Criminal law 1 A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal law 1 A - Essay Example cessary to show that (a) the accused committed a dangerous act (b) the act was dangerous in that a reasonable person would have recognized the potential for harm inherent in the act (c) the act was the cause of death and (d) the accused intended to commit the act, even if he or she did not intend the consequence of the act.1 Apart from this, Jake will also be liable for manslaughter with subjective recklessness in regard to the risk of death or bodily harm. Applying this to the question of Jake’s liability, his action in spiking Robin’s drink with a drug was a dangerous act, which is also unlawful.2 Applying the standards of a reasonable person, the act of spiking another person’s drink with a drug such as LSD will be deemed to be a dangerous act, because of the recognition that it could cause some kind of physical harm3. He has therefore intended an unlawful act of spiking Robin’s drink which was likely to cause harm, and death resulted which was neither foreseen nor intended.4 The aggravated form of criminal damage with intent to endanger life is set out under Section 1(2) of the Criminal Damage Act of 1971, according to which if the unlawful act actually causes death, the accused will be criminally liable. In the case of R v Dawson5, a petrol station attendant who had a weak heart died of heart failure when the appellant attempted robbery of the station. In arriving at a determination of whether the unlawful act was dangerous enough to so shock the victim that it causes him physical injury, the Court applied a test based on the average sober and reasonable bystander who would know that the use of a gun would terrify people and held the appellant to be guilty of causing death. In the same way, Jake has spiked Robin’s drink with drugs, which an average, reasonable person would realize as one that could potentially have a harmful effect, hence he will be liable. Another aspect that must be considered is whether Jake’s action was the substantial

Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

Hybrid Cars Essay Company: Within the company there are a few areas to look at regarding Toyotas introduction of the Prius. Areas such as financing, research, development, as well as others. When introducing the Prius, Toyota started early with its promotion of the hybrid. Spending US$15 million out of the US$190 million is spent on marketing in the 2002 year. Toyota informed its potential customers threw informative emails, TV commercials, and earth day give a ways. Toyota put a lot into research and development to come up with the hybrid with the advances in technology, such as the engine of the Prius. The engine combines a 1. 5 litre, 4 cylinder gas engine, with a 33-kilowatt electric engine that runs of a nickel-hydride battery. With this new engine and normal highway driving conditions the car is said to get 106 km per gallon. It is also rated one of the greenest vehicles on the market. Since North Americans complain about gas mileage, and want to be environmentally friendly this seems like the way to go. Suppliers: One of Toyotas major costs of manufacturing the Prius would be the nickel-hydride battery that the electric part fo the engine runs off of. This is also one of the main reasons why hybrid cars are so expensive compared to similar gas powered cars of the same size. But if manufacturers of hybrid cars were to see a yield in economies of scale then there would be more reason for producers of the battery to put more time and money into research and development of the battery and thus decrease costs of producing it. this would in term pass savings onto the potential buyers of the hybrid car. Customer Market: when looking for a way to market the Prius to consumers Toyota looked at what consumers wanted in a vehicle. Things like lower gas mileage, lower emmissions, and something that what technologically appealing. so with this in mind Toyota set out to design a car to appeal to all these things. with the combined electric and gas engine the Prius gets better mileage, and one of the greenest vehicles on the market. consumers have also been able to technologically modify there Prius, some have added DVD players and such, or programmed the cars computer to shower videos etc, on the monitors in the car. Competitors: introducing the Prius was the way in which Toyota planned to get an advantage over competitors like the big three auto manufacturers (ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler) none of whom had a hybrid in market when the Prius was released. the big three had plans of releasing hybrid vehicles in 2003, Toyota planned to stay on top of the hybrid market with its early release of a hybrid. Publics: there are a lot of different publics to take in mind. publics such as the media, government, citizen-action, local, general, etc. Toyota used a lot of these when it can to promoting the Prius. they ran articles, in vanity air, and newsweek, as well as running commercials on different television statements such as discovery, the history channel, and the learning network. it ran different taglines, such as A car that sometimes runs on gas power and sometimes runs on electric power, from a company that always runs on brain power. it also used tag lines that drew the customer in to find the meaning in it and also educating the customer on what exactly a hybrid was. Question # 2: Demographic Forces: this is one of the key forces that affect marketing plans it involves the study of people and when they want. Toyota looked at the different things that people wanted in a car. things like low fuel usage, and being environmentally friendly. using the information gathered Toyota came up with the combined engine that runs on gas and electric power to reduce mileage and also make it environmentally friendly. this hybrid would more likely be targeted to generation Y drivers. seeing as they are younger and more into the technological advances in society. it would also be marketed to the generation X drivers for the fact that they are more concerned over the outlook of the environment. Natural Forces: with natural forces marketers would be aware of trends, like the shortage or raw materials trend, the increase of population, and the government. with the government putting more emphasis on being environmentally friendly Toyota seems to have taken this to heart seeing as the Prius is one of the greenest vehicles on the market. also with the population tending to gather around more urban settings it is becoming more essential to have a vehicle with better gas mileage with more people commuting back and forth to work. Technological Forces: with the advances in technology recently people now except more from manufactures. Toyota seeing this used it to its advantage using the combined engine and adding other features as a computer system installed right in the car. it also used the internet as one of the ways it go to potential consumers to educate them on the Prius and what it was all about. which in turned created sales of the hybrid. Political: on problem with the Prius is that its not all that affordable. so makers of hybrid cars have gone to the government to see if there was a way to incorporate a benefit of driving a environmentally friendly car. while the US now offers a tax benefit for driving such a car there has yet to be any incentive in Canada. since there is no documented proof as of yet that driving one of these cars helps the environment they do not see the point in implicating anything yet. Cultural: the cultural force takes into account the values and beliefs of the consumer.like being friendly to the environment. valuing technology, etc. Toyota conformed to these by using the combined engine, not only is it environmentally friendly is also increased gas mileage. it also put a lot of new technologies into the Prius that consumers are finding many ways to use to their advantage. doing things like tweaking the computer system to play videos and mp3s, etc. Question # 3: Value proposition is essentially the full mix of benefits upon which the brand is positioned. Toyota sets the benefits to come from the higher gas mileage, the fact that it lowers emmissionsÃ'Ž

Alzheimers Disease Health Promotion Case Study :: Alzheimers Disease Essays

Introduction This section will discuss the impact of Alzheimer's disease on racial, cultural, and gender variables, with the focus being on the various approaches to care of the disease. Developmental stages and tasks will be discussed for both the client and the caregiver. Gender and Culture Alzheimer's disease and related dementias affect all races, ethnicities and cultures equally. (Anonymous, 1998) Of people over 65 an estimated 6-10% will be affected by some form of dementia. (Hendrie, 1998) It is only in gender where we see slightly more women than men who are affected by this destructive illness. (Lautenschlager et al., 1996) The only controllable risk factor that is known at this point is cigarette smoking. In a large study in Germany smoking cigarettes doubled the risk of dementia in the older population. (Ott et al., 1998) Alzheimer's disease patients can survive for 3-20 or more years. It is not the AD that kills the patient, rather it is diseases of aging and/or inactivity, with pneumonia being the leading cause at 70%. This is followed by heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (Thomas, Starr, & Whalley, 1997) Cultural Differences Race, culture, religion and ethnicity all play a part in how we care for our elderly. Each family makes decisions based on background, experience, expectations, knowledge base, and economics. Most people would like to be able to care for their aging parent or spouse with as little disruption to lifestyle as possible. Alzheimer's Disease, however, is a full time commitment, not just eight hours a day, but "24/7", as the current idiom implies, the patient needs continuous care. Sleep habits are disturbed, wandering is common, medications must be carefully controlled, safety is always important. Home care soon becomes frustrating and exhausting if left to one or two caregivers. When the primary caregiver has his/her own medical needs to see to, is also aged, or is the parent of young children as well, the burden can become overwhelming. In-home care is a possibility as is placement in a live-in facility, but both are expensive alternatives. In California ethnic minorities make up a large part of our population. In the book Culture and Nursing Care: A Pocket Guide, there are characteristics of these groups and generalizations are made about how they care for their elderly. (Lipson, 1996) The following table highlights some of these groups that are represented in the Bay Area. American Indian Status of "elder" begins in middle age.

Last Samurai Review Essay

 « The last samurai  » is a compelling story of warfare, duty, and honour. It opens up in 1876 San Francisco; Tom Cruise plays the role of Nathan Algren, a former Captain whose participation to the military campaigns against the native Indians has left him scared with nightmares and remorse leaving alcohol as his only remedy. After being fired from the Winchester rifle company, he is recruited by Omura (Masato Harada) adviser of a weak-willed emperor, along with his former commanding officer whom he utmostly despises, Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) to train a conscript army to suppress the Samurai rebellion, who seem to threat the â€Å"modernization† of Japan. He once again finds himself having to wipe yet other tribal rebels. Algren is then captured by the forces of the legendary Kasumoto (Ken Watanabe) when he comes to realise he seems to have a spiritual affinity to them, soon adopting the Bushido code (The way of the warrior) and ends up fighting along side with them a gainst his former troupes. As Algren spends his time in captivity, observing the people, watching them devote themselves to what they do, he starts to stop drinking and to shape up, and starts to be in harmony with himself after long years of self-loathing and remorse. He is eventually taught how to wield a sword like a true samurai, along with the Bushido code. Algren receives Yoda-like wisdom from Katsumoto â€Å" may the strength of the samurai be with you always† As time goes by, he starts to learn the Japanese language and is no longer seen as an enemy, when Katsumoto returns Algren’s personal belongings; he says â€Å"When I took these, you were my enemy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Algren is later faced with the difficult choice of going back to America, or staying to fight along side Katsumoto and face an almost certain death which he ends up choosing. He then along side the samurai go off to a last final battle as ‘savages with bows and arrows’ against the new western Japan with new riffl es and notably the Howitzers. This vividly recalls the guerrilla techniques of ‘Braveheart’ The Director Edward Zwick overcomes the problem of the language barrier ingeniously by having Katsumoto be a student of English preventing the movie from always being subtitled. Zick manages in an effective way in bridging the gap between today and the 1870 with great success. Edward Zwick may be one of the most underrated filmmakers within Hollywood. â€Å"The last samurai† is amazing to look at, with astonishingly beautiful landscape and scenery. The battle sequences in particular are very effective well captured, the editor (Steven Rosenblum) does not employ too many cuts making it clear and therefore much stronger. Hans Zimmer (Music composer) does an excellent job with the music enhancing the mood without it becoming too unbearable. If there was something to reproach to â€Å"the last samurai† it would be that the story is not of the most orginal, resembling strongly to Edward Zwicks fromer movie Glory, and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, but â€Å"The last samurai’ is never the less a rousing tale that combines adventure with emotional effectiveness and differentiates itself from other movies with the astonishing good acting of both Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Tom cruise has never shown such emotional depth, he is so fercociously present as a character. Every emotion, even every thought can be read across his face. He truly gives life to Algren, he truly looks genuinely stricken by his past, haunted even. Although Tom Cruise is â€Å"The Last Samurai† undeniable star and main character, Ken Watanabe’s performance is even more memorable, persuasive, and above all breathtaking. Watanabe channels Mifune so forcefully that’s its hard, even impossible seeing anyone else then him to do a better job as Katsumoto. He brings out everything we could expect from a great leader: strength, courage, patience, the ability to dominate a fight, and most importantly, honour. Watanabe’s work dominates and outstands Cruise’s. The beautiful, graceful and discreet Taka (played by Koyoki) plays the husband of one if the man Cruise kills and eventually have the love of Cruise and vice versa. The strong Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a fierce warrior who objects to Katsumoto’s will of keeping Algren alive. Simon Graham (Timothy Spall) is a British photojournalist who speaks somewhat Japanese. Finally Colonel Bagley ( Tony Goldwyn) who also fits his role like a T. â€Å"The last samurai† is a movie you can watch from two important aspects; the story, or People can choose to look at â€Å"The last Samurai† from two different aspects You can watch â€Å"the last samurai† in two different ways. Either you can choose to ignore the messages or the story’s true meaning, concentrating only on the small imperfections, or you can choose to watch the movie’s story depth, admire the gorgeous landscape and scenery, the breathtaking characters, thrilling battles, and the beautiful moral values through the sacrifice of Samurai’s for â€Å"what seems to have become a forgotten word: Honour†. â€Å"The last Samurai† reminds us all of what true honour devotion and duty truly are through a truly inspiring movie.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 14 Billibotton

DAHL-†¦ Oddly enough, the best-known aspect of this sector is Billibotton, a semi-legendary place about which innumerable tales have grown up. In fact, a whole branch of literature now exists in which heroes and adventurers (and victims) must dare the dangers of passing through Billibotton. So stylized have these stories become that the one well-known and, presumably, authentic tale involving such a passage, that of Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili, has come to seem fantastic simply by association†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 66. When Hari Seldon and Dors Venabili were alone, Dors asked thoughtfully, â€Å"Are you really planning to see this ‘Mother' woman?† â€Å"I'm thinking about it, Dors.† â€Å"You're an odd one, Hari. You seem to go steadily from bad to worse. You went Upperside, which seemed harmless enough, for a rational purpose when you were in Streeling. Then, in Mycogen, you broke into the Elders' aerie, a much more dangerous task, for a much more foolish purpose. And now in Dahl, you want to go to this place, which that young man seems to think is simple suicide, for something altogether nonsensical.† â€Å"I'm curious about this reference to Earth-and must know if there's anything to it.† Dors said, â€Å"It's a legend and not even an interesting one. It is routine. The names differ from planet to planet, but the content is the same. There is always the tale of an original world and a golden age. There is a longing for a supposedly simple and virtuous past that is almost universal among the people of a complex and vicious society. In one way or another, this is true of all societies, since everyone imagines his or her own society to be too complex and vicious, however simple it may be. Mark that down for your psychohistory.† â€Å"Just the same,† said Seldon, â€Å"I have to consider the possibility that one world did once exist. Aurora†¦ Earth†¦ the name doesn't matter. In fact-â€Å" He paused and finally Dors said, â€Å"Well?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Do you remember the hand-on-thigh story you told me in Mycogen? It was right after I got the Book from Raindrop Forty-Three†¦ Well, it popped into my head one evening recently when we were talking to the Tisalvers. I said something that reminded me, for an instant-â€Å" â€Å"Reminded you of what?† â€Å"I don't remember. It came into my head and went out again, but somehow every time I think of the single-world notion, it seems to me I have the tips of my fingers on something and then lose it.† Dors looked at Seldon in surprise. â€Å"I don't see what it could be. The hand-on-thigh story has nothing to do with Earth or Aurora.† â€Å"I know, but this†¦ thing†¦ that hovers just past the edge of my mind seems to be connected with this single world anyway and I have the feeling that I must find out more about it at any cost. That†¦ and robots.† â€Å"Robots too? I thought the Elders' aerie put an end to that.† â€Å"Not at all. I've been thinking about them.† He stared at Dors with a troubled look on his face for a long moment, then said, â€Å"But I'm not sure.† â€Å"Sure about what, Hari?† But Seldon merely shook his head and said nothing more. Dors frowned, then said, â€Å"Hari, let me tell you one thing. In sober history-and, believe me, I know what I'm talking about there is no mention of one world of origin. It's a popular belief, I admit. I don't mean just among the unsophisticated followers of folklore, like the Mycogenians and the Dahlite heatsinkers, but there are biologists who insist that there must have been one world of origin for reasons that are well outside my area of expertise and there are the more mystical historians who tend to speculate about it. And among the leisure-class intellectuals, I understand such speculations are becoming fashionable. Still, scholarly history knows nothing about it.† Seldon said, â€Å"All the more reason, perhaps, to go beyond scholarly history. All I want is a device that will simplify psychohistory for me and I don't care what the device is, whether it is a mathematical trick or a historical trick or something totally imaginary. If the young man we've just talked to had had a little more formal training, I'd have set him on the problem. His thinking is marked by considerable ingenuity and originality-â€Å" Dors said, â€Å"And you're really going to help him, then?† â€Å"Absolutely. Just as soon as I'm in a position to.† â€Å"But ought you to make promises you're not sure you'll be able to keep?† â€Å"I want to keep it. If you're that stiff about impossible promises, consider that Hummin told Sunmaster Fourteen that I'd use psychohistory to get the Mycogenians their world back. There's just about zero chance of that. Even if I work out psychohistory, who knows if it can be used for so narrow and specialized a purpose? There's a real case of promising what one can't deliver.† But Dors said with some heat, â€Å"Chetter Hummin was trying to save our lives, to keep us out of the hands of Demerzel and the Emperor. Don't forget that. And I think he really would like to help the Mycogenians.† â€Å"And I really would like to help Yugo Amaryl and I am far more likely to be able to help him than I am the Mycogenians, so if you justify the second, please don't criticize the first. What's more, Dors†-and his eyes flashed angrily-â€Å"I really would like to find Mother Rittah and I'm prepared to go alone.† â€Å"Never!† snapped Dors. â€Å"If you go, I go.† 67. Mistress Tisalver returned with her daughter in tow an hour after Amaryl had left on this way to his shift. She said nothing at all to either Seldon or Dors, but gave a curt nod of her head when they greeted her and gazed sharply about the room as though to verify that the heatsinker had left no trace. She then sniffed the air sharply and looked at Seldon accusingly before marching through the common room into the family bedroom. Tisalver himself arrived home later and when Seldon and Dors came to the dinner table, Tisalver took advantage of the fact that his wife was still ordering some last-minute details in connection with the dinner to say in a low voice, â€Å"Has that person been here?† â€Å"And gone,† said Seldon solemnly. â€Å"Your wife was out at the time.† Tisalver nodded and said, â€Å"Will you have to do this again?† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Seldon. â€Å"Good.† Dinner passed largely in silence, but afterward, when the daughter had gone to her room for the dubious pleasures of computer practice, Seldon leaned back and said, â€Å"Tell me about Billibotton.† Tisalver looked astonished and his mouth moved without any sound issuing. Casilia, however, was less easily rendered speechless. She said, â€Å"Is that where your new friend lives? Are you going to return the visit?† â€Å"So far,† said Seldon quietly, â€Å"I have just asked about Billibotton.† Casilia said sharply, â€Å"It is a slum. The dregs live there. No one goes there, except the filth that make their homes there.† â€Å"I understand a Mother Rittah lives there.† â€Å"I never heard of her,† said Casilia, her mouth closing with a snap. It was quite clear that she had no intention of knowing anyone by name who lived in Billibotton. Tisalver, casting an uneasy look at his wife, said, â€Å"I've heard of her. She's a crazy old woman who is supposed to tell fortunes.† â€Å"And does she live in Billibotton?† â€Å"I don't know, Master Seldon. I've never seen her. She's mentioned sometimes in the news holocasts when she makes her predictions.† â€Å"Do they come true?† Tisalver snorted. â€Å"Do predictions ever come true? Hers don't even make sense.† â€Å"Does she ever talk about Earth?† â€Å"I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised.† â€Å"The mention of Earth doesn't puzzle you. Do you know about Earth?† Now Tisalver looked surprised. â€Å"Certainly, Master Seldon. It's the world all people came from†¦ supposedly.† â€Å"Supposedly? Don't you believe it?† â€Å"Me? I'm educated. But many ignorant people believe it.† â€Å"Are there book-films about Earth?† â€Å"Children's stories sometimes mention Earth. I remember, when I was a young boy, my favorite story began, ‘Once, long ago, on Earth, when Earth was the only planet-‘ Remember, Casilia? You liked it too.† Casilia shrugged, unwilling to bend as yet. â€Å"I'd like to see it sometime,† said Seldon, â€Å"but I mean real book-films†¦ uh†¦ learned ones†¦ or films†¦ or printouts.† â€Å"I never heard of any, but the library-â€Å" â€Å"I'll try that.-Are there any taboos about speaking of Earth?† â€Å"What are taboos?† â€Å"I mean, is it a strong custom that people mustn't talk of Earth or that outsiders mustn't ask about it?† Tisalver looked so honestly astonished that there seemed no point in waiting for an answer. Dors put in, â€Å"Is there some rule about outsiders not going to Billibotton?† Now Tisalver turned earnest. â€Å"No rule, but it's not a good idea for anyone to go there. I wouldn't.† Dors said, â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"It's dangerous. Violent! Everyone is armed.-I mean, Dahl is an armed place anyway, but in Billibotton they use the weapons. Stay in this neighborhood. It's safe.† â€Å"So far,† said Casilia darkly. â€Å"It would be better if we left altogether. Heatsinkers go anywhere these days.† And there was another lowering look in Seldon's direction. Seldon said, â€Å"What do you mean that Dahl is an armed place? There are strong Imperial regulations against weapons.† â€Å"I know that,† said Tisalver, â€Å"and there are no stun guns here or percussives or Psychic Probes or anything like that. But there are knives.† He looked embarrassed. Dors said, â€Å"Do you carry a knife, Tisalver?† â€Å"Me?† He looked genuinely horrified. â€Å"I am a man of peace and this is a safe neighborhood.† â€Å"We have a couple of them in the house,† said Casilia, sniffing again. â€Å"We're not that certain this is a safe neighborhood.† â€Å"Does everyone carry knives?† asked Dors. â€Å"Almost everyone, Mistress Venabili,† said Tisalver. â€Å"It's customary. But that doesn't mean everyone uses them.† â€Å"But they use them in Billibotton, I suppose,† said Dors. â€Å"Sometimes. When they're excited, they have fights.† â€Å"And the government permits it? The Imperial government, I mean?† â€Å"Sometimes they try to clean Billibotton up, but knives are too easy to hide and the custom is too strong. Besides, it's almost always Dahlites that get killed and I don't think the Imperial government gets too upset over that.† â€Å"What if it's an outsider who gets killed?† â€Å"If it's reported, the Imperials could get excited. But what happens is that no one has seen anything and no one knows anything. The Imperials sometimes round up people on general principles, but they can never prove anything. I suppose they decide it's the outsiders' fault for being there.-So don't go to Billibotton, even if you have a knife.† Seldon shook his head rather pettishly. â€Å"I wouldn't carry a knife. I don't know how to use one. Not skillfully.† â€Å"Then it's simple, Master Seldon. Stay out.† Tisalver shook his head portentously. â€Å"Just stay out.† â€Å"I may not be able to do that either,† said Seldon. Dors glared at him, clearly annoyed, and said to Tisalver, â€Å"Where does one buy a knife? Or may we have one of yours?† Casilia said quickly, â€Å"No one takes someone else's knife. You must buy your own.† Tisalver said, â€Å"There are knife stores all over. There aren't supposed to be. Theoretically they're illegal, you know. Any appliance store sells them, however. If you see a washing machine on display, that's a sure sign.† â€Å"And how does one get to Billibotton?† asked Seldon. â€Å"By Expressway.† Tisalver looked dubious as he looked at Dors's frowning expression. Seldon said, â€Å"And once I reach the Expressway?† â€Å"Get on the eastbound side and watch for the signs. But if you must go, Master Seldon†-Tisalver hesitated, then said-â€Å"you mustn't take Mistress Venabili. Women sometimes are treated†¦ worse.† â€Å"She won't go,† said Seldon. â€Å"I'm afraid she will,† said Dors with quiet determination. 68. The appliance store dealer's mustache was clearly as lush as it had been in his younger days, but it was grizzled now, even though the hair on his head was still black. He touched the mustache out of sheer habit as he gazed at Dors and brushed it back on each side. He said, â€Å"You're not a Dahlite.† â€Å"Yes, but I still want a knife.† He said, â€Å"It's against the law to sell knives.† Dors said, â€Å"I'm not a policewoman or a government agent of any sort. I'm going to Billibotton.† He stared at her thoughtfully. â€Å"Alone?† â€Å"With my friend.† She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of Seldon, who was waiting outside sullenly. â€Å"You're buying it for him?† He stared at Seldon and it didn't take him long to decide. â€Å"He's an outsider too. Let him come in and buy it for himself.† â€Å"He's not a government agent either. And I'm buying it for myself.† The dealer shook his head. â€Å"Outsiders are crazy. But if you want to spend some credits, I'll take them from you.† He reached under the counter, brought out a stub, turned it with a slight and expert motion, and the knife blade emerged. â€Å"Is that the largest you have?† â€Å"Best woman's knife made.† â€Å"Show me a man's knife.† â€Å"You don't want one that's too heavy. Do you know how to use one of these things?† â€Å"I'll learn and I'm not worried about heavy. Show me a man's knife.† The dealer smiled. â€Å"Well, if you want to see one-â€Å" He moved farther down the counter and brought up a much fatter stub. He gave it a twist and what appeared to be a butcher's knife emerged. He handed it to her, handle first, still smiling. She said, â€Å"Show me that twist of yours.† He showed her on a second knife, slowly twisting one way to make the blade appear, then the other way to make it disappear. â€Å"Twist and squeeze,† he said. â€Å"Do it again, sir.† The dealer obliged. Dors said, â€Å"All right, close it and toss me the haft.† He did, in a slow upward loop. She caught it, handed it back, and said, â€Å"Faster.† He raised his eyebrows and then, without warning, backhanded it to her left side. She made no attempt to bring over her right hand, but caught it with her left and the blade showed tumescently at once-then disappeared. The dealer's mouth fell open. â€Å"And this is the largest you have?† she said. â€Å"It is. If you try to use it, it will just tire you out.† â€Å"I'll breathe deeply. I'll take a second one too.† â€Å"For your friend?† â€Å"No. For me.† â€Å"You plan on using two knives?† â€Å"I've got two hands.† The dealer sighed. â€Å"Mistress, please stay out of Billibotton. You don't know what they do to women there.† â€Å"I can guess. How do I put these knives on my belt?† â€Å"Not the one you've got on, Mistress. That's not a knife belt. I can sell you one, though.† â€Å"Will it hold two knives?† â€Å"I might have a double belt somewhere. Not much call for them.† â€Å"I'm calling for them.† â€Å"I may not have it in your size.† â€Å"Then we'll cut it down or something.† â€Å"It will cost you a lot of credits.† â€Å"My credit tile will cover it.† When she emerged at last, Seldon said sourly, â€Å"You look ridiculous with that bulky belt.† â€Å"Really, Hari? Too ridiculous to go with you to Billibotton? Then let's both go back to the apartment.† â€Å"No. I'll go on by myself. I'll be safer by myself.† Dors said, â€Å"There is no use saying that, Hari. We both go back or we both go forward. Under no circumstances do we separate.† And somehow the firm look in her blue eyes, the set to her lips, and the manner in which her hands had dropped to the hafts at her belt, convinced Seldon she was serious. â€Å"Very well,† he said, â€Å"but if you survive and if I ever see Hummin again, my price for continuing to work on psychohistory-much as I have grown fond of you-will be your removal. Do you understand?† And suddenly Dors smiled. â€Å"Forget it. Don't practice your chivalry on me. Nothing will remove me. Do you understand?† 69. They got off the Expressway where the sign, flickering in the air, said: BILLIBOTTON. As perhaps an indication of what might be expected, the second ‘I' was smeared, a mere blob of fainter light. They made their way out of the car and down to the walkway below. It was early afternoon and at first glance, Billibotton seemed much like the part of Dahl they had left. The air, however, had a pungent aroma and the walkway was littered with trash. One could tell that auto-sweeps were not to be found in the neighborhood. And, although the walkway looked ordinary enough, the atmosphere was uncomfortable and as tense as a too-tightly coiled spring. Perhaps it was the people. There seemed the normal number of pedestrians, but they were not like pedestrians elsewhere, Seldon thought. Ordinarily, in the press of business, pedestrians were self-absorbed and in the endless crowds on the endless thoroughfares of Trantor, people could only survive-psychologically-by ignoring each other. Eyes slid away. Brains were closed off. There was an artificial privacy with each person enclosed in a velvet fog of his or her own making. Or there was the ritualistic friendliness of an evening promenade in those neighborhoods that indulged in such things. But here in Billibotton, there was neither friendliness nor neutral withdrawal. At least not where outsiders were concerned. Every person who passed, moving in either direction, turned to stare at Se ldon and Dors. Every pair of eyes, as though attached by invisible cords to the two outsiders, followed them with ill will. The clothing of the Billibottoners tended to be smudged, old, and sometimes corn. There was a patina of ill-washed poverty over them and Seldon felt uneasy at the slickness of his own new clothes. He said, â€Å"Where in Billibotton does Mother Rittah live, do you suppose?† â€Å"I don't know,† said Dors. â€Å"You brought us here, so you do the supposing. I intend to confine myself to the task of protection and I think I'm going to find it necessary to do just that.† Seldon said, â€Å"I assumed it would only be necessary to ask the way of any passerby, but somehow I'm not encouraged to do so.† â€Å"I don't blame you. I don't think you'll find anyone springing to your assistance.† â€Å"On the other hand, there are such things as youngsters.† He indicated one with a brief gesture of one hand. A boy who looked to be about twelve-in any case young enough to lack the universal adult male mustache had come to a full halt and was staring at them. Dors said, â€Å"You're guessing that a boy that age has not yet developed the full Billibottonian dislike of outsiders.† â€Å"At any rate,† said Seldon, â€Å"I'm guessing he is scarcely large enough to have developed the full Billibottonian penchant for violence. I suppose he might run away and shout insults from a distance if we approach him, but I doubt he'll attack us.† Seldon raised his voice. â€Å"Young man.† The boy took a step backward and continued to stare. Seldon said, â€Å"Come here,† and beckoned. The boy said, â€Å"Wa' for, guy?† â€Å"So I can ask you directions. Come closer, so I don't have to shout.† The boy approached two steps closer. His face was smudged, but his eyes were bright and sharp. His sandals were of different make and there was a large patch on one leg of his trousers. He said, â€Å"Wa' kind o' directions?† â€Å"We're trying to find Mother Rittah.† The boy's eyes flickered. â€Å"Wa' for, guy?† â€Å"I'm a scholar. Do you know what a scholar is?† â€Å"Ya went to school?† â€Å"Yes. Didn't you?† The boy spat to one side in contempt. â€Å"Nah.† â€Å"I want advice from Mother Rittah-if you'll take me to her.† â€Å"Ya want your fortune? Ya come to Billibotton, guy, with your fancy clothes, so I can tell ya your fortune. All bad.† â€Å"What's your name, young man?† â€Å"What's it to ya?† â€Å"So we can speak in a more friendly fashion. And so you can take me to Mother Rittah's place. Do you know where she lives?† â€Å"Maybe yes, maybe no. My name's Raych. What's in it for me if I take ya?† â€Å"What would you like, Raych?† The boy's eyes halted at Dors's belt. Raych said, â€Å"The lady got a couple o' knives. Gimme one and I'll take ya to Mother Rittah.† â€Å"Those are grown people's knives, Raych. You're too young.† â€Å"Then I guess I'm too young to know where Mother Rittah lives.† And he looked up slyly through the shaggy halt that curtained his eyes. Seldon grew uneasy. It was possible they might attract a crowd. Several men had stopped already, but had then moved on when nothing of interest seemed to be taking place. If, however, the boy grew angry and lashed out at them in word or deed, people would undoubtedly gather. He smiled and said, â€Å"Can you read, Raych?† Raych spat again. â€Å"Nah! Who wants to read?† â€Å"Can you use a computer?† â€Å"A talking computer? Sure. Anyone can.† â€Å"I'll tell you what, then. You take me to the nearest computer store and I'll buy you a little computer all your own and software that will teach you to read. A few weeks and you'll be able to read.† It seemed to Seldon that the boy's eyes sparkled at the thought, but-if so-they hardened at once. â€Å"Nah, Knife or nothin'.† â€Å"That's the point, Raych. You learn to read and don't tell anyone and you can surprise people. After a while you can bet them you can read. Bet them five credits. You can win a few extra credits that way and you can buy a knife of your own.† The boy hesitated. â€Å"Nah! No one will bet me. No one got credits.† â€Å"If you can read, you can get a job in a knife store and you can save your wages and get a knife at a discount. How about that?† â€Å"When ya gonna buy the talking computer?† â€Å"Right now. I'll give it to you when I see Mother Rittah.† â€Å"You got credits?† â€Å"I have a credit tile.† â€Å"Let's see ya buy the computer.† The transaction was carried through, but when the boy reached for it, Seldon shook his head and put it inside his pouch. â€Å"You've got to get me to Mother Rittah first, Raych. Are you sure you know where to find her?† Raych allowed a look of contempt to cross his face. â€Å"Sure I do. I'll take ya there, only ya better hand over the computer when we get there or I'll get some guys I know after you and the lady, so ya better watch out.† â€Å"You don't have to threaten us,† said Seldon. â€Å"We'll take care of our end of the deal.† Raych led them quickly along the walkway, past curious stares. Seldon was silent during the walk and so was Dors. Dors was far less lost in her own thoughts, though, for she clearly remained conscious of the surrounding people at all times. She kept meeting, with a level glare, the eyes of those passersby that turned toward them. On occasion, when there were footsteps behind them, she turned to look grimly back. And then Raych stopped and said, â€Å"In here. She ain't homeless, ya know.† They followed him into an apartment complex and Seldon, who had had the intention of following their route with a view to retracing his steps later, was quickly lost. He said, â€Å"How do you know your way through these alleys, Raych?† The boy shrugged. â€Å"I been loafin' through them since I was a kid,† he said. â€Å"Besides, the apartments are numbered-where they ain't broken off-and there's arrows and things. You can't get lost if you know the tricks.† Raych knew the tricks, apparently, and they wandered deeper into the complex. Hanging over it all was an air of total decay: disregarded debris, inhabitants slinking past in clear resentment of the outsiders' invasion. Unruly youngsters ran along the alleys in pursuit of some game or other. Some of them yelled, â€Å"Hey, get out o' the way!† when their levitating ball narrowly missed Dors. And finally, Raych stopped before a dark scarred door on which the number 2782 glowed feebly. â€Å"This is it,† he said and held out his hand. â€Å"First let's see who's inside,† said Seldon softly. He pushed the signal button and nothing happened. â€Å"It don't work,† said Raych. â€Å"Ya gotta bang. Loud. She don't hear too good.† Seldon pounded his fist on the door and was rewarded with the sound of movement inside. A shrill voice called out, â€Å"Who wants Mother Rittah?† Seldon shouted, â€Å"Two scholars!† He tossed the small computer, with its small package of software attached, to Raych, who snatched it, grinned, and took off at a rapid run. Seldon then turned to face the opening door and Mother Rittah. 70. Mother Rittah was well into her seventies, perhaps, but had the kind of face that, at first sight, seemed to belie that. Plump cheeks, a little mouth, a small round chin slightly doubled. She was very short-not quite 1.5 meters tall-and had a thick body. But there were fine wrinkles about her eyes and when she smiled, as she smiled at the sight of them, others broke out over her face. And she moved with difficulty. â€Å"Come in, come in,† she said in a soft high-pitched voice and peered at them as though her eyesight was beginning to fail. â€Å"Outsiders†¦ Outworlders even. Am I right? You don't seem to have the Trantor smell about you.† Seldon wished she hadn't mentioned smell. The apartment, overcrowded and littered with small possessions that seemed dim and dusty, reeked with food odors that were on the edge of rancidity. The air was so thick and clinging that he was sure his clothes would smell strongly of it when they left. He said, â€Å"You are right, Mother Rittah. I am Hari Seldon of Helicon. My friend is Dors Venabili of Cinna.† â€Å"So,† she said, looking about for an unoccupied spot on the floor where she could invite them to sit, but finding none suitable. Dors said, â€Å"We are willing to stand, Mother.† â€Å"What?† she looked up at Dors. â€Å"You must speak briskly, my child. My hearing is not what it was when I was your age.† â€Å"Why don't you get a hearing device?† said Seldon, raising his voice. â€Å"It wouldn't help, Master Seldon. Something seems to be wrong with the nerve and I have no money for nerve rebuilding.-You have come to learn the future from old Mother Rittah?† â€Å"Not quite,† said Seldon. â€Å"I have come to learn the past.† â€Å"Excellent. It is such a strain to decide what people want to hear.† â€Å"It must be quite an art,† said Dors, smiling. â€Å"It seems easy, but one has to he properly convincing. I earn my fees.† â€Å"If you have a credit outlet,† said Seldon. â€Å"We will pay any reasonable fees if you tell us about Earth-without cleverly designing what you tell us to suit what we want to hear. We wish to hear the truth.† The old woman, who had been shuffling about the room, making adjustments here and there, as though to make it all prettier and more suitable for important visitors, stopped short. â€Å"What do you want to know about Earth?† â€Å"What is it, to begin with?† The old woman turned and seemed to gaze off into space. When she spoke, her voice was low and steady. â€Å"It is a world, a very old planet. It is forgotten and lost.† Dors said, â€Å"It is not part of history. We know that much.† â€Å"It comes before history, child,† said Mother Rittah solemnly. â€Å"It existed in the dawn of the Galaxy and before the dawn. It was the only world with humanity.† She nodded firmly. Seldon said, â€Å"Was another name for Earth†¦ Aurora?† And now Mother Rittah's face misted into a frown. â€Å"Where did you hear that?† â€Å"In my wanderings. I have heard of an old forgotten world named Aurora on which humanity lived in primordial peace.† â€Å"It's a lie.† She wiped her mouth as though to get the taste of what she had just heard out of it. â€Å"That name you mention must never be mentioned except as the place of Evil. It was the beginning of Evil. Earth was alone till Evil came, along with its sister worlds. Evil nearly destroyed Earth, but Earth rallied and destroyed Evil-with the help of heroes.† â€Å"Earth was before this Evil. Are you sure of that?† â€Å"Long before. Earth was alone in the Galaxy for thousands of years-millions of years.† â€Å"Millions of years? Humanity existed on it for millions of years with no other people on any other world?† â€Å"That's true. That's true. That's true.† â€Å"But how do you know all this? Is it all in a computer program? Or a printout? Do you have anything I can read?† Mother Rittah shook her head. â€Å"I heard the old stories from my mother, who heard it from hers, and so on far back. I have no children, so I tell the stories to others, but it may come to an end. This is a time of disbelief.† Dors said, â€Å"Not really, Mother. There are people who speculate about prehistoric times and who study some of the tales of lost worlds.† Mother Rittah made a motion of her arm as though to wipe it away. â€Å"They look at it with cold eyes. Scholarly. They try to fit it in with their notions. I could tell you stories for a year of the great hero Ba-Lee, but you would have no time to listen and I have lost the strength to tell.† Seldon said, â€Å"Have you ever heard of robots?† The old woman shuddered and her voice was almost a scream. â€Å"Why do you ask such things? Those were artificial human beings, evil in themselves and the work of the Evil worlds. They were destroyed and should never be mentioned.† â€Å"There was one special robot, wasn't there, that the Evil worlds hated?† Mother Rittah tottered toward Seldon and peered into his eyes. He could feel her hot breath on his face. â€Å"Have you come to mock me? You know of these things and yet you ask? Why do you ask?† â€Å"Because I wish to know.† â€Å"There was an artificial human being who helped Earth. He was Da-Nee, friend of Ba-Lee. He never died and lives somewhere, waiting for his time to return. None knows when that time will be, but someday he will come and restore the great old days and remove all cruelty, injustice, and misery. That is the promise.† At this, she closed her eyes and smiled, as if remembering†¦ Seldon waited a while in silence, then sighed and said, â€Å"Thank you, Mother Rittah. You have been very helpful. What is your fee?† â€Å"So pleasant to meet Outworlders,† the old woman replied. â€Å"Ten credits. May I offer you some refreshment?† â€Å"No, thank you,† said Seldon earnestly. â€Å"Please take twenty. You need only tell us how to get back to the Expressway from here.-And, Mother Rittah, if you can arrange to have some of your tales of Earth put into a computer disc, I will pay you well.† â€Å"I would need so much strength. How well?† â€Å"It would depend on how long the story is and how well it is told. I might pay a thousand credits.† Mother Rittah licked her lips. â€Å"A thousand credits? But how will I find you when the story is told?† â€Å"I will give you the computer code number at which I can be reached.† After Seldon gave Mother Rittah the code number, he and Dors left, thankful for the comparatively clean odor of the alley outside. They walked briskly in the direction indicated by the old woman. Dors said, â€Å"That wasn't a very long interview, Hari.† â€Å"I know. The surroundings were terribly unpleasant and I felt I had learned enough. Amazing how these folktales tend to magnify.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘magnify'?† â€Å"Well, the Mycogenians fill their Aurora with human beings who lived for centuries and the Dahlites fill their Earth with a humanity that lived for millions of years. And both talk of a robot that lives forever. Still, it makes one think.† â€Å"As far as millions of years go, there's room for- Where are we going?† â€Å"Mother Rittah said we go in this direction till we reach a rest area, then follow the sign for CENTRAL WALKWAY, bearing left, and keep on following the sign. Did we pass a rest area on the way in?† â€Å"We may be leaving by a route different from the one we came in. I don't remember a rest area, but I wasn't watching the route. I was keeping my eye on the people we passed and-â€Å" Her voice died away. Up ahead the alley swelled outward on both sides. Seldon remembered. They had passed that way. There had been a couple of ratty couch pads resting on the walkway floor on either side. There was, however, no need for Dors to watch passersby going out as she had coming in. There were no passersby. But up ahead in the rest area they spotted a group of men, rather large-sized for Dahlites, mustaches bristling, bare upper arms muscular and glistening under the yellowish indoor light of the walkway. Clearly, they were waiting for the Outworlders and, almost automatically, Seldon and Dors came to a halt. For a moment or two, the tableau held. Then Seldon looked behind him hastily. Two or three additional men had stepped into view. Seldon said between his teeth, â€Å"We're trapped. I should not have let you come, Dors.† â€Å"On the contrary. This is why I'm here, but was it worth your seeing Mother Rittah?† â€Å"If we get out of this, it was.† Seldon then said in a loud and firm voice, â€Å"May we pass?† One of the men ahead stepped forward. He was fully Seldon's height of 1.73 meters, but broader in the shoulders and much more muscular. A bit flabby at the waist, though, Seldon noted. â€Å"I'm Marron,† he said with self-satisfied significance, as though the name ought to have meaning, â€Å"and I'm here to tell you we don't like Outworlders in our district. You want to come in, all right-but if you want to leave, you'll have to pay.† â€Å"Very well. How much?† â€Å"All you've got. You rich Outworlders have credit tiles, right? Just hand them over.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No point saying no. We'll just take them.† â€Å"You can't take them without killing me or hurting me and they won't work without my voiceprint. My normal voiceprint.† â€Å"That's not so, Master-see, I'm being polite-we can take them away from you without hurting you very much.† â€Å"How many of you big strong men will it take? Nine? No.† Seldon counted rapidly. â€Å"Ten.† â€Å"Just one. Me.† â€Å"With no help?† â€Å"Just me.† â€Å"If the rest of you will clear away and give us room, I would like to see you try it, Marron.† â€Å"You don't have a knife, Master. You want one?† â€Å"No, use yours to make the fight even. I'll fight without one.† Marron looked about at the others and said, â€Å"Hey, this puny guy is a sport. He don't even sound scared. That's sort of nice. It would be a shame to hurt him. I tell you what, Master. I'll take the girl. If you want me to stop, hand over your credit tile and her tile and use your right voices to activate them. If you say no, then after I'm through with the girl†¦ and that'll take some time†-he laughed-â€Å"I'll just have to hurt you.† â€Å"No,† said Seldon. â€Å"Let the woman go. I've challenged you to a fight-one to one, you with a knife, me without. If you want bigger odds, I'll fight two of you, but let the woman go.† â€Å"Stop, Hari!† cried out Dors. â€Å"If he wants me, let him come and get me. You stay right where you are, Hari, and don't move.† â€Å"You hear that?† said Marron, grinning broadly. † ‘You stay right where you are, Hari, and don't move.' I think the little lady wants me. You two, keep him still.† Each of Seldon's arms were caught in an iron grip and he felt the sharp point of a knife in his back. â€Å"Don't move,† said a harsh whisper in his ear, â€Å"and you can watch. The lady will probably like it. Marron's pretty good at this.† Dors called out again. â€Å"Don't move, Hari!† She turned to face Marron watchfully, her half-closed hands poised near her belt. He closed in on her purposefully and she waited till he had come within arm's length, when suddenly her own arms flashed and Marron found himself facing two large knives. For a moment, he leaned backward and then he laughed. â€Å"The little lady has two knives-knives like the big boys have. And I've only got one. But that's fair enough.† His knife was swiftly out. â€Å"I hate to have to cut you, little lady, because it will be more fun for both of us if I don't. Maybe I can just knock them out of your hands, huh?† Dors said, â€Å"I don't want to kill you. I'll do all I can to avoid doing so. Just the same, I call on all to witness, that if I do kill you, it is to protect my friend, as I am honor-bound to do.† Marron pretended to be terrified. â€Å"Oh, please don't kill me, little lady.† Then he burst into laughter and was joined by the other Dahlites present. Marron lunged with his knife, quite wide of the mark. He tried it again, then a third time, but Dors never budged. She made no attempt to fend off any motion that was not truly aimed at her. Marron's expression darkened. He was trying to make her respond with panic, but he was only making himself seem ineffectual. The next lunge was directly at her and Dors's left-hand blade moved flashingly and caught his with a force that pushed his arm aside. Her right-hand blade flashed inward and made a diagonal slit in his T-shirt. A thin bloody line smeared the dark-haired skin beneath. Marron looked down at himself in shock as the onlookers gasped in surprise. Seldon felt the grip on him weaken slightly as the two who held him were distracted by a duel not going quite as they had expected. He tensed himself. Now Marron lunged again and this time his left hand shot outward to enclose Dors's right wrist. Again Dors's left-hand blade caught his knife and held it motionless, while her right hand twisted agilely and drew downward, even as Marron's left hand closed upon it. It closed on nothing but the blade and when he opened his hand there was a bloody line down the palm. Dors sprang back and Marron, aware of the blood on his chest and hand, roared out chokingly, â€Å"Someone toss me another knife!† There was hesitation and then one of the onlookers tossed his own knife underhanded. Marron reached for it, but Dors was quicker. Her right-hand blade struck the thrown knife and sent it flying backward, whirling as it went. Seldon felt the grips on his arms weaken further. He lifted them suddenly, pushing up and forward, and was free. His two captors turned toward him with a sudden shout, but he quickly kneed one in the groin and elbowed the other in the solar plexus and both went down. He knelt to draw the knives of each and rose as double-armed as Dors. Unlike Dors, Seldon did not know how to handle the blades, but he knew the Dahlites would scarcely be aware of that. Dors said, â€Å"Just keep them off, Hari. Don't attack yet.-Marron, my next stroke will not be a scratch.† Marron, totally enraged, roared incoherently and charged blindly, attempting by sheer kinetic energy to overwhelm his opponent. Dors, dipping and sidestepping, ducked under his right arm, kicked her foot against his right ankle, and down he crashed, his knife flying. She then knelt, placed one blade against the back of his neck and the other against his throat, and said, â€Å"Yield!† With another yell, Marron struck out against her with one arm, pushed her to one side, then scrambled to his feet. He had not yet stood up completely when she was upon him, one knife slashing downward and hacking away a section of his mustache. This time he yowled like a large animal in agony, clapping his hand to his face. When he drew it away, it was dripping blood. Dors shouted, â€Å"It won't grow again, Marron. Some of the lip went with it. Attack once more and you're dead meat.† She waited, but Marron had had enough. He stumbled away, moaning, leaving a trail of blood. Dors turned toward the others. The two that Seldon had knocked down were still lying there, unarmed and not anxious to get up. She bent down, cut their belts with one of her knives and then slit their trousers. â€Å"This way, you'll have to hold your pants up when you walk,† she said. She stared at the seven men still on their feet, who were watching her with awestruck fascination. â€Å"And which of you threw the knife?† There was silence. She said, â€Å"It doesn't matter to me. Come one at a time or all together, but each time I slash, someone dies.† And with one accord, the seven turned and scurried away. Dors lifted her eyebrows and said to Seldon, â€Å"This time, at least, Hummin can't complain that I failed to protect you.† Seldon said, â€Å"I still can't believe what I saw. I didn't know you could do anything like that-or talk like that either.† Dors merely smiled. â€Å"You have your talents too. We make a good pair. Here, retract your knife blades and put them into your pouch. I think the news will spread with enormous speed and we can get out of Billibotton without fear of being stopped.† She was quite right.

Wouldnt life be so much harder if we did not have Essays

Wouldn't life be so much harder if we did not have Essays Wouldn't life be so much harder if we did not have someone to count on when we needed it? Being able to confide in another person when things get tougher than usual, for most people, could make a significant difference in coping with those difficult times. Growing up with siblings in my life, was one of the things I am most grateful for. My brother, Ryan, has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We share the same interests and hobbies, he supports me in my decisions, without judgement, and we live by a very similar set of values . One of the reasons Ryan is my best friend, and we get along so well, is because we share many of the same interests and hobbies . We both lis ten to the same types of music; one being classic rock and roll, and another being rap/hip hop. We also have a similar taste in fashion because we both like to wear preppy-styled clothing. During the winter season , we both enjoy going snowboarding. Another reason we are such good friends, is because he does not judge me, and he supports me in the decisions that I make. In the past I have made some poor choices, and some of the friends I thought I had, disappeared when things were not going as smoothly as they could be. Ryan always looked out for me, and never thought any less of me for my faults. He also stopped hanging out with those, so called "loyal" friends, which did not stick around for me when things got tough. Lastly, we both share very similar values in life, and because of this, we are such close friends. One of the most important things to Ryan is family. Of course this argument is obvious, being that we are both brothers, b ut even before each other, we both put our mother. He also believes that hard work and dedication pays off in the end, which is definitely a value that I live by. In conclusion, having Ryan in my life is such a blessing. We get along so well with each other due to so many different reasons. Sharing the same interests, supporting me through the good and the bad, without judgement, and having similar life values are only a select few of those reasons. In my opinion, e veryone should have a "Ryan" of their own, to be there for them, and to appreciate in life .

Best Article Directory For Submit Your Article For Free. Essay Example

Best Article Directory For Submit Your Article For Free. Essay Example Best Article Directory For Submit Your Article For Free. Essay Best Article Directory For Submit Your Article For Free. Essay The foremost article directory on the internet, bar-room no one that I’m currently aware of, is yashveer.com. Currently, it is the immense fish in the pond. But, I know there are a vast various other exceedingly well-mannered article directories not at home there, and I don’t after to lessen those. I’ve seen people on the internet giving superficially sound opinion of picking harmonious article directory and submitting all your articles to it. If you’re followed this disciples of kindness, then I can grasp why you’re looking for the unexcelled article directory. But, that is a slightly iffy nearer, and I’ll publish you why. It’s like putting all your eggs in solitary basket. Yashveer.com is a terrific directory, yes, metrical the best article directory currently obsolete there, but what would happen if something catastrophic happened and all your articles went poof? Relying on no more than a single see trade horse’s mouth is ALWAYS, and I replicate, AS A LAST RESORT a unhealthy idea. So, aside from relying on only a person article directory, why else should you submit to multiple directories? Well, story fit is to get more backlinks. Every article you submit gets you another backlink to your site, giving you another penny of Google favor. But this isn’t yon SEO, it’s here conclusion the excellent article directory not at home there. And to wrap this up, I’ll clout that yes, article directory yashveer.com is the excellent, but don’t use it exclusively. On a bunch of other ones that you upon and employ them concurrently. That is your get the better of article submissiveness strategy. Why yashveer.com Is The Kindest Article Directory? You won’t remark all these benefits with other directories. Unbefitting you intent get back some of the benefits that congeal Free of charge submit article directory to one side as sui generis when compared to all other directories. There are other benefits but members are sworn to furtiveness (we don’t lack harry copying all secrets that make this the nicest Article Directory Online). Benefits Of The Best Article Directory Free Submit Article Directory: Inception Mode Technology: Design a bring to an end article sales paginate, catalogue well-known articles, create PDF articles. You are clever to idiosyncrasy images, links, video, flash, stuffed html abilities, advertising and more! Far-reaching Identities: If you like to finance your contrasting niches disassemble, this at large submit article directory gives you the know-how to conceive numberless draft names. Each one has a unequalled profile page, and myriad initiator resource boxes. Every net profit servant allows the chance to together to the websites of your choice. No External Advertising: You won’t hanging back-end profit from your above being leeched by a barrage of adverts. Another utility of not having countless links away from article side is that the Page Prestige that you built sooner than bookmarking your article and driving above to it purpose reinforcement with your page. The edge of that is a higher position in the Search Machine results. Ride Leverage Technology: Just like not all Article Directories are created fitted, the Article Spinner that comes with Article Promotions is far to superior to other Article Spinners. The yashveer.com spinner is not a â€Å"unearth and substitute† spinner, nor is it a computer controlled spinner that exchanges words with synonyms etc. It is fully human controlled giving a best article every relate no editing required. And it gives a unexcelled superiority score that is unmatched. Auto Syndication Technology: If you really want to pinnacle fringe benefits from your articles, you have need of to promote them to other syndication sites. This is made one click compliant during the built-in auto syndicator that comes with yashveer.com. Scads of the over 150 sites syndicated to are only ready using the provided tool, so your articles will not be promoted to a throw-away instal that has no value. Milquetoast Feed Technology: yashveer.com also allows you to submit your spun articles to your WordPress blog using trickle silage technology. This means that you can embark the articles to be posted at predefined intervals on to your blog. This can either be in plain printed matter, or in html version. Allowing you a hands fixed automated practice of building your blogs. Resources: yashveer.com provides you with video training, live out webinar training, an on the go members forum, and other resources exclusive available to members. No other article directory comes airless to sacrifice the power and back-up second that comes with yashveer.com.

Using Glob with Directories in Ruby

Using Glob with Directories in Ruby Globbing files (with Dir.glob) in Ruby allows you to select just the files you want, such as all the XML files, in a given directory. Even though Dir.blog  is like  regular  expressions, it is not. Its very limited compared to Rubys regular expressions and is more closely related to shell expansion wildcards. The opposite of globbing, iterating over all the files in a directory, can be done with the Dir.foreach  method. Example The following glob will match all files ending in .rb in the current directory. It uses a single wildcard, the asterisk. The asterisk will match zero or more characters, so any file ending in .rb will match this glob, including a file called simply .rb, with nothing before the file extension and its preceding period. The glob method will return all files that match the globbing rules as an array, which can be saved for later use or iterated over. #!/usr/bin/env ruby Dir.glob(*.rb).each do|f| puts f end Wildcards and More There are only a few wildcards to learn: * – Match zero or more characters. A glob consisting of only the asterisk and no other characters or wildcards will match all files in the current directory. The asterisk is usually combined with a file extension if not more characters to narrow down the search.** – Match all directories recursively. This is used to descend into the directory tree and find all files in sub-directories of the current directory, rather than just files in the current directory. This wildcard is explored in the example code below.? – Match any one character. This is useful for finding files whose name are in a particular format. For example, 5 characters and a .xml extension could be expressed as .xml.[a-z] – Match any character in the character set. The set can be either a list of characters or a range separated with the hyphen character. Character sets follow the same syntax as and behave in the same manner as character sets in regular expressions.{a,b} – Match patter n a or b. Though this looks like a regular expression quantifier, it isnt. For example, in regular expression, the pattern a{1,2} will match 1 or 2 a characters. In globbing, it will match the string a1 or a2. Other patterns can be nested inside of this construct. One thing to consider is case sensitivity. Its up to the operating system to determine whether TEST.txt and TeSt.TxT refer to the same file. On Linux and other systems, these are different files. On Windows, these will refer to the same file. The operating system is also responsible for the order in which the results are displayed. It may differ if youre on Windows versus Linux, for example. One final thing to note is the Dir[globstring] convenience method. This is functionally the same as Dir.glob(globstring) and is also semantically correct (you are indexing a directory, much like an array). For this reason, you may see Dir[] more often than Dir.glob, but they are the same thing. Examples Using Wildcards The following example program will demonstrate as many patterns as it can in many different combinations. #!/usr/bin/env ruby # Get all .xml files Dir[*.xml] # Get all files with 5 characters and a .jpg extension Dir[.jpg] # Get all jpg, png and gif images Dir[*.{jpg,png,gif}] # Descend into the directory tree and get all jpg images # Note: this will also file jpg images in the current directory Dir[**/*.jpg] # Descend into all directories starting with Uni and find all # jpg images. # Note: this only descends down one directory Dir[Uni**/*.jpg] # Descend into all directories starting with Uni and all # subdirectories of directories starting with Uni and find # all .jpg images Dir[Uni**/**/*.jpg]

Precisionism, the effect of independent gallery exhibitions, the role Personal Statement

Precisionism, the effect of independent gallery exhibitions, the role of Photography in the art of the early 20th century - Personal Statement Example They were after producing images that had details (Marien 6). Independent gallery exhibitions have had a lot of effect of on photography. Independent gallery exhibition has encouraged the sprouting of young photographers with talents. It is at these exhibitions that photographers become encouraged on their work. In addition, they also get to compare notes with their fellow photographers and get some tips on how to improve (Marien 23). Independent gallery exhibitions give a photographer confidence in his or her work as he or she learns if he or she is on the right track. In addition, one could also be able to establish connections while there and be able to market some of his or her photographs. Photography has had an impact in the 20th century. In fact, many pictorialists feel that the photographs have improved their artistic merit and degree of resemblance to drawings, paintings, mezzotints (Marien 45). Photographs these days display mood and the sense of lighting using softly-focused images that have primary concern. Sometimes, photographers have been able to add some additional â€Å"handiwork† to certain images through printing techniques, for example, gum-bichromate printing, where images can be transferred onto a soft, malleable coating. Photography has proven to go in hand with technology and utilized some of its aspects to bring the imagery and innovation at new heights. All in all, photography has proven to have an enormous role in the 20th century (Marien

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

Paraphrasing lab report - Essay Example These values would allow clear differentiation as they are both known and largely differ with methyl salicylate melting at approximately -8 Â °C and pure salicylic acid at 159 Â °C. The melting point of the product was found to be approximately 160Â °C. Other parameters that were also assessed include the Rf of the substance which was found to be (0.35), as compared to the known Rf and co spot of methyl salicylate (0.75) and pure salicylic acid which is (0.33). In addition, the percent yield was determined to be 93,7%. In summation, the product was confirmed to be salicylic acid and not methyl salicylate due to the values obtained from the TLC tests and melting point. 2. The experimental data illustrated that the purified product has a melting point range of 157-161 Â °C; in addition, pure salicylic acid has a known melting point of 159 Â °C; as opposed to that of methyl salicylate which is -8 to -7 Â °C. The experimental data further illustrated that the melting point of the s ubstance was within the range of 159 Â °C Therefore, the known melting point of salicylic acid is 159 Â °C and it is in close range with that obtained in the experiment of 157-161 Â °C hence concluding that the purified product derived in the experiment was salicylic acid. ... In addition, the product obtained in the experiment is in a similar location to that salicylic acid in the xo spot. Therefore, the values obtained in the TLC and melting point experiments were substantial in concluding the product was salicylic acid not methyl salicylate. The data obtained in the experiments also illustrated that the experiment design was appropriate and the procedure was ideal as the results showed that the production of salicylic acid was successful due to the correlation between the experimental values of the product and the known melting points and Rf co spot values for salicylic acid. This also showed the purity level of the product as it was within the range of pure salicylic acid; hence showing the majority of the impurities had been alleviated from the final product in the recrystallization process. The percentage yield data gives an indication of the reaction and the amount of the product that is practically possible to obtain and isolate. The experiment had a good percentage yield of approximately 93,7% indicating that 6,3% of the product was lost during recrystallization and removal of impurities and vacuum faltering. Table 2. Rf values Compound Distance of Compound movement (cm) Distance of mobile phase movement (cm) Rf Pure salicylic acid 1.7 5.1 0.33 Product 1.8 5.1 0.35 Co-spot 1.7 5.1 0.33 Methyl salicylate 3.8 5.1 0.75 Figure 4. TLC plate 3. In the stationery phase the polarity of the compound determines the Rf value. Hence, salicylic acid will have the lowest Rf value as it has the highest polarity compared to silica gel which is also very polar, resulting in both compounds sticking together. However, non polar compounds such as

Developing an Interactive Secure Website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Developing an Interactive Secure Website - Essay Example Since most internet users engage in social networking in one form or another, the target group involved is quite expansive. The goal is to make use of the most popular form of telecommunication on an interpersonal level, which is the sharing of photos via uploading them, tagging and initiating chats with friends. The costs of establishing the information system will also be much lower than expected. This report outlines how the telecommunication grid may be used to supply the community with important information, as well as play an integral part in its constitution. Contents Introduction 3 Aim 4 Objectives 5 Rationale 5 Research 7 Methodology 9 Requirements specification and analysis 10 Design 10 Implementation 11 Integration 12 Testing 13 Installation 13 Maintenance 13 Project Management & Employability 14 Results 15 Database Connection 16 Changeover Technique 18 Conclusion 19 Limitations 19 Recommendations 19 Conclusion 20 List of Tables Table 1: Development mechanisms 12 Table 2: Identified Skills 14 Table 3: User Acceptance Testing 21 Table 4: Individual Evaluation 22 List of Figures Figure 1: The Waterfall Methodology 9 Introduction Information technology is the essence of the computers applied on an ongoing basis in the daily lives of the human race, sighs (Dawson 200). The importance of information technology has been greatly investigated and it has revealed significant citations that have been experienced with the use of information systems. The ability to create, store, manipulate and distribute data portrays the interaction of information systems, human beings and work. The existence of information systems since 1960 has proven worth with its impact on various aspects of life namely social, economic, education and health amongst others. The inception of the internet shall go down in history as one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. The internet is today’s most used, effective and efficient technological mode of communication allowing the transfer of data in textual, graphical and more complex form. Structures that enable the communication include websites, blogs, email, and webpages amon g others. These structures aid in meeting the main purpose of inventing the internet: communication. The structures operate as with any other communication mode, where there is the source and the terminal. The source in the case of the structures is a database where the data is stored whereas the terminal is the user who calls for the data via a search or a directed approach. These elements constitute a subject referred to as an information system (Gerardo 49). An information system is an incorporation of information technology together with human activities such as management, decision-making, transaction processing, and distribution of information. An information system provides interaction between humans and technology in various sectors such as health, education, economy, socialization, agriculture and so many more. In the social setting, the information systems are used to convey data of a social nature from one point to another, between users making use of a certain informatio n system such as a website (Hutchinson 421). Websites are vessels through which content can be contained, with help of a website server, which hosts the data for retrieval. The webserver is then connected to a network, which might be localized or globalized via the Local Area Network (LAN) and the World Wide Web (WWW) respectively. Once the data has been stored in a server that is connected to a network, it can then be accessed by referring to the data via the use of an address, which in my case is http://arabic-advertisments.com/try/index.php. Websites are generalized as either interactive or static. The interactive websites are structured such that they

Investment Analysis of BHP Billiton Company Case Study

Investment Analysis of BHP Billiton Company - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that Commonwealth Bank of Australia is a company that is based on Sydney Australia, it as founded in 1911 and its main line of business is provision of various banking and financial products and services to retail, small businesses corporate customers as well as institutional customers in Australia, New Zealand, the Asia pacific region, United Kingdom and the United States. An event study was carried out to determine the impact of the announcement of the 25 basis points decrease in cash rate by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 6th December 2011. The event window used to carry out this event study is the 10 days before the event announcement date, the event announcement date and the 10 days after the event announcement date denoted as day -10 to day +10 and the event announcement date is day zero. The estimation period on the other hand is period between day -510 and day -11. The closing adjusted weekly prices for the Commonwealth Bank of Au stralia and the all ordinaries index were obtained from yahoo finance for the estimation period and the closing adjusted daily prices were also obtained from yahoo finance for the event window. The all ordinaries index represents the market returns. The weekly returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the weekly logarithmic returns of the All Ordinaries Index were calculated using the formula ln (Pt/Pt-1) where Pt is the adjusted closing price of the security at time t and Pt-1 is the adjusted closing price of the security at time t-1.... indicating that regressing the returns of the CBA on those of the All Ordinaries index would yield a better result that will incorporate the effect of the outliers (Uliana Flynn & Correia, 2007). The regression result is as shown in table below. As shown in the table above, the value of alpha as represented by the intercept is equivalent to 0.00094 while the value of beta is equivalent to 1.00742. This indicates that the regression equation representing the relationship between the CBA returns and the Market returns as represented by the All Ordinaries Index is equal to Y = 1.00742x + 0.00094. This is the market model where Y is the dependent variable which is the expected returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window while x is the independent variable which is the market returns during the event window and alpha is the constant which is otherwise referred to as the intercept (Uliana, Flynn and Correia, 2007). Market model adjusted abnormal returns The market model adjusted abnormal returns is equivalent to the difference between the expected returns and the actual returns of Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window. The abnormal returns are the accumulated to arrive at the cumulative abnormal returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window as shown in the table below; As shown in the table above, the abnormal returns are given by the actual returns minus the expected returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window. The expected returns are calculated using the market model shown above. Findings As shown in the market model above, the beta of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is equivalent to 1.0074 indicating that it is a growth stock because it has a beta that is more than one. In

Johnson International Corporation Research Paper

Johnson International Corporation - Research Paper Example The net revenue of the company in the last year was $200 million and the net Income was $10 million. The company mainly generates its business from military and DoD related logistics services. Apart from its branch offices, the company has recently developed an online platform for itself. According to the CEO of Johnson International Corporation (JIC), the intention of the company is to become more competitive and offer superior services to the customers. Hence in order to fulfil this obligation, the top leads of the company have suggested an overall reengineering review of all aspects of the organization. This can be carried out with the help of a system approach. Although the company has earned high profits in the last couple of years, more capital is required to carry out the engineering review and implement information technology in their operational system. In order to reduce operation cost the company has reduced the IT budget to 10 % and travel & training budgets to 10 % for t he last 2 years. Nonetheless, Johnson International Corporation (JIC) did not laid off any off their staff members. This project will now elaborate on the possible ways by which the company can provide improved customer services and also become more competitive in the market place. Based on the discussion, the study will develop some alternative solutions and from that the most viable one will be selected. The purpose of the study is to uncover the problems faced by the company. In addition the purpose of the study is also to provide a number of alternative solutions to fix that issue. Finally, the aim of the project is to provide recommendations to the company, regarding how they can improve their performance. Systems thinking can be defined as a process of understanding how things pertaining to systems interacts and influences each other on a whole. The examples of systems thinking are ecosystem where elements such as water, air,

Creative presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creative presentation - Essay Example Environmental problems such as global atmospheric warming,  heavy deforestations, mass extinction of various wildlife, and depletion of the many habitats are addressed. The message being conveyed by the film is that as humanity continues its current exploitation and neglect of nature, the whole world will always be at the risk of environmental crisis. Based on extensive number of research into human dietary and nutritional consumption, this documentary film features interviews with medical figures and other prominent individuals in the field of public health and human nutrition. The primary message of this film is the outlining how the human diet has its effects towards the health of the environment. As people continue to feed more to satisfy their appetites and hunger, the environment undergoes changes due to massive resource consumption for such ends. This film is a documentary and real life social experiment in which a man and his family attempts to go about their daily life without having to depend on modern day conveniences and consumptions. It shows how difficult it is for human beings, especially people who live in a highly urbanized zone, to change to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle and breaking the modern day human patterns of consumption. This is a documentary film regarding the present conditions facing the world and human beings. The film points out issues such as  fossil fuel depletion,  dramatic changes in the climate,  rapid increase of the human population  and the  extinction of various wildlife, as well as how things led to these problems. This short film is a fictional story set in the future. The main character is a plastic bag that searches for its purpose of existence and its origins. It travels around a trash ridden world to make its inquiries with other refuse that has been left behind by people. The short film gives a subtle message on how improper disposal of consumption by human beings have resulted to this

Johnson International Corporation Research Paper

Johnson International Corporation - Research Paper Example The net revenue of the company in the last year was $200 million and the net Income was $10 million. The company mainly generates its business from military and DoD related logistics services. Apart from its branch offices, the company has recently developed an online platform for itself. According to the CEO of Johnson International Corporation (JIC), the intention of the company is to become more competitive and offer superior services to the customers. Hence in order to fulfil this obligation, the top leads of the company have suggested an overall reengineering review of all aspects of the organization. This can be carried out with the help of a system approach. Although the company has earned high profits in the last couple of years, more capital is required to carry out the engineering review and implement information technology in their operational system. In order to reduce operation cost the company has reduced the IT budget to 10 % and travel & training budgets to 10 % for t he last 2 years. Nonetheless, Johnson International Corporation (JIC) did not laid off any off their staff members. This project will now elaborate on the possible ways by which the company can provide improved customer services and also become more competitive in the market place. Based on the discussion, the study will develop some alternative solutions and from that the most viable one will be selected. The purpose of the study is to uncover the problems faced by the company. In addition the purpose of the study is also to provide a number of alternative solutions to fix that issue. Finally, the aim of the project is to provide recommendations to the company, regarding how they can improve their performance. Systems thinking can be defined as a process of understanding how things pertaining to systems interacts and influences each other on a whole. The examples of systems thinking are ecosystem where elements such as water, air,

Multinational Companies Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Multinational Companies Management - Essay Example This is the same in the case of employee retention. However it is very difficult for any organisation to take the necessary steps to retain its workforce and ensure that they remain loyal and engaged, and when this has to be carried out by an organisation with many different cultural dimensions the strategies that need to be adopted become even more difficult and complex. The author believes that through this study, she will be able to gain sufficient information on the specific steps that can be taken by a transnational organisations with regard to managing and retaining employees while remaining profitable and ensuring that they remain loyal and engaged and highly productive, thus making the organisation even more profitable. THE DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE ADOPTED BY AN ORGANISATION WITH A DIVERSE WORKFORCE TO RETAIN ITS WORKFORCE, ENSURE EMPLOYEE LOYALTY AND ENGAGEMENT AND CONTINUE TO STAY PROFITABLE IN BOOM AND BUST CONDITIONS In this document the author proposes the methods and the type of research study that she will undertake in fulfillment of her degree requirement. The author is currently interested in studying how Multinational Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Honda, General Electric, Coke Cola, Unilevers, General Motors, Hewlett Packard and Sony can do to retain its employees, keep them engaged and loyal to the organisation, while ensuring that the organisation remains profitable through boom and bust conditions. In this proposal the author discusses the research objectives, the research topic, the methodology that she wishes to adopt, the limitations of the study, and finally the dissertation structure and the time line for the study. The author has carried out a brief literature review into the subject area and has presented it in this research to give the proposal more background and to justify the reason for the choice. Research Objectives Here the author will give a brief overview of the objectives of the research study that she will evaluate for completion at the end of the research. Gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of employee retention for a multi-national organisation. Gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of employee engagement for a multi-national organisation. Gain an understanding of the co-relationship between the profitability of the organisation, employee retention, employee engageme

The spinners investigation Essay Example for Free

The spinners investigation Essay The prediction for this investigation is the shorter the wingspan of the spinner the faster it will fall the 2. 59m to the floor. I think this because with shortening the wingspan Im making the surface area smaller this means less air resistance acting upon it when it is falling. There will be an unbalanced force because gravity will always be the same but the air resistance will get smaller with every half centimetre I cut off, so there will be less area for the air resistance to act upon. The apparatus you need for this experiment are the following things: A paper spinner. A paperclip (to give the spinner some weight) A table to which you can stand on to hold the spinner to the height of 2. 59m (the ceiling) A stop clock A table to record the results (the results are the times taken to reach the floor) In order to make the investigation fair: You will only change the length of the wing span because that is the variable you are using; changing anything else would mean the experiment would be corrupted. The things you have to keep the same are the spinner; you will use the same spinner throughout the experiment. Keep the height the same too. In this investigation you have to count the time taken for the spinner to fall the 2. 59m to the floor from the ceiling and measure the length of the spinner since you change that yourself. When you drop the spinner you take the time taken for it to land using a stop clock, you do this three times and take an average. You can get an exact time taken for it to fall but the stop clock is the best instrument for the job as far as I can decide. The safety issues are important, like when you have to stand on the table to reach the ceiling you should make sure your shoes are suitable and dont have too big a heel. My preliminary work consisted of doing work on unbalanced forces this helped me to come to my prediction about how there would be an unbalanced force acting on the spinner because there would be less air resistance the less surface area there was to act upon. The Method The detailed plan is: To carry out this investigation you would have to do the following: First, you would have to make the spinner, you can make it however you want but there is a spinner for example overleaf. Add a paperclip to give it a little weight. Once the spinner is made you would have to make yourself a results table to fill in. Then you stand on something secure and hold the spinner to the ceiling and have someone ready with a stop clock to press the start button at the precise moment the spinner is dropped from the ceiling and stop the clock once the spinner has reached the floor. As this isnt completely accurate do this three times for every time you change the variable (the wing span). So every time you cut off the half centimetre off the wings (both sides) you should do the particular experiment three times over and find the average. Results Wing Length (cm). Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) 1st Time 2nd Time 3rd Time Average   An observation I made during this experiment was when the wingspan got to only 4cm long the amount of air resistance was too small compared to the greater amount of gravity to make the spinner spin and reach a constant speed, it just ended up falling straight to the floor. I didnt change anything through out my investigation. Below is a bar chart of my results and over the page are my results as a line graph. The y-axis is the time taken for the spinner to reach the floor (in seconds) and the x-axis is the length in (centimetres). I have found out through doing this experiment that the smaller the surface area is the quicker something will fall to the floor, this is because the force of gravity doesnt change but as air resistance relies on the surface area and changes to suit the area. If the area is small then the air resistance too is small and if the area is large then the air resistance too is large. This means when the wingspan is smaller the area of the spinner is smaller and with that the air resistance is smaller, smaller than the force of gravity. So if gravity is the larger of the two forces it will pull the spinner to the floor faster and faster as the air resistance gets smaller and smaller. Thats what this investigation has proved. The majority pattern throughout my results is that of, as the surface area of the spinner gets smaller the time taken to reach the floor decreases too. My results and what I have found out match the prediction I made at the beginning before the experiment had been carried out. Evaluation My results or anyone elses can not be 100% accurate because there is always going to be a time delay from when you see the spinner being dropped and when your brain tells your fingers to begin the stop clock. I think I took enough results as I came up with the answer I was looking for and knew was right, but I dont think it would have done much harm doing more results though, but I dont think it would have been necessary to do more. I could have maybe made the range of changing the variable bigger and then do more measurement but then I would have to have made a larger spinner. There was one result that didnt fit into the pattern but I didnt worry too much about it as I had the 2nd and 3rd result to make sure the average wasnt messed up. Also I believe it was just the slow reactions of my partner, starting the stop clock too late after I had dropped the spinner. If I was to repeat this experiment again I would probably try and get a higher height to drop my spinner from I think that would probably improve my results the measurements wouldnt be so small if the height was bigger and that way the graphs would look better and be easier to read. I could also try making spinners out of different materials and see if that affects the time taken to reach the floor any differently.

Regulations and Policies of Online and Social Media

Regulations and Policies of Online and Social Media Introduction The sole goal of the media is to reach mass audiences with the transmitted message. Earlier the main sources of information would include the traditional media like Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television etc., Now people have started depending on the contemporary media for information .Subsequently, the online and the social media are gaining prominence. What are the principles governing the Online and the Social Media? What would be the standards of Online and the Social Media? Does the Media law regulate the content to the stipulated extent? Is ethics followed in Online and Social Media? While practicing ethics in Online and social media what are the issues faced , the constraints confronted and the opportunities that we come across? Considering the Online and the Social media that have become an inevitable part of life of any individual today, a thorough study will reveal the opportunities and the threats. Online and Social media Definition The Online media and Social media refer to the digital media in which information is made available in the forms of music, photos, videos etc., which are distributed in the internet. These media entertain socialinteraction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, photos, video and ideas in virtual communities andnetworks. (Wikipedia) The mobile phone and the internet have transformed to an integral part of the human schedule or in other words, life itself. The usage of mobile phones is increasing vastly not only in the urban but also rural areas with innumerable mobile operators entering the market day in and day out. The slashing down of the internet charges and the internet services being made available in the mobile phones have drastically increased the prominence of the online and the social media. Principles The Online and Social Media can transmit the message instantaneously. This media is also a more personalized version of all the other media or in other words we have the complete authority to edit the content. Certain principles govern the social media and these principles decide the success of communication in the media. The information that is shared in the social media ought to be authentic. This authenticity of information be it personal, or of the company helps in building trust. The length of the post determines the number of views. Minimize on the length – Be crisp and clear. Social media is being used as a marketing tool to earn likes for the specific products or for the company. Creating a community determines the success in SMM and it happens in a slower pace. Sharing some useful or interesting piece of information that would interest the group as well as sharing and showing interest in the information shared by the peers would help in nurturing a larger group. The interaction plays an important role as well in the social media. As a company, a response is a must, be it for a compliment from the customer or for a complaint. (Jon Reed, 2013, 7 principles of Social Media Marketing) (Five Basic Principles of Social Media, 2014) Standards The Association of Fundraising Professionals ( AFP) has defined the standards for the Organization leaders and the staff, affiliates, consultants etc., to follow certain these set standards. Industry laws and guidelines are also applicable in social media. The information should be updated at all times and people should be open to criticisms/ appreciations While opposing, maintain a polite language. Take responsibility for all the content . Respond to queries/ comments . Be responsible for the content and think before you post. Adhere to moral principles, honesty and be open . Know to differentiate the personal and the professional boundaries. Be authorized and official. Avoid violations of standards . The Association of Fundraising Professionals ( AFP) has defined the standards for the Organization leaders and the staff, affiliates, consultants etc., not to do certain activities . Do not share or disclose material that the organization or affiliate organization considers is forbidding, harassing, illegal, obscene, defamatory, libelous, or hostile towards any individual or entity. Do not share or disclose phone numbers or email addresses of yourself or any other individual or entity Do not display material that violates on the rights of the organization or any individual or entity, including privacy, intellectual property or publication rights. This includes the unauthorized use of (but is not limited to) images, logos, videos, content, documents, white papers, etc. Do not publish material that promotes or advertises a commercial product or solicits business / membership or financial or other support in any business, group or organization. Do not post chain letters, post the same comment multiple times as this would be termed as spam. Do not permit any other individual or entity to use your identity for posting in or viewing social medias. Do not use multiple identities or the identity of others. (AFP’s Social media guidelines,2013) Ethics Social Media is a form of media in which the information intended reaches instantaneously as well as globally and fetches response due to the inherent quality of interaction. Balancing ethics in social media is a difficult task as access to social media is available to all and there is no control over the content. Like any other media, Accuracy and authenticity are two main points of ethical importance. The information shared in the social media is available to a community when shared and when it gets shared repeatedly there is no control over the content. The professionals, journalists, public figures etc., are expected to possess the quality of Impartiality to be ethical. The social media networking with political parties, organizations would create notions of â€Å"biasing† which is unethical. Avoid defaming statements against individuals/ organizations in the social media. Subsequently ,avoid commenting on the customs, culture, beliefs of different religions, countries etc., Recommending publicly in a social media is also considered unethical. (NPR Ethics handbook, 2012) Regulations The protection of privacy of the customers is ensured using the regulatory laws. The employer’s level of inspecting the social media updates of the current and future employees is governed by the regulatory law. Marketing of products using social media, revealing financial reports of companies etc., are governed by a guidance law. Defining of procedures for the employees‘ business use of social media, the inspection and the control is also covered by a law. Guidelines that clearly explain on what situations the company can obtain and use it for legal investigations are also available. (Five Common Legal Regulatory Challenges With Social Media, 2013) Ethical Practices on Online and Social Media Issues The employees of a company when communicating on behalf of a company have to be ethical in terms of complimenting their own company as well as avoid criticizing the competition in a social media. The access to social media in business hours for personal reasons is an unethical practice. Professionals like lawyers, judges involved in the same case could be friends and their interactions in social media could cause negative references for the case. Social networking with the political parties or with the important leaders of the political parties could create negative remarks in the professional profile. (Ethical Challenges of Social Media, 2011) Constraints Updating business profiles by the professionals like the doctors, lawyers are legal advertisements even when they are not intended to and could cause ethical problems in their profession. Sharing of confidential information both professional and personal have to be avoided to be ethical. The security factors whilst using a social media are to be dealt with paramount importance. Neglecting or ignoring such factors could push us to unnecessary complications. The recruiting companies demand social media personal account details for monitoring the emlpoyees’ activities. The borderline between the personal and the professional activities becomes indistinct. (10 Tips for Avoiding Ethical Lapses When Using Social Media, 2014) Opportunities Being present in most of the social media with the same identity also helps in building brand image and trust. Social media does not stop with sharing information but it extends till the peer group responds either positively or negatively. The secret of success lies in the unique posts in social media to reach the maximum audience. Knowledge Sharing : This is a very significant opportunity of the Social Media. People in the same professional line can share information on specific cases and the success stories which could be of great use to the others and sometimes the others in the cimmunity could come out with different ideas. Life Sharing : Social media is a powerful tool to share photos, videos using Youtube, Flickr etc., to get the actual feel of events. Social Networking : This networking helps in sharing the status, photos , video etc., with the friends, relatives living in different places. One post updates the whole set of friends/ relatives in the group. Business Networking : Business networking using social media like Linkedin helps in procuring information on job opportunities and freelancing from the community. Community Building : Social networking communities like Collaborate, Collect etc., is a common platform for messaging, document sharing etc., with a mobile apps used in an i-phone. (Social Media Constraints and Opportunities Project,2011) Conclusion The online and the social media also has to be treated as important as the traditional media and one has to understand that the media laws govern these media as well. The access to online and the social media is available to all unlike the other media and so it is important for us to know the regulations and the restrictions failing which legal actions are also feasible. Sharnig persona or confidential information can also lead to cyber crimes.