the world. Today, Indian economy is largely dependent on textile manufacturing and exports. India earns around 27% of the foreign exchange from exports of textiles. Further, India Textile Industry contributes about 14% of the total industrial production of India. Furthermore, its contribution to the gross domestic product of India is around 3% only. Textile Industry involves around 35 million workers directly and it accounts for 21% of the total employment generated in the economy. However the important reasons for the MAs in these sectors are: growth of power looms and handlooms sector at the cost of mill sector which has ultimately resulted in making them sick and unviable. This has led to an increase in the closure of mills; in addition, continued and persistent use of old plant and machinery has led to low profitability in the mill sector and thereby forcing some of mills to closedowns. Chemicals, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals: Under this category companies operating in the industrial groups of chemicals, drugs, pharmaceutical, cosmetics petrochemicals and rubbers have been taken into account for analyzing the trend and progress. The drug pharmaceutical industry in India meets around 70% of the countrys demand for bulk drugs, drug intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations, chemicals, tablets, capsules, orals and injectibles. There are about 250 large Pharmaceuticals manufacturers and suppliers and about 8000 Small Scale Pharmaceutical Drug Units which form the core of the pharmaceutical industry in India (including 5 Central Public Sector Units). These bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals manufacturers produce the complete range of pharmaceutical formulations i.e. medicines ready for consumption by patients and about 350 bulk drugs i.e. chemicals having therapeutic value and used for production of pharmaceutical formulations. Owing to a significant increase in Pharmaceuticals exports, Indias USD 3.1 billion pharmaceutical industries are growing at the rate of 14 percent per year. It is one of the largest and most advanced among the developing countries. Even the number of pharmaceuticals exporters, manufacturers and suppliers is increasing tremendously, the factors that contributed to increase in MA activity in these sectors are: Introduction of the process Patent Act in 1970, which required Indian companies to recognize international process patents. This has given an opportunity for the Indian companies to grow. This growth is associated with MAs and the emergence of WTO has brought about fundamental changes in the pharmaceutical industry. Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) of WTO require all Indian companies to comply with international patents. This has mainly happened in the form of MAs. Non–metallic Mineral Products: In this sector, cement and ceramics manufacturers are the primary players. The factors responsible for MAs are: before 1999 cement industry faced many problems like liquidity crisis, inadequate expenditure on infrastructure and costs of inputs. South-east Asian crisis brought narrowed profitability resulting to the bigger players withstanding the pressure of lower profitability and smaller and marginal players closing down or merging with big players and trying to appear favorable for a takeover. National Quadrilateral Road Project and State Government Policies to construct the irrigation projects could be other factors responsible for this boom. Basic Metal, Alloy and Steel: This is one of the oldest and traditional industry sectors in India. Companies operating in metals, alloy, steel and related concerns are grouped under this head. The factors contributing to MAs in this sector are: Slowdown of the economy during the year 1996-97, the capital markets, remaining depressed for the past couple of years, drying up sources of investment funds for industry, small and medium corporate finding it difficult to access institutional funds and export growth subjected to competitive pressure from imports. Information Technology and Telecom: Companies operating in the IT, Software, telecom and convergence sector are clubbed in industry, the central government has formed an independent department of information technology. Since the removal of restrictions on foreign capital investment and industrial de-licensing, India’s Telecom industry has shown large growth The Important factors for increasing MAs in this sector are: Consistent efforts were made by the department of telecom and its constituent organizations for upgrading and expanding the telecom networks and services and the Initiation of internet and web based developments and introduction of cell phone in India;. Automobiles and Automobile Ancillaries: Companies operating in automobile sector, locomotives, transport and spares have been included under this head. The Indian transport industry has been gradually playing a catalytic role for producing a wide variety of vehicles, passenger cars. Important factors responsible for an increase in MAs in this sector are: Globilalization is pushing global auto majors to consolidate, to upgrade technology, enlarge product range, access new markets and to cut costs. Competitive pressure and presence of global players have resulted in a number of MAs in this sector. Energy, Power, Gas and Oil: Companies operating in the field of energy, power, gas and oil are included in this group. Important factors responsible for an increase in MAs in this sector are, low rate of growth in power generation depressed the growth rate of industrial production and has necessitated immediate attention of big companies like Reliance Industries and due to unavailability of power and frequent disruptions have given an impetus to MAs in this sector..

Effect of Demand on Supply on Coffee and Sugar Prices

Effect of Demand on Supply on Coffee and Sugar Prices Table of Contents (jump to) Introduction Economic Concepts Article Analysis Title: Coffee shortage may arise due to drought, climate change, rising demand, analysts say Conclusions Reference Introduction Microeconomics deals with economic decisions at micro level. It looks at the behaviour of the individual, people and companies within the economy. Being based on the idea of the market economy in which the consumer demand is the main driver for the prices and production levels of goods and services. It is basically inclined to explain how the interested parties choose in using limited resources being made available to them. It also focuses on the drivers of making decisions and the ways in which such decisions of them affect the demand and supply of specific goods and services. For the following article also I have choosen the effect of demand on supply on prices of two commodities as coffee and sugar. Economic Concepts The study of demand and supply on price due to the climate changes, where the prices increase due to the shortage of commodities or products and supply is short and where the demand is high is being discussed in the article. Article Analysis Title: Coffee shortage may arise due to drought, climate change, rising demand, analysts say Source: The Washington Post, February 21, 2014 When we discuss about the microeconomics we mean the study of economic behaviour of individual units of economy and not aggregate economy. It is basically concerned with the individual economic choices, the effect of changes in these factors on individual decision makers, how choices are coordinated of them and how demand and prices are determined. It so deals with the economic decisions made at low or micro level. The effect of demand and supply on a product of economy is updated while going through the article updated on February 21, 2014 which is explaining how Coffee shortage has arise and its impact on demand. The article thus explains that by the time of year in February, the delicate Arabica coffee plants which are in mountains of Brazil, where from most of the coffee comes, are about to mature by this time. The fragrant flowers appear followed by cherry like fruit, which each of them containing two seeds as Arabica Coffee beans, which are most popular in the world. But coffee shortage aroused due to the worst drought occurred last month in Brazil coffee belt region, thereby destroying the crop yields and causing the price of coffee to shoot up with a percentage of more than 50 this year. Drought being historic and more than 140 cities in Brazil was forced to ration water, whereby according to some newspapers drought was so devastating that some neighborhoods of Brazil were receiving water every three days only. But according to Jack Scoville (a future market analyst) now the retail price of coffee has been stable. But their could be chances for the rise in price of Arabica beans then this year consumers would notice an increase in the prices of their coffee. Therefore this is a case of demand increase and supply shortage whereby putting an impact on the prices by increasing them. The resultant of such a drought was the rise in price per pound of coffee which was meant for delivery due in March had reached the highest point around $1.72 in 14 months. There could be global coffee deficit were assumed before drought had to arise. Therefore for the first time in three years the global market of coffee would face shortage. So the predictions for the session 2014-15 were that the coffee supplies would be lowered by 5 million bags. But according to the last years data there was so much coffee that Arabica coffee futures has fell down by 25% and according to experts the price of coffee would rose for long time period just because of people in developing markets like Brazil, China and India are acquiring a taste for coffee. Higher prices and more competition will be seen due to high quality of coffee according to a coffee buyer and sustainability manger as Kim Elena Ionescu. The developing world made coffee and the developed world had drunk it. But now the scenario has changed and the developing countries are also consuming coffee alongwith making it. More people are involved in drinking better coffee according to what is mentioned in the article. Therefore demand will continue to make a shortage in supply. But there are considerable concerns that the climate change will also hamper the supply of coffee as it had happened in Brazil due to drought. This climate change in Brazil brought drastic changes in the price of coffee with the increase in its demand and shortage in supply as people preferred coffee over tea as many don’t like tea and prefer to have coffee in morning everyday. The taste of coffee has so long lasting effect that it makes the individual addicted to coffee have coffee even at high prices. To explain the above statement concerning the increase in price,the above graph mentions that with the increase in demand of coffee the demand curve shifted to the right and the quantity demanded increased from Q1 to Q2 and price increased from P1 to P2. The Brazilian company has various thoughts on such a situation when it happened to be the worst drought as it would put the company in risk for their supply chain of Arabica coffee bean as mentioned in the article by the head of sustainability, Starbucks in 2011. As this company is the worlds renowned Company for selling coffee with high quality and variety which attracts the customers to have coffee from Starbucks store only. To explain the above statement, the above graph thus shows how coffee prices are increasing from P1 to P2 and the demand curve is shifting to right due to increasing demand of coffee, but the supply curve shifts to left showing that there is shortage of coffee. According to the article it is mentioned correctly that many people like sugar in their coffee and for them as Brazil along with being the maker of coffee is the world’s largest producer of sugar, due to such conditions of drought is forced to take action as to disrupt plans for harvesting sugar cane. So the future prices of sugar tend to be at a rise and are at high level from the past two months due to the effect of climate change. Therefore the article has made it clear the after effects of climate change as drought on the production of coffee beans and as well on production of sugar cane. This had made the worse situation for the economy as supply chain has also being effected and due to the shortage in supply and increase in demand of coffee and sugar as well had made the prices of sugar and coffee to rise. This article thus made me to realize a situation where people would suffer due to the high costs and it may affect their purchasing power as well. As people would tend to earn in such a economy as they were earning earlier but in crises situation their income would also be affected as the company would not be able to pay much but in such a situation people who have to purchase emergency goods as coffee to satisfy their needs will purchase it at high cost no matter their income allows to purchase at high prices and sugar which is the more necessary commodity is also to be purchased by them at high cost. These sorts of purchases will affect their purchasing power to purchase other commodities which are less essential but yet in their need criteria to be left out as such. This decision is taken in a microeconomic environment. Therefore the country involved in producing the Arabica beans for the production of coffee is forced to think in future aspects of the increase in price of coffee to affect its supply chain as well, to come to a optimal solution to get rid of this problem in such a situation. As more and more people are inclined towards having coffee and one who is habitual to having coffee cannot be without it as coffee is also included in a drink which creates addiction for the individuals who are in regular use of coffee. Conclusions The article has a clear analysis of the increase in price of commodity due to the increase in demand but decrease in supply. As there is shortage of supplying the coffee due to the climatic changes so the prices of the coffee are at hike and the demand is also at hike accordingly. Therefore the article is showing a clear picture of the microeconomic situation and the study of economic theory as well. The economic theory so suggests the demand and supply are the main constraints for a product or commodity and are sometimes opposite in curve and sometimes run parallel by keeping any one constraint as demand or supply as constant with changes in price. Reference Yang, J., (2014), Coffee shortage may arise due to drought, climate change, rising demand, analysts say, [Article], Available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2014/02/21/0f16ed44-9b28-11e3-975d-107dfef7b668_story.html [Accessed 7 May 2014]

Native American Voices Know the Definition of Native American Essay ex

Many school children celebrate a clichà © Thanksgiving tradition in class where they play Indians and Pilgrims, and some children engage in the play of Cowboys vs. Indians. It is known that some died when colonization occurred, that some fought the United States government, and that they can be boiled down to just another school mascot. This is what many people understand of the original inhabitants of America. Historical knowledge of these people has been shallow and stereotyped. The past 150 years has given birth to a literate people now able to record their past, present, and future. Native American literature, as it evolves, defines the Native American culture and its status in the world, as an evolving people, more so than any historical account can. Before colonization, the Native Americans used oral traditions to teach, remember, entertain, and pray. Much of this knowledge was lost because of various reasons. After translation became an option some of these were written down. This is the beginning of Native American literature, the becoming of sound into word. A major pattern of distrust for the white man’s words are evident in this beginning of their literature. Cochise, an Apache leader, made a speech in 1872, loosely entitled [I am Alone] that addressed Americans. This was translated by a white man. It is not known how accurate it is, however, it conveys a strong message. Cochise is a proud man, who is always truthful. â€Å"I hereby pledge my word, a word that has never been broken† (1463). He has his doubts about the truthfulness of the Whites whom he watched come in small numbers and had welcomed in friendship. Cochise was confused to their behavior, â€Å"At last your soldiers did me a very great wrong†(1463). When they ... ...can literature you find the accounts of things such as the slaughtering of buffalo and leaving them to rot on the ground, and the United States government forbidding Indians to practice their religious rites and beliefs (Momaday 2507). The history books do not tell these things. History is written by those who write, and often enough by the ones that find themselves in power by gift or coercion. History has dealt the indigenous cultures of America a hard blow. The culture-shock faced by these people, who have dwindled down in number from the vast and populous tribes, is one that is still being felt today. Fortunately more and more Native American literature is being written and discovered. From these accounts, verse, and prose and insight can be gained into these proud people who are living in another man's world, once theirs, and have paid to do so ever since.

events in history :: essays research papers

The year 1968 can be recognized by the mass-youth appeal in late twentieth-century political and intellectual culture. It's most frequently remembered for the assassination of Martin Luther King, the May uprisings by students and workers in France, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the riots in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, the massacre of government protesters in Mexico City during the weeks leading up to the Olympics, and the election of Richard Nixon--to name just a few of the more infamous events. It was a year marked by the beginning of America's decline as the single dominant economic power to emerge at the end of World War II. Many social changes that were addressed in the 1960s are still the issues being confronted today. The ‘60s was a decade of social and political upheaval. In spite of all the turmoil, there were some positive results: the civil rights revolution, John F. Kennedy’s bold vision of a new frontier, and the breathtaking ad vances in space helped bring about progress and prosperity. However, much was negative: student and anti-war protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited American people and resulted in lack of respect for authority and the law. Edward Sanders' book-long poem entitled 1968: A History in Verse depicts all areas of the year 1968 from January 1st through the end of December. Sanders avoids depicting the year 1968 as either the last great hope for historical redemption in America or as the beginning of a reactionary turn in the culture. The book recaps the year in which he played an important socio-cultural activist, role model, musician, and poet. The poem continues to cite specific details centered mostly on where his rock band, the fugs, traveled to and whom and what he encountered along the way. â€Å"To me this was the last mote of proof in 1968 that the Nation was lost† (189). After witnessing the riots in Chicago, the "Nation" Sander’s referred to is an imaginary society in which community responsibility is shared equally between both government and citizens, and economic resources are distributed more rightfully among its members, when it is actually an existing set of political formations run by the government. The book continues to address 1968 as a rebellious era of the youth of America. The Yippies, or members of the anti-political association The Youth International Party, were active across America voicing their opinion and opposing the war.

Christopher Pike :: essays research papers

Final Friends Book1: The Vampire Author: Christopher Pike Pages: 211 Published: Pocket Books/ Archway Paperbacks 40 Questions: 1. In chapter 1, what does Sam have a dream of? p. 4. He has a dream that his whole class will die because they will be killed by a vampire. 2. In chapter 1, who is going to be throwing a large party? p. 4. Sam. He doesn’t live in a very big house but he has a big yard. Too, his parents try to act â€Å"cool† so they are letting him have the party. 3. Why does everybody at school think Drake is a vampire? p. 6,7. First of all his name is kind of like Dracula, and second his canine teeth for some reason are distorted and they are really sharp. 4. Why does David get jealous when he sees his girlfriend talking to Drake? p. 7.Because Jolie is usually shy and doesn’t talk to other guys. 5. What does Jolie say is the reason why she is talking to another guy? p. 8 She says she was talking to Drake because she needed help with her homework. But David doesn’t believe her because she is a strait A student. 6. Why does Hanna, David’s sister, get mad at her teacher? p. 19. Because she gets kicked out of class for talking when really it was the girl next to her that was talking to her. 7. Why does Hanna go over to Jane’s house? p. 21. Because they are planning to play a practical joke on Hanna’s teacher for kicking her out of class. 8. What joke is Hanna going to play on her teacher Mr. Torkelson. p. 22. She is going to cut the brakes on his car. 9. Why does David almost get in a fight with Drake? p. 38. Because Drake spills coffee on David, and David thinks it is on purpose because David thinks that Drake wants to take his girlfriend. 10. (related to question 9) What does Drake whisper under his breath as he is walking away? p. 39. He says, â€Å"You better watch out, next time it will hurt a lot more.† 11. How does Hanna feel after she messes with Torkelson’s car? p. 45. She regrets it because she thinks that something bad will happen. 12. Why is David sure now that his girlfriend is cheating on him? p. 50. Because he sees her kissing Drake in the arcade. 13. How does Mr. Torkelson die? p. 61. He dies in a car accident. 14. Why does Hanna seem really depressed? p. 63.

Origins and Causes of the Cold War

————————————————- Why the iron curtain descended: origins and causes of the cold war ROHAN SINGH SEPTEMBER 2012 Name of University: The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences Subject:Political Science Date of Submission:1st October, 2012. â€Å"Why the Iron curtain descended†: A study into the origins and causes of the cold war INTRODUCTION On April 16, 1947, Bernard Baruch, former advisor to former U. S.Presidents, Harry Truman and Woodrow Wilson came up with the term ‘Cold War’ to describe the breakdown in relations between the two superpowers at the time-the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Historian Walter Lippman, his friend used it in the New York herald Tribune-which marked it’s introduction in popular media. This mutual antagonism between the two nations manifested itself, not in all-out war but in attacks thro ugh economic sanctions, proxy wars, the building of alliances propaganda warfare, enmeshed in an overarching principle of non-cooperation.In this context, before delving into the causes, which this essay seeks to do, it is imperative to note that the fact that the two superpowers fought on the same side during World War II was nothing but a ‘marriage of convenience,’ where they were united against the common enemy rather than on grounds of a common cause. The suspicions, ensuing due to the differences in ideology and motives on the global scale had not been occluded by any means, merely erased for the time being. ‘THE BREAKDOWN OF ‘THE MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE’To fully understand the origins of the Cold War and the breakdown in relations,it is necessary for us to consider the Yalta, Potsdam and Tehran conferences that occurred towards the dying stages of the Second World War. The Tehran Conference held in 1943 was attended by Roosevelt, Churchill and S talin and even though, the leaders went to Tehran with different goals in mind, the quintessential objective, which was to open a second front against Germany, was achieved. The ‘big three’ met again in Yalta in February, 1945.Relations again seemed cordial and the three leaders agreed on various key points, such as the formation of the United Nations, punishment of the Nazi war criminals, the division of Germany and Berlin into four zones, the holding of free elections in Eastern Europe. Yet, there were perilous signs foreshadowing the origin of the Cold War as the three disagreed about what was to be done about Poland. Stalin’s demand that the Soviet Union should be given all land east of the Oder-Neisse Line was not taken too favorably by the other two leaders.When they met at Potsdam again in July 1945, relations were not so amicable. Various changes had taken place in the international stage since Yalta. Firstly, the Soviet Union’s Red Army had taken control of the Baltic States under the pretext of liberating them. Secondly, both the United States and Great Britain had different leaders representing them. Attlee replaced Churchill and Truman replaced Roosevelt. Both the new leaders were far more suspicious of Stalin and his ‘red agenda’ than their predecessors had been. Fourthly, the Americans had already tested an atom bomb on July 16, 1945.While Stalin was informed of this development at the conference, the motive behind the Manhatten Project was a manifestation of the suspicion the leaders harbored towards the Communist as they wanted to ensure that Japan was invaded by them and not the Soviet Union. Truman also disagreed with Stalin’s request for a ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ and kept on pressing for free elections in the liberated states of Eastern Europe, which Stalin objected to on grounds of Soviet security. The expansion of the USSR east of the Oder-Neisse line in Poland remained a top ic of dispute.The setting up of a government in Poland that recognized all three powers, termed as a ‘Provisional Government of National Unity’ (also known as the Lublin Poles), which effectively rendered the Polish government in exile a thing of the past was another source of conflict. WHO WAS TO BLAME FOR THE COLD WAR? : USA, USSR OR SIMPLE IDEOLOGY? Now, we come to the three schools of thought on the origins of the Cold War. The traditionalists, led by the eminent historian George Kennan believe that the Stalin and USSR were to blame, owing to their agenda, which involved expanding Communism and establishing control over all the Eastern-European tates. In the 1960s and 1970s, Russian historians, who propounded the revisionist view believed that the United States were to blame for the war as the leaders had become paranoid about Communist aggression, whereas Stalin’s motives were purely defensive and the establishment of his ‘sphere of influence’ i n Eastern Europe was justified on grounds that USSR had suffered grave economic losses during the war and it seemed prudent to ensure that neighboring states weren’t hostile.This view became more popular during the 1960s and 1970s as the inherent paranoia regarding both the external and internal Communist Threat, better known as ‘The Red Scare,’ propounded by the Senator Joseph McCarthysubsided in the United States and people become exceptionally critical of American foreign policywith the emergence of the Vietnam War. The third view, which is accepted by most historians across the globe, including this author is the post-revisionist view, which says that it would be unfair to blame the origin of the Cold War on any of the sides without placing equal blame on the other.Furthermore, to fully understand, the causes behind the Cold War, we need to consider a multitude of factors. Firstly, the World War II had a detrimental impact on the economies of both Britain and France and neither of them were the superpowers they had once been. Thus, the USA and the USSR were now the remaining superpowers, two superpowers, which had starkly different and almost contradictory ideologies on government and economics. The Soviet system of government was a Communist one based on the Marxist principles of equality and the welfare state, which involved central planning at the expense of individual freedom.On the other hand, the United States was a capitalist democracy, which espouses the ownership of private wealth, embedded in the pursuit of profits, at the expense of economic disparity. This also led to a breakdown in communication. Every act was construed by the other superpower to be a propaganda move to thwart the other. The Truman Doctrine, which vowed to provide military aid to European states from internal or external aggression and the Marshall Plan, largely responsible for the economic rebuilding of Europe were interpreted, perhaps rightly, by the Sovi et Union as means of spreading USA’s capitalist agenda.Stalin responded to the ‘capitalist expansionist’ agenda of the Marshall Plan by setting up the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) to economically aid the members of the Eastern Block. ‘ACTION AND REACTION:COLD WAR CONFLICTS FROM 1945-1960 Each superpower wanted to spread their specific ideology and contain the other’s, which resulted in a number of propaganda measures, alliancesand proxy wars. The first major cold war conflict was the Berlin blockade and airlift of 1948-49.Stalin cut of all transport links to West Berlin, which was under Allied Control, thus cutting of all food supplies to the city. Truman ordered an airlift with food supplies through B-52 bombers, thus ensuring that the population and autonomy of the zone were kept alive. In 1949, Stalin called of the blockade. The ‘iron curtain’-which was a symbol of both ideological and physical division between Eas tern and Western Europe became permanent and the arms race started to pick up pace.The western nations were convinced of what a potential threat the Soviets could be, which prompted the USA to supplement its military deployment with political affiliations by signing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April, 1949, emphasizing the principle of collective self-defense. This, along with the rearmament of The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany, which was in the Allied Zone) was met with the creation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955. The Soviets also set up a Communist Information Bureau (Cominform), which served as a forum that gathered all communist Eastern Bloc nations.Throughout the 1950s, both countries continued to build up their military arsenal- of both conventional and nuclear weapons. This form of action and reaction due to high levels of suspicion and hostility towards the other played a key role in laying the foundations of the Cold War that ensued. The final Cold War Conflict of the 1950s which laid down the foundation for the tension that would exist in a divided Europe for the next forty years was the Berlin Crisis, which ensued from 1958-61.In 1961, The Soviet Union constructed a wall between east and West Germany in the heart of Berlin. Khrushchev claimed that it was an attempt to curb the expansion of western influence of fascist attempting to influence the mindset of the people of East Germany through brainwashing and coercion. However, most historians believe that it was simply an attempt to curb the exodus of many immigrants (a number that has been pegged at 3. 5 million before the construction of The Wall) to West Germany, which was doing much better economically.Throughout the Cold War, the war was a physical representation of the divide across the iron curtain and an emblem of the conflicts that it represented. CONCLUSION: THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WORLD ORDER The years 1945-1960 laid down the foundations for the period of international and diplomatic tensions that would ensue between the two superpowers. While, all-out- war- never broke out, the two countries’ policies of containment and brinksmanship brought them close to it on many occasions, such as during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.Of course, the Cuban Missile crisis also helped in improving communication ties and kickstarted the process of arms limitation by the setting up of measures such as the Partial test ban treaty in 1963 and the Moscow-Washington ‘hotline. ’ The period 1969-79 saw a thaw in relations between the two superpowers- a period known as ‘detente’, which ended with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The end of the Cold War, which was marked by the fall of the berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a ‘new world’ order.In this new era, there has generally been a decrease in inter-state conflicts but other threats to intern ational piece such as conflicts of ethnicity, religion, militancy and terrorism are still rampant. Communal tensions in regions such as Sudan, Somalia and the Congo are latest epitomes of this form of conflict and to truly establish a framework of international piece it will be imperative for national governments, in conjunction with the United Nations to make addressing such issues a priority. BIBLIOGRAPHY Arthur Bliss Lane. I saw Poland betrayed: An American Ambassador Reports to the American People.Indianapolis: TheBobbs-Merrill Company, 1948. pp. 5. Church, George,†Freedom! The Berlin Wall,†Time. Available at: (Accessed 29th September,2012. ) Cleary,Helen and Edwards,Phil (2005),†Fact File:Potsdam Conference. † BBC Archives. Availableat: (Accessed 28th September 2012. ) Czechoslovakia: A Country Study†, Glenn E. Curtis, ed. (Washington, D. C. : Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1992. )Church, George,†Freedom! The Berlin Wal l,†Time. Available at: (Accessed 29th September,2012. ) Glass,Andrew (2010)â€Å"Bernard baruch coins the term Cold War. †Politico. Available at: < http://www. politico. com/news/stories/0410/35862. html > ( Accessed 26th September, 2010. ) Fried, Albert (1997). McCarthyism, The Great American Red Scare: A Documentary History. Oxford University Press. pp:10. Lowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 130. Scott,Lenn(2001)International history 1900-90. n Baylis, Jon and Smith, Steve (2001),The globalization of world politics:An introduction to international relations. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. London. pp:55-63. Yilmaz,Muzaffer (2008),†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢The New World Order’:An outline of the Post Cold-War Era,†Turkish Journal of International Relations. v. 7(4) Available at: http://www. alternativesjournal. net/volume7/Number4/myilmaz. pdf (Accessed 1st October,2012. ) ———â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 2 ]. Glass,Andrew (2010)â€Å"Bernard baruch coins the term Cold War. †Politico( Accessed 26th September, 2010. [ 3 ]. Ibid [ 4 ]. Lowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4thed.Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 122. [ 5 ]. Churchill, Winston Spencer (1951). The Second World War: Closing the Ring. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. pp. 642. [ 6 ]. Lowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 123. [ 7 ]. Ibid [ 8 ]. The elections were held during the Conference and Churchill was replaced midway through the Conference. SeeLowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 122. [ 9 ]. Cleary,Helen and Edwards,Phil (2005),†Fact File:Potsdam Conference. † BBC Archives (Accessed 28th September 2012) [ 10 ].Arthur Bliss Lane. I saw Poland betrayed: An America n Ambassador Reports to the American People. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1948. [ 11 ]. Supra note 5 [ 12 ]. ibid [ 13 ]. Fried, Albert (1997). McCarthyism, The Great American Red Scare: A Documentary History. Oxford University Press. [ 14 ]. Supra note 5 [ 15 ]. Scott,Lenn(2001)International history 1900-90. in Baylis, Jon and Smith, Steve (2001),The globalization of world politics:An introduction to international relations. 2nded. Oxford University Press. London. pp:55-63. [ 16 ]. â€Å" Czechoslovakia: A Country Study†, Glenn E. Curtis, ed. (Washington, D.C. : Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1992. ) [ 17 ]. Lowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 130. [ 18 ]. Supra note 14 [ 19 ]. Lowe,Norman (2005)Mastering Modern World History. 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers. London. pp. 130. [ 20 ]. Church, George,†Freedom! The Berlin Wall,†Time (Accessed 29th September 2012 ) [ 21 ]. Supra note 14 [ 22 ]. ibid [ 23 ]. Yilmaz,Muzaffer (2008),†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢The New World Order’:An outline of the Post Cold-War Era,†Turkish Journal of International Relations. v. 7(4) (Accessed 1st October,2012)

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 12 Aerie

ROBOT-†¦ A term used in the ancient legends of several worlds for what are more usually called â€Å"automata.† Robots are described as generally human in shape and made of metal, although some are supposed to have been pseudo-organic in nature. Hari Seldon, in the course of The Flight, is popularly supposed to have seen an actual robot, but that story is of dubious origin. Nowhere in Seldon's voluminous writings does he mention robots at all, although†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 56. They were not noticed. Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili repeated the trip of the day before and this time no one gave them a second look. Hardly anyone even gave them a first look. On several occasions, they had to tuck their knees to one side to allow someone sitting on an inner seat to get past them and out. When someone got in, they quickly realized they had to move over if there was an inner empty seat. This time they quickly grew tired of the smell of kirtles that were not freshly laundered because they were not so easily diverted by what went on outside. But eventually they were there. â€Å"That's the library,† said Seldon in a low voice. â€Å"I suppose so,† said Dors. â€Å"At least that's the building that Mycelium Seventy-Two pointed out yesterday.† They sauntered toward it leisurely. â€Å"Take a deep breath,† said Seldon. â€Å"This is the first hurdle.† The door ahead was open, the light within subdued. There were five broad stone steps leading upward. They stepped onto the lowermost one and waited several moments before they realized that their weight did not cause the steps to move upward. Dors grimaced very slightly and gestured Seldon upward. Together they walked up the stairs, feeling embarrassed on behalf of Mycogen for its backwardness. Then, through a door, where, at a desk immediately inside was a man bent over the simplest and clumsiest computer Seldon had ever seen. The man did not look up at them. No need, Seldon supposed. White kirtle, bald head-all Mycogenians looked so nearly the same that one's eyes slid off them and that was to the tribespeople's advantage at the moment. The man, who still seemed to be studying something on the desk, said, â€Å"Scholars?† â€Å"Scholars,† said Seldon. The man jerked his head toward a door. â€Å"Go in. Enjoy.† They moved inward and, as nearly as they could see, they were the only ones in this section of the library. Either the library was not a popular resort or the scholars were few or-most likely-both. Seldon whispered, â€Å"I thought surely we would have to present some sort of license or permission form and I would have to plead having forgotten it.† â€Å"He probably welcomes our presence under any terms. Did you ever see a place like this? If a place, like a person, could be dead, we would be inside a corpse.† Most of the books in this section were print-books like the Book in Seldon's inner pocket. Dors drifted along the shelves, studying them. She said, â€Å"Old books, for the most part. Part classic. Part worthless.† â€Å"Outside books? Non-Mycogen, I mean?† â€Å"Oh yes. If they have their own books, they must be kept in another section. This one is for outside research for poor little self-styled scholars like yesterday's.-This is the reference department and here's an Imperial Encyclopedia†¦ must be fifty years old if a day†¦ and a computer.† She reached for the keys and Seldon stopped her. â€Å"Wait. Something could go wrong and we'll be delayed.† He pointed to a discreet sign above a free-standing set of shelves that glowed with the letters TO THE SACR TORIUM. The second A in SACRATORIUM was dead, possibly recently or possibly because no one cared. (The Empire, thought Seldon, was in decay. All parts of it. Mycogen too.) He looked about. The poor library, so necessary to Mycogenian pride, perhaps so useful to the Elders who could use it to find crumbs to shore up their own beliefs and present them as being those of sophisticated tribespeople, seemed to be completely empty. No one had entered after them. Seldon said, â€Å"Let's step in here, out of eyeshot of the man at the door, and put on our sashes.† And then, at the door, aware suddenly there would be no turning back if they passed this second hurdle, he said, â€Å"Dors, don't come in with me.† She frowned. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"It's not safe and I don't want you to be at risk.† â€Å"I am here to protect you,† she said with soft firmness. â€Å"What kind of protection can you be? I can protect myself, though you may not think it. And I'd be handicapped by having to protect you. Don't you see that?† â€Å"You mustn't be concerned about me, Hari,† said Dors. â€Å"Concern is my part.† She tapped her sash where it crossed in the space between her obscured breasts. â€Å"Because Hummin asked you to?† â€Å"Because those are my orders.† She seized Seldon's arms just above his elbow and, as always, he was surprised by her firm grip. She said, â€Å"I'm against this, Hari, but if you feel you must go in, then I must go in too.† â€Å"All right, then. But if anything happens and you can wriggle out of it, run. Don't worry about me.† â€Å"You're wasting your breath, Hari. And you're insulting me.† Seldon touched the entrance panel and the portal slid open. Together, almost in unison, they walked through. 57. A large room, all the larger because it was empty of anything resembling furniture. No chairs, no benches, no seats of any kind. No stage, no drapery, no decorations. No lights, merely a uniform illumination of mild, unfocused light. The walls were not entirely blank. Periodically, arranged in spaced fashion at various heights and in no easy repetitive order, there were small, primitive, two-dimensional television screens, all of which were operating. From where Dors and Seldon stood, there was not even the illusion of a third dimension, not a breath of true holovision. There were people present. Not many and nowhere together. They stood singly and, like the television monitors, in no easy repetitive order. All were white-kirtled, all sashed. For the most part, there was silence. No one talked in the usual sense. Some moved their lips, murmuring softly. Those who walked did so stealthily, eyes downcast. The atmosphere was absolutely funereal. Seldon leaned toward Dors, who instantly put a finger to her lips, then pointed to one of the television monitors. The screen showed an idyllic garden bursting with blooms, the camera panning over it slowly. They walked toward the monitor in a fashion that imitated the others-slow steps, putting each foot down softly. When they were within half a meter of the screen, a soft insinuating voice made itself heard: â€Å"The garden of Antennin, as reproduced from ancient guidebooks and photographs, located in the outskirts of Eos. Note the-â€Å" Dors said in a whisper Seldon had trouble catching over the sound of the set, â€Å"It turns on when someone is close and it will turn off if we step away. If we're close enough, we can talk under cover, but don't look at me and stop speaking if anyone approaches.† Seldon, his head bent, his hands clasped before him (he had noted that this was a preferred posture), said, â€Å"Any moment I expect someone to start wailing.† â€Å"Someone might. They're mourning their Lost World,† said Dors. â€Å"I hope they change the films every once in a while. It would be deadly to always see the same ones.† â€Å"They're all different,† said Dors, her eyes sliding this way and that. â€Å"They may change periodically. I don't know.† â€Å"Wait!† said Seldon just a hair's breadth too loud. He lowered his voice and said, â€Å"Come this way.† Dors frowned, failing to make out the words, but Seldon gestured slightly with his head. Again the stealthy walk, but Seldon's footsteps increased in length as he felt the need for greater speed and Dors, catching up, pulled sharply-if very briefly-at his kirtle. He slowed. â€Å"Robots here,† he said under the cover of the sound as it came on. The picture showed the corner of a dwelling place with a rolling lawn and a line of hedges in the foreground and three of what could only be described as robots. They were metallic, apparently, and vaguely human in shape. The recording said, â€Å"This is a view, recently constructed, of the establishment of the famous Wendome estate of the third century. The robot you see near the center was, according to tradition, named Bendar and served twenty-two years, according to the ancient records, before being replaced.† Dors said, † ‘Recently constructed,' so they must change views.† â€Å"Unless they've been saying ‘recently constructed' for the last thousand years.† Another Mycogenian stepped into the sound pattern of the scene and said in a low voice, though not as low as the whisperings of Seldon and Dors, â€Å"Greetings, Brothers.† He did not look at Seldon and Dors as he spoke and after one involuntary and startled glance, Seldon kept his head averted. Dors had ignored it all. Seldon hesitated. Mycelium Seventy-Two had said that there was no talking in the Sacratorium. Perhaps he had exaggerated. Then too he had not been in the Sacratorium since he was a child. Desperately, Seldon decided he must speak. He said in a whisper, â€Å"And to you, Brother, greetings.† He had no idea whether that was the correct formula of reply or if there was a formula, but the Mycogenian seemed to find nothing amiss in it. â€Å"To you in Aurora,† he said. â€Å"And to you,† said Seldon and because it seemed to him that the other expected more, he added, â€Å"in Aurora,† and there was an impalpable release of tension. Seldon felt his forehead growing moist. The Mycogenian said, â€Å"Beautiful! I haven't seen this before.† â€Å"Skillfully done,† said Seldon. Then, in a burst of daring, he added, â€Å"A loss never to be forgotten.† The other seemed startled, then said, â€Å"Indeed, indeed,† and moved away. Dors hissed, â€Å"Take no chances. Don't say what you don't have to.† â€Å"It seemed natural. Anyway, this it recent. But those are disappointing robots. They are what I would expect automata to be. I want to see the organic ones-the humanoids.† â€Å"If they existed,† said Dors with some hesitation, â€Å"it seems to me they wouldn't be used for gardening jobs.† â€Å"True,† said Seldon. â€Å"We must find the Elders' aerie.† â€Å"If that exists. It seems to me there is nothing in this hollow cave but a hollow cave.† â€Å"Let's look.† They paced along the wall, passing from screen to screen, trying to wait at each for irregular intervals until Dors clutched Seldon's arms. Between two screens were lines marking out a faint rectangle. â€Å"A door,† Dors said. Then she weakened the assertion by adding, â€Å"Do you think?† Seldon looked about surreptitiously. It was in the highest degree convenient that, in keeping with the mourning atmosphere, every face, when not fixed on a television monitor, was bent in sad concentration on the floor. Seldon said, â€Å"How do you suppose it would open?† â€Å"An entrance patch.† â€Å"I can't make out any.† â€Å"It's just not marked out, but there's a slight discoloration there. Do you see it? How many palms? How many times?† â€Å"I'll try. Keep an eye out and kick me if anyone looks in this direction.† He held his breath casually, touched the discolored spot to no avail, and then placed his palm full upon it and pressed. The door opened silently-not a creak, not a scrape. Seldon stepped through as rapidly as he could and Dors followed him. The door closed behind them. â€Å"The question is,† said Dors, â€Å"did anyone see us?† Seldon said, â€Å"Elders must go through this door frequently.† â€Å"Yes, but will anyone think we are Elders?† Seldon waited, then said, â€Å"If we were observed and if anyone thought something was wrong, this door would have been flung open again within fifteen seconds of our entering.† â€Å"Possibly,† said Dors dryly, â€Å"or possibly there is nothing to be seen or done on this side of the door and no one cares if we enter.† â€Å"That remains to be seen,† muttered Seldon. The rather narrow room they had entered was somewhat dark, but as they stepped farther into it, the light brightened. There were chairs, wide and comfortable, small tables, several davenports, a deep and tall refrigerator, cupboards. â€Å"If this is the Elders' aerie,† said Seldon, â€Å"the Elders seem to do themselves comfortably, despite the austerity of the Sacratorium itself.† â€Å"As would be expected,† said Dors. â€Å"Asceticism among a ruling class-except for public show-is very rare. Put that down in your notebook for psychohistorical aphorisms.† She looked about. â€Å"And there is no robot.† Seldon said, â€Å"An aerie is a high position, remember, and this ceiling is not. There must be upper storeys and that must be the way.† He pointed to a well-carpeted stairway. He did not advance toward it, however, but looked about vaguely. Dors guessed what he was seeking. She said, â€Å"Forget about elevators. There's a cult of primitivism in Mycogen. Surely, you haven't forgotten that, have you? There would be no elevators and, what's more, if we place our weight at the foot of the stairs, I am quite certain it will not begin moving upward. We're going to have to climb it. Several flights, perhaps.† â€Å"Climb it?† â€Å"It must, in the nature of things, lead to the aerie-if it leads anywhere. Do you want to see the aerie or don't you?† Together they stepped toward the staircase and began the climb. They went up three flights and, as they did, the light level decreased perceptibly and in steady increments. Seldon took a deep breath and whispered, â€Å"I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, but I hate this.† â€Å"You're not used to this precise type of physical exertion.† She showed no signs of physical distress whatever. At the top of the third flight the stairs ended and before them was another door. â€Å"And if it's locked?† said Seldon, more to himself than to Dors. â€Å"Do we try to break it down?† But Dors said, â€Å"Why should it be locked when the lower door was not? If this is the Elders' aerie, I imagine there's a taboo on anyone but Elders coming here and a taboo is much stronger than any lock.† â€Å"As far as those who accept the taboo are concerned,† said Seldon, but he made no move toward the door. â€Å"There's still time to turn back, since you hesitate,† said Dors. â€Å"In fact, I would advise you to rum back.† â€Å"I only hesitate because I don't know what we'll find inside. If it's empty-† And then he added in a rather louder voice, â€Å"Then it's empty,† and he strode forward and pushed against the entry panel. The door retracted with silent speed and Seldon took a step back at the surprising flood of light from within. And there, facing him, eyes alive with light, arms half-upraised, one foot slightly advanced before the other, gleaming with a faintly yellow metallic shine, was a human figure. For a few moments, it seemed to be wearing a tight-fitting tunic, but on closer inspection it became apparent that the tunic was part of the structure of the object. â€Å"It's the robot,† said Seldon in awe, â€Å"but it's metallic.† â€Å"Worse than that,† said Dors, who had stepped quickly to one side and then to the other. â€Å"Its eyes don't follow me. Its arms don't as much as tremble. It's not alive-if one can speak of robots as being alive.† And a man-unmistakably a man-stepped out from behind the robot and said, â€Å"Perhaps not. But I am alive.† And almost automatically, Dors stepped forward and took her place between Seldon and the man who had suddenly appeared. 58. Seldon pushed Dors to one side, perhaps a shade more roughly than he intended. â€Å"I don't need protection. This is our old friend Sunmaster Fourteen.† The man who faced them, wearing a double sash that was perhaps his right as High Elder, said, â€Å"And you are Tribesman Seldon.† â€Å"Of course,† said Seldon. â€Å"And this, despite her masculine dress, is Tribeswoman Venabili.† Dors said nothing. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"You are right, of course, tribesman. You are in no danger of physical harm from me. Please sit down. Both of you. Since you are not a Sister, tribeswoman, you need not retire. There is a seat for you which, if you value such a distinction, you will be the first woman ever to have used.† â€Å"I do not value such a distinction,† said Dors, spacing her words for emphasis. Sunmaster Fourteen nodded. â€Å"That is as you wish. I too will sit down, for I must ask you questions and I do not care to do it standing.† They were sitting now in a corner of the room. Seldon's eyes wandered to the metal robot. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"It is a robot.† â€Å"I know,† said Seldon briefly. â€Å"I know you do,† said Sunmaster Fourteen with similar curtness. â€Å"But now that we have settled that matter, why are you here?† Seldon gazed steadily at Sunmaster Fourteen and said, â€Å"To see the robot.† â€Å"Do you know that no one but an Elder is allowed in the aerie?† â€Å"I did not know that, but I suspected it.† â€Å"Do you know that no tribesperson is allowed in the Sacratorium?† â€Å"I was told that.† â€Å"And you ignored the fact, is that it?† â€Å"As I said, we wanted to see the robot.† â€Å"Do you know that no woman, even a Sister, is allowed in the Sacratorium except at certain stated-and rare-occasions?† â€Å"I was told that.† â€Å"And do you know that no woman is at any time-or for any reason-allowed to dress in masculine garb? That holds, within the borders of Mycogen, for tribeswomen as well as for Sisters.† â€Å"I was not told that, but I am not surprised.† â€Å"Good. I want you to understand all this. Now, why did you want to see the robot?† Seldon said with a shrug, â€Å"Curiosity. I had never seen a robot or even known that such a thing existed.† â€Å"And how did you come to know that it did exist and, specifically, that it existed here?† Seldon was silent, then said, â€Å"I do not wish to answer that question.† â€Å"Is that why you were brought to Mycogen by Tribesman Hummin? To investigate robots?† â€Å"No. Tribesman Hummin brought us here that we might be secure. However, we are scholars, Dr. Venabili and I. Knowledge is our province and to gain knowledge is our purpose. Mycogen is little understood outside its borders and we wish to know more about your ways and your methods of thought. It is a natural desire and, it seems to us, a harmless-even praiseworthy-one.† â€Å"Ah, but we do not wish the outer tribes and worlds to know about us. That is our natural desire and we are the judge of what is harmless to us and what harmful. So I ask you again, tribesman: How did you know that a robot existed in Mycogen and that it existed in this room?† â€Å"General rumor,† said Seldon at length. â€Å"Do you insist on that?† â€Å"General rumor. I insist on it.† Sunmaster Fourteen's keen blue eyes seemed to sharpen and he said without raising his voice, â€Å"Tribesman Seldon, we have long cooperated with Tribesman Hummin. For a tribesman, he has seemed a decent and trustworthy individual. For a tribesman! When he brought you two to us and commended you to our protection, we granted it. But Tribesman Hummin, whatever his virtues, is still a tribesman and we had misgivings. We were not at all sure what your-or his-real purpose might be.† â€Å"Our purpose was knowledge,† said Seldon. â€Å"Academic knowledge. Tribeswoman Venabili is a historian and I too have an interest in history. Why should we not be interested in Mycogenian history?† â€Å"For one thing, because we do not wish you to be.-In any case, two of our trusted Sisters were sent to you. They were to cooperate with you, try to find out what it was you wanted, and-what is the expression you tribesmen use?-play along with you. Yet not in such a way that you would be too aware as to what was happening.† Sunmaster Fourteen smiled, but it was a grim smile. â€Å"Raindrop Forty-Five,† Sunmaster Fourteen went on, â€Å"went shopping with Tribeswoman Venabili, but there seemed nothing out of the way in what happened on those trips. Naturally, we had a full report. Raindrop Forty-Three showed you, Tribesman Seldon, our microfarms. You might have been suspicious of her willingness to accompany you alone, something that is utterly out of the question for us, but you reasoned that what applied to Brothers did not apply to tribesmen and you flattered yourself that that flimsy bit of reasoning won her over. She complied with your desire, though at considerable cost to her peace of mind. And, eventually, you asked for the Book. To have handed it over too easily might have roused your suspicion, so she pretended to a perverse desire only you could satisfy. Her self-sacrifice will not be forgotten.-I take it, tribesman, you still have the Book and I suspect you have it with you now. May I have it?† Seldon sat in bitter silence. Sunmaster Fourteen's wrinkled hand remained obtrusively outstretched and he said, â€Å"How much better it would be than to wrest it from you by force.† And Seldon handed it over. Sunmaster Fourteen leafed through its pages briefly, as though to reassure himself it was unharmed. He said with a small sigh, â€Å"It will have to be carefully destroyed in the approved manner. Sad.-But once you had this Book, we were, of course, not surprised when you made your way out to the Sacratorium. You were watched at all times, for you cannot think that any Brother or Sister, not totally absorbed, would not recognize you for tribespeople at a glance. We know a skincap when we see one and there are less than seventy of them in Mycogen†¦ almost all belonging to tribesmen on official business who remain entirely in secular governmental buildings during the time they are here. So you were not only seen but unmistakably identified, over and over. â€Å"The elderly Brother who met you was careful to tell you about the library as well as about the Sacratorium, but he was also careful to tell you what you were forbidden to do, for we did not wish to entrap you. Skystrip Two also warned you†¦ and quite forcibly. Nevertheless, you did not turn away. â€Å"The shop at which you bought the white kirtle and the two sashes informed us at once and from that we knew well what you intended. The library was kept empty, the librarian was warned to keep his eyes to himself, the Sacratorium was kept under-utilized. The one Brother who inadvertently spoke to you almost gave it away, but hastened off when he realized with whom he was dealing. And then you came up here. â€Å"You see, then, that it was your intention to come up here and that we in no way lured you here. You came as a result of your own action, your own desire, and what I want to ask you-yet once again-is: Why?† It was Dors who answered this time, her voice firm, her eyes hard. â€Å"We will tell you yet once again, Mycogenian. We are scholars, who consider knowledge sacred and it is only knowledge that we seek. You did not lure us here, but you did not stop us either, as you might have done before ever we approached this building. You smoothed our way and made it easy for us and even that might be considered a lure. And what harm have we done? We have in no way disturbed the building, or this room, or you, or that.† She pointed to the robot. â€Å"It is a dead lump of metal that you hide here and we now know that it is dead and that is all the knowledge we sought. We thought it would be more significant and we are disappointed, but now that we know it is merely what it is, we will leave-and, if you wish, we will leave Mycogen as well.† Sunmaster Fourteen listened with no trace of expression on his face, but when she was done, he addressed Seldon, saying, â€Å"This robot, as you see it, is a symbol, a symbol of all we have lost and of all we no longer have, of all that, through thousands of years, we have not forgotten and what we intend someday to return to. Because it is all that remains to us that is both material and authentic, it is dear to us-yet to your woman it is only ‘a dead lump of metal.' Do you associate yourself with that judgment, Tribesman Seldon?† Seldon said, â€Å"We are members of societies that do not tie ourselves to a past that is thousands of years old, making no contact at all with what has existed between that past and ourselves. We live in the present, which we recognize as the product of all the past and not of one long-gone moment of time that we hug to our chests. We realize, intellectually, what the robot may mean to you and we are willing to let it continue to mean that to you. But we can only see it with our own eyes, as you can only see it with yours. To us, it is a dead lump of metal.† â€Å"And now,† said Dors, â€Å"we will leave.† â€Å"You will not,† said Sunmaster Fourteen. â€Å"By coming here, you have committed a crime. It is a crime only in our eyes, as you will hasten to point out†-his lips curved in a wintry smile-â€Å"but this is our territory and, within it, we make the definitions. And this crime, as we define it, is punishable by death.† â€Å"And you are going to shoot us down?† said Dors haughtily. Sunmaster Fourteen's expression was one of contempt and he continued to speak only to Seldon. â€Å"What do you think we are, Tribesman Seldon? Our culture is as old as yours, as complex, as civilized, as humane. I am not armed. You will be tried and, since you are manifestly guilty, executed according to law, quickly and painlessly. â€Å"If you were to try to leave now, I would not stop you, but there are many Brothers below, many more than there appeared to be when you entered the Sacratorium and, in their rage at your action, they may lay rough and forceful hands on you. It has happened in our history that tribespeople have even died so and it is not a pleasant death-certainly not a painless one.† â€Å"We were warned of this,† said Dors, â€Å"by Skystrip Two. So much for your complex, civilized, and humane culture.† â€Å"People can be moved to violence at moments of emotion, Tribesman Seldon,† said Sunmaster Fourteen calmly, â€Å"whatever their humanity in moments of calm. This is true in every culture, as your woman, who is said to be a historian, must surely know.† Seldon said, â€Å"Let us remain reasonable, Sunmaster Fourteen. You may be the law in Mycogen over local affairs, but you are not the law over us and you know it. We are both non-Mycogenian citizens of the Empire and it is the Emperor and his designated legal officers who must remain in charge of any capital offense.† Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"That may be so in statutes and on papers and on holovision screens, but we are not talking theory now. The High Elder has long had the power to punish crimes of sacrilege without interference from the Imperial throne.† â€Å"If the criminals are your own people,† said Seldon. â€Å"It would be quite different if they were outsiders.† â€Å"I doubt it in this case. Tribesman Hummin brought you here as fugitives and we are not so yeast-headed in Mycogen that we don't strongly suspect that you are fugitives from the Emperor's laws. Why should he object if we do his work for him?† â€Å"Because,† said Seldon, â€Å"he would. Even if we were fugitives from the Imperial authorities and even if he wanted us only to punish us, he would still want us. To allow you to kill, by whatever means and for whatever reason, non-Mycogenians without due Imperial process would be to defy his authority and no Emperor could allow such a precedent. No matter how eager he might be to see that the microfood trade not be interrupted, he would still feel it necessary to re-establish the Imperial prerogative. Do you wish, in your eagerness to kill us, to have a division of Imperial soldiery loot your farms and your dwellings, desecrate your Sacratorium, and take liberties with the Sisters: Consider.† Sunmaster Fourteen smiled once again, but displayed no softness. â€Å"Actually, I have considered and there is an alternative. After we condemn you, we could delay your execution to allow you to appeal to the Emperor for a review of your case. The Emperor might be grateful at this evidence of our ready submission to his authority and grateful too to lay his hands on you two-for some reason of his own-and Mycogen might profit. Is that what you want, then? To appeal to the Emperor in due course and to be delivered to him?† Seldon and Dors looked at each other briefly and were silent. Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"I feel you would rather be delivered to the Emperor than die, but why do I get the impression that the preference is only by a slight margin?† â€Å"Actually,† said a new voice, â€Å"I think neither alternative is acceptable and that we must search for a third.† 59. It was Dors who identified the newcomer first, perhaps because it was she who expected him. â€Å"Hummin,† she said, â€Å"thank goodness you found us. I got in touch with you the moment I realized I was not going to deflect Hari from†-she held up her hands in a wide gesture â€Å"this.† Hummin's smile was a small one that did not alter the natural gravity of his face. There was a subtle weariness about him. â€Å"My dear,† he said, â€Å"I was engaged in other things. I cannot always pull away at a moment's notice. And when I got here, I had, like you two, to supply myself with a kirtle and sash, to say nothing of a skincap, and make my way out here. Had I been here earlier, I might have stopped this, but I believe I'm not too late.† Sunmaster Fourteen had recovered from what had seemed to be a painful shock. He said in a voice that lacked its customary severe depth, â€Å"How did you get in here, Tribesman Hummin?† â€Å"It was not easy, High Elder, but as Tribeswoman Venabili likes to say, I am a very persuasive person. Some of the citizens here remember who I was and what I have done for Mycogen in the past, that I am even an honorary Brother. Have you forgotten, Sunmaster Fourteen?† The Elder replied, â€Å"I have not forgotten, but even the most favorable memory can not survive certain actions. A tribesman here and a tribeswoman. There is no greater crime. All you have done is not great enough to balance that. My people are not unmindful. We will make it up to you some other way. But these two must die or be handed over to the Emperor.† â€Å"I am also here,† said Hummin calmly. â€Å"Is that not a crime as well?† â€Å"For you,† said Sunmaster Fourteen, â€Å"for you personally, as a kind of honorary Brother, I can†¦ overlook it†¦ once. Not these two.† â€Å"Because you expect a reward from the Emperor? Some favor? Some concession? Have you already been in touch with him or with his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, more likely?† â€Å"That is not a subject for discussion.† â€Å"Which is itself an admission. Come on, I don't ask what the Emperor promised, but it cannot be much. He does not have much to give in these degenerate days. Let me make you an offer. Have these two told you they are scholars?† â€Å"They have.† â€Å"And they are. They are not lying. The tribeswoman is a historian and the tribesman is a mathematician. The two together are trying to combine their talents to make a mathematics of history and they call the combined subject ‘psychohistory.' â€Å" Sunmaster Fourteen said, â€Å"I know nothing about this psychohistory, nor do I care to know. Neither it nor any other facet of your tribal learning interests me.† â€Å"Nevertheless,† said Hummin, â€Å"I suggest that you listen to me.† It took Hummin some fifteen minutes, speaking concisely, to describe the possibility of organizing the natural laws of society (something he always mentioned with audible quotation marks in the tone of his voice) in such a way as to make it possible to anticipate the future with a substantial degree of probability. And when he was done, Sunmaster Fourteen, who had listened expressionlessly, said, â€Å"A highly unlikely piece of speculation, I should say.† Seldon, with a rueful expression, seemed about to speak, undoubtedly to agree, but Hummin's hand, resting lightly on the other's knee, tightened unmistakably. Hummin said, â€Å"Possibly, High Elder, but the Emperor doesn't think so. And by the Emperor, who is himself an amiable enough personage, I really mean Demerzel, concerning whose ambitions you need no instruction. They would like very much to have these two scholars, which is why I've brought them here for safekeeping. I had little expectation that you would do Demerzel's work for him by delivering the scholars to him.† â€Å"They have committed a crime that-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, we know, High Elder, but it is only a crime because you choose to call it so. No real harm has been done.† â€Å"It has been done to our belief, to our deepest felt-â€Å" â€Å"But imagine what harm will be done if psychohistory falls into the hands of Demerzel. Yes, I grant that nothing may come of it, but suppose for a moment that something does and that the Imperial government has the use of it-can foretell what is to come-can take measures with that foreknowledge which no one else would have-can take measures, in fact, designed to bring about an alternate future more to the Imperial liking.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Is there any doubt, High Elder, that the alternate future more to the Imperial liking would be one of tightened centralization? For centuries now, as you very well know, the Empire has been undergoing a steady decentralization. Many worlds now acknowledge only lip service to the Emperor and virtually rule themselves. Even here on Trantor, there is decentralization. Mycogen, as only one example, is free of Imperial interference for the most part. You rule its High Elder and there is no Imperial officer at your side overseeing your actions and decisions. How long do you think that will last with men like Demerzel adjusting the future to their liking?† â€Å"Still the flimsiest of speculation,† said Sunmaster Fourteen, â€Å"but a disturbing one, I admit.† â€Å"On the other hand, if these scholars can complete their task, an unlikely if, you might say, but an if-then they are sure to remember that you spared them when you might have chosen not to. And it would then be conceivable that they would learn to arrange a future, for instance, that would allow Mycogen to be given a world of its own, a world that could be terraformed into a close replica of the Lost World. And even if these two forget your kindness, I will be here to remind them.† â€Å"Well-† said Sunmaster Fourteen. â€Å"Come on,† said Hummin, â€Å"it is not hard to decide what must be going through your mind. Of all tribespeople, you must trust Demerzel the least. And though the chance of psychohistory might be small (if I was not being honest with you, I would not admit that) it is not zero; and if it will bring about a restoration of the Lost World, what can you want more than that? What would you not risk for even a tiny chance of that? Come now-I promise you and my promises are not lightly given. Release these two and choose a tiny chance of your heart's desire over no chance at all.† There was silence and then Sunmaster Fourteen sighed. â€Å"I don't know how it is, Tribesman Hummin, but on every occasion that we meet, you persuade me into something I do not really want to do.† â€Å"Have I ever misled you, High Elder?† â€Å"You have never offered me so small a chance?† â€Å"And so high a possible reward. The one balances the other.† And Sunmaster Fourteen nodded his head. â€Å"You are right. Take these two and take them out of Mycogen and never let me see them again unless there comes a time when-But surely it will not be in my lifetime.† â€Å"Perhaps not, High Elder. But your people have been waiting patiently for nearly twenty thousand years. Would you then object to waiting another-perhaps-two hundred?† â€Å"I would not willingly wait one moment, but my people will wait as long as they must.† And standing up, he said, â€Å"I will clear the path. Take them and go.† 60. They were finally back in a tunnel. Hummin and Seldon had traveled through one when they went from the Imperial Sector to Streeling University in the air-taxi. Now they were in another tunnel, going from Mycogen to†¦ Seldon did not know where. He hesitated to ask. Hummin's face seemed as if it was carved out of granite and it didn't welcome conversation. Hummin sat in the front of the four-seater, with no one to his right. Seldon and Dors shared the backseat. Seldon chanced a smile at Dors, who looked glum. â€Å"It's nice to be in real clothes again, isn't it?† â€Å"I will never,† said Dors with enormous sincerity, â€Å"wear or look at anything that resembles a kirtle. And I will never, under any circumstances, wear a skincap. In fact, I'm going to feel odd if I ever see a normally bald man.† And it was Dors who finally asked the question that Seldon had been reluctant to advance. â€Å"Chetter,† she said rather petulantly, â€Å"why won't you tell us where we're going?† Hummin hitched himself into a sideways position and he looked back at Dors and Seldon gravely. â€Å"Somewhere,† he said, â€Å"where it may be difficult for you to get into trouble-although I'm not sure such a place exists.† Dors was at once crestfallen. â€Å"Actually, Chetter, it's my fault. At Streeling, I let Hari go Upperside without accompanying him. In Mycogen, I at least accompanied him, but I suppose I ought not to have let him enter the Sacratorium at all.† â€Å"I was determined,† said Seldon warmly. â€Å"It was in no way Dors's fault.† Hummin made no effort to apportion blame. He simply said, â€Å"I gather you wanted to see the robot. Was there a reason for that? Can you tell me?† Seldon could feel himself redden. â€Å"I was wrong in that respect, Hummin. I did not see what I expected to see or what I hoped to see. If I had known the content of the aerie, I would never have bothered going there. Call it a complete fiasco.† â€Å"But then, Seldon, what was it you hoped to see? Please tell me. Take your time if you wish. This is a long trip and I am willing to listen.† â€Å"The thing is, Hummin, that I had the idea that there were humaniform robots, that they were long-lived, that at least one might still be alive, and that it might be in the aerie. There was a robot there, but it was metallic, it was dead, and it was merely a symbol. Had I but known-â€Å" â€Å"Yes. Did we all but know, there would be no need for questions or for research of any kind. Where did you get your information about humaniform robots? Since no Mycogenian would have discussed that with you, I can think of only one source. The Mycogenian Book-a powered print-book in ancient Auroran and modern Galactic. Am I right?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And how did you get a copy?† Seldon paused, then muttered, â€Å"Its somewhat embarrassing.† â€Å"I am not easily embarrassed, Seldon.† Seldon told him and Hummin allowed a very small smile to twitch across his face. Hummin said, â€Å"Didn't it occur to you that what occurred had to be a charade? No Sister would do a thing like that-except under instruction and with a great deal of persuading.† Seldon frowned and said with asperity, â€Å"That was not at all obvious. People are perverted now and then. And its easy for you to grin. I didn't have the information you had and neither did Dors. If you did not wish me to fall into traps, you might have warned me of those that existed.† â€Å"I agree. I withdraw my remark. In any case, you don't have the Book any longer, I'm sure.† â€Å"No. Sunmaster Fourteen took it from me.† â€Å"How much of it did you read?† â€Å"Only a small fraction. I didn't have time. It's a huge book and I must tell you, Hummin, it is dreadfully dull.† â€Å"Yes, I know that, for I think I have read more of it than you have. It is not only dull, it is totally unreliable. It is a one-sided, official Mycogenian view of history that is more intent on presenting that view than a reasoned objectivity. It is even deliberately unclear in spots so that outsiders-even if they were to read the Book-would never know entirely what they read. What was it, for instance, that you thought you read about robots that interested you?† â€Å"I've already told you. They speak of humaniform robots, robots that could not be distinguished from human beings in outward appearance.† â€Å"How many of these would exist?† asked Hummin. â€Å"They don't say.-At least, I didn't come across a passage in which they gave numbers. There may have been only a handful, but one of them, the Book refers to as ‘Renegade.' It seems to have an unpleasant significance, but I couldn't make out what.† â€Å"You didn't tell me anything about that,† interposed Dors. â€Å"If you had, I would have told you that it's not a proper name. It's another archaic word and it means, roughly, what ‘traitor' would mean in Galactic. The older word has a greater aura of fear about it. A traitor, somehow, sneaks to his treason, but a renegade flaunts it.† Hummin said, â€Å"I'll leave the fine points of archaic language to you, Dors, but, in any case, if the Renegade actually existed and if it was a humaniform robot, then, clearly, as a traitor and enemy, it would not be preserved and venerated in the Elders' aerie.† Seldon said, â€Å"I didn't know the meaning of ‘Renegade,' but, as I said, I did get the impression that it was an enemy. I thought it might have been defeated and preserved as a reminder of the Mycogenian triumph.† â€Å"Was there any indication in the Book that the Renegade was defeated?† â€Å"No, but I might have missed that portion-â€Å" â€Å"Not likely. Any Mycogenian victory would be announced in the Book unmistakably and referred to over and over again.† â€Å"There was another point the Book made about the Renegade,† said Seldon, hesitating, â€Å"but I can't be at all sure I understood it.† Hummin said, â€Å"As I told you†¦ They are deliberately obscure at times.† â€Å"Nevertheless, they seemed to say that the Renegade could somehow tap human emotions†¦ influence them-â€Å" â€Å"Any politician can,† said Hummin with a shrug. â€Å"It's called charisma-when it works.† Seldon sighed. â€Å"Well, I wanted to believe. That was it. I would have given a great deal to find an ancient humaniform robot that was still alive and that I could question.† â€Å"For what purpose?† asked Hummin. â€Å"To learn the details of the primordial Galactic society when it still consisted of only a handful of worlds. From so small a Galaxy psychohistory could be deduced more easily.† Hummin said, â€Å"Are you sure you could trust what you heard? After many thousands of years, would you be willing to rely on the robot's early memories? How much distortion would have entered into them?† â€Å"That's right,† said Dors suddenly. â€Å"It would be like the computerized records I told you of, Hari. Slowly, those robot memories would be discarded, lost, erased, distorted. You can only go back so far and the farther you go back, the less reliable the information becomes-no matter what you do.† Hummin nodded. â€Å"I've heard it referred to as a kind of uncertainty principle in information.† â€Å"But wouldn't it be possible,† said Seldon thoughtfully, â€Å"that some information, for special reasons, would be preserved? Parts of the Mycogenian Book may well refer to events of twenty thousand years ago and yet be very largely as it had been originally. The more valued and the more carefully preserved particular information is, the more long-lasting and accurate it may be.† â€Å"The key word is ‘particular.' What the Book may care to preserve may not be what you wish to have preserved and what a robot may remember best may be what you wish him to remember least.† Seldon said in despair, â€Å"In whatever direction I turn to seek a way of working out psychohistory, matters so arrange themselves as to make it impossible. Why bother trying?† â€Å"It might seem hopeless now,† said Hummin unemotionally, â€Å"but given the necessary genius, a route to psychohistory may be found that none of us would at this moment expect. Give yourself more time.-But we're coming to a rest area. Let us pull off and have dinner.† Over the lamb patties on rather tasteless bread (most unpalatable after the fare at Mycogen), Seldon said, â€Å"You seem to assume, Hummin, that I am the possessor of ‘the necessary genius.' I may not be, you know.† Hummin said, â€Å"That's true. You may not be. However, I know of no alternate candidate for the post, so I must cling to you.† And Seldon sighed and said, â€Å"Well, I'll try, but I'm out of any spark of hope. Possible but not practical, I said to begin with, and I'm more convinced of that now than I ever was before.†